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More American people take their troubles with them on holiday, according to a new _ . Although 40 percent said that the main reason for going away is to escape pressure from work, almost all said they worry more than they do at home. Only four in every 100 said that they are happy and free of care. The most common worry is burglary ( ) , with four out of 10 worrying about their homes being broken into while they're abroad.More than a quarter fear they will feel crazy with some other noisy and rough holiday-makers and 22 percent worry they may be attacked or their possessions will be missing. One in five think the car may break down; and the same number worry about the chances of bad weather. The survey also showed that the stay-at-home Americans are no more. Three out of every five want to have a holiday abroad, a great increase from the figures only three years ago. The hotel holiday is still a winner, with about one third of all Americana preferring to go on a self-catering ( ) holiday. According to the text, about _ of people worry more on holiday than when they are at home. Answer: 95% English is an important global language, but that doesn't mean it's easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn--but they weren't always successful. In 1930, Professor CK Ogden of Cambridge University invented Basic English. It had only 850 words (and just eighteen verbs) and Ogden said most people could learn it in just thirty hours. The problem was that people who learned Basic English could write and say simple messages, but they couldn't understand the answers in "real" English! It was also impossible to explain a word if it wasn't in the Basic English word list. For example, if you wanted a watermelon, you asked for "a large green fruit with the form of an egg, which has a sweet red inside and a good taste"! RE Zachrisson, a university professor in Sweden, decided that the biggest problem for learners of English was spelling, so he invented a language called Anglic. Anglic was similar to English, but with much simpler spelling. "Father" became "faadher", "new" became "nue' and "years" became "yeerz". Unfortunately for some students of English, Anglic never became popular. Even easier is the language which ships' captains use: it's called "Seaspeak". Seaspeak uses a few simple phrases for every possible situation. In Seaspeak, for example, you don't say, "I'm sorry what did you say?" or "I didn't understand, can you repeat that?" It's just "Say again." No more grammar! In the age of international communication through the Internet who knows? ... a new form of English might appear. A large number of the world's e-mails are in English and include examples of "NetLingo" like OIC (Oh, I see) and TTYL (Talk to you later). In another fifty years, English might not exist ... we will probably all speak fluent Internetish! Which of the following is likely to be Anglic? Answer: A graet batl. One midnight, a little girl woke up to go to the bathroom. She got up and down her bed, walked to the bedroom door and opened it. She looked outside and walked back, because it was so dark that she was scared. Her mother said, "Don't be afraid, honey. Take courage!" "What's courage?" she asked, running to her mother's bed. "Courage is the brave breath," her mother answered. "Mum, do you have courage?" "Certainly!" The girl held out her hands, saying, "Mum, please blow some of your courage breath to me." After her mother blew out two mouthfuls of breath into her little cold hands, the little girl held her hands nervously , afraid that the "breath of courage" would run away. Then, she walked out of her bedroom towards the bathroom with nothing to fear. Her mother said to herself, " It will be nice if someone can blow some kind of "breath" to me. Then I can hold it in my hands too when I feel afraid or lost." In fact, mostly, what we are afraid of is nothing but the fear in our mind. Who we should beat against is nobody but ourselves. What did the girl ask her mother to do? Answer: To blow some courage breath. My grandmother seems to be wrong when she says that good manners will never go out of style. Several days ago, I tried entering a lift with one of my arms fixed in a bandage while carrying a computer bag in the other. Not being fast enough, I was passed by two young people who managed to get into the lift before me. The lift door closed only after I entered. Having already pressed their wanted floor button, the young people waited impatiently for me to press the button for where I was going. If they had decided to help, we could have moved much faster. But they had not. So I did my best and pressed the button with my arm. The two young people looked very angry with me. I was losing heart. The memory of this incident has stayed with me because it followed shortly after my building's watchman refused to help me carry a heavy box full of books. His answer was that he could not carry the books a few meters because it was not his job. However, I remembered myself helping people for so many years carrying boxes, shopping bags, or pushing wheelchairs upon the request of a stranger in need or when my conscience called on me. "Oh, this young generation, they have no manners, "my grandmother would say. The idea of good manners refers to the considering of other people's feelings. We need more and more people to have good manners. Good manners should be-come part of our lives. The author believes that _ . Answer: good manners are disappearing little by little Another thing an astronaut has to learn about is eating in space.Food is weightless, just as men are. Food for space has to be packed in special ways.Some of it goes into tubes that a man can squeeze into his mouth.Bite-sized cookies are packed in plastic. There is a good reason for covering each bite.The plastic keeps pieces of food from traveling in the spaceship.On the earth very small pieces of food would simply fall to the floor.But gravity doesn't pull them to the floor when they are out of the plastic in a spaceship.They move here and there and can get into a man's eyes or into the spaceship's instruments. If any of the instruments is blocked, the astronauts may have trouble getting safely home. As astronauts travel on longer space trips, they must take time to sleep. An astronaut can fit himself to his seat with a kind of seat belt. Or, if he wants to, he can sleep in a sleeping bag which is fixed in place under his seat.But be careful he must put his hands under the belt when he goes to sleep.This is because he is really afraid that he might touch one of controls that isn't supposed to be touched until later. The best title of this article is _ . Answer: Eating and Sleeping in Space
In England, people don't often talk much. You can get on a bus or a train,and everyone sits looking out of the window. Often they read books and papers, but they don't talk much. When you meet English people they often talk about one thing--weather . So when you meet somebody in England, you can say, "Nice weather for the time of year!" "But it is a little cold today," somebody may answer. "But it will be a little warmer later,"you can say. Talk like this, and the English people will think," How friendly you are !" If you talk to English people about the weather, they will think _ . Answer: I keep hammering _ because I keep seeing people who don't do it. 1. Look up English to Elvish. 2. Look up the Elvish word in the best Elvish dictionary you have, and, preferably, find out the context in Tolkien's language dictionary. 3. Change the word to suit rules of grammar: singular or plural, mutations, verb tenses, etc. You cannot leave out any of these steps. If you do, you're almost certain to have errors. Why you have to do step 2: Languages never match up one- to-one. English and Elvish are closer than usual, but there are still problems. And English has strange idioms: why are there no baths or beds in public bathrooms or restrooms? You can't translate literally . You have to understand the meaning behind each word. In Elvish this is even more true, since our dictionaries contain more or less questionable reconstructions, and words that Tolkien later threw away or replaced. Find the best one you can. Consider the word "fair". We tend to use it to mean "just". Tolkien tends to use it to mean "beautiful". In Elvish, these are two entirely different words. So when you look up "fair", you'll have to go to the Elvish dictionary to see that you've got the right one. Consider the nightmare of He left the bar. Is "left" the opposite of "right" (which also has two meanings) ? Is "bar" extruded steel , or something to do with law? You have to know what words mean in both languages. And you'd be amazed at how many people ignore step 3, forgetting that language is more than a string of words, and there are rules about how to fit those words together. You can't simply look up the word "I" and use it everywhere. Sometimes you need "me" or "my". There's a reason it takes a while to learn a language: you have to learn the rules. It drives me completely mad when people give a questionable translation they insist is right because "it's in the dictionary". A dictionary is a tool, a resource. but its entries should not be mistaken for a finished product. They are raw materials. The passage is mainly about how to _ . Answer: Encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum should be a valuable component of all children's education, according to new research. Dr. Helen Lees, from Stirling University's school of education, says that "enforced silence" is seen as a punishment and often acts to _ children's natural ability. But she says that teaching children about the benefits of "enforced silence",--- deliberate stillness that gives them the opportunity to focus and reflect in a stress-free environment--- can have a significant effect on pupils' concentration and behavior. It is the latest in a string of researches to establish a link between the classroom environment and pupils' academic ability. A study almost a decade ago in London found that children's exam results were cut by as much as a third if they were taught in noisy classrooms. Teaching unions have also called for a limit of 26degC to be put on classroom temperatures because teachers and pupils struggle to work in hot conditions, and some educationalists claim that too much clutter on classroom walls can prevent children from concentrating. Dr. Lees said, "When we take some research on school settings and put it all together, what we see is that education without silence does not make much sense. In areas of better learning outcomes, better self- confidence and well-being measures, enforced silence in a person's life and an individual's education is shown throughout the relevant research to be a benefit." Dozens of schools across Britain have already introduced periods of "reflective silence" into the timetable. Kevin Hogston, head of Sheringdale Primary, south London, has just introduced a minute's silence at the start of twice-weekly meetings in which children are taught breathing techniques and encouraged to reflect. The school plans to introduce it into classrooms every day. What can be inferred from the research on school settings? Answer: As prices and building costs keep rising, the "do-it-yourself" (DIY) trend in the U.S. continues to grow. "We needed furniture for our living room." Says John Ross, "and we just didn't have enough money to afford it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs." John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $ 280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house. Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $ 420. "I was deeply upset about it. Now I've finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself." John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a "do-it-yourself", you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don't have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself. We can learn from the text that many newly married people _ . Answer: 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. We can infer from the text that Ray _ . Answer:
migration is when animals travel from the northern state such as north dakota to Texas during what segment of time? A lake fronts B birds C spring D winter Answer: D. winter A person avoiding UV rays would A gather seashells at the beach B sunbathe in their yard C dig a trench outdoors D close their bedroom blinds Answer: D. close their bedroom blinds We all have our own ways of sharing our life experiences with others. Photographers use cameras, artists use brushes, musicians use songs and writers use stories. Spencer Johnson's story Who Moved My Cheese? shows changes exist in our life. Life changes and so we do. We must change ourselves to face the changing environment, or we will fail. Just look at the cycle of the seasons. Trees bud in spring and in summer their leaves turn green. In autumn, their leaves start to fall onto the ground. When winter comes, there are no leaves on trees. Next spring the cycle begins again. Since we know there are cycles in nature, we can prepare for them. We know it is colder in winter and hotter in summer, so we can dress properly. Since we accept the cycles of nature, we should also accept the changes in our life. We can prepare ourselves for changes by becoming more flexible . We can regard the changes in our life as chances. As we keep changing ourselves, we can keep up with the changes in our life. What do writers use to share their life experiences? A Stories. B Newspapers. C Basketballs. D Pianos. Answer: A. Stories. Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves. Decibels measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of 120 decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decible level of 195 would have the same effect. Some scientists have suggested setting a noise limit of 120 decibles in oceans. They have observed that noises above that level can frighten and confuse whales. A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises could seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing, which seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected . Many researches whose work depends on ocean sounds disagree with a limit of 120 decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research. Scientists do not know how many and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they previously believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean. What will scientists most probably do in the future? A Count the number of sea animals. B Stop their research on the ocean. C Study the effect of different noises. D Protect sea creatures from harmful noises. Answer: D. Protect sea creatures from harmful noises. This summer, Liu Hongcan, a 30-year-old Chongqing woman, had to say goodbye to her daughter again. She sent her little girl to Guizhou province to stay with her daughter's grandparents for the summer vacation _ in Chongqing. A list of "hottest cities" in China came out last month. Chongqing is No.1 on the list. Fuzhou and Hangzhou take the second and third place. The list is based on a "heat index" .It uses temperature and humidity date 1981 to 2011.The scientists tried to learn how hot the weather was over a period of time, and find out how people feel. High humidity will stop heat leaving the body. It makes people feel worse on high-temperature. Dryness, on the other hand, can allow heat to leave the body. In July this year, Chongqing saw 25 days of high temperature (over 35degC). Forty-eight people in the city had heatstroke from the start of April to the middle of August, the local health bureau said. Chongqing people have to look for different ways to cool down. Throwing themselves into water is a good choice. Lin Jing, a worker at the Caribbean Water Park has received more guests this summer than before. About 15,000 people have visited the park a day during this year's hot season. According to the temperature, the order is _ . A Chongqing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Ningbo B Fuzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Ningbo C Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo D Ningbo, Fuzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou Answer: C. Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo
Perhaps the most famous theory, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell. He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed. In other words, we learn our looks ---- we are not born with them. A baby has generally informed face features. A baby, according to Birdwhistell, learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around-family and friends. This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike, new Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics . The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after. In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set. For many, this can be well into grown-ups. A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look alike. We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country area people smile more than those in other areas. In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently. In New England they smile less, and in the western part of New York State still less. Many southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other in public less than people in small towns do. Ray Birdwhistell believes that physical appearance _ . has much to do with culture Tanzania Tarangire is a national Park which lies in Tanzania. The park itself covers an area of around 2,850 square kilometers, making it the sixth largest park of its kind in the country. I recently visited Tarangire to see what it was like.... One of the first sightings upon entering the park which I found was a huge herd of elephants. Our guide told us that Tagrangire was probably the best place in Tanzania to find large herds of elephants, and that their population in the park was around 2,500. We continued to watch the elephants as they stood under trees and scratched themselves against the trees to hit the spot of an itch . To the right of the elephant herd, we noticed a big tree! Our guide informed us that this was a Baobab tree and that they could live for hundreds of years. Compared with this tree, the elephant just looked like dwarfs ! We were informed that Tarangire was one of the best National Parks in Africa to see so many Baobab trees. As we continued our drive through the park, we finally reached a watering hole. Our guide warned us that there were lions all around us. It took us all a while to find them, but there they were! Most of them are resting in the shade under brushes, but there was one that was drinking from the watering hole directly in front of us. We then noticed just to our right, there were a couple of fresh zebra corpses -- it seemed as if the lions which were resting had killed them! We were unlucky not to have seen the actual kill, as our guide had mentioned that the zebra corpses were fresh and the kill had occurred within the last hour. Our final big sighting was one that none of us were expecting to see, even our guide! We pulled over to where there was a large gathering of cars, with a sleeping leopard there! We took photos happily and excitedly and observed its surprising body before returning to our hotel as it was getting late. So, I hope you enjoyed my description of Tarangire, and that I have inspired you to add this amazing park to your very own Tanzania travel route. What did they see when they stopped with some other cars? A leopard Are you a gourmand ? Do you want to eat every delicious food in the world? Then do you watch the popular program?"A Bite of China " is a documentary on Chinese delicious food which has been broadcasted by Chinese central television. Is there any holiday that isn't celebrated with a special festival food? Here are several traditional Chinese foods: Eggs hold a special meaning in many cultures, and China is no exception . The Chinese believe eggs mean producing something new. After a baby is born, parents may hold a "red egg and ginger party," where they pass out eggs to announce the birth. In some areas of China the number of eggs represents the sex of the child, for example, an even number(1,3,5,---) for a girl, and an odd number(2,4,6---) if a boy has been born. Noodles are a symbol of longlife in Chinese culture. They are as much a part of a Chinese birthday celebration as a birthday cake with lit candles is in many countries. Since noodles represent long life, it is considered very unlucky to cut it off. Although westerners sometimes may be very sorry to see fish lying on a plate, in China a whole fish is a symbol of richness. In fact, at a party it is traditional to serve the whole fish last, pointed toward the valued guest. Fish also has a special meaning because the Chinese word for fish, yu, sounds like the word for richness or plenty, and it is believed that eating fish will help your wishes come true in the year to come. A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat Festival is Zongzi. This tasty dish is made of rice dumplings with meat, peanut or other delicious food in bamboo leaves. The tradition of Zongzi is meant to remind us of a great man, Qu Yuan. The 50-minute program tries to bring something new by presenting more cultural elements ,such as eating habits and the quality of eating. A girl has been born in Mr. Li's home. How many red eggs may he pass out to his friends according to Chinese tradition? three eggs The discovery that language can be a barrier to communication is quickly made by all who travel, study, govern or sell. Whether the activity is tourism, research, government, policing or business, the lack of a common language can severely delay progress or can stop it altogether. Although communication problems of this kind must happen thousands of times each day, very few become public knowledge. Publicity comes only when a failure to communicate has major results, such as strikes, lost orders, legal problems or deadly accidents--even, at times, war. One reported example of communication failure took place in 1970, when several Americans ate a species of poisonous mushroom. No remedy was known, and two of the people died within days. A radio report of the case was heard by a chemist who knew of a treatment that had been successfully used in 1959 and published in 1963. Why had the American doctors not heard of it seven years later? Possibly because the report of the treatment had been published only in journals written in European languages other than English. Several comparable cases have been reported. But isolated examples do not give an impression of the size of the problem--something that can come only from studies of the use or avoidance of foreign-language materials and contacts in different communicative situations. In the English-speaking scientific world, for example, surveys of books and documents consulted in libraries and other information agencies have shown that very little foreign-language material is ever consulted. Library requests in the field of science and technology showed that only 13 percent were for foreign language journals. The language barrier presents itself entirely to firms who wish to market their products in other countries. British industry, in particular, has in recent decades often been criticized for its assumption that foreign buyers will be happy to communicate in English, and that awareness of other languages is not therefore a matter to be considered first. In the 1960s, over two-thirds of British firms dealing with non-English-speaking customers were using English for outgoing letters; many had their sales language only in English; and as many as 40 percent employed no one who was able to communicate in the customer's languages. A similar problem was identified in other English-speaking countries, especially the USA, Australia and New Zealand. And non-English speaking countries were by no means free from the same problem--although the widespread use of English as an alternative language made them a bit more able to communicate with other countries. The criticism and publicity given to this problem since the 1960s seems to have greatly improved the situation. Industrial training projects have promoted an increase in language and cultural awareness. Many firms now have their own translation services. Some firms run part-time language courses in the languages of the countries with which they are most involved; some produce their own technical glossaries , to ensure consistency when material is being translated. It is now much more readily accepted that marketing efforts can be delayed, damaged or ruined by a failure to take the language needs of the customer into consideration. Communication problems may come to the attention of the public when _ . serious results have been caused When it rains, do your shoes get wet? Of course they do! But you can buy these pretty red and white "Umbrella for Shoes". They keep the rain off wet. Who sweeps the floor at your home? Do you do it yourself? Perhaps your mother does it. Well, now you just need a cat. Get a cat and buy these four "Dusters for Cats ". You talk too long on the phone, don't you? Most teenagers do! Save time - buy the "Telephone Dumb-bell "! It weighs five kilos. Then your calls will be less than five minutes. Do your friends sometimes come up behind you and make you jump? Do cars come around the corner when you try to cross the road? Well, you can solve that problem with these modern "Forward - backward Glasses." Look forward with the right eye and back with the left. From the text, we know that cats can help mother to _ . do some housework
A 34-year-old mother has spoken of how she woke up thinking she was 15 years old and living in 1992. Naomi Jacobs, from Manchester, was convinced she was still a teenager. In her mind, John Major was Prime Minister and George Bush Sr. was running the White House. She also showed how she screamed when a boy appeared and called her "Mum". Mobile phones and e-mails were puzzling and Google, Facebook and YouTube sounded like made-up words, she said. Ms. Jacobs, who had no memory of the years, was told by doctors that she had Transient Global Amnesia (TGA). She has now written a book about the experience which happened in 2008. "I fell asleep in 1992 as a brave, very confident know-it-all-15-year-old, and woke up as a 32-year-old single mum living in a rented house," Ms. Jacobs said. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my bed, dreaming about a boy in my class. When I woke up, I looked in the mirror and had the fright of my life when I saw an old woman with wrinkles staring back at me. Then a little boy appeared and started calling me Mum. That's when I started to scream. I didn't know who he was. I didn't think he was much younger than I was, and I certainly didn't remember giving birth to him. I began sobbing uncontrollably. I just wanted my mum. I couldn't get my head around going to bed one night and waking up in a different century." TGA is a rare type of amnesia which can occur suddenly, affecting around three people per 100,000 each year. Fortunately, permanent memory loss is rare. Ms. Jacobs' memory started to return after eight weeks. Some people who often suffer from migraines also appear to be more likely to have TGA. The cause of TGA is unknown. Some think that it may be caused by a temporary cut of blood flow to parts of the brain involved in memory. According to the passage, we know _ . It was several years since Adolf Hitler came into power in Germany. And now his army was marching into some parts of Europe. He must be in the prime of his career. One day Hitler went to an exhibition where the works of school children were on show. He seemed to have great interest in the exhibits--inventions as well as carvings, drawings. After having walked around the hall and examined everything, he said he was ready to meet the young artists. And soon a group of children came into the room to salute(-----) him. "Well, well. You did very good work." nodded Hitler in satisfaction. "I promise on my honor I'd satisfy you with whatever you want. What'd you wish to be if I were your father?" "A sailor sailing the sea." one of the boys answered. "Good. I'll have you join my navy and some day you will rule the oceans." "Ask for anything? What'd you wish to be if I were your father?" he asked a second boy. "A painter as great as Rembruant." "Good. You are to be sent to the Fine Art School and surely you will make an even greater painter." When Hitler caught sight of a sad-looking boy he frowned , then quickly forced a smile, "There my boy, in spite of my point of view towards the Jews, I'd do you a favor and your dream will come true. What'd you wish to be if I were your father?" The boy looked straight at the man. "An orphan(the child who has no parents)." he murmured. Hitler frowned when he saw the sad-looking boy because _ . Johnson likes swimming in a small river near his house. But then his father goes to work in a big city and Johnson goes with his family. Their new house has a garden, but the garden is very small Johnson is not very happy. "Is there a river near the house?"He asks his father on the first morning." No, there isn't. But there is a big park near here. And there's a pool in it. ""We are going there this afternoon. "says his father. Johnson is happy. Johnson and his father go to the park in the afternoon. Johnson wants to walk near the pool. But he sees a sign. His father reads it to him: "Warning: This pool is dangerous.365 people fell into it. "Johanson looks into the pool carefully, then he says,"I can't see them. Which isn't right? LONDON, England(CNN)-- The youngest person to sail solo around the world returned home Thursday from his 30,000-mile, 282-day ocean journey. Mike Perham, 17, sailed into Lizard Point in Cornwall, the southernmost point in Britain, at 9:47 a.m., his race team said. "It feels ly brilliant," Mike told CNN by phone hours before crossing the finish line. "I'm really, really excited to be going across the line at last. It doesn't feel like long since I crossed it first." Mike set off on his round-the-world trip on November 18, 2008. He has been sailing his yacht, TotallyMoney.com, single-handedly, though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way. ks5u The teen has now achieved the title of Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo, according to the Guinness World Records. Mike learned how to sail when he was seven years old from his father, Peter and at age 14, he sailed across the Atlantic alone. The teenager's school -- which Mike describes as "highly supportive" of his trip -- has redesigned his coursework to fit in with his trip. It also gave him some coursework to do during "quiet moments," according to Mike's Website. There haven't been many of those quiet moments. Repeated autopilot failures forced him to stop for repairs in Portugal, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and twice in Australia, according to his Web site. Bad weather in the Southern Ocean -- between Australia and Antarctica -- forced Mike to battle 50ft waves and 57 mph winds. He said at one point, a "freak wave" picked up the boat and turned it on its side. "My feet were on the ceiling at the time," he told CNN. "That was a really hairy moment, and I was certainly thinking, 'Why am I here?' But we took the sails off and the day after I thought, 'This is brilliant!'" Mike describes his father as his biggest hero, always supportive of what he wanted to achieve. Peter Perham said he wasn't too worried about his son facing dangerous situations at sea, as long as he knew what to do and stayed safe. The passage mainly tells us _ . Toasting bread makes it
All organisms classified in kingdom Animalia must also be classified as which of the following? Eukaryota There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night , "Sorry". One time as I was walking on the street , a young man ran by hurriedly , brushing against my handbag . Even as he continued on his way , he turned back and said "sorry" to me . Even in a rush , he didn't forget to apologize . One day , after I bought some apples , the salesman was giving me the change , but I wasn't ready for it , and a coin dropped on the ground, "I'm sorry ," he said while bending down to pick it up . I was puzzled --why would he apologize when it was my fault ? Another time , I stepped on a man's foot in an escalator . At the same time , we both said "sorry" . I thought it interesting : was it really necessary for him apologize ? Later on , an American friend explained to me that according to the American ideas, the escalator is public place which everyone should be able to stand in . After someone occupies a position in the escalator , making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand in , isn't it necessary to express an apology ? During my stay in America , I gradually realized that when friction occurs in daily life , Americans don't care much about who is responsible . If someone is troubled , a "sorry" is always necessary . Even if the other person is hurt , the "sorry" would cool tempers . Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses , subways or streets in America . When I was walking in the street , _ . a young man said sorry to me for touching my bag Peyton,an 11-year-old boy from Florida,has the enthusiasm of scientific invention and the-gift of Thomas Edison. The sixth-grader put his math and science skills as well as some real-life experience to use and created something that could benefit our world a lot ---- the sandless sandbag.Today he was named the winner of the Young Scientist Challenge for his sandbag. "I had a really terrifying experience with a hurricane," said Peyton."When I was 4,I experienced Hurricane Wilma.When it hit Florida in October 2005,my family and I crowded in a closet and watched the storm bring damage and death to our area,feeling terrible and hopeless." Saltwater flooding caused great damage,which made him think about how people can prepare for floods.Peyton,who has been solving math problems since he was 3,eventually came up with the sandless sandbag. "Instead of filling it with sand,I filled it with just the right amount of chemicals and salt,"he said."What's amazing is that when you pick these bags up and they're not wet,they only weigh a pound or two." Unlike regular sandbags,Peyton's is light and easy to carry.They only expand when doused with water.The bags are portable when dry and will not float away when wet. Experts praised his invention and said that the sandless sandbag could someday save a lot of lives and possessions."He understands the big picture.He thinks in terms of the influence on society and safety for the people around this area,"said Dr.Antonio,the engineering chairman at the University of Miami."We'd love to have him at our university." Peyton has to get through middle school and high school first,but until then,the young scientist will continue thinking and inventing. What makes Peyton's sandbag different from a regular one? Content of the bags. Reporters collect information and write news stories. These stories appear in newspapers and magazines. Some reporters appear on television and radio. To get information, reporters should look at documents, observe the _ and interview people. To get the latest news, radio and television reporters often reporter "live" from the scene. Some reporters work long hours. They might work strange schedules. At morning newspapers, reporters might work from late afternoon until midnight. At evening or afternoon papers, they may work from early morning until afternoon. Radio and television reporters work during the day or in the evening. Magazine reporters generally work during the day. Reporters may have to change their work hours to follow a story. If someone wants to be a reporter, a bachelor's degree in journalism is preferred. Some employers like graduates with other majors . Working at school newspapers or broadcasting stations is good experience. Internship with news organizations also help when looking for a job as a reporter. Reporters must write clearly and effectively. They need word processing ,computer graphics , and desktop publishing skills. Speaking a second language is necessary for some jobs. If one wants to be a reporter, he must _ . have enough experience Is it wrong to use someone else's wireless(Wi-Fi) connection?Just recently,a man was arrested for doing just that.At that time,he was sitting in the street with a laptop and using an unsecured wireless connection to surf the Net.What do you think about this topic?Listen to the following different views on it. For a start,if someone is using your Internet service or downloading,this will affect your speed of access or download limit.Also,it's bad for Internet service providers.They will suffer in the long run because fewer people will pay for an Internet service if they know they can get it for free.And finally,just imagine this:what if the person who is stealing your Internet connection is involved in an illegal activity?I think the police are totally right to arrest these criminals. --by Sandra Wilkins Basically,if the person who paid for the service still has everything they paid for,what's the problem?It's just like using the light from streetlamps to read your book,or watching someone else's firework display.It's not stealing. Also,if you leave your wireless connection unsecured,then it is your own fault if someone else uses it.Just as you wouldn't leave your front door unlocked,or your car door open,neither should you leave your wireless connection open.By leaving your wireless connection open,you are inviting people to use it.Securing your wireless connection is as easy as clicking a few settings on your router .And finally,haven't the police got more important crimes to solve?They're always saying how they haven't got the manpower to solve real issues.But this is just ridiculous . --by James Hoarley In James Hoarley's opinion, _ . using others' Internet service is not stealing at all
Which features are physical properties of an iron nail? A. conducts heat, magnetic, solid B. conducts electricity, magnetic, rusts C. conducts sound, insulates, non-magnetic D. dissolves, conducts heat, non-magnetic Answer: A. conducts heat, magnetic, solid An old man lived in a nice house with a large garden. He took care of his flowers all the time, watering and fertilizing them. One day a young man went by the garden. He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be if he lived in such a beautiful place. Then ,suddenly he found the old gardener was blind. He was very surprised about this and asked,"You can't see these flowers. "Why are you busy taking care of them every day?" The old man smiled and said ,"I can tell you four reasons. First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second, although I can't see these flowers, I can touch them. Third, I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that's you." "Me? But you don't know me."said the young man. "Yeah, it's true that I don't know you. But I know that flowers are angels that everybody knows. We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us." The blind man's work opened our eyes and pleased our hearts, which also made his life happier. It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical works. Beethoven himself couldn't hear his wonderful music, but his music has encouraged millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn't it a kind of happiness? Which of the following statements is TRUE about the old man? A. He was a musician. B. He was the writer's friend. C. He used to be a gardener. D. He was very happy. Answer: C. He used to be a gardener. On Nov.18,1995,Itzhak Perlman,the violinist,came on stage to give a concert.If you have ever been to a Perlman concert,you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him.He was stricken with polio as a child,and so he walks with the aid of two crutches. The audience sat quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair and begins his play.But this time,something went wrong.Just as he finished the first few bars,one of the strings on his violin broke.We thought that he would have to stop the concert.But he didn't.Instead,he waited a moment,closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. Of course,anyone knows that it is impossible to play a pleasant work with just three strings.I know that,and you know that,but that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that. When he finished,there was a breathtaking silence in the room.And then people rose and cheered.There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium. He smiled,wiped the sweat from this brow and then he said-not proudly,but in a quiet,holy attitude-"You know,sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left." This powerful line has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it.And who knows?Perhaps that is the meaning of life-not just for artists but for all of us. So,perhaps our task in this fastchanging,puzzling world in which we live is to make music,at first with all that we have,and then,when that is no longer possible,to make music with what we have left. What is the best title for the passage? A. When you lose the most important thing. B. How can you give it up easily. C. Playing a violin with three strings. D. Playing a violin by yourself. Answer: C. Playing a violin with three strings. Each spring brings a new wildflower blooming in the fields along the highway I travel daily to work. There is one particular blue flower that has always caught my eye. I've noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours. The afternoon sun is too warm for it. Every day each year for about two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers. This spring, I started a wildflower garden in my yard. I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I've often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the fields would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers. Every day I drove past the flowers, thinking, "I'll stop on my way home and dig them." "Gee, I don't want to get my good clothes dirty..." Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband even gave me a tool one year for that expressed purpose. One day on my way home from work, I was saddened to see that the highway department had cleared up the fields and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, "Way to go, you waited too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring. " A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a cancer. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven't been as close as we all would have liked. I couldn't help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband's sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us. And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, I'm sure I'll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden. Where did the writer want to transplant the flowers? A. In the garden B. Along the highway. C. Across the fields. D. Outside the yard. Answer: A. In the garden Have you ever been sad because you failed in something? If so, please remember, for often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Here is a story to tell you why. One day a little boy decided to dig a hole behind his house after watching a science program. As he was working, a couple of boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors. "I want to dig a deep hole all the way through the earth!" the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that it was impossible to do it. Then they left. The little boy kept on digging and digging. Suddenly, a few small colorful stones caught his eyes. He collected them and put them into a glass jar patiently. Humming a song, he went on digging. The jar was full soon. Then he talked to himself calmly and proudly, "Maybe I can't finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I have found in the process of digging!" The boy's goal was too difficult, but it did cause him to go on, in other words, to cause us to keep working! Not every goal will be achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you can't achieve your goal, maybe you can say, "Yes, but look what I've found along the way! There are so many wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried to do something!" _ It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a meaning. What did the boy do after watching a program? A. He bought a glass jar. B. He started to dig a hole. C. He played with some visitors. D. He went on watching the program. Answer: B. He started to dig a hole.
Adults that go through incomplete metamorphosis may have A. love B. feelings C. horns D. attached flying contraptions Answer: D Everybody cheats. Whether it's the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes them the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn't give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe - everybody's at it. Cheats in the nest include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show competitors who worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds, and the doctor who made up his qualifications and wasn't really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody's playing the game. Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successful? Or is it something that should _ , and young people discouraged from doing? If it's the latter how can we explain to children why so many bend the rules? Take sport for example. The Word Cup was filled with cheating. Whether diving, pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free - kick or a penalty shot. France striker Henry denied cheating to win the free - kick which led to his side's second goal in their 3 - 1 victory over Spain. Many footballers, however, are often putting it on. Whatever the nationality there's one common ploy: the player rolls over holding their leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card and / or free - kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened ! The ref may be taken in by it but youngsters watching the game aren't. they also see their heroes getting away with it. Of course it's not just football. In 1998 the Tour de France, the world's greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug - taking scandal . The 40 bottles of forbidden drugs found with the Fustian team caused a massive investigation that almost caused the Tour to be abandoned. One rider, Veronique, was banned for 9 months. He claimed: "You have cheats in sport, just as you do in business - there will always be people trying to take a short cut. At least we're not turning a blind eye to the problem, which other sports are." Is it all unavoidable? There's huge pressure on all athletes to perform for their fans and for their sponsors. It's success, money and power that rule professional sport rather than an honest at tempt to do the best one can. Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions of dollars to fake products. From cut price CDs and DVDs to sportswear, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow. So perhaps it's not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case missing exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive tested answers. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn't help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can't complain when we're setting such a bad example. According to the passage, in which way can a game show player cheat? A. By taking an indirect way. B. By gaining aid from a friend. C. By taking forbidden drugs. D. By selling fake products. Answer: B Electronic books have changed the way many people read for pleasure. Now online textbooks are changing the way some students learn and some teachers teach. More than one hundred seventy-five thousand students attend the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, outside Washington. Last year, the school system used digital books in fifteen schools. This school year, middle schools and high schools changed from printed to electronic textbooks in their social studies classes. Luke Rosa is a history teacher at Falls Church High School. His students work on laptop computers at school. He explains the idea to them this way. "I mean, it's just like a regular textbook, except it's got it all online." Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent of schools, said, "The world's changing. And the online textbooks can change right along with the events that are happening." Digital books also cost less than printed textbooks, he said. A student named Melanie Reuter said, "I don't have to carry a textbook around, so that's nice." But another student said, "I don't like it because the Internet sometimes doesn't work." Students also need access to the Internet when they are not at school. About ten percent of students in Fairfax Country do not have a computer or online access at home. Public libraries in the country have free Internet. There are also after-school computer labs as well as computer clubhouse supported by the country. Middle school student Slieman Hakim is happy about that. He said, "My family only has one computer; my sister and I both do our homework on it. So I come here to do my homework. It's good." Other school systems in the area are also considering online textbooks. Why does Slieman Hakim feel happy? A. He is offered a free computer to do his homework. B. He doesn't have to do his homework at home. C. He has access to the Internet to study at any place. D. He needn't share a computer with his sister to do homework. Answer: D There are two types of people in the world. Although they have an equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, while the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons and events and the resulting effects upon their minds. People who are happy fix their attention on the convenience of things. They enjoy all cheerful things. Those who are unhappy think and speak only of unpleasant things. Through their remarks, they _ , offend many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind is founded in nature, such unhappy people should be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation . It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it can be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects. Although this attitude is mainly an act of the imagination, it has serious results since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. If such people aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone speak a word in favor of their hopes. If they are criticized, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join in criticizing their wrong doings. So they should change this bad habit and stop worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, they will have a disagreeable time, especially when someone becomes mixed up in their quarrels. How does the writer tell the happy from the unhappy? A. According to their degree of health. B. According to their wealth. C. According to their attitudes to the same thing. D. According to their habits. Answer: C To make Chinese students healthier and stronger, China's Ministry of Education has started a campaign. The campaign asks students to run every school day. Te campaign has started since October last year and will last until April this year. Kids at primary schools have to run 1km per day. It's 1.5kms for middle school students and 2 kms for high school and university students. And records will be set for every student. By the end of April 2009, a primary school student has to run 120kms in total/ A middle school students have to run 240kms by that time. Since the campaign started, people have had different ideas about it. Some people think it is good for students. They think the campaign can make students healthier. Some students have little exercise and the campaign can make them run. But some people don't think so. They think some schools don't have enough place for students to do running. If students have to run on the road, maybe it is not safe. They also think there are many ways to become healthier; running is not the only way. So they think the campaign is not a right decision. How long will the campaign last? _ A. Seven months B. Two months C. In October D. In April Answer: A
Most kids hate doing housework. However, not all hope is lost. There are some things that you can do to get your kids to help you clean your house. If you are struggling with the chores and need your kids to help you, take a look at some of the creative ways in this article. If you are dealing with older kids, you may want to try the _ deal. You can give your kids a list of chores that need to be done each week. If they complete these chores, you can give them some money. You can also break the list down and tell them they will get so much for each chore that is finished. Older kids , who like to do things on weekends or buy things like video games, will work hard to complete their chores and earn their money. This is also teaching them responsibility. This is teaching them that they must work for what they want. If you are dealing with younger kids, you may want to go with the rewards chart . This is where you design a chart and list their chores on the chart. For each chore they complete, you can put a red flower beside it. For the rewards, you canalso do a number of things ,such as going to the park, going out to eat, buying a DVD or something similar. The rewards would be up to you because you know what your kids like. For real small kids, you can turn it into a game. When kids were much younger, you can teach them to dance around and sing as you cleaned. The kids loved it and would do a wonderful job at picking up their toys. So, consider turning cleaning into a game for the real small kids. What can we know from this article? Answer: Babies understand what their mothers say, even when they speak a language their children have never heard before, scientists claim. The researchers found that one-year-olds reacted in exactly same way to their mothers' voices regardless of whether they were speaking English or Greek, showing what mothers have long known - that babies pick up on tone of voice rather than the words themselves. The researchers, from Cardiff University's School of Psychology, observed babies as they watched their mothers perform actions with toys using the English words "whoops" and "there". The scientists studied reactions from one-year-old babies to their mums' voices even when they were speaking both English and Greek, and keeping the same tone of voice. The academics found that babies reproduced the same reactions regardless of whether they knew the language. Study leader Dr Merideth Gattis of Cardiff University's School of Psychology says, "What this work showed was that children could have access to understanding simply through tone of voice. We did 'whoops' and 'there' in two languages and got exactly the same results." The research, published in the journal Cognitive Development, was conducted on 84 babies aged between 14 and 18 months, over the course of a year, with none of the babies having any previous exposure to Greek. Dr Gattis says that children respond to tone clues in their parents' voices from an early age. She says, "Tone of voice is a really useful signal of what someone is thinking. We never have direct access to other people's minds, except the signals in language that they give out." She says the study shows that it is less important what parents say than how they say it. Dr Gattis adds, "A child may ask if you like his / her drawing, for example. You might say yes, but if you don't sound enthusiastic, the meaning may not get across." Before children begin to speak, parents should use exaggerated tone when speaking to them. What's the text mainly about? Answer: Ginny Ruffner is one of the best-known glass artists in the United States. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are colorful, detailed and often humorous. Over the years, she became famous for a method called lamp working, also known as flame working. It involves using a torch to melt and shape the glass instead of blowing on it. Ginny Ruffner almost died in a three-car accident in 1991. No one thought the Seattle-based artist would ever walk or talk again. An award-winning film documentary explores that period of her life. "It's scary when you can't talk, you can't do... all your life." said Ruffner. Ms. Ruffner was in a coma for five weeks and a wheelchair for five years. But she overcame her injuries. And although she still has difficulty walking and talking, she has willed herself back to work. Now, she has a team that helps bring her dream to life. Her team recently finished an eight point five meter-high flowerpot made of steel and aluminum. It is now in downtown Seattle. Ms. Ruffner was recently honored in Washington, DC. The Renwick Gallery presented a special showing of the film, "A Not So Still Life, the Ginny Ruffner Story." Ms. Ruffner says "it has been a long battle, but the hardest part has not been the physical problems. I hate being taken for granted, being ignored. The way I talk, people assume that I'm either really old, or kind of retarded , and that is so frustrating." But she is firm. She says "Fortunately I've done a lot of stuff in my life, so I know that the best thing is to be open to the mystery, who knows what great things will happen. I'm sure they're many more to come." Ginny Ruffner's art can be seen in more than forty museums around the world. Her work and her life continue to motivate people of all ages. From this passage we can know Ginny Ruffner is _ . Answer: In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky-high divorce rate. But this won't necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same. We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the work force was unemployed, it had declined by around 25 percent from 1929. But this does not mean that people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes plummeting and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce. They feared that neither would be able to manage alone. Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes. After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book, "The Unemployed Man and His Family," described a family in which the husband first reacted to losing his job "with tireless search for work." He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do. The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain (continue). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually defeated their attempts to keep their families together. The rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold. Millions of American families may now be in the initial (earliest) stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment. Today's economic depression could well generate a similar backlog of couples whose relationships have been irreparably ruined. So it is only when the economy is healthy again that we will begin to see just how many fractured families have been created. What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples? Answer: A driver stopped his car on a street side to have a rest. As he lay down in the seat and closed his eyes, a person came up and knocked at the window to ask the time. The driver opened his eyes and looked at his watch: "It's 8:05," he said. Then he went to sleep again. But soon he was waken up again because a second person was knocking at the window. "Sir, do you know the time?" he asked. The driver looked at his watch again, and told him it was half past eight. In this way, the driver thought he could not have a good rest, so he wrote a short note and stuck it on the window for all to see. It said, "I don't know the time." Again, he lay down in the seat for his sleep. A few minutes later, a third person came and began to knock at the window, "Hey, sir," he said. "It's a quarter to nine." ,. How many persons asked the driver about the time? Answer:
Last year The Voice of China, the most popular TV talent show became a popular topic in people's chatting and media information from both home and abroad. It began on July 13, 2012 and ended on September 30, 2012. Liang Bo, a handsome boy from Changchun, Jilin was the champion of The Voice of China in 2012. Before the competition Liang Bo was just an ordinary college student studying music. He captured the hearts of audience with his passionate rock'n'roll performance at the show. Fans described Liang's voice as "natural, clear and touching''. Although he seemed cool on stage, he could quickly turn on the power once he started singing. "His performances make you imagine things. When I listen to his singing, I see pictures and think of stories." said Na Ying, one of the four judges on the show. She was also Liang's tutor for the competition. Liang Bo, like many young Chinese, he fell in love with music through playing the guitar. Liang got his first guitar as a birthday gift when he was in middle school. He would spend days and nights practicing. " I can't live without my guitar." he said. " I don't like talking much but I carry great passion inside me," Liang said. " There is no better way to let it out than through music like rock'n'roll. Many people compare Liang to famous Chinese rockers including Xu Wei, Wang Feng and Zheng Jun. But the young man doesn't want to stand in others' shadow. " I respect those rockers, but I'm not going to copy them. I will be who I am," he said. How many judges were there in the TV talent show? Answer: 4. "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. The author's purpose of writing the text is most likely to _ . . Answer: inform The seas and rivers are being poisoned by radioactive wastes, by chemical discharges and by the dumping of dangerous raw swage . The air we breathe is polluted by smoke and fumes from factories and motor vehicles; even the rain is poisoned. It's little wonder forests and lakes are being destroyed and everywhere wildlife is disappearing, and yet the destruction continues. Governments and industries throughout the world are intensifying their efforts to extract the earth's mineral riches and to destroy its living resources. The great rain-forest and the frozen continents alike are seriously threatened, despite the warnings of the scientific community and the deep concern of millions of ordinary people. In fact, we can create environmentally clean industries, use the power of the sun, wind and waves for our energy needs and manage the finite resources of the earth in a way that will safeguard our future and protect all the rich variety of life-forms which share this planet with us. Rain-forests are being destroyed because governments and industries . Answer: choose to ignore criticism Eight Things a Burglar Won't Tell You Should you spend your money on a home security system? A look inside a burglar's mind might help you decide. 1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator. 2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in your home, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier. 3. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation which I am more than happy to accept. 4. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house, or it will be _ By the way, loud dogs and nosy neighbors are the two things I hate most. 5. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door---understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather. 6. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet . Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms. 7. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not fastened, I'll take it with me. 8. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook.com page. It's easier than you think to look up your address. Money and valuables might be the safest if kept in your _ . Answer: kids' room The octopus's reputation as a human-killer isn't simply an exaggeration --it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width. The hard, parrot-like beak of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these _ to get a good look at them. From the passage, we can conclude that _ . Answer: the octopus is not dangerous to man
Decomposers increase the fertility of the soil and prevent dead organisms from building up in the environment. In which way do decomposers make the soil more fertile? Answer: by adding nitrogen Have you come across much western children's literature? Most English speaking children grow up with the same delightful set of fictional characters. The Winnie the Pooh stories involve a strange selections of animals such as a kangaroo, a pig, a donkey, a tiger, an owl and a bear, who live together in a wood, leading fairy ordinary lives. Far more exciting and dangerous events take place in The Wind in the Willows, the story of the foolish Mr. Toad and all his adventures. Talking animals is also the main characters in The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories. In the latter we find lots of imaginative explanations as to why the world is like what it is. Far more laughter comes from Roald Dahi's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Whillie Wonka is the perfect adult in the eyes of children with all his clever ideas and endless supply of sweets. Also much loved is Bilbo Baggins, the funny little rabbit, who ends up having adventures with wolves and dragons. Of course, the stories go on in the much more serious The Lord of the Rings, better read a few years later. A new star in the world of magic and children's fiction is Harry Potter, the schoolboy who learns spells rather than maths. Adventures books remain popular, too. Although well over a century old now, Treasure Island is still an _ story with young Jim Hawkins dealing with secret maps and pirates. Such books make childhood a time of wonder and imagination. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer: Jim Hawkins wrote Treasure Island. While I was waiting to enter university,I saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post at a school in a suburb of London about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short of money, I applied. Three days later, a letter arrived, asking me to go to Croydon for an interview. It proved a tiring journey: a train to Croydon station; a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at least fifteen minutes. It was clearly the headmaster himself that opened the door. He was short and fat, with a grey-color1ed moustache,a deeply lined face and hardly any hair. He looked at me with surprised disapproval. Then he said. "You'd better come inside." Leading me into his study, he started to ask me a number of questions: what subjects I had taken in my General School Certificate;how old I was; what games I played; whether I thought games were an important part of a boy's education, etc. I said something about not attaching too much importance to them. We obviously had very little in common. The teaching arrangement filled me with fear. I was to divide the class of twenty-four boys, aged from seven to thirteen, into three groups and teach them all subjects--including art, football, cricket and so on--in turn at three different levels. Actually, I was depressed at the thought of teaching algebra and geometry--two subjects in which I had been rather weak at school. I said shyly, "What would my salary be?" "Twelve pounds a week plus lunch." Before I could speak, he got to his feet. "Now," he said, "you'd better meet my wife. She's the one who really runs this school." This was the last thing I could hear. I was young. How could my dignity allow me to work under an old woman? What would the writer probably do finally? Answer: Reject the job In a New York street, a small truck hit a big tree. The truck was full of glasses and they were all broken now. The driver came out of the truck and looked at the broken glasses. He was very sad and people in the street felt sorry for him. Then an old man walked over to the driver. He looked at him for a few minutes and said, "My poor boy, I think you must pay a lot for it." "Yes," was the sad answer. "Well, well," said the old man, "hold out your hat-- here's some money for you, and I can say that some of these people will give you a helping hand, too." With these words, he walked away. The driver held out his hat and over a hundred people came and put their money in it. At last the driver took a bag and put all the money in it. Then he looked at the people and said, "Well, thank you very much. But you didn't know that the old man is the owner of the truck. I'm driving and making money for him." Why did people give the driver money? Answer: Because they felt sorry for him. Sales of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, a hot item in consumer green tech, are expected to grow by more than 50% in North America during 2013. Actor William Shatner, who is no stranger to futuristic tech, recently purchased two e-bikes for him and his wife. I've been shopping for an e-bike now for a few weeks, and I've had my eye on the folding electric bike. I've had folding bikes in the past and love the convenience of being able to throw my bike into my car. The e -bike market is ready to go mainstream in the U.S. The price for e-bikes has come down greatly in recent months. At one time, most e-bikes with good components and proper weight were in the $3,000range. Now you can find reasonable quality e-bikes in the $1,000range. With gas prices at all-time highs, e-bikes are an attractive, low-cost option to gas efficient vehicles. E-bike owners are finding that they are great for commuting to work, as traditional bikes can be a problem with office dress and sweat. People who use e-bikes range from commuters to casual cyclers who like a little help with hills and wind,to those who decided to save money on buying a motor bike.These are not for the serious road cycler or professional mountain biker. If you're considering all e--bike, it pays to do some research first.Cheaper e-bikes are going to be heavier and have less battery--power.Higher priced bikes will be made from lighter materials and have better batteries. Another consideration is local motor vehicle laws.For example,according to US federal law,as long as your electric bike is under 750 watts and does not go over 20 MPH then it is a bicycle and not a motor vehicle.Most consumer e--bikes in the $1,000 range don't fit the motorized vehicle description. Which of the following about e--bikes is true? Answer: Most e-bikes in the $l,000 range are a bicycle, not a motor vehicle.
Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. "Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting creatures," William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word "habit" carries a negative meaning. So it seems contradictory to talk about habits in the same context as innovation . But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try, the more creative we become. But don't bother trying to kill off old habits; once those _ of procedure are worn into the brain, they're there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads. "The first thing needed for innovation is attraction to wonder," says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind. "But we are taught instead to 'decide', just as our president calls himself 'the Decider'." She adds, however, that "to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities." "All of us work through problems in ways of which we're unaware," she says. Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the ability to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally , collaboratively and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that ability, preserving only those ways of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life. The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us use our innovative and collaborative ways of thought. "This breaks the major rule in the American belief system--that anyone can do anything," explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will ... and Ms. Markova's business partner. "That's a lie that we have preserved, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you're good at and doing even more of it creates excellence." This is where developing new habits comes in. Brain researchers have discovered that _ . Answer: the forming of new habits can be guided According to an English newspaper, scientists could begin cloning human embryos in Britain in 2001. It is understood that the government has already agreed to use Frankenstein's technology, believing the benefits are more important than ethical concerns .Researchers think it will be possible to grow brain tissue to cure the diseases that are likely to get worse as time passes like Alzheimer's , and produce "spare part" organs like hearts and kidneys for transplant . Ministers are aware that the change in the law will be as controversial as the law which legalized abortion more than 30 years ago. Some politicians reacted angrily , arguing that the government had already made up its mind without discussion. Church leaders and anti-abortion campaigners have long expressed their horror at the plans, arguing that even the earliest embryos are forms of human life.They believe that getting an embryo from cells is morally unacceptable . And it will also cause arguments about how far scientists should interfere with nature and lead to accusations that _ are "playing God". The cloning of human embryos to provide spare parts is regarded by most experts to be the most important step forward in the 21stcentury medicine. Scientists say treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's will be the first application of cloning. The ability to clone embryos was first achieved by scientists in Scotland in the late 1990s and now the ability to grow stem cells into tissues and organs is being developed by American researchers. Combining the two technologies will mean an end to long waits for organs from donors and problems caused by rejection of transplanted tissues by the body. Ian Wilmut, the man who cloned Dolly the sheep, has warned that British experts will go to America, where such work is legal, if the government does not permit it. What's the best title for this passage ? Answer: Cloning human embryos Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles to change our beliefs, they materialize in the places we'd least expect. They can come to us as a drastic alteration in our physical reality or as a simple synchronicity in our lives. Sometimes they're big and can't be missed Other times they're so subtle that if we aren't aware, we may miss them altogether. They can come from the lips of a stranger we suddenly and mysteriously encounter at just the right instant. If we listen carefully, we'll always hear the right words,at the right time, to dazzle us into a realization of something that we may have failed to notice only moments before. On a cold January afternoon in 1989,I was hiking up the trail that leads to the top of Egypt's Mt. Horeb. I'd spent the day at St. Catherine's Monastery and wanted to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path,I'd occasionally see other hikers who were coming down from a day on the mountain. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language,there was one man that day who did neither. I saw him coming from the last switchback on the trail that led to the backside of the mountain. As he got closer,I could see that he was dressed differently from the other hikers I'd seen. Rather than the high-tech fabrics and styles that had been the norm,this man was wearing traditional Egyptian clothing. He wore a tattered, rust-colored galabia and obviously old and thick-soled sandals that were covered in dust. What made his appearance so odd,though,was that the man didn't even appear to be Egyptian! He was a small-framed Asian man, had very little hair,and was wearing round,wire-rimmed glasses. As we neared one another,I was the first to speak."Hello,"I said,stopping on the trail for a moment to catch my breath. Not a sound came from the man as he walked closer. I thought that maybe he hadn't heard me or the wind had carried my voice away from him in another direction. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me on the high side of the trail, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English,"Sometimes you don't know what you have lost until you've lost it."As I took in what I had just heard,he simply stepped around me and continued his descent down the trail. That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said and more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989,and the Cold War was drawing to a close. What the man on the trail couldn't have known is that it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage, and specifically during my hike to the top of Moses's mountain,that I'd set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career in the defense industry,my friends,my family,and,ultimately,my life. I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up,stopping before me,and offering his wisdom,seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to _ was easy: the odds were slim to none! In an encounter that lasted less than two minutes on a mountain halfway around the world from my home, a total stranger had brought clarity, and the hint of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking,that's a miracle. I suspect that we all experience small miracles in our lives every day. Sometimes we have the wisdom and the courage to recognize them for what they are. In the moments when we don't,that's okay as well. It seems that our miracles have a way of coming back to us again and again. And each time they do,they become a little less _ ,until we can't possibly miss the message that they bring to our lives! The key is that they're everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring. What might be the best title for the passage? Answer: Can you recognize a miracle? If you think that running marathons will help you live a long and healthy life,new research may come as a shock.According to a recent scientific study,people who do a very _ workout are as likely to die as people who do no exercise at all. Scientists in Denmark have been studying over 1,000 joggers and non-joggers for 12 years.The death rates from the sample group suggest that people who jog at a moderate pace two or three times a week for less than two and a half hours in total are least likely to die. The best speed to jog at was found to be about 5 miles per hour.The research suggests that people who jog more than three times a week or at higher speeds of over 7 mph die at the same rate as non-joggers.The scientists think that this is because strenuous exercise causes structural changes to the heart and arteries .Over time,this can cause serious injuries. Peter Schnohr,a researcher in Copenhagen,said,"If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy,jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good strategy .Anything more is not just unnecessary,and it may be harmful." The implications of this are that moderate forms of exercise such as tai chi,yoga and brisk walking may be better for us than "iron man" events,triathlons and long-distance running and cycling.According to Jacob Louis Marott,another researcher in the study,"You don't actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health.And perhaps you shouldn't actually do too much". According to the scientists,why is too much exercise harmful? Answer: It may injure the heart and arteries. My name is Jack. I come from the United States. Now I'm in China with my grandparents. There is a big zoo in our neighborhood. I like to spend time there on weekends. On weekends, I often go to the zoo with my friends. We like different kinds of animals. I like elephants a lot because they are very smart. They can remember very well. Elephants can also draw very well. And elephants can do a lot of things for people. Lucy likes koalas. She thinks they are cute and interesting. Kate likes giraffes. She thinks they are smart and friendly. Bob likes lions. He thinks lions are exciting but scary. We often spend all the day in the zoo and watch the animals. We sometimes take photos of them. They're our good friends. What animals does Lucy like? Answer: Koalas.
