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Adrian's "Amazing Race started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn't hear a thing, not even loud noises.In a special school for the hearing.impaired , he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled childRn. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words. Later OHg Adrian's paRnts decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular schools couldn-t take care of a special-needs student His parents were determined to take the risk and push him hard to go through his work every day because they want to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything.Adrian made the grade and got accepted.lt was a big challenge. The pace was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn' t always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after schooL The effort made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06-being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so. But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother. "If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great result, she often said. How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school? Answer: When a customer came into a Mexican restaurant in Georgia with an unusual request, a selfless waiter didn't hesitate to help him out. A disabled man with no hands who ordered a meal at Cinco cle Mayo Mexican Grill in Douglasville on Sunday afternoon hoped someone might be able to help him eat his lunch. Server Alex Ruiz, 22, was more than happy to help as he sat opposite from the man and helped him enjoy his meal. The heartwarming moment was captured in a photo by one of Ruiz's workmates, Crystal Figueroa. She posted it on the restaurant's Facebook page. "He's a great person," Figuero, 24, whose father manages the restaurant, said. "He's always so nice, and the fact that he just came out of nowhere and helped a man he doesn't even know have a meal says everything. That just shows the person that he is. One of Figueroa's friends, Reginald Widener, also witnessed the moment and posted the photo on his Facebook page. "This seriously hit me right in the soul," Widener wrote. The waiters did not get the name of the man. He had never eaten in the restaurant before, according to Figueroa. But Ruiz jumped at the chance to help. "I just feel like people should see that there're still good people out there," Figueroa said. "It was just a happy moment." How many people posted the photo on the Internet? Answer: When I was a little kid, a father was like the light in the fridge. Every house had one, but no one really knew what either of them did when the door was shut. My dad left the house every morning and always seemed glad to see every one again at night. He opened the jar of pickles when no one else at home could. He was the only one in the house who wasn't afraid to go into the basement by himself. Whenever it rained, he got into the car and brought it around to the door. When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled. He set mousetraps. He cut back the roses so the thorns wouldn't hurt you when you came to the front door. He oiled my roller skates, and they went faster. When I got my bike, he ran alongside me for at least a thousand miles until I _ . He signed all my report and cards. He took a lot of pictures, but was never in them. He tightened up Mother's sagging clothesline every week or so. I was afraid of everyone else's father, but not my own. Whenever I played house , the mother doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say, "I'm going off to work now," and threw him under the bed. When I was nine years old, my father didn't get up one morning and go to work, he went to the hospital and died the next day. There were a lot of people in the house who brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We had never had so much company before. He never did anything; I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much. We can infer(;) from the passage that _ . Answer: MSF stands for Medicines Sans Frontiers. It's also known as Doctors Without Borders . Medicines Sans Frontiers is French. This organization was set up by some French doctors in 1971. Since then, MSF has sent trained doctors all over the world to help people who have suffered from disasters, such as wars and illness. Now, about 3,000 doctors and nurses work for MSF. And over 27,000 doctors have volunteered for MSF so far. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be ready to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should face difficulties. Most of MSF's work is in Africa. When MSF chooses doctors for a task, they have to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks and become experienced, they might be sent on an emergency task following a disaster, such as an earthquake. But why would doctors leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? Some of them say the experience they have is a great help in their life. And they say that it's great to give others a helping hand. MSF needs support. They get donations from the government and businesses. But 80% of its donations come from doctors themselves. MSF is a famous _ . Answer: There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds. She took them home and put them in a small cage, caring them with love. Luckily, the birds grew strong little by little. Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt great love for the birds. One day the girl left the door to the cage open accidentally. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage. The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. So as he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him. Suddenly, she felt the bird go weak, so she opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. It was her desperate love that had killed him. She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage. She could feel his strong desire--needing to fly into the clear, blue sky. Unwillingly, she lifted him from the cage and threw him softly into the air. The lucky bird circled once, twice, three times. The girl watched delightedly at the bird. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss. What she wanted to see was that the bird could fly happily. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest tune that she had ever heard. Remember, the fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight; the best way to keep love is to give it wings! What can we learn from the passage? Answer:
Amy Chua may well be very _ . What kind of a mother will drag her then 7-year-old daughter's dollhouse out to the car and tell her that it is going to be donated if the poor kid doesn't master a difficult piano composition by the next day? What kind of a mother will inform her daughter that she is nothing but "garbage"? And what kind of mother will believe, as Chua tells readers, that "an A- is not always a good grade"? The only activities her children should be permitted to do are those in which they can eventually win a medal, which must be gold. What kind of a mother she is? Why, a mother who is raising her kids in the typical Chinese way, rather than the Western way. In her new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Chua tells her adventures in Chinese parenting, and -- so _ as she may be -- she is also mesmerizing . Chua's voice is that of a happy, knowledgeable serial killer -- think Hannibal Lecter -- who's explaining how he's going to cut his next victim, as though it's the most self-evidently normal behavior. There is another attractive aspect of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. There are methods to Chua's madness, enough method to stir up self-doubt in those readers who support the more educating parenting styles. It is trusted that Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is going to be a book club and parenting blog phenomenon; there will be fevered debate over Chua's tough love strategies, which include unchangeable bans on such Western indulgences as sleepovers, play dates, and any after class activities except practicing musical instruments, which must be limited between the violin or the piano. The back story to Chua's book is this -- she is the daughter of a couple of Chinese immigrants and is now a professor at Yale Law School and the author of two best-selling "big-think" books on "free-market democracy" and "the fall of empires". When Chua married her husband, her fellow Yale law professor and a novelist Jed Rubenfeld, they agreed that their children would be brought up in "the Chinese way," in which punishingly hard work, enforced by parents produces excellence; excellence, in turn, produces satisfaction. The success of this strategy is hard to debate. Their older daughter is a piano talent who played at Carnegie Hall when she was 14 or so. The second, a more rebellious daughter, Lulu, is a gifted violinist. Chua rode the girls hard, making sure they practiced at least three hours a day even on vacations, when she would call ahead to arrange access to practice in hotel lobby bars and basement storage rooms. Chua also rarely refrained from criticizing her daughters. She explains: Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "Hey so fatty, lose some weight." By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of "health" and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in treatment for eating disorders and negative self-image. ... Western parents are concerned about their children's minds. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not weakness, and as a result they behave very differently. Which is the main idea of the passage? Answer: Tiger mothers raise their children in the Chinese way. It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War 3. She'll talk about my lack of bright future because I don't plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don't want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack. "Why can't you be like my co-worker's son?" she _ all the time. Her coworker's son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don't know what to answer except that I simply can't be like Mr. Perfect as I've called the unnamed co-worker's son. I can't be like him. I am the type of the person who loved to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of a fame or salary. I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I've seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn't mean I'll be successful. I'd rather follow my dreams and create my own future. Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about? Answer: the writer's future job Dear Henry, How are you? I'm writing to you in my school. It's a middle school. Our school is very nice. There are about 2000 students and 150 teachers in our school. There are three grades and in each grade there are ten classes. I'm in Class Two, Grade Seven. I go to school from Monday to Friday. There are five classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. We play games every afternoon after class. I like playing soccer very much. I often play it with my classmates. I have three good friends. One of them is Li Lei. He is a Chinese boy. He often helps me with my Chinese. I help him study English. The others are twins. They are Lucy and Lily. They come from England. We often sing and dance together. We are very happy! Please write soon. Yours, Ben Where is Ben writing to Henry? Answer: In his school. Dear Liz, My stay in Thailand has certainly been the experience of my life. Life is busy and exciting.Bangkok is just like any other big city with a population of 10 million and heavy traffic.I'm very lucky because my host family is in a nice quiet area outside the city.There are Mr. and Mrs. Phairat, their son Sanan, who is 18, the daughter Chinda, who is 16, and Grandpa and Grandma. I go to an international school with Sanan and Chinda.The school teaches about 70 percent in English,and 30 percent in Thai. I've learned some spoken language,but Thai writing is very difficult.The cooking lesson is my favourite.I'm learning all about Thai food and culture People don't use chopsticks here,but spoons and forks.When I come back,I'm going to cook you a real Thai meal. Last weekend we visited some temples.We also drove to Pattaya beach near Bangkok.I thought it was great,but Sanan and Chinda say that next month they're taking me to Phuket Island,where the beaches are even more beautiful.The month after next,we're going to travel to Mr.Phairat,s hometown in the north of Thailand.The Phairats own land there,and they have two elephants.I'm going to ride those elephants -- and even wash them.Sanan and Chinda say it's really fun. I'm amazed by everything in this country,especially by the elephants.Elephants are an important pan of Thai culture and way of life.They have been a traditional symbol of Thailand for many years in times of war and peace.In the seventh century,a Thai king trained 20,000 elephants for battle. I'll tell you all about my Thai boxing lessons next time I write. Love, Mandy How many family members are there in Mandy's host family? Answer: 6. Parents are fuelling bad behavior among their children by attempting to "buy" their love with expensive gifts nowadays. Over recent decades we seem to have created a "must have" culture among our young people. Many mothers and fathers believe they are "failing as parents" if they are unable to ensure that their children have the latest toy, electronic devices (the lap-top, cellphones, Game Boy, etc.) along with their friends. In many cases, families also feel pressured to enroll children in "'every interest club or after-school activity that is available" to fill up their time like most of the other children. But experts warned that the move might affect "precious family time" negatively. Graham Gorton, chairman of the Independent Schools Association, said that parents spent too much time filling their children's lives, which had a series of negative effects on "the very precious family time that exists". "It seems that those times when a whole weekend without planned work was seen as a luxury and a perfect opportunity to spend time together and share those valuable moments of childhood are long gone," Mr. Gorton said. "As a child I only once said that phrase that parents feared 'I'm bored'. Immediately my mother took action and produced a list of jobs and then insisted that I complete every one of them. Though l didn't think cleaning all the floors could really get rid of my boredom, I enjoyed the feeling of staying at home with my mother and brothers." Earlier this year, some researchers suggested that relatively wealthy parents were sometimes guilty of failing to teach basic social skills to children. "Often, it's the rich middle classes that buy off their children through the computer and the TV. That then sets them apart from their family, and then the parents are surprised when their child isn' t coming to school." Which of the following is the best advice you could give to parents based on Gorton's statement? Answer: Plan fewer activities for their children to improve family time.
Maxine was a happy frog that lived in a beautiful pond by the river. She loved to play in the water and take a bath every day. But her friends, Martin, Edgar, and Cindy didn't like to take baths. So one day when she was swimming alone, she met a new friend names Thomas. Thomas loved to take lots of baths, so he became friends with Maxine. But Martin, Edgar, and Cindy didn't like Thomas. So one day when Maxine and Thomas were swimming, Cindy did something mean. She threw rocks and Maxine and Thomas. Maxine's dad saw what happened and he was very mad. He went over and yelled at Cindy for what she did. After that Cindy didn't throw any rocks, and Maxine and Thomas could swim together and take lots of baths. They were very happy since they could play in the water as much as they wanted without other frogs being mean to them. Who is friends with Thomas? Answer: Maxine Recently,scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way. For many years,scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue,animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide. Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food,the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat's contribution comes from beef,which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The process of making a hamburger,for example,requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised,and cow's wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed,the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer,which takes fuel.And most of the cow won't even be used for meat people eat. By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate,it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a halfpound allbeef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide. The message is clear:We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment--at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier,a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada,reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef,we would cut the Earth's greenhouse gases by more than half. All kinds of meat,the scientists reported,are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes,for example,sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good. Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger? Answer: To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases. Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic , still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines(...) them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work? Almost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance , Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities. Of course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to "Golden Age" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees. American society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework. Retired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day. When Americans stop work, it's difficult for them to _ . Answer: feel productive I spent three months volunteering with Volunteer Bolivia . It wassometimes annoying, scary and difficult, but also life-changing, satisfying and amazing. Because I had studied Spanish for a couple of years before I went out, I had just one week of classes at Volunteer Bolivia. Living with a family also helped my Spanish greatly and l felt immediately like one of their daughters. We were good friends from the beginning of my time there and I was looked after very well. I still had a lot of independence. The Volunteer Bolivia centre, with its cafe bar and cultural talks, was a meeting place for all the volunteers and I met some wonderful people from all over the world who were doing the same as me-giving something of themselves to a country which needs so much. My job was in a caring centre for prisoners' children from the Cochabamba prisons and from the very start I felt welcomed and needed. There I met some inspiring members who put so much of their heart into caring for those children who maybe had no one else to love them. Not only the work itself was very hard but at times it was emotionally demanding, especially sending a group of two-year-olds back into the prison at the end of the day. Despite all this, I learnt a lot through the experience and now I'm more aware of the problems faced daily by many people in South America. The centre has very limited funding c) so they depend heavily on the work of volunteers, and any time people give is very valuable to them. Since returning to Britain I have kept in touch with the people I worked with and I'm trying to support them as much as possible. Volunteering through Volunteer Bolivia has changed my life and is an experience l will never forget. Where did the author stay when she was in Bolivia? Answer: In a local family. The earth is dying before us yet we sit and watch. If the TV or the game system breaks, we run off to the stores to get it fixed immediately no matter what the cost. Why aren't we willing to fix our earth? Are our televisions and game systems more important to us than where we live? Where shall we continue to live, until the end of time? The earth is our home and cannot be replaced. We must take care of it. We have come up with so much technology that limits us instead of helping us. Take that game system we run to repair. What does it do? It occupies kids' time! The earth has already given kids plenty of entertainment in the forms of fields and hills, forests and plains, water and land. However, instead of using what the earth has given us, and helping kids by giving them exercise as they run around, we decide to ruin kids' minds with game systems that glue them to the screen for hours, and make them ignore their homework and chores. We have polluted this earth by making these things which do not even help in any way! We have already messed up this world, we have ruined the air, water, and animals that it has so willingly provided for us. We need to stop this destruction of life and bring back the world we had before. It will not be easy, but everybody can help! What about something as simple as turning the lights off when you leave a room? Recycling what can be recycled? Picking up litter? Donating money to an environmental organization? None of these things are very hard. We can't just always say, "Oh, the earth is a mess. Ah, well, those big companies that are polluting so much can stop and fix it." Instead, we need to help out. It's not only those big companies; it's everyday things that we do too that are ruining the earth. So stop and think about what you can do to make a difference to our world! What is the main purpose of the passage? Answer: To call on people to stop ruining the earth
Evaporation of a pond can happen and will lead to what? This is a list of the origins of some slang words or phrases that we all use regularly.These words are common in almost all English speaking nations. Cool Who hasn't used this word at least once in their life when speaking highly of something? This meaning of the word is ly new in English,but not as new as you might think.The earliest record found so far is from 1884 in the phrase"Dat's cool!" Kick the Bucket This means"to die".Many people consider the term to have come from a guilty man standing on an upturned bucket which was then kicked out from under his feet leaving him to hang,but there is no written evidence that this is the case.In fact,it is more likely from a different type of bucket entirely.In butchery ,when a pig was killed it would be hung from a pole.It is mostly likely that in his death throes ,the pig's feet would bang against the rail to which they were tied.Therefore,kicking the bucket was a term referring to the last actions of the pig before he finally died. Bob's Your Uncle Bob's your uncle generally means that something is simple or easy or a"job done".It is most likely that this phrase came about as a result of nepotism .In the late 1800s, Lord Salisbury(first name Robert)was prime-minister of Great Britain.After his third term he was _ by his nephew Arthur.Arthur had been made Chief Secretary of Ireland in 1886. Suspicions arose that Robert was favoring his nephew Arthur.The term"Bob's your uncle"could be used at the time as a reference to this charge of nepotism. What does the passage mainly talk about? As an expert on education, I finished a Junior Achievement course at a local middle school last week. I received some meaningful answers when I asked teens what they would want to tell their parents about money. Max said,'Dear Mom, I need to give you some advice on money. I need more allowance !" I have to say many teenagers have the same idea as him. As an expert, I advise a little money for teens and more if they help with the housework. Now that your children are in middle school, it's time to think about paying them to do something. My daughter missed a lot of school when she was a junior so I promised to buy her a notebook computer if she didn't miss any school as a senior -- she got the computer finally. What worked for my other daughter was a clothing allowance for her joining in the housework. She would receive a set amount every two months; it taught her a valuable lesson: when the clothing money ran out, she couldn't buy more clothes until she got enough money through doing the housework. "I need more allowance," should be the start, not the end, of a dialogue. Grace wanted to tell Mom, "Only buy what we need." Spending wisely and saving money was a good theme from all the students. The idea of thinking carefully about spending is just what I taught them at class, but this is not the subject of this Junior Achievement course. It shows me that these teenagers look at their parents' spending habits, but they don't tell their parents their opinions about them. Therefore, Moms and Dads, pay attention and remember: your children watch everything you do when it comes to money -- do it right, point them in the right direction. Nikola's advice is valuable to all parents -- "Mom and Dad, I think I should be more involved in money and financial things so I know how to do everything without a struggle when I get older." This child has got it right. Her answer shows the fact that parents are responsible for the financial training of their children. It is one of our most important parental goals. What does the author advise parents to do when their children want more allowance ? Elephants have very strong legs.Their legs are like trees.They usually walk slowly because they are so big,but they walk very quietly. Wild elephants living in the jungle usually stay together in big families.Usually one old elephant leads them.The others follow their leader.They usually move about at night,looking for food.In the hot daytime,they go to sleep in the cool shade of the trees.Elephants are kind animals.When one of them is hurt and cannot pull itself to its feet,the other elephants lift it up and help it to walk. Some people say that elephants never forget.They remember people who are kind or bad to them.There are many about this. Elephants usually walk slowly because _ . The Celerifere, an early version of the bicycle, was built around 1791 by a French man, Comte Mede de Sivrac. It was basically a scooter with a high seat. There were no pedals---you had to push with your feet like you do with a skateboard or a scooter. Around 1816 Baron Karl Drais de Sauerbrun in Germany added a moveable steering handle. These early machines were often known as dandy horses or hobby horses, but weren't very popular. The improvement that made them popular was added by a Scottish blacksmith around 1839. Kirkpatrick Macmillan added pedals to enable it to get up hills. It was this improvement that made the bicycle a serious form of transportation. Bike were called velocipedes or bone-shakers, because of the lack of the proper tires made for a rough ride! It wasn't until around 1869 that they began to be called bicycles ("two-wheels"). Carriage makers in Paris (either Pierre and Ernest Michaux, or their employee Pierre Lallement) switched the pedal to the front wheel. That's why it is usually either Lallement or the Michauxs, not Macmillan, who are considered as the inventor of the bicycle. In 1869 the penny-farthing or high-wheeler was invented. With the large wheel the rider could go much farther with each push of the pedal, but caused many accidents because the seat was so far off the ground. In the mid-1880s Englishman James Starley manufactured what he called the "safety bicycle" , which had two similarly-sized wheels and a major improvement--- a chain and sprocket driven rear wheel, with the pedals between the two wheels like modern bicycles. One more historical note---it's possible that the idea of the bicycle was thought of almost 400 years before it was actually invented. There is a drawing of a bicycle-like machine in one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, which dates back to about 1493. Who is recognized as the inventor of the bicycle?
Blair: Blair was the first to appear in movies in history. In 1905, Blair appeared in the movie Rescued by Rover . It is a British film that a baby is kidnapped by an old woman, but the faithful family dog Rover saves the baby at last. Though Rover is a common name, it became popular because of the dog hero in the movie. Lassie: lassie used to be the most famous dog in the world. She is a character who has starred in many movies, TV shows and books over the years. Lassie was created by Eric Knight and made her way into a short story in a newspaper in 1913 and into a novel in 1940. Laika: Laika is the first animal that has orbited the earth. On November 3, 1957, Laika was sent to space in the Soviet Union's Sputnik 2.(2). The Soviets admitted soon after the launch that the spacecraft would not return. It meant that the poor animal would die. People argued a lot about Laika's death. Several countries issued stamps in memory of Laika. She became the first animal to give her life for the exploration of space. Rin Tin Tin: Rin Tin Tin is the first American dog movie star. He first appeared in WhereThe North Begins in 1925. Rin Tin Tin went on to make 25 movies, he even signed his own contracts with paw prints . During his best time, he earned about 5 million dollars for those people who worked for him. Snoopy: snoopy may be the most famous cartoon dog in the world. As a hunting beagle from Charles Schultz' popular newspaper comic strip , Peanuts, snoopy first appeared in 1950. Though snoopy was at first a minor figure, he grew to become the strip's best-known character. He is famous for always sleeping on top of his doghouse and sometimes dressing up and pretending himself as a World War I airplane pilot. Snoopy appeared in the Peanuts comic strips until Schultz's retirement ( and death ) in February of 2000. Which of the following is the most reasonable? A Blair- the first dog movie star; Laika-the greatest dog; Snoopy-No.1 cartoon dog star. B Rin Tin Tin- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most disappointing dog; Snoopy-No.1 cartoon dog star. C Rin Tin Tin- a dog millionaire; Blair- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most well-known cartoon dog. D Laika-the greatest dog; Rin Tin Tin- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most well-known cartoon dog. Answer: A. Blair- the first dog movie star; Laika-the greatest dog; Snoopy-No.1 cartoon dog star. After almost 30 years of arguing that a black hole swallows up everything that falls into it, British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking moved backward last week. The world-famous writer of "Brief History of Time" said he and other scientists had got it wrong. "I've been thinking about this problem for the last 30 years, and I think I now have the answer to it," said Hawking. "A black hole only appears to form but later opens up and set free information about what fell inside. So we can be sure of the past and can predict the future." The findings could help solve the "black hole information paradox ", an important puzzle in modern physics. A black hole is an area in space where matter is under such pressure that even light can not escape from its gravitational pull . But, exactly what happens there has long puzzled scientists. Black holes occur when a powerful star burns up its nuclear fuel and gravity forces it to break down in on itself. The great weight of the star's outer layers moves in towards its center. The force of gravity keeps nearly all light from escaping and nothing inside can be seen from the outside. The star actually disappears from the universe into a point of infinite density . That is a place where the laws of general relativity that govern space and time break down. Hawking has devoted most of his life to studying these questions. At the beginning, _ believed the holes were like a "universal vacuum cleaner", sucking up everything in their path. Hawking revolutionized the study of black holes when he proved, in 1976 that, under the strange rules of quantum physics , when black holes form they send out energy and lose mass in the process. In thinking up this so-called "Hawking radiation", the prefix = st1 /Cambridgemathematician also created one of the biggest puzzles in physics. These particles , he said, contained no information about what has been occurring inside the black hole, or how it formed. Under his theory, once the black hole disappears, all the information within it is lost. Which of the following is TRUE? A Hawking has now studied black holes for more than 40 years. B During the course of the black hole's forming the enormous weight of the star's center moves into the outer layers. C Almost nothing can escape from the gravitational pull of the black hole. D Scientists have been thinking the black hole contains no information. Answer: C. Almost nothing can escape from the gravitational pull of the black hole. 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?" What was the author's purpose when writing this passage? A To advise people to stop eating fish. B To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish. C To advise people not to stop eating fish. D To tell us that fish will feel pain when caught and transported. Answer: B. To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish. Everyone has his own birthday. People in different countries celebrate their birthdays in different ways. Here are four people from different countries. They will tell us how they celebrate their birthdays in their countries. Sandy Morrison comes from Madrid . He says happily, "My twenty-first birthday is on a Saturday, and I'm going to go out with some friends. To wish me a happy birthday, they are going to pull(,)on my ear, once for each year. It is an old custom . Some people pull on the ear just once, but my friends are very traditional ." Mr. and Mrs. Sato are from Tokyo. Mr. Sato is going to be sixty tomorrow. In Japan, the sixtieth birthday is called Kanreki---it's the beginning of a new life. The colour red is for a new life, so they always give something red for a sixtieth birthday. Mrs Sato says, "What am I going to give my husband? I can't say. It's a surprise ." Li Xiaomei from Beijing feels very excited and tells us. "Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday. It's a special birthday. So we're going to have a family party. I'm probably going to get some money in 'lucky' envelopes from my relatives. My mother is going to cook noodles --- noodles are for a long life." Phillip Evans, from Paris, smiles to us, "I'm going to be thirty next week, so I'm going to invite three very good friends out to dinner. In France, when you have birthday, you often invite people out. In some countries, I know it's the opposite---- people take you out." How many times do Sandy's friends pull on his ear this year? A Just once. B twenty-one times. C Ten times. D It's a secret. Answer: B. twenty-one times. Note: 1gigawtt =" 1000" megawatts SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years. The world's most valuable company is working with its Chinese suppliers to eventually produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy. The commitment announced Wednesday represents Apple's latest attempt to prevent the popularity of its devices and digital services from increasing the carbon emissions that are widely believed to change the Earth's climate. Apple Inc. estimates 20 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided as more of its suppliers rely on renewable energy between now and 2020. That's like having four million fewer cars on the road for a year. Panels capable of generating about 200 megawatts of solar power will be financed by Apple in the northern, southern and eastern regions of China, where many of its suppliers are located. The company is teaming up with its Chinese suppliers to build the capacity for the remaining 2 gigawatts of renewable energy, which will be a mix of solar, wind and hydroelectric power. Foxconn, which runs the factory where the most iPhones are assembled, is pledging to contribute 400 megawatts of solar power as part of the 2-gigawatt commitment. The solar panels to be built by 2018 in China's Henan Province are supposed to produce as much renewable energy as Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory consumes while making iPhones. Apple has made protecting the environment a higher priority since Tim Cook replaced the late Steve Jobs as the company's CEO four years ago. "Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now," Cook said in a statement. "The transition to a new green economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose." Apple just completed projects in China that generate 40 megawatts of solar energy to cover the power required by its 24 stores and 19 offices in the country. All of Apple's data centers, offices and stores in the U.S. already have been running on renewable energy. "When you look at all the air pollution in China, all the manufacturing that is done there has a lot to do with it, so this is a significant step in the right direction," said Gary Cook, a senior analyst for Greenpeace, a group devoted to protecting the environment. Apple also has a financial motivation to help make China a better place to live. The greater China region is Apple's second biggest market behind the U.S. Tim Cook has made it clear that he wants the company to make even more progress as rising incomes enable more of China's population to buy smart phones and other gadgets. Apple can easily afford to go green. The company had $203 billion in cash at the end of June. This story has been reflected to correct that Apple and its suppliers haven't set a timetable for producing the 2.2 gigawatts of renewable energy in China. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A Apple has enough cash in store for switching to renewable energy supply. B The 2 gigawatts of renewable energy will be a mix of solar, wind and electric power. C Apple's data centers, offices and stores already have been running on renewable energy. D Apple will eventually produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy. Answer: A. Apple has enough cash in store for switching to renewable energy supply.
Most Americans enjoy moving from place to place. For example, they often drive their cars 120 to 160 kilometres away just to have dinner with a friend or even fly to London or Paris just to watch a football match. In some states only one person in five lives in a place for more than five years. One may be born in one city, and go to school in another. He may finish his middle school in two or three cities, and then go to college far across the country. When he begins to work, he may possibly move from job to job. Moving from one job to another, which is called "job-hopping", can be seen in many places in the United States. Job-hopping does good to workers because every change of a job gives them a chance to get better pay. And job-hopping also gives bosses the chance to get new ideas and skills from him or her. From this passage, we can see Americans often travel to _ . Welcome to Wen Feng's Clothes Shop! Big Sale ! Goods Colors Price (each) Pants Black, white, brown Y=65 Coat Black Y= 95 Cap Blue, white Y= 15 T-shirt Red, green Y= 60 Shoes Black , white Y= 80 Bag Blue Y= 35 Mary just likes blue , so she will buy _ . Research suggests that a newly-identified gene known as insomniacs may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in about 21,000 fruit flies, Rockefeller University researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is controlled. By studying these flies, the researchers discovered that mutations in the insomniac gene were associated with a great reduction in sleep. While a typical fruit fly slept for an average of 927 minutes a day, the mutant flies slept for just 317. They also slept for shorter periods of time, and slept and woke more frequently. "The results showed a great loss of both the time that the flies' sleep lasted and their ability to remain asleep after they slept," says researcher Nicholas Stavropoulos. The researchers also examined the link between sleep and lifespan, finding that flies with mutations to the insomniac gene lived only about two-thirds as long as unchanged flies. But when the scientists removed insomniac only inneurons ---allowing it to remain in the rest of the flies' bodies---this difference disappeared; the resulting animals slept poorly but lived just as long. "This suggests that reduced sleep can be 'uncoupled' from reduced lifespan, supporting the idea that some interruptions of sleep do not affect overall health, at least as far as lifespan is concerned," Stavropoulos says. Although flies and humans would appear to have little in common when it comes to lifestyle, scientists say that the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness are likely to be quite similar. "Sleep is a fundamental behavior in all animals, and it is poorly understood from a scientific standpoint, says Stavropoulos. This work could prove useful in understanding and treating sleep disorders" We can conclude from the text that _ . Global warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the 21st century, but--regardless of whether it is or isn't -- we won't do much about it. We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed. Al Gore calls global warming an "inconvenient truth," as if merely recognizing it could put us on a path to a solution. But the real truth is that we don't know enough to relieve global warming, and--without major technological breakthroughs--we can't do much about it. From 2003 to 2050, the world's population is estimated to grow from 6.4 billion to 9.1 billion, a 42% increase. If energy use per person and technology remain the same, total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly, CO2) will be 42% higher in 2050. But that's too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. We need economic growth unless we condemn the world's poor people to their present poverty and freeze everyone else's living standards. With modest economic growth, energy use and greenhouse emissions more than double by 2050. No government will adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back global warming. Still, politicians want to show they're "doing something." Consider the Kyoto Protocol . It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn't. But it hasn't reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories didn't adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets. The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the only solution is new technology. Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking our dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it. The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it's really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don't solve the engineering problem, we're helpless. According to the author's understanding, what is A1 Gore's view on global warming? Learn a Foreign Language Spend the time! The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning. Listen and read every day! Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time. Focus on words and phrases! Build up your vocabulary, you'll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have _ plenty of words through listening and reading. Take responsibility for your own learning! If you do not want to learn the language, you won't. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest, which you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to. Relax and enjoy yourself! Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, just make sure you spend enough time with the language. That is the greatest guarantee of success. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
It is easier to go down a hill than to climb up a hill, so it is to fall into bad habit than into good ones. Bad habits do not come suddenly. They come little by little while people do not notice their danger. Some schoolboys first pick up bad habits in school and on the streets. When they cannot finish their lessons, they copy from their classmates. If they see bigger boys smoking, they also want to learn to smoke. When they are older, the habits become so strong that they can never get rid of them. From copying, they fall behind, then learn to steal, and smoking is bad for their health. At last they become worse and worse. How necessary it is that we get rid of the bad habits at the very beginning. Bad habits come _ . A. quickly B. suddenly C. quietly and slowly D. easily Answer: C. quietly and slowly Kuala Lumpur is an exciting capital city in Malaysia. Here are the top 4 budget hotels there: The Chinatown Inn (About $30 per night) Just a block from the railway station, located in Chinatown's open market. It has clean beds, central air conditioning, hot water for coffee and tea, and a hall with a big screen TV. Wi-Fi is good on the first 4 floors, but a little weak on Floor 5. Many guests like the Chinatown Inn. Their complaint is that the air condition is too cold, so make sure you get a room with a window. You can open it to let some warmth in. Ancasa Express (About $45 per night). The hotel is above the sky-train station. That makes it convenient to get to other parts of the city. From the station, take the elevator to the 5th floor to reach the hotel lobby . The rooms are clean and nice. There is a flat screen TV, the strongest Wi-Fi, and a very hot rainfall shower. The guests' complaint is that the cafe is only open for breakfast and dinner, and not 24 hours. Central Hotel (About $35 per night) This hotel is just two blocks from the Central Station, which is the heart of all transportation in the city--buses, trains and sky-trains all meet here. Central is where the airport-link trains will take you to the airport. From Central you can walk 2 blocks to the beautiful Central Hotel, in which rooms are small but nice and clean, and have common Wi-Fi. Ocean 77 (About $25 per night) On Petaling Street in Chinatown, this brand new hotel is most spotlessly clean. There is a flat screen TV and good Wi-Fi in each room. The location is good, in the heart of the Petaling Street market. No cafe in the hotel, but many nearby on the street. In the Chinatown Inn you are told to choose a room with a window _ . A. because the light in the room is dim B. so that you can breathe the fresh air C. so that you can let some warm air in D. so that you can have a good view from it Answer: C. so that you can let some warm air in prefix = st1 /China Coal mines claim more lives. A COAl mine blast in Jixi, Heilongjiang, left more than 100 miners dead on Thursday. Ten mines in Jixiwere ordered to stop production. The government has tried to shut down thousands of small, illegal mines in the country that do not meet safety standards. MIDDLE EAST Bombers continue to kill. PALESTINISANS killed 32 Israeli in three major attacks between Tuesday and Thursday. There were two suicide bombings and a militant attack on a Jewish settlement. They yielded one of the highest Israeli death tolls in such a short period over the last two years. CHINA Young people stand tall. THE average height of Chinese young people has risen by 6 centimeters compared to that of 20 years ago. This far exceeds the word's average growth speed. A survey on health conducted by a panel of Chinese students found the results. According to the world average level, youths get taller by 1 cm every 10 years. CANADA Talking about world issues. The Group if Eight(G8)--the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia - will hold a summit on June 26 and 27 in Kananaskis, Canada. The G8 are the richest and most powerful countries in the world. G8 leaders and some African presidents will discuss strengthening global economic growth and helping Africa. United Nations Secretary - General, will also attend. In the last 20 years, the average growth speed of Chinese youths exceeds the world's average level by_. A. 1 cm B. 4cm C. 5 cm D. 6 cm Answer: B. 4cm People who drink moderately , exercise, quit smoking and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day live on average 14 years longer than people who adopt none of these behaviors, researchers said on Tuesday. Much evidence has shown these things contribute to healthier and longer lives, but the new study actually quantified their combined effect, the British team said. "These results may provide further support for the idea that even small differences in lifestyle may make a big difference to health in the population," the researchers wrote in the journal PLoS Medicine. Between 1993 and 1997 the researchers questioned 20,000 healthy British men and women about their lifestyles. They also tested every participant's blood to measure vitamin C intake, which shows how much fruit and vegetables people ate. Then they assigned the participants aged 45-79 a score of between 0 and 4, giving one point for each of the healthy behaviours. After allowing for age and other factors that could affect the possibility of dying, the researchers determined people with a score of 0 were four times as likely to have died. Also a person with a health score of 0 had the same risk of dying as someone with a health score of 4 who was 14 years older. The lifestyle change with the biggest benefit was giving up smoking, which led to an 80 percent improvement in health, followed by eating fruits and vegetables. Moderate drinking and keeping active brought the same benefits. With this information, public-health officials should now be better encouraging behavior changes likely to improve the health of middle-aged and older people. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the new study? A. It discovered some lifestyle changes which can lead to better health. B. It made it possible to measure the benefits brought by lifestyle changes. C. It found that people can improve their health through lifestyle changes. D. It assigned different scores to encourage people to live a healthier life. Answer: B. It made it possible to measure the benefits brought by lifestyle changes. How do you feel when you stay in hospital alone? Jenny, 13, a US student, feels bored. She knows the feeling because she has been in hospital many times herself. One day, she thought of an idea--if patients could get some books to read, they would feel better. So, from May, she and many of her friends began to collect books for hospital patients. In six months the students collected 1,250 books at school. They decided to donate the books to the North Shore Medical Centre, a children's hospital next door to their school. "There are books for kids of all ages, from babies up to high school level." said Jenny. The students put the books into "early readers", "middle readers" and "advanced readers". Then they wrote their best wishes to patients on bookmarks and letters, put the books in big boxes and donated them to the hospital. "We wrote things like, "Keep on reading!' and 'Hope you feel better!," said John, 14, Jenny's brother. "And we also wrote some funny things to make them laugh." Frank, 12, and Steven, 14, helped carry 16 large boxes of books into a car. "I think these books will make me a lot of patients feel happy." said Frank. Steven shared his opinion. "It is really the most meaningful thing that I have ever done in my life." Who first thought of the idea of helping those bored patients in hospital? A. John. B. Frank. C. Steven. D. Jenny. Answer: D. Jenny.
Overlooking the swollen banks of the Missouri River at Omaha's riverfront landing, one scientist has an important explanation for the past three months of flooding .While many consider the flood to be man-made, a result of water released by the US. Army Corps of Engineers upriver, his theory aims to look deeper into the root of the problem. "The Missouri River is flooding," said Dr. James Hansen, Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, during a visit to Omaha on Tuesday."We've had floods that usually only happen once in every hundred years a couple of times on the Missouri River recently. That's one of the expected consequences of the increasing level of atmospheric carbon dioxide." Hansen, who is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on global warming , said the Missouri River is an example of how global warming is affecting the earth ."Unless you do statistics ,and you see that the frequency of these events is changing , it's not so easy to see that changes are occurring , because the climate system has large inertia ,"he said . Hansen explained, "The ocean is four kilometers deep, and the ice sheets are two or three kilometers thick , so they don't respond immediately as we begin to change the atmospheric composition .We've only experienced about half of the warming that will be caused by the gases already in the atmosphere .The full effect is going to be felt by our children and grandchildren .And if we continue to increase the amount of CO2, the effect will be even larger." Hansen drew a comparison, "If we spend more money than what we're taking in , we're leaving a debt for our children and grandchildren to deal with ."According to Hansen, the responsibility lies in effective policy making to fight against global warming .That includes a gradual reduction in carbon emissions .Hansen suggests that a rising price be placed on carbon emissions, which should be collected from the fossil fuel companies at the first sale . Without effective measures taken by the government, Hansen said the public could expect more of the recent extreme weather patterns,, including more severe droughts and floods in the decades ahead . What would be the best title for the text? Answer: I'm Zhang Yue. I come fiom Beijing. I'm twelve years old and I'm a student. I have a bike. I go to school by bike. I can speak Chinese and English. This is my friend. Her name is Alice Brown. She is twelve years old. Too. She likes red. We are in the same class. The man in the photo is Alice's father. He is my English teacher. His name is Peter Brown. He has small eyes and a big nose. He likes black and white. He is a good teacher.our classmstes and I all like him. . (10) Which one is RIGHT? Answer: So far, there have been so many successful men and women in the world. And it's no surprise for many of us to dream of doing business when we grow up. However, Moziah Bridge tells us quite different story. Moziah Bridges is now the CEO of his Mo's Bow's company. He has already earned $200,000 by selling bow ties and other men's fashion accessories . The boy designs all the bow ties together with seven other workers in the company, including his mother and grandmother. "Mo is the CEO of the company, but I am the CEO of Mo," Bridges' grandma said. About four years ago, when Bridges went shopping for bow ties, he found they were in ugly" black and red. He wanted a change. So he asked his grandma to teach him to sew and finally he developed the talent of creating bow ties. Though his very first bow tie didn't look nice, the young sewer kept on practicing. He used colorful cloth with different pictures. Then his parents and friends started to like his works. At first he tried to sell them online to several stores in the south. Soon Mo's bow ties became popular. With the help of Dayond John, CEO of the famous US clothes brand FUBU, Bridges built his own company. Not only did Daymond John provide money for him, but also produced Bridges to the circle of fashion and business industries. Now the 13-year-old's business has developed rapidly. So you can just start now! You don't have to wait till you're older. If you have a dream, go for it! Which can be the best title of this passage? Answer: (1)Secretary. Part time. 20 hours a week. Busy doctor's office. Experience preferred. Good typing. Call 555-2438. (2)BABY SITTER. 3 to 6 weekday afternoons. I will take you home. $5.00 an hour. Call 555-5593. (3)Guitar lessons. Your home or mine. Experienced musician. Master's degree in music. Call Louise 555-6131. (4)TENTH STREET BLOCK PARTY. Sunday, July 15. Noon to 8. Food, games, prizes, live band, Tenth Street between Main and North, (5)APARTMENT FOR RENT. 3 sunny rooms on high floor, great view. Separate kitchen. Wall-to-wall carpeting. The living room can be used as dining room. Email: SDGT@163.com.cn. (6)TAXI DRIVER WANTED. Full or part time. Experience necessary. A good knowledge of the city is required. Call 555-8860 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekday. (7)A stereo system for sale, It has two speakers. The system has an AM/FM radio. It also has a tape deck and turntable. It is in good condition. The stereo was owned for only one year. The price is $200 including the speakers. The owner will also take the highest price offered if the asking price is not met. Call Bill after 6 p.m., at 555-9834. We may learn from the ads above that _ . Answer: London--- A mother has criticised "selfish" passers-by for failing to help her teenage son after he fainted on a packed tram platform. Oliver Tiplady was on his way to school when he fainted at the tram stop. But instead of helping the 14-year-old, who was in school uniform,those nearby simply walked around him. Her mother, Susan Tiplady , said, "How can people leave a child for that matter, on the floor like that? How could they all have ignored him? They must have lacked any basic humanity and had no piry on a child." She said her son regained consciousness about ten minutes after fainting at the tram stop last week. "He managed to get up and sit down before his friends turned up, but by then he was too embarrassed to tell them what had happened. It wasn't until he got to school that he told a teacher." she added. BEIJING - At least 15 pupils were confirmed dead after a school bus rolled over in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. The accident occurred around 6 pm on Monday .There were 29 pupils on the bus .The bus was traveling on the road when two electric bikes suddenly cut in and the driver was trying to avoid them.. The bus was produced by Shaolin Auto Co Ltd in Henan province and had a full capacity of 52 passengers. South Korea ---South Korea's largest mobile phone operator said Thursday that it will offer cell phone users a new noise service that it says will drive away mosquitoes . SK Telecom Co. said consumers can pay 3,000 won ( ) ($2.50) to download a sound wave that can't be heard by human ears but annoys mosquitoes within a range of three feet. Customers can then play the sound just by hitting a few buttons on their mobile phones. The company claimed that the service worked during tests .The service, which begins Monday, has one drawback: it consumes as much battery power as normal cell phone rings. From the passage , we can infer _ Answer:
Today more and more cars go into families. Which car is the best for people? Different people have different ideas. Some people like the bright colour car made in China. It's really a good choice . The bright colour car made in China is cheap, nice and safe. This kind of cars is suit for the general income family. Some people love famous foreign cars like Japanese cars, American cars and German cars. They're good but too expensive. But most people think famous foreign cars of better quality are better in safety. These are suit for the high income family or for business. Some people like sports cars, because they're fast and exciting. Some sports cars are very nice but very expensive. Only rich people can afford them. Some people like travelling, so they need a travel car. Travel cars are comfortable. But they use much oil . What's the best car for us? Maybe it's a new and popular topic in life. What does the writer think of the bright colour car made in China? Answer: Which gas makes up the greatest percentage of Earth's atmosphere? Answer: From the beginning of human history, wild animals provided food, clothing and sometimes medicine. We may not depend as much on wild animals now. But we hear about them every day. Americans use the names of animals in many ways. Automobile manufacturers and gasoline companies especially like to use big cats to sell their products. They like lions, tigers and wildcats. When Americans say wildcat, they usually mean _ . All these cats attack quickly and fiercely. So wildcats represent something fast and fierce. An early American use of the word wildcat was quite different. It was used to describe members of Congress who declared war on Britain in 1812. A magazine of that year said the wildcat congressmen went home. It said they were unable to face the responsibility of having involved their country in an unnecessary war. Wildcat also has been used as a name for money in the 1800s. At that time, some states permitted banks to make their own money. One bank in the state of Michigan offered paper money with a picture of a wildcat on it. Some banks, however, did not have enough gold to support all the paper money they offered. So the money had little or no value. It was called a wildcat bill or a wildcat bank note. The banks who offered this money were called wildcat banks. A newspaper of the time said those were the days of wildcat money. It said a man might be rich in the morning and poor by night. Wildcat then was also used for an oil well or gold mine that had almost no oil or gold in it. Dishonest developers would buy such property. Then they would sell it and leave town with the money. The buyers were left with worthless holes in the ground. Today, wildcat oil wells are in areas that are not known to have oil. What is the main idea of the passage? Answer: Thid is a true story of a mother's sacrifice in an earthquake. When the rescuer reached the ruins of a young man's house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. Her pose was somehow strange--she knelt on the ground like a person who was worshiping ;her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supported by an object. However, the cold and stiff body told them that she had passed away for sure. The rescuers left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reason, the team leader was driven by a strong force to go back to the ruined house. Again, he knelt down to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement, "A child! There is a child1" The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3-month-old little boy wrapped in a blanket under his mother's dead body. Obviously, the woman had made great sacrifice in order to save her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up. A doctor came quickly to examine the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cellphone inside the blanket.There was a text massage on the screen. It said, "If you can survive, you must remember that I love you." Everybody that read the massage cried What's the writer's purpose in writing this passage? Answer: Which of these do scientists offer as the most recent explanation as to why many plants and animals died out at the end of the Mesozoic era? Answer:
I'm afraid to grow old--we're all afraid. In fact, the fear of growing old is so great that every aged person is an insult and a threat to the society. They remind us of our own death, that our body won't always remain smooth and responsive, but will someday betray us by aging. The ideal way to age would be to grow slowly invisible, gradually disappearing, without causing worry or discomfort to the young. In some ways that does happen. Sitting in a small park across from a nursing home one day, I noticed that the young mothers and their children gathered on one side, and the old people from the home on the other. Whenever a youngster would run over to the "wrong" side, chasing a ball or just trying to cover all the available space, the old people would lean forward and smile. But before any communication could be established, the mother would come over, murmuring embarrassed apologies, and take her child back to the "young" side. Now, it seemed to me that the children didn't feel any particular fear and the old people didn't seem to be threatened by the children. The division of space was drawn by the mothers. And the mothers never looked at the old people who lined the other side of the park. These well-dressed young women had a way of sliding their eyes over, around, through the old people; they never looked at them directly. The old people may as well have been invisible; they offended the aesthetic eye of the mothers. My early experiences were somewhat different; since I grew up in a small town, my children had more of a nineteenth-century flavor. I knew a lot of old people, and considered some of them friends. In the author's opinion, it is a perfect way to _ . Answer: grow old slowly and then die unnoticed Soil could be Earth's what? Answer: dermis Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfare ; there are weddings on mountain tops with guests barefooted; there have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen tanks for the guests. But many weddings, no matter where or how they are performed, include certain traditional customs. Before a couple is married, they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby, their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is ready, then comes the most exciting moment. The wedding itself usually lasts between 30 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet enters last with her father who will "give her away". The groom enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar, the bride and groom exchange vows . It is traditional to use the words "to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." Following the vows, the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom. After the ceremony, there is often a party, called a "reception" which gives the wedding guests an opportunity to congratulate the new couple. The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons. The words "Just Married" are painted on the trunk or back window. And then the couple go in their honeymoon. According to the passage, the bride enters the church _ . Answer: carrying a bunch of flower Phillip Island Penguins The Little Penguin has called prefix = st1 /PhillipIslandhome for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island inplenty of time to watch a summer sunset at Summerland Beach-the stage is attractively set to see the Little Penguin leave water and step onto land. Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to PhillipIsland See the Gippsland area-Guinness Book of Records place for the world's longest earthworm Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island-natural home for Little Penguins and many animals *Take your place in special viewing stands to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins Ultimate Penguins (+U) Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses. Adult $ 60.00 Child $ 30.00 Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V) More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands. Adult $ 25.00 Child $ 12.50 Penguin Skybox (+S) Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of SummerlandBeach. Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00 How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour? Answer: $ 62.50. A telescope is required for detailed observation of what? Answer: astral bodies
Who says constant texting is just a bad habit? The teenager with the fastest thumbs in the country was crowned on Wednesday at the LG US National Texting Championship in New York City, winning $50,000 after a series of fierce texting battles. 16-year-old Austin Wiershke comes from Rhinelander, Wisconsin of the United States. He took home the top prize at the fifth annual texting event, beating 11 other competitors in the final, including last year's champion Brianna Hendrickson from Brooklyn, New York. Wiershke, who was wearing a gray shirt and having Justin Bieber's hairstyle, sailed through each level of the competition by typing passages of text on a QWERTY keyboard rapidly without any mistaken. One special round even included being blindfolded on the state to make up phrases by memory. "I'm extremely nervous," Wiershke said while waiting for the results after the final round. "I'm getting ready to hear Brianna's name. When I heard my name was announced, I really couldn't believe my ears." After the announcement was made, confetti dropped from the ceiling and Wiershke was met on the stage by the singer who said that she liked texting very much. She was Ashley Tisdale, a famous and beautiful singer, who awarded him his check. In August, a film on Music Television called "Thumbs" took a behind-the -scenes look at the teenager's life. It shows how he practiced texting to be the fastest. The film followed a series of young texting competitors, including Brianna Hendrickson, in the weeks leading up to this year's LG US National Texting Championship. Besides showing the always -connected lifestyle of these teenagers nationwide, the mover also shows the studies, sports , dreams and friendships among these competitors. We can infer that Austin Wiershke _ . Answer: didn't expect he would beat Brianna Hendrickson Happy Farm is an online game. It is very popular among people in China. The game offers you a piece of empty land and some seeds at first. You are like the farmer. If your land is small, you can spend some money to make it big. And you must harvest your things on the farm on time, or some other farmers will steal your fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and so on. Of course, you can steal theirs. If you want to make money, you must sell your things out. Some Chinese websites have offered this game to its users. So far, it is said that about 16 million Chinese people are playing this game. Some people were so crazy that they even get up in the midnight to harvest their crops and steal others'. Happy Farm brings happiness to people. It is really a fascinating game. But it also brings many problems. It is reported that a baby died in a hospital just because the doctor didn't give him timely treatment. Do you know what the doctor was doing? He was playing Happy Farm! There are many stories like this. According to this passage, what is very popular in China? Answer: Happy Farm March 21 is World Sleep Day. How's your sleep recently? The Chinese Medical Doctor Association asked 8,200 people in China about their sleep. More than 36.3 percent of them said they often sleep badly. The study also finds that many students have only 5 hours of sleep a day. According to the US National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night. What cuts into their sleeping time? Homework. Also, school starts early in the morning. But bad sleeping habits also play a role. Do you like to have a look at your mobile phone before going to bed? The survey finds that 60 percent of people check their phones before they sleep. They read news, check their WeChat or chat with QQ friends. It's important for us to get enough sleep. We feel tired and think slowly. Besides, sleepy kids are often unhappy, says a study by the US National Sleep Foundation. We can't change our school time. But there are still ways to get better sleep. Stay away from coke, coffee and tea at night. They make it hard to fall asleep. Watch less television. Leave your mobile phone and tablet computer on your desk. ,,. What cuts into students' sleeping time? Answer: Students have got too much homework and school starts early in the morning.. When you are riding a bicycle at night, your bicycle's reflectors help people in cars see your bicycle. How do bicycle reflectors work? Answer: They bounce light back from other sources. Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy movie made by DreamWorks. It was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne. It tells the story about a big fat panda named Po who is a kung fu fan. The movie came out in 2008 and stars Jack Black as Po. It received critical acclaim and became a box office success. A successful sequel , Kung Fu Panda 2 was released in 2011. A big, fat panda named Po the panda dreams of becoming a kung fu master, but he doesn't know kung fu. One day, kung fu teacher Master Shifu holds a competition to see who will become the Dragon Warrior , the most powerful kung fu master in the land. Everyone thinks one of Shifu's students, the Furious Five will become the Dragon Warrior, but Po is chosen instead and begins learning kung fu. Shifu and the Furious Five don't like Po the panda and try to make him quit, but he becomes friends with them. When Master Shifu learns that the evil Tai Lung the snow leopard is coming to the land, he quickly teaches Po kung fu so he can be given the Dragon Scroll that will help him beat Tai Lung. Nothing is written on the scroll, but Po finds out that he doesn't need the scroll to be the Dragon Warrior and beats Tai Lung without it. Po becomes a kung fu master and Dragon Warrior loved by everyone and peace returns to the land. When did the movie Kung Fu Panda first published? Answer: 2008
In today's throwaway society,dealing with the city's growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council . Recently,Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of about 250,000 million tons of waste a year.Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner--largely through encouraging recycling--its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it. The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy,regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of.The five councils (Edinburgh,East Lothian,West Lothian,Midlothian and Borders) face fines around PS18 million a year from 2013 if they don't increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill.With this in mind,the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant to burn half of the waste produced in their districts.But this plan fell apart after the change of target levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city's waste should be disposed of in this way by 2025. After the plan was abandoned,a private company which already transported millions of tons of the city's waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar,offered an alternative solution when it suggested opening a huge waste site near Portobello. Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015,it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh Council to accept the suggestion.But soon they turned it down--after 700 local objections reached them--because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily populated areas. That still leaves the council with a problem.By 2013,only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be allowed to be sent to landfill.Even if recycling targets are met,there will still be a large amount of rubbish to be burnt up.Due to this,Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.(2011*,C) The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is _ . Answer: Sugar is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Sugar is an example of which of the following? Answer: Walk along The Mall towards the royal residence to see one of London'S best known views.If you time it right and arrive at 11:30,you'll be able to see the changing of the guard.During August and September,the Palace's State rooms are open to the public.These rooms are used by the Royal Family on ceremonial occasions and are lavishly furnished with some of the finest English and French furniture you cann't see anvwhere in the world.While at the Palace you can also visit The Queen'S Gallery and enjoy some of the finest paintings and works of art from the Royal Collection.If you havetime.St.James'S Park,which runs'alongside The Mall,is worth a visit if only for the Delicans on the lake.The birds have been a constant feature of the park since the late 17thcenturv.Behind the Palace is the Royal Mews,with houses--the Queen'S working stables .Here visitors can see the State Carriages and Coaches,as well as their horses. Address:Buckingham Palace Road,SWl A Telephone:020--7766--7300/7301 Open: Changing of the Guard:11:30,daily until the end of June and every other day in the rest of the year. Buckingham Palace:every day,31 July--26 September,09:30--16:30. The Queen'S Gallery:every day,09:30--17:30. Cost: Buckingham Palace:Adult 12.50;ConcessionsPS10.50;Under 17PS6.50. The Queen's Gallery:Adult~7.50;ConcessionsPS6.00;Under 17PS4.00. You can read this passage most probably _ . Answer: ARE you a dog person or a cat person? With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it's easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you? In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling , a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted agreeable and serious than cat people. "Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown lull, for hours at a lime," said Modem Dog magazine. Just on the basis of dogs' nature being more sociable than cats', you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Cosling's study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social altitude. In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. "Conscientiousness" is a tendency In show self-discipline ,to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This quality also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior. In comparison, cat people an; about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more "open" than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs. Despite vast differences, there an some things that cat people and dog people have in common. "Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally optimists. " noted Mother Nature Network. According to the study done by Sam Costing, dog owners tend to _ than cat owners. Answer: We do not know exactly how many whales there are in the sea because we can't count them. But we believe at the beginning of the eighteenth century there were 105,000 humpback whales and 120,000 right whales. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were 75,000 humpbacks and 80,000 rights. Since 1900 their numbers have fallen very quickly. Between 1935 and 1950 the number of humpbacks fell from 20,000 to 10,000 and since 1950 the number has fallen to only 6,000. The number of right whales has fallen even faster. In 1935 there were 25,000. The number fell to 6,000 in 1950 and since 1950 the number has fallen to 4,000. Men have always been hunters. Thousands of whales have become victims . It's time to do something to protect whales. Which of the following is true? Answer:
66-year-old Dai once worked as a boat tracker along the Yangtze River. "It was something that required brute strength,but not that alone, "Dai said at his home in Xialong village, which sits at the entrance to Wuxia Gorge, one of the famous Three Gorges in Southwest China. "You needed a lot of skills to do what we did." When outboard motors became available in the 1980's,boat trackers became a thing of the past. Today, they are seen only occasionally along the river during festivals and cultural events. However, Dai can still remember a time when being pulled by tracker along the Yangtze was the only way for people to travel from village to village in the mountainous Wushan county. Due to the area's rich mining resources,his services were vital for companies that wanted to ship their goods. "I was 15 or 16 when I started", said the retiree,explaining that his father also worked as a tracker. "He died in 1964, when I was a teenager. I can't even remember us tracking together, but we did. It was so long ago." Dai said that boats crews worked in teams with a first, second and third master. The first master was the most essential because he sat in the boat and steered it along the safest route. "It was a key role. He had to guide the boat past jagged rocks and whirlpools," he said, adding that first masters were often the most experienced boatmen and the most familiar with the Yangtzer River. "My tracker days were dangerous," Dai said. "If the boat got caught in a whirlpool, it could have swallowed the boat and all the trackers down with it. The same thing would have happened if the halter broke." Dai's days as a tracker finally came to an end when his family invested in a motorboat in the early 1980s. He successfully applied for a license from Wushan shortly after. From the passage we can know that _ . being a tracker required more than brute strength George Stephenson was born in 1781 in a poor family. He had to start work when he was only eight.When George was fourteen, he became his father's helper.He spent a lot of time learning about engines .And on holidays he often made one engine to pieces and studied each piece carefully.Soon he became a very good worker though he could not read or write.He began to learn English letters when he was seventeen years old.Every day after he did twelve hours of hard work, he walked a long way to have lessons from a young school teacher. On his eighteenth birthday,he wrote his own name for the first time in his life.George invented many things in his life.The train was the greatest one among them.Today when we take trains from one place to another,we'll think of this great man---George Stephenson. George Stephenson invented the _ . the train A driver stopped his car on a street side to have a rest. When he sat in the seat and closed his eyes, a pedestrian came up and knocked at his window to ask the time. The driver opened his eyes and looked at his watch, "It is 8 o'clock." He said. Then he went to sleep again. But soon he woke up because a second pedestrian was knocking at the window, "Sir, do you have the time?" he asked. The driver looked at his watch again and told the man it was 8:30. If it happened again, he could not have a good rest. So he wrote a short note and put it on the window for all the people to see. It said, " _ " Again the man sat in the seat and slept. A few minutes later a third pedestrian came along and began knocking at the window. "Hey, sir," she said, "It's 8:45." The driver stopped his car to _ . have a rest Many people think heroes need to be handsome, rich, or very smart. But as for me, a hero is a person who always helps others. My hero is Uncle Bill. He is the oldest son of a worker, and he grew up in a poor family with four younger brothers and two little sisters. He was good at neither writing nor math. In fact, he never did well in school. so he had to give up school at a very young age. He worked and gave all his money to help his parents. When he was getting older, he found that he was very interested in fixing things. he collected broken things which people threw away and fixed them into good ones. He could fix almost everything that did not work. He worked hard never gave up. Finally, he opened his own repair shop. It took him about 20 years to become a successful shopkeeper . Now, he is very rich and has four shops. But he never forgets the days when he had nothing. He gives money to poor families, helps poor kids buy books and offers them free lunch. He also encourages people to reuse things. He always says :Make good use of what you have because we just have one earth. I am proud of Uncle Bill. He is really a hero. Whats the best title for this passage? Uncle Bill -My Hero. THURSDAY, July 9 (Health Day News) -- A new study that found that a lower calorie diet slowed the aging process in monkeys could be the best proof yet that restricted diets might do the same for humans. "The big question in aging research is, 'Will caloric restriction in species closely related to humans slow aging?'" said Richard Weindruch, senior author of a paper appearing in the July 10 issue of Science. This is the first clear demonstration that, in a primate species, we' re inducing a slowdown of the aging process -- showing increased survival, resistance to disease, less brain atrophy and less muscle loss. "This predicts humans would respond similarly," added Weindruch, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin and an investigator at the Veterans Hospital in Madison. Another expert noted that, despite some highly publicized studies in certain species, the link between restricted eating and longer lifespan has been far from proven. "The idea that dietary restriction extends lifespan in all species is not true. Many strains of rats and mice do not respond. In some strains, it' s actually deleterious," explained Felipe Sierra, director of the biology of aging program at the US National Institute on Aging (NIA), which supported the new study. "The fact that it doesn't work in some mice but it does seem to work in monkeys is surprising and it gives us hope." But there's a larger question: how to change humans' increasingly careless eating habits. "This finding doesn't give me hope that humans are going to go into dietary restriction," added Marianne Grant, a registered dietitian at Texas A&M Health Science Center Coastal Bend Health Education Center in Corpus Christi. The author most likely wrote this text to _ . call on people to pay attention to their daily diets
