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Come for Dinner by Leslie Revsin Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner. Revsin, the former owner and chef of Manhattan's Restaurant Leslie, offers a collection of over 150 recipes designed for small get-togethers of friends and family. There are various ethnic dishes that draw from Asia,the Mediterranean, Latin cultures and more. Revsin believes cooking at home provides the opportunity to connect with friends and family on a good level. Retro Beach Bash by Linda Everett Grab your beach blanket and your surfboard -- it's time for a beach party! With more than 100 recipes for beach picnics and barbecues, Retro Beach Bash, is the beach lover's companion for fun in the sun. Half information and half cookbook, you can browse the pages that are filled with beach fun tips and advice. The second half of this book is a cookbook, complete with delicious picnic and grilled foods to satisfy every taste on the beach. Entertaining Edibles by Sidney Escowitz You've seen them decorating plates at restaurants, admired them at weddings, and expressed great surprise at the chefs who designed them -- and now you can produce them at home. Sidney shares lots of practical tips that will give your finished food sculptures a professional look and send you on your way towards creating your own original works of food art. Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Olivier Said If you're a fan of Spanish Tapas bars, this book is a must-have for your library. Even if you don't cook, you'll still want this book if you're a fan of Tapas bars, only for the lively discussions of the cheeses of Spain along with other Spanish wines and spirits. Who can tell you how to make the works of food art? A Leslie Revsin. B Linda Everett. C Sidney Escowitz. D Olivier Said. Answer: C When Babbage was working atprefix = st1 /Cambridge, a new idea occurred to him. He wanted to construct a calculating machine to work out the solutions to maths problems not only with correctness but also with a speed beyond the power of any human mind. His machine could solve problems involving long rows of figures in one continuous operation . In 1822 Babbage exhibited his invention and won a prize from the government. After that, he immediately started to work on a larger machine designed to solve more difficult problems. Although he received some money left by his father, the money was not enough to support his design. He wrote to the government about his plan and was givenPS2500 to start with, a sum worth much more in those days than it is now. Babbage continued his work inLondonfor four years. Then his health broke down, and he had to take a long holiday abroad. When he returned toLondonin 1828, he was at the end of his resources. Many bills remained unpaid. His chief assistant and co-workers quarreled with him and left with many expensive tools. For one year no work was done. During this period, Babbage, whose mind was always active, suddenly thought of a completely new idea for the machine. He rushed to meet the government officials to explain his new idea. But this time, they were unwilling to help him. For eight years, they refused to say whether they wanted the machine or not, and their final answer was "No." From 1828 to 1839, Babbage held the position of professor atCambridgevery successfully. But his greatest work was the unfinished calculating machine which stood covered in dust in his house. It was the beginning of the modern computer. Babbage failed to continue his research work in 1828 mainly because _ . A he was in poor health B he almost ran out of money C his co-workers argued with him D he spent all his money on his bills Answer: B For many years, scientists have wondered how Chrysopelea paradisi, known as the "flying" snakes, can stay afloat as they leap from one tree to another, sometimes covering a distance of as long as 79 feet. Now a new study has explained that it may be all to do with the way they move. The report was published by Virginia Tech scientist, Jake Soeha who has been studying the flying snakes for a number of years. He began his research by first focusing on its launch technique. He discovered that the snakes first make themselves completely flat and then move side to side; they glide rapidly at a speed of between 26-33 feet per second, before leaping off. Once they take off, their bodies actually tilt at about a 25-degree angle to the airflow created by their flight. When they first leap, the snakes start to drop altitude to pick up speed. With the front of their bodies held stiff, they start a strange air-gliding dance, by moving from side to side. This turns their entire body into one big wing, allowing them to glide across long distances. The findings are not only exciting because they solve the puzzle of how the snakes are able to fly, but also because the same principles could be used to build small flying instruments. The flying snakes that are native to South and South East Asia spend most of their lives in trees in the lowland tropical forests. They grow between 2-3 feet long and are about as wide as a human finger. As would be expected, the smaller and lighter ones are more able to "glide" for longer distances than the bigger and heavier ones. They are not the only wingless animals that can fly -- there are flying frogs that use similar gliding techniques to make their way across forests. The best title for the passage is_. A New Flying Animals B Small Flying Instruments C The New Findings D Flying Snakes Answer: D As Artificial Intelligence(AI) becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are growing concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be avoided, according to computer science professor Stuart Russell, if we figure out how to turn human values into a programmable code. Russell argues that as robots take on more complicated tasks, it's necessary to translate our morals into AI language. For example, if a robot does chores around the house, you wouldn't want it to put the pet cat in the oven to make dinner for the hungry children. "You would want that robot preloaded with a good set of values," said Russell. Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots have been programmed to keep a comfortable distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural differences, but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal space, you wouldn't think that's the kind of thing a properly brought-up person would do. It will be possible to create more sophisticated moral machines, if only we can find a way to set out human values as clear rules. Robots could also learn values from drawing patterns from large sets of data on human behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are careless. The biggest concern with robots going against human values is that human beings fail to so sufficient testing and they've produced a system that will break some kind of taboo . One simple check would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a human when presented with an unusual situation. If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunity to stop, send out beeps , and ask for directions from a human. If we humans aren't quite sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else. The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe in moral, and how to create a set of ethical rules. But if we come up with an answer, robots could be good for humanity. What would we think of a person who invades our personal space according to the author? A They are aggressive. B They are outgoing. C They are ignorant. D They are ill-bred. Answer: D Most parents of kids under age 8 don't worry about how much time they spend watching TV or using other media, from computers to smart phones to tablets PCs, according to a new survey that found a child's use of media often reflects how much time parents spend in the similar way. We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today. She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger.It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent "not too" or" not at all" concerned about it. It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity.The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices."Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey. The findings exposes a generational shift in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella."Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair. " The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric (39 percent of families) , media-moderate (45%)and media-light (16%). Children in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier.And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied.Slightly fewer turn to books (79%) and TV(78%). The survey didn't look at how media affects children. That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times. The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat. In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors. By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience. Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a700ut advertising contributes to their media literacy ," it says. The pediatricians' group says parents should have "screen-free zones" and TV should be turned off during dinner. At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies and using their imaginations in free play." Kids under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says. An article on screen time by t.he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t.o over screen time, including being fat, irregular sleep , behavioral problems , weak school performance , violence and less time for active and creative play. Which of the following is a suggestion by the researchers? A Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited. B Entertainment media use should be high-quality content. C Schools should provide more time for active and creative play. D Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors. Answer: B
Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. A computer will send the program directly to the television. On TV screen appear holograms , which are pictures with certain height, width and depth. We will be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television. Water has become one of our most serious problems. Agriculture is changing and people are growing more fruit and vegetables to export. Demand for water will increase ten times in 2050. Some futurologists predict that water will be the cause of war if we don't act now. In transport, cars will run on new fuels and go very fast. A car will have computers to control its speed and there won't be any accidents. On the other hand, space planes will take people around the earth in about three hours. People will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo by space plane in just half an hour. In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere. They do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. Medicine technology will have conquered many diseases by 2050; we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals and will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. If you want all this to come true, you should study science and technology hard. What will be more likely to cause the war in the future? A. The lack of water. B. The less farmland. C. The shortage of robots. D. The more space planes. Answer: A What makes a house a home? Not size, of course. I've been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it's readily apparent that no one lives there. Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess's bed --- a home that had more warmth than any house I've been in since. Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, "This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar." Whether you're sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the s to arrive, you know what he's talking about. We've lived in our townhouse for 21 years. The loose windows make noise in the wind. The fireplace is so shallow it holds only one log. The kitchen window offers a view of the world passing by. It's where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. I lived there for only 18 years, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines. While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you're with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, "Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith." Happy homecoming! About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that _ . A. it was the description of Edwards's houses B. it is mainly about houses in America C. it helps us understand the concept of home D. it was written by the author of the text Answer: C When Kathryn was 6 years old, she sat outside for three hours at her home and did not make a sound.Her parents wondered why she was so quiet, only to discover that she was drawing a picture of a flag outside. She recalled. "That's what I wanted to do that day," said Kathryn, who is now 23 years old. And in the future, she continued to do art as a hobby. Recently, Kathryn was named Lake Placid's first artist in the neighborhood. She will be there for at least four weeks and possibly more. During that time, she will teach an art class and focus on her own art. Much of her work includes creating photos. She said: "There is always something there that you haven't included, so you can never stop when painting a photo." Kathryn ended up as the first artist just by chance. She said her sister was on vacation in Florida and looking for a job in Lake Placid. The sister got the job and moved there. Kathryn said she visited her sister and was ordered to do wall paintings inside a building. Later, her sister saw a demand for an artist on line and suggested she should apply. Kathryn said she's the first artist in her family, but added that her parents are creative. Her father loves to create things from wood, she said. "Anything you can make out of wood, he has made it," she said. Her own creativity with art continued through college. While at college, she was once employed to recreate a photo of a couple on a vacation to Florida and one of a sunset in either North Carolina or South Carolina. Kathryn said she's looking at other forms of art. The time she spends here will help her to "figure out who I am as an artist," she said. While painting a photo, Kathryn thinks _ . A. It's hard to finish a perfect job. B. you can't stop half way C. you may miss the photos somewhere D. you have to finish it at a time Answer: A I am sitting on a beach on this hot summer day and watching two children,a boy and a girl,playing in the sand.They are working hard at building a sandcastle .Just when they are successful, a big wave comes along and puts it down. I think the children may cry because all their hard work turns to nothing, but they surprise me. They run up away from the water, hand in hand, and sit down to build another one. They really teach me a lesson. We can't always be successful.Being sad is doing no good.What we need to do is to start again, hand in hand with our friends. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. The writer is a teacher. B. The wave destroys the sandcastle. C. The write knows the children . D. The children are sad because they're not successful Answer: B Do your kids ask a lot of questions? If they do, that's great. Because that's how children learn. Some of these questions may be easy to answer. Others may be hard. And they want to get the right answers. Do your kids ask such questions? Why is the sky blue? Why is the sunset red? Why are leaves green? Why do leaves change color in autumn? How do airplanes fly? Can you answer these questions? If not, don't worry. Though Science Made Simple can't help with all of life's important questions, it can help with those. In this fast changing world, the more your children know about science, the better. Get the help you need now, and every month you can get Science Made Simple online for only $11.95 for 10 issues . Click here: questions @sciencemadesimple. Com for more information. Remember, if you are not happy with your first issue, we will give back all your money. How much will you pay if you don't like the first issue of Science Made Simple? A. $11.95. B. $1.195. C. Nothing. D. $10. Answer: C
Next autumn, studying for a degree in Britain will become more expensive, and the results are already clear. This week, figures from UCAS(the Universities and College Admissions service)show a 15-percent downturn in applications from this time last year. With fees having reached PS9,000 a year, some students are beginning to consider other ways of getting higher education--including distance learning, which allows them to get a degree while still living, and earning money, at home. That is important, because fees are only part of the picture. The National Union of Students says that UK students pay an average of PS4,900 a year for basics such as rent, food, books, equipment, field trips and the like. If those costs can be reduced, the burden of fees will be lessened. Therefore, many people are thinking not only about what and where to study, but how--that is, whether they have to be on campus to get a degree. Distance learning is best suited to certain subjects and to ultra-motivated student, according to Carrie-Anne Rice of Resource Development International(RDI)."The advantage is that the fee system is more flexible , and you can have full-time work while studying, Rice says.""You graduate three years ahead of possible competitors -- with the same degree, but with three years of work experience and without the debt." "I left school and went straight into work. But at the age of 23, I changed career and soon realized I needed a degree to advance. Because of lack of money ad time, full-time university wasn't a good choice, but I discovered that distance learning was financially flexible and enabled me to work and gain skills from my workplace without affecting the quality of my life," Andy Cain, a distance learning student says. Although distance learning has many advantages, a campus-based university experience remains the dream of most school-leavers. There is no question that "being there" is not only fun, but rich in shared experience, pooled knowledge, and--perhaps most importantly--friendships that will go on long after the degrees have been awarded. Which of the following is NOT the benefit of distance learning? A Lower debt levels B A head start on the job market. C Valuable friendships D A flexible fee system. Answer: C. Valuable friendships I have a good memory of my grandfather,Jack. He was sitting in his armchair in the front room. I sat next to him. We were reading aloud,our heads bent over the page in front of us,a finger marking the words;separated by seven decades,brought together by words. It's a common scene in British families;however,in our case,the usual order of things is reversed .Granddad had been blind since I was tiny,so I was reading to him.When reading aloud,people usually read something that's of interest to the listener. So I didn't read children's books;I read the sorts of things Granddad liked to hear about. Much of the vocabulary in Granddad's reading material was far beyond me. When I met unfamiliar words,I'd spell them out. Granddad would help me. It must have been painful for him to hear news;but he never hurried me along or complained. Our reading wasn't really about getting knowledge. It was a way for us to spend time together. My grandfather wasn't always blind. He had been a good carpenter .The first Christmas of my parents' marriage,he built my mother a bookcase,which now belongs to my son Jonah,providing a link between four generations. I was a fortunate child;I spent a lot of time with my grandfather,and he opened the world to me in a particular way. Reading was our way of building a relationship that has had a lasting effect on me. In the school holidays,I sometimes accompanied him on trips to the seaside with the local association for the blind. This might seem strange,but I felt that my personal value was realized because I could finally do something for Granddad. A decade later,I found a position in a nursing home,which reminded me of my early experiences;reading to senior citizens was a connection back to Granddad. More than simple conversation,reading aloud is a connection between two individuals and it can have a big emotional effect on elderly people. Why didn't the author choose to read children's books? A To expand her knowledge. B To make her vocabulary bigger. C To show off in front of her grandfather. D To satisfy the needs of her grandfather. Answer: D. To satisfy the needs of her grandfather. Who are the top students in the world, do you know? Last week the Organization for Economic Co-operation Development picked the best students in the world. They are Finnish . The OECD gave a test to 280 000 15-year-old students from more than 40 countries and regions last year. The OECD wanted to know how well students were doing at school. Finnish students were No. 1 in the reading test and second in maths after Hong Kong students. Those from Japan and Finland were top in science. In the problem solving, Finnish students came second to those from South Korea. The test also showed Finland had more top students than the other countries. Finns of your age have done a really good job but don't have a sense of envy. You can learn from them. Most Finnish students make good use of the Internet. Of course not for computer games, but for doing more exercises and finding out more information. Libraries are also important. Finland spends a lot of money on them. Many students have a free card. They read for at least one or two hours a day. What do you usually do on the Internet? How often do you go to libraries? From this passage we know that _ . A the test can make the students lose their interest in learning B the test is designed to find out good ways to use the Internet C it's hard to tell who the best students in the world are D Finnish students make better use of the Internet and libraries Answer: D. Finnish students make better use of the Internet and libraries When Abraham Lincoln was young, he worked in a store. One day a woman came into the store and bought some things. They added up to two dollars and six and a quarter cents. The bill was paid, and the woman was satisfied. But the young storekeeper, not feeling quite sure about his calculations , added up the things again. To his surprise he found that it should have been but two dollars. "I've made her pay six and a quarter cents more," said young Abe, upset. It was an unimportant thing, and many salespersons would forget it, but Abe was too careful for that. "The money must be paid back," he decided. At night, he closed the store and walked to the home of his customer. He explained the matter, paid over the six and a quarter cents, and returned satisfied. Here is another story of young Lincoln's strict honesty. A woman entered the store and asked for half a pound of tea. The young man weighed it out. This was the last sale of the day. The next morning, when beginning his duties, Abe discovered a four-ounce weight on the scales . It flashed upon him at once that he had used this in the sale last night, and so, of course, given his customer short weight. Many people would not have been much worried by this discovery. But Abe weighed out the balance of the half pound, shut up the store, and carried it to the customer. I think that the name, so often given in late times to President Lincoln, of "Honest Old Abe", was well deserved . What happened to Abe in the second story? A He played a joke with the customer. B He wasn't paid two dollars and six cents. C He didn't notice a four-ounce weight on the scales. D He explained the matter to the customer that night. Answer: C. He didn't notice a four-ounce weight on the scales. It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive.That's what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin.Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves. Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind.So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping.In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one. The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness.They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer.They found only one answer that might explain his condition.Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born.But that was all.Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94. One reason that might explain Herpin's sleeplessness was _ . A his mother's injury before he was born B that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit C his magnificent physical condition D that he hadn't got a bed Answer: A. his mother's injury before he was born
Criticism never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you _ yourself, your changes are positive. Don't scare yourself Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it's terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you. Be gentle, kind and patient Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don't hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself. Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it. Take care of your body Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality ? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day. Mirror work Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you'll never give in to difficulty. Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. You should face the mirror and say that you love yourself so that you can _ . Answer: When Pat Jones finished college, she decided to travel around the world and see as many foreign places as she could while she was young. Pat wanted to visit Latin America first, so she got a job as an English teacher in a school in Bolivia. Pat spoke a little Spanish, so she was able to communicate with her students even when they didn't know much English. Once, A sentence she had read somewhere struck her mind: if you dream in a foreign language, you have really mastered it. Pat repeated this sentence to her students and hoped that some day she would dream in Spanish and they would dream in English. One day, one of her worst students came up and explained in Spanish that he had not done his homework. He had gone to bed early and had slept badly. "What does this have to do with your homework?" Pat asked. "I dreamed all night, Miss Jones. And my dream was in English." "In English?" Pat was very surprised, since he was such a bad student. She was even secretly jealous . Her dream was still not in Spanish. But she encouraged her young student, "Well, tell me about your dream." "All the people in my dream spoke English. All the newspapers and magazines and all the TV programs were in English." "But that's wonderful," said Pat. "What did all the people say to you?" "I am sorry, Miss Jones. That's why I slept so badly. I didn't understand a word they said. It was a nightmare ". Pat's student didn't finish his home work because _ . Answer: Once there lived a lion in the big mountain.He was very big and strong.He often ate the other animals.Every day he went out to look for food.The small animals in the mountain were all afraid of him.Near the mountain there were four bulls .They are friends, and they often worked and played together.The tiger tried many times to catch them, but he could not do so.Every time he came near, the four bulls stood together to fight him.So he could do nothing to them. One day, the four bulls had a quarrel .After that each of them went his own way.When the lion saw this, he was happy.He caught one bull and ate him up .Then he caught another.One by one he caught all the four bulls and ate them up. How many bulls were there in the story? _ Answer: John Denver has got international fame as a pop star, songwriter, actor and environmental activist ( ). Songs like Take Me Home, Country Road, Rocky Mountain High and Annie's Song have become very popular. But less than thirty years ago, John Denver was a young man with little more than a fine voice, a guitar, and a dream. Growing up in conservative family, he was not believed to drop out of college and head to Los Angeles, where the music scene was flowering. Nor was he believed to succeed. In Take Me Home, John Denver talked about the story that shaped his life, with the story of the rich inner journey of a shy Midwestern boy. With honesty and cleverness, he wrote about his childhood, the feeling of moving to Los Angeles as the 60s came, his first lucky breaks, his first songwriting success with leaving on a Jet Plane and finally got a world fame. He also wrote about his relationship with his first and second wife, as well as his parents, his children, his partners through his life and his friends. Honest and rich in the book that only a natural-born storyteller could write so well, Take Me Home is very good from the beginning to the end. It's like spending a few days with a good friend. Take Me Home is a name of _ . Answer: Yeast deposited in an oven from a closet Answer:
Researchers and many scientists are concerned that the earth's climate and atmosphere are becoming warmer than they should be. What scientists do agree on is that the temperature will continue to increase if measures are not taken to reduce pollution and emission from cars and factories. It is widely agreed that oil and coal create greenhouse gases when they are burned to produce heat or power. These emissions include carbon dioxide, which is the cause of most of the global warming problem. The loss of the trees in many areas is making the problem worse, because trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The fewer trees that are left standing, the less carbon dioxide can be absorbed. Scientists predict that the sea level will rise, ice caps will melt, and some animals and plants will fail to survive because their habitat will disappear. There may be more deserts and less available farmland because of the dry ground, and there may be more storms and floods in many countries. Some countries, including the UK and the US, are taking steps to prevent the situation from becoming worse. There are programmes to educate citizens and students about the situation and recycling waste is becoming more common. New guidelines are being introduced to try to limit greenhouse gases from being produced by factories and businesses. Using more alternative energy sources is also a good way to prevent global warming. One thing that everyone can do is limit their use of energy every day, and you can do this no matter how old or young you are. Try to limit the unnecessary use of electricity and work to conserve energy every day. Some countries are doing all of the following EXCEPT _ to prevent global warming. Dear Ms. Wang, I am writing to inform you of some arrangements about my composition course and Latin course next year. I've decided to re-establish the 5-paragraph essay as the goal for the composition course. I interviewed some of my former students and they all agreed that being able to write critically and continuouslywas important to them. So next academic year, Term 1 will be like always: sentences to paragraphing. And Term 2 will work toward the 5-paragraph essay. The final 3 weeks of Term 2 will be reserved tointroduce writing for TOEFL and CEE. By that time, if the students have done their job correctly, then they should be able to write quite well. As for the Latin course, I will post notices around campus next week so that the students will understand what's on offer before I actually introduce the course. A number of students already emailed me about the course. I am sure you don't understand what a big deal our opening this program at our school is. People around the world are interested in what we plan to do. There are many rewards available to the students who succeed in the course. Please share what I have said with the administration. I want them to understand the importance of this course. The reason I have contacted these colleagues (actually Oxford contacted me) isthatI have confidence in our students and in myself. I know that when those professors meet our students and hear them speaking and reading Latin, they are going to be amazed. It will open all sorts of doors for students that they never even thought of knocking on. Well, that's it for now. I'll see you soon. Yours, Edward Johnson We can learn from the letter that Edward's Latin course _ . Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits--including making your brain sharper. Yes, it turns out that overweight may damage cognitive functions such as memory and attention. There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance. Losing weight, therefore, may help improve these mental functions, according to a new research led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University. Growing evidence suggests that being fat is linked to cognitive deficits . So Gunstad and his team guessed that losing weight might improve mental function. For their study, they measured memory and attention in a group of 150 overweight participants, some of whom had some kind of operation for weight loss and some did not. All of the volunteers completed mental skills tests to assess their abilities of memory and attention at the beginning of the study, and again 12 weeks later. To begin with, about 24% of the patients showed damaged learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory when tested. At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn't lose weight dropped even further. The study helped Gunstad to find out whether losing weight had any effect on mental function. Now that he's seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way--eating healthier and getting more active. He expects that losing weight in this way will have a similarly positive effect on the brain. "If we can improve the condition with operations, then we can probably produce the same change with behavioral weight loss as well," he says. There is less research on overweight and cognitive functions because researchers _ . Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity ? Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in theJournal of the American Geriatrics Societylooked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100. The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times. Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways. Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible. Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother's personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we're adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger. Personality isn't destiny , and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn't just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health. What can we learn from the findings of the two new studies? After my sixth voyage I was quite determined that I would never go to sea. One early spring day, however, I was brought to see the Caliph. He said, "Sindbad, I have chosen you to deliver a letter and a gift to the King of Serendib in return for his message of friendship." The Caliph's commandment fell upon me like a thunderbolt . "Your Majesty," I answered, "I am ready to do all that your Majesty commands, but I have made a promise never again to leave Baghdad." "I admit," said he, "that you have indeed had some extraordinary experiences, but I do not see why they should prevent you from doing as I wish. You have only to go straight to Serendib and give my message, and come back as you will." At last, I agreed. The Caliph was delighted and gave me a thousand sequins (gold coins) for the expenses of the voyage. Soon I sailed quickly and safely to Serendib after a nearly 30-day voyage where I was well received, and brought into the presence of the king. I displayed the Caliph's gifts: a bed which cost a thousand sequins, and more beds of different fashion. The King received the assurance of the Caliph's friendliness with satisfaction. Since my task was accomplished, I was anxious to depart. The king dismissed me with many presents, and I left immediately on the end day of May. On the fifth day we suffered from pirates who killed some of us and made the rest prisoners of whom I was one. On a distant island they sold us for slaves. I fell into the hands of a rich merchant. The merchant asked me to shoot elephants in the forest. When he left, he said, "When you have succeeded in killing one come and tell me." So saying, he gave me a supply of food and returned to the town. I settled myself in the tree and kept watching. The next morning I saw a large group of elephants passing by. I shot one to death and run back to tell my master of my success, for which I was praised and regaled(,) with good things. Then we went back to bury the elephant I had killed, in order that when it became a skeleton my master might return and keep its tusks safely. I hunted for two months. One morning as I watched the coming of the elephants which paused instead of passing the tree, trumpeting(,) horribly. I was terrified. The largest of the animals brought me to the ground .I thought now that my last hour was surely come; but the huge creature, picking me up gently enough; set me upon its back, then turned into the forest. After what seemed a long time to me, I was standing on a great hill where there was filled with bones and tusks of elephants which are more than I could carry away in a lifetime. I run to my master's house, and was received by him with joyful surprise. He asked me what had happened to me and why I was still alive. I soon satisfied his curiosity, and the next day we went together to the Ivory Hill, and he was overjoyed to find as many tusks. He said, "My brother, these wild elephants have killed numbers of our slaves every year. You alone have escaped; therefore you must be under the special protection of Heaven. You deserve your liberty, and I will give you a fortune." I only asked liberty to return to my own country "Well," he answered, "the monsoon will soon bring the ivory ships here, and then I will send you on your way." So I stayed with him till the time of the monsoon. When the ships at last arrived, my master put on board for me a great store of supply, also lots of ivory, and said me goodbye. I left without feeling at ease upon the sea after what had happened. I sold my ivory and bought many expensive presents. I joined a traveling team of merchants. Our journey was long and boring, but gradually, I did not to fear storms, or pirates, or any of the other dangers. When the fall wind came blowing, we reached Baghdad. I brought myself to the Caliph and told him everything about my experience. My story was written in letters of gold, and laid up among his treasures. I took my leave of him, well satisfied with the honors and rewards he gave me; and since that time I have rested from my labors, and given myself up wholly to my family and my friends. According to the passage, we can infer that _ .
In London, everyone is busy in the early morning. Some are running to the stations, buses and cars. Some are stopping only to drink a cup of coffee. They usually have no time for breakfast. At about eight thirty, one after another, the shops open for business .Taxis and buses are running in the streets. People work busily all day. At six o'clock in the evening, people go home quickly from work. Most of the shops closed , but some are still open. Many people work at night in a big city. In newspaper offices, reporters work hard. Doctors and nurses work in the hospital. Taxis and buses take people around the city all night. Some people are going to the movies. Some people are going to watch the plays. You can hear people talking, laughing and singing. You can listen to music, too. Every night, there are many people on the sidewalks . Some stop to look at shop windows, but they never buy clothes. Others are waiting for buses and taxis. Day and night you can find people working and playing in London. A big city never sleeps. Which of the following is right? Hippos have always attracted people's interest. Modern hippos in Walt Disney movies can dance lightly. A stone hippo in a 13th-century church in France has wings. And in ancient Egyptian fairy tales, the hippo was a goddess that guided the dead to the afterworld. Despite their popular appeal, hippos, as well as other animals, have difficulty when their needs conflict with those of humans. The early Egyptians liked to hunt hippos for their teeth and because they were dangerous animals. Amulets to protect babies from demons were made from hippo bones. About 4,000 years ago, there were so many hippos in Egypt that they caused serious crop damage. Egyptian farmers killed them routinely, and by the beginning of the 19th century, all the hippos in Africa had been killed. People used to see hippos fight in the arenas of ancient Rome. After the fall of the Roman Empire, hippos weren't seen in Europe again until a few zoos began to exhibit them in the mid 1800s. All the various uses and abuses of hippos through the centuries have made their population fall greatly. Where they do occur, mostly in national parks, they live in such high density that they make the grasslands bare. This causes other grass-eating animals to go farther for food, and hippos, which can't live far from water, destroy their own feeding grounds. Apart from protecting crops, what's the main reason for people to kill hippos? Generic Name: ASPIRIN Pronunciation: ['aesp@rin] Why it is prescribed : 1. Aspirin relieves mild to moderate pain. 2. It reduces fever, redness, and swelling. 3. It prevents blood from clotting . When it is to be taken: 1. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription. 2. Follow the instructions on the label and package. 3. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific instructions for how often you should take it. 4. Keep in touch with your doctor. How it should be taken: 1. Aspirin comes in the form of suppositories , capsules, and regular, coated, extended-release, and chewable tablets. 2. Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk after meals to avoid stomach upset. 3. Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice should be drunk immediately after taking these tablets. Special Instruction: 1. Children should not take aspirin for fevers associated with flu or chickenpox because such use has been linked with a serious illness known as Reye's syndrome. 2. Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (five days for children) without consulting a doctor. 3. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than three days without a doctor's supervision . 4. Do not give more than five doses to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor. 5. If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and _ the prescribed schedule. Side Effects: 1. Although side effects from aspirin are not common, they can occur. 2. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk. If these effects continue, contact your doctor. 3. Ringing in the ears, bloody or black stools , difficulty breathing, dizziness, mental confusion and sleepiness are rare. Stop taking the drug and contact your doctor. Other Precautions: 1. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding women, inform your doctor before taking aspirin. 2. Do not take aspirin if you are within three months of delivery. 3. Do not take aspirin if you are allergic to it. 4. If you have diabetes , regular use of eight or more regular strength aspirin tablets a day may affect test result. 5. If you are taking large doses of aspirin on a long-term basis, avoid having alcoholic drinks because alcohol can increase stomach problems. 6. To prevent an overdose of aspirin, read the labels before taking other pain relievers and cold products to be sure that they do not contain aspirin. Storage Conditions: 1. Store aspirin in a cool place or in a refrigerator. 2. Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar. 3. Keep this aspirin out of the reach of children. If you start taking aspirin, you should do all the following things EXCEPT _ . Dear Dad, Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father's Day cards.They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you.Yet as I selected and read,it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you. You'll soon be 84 years old,Dad,and you and I will have had 55 Father's Days together.I haven't always been with you on Father's Day but I've always been with you in my heart. You know,Dad,there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap.You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other. The Father Daughter Duel shifted into high gear ( ) when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the '54 Chevy whether you liked it or not.The police officer who sent me home,after you reported the Chevy stolen,didn't have much tolerance for a stub!born 16 year old,while you were so tolerant about it,Dad,and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life. Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked,and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left.Somewhere along the line,the generation gap disappeared.I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together,rather like a fine wine. But the strangest thing happened last week.I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car.It didn't immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car.It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere.Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day. I guess what I'm trying to say,Dad,is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today.Honoring a father on Father's Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking.It's about loving someone more than words can say,and it's wishing that never had to end. I love you,Dad. Love, Jenny Why did Jenny feel strange when she saw her father last week?. Are you going into skiing? Is winter your favorite time of year? If you like snow and ice, maybe you should stay at Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. But, you can only check in at this hotel during the winter. Why? Because this hotel is built every December. It has 32 rooms and 80 people can stay there each night. The hotel even has a movie theatre, art gallery, and church. Of course, all of these parts of the hotel are made of ice. In fact, all the furniture, art, lights, and even plates and drinking glasses are made out of ice. Because this hotel is so unusual, it is becoming very popular. People from all over the world come to the Ice Hotel to look at the fantastic ice art, drink and eat from designed ice dishes and experience the unique atmosphere. Some couples have even gotten married in the hotel's ice church. But all these guests keep their winter coats on! Because of all the ice, the temperature inside the hotel is always between -2degC and -5degC. Surprisingly, sleeping is not a problem in the freezing cold hotel rooms. Every guest gets a special cold weather sleeping bag and some fur blankets. These keep the room cozy until morning. What is the best title of this passage?