Amanda Clement grew up in Hudson, South Dakota. Baseball was always her favorite sport. Once in a while her brother Hank and his friends would let her play first base in their games. More often, however, they asked her to umpire for them, because they knew her calls would be fair and there would be no arguing. One day in 1904, Amanda and her mother traveled to Hawarden, Iowa, to watch Hank play for the home team against Hawarden. When they arrived at the ball field, two local teams were waiting to play a preliminary game. The umpire hadn't arrived, so Hank argued that the teams should let his sister serve as umpire. The players finally agreed. Amanda, then sixteen and standing five feet, ten inches tall, made perfect calls. She was so good that players for the main game asked her to umpire for them and even offered to pay her. Thus, at sixteen, Amanda Clement became the first paid female baseball umpire of all time. She is honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Amanda went to Hawarden in order to _ . A. serve as umpire B. watch her brother play C. make money D. help the local teams Answer: B John and Sam were friends. They opened a small shop in a small village. One day, they sold out of all their wine , so they drove to the city to buy some. On their way home, the wind was strong and it was getting colder and colder. Both John and Sam wanted to drink some wine to keep warm, but they had a rule. They couldn't drink any wine because they had to sell it. According to the rule, if some-body wanted to drink some wine, he had to pay the other twice the price. John was a clever man. He took out ten cents and gave it to Sam. He said, "Here is ten cents. Would you please sell me some of your wine?" Sam was a businessman , so he said, "You give me money, so of course I will sell some to you." Then he passed John a cup of wine. After drinking the wine, John felt warm soon, but Sam was still cold. Then he took out the ten cents that John just gave to him and said to John, "Here is ten cents. Please sell me some of your wine." John agreed. Sam drank some wine and also felt much warmer. But after some time, they both felt cold again, so they kept buying wine from each other with the same ten cents. Soon they drank up all of the wine. "How could so much wine only cost ten cents?" the two friends asked each other. What was the weather like when Sam and John went to buy some wine? A. It was sunny and warm. B. It was rainy and cold. C. It was rainy and snowy. D. It was windy and cold. Answer: D Fourteen - year - old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first. The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges.But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. "I couldn't be thinking about how many mistakes I'd make--it would distract me from playing," he says."I didn't even remember trying to impress people while I played. It's almost as if they weren't there. I just wanted to make music." Hawley is a winner. But he didn't become a winner by concentrating on winning. He did it by concentrating on playing well. "The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part," said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin."The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr.Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions."They are interested in winning, but they're most interested in self-development, testing their limits." One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they've had and how much they've learned from each. "Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing," Garfield says."They kept calling their losses 'setbacks'." A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree. "The worst thing you can do if you've had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a prolonged depression. You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them." Garfield believes that most people don't give themselves enough praise. He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you've done on the way to a goal. High performers is that they tend to give priority to _ . A. glory B. wealth C. pleasure D. work Answer: D Art Beat in January 2016 Beijing Youth choir to perform The youth choir of China National Symphony Orchestra will soon perform classics including the Mexican folk song, The Golden Nightingale, and the Blue Danube, adapted from a waltz by Johann Strauss II. Pianists Zhao Lin and Wang Tianyang will join in the show. 7:30 pm, Jan 23. Forbidden City Concert Hall, inside Zhongshan Park, west of Tian'anmen Square, Xicheng district. 010-6559-8285. Orchestra recitals The China National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra led by conductor Lyu Jia will give two recitals, featuring works including Beethoven's Coriolanus Overture and Mozart's Symphonies No. 40 & No. 41 Jupiter. Cellist Wang Jian will join in the performances, playing Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129 and Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op 33. 7:30 pm, Jan 15; 2:30 pm, Jan 16. China National Center for the Performing Arts, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District. 010-6655-0000. Ballet from Paris Paris Opera Ballet will present two gala performances in the city. Besides highlights of classical ballet, such as Swan Lake and Manon, the program will also include modern pieces from the company's repertoire. The leading etoiles are Ludmila Pagliero and Karl Paquette. 7:15 pm, Jan 15-16. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong district. 021-6854-1234. Ensemble of swans Shanghai Ballet will present two performances of Swan Lake. The production choreographed by British artist Derek Deane who has just completed a tour in 26 cities of the Netherlands. The spectacular production features an ensemble of 48 dancers. 7:15 pm, Jan 22-23. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district. 400-106-8686. If you are interested in ballet performances, which of the following places can you go to enjoy yourself? A. Forbidden City Concert Hall and China National Center B. Forbidden City Concert Hall and Shanghai Grand Theater C. Shanghai Oriental Art Center and Shanghai Grand Theater D. China National Center and Shanghai Oriental Art Center Answer: C Here in Alaska, the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago, because hunters were killing hundreds of them for sport. However, laws were passed to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur. So the wolf population has greatly increased. Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply. A wolf naturally lives on animals in the deer family. People there also hunt deer for food. Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the plant life there. When the deer can't find enough food, they die. If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer, the deer will disappear some day. And the wolves will, too. So we must change the life cycles there. If we killed more wolves, we would save them from starving. We also save deer and some farm animals. In another northern state, wolves attack cows and chickens for food. Farmers want the United States government to send a team of scientists to study the problem. They believe it is necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small population. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A. Some wolves in some areas must be killed, which others should be protected. B. Wolves should be protected, for there's a small population of it on earth. C. All wolves should be protected, for they eat deer, cows and chicken. D. It is necessary for scientists to protect wolves, or the cycle of life will be changed Answer: A
Question: Writer: Ralph Ellison Novel : Invisible Man Invisible Man is Ellison's best known work, most likely because it was the only novel he ever published during his lifetime and because it won him the National Book Award in 1953. Ellison, originally from Oklahoma worked hard to match his earlier success but felt that he could not make any progress on his next novel that eventually came to include well over 2000 pages. It was not until Ellison's death that this novel was condensed ,edited and published under the title Juneteenth. Writer: Margaret Mitchell Novel: Gone with the wind Margaret Mitchell, born in Georgia, never wanted to seek out literary success and wrote this expansive work in secret, only sending to publishers after she was mocked by a colleague who didn't believe she was capable of writing a novel. She turned out to be more than capable, and the book won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into one of the best-known and loved films of all time. Mitchell would not get a chance to write another novel, as she was struck and killed by a car on her way to the cinema at only 49 years of age. Writer: Anna Sewell Novel: Black Beauty Sewell didn't start off her life intending to be a novelist, she didn't begin writing Black Beauty until she was 51 years old, motivated by the need to create a work that encouraged people to treat horses ( and humans) humanely and it took her six years to complete it. Upon publication it was an immediate bestseller, rocketing Sewell into success. Unfortunately, she would not live to enjoy but a little of it as she died of hepatitis five months after her book was released. What is the common feature of the three writers? A. All writers above wrote only one novel. B. Every novel was adapted into films. C. Each only has one famous work. D. They all died because of accidents. Answer: C. Each only has one famous work. Question: What would life be like if you give up using your cell phone? Will it become boring? Twenty-eight eighth-graders at St. Matthew School in San Francisco will tell you it can still be rich and colorful. These students took part in their school's "tech-free" challenge. They couldn't use cell phones for two weeks from Nov 11 to Nov 22. The idea was to help students understand how technology has affected their lives, said Denise Uhl, principal of the school. Uhl did a survey on technology usage among the eighth-graders before thinking of the challenge. She found that 84 percent of the students said they didn't like it "when everyone was on their cell phones", but they didn't know what to do about it. The answer was actually easy --- to stop constantly using cell phones. To help students understand the point, Uhl created the activity. It was warmly welcomed among students. "I wanted to sign up for the tech-free challenge because it was just really a good idea to do it," eighth-grader Joe told local newspaper Catholic San Francisco. "I wanted to get closer to my family. And it really worked. I started to hang out with my family more. We watched more family movies and we played a lot of board games." The activity also helped students develop their interests. During the two weeks, Lucas said he spent much more time outside, picking lemons in his garden. Maddie finished a painting and Cassie created a scarf on a loom . After taking part in the activity, students found that _ . A. technology was actually boring B. they became closer to their family C. they lost a way to keep in touch with their friends D. going on the Internet was the only interesting thing to do Answer: B. they became closer to their family Question: You are busy filling out the application form for a position you really need; let's assume you once actually completed a couple of years of college work or even that you completed your degree. Isn't it tempting to lie just a little, to claim on the form that your diploma represents a Harvard degree? Or that you finished an extra couple of years back at State University? More and more people are turning to an utter deception like this to land their first job or to move head in their careers. For personnel officers, like most Americans, value degrees from famous schools. A job applicant may have a good education anyway, but he or she assumes that chances of being hired are better with a diploma from a well-known university. Registrars at most well-known colleges say that they deal with dishonest claims like these at the rate of about one per week. Personnel officers do check up on degrees listed on application forms. If it turns out that an applicant is lying, most colleges are unwilling to accuse the applicant directly. One lvy League school refers to them as "special cases", One well-known West Coast school, in perhaps the most delicate phrase of all, says these claims are made by "no such people". To avoid complete lies, some job seekers claim that they "attended" or "were associated with" a college or university. After careful checking, a personnel officer may discover that "attending" means being dismissed after one semester. It may be that "being as sociated with" a college means that the job-seeker visited his younger brother for a football weekend. One school that keeps records of false claims says that the practice dates back at least to the turn of the century--that's when they began keeping records, anyhow. If you don't want to lie or even stretch the truth, there are companies that will sell you a fake diploma. One company, with offices in New York and on the West Coast, will put your name on a diploma from any number of non-existent colleges. The price begins at around twenty dollars for a diploma from "Smoot State University". The prices increase rapidly for a degree from the "University of Purdue". As there is no Smoot State and the real school in Indiana is properly called Purdue University, the prices seem rather high for one sheet of paper. The writer mainly wants to tell us that _ . A. college degrees can now be purchased easily B. it is very hard for people to find jobs C. lying about college degrees is becoming a widespread problem D. employers are no longer interested in applicants' actual performances Answer: C. lying about college degrees is becoming a widespread problem Question: There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. But only a few of them are very important.English is one of these.Many people use it,not only in England and the USA,but also in other parts of the world.About 200,000,000 people speak it as their own language.It is difficult to say how many peopie are learning it as a foreign language.Many millions of people are trying to do so.Is it easy or difficult to learn English?Different people may have different answers.Have you ever noticed ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?"Learn English in six weeks,or give your money back...","easy and funny...","Our records and tapes help you master English in a month".Of course,it never happened quite like this. The only language that seems easy to learn is t11e mother tongue.We should remember that we all learned our own language well when we were children.If we could 1ea m English in the same way,it would not seem so difficult.Think of what a small child does.He 1istens lo what people say.He tries what he hears. So,it is hard to say that learning English is easy.We must do a Iot ofpractice.And practice needs great effort and takes much time.Good teachers,records,tapes,books,and dictionaries will be helpful,but they cannot do the student's work for him. How many languages are very important in the world? A. A few. B. Few. C. About 1,500. D. Many. Answer: A. A few. Question: Yesterday, I overheard our 9-year-old son, Aaron, talking to his friend, Zach. "Oh, God!" Zach began, peering in Aaron's closet. "Where are all your toys?" "Oh, we are doing something called 'Simplicity Plan' , so I basically got rid of 80% of my staff." "What? Did your mom and dad make you do this?" "No. I decided to do it because I wanted to. When I give away a lot of my things, I have time for family activities. I did it because I wanted to live differently and have less staff in my life." "But still, why would you choose to get rid of most of your toys?" "Part of the reason is that my parents were doing it with their stuff. And my mom talked to me about it and explained how they felt happier afterwards. And I thought maybe I really had spent a lot of my time in my room playing with toys instead of spending time with my parents and sister." "I feel proud because I am a person who has just what I need and not more. And I'm starting new activities like writing how I feel, reading more, and spending more time doing housework around the house." "Ok. Let me get this straight. You have fewer toys, more housework, and you feel happier?" "Well, it's not that the housework is fun. But I do it with my parents. We talk and connect while we are doing it, so that is the fun. And we've been doing more activities together, like reading aloud at night. And on weekends, we have conversations or go out together, instead of my dad being at his computer, my mom cleaning and me playing with my toys." "Maybe you are right." When Zach found Aaron's toys were gone, he was _ . A. proud B. surprised C. relaxed D. excited Answer: B. surprised
English songs have been very popular for people around the world for many decades. Songs from Elvis Presley to Ricky Martin, from the Beatles to Eminem and from Natalie Cole to Britney Spears have all been enjoyed by people around the world, even for people who don't speak English, and even for people who speak zero English. From my experience, some people listen to English songs for 20-30 years but still don't achieve any good English skills. Some people choose English songs to be their main learning method, but most of them fail. Listening to English songs does not help you to speak English fluently. It does help you gain some vocabulary, but most of these words are unusual ones that you don't use in everyday life. You won't learn the sentence "It is a difficult project. We really need to meet the deadline." in any English songs. All you will hear are love, passion, affection, hate and blue, for the feeling, not the color1. People like using English songs to practice English skills because it's easy and enjoyable. They think that sitting in the car listening to English songs day after day will improve their English skills. It actually will not. You will definitely not improve your listening skills because normal people don't speak with a tune. People don't talk like Eminem's songs. You can't get yourself familiar with English pronunciation or accent just from listening to English songs. The words that they pronounce in the songs are not the words that you will hear in your everyday life. They can even confuse you more about how English is pronounced. I would fully encourage you to watch English movies and listen to radio news or other normal talks, but not music. Of course, you can consume it for fun but not with the aim of improving your English skills. Having good English skills is not that easy. Remember you should work hard to improve your English step by step.ks5u Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? A. Most people think it is convenient to learn English by listening to English songs. B. It's hard for people to improve their listening skills by listening to English songs. C. It's a good idea to learn to speak with an English accent by listening to English songs. D. It's rare to hear normal people speak English like they are singing. Answer: C Jack is in bed. Mr. Smith sits beside him. "What kind of day do you have today?" Mr. Smith asks. "It is a bad day for me," Jack answers. "I have a fight with Tom. Then the teacher calls you and tells you about it, right?" "Yes , part of the day is bad," Mr. Smith says. But there are good parts, too. Now it is time to go to sleep. So tell me the best thing to you today. Jack is happy and he says, "After school, I go swimming. I make a new friend in the swimming pool." "I am happy you have a good time," Mr. Smith says. "Think about it before you go to sleep. Now I'm going to turn off the light . Have a nice dream!" "Good night, Dad," Jack says. Every night Mr. Smith and Jack have a talk like this. Every night Jack answers the same question, "What is the best thing to you today? Every night Jack goes to sleep thinking about the best thing. It's really a good way to end a day." Mr. Smith is Jack's _ . A. brother B. classmate C. father D. teacher Answer: C An old man walked slowly with a cane into the restaurant.His old jacket,worn-out shoes and warm personality made him different from the usual crowd. A young waitress watched him move toward a table by the window.She ran over to him,and said:"Here,sir...let me help you with that chair." Without saying a word ,he smiled and nodded a thank you.She pulled the chair away from the table and helped him sit.Then she put his cane against the table. "Thank you.Miss."he said kindly. "You're welcome.sir,"she said. After he had finished his breakfast,the waitress brought him the change from his bill.He left it on the table.She helped him up and walked with him to the front door. When she went to clean his table,she found a business card under his plate and a note on a napkin .Under the napkin was a l00-dollar bill. The note on the napkin read:"Dear miss,I respect you very much and I can see you respect yourself,too. It shows by the way you treat others.You have found the secret of happiness.Your kindness will shine through to all those who meet you." The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant where she worked.This was the first time that she or any of the other workers had ever seen him in person. The old man left a l 00-dollar bill under the napkin because he _ . A. wanted to thank the waitress for her kindness B. thought the meal was delicious C. wanted to show that he was rich D. wanted to get married with the waitress Answer: A Recently a specialist in teenager studies does some research on teenage problems. He thinks parents shouldn't be blamed of themselves because there is nothing they can do to deal with the teenage problem. Whatever they do, sometimes a wonderful, kind and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal. I've seen friends deal with _ in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, should stand up, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman whenever anyone entered the room. I saw him last week when I visited them. Lying on the sofa, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in. His mother was angry. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said. "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him." He hasn't forgotten them. He's just decided that he's not going to use them. She said that she would like to throw him down from the sofa onto the floor. Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, "I don't like your dress, it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home. "Where did we go wrong?" Her parents are now very sad. Probably nothing is wrong with the parents. This text is most probably written by _ . A. A specialist in teenager studies B. a headmaster of a middle school C. a parent with teenage children D. a doctor for mental health problems Answer: A My friends, Emma Daniels, spent the summer of 1974 traveling in Israel. During her monthlong stay in Jerusalem she often went to a cafe called Chocolate Soup. It was run by two men, one of whom - Alex - used to live in Montreal. One morning when Emma went in for coffee, while chatting with her new friend Alex, she mentioned that she had just finished the book she was reading and had nothing else to read. Alex said he had a wonderful book she might like, and that he'd be happy to lend it to her. As he lived just above the cafe, he quickly ran up to get it. The book he handed to Emma just minutes later was Markings, a book by a former Secrcetary-General of the United Nations (UN). Emma had never read it, nor had she ever bought a copy. But, when she opened it up, she was floored to see her own name and address inside the cover in her own handwriting.It turned out that the summer before, at a concert back in Montreal, Emma had met a Californian who was in town visiting friends. They decided to exchange addresses, but neither of them had any paper. The man opened up a book he was carrying in his backpack and asked Emma to write her name and address inside. When he returned to California, he left the book behind in Montreal, and his friend Alex kept it. When Alex later moved to Jerusalcm, he took the book along. How did Emma feel the moment she opened the book? A. Pleased. B. Satisfied. C. Worried. D. Surprised. Answer: D
Jane is a nice girl. She lives in London. She studies in a middle school, she gets up at six every day. She likes learning English. She's a clever girl. She draws pictures well. After school, she often reads newspapers with her grandmother. At seven o'clock in the evening. Jane has supper at home. Every day at eight she does her homework and goes to bed at nine. She is a _ girl. A nice B clever C nice and clever D lazy Answer: C. nice and clever 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 didn't he do during his day in bed? A eat B listen to music C read D watch television Answer: D. watch television There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things which are very helpful in your career building. Today Canada has earned a good name in providing quality education and safe healthy environment for its students. That is why more than 130,000 international students enroll every year in famous Canadian universities. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience of education and its versatile arts and culture. Canada spends a lot on education and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries. To study in Canada is very cost effective. These universities are affordable compared to other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and UK where cost of education and living is very high. According to a survey in 2006, "Canada offered the lowest tuition fees for foreign students compared to UK and Australia." The low rate of crimes and the peaceful safe environment of the country also attracts a lot of international students to Canadian universities. Canada has 92 universities and 175 community colleges and university degrees have three levels--Bachelor's , Master's and Doctoral . A Bachelor's degree in Canada is for three or four years' full-time study depending on the nature of the program you are doing. On the other hand, a Master's degree consists of two years of study. For a Doctoral program in Canadian universities, you require a minimum (/) of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study. You can also find many diploma and certification program in Canadian universities where the time is generally one year. Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded worldwide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian universities are recognized globally and promise bright future. After the completion of studies, a person could also find great job offers in Canada itself. International students require a work permit to work on campus. How long will you spend at least in total if you want to finish your Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees in Canada? A 11 years B 9 years C 8 years D 7 years Answer: C. 8 years Have you read The Ugly Little Boy? Well, here is the plot. A Neanderthal child is brought to the present day as a result of time travel experiments. Edith Fellowes, a children's nurse is asked to take care of him. She is at first driven back by his appearance, but soon begins to consider him as her own child, learns to love him and realizes that he is far cleverer than she at first thought. She names him Timmie and tries to make sure that he has the best possible childhood. She becomes angry when the newspapers refer to him as an "ape-boy". Edith's love for Timmie brings her into conflict with her employer, in whose eyes Timmie is more of an experimental animal than a human being. In the end, her employer thinks that his organization has finished all the experiments with Timmie. He wants to move on to the next project, which is to send Timmie to his own time. Miss Fellowes fights the decision, knowing that now he could not survive as he has got used to modern living habits and speech. She decides to take the boy out of the time travel machine, but when that plan fails, she returns to the ancient past with Timmie. Edith Fellowes goes back to the past with Timmie, cares for him and shares his fate. There is a conflict between Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon. But when Edith shows up, things start to change. Both groups regard her as a goddess because of her different appearance and worship her. Timmie grows up to be her assistant. Because of them, the Neanderthals in the book do not become extinct but co-exist with the Cro-Magnons. What can we learn from The Ugly Little Boy? A Time travel is not only a dream. B Even strangers can be very close friends. C Enemies can live in peace if they have the same beliefs. D People from different times have different thoughts. Answer: C. Enemies can live in peace if they have the same beliefs. Dear daughter You are a wonderful person and your mother and I love you. It will not be long before you leave school to make your way in the world. Can I give you some friendly advice? Here are some things that you should never do. 1. Never get upset with your looks. We think you look great. Please be happy with the person you are and the body you have. Eat well, take exercise and be healthy. Some girls become upset because they try to lose weight or get the perfect shape. You look fine. 2. Never spend money more than your income . Never spend money more than your income and save a little every month. Don't borrow others' money if possible. 3. Never look down on yourself. You are great of achieving great things so believe in yourself. When things go badly, never stop believing. Some girls get upset and lose confidence, and then all kinds of problems can follow. 4. Never give less than your best. We are very proud of what you have succeeded so far. You should be proud too. Keep doing well. Keep trying your hardest at everything you do. 5. Never forget that your parents love you. Whatever happens in life, your family will still be your family. Whatever difficulties you have, you can always talk to us and we will try to help. We are here for you. Love Dad The father writes this letter to his daughter in order to tell her _ . A that her parents love her B what she should never do C how she can become successful D that her parents will always help her Answer: B. what she should never do
Question: We are constantly bombarded with visions of how we are not good enough or how we need to improve ourselves. And it's not only external things that cause us to have such low self-esteems and feel bad about ourselves either, but your negative inner thought reflects your way of being real with yourself. Little things like: I'll never get it done; I don't deserve that; I could never wear that; and I'm not smart enough. Instead of focusing on and telling yourself what you can't do, try focusing on what you can do. Here are a few ideas worth trying to build yourself up and fall in love with yourself all over again. Focus on your strengths. We all have strengths and luckily they are not all the same. Do things you are naturally good at and enjoy and you will build self-confidence, efficiency and pride. Be proud of your accomplishments. No matter how big or seemingly small your accomplishments are, you should be very proud of each and every one of them. Whether it's completing high school, university, starting your own company, having kids and raising a family, completing a project that's hanging around for far too long, be proud. Celebrate the small and large accomplishments and everything in between. Share your talent. If you've got a talent, share it with the world. If you can write - write, if you can dance - dance, if you can organize ...well you get the picture. Believe it or not there are people out there who could benefit greatly from you sharing your talent. Ever notice how giving to others makes you feel so incredible about yourself? ^ . Guilt is a weird thing. All guilt does is hold us in the past reliving something we wish we could change. Not going to happen I'm afraid. Forgetting is a choice.The past is the past--I know you've heard this before but the more you hear it the more you may start to believe it. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. Focus on what you are capable of rather than what you are not. B. Take pride in your achievements however big or seemingly small they are. C. Share your talent for it helps to improve yourself. D. Don't feel guilty about your past. Answer: C. Share your talent for it helps to improve yourself. Question: Picture a typical MBA lecture theatre twenty years ago. In it the majority of students will have conformed to the standard model of the time: male, middle class and Western. Walk into a class today, however, and you'll get a completely different impression. For a start, you will now see plenty more women--the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, for example, boasts that 40% of its new enrolment is female. You will also see a wide range of ethnic groups and nationals of practically every country. It might be tempting, therefore, to think that the old barriers have been broken down and equal opportunity achieved. But, increasingly, this apparent diversity is becoming a mask for a new type of conformity. Behind the differences in sex, skin tones and mother tongues, there are common attitudes, expectations and ambitions which risk creating a set of clones among the business leaders of the future. Diversity, it seems, has not helped to address fundamental weaknesses in business leadership. So what can be done to create more effective managers of the commercial world? According to Valerie Gauthier, associate dean at HEC Paris, the key lies in the process by which MBA programmes recruit their students. At the moment candidates are selected on a fairly narrow set of criteria such as prior academic and career performance, and analytical and problem solving abilities. This is then coupled to a school's picture of what a diverse class should look like, with the result that passport, ethnic origin and sex can all become influencing factors. But schools rarely dig down to find out what really makes an applicant succeed, to create a class which also contains diversity of attitude and approach--arguably the only diversity that, in a business context, really matters. Professor Gauthier believes schools should not just be selecting candidates from traditional sectors such as banking, consultancy and industry. They should also be seeking individuals who have backgrounds in areas such as political science, the creative arts, history or philosophy, which will allow them to put business decisions into a wider context. Indeed, there does seem to be a demand for the more rounded leaders such diversity might create. A study by Mannaz, a leadership development company, suggests that, while the bully-boy chief executive of old may not have been eradicated completely, there is a definite shift in emphasis towards less tough styles of management--at least in America and Europe. Perhaps most significant, according to Mannaz, is the increasing interest large companies have in more collaborative management models, such as those prevalent in Scandinavia, which seek to integrate the hard and soft aspects of leadership and encourage delegated responsibility and accountability. What characterizes the business school student population of today? A. Greater diversity. B. Exceptional diligence. C. Intellectual maturity. D. Higher ambition. Answer: A. Greater diversity. Question: 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. The explosion caused great damages because _ . A. the officer told the soldier to put in a bit more to make sure of the result B. the soldier made a mistake in maths about the amount of the explosive C. the soldier wanted to play a joke on Lord Hunt D. the soldier drunk so much that he could not carry out the order from the officer Answer: B. the soldier made a mistake in maths about the amount of the explosive Question: It is often necessary to release a fish, that is, set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don't want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day. --When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible. Don't' use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying. --Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don't wipe the scales off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival. --Remove your hook quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish. --Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water . Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim. --Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away. With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival. Which of the following will probably make a fish ill? A. Taking the hook off it. B. Removing its scales. C. Touching its eves D. Holding it in your hand. Answer: B. Removing its scales. Question: The earth moves round the sun, and the moon moves round the earth. When our part of the earth turns to the moon, it is night. The sun is much bigger than the moon. But sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun, because it's much nearer to the earth. The sun is very bright. It gives a very strong light. The moon looks quite bright, too. But it doesn't give any light at all. The moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars. But actually the stars are much bigger and brighter than the moon. They look smaller than the moon because they're much farther away from us. Read and choose the right answer The stars _ . A. look much bigger than the moon B. look much bigger than the sun C. are a lot brighter than the moon, but they are not bigger than the moon D. are much farther away from us than the moon Answer: D. are much farther away from us than the moon
One year ago, I worked at a Chinese traditional medicine store. Business was not bad. Every day we mixed medicinal herbs for patients, so the store was always full of a strong herbal smell. After I had worked there for a time, a boy of 13 or 14 started coming and sitting on the stairs outside the store for a while every day. It seemed strange to me. "Do you like the herbal smell?" I asked him one day. "I grew up with this kind of smell," he said. He told me that his mother took herbal medicine for years, so he could mix herbs for his mother when he was very young. He mixed the herbs with deep love, hoping his mother would get better as soon as possible. "Is your mother well now? I asked. He shook his head. "My mother passed away three years ago." Looking up into the sky, he went on: "When I first passed by here and smelled the herbs, I thought of my mother. It is comforting to remember those days when she was alive. So I come here every day to sit for a moment. When I sit around this smell, I feel as if my mother is still alive and is waiting for her medicine in her room. The writer felt _ when seeing a boy sitting on the stairs at the beginning of the story. Answer: strange 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are so smart and cute, and so many people like them. They have become a part of culture. Here are some stories to help you learn more about them. New stamps for the year The China Post Group made special stamps for the year. They made two styles. On the first one, a monkey hangs on a branch , holding a big red peach. This means to give luck to people. On the other stamp, a mother monkey holds two monkey babies in her arms. It shows the happy reunion of families. The monkey stamps were for sale on Jan.5th. Monkey show In China, there is an ancient drama called Monkey Show. It tells the story of Monkey King. When actors perform, they will paint "monkey faces" with colors. Red is the main color. Interestingly, they don't draw eyebrows . Influence on personality In Chinese culture, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom. Those who were born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart and outgoing. They are also said to have strong leadership and social skills. They can solve all kinds of problems in life and be kind to others. Fun Fact Did you know? The world's smallest monkey is the finger monkey. It is only 10cm tall. They live in the Amazon rainforest of South America. Amazingly, they can turn their heads 180 degrees. The best title of this passage is _ . Answer: Year of Monkey English A Because it's never too late to start learning English Course structure and goals A basic course that improves different English skills. Lessons focus on pronunciation of words and sounds, listening, practicing casual English, reading and combining all of these skills together. We learn through introducing ourselves to friends and family, discussing everyday activities, food, restaurants, shopping and places. This course is for People who have learned very little English in the past. Duration Class meets once a week over an 8-month period. Moreover, students can take advantage of our extra lessons, for an additional hour per week. At the end of the course the student will * Understand sentences and phrases dealing with topics such as: personal and family information, shopping, geography, etc. * Read short and simple sentences, find information in everyday texts, such as: advertising, menus, etc. * Have short conversations. * Communicate through simple everyday tasks. * Describe their personal background, living conditions and other information about their surroundings. * Write short and simple notes, messages and personal letters. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? Answer: The course includes different English skills. Many people have long dreamed of being able to fly around as simply as riding a bicycle. Yet the safety and strength of a flying bike was always a big problem. Over the past 10 years, developments in technology have moved the dream of personal flying vehicles closer to reality. Now, two groups of inventors say such vehicles may be available very soon. Grant Stapleton from Malloy Aeronautics says the Hoverbike, which is able to get in and out of small spaces very quickly, will be a truly personal flying vehicle. "It can be moved across continents very quickly because it can be folded and packed," he adds. Mr. Stapleton says safety was the company's main concern when developing the Hoverbike. He ays the designers solved the safety issue by using overlapping rotors to power the vehicle. The company is testing both a one-third size model and a full-size prototype of the Hoverbike. Inventors say their Hoverbike will most likely be used first by the police and emergency rescue teams. In New Zealand, the Martin Aircraft Company is also testing a full-size prototype of its personal flying bike, called Jetpack. It can fly for more than 30 minutes, up t0 1,000 meters high and reach a speed of 74 kilometers per hour. Peter Coker is the CEO of Martin Aircraft Company. He said Jetpack "is built around safety from the start, " In his words, "reliability is the most important part of it. We have safety built into the actual structure itself, very similar to a Formula One racing car. " Jetpack uses a gasoline-powered engine that produces two powerful jet streams. Mr. Coker says it also has a parachute that can be used should there be an emergency. "It opens at a very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot in an emergency," he adds. What make(s) flying vehicles seem practical now? Answer: Modem technology. Despite knowing he was dying, Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, worked for more than a year to make plans for four years of new products that he believed would maintain the company's future. It was also revealed that Jobs fought hard to get plans approved for a spaceship-style company headquarters in California. It will be big enough to hold 12,000 employees in a park-like setting near the existing base in Cupertino, the global headquarters of Apple. He appeared at a town council meeting in June to promote the planning. He was also overseeing the development of the delayed iCloud project, which will allow Apple users to store their music, photos and other documents remotely, and designing updated versions of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and MacBooks, ensuring that at least four years' worth of products will go smoothly. Pre-order sales of the first official biography of Steve Jobs have increased by 44,000 percent. According to the official description, the book, out on October 24, 2011, is based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, competitors and colleagues. Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, following a long battle with cancer. Jobs is survived by a wife, a son and two daughters. With his passing being confirmed, world leaders, the most famous technology bosses and thousands of fans throughout the world all paid tribute in their way to the life of the man they honored as a hero. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: What Steve Jobs did for his company before he died.
I'm Kate. I'm an American girl. I am thirteen. I'm in a middle school in Shanghai. My English teacher is a Chinese girl. My good friend is Mary. She is an English girl. She is thirteen, too. She is in Wuhan. I'm in Grade Eight. But she is in Grade Nine. We often have a talk by E-mail. We are both good students. Mary and Kate are (at) the same _ . A school B class C age D grade Answer: C. age Today, roller-skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, no one had any ideas of roller-skating. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. He liked to make things and play the violin in his free time. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer. One day Merlin was invited to a party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make an amazing entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought everyone at the party would show much interest if he could skate into the room. Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was proud of his invention and dreamed of arrived at the party on wheels while playing the violin. On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. The mirror fell down, breaking into pieces. Merlin's idea was so good that nobody forgot his special entrance for a long time. But could he find out a way to stop his roller skates? Merlin wanted to _ , so he put wheels under his shoes. A play the violin well B arrive at the party sooner C be taller than the others D surprise the people at the party Answer: D. surprise the people at the party Does everyone want a challenging job? In spite of all the attention focused by the media, academicians, and social scientists on human potential and the needs of individuals, there is no evidence to support that the vast majority of workers want challenging jobs. Some individuals prefer highly complex and challenging jobs; others develop in simple, routine work. The individual-difference variable that seems to gain the greatest support for explaining who prefers a challenging job and who doesn't is the strength of an individual's needs for personal growth and self-direction at work. Individuals with these higher-order growth needs are more responsive for challenging work. What percentage of ordinary workers actually desire higher-order need satisfactions and will respond positively to challenging jobs? No current data is available, but a study from the 1970s estimated the figure at about 15%. Even after adjusting for changing work attitudes and the growth in white-collar jobs, it seems unlikely that the number today exceeds 40%. The strongest voice advocating challenging jobs has not been workers--it's been professors, social science researchers, and media people. Professors, researchers, and journalists undoubtedly made their career choices, to some degree, because they wanted jobs that gave them autonomy, recognition and challenge. That, of course, is their choice. But for them, to force their needs onto the workforce in general is presumptuous . Not every employee is looking for a challenging job. Many workers meet their higher-order need off the job. There are 168 hours in every individual's week. Work rarely consumes more than 30% of this time. That leaves considerable opportunities, even for individuals with strong growth needs, to find higher-order need satisfaction outside the workplace. So don't feel you have a responsibility to create challenging jobs for all your employees. For many people, work is something that will never excite or challenge them. And they don't expect to find their growth opportunities at work. Work is merely something they have to do to pay their bills. They can find challenges outside of work on the golf course, fishing, at their local pub, with their friends in social clubs, with their family, and the like. The passage is intended for _ . A job-hunters B researchers C employers D graduates Answer: C. employers Gabriel Garcia Marquez ,who was awared the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982,passed away at the age of 86 on April 17,2014. The world paused to remember the cultural giant . Garcia Marquez was born in Colombia ,but he spent most of his adult life in Mexico City . As one of the most famous writers ,he was widely regarded as "a giant of 20th-century literature " . Garcia Marquez wrote in a style called "magical realism "In such works,people live a daily life in a certain period of time in history . But meanwhile ,magical things happen to them . Garcia Marquez is best known for his 1967 novel ,One Hundred Years of Solitude ,which has sold about 50 million copies . It tells the tale of the small and _ town of Macondo which was separated from the outside world -of its founding and its troubled history over a hundred years . The story is a metaphor for the development of Colombia since the 19century . As Colombian President Juan Manuel Santons said , Garcia Marquez wrote about "the very essence of the Latin American beings " . Garcia Marquez was born in the year _ . A 1914 B 1928 C 1967 D 1982 Answer: B. 1928 (The Guardian): More UK universities should be profiting from ideas A repeated criticism of the UK's university sector is its noticeable weakness in translating new knowledge into new products and services. Recently, the UK National Stem Cell Network warned the UK could lose its place among the world leaders in stem cell research unless adequate funding and legislation could be assured, despite an annual PS40m spent by the Department of Health on all kinds of research. However, we do have to challenge the unthinking complaint that the sector does not do enough in taking ideas to market. The most recent comparative data on the performance of universities and research institutions in Australia, Canada, USA and UK shows that, from a relatively weak starting position, the UK now leads on many indicators of commercialization activity. When viewed at the national level, the _ (interference) of the past decade have helped transformed the performances of UK universities. Evidence suggests the UK's position is much stronger than in the recent past and is still showing improvement. But national data masks the very large variation in the performance of individual universities. The evidence shows that a large number of universities have fallen off the back of the pack, a few perform strongly and the rest chase the leaders. This type of uneven distribution is not strange to the UK and is mirrored across other economies. In the UK, research is concentrated: less than 25% of universities are receiving 75% of the research funding. These same universities are also the institutions producing the greatest share of PhD graduates, science citations, patents and license income. The effect of policies generating long-term resource concentration has also created a distinctive set of universities which are research-led and commercially active. It seems clear that the concentration of research and commercialization work creates differences between universities. The core objective for universities which are research-led must be to maximize the impact of their research efforts. Their purpose is not to generate funds to add to the bottom line of the university or to substitute other income streams. Rather, these universities should be generating the widest range of social, economic and environmental benefits. In return for the scale of investment, they should share their expertise (expert knowledge or skill) in order to build greater confidence in the sector. Part of the economic recovery of the UK will be driven by the next generation of research commercialization spilling out of our universities. On the evidence presented in my report, there are three dozen universities in the UK which are actively engaged in advanced research training and commercialization work. If there was a greater coordination of technology transfer offices within regions and a simultaneous (happening at the same time) investment in the scale and functions of our graduate schools, universities could, and should, play a key role in positioning the UK for the next growth cycle. What does the author say about the national data on UK universities' performance in commercialization? A It masks the fatal weaknesses of government policy. B It indicates their ineffective use of government resources. C It does not rank UK universities in a scientific way. D It does not reflect the differences among universities. Answer: D. It does not reflect the differences among universities.
Question: Are you sorry for not travelling during the National Day ? if you stay at home at that time, I think you are very lucky. why? because there are too many people everywhere. in many places of interest in China, it's too _ to do anything. it was too crowded on the great wall on October 1st, 2009. you even couldn't take photos for you or your friends. all what we could see were people. it was reported that there were about twenty people per meter on the great wall. my friends told me they could see nothing but many people on the great wall. "we couldn't walk if the people in front of us didn't walk," he said. he showed us a photo on the great wall. in the photo, we hardly found him out, there were too many people. so some people give the advice that we should not have the gold week any more. but other people say no about this advice. what's your idea of it? Are you sorry now for not travelling during the gold week? I love staying at home more than travelling next National Day. What do you think the writer will do next National Day? A. He will go to the Great Wall. B. He will stay at home. C. He will take photos for his friends. D. He will travel to other places. Answer: B. He will stay at home. Question: Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free. Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power. This passage mainly _ . A. tells how the prisoners were controlled by the King B. tells how little was known about the Bastille C. shows the inner workings of the Bastille D. gives a brief history of the Bastille Answer: D. gives a brief history of the Bastille Question: United States President George W. Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next few weeks. It will give the US Air Force a green light for the development of space weapons, US media reported last week. This would potentially start a new global arms race, some experts have warned. To keep that from happening, last Wednesday the White House explained that it was not considering putting weapons in space. It said it was making a shift inprefix = st1 /USspace policy to allow for protection of satellites. But some defense analysts and arms control advocates argue that the policy will pave the way for the US to put both defensive and offensive ( ) weapons in space. "No one should be fooled," said Theresa Hitchens, an American weapons expert. The USis now restricted by a 1996 directive signed by President Bill Clinton. Plans for space weapons were vetoed by the Clinton cabinet. The directive emphasized the peaceful use of space , in agreement with almost unanimous ( ) global opinion. The USmilitary has placed importance on space and has sent up numberous satellites for troop communications and to provide intelligence and data to guide bombs to their targets. The US Air Force wants to develop space- based weapons that could strike targets anywhere in the world within 90 minutes of receiving the order to open fire. These new weapons under development cover a wide range. They include hunter- killer satellites and orbiting weapons. And they use lasers, radio waves, or even dense metal tubes, known as " Rods from God", dropped from space to do the damage. There are many barriers to the setting up of this kind of program, experts say. First is the coast. It is estimated that the budget may be US $220 billion to US $ 1 trillion . The technical difficulties of developing reliable space weapons are also a problem. And, the program will draw strong criticism from around the world. Experts worry about starting a space arms race. After reading this passage, it can be inferred that " _ ". A. George W. Bush's directive to be issued will be against global opinions B. The White House is right in explaining thatUSnew space policy aims to protect satellites C. USgovernment has little difficulty in developing new space weapons D. President George W. Bush and Bill Clinton share a lot in common Answer: A. George W. Bush's directive to be issued will be against global opinions Question: A traveler lost his way and got off the highway to see where he was. As he drove by, he saw rows and rows of pigpens and pigs running in fields. Suddenly, his eyes caught something really strange. It looked like a pig with a wooden leg. He drove up into the arm, where he met the farmer. " Excuse me, " the traveler said. " I was just driving by and looking at all your pigs, and I just had to stop and ask about it. Tell me, is there really a pig out there with a wooden leg?" The farmer smiled. " Oh, that would be old Caesar you saw. He's the finest pig I've ever had ---and smart! Well, let me tell you a little about that pig." " One night a couple of years ago I got to drinking and I guess I had more than I should have. I fell down and knocked over a lamp. That started a fire in the house and old Caesar smelled the smoke. He came in the back door, got the wife and kid out, roused me up and got me out. There is no question about it ---- that night old Caesar saved all our lives. You know that I'm not going to forget it too easily." " Why," the traveler said, " this is amazing! I have never heard of a pig like this before! This is fantastic! But tell me, how did he get that wooden leg?" The farmer laughed and said, " Well, when you have a pig so smart, you don't want to eat him all at one time!" The farmer thought the pig _ . A. very fat B. very clever C. very kind D. very strange Answer: B. very clever Question: Have you ever noticed that some people am able to effortlessly remember even the most boring details, and quickly understand new things, and wished that you too could be like that? To unlock the full potential of you brain. you need m keep it active and acute. But how? Check out these tips: .Exercise&get your body moving Exercising doesn't just exercise the body; it also helps to exercise your brain. Without regular exercise your blood vessels<<)begin m lose the ability to effectively pump blood and it also mduws the amount of oxygen and nutrients thatyour blood carries to your brain. When the nutrients don't make it them, the brains ability to function is compromised. To prevent this from happening, make sure you get moving every day. Walking, swimming and dancing arc all excellent activities. Get rid of stressorsbnd seek help for depression Among the most brain-damaging stressars is severe depression, which is actually often mistaken for a memory problem since one of its primary symptoms is the inability to concentrate. If you can't concentrate, yon might feel like you am conrtantly forgetting things. Depression increases the levels of codisol in your brain, which affects your memory. Seek professional help to get rid of your depressionyour brain will thank you. .Feed you brain 50 to 60 percent of the brain's overall weight is pure fat, which is used to insulam its billions of nerve cells. The better insulated a cell is, the quicker you will be thinking. This is exactly why paints are advised.feed their young children whole milk. Thus. eating foods chat contain a healthy mix of fats is vital for long-term memory. Some excellent food choices include fish end dark leafy green vegetables. Why should parents feed their babies whole milk? A. Because babies' brains need fat to grow and work properly. B. Because whole milk is very easy for babies to digest C. Because no other food is mom suitable for babies than milk. D. Because less than half of the brain's overall weigbt is pure fat Answer: A. Because babies' brains need fat to grow and work properly.
Have you ever felt you were being watched? Some new technologies might make you feel that way. Digital billboards are being created with ability to recognize certain characteristics. These high-tech devices have cameras pointed at the people on the street, and software that tries to recognize people by age and gender. A computer inside the billboard then uses the information to display ads that are directed at the people who are looking at the billboard. For example, if a man passes a billboard featuring an ad for cosmetics, the computer can change the ad to something that is more likely to catch the man's attention, such as football games. While advertisers see this as a great opportunity to reach their target customers, some people feel that this kind of profiling is an invasion of their privacy. People are now much more aware of how information is exposed, shared, bought, and sold on the Internet. Now this debate will involve technologies such as "smart" billboards. But advertisers claim that they are sensitive to people's concerns about privacy--companies that have tested the billboards in Japan and the U.S. assure consumers that the billboards can only guess your age and gender, but they will not be able to recognize your face or obtain any personal information about you. Until recently, this kind of personal advertising has been mostly limited to the Internet. Search engines like Google and Bing can follow what we search for because each computer that connects to those sites has a unique identity. Companies then pay search engines to use this information to display ads for products and services that you have searched for. So if you search for travel information, you are likely to see ads for airlines and hotels. This kind of advertising has proven to be much more effective--and valuable--than traditional advertising. In addition to taking steps to deliver more personalized messages, advertisers are using billboards to offer more useful information. Digital billboards can connect to the Internet to display information such as the time, weather, and news headlines. In the future, this technology could be used to relay immediate social events. In today's world, people ignore thousands of ads every day. Advertisers are trying to change that trend by personalizing the experience of seeing an ad. So pay attention: next time you see a billboard, it could be talking to you. What is the reason for advertisers using high-tech billboards? A It is cheaper to make high-tech billboards. B Advertising effects of digital billboards are mixed. C People tend to ignore ordinary advertisements. D Billboards are not placed in good locations. Answer: C. People tend to ignore ordinary advertisements. How does Lucy spend a week? Monday Practice playing volleyball 3:00-5:OOp.m. Tuesday Go to see Tim Children's Hospital 8:30-10:30p.m. Wednesday Part-time job 1:00-5:00 p m. Thursday Go to the station to meet her uncle Ricky 9:00 a.m. Friday See Mr Green 10:30-11:30 a.m. Part-time job 2:00-6:00 p.m. Saturday A birthday party for Lily 7:00-10:00 p.m. Sunday Help Frank with his Maths How many hours a week does Lucy do her part-time job? A Five hours. B Eight hours. C Four hours. D Eleven hours. Answer: B. Eight hours. People say teenagers are no good. They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive carelessly up and down America's main streets. And at least some of the time those things are true. But we shouldn't forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too. I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman's funeral which happened in a church. A teenage grandson stepped forward. Softly he began:"I want to share a few values that Nana taught me. She never failed to see light in any situation. When our family dog would attack her, what would Nana say? Oh, what beautiful markings that dog has." That was Nana. "She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city. But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for Grandpa's career," he said, with a voice now trembling. "That was Nana's way." Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, "Nana taught me courage. She put up a fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life. That was Nana's way, and I hope I can carry on in the same manner." There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time. The trouble with teenagers is that they haven't learned to be controlled. When that boy rose to speak about the woman who had been his dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide. I was moved and learned a lot. We can infer from the passage that the boy _ . A wasfilledwithsadnessandgaveupfinishinghistalk B wasalwaysverygoodatexpressinghimself C practicedalotinordertogiveamovingspeech D hadgreatdifficultyinacceptingthelossofNana Answer: D. hadgreatdifficultyinacceptingthelossofNana It is easy for us to tell who our family members are, but do plants recognize their own family? Some do, scientists say, according to a report by Science News in early 2010. Guillermo P. Murphy and Susan Dudley are two plant scientists from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. They did a few experiments with Jewelweeds, a kind of flower that grows in wet, shady spots. They found that the flowers seem to know their own flower family. In their experiments, Murphy and Dudley planted jewelweeds in pots with either _ or strangers. When jewelweeds were planted in pots with strangers, the plants started to grow more leaves than if they had been planted alone. This response suggests that plants are competing with strangers for sunlight, since a plant with more leaves can receive more light and make more food. Jewelweeds usually grow in the shade, where sunlight is not enough. When jewelweed seedlings were planted with siblings, they grew a few more branches than they usually would if they were alone - but they did not start growing lots of extra leaves. This behavior suggests the plants are more likely to share resources, rather than compete. According to the Science News report, Jewelweeds are not the first plants that plant scientists have studied for family recognition. In 2007, Dudley and her team studied the Great Lakes sea rocket, a plant that grows on the beach - where it may be hard to get fresh water. In that experiment, the scientists found that when sea rockets were planted with siblings, they tolerated each other. But when they were planted with strangers, the sea rockets reacted by working extra hard to grow lots of roots. Dudley says this just because sea rockets, on the beach, get plenty of sun but struggle for water - so when they're threatened, they compete for water. Jewelweeds have plenty of water but have to compete for sunshine, so they grow more leaves. In the text, the writer mentioned the experiments of Jewelweeds to _ . A make a comparison B introduce a topic C describe a pretty flower D build a new theory Answer: B. introduce a topic When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it's amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak scornfully of the poor old Romans because they enjoyed the seemingly excited killing that went on in their arenas . We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don't the audience who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remain as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long ago. It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men punch each other in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Any talk of 'the sporting spirit' is merely hypocrisy . People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Audience are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they haven't experienced the exquisite pleasure of witnessing continuous violence. Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally--though with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen imprisoned in cages, or public punishment of any of the countless other barbarous practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the harsh forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is unworthy of human beings. It can be inferred from the passage that the author's opinion of nowadays' human beings is _ A not very high. B high. C scornful. D neutral Answer: A. not very high.