Zach drove over to Mary's place. She would be his wife soon. She was in China, visiting her parents. Her son Bradley hadn't gone with her. Bradley was a junior in high school. He neither liked nor disliked Zach, even though he had known Zach for three years. Zach was still trying to get along well with Bradley. When Zach arrived, he asked if Bradley wanted to drive his car. Bradley had a driver's license. Bradley said all right. Zach told him not to drive fast, but that he could drive anywhere he wanted. Bradley got on the road. Zach gave Bradley a few driving tips: Don't drive next to big trucks, because you never know when they might crush you. Don't drive behind trucks filled with things, because you never know when something in the truck will fly out and hit your car. On their way back, Zach suggested that they stop at the golf course. He wanted to show Bradley how to play golf. Bradley wasn't interested. He preferred his video games. But Bradley soon discovered that golf was fun! He hit a lot of balls. Zach told him that he was doing well. The next day Bradley, for the first time ever, called Zach. He had a few blisters on his hands. Zach said that usually happened. Then Bradley asked if Zach would come next Saturday so they could take a drive and hit golf balls again. Zach said, of course, and felt happy. The best title for the text might be " _ ". Answer: You are not my dad, but I begin to love you! New Baby Brother I was sitting in school when I heard the news. "Your baby brother is born,and wants to see you!" Dad got me from school and to the hospital with no delay. Hurrying on our journey,he almost forgot the way! My brother's hands were tiny,and wrinkly soft, like a prune. After he smiled at me,Mom said, "He'll come home soon!" Everyone "oohing" and "aahing",they say "He is so sweet. And one day he'll walk around on those little baby feet!" The writer's _ took the writer to the hospital to see the baby brother. Answer: father No poem should ever be discussed or "analyzed", until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it. All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling "interpretation" of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching can not replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it. I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than "analyzing" it, if there isn't time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is " a criticism of life", and " a heightening of life". It is "an approach to the truth of feeling", and it "can save your life". It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies. I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don't like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it. According to the writer, one of the purposes of teaching English is to get students _ . Answer: to enjoy poetry. Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aero planes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. are almost everywhere.We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working. Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums .The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas. One recent report about noise and concentration suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn't change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate. The best title for this passage is _ . Answer: Noisy Life After a year of being prepared, Laura Dekker can't wait to set sail .Last August ,the Dutch government decided that Laura Dekker was too young to take on the challenge of sailing around the world alone. But after a year of preparing herself , Laura has been allowed to sail. "I was so happy I almost jump into the water," Laura said , after learning of the court's judgement. She was born on a yacht in the South Pacific ,and now lives with her father in a boat. When Dutch child protection groups first heard about her plan to sail alone , they stopped her from doing so . Since the decision, though, Laura had been preparing with her father to persuade the courts that she was ready. Last week she received the books and other materials she would need for school while she was at sea. She added safety equipment to a new, big ship. And she took her first aid course to learn several survival skills, like how to put out fires on the boat, take care of her own injuries and deal with lack of sleep. She also planned a safer course --- adding alternate routes to avoid pirate attacks, and planning a course that would have her on dry land as she moved from port to port across the world. Laura is using a larger and more safer boat. If she finished successfully in less than two years, she will take the title from current record-holder Jessica Watson, of Australia, who was 16 when she completed the journey. When Laura is at sea ,she might _ . Answer: learn some lessons by herself
Have you got a Facebook account? Are you thinking of getting one? Jamie Simmonds has just signed up. Let's see how she's getting along. My Diary MONDAY: I'm officially a Facebooker. I find a few people I used to know and I've soon got seven friends. I've never felt so popular! I wonder if my old university flatmate Steve is on here...What do you know! He is! Maybe Facebook has its uses. TUESDAY: I've received lots of nice welcoming messages on my wall. Later, I meet up with Steve for a drink after not seeing him for five years. We get on really well! Then, he uses his Facebook app for iPhone to suggest me as a friend to some other former classmates. Some of them even come to the pub and it's just like old times - possibly a bit too much like old times. During the night, photos are uploaded to Facebook. WEDNESDAY: Disaster! My mum's on Facebook! Has she seen the photos of me dancing on the table from last night? Has she shown them to dad? Oh. And I have a friend request - mum again! THURSDAY: There's a message from my boyfriend, "so, it's over then, ;is it?" Evidently I haven't changed my settings to show I'm "in a relationship", and I haven't even added him as a friend. Ah, well, I wonder what my ex-boyfriend is doing... Whoops! I accidentally type his name into my status box instead of the search ' and now every one can see it on their news feed.' FRIDAY: Time to update my status:"Work is boring. Can't wait for the weekend!" Yeah, that about sums it up. Oh, look, I've received a comment! Someone must feel the same way. Lots of my friends now"like" this status. SATURDAY: Good news! I've got 100 friends But wait! _ I look through my "friend list" to try to work out who it was. Why did they do that? Am I really such a terrible person? I never knew Facebook could be this cruel. SUNDAY: Wake up. Check my Facebook page. Make coffee. Check my Facebook page again. Get ready to leave. Change my mind and check my Facebook page ... again. I am becoming addicted to it! I think it's time to end it all before it takes over my life. I delete my account. Back to good, old, simple e-mails. Oh, look, I've got a message: A friend invited you to join Twitter. . . In July 2010, Facebook had more than 500 million active users. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. Facebook is translated into more than 70 different languages. The world spends 700 billion minutes a month on Facebook. Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page says he's a Harvard graduate, even though he actually dropped out to focus on Facebook. The site is valued at between $7.9 and $11 billion. Which of the following is true according to the passage ? Answer: Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. "Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students," said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States. One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China's boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2009, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange. International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies . Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2007-2008, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2006. Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year's fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying to enroll Chinese students. Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two types of scholarships and has handed out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years. The reason for heating up competition between international universities is _ . Answer: When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed with cancer. For this type of cancer the survival rate was low. My family was extremely upset and shocked. I was too young to understand. I had no idea that everyday with my mom had to be the absolute best because we didn't know if it would be our last. I didn't understand why everyone was suddenly taking time out of their busy lives to come over and sit on our couch. The doctors told us my mom might survive with surgery . But it could also kill her. She agreed to have it. The surgery was scheduled for the day after the Columbus Day. The day before the surgery I had off from school, and my mom planned the best day of my life. The day began with her waking me up saying, "Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come see." The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was happy. Really happy. The day passed and the next day, it was time for the surgery. There were no tears; I think I understood that I could lose my mom, because they did tell me she could die. We waited all day for news from the doctor. Everyone jumped when a door opened or anyone walked into the waiting room. Finally the doctor came in, and the news was what we had prayed for. I will never forget that day together, and how her illness pulled our family closer. I understand now how lucky we were. I truly appreciate life and honor my mom for being so strong. After the author's mother fell ill, people _ . Answer: Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares. Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase , the effect of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased. The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories."Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,"said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School."This could relieve a lot of that suffering." But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity . They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. "All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we'd want to wipe those memories out," said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist . Some people fear that although the drug would first be used in only very serious cases, it would become more and more common. "People always have the ability to misuse science,"said Joseph LeDoux, a New York University memory researcher. "All we want to do is help people have better control of memories." Which of the following is not the opinion of the supporters? Answer: Weekends are important for us. We can relax ourselves. Do you know what Americans in the early twentieth century (1900~1925) did on weekends? What do you do on weekends now? In the early twentieth century, people spent lots of time at home on weekends. Then, new inventions changed the weekends. People used electric streetcars to travel in the cities. On weekends, they rode the streetcars to the parks. Young people like roller coasters. The first movie _ only one minute. In the 1920s, movie theaters sold millions of tickets each week! In 1927, movies finally had sound. Sometimes people stayed at home and listened to another new invention --the radio. * People in cities worked indoors during the weekdays, so they wanted to be outdoors on weekends. Bicycling became a popular activity. * Now there are more inventions in our life. People have more time and money, too. So they have many ways to spend their weekends. * People travel by their own cars. Or they can visit big parks like Disney World and ride modern roller coasters and go higher and faster than ever before. * They can choose from lots of different movie theatres. Or they can watch videos at home. * More and more people begin to do all kinds of sports at gym. Others turn on their TV and watch sports on "Family Night". Long time ago, people spent their weekends _ . Answer:
True friends are always with you when the rest of the world refuses you.A true friend is like a mirror that shows the real you.True friendship is like a 100% safe journey in this risky and unpredictable world.True friendship is always fresh. Children can share their feelings, things and thoughts among themselves freely.They comfort their friends when they are in trouble and share their happiness when they are happy.You can find fresh and wonderful friendship among children. As we grow into teenagers, we will be attracted by worldly things.We will wonder who is a true friend and who is not.We will be busy deciding about our future jobs or following everything that is popular. When we reach our thirties, we will be busy with our marriage and taking care of our children and their education.But we need somebody to meet and share our ideas with, and we need suggestions from friends.However, we have few true friends because we are all busy working towards our future. When we grow older, we feel like children again and we need more friends and true friendship.If we are lucky enough to keep our childhood friendships to this age, then that is wonderful.Otherwise, we have to find new friends again to have a wonderful life. We can lean from the passage that true friends _ . A. are always there when you feel lonely B. always tell you about your mistakes C. are more important than our career D. can only be found when we are children Answer: A When it comes to feeling better about yourself,nothing will help you like healthy eating.Controlling what you eat is a big factor in how you look and feel.If you think about it,so much of how we behave,how we feel,and how our bodies perform is based on what we put into them. The old saying "You Are What You Eat" is actually true.The problem is that a lot of mainstream diet books you might find in your local bookstore or online are trying to sell you diet plans that don't work and that might even make you sick. Healthy eating is great for your body.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.Many people don't realize just how good healthy food is for them.By eating great foods that are natural and healthy,you can lose weight.You can also have a lot more energy.So you shouldn't just think of healthy eating as a way to burn fat,but you should also think of it as a way to get your life back in order. You can spend more time with your family and get more work done because you will have more energy.You will be impressed by how much better you'll feel by putting nutritious,natural foods into your body.Your look will be better.You'll have more energy,and you'll be happier. The important thing to remember when it comes to eating healthy is to not fall for any tricks.There are a lot of people out there looking to make quick money.They will tell you just something so they can sell a book or a video.What you need is to trust a diet plan that is right for your body.Educate yourself about your own body type.Find out what kinds of foods are best for you.If the diet book you trust doesn't teach you these important factors,then you might be reading bad information. In the author's opinion, if you want to feel better about yourself, you should _ . A. keep taking exercises every day B. avoid an unhealthy diet C. try to lose weight D. make a diet plan Answer: B I like to get up late, so my ideal school starts at 9: 00 a. m. It finishes at 3: 00 p. m. So we can do lots of sports after school. In my ideal school, there is a big dining hall. We have an hour for lunch. We can listen to music in the hall. We can have maths every day because I think maths is very interesting. The classes are very small. There are 15 students in each class. We can have a big library with a lot of _ books. We can also have a swimming pool. After school, we only have half an hour of homework every day. Every month, we can go on a school trip to a museum or a theater. What's the best title for the passage? A. My school B. My ideal subject C. My school day D. My ideal school Answer: D Which is more useful? Thomas is in Grade Two now. He goes to school from Monday to Friday. After school he must do some housework. He helps his parents on the farm on Saturdays and Sundays. So he doesn't have any time to play soccer in the daytime. He often plays soccer with his friends in the moon . It's five in the afternoon. School is over. Thomas goes home and cooks for his family. After dinner he sees his friend Paul near his house and asks him to play soccer. The boy looks at the sky and sees the moon. Then he asks," Which is more useful, the sun or the moon?" "I think the moon is," says Thomas. "We need light in the evening, because we see not the sun, but the moon!" Thomas is busy in the daytime, so _ . A. he does some homework in the evening B. he does some washing and cleaning in the evening C. he plays soccer with his friends in the moon D. he watches TV at home in the evening Answer: C Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollyhood, in the United States. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay, and so the film industry there is called "Bollywood." Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year as Hollyhood--more than 800 films a year. The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies. For one thing, Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery, and romance (but usually no kissing). Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film is sometimes called a "masala" film. ("Masala" is an Indian word for a mixture of spices.) Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way movies are made. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may begin on a Bollywood movie before the script even finished. The director and writers can make up the story while the film is being made. Sometimes they will even write the script by hand instead of taking time to type it. Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several movies at the same time. They may even shoot scenes for several films on the same day using the same costumes and scenery. Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film, with a budget of only two million U.S. dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget of sixty million U.S. dollars for a Hollywood film--thirty times as much! Bollywood movies are cheap to make because _ . A. they are shorter than Hollywood films. B. the scripts are written by hand. C. the movies do not use any special effects. D. each movie reuses things from other movies. Answer: D
You're on the third lap around the car park, there are no open spaces, and you're already 15 minutes late for your appointment. Right now you're wishing you could jump out of the car and let it go to find its own spot. Now there's an app for that. Virtual Valet lets your smartphone tell your car to park without you in it. "You pull up to the roadside, push a button on your smartphone and the car takes care of everything else," says Aeron Steinfeld, the lead researcher for the project at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To find its own spot, the system uses a sensor suite similar to ones found in many luxury cars. This includes a motion sensor that scans for moving cars and pedestrians, and a forward-facing laser rangefinder normally found in adaptive cruise control to determine the distance of objects in front of the car. Information from these sensors is then fed to an onboard computer to plot the vehicle's course. The users can watch the whole process from their phone. Better still, it will be affordable. The team has spent the last year moving from high-end imaging and processing equipment to less expensive components. In experiments, the vehicle was able to navigate through a crowded parking structure, find an empty spot, and park all on its own. And the greatest appeal of the Virtual Valet Parking App is that it requires no change to existing parking facilities or infrastructure. For the moment, the only car equipped for control by Virtual Valet is Carnegie Mellon' modified Jeep Wrangler, which the researchers have named NavLab11. But Steinfeld hopes that major car manufacturers will adopt the technology. It might be more than technology that holds up the show, however. Self-driving cars have been licensed in only three US states -- California, Nevada and Florida -- and it's unclear how this app would agree with self-driving laws. Until these questions are settled, your insurance provider might be unwilling to cover a ding from a parking incident. We can infer from the text that _ . Answer: In my experience, one of the greatest reasons of unhappiness is the difficulty we have in accepting things as they are.When we see something we don't like, we wish it could be different-we cry out for something better.That may be human nature, or perhaps it's something that has been grown in our culture. The root of the unhappiness isn't that we want things to be different, however, it's that we decided we didn't like it in the first place.We've judged it as bad, rather than saying, "It's not bad or good, but it just is." Here is an example.I have written a paper, A Beautiful Method to Find Peace of Mind.Quite a few people think it bad after reading it because I think people should expect things to go differently than you planned, and that you should accept that, instead of encouraging people to change themselves or the environment as much as possible.You could accept it as the way the world works-as the way things actually are.And try to understand why that is, and follow it, as it is. This can be useful to whatever you do: whether it be how other people act at work, how politics works and how depressing the news media can be.Accept these things as they are, and try to understand why they're that way. It'll save you a lot of sadness because you'll no longer say, "Oh, I wish things didn't go bad!" If you really understand what I mean, you can try a different way to live in this world:accept, and understand.It might lead to some interesting results. What do you think the writer may say to himself when he meets something unhappy? Answer: In 1995,I returned to Miami Beach High School to speak to the drama class.Afterward I asked the drama teacher if any of my English teachers was still there."Irene Roberts,"he told me,"is in class just down the hall." I was no one special in Miss Roberts' class.I don't remember any one special bit of wisdom she passed on.Yet I cannot forget her respect for language,for ideas and for her students.I realize now,many years later,that she is a selfless teacher.I'd like to say something to her,but I don't want to pull her from a class. The drama teacher brought Miss Roberts into the hallway where stood this 32yearold man she last saw at 18."I'm Mark Medoff,"I told her."You were my 12th grade English teacher in 1981."She raised her head,as if this angle might bring back her memory.And then,though armed with a message I wanted to deliver in some perfect words,I couldn't think up anything more memorable than this,"I want you to know,"I said,"you were important to me." And there in the hallway,this slight and lovely woman,now nearing retirement age,this teacher who didn't remember me,began to weep;she held me in her arms. Remembering this moment,I began to sense that everything I will ever know,everything I will ever pass on to my students,to my children,is an inseparable part of a treasure of our shared wonder and hope that we can,must,make ourselves better. Irene Roberts held me in her arms and through her tears whispered against my cheek,"Thank you."And then,with a quick look into my forgotten face,she disappeared back into her classroom,returned to what she had done thousands of days through all the years of my absence. On reflection,maybe those were,after all,just the right words to say to Irene Roberts.Maybe they are the very words I would like to speak to all those teachers I carry through my life as part of me,the very words I would like spoken to me one day by some returning student,"I want you to know you were important to me." What the writer remembered most about his teacher is _ . Answer: Many American schools have a student exchange program with foreign countries. Along with this program,there is usually another one called the"American Host Family"program.As its name suggests,the program gets American families involved in foreign students' lives in America and offers homes for them. Foreign students generally welcome such an opportunity to have a"family"here,but there are also those who prefer to stay"homeless". Many American families volunteer to host foreign students.However,if there is a shortage of host families,schools also get in touch with local people and introduced foreign students to them. The"American Host Family"program changes in lengths of time.It can go from a few days to a few years,depending on each individual school.After the first year is over,it is up to foreign students and their"families"to decide if they want to stay together as a"family".American families can host as many foreign students as they like.They can either have several students or just one at a time.Many families start with new students each year while still keeping in touch with the old ones.Schools usually leave it to foreign students and their host families to decide their activities after both sides meet. My school, however, holds activities every year. On major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas,foreign students are usually invited to their thomes for dinner.Even schools that do not have host family programs often arrange students to get together with American families on these special holiday occasions. It is typical that a host family invites its foreign daughter or son over,and they cook the student's home food together,Undoubtedly,Chinese students are usually considered good cooks,whether or not they are really qualified for such praise at home.Although many Chinese students rarely cooked at home,they often have a hard time making their American friends believe that they cannot cook.It often happens when a Chinese student promises to cook a Chinese meal for his host family,he usually sees a little crowd expecting him:friends or relatives are also invited over for the"special"Chinese food! What's the purpose of the"American Host Family program"? Answer: Rules in the reading room Hello, everyone. Welcome to the school reading room. We hope you have a good time here. Before you go into the reading room, there are some rules you need to keep. 1.The reading room is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. 2. Don't take your bag into the reading room. 3. Don't talk loudly in the reading room. 4. Don't take any food or drink into the reading room. 5. Take only one book at a time. After you finish reading the book, you must put it back and then you can take another one. Don't take many books to your seat. 6. Before you leave, you must the book to the bookshelf. You can't take any book out of the reading room. How many books can you take from the bookshelf at a time? Answer:
By the growing national Occupy Wall Street movement, hundreds of protesters moved through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. They called this "Millionaires March". They marched two by two up the sidewalk, planning to pass the homes of some of New York City's wealthiest people. They said they didn't have a permit and didn't want to lead the traffic jam. "No Billionaire Left Behind," said on a card that was written by Arlene Geiger, who teaches economics at Manhattan's John Hay College of Criminal Justice. New York's 2 percent "millionaires' tax" will last till this December. Protesters expressed they cared about how much less the wealthy would pay and who would get less money then. Protesters have been camped out for weeks in lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street. They say they're fighting for the "99 percent" of Americans who do not fall into the wealthiest 1 percent of population. Their causes range from bringing down Wall Street to fighting global warning. The movement gained _ through social media, and has taken place in several other cities. In Boston, hundreds of college students marched through downtown Boston on Monday and gathered on Boston Common, holding signs that read "Fund education, not corporations". The protesters were angry with the education system. They said it was like "irresponsible, unaccountable, and unethical financial practices" of Wall Street. And now, a lot more movements have taken places in some European countries. What do you think of the "Millionaires March" in the passage? A It's a name of the computer game. B It's part of Occupy Wall Street movement. C It's a book about millionaires in America. D It's the name of a special day in America. Answer: B We had known for along time that flowers of different plants open and close at different time of day. Yet no one really understands why flowers open and close like this at special time. The question is not as simple as we might think, as recent experiments have shown. In one experiment, flowers were kept in constant darkness. We might expect that the flowers ,without any information about the time of the day, did not open as they usually do. In fact, they continue to open at their usual time. This shows that they have some special ways of knowing the time. Their sense time does not depend on information from the outside world. It is inside them: a kind of "inner clock". This discovery may not seem to be very important. However, it is later found that not just plants but animals have this "inner clock" which control the working of their bodies and influences their activities. Human beings, then, are also influenced by it. Whether we wish or not, it _ such things in our life as our need for sleep or need for food. Before the experiment arrived at a conclusion ,people had thought that the flowers would _ . A never open in constant darkness B change their usual time to open C open ahead of the time as they usually did D continue to open at usual time Answer: A Linda was a sixteen-year-old girl in Canada. She was feeling bad for several days. Her mother took her to a hospital and the doctors found out that she had cancer . Linda's life changed. She began to go to the hospital often for treatment and she also became _ . The hospital and the doctors were good, but Linda did not have hope herself. Linda's mother called a flower shop close to the hospital. "I want some beautiful flowers for my daughter. She is a teen girl with cancer." She told the shop owner. Later, the flowers arrived. Then Linda saw something unusual. It was a card. It read: Linda, I own this flower shop. I had cancer when I was fifteen years old. I am 24 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Yours, Alice Linda smiled. She finally felt some real hope. She found the will to live. Little things make a big difference. All of us can give little things like kindness, encouragement and hope to others. Which of the follow can be the best title for the passage? A Be kind to yourself B Little things make a big difference C Try something different D The patient and the doctor Answer: B A Special Halloween Party Ever since its opening, "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" has been the center of attraction for thousands of Disney vacationers during Halloween in Orlando. Started as a special one night event in 1995, this Halloween event at Disney World has been transformed and developed into one of the most family-fun events today, and runs throughout selected nights in September, October and November. "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" guarantees a unique Halloween experience right in the middle of the most magical place on Earth. Whether it's you or the kids, "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" welcomes all with equal fun and entertainment opportunities. Visiting this special Halloween party once in your life is a dream that comes true. Even though it costs you a few extra dollars, there is every reason to visit it. It starts at 7 pm on every selected night and continues till midnight. During the show the entire Magic Kingdom Park is transformed into a heaven of Halloween adventures, including amazing fireworks, grand parade, and plenty of trick-or-treat opportunities. One of the most striking features of the event is--guests are allowed to visit in their favorite Halloween costumes . Unlike the usual party guidelines, there is no restriction for dresses at "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". Both adults and kids are encouraged to choose their favourite Halloween costumes. The Party unfolds amazing Halloween activities. If you are a character lover, don't miss the various "Character Meet& Greet" opportunities. Let your child take photos with his or her famous Disney characters. Or you can have a magical trick-or-treat experience at the numerous candy locations all over the park with the kids. Also don't miss the unique "Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade", which is one of the rarest, must-see Disney shows. The parade also enables you to see all your favorite Disney characters in their own Halloween costumes. The skeleton dancers make the Parade a little scary too, but it's a great fun. The "Hallo Wishes Firework Display" is another grand show, which lasted for about 20 minutes and one should not miss at the party. In "Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade", tourists will be able to _ . A see holiday symbols B watch grand firework C frighten each other for fun D take photos with Disney characters Answer: A I always wanted to run a business of some sort,and finally I got such a good chance to do so at the beginning of the summer term.The business project is called Young Enterprise,where we set up a small company called "Limitless" and sold the products to the school and public.I was appointed deputy director and financial director of the company,in which my role was to manage the financial activities. I have learnt so much from this experience,for I could put what I have learnt into practice in real life and learn to work with different people,which improved my skills in management and communication. In this school we students can organise our own activities if we want to,and the school is usually highly supportive:so this term I have organised an Engineering Society in school,which arranges regular visits to local industries.So far,the society which has only 10 members has proved to be really "popular".Well,it is always the quality,not the quantity,that matters,isn't it? I have had many opportunities to challenge myself since I got to the school,and I do think it is all of these challenges that make me more and more mature.Perhaps one of the most important lessons I have learned in this school is to have the initiative to look for any possible challenges. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? A The writer's Engineering Society only carries out the activities within the school. B There are only ten members in the Engineering Society. C The Engineering Society is actually not very popular in the school. D It is certain that the Engineering Society gets the support from the school. Answer: A
Question: If you are a high school senior graduating and looking to enter college in 2006, you will take the new exam. The biggest change to the SAT will be the introduction of a new writing section. The writing section will consist of two parts: an essay and a multiple-choice section. Students will be given 25 minutes to respond to a prompt and construct a well-organized essay that effectively deals with the task. The essay question may require students to complete a statement, to react to a quote, or to agree or disagree with a point of view. In any case, a good essay will support the chosen position with specific reasons and examples from literature, history, art, science, current affairs, or even a student's own experiences. Essays will be scored based on the procedures for the current SAT II: Writing Test. Essays will be graded by two independent readers On a scale of 1~6, and their two scores will be combined to form an essay subscore that ranges from 2 to 12. Should the readers' scores vary by more than 2 points, a third reader will score the essay; The readers will be high school teachers and college professors who teach composition. To ensure that essays will be scored in a timely manner, they will be scanned and made available to readers on the Internet for grading purpose. The writing section will also include multiple-choice grammar and usage questions. Some of these questions will call upon students to improve given sentences and paragraphs. Others will present students with sentences and require them to identify mistakes in diction , grammar, sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, proper word usage. The highest possible score on the new writing section will be 800. Scores on the essay and multiple-choice section will be combined to produce a single score. A writing subscore will also be assigned. The highest possible scores on the Critical Reading and Math sections will remain 800 each, making 2,400 a perfect score on the new SAT. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? A. The new SAT scoring. B. Language testing reform. C. College entrance exam reform. D. The new writing section of SAT. Answer: D Question: Mr. Jackson is a teacher of science in a middle school. His students like his classes because his classes are very interesting. They can learn a lot in his class. The students can make many things. His little son Val also likes making things. He makes lots of machines , such as a machine like a man. It can do the job that is dangerous for people to do. He says, "I want to be a scientist." ,. What can students do in Mr. Jackson's classes? A. They can learn English. B. They can do dangerous job. C. They can do nothing. D. They can make many things. Answer: D Question: What happens when water flows over a rock for a long period of time? A. erosion B. flooding C. breakage D. evaporation Answer: A Question: Which of the following would be reason for animals to leave their environment? A. Hurricane B. Temperature C. Predators D. Illness Answer: A Question: Only after the straight-talking repairman handed me the bill and waved goodbye did I finally acknowledge the painful truth: Our 20-year-old clothes dryer was not going to last. I turned to my husband. "He says we're throwing good money after bad," I sighed. "I think he's right." "When do you want to go shopping for a new one?" my husband asked. I glanced out the window, admiring the sunlight dancing on the big-leaf maples in our backyard. Perfect drying weather. Suddenly, I recalled my mother hanging laundry on a clothesline during my childhood. My sister and I had played hide-and-seek among the sweet-smelling sheets waving in the wind. I suddenly had a plan. After the wash cycle, we covered the maples with damp blue jeans, shirts, socks and towels. The only things that didn't go outside were my underpants. And I persuaded my shameless husband to let his big boxer shorts stay indoors, too. There is a secret pleasure to hanging laundry outdoors. It is the perfect excuse to get up from the computer. While checking on the laundry in the backyard, I could commune not only with cotton T-shirts, but also my cats. I could watch cautious deer run through the yard with their young, listen to nervous squirrels in trees and observe a family of wild turkeys by the road. I returned to my desk refreshed. And, except for the sandpaper feel of sun-dried bath towels, the drying method was a complete success. When autumn came, I'd scan the horizon each day to evaluate the chances of sun-drying. One morning I saw rain clouds. I had a load of wet clothes in my arms and no place to put them. I found my husband. Together we hung laundry throughout the house. Then my husband gave me a hug and a smile. "I think it's time to buy a dryer..." he said, "... like, today." "Good idea," I said, just as the infamous Oregon rain started. Our sun-dried laundry habit was finished for the season. What was the biggest benefit that sun-drying brought to the author besides dry clothes? A. She loves sun-dried bath towels. B. She felt healthier and closer to nature. C. She could bathe in the sunshine, too. D. It gave her a break from her housework. Answer: B
The atomic mass of an atom is A the same as the atomic number. B the same as the group number. C the sum of protons and neutrons. D the difference between protons and electrons. Answer: C. the sum of protons and neutrons. It's very early in the morning and I'm sitting outside. It's also very cold and dark. With me is Jim Nightingale, and he is the reason I'm up so early. He passes me a hot cup of coffee. "Not long to wait now," he says. I hope he's right. After a few minutes there is a very weak light in the east, and then I hear a bird singing. It sings very loud and very clear. "That's the robin ," says Jim. A few more birds start singing with the robin and Jim knows the names of them too. Half an hour later, there are more and more birds singing, and it's very loud! Suddenly, all around us the air is full of the sound of birdsong. This is the dawn chorus , and it's beautiful. "Wow, this is amazing!" I tell Jim, who is smiling. "Is there a dawn chorus every morning?" "Birds can sing any time of the year but the best time is the end of winter and during the spring. This is when the birds sing most." "Really? So, why do they sing?" I ask. "Well, there are two reasons," explains Jim. "Most of the songbirds who sing are males. They want to find a female so they sing to show how strong they are. The females listen and choose the best singer! The birds also sing to tell other males to go away. They need their own area; they don't like sharing with another male." I listen to the birds; the songs seem too much to me. "Do the birds sing a special song in the morning?" "That's a good question," replied Jim. "The successful birds have many kinds of calls and songs. Sometimes they copy the songs of other birds. This makes it sound like there are many birds in that place already and other males stay away. Also the female likes songs with different notes. Some birds, for example the European wren, have songs that contain over 700 different notes per minute!" So, how does Jim know so much about birds? Well, he works as a volunteer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He is trying to help the birds live in the modern world. "More and more of the birds' habitat disappears every year. The sparrow, for example, was a very common bird in the UK, now it's in danger." By now the sun is up and the birds are quiet. It's light so they can start looking for food, they need a big breakfast after all that singing. Why does the writer get up early in the morning? A To visit her friend. B To drink hot coffee. C To see different birds. D To hear birds sing. Answer: D. To hear birds sing. Every evening, 15-year-old Rashida returns home from school, changes out of her uniform, and rushes to a neighboring farm to help her mother harvest vegetables. Her father is disabled, so the modest profit the two of them earn must cover food, clothing and other necessities for all seven children and their parents. Despite having precious little time to study, Rashida is one of the top students at her junior secondary school. But with so much responsibility on her small shoulders, she admits that it is sometimes hard for her to imagine a more promising future. Last year, Rashida was invited to join 155 other girls at Camfed Ghana's first Girls' Career Camp, a program designed to inspire girls growing up in the country's Northern Region to dream big, and to support them to pursue those dreams. "We organized this camp because we wanted to let girls know that even if they are struggling with poverty, their lives will not be defined by limitations," says Dolores Dickson, Camfed Ghana's Executive Director. Over the course of five days, the camp led the junior and secondary school students through a range of experiences and career opportunities that were entirely new to them. Dr. Agnes Apusiga, a lecturer from the University of Development Studies, ran the workshop on goal-setting and career choices, describing the universities and training colleges in Ghana that could help them achieve their dreams. Participants then visited the University for Development Studies, where they toured the medical school and science labs. Another highlight was a workshop at the computer lab at Tamale Secondary School. Many of the girls had studied information technology from a book but had never before seen a computer. "When the girls arrived at camp, they were not ambitious, because they didn't have any idea what the world held for them," says Eugenia Ayagiba, Project Officer with Camfed Ghana. "Many had scarcely traveled beyond their own villages." "I think the most important thing that happened at the camp is that we opened a window of hope for a group of girls coming from backgrounds of poverty," says Eugenia. For Rashida, who has been laughed at in the past by her schoolmates because of her father's disability, the experience was important. "She told one of the camp mentors that when she is at school, she often feels like a misfit, and she prefers to keep to herself," says Eugenia. "But at the camp, it was different. She made friends with girls who have similar struggles. She took part in every single activity, every single game. On the last day, she said to her mentor, "The camp has challenged me to study hard. Now I see that there is light at the end of the tunnel." Why did the camp lead the students to visit universities and training colleges? A To show they are better than their schools B To encourage them to get good education. C To show them what they are like D To get them to touch the advanced equipment there Answer: B. To encourage them to get good education. People in different countries have different ways of doing things. Something that is polite in one country may be quite impolite in another. In Britain, you mustn't lift your bowl to your mouth when you are having some soup. But it's different in China. And in Japan you even needn't worry about making a noise when you have it. It shows that you are enjoying it. Making a noise is considered as bad manners (,) in Britain. If you are a visitor in Mongolia, what manners do they wish you to have? They wish you to give a loud "burp" after you finish eating. Burping shows that you like the food. In Britain, you should try not to put your hands on the table when you're having a meal. In Mexico, however, they hope you keep the hands on the table during a meal. But Arabians consider you must be very careful with your hands. You mustn't eat with your left hand. Arabians consider it very bad manners eating with left hands. So, what should you do if you are on a visit in another country? Well, you can ask the local people to help you or just watch carefully and follow them if you are on a visit in another country. It is impolite to lift your bowl to your mouth when you are having some soup in _ . A Britain B China C Japan D Mexico Answer: A. Britain It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we're also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn't even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium.These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness . When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body. This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers.Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium. But Pace said that they _ few threats to the health.Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry.He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought.He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning. But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms , he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months. However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles , which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train's movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels. Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist attack. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A Hot water could kill most of bacteria in showerheads. B Of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium. C Changing showerheads is the only way to avoid microorganisms. D Shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 seconds. Answer: D. Shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 seconds.
Water Pollution and Man Water pollution affects man's health, recreational use of water and sense of beauty. The spread of water-carried disease is of great concern. In highly developed countries in particular, emphasis has changed from concern over bacterial disease to concern over water-carried viral disease. Viral hepatitis , for example, has been found to occur more frequently in cities whose water supplies have comparatively high levels of water impurity. Poisonous chemicals found in streams that are ultimately used for water supplies also create an important public health problem. It is clear that poisonous chemicals must be excluded from water, but more and more chemicals from new pesticides , fertilizers, and other new products have been found in water. Since the public health importance of these chemicals is not yet fully known, they are of increasing concern. The chemicals from fertilizers are also finding their way into water supplies from pollution. As man's desire for water-based recreation increases, greater demands are placed on the quality of the water. The water must not only but be attractive in appearance but also meet certain other conditions. Sports such as swimming involve direct contact with water, and so water standards are raised higher. The range of water quality necessary for industrial processes varies greatly with the intended use of the water. The water used in steel mills, foe example, must have a lower chloride level than that accepted for drinking water. Cooling water can often be of comparatively low sanitary quality. A large part of the water used in the paper-making industry an be of ly low quality in some aspects, but must contain little iron and carbon dioxide. The chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers found in water are of increasing concern because _ . Answer: In Britain you may often hear "Drop in any time" or "Come to see me soon", but you can't really do that. People just say those things to make you feel welcome. It is better to telephone before visiting someone at home. If you receive a written invitation to an event that says "RSVP", you should reply to let the person who sent the invitation know whether or not you plan to go. You should never accept an invitation unless you really plan to go. You may refuse by saying "Thank you for inviting me, but I will not be able to come. " If, after accepting, you are unable to go, be sure to tell those who are expecting you as soon as possible that you will not be there. Although it is not necessarily expected that you give a gift to your host, it is considered polite to do so, especially if you have been invited for a meal. Flowers, chocolate, or a small gift are all appropriate. A thank-you note or telephone call after the visit is also considered polite and is an appropriate way to express your appreciation for the invitation. Where would you probably see this passage? Answer: It is not a good idea for children to have to work hard. Children should study in school as hard as they can. They should not have to do heavy work with their bodies. When parents or others force their children to work hard, the results are never good. Many may be very bad. If a farmer makes his son work like a man, he may easily learn to hate farming. Children sometimes do too much in gardens, in shops, or even in their own homes. They soon begin to hate such work with a force, because that can destroy their happiness. But there may be a worse loss, child's love for its parents. The feeling may become something different. When that happens, the old kind of love never returns. The writer thinks children's parents or others don't force their _ to work hard. Answer: what is a mammal's parenting behavior? Answer: At age 11, Ghulam was married off to 40-year-old Jaiz in a rural Afghan village, making her only one of more than 10 million young girls who are being forced to wed men old enough to be their fathers of grandfather every year. In an effort to start a global conversation about the devastating effects of early marriages, which are currently practiced in more than 50 developing countries, the United Nations designed October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child this year. Although child marriage is against the law in many countries, and international treaties forbid the practice, it is estimated that about 51 million girls below age 18 are currently married, often under the cover of darkness and in secret. In Afghanistan alone, it is believed that approximately 57 percent of girls wed before the legal age of 16. Various factors drive parents of child bridges to marry off their daughters, from the community's pressure to confirm to age-old cultural customs to economic considerations. In poor, developing nations, it is not uncommon for families to settle debts by offering their daughters as payment. Experts agree that early marriage denies the girl education and robs them of their childhood because most young wives, burdened by grownup responsibilities, do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household. In many cases, the girls are lorded over by their husbands and in-laws, leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence as well as physical, sexual and verbal abuse. Underage wives who are lucky enough to escape from their husbands end up living in poverty, or worse. Most girls who enter early marriages are expected to get pregnant right away, which often leads to tragedy for both the mothers, who are still children themselves, and their babies. Unless international organizations take steps to reverse the troubling trend, it is estimated that over the next decade, 100 million more girls--or about 25,000 girls a day ---will marry before they turn 18. To learn more about campaign to end the practice of early marriages, please click: Too Young To Wed. The UN made October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child in order to _ Answer:
A well-known manufacturer of weighing machines produced a new model. The machine had a computer inside it, and this computer could do wonderful things: it could weigh people very accurately; it could tell them their weight in their own language; and it could tell them what they should eat to reduce their weight. The manufacturer decided to try out his machine before he sold it to the shops. He looked around for a good place to put it and finally decided on an airport. There were always people at an airport from many different countries. The first person to use the machine was an Italian woman. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight. The machine took only a second or two to weigh her, decide on her nationality and the language she spoke, and figure out what kind of food she should eat. "Good morning, madam," it said in perfect Italian. "Your weight is 72 kilos, three more than it should be for a woman of your height, age and nationality. This is because you have been eating too much spaghetti. I suggest you eat more fruit and vegetables. Please have a nice day". The second person to use the machine was a Chinese girl. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight. "Good morning, Miss," the machine said in perfect Chinese. "Your weight is 38 kilos, exactly the correct weight for your height, age and nationality. Continue to eat what you are eating. Please have a nice day." The third person to use the machine was a huge Australian woman. She walked up to the machine and looked at it for a long time. At last she found the courage to stand on the machine and put a coin in. The machine spoke immediately. "Good morning. Will one of you ladies please get off?" What did the machine say to the Chinese woman? Answer: It is a beautiful day in June. The sun is hot. It's time to harvest strawberries ,and the strawberry fields are full of people. These people are picking strawberry. They are not farmers, and they are picking fruit for fun. They can buy strawberries in a supermarket but it is cheaper to pick their own fruit. Strawberries from the farm are also flesher . Most people also like to pick their own fruit because it is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. One little boy is walking between the rows of plants. He is picking the strawberries and eating them as fast as he can. Two young women in pretty dress and high-heeled shoes are getting out of their car. Now they are taking off their shoes. These women are taking a break from their work. They want to pick fruit and enjoy the sunshine. The people in the passage are picking fruit because they are _ . Answer: It is sometimes said that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified Flying Objects(UFOs). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe. Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained. Here is an account of UFOs from a report. Dennis Burdens, who wrote an article, tells us that he once saw a UFO himself. He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli, Libya, and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers. Burdens noticed that the moon looked strange that night. "It wasn't the moon," was the reply. They watched the light and saw that it was moving. It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate. In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it, but it wasn't smoke because it didn't change its shape. It was moving in a regular way. That is to say, it didn't go suddenly faster or more slowly, and it didn't go higher or lower. So the two men decided that there must be men in it. After that, Burdens said that he felt eyes looking at him. He was being watched in the darkness. When it was nearer, they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top. The bottom was yellow and the top red. Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya, moving very fast. On a later day Burdens talked to other people about it, and he found some who had seen it. They all described it in the same way. Could they all be mistaken? The UFO looked like _ . Answer: Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but: Listening is STILL a problem! First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible. The first step is to find listening resources. The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com. The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station. Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated by limited understanding. What should you do? Here is some of the advice I give my students: Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything. Stay relaxed when you do not understand -- even if you continue not to understand for a long time. Do not translate what you hear into your native language. Listen for the general idea of the conversation. Don't concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas. I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn't understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion. Then, after the first six months, I discovered two very important facts. Firstly, translating creates a _ l between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that -- even if I didn't pay much attention, I could usually understand what the speaker had said. Why did the writer mention his / her experience in Germany? Answer: My first reaction was annoyance. It was Friday afternoon, and I was within an hour of finishing my work for the week. As I was leaving, a nurse brought me one more patient message. The statement read: "Mm. Jones called to say that she has had blurred vision ever since her medical test this morning. " I smiled. Suddenly our tests were causing eye problems. This week my patients had questioned everything. My patient with high blood pressure had stopped coming to her treatment on the advice of an Internet chat room. A woman who had a mental problem was substituting (......) St. John' s word for her medication. Now Mrs. Jones was imagining problems. I rolled my eyes. My second reaction was worry. As I looked through her record, I tried to figure out why she would have blurred vision, but nothing in her record explained the new problem. She' s probably just anxious, I thought. Still, she wouldn't have called if she had been all right. I picked up the phone. What 1 next felt can only be described as delight. Before I made the call, the nurse ran in: Mrs. Jones called. Her vision is fine. Turns out she picked up the wrong glasses when she left the office. The X-ray technician has been having the same problem. I let out a lugh. Mrs. Jones had been right. Her vision had been blurred. Now we know why. Finally I felt shame. I came to realize what Mrs. Jones had taught me. I had first known she was wrong, that her anxiety had _ . Instead, my medical training had clouded mine. Now I feel thankful that Mrs. Jones figured it out before I made a mistake about our relationship. Patients come to me for my help. They pay me to listen, diagnose , treat and talk. That suggests trust; I must remember that, and trust them too. The writer smiled while reading the patient message because he knew _ . Answer:
Mattel Inc.is recalling 4.4 million Polly Pocket toys with magnets after some of them caused serious injuries to children who swallowed magnets that fell off.Tiny magnets inside the toys may fall off without being noticed by parents and babysitters.The magnets can be swallowed or placed in children' s noses or ears.When more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestine perforations which can be deadly. The Consumer Product Safety Commission received 170 reports of the magnets coming out of these recalled toys.There were three reports of serious injuries to children who swallowed more than one magnet.All three suffered intestine perforations that required operations.A 2-year-old child stayed in hospital for 7 days and a 7-year-old child was hospitalized for 12 days. The recalled Polly Pocket toys contain plastic dolls and accessories that have small magnets.The magnets measure one-eighth inch in diameter and are fixed in the hands and feet of the dolls, and even in the plastic clothing, hairpieces and other accessories to help the pieces stay on the dolls or the dolls' houses. The model number is printed on the bottom of the largest pieces on the toys.Contact Mattel if you cannot find a model number on your product to determine if it is part of the recall.Polly Pocket magnetic toys currently sold in stores are not included in this recall.The model numbers included in the recall are: B2632, B3158, B7118, G8605, H1537 and H3211.The toys were on sales in department stores and toy stores from May 2006 through September 2009. Consumers should immediately take these recalled toys away from children and contact Mattel for the return of the toys.For more information contact Mattel at 888 597-6597 anytime or visit the company' s website. We can learn from the passage that _ . it is the magnets that cause the problem Nuclear power's danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation. Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can't be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can't detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can't sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things. At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being immediately by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no levels of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed immediately. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years. This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated and feel fine, then die for cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents. Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth. Which of the following statements is true? Nuclear radiation can cause cancer to human beings. Monitoring global warming usually requires a Ph. D. and enough maths to glaze your eyes. But that Francisco Lopez and Ruby Nostrant track what climate change is doing to five different plants in Tucson, Arizona and they are only in the second grade. "We are collecting data because the weather is changing and the plants are blooming," Ruby explained. Scores of other students at Borton Primary Magnet School and Sunnyside High School in Tucson are heading outdoors to be part of a new scientific push to figure out how the biological timing of the earth is changing. It's a research project that the average person, even a kindergartner, can join in. The National Phenology Network is calling on volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. It's called Project Budburst. When it was first open to the public last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states. "All people can contribute to it by tracking the timing of flowering events or leaf-out events for plants and animals in their backyard," said Phenology Network director Jake Weltzin. He calls the volunteers "citizen-scientists." The idea is that tracking flowers blooming--especially lilacs ; which everyday people have helped track for decades--is fairly simple. The Website http://www.Windows.ucar.edu/ citizen _ science/budburst/index.html gives directions on what to look for in different parts of the country. University of Maryland professor David Inouye said it's so easy to figure out what's blooming that a lack of special knowledge isn't a problem. University of Arizona ecology graduate student Lisa Benton coordinated the Tucson high school students as they looked at plants five minutes from their high school. Each student has specific guidelines and she's been happy so far with the data she is getting. For his part, second-grader Francisco said he had fun helping out. "I like going out in the desert," he said. "I want to be an Einstein." Francisco Lopez and Ruby Nostrant are monitoring global warming by _ . tracking the early spring blooms of some local plants If the world has a universal temp increase, then ice chunks get small Rose and Lily were best friends. They had met when they were little and grew up together. Lily and Rose got a house to live in and painted the walls blue. Then they went to buy a couch. Jerry worked at the couch store. Lily found a green couch that she liked. But the couch was too hard. Rose found a soft red couch. She showed it to Lilly and they both thought it was very soft. Jerry said he would help them move it and let them buy the couch. Rose and Lily went to another store to buy extra cushions. Tom worked at the store that had a lot of pillows to buy. Rose and Lily did not think Tom was nice. Tom did not help them. Rose found red pillows but Tom would not give them to her. Lily found pretty green pillows but Tom said they cost a lot of money. Rose and Lily went to another store where they met Steve and Megan. Steve and Megan showed them a lot of pillows that were nice. Rose and Lily showed Megan and Steve the couch they had. Megan and Steve helped find pretty blue pillows for the red couch. Rose and Lily were so happy they threw a party. Megan and Steve went to the party. Jerry went too. Jerry went to the party and gave Megan and Lily a rug. It was blue. The rug matched the pillows. How did Lily know Rose? Rose grew up with as friends with Lily
Tony:I like eating hamburgers and drinking cola. Yes, they are not healthy. But I eat hamburgers and drink cola every day.I don't like vegetables. I hate tomatoes. Cindy: My favourite food is chocolate and my favourite drink is milk. Milk can make me healthy. I drink milk every morning. I like fruit too. And my favourite fruit is oranges. Zhang Qiang: I like meat. I eat beef and chicken, but my favourite is beef. So I'm strong and tall. Liu Xin: I like candy and vegetables. I eat candy every day. But my mum says candy can make me fat. Now I'm fat so I do sports every day. Zhang Qiang is a _ boy. Answer: tall Which is a possible disadvantage of using flowing water to produce electricity? Answer: ecosystem damage and loss of land Liverpool city council want to clear the city of fat pigeons . They say that people are feeding the birds, which makes them fat. The pigeons get bigger because they normally eat seeds and insects for their main food, not high-fat junk food they are eating in the city centre. The council want people to know that everyone who feeds the pigeons makes the streets crowded with these birds. They hope to encourage the birds to move away from the city centre and into parks and open spaces. Ten robotic birds have been brought into the city centre to scare the pigeons away and visitors are asked not to give the pigeons any food. The mechanical birds--known as 'robops'--will sit on the roofs of buildings. They can be moved around to different places. They look like a peregrine falcon, which is a bird that kills pigeons. They even make noises and flap their wings to scare the pigeons. They hope that the pigeons will go away before the city becomes the European Capital of Culture in two years. What do we know about a peregrine falcon? Answer: It is an enemy of the pigeons. If a bean is a mile away from where it originated , and then it develops into a plant which produces more beans, then that original bean most likely Answer: was transported The function of your lungs be impaired on Answer: Saturn's rings
Many students are under great pressure this term. There is some advice on studying and preparing for exams. Sciences Ask students what is the most difficult course, and most of them will give you the same answer: mathematics. This is also true for Dai Shuang, a 14-year-old student at No.1 Middle School. He says, "It's so difficult that I get a headache whenever I think about the math exam." According to Dai, studying this course is not easy. He usually studies math by himself and spends most of his free time reading math books and doing exercises. _ Qin Xia, a math teacher, offers some advice. "Most students fear mathematics because they think the class is too difficult or boring." he says, "These students don't listen carefully in classes or even sleep." In Qin's opinion, they can try to take notes. And they'd better ask teachers for help. It's difficult for students to teach themselves math, which will waste a lot of time. Besides, doing a lot of exercises is also important. Arts Zhu Tianjiao, a 13-year-old student at Megan Middle School, is very nervous because she doesn't know how to improve her English. _ Xia Bingcong, a top student at Tsinghua University shares some of her learning experiences. According to Xia, memorizing, listening and reading are important in language learning. "Studying on a daily basis is the best choice." Xia says. When the math exam comes, Dai Shuang usually _ . Answer: Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to participate in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to showcase the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China. I.Basic Requirements for Volunteers * Be willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010; * Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994; * Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC; * Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010; * Possess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position; * Be in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions. II.Further Information for Volunteers * Source Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers. * Signup methods Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup.They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations. * Time May 1 - December 31, 2009 III.Volunteer Training Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training.General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice. IV.Volunteer Types * Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation, assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and.volunteer management. * Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site.They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid. Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers? Answer: Mr. and Mrs. Clark are 70 years old. They look young and they are very healthy. Why? Let me tell you. That's because they have a healthy lifestyle. They exercise every day, and every morning they exercise in the park. After that they usually go to the supermarket. They walk there for about half an hour. They don't take buses. Because they think walking is good for their health. They often take a walk after dinner. They also have a good eating habit. They drink milk every morning. They eat fruit and vegetables every day. As for meat, they only eat it twice a week. Besides (...) that, they never eat junk food. They don't drink coffee or cola at all. You see, they look after their health very well. Mrs. Clark likes watching soap operas and reading books. She reads books every day. Mr. Clark likes Chinese paintings. They usually go to bed at 9:00 pm and sleep for eight hours every night. What does Mr. Clark like? Answer: A poor man has an orange tree in his garden. There are many fine oranges on it. He finds one of the oranges much bigger than the others. It is as big as a ball. the poor man takes the orange to the king. The king is very happy. He gives him a lot of money. A rich man hears of this. He takes his gold cup to the king. He hopes to get much more money from the kind. The king likes the cup very much. He says, "This cup is very nice. I'm going to show you something nicer. Please take this orange." The rich man is very angry and throws the orange away. The king _ the orange. Answer: My class will put on a short play in English at the end of the year. Yesterday our English teacher gave us copies of the play. "Choose a character in the play whom you'd like to be, "she told us. "This afternoon learn a few lines of this part for homework. Then tomorrow you can say those lines in front of the class. Ill decide who play each part." I wanted to have one of the bigger parts in the play, so I choose the part of the king. He has a lot of lines to say. I learned them by heart. This morning in our English lesson we had to say our lines. I acted the part of the king. When I said my lines, I put a lot of expression into my acting. I thought I acted really well. Everyone in the class read a part and then the teacher who would play each part. Many of the students in my class couldn't act at all. They couldn't even read without making lots of mistakes. I was sure that I would get a big part in the play. However, the teacher gave me the part of a soldier. He has only one line. It is, "Yes, sir!" I was very disappointed. At the end of the lesson I went up to her and asked her why I had such a small part. "You put too much _ in your acting," she said. "Good acting is not big acting. It is acting the audience can believe in." I think I know what she means. Why didn't the teacher give him the part of the kings? Answer:
Express delivery: How you can buy your groceries from a virtual supermarket Aug, 1st, 2011 Daily Mail A "virtual supermarket" consisting of posters of goods put on platform walls is set to be introduced at London Underground stations. Passengers "shop" by scanning QR--Quick Response--codes of the items they want to buy using their smart phones. These goods are later delivered to their home address. Supermarket giant Tesco successfully trialed the hi-tech store in a South Korean underground station and there are now plans to bring the concept to Britain. NYPD to Scan Facebook, Twitter for Trouble Aug, 11th, 2011 Forbes The New York Police Department announced it will form a new unit to search social media as part of its law enforcement efforts, responding to the criminals' growing use of these sites to plan and celebrate illegal activities. The NYPD unit created particularly to _ social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry messenger for information on planned crimes and their criminals. Space Junk reaching "tipping point", report warns Sep 3rd, 2011 Toronto Sun The amount of debris orbiting the Earth has reached "a tipping point" for crashes, which would produce more debris that may be dangerous to astronauts and satellites, according to a US study. According to the US Space Surveillance Network, the number of orbital debris jumped from 9,949 in December 2006 to 16,094 in July 2011. we can learn from the news that_. more and more criminals are using social media sites for crimes Before Nicholas Clapp got there, he had half hoped that he might run into some of Ubar's ruins sticking out of the sand. But finding the city wasn't that easy. During the summer, he and his 40 helpers dug at 35 different spots. The only things they found were ground spiders, giant ticks, and deadly snakes. Just before Thanksgiving says Clapp, _ But then Clapp's team looked at the high-tech maps again and saw something surprising. Many of the caravan routes on the high-tech maps came together on the same spot marked "Omani Marketplace" on Ptolomy's map. Two maps, made almost 2000 years apart, pointed the team toward the same area! In December 1991, Clapp arrived at the spot where, according to the maps, the caravans met. Clapp had a handheld instrument that could detect objects below the ground. It showed ruins under the sand! He and his team started digging. And then they found it! A tower buried in the sand. They slowly unearthed a giant, eight-sided fortress . It had nine towers and many rooms. People had lived in this fortress 2000 years ago. Outside its walls, they had found buried remains of nearly 40 campsites. They seemed to be camping areas for traders . More digging found shards, or pieces of pottery from ancient Rome, Greece, China, Egypt, and Syria. Diggers and scientists agree that people were here for about 5000 years. Clapp and his team were excited as they continued to discover more pieces of the past that seemed to prove that it was the lost city of Ubar. "We started with this hopeless myth ," says Clapp, "and then finally found the truth behind the myth." But is this unearthed site really the once-great Ubar? Experts aren't totally persuaded. Donald Whitcomb is an archeologist at the University of Chicago. He doubts that Clapp really discovered Ubar. "There's probably some truth to this myth," he says. "But Ubar is described as a place with walls all made of gold, and the rubies and emeralds ." No gold or precious stones have been found by Clapp. "I'm not sure whether they discovered Ubar because I'm not sure if Ubar really existed," Whitcomb says. It can be inferred from the reading that Nicholas Clapp is _ a person of determination For most of my 15 years, my father usually said very little to my mother and me. He preferred reading the newspaper or watching football matches on television to talking to his family. Everything changed one morning. As soon as I came downstairs to breakfast, I could see that he wasn't his usual reserved self. "Can't wait! FIFA World Cup! Big match! Must see!" I quickly figured out what all the excitement was about: Dad is a big football fan. I had never been interested in football, but Dad's excitement that morning made me more and more curious. I had to find out why this sport was making my normally reserved father act like a five-year-old on his first trip to Disneyland. Dad decided that we should all eat at a little German restaurant so that we could watch the World Cup while eating. Secretly, I think he was hoping to turn Mum and me into football fans. The match started a few minutes after we entered the restaurant. As I was eating my meal, a loud noise came from the television. Surprised, I looked up at the TV: "Why is that man jumping up and down?" Dad patiently explained: "That's Papa Bouba Diop, my son. It's normal for them to jump up and down after they've scored." Dad explained almost everything to me. His monosyllabic answers were a thing of the past. I loved the new Dad! I watched the rest of the match, becoming more and more interested. When I told my father that I planned to watch more matches with him, he smiled and gave me a wink . At long last we had something in common. Football has really helped Dad and me get closer and form a stronger relationship with each other. Who says football is only about 22 men running after a silly ball? What made the author curious about his father one morning? His unusual excitement. "A good book for children should simply be a good book in its own right" says Mollie Hunter. Born and brought up near Edinburgh,Mollie has devoted her talents to writing primarily for young people. She firmly believes that there is and should always be a wider audience for any good book whatever its main market is. In Mollie's opinion it is necessary to make full use of language and she enjoys telling a story,which is what every writer should be doing. "If you aren't telling a story, you're a very dead writer indeed." She says. With the chief function of a writer being to entertain,Mollie is indeed an entertainer. "I have this great love of not only the meaning of language but of the music of language," she says. "This love goes back to early childhood. I had a school teacher who used to ask us what we would like to be when we grew up and,because my family always had dogs,and I was very good at handling them,I said I wanted to work with dogs,and the teacher always said 'Nonsense,Mollie;dear,you'll be a writer.' So finally I thought that this woman must have something,since she was a good teacher and I decided when I was nine that I would be a writer." This childhood intention is described in her novel,A Sound of Chariots,which although written in the third person is clearly autobiographical and gives a picture both of Mollie's ambition and her struggle towards its achievement. Thoughts of her childhood inevitably brought thoughts of the time when her home was still a village with buttercup meadows and strawberry fields--sadly now covered with modern houses. "I was once taken back to see it and I felt that somebody had lain dirty hands all over my childhood. I'll never go back,"she said "Never. When I set one of my books in Scotland" she said "I can recall my romantic feelings as a child playing in those fields,or watching the village blacksmith at work. And that's important because children now know so much so early that romance can't exist for them, as it did for us." What's the writer's purpose in this text? To introduce Mollie Hunter's work to a wider audience. Live the 'American Dream' What is it: Work & Travel prefix = st1 /USA Who are qualified: Full-time college students, above 18 years old. About the program: Application for the 2009 Work & Travel USA program has just started. It's an 8-16 week summer program for college students to work and travel in the US. Employers include Boeing, Hilton Hotel and 7-Eleven. For next summer, about 3,500 positions are open to Chinese Students. Applicants must pass a language test and sometimes an interview, and pay a registration fee to join the program. (source: www. cultureexchange.org) Hundreds needed by Volkswagen What is it: ShanghaiVolkswagen jobs. Who are qualified: College students graduating in 2009 About it: ShanghaiVW offers over 300 positions from engineering to marketing to college students graduating in 2009. Applicants should have an excellent academic record, CET-6 or the same level language certificate in German, and good computer skills. Campus talks will take place in Shanghai, Changchun, Harbin, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanjing, Beijing andXi'anfrom October. (source: campus.chinahr.com/2009/pages/csvw) Xiaonei looking for graduates What is it: Oak Pacific Interactive (OPI) internships What are qualified: College juniors and first-year post graduate students About it: OPI is now offering internship positions for test-engineer, development-engineer and assistant to the director of corporate culture. For engineering positions, candidates should major in computer science or a related field, have communication ability and be familiar with various development language. For assistant to the director positions, candidates should be adept in document writing, activities organizing and office software. (source: campus.xiaonei.com) These advertisements are most probably _ . advertisements in a newspaper intended for college students to read