Joan is an American girl. She lives in China now. She is in my class. Her parents work in China, too, but her brother works in the U.S.A. He often writes letters to them. Joan likes Chinese class very much, and likes speaking Chinese with us after class. Her father teaches us English well. We all like his class. Her mother is a nurse. On Sundays, Joan goes to the People's Park with her father and mother. Sometimes she goes shopping with her mother. They like the Chinese food very much. It's a happy family. Which is RIGHT? It's impolite to spit out the first bite of your dinner. But to a type of Australian snake, this rude behavior is a matter of life and death. The snake, called a floodplain death adder , eats two types of frogs that are hard to stomach. The frogs produce chemicals to defend them from predators . One of these species, the Dahl's frog, can kill a snake that tries to eat it. The other species, the marbled frog, is less dangerous but still tough to eat. When attacked, _ produces a glue like substance. Leaves and branches get caught up in this material, making a big sticky mess that gets in the way of anything trying to swallow it. A marbled frog can even get stuck on the head of an attacking snake. Both frogs have good defense methods. But the floodplain death adder knows how to get around each of them. Floodplain death adders quickly strike these frogs, using their poisonous teeth to inject poison. But then, instead of swallowing their dinner immediately, the snakes sit back and wait for their preys to become safe to eat. That's because both the Dahl's frog's protective toxin and the marbled frog's glue break down over time. After a while, the frog toxin is no longer poisonous and the glue is no longer sticky. The two substances break down at different rates, and floodplain death adders seem to know the difference, And adder waits for a different length of time depending on the species of frog it just struck. The stickiness of the marbled frog glue decreased by as much as two-thirds after just 10 minutes. And that's just about how long an adder waits before eating a marbled frog. On the other hand, the snakes wait for about 40 minutes before eating a Dahl's frog. That's enough time for the frog's toxin to break down into harmless substances. But even a quick strike gives a taste of the Dahl frog's toxin. After striking such a frog, a floodplain death adder thrashes around and lies on its back with its mouth open, It's like the snake has just had a mouthful of chili pepper. By comparison, when given frogs that have no chemical defenses, floodplain death adders eat their prey immediately after striking. Snakes, despite the fact that they've got this tiny pea-size brain are clearly capable of recognizing what kind of frog they've bitten. The glue produced by the marbled frog is used for_. NEW YORK-- The band Atomic Tom has scored an Internet hit with its self-created video to the song Take Me Out. In the video, the band members ride a New York City subway while performing entirely on iPhones, with applications linked with mini-battery powered broadcasters for each instrument. Singer Luck White says the production was a top-secret operation. "We didn't tell anyone about this. It was completely top-secret from our family, from our friends, from management, from everybody. So the first time that people saw this video was last Friday when we put it on YouTube,"explained White. It has been watched by more than 2 million on YouTube since debuting last week. "All I've wanted to do for the past few days is just stare at the YouTube page and keep refreshing it to see how far it will go, " said Espiritu, the lead guitarist of the band. "The Internet changed everything,"Espiritu said. "It's kind of an exciting time because it forces everyone to adjust and be creative and find new ways to get your name out there." The idea for the video came from Espiritu's 24-year-old brother Benjamin, who's hoping to go to film school. " I've seen a lot of these music applications, and they're kind of fascinating to me,"Benjamin Espiritu said. " I thought: 'What would happen if iPhones kind of took over the world? If there could actually be a band that played straight through with iPhones, what would that look like?'" So they shot the video --with iPhones also serving as video cameras. The band also tried Union Square but were stopped during playing because they didn't have a permit. " _ ,"Espiritu said. "We've seen the jump." Their album has been in the top 10albums on iTunes. Will their fans start cheering for iPhone-only performances? "We've gotten the most exposure and teh most fans that we've ever gotten through this, so I wouldn't be surprised if fans are going to want to see that.: Espritu said. What did Espiritu mean by saying "The YouTube views are translating into album sales"? How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter? Facilities like electric rice cookers, microwaves, and electric kettles, make it easy for people to keep food warm and enjoy a comfortable winter. So how did Chinese people in ancient times keep food warm in winter without these? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. * "Wen Ding", ancient rice cooker One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The "Wen Ding", an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container preserved heart by burning fuels like charcoal. The "Wen Ding" unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age, The craftsmanship of making the "Wen Ding" was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures. * "Ran LU", ancient small hot pot The "Ran LU" is a small size cooking vessel made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel's structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period(475--221 BC) Bronze You, ancient kettle The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can't do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink. Bronze Yan, ancient steamer Although the "Wen Ding" was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer. When did the "Ran LU" become popular? An attraction may be magnetic if
Fish species are expected to shrink in size by up to 24% because of global warming, say scientists. The scientists argue that failure to control greenhouse gas emissions will have a greater effect on marine ecosystems than previously thought. Previous research has suggested that changing ocean temperatures would affect both the distribution and the reproductive abilities of many species of fish. This new work suggests that fish size would also be heavily affected. The researchers built a model to see how fish would react to lower levels of oxygen in the water. As ocean temperatures increase, so do the body temperatures of fish. But, according to lead author, Dr William Cheung, from the University of British Columbia, the lower level of oxygen in the water is key. Warmer waters could decrease ocean oxygen levels and greatly reduce fish body weight. On the other hand, rising temperatures directly increase the metabolic rate of the fish's body function. This leads to an increase in oxygen demand for normal body activities. So the fish will run out of oxygen for growth at a smaller body size. The research team also used its model to predict fish movements as a result of warming waters. The group believes that most fish populations will move towards the Earth's poles at a rate of up to 35km per decade. "So in, say, the North Sea," says Dr Cheung," one would expect to see more smaller-body fish from tropical waters in the future." Taking these factors into consideration, the research team concludes that fish body size will shrink between 14% and 24%, with the largest decreases in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. When compared with actual observations of fish sizes, the model seems to _ what's actually happening in the seas. The researchers looked at two case studies involving North Atlantic cod and haddock. They found that recorded data on these fish showed greater decreases in body size than the models had predicted. Dr Alan Baudron, from the University of Aberdeen, UK, believes smaller-sized fish could seriously affect the ability of fish to reproduce. "Smaller fish produce fewer and smaller eggs which could affect the reproductive potential of fish stocks," he said. What is the key factor making the fish smaller now? A. The rising body temperatures. B. The lower level of oxygen in the water. C. The increasing metabolic rate. D. The normal body activities. Answer: B. The lower level of oxygen in the water. For years, business people in Western Europe were worried. They knew they could not compete against business from the U.S. The United States is much larger and had many more resources than any Western European countries. Some European people realized that the European nations need to join together to help each other. If they could forget their language differences and the differences in customs, they might become strong competition against other countries. In 1958, six of the European countries --- Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Italy got together and decided to cooperate. They called their group the European Economic Community, or the Common Market. These countries agreed to join their resources together. Within a few years, the European Economic Community had worked so well that its members were more prosperous than many other European nations. Soon, other nations began to realize the advantage of the Common Market. Today the Common Market includes most of the important countries in Western Europe. It is helping Western Europe to again take its place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world. . In order to _ , the Western European countries decided to cooperate. A. join together to found a united country B. help each other to smooth away the differences in customs C. work and act together for common purpose D. work together and fight against the U.S. Answer: C. work and act together for common purpose A bag is useful and the word "bag" is useful, too. Here is an interesting phrase , "to let the cat out of the bag". In meaning it is the same as "to tell the secret ". And there is an old interesting story about _ . Long ago, when farmers wanted to sell chickens at the market, they would usually just throw the chickens in cloth bags. But cats were cheaper than chickens at that time, so many farmers would put cats into the cloth bags but not chickens. One day, a woman asked a man for a chicken. The man gave her a cloth bag in which there was a cat. _ When the man opened the cloth bag, a big black cat ran out. Not a chicken! The man's secret was out and everyone knew it. Now when we say someone gives away a secret, we say "he lets the cat out of the bag". And that is the story where the interesting phrase came from. Which is the best for the blank in the passage? A. The woman was angry to see a cat. B. The man put a cat in the bag. C. The man asked her to see the chicken. D. The woman wanted to see the chicken. Answer: D. The woman wanted to see the chicken. Welcome to Franklin Hotel. To make you stay as enjoyable as possible. We hope you will use our facilities to the full. Dining Room:Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Also the room staff may bring breakfast to your room at any time after 7 a.m. If this happens, please fill out a card and hang outside your door when you go to bed. Lunch is from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Dinner from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Room service:This operates 24 hours a day; phone the reception desk, and your massage will be passed on the staff. Telephones: To make a phone call. Dial "0"for reception and ask to be connected. We apologized for delays if the lines are very busy. These are also public telephones near the Reception Desk. Tell Reception if early calls are needed. Shop: The hotel shop is open for presents, gifts and goods from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Laundry: we have a laundry in the building, and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours, ask the room staff to collect them. Bar :The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Banking: The reception staff will cash cheques and exchange any foreign money for you. You would see this notice _ . A. in a hotel bar B. in a hotel dining room C. in a bedroom of a large international hotel D. at the entrance of a small family hotel Answer: C. in a bedroom of a large international hotel Copenhagen is a city full of fairy tales . If you want to _ it, you have to spend a long time and walk slower to enjoy yourself. Copenhagen was the first city to have a street for walkers only. The city has less traffic noise and pollution than any other European capital. Walking along the river banks, you'll see the Amalienborg Palace first. The king's family is living there. Churches and castles show us the original city. Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in 1445. But fires in 1728 and 1795 completely destroyed the old wooden buildings. Much of what we see today dates back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Keep going, and you'll see the Christiansborg Palace. The town of Copenhagen began there. The you'll see Nyhavn ,a waterway, which was dug in 1673. When you see it, you'll understand why Hans Christian Andersen made this beautiful waterway his home. Nyhavn is a peaceful and wonderful place. You'll usually see some rich people walk along here. If you walk there, you can enjoy the old trees, the colorful lights and the beautiful gardens. You might feel as if you were in a fairy tale. Which of the following is TRUE about Nyhavn? A. Andersen made it his home. B. It has a history of 383 years. C. Rich people seldom walk along it D. It's a fictitious place in a fairy tale. Answer: A. Andersen made it his home.
What to do if you don't feel popular? Try to take part in activities. Call your friends. Plan to do something. The worst feeling is staying home alone, because it makes you feel even more lonely. Try to make new friends. Choose friends carefully, not just because you think they're popular. And remember, making good friends takes time. Choosing a popular person to be friends with is okay. If they are nice. Be yourself . If you want to become friends with someone who's popular, don't make yourself into someone you are not just to impress that person. Be nice. Be friendly. Be outgoing . But don't overdo it!Talk to trusted friends if you are feeling really bad. Or you might want to write it down in a journal or diary. Do something special for yourself. You could take pictures of your friends, or collect their school pictures, and take a collage to hang on your wall. This will remind you, when you are feeling unpopular, that you really do have friends. Think up your own ideas. These suggestions might not work for everyone. What to do if you have a problem with your teacher? Talk to your parents, or another adult who will listen to you and perhaps can help. Talk to your friends. Maybe they have had problems with the same teacher, too. Don't give the teacher a reason to have problems with you. Do your work, complete your task, attend the class seriously and take notes. Maybe you just need to give the teacher a chance . Try to find out what the problem is. Talk to the teacher if you feel comfortable doing this. Don't be nasty , but express your concerns . Listen to the teacher, as well. *Just accept the fact that you're not going to love all your teachers. What do we mean by saying" not feeling popular" ? A Not liked by our classmates or workmates. B Not doing what we want. C Not showing any interest in anything. D Not so happy. Answer: A The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean on 22th July, drawing people outside to watch the sight in the sky. Day turned into night. Temperature turned cooler in cities and villages filled with fans of astronomy. The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch an unusual view of the sun's colorful ring. Cloud in some areas prevented people from fully enjoying the sight. Still, many were frightened. The total eclipse occurs about twice a year as the moon passes between the earth and the sun on the same plane as earth's circle. The local astronomy society gave a flash on how an eclipse happens. Wednesday's event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places. In India, thousands bathed in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to clean their souls. It was sunny sky in Hong Kong for the eclipse, where students, parents and the elderly flooded in a primary school to watch. In Shanghai, children climbed up ladders to look through two large telescopes on the school roof to catch sight of the moon moving across the sun. Others looked through a pair of glasses covered with solar filter paper, where they could take pictures of the moon moving over the sun. In some cultures, many old stories are about eclipse. In India, a eclipse was considered unfavorable. In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to frighten off the dog and save the sun. What can we learn about the longest solar eclipse of the century? A Not everyone in the world could see the longest eclipse. B Any of the Asians was excited to watch the eclipse. C All people saw the longest solar eclipse on Wednesday. D The Chinese all caught sight of the total eclipse at the same time. Answer: A All living things on the earth need other living things to live.Nothing lives alone.Most animals must live in a group,and even a plant grows close together with others of the same kind.Sometimes one living thing kills another,or one eats and the other is eaten.One kind of life eats another kind of life in order to live,and together they form a food chain .All food chains begin with the sun,and all food chain become broken up if one of them disappears. All life needs sunlight to live on.But only plants can use sunlight directly.Plants are"factories".They make food from sunlight,water and things in the soil and air. Plants feed all other living things.Animals can only use the sun's energy after it has been changed into food by plants.Some animals feed directly on plants,and others eat smaller animals.Meat-eating animals are only eating plants indirectly. What about human beings?We are members of any food chain.We eat rice,vegetables,fruits and so on.We also eat meat.But men often break up the food chain.They kill wild animals.They also make rivers,lakes and seas dirty.When these rivers,lakes and seas are polluted,the fish in them cannot be eaten.If men eat the fish,they will get strange diseases. Each form of life is linked to all others.Breaking the links puts all life in danger. Which can change the sun's energy into food? A Plants. B Humans. C Plant-eating animals. D Meat-eating animals. Answer: A Milan, the second largest city of Italy, has won an undesirable world record. Of the 54 big cities studied by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, Milan is considered to have the worst air pollution. According to these two10-year studies, the level of air pollution in Milan is twice as high as the levels in Paris and Beijing and three times those in Tokyo and London, and four times that in New York. The reason for Milan's bad pollution, to some experts, is that the city lies in a valley that holds back the poisonous gases. Though Milan has taken some measures to lower the level of pollution, the situation is still worrying. People joke to each other, "If you are traveling to Milan, be sure to bring your gas mask." In order to reduce the use of private cars, in 1979, the government in Milan began an interesting experiment: passengers in the city buses did not have to pay for their tickets. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE? A Milan has taken some measures and the air pollution is being reduced. B Milan has taken some action, but the air pollution is still troublesome. C Milan has made no effort so far to lower the level of pollution. D Milan will taken every step to reduce the air pollution Answer: B Dear Susan, Today is Wednesday. I'm very happy because I have a history class in the morning. Our history teacher, Mr. Meng, always tells us some history stories. I think they're quite interesting. But my good friend, Chen Kun, doesn't like Wednesday. He doesn't like history. He thinks it's difficult. He can't understand our history teacher. He loves Chinese because he can read his favourite novels in this class. Lin Xiao's favourite day is Thursday. She likes music. She can sing and dance in the class. She loves the music teacher, Miss Zhang, because her class is quite relaxing . She thinks Miss Zhang is very beautiful. Yours, Jane Jane has a _ on Wednesday morning. A history class B Chinese class C science class D music class Answer: A
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest hunger rate. But according to a new report, African farmers also have ideas that could help the world fight hunger and poverty. Danielle Nierenberg from the Worldwatch Institute in Washington spent a year visiting twenty-five countries south of the Sahara. In Nairobi, Kenya, for example, Ms Nierenberg found women farmers growing vegetables just outside their doorsteps in the Kibera settlement. She says they are finding ways to make their lives better. The women feed their families and sell their _ They use the money to send their children to school. Last year, about 925,000,000 people worldwide did not get enough to eat. Half of all people in the world now live in and around cities. Researchers like Ms Nierenberg are looking increasingly at creative ideas to feed those who don't have enough good food to eat. She says there are a lot of lessons that people in the Western world can learn from Africa. And what they are doing can certainly be done in other developing countries. Farmers in the developing world lose between twenty and forty percent of their harvest before it ever reaches market. There are many reasons why food gets wasted. Farmers are without electricity and cold storage. They lack good seeds and fertilizer. They lack good roads. Conditions like these keep small farmers in poverty. Ms Nierenberg says more attention needs to be paid to protecting harvests. She says, "Given all that we invest in producing food in the first place, we need to devote the same amount of attention to making sure that it is not wasted." In Nigeria, village processing centers are helping farmers reduce their losses and earn more money. They centers process cassava, a root vegetable, into basic food products. In Uganda, the Worldwatch report says some schools are teaching children how to grow local kinds of crops. And in South Africa and Kenya the report praises the breeding of local kinds of livestock. These animals may produce less milk or meat than other breeds, but they can survive heat and drought conditions. Ms Nierenberg suggests that _ . A the women spend more money on education instead of farming B more and more African people should live in and around cities C researchers find creative ideas to feed the people suffering hunger D people in the Western world do the same as the Africans have done Answer: D. people in the Western world do the same as the Africans have done If you want to avoid making impulse and unnecessary purchases,then just keep your hands away from tempting products. According to new research,individuals who touch possible items in stores are more likely to have an increased desire to purchase them than those who keep their hands off the products. Suzanne Shu and Joann Peck,marketing professors at the University of Wisconsin's business school conducted studies on the connection between touch and feelings of ownership and the effect of perceived ownership on the value placed on an object. For one of the experiments,the experts placed two products,a Slinky toy and a coffee mug in front of the volunteers who were undergraduate students. About half of the participants were allowed to touch the products,while the other half were asked not to touch them. The volunteers then were asked to express their sense of ownership of the products and to report how much money they were willing to pay for each. The results showed that those students who were allowed to touch the objects,reported significant increased levels of perceived ownership. They also expressed a desire to pay more money to obtain the products. The investigators also discovered that a sense of very pleasant feelings when touching products,determined how much money consumers were willing to pay. However,if the object did not feel pleasant to the touch,it significantly decreased the amount the buyers were willing to pay. Researchers said that many stores have already followed the right path. But what can be done while shopping online,when touching of an item is not possible? In this case,the experts say,just picturing in mind that they are touching it and then owning it,will cause greater feelings of ownership,and thus the consumers will be more likely to make a purchase. When you touch an object,you immediately feel some kind of a connection to it,according to the researchers. That connection stirs up an emotional reaction. And that emotion can make people buy something they would never even consider buying if they had not touched it. What led the researchers to conduct this study? A To illustrate the connection between touch and feelings of ownership. B To share their good ideas about avoiding impulsive consumption. C To develop marketing strategies for trade companies. D To satisfy customers' social needs when shopping. Answer: A. To illustrate the connection between touch and feelings of ownership. Do you like eating chocolate? Companies spend millions of dollars on tools and machines to make chocolate. With a little ingredients, however, you can turn your kitchen into a chocolate factory. Today we will teach the Cocoa Powder Method , it is easier for beginners. Try it and make your own homemade chocolate. Here are the ingredients you need: cocoa powder -- 2 cups (220g) ; butter -- 3/4 cup (170g); sugar -- 3/4 cup (100g); milk -- 2/3 cup (150ml); salt -- a little bit ; water -- 1 cup (235ml). Now, please follow these steps. First, mix the cocoa powder and butter in a bowl until you have a smooth paste . Then , add the cocoa powder mixture to the hot water and stir . Allow the temperature to rise back up. Put the hot mixture into a bowl, stir the sugar mixture into the hot cocoa mix. Add milk, stir until smooth. At last, put the mixture into different containers . The chocolate will take the shape of the container. You can put it in the fridge to harden it. We hope you can enjoy your homemade chocolate. What's the best title of this passage? A How to Build a Chocolate Factory. B The Ways to Eat Chocolate. C How to Make Chocolate at Home. D The Cocoa Bean Method. Answer: C. How to Make Chocolate at Home. What do we do when we go camping? First, we think of a plan. We take food, clothes, a knife, and things for cooking and eating. We take things to keep us away from insects and the sun. Then we put everything into the car and we drive to the woods. We look for a place for campers and we look for a good place for our tent . The place should have a lot of air. This will keep some insects away. High land with water on both sides of it is good. Then we put up our tent. We put everything into the tent, and we are ready for fun. We can swim in the lake, walk in the woods, climb a mountain, row a boat, or go fishing. In the evening we come back to the tent, we build a big fire because it can keep the insects away. We sit around the fire and talk. We may tell interesting stories or we may sing songs. At night we lie down on the grass. We can look up at the stars. It is a busy day, so we try to go to sleep early. Everything is dark. Everything is quiet. We hope we won't hear music from the radio in the next tent. We hope it won't rain. Campers can join in _ activities. A one or two B only a few C many D two or three Answer: C. many With all the responsibilities we face in our daily lives, it's often hard to get a good night's rest. The problem really lies in the stress that many of us experience. Stress robs you of the rest that you need by putting you in a state of pressure and worry. There are, of course, some methods that can help you relax, but only a few of them give you a good night's sleep. One of them is soothing music for sleep. Sleep music is not just for encouraging relaxation, it also can be used for various situations. Want to have a relaxing evening by yourself? Practice yoga in a comfortable environment? Think over something important? Then put on your favorite sleep music. Sleep music is not only fit for adults, but has also been known to be good for children. Soothing music helps your children go to sleep more easily. Massage therapists can also benefit from using soothing music for sleep in their clinics . This allows clients to benefit more from the session. For example, massage therapists can provide the relaxation of the body through their techniques, and the music helps clients relax their minds, helping them to relax deeper and feel more refreshed after the session. You'll never run out as there are some artists and companies that make sleep music. Choosing the right music is important as well. Like most music that you can find and buy in stores, sleep music has different styles, sounds, and subjects. There are those that are specifically for relaxation, while some are intended to help you go to sleep. The great thing about sleep music is that it will be something you'll be using for months, even years to come. If you want a deeper relaxation and better sleep, give some soothing music for sleep a try. According to the text, people often don't sleep well because _ . A they often hear heavy music B they have too much stress C they are very tired D they have little time to relax Answer: B. they have too much stress
You can see lots of kangaroos in Australia, and not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns. You can see them everywhere. Kangaroos are very popular in Australia. They have very strong legs, so they are very good at jumping. Their tails are very strong, too, so when they want to have a rest, they rest on their tails. Kangaroos are also good at looking after their babies. Mother kangaroos keep their babies safe in their pockets. What are kangaroos good at doing? A they are good at looking after their babies B they are good at jumping C they are good at resting on their tails D A, B and C Answer: D Once upon a time there were three rabbits, named Winston, Chester, and Francis. Chester was a brown rabbit with large eyes. Francis was grey and white and had messy fur. Winston was black and very fat. They were very happy rabbits who loved to eat. Every day they would leave their home, cross a road, and go through a small forest to get to a meadow of grass. They loved to eat that grass. One day, Chester thought he smelled something interesting. At first he thought it might be dirt. Then he thought maybe some sort of flower. So, he asked a nearby squirrel. The squirrel's name was Acorn. Acorn said that he thought it was mushrooms. However, Francis, the smartest rabbit, went to go look, and he learned that it was actually a garden of carrots. The rabbits were all excited. They all loved carrots! They ate all the carrots. What color is Winston? A White B Black C Brown D Grey Answer: B A setting of a story acts as a photographic backdrop to your plot and interacts with the characters. And the following are the elements that make a setting: Time is the starting point of your setting. You develop your story and combine characters with respect to your chosen time period. Likewise, your story could evolve from a specific time of the day. A locale, in other words, is the clothing of your story. This could be just about any place you have heard of or created. What follows your locales is the architecture of the place -- for example, if your character is born in a Victorian-style house then you will need to add in details like color1ed brickwork or a fireplace to go with your character. Atmosphere has got to do with the climatic influences in your story. This could mean the heavy rain, mild wind or big earthquakes. Wrapping your story with weather details is a safe way of lightening the mood of your story. Geography of a place, again, helps to set the tone and mood of your story. It could be mushy lowlands, strange forests, steep mountains, lifeless rivers, dead lakes, a snow-covered house in Switzerland. Your description of the geography is an important element of the setting. Likewise, your geographic setting could also involve imagery of ports, farms, temples, yards, etc. that will interact with your plot and characters. Your cultural setting greatly helps with your character. The social practices, religious beliefs, political situations of a particular time, cultural trends, tradition, history, cuisine, clothing, music, etc.are some of the cultural factors that you can use to lead your characters through a complex plot or to give a direction to the characters to advance the story. The characters you create are affected by these cultural factors as well as act as their guiding factor throughout the story. Senses are extremely vital as they not just add more belief to your story, but also help to bring memories of the reader. Imagine being wakened by the sweet of freshly-cut grass on a summer morning, or sitting by the side of a fireplace while the logs crepitate , or enjoying Belgian chocolate, or watching the rolling golden reflections of water on cave walls, or moving one's fingers tenderly through someone's thick hair; these sensory descriptions make sure they make your readers more curious. While you can add many layers to your story through the setting elements above, there are chances that you will most likely lose the sight of the plot as a whole. Therefore, you must know what color1s are appropriate for your imagery, as overloading your painting with too many color1s will make you lose your sense of thesubjectand of your readers as well. Which of the following is an example of the sense of smell? A The wood in a fireplace beside you burns up. B What the freshly-cut grass gives off gets you up. C You comb someone's hair gently with your fingers. D You view an exhibition or have delicious ice-cream. Answer: B Montreal(Reuters)-Crossing the US-Canada border to go to church on a Sunday cost a US citizen $10,000for breaking Washington's strict new security rules. The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Like the other half-dozen people of Township 15, crossing the border is a daily occurrence for Albert. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church. There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US -- which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings. As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs station in this area is closed on Sundays, so he just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later, Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him he had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally. Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 US citizens in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint. Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. "I feel like I'm living in a prison." he said. The best title for the text could e _ . A A Cross-country Trip B A Special Border Pass C An Unguarded Border D An Expensive Church Visit Answer: D When you close your eyes and try to think of the shape of your own body, what you imagine (or rather, what you feel) is quite different from what you see when you open your eyes and look in the mirror. The image you feel is much vaguer than the one you see. And if you lie still, it is quite hard to imagine yourself as having any particular size or shape. When you move, when you feel the weight of your arms and legs and the natural resistance of the objects around you, the "felt" image of yourself starts to become clearer. It is almost as if it were created by your own actions and the feelings they cause. The image you create for yourself has rather strange proportions ; certain parts feel much larger than they look. If you get a hole in one of your teeth, it feels enormous; you are often surprised by how small it looks when you inspect it in the mirror. Although the "felt" image may not have the shape you see in the mirror, it is much more important. It is the image through which you recognize your physical existence in the world. In spite of its strange proportions, it is all one piece, and since it has a consistent right and left and a top and bottom, it allows you to locate new feelings when they occur. It allows you to find your nose in the dark and point to a pain. If the felt image is damaged for any reason--if it is cut in half or lost as it often is after certain strokes which wipe out recognition of one entire side -these tasks become almost impossible. What is more, it becomes hard to make sense of one's own visual appearance. If one half of the "felt" image is wiped out or injured, the patient stops recognizing the affected part of his body. It is hard for him to find the location of feelings on that side, and, although he feels the doctor's touch, he locates it as being on the undamaged side. What is this passage mainly about? A Stroke victims' "felt" images B Stroke victims' mirror images. C The importance of "felt" images D The importance of mirror images. Answer: C
One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem -- inability to read. In the library, I found my way into the "Children's Room." I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle. There on the book's cover was a beagle which looked identical to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer. Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together. My mother's call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them. I never told my mother about my "miraculous" experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held. The author's mother told him to borrow a book in order to _ . help cure him of his reading problem LOS ANGELES, the US Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled Michael Jackson's father can receive some medical records related to his superstar son's death.The judge will review the records first before making them accessible to Joe Jackson's lawyer,Brian Oxman.Beckloff said the man can only receive records on or after June 25the day Michael Jackson died. VANCOUVER,CANADA World number one Zhou Yang overcame three South Korean players to win the women's short track speed skating 1,500 meters final at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.The l8-year-old made perfect debut as she set an Olympic record of a winning time of 2 minutes and l6,993 seconds among other seven skaters. China has never won the women's l,500 meters in the Olympics before,and this time Zhou's performance gave China its third gold medal in Vancouver. BElJING,CHINA China's first compulsory, safety regulation on primary school buses,which requires every seat to have a seat belt,will take effect on July l to help ensure safer transportation for the country's 100 million students. Each primary school bus must also be equipped with a "black box",0r a recording monitor,to record speed,travel time and distance.Also,the bus must be staffed by teachers who will ensure student safety.In addition,the new rule states that the color of the school buses should be yellow,and each bus must have at least two emergency exits. Texas,the US A software engineer who crashed his plane into a Texas building housing a United States tax agency office,killing himself and at least one worker,apparently left behind an angry anti-government manifesto detailing his financial difficulties and tax problems.The pilot took off from an airport in Georgetown.about 48 km from Austin.He flew low over the Austin skyline before plowing into the building. We can learn from the first news that _ . medical records before June 25 won't be received Sandpiper Lounge area with colour TV/DVD and log fire --one welcome basket of logs on arrival. Fully fitted kitchen/dining area with cooker, microwave, dishwasher etc. Newly fitted shower unit with electric shower and WC. Four bedrooms with one twin bedded room and one bunk bedded room. There is a beautiful wooden divider between the kitchen and lounge. There are no steps in the cottage, which makes it suitable for anyone who has a little difficulty walking or managing stairs. Smugglers Cove Cottage Large ground floor cottage, attractive lounge with log fire, colour TV/ DVD and lovely views of the castle and lake. Four bedrooms and two twin bedded rooms plus double bed. Separate fitted kitchen with cooker, microwave, dishwasher and fridge etc.and big dining area.Basket of logs provided on arrival.Bathroom with electric shower and separate WC.Separate entrance passage with own yard and barbecue. Smugglers Cove is perfect for larger families and groups or couples wishing to enjoy themselves! Driftwood Ground floor cottage.Lounge area with colour TV/DVD, with dining area complete with fully fitted kitchen, cooker, dishwasher, microwave, etc.Bathroom with electric MIRA shower and WC.Four bedrooms and one twin bedded room.People(and luggage)can be offloaded at the door itself.Pretty bay window overlooking garden with own yard and barbecue. Tidesreach Cottage One double bedroom and one bunk bedded room. Tidesreach is a bright and airy, first floor cottage apartment fit for couples or small families Tidesreach is a comfortable, well-equipped holiday cottage apartment with woodland views towards Watennouth castle and over the courtyard. Tidesreach Cottage is dog friendly.Well behaved pets are welcome. Sandpiper has an advantage over the other cottages because _ . it is more suitable for anyone who has trouble managing stairs Today people are paying more and more attention to improving their health through sports and exercise. But some of them have some wrong ideas about it. A plate of chicken is a good meal before games because it has much energy. In fact, the best meal before games should have carbohydrates . Foods like potatoes, bread, bananas are rich in it, chicken and meat are not. Carbohydrates are the best and most easily used forms of energy. The energy that you get for today's game is from what you ate yesterday. The best time to exercise is early in the morning. Morning is a good time to exercise, but it may not be suitable for you. If an afternoon or evening period suits you, and you enjoy the feeling of getting healthier, you can choose any time to exercise. There is no fixed time for you to exercise. If you drink water when you exercise, you'll get headaches and feel tired. The fact is that you must have some water during breaks when you exercise. And after exercising, you must have enough water. If you don't drink enough water, then you'll probably get headaches and feel tired. Exercising the same body part every day is the fastest way to improve strength. False! Exercising the same body part every day is the fastest way to cause problems. To improve strength, you want to work your muscles hard, but then you need to give those muscles a day of rest. Too much exercise can cause serious problems to muscles. Girls who do strength training will make their muscles big. Wrong! We usually connect those big muscles with bodybuilders , but girls don't have enough male hormone to make their muscles big like men. Strength training is a good way to make their muscles strong for girls. You had better eat _ before games. bananas A student poured some sugar into a glass of water. After the water was stirred, no solid sugar remained in the glass. Which statement best describes what happened? The sugar dissolved in water to form a solution.