Spending time with your kids is the best way to give them you attention. No matter whether you stay at home or work outside the home, you can still give quality time to your kids. Quality time doesn't mean the whole family sitting for four hours watching TV. It means turning the TV off and playing games together, reading books, going for walks---anything! Giving kids your attention means listening to them when they talk. I don't mean half-way listening and saying "uh huh" like we do to our spouses when they're talking about their day at work. I mean sitting down, looking children in the eye, and listening. Ask questions. Be interested. It shows that you're paying attention, even if your question is just, "So you say you painted the cat blue?" Raising kids is not the time to be selfish with your time. You can be selfish later on when they're grown and having kids of their own. If you feel guilty about not being able to spend enough time with your kids, resist trying to buy their attention. You don't have to make every weekend a Disneyland day. And you don't have to continually buy them gifts as a means of letting them know you love them. The answer is "time". Time is what they want most from you. Your kids, no matter what age, are on some type of schedule. They get up, eat breakfast, eat lunch, eat dinner, etc. What do they do the rest of the time? Fill up some of the empty spots in their schedules with activities. Have them help you do something around the house or make them take part in a project with you. This is how day care workers are able to keep so many kids under control---they fill up the day with activities. The author mentions day care workers to show the importance of letting kids _ . Answer: Most of the time, the ground feels solid beneath our feet. That's comforting. But it's also misleading because there's actually a lot going on underground. Masses of land (called plates) slip, slide, and bump against each other, slowly changing the shape of continents and oceans over millions and billions of years. Scientists know that Earth formed about 4. 5 billion years ago. They also know that our planet was hot at first. As it cooled, its outermost layer, called the crust , eventually formed moving plates. Exactly when this shift happened, however, is an open question. Now, an international group of researchers has an answer. They've found new evidence suggesting that Earth's crust started shifting at least 3.8 billion years ago. The new estimate is l. 3 billion years earlier than previous ones. Not long before 3. 8 billion years ago, lots of small planets were hitting Earth, keeping its crust in a hot, melting state. After the hard crust formed, much of it sank at various times into the planet's hot insides. There, it melted before returning to the surface. In some places, however, the crust never sank. One of the oldest such places is in Greenland, in an area called the Isua supracrustal belt. The rocky crust there is between 3. 7 and 3. 8 billion years old. The belt was once part of the seafloor, but now it is exposed to air. The researchers recently took a close look at the Isua supracrustal belt. They noticed long, parallel cracks in the rock that have been filled in with a type of volcanic rock. To explain this structure, the scientists propose that tension in the crust caused the seafloor to crack open long ago. Hot, liquid rock oozed from deep inside Earth to fill the cracks. Finally, the whole area cooled, forming what we see today. That explanation, plus chemical clues inside the rock, suggests that the Isua supracrustal belt was once part of plate under the ocean, beginning around 3.8 billion years ago. "It's a fantastic case of solving a jigsaw puzzle ,"says one of the researchers. He notes that the puzzle was "a very difficult one because these rocks are all very old and have been badly ruined". What do scientists know about the past of the Isua supracrustal belt? Answer: Our voice gives away a lot of information about ourselves. It can tell us our gender and age. And now, scientists say that it can also tell us our height. Scientists at Washington University, Indiana University and University of California found that listeners could accurately tell the height of speakers, just by their voices. And the key to this mystery is a sound known as the subglottal resonance . It _ with height and helps us build a mental picture of a person. "The best way to think about subglottal resonances is to imagine blowing into a glass bottle with water. The less water in the bottle, the lower sound," said John Morton, a scientist at Washington University. And it's the same for humans. The frequency of the subglottal resonance depends on the height. The taller we are, the deeper the resonance frequency is. In order to find out whether people could identify the resonance, scientists did experiments. A number of same-sex pairs of different heights were told to read the same sentence aloud. It was played back to listeners who had to choose which one of the pairs was taller. Then, other listeners had to rank the speakers from the shortest to the tallest. The listeners were able to identify the tall people 62.17% of time, much higher than a lucky guess. Why not try the experiment yourself? Find out if your tall friends have deeper voices. The best title of the passage might be _ . Answer: Blameless I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin. In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything bad happened. "Who did this? "my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen. "This is all your fault, Katharine, "my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke. From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table. But the Whites didn't worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died. In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new driver's license ,Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met. The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah's new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn't see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car. Jane was killed immediately. I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I've ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child. When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy's leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls' tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches . To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, "We're so glad that you're alive. " I was astonished. No blame. No accusations. Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign. Mrs. White said, "Jane's gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister's death? " They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She's also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane. The Whites did not blame Amy for Jane's death because _ . Answer: Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children's theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old "little theatres", as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community. In the 1880s, "little theatre'' was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old "little theatres", as mist simply want to infuse little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills. Which of the following is TRUE about community theatre? Answer:
What would provide the most nutrients? A a used popcorn bucket B an empty can of corn C a dead strawberry bush D a pickled jicama root Answer: D Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian festivals and customs date back to old time when man tried to live in peace with nature. The merriest and richest festivals are Christmas and the New Year, when the socalled "sourvakari" makes the round of house with wishes for health and wealth. Other main festivals include "ladouvane" -- a holiday for young girls on New Year's Day or Midsummer Day (24th June), Shrovetide and Mummers' Games which mark the start of spring, and "lazrouvane" -- a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness.And among them, the widely popular and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are "martenitsas" and rosepicking. Every year on March 1st, the Bulgarians give each other "martenitsas" -- a small doll made of white and red strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness. In late May and early June every year, the rosepicking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rosepicking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world's rose oil which is used by the very wellknown perfume company as a basic element of its products. This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June. The author of this passage intends to _ . A let us know some knowledge of Bulgarian culture B tell us the differences between customs and festivals C explain the connection between customs and industry D find the origin of the Bulgarian customs Answer: A Plants can't communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants produce volatile compounds ---- chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower's sweet smell, for example, comes from such volatile compounds to attract insects such as bugs and bees. Plants can also discover volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by hungry insets, for instance, may give off these chemicals in order to let other trees know about the attack. In response, the other trees may send off their chemicals to keep the bugs away ---- or even chemicals that will attract the bugs' natural enemies. Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical sensor called an "electronic nose". The "e-nose" can tell such compounds as plants make. When plants are attacked, scientists say, the e-nose could help quickly decide whether plants are being eaten by insects. But today, the only way to spot such insects is to inspect individual plants by observing them. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, including those that can house thousands of plants. The research team is working with an e-nose that can recognize volatile compounds. Inside the device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds based on the interactions , and then the e-nose will give off electronic signals that the scientists can analyze by using computer software. To test the e-nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato plants, all being common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of the air around damaged leaves from each type of crop. These plants had been damaged either by insects or by scientists who made holes in the leaves with a hole punch . The e-nose, it turns out, can identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on the volatile compounds they produce. It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage ---- by insects or with a hole punch ---- had been done to the tomato leaves. With some fine-tuning , a device like the e-nose can one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this can also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, India, who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device can bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future. According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can _ . A pick out ripe fruits quite expertly B spot the insects in a very quick way C tell different damages to leaves D recognize unhealthy tomato leaves Answer: C Everyone may all have the experience of feeling anxious and stressed when having a rough day or having some troubles. Different people may choose different ways to deal with it, and for most people a break for a 10-minute walk may be quite useful.www.zxxk.com Anyway, here is another way around: to get a piece of chewing gum, and chew it. According to a Swinburne University of Technology study, gum-chewing has been found to "relieve anxiety, improve alertness and reduce stress among individuals in a laboratory setting." Some may argue that a laboratory is not the same as an office. But check out the conditions of the study: individuals were monitored while performing "a group of 'multi-tasking' activities." Doesn't it sound like the situation in the office?www.zxxk.com Here's a summary of some of the study's findings: Gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 percent during mild stress and nearly 10 percent in appropriate stress. Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over non-gum chewers by nearly 19 percent during mild stress and 8 percent in moderate stress. Improved Performance: Chewing gum resulted in a big improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities. Although these aren't major improvements, every little bit works and chewing a piece of gum is a lot quicker and easier than slipping outside for a 10-minute walk. So, how does gum work this magic? In part it does so by lowering the level of cortisol --a steroid hormone that is released in response to stress in your system. A few words of advice before you reach for the gum: don't crack your gum, and be sure to chew it with your mouth closed. In fact, I'd say keep the gum out of meetings, because it really looks impolite to others around you. Which one may the author probably agree with? A People should chew gum with their mouths closed in a meeting. B It is impolite to chew gum in a meeting with people around you. C People can crack gum freely when meeting friends. D People should be careful when chewing gum at home. Answer: B The 16-year-old girl Jessica Watson is said to be the youngest person to sail non-stop alone around the world. But her record has been questioned because someone thought that she has not sailed far enough. She will also not be recognized by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, as it was too dangerous for someone under 18 years old. Ms Watson sailed into Sydney port on Saturday, seven months after leaving on a hard voyage. Family, friends and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have gathered to greet her. Thousands of well-wishers waited at the port and watched from boats as Ms Watson sailed her pink, 10m boat over the finishing line. Many more Australians watched the event broadcast live on television. Watson said she was just an "ordinary girl who believed in her dream". Ms Watson left Sydney on 18 October, despite that some people disagreed her plan. Watson traveled northeast through the South Pacific and across the equator , south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and around southern Australia. The route took her through some of the world's most changeful waters, and she battled through huge storms and suffered seven accidents of her boat. People around the world have followed Ms Watson's adventures on her blog, which she has daily updated . On her blog, she wrote down beautiful sunrise over seas, the excitement of meeting a blue whale and the bright, terrible sight of a shooting star flying across the night sky above her boat. Ms Watson has reportedly sold her story to a news company for $700,000. She is planning to write a book on her experience. Which of the following oceans didn't Ms Watson cross through in her voyage? A The Pacific Ocean B The Atlantic Ocean C The Indian Ocean D The Arctic Ocean. Answer: D
Rivers are one of our most important natural resources . Many of the world's great cities are located on rivers, and almost every country has at least one river running through it that plays an important part in the lives of its people. Since the beginning of history, people have used rivers for transportation. The longest one in the United States is the Mississippi. The lifeline of Egypt is the Nile. To the people of India, the Ganges is great, but it is also important for transportation; ships can travel along it for a thousand miles. Other great rivers are the Congo in Africa and the Mekong in southeastern Asia. The greatest of all for navigation , however, is the Amazon in Brazil . It is so wide and so deep that large ships can go about two thousand miles up it. Besides transportation, rivers give food to eat, water to drink, water for crops, and chances for fun. In order to increase the supply of water for crops, engineers sometimes build a dam across a river and let a lake form behind the dam. Then people can use the water not only to irrigate their fields but also to make electricity for their homes and industries. However, large cities and industries that are located on rivers often cause problems. As the cities grow in size and industries increase in number, the water in the rivers becomes polluted with chemicals and other materials. People are learning the importance, however, of doing more to keep their rivers clean if they want to enjoy the benefits of these natural resources. The best title for the passage is _ . A. The Importance of Rivers B. Rivers in Cities C. Transportation D. Natural Resources Answer: A. The Importance of Rivers Have you ever wished you could solve complex math problems without thinking? What about learning to play the piano in just three days? Or mastering several foreign languages within a month? Eddie Morra, the main character in the movieLimitlesscan do all these things. But he isn't Superman or Harry Potter. Eddie has taken pills called NZT. ThrillerLimitless came out in China on October 13. In the movie, Eddie is faced with "writer's block". He hasn't written a single word of a novel, and his deadline has passed. And there's more bad news: his girlfriend breaks up with him. By chance, Eddie runs into a relative who is a drug dealer. He gives Eddie some pills called NZT that allow people to make use of 100 percent of their brains. With the magic pills, Eddie's life changes completely. He can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard. He gains a sixth sense that allows him to predict future events. He even becomes a kungfu master by simply memorizing actions in Bruce Lee's movie. Before long he has finished his novel, won back his girlfriend and stepped into the financial world. He becomes rich incredibly quickly and is soon employed by a powerful Wall Street company. However, bad side effects are just around the corner. The effects of the pill last for only one or two days, and Eddie has to find more supplies of the pills. Meanwhile, the pills start to have other effects on him. Eddies' mind loses the ability to control the actions of his body. What does destiny hold for him? Will he be able to go back to his normal life? "Eddie's fate turns out to be a barbed joke... a sharp-eyed comic fable for an age of greed and speed." writes A. O. Scott, a movie critic with the New York Times. The drug isn't real-----yet, some researchers say such memory-enhancing drugs might not be far off. Would you take such a pill despite its side effects? Is the ability to remember everything a blessing or a curse? Which of the following happened to Eddie after he took the pill? A. He can easily call everyone in the world. B. He can expect what will happen next with his sixth sense. C. He can control a powerful Wall Street company and becomes rich. D. He can make a special pill to improve his own memory. Answer: B. He can expect what will happen next with his sixth sense. Planet English is the world's leading interactive multimedia software package for English language teaching and learning. For Students Planet English uses the latest in multimedia and information technology to support students who wish to learn English for international communication. Planet English is an exciting, high-tech, interactive way of learning English. It contains more than 40 hours of video and audio recordings, over 2,500 0riginal graphics, 3,000 interactive screens and 80 different activity types including real time student voice recordings. For Teachers Planet English is more than just a computer program. It includes a package of resources to complement any Eng-lish language teaching programme. Teachers can easily integrate Planet English with classroom activities using the detailed Teacher's Manual and Student Workbooks. Teachers can also manage the learning experience for students using the unique Planet English Courseware Management System (CMS). The CMS allows teachers to tailor courses to their syllabus and to students' needs by "mapping" content for classes or individuals. Activities and exercises that are relevant to the center's syllabus are then delivered to students in the appropriate lesson, ensuring students "navigate" to the right area of the programme of each lesson. For Educational Managers Planet English is the world's leading Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) program. It allows English language teaching centers to enhance the educational quality of teaching programmes, improve learning outcomes and provide professional development for teaching staff. Implementing Planet English allows English language teaching centers to maximize the benefits of computor hardware because it provides teachers and learners with an easy-to-use and highly productive CALL resource. What is NOT the characteristic of Planet English? A. Interesting. B. Interactive. C. Practical. D. Efficient. Answer: D. Efficient. "Would you tell me which way I should go from here?" asked Alice. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get," said the Cat. "I really don't care where" replied Alice. "Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat. --- from " Alice in Wonderland " My name is David. And I have a brother called Mike. One day, my brother called me and asked me for some advice. He was trying to decide between two job offers: Job 1 - The first job was your typical 40 hour a week "office" job. Job 2 - The second job was more of a career in the insurance industry , where he would start at the bottom, and after many years and many long hours eventually rise to the top (if he was good). The second job did not pay as well as the first job (at the beginning), but the pay-off of the second job (in the future) was much greater than the first job. So which job should my brother take? Well the answer is...it depends. Just like the Cat was trying to tell Alice, which road you take depends a great deal on where you want to end up. Begin with the End in Mind I asked my brother what was his life's purpose. He said his purpose was to "teach," but he wanted to make a lot of money first. I told my brother to forget about the money, and I advised him to focus on his purpose. I then asked him which job best supported his end result of "teaching." He said the first job best supported his goal because he would only have to work 40 hours a week, which would give him spare time to teach. He continued on to say, "but if I take job number two, I can work hard and make more money, then I can retire early and "teach" later in life." I again advised him to "focus" on his purpose, not money. Things don't end wrong, they begin wrong! You Can't Ride Two Horses Well It would be very difficult to have a successful teaching career while you're working 70-80 hours a week in the insurance business; no one can ride two horses well. As they say, you can do anything, but not everything. I advised him to get started today by choosing the job that best supported that decision. Tomorrow Never Comes My brother was thinking that he could always start teaching later in life, but the reality is, tomorrow never comes. Unless you decide right now to follow your feelings, they will probably never be completed. You only live once, don't go to the end of your life with one regret. The Money Will Come My brother seemed to be overly concerned with making money. I told him not to be anxious about making money. You will always have greater money when you're doing what you love. In a word, whenever you're at a cross-road, be sure to make the decision that best supports the goal of your life. If you do, then you will be well on your way. Mike was trying to _ . A. look for a job B. start a career C. wok in an office D. decide between two job offers Answer: D. decide between two job offers For more than six million American children, coming home after school means coming home to an empty house. Some deal with the situation by watching TV. Some may hide. But all of them have something in common. They spend part of each day alone. They are called latchkey children. They're children who look after themselves while their parents work. And their bad condition has become a subject of concern. Lynette Long was once the headmaster of an elementary school. She said, "We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. A lot of kids had chains around their necks with keys attached. I was constantly telling them to put them inside shirts. There were so many keys, it never came to my mind what they meant." Slowly, she learned they were house keys. She and her husband began talking to the children who had them. They learned of the impact working couples and single parents were having on their children. Fear is the biggest problem faced by children at home alone. One in each three latchkey children the Longs talked to reported being scared. Many had nightmares and were worried about their own safety. The most common way latchkey children deal with their fears is by hiding. It might be in a shower stall, under a bed in a closet. The second is TV. They'll often play it at high volume. It's hard to get statistics on latchkey children, the Longs learned. Most parents are slow to admit they leave their children alone. We may draw a conclusion that _ . A. latchkey children enjoy having such a large amount of time alone B. latchkey children try to hide their feeling C. latchkey children often watch TV with their parents D. it's difficult to find out how many latchkey children there are Answer: D. it's difficult to find out how many latchkey children there are
A famous American John Muir said in 1898: "The Grand Canyon... as unearthly in the color and grandeur of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star." Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place. After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia. From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. "It makes one want to murmur." A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax and stops. Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August. But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense of smoke from an Indian hearth . No wonder an American writer and journalist said, "I came here an atheist , and departed a devout believer." The last sentence "I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer." implies that _ . Answer: I hated writing thank-you notes as a child, but I had no choice: My mother was adamant about honoring other people's kindness and generosity. But now after a childhood spent crafting those notes, the music of gratitude flows naturally from me. I hire Brant to build an arbor around my front door. I drew it exactly as I wanted, and he realized my vision perfectly. Surprised at how the arbor's beauty uplifted me every time I stepped into my house, I called Brant a few weeks after the arbor went up. He answered the phone defensively. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice cold and distant. "You can say, 'You're welcome,' " I responded. "I don't understand," Brant shot back. "I am calling to say 'Thank you.' '' Silence. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I love my arbor, and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your work." More silence. "I've been doing this work for 20 years, and no one has ever called to thank me for it," said Brant. "People only call me when they have problems." He was doubtful. I also had a similar experience with L.J. He answered my questions, didn't push, and gave me space to think and decide. I wrote to let him know that he completely exceeded my expectations of what a beat-them-down car sales experience would be like, and that I was happy with my car choice. L.J. called me a few days later. He said that this was the first thank-you note in the history of the dealership. Are we really living in an age when feedback only closes with complaint? It seems to me that when we focus on problems, we only have dissatisfaction and complaint. But when we focus on celebrating goodness, we are likely to turn it into something positive. By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show _ . Answer: Last year more than 13 Korean TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times . Some of the dramas are being _ , but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories. And it seems that South Korean TV series has also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about South Korean TV series in the passage? Answer: Many times when people hear the words social networking, their brains automatically go to sites such as Twitter or Facebook. However, there are sites for those into social networking and into reading. Sound crazy?, It's really not. If you've ever wanted a site where you can receive book recommendations,follow your favorite authors,and keep up with what your friends are reading, then look no further than Goodreads. com. Goodreads provides useful services for those in the reading world. It is a site where you can win books by going to giveaways and simply entering your information. Some giveaways are even signed by the author. And the books aren't boring,old or torn copies ---- many of them are ARC's (Advanced Readers Copies),for which you can write a short review on the site. Anyone can post reviews of their favorite books or series so that others may _ to read them as well. Another function of the site is offering book clubs and interest groups. You can have interactive discussions with groups of people reading the same things,sort of like a blog. You can also make friends with people and post statuses similar to Facebook. Your friends can send you book recommendations and you can add them to your shelf if you choose. Shelves are by far one of the best features on the site. You can categorize your entire library and put books you want to read on your"to-read" shelf. These virtual shelves allow you to see what you've read and also let you keep track of the number of books you've read in a year. You can even read original writing for free because many people post their own writing on the site to gain feedback and advice on how to improve. Anyone can join this site for free and fall in love with not just a book, but a book site as well. People who go to the site Twitter or Facebook mostly want to _ . Answer: In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. A father rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what happened, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his promise to his son. Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging. Other parents tried to pull him off the ruins, saying: "It's too late! _ 're all dead! You can't help!" He replied, "Are you going to help me now?" The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school's ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You're in danger. We'll take care of it. Go home." This loving, caring American father asked, "Are you going to help me now?" The police came and said, "You're, anxious and it's over. Go home. We'll handle it!" He replied, "Are you going to help me now?" No one helped. Courageously he went on alone. He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad! It's me, Dad! You promised no matter what happened, you would always be there for me! You did it, Dad!" "What's going on in there? How is it?" the father asked. "There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. " "Come out, boy!" "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!" We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer:
Today more and more people like to go shopping online . Wang Xing is one of them. Wang Xing is a writer in Beijing. She likes shopping online. She often shops on Taobao. Do you know Taobao? If you like shopping online, I am sure you know it. Taobao is China's biggest online shopping site . Taobao means "looking for treasure". People can find almost everything on Taobao, from clothes to books, from mobile phones to computers. Wang Xing says" My friends and I often go shopping online. First, because we don't like to go out very often. Second, because there are many goods on Taobao, and you can find everything you want to buy. Third, because the goods on Taobao are cheaper than those in the shopping malls." You can buy _ on Taobao. Answer: Dear students, Volunteering has never been an easy task. But if you are one of us, you will make a difference. Anyone who wants to volunteer-whether you work full-time or part-time-can find a way to help in our area. Below is an easy how-to guide to becoming a volunteer in our school. First, you need to complete an online volunteer form, which includes your personal information and volunteering experiences. The form is only on the school website. Once you are told that you can volunteer, you will only have to sign in with our clock system, wear your badge with your name on it, and when leaving, sign out to make sure your volunteer hours are recorded. Things you need to remember: 1. Sign in with the clock system every time you are in school. 2. Wear your badge. 3. Sign out when you leave to make sure your volunteer hours are recorded. Everyone, whether you are a volunteer or a visitor, will be asked to show one of the following to tell who you are in order to get past the school gate: 1. A driver's license in use; 2. A state-issued ID card; 3. A work visa; 4. A green card. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out a school volunteer form and return it to the school Volunteer Officer or front office. The school volunteer officer will call you to discuss ways in which you can help in our school. Kevin Winberry Volunteer Program Director What do you need to show when you enter the school? Answer: Dear Harry, You ask me whether you should spend the next three years at university,or get a job.I will give you three different answers. _ Answer A.You are ambitious.Your sights are set on going to the top,in business or the government.In today's high-tech times,big companies cannot be managed by uneducated amateurs.Even the middle managers are at a disadvantage unless they get a university degree and an MBA.Same thing in government. Anyway,you are too young to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life.If you spend the next few years at university,you will get to know the world--and yourself--before the time comes to choose your career. Answer B.Stop wasting your time on academia .Stop subjecting yourself to the boredom of textbooks and classrooms.Stop cramming for exams before you acquire a strong love for reading. The lack of a college degree will only be a slight influence on your career.In Britain,you can still get to the top without a degree.What industry and the government need at the top is not experts but leaders.The character traits which make people scholars in their youth are not the traits which make them leaders in later life.You put up with education for 12 boring years. Answer C.Don't judge the value of higher education in terms of careemanship.Judge it for what it is--a priceless opportunity to furnish your mind and enrich the quality of your life.My father was a failure in business,but he read Horace in the washroom until he died,poor but happy. If you enjoy being a scholar,and like the company of scholars,go to a university.Who knows,you may end your days as a Regius Professor.And bear in mind that British universities are still the best in the world.You have a first-class mind.Stretch it.If you have the opportunity to go to a university,don't pass it up.You would never forgive yourself. Tons of love, David What did the author think play a key part in high-tech times? Answer: In the past, American families tended to be quite large. Parents raising five or more children were common. Over the years, the size of the family has decreased. One reason for this is an increase in the cost of living. On the average, children attend schools for more years than they used to, making them financially dependent on their families longer. Moreover, children nowadays are better dressed and have more money to spend on entertainment. The parents usually take the responsibility for all the expenses. Meanwhile, families are less close than they used to be. More and more American mothers work away from home. The break up of the family occurs when the parents divorce. A lot of children in the U. S. live part of their young lives with only one parent. Broken families usually result in problems for children and parents alike. Children blame themselves when their parents separate. They grow up feeling unsettled as they are moved back and forth between parents. Usually one parent is responsible for raising the children. These single parents must care for the children's emotional and psychological needs while also supporting them financially. This is very demanding and leaves very little time for the parent's own personal interests. Single parents often marry other single parents. In this type of family, unrelated children are forced to develop brother or sister relationship. The situations of many American families today are not good. However, recent signs indicate that things are getting better. The divorce rate is declining. The rate of childbirth is rising. Perhaps Americans have learned how important families are. According to the author, the situations of American families in the future may _ . Answer: When I decided to quit my job as a wedding photographer, I was in my late twenties, fresh from my divorce from Bob who had left me empty and confused. I decided to leave the US and travel. I had no savings, plus more than $5,000 in debt. What I did have were two sponsored tasks as a travel photographer- and with that along, I thought, it would be easy. My first experience was a road trip from Toronto to Las Vegas, paid for by a car delivery service. Other trips followed and then I started a travel blog . It was intended to be my calling card for assignment travel photography. Yet even with my blog and past experience, email after email I sent to publications, trying to get work, went unanswered. When they did get in touch, editors told me that I had no chance of making a career with travel photography. While I struggled to get on the path that I wanted, and as I expanded my blog to help get me there, I found myself wearing the hat of a full-time blogger. Luckily, I got in at the right time. It was 2010,and the travel industry was just starting to turn its attention to bloggers. As I never could have predicted, my blogging-not my photography-did take me around the world successfully. At first,I thought it was for personal reasons, but I realized later that it was for free marketing for my blogging. Within two years, I was being asked to speak at travel blogging conferences, which helped me to raise a network of friends around the world. Even more meaningful, however, was when I saw that my travels were also helping other people. My blog and social media followers saw that I chased my dreams and told me over and over again how they needed that kind of example, which was absent in their lives elsewhere. After the author quit her job, she decided to _ . Answer:
I had the meanest mother in the world.While other kids ate candy for breakfast.I had to have cereal, eggs and toast.Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich.As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids'.But at least I was not alone in my suffering.My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did. My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing.We had to wear clean clothes every day.Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. The worst is yet to come.We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning.So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law.She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us.Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing.My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks.None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout . She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults.Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children.I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies The best evidence that two land areas were once connected is the discovery that both land masses have similar types of rocks and fossils. Last year I travelled to Finland. I enjoyed the time in the plane because I knew a friendly man there. He was from Italy, but we had no problem _ with each other. We both talked in English. When I got to Finland, I visited Espoo, Oulu, Lahti and Tampere. The people there were very friendly. I also spent a lot of time in Helsinki -- the capital of Finland. People also called it the daughter of the sea. It was very clean. There I watched the Baltic Sea. It was very beautiful. One night, I went to the theatre to see a very interesting local play. Everything was OK but the sun, because the sunset there was too early. I had a very nice time in this country and I want to travel to it again. What didn't the writer like about Finland from the passage? Its play. On the day of college graduation,I told my friends and family the news:I was leaving the country I had lived in since childhood.''I just need a change,"I told them,but there was more.I was running from heartbreak.My relationship with the United States is the most tough one I have ever had,as a country I loved and believed in did not love me back. Back in the 90's,my mother brought me from our home in the Caribbean islands to the U.S.when I was 4 years old.She worked as a live-in nanny for two years,playing mommy for white kids whose parents had better things to do.She didn't believe that nanny meant maid,and did whatever was asked of her.She was thirsty to embrace her American dream,hoping that her children would be educated and she might have nannies of her own. That was our path--get a "good education." When the neighborhoods with quality schools became too expensive for my mom to afford as a single parent,we went across the United States with GreatSchools. net as our compass:New Jersey,elementary school;Texas,middle school;Florida,high school;New York City,private university. For a long time I survived by covering myself in all kinds of labels so that people would ignore the color1 of my skin,yet I existed on the edge of ugly,ignorant and uncuhured."Black people don't really know how to swim,"a white lady told me when I worked as a swim instructor at my neighborhood's pool."The black children don't like to read very much," I overheard one librarian discussing with another while l sat down reading a book a couple feet away. I was never able to make America my home.When I stripped myself of the labels painfully one by one,beneath them there is a wounded color1ed woman who refuses to be faceless anymore.My face may be disgusting to some since it bears proof that race continues to be a problem.My hope is that it will force Americans to reexamine their "post--racial" beliefs. What was the real reason that made the author leave the United States? The way she was treated there broke her heart. Sleet and hail are forms of precipitation
More and more, the operations of our businesses, governments, and financial institutions are controlled by information that exists only inside computer memories. Anyone clever enough to modify this information for his own purposes can get big reward. Even worse, a number of people who have done this and been caught at it have managed to get away without punishment. It's easy for computer crimes to go undetected if no one checks up on what the computer is doing. But even if the crime is detected, the criminal may walk away not only unpunished but with a glowing recommendation from his former employers. Of course, we have no statistics on crimes that go undetected. But it's disturbing to note how many of the crimes we do know about were detected by accident, not by systematic inspections or other security procedures. The computer criminals who have been caught may have been the victims of uncommonly bad luck. Unlike other lawbreakers, who must leave the country, commit suicide, or go to jail, computer criminals sometimes escape punishment, demanding not only that they not be charged but that they be given good recommendations and perhaps other benefits. All too often, their demands have been met. Why? Because company executives are afraid of the bad publicity that would result if the public found out that their computer had been misused. They hesitate at the thought of a criminal boasting in open court of how he juggled the most confidential records right under the noses of the company's executives, accountants, and security staff. And so another computer criminal departs with just the recommendations he needs to continue his crimes elsewhere. Which of the following statements is mentioned in the passage? A. A strict law against computer crimes must be enforced B. Companies usually hesitate to uncover computer crimes to protect their reputation C. Companies will guard against computer crimes to protect their reputation D. Companies need to impose restrictions on confidential information Answer: B Not long ago, people could only buy organic food in small shops. Today it is common in most major supermarkets. The reason for the increase is that more and more people are demanding food grown without chemicals. Since the 1990s, organic farm production has gone up 20 percent every year. This pattern is expected to continue around the globe. Australia leads the world in land used for organic agriculture. It has four times as much land devoted to organic farming as all of Asia. However, most of the land is not very fertile, and it only produces a modest amount of food. Argentina is a distant second, followed by Brazil, the United States and China. In Africa, only a very small amount of land is registered for organic farming. That does not mean Africa relies on chemicals. In fact, many farmers do not use chemicals because they cannot afford them. Yet there are no programs for these farmers to prove they do not use chemicals. Without these programs their food can never be approved organic. India has had the most dramatic recent increase in organic farming. Like many other countries, India sees continual growth in organic food sales around the world. This, of course, leads to growth in profits. Sales of organic food were more than doubled from 2000 to 2005. Like India, many countries are trying to increase commercial organic farming to get a share of the sales. This has led to criticism. Some people believe that organic farming should not just be about making money. They think the goal is to help the environment. Others say organic farming will not continue if it is not profitable. They say that people should be able to make money while providing food that is healthy to mankind. Why do people want to increase organic farming? A. More and more people demand chemicals to grow food. B. Profits from organic farming help make approval programs. C. There are fewer chemicals available to the human beings. D. Organic food is good for the Earth and the human beings. Answer: D Personality assessments are sometimes used by companies to evaluate potential employees. Often it's because _ have compared their current top performers and concluded what makes an employee in a given position successful, and are looking for someone similar to place in an open spot. It makes hiring people less risky for managers and makes them more confident about their decisions. Here's something you might not know about these personality tests: even though assessments are given to candidates to evaluate them for a particular job, it's perfectly acceptable for job seekers to use the results of their test when going after any other job at any other company. Say you were given one of these tests, but you didn't get the job. If the company shared those results with you, you can use them in your job search as a credibility builder. If you're working with a recruiter or even a hiring manager who's on the fence about you, you can offer to share the results of your personality test with them. You simply say something like, "Can I share the results of my personality test with you so that you can see what my characteristics are?" This can also work as part of an email follow-up with a hiring manager after a phone interview. You just send along the results with a quick explanation: " I wanted you to see this personality assessment that I took for another organization, so that you can see who I am ." Then, when they see that your qualities are what they're looking for in a great candidate, they're much more confident in either presenting you to a company, or moving forward in the hiring process. Don't overlook any tools you can use to your advantage in the job search process. This particular one can be a very powerful one to help you land the job. The passage is mainly intended for _ . A. job seekers B. recruiters C. companies D. parents Answer: A The words "timetable" and "schedule" make most final year students want to eat their own vomit. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that final year students must develop a timetable. If you don't have a schedule or plan for studying, you will have no way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected arises. A well-thought-out timetable can be a lifesaver. It is up to you to learn how to develop a schedule that meets your needs. Change it if necessary, but most important, follow it . All timetables should be made with the idea that they can be changed. A good one will keep you from wandering off course. A good timetable should make every hour count--every class ,social event and other activity you engage in .You must focus on the other "free time" available and how you will use it .Make a weekly schedule and divided each day into one-hour increments. Indicate times for classes, socializing, and work time. Also block off a period for sleeping every day. In the precious hours left over, plan time for study. This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can change your schedule as circumstances need. The timetable you develop should guide you in how to distribute the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough, but don't dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is the easiest thing in the world. It is up to you to follow the schedule you've prepared. A good deal of your success in high school and with any future study depends on this simple truth. Remember, there is a learning curve. You learn the most in the first 30 minutes of study; after that, it progressively deteriorates. After four or five hours of studying the same material in the same way, you are learning virtually nothing. The solution is to keep switching subjects and study styles. From this passage, we can learn if we wish to achieve high learning efficiency, we'd better _ . A. shift subjects and use different methods regularly B. devote to the same material continuously C. turn to teachers for help if necessary D. have a break every thirty minutes Answer: A We all need a vacation, whether with the entire family or your significant other. Unfortunately, many of us will not be able to follow through with vacation plans. But now, there is an alternative that is catching on rather quickly and it is called a "Staycation". A staycation is just what it sounds like, a vacation but you stay at home. It might not sound interesting, but you can turn it into a fun and relaxing getaway. Tell family and friends your plans. In their eyes you are truly on vacation and they only need to contact you in case of an emergency. Go outside; don't let the kids sleep all day. Go out and birdwatch, go fishing, explore the parks and nature, take in all you can of the outside world. You can even have a relaxing day at the beach, soak in some sun, and let the kids go swimming. Go on a picnic; have the kids fly kites. Bring some bubbles, and have a nice day with the wind blowing in your hair. Watch as the kids run and play and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Camping is another fun way to have a staycation. If you have a camping ground in your area, you can go camping for a day or two and show the kids how it is to live right in the heart of Mother Nature. Just remember, it really doesn't matter where you decide to go, whether home or away. As long as you create quality time with your family you can strengthen the _ that may have been pushed aside during all the long stressful work hours. Time is the most important thing you can give to your husband, wife and kids, enjoying every moment together, and you will have lasting memories in your hearts. Which of the following is NOT a good way to have a good staycation? A. To sleep at home all day. B. To go out to watch birds. C. To go to the parks. D. To relax on the beach. Answer: A
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 thousands, 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. According to Michael Benoliel, the Confucian mindset focuses on _ . A human rights B personal profits C sharing responsibility D individual survival Answer: C. sharing responsibility Writer and teacher Yin Jianli's stories and thoughts about bringing up her daughter Yuanyuan have been a constant source of inspiration for parents over the past 16 years. Her book, A Good Mother Exceeds Good Teachers, published by Writers Publishing House, has been a bestseller on Dangdang and Amazon's online platforms for the past three years. The book helped Yin make the Chinese Writers' Rich List, with 4. 48 million yuan($710,000). Experts say Yin's book provides practical guidance, which makes it popular among parents. "When the majority of books are either full of bragging about the authors' children or outlining big theories that have no foundation in practice, I write books that are practical and easy to follow," Yin writes. "For example, there was an occasion when Yuanyuan forgot to do her elementary school homework. In such a situation many Chinese parents show their anger and scold their kids,"says Yin, who made an agreement with her husband they would not overly criticize or push their daughter. Instead, Yin encouraged the daughter to make up the homework, which meant staying up until midnight. As a result, she learned to arrange her time better and did not have a harmful reaction to doing homework. Yin's principle of "no parental interference ,and "giving children the opportunity to learn from their mistakes" is described in a number of real-life examples. Readers say Yin's books improve their children's performance at school, and encourage them to develop good personalities and habits. They believe her books are not only about being good parents but also about growing as parents and individuals. "When I'm reading books,I keep thinking about what a better personality I would have if my parents had adopted the methods Yin suggests when I was a kid,"one reader comments in a review on Yin's online blog. We can learn from the text that Yin Jianli _ . A advocates learning from mistakes B makes a good living only by writing books C holds the view that saving your stick spoils your kid D believes successful education calls for joint efforts from school and family Answer: A. advocates learning from mistakes Where in the world can you take an hour's train ride, and pass a forest, a London street, a scene from the Wild West, and a burning building that never burns down? There's only one place, and that's Hollywood, in California. The scenes you see from the tourist train are film sets in the Universal Studios, one of the oldest and largest movie companies in the USA. A visit to Universal Studios brings back memories of great days of Hollywood, the films and the stars. But they are only memories. Hollywood isn't quite the same as it used to be. Costs have gone up and confidence has gone down. Movie-makers are afraid to spend their money on expensive new ideas. Instead, they repeat old ones. The film industry is changing fast. Teenagers still go out to the movies. The theatre is a good place to meet friends away from home. But older people mostly stay home to watch series, like Dynasty have become as important to Hollywood as expensive movies. These "soap opera", as they are called, show rich, powerful families living in beautiful homes and wearing beautiful clothes. But the actors and actresses are nearly all middle-aged, like many of the people who watch them. Though it is soap operas that are keeping the film-makers of Hollywood in Business, big films are still being made in America. But more and more of them are made outside Hollywood. New York is the most important new center, but there are many others as well. Movie-makers have realized that they don't need Hollywood any more. Modern cameras and real houses instead of expensively made copies in a studio. Other states, especially Florida and Texas, are working hard to take the film business away from California. They are offering better working conditions and lower cost. But Hollywood is fighting back. The state of California is trying hard to keep its best-known industry. Which of the following seems to be a threat to Hollywood? A The use of modern cameras and other equipment B The interest of middle-aged film stars C The making of TV series like Dynasty D The expensively made copies of scenes Answer: A. The use of modern cameras and other equipment I climbed Kilimanjaro with Lava Expeditions during the rainy season. I flew to Nairobi in Kenya and spent several days there. At my hotel in Nairobi I met the rest of the group with whom I would spend the next week. We all travelled on the bus together for a 6-hour journey into Tanzania and then Arusha , a quiet town. After we arrived at our hotel in Arusha , we had dinner and a few drinks. Then we were introduced to more members including Taddeus Minja, the main guide, who was very experienced -- climbing Kilimanjaro runs through the generations of his family. The next day the Lava Expeditions members checked if we had the correct and enough clothing for our expedition on Kilimanjaro. Only one person needed to bring more clothes. After that we set off, walking in the rain through the beauty of the rainforest, all the way to the first camp. I was happy the next few days as the view was so wonderful and changed every day. I suffered a little during the trip and I felt so tired. But the members of Lava Expeditions provided me with lots of encouragement, which was one of the best memories. Finally we reached the top of Kilimanjaro in bright blue skies. I felt excited about climbing Kilimanjaro and the feeling didn't change during my trip. Lava Expeditions looked after me so well that I was deeply thankful for their help. How did the author get to Nairobi? A By bus. B By train. C By air. D On foot. Answer: C. By air. Dear Victor, I am a college student. Nowadays games on the net are very popular with college students. Some of my roommates are very interested in them. They not only play games in their free time, but also keep talking about them at night when lights are off, and they regard games as a part of their life. I've asked them to give it up, but they wouldn't listen to me. It has become a rather big problem. Should I report it to our teachers or do something else? Ted Dear Ted, Drop it. Your roommates, as grown--ups, can do whatever they want with their time so long as it doesn't break school rules or violate other people's interests. Playing perhaps gives these students relaxation from hard study. If they play too often and have little time to study, they will reap what they have sown , but you will not. Reporting to the teachers would only harm your good name in your dormitory . However, you have rights to ask your roommates to be quiet when you need sleep. If they aren't angry with you, they will stop talking. But be polite and friendly. Perhaps, in return, join them in a game or two. Victor According to the second letter, some college students _ . A can break school rules or violate other people's interests B have their rights to disturb Ted C can relax themselves while playing games on the net D can study even better if they play games on the net Answer: C. can relax themselves while playing games on the net
Question: Robots have proved to be valuable tools for soldiers,surgeons and homeowners hoping to keep the carpet clean. But in each case,they are designed and built specifically for the job. Now there is a movement under way to build multipurpose machines-robots that can move about in changing environments such as offices or living rooms and work with their hands. All-purpose robots are not,of course,a new idea."It's been five or 10 years from happening for about 50 years,"says Eric Berger,co-director of the Personal Robotics Program at Willow Garage,a Silicon Valley organization. The delay is in part because even simple tasks require a huge set of capabilities. For a robot to fetch a mug,for example,it needs to make sense of data gathered by a variety of sensors-laser scanners identifying potential blocking objects,cameras searching for the target,force feedback in the fingers that grasp the mug,and more. Yet Berger and other experts are confident that real progress could be made in the next decade. The problem,according to Willow Garage,is the lack of a common platform for all that computational effort. Instead of enlarging the capabilities of a single machine,everyone is designing robots and the software to control them,from the ground up. To help change this,Willow Garage is currently producing 25 copies of its model PR2 (for"Personal Robot 2"),a two-armed,wheeled machine that can switch off the electricity,open doors and move through a room. Ten of the robots will stay in-house,but 10 more will go t o outside research groups,and everyone will share their advances. This way,Berger says,if you want to build the robotic equivalent of a Twitter ,you won't start by constructing a computer."You build the thing that's new." According to Willow Garage,we will make real progress in building all-purpose robots if . A. everyone is designing robots and the software to control them B. they can produce 25 copies of its model PR2 C. people can enlarge the capabilities of a single machine D. people can start by constructing a computer Answer: A. everyone is designing robots and the software to control them Question: After we finished thirteen miles of hiking, we were tired and our muscles ached as we made our way back to New England. The car ride to the airport followed by a two-hour flight left our legs more worse condition than they were when we first came off the mountain we just climbed. When we heard that two seats in first class on our next flight were available for a bit higher price, we jumped at the opportunity. Our spirits lifted immediately. After all, flying first class was a new experience for us, and we would end our adventure in comfort and style. As we boarded the plane, we noticed that the stewardess was working non-stop to ensure the comfort of the first class passengers. She could not walk by a seat without receiving an order. How much she must love her job! She smiled kindly at each one while attending to their needs. As the stewardess walked by our seats near the end of the flight, I looked at her and said, "Thank you and I hope you have a great night." She stopped, bent down, looked at me and said, "Excuse me." I repeated my words and she smiled in a rather funny way, almost as if I had asked her a question that she did not know how to answer. After a few moments she returned to our seats. "I can tell you work with the public," she said. "Why do you think so?" I asked. She answered very quietly, "Because you are the only passenger here to say something nice to me tonight and I really appreciate your kindness." The sense of belonging to the elite group of people in first class disappeared as we heard her words. Our first class seats offered us more than a comfortable ride. We were reminded that without kindness, we would be flying in no class. When the stewardess first heard what the writer said, she _ . A. didn't understand the writer B. knew what work the writer did C. didn't believe her ears D. had a big smile on her face Answer: C. didn't believe her ears Question: The American book Who Moved My Cheese has been a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don't be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students. Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two "little people" and some cheese. The _ are in a maze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can't change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can't do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese. After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself. Which of the following statements is true? A. The author is Britain. B. There are three terms in every school. C. Most teens don't understand Chris' story. D. The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives. Answer: D. The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives. Question: My parents influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and love for one's motherland when l was young.Even though we struggled to make ends meet, they stressed how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. I got my first real job when l was ten.My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a cardboard - box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist.He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr.Ben's Coiffure. The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. to pick up rubbish. Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower.Mom and I emptied rubbish cans and picked up rubbish by hand.It took two to three hours to clean the lot.I'd s1eep in the car on the way home. I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime, I acquired discipline and a strong work morality , and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests---in my case, school, homework and a job.This really helped during my senior year of high school, when l worked 40 hours a week flipping hamburgers at a fast-food joint while taking a full load of college-prepared courses. _ .I attended the U.S.Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degree in law and business from Harvard.Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state committee.In these jobs and in everything else I've done, I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot.The experience taught me that there is dignity in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families, that is something we should honor. We can learn from the text that _ A. it is unimaginable for a child to help his family B. it is honored to work for one's family as a member C. it is unnecessary to keep work rules-of behavior D. the harder the work is, the more interest one shows Answer: B. it is honored to work for one's family as a member Question: Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning . Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms. Certain microorganisms cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release poisons that make people sick. Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops. Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms. When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous. Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied. We know from the passage that the symptoms of food poisoning _ . A. are always accompanied by a fever B. are too common to be noted C. can be noticed within hours D. can he ignored Answer: C. can be noticed within hours
What is the source of energy for physical cycles on Earth? Answer: the closest yellow dwarf star Little Lopsy fluttered into our home and our hearts one Saturday morning this summer. My husband went out to do something, and when he opened the door there was a great flutter on the ground and something came into the living room. It was clear that whatever it was was hurt. I was in a bit of a shock and didn't know what to do next. Fortunately it calmed down and tried to hide itself in a corner. I realized it was a sparrow chick . There are a few sparrow nests under the roof of our apartment, and this little fellow must have fallen out and hurt itself. It was also very young, and obviously far from ready to leave the safety of the nest. I ran to the place and found a box. Having read somewhere that one shouldn't touch a baby bird with one's hands, I picked the chick up with a hand towel and put it in the box. I placed the box outside the front door in the hope that the parents would try to feed it. They never came near it and I brought it inside. I placed the box on a table and it slept for about twenty hours. We later learned that it is quite normal for a hurt bird to sleep so much after undergoing such a hurt experience. When it finally woke up we carefully examined it for wounds, but fortunately there wasn't any. It had hurt its right wing and leg, which meant it must have landed on its right side when it fell out of the nest. We named it Lopsy. After doing some research we felt there was a chance that it might survive, but we weren't sure that it would ever be able to fly. A hurt bird doesn't stand much of a chance of survival and could fall easy pray to cats, other animals. Was it fair to allow it to live if it meant keeping it in a cage its whole life? It was a hard decision, but we decided to give it a go. We started off by dripping drops of water into its mouth. It was very thirsty and drank quite a bit. Next we fed it with bread soaked in water. Our household routine soon revolved around Lopsy who needed to be fed about every three hours during the day. Fortunately we live on campus and my husband could come home during his breaks to feed our new baby. Soon Lopsy was growing nicely. The bigger it got, the more vocal it became. There was no doubt as to who was ruling the house. We remained concerned because its leg did not heal, and its wing seemed quite useless. I took it outside for exercise every day. I also hoped it would get used to the sights and sounds of nature. In the beginning all it was interested in was staying as close to me as possible. Anyway, it got stronger and started running on the grass, and one day Lopsy found a fence it liked. It got to the point where I would leave it outside under its fence for about two hours at a time while I kept an eye on developments from our kitchen window. Soon Lopsy figured out how to get from one branch to another.[: ] It also got to the point where it could flutter down from my hand to the ground, and I let it do this over and over again to exercise its wings. Then came the day that it actually flew into the fence. We were overjoyed when this happened. Finally it got to the point where I left it outside in its fence all day and night, but I would still go outside to feed it. Lopsy remained vocal and would jumped over for its food as soon as I came into view. I left some bread on the wall next to its fence, but it would have none of it. The little fellow was totally spoilt and wanted to be spoon fed, but I saw him eating quite happily as soon as I left his line of vision. Some of the bigger species of birds were a bit aggressive towards Lopsy, and I continued to keep a close eye on it. Not long after this we saw Lopsy flying without a problem. It still jumped to the side, but that didn't seem to stop it in any way. Other birds seemed quite curious about Lopsy. At first it chased them away if they came too close to its fence, but Lopsy soon seemed to realize that they were of its own kind and it stopped doing so. Then, one day, our fellow left the nest. We never saw it again, but I know Little Lopsy is now leading a happy life. This experience has taught me much. When the author saw the hurt sparrow chick, she _ . Answer: was at a loss and didn't know what to do at first One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected police killer David Bieber--and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could _ a share of up to $30,000 reward money. Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt. Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building. She said, "I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park, I was so glad they were there." The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 3 p.m. the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said, "He didn't seem to want to talk too much or make any eye contact." Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and her husband Stall McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 p.m. Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 p.m. to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes. "It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said 'Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?' My heart missed a beat." Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key. "I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that pair of the hotel, so I went to watch. I could not see into the man's room, but I could see the passage . The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed ." The whole event probably lasted about _ hours from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers. Answer: 11 A taxi driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Inspiring speakers charge thousands of dollars to give his kind of training to business managers and staff. It cost me only a$12 taxi ride. I had flown into Dallas just for the purpose of calling on a client. Time was important and my plan included a quick turn-around trip from and back to the airport. A clean taxi pulled up. The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me was for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. Well! I looked around for a "Watching Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell." "You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Commercial America. But I got tired of that, thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my right position in life, somewhere I could feel proud of being the best I could be. I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluated my personal property and, I became a taxi driver! One thing I know for sure is that to be good in my business I can simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. However, to be great in my business, I have to go beyond the customers' expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on average. " Did I tip him without hesitation? You bet! Commercial America's loss is the traveling folk's friend. The taxi driver taught me a great life lesson: Go an extra mile when providing any service to others. And there is no good or bad job and you can make any job good. Why did the author look around for a "Watching Camera"? Answer: Because he was amazed by the way the driver was treating him. A science book gives facts. Some science books tell us about animals. Some tell us about plants. Some tell us about outer space. This page tells us about animals. Do you know that not only the fish but also some animals live in the sea? For example, the whale is not a fish. It can't breathe in the water. It swims in the water. But it comes up for air. The blue whale is the world's biggest animal. There are other sea animals, too. One is called the dolphin. Dolphins need air to live. They breathe air, as whales do. Dolphins are very clever. They sometimes seem to speak to each other. Many other animals live near the sea. Seals and otters love the sea. They swim and play there. They eat fish and sea plants. Seals and otters have thick fur. The fur keeps them warm. Some sea animals can keep themselves warm because _ . Answer: they have thick fur
The plan: turn Mars into a blue world with streams and green fields, and then fill it with creatures from the earth. This idea may sound like something from a science fiction , but it is actually being taken seriously by many researchers. This suggests the future for the "red planet" will be the main topic for discussion at an international conference hosted by NASA this week. Leading researchers as well as science fiction writers will attend the event. Turning Mars into a little earth has long been a topic in science fiction," said Dr Michael Meyer, NASA's senior scientist for astrobiology ."Now, with scientists exploring the reality, we can ask what are the real possibilities of changing Mars." Most scientists agree that Mars could be turned into a little earth, although much time and money would be needed to achieve this goal. But many experts are shocked by the idea. "We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable speed and now we are talking about ruining another planet," said Paul Murdin from the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK. Over the past months, scientists have become increasingly confident .They will find Martian life forms. Europe and America's robot explorers have found proof that water, mixed with soil, exists in large amounts on the planet. The passage is about _ . A person is in the forest, lost. They need to signal to others that they are there, and their voice is gone, so they need to do it inaudibly. The person may signal with Mary: Let's play computer games. Gina: That sounds great. Where is your computer? Mary: I don't have a computer. Do you have a computer? Gina: No, I don't. But I have a TV. Let's watch TV. Mary: No, that sounds boring. Let's play tennis. I have a tennis bat. Gina: Good. Where is it? Mary: On the sofa. Do you have a bat? Gina: No, I don't. Does your brother have a bat? Mary: Yes, he does. And he has tennis balls. Who has a TV? The Ministry of Health has called for more awareness from the public on the mental health of the young,as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day. More than 15 percent of the Chinese youth have been found with mental problems,and about 30 million young people under 17 are suffering from depression,the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily reported. The World Health Organization estimated that before 2020,the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent,and mental problems will become a major factor behind death and illness in the young worldwide. Deng Xiaohong,the spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau,said rapid social change is one of the reasons behind the rising number of youngsters with psychological problems. If these mental diseases are not _ on time,occurrence of crime,drugtaking and other dangerous behavior are expected to rise. Experts said mental disease could be caused by many factors,such as the inability to handle interpersonal relations well,unstable emotions and pressure from the overload of study. A number of experts have also said the one-child policy is another reason leading to poor mental health in the young. Children were said to be too "spoiled" and "selfish" in one-child families. Schools in many cities were reported to roll out measures to help students maintain their mental well-being. Yin Jingmiao,a teacher of the Beijing No. 105 Middle School,told China Daily that the school invites psychologists to provide counseling to students three times a month. "Students can be arranged to have 40-minute counseling sessions," Yin said. The school also gives lectures on mental health to senior grade students before they take the national college entrance exams,to help ease any anxiety arising from the tests. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? Once upon a time a married couple celebrated their 25th marriage anniversary . They had become famous in the city for not having a single _ in the period of 25 years. Local newspaper editors had gathered at the occasion to find out the secret of their well known "happy going marriage". The editor asked, " Sir. It's amazingly unbelievable. How did you make this possible?" The husband, recalling his old honeymoon days, said, "We had been to Switzerland for honeymoon after marriage. Having selected the horse riding finally, we both started the ride on different horses. My horse was pretty okay but the horse on which my wife was riding seemed to be a crazy one. On the way ahead, that horse jumped suddenly, making my wife fall off. Standing up from the ground, she patted the horse's back and said ' This is your first time'. She again climbed the horse and continued with the ride. After a while, it happened again. This time she again kept calm and said ' This is your second time' and continued. When the horse dropped her the third time, she silently took out the gun from the purse and shot the horse deadl I shouted at my wife, ' What did you do? You killed the poor animal. Are you crazy?' She gave me a silent look and said, ' This is your first timel ' " The husband added, "That's it. We are happy ever after. " ,. What may happen if the man makes the woman angry several times?
Do you know about a series of books that say they are for dummies? These American selfhelp books have been translated into more than thirtynine languages including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish. "Dummy" is a word for a stupid person. The dummy books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as WorldHistoryforDummies, RabbitsforDummies, ChineseCookingforDummies, andWeddingPlanningforDummies. The first such book,DOS forDummies, was published in 1991.It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred and fifty million dummy books have been sold. The dummies.comwebsite explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. he publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummy books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language. There are more than one thousand different dummy books. A report in NewYorkTimessays that the topselling dummy books are those that explain technology and personal finance. The publishers say that the bestselling dummy books are those providing information many people need--like information about diseases,education and cooking. People interested in opera,car repair and wine can also find dummy books to help them. And there are even more dummy books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummy books every year. According to NewYorkTimes,we know that books on _ sell best. A. diseases and education B. opera and car repairing C. technology and personal finance D. cooking and world history Answer: C. technology and personal finance (Ann goes to Jack's house for supper.) Jack: Would you like some dumplings, Ann? Ann: No, thanks. Jack: Do you like soup? Ann: Yes, I do. But I don't like fish. My favourite food is noodles. Jack: I like noodles, too. But my favourite food is dumplings. Jack's mother: Would you like some rice, Ann? Ann: Yes, please. Jack: We often eat rice for supper. I like to put sugar on it. Would you like some? Ann: Yes. Mmm...It's delicious! ,56-57 Ann's favourite food is _ . A. dumplings B. noodles C. fish D. rice Answer: B. noodles Criticism never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you _ yourself, your changes are positive. Don't scare yourself Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it's terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you. Be gentle, kind and patient Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don't hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself. Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it. Take care of your body Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality ? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day. Mirror work Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you'll never give in to difficulty. Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. According to the author, you should _ . A. praise yourself now and then B. change yourself C. criticize someone else D. criticize yourself Answer: A. praise yourself now and then Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colours? Colours 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 colours together with the change of the colours of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown colour as crops have. Some other pests with different colours 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 colouring is protecting themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be seen by hunters. This is because they have the colours much like the tree. Have you ever noticed an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spread over, the enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it isn't strong at all. Which is the best title for this passage? A. The Change of Colours for Animals and Pests B. Colours of Different Animals and Pests C. The Main Use of Colours for Animals and Pests D. Some Animals and Pests Answer: C. The Main Use of Colours for Animals and Pests Some people learn a second language easily. Others have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting. The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. In other words, do not worry about taking risks. The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a diary every day. You will get used to writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English. The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your _ . After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it. You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself. When you learn English, you do not need to _ . A. understand everything all at once B. practice with your classmates outside class C. write a diary regularly D. feel more confident in yourself Answer: A. understand everything all at once
What advantage is gained by using radio telescopes as opposed to optical telescopes? A viewed images are clearer B operation is less complex C ability to see through clouds and dust D ability to take up less space Answer: C The Diaoyu islands have a long history as part of China's territory , belonging to the country since ancient times. They are located to the northeast of China's Taiwan Island, The total landmass of these islands is about 5.69 square kilometers. Since the Japanese government "bought" the Diaoyu Islands, the tension between China and Japan about the islands has gone up. Several major Shanghai travel agencies have decided to stop organizing tours to Japan and advised Japan-bound tourists to make other plans, becauese of the Diaoyu Islands issue . The Shanghai China CYTS Outbound Travel Service Co. Ltd. stopped the tour to Japan and will gradually stop receiving tourist bookings to Japan after the National Day holiday, according to Liu Xin, the company's manager. The Shanghai branch of the China Travel International Ltd. also said it was advising people who wanted to visit Japan to change their plans. In fact, tourists had already begun to ask for cancellation of their tours to Japan because they were worried about their safety. Last year, more than 100,000 tourists from Shanghai went to Japan on organized tours. That made Japan the second most popular tour place for travelers from the city, only after Thailand. According to the passage, which of the following statements is True? A China's Taiwan Island is located to the southwest of the Diaoyu Islands. B Japan is the most popular tour place for travelers from the city. C The Shanghai China CYTS Outbound Travel Service Co. Ltd. said it was advising people who wanted to visit Japan to change their plans. D The Shanghai branch of the China Travel International Ltd. stopped the tour to Japan Answer: A Douglas Florian teaches readers about bees in a new book of poems called UnBEElievables. In his latest book, each poem is paired with a colorful image that illustrates a different type of bee and its role in the group. Every page is full of fun and interesting facts about these social insects. TFK: When you brainstorm for a story, which comes first: the images or the poems? FLORIAN: Usually the poems come first. For a book of 21 poems, for example, I'll actually write about 50 poems first. Although I sometimes have images in my mind to go along with the words, I have to choose which ones I want to include in the book. TFK: Many of your books, including UnBEElievables, are about insects and animals. How did these become your favorite subjects? FLORIAN: There is so much humor in the animal world. People have a lot of knowledge about animals and ideas about animals that are fun to explore in writing. Animals are just so interesting. When I research, I find out so many new and amazing facts. The poem is often half written by the time I have done with my research. TFK: Why did you choose bees as the subject of your latest book? FLORIAN: I saw recently in the news that many bees are dying out. Scientists believe this to be caused by various diseases. I wanted to create awareness and learn more about bees after hearing this. So many of the fruits and vegetables we eat are dependent on pollination by honeybees. If bees disappear, so will much of our food. TFK: Do you have a favorite bee? FLORIAN: One of my favorites is the poem and painting about the worker bees. I wanted the painting to be very playful and light. These bees have to work all day, and it's kind of like a factory. And even though these bees have to work very hard, they manage to smile. UnBEElievables is a book about _ . A insects B images C stories D fruits Answer: A We will eventually exhaust our supply of A water B coal C air D time Answer: B We are much happier in our new house because it has a large garden, and you know how enthusiastic we both are about gardening. When we moved in a month ago, Mary wanted to get a dog to keep out burglars. However, we finally decided that it would be cheaper to put an iron grille in front of the door and get a burglar alarm. Last week, I went to a shop and bought an alarm for just over PS200. It consists of a control unit with three smaller units. I put the control unit in the lounge and put the other units in place by the front door, back door and lounge windows. That night I soon fell asleep because I was confident that no one could get into our house undetected. At about 1:50 a.m. I woke up suddenly and heard the siren. It was like an ambulance driving right through our bedroom. I couldn't leave the siren on all night. I went downstairs in the dark. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I switched on the light and looked around. Oh my gosh. The back door was unlocked. I rushed to lock it and it was just at that exact moment that the 'burglar' disappeared behind a curtain. Guess what? It was an ordinary house lizard .Apparently the alarm system had been made for American or European homes in which lizards are never seen. I switched the alarm off and sat down to watch. A few moments later, a lizard ran across a wall, right in front of one of the alarm units. I won't bother to finish this story but if you'd like a burglar alarm system free of charge, just let us know. How does the author sound when telling the story? A Curious. B Anxious. C Cautious. D Humorous. Answer: D
Watching a 3D movie can more than double the concentration powers and cognitive processing of children, a new research claims. A study made by visual technology firm RealD and led by child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson suggests that childrenaged between 7 and 14 experienced twice the cognitive processing speed and performed better in testing after watching 20 minutes of a 3D film. This is despite suggestions that attention spans in children have shortened in the last decade due tounlimitedto access to entertainment, including on-demand TV, gaming and social media. A 2015 study claimed that watching 3D content had a similar effect to brain-training exercises. Consumer psychologist Mr Fagan said that the increasedstimulation found in watching something in 3D "exercised" the brain and improved performance in the short term. "3D films can play the role of 'brain-training' games and help to make children 'smarter' in the short term," he said. "The shortening of response times after watching 3D was almost three times as big as that gained from watching 2D; in other words, 3D helps children process aspects of their environment more quickly. This is likely to be because 3D is a mentallystimulatingexperience which 'gets the brain's juices flowing'." The experiment saw children given a range of cognitive tests before watching 20 minutes of a movie in either 2D or 3D and being tested again. The results showed those who saw the 3D content reacted faster and performed bettering the second round of testing. Mental engagement also rose by 13% among 3D watchers. Child psychologist Dr Woolfson added that "supportive parenting" and regularly listening to classical music can also aid a child's memory. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Internet use appears to cause a drop in psychological health, according to a research at Carnegie Mellon University. Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who used Internet less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feeling. Researchers are puzzled by the results, which were completely the opposite to their experiences. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose the information and to communicate with others. The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may explain the drop-in well-being, researchers supposed. Faceless, bodiless "virtual" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that knowing the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives. "But it's important to remember this is not about the technology; it's about how it is used," says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study founders. "It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications and services for technology." The best title of the passage probably is _ . David Beckham, a well-known football player, was born in London on May 2nd, 1975. He is about 1.8 metres tall. He is very strong and big. He is very quite a good football player. He scored a lot of goals for his old team---- the National Football Team of England . He joined the Real Madrid after he left his old team. He wants to play football in Pairs in the next World Cup. Which sentence is wrong? _ Which of the following is least likely to change from a solid state to a liquid state when heat is applied? Comfort zone is the mental place surrounded by borders in our mind where we feel secure.Even though this comfort area and its boundaries are just a state of mind that has nothing to do with reality,it plays a huge role in the progress of our development.Since the comfort zone is limited,there is not much benefit for you inside your comfort zone.Nothing new will happen until you open yourself and leave your comfort zone. Even though your background may be affecting your present situation,what really matters is not where you were born,your skin color,race,age,gender,religion,government,or even the poor environment in which you have been living for so many years,but what really matters and makes a big difference in your life is your attitude,to understand your comfort zone,how you limit yourself within it,who you are,why you behave the way you do it,and mainly where you are going. Sadly many people don't go anywhere because they stay within their comfort zone.They accept defeat after defeat before even trying or knowing how capable or valuable they really are.These circumstances are not the cause of our actual situation but the conformism and the poverty of our thoughts and therefore the weakness of our broken spirit. Leave your past behind;constantly transcend your comfort zone!Your past within this comfort zone is nothing but a wasted load that you don't need to carry at all. Take constant action as many times as it is required and never,never quit. As Napoleon Hill said,"A quitter never wins and a winner never quits. Defeat is never a failure;no circumstance ever is failure until it is accepted by the individual as a failure." Nothing is impossible for an optimist attitude;everything is possible when we start blindly trusting ourselves,when we have a burning desire to succeed and a blind determination to make our dreams come true;everything is possible when we don't take a no for an answer. The writing style of this passage can be described as _ .