British actor and comedian Rik Mayall died at 56 in London . As one of the leading lights of Britain's comedy scene in the 1980s , he is best known for starring roles in hit TV series Blackadder , The Young Ones , The New Statesman and Bottom . His agent, Kate Benson told CNN Mayall died suddenly ; she did not know the cause of his death. Mayall first found widespread fame in student sitcom "The Young Ones," which ran for two years on the BBC, and was later shown on MTV in the United States. The series focused on the lives of four roommates at "Scumbag College." Writer and comedian Ben Elton told the Press Association Mayall had " changed his life " by asking him to work on The Young Ones . " He always made me cry with laughter , now he's just made me cry . " In the 1990s, Mayall played a role in Bottom , a series about two unemployed flat mates who spend most of their time attacking each other violently with anything that comes to hand . Mayall also branched out into movies , taking the lead role in 1991's Drop Dead Fred , in which he played the imaginary friend of Phoebe Cates , returning years later to cause trouble in the now grown-up Cates' life . Mayall survived a bike accident in 1998; he was unconscious for five days after the crash, on his farm in Devon, southwest England, and developed epilepsy as a result of the severe head injury he suffered in the accident . In an interview several years later, he joked that he "beat Jesus" by coming back from the hell . He said the accident left him more aware of being alive. House star Hugh Laurie, who worked with Mayall on Blackadder, took to Twitter to recount a story about his co-star: "A young girl, stricken with terminal cancer, once asked Rik Mayall for an autograph. He wrote: 'Young Ones are never afraid.'" From the passage , we can learn that Mayall _ . narrowly escaped death in 1998 A teenager who is preparing to go to high school has probably heard all kinds of different things about high school freshmen from his parents , fiends , or old brothers and sisters. The change from middle school to high school can seem like a frightening experience for teens going into high school , but it is not always so hard as it may seem. Usually , middle school students can get used to high school life within a few months of their freshman year. A few tips for high school freshmen are as follows. Grades are important . While it is important for a student to try to do his best in school , the grades that he gets in high school are even more important , since they are what colleges will look like when considering his application for their school . Classes . The classes a freshman takes throughout his whole high school can help them a lot when he gets ready to go to college or look for a job . Some special classes allow students to get college credits while they are still in high school in some countries . Most high school classes will have more homework than middle school classes and this can be a hard adjustment at first . Being prepared . Middle school classes might not request students to prepare very much before they attend them . But high school teachers will expect students to get everything ready before the class begins .It is also important for students to study for tests and do all homework that is required during class. Making good choices. Most high school students have more freedom than middle school students, but what a student does with this freedom is very important to his future life for many years after high school is over. Peer pressure , while it can be good sometimes, is often a problem with younger teens .It is important for a teen to make good choices throughout his high school career so that he can be successful later on in his life . High school is a memorable experience for teenagers .They should not be afraid of becoming a freshmen . After studying for a period of time , they will surely enjoy it. What will be considered when a college decides whether to accept a student's application or not ? His grades in high school There are records of fingerprints taken many centuries ago. The ancient Babylonians pressed the tips of their fingerprints into clay to record business trade. The Chinese used ink-on-paper finger impressions for business. However, fingerprinting wasn't used as a method for identifying criminals until the 19th century. In 1858, Sir William Herschel was working as an official of the Hooghly district in Jungipoor, India.In order to reduce fraud , he had people living in the district record their fingerprints when signing business documents. A few years later, Scottish doctor Henry Faulds was working in Japan when he discovered fingerprints left by artists on ancient pieces of clay.This finding inspired him to begin investigating fingerprints.In 1880, Faulds wrote to his cousin, the famous naturalist Charles Darwin, and asked for help with developing a fingerprint classification system.Darwin refused, but sent the letter to his cousin, Sir Francis Gallon, who was an eugenicist . Gallon began collecting fingerprints and eventually gathered some 8, 000 different samples to analyze. In 1892, he published a book called "Fingerprints", in which he outlined a fingerprint classification system--the first existence. Around the same time, Juan Vucetich, a police officer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was developing his own version of a fingerprinting system.In 1892, Vucetich was called in to assist with the investigation of the two boys murdered in Necoche, a village near Buenos Aires. Their mother, Francisca Rojas, accused a neighbour named Velasquez. But when Vucetich compared the fingerprints found at the murder scene to those of both Velasquez and Rojas, _ matched Rojas' exactly.She admitted her crime. This was the first time fingerprints had been used in a criminal investigation.Vucetich called his system comparative dactyloscopy . It's still used in many Spanish-speaking countries. Sir Edward Henry, in charge of the Metropolitan Police of London, soon became interested in using fingerprints to catch criminals. In 1896, he added to Gallon's technique, creating his own classification system, the Henry Classification System. It is the primary method of fingerprint classification throughout most of the world. We can learn from the text that _ . Henry's classification system is based on Gallon's Attempts to understand the relationship between social behavior and health have their origin in history. Dubos (1969) suggested that primitive humans were closer to the animals because they, too, relied upon their instincts to stay healthy. Yet some primitive humans recognized a cause and effect relationship between doing certain things and alleviating symptoms of a disease or improving the condition of a wound. Since there was so much that primitive humans did not understand about the functioning of the body, magic became an integral component of the beliefs about the causes and cures of health disorders. So it is not surprising that early humans thought that illness was caused by evil spirits. Primitive medicines made from vegetables or animals were invariably used in combination with some form of ritual to drive harmful spirits away from a diseased body. One of the earliest attempts in the Western world to formulate principles of health care based upon rational thought and rejection of supernatural phenomena is found in the work of the Greek physician Hippocrates. Little is known of Hippocrates who lived around 400 B.C., not even whether he actually authored the collection of books that bears his name. Nevertheless, the writings attributed to him have provided a number of principles underlying modern medical practice. One of his most famous contributions, the Hippocratic Oath, is the foundation of contemporary medical ethics . Among other things, it requires a physician to swear that he or she will help the sick, keep oneself from intentional wrong-doing or harm, and keep secret all matters to keep the doctor-patient relationship. Hippocrates also argued that medical knowledge should be derived from an understanding of the natural sciences and the logic of cause and effect relationships. In this classic thesis, On Airs, Waters, and Places, Hippocrates pointed out that human-being is influenced by the totality of environmental factors: living habits or lifestyle, climate, geography of the land, and the quality of air and food. Interesting enough, concerns about our health and the quality of air, water, and places are still very much written in the twentieth century. Why did primitive humans rely on magic in their beliefs about the causes and cures of diseases? Because they had little knowledge about the functioning of the body. History Has Arrived Nine-year-old Barack Obama was looking through magazines. But the African-American boy was shocked by a series of photos. The pictures were of a black man who destroyed his skin with chemicals that promised to make him white. For the first time, the boy began to doubt who he was. "I stood in front of the mirror and wondered if something was wrong with me,"Obama said. However, now the boy who used to struggle with his identity doesn't see it as a problem any more, but an advantage for his career. Obama made history by being elected as the first black president of US. He defeated John Ma Cain in a landslide victory. Obama's story started in opposite corners of the world. His white mother was born in the heartland of the US. His black father grew up in a tiny village in Kenya. They met during in Hawaii, but his father left the family when Obama was just two years old and his mother moved to Indonesia. At 10, Obama moved back to live with his white grandparents in Hawaii where his sense that he didn't belong grew. At his class a white boy asked Obama if his father ate people. Out of embarrassment ,Obama lied to his classmates that his father was a prince. "I kept asking who I was and I ended up trying drugs and drinking,"Obama recalled. Things came to change after the young man made friends with those with a similar background at college. Their experiences back in Africa helped Obama to finally face up to his African origin. He worked hard to become a star at Harvard Law School and the third black senator in US history. At the beginning of his campaign for the White House, few people viewed Obama favorably. Many doubted his unusual background, which left him neither black enough nor white enough. But Obama turned his pain of growing up into a tool to make Americans believe:"There is not a black America, an Asian America. There's the United States of America." Barack Obama's victory is"a historic vicotory that promised changes and overcame centuries of prejudice ."His success realised Martin Luther King's dream that a man should be judged not by the color1 of his skin, but by the content of his character. He lied to his classmates that his father was a prince because_. he felt ashamed of his African origin
Do you often watch TV programs? There are many TV programs on Chinese cuisines (, ),but few are like A Bite of China. It tries to bring something new by introducing more cultural features related to dishes, such as eating habits and wonderful stories about food. It's said that more than 100 million Chinese people are watching the program. Most Chinese people regard this program as more than just the regular food shows. They see it as an amazing documentary providing a special view of Chinese as well as the relations between people and food , between people and society. On the other hand, the documentary also stimulates Chinese people's consumption . Taobao, one of China's biggest online shopping sites, reports that the search on food items that were introduced by the documentary has increased to 4 million times in one week, and sales have increased to 5.82 million. To get enough good stories, the production team spent three months doing research and interviews in about 60 cities before they started making the documentary last July. Filming lasted about nine months. Liu Wen, the director, says "As CCTV-9 serves as a window, allowing the world to better understand China, the documentary aims to help the world not only enjoy the beauty of Chinese cuisines, but also learn Chinese customs." It took the production team about _ to complete the whole program. A 3 months B six months C a year D two years Answer: C About 1 in 15 households drink bottled water today, spending about $ 4 billion a year on it. Although the reasons for the trend are many, bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list. Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants . Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap. Consider that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA. For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead. Granted, bottled water is often filtered to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste. But that doesn't make it any safer. In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water. Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride needed to fight cavities. The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it. This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water. It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste. The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two. Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as "pure", "crystal pure" and "premium" on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir. However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters. The mini glossary of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean. According to the passage, removing chlorine from water _ A does not make the water safer B is required by the FDA C makes the water less expensive D is necessary for good health Answer: A The Chinese word "Shanzhai" literally means a small mountain village, but it's now used to describe products that have names similar to famous ones. It became an accepted name for fake goods after "Shanzhai Cellphones" produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years. Besides "Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala , a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. "Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own, standing foranything that _ something famous,which has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat. In southwestern China's Chongqing, a "Shanzhai"-version "Bird's Nest" built by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the "Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube" is popular with tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympics places in Beijing. Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally to attract people. "In spite of its poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said. Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies classic things, only products in fashion. In that sense, it's like a computer virus without meaning. Though controversial, "Shanzhai" culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie, according to the newspaper. Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together are an ideal situation and they are for the public to choose. The underline words "imitates " is closest in meaning to _ . A steals B copies C advertises D cheats Answer: B Down by the salley gardens Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet; She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet. She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree; But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree. In a field by the river my love and I did stand, And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white _ . She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears. This is a short _ written by Yeats, a famous writer from Ireland. A story B poem C slogan D letter Answer: B You may know about " junk food" like French fries. But do you know about "junk sleep"? Recently, a British survey found that electronic products in teenagers bedrooms are affecting their sleep. The survey was done among 1,000 British kids from 12 to 16. It found that thirty percent of them got just 4 to 7 hours sleep every day. But doctors say they need 8 to 9 hours. Almost a quarter of the kids said they fell asleep more than once a week while watching TV, listening to music or using other electronic products. "This is very worrying." Said Dr Chris Idzikowski, a British expert, "We call it 'junk sleep', It means you don't get enough sleep and the quality of the sleep is bad, too. If you don't get good rest, you don't perform well in school the next day." The survey found that 40 percent of the kids felt tired each day, with girls between 13 and 16 feeling the worst. Nearly all the teenagers have a phone, Mp4 or TV IN THEIR BEDROOM. And many of them have all three. _ of the children in the survey sleep only 4 to 7 hours a day. A 200 B 300 C 500 D 1,000 Answer: B
At Dulles High school in Sugar Land, Texas, the roster for Advanced Chinese begins with Jason Chao and ends with Kathy Zhang. In between comes an unexpected name: Elizabeth Hoffman. Hoffman, now a 12thgrader, began learning Chinese in the eighth grade, has spent a summer studying in Nanjing and plans to perfect her Mandarin next fall. When asked by her peers---why she is learning Chinese, she responds with a question: "why aren't you?" As China rushes toward superpower status, America's schools and government officials are responding to Hoffman's opinion. Earlier this year Eush Holt of New Jersey introduced legialation calling for increased money of programs for less commonly taught languages, "For reasons of economics, culture and security, we should have much better facilities with Chinese languages and dialects," he said. The State Department has pointed out Chinese is becoming a "critical language", but the most recent data show that only 24,000 students in Grade 7 to Grade 12 study Chinese. Still, the number is growing. In Chicago public schools, enrollment in Chinese classes has skyrocked from 5000 students in 2005 to nearly 35,000 students this year. In the Santa Clara County, California, enrollment has quadrupled during the same period. In 2007, when the College Board first introduces advanced-placement language exams in Chinese and Italian, 2,400 high school plan to offer AP Chinese---10 times the number of students that plan to offer AP Italian. Much of the interest can be explained by China's increasing competiviveness. "People are always trying to judge what languages are going to be useful for the future," says Marty Abbot, the director of education at the National Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Stephanie Wong, a student At Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, chose Chinese so that she could speak with her grandfather. Wong also predicted that Chinese will be important if she becomes a doctor. 80 percent of people in her hometown are Asians. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: if a language is useful for the future it may become a critial language Mark wants to make lemonade for his friends. He uses water, lemon juice, and sugar. Which of these best describes the lemonade? Answer: a mixture A capsule inn is a kind of cheap and small hotel where people just sleep in rectangular containers . After experiencing popularity in Japan for more than 30 years, capsule inns have now entered the Chinese market. This new style is becoming popular with many visitors, but some are less than what they expected. The capsule inn covers an area of more than 300 square meters, with 68 very small bedrooms for guests to rest. Each room is 2.2 meters long and about 1 meter wide. As small as the capsules are, they provide more than enough daily necessities for visitors. They do have plenty of _ . Each includes independent power sockets, clocks, lights, and flat screen televisions. People can also enjoy wireless Internet service. The basic fee for each capsule is 28 yuan, and guests will be asked to pay an extra 4 yuan every hour. The highest cost could reach 88 yuan per day. Ta Zan, capsule inn Manager, said, "Capsule inns are similar to Internet cafes. When they first appeared more than 10 years ago, people thought they might not succeed. But now it's a common thing in our lives." He believes that more capsule inns will open around the nation very soon. He is sure about the future of his business. For whom, a capsule inn is a good choice while traveling around? Answer: A young student who likes watching TV or surfing on the Internet. Lopburi is around 150 kilometers north of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. What make Lopburi famous are its more than 2,000 monkeys who live in the middle of the city. They hang on phone line, cross streets, grab food from other locals and tourists, or even search your pockets. However, nobody blames the monkeys. As the locals say, they bring prosperity to the town. The "Lopburi Monkey Festival" is held each year on the last weekend of November and is a major attraction for locals and foreign visitors alike. A local businessman started the tradition twenty years ago. The monkeys attracted many foreign tourists to travel there. The businessman started the tradition in order to honor those monkeys. On the festival, they are offered a buffet of delicious fruits and sweets, ice cream, and more as a way of thanking them for the good fortune they bring to the town! The monkeys were not always living in the city. They used to love outside the city limits, but the group divided and a new group formed and decided to live in the ruins of the temples. As time went by, the monkeys became more familiar and daring and started to go out of their homes. They are now part of LOpburi's local culture. Last year, people had a great time celebrating the monkey festival. A parade was held through town, cultural shows were lined up and the streets were filled with locals and tourists as they watched the parade with monkeys. Sellers selling food and souvenirs can be seen everywhere. There were 20 chefs who "cooked up" a lot of food for the "monkey" buffet. It was reported that about two tons of fruits and vegetables, ice cream jelly and milk were prepared for the more than 2,000 monkeys. According to the passage, the businessman started the festival to _ . Answer: express thanks to the monkeys Model Time A model is a small copy of a building, vehicle ,machine etc, especially one that can be put together from several parts. If you like models, then this will be the place for you . From model trains, planes and cars to rockets and boats, we've got them all! To find others who can share your interests, and to get more information, please call 88563219. Sports Club Sports Club offers you many different ways to keep healthy. You'll never get bored. Our Program & Service Department is always working in new ways to keep you strong and happy . For more of it , visit _ Keypals International Club KIC is a fun club started by kids, for kids aged 8 to 16. KIC tries to help kids understand different cultures through emails and other activities . KIC has members from 40 different countries. For more of it, visit _ Kids Art Club Kids Art Club offers drawing and painting classes to children aged 7 to 14. Classes are small and we have to have only six learners each class. All classes are taught by Jim Todd who has worked in the art field for over twenty years. For more information, please call 886766213. If you want to know different cultures of the world, you can _ . Answer: visit www.worldkids.net
As we all know, getting benched in sports is usually a bad thing. But at one school in Florida, a girl has taken a bench and turned it into something entirely different - a place to find friends. It's called the Friendship Bench. And it's the brainchild of a sixth grader at Palm Bay Elementary - a girl named Acacia Woodley. Acacia's attitude toward life might be summed up best by a question she recently asked members of the Brevard County School Board - "what if we spend as much time putting the spotlight on kindness as we do on cruelty?" It's a philosophy Acacias has learned to live her own life -despite having a lot of people would consider a handicap. She was born without a right hand. And her left hand did not form properly. But Acacia says that she has not stopped her from achieving her goals. "You need to believe in your dreams. If you don't believe in you dreams, I can definitely tell you that they are not going to come true." She said. Acacia came up with the idea for the Friendship Bench after seeing kids getting bullied at school. She says she has also experienced bullying herself - kids whispering about her or picking on her because she is different. "Some people say they feel sorry for me. I tell them not to," she said. "I don't care that I'm different. I like being different." The Friendship Bench looks like a lot of other benches. It has arm sets and a place to lean on. But there are also words painted on it - words such as "hope", "respect", "listen" and "dream". Acacia put the benches together with the help from her mother and brother. Any time a kid feels he or she needs a friend, all that kid needs to do is sit on the bench. It is then up to the other kids - or grown-ups - to fill that need. "It's a perfect idea," Palm Bay Elementary Principal Lori said. "It's something we've needed so badly." The Friendship Bench has been such a success at Palm Bay Elementary that other schools are now interested in installing one too. "There's a saying in my teacher's classroom," Acacia said. "It says, 'it you can dream it, you can achieve it.'" What is the best title of this passage? Answer: When two Bangs meet Sheldon Cooper is a scientific genius on the popular American TV show, The Big Bang Theory (<<>> ). He finally met his match last year: Stephen Hawking. This is not the first time that the scientist has appeared on TV. He has also been on Star Trek (in 1987) and The Simpsons (in 1989). Each time, he played himself. Hawking, 71, is perhaps the world's most famous scientist after Albert Einstein. He has spent his whole life studying the beginning and the end of the universe, including the Big Bang theory. The Big Bang theory explains the early development of the universe. According to the theory, about 13.7 billion years ago everything was all squeezed together in a tiny, tight little ball, and then the ball exploded. The results of that explosion are what we call the universe. Hawking has always tried to make science more popular with people. His book: A Brief History of Time was published in 1988. In the book he shares his understanding of the universe in simple language. The book tries to explain many subjects about the universe to common readers, including the Big Bang, black holes and light cones . Hawking's achievements are even greater if you think about his disability. When he was 21, Hawking caught a bad illness that slowly stopped him from moving or talking. Now he sits on a wheelchair with a computer by his side. To communicate, he moves two fingers to control the computer's mouse. He chooses his words from the screen, which are then spoken by a voice synthesizer . Hawking also believes that there might be aliens in space. However, he believes they are probably very dangerous, so we should not look for them. "I imagine they might exist in very big ships ... having used up all the resources from their home planet," Hawking said in a British documentary named Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking. Acting in The Big Bang Theory is Hawking's _ time on TV. Answer: A young boy arrives at a barber shop and the barber _ to his customer, "This is the most foolish kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you." The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two cents in the other, then calls the boy over and asks,"Which do you want,son?"The boy takes the cents and leaves. "What did I tell you?"says the barber."That kid never learns!" Later,when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store."Hey, son! May I ask you a question ? Why did you take the cents instead of the dollar bill?" The boy licks his ice cream and answers,"Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!" The barber wants to prove the young boy is _ to the customer. Answer: Everyone has a dream. Some are good dreams. Some are bad dreams. Here are some kids talking about their dreams they had last night. Lucy: In my dream, I saw my favorite band EXO singing a wonderful song. One of the main singer Lu Han wore special clothes and sang songs only for me. The songs were so beautiful that it touched my heart. I hope I didn't wake up this morning. Kelly: Last night I dreamed I was an astronaut. I flew a rocket around the earth. The sky was so blue and the white clouds were here and there. I felt I was like a bird. I even sang a song because I was so happy. John: I had a really bad dream last night. I invited lots of friends to my home to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. All the preparations were ready. Turkey was in the oven. Other food was on the table. Guests were happy and ready to enjoy the meal. However, someone shouted "Oh, my God!" All the guests disappeared . I didn't know what happened. I was scared so much. Emma: I dreamed I became a pediatrician.. I could be a doctor for all small kids. It was really wonderful. I tried my best and saved many kids. Parents came to thank me. How happy I was! In _ dream, Lu Han sang a song. Answer: He wanted to go to college, and the only thing that might have stopped him was his disability. But this year, Zhang Yan and other physically disabled kids can realize their dream just like any other students. As registration for this year's college entrance examinations draws near, the government has loosened its requirements on physical examinations for new college students. A new rule was jointly decided in March by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the China Disabled Persons' Federation. It clearly states that no student should be rejected simply because they have a physical disability. Schools may still advise disabled students on the choice of their major if it is likely to affect their future chances of employment. However,the final decision will be up to the student., "Now I can just go ahead and do my best in the exams. I don't have to worry that my healthier classmates will have the upper hand because of my disability," said Zhang happily. The 18-year-old boy will graduate this year from a Chengdu high school inprefix = st1 /SichuanProvince. He lost an eye during an accident as a child. Zhang's mother calledPekingUniversityto ask if her son's eye problem would make it difficult for him to accepted by the university's Bio-chemistry Department. She was happy to find out that their choice of students would be based "fairly" on exam results. "The university official said my son would be judged at the same level as other students ," said Zhang's mother. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the report? Answer:
Question: Many people like spring, because they can go out and do many kinds of activities. We made a survey about the activities that people like to do in spring. Here are the results. Scott: In spring, I often visit my uncle and I like fishing with him. I also like boating and enjoy the beach. Last spring my uncle and I went boating. The dolphins came so close to us. It was very amazing. I hope that I can go there again soon. Linda: My favorite spring activity is gardening . I think it is relaxing to work in the garden. I grow many flowers in my garden every year. They are so beautiful. Nancy: I love spring. I love going to the beach and spending a whole day there. It is so relaxing to lie on the beach. I also like surfing in the sea. James: I am twelve years old. My favorite spring activity is swimming. I started to learn swimming when I was seven years old. I always have a good time with my friends in the river. Both _ and _ enjoy the beach. A. Scott; Linda B. Nancy; James C. Scott; Nancy D. Linda; James Answer: C Question: During my first two months in China, I was like a girl in love. Everything I saw and did amazed me. I have journal entries that are pages long describing, in great detail, everything I ate. From the sauce to the kind of chopsticks I used, nothing went unnoticed or unrecorded. Chinese people gape at me when they see me using chopsticks, just because I can. Western eating is so different, not only in the use of cutlery , but also in the rules of eating, for which there are many. For example, everything is cut before it's eaten, except salad. Instead of eating around the bone, as we do here (I do it too, of course), people cut around the bones, which makes eating fish a difficult thing. Also, there is a certain way to eat soup, which involves pushing the spoon away from you, to make sure you don't get splashed, and never slurping or touching your teeth on the spoon. Before I came here, I thought table manners were very important. Now I think that they are silly, worrying and concentrating on changing the fork and knife every time you cut your food takes away from the enjoyment of food. Every time I eat at a restaurant, I try something new. I am not afraid of trying anything and I will eat anything once. At first I would try a bite and not like it. This happened with fish heads, snake, anything spicy, and bitter melon, to name a few. Now I like all of these things. My new favorite dish is spicy fish heads. There are vegetables whose names I don't know in English. I am proficient in Chinese food, and am also at least ten pounds heavier than when I first arrived. I never even like rice before I came here, and now I have it with every meal. I don't like cheese either, and Western food just doesn't taste as good as it once did. Even McDonald's is better here. It can be inferred from the passage that_. A. there are many differences between Chinese dishes and western ones B. Chinese dishes are more delicious than western ones C. western dishes are more expensive than Chinese ones D. fish heads are the most delicious dish in the world Answer: A Question: When people travel in another city or country ,they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is called _ . It is a great experience because you can meet people from a different country or city and learn something new about that place . I am Wan Li from China. I came to the UK with my friends for a short visit . we are living with an English couple ,Mr. and Mrs.Green ,in the west of London. They have a wonderful four -bedroom house . This is a new house . It has two bathrooms and a garden with many beautiful flowers. I have a bedroom of my own . There are some shopping centres and restaurants near the house, and the house is close to an underground station. It takes about thirty minutes to get to the centre of London. I think a homestay may be a good choice for you if it is your first time to visit abroad . The local people are friendly and willing to help. If you happen to celebrate the holidays with them, you will get to know more about western culture and customs. When travelers to the Great Britain happen to celebrate the holidays with the local people they will learn more about _ . A. western culture and customs B. world culture and customs C. eastern culture and customs D. southern culture and customs Answer: A Question: Bob comes out of the station and at once he doesn't know where to go. He comes to see his good friend, Peter. Peter is a worker. He works in a factory, but Bob doesn't know where the factory is. He walks along the street. He passes a hospital, a post office, a bookshop and at last he gets to a school. Some students are coming out, so he asks one of them," Excuse me. Do you know where the Red Star Factory is?" "Of course, I know. I live near there. My father works in that factory. It's outside this town," answers the boy. "Is it far from here? Can you show me the way, please?" Bob asks again. "I'm going home now. Will you come with me? We can go there by bus. " Where does the boy live? A. Near the bookshop. B. Near the post office. C. Near the factory. D. Near the hospital. Answer: C Question: Shirley Temple Black, who lifted America's spirits as a bright-eyed child movie star during the Great Depression and later became a US diplomat , died at the age of 85 at her home in Woodside, California, on Monday. A family statement said, "We announce with great sadness that diplomat Shirley Temple Black, former Hollywood child star and forever America's little darling peacefully passed away at her Woodside, California, home from natural causes, at the age of 85, on February 10, 2014." She was surrounded by her family and caregivers. "We respect her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and good wife for fifty-five years of much-missed Charles Alden Black, who has passed away." Temple's film career began in 1932 and she found international fame two years later aged in the film Bright Eyes, famous for the song On the Good Ship Lollipop. The youngster was seen with her hair in curls, and the unforgettable performance made her one of the biggest box office draws of the times. She was awarded a Juvenile Academy Award in 1935 and starred in films such as Curly Top and The Littlest Rebel, helping the US deal with the depression of the 1930s. And she was credited with helping save the film company 20th Century Fox from being bankrupt . But after retiring from the entertainment world in her early 20s with a special Oscar under her belt for the movie Stand up and Cheer when she was six, she created a role as an outstanding diplomat, serving as the US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Temple was also a delegate to several international commissions and was involved with the United Nations. She was the first woman to serve as US chief of protocol in the Department of State. What movie did Shirley Temple win the Oscar in? A. The Littlest Rebel. B. Stand up and Cheer. C. On the Good Ship Lollipop. D. Bright Eyes. Answer: B
High temperatures can be caused when which is exposed to heat? 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 is the author's concern about current business school education? Joe Brown has a shop. He sells meat in his shop. One Thursday a woman comes into his shop at five to one. "I'm sorry I'm late," she says. "I need some more meat for my dinner tonight." Joe has only one piece of meat in his shop. He takes it out of the fridge and says, "This is $6.50." "That piece is too small," the woman says, "Don't you have anything bigger?" Joe goes into the room behind his shop, puts the piece of meat into the fridge, takes it out of the fridge again and closes the door with lots of noise. Then he brings the piece of meat to the woman and says, "This piece of meat is bigger and more expensive. It's $8.75." "Good," the woman says with a smile, "give me both of them, please." Joe Brown was _ . Campers shouted toward a canyon wall. What characteristic of sound best explains why the campers heard an echo? Apple has lost a creative genius and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve Jobs have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve Jobs leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. Steven Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California. As a child, Jobs preferred doing things by himself. He was a competitive swimmer at school, but was not interested in any other team sports or other group activities. He showed an early interest in electronics. He spent a lot of time working in the garage workshop of a neighbor who was an electronics manufacturer. He went to college but decided to drop out. Recalling his time there he said, " I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms; I sold coke bottles to buy food, and I would walk seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple." Jobs and a friend started a company in a garage on April 1, 1976. Jobs named their company Apple in memory of a happy summer he had spent as an orchard worker in Oregon. After ten years, Apple, which started with two kids working in a garage, had grown into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. At 30, Jobs was fired from the company he founded with Steve Wozniak. He left the company after losing a bitter battle over control with Apple's CEO John Sculley. In 1997, Jobs rejoined Apple. He is the brain behind the best-selling iPhone, iPad and iPod. Jobs said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart..." What can we learn about Jobs from the passage?
Sometimes teens need to have some time away from their families. They may want to move out of the family or home for a while. Many parents will say no to this demand. But experts say it might be a good idea to let your teens live with a friend or a relative. "It was the break I needed at the time," said Richard Lerne. He is talking about the time he spent living with his grandmother when he was 15. "It allowed me to be a more different person than I was with my parents." Lerne said. He now heads the Institute for Children, Youth and Families at Michigan State University. Experts say teens living away from their families can test new ways of thinking and getting along with people. They may see new ways to problems. Some teens who want some time away from family attend a structured summer program. Others live for a while with a relative or with the family of a friend. If there is conflict at home, having a teen live elsewhere can benefit other family members. It gives everyone space to develop better relationships. Joseph Kett teaches history at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He says living at home until the late ten years has become the norm only in recent times. "In the 17th century, children were often sent to live in other people's home when they were about 10 or 11", he said. Peter Sheras teaches education at the University of Virginia. He says parents should listen when a child wants to move out. They should try to find out why the child wants some time away. According to this passage, many parents may think it _ for their children to live away from them. A. right B. happy C. unsafe D. reasonable Answer: C Today's the day of a big test at school, and you feel awful. Your stomach hurts and you have a headache. Some people might feel their hearts beating quickly while they are waiting for the test paper. A student with really strong test _ may even feel like he or she might be sick or throw up . Sound familiar? You'll find that just about all people--adults and others--have some anxiety before a test. According to studies, proper anxiety can be helpful, keeping you sharp and focused and even helping you get good grades. But when you have so much anxiety or feel so sick that you can't do well in your studies or tests, that's bad for your studies or your body health. Of course, if you don't study for the test, you might be worried. That kind of anxiety isn't easy to deal with because even if you find a way to calm down, you still might not know what to do with it. When you are preparing for a test and you get a handle on your test, you will be able to let your knowledge work well and get good grades. For example, last Wednesday was the day of a big test at school. Jane felt awful. Her stomach hurt and she had a headache. She knew she hadn't caught a cold--but only a little nervous about the test. She really didn't know why. From the passage, we learn test anxiety _ . A. is common among people B. comes from laziness C. is only for unhealthy people D. comes from teachers Answer: A Once I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that it would take only a few minutes. Thus, on one evening, three people turned up at my house and were shown into my front room. When they saw the room they were a bit alarmed, for it was laid out as a studio. In front of each easy chair there was a microphone at head height, with wires leading to a tape-recorder in the middle of the floor. I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink. I turned on the tape-recorder and each in turn seriously counted from one to twenty in their best accent. When it was over, I turned the tape-recorder off and brought round the drinks, and for the rest of the evening there was general cheerful conversation--interrupted only by the fact that I had to take a telephone call in another room, which unfortunately lasted some time. Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the tape-recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one, which was turning happily away in the kitchen. The participants, having seen the visible tape-recorder turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones which stayed in front of their chairs, only a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality. And my lengthy absence meant that I was able to obtain as natural a piece of conversation as it would be possible to find. I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the event was over, and gave them the choice of destroying the tape. None of them wanted to--though for some years afterwards it always seemed to be my round when it came to the buying of drinks. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business. The writer turned off the tape-recorder because _ . A. he had to answer a phone call B. he wanted his friends to enjoy some drinks C. he thought the tape-recorder might bother his friends D. he wanted to make his friends believe he had finished the recording Answer: D If you've ever seen the way dog people interacted with their pets, it comes as no surprise that there's some germ-exchanging going on there. A new study indicates that dog ownership specifically may be one of the biggest single contributors to what kinds of microbes live on your skin. A team of researchers led by Se Jin Song at the University of Colorado, Boulder, took swabs of the tongues, palms, forehead and feces of members of 60 family households. Some of the families had children or household pets and some did not; dogs were the only pets swabbed. Researchers then analyzed the DNA of the bacteria they found to determine how diverse the bacteria populations were. Not surprisingly, family members who lived together had more bacteria in common than members of separate households. Bacteria on the skin were especially similar within households, probably because we pass microbes through the air, through direct contact, and via the surfaces we touch. The most surprising finding, however, was the large bacteria contribution Fidonad made. The skin bacteria of dog owners from different households was almost as similar as if they'd cohabited without a dog. Put another way, you and a friend across town who both own dogs share a skin ecosystem as alike as a married couple does. The reason for this appears to be that dogs harbor some kinds of bacteria that are rare on human skin. One in particular, a family of bacteria called Methylophilaceae, was abundant in the mouths of dogs sampled as well as the skin of their owners--indicating "a common occurrence of oral-skin transfer between dogs and their owners," according to the results published in the journal eLife. What does this passage mainly tell us? A. It is unsafe to keep dogs because of microbes. B. How many kinds of bacteria live on people's skin because of dog ownership. C. Dog ownership affects the kinds of microbes living on people's skin. D. What are the similarities between people who keep dogs and those who don't. Answer: C Vanatsaya Viseskul, a sweet-voiced, round-faced 16-year-old Thai singer, whose name, at the moment, is inextricably linked with the late Teresa Teng, a singer from Taiwan whose love songs gained her wide fame across Asia, sat on a chair in a dressing room of a theater in Beijing. Viseskul was preparing for her performance at a gala by China Oriental Performing Arts Group, one of the country's most prestigious performing arts groups, which has official support. It was beyond doubt that she was expecting that her debut for this great group would be a success for her career. Titled Oriental Love, the gala, which was staged from Dec. 14 to 17 at Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, showcased music and dances from more than 10 countries. Viseskul, representing Thailand, performedTheMoonRepresentsMyHeart, one of Teng's most famous ballads, which is also one of the favorite songs of the young Thai singer. The romance conveyed by this famous song has been attracting millions of people who have ever heard it and it will by no means be forgotten by them. It is Viseskul's first public performance after participating in the popular reality TV show, the fourth season ofTheVoiceofChina, which was aired by Zhejiang Satellite TV from July to October. In this program Viseskul began to be known by the Chinese audience and they were amazed at the similarity of her appearance to that of Teng. During the show, sheperformed Teng's popular hits. Thanks to her voice, singing style as well as her image, which resembles the legendary Teng, Viseskul gained overnight fame, though she didn't win the competition at last. However, it seemed that her life did become different after the reality show. With nearly 100,000 followers on her Sina Weibo account, Viseskul was recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Tourism Authority of Thailand for her contribution to promoting a positive image of Thailand in China at the competition. Viseskul talks slowly and softly in fluent Chinese. It's easy to forget that she is just 16 because of her smile and calmness on and off the stage. Born in a small village of Kamphaeng Phet, Viseskul was fond of singing from the time she was 3. At 7, she listened to Teng's songs for the first time after her parents traveled back from Hong Kong, bringing home the CDs of the singer. You can hardly imagine her enthusiasm about them when spotting and listening to them. "The moment I listened to her songs, I felt so familiar. Though I couldn't speak any Chinese, I learned the songs fast. Since then, I hoped to visit China and become a singer,"she says, adding that she likes Chinese songs, especially those from the 1970s and 1980s. Many of her friends and s showed great puzzlement and they just couldn't make out why she was so crazy about Chinese music. In 2014, Viseskul was admitted into the affiliated high school of the China Conservatory of Music. Now, she is studying at an international school in Beijing, focusing on learning Chinese. She also has other plans, such as furthering her studies in Japan or South Korea. However challenging it may be for her to become a superstar, she is determined to carry on regardless of any obstacles she may encounter in the future. How does Viseskul most likely find her performance inTheVoiceofChina? A. Disappointing. B. Unsuccessful. C. Rewarding. D. Meaningless. Answer: C
The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life. I had my arms full of books and I was walking into the classroom when I ran into something solid. It was Carlos. "My God, you're tall" he said. Of course, the class began to laugh. Angry, I walked to my seat without a word. I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest. That would be the last straw. But Reed as studying chemistry and did not seem to be aware of anything else. I didn't know why I considered Reed my friend. Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I. Anyway, every time I blew out my birthday candles and make a wish, it was for a date with Reed Harrington. "Take that seat." Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos, pointing to the only empty one, in the back of the room. Carlos laughed widely. "But I need a couple of dictionaries." Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos, not at him. He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side." The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. " I'm sorry I embarrassed you," he said. I looked straight head over the top of his black hair. "That's all right." "I ought to know better." He was still blocking my way." What's your name?" "Karen Forbes." "You probably heard me say I'm Carlos Herrera." He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes." "I don't see why you're so touchy." I brushed by him and said sharply, "You wouldn't understand." He followed me a few steps. "I'm just the one who should, Karen," he said. "You and I have a lot in common." It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vice-president. "How come?" I kept asking myself," How come this shrimp who's only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?" So that morning, I stopped Carlos and said, " It doesn't seem to bother you ---being short." He looked up at me. "Of course I mind being short. But there isn't anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself." "You seem to get along great." "I admitted, "But what about me? Nobody wants to date a girl taller than he is." "The trouble with you is that you're afraid to be yourself. You're smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty." I felt myself turning red. Which of the following about Carlos is NOT TRUE? He was chosen president in the school elections. There are forty-eight students in our class. There are twenty-three boys and twenty-five girls. Some students live near the school, and some others live very far from the school. About half of the students come to school by bike . They often get to school at a quarter to seven. About ten students often come to school by bus. They often go to school very early, too. Another ten students come to school on foot. Their homes are near the school, but they are often late for school, because they get up very late. About _ students go to school by bike. twenty-four In China, more and more middle school students are getting shorter sleeping time than before. More students sleep less than nine hours every night, because they have much homework to do. Some homework is given by their teachers, and some by their parents. Also, some students don't know how to save time. They are not careful enough while they do their homework, so it takes them a lot of time. Some students spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games. They stay up very late. Some students have to get up early every morning on weekdays to get to school on time by bus or by bike. It can be a long way from home to school. It will probably make them sleepy during school hours. Schools and parents should cut down some of the homework so that our children can enjoy more than nine hours of sleep every night for their health. For children, they should make the most use of their time. When they have enough time for sleeping, they will find it much better for both their study and health. What is most likely to happen to a student who often goes to bed late and gets up early? He would fall asleep in class. Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your free time? Then join us to be a volunteer ! We're a non-profit organization . We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people about seventy years old can become a volunteer. You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone. "As a volunteer. I don't want to get anything. Seeing the children's happy faces, I'm happy, too." said Carlos Domingo. an old woman of 62. "I often played computer games in my- free time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers," said another volunteer at the age of 18. When do the volunteers help others? In their free time. It was a wet, rainy day during the school holidays. Lily looked out of the window and thought about her parents. They were on a long holiday. They said Lily was too young to go. So Lily was staying with her Aunt Bella. Today Lily was unhappy. She was all alone --Aunt Bella was out shopping. Lily decided to go to the top floor. Maybe there was something interesting. She arrived at the top. There was an old door. Lily opened the door and walked in. The walls were changing colours. A sofa wasn't on the floor! It was in the air. Suddenly she heard a sound "Whoooosh" and after a minute she saw a boy appear . "Hi," he said. "I am the genie . Who are you?" "I'm Lily," she answered, "but you don't look like a genie." The boy looked at her. He said, "Hocuspocusinversus!" And then suddenly Lily was in the air. "OK! I believe you," she shouted. "Get me down!" "So, how many wishes do you want?" the boy said. Then she told the cool genie she was lonely. She told him about having no friends. The cool genie just nodded his head . When Lily finished her story, she felt better. The genie said, "Well, I must go now!" Then suddenly he was gone. Lily went downstairs and found a postcard from her parents. It said, "Dear Lily. Miss you, back next week, love Mom and Dad." Then the front door opened and she heard Aunt Bella arriving with her shopping. The next day Lily decided to say "Thank you" to the genie. She went to the top floor and opened the door. But there was nothing there except a dark old room with a few boxes. What did Lily do when she believed the boy was a true genie? She told the boy she was lonely and unhappy.
Homeschool materials are every where .In fact, as a homeschool parent, one of the best learning tools you can use is making use of songs. Think of it .When you hear your favorite songs come on the radio and as soon as the lyrics begin , you can join in at once and sing along. Perhaps, you haven't heard this song for months or even years! Doesn't it amaze you? There is no doubt that learning through lyric and rhyme is a great way! With some careful searching , you can come up with many songs ,lyrics ,and rhymes that fit well with your homeschool lesson plan or unit study. Some places even have songs that have the same themes with the lessons. are perfect to be used to add to your homeschool materials ! Even if you don't find a particular great song for what you may be teaching at the time, you can write your own. With a little practice, you can not only write your own songs over time but also be surprised how good you can become. Take any of the traditional chidren's songs and modify them to meet your needs .This is an interesting exercise for both you and your children. It helps you with reading , recognizing sounds, and improving memory. Soon you'll have your children want to write and sing their own songs! Song and singing is such a great way to teach your children. It's fun and relaxing. Sometimes. you really need such a break from your study and work .It will cost nothing. So turn your creativity and imagination loose and have fun .Whisrle while you work! In Paragraph 1,the author proves his point through _ A. his favorite songs B. his own experience C. people's common experience D. singing along with the radio Answer: C The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is about $ 160,140! That doesn't even touch college tuition. For those with kids, this figure might lead them thinking how much they could have banked. For others, that number might confirmthe decision to remain childless. But $ 160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $ 8 ,896. 66 a year, $ 741. 38 a month, or $171. 08 a week. That's a mere $24. 44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you ever want to be "rich". It is not. What do you get for your $ 160,140? * Naming rights. * Giggles under the covers every night. * More love than your heart can hold. * Kisses and hugs. * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. * A hand to hold usually covered with jam. * A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, and building sandeastles. For $ 160,140, you never have to grow up! You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, and never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching cartoons , going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars. For $ 160,140, you get to be a hero just for taking the training wheels off the bike, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history; to witness the first step, first word, first date, and first time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal You get another branch added to your family tree. You get an education in nursing, criminal justice and communications that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God. You have all the power to correct a mistake, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a party, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. ...... By In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God, the author intends to say _ . A. you are powerful next to God B. you need to behave like a God C. you are the one your children love and trust most D. you keep yourself too far for your children to reach you Answer: C Shlander is a man from space. He thinks the people and things on the earth are very strange. He is now writing a letter to his friend at home. Here is part of his letter. Read it and answer the questions. Now I am in a strange world. It is very nice. There are many new things here. There are many earth monsters here, too. The earth monsters look very funny. They have just one head, two arms and two legs. They have thin black strings on their heads. Some earth monsters have brown or yellow strings. The earth monsters have a hole in their faces. Every day, they put nice things and balls from the trees into the hole. They put water into the hole, too. The earth monsters do not walk very fast. They move from place to place in tin boxes. At night, the earth monsters like to look at a square window box. This box has very small earth monsters in it. The earth monster doesn't have _ . A. a head, arms and legs B. brown or yellow strings on its head C. a hole in its face D. a wing on its body Answer: D Most airlines go all out to ensure their passengers have the best possible flight experience. Now, Europe's low-budget airline, easyJet, wants to extend the positive experience beyond the plane ride with "Sneakairs"--smart shoes that allow visitors to explore new cities and towns without ever looking at a map. To transform Sneakairs from an ordinary shoe to a tour guide, all the wearer has to do is enter his or her desired destination into the easyJet smartphone app. A built-in GPS will determine the wearer's starting location while the Google Maps navigation tool will help chart the best route. Whenever a change of direction is necessary, the app will communicate with the appropriate shoe via the Bluetooth and cause it to vibrate . For example, if the wearer needs to turn right, he/she will feel the sensation in the right shoe. Should the user miss the turn, the smart shoes will both vibrate at the same time, reminding him/her to change course. Visitors that wander off the suggested path or decide to take a break for a cup of coffee or a meal have nothing to worry about. The smart app will automatically determine the new location and chart out a new route, once the desired destination is reached. Sneakairs will vibrate three times to inform the user of the arrival and then go back to being ordinary shoes--until their navigation services are needed again! Sneakairs is certainly not the first navigation shoe in the market. However, easyJet is the first airline to offer them to passengers just as they are about to land in an unknown city. However, before Sneakairs can go mainstream, the easyJet team still needs to make some adjustments. Among the challenges that need to be addressed is the smart shoe's three-hour battery life, which is hardly enough for a tourist to catch all the delights a new or town has to offer! What might easyJet do to improve its smart shoes? A. Bring down their cost. B. Add more functions. C. Develop more types. D. Make the battery last longer. Answer: D At The Children's Hospital, we're making it all better for our patients and their families all the time. We invite you to see how we' ve grown and discuss opportunities to enhance your nursing career. We offer competitive salaries and benefits, flexible shifts, including 4,6,and 8-hour shifts, education assistance, low patient ratios and a supportive work environment. New graduates are encouraged to attend. Our main campus is Denver's only Level I peds trauma center with a LevelIIINICU as well as one of the top children's hospitals in the nation. Our brand new 50,000 square-foot North Campus on Highway 7,just west of l-25 will open this October. Our new surgery center in Lone Tree is now open. We will soon be opening the 9th floor of our main facility to serve even more patients. For directions and to view current positions, please visit our website at www.thechildrenshospital.org The Children's Hospital is an equal opportunity employer. *The Children's Hospital has been ranked nationally by US News&World Report every year since its 1993 inception. Nursing Recruitment Event at The Children's Hospital l-225&Colfax Ave Princeton&Yale Conference Rooms Thursday, Sept 4th, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP by calling (720)777-2641 Department Tours: 4:30; 5:30; 6:30 Which of the following group is the advertisement aimed at? A. People who want to become nurses for The Children's Hospital. B. People who want to be on the management team of The Children's Hospital. C. Patients of The Children's Hospital and their families. D. Young nurses of The Children's Hospital. Answer: A
Everybody has a home. People have homes. Animals have homes. People live in many different kinds of houses. Animals have different kinds of homes, too. Some animals live in holes under the ground . The woodchuck lives under the ground .His home has two doors. If any animal comes into one door, the woodchuck goes out through the other. Some animals live in holes in trees. Some squirrels build nests high in trees. Most of the birds live in nests in trees. But hawks build their nests high in the mountains . _ live under the ground. All the woodchucks For 21 years,Georges Bwelle watched his ill father traveling to hospitals,which could not offer him all necessary help. Jamef Bwelle suffered only a broken arm at first,but it finally developed into a hematoma. That would affect him for the rest of his life. Bwelle spent years taking his father to overcrowded hospitals. It was not easy. They would leave home at 5 a.m. and ran to the hospital to be the first. There were a lot of patients. Some people could die because they were waiting. The situation hasn't changed much since Bwelle's father died in 2002. In Cameroon,there is one doctor for every 5,000 people while in the United States there is one doctor for every 413 people. And even if they could see a doctor,many Cameroonians couldn't afford it. When he saw his father and so many of his countrymen suffer,Bwelle decided to do something about it. He became a doctor himself.And he started an organization,ASCOVIME. It travels into the countryside on weekends to provide free medical care. Since 2008,he and his group of volunteers have helped nearly 32,000 people. Almost every Friday,his team jam into vans and travel to villages in need. In each trip they receive 500 people. Patients come on foot from 60 kilometers around the village for free treatment. The next morning,the team will do simple operations in a schoolhouse,town hall or home,and work into the early hours of Sunday morning. On Sunday,the team heads back to the city,tired but proud of their work. They know that their help can make a world of difference to those they help. For his devotion to his country and people,Georges Bwelle becomes one of the 2013 Heroes voted throughout the world. Which is one of the problems about medical care in Cameroon? Many people are too poor to pay for treatment. It is well known that Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists of all time and he was also a really great person. Here are some interesting things about him. When Einstein started to work in America, someone asked him what he needed. He said he needed a desk, some paper and a pencil. He also asked for a big waste-paper basket to hold all of his mistakes. This shows that he knew even the cleverest man in the world can only learn by making mistakes. Einstein regarded time as very important. He never wore socks and he thought putting on socks was a waste of time as people already wore shoes. He also thought it was a waste of time remembering things that could quickly be found in a book. That's why he never remembered his own phone number, which was in the phone book. He knew what was worth remembering. It is true that if we are going to do great things in our lives, we can not waste our time. Einstein liked to joke too. Once in an exam a student asked him why all the questions were the same as last year's. Einstein replied the questions were the same but the answers were different! ,A, B, C, D,,. In one exam, Einstein _ . wanted different answers For many years,machines have been doing work that people once did,including some dit- ficutt jobs. Search and rescue operations in dangerous environments are often seen as the first areas that will employ high technology robots. But there is another area where they may soon take jobs traditionally held by human beings: the restaurant industry. Teams from around the world competed in early June at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals in California. A team from South Korea and its robot,called DRC-Hubo,won the first place in the competition. The second and third place winners were from the United States. The robots were required to drive a vehicle,climb up steps and do mechanical work. Such activities are easy for humans to perform,but more difficult for machines. Not all of the competitor were successful. The failures showed how difficult it is to design effective walking machines. Akihiro Suzuki works at Yaskawa Electric,a company that develops robots. He says robots cannot do everything a human can,but they are able to work without becoming tired. He says robots cannot taste food,change heating levels or seasonings to get the best flavor .But he says if a food can be easily prepared,a robot can repeat the same movement to reproduce the same meal. One Japanese woman who saw the robots working wanted to bring them home. Masayo Mori says she would like to have a husband who could work like a robot. Suzumo Machinery showed its sushi maker robot. It performs the often difficult work of wrapping the popular Japanese food. Hiroshi Monden is an official with the company. He says people all over the world now eat sushi,but there are not enough skilled workers to prepare it. He says his machine can help anyone make sushi. In which column can we probably see the text? Science. Parents who feel disappointed at their teenagers' failure to pay attention in class, and inability to sit quietly long enough to finish homework or plan ahead, should take _ . Their children are not being lazy or careless, according to new research. The research has found that teenagers' brains continue developing far longer into adulthood than we used to think. Teens may look like young adults but their brain structure is similar to that of much younger children. "It is not always easy for teens to pay attention in class without letting their minds wander, or to ignore distractions from their younger brothers or sisters when trying to solve a maths problem," said Dr Iroise Dumon-theil. "But it's not the fault of teenagers that they can't pay attention and are easily distracted. It's to do with the structure of their brains. Teens simply can't think as well as an adult." The research showed that the brain of a teenager works less effectively than that of an adult. "We knew that the front of the brain of teens functioned in a chaotic way but we didn' t realize it continued until the late 20s or early 30s," said Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, who led the research. Chaotic thought patterns are a result of teenagers' brains containing too much grey matter -- the cell bodies and connections which carry messages within the brain. As we age, the amount of grey matter in our brain reduces. "What our research has shown is that there is simply too much going on in the brains of teens," said Blakemore. "The result is that their brain energy and resources are wasted and their decision-making process is badly influenced. Adults, on the other hand, have less grey matter. This means that the brain works far more effectively." When making decisions, _ . teens' brains continue to do much needless work
One day Mrs.Jones goes shopping.When her husband comes home in the evening,she begins to tell him about a beautiful cotton dress."I see it in a shop this morning,"she says. "And--and you want to buy it."says her husband,"How much does it cost?" "Forty pounds." "Forty pounds for a cotton dress? That's too much!" But every evening,when Mr.Jones comes back from work,his wife continues to say only about the dress,and at last, after a week,he says"Oh,buy the dress.Here's the money!"She is happy. But the next evening,when Mr.Jones comes home and asks,"Do you buy the famous dress?--'No,"she says. "Why not?"he asks. "Well,"Mrs.Jones says,"it is still in the window of the shop after a week,I think nobody else wants this dress,so I don't want it,either." At first.Mrs Jones _ the beautiful dress in the window of the shop. 1ikes There once was a pumpkin. The pumpkin was sad. The pumpkin wanted to leave the garden and see the world. But the pumpkin had to stay in the garden because its vine held it there. One day a fox came by. The pumpkin asked the fox to cut the vine so the pumpkin could leave the garden. The fox said it would cut the vine so the pumpkin could leave the garden. When the fox cut the vine the pumpkin could roll around. The pumpkin rolled around until it got out of the garden. First it met a cat. It told the cat it was happy because now it could see the world. The cat gave the pumpkin a piece of cake to eat. The pumpkin could not eat the cake because it had no mouth but it was still very happy to have the cat as a new friend. Why couldn't the pumpkin eat the cake? It had no mouth When we talk about instant messaging tool, which will be the first one jump into your mind? If your answer is QQ or MSN, I must say you're a bit old fashioned. Today, Wechat is becoming the most popular text and voice messaging tool all over the world. It has had 700 million registered users all over the world up to now. It has a Chinese name Weixin, it is necessary for the young people in China to have the communication tool. Actually, it is also a new product from Tencent ,so we can call it QQ's little brother. You can log in to Wechat with your Facebook account or _ with your phone number, and then add your friends' number in your contact list , by which you can chat with your family of friends in a brand new way by using your phone no matter when and where you are. It's just like using a walkie talkie (two way radio).But you don't need to worry about other things, such as basic fees. It won't cost you extra money to make conversations. You can also only need three steps to finish calling others through Wechat. It is free for ten minutes. If you want to make a phone call again, you need to pay for it through a credit card. Someone thinks the sound in the phone is not clear. There is some noise in it. It is not safe for the user. So you should pay attention to your personal information and not share it to others. Wechat is used by people can _ . chat with each other Miss Smith is only twenty. She is of medium build, and she has brown, curly hair. She likes children and her teaching work. From Monday to Friday she stays at school and teaches the children. She has a lot of work to do every day, but she often plays games with her students after school. The children like her a lot. On Sundays she usually drives her car to her parents' house and stays with her parents, but sometimes she goes to see her friends on Sunday. She drives back to school on Monday morning. She likes singing, dancing and swimming. She is a good teacher. Miss Smith is _ teacher. a popular New York is the biggest city of the USA. A long time ago, it was called Lenapehoking. In 1626, Dutch people bought the land for only $24! They called it New Amsterdam. Then in 1664, the British took it over and changed the name to New York. New York had an excellent harbour . Many people from all over the world came by sea and landed in New York. These people wanted a better life. New York seemed to give them that. By 1835, New York became the largest city in the United States. New York City used to have five smaller towns but now they are all part of the same city. They are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Today, New York is home to millions of people from all over the world. These different cultures make New York an exciting place to visit. There's much to do in New York. You can take a helicopter riding through the city, ride horses in Central Park, see a movie in the afternoon and watch the sunset over the Brooklyn Bridge. Don't worry if you get hungry. Some restaurants are open 24 hours a day! New York became the largest city in the United States _ . one hundred and eighty years ago
The world's population is more mobile today than ever before. In 2010, more than 200 million people left their home countries to live in a new country. This is about 3 percent of the total world population. Some experts believe that number will swell to 400 million by 2050. Rates of immigration have remained strong for the last 300 years, but patterns of immigration have changed since World War II. The backgrounds and experiences of today's immigrants are different from those of the typical European immigrant of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Contemporary immigrants range from unskilled laborers to highly skilled professionals, and they come from and go to countries all over the world. In the nineteenth century and until World War II, immigration was primarily in one direction- from the Old World to the New World. This is no longer the case. Countries such as Russia and China, which have long been, and continue to be, significant source countries, are now also destination countries. There is also considerable mobility inside regions, such as from one European country to another, or among the countries of the former Soviet Union. In spite of such differences, the push and pull factors for immigration remain essentially the same as they were 100 years ago. Most people move to another country because they want a better life. For the majority of immigrants, this means better economic conditions. As in past generations, a labor shortage in one country often draws workers from another country, especially if wages are significantly higher. In some small countries, for example, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, there are more jobs than citizens. The demand for labor is so high that the majority of the population consists of foreign-born workers, ranging from highly skilled engineers and financial experts to domestic and construction workers. In traditional destination countries, such as the United States, however, labor needs have changed. Today, although there is still demand for unskilled labor, there is increasing demand for people with a high level of skill and education. The need for less skilled labor has shifted to other countries. As work on farms and in industry in the United States and Canada once drew workers from all over the world, now work in factories in Taiwan and south Korea attracts workers from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia. Most global immigration is legal: however, a large number of people also move across national borders illegally in pursuit of employment. Experts estimate that about 15 to 20 percent of immigrants worldwide are in their new countries illegally. The United States has the largest number of these immigrants, followed by South Africa, with significant numbers also in Northern and Western Europe and Mexico. These immigrants face particular challenges because they often must hide from the authorities who might deport them back to their home countries. Their illegal status also means that employers may take advantage of them by forcing them to work longer hours and paying them less than the legal minimum wage. Although economics remains the most important motivation in all forms of immigrant, other factors are also important. Some people decide to leave their home countries because their actions or political beliefs make it dangerous for them to remain. Others choose to leave because their home country has become too dangerous and unstable, often because of war or political unrest. They wish to find a place that is secure for themselves and their families. Education is also a significant factor for many modern immigrants. They want to raise their children in a place where they can get a good education, which, in turn, they hope will provide them with better prospects for the future. Finally, family and community ties also play a role in immigration decisions. As in the past, once a group of people from one country establishes a community in a new country, more people from that country is likely to follow. The pattern, direction, and rate of immigration may change as the global economy changes. However, as long as life in a new country is more attractive than life in the old country, immigration will continue. Why is the percentage of foreign-born workers so high in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates? A. These countries pay very high wages, so they attract many foreign workers. B. There are not enough native-born workers in these countries so they must recruit workers from other countries. C. It is very easy to immigrate to these countries. D. These countries are very stable so many workers prefer to go there. Answer: B. There are not enough native-born workers in these countries so they must recruit workers from other countries. American Schools American schools begin in September after a long summer holiday. There are two terms in a school year. The first term is from September to January, and the second is from February to June. Most American children begin to go to school when they are five years old. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they finish high school. High school students take only four or five subjects each term. They usually go to the same classes every day, and they have homework for every class. After class they do many interesting things. After high school, many students go to college . They can go to a small one or a large one. They usually have to give a lot of money. So many college students work after class to get the money for their studies. What do many college students do after class in America? A. Many of them read books after class. B. Many of them go to work to get money for their studies. C. Many of them go to parties. D. Many of them go out with their friends. Answer: B. Many of them go to work to get money for their studies. There was once a lion that lived in a circus. This lion, King, was the biggest lion in the zoo, and he was often mean to the other lions in the circus. He was giant, and because of this, he scared the other lions, including the smallest one, Lionel. Lionel was often bullied by King, and the other lions, like Mack and Oscar, who copied him. Lionel was hiding one day from King, when the man who owned the circus took King out for training. King had to perform very difficult jobs for the circus, and when he did not get them right away, the circus man was very mean to King. King came back to the lion pen and was very scared and hurt. All of the other lions, even Mack and Oscar, ignored King, except for Lionel. Lionel sat down next to King and scared away the lion cubs who might have bothered King. King was very glad for what Lionel did. When King kept learning the new stuff for the circus man, Lionel kept him company when he got back. Soon, they grew to be good friends, and King found himself very sorry for all of the mean things he did to Lionel. When did Lionel and King become friends? A. After Lionel sat next to King after the Circus man was mean to him. B. When Lionel was hiding from King. C. When Lionel first came to the circus. D. When Mack and Oscar were being mean to Lionel. Answer: A. After Lionel sat next to King after the Circus man was mean to him. Last Sunday it was snowy. Maria stayed at home. Her cousin Cara came to visit her. She came back from Beijing. She told Maria something about her vacation. "It was pretty good," she said. Cara visited the Palace Museum and the Great Wall. She took a lot of photos. It was lunchtime. Maria's parents were not at home. Maria decided to cook by herself . She cooked noodles with some pepperoni ,tomatoes and peppers . After Cara had the noodles, she said slowly, "I think it is delicious!" But Maria thought the food was too awful. She said, "Cana, thank you, but I put too many peppers!" What did Maria think of the food? A. It was too awful. B. Just so-so C. It was delicious D. We don't know Answer: A. It was too awful. How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage to more stimulating(,) environments.The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults.Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment.The children gained an average of 29 IQ points.For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points.A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points. Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children.In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy through preschool.By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group.More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later.High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school. A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years.These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them.It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an environmental factor that affects IQ _ . A. Good nutrition. B. Improved technology. C. Better education. D. Food pollution. Answer: D. Food pollution.