We are always using body language in our daily life. When we have a conversation with someone, we may be using more body language than words. However, the same body language may mean different things in different countries. That's why people sometimes do not understand each other correctly. Pointing to one part of the body can mean differently in different cultures. For example, in the USA people point to their heads when they think someone is clever. However, in Europe it means 'He or she is stupid or something is wrong with his or her head'. In our Chinese culture, nodding our head up and down means 'yes' and shaking our head from side to side means 'no'. However, in parts of India, Greece and Turkey, it means just the opposite . In England or the USA, when you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb and the second finger, it means 'You're all right or Everything is OK'. However, if we do this in France or Belgium, it means 'You're worth zero'. In Greece or Turkey, we should not make this gesture . Or we are thought to be very rude. The meaning of gestures can also change over time. In the 1960s, the V sign meant 'peace'. However, during World War II, it meant 'victory'. In Greece, it is a very insulting sign. Though the meaning of body language is different, there are some expressions having the same meaning throughout the world, such as smiling and crying. In India, if one nods his head up and down, it means he _ . Is it possible that the sinking of the Titanic was caused by a ghost? A plot of the story below is true ... but did it really happen quite like this? Our story begins not in the icy cold waters of the North Atlantic, but rather thousands of miles away in Egypt. It is here, perhaps, that we can find the start of the mystery of the Titanic, in the year 1910, in the great city of Cairo. One day, a famous professor of Egyptian history called Douglas Murray was staying in Cairo, when he was contacted by an American adventurer. The American had something unusual to offer Murray, something that was certain to thrill him: a beautiful ancient Egyptian mummy case, containing the mummy of an Egyptian queen. It was over 3,000 years old, but in beautiful condition -- gold, with bright paintings on it. Murray was delighted with both the object and the askingprice. He gave the man a cheque immediately. The cheque was never cashed. That evening the American adventurer died. For his part, Murray arranged to have the treasure sent back to Britain. However, it was not long before he learnt more about the beautiful mummy case: On the walls of the tomb in which it had been discovered, there were messages which warned of terrible consequences to anyone who broke into the tomb. Murray was disbelieving of these warnings until a few days later, when a gun he was holding exploded in his hand, shattering his arm. The arm had to be cut off. After the accident, Murray decided to return to his homeland. On the return journey, two of his companions died mysteriously, and two servants who had handled the mummy also passed away. The nowterrified Murray decided he would get rid of the _ case as soon as he arrived in London. A lady he knew named Janet Jones said she would like it, so he gave it to her. Shortly afterwards, Jones' mother died, and she herself caught a strange disease. She tried returning the mummy, but naturally Murray refused it. In the end, it was presented to the British Museum. Even in the museum, the mummy apparently continued to cause strange events. A museum photographer died shortly after taking pictures of the new exhibit, and a manager also died for no apparent reason. In the end, the British Museum decided to get rid of the mummy too. They sold it to a collector in New York. At the start of April 1912, arrangements for the transfer were complete, and the mummy began the journey to its new home. But the New Yorker never received the mummy or its case. For when the Titanic sank, one of the objects in its strongroom was the mummy case. Or so they say. According to the passage, where is the Egyptian mummy now? If you've ever owned a chimney, you know that it can get pretty dirty. There's a whole lot of soot that gets stuck on the inside. That stuff has to get cleaned, or you could have a serious fire risk. While nowadays we have easier ways of doing this dirty job, in the way back days somebody used to climb up the chimney and clean all that soot. And the thing is, not just anybody could do it. You had to be really small to fit up in the chimney, so they used to give the task to kids - some as young as four or five years old. They worked for their boss known as a master-sweep. They were often covered in soot, and were very likely to get burned. They often developed what became known as soot wart, a form of cancer. Are your unfairness bells ringing? William Blake's certainly were. The physical dangers and widespread unfairness of the chimney-sweeping job really stuck in his throat, so much so that he wrote not one, but two poems called "The Chimney Sweeper". The first poem (the one we're discussing here)was published in 1789 in a book called Songs of Innocence. These little poems took children and the joys of childhood innocence as their subject. As you've probably guessed by now, many of the poems in Songs of Innocence, like "The Chimney Sweeper", are about the ways in which childhood innocence is destroyed by unkind old adults. For Blake, innocence is, in many ways, a total joke. It doesn't exist, because it's always taken away by the realistic world - chimney-sweeping, death, poverty, etc. What does a five-year-old chimney sweeper in 18th-century England have to do with you? More than you might think. It is reported that 150 million kids are in child labor in developing countries. Many of them work long hours and face dangerous health risks. Like Blake's chimney sweeper, these kids are not even given a chance at innocence because experience keeps getting in the way. How did Blake look at the realistic world? My favourite restaurant is called 'Annablella's cafe'. It is a small restaurant serving Western food. It is in a city called Bristol. It is difficult to find because it is behind a very tall building. Only local people eat at this restaurant, and visitors can never find it! I think the food at the restaurant is the best in the whole country. I like to go to this restaurant every two weeks. The waiters know me very well now. They are my friends. They know what my favourite drink is, so when I arrive, there is always a bottle of coke on the table. The menu changes every week so there is always something different to eat. My favourite meat is chicken, so I always order something with chicken in it. For dessert , I usually have apple pie with custard or chocolate cake. Delicious! Sometimes I go to this restaurant for breakfast. I have a typical English breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and bread. The breakfast is delicious, but I like to eat at this restaurant at dinnertime better. How many times a month does the writer go to the restaurant? Amy Chua, a professor of law in Yale, nicknamed as Tiger Mother, has started a debate over Chinese-style parenting. Amy sets "10 Rules" for her two daughters. For instance, they've to get As in all subjects and play the piano or violin and practice hours every day. There has been wide criticism across the US. "It's kind of extreme," said Jeffrey Seinfeld, a professor at New York University. "Children need parents who can guide them, not force them..." Lawrence Solomon, a famous journalist for Canada's Globe and Mail, has quoted statistics to show the failure of Chinese parenting. He writes that only 10 Chinese scientists outside the Chinese mainland have won the Nobel Prize in the past century. In contrast, American scientists have won more than 300 Nobel prizes, and Jews , who take up only 1% of the world's population, have got at least 180 (or almost one-fourth) of the prizes. However, Amy's strict rules help her daughters shine in their studies. The elder sister is known for her piano presentation at the Carnegie Hall, and the younger boasts an excellent academic record. Besides, US statistics show that Chinese-Americans take up only 5% of the US population but 20% of the students in Ivy League schools . Likewise, Chinese-Canadians take up more than one-third of the students in Canada's two most famous universities, Toronto University and the University of British Columbia. Influenced by Confucius' teachings, students from Korea and Japan are also excelling in academic fields. Therefore, the Nobel Prize should not be taken as the _ of a country's education. No culture or tradition, whether Eastern or Western, is better or worse. The same applies to Eastern and Western education systems. Both sides should stop using their concepts and criteria to judge the other. They should learn the good aspects of each other's systems and clear the misunderstandings. How does this passage develop?
Imagine someone has crossed the seas joining five continents by swimming. It is a major success for anyone. But it is an even greater success for Philippe Croizon, who has no arms, and no legs! His achievements show that we can all achieve great things--no matter who we are. Philippe Croizon was 26 years old when he had an accident. The doctors had to remove both of his arms and legs. "When they cut off my last leg I wanted to die. I suffered great depression and my spirit was as low as you can get. But you have to choose--and I chose to live!" said Croizon. While he was recovering in hospital, Croizon saw a television programme about a woman who had been swimming across the English Channel. After watching the programme Croizon decided to do it. He began to exercise every day to make him strong and it took him two years to prepare. Finally in 2010, Croizon was ready. He entered the cold, grey sea of the English Channel. He was now 42 years old. It took him from early morning until night to swim the distance. He felt a lot of pain. But he had become the first person without arms and legs to swim between France and England. Croizon had achieved his dream, but he did not stop there. He looked for a new goal. Early in 2012 he planned to swim across the seas that join five major continents. During the next few months he swam between the four continents of Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe and finally in the cold waters of the Bering Strait between the continents of Asia and the Americas. "We want to show people something. If disabled people have courage and a lot of training they can do the same things as those who are not disabled," said Croizon. What's the best title for the passage? A. Hope in the corner B. A disabled man's dream C. Challenges to Philippe Croizon D. Philippe Croizon's amazing swim Answer: D. Philippe Croizon's amazing swim It was a cold December, and Mrs. Bell wanted to do a lot of shopping. She waited until it was Saturday, when her husband was free, and she took him to the shops with her to pay for everything and to carry for her what she had bought. They went to a lot of shops, and Mrs. Bell bought everything she could think of. She often stopped and said, "Look, Peter! Isn't that beautiful?" "All right, my dear. How much is it?" answered Mr. Bell, and then he took money out to buy it for her. It was almost dark when they came out of the last shop, and Mr. Bell was tired. He was thinking about a nice drink by the side of a warm fire home. Suddenly his wife looked up at the sky and said, "Look at that beautiful moon, Peter!" Without stopping, Mr. Bell answered at once. "All right, dear. How much is it?" Then he took his wallet out of his pocket. Mrs. Bell bought _ in the shops. A. nothing B. a drink C. the most beautiful thing D. a number of things Answer: D. a number of things Ever thought of moving to a new country? How about starting a new country? Patri Friedman is planning to do just that. He left Google years ago to set up the Seasteading Institute. And his dream is to build seasteads-----floating micro-nations in the middle of the ocean. So, what will life on a seastead be like? Probably a bit like life on a cruise liner , but much larger, with shops, gyms, swimming pools, schools and other areas. In fact, the early seasteads may actually be specially-rebuilt cruise liners. But as science advances, Friedman believes they'll become more like floating cities, with several hundred people. Seasteading raises a lot of questions. First of all, how will the new countries make money? The Seasteading Institute has suggested several money-making ideas, including ocean-based theme parks, casinos and fish farming. There's also the questions of safety. With storms, typhoons and pirates , the high seas are a dangerous place. However, the Institute says that it can stand bad weather and prevent crimes with its well-designed systems. So, is this just a day dream? Well, maybe not. One of the people behind the project is Peter Thiel. He founded PayPal and was one of the first investors in Facebook. So far, he's donated $ 500,000 to the project. And Friedman isn't wasting any time. He recently announced the creation of the Poseidon Award. This will be given to the first seastead with fifty people. Friedman is hoping to hand out the award in 2015. Which of the following can be the best titles of this passage? A. Seasteading: a new idea of living B. Seasteading: a wild way of farming C. Peter Thiel: a man behind the project D. Patri Friedman: a crazy day dreamer Answer: A. Seasteading: a new idea of living It had been three months since Ms Miller had started teaching. She was gradually being able to understand all her students,except one,Bob. Bob was the only boy who came to school dressed untidily and sat in the class completely lost in his own world. His performance had been _ steadily with every single day. Ms Miller searched through the progress reports of Bob and was shocked to see Bob used to be the topper in his class. Bob's performance began to slowly decline when his mother fell ill.He was doing badly in each and every subject when his mother died leaving him alone with his father,who was a businessman and had to travel always. Apart from his performance worsening gradually,Bob's nature too began to change. He had forgotten to laugh and showed no interest in any activity. All his friends had abandoned him. One day,Bob was asked to stay back. Ms Miller asked him if he had any problem understanding his lessons. Gradually she began to give him a comfort zone so that he could talk and share. After three weeks,she found Bob gradually improving. He was being able to answer the questions he previously failed, Every day after all the students went away,Ms Miller gave personal attention to Bob and began to spend time with him. Bob improved a lot over the next semester,showing definite signs of progress in his performance. On a Friday,Bob came up to Ms Miller,handed her a box and requested her to open the box on Sunday. Sunday moming,curious,she opened it and saw a bottle of perfume,half filled. Together with it was a small letter,saying that this bottle of perfume used to be his mother's and he wished Ms Miller to wear it so that every time she was around,he could feel his Mom near him. He thanked her for everything. Ms Miller took the bottle of perfume in her hand and saw a new tag attached to it; it said "Happy Mother's Day" ! Ms Miller suddenly realized that it was not she who had made a difference to Bob's life but it was Bob who made her realize what true humanity is ! According to the text,Bob _ A. wore neat clothes all the time B. was taller than any other one in his class C. lost all of his friends after his mother's death D. could always have his father for company at home Answer: C. lost all of his friends after his mother's death I don't often lose things and I'm always careful with money, so I was quite surprised when I reached for my wallet and it wasn't there. At first, I thought it was possible that I could have left it at home. Then I remembered taking it out to pay the taxi, so I knew I had it with me just before I walked into the restaurant. I wondered if it was possible that it could have dropped out of my pocket while I was eating dinner. I turned and walked back to the table where I had been sitting. Unluckily, there were several people sitting at the table at that time, so I had the waiter go over to the table to see if my wallet was on the floor. While the waiter was looking for it, the head of the restaurant came up to me and asked me if anything was wrong. I told him what had happened. He asked me to report the missing wallet to the police. I told him I didn't want to do so; I was in a hurry because I had to reach my waiting room before two o'clock, where some people were waiting to see me. I also told him that my biggest worry at the moment was how I was going to pay for the meal. He told me not to worry about that. He asked me to write down my name and address, and he said he would send me a bill . The writer thought he must have the wallet with him because _ . A. he had paid the taxi-driver B. he had paid the bill of the meal C. the waiter had seen it on the table D. the waiter was looking for it on the floor Answer: A. he had paid the taxi-driver
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. "Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads," the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill. "Eco-passages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society. But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage. Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass! The best title for the passage is _ . A. Special bridges help animals cross the road B. Endangered animals increase because of roadkill C. Animals fail to cross the road D. Take steps to protect animals in danger Answer: A. Special bridges help animals cross the road Helen Keller lived in the U.S.A. She was a great woman. When Helen Keller was a baby, she got very sick. After many weeks, the doctor said, "She is better, but now she can't see and she can't hear." Her mother and father were very sad. After a few years, things got worse. There was no way for Helen to speak to other people. She heard nothing. She saw nothing. She didn't understand anything. Then one day a teacher came to live with Helen and her family. The teacher helped Helen learn about words. Helen was a bright child and soon she learned to spell her first word. When she was older, she went to college. Helen was very famous. She helped many blind and deaf people. She traveled around the world and helped many people. Helen was a very old woman when she died. The world remembers her today as a brave and wonderful person. She was blind and deaf, but she found a way to see and hear. ,. The world remembers Helen Keller today because _ . A. she was very bright B. she was blind and deaf C. she was a brave and wonderful person D. she went to college Answer: C. she was a brave and wonderful person The next great land area that man hopes to control is the moon. In size it is nearly equal to the area of North and South America. However, it presents a hostile environment. Temperatures range +120 to -150 degrees Centigrade. There is no air, and no water. Today there is considerable scientific speculation about living on the moon. When man will begin life on the moon surface is still not determined. But experts believe that settlement will take place in three steps. First, there will be increasing periods of exploration with temporary shelters. These periods will be followed by longer stays with housing under the surface of the moon and daily necessities brought by the settlers themselves from the earth. Finally, settlements that are self-supporting will be founded. The main job of the early settlers will be to stay alive. They will have to plant crops under huge domes to produce food and oxygen and find water sources. After this is done, the settlers will have time to explore the possibilities of commercial development and to make discoveries important to science. The characteristics of the moon that make it bad for human staying alive may make it ideal for certain kinds of manufacturing . Operations requiring a vacuum or extreme cold are examples. Therefore, industrial diamonds might be produced on the moon. Though the environment on the moon is bad for human staying alive, it is very good for _ . A. all kinds of manufactured goods B. commercial development C. making such things as industrial diamonds D. medical operations Answer: C. making such things as industrial diamonds Eight-year-old Jesse Abrogate was playing in the sea late one evening in July 2001 when a 7-foot bull shark attacked him and tore off his arm. Jesse's uncle jumped into the sea and dragged the boy to the store. The boy was not breathing. His aunt gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while his uncle rang the emergency services. Pretty soon, a helicopter arrived and flew the boy to hospital. It was a much quicker journey than the journey by road. Jesse's uncle, Vance Folsenzier, ran back into the sea and found the shark that had attacked his nephew. He picked the shark up and threw it onto the beach. A coastguard shot the fish four times and although this didn't kill it, the shark's jaws relaxed so that they could open them, and reach down onto its stomach, and pull out the boy's arm. At the Baptist hospital in Pensacola, Dr Lan Rogers spent eleven hours reattaching Jesse's arm. "It was a complicated operation," he said, "but we were lucky. If the arm hadn't been recovered in time, we wouldn't have been able to do the operation at all. What I means is that if they hadn't found the shark, well then we wouldn't have had a chance." According to local park ranger Jack Tomosvic, shark attacks are not that common. "Jesse was just unlucky" he says, "Evening is the shark's feeding time. And Jesse was in the area without lifeguards. This would never have happened if he had been in the area where swimming is allowed." When reporters asked Jesse's uncle how he had had the courage to fight a shark , he replied, "I was mad and you do some strange things when you're mad." How was his uncle in time of danger ? A. Careful B. Brave C. Optimistic D. Patient Answer: B. Brave Mei Qiyue, 13, of Chongqing, leaves her dorm early every morning and doesn't return until late at night. She feels stressed in the dorm. "My roommates look down on me. When I say something, they never agree with me. Sometimes, they even laugh at me together," said Mei. "The dorm is like hell. I want to leave the moment I walk in." Mei is not alone. Many middle school students lave such problems. Plans, opinions and other small differences can create conflict . "Most teenagers are the only child in the family where they are the 'King' or 'Queen'. They can't stand other kids' different ideas, so conflicts between them come out in the dorm," said Sun Yunxiao, a professor in Beijing. According to Sun, roommate relations are important in schools, and students should be serious about them. He suggests that students should be patient, sincere and cooperative in dealing with their roommates. Zou Ming, 14, of Shanxi, and his roommates didn't clean their dorm for a long time during their first semester. "Later, we began to hate each other because nobody would clean," said Zou. "One day, we had a dorm meeting. At the meeting we discussed the problem seriously and decided each other of us would clean for a week." After the meeting, they cleaned the dorm for the first time together, and the boys have become good friends. "I think we should take care of the dorm like our family and our roommates like our brothers," said Zou. "Only in this way can we have a happy dorm like and make lifelong friends." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. Mei Qiyue's roommates enjoy laughing at her, because she is different. B. Most teenagers will be the "Kings" or "Queens" of our country. C. Students should take roommate relations seriously. D. Zou's brothers should take care of the dorm with him. Answer: C. Students should take roommate relations seriously.
The Raytown Branch of Mid-Continent Public Library is offering the following activities for the month of March. The library is located at 6131 Raytown Road. All activities are free, but registration is required. Tax Help for Seniors 10 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. AARP Tax-Aide representatives will be at the Library to assist seniors with medium to low incomes with tax questions and free tax return preparation. Time listed indicates starting time. Teen Games 2 p.m. March 2. Challenge yourself, challenge your friends. Movie Classics For adults, 2 p.m. March 4. Join us for an afternoon of nostalgia as we watch classic films. Call to see what's showing. KC Zoomobile Africa, for ages 5 and older, 11 a.m. March 5. Join the Kansas City Zoo for an African adventure. We will share African culture as well as show you an animal or two. Come with us to learn something new about Africa. Kids at the Library For ages 6 and older, 11 a.m. March 12. Discover, create, and play. Explore big ideas in a new way. Chess Free Play For ages 6 and older, 1 p.m. March 12. Play chess, learn the basics, brush up on your chess skills, challenge other players at Free Chess Play at the library. The Raytown Branch, in cooperation with the Raytown High School Chess Team coaches, will be hosting chess on the second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. Chess boards and chess pieces will be provided. Eggstravaganza Noon March 26. Join us for story time with Mayor Mike McDonough, as we take part in Raytown's Easter festivities. After the stories, the Easter Bunny will escort the children across the street for an Easter egg hunt. Who will take part in the activity called Tax Help for Seniors? Answer: The elderly having difficulties with tax issue. Write a winning story! You could win PS1,000 in this year's Fiction Prize and have your story printed in Keep Writing magazine. Ten other lucky people will win a cheque for PS100. Once again, we need people who can write good stories. The judges, who include Mary Littlejohn, the novelist, Michael Brown, the television reporter, and Susan Hitchins, the editor of Keep Writing, are looking for interesting and original stories. Detective fiction was extremely popular last year, although the competition winner produced a love story. You can write down about whatever you want but here's some advice to start your thinking: Write about what you know This is the advice which every writer should pay attention to and, last year, nearly everyone who wrote for us did exactly that. Love, family, problems with friends ---- these were the main subjects of the stories. However, you need to turn ordinary situations into something interesting that people will want to read about. Make the reader want to continue reading by writing about ordinary things in a new and surprising way. Get your facts right It's no good giving a description of a town or explaining how a jet engine works if you get it wrong. So avoid writing anything unless you're certain about it. Hold the reader's attention Make the beginning interesting and the ending a surprise. There is nothing worse than a poor ending. Develop the story carefully and try to think of something unusual happening at the end. Think about the characters Try to bring the people in your story alive for the reader by using well-chosen words to make them seem real. Your story must be your own work, between 2,000 and 2,5000 words and typed, double-spaced, on one side only of each sheet of paper. Even if you're in danger of missing the closing date, we are unable to accept stories by fax or email. You must include the application form with your story. Unfortunately your story cannot be returned, nor can we discuss our decisions. You should not have had any fiction printed in any magazine or book in this country ---- a change in the rules by popular request ---- and the story must not have happened in print or in recorded form, for example on radio or TV, anywhere in the world. Your fee of PS5 will go to the Writers' Association. Make your cheque payable to Keep Writing and send it with the application form and your story to: Keep Writing 75 Broad Street Birmingham B12 4TG The closing date is 30 July and we will inform the winner within one month of this date. Please note that if you win, you must agree to have your story printed in our magazine. Writers should present their works in the following ways except that _ . Answer: they can type their stories as they like Americans have developed an olive oil habit. Out to dinner recently, I saw a man dipping his white bread in olive oil and then pouring it all over his salad, saying, "Wow, this is so good for me!" But is olive oil the healthiest fat? No, it's not. You might ask, doesn't it lower cholesterol ? Well, only when you substitute olive oil in equivalent amounts for butter or oils that are higher in saturated fat. Olive oil doesn't lower cholesterol; it just doesn't raise it as much. You may be better off with canola oil. The 1999 Lyon Diet Heart Study found that a Mediterranean diet significantly reduced heart attacks and premature deaths. Many people attributed this to eating a lot of olive oil. But it was increased consumption of canola oil that accounted for these improvements. Also, study participants ate more whole-grain bread, vegetables, fish and fruit, and less meat. Butter and cream were replaced with man-made butter made from canola oil, which has more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than olive oil does. Another study found that olive oil reduced blood flow by 31%. Canola oil and fish oil don't. (You want to increase blood flow to all body parts.) I like the taste of olive oil, and I use it sometimes. It's a healthier fat than many others, but it's not nearly as healthy as canola oil -- or fish oil and flaxseed oil, for that matter, which also have lots of omega-3s. And a tablespoon of any oil has 126 calories. Think about that before you pour it on. It can be inferred that in America _ . Answer: most people think olive oil is healthier than others Let's pay a visit to some of the most amazing and unusual places in the world, from icy hotels to temples on the side of cliffs . Hotel de Glace -- Canada If you don't mind the cold, this igloo style hotel is certainly for you. Nearly everything, including the bedding, is made of ice! This hotel is so well insulated that whatever the temperature outside is, the temperature inside never changes more than a few degrees. It's around 23 degrees to be exact. Since it is made of ice the hotel does have some dress requirements that can be found on their website. Arctic sleeping bags are provided for every guest, including children. For more information, visit the website: http://www.icehotelcanada.com. The Tigers Nest Monastery -- Bhutan Built directly onto a cliff side, this ancient temple has claimed its spot since 1692. Rich in history, Tigers Nest is constructed around eight attractive caves on the mountainside. Most of the caves are easy to reach through the natural rock stairways. However, some are more difficult, and can only be reached by shaky rope bridges. Visit the website http://www.bhutantouroperators.net/taktsang-monastery.php for more information. Dinosaur Provincial Park -- Canada Known to be one the greatest fossil locations in the world, Dinosaur Provincial Park has nearly 500 specimens in all shapes and sizes. The park itself has a vast collection of fossils and a unique natural ecosystem. For more information, please visit http://tpr.alberta.ca/parks/dinosaur/index.aspx. Leshan Giant Buddha -- Sichuan China The world's largest Buddha sits on the edge of two great rivers. Construction is believed to have started around the year 713, and at the time of this construction it was the tallest carved statue in the world. All 233 feet of the stature was carved from the surrounding cliffs and preserved in amazing condition. Even the 2008 earthquake was not enough to shake it. Its website http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/china-attractions leshan-giant-buddha-leshan will provide you with more information. This passage is mainly to tell us about _ . Answer: four unusual places in the world What's this by my door? A handwritten letter from am old university friend. It stands out among the bills and junk mail like gold. Given its rareness, the Government should be praised for announcing that the new secondary school should include lessons that teach students how to write personal and business letters in the correct form. Letter-writing skills have fallen off a lot in the age of eamils and text messages. Many pupils leave school only able to write a letter for a job application, let alone other kinds of letters. You can't turn back the clock, but you can stick to your own rules to protect old-fashioned values. Someone who leaves school unable to write a letter is going into the adult world unprepared. And if teachers don't _ , who else will? Usually, it does not matter whether someone can write a letter or not -- other means of communication will serve. And with computerised spell-checks, people can get by for years without the kind of letter-writing skills. But it is the rare occasion that matters when things can not be made clear with a simple text. When the former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss decided to leave his job, he had sent handwritten letters to his teammates. Many people thought it unbelievable. But among the disbelief there was something else: admiration, even among the Twitter generation . I have been a letter-writing lover all my adult life, and am just about to sit down and pen a reply to my university friend. And I hope the sight of a letter by his door will give him as much pleasure as his did me. What's the text mainly about? Answer: A call for more attention to letter writing.