When did you last see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3degC, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bears Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February. Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter. The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming. The main benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-old woman says, When I go into the water , I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away. The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round for _ . A they can remain young B it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter C they find it enjoyable and interesting D they might meet fewer troubles in life Answer: C Everyone wants to be healthy. We know food is very important to us. There is an old saying-----"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." There is lots of healthy food in our life. Fruit and vegetables are healthy food, but hamburgers and candy are not healthy food. So you can have more bananas, apples, oranges, tomatoes and onions. They are good for us. But you'd better not have hamburgers or candy. They are bad for us. For drinks, juice and milk are healthy but Coke isn't healthy. Ice cream isn't good either. Healthy food can drinks make us strong and happy. What does the writer want to tell us? A All the food is good for us. B We should eat more food. C We should eat more healthy food. D We should have more hamburgers. Answer: C Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with nothing but dim gas mantles and an old treadle sewing machine. She never complained even when the fire would be low and the food very scarce. She would sew until the early hours of morning. Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was purchased, stating that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could picture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child's mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not fail her, that he never had. I couldn't see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine. The day the men were to come for our only means of support, there was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those dreaded men. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms. He asked my mother if she was Mrs. Hill. When she said she was, he said, "I'm in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?" He continued, "I will pay you in advance." With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother. Mother said, "Yes, yes, I will be glad to do so," and took the baby from his arms. When the man left, Mother turned to me with tears streaming down a face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, "I knew God would never let them take away my machine." According to the text all the following are true to the man EXCEPT _ . A his wife stayed in hospital B he was confused when in trouble C he had few men to turn to for help D he was a dentist Answer: B A Guide to the University Food The TWU Cafeteria is open 7a.m. to 8p.m.. It serves snacks, drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study. If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching. Relaxation The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays. Health Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.. Academic Support All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door: two 30 -minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free. Where and when can you cook your own food? A The Globe, Friday. B The Lower Cafe, Sunday. C The TWU Cafeteria, Friday. D The McMillan Hall, Sunday. Answer: A China's onlineretailers are busy preparing for what has become the country's annual online shoppingfestival on November 11th. November 11 is a datemade up of four ones, and "double eleven" has always been considered a specialday for single men and women inChina.Five years ago the Internet retailer Alibaba began promoting it as a shoppingfestival, and it has now turned to be the country's busiest day for onlineretailers and millions of shopping lovers. JD.com is trying toattract more retailers by offering them free delivery service for a month.Alibaba itself has invited some 30,000 offline stores to participate in theonline shopping party. More than 20,000 vendors on Alibaba's sites --Tmall and Taobao are promising 50 percent discounts on the day. Shanghai- based Yhd.com,also called Yihaodian, a Chinese e-commerce company that is majority-owned byWal-Mart Stores, is setting up a special sale of imported foods. Last year Alibaba earned19.1 billion yuan in sales during the double eleven promotions. And a 100billion yuan logistics network was set up by Alibaba this May that aims tomake 24-hour deliveries possible. The major logisticsplayer Shentong shipped more than 8 million items during "double eleven."Shentong has more than 150,000 staff, and expects things to be even busier thisyear. Yang Jinghai, Director Of Human Resources of Shentong Express, says, "Wehave hired 30 percent more staff for double eleven, and we have couriers' bonuses ready." On double elevenChina's e-commerce sites receive more visitsthan the entire population ofBrazil.It is believed thatChinawill replace theUSas the world's top e-commerce market this year. What kind of situation are you most likely to meet ifyou buy things online on "double eleven"? A You will get a 50%discount. B You will find moregoods online. C You are not able tobuy imported goods. D You can get freedelivery service for a month. Answer: B
The penny is getting a change. The United States Mint revealed four new designs for the 1-cent piece, to celebrate the coming 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. United States Mint Director Ed Moy announced the new looks for the penny today in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. "These coins are a tribute to one of our greatest Presidents, whose legacy has had a lasting impact on our country," Moy said. The heads side of the new pennies will continue to bear the profile likeness of President Lincoln and the motto "In God We Trust." The back sides will pay tribute to four major parts of prefix = st1 /Lincoln's life. The first redesigned penny will feature a log cabin that represents Lincoln's birthplace, near Hodgenville,Kentucky. The second design showsLincolnreading a book while sitting on a log with his ax beside him. It shows how young Lincoln educated himself while working as a rail-splitter inIndiana. The third design shows Lincoln as a young man in front of the Capitol in Illinois. The fourth and final design shows a half-finished United States Capitol dome, which was completed in 1863 despite the violent Civil War. The writing, on the back sides of the coins will remain "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum" and "One Cent." The first penny will be released into circulation on February 12, 2009, Lincoln's 200th birthday. This day is also the 100th anniversary of the release of the first penny, on February 12, 1909. One new coin will be released into circulation every three months in 2009. "This is an important occasion in the history of our nation's coin-age because these designs represent the first change in the Lincolncent in half a century," said Director Moy. A commemorative Lincoln silver dollar will also be released in 2009. All the newly designed coins feature the following EXCEPT _ . the portrait of young Abraham Lincoln A little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden. There, she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill. This house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers. Although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there. When she got to an age when she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother if she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she should keep close to the house and not wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill. As she dismounted her bike and leaned it against the gate post, she focused on the path that led to the house and then on the house itself. She was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that was derelict. So sad she didn't go any further and turned, and heart broken as she remounted her bike. As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her. There across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden as the sun shone on her little home. She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the 'golden house'. Everything she dreamed was right there in front ofher nose! What amazed the girl was that _ Her home was another golden house There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic. At present, we realize that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the problem is literally worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and brought health warnings in rural areas away from any major concentration of manufacturing and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of the entire earth may be infected by air pollution. Some scientists consider that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) is creating a "greenhouse effect"-- conserving heat reflected from the earth and raising the world's average temperature. If this view is correct and the world's temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice cap will melt and cities such as New York, Boston, Miami, and New Orleans will be in water. Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the atmosphere is blocking sunlight and lowering the earth's temperature -- a result that would be equally disastrous. A drop of just a few degrees could create something close to a new ice age, and would make agriculture difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas. Today we do not know for sure that either of these conditions will happen (though one recent government report drafted by experts in the field concluded that the greenhouse effect is very possible). Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, the two tendencies will _ each other and the world's temperature will stay about the same as it is now. Driven by economic profits, people neglect the damage on our environment caused by the "advanced civilization". Maybe the air pollution is the price the human beings have to pay for their development. But is it really worthwhile? This passage is primarily about _ . the potential effect of air pollution If a baby needs to have milk every hour and is only given it every six hours it will be negatively effected It was 1504,and Columbus was making another trip to the New World. Columbus and his men needed fresh water and food after three months at sea. They saw an island and went on shore. On the island there were unfriendly Indians who refused to give food to them. Columbus' men were afraid of the Indians, but he had a clever plan. He used sign language to tell the Indians about his mysterious power to turn off the light in the sky. He knew about a lunar eclipse the next night because the information was in his almanac . Columbus told the Indians, " Tomorrow night I'll turn off the light in the sky." But they didn't believe him . When the eclipse began the next night ,the Indians became very frightened . They begged Columbus to turn on the light again , and they quickly gave him all the food and water he wanted. Immediately Columbus and his men hurried back to the ship and sailed away in the moonless night. Columbus _ to tell the Indians that he had mysterious power. used movements of hands and expressions in his face
Question: Recently a specialist in teenager studies does some research on teenage problems. He thinks parents shouldn't be blamed of themselves because there is nothing they can do to deal with the teenage problem. Whatever they do, sometimes a wonderful, kind and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal. I've seen friends deal with _ in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, should stand up, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman whenever anyone entered the room. I saw him last week when I visited them. Lying on the sofa, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in. His mother was angry. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said. "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him." He hasn't forgotten them. He's just decided that he's not going to use them. She said that she would like to throw him down from the sofa onto the floor. Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, "I don't like your dress, it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home. "Where did we go wrong?" Her parents are now very sad. Probably nothing is wrong with the parents. The boy on the sofa would most probably be described as _ . A. lazy B. quiet C. unusual D. rude Answer: D Question: Young people frequently say that they want to exercise, but they just can't find the time. The solution just might be in-office interval training. Recent studies show that very short but intense exercise rapidly builds and maintains fitness and health, even when the workout is only a few minutes long. Work the stairs You can complete an excellent, effective -- and very brief -- workout in an office stairwell, says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada and an expert on interval training. For a study that he and his colleagues presented earlier this year, they asked 12 out-of-shape women in their 20s to warm up for two minutes by slowly walking up and down stairs in a campus office building. They completed three of these abbreviated stair workouts per week for six weeks. By the end, their aerobic fitness had improved substantially, the researchers reported, by about as much as if they had been running or cycling each week for hours. Fidget your way to fitness. Parents and teachers may once have urged you to sit still, but wiggling, tapping your toes, standing briefly, and otherwise fidgeting as much as possible at your desk is in fact good for your body. In one recent study, college students showed healthier blood flow in their lower legs if they fidgeted than if they did not. Even better, a 2008 study found that among office workers, those who frequently fidgeted burned as many as 300 calories more each day than those who resolutely stayed still. What does the passage mainly want to tell us? A. several ways to work out within short time B. short exercise does no good to health C. how to find time to exercise D. fitness can be improved Answer: A Question: Mayor Boris Johnson Monday outlined plans to make London "the cleanest" by the 2012 Olympics and called for commitments from other world cities at a climate change conference. Leaders of the world's 40 largest cities are meeting in Seoul this week for a summit on _ global warming ---- the third to be held since 2005. "What we should do in Seoul is agree that we will stop the endless addiction of mankind to the internal combustion engine ," said Johnson. He told a press conference the world's cities consume 75 percent of its energy and produce 80 percent of the emissions which cause climate change. "The problem of our planet is an urban problem," Johnson said. He said the British capital wants to use the Olympics "to drive the greening and the improvement of our city" and noted that London is committed to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2025. Johnson said the key measure was addressing the problems relating to domestic and commercial buildings, which accounted for 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in London. This involved retrofitting ---- installing lagging ---- in large numbers of public buildings. Johnson proclaimed himself a "passionate cyclist" and said he would push ahead with cycle super-highways around London. London's air quality problem, he said, was caused by vehicle emissions from 8,300 antiquated diesel buses, which could be replaced by low-carbon vehicles. There were also 32,000 taxis running on diesel fuel, which could be replaced by electric vehicles. Johnson said there would be a substantial program in the next few years to produce a "cleaner, greener" bus for his city. "The age of the diesel-emitting bus has got to be over in London." The topic of the meeting in Seoul might be _ . A. climate change B. London Olympics in 2012 C. global warming D. green environment Answer: C Question: People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb,you're wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms . Here,people are learning on special climbing walls. The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet. How do people climb the wall? To climb,you need special shoes and a harness around your chest to hold you. There are ropes tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don't fall. A beginner's wall is usually about 15 feet high,and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it's easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it's not. The most difficult part is to control your fear. It's normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it's difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall,the harness and the ropes hold you,and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top. Climbing attracts people because it's good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body,especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete _ . When you climb,both your mind and your body can become stronger. The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is . A. to tie ropes to your harness B. to control your fear C. to move away from the wall D. to climb straight up Answer: B Question: Confucius was born on September 28,551 BC.Chinese regard Confucius as the greatest thinker and also the greatest teacher.He had about 3,000 students.For more that 2,000 years,Confucius's ideas have been around in people's everyday life.Now they have gone far into east and south Asia.People can still hear them today. Why are his ideas so popular? Because they help a 1ot in everyday life.Confucius said young people should take care of the old.People should give up thinking of themselves and work for others.As a great teacher,Confucius said all should go to school if they could. Confucius thought _ . A. young people needn't take care of the old B. people should think of themselves C. people should work for others D. all the people could go to school Answer: C
John H.Johnson was born in a family in Arkansas City in 1918.His father died in an accident when John was six.He was reaching high school age, but his hometown offered no high schools for the blacks. Fortunately he has a strong-willed and caring mother.John remembers that his mother told him many times, "Son, you can be anything you really want to be if you just believe." She told him not to be dependent on others, including his mother."You have to earn success", said she, "all the people who work hard don't succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard." These words came from a woman with less than a third grade education.She also knew that believing and working hard don't mean everything.So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son to Chicago. Chicago in 1933 was not the Promised Land that black southerners were looking for.John's mother could not find work.But here John could go to school, and learned the power of words--as an editor of a newspaper.His wish was to publish a magazine for the blacks. While others discouraged him, John's mother offered him more words to live by: " _ ." She also let him sell her furniture to get the 500 dollars he needed to start the Negro magazine. It's natural that difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful.He always keeps his mother's words in mind."Son, failure is not in your dictionary." Now John H.Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America--worth 150 million dollars. Why did John's mother decide to move to Chicago? Because _ . Answer: When Mencius was a little boy, his father died. Mencius and his mother were quite poor. One day Mencius returned home from school and found his mother making some cloth. It was very beautiful and expensive. "How much of the book have you read today?" Mencius' mother asked him. "I haven't read any of it yet." Mencius replied, "I played with some friends of mine in the fields." When his mother heard this, she picked up a pair of scissors and cut the cloth. "Why did you cut your cloth?" Mencius asked, "It was beautiful but now you've wasted it." "You have wasted your time," his mother said, "now I have wasted mine. Look what terrible things we have done." Mencius learnt a lot from this lesson. After that, he always studied hard. ,. When did this story happen? Answer: Gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier death, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of an illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life. Hair color1 comes from the pigment melanin , which determines your individual shade. Hair without any melanin is pure white. The pigment is produced in cells called melanocytes, which inject pigment into the hair. At some point in everyone's lifetime, these cells slow down and eventually stop producing color1. Scientists have yet to identify the exact mechanism by which melanocyte cell death occurs. A study of more than 4,000 women and men from 20 countries determined that about 75% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have some gray hair. In general, people of European descent gray earliest followed by Asians and Africans. It's interesting to note that a lucky 1 in 10 has no gray hair by retirement age. Beginning at age 30, your chances of having gray hair go up 10-20% per decade. It may feel like you have more grays after a stressful event, but that's probably because middle age is basically a series of anxiety-ridden events. Between working, raising kids, and caring for older parents, the "sandwich" years of 45-65 can be stressful, especially for women. They are also when we naturally start to look older. At this point, there is still no silver bullet to keep away the grays. Which of the following is a true statement according to the passage? Answer: One morning there was a massage on the answering machine from an angry customer, complaining about her lack of service----service that had been stopped because her check had bounced. As it is my job to handle payments received, it was my duty to collect the check. As is often the case when a check bounces, I soon found that this woman's phone number was no longer in service. A check of the caller L.D told us the call had come from the manager's office of the apartment building where our customer lived. We left a message with the manager and within the hour our call was returned. I told our customer gently, sympathetically that a check she had written had been returned for lack of funds. I told her I always want to let people know about returned checks quickly because the huge fees the bank charge can cause more checks to be returned and more fees to be charged. I told her I hope she could contact the bank and get things straightened out before her problem got worse. I also told her, gently once more, that I hated to add to her problem but she would owe us a fee because the bank charges us a fee when a check is returned. She told me she had difficulties because of being on a fixed income and being in poor health. She told me she had no children but had raised several that belonged to her husband and after living with him thirty years he had left her for another woman. Finally, after she had promised to pay, I told her not only do I care about her situation, but she taught me something. When a person is angry, there may be reasons you don't know about. If you don't react with anger, you may learn what the real problem is and may in some way be able to help, if only with a little sympathy. What is the purpose of this text? Answer: Useful Information in Australia Useful Numbers All the telephone numbers are useful and free. . Fire/ Police/ Ambulance --000 Telephone information--12455 . Medical Care--1300369359 Taxi--1800421113 Surfing the Internet With so many Internet tearooms and public libraries, it's easy to surf the Internet in Australia. Also it's very cheap for you to surf the Internet. . Public libraries offer free Internet every day even during public holidays. . Many travel managers provide connection which is cheap or free. Post Service All post offices around the country offer post services so you can receive mails as you travel around the whole country. . Post offices are usually open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. . It costs 50 cents to send a standard letter in Australia. Public Holidays On public holidays all shops are closed across Australia, so are banks and post offices. . New Year's Day--1st January . Australia Day--26th January . Christmas Day--25th December Which one might be open on public holidays? Answer:
Jee Hock and Meng Kim were very good friends. Jee Hock could not see. He was blind. Meng Kim could not walk. He was lame. They lived in a village near a forest. Everyone in the village was going to a rich man's dinner on the other side of the forest. Jee Hock and Meng Kim were anxious to attend the dinner too. Blind Jee Hock thought of a plan. He would carry Meng Kim. The lame man could tell him the way. Meng Kim said that the plan was a good one. On the way through the forest, Meng Kim saw a tiger. He did not tell Jee Hock about it. Instead, he quietly asked Jee Hock to carry him to the nearest tree. Upon reaching an over banging branch, Meng kim quickly hauled himself up. Then the tiger roared. Jee Hock at once knew a tiger was near. He lay down quietly. The tiger came to him and sniffed his body. The tiger's whiskers touched Jee Hock's nose. At once Jee Hock sneezed, "Ah choooooo!" The tiger was afraid and ran away. Then Meng Kim came down from the tree. He asked Jee Hock about the tiger. Jee Hock said that the tiger had told him to choose his friends wisely. Jee Hock knew the tiger was near. He _ . Answer: The digestive system digests what for the body? Answer: You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind. First, you must ask yourself, "Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?" You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail. Let's start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90deg angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best. If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45deg angle to the boat. _ needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap . It shouldn't look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down. Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can't go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat. What should you consider first while sailing? Answer: One evening, Parnell had several drinks and then started to drive home. As he was proceeding down Main Boulevard, an automobile pulled out of a side street to his right. Parnell's car struck this automobile broadside. The driver of the other car was killed as a result of the collision. A breath analysis test administered after the accident showed that Parnell satisfied the legal definition of intoxication. If Parnell is prosecuted for manslaughter, his best chance for acquittal would be based on an argument that Answer: Few people would disagree that email makes our lives easier. But misusing email can cause problems. And I'm not talking about hitting the "reply all" button when you didn't mean to. Answering all those emails and processing all that information can overload the brain,causing stress. So says the Future Work Centre, a business based in London.This company carries out psychological research on people's experiences in their workplaces. The centre's Richard MacKinnon was the lead writer of a report on messaging habits. He calls email a double-edged sword. In other works,email can be both good and bad. Americans also use the saying cuts both ways for something like a double-edged sword. But back to the culture of emailing,Emails provide a useful way to communicate. But they could add to tension in the mind,causing stress. Come rain or shine, some office workers are under pressure to read and answer emails all day long. Jonathan Rowe has on office job in London. His complaint is a common one:too many emails. He says reading work emails when you're at home blurs the boundaries between work and leisure. Psychologists are concemed about the pressure that workers bring on themselves. Dr. Richard MacKinnon spoke with VOA News on Skype. He says that email can be a valuable, time-saving communication tool. But it can also be a source of stress and even anger for many of us. He adds that the stress does not come from the number of emails you get. The problems result from when and how you deal with them. According to the study,there are two very stressful email behaviors. One is leaving email on all day-and never signing off. The other is reading and answering emails early in the day and late at night. Which jobs are most affected by email stress? But not all jobs are equally stressed by email. The jobs most affected by email stress are: * marketing, * public relations, * media and * Information Technology Educational experts have also written several reports on how email overloads are stressing out teachers. Ways to cut down on your email stress MacKinnon says bad email behaviors are linked to higher levels of stress in office workers. The Future Work Centre report gives several suggestions on avoiding email stress. Use email with a plan. Do not just react to endless email alerts. If you use an email application, or app ,on your device, close it down when you want to be left alone. If you need to communicate with a co-worker,call or better still walk to their office and talk about it. Be careful with the "reply all" option. For example, if you are accepting an invitation to attend training, just write back to those who need to know. Trust me. Other workers on that mailing list will thank you. And accept the fact that if a matter is urgent employers will call you about it. The Future Work Centre report claims that in 2014, people sent an estimated 196.3 billion emails. The average adult spent more than an hour a day answering emails. Email is certainly not going anywhere. So, it is important to control your emails and not the other way around. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? Answer:
Mrs White was going to have her first baby very soon. Yesterday her husband took her to a hospital.So Mr White helped her get into car and drove her there. A nurse took Mrs White to her room and told Mr White that he could go home and she could call him when the baby arrived . But Mr White said he liked to wait at the hospital. The nurse said ."You may wait outside." Mr White was walking up and down at about midnight when the nurse came out of the room and said with a smile."Which would you like better, a boy or a girl?""A girl," said Mr White."I have an elder sister,and she loves me.""Well,"said the nurse,""it's a boy this time.""That's all right,"said Mr White happily,"That's my second choice." Mr White was _ all the time. Answer: My husband, Micheal, and I were at a restaurant with his boss, a rather stern elderly man. When Micheal began a story I was sure he had told before, I gave him a kick under the table. There was no response, so I gave him another kick. Still the story went on. Suddenly he stopped and said with a smile, "Oh, but I've told you this one before, haven't I ?" We all chuckled and changed the subject. Later, on the dance floor, I asked my husband why it had taken him so long to get my message. "What do you mean?" he replied. "I cut off the story as soon as you kicked me." "But I kicked you twice, and it still took you a while to stop!" Suddenly we realized what had happened and returned to our table. The boss smiled and said, "Don't worry. After the second one I thought it wasn't for me, so I passed it along!" They all chuckled because _ . Answer: A dog can't speak words, but it can "talk". It has feelings just as you do. At times it may feel angry or afraid. Watch a dog closely. You can see what it is trying to tell you. When you are afraid, you may look down shyly. A fearful dog looks away from you. It may run away too. When you are angry with people, you stare at them and press your lips together. An angry dog also stares. Sometimes the hair along its back stands up. Do you feel _ when you have done something you shouldn't? Dogs can feel guilty, too. At times when I come home, my dog gives me a guilty look. Then I know he's done something wrong. Dogs need love and attention. Some dogs are very unhappy when they are left alone for a long time. Some dogs even snap if they don't get enough attention. You may have a dog or you may know a dog. Treat it well if you want to have fun with it. Play with it. Take it for a walk. Don't order it round too much. Try not to punish it one time and not the next for doing the same thing. Always remember, a dog has needs and feelings just as you do. Talk to a dog, it'll talk to you, too. Which of the following things does the writer advise you to do towards your dog? Answer: Last year I travelled to Paris by plane. I was very excited because I knew I would meet a lot of interesting people and see some amazing things there. On the night before I left, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep at all. When I sat on the plane the next day, I felt very tired. I wanted to have a good sleep during the 9-hour flight. Unluckily, there was a baby sitting next to me. It cried and screamed during the whole trip. How could I fall asleep with all of that noise? When I arrived in Paris at last, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. I felt even more tired. After getting off the plane, I went to my hotel at once. I paid no attention to the beautiful evening scenery of Paris. I just wanted to have a good rest in my room. When I lay down on the comfortable bed, I fell asleep very quickly. A sudden noise woke me up at midnight. I didn't know what happened, so I turned on the light. What did I see? You wouldn't believe it! I saw two mice playing on the floor! What a terrible trip! When did the writer probably start his trip? Answer: Wouldn't you want to travel more often without breaking the bank? If you are interested, read on to find out how you can do simple things to save money next time you go on vacation. Airfares Plan in advance and visit discount websites to see if there are better deals. If you are planning to stay in two countries and an airline makes you change planes on those countries anyway, you might be in luck. Check pricing on the flights to see if you can stay a few days at the country of the flight change instead of changing planes right away since airlines often let you do that for the same price. Accommodations Sometimes the smaller towns close to where you are going have hotels that are much less expensive. If you don't mind the 15-minute ride, you might just save a large amount of money. Home exchanges are pretty cool and popular especially in Europe. If you are of the adventure type, this could be exciting and refreshing. Sometimes smaller hotel chains are willing to give you free upgrades or even free nights. If you are staying at a destination for at least a few days, consider a vacation home instead of hotels. They are often more comfortable and your cost will probably be cheaper. Eating Figure out where you will be and eat before you actually go out. Avoid breakfast from the hotels because chances are good that the breakfast from the hotel is expensive and isn't great. It probably pays to walk out the front door in the morning and find a local cafe. You might just discover the local favorite unexpectedly. Want a breakfast that costs nothing? Ask for some bread to-go at the restaurant the night before. In addition, fancy lunches are often much less expensive than dinners. If you eat a big lunch and a light dinner, it's also healthier. To save money on eating, you are expected to _ . Answer:
When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might be made fun of his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy---- the ears presented only a small problem with its appearance. But the nervous father continued. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, or if they should consider plastic surgery . The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears. The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child. "She doesn't take things as easily as I do," he said to the nurse. By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears. The baby was in a blanket with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time. She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, "Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!" No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom _ are attached. The poet Kahlil Gibran said, "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light. When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that _ . The baby might be laughed at by others. Suppose you are reading a book. Suppose, too, you suddenly close your eyes. Can you still see the book? "Of course not," you will say. But can you tell why? You would probably say, "When I close my eyes my eyesight cannot get out of my eyes to get to the book. " But this explanation is wrong. You cannot see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples of that can be seen by their own light. Such things are luminous. Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous body. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in your direction. So moonlight is only second-hand sunlight. When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open. Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380,000 kilometres away, in only a little more than a second. Light travels about _ kilometres per second. 300,000 Everyone must go to bed early and get up early, or we won't be healthy and clever.Is this true? Maybe it is.The body must have enough sleep.Children of your age need ten hours'sleep every day.If you don't go to bed early, you won't have enough sleep .Then you can't think properly and can't do your work properly.You will not be clever.Some people go to bed late and get up late.This is not good for them.We must go to bed at night when it is dark.The dark helps us to sleep soundly.When the daytime comes, we must get up.This is the time for exercise.If you lack exercise, you will become weak.Exercise keeps a strong body.Exercise helps the blood flow around inside the body.This is very important.Blood takes food to all parts of our body.The brain also needs blood, we think with our blood.If we keep our body healthy and take exercise, we can think better. Exercise _ helps the blood to flow San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars. The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over. One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day's coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council .The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge "Nutty Narrows." After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose . It cost 1,000. It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world. In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge. Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to _ . protect squirrels 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 missed Santa Claus because _ . he only focused on the present
LaMar Baylor, an American performer in the Broadway musical, spends most of his time in New York City.But since 2011, he has also spent weeks in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.There, he teaches dance to boys who live on the street.His teaching is part of an effort by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.The project helps young people learn more about dance and learn how to behave in a classroom environment. Rebecca Davis and LaMar Baylor teach ballet to street children in Kigali, Rwanda.The children have lost all of their families.Some have been in prison; others have sold their bodies for sex.Dance classes provide the children with structured learning and self-expression that they've never had before. Rebecca Davis is the founder and director of the dance company.She got the idea for the project after visiting Rwanda in 2008.There she met a large number of street children who were dancing, and she thought that dance could be used to get them off the street and into a safe place.She believes that learning to dance is a step toward education.She says children can take classes in information and technology after they have learned to attend classes and follow directions. Boys who have done best in the classes win scholarships and are sent to the Sunrise Boarding School.About 30 boys have won this kind of financial aid. As for LaMar Baylor, he knows from his own experience how dance can lead to a better life.He is from Camden, New Jersey.Camden has sometimes been called America's poorest and most dangerous city.He now thanks dancing for saving his life. The Rwanda program is the largest one set up by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and Ms.Davis has also set up dance programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Guinea.About 2,000 children in the three countries have taken part in the project since it was begun in 2010. What LaMar Baylor and the street children in the project have in common is that _ . A. they all benefit from dancing B. they borrowed money from the project C. they learn to express themselves in dance class D. they were homeless at one time Answer: A. they all benefit from dancing I walked up to the counter. Behind it was a lady with glasses on the tip of her nose and gray hair on her head. "Excuse me," I said. She looked up. "You're that Clements kid," she said. "I' m Miss Bee. Come closer and let me get a look at you." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "I can describe you to the police if something goes missing from the store." "I' m not a thief!" I was shocked. I was seven too young to be a thief! "From what I can see you're not much of anything. But I can tell you've got potential." She went back to reading her newspaper. "I need to get these." I said, holding up my list. "So? Go get them." Miss Bee pointed to a sign on the screen door. "I'm not your servant, so I suggest you get yourself a basket and start filling." I visited Miss Bee several times a week that summer. Sometimes she short-changed me. Other times she overcharged. "That can of beans is only twenty nine cents" I corrected her one afternoon. I had watched the numbers change on the cash register closely, and Miss Bee had added 35 cents. She didn't seem embarrassed. She just looked at me over her glasses and fixed the price. But she ever let me declare victory. All summer long she found ways to play tricks on me. No sooner had I learned how to pronounce bicarbonate of soda and memorized its location on the shelf than Miss Bee rearranged the shelve and made me hunt for it all over again. One day before I left, she said, "I know what you think of me, but I don't care! Each of us is put on this earth for a reason. I believe my job is to teach every child I meet life lessons. When you get older you'll be glad our paths crossed!" Glad I met Miss Bee?Ha! The idea was absurd... Until one day my daughter asked me to finish her math problems. "If I do it for you how will you ever learn to do it yourself?" I said. Suddenly, I remembered the lady Miss Bee. It can be learned from the passage that Miss Bee _ . A. knew her job was to help every child she met B. asked the girl to shop by herself to test her honesty C. taught the girl many lessons but she didn't understand D. rearranged the shelves to teach the girl to be changeable Answer: C. taught the girl many lessons but she didn't understand Hello! I'm Susan. Look at this picture. You can see a big sofa next to(...) the wall. My parents like to sit on it to read books , and sometimes they meet some friends there. There are two plants near the sofa. They're nice. What's that on the wall? Oh, it's a new TV. I often watch TV on weekends . Can you see some fishes in that big box? I like to play with them after school . Where's my dog Billy? Is it on the floor? No, it's under a chair! Do you like it? Susan's parents _ on the sofa. A. watch TV B. play with fish C. read books D. meet friends Answer: C. read books One day in April, a special activity called"Food Street"was held on the playground at Railway No. 1 Middle School in Xi'an. This activity was part of the English Art Festival in the school. The students in each class were divided into some groups. Each group sold different kinds of foods. The students did the shopping and the cooking all by themselves. The students cooked delicious food such as fried chicken, potato chips and vegetables. They all worked hard and sold the food at low prices. The customers were all the students, teachers and parents. They were all pleased with the nice food. "It's really hard work," said one of the students who took part in the activity. "We must make a plan before the cooking. We must know how much we should spend on the things we need. Also, we must learn how to serve customers well." "This activity is to give a chance to students to develop their practical abilities ," said one teacher, "What's more, the students will not only learn how to make money by their own hands, but also know the meaning of life. " From what one student said, it showed that _ . A. the activity was not easy B. the students like the activity better than their class lessons C. the whole cooking has too much work D. they don't like to make Chinese food Answer: A. the activity was not easy I called a meeting with the parents of my student, Tommy. I wanted to talk with them about his schoolwork and behaviour .Tommy was always an excellent student. How could I make his father and mother believe that their recent separation made his grades bad.? Tommy's mother came in and sat down. Then his father arrived. But they didn't say even one word to each other. I told them about Tommy's schoolwork and behaviour. I hoped to help them see what they were doing to their son. But it looked that my words didn't work. I thought that maybe Tommy could tell them something himself. I found Tommy's paper in the back of his desk. Tommy has written some words on it many times. I gave the paper to Tommy's mother. She read it and gave it to his father. He read it and his face became soft . He reached for his wife's hand. She smiled up at him. My eyes were with tears. He helped her with her coat and they left together. I picked the paper up and looked at it again. It read: "Dear Mommy... Dear Daddy... I love you." Why did the teacher call a meeting with Tommy's parents? A. Because Tommy was late for school that day. B. Because Tommy did well on his schoolwork. C. Because Tommy's grades were dropping recently. D. Because Tommy didn't get on well with the teachers in school. Answer: C. Because Tommy's grades were dropping recently.
Many people know the names Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. However, most people don't know the name of the man who invented the television, Philo Farnsworth. Philo Farnsworth was born in 1906 and grew up on a potato farm. As a boy, he loved to learn about science, and he read a lot of science books. When he was only thirteen years old, he drew a picture of a machine that could send pictures as radio sends sounds. He got the idea from the way the potatoes were planted in the field. The potatoes grew in long lines, side by side. This made a shape in Philo's mind. This shape helped Philo think of a way to send the TV picture onto a piece of glass. But he was poor, so Philo could not try to make his idea into a machine at that time. Later, Philo worked at many different jobs. He worked with trees. He worked on broken radios. He worked on trains. He also worked as a street cleaner. At last, two rich men heard about his idea for television, and they gave him the money to make it. On September 7th, 1927, they watched Philo test the machine he built. When Philo turned on the machine, a small line could be seen on the glass. Philo said, "There you have it, electric television." Later, a big company, RCA, said they had made the first television. Philo had to spend a lot of money on lawyers to fight them. Finally, he won. Then, World War Two started in 1939. During the war, Philo spent a lot of money helping the US army instead of _ his television company. After the war, other bigger, richer companies started making televisions. In the end, Philo had to sell his company. Philo Farnsworth got the idea for TV from _ . potato fields Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It's not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low. It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water. It's because they're smart. "Fish are sensitive, they have personalities," says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. "I would never eat anyone I know personally." There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether. The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. "While it may seem _ that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?" Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are skeptical. "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught." "For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner. "Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?" According to Dr. Sylvia Earle, he would stop eating fish as a result of the following reasons EXCEPT _ . Fish are dangerous to eat because the water is polluted Rainy days may ruin some cheerful plans for outdoor activities, but it doesn't have to be boring inside. On the next rainy day, try some of these ideas for a day full of fun: Tell stories. You might tell old stories you heard when you were growing up, or you might make up some really fascinating stories just for the kids. Let them all have a turn at making up stories of their own. Play in the kitchen. Let the kids help you cook a pizza or maybe some cookies. Give them a chance to help you in the kitchen and make something delicious. Just make sure they remember that part of cooking is cleaning up. Write a story together. Let the kids come up with a story of their own. They might want to write stories individually and then read them aloud to others, or they might want to get together and write a story together. Play "let's pretend" games. Let the kids pretend to be teachers, doctors, nurses or policemen. Let them dress up in whatever you may have. Then let them play the roles. You might even volunteer to be the student or the patient. Have a party. Let the kids pick out some music and dance around the room. Then, let them fall all over themselves with laughter, when you show them how it was done when you were a kid. Use these ideas to get you started, and the kids may actually start wishing for more rainy days. The children will feel _ when you try the ideas mentioned in the text on rainy days. happy Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care. If we are to solve the nursing shortage. hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example . At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health account that covers everything from his medical history to his emotional state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also includes everything else that is necessary. The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization. keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding to treatment. it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague. Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized nursing administration; every unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse-managers instead of head nurses; in addition to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurses decide among themselves who will work what shifts and when. Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She is also a member of the Medical Executive Committee. which in most hospitals includes only doctors. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . in most hospitals, patient care is inadequate from the professional point of view William Henry Bragg was born at Westward,Cumberland,on July 2,1862.He was educated at Market Harboroagh Grammar School and afterwards at King William's College,Isle of Man.Elected as a minor scholar of Trinity College,Cambridge,in 1881,he studied mathematics under the wellknown teacher,Dr E.J.Routh.He studied physics in the Cavendish Laboratory during a part of 1885,and at the end of that year he was elected to the Professorship of Mathematics and Physics in the University of Adelaide,South Australia. His research interests dealt with a great many fields and he was skilled at picking up a subject,almost casually,making an important contribution,and then dropping it again.However,the work of Bragg and his son Lawrence in 1913~1914 founded a new branch of science of the greatest importance and significance,the analysis of the crystal structure by means of Xrays.It is true that the use of Xrays as an instrument for the systematic revelation of the way in which crystals are built was entirely due to the Braggs.This was recognized by the award of the Nobel Prize jointly to father and son in 1915. He was an honorary Doctor of some sixteen universities,and a member of the leading foreign societies.Many other medals and awards were bestowed upon him among which may be mentioned the Rumford Medal in 1916 and the Copley Medal (its premier award) in 1930. He was the author of many books,including Studies in Radioactivity,XRays and Crystal Structure,The World of Sound,Concerning the Nature of Things,Old Trades and New Knowledge,An Introduction to Crystal Analysis,and The Universe of Light.His favorite hobby was golf.After a life of astonishing productiveness,Sir William Bragg died on March 10,1942. Which of the following is the best title for this passage? William Henry Bragg's Productive Life
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere. Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics ,and activities of the American people. Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, ail the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star. There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music. Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music,such as the symphonies of Beethoven. There is opera for singers. There is ballet for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China. What can we know about music and people in America? Answer: Students listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. OK, I admit it: emoticons are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications. Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast the use of emoticons as "infantile just like the people who use them" He believes that words themselves should be enough. "If you're being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent from the comment that goes before the emoticon," he argues. In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. "Men don't use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all," he said. "Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there' s an emoticon gene." It's an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all. In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed "to seek out representations of humanity". He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people. All of these arguments may be somehow valid . Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I'd rather let my words do the talking. Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don't regard any of my friends as lazy or immature . It's just a question of individuality. :) From the text, we can conclude that the author _ . Answer: thinks emoticons don't suit him A student freezes some orange juice. Which of the following statements best describes how the orange juice is different after it is frozen? Answer: It stays in one shape. Feeding a crowd of hundreds doesn't make Kenny Seals-Nutt nervous. In fact, he _ in the kitchen. He's in his perfect place when dicing tomatoes, making salads and baking cakes. By the time Kenny, 16, reached his third year of high school at Hickory Grove, North Carolina, US, he had become vice president of his school's cooking club. He also opened his own food company, called Modern Fusion. Kenny said he developed his love of cooking by watching his mother, and his grandmother, who owned a catering business herself. Kenny helped them both in order to remember their tips: how long to cook chicken so it stays wet, and the right amount of tomatoes to add to a spaghetti dish. At the age of 5, he cooked his first dish of shrimp and broccoli. Taking it for his school lunch, he warmed it up in the school's microwave, while the other kids ate their sandwiches. "I love to eat, and it started to become more fun to cook than to use a microwave," he said. Cooking came easy to Kenny, and he enjoyed adding new ingredients into common dishes. "It started with a passion and I wanted to know more," he said. He began to watch the Food Network and read chef blogs. Last summer, Kenny put his skills to the test by working with his grandmother to cater his uncle's wedding. While she cooked traditional dishes, Kenny wanted to add new to the expected flavors . Now Kenny spends his weekends catering his own events: weddings, birthday parties, baby showers. Kenny's dishes are always a hit. Chef Frederick Mookie Hicks, owner of a catering business, said Kenny's success comes from his ability to multitask in the kitchen. Hicks said he has asked Kenny to cook with him on jobs three times now, and he presents Kenny as a positive example of a passionate chef to the students in his cooking classes. "He's so vigorous about cooking that he doesn't let anything stop him," Hicks said. "I knew in the first five minutes of working with the kid that he is something special." Which of the following best describes Kenny's cooking? Answer: Creative. It was 1:30 a.m. Monday at London's Savoy Hotel and, with autograph books and cameras, a group of brighteyed tennis fans of all ages were waiting for just a glimpse of Maria Sharapova . The 17-year-old girl defeated champion Serena Williams 6-1 6-4 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday in London to become the first Russian to win a single title at the championships. A silver lining to a depressing, rain-hit Wimbledon, she has raised heated passion. Nobody was complaining, though, for the 1.83-metre Sharapova has created a welcome wave of interest in tennis, something missing in recent years. Not even Anna Kournikova evoked such passion when she broke on to the scene. To look good on court is one thing, but Sharapova can actually play the game too. Extremely well. She proved it over 13 days at the world's most prestigious tournament. Playing tennis of the highest quality throughout, the Russian's triumph not only lifted the tournament from fits of rain-induced depression but also salvaged(;) the season for the woman's tour. Sharapova was given no easy ride in the tournament, having to beat 1999 champion Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals and twice-champion Serena Williams for the title. Neither caused her much concern. "I don't remember too much about the final," Sharapova giggled. "I was in my own place." She will find it increasingly hard to find any place to call her own from now on after advertisers identified her as the most marketable woman in sport. In Russia she is sensational news. She headlined the news bulletins and was telephoned by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin after her triumph. Sharapova will return to her adoptive Florida home knowing life will never be the same again. But the girl who arrived in the US aged seven with her father and just US$700 is determined not to let fame and riches detract from her number one love, tennis. "I know things will start coming up and that many more things will want to get involved, but I want to keep my head cool and play tennis," she said. Before Sharapova, there was(were) _ Russian(s) who had won the title. Answer: No.
TV IN CHICAGO(May, 7, 2013) 2:30 AM Weekend ABC 7 News(Repeat) The top local, regional and national news events are presented by the ABC 7 Weekend News Team, along with weather, sports and travel conditions. 3:00 AM Inside Edition(New, TV-PG) Rumors about mass murderer Charles Manson's secret son. 3:30 AM America This Morning(New) Live reports from ABC News headquarters in Washington D. C. early morning news events and the top headlines of the day are examined and reported. 4:30 AM ABC 7 News This Morning(New) The ABC 7 Morning News Team provides a general look at overnight and early morning news events, weather forecasts and traffic updates for early risers. 5:00 AM Mirror Mirror Reporter Rebecca Spera provides the latest developments in the beauty, health and fashion industries and answers commonly-asked beauty questions. 5:30 AM Home with Lisa Quinn Professional designer Lisa Quinn shows how to refurnish, reorganize and redesign the home in order to maximize convenience and style. 6:00AM Everyday Living Quick beauty tips;protect yourself from money problems;the four most commonly parenting mistakes. 7:00AM Windy City Live(Repeat) Tile ABC 7 team of hosts provides the latest on things of interest in Chicago including cultural events, lifestyle topics, fashion trends and celebrity news. *TV-PG:programs for children with parents' guidance If you want to know the latest weather forecast of the day, you should watch at _ . Robby was 11 when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer students begin at an earlier age. Robby insisted that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him in as a student. Robby tried and tried while I listened and encouraged him and gave him more instructions . But he just did not have any inborn ability. I only saw his mother from a distance. She always waved and smiled but never came in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but I guessed he had decided to try something else. _ . However, several weeks before the recital of my students, Robby came,telling me that he never stopped practicing and begged me to allow him to take part. I agreed but I made him perform last in the program, so I could always save his poor performance through my "curtain closer". I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen one piece of Mozart's. Never had I heard a piece of Mozart's played so well by someone at his age. When he finished, everyone was cheering. I ran up and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How'd you do it?" "Well, Miss Hondorf. Do you remember I told you my mom was sick? Actually she died this morning. She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she could hear me play. I wanted to make it special. I knew I could." That night, Robby was the teacher and I was the student. He taught me so many important things about life. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? You will have a lot of reading to do in this grade this year. You can do more of it in less time if you learn to read rapidly. Perhaps you have been told about some habits which keep a person from reading fast and have been strongly asked to break those which you might have. Do you still have any of these bad habits? Check yourself by answering "yes" or "no" to these questions. (1)Do you move your lips when reading silently? (2)Do you point to words with your finger as you read? (3)Do you move your head from side to side as you read? (4)Do you read one word at a time? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, start at once to break the habit.If you move your lips, hold your fingers over them,or hold a piece of paper between your lips while you are reading. Then if your lips move, you will know it and can stop them. If you point to words, hold the two sides of your book, one side with your left hand, the other side with your right hand. Then you won't have a free finger to use in pointing while reading. If you move your head, place your chin in one hand and hold your head still . If you read no more than one or two three words at a time, you need to work very hard in learning to take in more words at each glance as your eyes travel across the lines of words. Even if you do rather fast now, you can learn to read even faster.As you probably have been told, the fast reading is to take in whole groups of words as each glance. Read in thought groups and force your eyes along the lines of words as fast as you can make them go. Anyone who practices doing these things will be able to read faster The best title for this passage is _ . We often praise the world of science. It explains the world and makes our lives easier with technology. One of the most exciting fields in science is artificial intelligence ( AI). This is an area where scientists are working on making machines that think like humans. However, Professor Stephen Hawking, a well-known British scientist, is not for _ kind of technology. "The development of artificial intelligence could spell the end of human". He said so just after using the machine made for him. As Hawking has a serious illness called ALS, he needs an AI computer to communicate. The computer learns how Hawking thinks and suggests the words he may want to use next. This kind of AI is very useful, but Hawking fears the possibility of making machines that can be smarter than humans. And it's easy to imagine how terrible things may be. We can see on TV some big killer machines that are far cleverer than us. "Humans can't compete because of their slow biological evolution " said Hawking. But no everyone holds the same idea towards AI technology. "I believe we can make good use of the technology for a long time. It will help us to solve many problems in the future." said Rollo Carpenter, CEO of Cleverbot in the UK. In which way do you think AI is heading? Should we be hopeful or fearful? According to the passage, AI machines can _ nowadays. In China,people born in and after the 1980s are called the post-80s generation .Most of them come from single-child families. However,this generation is playing a more and more important part in China,and their image in people's minds is changing.Han Han,a popular youth writer,is one of them. Han Han was born in 1982 in Shanghai.His talent for writing was clear at an early age.When he was 17,he drew the public's attention with the article Viewing the People through the Glass. The article won first prize in the national New Concept Composition Competition.Later,Han Han again surprised the public by leaving high school. "I did poorly in Grade One of high school and failed to move up to the next grade. I tried my best to improve my studies,but failed ,so I gave up. However ,I am always learning, since learning and going to school are two different things." Han Han said. Han Han's first novel Three Folded Gates sold very well in China.Later the book wastranslated into several languages and sold abroad. In the following years,Han Han wrote a lot of books. All of them were welcomed by the market.In 2006,he started blogging and had great success. Today,Han Han's blog has become one of the honest blogs on the Internet. The post-80s generation _ .
Question: This fourth of July I moved into a new house with my wife, Nicole. Nicole and I met through a series of _ that would be unlikely without some unbelievable force causing them to happen. The day Nicole and I met, we talked about the Yankees. In the restaurant where we sat, the first game between the Yanks and Tampa Bay was being shown on television. Nicole was happy I was a baseball fan, and she told me that was an important reason when she considered dating me. "My dad wouldn't like me dating anyone who isn't," she said. Nicole's dad, Ira, used to be a coach for the Yankees. Many years ago, a colleague of his was leaving and packing up his office. The only thing left unpacked was a photo on the wall. It was a picture of Sparky Lyle, a famous baseball player. Sparky had signed the photo on the bottom. "You're not taking that?" Ira asked. "You want it?" his colleague offered. "Sure!" Ira said. He jumped at the chance to have a signed photo from a great player who had helped the team win two World Series. Ira told me the story after the movers had gone. He then said to me, "Adam, when I first learned who was dating my daughter, that photo came into my mind," he said. "But by now, I know for sure you're meant to have it." He then presented me with a box. I tore it open. Inside was the signed photo of Sparky Lyle which I had lost years ago. "To Adam, Best Wishes, Sparky Lyle". It was picked up by Nicole's dad years before I'd even met her. The perfect gift -- a sign only making me believe what I already knew ... I was meant for Nicole and her family all along. We can infer from the text that _ . A. Adam did not like the gift B. Nicole found the lost picture C. Adam and Nicole will love each other forever D. the picture of Sparky Lyle was first owned by Adam Answer: D. the picture of Sparky Lyle was first owned by Adam Question: John, a famous musician, took his priceless antique violin and played it in the crowded subway station. The music from the violin was delicately streaming throughout the whole station. However, during the one-hour play, only six or seven people were truly appreciating the charming music. A three-year-old kid was so fascinated by the music that he forgot everything around. John only got 52 dollars for his work that day. However, in normal days, when John is about to hold a concert, one ticket can be sold at more than 100 dollars and it is extremely hard to buy a ticket even at such a high price. Therefore, later, many passers-by in the station that day felt deeply regretful for not recognizing the famous musician and missing such a valuable but cheap music feast. I have a very busy friend who had totally changed after knowing that his wife came down with incurable illness. He cooked by himself for the family and took a walk with his wife every day. Nonetheless, his wife still did not manage to conquer the illness and passed away after three months. After that, he often sighed miserably that due to his past busy life, he had missed a lot of beautiful time with his wife. But now, it is impossible to make up for it. It is no use crying over spilt milk. We have missed a lot of precious things in our life without knowing to cherish them. Actually, I also missed something precious before. The reason why we would have missed those precious things is less than simple: we had thought that we could still own them tomorrow. Nevertheless, tomorrow is actually by no means reliable. There was a famous Buddhist monk saying that in many people's lives, they have only done two things: _ The result is that they were always too late to cherish what they had before they lost it. We would often claim to do something when we grow up, or when we have money or when we become old, etc. However, when we reach the condition we have expected, we could no longer realize our wish, because we have lost it by then. The reason why people often regret may be that _ . A. they are too busy to notice the beautiful things B. they are too careless to cherish precious things C. they are lazy to observe the surroundings D. they think that it's none of their business Answer: B. they are too careless to cherish precious things Question: Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries. Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each. Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up. They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs. They often write to their parents or telephone them. And they often go to visit their parents on holiday. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think it important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves. Children are asked to do some work around their house. And in many families, children are paid for doing some housework so that they learn how to make money for their own use. They visit their parents _ . A. on weekdays B. on weekends C. every day D. on holiday Answer: D. on holiday Question: The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis. Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles--nearly the size of Mongolia--to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas. "It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse," said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. "They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas , coastlines--sensitive and _ places." Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. "Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters," said Seto. The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. "We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing," she said. "Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion to changes in local and regional climate." The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world's urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles--half the size of Ohio. "This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data," said Seto. "We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we're not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world's largest cities." Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. "Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use." Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their _ . A. growing population B. rising middle class C. unique living patterns D. economic development Answer: A. growing population Question: "Everything happens for the best," my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. "If you can carry on, one day something good will happen." After graduating from college in 1932, I decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to sports announcer . I took the bus to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. But I was refused every time. In one studio, a nice lady told me that big stations didn't want to accept inexperienced persons. "Go to the countryside and find a small station that'll give you a chance," she said. I returned home, Dixon in Illinois. While there were no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Smith Ward had opened a store and wanted a local sportsman to manage its sports department. Since I had played high school football in Dixon, I applied . The job sounded just right for me. But I still failed in the interview. At that moment, mom's words came to my mind: "Everything happens for the best." Dad offered me a car to look for a job. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport in Iowa. The program director, named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer. As I left his office, I felt sad. I asked aloud, "How can a man become a sports announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?" I was waiting for the lift when I heard MacArthur calling, "What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?" Then he made me stand before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game. As a result, I did a wonderful job and was told to broadcast Saturday's game! On my way home, I thought of my mother's words again: "Everything happens for the best if you carry on. One day something good will happen." The passage mainly tells us that _ . A. it is hard to find a job B. mother's help is necessary C. we should hope for the best D. life is full of disappointment Answer: C. we should hope for the best
Seven Chinese sailors are missing after a Chinese cargo ship sank in Russian waters near Japan on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday."Some of the 10 Chinese sailors on board were saved but seven are still missing after the ship sank off the waters of Vladivostok," said a statement on its website.The ministry didn't mention the cause of the incident, saying rescue efforts and an investigation into the incident are ongoing. But the Global Times, a Chinese language newspaper based in Beijing, said yesterday the ship was fired on by the Russian navy before it sank.The news is first reported in a Russian newspaper.New Star, the cargo ship was sequestered at the Russian port of Nakhodka earlier this month for alleged(,)smuggling.It left the port not far from the Sino-Russian border without permission from Russian authorities last Thursday and was chased by a cruiser,the newspaper said.Later, the warship shot at least 500 rounds onto the ship and forced it to sail back toward the port in force 6 winds.However, the Chinese ship started to sink on the way According to the report,in a period of almost 24 hours,Russian navy officers and soldiers onboard the cruiser watched the sinking boat and did not make any response to the cries for help from the crewmen.In the end, 16 sailors onboard New Star got on two lifeboats. The Russian sailors managed to save one boat carrying eight people,while the other was engulfed in the waves.Of all the sailors onboard 6 came from Indonesia. The Russian News Agency reported the incident yesterday and said the coast guard just found an empty boat in a three-day search.It also said that bad weather was the reason behind the accident. According to the International Maritime Organization, the owner of New Star is a shipping company of Zhejiang, while the operator is a company based in prefix = st1 /Guangzhou. How many Chinese sailors have been saved? Are animal brains too simple for thoughts and choices? Stories about animal kindness have really changed my point of view. In fact, some stories are amazing, especially when animals are meeting with people. Here are two stories that interest me. James, a wildlife writer, told a story that an African woman had placed her baby in the shade of a tree while she was working. An elephant group walked by and saw the baby. Several elephants pulled leafy branches from the tree covered the sleeping baby. Flies can be a problem in Africa and the branches protected the baby from the flies. The elephants were so gentle and quiet that they did not even wake up the baby. Then the elephants walked away. An English magazine offers another story. Bill, a cat, stayed at home while its master was away on a trip, but the man was injured in a railway accident and died a few days later in a hospital. At the funeral, the Man's brother was surprised to see that Bill was there. The faithful cat had traveled a long way to the hospital, looked at the coffin , and then sadly returned home. Humans are only one part of the earth. The beautiful flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horses and the great eagles, these are our brothers. The sky and mountains, the cows and men, all belong to the same family. These stories, I hope, will inspire more people to treat animals as our friends rather than pets or our next meal. Why does the author write this passage? Home improvements such as using insulation and energy-efficient windows to lower heating and air-conditioning bills can greatly affect quality of life for low-income families. In 2014, researchers at New York's Columbia University interviewed 20 renters and homeowners in a low-income community in New York City before and after helping those people make energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes. The researchers found cold and heat caused not only extreme physical discomfort but health problems as well. Increased heating costs in winter months also used up so much of people's budgets they were forced to reduce their calorie intake. Additionally, poor air quality due to reduced air-conditioner use can increase the risk of illness. People whose homes were upgraded reported greater physical and mental ease, as well as energy savings of around 30 percent, averaging $20-$60 per month. Despite these benefits, a study by University of Chicago economists was critical of the cost-effectiveness of government programs that provide money for energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income households. Around 7,500 households in Michigan were given an average of $5,000 worth of free upgrades as part of a larger energy-efficiency program. The researchers found that the measures reduced the households' energy consumption by about 10-20 percent each month. However, these savings would amount to an average of just $2,400 over the lifetime of the upgrades--in other words, less than half the amount of the initial investment. The study also highlighted another issue regarding energy-efficiency programs. It had long been believed that low-income earners tended not to participate because they were unaware of the programs' existence. In the University of Chicago study, however, an intensive marketing campaign consisting of thousands of telephone calls and home visits raised the Michigan program's participation rate by only a few percentage points. The great expense and effort required for such a tiny effect indicates that it may be time to look for a new approach to improving living conditions among low-income earners. The University of Chicago study suggested that _ . What could make Michael Jordon, one of the greatest basketball players in history, shed tears? It was when he became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11. The hall is in Springfield, Massachusetts and honors the best basketball players, greatest coaches and other contributors to the game. "The game of basketball has been everything to me ," said Jordan, 46. "It is the place I have always gone when I needed to find comfort and peace." Jordan retired twice in his 15-year career, finishing with 32292 points, the third highest total points in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His average of 30.12 points a game is the best in the League. "One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50," Jordan said. "Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." In other words, it was motivation that made Jordan such a success.. A great career did not mean a smooth one. His high school coach cut him from the team in favor of a taller player when Jordan was in 10thgrade. His college coach wouldn't allow him on the cover of Sports Illustration in 1981 with North Carolina's four other players because Jordan was a freshman. In his first NBA All-Star game, older NBA stars wouldn't throw him the ball because of jealousy. "That burned me up," Jordan said. "But _ don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." What does the word "obstacle" mean in the passage? Emily was a princess that lived in a castle made out of rainbows and chocolate. Her mom and dad were very kind to her. Her favorite thing to do was to play on the swings on the chocolate tree in their front yard with her friend Daisy. Emily always got first turn on the swings, and Daisy always pushed her, until it was Daisy's turn, and Emily would push Daisy. One day, Daisy said that she wasn't going to push Emily on the swings if Daisy didn't get to swing first. This made Emily very mad. Her turn was always first, and Emily thought that it wasn't fair that Daisy wasn't going to push her if she didn't get to swing first. So she ran into the castle to tell her mom and dad the Queen and King. The Queen and King listened to Emily's story, and they told Emily that it was Daisy's turn. "What?" said Emily. She was so mad! Emily always got the first turn! "It's only fair to Daisy, Emily." said her mom. "Now go out there and push your friend on the swing." Emily went outside and pushed Daisy on the swing. After Emily pushed Daisy, Daisy pushed Emily, and Emily came inside still upset. "Why did you make me push her on the swing first?" said Emily. "Because that's how you keep friends, sweetie." said her mom the Queen. "If I were Daisy and I never got to get a turn first, I don't think I'd want to be friends." "Okay, I think I understand that." said Emily. From then on, Emily and Daisy took turns being first on the swing, and they were friends for the rest of their lives. Why was Emily mad?
Question: Australia -a huge island continent that lies to the south of Asia.Australia-more than two hundred years old, a nation that is still growing. Its big cities lie on the southeast coast, this is where most Australians live.Australians prefer to own their own houses, though some live in apartments.Australians are a suburban people.The suburbs surround the cities for many miles, and so efficient transport is of great importance.As the economy grows, so do its industries- a higher level of production, a wider range of products. The Australian works hard, but he likes his leisure.The climate makes outdoor activities the most popular. Canberra, the capital of Australia, is a planned modem city located inland.Australia is governed by a parliamentary democracy.The representatives of other countries have their embassies here.Australia wants to strengthen relations with her neighbors. Australia is a strange land, a land of vast expanses- fertile valleys, snow fields and deserts- also a land with unique animal, many that can not be found on any other continent in the world today. Much of the continent is dry, but man has utilized the land, made it productive, with its tools, with its technology.This is the driest continent of all, and water is a precious possession, more precious than all other natural resources.Large dams are built to collect the water, there to irrigate the fields of pastures and crops. But Australia is changing.The land of wool and wheat is now a land of large-scale industry and mining.The costs of developing the new mineral discoveries are enormous, but the rewards are great too. Australia -- a young and developing nation.Australia -- a nation that wants to communicate with its neighbors. Australia is an island located _ of Asia and its big cities lie _ of the coast. A. to the south; on the southeast B. to the north; on the southwest C. to the east; on the northeast D. to the east; on the southwest Answer: A. to the south; on the southeast Question: Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger, shelter or search for a mate, he has always controlled the situations to his advantage. Probably this might be the reason why we humans are the most developed of all living species on the earth. As we climbed the steps of development, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking -- we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of time. If you are hungry, what do you do? Get a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet. Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such things. So it silently began to care about your needs and never let itself grow. _ This might be the reason why we all sometimes think "What happens next?", "Why can't I think?" "Why am I always given the difficult problems?" Well, this is the result of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things. Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied through reading. Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to turn to reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your "How to?" questions. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed, if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before. What does the author mean by saying "When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop." A. When mind keeps growing, creativity fully stops. B. When freedom is lost, creativity gets a full stop. C. When mind stops growing, creativity fully stops. D. When growing is lost, creativity gets a flail stop. Answer: A. When mind keeps growing, creativity fully stops. Question: Once Mr King had a cat, and he loved it very much. He called it "Sky", because he thought "Sky" was the strongest name in the world. One day he had a meal at a restaurant with his cat. He met his old friend. He told him about his lovely cat and its name. His friend said, "How foolish you are! Sky is not the strongest thing in the world. My cat is called 'Cloud' because cloud is stronger than sky." After hearing this, Mr King called his cat "Wind" because he thought wind was stronger than cloud. After a few days he suddenly thought that "Wall" was stronger than wind. And "Mouse " was stronger than wall. So he went to his friend to ask for an idea. His friend said, "Don't you think 'Cat' is stronger than mouse?" "Yes, but..." The man thought and thought and then decided his cat's name had better be "Cat" because a mouse was always afraid of a cat. Don't you think Mr King is very silly or funny? Mr King _ his cat very much. A. didn't like B. loved C. hated D. hit Answer: B. loved Question: Earthworms live underground in the soil. As they move through the soil, they create tunnels. The tunnels help improve the soil. Plants grow better in soil that has earthworms. Which statement explains how earthworm tunnels help plants? A. Earthworm tunnels bring heat into the soil that warms plant roots. B. Earthworm tunnels loosen the soil so plant roots can easily grow C. Earthworm tunnels allow sunlight to reach the plant roots in the soil. D. Earthworm tunnels create places where insects can hide and protect plant roots. Answer: B. Earthworm tunnels loosen the soil so plant roots can easily grow Question: Hundreds of people lined up at Grand Central Terminal yesterday, but they weren't there to catch a train. They came to New York City's famous railroad station to trade in old dollar bills for the new George Washington Presidential1 coin. The gold-colored coin is the first in a new series by the U.S. Mint that honors former U.S. Presidents. The Mint will issue four Presidential1 coins a year through 2016. Like the popular 50 State Quarters program, which issues coins in the order in which each state joined the Union, Presidential1 coins will come out in the order in which each President served. The George Washington coin is the first to be released. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison coins will come out later this year. The Presidential 1 coins will be the same size and color as the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. However, there is an important difference. For the first time since the 1930s, there is an inscription on the edge of each coin. Each coin will show a different President on its face, or head side. It will also show the President's name, the order in which he served and his years in office. The other side of the coin will show the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions "United States of America" and " 1". There will be one Presidential1 coin for each President, except Grover Cleveland. He will have two! Cleveland is the only U.S. President to have served two nonconsecutive terms. The last President scheduled to get a coin is Gerald Ford because a President must have been dead for two years before he can be on a coin. In which order will the Presidential1 coins come out? A. Each state joined the Union. B. Each President was born. C. Each President took office. D. Each President died. Answer: C. Each President took office.
Frank, the dog, is very friendly. He loves meeting new people and going out with his friends. He has a lot of friends! One of his very good friends is a blue robot named Bob. Bob is a nice robot. A long time ago, Bob saved the world. But now, he lives a quiet life. Another great friend of Frank's is Hops,the rabbit. Hops is special( ) because he is good at every subject, especially math and science. He likes teaching others what he knows, and he's always making all kinds of inventions. An old friend of Frank's is Ted. Ted and Frank are both dogs, they're a little different. Frank is always trying new things-sometimes silly things! Ted, However, likes doing sensible things more than doing fun and crazy things. But both he and Frank love learning and care about doing what's right more than anything. So to them, their differences are small. Which is true according to the passage? A. Bob likes teaching others what he knows. B. Hops is a rabbit and he lives a quiet life. C. Ted and Frank are quite different. D. Frank always tries new things. Answer: D. Frank always tries new things. A Notice of Delnor Hospital (the "Hospital") THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED ( ) If you have any questions about this notice, please contact: The ASIFlex Privacy Office PO BOX 6044 Columnbia MO 65205- 0858 We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting your medical information. We create a record of the care and services you receive at the Hospital. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice explains the ways in which we may use and disclose medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain obligation( ) we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose your medical information. Not every use or disclosure in every category is listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. For Treatment. We may use your medical information to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose your medical information to doctors, nurses and technicians. In addition, the doctor may need to tell the dietician if you have diabetes so that we may arrange appropriate meals. Different departments within the Hospital also may share your medical information. For Payment. We may use and disclose your medical information so that the treatment and services you receive at the Hospital may be billed and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party. We also may tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment. For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your medical information for the Hospital operations purposes. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run the Hospital and to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care. We also may combine your medical information with those of many Hospital patients to determine whether additional services should be offered, what services are no longer needed and whether certain new treatments are effective. What can be inferred from the notice? A. Patients couldn't be informed of his medical information B. All persons in the Hospital know patients' information C. Patients in the Hospital could receive proper care and treatment D. The Hospital could never combine your medical information with those of many Hospital patients. Answer: C. Patients in the Hospital could receive proper care and treatment Scientists say life will be very different in 2050. First, there will be no TV channels in 2050. People will choose a program from a computer and watch it on TV. In 2050, we will get information from the computers only. Second, water will be a big problem in 2050. In many places, people won't have water to drink. Third, cars will use new and clean fuels and they will go very fast. There will be a computer in every car. And the computers will _ the cars and there won't be any accidents . ,,. Which word can describe the life in 2050? A. Boring. B. Funny. C. Bad. D. Different. Answer: D. Different. The Venice Carnival is the largest and the most important Venetian festival. It is a festival that celebrates the passage from winter to spring, a time when seemingly anything is possible, including the illusion that the people at the bottom become the most powerful by wearing masks on their faces. The Venice Carnival could date back to 1296. It was confirmed on the day before Lent, a public holiday, but it had no direct religious connection at that time. However, the participants were not allowed to wear masks around the city at night; men could not enter convents if they pretended to be women, and celebrations within the convents were strictly forbidden. People who broke the rules could be put into prison. The laws were not relaxed until the late 17thcentury, when the carnival-goers were allowed to wear masks throughout the carnival. Participants would wear a white mask in old days, while costumes have become even wilder today. St. Mark's Square is the center for the carnival, while Campo San Polo and Sestiere are two other popular places where events take place. Most of the events are free, along with several unusual masked balls for which visitors will have to buy tickets in advance. The 2012 Venetian Carnival was celebrated from February 11 to 21. There were the liveliest celebrations of parties, performances, show, music, dances, dinner sets along streets, and hotels. It attracted a great number of visitors around the world. Many travelers booked Venice hotels and prepared costumes and masks well ahead of time so that they couldn't be made fun of by local people. In Venice carnival celebrations can't be held in _ . A. St. Mark's Square B. Sestiere C. Campo San Polo D. convents Answer: D. convents On october5,2011,around 3:00p.m., Steven P.Jobs,the co-founder of Apple, died at his home in Palo Alto, California, aged 56, six weeks after resigning as CEO of Apple. The death was announced by company that Mr.Jobs and his high school friend Stephen Wozniak started in 1976 in a suburban California garage. Jobs was born in San Francisco and adopted at birth by Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs. Paul Jobs taught his son basic electronics and how to work his hands. Asked in a 1995 interview what he wanted to pass on to his children, Jobs replied,"Just to try to be as good a father to them as my father was to me." Following high school graduation in 1972, Jobs was admitted to Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Although he dropped out after only one semester, he continued taking classes at Reed, sleeping on the floor in friend' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local temple. In the late 1970s, they designed, developed, and marketed one of the first commercially successful personal computers. The Apple II series. In 1985, after losing a power struggle, Jobs left Apple and founded NeXT, a computer platform development company specializing in the higher-education and business markets. In 1986, he put money in and produced Toy Story (1995), making Jobs Disney's largest shareholder at seventy percent. Apple's 1996 buyout of NeXT brought Jobs back to the company. He became a permanent CEO from 2000, developing the iPod,iPhone and iPad products.From 2003,he fought an eight-year battle with cancer.He received a liver transplant in 2009.And he took three medical leaves of absence before stepping down in August and turning over the power to Cook. Jobs married Laurene Powell on March l8,1991,and the couple had a son and two daughters. Steve P.Jobs returned Apple because of _ . A. his contribution to Apple B. his willingness to change Apple C. being the largest shareholder D. Apple's buying NeXT Answer: D. Apple's buying NeXT
Don't be afraid! We are not encouraging people to steal. It's one of the most popular topics currently talked about by people in cities, together with, "How many vegetables did you steal today?"or, "It's harvest time for your peaches," and, "I bought you a new car today." Listening to a conversation like this, you do not have to feel strange. These people don't really have their own farms or so much money that they can casually buy someone else a car. They are just playing games on Social Networking Sites(SNS) like kaixing001.com. Can you imagine millions of people in China spending lots of time on SNS playing games and talking to friends? This is especially true of white-collar workers in cities, Take kaixing001.com for example --the number of current members has already hit 38 million. However, the large number of people using SNS highlights another problem. That is, lots of people choose to escape from reality, NSN just offers them a virtual environment where they can escape from reality. Different games provide netizens with different experiences: dreaming, chatting and playing. It offers people the opportunity to escape from reality. But the virtual world is not the real one; no one can live in _ forever, and reality is not as surfing on the Internet. Since this kind of social networking sites have become so popular, people have started to think about moving it into the real world. And so far as we know, a farmland of this kind exists in Shanghai where it has reached its first base. After playing the "Happy Farm"game on kaixing001.com, would you like to put yourself among the real world while smelling the fragrances of the countryside? Recently a farmland service called "Happy Farm in Reality" was opened in the suburbs of Shanghai where white-collar workers can experience the real farmers' for themselves. What might be the best title? Answer: Did you steal vegetables today? Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you're a thin 14-year-old.That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsyl-vania Railway Station. After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I'd like to join them, thinking, "Everyone else is doing it." When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do." You give an honest day's work," he said, looking at me straight in the eye." They're paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that." I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since. Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone. Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can't trust one another, there's going to be trouble. It can be concluded from the text that _ . Answer: his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his later life Every morning Amma gets up at ten to seven. She brushes her teeth, takes a shower and gets dressed . Then she goes to the kitchen and makes breakfast. She usually has orange juice and bread for breakfast. After breakfast, she reads the newspaper. At seven forty--five she leaves home and goes to work by subway. She goes to work _ . Answer: by underground Meat and vegetables are measured in grams and kilograms. Milk and other liquid foods are measured in liters or milliliters. These units only measure quantity: they do not measure the value of the food to the body. The unit which measures the quality or value of food is the calorie the amount of heat given off by food when it brurns. This measurement tells how much energy a certain food has when it is completely used by the body. Our bodies use varying amount of calories. The more exercise we take, the more calories we burn. If we eat food which contains more calories than we use up, then it is possible that we would increase in weight. In order to avoid becoming overweight, it is advisable to eat a balanced diet and not eat too many foods that have a high calorie rating. The table below gives you some idea of the number of calories in food. Which word in this passage means "heavier than normal"? Answer: Overweight. Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corp and the author of the book A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It. According to the book, there are lots of misunderstandings of obesity. 1. If you're obese, blame your genes. Obesity rates have increased. Yet, between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled--too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible. At restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before, because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, so people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less. 2. If you're obese, you lack self-control. Research shows that if we are faced with too much information, we have a tendency to make poor dietary choices. Our world has become so rich in temptation that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can't understand. Even the most vigilant people may not be up to the task of controlling themselves. 3. Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for obesity. Although the US Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in the "food deserts", about 65 percent of the nation's population is overweight or obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but to the choices we make in supermarkets. 4. The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we don't exercise. Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercise more, childhood obesity rates will decrease. But there was no significant decrease in physical activity levels as obesity rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may account for up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased. The problem is that we eat too much. What's the best title of this passage? Answer: Four misunderstandings of obesity.