World travel has moved on to a new level as new websites spring up to enable travelers to plan their trips online. Virtual tourism is the latest name of the game and although relatively new, has seen some tourism websites grow to host over one-million users. Typically, this development features a website that contains the answers to almost any tourism question.Tips and information are not provided by a single source, such as the website host, but rather from travelers themselves-often in the thousands. This has proven to be exceptionally beneficial for would-be travelers who are seeking infomtation on questions such as where to find the best museum or beach; whether it is better to tour Brussels with a bicycle or on foot; and which exchange rate bureaus are available in Italy. Questions about food and restaurants; tourist spots; safety; accommodation; and others are all answered. In addition, posted tips promote better preparation, such as what to pack when heading for Sicily . Apart from the useful tips, visual images and virtual tours have also been made available.If you'd like to visit the Eiffel Tower, it's a good idea to view the surrounding areas; to pick a safer train route; or to know that it's very close to the Seine River and that a walk along it would enhance the experience. Virtual tours have _ globally.In South Africa, John Gore established the Virtual Tour Guide in November last year. On his blog, Gore was quoted a saying, "The world is panoramic . "'We are able to tum our heads and look in all directions and get a feel for where we are, but the typical photograph cannot show or describe that experience completely. " However, there is an answer--technology makes it possible to share the world around us in a 360 degree panoramic way, which really makes the viewer feel as though he or she is really there. Why is virtual tourism more and more popular? Answer: A person is going to run around a circle and wants to use a stopwatch in order to _____ time Answer: In learning a foreign language, one should first pay attention to speaking. It is the groundwork of reading and writing. You'd better try your best to speak. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. But be careful not to let them keep you from improving the language. While you are doing this, a good exercise is to write - keep a diary, write notes, letters or articles, then if you can, ask someone to go through what you have written and tell you where is wrong . Many mistakes in your speaking will be easily found when you write. Through correcting the mistakes, you can do better in learning a language. If you are slow in speaking, don't worry. One of the helpful ways is by reading, either aloud or to yourself. The important thing is to choose something interesting to read. It can't be too difficult for you. When you are reading in this way, don't stop to look up the words if you can guess their meanings or if they have nothing important to do with the sentence. You can do that some other time . The best title of this passage might be _ . Answer: A great loss--Shirley Temple dies at 85 February 12,2014 BYDERRIKJ.LANG ,Associated Press Shirley Temple Black, who died on February 10that age 85, wasn't just a child star. She was THE child star--the sweet little girl whose shining smile helped _ some of the darkest days the US has known during the Great Depression. It's hard today to imagine the super star Shirley was once "America's Little Darling". She sang and danced her way to the top of the box office in such films as Bright Eyes, Curly Top and Heidi. By 1940, she had appeared in 43 films. Temple teamed with Bill Robison in four movies, and their dance on the stairs in The Little Colonel is still a legendary film moment. In the 1930s, her name on a movie introduction assured a packed house. She inspired dolls, dresses, dishes--even a drink (alcohol-free, of course). US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once famously said that "as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right.'' Unlike so many of today's child stars, Temple didn't end up with her name appearing across the headlines for bad behaviors. Instead of getting her photos on front pages or struggling with drugs and alcohol, Temple went on to a second career in diplomacy , including presidential appointments as ambassador to Ghana. She surprised a lot of people who doubted her with her grace, knowledge and eagerness to serve. In fact, her career in public service (20 years) was longer than her career in movies (19). The role she valued most, however, was as wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The world has lost a treasured Hollywood legend. But her movies will allow that little dynamic figure to continue charming audiences for a very long time. Temple, as a child movie star, can best be described as _ . Answer: Make Up Your Mind to Succeed Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because "everyone's winner." And their report cards sounded more positive than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them "the overpraised generation." Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here's how they work: A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent is genetic - you're a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it's sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it's quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties. On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego isn't on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it's quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience. We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck's book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure. What does the author think about the present generation? Answer:
We all know the dangers of fires. It's good and necessary for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions. Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once. Make escape plans. We should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily. Buy fire extinguishers in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them. Practise for a fire. We do fire practice because we teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules: Don't open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door. Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire. The best air is near the floor because smoke rises. What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, stop! Don't run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you. There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don't forget to call 119 for help. ,. What is the best title for this passage? A Be Ready for a Fire. B The Causes of a Fire. C Learn to Use a Fire Extinguisher. D The Dangers of a Fire. Answer: A SANTO DOMINGO, Domincan Republic ---An infant girl born with a second head bled to death Saturday after complex surgery to remove her partially formed twin , her parents and doctors said. A medical team completed the 11- hour operation Friday night and said 8-week-old Rebecca Martinez died seven hours later. Doctors had warned after the surgery that the girl would be at great risk of death. " We knew this was a very risky surgery , and now we accept what God has decided , " Rebecca's father , 29-year-old Frankin Martinez, said at a news conference with his wife. " Rebecca is no longer with us physically , but no one will forget her." Martinez said the family would bury Rebecca in a private funeral later in the day. The girl lost a lot of blood in the operation, which apparently ( ) caused her to suffer a heart attack , said Dr. Jorge Lazareff , the lead surgeon . Friends and family donated almost 4 gallons of blood for surgeons to use Rebeca's operation "This was not a failure or an error ," Lazareff said . " When we left here last night the girl was in stable condition. At some point in the middle of the night , she started to bleed." Rebecca was born Dec. 10 with the undeveloped head of her twin, an exteremely rare condition known as craniopagus parasticus . Rebecca was the eighth documented case in the world of craniopagus parasiticus, doctors said. All the other infants documented to have had the condition died before birth , making Rebecca\s surgery the first known operation of its kind. Without an operation , Rebecca would have barely been able to lift her head at 3 months old. Her doctors said the pressure from the second head would have prevented her brain from developing. " We always saw Rebecca without the extra part of her body, "er father said after her death. Rebecca was their third child-----along with a 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage? A Infant Girl Dies After 2nd Head Removed B Rebecca , Hiciano's Third Child C The Death of a Gril With two Heads D Rebecca's Surgery, the First Known Operation Answer: A Which is safer --- staying at home, traveling to work on public transport, or working at the office? Surprisingly, each of these carries the same risk, which is very low.However, what about flying compared to working in the chemical industry? Unfortunately, the former is 65 times riskier than the latter! In fact the accident rate of workers in the chemical industry is less than that of almost any of human activity, and almost as safe as staying at home. The trouble with the chemical industry is that when things go wrong they often cause death to those living nearby.It is this that makes chemical accidents so newsworthy.Fortunately, they are extremely rare.The most famous ones happened at Texas City (1947), Flixborough (1974), Seveso (1976), Pemex (1984) and Bhopal (1984). Some of these are always in the minds of the people even though the loss of life was small.No one died at Seveso, and only 28 workers at Flixborough.The worst accident of all was Bhopal, where up to 3,000 were killed.The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552.The Pemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbs of Mexico City took 542 lives, just a month before the unfortunate event at Bhopal. Some experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate a particular danger.Thus the Texas City was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate, which is safe unless stored in a great quantity.The Flixborough fireball was the fault of management, which took risks to keep production going during essential repairs.The Seveso accident shows what happens if the local authorities lack knowledge of the danger on their doorstep.When the poisonous gas drifted over the town , local leaders were incapable of taking effective action.The Pemex fire was made worse by an overloaded site in an overcrowded suburb.The fire set off a chain reaction of exploding storage tanks.Yet, by a miracle, the two largest tanks did not explode.Had these caught fire, then 3,000 strong rescue team and fire fighters would all have died. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A Working at the office is safer than staying at home. B Travelling to work on public transport is safer than working at the office. C Staying at home is safer than working in the chemical industry. D Working in the chemical industry is safer than traveling by air. Answer: D Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends.They believe that their family members, especially their parents.Don't know them as well as their friends do.In large families.it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends.Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone.This communication is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members. However, parents often try to choose their children's friends for them.Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of "choice" is an interesting one.Have you ever thought of the following questions? Who choose your friends? Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you? Have you got good friend your parents don't like? Many teenagers think their _ know them better than their parents do. A friends B teachers C brothers and sisters D classmates Answer: A Last year, around Labor Day, I read a "Happy Ad" in our local newspaper. There was a lady in a local nursing home, who was celebrating her 90th birthday and her family wanted everyone to know about it. It said that if you wanted to drop her a line, here was her address. So I did. I found a birthday card and dropped her a short note, wishing her a happy birthday. A week or so later, someone knocked at my front door. I opened the door and found a middle-aged man standing on my doorstep. He introduced himself as the son of this woman to whom I had sent the card. He explained that he just wanted to drop by in person and thank me for sending such a nice card to his mom. Apparently, like many older folks, she did not receive much mail and was quite excited to receive mine. I just didn't know what to say. I told him it was my pleasure and that I hoped his mom had enjoyed her birthday. That year, I did not send out any Christmas cards, except to this lovely old lady in the nursing home. I just told her that I was thinking about her and hoped that she had a nice holiday. I sent her a Valentine and also a couple of notes in between. I just thought she might like to have someone write to her, to get some mail. She passed away a couple of months ago. I never met this lady, but I did keep her and her family in my thoughts. I dropped them a line of sympathy. I hope that my few little notes were enough to brighten a couple of her days here on earth. Which of the following best describes the author? A Brave. B Polite. C Caring. D Faithful. Answer: C
Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success. Popular British author, Charles Dickens' (1812-1870)family could hardly make ends meet. They could only afford to send one of their six children to school. Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse. His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing. His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school. From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus thePickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man. Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor inOliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform inHard Times. He also wroteDavid Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life. "I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am," he once said. His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are _ young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. "Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort," he once wrote. On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work.The words on his tombstone read: "He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." The phrase "shades of" in bold means " _ ". A. various shapes of B. situations of C. different experiences of D. reminders of Answer: D Nanjing-style paper cutting is an important part of Chinese paper cutting. It is known for its different designs, simplistic but graceful shapes, finely cut lines and unique skills. Zhang Fanglin is a leading figure in the Nanjing-style paper cutting. Zhang was born in a paper-cutting family. He is the fourth generation to continue the family's paper-cutting skills. Taught by his father, he began to learn paper cutting in his childhood. In 1963 when he was only 14 years old, he started his artistic career in a local folk handicraft factory. Over the past decades, Zhang has created many works and developed excellent skills. In 1985, Zhang was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company, creating and designing paper cuts. Throughout his artistic career, Zhang has absorbed characteristics and elements of various styles of paper cutting and created a large number of creative paper-cutting works. Thanks to his great contributions, he won many national prizes and was awarded the title of "National Master Artist in Handicraft Art". As a leading figure, Zhang Fanglin has been invited to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, showcasing his paper-cutting skills. In the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Zhang showcased his new creations of gold foil-embedded paper cutting works. How old was Zhang Fanglin when he was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company? A. 36. B. 14. C. 22. D. 18. Answer: A One day in my class, the children were busy preparing for the coming concert. Suddenly Patty came up to me and said, "Every year I-g-g-g-get to be a quiet student. The other kids are always in a p-p-p-play or something. This year, I w-w-want to recite a p-p-p-poem myself!" Watching her eager eyes, I had no way to refuse her request. So I had to promise her that she would have a "reciting" part. That promise proved to be very difficult to keep. None of my books had any proper poems for her. So I had to spend most of the night writing a poem for her. It was not excellent, but it was enough to cope with Patty's speech problem. From then on, Patty spent a lot of time practicing the reciting every day. With my help, she made great progress. However, an unexpected thing happened when the concert was about to start. The MC came to me with anger, waving his printed program. "There has been a mistake! You have listed Patty for a recitation. That girl can't even say her own name without stuttering." Because there was not enough time for explanations, I said to him angrily, "We know what we are doing." The concert was going very well. When it was time for Patty's recitation, the MC again said that Patty would embarrass everyone. Losing patience, I shouted to him loudly, "Patty will do her part. You do yours. Just introduce her number." The curtain parted to show Patty, excited and confident. In perfect control, Patty uttered each syllable clearly helped by my gestures. At last, she made her bow, with tears in her eyes. The curtain closed. At first silence held the audience, then the silence gave way to warm and lasting applause. Patty threw her arms around me and said to me excitedly, "We d-d-d-did it!" From the passage we can learn that _ . A. where there is a will, there is a way B. experience is the mother of wisdom C. strike while the iron is hot D. the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Answer: A "Old wives tales" are beliefs passed down from one generation to another, For example, most of us remember our patents' telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic is good for you, too. It can kill the type of virus that causes colds. Unfortunately, not all of Mom's advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes and no. sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars. Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don't hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives' tales, After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of our traditional beliefs don't hold water should respect this body of knowledge even as research for clear scientific support to proven it true or false Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? A. Eating garlic is good for our eyes B. Sticky sweets are damaging to our teeth C. Swimming after a meal is dangerous. D. Carrots prevent people from catching colds Answer: B It's interesting that the arrival of snow has effect on people in different countries. For some countries it is an important happening to celebrate each year, while for others a catastrophe or even a wonder. But there are countries between these two kinds that normally expect snow some time over the winter months, but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year. Britain is one of them, for which the arrival of snow quite simply causes problems. Within hours of the first snowfalls, however light, roads are blocked, trains and buses have to stop in the middle of the way. Normal communication is affected as well: telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual. And almost within hours, there are also certain shortages----bread, vegetables and other things-----not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops, but mainly because people are frightened and go out and store up with food and so on...just for fear that something bad should happen. But why does snow have this effect? After all, the Swiss, the Austrians and the Canadians don't have such problems. It is simple because there is not enough planning and preparation. We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice. To keep the roads clear, for example, requires snow-ploughs and machines to spread salt. The reason why a country like Britain does not buy snow-ploughs is that they are used for a few days in any one year, and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospital, education, helping the old and so on.. According to the writer, Britain is a country _ . A. which has regular snow B. which is not well prepared for snow C. for which snow is a catastrophe D. for which snow is a wonder Answer: B
Question: Slow parenting means parenting children in the contact of nature without any interference of materialistic influence. We can also term it as "self-raising". In slow parenting children are allowed to do what they think proper and parents just keep a watch over the child. Curiosity of the child leads to exploring and discovering things. Parents provide little help only when it's too necessary, otherwise keep themselves away from the child and just have a look on him/her: This brings about a feeling of self-dependency and they are encouraged to solve their problems. This is a natural way of learning. When a child is left to learn in a natural environment, the child's natural development takes place. Influence of any materialistic way doesn't let the mind develop naturally. Watching TV, playing video games or joining classes of dance, swimming or any other sports will not let the mind develop naturally. Here creativity of their mind is developed. They explore ideas. The logic behind this is that the kids of animals learn by nature, so can our kids. So let our children play in the garden, to watch flowers, plants, birds, butterflies and other gifts of nature. In the classes of dance, swimming etc. their creativity is influenced and their natural creativity is suppressed . In these classes they are overburdened and can't train their creativity. So let them play in the open air or garden without any burden instead of joining classes. Generally parents give toys to their children and explain how to operate them. But those parents who believe in slow parenting give toys and observe how the children are managing them. Their skill to learn and understand comes out. Maybe the process is slow, but it will be their exploration, which will make them self-dependent, and self-capable to learn. In slow parenting, parents _ . A. set limits to what their children do B. keep a close watch over their children C. give the whole directions to what their children do D. give their children freedom to do what they think proper Answer: D. give their children freedom to do what they think proper Question: Which human body system produces the hormones that regulate growth? A. skeletal B. digestive C. circulatory D. endocrine Answer: D. endocrine Question: Suhklal lives in India. He works every day, but can only buy food, not anything else, even clothes. One day, Suhklal heard about a non-profit organization called GOONJ. This organization does not give away free clothes or sell clothes for money. Instead, GOONJ asks people to work to help the community. In return, GOONJ supplies people with clothes. Suhklal said the experience made him happy. He felt proud of his work and his new clothes. In 1998, Anshu Gupta and his wife wanted to help the people affected by a crisis , so they gathered all the clothes they had not worn. Looking at their gathered clothing, they wanted to start a new clothing organization. But they wanted their organization to be different from others. They wanted to collect clothing all year round -- not just in times of crisis. And more importantly, they wanted to serve people in a way that made them feel proud when receiving clothes. GOONJ makes sure the clothing is given to people who can use it. For example, people in areas with cooler temperatures receive warmer clothes. And people in villages that wear traditional clothing would receive traditional clothing. GOONJ also reuses clothes that people can't wear. For example, a shirt with holes can be made into a bag or used to make a blanket. GOONJ helps organize projects that improve the community. People receive clothes in return for their community work. Gupta believes this helps the receivers build self-respect, because they have earned the clothes. It also helps the receivers to be proud of what they have done to help their community. Since it began, GOONJ has expanded its work. GOONJ also collects more than just clothes. It collects home or school supplies. GOONJ also started a program that helps protect women's health. What may be the best title of the text? A. A non-profit organization. B. Clothes and respect from GOONJ. C. Donate what we can't wear to GOONJ. D. Great people -- Anshu Gupta and his wife Answer: B. Clothes and respect from GOONJ. Question: It was New Year's Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his sad eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. He had already passed sixty and brought from his journey nothing but errors and regrets. Now his health was poor, his mind empty, his heart sorrowful . The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he remembered the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads --- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled. He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret like a sharp arrow struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this night.www.ks5u.com The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and sorrow he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a hopeless effort, he burst out a cry: "Come back, my early days! Come back!" His youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land. Those who still wander on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain : "Oh youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!" The aged man in the passage on New Year's Night can be described as _ . A. sorrowful, fearful and regretful. B. regretful, painful and disappointed. C. hopeful, sorrowful and peaceful. D. disappointed, regretful and hopeful. Answer: B. regretful, painful and disappointed. Question: The way people in the US travel to and from work has changed a lot in the last fifty years. Before the Second World War, most people lived in the town or the city where they worked. Almost everyone either walked to work or used a good inexpensive transportation system Many of these systems were electrified and ran on tracks, so they used very little energy. After 1945, the US government built many new roads and highways. People moved farther and farther form the cities where they worked because they could drive their cars on these new roads from their suburban homes to work in the city. Some of the big car makers also bought the electrified transportation systems and destroyed them. As people stopped using public transporation , cities spent less money fixing old buses and trains or buying new ones. Public transportation got worse and worse. In the late 1960s, people found out that the increase in the use of cars led to many problems. There were always too many cars for the highway system, and terrible traffic problems developed. People were spending hours in traffic jams getting to and from work every day. In addition, the air in many cities became dirty because of pollution from millions of cars, and many people died in traffic accidents. As people began to get worried about how the use of cars was hurting the environment, cities began to spend more money on public transportation again, so fewer people would have to drive cars. When gas became very expensive in the mid-1970s, the number of people taking public transportation began to increase .It's terribly expensive to build new public transportation systems. so it's very difficult to make big changes in the way people travel .However ,an increase in the use of public transportation has begun. Why did some car companies buy and destroy public transportation systems? A. The system were slower than cars. B. The systems were too old to be fixed. C. They were trying to build better ones. D. They wanted to sell more of their products. Answer: D. They wanted to sell more of their products.
His first name is John.His last name is Brown.His phone numberis seven-four-five,six-six-zero-five. Her first name is Susan. Her last name is Hall.Her phone number is five-zero-five,seven-one-one-seven. The girl found a baseball in the lost and Found .The boy lost a baseball.The girl calls the boy at his phone number. The girl calls the boy at _ . A. 745-6650 B. 745-6605 C. 645-7750 D. 645-7705 Answer: B There is an elephant and a monkey. They're friends. But one day they want to know who is stronger. One of them says, "Who can get apples over there, who is stronger." There is a river over there. The monkey says, "I can't swim." The elephant says, "I can swim. Please sit on my back." They go across the river. The apple trees are very tall. The elephant can't reach the apples. The monkey climbs up the tree and gets many apples. Now they know they should help each other. _ can't reach the apples. A. The elephant B. The monkey C. The high animals D. The short animals Answer: A Everyone agrees that it's necessary to reduce carbon emissions around the world. There is less agreement over exactly how nations should go about achieving a more carbon - free planet. Thus, the environmental equivalent: cap - and - trade carbon emissions, or place a carbon tax on all users? With cap - and - trade programs, governments limit the level of carbon produced by an industry. Companies that hold their emissions below the _ can sell their remaining allowance on a carbon market, while companies that go beyond their limit must purchase credits on that market. Carbon taxes are more straightforward: a set tax rate is placed on the consumption of carbon with the idea that raising the price will encourage industries and individuals to consume less. At the moment, cap-and-trade has the upper hand, but doesn't defeat the tax just yet. Supporters of the tax argue that a cap - and - trade system would be too difficult to administer - and too easily gamed by industries looking to sidestep emissions caps. Cap-and-trade advocates contradict that like all other flat taxes, a carbon collection would relatively burden lower - income families, who spend a greater percentage of their income on energy than rich households. So which system will have a larger effect on carbon consumption? A 10% carbon tax might reduce the demand for carbon about 5 % or less, according to an analysis by the Carbon Tax Center, an environmental advocacy group. That may not be enough. Businesses and governments haven't figured out how the two competing systems can work together, but in the end, the world may need both. According to the cap - and - trade program, companies _ . A. are forbidden to produce carbon emissions B. are allocated the same amount of carbon consumption C. can sell their remaining allowance within their limits D. can sell the extra amount of carbon at a higher price Answer: C In the United States, friends can be close, constant and real. But if they move live far away from each other, little by little, they will not be as close as before. But neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while, then no more. If two people meet again by chance, even years later, they will be delighted and pick up the friendship again. In America, you can feel free to visit people's homes, share their holidays and enjoy their delicious food. If you are invited to a party, just accept their hospitality for various reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties or family customs. It is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you aren't treated well. You know, strangers are not invited into the home. _ if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room either. Flowers are very expensive there, hotel delivery is not certain, and arrival times are often delayed, so flowers are not often sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! In fact, signs outside change in different lands, but the welcome in the heart is real and valuable. You will find friendships _ in America if they are not near each other. A. die suddenly B. come back C. disappear gradually D. last forever Answer: C My name is David. I'm 23and I'm a middle school teacher. I go to the school at 7:30 in the morning. I like sports. I play basketball every day. My name is Jake Smith. I'm in China with my kids . I have a daughter and a son. My daughter Lisa is in Huangzhou Middle School. She likes yellow and white. My son Eric is only 6, but he can play ping--pong. I'm Mary. I'm 10. My brother Nick is 11. He likes to play tennis after school. I have a nice room. It is tidy. But my brother's room is not the same. His books are always everywhere. What sport does David play every day? A. Soccer. B. Ping-pong. C. Volleyball. D. Basketball. Answer: D
Mr. George works at the school lost and found. He works very carefully. Every day, when he gets a lost thing, he takes notes about it. There are pens, books, school uniforms, keys, walkmans and many other things in the lost and found. Most of them are the students'. If you lose your things, it's easy for you to go to the lost and found for help. But you must tell Mr. George what it is and its color and the day when you can't find it. I think Mr. George is very helpful, and you will be happy when you find the lost there. Who works at the school lost and found? A Mr. Brown B Mr. King C Mr. George D Nobody Answer: C. Mr. George Fri, Jun. 1 Nightlife Back to the Age of Innocence This performance, organized by the group Lifetime Wharf, will celebrate Children's Day and commemorate the lost childhoods of office workers. Five bands will perform: DH & Chinese Hellcats, DUDE, Candy Monster, Residence A and Island Mood. Where: Yugong Yishan Livehouse, 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu. Dongcheng District When: 8 pm Admission: 60 yuan pre-sale. 80 yuan at door Tel: 64042711 Sun. Jun. 3 Movie Chinese Girlby Guo Xiaolu The indie film Chinese Girl directed by Guo Xiaolu, is about the life of a girl who lives in the countryside. The lead actress, Huang Lu, will attend the screening and answer participants' questions afterwards. Where: UCCA, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District When: 7pm Admission: 15 yuan (10 yuan for students, free for VIP) Tel: 57800200 Mon, Jun. 4 Script Reading Scripts written by students from the 166thMiddle School of Beijing will be performed. They include:Love Sleeping Beauty, Lucky Ferris Wheel Production, Jane Eyre, Our Self-study Class and Farewell -- Bing Xin. Where: Penghao Theater, 35 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District When: Until Jun. 5, 7: 30 pm Admission: 80 yuan (40 yuan for students) Tel: 64006472 Thu, Jun. 7 Movie Invictus This film is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, both of whom were nominated for Academy Awards. Where: China Film Archive, 3 Wenhuiyuan Lu, Haidian District When: Until Jun. 8, 7:30 --10 pm Admission: 120 -- 480 yuan Tel: 66550000 If Mr. Green (VIP), together with his wife and his three schoolchildren watches the movie Chinese Girl, how much will they pay for the admission? A 30 yuan. B 45 yuan. C 50 yuan. D 60 yuan. Answer: B. 45 yuan. At home, ordering food from a menu is a normal, everyday routine. I don't even give it a second thought. In China, it's a whole other story! Here, ordering is a fun game of trial and error, and the adventure begins before the food is even served! Many restaurants in central Beijing advertise "English language menus", but the translations can just add to the confusion. Although accompanying pictures can be a helpful relief, the translations often make the whole experience even more amusing. During my first few weeks in China I tried some delicious dishes with strange names. As an experiment, my friends and I would order things like "students addicted to chicken gristle " and "red burned lion head". It was always fun to see what landed on our table. Eventually we learned that "lion head" was actually pork, and "students" are "addicted" to diced chicken with green pepper. Recently, I came across a busy restaurant down a narrow side street in a Beijing hutong. It was lunchtime and the small room was packed with people sitting on small stools eating noodles. I was hungry and cold, and the steaming bowls looked irresistible! I sat myself down and called out for a "caidan!" In response, the waitress pointed to a wall at the back of the restaurant. The wall was full of Chinese characters describing numerous dishes. There was only one sentence in English: "crossing over the bridge noodles". I had never heard of the dish and had no idea what it would taste like. I took a gamble and ordered one bowl of "crossing over the bridge noodles". A few minutes later the waitress carried over a heavy bowl full of broth and I quickly dug in. It was the best bowl of noodles I had ever tasted! I have been back again and again and each time I point at the one English sentence - "crossing over the bridge noodles". I always enter a restaurant in China feeling excited and a little nervous. Who knows what the next ordering adventure will reveal? The passage mainly deals with _ . A the author's favorite Chinese dishes B the fun the author had ordering food in China's restaurant C a comparison between Western food and Chinese food D the correct way to translate the names of Chinese dishes into English Answer: B. the fun the author had ordering food in China's restaurant 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. A common feature of Mauritius and Cyprus is that they are _ . A old B romantic C rich D mysterious Answer: B. romantic China Daily: As China comes down from a travel rush during the seven-day holiday for National Day, people called for a return of the Labor Day Golden Week holiday as a way to ease the travel peak. By Friday, 79 million passengers were expected to have used the railways up about 8 percent over last year. Waterways had shipped around 2 million, a rise of about 17 percent on last year, www. cntv. cn, the website of China Central Television, said on Saturday. As large numbers of tourists _ scenic spots around China, it caused huge crowds and many complaints. The Forbidden City in Beijing has long been a big draw for travelers. On Tuesday alone, the museum reported, it received more than 180,000 visitors, about six times higher than a regular day. According to China Central Television, restless visitors demanded their money back from the tourism committee, and police were sent to help deal with the problem. The Beijing-HongKong-Macao expressway, the Shanghai-Kunming expressway and the route from Beijing to Kunming saw large increases in traffic on Saturday, according to www. cntv. cn. "As there are only two long holidays in the country and paid leave is not well carried out by employers , people have limited chances for travel", Dai Bin, the director of China Tourism Academy, said in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday. "The travel rush during the 'Golden Week' holidays happens because people do not take long journeys during shorter holidays", said Liu Simin, a researcher with the China Academy of Social Sciences, in a report by Beijing Times on Saturday. Liu said that now the most important task is to ease the pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. When the Labor Day Golden Week holiday came to an end in 2007, a chance to travel was reduced. In 2008, the government shortened the Labor Day Golden Week holiday, usually lasting from May 1 to May 7, to three days and added three other short vacations to the list. What is the passage mainly about? A Seven-day Golden Week Holiday sees huge crowds on popular tourists spots B The problem during the seven-day Golden Week Holiday. C Travel complaints. D The pressure from the huge numbers of tourists. Answer: A. Seven-day Golden Week Holiday sees huge crowds on popular tourists spots
Question: A college student has turned the act of telling someone off into an art form. Lama Ali, who attend school in Virginia, had three final assignments due on the same day for her fashion drawing class. Exhausted after working on painting for seven hours straight, the 20-year-old decided to include a message in American Sign Language to her professor: When your drawing teacher assigns 3 finals so you secretly write "you got me fucked up" in sign language on your final piece. ----Shawty Arabia(@LemAli23) December 7,2016 "You got me fucked up," a bunch of hands in the painting spell out in ASL, in a form of sign known as finger spelling , which uses signs for each letter, rather than for the words themselves. "Honestly the idea just came to me while I was finishing up the piece," Ali toldThe Huffington Post." I was looking at it and thought, 'This could really use something else'. And then the idea struck me: Why not secretly express how I was feeling while struggling at the library at 4 a. m.?" Once the fashion design major had finished her masterpiece, she posted it to Twitter on Dec. 7, where it has received over 113,000likes and 48,000 retweets . Ali, who does not know ASL, toldHuffPostshe taught herself a little bit just for this particular assignment. "You know it's bad when you have to learn a whole other language to express how done you are," she said. "I remembered seeing a post on Tumblr long ago with a similar phrase by the post, she decided to look up the letters in ASL to spell out the message. Someone on Twitter even did the good work of circling them in the painting. Ali toldHuffPostthat when she finally presented the piece to her professor in her class, he absolutely loved it. "Most of my friends in class actually knew about the secret message, so I was really surprised when no one laughed or blew my cover during critique ." She also admits that her professor still doesn't know about the message, despite her post getting so much attention. What was it that gave Ali the inspiration to use ASL to express her feeling? A. Her professor's assignment. B. Being too exhausted. C. A post on Tumblr with ASL. D. Her classmates' encouragement. Answer: C. A post on Tumblr with ASL. Question: Dear Frank, Thanks for your email. My friend Lily and I have a good trip in Beijing. We visit many interesting places and go shopping on Wangfujing Street. When we are in Beijing,we live in our Chinese friend Liu Ming's house. Have a look at our activities there. On May 1stArrive in Beijing at 10:00 am. On May 2ndVisit the Great Wall with Liu Ming. On May 3rdVisit the Summer Palace On May 4thVisit the Palace Museum with Liu Ming and his sister. On May 5thGo shopping on Wangfujing Street and buy presents for our families. Lily buys a toy for her brother Jack and a postcard for her sister Lucy. I buy two cups for my father and a silk shirt for my mother. On May 6thSay goodbye to Beijing. Hope you will go with us next time. Yours, Nancy What is the passage? A. An email. B. A story C. A plan D. An invitation. Answer: A. An email. Question: American football In almost every big university in the USA, football is a favourite sport. American football is not like soccer. Players sometimes kick the ball, but they also throw the ball and run with it. They try to take it to the other end of the field. They have four chances to move the ball ten yards. They can carry it or throw it If they move it to the end of the field, they win six points. This is called a touchdown. It is difficult to move the ball. Eleven men on the team try to stop the man with the ball. If the man does not move the ball ten yards, his team kicks the ball to the other team.Each university wants its team win. Thousands of people come to watch. They all yell (,)for their favourite team. Young men and women from the cheer Team dance and jump while they yell.Each team plays ten or eleven games each season. The season begins in September and ends in November. If a team is very good, it may play another game after the season ends. The best team plays again on January 1st,the first day of the New Year. Many people go to see these games and many others watch them on television. American football is _ . A. the same as soccer B. only popular in the big universities in the USA C. a game played only with feet D. a game with ten players Answer: B. only popular in the big universities in the USA Question: Which would be most effective way of being detected after the sun has set? A. having water B. having reflectors C. having signs D. having books Answer: B. having reflectors Question: Do you have the experience of taking music lessons against your wishes? Perhaps you have complained about it because you thought it took you much playtime. But now you'd better thank your parents for their time and money spent on your musical training. A recent study suggests music lessons can make children have better memories than their peers . The Canadian study showed that after one year of musical training, children did better on a memory test than those who didn't take music lessons. The researchers made the children aged between 4 and 6 into two groups -- one group of children took music lessons outside school, and the other didn't take any musical training. In one year, they took four tests in different times. The results showed brain development changes at least every four months. The children taking music lessons not only did better in musical listening but also made faster progress in other ways, such as reading, writing, math and IQ. People say music is the good medicine for a broken heart. Now it seems music can also help us to improve our memories. We are sure to find more and more in the wonderful world of music. You'd better thank your parents for their time and money spent on your musical training because _ . A. you get well after you take music lessons B. you will make faster progress in every way C. music can help you to improve your memories D. you won't be sick any more Answer: C. music can help you to improve your memories
I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself. I am taking a nurse course called "Urban Community ". We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities. I chose the topic "Homeless". Each day I would walk down the streets of the homeless and offer them something to drink and to eat. I know it's tough to survive on the streets. Last night I ran into a group of 30 kids who were living on the streets in New York. _ and I just wanted to cry. But I had to be strong. I asked about their families and if they contacted them to let them know they were alive. Most of them said, "NO!" They all looked like a happy family and they took care of one another. I tried to persuade them to get help and to contact their families but they did not want to. I did not want to make them to do it as they had their own reasons. All these kids were very respectful. None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking. Some of them enjoyed reading and writing. Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music. One girl asked me if I could give her a hug and I did so. She started to cry and said, "Thank you for not treating us as freaks like everyone else does. People don't realize that we all have our own problems and some are worse than others." She told me that her stepfather was extremely mean to her and her mother did not believe her. She ran away. Her street name was Little Mary. They were good kids just trying to make ends meet. I told them that I didn't have much to offer because I was a single mother just making ends meet. I had offered them sandwiches and drinks. They were so happy to have something to eat and told me that I couldn't change the world but at least there was someone who really cared. What's the best title for this passage? Answer: In March 2014, Australia opened junior high education to Chinese students, allowing them to study in Australian schools from the seventh grade. "When more Chinese students are going to study abroad at a younger age, the opening of Australian junior high schools offers Chinese students and their parents one more good choice," Tian Litie, director of the Australian Department of Chivast Education International, said at the China International Education Exhibition Tour over the weekend. Australia will see a rise in the number of Chinese junior and senior high school students studying in the country. Tian showed the reasons for it: lower admission requirements and low-cost education because of a favorable exchange rate . According to Tian, in public schools in Australia a student should pay A$13,000 to A$15,000 ($10,000 to $12,000) a year. "Now the exchange rate of the Australian dollar to renminbi is below five, which means the cost is lower than that of Chinese students studying at junior and senior high schools in many other hot places, such as Britain and the US," said Tian. Lin Lina from Beijing plans to send her daughter to a senior high school in Australia, was among them. "My daughter is good at English and would like to study abroad early," said Lin, whose daughter is now a ninth-grader in Beijing. "We came for more information after we learned that the environment and education in Australia are good." Eliza Chui, education officer for North Asia at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai, said that Australia is attractive not only because it provides an environment for learning English, but also because students are trained to have critical thinking and be independent. According to Tian Litie, we know that _ . Answer: One day, my dog woke up early and wouldn't go back to sleep. Why did the dog wake up early? I tried really hard to find out. "Are you sick, dog?" I asked. He didn't say anything, so I took his temperature. It said he wasn't sick! "Are you hungry, dog?" He didn't say anything, so I feed him some dog food. He didn't eat it! "Are you thirsty, dog?" He didn't say anything, so I gave him some water. He didn't drink it! "What's wrong, dog?" He wagged and wagged his tail, and then went over to a bag of balloons that I had. He poked them with his nose. "Oh!" I said. I went over to the balloons and took one out of the bag. I blew it up. He wagged his tail harder. "Is it your birthday, dog?" He wagged and wagged. It must be his birthday! I baked him a bright yellow cake and blew up more balloons. I played his favorite music. We had a party. It was so much fun! What did we do to celebrate the dog's birthday? Answer: Lynn was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of l6, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In l922, with limited education and skills, the future didn't look bright for Lynn. Her father demanded that Lynn find a job as soon as possible, but she didn't have the confidence to ask for a job. One day, Lynn gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lynn told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance. Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, "Lynn, let's see how good you really are." She directed Lynn to type a single letter, and then left. Lynn looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter. On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. "At noon," she said to herself, "I'll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again." On her second attempt, things didn't get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55--five minutes to freedom. Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lynn, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, "Lynn, you're doing good work!" Lynn was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, "Well, if she thinks it's good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay!" Lynn did stay at Carhartt Overall Company...for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents--all because _ had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door. Why did Lynn leave school at an early age? Answer: President Abraham Lincoln often visited hospitals to talk with wounded soldiers during the Civil War.Once,Lincoln went over to the bedside of a young dying soldier. "Is there anything I can do for you?"asked the President. The soldier obviously didn't recognize Lincoln, and with some effort he was able to whisper, "Would you please write a letter to my mother?" So the President carefully began writing down the soldier's words,"My dearest mother, I was badly hurt while doing my duty. I'm afraid I'm not going to recover. Don't _ too much for me, please. Kiss my sister Mary for me.May God bless you and Father." The soldier was too weak to continue, so Lincoln signed the letter for him and added, "Written for your son by Abraham Lincoln."The young man asked to see the note and was astonished when he discovered who had written it."Are you really the President?"he asked. "Yes, I am,"replied Lincoln quietly.Then he asked if there was anything else he could do."Would you please hold my hand?"asked the soldier."It will help to see me through to the end." In the quiet room, the tall gaunt President took the soldier's hand and spoke warm words of encouragement until death came. When the soldier's mother read the letter, she would probably be _ . Answer:
Question: Two tectonic plates pushing toward each other cause intense heat and pressure in Earth's crust. Into which will crust material be changed by heat and pressure? A. fossils B. sediments C. igneous rock D. metamorphic rock Answer: D Question: Moods, say the experts, are feelings that tend to become fixed, influencing one's outlook for hours, days or even weeks. That's great if your mood is a pleasant one, but a problem if you are sad, anxious, angry or simply lonely. Perhaps the best way to deal with such moods is to talk them out; sometimes, though, there is no one to listen. Modern pharmacology offers a lot of tranquilizers What many people don't realize, however, is that scientists have discovered the effectiveness of several non-drug methods to set you loose from an unwanted mood. These can be just as useful as drugs, and have the added benefit of being nonpoisonous. So next time you _ don't head for the drug-store but try the following methods. Of all the mood-altering self-help techniques, aerobic exercise seems to be the most efficient cure for a bad mood. "If you could keep up the exercise, you'd be in high spirits, " says Kathryn Lance, author of Running for Health and Beauty. Researchers have explained biochemical and various other changes that make exercise compare favourably to drugs as a mood raiser. Physical exertion such as housework, however, does little. The key is aerobic exercise--running, cycling, walking, swimming or other repetitive and sustained activities that increase the heart rate, increase blood circulation and improve the body's use of oxygen. Do some of the activities for at least 20 minutes a session three to five times a week. It can be inferred from the passage that _ A. some drugs are more effective than physical exercises B. a person does not need aerobic exercise if he is in a good mood C. the best way to overcome a bad mood is to talk to oneself D. when in a bad mood, one may not work very efficiently Answer: D Question: Robert Burns, the son of a hard-working and intelligent farmer, was the oldest of seven children. Although always hard pressed financially, their father encouraged his sons with their education. As a result, Burns not only read the Scottish poetry of Ramsay and the collections by Hailes and Herd, but also the works of Pope, Locke, and Shakespeare. By 1781, Burns had tried his hand at several agricultural jobs without success. Although he had begun writing, and his poems were spread widely in manuscript , none were published until 1786, when Burns published Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786), which was an immediate success. Later Burns brought out a second edition of his poems at Edinburgh in 1787, and for two winters he was socially active in the Scottish city. In 1788 he retired to a farm at Ellis land. By 1791 Burns had failed as a farmer, and he moved to Dumfries, where he held a position as a tax collector. He died of illness at 37. Burns's art is at its best in songs such as My Heart's in the Highlands. Some of his songs, such as Auld Lang Syne and Comin' thro' the Rye, are among the most familiar and best-loved songs in the English language. But his talent was not limited to songs; two descriptive pieces, Tam o' Shanter and The Jolly Beggars, are among his masterpieces. Burns had a fine sense of humor, which was reflected in his satirical , descriptive, and playful poems. His great popularity with the Scots lay in his ability to describe the life of his fellow rural Scots. His use of dialect brought an energetic, much-needed freshness into English poetry. Robert made his best achievement in art by writing _ . A. songs B. poems C. stories D. humors Answer: A Question: Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times,but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French. I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind: you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment. There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since,I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places,without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage. The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you. I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A. The author had been abroad only twice. B. The author thought the trip was hard but worthwhile. C. The author admitted that anything different was terrible. D. The author must be good at doing research and making interviews. Answer: B Question: Keving Rogers used to be my boss.At that time he always told us to sell more.As soon as I could,I left his shop and got a new job in another place.The last time I saw Rogers was more than ten years ago.At least that's what I thought.But now I am not so sure. I was on my way to my office in the centre of town.There is a small park nearby,which I sometimes walk through after lunch.The park was almost empty except for a shabby-looking man on one of those benches .The man looked about fifty years old and was wearing an old gray coat.It was cold and windy,and he was trembling . "It's a long time since I had a meal.Can you help me?"he said.There was something about his voice that sounded familiar.I gave him a few pennies.As he went past me I looked at his face closely.I wondered where I had seen him before.Then it suddenly came to me.Could it possibly be...? No!Impossible,I thought.I watched him walking away.He was the same height as Rogers but looked a lot thinner than I remembered. Yesterday I ran into someone who had worked for Rogers at the same time as I did,and had stayed on longer.I started telling him about the man I had seen in the park."For a moment I thought it was our old boss.But it couldn't have been.Rogers must be the head of a company now."I said. My ex-workmate shook his head,"I thought you knew." "Knew?Knew what?What are you talking about?" "Rogers was sent to prison six years ago.He's probably been out by now.For all I know he is sleeping on park benches and begging money from passers-by." Where did the writer last meet Rogers? A. In a restaurant. B. In a small park. C. In the centre of town. D. In his office. Answer: B
If you want to become a better reader, here are four important points to remember about rate or speed of reading: First, knowing why you are reading and what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly. Second, some things should be read slowly. Examples are directions for making or doing something; arithmetic problems, science and history books. They are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each idea. Third, some things should be read rapidly. Examples are simple stories for enjoyment, news, letters from friends, items or bits of news from local or hometown paper, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors. Fourth, in some of your readings, you must change your speed from fast to slow, and slow to fast, as you read. You'll need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which should be remembered. In this passage the author advises us to _ . A read more books B be better readers C fit our speed to our needs D change our speed of reading now and then Answer: B. be better readers At the onset of a northern winter, many dream of warmer climates.In 1934 the Canadian-born composer Colin Mcphee did more than dream. He set out for the island of Bali. In his bookA House in Bali,Colin Mcphee described how he first gained insight into the essence of Balinese music.For about a month he had been working on transcribing a complete score to a Balinese play he had seen. It seemed impossible that so much beauty could be achieved with a scale of only five tones. But the distinctive embellishments of the music _ him.Fortunately a young household helper and his friend decided to assist. One morning they set two objects next to Mcphee's piano.They were gangas--metal keyed instruments.The two boys played them in what struck Mcphee as"a fast duet in Morse code". At last the composer had found the key to Balinese music."Wait!" Mcphee would call out from the piano as the boys flew along,"Stop!Please!That bit once more!" Patiently the boys would stop and began again.But soon they were flying again,faster than ever, amazing Mcphee with their memory and precision. Sometimes the patterns repeated.Sometimes they opened up into something new. Then, suddenly the whole duet would fly apart and the boys would burst out laughing,breaking the spell. Although Colin Mcphee left the island in 1939,he remained spellbound by Balinese music.And its rich,distinctive sound would colour many of the compositions he would write for the next quarter century. From the passage we can learn that _ . A Colin Mcphee set foot on the island of Bali in late winter B The book A House in Bali detailed how Colin Mcphee understood the life of the island C Colin Mcphee actually acquired much beauty of Balinese music D For a month Colin Mcphee had been watching a Balinese play he had seen before Answer: C. Colin Mcphee actually acquired much beauty of Balinese music A-DTom, Betty, Sophia, Jane. A. This book will help you understand how to stay well and avoid sickness. You'll learn some things that you might use at home to avoid catching a cold. B. This book has useful information about how to prevent common accidents. It's about safety both indoors and outdoors. C. This book will tell you something about how to keep healthy by doing exercises. You'll learn not only the importance of doing exercises, but also the ways of doing exercises. D. Do you have difficulties to communicate with others? Do you often say something wrong when you talk to others? This book will teach you how to say proper things to people. Kate wants to keep thinner and healthier. Maybe she can borrow the book from _ . A Tom B Betty C Sophia D Jane Answer: B. Betty Something that has always interested me about Abraham Lincoln is, not surprisingly, his sense of humor. As far as I can tell, he's the first American President to have one. That's because the term"sense of humor" really wasn't in common usage until the eighteen-sixties and seventies. In the eighteen-forties and fifties, it was called"the sense of the ridiculous," and didn't have the positive connotations that"sense of humor" has today. Back then, what was ridiculous was what invited ridicule . Funniness and cruelty went hand in hand. Of course, they still do a lot of arm-in-arm walking in our day as well. Lincoln's humor was very different because, for one thing, it was actually "humor"as what the word meant in his time. We don't make the distinction between "wit "and "humor"anymore; but in the nineteenth century people did. Wit was unpleasant and offensive while humor was pleasant and sympathetic. It's the difference we note now when we distinguish between "laughing with" and "laughing at". Lincoln was much more about "laughing with" than "laughing at". And when "laughing at, " it was often himself he was teasing. In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, when Douglas accused Lincoln of being two-faced, Lincoln replied, referencing his plain looking, "Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?"And, in a way, Lincoln's face itself tells us much about his sense of humor. You can comb through thousands of photographs of politicians, soldiers, and the like from Lincoln's time and not find a single smile. True, the long exposures required for photographs of that time made smiling difficult. Yet Lincoln alone, as far as I can tell, overcame that difficulty. Interestingly, while having a sense of humor, or at least the appearance of one provided by comedy writers has become a necessary characteristic for an American President in our time, in the nineteenth century, too much humor was considered problem. And that was the case for Lincoln. A journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates commented that "I could not take a real personal liking to the man, owing to an inborn weakness. . .that he was extremely fond of jokes, anecdotes and stories." We rarely see people from Lincoln's time wear smile in their photos because _ . A being humorous was considered inappropriate B they found it quite funny to smile before camera C not smiling for photographs was the fashion D photography technology then was not advanced Answer: D. photography technology then was not advanced Park sued Dunlevy for copyright infringement for using in Dunlevy's book some slightly disguised house plans on which Park held the copyright. Park is prepared to testify that he heard Dunlevy's executive assistant for copyright matters say that Dunlevy had obtained an advance copy of the plans from Park's office manager. Park's testimony is A admissible as reporting a statement of an employee of a party opponent. B admissible as a statement of a co- conspirator. C inadmissible, because it is hearsay not within any exception. D inadmissible, because there is no showing that the assistant was authorized to speak for Dunlevy. Answer: A. admissible as reporting a statement of an employee of a party opponent.