The Piano Lesson Jenny wasn't interested in playing the piano. She liked writing stories and acting them out with her friends. But Mrs. Windsor gave her piano lessons for free, so she felt she should have a try. Every Sunday she had her piano lessons in Mrs. Windsor's house. One Sunday morning, Jenny walked into Mrs. Windsor's music room and sat down on the piano bench as usual. "Hello," Jenny heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw a young girl. "What's your name?" The girl asked. Before Jenny could answer, Mrs. Windsor walked in and said, "Jenny, this is my niece , Pasha. Pasha, this is Jenny. I need to go to hospital, so Pasha will give you your lesson today." Pasha sat beside Jenny on the piano bench and asked, "What piece do you like best?" "I don't know." Jenny said. "They're all the same to me." "You mean you don't have a favorite?" Pasha was surprised. "No, not really." Jenny said. Pasha opened Jenny's music book and asked Jenny to play. After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of Jenny's. Jenny stopped. Then Pasha said, "Jenny, what are you hearing in the music?" Jenny looked at Pasha strangely. "I don't know." Jenny said. "Let me try and you listen," Pasha said. "All you have to do is learn to hear the stories in the music." "I've never thought of it that way." Jenny said. "Let's try together, shall we?" Pasha smiled. Together they played that afternoon and tried to find the story in the music. That day Jenny found playing the piano was not that difficult. Where did Jenny have her piano lessons? Answer: In Mrs. Windsor's house. A young man was going to join the army and had to take a medical examination. The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man. "Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on the chair." The young man did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, "All right. Put on your clothes again." "But you haven't examined me at all!" the young man said in surprise. "There is no need to do so," the doctor said with a smile. "When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw the chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. And you understand what I told you to do and did it without a mistake, so you must be clever enough for the army." The doctor told the young man to take his coat and shirt off in order to _ . Answer: test his listening ability. In a recently published book , I came across some exercises with interesting names such as fishbone diagrams , lotus flowers and clustering . As I used these exercises in my classes , I noticed that students were interested . They said more and wrote more . They enjoyed expressing their ideas and sharing them in groups .They were no longer passively _ , but actively took part in the lesson . I find that creativity can act as a way to increase participation and improve fluency . Creativity has become a popular word in recent years . Scholars in the arts ,psychology , business , education , and science are all working to get a deeper understanding of it . Robert J. Sternberg is a creativity specialist and Yale professor of psychology. He defines creativity as "the ability to produce work that is both new (original) and appropriate (applicable to the situation)". This definition is useful, as we want our students to use language in a new way, and to use it correctly and properly. Most scholars say there are two types of creativity: big "C" creativity and small "c" creativity. Big "C" creativity refers to genius level thinking that results in artistic masterpieces and scientific breakthroughs. Small "c" creativity refers to everyday level thinking that can be used in any situation. Our emphasis is on the latter. While it goes without saying that any of our students could go on to be the next Picasso or Edison, our aim is to help students produce more ideas and use language in new ways . When you use a very familiar word in a new way , you are _ . Answer: creative in the sense of small "c" creativity Mr. White is very busy today. He helps his mother move into a new house. He starts at 3:30 in the afternoon. First he cleans the windows. Then he carries all the heavy furniture into the new house. He helps his mother put the curtains up too. Mr. White is very tired when he gets "home". It is 9:15 p.m. He can't find the right key to the front door. The front door is locked. Then he tries the back door, but it is also locked. "I should climb in through the kitchen window," Mr. White says to himself. He doesn't want to wake up his wife and children. But suddenly, a big black dog comes to him from behind. Mr. White is afraid and surprised. He doesn't own a dog! He is at the wrong house! Soon the police come. "I'm not a thief or a robber," says Mr. White to the police. "I'm at the wrong house. Please believe me." What an unlucky poor man Mr. White is! When does Mr. White start to help his mother? Answer: At 3:30 p.m. "Some day, there'll be no Americans left in the NBA," said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school team two weeks ago after watching Yao Ming in a televised NBA game, "The players will all be Chinese, like Yao." To China, Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world's first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-meter center offers an opening of a different sort into the world's largest new market. Yao's NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million families in the US. That game might have been a bit of a _ to Yao's fans: He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds and got no points. Comparing that with his performance on December 19, also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. "This was one of the most exciting games I've had," Yao said after Houston's 95-83 victory. The NBA has to be excited about his on-count success. In all his games, he's averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, quite good for a new star. "Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese," said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, "That makes the dream seem practical for other people in China and proud to be Chinese." The 22-year-old Yao is not the country's first player in the NBA: Wang Zhizhi broke down the Dallas Mavericks in November 2003. But Yao's combination of modesty and skills make him a favorite back home. How many points did Yao Ming win in his first game in the NBA? Answer: zero
The bumpy structure of walnuts is similar to the brain.Some Chinese believe eating walnuts will make them smarter because of that.By the same logic,they believe eating pig brains will increase their intelligence.This kind of food myth is true to Americans,too. Some Americans regularly eat uncooked eggs to keep their minds sharp. Most doctors don't recommend eating either raw eggs or animal brains.Then, what food is good for your brain? Scientists have found a relationship between diet and a healthy brain.It's becoming pretty clear that the right food can increase brain power--help you pay attention, keep you motivated,improve memory, and _ stress.Perhaps even prevent brain aging. The health of your brain depends not only on how much(or little)fat you eat but on what kind it is.Intellectual performance requires the specific type of fat found most commonly in certain fish.Besides oily fish,you should introduce lots of dark green leafy vegetables and color1ful fruits into your diet.Most people lack the special vitamins that these brain foods provide. But you won't do well on your test just because you ate fish the night before. You must eat brain foods regularly. Which of the following statements can be supported by the passage? A. The author must be good at cooking. B. Good marks only depend on regular brain foods. C. Neither walnuts nor animal brains really help increase mental power. D. Americans believe eating uncooked eggs makes them more clever than having Walnuts. Answer: C As wolves need more energy to catch fast prey A. their pulse will decrease B. their shoes will wear out C. their heart rates will go higher D. they will start using vehicles to chase their prey Answer: C How many words one uses cannot be measured exactly. However, Professor Seashore concluded the first- graders entered school with at least 24,000 words and add 5,000 each year so that they leave high school with at least 80,000. These figures( ) are for recognition vocabulary ,the words we understand when we read or hear them, which are more than our active( ) vocabulary, the words we use in speaking and writing. Using the words you recognize in reading will help get them into your active vocabulary. In your reading, pay attention to these words, especially when the subject is one that you might well write or talk about. Underline (draw a line under) or make a list of words that you feel a need for and look up the ones that you are not sure of in a dictionary. And then before very long you will find a way to use some of them. Once you know how they are pronounced and what they mean, you can safely use them. According to Prof. Seashore, _ . A. one has at least 80,000 recognition words B. recognition words can become active ones C. one's recognition vocabulary includes active words and non--active ones D. one's active words grow with his recognition ones Answer: B Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger, shelter or search for a mate, he has always controlled the situations to his advantage. Probably this might be the reason why we humans are the most developed of all living species on the earth. As we climbed the steps of development, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking -- we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of time. If you are hungry, what do you do? Get a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet. Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such things. So it silently began to care about your needs and never let itself grow. _ This might be the reason why we all sometimes think "What happens next?", "Why can't I think?" "Why am I always given the difficult problems?" Well, this is the result of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things. Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied through reading. Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to turn to reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your "How to?" questions. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed, if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before. The author tends to tell us _ . A. reading can satisfy your all needs B. reading can result from creativity C. reading can feed your mind D. reading can realize your dreams Answer: C Mr. Smith lives in Toronto. He is a doctor. His wife teaches English in a middle school. They have two children, one is a son called Mike and the other is a daughter. She is only three months. Mike loves the baby very much. He often shows her to the guests. He is young and doesn't go to school. He stays at home to help his mother look after the baby. One day Mike's aunt comes to see the baby. She works in another city and sees the baby foe the first time. Mike shows the baby to his aunt. "Look at the baby, Aunt;" says Mike, "She's beautiful. I think she looks like me." "Does she like playing with you?" asks his aunt. "I don't know," answers the boy, "She can't speak yet." Ther're _ people in Mr Smith's family. A. two B. four C. five D. three Answer: B
Dou Kou, a Chinese boy, is called "the youngest writer in the world". He has written three books till now. Dou Kou was born in Jiangsu in 1994. When he was 7 months old, his parents started working in over 30 different cities, such as Xi'an and Shenzhen. This kind of life gave him things to think and write about. When he was 9 months old, he could speak and at the age of one, he could say five to six hundred words. At three, he could look up words in the dictionary. At four, his father taught him how to learn by himself. His parents like reading very much. So does he . At the age of 5, he began writing fairy tales. At the age of 6, he wrote a novel about his life in different cities with his parents. His fairy tales are all from his life. One day, he found many mice in the house. They not only ate their food but also hurt his mother's hand. So he thought, "If we give mice the stomach of cows, _ will eat grass and they will be helpful to people." This was his first fairy tale Change stomach for Mice. Now he studies well in a middle school. He has written his third book, the novel called Eyes of Children. He says, "I am not different from other children. I just wrote several books." When did Dou Kou begin to use a dictionary? A When he wrote fairy tales. B Before his father taught him how to learn something. C After he went to school. D After his mother taught him how to learn something. Answer: B. Before his father taught him how to learn something. People who enjoy a dream-filled sleep are better at recalling information and making links between facts when they wake, scientists found. But recharging with a shallow nap offers no such mental improvement, the research suggests. The results of the study add to the evidence that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is very important to the brain's ability to strengthen memories. An average night's sleep includes four or five periods of REM sleep, but these tend to be longer towards the end of the night. This means that adults who get less than the recommended seven to eight hours a night -- and therefore inadequate REM sleep -- may be damaging their mind's ability to form strong memories. Although REM sleep is not classified as a type of deep sleep, it is only reached after the brain has passed through deep sleep stages. In the most recent study, participants were shown groups of three words -- such as "cookie", "heart", and "sixteen" -- and asked to find another word that can be associated with all three words. In this example, the answer would have been "sweet". They were tested once in the morning and then given the same task again in the afternoon. In between, some were allowed a nap with REM sleep, some a nap without REM sleep, while the others had a quiet rest period. The quiet rest and non-REM sleep groups showed no improvement in their test results, but the REM sleep group improved on their morning performance by an average of almost 40 percent. Dr Sara Mednick, a sleep researcher at the University of California who led the study, believes the formation of connections between previously unassociated information in the brain -- which leads to creative problem-solving -- is encouraged by mental changes which occur during REM sleep. People woken while their closed eyes made rapid movements recalled much more color1ful and detailed dreams than people woken during other stages of sleep. According to the passage, to have a good memory, a person had better _ at night. A sleep four to five hours at most B sleep as much as possible C have a shallow sleep D sleep with four or five periods of REM Answer: D. sleep with four or five periods of REM Once we use all the aluminum in the world we can get more by A Impossible B Watering the grass C building a dam D Planting soda cans Answer: A. Impossible A recent report from Fuzhou Daily says about 18% of Fuzhou teenagers can have problems with their minds(,).Some students become worried because they have to study very hard. Others have trouble getting on well with people like their parents and classmates. Zhang Qiong, a junior 2 student from Fuzhou, could not understand his teachers in class and was doing badly in his lessons. He was afraid of exams. When he looked at the exam paper, he couldn't think of anything to write. Another student, a15-year-old girl called Wu Yuan from Xiamen often argued ( ) with herclassmates even her parents because of some difficult ideas. She became so angry with them that she started to cut her finger with a knife. However, many students who have problems won't go for advice or help. Some think they will look stupid if they go to see a doctor. Others don't want to talk about their secrets. here is some advice for the teenagers to solve the problems: Firstly, talk to your parents or teachers often. Secondly, take part in group activities and do sports. Thirdly, go to see a doctor if you feel unhappy or unwell. Why won't the students who have problems go for advice or help? A Because they think no one will help them. B Because they don't want to talk about their secrets and they think it's stupid to see a doctor. C Because they think they can solve the problems by themselves. D Because they think the doctors could do nothing. Answer: B. Because they don't want to talk about their secrets and they think it's stupid to see a doctor. I am sitting on a beach on this hot summer day and watching two children,a boy and a girl,playing in the sand.They are working hard at building a sandcastle .Just when they are successful, a big wave comes along and puts it down. I think the children may cry because all their hard work turns to nothing, but they surprise me. They run up away from the water, hand in hand, and sit down to build another one. They really teach me a lesson. We can't always be successful.Being sad is doing no good.What we need to do is to start again, hand in hand with our friends. What do the children do after a big wave puts down the sandcastle? A They cry sadly. B They just sit on the beach. C They start to build another one. D They start to sing. Answer: C. They start to build another one.
The world's premier spelling bee ended Thursday in the U.S.for a second year in a row after an in-tense lo-round showdown between two young competitors to deal with some of the English language's most obscure words. Vanya }hlvaShankar,13,and Gokul Venkatachalam,14,together raised the gold trophy in the 88th Scripps National Spelling Bee. Shivashankar,the sister of 2009 champion Kavya Shivashankar,initially gathered confidence as she went easily through such words as cytopoiesis,bouquetiere and thamakau.Venkatachalam,a basketball fan,also managed such tongue-twisters as poblacion,caudillismo and nixtamal. But as their eight fellow finalists failed one by one,the tension grew until they stood alone on stage* When Shivashankar,in the fourteenth round,correctly spelled scherenschnitte,the Germanderived word for artistic paper cutting, official bee pronouncer Jacques Bailly, broke the news to. Venkatachalam . contest,Bailly said,was about to run out of words,and if Venkatachalam spelled his next word correctly,he and his rival would be declared joint winnersa repeat of last year's surprise. The winning word came so easily to the eighth-grader from the branch St.Louis,Missouri suburb of Chesterfield that he skipped the bee contestant's routine of asking for the word's origin,meaning and usage in a sentence*"Nunatak,"the devoted LeBron James fan said,spelling the Inuit-derived word for an icy island as easily as if he was spelling d. -g or c-a-t. Asked afterwards what went through his mind upon hearing the word,Venkatachalam frankly replied:"Me and Vanya are going to be champions." It can be inferred from the passage that Answer: A law of the state of Wonatol imposed a generally applicable sales tax payable by the vendor. That law exempted from its provisions the sale of "all magazines, periodicals, newspapers, and books." In order to raise additional revenue, the state legislature eliminated that broad exemption and substituted a narrower exemption. The new, narrower exemption excluded from the state sales tax only the sale of those "magazines, periodicals, newspapers, and books that are published or distributed by a recognized published or distributed by a recognized religious faith and that consist wholly of writings sacred to such a religious faith." Magazine is a monthly publication devoted to history and politics. Magazine paid under protest the sales tax due on its sales according to the amended sales tax law. Magazine then filed suit against the state in an appropriate state court for a refund of the sales taxes paid. It contended that the state's elimination of the earlier, broader exemption and adoption of the new, narrower exemption restricted to sacred writings of recognized religious faiths violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. In this case, the court will probably rule that Answer: No matter how old your kids are, you can take steps to improve a healthy diet and to encourage good eating habits. Tip One: Family Meals Family meals are nice for both parents and kids. Children like to guess what they are going to have and parents get the chance to introduce new foods to children. Parents can also use the mealtime as a chance to talk with their kids about their life. Tip Two: Healthy Snacks Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what can get at home. That's why it's important to have enough healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt and whole-grain biscuits. Tip Three: Being a Good Example The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Kids will follow the lead of the adults they see every day. By eating fruits and vegetables and avoiding fast food and sweet drinks, you are sending the right message. Tip Four: No Shouts about Food Parents might find themselves shouting at children to get them to have healthy foods in front them. This in fact can make children dislike what they are asked to eat. You need to work a bit on different cooking methods . Tip Five: Get Kids Included Most Kids will enjoy making the decision about food. Talk to them about making choices and planning a healthy meal. It can help them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. ,,A, B, C, D,. (2,10) The best way for parents to encourage a healthy diet is _ . Answer: US President Barack Obama is asking Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on efforts to create jobs. The president hosted a meeting with top lawmakers from both parties at the White House on Tuesday. President Obama says Republicans and Democrats can work together to improve the economy, even though they disagree on many issues. "And although the parties are not going to agree on every single item, there should be some areas where we can agree." He said. With the US unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, President Obama hopes Congress will agree to incentives for small business to add workers. "A good place to start, and what I hope to spend a lot of time on these discussions today is how we can move forward on the job issue." President Obama said. Mr. Obama also said he hoped for an agreement on ways to reduce the US debt and budget deficit, which are at record highs. He met with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top House Republican, House Minority Leader John Boehner, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other lawmakers. The president said he looked forward to having more such meetings in the future. "My hope is that this is not going to be a rare situation," he said. "And I'm very thankful that everybody here has taken the time to come. I'm confident that if we keep in mind what's best for the American people, we should be able to achieve a lot." Mr. Obama's approval ratings average just below 50 percent in recent polls, down sharply from this time last year. Approval ratings for Congress are much lower, averaging just over 22 percent. According to the passage, Republicans and Democrats _ . Answer: Large trees block sunlight from reaching what? Answer:
San Russell is not your average baseball fan. He is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. He has a season ticket and he arranges his work schedule so he does not miss a game. San also attends game dressed in their uniform, and his car is red. He has even lost some friends by choosing to watch the Red Sox instead of going to their weddings. Is this healthy behavior? Although Russell's case is extreme, being a sports fan can be healthy for you. According to a study at the University of Kansan in the USA, sports fans suffer from depression less than people who are not interested in sports, fans also experience other effects from watching their team play. When their team wins a game, their own confidence and happiness increase, just like the athletes. Losing, on the other hand, always leads to some sense of disappointment. What about die-hard fans whose team always loses? The team spirit keeps those fans from losing hope. Knowing that other fans are probably feeling the same way also helps them. In addition, there is always the hope that their team will win the next game. Russell has lost some friends because of his love for baseball and although you may think that would make him unhappy, he has made many more new friends because of his team spirit. For Sam Russell, supporting the Red Sox is not just a hobby; it is a way of life and the secret of his happiness. It's clear the writer of the reading _ . A. is against the die-hard fans B. understands the die-hard fans' behavior C. is a die-had fan himself D. supports average fans Answer: B Adding heat energy to something can cook it, such as heating A. ice B. wood C. seashells D. cookie dough Answer: D News Review Head- on Train Crash On May 18, two trains had a head-on crash near New York City. Over 250 people were on the trains then. About 60people were hurt, but no deaths were reported. Travel Time Tourists came together to the Taishan Mountain, on May1. Over 180,000tourists visited the place of great interest from April 29 to May 1, during the three-day holiday. Brave Volunteer Liao Zhi , a dance teacher from Chengdu who lost her 1-year-old daughter and her legs in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, arrived in Ya'an 13 hours after the earthquake. The dancer said she had had a terrible time herself and knew what people needed most, so she decided to come and offer help. Tomato Competition A tomato competition was held in Huainan, Anhui Province, on April 16. The best tomatoes were chosen according to their shape, color and taste. The competition hoped to encourage the farmers to grow better tomatoes. About _ people were hurt in the head-on crash. A. 18 B. 29 C. 60 D. 250 Answer: C My passion started decades ago as a kid on a flight to India. I was attracted by how such a large airplane was able to glide smoothly above the clouds. I made it a goal to become a pilot. I am now a pilot for American airlines. Though being a pilot consumes my life,it is a job worth doing. My job is slightly different compared to that of a typical pilot. Most pilots have their routes they fly. They then familiarize(...)themselves with the routes. However, in my case,I participate in any job where a pilot is immediately required. It is true that some days I might have a workday from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. In fact,some days,I might even begin my work at three in the morning when I am needed to fly. Sometimes, as for the typical day,I do not have one. Having been on the job for over two decades,I have learned some important life lessons. As I greet passengers boarding the airplane,I realize I,along with other airline pilots, have enhanced the lives of those who we are serving. In fact, there is one particular experience that I will never forget. A family was walking in from the gate, explaining that their beloved one was ill and had to be taken to a big hospital in another city immediately. It was at this point that I realized just how important my job was. Therefore, my life as an airline pilot is definitely not for everyone. However,my job is something I enjoy thoroughly and will continue to do till I am old enough. As a pilot, I have been able to experience so many different types of situations in different places throughout the world. For anyone interested in piloting, I would recommend going for it. What would be the best title for this passage? A. My pleasure in serving people B. Difference in my job as a pilot C. My interest in being a pilot as a boy D. My job as an American airline's pilot Answer: D It was the summer of 1965. Deluca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked Deluca about his plan for the future. "I'm going to college, but I need a way to pay for it," Deluca recalls saying. "Buck said, 'you should open a sandwich shop.'" That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1,000. Deluca rented a storefront in Connecticut, and when they couldn't cover their startup costs, Buck kicked in another $1,000. But business didn't go smoothly as they expected. Deluca says, "After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn't know how badly, because we didn't have any financial controls." All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs. Deluca was managing the store and to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They'd meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. "We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, 'We are so successful; we are opening a second store.'" And they did--in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error. But the partners' learnasyougo approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, Deluca would drive around and handdeliver the checks to pay their supplies. "It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn't necessary but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out," Deluca says. And having a goal was also important. "There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal," Deluca adds. Deluca ended up founding Subways Sandwich, the multimilliondollar restaurant chain. What contributes most to their success according to the author? A. Learning by trial and error. B. Making friends with supplies. C. Finding a good partner. D. Opening chain stores. Answer: A
A new Australian research indicates that children with a stutter do not suffer disadvantages at school, More than ten percent of children have a stutter by the age of four but they score just as high as other children on tests designed to judge their language, thinking skills and character. Professor Reilly's team studied over 1600 children from Melbourne, Australia. Their mothers had been filling out regular questionnaires since their babies were eight months old and the children were judged by a range of language and behaviour tests when they reached the age of four. Reilly and her colleagues asked the parents to call the study group if their children started showing signs of stuttering. Diagnoses were confirmed by a researcher, who then visited the homes of children with a stutter every month to check on their progress. By the age of four, 181 of the children studied had been diagnosed with a stutter. Follow-up visits to the 181 children who were judged after diagnoses showed just nine no longer had a stutter one year later. Stuttering children scored 5. 5 points higher than that of their non-stuttering children on language tests and 2. 6 points higher on the test of non-verbal intelligence. The researchers said it was possible that stuttering could improve language skills, or that stuttering could result from very fast language development among some children. The research suggests parents of children who stutter are usually advised to wait a year before looking for treatment --which can be expensive -- to see if the stutter goes away by itself, unless the children become very unhappy or stop talking. According to Reilly, parents should make a telephone to the study members when _ . A they wanted to turn in the questionnaires B their children were rude to other people C they wanted to seek some practical advice D their children had a symptom of stuttering Answer: D Lightning is shocking, and it happens all over the world! Scientists think that there are more than three million lightning strikes every day in the world-that's thirty strikes every second. Lightning can also be very dangerous. Every year, lightning kills people because it can start big fires or because it reaches temperatures up to 28,000 degrees centigrade. American Roy Sullivan, who worked in a park, holds the record for _ the most lightning strikes. Between 1942 and 1983, he was hit seven times! So, why does lightning strike? Lightning strikes happen when ice and water in clouds rub together, and cause atmospheric changes. When this happens, it creates a static charge . Lightning can strike inside the cloud, between two clouds and between a cloud and Earth. It's the last type of strike that is the most dangerous for humans. About 1,000 people get struck by lightning every year in the United States, and about 100 of them die as a result. Lightning is certainly not something _ . When lightning strikes, it's best to stay inside a large building. To stay safe, do not stand under trees, on hills or near water. Trees attract lightning. Also, do not lie down on the ground, otherwise the electricity may go through you and cause a heart disease. Where's the best place to be when lightning strikes? A On top of a hill. B In a swimming pool. C In a tree. D Inside a large building. Answer: D WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ---- About 140 pilot whales that stranded(...) themselves on a remote stretch of New Zealand beach have died, but conservation workers and volunteers are hoping the remaining 60 or so will survive after they managed to get them refloated, an official said Saturday. The geography of Farewell Spit on the South Island seems to work against whales, which regularly become stranded there. The stranding of 198 whales on Friday was one of the largest in recent years and inspired 80 workers and volunteers to help out. By late Saturday, 140 of the whales had died, said Department of Conservation area manager Andrew Lamason. He said the workers and volunteers worked throughout the day to keep the surviving whales watered and covered before refloating them during Saturday night's high tide. "We've had a really good crew of volunteers, and people have been wanting to come from all over the country,"Lamason said. He said the surviving whales had moved to deeper water. But he cautioned that although hopes for their survival were high, whales had been refloated in the past only to return and get stranded again. Lamason said the scale of the stranding has been tough on the helpers, both physically and mentally. "It's very sad, they're very intelligent animals," he said. "The common view is that it's part of nature." The focus will now turn to the dead whales, and the enormous task of dealing with the remains, Lamason said, adding that in the past helpers have typically buried them in the sand, but that he's not sure what the approach will be this time. He said the department had been experimenting with moving the the dead whales into the water, which has the advantage of providing food for other sea creatures. What is the exact number of whales stranded last Friday? A 140. B 60. C 80. D 198. Answer: D A grave of a man dating back to around 2300 BC was found by archaeologists in England On May 3, 2002. Buried with him were the tools of a hunter or warrior. There was a bone pin that may have been from a piece of clothing such as a leather coat. He carried a copper knife on his breast. The most amazing find was two gold earrings. That would have made him a man of distinction. Only a few centimeters from his head were two pots made of clay, tools and materials to make arrows, a bow and a dozen arrows for hunting and a second, smaller copper knife. Next to them lay a cushion stone, upon which the man could work metal. His grave is the richest of any found from that period, because this man was buried with two gold earrings which are the oldest gold ever found in Britain (dated to 2470 BC). Besides, he was buried three miles from Stonehenge. Archaeologists tend to believe he was a member of a powerful class who might have organized the construction of Stonehenge. Stonehenge was begun around 3000 BC. In about 2300 BC the huge stone circles were built. The biggest stone weighed approximately 20 tons. But the smaller blue stones, still weighing 4 tons on average, came from west Wales. It is not yet known how these were conveyed over a distance of 380 km. It is also a mystery how early man was able to construct Stonehenge without the use of modern construction machines and lorries. He is an example of people who brought culture and new techniques from the European mainland to Britain. In terms of technical development people were going from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age and then to the Iron Age. Which are not included in the things that are found in the grave of a man? A Tools, a bone pin, a bow and a cushion stone B A copper knife and two gold earrings. C Two pots, arrows and materials to make arrows. D some chicken and grains. Answer: D Paris in springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer everyone with prices at just PS 129. It's of great value too. Your break begins with executive coach transfer from a regional pick-up point and you travel to Paris via cross-channel ferry and arrive at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms: a satellite TV, a radio, a telephone and ban alarm clock. The following day, after a continental breakfast (included), the coach takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you have ever heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends mid-afternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day for your leisure. In the evening there is a "Paris By Night" tour that shows you the beautiful buildings with bright lights. Day three takes you to Montmartre, perhaps the most charming quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine. In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city. On the final day it's time to go back to the UK via channel ferry. Included in the price of PS129 per person are the following: Return executive coach travel to Paris Return ferry crossings * 3 nights accommodation in a two-bed room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities * Continental breakfast during your stay * Guided sightseeing tour of "Paris By Day" and "Paris By Night" * Visit to Palace of Versailles (admission not included) * Tour on Montmartre * Services of an experienced tour guide at all times Besides the price of PS 129, each tourist will have to spend money on _ A the continental breakfast B the tour of Montmartre C the admission to Palace of Versailles D the services of an experienced tour guide Answer: C
Unlike many surfers who sought the perfect wave, my interests always lay beneath the sea' s surface in a world I could only imagine and dream of.When I was twelve, I made my first adventures in the deep.Later I would learn how to dive, expanding my world of exploration many times over. Perhaps the greatest turning point in my life came when I was in high school and I wrote a letter to the famous Scripps Oceanographic Institution, asking how I might learn more about the sea.A kind scientist answered my letter and told me how to apply to Scripps for a summer scholarship, which I received.During one of their courses that summer, I met Dr.Robert Norris, a marine geologist.He loved the sea almost as much as I did.Soon he suggested I consider his school, the University of California, for my study.One year later I became a member of the freshman class. Now my love affair with the sea became a serious endeavor .If I wanted to be an undersea explorer, I needed to learn as much as I could about the laws of the physical world that controlled the environment I wanted to enter.The undersea world is not our natural world.It is unforgiving to those who make mistakes.At its greatest depths the water temperature is near freezing, the pressure is eight tons per square inch, and it is totally dark.It is easy to get lost in such a world.I needed to learn a lot about geography, navigation, geology, biology, and many other things. I decided another important thing for me to do was to join the U.S.Navy.If I was going to be an undersea explorer, I would have to lead men and women on dangerous adventures where they might get hurt, and I didn't want that to happen. In the Navy I learned discipline, organization, and how to motivate and lead people on adventures so that we could explore the wonders of the deep. Finally, the time came to put all that I had learned to use, to go forth with a team of men and women and explore an adventure I am still on and hope to be on for many years to come. What happened to the author at the age of twelve? A. He dreamed about undersea exploration. B. He began to swim under the deep water. C. He surfed on big waves for the first time. D. He learned to dive off the cliffs. Answer: B. He began to swim under the deep water. Almost anywhere in the world, you can probably see graffiti . Although it's usually more common in big cities, it can be found in almost any community, big or small. The problem with graffiti art is the question of whether it's really art. This isn't always an easy question to answer, simply because there are so many different types of graffiti. While some simply consists of collections of letters, known as tags, with little artistic value, such examples are easy to find, especially on larger spaces such as walls. If it weren't for the fact that most graffiti is placed on private property without permission, it might be more commonly recognized as a legal form of art. Most graffiti, however, annoys the property owner, who is more likely to paint over it or remove it than accept it as art. Many ways of removing graffiti have been developed, such as paints that dissolve graffiti paint, or make it easy to remove. Community groups and government departments often organize graffiti-removal teams. It hardly makes sense to encourage artists to deface private or public property; but perhaps there are ways to work with them rather than just oppose them. Graffiti artists can, for example, create murals for property owners, and get paid for them. Maybe we need to start at a very basic level, and find a way to encourage the creation of graffiti art on paper or canvas rather than on walls. After all, who would remember Monet or Picasso if they'd created their masterpieces on walls, only to have them painted over the next day? Finding a solution to such a complex problem is never going to be easy, but with more and more graffiti art being recognized in galleries around the world, we do need to try. What would be the best title for this passage? A. How to Be a Good Graffiti Artist. B. Stop Removing Graffiti! C. Do You Like Graffiti? D. Is Graffiti Art? Answer: D. Is Graffiti Art? Which energy resource is renewable? A. fuel oil B. natural gas C. wind D. coal Answer: C. wind Daniel Boone was born in the United States in 1734. He didn't go to school and couldn't read, although he learned all about the forests, streams and hunting. He could move silently like an Indian leaving no marks. He loved to live alone in the woods where nothing frightened him. When he grew up, he married and tried to settle down on a farm. A year later, however, he wasn't satisfied and decided to go into the unknown western lands, crossing the Appalachian Mountains. When he returned after two years, he became famous for his long journey. He brought valuable animal skins and told stories about the Indians. After this, he chose to keep travelling to unknown places. Once he lost to the Indians in battle and was taken away. The Indians liked him and became his friends. Daniel Boone died at the age of 86. He is remembered as an explorer and a pioneer who lived an exciting life in the early years of American nation. Why did the Indians want to make friends with him? A. Because they wanted to learn from him. B. Because he wanted to make peace with them. C. Because they wanted to make friends with white people. D. No reason is told in this article. Answer: D. No reason is told in this article. There once lived a rich businessman who had a lazy son. The businessman wanted his son to realize the value of labour and said: "Today, I want you to go out and earn something, failing which you won't have your meals tonight." He went crying straight to his mother. Her heart melted at her son's eyes. She gave him a gold coin. When the father asked his son what he had earned, the son presented him the gold coin. The father asked him to throw it into a well. The next day, he asked his son to earn something. This time he went crying to his sister who gave him a coin. When he showed it to his father he again asked him to throw it in a well. Then the father asked him to earn more money. This time since there was no one to help him, the son was forced to go to the market. One shopkeeper told him he would pay him two coins if he carried his trunk to his house. He did so and sweated plenty. As he returned home he was asked to do the same. The son almost cried out. He could not imagine throwing his hard-earned money like this. He cried, "My entire body is aching. You are asking me to throw the money into the well." At this moment, the businessman told him one feels the pain only when the fruits of hard labour are wasted. On the earlier two occasions he was helped and therefore had no pain in throwing the coins into the well. The son had now realized the value of hard work. He promised never to be lazy and to safely keep the father's wealth. The father handed over the keys of his shop to the son and promised to guide him through the rest of the life. Which of the following is TRUE? A. At first the son was hard-working and responsible. B. The father taught his son a lesson in a good way. C. The father didn't like his son at all. D. The businessman was a little lazy. Answer: B. The father taught his son a lesson in a good way.