Mr Smith was in trouble those days. He drove a car for Mr Black, a rich businessman. He worked hard and the shopkeeper liked him. But he couldn't work when he drank too much.And once he almost fell into the river when he drove along the bridge. Mr Black became angry and was going to send him away. He had a big family and was afraid of it and promised he would stop drinking at once. The man told him to wait to be dealt with . One Monday morning Mr Smith came into the office with badly burned ears. "What happened to your ears?" asked Mr Black. "Well", said the man. "I went to watch a football match yesterday while my wife was ironing clothes. She had put the iron near the telephone before she went to cook supper. Our team lost the game and I felt sorry for it. As soon as I went in the sitting-room ,the phone rang and I answered the iron !" "And what happened to the other ear?" "When I put the iron down the table ,the telephone rang again !" What would happen to Mr Smith ? A He would go on driving for Mr Black B He would join his football team C He would never watch any matches D Mr Black would send him away Answer: A Code Offence Points What is Driving _ Points System? After the introduction of this system, certain traffic offences will make the driver lose points besides other punishments . A driver makes any of these offences, the points will be recorded.When the driver gets a certain number of points, he will be forbidden to drive for a certain amount of time. what are the purposes of this system? This is a system designed to make road much safer. It can improve standards of driving and reduce accidents. Which traffic offences will result in Driving Offence Points? Of course, not all traffic offences are covered by this system. Only those that have direct effect on road safety are included.There are fourteen items in all. 1 Causing death by dangerous driving 10 2 Dangerous driving 10 3 Careless driving 5 4 Driving after drinking or taking drugs 10 5 Driving over speed limit by more than15 km/hour 3 6 Driving in a motor race on the road 10 7 Failing to stop after an accident 3 8 Failing to give information after an accident 3 9 Failing to report an accident 3 10 Failing to obey directions of police officers 3 11 Crossing double white lines 3 12 Failing to obey traffic signals 3 13 Failing to give way to walkers at a crosswalk. Failing to stop for people walking 3 14 Failing to stop at school crossing 3 What will happen if you have got up to 10 points? If you have got 10 points or above, but still less than 15 points, you will receive a warning letter from the Transport Department. This letter will tell your record of Driving Offence Points and remind you of the result of getting more points. It is hoped that this warning will change your driving behavior for the better. What will happen if you have got 15 points? If you have got 15 points or more within two years, a court will take away your driving license. The first time you are found guilty you will not be able to drive for three months, but if you are caught a second time you will not be able to drive for six months. What will happen to you if you are caught driving dangerously and two months later you are caught careless driving? A Your license will be taken away. B You will be taken to the police station. C You will not be able to drive for 6 months. D You will not be able to drive for 3 months. Answer: C A student heated a pan of soup on a stove. While stirring the soup with a metal spoon, the student noticed the spoon became very warm. What is the most likely reason the spoon became warm? A The stirring action heated the spoon. B Warm air in the room heated the spoon. C Heat from the soup was transferred to the spoon. D The student's hand transferred heat to the spoon. Answer: C At the trial of Davis for a murder that occurred in Newtown, the prosecution called Waite, who testified that she saw Davis kill the victim. Davis believed that Waite was 600 miles away in Old Town, engaged in the illegal sale of narcotics, on the day in question. On cross-examination by Davis, Waite was asked whether she had in fact sold narcotics in Old Town on that date. Waite refused to answer on the ground of selfincrimination. The judge, over the prosecutor's objection, ordered that if Waite did not testify, her direct testimony should be stricken. The order to testify or have the testimony stricken can best be supported on the basis that A Waite had not been charged with any crime and, thus, could claim no privilege against self-incrimination. B Waite's proper invocation of the privilege prevented adequate cross-examination. C the public interest in allowing an accused to defend himself or herself outweighs the interest of a nonparty witness in the privilege. D the trial record, independent of testimony, does not establish that Waite's answer could incriminate her. Answer: B Last week,Chicago became the first city in the US to join the "Lights Out Plan".People turned off the lights in the city's tallest buildings,so that thousands of birds could get to their winter homes.Every year in autumn,some birds fly over Chicago on their way to the south,and come back the next spring. Lights mean danger to birds.Birds find their way by looking at the stars in the sky.Lights in tall buildings are so bright that birds may mistake them as stars.This means they can not find the right way to go home. This month,about 300 types of birds are flying over Chicago to go back to the south to live through the cold winter.Birds fly to warmer places for a few reasons.Many birds cannot live in the cold,so they fly to warmer places.But there are other reasons,too.Birds need to look for food in the south.Another reason is that they want to have baby birds.Many birds like to have their baby birds in the same "house" they lived in last year,so they fly back there. There are about 9,000 kinds of birds in the world,and about 600 kinds of birds _ .Some birds can fly a very long way.Sometimes they fly to other countries.We have fewer birds today because there are fewer places for birds. Today we have fewer birds because _ . A lots of birds are often ill B people kill lots of birds C there are fewer places for birds D other animals eat them Answer: C
Every year gray whales swim a 10,000 miles round-trip, from the cold waters near Alaska, down the coast of North America to the warm waters near Mexico, and back again. It is one of the longest migrations of any mammal. All day, all summer long, in the cold waters near Alaska, gray whales eat and eat. Instead of teeth, gray whales have baleen, they are used to getting food from ocean water. They get big mouthfuls of muck from the ocean floor, then push that muck right back out through their baleen. The mucky water flows through, but tiny animals get trapped in the baleen and _ . When the water starts to freeze, the whales begin their long trip south. They swim night and day, without stopping to eat or rest. During the long journey, migrating whales may push their heads out of the water to see where they are. Two months later, the whales reach Mexico. Babies are born here in warm, shallow waters called lagoons. Ocean lagoons have no food for the adults, but the babies are safer here than in the open seas. All winter the babies grow big and strong. In spring first the dads and teenagers leave the lagoons, then the moms with babies. Migrating gray whales swim close to shore, especially moms with babies. The ice is melting up north, and it's time for the hungry whales to make the long journey back to their summer feeding grounds. Where do mother gray whales give birth? Answer: The big red American car was much too wide for an English country road. When Jack saw it running towards him, he stopped his own car at the side of the road to make room for it to pass. The American car went slowly past, so close that he could see the driver's face clearly. "Where have I seen that face before?" he though. "Wait a minute! I remember now. It was in the newspaper!" He took all the newspapers from his bag and turned quickly to the middle page. There was a picture of the face in it. Yes, it had a large mouth and small eyes, and his eyes were behind dark glasses. "Wanted by the police," read by Jack. "The city Bank will give a lot of money to anyone who helps the police to catch this man." "Call the police at once," he said to himself. But a few minutes later, he was sad. "This man was caught this morning," answered the police. Why did Jack stop his car? Answer: Rodney Smith, Jr. started mowing the lawns in Huntsville, Alabama last fall. He used his time between classes at Alabama A&M to reach a goal of mowing 100 yards before winter. Smith has been cutting grass for free to help single moms, the elderly, and the disabled, while teaching the local youth the values that can turn boys into men. "I'm doing something positive. I want boys to follow me and be better than me," he wrote on his Facebook page. Rodney is from Bermuda. He says people there help each other and are always friendly. "That's what drives me to help people." In May this year, he was getting ready to _ his mowing service for the summer when he heard about a 93-year-old woman trying to cut grass by herself. Smith and a friend showed up to do the job for her. In November, a local TV station gave him $300, calling it a special gift for his good work. After he received the money, he used it to create the non-profit service group, Raising Men Lawn Care Service. He also started a page to collect money to buy lawn equipment and other things--including T-shirts with special logos. After I read about Rodney's story, I told my friends about him. We also planned to mow lawns for single moms, the elderly and disabled in our neighborhood. And I hope more and more young people will join Rodney's service group--Raising Men Lawn Care Service. What did Rodney do with the money he received? Answer: Michael Jordon is the greatest basketball player so far. Once he was making a television advertisement. All Michael needed to do in the advertisement was to miss a shot. For Michael, this was difficult. He always succeeded whenever he was throwing the ball. Every time he threw a basketball, it went in. Every time he tried to miss a shot, he failed. In total, it took him over 20 times before he missed a shot. For Michael, success is a strong habit. He had formed a habit which was so strong that it took him a lot of time to break it and "fail". Just like drinking, smoking and collecting things, success is also a habit. Like all habits, once it is _ , it is difficult to break. Many people think that success is difficult to maintain . They feel that it will be hard work and will need too much action and focus. The truth is that it is simply a habit, and as easy to keep as any other habit. Spend some time making success a habit in your life. Once you have developed it, it is not something you will want to change again. Then, the only thing you will fail is failing. In the author's opinion, _ . Answer: The male insects in a population are treated to prevent sperm production. Would this reduce this insect population? Answer:
Loved and hated, but never boring. That is what people say of American writer Norman Mailer, who died late last year at the age of 84. He was the author of some of the greatest books of the 20th century. But Mailer will be remembered as much for his personality as for his writing. He was rude and bad-tempered. He violently attacked other authors and even wounded one of his six wives. However, this never stopped Mailer from being successful. People always wanted to read his books. His provocative writing style and willingness to deal with difficult subjects made his books bestsellers. "He was willing to take risks with just about everything," says the author Gore Vidal. "He had a radical imagination, a way of approaching subjects that was never boring." In a career that lasted six decades, Mailer wrote about a wide variety of subjects from history and politics to sport and celebrities. But he was most famous for writing novels and he twice won the Pulitzer Prize. His best book was The Naked and the Dead, a story about the tensions between American soldiers fighting Japan in World War II. Drawn on his own experiences as a soldier, it is a study of men at war examining their cruelty and bravery. Mailer's brilliance as an author was his ability to capture human behavior. He did so through interesting characters, realistic dialogue and rich descriptions. The author William F. Buckley said, "He created the most beautiful metaphors in the English." Mailer leaves behind more than 40 books as his literary legacy . However, he never achieved his life's goal. He wanted to write what he called the "big one", the greatest novel ever written about America. Well, at least it wasn't for a lack of trying. Why did people always want to read his books? Answer: Smile, how warm the word is! It can make anyone happy. It's not like anything else, but just warm, makes you feel warm. Mother's smile is like a spring wind. It is so gentle. When you are sad, _ can make you happy again. When you fail to do something, it can make you stand up and work again. When you give up doing something, it can make you try your best again... Smile, so easy, but also so useful. Let's learn to smile. Everyone needs others' smile. When we give others a smile, we will feel happy, too. And maybe next time, when you need a smile, the others will give it to you. Let's learn to smile often. I believe it can even make the whole world warm. Living with a smile, every day will be sunshine. The last sentence "every day will be sunshine" means _ . Answer: Determined to make school more related to the workplace, Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon, developed a school-to-work program. In their first year, students are offered some job pathways in natural resources, human services, health care, business, arts and communication. The following year, each student chooses one of the pathways and examines it in depth, spending three hours a week watching someone on the job. Such a program is also in practice in some other states. The school-to-work program is built around a partnership. For example, Eastman Kodak, a major employer in Colorado, introduces students to business by helping them construct a model city using small pieces of wood. "The children use the models to decide on the best place to set up schools," says Lucille Mantelli, director for Eastman Kodak in Colorado. Kodak introduces math by teaching fifth graders to use their pocket money properly. They also provide one-on-one job watching experiences and offer chances of practice for high school juniors and seniors. "Students come to the workplace two or three hours a week," explains Mantelli. "They do the job for us. We pay them and they get school credits . We also give them our views on their performance and developmental opportunities." In these partnerships, everybody wins. The students tend to take more difficult courses than students in schools that don't offer such programs. Business benefits by having a better prepared workforce needed in future years. "It's a way for us to work with the school systems to develop the type of workforce we'll need in future years," Mantelli continued. "We need employees who understand the basics of reading and writing. We need them to be good at math and to be comfortable working on a team." "Our theory is that they can learn as much outside the classroom as in. All students have the ability to change the world, not just to live in it. To do that, they have to know how to solve problems and use critical thinking skills. We need to encourage them to dream about jobs that go beyond what they see today," concludes a school-to-work program organizer. Using the example of Eastman Kodak in Colorado, the writer shows us _ . Answer: Long ago, there was a little elephant. He left home and played in the forest alone. He stayed outside for many days and became dirty because he could not wash his back. All the other animals didn't play with him because he was dirty. The elephant sat under a tree. He started to cry. He cried for two days. But nobody could see him there. So he went back home and asked for help. His mother told him," You have a long trunk . It can help you wash your back." He and his mother went to the river and his mother taught him how to use the trunk to clean his back with water. All the other animals came over to him and said, "You are so clean now. Do you want to play with us?" The elephant was so happy and said, "Yes." How long did the little elephant cry? Answer: If you go into the forest with your friends, stay with them. If you don't, you may get lost. What should you do if you really get lost? You should sit down and stay where you are. You mustn't try to find your friends. Let them find you. If you want your friends to find you, you need to stay in one place. You can also shout three times. Then stop. Then shout three times again. Keep up shouting. Always three times together. When people hear you, they will know you need help and where you are. If you don't think that you can get help before night comes, you should make a little house with some small trees or branches or something else. And make yourself a bed with leaves or grass. When you need some water and you have to leave your little house to look for it, don't just walk away. Leave small branches or something else on the way and then you can find your way back easily. When you want to look for some water, you need to _ . Answer:
Now scientists have discovered that the dogs behave like their masters, too. Just like children, they use a " look and learn" ways when they go about their tasks. Scientists at Oxford universities designed an experiment to test if the dogs have the ability to copy humans' actions by using a simple wooden box. 10 owners showed their dogs how to open the wooden box .Sometimes they use their heads to push it and sometimes they use their hands. 10 dogs were divided into two groups---Group1 and Group2. In the first part of the test, Group1 were rewarded with a piece of meat for copying their owner's actions. Group2 were rewarded with food for not copying and using other ways. With each dog the experiment was repeated hundreds of times. Scientists recorded the time to see which group was first to get 85% right. They found that Group1finished the task much sooner than Group2. In the second part of the test, all the dogs were only rewarded for copying the way that their owners used. Group1 reached the 85% mark more quickly than Group2. So the scientists draw a conclusion: "Like humans, dogs can copy actions that they see. Dogs' imitative behavior is shaped more by their interactions with humans than by evolution ." Scientists said,"A dog's behavior is influenced much like that of a child; they look and learn similar behavior. We hope that owners understand the importance of their actions and use this knowledge to set good examples and therefore have a good effect on the behavior of their pets." From the experiment, we know _ . A. It took the two groups of dogs the same time to finish the required task. B. The dogs that copied their masters finished the required task much sooner. C. The dogs that were encouraged to copy their masters finished the task more slowly.. D. The dogs that were encouraged not to copy their masters finished the task more quickly.. Answer: B No one can deny that buttons are an important clothing device. But, can they rise to the level of art? Organizers of an exhibit in New York think so. Peter Souleo Wright organized "The Button Show" at Rush Arts Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Eleven artists used the small, ordinary objects to create sculptures, portraits and wearable art. Some of the works are political, some are personal and others are just fun. Wright said each artist reimagines and repurposes the buttons to make art. "What I tried to do with this show," he said , "was to look at artists who were promoting that level of craft." He said he wanted the button art to be comparable to a painting "because of the amount of detail and precision in the work". Artist Beau McCall produced "A Harlem Hangover". It looks like a wine bottle that fell over on a table. A stream of connected red buttons hang over the side, like wine flowing down. Similar red buttons form a small pool on the floor. McCall layers buttons of different shapes and sizes to create the bottle. The stitching that holds them together is also part of the artistic design. For San Francisco-based artist Lisa Kokin, buttons are highly personal. After her father died in 2001, she created a portrait of him using only buttons. That memorial to her father led to other button portraits, including those of activists Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. Others use buttons for details. Artist Amalia Amaki of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, placed them on and around old photographs. Los Angeles artist Camilla Taylor attached buttons to three large sculptures that look like headless animals with long , narrow legs. "The Button Show" ends at March 12. The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation paid for the exhibition. The foundation was created in 1995 by the Simmons brothers: artist Danny, hip-hop producer Russell and rapper Rev. Run. The foundation seeks to bring the artists to urban youth and to provide support for new artists. Why did Wright organize "The Button Show"? A. To show the importance of buttons. B. To support the new artists. C. To raise the button show to the level of art. D. To create sculptures and portraits. Answer: C It was at least tow months before Christmas, when nine-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bike. Her Barbi bike was just too old, and it needed repairing as well. As Christmas came nearer, her dream for a bike seemed to disappear, so we thought, for she didn't mention it again. We were busy buying some beautiful storybooks, a doll house, a holiday dress and toys. Then much to our surprise, on December 24, she said she really wanted a bike more than anything else. Now we didn't know what to do. It was just toot late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing children's presents, parents' presents, a brother's present and friends' presents till midnight.So there was no time to take to buy the "right bike" for our little girl. Thinking that we were parents who would make their children unhappy, we felt guilty and sad. Suddenly my husband came up with an idea. "What if I make a little bike out of clay and write a note that she could trade in the model bike for a real one?" So he spent the next five hours carefully working with the clay to make a small bike. On Christmas morning, we were so excited for Almie Rose to open the little box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. She opened and read the note loudly. She looked at me and Ron and said, "So does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real one?" Smiling, I said, "Yes." Almie Rose had tears in her eyes when she replied, "I would never trade in this beautiful bike that Daddy made me. I prefer to keep it rather than get a real bike." At that moment, we would have moved the God to buy her every bike on the Earth. From Rose's words in the last passage , we know that she _ A. still wanted to get a real bike B. didn't know the meaning of the note C. preferred a real bike to a model bike D. was greatly moved by what her father had done Answer: D In today's consumer world, we've never had so much, yet it seems we've never been so unsatisfied. The cost of housing has been rising for decades, and the cost to the planet has been huge, too. But there is a way to live a simpler, greener, and more affordable life: buy a TinyDwelling home! TinyDwelling homes are very small, yet comfortable houses at affordable prices. Each TinyDwelling home has a contemporary design and included a living room, kitchen, bathroom, upstairs sleeping area, and convenient storage space. TinyDwelling homes are cheap to run and ecologically-friendly, too. All you need is a small heater to keep your house warm in cold weather, and solar panels in order to provide light and electricity. TinyDwelling is part of the small-living movement that began in the late 1990s. Back then, a growing number of people began to live in very small homes. They wanted to reduce their possessions, living space, and energy costs, so as to lead more ecologically-friendly lives. But the small-living movement really took off after the economic crisis of 2008, when many people realized that they couldn't afford to keep large homes. Lizzy Morriaon, a small-living enthusiast, started TinyDwelling homes in 2008 to meet the needs of these people. Since then, Lizzy has been designing and building homes nonstop, and TinyDwelling homes have become so popular that thousands of people have bought one. And Lizzy hasn't only designing and building houses. She has also been teaching people how to build them. Simply buy the plans and materials so that you can build your own home, and save even more money! What do we know about the small-living movement? A. It aimed to handle the economic crisis. B. It was started by people without houses. C. It was well received by house designers. D. It did not become quite popular until 2008. Answer: D My name is Tom. My best friends are John and Ann. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's tall and thin, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is polite and very clever. He is very good at math and sometimes helps me with my homework sometimes. He usually wears jeans and a blue T--shirt. We three often play basketball in a nearby park. My friend Ann studies at another school. She's short and slim with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have Kong fu lessons every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. We love Kung fu very much. Ann is really good at Kung fu. We call her the "Kong fu girl". Sometimes she practices Kung fu with us. She loves wearing a T--shirts and a hat. The three of us have great fun together. What do three children do together? A. Play football B. Play basketball C. Have English lessons D. Watch movies. Answer: B
Question: Welcome to your future life! You get up in the morning and look into the mirror.Your face is firm and younglooking.In 2035,medical technology is better than ever.Many people your age could live to be 150,so at 40,you're not old at all.And your parents just had an antiaging treatment.Now,all three of you look the same age! You say to your shirt,"Turn red." It changes from blue to red.In 2035,"smart clothes" contain particles much smaller than the cells in your body.The particles can be programmed to change your clothes' color or pattern. You walk into the kitchen.You pick up the milk,but a voice says,"You shouldn't drink that" Your fridge has read the chip that contains information about the milk,and it knows the milk is old.In 2035,every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip. It's time to go to work.In 2035,cars drive themselves.Just tell your "smart car" where to go.On the way,you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve.Such "smart technology" is all around you. So will all these things come true?"For new technology to succeed," says scientist Andrew Zolli,"it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already." The Internet is one example--what will be the next? What is the text mainly about? A. Food and clothing in 2035. B. Future technology in everyday life. C. Medical treatments of the future. D. The reason for the success of new technology. Answer: B Question: My friend Jim was a well-known radio host, who worked at a radio station all his life. All his colleagues knew him about one characteristic: If he's on-air, he is always wearing a suit and a tie. They laughed at him, saying, "No one ever sees you. Why do you dress like that?" But he always turned that into a joke. One day Jim was invited to appear on the TV. There was a show for the oldest radio employees. For the first time his fans, who only knew Jim by his voice, would see him. Before the recording of the show, the director came to Jim and asked, "Usually you arrive on time, but today you are 10 minutes late. It's not terrible, but I still want to know why." "You see," Jim answered, "at the last moment when I was already dressed up, I noticed that I didn't have new socks. For the first time I was invited to the television, and I thought that simply wearing clean socks was not enough. So I needed to go to the store for new socks." The director was surprised. He asked, "Why do you need new socks? You could have come without the socks because we will be filming you only over the waist." " You see, to be perfect, I need to feel myself perfect in everything, starting with the shirt and finishing with the pen in my pocket," Jim said. "And if my socks have holes in them or my shoes are dirty, I'm not spotless anymore. And it may make me less confident." Jim was late for the TV show because _ . A. he went to buy new socks B. he didn't like to be filmed C. he had to clean his clothes D. he was too nervous Answer: A Question: If you ask Americans whether or not they think their former president George W. Bush is smart, most of them will probably tell you they don't think so. However, Bush's IQ score is estimated to be above 120, which puts him in the top ten percent of the population. It doesn't seem to make sense. How come someone with such an IQ score is not considered smart? Researchers say: IQ does not tell the whole story. Some people have high IQ scores, but still they can be poor thinkers and decision-makers. Keith Stanovich, a Canadian professor of human development and applied psychology, has been looking into the "clever fools" phenomenon for 15 years. He says IQ tests are very good at measuring certain mental faculties , including logic, learning ability, working-memory capacity (how much information you can hold in mind), etc. Those faculties play a part in one's academic success, but rational thinking is more important for us to make good judgments in real-life situations. IQ tests fail to work when it comes to rational thinking. That's because they are unable to assess things such as a person's ability to weigh up information, or whether an individual can set aside the cognitive biases that may be misleading. "A high IQ is like height in a basketball player," says David Perkins, who studies thinking and reasoning skills at Harvard University. "It is very important, all other things being equal. But all other things aren't equal. It takes a lot more to be a good basketball player than being tall, and it takes a lot more to be a good thinker than having a high IQ." If you need to decide where to invest your money, you must use your _ A. IQ scores B. IQ test C. rational thinking D. cognitive biases Answer: C Question: China is the country with the largest population in the world. Too many people cause many problems such as food problem. And today, China's population is still growing very fast. So in order to control the population, China has formulated the policy of family planning, that is late marriage, late childbirth and having fewer but healthier children. Men of 22 years old and women of 20 years can get married. If a man of 25 or over 25 gets married with a wo-man of 23 or over 23 , their marriage is late marriage. Childbirth by a woman at the age of 23 or late is a late childbirth. The country encourages people to have only one child. Family planning is a useful policy to control China's population. And it is still needed in China in the following years. Family planning is _ in today's China. A. not needed B. still needed C. not good D. useful Answer: B Question: This is a story from 28 years ago. My dad was a used car salesman. Every Thursday night, he would head off to Shreveport, LA for an auction . Most of the time, I drove a car over there for him so he could sell it at the auction. One day I was riding with my dad when he noticed a hitch-hiker with a backpack. Without hesitation, he pulled the car over and offered him a ride. Dad asked him his name, and proceeded to talk to him about all sorts of things. Dad asked him where he was going. The hitch-hiker told him that he was heading for the west. I can't recall why but he told Dad a lot of things that had occurred to him and that persuaded him to make _ . He talked about the tragic events that occurred to him several years before. He was low in spirits, but t could see that the hitch-hiker's attitude was changing as someone was really listening to him. We drove 45 minutes before the hitch-hiker got off. We pulled over and Dad told him to keep his head up and things would start looking up for him soon. He reached into his pocket and handed the hitch-hiker a twenty-dollar bill. The guy smiled. He nearly lit up right there on the cold, dark highway. We drove on and my dad did not say a single thing. I was still completely amazed by what I had just witnessed. I was always told by everyone never to pick up a hitch-hiker and yet my dad did it every single time he saw one. While reflecting upon that story I came to understand that just one single kind act could change someone's life, and I am sure that my father's deed made that poor man's day. What made the hitch-hiker become less upset? A. The writer's father offering him a free ride. B. The writer's father really listening to him. C. The writer's father agreeing to drive him to his destination. D. The writer's father talking to him about all sorts of things. Answer: B
Mike McClure walked into Sarasota Bay for a little fishing on a beautiful day last April. This afternoon, the water was shallow enough at low tide that McClure could easily walk 100 yards offshore and cast his line in any direction. Near sunset, still without a fish, he decided to turn back. Rather than turn to his earlier course, he chose a more direct path toward shore, thinking the bay wouldn't get deeper along the way. Instead, he was trapped. He tried to walk in different directions, but shallower water eluded him. Finally, he decided his safest choice was to head straight for land. "Within about five steps, the water was coming in through the top of the waders ," says McClure. He felt the deadweight of the flooding waders pulling him down and knew that if he didn't get out of them, he would drown. But he failed to kick his way out of the waders. Instead, they pulled him completely below the surface. Back onshore, Eliza Cameron, 19, Loren Niurka Mora, 20, and Caitlin Petro, 20, had been watching McClure fish as they rested on the grass after a long week of classes. They saw McClure go under and then heard him cry, "Help!" The three friends kicked off their shoes and ran into the bay. They were all good swimmers, but all hid a fear that he might pull them down too because they'd have to dive to save him. When they reached him, he'd managed to kick himself out of the waders, but his eyes had partly rolled back. Cameron and Mora each hooked an arm under his shoulders, while Petro supported his back and held his hand. Then the three friends tried their best to tug him towards shore. Finally, they all returned to the shore safely. Mike McClure didn't turn back by his earlier course because_. A he wanted to choose a short course B his earlier course was dangerous C he just wanted to take a risk D he knew where the water was deep Answer: A. he wanted to choose a short course Calling all poets! TIME For Kids(TFK) has a challenge for you. WHO: The contest is open to students who are 8 to 13 years old. WHAT: Write a funny, rhyming poem and enter it in the TFK Poetry Contest. By entering, the entrant should promise that the poem is an original one that does not copy another poet's work, has not been published in an y medium and has not won an award. HOW: Send your poem by e-mail to contest@poetry4kids.com. The subject line of your e-mail message should read "TFK POETRY CONTEST". Be sure to include your first name only, your e-mail address and your parents' e-mail address. Limit one entry per person or e-mail account. The sponsor is not responsible for lost, late or incomplete entries, or those not received for any reason. WHEN: This contest begins 12:01 a.m. on January 13,2013, and ends 11:59 p.m. on March 1,2013. JUDGING: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following standards: creativity and o riginality (50%),use of language and rhyme (25%) and relatedness to contest theme(25%).Winner will be informed by e-mail and must respond within five days. WINNER'S LIST: For names of the winner and finalists, visit timeforkids.com (after April 1,2013, you can get for a period of 10 days). PRIZE: Our judge will select four semifinalists from which one grand-prize winner and three finalists will be chosen. The one grand-prize winner will receive an online class visit from poet Kenn Nesbitt and a signed copy of one of his books of poetry. The poem of the grand-prize winner will be published on timeforkids.com. The finalists will receive signed copies of one of Nesbitt's books of poetry. The poems of finalists will be published on timeforkids.com. Which may be a proper work for the TFK Poetry Contest? A A war poem published in a book. B A great poem which has won many prizes. C A fine poem downloaded from the Internet. D A love poem which has been kept secret from others. Answer: D. A love poem which has been kept secret from others. Last month, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, held an underwater meeting. The purpose of the ocean floor conference? To highlight the effects of global warming on his island nation. The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is the lowest-lying country on Earth. Melting glaciers and polar ice are causing sea levels to rise, putting the Maldives and other low-lying areas at risk of being swallowed by the sea within the next 100 years. What can be done? Scientists and leaders from 190 nations will try to figure that out at the United Nations climate change conference next month. The main goal of the meeting is to come up with a new climate agreement for 2012 and beyond. That is when the existing plan, the Kyoto Protocol will expire. The agreement was created in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. Since then, it has been ratified by 190 nations. The countries promised to limit the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, that they produced each year. The debate over who should cut greenhouse emissions has been going on for years. The US has been hesitant to reduce emissions unless fast-growing nations such as China and India also reduce their use of fossil fuels. In recent months, China has taken steps to be greener. But India has been unwilling to change. It argues that it is unfair for rich nations to ask poorer countries to cut down on emissions. While world leaders work on a plan in Copenhagen, there are many things you can do to help the planet. You can save fuel by walking or biking instead of riding in a car. You can start a recycling program in your community. You can plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen. What does the author suggest? A Like the Maldives, other island countries should take action. B Both the US and India should cut greenhouse emissions. C Everyone should get involved in cutting greenhouse emissions. D World leaders should focus more on climate change. Answer: C. Everyone should get involved in cutting greenhouse emissions. Of all the things our wisdom tells us will make life entirely happy, the greatest is the possession of friendship. One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. On the first Sunday in August, it's time to recognize your friends and their contribution to your life. The first Sunday in August was fixed as National Friendship Day by the U.S. Congress in 1935, and remains a tradition observed in many countries and cultures. In 1997, the United Nations named Winnie the Pooh as the world's Ambassador of Friendship. Apparently, there are several friendship holidays, all of which fall on fixed dates. National Friendship Day is on the first Sunday in August Women's Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in September International Friendship Month is February Old Friends, New Friends Week is the third week of May People show their appreciation for friendship in various ways. Some expressions may be practical ones, such as flowers, particularly the pink friendship roses, cookies, chocolates, souvenirs from their vacations, a tape of favorite songs, farewell dinners, and welcome balloons. Recipe for Friendship 2 cups of patience, 1 heart full of love, 2 handfuls of generosity, 2 cups of loyalty, 1 cup of understanding, A dash of laughter. Mix them all well. Spray generously over a lifetime and serve everyone you meet. Friendship helps to bring peace and positivity to the globe, another great reason to celebrate! Although our friends certainly deserve thanks on more than just one day of the year, what better day to honor them than Friendship Day!! What is most needed to make friendship grow, develop and last? A Inviting your friends over for a party. B Looking on your friends as relatives. C Honoring your friends on Friendship Day. D Being loyal and generous to your friends. Answer: D. Being loyal and generous to your friends. About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way. Women are luckier, only about one in two hundred is affected in this matter. Perhaps, after all, it is safer to be driven by a woman! There are different forms of color blindness. In some cases a man can not see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green. Sometimes a person cannot tell the difference between blue and green. In rare cases an unlucky man may see everything in shades of green - a strange world indeed. Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions of very small things called "cones". These help us to see in a bright light and to tell difference between colors. There are also millions of "rods" but these are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shape but no color. Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes like blue but do not like yellow. A red light will not attract insects, but a blue lamp will. In a similar way human beings also have favorite colors. Yet we are lucky. With the aid of the cones in our eyes we can see many beautiful colors by day, and with the aid of the rods we can see shapes at night. One day we may even learn more about the invisible colors around. Why do some people say it is safer to be driven by women? A Women are more careful. B There are few color-blind women. C Women are fonder of driving than men. D Women are weaker but quicker in thinking Answer: B. There are few color-blind women.
Once upon a time there lived the daughter of a king. Her name was Safia. Her father and mother loved her very much, and would deny her nothing in the world. One day, a magician came to the palace and asked for sanctuary , saying that he was a professor who was being persecuted by his enemies and had nowhere to write an important book. "Good professor," said the king, "you shall have a room and everything that you desire, on condition that you may finish your great work." So the magician went on with his spells and magic formulas, pretending to be absorbed in scholarly matters. Every Friday, which was the day of rest in that far land, the magician paid his respects to the king and his court, but secretly he desired to take away the king's throne. One day he disguised himself as an old woman and walked under the trees in the palace gardens till he met Safia. "Princess," he said, "let me be your laundress, for I can wash linens and silks as finely as anyone in the world, and I would do it for almost nothing if I could serve Your Highness." "Good woman," said Princess Safia, "I can see that you are a poor creature and grieve for your condition. Come to my private quarters and I shall give you some of my linen to wash." So the disguised magician followed the princess into the palace, and before the girl could see what was happening he bundled her into a laundry bag and ran away as fast as his legs would carry him. He took the princess into his private room. Muttering a magic spell, he made her as small as a doll, and put her in a cupboard. The next Friday he went to the court as usual, and found the whole palace _ "Princess Safia has vanished, and His Majesty is nearly out of his mind. All the soothsayers have tried to find out through their magical powers where she can be, but none of them have managed it," said the Grand Vizier. The wicked magician smiled, for he knew that his spell was so strong that it would defy all the soothsayers in the land until the day of his death. Which of the following statements in NOT true? Answer: When I was a little girl I lived in a place with no winter. It was always warm there. It never got cold. It never snowed. Sometimes it rained. Sometimes there was wind. But there was no snow on the trees or on the ground. There was no snow falling on our heads. There was no snow to make a snowman. My teacher's name was Mrs. Scott. One day in December, Mrs. Scott told us that we were going to make a snowman. We were excited! We wanted to see a snowman. We knew how a snowman looked. We knew a snowman was made of three snowballs. A snowman had to have a carrot nose and black eyes and buttons. A snowman had a hat and a scarf. We knew all these things. Mrs. Scott asked us to bring everything we needed to our classroom to make a snowman. Jimmy said, "I can bring the hat and the scarf." Anita said, "I can bring a carrot for the nose." Selma said, "I can cut out some black circles for the eyes and the buttons." Ricky asked, "But who can bring the snow?" Mrs. Scott said, "I know what to do." The next day all the children brought the things for the snowman. We did not know where Mrs. Scott would get the snow. Then she showed us. Our snowman is made of three bushes! Three bushes painted white! We put all the things on the bushes and it looked like a real snowman. Who brought the hat and scarf? Answer: A paperclip,made of steel wire bent into a looped shape,is an instrument used to hold sheets of paper together.This common device is a wonder of simplicity and function.But where did this simple,cheap,and practical invention come from? In the late 19th century,the most common way to hold papers together was by using a pin.Although the pin was an inexpensive tool and was easily removable,it would 1eave holes in the paper. Later,as steel wire became more common,inventors began to notice its elastic feature. With this feature,it could be stretched and twisted into various clip--like objects.In the years just before 1900,quite a few paperclip designs appeared.The name most frequently associated with the paperclip invention is Johan Vaaler,a Norwegian inventor. However, Vaaler's clips were not the same as the paperclips currently in use.Specifically,they did not have the inside loop we see today.The familiar looped design was invented by Gem Manufacturing Ltd.in England.This clip is therefore sometimes known as the Gem clip. Because of Vaaler,the paperclip played an important historical role in Norway.During World War II,Norway was occupied by the Nazis.Norwegians were prohibited from wearing any symbol of their national unity ,such as buttons with the initials of their king.Thus,in protest,they started wearing paperclips to show their unity.The reason for doing this was simple:Paperclips were a Norwegian invention whose original function was to bind together.After the war,a giant paperclip statue was put up in Oslo to honour Vaaler--even though his design was never actually produced. One way the paperclip is better than the pin is that _ Answer: Soap operas from South Korea have been popular in China for more than twenty years now. So it is not the first time for the soap operas made in China to feel less popular. But this time, they are facing more difficulties, for The Heirs and My Love From the Star really made a full success. A senior official said he sometimes watched soap operas from South Korea, as well as House of Cards, an American opera about politics . These operas made both in South Korea and in America have a lot of lovers in China. Many people agree that China's soap operas can't be much loved by most Chinese, because they are not as interesting and exciting as those operas from South Korea and America, such as My Love From the Star, a South Korean love story between a time-traveling professor and a famous movie star. However, South Korea not only provides soap operas but also some variety shows . Where Are We Going, Dad? is not an original Chinese show. We learned it from South Korea although not many in China know about that fact. South Korea has created many popular shows and these stories tell there's no difference between men and women but in their country men are certain to _ When might soap operas from South Korea become popular in China? Answer: Can we seek simple, effective ways to help kids grow up against the national obesity trend? Here's advice from a new study: --Make sure kids eat healthfully, starting with a good breakfast every day. --Limit kids' sedentary free time. --Promote positive self-esteem in children. --Be a good role model for a healthy life. Those tips come from Ashley Crossman, a graduate student at Arizona State University's sociology department. She looked at data from national surveys of about 6,400 teens and young adults. Crossman presented her findings in Philadelphia at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting. What is Obesity? Healthy Habits Participants who grew up to have a healthy weight had some common traits. As teens, they ate breakfast, had good self-esteem, and were too busy to spend tons of time watching TV or playing computer games. Their parents also had some things in common: healthy weight, more education, and control over their kids' diets. Parents' income and kids' race didn't make a difference, notes Crossman. Food for Thought Many factors affect weight, but "our research suggests that prevention must begin at home," writes Crossman. Healthy eating and active lifestyles are part of the solution she recommends. Physical activity is promoted as part of a healthy life (get a doctor's OK first). In this study, "active" didn't always mean tons of exercise. Teen's part-time jobs, volunteer activities, and hobbies also helped by reducing time with TV or computer games, notes Crossman. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children at risk should be identified by virtue of family history of obesity, and other factors such as environment. Parents and caregivers should be encouraged to promote healthy eating patterns by offering nutritious snack such as fruit and vegetables, low-fat diary products, and whole grains; setting appropriate limits and modeling healthy food choices. They also recommend limiting television and viewing time to a maximum of two hours a day. The passage is mainly about_. Answer:
Below is a brochure about the British Library. Events The Taking Liberties events programme explores themes raised by the thought that has brought about this exhibition. A wide range of discussions, talks, comedy events and live music provide further understanding of the personal stories of those who have struggled for freedom and show how the debate continues today. Free group tours, gallery talks, local events and learning classrooms are also available. For more information please visit www.bl.uk/takingliberties. Adopt a Book Please support the British Library with a "novel" gift. For as little as PS25, you can help the Library preserve the nation's treasures for generations to come. There are hundreds of titles to choose from including many first edition classics. For a full list books available and details on how to Adopt a Book, please visit www.bl.uk/adoptabook. Friends The Friends of the British Library is a charity to helping the Library develop its holdings and its facilities. Members enjoy a lot of tours of the exhibitions: visit to specialized departments and to other important libraries, access to the Friends Room and discounts in the shop and restaurant. For more information you can talk to a representative at the Friends Desk in the Entrance Hall or visit www.bl.uk/friends. Shop The British Library Shop has a wide selection of Taking Liberties-related books, including the official exhibition book Taking Liberties: The Struggle for Britain's Freedom and Rights by Mike Ashley and Taking Stock of taking Liberties: A Personal View by Linda Colley, plus a large range of goods, including postcards, stationery, bags and souvenirs. www.bl.uk/shop. British Library Web Pages Searches 10,000 web pages from the main British Library website. You can also browse the pages using the links on our home page or the site map. Online Gallery: Searches 30,000 images from Online Gallery. Catalogue records: Searches the British Library Catalogue, which contains records for 14 million items, including books, series, printed music and maps. Journal articles: Searches records of over 9 million articles published, during the last five years, in the 20,000 most heavily requested journals at the British Library. Many of our specialist catalogues are not yet included in the home page search. Searching these will give you a more complete picture of what we have available. What does the phrase "the nation's treasures" mean? In a suit by Palmer against Denby, Palmer sought to subpoena an audiotape on which Denby had narrated his version of the dispute for his attorney. Counsel for Denby moves to quash the subpoena on the ground of privilege. The audiotape is most likely to be subject to subpoena if There is no excuse for not doing yourassignments . If you can't come to school, you should call your teacher or your classmate and ask about homework. It is yourresponsibility to find out what homework you have missed. It is not the teacher's job to remind you of the missed assignments. You must not be absent on a test day. If you are seriously ill, call and let the teacher know you will not be there for the test. If your teacher allows amake-up test ,you should take the test within one or two days after you return to class. Serious illness is the only reason for missing a test. Be on time! It is impolite to be late. Also, it bothers other students. If you must come in late, be sure to do it quietly. Have your books and papers out of your bag before you come into the room. Then go to your seat and sit down quietly. In the USA, it is not necessary to knock before you enter the classroom. Most teachers will give you a low grade if you are often late. In America, you should call your teacher by his or her last name instead of " teacher". Also you should use Mr, Miss, Ms or Mrs before the last name ( such as Mrs Smith or Mr Jones). This is polite. The teacher will tell you the title that he or she likes. It is impolite in the USA to eat, drink or chew gum during class. Don't do these until the break. Also, removing your shoes in the classroom is not polite. What should you do if you miss a class? Hello, everyone! My name is Bob. I have a good friend. His name is Paul. He is a yellow dog. I like him very much. Every morning Paul runs with me, and we play in the park every afternoon. Paul is very fat. He likes eating beef hamburgers for breakfast. For dinner, he likes fish. Paul likes red. He has two red hats. Look! They are on my bed. But Paul is lost now. Please help me. My telephone number is 312-3216. My E-mail address is _ . Thanks. Where do Bob and Paul play every afternoon? Robert A.Heinlein was considered one of American's "Big Three"western science fiction authors,along with Issac Asimov and Arthur C.Clarke.He was born in a family of seven children in 1907,attended public school in Kansas City,and graduated from Central High School in 1924.In 1929 he graduated from fhe U.S.Naval Academy at Annapolis,and served as all officer in the Navy.This experience had a strong influence on his character and writing.At the age of thirty-two,he turned his hand to writing science fiction. Heinlein's first published stories appeared in the action-adventure magazine Astounding Science Fiction in 1939.Under his influence writers started to examine how technology might affect the everyday lives of ordinary people,and society in general. Heinleiu's early works emphasized adventure,and were aimed at young readers.In 1959 he received the Boy's Clubs of American Book Award.In these novels Heintein avoided open didacticism ,although his main characters learned lessons in courage and tolerance.Beginning in the late 1950s,Heinlein started to write specially for adults,and to deal with such topics as cloning,religion,and free love. Heinlein produced fifty novels and collections of short stories during his career.One of his best-known works is the novel Stranger in a Strange Land,published inl961.A few years later it was adopted by the"Peace and Love"generation,and became the most successful science-fiction novel ever published.Glory Road(1963),written in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars stories,is another of his most popular works. Within the framework of his science fiction stories,Heinlein repeatedly addressed such social themes as the importance of self-confidence and the duties each person owes to the society.In his fiction,Heinlein coined words that have become part of the English language, including"grok"and"waldo".He also described a modern version of a "waterbed"in his novel The Door Into Summer and several of his works have been adapted for film and television. Which of the following was adopted by the"Peace and Love"generation?
I had a very good teacher named Leon Sultan .I liked him very much. Mr. Sultan had just got a job at my high school but his name wasn't in the school's system. So when I got my schedule ,it read: Staff F. It was during _ hat I realised that "Staff F" was Mr. Sultan. When he called my name, he asked if I remembered him. Then I realised that he was the teacher who had taught me English when I was in primary school. Mr. Sultan was a very special teacher. Even though he was older and had been to college, but he was Still ready to learn from others. He would listen to your opinion carefully before expressing his opinion. I think what he taught me more than anything else is to have an open mind Another thing I couldn't forget was his teaching method -group work There were four members in the group. Each group had its own topic. Everyone in the group would play a certain role. One would keep the discussion moving, the other one would write down the thoughts of the group, another one would be responsible for gathering information, and another one would share everything the group had discovered with the rest of the class. This allowed us to become "experts" on one topic and teach the rest of our classmates. Now ,I have become a more open-minded boy. That is because of my two and a half years in Mr. Sultan's class. What was strange about the author's schedule? Answer: It didn't show Mr. Sultan's name. Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida, and I was all alone in a rather cold California. I was working too many hours and became very sick. I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, it was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside. There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped. When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane. He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning. He looked so confused and very worried. I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question. He just kept saying, "She said I have to go to New Orleans." After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family. She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket. When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay. He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. Naturally, I felt a little ashamed. Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant. It broke my heart. Immediately, I told him we would get it all straightened out, and our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning. We gave him the senior citizen's fare, which gave him some extra money for travelling. About this time he started to look very tired, and when I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right, I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage. He had been standing on it that whole time, holding a plastic bag full of clothes. I called for a wheelchair. When the wheelchair came, we all stepped around to help him in, and I noticed a small amount of blood on his bandage. I asked how he hurt his leg, and he said that he had just had bypass surgery and an artery was taken from his leg. Can you imagine? This man had had heart surgery, and then shortly afterward, was dropped off at the curb to buy a ticket with no reservation to fly to New Orleans, alone! I never really had a situation like this, and I wasn't sure what I could do. I went back to ask my supervisors if we could find a place for him to stay. They both said yes, and they obtained a hotel voucher for Mr. MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast. When I came back out, we got his plastic bag of clothes and cane together and gave the porter a tip to take him downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle. I bent down to explain the hotel, food and itinerary again to Mr. MacDonald, and then patted him on the arm and told him everything would be just fine. As he left he said, "Thank you," bent his head and started to cry. I cried too. When I went back to thank my supervisor, she just smiled and said, "I love stories like that. He is your Christmas Man." The old man wanted to fly to New Orleans to _ . Answer: spend the Christmas with his family Tuesday, 1stSeptember I had mixed feelings today, nervous, worried, happy, excited... My heart went down when Miss Chan, our head teacher, said that Matthew and Beth, two students from England, would spend three months with us! I was worried that I had to speak English so much! But at the end of the school day, I was happier than I thought: the morning with them today was more enjoyable than I expected. Today is the most unforgettable first day I have had! Matthew is fantastic! His English is clearer and easier to listen to than I thought. The other English student, Beth, is the most helpful girl I've ever met. There were lots of things to do on the first day. Beth offered to help Miss Chan put up all the notices. Of course, some of the credit should also go to ME because I translated some of the notices for her. Miss Chan praised us! We finished all the preparations 10 minutes earlier than expected, then Beth and I talked for a while, Matthew sang several English songs and did some stand-up comedy at the party. We all praised him. When the bell rang to end the first school day, none of us wanted to leave. When I went back home, I had a little headache. I have probably spoken more English today than the whole of last year. It was really a happy day! I hope our friendship can continue, even after they gone back to England! Matthew and Beth _ on the first day. Answer: got lots of praise India is traditionally a tea-drinking country. But, it is now gaining a new taste for coffee. This has led international coffee companies to consider opening businesses in the huge market. Local business people are also hoping to profit from the country's tea-drinking habits. They want to open new stores that offer tea. It is ten thirty in the morning in India. Two cafes are within meters of each other, near a college in New Delhi. And they are selling a lot of tea. Their main customers are undergraduate students. "We have a lot of break between classes, so whenever we get time, we just go and we enjoy ourselves. It's a lot of fun , especially when you are with people you enjoy spending time with." In the past ten years , cafes have become increasingly popular in India. The country's huge young population have quickly taken to the coffee culture. Coffee stores have spread from major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai to smaller towns. Coffee use has doubled in the last ten years . It is the success of this market that has gained the attention of companies like the American-based coffee chain Starbucks. The company will open its first store in India later this year. Other companies like Lavazza and Costa Coffee are already there. Yet, the growth of coffee will not reduce the popularity of tea. Indians drink eight times more tea than coffee. They have been drinking tea for more than one hundred and fifty years. India is one of the world's biggest producers of tea, which is known locally as "chai". Outside homes and offices, it is mostly sold by small businesses on the street. What is the text mainly about? Answer: India is becoming a big new coffee consuming country. When was the last time someone did something unexpectedly nice for you? Not someone you knew, but a total stranger? It's happened to me a few times, but two instances really stand out. A few years ago, I was dining out with a person who kept going on and on about himself, completely oblivious to the fact that I was sitting there in misery.It wasn't his company that disappointed me.I was recovering from a broken heart, and just sitting down to dinner reminded me of my last relationship.I could have collapsed in tears right there at the table. When we picked up the check, the waitress said, "Your meal was already paid for." My friend and I didn't have a clue how it happened.Then I remembered a man coming in out of the corner of my eye.He was dressed in mostly white, sat down at the bar, had a glass of wine, stayed for maybe ten minutes, and then left.The waitress said, "Yes, the gentleman who was in here a while ago paid for you." Just last year, I was running a half-marathon.With just 0.1 miles to go, I was out of gas. Runners call it "hitting the wall"; I thought I couldn't move another muscle.Out of nowhere, a teenager jogs up next to me and says, "What's your name, sweetie? Jennifer? Okay, Jennifer, let's go! Come on! It's just around the corner! You can do it!" And he ran with me until I picked up my pace.I found him at the finish line to thank him for the encouragement only to learn he wasn't even supposed to be in the race that day.He was running in place of someone else. I still shake my head when I think of these momentary angels that came to me at my point of need.Do you have any experiences like this? What do you think of the man paying for the meal? Answer: He is generous and warmhearted to others.
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications 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... 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 communications 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 alienation 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 conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier ...or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts. So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home. The writer feels that the use of modern communications is _ . A satisfying B encouraging C disappointing D embarrassing Answer: D Joey felt the very first rain drop hit his hat. "Let's go inside!" he said to his friend Billy. The two ran inside the house as it began to rain more outside. Joey's mother was very happy that they missed the rain and got inside before it made a big mess. Joey and Billy weren't as happy. "What are we going to do in here all day?" asked Billy. "I don't know" said Joey, looking out the window as the rain came down. Harder. And harder. "Oh no! I left my baseball glove outside" said Joey as he watched it begin to fill up with rain. His glove was going to be a mess! Thankfully, Joey's dad pulled up in his car. Seeing the glove on the ground, he picked it up as he ran inside. "Careful sport, you almost lost this" he told his son as he tossed him the wet mitt. But Joey wasn't listening, he was looking past his dad as he walked through the door. The sky was clearing up! Joey ran outside, Billy came after him. "Look at that!" Billy said as he pointed at the sky. A rainbow was appearing, it was so beautiful! The rain wasn't bad after all! Who was playing outside? A Joey and his dad B Joey's mom C Billy D Joey and Billy Answer: D Beth wanted to make some money, so she decided to sell cocaine. She asked Albert, who was reputed to have access to illegal drugs, to supply her with cocaine so she could resell it. Albert agreed and sold Beth a bag of white powder. Beth then repackaged the white powder into smaller containers and sold one to Carol, an undercover police officer, who promptly arrested Beth. Beth immediately confessed and said that Albert was her supplier. Upon examination, the white powder was found not to be cocaine or any type of illegal substance. If Albert knew the white powder was not cocaine but Beth believed it was, which of the following is correct? A Both Albert and Beth are guilty of attempting to sell cocaine. B Neither Albert nor Beth is guilty of attempting to sell cocaine. C Albert is guilty of attempting to sell cocaine, but Beth is not. D Albert is not guilty of attempting to sell cocaine, but Beth is. Answer: D Centuries ago, man discovered that removing moisture from food helps to store it, and that the easiest way to do this is to expose the food to sun and wind. In this way the North American Indians produce pemmican(dried meat ground into powder and made into cakes), the Scandinavians make stockfish and the Arabs dried dates. All foods include water--cabbage and other leaf vegetables contains as much as 93% water, potatoes and other root vegetables 80%, lean meat 75% and fish, anything from 80% to 60%, depending on how fatty it is. If this water is removed, the activity of the bacteria which cause food to go bad is checked. Fruit is sun-dried in Asia Minor, Greece, Spain and other Mediterranean countries, and also in California, South Africa and Australia. Various methods are used, but in general, the fruit is spread out on trays in drying yards in the hot sun. Nowadays most foods are dried mechanically. The method of such dehydration is to put food in chambers through which hot air is blown at temperatures of about 110degC at entry to about 43degC at exit. This is the usual method for drying such things as vegetables, minced meat, and fish. Dried foods take up less room and weigh less than the same food packed in cans or frozen, and they do not need to be stored in special conditions. For these reasons they are invaluable to the climbers, explorers and soldiers in battle, who have little storage space. They are also popular with housewives because it takes so little time to cook them. Usually it is just a case of replacing the dried-out moisture with boiling water. Bacteria which cause food to go bad _ . A cannot live in sunlight B are killed by drying C are in no way dependent on the water contained D have their activity greatly reduced by drying Answer: D Lillian was a young girl who grew up in a village. At the age of 16, her father forced her to drop out of school and find a job to help the family. With limited education, skills and hope, she would take the bus into the big cities of Windsor and Detroit, walk aimlessly about and then return home every day. She couldn't even bring herself to knock on a door. As the days passed, Lillian knew she would soon have to knock on a door. On one of her trips, Lillian saw a sign at Carhartt Overall Company, saying, "Help Wanted, Secretarial. Apply Within." She walked up to the office and was met by the office manager, who sat her down at a typewriter and said, "Let's see how good you really are." She directed Lillian to type a single letter and then left. Lillian looked at the clock: 11:40 am. She figured that she could run away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least try the letter. On her first try, she got through one line. It had five words and she made four mistakes. The clock read 11:45. "At noon," she said to herself, " _ ." On her second try, Lillian got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper. At last she completed the letter with some mistakes. Just then, the door opened and the office manager walked in. She came directly over to Lillian, read the letter, paused and then said, "Lillian, you've done a good job." Why did the office manager leave after directing Lillian to type a letter? A She was not satisfied with Lillian. B She found Lillian was too young. C She wanted to let the girl be quiet. D She wanted to test Lillian Answer: D
Many products are made from trees. Which is the best way to manage the use of trees? A. cut down most of the trees from forests B. build more lumber mills C. reduce the amount of recycled paper D. plant a tree each time one is cut down Answer: D David Moore taught science at the City School.He needed some expensive books,so he bought them.He put the books in his car in a quiet street.Then he went to other shops to buy something else.At six he came back to the car.One door was open--and the books were not there.David drove home. That night he wrote a letter to a newspaper.The next day he went to the police station. On Friday people read this in the newspaper: Books: Have you any old books? I buy old and modern books. Open all day on Saturday.Dauid Moore.26 Fry Road. David stayed at home on Saturday.The first mall came at eight.David took him to the kitchen.At half past nine another man arrived.He had a bag under his arm. "Mr.Moore?"the man asked. "That's right,"David said."Can I help you?" "I've got some good books.You buy books,don't you?" "Yes.Bring them in. Let me have a look." Soon the books were on the dining-table."Come in now."David called,"and bring the list." A policeman came into the dining-room.He read the names on the books and the names on the list in his hand.They were the same. "Come with me.Sir."the policeman said to the man. The first man to David's home was a _ . A. thief B. policeman C. driver D. cook Answer: B July 20th, 1969 was an important day.Two American landed on the moon.Their names were Armstrong and Aldrin.They went there in a spaceship.Its name was Apollo 11. Apollo 11 left Cape Kennedy on July 16th and went three hundred and eighty-five thousand kilometres.It took the two American three days to get there.On July 20th the spaceship landed in the Sea of Tranquility .Armstrong first stepped onto the moon.They picked up some rocks and put them in the spaceship.They jumped up and down.They were tired after their moonwalk,so they rested. On July 21st, Apollo 11 left the moon and returned to the Earth.Three days later, it came down in the Pacific Ocean.A ship took the men to America. The two Americans stayed on the moon for about _ . A. three days B. six days C. one day D. four days Answer: C By 2012,the world may need to cope with as many as 50 million people who have fled their homeland,not for political or economic reasons but because the environment has been so badly changed that it cannot support life. The statement has been released by the United Nations to mark UN Disaster Reduction Day. More people are made homeless by environmental disasters than by war,according to the research by the Red Cross. That reality is proved by the earthquake in Pakistan. The widely publicized disaster has brought aid from the global community,according to Janos Bogardi,director of the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security. "If we can move swiftly in and give them a new start where they are,then they may stay in the area. Otherwise,they become environmental refugees. Environmentalrelated migrations are most acute in SubSaharan Africa,but they also affect millions of people in Asia and India. Meanwhile,the United States is witnessing increased pressure from victims of mismanaged and worsening soil and water conditions in Mexico and Latin America." he says. Janos Bogardi says these refugees suffer from the impact of gradual environmental change--global warming,sea level rise,air and water pollution and more intense storms,floods and droughts that degrade the land. This is a slow process,but unfortunately a process that is very difficult to go backwards once final damage is done. Janos Bogardi says they are calling on the global community to recognize the serious situation of environmental refugees and to work together to lessen the impact of environmental disaster. What is implied in the passage? A. People all over the world have realized the impact of environmental disasters on refugees. B. It is time for us to take some measures to solve the problem of environmental refugees. C. The damaged soil can recover soon if people take care of it. D. It is good for people to go elsewhere to make a living. Answer: B Have You Planned Three Things to Do Before You Are 18? I know most of us have a long way to reach an adult. At present, are you bored with your daily life? Here are some things you should try before you are 18,because after that it's too late. Learn to swim Seriously, this is so important that it can save your life. If you can't swim well,you won't be able to do water sports like waterskiing, surfing and diving. Even taking a boat trip will be dangerous for you. Make sure you do it. Try at least one kind of team sports Being a good team player is an important skill in life. You can't just think of yourself,but have to work well with other people. Other advantages of team sports like basketball, football and baseball are that they keep you fit and healthy, and they are also great fun. Teams usually have _ too--you'll go to lots of parties and make many friends. Collect something One of the best hobbies for under-18s is collecting things. You could collect kinds of stamps,or you could collect things that make you remember what you have done,like cinema tickets for films you have seen or emails from friends. The best way to collect is to have a special album to put your collection in and to write what each thing means to you. That way you won't forget. The most important reason for learning to swim is that _ . A. you might feel well B. it can make you healthy C. you might easily do lots of things D. it can save your life Answer: D
Question: There are four seasons in China.March, April and May make the spring.June, July and August make the summer season.September, October and November make the autumn season.The rest of months make the winter season. The Australia seasons are the opposite of ours.When it's spring in China, it is autumn in Australia. Australia is in the south of the earth.June, July and August are the winter months.The summer is in December, January and February.It's very hot there, too. Near the North Pole there are two seasons.The winter nights are long.For more than two months you can't see the sun, even at noon.The summer days are long.For more that two months, the sun never sets , and there's no night. Near the North Pole there are two seasons: _ . A. spring and summer B. summer and winter C. summer and autumn D. spring and winter Answer: B. summer and winter Question: I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch . He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying: "I want to tell you a story. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy's high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. "That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. "He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, 'See me after class.' "The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, 'Why did I receive an F?' The teacher said, 'This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you'll have to pay large stud fees. There's no way you could ever do it.' Then the teacher added, 'If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.' "The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, 'Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.' Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, 'You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.' " Monty then turned to the group present and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." He added, "The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, 'Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids' dreams. Fortunately you had enough courage not to give up yours.' " "Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what," Monty at last concluded. Which of the following could best express the teacher's feelings when she said the words before leaving the ranch two years ago? A. Regretful and proud. B. Regretful and guilty. C. Honest and sorry. D. Embarrassed and proud. Answer: A. Regretful and proud. Question: The Harvard Student-led Walking Tour Let a student show you Harvard ... on a free walking tour. We welcome our neighbors to stop by the Harvard University Events & Information Center, located in the Holyoke Center Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge. Let a student take you and your family,school,or organization on an interesting,hour-long historical tour of the Harvard campus.The tours leave from the Events & Information Center. Not only will you discover the location of fascinating exhibitions and programmes on campus,you will also see Harvard's rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present Schedule of Tours Tours leave the Events & Information Center at 10 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday, and at 2 pm on Saturday through the academic year(February 4 through May 2;September 23 through December 16). Summer tours(June 24 through August 15)are offered at 10 am,11:15 am,2 pm,and 3:1 5 pm Monday through Saturday.Reservations for special tours of 20 or more people may be made by calling the Events & Information Center at(617)495--1573 or emailing icenter@camail. Harvard. edu. Tours are stopped March 23 through April 2 for Spring break,May 3 through June 23 for Spring intercession , and August 1 6 through September 22 for Summer intercession. NOTE:Prospective students may take tours originating at the Harvard Admissions Office,located at Byerly Hall on 8 Garden Street in Cambridge.The Admissions staff will conduct information sessions.For more information,please call at(617)495--1551. Harvard University Events & Information Center Location:Holyoke Center Arcade,1350 Massachusetts Avenue,Cambridge MA 02138 Phone:(617)495--1573 A student who wants an information session may _ for more information. A. call(617)495--1573. B. call(617)495--1551 C. email icenter@camail. Harvard.edu D. go to the Events & Information Center Answer: B. call(617)495--1551 Question: It has been known that the octopus has many special skills, such as using hard shells for mobile homes and protection, disabling their suckers, plotting escapes, and even predicting World Cup soccer game outcomes. Can't we say it is a mysterious creature? While all these talents are impressive, they pale compared to its ability to "disappear" from plain sight. Researchers have long known that this is possible because of the presence of the organs under their skin, which expand or contract to produce a series of color1s, patterns and even skin textures in just milliseconds. Scientists had always believed that such a reaction was directed by a signal from the octopus's large, human-like eyes or brain. But a recent report published in the Journal of Experimental Biology by researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara, indicate that the animal does not have to wait for a signal from its eyes or brain. It can "see" the light with its skin! UCSB doctoral student Desmond and Professor Todd said they have seen reports about octopus skin changing color1s in response to light with no signal from the eye or brain. However, there had been no follow-up to find out why this was the case and the two decided to see what they could uncover. They began by taking skin samples from a couple of California octopuses and exposing them to color1s, ranging from violent to orange and found that their skin is equipped with the same light-sensitive protein as is found in the cells in the retina of the eyes. Thanks to these proteins, the octopus can "see" the light and react without having to wait for a signal from the eyes or brain, thus enabling it to begin the escape process. Another research by University of Maryland researchers discovered that cuttlefish and squid share the same talent. Thanks to these findings researchers now know that their skin color1 can be controlled by both. What is still not clear is how the two come together to manage the whole process. The doctoral student plans to get to the bottom of the mystery. What does UCSB research find? A. Skin sample can be taken from California octopuses. B. Octopuses have protein similar to cuttlefishes's. C. Octopuses can "see" things by using its skin. D. The skin of octopuses expands to disable an attacker. Answer: C. Octopuses can "see" things by using its skin. Question: Bali is an Indonesian island rich in indigenous culture. A lot of people say that Balinese culture is unique and that the people of Bali have always been content with the "now". If you ask a Balinese person what heaven is like, the probable answer will be "just like Bali". This only goes to show that most Balinese people are happy to be where they are and never worry. One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali. In the Balinese culture, support is always available. Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex. Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma". This religion reached the island during the eleventh century. Most of the family customs and traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this.The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia. In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture. Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another. Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have preference either for music, dance, or painting. Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya. This marks the different stages of Balinese life. Cremation is very popular on this island--and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and color1ful event for the Balinese. Which of the following is true about Balinese people? A. They are good at controlling themselves at the funeral. B. They are all good artists in one or another. C. They have their own way to preserve their culture. D. They can only pass on their skills by word of mouth. Answer: C. They have their own way to preserve their culture.