On January 11, 2007, as students sat and listened, a very important guest speaker named Richard, spoke to the students in the lecture hall. He not only showed the potential within young adults, but encouraged them to work hard at their lessons. Richard was a young child when his mother died and his father walked out. He was forced into many different foster homes where he felt unhappy. He did not know that his life was taking a turn for the worst. His uncle, after getting out of prison, got him into drugs and alcohol. His uncle taught him that his place in life was either to be in prison or die trying to be "a man." His uncle's teaching almost started affecting him until a very important person came into his life: a teacher. This teacher taught him there is a place in the world for everyone and it isn't related to drugs. Richard is now a Harvard University graduate and has a great and loving family. Why? He was taught to have respect not only for others, but for himself. After the meeting, it was hoped that the students realized within them there is a potential, and within everyone around them, is knowledge. As Richard reminded them, "Knowledge is power." On January 11, 2007, students listened to a speech made by Richard, who graduated from _ . In a cold winter, a couple had to move out of their big house because fo bankruptcy . The husband worked day and night but with no care of his wife. SO she thought, " He doesn't love me any more , he just thinks about his work." One day, she wanted to take a shower , but her husband stopped her at the door. "Let me take it first, Ok?" "Why not let me take it first?" she asked. "I'm tired, dear. You take it later, OK?" She was very sad. On a rainy day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer. After a few minutes, her eyes were full of tears....It was his diary: Today I was quite sad. She asked me why I was always taking the shower first, and I said I was tired. She was unhappy. I wasn't as rich as before! We moved to the small house and it was very cold. I found that if one person took the shower first, the bathroom could get a little warmer. So I always rushed to the bathroom first. When she took the shower, the bathroom could get warmer, at least 1degC. i can't give her more, but at least I can give her 1degC love. The man wanted to take the shower first because _ . Many times when children make a mistake,starting with breaking a window while playing football or skipping classes and ending with stealing something or fighting with another child,parents are always blamed by the society for not having known how to educate their offsprings .The situation is not that easy to explain. Parents always look for the best interest of their children and many times they are ready to take measures only for their sake.They know their children are suffering when they are forced to stay indoors or when they have no money,but they have to teach them a lesson so that they won't repeat the same mistakes over and over again.When a child realizes that his father is talking seriously about him not being allowed to do something,he understands the seriousness of his deeds and he knows he will think twice before making the same mistake again. These are the cases of the responsible parents,who suffer when they see that their children are not happy but who resist the temptation of forgiving them so easily so that they realize the gravity of their actions not only at present but also in the future. On the other hand there are parents who always find excuses for their children's behavior,who never consider they make mistakes or if they just do what they call "childish" things. When you buy your children everything he has ever dreamt of or when you tell him he can wear a necklace even if he is only 13,he will become so spoiled that he won't take into consideration anything of what you are telling him later on.He will get to the point where he steals from the house or from a shop so that he can afford to buy cigarettes or drugs. We can infer from the passage that _ . Which is true of scientific discoveries? All of the following are examples of erosion EXCEPT:
Prince Charles yesterday pledged to reduce the royal impact on the environment through sweeping changes to his personal lifestyle and official schedule. The prince will replace carbon-heavy private jets and helicopters with scheduled flights and train services. The move came as Prince Charles urged business leaders to publish the environmental pact of their activities. He said, "Few accountants and business decision-makers ask, 'How much of our critical natural resource is left? How many miles of polar ice cap has our business helped melt this year? By how many inches have we raised sea levels? How many species have we put at risk? How many homes will be flooded , how many people will die of thirst or starvation because of our activities?' These are not comfortable questions, but, by God, they need to be asked. " He added, "At the moment these costs do not appear in anyone's books...Yet they are real, they are incurred now and in a ly short time, the damage being caused may be beyond remedy. "He said the world was "running up _ in history, but with little or no thought for how the bill will ever be paid. '' Flanked by the prime minister and business and community leaders at St James's Palace, the prince said his new"accounting for sustainability" project would give consumers the power to choose products that caused less damage to the planet* Duchy Originals, the prince's food company, is taking steps to work out how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas are emitted in growing, processing and distributing its products. The changes to the prince's travel arrangements announced yesterday are part of a wider review of the carbon footprint associated with activities at all three of his residences:Clarence House in London, Highgrove and Birkhall on the Balmorals estate, as well as the activities of his 21 personal and 1 0 5 full-time staff . Measures include a review of electricity use, commuter and other staff travel and are intended to identify further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The review will report in June, when Clarence House will announce annual targets to reduce carbon emissions. One of the moves Prince Charles will take to reduce the royal impact on the environment is . Answer: taking scheduled flights instead of helicopters Base your answer on the information below and on your knowledge of science. A baseball strikes the roof of a car and dents it. The paint on the roof begins to crack and chip, exposing the metal. The exposed metal on the roof rusts, eventually causing a small hole in the roof. Which event is a chemical change? Answer: The exposed metal rusts. My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side cafe. Outside the cafe was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the throng drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman. A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman's cup. He did this rather ostentatiously , just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman's cup. The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, "I hope that helps a bit." I don't know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an astute act of caring. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: people can do kind acts due to peer pressure We don't have beds in the space shuttle, but we do have sleeping bags. During the day, when we are working, we leave the bags tied to the wall, out of the way. At bedtime we untie them and take them wherever we've chosen to sleep. On most space shuttle flights everyone sleeps at the same time. No one has to stay awake to watch over the space plane: the shuttle's computers and the enginers at the Control Office do that. If anything goes wrong. The computers ring a warning bell and the engineers call us on the radio. On the space shuttle, sleep-time doesn't mean nighttime. During each ninety-minute flight around the earth, the sun "rises" and shines through our windows for about fifty minutes: then it "sets" as our flight takes us around the dark side of the Earth. To keep the sun out of our eyes, we wear black sleep masks. It is surprisingly easy to get comfortable and fall asleep in space, and we sleep differently. Some sleep upside down, some sideways, some right side up. When it's time to sleep, I take my bag, my sleep mask, and my tape player with earphones and float up to the flight platform. Then I get into the bag, and float into a sitting position just above a seat, right next to a window. Before I pull the mask down over my eyes, I relax for a while, listening to music and watching the Earth go by under me. When I'm in space I don't need as much sleep as I do on Earth Maybe that's because when I am weightless, I don't feel as tired. Or maybe it's because I'm excited to be in space and don't want to waste time sleeping. How often does the sun rise to people in the space shuttle? Answer: Every 90 minutes. Hans Christian Andersen put Denmark on the map of the world literature with his stories The Emperor's New Clothes,The Little MermaidandThe Ugly Duckling. Now Copenhagen, the country's capital, has become the center of the world political map, with 190 world leaders attending the climate talks there, not to mention thousands of reporters. Just how much do you know about the Scandinavian country? Denmark is famous for its design culture. At the heart of "Danish Design" is the idea that, as poet and designer Piet Hein puts it: "There is one art, not more, nor less, [and that is] to do all things with artlessness ." Danish design places equal emphasis on practicality and quality. From Lego toys to furniture, Danish products are known for their clean lines, simplicity and functionality. "Remove material where it's not needed. Keep things simple and functional and make them carefully," explained Hans J. Wegner, the first Danish designer to achieve worldwide fame: "The aim is not to create a work of art, but to produce a good chair." "The Danes have done a better job than most in promoting arts in Europe, considering their country's size and population, in the fields of architecture, sculpture and design," writes Helena Smith, reporter with British newspaper the Guardian. The simplicity of Danish design may extend to the quality of life there. Some even claim that the Danes have the highest quality of life of any nation in the world. Kate Vial, a 55-year-old American who has lived and worked in Denmark for more than 30 years, explaining why she chooses to live in Denmark rather than the US, told Germany's biggest news weekly Der Spiegel: "I just chose a simpler lifestyle, one where I could ride my bike all over and where I don't have to make a great living to survive." In Piet Hein's opinion, the characteristic of Danish culture is _ . Answer: Simple
Beijing ?(13, July) China sent up a new data relays atellite , Tianlian I -02, on Monday at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in South-western Sichuan province.The new satellite will promote the country's satellite communication network for space docking . The satellite was launched on a Long-March-SC carrier rocket at 11:41 p.m., sources at the centre told Xinhua News Agency.The satellite separated from the rocket 26 minutes after its launch and was then successfully delivered into a geostationary transfer orbit . Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellite is the country's second data relay satellite.The first, Tianlian I -01, was launched on April 25.2008. The two satellites will form a network to improve communications between China's spacecraft and bases on Earth, according to the centre.They will also be used to help the nation's first space docking, scheduled for the second half of this year. As planned, China will launch space module Tiangong-I (1), which was designed as a platform that will dock with an unmanned spaceship, Shenzhou, for the county's first space-docking mission this year. Two more Shenzhou spaceships will dock with Tiangong-I next year, and one will be manned by two or three astronauts, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office, which was the main user of the Tianlian I series data relay satellites. "The new satellite can cover a greater area to track and command the country's space vehicles m low-Earth orbits, such as manned spacecraft and remote sensing satellites, from a higher position m outer space.Only three satellites of this kind are needed to form a global communication network, and China has two now." Pang Zhihao, a researcher and deputy editor-in-chief of Space International, said. The satellite could also equip astronauts with real-time communications, which will benefit the county s future manned space flights, he said. From the passage we know _ . A one more such satellite is needed to form a global communication network B the satellite was developed by China Manned Space Engineering Office C it was less than three years since China launched its first date relay satellite of this kind D the satellite could help track and command space vehicles in orbits because it's lower in position Answer: A My family lives very happily on a farm near a small town. My father always learns some information about weather through the TV, the Internet and newspapers. One evening, he asked us to meet at the table after dinner. "I have some bad news," he said. "The weather reports on the television warned that we would face a typhoon tomorrow." At 6.30 a.m. the next day, the winds started and the rain was falling heavily. There were new warnings that the sea level could go up as much as 5 meters. The winds were terribly strong and tree branches were flying everywhere. Trees were falling down and the rain kept coming down. Just after 10:30, the wind stopped suddenly-it was strangely calm and the sun was shining. Then the winds came howling again, but this time more rain fell. There were more flying things and the storm came in. Everything within 1 km of the coast was flooded-there was fish in the streets. Now the winds were dying down, but the rain was still falling. After another two hours, the wind came to a stop at last. My home was in a mess and my mum burnt her arm when the hot water from the stove hit her skin. We were all frightened, but we were all safe, including the cat. What did not happen when the typhoon came? A There was flood. B The snowstorm came in. C The winds were terribly strong. D The rain kept coming down. Answer: B Variation in which property between water at different temperatures contributes most to the formation of horizontal ocean layers having distinct temperatures? A density B viscosity C turbidity D acidity Answer: A At a talk to some businessmen earlier today, one fellow asked me, "Would you give money to a homeless person, even when you know he's going to use it to buy alcohol?" I replied, "If all I was giving was money, it'll be one thing.But for me, whenever I do give money, that's just the wrapping .The real gift is hidden inside - it's love.And l haven't ever found any reason to limit gifts of love " By the end of the night, I decided to get some pizza.In front of me in line was a homeless-looking man.He was counting the few dollars bills in his hand, over and over again, until it was his turn to order.Just then, he told the young woman behind the counter, "I'II have the full cheese pizza." "Full?" she countered."It's really big." she added, although what she really meant to say is that it'll be too expensive for him."Yeah, the full " "$18.65," she submitted.The bills he was counting weren't going to make it.I wasn't intending to get the whole pizza for him.But thinking back to my conversation with the business man, l realized that money was really just the wrapping. I made my move."Can you charge that pizza with my order" I said to the cashier."Really?'' the homeless-looking man said."Really?" the young woman behind the counter repeated."Yes, really." That confused man and I had a sweet silent moment.To his silent question of why I was doing it, I added, "Just pay it forward for someone else." And he said, "Well, you know what? I was actually treating those five homeless guys out there." He was actually paying it forward, in the first place! What an unexpected fortune to get a chance to be a part of a man's act of kindness. What is the best title for the passage? A Paying it forward B Helping a homeless man C A talk with a businessman D Money was just the wrapping Answer: A Jack went to a barber's shop and had his hair cut, but when he came out, he was not happy with the result . When his friend Bob saw him, he laughed and said, "What has happened to your hair, Jack?" Jack said, "I tried a new barber's shop today, because I wasn't quite satisfied with my old one, but this one seems even worse." Bob agreed . "Yes, I think you're right, Jack. Now I'll tell you what to do when you go into a barber's shop next time: look at all the barber's hair, find out whose hair looks worst, and then go straight to him." "Why shall I go to him?" Jack asked. "But that would be foolish!" "Oh, no, it wouldn't," answered Bob. "Who cut that man's hair? Just think it. He couldn't cut it himself, could he? Another of the barbers cut it. So you know he can't be the worst barber." After Jack had his hair cut, he thought _ . A the new barber's shop was the best one B the old barber's shop wasn't so good as the new one C the new barber's shop was worse than the old one D the old barber's shop was the worst one Answer: C
Charlotte Hollins faces a battle. The 23-year-old British farmer and her 21-year-old brother Ben are fighting to save farm that their father worked on since he was 14. Although confident they will succeed, she is aware of farming's many challenges. "You don't often get a day off. Supermarkets put a lot of pressure on farmers to keep prices low. With fewer people working on farms it can be isolating," she said. "There is a high rate of suicide and farming will never make you rich!" Like others around the world, Charlotte's generation tend to leave the farm for cities. Oliver Robinson, 25, grew up in Yorkshire. But he never considered staying on his father and grandfather's land. "I'm sure Dad hoped I'd stay," he said. "I guess it's a nice, straightforward life, but it doesn't appeal to me. For young, ambitious people, farm life is hard." For Robinson, farming doesn't offer much "in terms of money or lifestyle". Hollins agrees that economic factors stop people from enjoying the rewards of farming. He describes it as a career that provides "for a vital human need", allowing people to work "outdoors with nature." Farming is a big political issue in the UK. The "Buy British" campaigns urge consumers not to purchase cheaper imported foods. The 2001 foot and mouth crisis closed thousands of farms, stopped meat exports, and raised public consciousness about the troubles on UK farms. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's 2005 campaign to get children eating healthily also highlighted the issue. This national concern gives hope to farmers competing with powerful supermarkets. While most people buy food from the big supermarkets, hundreds of independent Farmers' Markets are becoming popular. "I started going to Farmers' Markets in direct defiance of the big supermarkets. I seriously objected to the super-sizing of everything-what exactly do they put on our apples to make them so big and red? It's terrible," said Londoner Michaela Samson, 31. What happened in 2001 to the British beef farmers? Answer: There are two websites I think you should know about. Do you find it difficult to say a word correctly? Do you want to hear the correct pronunciation ? If so, what you've been looking for is cooldictionary.com. This site is designed to pronounce words and phrases in precise manner. All you have to do is to go to the Pronunciation Help and type in a word. You can also practice your spoken English and improve your communication skill. Another useful site is www.nutsandboltsguide.com. It has been specifically designed to help you with every step of writing. This site is a must-visit for all those who want to become a writer. It not only talks about different kinds of writing but also discusses a lot about grammar. I'm sure that this site will help you with your writing skills and different writing styles with its sound tips. So get connected and log in to play. Happy surfing! What is not offered on the website _ ? Answer: While success is surely sweeter than failure, it seems failure is a far better teacher, and organizations that fail spectacularly often flourish more in the long run, according to a new study by Vinit Desai, assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Researchers have found that people missing their goals perform much better in the long run. That is because they gain more knowledge from their failures than their successes and the lessons are more likely to stay longer in their minds. "We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years," said professor Desai, who led the study. "But companies often ignore failure. Managers may fire people or turn over the whole workforce while they should treat the failure as a learning opportunity." Prof Desai compared the flights of the space shuttle Atlantis and the Challenger. During the 2002 Atlantis flight, a piece of insulation broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster but didn't influence the program. There was little investigation. The Challenger was launched next and another piece of insulation broke off. This time the shuttle and its seven-person crew were destroyed. The disaster led to a major investigation resulting in 29 changes to prevent future disasters. The difference in response in the two cases came down to this: Atlantis was considered a success and the Challenger a failure. "Despite crowded skies, airlines are extremely reliable," he said. "The number of failures is extremely small. And past researches have shown that older airlines, those with more experience in failure, have a lower number of accidents." Prof Desai doesn't recommend finding out failure in order to learn. Instead, he advises organizations to analyze small failures to collect useful information rather than wait for major failures. Which writing strategy is NOT used in developing the passage? Answer: During the week days, they are luckily busy office people; but on weekends, they are just a brood of stay-home animals. A recent survey shows that office workers in China prefer quiet and easy ways to spend their weekends. In the survey, conducted by job seeking and offering website Zhaopin.com, 32.8 percent of the 6,000 respondents choose to stay home at weekends and have a good rest, the Beijing Morning Post reported. Twenty percent use their days-off to do housework. And only 19.3 percent are willing to have fun during the break time from work. Their first choice of fun is shopping. Other choices, though practiced by few, include meeting friends, accompanying the children, trips to the suburbs, and lessons for more skills. When they. go shopping, 54.5 percent of the white-collars actually shop in supermarkets, while 27.9. percent attend other stores, especially when discounts are offered. These activities don't seem to cost much, as 60 percent spend average less than 200 yuan (US$26) during weekends, and 30 percent no more than 500 yuan. When asked whom they would spend the weekends with, about 40 percent mention their partners, and 30 percent prefer a weekend all by themselves. Less than 20 percent hang out with friends. Only 5.8 percent would kill the time with their colleagues. This is because we tend to avoid too many personal contacts with our co-workers when we don't have to work with them, according to some experts. Which of the following is TRUE according to the survey? Answer: Once, looking for stories on the back roads of Ohio, _ . A beekeeper we'd been told about was away from home when we called on him. An amusement park where we thought we might find a story had shut down for the season. We began to get a little discouraged. When passing a farmhouse, we found a banner in the front yard. The banner said in huge letters: WELCOME HOME, ROGER! We drove on for a mile or two. Somebody said, " wonder who Roger is ?" We turned around, went back and knocked on the door. Roger was a soldier on his way home from the Vietnam War. His family knew he was coming, but weren't sure what day he was going to arrive. We asked if they 'd mind if we brought the camera into the house. Roger's mother said it would be all right if we could give her a few minutes to fix her hair. We weren't there more than an hour, talking to those people who were all excited about Roger coming home. That afternooon I wrote a simple story letting Roger represent all the soldiers coming home from war. We sent the film with the story to New York, and the anchorman put it on the Evening News. Rarely has any of our stories caused such a reaction from viewers. There were dozens of calls from people moved by it, and hundreds of letters came in, some of them suggesting that the story be repeated. That hour with Roger's family made it a good trip to Ohio, after all. I had done a lot of careful planning for the week's work, but in vain. Then along came a banner in a farmhouse yard. Back at the office, people asked , " How do you find these stories ?" "Well," I said," you do have to work at it." All you really have to do is look out of the window. From the story the author wants to tell us _ . Answer:
Alice Brown lives in New York with her mum and dad and two brothers,Tony and Peter.It is Alice's fourteen birthday next week.The family has got two dogs,a cat and four rabbits.Alice likes cats and rabbits but her brothers like dogs.Alice's dad works in a hotel.He's a hotel manager.Her mum teaches English at a middle school. Alice and her brothers study at the same school,but they are in different grades.She's in Grade Seven, Her brother Tony is in Glade Ten and Peter is in Glade Six.They live in a house near the school.They walk to school together every day. Alice is interested in computers. At home she plays computer games in her free time. When she leaves school,she also wants to work with computers. How do they go to school every day? Answer: On foot. Why is 2004 a special year? Because it is a Leap Year . What's so special about that? Well, we have a Leap Year every four years. And it has 366 days, not the usual 365. In a Leap Year, we have 29 days in February, while in a usual year we have only 28 days. Why do we have a Leap Year? We have a Leap Year so we can keep the calendar in step with the seasons. The calendar is a kind of clock for the year. But how long is a year? A calendar year is 365 days. But a true year is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long. That's the time it takes the earth to go around the sun. So every four years we have one more day, and we put it at the end of February, the shortest month of a year. Then we have a Leap Year. Mary was born on February 29,1972. Now she is 32. How many birthdays has she had? Answer: 8 The world's most famous awards, the Nobel Prizes, are given for achievements that benefit humankind. Ironically they are named for a 19thcentury scientist who invented powerful explosives that came to be used as weapons of war. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish-born chemist who died in 1896, was known by some as "The Mad Scientist," and by others as "The Merchant of Death." He was really pacifist, who at one time believed that his explosives could end warfare. Later, he realized that he was wrong. "High explosives will not stop men from war," he wrote. "Nobody will benefit from my inventions except manufacturers of war materials, some generals, and diplomats." Nobel was born in Sweden in 1833. His father was an architect and inventor who moved to Russia. With only one year formal schooling, Nobel became a chemist and inventor by the age of 16. He was also excellent in languages, speaking English, Russian, German, and French in addition to Swedish. He wrote poetry. His study of explosives began with manufacturing liquid nitroglycerin for use in mining and construction. But in 1864, the factory blew up, killing his youngest brother and four others. He then discovered that liquid nitroglycerin could be dried and handled safely to be a mixture, which can explode. He called the mixture dynamite, after the Greek word dynamis, meaning "power." He then perfected a more powerful form of dynamite that made him a multimillionaire. When he died, his fortune was about $9 million. Nobel never married, and he left his fortune to what has since become known as the Nobel Prizes. The money is invested and the interest is given out every year as prizes for the most important work in six fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. Nobel Prize winners receive money, a gold medal, and a diploma. Prizes were first awarded in 1901, and the list of Nobel laureates contains many well-known names: Albert Einstein in Physics, Marie Curie in Chemistry, Toni Morrison and William Faulkner in Literature, Martin Luther King, Jr., for Peace. We can infer from the article that _ . Answer: Alfred Nobel wanted to do something that benefited all mankind. Stop. Listen! What do you hear? You may hear many different sounds. Some of those sounds may be noise. Noise is a loud or unwanted sound. Noise can be caused by many kinds of machines, such as motorcycles, jet planes and farm tractors . Rock music is also noise. What happens to people who live near noisy machines or use them over a period of time? Doctors have found that these people have trouble in sleeping. But, most important, constant loud noise can cause a loss of hearing. Scientists use a unit of measure called decibel to measure the loudness of a sound. The sound of a quiet room, for example, measures 35 decibels. Talking measures between 40 and 65 decibels. Sounds from traffic and from some rock bands can measure over 120 decibels. Noise at this high level causes the great hearing loss. We can conclude from the passage that _ . Answer: noise is a serious problem It is 4 o'clock in the early morning. Everything but the computing room on the campus of the university appears as quiet and misty as the mysterious hell. In the computing room, 30 students with sleepy eyes, sit still at their desk, beating the dirty and worn keys. Staring at the colorful screen, they tap continuously for hours. For the other parts in the world, it might be in the middle of the night, nevertheless here time represents nothing. It is an entirely enclosed field. These young computer "hackers" are tracing a sort of stimulus , a drive so exciting and absorbing that it ignores nearly anything else in their lives and becomes the focus of their being. They are addicted computer programmers. Some of these students have been glued to the console for no less than twenty hours even with no break for meals or rest. Some have been sleeping on sofas and chairs in the computing room, trying to struggle for a few moments' rest but hating to get too far away from their addicted machines. It is not necessary for most of these students to be at the computing room in the middle of the night. What they are working belong to no assignments. They remain there because they desire to be -- they can not resist the attraction of the computers. Furthermore, they are in groups instead of being alone. There are hackers at computing rooms all over the country. In the unimaginable way, they focus on nothing but computer. They escape from schooling and live beyond friendship; they might have difficulty being employed, choosing to travel from one computing room to another. They may even give up personal health. "There is one hacker in my memory. We actually had to lift him away from his chair to feed him and arrange him to rest and sleep. We truly worried about his health," says a computing science professor at California University. Professors of computer science are nowadays paying more attention to this hacker phenomenon and are on the watch for future hackers and more and more severe computer addicts. They believe firmly that hackers are not simply resulted from the close relationship with a machine. It is the result of social relationship with the attractive thinking machines, which are becoming nearly universal. According to professors of computer science, the hacker phenomenon can be described as _ . Answer: worrying
Question: Honesty is the best policy, as the English saying goes. Unfortunately, honesty often leaves us when no one is watching, British psychologists reported last week. Researchers at UK's Newcastle University set up an experiment in their psychology department's coffee room. They set a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk on the counter and hung up a sign listing the price for drinks. People helping themselves to a cup of tea were supposed to put a few cents in the box nearby. The scientists hung a poster above the money box, and changed each week between pictures of gazing eyes and pictures of flowers. The researchers found that staff paid 2.76 times more for their drinks when the image of the eyes was hung. "We were shocked by the size of the effect," said Gilbert Roberts, one of the researchers. Eyes are known to be a powerful perceptual signal for humans, scientists say. "Even though the eyes were not real, they still seemed to make people behave more honestly," said Melissa Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study. Researchers believe the effect throws light on our evolutionary past. It may arise from behavioral characteristics that developed when early humans formed social groups to strengthen their chances of survival. For social groups to work, individuals had to co-operate, rather than act selfishly. "There's an argument that if nobody is watching us, it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we're being watched we should behave better. So people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us," Bateson said. The new finding indicates that people have a striking response to eyes. That might be because eyes and faces send a strong biological signal we have evolved to respond to, Bateson said. The finding could be put to practical use. For example, images of eyes could ensure ticket sales on public transport and improve surveillance systems to deter anti-social behavior. In the experiment, a poster was hung above the money box to _ . A. give a harmonious atmosphere B. remind people the drinks were not free C. prove the actual effect of different pictures D. see how honest people are in different situations Answer: D Question: Which set of descriptions correctly states the difference between a population and a community? A. Population: one species in an area Community: one species worldwide B. Population: organisms in a small area Community: organisms in a large area C. Population: living parts of an area Community: living and nonliving parts of an area D. Population: one type of organism in an area Community: many types of organisms in an area Answer: D Question: With the level of high school education increasing, the expectations for high school athletes are directly affected. Most high school athletes are faced with high stress levels due to the rising expectations of sports teams. As a result>> many of them are trying their best to prepare themselves to be varsity athletes but also feel the pressure to be good students as well. In our society, more and more parents are pushing their kids to be their best and want them to possess more and better than what they had. However ,sometimes the pressure from parents, students and fellow teammates can be a little too much for them. Colleges now are looking to accept not only good students but socially well-rounded students too. How are they supposed to be able to be socially popular? How can they balance school work and sports practices? Don't you think it is too much for them? Everyone wants to have a personal life and does what they like to. But actually, they are always caught up in trying to be the ''best,' and planning ahead for their future. Therefore ,many teens have to struggle both at school and outside of school. To become varsity athletes tmost teens are required to stay very late in the school. In this way it leaves very few hours to eat, shower, do homework and then get to sleep and the next day they have to wake up early again. Sports seem to become more and more competitive every year ,just as academics do as well. At some point, teens will start to suffer greatly. So in order to fix this, the school needs to care more about the students participating in sports. In other words, varsity athletes should have the right to rearrange their schedule due to their sports season and sports coaches should also understand the teens. When an athlete asks to leave early, it doesn't mean that they want to give up ,but rather, they are trying to keep up with everything. More and more parents are expecting their kids to _ . A. be socially well-rounded B. try their best to achieve more C. catch up with their peers D. make a big fortune in sports Answer: B Question: High heels, coffee cups and dogs have been regarded as three of the most dangerous things to have in a car. The seemingly harmless items have been responsible for more than 13 million crashes and near misses on Britain's roads. While men were responsible for the greater number of accidents reported, women played their part by driving in high heels. Putting fashion over function meant 44 percent of female motorists had been prevented from using the pedals correctly by their high heels--with those aged 25 to 34 accounting for most of the incidents reported. Those keen for a caffeine kick while driving can also create an accident if they leave empty coffee cups lying around their vehicle. Twenty percent of those surveyed admitted they had crashed their car or had a near miss after a deserted coffee cup or empty drink bottle rolled under their brake pedal . However, it is not just wearing and eating that cause a threat from inside the car, man's best friend could also cause a catastrophe if not safely secured. One in eight motorists claimed to have had a scrape or near miss on the road due to their dog's wandering freely, climbing into the front seat or trying to escape through the windows. The accidents meant drivers took their eyes off the road for more than three seconds each time, according to the poll of 2,000 British motorists. The survey has found drivers will pick up an average bill of PS261.47 for the damage caused by every crash. Londoners were the most at risk of an accident closely followed by motorists in the West Midland and Wales. Janet Connor, a managing director, said many accidents could be avoided if people cleaned their cars regularly, as one in ten drivers involved in crashes admitted to driving inside a mountain of debris. She said, "The possible dangers and distractions outside the car are well known but as the evidence suggests, those within the car are often forgotten." We can mainly learn from the passage that _ . A. only 10% of the drivers remember to keep their car clean B. people often neglect the dangers outside the car C. dangers within the car should be given more attention to D. accidents can be avoided if cars are cleaned regularly Answer: C Question: Pablo Picasso was born in Spain in 1881.His father was a painter and art teacher who gave his son the first lesson in drawing.He won a prize--"Science and Charity" for his first important painting when he was only fifteen.He studied in several cities in Spain.But there was no one to teach him all that he wanted to know.When he was nineteen,he visited Paris. Paris was then the center of the world for artists.Everything that was new and exciting in the world of paintings seemed to happen there.When he was twenty-three,Picasso moved there to live and lived in France for the rest of his life. When he was over ninety,this great painter still lived his life like a young man.He was still looking for new ideas and new ways to use his artistic materials. When he died in 1973,he was ninety-one years old. ,. What prize did he win when he was fifteen? A. Science and Charity. B. Science and Art. C. Science and Painting. D. Painting and Charity. Answer: A
The small number of newborn babies, which has been caused by high prices and the changing social situation of women, is one of the most serious problems in Asia. When people talk about it, you can hear a word invented in Japan. which means Double Income Kids . In many major Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, the cost of a ****** is extremely high. A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about $3000,000 (though prices have fallen). For a flat with one bedrooms, one dining-room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, the couple will pay about $900 a month. What's more, if they want to have a child, the child's education is very expensive. For example, most kindergarten charges are at least $5.000 a year. In such a situation, it's difficult to afford children. The number of married women who want to continue working because they enjoy their jobs. However, if they want to have children, they immediately have serious problems. Though most companies allow women to leave their jobs for a short time to have a baby, they expect women with babies to give up their jobs. In short, if they want to bring up children properly, both parents have to work, but it is hard for mothers to work. Indeed, women who want to contimue working have to choose between having children or keeping their jobs. In a word, Asian governments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon as possible. According to the passage, which of the following is true? The word "DINKS" appeared in an Asian country. Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds Waiter / Waitress A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips . Most people that visit a restaurant don't just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant. Work in a library If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students. Internet jobs There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don't pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers. A student who is busy with his research paper will probably choose to work _ . in a library Classes for foreign students at all levels 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year course Open all year Small class (maximum 12 students) Library, language laboratory and listening center Accommodation with selected families 25 minutes from London Course fees for English for one year are PS1, 380, with reduction for shorter periods of study. While you stay there, _ will take care of you. the family you have chosen If you want to express something so unbelievable that it must have been a special effect, you have a new word to add to your vocabulary. It's "Duang", an onomatopoetic word which doesn't relate to any particular Chinese character and refers to a special effect. A video parody adapted from a shampoo commercial featuring Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan spread quickly online, leading Internet users to invent the new word. The video begins with Chan flashing his black, smooth hair, which would have been perfect except that it was not his real hair. Next, a self-satisfied Chan admits, to the repetitive, rhythmical sounds of "Duang", "I refused to approve of this product when they first came to me because of my thin hair, but the director insisted, saying special effects could be used to make my hair look healthy on the screen. Now you see, it's all special effects. It's not real." The original advertisement became the target of punishment by the government for over- spreading the effects of the shampoo after it was broadcast in 2004. "Duang" has now become one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social network site among those crazy ones imitating Jackie Chan's speech in different situations. The actor's Weibo account was flooded with comments containing the word in this sweeping online trend. The video came at a time when the famous movie star has been under public attention after trying to save the ill image of his son, Jaycee Chan, who was released from prison this week. Data from Baidu, the major Chinese search engine, also proved the phrase's popularity as it has been searched more than 586,000 times within two days. The word of geili's sudden rise in 2010 caught the attention of international media when it made up for the word's official translation-geilivable-to describe something cool or awesome. It's not the first time that online word has become a regular vocabulary in China. From the passage we know that the word "Duang" was originally made _ . by Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan In South America, the rich soil of the Amazon River basin in Brazil is known as "black gold". Scientists found that the secret of this rich soil was charcoal . Local people made it from animal bones and tree branches. They mixed the charcoal with the soil about 1.500 years ago. Now, scientists in the United States have done a modern demonstration. They say charcoal fertilization offers a revolutionary way to improve soil quality for hundreds or even thousands of years. Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University heated tree leaves, corn stalks , small pieces of wood and poultry waste into "biochar" . They reported their findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. Biochar could be good news for farmers with poor soil and hungry populations to feed. Professor Guo says it could even help against global warming. Intensive farming and overuse of chemical fertilizer give out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Biochar does the opposite, he says. It traps carbon in the ground. The researchers planted winter wheat in containers of soil in a greenhouse -- some with biochar, some without. Professor Guo says the wheat grows much better in the pots with biochar. The soil was added two percent charcoal to. But he says even a one percent treatment will increase productivity. The results demonstrated that biochar can increase organic matter in soil. Loss of nutrients in soil is an increasing problem worldwide as farmers try to grow more food for growing populations. Next, the team will carry out a five-year study of biochar with spinach , green peppers and tomatoes. Mingxin Guo says he learns about the "black gold" in Brazil from a magazine story. He explains that it was discovered in the jungle, in the area where waters flow to the Amazon, in the 1960's. But it was not until recent years that scientists began to bring public attention to it. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? Using Charcoal to Make soil into "Black Gold"
World Future Society People People may live for up to 120 years and use new technology to help when people go blind, deaf and have other problems. The number of people over a hundred years old could go from 135,000 today to 2.2 million people by 2050. By 2015 people think that 100 million workers will be able to work from home for a company in a different country by using the Internet. Money Worldwide e-business will become even more successful with online shops that sell special products for each person, which will be brought to their house the next day. Environment The technology for making energy from wind and the Sun is growing very quickly. In the future wind and Sun energy could become much cheaper and many more countries could use it. This would be very useful in poor countries. The air in big cities would also become much cleaner and healthier as a result. Society and culture The Internet will help to create more worldwide friendships. Families may spend more time together as people will be able to do 24-hour online banking and shopping. Technology The new science of "nanotechnology" (very small robots or machines) will make all sorts of products smaller and lighter. Very, very small machines could take away rubbish, make things in factories, and help inside the human body by taking away fat. By 2012 people will be able to wear these small machines that look like watches, which will give them lots of information about their body and keep them healthy. How will technology help people? Make people healthier and live longer. Characters: Sandy, Rose, Jane, Justin, Mrs. Lin Setting: A middle school Rose: Sandy, follow me after class. (They go to the office together.) Rose: You are often absent and your grades are not as good as before. What's happened to you? Sandy: No, it's nothing. Thanks for your care. Rose: Are you sure? Anyway, if you have any problem, tell me. (After school, Sandy and Jane are on the way home .) Jane: Sandy, I called you yesterday. Your mother told me that you had a part-time job. What's the matter with you?We have to study hard during this year before we take the entrance examination. This year is very important to us. Sandy: (Crying) My father has lost his job, and we have no money to pay all the spending. Jane: Oh, Sandy, Don't worry. I will help you. (After the day, Jane decides to tell Rose about Sandy's problem.) Jane: Rose, I have to tell you something about Sandy. Rose: Jane, you are Sandy's good friend. Do you know what's wrong with Sandy? Jane: Eh...I hear that Sandy's father has lost his job, and Sandy has a part-time job... Rose: OK, I understand. (Rose is in the social worker's office) Rose: ...I've told you everything about Sandy. Justin: I see. I'll manage it as soon as I can. (In Sandy's home, Mrs. Lin is ill in bed) Justin: Mrs. Lin, I understand your feeling, but it's her time to study hard to enter a good senior high school, she can't do a part-time job after class. Mrs. Lin: I know what you want to tell me. But, in fact, her father hasn't found a job and I ...(Crying) I've been ill in bed several years! Justin: Don't worry. I can introduce some work I know to her father. Mrs. Lin: Thank you very much. Who is Justin in the play? The social worker. Soap operas from South Korea have been popular in China for two decades now. So, it is not the first time Chinese TV dramas have paled in comparison. But this time, the one-two punch from The Heirs and My Love From the Star really hurts. A senior official freely admitted to being an occasional participant in the vast club of Korean soap watchers. It has also been reported that he follows House of Cards, an American political thriller that would understandably fascinate him. His remark opened the flood gate of complaints about why we are falling behind in the creative industry. Most seem to agree that, given some content limits, China's television industry is not able to produce something like House of Cards, which is very dark and filled with conspiracy . But there is a concern about our inability to make something as entertaining as My Love from the Star, a Korean love story about a time-traveling professor and a proud movie star. Judging from Chinese shows in recent years, time travel is not strictly forbidden, but allowed when it is used as a background and handled with kid gloves. A series of palace dramas is built on the plot that the female leading character is transported from contemporary times back to ancient China, playing the game of an unhappy girl and a real prince coming to her rescue. There are many reasons why Chinese soap operas have become the favorite punching bag. Among them is the most important one that the industry itself has never set right its mechanism for operation. The role of the creator, the most important job for American TV series programming that is often taken on by the head writer, is vacant in China. Because Chinese television came from the film industry, few have realized that, unlike director-dominated films, TV is the art of the writer, which is accepted in almost all countries with highly developed television industries. What can we learn about time travel? Time travel can be used but not freely. Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.The sense of humour ismysteriously connected with national characteristics.A Frenchman ,for instance, might find it hard to laugh at Russian joke.In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears. Most funny stories are based on comic situations.In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a worldwide request.No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say ,Charlie Chaplin's early films.However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from America, has recently come into fashion.It is called "sick humour".Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent (cause by force)death or serious accidents.Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.The following example of "sick humour" will enable you to judge for yourself. A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas.From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor tell him when he would be able to go home.He was afraid of having to spend Christmas in hospital .Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.On Christmas day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.The man took heart and, sure enough , on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital , the man drank a little more than what was good for him.In the process, he enjoyed himself and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. Whether you find "sick humour" funny or not will depend on _ . your ability to see the funny side of an unpleasant event Flora requires chlorophyll to undergo natural development
I'm flying high today after hearing the news that Bamboo People is a top ten book on the Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011 list from the American Library Association. Here are the top ten titles with annotations by YALSA librarians: Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown, and Co. Nailer is a light crew cleaner tearing up old hulks of ships, living day to day, until a rich girl and her gleaming ship run ashore in a storm on the beach and his life gets more dangerous. Donnelley, Jennifer. Revolution. Random House Children's Books/Delacorte. Haunted by the death of her brother, Andi is taken to Paris by her separated father where an encounter with a mysterious diary may bring her back from the edge. Marchetta, Melina. Finnikin of the Rock. Candlewick. Finnikin and his fellow exiles from Lumatere wish to return to their cursed homeland. Finnikin must go on an epic journey with a dumb beginner named Evanjalin to return home. Matson, Morgan. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. Simon & Schuster. Amy and Roger must both learn to deal with loss while on a road trip across the country which doesn't go as expected. McBride, Lish. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Macmillan Children's Book Group/Henry Holt. When Sam discovers he is a necromancer he must learn to control his power in order to defeat a powerful and corrupt opponent and save his friends. Mulligan, Andy. Trash. David Fickling Books. Three garbage-picker boys find an item of great value to a corrupt politician on their rounds, setting off a tense hunt to see who will win. Perkins, Mitali. Bamboo People. Chiko, a Burmese soldier and Tu Reh, a Kerenni refugee meet on opposite sides of war and each must learn what it means to be a man of his people. Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Random House Children's Books/Wendy Lamb. Boaz is back and cheered as the hometown hero, but he is not at all the same. Can his younger brother Levi help him truly make his way home? Saenz, Benjamin. Last Night I Sang to the Monster. Cinco Puntos Press, 2009. Weeks in therapy go by and 18-year-old Zach is still unable to remember the monstrous events that left him alone and haunted by nightmares. Sedgwick, Marcus. Revolver. Roaring Brook Press. Sig is alone with his father's body when the lawless man his father had managed to escape appears out of the icy wilderness From above, we can learn _ . A The plot Hold me closer, Necromance is similar to Superman and Spiderman B Bamboo people deals with two soldiers share joys and sorrows in the war C The main themes of Revolution and Revolver are both about father and son D Trash is a book about a fierce conflict which occurs between police and gangs Answer: A In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world. In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with confidence, so she was sent to Hammersmith Hospital in London. She was then only semi-conscious and on the "Dangerously Ill" list. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were confused by the very unusual symptoms . While they were discussing the baby's case, a nurse asked to speak to them. "Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitlan, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium poisoning." "What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare." "A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitlan explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the symptoms are described. They're exactly the same as the baby's." "You're very thoughtful and you may be right," another doctor said. "We'll carry out some tests and find out whether it's thallium or not." Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance used in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later it was reported that the poison might have come from an insecticide used in Qatar. As far as we can tell from the passage, Agatha Christie _ . A had spent a long time studying the baby's case B visited the baby in the hospital at Hammersmith C had never met this baby D gave Nurse Maitlan some advice on the phone Answer: C US military is attempting to develop a new style "insect robot" to replace the human soldier to go wherever he can't. The greatest trouble this project has fallen across is how to enable the robot to fly freely like an insect, said an official of the Pentagon . The Pentagon is seeking for the cooperation with scientists in hope of developing a new technique by which people can control the insect's flight direction and pass on the information its eyes or other organs catch through the equipment set in its body, the official said. It is thus designed that a tiny controlling chip will be equipped in an insect's body when it is in chrysalis . As the insect grows, the cut made when fixing in the chip will be recovered. The chip will exist in forever. Scientists believe this won't influence the insect, sound growth or the functions of internal organs. The _ target of the project is to set up a global system, in which the insect robots will be stationed in all parts of the world and stick to their posts till a new instruction is received. At that time the military can receive from all over the world clear image information within about 5 meters of the insects and that of a special target within 100 meters. Years ago, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of US DOD spent $3,000,000 carrying out a plan for training bees to detect landmines. But, no new progress has so far been made. "According to the scientists, there is still enormous difficulty in technology in turning it into reality, such as the insects reproduction , their adaptation to the surroundings and temperature and so on. However, this project is really challenging. If successful, it is equal to making countless small drone ,"said the official of DOD. According to the description of the passage, what is an insect robot like? A An insect made of a certain metal. B A robot looking like an insect. C An insect with a chip in its body. D A tiny flying robot. Answer: C Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. Many advertisements are designed to produce increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinforcement of "brand image" and "brand loyalty". For these purposes, advertisements sometimes fixes their persuasive message with fact-based information. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages, including television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company or other organization. Organizations that frequently spend large sums of money on advertising that sells what is not, strictly speaking, a product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations, and military recruiters. Non-profit organizations are not typical advertising customers, and may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as public service announcements. Advertising spending has increased greatly in recent years. In 2006, spending on advertising has been estimated at $155 billion in the United States and $385 billion worldwide , and the latter to be over $500 billion by 2010. While advertising can be seen as necessary for economic growth, it is not without social costs. Unsolicited commercial email and other forms of spam have become so widespread as to have become a major trouble to users of these services, as well as being a financial burden on internet service providers. Advertising is increasingly invading public spaces, such as schools, which some critics argue is a form of child exploitation . The following organizations may advertise to make money except _ . A TOYOTA MOTOR B LADIES OF ChARITY OF AUSTIN C U.S.POSTAL SERVICE D NIPPON LIFE INSURANCE Answer: B Moving should be an exciting time -- you're off to a new home, maybe moving up to a larger home. But for many people, moving turns into a stressful experience. It doesn't have to be that way. Some planning and a little research can make your next move the best one ever. Organization is the key to a successful move, so list your friends. Write down all the details that you need, especially things that might be lost during the move. Once you decide to move, start packing things immediately. You can find all the supplies you need, such as boxes, packing tape and more at truck rental outlets like Budget Truck Rental. The experts there can help you figure out how many and what types of boxes you'll need. About a month before your moving date, reserve your moving truck. The company you choose makes a big difference. Budget Truck Rental has 30,000 trucks nationwide for you to choose. Take care of your mail. Stop by your local post office and write the new address where your mail should be sent. You'll also want to change the address on any magazine subscriptions or other services you receive by mail. Make sure you have a group of friends to help you move. If you still have some boxes to pack, your friends can help you put the boxes into the truck while you finish up. According to the passage, Budget Truck Rental is a company that _ . A offers some free services B sends your magazines to your home C provides jobs for the people who want to move D helps to make your move easier Answer: A
The incompleteness of the fossil record results primarily from which phenomenon? Answer: the rarity with which organic remains are exposed to fossil-forming conditions Which statement identifies an energy source as renewable? Answer: Wind, because it is always available. Three years have passed since I entered the university. I haven't seen many of my classmates after we parted when the college entrance examination was over. So we decided to have a get-together party this summer vacation. As you can imagine, I could hardly wait to have the day for our reunion. After several month's waiting, 25 of my former higher school classmates and 3 of our teachers were crowded in a small restaurant near our high school. We were more than happy to meet with each other again. Our former Chinese teacher was so excited that he even choked to say some words. With gratitude, we thanked our teachers for their hard work; with great joy, we exchanged the happy things happening in each of our present colleges; We talked before someone shouted. "Oh, it is 11:30 now." But no one would be the first to say goodbye to others . I shall always bear this unforgettable get-together in my mind. With time passing, I believe I will meet many new friends, but I think the friendship among high school classmates will be the purest and will be the most valuable thing to cherish. What is the writer probably? Answer: He is a university student. We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck. That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people. One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands--often at the wrong time--during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors. Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats...Well, what now...God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men's room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is " _ ". Another, well--known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go--for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink. Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth. We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it. We also call such a person a " _ , always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for "rubber necks". They hate being watched secretly. Where can you find this passage? Answer: In a social science book. To communicate well with other people,you must learn to speak well,right? Yes,but speaking isn't everything.Some experts say that only thirty percent of communication comes from talking.Your gestures and other non-verbal actions matter,too.But in different cultures,the same action can have different meanings. When you have to meet someone from a different culture,be prepared.Do you know what kind of gestures and customs are appropriate ? _ In many Western cultures,men stand up before they are introduced to someone important.Standing up shows politeness and respect.After that,somepne usually offers to shake hands. But in the east,typical introductions often begin and end with bowing rather than shaking hands.Sometimes even a small nod of the head is enough.Some Westerners visiting Asia misunderstand shaking hands as a sign of unfriendliness.Such a mistake could be harmful to the start of a new frienship. Which is NOT mentioned in the passage? Answer: You will do the same when you are introduced.
Though the Web is becoming increasingly popular, the TV never fails to attract people. Do you know which television network is the largest in America? It is not ABC, CBS, or Fox. Nor is it one of the cable net-works such as CNN, which carries only news and news stories. It is not ESPN, the all-sports cable net-work, or even MTV, which is famous for its music videos. Rather it is PBS, Public Broadcasting System, a non-profit public broadcasting TV service. PBS has 349 member television stations in the U. S. and some member stations by cable in Canada. PBS only attracts a minority of all TV viewers, about 2 percent. The industry leader, NBC, however, attracts 11 percent of viewers. But the growth of public television in the past two decades has been dramatic. This is especially noteworthy when one considers that public television stations must often survive on very limited budgets, on viewers' donations, and on private foundations and some governmental funding. The level of quality of PBS programs, whether in national and international news, entertainment, or education, is excellent. Almost a whole generation of children throughout the world is familiar with Sesame Street and the characters of The Muppet Show. PBS is especially well known for the quality of its many educational TV programs. Over 95 percent of all public television stations have tele-courses. These courses are accepted and supported by more than 1, 800 colleges and universities throughout the US. Each year, over a quarter of a million students take courses this way. Which of the following is TRUE about public television stations? 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. Which of the following statements is NOT true? Mary is from the USA. She has two brothers. Now her family are in China. Her father, Mr Peterson, teaches English in Xihu Middle School. Her mother works in the same school. She teaches English, too. Mary goes to school in her father's car with her mother every day. Mary is a nice girl student. She can speak a little Chinese. She is very lovely, so she has many Chinese friends. She teaches them English, and they teach her Chinese. Her two brothers are twins. One is Bob, and the other is Bill. They look the same. They are only five. So their grandparents look after them at home. Mrs Peterson has many toys for the twin brothers. Bob likes to play with toy cars, but Bill likes to play with teddy bears. They are happy every day. Mary's family name is _ . One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather's belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather's handwriting, the young man opened the envelope. A letter inside read: Dear Ronny, Years ago you came to me for help. You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of energy, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you've got?" I didn't know what to say to you then. _ , I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe. I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it "keeping your eyes wide open". When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals. And always follow the rules, even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself. It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it. But be ready to end up in some new places, too. As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings. Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn't just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view. Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going. And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most of you. Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win.Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you. Love always, Grandpa According to the passage, _ . 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. _ have light of their own.
My cousin Bob likes watching sports matches very much . He goes to the stadium to watch football matches at the weekend. He is also good at playing football. Now he is in the Football Club. Beckham is his favourite football player. When Bob is free, he always buys newspapers about sports. He watches sports news on TV,too. Bob's school is very big and beautiful. There is a football field, a tennis court and a swimming pool in it. He usually plays football with his friends after school. He wants to be a good football player. There isn't a _ in Bob's school. A. football field B. tennis court C. swimming pool D. basketball court Answer: D A small ,white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for the past ten years or so. It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas--oh, not the true meaning of Christmas.Overspending was one thing, but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts--running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma...,spending money is nothing. I felt too tired to think of any special gifts. Knowing Justin felt the same way, I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.These youngsters, dressed in such worn-out shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets to protect their ears. Well, our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class. Justin, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot potential , but losing like this could take the heart out of them." Justin loved kids--all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football and baseball. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to inner-city church without leaving my name. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas. We know from the passage that the team sponsored by inner-city church _ . A. were well dressed B. paid no attention to safety C. feared Kevin's team D. couldn't afford a helmet Answer: D Students who want to study in the United States may find that their chances for financial aid are limited. They often have to pay for their education with their own savings or their family's money. A recent report from the Institute of International Education in New York looked at 2008-2009 school year. Colleges and universities in the United States had more than half a million foreign students. 63% of them paid for school mostly by themselves or with family help. 26% percent were supported by the school they attended. There are other sources of financial aid for international students. These include a student's home government or university, or the United States government. Private sponsors, international organizations and employers may also provide support. Yet during the last school year, not many students were able to depend on any of these other sources. Current employers provided the most help. Still, they represented the main support for just four percent of international students. Those at the graduate level, however, are more likely than undergraduates to receive financial aid in the United States. More than 80% percent of foreign undergraduates depended mostly on personal and family money to pay for school last year. The same was true of less than half of graduate students. Most of the others received financial aid from their college or university in the United States. A list of American schools that offer financial aid to foreign students can be found at a useful Web site. The address is edupass.org. This site also provides information about scholarship programs. But it warns foreign students not to pay if there is any charge for scholarship application forms. You could be cheated out of your money. Most foreign students depend on _ to pay for their education. A. the home universities B. personal or family money C. the American schools D. international organization Answer: B Baths and bathing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time. Treating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700's has also become popular in the United States. For many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one's health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided , and _ was often used to cover up body smells! By the 1700's doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common. In the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were known as "The Great Unwashed!" In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bath every thirty days! That was a law! Frequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bathe once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential to good health. Dirty bodies can _ . A. ruin one's business B. cause disease C. drive customers away D. cause good health Answer: B It is often said that you cannot "teach an old dog new tricks", but three New Zealand dogs have decided to prove otherwise by learning a skill --- driving a car! What's even more impressive is that the three who have become skilled in just eight weeks are not special dogs that belong to some rich owners, but abandoned ones at New Zealand's SPCA. To get their training started, 10-month old Porter, 18-month-old Monty and one-year-old Ginny were selected from a pool of seven potential candidates and moved to Animal Q, a talent agency that teaches animals tricks for movies and television shows. The driving classes began with teaching the dogs some basic driving techniques like turning the steering wheels and applying the brakes. After that the dogs practiced everything they had learnt behind the wheels of a motorized car. Then finally, it was time for the big test--- driving a real car! Human cars are not really built for four-legged animals, so the car they drove was adjusted so that the dogs could sit comfortably and easily reach the steering wheel with their paws. Though they all seemed to do very well, the real test came on Monday night when Monty, the best driver of the three, showed his great driving skill on live television. Why would the SPCA go through so much trouble to highlight the skills of homeless dogs? The reason is to show that adopting a dog from a shelter does not mean owners are getting a pet that is worse than one purchased from a keeper. The CEO of the SPCA is hoping that this unusual event will be enough to convince the residents of New Zealand to consider them, when searching for a pet. We surely hope so, meanwhile we are almost certain that these three pioneers have at least landed their names in the Guinness World Records, creating a category that probably does not even exist today! The car the dogs drove was adjusted _ . A. because is was too big for the dogs to drive B. because it had no steering wheels and brakes C. to ensure the dogs could sit comfortably and drive easily D. to motorize the car and turn it to be a real one Answer: C
Mr. White works in a park. He can't hear or speak. He looks after the chairs in the park. Some chairs in the park look very old. Mr. White wants to paint them. It is cloudy today. There are few people in the park,so Mr. White starts to paint a chair. After he paints it,he goes back to his office and brings a card with "WET PAINT" on it. He wants to put the card near the chair. He takes the card and walks to the chair. Dave is taking a walk in the park. He feels a little tired .He wants to sit on a chair. He sees the chair. He is walking to it,too. Mr. White finds someone behind him walking to the same chair. He walks quickly. When Dave sees this,he begins to run. Mr. White begins to run,too. Dave runs faster than (......)Mr. White and he sits on the chair. He does not know the paint is wet. Mr. White is not happy to see him sitting on the chair. He shows Dave the card. Dave feels very embarrassed . Mr.White paints a chair on a _ day. Do you like traveling? Have you traveled to Los Angeles? Have you traveled to the moon? A rich man plans to live on Mars. Is it the beginning of a science fiction novel? In fact, it happens in the real world. Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of a private spaceflight company. He has said his plan is to live on the planet. He says he plans to live on Mars with a group of fewer than ten people. He will take them on a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane . Each one should pay $ 500,000 to fly there. However, these passengers are not going there to travel, but they are going to work. They need to carry tools to build houses and grow crops there. Musk believes one person out of every 100,000 people may be interested in making the journey. Then Mars will have sixty-three thousand people in the future. A rich man plans to live on _ . Mr William Shakespeare and the Internet Explanation of Contents This is the fourth edition of these pages. It is hard to believe, but once again they are new and improved. My motive in publishing these pages remains to help and stimulate others in Shakespeare studies, and especially those who might contribute their work to the Internet. The spirit of altruism that originally built the Internet is not quite gone, though, sadly, through the pressure of time and profit has lessened. A major new addition to the pages is a Shakespeare Timeline, which is an online biography mounted at this site. The problems with searching for Shakespeare resources using the available Search Engines are: ---- It is difficult to focus most searches so that you get a manageable number of relevant hits; ---- It is impossible by simply reading an abstract to make any distinction between the output of a Junior High School student and that of a professional researcher. Another change in these pages over previous editions is the "What's News" page. If you come away from these pages with the feeling that they are very useful but slightly pedantic , I will have realized my goal. An Apology I am continually apologizing to the many who have written me requesting revisions of the pages. We are all too busy. I simply have not had the time to dedicate to these pages that I wish. But I love the material and so have, at long last, made some time to update them. A Reminder to Young Students These pages contain the best links I can find to Shakespeare on the Internet. As a reminder, I would say I very much enjoy hearing from people who view and use these pages. If you want to do Shakespeare research using the web, this page is a great starting point, and I keep it as current as I can. The web is in its infancy(in bringing good, scholarly content to students. Don't forget the best, if not quickest, resources are still in your library. The passage is written to _ . Which of the following statements applies to all states of matter? There was once a professor of medicine, who was very strict with his students. Whenever he took the chair on the exam committee, the students would be in fear, because he was seldom pleased with the answers they gave. A student would be lucky enough if he or she could receive a good mark from him. At the end of the term, the students of medicine would take their exam again. Now a student entered the exam room and got seated before the committee. This student was a little nervous as he knew it would not be so easy to get through the exam at all. The professor began to ask. The student was required to describe a certain illness, his description of which turned out to be OK. Then the professor asked about the cure for the illness, and the student, too, answered just as right. "Good," said the professor, "and how much will you give the patient?" "A full spoon," answered the student. "Now you go out and wait for what you can get," said the professor. At the same time the committee discussed carefully the answers the student had given. Suddenly the student noticed there was something wrong with his last answer. "A full spoon is too much," he thought to himself. Anxiously he entered the room and cried, "Mr. Professor, I've made a mistake! A full spoon is too much for the patient. He can take only five drops. " "I'm sorry, sir," said the professor coldly, "but it's too late. Your patient has died." Which of the following is NOT true according to this text?
Saber Miresmailli was on vacation in London when, caught in a bit of traffic on London Bridge, he decided to take a photo of Tower Bridge. "I noticed the couple," he said. "At that moment, I did not see anyone from the wedding party or a photographer with the couple, so I took several pictures. Usually, my pictures are not very good given the fact that I don't use flash and I don't stop to compose --so when we get back after two weeks, I was very surprised to find this one turned out so well." Miresmailli said, "I thought to myself, if it was me getting married, I would have wanted the picture." So he posted the photo on Facebook and attached a few friends with the hope of finding the couple and passing them the picture. What happened next, he said, "was crazy." "I received more than 2,000 requests from perfect strangers and lots of positive and negative emails." Until this afternoon, almost 230,000 people had shared his Facebook post on the photo. There's also been an uncertain identification of the couple. It's likely that their names are Laura and James. "If it's the right couple," Miresmailli said, "they are on their honeymoon in Bali and have no idea about the photo. I believe they will be shocked to find out about their fame". Miresmailli said he's been drowned by the interest in the photo. "I just want to give them their picture and go back to work and tend my tomatoes," he said. Saber Miresmailli is seeking for a couple who _ . A held the wedding party in Bali B were looking for their wedding pictures C were taken a photo by him without knowing it D became famous for their honeymoon experience Answer: C. were taken a photo by him without knowing it Animals that eat both plant matter and meat are referred to as A decomposers. B scavengers. C herbivores. D omnivores. Answer: D. omnivores. Do you like keep a diary? When I entered the university, I began to keep a diary. I can find the first day in the university was filled with excitement and also sadness. As I was afraid that parents were worried about me,I pretended to be OK in front of them.But after saying Goodbye,I turned my back,tears falling down.Then I entered the new dormitory,feeling a little sad.I still remember, the first night was terrible! The following days were better, and I started to taste the freedom and happiness with a lot of friends all day.And the everyday diary was full of joy! I recorded almost everything happened during the days.I even recorded what I had eaten.For me, all was interesting. So far, I have recorded about 220 diaries.The diary is just like a treasure.Many years later, when I open the diary, I am opening the door of memory, going back to those good old days.However, _ One of my friends ever said to me,"I don't keep a diary. I prefer to put things aside in my mind. Only those time--tested are worth remembering forever,And as for the rest to be forgotten,just let them go..."Maybe,he is right.I think everyone has his own way to remember some special things.No matter what you sort to,the important key is to preserve the time of your life forever.Some day,when you date back to it,you'll remember the past. What can be inferred from the passage? A The writer was very sad and didn't like to leave his parents. B The writer's parents didn't love him very much. C The writer used to feel sad without any reasons. D The writer wasn't satisfied with the university. Answer: A. The writer was very sad and didn't like to leave his parents. There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with bread and a six-pack of beer and started on his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry ,so he offered her a chunk of bread. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her some beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how sad he was and he got up to leave. He turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug . She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God. You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!" Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was astonished by the look of joy on her face and he asked,"Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"She replied,"I ate bread in the park with God. You know. He's much younger than I expected." What did the boy know before his journey? A He had little chance to meet God. B It would be long before he met God. C He would run into many difficulties on the road. D God would greet him with the most beautiful smile. Answer: B. It would be long before he met God. Census Bureau data released Thursday show that 48 of the 50 most populous U.S. cities have grown since 2010, compared with only 40 of the top 50 in the first two years after the 2000 Census. Of the top 100, 93 have grown since 2010, compared with just 72 a decade ago. Many of the biggest, such as New York, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas, are outpacing the nation's 1.7% growth rate since 2010. "Urban America is recovering faster than more remote places," said Robert Lang, a professor of urban affairs. Only two big cities - Detroit and Cleveland - lost population between 2010 and 2012. The urban recovery is led by mid-sized cities including Austin and Fort Worth and Charlotte. Austin grew 6.6% in two years, becoming the USA's 11th-largest city. In 2000, it was No. 17. Other trends: * New York City grew 2%, adding about 161,500 people since 2010. By far it is the USA's most populous city. * The population of New Orleans continues to grow. In 2005 a terrible natural disaster happened to the city, causing the population to decrease. Now it has a population of three hundred and sixty-nine thousand. The number has grown by 7.4% since 2010. * Government budget crunches have put state capitals in difficulty. Half are behind the growth rate of their regions. Perhaps the biggest exception to the capital crunch is Austin. It has grown more than 26% since 2000. Population expert William Frey says Austin enjoys a number of qualities that make it attractive. It's a high-tech city with a state university. And it's in Texas, an attractive place for newcomers. "In some ways it's a model of what other cities would like to become," he says. Frey notes that Charlotte, which grew 5.4% since 2010 has grown into a high-tech and financial center whose industries do business not just with those in other U.S. cities but with the rest of the world. According to the text, Charlotte _ . A is a political center B has grown slowly since 2010 C is the USA's 11th-largest city D does business at home and abroad Answer: D. does business at home and abroad
One morning, Bill said he was ill. His mother called a taxi and took him to the doctor. The doctor asked Bill, "What's the matter, young man?" Bill answered, "I'm feeling sick. I'm coughing and having a headache . I won't be able to go to school today, I'm afraid." The doctor looked him over carefully, and then asked his mother, "What did he have for breakfast?" His mother said, "He had four pieces of dread, two eggs, a bottle of milk and an orange." The doctor smiled, "Don't worry. It's nothing serious. The boy will be all right after the football match." The mother said, "I don't understand, Doctor." The doctor smiled again," This afternoon, the biggest football game of the year will be on TV. Your boy doesn't want to miss it. I think he will be fine after the game. You wait and see." Bill and his mother went to the doctor _ that morning. A by bus B by taxi C in a car D on foot Answer: B. by taxi Rubber can protect from A cold B burns C electricity D fire Answer: C. electricity On Saturday, February 12 two thousand, two things happened that changed everything in my life. The first was that on this day my baby sister was married. She was twenty-six this day, and yet to me she was still my baby sister. I suppose that I pictured her as a little girl, and treated her like one in order to hold onto and preserve my own youth. Until I saw her in her wedding dress I still had a vision of her with chubby little cheeks and long, dark-brown pigtails blowing in the wind, perhaps even a permanent smudge of chocolate around her pink lips. I guess it's true that you see only what you want to see. Where did this beautiful woman with the glowing complexion and gentle curves come from? I was happy that day, and also sad. Gone were the days of me bossingher around and telling her what she should do with her life. My bossy behavior had earned me the nickname Lucy. If you are a Peanuts fan then you can clearly imagine my behavior as an older sister. To me it wasn't an insult; I rather like the nickname Lucy. I happen to think that Lucy is strong and has incredible self-confidence, although she is a little overbearing at times. I did my best to live up to the standards set forth by this dynamic cartoon character. I left the reception to get some air because suddenly I was overcome with grief at the realization that I was no longer a child. I went outside and walked to a nearby playground where there were children playing on the slide, the swings and digging in the dirt. There was a little girl twirlingaround on a bar, one knee wrapped tightly around the bar and fashioned behind her knee. It was all I could do to sit there and just watch, for I too wanted to get on that bar with her and see if I could still hold the all-timetwirlingrecord (ninety-nine times in fifth grade). Somewhere inside I knew that I would break my neck, and I was wearing abridesmaiddress. Not exactly playground material. And so I sat watching the children play. I'm not sure how long I sat there before my sister came and joined me. We talked about how we are grown up now and shed a few tears for our childhood days gone by. As she wiped a tear from my eye she lovingly said, "you'll always be Lucy to me." We hugged. My cousin Mike walked over and told my sister that it was time to cut the cake. And then he dropped bomb number two on me. "Hey, did you guys hear that Charles Schultz died today?" He said it like it was no big deal. He took my sister's arm and turned to head back for the reception hall. "Coming?" They asked. "In a minute." I replied, and sat back down on the bench, dizzy from what he had just told me. Dead? How could Charles Schultz be dead? He was my creator! And though I have never met the man personally, he has always been like an invisible father to me. He did, after all, fashion a famous character after me. I lost so many things on this day. Innocence slipped away from me like a thief in the night: come and gone before I could do anything about it, taking with it all the treasures that I held most valuable in my heart. I felt myself grow up, all in one moment. Reality rushed in around me like a hurricanetide. There was nowhere to run to. All I could do was sit there and watch it destroy and reshape what had existed only a moment before. I was no longer a child. I was no longer Lucy who knew what was best for everyone else. I saw, for the first time, what I really was--a thirty-year old woman with a husband of my own, and soon, a child of my own. I allowed the tide to carry my sadness out with it. Take it out to sea, for it serves no purpose in my life. I stood up from the bench; a little taller than I was when I sat down. I turned and headed back to the hall, hoping I didn't miss the cutting of the cake. It was the day my sister grew wings of her own and left the nest. _ Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? A Two Things That Changed My Life B Letting Go of Yesterday C My Sister And Charles Schultz D My Sister's Wedding Answer: B. Letting Go of Yesterday On the first evening, the three of us were tired after walking for about eight hours. We soon fell asleep. In the morning, I was surprised to find the bag of food had been open. "Bears," said Joe, "we should hang the food in a tree tonight." Later that day we stopped in a beautiful field by a river. We put up the tent and fell asleep. During the night the bears came again. This time they took the food from the tree. "Bears can climb trees. They can smell food from a long way away," said Ben. "We must keep the camp clean. Bears must think our rubbish is food," I said. "And we should make lots of noise, too. If they know where we are, they may not come any closer," said Joe. "But if you see a bear," said Ben, "you mustn't make any sudden moves or make a sound, and you mustn't run either. No one can run faster in the forest than a bear. And remember we don't have a gun to keep us safe." That night, we went to sleep ... or we tried to. The next day, while the others were resting, I went for a walk in the forest. Suddenly, I saw a baby bear playing with some sticks and stones. He looked so soft and friendly, and I thought, "If I reach out, I can just touch him." There was a loud noise behind me. I didn't dare to move, not even turn my head. There was another loud noise. The baby bear looked up, and ran towards me. I turned pale and he ran past me into the woods. I couldn't turn round until a few minutes later. Then I saw the baby bear and his huge mother walking away. I ran back to my friends. I have never run so fast. For the next 10 days, every time there was sudden noise, my blood went cold. In Ben's opinion, which is the right way to protect ourselves when we see a bear? A We mustn't move suddenly. B We should make lots of noise. C We can touch him softly. D We should run as quickly as we can. Answer: A. We mustn't move suddenly. Five boys are suspected of starting a fire that destroyed their school on the eve of the new term. Police said yesterday that five boys -- one aged 11, two 12-year-olds, one aged 13 and one 15 -- arrested on suspicion of starting the fire had been released until later this month. Parents said the five pupils all attended St Mary's. Pupils witnessed their schoolwork being destroyed in the fire at Leyland St Mary's Catholic Technology College in Lancashire. The 1950s science block was reduced to the ground in Sunday's fire, which created clouds of smoke visible for miles. It is reported that the library and sports hall were also destroyed beyond repair. Strong winds and a shortage of water prevented 125 firemen trying to bring it under control. Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene until late this afternoon. Staffs were due to attend the school yesterday for an inset day, and pupils pupils were to return for lessons after the holidays today. St Mary's head teacher Kathy McNicholas fought back the tears as she watched her school go up in flames last night. She said, "This is so upsetting to watch. It's heartbreaking. It's very _ for the staff and the children. Everyone had been looking forward to coming back for the new school year." Finding somewhere around 730 children won't be easy. A few of the staff have turned up to see if there is anything they can do and they have all been shocked and saddened by what has happened. "It's tragic because we have only just had a lot of refreshment work done to the school during the summer break. It was a big investment. The community around here very much looks after its school." Plans were being drawn up to provide alternative classrooms for 730 children, with parents warned to keep them at home for at least the rest of the week. What's the main idea of the passage? A Five boys started a fire that destroyed their school. B The firemen failed in controlling the fire. C The staff and the children were upset. D The school planned to take measures to solve the problem. Answer: A. Five boys started a fire that destroyed their school.