It is the summer of 1776. Thomas Jefferson is not happy. He'd rather be home in Virginia than attending Philadelphia's Continental Congress Thomas Jefferson knew he had a job to do. Important men throughout the American colonies were meeting in Philadelphis to discuss and debate the war with Great Briain. The colony of Virginia sent Thomas Jefferson to Philadelphia. But Jefferson wasn't happy. Jefferson wanted to be home that hot summer of 1776. he missed his wife, Martha. She hadn't been feeling well when he left, and he worried about her. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee from Virginia stood up at the Congress and announced that "these American colonies ought to be free and independent states." Jefferson probably knew what was coming next. Here was another resolution to debate. And whenever there was a resolution, there was a declaration. The American colonies had been at war with Great Britain for more than a year, but surprisingly. The colonies had not formally announced their independence. So the Congress appointed a five-man committee to crate a document declaring America's independence. And the committee chose Thomas Jefferson to write it. Jefferson knew he was to list the unfair things Great Britain had done to the colonies. For days and days,, Jefferson wrote and rewrote about the king and his unfair laws. About independence. About freedom. He borrowed ideas from other political writers, but he wrote these thoughts in words that all people could understand. He wanted his ideas to be shared with everyone. And _ were. The Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. on July 8, it was read out loud to a cheering crowd. No one knew who the author was, but they knew what the Declaration stood for-independence and freedom for all. Still, Thomas Jefferson dreamed of home. In late July he begged Richard Henry Lee to replace him in the Congress. In September, Jefferson's dream finally came true, and he traveled home. Since then, the words Thomas Jefferson wrote during that hot Philadelphia summer have inspired people throughout the world. Thank goodness Jefferson didn't go home. Why didn't Thomas Jefferson want to go to Philadelphia? A He was not a good debater B He found a new job in Virginia C It was extremely hot in Philadelphia D He was concerned about his wife's health Answer: D. He was concerned about his wife's health On an--airplane,a spacecraft or a man-made satellite,there is usually an installed device called the "black box "Made of a special kind of material.it would remain unbroken,even if the entire craft were blown to pieces.The box records some important data,which provide clues as to what changes had occurred before the real thing came along and help to discover the causes of the disaster. The black box.Therefore, becomes the last piece of evidence left.More often,it reveal a Schocking fact that many aircrafts met their disasters only because of a simple but fatal mistake Some hadn't been supplied with sufficient fuel;others crashed due to a bird flying in their paths.In many cases. the pilot had been tired.In 1986,the famous US space siadttle Challenger exploded soon after launch, because a screw on it was a bit loose! An idea thus occurs to me:if a human being was equipped with _ , tracking allthe subtle inner Changes that had taken place over time,the results could astonish the world Newspapers carry no few such stories from day to day-cases of graft or bribe-taking ,how--innocent mail was robbed and killed, and so on.A fatal error, committed by a criminal at a particular point in his life,may have arisen from a small quarrel or out of envy.The number of those who were boom evil and deliberately sent themselves to the" gallows "is in fact extremely small.The disappointment towards the last moment of their life is no different from a struggle against an aircraft crash! Behave properly in small matters and take best care of the soul---this,I insist, is the message from that mysterious box planted deep inside human souls The purpose of the author is to A warn us of our safety B tell us to treat others kindly C how us his concerns D remind us of taking good care of our soul Answer: D. remind us of taking good care of our soul Angkor Wat (City Temple) is a vast temple complex near Siem Reap, about 200 miles from the capital of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. After the city of Angkor fell to invaders, Angkor Wat fell into the jungle but continued as a Buddhist temple and a pilgrimage site over the centuries. Angkor Wat is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture in Cambodia and is so grand in design that some rank it among the Seven Wonders of the World. It appears on the Cambodian national flag, a very rare instance of a flag incorporating an image of a building. The "lost city" of Angkor first attracted the interest of Europeans in the 1800s after Cambodia was colonized by the French. In addition to many tourists, Buddhist monks are daily visitors to Angkor Wat, their bright orange robes making a vivid contrast with the grey stone of the temple. The city of Angkor was capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city of Angkor was founded on political and religious ideas adapted from India, and the temples of Angkor were intended as a place of worship for the king. Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century as a vast funeral temple that would hold his remains, and as a royal temple dedicated to a Hindu God. During its six centuries as imperial capital, Angkor went through many changes in architectural styles and in religion. By the late 13th century, the once crazy pace of Angkor's architectural pursuits had begun to die down, and a more restrained type of religion was on the rise under the growing influence of Theravada Buddhism. At the same time, Angkor and Khmer Empire were increasingly threatened and attacked by invading armies. By the 16th century , the golden age of Angkor was over and many of the great temples began to recede into the jungle. From the 15th to 19th centuries, Theravada Buddhist monks cared for Angkor Wat, and it is thanks to them that the temple remains mostly intact. Angkor Wat became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Southeast Asia. King Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat to _ . A show the wealth of his kingdom B reflect the peculiar culture of Asia C prove his dedication to a Hindu god D treat it as a sign of his power Answer: C. prove his dedication to a Hindu god An old woman went out shopping last Tuesday. She came to a bank and saw a car near the door. A young man with dark glasses got out of it and went into the bank. She looked into the car and found some keys in it. The man took a gun out of his pocket and said to the man in the bank, "Give me all the money." But the woman didn't see this. She went to the young man and put the keys in his hand, "My boy," she said, "Don't leave your keys in your car! Someone is going to steal it." The young man looked at the old woman for a few minutes. Then he took his keys, ran out of the bank, got into his car and drove away quickly without taking any money. The young man went into the bank and tried to _ A rob the bank B steal some money C borrow some money D see his friends Answer: A. rob the bank "Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it's a girl." Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly. Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the change from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this re-socialization process. Although many good books have been written about American mothers, only recently have some books discussed the role of a father. It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father's role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother's role. The mother's role seems to require a complete transformation of daily routine and adaptation to a new life, on the other hand, the father's role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we have mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household. The transition to the mother's role requires that the wife _ . A changes her life style in a quite different way B makes a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation C stays at home to take care of the baby D helps her husband in his re-socialization process Answer: B. makes a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation
H.T.B. Arts Center FILM Tickets PS2.50 / PS 1.50. Performances at 8 pm unless started otherwise. WILD AT HEART 127mins. Wen 6-Fri8 February Director: David Lynch Starring: Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Willam Dafoe. A first-class film. Cage and his girlfriend Dean are on the run through the dangerous Deep South. They are hiding from gunmen who have been hired to kill Cage by Dean's mother. Victims, yes--but they also have fun. It's wild at heart, strange on top. Funny, frightening and brilliant. DICK TRACY 113mins Mon 11-Sat16 February 6pm Tickets on sale 5-6 pm Director: Warren Beatty Starring: Warren Beatty , Madonna The famous detective tries to stop Big Boy and the Blank from taking over the city. A colorful and exciting film. Some parts are frightening, so think twice about taking children. BATMAN 126mins Mon11-Sat16 February 8.30pm Tickets on sale 7.30-8.30pm PIZZA PLUS offer 6-7pm Director: Tim Burton Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson. A few essential questions must be asked...Is Batman a mad hero? Why does Bruce Wayne spend millions dressing up as a bat? Has Nicholson's Joker stolen the whole movie? Great action and excellent acting, especially by Nicholson. Where can we most probably read this text? A. In a movie review. B. In an ad page. C. In a short story. D. In an introduction of an art center. Answer: B Miss Benson was the kindest and sweetest person that ever walked the earth. She was my second-grade teacher, and I was going to marry her when I grew up. I would sit in my seat for the entire morning. I wouldn't miss one moment for her presence by leaving the room. My hand was always the first to be raised when Miss Benson called for volunteers to clean the blackboards or gather papers. I would arrange and rearrange the papers. They had to be in perfect order before I went back to my seat unwillingly. Early in the term, I started asking my mother to put an extra apple or peach in my lunch, but I never quite worked up the courage to hand my gift to her directly. Each day the delicacy found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same. ''Why, how nice! '' She would pick up the offering and asked: ''What thoughtful little boy or girl brought me this? '' No one claimed the honor, least of all me. I kept my head down, looking at my desk. ''Can it be that I have a secret admirer? '' she added. I would feel the red rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with relief when Miss Benson put the fruit away and started the lesson. Friday was Miss Benson's birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. I would give her something, openly. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers. Not many were in bloom at that time of year, but finally I managed a patch of beautiful flowers... In the morning I went to the desk and gave the beautiful flowers to Miss Benson. She accepted them happily and held them to her cheek for a moment. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head. The next Monday, Miss Benson was not in class. About the middle of the morning, I was asked to go to the headmaster's office. When I arrived, I was surprised to see my mother. On a table were my beautiful flowers... In the end I was told that the flowers were poisonous. What might have happened to Miss Benson? A. She asked for leave to get married. B. She got ill because of the flowers. C. She gave the flowers to the boy's mother. D. She was punished by the headmaster for patting the boy. Answer: B Walking tall, and safely Some women simply refuse to give up high heels, despite slush ( ) , ice and snow. Now there's Winter Trax for them, designed to fit over high-heel boots and make their walk on the wild side a little more safe. Metal coils ( ) wrap around rubber at the front end of the shoe, with the heel end open. Snow skirt steps up into fashion Down with snow pants. Up with snow skirts! Montreal's Fantasy Wolrd Heroes has created these skirts to layer over minis and jeans as the snow season sets in. In a range of colors and available in wool, lends and quiltings, they come in four sizes and adjustable. * Doc Martens, those army-inspired leather boots, are back. They were last popular when Kurt Cobain was all the rage( ). So far, just a few teens and fashion people have been spotted wearing the slight fat boots, but they have already appeared on stylish models like Irina Lazareanu and Agyness Deyn. Neon stores sold Doc Martens 15 years ago and its owner Irving Tajfel wasn't sure at first if he was ready to relive the trend. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Doc Martens at a fashion fair in Barcelona last year. Then I saw all the cool fashion kids wearing them in Paris. That got me thinking that it was about time Doc Martens came back in style here." Tajfel said. When in Barcelona last year, Irving Tajfel probably _ . A. wore a pair of Doc Martens B. found Doc Martens was put on show C. placed an order for Doc Martens D. saw fashion kids wearing Doc Martens Answer: B When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left completely destroyed. Afterward all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest. One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me. A young woman stood in front of an entirely shattered mobile home, a depressed expression twisting her features. A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downcast. Clutching at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear. The article that went with the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves. I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator, explaining their difficulty to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three- year-old Meghan. " We have so much. And these poor people now have nothing," I said."We'll share what we have with them." I brought three large boxes down from the room upstairs and placed them on the living room floor. Meghan watched seriously, as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and foods. While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games. "I'll help you find something for the little girl when I'm done with this," I said. The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes. Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, much-loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest. She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy's flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys. "Oh, Honey," I said."You don't have to give Lucy. You love her so much." Meghan nodded seriously, eyes glistening with held-back tears. '"Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy, too." _ , I stared at Meghan for a long moment, wondering how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me. For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you value most. Honest benevolence is a three-year-old offering a valuable, though shabby, doll to a little girl she doesn't know with the hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it brought her. I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught. The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy. A slow smile spread across Brett's face. Then he jumped up, eyes twinkling as he ran to fetch some of his prized Matchbox cars. Astonished, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little Meghan's gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all three of them into my arms. Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old jacket from the box of clothes. I replaced it with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as much as I did. It's easy to give that which we don't want any more, but harder to let go of things we cherish, isn't it? However, _ By " swallowing hard", the writer means that _ A. she was deeply puzzled by what the little girl did B. she had trouble persuading Meghan not to give away Lucy C. she was greatly moved by Meghan's unexpected decision D. she was uncertain what consequences Meghan's action would bring about Answer: C Does money buy happiness? Not! Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier? Many of us smirk(,) and nod. There is, we believe, some connection between financial fitness and emotional fulfillment. Three in four American college students--nearly double the 1970 proportion-- now consider it "very important" or "essential" that they become "very well off financially". Money matters. But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life's necessities, increasing wealth matters surprisingly little. The connection between income and happiness is "surprisingly weak," observed University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170,000 people. Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns . The second piece of pie, or the second $100,000, never tastes as good as the first. Even lottery winners and the Forbes' 100 wealthiest Americans surveyed by University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener have expressed only slightly greater happiness than the average American. Making it big brings temporary joy. But in the long run wealth is like health: its complete absence can create suffering, but having it doesn't guarantee happiness. Happiness seems less a matter of getting what we want than of wanting what we have. Has our happiness, however, floated upward with the rising economic tide? Are we happier today than in 1940s, when two out of five homes lacked a shower or tub? Actually, we are not. Since 1957, the number of Americans who say they are "very happy" has declined from 35 to 32 percent. Meanwhile, the divorce rate has doubled, the teen suicide rate has increased nearly three times, the violent crime rate has gone up nearly four times, and depression has mushroomed. Economic growth has provided no boost to human morale. When it comes to psychological well being, it is not the economy. I call this soaring wealth and shrinking spirit "the American paradox." More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low confidence, secured rights and reduced civility. We are good at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but long for a purpose. We treasure our freedoms but long for connection. In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger. The second $100,000 never tastes as good as the first because _ . A. it is not so fresh as the first $100,000 B. it is not so important as the first $100,000 C. profit brought by it is less than that from the first $100,000 D. happiness brought by it is less than that from the first $100,000 Answer: D
Never Talk to Strangers? "Never talk to strangers." Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction . In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might "steal" him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill a fear of strangers in children. The "stranger danger" message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety. To have a child go missing is a parent's worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common--but a lost children may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The "never talk to strangers" rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behaviour; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not. For young children, nothing replaces close supervision . Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and sttitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world. Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent? A. Being abducted by a parent. B. Wandering off. C. Being abducted by strangers. D. Running away. Answer: D What's the red star in the sky through a telescope ? It is Mars. Do you want to know more about it? Take the "Mars Orbit Express"! "Mars Orbit Express" is a space probe . It was sent towards Mars by American scientists on August 12th,2005. Its tasks are to study Mars' atmosphere and return photos to Earth. But before that "Mars Orbit Express" must travel about 100 hundred million kilometers and seven months. It reached Mars' orbit in March,2006. Mars and Earth have similar weight and size. However,Mars is closer to the sun than Earth. Mars is very cold. The average temperature is below 50degC. The temperature at noon only reaches 20degC during a Mars day. Its atmosphere is mostly CO2. It has much sand and two moons---Phobos and Deimos. Scientists think Earth and Mars had similar beginnings 4.6 billion years ago. But while Earth supports millions of lives,Mars becomes bad. "Earth easily could have turned out like that." said an scientist, "It is important for us to find out why and Mars Orbit Express' should do that." "Mars Orbit Express" also would help scientists to learn what might happen to Earth in the future. "Mars Orbit Express" would work for about four years. What can you see through a telescope when watching Mars? _ . A. Much sand B. A red star C. Its atmosphere D. Its size Answer: B Salvation Army Angel Program Angel Tree collects gifts for children and families in need. Participate by selecting an angel from any Angel Tree at all Cyprus Credit Union location or any Utah Macy's Department store. Shop for your angel, then return your new, unwrapped gift to the same Angel Tree. Gifts must be returned before December 14. For more information, call (801) 988-5678 in the Salt Lake area,(801) 374-2588 in the Provo area. Utah Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Holiday Gift Box Program The program serves primarily low-income adults with intellectual disabilities who don't qualify for other programs because of age limits, said Joyce Whalen, the association's board president. To donate, visit the association at 1326 S.2100 East from 9am to about 5:30 pm to choose an ornament that provides information about an individual who will benefit from the program. Shop for new items and return them by December 14. Donations of generic items, such as towels, socks and hygiene products also accepted, as are monetary donations. For more information, call 801-440-1674. Utah Foster Care Foundation's Giving Tree Program The program seeks new gifts and cash donations to fulfill the holiday wishes of more than 1,000 children in state-licensed foster homes." Many of the children in care have been removed from their _ because of neglect or abuse," said Nikki Mackay, the foundation's director. " Christmas can be a difficult time for them." To learn how to support the program, call 877-505-5437. Utah State Hospital Forgotten Patient Program The program provides Christmas gifts for hundreds of patients with mental illness. In the history of the program--which may go back as far as 60 years, organizer Shawna Peterson said, "we've never had a forgotten patient." And she doesn't want this year to change that. To support the program, contact Peterson at 801-344-6088. If you want to help adults with intellectual disabilities, you should call _ . A. 801-440-1674 B. 801-988-5678 C. 877-505-5437 D. 801-344-6088 Answer: A Yao Ming, the center of the Chinese National Men's Basketball Team, served the Huston Rockets in NBA.The 2.26 m, 120 kg center becomes the first one to come from a foreign team. Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in September, 1980.His mother was a center and captain of the Chinese National Women's Team.His father played basketball, too. Yao Ming is widely known in China.He came to be a very important basketball player in China Basketball Association .It's short for CBA.During the 2000~2001 season, he did very well.He got 27.1 scores for the Shanghai Oriental Sharks in every match. Yao Ming joined the Houston Rockets in November, 2002.He said this was a new start in his basketball life.He would do his best to learn from the NBA and improve himself. Sport analyst Bill Walton said, "Yao Ming has the potential , the capability of changing the future of basketball." Yao Ming _ in CBA during the 2000~2001 season. A. did badly B. did well C. was common D. was not Answer: B Evolution has changed our bodies and faces over thousands of years, and it's still happening. Here's how experts predict what people will be like in 1,000 years. We'll be about 1.83~2.13 metres tall because of improved nutrition and medical science. Our arms and fingers will get longer to reduce the need to reach too far. We'll have smaller brains, maybe because computers will help us memorize and think most of the things. There will be larger eyes and smaller mouths. And there may be fewer teeth as softer food needs less chewing and biting. We could even get our nutrition from liquids or pills in the future. We can expect other great changes too. Everyone will have the same shape of noses. That's because climate will have less influence on noses with the help of air conditioning and central heating. Besides, we will have more wrinkles as a result of looking at our electronic devices. We also may end up with saggy necks because extra sun will cause loose skin. And there will be darker skin as people move around the planet and races mix. ,. How will we usually memorize and think? A. By robots. B. By larger brains. C. By computers. D. By smarter brains. Answer: C
Friends are important to the children. Research shows that children who have no friends can suffer from difficulties later in life. Friendship provides children with more than just fun. In making friends, children learn how to get in touch with the others and solve problems. Having friends even does good to children's study for they can help each other during the class. If the parents care about their children whether they made many friends,what matters is that the child is comfortable and happy with his friends. Parents need to understand the steps children take in building friendships. First of all, be a friend to your child. Good friendships start at home. Children begin to develop the necessary ability to go out and meet others through getting with their parents. Greet the child warmly and let him know you are glad to see him. Children learn a lot from how their parents stay with them and other people. Teach children how to solve conflicts . Being able to work out conflicts is an important skill in getting along with others. If parents know the children have a conflict, let them work it out on their own. Only step in if it is really necessary, for example, an argument is getting physical. Give children chances to practice staying together. Have children play games that require team work and group problem solving skills. For example, races are fun and provide plenty of practice in teamwork. "In what ways didn't you work well together? What might you do differently next time?" For these ideas, see books such as Games Book by Terry Orlick, Energizers by Carol Apacki, and Team-Building Activities for Every Group by Alanna Jones. Encourage children to show thanks to the others. The parents can encourage children to do this by setting the example for them. Friendship can be helpful to the children EXCEPT _ . A. providing a lot of fun B. getting in touch with others C. solving the problems D. helping to trick in the exams Answer: D Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 Kauai, Hawaii, where she grew up with two older brothers. Hamilton's parents were both surfers and they started teaching Bethany how to surf at a young age, and she learned quickly with the support of her brothers. By age 8, Bethany was winning first place in surfing contests for her age group. Hamilton began competing more seriously at the age of nine, winning several more competitions in her age group. On October 31, 2003, while surfing with friends near Tunnels Beach, a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her. Bethany said, "My arm was hanging in the water, and it just came and bit me. It kind of pulled me back and forth. But I just held onto my board and then the shark let go." The shark tore off Bethany's left arm just below her shoulder. Hamilton's friends rushed her to the hospital. Bethany made it through several surgeries without infection , and miraculously survived even though she had lost almost 60% of her blood. The doctor said that her athletic training helped her to survive the attack and blood loss. While she was healing, Bethany thought for a while that she might not surf again. She was concerned that it would be much harder to stand up on the board using only one hand and that her balance would be completely off. But with hard work and determination she returned to surfing. She says, "It's hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode a wave in for the first time after the attack. I was greatly thankful and happy inside. The tiny bit of doubt that would sometimes tell me 'you'll never surf again' was gone in one wave !" As for fear of another shark attack, Bethany says that sometimes her heart pounds when she sees a shadow under the water. But she believes that faith provides hope and a future for those who feel down and defeated in their lives. Bethany's popularity and hope for the future led her to partner with World Vision to create "Surfing for Children in Crisis". Bethany hopes that her involvement in the campaign will help provide disabled children from around the world with care, support, and hope. From the passage, we know Bethany is a _ person. A. careful B. proud C. brave D. clever Answer: C The State of Rhode Island has become a popular family seaside destination. In addition to beach activities and water sports, kids can participate in supervised activities at cultural centres and tourist attractions around the state. The Kayak Centre of Rhode Island The Kayak Centre of Rhode Island offers Oceanplay to kids, a program for children between 9 and 14 years old. The course teaches basic kayak skills and safety protocol on the waters around historic Wickford Village. The all-day program includes games and skill-building activities at all skill levels. The package includes equipment, instructions and lunch. The Courthouse Centre for the Arts The Courthouse Centre for the Arts offers summer camp educational workshops and fine arts programs to kids who want to learn about theatre, dance, classical music and different art mediums. Kids and families can also enjoy concerts, film screenings and theatre performances. The Providence Children's Museum The Providence Children's Museum hosts daily drop-in programs for kids between 5 and 11 years of age and museum adventure classes. Kids can learn how water moves in the Water Ways exhibit, listen to music and learn about plants in the Children's Garden exhibit. The RISD Museum The RISD Museum hosts family workshops and activities for kids between 5 and 12 years of age on alternating Sunday afternoons. Kids can learn different types of art techniques and work with different mediums in a supervised setting. Families taking a self-guided tour of the museum can see exhibits. What will a child interested in plants probably visit? A. The Kayak Centre of Rhode Island. B. The Courthouse Centre for the Arts. C. The Providence Children's Museum. D. The RISD Museum. Answer: C On Thursday October 3, Adam Harper decided to stop drinking coffee. Adam is a MBA student at Harvard University. He studies long hours, gets very little sleep and as a result, he drinks a lot of coffee---anywhere from five to six cups a day. Recently, Adam felt that drinking thus much coffee was making it hard for him to sleep at all. He also began having problems with his concentration , and complained of stomachaches. Adam's doctor made this suggestions: stop drinking coffee altogether. When Adam got up on October 3, he began his day without his morning coffee. By 11:00 a.m., Adam was in a terrible mood . He was tired and had a headache. At 11:30, he had a meeting with his student advisor. In the meeting, he found it almost impossible to continue. What was going on? Caffeine, a chemical found in coffee, was most likely the reason for how Adam felt. Caffeine is a stimulant that boosts energy levels and improves concentration- but only for a short time. Lowering caffeine consumption often causes a drop in blood pressure and the result is a "coffee headache", People who stop drinking coffee often say they feel tired and moody, and find it hard to focus. The good news is that these feeling usually pass after four and five days. During this time, doctors suggested taking some aspirin for the headache. So, if Adam can wait, in less than a week, he may be feeling much better. People may feel _ when they stop drinking coffee. A. healthier B. uneasy C. energetic D. awaken Answer: B In recent months, a catchy song, A Little Apple, has become such a hit that it has even inspired square-dancing troupes to mimic its music video. When Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon, an adventure comedy featuring the song, was released on July 10, the unusual publicity strategy was applauded. Ticket sales of Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon surpassed 150 million yuan in the first week of hitting the big screen. Interactive online campaigns involving fans have become a popular way to promote a movie. The first two episodes of Tiny Times, the directing debut of author, Guo Jingming, made 800 million yuan at the box office last year, in spite of criticism for its portrayal of lavish lifestyles. Before the third episode was shown, fans donated a small sum of money online as "investors" in the movie. Some of the people who donated received film souvenirs, or the chance to visit the film set. Han Han, Guo's major competitor, has just released his directorial debut, road-trip comedy, The Continent. Han has over 38 million followers on Sina Weibo, China's major micro-blogging platform. He has broadcast the filming process of the movie to his followers since he began shooting. The film's trailer was released online in May, only three days after shooting and it has been viewed 4.7 million times. "I don't care too much about the surprising numbers online, and what matters more is whether the movie is good or not," Han once said. However, when he invited popular singer, Pu Shu, to write the closing song for the movie, he must have had another idea in mind. Pu, who has been away from the public eye for some 11 years, also brings a new element for the movie claiming to be devoted to young people. The song became very popular as soon as it was released online. No one knows what other trump cards will be thrown on the table during the tense online campaign this summer. Where may this article be found? A. In a fashion magazine. B. In the advertisement section of a newspaper. C. From an entertainment report in a newspaper. D. From a finance journal. Answer: C
Question: Most of the movies show our relationships and our society. What's more important is that people love to watch highs and lows of the relationships in movies. Friendship has been the favorite subject of movie makers for a long time. Many movies are based on lovely relationships like friendship. Friendship can be between two persons or among more than two persons. Movies based on friendship make us remember that the relationship among friends is delicate . These movies also show how important it is to have a true friend in life and to own the friendship. Friendship is described in different ways in movies. These movies show different faces of this lovely relationship including the pleasant and interesting faces .Let us discuss how friendship is described in movies. Friends share common interests:In most of the movies, it is shown that two people become friends easily when they share some common interests. For example, two friends may be in love with the same sports, studying in the same school or living in the same neighborhood.You can see such friendship in movies such as "Harry Potter" and "Lord of Rings". Harry Potter has two friends. All of them are interested in the use of magic. Friends make sacrifices : In most of the movies,friends make sacrifices for each other. A good example is "Sholay". In this movie,there are two friends Jay and Veeru who are there for each other till death. Jay sacrifices his life to save his friend. Friends never run away from difficulties: In movies,it is always shown that true friends always stand up for their friends in times of difficulties. Understanding: In movies,friends understand each other without even saying a word. A single smile can brighten up the faces of all the friends. Which of the following opinions agrees with the passage? A. Friends must part in the end. B. A good book is a good friend. C. A friend in need is a friend indeed. D. A friend is easier lost than found. Answer: C Question: I give two examples as to why intelligent life may not actually exist, though I admit that for me, or even for a physicist who devoted his or her entire life to researching and studying the universe, it's shocking to claim that completely no life exists elsewhere. Keeping that in mind, I'd just like to consider conditions elsewhere in the known universe. You really only need to look at our own solar system or the Earth at certain periods in its own history to appreciate that most places are much worse and much less suitable for life than our mild, watery globe. So far, space scientists have discovered about seventy planets outside the solar. But it appears that if you wish to have a planet suitable for life, you just have to be very lucky, and the more advanced the life is, the luckier you'll have to be. I'm by no means a space observer, but I can recognize some particularly fortunate breaks we've had on the Earth. For example: We are, to a degree, at the right distance from the perfect type of star, the one that is big enough to radiate a huge amount of energy, but not so big as to bum itself out quickly. Had our sun been ten times as huge, it would have burnt out completely after only ten million years, instead of ten billion and surely we would not exist. Too near, everything on the Earth would have boiled and withered away; any further, everything would have frozen over. The universe is a surprising place, and our existence within it is a wonder. If a long and unimaginably complex sequence of events dating back 4.6 billion years or so hadn't happened in a particular manner at a particular time --if, to take just one example, the dinosaurs hadn't been wiped out by a meteor --we might still be a few centimeters long, with whisker and a tail, and you'll be reading this in a cave somewhere. Where does the text probably come from? A. A history book. B. A magazine. C. A science fiction. D. A famous novel. Answer: B Question: My grandmother often said to me, "You can count the number of your true friends on the fingers of one hand." For a long time I thought this was true. However, I've now discovered my grandmother was only half right. Maybe we do only make a few "best" friends in our lifetime, but those aren't the only people that we can call friends. There are many different types. Let me tell you about a few of them. One type of friends is the type I call the "football mom friend". My neighbor Sally is a good example. We both have kids who play football in a football club, and someone has to take them to practice and pick them up. Sally and I and two other mothers take turns to do this. We meet sometimes and have tea and talk about what our kids are doing, but those are the only times that we meet each other. I enjoy being with these women, but we don't do anything else together. Another type is called the "hobby friend". That's the person you share an interest or a hobby with. Michael and Cater, who are brothers, are a good example of this type. We're all in a bird watching club. Every few weekends the members of the club go on a trip to watch different kinds of birds. There's nothing romantic about my relationship with Michael and Cater, of course. We just share interest in birds. Then there's the "other half of the couple" type of friends. Jim is married to Rose, a friend that I've known since college. When Rose married Jim, I realized that I would have to be Jim's friend if I want to continue to be Rose's. Jim and I don't share so many interests, but we do have a friendly relationship. How many types of friends are mentioned in the passage? A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. D. 5 Answer: C Question: White bread is thought to have a long history.In ancient Egypt, people discovered white bread about 8,000 years ago. There is something interesting about white bread.In the old times,many cities in ancient Greece said they owned the best quality.In the middle ages,bakers in England carefully _ their secrets of making bread.Anyone who hoped to learn the art of making bread must spend seven years on it.In times of war and disasters ,bread and wheat were the first things to bekept closely. However,in the mid-1800s,an engineer from Switzerland invented a new kind mill to produce more white bread at a faster speed.Soon bread making became widely popular all over Europe.In 1928,America had the first company to produce and sell mountains of white bread. Which of the following is true? A. White bread has a history of about 800 years. B. America had the first company to sell mountains of white bread. C. Egypt produced the most white bread in the world. D. It was easy to learn how to make white bread in ancient Britain. Answer: B Question: Disposing of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it.As more and more people choose to live close together in cities,the waste-disposal problem becomes Increasingly difficult. During the eighteenth century,it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site.Residents or trash haulers would transport household rubbish,rotted wood,and old possessions to the site.Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried.The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories,mills,and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of.Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water.Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem. Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society.The first problem is space Dumps,which are now called landfills,are most needed in heavily populated areas.Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose.Property is either too expensive or too close to residential neighborhoods.Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere,cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent. Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers,ground water,land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste,however,continues to grow. Recycling efforts have become commonplace,and many towns require their people to take part.Even he most efficient recycling programs,however,can hope to deal with only about 50 Percent of a city's reusable waste. The most suitable title for this passage would be _ . A. Places for Disposing Waste B. Waste Pollution Dangers C. Ways of Getting Rid of Waste D. Waste Disposal Problem Answer: D
Physical fitness refers to good health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery. A person who is physically fit will be able to walk or run without getting breathless and he or she will be able to carry out the activities of everyday living and will not need help. How much each person can do will depend on their age and whether they are a man or woman. A physically fit person usually has a normal weight for height. The relation between height and weight is called the Body Mass Index. A taller person can be heavier and still be fit. If a person is too heavy or too thin for the height it may affect the health. Mental health refers to a person's emotional and psychological well-being. "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her thinking and emotional(feeling) abilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life." One way to think about mental health is by looking at how well a person functions. Feeling capable and efficient, being able to handle normal levels of stress, having good friends and family, and leading an independent life, and being able to "bounce back" or recovering from hardships, are all signs of mental health. Public Health refers to trying to stop a disease that is unhealthy to the community, and does not help in long life or promote your health. This is fixed by organized efforts and choices of society, public and private clubs, communities and individuals. It is about the health of many people, or everybody, rather than one person. Public health stops instead of encouraging a disease through surveillance of cases. To prevent being sick, it is good to do healthy behaviors, such as hand washing, vaccination programs and so on. When infectious diseases break out, washing hands may be especially important. What can promote your body health according to the passage? Answer: Regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition. Is your TV connected to the Internet? What about your chair, or your fridge? Probably they are not. But in the future, most things in your home may be connected, thanks to the so-called "Internet of things". The Internet of things may be coming sooner than you think. Earlier this year, Samsung CEO spent a lot of time talking about the Internet things. He said that four years from now, every Samsung product will be part of the Internet of things, no matter whether it's a remote control or a washing machine. So, how do household objects that are part of the Internet of things work? Well, think of a common chair. When connected to the Internet, the chair warms up when it knows the user has just walked into the room and is feeling cold. An Internet-connected camera could help people feel safer in their homes. It can know people's faces and has an infrared sensor , so even if it's dark it can see when someone passes by and send you a message on your smartphone to let you know who's there. If the person is someone you don't know, it can tell you that, too. But according to MIT Technology Review, whether companies are connecting dog food bowls or security systems to the Internet, there may be some problems. For example, many early connected-home objects don't have much built-in security, which means they could be hacked. Moreover, it could be difficult to get these new machines to work together especially when they are made by different companies. To fight this, many companies have joined the Open Interconnect Consortium, which had 45 members by late 2015. So, picture this: you enter your home.The temperature changes to make you feel comfortable. Your favorite music starts playing for you. Do you think that this would be a good thing? It may happen sooner than you think.[:] What does the article mainly talk about? Answer: The coming "Internet of things" Chengdu No.7 High School has formed a bright character and good tradition in school operation in the long period education and teaching practices. It mainly focuses on compulsory subjects, with a combination of selected subjects. It has formed a practical teaching system which mainly focuses on subject practical teaching, social practices teaching and campus extracurricular activities teaching. In the year of 1994, Mr. Li Lanqing, who was the then Prime Minister of the State Council, highly evaluated Chengdu No.7 High School when he visited here and said: "The happiest thing I have seen in the school is that students can get fully developed". With 100 years' history, Chengdu No.7 High School has many talents. Large numbers of alumni became academic masters, talents and government backbones by holding key positions in education and scientific research departments, key businesses, national defense authorities and governments. Famous people Sun Zhen and Tian Jiaying once studied at No.7 High School, while academicians from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engieering like Chen Jiayong, Li Yinyuan, Pu Fuke graduated from Chengdu No.7 High School. Chengdu No.7 High School has many intelligent students. There are about 400 students every year from Chengdu No.7 High School who get municipal-above level prizes in various competitions. Up to the year of 2010, 9 gold medals have been obtained in International High School Students' Subjects Olympic Competitions. Every year more than half of the school graduates are accepted into famous Chinese universities. Its acceptance rate ranks top. Also there are about 100 students every year who are accepted by famous overseas universities. Chengdu No.7 High School has four student organizations, two newspapers, four magazines as well as more than 30 student communities and more than 80 selective courses and activity classes. All of these provide a great stage and diversified options for student full development. Chengdu No.7 High School is the window for international communication and one of the first Chinese communication bases with foreign schools in Sichuan Province. It has friendly cooperative relationship with schools from more than 10 countries for mutual visiting and exchanging in teaching. Which of the following is TRUE? Answer: Li Lanqing was satisfied with the development of Chengdu No.7 High School. Children, especially boys, tend to idealize their fathers when they are young.Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth.It's not very easy to be a good father, but it's not that difficult either.Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults. Not all children communicate well with their fathers.Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary.Don't expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table.Go to your children's bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends.Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided.When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them. If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter.And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don't voice your opinion.It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough.So don't wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things.Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better. Don't shy away from having discussions about your teenage children's love lives.Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss _ details with you.Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love.Tell your children how you met your wife.It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you.All they will do is turn to their friends. Suppose your children are worried about something you should _ . Answer: have a talk with them Natural selection is a mechanism that acts on individuals within a population. Which is a result of the process of natural selection? Answer: Organisms are better adapted to their environment.