The smartphone has become the centerpiece of many students' digital lives. Yes, it can be a distraction(,), but it is also an incredible tool that can transform classroom learning and late-night studying. Professors and students are starting to explore what the smartphone can contribute to learning-and there is a whole host of apps to help that process along. There are also plenty of apps to help students with the less academic parts of college life. To download any of these apps, search the iTunes App Store or Android Market. iOS apps are built for Apple's mobile platform and can run on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Skype Cost: Free Platform: Android, BlackBerry, iOS More and more smartphones now ship with front-facing cameras that make them great video chat tools. There are several competitors here ---- including Apple's FaceTime ----but Skype is still the best cross-platform tool for keeping in touch with faraway friends and family. Users on either end can be on a computer, smartphone. Grades 2 Cost: Free Platform: iOS This app is a sophisticated tool for calculating grades. Students can use it to figure out what grade they'll need on a test to achieve their target grade and also keeps track of overall GPA, weighted by each class's credit count. Students can also enter due dates for assignments as reminders. The app is free and supported by ads, but users can pay $1 inside the app to turn them off. Snoozerr Recordings Cost: 99 cents Platform: iOS This is a great tool for logging long lecture classes or smaller study sessions . It records audio and pairs that with time-stamped pictures that the student takes of presentations--- say, equations on a blackboard----or of his or her own notes. When the student wants to review, he or she can use the pictures as a visual guide to what the instructor was saying and replay that section. TED Cost: Free Platform: iOS This app is great for the student in everyone. It compiles video from hundreds of presentations at technology, entertainment and design----a conference that features short speeches focused on new ways of thinking. Presenters often speak about technology, social good or education and challenge societal norms. It's a great way to spend an hour or so hearing from some of the world's leading minds for free. All of the videos are also available at www.ted.com. AroundMe Cost: Free Platform: Android and iOS This app uses a smartphone's GPS to find nearby locations by category such as banks, gas stations, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets---- all the college staples . Many college students use Grades 2 mainly for _ . A chatting B calculating C hearing speeches D recording lectures Answer: B. calculating How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments-mostly for entertainment purposes-is fair and respectful? Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals.How ever, most zoos remain "collections" of interesting "things" rather than protective habitats .Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural bones. Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species , but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals' natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty.Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species' name, diet, and natural range .The animals' normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don't usually take care of the animals' natural needs. The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise.These results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoophobia.A worldwide study of zoos found that zoophobia is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages.Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain. Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered.Captive breeding of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild.Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out.In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers.Haven't we seen enough competitions to name baby animals? Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them.Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals' natural habitats. How would the author describe the animals' life in zoos? A Dangerous. B Unhappy. C Natural. D Easy. Answer: B. Unhappy. Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. "I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!" said Jason. "You will have to follow some rules," said his grandmother. "You can only ride in the park -- never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet . If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?" "You bet!" Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet. On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things. Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps . They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared. Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee. It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine! Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. "Excellent!" said a girl as she passed him. "Extreme!" laughed Jason to himself. "Not quite." Jason's grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _ . A he finished his homework B he liked the sport C he observed some rules D he won a bet Answer: C. he observed some rules How much do you want to pay for a CD by your favorite singer Jay Chou? Five Yuan for a pirated one, or more for a real one? Wang Ye, 14, said she would like the real one although the pirated one is cheaper." A real one is worth keeping for years." said the girl from No.1 middle school in Wu Han, Anhui. "Real CDs always sound better to me." What can we do? People want to do more to help those like Wang to get real CDs. This week the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry asked many countries to act against piracy . In many places in China, the government is checking audio and video products. Pirated ones are broken into pieces. Piracy is in your daily life. Don't believe it? A study by 21st Century Teens found that more than 75 percent of juniors had listened to pirated music. They say this is because pirated products are usually much cheaper than the real ones. Why are real CDs so expensive? When a music company makes music, it needs to pay the song writers and singers. It costs a lot of money! This makes the price of the CDs go up. Piracy like stealing. People who make pirated copies of CDs take away the writers' and singers' work without paying them. They even don't ask them if they can. So next time you'd better keep your eyes brightened when you see cheap CDs. Remember you're helping someone to do something wrong if you buy them. How do you know what's real. Already made up your mind to buy real ones? Well, you should get to know what real CDs look like. A real CD has the name and trademark of the music company on the cover. The company's address, telephone number and fax number are on it. If you open the CD box you'll see the singer's name and the album title. Most important of all, a real CD has a number from the IFPI on it. But people who make pirated CDs only need the real CD and disks to copy them. That's why some CDs are only five Yuan, but some many sell for 150 Yuan. From the passage we get to know that some pirated company are _ . A moved away B doing something wrong C broken D made smaller Answer: B. doing something wrong After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market. It's an interesting and exciting new improvement in today's world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and conserve our natural resources. The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which are used to power a car's engine. The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution. A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it. But that's not how it works. The 144 volt battery pack is actually recharged( ) through the energy that is produced when the car's brakes are used. This is referred to as "regenerative braking", because it generates electricity. Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically ( ; )shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts back up. Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn't happen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, "I am low on gas". When it completely runs out, the warning reads, "YOU ARE NOW OUT OF GAS!" Then the electric power supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station. Which of the following is right about the EPA? A They designed hybrid cars. B They outlawed (......) the burning of fossil fuels. C They set important guidelines that help control pollution. D Their main purpose is to protect endangered plants and animals. Answer: C. They set important guidelines that help control pollution.
How to Get What I Want? There's an expression: "What you see is what you get." My grandfather used to say: "If you looked at a tree long enough, it will move." We see what we want to see. Psychologists tell us that nothing controls our lives more than our self-image. We live like the person we see in the mirror. We are what we think we are. If you don't think you'll be successful, you won't. You can't be it if you can't see it. Your life is limited to your vision. If you want to change your life, you must change your vision of your life. Arnold Schwarzenegger was not that famous in 1976 when he met with a newspaper reporter. The reporter asked Schwarzenegger: "Now that you've retired from bodybuilding, what do you plan to do next?" Schwarzenegger answered very calmly and confidently: "I'm going to be the No. 1 movie star in Hollywood." The reporter was shocked and amused at Schwarzenegger's plan. At that time, it was very hard to imagine how this muscle-bound bodybuilder, who was not a professional actor and who spoke poor English with a strong Austrian accent, could ever hope to be Hollywood's No. 1 movie star! So when the reporter asked Schwarzenegger how he planned to make his dream come true, Schwarzenegger said: "I'll do it the same way I became the No. 1 bodybuilder in the world. What I do was create a vision of who I want to be, and then I start living like that person in my mind as if it were already true." Sounds almost childishly simple, doesn't it? But I worked! Schwarzenegger became the No. 1 highest paid movie star in Hollywood. Remember: "If you can see it, you can be it." There's a successful businessman who often wears a shirt with these words on it: " _ ! " you only get one life to live, so why not live the best life possible? So you can be fully satisfied at what you see and get. Why was it hard for the reporter to believe that Schwarzenegger would become a star one day? A. Because he was not famous. B. Because he was not professional and spoke poor English. C. Because he was good at nothing except bodybuilding. D. Because he only spoke English fluently. Answer: B. Because he was not professional and spoke poor English. Hunter Bliss, like more and more American students, left the United States to go to college. In the 2011-2012 school year, 46,571 U.S. students registered for degree programs in 14 countries. The top destination countries were the U.K. and Canada, followed by France, Germany, Italy and some other European countries. Germany, in particular, has attracted many more American students in recent years, like Hunter Bliss. In 2012, there were more than 4,000 American students completing bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees in Germany. The Institute of International Education (IIE) says that the number of U.S. students completing college degrees in Western Europe increased by about 5 percent from 2010 to 2012. American students choose to study in another country for two main reasons. First, international experience is becoming more important in the modern job market. Second, the cost of higher education has continued to rise in the United States. Rising tuition costs make education abroad--particularly in countries that charge no tuition-attractive to American students, says the IIE. Many American students choose Germany because of the low cost of education there. German public universities do not charge tuition fees. And many universities in Germany offer courses in English, too. College education in the US is seen as a privilege and expected to cost money but in Germany _ is seen as an extension of a free high school education where one expects it to be provided. The German government has been eager to encourage students to come to Germany for another reason. Like many countries in Western Europe, German's population is becoming older, and fewer young people are entering college and the job market. The German government hopes to attract skilled foreign students who will stay in Germany. The main reason why US students choose to study in Germany is that _ . A. many universities there offer courses in English B. the cost of education is relatively low there C. studying abroad matters in their job hunting D. it is much easier to find a job than in the USA Answer: B. the cost of education is relatively low there At one time it was the dream of many little girls to become a nurse. Today, however, America is facing its worst nurse shortage since World War I. Recently about 2, 000, 000 nurses are needed and 60 percent of all hospitals in the US have shortages large enough to threaten the quality of care provided. The demand for nurses spreads widely throughout the nursing field. What has become of these women in white? The answer lies in not one but several causes. One possibility is the fact that women have greater career options . In the past, women who chose to work outside the home had two basic choices: nursing or teaching. Today, more women than ever are in the work force, but their options have greatly increased. There are women doctors, lawyers, firefighters and police officers. In fact, women today are found in nearly every field of work. Nursing has been left behind, as women move on to jobs with higher pay and greater status . A woman or man in the nursing field is often looked down upon as "merely a nurse". Teachers may be also at fault. Many high school students are actually being persuaded to keep away from nursing, told by teachers that they are "too bright to be a nurse". Americans are living longer than ever and requiring more medical attention. In fact, the number of elderly patients has almost doubled in the past twenty years. Obviously a larger population requires more nurses. AIDS and other diseases have caused more and more people to need nursing care. Usually fatal diseases mean long drawn-out hospital stay, that is to say, more nurses are needed to care for these patients. It is said that the demand for nurses will be doubled in the coming ten years. What are the main factors that are responsible for the shortage of nurses in America? A. Women are better educated and provided with more different jobs than men. B. More women are clever enough to be doctors, lawyers and police officers. C. Greater career options are offered for women and more patients require nurse care D. There are more diseases and nurses are badly paid and looked down upon. Answer: C. Greater career options are offered for women and more patients require nurse care A body needs fiber to make healthy bowel movements and this can be absorbed by consuming A. water B. cheese C. eggs D. broccoli Answer: D. broccoli An example of a change in the Earth is A. the sands of Mars moving B. the moon appearing larger in the night sky C. a volcano erupting in Hawaii burning through a forest D. a skyscraper being built Answer: C. a volcano erupting in Hawaii burning through a forest
Question: A poor traveler arrived at a small village. He had no food or money. He only had a cooking pot. He made a small cooking fire, placed his pot on it, and poured in some water. When a few villagers asked what he was doing, he said that he was making stone soup which was a recipe passed down from his father. He then dropped a round stone into the pot. Then the traveler told the villagers stories of his travels and the exciting things he'd seen. He tasted his soup and said it was nice, but a bit of salt would be better. One villager went home and came back with some salt for the soup. A few more villagers stopped to see what was going on when they heard the traveler speaking. The traveler told more stories and said that some carrots or onions would be nice to the delicious soup. So another villager said he could give a few carrots and brought them from his home. This continued with the traveler asking for onions, a bit of meat, celery , potatoes to the soup. Finally, the soup was OK and everyone enjoyed the tasty meal. What did the traveler have? A. Some money. B. Some food. C. A cooking pot. D. Some salt. Answer: C. A cooking pot. Question: We've all had a bad feeling soon after a hearty lunch. You can' t stay focused, your energy level falls, and you wish you possessed a warm blanket so you could curl up under your desk for a quick nap. But you have important things to do-like completing that project or leading a team meeting in 1ess than an hour. You don't have to suffer that fate anymore. I have four foods that will get your focus back on track so that you can finish your workday stronger than you started. Keep these products handy in your office, and you'll never suffer from that 2 p. m. mental slog ever again. Green Tea While coffee is an important afternoon pick-me-up, green tea should not be overlooked. The unique combination of the amino acid thiamine and caffeine has been shown across several studies to improve creativity, ability to multitask, and reaction time. Try some amazing tea recipes to get, started. Almonds Almonds are a great afternoon recharger that research from Purdue University shows will also aid in your weight-loss efforts. This is because almonds provide sustained energy: a mix of fat, fiber, and protein.Those elements allow almonds to offer a convenient snack that gives you a smooth shot of energy that comes from controlling your blood sugar levels. Plus, research shows that people who regularly eat nuts have as much as a 50 percent reduced risk of having a heart attack. Greek Yogurt Research from the University of Missouri shows that protein helps your body into better blood sugar control by stimulating the release of the hormone glucagon . Aim for a cup that has 20 t0 23 gram.s of protein for your snack. Dark Chocolate Despite often being viewed as a bad dietary food, dark chocolate can help fight off that urge to take a nap in the middle of the day. While dark chocolate does contain small amounts of caffeine, its real power comes from phenyl ethylamine . Research from Middlesex University in London shows that just smelling chocolate can shift brain activity towards greater attention. Which of the following statements is true? A. White coffee can't help us stay focused in the afternoon. B. Eating Almonds regularly can help us lose weight. C. Dark Chocolate can help us have a good nap in the afternoo . D. Having no lunch can help us stay focused in the afternoon. Answer: B. Eating Almonds regularly can help us lose weight. Question: The Antarctica is actually a desert. It is the only continent on the earth without a river or a lake. The Antarctica is all ice all year round. The warmest temperature ever recorded there is zero, at the South Pole. Explorers used to think that a place so cold would have a heavy snowfall. But less than ten inches of snow falls each year. That is less than half an inch of water. Ten times that much moisture falls in parts of the Sahara. The little snow that falls in Antarctica never melts. It continues to pile up deeper and deeper year after year and century after century. When the snow gets to be about eighty feet deep it is turned to ice by the weight of snow above it . The snow turns to ice when _ . A. it gets wet. B. the next snowfall comes. C. the temperature gets colder. D. the snow above it is heavy enough. Answer: D. the snow above it is heavy enough. Question: About 6 percent of luxury hotels in three major Chinese cities have stopped serving shark fin ,a survey has found. Although the controversial dish remains on the menu at most hotels, Green Beagle Environment Institute, a Beijing-based non-government organization that was the main sponsor of the survey, said the results are encouraging and reflect increased awareness. The survey was carried out in Beijing, Shenzhen and Fuzhou, which were selected as representative cities to collect basic data on shark fin consumption nationwide. In Beijing, 132 hotels completed the phone questionnaire between Nov. 20 and Dec. 12. Only 12 hotels, 9 percent, said they do not serve shark fin. A similar survey of 131 Beijing hotels conducted a year ago found only one hotel that did not serve shark fin, Wang Xue, chief coordinator of the survey, said on Saturday.In Shenzhen, four out of the 85 four and five star hotels surveyed had stopped serving shark fin, accounting for about 5 percent. In Fuzhou, only one of the 40 hotels surveyed did not serve shark fin. On average, about 6. 61 percent of the hotels in the three cities did not serve the food. "The survey reminded us there is still a long way to go to remove shark fins from Chinese hotels and restaurants, but the improved situation in Beijing is encouraging," said Wang. "We found more hotels and restaurants were willing to take action over the past year." International hotels are more active in the "shark-fin-free" project, she noted. China is the world's biggest importer and consumer of shark fin, which has been used in luxurious Chinese dishes for 500 years. Dishes made from shark fin are still regarded as a symbol of honor and respect,especially at business dinners, according to Wang. Research has also found that shark fin contains poisonous elements, but the nutritious value is less than that of chicken or pork. "We hope hotels and restaurants remove shark fin products from their menus," Wang added. Why do Chinese people are fond of eating shark fin? A. Shark fin stands for honor and respect in China B. Shark fin is rich in a variety of nutrition C. The living standard of Chinese is much better than before. D. Shark fin can make people live longer. Answer: A. Shark fin stands for honor and respect in China Question: At the age of 45 I decided to learn the English language. Not that I didn't know the language, but to improve my command over the language, I joined English academic classes close to my house. In one class, the instructor gave us a sheet of a hundred words and told us to write the opposite of each word as homework. At home I sat with that page but though I could manage the easy words quickly, for certain words I had to take the help of the dictionary. Feeling relaxed and like an achiever, my new found enthusiasm forced me to explore some more words. Exploring the dictionary, for every word I found the opposite word (except all forms of nouns). The entire night went on exploring words, but the night was not enough to complete the dictionary. I had enough time to hand in my homework, so the next day, after work once again I sat in through the night and started exploring opposite words from the dictionary. The exercise was easy, but suddenly something struck my mind. Instead of finding the words which have opposite words, I should look for words that do NOT have any opposite word. After going through sleepless nights that week, I could not find a single word which doesn't have an opposite word. This amazed me and forced me to conclude that without the opposite word the original word doesn't have its real meaning or value. In other words, every word is incomplete without its opposite. The conclusion forced me to think differently. Although many questions remained unanswered in my mind, the one thing I concluded was that these words are created by humans and every human possesses two qualities within himself, Positive and Negative. Similarly he created words with opposites. This proves that whatever we welcome in our life, we will also be welcoming the opposite of it. And at the end of the day we will complain about the negative forces surrounding us, making us weak, dull, pessimistic and so on...Isn't this strange? Which of the following idioms may the author agree more with? A. Every coin has two sides. B. Easier said than done. C. All roads lead to Rome. D. Kill two birds with one stone Answer: A. Every coin has two sides.
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 . According to the author, in the area of the Central Valley _ . A. rains usually come without thunder and lightning. B. it is usually dry in April C. children pay no attention to the two natural wonders. D. parents are not interested in thunder an lightning. Answer: A An old farmer spent all his life on his farm in the country in the southeast of England. One day he decided to visit the big city. Everything was new and strange to him, because he had never traveled to the city before. The old farmer visited a lot of interesting places in the city. He rushed into a large tall building and saw a lift. When he was watching, an old woman got into the lift and closed the door. After a while, the door opened again and a very perfect young girl came out. The old farmer was very surprised, "What a funny little room!" He said to himself, "It's magic. It can change an old woman into a young girl. The next time I come here, I'm going to bring my wife to take the lift. " The old farmer _ . A. came to the city for the first time B. had traveled to the city several times C. found nothing new and strange in the city D. only visited the large tall building Answer: A In some children who go blind, certain parts of the brain that normally control vision appear to switch jobs and focus instead on sound, a new study has found. The study, by researchers at the University of Montreal, involved 7 adults who could see and 12 adults who had lost their vision when they were children. Each participant sat in a room with 16 loudspeakers at different locations. The room was designed so that there were no echoes During the experiment, the speakers irregularly produced sounds. Participants had to point to where the sounds were coming from. Meanwhile, the researchers monitored blood flow in the brains of the participants to see which brain structures were working during the task. The results showed that five of the blind participants were very good at pointing to where sounds were coming from. In these people, blood flow increased in the visual cortex --- an area at the back of the right side of the brain. This part of the brain is usually associated with vision. The other seven blind participants showed no increase in activity in the visual cortex. These people didn't do very well at picking out where sounds were coming from. Now, the researchers are looking at whether these people have gained an enhanced sense of touch instead of sound to replace their lost vision. The scientists say that their study shows how adaptable parts of the brain can be. The purpose of the experiment described in the passage is to find whether _ . A. blood flow in the brains of blind people is slower B. blind people have a better sense of sound C. the sense of touch is better among blind people D. blind children can regain their sight Answer: B Chromosomes contain the genetic information of an organism. Fruit flies reproduce by sexual reproduction. Most of the cells of a fruit fly have 8 chromosomes. Which statement best explains the source of the chromosomes in a normal fertilized fruit fly egg? A. The egg cell contains all 8 chromosomes. B. The sperm cell contains all 8 chromosomes. C. The sperm cell provides 4 chromosomes and the egg cell provides 4 chromosomes. D. The egg cell provides 4 chromosomes and 4 sperm cells each provide 1 chromosome. Answer: C deep sea animals live way down in the A. volcanoes B. wet abyss C. sky D. mount everest Answer: B
After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program,her mother recalled,Marie Colvin returned home to find that her classmates had narrowed down their college choices."Everyone else was already admitted to college," her mother,Rosemarie Colvin,said from the family home."So she took our car and drove up to Yale and said,' _ '" "Impressed--she was a National Merit finalist who had picked up Portuguese in Brazil--Yale did, admitting her to the class of 1978,where she started writing for the Yale Daily News and decided to be a journalist," her mother said. On Wednesday,Marie Colvin,56,an experienced journalist for The Sunday Times of London,was killed as Syrian forces shelled the city of Homs.She was working in a temporary media center that was destroyed in the attack. "She was supposed to leave Syria on Wednesday",Mrs.Colvin said."Her editor told me he called her yesterday and said it was getting too dangerous and they wanted to take her out.She said she was doing a story and she wanted to finish it." Mrs.Colvin said it was pointless to try to prevent her daughter from going to conflict zones."If you knew my daughter," she said,"it would have been such a waste of words.She was determined,she was enthusiastic about what she did,it was her life.There was no saying 'Don't do this.' This is who she was,absolutely who she was and what she believed in:cover the story,not just have pictures of it,but bring it to life in the deepest way you could.""So it was not a surprise when she took an interest in journalism," her mother said. Marie Colvin's story suggests some of the best qualities of being a journalist are _ . A patience and confidence B honesty and curiosity C flexibility and creativity D determination and courage Answer: D. determination and courage Jack's mother is ill. His father goes to New York and the boy has to look after her. He gets up early this morning, cooks breakfast for his sister and gives his mother some medicine and water and then goes to school. On the way to school, Jack meets Bob, one of his friends. Bob asks, "Are you late this morning, too?" "Yes, I am." "I'm sure Mr. Brown will be angry at us," says Bob, "We can't go to school." "Where are we going, then?" "To the zoo. There are many monkeys in it. We'll have a good time there." "We can't do that," says Jack, "or we'll fall behind our classmates. Mr. Brown is good. He wants us to be good, too." Bob thinks Jack is right and they go to school. Which of the following is NOT TRUE? A Jack is good to his mother and sister. B Jack doesn't go to the zoo. C Jack and Bob go to the zoo at last. D Bob wants to go to play in the zoo. Answer: C. Jack and Bob go to the zoo at last. If the sun has set it is A easy to cook a meal B time to eat breakfast C necessary to wear a coat D harder to see outside Answer: D. harder to see outside Your mom tells you to put on your hat and gloves. But as the cold winter season gets closer, it's so cold that even mom's advice does not work. That means it's time to put on your qiuku! This is a kind of "thermal underwear " or long underpants that keep people warm in the coldest months of the year. In Western countries, qiuku is usually known as long johns, but they aren't popular. Long johns in the US are usually two pieces, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, worn under other clothing or sometimes even used as pajamas . Long johns first appeared in England during the 17thcentury. We call them long johns because the US boxer John L. Sullivan wore them while he boxed. But this is not a historical fact. In the US, it gets quite cold and snowy in many places. And while parents often push kids to wear more clothes and long underwear, _ Part of the reason might be because it's not very fashionable and another reason might be because people don't spend much time outside during the cold months. So they just deal with the freezing temperatures when they have to leave the warm building. But in their parents' eyes, staying warm is more important than looking nice. What is part of long johns in the US? A Socks B T-shirts C Long pants D Coats Answer: C. Long pants BEIJING(China Daily2010-8-27)---With a rapid increase in the number of Chinese PhD graduates programs in the past decade, it seems the quality of educating doctoral students is falling. About 70 percent of employers complain that employees who hold PhDs show little creation in their work performance, according a resent survey. The number of PhD students in China reached 246,300 in2009, about five times the figure in 1999. China replaced the United States to become the world's top producer of doctorate holders in 2008, according to an Asia Times report. "Nowadays, it is not rare for people in their 30s to become professors in Chinese universities, but I really doubt their experience and capability at such a young age," said Ge Daoshun, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Almost half of the professors admitted each of them had to direct more than seven PhD candidates. Some 60 percent of PhD candidates admitted they have been given more than half of their professors' research projects. The relationship between PhD students and their teachers has become an employment, in other words, a "master-apprentice" relationship, since professors use their students as cheap labor to do research. "Chinese universities should reform the tutorial system and introduce more stricter requirements for people to get a PhD diploma to improve the quality of education," Ge told China Daily. However, Liu Xin, a 25-year-oldPhDcandidate at the University of Sussex in England, argued that a major reason China is producing low quality doctorates is that most of the candidates do not have a passion for academic research... "The best college students of China have seldom ended up in academic positions. Most of them want to work in either banking or foreign companies, which pay much better." What does the underline word in Para,5 mean? A teacher B director C student D co-operator Answer: C. student
Several years ago, a student working on a research project in my laboratory approached me with concern."I'm doing something wrong,"she exclaimed. I had seen her research results and knew she was making good progress, so I was surprised to hear that she was having a problem. Over the next several days we went through her experiment; yet I could not find a problem. Finally, I asked her,"Why do you think you're doing something wrong?" "Because I'm not getting what you said I should get,"she replied with some confusion. Her response shocked me. I had not told her what she"should get", but we had discussed some published hypotheses several weeks earlier. On seeing the research data that did not fit these predictions, I recognized that she had a new finding and came to change my hypotheses. But she was interpreting her results as a mistake. With almost four years of a college science major behind her, this student still had the common misunderstanding that science is a boring exercise in proving something we already know to be true. But how can this happen? Throughout school, science is often described in textbooks as a series of"known"facts and figures; for example, DNA is a double helix; earthquakes occur at plate boundaries, etc. Unfortunately, the process by which these discoveries were made and how they fit into scientific progress are often ignored in the classroom. These details help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the tails help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the skepticism that goes with new discoveries before they are accepted. Understanding science is more than memorizing that DNA is a double helix. It is to have the ability to take in new information on diet, exercise, or disease and apply it to our own lives. Understanding the process of science and scientific problem-solving can help us make better decisions every day. What is to blame for the student's misunderstanding about science? A. Her own carelessness. B. Her teacher's lack of experience. C. The method of science education. D. The publication of some wrong hypotheses. Answer: C The Collections of Chinese Ancient Cultural Relics Abroad: Volume Victoria and Albert Museum has just been published, the fruit of ten years' efforts by Chinese experts. The book is the first of an upcoming series that centers on ancient cultural heritage collections in different museums around the world. The book details 195 out of 18,000 items now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in England. More than 1.64 million ancient Chinese artifacts have been transported out of China because of different reasons such as wars and smuggling since the mid 19th century. More than 200 museums in 47 countries hold such collections, according to a report from UNESCO. "The information we now have about these pieces is still very patchy ," said Lu Zhangshen, curator of the National Museum of China. "In order to have a clearer picture about these items, National Museum of China decided to start the Chinese Ancient Cultural Relics Abroad book project in 2005. But after we began, we found it really difficult to collect information for every piece from each museum. That's why the first volume took us ten years." "The pieces in the book include 102 porcelains , 31 bronzes , 22 lacquer , 10 enamel vessels and so on," Liu Mingqian from Victoria and Albert Museum said. According to the National Museum of China, the volume of the Japanese museum Sen-oku Hakuko Kan is coming out soon and the museum will seek more cooperation from museums worldwide to accelerate the project. Which of the following statements is NOT True According to the text? A. So far, Volumes Victoria, Albert Museum and the Japanese museum have been published. B. A great many ancient Chinese artifacts have been distributed worldwide due mainly to wars and smuggling. C. It is nearly ten years since the Chinese Ancient Cultural Relics Abroad book project was set up. D. At present, collecting information for every piece from each museum is to some degree tough. Answer: A Amy went to the beach one day last summer. She went with her family. Her parents let her and her brother, Brian, each bring one friend. Amy invited Candace. Brian asked David. Their neighbor Eddie also went. The six of them got into Amy's dad's car and began the long trip to the beach. In the car, they sang and played games together. They soon got the beach. Everyone put on sun block and had lunch. They ate on a large, blue blanket. Amy's mother had brought the blanket. After eating, everyone found fun things to do. Amy and Candace made sand castles with Amy's father. Brian, Eddie, and David swam in the sea and played catch. Amy's mother sat in a chair and read a book. When the sun began to set, they packed everything up and began to drive home. Both Brian and Candace slept. David played a game with Amy and Eddie before Eddie fell asleep and started to drool. After they got home, everyone had dinner at Amy's and talked about how much fun they had at the beach. Who brought the blanket they sat on? A. Candace. B. Brian. C. Amy's father. D. Amy's mother. Answer: D We start finding things laughable -- or not laughable -- early in life. An infant first smiles at approximately eight days of age. In his book Beyond Laughter, psychiatrist Martin Grotjahn says that the earlier infants begin to smile and laugh, the more advanced their development is. Studies revealed that children who did not develop these responses "developed a schizophrenic psychosis in later life, or simply gave up and died". Between the ages of six months and one year, babies learn to laugh for essentially the same reasons why they will laugh throughout their lives, says Dr. Jacob Levine. He says that people laugh to express mastery over an anxiety. Adult laughter is more subtle , but we also laugh at what we used to fear. The feeling of achievement, or lack of it, remains a leading factor. Giving a first dinner party is an anxious event for newly-weds. Will the food be good? Will the guests get along? All goes well; the party is over. Now they laugh freely. Their pleasure is from recalling the evening's activities. They couldn't enjoy the second pleasure without the first. Laughter is a social response caused by signals. Scientists have not determined a brain center for laughter, and they are puzzled by patients with certain types of brain damage who go into laughing with no apparent reason. The rest of us require company and a reason to laugh. Another reason why laughter is pleasurable is because of the physical feeling involved. According to Dr. Levine, we can measure our adjustment to the world by our capacity to laugh. When we are secure about our abilities, we can make fun of our weakness. If we can laugh through our anxieties, we will not be overpowered by them. The ability to laugh starts early, but it takes a lifetime to perfect. Says Dr. Levine, "When social relationships are mastered, when individuals have mastered... a peaceful relationship with themselves, then they have ... the sense of humor." And then they can throw back their heads and laugh. What is the best title of the passage? A. Beyond Laughter -- A New Book with Fruitful Findings B. Smiling -- A New Mastery over Anxieties C. An Important Sign of Confidence and Success D. The Function and Meanings of Smiling Answer: D At thirteen, I was diagnosed with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not. In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, "Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it." She glanced down at me through her glasses, "you are no different from your classmates, young man." I tried, but I didn't finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home. In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn't get much education. But Louis didn't give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots , which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind. Wasn't I the "blind" in my class, being made to learn like the "sighted" students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up? I didn't expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day with an "A" on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words: " See what you can do when you keep trying?" The author didn't finish the reading in class because _ . A. He was new to the class B. He was tired of literature C. He had an attention disorder D. He wanted to take the task home Answer: C
A young man is lying in hospital sadly. The 24-year-old lost his right leg. The doctor said that his long history of smoking was the reason. "I first smoked when I was 14. _ made me feel like a man and I thought it looked cool. Now I know I was wrong," said the young man. It is a mistake many young people make. According to the survey, 40 million of China's 130 million young people aged between 13 and 18 smoke. Fifteen million of them are addicted . The survey also found that about 68% of young smokers first smoked before the age of 13. Many young people see people smoke in the movies, but in real life, stars like Jackie Chan think smoking is a bad thing and not cool at all. Doctors say that if a person starts smoking very young, he or she may live 22 years less than those who don't smoke. The number of young people who smoke in China is _ million. What are you unlikely to find in a canyon? My name is Mike. I'm a student of No. 14 Middle School. Our school is on Guangming Street. It's next to the People's Library. There is a big park across from our school. The pay phone is between our school and the post office. I live near the school. I often walk to school. It takes me five minutes. There are three buildings in our school, the students' building, the teachers' building and a library building. The teachers in our school are very good and friendly. Our school is very beautiful. If you come to our school from the airport , you can take a taxi. It takes about thirty minutes to get to our school by taxi. Now let me tell you the way to our school. First, go along Bridge Street and turn left when you see Guangming Street. Go along Guangming Street, you can see the People's Library on your left. Our school is next to it. If you can't find it, you can call me at 010-89864578. How long does it take to get to No. 14 Middle School from the airport by taxi? If you have no special plans for your holidays, why not spend your time helping others?Don't believe those people who say that young people today often think only of themselves. It's not true at all. More and more young people in the USA volunteer to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don't do it for money. Here are some of their stories. Alice, 17 I'm going to help the Forest Center build new hiking paths in the mountains. It's going to be great fun -- I'll spend the whole summer living in a forest and breathing the clean mountain air. I'm going to sleep under the moon and stars. It will be a nice sport, and I'll be able to do something good at the same time! Jason , 18 This summer, I'm going to volunteer with Special House Program. They build good, less expensive houses and sell them to families that are not very rich. They'll teach me what to do, so I'll help people and also have a chance to learn how to build houses. Trish , 16 I'm going to teach children who have trouble in reading. I'll work for a program called Reading for Life. Every day, I'm going to help them choose and read books that they like. I want to be a teacher, and I love children and reading, so this is going to be a great experience for me. Which is the most possible title for this passage? WASHINGTON---At least four more U.S. air-traffic controllers are caught nodding off on the job at three separate airports across the nation, the government said Wednesday. The controller working alone in the tower fell asleep and was out of communication for 16 minutes while a medical flight carrying a patient was trying to land at about 2 A.M. Wednesday at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. The FAA announced that it is also investigating a controller who fell asleep Monday at Boeing King County International Airport in Seattle and two controllers who were unresponsive at Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock, Texas, on March 29.The agency had earlier revealed that an air-traffic supervisor fell asleep March 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and a controller slept for five hours at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee on Feb.19. "I am sick of this," Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in a statement. "We can't have an aviation system where some of the people responsible for safety are asleep at the switch." As the incidents pile up, sleep experts say it demonstrates that the agency faces a systemic issue with the thousands of people expected to work through the night in safety-critical jobs. Scientific research shows that workers on midnight shifts make more errors because it is so difficult for the body to adapt to sleeping during the day, they say. ks5u The agency will add an extra controller at the 27 towers staffed with one worker on the midnight shift, the FAA statement said. Agency chief Randy Babbitt and the controllers' union president, Paul Rinaldi, will visit facilities around the country next week to reinforce the need for "the highest professional standards," according to the FAA. Doug Church, a spokesman for Rinaldi of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, didn't immediately return a telephone call for comment. Representative John Mica, the Florida Republican who chairs the House transportation committee, criticized the decision to add controllers. "Only in the federal government would you _ , averaging $161,000 per year in salary and benefits, that aren't doing their job," Mica said in a statement. Mica has pushed legislation that would allow as many as 90 smaller airports to switch from federal to private controllers. "People have known these problems with fatigue have existed for years," said John Goglia, a Boston-based aviation safety consultant. "They're now showing up. The FAA is admitting they exist. Now the FAA needs to work on it." Babbitt said April 6 a controller was in the process of being fired for deliberately sleeping on the job at the McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 19. The four controllers in Nevada, Seattle and Texas have been suspended pending investigations, the FAA said. According to John Goglia, fatigue problem _ .
A young woman was at the cinema,and she was enjoying the film very much.In the next seat there was an old man,and he began looking on the floor under him.The woman was angry and whispered ,"What are you doing now? What are you looking for?" "A piece of chocolate ,"the man whispered to her,"I've dropped it on the floor." "A piece of chocolate? "the woman said angrily,"It s dirty now! Take this and be quiet, please! I'm listening to the film!"She gave the man a big piece of chocolate. "But."the man said,"my teeth are in the piece on the floor!" On the floor lay _ . A. neither chocolate nor his teeth B. either chocolate or his teeth C. both his chocolate and his teeth D. chocolate only Answer: C As the world watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center come under attack, a common phrase was repeated:" It looks like a movie." But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building. The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers and left 5,000 people dead or missing. Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger. The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened by terrorist attacks in these exciting films. The film" True Lies", released in 1994, is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie. The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action look like a real thing. "Independence Day" in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House. This science fiction movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet. In the movie, the World Trade Center towers are destroyed. Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies. And this is what people enjoy. Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes. "Swordfish" was top of the American box office in June. But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the Sept. 11 disaster. The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack. But it's unlikely that Hollywood will stay quiet for long. It is already waiting for the feeling in America to calm down. Which of the following is TRUE? A. Hollywood made a lot of money out of the film "Swordfish" in June. B. Hollywood stopped making films showing terrorism and disasters after the Sept. 11 attack. C. "Swordfish" was not allowed to be shown after the Sept. 11 attack. D. The World Trade Center was destroyed because no superman came to save I t. Answer: A Sally Ride was born in California in 1951. She was the first American woman to travel into space. She loved to play tennis and wanted to be a tennis player when she was young. But after three months' professional training, she changed her mind. She went to Stanford University and started to study science. She studied stars and planets. She did researches at the university and got her PhD in astrophysics after several years' hard work. In 1977, she took a test to become an astronaut. And then she was picked up from over 8,000 people. In order to realise her dream of going into space, she had to get different kinds of special and difficult training. She learned how to fly a plane, how to jump out of a plane as well as how to operate special machines Sally and four other astronauts flew a spaceship called Challenger on Jun. 18, 1983. She became the first American woman to travel into space. Later, she taught at the University of California. Then she wrote seven books on space for children, encouraging children to study science. Unfortunately, she died in 2012. When did Sally Ride go into space? A. In 1951. B. In 1977. C. In 1983. D. In 2012. Answer: C A manufacturer wants to produce a container for food storage that does not break easily and is airtight, inexpensive, and microwave-safe. Which of the following is the best material to use to make the container? A. glass B. metal C. paper D. plastic Answer: D On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating. "What seems to be the problem, Madam?" Asked the attendant. "Can't you see?" She said, "You've sat me next to a black. I can't possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!" "Please calm down, Madam," the attendant replied, "The flight is very full today, but I'll tell you what I'll do--I'll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class." A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. "Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I've spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class." Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued. "It's most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this _ , the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person." Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, "So if you'd like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you." At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation while the black man walked up to the front of the plane... What made the white South African lady angry? A. She had to find the attendant to complain. B. She couldn't find another seat to sit down. C. The passenger next to her is dirty. D. She sat next to a black man. Answer: D
Bamboo is one of the nature's most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass. Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe . There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains. Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green. Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong. In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills can help to make the poor thirsty fields be watered. From the text we know _ . Answer: My six-year-old granddaughter stares at me as if she is seeing me for the first time. "Grandma, you are an antique," she says. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique." I am not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I explain, "An antique is not only just old; it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times such as a work of art or a piece of furniture. Antiques are valuable." We look around the house for antiques. There is a large desk that was handed down from an aunt to our family. "It's very old," I tell Jenny. "I try to keep it polished, and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques." When Jenny gets older and understands such things, I might also tell her that whenever I look at the desk or touch it, I am reminded of the aunt who was dear to me and gave me the desk as a gift. I see her face again, though she is no longer with us. I remember myself as a little girl standing against this antique, listening to one of her stories. Our tour of antiques continues. There is a picture on the wall purchased at a yard sale. It is dated 1867, and it is not in very good condition. There is a vase on the floor. I'm not certain where it came from, but I didn't buy it new. And then there is an old-style bed, sent to me forty years ago from an uncle who slept in it for fifty years. "The one thing about antiques," I explain to Jenny, "is that they usually have a story." For a moment Jenny looks thoughtful. "I don't have any antiques but you," she says. Then her face brightens. "Could I take you to school for our antiques show?" "Only if I fit into your backpack," I answer. And then her antique lifts her up and gives her a big hug that will last through the years. What would be the best title for the text? Answer: One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said. "Look! There's a horseshoe. Pick it up and put it in your bag." Thomas said, "It isn't worth the trouble." His father said nothing but picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the pennies he bought some grapes. It was very hot, and there wasn't a house or a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time. his father dropped a grape on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while. his father dropped another grape and once again. his son picked it up and put it in his mouth. And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the grapes and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the grapes, his father said to him. "My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe. It would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the grapes, always remember the lesson : A person who does not worry about the little things will find that he can not do the great things." _ picked up the horseshoe? Answer: There were three brothers. They each decided to find a precious treasure and meet a year later. One year later, the three brothers gathered again. They each _ the treasure they had. The oldest brother brought a telescope. "I found a telescope which can see far away." The second brother brought a flying carpet." I found a flying carpet that can be anywhere." The third brother said." I found an apple that cures all diseases." The brothers were amazed at the treasures they found. "Let's see what we can do with our treasures now." The brothers all nodded. The oldest brother looked through his telescope and saw a palace in the distance. A princess was lying in bed sick. The second opened his carpet and said. "Let's ride this carpet and go to the palace." The three brothers went to the palace on the flying carpet to save the sick princess. The three brothers met the king and told him why they had come. The king said. "If you cure the princess, I will let one of you marry the princess." The youngest brother gave the princess the apple he found. The princess had been sick for a long time, but with one bite of the apple, she was cured. The king hugged the princess with joy. "Okay, as promised, one of you can marry the princess." The brothers each wanted the other to marry the princess. No matter how pretty and princess was, the brothers thought their loyalty was more important. The king was moved and gave them gold and silver and high positions. The three brothers lived happily ever after. Which the following sentence is true? Answer: Men have always believed that they are smarter than women. Now, a study has found that while this is certainly true, men also have to deal with the fact that they are also more stupid than the fairer sex. In the study, scientists measured the IQ of 2500 brothers and sisters and they found an uneven number of men not only in the top two percent, but also in the bottom two percent. The study's participants were tested on science, maths, English and mechanical abilities. Though there were twice as many men as women in the smartest group, there were also twice as many men among the foolish. The total scores of men and women were similar. One of the study's authors, psychology professor Timothy Bates, said that the phenomenon may be because men have always been expected to be high achievers and women have been restricted to spend more time taking care of their home. "The female developmental program may be tilted more towards ensuring survival and the safety of the middle ground."the Daily Mail quoted Professor Bates, of Edinburgh University, as saying. The research agrees with past results that men were more likely than women to receive first class University degrees or thirds and women secured the seconds. It has been said that men are more ready to take a risk when it comes to academics. While women have always been found to be steadier in their learning. A past study has shown that women are securing more firsts and seconds, while men are continuing to receive more thirds. The argument for the change is that the increase of coursework at the cost of exams favors women's steady approach. According to Timothy Bates, fewer women are in the smartest group because _ . Answer:
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cochran, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something unforgettable. On the first day of school, with permission of the school headmaster, she took all of the desks out of the classroom. The kids came into the first period. They walked in, and there were no desks. They looked around and said, "Ms Cochran, where are our desks?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them." They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior. " And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior. " Second period, the same thing. Third period... By early afternoon television news reporters had gathered in Ms. Cochran's class to find out about this crazy teacher. The last period of the day, Martha Cochran gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the ground floor around the sides of the room. "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the ordinary desks in this classroom." she said, "Now I'm going to tell you. " Martha Cochran went to the door of the classroom and opened it, and as she did, twenty-seven adults, who were fathers or mothers of the kids, walked into that classroom, each one having a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows. And when they finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time in their lives understood how they earned those desks. Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. They did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it! " Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text? A. Kids finally understood what their teacher meant by themselves. B. The headmaster supported Ms. Cochran's idea. C. Kids studied without desks on the first day. D. Kids' parents earned the desks for them. Answer: A Generally speaking, government regulations normally ban anything from smoking in public places to parking in certain zones. But officials in the Brazilian town of Biritiba Mirim, 70km (45miles) east of Sao Paulo, _ . They plan to prohibit residents from dying early because the local cemetery has reached full capacity. There's no more room to bury the dead, they can't be cremated and laws forbid a new cemetery. So the mayor has proposed a strange solution: outlaw death. Mayor Roberto Pereira says the bill is meant as a protest against federal regulations that prohibit new or expanded cemeteries in preservation areas. "They have not taken local demands into consideration", he claims. A 2003 decree by Brazil's National Environment Council forbids burial grounds in protected areas. Mr. Pereira wants to build a new cemetery, but the project has been stopped because 98% of Biritiba Mirim is considered as a preservation area. Biritiba Mirim, a town of 28,000 inhabitants, not only wants to prohibit residents from passing away. The bill also calls on people to take care of their health in order to avoid death. "I haven't got a job, nor am I healthy. And now they say I can't die. That's ridiculous," Amarido do Prado, an unemployed resident said. The city council is expected to vote on the regulation next week. "Of course the bill is laughable, illegal, and will never be approved," said Gilson Soares de Campos, an assistant of the mayor. "But can you think of a better resolution to persuade the government to change the environmental decree that is prohibiting us from building a new cemetery?" The bill states that "offenders will be held responsible for their acts." However, it does not say what the punishment will be. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? A. The mayor of the town wants to build a new cemetery against federal regulation. B. The residents of the town sing high praise for the bill. C. No better resolution of the problems has been thought out. D. The government is going to change the environmental decree. Answer: C Our surroundings are being polluted faster than man's present efforts to prevent pollution. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities and the growing use of man-made materials. What can explain and solve the problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man--by his desire for a modern way of life. We make "increasing industrialization" our chief aim. So we are often ready to offer everything:clean air,pure water,good food,our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the countryside into the cities, eager for the benefits of our modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years,pollution has become a serious problem. Isn't it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going--and why? It makes one think of the story of the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, "I've some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we are making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we are lost and can't know where we are going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when we speak of our modern society. The story about the airline pilot tells us that _ . A. the writer is worried about the future of our society B. man can hardly know the future of the society C. people are not satisfied with the development of the society D. little can be done to get rid of pollution Answer: A As we grow old, we realize that we have so little time to read and there are so many great books that we've yet to get around to. Yet re-readers are everywhere around us. For certain fans, re-reading The Lord of the Rings is a conventional practice annually. One friend told me that Jane Austen's Emma can still surprise him, despite his having read it over 50 times. New sudden clear understandings can be gained from the process of re-reading. Journalist Rebacca Mead, a long-time Englishwoman in New York, first came across George Eliot's Middlemarch at 17. Since then, she has read it again every five years. With each re-reading, it has opened up further; in each chapter of her life, it has resonated differently. Mead evidenced the large number of ways in which really good books not only stand the test of repeat reads, but also offer fresh gifts each time we _ . These kinds of books grow with us. Scientists have also recognized the mental health benefits of re-reading. Research conducted with readers in the US found that on our first reading, we are concerned with the "what" and the "why". Second time round, we're able to better appreciate the emotions that the plot continues to express. As researcher Cristel Russell of the American University explained, returning to a book "brings new or renewed appreciation of both the great book and its readers." It's true that we often find former selves on the pages of old books (if we're fond of making notes on the pages). These texts can carry us back to a time and place, and remind us of the kind of person that we were then. We're changed not only by lived experience but also by read experience - by the books that we've discovered since last reading the one in our hand. More so than the movie director or the musician, the writer calls upon our imaginations, using words to lead us to picture this declaration of love or that unfaithfulness in life. A book is a joint project between writers and readers, and we must pour so much of ourselves into reading that our own life story can become connected with the story in the book. Perhaps what's really strange is that we don't re-read more often. After all, we watch our favorite films again and we wouldn't think of listening to an album only once. We treasure messy old paintings as objects, yet of all art forms, literature alone is a largely one-time delight. A book, of course, takes up more time, but as Mead confirms, the rewards make it adequately worthwhile. It can be learned from the passage that _ . A. reading benefits people both mentally and physically B. readers mainly focus on feelings on their first reading C. we know ourselves better through re-reading experience D. writers inspire the same imaginations as film directors do Answer: C Reach for the stars at the Euro Space Center. Find out everything you need to know about space -- from the origins of the universe to the future space exploration plans. Light, sound and special effects help to bring your space journey to life. Throughout your tour, our specially trained guides will answer your questions and provide you with any information you require. Begin your tour with our exhibition about the planets, then move on to the Space Laboratory and see some of the experiments carried out in space. Visit our international space station, where you can climb into our full-scale Space Shuttle model and experience life on board as an astronaut. You will know all about space by now and to help you further, our Space Center astronaut will tell you about how young people train as astronauts in our own training school. Finally, you can watch our amazing Space Show in our IMAX cinema, which will help you understand everything you have learned during your visit better. Outside we have an outdoor exhibition including a giant solar system, full-size rocket models and outdoor games. Don't worry if it rains -- much of this is under cover. After that, why not visit our restaurant Resto Space for food and drink on a space theme? And don't forget our Space Shop, offering you a lot of gifts to take home. The Euro Space Center is open every day during school holidays, and also during other times except Mondays. Opening times are 10:00-5:00. For entrance fees, call our booking service on + 32-61-650133. Or you can email us for up-to-date entry information at info@eurospacecenter.be. Anyone who goes to the Euro Space Center will _ . A. visit there for free B. become a true astronaut C. feel as if he was in space D. do any space experiments he wants Answer: C
Question: Many of the world's countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth (ZPG) .Nearly all such lands are economically well developed.They include much of Europe(including Russia),the United States,Canada,Japan.and Australia.As the rate of natural increase(RNI)declines,two things happen.First,the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration.Second,a country's population ages because there are fewer births. Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a country's population begins to drop? Many people,after all,believe that population decline is a good thing.But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree? An aging population can create many problems.Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention.Rather than paying into retirement programs,they begin to draw from their pensions.In the US,the Social Security program,according to many experts,will be used up by 2018.It will pay out more money than it takes in.Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or entry. level positions that pay low wages.With an able to do them.Many of these jobs are aging population,who will fill them? At the other extreme,some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills.Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce? The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple:increased migration.Today many people,particularly those from less developed countries,are migrating in search of employment.Many are willing to take jobs that cannot(or will not) be filled by _ .Others are well educated and highly skilled.Both groups contribute to a country's economy progress in many ways.Further, they add to the richness of a country's culture.Of greatest importance,perhaps,is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands.As you can see,for many countries and for most immigrants,migration is a win--win situation. In the writer's view,which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good. B. Achieving ZPG is every country's aim in spite of its side effects. C. Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens. D. Achieving ZPG is good for employment. Answer: C Question: Teeth are important.Strong,healthy teeth help you chew foods that help you grow.They help you speak clearly.And,they help you look your best.Here are some _ for you to take care of your teeth. 1.Brush your teeth in the right way. Brush your teeth at least twice a day--after breakfast and lunch or after sweet snacks,too. Brush all of your teeth,not just the front ones,Spend time brushing teeth along the sides and back of your mouth.Brush away from your gums,too. Spend at least three minutes each time you brush.Play a song you like to help pass the time.Get a new toothbrush every three months.When you buy your toothbrush,be sure it has soft bristles. 2.Learn how to floss your teeth. Flossing is a very important way to keep your teeth healthy.Food may hide in places where a toothbrush cannot get to,like the space between two teeth.Flossing can help get rid of it.Carefully move floss between two teeth.Up and down.You'll need to floss your teeth at least once a day. 3.Have good eating habits. You need to be careful about what you eat and drink. Eating sugar is a major of tooth decay.Eating sugar before you go to bed can make things even worse,eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink water instead of soda. The passage is mainly about _ . A. teeth are important. B. how to brush and floss your teeth C. how to form good eating habits D. how to take care of your teeth Answer: D Question: A student mixed salt and sugar. Which statement describes the physical properties of salt and sugar after they were mixed? A. The sugar dissolved the salt. B. The salt and sugar changed color. C. The sugar and the salt were unchanged. D. The salt and sugar formed a new material. Answer: C Question: Joan worked in a hospital as a nurse. One evening there was a big dance at the hospital. Most of the doctors and nurses would be there, but it was Joan's turn to look after the sick children. She liked dancing very much, so she felt very sorry for herself. She went to each sick child one after another and said good-night, until she came to one little boy, Dickey. He was eleven years old, but he was already able to talk like an adult( ). Poor Dickey had a very serious illness, and now he was hardly able to move any part of his body except his hands. Joan knew he would never get any better, but he was always happy and always thinking about other people instead of about himself. Dickey knew that Joan loved dancing, so now when she came to say good-night to him, he greeted her with the words, "I' m very sorry that you have to miss the dance because of us. But we are going to have a party for you. If you look in my drawer , you ' Il find a piece of cake. I saved it from my supper today, so it' s quite fresh. And there is also a dollar there, You can buy something to drink with that. And I' d get up and dance with you myself if I was able to," he added. Suddenly the hospital dance seemed very far away and not at all important to Joan. Poor Dickey _ . A. was a boy of eleven B. had a serious illness C. was clever at talking though he was very young D. all the above Answer: D Question: As they went to the doors they saw they had the letters A, B, C, and D on them. What did it mean? Alpha, the leader, told everyone to stop and look at the doors, so as to see which door they would go through. The walls were brown and dirty. The lights were yellow. Door A was blue. This was Beta's choice. Door B was red. Door C was the same color as door A. Door D a color no one had seen before. Gamma felt that Alpha needed to make a choice soon before the monsters caught their scent. Delta was the first to voice a choice. He wanted to go in the red door. Alpha told him that the old books said to go in the blue door. This is why it was so hard for Alpha right now. Two doors were blue. Being a good leader, Alpha asked everyone what they wanted to do. The final choice was door D. They went in and enjoyed all of time in a world with odd colors. Who was the leader? A. Beta B. Gamma C. Alpha D. Delta Answer: C
Children who are spanked have lower IQs worldwide, including in the United States. All parents want smart children. Avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen. A new research by Professor Murray Straus found that children in the United States who were spanked had lower IQs four years later than those who weren't spanked. Straus and Mallie Paschall, a senior research scientist, studied nationally examples of 806 children aged 2 to 4, and 704 aged 5 to 9. Both groups were retested four years later. The IQs of children IQs aged 2 to 4 who weren't spanked were 5 points higher four year later than the IQs of those who were spanked. The IQs of children aged 5 to 9 who weren't spanked were 2.8 points higher four years later than the IQs of children at the same age who were spanked. How often parents spanked made a difference. The more spanking, the slower the development of children's mental ability. But even small amounts of spanking made a difference. Straus also found a lower national average IQ in nations in which spanking was more popular. His analysis shows the strongest link between physical punishment and IQ is for those whose parents continue to use physical punishment even when they are teenagers. Straus also found a lower national average IQ in nations in which spanking was more popular. His analysis shows the strongest link between physical punishment and IQ is for those whose parents continue to use physical punishment even when they are teenagers. Straus and colleagues in 32 nations used data on physical punishment experienced by 17,404 university students when they were children. According to Straus, there're two explanations for the relation of physical punishment to lower IQ. First, physical punishment is extremely stressful and can become a long-lasting stressor for young children, who typically experience punishment three or more times a week. For many it continues for years. The stress of physical punishment often leads to being fearful that terrible things are about to happen and being easily shocked. They're associated with lower IQ. Second, a higher national level of economic development leads to both fewer parents using physical punishment and a higher national IQ. The good news is that the use of physical punishment has been decreasing worldwide, which may signal future gains in IQ across the globe. The United Nations has called on all member nations to forbid physical punishment by parents. Nevertheless, there's evidence that attitude favoring physical punishment and actual use of physical punishment have been declining even in nations which haven't forbidden physical punishment. According to Straus's research, children's being spanked is probably related to parents' _ . Answer: We can see ads everywhere. Here are four ads. Please read them carefully. (1)WANTED Are you hard-working? Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", then we have a job for you as a waiter. Call AL Hotel at 8556779! (2)SUMMER JOB Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? If you want to work for our magazine as a _ , please call Karen at 85558366. (3)HELP WANTED Do you like babies? Can you look after one baby for two days? If you are sure to take good care of it, call us at 8766588. $80 or more. Today! Hurry! (4)CLEANER WANTED Can you make a large house clean and tidy? If you hope to get the job paid at $ 20 once, call us this evening 18:00~20:00. Tel: 8633800 The above job ads are probably from _ . Answer: My name is Jack. I am a pupil of Grade One. I'm in No.1 Middle School. On weekdays I get up at six o'clock. I have breakfast at seven and then I go to school by bike. We begin our class at eight o'clock in the morning. We have four classes in the morning and three in the afternoon. At noon, I have lunch at home. Classes are over at four fifteen in the afternoon. After class, we often play football in the afternoon. I go home at about five. I have supper at about six thirty in the evening. I do my homework at seven thirty. At weekend, I watch TV. I often go to bed at ten. I'm very happy. ,. After class they often play _ on the playground. Answer: My sisters and I have dreamt of a home in the city, but when the Alcott family found itself in a small house at the South End without a tree in sight, only a back yard to play in, and no money to buy any of the beautiful things before us, we children all opposed it and longed for the country again. Anna soon found little pupils, and walked away each morning to her daily task, pausing at the corner to wave her hand to me in answer to my greet with the duster . My father went to his office downtown, mother to her helping the poor, the little girls to school, and I, Lousia, was left to keep house, feeling like an aged sea-gull as I washed dishes and cooked in the basement kitchen where the only thing I could hope for was someone talking with me. Good drill, but very hard, and my only comfort was the evening reunion where all met with such various reports of the day's adventures, we could not fail to find both amusement and instruction. Father brought interesting and attractive news from the upper world; mother, usually in low spirits because she would give away her clothes with sad tales of suffering from the darker side of life; gentle Anna gave a modest account of her success as a teacher, for even at seventeen her sweet nature won all who knew her, and her patience gained her the support of the most naughty pupil. My reports were usually a mixture of sadness and happiness, and the children poured their small joys and troubles into the family where comfort and mercy were always to be found. We know from this passage that the Alcott family was _ . Answer: Something woke me at four in the morning and it's a good thing it did. A polar bear was about to attack the tent right above my head. As claws started to rip the fabric, I kicked and screamed. That woke my brother, Eric, who charged after the bear with a camp shovel. In the chaos I managed to find our shotgun, fire in the air a couple of times, and scare off the bear for good. Eric and I were attempting the first kite-skiing crossing of the frozen Northwest Passage. We had set off in March 2012 from Tukoyaktuk, in Canada's Northwest Territories and hoped to end on Baffin Island, Nunavut, where we had grown up. Our parents are adventure guides, so we spent weekends on dog-sleds learning to have fun in the cold. As teenagers we took up kite-skiing--catching the strong polar winds with a kite to pull us over the ice and snow. Now we're showing how it can open new routes by moving expeditions quickly over long distances. On this trip the native Inuit tracked our progress through the radio interviews we did along the way. When we got to a town, they were always waiting for us. After 85 days and 2,050 miles, we pulled into Pond Inlet, on Baffin Island, where people welcomed us with a square dance. There was only one thing for us to do. We took off our skis and joined in. We believe what we are doing is of meanings: to inspire the youths to get outdoors and get active, promoting a healthy lifestyle and love of nature. Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage? Answer:
It was an exciting moment for Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, a retired married _ from Harbin, China. It was also a great moment for China because it was the country's first gold medal in the pairs figure skating competition at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Everyone was very quiet when Shen and Zhao were skating onto the ice. They were expecting something wonderful to happen. As soon as the music started, Shen and Zhao skated around the field quickly with beautiful style; every move was perfect. When the music stopped, all the people cheered. In the end Shen and Zhao won the Olympic gold medal. In China, winter sports are not as popular as they are in America and Northern European countries. So China sent only 90 athletes to Vancouver to take in a few, carefully chosen sports. Such a good decision also led to Wang Meng and Zhao Yang winning gold medals in the little known, but exciting sports of short track speed skating. China did not win a lot of medals at these Winter Games. Most of the events are still very new to China and need to be developed. But Chinese athletes learn very quickly. For example, China's women's curling team only began in 2003, but they were No. 1 at the 2009 World Women's Curling Championship. This means that with hard work and a bit of luck, China's winter stars could soon shine on the world stage. Shen Xue won the gold medal in the _ event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Answer: pairs of figure skating You are the collector in the gallery of your life. You collect. You might not mean to but you do. One out of three people collects tangible things such as cats, photos and noisy toys. There are among some 40 collections that are being shown at "The Museum Of"--the first of several new museums which, over the next two years, will exhibit the objects accumulated by unknown collectors. In doing so, they will promote a popular culture of museums, not what museums normally represent. Some of the collections are fairly common--records, model houses. Others are strangely beautiful--branches that have fallen from tree, for example. But they all reveal a lot of things: ask someone what they collect and their answers will tell you who they are. Other on the way include "The museum of Collectors" and "The Museum of Me."These new ones, it is hoped, will build on the success of "The Museum Of." The thinkers behind the project want to explore why people collect, and what it means to do so. They hope that visitors who may not have considered themselves collectors will begin to see they, too, collect. Some collectors say they started or stopped making collections at important point: the beginning or end of adolescence--"it's a growing-up thing; you stop when you grow up,"says one. Other painful times are mentioned, such as the end of a relationship. For time and life can seem so uncontrollable that a steady serial arrangement is comforting. Which of the following is an aim of the new museums? Answer: To study the significance of collecting. No one likes germs.You wash your hands often and avoid sick people.But some of the germiest places are in your own home where you can't avoid them! Over 77,500 bacteria per square centimeter can live in your kitchen sink drain.More bacteria live in and around the sink itself.To get rid of them,clean the entire sink area with a _ . Those wet clothes from your washer are not all that clean,especially if they include underwear.Use hot water and bleach to wash underwear as it contains E.colin .Put wet laundry in the dryer quickly so the bacteria do not multiply. The germs you wash off your body stay in the tub-about 15.500 bacteria per square centimeter! Use a disinfectant to clean your tub weekly.And dry the tub with a clean towel so more germs won't grow on the wet surface. You'll find plenty of germs outside your home too. Lots of germs live on the buttons of your local ATM.According to www.health.corn,Chinese researchers tested 38 ATMs in downtown Taipei.They found that each button hosted an average of 1,200 germs.Use a hand sanitizer after using the ATM and after handling paper money too. The bottoms of women's purses house tens of thousands if not millions of bacteria.University of Arizona researchers discovered all kinds of different bacteria on purse bottoms.These included E.coli as well as bacteria that cause eye and skin infections.Women should wipe their purses every few days with a mild soap solution. All kinds of germs live on shopping cart shopping cart handles.Lots of people touch the handles each day----and who knows where their hands have been! Carry disinfectant wipes and use them on the handles.That will kill nearly a11 germs. Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: Some of the germiest places are outside your home. A U.S. dad quit his job, giving up a massive salary, after his 10-year-old daughter gave him a 22-point list outlining all the events he missed so far during the year. As the CEO of the $2 trillion global investment fund PIMCO, Mohamed El-Erian shocked the finance industry when he quit in January. El-Erian said it was about a year ago when he was repeatedly asking his daughter to brush her teeth, but she wasn't listening. When he asked her why, she responded with a list of 22 milestones he had missed: like the first day of school and the first soccer game of the season. "And the school year wasn't yet over," El-Erian wrote. "I felt awful and got defensive: I had a good excuse for each missed event! Travel, important meetings, and urgent phone call, sudden to-dos. But it dawned on me that I was missing an infinitely more important point. My work-life balance had gotten out of whack, and the imbalance was hurting my very special relationship with my daughter. I was not making enough time for her." El-Erian explained he was struggling with the same thing so many parents do--work-life balance. Dads who are quitting their profit-making jobs to improve work-life balance is a subject that is getting more traction as some high-profile executive have recently written about their experiences. Last month, former MongoDB CEO Max Schireson wrote a blog post for Time about his decision to step down from the company's top job. He wrote that he struggled to make time for his three children because he was flying around half a million kilometres a year for work. "I was not with my kids when our puppy was hit by a car, or when my son had an emergency surgery," Schireson wrote. On an overnight flight to Texas he woke up in Arizona to discover the plane made an emergency landing and some traumatized crew members had to be replaced. He decided it was time to address his work-life balance. Quitting is something El-Erian and Schireson were financially able to do, but El-Erian recognizes most people don't have this luxury. He hopes companies will pay attention to improving work-life balance for their employees. El-Erian now manages "a portfolio of part-time jobs" that don't require as much travel. He alternates mornings with his wife taking their daughter to school and he often picks her up from school. "So far, it's been the right decision for me," he wrote. "I'm so grateful that this is providing me greater opportunity to experience key moments in my daughter's life before they're all too quickly gone." What do we know about El-Erian's life now? Answer: He manages to take his responsibilities as a father. Why do we laugh and get amusement from so many different things,from puns to pratfalls? Why are some things funny to some people and not to others? How is that while a successful joke can cause pleasure,a sick one can cause serious harm? Over the centuries,various scholars have attempted to produce a universally agreed-upon theory of humor.Plato and Aristotle introduced the superiority theory,the idea that people laugh at the misfortune of others.Their theory seems to explain teasing,but it doesn't work well for knock-knock jokes.Sigmund Freud argued for his relief theory,the concept that humor is a way for people to release psychological tension and reveal their inner fears and desires.His theory works well for dirty jokes,less well for most puns. The majority of humor expels today agree with the incongruity theory,the idea that humor arises when there's a gap between what people expect to happen and what actually happens.Incongruity has a lot going for it -- jokes with unexpected funny lines,for example,fit well.But scientists have found that in comedy,unexpectedness is overvalued. With the goal of developing a new,more satisfactory explanation,I produced "the gentle violation theory",the idea that humor arises when something seems wrong or threatening,but is actually OK or safe.A dirty joke,for example,trades on moral or social violations,but it's only going to get a laugh if the person listening is open enough to consider the subject OK to talk about.Similarly,puns can be seen as linguistic violations that still make grammatical sense. And while most humor theories have struggled to account for tickling ,or just avoided the phenomenon altogether,my theory accounts for even this kind of laughter.Tickling involves violating someone's physical space in a gentle way.People can't tickle themselves -- because it isn't a violation. According to the author,why are some things funny to some people but not to others? Answer: Because people's understanding of violation is different.