How would you like to brush a crocodile's teeth? Or give a shark a bath? Cats are well-known for the way they keep themselves clean by licking , but other animals have their own ways to stay clean as well. And tidiness can be important for their survival. Even cockroaches have to keep their feelers clean to help them into food. Many animals in the wild, such as deer, wolves and bears, have an automatic cleaning system. Insects like to attach themselves to animals to feed on the skin or blood. These parasites can be unhealthy. But their "host" animals are constantly dropping skin and fur by a natural process. They also like to rub up against trees or rocks to comfort themselves, and this removes additional skin and fur. Along with old fur goes the dirt and parasites living in the fur. While these animals may sometimes take a bath when they enter or cross a river or lake, they don't need the water to stay clean. They don't get sweaty, because they don't have sweat glands all over their bodies the way people do. Growing new skin and fur is enough to keep them clean. Some animals and birds use dust to get clean. Chinchillas, a kind of small animal that lives in the mountains of South America, have a very fine fur. (They are raised for their fur, in fact.) If they took water baths, they might get too cold. So, instead, they roll around in fine dust, raising quite a cloud as they "bathe". The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry. This protects them from bacteria and parasites that enjoy warm and wet places. And the fine dust doesn't stick in their fur for long. It falls off or blows away. As for lions and tigers, their rough tongues act like combs and can remove dirt and loose fur. Why is it important for them to stay clean and smooth? It helps them stay cool in very hot summer or feel warm in cold winter. According to the passage, such animals as deer, wolves and bears clean themselves by_. Answer: replacing their skin and fur naturally Churchill's full name was Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. He was born in 1874. He was educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1900 Churchill was elected a member of parliament .As First Lord of the Admiralty , in 1911, he was responsible for strengthening the British navy. During World War I, he still remained a member of parliament, but he resigned from his post in the British navy, and became a soldier again, fighting in France. In 1917, however, he became Minister of Munitions . In this job, he encouraged the development and use of the tank, which was then a new weapon. After the war, Churchill held several government posts. From 1931 to 1939, he was only a member of parliament. He had fallen into dislike because of his militant (war-loving) attitude. Even his closest friends discouraged him from seeking higher office. But when World War II started in 1939. Churchill returned to his former job as First Lord of the Admiralty. In May 1940, he became Prime Minister. Throughout the war, Churchill showed great strength and energy. He worked for long periods with little sleep and traveled many thousands of miles. By the courage and determination expressed in his speeches, he inspired the people of Britain to keep on fighting. His speeches also gave hope to people in parts of Europe occupied by enemy forces. In the general election at the end of the war, the Conservative Party, of which he was leader, was defeated. But he became Prime Minister again in 1951. He resigned as Prime Minister in 1955. However, he remained a member of parliament until 1964. Some time later, in 1965, he died. How many times was Churchill elected Prime Minister? Answer: Two. The earth is not the only body that travels around the sun. With it are eight other planets, fellow members of the sun's family. Two of them, Mercury and Venus, are nearer while the other six, namely Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, also in their given order from the sun, are farther from the sun than the earth is. The farther they are, the longer trips they make around the sun. People noticed long ago that these traveling bodies moved around in the sky in definite paths. It is a force called gravity that holds them in their paths. We know that every little bit of matter in the universe pulls upon every other bit of matter. The pull between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses. Because the sun is so large the pull between the sun and the planets are thus great. If it were not for this pull, the planets would fly off into space. In the same way there exists a pull between the earth and the moon, which keeps the moon traveling in its orbit around our planet, the earth. Gravity holds you to its surface, and pulls back to it the ball which you throw into the air. Of course the ball also pulls on the larger earth but the earth is so much larger that the pull is not noticed. Now remember that large bodies exert a greater pull than smaller ones which contain less material. But each object in the universe, no matter how small, pulls on all other objects to some degree. Which two planets make the longest trips around the sun among all the planets in the solar system? Answer: Neptune and Pluto. Raymond Schneider politely made his way through crowds of customers as he made for the candy bins at Dylan's Candy Bar in Manhattan. Since he was out of employment, Mr. Schneider, a 33-year-old designer, says he has become a person who always buys a lot of sweets every time he shops for groceries. "Sugar is comforting," he said. "There's nothing more stressful than growing financial insecurity everywhere." The recession seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing amounts of candy. Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the economy. For others, candy also reminds them of better times. And not importantly, it is ly cheap. At Candyality, a store in Chicago, business has jumped by nearly 80 percent and the owner, Terese McDonald, said she was struggling to keep up with the demand for Bit-O-Honeys, and Sour Balls. Many big candy makers are also reporting rising sales and big profits . "It's not surprising." said Peter Liebhold, chairman of the Smithsonian Institution's work and industry division. "During the Great Depression in the 1930's, candy companies stayed in business." Raymond Schneider was set as an example to show _ . Answer: many Americans in the recession like sweets which are comforting Owner and his employee, Driver, consult Attorney about a motor vehicle collision resulting in a suit by Litigant against Owner and Driver as joint defendants. Attorney calls Irving, his investigator, into the conference to make notes of what is said, and those present discuss the facts of the collision and Owner's insurance. Owner thereafter files a cross-claim against Driver for indemnity for any damages obtained by LitigantDriver calls Irving in his defense against the cross-claim. He seeks to have Irving testify to an admission made by Owner in the conference. On objection by Owner, the court should rule that Irving's testimony is Answer: admissible, because the attorney-client privilege does not apply, in suits between those conferring with him, to joint consultations with an attorney.
Outside her cottage, old Mrs. Taylor was hanging out laundry on a wire line, unaware that some children were hiding in a nearby tree watching her every move. They were determined to find out if she really was a witch. They watched nervously as she took a broomstick to sweep the dirt from her stone steps. But much to their disappointment, she didn't get on the broomstick and fly off. The old lady only looked up when her hen began to make sounds loudly --signaling that she had laid an egg in the nest on the top of the haystack. . The old lady put aside her broomstick and walked to the haystack, followed by Michael, a black cat she had rescued from a fox trap. With only three legs, it was hard for Michael to keep up with his mistress. The cat was proof for the children that only a witch would own a black cat with three legs! Crawling further along the branches, they could clearly see the haystack. Mrs. Taylor was standing on a wooden box with the new-laid egg in one hand. Placing the egg in her pocket, she readied herself to climb down. Then, without warning, the box broke under her and she crashed to the ground. The children were in horror. "Should we go and help her?" asked Mia. "What if it's a trick?" replied Patrick. "She probably knows we're here. Witches know things like that!" After thinking for a while, Julia said"Anyway, we should go and check whether she is all right." Approaching _ , they could see a wound on the old lady's forehead. She had knocked her head on a stone and was unconscious. "Go and get Dad," Mia yelled to her brothers. "Tell him about the accident." The boys didn't need another excuse to leave. They ran as fast as they could for help, hoping that Mrs. Taylor would not regain consciousness and turn the girls into frogs. Later, in the hospital, the old lady smiled her thanks. "I was so lucky that you lovely children happened to be passing when 1 fell. I must have yelled quite loudly." The children exchanged guilty glances, but were very pleased that she was not a witch after all! Why was Patrick not willing to help Mrs. Taylor when she fell ? A. He thought that she could be cheating them. B. He was afraid of the three-legged black cat. C. He did not think that she was hurt in the fall. D. He knew he and the others shouldn't have been in her tree. Answer: A. He thought that she could be cheating them. Several weeks ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mailbox. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was ly certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn't sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. Ed, my husband, explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper deliveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are finished at 4 a.m., you can't simply hang around, like a hotel bellboy expecting a tip. You have to be direct. So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from his bike aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks. With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a.m. wake-up noise was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite : I had not tipped Raoul in Christmas past. I honestly hadn't realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he'd used the card tactic . So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style protection racket . Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. It had to be another tip request, this time from our garbage collector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn't enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. "I know you don't care how merry my Christmas is, and that's fine," the gesture said. "I want $30, or I'll 'forget' to empty your garbage bin some hot summer day." I put a check in the envelope and taped it back to the bin. The next morning, Ed noticed that the envelope was gone, though the trash hadn't yet been picked up: "Someone stole Mickey's tip!" Ed was quite certain. He made me call the bank and cancel the check. But Ed had been wrong. Two weeks later, Mickey left a letter from the bank on our steps. The letter informed Mickey that the check, which he had tried to cash, had been cancelled. The following Tuesday morning, when Ed saw a truck outside, he ran out with his wallet. "Are you Mickey?" The man looked at him with scorn . "Mickey is the garbageman. I am the recycling." Not only had Ed insulted this man by suggesting that he was a garbageman, but he had obviously neglected to tip him. Ed ran back inside for more funds. Then he noticed that the driver of the truck had been watching the whole incident. He peeled off another twenty and looked around, waving bills in the air. "Anyone else? " Had we consulted the website of the Emily Post Institute, this embarrassing break of etiquette could have been avoided. Under "trash/recycling collectors" in the institute's Holiday Tipping Guidelines, it says: "$10 to $30 each." You may or may not wish to know that your hairdresser, mailman and UPS guy all expect a holiday tip. The newspaper deliveryman put a blank card inside the envelope because _ . A. he wanted the couple to pay for the newspaper B. he forgot to write a few words on it C. he used it to ask for a Christmas tip D. he was afraid of asking for a tip in person Answer: C. he used it to ask for a Christmas tip While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had an experience which occurred merely two feet away from me. Trying to locate my friend among the passengers coming through the jet way, I noticed a man walking toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he kissed his three children one by one and said, "It's nice to see you. I missed you so much!" Then he hugged his wife, "I've saved the best for last!" giving her the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. They stared at each other's eyes, smiling at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds , but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. Full of admiration, I asked, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Being together for fourteen years total, married twelve of those." He replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well, then, how long have you been away?" I asked. "Two whole days!" "Two days?" I was astonished. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks --- if not months. I knew _ so I turned away my eyes and said quietly, "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after so long!" The man suddenly stopped smiling and looked me straight in the eye. With forcefulness he told me something that left me a different person. "Don't hope, friend...decide!" Then he smiled again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and walked away together. I was still watching that man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What are you looking at?" Without hesitation, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A. The man replied to the author, with his eyes still fixed on his wife's face. B. After being away for several weeks, the man missed his family very much. C. It was fourteen years since the couple had got married. D. Their three kids reminded the author of newlyweds. Answer: A. The man replied to the author, with his eyes still fixed on his wife's face. London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub. Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London. In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City. As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs. Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down. "For me, the difference is that London is real, alive," said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert. Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. "I am French, but I'll stay in London," she said. There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. "I think people laugh more in Paris," she said. "Both cities have changed _ ," said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. "I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better." But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris. Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don't have to choose. "I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized," she said. "In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares." What's the meaning of the last two sentences? A. People can do everything in London. B. People will feel lonely in London. C. People in London enjoy living in different ways. D. People in London enjoy a lawless life. Answer: B. People will feel lonely in London. The Brown Bear My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly. Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An agreesive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back---- the sign of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger. I held my camera tripod in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long. Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear. The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break. Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack----- The first time I felf panic. Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome. The bear finally went away after it _ . A. felt safe B. got injured C. found some food D. took away the camera Answer: A. felt safe
As a little boy I read a book with a picture showing a man reading while floating in the Dead Sea. What a miracle! How would it feel to lie back in water so thick with salt that it was impossible to sink? Fed by the Jordan River and smaller streams, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth's surface, and its water is ten times saltier than the Mediterranean. As evaporation is its only outlet, salt and other minerals become super-concentrated. Earlier this year, I drove down the long, steep hill to realize my dream. The shoreline was a broad area of bare salt-mud, but the water edge was out of sight. It seemed as if somebody had pulled the Dead Sea's plug . Eli Dior, an Israeli official, explained the problem "The Dead Sea is drying up. Every year, the surface falls about one meter, and as the water level falls, shallow areas are left high and dry." Over the last half-century, the five neighboring countries have used up almost all the water flowing into the Dead Sea to meet human and agriculture needs. Result the Dead Sea is being emptied. With population in the neighbouring countries to double at least in the next 50 years, there is little hope of restoring the water being used in this area. No country has a drop to spare for the Dead Sea, where they know it will just evaporate. To dream of opening the dams and restoring natural balance is unrealistic. Yet one ambitious high-tech dream may turn out to be not only the solution to the Dead Sea but also a ticket to peace around its shores. The "Red-Dead" is a proposed $5 billion project to bring sea water some 240 kilometers by pipeline and canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The Red-Dead may be the only solution, but even if the project is carried out successfully, the Dead Sea will be 10 to 20 meters lower than now and two thirds of its current size. Whatever the future holds, the Dead Sea's magical mix of sun, mud, sea and salt will surely survive. Many might complain that the Dead Sea is half empty--but for me the Dead sea will always be half full. What's the passage mainly about ? The Dead Sea is slowly becoming smaller. In the United States 84 colleges now accept just women. Most of them were established in the 19th century; they were designed to offer women the education they could not receive anywhere else. At that time major universities and colleges accepted only men. In the past 20 years many young women have chosen to study at colleges that accept both men and women. As a result some women's colleges decided to accept men students too. Others, however, refused to change. Now these schools are popular again The president of Trinity College in Washington, D. C. said that by the end of the 1980s women began to recognize that studying at the same school with men did not mean women were having an equal chance to learn. The president of Smith College in Massachusetts says a women's college permits women to choose classes and activities freely. For example, she says that in a women's college a higher percentage of students studies mathematics than in a college with both men and women. Educational experts say men students in the United States usually speak in class more than women students do. In a women's college, women feel free to say what they think. Women's schools also bring out leadership capabilities in many women. Women are represented everywhere. For example, at a women's college every governing office is held by a woman. Recent studies reportedly show this leadership continues after college. The studies show that American women who went to women's colleges are more likely to hold successful jobs later in life. From the passage we know that _ . it is better for American women to study in women's colleges It is impossible not to make a mistake at some points in your life. We may as well accept that something will go wrong and we will be to blame. It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing, and the best way to apologize is by letter. This way you can take care over every work you write-- which you can't do if you say sorry to someone in person. We all say or do something that we wish we hadn't said or done. You may say something that accidentally hurts someone, or you may provide a service which doesn't come up to the standards that a client or customer expected. You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn't be avoided. Rather than dwell on the mistake, you should quickly try to remedy the problem. An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process. For the contents of the letter, just remember TABS--Timing, Action, Brevity, Sincerity. The timing of a letter of apology is essential--it must be sent as soon as possible. Any delay in our sending the letter will only compound the problem. In this case "Better late than never" is not the best motto! The longer you wait before you wait before writing a letter of apology, the more it will seem that you have been coerced into writing it. Although it is important to recognize what has gone before, it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to rectify whatever it was you did wrong. Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received. A letter of apology should be brief and the word "sorry" should appear no more than twice. Indicate that you are aware using it a second time--"once again, I am so sorry for..." or "as I said earlier, I am really sorry about...". Finally, the tone of the letter has to be sincere. In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect. And don't think that letters are out of date in the email--oriented 21st century. An apology email can be worse than no apology at all! How can timing compound problems? Waiting too long will make it worse because they won't believe you mean it. These days it's cheaper to throw that broken DVD player, cell-phone or TV out and buy a new one. This " replace-rather-than-repair" mentality is polluting the planet with electronic waste. According to the UN Environment Program, we are throwing away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste (e-waste) per year. But this is not ordinary garbage. Our electronics leak harmful heavy metals -- such as mercury and arsenic -- along with equally poisonous chemicals that end up in our soil and eventually our water. You've probably participated in a community recycling event and left feeling good about shipping off that old computer to be recycled. Chances are it was shipped overseas where it's polluting someone else'community. Guiyu city in Southeastern China has become known as the e-waste city where low-paid workers use whatever means available to remove electronics in hopes of recovering the copper, microchips, aluminum, gold and silver and plastic that can be resold. Any leftover waste is simply thrown into the nearby river or piled up high in the streets, poisoning the children growing up here. So what can you do with your e-waste? Robert Houghton, President and founder of Redemtech, an asset management and recovery firm, recommends you vote with your dollar. Buy from companies who have a take-back program that guarantees your discarde electronics are handled proper. " Consumers want to do business with companies who are demonstrably good with corporate responsibility and dealing with e-waste, " said Houghton. There are plenty of charitable organizations that will take your used electronics and donate them for charitable causes: * Electronic Recycling Association (Canada) (ERA) collects old computers for donation to libraries and other organizations across Canada. * eBay's Rethink Initiative pairs up consumers with businesses that refurbish old computers for donation. * TechSoup has a thorough listing of resources for those who would like to donate or recycle hardware,buy recycled hardware or find a refurbisher. * The Charitable Recycling Program accepts all cell-phones and has a listing of charities it helps with its program. * Call2 Recycle has set up drop off points across Canada in a number of stores. You can drop off your cell-phone and also your rechargeable batteries from handheld electronic products. When there is something wrong with electronics, what is a popular trend among people nowadays? To purchase what they like. Bill Gates and the president of General Motors have met for lunch, and Bill is going on and on about computer technology. "If automotive technology had kept pace with computer technology over the past few decades, you would now be driving a V-32 instead of a V-8, and it would have a top speed of 10,000 miles per hour," says Gates. "Or you could have an economy car that weighs 30 pounds and gets a thousand miles to a gallon of gas. In either case, the sticker price of a new car would be less than $ 50. Why haven't you guys kept up?" The president of GM smiles and says, "Because the federal government won't let us build cars that crash four times a day." Why is that funny (or not funny, as the ease may be)? Human beings love to laugh, and the average adult laughs 17 times a day. Humans love to laugh so much that there are actually industries built around laughter. Jokes, siteoms and comedies are all designed to get us laughing, because laughing feels good. For us it seems so natural, but the funny thing is that humans are the only species that laughs. Laughter is actually a complex response that involves many of the same skills used in solving problems. Laughter is a great thing--that's why we've all heard the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease. When we look at laughter--what it is, what happens in our brains when we laugh, what makes us laugh and how it can make us healthier and happier, there's a huge amount about it that no one understands yet. What is the writer likely to talk about next? What is laughter?
Hello,my friend.I'm Jack.Today I'd like to tell you a story about the language.People live together and they speak the same language.They are kind to each other . People want to build a tower.One of them says, "Let's build it high and it can reach the heaven !".And the name is the Tower of Babel.But God doesn't like it."I will stop them!" God says. People can work together because they can speak the same language.So God makes people speak different language.This is a big problem.Someone asks for water,people give him clothes.They can't understand each other.So people are not friendly.They don't like building the tower. People begin to speak different languages and live in different places.They never finish building the Tower of Babel. When God knows people want to build a tower,he is _ . Answer: not happy Shopping is easy with Safe-Buyer, a UK online shopping directory. All the online shopping sites listed on Safe-Buyer have been checked for security, delivery, range of goods and prices. We've reviewed the online shopping sites and awarded them a tick rating that's totally independent. So you can shop on the Internet without worrying. Here are some special offers on some shopping sites for you! _ Save l/3 0ff Photo Gift Orders at _ Jessops Photo is a perfect choice for all photo printing needs, including canvas prints, photo books and more. First copy the code THIRDOFFGIFT. At the checkout, enter your voucher code for your discount! Special activity time: 29/09/2013-29/10/2013. _ Save 15% Off Orders at www. subsidesports.com Online since 1997, Subside Sports offers an unmatched range of official football shirts and gifts: Over 5000 different products in stock with special offers up to 70% off. Official shirt printing for over 500 players. Personal Customer Services and quick delivery. First copy the code NEW15PROMO. At the checkout, enter your voucher code for your discount! Special activity time : 23/09/2013-23/10/2013. _ Free Delivery on Orders at _ . As a personalized gifts website, _ offers many gifts for us to choose from, including Photo clocks, Personalized Bags, Photo Key rings, plus more. Al1 our products come with Free Standard Delivery! The majority of our products are dispatched within 24 hours. First copy the code Free Delivery. At the checkout, enter your voucher code for your discount! Special activity time: 26/10/2013-06/01/2014. _ Save 20% Off Orders at _ Personalized gifts continue to grow and be a popular purchase online for all special[ occasions including Birthdays, Valentines, Easter, Retirement and Congratulations plus more. Personalized mugs are the most popular of all personalized products. Only doing mugs allows us to do mugs very well, with an excellent selection of mug types and themed mug designs. First copy the code SUPERSAVER. At the checkout, enter your voucher code for your discount! Special activity time: 24/09/2013-04/01/2014. If you have chosen your themed gift for graduation, you'll enter code _ for your discount. Answer: SUPERSAVER Upset by reading bad news daily,Neil Pasricha decided to try to focus on the positive and come up with l,000 simple,free,good things,posting one each day on a blog . Pasricha,aged 30,said his blog aimed to focus on life's simple pleasures,such as finding forgotten money in a pocket, or fixing a TV set with a heavy blow.Little did he realize his blog would attract 40,000 people a day to join his discussions.He was amazed to win two Webby awards.known as "the Oscars of the Internet,'' something positive at a time when his marriage broke up and one of his closest friends killed himself. "I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive," Pasricha told reporters in a telephone interview."Every day I try to find something that is happy,free and universal to share, 1ike the smell of a bakery or when a cashier opens up a new line at a store*" Pasricha said when he began his blog in June 2008 he thought he might have trouble finding out l,000 simple, happy moments in life but now he is more than halfway through and ideas keep crowding in,from himself and from followers of his blog. "These moments can start a huge conversation.Most of our life is really about hitting green lights on the way home from work,or waking up before your alarm clock rings and realizing you have more time in bed. But it is those small moments we forget about." Although his blog got a great success.Pasrieha does not want to change his daily life."I travel regularly for an hour a day to work.I like work because I like the people in my office.I'm not a writer and I don't know the writing skills either.I just like observing the world and putting it down." he said. Neil Pasricha determined to post positive feelings or things on his blog because _ . Answer: daily bad news and broken marriage saddened him Saber Miresmailli was on vacation in London when, caught in a bit of traffic on London Bridge, he decided to take a photo of Tower Bridge. "I noticed the couple," he said. "At that moment, I did not see anyone from the wedding party or a photographer with the couple, so I took several pictures. Usually, my pictures are not very good given the fact that I don't use flash and I don't stop to compose --so when we get back after two weeks, I was very surprised to find this one turned out so well." Miresmailli said, "I thought to myself, if it was me getting married, I would have wanted the picture." So he posted the photo on Facebook and attached a few friends with the hope of finding the couple and passing them the picture. What happened next, he said, "was crazy." "I received more than 2,000 requests from perfect strangers and lots of positive and negative emails." Until this afternoon, almost 230,000 people had shared his Facebook post on the photo. There's also been an uncertain identification of the couple. It's likely that their names are Laura and James. "If it's the right couple," Miresmailli said, "they are on their honeymoon in Bali and have no idea about the photo. I believe they will be shocked to find out about their fame". Miresmailli said he's been drowned by the interest in the photo. "I just want to give them their picture and go back to work and tend my tomatoes," he said. Why are Miresmailli's photos usually not satisfactory? Answer: He doesn't care much about photograph skills. Which property of water can cause a rock to break apart? Answer: Water expanding as it freezes.
International Exchange Programme The application form for participation on the exchange programme for 2016/17 can be found in Application Procedures. Applying Qualification--Current Queen Mary undergraduate students(with the exception of students in Biomedical Sciences,Chemistry,Dentistry and Medicine)have qualifications to apply. Law Students--Students enrolled in The School of Law should contact Sheila Shirley(s.shirley@qmul.ac.uk)for details of study abroad opportunities. English and Drama Studen--Students cannot study abroad for the full academic year. Students will be able to spend only the autumn semester studying at one of our exchange partners* Applications A complete application will consist of the two-page application form,a personal statement and a supporting academic reference.Students should follow these application procedures. Applicants must ensure they have spoken to their departmental study abroad instructor before submitting their application.Applications can be submitted in person at The Study Abroad Office(E09,Ground Floor,Queens'Building)or by email to h.gibney@qmul.ac.uk New Exchange Partners for 2016/2017 For 2016/17 we hope to offer students the opportunity to study abroad at the following new partners:The University of Pennsylvania--UPenn(USA),The University of Sydney(Australia) and Waseda University(Japan).Should we be unable to send students to any of these new institutions on exchange,and if you intend to include one or more of these destinations with your application,please provide at least one alternative destination from the list of other partner programmes. What will you do if you can't be sent to the new exchange partners? Answer: Provide another university from the list. Scientists have discovered a special biological behavior in dolphins that could lead to a treatment for late-onset diabetes in humans. Studies on dolphins found that healthy dolphins switch into a diabetic-like state overnight when they are not feeding, but return to normal when they eat the following morning. The extraordinary finding has led scientists to suggest that dolphins have "genetic switch" that allows them to imitate diabetes while they are not feeding for a night, without suffering any ill effect. If researchers can identify a similar genetic pathway in human, they may be able to develop drugs to effectively switch off diabetes. Some 2.2 million people in Britain have type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes, a figure that is expected to reach 4 million by 2025 as a consequence of rising levels of obesity . The tissues of people with type 2 diabetes have become resistant to insulin so they lose the ability to control sugar levels in their blood. The condition can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves and contribute to 5% of all deaths, according to the World Healthy Organization. Dolphins appear to imitate diabetes to keep high levels of blood sugar when food is rare. Like humans, dolphins need some sugar in their blood for their brains to function normally. Venn-Watson's team analyzed 1,000 blood samples from 52 dolphins while they didn't eat anything overnight and fed in the morning. At night time, the dolphins' metabolism changed greatly and showed similar characteristics to that seen in people with type 2 diabetes. "It is our hope that this discovery can lead to new ways to prevent, treat and maybe even cure diabetes in humans," said Stephanie Venn-Watson, director of clinical research at the National Marine Foundation in San Diego. The key to applying the finding to curing human diabetes lies in _ . Answer: identifying a similar genetic pathway in human All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. "Where shall I put up?" he said; "I hope the town has made preparations." Then he saw the statue on the tall column. "I will put up there," he cried; "it is a fine position, with plenty of fresh air." So he flew down and settled just between the feet of the Happy Prince. "I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him. "What a curious thing!" he cried; "there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful." Then another drop fell. "What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said; "I must look for a good chimney-pot," and he determined to fly away. But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw--Ah! What did he see? The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity. "Who are you?" he said. "I am the Happy Prince." "Why are you weeping then?" asked the Swallow, "you have quite wetted me." "When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue, "I did not know what tears were, for I lived in theprefix = st1 /PalaceofSans-Souci, where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very high wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. People called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep." "What is he not solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud. Why did the swallow feel curious when a drop of water fell on him? Answer: Because he thought it was raining despite bright and clear stars. Pedro Rossi is happy--he is very,very happy! He won $500,000! He won the lottery ! Pedro is happy for only a few days. Then he remembers his lottery ticket! He throws it in the garbage _ ! Pedro runs to the garbage can and looks in it. The garbage can is not over there at all! "The garbage is gone,"his wife says. "The garbage truck comes in the morning." The garbage truck takes the garbage can to the garbage dump ! Pedro runs to the dump. He looks for it for two days. But he can't find it. Pedro lives in town in Brazil. Pedro tells the people in the town,"Look for my lottery ticket at the dump. If you find it,I can give you half the money." Everyday hundreds of people go to the dump to look for the ticket. Five days later,a man finds it. Pedro gives the man $250,000. Pedro won $500,000 in the lottery. Now he won only 250,000. But he is not sad. "Before,one man was happy,"Pedro says. "Now two men are happy!" Pedro can only get 250,000,but he is very _ . Answer: happy A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be "running out of control". This idea is dangerous. Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing. Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections , whatever is scientifically possible will be done ----somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world. In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of "controlling" science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict. Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future. What can we conclude from the recent study? Answer: People hold mixed opinions about science.
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. Those who agree to turn Mars into a little earth _ . realize that it's not easy to achieve their goal In May, 2014, some Chinese tourists found a Chinese-character message "Ding Jinhao once visited here" on a statue of god in a 3500-year-old Egyptian temple. An angry tourist took the photograph of the scrawl and posted it on social media Sina Weibo. It was quickly spread and there were more than 100,000 comments during two weeks. Later, a 15-year-old Chinese boy was searched out as the person who caved this message. Many netizens expressed their anger and disappointment for the uncivilized behavior. They searched and identified the boy and then posted his personal information including the address and pictures online. Over the weekend, his school's website was hacked, and reporters flooded into his home in the city of Nanjing. Besieged by reporters, the child's mother offered a formal apology for her son's behavior. "We want to apologize to the Egyptian people and to people who have paid attention to this case across China." the boy's mother told the local newspaper. With China's economy booming over the past decades, a growing number of the country's residents have become global tourists. Earlier this month, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang addressed: "Uncivilized behavior of some of tourists is giving this country a bad reputation abroad." The discussion about Chinese quality was carried out on many media. On the bright side, Egypt government described the damage to the temple as superficial and could be restored and they would forgive the boy. While the act of Ding Jinhao symbolizes a national shame, meanwhile, many people concern about the child's development and wish he could return to anonymity once more. "The boy has known his mistake and cried all night. He has to be moved around because reporters rushes to his house for interviews." said a reporter who talked with the parents. The writer uses the quotation by Vice Premier Wang Yang to show _ . Some misconducts are bad for our image Bicycle Safety Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus. Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions. Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack ---even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It's fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen. Equipment Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly. Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fit properly. Lights Always have a front headlight---visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea. Rules of the Road Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go. Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine. If Things Go Wrong If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for: No bicycle registration-----------------------------------------------------$25 Bicycle parking banned---------------------------------------------------$30 Blocking path with bicycle ----------------------------------------------$40 Violation of bicycle equipment requirement -------------------------$35 If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined _ . $30 The character "duang" is so new that it does not even exist in the Chinese dictionary. But it has already spread like wildfire online in China, appearing more than 8 million times on China's micro-blogging site Weibo, where it spawned a top-trending hashtag that drew 312,000 discussions among 15,000 users. On China's biggest online search engine Baidu, it has been looked up almost 600,000 times. It's been noticed in the West too, with Foreign Policy seeing it as a "break the internet" viral meme - like a certain Kirn Kardashian image, or a certain multicoloured dress. But what does it mean? "Everyone's duang-ing and I still don't know what it means! As if it's back to school for me," said Weibo user Weileiweito. Another user asked: "Have you duang-ed today? My mind is full of duang duang duang." "To duang or not to duang, that is the question," wrote user BaiKut automan. "Duang" seems to be an example of onomatopoeia , a word that phonetically imitates a sound. It all seems to have started with Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, who in 2004 was featured in a shampoo commercial where he said famously defended his sleek, black hair using the rhythmical-sounding "duang". The word resurfaced again recently after Chan posted it on his Weibo page. Thousands of users then began to flood Chan's Weibo page with comments, coining the word in reference to his infamous shampoo appearance. The word appears to have many different meanings, and there's no perfect translation, but you could use it as an adjective to give emphasis to the word that follows it. A kitten might be "duang cute", for example. Or you might be "very duang confused" by this blog. For readers of Chinese characters, the Jackie Chan theme is also apparent from the quirky way in which the word is written: a combination of Chan's Mandarin names. How does the writer try to prove that Duang has already spread like wildfire online in China? listing numbers Many fertilizers contain organic materials that are helpful to an orchard but have a different effect when rain causes them to run off into a freshwater ecosystem. How does the addition of organic waste from fertilizers most commonly affect freshwater ecosystems? decreasing oxygen levels
An artist went to a beautiful place of the country for a holiday, and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out and painted from morning to evening. When it got dark, he came back to the farm and had a good dinner before he went to bed. At the end of his holiday he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said, "No, I don't want money but give me one of your pictures. What is money? In a week it will all be finished, but your painting will be here." The artist was very pleased and thanked the farmer for saying such kind words. The farmer smiled and said, "I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month, I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to be an artist any more, I believe." He liked painting _ . Did anyone find the names of "Great Britain", "the United Kingdom", "England" and "the British commonwealth" which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking, these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others. The British isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map. Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands. But the word "Britain" is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK. Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England. Finally, the Britain commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire . This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today. According to the passage, we know that _ . Yu Pengnian is an 88-year-old real estate Chinese businessman. He amassed a fortune of $1.3 billion dollars during his career but instead of keeping the money and living like an emperor, he decided to give it all away. All of his fortune will be spent on helping poor Chinese students get a better education. And Yu isn't the only super-rich person in China who has this spirit of giving. Chen Guangbiao, a Jiangsu recycling tycoon, has given millions of dollars to charity and promises to give all of his money to charity when he dies. Yu and Chen are among the many businessmen who have become prosperous during China's economic rise. An American business magazine, Forbes, estimates that there are 117 billionaires in China and hundreds of thousands of millionaires. What sets Yu and Chen apart from the rest, though, is their tremendous generosity(,) when it comes to donating money to charity. Last week Bill Gates and Warren Buffett came to Beijing. Gates and Buffett, two of the world's richest men, are also the world's biggest philanthropists. They invited fifty of China's richest people to have dinner with them and talk about the spirit of giving. At first, only a few people accepted their invitation. It seemed some of the invited guests were afraid that Buffett and Gates were going to pressure them into giving their wealth to charity. A lot of people are angry at the billionaires who are not willing to give away their fortunes. They _ hem for being miserly and not caring about the poor and the less fortunate. But I think this criticism is wrong. A gift, any gift, should come from the heart. Instead of criticism, these reluctant billionaires should be encouraged to follow the examples of Yu Pengnian and Chen Guangbiao. Encouragement is always a better strategy than criticism. As we say in English, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? 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Care Free Plants Price:$34.96 Description: This book reveals the secret to great gardening: working smarter, not harder. Discover how you can spend less effort, save money, and still end up with more time to enjoy your beautiful garden. With this book in hand, the dream is within easy reach. Which book of the above can she buy for Marry's older mother? Eat,drink and be merry. That's what Spring Festival is all about. But there are millions of people,too,who love to let happiness go up in smoke. Offering cigarettes to guests is a traditional Chinese way of showing respect for them. A cup of tea and cigarettes are perhaps the most common way of welcoming a guest in China,especially during festive occasions. No wonder,40 percent of the people surveyed recently said they would smoke at least twice the usual number of cigarettes during the Spring Festival because of all those gatherings and parties. Only 20 percent of the respondents said they would refuse a cigarette when offered one. Why can't the others do the same?Because they could be seen as being rude,said more than half of the respondents. Fifteen percent feared they could be taken as "someone who cannot get along well with others". The Think tank Research Center for Health Development and sohu.com survey shows 61 percent Chinese think offering a cigarette is useful for socializing,and 52 percent have offered cigarettes to others. The study surveyed 3,800 people,64 percent of them men. One third of those surveyed were smokers,out of which 57 percent said they couldn't give up smoking because of the offering and accepting culture. "People have accepted offering cigarettes as an effective way of making friends," research center director Wu Yiqun says. China has more than 350 million smokers,catering to the tobacco market that is worth 500 billion yuan. "The survey shows we still have a lot of work to do," Wu says. "Since Beijing is trying to make the Olympic Games smoke free,it is time to let people know that offering a cigarette is a bad habit and it should be given up immediately." We can infer from the passage that _ .
Question: In 2009, the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers were invited to perform in Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxemburg. In 2011, they were voted as one of the world's top five performance groups by audiences of Japan Broadcasting Corporation's Amazing Voice program. Thinking back the group's first tour in Europe, Camake Valaule, a physical education teacher and the founder of the Taiwu Elementary School Folk Singers, admitted that he felt very nervous. He was worried that the audience would fall asleep since most of the 75-minute performance was a cappella, that is, singing without instrumental sound. Surprisingly, the audience listened with full focus and high spirits. Camake said, "They told me afterward that through our performance, they had a vision of our country, our village, without having to visit it. This experience greatly increased our confidence." According to Camake Valaule, singing traditional ballads has helped students and their parents to re-understand their culture. "It used to be that the only ones who could sing these songs were tribal elders aged between 50 and 60. Now with the children performing the pieces, parents are beginning to ask, 'Why do we not know how to sing these ballads?' Many times nowadays, it is the children who teach the songs to their parents, putting back _ ." Winning international fame, however, was neither the original intention nor the main reason why Camake founded the group in 2006. The most important thing was to make children understand why they sing these songs and to preserve and pass on their culture. Referring to the relocation of Taiwu Elementary School and Taiwu Village following Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, Camake said, "We could not take the forest or our houses in the mountains with us; but we were able to bring our culture along. As long as the children are willing to sing, I will always be there for them, singing with them and leading them to experience the meaning of the ballads." What did Camake realize after the incident of Typhoon Morakot? A. The significance of the relocation of Taiwu Elementary School. B. The need to respect nature to avoid being destroyed by it. C. The importance of passing on the traditional culture. D. The consequence of building houses in the forest. Answer: C. The importance of passing on the traditional culture. Question: The surface of a heated metal object measures 120°C. It is dropped into a bucket filled with water measuring 10°C. Which of the following is most likely to occur? A. Both the water and metal will adjust to the same temperature below 10°C. B. The water and metal will adjust to different temperatures above 120°C. C. The water will remain the same temperature, but the metal will cool to 10°C. D. The water and metal will adjust to the same temperature between 10°C and 120°C. Answer: D. The water and metal will adjust to the same temperature between 10°C and 120°C. Question: Sophie investigates the water supply at her school and the things that affect it. Which action is a direct observation? A. tasting water from a water fountain B. reading water test results C. studying the rules for purifying water D. investigating causes of water pollution Answer: A. tasting water from a water fountain Question: Mr. and Mrs White have a son and two daughters. They have a cat and a big house. In front of the house there are some trees and two cars. On weekends they go to the beach . Mr. White works from Tuesday to Friday. Mrs. White works from Tuesday to Saturday. They are teachers. Their students like them very much. There is a gym near their house. They often go there to watch soccer games because their son's favorite sport is football. Mr. White's favorite sport is table tennis. Their daughters don't like sports. They like to see movies. Their family are very happy. What sport does Mr. and Mrs. White's son like? A. I don't know. B. Football. C. Table tennis. D. Basketball. Answer: B. Football. Question: What separates me from everyone else? The difference is not what clothes I wear or the music I listen to, but what I feel inside. Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling.I woke up every Saturday to watch my favorite "Superstars." As I grew older, I got a lot of flak for watching this "fake" sport.My peers would laugh at me for following what was called a "man's soap opera." So, _ .Like everyone else, I wanted to be associated with the cool clique.I yearned to be invited to the parties of the in-crowd and hang out with the popular kids.I became pretty successful.Although my Friday evenings were busy with parties, I would still wake up early Saturdays to watch wrestling.It wasn't until freshman year that I realized I wasn't being myself. That year, I tried many new things and activities and made new friends.In my town, football was the sport, so I decided to play football, thinking it might give me a head start in popularity.The team started with 48 athletes.At the end, there were 14 of us left.I stuck it out not because I liked it, but because I am not a quitter.That long season taught me a lesson: I wasn't a football player.More importantly, it taught me to be myself. After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan.I watched it religiously, no matter what insults were thrown my way.I came across a quote: "Don't Dream It, Be It." When I read this, my friend Dan had the same idea I had. "What if we build a wrestling ring?" we asked.We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its construction.The following weekend, we met at his house.We saw our dream in a pile in his backyard.We worked from dawn to dusk to build our great establishment.By Sunday night, our mission was complete.Our hard work (combined with a little creativity) had paid off.We had a real ring.We decided to hold an "event." We practiced for hours, trying to improve every aspect of our wrestling ability.The date was May 24th.Our show had a start time of 9: 00 p.m.To our surprise, about one hundred family, friends and fans showed up to support us.It was the most important night of my life and a complete success.Since that time, we have held five shows with as many as two hundred and fifty people turning out.We continue to live this dream.We accomplished what we set out to do.We are now well known throughout school.When I walk down the halls, I am respected by my peers.Some are the same peers who ridiculed me for watching wrestling when I was younger.When they approach me, they often say, "Good match, Chris." I humbly say, "Thank you," knowing I did something I believed in. As my senior year winds down, I'll remember all of my high school memories.But what will stick out most is the memory that I did something I loved, despite what everyone said or thought.I accomplished my goal ...I lived my dream. The writer built the wrestling ring in order to _ . A. play football there B. make his dream realized C. be a professional player D. have parties there. Answer: B. make his dream realized
Almost every girl wants to be healthy and beautiful. They try every means to make themselves look smarter. "What are the best ways?" Many girls may have this question in mind. Here is some advice that is very important for girls to follow. Keep fit. Check with your doctor for your proper weight range and work to get and stay within it. Exercise, eat properly, and drink plenty of water to achieve that weight and be as healthy as you can be. As long as you're in your healthy range, you'll look great. Mind your style, from top to bottom. There are two things that can make or break your look: your hair and your shoes. Look through hair magazines and talk with your hairstylist about what will look good with your face structure. Always keep your hair clean and styled. Wear clean, feminine shoes. That doesn't mean you always have to wear high heels. Make sure you can walk comfortably in them. Be fashionable. Learn about your body type, height, skin and preferences. Discover yourself, and fashion will come to you. You don't have to wear designer clothes, especially if you can't afford them. You can look through fashion magazines, pick your favourites and then find the similar ones that you can afford. Smile, and do it like you mean it. Smile, be merry and people will notice that. It will help you in many ways. Be nice to others. Looking pretty doesn't give you the right to look down on others or treat them badly. Only having good appearance doesn't mean you are beautiful. However, in order to get slim and beautiful, some girls can easily be absorbed in losing weight, resulting in eating disorders. Keep in mind that being healthy is more important than being thin. So try to eat healthy food, take regular exercise and keep a good mood. The passage suggests that girls _ to be fashionable. A wear designer clothes that can make them more modern B wear clothes according to their body shape and preferences C wear the clothes that other beautiful girls like to wear D wear the clothes that are recommended in the fashion magazines Answer: B Long Beach, a 28-mile area of beach, lies in southwestern Washington, and is generally called Long Beach Peninsula. Communities there take you back to old days of a simple life. Here, visitors can relax and enjoy the good of a total rest. Bird watching There are different kinds of birds on Long Beach. It's best if you watch them from a distance and don't try to frighten them. The Southwest Loop Route Map can be got through the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Office by calling 1-800-451-2542. Horses A popular activity on Long Beach is horseback riding. Two businesses in the city of Long Beach offer guided horseback tours along the beach: Black Country Wilderness Outfitters and Skipper's Equestrian Center. You may also bring your own horse. Among the adventures offered with horses is a wagon ride along the beach, a carriage ride through Seaview or Long Beach, a back country pack trip, or a sunset ride by horseback on the beach. Camping RV and tent camping aren't allowed on the beach. Camp fires are allowed within 100 feet off the beach, but must be away from the dry grass. Swimming and other activities Swimming is allowed, but you must be careful. The waters are very cold and dangerous. Surfing is advised only for experienced surfers. Beach driving is allowed at certain areas on the beach. The speed limit is 25 mph. Building sand castles, digging sand to find something, riding bicycles and flying kites are also popular activities in the area. Enjoy your trip to Long Beach, Washington! The passage is most probably taken from _ . A a travel guide B a news report C a travel journal D a research paper Answer: A As people in Beijing and northern China struggle with severe air pollution this winter,the toxic air is also making life hard for plants and even food crops of China. "in the last 50 years there has been a 1 6-fold increase in ozone pollution"in the Beijing area,said Hanqin Tian of Auburn University in Alabama,who studies the effects of China's pollution and climate change on plants. Ozone is particularly harmful to plants because it damages the pores on leaves,called stomata,which plants use to regulate how much water evaporates from the leaves.That,in turn,affectS how much water a plant must take up through its roots.Changes in water uptake by plants have been documented in other parts of the world,including the United States,as having major impacts on regional groundwater and surface water supplies. In studies of the long-term productivity of plants,Hanqin Tian and some of his colleagues show that ozone pollution,along with climate change,has been lowering plant productivity in China,which reduces the amount of carbon and other pollutants that the plants Can absorb to fight all the emissions from the burning offossil fuels. The worst effects on plants are likely to be in areas where the growing pollution problem is just fairly new, said Arthur Chappelka, also a plant researcher at Auburn University.Some plants are more resistant to pollutants than others,he said,and the plants that are living today in long-polluted urban areas are likely to be only those that are very pollution tolerant. Away from the cities, however, where crops are necded to feed China's yast population, the effeets of the growing pollution on crops is a significant concern. "In some ways it affects the crop production and food securiy of China,"said Hanqin Tian."Air quality is really important for human health, plants and ecosystem and sustainability." The problem is bound to get worse as China continues to develop economically, he said, and so he and other researchers continue to urge the Chinese government to take action to reduce emissions from cars and industries. What Can we infer from the passage? A Healthy foods are not available in Beijing. B Some kinds of plants aren't affected by air pollution. C Crops in China are hard to feed its large population. D People should stop developing economically Answer: B INTEX Giant Dolphin Inflatable Swimming Pool Ride-On Raft Price:$88 Great design is as impressive as it is comfortable ! Handles are great for maintain control *Dimensions:79" x 30" Product Description Great for pools and the beach, the INTEX Dolphin Ride - On Raft is sure to catch some eyes! This impressive raft features heavy duty handles and a uniquely large design. Get out there and enjoy the water this summer on the INTEX Dolphin Ride-On Raft. Enjoy a restful day on the water, lying in the comfort of this soft, durable , colorful inflatable ( ) raft from water product maker Intex. Made of special material, its as durable as it is soft and comfortable, and has two handles for easy on-and-off. It will bring a lot of fun to both adults and children. About Intex Recreation: Intex Recreation makes above-ground swimming pools, air beds, inflatable toys, pool and lake boats. The company has been in business for over 40 years, and is a global leader in designing and producing innovative products for indoor and outdoor recreation. Intex products meet the most strict safety standards, taking testing to ensure years of safety and satisfaction. Most Helpful Customer Reviews Hello, my name is Mike Smith. I bought the raft for my family. It worked perfectly. It is a great size for the three of us. We hit many rocks and low tree branches drifting down a river, but the raft came out safety. This is an excellent raft. It's durable and floats like it should. Great for kids or adults. And great for family use. Contact Information of intex Recreation: Tel:800-876-0987 E-mail: In texrecreation@hotmail.com How does Mike Smith feel about the product? A Satisfied. B Troublesome. C Useless. D Terrible. Answer: A Smart phones that react to your moods and televisions that can tell it's you who's watching are in your future as Intel Corporation's top technology expert sets his sights on context-aware computing. Chief technology officer Justin Rattner showed how personal devices will one day offer advice. "How can we change the relationship so we think of these devices not as devices but as assistants or even companions?" he asked. Handheld devices could combine already common geographic location technology with data from microphones, cameras, heart and body monitors and even brain scans to offer their owners advice that today only a friend or relative could give. "Imagine a device that uses a variety of sensors to determine what you are doing at an instant, from being asleep in your bed to being out for a run with a friend, " Rattner said, "Future devices will constantly learn about who you are, how you live, work and play.'' Rattner also demonstrated a television remote control that figures out who is holding it based on how it is held, and then learns the viewer's entertainment preferences. As the world leader for decades in microchips for servers and desktop computers, Intel is hurrying to catch up in the profitable market for smart phones like Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry. Telephones with e-mail, global positioning and media players are pointing the way to a future where ever more functions are packed into ever smaller mobile devices. The smart phone industry, including technology giants like LG and Samsung, is likely to sell 270 million phones this year and grow 25 percent in 2011, according to market research company IDC. "I think you can expect to see features that support context-aware computing starting to appear in Intel products in the near future," Rattner said. But analysts say Intel faces an uphill battle getting its microchips into new phones as Nvidia, Marvell and Qualcomm have already made headway with cheap, lower-power processors based on designs by ARM Holdings. Rattner recognized that questions about privacy and people's willingness to be intimate with their computers will have to be settled before the future generation of smart phones he described takes off. "If you think identity threat is a problem today, imagine when your whole context is readily available on the Net.", he said. Which of the following are smart phones according to the passage? A iPhone and Blackberry B LG and Samsung C Marvell and Qualcomm D Nvidia and ARM Holdings Answer: A
Some school officials want to change class time from 8:00 a. m. to 9:00 a. m. What do you think ? Here are some students' ideas. Jill : I think it's a good idea ! I usually get up at 6:10 and it's difficult for me . At night I have to do lots of homework and I like to watch TV . I go to bed at about 10:00 p. m. I usually can't catch the bus at 7:30 in the morning . I am often late for school Sally : I don't think it's a good idea . I always get up at 5:30 in the morning . it's the best time of the day . First I do some morning exercises . Then I read and have breakfast . So I will be happy if class begins at 8:00 Bill: I get up at 6:30 . I always go to school without breakfast . A morning class is not good for me . I hope I can go to school after 8:30. , When do Bill get up ? Answer: at6:30 Hello! I'm Lily. I'm going to have a busy weekend. On Saturday morning, I 'm going to the Beach Park with my friends. We are going to ride bikes there because we can do some sightseeing on the way. We are going to play on the beach. At noon, we are going to have a picnic in the park. In the afternoon, we are going to visit our maths teacher. She wants us to go to her room and help us with our maths. In the evening, I'm going to visit my aunt with my mother, because it's my cousin's birthday. There is going to be a party in her house. On Sunday morning, I'm going to the bookstore with my good friends. I'm going to buy some storybooks. After lunch, I'm going to do sports with my brother. In the evening, I'm going to watch TV and clean my room. How busy I am! ,,. Lily is going to clean her room on _ . Answer: Sunday evening There used to be a term that was used to describe someone who drove their vehicles down the highway while staring at the scenery. These drivers just drove slowly, taking their own sweet time, as if they had nothing to do and no place in particular to go. Thus, the expression, " _ ", was born. Consequently, a Sunday driver wasn't necessarily someone who was driving on a Sunday. A person could be a Sunday driver any day of the week. _ . The expression probably came about because there was a time when people would often decide to go for a relaxing drive on Sunday afternoons. A Sunday drive was a common occurrence years ago and especially on a nice warm sunny day. There were no stores open on Sunday because of the "blue laws", so you needed to be sure and fill up the gas tank and make any other needed purchases before Sunday arrived. Some of the states had strict blue laws that even prohibited some activities on Sunday. However, there is still a lot to be said for the slow, gentle life that once existed. It was a time when very few people worked on Sunday except for those professions vital to our well-being such as those in the medical profession. It was a day "set apart" that was used to rest, visit with neighbors and friends, or maybe go to grandma's house for supper. Today there are many who return to work and children who go back to school overly tired on Monday due to a lack of rest. Perhaps there would be less stress related illnesses if we really kept Sunday as a day of rest. According to the author, Sunday rest would help people _ . Answer: experience less pressure In Sonoma County, California, growers are planting grapevines in a new way. As they plant the vines, they add a package of water called DRiWATER. This method of planting grapevines along with the water supply saves time and work. It gives the plant enough water to keep growing. The workers can go on to other chores. DRiWATER is a package of jelled water. It melts slowly, watering the plant for two or three months. DRiWATER is a 100% natural, non-poisonous product used for the long-term watering of plants. It was invented by a well-known food chemist who recognized the potential of a filler product he was using to thicken peanut butter. He tested and applied his theory that water could be released over time as naturally occurring microbes in the soil fed on the filler and released the water into the soil. The inventor, Harold Jensen, tried for a long time to get the right recipe. He and his family worked nights and weekends testing different formulas. Jensen finally found the right formula and patented it. What are the ingredients in DRiWATER? It is made up of 97.85% water, 2% vegetable gum, and 0.15% aluminum sulfate. When the DRiWATER is planted in the soil, the water is released as bacteria eat the jell. Buchanan Vineyard Services has bought ten thousand packages of DRiWATER. They will plant the jelled water with their new grapevines. What about countries like Egypt that have large deserts? Maybe DRiWATER will help grow trees in the desert. Two million trees have been planted near a town in the Sahara Desert. Two quarts were planted with each tree. The tree must live on the water for months until its roots touch ground water. Harold Jensen hopes to see forests spring up in the deserts. This is the reason that he invented DRiWATER. Seedlings, DRiWATER, and desert may be the perfect fit. What is the best title for the passage? Answer: A unique method to supply water to plants. A frog is born in a small river.When he is young,the river is his home.He doesn't know his parents,but he has hundreds of brothers and sisters.He swims about and plays with them all the time.At that time,he doesn't look like his parents.He has no legs and he has a big tail .So he looks like a fish. Later,his tail gets shorter and shorter.And he has four legs and a very short tail.He looks like his parents now. Then, he's going to eat a lot of bad insects . Which of the following is right.'? Answer: A baby frog looks like a fish and he has a lot of brothers and sisters.
The Wilsons decided to go overseas for vacation. They had a family meeting to plan the vacation. "First," Mr. Wilson said, "we should decide where we are going." "I don't agree," Mrs. Wilson said, "I think we should decide when we are going first. We don't want to go to places when they are cold." [:Zxxk.Com] Mr. Wilson agreed, so the family's first decision was when to go on vacation. They decided to go in July. "Now we can decide where to go," said Mr. Wilson. "But, Dad," Ben said, "don't you think that where we go depends on(,)how we go? If we plan to fly, we can go a long way. If we plan to drive, we can't go far." Again, Mr. Wilson agreed, and they discussed this. At last they agreed to travel by plane. And so the planning meeting went on. The next day, one of Mr. Wilson's friends at work asked, "Where are you going for vacation?" "Well," Mr. Wilson told him, "we are going in summer by plane, but I don't know where we are going! First they decided _ . A where to go B when to go C how to go D what to do Answer: B. when to go An atom includes 8 electrons, 8 protons, and 8 neutrons. What is the mass of the atom? A 8 B 16 C 24 D 32 Answer: B. 16 I often walk dogs at an animal shelter near our house. When they see me, they look so happy, because they know they will get to go outside, play with me and get lots of love from me. -----Mandy, 12 Every weekend, I go to an animal shelter to help. They have adoption events at pet stores. I help out by talking to people about animals, feeding animals and making sure the cages are clean. It makes me feel great when a cat or dog gets a new home. ----Lucas, 11 Sometimes I do things for my neighbors and ask them to give me some money or clothes. Then I can give these to the unlucky people. ----Linda, 10 I love volunteering! Last week, I cleaned up the houses for people who couldn't do it themselves. I also made gifts for many women on Mother's Day. And I'll help the older people cook dinner next week. I love the feeling I get when the people smile and I know I made a difference in their life. ----Megan, 13 I volunteer at an after-school reading program. I help young children to learn how to read. My favorite part of it is seeing a little child feels excited when he or she learns a new word. ----Victoria, 12 Linda asks her neighbors to give her money or clothes because she _ . A is too poor B decides to buy something C likes to wear beautiful clothes D wants to help the unlucky people Answer: D. wants to help the unlucky people Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories. Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change. Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine's pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children. Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture. As historical and artistic documents ,photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish them in books and on the Internet. What can we learn from the passage? A News with pictures is encouraging. B Photos help people improve C News photos mean history in a sense. D People prefer reading news with pictures. Answer: C. News photos mean history in a sense. Time Travel If you could travel in time, where would you go? Perhaps you would watch an original performance of a Shakespeare's play in Elizabethan England? What about hanging out with Laozi in the Spring and Autumn Period? Or maybe you'd voyage far ahead of the present day to see what the future holds. The possibility of time travel is indeed appealing. Stories exploring the subject have been around for hundreds of years. Perhaps the best known example is science fiction novel The Time Machine, which was written by H.G. Wells and published in 1895 for the first time. It was adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively. The term "time machine", coined by Wells, is now universally used to refer to a vehicle transporting people into the far future. But could time travel actually be possible? Some scientists say yes, in theory. They propose using cracks in time and space called "wormholes", which could be used as shortcuts to other periods. Einstein's theory of relativity allows time travel in extreme circumstances. And British physicist Stephen Hawking says you could travel into the future with a really fast spaceship -- going at nearly the speed of light. Though building such a spaceship would of course be no simple task. Even if you could travel into the past, there is something called the "grandfather paradox". It asks what would happen if a time traveler were to go back in time and have his own grandfather killed for some reason, and therefore prevent himself from being born.If the time traveler wasn't born, how would he travel back in time? And would you really like to visit the future?In H.G.Wells' book, the main character travels into distant time where he arrives at a beach and is attacked by giant crabs. He then voyages 30 million years into the future where the only living thing is a black object with tentacles .If that's what's in store, maybe we are better just living in the present day after all. According to the passage, what is probably the author's attitude towards time travel? A Supportive. B Unconcerned. C Unclear. D Skeptical. Answer: D. Skeptical.