Here are some tips about how to keep healthy. 1. Healthy food is important. If you want to keep healthy, eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Don't eat much meat. 2. Water is important. Drink water every day. Milk is good for you, too. Don't drink sweet drinks. 3. Exercise is important. You can ride your bike or play soccer. Going swimming is a good idea. 4. Clean air is important. If you are free, you can go to the park and enjoy clean air. 5. Your teeth are important. You should brush your teeth twice a day. 6. Sleep is important, too. Go to bed early. Don't stay up late, or you will feel sleepy. The writer wants us not to _ . Answer: eat much meat Three years ago, five parrots were set free in a wild place of Arizona, thousands of miles from the Channel Islands in Jersey where they had been looked after by zookeepers. No evolutionary strategies informed them how to behave in this new landscape of mountainous pine forest unoccupied by their kind for 50 years. To the researchers' surprise, they failed to make contact with a group of wild parrots imported from Mexico and set free at the same time. Within 24 hours the reintroducing ended in failure, and the poor birds were back in cages, on their way to the safety of the Arizona reintroduction programme. Ever since then, the programme has enjoyed great success, mainly because the birds now being set free are Mexican birds illegally caught in the wild, confiscated on arrival north of the border, and raised by their parents in the safety of the programme. The experience shows how little we know about the behaviour and psychology of parrots, as Peter Bennett, a bird researcher, points out: "Reintroducing species of high intelligence like parrots is a lot more difficult. People like parrots, always treating them as nothing more than pets or valuable 'collectables'." Now that many species of parrot are in immediate danger of dying out, biologists are working together to study the natural history and the behaviour of this family of birds. Last year was an important turning point: conservationists founded the World Parrot Trust, based at Hayle in Cornwall, to support research into both wild and caged birds. Research on parrots is vital for two reasons. First, as the Arizona programme showed, when reintroducing parrots to the wild, we need to be aware of what the birds must know if they are to survive in their natural home. We also need to learn more about the needs of parrots kept as pets, particularly as the Trust's campaign does not attempt to discourage the practice, but rather urges people who buy parrots as pets to choose birds raised by humans. According to the passage, people are advised _ . Answer: not to keep wild parrots as pets There is a big zoo in our city. There are lots of different animals in it. There are some scary tigers and lions. They like eating meat and they eat much meat every day. There are also two big elephants and a baby one. Children like to ride them. The elephants are very kind and friendly. They eat much grass and bananas. In the zoo, we can also see different kinds of bears----brown bears, black bears and white bears. They are all slow and clumsy. They stand on their back legs and lift their front legs to ask for food. They like cakes very much. Do you like pandas? There's only one in the zoo. Her name is Lingling, she is very cute. She likes eating bamboo a lot. She is kind of shy. She is very interesting and lovely. There aren't _ bears in the zoo . Answer: grey Mrs Brown has a big garden and she likes growing vegetables very much. There are many kinds of vegetables in Mrs Brown's garden. She looks after them and the vegetables look very nice. The vegetables grow well and Mrs Brown wants to make dinner with them one day. Today, it is sunny. Mrs Brown's son, four-year-old Johnson, is playing in the garden. Mrs Brown is cleaning the house. Suddenly ,Johnson runs in and says, "Mom, Mom! Come to the garden! Our neighbor's ducks are in the garden and they are eating our vegetables." But it is too late. The ducks eat up all the vegetables. Mrs Brown is very sad and her neighbor is very sorry. After a few days, the neighbor brings a box to Mrs Brown. There is a roast duck in the box. And there is also a piece of paper in it. Some words are on _ : I am sorry. Enjoy your vegetables. The best title of the passage is " _ ". Answer: Enjoy your vegetables. Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice. Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier. Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below. The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica's ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice. The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf. Sixty percent of the Earth's fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science. How did Eric Rignot and his team do the research? Answer: They used satellite observations, radar and computer models to know the things happening below the ice.
Asia has many wild places. The following national parks are among the most famous in Asia. People come to visit them from near and far in order to appreciate the unique qualities of the land and everything on it. Have you ever visited any of these Asian national parks? Jiuzhai Valley National Park, China The extraordinarily beautiful park is famous for its fascinating blue-green lakes, waterfalls and its unique wildlife. Located in the Minshan Mountain, Sichuan Province, it is a breathtaking park because of its scenery and it is also home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered animals and plants, such as giant pandas, Sichuan golden monkeys and numerous _ . This park was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Khao Sok National Park, Thailand This extraordinary park is several miles away from Phuket , yet its remoteness prevents it from being visited. Even so, it is well worth a visit as scientists have noted that is rainforest stretches are not only longer than those of the Amazon, but also more divers . Animals like tigers, Asian elephants, and macaaues make their home here. Everyone who visits the park, however, seems to want to have a look at the amazing Rafflesia, one of the strangest flowering plants on earth; it smells like smelly meat when it blooms. Nikko National Park, Japan It is lovely to visit this park all the year round with its waterfalls and picturesque Lake Chuzenji. And it is especially worth visiting in autumn when the leaves change from green to deep red and orange. Set with UNESCO protected shrines and temples, the park is a unique mixture of natural and man-made attractions. With various routes perfect for adventurous hikers, a visit to the Nikko National Park is not to be missed. If you want to know more information about Asian famous national parks, you can log in http://www.travel.Amerikanki.com. If you want to enjoy all the above, welcome to call 050-24689120, and we can give a reasonable price. If you're an adventurous hiker, which park would you probably choose to visit? Answer: Nikko National Park. As I walked along the Edgware Road, I felt as though the world was closing in on me. All the sounds I take for granted, had gone. I had entered a world of silence. This unsettling experience occurred a few weeks ago when I agreed to go deaf for the day to support the work of the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, for which I am an ambassador. When I managed to take a cab to the office of my manager, Gavin, I couldn't hear what the taxi driver was saying to me. Conversation was impossible. Then, when I reached the office, I had to ring the intercom five times as I couldn't hear a response. Everybody said I was shouting at them--- I simply wasn't aware of how loudly I was speaking as I couldn't hear my own voice. Gavin kept telling me my phone was ringing, but I didn't realize. I was too busy trying to concentrate on reading his lips. And when he tried to tell me a code to put into my phone, I had to keep asking him to repeat it, more slowly. Eventually he lost his patience and snapped at me: "Just give me the phone!" I was shocked. People couldn't be bothered to repeat themselves, so they kept trying to do things for me that I was perfectly capable of doing myself. I felt I'd lost control. Being deaf for the day was extraordinarily tiring. I had to work so hard to "listen" with my eyes, get people's attention and use my other senses to make up for my lack of hearing. It was a huge, exhausting effort. Until that experience I didn't realize how much I took my own hearing for granted, or the sorts of emotions and experiences deaf people go through. If a deaf person asks you to repeat something, never think: "It doesn't matter." It does matter. What can be inferred from the passage? Answer: Many ordinary people just take hearing for granted until they lose it. Turns out we aren't good at walking and talking at the same time, according to a study of pedestrians on their cell phones. Nearly one-third of pedestrians (29.8% ) were distracted by their mobile devices while crossing the street, say researchers of a study published online in the journal Injury Prevention. Just as drivers who text, talk on cell phones, or adjust MP3 players increase their risk of losing control of their vehicles, pedestrians distracted by their conversations or their devices also put themselves at higher risk of getting into an accident. During the summer of 2012, scientists in Seattle, Wash. , studied 1,102 pedestrians at 20 crossroads seeing the city * s highest number of pedestrian injuries over the past few years. They watched how pedestrians crossed the street @ whether they looked both ways or obeyed the crossroad signal @ and also recorded how long it took pedestrians to do so.Distractions included listening to music with headphones, using a cell phone or earpiece to talk on a cell phone, text messaging, and talking with another person. Overall, researchers found the most common distraction among pedestrians was listening to music (11.2%), followed by text messaging (7.3%), and using a handheld phone(6.2%). But the most absorbing distraction was texting. Compared to pedestrians who were not distracted, those who were texting took 1.87 seconds longer to cross and were four times more likely to not look where they were going, disobey traffic lights, or cross outside of the crosswalk. While the study did not track injuries related to these trends, previous studies have linked such activities to a higher risk of being injured while crossing the street. Combined with the rise in the use of mobile devices, especially smart phones, the results raise concerns that multi-tasking while walking may be a rising concern for pedestrians. And that danger may only climb, as the number of wireless devices has already _ the population of the United States. Last year, roughly 1,152 people wound up in the emergency room to treat injuries caused by using a cell phone or electronic device, the Consumer Product Safety Commission told the Associated Press in July. Those numbers may be underestimated, however, because patients may not always admit that they were using their phones along with other activities such as walking or driving when they were hurt. The scientists did their study at the 20 crossroads in order to _ . Answer: record more samples It's hard to imagine life without the Internet. How greatly it has changed our lives in the past 15 years since it was widely used. At the same time, however, the Internet has also caused some traditions to fall away . E-mail is quicker and cheaper. Getting a handwritten letter from a friend has become a rare pleasure. Who would like to pay 60 yuan for 12 songs in a plastic case if you can find music in the Internet for free? When almost any fact can be found within seconds through Google and Baidu, personal memory becomes less important. The Web can remember it for us. When was the last time you watched the world out of a window? When was the last time you read a favorite book once again? When was the last time you sat in the cinema with your family? More and more people lose themselves in the Internet. They show less interest and spend less time in the outside world. You've spent the past few years talking with your friends on QQ, or reading about his or her QQ square, so meeting a friend is no longer as important as it once was. Have you ever found yourself doing homework with one eye on a QQ Space window? A growing number of people say the Internet is stopping young people from fixing their attention on anything for a long time. When you surf the Internet, it feels like something you're enjoying and nobody knows it. But when you realize just how many people are watching your every move, it might just make you mad. Many people have realized their personal information can be found easily in the Internet even they don't want to. According to the passage, the Internet has been widely used since _ ago. Answer: 15 years A lot of animals would avoid Answer: piles of discarded diapers
Swimmers Wanted Can you swim? Do you like kids? Can you help them with swimming on weekends? Come and join us. Call Jane at 330-8976 for more information . Chess Club Do you like to play chess? Mr Chen can teach you. You can come here every Friday afternoon. Tel: 623-1940 Add: Room 102 in School's P.E. Building Let's Learn French Can you speak French? Do you want to learn French? Join the French club now. Time: 9:00 am--11:30 am(from Monday to Friday) Call Henry at 543-1248. Musicians Wanted Boys and girls, are you music lovers? Can you sing or dance? Can you play any instruments ? Welcome to our Star Rock Band. Please call Victor at 891-3453 or send an email to music@yahoo.com. ,. You love music and you want to be a singer . What can you do? Answer: Today is Sunday. It is sunny. Kate and her friends go to the beach. There are lots of people here now. Some are playing volleyball. Others are swimming in the sea. Look at this group of people singing and taking a sunbath on the beach. After swimming for some time, Kate feels very tired. So she has a rest at the swimming club on the beach. Where are Kate's best friends? Susan is learning to swim in the water. Gina is helping her to learn swimming. Susan is clever. I think she can swim soon. ,. Kate and Susan are _ on Sunday. Answer: When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way--even if you have no feet. Gabriel Muniz, an 11-year-old Brazil kid, was born without feet. Although his family thought he would have serious difficulties living a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell. It took him a while to make the jump from walking to playing football, but he did make it. And, in fact, there's nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, the skillful youngster is not only the best player in his school team but also the captain of his gym team. He knows that his disability means he'll never be able to play for a professional football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football will one day become a Paralympics sport. He proved to everyone there he could go head to head with any other boy. Watching him play is unbelievable. He's fast and he's got a big bag of tricks--he's very skilled and he does everything he can to copy his hero, Messi so much that he is invited to go to Spain to meet his hero Messi and show his talent in the Barcelona Football Club. His coach says he is proving the disability only exists inside our heads and he is challenging the social . What is the best title of the passage? Answer: When I was 11, I threw a glance into Dad's lunch box and made the unexpected discovery that my mother still showed her love towards my father. The evidence, a napkin resting on top of the sandwiches packed in wax paper, was certain "Love you!" she had written on the napkin. " Meat loaf for supper!" Mom penned all kinds of messages to Dad on those paper napkins, and he saved a whole pile of them. What embarrassed me as a kid has become a precious memory of my parents. It also started my own brand of lunch box notes. When my kids were young, I'd glue little drawings on their lunches. Lots of sketches of our dog, Max, along with smiling flowers. When they were teenagers, I'd copy words of wisdom from great people, Einstein, for example, or Bruce Springsteen. Then, my kids grew up making their own handwritten notes. And my husband writes me love notes on recycled paper, because he's all about being green. Friends who know about my lunch box notes eagerly share stories of their own family traditions. So many focus on food. Maura's mom always drew hearts on the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Melinda wrote messages on her kids' bananas. We're into the third generation of lunch box notes in our home. Whenever my 3-year-old grandson, Clayton, spends the night, he knows his lunch is going to have a napkin note from Grandma in the morning. Last week, I drew a picture of me, waving widely and shouting his name. He took one look at it and screamed, " Where's Grandpa?" I added a man in a clean shirt. " You forgot his tie," he said. I quickly drew a line of stripes down the front of the shirt. Clayton smiled. "Grandpa," he whispered, running his fingers across the napkin. "It's you!" What's the best title for the text? Answer: BEIJING--Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has visited the "left-behind" children whose parents are working in cities before Children's Day. During a visit to northwest China's Shanxi Province, Wen visited the home of Yang Saike, a primary school boy in a village of Xingping City. Yang, whose parents were working in Fujian, thousands of kilometers away, was cared for by his grandparents. His parents fail to go home even once a year. Wen talked with many children and asked them many questions about their schooling and life. "You are so pretty," Wen said to Liu Mengqi, a seven-year-old girl living with her grandmother. Liu's parents were also working in the city. "Have you been to school yet?" Wen asked two other girls. "We are going to the pre-school class," said one. "Mom and dad at home?" Wen asked. The children shook their heads. "Children cannot see their parents very often, which is a new problem in the country-side. We should give them more care and love," said the premier. The premier asked local governments to do something to protect and care for such children at home and freeing their parents in cities from worries about their children. Wen says a new problem in the country is that "left-behind" children _ . Answer:
The first time that I had heard the term"EQ"was in the fall of 1995 when the book Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman, was widely covered by the American press. The widespread research presented in the book supported my own observations and doubts about life and emotions, and told me that I was on the right track to go after happiness. The research continues to confirm what I had concluded on my own: These feelings are extremely important to individual health, happiness, and social harmony. This might seem a bit obvious, but it was not always obvious to me. I grew up in a family where we didn't talk about feelings. We talked about ideas, concepts and principles. As a result, I could tell you what I thought about everything, but I couldn't tell you how I felt about anything. After several failed relationships, I took time off to reflect on my life and realized I had made many decisions which resulted in unhappiness for myself and others. After studying the literature on emotions and feelings, I concluded that most of my poor decisions could be directly due to what is now called low emotional intelligence, or low EQ, for short. Previously, I struggled to find happiness through the traditional routes--material success. Now, however, I realize that: There's not much point having either wealth or relationships if you aren't happy. It is hard to be happy with others if you aren't happy yourself. It is hard to be happy alone if you don't feel good about yourself, i.e. have high selfesteem and selfconfidence. It is hard to have good feelings about yourself if you don't have good emotional management skills. Emotional management skills, the main subject of EQ, are, therefore, one of the most basic elements of happiness. A person who can't feel happy himself _ . will not get on well with others Almost a decade after the hit Finding Nemo made clownfish seem totally warm and lovable, environmentalists are now looking for a real-life sequel: Saving Nemo. In the United States, a request has been made to extend the protections of the Endangered Species Act to marine species including the clownfish. But before you start shedding tears for Nemo and his buddies, keep in mind that this request is not based on any evidence of a decline in the clownfish population. Instead, what has sparked concern is the worsening health of coral reefs, which more than one million aquatic species including the clownfish depend on to thrive, even survive. In ways it makes more sense to move to protect a species when its habitat declines rather than its actual population. The most important mission of the Endangered Species Act is the protection of species' habitats; without their habitats, there's almost no hope of saving endangered animals, except perhaps in a zoo. Earlier this year, alarming news came about the world's largest coral reef system, Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR,). A study has shown the Reef is in sharp decline, with half of its coral cover gone in the past 27 years. Katharina Fabricius, an Australian coral reef ecologist co-authoring the study, has been diving and working on the GBR since 1988--and has watched the decline. "There are still a lot of fish ... but not the same color1 and diversity as in the past," she said. The study team used information from more than 2,000 surveys to determine the rate of decline between 1985 and 2012. That overall 50-percent decline, they estimate, is a yearly loss of about 3.4 percent of the Reef. If the trend continued, the coral cover could halve again by 2022. Several main factors are responsible for the decline, the study found. Intense tropical cyclones , believed to be fueled by global warming, have caused massive damage to reefs in the central and southern parts of the Reef. Meanwhile, population explosions of the coral-consuming crown-of-thorns starfish have affected coral populations along the length of the Reef. Two severe coral bleaching events, caused by ocean warming, have also had major damaging impacts in northern and central parts of the GBR. A request has been made in the United States to save the clownfish because _ . the health of its habitat is worsening Consumers everywhere are faced with the same dilemma: given limited resources, what sorts of purchases are most likely to produce lasting happiness and satisfaction? Recent research has confirmed that experiential purchases tend to produce greater hedonic gains than material purchases. The reason why experiences improve with time may be because it is possible to think about experiences in a more abstract manner than possessions. For example, if you think back to a fantastic summer from your youth, you might easily remember an abstract sense of warm sunshine and youthful exuberant , but you're less likely to remember exactly what you did day-by-day. Material possessions are harder to think about in an abstract sense. The car you bought is still a car, that great new jacket you picked up cheap is still just a jacket. It's more likely the experience of that summer has taken on a symbolic meaning that can live longer in your memory than a possession. Purchasing may have a negative impact on happiness because consumers often buy "joyless" material possessions, resulting in comfort but not pleasure. In general, people adapt to experiences more slowly than to material purchase. This can be seen in both negative and positive purchases: hedonic adaptation would result in a positive experience causing more happiness but a negative experience causing less happiness than the comparable material purchase with the same initial happiness level. Experience, however, seems to be more resistant to these sorts of unfavourable comparisons. It is because of the unique nature of experience. It's more difficult to make an unfavourable comparison when there is nothing directly comparable. After all, each of our youthful summers is different. It's well established that social comparisons can have a huge effect on how we view what might seem like positive events. One striking example is the finding that people prefer to earn $50,000 a year while everyone else earns $25,000, instead of earning $100,000 themselves and having other people earn $200,000. A similar effect is seen for possessions. When there are so many flat-screen HD TVs to choose from, it's easy to make unfavourable comparisons between our choice and the others available. An abstract sense in the passage refers to awareness of something _ . you cannot see or touch Which is the most likely response of a human to an increase in temperature? increasing the amount of perspiration Have you ever been bitten? Of course you have. You are surrounded by living things which might, or do, bite. Even when you rest your head on your pillow, bedbugs are probably nibbling away at you. They live happily inside most pillows. Take a walk outside and you are a target for "man's best friend. " Hundreds of dog-bite victims visit US emergency rooms daily. Many bites are terrible. To avoid the dogs in your neighborhood, you might want to hike into the desert or the woods. There, you run the risk of bites from rattlesnakes, scorpions, and blood-sucking ticks. Not to mention bears, wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions. Speaking of housing, watch out when you touch the corner of your house or garage. Shy but deadly, the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider make themselves comfortable in quiet areas of your closets or garage. One bite from either of them can make you very sick; occasionally, people die from such bites. Unfortunately, many people fear all spiders, not just the few dangerous ones. They squash them or run from them at first sight, not realizing that most spiders are actually beneficial to man. If you're concerned about bites, don't forget about rabid animal bites. Any warm-blooded animal can get infected with rabies. Although humans in the US rarely get attacked by rabid animals, the disease is painful and dangerous. You will most likely die if you are not treated properly within 48 hours of being bitten. According to the 2nd passage, "man's best friend" is _ . Dogs
It's important to learn things about protecting environment. Here's a 5Rs rule for us. Reduce If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely. A large number of trees are being cut down to make paper. If everyone uses paper carelessly and then throws it away, soon we would not have any trees left. Some other things are also being wasted, and people don't know what to do with waste in big cities, so it's necessary to reduce waste. Reuse You should always think of reusing the usable things before throwing them away. Give your clothes or things you don't use to the poor. In a family, you may pass such clothes on to your younger brothers or sisters. Recycle Bottles, cans and paper can easily be recycled. By doing so we save lots of time and money, for example, cola cans are sent to a factory, where they're smashed flat and smelted , and the metal things are made into new cola cans. Recover When you buy a box of apples, there may be a few rotten apples, you have two choice: one is to throw the whole apples away, or you should cut off the rotten parts and use the good parts. In this way, you are recovering the eatable parts of food. *Repair If one of the legs of your table is broken, you can repair it instead of throwing the table away. If you want to change for better ones, it's better for you to sell the old ones or give them to other people who can use them after doing some repair. The "Reuse" rule mainly requires us _ . Answer: to give the old but usable things to the poor "Iris scan , please," the bank's computer voice tells you. You step up and the computer reads your eye, comparing it to the stored file it has of your iris. The images had better match---otherwise, you won't be able to get your money. Iris scanning and other technologies, such as fingerprint and voice scanning, have appeared in many science fiction movies in the past. Today, these advanced technologies are part of the real world. They are common at work, the bank, the airport, and your local prison. The iris scan, fingerprint scan, and voice scan are all examples of biometrics , a fast developing area of automatic personal identification technology. Basically, biometrics uses various ways to verify a person's identity, based on the individual's unique characteristics, including fingerprints, signature, and so on. Biometrics identification systems have a number of advantages over password systems. The primary advantage is that an individual has to be physically present in order to be identified. Another important advantage is that there are no passwords to remember, forget, lose, or steal. The voice scan is the simplest and most affordable form of biometrics. It only requires a computer, a microphone, and the correct software. The software records a subject's voice and then compares it to a stored voice sample for identification purpose. For additional safety, fingerprint and handprint scans can also be employed. Fingerprint scans take the image of a fingerprint and compare it to a stored file of prints. Handprint scans identify the unique features of a hand. Which is the most accurate form of biometrics? Answer: The iris scan Hainan is in the south of China. The weather there is different from that of other areas of China. There is no winter in Hainan. It's not cold all year round. Many people go there in winter, because it's cold in the north of China. In summer, it's very hot. It's usually sunny, but it often rains. So people often take a pair of sunglasses and a raincoat at the same time. People can enjoy many kinds of fruits like bananas and coconuts there, too. Hainan is a good place to go for holidays and have fun. People can go fishing, boating, swimming and so on. When we want to have a rest, we can walk on the beach and enjoy the fresh air and white clouds. It's so interesting. Would you like to go to Hainan? Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: Many people go to Hainan because it's very hot. When talking about picking a right school, a mother and teacher gave some pieces of advice. In the latest issue of Youth magazine, the mother shared the school advice she gave her daughters with young people across the country. "I've told my daughters many times that I don't want them to choose a name," the mother said. "I don't want them to think, 'Oh, I should go to these top schools.' We live in a country with hundreds of excellent universities. So the first question is: what's going to work for me?" "When it was time to prepare for picking schools, nobody around me believed I could get into Xiamen University. But through hard work I finally made it," she continued. "So, my second piece of advice is: believe in yourself, no matter what other people might say. Once your goal is set, you only need to try your best to make it come true." "The last piece of advice is not to be worried even if your dreams don't come true. As I've said above, there are so many good universities out there. So it's important for everybody to understand that you can always find a university that gives you a great education." To explain her second piece of advice, the mother gave _ . Answer: a story of her own Can you remember a morning when you've woken up to the ring of your alarm clock and wished you could stay in bed? You haven't slept well, your hair is a mess. Worse, you can't stop yawning. Yawning is universal to humans and many animals. Cats, dogs and fish yawn just like humans do! Yawning is an involuntary(,) action during which you open your mouth and breathe deeply. The average duration of a yawn is about 6 seconds. The purpose and cause of yawning are still a mystery. Scientists are not sure what causes a yawn. People yawn when they are tired or bored, but they also yawn when they aren't. There are many ideas explaining why we yawn. One idea is that yawning is a way for the body to become more alert by taking in more oxygen. A yawn increases the heart rate, forces carbon dioxide out of the lungs and blood stream, and brings oxygen to the brain. But one study showed that volunteers given a lot of oxygen did not yawn any less than before, while those given a lot of carbon dioxide did not yawn more. Another idea is that early humans used yawning as a form of communication. If one decided it was time to sleep, they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed. A third explanation comes from psychology professor Gordon Gallup of University at Albany in New York. He said that as people yawn, they cool off their brains. "Brains are like computers." he said. "They only operate efficiently and effectively when they're cool. Many things connected to yawning, like being tired, make the brain hot, and yawning can reduce the heat." Scientists have sent people into space, and created terrible nuclear weapons, but there are lots of seemingly simple things, such as why we yawn, or hiccup , that they can't figure out. Next time you are in class in the morning, let out a big yawn and watch to see how many of your classmates yawn in response! What's the purpose of the description of how bad you may feel when you're woken up in the morning? Answer: To lead into the topic of yawning.