Stinky Pete wanted to build a tree house. He needed to get a ladder to bring wood up the tree. He went to his friend's house to borrow a ladder. He also borrowed a bucket. He needed the bucket to carry nails. His friend is named James. The ladder was too big for Stinky Pete to carry alone. He had James help him carry the ladder back home. The ladder was heavy. They were careful to stay on the sidewalk. Stinky Pete got the hammer from his tool box. He gave James a rope. Stinky Pete and James got to work on the tree house. They worked all day. They painted the inside of the tree house blue. They painted the outside of the tree house red. They did not use green or orange paint. They used the rope to climb down from the tree house. When they were all finished, Stinky Pete helped James carry the ladder and bucket back to his house. Stinky Pete thanked James for helping him. What was Stinky Pete building? Answer: A tree house. For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size . I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds , hurts and rejections with it . Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved , being special , and being cherished . We fantasize about what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal .We work very hard to realize this dream . Then , at last , we find ourselves there . But we often gain back what we have lost . Even so , we continue to believe that next time it will be different . Next time , we will keep it off . Next time , being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness , self-worth , and , of course , love . It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty . Beauty standards vary with culture . In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds . More importantly , if it's happiness that we want , why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body ? Why not look inside ? Many of us strive hard to change our body , but in vain . We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves . When we change our attitudes toward ourselves , the whole world changes . The passage tries to highlight the importance of_. Answer: attitudes toward life You can not see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be seen by their own light. Such things are _ . Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in our direction. So moon light is only second hand sunlight. When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open. Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380 000 kilometers away, in only a little more than a second. Which of the following is true? Answer: The moment you open your eyes the light from the book travels to your eyes. A tropical rain forest is an amazing place. Thousands of different kinds of plants and animals make their homes there. Some are not found anywhere else in the world. If the rain forests are not protected, some species of plants and animals could disappear forever, taking their resources with them. Scientists have known for a long time that medical cures can come from plants. The rain forest is the perfect habitat for various types of plants. They compete for space, sunlight, water, and nutrients. The plants that survive are strong. They also contain many types of chemicals. These chemicals are part of the plants' defence system. They can help protect the plants from bacteria, insects, diseases, and other threats. Experts believe that some of these chemicals might be useful to human beings, too. The native people of the rain forests have healers who help those who are sick. For hundreds of years, they have known which leaves, roots, and berries can be used to treat different illnesses. Western scientists have begun working with these native healers. They learn about different plants, cures, and treatments. Then, they can perform tests on the plants to see what chemicals they contain and how they might be used. When they do find something important, it goes through more and more tests. Lots of experiments must be done over a long period of time before something can be safely sold as a drug. Scientists want to be sure that it works and that the risk of using it isn't too high. American scientists have set up labs in the countries where the rain forests are. They do studies and research there. They also employ scientists and workers who live in these countries to help them. This allows the local people to benefit from research on the rain forests. They can make money from the rain forest without destroying it, which is very important. If the rain forest is valuable to them, they will help protect it. The more people who are trying to protect the rain forests, the better. Just imagine the cures that might be found there! Drugs need to be tested before being sold mainly because_. Answer: scientists need to be sure they're safe for use Traveling can be a very fun and exciting way to vacation with your family, but it does not always turn out as expected. I have traveled a lot with my family over the years, but some experiences are worth forgetting altogether. I remember a particular traveling experience which sticks out in my mind for the wrong reasons. My dad and stepmom had decided to drive to California for our family vacation. This was supposed to provide educational value, since we would be able to stop along the way and look at various sites in each state. Everything was going as planned until we decided to take a break and stop at the Grand Canyon . I had always wanted to see this exciting place and had decided to write a report on it for my eight-grade English class. We got out of the car and were walking on one of the paths to get to a cliff so we could take a family photo when I slipped and fell down. I fell on a piece of rock, and felt great pain run up my leg at once. My dad took me to the nearest hospital and, after an eight-hour wait in the emergency room , found out that I broke two bones in my foot. Needless to say, our vacation was no fun for me because I was in pain during the whole two-week trip. I ended up making an appointment the day we got home to see a doctor for a check-up. That was definitely not what I consider fun or a great vacation, and it really _ our sightseeing plans. What is the author's attitude towards traveling? Answer: Objective
What's usually hot in temperature? Answer: the Sahara What will the weather be like? Some people say they can know the weather from animals. Some people look at seabirds. When they see seabirds fly high out to sea, they say it will be a nice day. When the weather is bad, the seabirds will stay on the shore . They don't like to fly and they sit in trees when rain is on the way. Other people look at different animals on a farm. Chickens make a big noise and run here and there when rain is on the way. Frogs can tell the weather, too. When rain is coming, they stay in water and make a lot of noise. But on a nice day they are quiet and will jump out of water. The passage wants to tell us that _ . Answer: we can know the weather from some animals Myth: Skipping meals helps you lose weight fast. Truth: There's no truth in this advice. Not only will you lose weight by starving yourself, but according to Carol Ann Rinzler, this may actually cause you to gain weight. Rinzler reasons that missing a meal causes your metabolism to slow down so that you burn food more slowly. This only makes you feel hungrier and by the time you finally do reach the table you will probably eat more food. Strange as it may seem, studies show that eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day is a more healthy way to lose pounds. Myth: If you swallow gum ,it will stay inside your stomach for seven years. Truth: Actually, it takes just a few days for gum to make its exit---not seven years, says Nei Izenberg, M. D., editor of Kids Health Organization. But because gum is made of the same thing as rubber, it cannot be fully digested in your stomach--- so if you gum up the works on a regular basis, you might find yourself in a sticky situation. Myth: The best way to stop a nosebleed is to lift your head back. Truth: Now that's bad advice. Bloody noses are caused by broken blood vessels , so while lifting your head back might stop the fluid from rushing out of your nose, it won't stop the bleeding; you'll just end up swallowing lots of blood. Your best bet? "Rest quietly. Don't poke or pick, and the blood will naturally clot within a minute or two". Suggests Dr. Izenberg. Myth: Cutting your hair will make it grow long faster. Truth: That's not true. "Your hair isn't like a lawn or a rosebush, where cutting can stimulate fresh growth," says Phillip Kingsley. The length of your hair is genetically ( ) determined. When it reaches a certain length, it stops growing. When you clear up the dead split ends, this make your hair look healthier, but not necessarilylonger. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: Gum can stay inside your stomach for seven years if you swallow it On June 6th, 2012 Tiangong-1 welcomed its first guests, the Shenzhou IX manned spacecraft . The Shenzhou IX has two male astronauts and one female astronaut. At that time, Liu Yang, a thirty-three year-old woman, became the first Chinese woman in space. Joining the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in 1997, Liu Yang became an experienced pilot after flying safely for 1,680 hours. In 2010, she became an astronaut because of her good job. "When I was a pilot, I flew in the sky. Now that I am an astronaut, I will fly in space. This will be a much higher and farther flight. I always couldn't help wondering: What would the Earth look like from outer space?" Liu said. In June 2012, Liu took Shenzhou IX to the space as China's first female astronaut. "I have full confidence," Liu said before the task. "There are many foreign female astronauts that have been into space. Men and women have their own advantages in carrying out space tasks. They can encourage each other and better complete their task. However, the difficulty of her training has not affected her life's pleasure. "I love children and I love life. I love reading, especially novels and history books. I am also a great cook. To be with my family is one kind of happiness, but to fly is another kind that people can't experience." "I am grateful to the motherland and the people. I feel honoured to fly into space on behalf of millions of female Chinese citizens. " Liu said after coming back to the Earth safely. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: Liu Yang thinks she can do better than the male astronauts in the space. When travelling.you are sure to try some exciting new kinds of food.The Wild Food Festival,in the town of Hokitika,the west of Coast of New Zealand,gives you the chance to try some strange food.It is a celebration of the areas special lifestyle and food.And it celebrates food that most people might not want to eat.It is held in March every year. At the festival you will find huhu grubs and beetles on your plate.The festival also celebrates Maori food. the food of the traditional native people of New Nealand And visitors will eat the wild food with plenty of famous West Coast beer.What's more,there are three stages at the festival,where there is live music and entertainment an day long. If you have the chance to travel to Hokitita during the Wild Food Festival,you should book a hotel before it begins.or you can choose to stay at local schools.A number of local schools become camping grounds over the weekend of the festival.You can also stay in Greymouth,because there are buses from Greymouth to the festival. When is the Wild Food Festival held in the town of Hokitika every year? Answer: In March.
A person, like a commodity, needs packaging. But going too far is absolutely undesirable. A little exaggeration will do no harm when it shows the person's unique qualities to their advantages. To show personal attractiveness in a casual and natural way, it is important for one to have a clear knowledge of oneself. A skilled packager knows how to add art to nature without any signs of _ so that the person so packaged is not a commodity, but a human being, lively and lovely. A young person, especially a female, shining with beauty and full of life, has all the favor granted. Youth however, comes and goes in a flash. Packaging for the middle-aged is primarily to hide the marks made by years. If you still enjoy life enough to keep self-confidence and work at pioneering work, you are unique in your natural qualities, and your attractiveness and grace will remain. Elderly people are beautiful if their river of life has been, through plains, mountains and jungles, running its course as it should. You have really lived your life, which now arrives at a self - satisfied stage of quietness and calmness with no interest in fame or wealth. There is no need to make use of hair dyeing. The snow-capped mountain itself is a beautiful scene of fairyland. Let your looks change from young to old in step with the natural ageing process so as to keep in harmony with nature, for harmony itself is beauty, while the other way round will only end in unpleasantness. _ As long as one finds where one stands, one knows how to package oneself, just as a commodity sets up its brand by the right packaging. For the middle-aged, attractiveness _ . Answer: comes from the inside A small ice cube at a temperature of 0°C is dropped into a glass of water at 28°C and melts. What is the temperature of the water in the glass just after the ice cube melts? Answer: between 0°C and 28°C You are enrolled in a full - time school called "life". Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum. Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors have overlooked, however, is that there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual. Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and connection of your own life. As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you. The challenge here, therefore, is to align (......) yourself with your own unique path by learning individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be face with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will be completely different from others'. But, remember, don't compare your path to the people around you and focus on the difference between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth. Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equality - the assumption that all things are equal and justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult life path than others around you, deserved or not. Everyone's circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. If you want to move toward calm, you will be required to move out of the complaining phase of "it's not fair". Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing yourself with others rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feelings of bitterness and anger. According to the passage, how can the meaning of your life be realized? Answer: Learning the lessons presented to you. Tom had a heart ailment so serious that his doctors had concluded that only a heart transplant could save his life. They therefore arranged to have him flown to Big City to have the operation performed. Dan, Tom's nephew, who stood to inherit from him, poisoned him. The poison produced a reaction which required postponing the journey. The plane on which Tom was to have flown crashed, and all aboard were killed. By the following day, Tom's heart was so weakened by the effects of the poison that he suffered a heart attack and died. If charged with criminal homicide, Dan should be found Answer: guilty. I consider Lily to be my best friend because she is always very good to me. She's always with me in times of difficulties and she is always there waiting for me. When I have problems and feel empty and upset, she's always by my side to comfort me. We've been together for two years. I met her during our college days. She was my classmate, but I can tell that we were not so close at that time, maybe because we had our own friends and maybe our attention was always on them, so I didn't even notice her. Yet there were times that she was with me during my lunch break. That is why we slowly became close. We had our lunch together in the boarding house but sometimes not, probably because we had our own friends. And when we took our break, we bought our favorite food together, but not that often since we didn't have enough money. Furthermore, we were together in the student union, which was nice for me to know her better. I can say that she is really a nice friend. She is the kind of person that is very approachable in times of emptiness. She is a friend whom I can call every time I need help. Definitely, I am so glad that I have her. Currently, we are working together as freelance writers online. We both work as contractors in oDesk. We are very happy with working together, and we are looking forward to earning some money so that we can go on vacation together. Friendships may not last. Friendships can lose importance and die gradually. However, I believe she will be a lifelong friend of mine. Which of the following statements is NOT true? Answer: Lily is a full-time teacher at college.
I called a meeting with the parents of my student, Tommy. I wanted to talk with them about his schoolwork and behaviour .Tommy was always an excellent student. How could I make his father and mother believe that their recent separation made his grades bad.? Tommy's mother came in and sat down. Then his father arrived. But they didn't say even one word to each other. I told them about Tommy's schoolwork and behaviour. I hoped to help them see what they were doing to their son. But it looked that my words didn't work. I thought that maybe Tommy could tell them something himself. I found Tommy's paper in the back of his desk. Tommy has written some words on it many times. I gave the paper to Tommy's mother. She read it and gave it to his father. He read it and his face became soft . He reached for his wife's hand. She smiled up at him. My eyes were with tears. He helped her with her coat and they left together. I picked the paper up and looked at it again. It read: "Dear Mommy... Dear Daddy... I love you." . After reading Tommy's words on the paper, his father felt _ . A. angry B. excited C. sad D. moved Answer: D A teenage boy couldn't stand his parents' family rules, so he left home. He wanted to be famous, but he had poor education and several years later, he had to ask for food on the street for a living. Now his mother has died. His father is an old man. But he is still looking for his son. He has been to every corner of the city. Everywhere he goes, he puts up a big photo of himself on the wall. At the lower part of the photo he writes, "I still love you... , come back home !" One day, the son saw one of the photos. The face was familiar . "Is that my father?" He moved closer and read the words: "I still love you..." He cried. When he got home, it was early morning. He knocked at the door. The door opened itself. He rushed to his father's bedroom. His father was sleeping. He woke his father up, "It's me! Your son is back home!" The father and the son held each other, full of happy tears. The son asked, "Why is the door not locked? A thief could get in." The father answered softly, "The door has never been locked since you left."The door of parents' love for their children will never be closed. What does the writer want to tell us? A. Parents should not go on about their children. B. The door of parents' love for their children will never be closed. C. Not everyone can be famous. D. Poor education may stop you achieving your dream. Answer: B In 1945,six planes and 17 men disappeared without a sign,all in one day.This was Flight 19.Flight 19's captain was Lieutenant Charles Taylor.Flight 19 was a usual flight.It took off at about 2:10 p.m.from Miami.The weather was very normal on that December 5th of 1945.It was never spoken directly to after its going down.A message was received at 4:00 p.m.that told about _ Taylor not knowing the way to go because his compass was running around and around. After that,it was never heard from again.While searching for it,a search plane was also lost.The search for the both continued until December 10th of that same year.None of the things from Flight 19's planes,or from the search plane,was ever found.It is one of the most infamous disappearances.Searching for Flight 19 lasted five days,and covered 380,000 square miles.Dr.Kripke suggests a vortex may have been involved in the disappearance of Flight 19. People received a message _ after Flight 19 took off. A. two hours B. half an hour C. an hour D. a hundred and ten minutes Answer: D Now,I'll tell you something about the Internet.The Internet is a network of computers.It became popular in the 1990s.Now,we live in the Internet Age.The Internet is very useful.You can get information,do some shopping or talk with people all over the world.You can do all these things in your own room. You can set up your own space on the Internet.We call it a homepage.It's open to anyone in the world.Write your message on your homepage.Soon,you can get answers by email from people around the world. The Internet is also useful when a flood or an earthquake happens somewhere in the world.We can learn about the needs of the people there and send them food and medicine more quickly than before. In the world of the Internet,everyone is equal.Famous writers,artists,and scientists--they are all your friends.A lucky person can even find a message from the president of a country. Some people lose themselves in the world of the Internet.That's really bad.Remember that the world of the Internet is not a real world.Facetoface communication with family,friends,and neighbours is very important.Don't forget that the Internet is only a tool for communication and information. Many people say that the Internet has some problems,but most people agree the Internet still has a wonderful future.For the first time in history,anyone can exchange messages and information immediately with other people. What's the best title of the passage? A. The Internet B. People's Attitude to the Internet C. Information on the Internet D. How to Use the Internet Answer: A My friend Jack is a taxi driver. He has done this job for ten years. It's a nice job most of the time. He can meet a lot of people every day. He always works late into the night because there are lots of people calling his taxi during the night. He usually goes home after two o'clock in the morning. There are some very strange things, which often happen at night. One day Jack was taking a young lady back home from a party at three o'clock in the morning. She had her little dog with her. When they got to her house, she found that she had lost her key. So Jack waited in the taxi with the dog while she climbed into her house through the window. Jack waited for about half an hour outside, but the young lady didn't show up . So he decided to find out what was going on. He tied the dog to a tree and started to climb in through the window. At that moment some policeman came. They thought Jack was a thief who wanted to get into the house to steal things. Luckily, the young lady came downstairs. She must have gone to sleep and forgotten about my friend and the dog. What did Jack do when the young lady climbed into her house? A. He waited in the taxi. B. He drove his taxi away. C. He called the police. D. He talked with others. Answer: A
The size and location of the world's deserts are always changing. Over millions of years, as climates change and mountains rise, new dry and wet areas appear. But within the last hundred years deserts have been increasing after frightful speed. This is partly because of natural changes, but most responsible for creating deserts are men. Man can make deserts, but they can also prevent them from getting bigger. Algeria is planning a green belt of trees along the edge of the Sahara Desert to stop the sand. In China, too, _ are being built in the northwest to keep the desert from growing. But desert still threaten the world. Experts believe that land that is on the way to becoming deserts equals the size of Australia, Russia and US put together. Can we stop the spread of the world's deserts and save the land that is so essential to mankind? Yes, we can, and we must. The deserts still threaten the world in the way _ of increasing at an unbelievable speed Dangerous as they are, extreme sports remain appealing among many Australian young people! Camp Xtreme is the perfect test of your heart. Kite Surfing It's the exciting mixture of kite, board and waves. The idea of using a kite to accelerate speed seems like a new challenge, yet the art of kite flying dates back to the 13th-century Chinese when _ was used as a simple means of transport. Catch a wind and you're moving -- up, down and across the surf. "It's always exciting. You'd jump 5 feet or 35 feet. You never know if you're going to go up in the air, and your heart is just going boom, boom, boom." Coasteering It is by far the best activity and the event that everyone is still talking about. This is exploring the coastline without worrying about a coastal path or finding a rocky bay blocking your route. You climb, dive and swim from one place to another. With Coasteering, you don't have to be able to swim as the wet suit and buoyancy aid will keep you floating when you are in the water. Sky Diving Traditional parachuting doesn't sound risky enough. So now sky diving is the name for jumping from a plane and listening to your heart beating heavily as you move fast towards earth before you open your parachute at the last moment. Mountain Biking It's been around so long that bikers are no longer satisfied with just going up and down a mountain. Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough land, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but include features designed to improve strength and performance in rough areas. For details, please call us on 1300-792-668 or click here: www.xtremecamp.com.au. We can infer from the passage that _ . mountain biking requires more than riding common bikes People who eat at home most of the time have better nutrition than those who go out to eat , a recent study shows. Cornell University professors Lana Hall and Karen Bunch interviewed(,) 3900 people in the survey. "People who eat less than 30 percent of their food away from home eat the most nutritiously," they said. "In general, Americans don't have nutrient, except for iron and calcium," they reported. They have the opposite problem----over--consumption , especially of fat. The food at many fast food restaurants is often low in vitamins. "People who eat more than 30 percent of total calories away from home eat foods that are generally low in nutrients per calorie," the professors said. More calories and enough nutrient intake are required to achieve. One of the major health risks is eating too much fat. The professor found than fat consumption became greater as income went up. It also went up in houses where the female worked. This is probably because these people eat more highly processed foods. According to the passage, which of the following suggestions would you most readily take? Eat at home as many times as possible Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea.People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches. Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it. At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea.Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added.She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk. At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o'clock stopped her getting "a sinking feeling" as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born. People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because _ . Madame de Sevigne was such a lady with great social influence that people tried to copy the way she drank tea Rock House Museum Take a journey through history with a visit to the exciting museum and historic sites of Wytheville . The Rock House Museum offers glimpses into daily life in the 19th century . The museum is part of the 50 structures featured in Wytheville's Historic Walking Tour . 540/233-3330 . Grand Caverns Grand Caverns is America's oldest cave . Beautiful and massive formations . Union troops visited the caverns . Thomas Jefferson visited--you should , too ! Open weekends in March , daily April--October , 9 a.m.--5 p.m. Hour tours leave every 30 minutes . 703/249-5705 . The News Museum The News Museum in Arlington is the world's only interactive museum of news . Visitors can be reporters or television newscasters , see today's news as it happens on a block-long video news wall , and be taken behind the scenes to see how news is made . The News museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a. m.--5 p. m. You can visitwww. News museum .Org . Kenmore Plantation & Gardens Kenmore Plantation & Gardens has over two hundred years of history from the Revolutionary War , Civil War and into the 21st century . Home of Betty Washington , George Washington's only sister , and Patriot Col. Fielding Lewis . Explore this historic building and city block of restored gardens . Tea and ginger cookies served . 540/373-3381 . Virginia Beach Virginia Beach offers 11 000 hotel / motel rooms , plus cottages and campgrounds . Enjoy miles of clean beaches and a variety of family attractions . Fine restaurants , various shopping areas , exciting nightlife , and special events are offered throughout the year . 800/822-3224 . What is the author's purpose in writing this passage ? To attract tourists to Virginia .
On November 1, the following notice was posted in a privately operated law school: The faculty, seeking to encourage legal research, offers to any student at this school who wins the current National Obscenity Law Competition the additional prize of $500. All competing papers must be submitted to the Dean's office before May 1. (The National Competition was conducted by an outside agency unconnected with any law school.) Student read this notice on November 2, and thereupon intensified his effort to make his paper on obscenity law, which he had started in October, a winner. Student also left on a counter in the Dean's office a signed note saying, "I accept the faculty's $500 Obscenity Competition offer." This note was inadvertently placed in Student's file and never reached the Dean or any faculty member personally. On the following April 1, the above notice was removed and the following substituted therefor: The faculty regrets that our offer regarding the National Obscenity Law Competition must be withdrawn. Student's paper was submitted through the Dean's office on April 15. On May 1, it was announced that Student had won the National Obscenity Law Competition and the prize of $1,000. The law faculty refused to pay anything."As to Student, was the offer effectively revoked? No, because of Student's reliance, prior to April 1, on the offer. Do you want to live a happier, less stressful life? Try laughing for no reason at all. That's how thousands of people start their day at Laughter Clubs around the world - and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy. The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr Madan Kataria. "Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day," says Dr Kataria. "Everyone's naturally good at laughing - it's the universal language. We want people to feel happy with their lives." There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 worldwide. Many doctors are also interested in the effects of laughter on our health. According to a 5 - year study in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%. So, what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest - I wasn't interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking stupid. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say "ho ho ho, ha ha ha," while looking at each other. However, our bodies can't tell the difference between fake laughter and real laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects. Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real - and some people just couldn't stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you're under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results! How did the writer feel at the beginning of the class? Nervous. Mr. Backer is a kind-hearted man. Once he gave some food to a poor woman . Mr White, the boss of the restaurant, found it and became angry. He often gave the leftovers to some poor workers. Mr. Backers lost his work for it. It was difficult for him to find work in the small country though he was an able cook. The war made all stop. Children couldn't go to school, most shops were closed, even some farmers were hungry. Some people were made to leave their houses and they had to find the safe places. It was an autumn night. Mr Backer hadn't any food to eat and went to bed, but he couldn't fall asleep, because he was very hungry . suddenly he heard a noise in his room. He saw a man looking for something useful there. He said nothing and watched it carefully. At last the man took a few old clothes out of a broken paper box and took them away. He got up from his bed quickly and followed him gently , with his _ on his back. The man didn't find him and went into a small and wet house. Mr. Backer also went in and saw there was nothing in the room. The thief saw him and was surprised. He asked, "What did you come here for?" "You have carried my things here," said Mr. Backer. "I have to move here, too!" Mr White sent Mr. Backer away because _ . he gave some leftovers to the poor woman Which is likely to have a means to transport water from the dirt to the rest of its body? the roses a panda eats You may not pay much attention to your daily lift ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, the US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the "Lift Guy". "The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette is sort of odd ," Gray told the BBC. "They (Lifts) are socially very interesting but often very awkward places." We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed. He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want--it's your own little box. If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally across from each other to create distance. When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person, it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle. New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple--look down, or look at their phones. Why are we so awkward in lifts? "You don't have enough space," Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. "Usually when we meet other people, we have about an arm's length of distance between us. And that's not possible in most lifts." In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed as threatening or odd. "The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,"she said. The main purpose of the article is to _ . tell us some unwritten rules of lift etiquette
The best family vacations are the ones where everyone is entertained and everyone gets along Not sure how to do that,especially if traveling with kids is involved? A travel agent is your answer. A travel agent can recommend the best destinations,resorts and cruises for family-friendly vacations.For vacations with kids,simply share the interests of your children as well as what the adults going on the vacation enjoy doing, and your travel egent can put together the ideal trip for your family,with activities and kids' clubs for the children and entertainment for the adults. Travel agents can even arrange trustworthy childeare,so you can have a kids-free evening on your vacation. Travel agents can also help plan memorable pleasure trips during your vacation.They can advise on the best water parks and get you front-of-the line tickets, or they can give tips on what time to visit certain natural wonders for the best views and fewer crowds. They can also recommend which restaurants are the most family-friendly and take care of the reservations for you. Vacations for kids can be stressful enough (packing,keeping everyone entertained on the plane ride,finding kid--friendly foods, etc)without having the added worry of "what if something goes wrong?''A travel agent will take over if any accident occurs on your trip and will spend time calling companies and researching options until your problem is solved-whether that means you need to re-book a flight or find a trustworthy doctor for your child who has suddenly come down with an illness. Finally, a travel agent will make it easier to bond with your family by recommending the perfect vacation for your family's interests and needs. By taking the planning stress and trip organization off you and giving it to a travel agent, you'll be able to simply enjoy spending time with your family. What is the text trying to persuade you to do? To arrange your trip with the help of the travel agent. Last August, I traveled with a group of volunteers to Tres de Mayo, a small community near Tela, Honduras to help renovate a community centre. During my stay there, I learned many things and I also had plenty of opportunity to interact and work with local children, and I often could not help but think about the hardships they faced day to day, all factors considered to place children at-risk for problems later in life. One young boy in particular, Javier, 16, stood out for me. Javier's father had left a year earlier for the U. S., and the family had not heard from him since. This put his mother in a difficult position, stay in Tres de Mayo with no job and no source of income. In the end she decided to move to another province to find work. Javier with his little brother had to stay to live with their grandfather in a small house. Many of the children we met in Tres de Mayo were in similar situations. As our last day approached, I remember the look in Javier's eyes, as they welled up with tears when we told him we were leaving. One of the volunteers held him close, but it did little to _ him. He had already experienced so much loss, his father abandoning him, his mother leaving to find work, and it was hard to realize that our departure was adding to the list. As I looked beyond Javier, I could see the many men and women whom Javier looked up to, depended on, and gathered strength from. I did know that without parents to raise him, he was not left alone. Instead, the adults in the community took responsibility for the care of their collective young. Which of the following statement is TRUE? Javier faced a number of challenges that put him at some risks. Lulu is a little dog. She likes to play with her toys. She really likes her little lamb. She likes when Lauren throws her lamb. Lulu likes to chases the lamb. Lulu doesn't like to bring the lamb back to Lauren. Lauren gets mad. Lulu likes to bark. She barks at the children outside. She barks when the mailman comes to the door. Lulu barks at everything. Lulu barks all the time. Daddy gets mad. Lulu likes to eat. She likes her dog food. Her dog food has a picture of dog that looks like her on the bag. Lulu likes her food, but she likes the cat's food better. The cat gets mad. Lulu likes to drink water. Her favorite water bowl is in her cage. Lulu likes that water bowl because it's the right height. Lulu likes her water bowl, but she likes Heather's glass of water better. Heather gets mad. Lulu likes her bed. She goes there to rest. She likes to sleep on the blanket there. Her favorite blanket is from Grandma. Lulu likes Grandma's blanket, but she likes Alan's better. Alan gets mad. Lulu curls up on the blanket on the couch. Lauren gives Lulu her lamb to sleep with. Daddy pets Lulu. The cat licks Lulu. Heather thinks Lulu looks sweet. Alan lets Lulu use his blanket. No one gets mad at Lulu. What toy does Lulu like to play with? her lamb This year, a very sweet old lady that I cared for, Alice, had gone through a difficult time. She got _ and so she had been in the hospital twice. In November I was finally able to get her back to her "home". Alice had thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that that happy moment was not going to happen, she was very sad. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to make her feel happy, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday! On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she would like to go to a candlelight service at church that night. Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got her a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. God and his angels had a hand in the plan and it worked out perfectly. Then soon some of her friends came to the church and they rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was beautiful and Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift: the smile on Alice's face. The smile on Alice's face shows that I made a difference. What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve? Alice's happiness. Visiting Mineral City! Mineral City is an interesting place to visit. It is a beautiful little town with many old buildings. Take a walk through the center of the town on Main Street. Look first at the Mineral City Hotel. It is on the corner of Main Street and Glenn Avenue. It is about 150 years old and people will stay there. There is an interesting old building across the street from the hotel. This was a post office. Now it is a store for books and videos. There are many places to eat on Main Street. You can get lunch or dinner in one of these places. There is a park between Main Street and Oak Street. You can sit on a bench in the park. It is nice and quiet, and you can enjoy the trees and flowers. You can also take a walk down Glenn Avenue. Look at the old buildings and interesting little stores on this street. There are some _ on Glenn Avenue. old buildings and interesting little stores
Nancy Tillman's wonderful On the Night You Were Born is one of my very favorite books. Its celebration of the uniqueness of each and every child told in lyrical language makes it the gift I choose most often for expectant or adoptive parents. I also read it regularly with my grandchildren and talk with them about how special they are. Tillman feels that the most important message for children to receive is simply, "You are loved." And it's that message that is the focus of this, her newest book, Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You. Once again, it is her turn of phrase that most fascinates me: In the green of the grass ... in the smell of the sea ... in the clouds floating by ... at the top of a tree ... in the sound crickets make at the end of the day ... "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved," they all say. Phrases encourage children to grow, to try new things, to "march to the front" of their "own parade" and assures them that, no matter how far they go or what they do, they will be loved. Though the words alone would convince me to buy, share and recommend this book, Tillman is also a gifted artist and her lovely work makes this book a visual treasure as well. Through the pages, a child rides hippos, splashes in the surf with elephants, plays hide and seek with rabbits, shares a trampoline with a kangaroo and enjoys some quiet time with a pair of pandas. My favorite drawing has the child walking away along a wide path that runs between trees covered in mist. In all of the drawings, swirls of sparkling lights wrap around the child--the love that will always be with him/her. I've read On the Night You Were Born dozens of times and with every single reading, I am incredibly touched. Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You creates the same feeling of wonder, peace and happiness in me. It's a keep-forever book and I'm so happy to have it in my collection to share with the children I love most. The purpose of this passage is to _ . Answer: There was a man playing the piano in a bar. He was a good piano player and always performed in this bar. People came in just to hear him play. But one night, a customer told him that he didn't want to hear him just play the piano any more. He wanted him to sing a song. The man said, "I don't sing." But the customer was persistent . He told the bar manager, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that man to sing!" The manager shouted across the room, "If you want to get paid, sing a song. Our customers are asking you to sing!" So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the first time. And everyone was surprised by his song "Mona Lisa". He got lots of applause that night. He had such a talent for singing, but _ for the past years! If without such a chance, he may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar. However, now he has become one of the best-known singers in America. You, too, have skills and abilities. Maybe your "talent" is not as great as the singer above, but it may be better than you think! And with effort, most skills can be improved. So, in your life, you should be brave enough to try doing different things and find out what talents you really have! What do you think of the bar manager? Answer: Mark Twain, the famous American writer, was traveling in France. Once he was going by train to Dijon. That afternoon he was very tired and wanted to sleep, so he asked the conductor to wake him up when they came to Dijon. But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. "I'll probably protest loudly when you try to wake me up," he said to the conductor, "but do not take any notice, just put me off the train anyway." Then Mark Twain went to sleep. Later, when he woke up, it was night-time and the train was in Paris already. He realized at once that the conductor had forgotten to wake him up at Dijon. He was very angry. He ran up to the conductor and began to shout at him."I have never been so angry in all my life," Mark Twain said. The conductor looked at him calmly. "You are not half so angry as the American whom I put off at Dijon," he said. When he woke up, the train got to _ . Answer: A grass snake may make its home in Answer: American researchers have found that variations in a single gene can be used to predict if someone is likely to take their own life. Researchers at John Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, found that the gene SKA2 stopped functioning correctly in people at risk of suicide. The SKA2 gene is found in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, and is involved in preventing negative thoughts and controlling abnormal behavior. If there isn't enough SKA2, or it is changed in some way, the body cannot control levels of cortisol . Previous research has shown that people who attempt suicide or who take their own lives have large amounts of cortisol in their systems. A test could allow doctors or psychologists to place patients on "suicide watch" and disable their access to drugs or equipment which they could use to end their own life. The research was reported in The American Journal of Psychology. "We need to study this in a larger sample but we believe that we might be able to monitor the blood to identify those at risk of suicide. After all, suicide is a major preventable public health problem, but we have been stymied in our prevention efforts because we have no steady way to predict those who are at increased risk of killing themselves," says study leader Dr Zachary Kaminsky, an assistant professor of psychological and behavioral sciences. "With a test like ours, we may be able to cut down suicide rates by identifying those people and intervening early enough to head off a catastrophe ." The blood test managed to predict those with the most severe risk of suicide with 90 per cent accuracy. They could also spot if someone had already attempted suicide with 96 per cent accuracy, simply by looking at the levels of SKA2. What's the purpose of the blood test? Answer:
Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today.A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important. In college, music education is one of the largest programs.Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques. They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more.At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music. Music plays a very important role in our education. Music helps with math and science. Students learn to count, and how to multiply and divide.Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't.Students also need science to understand something called the "overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration and why. Students learn a lot about languages through music.Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones.Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing. Students learn a huge amount of cooperation of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together.Students must use motor skills in order to play an instrument.Singers and wind players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play. Students learn about art. Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music. Music education also brings higher thinking to our children.It allows them to think about complex patterns.Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time.In that way, it develops cooperation, as well.They tend to develop more ability for learning. As one can see, music is very important to education. As to the benefits from music, which of the following is NOT included in the passage? While running, leg muscles work to move leg bones, and the skin helps to Families come in many shapes and sizes-they can be just two people, or hundreds of aunts, uncles and cousins. Every family is different, and what makes a family is different for everyone. Families don't even have to be related -some families are formed by choice. For this contest, draw us a picture of your family. Contest rules: 1. Your picture must be your very own artwork. Ideas and words should not be copied. 2. Be sure to include your name, age and full address on your picture. 3. Only one picture each person, please. 4. If you want your picture returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 5.Your picture must be signed or e-mailed by a parent, saying it's your own work and that no one helped you. 6.Mailed picture must be postmarked by April 30, 2014. 7.E-mail scanned picture to ask@askmagkids.com, or mail to: Ask Contest, 70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL60601. No faxes, please. We can learn from the first rule that _ . We all think that we know what happiness is. We all seem to be making great efforts towards this goal of happiness but what is it really? It is an agreed fact that all the creatures want happiness and are afraid of pain and sadness. The question, however, is "what is real happiness?" What really is called happiness? The desire for happiness has no meaning without understanding the real nature of happiness. Some thinkers say, "Happiness does not lie in objects of enjoyment; happiness or unhappiness lies in imagination." To prove their belief, they give examples like the following one: A man has a two-storey house; on the right is a five-storey building and on the left a cottage. When he sees right, he feels unhappy and when he sees left he feels happy. As such happiness does not lie in possession of sensory objects, but in imagination. They advise people to look towards those who have fewer possessions and be happy. If you look towards people having more wealth and possessions, you will always be unhappy. It is unreasonable to hold this point of view. It is unkind to regard one happy by imagining that one is better than the poor and the unhappy. "If you want to be happy, look towards the poor". We know that those poor people cannot satisfy even their basic needs. This attitude satisfies the sense of pride of possessions, but this can never be called happiness. Unless we really find where happiness lies, we cannot really be happy. Some ask people to do this and do that and say, "This way your desires would be satisfied. You would get the desired objects and become happy." People holding these views regard happiness as satisfaction of desires. But it is not possible to satisfy one's desires because there are countless desires of countless people and the material things are limited. Then new desires arise as soon as the previous ones are satisfied. Therefore, desires, which are changing all the time, can never be satisfied. Happiness is a characteristic of a good life, that is, a life in which a person fulfills human nature in an excellent way. People have a set of purposes which are typically human: these belong to our nature. Happiness is also a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated , and defended privately by each person. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives and come to being happy. Happiness lies in the distribution of easiness among others. Happiness stands for forgiveness and justice. Happiness is the name of struggle and courage. Happiness may be founded in seeking of true knowledge and rule of wisdom. Happiness may be shared in service and duty. This life is combination of joys and sorrows, and honest efforts should be done to make this life journey full of happiness, love, peace and harmony. What is the purpose of the passage? Hello, I'm Kan. I like different kinds of food. I like hamburgers, ice cream, salad and orange juice. For breakfast, I often have some milk and hamburgers. I don't like dessert. My favorite football star, Ronaldo eats lots of healthy food. He likes eggs and vegetables for breakfast. For lunch, he eats hamburgers, potatoes, chicken, oranges and apple juice. For dinner, he likes meat and French fries. He doesn't have dessert. " I like football better." He says. Kan doesn't like _ .
The prestigious Peking University and Tsinghua University held graduation ceremonies on the same day this year. The presidents of the two universities delivered excellent speeches at the ceremonies as they used words, phrases or ways of expression that are very popular on the Internet currently. At the same time, graduation speeches by other university presidents were also under the spotlight for the same reason. Their speeches were warmly welcomed by students as they contained many fashionable words today, such as "floating clouds" ( meaning "too small and of little importance to mention") and "gelivable" (meaning " very helpful") . In the speeches , these university presidents recalled campus life together with students and finally moved all the audiences. They were very different from the usual run of lectures. Many university presidents have changed their regular manner of addressing graduation ceremonies from an advising and preaching mode to a more fashionable and funny approach. They try to use those words popular among young people in their speeches. In the past, university presidents' speeches were criticized for being too standard and lacking sentiment. Now , they quote fashionable words in their addresses, reflecting they are starting to adopt more everyday attitudes to students. The use of these new expressions has _ a heated discussion. It focuses on the question of whether university presidents should speak in an informal way at graduation ceremonies. Supporters agree with the new approach. They consider it good to build close ties with students by using the youth's own words. Opponents argue the new ways have no practical value or significance for education but are merely to please those leaving university. Which of the following is true according to the passage? People argue about whether to use fashionable words on formal occasions. Today most Chinese teenagers are happy to be favored by two parents and four grandparents in their families. But have you ever thought about how to take care of four to twelve old people when you grow up and get married? This could be a problem for most Chinese youths as China is entering a new stage of an aging society. An aging society refers to one where 10 percent or more of its population is over 60. By the end of 2007, Chinese over 60 years old have made up 11.7 percent of the nation's total population. "China is getting old before becoming rich,"said Cai Chuang, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The population increase that has powered Chinese growth for three decades will give way over the next ten years to a rapid aging of the society. This will lead to weaker economic growth, because of a lack of labor resources. As a result of the family planning policy, it is expected that the country's total working population will decrease after 2015. China is not the only country getting old. More that 60 countries have become aging societies and one in three people in the European Union is a senior citizen. However, experts said that China doesn't have a highly developed social security network to support the old. Social security is an insurance program protecting those in need, including the old, the disabled and others. If China enters an aging society, _ . there will not be enough labor resources On a hill 600 feet above the surrounding land, we watch the lines of rain move across the scene, the moon rise over the hills, and the stars appear in the sky. The views invite a long look from a comfortable chair in front of the wooden house. Every window in our wooden house has a view, and the forest and lakes seldom look the same as the hour before. Each look reminds us where we are. There is space for our three boys to play outside, to shoot arrows, collect tree seeds, build earth houses and climb trees. Our kids have learned the names of the trees, and with the names have come familiarity and appreciation. As they tell all who show even a passing interest, maple makes the best fighting sticks and white pines are the best climbing trees. The air is clean and fresh. The water from the well has a pleasant taste, and it is perhaps the healthiest water our kids will ever drink. Though they have one glass a day of juice and the rest is water, they never say anything against that. _ We watch the maples turn every shade of yellow and red in the fall and note the poplars' putting out the first green leaves of spring. The rainbow smelt fills the local steam as the ice gradually disappears, and the wood frogs start to sing in pools after being frozen for the winter. A family of birds rules our skies and flies over the lake. By mentioning the names of the trees, the author aims to show that _ . the kids have learned much knowledge Gabby Douglas stood beneath the Rio Olympic Arena, still in her Team USA leotard, trying hard to understand how she had become the most unpatriotic athlete in Rio. Tears filled in her eyes. She tried hard to talk but no words came out. Her pauses were long and uncomfortable. "I've been trying to stay off the Internet because there's so much negativity," she said. The attacks against her have been everywhere these last few days. The bullies blamed her for not putting her hand over her heart while the US national song played. Besides, some other people attacked her for not jumping up and cheering hard enough for team-mates at the all-around final. All of this prompted her mother, Natalie Hawkins, to tell Reuters this weekend, that Douglas is "heartbroken". It showed on Sunday, in Douglas's final performance of this Olympics and maybe in the Games ever. Douglas finished sixth in the uneven bars, far from the medal stand she owned four years ago in London, and shook her head, confused. What had she done wrong? Nothing made sense. "I mean, you do [Olympics] for your country, and you do it for yourself, how have I offended them? What have I done? I was standing in respect for USA. I'm coming out there representing them to the best of my abilities, so how would I be in disrespect? Why was Douglas heartbroken? Because she was criticized by many people for her unintentional behaviors. To create paper you will first have to acquire a supply of pulp
Saturday, March 24th We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This is our first trip to Thailand . All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North. Tuesday, March 27th Bangkok is wonderful and surprising. The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai. Friday, March 30th Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life--no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say"hello". Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year. It seems that visitors _ in Bangkok. can have a good time I have many friends, and they have different favorite subjects. John's favorite subject is computer because he thinks computer can help him a lot with his study. He is a computer fan. He likes playing computer games very much, and he is good at playing it. Jack likes art best because he likes drawing pictures a lot. Mary likes Chinese because her father is Chinese. Her father teaches her Chinese at home. She loves China very much, and she wants to know more about China. Bob thinks Maths is very interesting, so he likes Maths best. David likes P. E. because he likes doing sports. He is good at playing basketball and soccer. _ is good at playing basketball. David Which is likely to have a continuous path of electricity while in use? an iPhone An engineer constructs a prototype from wood. Which of the following is the best tool for the engineer to use to make the prototype's surface smooth? sandpaper Mrs. Janes gave music lessons at a school.She had a good voice and enjoyed singing, except that some of her high tones sound like a gate that had forgotten to oil.Mrs. Janes knew her weakness well, and took every chance she could find to practise these high notes. As she lived in a small house, where she could not practise without disturbing the rest of the family, she usually went for long walks along the country roads whenever she had time and practised her high notes there.Whenever she heard a car or a person coming along the road, she stopped and waited until she could no longer be heard before she started practicing again, because she was a shy person. One afternoon, a fast, opened car came up behind her so silently and so fast that she didn't hear it until it was only a few yards from her.She was singing some of her highest and most difficult tones at that time and as the car passed, she saw an anxious expression came over the driver's face.He stopped his car suddenly, jumped out and began to examine all his tyres carefully. Mrs. Janes didn't dare to tell him what the noise he had heard really was, so he got back into the car and drove off. Why did the driver stop his car suddenly and jump out of it? Because he supposed something must have gone wrong with his car.
German scientists say that eating a little chocolate every day may keep you away from cardiovascular disease. The scientists have found that chocolate, especially dark chocolate , can help you cut down 39 percent of heart disease, including taking a very small amount . However, the study advises people not to eat too much chocolate, because too much chocolate is bad for our bodies. So the scientists advise people to eat small amount of chocolate instead of sugar or high-fat snacks. Scientists said, "Dark chocolate shows the greatest effects, milk chocolate fewer , and white chocolate no effects." The results showed chocolate may cut down blood pressure, but they also say that further study is needed. In the eight-year study, people's daily diet, exercise habits, and blood pressure were studied in 19,357 persons aged 35 to 65. They found that people who are an average of 7.5 grams of chocolate a day had a very lower chance of heart disease than those who ate much less chocolate , and average of 1.7 grams a day. From the passage, we know that _ . An ordinance of City makes it unlawful to park a motor vehicle on a City street within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. At 1:55 p.m., Parker, realizing that he must be in Bank before it closed at 2:00 p.m., and finding no other space available, parked his automobile in front of a fire hydrant on a City street. Parker then hurried into the bank, leaving his aged neighbor, Ned, as a passenger in the rear seat of the car. About five minutes later, and while Parker was still in Bank, Driver was driving down the street. Driver swerved to avoid what he mistakenly thought was a hole in the street and sideswiped Parker's car. Parker's car was turned over on top of the hydrant, breaking the hydrant and causing a small flood of water. Parker's car was severely damaged and Ned was badly injured. There is no applicable guest statute."If Ned asserts a claim against Parker, the most likely result is that Ned will As I walked along the Edgware Road, I felt as though the world was closing in on me. All the sounds I take for granted, had gone. I had entered a world of silence. This unsettling experience occurred a few weeks ago when I agreed to go deaf for the day to support the work of the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, for which I am an ambassador. When I managed to take a cab to the office of my manager, Gavin, I couldn't hear what the taxi driver was saying to me. Conversation was impossible. Then, when I reached the office, I had to ring the intercom five times as I couldn't hear a response. Everybody said I was shouting at them--- I simply wasn't aware of how loudly I was speaking as I couldn't hear my own voice. Gavin kept telling me my phone was ringing, but I didn't realize. I was too busy trying to concentrate on reading his lips. And when he tried to tell me a code to put into my phone, I had to keep asking him to repeat it, more slowly. Eventually he lost his patience and snapped at me: "Just give me the phone!" I was shocked. People couldn't be bothered to repeat themselves, so they kept trying to do things for me that I was perfectly capable of doing myself. I felt I'd lost control. Being deaf for the day was extraordinarily tiring. I had to work so hard to "listen" with my eyes, get people's attention and use my other senses to make up for my lack of hearing. It was a huge, exhausting effort. Until that experience I didn't realize how much I took my own hearing for granted, or the sorts of emotions and experiences deaf people go through. If a deaf person asks you to repeat something, never think: "It doesn't matter." It does matter. What advice does the author give in the passage? London Summer School in Classics Dates The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King's College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008. For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page. If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King's College London. Tel: 020 7848 2299 Fax: 020 7848 2545 Organization The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential , and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July. The fee is PS85.00. Travel grants are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school. Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond. The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment. As a student of the school, you are probably asked to _ . Barefoot Traveler is a tour agent that specializes in diving holidays,tailor-made to your own needs.The most popular destinations include Bonaire,Tobago,the Bahamas, Maldives,Oman,Seychelles and Thailand. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff,who are qualified divers themselves,will be able to advise you on the best destinations for your requirements. Whether you want to learn to dive,further your diving qualifications,continue to discover the underwater world,or simply relax on the beach,we are here'to help organize your holiday. We are happy to satisfy single travelers and offer special discounts . Group discounts are offered to groups of eight or more travelers and tailor-made packages are available for Dive Clubs. We also offer a series of diving liveaboard choices throughout the Caribbean.Indian Ocean and South East Asia.Liveaboards are very popular scuba diving holidays for those who want to access the best diving sites. Our barefoot luxury holiday brand is for those trying something a little more special,whether it's your honeymoon,anniversary or simply for more discerning travelers.We have a selection of 4 and 5 star levels which are the best in luxury holidays. According to the passage,Barefoot Traveler _ .
Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Swift's family ran a farm. "I had her sitting on a small horse when she was nine months old," said Swift's mother. "If my dream had gone well, she'd be in a horse show right now." The only obvious forerunner of Swift's musical talent was her grandmother, an opera singer. That talent showed itself early: when the family went to see a Disney musical film, Swift would come out of the theater singing all the songs correctly. At the age of 11, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Philadelphia 76ers game. The experiences during her pre-teen years encouraged the creativity to go with Swift's talent. As a child, she attended the academically competitive Wyndcroft School in Pottstown, but then switched to public schools in Wyomissing. Although it was her hometown, she didn't know any of her classmates, and she was terrified. Swift began to understand the storytelling feature of country songs, and put her feelings into songs of her own. One of her future hits, "The Outside", was written when she was only 12. "I wrote that about the scariest feeling I've ever felt: going to school, looking at those faces, and not knowing who you're gonna talk to that day," she said. "In the music, I could never feel the kind of rejection that I felt in middle school." Swift's parents quickly realized that they had someone special on their hands. They sold their farm when she was 13 and moved the family to Hendersonville, Tennessee.[:Z+xx+k.Com] Swift had the ability, above all, to put feelings into words with accuracy far beyond her years. In "Our Song" she wrote, "Our song is the slamming screen door, going out late, tapping on your window." In the summer of 2006, "Tim McGraw" came out, and almost from the beginning the 16-year-old Taylor Swift was a star. When she was in her childhood, Taylor Swift _ . Answer: showed her talent for music early surging commodity prices could worsen poverty in many poor countries, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. A new IMF study, seeing the effect of soaring oil and food costs, said many poor and developing countries would likely have to change their economic policies in response to soaring commodity prices. "Some countries are at a dangerous point," warned IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. "If food prices rise further and oil prices stay the same, some governments will no longer be able to feed their people and at the same time keep stability in their economies," Strauss-Kahn said. The IMF chief called for a "broad cooperative approach" to help handle higher oil and food prices, and said the IMF stood ready to assist countries in need. Strauss-Kahn said the international community would also have to play a role in helping to reduce the effect of commodity price shocks which have caused protests in some countries. European truckers have blockaded major roads to protest fuel prices in recent weeks and food riots have occurred in Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Somalia among other countries in recent months. "Poor countries that are highly dependent on food imports are particularly vulnerable to rising food prices," the IMF report said. Anti-poverty campaigners are concerned that rising commodity costs could roll back advances made through anti-poverty campaigns in recent years, particularly because poorer families tend to spend much more of their household income on food. The IMF report found that poor households are most affected by food price inflation and "warned that the share of undernourished people in developing countries could rise rapidly above the current 40 percent of total population". Energy and food values are still rising and the IMF said its research suggests "the problem is worsening". The Washington-based fund said it is working closely with its member countries to help reduce inflationary pressures taking into account countries' specific needs. The report said that global food markets "need to be kept open" and that "restrictive policies", such as export taxes and bans, should be removed. To reduce the effects of rising oil and food prices, the IMF suggests _ . Answer: taking different measures to cooperate with its member countries British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes--the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the Lower or Working Class. This is known as the Class system and it is important to know something about it if you want to understand British people and society. Most British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of the class system even if they are not very conscious of it. Most people know which class they belong to by the way they speak, their clothes, their interests or even the type of food they eat. Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes. For example, although many upper class people are rich and may own a lot of land, having a lot of money does not make a person upper class. It is also important to come from a particular kind of family, have friends who are considered suitable, have been to a certain type of private school and speak with the right kind of accent. There are people who are poor but who do not think of themselves as working class, because their family background, education, political opinions, etc. are different from those of most working-class people. Many people do not like the class system but it is impossible to pretend that these differences do not exist or that British people do not sometimes form opinions in this way. According to the passage, the idea of the class system in Britain _ . Answer: is deeply rooted in the British people It's Tuesday today. After four classes in the morning, it's time for lunch. "Boys and girls, do you want to go to the City Book Store with me this afternoon?" Miss Cheng asks. All the students in our class are very happy, because we don't have to have three afternoon classes as usual . So we answer, "Yes!" "Well, come to the classroom after lunch," Miss Cheng says. At about 1:30 pm, we take a bus to the City Book Store. We get to the store at 2:00 pm. In the City Book Store are lots of books, but I can't read all of them. I only read two books about my favorite subject, history. The books in the store are nice, but they are expensive. I can't afford them. After two hours, we go to the front door of the book store. With Miss Cheng's help, some of the students buy some books at a special discount . Then we take a bus to our school. How many classes does Tom usually have on Tuesdays? Answer: Seven. "I was only thirteen when four of my team members and I were chosen by my swim coach to train with the Chinese National Team. The following piece shows how that experience has influenced me." The night before I left for China, my mother called me into her room. I entered not knowing what to expect. I sat down at the end of her very neatly-made bed, opposite the bedroom table on which she kept a Ming-style vase illustrated in great detail. She told me that my great-grandmother was still living in the surroundings of Beijing. Her name was Ren Li Ling and she was 97 years old. This was the first time I had ever heard of her. The dragon on the vase snaked through the flowers and vines as my mother said, "Pu Pu, look at me. You need to hear this so that when you go to China you will understand. You must keep this knowledge in your heart." She told me a story about my grandfather, Ren Li Ling's son, who left Beijing to go to college in Taiwan. She told me how the Chinese civil war kept him away from his mother for fifty years, so neither of them even knew that the other was alive. No one from Taiwan could visit, write, or call anyone in mainland. All lines of communication were cut off. She told me of my grandfather's devotion to his own children, and how difficult it was for him to send his daughter to America for her education, fearing that same separation. He gave my mother all that he could give -- nineteen years of love and fifty years of savings. I learned how my mother, through means only available in this country, would finally be able to unite my great-grandmother with my grandfather again. The dragon curled around the vase, connecting the separate vines. For a fleeting second, I felt it was present in my mother's room. It was all very strange, yet very clear. I began to understand that this trip to China was not just for me; it was for my mother, and her father, and his mother. Now, I had not only a future, but more significantly, a past. I saw the world with new eyes. And so I went to China and met my great-grandmother. My great-aunt picked me up at the training center, and we rode in a taxi through the crowded city. The noise of the taxi and the city united into a deep roar. We finally stopped in front of a narrow street lined on either side with small one-level houses. As we made our way to a house like all the others, I drew the stares of many people in the street. My great-aunt led me through a rotting doorway into a room with a furnace , table, and a rocking chair where an old woman wearing gloves sat facing the doorway, covered with a worn brown blanket. I walked over and immediately embraced this frail woman as if I had known her all my life. My limited, broken Chinese wasn't up to expressing my complicated feelings. And even though I couldn't completely understand what she was saying in her thick Beijing accent, I knew -- the same way I knew what my mother had been trying to tell me before I left. Her joy shone through her toothless smile. She wouldn't let go of my hand. I haltingly asked her how she had managed to live such a long life. She answered in words I will never forget, "Hope has kept me alive. I have lived this long because I wanted to see my son before I died." My fellow team members must have wondered how two people separated by three generations could be so close. Before this trip, I would have wondered the same thing. And even now, I can't quite explain it. We were as different as two people can be; some 85 years and 8,000 miles apart. We came from two entirely different cultures; yet we were connected by a common heritage . I stayed for dinner which was cooked in a black iron wok over the furnace. The meal was lavish , prepared in my honor. As I began to eat, with my great-grandmother beside me, I felt the dragon was present. But this time, the feeling didn't pass; the dragon had become a part of me. My great-grandmother passed away last year at the age of 100. With her highest hopes and wildest dreams fulfilled, I know she died happy. How old was the writer's mother when she was sent to America for her education. Answer: 19
Which statement best compares single-celled and multi-celled organisms? Organelles in a single-celled organism are like the organs in a multi-celled organism. It started as a game.Wendy and Peter were in River Park.They watched the boats in the river and visited the zoo.They played on the slides and swings.They watched the merry-go-round,but they did not have money for a ride.They ate their sandwiches at a picnic table.Suddenly Wendy jumped up. "I know what to do,"she said."Look at all that junk under the tables.Let's pick it up." So they picked up paper and empty boxes and cans.They put them in the green cans marked"Litter".Peter's dog Stoopy picked up some paper and ran away with it.Peter called him back and took it from him.Then they taught Stoopy to carry trash for them.They put it in the cans.They worked until there was no trash left on the picnic grounds. The next day their friends Mario and Andy came to the park with them.They helped to tidy the picnic grounds again.Then they ran all over the park looking for litter.They tried to see who could find the most.After that,it was a game they played every time they came to the park. One day,a man came with a camera.He watched what they were doing.He asked to take a picture for them.Then he took them all for a free ride on the merry-go-round,even Stoopy.The next day their picture was in the newspaper.It said."Five Litter Lifters at River Park".After that all their friends wanted to be litter lifters.It was the beginning of a club that was a model for others to follow. What does the story show about Wendy and Peter and their friends? They were glad to help. Zhu Xueqin is from Jiangsu Province, Kang Houming from the Municipality of Chongqing and Hu Xiaoyan from Guangdong Province. They are the first migrant workers to have been elected deputies to the National People's Congress. And they will be the focus of almost 3,000 deputies. 31-year-old Zhu works in a clothing company. She started out sewing garments and is now deputy chief of the workers' union. Migrant worker deputy Zhu Xueqin said, "I am the representative of 4 million migrant workers in Shanghai. I feel a lot of pressure to do well and I will certainly do my best." Zhu was elected to the post a month ago. She spent all her free time collecting requests and suggestions from fellow migrant workers. Zhu Xueqin said, "We've held at least ten meetings to discuss the problems of restaurant staff and construction and factory workers." Since her election to be an NPC deputy, Zhu has received numerous requests from other migrant workers, who want her to help solve their problems. She is aiming for a paid holiday system so migrant workers can decide for themselves when they go back home to see their families. And she is also calling for maternity insurance for the migrants. China's workers from rural areas are estimated to a number around 200 million. And these migrants have become a main part of the country's work force. In March last year, the NPC annual session approved a draft resolution on the elections. The draft stated that provinces and municipalities with a large population of rural migrant workers should have a quota for NPC deputies. Who or what does Zhu Xueqin represent? Migrant workers in Shanghai. When an earthquake hit a small town,many houses fell down.After the earthquake,all the newspapers reported many stories about some of the families in trouble. One Sunday, when I was reading a newspaper, a special picture touched me.It gave the clothing sizes of each family member.I thought that this would be a good chance to teach my children to help those who were less lucky than themselves.I said to my seven-year-old twins,Brad and Brett,and three-year-old Meghan."We have so much,and these poor people now have nothing.We'll share what we have with them." I filled a box with food and clothes.While I was doing this,I encouraged the boys to choose their toys and donate some of their less favourite things.Meghan watched quietly as the boys took out their old toys and games and put them together.Then she walked away.A few minutes later she came back with Lucy, her much-loved doll.She put the doll on top of the other toys."Oh,dear" I said."You don't have to give Lucy.You love her so much."Meghan said,"Lucy makes me happy,Mommy.Maybe she'll make another little girl happy, too."I looked at Meghan for a long moment.She taught me a lesson.It's easy to give something that we don't want any more,but harder to give what we cherish ,isn't? In this story, Lucy is the name of _ . a doll We know music is very important in our daily life. Do you notice music playing at any of those places when you go somewhere? Today most stores, stations, restaurants and other places play music. You might even hear music in an office or on a farm. Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave . They think that the sound of western classical music makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend less. Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This makes people eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money in this way. Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.[ The next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might influence the way you do things. ,. According to the text, scientists believe that music can _ . Create different feelings for us
Canadian experts have found that so - called self - help books may actually do more harm than good to people who really need help.Researchers say that individuals with low respect felt much worse after repeating positive statements about themselves. In their study, psychologists Joanne Wood and John Lee sought to determine how positive thinking affected people with different levels of self - confidence.They questioned dozens of people both made and female, analyzed their self - worth and optimism by means of the standard psychological methods and then asked them to write down their thoughts and feelings.The scoring system ranged from 0 to 35. During the experiment, the researchers asked a total of 68 participants to repeat the self-help book phrase, "I am a lovable person." After that they measured the participants' moods and their feelings about themselves.The results revealed that the participants in the low self - respect group who repeated the mantra , were feeling much worse afterwards, when compared to other participants in low self - respect group who did not repeat the phrase.Those with low self - respect who repeated the phrase scored an average of 10 points.Their counterparts with equally low self - respect who were not asked to repeat the statement, were able to score a little higher average of 17 points. However, individuals with high self - respect reported feeling better after repeating the positive self - statement - but only slightly.They scored an average of 31 points, compared with an average of 25 for those with equally high self - respect who did not repeat the phrase. Professor Wood urged those who promote self - help books, magazines and television shows to stop telling people that simply repeating a positive mantra could change one's life.First, people start following this idea and feel like they are not alone.They are told that all they have to do is just to read that book and then to repeat these positive statements in a hope that things will be better, and when it does not work for them and they realize that nothing gets better, then it is really frustration to people. Researchers concluded: "Repeating positive self - statements may benefit certain people such as individuals with high self - respect but discourage the very people who need confidence the most." So - called self - help books do some good to _ . A people lacking confidence B people with high self - respect C people with problems to settle urgently D people repeating positive self - statements Answer: B. people with high self - respect Herta Muller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.The award was announced in Stockholm on Thursday. Ms.Muller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987.She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Gunter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901.She is the 12th woman to win the literature prize.But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V.S.Naipaul, Ms.Muller is ly unknown outside of literary circles in Germany. "I am very surprised and still cannot believe it," Ms.Muller said in a statement delivered by her publisher in Germany."I can't say anything more at the moment." She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels "The Land of Green Plums" and "The Appointment." At the news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms.Muller, wearing all black and sitting on a leopard-print chair, appeared nervous with all the cameras flashing on her. When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Boll, Ms.Muller remained philosophical."I am now nothing better and I'm nothing worse," she said, adding: "My inner thing is writing.That's what I can hold on to." Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter England, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms.Muller was honored for her "very, very distinct special language" and because "she has really a story to tell about cruelty and repression in a village much like the one Muller grew up in." The awards ceremony is planned for Dec.10 in Stockholm.As the winner, Ms.Muller will receive about $1.4 million. We can infer from the passage that _ . A Muller's honored works are based on her own experience B most of Ms.Muller's novels are unsuccessful works C Ms.Muller is feeling much better after she becomes the award winner D Ms.Muller wins the prize because she's described the Germans' life vividly Answer: A. Muller's honored works are based on her own experience The students observed a large crack found in a boulder with a tree growing out of it. Which process were the students observing? A oxidizing B deposition C weathering D decomposition Answer: C. weathering In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition which she won last year. As a writer, I know about winning contests - and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection letter from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and destroyed hopes can resurface in our children. A revelation came last week when I asked her, "Don't you want to win again?" "No," she replied, "I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade." I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly "guided" by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. _ Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting my daughter's experience. While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experience, grow and find their own voices. What did the author say about her own writing experience? A She was constantly under pressure to write more. B Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers. C She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer. D Her road to success was full of pain and frustrations. Answer: D. Her road to success was full of pain and frustrations. Podcasting is like radio broadcasting, except that it uses the Internet. Anyone with a computer and a microphone can record a show about any subject. Anyone with a computer and an MP3 player can download the podcasts and listen. Podcasting does require some technical knowledge, but not very much. Many education-related podcasts are aimed at college students. But a growing number is created for, and by, students in middle school and high school. At mountain View Alternative High School in prefix = st1 /Centreville,Virginia, the students have spent several weeks preparing for their project. They have written their stories. And they have recorded music and other sound to use in their podcasts. Next, they bring together the different elements on a computer. Their teachers help by offering comments and suggestions. The students have made decisions about how to present their information. They have decided how it will be read, and how other sound will be used. Some students decide to read their story themselves. Others choose to create a different effect by having someone else read parts of _ . Through voices, music and sound effects, the students are able to create something deeply personal. With podcasting, students are using their skills in writing, reading and public speaking. At the same time, they are learning several new skills. They learn to work with the computer programs that are used for podcasting. They also gain experience in communications, broadcasting and problem-solving. Podcasts are being used in English classes and social studies, as well as foreign language classes. Being able to listen to recordings of their own voices helps students to hear mistakes. There are tens of thousands of podcasts on the Internet. They can be found on almost any subject, from current events of financial planning and poetry. People are now recording their thoughts on just about everything. Podcasting is different from radio broadcasting in that_. A it is produced only by and for students B it makes use of the Internet C it can be used in any field D it calls for a little technology knowledge Answer: B. it makes use of the Internet
The increase in global trade means that international companies cannot afford to make costly advertising mistakes if they want to be competitive.Understanding the language and culture of target markets in foreign countries is one of the keys to successful international marketing.Too many companies,however,have jumped into foreign markets with embarrassing results.Translation mistakes are at the heart of many _ in international advertising. General Motors,the US auto manufacturer, got a costly lesson when it introduced its Chevrolet Nova to the Puerto Rican market. "Nova"is Latin for "new (star)"and means "star" in many languages,but in spoken Spanish it can sound like "no va", meaning "it doesn't go".Few people wanted to buy a car with that cursed meaning. When GM changed the name to Caribe,sales picked up dramatically. Marketing blunders have also been made by food and beverage companies. One American food company's friendly "Jolly Green Giant" (for advertising vegetables) became something quite different when it was translated into Arabic as "Intimidating Green ogre ". When translated into German,Pepsi's popular slogan,"Come Alive with Pepsi" came out implying "Come Alive from the Grave".No wonder customers in prefix = st1 /Germanydidn't rush out to buy Pepsi. Even a company with an excellent international track record like Kentucky Fried Chicken is not immune to the perils of faulty translation.Many sales were lost when the catch phrase "finger licking food" became "eat with your fingers off" in Chinese translation. A manufacturer of one laundry detergent also made an expensive mistake in the Middle East. Its advertisements showed a picture of a pile of dirty clothes on the left, a box of the company's detergent in the middle, and clean clothes on the right.Unfortunately,the message was incorrectly interpreted because most people looked at it from right to left, the way Arabic is read. Having awakened to the special nature of foreign advertising,companies are becoming much more conscientious in their translation and more sensitive to cultural distinctions.The best way to prevent errors is to hire professional translators who understand the target language and its idiomatic usage, or to use a technique called "back translation" to reduce the possibility of blunders. The process uses one person to translate a message into the target language and another to translate it back. Effective translators aim to capture the overall message of an advertisement because a word-for-word duplication of the original rarely conveys the intended meaning and often causes misunderstandings. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A Jolly Green Giant didn't attract many customers in Arabic countries B advertisements must avoid jokes since what is considered funny in one part of the world may not be so humorous in another C marketers do not have to appreciate the values of a culture in order to capture the target market D word-for-word translation should be abandoned in advertisement translation Answer: A 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. This passage tells us that Coober Pedy is a(an) _ . A world famous person B underground town C film-making company D precious stone Answer: B A company plants trees on a bare hillside. Which of these is the BEST reason for planting the trees? A The trees provide oxygen for the soil. B The trees prevent soil from washing away. C The trees make shade for animals living there. D The trees cause animals to move to other places. Answer: B The Man behind Blue Jeans Levi Strauss was born in 1829 in Bavaria,Germany. He was the fifth of six children. His father sold dry goods from door to door. (Dry goods include many different things; fabric , thread,scissors,combs,buttons,yarn,etc.) In 1845, his father died. All six children decided to go to the United States. Two of Strauss' bothers started a dry goods company in New York City. Strauss' sister Fanny and her husband started a similar business in San Francisco. Strauss decided to go to the southeastern part of the United States. For eight years, he walked along the country roads selling dry goods from door to door - just like his father in Bavaria. In 1853, Strauss decided to move to San Francisco.(At that time, thousands of people traveled to California to look for gold.)On the way to California, Strauss sold almost all of his dry goods. He had only one thing left-- some _ . In California, Strauss tried to sell the canvas to the gold miners . He said they could make tents from the canvas. But they weren't interested in canvas for tents. Strauss didn't know what to do with the canvas. Then, he had an idea. Strauss could see that the miners needed new pants. There were holes in their pants because the fabric wasn't strong. He decided to make the canvas into pants. They called them " _ ". Later, Strauss stopped using canvas and used a different fabric. It was a heavy cotton fabric-- the same kind people wear today. Levi Strauss died in 1902. He never married and left his money to his nephews. He left the world much more -- the jeans that so many people wear. _ isn't a kind of dry goods. A Thread B Gold C Comb D Yarn Answer: B Nick Vujicic Imagine getting through your busy day without hands or legs.Picture your life without the ability to walk,care for your basic needs,or even hug those you love.Meet Nicholas Vujicic.Without any medical explanation or warning,Nick was born in 1982inMelbourne,Australia,without arms and legs. The early days were difficult.Throughout his childhood,Nick not only dealt with the typical challenges of school and adolescence,but he also struggled with depression and loneliness.Nick constantly wondered why he was different from all the other kids.He questioned the purpose of life. After experiencing many difficulties,Vujicic eventually began to realize that his experiences were inspiring to many people and began to be thankful for being alive.A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability.This led him to realise he was not the only one with major struggles.When he was seventeen,he started to give talks.He has traveled around the world,sharing his story with millions,sometimes in stadiums full of people,speaking to a range of various groups such as students,teachers,young people,business professionals and so on.He has visited more than 50countries and given thousands of talks.Now he is an encouraging speaker with TED. Vujicic promotes his work through television shows and through his writing.His first book,Life Without Limits:Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life,was published by Random House in 2010.He markets a motivational DVD,Life's Greater Purpose,a short documentary filmed in 2005.He markets a DVD for young people titled No Arms,No Legs,No Worries!In March 2008,Vujicic was interviewed by Bob Cummings for the 20/20 American television show. According to Nick,the victory over his struggles,as well as his strength and passion for life today,can be owning to the power of hope.His family,friends and the many people he has met along the journey have inspired him to carry on,as well.Today this energetic young gentle man has achieved more than most people achieve in a lifetime. What's wrong with Nick when he was born? A He had no arms or legs. B He was born with heart disease. C He was deaf and couldn't speak. D He needed an operation to stay alive Answer: A
Question: A back injury led Briton Rose Oliver to t'ai chi, which led her to her husband and then took both of them to China. But three years after moving to Shanghai to pursue their dream, Oliver's husband died, leaving her alone to follow their shared passion for t'ai chi. Twenty years ago, Oliver's back injury ruined her childhood dream of becoming a ballet dancer. But the injury did lead her to t'ai chi, a martial art typically practiced in slow motion. Her initial hope was to improve her health. She later married her instructor, Rey Nelson, and founded a school with him, teaching the martial art to more than 10, 000 students over eight years. The 49-year-old recalls the injury that left her bedridden for six months when she was 21 years old and with constant pain for decades. "I was active and could not bear resting in bed," she recalls."But the soft tissue injuries were hard to heal. I thought I had to find some way to recover my health." Oliver saw a poster for a t'ai chi class and decided to try the"mysterious exotic sport". She was struck by the beautiful movements and the"nice, patient instructor -- Nelson". The couple later opened a t'ai chi school in the United Kingdom that attracted thousands of people. But they found themselves in a bottleneck. "It was not enough for us to improve ourselves when we just learned from t'ai chi masters for two or four weeks a year,"she says. So the couple moved to Shanghai. They taught English in universities and happily learned t'ai chi under various masters. After years of practice, Oliver found her occasional backaches had disappeared. In 2003, her husband's death brought her much pain. She thought of giving up, but considering the career in which her husband took pride, she stuck to it. She says her t'ai chi"family"-- the masters and students -- also provided a great support network. Her then tutor was Dong Bing and Dong died in 2009 at the age of 88. She speaks of their first meeting:"I had been told that his skill was of a very high level and for some reason I had a mental image of a powerful, big man. But my fellow pointed to a small, thin old gentleman, sitting on the ground. "I felt amazed as I realized that this was the master himself, and then a sudden feeling of pleasure hit me. Of course this was exactly the kind of person who would be a t'ai chi master -- the last person you could imagine. "I learned attentively from him. He did not only teach me physically t'ai chi but also the philosophy of how to be a better person, how to keep going when you felt you were tired. "His idea is that one should not pursue wealth and fame but endeavor to be happy and share one's knowledge and wisdom with others." Following the master, Oliver learned to live a simple life -- one perhaps more traditional than many Chinese. She does t'ai chi in the morning and makes kung fu tea for guests. Ink-wash bamboo paintings hang on her apartment walls. Oliver spends her time outside t'ai chi teaching English and attending cultural exchange events. She founded the Double Dragon Alliance in 2005. The organization enables Chinese kung fu masters to teach martial arts to Westerners and organizes seminars and events for them to experience Chinese massage , acupuncture , traditional medicine, calligraphy and tea ceremonies. Because of her contribution to cultural exchange, Oliver was given the Shanghai Magnolia Award on Sept 30, 2013. The award, named after Shanghai's city flower, is given to foreigners who have made significant contributions to the city. What is the writer's attitude towards Oliver? A. Appreciative. B. Sympathetic. C. Envious. D. Indifferent. Answer: A. Appreciative. Question: A Charlotte, N.C., man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. In an attempt to evade policemen after a bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into the home of Mary Parnell. Police say he didn't touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was caused by terror. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman's death? Prosecutors said that he can under the state's murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person's death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime like robbery--even if he or she doesn't kill someone on purpose. But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Absolutely, no question about it. The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response , which was originally described by Walter Cannon,the chairman of Harvard University's physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to primitive humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response. The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don't kill you suddenly. By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in intercourse or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, "I can die now", and then he dropped dead. For about seven days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon there was an increase of sudden cardiac death among New Yorkers. Why the Charlotte, N.C., man was charged? A. Because he threatened the policemen to kill an old woman. B. Because he caused an old woman's terror and she died. C. Because he beat an old woman and caused her heart attack D. Because he murdered an old woman while robbing a bank. Answer: B. Because he caused an old woman's terror and she died. Question: Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do? A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle that they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs. Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health center. The results were extremely surprising. About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up. More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them. This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school. Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (;) their pets too." "If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks." And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%. The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year. What is the passage mainly about? A. A study of British people's laziness. B. A study of British people's lifestyles. C. The health service in the UK. D. The obesity problem in the UK. Answer: A. A study of British people's laziness. Question: Jayson McCarthy, 12, was born without fingers on his left hand. That didn't stop him from being able to do many tasks. But Jayson could not grasp more than one object at a time. So Jayson 's father, Paul, created a Prosthesis , using a 3D printer. Now Jayson has fingers that open and close. "It was a do-it-yourself, father-and-son adventure," says Paul. When Jayson was a baby, his doctor advised his parents not to give him a prosthetic hand until he was in his early teens. "The doctor said Jayson should first learn to get full use out of the hand he was born with," says Paul. As Jayson got older, his father looked into _ a prosthetic hand, which can cost as much as $30,000. Paul found a more affordable solution. One day, Paul discovered a video on the Internet about Robohand, a prosthesis created with a 3D printer. He downloaded the free instructions and called Robohand's creators for advice. They told him all he needed was a 3D printer--which costs around $2,000--and some materials. Luckily, Jayson 's school had recently purchased a 3D printer and it offered to help Paul build the hand for Jayson n. "We used a soccer shinguard , cardboard , and tape. They cost about $10," says paul. With his new hand, Jayson can do things better. "I can help my mom more, because now I can carry two grocery bags," he says. Jayson 's father has already built several hands for Jayson. Jayson helps design each one. He says there's one thing in particular that he wants to do with a future prosthesis. "The goal," he says, "is to be able to tie my shoelaces ." What's the best title for the text? A. A DIY Enthusiast B. A Helping Hand C. A Great Adventure D. A Lucky Escape Answer: B. A Helping Hand Question: The girl looking for the job turned out to be excellent but she ended up giving her employer a headache when it also turned out that she used an unreal diploma . In December, a Civil Administration Bureau in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, announced that it needed five new staff members. Some 120 people applied and took the exam. Applicants were required to show proof of a college degree at least. Mei Jing beat everyone in the test and the interview. When a follow-up check was done, however, her education certificate was discovered to be an unreal one. This was a bit of an embarrassment for the employers. A _ one might say. If she were hired because of her excellent performance, she still wouldn't have the qualifications on paper. But, if she were dropped because she didn't meet the education requirements, they would lose a good worker. Tough problem! While Mei's future hangs in the balance, the public having learned of the case got involved. Some people said the Bureau should employ her, since results are the only important thing. "After all, ability is more important than a diploma, "said one office worker. Others, however, have attacked Mei's dishonesty. They said that morality was, after all, more important than talent, especially in the case of a government position. Mei wasn't honest, so she shouldn't be hired. But, Shen Ronghua, the head of the Shanghai Public Administration and Human Resources Institute, tries to be a bit more philosophical. "There is still a sort of 'diploma means this' prejudice among people," Shen explains, "Many employers regard a diploma as the only sign of ability and talent." So, with this in mind, people may pay little attention to whether someone has real ability or not. They turn to chasing a diploma instead. The unreal diploma is the natural product of this thought. The conclusion? "China needs a new human resource system. The new system will not define a person only by his or her diploma, " Shen says. What does Shen Ronghua mean by saying "diploma means this"? A. A diploma can tell whether a person is honest or not. B. A diploma is the only sign of ability and talent. C. A diploma is what you get after you finish a course. D. A diploma means a job. Answer: B. A diploma is the only sign of ability and talent.
When I was growing up,I had an old neighbor named Dr Gibbs.He didn't look like any other doctor I'd ever known.He was a very kind person..After he retired,he began to plant trees in his large garden. He wished to make it a forest. The good doctor had some interesting ideas about planting trees.He never watered his new trees.Once I asked why,he said,"If you water them,each baby tree will grow weaker and weaker. Otherwise,they will have to grow deep roots to look for water under the earth by themselves." He planted some oaks, and instead of watering them every morning,he beat them with a rolled-up newspaper.I asked him why he did that,and he said it was to get the trees' attention. Dr Gibbs died two years after I left home.I always walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant about twenty -five years ago.They're very big and strong now. I also planted two trees several years ago.I carried water to them for a whole summer.I sprayed them.However,after two years of caring too much,whenever a cold wind blows in, they shake a lot. Life is hard,whether we want it to be or not. What we need to do is try our best to make our roots reach deep into the brave heart,so when the rain falls and the wind blows,we could face them strongly and won't be beaten down. Why did Dr Gibbs treat his trees in that way? Answer: At two o'clock a bank robber stole in. "This is a holdup," the man said rudely. He took a gun from under his jacket, pointing to George. "Hand it over!" George reached into his money-box and took all the bills from the top part-close to six thousand dollars. The robber snatched them and turned to leave. Then while everyone watched the robber, George calmly lifted the top part of the money-box, took hills from the bottom part and put them into his own pocket secretly. The door was shut and the bank robber was gone. George fainted. As soon as he was safely behind his bedroom door, George counted the money. He had eight thousand dollars. He was very happy. The next morning, while the others were examining the bank's records, George was called into Mr. Burrow's office and was introduced to Mr. Carruthers, who used to be president of the bank. "Good morning, George, I was sorry to give you a hard time yesterday, but with all the banks being robbed these days I thought it would be a good idea to prove that our little bank can be robbed, too. I retired yesterday, just to keep everyone on his toes. Now, I have put the money back in your money-box-all six thousand. " In this article "to keep everyone on his toes" means " _ ". Answer: Want to save the environment? You probably can't fix everything on your own, but by taking small steps and keeping the environment in mind every day, you can make a difference, 1. Think Green. Challenge yourself to think about the environment as you live your life. If you shut off lights when you leave the room, turn off your TV when you're not watching it, you'll save energy. If you take shorter showers, you'll save water. 2. Shop Green. Shopping is fun, but buying things you don't need is wasteful and bad for the earth. Before you buy something, ask yourself how much you'll really use it. Keep yourself away from buying products with unnecessary packaging , and whenever possible, buy things that were locally made instead of those shipped from far away. 3. Dress Green. Wear green trousers and T-shirts if you want. But what really matters isn't the colour, it's how the clothes were made. If you want to help the environment, the best place to find clothes is at _ , but you might not want to buy everything used. No matter where you shop, keep an eye out for products made from environmentally friendly materials like organic cotton, which is grown without the use of pesticides ( ). 4. Study Green. What's better than learning about the environment? Save it while you learn, It can be as simple as using both sides of a piece of paper before you recycle it, or reusing an old textbook :instead of buying a new one. If you want to do more, join an environmental group at your school, and encourage your friends to join, too. Which of the following acts does not agree with the writer's green ideas? Answer: Some people don't mind being fat. Other people can keep slim( ) without any effort. But a lot of people do put on too much weight and don't like it. The question is : what can they do about it? Some believe exercise can be helpful. But the trouble is that it only makes you want to eat more. You might sweat out a couple of pounds playing tennis or climbing a mountain, but you put it all back on again with a big steak or bread and jam. A helpful way is food - choosing. But what sort of food should you choose? Some believe that the less they eat, the slimmer they will be. They don' t eat anything until they become weak with hunger. Some stick to milk and bananas. You' 11 find you need a lot of bananas, and unless you live where they grow, they aren't cheap. Another theory says that if you eat things like hard - boiled eggs, apples with their skins on, and lean meat which are hard for your stomach to digest, the more you eat, the thinner you get. This is because you use up the fat in your body to get the energy to digest the food. For most of us these methods are too extreme . The simplest way is just to cut down on the carbohydrates; that means not eating bread, potatoes, cakes, sugar, rice , and so on and eating anything else you like. It' s straight -- forward and often quite effective. Still others like to be more scientific. They are calorie counters. They get a table which tells them that, for example, 100 grams of roast leg of lamb give you 330 calories and a 50 gram of Yorkshire pudding gives you 130 calories. The practical method suggested in this passage means _ . Answer: Much of the information we have today about chimpanzees comes from the research of Jane Goodall. From an early age, Jane was interested in animals and animal stories. At the age of 10, she was talking about going to Africa to live among the animals there. At that time, in the early 1940s, _ was a radical idea because women did not go to Africa by themselves. As a young woman, Jane finished school in London and then worked for filmmaker for a while. When a school friend invited her to visit Kenya, she worked as a waitress until she had earned the fare to travel there by boat. She was 23 years old at that time. Once in Kenya, she met Dr. Louis Leakey, a famous paleontologist . He was impressed with her knowledge of Africa and its wildlife and hired her to help him and his wife on a fossil-hunting tour. Dr. Leakey soon realized that Jane was the perfect person to complete a study he had been planning for some time. she expressed her interest in the idea of studying animals by living in the wild with them, rather than studying dead animals like fossils . When Jane was very young, she _ . Answer:
If you want to get the most out of the study of a language, you must also read for pleasure: novels, plays, travel books, and so on. And in reading books of this kind the important thing is _ ; to try to grasp what the writer is going to tell you in the book as a whole. This is impossible if you stop and think over the meaning of every single word which happens to be unfamiliar. You can not enjoy a story if you stop half a dozen times on every page in order to look up words in the dictionary. You may even prevent yourself from understanding the story as a whole by doing this. When you are reading books of this kind, therefore, you will usually have to depend mainly on the context to help you. If you meet an unfamiliar word, do not let it take too much of your attention from the main idea of the story. In all probability you will meet the same word again a few pages later on in a slightly different context, and each time you see it that your understanding of it will become more exact. When you meet new words in reading such kinds of books, you'd better _ . Answer: try to guess their meanings from the context In the 19th century, there used to be a model of how to be a good person. There are all these torrents of passion flowing through you. Your job, as captain of your soul, is to erect dams to keep these passions in check. Your job is to just say no to laziness, lust, greed, drug use and the other sins. These days that model is out of fashion. You usually can't change your behavior by simply resolving to do something. Knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it. Your willpower is not like a dam that can block the torrent of self-indulgence. It's more like a muscle, which tires easily. Moreover, you're a social being. If everybody around you is overeating, you'll probably do so, too. The 19th-century character model was based on an understanding of free will. Today, we know that free will is bounded. People can change their lives, but ordering change is not simple because many things, even within ourselves, are beyond our direct control. Much of our behavior, for example, is guided by unconscious habits. Researchers at Duke University calculated that more than 40 percent of the actions we take are governed by habit, not actual decisions. Researchers have also come to understand the structure of habits--cue, routine, reward. You can change your own personal habits. If you leave running shorts on the floor at night, that'll be a cue to go running in the morning. Don't try to ignore your afternoon snack craving. Every time you feel the cue for a snack, insert another routine. Take a walk. Their research thus implies a different character model, which is supposed to manipulate the neuralnetworks inside. To be an effective person, under this model, you are supposed to coolly examine your own unconscious habits, and the habits of those under your care. You are supposed to devise strategies to alter the cues and routines. Every relationship becomes slightly manipulative, including your relationship with yourself. You're trying to arouse certain responses by implanting certain cues. This is a bit disturbing, because the important habitual neural networks are not formed by mere routine, nor can they be reversed by clever cues. They are burned in by emotion and strengthened by strong yearnings, like the yearnings for admiration and righteousness. If you think you can change your life in a clever way, the way an advertiser can get you to buy an air freshener, you're probably wrong. As the Victorians understood, if you want to change your life, don't just look for a clever cue. Commit to some larger global belief. We can learn from the passage that the new character model _ Answer: highlights the neural and psychological aspects of habit change. Danny lived for football. He played it, watched it, talked and dreamed about it. His favourite football star was Keith Connolly - Lowgate's captain. One day in January, after school, Danny hurried through his homework. He wanted to watch TV. Keith Connolly was doing an interview on the local news programme. Danny hoped that the television wouldn't go fuzzyor lose the sound when Keith Connolly was talking. It was an old set, and it did things like that. It wasn't clear enough, but at last Keith Connolly's smiling face appeared on the screen. "What I really like about playing for Lowgate," he said, "is the fans. They're the best. They always support us. It's wonderful running on to the playground to all that cheering and chanting." Danny wished he could be in that crowd at the Lowgate ground, but the price of a single ticket was far above anything he could afford. There was no chance of the whole family going, or even just Danny and his little brother. "You won again on Saturday," said the reporter. "Did the team go out to celebrate?" "We went for a meal together," said Keith Connolly, "but I have to be careful about what I eat, because I want to stay fit. I love doughnuts very much ..." Then the sound went fuzzy, and Danny jumped up and _ the top of the set heavily to make it come on again. He hadn't missed much. But he had missed something important. Keith Connolly had been saying "... but I'm not allowed to eat doughnuts." Danny hadn't heard that. All he heard was that Keith Connolly loved doughnuts. And at the end of Danny's street was a bakery*. It sold the biggest and the best doughnuts! When Danny went to bed, he lay wide-awake, making a plan. One day, Danny did his homework hurriedly in order to _ . Answer: watch a TV programme Donald was not very good at maths. He could not understand the teacher's explanations. Even when the teacher explained something a second time, Donald still could not understand it. "Never mind," Donald told himself. "I'm quite good at other subjects. I'll cheat in the maths exam, then I won't be in trouble." "I will sit next to the boy who's best at maths," he thought, "and copy down his answers." The day of the exam came, and Donald sat next to Brian Smith, who always was at the top of the class in maths. Donald carefully copied Brian's answers onto his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher collected the papers and graded them. Then she said, "Well, boys and girls. I've decided to give a prize to the student who got the highest grade. However, it's difficult for me to decide who to give the prize to, because two students, Doanld and Brian, got the same grade." "Let them share it," one of the other students said. "I have thought about that," the teacher said, "but I have decided to give the prize to Brian." Donald was angry when he heard this. He stood up and said. "That is not fair. I got the same grade as Brian." "That is true," the teacher said. "However, Brian's answer to Question 18 was 'I don't know,' while yours was 'Neither do I.'" Donald got a high grade in maths because _ Answer: he copied from another boy Prague is an ancient European city, featuring one of the most magnificent Old Towns in Europe, along with delicious food, inexpensive shopping and friendly people. Prague is also famous as being home to one of the most famous 20th century writers, Franz Kafka. The famous Czech beer is also one of the reasons to visit Prague. The narrow streets of the older parts of the town are appealing the visitors to take nice long walk and settle in some of the many restaurants, which offer top-quality foods at a low price. The buildings there are mostly tower-shaped,and so Prague is called "city of a hundred ." Mauritius Also known as the Paradise on Earth, Mauritius lies about 560 miles (900 km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It is a place of magnificent natural beauty coupled with excellent customer service, which makes for an unforgettable romantic experience at the edge of the world's warmest ocean. There are lots to see and do in Mauritius: the coral reefs surrounding the island offer stunning beauty and great underwater adventures to those who want to dive into the precious waters. The nature of Mauritius mostly resembles that of Paradise, allowing every couple visiting this island to feel like Adam and Eve. That is an experience nobody would want to miss! Cyprus The very name Cyprus, it has been said, glitters with an age-old myth. Today, history and hedonism are comfortably mixed on the island. Some five-star resorts within walking distance of well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins offer the convenience the modern traveler has come to expect. Cyprus features a romantic history, as it was Anthony's gift to his beloved Cleopatra during the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Maybe that is why you feel always a little special once you set foot on Cyprus. For more information about many other most romantic places in the world, just log on at http://www.jurgita.com. We learn from the text that Mauritius _ . Answer: is an ideal destination for couples
The most enjoyable way to discover Liverpool is by boat.The first thing to do is to take a ferry (boat) across the River Mersey. It's the best way to find out about this city's long and interesting history. The Liverpool Ferry,which is the oldest ferry service in Europe, started more than 800 years ago. In the l8th century Liverpool became an important city for international business across the Atlantic Ocean.Ships sailed from Liverpool to the United States and Africa.The place to learn more about Liverpool's importance is the Maritime Museum. Liverpool was important because of its industry and trade in the 18th century.In the 20th century it became famous for music.The boys in the rock group,the Beatles,all came from Liverpool.The city is very proud of them.It named its airport John Lennon International Airport after one of the Beatles.Tourists can take a bus tour to visit some of the places the Beatles mention in their songs, like Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields.They can also visit the Cavern Club--the group first played there in 1961.The Beatles Story is a museum and gallery.Here you can find out more about these world--famous musicians. But there's more to see and do in Liverpoo1.At the Walker Art Gallery you can see the best art in the North of England.If you like modern art,the place to visit is the Tate Gallery.But above all,it's the friendly and welcoming people of Liverpool who make this a city you should visit when you come to Great Britain. As a devoted fan of the Beatles, you may choose to visit the following places EXCEPT _ . Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand of product on the shelf. Colouring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colours. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver. When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that _ because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package--blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm. The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn't contain as much as it appears to. It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging! The most successful producers know that it's not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote their goods, came to the conclusion: "Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius to sell it." Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text? Gladys Holm was a secretary . She worked in an office all her life. Gladys made about $15,000 a year. She died when she was 86 years old. And she left a big surprise--$18 million! She gave the money to a children's hospital. Gladys Holm never got married or had any children. But she always liked children, and she wanted to help them. When her friend's daughter was ill in hospital, Gladys brought her a toy bear. After that, she visited the hospital many times. Every time she visited, she brought toy bears for those children. After that, people started to call Gladys the "Toy Bear Lady". Gladys always gave toys and other presents to her friends but no one knew she had a lot of money. She lived in a small house outside Chicago. Everyone was very surprised when they learned that she was a millionaire. One of her friends said, "She always gave us nice presents and things, but we didn't know she was rich." How did Gladys get so much money? She asked her boss how to make more money, and she listened to what he said. She bought the stocks that he told her to buy, and she got very rich. Before she died, she talked to her friends about "giving something to the children's hospital". No one knew that the "something" was $18 million! When Gladys Holm became a millionaire, _ . Surprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept. We know that more than 850,000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital. We also know there is only one hospital teacher to every 1,000 children in hospital. Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter have only a part-time teacher. The special children's hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals in the country and holiday areas are worst off. From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher--and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games. Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as "the library lady" or just "the helper". Children tend to rely on concerned school friends to keep in touch with school work. Several parents spoke of requests for work being ignored or refused by the school. Once back at school children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as best they can. Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed. In order to catch up with their school work, children in hospital usually turn to _ . My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. "I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. "That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine," he sweetly sang as he colored. "I want to fill my bank all the way up." Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. "There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank," said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. "There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection." As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: "Try not to do it now," Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need "should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids." She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, "When you got something new, you gave something up." Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. "There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives." So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. Which of the following is Hoefle's approach to educating kids about charity?
Question: Olivia and Jack are the most popular names in Britain for babies born in 2008, according to a survey made by the website . Jack has been top for 14 years since it took over from Thomas. Grace -- made famous by the Hollywood star Grace Kelly -- slipped back into third place behind Ruby, the name of singer Charlotte Church's daughter. Summer climbed 28 places from 44th to 16th. Ava -- the name of singer Myleene Klass's daughter -- also leapt 15 places to 19th. The troubles of the singer Amy Winehouse perhaps had an effect on the popularity of the name. It dropped three places to 23rd. Rebecca is also on the wane , ranking 48th. So is Courtney, which ranked 88th. Theo, obviously inspired by England's teenage football hero Theo Walcott, is among the biggest climbers in the boy's list, rising from 70th to 58th. An employee of said, "Baby names have witnessed the biggest changes over the last decade as parents are increasingly influenced by celebrities. The Bounty baby name poll also shows parents are continuing to be creative and inspirational about the names they choose for their children. Some parents want a name that's totally unique, and names such as Zebedee, Selim and Zenon are now emerging and growing in popularity. Others are simply breaking with convention and becoming bolder in their choice of names." "While politicians' names may be growing in popularity in America, British politicians don't influence our choice of names in the UK. Traditional royal names continue to be supreme in the boys' top 100," The employee said. Baby names changed a lot mainly because of the influence of _ . A. stars B. parents C. media D. politicians Answer: A. stars Question: From the first use of the rocket to carry satellites into space to the setting up of space stations,human beings have been putting great effort into space research. And so far,we have achieved many successes. But there are still numerous tasks in front of us and we should not cease trying to progress. The international space station is an important step we should take in space exploration. It is not only helpful but also essential. It provides a proper space environment for many experiments that we have wanted to do for a long time. It is also a base for the observations of the earth and the universe. It could also be an important base for later travel to the moon and Mars. In a word,if we want to explore space more,the first thing we should do is to set up a space station. As the space station costs a lot of money,it is hard for one country alone to establish one. The USA seems to be the only country that has the ability to build a space station alone,and it has tried to do so,but not very successful. So it _ many other countries to work on it together. Though it is still extremely expensive,it is much cheaper than doing it alone. It is really a job that needs everyone's effort and will benefit everyone. But even so, the funds needed are still a big problem. As for the USA,it seems that it has too many things to spend its money on. Although it is the richest country in the world,it has much debt every year. It has to make arrangements about its finance,and try to find a balance in all these issues. Which of the following is NOT a reason for countries' cooperation in building the international space station? A. That it requires a lot of money. B. That it needs everyone's effort. C. That it will benefit every participating country. D. That it is too far away from the earth. Answer: D. That it is too far away from the earth. Question: Energy pod: It was designed by a US company with NASA technology. It puts the human body in the best sleeping position and blocks outside noise to create an ideal napping experience. Silicon Valley high-tech companies such as Google provide the Pod for employees. White noise radio: White noise is a sound signal that contains equal power and frequency. Some radios provide white noise to mask other noises so that people can sleep without disturbance. High-tech sleepwear: A US-based company designs a nightgown with special fabric that stimulates blood flow to tired muscles helping one relax in deeper restorative sleep. Emu pillow: Inspired by emu that buried its head in sands when it's scared, a type of pillow has been designed in China for office workers to take a nap, safe and sound. It turns the computer desk into a sleep hub with even two pockets to store the hands. Which of the following is produced with the help of a kind of bird? A. White noise radio. B. Emu pillow. C. High-tech sleepwear. D. Energy Pod. Answer: B. Emu pillow. Question: Ricochet, a 19-month-oldgolden retriever , wasbred to be a service dog but never made it. Now, she has found her role in the ocean, surfing with a disabled teen. Patrick Ivison, 15, suffered a severe injury in a car accident when he was 14 months old. He has been disabled since, but the Californian boy never gave up on the goal of walking. He recently took his first steps. When Ivison first met Ricochet, the two immediately hit it off. To raise money for Ivison's physicaltherapy , which is not covered by insurance, it was suggested that the pair take up surfing. Ivison said that when he first heard the idea he thought, "We are completely out of our minds." But from the start, the two took to surfing naturally. With the help of his mom, Jennifer Kayler, and friends, who carry Patrick to the ocean and guide the extra-large surfboard into the waters, Ivison rides the waves with his pal standing on the back. "It's kind of like a grand performance out there," Ivison said of the group of people who help him out. The dog helps to balance out the board The teen remembered one pass when "we were about to flip over and then she stepped on that side of the board and helped us out." The two participated Sunday in the Surf City Surf Dog contest as afund-raiser . They wowed the cheering crowd during their exhibition. The event raised $8,200. About $2,000 will go toward a service dog for Ivison, and the rest will go toward his "Help Patrick Walk" therapy fund. Ivison got disabled when _ . A. he drove to the seaside B. he began to learn surfing C. he suffered a severe disease D. he was over one year old Answer: D. he was over one year old Question: Ever wondered how one person could save the planet from the effects of climate change? A British-made computer game on trial release on Monday creates different ways of doing just that. "Fate of the World"puts the Earth's future in players' hands, placing them in charge of an international environmental body which could save the world from the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions or let it destroyed by more emissions. Through different scenes, players can explore options such as geoengineering and alternative energy sources to save the planet from rising temperatures, decreasing natural resources and a growing population over the next 200 years. An improved version of the game will be followed by a three-month feedback period from players, with final release due in February next year. Created by Oxford-based games developer Red Redemption, the game is different from other mainstream action games mainly by using data from real climate models and advice from scientists and economists. "Science data is often inaccessible and we are trying to put players in a position of power and connected with the issues," Gobion Rowlands, Red Redemption's founder and chairman said. This year, a series of apparent errors in climate science and the failure of UN talks to reach an international deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions appeared to weaken the public's interest in climate change. However, games centered on sustainability and human rights have been growing in popularity and are welcomed by green groups as a way of raising awareness. Using climate change as inspiration for entertainment shows the issue has affected global culture, which can only be a good thing.Friends of the Earth's head of climate Mike Childs said."We need creative industries to work with these big issues as the results can be extremely powerful and can help us to understand what a sustainable future looks and feels like,"he added. What makes the climate computer game different from the other games? A. It uses data from real climate models and advice from experts. B. It is the only computer game about climate. C. It can save the planet from the effect of climate change. D. It aims to affect the global culture. Answer: A. It uses data from real climate models and advice from experts.
More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It's fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost! If you get on a bicycle and ride it, you may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your cars. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way. Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers. Here are some of Health Benefits of Bicycling: 2 Bicycling helps to prevent heart diseases. 2 Bicycling helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year. 2 Bicycling can improve your mood. Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident. 2 Bicycling is healthier than driving. Which is TRUE according to the passage? When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish it like it's the most precious thing in the world, because in some ways, it is. Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves. And that's only natural. Most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, and we should try to avoid mistakes. We've been scolded when we make mistakes--at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction. Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world. They make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible. By trial and error--trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes--we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly. Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest _ , make speech possible, and make works of genius possible. Think about how we learn:We don't just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don't just read about painting,or writing,or computer programming,or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing usually...then you construct a model in your mind...then you test it out by trying it in the real world...then you make mistakes...then you revise the model based on the results of your real world experimentation...and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you've pretty much learned how to do something. That's how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new--because if you succeed at something, it's probably something you already knew how to do. You haven't really grown much from that success--at most it's the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey is made up of mistakes, if it's a good journey. So if you value learning,if you value growing and improving,then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible. According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes? "Yes, I'll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again." It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband had died ten years before, she had prided herself on her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone. On the evening, however, she was standing at her living room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little flat there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, here husband used to say, "It's nice to have something alive in the room." Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, had always had "something alive in the room". The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, "Kate, you won't forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It's ..." "I know," Kate interrupted gently. "It's nice to have something alive in the room." The feelings of Mrs. Robson on her last night in the house were _ . Last week Johnny had a very busy weekend. On Saturday morning, he cleaned his room. That made his mother very happy. In the afternoon, he did his math homework. It was not difficult, so it only took him one hour to finish the homework. And in the evening, he went to visit his aunt with his parents. They had a big dinner there. The next morning, he went swimming after getting up. Usually he goes swimming twice a week. He loves it very much. After lunch he went to school playground and played football. That exercise makes him in a good health. On Sunday evening, he watched TV for an hour at home and then put the books in his schoolbag for the next day. What did Johnny do on Saturday morning? For the first time in Singapore, it's snowing. Visitors to Singapore will be amazed by the technology that brings winter to you on this tropical island. All visitors can have cool winter fun in Snow City, Singapore's first indoor snow center. Visitors can see and touch snow falling. Of course, it's more than just touching and feeling snow. You can enjoy exciting snow rides or skiing on snowboard. You can also build your own real snowman and have snowball fights filled with fun and learn about life in cold climates. Snow City is about family-based fun and is suitable for all ages. Join us and step into Snow City today. How to get there: 21Jurong Town Hall Road, Snow City Building, Singapore 609433 Tel: 63371511 Bus services: No. 66, No. 178, No.198 Price: Adults: $18; Children: $12 Opening Hours: Tuesday--Sunday: 10:30 am--6:30 pm Notice: No phone booking. For updated information, please visit our website www.snowcity.com.sg. You can do the following in Snow City EXCEPT _ .
"I had a test and didn't want to do it, so I pretended to be ill", says 13-year-old Mary. But Mary did not enjoy her day off. "It was boring. I wished I had gone to school." Mary's story is not unusual in Britain. According to the latest government figures, pupil absences are rising, despite schools _ truancy . Dr Philip James from Cardiff University thinks she knows why: "As schools make more efforts to find and punish missing students, students find better ways to avoid being caught." For several years, James has researched teenager truancy and discovered that most truancy was "a response to factors within the school". Students that skip school are not necessarily less advanced or less intelligent. They complained of teachers who failed to engage them, and of "boring" lessons. "Many of them really enjoy school and believe in education, but drop out when aspects of it are ineffective." James says. The views of students like Adam, who believes that skipping lessons has little impact on his schooling, are common. "I only take off for a lesson, or a couple of days. It doesn't affect my education," he told James. James believes that schools need to address the question of why pupils want to leave in the first place. "Pupils need help from the start." she says. "Schools need to look at the reasons for truancy rather than the number, so that instead of walking away from school, students have the skills and chances to talk through problems and make a change." What does Dr James suggest schools do about truancy? Answer: A long time ago people thought that the sun went round the earth. In some countries people even said that the sun was a god . They thought the god drove across the sky each day on a golden horse. Now we know the earth goes round the sun. It takes the earth a year to go all way round the sun. Today men even know how far it is for the earth to go round the sun. They tell us that the earth travels over a thousand miles a minute on its journey round the sun. The sun is really a star. It is much bigger than the earth and it is very hot. Some people have been to the moon but we know that no one can ever go to the sun. It is far too hot for people to live anywhere near it. The sun is three hundred thousand times heavier than the earth and more than million times larger. The earth travels over _ miles an hour. Answer: Boys and girls, here I will tell you something about my first trip to the USA. When I get to Kennedy Airport, I begin my visit to the USA. First, I go to Roy Senior high School. I'm happy on the first night in America because I live with a kind family, the Edwards. It's a big family. They are very friendly to me. They help me do many things. When I want to write to my friends, they buy _ for me; when I lose my camera, they help me buy a new one. After some days, I go to another school in New Haven. I live in the Palumbos' house. There are three people in the family. I'm surprised that the parents are from two countries. It is a nice trip and I'm happy to be with the two families. They will be my friends for ever . Where does the writer live for the first night? Answer: I once studied at a major university in the Midwest United States. At the beginning of each term, I could see lots of undergraduates accompanied by their parents gather around the dormitory buildings. Fathers often helped children with huge luggage; mothers took much concern over children's necessities in university; while children were only absorbed in chatting with friends and getting to know each other, showing no sign of worrying about their future lives. In fact, compared with Chinese parents, American parents care equally about their children's advanced education and make plans accordingly. It is true that some students begin to save money for their university education quite earlier---- for example, Amy, the daughter of my workmate Stevenson, planned to continue her education after secondary school. However Stevenson earned little and could not afford the tuition. Amy had to find a part-time job, working from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on holiday ----but for most American students, at least the majority of undergraduates, _ Some parents not only take the financial burden for their children's advanced education but also try every possible way to help them. I could still remember that our teacher once said that American parents seldom offered help to their children, by which she meant to say that Chinese parents might be too caring. However every coin has two sides. For example, my academic advisor successfully got money from a major scientific grant to continue his research project, and then he hired an undergraduate Sarah to work with us. The fact is that research assistantship is usually competitive, especially to undergraduate students, and it turned out that Sarah was the daughter of my advisor! "When I apply to the graduate school next year, the money I make and the research experience I build up will benefit me a lot," Sarah said. I used to think that American people behave like businessmen, but this small incident proves that they still might compromise the rules for the benefit of their children as loving parents. The main idea of the passage is _ . Answer: Which is an example of melting? Answer:
Travel is fun and exciting, but it's not if you get sick. You may think, "Not me, I won't get sick in my holiday." But, for many people, that is what happens. Of course you don't want to spend your holiday sick in bed. So what can you do to stay in good health? There are three things you should remember when you travel: relax, sleep, and eat well. A holiday must be a time for relaxing. But very often it is not. Think about what you do when you are a traveller. There are many places to visit: museums, shops, parks, churches. You may spend most days walking around these places. This can be very tiring. You may have a terrible headache after a few hours. If this is the way you feel, you should take a rest. Don't ask your body to do too much. A tired body means a weak body. And a weak body gets sick easily. So sit down for a few hours in a nice place. In good weather, look for a quiet park bench . Or you can stop at a cafe. You can learn a lot by watching people while you rest. Sleep is also important. If you want to stay healthy, you need to get enough sleep. You may have trouble sleeping at night when you travel. There may be too many noises in your hotel or the bed may be uncomfortable. If this is true, don't be afraid to change rooms or hotels. Or you may get enough sleep for another reason. You may want to stay out late at night. In many cities, the nightlife can be very exciting. Then you should plan to sleep for an hour during the day. The extra hour can make a big difference. Finally, if you want to stay healthy, you must eat the right kinds of foods but you need to be careful about how much you eat. Lots of food is not good for you. So, remember this, if you want to enjoy your holiday, take care of yourself. Give your body some rest. Get enough sleep and eat good, healthy food. Travel is _ A the best way to relax B very tiring C never any fun D unhealthy Answer: B Soap operas are a kind of popular culture in America. Every weekday, lots of fans from all over the world are waiting to see their favorite soap operas. Soap operas were first on TV in 1952. The soap opera is not about soap, and it is not an opera. It gets this name because soap companies paid for the shows, and they tell stories just like operas do. What makes the soap operas special is that the story never ends. There are daytime and nighttime soaps. Daytime soaps usually have more information. Nighttime soaps are usually once a week, and each _ for about an hour. Soap operas are having a difficult time in today's TV market, but they are here to stay. Big fans will never give them up easily! TV soaps have a history of about _ years. A 80 B 64 C 52 D 40 Answer: B Time can be categorized into three general types: Predictable Time: Such activities as classes, team practice, eating and sleeping. If you know the restaurant is open between 7:00am and 7:30pm, you should plan to eat sometime between that block of time. Discretionary Time: This is free time that can be planned in a manner matching with your lifestyle and to carry through the most important considerations in your life. _ : Activities including unexpected and difficult or dangerous situations which happen suddenly and which require quick action to deal with them. How to manage your Time: Value Your Own Situation. The first step is to know yourself. People work differently. Some people are very active in the early morning and can carry out much at that time. Others find that their most powerful time is later in the day. Get Organized. Make a shopping list or make some type of planned notebook. This may seem simple but you would be surprised how many people do not use these necessary things. Prepare a To-Do List. Consider all that you wish to complete and make a list. Prioritize these items using three rules A, B, C: A=" Most" important goal that needs to be completed very soon B=" Next" important goal that does not have immediate necessity C=" Finally," do all other things. Plan Your Time. Fill in any spaces purposely left blank, and block out time to sleep. Be realistic, most college students don't go to bed at 9 pm. Choose time for recreation each day. Plan Study Time. Students should study 2-3 hours for every unit, for a total of 25-35 hours per week. Time management is a system of learning to give first concern to the tasks you wish to complete. The key to being a good time manager is to learn to make full use of discretionary time and try to use it successfully. What is the passage mainly about? A Time preference. B Time management. C Importance of managing time. D Instructions of saving time. Answer: B One of the most exciting and attractive fields of work today is the fashion industry. Some of the most well-known people in this industry are the fashion designers with unbelievable financial Kingdoms. But most of the clothes that you wear have been designed by people that the world has never heard of. Although these unknown fashion designers will never make a very large amount of money as their famous workmates, most still would not think of changing their careers. They are doing what they love. If you spend hours looking through fashion magazines and like making your own clothes, a career as a fashion designer might be right for you. You do not have to go to design school to become a fashion designer, but many people who want a career in this field do. One of the most famous places to study is the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. It is located in the heart of the "garment" district on Eighth Avenue, also known as Fashion Avenue. Becoming a fashion designer is not just a matter of classroom education. Students know that they cannot just leave school and start designing on their own. Many think that they need at least four years' experience working for someone else after they graduate. The best schools encourage students to work closely with the fashion industry while they are still studying. You need ambition and hard work to get a career in fashion. Students often work 12 hours a day. They are encouraged to have realistic ambitions and not to expect success overnight, if ever. Success means finding a job in the fashion industry and more years of hard work. The following can lead to the success of a fashion designer EXCEPT _ . A working with the fashion industry B realistic ambitions C hard work D expectation of success overnight Answer: D Dozens of school districts around the country have been looking at these studies and are considering ways to adjust their class schedules. Eric Peterson is head of St. George's School, a private boarding school for grades 9-12 in the northeastern state of Rhode Island. After looking at the medical research on adolescent sleep needs and observing students in his own school, Peterson consulted with Dr. Judy Owen, a famous pediatrician and sleep expert. Armed with what he considered to be convincing data, Peterson decided to change his school's start time from 8:00 am to 8:30 am on a trial basis to see if a 30-minute change would make a difference. He was surprised by the results. "What was really astonishing was how many benefits and how significant the benefits were," he says. "In the research itself, we saw just over a 50 percent decrease in health-center admissions for fatigue, or fatigue-related illness, or rest requests. We saw almost a 35 percent decrease in first-period lateness. Students reported that they were more attentive. They were less sleepy during the day." And, according to Dr. Patricia Moss, assistant dean for Academic Affairs at St. George's School, students weren't the only ones reporting better results in the classroom. She says virtually all the teachers almost immediately noticed much more concentrated in the classroom, and there was definitely a more positive mood all around. "Kids were happier to be there at 8:30 than they were at 8:00," she says. "So our experience across the total spectrum was, universally, extremely positive and surprisingly so." Headmaster Peterson says there was another unexpected area of change when the school changed its start time. "We saw probably a greater than 30 percent increase in student attendance at breakfast, and of the food that they were eating. We ate more than doubled the amount of milk, eggs, fruit and cereal. So it was quality breakfast foods that the kids were eating. So they were better fueled as well as better rested." Ross and Peterson acknowledge that making schedule changes has been easier at a small, private boarding school than it might be for the larger U.S. public school system. But they are hopeful that others will find a way. "In the end," says Peterson, "schools ought to do what's the right thing for their students, first and foremost, and this element of the program is very clear--certain for us as a school--but I think as a general example to other schools, is pretty convincing, and so I would argue that it's worth doing." The research conducted by Eric Peterson mainly focused on _ . A the later public school start time B the change of class schedule C adolescent sleep requirements D the changes in school system Answer: C

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