Future historians will be in a particular position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that's always increasing. What is more, they will not have to rely only oh the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the huge amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to show the distant past again is always faced with a difficult task. He has to make proper use of evidence available to draw reasonable conclusions. Good news is that even evidence that may appear unimportant can shed light on the history of early man. Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the appearance of agriculture, for man of that time was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to suggest that this assumption is incorrect Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been carved on walls, bones and so on. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By comparing and analyzing markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult "language". They have found that it is connected with the passing of days and the stages of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes drawn on walls were not simply a form of expression of art. They had a certain meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a certain relation between these, paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed. What's the Writer's purpose in writing this passage? A To entertain. B To inform. C To criticize. D To advise. Answer: B The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing. October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers' Week for their newcomers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life. However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking . Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join? Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years. Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers' Week: * Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette . Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends. * Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends. * Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you'll be to meet new people than if you're someone who never leaves his room. * Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you're in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you're friendly. So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers' Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you'll be passing on your experience to next year's freshers. Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy? A To pass the busy university life. B To help make friends with other freshers. C To show yourself a drinker as others. D To enjoy the time in a happy way. Answer: B Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves. How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly. First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters--sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go. In addition, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject. Last but not least, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you're saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life. In general, good talkers are persons who _ . A can keep the conversation interesting B never talk too much or too little C always keep the conversation a secret D can change the topic of the conversation properly Answer: D A winter wonderland on the outskirts of Quebec City has become one of Canada's hottest attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests stay close for warmth in sleeping bags on beds of ice, hats pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails in glasses also made of ice. A cool place to host a memorable wedding or for a romantic getaway, the Quebec Ice Hotel has attracted 600,000 curious tourists, including 30,000 who stayed overnight, since opening seasonally 11 years ago. Like Victoria and Jeremy Martin, dozens of couples will exchange vows this winter in a temporary church next to the hotel, made entirely from blocks of ice with seats covered in furs. Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C (minus four F) in winter, but inside the hotel's 36 rooms it is relatively comfortable. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an _ , trapping body heat inside. Each room is uniquely decorated, using designs created by Quebec architecture students. Two hotel bars also sell special cocktails in ice glasses. First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. This year for the first time the ice hotel has teamed up with a brick and concrete Quebec City hotel to offer packages for one-night accommodations at each. Prices for one night only at the ice hotel start at 200 US dollars per person. The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-feet) buildings take six weeks starting in December to build, using 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice, at a cost of some 750,000 US dollars. Eleven weeks after its seasonal grand opening, the hotel will close on March 27 and then melt away with the arrival of spring. First-time guests are advised to stay there only one night because _ . A they may not be able to stand the cold B their other night is with an ordinary hotel C new guests have no advantages over old ones D they may find the beds made of ice too hard to sleep on. Answer: A Ever wonder how this season's celebrations affect the environment? Guest blogger Krista Fairles takes an amusing look at this very topic: The holidays are a wonderful, cheerful time when most people wait for Santa to bring them presents. But I'm not like most people. I spend my time wondering just what the environmental impacts of Santa Claus and his reindeer are, and more importantly, how I can calculate those impacts. Lately I've been particularly curious as to whether Santa's old sled is a clean green flying machine, or if he should be replacing his 8 reindeer with an environmentally-friendly car. I should mention that, surprisingly, I was unable to find statistics specific to Santa's magical flying reindeer, so these calculations use numbers from various sources and may not represent actual pollution caused by Santa and his animals. In other words, don't complain to the government about the damage Santa is causing the environment based on this article. Santa's yearly trip around the globe is 44,000km long, twice the average of a North American driver. If we assume that the magic provides the altitude for this trip, then reindeer power only needs to push Santa's sled forward. To complete the trip in 12 hours, I estimate they must travel at a speed of about 3100km/h. To travel at this speed, for this length of time, the reindeer need to eat an incredible 980 million calories each!! So the next question is: how much food is in 980 million calories? Well, if they're eating corn, they'd need to eat 16,500 lbs each -- or 1.6 acres of food. Growing 12.8 acres of corn has its own implications for the environment that we'll leave for another calculation. We now need to consider that during the global trip the reindeer are "letting out" some of that corn in the form of methane (,). A resting cow produces 110 kg of methane per year, so flying reindeer would each let out about 4.8 tons. With methane causing 20 times the global warming damage of CO2, and the altitude increasing that damage by 1000% that another 20 times, we can put Santa's round-trip emissions at 15,488 tons. This is much more than the 100 tons an environmentally-friendly car would release on the same trip! Bad Santa. Which aspect does the writer NOT include in her analyses about reindeer's influence on environment? A Distance covered. B Calories consumed. C Tons of waste let out. D Money spent on food. Answer: D
Near Earth's equator, water generally exists naturally in the liquid and gas states. In which other part of Earth is water usually found naturally in only two states? Answer: It is understandable that many of today's college graduates view themselves as the generation that opportunity forgot. This fall, I interviewed 85 recent graduates of various colleges to discuss their success in finding a job. Of those I interviewed ----many from famous schools ---- only five are in the career fields they prepared for; the rest are unemployed or in jobs that are temporary. Graduates with once-marketable degrees in accounting and computer science, for example, now compete with applicants who have five years of experience and will accept the same entry-level salary. Mainly because there too many applicants for too few jobs, employees are ignoring resumes that once commanded interviews. But in my work as a management consultant, I find that many executives also feel that recent graduates have contributed to a problem: that young people have been so pampered by their parents and are so untested academically that they bring little value to today's demanding workplace. Some of the least judgmental, most supportive managers I know are criticizing recent graduates for poor quality in their written and oral reports, and for difficulty in drawing essential facts from masses of data. Earlier generations faced this criticism as well, but employees flooded with resumes have now become far more selective than their predecessors . Among all the cruel talks about unemployment, little is said about the impact on the nation's future of a generation convinced that the workplace has little use for it. This generation must regain its confidence if they are to remain the birthplace of ideas, products and services that shape world. The quickest way to rebuild that confidence is to form partnerships between recent graduates and the companies that will employ them. Corporations, in turn, should consider investing in training and developing a generation they will eventually need. High-potential graduates for whom there isn't an immediate opening could be hired, not as unpaid interns but as salaried trainees given three to six months to prove their value in a series of assignments. Those who don't seize the opportunity can quickly be dismissed. Trainees should be given guidance to help them avoid the small missteps that can damage a career before it starts. What should corporations do to help graduates in their careers? Answer: The decision to further all or part of your studies outside your country is a serious one, and one which for most students will have a special life-long benefit. If you realize English will help you in your career and enrich your personal life, you will find that coming to England to study English is a very special experience that you will never forget. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to invite you to join our English Language courses. London is one of the world's outstanding cultural and trade center. You will live in one of the world's great cities. It provides the perfect arrangements in which to learn and develop English language skills. The international body of the students attending courses at English language Institutes in London provides an attraction because it is a good chance for you to enjoy other cultures in surroundings to develop personal character. As we prepare for the 21st Century, international communication has never been more important. To master a foreign language is becoming a useful tool for trade, industrial and professional success. Our aim at the English language Institutes is to develop students' English language skills in friendly and helpful conditions. Supported by computer, video and audio equipment, and using sound classroom, our team of teachers will guide you through your chosen course of study, you will receive excellent service and advice at every stage. Our out-of-class support staff will help you settle in and make the most of your stay in London. Truly, you will enjoy yourself in London and make friendships that will last a lifetime. I hope we can welcome you to this exciting world of London. Come and see us ! Visit a class in any of the English Language Institutes. See for yourself why we encourage you to study in London. This passage is a (n) _ . Answer: Hearing the front door open, I ran down to the kitchen and waited. I saw my dad come in, with the white envelope in his hand. I had waited all day for this, so I reached over him for it as soon as he set foot into the house. Angrily, he threw the envelope on the table and said it was nothing to get excited about, and that it was just a piece of paper. I took it and ran upstairs. I wondered why my dad did not understand how anxious I was to see my mid-year report card for my first year in middle school. I was really hurt by how he refused to consider all my hard work. I saw my class grade: No. 1. I did not believe what I was. I smiled and wanted to run downstairs to tell everyone. Then I remembered what my dad had said--it was nothing to get excited about. I wanted to share my happiness with someone, but felt lonely. I realized that I stayed away from my family we used to stay up late watching Disney movies, and my brothers, sisters and I would play tennis in the backyard all the time. I wondered when all that stopped. I just no longer took part in them. I spent all my time on my school work. While I had been busy with my study, I had also built a wall between me and my family. I was only trying to become a person everyone could be proud of. I wanted to go downstairs, say sorry for my rude behavior and for every refused movie and tennis game, and be part of my family again. I knew I had to do something--because without their support, my achievement meant nothing. t's very clear that the writer did _ . Answer: Look at this. What's this in English? Ah, it's a photo. Who's that in the photo? It's Li Yan. Li Yan is my good friend. She is a nice girl. Who's that? The boy in black? It's Jim. He is an English boy. He is very cool. He is my friend, too. We are all in the same class. I like Jim and Li Yan. ,,. Who are in the same class? -- _ . Answer:
Question: Claudia's teacher places a photograph of an organism on the board. He asks Claudia to determine if the organism is a plant or an animal. The answer to which question will best help Claudia determine if the organism is a plant or an animal? A. Does the organism have cells? B. Does the organism reproduce? C. Does the organism live in the forest? D. Does the organism make its own food? Answer: D. Does the organism make its own food? Question: Sports City Bar Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, in Sports City Bar everyone can a " Buy one, get one free . At our Sunday Family Buffet , We have games for children. The buffet is from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. And costs 98 yuan per adult . Children aged 12 to 16 eat for half price, and children under 12(two at most) eat for free. Happy hours at Sports City Bar are from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Buy one drink, get one free. Tel: 65158855--3349 Location :The third floor. If you are 13, you _ . A. must pay 49 yuan for your lunch at Sunday Family Buffet B. can eat for free at Sunday Family Buffet C. can't buy one, get one free in Sports City Bar D. can't go to the Sports City Bar with your parents Answer: A. must pay 49 yuan for your lunch at Sunday Family Buffet Question: Vacation spots in Ohio The Boon shoft Museum of Discovery The museum is based on the understanding that science is the process through which we come to understand our world, and that play is the way children do science. Visitors of all ages can explore the wonders of the world. The museum includes many places for adventure such as the Discovery Center and the Hall of the Universe. What make adventures more exciting are real speciments from the museum's collection of 1.4 million items. African Wildlife Park This wildlife park is spread across a large area of about 100 acres and you can see different species of animals moving freely as if in their natural habitat. On entering the park, you are given a basket of food for free. You are able to feed the animals out of the comfort of your own car. Any additional basket of food needs to be paid for. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was opened some where in 1995, with a purpose of celebrating the spirit of rock and roll music and also studying it! It is among the top 10 vacation spots in Ohio. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame offers exhibitions, music events and also training programs on the subject. This is a perfect stop for everything on rock and roll music! The Armstrong Museum The Armstrong Museum, located in Neil Armstrong's hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio, celebrates the life and the mission of the first man to walk on the moon. You can see one of the planes that Armstrong tested and enjoy a film about the development of the US space program. What can we learn about Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from the text? A. It was opened in the early 1990s. B. It celebrates everything on music. C. It offers training programs for people. D. It is one of the top 3 vacation spots in Ohio. Answer: C. It offers training programs for people. Question: It is often claimed that nuclear energy is something we cannot do without. We live in a consumer society, where there is a huge demand for commercial products of all kinds. Moreover, an increase in industrial production is considered to be one solution to the problem of mass unemployment. Such an increase needs an abundant and cheap energy supply. Many people believe that nuclear energy is endless and economical. There are a number of other advantages in the use of nuclear energy. Firstly, nuclear power, except for accidents, is clean. A further advantage is that a nuclear power station can be run by ly few technical and managing staff. The nuclear power station represents a large step in our scientific research and, whatever the anti-nuclear group says, it is wrong to expect a return to more primitive sources of fuel. However, those who disagree with nuclear energy point out that nuclear power stations bring a direct threat not only to the environment but also to the human race. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether finally nuclear power is a cheap source of energy. There have, for example, been very costly accidents in prefix = st1 /AmericaandRussia. The possibility of increases in the cost of uranium and the cost to ensure its safety could price nuclear power out of the market. In the long run, environmentalists argue, nuclear energy may bring about the destruction of the human race. Thus, if we wish to survive, we cannot afford nuclear energy. Though nuclear energy programmes are expanding, which assumes a continual growth in industrial production and consumer demands. It is doubtful whether this growth will or can continue. Having weighed up the arguments on both sides, it seems there are good economic and environmental reasons for sources of energy other than nuclear power. According to the anti-nuclear group, nuclear energy has the following disadvantages EXCEPT that_. A. it is a limited source of energy B. it is harmful to the environment C. it is a danger to the human race D. it is an expensive source of energy Answer: A. it is a limited source of energy Question: A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked _ in the use of emotional words over time.The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise. They found that almost all of the categories showed a drop in these "mood words" over time.Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage. "It is a steady and continuous decrease," said Dr Alberto Acerbi.He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape."One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media.Maybe these media -- movies, radio, drama, had more emotional content than books." Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour:the ratio between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events. During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash.But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War.Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends.In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true. "It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing 'filled with romance and sex'... perhaps," they conclude, "songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body." A study of more than five million books indicated a decrease in "mood words" over time except _ . A. in the use of the words of historical events B. in the category of fear C. in the category of literature D. in the category of joy Answer: B. in the category of fear
Question: Was the London Olympics a success? Many people hold different opinions. However one thing is certain, London could win a gold medal for hosting the "greenest" Games ever, BBC News reported. Previous Olympic hosts have been criticized for the environmental damage they have caused through construction, waste. and transport. But things had to be different in London because seven years ago it bid for the Olympics through the concept of "a One Planet Olympics". What is most impressive is that London used the construction of the Olympic Park as an opportunity to clean up polluted areas -- 2 million tons of contaminated soil were removed and 200 old factory buildings, were torn down, according to sustainablebusiness.com. But that's not all --. 99 percent of the debris were reused to build the Olympic Park. For example, part of the Olympic Stadium's roof is made from 2,500 tons of steel tubes recycled from old gas pipelines. As well as using recycled materials, all venues were built with green building techniques. The Olympic Stadium is the lightest one ever built, which _ the amount of steel and concrete needed. Also, the handball field has lighting pipes on the roof that reduce electricity use by 40 percent, according to sustainablebusiness.com. The effort that London made to deal with waste also deserves praise. Water used for drinking and watering plants was from collected rainwater or recycled wastewater. In this way. about 30-40 percent less water was used in total. Waste food packages were either recycled or processed and turned into renewable energy. As one of the best connected places in Europe, London tried to solve traffic jams by encouraging the use of public transport. For example, it had trains deliver half of the building materials, instead of cars, which greatly reduced carbon emissions. The clean anti-doping result also added to the greenness of the Games. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) said that the devices used this time were the most accurate and advanced. Only one athlete tested positive for a banned drug on the day of competing, which is why the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, has praised anti-doping efforts at the London Games. To make the Olympic Park green, London _ . A. recycled 2 million tons of contaminated soil B. removed 99 percent of the debris from the city C. built the Olympic Stadium mostly with recycled materials D. applied green building techniques to the construction work Answer: D. applied green building techniques to the construction work Question: If a thing is using other animals for nourishment, then the thing is a A. predator B. producer C. inanimate D. herbivore Answer: A. predator Question: Protecting Copyright Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music. As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.com to download music files. But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs' copyright bursts onto the screen. The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright. Lawsuits have been filed against four websites offering free downloads. In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation for their losses. Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website. This caused a heated discussion on Interact file sharing. "Baidu's defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying. Down loaders may face lawsuits or fines," said an official. Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn't think that getting music from websites is wrong. She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends. When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others' work without paying. However, other teenagers have different ideas. Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers. "If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD," she said. "So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than file-sharers." Which of the following best describes the passage? A. Downloading material can be illegal. B. Music on the Internet is of better quality. C. It's good to get free music on the Internet. D. Baidu is a popular web company. Answer: A. Downloading material can be illegal. Question: Emma and Hannah are 13-year-old school girls from Minnesota, USA. They are good at making new things and both of them are also good at sales. They are selling charms made out of bottle caps. The girls came up with the idea last summer when they saw charms were popular with kids. They talked with their parents about the idea. Since then they have sold enough charms to buy a bike for Hannah. The girls collect bottle caps and then clean them. They find some interesting pictures on the Internet or on paper, and then glue them onto the inside of the caps. There are different kinds of pictures. "Peace signs are popular with girls, and single-letter charms are popular with boys whose names start with those letters," Emma and Hannah said. Now, charms can be found everywhere at Dakota Hills Middle School in Eagan. "Students put charms on purses, backpacks, and their lunchboxes," said Emma. Emma and Hannah also have a shop on the Internet. They hope they can sell their charms to more kids. They're thinking about selling their charms at the Eagan Market Festival next summer. Their business is not only for getting money. At their Valentine's sale, 20% of the income went to charity. Which of the following may NOT be on the charms? A. Pictures. B. Signs. C. Letters. D. Numbers. Answer: D. Numbers. Question: On a Sunday morning, I was driving down a road and saw something I couldn't believe. A little girl, less than two, was pushing her stroller across the road. It was Sunday morning and traffic was not heavy. I stopped my car at once and ran toward her. This little girl knew enough to run from a stranger. I tried to catch her in order that I could get her out of the road. Suddenly her father came running down a hill across the road from where I had parked my car. He ran right to her and caught her up, saying "bad girl" to her. I picked up the stroller and gave it to him. The father grabbed the stroller and walked toward where he came from without a word. I went back and sat in my car for a few minutes with my son. My hands were shaking and tears were about to run out of my eyes. "Do you feel cold, Mom?" asked my son. I just shook my head. After this happened, I thought about how thankful I am. Even though the father didn't say thank you, I feel that I did something good. Doing something for someone else is pleasing, even when it's only a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I didn't really "save" her, but I feel like it was important that I happened to be there. It is sad that I was the only one who stopped. It really made me a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help. The author thought that her help was _ . A. really necessary B. worth praising C. not welcome D. not useful Answer: A. really necessary
Now that newsrooms are becoming less popular in the US,young people have begun to tell their own stories. GlobalGirl Media,a nonprofit organization that teaches teenage girls digital storytelling skills,was started by award-winning filmmakers Amie Williams and Meena Nanji in Los Angeles in 2010. "By giving girls a voice,you introduce a different story,and change the existing one,"said Danny Glover,a member of the GlobalGirl Media advisory board. "When the camera's in my hands,I feel like I can't lose,"Said Cheyenne Grisez,14."It makes me happy and I feel like I can do anything." On the final day of the summer academy in California,Williams worked with Grisez and Camila Prado,15,on a short film about Prado's fight against an eating disorder.In the film,Prado bravely interviewed her parents and sister about how she was able to beat her depression and eating disorder.This film and others the girls had made were shown to parents and friends on the last day of the academy,celebrating their hard work. "It's their story,and nobody knows how to tell it better than they do,"Williams said. "These girls are from really difficult backgrounds.They feel trapped sometimes.They feel alone."Williams said."The camera gives them a way to look at their world in a different way and get out of that feeling.'' Girls in the program practice their skills and build confidence by going out in the community and interviewing people for the short films.Many of them had no experience,but found they had good storytelling skills. "I work with these girls.Every day I leave inspired and completely grateful,because I know that.due to the work we're doing with them,things will be better,"said GlobalGirl Media summer academy project director Heather Faison. What difficulty did Prado overcome by making her film? Answer: An eating disorder. People may remove fallen trees from forests to reduce fire risk. Removing the trees is now thought to have an impact on the health of the forest. Which impact would removing fallen trees from forests most likely have on forest health? Answer: decreased soil fertility by preventing nutrient recycling This is my school. There are many trees and flowers in it. It's very beautiful. The teaching building is big and tall. There is a big playground in our school. After 4:30 in the afternoon, many students come to the playground to play football and some students play table tennis in the table tennis room. There are 1,200 students and 25 classes in our school. The students all like to study. The teachers in our school are very good. They help the students to study and the students like them, too. There are at least _ students in one class. Answer: 45 Half the world's population could face a shortage of food by 2100 due to climate change, a new report by US scientists warns. Rapid global warming is likely to reduce crop production in the tropics and subtropics , according to Professor David Battisti of the University of Washington. "The most extreme summers of the last century will become common," he says. "We must immediately create crops that can bear heat and drought if we are to adapt in time," he writes in Science journal. "The stresses on global food production from temperature alone are going to be huge," said Mr. Battisti. "And that doesn't take into account water supplies stressed by the higher temperatures." He worked with Professor Rosamond Naylor on Food Security and the Environment, to examine the influence of climate change on the world's food supplies. They predict there is a greater than 90% probability that by 2100, the average growing-season temperatures in the tropics and subtropics will be higher than any temperatures recorded there to date. "We are taking the worst of what we've seen historically and saying that in the future it is going to be a lot worse unless there is some kind of adaptation," said Professor Naylor. "This is a powerful reason for us to invest in adaptation, because it is clear that this is the direction we are going in terms of temperature and it will take decades to develop new food crop varieties that can better bear a warmer climate." "In the tropics, the higher temperatures could be expected to cut production of the primary food crops by 20-40%," the researchers said. Rising temperatures are also likely to reduce soil moisture , cutting production even further. Three billion people live in the tropics and subtropics now, and their number is expected nearly to double by the end of the century. "You are talking about hundreds of millions of additional people looking for food because they won't be able to find it where they find it now," said Professor Battisti. Crop failures would not be limited to the tropics, the scientists concluded. According to Professor David Battisti, what should be done to deal with crops reduction caused by global warming? Answer: To develop new crops The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato's Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices . The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like. Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but "this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores", because of the economy. If you're selling Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment , Plato's Closet buys on the spot. Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition. Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center. There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card. Secondhand success Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season. Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying. Price comparison Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37. Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90. Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89. Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365) In Plato s Closet, which of the following is not accepted? Answer: You can bargain with buyers about the prices of goods.
The monitor "watches" deceleration (=slow down) and distance from a light - and "guesses" which cars are likely to break the Highway Code. Most importantly, the software can provide two seconds' warning if someone else is about to shoot across a crossroads - enough time for other drivers to hit the brakes. Jonathan How, the Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, says "smart" cars of the future may use the system to help drivers foresee and avoid potential accidents. The researchers tested the algorithm on data collected from an intersection in Virginia, finding that it accurately identified potential violators within a couple of seconds of reaching a red light -- enough time, according to the researchers, for other drivers at an intersection to be able to react to the threat if alerted . Compared to other efforts to model driving behavior, the MIT algorithm brought fewer false alarms, an important advantage for systems providing guidance to human drivers. The researchers report their findings in a paper that will appear in the journal IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. We can learn from the passage that the algorithm _ . Answer: is still in a theoretical stage. Maglites use nickle with cadmium to produce Answer: illumination A new study suggests that sad music might actually arouse positive emotions. The finding helps to explain why people enjoy listening to sad music, say Ai Kawakami and her colleagues from Tokyo University of the Arts and the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan. Ai Kawakami and her colleagues asked 44 volunteers, including both musicians and nonspecialists, to listen to two pieces of sad music and one piece of happy music. Each participant was required to use a set of keywords to rate both their perception of the music and their own emotional state. The sad pieces of music included Glinka's La Separation in F minor and Blumenfeld's Etude Sur Mer in G minor. The happy music piece was Granados's Allegro de Concierto in G major. To control the "happy" effect of major key, they also played the minor key pieces in major key, and vise versa. The researchers explained that sad music aroused contradictory emotions because the participants of the study tended to feel sad to be more tragic and less romantic than they felt themselves while listening to it. " In general, sad music causes sadness in listeners, and sadness is regarded as an unpleasant emotion. If sad music actually arouses only unpleasant emotion, we would not listen to it," the researchers wrote in the study. "Music that is believed as sad actually causes romantic emotion as well as sad emotion.And people, regardless of their musical training, experience this ambivalent emotion to listen to the sad music," added the researchers. Also, unlike sadness in daily life, sadness experienced through art actually feels pleasant, possibly because the latter does not cause an actual threat to our safety. This could help people to deal with their negative emotions in daily life, concluded the authors. "Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. Therefore, we can even enjoy unpleasant emotion such as sadness. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion aroused through daily life, sad music might be helpful to negative emotion," they added. What is the main idea of this passage? Answer: Sad music may actually cause positive emotions. For a small town, Manhattan, Kansas has some big surprises. And one of them is the Holiday Inn Hotel, with rooms built around a swimming pool and a friendly family atmosphere. The Holiday Inn is where Manhattan people often go for a special party, or a night out. A lot of them choose to eat in the brightly lit restaurant near the pool. And many of them will be served by Ellen Logan, who has worked as a waitress here for more than two years . Ellen, like most of the waitresses, is also a student. She comes from Nebraska, but she's planning one day to be a veterinary surgeon, and to care for small animals. But in order to support herself at college, she works twenty hours a week at the Holiday Inn. Ellen soon learned what every waitress finds out. Your best friend has a good pair of shoes. She paid forty - five dollars for hers, much more than she would usually spend. She's discovered something else too. You don't have to know much about food to be a good waitress, but you do have to know a lot about people. "A lot of business people always stay here when they come to Manhattan, " she explains. "They like you to recognize them and remember their favorite dishes. But some couples come for a night out together. They just want to be left alone. Then there are people who can't make up their minds. They look down the menu and say'What do you suggest?'So I ask them how hungry they are. If they say, 'Not very', I suggest the salad bar, with soup, salad, bread, and a fruit plate. But if they say they're very hungry, I suggest a Kansas Strip Steak, with potatoes or rice. You get salad and bread as well. It's very nice. Real good value." Ellen may get tired feet sometimes, but at least she's learning too much about people . She'll probably make a good animal doctor, but if she find she doesn't like it after all, she can always become a psychiatrist instead." According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? Answer: Businessmen like to be recognized by the people and suggested what to eat. Jack Johnson is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in the world. Jack was born on May 18, 1975 in Hawaii. Being the son of a famous surfer, Jack naturally has an interest in surfing. Most of his life lessons were learned in the water. At the age of 17, Jack entered the finals of the Pineline Masters---the world's most famous surfing competition. Everyone thought Jack would become a professional surfer like his father. Unluckily, one month later, he had a deadly accident while surfing and was seriously hurt. Life is like a revolving door. When it closes, it also opens. Jack started to practice playing the guitar and write songs when he was staying in hospital. At first, his father thought Jack only did it for fun, but soon he was surprised at the great progress his son had made. When studying in the university, Jack didn't stop practicing his guitar skills. He played the guitar for school parties. He wrote songs and sang for his teachers and friends. They liked his songs. His first music album Brushfire Fairytalescame out in 2001. It was a great success. His second album,On and On, was much like his first one. They were filled with sweet, easy-going songs that everybody liked listening to. Later, Jack had lots of concerts in and out of America. He became popular all over the world. Jack had five albums by 2010 and more than 15 million copies of them were sold. His music doesn't fit into any of the popular music styles like pop, rock, R&B or hip-hop. It is more like fold music, played with a guitar and beautiful voice. When listening to his songs, you feel like lying on the beach enjoying the warm sunshine. Jack is a talent, though he himself says he is only a surfer who loves music. In his songs we can find his secret of success: Whatever happens in our lives, we have to accept it and do the best we can. What's the best title for the passage ? Answer: A Guitar Player
Frogs lay eggs that develop into tadpoles and then into adult frogs. This sequence of changes is an example of how living things Answer: Senior citizens are permitted to travel cheaply on a bus if they have a special card. Women may get cards when they are sixty. Mrs. Matthews lived in the country but she went into town once a week to buy food and other things for the house, and she usually went by bus. She always had to pay the full price for her ride. Then she reached the age of sixty and got her senior citizen's card, but when she used it for the first time on the bus, it made her feel very old. The bus driver had often seen her traveling on the bus before, and he noticed that she was feeling unhappy, so after she had paid her money, he winked at her and whispered, "Don't forget to give your mother's card back to her when you see her again." Mrs. Matthews was very happy when she heard this. Women over sixty _ . Answer: Now that newsrooms are becoming less popular in the US,young people have begun to tell their own stories. GlobalGirl Media,a nonprofit organization that teaches teenage girls digital storytelling skills,was started by award-winning filmmakers Amie Williams and Meena Nanji in Los Angeles in 2010. "By giving girls a voice,you introduce a different story,and change the existing one,"said Danny Glover,a member of the GlobalGirl Media advisory board. "When the camera's in my hands,I feel like I can't lose,"Said Cheyenne Grisez,14."It makes me happy and I feel like I can do anything." On the final day of the summer academy in California,Williams worked with Grisez and Camila Prado,15,on a short film about Prado's fight against an eating disorder.In the film,Prado bravely interviewed her parents and sister about how she was able to beat her depression and eating disorder.This film and others the girls had made were shown to parents and friends on the last day of the academy,celebrating their hard work. "It's their story,and nobody knows how to tell it better than they do,"Williams said. "These girls are from really difficult backgrounds.They feel trapped sometimes.They feel alone."Williams said."The camera gives them a way to look at their world in a different way and get out of that feeling.'' Girls in the program practice their skills and build confidence by going out in the community and interviewing people for the short films.Many of them had no experience,but found they had good storytelling skills. "I work with these girls.Every day I leave inspired and completely grateful,because I know that.due to the work we're doing with them,things will be better,"said GlobalGirl Media summer academy project director Heather Faison. Who directed GlobalGirl Media summer academy project in California? Answer: University is generally regarded as one of the most important times in a person's life, yet the function of this institution continues to arouse debate. Many believe that arts subjects are too easy, that practical skills are more useful and that a chosen subject for study should be clearly linked to a career. However, this view is far too simplistic. Arts subjects are very difficult. They can prepare students for any number of careers as well as allowing the student to take time to make a decision. The function of the modern university is to cater to different types of student. Arts subjects are not easy. For example, a degree in Literature is not an easy option. No question in a Literature class has a single, simple answer. Debate is conducted in a spirit of openness, texts are very closely analyzed and skills in close reading are developed. Literature is about language, our primary means of communication. Arts subjects require the same concentrated study as any other subject. Arts subjects can prepare students for any number of careers. A degree in an arts subject teaches skills in well organized debates and defence of a position through the provision of evidence. These are applicable to many types of career. Law, for example. The point is that an undergraduate degree in any Arts subject trains the student in analysis and structure. Therefore, Arts graduates can pursue any number of careers. Arts subjects allow the student to take time to choose a career. Love of the subject for its own sake may well be the initial motivation for the Arts undergraduate but because the subject they have chosen is not so clearly linked to a career they have time to reflect, making a decision only when they are absolutely certain. Students who pursue Arts subjects therefore have the leisure to make a carefully considered choice. In conclusion, it is clear that Arts subjects are not a waste of time. They are flexible when it comes to relating them to a career and they allow the student to discover an appropriate career path. Many industries now acknowledge that a degree in Literature can be just as valuable as any other subject, especially when it is evident that Arts graduates tend to think more creatively. Not all undergraduates have clearly defined goals and not all subjects can be simply matched to a career. Acknowledging this difference should be the main function of a modern university From the article, we know skills acquired by arts undergraduates include _ . Answer: A cute invention was revealed this month at the International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Tokyo. It's called Jukusui-Kun ("deep sleep" in Japanese) ---a robotic pillow in the shape of a polar bear. The pillow is in fact a serious technological innovation hidden under a cute cover. It was developed by a group of scientists and engineers at Tokyo's Waseda University to help people suffering from snoring and those who live with them. This is how the robotic pillow works: a microphone detects the noise level of the snoring, and if the snoring becomes very loud, which can be the sign of sleep apnea , the bear will raise its hand and carefully touch the face of the sleeper, leading to a change in the sleeper's position without waking him or her up. This is definitely the world's first anti-snoring machine and an important potential treatment for sleep apnea. This sleeping disorder involves pauses in breathing, and can lead to heart attacks during sleep. In Japan, around 2 million people are struggling with the problem. When a sleeper starts snoring, the sleeper's blood oxygen level drops. The new device tracks the level of oxygen in the sleeper's blood and wirelessly sends the information to the polar bear. But the only problem is that people not only have to sleep on a bear-shaped pillow with robotic hands, but also have to insert their hands into a monitor that keeps track of blood oxygen levels. If these levels fall below a certain point, it gives the bear another cue to lift its hand. The bear is not yet on sale, and it remains to be seen whether a robotic hand reaching up to touch one's face is any more effective than one's partner giving one a good shove . What's the author's attitude to the new device? Answer:
To Whom It May Concern: Your address was forwarded to us by How to Magazine.All of us here think The International Institute of Not Doing Much is the best organization in the world.You know how to avoid unnecessary activities! As a matter of fact, we closely followed the advice in your article.First, we replaced all our telephones with carrier pigeons.Simply removing the jingle of telephones and replacing them with the pleasant sounds of birds has had a remarkable effect on everyone.Besides, birds are cheaper than telephone service.After all, we are a business.We have to think of the bottom line.As a side benefit, the birds also fertilize the lawn outside the new employees' sauna . Next, we sold the computers off to Stab, Grab, Grit, and Nasty, a firm of lawyers nearby.Our electricity bill went way down.Big savings! The boss is impressed.We have completely embraced paper technology.Now that we all use pencils, doodling is on the increase, and the quality of pencil woman ship is impressive, as you can tell from my handwriting in this letter.By the way, if you can, please send this letter back to us.We can erase and reuse it.Just tie it to Maggie's leg and she'll know where to take it. Now it's very calm and quiet here.You can notice the difference.No more loud chatter on the telephones! All we hear is the scratching of pencil on paper, the sound of pigeons, and the delivery of inter-office correspondence by paper airplane. Wonderful! I've always wanted to work for an insurance company ever since I was a little girl.Now it's perfect. Sincerely yours, Eleanor Lightly Spokeswoman and Company Hair Stylist ABC Activity Insurance: insure against overdoing it What is true about _ ? It was September 5, 2009. Lexi Youngberg, then 16, was on vacation in Spring Lake, Michigan. She was riding on a small boat with her friends, Robby and Kaitlin, when a motorboat crashed into them. The sound was so loud that other boaters heard it over the roar of their engines. The teen boy who had been driving the motorboat stepped on the gas by mistake. Kaitlin, 23, had only small cuts, but Robby, 15, had been badly cut by the propeller . And Lexi was floating facedown in the water. When one boater swam to Lexi, she was breathing. However, she was unconscious. She had a deep cut on her head. And the lower part of her left leg, just below the knee, was gone. A doctor rode up in another boat and tried to save Robby, but it was too late. For Lexi, the good news is that she survived while the bad news is that she lost one of her legs forever. When Lexi looked at her swollen leg, she felt hopeless. But as time passed, Lexi began to feel stronger. She was grateful that her life had been spared, and she decided to make the most of it. At the end of November 2009, Lexi met with Dr. John Hardy, who was an expert at making artificial legs. She hoped he would help her get back to doing the things she loved. Three years after the accident, Lexi moved on with her life. In spring 2011, she joined a soccer team in her school. That fall, she started college. Lexi is thankful that she can still do the things she loves. One day, she wants to be a physical therapist and work with those with disabilities. But first she plans to compete in the Paralympics. Whatever Lexi decides to do, one thing is certain: Nothing is going to get in her way. It can be inferred from the text that Lexi was _ . Our three-year-old daughter Becky wanted a dog. But we were too busy to buy one. One day, Becky ran in, shouting, "Mom! Come to see my dog!" Her face was red with excitement. I followed her to the bush and found a wolf! He was hurt. Seeing me, he stood up suddenly! I could see his teeth! God! My mouth _ . "Don't be afraid. That's Mom. She loves you, too." Becky said. Then he became friendly. It was unbelievable! I rushed to find my husband and told him about the wolf. We should have killed the wolf, but Becky loved him. Besides, he was kind to Becky. So we called the vet finally. Becky named the wolf Ralph and she carried food to him every day. Later, Ralph got well. They played together in the daytime. At night, Ralph would return to the mountains. Sometimes he disappeared but came back several days later. On Becky's first day of school, we could see Ralph's sadness. After Becky left school, Ralph lay by the side of the road and waited. When Becky returned, he got happy again. This continued throughout Becky's school years. Twelve years passed. One day we heard that a wolf was killed. The other wolf was hurt and ran away. We were worried about Ralph. That night, Ralph returned with a wound. Becky held his head kindly and comforted him. We hoped he could come through. However, he died. Becky cried. I noticed something strange in the bush--two little yellow eyes! Ralph's child! Before he died, Ralph brought his child to us! He knew he would be safe here, as he had been. Ralph, Ralph, I was moved. "Don't be afraid, little...little Ralphie. That's Mom. She loves you, too." The best title for this passage is _ . Having a great collection of books at home doesn't really mean that you are a person who has a passion for literature and reading. It can be a family inheritance or it can be just to impress people around you about the fact that you are a person of culture. On the other hand, there are many persons who cannot afford to buy books, because some of them are quite expensive, but they usually go to libraries and spend hours reading something that interests them a lot, or just borrow books to read at home. From my point of view, literature is very important in our lives from several points of view. For e xample, reading is a means of gaining culture and enriching our knowledge in different areas of activities. It can help us have a great imagination and it makes things easier when it comes to making compositions on different themes. It gives you the possibility to speak about science, even if you don't work in this field, or you can express your opinion about a political aspect, just because you have read something conne cted to that. Secondly, literature offers us the possibility to enter the world of imagination, and to leave apart the real one for a couple of hours. We come to meet kings and queens many years ago, dream in the world of the rich or imagine how life will be in the future. Sometimes, we identify ourselves with the characters in the stories we read and they can give us some clues to solve our problems and how to react in certain circumstances. To conclude, I would like to say that literature is the perfect means to enrich our culture, to express correctly and have a rich vocabulary, to be able to interfere in conversations in different fields of interest and to really be considered an erudite person. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage? I study in the No.5 Middle school. It is a big and nice school. In the school there are more than one hundred teachers and about 2000 students. They all walk very hard. I am in Class 8,Grade One. There are 35 girls and 36 boys in my class. Our classroom is very big and bright. There are four windows in the wall of the classroom. They are very big. On the back wall there is a map of China. On the front wall there is a map of China. In the front of the blackboard there is a big desk. It's for our teachers. In the classroom there are seventy-one desks and chairs. All the desks and chairs in it are new. We go to school at seven in the morning. Classes begin at half past seven. We have eight lessons a day. We study Chinese, English ,maths and other lessons. All of us like English very much. Some are very good at it. In the afternoon we have sports. At six o'clock we go home. In the evening we often do our homework. Sometimes we watch TV. School is over at _ in the afternoon.
Now people in England, the US and many other countries celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day is on the second* Sunday of May. On this day, children give flowers, cards, chocolate and other things to their mothers, but they don't give money to them. And they also make presents for their mothers. And some of them get up early to cook breakfast for their mothers. They also help their mothers do housework. They want to show their love to their mothers. They know if they have no mothers; they can't live a happy life. Many people in China celebrate this festival for their mothers because they want to show* their love to their mothers too. In every Chinese family, the mother looks after* the children, does the housework and cooks meals for the family, so she is quite _ and she is always busy in the family. Now more and more people celebrate Mother' Day in China.[:Zxxk.Com] Why do many Chinese people celebrate this festival for mothers? A Because they know Mother's Day. B Because their mothers are very busy. C Because they have mothers. D Because they love their mothers very much. Answer: D. Because they love their mothers very much. The future of agriculture must achieve several goals at the same time. First, it now appears that we will have to double world food production in the next 40 years due to population growth, increasing meat consumption and pressure from biofuels . We will also have to reduce the environmental impacts from our farming practices, which have caused widespread damage to soils, ecosystems, waters and even the atmosphere. In fact, agriculture's impacts are as bad as climate change as an environmental concern. Besides, we will have to improve food security for the world's poor. While the Green Revolution of the 1960s made it possible to feed hundreds of millions more people than in earlier eras, the number of the under-nourished in the world has started to rise again. Finally, we will have to increase the recovering ability of agriculture from shocks. Today, our high-efficiency, globalized world has many benefits, but it is vulnerable to destruction, whether from droughts, diseases or sudden price rises. We must start building better food systems to better keep us away from future shocks. Currently, there are two models of agriculture: local and organic agriculture vs. globalized and industrialized agriculture. Each has been strongly supported and severely criticized, but neither of these models, standing alone, can fully meet our needs. Organic agriculture teaches us important lessons about soils, nutrition and pest management. Unfortunately, organic food provides less than 1% of the world's calories, mostly to the wealthy. It is hard to imagine organic farming developing to feed 9 billion. Globalized and industrialized agriculture has benefits of high output and low labor demands. Without it, billions of people would have starved. However, it has come with enormous environmental and social costs, which cannot be sustained. Rather than voting for just one solution, we need a third way to solve the crisis. Let's take ideas from both sides, creating new, hybrid solutions that increase production, save resources and build a more sustainable agriculture. There are many promising avenues to pursue. A new "third way" for agriculture is not only possible but also necessary. Our problems are huge, and they will require everyone at the table, working together toward solutions. Which is true according to the passage? A Organic agriculture can feed most people in the world now. B Industrialized agriculture does no harm to our environment. C Modern farming is criticized while organic farming is not. D The future agriculture can't only depend on organic agriculture. Answer: D. The future agriculture can't only depend on organic agriculture. Zhang Kai is a student at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power . He has led a group of college student volunteers since last year. They help children at a primary school with their studies and daily lives. "When I was a small child", Zhang said, "I knew March 5 was a day for people to learn from Lei Feng and help others, but I didn't know the real meaning of the spirit of Lei Feng. Now when I see the smiling faces of the kids I have helped, I deeply understand Lei Feng. Helping others makes me happy." Lei Feng (1940-1962) is one of the most famous soldiers in Chinese history. He lost his parents when he was very young. His neighbors brought him up. He died in an accident at 22. He did many good deeds in his short life. For example, he gave his own money to the parents of another soldier. And bought tickets for a woman he didn't know without telling her his name. On March 5, 1963, Chairman Mao called on people to "Learn from Lei Feng" and made the day "Lei Feng Day". Today almost 50 years has passed since Lei's death. Some people say that the spirit of Lei Feng is outdated . But many people think we need to promote that spirit again. There have been many reports about the coldness of people toward strangers. This has made many Chinese people think deeply about themselves. "The most important thing is that we must be ready to help others and make it a habit." said Huang Tianze, a student from Jianlan High School in Zhejiang. Zhang Kai and his group do good deeds as Lei Feng by _ . A helping the old man B helping the poor C helping primary school students D helping his classmates Answer: C. helping primary school students One way to sell stuff is to make things that people want to buy. Another way is to offer "free trials" and then hit customers with bills. This brings us to PDC Education Ltd, run by Rebecca Jordan and Kirsty Weir of Leeds, whose website teaching-resources-uk.com offers teaching plans for teachers. Rosemarie Brady, finance manager of Rutlish School in Merton, southwest London, tells us that one teacher called Amanda Seyfried downloaded the "free" resources. "Unfortunately in very small print, they state that unless the free trial is cancelled, then you will be charged," she says. A year has gone by and now they've been sent a second bill for 500 pounds, just because they forgot to cancel the "free trial". Merton Council--and it's not the only one--has sent a warning to all its schools saying: " Only in the very (easily missed) small print of the terms and conditions is it explained that, after the 14-day trial, schools will be automatically signed for a two-year contact with the company." "This will only be stopped if the teacher who requested the trial writes directly to PDC to cancel before the 14 days have expired . The fee can be as much as hundreds of pounds, with the threat of debt recovery if they are not paid." Among the online complaints is this one from a teacher. "How disappointed I am that they will not even consider seriously re-negotiating the invoice ." Rebecca Jordan of PDC Education said, " The whole purpose behind the free trial is that we have confidence in our business. This free trial period gives teachers the chance to see what is on offer without having to commit to a payment." Only a "very small number" of teachers have complained when they receive an invoice, she added. " Their only complaint is that they have not checked what they are signing up to but that is not our fault, the position is totally clear. The prices and the trial terms are clear to see on the online sign up page." It's true the terms and conditions are on their website. But perhaps it's unhelpful that they run to almost 3000 words. Which of the following words best describes the author's attitude towards PDC? A Critical B Reserved C Doubtful D Positive Answer: A. Critical In order for crops to grow food safely, pesticides are used on them. When it floods, this causes what to be poisonous? A air B farmers C Corn D Runoff Answer: D. Runoff
When oil is burning, the reaction will A. only release energy B. only absorb energy C. neither absorb nor release energy D. sometimes release and sometimes absorb energy depending on the oil Answer: A. only release energy 351 Gardener Street Los Angeles, CA90031 September 12 Relex Company 37 Pearl Street Clifton, NJ07013 Dear Sir or Madam: A year ago I bought a Relex camera second hand. It's a SW 705 model, and it's about five years old. Here's my problem: The light metre was fine when I bought the camera, but now it isn't working and my pictures are coming out too dark. I checked the batteries, and they are still good. I took the camera to some repair shops, but they said they couldn't repair it because the model is too old and they don't have the necessary part. Do you have the parts for this model in stock? If so, could I send you the camera for repairs? How much would the repairs cost? I'm going to buy your new SW800 model in about six months, but I would still like to fix this old one. Thank you very much. Sincerely yours Sarah H, McDaniel How old is Sarah's camera? A. One. B. Five. C. Six. D. About six. Answer: B. Five. It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra III, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way." I protested. He looked at me, astonished, "Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding citizen and have no desire to get killed either." He cut me off before I could protest. "No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is? What it means?" "Certainly,"I replied. "It's a stop signal and means the traffic is rolling in the opposite direction." "Half-right,"said the driver, "But incomplete. It's only an automatic stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,"he shouted, "I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night,sir." According to the passage, the driver thought of what he had done was _ . A. law abiding B. law breaking C. something to be proud of D. something to be ashamed of Answer: A. law abiding FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about visiting Hong Kong: Q: When is the best time to visit Hong Kong? A: Hong Kong is an all-year round destination. It enjoys a mild climate from the middle of September to the end of February, while the weather from May to mid-September can be hot. About 80% of Hong Kong's rainfall occurs between May and September, with August usually the wettest month. Q: Do I need a visa to visit Hong Kong? A: Visitors from most countries can enter Hong Kong without a visa for periods of seven days to 180 days, depending on nationality. You may check with the Hong Kong Immigration Department for details of visa requirements. Q: How is the local public transport? A: Hong Kong has an excellent public transport system, with most transportation air-conditioned. Depending on where you are going, you have a choice of MTR, trains, buses, trams, ferries and taxies. The clean and efficient means of transport cover all areas of Hong Kong, and have signs in English and Chinese. Q: Is Hong Kong safe for visitors? A: Yes. Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world even at night, when people may walk alone with confidence. To ensure your stay is a pleasant one always take care of your belongings. Q: Is English widely spoken? A: Yes, particularly in places frequently visited by visitors. You should have no problem communicating with people in most hotels, shops, restaurants and even some taxies. What can we know about Hong Kong from the FAQs? A. Visas are required for most visitors to Hong Kong. B. Hong Kong is a safe place for visitors. C. The use of English is quite limited. D. The public transport has signs in Chinese only. Answer: B. Hong Kong is a safe place for visitors. Pit bulls thin their thicker coats by A. getting a haircut B. shaving C. shedding D. selling Answer: C. shedding
Jasmine Meyers had the last laugh when the ocean swallowed her SUV Monday morning and brought it up an hour later, damaged, on the beach. Meyers was staying in Campbell River's Eagles Nest Motel during the wild storm that attacked the east coast of Vancouver Island early this week. "We woke up to my mom screaming 'Your car! Your car! Your car's about to go in the water,'"she said Wednesday. She'd parked her car in the hotel's parking lot that she described as a sort of a sea wall. The storm that swept throughout coastal areas hit extra hard in the Campbell River area. At about 8:30 am the bank below the parking lot gave way. Huge waves caught hold of the Toyota and took it into the water. Her mother took pictures while the terrible waves pulled the car out to sea. Then Meyers and her family members could only watch helplessly as the car was struck and pushed around in front of the hotel. "It floated around out there for about an hour." Then the ocean spit the car back up on the beach. Meyers said it sat there until Wednesday, when a tow truck finally recovered the destroyed car. That's the crazy part of the story. The fun part is what happened next. "I went mad," said Meyers. "I didn't cry because I knew that I had insurance, but I went mad and I didn't know what to do." Yeah, insurance: not just insurance, but replacement insurance. "Replacement insurance only ever lasts for three years,"said Meyers. "Mine ends on Nov.22 I would have been crying if it had been 10 days later." What can we learn about the motel from the passage? Answer: What requires energy for growth? Answer: Janel gave her 13-year-old son Jim an iPhone for Christmas. But she also had a contract about how Jim's new toy can and can't be used. Contract Rule 1: It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am lending it to you. Aren't I the greatest? Rule 2: If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say "hello", use your manners. Rule 3: Hand the phone to one of your parents at 7:30p.m. every school night & every weekend night at 9:00 p.m.. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30a.m.. Rule 4: Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another people. You are not a rude person, do not allow the iPhone to change that. Rule 5: Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe. It is not all for you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than it. Rule 6: Don't take too many pictures and videos. There is no need to record everything. They will be _ in your memory for ever. Rule 7: If it falls into the toilet, breaks on the ground, or lose, you should pay for it. You can take care of the baby, and wash dishes to save some money. I hope you can agree to these terms and enjoy your new iPhone. Mom The best title of the passage should be '' _ ". Answer: Public caught up in argument over safety of genetically modified or simply GM products, report Zhang Lei and Zhong Nan in Beijing. More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of the product. The first China Golden Rice Tasting Event was held at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province, sparking another round in the nationwide debate about the safety of GM crops, often called "Frankenfood" by opponents. Similar events have been held in more than 28 cities since May, the university said. Both the pro and anti camps have posted conflicting comments on the Internet, with each providing evidence to back up their beliefs, but the exchanges are becoming increasingly bitter. Jiang Tao, a senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is in favor of GM foods, was annoyed about what he called "amateurs" spreading rumors. "Just look at the people who are opposed to GM foods; can you find anyone from a related field in the scientific community?" he asked. Jiang also accused the anti-GM lobby of repeatedly using outdated or inaccurate data to support an "incorrect" stance. Chen Yunfa, an independent researcher into the Yangtze River Delta economy, recently wrote a commentary on the Internet news portal Eastday in which he criticized the actions of the 61 scientists, saying they had gone "beyond their proper duty". He suggested that large multinational corporations might be behind the letter and similar incidents, prompted by a desire to freeze China's patent hybrid rice technology out of the market. To support his contentions, Chen said that GM rice, first produced by scientists in the US, still hasn't gained official approval from the US government. However, the US authorities have actually granted licenses to six varieties of GM rice. The commercial planting of two varieties - anti-herbicide (BAR) transgenic rice LL RICE 06 and LL RICE 62 - produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, was approved in 1999 and a license for cultivation for edible use was granted in 2000. The public outcry for GM labeling and boycotting has hindered the advancement of the technology. Concern about GM foods has been fueled by studies like the one published by French professor Gilles-Eric Seralini in September 2012. Seralini claimed that his research involving rats proved that the GM corn fed to them caused tumor growth. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the pesticides used on GMOs are contributing to the decline of the world's honey bee population, leading to honey bee deaths by infecting the brains of the insects with toxins. Therefore, some experts recommend the labeling of non-GM foods so that consumers can make that decision without a regulatory burden being placed on GMOs. However, we should be cautious about anything that may risk humans' life. Only time will tell. Why did more than 300 people enjoy porridge made from genetically modified food? Answer: . A--E. . 57.More than three hundred fifty national parks can be found in the United States.These parks include huge color1ed rock formations,rivers,waterfalls,beautiful trees,other plants and many different kinds of wild animals. The rocks in Arches National Park are mostly a deep red color1.Rocks get their color1 from minerals.The red color1 is the result of iron oxide or rust.Scientists say the presence of iron in the rock shows that the weather was hot and dry when the rock was first formed. Answer:
Question: Mary is an American schoolgirl. She is now in Beijing with her parents. She doesn't know Chinese, but she is trying to study and speak it. She often tries to speak Chinese to her Chinese friends. Sometimes they don't understand her, because she can't speak Chinese well. It's Saturday morning. Mary goes out. She is on her way to the park. She is going there to see a flower show . But she doesn't know how to get there. She asks a Chinese boy. The boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen and some paper. She draws flowers on it, gives the picture to the boy and says something about it. The boy smiles and then shows Mary the way to the park. She can speak _ Chinese. A. much B. a little C. little D. a few Answer: C Question: Hong Kong Disneyland opened its door to the public on September 12, 2005. It's the first Disneyland in China as well as the cheapest on in the world. Ticket prices have also been set for Hong Kong Disneyland, the fifth theme park in the world. On weekdays, adults will pay 295 HK dollars, children aged between 3 and 11 will pay 210 HK dollars and old people aged 65 or above will pay only 170 HK dollars. At weekends, public holidays and golden week holidays, adults will pay 350 HK dollars, 250 HK dollars for children and 200 HK dollars for the old. Children under the age of three will get in for free. The famous action movie star Jacky Chen has been named spokesperson for Hong Kong Disneyland. He got it not only because of his great influence in Hong Kong and across Asia, but mainly because of his love for his family and his love to help others. If a 10-year-old boy and his parents want to go to Hong Kong Disneyland this weekend, how much should they pay? A. 950 HK dollars. B. 570 HK dollars. C. 800 HK dollars. D. 505 HK dollars. Answer: A Question: Conflict is on the menu tonight at the cafe La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France's favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and the "talking cure". Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn't always easy. They customers-some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session-care quick to intellectualize ,slow to open up and connect. "You are forbidden to say 'one feels,' or 'people think',"Lehane told them. "Say 'I think,' 'Think me'." A cafe society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn't seem more un-French. But Lehanne's psychology cafe is about more than knowing oneself: It's trying to help the city's troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the French lifestyle-longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation's desire to spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening. The city's "psychology cafes",which offer great comfort,are among the most popular places.Middle-aged homemakers,retirees,and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about love,anger,and dreams with a psychologist.And they come to Lehanne's group just to learn to say what they feel."There's a strong need in Paris for communication,"says Maurice Frisch,a cafe La Chope regular who works as a religious instructor in a nearby church."People have few real friends.And they need to open up."Lehanne says she'd like to see psychology cafes all over France."If people had normal lives,these cafes wouldn't exist,"she says."If life weren't a battle,people wouldn't need a special place just to speak."But then,it wouldn't be France. What are theme cafes expected to do? A. Create more jobs. B. Supply better drinks. C. Save the cafe business. D. Serve the neighborhood. Answer: C Question: You've flown halfway around the world; you've sniffed out this place that nobody in Falongland or Thailand seems to have ever heard of; so what on earth is there to do here? You consider this question as you sink into an old wooden beach chair that holds you above the sand. It was a long journey from Bangkok to Huaplee. By the time you found the bus station and got yourself sorted out, it took almost as long as the flight from Falongland. Huaplee is located just south of Hua Hin, about two hundred kilometres from Bangkok, down the west side of the Gulf of Thailand. Not many tourists find this place,and the ones that do wonder if finding it has been their purpose all along. There's an apparent laziness that surrounds you here. It's what this place offers, and it,s free of charge. The small waves that tap the shoreline seem to slow everything down. You settle into your beach chair in preparation for a long rest. You sit there and watch the sea. It's early afternoon, so the cook comes out and asks what you'd like to eat this evening. Before long he's rushed off to the market to buy the ingredients for whatever it was that you ordered---every meal fresh and to order. No menu here. There is no poolside noise here but just that wonderfully warm, clear blue sea. There9s no street noise. The only sounds are the murmurs of nature.For now you just count your blessings ,listing them in the sand with your toe * You don't have to worry about being late for work. You don't have to do anything. The beach to your right stretches off to the horizon ,slowly narrowing to nothingness only to re-emerge again on your left, now steadily widening until it covers the chair beneath you. Sand to your left and sand to your right; it's unbroken, endless. No start, no end, just sand, sun,and peace. Step off it, and you re-enter the world of traffic, stress, work,and hurry. Normally you,re the type who can,t sit still for more than ten minutes, but you're on Huaplee Lazy Beach now and, in the right frame of mind, it stretches all the way around theworld. "How could it take me so long to find it?" you wonder. What does the author imply by his question at the end of the passage? A. He shouldn't have counted his blessings. B. He should have understood the wonder of nature. C. He shouldn't have spent so much time on the trip. D. He should have come to the place earlier. Answer: D Question: JANUARY 15, 2014 KYOTO -- A father froze to death while sheltering his eight years old daughter from severe weekend snowstorms that swept northern Japan. Fujita Makoto, one of at least nine people killed as snowstorms swept across Hokkaido , died as he tried to protect his only child Yumi against winds of up to 113 kilometers per hour in Hokkaido, as temperatures fell sharply to minus 6 degrees centigrade. Makoto's body was uncovered by rescuers looking for the pair after s raised the alarm. Yumi was wearing her father's jacket and was wrapped in his arms. The pair had last been heard from at 4 p. m. on Saturday, after fisherman Makoto picked his daughter up from a school where she was being looked after while he was at work. Makoto called his s to say his truck had become stuck in the driving snow, which was several meters deep in places. He told them he and Yumi would walk the remaining kilometers. The two were found just 300 meters from the truck at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Makoto had his body bent over his daughter, gently holding her in his arms and apparently using his body and a warehouse wall to provide shelter. The small girl was taken to hospital, where she was found to have no serious injuries. Her father was officially pronounced dead by doctors at the same hospital. The newspaper Yomiuri said Yumi's mother had died of illness two years earlier. The paper quoted neighbors as saying Makoto had been an extremely caring father who would often delay the start of his working day to enjoy breakfast with his daughter. His death came as families all over Japan celebrated Girls' Day, a festival in which they gather at home and decorate houses with dolls. "He reserved a cake for his only daughter and was looking forward to celebrating Dolls' Festival together," a neighbor told the Yomiuri. What can we infer from the passage? A. Makoto had just celebrated Girls' Day with his daughter before he died. B. The s were not careful enough and raised the alarm too late. C. No one cared for Yumi at home while her dad was at work. D. The rescuers' delay resulted in the avoidable death. Answer: C
Most dictionaries will tell you a number of things about a language. There are three important things. These three things are spelling, pronunciation and meaning. First, a dictionary will tell you the spelling of a word. If you are not sure about the spelling of a word, you can try to find the correct spelling in a dictionary. Words are listed in an alphabetical order--- a, b, c and so on. For example, on a dictionary page the "poor" comes before "poverty" and the word "poverty" comes before the "power". The words are always given in alphabetical order. The second thing, a dictionary will tell you the pronunciation. Most dictionaries give phonetic , or sound alphabet. The phonetic alphabet shows pronunciation. The third thing, a dictionary will tell you the meaning of words. You can look up a word and find out what it means. Many words have more than one meaning, and a good dictionary will tell you all of the word's meanings. For example, in English the common word "get" has over 20 different meanings. Phonetic alphabets are used to show _ A pronunciation B spelling C meanings D handwritings Answer: A. pronunciation Small animals will leave their habitat and look for new shelter when there is a A less animals around B too much food C destruction D better food Answer: C. destruction Going back to school is a very exciting event for my two boys. It means getting new school bags and books, and seeing friends again after the summer holiday. My oldest son, 9-year-old Salem, asked me several times where we would go to buy a backpack, while my other son, 6-year-old Abdullah, asked what school would be like this year. For the last three years, school was a nightmare for many children and their parents as violence increased and there were more attacks on schools and teachers. As a result, many parents prevented their children from going to school. One of six children in this country did not attend primary school in 2009. Many kids who did attend school were accompanied by a parent for the entire day to make sure nothing happened to their children. For poor families or those with large families, back to school can be an expensive time. The government gives some help to those living in poor neighborhoods, and school bags, note books and other items are given for free. Most of the merchants who sell notebooks and pens now sell their products out on the street instead of in stores. They sit on the ground and lay their items on the ground or they have a small table to sell their goods. The bags cost between $10 and $20, while clothes and shoes cost between $20 and $30. I found all the things I needed for my sons and even bought something for myself. I spent about $50 on each of them, including school uniforms. At the end of the day, we returned to our home carrying many shopping bags filled with items that made my children happy and excited to go back to school. I just hope this school year will be a peaceful one. Many children are not going to school mainly because of _ . A the terrible education system B security problems and poverty C parents' distrust in schools D the government's inability Answer: B. security problems and poverty What color do you like best? Do you like yellow, orange and red? If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, or an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. Do you prefer grey and blue? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead. If you love green, you are likely to be strong-minded and determined. You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful. At least this is what psychologists tell us. They have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, and the effects that colors have on human beings. They tell us that we don't choose our favorite color as we grow up. If you happen to love brown, you do so as soon as you open your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly. Black is while light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful and more comfortable than a dark green one does, and a red dress adds warmth and cheer to sad winter days. It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark grey. Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a few colorful things. Also remember that you will know your friends (and your enemies) better when you find out what colors they like and dislike. And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about you when you choose a piece of handkerchief. 67. According to the passage, men's 110-meter hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder Liu Xiang is most likely to love the color _ . A black B grey C green D brown Answer: C. green Our eating habits are very important for good health and a strong body. There are times when most of us would have sweet and ice-cream rather than eat meat and rice. Sweets and ice-cream are not bad for the stomach if we eat at the end of a meal. If we drink beer at meals, it may take away your appetite . It is important for us to eat our meal at the same time each day. When we feel hungry, it is a sign that our body needs food. When we feel angry or excited, we may not want to eat. A long time ago, in England, some judges often decided whether a man was telling the truth by giving him some dry bread. If the man could not swallow the bread, it was a sign that he was not telling the truth. Although this seems very strange and rather foolish , it is really a good way of finding out the truth. A man who is worried has difficulty in swallowing anything dry. Because of his worriment, he loses his appetite and doesn't want to eat. When do you think it is good to eat sweets and ice-cream according to the passage? A When we are happy. B When we have a good appetite. C After a meal. D Before a meal. Answer: C. After a meal.