How can H2O on the ground eventually rise into the sky? Answer: Money and Happiness A Guide to Living the Good Life Author: Laura Rowley Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2016) Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term. Happiness The Science Behind Your Smile Author: Daniel Nettle Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2016) This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more. The Happiness Makeover How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day Author: M. J. Ryan Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2016) Ryan's own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world.The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you: Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes. Learn to think confidently. Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life. Health and Happiness Hormones and Qualities Llives Author: Steven F. Hotze Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2016) Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms with the familiar "anti" drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health. In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning. Based on a process of biologically the same hormones and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life. According to the passage, which of the following books was the first to come out? Answer: Many American youngsters earn their own allowance by doing temporary jobs for their neighbors. Babysitting is one of the common of these jobs. Most couples do not have maids or relatives living with them, and they need to have someone watch the children if they want to go out. Another way is by mowing lawn in summer and clearing snow from sidewalks and driveways in winter. Many people mow their own lawns,but often people prefer to give the job to a neighbor's child. In winter, snow clearing from streets and highways is the government's responsibility. Homeowners or tenants, however, must clear sidewalks and driveways. Since clearing snow is very tiring, many people prefer to hire teenagers for this job rather than do it themselves. Besides, many American teenagers usually work two to three hours after school and all day on Saturday or Sunday at the local supermarket. They work as cashiers or stockroom clerks. Or they help customers carry things to their cars. Other favorite jobs are waiting on tables in restaurants or working part-time at stores or gas stations. By earning their own allowance,teenagers acquire a feeling of independence and a sense of responsibility which prepares them for a productive life in society. How do American youngsters earn their allowance? Which one is NOT one of the ways? Answer: At high elevations, there is little risk of flooding, but at low elevations, what will happen? Answer: Online clothes shoppers will be told exactly what size is best. for them using new software which combines with their web camera or smart phone to form a"3D tape measure". Scientists from Surrey University and design experts from the London College of Fashion are developing a program which can take precise waist, hip, chest and other measurements from camera images. Using the person's height as a starting point,the software will be able to build up a 3D image and estimate their size at various different points on the body, based on their overall proportions. The result will be a more accurate sizing guide than previous systems based on waist size or a "small/medium/large"scale, which rely on limited measurements and the buyer's perception of their own body size. Shoppers and retailers who choose to sign up for the project could save millions of pounds a year in postage costs by removing the need to order multiple sizes of the same garment and send back ill-fitting clothes, researchers claimed. The project, sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EPSRC), is expected to be brought to market within two years. After choosing an item, the shopper will activate the software, enter their height, stand in front of their webcam or smart phone in their underwear and take a photograph. The software will not store or transmit the image to the internet, but will use it to judge the person's dimensions at various points on their body. Philip Delamore of the London College of Fashion said:"The potential benefits for the fashion industry and for shoppers are huge. Currently, it's common for online shoppers to order two or three different sizes of the same item of clothing at the same time, as they're unsure which one will fit best." How can the 3D tape measure benefit online shoppers? Answer:
Question: Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar, but also about understanding the culture. Here is some important advice to remember when speaking English in the United States. Americans have difficulties understanding foreign accents. Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you. Talk about places: Americans love to talk about places. When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they come from and then say something about that place. For example: "Oh, I have a friend who worked in Los Angeles. He says it's a beautiful place to live in." Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences of living in or visiting that city or place. Talk about work: It is common for Americans to ask "What do you do?" It's not considered impolite as in some countries and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers. Talk about sports: Americans love sports! However, they love American sports. When speaking about football, most Americans understand "American football", not soccer. *Be careful when expressing ideas about race, religion or other sensitive topics:The United States is a society with different cultures. Americans are very sensitive to other cultures and ideas. The writer gives some advice mainly on _ . A. talking with Americans B. working with Americans C. speaking American English D. understanding American society Answer: A Question: Suppose you are thinking about attending college in the United States, but perhaps you might not be ready for a university with a four-year program. About 88,000 international students have found solution. They are attending U.S. community colleges. Such colleges are sometimes called junior colleges. They offer two years of education above the secondary or high school level. Community college students can choose from subjects like medical assistance, computer science or law. At the end of their study program, they receive a document of completion, called a certificate. Some students work toward an associate degree in traditional academic subjects like science or history. After getting it, the students can move on to a four-year college or university. They may have only two years of study left before they receive a bachelor's degree. Many educational experts agree that saving money is the major reason to consider a community college. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) says that a public two-year college costs 3,000 dollar a year on average. That is true if the student lives in the same state as the school. A student at a four-year public college may pay 8,500 dollars a year for classes and user fees. That does not include books and other materials. Some international students may need more preparation in English before entering a community college in the United States. For example, Istrif Montgomery came to the U.S. from Kosovo in 2006. First, he worked to improve his English at Montgomery College for a year. Then for the next two years, he attended classes in basic subjects in a community college. The international students at two-year colleges need to find a place to live. Most community colleges do not provide student housing on their grounds. But Mr Montgomery had a home nearby. He was able to ride the bicycle, and he was able to walk if he wanted. In fact, most community college students live within five to ten miles off the college. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. Mr Montgomery usually goes to school on foot. B. Most students in community colleges don't live far away. C. 8,500 dollars covers all the cost of a four-year public college. D. International students often attend a community college directly. Answer: B Question: If you go into the forest with friends, stay with them. If you don't, you may get lost. Sit down and stay where you are. Don't try to find your friends, but let them find you instead . You can help them find you by staying in one place. There is another way to help your friends or other people to find you. You can shout or whistle three times. Stop for a while. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a help. Keep up shouting or whistling. Always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making a noise for fun. They will let you know that they have heard your signal. They will give you two shouts or two whistles. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help. If you don't think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house with branches . Make yourself a bed with leaves and grass. When you need some water, you have to leave your little branch house to look for it. Don't just walk away. _ When you are lost, the most important thing to do is stay in one place. Which of the following statement is RIGHT? A. If you get lost in the forest, you should try your best to find your friends. B. When you hear whistles for twice, that means someone needs help. C. If you leave branches to look for water, you can find your way back easily. D. When you are lost, the important thing to do is to cry. Answer: C Question: My name is Mimi. I'm black and white. I like sitting on the chair in the sun in winter. Do you know my favorite food? It is fish. I don't like apples. I can climb trees. I can sing " Miao, miao". What am I? Can you guess? What does Mimi like doing in winter? A. Sitting in the sun. B. Running. C. Dancing. D. Singing Answer: A Question: Scientists have long puzzled over how iguanas, a group of lizards mostly found in the Americas, came to live in the isolated Pacific islands of Fiji and Tonga. Some scientists used to suppose that they must have traveled there on a raft, a journey of around 5,000 miles from South America to the islands. There are documented cases of iguanas reaching remote Caribbean islands and the Galapagos Islands on floating logs. But new research in January by Brice Noonan and Jack Sites suggested that iguanas may have simply walked to Fiji and Tonga when the islands were still a part of an ancient southern supercontinent. The ancient supercontinent was made up of present-day Africa, Australia, Antarctica and parts of Asia. If that's the case, the island species would need to be very old. Using "molecular clock" analysis of living iguanas' DNA, Noonan and Sites found that, sure enough, _ has been around for more than 60 million years--easily old enough to have been in the area when the islands were still connected by land bridges to Asia or Australia. Fossils uncovered in Mongolia suggest that iguanid ancestors did once live in Asia. Though there's currently no fossil evidence of iguanas in Australia, that doesn't necessarily mean they were never there. "The fossil record of this continent is surprisingly poor and cannot be taken as evidence of true absence," the authors write. So if the iguanas simply walked to Fiji and Tonga from Asia or possibly Australia, why are they not also found on the rest of the Pacific islands? Noonan and Sites say fossil evidence suggests that iguana species did once inhabit other islands, but went extinct right around the time when humans settled in those islands. But Fiji and Tonga have a much shorter history of human presence, which may have helped the iguanas living there to escape extinction. The researchers say that their study can't completely rule out the rafting theory, but it does make the land bridge theory "far more reasonable than previously thought." What did some scientists previously believe about the iguanas? A. They were once discovered in America. B. They traveled by raft to Fiji and Tonga. C. They could survive in poor living conditions. D. They moved to Fiji and Tonga from Australia. Answer: B
Alex was right next to his close friend when he heard a strange noise. He was afraid of this noise so he built a shield. From behind the shield, Alex had to shout, "Who is there?" Then he saw an animal that had a green stripe across its back. Alex was scared. Then the animal stepped into a plate filled with frosting and the animal slipped and fell on the ground. Alex had to be quiet so he could get to the out and to the playground without the animal hearing him. After he was far enough away, Alex started to run very fast. He ran and ran until he finally made it to the playground where he hid for the rest of the day in the sand box. When he felt safe he called his mother and had her pick him up and get away. When his mom got there, Alex said, "Thank you for coming to get me mom, I was so scared." His mom told him, "You are very welcome Alex. I'm here whenever you need me." Where was Alex when he called his mom? A on a plate B with the animal C eating frosting D in the sand box Answer: D Does your local town have a nickname? If so, what does it say about the area and the people who live there? Many cities are recognized across the world by their unofficial names. New York is the Big Apple, London is the Big Smoke, and Los Angeles is famously called La La Land. Now, as part of English Language Day on Wednesd ay, two British organizations, the English Project and Ordnance Survey, are launching an interactive project which aims to identify the nicknames which people use in their daily lives for the places which they like or dislike. "The name that people create for a place forms a connection with feelings," explains Winchester University's Professor Bill Lucas, a patron of the English Project. "So Basingstoke becomes Amazingstoke; Swindon is known as Swindump and Padstow, hometown of chef Rick Stein, is nicknamed Padstein." Basingstoke is a town in central England. The local nickname, Amazingstoke, shows the love that locals seem to have for the area. Swindon, on the other hand, is sometimes called Swindump, showing that some people think it's a dump ( ). Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals. And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely connected with the local famous person Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein. Since launching the online survey last week, the creators have already received 3,000 alternative titles for places and landmarks. As well as creating what promises to be a fascinating resource of nicknames, there is a practical side to the project. "With the huge variety of place nicknames that exist, we could never hope to collect them all ourselves," says Glen Hart, Ordnance Survey's head of research. "But the information from the project could prove vital. Organizations like the emergency services rely on our information when responding to 999 calls, so by having the most complete set of nicknames we could help the emergency services quickly locate the right place, and maybe even save lives." Unlike the town Basingstoke, Swindon is a place that _ . A has a long history B attracts a lot of tourists C has few people living there D seems unpleasant to some people Answer: D 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". Which is a popular activity in the early twentieth century? A Watching TV B Riding the electric streetcars C Listening to the radio D Bicycling Answer: D With a microscope, you see that an object has a cell wall, a chloroplast, and a nucleus. What is being observed? A a plant cell B an animal cell C a male organism D a female organism Answer: A "We are good mothers," I said to my friend, as we sat on our comfortable beach chairs under our beach umbrella and watched our children playing in the waves. Out of nowhere, the children took off running. About fifty yards from us, a man--maybe in his fifties--was fishing. The children stood next to him and watched with their little mouths hanging open as he cast the fishing lines. He smiled at them. They ran back to us--all except my three-year-old daughter, Drew. My heart beat fast with horror. "Drew! Come here! Play with your friends!" I shouted, very aware that my speeches about not talking to strangers weren't working. It seemed that many parents heard of horrible stories about children being taken away by strangers. Responsible mothers should teach their children that the world is a dangerous place. So I felt relieved when Drew ran towards me and took hold of a shovel . Then she looked me in the eye: "I want to be with the person." Again, she approached the middle-aged man, and started digging next to him. Several seconds later, she returned, waving something shiny. "Look, Mommy! A toy fish!" It was, indeed, a toy fish--yellow and rubber. This must have been what he was using to attract the fish. And he'd given it to Drew. The three other children were deeply impressed, and they didn't try to hide how jealous they were--clearly, they all wanted the fish. "My friend gave me that fish!" Drew shouted loudly. The sand in front of the umbrella turned into a preschool cage match with a yellow rubber fish flying through the air. I felt like I might cry myself. Unexpectedly, there he was: the man, standing right next to us with three more rubber fish in hand. He handed them to each of the children. By their faces, you would have thought he was actually the really kind big brother. "Thank you," I said, realizing that there is good and kindness in strangers. The author thinks good mothers should _ . A be around their kids B warn their kids of danger C teach their kids to behave well D devote themselves to helping their kids Answer: B
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ---- About 140 pilot whales that stranded(...) themselves on a remote stretch of New Zealand beach have died, but conservation workers and volunteers are hoping the remaining 60 or so will survive after they managed to get them refloated, an official said Saturday. The geography of Farewell Spit on the South Island seems to work against whales, which regularly become stranded there. The stranding of 198 whales on Friday was one of the largest in recent years and inspired 80 workers and volunteers to help out. By late Saturday, 140 of the whales had died, said Department of Conservation area manager Andrew Lamason. He said the workers and volunteers worked throughout the day to keep the surviving whales watered and covered before refloating them during Saturday night's high tide. "We've had a really good crew of volunteers, and people have been wanting to come from all over the country,"Lamason said. He said the surviving whales had moved to deeper water. But he cautioned that although hopes for their survival were high, whales had been refloated in the past only to return and get stranded again. Lamason said the scale of the stranding has been tough on the helpers, both physically and mentally. "It's very sad, they're very intelligent animals," he said. "The common view is that it's part of nature." The focus will now turn to the dead whales, and the enormous task of dealing with the remains, Lamason said, adding that in the past helpers have typically buried them in the sand, but that he's not sure what the approach will be this time. He said the department had been experimenting with moving the the dead whales into the water, which has the advantage of providing food for other sea creatures. Why did the volunteers have to wait until Saturday before they could refloat the whales? A. Because they were very busy on Friday. B. Because they had to wait for the sea water to rise. C. Because the whales were too intelligent. D. Because the whales were buried deep in the sand. Answer: B. Because they had to wait for the sea water to rise. The main reason people want to use wind as an energy source is because there is A. make cookies B. Sing songs C. smile D. an everlasting supply Answer: D. an everlasting supply The Italian island of Sardinia recently lost its oldest citizen. Family members say Antonio Todde died in his sleep early this month. Mr. Todde was 112 years old. It was less than three weeks away from his 113thbirthday. Record-keeping experts say he was the world's oldest man. His long life and that of other very old Sardinians are the subjects of a scientific project called Akea. Luca Deiana of Sassari University is directing the study. He says the name Akea comes from a traditional greeting on Sardinia. It means"health and life for 100 years". Professor Deiana and his team started to collect information for the study in 1997. They identified more than 220 Sardinians who were centenarians--100years old or older. His team required three documents to confirm a person's age. They were a government birth record, a church record and a statement by a close family member. The Akea study has produced two major findings. The first is Sardinia's extremely high number of centenarians. The island had about 135 centenarians for every one million people. In other Western countries, the average is about seventy five centenarians for every one million people. The second major finding is an unusual rate of female to male centenarians. Sardinia has two women centenarians for every male centenarian. In central Sardinia there are equal numbers of female and male centenarians. Studies in other parts of the world have shown a much higher percentage of female centenarians. The Akea study collected information about the health and diet of about 140 of the centenarians. About ninety percent of those in the study agreed to provide blood for scientific testing. The study team hope to identify genetic material in the blood that can be linked to successful aging. Study leaders say there is no single reason why people on Sardinia live so long. They believe the answer is a combination of genetic and environmental conditions. Why do Sardinians live so long according to the study? A. Because the environment on Sardinia is very good B. Because they have special genetic material in their blood. C. Because they have a glass of wine every day. D. Because they enjoy special genetic and environmental conditions. Answer: D. Because they enjoy special genetic and environmental conditions. Former National Football League player and children's author Tim Green has added another book to his list of accomplishments: Unstoppable. The book tells the story of a 12-year -old boy named Harrison, who survives life in a cruel foster home before he finally finds a loving family. Once he settles in and realizes his natural football ability, tragedy strikes again and he loses his leg to a deadly bone cancer. Unstoppable follows Harrison's incredible journey as he faces many challenges in his life. Tim Green says he decided to write a novel about a kid facing cancer after watching how his wife fought to survive her own illness. "Her mental and physical toughness were more heroic to me than anything I'd ever seen in the national sports leagues," Green told TFK Kid Reporter Zachary J. Lewis. After watching his wife's battle, Green said, he knew he needed to write about a person who struggled through a serious illness. But because the target age for his books is teen, he needed to tell the story through the eyes of someone that age. When friends introduced Green to Jeffrey Keith, Green knew he had found the right person to help him" capture the heroism that it takes to fight cancer". Cancer-survivor Jeffrey Keith lost his leg to disease at age twelve, but went on to be the goalie for the Boston College Division 1 Lacrosse Team and was also the first _ to run 3,300 miles across the country. When Green heard Jeffrey Keith's story, he knew it was the perfect narrative on which to base his next book. TFK asked Keith what it felt like to read Unstoppable for the first time. "Tim captured what it felt like for me to go through this experience and battle back," Keith said. "After I read the book, Tim asked me to describe it in one word, and I said 'awesome'. Tim's work sends a message to all the kids across the country that are facing obstacles that can have nothing to do with cancer: you are all unstoppable, as long as you believe it." Who inspires Tim Green to write the novel Unstoppable? A. A boy named Harrison. B. His wife. C. Zachary J. Lewis. . D. Jeffrey Keith Answer: B. His wife. Which of the following best describes an atom? A. protons and electrons grouped together in a random pattern B. protons and electrons grouped together in an alternating pattern C. a core of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons D. a core of electrons and neutrons surrounded by protons Answer: C. a core of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons
Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road. The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 BC to about 1300 AD, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world's longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe. The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web. The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy, and religion. The Silk Road became less important because _ . Answer: sea travel provided easier routes We may know that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and live in a new culture. This process, which helps us to deal with culture shock , is the way our head and our personality react to(...) the strange new things we meet with when we move from one culture to another. Culture begins with the "honeymoon stage". This is the time when we first arrive in which everything about the new culture is strange and exciting. We see new things, hear new sounds and language, eat new kinds of food. This stage can last for quite a long time because we feel we are very excited. Unluckily, the second stage can be more difficult. After we have got used to our new life, we can become very tired and begin to miss our homeland and our family, friends, pets. All the little problems in life seem to be much bigger and more disturbing when you face them in a foreign culture. This time of cultural adjustment can be very difficult and lead to pulling away from the new culture. The third stage is called the "adjustment stage". This is when you begin to realize that things are not so bad in the host culture. Your sense of humor usually becomes stronger and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new place. Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor! The fourth stage can be called "at ease at last". Now you feel quite comfortable in your new place. You can deal with most problems that you have. You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them. There is a fifth stage of culture shock which many people don't know about. This is called "reverse culture shock". Surprisingly, this happens when you go back to your own culture and find that you have changed and that things there have changed while you have been away. Now you feel a little uncomfortable back home. Life is a struggle! How could the third stage be described? Answer: Adjustment. Veins carry blood which means that they Answer: cart essential substances around The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels. An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past. "We were surprised by just how positive today's young people seem to be about their families," said one number of the research team. "They're expected to be rebellious and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds: they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat." So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. "My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me," says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. "I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with me." Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. "Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that." Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, "Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change. " What is the popular image of the teenagers today? Answer: They quarrel a lot with other family members. Look at the picture. What can you see? In the picture there is a big table with a lot of things on it. There are three bottles of orange juice, two glasses of milk, some bread, cakes and so on. look, there is a cat under the table. It's Kate's cat. Its name is Mimi. I think it like them very much. No, Mimi. You can't have them. All the things on the table are not for you. They are for Jim and Kate. They have them for lunch. POLLY is a bird. Now it's on the window. It's eating a banana. What's the name of Kate's cat? Answer: Mimi
Most of the time, people wear hats to protect themselves from _ weather conditions. Hats are also worn to show politeness and as signs of social position. But nowadays, hats, especially women's hats, are much more than that. More exactly, hats have changed into fashion and style symbols by many movie stars. What's more, people now consider many different features when choosing even a simple hat. Many designers point out that, when choosing the right hat, it's important to consider the color of your skin as well as your hair, your height, and the shape of your face. First of all, the color of the hat should match the color of your skin and hair. For instance, black hats should be avoided if you are dark skinned. If a purple hat is placed on top of red hair, one will look as attractive as a summer flower. Second, the height of the hat is also an important point. Tall women should not go for hats with tall crowns, just as short women should choose hats with upturned brims to give the look of height. Third, and most importantly, the shape of the face decides the kind of hat one should pick. A small, gentle hat that fits the head looks good on a small face. However, women with big, round faces should choose a different style. As the saying goes, "Fine feathers make fine birds." A good hat can not only help your dress but also support your features, so why not choose the best possible one next time you want to be in public? According to the article, which of the following women would look most attractive? A A big-faced woman who wears a small, nice hat. B A short red-haired woman who wears a purple hat. C A tall woman who wears a hat with a huge upturned brim. D A small dark-skinned woman who wears a black hat with a tall crown. Answer: B Technology: Taking the good without the bad? Very soon, unimaginably powerful technologies will remake our lives.This could have dangerous consequences, especially because we may not even understand the basic science underlyi ng them.There's a growing gap between our technological capability and our basic scientific understanding.We can do very clever things with the technology of the future without necessarily understanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous. The technologies that are particularly dangerous over the next hundred years are nanotechnology , artificial intelligence and biotechnology.The benefits that they will bring are beyond doubt.But they are going to be very, very dangerous.I'm working in the field of artificial intelligence.I have a model design for something that might be 50,000 million times smarter than the human brain.Target date is 2010.The only thing that's not possible in the film Terminator is that the people win.If you're fighting against technology w hich is 50,000 million times smarter than you, you probably will not win. Nanotechnology.We've all heard of the grey glue problem, that self-replicating nanotech devices might keep on copying until the world has become sticky glue.And certainly in biotechnology, we've really got a big problem because it's converging with nanotechnology and IT.Once you start mixing nanotech with organisms and you start feeding nanotech-enabled bacteria, we can really go an awful lot further than the Borg in Star Trek .And those superhuman organisms might not like us very much. Eventually these technologies will become routine.That's a threat to humanity.I don't think it's possible to slow it down.So what we need to do is accelerate the scientific research and try to get some extra tools.The problems facing us in the future are getting bigger and bigger.I think if we don't get some proper science done, the future is hopeless indeed. Why does the author say it is not possible in the film Terminator that the humans win? A Because the power of the technology is exaggerated . B Because the strength of the machines is much greater. C Because machines with that much intelligence can easily defeat humans. D Because human beings are not courageous enough to win the battle. Answer: C What requires energy for survival? A air B giraffes C rocks D sand Answer: B Mrs. Black lives on Second Avenue. New Year is coming. She wants to send a card to her friend in Toronto, but she doesn't know where the post office is. She asks her neighbor Mary, " Is there a post office near here? I want to send a card." "The post office is not near from here," answers Mary, "but you don't need to go to the post office to post the card. There is a _ in front of the supermarket. You can put your card into the mailbox" The post office is _ . A next to Mary's house B not near Mrs. Black's house C across from the supermarket D in front of Mary's house. Answer: B Putting heat on and around something like the following can cause a chemical reaction: A a marble slab B carrot cake batter C a stone D a dirt patch Answer: B
As part of an experiment, an astronaut takes a scale to the Moon and weighs himself. The scale reads 31 pounds. If the astronaut has a mass of about 84 kilograms, which are the approximate weight and mass of the astronaut when standing on the Earth? Answer: On Web sites across the Internet, people can access a variety of information about you. It's in your interest to be aware of your online reputation and to take the necessary actions to make it what you want it to be. The first step in protecting or improving your online reputation is to find out what information is already posted on the Internet and to assess the impression it leaves on people. Follow these tips to monitor and evaluate your online reputation: Play the name game. Begin by typing your first and last name into several popular search engines to see where you are mentioned and in what context. Example: Robin Counts Focus your search. To get moreprecise results, put quotation marks around your name, so that the search engine reads your name as a phrase and not as two or more unrelated words that just happen to appear in the text. Example: "Robin Counts" Search all of your names. If you have ever used a different name, if you use your middle name or initial, if you use a nickname, or if your name is frequently misspelled, search all variations to make sure you don't miss anything important. Example: "Robin Counts" "Robin J. Counts" "Robin Counts Jensen" Be strategic. If your search turns up information about other people who share your name, you caneliminate many false hits by using keywords. You can add keywords that apply only to you; for example your city, your employer, or a hobby. Example: "Robin Counts" "Woodgrove Bank" "Robin counts"----skydiving Go blogging. If any of your friends, family members or coworkers have blogs or personal Web pages on social networking sites, check them out from time to time to see if they are writing about you or posting pictures of you. Be alert. Use the feature provided by some search engines that enables you to receive automatic notification of any new mention of your name or other personal information. The passage mainly gives us advice on _ . Answer: Robert Kohout, 39, was working outside his home last October when he heard a frightening noise. He turned round and saw Walter Graham's car sinking into 8 feet of water of the inground swimming pool a little distance away from his yard. Kohout immediately called to Graham's wife, Evelyn, to phone 911. Then he ran back to his house to get Terence Reif and Glenn Fajardo to help, who were at work inside the house. "There was no time for second thoughts," said Reif, a farmer's son. "The only thing to do is to get in the pool." The car doors were locked. Graham, 73, was unconscious, and his was rapidly filling with water. Reif struggled to break the driver's side window with a hammer but had trouble getting it done underwater. Finally, some four minutes after the car had fallen into the pool, the glass was broken. By then, Graham was floating at the top of the flooded passenger compartment. The three men pulled Graham out through the broken glass. He wasn't breathing and his heart stopped beating, so they performed mouth-to-mouth . The rescue team arrived in no time. Doctors supplied him with advanced life support on the way to the hospital. "These people were getting to Graham through the glass," said Dr. Jeff. "All three acted without regard for their own safety." Added Evelyn Graham, "they were truly angels, watching over us". Who may Terence Reif and Glenn Fajardo most probably be? Answer: Henry Loomis served as director of the Voice of America for seven years starting in 1958.Mr Loomis played an important role in creating the Special English service . Henry Loomis was born in 1919 Tuxedo Park , New York. His father was Alfred Lee Loomis , a rich New York City businessman .In 1940, Henry Loomis dropped out of Harvard University to join the United States Navy .He was able to put to good use his knowledge of radar technology that he had learned about because of his father's work .After graduating at the top in his naval training class, Henry Loomis became a teacher at the Navy's radar training school in Hawaii. By the end of World War Two, Henry Loomis had received many honors for his service, including a Bronze Star and an Air Medal. He left the Navy in 1946 to begin graduate studies. Henry Loomis later moved to Washington, D.C. to begin another part of his career in public service. He held positions in the Department of Defense and other agencies: In 1958, he became director of the Voice of America. During his travels around the world, Mr. Loomis saw that English was becoming an important international language. He believed that it was important to make English easier to understand by listeners of VOA broadcasts whose native language was not English. So Mr. Loomis asked VOA program manager Barry Zorthian to develop a way to broadcast to listeners with a limited knowledge of English: The result of this effort was Special English: The first Voice of America broadcast in Special English took place on October 19th, 1959. Those against his ideas at the time said the Special English method of broadcasting at a slower rate with a limited vocabulary would never work, it was not practical. American embassies demanded that the program be called off. But Mr. Loomis supported the program. Soon, VOA began to receive hundreds of letters from listeners praising the program. Special English programs became some of the most popular on VOA. We are pleased to say that our programs still are. Those who were against his ideas of Special English programs said _ Answer: It is raining money ! Imagine this . A big bag full of money falls from the sky and lands right next to you . What would you do with the money ? This is the question faced by British seven-year-old Damian in the film " Millions ." Damian and his brother moved to a new place with their dad , after their mother passed away . Damian tries to make new friends , but he feels lonely . When Damian is watching some trains one day , a bag full of money falls out of the sky and lands at Damian's feet . The bag has 265,000 pounds in it ! He can't wait to tell his brother , nine-year-old Anthony . But Anthony doesn't want to tell their dad . Soon the money brings trouble . They have different ideas about what to do with it . Damian is kind-hearted . He wants to give money away to the poor . But Anthony wants to use it all to make more money ! As a kid , he also wants to buy a lot of fun toys ! But they have only one week to spend the money before Britain starts using euros ! They also find out where the money came from ! The terrible owner wants it back ! At the same time , their father works hard to give them a bigger house . What will they do with the money ? Watch the film to find out . Together with the two kids , you'll learn that true wealth has nothing to do with money ! We can tell from the story that _ . Answer:
There was a huge battle between the warriors of Greece and the people of Troy. Prince Paris from Troy had stolen away the Greek queen; Helen. The Greek warriors set sail for Troy to fight for their queen. The battle outside Troy lasted for ten years. The men were fed up and wanted to return to their homes. Athene, goddess of war gave Ulysses the idea for a plan to end the war. They built a big wooden horse which they put in the middle of their encampment . Next they pretended to give up their camp. In reality many soldiers hid inside the wooden horse. Once they thought the camp had been abandoned the Trojans went out to check. They needed to know if the war was really over. They walked through the abandoned encampment and eventually found the wooden horse. They could not decide what it was. Some wanted to take it into the city, others thought that it was a gift to Zeus and feared touching or moving it in case they upset Zeus. Some Trojans decided to take it back into the city. They called a large group of troops, attached ropes and pulled it into the city. A huge celebration started. The city was free from war for the first time in nine years. Everybody feasted, drank and danced until eventually the merriment was over and they all went to sleep. This was the moment that the wooden horse opened a big flap hidden underneath. Out crept Ulysses and all of his men. They killed the sleeping troops, rescued Queen Helen, met up with the rest of their army and set sail for home. The story of the return journey is told in The Odyssey, a collection of poems piecing together the bits of the story from the many different places where the story took place. Greece and the people of Troy were at war because _ . A. they have different views and beliefs B. Prince Paris from Troy wanted to control Greek C. they were war-like countries D. the Greek warriors fought against Troy for their queen stolen away Answer: D. the Greek warriors fought against Troy for their queen stolen away There are four seasons in a year. They are spring, summer. autumn and winter. Spring is a beautiful season. In spring, the trees turn green and the flowers come out. Everything looks new. We can have a trip in spring. Summer is a happy season. In summer, we can swim and eat lots of ice cream. Autumn is a season. In autumn, some leaves on the trees turn yellow or red. Winter is a cold season. In some places, it snows and everything looks white. The children like playing with snow. Winter is my favourite season. I like snow very much. There are _ season in a year. A. two B. four C. five D. six Answer: B. four Good afternoon! My name is Sarah. I'm twelve. I'm a student. Nice to meet you! Look at this. What's this in English? Oh, it's a pencil case . It's red. What's in it? Look! This is a ruler. It's green. This is an eraser. It's white. This is a pen. It's yellow. My pencil case is new and it is very nice. I like it very much. Tomorrow is Saturday. It's a hot day. Let me go swimming. I like summer. Today is _ . A. Saturday B. Friday C. Sunday D. Tuesday Answer: B. Friday Using the Internet , doctors "can answer more questions from more patients in a shorter time, " writes Dr Badal Pal, a famous doctor in Manchester, IJK. According to Pal, nearly 40% of American patients say they have used e-mail to communicate with a doctor in the past. He notes however, that although patients have such interest, only up to 2% of doctors in the United States offer e-mail services. Using e-mail, doctors can make sure of their advice and point patients to patients information materials and sources on the Internet. It's said that more than 10.000 health-oriented websites already exist now. However some people worry that widespread use of medical e-mail might set up two kinds of care--one "haves" and another for the "have-nots". But Pal points out that "In the near future nearly every library will offer (Internet and e-mail)services in the United States, " allowing even low-income patients to use such means. Pal also talks about other possible barriers to acceptance of medical e-mail. "Doctors may be unwilling to offer e-mail services for fear of increasing workload and uncertainty about the time they spent," he explained, and patients may worry that their medical information might be read by others. "But these problems can all be solved," he adds. E-mail may well help us a lot in health care, Pal concludes. "Patients want to know more than they can get in normal clinics," he points out, "and they might find communication on the information superhighway less fearful than face-to-face dialogue with their doctors." According to the passage, some people worry that widespread use of medical e-mail might _ . A. help both those who have access to the Internet and those who don't B. meet double doubts from those who have access to the Internet and those who don't C. make trouble between those who can use the Internet and those who cannot D. make trouble between those who have Internet experiences and those who haven' Answer: C. make trouble between those who can use the Internet and those who cannot Second Life is a 3D online world in which computer users can create a new life and live a different life. Second Life is one of the most popular new online games. But unlike other games, Second Life is not about winning or losing. Second Life is technically a computer game. But people involved in it do not consider it a game because the players create everything. Second Life is more for socializing and creating communities. Users of Second Life are called residents( ). To take part, they must create an avatar, or an electronic image of themselves. Some avatars look like humans, while others look like animals or imaginary creatures. Inside the Second Life world, residents live in different versions of themselves. They build homes, run businesses, buy and sell things, work, play, and attend schools. They even have relationships and get married. Second Life was created in 2003 by Linden Lab in San Francisco, California. Linden Lab controls the website where the ever-changing world is being created. There are now about one million people around the world who are active to Second Life. The number has grown quickly since the beginning of the year when there were about one hundred thousand users. The average age of people involved with Second Life is about thirty. However, Linden Lab has recently created Teen Second Life for young users. Second Life has its own economy and its own money, called Linden dollars. Millions of dollars are made and spent each month in Second Life. Users can enter Second Life for free. But they must pay for a membership if they want to own land or buy and sell goods and services. Recently, several major companies have become involved with Second Life. They want to be part of the growing business world that exists within the made-up reality. What's special about the game "Second Life"? A. It's a game about losing and winning. B. It creates everything in life. C. It benefits one's abilities to socialize and create. D. It's simply a popular game to kill time. Answer: C. It benefits one's abilities to socialize and create.