Kenya wants to organize a major international conference to discuss how to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. The conference may also deal with ways to rescue Somalia from seventeen years of civil war. More than forty percent of its people depend on food aid. Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula says the world cannot end piracy and civil war without dealing with Somalia's political problems. Somali pirates operate in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean by way of the Suez Canal. The pirates have fast boats, modern weapons and equipment like satellite phones and global positioning systems. Pirates hijacked the Sirius Star off the coast of Kenya and moved it to waters off Somalia. The tanker Sirius Star, at three hundred thirty meters long, is the biggest ship ever known to have been captured by pirates. It also happened farther south than most attacks, and farther out at sea ---- more than eight hundred kilometers from land. The ship was headed for the United States with two million karrels of oil, worth an estimated one hundred million dollars. A Saudi Arabian company owns the tanker. The pirates have reportedly demanded twenty-five million dollars in negotiations to release the ship and its crew of twenty-five. Somali pirates generally do not steal goods or kill hostages. They are believed to be holding seventeen ships with about three hundred crew members. Among the ships is a Ukrainian vessel hijacked in September with a load of military weapons including tanks. The increase in piracy is raising the cost of insuring ships. Also, oil from the Middle East and exports from East Asia could take longer to arrive. Some of the world's heaviest shipping traffic passes the Somali coast. But major shipping companies have begun to consider new routes. One of the world's biggest shippers, A.P, Moeller Maersk, says it will avoid the Gulf of Aden. A move away from the Suez Canal could hurt Egypt's economy. American and other foreign navy ships are now watching for pirates. This week the Indian Navy destroyed a heavily armed "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden. But the area to protect covers more than one hundred sixty million square kilometers. According to the passage, which of the following is the key to solving the piracy in Somalia? A Providing lots of money. B Ending Civil war. C Supplying enough food. D Handling Somalia's political problems. Answer: D. Handling Somalia's political problems. Mr. Li was in bed and was trying to go to sleep when he heard the bell ring . He turned on the light and looked at his clock. It was half past twelve. "Who can it be at this time of night?" he wondered. He decided to go and find out .So he got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and went to the door. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "That's very strange." He thought. Then he went back to his bedroom, took off his dressing gown, got back into bed, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep. A few minutes later he heard the bell ring again. Mr. Li jumped out of bed very quickly and rushed to the door. He opened it, but again he found no one there. He shut the door and found a piece of paper with some words on it: "It is now after midnight, so it is April 1st. April fool to you!" "Oh, it was the English boy next door!" Mr. Li exclaimed, and almost smiled, He went back to bed and fell asleep immediately. The bell did not ring again. Mr. Li was trying to go to sleep when he heard _ . A the telephone ring B the bell ring C someone knock at the door D someone shout Answer: B. the bell ring Science can't explain the power of pets,but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack,reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer. Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings.For some.an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife.A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress 1evels and blood pressure in people-half of them pet owners-while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic or held a hand in ice water.Subjects completed the tasks alone,with a husband/wife,a close friend or with a pet.People with pets did it best.Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates.With pets in the room,people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions.It seems people feel more relaxed around pets,says Allen,who thinks it may be because pets don't judge. A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits.Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs;a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program.On average,people lost about 11 pounds,or 5% of their body weight.Their dogs did even better,losing an average of 12 pounds,more than 15%of their body weight.Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but,say researchers,got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs--and found it worth doing. We 1earn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if _ . A he has a pet companion B he has less stress of work C he often does mental arithmetic D he is taken care of by his family Answer: A. he has a pet companion Being able to count at least ten people as friends makes us happy, but those with five or fewer are likely to be miserable, researchers say. Their study of hundreds of men and women also found t hat people who feel satisfied with their lives always have lots of close friends and regularly make new ones. While it is not clear whether our friends make us happy or we make friends because we are happy, the researchers say it is clear that we should maintain our friendships. Psychologist RichardTunney said, "Whatever the reason is, actively working on friendships in the same way as to maintain a marriage is a prerequisite to happiness. "Dr. Tunney, of Nottingham University, quizzed more than 1,700 people about their satisfaction with their lives and the state of their friendships. Those with five friends or fewer had just a 40 percent chance of being happy. In other words they were more likely to be unhappy than happy. Ten was the first number at which people were more likely to be happy than unhappy. The happiest people were those with dozens of friends, according to the study, which was carried out for the National Lottery . For women, this meant having 33 friends;for men, the number was 49. Dr. Tunney said,"People who were extremely satisfied with their lives had twice the number of friends of people who were extremely dissatisfied. " Women tended to have fewer friends than men but formed tighter relationships. Interestingly, the study found that childhood friends are no more likely to make us happy than people we become close to later in life. Lottery winners, however, have a differentopinion on life. They are always happier than others despite spending their time with asmall circle of old friends. This could be because they trust people they've known for along time. According to the passage, lottery winners _ . A enjoy making new friends B make new friends easily C like staying with old friends D have no time to make friends Answer: C. like staying with old friends In Greek mythology , fire is a gift form God, stolen from Zeus by Prometheus and handed over to humans suffering from cold. What could be more natural than sitting around a beautiful fire on a winter night, at a campsite in the Berkshires? Hard as it may be to believe, the fireplace--long considered a trophy , particularly in a city like New York--is acquiring a social shame. Among those who desire to be environmentally responsible, it is joining the ranks of bottled water and big houses. Sally Treadwell, a 51-year-old public relations executive in Boone, N.C., said nothing makes her happier than building a fire on a cold winter night. But most of the time she doesn't, because she feels too guilty about the damage it may do to the environment. Every time she builds a fire, it causes " _ ," she said. "It's a guilty pleasure". "The smoke from a fire smells very nice," said Diane Bailey, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. "But it can cause a lot of harm. The tiny particles can cause illness, and can cross into the bloodstream, causing heart attacks as well as worsening other conditions." Growing concerns about the air pollution and health problems caused by smoke from wood fires are urging a number of areas across the country to pass laws regulating them. Idaho offers a tax cut to people who replace uncertified wood stoves with "greener" ones; San Joaquin County in California forbids selling a home unless its wood stove is replaced with an E.P.A. certified one;and Palo Alto and other governments in California forbid wood-burning fireplaces in new construction. Certainly, many think otherwise. In any case, most fireplaces are used far too infrequently to cause any real damage to the environment, said Stephen Sears, the vice president of the Brick Industry Association, voicing an opinion shared by some. Perhaps not coincidentally, sales of wood-burning equipment dropped to 235,000 in 2009 from 800,000 in 1999, according to the Brick Industry Association. It also reports that approximately 35,000 fireplaces were installed in the United States in 2009, compared to 80,000 in 2005. Certainly those numbers reflect the economic slowdown, but the may also be affected by growing mixed feelings to wood fries. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage? A To urge people to burn less wood B To discuss wood-burning's impact C To throw light on the causes of the fireplace's decline D To indicate the cooling love for the fireplace Answer: D. To indicate the cooling love for the fireplace
John and Bobby joined the same company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary worker. John couldn't it anymore, gave his resignation to the boss and complained that the boss only promoted those who only said good words to him. The boss knew John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, "I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave." John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found a man selling water melons. The boss asked how much they per kilo. John shook his head and went back to the seller to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 per kilo. The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, "Boss, only one person is selling watermelons. $1.2 per kg, and $10 for 10 kg. He has 340 melons in all, 58 of which are on the table. Every melon weighs about 2 kg. Brought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red. " John was impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby. According to Paragraph 1, John thought that _ . The Tropical Paradise Holiday Welcome to St Anna, our tropical paradise just off the coast of Latin America. You can spend two weeks in our luxury four-star hotel. The cost of your flight is included in the holiday, and you can be picked up from your home by our special airport bus. On your arriving, our coach will be waiting to take you to the hotel. All flights leave from Heathrow on a Monday morning. The Cowrie Hotel is built right on the beachfront, and many rooms have wonderful ocean views. If swimming and surfing are not enough for you, the hotel also offers horse rides on the island, and a discount membership of the golf club. The Rain Forest Adventure Holiday Every year Broughton holidays offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. You may have a choice of Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest. You will fly to our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife. Then you take a bus into the forest. You will have to walk the final five miles to the camp sites to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the camp sites have been carefully built to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife. Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness,and they are not suitable for families with young children. Also remember that no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early ![: _ Choosing the Tropical Paradise Holiday, travellers can enjoy _ . "This one's for you," Sergeant Barstow shouted and left quickly through the back door. I was a little puzzled. I looked out a window of the Ashfordly Police Station and saw an elderly woman come into the building. "Good morning, Madam," I said. "Good morning," she said pleasantly. "You're new, aren't you?" "Yes, Madam." "It's about that man who's been annoying me," she said. "I've been here about him before." "Could I have your name and address, please?" "Miss Fraser. Josephine Fraser. I live at 43 Prince Terrace. Now, can you please do something about Jackson?" "What's he done, Miss Fraser?" "Done? He's thrown garbage all over my stairs again. He must be stopped." "Where does he live?" "Next door, Number 41," she said. "I'll go and see later and warn him off, Miss Fraser." "I would be most grateful." With that she left. Half an hour later, I reached Prince Terrace. NO. 41 was in a bad state of repair. I knocked. No reply. I entered. The place was deserted. I wondered if the Jackson was a tramp . Anyway, it seemed he had left, possibly because of Miss Fraser's threatening police action. I decided to visit her. I knocked on her door and it was opened almost immediately. "Ah!" she said gladly. "You're just in time for coffee." I followed her inside. Miss Fraser told me more about her battle with Jackson. But when I asked specific questions, it clearly showed that she had never seen Jackson. Finally, I managed to leave. Sergeant Barstow smiled kindly as I returned. "Nick, did you kick Jackson out of that house?" "Jackson!" I cried. "Who is he?" "There is no Jackson," he said. "Miss Fraser is lonely and she likes company. We always let the new young men deal with Miss Fraser. It gives her deep satisfaction. That's what we are here for, isn't it -- to satisfy the public?" Miss Fraser told Nick that _ . To write a great news story, you have to make sure it is correct, relevant and fresh. For a start, all the information in a story must be correct. Not only the spelling and grammar, but also the facts. Any mistakes that show up in a story can get a newspaper into big trouble. For example, if a newspaper said that Yang Liwei was the first man to go into space, it would be wrong. He wasn't the first. The newspaper would probably lose lots of readers because of that mistake. A news story does not only have to be correct, but it must also be relevant to its readers. People are mostly interested in news that happens near to them. That's why you care more about what happens at your school than at schools in America. It's also why newspapers in Beijing don't talk much about news in Shanghai or Hong Kong. Make sure it's fresh. Finally, news must always be fresh. When you pick up your evening newspaper, you want to read about news that happened that day. You don't want to read about news from last week! So, now you know what makes a good news story. Have a look at our paper and see if it's full of good news! You can try writing a news story for our paper like a real reporter. Why would it be wrong for a newspaper to say that Yang Liwei was the first man to go into space? Pingyao is one of China's three protected ancient cities (the other two are Xi'an and Jingzhou). Lying in the middle of Shanxi Province, 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan, Pingyao ancient city used to be about two hours' drive from the capital of Shanxi Province, but now the distance is only one hour and ten minutes' drive after the highway was built. With a history of over 2,700 years, the ancient city stands out as one of the best protected of all the walled cities in China. On December 3rd, 1997, UNESCO added Pingyao to the World Heritage List as a world's culture heritage. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Commission ,the Pingyao ancient city is a wonderful example of the Chinese Han cities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. All the features of the Pingyao ancient city have been protected, and it shows an outstanding Chinese historical development including its culture, society, economy and religion . ,A, B, C, D,. (10) If you go there some day, you shouldn't _ .
When I started my career in management, I was really green, but I always tried to stay positive on the job. I was working for a new company that was having a difficult time with its customers. Actually, at one point my General Manager told me he liked me and suggested I should start looking for a new job as we were about to lose our only order. Every day we faced people leaving the company, customers complaining, and upper management preparing to close the place. One night, I went home thinking about the problems. My wife told me to forget about work and see a movie. We went and saw Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal, an eighteen-year-old Indian young man, is from a poor family and becomes rich later. He tries his best to change his position. I realized what we needed to do was to correct the situation. The next day I called my customers to have a talk. I promised to do my best to solve the problems if they would give us some time. As a result, we were given one month to turn the situation around. This was our only chance to correct the situation. To achieve this, I worked day and night with my team. I can remember working from 6 a. m. and not going home until 2 a. m. the next day. To make a long story short, we succeeded in solving all of the problems and at the same time increased our productivity . The customers and management were very happy, and I knew at that moment we had saved our jobs. Actually things went so well that we ended up having our pay doubled. Through this experience I understand that you can achieve what you desire as long as you work at it and stay positive. How long did the author stay in his department every day during that month? A. 8 hours. B. 15 hours. C. 20 hours. D. 24 hours. Answer: C There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before, instead of after the trip. The story may or may not be true. But inflation was up so fast that by the end of 1923, they were 50 billion percent higher-- a rise of almost 2500% a month. There was so much paper money, and it had so little value that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things. One woman tells the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500, 000 mark notes . She wanted to buy just one piece of meat, and she hoped she had enough money. But when she was looking, a thief robbed her. He didn't take her money; however, he threw it away and took the basket instead. At first workers demanded to be paid every day. But as the situation became worse, they had to be paid twice a day. but they had to run out and spend the money at once, or it would lose its value. People bought anything that was for sale but food was almost impossible to find. Farm workers refused to take money. They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead. New policies ended the inflation in 1923 when the government introduced a new money. But about half of the German people lost everything in those three and a half years. The farm workers demanded to be paid in potatoes because they believed that _ . A. the potato was valuable B. the money might lose its value C. the potato was too expensive D. the money could not buy potatoes Answer: B Part-time Front Desk Position Kirchoff, Inc. , a book development company, is looking for a part-time front desk office worker. This position is perfect for a person who is cheerful, dependable,and pleasant to work with. Also, you should be able to welcome guests, redirect phone calls, and take messages. More importantly, you can stay cool under pressure. You are expected to work 5:00 -- 6:00 pm weekdays. You need to fill in some forms if you are interested. Forms can be collected at Kirchoff, Inc. 866 United Nations Plaza, # 525 New York,NY 10017 Important Points to Remember When Swimming * Wait at least an hour after meals. * Follow the advice of lifeguards. * Don't dive into unknown waters. Always swim in line with the shore. * Find out at the seaside when and where it is safe to swim. * Don't use floating toys on the water. Wind can easily sweep them out to sea. * Get out of the water if you feel tired or cold. Cold can kill even strong swimmers. Help Telephone: 2125435902 Atlantic City Beach Office Arrive on time. Introduce yourself in a polite manner. Read company materials while you wait. Have a firm handshake. Listen. Use body language to show interest. Smile and nod to the interviewer. Ask about the next thing you should do. Thank the interviewer. Write a thank-you letter to anyone you have spoken to. For more information, please visit jobweb.com 368 Cooper Square,New York. NY 10008 The best title for the last piece of information would be _ . A. Tips on Showing Interest in a Job B. Steps to a Successful Interview C. Advice on Introducing Yourself Politely D. Rules of Body Language in an Interview Answer: B Greg enjoys playing with his friends. On Friday, Greg went outside to play with two of his friends, Peter and Lucy. They played with a ball for some time, but then they got bored. Lucy said that she wanted to climb a tree. Peter thought that they could see if their other friend Robert could play with them. The three of them went to find Robert. They saw Robert in front of his house, but he said that he was busy and he could not play with them. Greg and Peter then thought that Lucy's idea was good. There was a large tree in the park. Greg, Peter, and Lucy walked to the park together. When they got to the park, they were surprised by the size of the tree. It was much larger than they thought. At first, Greg was scared to climb the tree. But Peter and Lucy told him that it would be fun, so he began to climb. When he had climbed the first few branches, he slipped and fell down. But he was not hurt. After that, the three friends thought that it was too dangerous to climb that tree. So they all went home. When Greg went home, his mother asked him what happened. She saw that his shirt was dirty. Greg explained about the tree. Then he changed into a different shirt, so that his mother could wash the dirty shirt. How did Greg's mother know that something had happened to him? A. Robert could not play B. She could see that Greg was scared C. She spoke to Lucy, who told her what happened D. His shirt was dirty Answer: D 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. We can infer from the passage that _ . A. the English school is the same as ours B. the English school doesn't care for students C. the English school has a humane management D. the English school gives students a lot of course work Answer: C
If you have a chance to go to school in prefix = st1 /America, you should keep the following in mind: If a teacher asks you a question, you are expected to give an answer. If you do not understand the question, you should raise your hand and ask the teacher to repeat the question. It is all right to tell the teacher that you do not know the answer. Then he or she knows what you need to learn. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. If you are absent ,you should call your teacher or your classmates and ask for the assignment. It is your responsibility to find out what homework you have missed. It is impolite to eat, drink or chew gum during class. This is allowed for the break. Removing one' s shoes in the classroom is also not polite. You must not be absent on a test day. If you are seriously ill, you must call and let the teacher know you will not be there for the test. If your teacher allows a make-up test, you should take the test within one or two days after returning to class. It is rude to be late. If you must come in late, be sure to do it quietly by having your books and papers out of your bag, then go to your seat and sit very quietly. In the U. S., it is not necessary to knock before you enter the classroom. Most teachers will give you a low grade if you are often late. Copying another student' s test or paper is never acceptable. It is called cheating. Students who cheat are kicked out in most schools. According to the passage, which of the following is considered the most serious fault? Cheating in the exams. Any diet on which you eat fewer calories than you need to get through the day -- like an 800-calorie-per-day diet can be dangerous. Diets that don't allow any fat also can be bad for you. Everyone needs a certain amount of fat in their diet -- up to 30% of total calories -- so no one should eat a completely fat-free diet. Don't have diets that restrict certain food groups, either. A diet that requires you to say no to bread or pasta or allows you to eat only fruit is unhealthy. You won't get the vitamins and minerals you need. And although you may lose weight, you'll probably gain it back as soon as you start eating normally again. Some people start dieting because they think all the problems in their lives are because of weight. Others have an area of their lives that they can't control, like an alcoholic parent, so they focus on something they can control -- their exercise and food intake. People who diet may get lots of praise from friends and family when they start losing pounds, which makes them feel good. But eventually a person reaches a weight level -- and doesn't lose as much weight as before because the body is trying to keep a healthy weight, so they aren't any happier. Some people may find it hard to control their eating, so they stick with _ for a little while, but then eat tons of food. Feeling guilty about the binge, they use laxatives . Eating too little to maintain a healthy weight or eating only to throw up the calories are both eating disorders, which are harmful to a person's health. Which is not the result of restricting certain food groups? hungry John and Bobby joined the same company together just after they completed their university studies the same year. Both of them worked very hard. Several years later, however, the boss promoted Bobby to manager but John was still a worker. John could not take it, and gave his resignation to the boss. He complained that the boss did not think much of those who were hard -working, but promoted only those who flattered him. The boss knew that John had worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, "Thank you for what you said, but I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave" John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much they cost every kilogram. John shook his head and went back to the seller to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 every kilogram. The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went and returned, saying, "Boss, only one person is selling watermelons. $1.2 every kilogram, and $10 for 10 kilograms. The seller has 340 melons. On the table there are 58 melons, and each weighs about 2 kilograms. They were brought from the South two days ago. They are of good quality." Hearing what Bobby said, John realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided to stay and learn from Bobby. How did John feel when Bobby was promoted to manager? Angry. The "Neighborhood Watch" scheme all started a few years ago in the quiet village of Mollington after a number of burglaries in the village and the surrounding area. The villagers came up with the idea that they themselves could keep an eye on their neighbors' possessions while they were away on holiday. Since then, and with the support of the government and police, more than 50,000 "Neighborhood Watch" schemes have been set up all over the country. The object of each "Watch" group is to reduce the opportunities that criminals have in any particular street or area. Each villager who is a member of the scheme will call the police whenever they see something suspicious. It is the police who actually check out each report and look into what is happening. Villagers who are part of the "Watch" are not supposed to act as police or put themselves in danger. When a new "Neighborhood Watch" scheme is set up in an area, one benefit is that most burglars dare not take a chance on breaking into someone's house because they know that there is a high risk of being seen by neighbors keeping a lookout. Burglars also know that people are more likely to have fitted good locks to their doors and windows. Another benefit is that, since the "Neighborhood Watch" schemes came into existence, there is growing evidence of a new community spirit. It is bringing people together as never before, and encouraging people to care for each other. New friendships are being made, and contact is often established with old people living on their own, who are often the most frightened and the most at risk. Another benefit of the "Watch" schemes is that _ . a new community spirit is growing With only a click of the mouse, rumours can be forwarded between microblogs very quickly. As an example, recently, sensitive netizens discovered that some photos displayed on microblogs describing Beijing's June rainstorm had actually been Sina.com is one of the major Internet portals in China with hundreds and thousands of users, and a majority of celebrities and famous citizens have their microblog accounts on this portal. As recently as six months ago, the website decided to establish a specialized team to prove rumours and provide accurate information for its users. Tan Chao is in charge of the team. " Before I took the job, I usually couldn't identify what information was real and what was fake. But during the process of identification, we discovered that a lot of information was false, including fake photos, fake news stories and rumours that had been spread through microblogs." It's not just website portals which are taking on fact-checking responsibilities, but also a number of civic-minded netizens, who recently set up a Rumour Identification Federation on Sina.com's microblog system to help netizens identify fake information online. Dian Zizheng is the team leader of the federation. He says they've publicized more than 150 pieces which contradict rumours, which attracted more than 10 thousand visitors within two months. "We live in an age of new media, so we can't use the old methods to prove rumours. We can't wait for the media to prove the facts with related administrative departments and then release a formal announcement. We can't allow rumours to run wild and then deal with it, we need to fight rumours while they're spreading. I think that this is the best way to deal with rumours nowadays." Some experts say this displays the advantages of the internet compared to other traditional media. The open platform allows information to be examined and clarified by netizens. But experts like Ding Wengguo,President of the Journalism and Communication College at the China University of Political Science and Law says this self-correction function of the Internet is still quite limited. "It's still quite different to tell which information is true in such an open environment by just reading a number of different opinions on the same issue. This is something which we need to pay attention to. If society is flooded with too much false information, and it's allowed to spread in such a fast manner, then people will be suspicious of all kinds of information including important information from authorities. It also worsens problems relating to social communications and mutual-understanding, which in turn harms society as a whole." Experts suggest that the government should react more quickly in the Internet age. Once a rumour begins to spread, administrative departments should make announcements as early as possible to drive away rumours before they lead to bad outcomes. The writer cited Ding Wenguo's words in Paragraph 8 to _ . support an argument
Mary is twenty-three years old. She is a nurse at a big hospital. She is very kind, and all of her patients like her very much. One day she was out shopping when she saw an old woman waiting to cross a busy street. Mary wanted to cross the street, too, so she went over to help the woman cross. When Mary was near her, she shouted happily, "Mrs Herman! You were my patient last year." "Oh, thank you very much, Mary," Mrs Herman said, and stepped forward. "No, no, Mrs Herman," Mary said quickly, "the light's still red.""Oh," Mrs Herman answered as she stepped back. "I can easily cross the street alone when the light's green." Mary is a young_. A doctor B nurse C teacher D farmer Answer: B. nurse How important can a fifteen-year-old boy's work be? Well, Louis Braille's work changed the world. Born in a small town near Paris in 1809, shortly after his third birthday Louis blinded himself in one eye while playing with a sharp pointed tool in his father's workshop. He soon lost the sight in his other eye when the infection spread. He wanted to go to school, but in his small town there was no school for him. At that time, blind people did not get any school education. Braille went to Paris to study, but there were few books for the blind. Louis knew that books were the key to learning. He struggled with ideas for three years. Finally, at fifteen, he invented an alphabet made with raised dots . Blind people could "read" by feeling the patterns of the dots. Being able to read Braille allows blind children to learn together with the sighted at school, and go on to get jobs. It allows people who lose their eyesight to continue to read, learn and get information. Which could be the best title for the passage? A Louis Braille changed the world B Louis Braille struggled in his life C Louis Braille saved sighted children D Louis Braille set up a blind school Answer: A. Louis Braille changed the world WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers. Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's monitoring system.This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life. While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret prison.There he is treated as a possible terrorist. He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears. When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists. While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete _ of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously . The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society. What kind of article does this passage belong to? A A fascinating story B A book review C News report D A TV programme Answer: B. A book review Which statement describes a harmful effect of clearing rainforests for farmland? A makes more land available for local farmers B removes valuable habitat for local species C increases local groundwater levels D provides income for local residents Answer: B. removes valuable habitat for local species Gregor Mendel studied ratios related to traits passed from parent pea plants to offspring pea plants. Mendel used large numbers of plants to avoid "sampling error." This changed the way scientists studied genetics because it included ideas of A nuclei and DNA. B atoms and molecules. C ecology and environment. D mathematics and probability. Answer: D. mathematics and probability.
Transpiration Answer: is a control mechanism for H20 in daffodils Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing? Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, (Putnam). She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you're entering-- , let's say. If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher's wonderful new book, Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World (Riverhead). Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you've never experienced life as a bestselling writer (as she has done, in her book years back, ), you'll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet. What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer's new novel, (Random House), about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there's an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader's Digest (March, on stands now), by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him. Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, (Simon & Schuster). Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives. Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher? Answer: Her books normally sell well. First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee High School graduates: Strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome inevitable difficulties with determination and courage. The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her own time in college focusing on academic achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a high-profile job, she said, she ended up leaving to focus on public service. "My message to all of you today is this: Do not waste a minute living someone else's dream,"she said. "It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy... and you won't find what you love simply by checking boxes or padding your GPA ." She said the school reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago. "My No. 1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement. A place where academic success wouldn't make me a target of teasing or bullying, but instead would be a badge of honour." But Mrs. Obama said pitifully that not all students have the same opportunities. "Unfortunately, schools like this don't exist for every kid," she said. "You are lucky." The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond to any difficulties will define them. "That's when you find out what you're really made of in those hard times," she said. "But you only do that if you're willing to put yourself a position where you might fall." Overcoming difficulties has been the hallmark of many great people, she said. "There's this guy Barack Obama... he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband." The first lady joked: "I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures." Michelle went to Tennessee High School to _ . Answer: give some advice for the graduates Not everyone can sit around and daydream while twirling hair or worrying about how they are going to style it for school pictures or a special event. Some kids have no hair at all due to illness. Locks of Love is an organization that helps kids deal with their hair loss by providing real hair wigs from donors. Jessica Moon, a photo editor, donates her hair whenever she cuts it, waiting each time for it to grow the necessary 10 inches. "I don't miss my hair at all," Moon said. "And it grows really quickly." At Locks of Love, the focus is on helping kids who have gone bald and feel embarrassed to go out in public to go on with the activities they normally enjoy. Lauren Kukkamaa, who works for the organization, believes that it is important for kids to live out their lives as normally as possible. "Many times, a lot of children feel embarrassed by their baldness, " she said. "They have low self-confidence, so they may want to stop playing sports or going to summer camps. When they get the hair wigs, they feel confident to start doing these things again." "For a donor, I think it's a very personal donation," said Kukkamaa. "You're giving of yourself. If you're looking for a way to get involved and give back, I think it's a great opportunity for someone." Moon, who first donated her hair when she was 15 after she found out her father had cancer, said donating is a good way to make a difference. "The best part is that it's helpful for someone and it does make a difference for patients who need the hair," she said. According to the text, Kukkamaa thought that _ . Answer: people are devoting themselves by donating hair In which of the following ways are photosynthesis and cellular respiration alike? Answer: Both processes involve energy transformations.
Question: In which environment would a white rabbit be best protected from predators? A. a shady forest B. a snowy field C. a grassy lawn D. a muddy riverbank Answer: B Question: Research on the human brain has been attracting the attention of more and more scientists in recent years. One of the latest research topics is how to change the human brain or combine the computer and the human brain, i.e., to transplant a chip into human brain. This innovation may make everyone's dream come true. If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists do is to enlarge the capacity of the hard disc. There are some difficulties in such transplant experiments, but scientists never give up. Experiments were started on animals. In 1996, a transplant experiment performed at the Defense and Military Physiology Research Institute in the U.S. turned a bear into a dolphin. The dolphin was named Ted, and the bear was named Tallin. Using the most advanced technology, deep and detailed studies were made of the swimming action memory area in Ted's brain by the scientists. They got a lot of useful information. The information was saved into a button-sized chip, which was then transplanted into the action memory area in Tallin's brain. The information saved on the chip was released by means of electric power. Recently, another memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research Institute of the University of California. The transplant was performed from a dog named "Genius" to a dog named "Idiot". "Genius" could understand and follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master. It was a real genius. "Idiot" was the younger brother of "Genius". It had no contact with people at all since its birth. It became an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory. _ When the two dogs woke up, "Idiot" had all the abilities "Genius" possessed. It could follow every gesture and order given by its master. But "Genius" gave no response to its master, and in fact did not recognize him at all. We can learn from the passage that _ . A. the two experiments are about memory transplants B. the scientists exchanged the dolphin's and the bear's brains C. there is no possibility of changing the human brain D. "Idiot" got only some abilities "Genius" possessed after the experiment Answer: A Question: New York State has passed the USA's first state law banning motorists talking on hand-held cell phones. The ban will begin November 1, although drivers caught using hand-held cell phones will be given only warnings during the first month. First-time violators will face a $100 fine. A second time call for a $200 fine and every violation after that will cost$500. At least a dozen localities have established bans, starting in 1999; and 40 states have had bans proposed but not passed.At least 23 countries, including the Great Britain, Italy, Israel and Japan, ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones. There are about 115 million cell phones in use in the United States and more than 6 million in New York State. "To think that I'm not going to use cell phone when at the same time I can still use my laptop, I still can read a paper, I can still change my pants while driving 65 mph. I think there's just something wrong," an official said. Other critics noted that other things like eating, drinking coffee and applying make-up while driving posed at least as much of a concern. They suggested that the ban include a broader range of things. How much fine will a hand-held cell phone user receive if he has been caught using it four times while driving after November? A. $500. B. $1000. C. $1200. D. $1300. Answer: D Question: Sunday, October 5 Clear, 69degF My wife, Eleanor and I took the train from Paris to Strasbourg, where we were met by our driver and guide, and the minibus which goes along with the boat. We stopped off in Barn for an hour on the way. Then we were taken to Nancy where the boat was kept. After the other passengers arrived, we had our first dinner on the boat. After dinner we walked into downtown Nancy, a village with a large square and wooden houses. Monday, October 6 Rained last night, cloudy in the morning, 69degF We spent about two hours in Nancy, and then sailed on the Canal de la Marne au Rhine. Kind of a lazy day. Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, after dinner we watched a tape on Baccarat, where we will visit tomorrow. It was pleasant to sit out on deck and watch the scenery go by at about 3 mph. Tuesday, October 7 Light rain, 64degF This mourning we drove over to Baccarat and toured its museum and the church, which has this unbelievable lamp that is going on a world tour the next day. We did lost of shopping, then walked across the bridge to see a very, very modern Catholic church with special Baccarat windows. We drove to the top of the Voges Mountains and started down the eastern side. Later we drove to Sorrenbourg to see the 13th century church at the Cordeliers. It contains the largest window by Mar. Wednesday, Ocrober8 Cloudy.65 degF Today we sailed from Schneckenbush to Saverne. We went though two caves, an extremely unusual part of the journey. This river scenery is very different. We were in a mountain valley with grassland on one side and a forest beginning to show some color on the other. Thursday, Ocrober9 Cloudy, 66degF Our dependable minibus was waiting to load the luggage and take us to the hotel where everyone went their separate ways. Our boating days are over until next time. What does the author think of the tour? A. Tiring B. Expensive C. Enjoyable D. Quick Answer: C Question: Secondhand smoke isn't just a health threat to people.It can also hurt dogs and cats,veterinarians say. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,more than 126 million Americans who don't smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes,vehicles,workplaces,and public places.This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year,according to the California Environmental Protection Agency. "Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn't a big one," says veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University. "There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets," MacAllister said."Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats,lung and nasal cancer in dogs,as well as lung cancer in birds." Studies have also shown that dogs living in a smoking household are susceptible to cancers of the nose and sinus area,particularly if they are a long-nosed breed,because their noses have a greater surface area that is exposed to carcinogens and a greater area for them to accumulate.Dogs affected with nasal cancer normally don't survive for more than one year. "Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer,because their shorter nasal passage aren't as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens," MacAllister said."This results in more carcinogens reaching the lungs." Birds are also at risk for lung cancer,as well as pneumonia,because their respiratory systems are hypersensitive to any type of air pollutant. To help prevent animals from being adversely affected by smoking,pet owners who smoke should have a designated smoking area that is separated from the home or stop smoking altogether,MacAllister said. What kind of dogs are likely to suffer from nasal cancer? A. Long-nosed dogs B. Short-nosed dogs C. Medium-nosed dogs D. Dogs without noses Answer: A
Question: The physical memory dump error is a big problem that affects even the most advanced computer systems.Although it's quite a rare error, it's one of the most stopping what you're doing and restarting your computer--making you lose all your unsaved data.This is a big problem, but there is actually a very easy way to fix it. There are two reasons why the physical memory dump happens.The first is pretty simple and is to do with the "hardware", and if any of these pieces are not fit for your system, it will cause the physical memory dump.So, if you've recently added any hardware to your PC, then take that out and see if it works. The other reason is your system, the "registry".The registry is a big database that operates in the background of Windows, storing all sorts of settings and information about your PC.The problem with the registry is that since it has so many important files inside, it's constantly got hundreds of files open every time you use your PC.And because there are so many files to open at once, Windows is constantly getting confused, leading it to save many of these files in the wrong way.These files go wrong when saved wrongly, making them difficult for your computer to read.However, if it can't read the files at all, it has no choice but to stop everything it's doing and restart your PC.This is why the physical memory dump error appears so easily--because when a registry file is so wrong that it can't be read, your computer needs to refresh itself immediately. This latter reason for causing the physical memory dump is actually extremely common and the likelihood is that your PC is suffering from it, if you're seeing this error.Luckily, it's also incredibly easy to fix--you just need to use a software tool called a "registry cleaner" to go through the registry and fix all the problems in there. From the text we can infer that _ . A. the dump error often happens to your PC B. the dump can be dealt with easily C. only the advanced computers suffers from the error D. the dump error can cause the data in your PC to be lost Answer: B. the dump can be dealt with easily Question: There are many different kinds of festivals around the worlD. Here are four of them. Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland Ireland is an island country.It's in the west of Europe.There are wide green fields. Saint Patrick's Day is on 17th March.It's an important holiday in IrelanD. This holiday is to remember Saint Patrick.He did good things for the people of IrelanD. During the holiday, there are parades and lots of green.You can see people in green clothes, and you can even see green buildings. Red Wednesday in Iran Red Wednesday is a fire jumping festival in Iran.It is on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year.People jump over the fire.They hope that it will take all the bad things away. The Winter Carnival in Canada When winter comes, it's party time in Quebec City, CanadA. The Quebec Winter Carnival is all about outdoor fun.It starts from the first Sunday in February and lasts for 10 days. One of the most popular activities is the dog sled race .It has more than 30 teams and the race goes on for 6 kilometres.You can see happiness on every face. The Desert Festival in Tunisia Tunisia is a very important country in North AfricA. Every year on the last Sunday in December, the Desert Festival is held in TunisiA. As "ships of the desert", camels are very important in the festival.There are camel racing and camel wrestling . Which of the following is TRUE about the dog sled race according to the passage? A. The race happens on 17th March. B. The race goes on for 6 kilometres. C. The race has a history of about 10 years. D. About 30 people go to the race every year. Answer: B. The race goes on for 6 kilometres. Question: You can bake cookies with the sun using A. melting ice B. aluminium foil C. blocks of ice D. soft cheese Answer: B. aluminium foil Question: A Want Ads 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 556779! 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 reporter, please call Jack at 558366. 3. HELP WANTED Do you like babies? Can you look after one baby for two days? If you are sure to take care of him, call us at 766588, $80 or more 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: 633800. The above ( ) job ads are probably from _ . A. a newspaper B. a storybook C. a science book D. a guidebook Answer: A. a newspaper Question: It's certain:for twins,life really does imitate art.My twin brother,Kirk,and I grew up being constantly mistaken for each other.Classmates,friends,teachers,even relatives couldn't tell us apart. As a result,we were often unfairly punished or rewarded. Eventually,we learned how to use the Mistaken Identity Syndrome (MIS) to our advantage.For example,we would play tricks on our friends and classmates,pretending to be the other twin.Nor were teachers immune to our tricks.On at least one occasion,when Kirk was sick,I covered for him by taking his tests.We also tried our little game out on Mom,but she always knew who was who.Once we grew up,we even covered for each other at work.We didn't mean any harm;we simply started this as an experiment to see whether our bosses and co-workers could tell the difference. As a bank manager, I meet with dozens of clients on a daily basis, while my brother manages a staffing service for local employers. As a result, Kirk is constantly approached by people who want to discuss their various money accounts, while I'm frequently thanked on the street as a department store customer service representative. However, the MIS took a truly embarrassing turn when Kirk and I found ourselves unable to tell each other apart. Once, my brother and I were traveling in a car with several friends. My brother's hair must always be in place. Kirk was driving when he noticed in the rearview mirror that his hair was a bit messy. He lifted his right hand to brush his hair back into place and was disturbed when his hand didn't appear in the mirror. Several times he repeated this action. Finally, he started laughing. Why did Kirk laugh at last? A. He felt embarrassed about his hair. B. His brother's hair was really messy. C. His brother was doing the same thing. D. He became the victim of the MIS. Answer: D. He became the victim of the MIS.
Alice spends her summer vacations walking back into history. Alice is 15 and she is a guide who shows visitors around the Fort Delaware Museum in New York. "This year, I spun wool on a spinning wheel. Last year, I was a candle maker. My first year, I cared for the garden and looked after the animals. All the jobs I've had at the fort have been really fun." Fort Delaware is a living-history museum that shows how life was in frontier America in the mid-1700s. "Reading about history can't compare to experiencing it for yourself," says Alice. The experience begins as soon as visitors enter the fort. The smell of wood smoke fills the air. Women in petticoats (long skirts) and men in knee breeches(knee-length shorts) are busy with their chores. The guides show visitors how the settles would have carried out everyday work. "Kids are surprised when I tell them that one of their jobs would have been to make candles," says another guide, 16-year-old Jane. "They don't realize that kids back then had to work hard." She also shows visitors how to play with toys and games. They are playing historical parts, so the guides can't wear shorts or T-shirts when the weather is hot. But the clothes of the past can easily change modern kids into people from 18th century. "The clothing felt strange at first, but it does make it easier to get into characters," says Jane. Working at the fort has helped Jane to appreciate her life even more. Alice agrees, "The fort has taught me how hard life was and how much work there was every day. We are so lucky with everything we have now. Life wasn't always this easy." ,. (5,2,10) Alice has been to the Fort Delaware Museum at least _ . Answer: One of the most striking findings of a recent questionnaire in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with. Why are many people finding it increasingly difficult to start and keep close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves? It is certainly the case today that nowadays couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn't expect his wife to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children. But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence. In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago,your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster , you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl. But it seems that the traditions have been replaced by an even tighter restriction:the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are made greater to an unmanageable degree:good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and so on. There is no room for error in the first impression. We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't,it is intended to be thrown away. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership. Nowadays, in a family, _ . Answer: Heat energy has been added to Answer: For years I wanted a flower garden. I'd spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together. But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden. Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, "Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know." Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden. I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean, _ budget. Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on - and I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard! I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: "IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin." Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments, a trellis , a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books. That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me. I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes - every time. I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does! By saying "Do you see a money tree outside .....," the mother actually means " _ " Answer: Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farmers have undergone an "agricultural revolution". On the farm of today, machines provide all the power. One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power. Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real "mechanized hired hand" that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the special barn , then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long. According to the engineers, _ will be done by robots in the near future. Answer:
One evening after dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Tisich called a family meeting. --We've had to make a difficult decision, Mr. Tisich announced. --You see, your mother has been offered a post as co-director of a television station in Chicago. Unfortunately, the station is not here. After thinking long and hard about it, we've concluded that the right decision is to move to Chicago. Marc looked shocked, while his sister Rachel breathlessly started asking when they'd be moving. --It's surprising, but exciting! she said. Marc simply said, --We can't go--I can't leave all my friends. I'd rather stay here and live with Tommy Lyons! The Tisichs hoped that by the time they moved in August, Marc would grow more used to the idea of leaving. However, he showed no signs of accepting the news, refusing to pack his belongings. When the morning of the move arrived, Marc was nowhere to be found. His parents called Tommy Lyon's house, but Mrs. Lyons said she hadn't seen Marc. Mrs. Tisich became increasingly concerned, while her husband felt angry with their son for behaving so irresponsibly. What they didn't know was that Marc had started walking over to Tommy's house, with a faint idea of hiding in Lyons's attic for a few days. But something happened on the way as Marc walked past all the familiar landscape of the neighborhood: the fence that he and his mother painted, the tree that he and his sister used to climb, and the park where he and his father often took evening walks together. How much would these mean without his family? Who make them special in the first place? Marc didn't take the time to answer that question but instead hurried back to his house, wondering if there were any moving cartons the right size to hold his record collection. What would most likely happen next? Marc would join his family for house moving. The scientific world continues to be amazed by the speed of the development of cloning. Some scientists now suggest that the cloning of humans could occur in the near future. Despite the benefits of cloning, however, certain ethical questions concerning the possible abuse of cloning have been raised. At the heart of these questions is the idea of humans influencing life in a way that could harm society, either morally or in a real physical sense. Some people object to cloning because it allows scientists to "act like God" in the handling of living organisms. The cloning of Dolly raised the debate over this practice to a whole new level. It has become obvious that the technology for cloning Dolly could also be used to clone humans. A person could choose to make two or ten or a hundred copies of himself or herself by the same techniques used with Dolly. An active debate about the morality of cloning humans arises. Some people see benefits from the practice, such as providing a way for parents to produce a new child to replace one dying of a fatal disease. Other people worry about humans taking into their own hands the future of the human race. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many scientists say the controversy over the ethics of cloning humans is overstressed because of the unpredictability of cloning in general. While scientists have cloned animals such as sheep, mice, cows, pigs, and goats, fewer than 3 percent of all those cloning efforts have succeeded. The animal clones that have been produced often have health problems. Scientists believe the rapid reprogramming in cloning can introduce random errors into a clone's DNA. Those errors have altered individual genes in minor ways, and the genetic defects have led to the development of major medical problems. Some scientists say this should make human cloning out of the question, but others argue that cloning humans may actually be easier and safer than cloning animals. Whatever, I agree that further research in the field of cloning is needed. Some people are against cloning of humans because they think _ . humans control the future of the human race Last week John went to his sister's house, and it's also the house he was born in. Sue, his sister felt excited and surprised. She said to John, "You haven't changed a lot, John .Let me see, now...When did we meet last time?" "Ten years ago." John answered. "You haven't changed a lot, either." John said. It was polite for John to say so, but it wasn't true. Sue seemed like an old lady. The next day John walked through the small town alone. The place have already changed a lot. There was a new bus stop, a new post office, a new car park and lots of traffic signs. He remembered suddenly that the bus used to stop anywhere. You just put up your hand and it stopped. Everything has changed. To John's surprise, he didn't recognize anybody at all. Maybe everybody seemed old. He went into a shop and bought some things. Then he asked the boss, "Where are all the children and young people?" "Children?" he said, "They're in school, of course. There are three or four young families here." At lunch, Sue said, "Do you think it is still a beautiful place, John?" "It's all different, Sue. It used to be an exciting place, but now it's full of old people. I don't understand." John said. ,A, B, C, D. What did Sue look like ten years ago? She looked young. A dog gets the energy it needs to run from ___. food Shakespeare City Walk This 90-minute leisurely walking tour does not go to the Globe Theatre (because everyone already knows it) , but instead uncovers less known monuments and locations in the City of London with connections to Shakespeare's life, his friends, his loves and his work. The Shakespeare City Walk takes place on Fridays at 11 a.m. at Temple tube station. Address: Meet at Temple tube station, London Telephone: +44(0)790 5746733 Camera Walk Learn how to take better photos as you explore London with a professional photographer on a Camera Trails tour. Walk around Brick Lane and Spitalfields on the Urban East tour, or take photos of Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral on the South Bank tour. Address: Trafalgar Square, London Telephone: +44(0)798 957 9336 The Celebrity Planet See celebrity homes, famous film locations, music landmarks and places linked to pop history on a Celebrity Planet tour. Find out about stars in Notting Hill, Mayfair, Primrose Hill or Chelsea, or try a Harry Potter, James Bond or Beatles tour. Address: 40 Porchester Square, London Telephone: +44(0)20 7193 8770 Email: info@thecelebrityplanet.com Sandemans New London Tours Sandemans New London Tours offer a completely free tour of Royal London, including the Changing of the Guard. There's also an Old City of London Tour, and a Grim Reapers of London Tour. Our expert guides work for tips, you contribute to the pollution problem of London's cars and buses. Email: info@neweuropetours.com If you want to take some wonderful photos of Big Ben, you may _ . join the South Bank tour
Question: An allowance is an important tool for teaching children how to make plans for the use of money, save and make their own decisions. Children remember and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly. How large is an allowance is suitable? Experts say there is no right amount. Actually amounts differ from region to region, and from family to family. To set up a suitable allowance for your child, work up a weekly plan. Allow for entertainment costs such as movies or fast food. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. "If you make the child responsible for these bills," says Josephine ,a specialist , "he or she will learn to plan for necessary costs." Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible, if you keep your children's allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose buying power falls away below his peer's can feel left out. It can be taught but don't excuse your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke was ten, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch. "If you lose your money, Brooke" mother told her, "you walk home." One week that girl spent all her money in a candy store; then she called home for a ride. "Mom made me walk home," recalls Brooke, now a financial planner in a big company. "At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson." In pagraph3, the words "his peers" refer to which of the following? A. His parents B. His teachers C. His financial experts D. His friends Answer: D Question: While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middleschool students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system. EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space. While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs--involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground. In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, said,"EarthKAM is a payload by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it's just aweinspiring!"So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view. Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station's research facilities. How have thousands of students experienced similar excitement as astronauts? A. In the space station. B. In the spaceship. C. Using a camera system. D. Teaming up with astronauts. Answer: C Question: Certain animals know without analysis the difference between a number of objects and a smaller number. In his book The Natural History of Selbourne (1786), the naturalist Gilbert White tells how he _ removed one egg a day from a kind of bird Plover's nest, and how the mother laid another egg each day to make up for the missing one. He notes that other kinds of birds ignore the loss of a single egg, but if more than one egg has been removed, they will give up their nests. It has also been noted that a certain type of bees always provides five--never four, never six--caterpillars for each of their eggs so that their young have something to eat when the eggs have hatched out. Research has also shown that both mice and pigeons can be taught to distinguish between odd and even numbers of food pieces. These have led some people to think that creatures can actually count. They also point to dogs that have been taught to respond to questions about numbers with the correct number of barks. Animals respond to quantities only when they are connected to survive as in the case of the eggs, or survive as in the case of food. They can "count" only when the objects are present and only when the numbers involved are small--no more than seven or eight. In lab experiments, animals which are trained to count one kind of objects were unable to count any other type. What interests them are the objects, not the numbers. Animals' achievements simply are not equal to evidence of counting. They only show the results of clever, careful training. Where does this text probably come from? A. A news report. B. A science fiction. C. A park guide. D. A biology magazine. Answer: D Question: In a touching story, a family was shocked to find that a stranger had secretly paid for more than half of their Christmas gifts. When Ayers went to make a payment toward the $283 balance for her family's Christmas gifts at Walmart, her money was refused. According to a Walmart employee, a woman had paid a part of Ayers' bill after seeing her shopping in the store. The unknown woman also left Ayers a touching note, which left the mother of two in tears. Ayers, whose sons are 11 and 3, says the stranger's great generosity came at the perfect time for her family. Before the anonymous payment was made, Ayers had worried she would not be able to get her kids' toys in time for Christmas. Ayers is still looking for the woman who helped pay for their Christmas gifts for her kids. She took a picture of her receipt with the headline: This stranger paid 4 gifts for us. I wish I could thank her for helping give our kids a Merry Christmas! For thousands of families like Ayers', feeling this financial pressure around Christmastime is nothing new. These families who still have a roof over their heads and food on their tables often slip through the cracks -- they can afford all the necessities, but the "extras" are harder to come by. Considering that Americans are estimated to spend $882 on Christmas gifts this year, it makes sense that a family with a few financial problems would have a hard time filling the stockings for their kids. Realizing how common this Christmas problem really is makes Ayers' story even more special. These random acts of kindness around the holidays, often from nameless strangers, can determine what a family's Christmas looks like. Christmas may not be all about the material stuff, but for families, and especially for kids, it's the little things that can make the biggest difference. Which of the following best describes families like Ayers'? A. They value Christmas very much. B. They try their best to buy kids gifts. C. They hate to spend Christmas. D. They live from hand to mouth. Answer: D Question: When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates. So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly . Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns. He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners. What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe? A. He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe. B. He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country. C. He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary. D. He engaged in a dialogue with the public. Answer: B
Question: When the musical sound rings you, you immediately reach for your pocket ready to have a chat. But although you probably use it all the time, have you ever thought about the manners related to talking on the phone? If you haven't, here are some tips to guide you. Always give the person you are calling plenty of time to get to the phone before you hang up. If the person who answers is not the one you want, give your name and ask if you may speak to the person you want. Think about the time you call people. Try not to call too early in the morning (before about 9:00) or too late at night (after about 9:30). Also try not to call at mealtimes. If you go by plane to visit your relatives at Christmas, remember to follow airline instructions. Cell phone must be turned off as soon as the plane doors are closed and remain so until the doors open again on arrival. When you're face to face with someone, do not talk on the phone. It is rude to be on the phone when a waiter is trying to take your order in a restaurant, or when you are returning the shoes you have just been trying on in a shop. Finish any face-to-face business before taking a call. Continuing to use the phone while nodding to the person in front of you is quite impolite. When in a restaurant with your friends, keep phone conversations short. Make a call only if it is important. Practice speaking in a low voice. If no one turns to your way, _ . If you go to a theatre, a concert or a cinema, consider the other people around you. Check that your phone is "off" before you enter. If you are expecting a very important call, put your phone on "vibrate" and run for the exit as soon as you feel it. If you forget both "off" and "vibrate" and your phone rings, don't answer it, turn it off straight away. What does the underline sentence "... you've got it." mean in the passage? A. You have succeeded in making a call without disturbing others. B. You have made the phone call short and interesting. C. You have got the message you are waiting for. D. You have made a phone call secretly. Answer: A. You have succeeded in making a call without disturbing others. Question: A species of bird has not been seen since the 1900s and is considered extinct. Which evidence would best disprove the claim that the bird is extinct? A. A bird watcher makes a sketch of the bird. B. A scientist discovers fossil remains of the bird. C. A researcher takes a photograph of the bird. D. A park ranger finds a suitable habitat for the bird. Answer: C. A researcher takes a photograph of the bird. Question: An old man was fishing by a river. A child was watching him. The old man was really good at fishing and it didn't take him much time to catch a basket of fish. The old man saw that the child was very cute, and he wanted to give her a whole basket of fish. But the child shook her head. The old man was surprised and asked "Why don't you want the fish?" The child replied,"I want the fishing rod in your hands." The old man asked, "Why do you want the rod?" "It won't take long to eat all the fish in the basket. But if I have the fishing rod, I can go fishing by myself and I won't be afraid of not having any fish to eat." I think you will certainly say that the girl is very smart. Wrong! If she doesn't know how to fish, she cannot have fish to eat, even though she has the fishing rod. It's useless to only have a fishing rod. Fishing skills are the most important, not the fishing rod. Too many people think that if they have a "fishing rod" in their life, they will no longer fear the difficulties in life. They are just like the child, who thought that if she had a fishing rod, she would have fish to eat. What was the child doing when the old man was fishing? A. She was talking with him. B. She was playing by the river. C. She was watching the old man. D. She was helping the old man. Answer: C. She was watching the old man. Question: Laws to stop tigers, camels, zebras and snakes being used as performing animals in circuses have been announced by the government. The environment minister, Jim Paice, hoped the laws would be brought in before the end of the parliament in 2015, which is the main law-making institution of the UK. At present between 35 and 50 wild animals are thought to be used by circuses in England and Defra offered to help find new homes for the retired performers. The announcement follows a campaign by animal charity organization for the ban , which became worse when a video appeared last year of a circus elephant being beaten by a worker. Campaigners were angry when Paice previously announced tougher licensing instead. Circus Mondao, whose website shows zebra and camels, said it would probably challenge the suggested ban. The circus is a member of the European Circus Association, which previously challenged Austria's ban, saying there was no scientific evidence that the animals were harmed by the travelling or conditions. On its website, Mondao says that when it travels animals are the last to be loaded and the first to be unloaded; they are moved to tents within an hour of arriving, and are usually moved 20-50 miles. Animal charities welcomed the move, but called for ministers to speed up the laws. Asked why circuses would be banned from keeping wild animals but not domestic animals such as horses, a Defra spokesman said a key difference was that domesticated animals were more used to conditions such as travelling. "Wild animals aren't domesticated: we feel it's not right ethically for wild animals to perform," he said. Domestic animals are probably _ . A. animals that provide meat for people B. animals that are introduced from other countries C. animals that are well trained by a circus D. animals that live on farm or in people's home Answer: D. animals that live on farm or in people's home Question: A frog is born in a small river.When he is young,the river is his home.He doesn't know his parents,but he has hundreds of brothers and sisters.He swims about and plays with them all the time.At that time,he doesn't look like his parents.He has no legs and he has a big tail .So he looks like a fish. Later,his tail gets shorter and shorter.And he has four legs and a very short tail.He looks like his parents now. Then, he's going to eat a lot of bad insects . Who does a frog play with all the time? A. His parents. B. His brothers and sisters. C. Fish. D. Insects. Answer: B. His brothers and sisters.
A teenager realized her dream of becoming a professional model three years after a serious car accident. Marita Davies was on her way home from a party when the crash happened. The car that Marita took as a passenger was going the wrong way and crashed into another car driven by a drunken driver named David Hudson, which left her with a broken leg and back. It took the firefighters more than two hours to free the teenager from the damaged car before she was taken to hospital. Marita was in a wheelchair for a year after being bed-ridden for nine months. Marita feared her dream of a modeling career was over. She said, "I was extremely upset and shocked when I knew about my terrible injuries. I thought my dream of becoming a model was over. My leg and back were broken. The crash had broken my confidence and I became quiet and spent less time with other people. I was 16, and at that age all I wanted to do was to go out with my friends." But as her health took a turn for the better, Marita finally came out of the wheelchair and learned to walk. She decided she would still try to follow her dreams, and sent some photos off to some modeling agencies. She did a few unpaid jobs while studying at college. Soon, paid commercial modeling jobs started coming in. Marita was a bit doubtful at first, because the crash had left her with huge scars on her leg and back. She was worried that people wouldn't want her to model for them, but this didn't stop her. Marita had done amazingly well to overcome everything that had been thrown at her in the three years. Finally, Marita became a professional model in 2013. She was signed up for advertising campaigns and appeared in TV ads. Who should be to blame for the accident? Answer: Both of the drivers involved in the accident. An ancient Egyptian mummy thought to be that of Pharaoh Ramses I has returned home after more than 140 years in North American museums. The body was carried off the plane in Cairo in a box covered in Egypt's flag. The Michael Carlos Museum gave it back after tests showed it was probably that of the man who ruled 3,000 years ago. The US museum acquired it three years ago from a Canadian museum, which in turn is thought to have bought it from Egyptian garve robbers in 1860. The mummy was welcomed back home with songs and military band music during a ceremony at the national museum in Cairo. Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities , traveled from the US with the body and said it would be moved next year to the Luxor Museum in southern Egypt. "We are not 100% sure that mummy is that of Ramses I," said Mr. Hawass. "But we are 100% sure that it is of a king." Atlanta's Michael Carlos Museum acquired the mummy in 1999, but offered to return it after hi-tech scanning equipment indicated it was likely to be that of Ramses I. The museum website said it had been acquired from the Niagara Falls Museum. It is thought a Canadian collector bought the mummy for the Niagara Falls Museum around 1860 from an Egyptian family which had came across a tomb filled with royal mummies at a site near Luxor. Mr. Hawass praised the handover as "a great, civilized gesture". And he appealed to other world museums to return Egypt's antiquities, particularly the Rosetta Stone in the Britain Museum and the Bust of Nefertiti in the Berlin Museum. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: The returning of Ramses mummy to its homeland Egypt. That day was a very good day. The volunteers who visited an orphanage now became the best friends each other. The four persons were Li Hui, the reporter of Jing Newspaper, Zhao Qiang and Huang Jian, reporters of Chongqing Television Station, and me. According to our experience of driving in the disaster area, it would be OK to drive in the morning, but the road was dangerous in the afternoon. So this morning we got off at 6:00 am. It is about 40 kilometers aim place. It would take not more than one hour normally. However, because of poor road conditions, we tried twice but failed to go through. We had to stop driving to wait for road repairing. It was very dangerous to park on the road in the mountain. To be honest, my experience in the disaster area were over load . I almost couldn't stand. But one thing had been supporting me, I had been very grateful to have such a chance to help the people of disaster area, to have such a chance to share my love. When we took two vehicles supplies to the orphanage, the leader of the orphanage Mr. Lang with 31 children was too excited to say anything. ,. The volunteers went to the orphanage _ . Answer: in the morning When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Leonard Bernstein gave a concert in Berlin, including Beethoven's Ode to Joy, with the word "Joy" changed to "Freedom" in the lyrics sung.The orchestra were drawn from both East and West Germany, as well as the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Freedom was in the air and it was not just for people. The wall between East and West Germany had also kept a large population of wild pigs within the eastern forests of Brandenburg.The wall's falling down made it easier for the big pigs--a very big one can weigh over 300 pounds--to leave the woodlands and walk into the town. Warm winters and easy access to food have helped the population increase. Now about 10,000 wild pigs walk around Berlin. The nature of the beast has added to the boom ."The pigs are intelligent," says Marc Franusch, a spokesman for the Berlin forestry department. "They learn to use the neighborhoods.They get used to people, dogs, and traffic." The wild pigs tend to travel in small groups and have been found searching rubbish and gardens, feeding their piglets in the shadow of parked cars, and crossing busy roads.On average, the animals are involved in one traffic accident every day. And despite the fact that it's illegal, some Berliners have been known to give the pigs food. Though wild pigs are protected under German law, the city's forestry department is permitted to kill 2,000 of the creatures every year, targeting mostly young adult animals in forests surrounding Berlin. Pigs within city limits are only shot if they make an immediate threat.No humans have yet been seriously wounded by them, but local dogs have been the victims of their tusks. "The forestry department is not aiming to get rid of the pigs," explains Franusch, "but we do have to reduce dangerous situations." The article mainly talks about _ . Answer: how wild pigs are living in Berlin Every athlete,from Tiger Woods(a golf player)to a high school quarterback ,uses a form of self-hypnosis to move their game to the next level Use the Olympics to 1earn how to use the amazing power of your subconscious to do the same with your sport. Here are some examples of how to best use the power of the mind: During the 2004 Olympics,one of the swimmers told of how she would fall asleep each night with the picture of a clock in her mind. It was the timer's clock she would see at the end of her Olympic swim and it always had her world-record-breaking time on it. In his pre-shot routine, Tiger Woods never varies the number of practice swings or intensity of his concentration.The pre-shot routine is always the same so that the stroke will always be the same. Michael Phelps,American Swimming Gold Medalist, always stretches out his back and arms by swinging both arms three times before his event. Not 2,not 4: always 3. He is anchoring in his winning state of mind and state of body as well as stretching. In athletics, an anchor is a gesture or series of gestures that put you into the frame-of mind(and body)you want to be in to win.Repetition is what makes it work .That means practice,practice,practice ---- with your body as well as your mind. Begin right now creating a ritual before you exercise.Visualize yourself doing whatever you do faster, longer, higher--whatever adverb works best for your particular activity. Then begin to mentally practice it. See or imagine yourself-----with your ideal body ---- doing your activity better, faster, longer, etc. Using both the power of your brain and the activity of your body, soon you will be better and fitter as you use the Olympics to help you create a happier and healthier you. Why does Michael Phelps always take the same warming-up activities before his events? Answer: Because this is the best way to adjust his state

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