Once there was a little orphan who always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. There was another little boy who was _ . One day the orphan came to a park, where he saw the little crippled boy playing in the sand alone. He ran over to the little crippled boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird. "No," he said. "But I've been thinking about what it would be like to walk and run like others." "That is very sad," said the little orphan. "Do you think we could be friends?" "Sure," said the little crippled boy. The two little boys played for hours. Neither of them felt as lonely as they had been before. Then the little crippled boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little orphan ran over to him and said something into his ear. "That would be OK," said the man. The little orphan ran back to his friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish I could do something to make you walk and run like others. Unluckily, I can't. But there is something that I can do for you." The little orphan boy turned around and told his friend to slide onto his back. Then he began to run across the grass. He ran faster and faster, carrying the little crippled boy on his back. The father began to cry with tears as his son shouted at the top of his voice, "I'm FLYING! Daddy, I'm FLYING!" Why did the little crippled boy's father cry? A. Because the orphan boy became his son's only friend. B. Because his son was able to fly. C. Because he was happy to see his son's excitement. D. Because the orphan boy was riding on his son's back. Answer: C In the famous fairy tale, Snow White eats the Queen's apple and falls victim to a curse; in Shakespeare's novel, Romeo drinks the poison and dies; some ancient Chinese kings took pills that contained mercury, believing that it would make them _ , but they died afterwards. Poison has long been an important part in literature and history, and it seems to always be about evil, danger and death. But how much do you really know about poison? An exhibition, The Power of Poison, opened last month at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, intended to give the audience a more vivid understanding of poison. The exhibition will continue until Feb. 2016, reported The New York Times. The museum tour starts in a rainforest setting, where you can see live examples of some of the most poisonous animals: caterpillars, frogs and spiders. Golden poison frogs, for instance, aren't much bigger than a coin, but their skin is covered in a poison that can cut off the signaling power of your nerves, and a single frog has enough venom to kill 10 grown humans. The exhibition also features interactive activities. In an iPad-based game, visitors are presented with three puzzling illnesses and asked to identify the poisons based on symptoms. In one case, for example, a pet dog is found sick in a backyard and visitors have to figure out whether it was the toad , the leaky batteries in the trash or the dirty pond water that did it. "Poisons can be bad for some things," Michael Novacek, senior vice president of the museum, told NBC News. "Yet they can also be good for others." This is what visitors learn from the last part of the exhibition, which displays how poisons can be used favorably by humans, including for medical treatment. The blood toxins of vampire bats, for example, can prevent blood from clotting , which may protect against strokes. A poisonous chemical found in the yew tree is effective against cancer, which is what led to the invention of a cancer-fighting drug called Taxol. One chemical in the venom of Gila monsters can lower the blood sugar of its victims, so it has been used to treat diabetes. By mentioning Snow White and Romeo at the beginning of the story, the author intends to _ . A. show that poison has long been involved in literature B. show that poison is always linked with evil and death C. draw readers' attention to the topic of the article D. get readers to think of more examples of the use of poison in stories Answer: C "Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao ?" says Wang Lin , 28 , a\ writer in Beijing . Taobao , China's largest online shopping site , has become an important part of Wang Lin's life . She spends lots of money on Taobao. A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joys of online shopping . Most online shoppers are students or young workers . More women shop on line then men. Clothing and home-use products are the most popular online. It was reported that more than 250 billion yuan was spent on online shopping last year,80% through Taobao . Taobao means "looking for treasure" in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books ,from candies to DVD players . Taobao is _ . A. a shopping mall B. an online shopper C. an online shopping site D. A kind of treasure Answer: C The reason that ducks are such excellent swimmers is because A. ducks have a space between their toes B. ducks are buoyant and resilient C. ducks have wide feet D. ducks have extra foot skin Answer: D A famous doctor once received a little child who was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, his young patient got well and was soon able to get up and run about again. The child's mother was very much obliged to the doctor, and she called on him to thank him for what he had done for her child. "Doctor," she said, "you have saved my little son. I don't know how to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it." The doctor stood up and said coldly, "Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to be paid properly for what he has done." The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, "Perhaps you will tell me how much your fee is?" "Fifty pounds", he answered. The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She handed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying good bye to the doctor, went out of the room. The money in the purse _ . A. was only 150 pounds B. was less than 200 pounds C. was much more than the medical fee D. was not enough for the medical fee Answer: C
A great French writer has said that we should help everyone as much as we can because we often need help ourselves. The small even can help the great. About this, he told the following story. An ant was drinking at a small river and fell in. she tried her best to reach the side, but she couldn't move at all. The poor ant got too tired but was still doing her best when a big bird saw her. With a pity, the bird threw a piece of wood. With it the ant reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in grass she heard a man coming up. He was walking without shoes on his feet and carrying a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the bird, he wished to kill her, and he would certainly do so, but the ant bit him in one of his feet and at that moment the bird flew away at once. It was an animal much weaker and smaller than the bird herself that had saved her life. Why could the bird fly away at once? Answer: If you've been joining in chat room conversations, or trading e-mail with net pals , you have become one of the millions who write in a special, short form of English. Throughout the world, every night children and their elders are "talking" online -- many of them are talking at the same time. It's fast: trying talking to six people once. It's convenient: three or four words per exchange. It takes cleverness, concentration and quick fingers. And it requires very simple language. There's neither time nor space for explanations. Why waste valuable time telling six friends you have to leave for a moment to take care of your little brother when BRB (="be" right back) will do? Want to enter a conversation? Just type PMFJI (="pardon" me for jumping in). Interested in whom you're talking to? Type A/S/L, the common request to know your pal's age, sex and location. You may get 15/M/NY as a reply from your pal. If something makes you laugh, say you're OTF (="on" the floor), or LOL (="laughing" out loud), or join the two into ROTFL (="rolling" on the floor laughing). And when it's time to get back to work or go to bed, you type GTG (="got" to go) or TTYL (="talk" to you later). People want to write as fast as possible, and they want to get their ideas across as quickly as they can. Capital letters are left in the dust, except when expressing feeling, as it takes more time to hold down the "shift" key and use capitals. Punctuation is going too. The sentence "There's neither time nor space for explanations" means that _ . Answer: Once a boy often made trouble. His mother gave him many nails . She told him to hammer(,)one in the garden fence every time he lost his patience and fought with someone. The first day he hammered 27 nails. In the following weeks he learned how to control himself better and the number of nails hammered became smaller and smaller. He learned it was easier to control himself than to hammer nails. The day finally came when he didn't hammer any nails. He went to tell his mother about it. Then his mother told him to pull off a nail from the fence each time he didn't lose his patience. After some days he told his mother that all the nails had been pulled off, so she took him to the fence and said to him, "You've behaved well, but look at all the holes in the fence. The fence will never be again like it was before. When you fight with someone, you leave wounds in him like these. The trouble may be over, but the wounds will always be there." So, learn to control yourself before you hammer the nail in the fence. Try not to leave any holes in your past. In what condition could the boy pull off a nail? Answer: The new university hospital in Trenton, which the Health Minister Victoria Culley has described as a "shining example" to hospitals all over the country, has been open now for over six months. Having heard several complimentary comments about the organization and efficiency of the place, I decided to see for myself. In spite of arriving early, I found that there were already long queues at the reception desks. While I was waiting, I looked around and had to admit that it is an impressive building: large and light with marble everywhere. Eventually my turn came and I presented my doctor's letters to the receptionist, who informed me that I was in the X-ray queue and I'd have to go to another queue and start again! I couldn't believe it and asked her if it might be possible to give me an appointment card anyway without making me queue up again. She informed me it was no good arguing with her and I should have read the sign, an almost invisible piece of card saying "X-rays" just in front of her where very few people can have seen it. No matter how hard I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't give me an appointment card for a blood test, so I started queuing again and finally got the card at 8: 30! I then set off for the blood test room, following the nice new signs until they suddenly stopped and I realized that I was in a part of the hospital that hasn't been finished yet! When I got to the door I saw a notice saying "Back in 10 minutes". I sat down and waited for 30 minutes before a doctor appeared and told me to come in without, of course, apologizing for keeping me waiting. I asked him why I'd had to wait and he explained he'd had to help out in another ward which was understaffed as a result of a flu epidemic among the doctors! I got out of the hospital at 9:45 a.m. and breathed a sigh of relief. I'm now waiting for the results. So, Mrs. Culley, a far from rosy picture. Certainly the public should be under no illusions that things have changed for the better. Perhaps you should visit the hospital as an anonymous outpatient rather than a government minister if you really want to know what it's like unless, as I suspect, you don't actually care about much. What made the author stand in the wrong queue? Answer: The World Bank estimates there are about 650 million mobile phone users in African countries south of the Sahara Desert. That is greater than the number of users in the United States and European Union. Samia Melhem worke for the World Bank to increase information technologies in Africa. She says mobile phones are the fastest growing technology on the continent. "Faster than TV, definitely faster than electricity. More people have access to mobile phones and therefore communication. More people have internet access today in Africa than they have access to water, clean water, or even sanitation .So we can say that this has been the most significant revolution in terms of changing the African landscape and how people live their daily life." CNN television recently named seven ways of life it says have been revolutionized because of mobile phones. They include political activism, education, entertainment, disaster management, agriculture and health. Another area is banking. Reports say half of more of the adults in Gabon, Kenya and Sudan use mobile money. Rene Mendy sells goods in the streets of Dakar, Senegal. But he never had enough money to open a bank account. Now he uses a mobile phone banking service called Orange Money. With his telephone, he can add or take out as little as one dollar. He can make payments and send money to family members who live far away. Orange Money says it serves four million customers in ten countries. The World Bank's Samia Melham notes that the French company is facing competition from other mobile banking services. "The mobile banking is a huge trend. And people in the West don't understand it, because most people have bank accounts and they have credit cards. It-mobile banking-is the instant possession fo cash at a much lower cost. The cost is the cost of sending an SMS, which is almost nothing compared to what traditional transfer agents, like Western Union, would charge-10 dollars or more for a particular money transfer." Most people in the West don't use mobile banking because _ . Answer:
Water skiing is a sport with many social, economic and health benefits to society. It is unique in that it is a sport where able and disabled persons, and people as young as 5 years and as old as 80 years of age can participate alongside each other. It is a sport that involves more than one person, and is a wonderful family activity that gathers members together for a day of fun at a favorite waterway. Anyone who has put on water skis can attest to its health benefits--it is a sport that demands and develops strength, agility and endurance. The sport includes several disciplines including slalom, tricks, cable, jump, ski racing, kneeboard, wakeboard, and barefoot, with each of these practiced for either recreational or competitive enjoyment. Safety Tips for Water-Skiers Don't take unnecessary risks while water-skiing. The following tips will help you safely enjoy this thrilling sport: ALWAYS have an observer in the boat. This is a legal requirement in many states. The boat driver cannot watch the skier and operate the boat safely at the same time. ALWAYS wear a Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) designed for water skiing. Ski belts are NOT recommended. Your approved PFD will help keep you afloat. NEVER ski in rough water. High waves or a choppy sea will prevent the tow boat from maintaining a steady course and speed. NEVER ski after dark. It is dangerous AND illegal. Any boat traveling fast enough to tow a skier is traveling too fast to navigate safely at night. NEVER water-ski while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such activity is extremely dangerous because of the impairment to your judgment and ability to respond. A recent study conducted with expert skiers who were purposely drunk indicated that even their ability to ski was dramatically reduced. Use hand signals between the skier and observer. Agree before you start what each signal means so there is no confusion at a critical moment. Who can accompany you to go water skiing? A A pupil in a primary school. B A person who is disabled. C A family member. D All above. Answer: D. All above. In the 1960s Professor Bolin predicted that the "greenhouse effect", caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, would lead to important changes in the Earth's climate. At the time his prediction were regarded as science fiction. But it is now gradually agreed that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will double from 0.03% to 0.06% in the next 50 years and that temperatures worldwide will rise by 2degC. Although a temperature rise of 2deg may not seem significant, the local effects may be much greater: in polar regions a rise of 10deg by 2025 is expected and in Northern Europe a rise of 4deg. Indeed the first effects were expected to be felt before the end of the 20th century. But how does the "greenhouse effect" _ and why should such a tiny proportion of CO2have such a harmful effect? When living creatures breathe out or when things are burned, CO2enters the atmosphere. Until recently all of this was absorbed by plants, which converted it back into oxygen. However, the balance of nature has been disturbed. In power stations, in factories and in our cars, we are burning more and more fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and this produces huge quantities of CO2--18 billion tons of it enter the atmosphere every year. Added to this, the destruction of forests means that less CO2can be converted into oxygen by plants. So, the amount of CO2in the atmosphere is increasing every year. The amount of CO2in the atmosphere is increasing every year because _ . A Carbon dioxide is produced when we breathe. B Carbon dioxide is produced when we burn things. C More forests are destroyed and more fossil fuels are burned. D The global temperature keeps rising. Answer: C. More forests are destroyed and more fossil fuels are burned. In Colombia , there are some unwritten rules that people are used to , These rules are not officially established , but people do respect them . For example , on a bus , a person keeps a distance from another person , and people don't like to touch each other . Many people come to work late because they prefer to wait for another bus if the first one is too crowded . They don't want to have to stand too close to another person , or maybe they are afraid of starting a conversation . A friend of mine in Colombia once said his mom got angry because he came home late , so he asked her , " Mom , what do you think of most people arriving at their jobs so late ? " That gave her the answer to her question since everyone knows no one wants to get on a bus that is too crowded . His mother realized at that moment that customs have a big influence on a person's life . Sometimes , people don't like to make any kind of conversation or make eye contact with others . For example , when they are in line at a bank , they prefer to look up or down rather than look at other people . Moreover , people usually look down when they are in an elevator . Not only on a bus , in line at a bank , and in an elevator do people usually avoid talking to other people , but also in the streets when they are walking , they prefer to look down and to avoid contact with others . Why do many people get to work late in Colombia ? A They always think the next bus will be better . B They don't want to get on crowded buses . C It's an official rule in Colombia . D They get into conversations and miss their buses . Answer: B. They don't want to get on crowded buses . Car accidents happen everywhere every day and are the main cause of injury in the United States. In order to control the increasing accidents, many states have passed tough laws. Also, car manufacturers have been trying to make safer cars to save lives. However, as there are more and more cars and drivers on the road, these safety measure are not enough to stop the increasing car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a car accident happens every 10 seconds in the United States. Car accidents may be caused by different reasons. Some accidents are caused by driver's tiredness and illness or drunk driving. Some may be caused by speeding or running a red light. When this happens, by the time the driver realizes what has happened, it is usually too late. As for ages, young drivers usually have enough experience while _ drivers of react slowly. Mechanical defects such as a broken brake are another cause of car accidents. Poor road and weather conditions can also be a cause. Talking about different causes of car accidents can help us know what precautions to take beforehand. We should tell our friends or family members not to drive in poor health or after drinking wine. We should tell teenager drivers to be careful with road and weather conditions and let elderly friends understand their driving limitation . Besides, we should have our car checked regularly . The most important thing for us to remember, however, is that we should always follow the traffic rules. What has the government done to try to control the increasing car accidents? A They try to make safer cars. B They try to build more roads. C They have passed tough traffic laws. D They make drivers have their car examined every month. Answer: C. They have passed tough traffic laws. How could we tell time if there were no watches or clocks anywhere in the world? The sun is probably the world's first "clock", except in the far north, where the Eskimos live. There, it's dark most of the winter, and light most of the summer. But in most of the world, people have used the sun as a clock. Even today, if you don't have a clock, you can still know that when the sun shines, it's day and when it's dark, it's night. The sun can also tell you if it's morning, noon, or afternoon. Some people live near the sea from the _ In the daytime, for about six hours, water rises higher and higher on the beach. And then it goes down and down for about six hours. The same thing happens again at night. There are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours. Seamen on the ship learn how to tell time by looking at the moon and the stars. The whole sky is their clock. In some places in the world the wind comes up at about the same time every day or changes direction or stops blowing. In these places the wind can be the clock. A sand clock is an even better clock. If you had fine dry sand in a glass shaped like the one in the picture, you would have what is called an hourglass. The sand in the hourglass goes from the top part to the bottom in exactly one hour. When the hourglass is turned over, the sand will take another hour to go back again What is the best title for the passage? A Different Ways to Tell Time B How the Clock Was Invented C The Development of the Clock D A Useful Machine to Tell Time Answer: A. Different Ways to Tell Time
What best explains why some cooking pans have rubber handles? There's nothing like having a child to remind you that you are no longer the center of your own universe. But every now and then, I need to relax with some"me"time. I booked an overnight trip to Dover, Delaware. We arrived in Delaware right after sunset. Mom and I settled into our hotel room and went downstairs to the restaurant, and then I ordered myself a drink. I had just taken two sips when my husband called me. "I'm so sorry to bother you,"Craig said."The baby is burning up and we are on the way to the hospital."I didn't know how to reply. I was so desperate to get away to take a break. My baby was sick but I couldn't do a thing for him. The situation made me feel so helpless."I don't know what to do,"I told him."I'm five hours from home!""I know,"my husband said."You can't help that. I'll call you when I know what's wrong."My husband and my father took the baby to the emergency room. Meanwhile, I searched the restaurant for my mom. Once I found her, we went to our hotel room and waited for a phone call. Over an hour later, Craig called to tell me that the baby had bronchitis . He seemed to be feeling better. The next morning, when I returned home, the baby was already back to his happy self. Ever since this incident, I have really struggled with the concept of"me"time. I try to figure out why I need a break from the child who I love very much. However, sometimes I need to feel like a person and not just a mommy machine. In recent months, I have taken some"me"time. My mom helped keep the baby so I could go shopping, take a nap, and clean my house. On a couple of occasions, Craig and I went to dinner with friends. And this summer, I even managed to read an entire novel while the baby rested. Now I've decided not to leave the baby overnight again or travel a long distance without him. I remember when I first announced my pregnancy , a friend told me there was no 'me' in mommy. Maybe there's not. But for me, I'm taking"me"time when I can. For the author, "me"time mainly refers to the time when she needn't _ . Welcome aboard the Luxury Cruise bus to Dallas, Rouge, and Atlanta. We plan to arrive in Dallas at 1:45 this afternoon. There will be a fifteen-minute rest stop at that time. We will give a thirty-minute dinner stop in Rouge at 6:15 for those of you who are continuing on to Atlanta. We should arrive in Atlanta at 1:15 tomorrow morning. Please remember the number of your bus for re-boarding. That number is 3224. This bus is air-conditioned for your comfort. Please remember that smoking of cigarettes is permitted only in the last six rows, and the smoking of any other material is not allowed, as is the drinking of wine. The bus must be comfortable because _ . Crane was traveling from the United States to Cuba as a newspaper reporter. One night, his ship hit a rock. It sank m the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Florida. Most of the people on board got into lifeboats. Crane was among the last to leave. There were three others with him: the ship's captain, the cook, and a sailor. These four men climbed into the only remaining lifeboat. The boat was so small that no one believed it could stay afloat for very long. None of the four men thought he would ever reach the shore. But the men fought the seas bravely, with all their strength. For two days, the four men had been struggling to reach land, but there was no land to be seen. All the men saw were violent waves which rose and came fiercely down on them. Hours passed. Then, as the boat was carried to the top of a great wave, the captain looked across the water. He said that he saw the lighthouse at Mosquito Inlet. The cook also said he saw it. The lighthouse had been slowly growing larger. At last, from the top of each wave the men in the boat could see the land. Slowly, the land seemed to rise from the sea. Soon, the men could see two lines, one black and one white. They knew that the black line was formed by trees, and the white line was the sand. At last, the captain saw a house on the shore. And the lighthouse became even larger. Slowly and beautifully, the land rose from the sea. The wind came again. Finally, the men heard a new sound -- the sound of waves breaking and crashing on the shore. The men watched the shore grow larger. They became hopeful. In an hour, perhaps, they would be on land. The men struggled to keep the boat from turning over. They were used to balancing in the boat. The reporter thought he was now wet to the skin. But he felt in the top pocket of his coat and found eight cigars. Four were wet, but four were still dry. One of the men found some dry matches. Each man lit a cigar. The four men sailed in their boat with the belief of a rescue shining in their eyes. What did the men think of their fate after climbing into the lifeboat"? The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and "human interest" features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets or broadsides. In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666. In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed .Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war's end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America's newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers. In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth--the emergence of the "Penny Press";it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
Item 1: JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a publishing deal with Little Brown, to release her first ever novel for adults. The deal means that Rowling's long-standing relationship with Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched the Harry Potter books, has come to an end, at least in terms of new works by the author. Rowling, who is worth an estimated PS530 million, said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She said that with the move from children's to adult fiction, a move to a new publisher seemed like a logical step. Item 2: China's hurdler Liu Xiang was disqualified Thursday at the Stockholm indoor athletics tournament due to false start, giving his rival Dayron Robles of Cuba an easy win of 7.66 seconds. Liu was not willing to explain the reason of his false start, but he told Xinhua that it was not related to his foot injury. Another Cuban Orlando Ortega followed in 7.68 seconds and Balazs Baji of Hungary stood third in 7.70 seconds. Last Saturday, Liu won the men's 60m hurdle final in 7.41 seconds at the Birmingham indoor tournament, setting a new Asian record. He said Wednesday that he hoped to have an even better performance than he did in Birmingham at the Stockholm indoor tournament. Item 3: Former NBA star and current Bobcats owner Michael Jordan filed suit in a Chinese court against Qiaodan Sports Company Limited, a sportswear and footwear manufacturer, for the use of his name without permission. Jordan says "This complaint is not about money, it's about principle and protecting my name." The Chinese company has registered and uses the name "Qiaodan". Jordan has been known in China since he gained widespread popularity in the mid-1980s. Item 4: A commuter train crashed at a busy central station in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, killing 49 passengers and injuring more than 600 people, the deadliest in a series of train accidents in Argentina over the past years. The train crashed at about 8:30 a.m. at its final stop at the Once Station, not far from downtown Buenos Aires. The train was carrying more than 800 passengers and traveling at an estimated 16 miles per hour when it entered the station, slamming into the barrier of the platform, destroying the engine. Which of the statement is true according to the passage? Answer: The train's speed is about 16 miles per hour when it entered the station. He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. "He should be punished for the killings," an Israeli official said, "He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups." But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea. Arafat himself said: "They can kill me, but never get me out of my country." He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time. For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive. What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat's bodyguards _ his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat. But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel. All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others. But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell. What did the author mean by saying "just like a cat has nine lives" when he talked about Arafat? Answer: Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives. You must have a favorite line or _ you repeat often in your conversations. Studies say that pet phrases can reflect our changing society and reveal information about a person's personality. Here are some of the most popular pet phrases among young people. ---nuts I love the word and use it whenever I think a person is stupid, or a behavior is crazy. I learned the term from one of my classmates. Once, we saw two high school girls wearing miniskirts on a very cold winter day and my classmate called the two girls "nuts". I don't think the word reflects my personality. I use it because it sounds cool. Diao Yujie, 22, computer science major at Nanjing University. ---stunning I use this word very often. Once, my classmates and I were discussing how amusing QQ is. One guy suddenly burst out, "I have MSN too". This comment had no relation with the topic we were discussing. I used this word and everybody laughed. I think it is a fantastic word that can change awkwardness to amusement. Mu Li, 20, journalism major at Beijing Normal University. ---I'm giddy! I use this word a lot---more often than my classmates. It has became a symbol of me, as my friends sometimes refer to me as the guy who often says the word. I am a person who wants to be different and this word gives me that feeling. Chen Zhou, 21, Nanjing University. ---stunning I only use this word with my friends. My parents don't understand it. The word, which is only used among people of my age, is intimate. I think it stands for being young and energetic. And I want to be young forever, so I like the word. Chen Jianjun, 23, senior at Nanjing University. If a man wearing suit and a tie is climbing a mountain, what can we say to him according to the passage? Answer: nuts All things change except barbers, the ways of barbers, and the surroundings of barbers. These never change. What one experiences in a barber's shop the first time he enters one is what he always experiences in barbers' shops afterward till the end of his days. I got shaved this morning as usual. A man approached the door from Jones Street as I approached it from Main--a thing that always happens. I hurried up, but it was of no use; he entered the door one little step ahead of me, and I followed in and saw him take the only empty chair, the one headed by the best barber. It always happens so. I sat down, hoping that I might sit in the chair belonging to the better of the remaining two barbers, for he was a bit ahead. I watched the probabilities with strong interest. When I saw that No. 2 was gaining on No. 1, my interest grew to solicitude . When No. 1 was gradually losing the race, my solicitude rose to anxiety. When No. 1 caught up again, and both were about to finish and say "Next!" first, my very breath stood still with the _ . But when I saw that he had lost the race by a single instant, I rose angrily and quitted the shop, to keep from falling into the hands of No. 2; for I have none of that firmness that enables a man to look calmly into the eyes of a waiting barber and tell him he will wait for his fellow-barber's chair. I stayed out fifteen minutes, and then went back, hoping for better luck. Unfortunately, all the chairs were occupied now, and four men sat waiting, silent, and looking bored, as men always do who are waiting their turn in a barber's shop. I sat down and waited. At last my turn came. A voice said "Next!" and I give in to No. 2, of course. It always happens so. I smiled and said that I was in a hurry, and it affected him as strongly as if he had never heard it. He explored my hair with his claws and suggested that it needed trimming . I said I did not want it trimmed. He explored again and said it was pretty long for the present style. I said I had had it cut only a week before. He stopped for a moment, and then asked "who cut it?" I stared at him from the mirror and replied "You did!". Then a dog-fight attracted his attention, and he ran to the window and stayed and watched it... What is the change of the author's attitude from the moment he went into the barber's to the moment he left it? Answer: Disappointed --Hopeful---Anxious---Angry. In April this year, lots of bags full of small change were seen at bus stops in Tianjin. They were made for passengers to turn their notes into small change. And such an idea came from four students from Zhongbei Middle School, Tianjin. "People will surely feel worried when they take a bus without coins. We just want to do something to help them," said Wang Yongcun, 15, one of the four students. The four boys spent their whole weekend making the change bags. After that they went to see the number of the passengers at each bus stop near their school, and then chose the top six stops to put the bags. Many people think that the four boys have really done a good job. But, things didn't go as the boys thought. Two days later, they found that the money was gone, and that even the bags were taken. It really made them sad but they would not give up. Their classmates and teachers came to help them in time. They put their pocket money in bags again. And the teachers also taught them to make better change bags. They tried their best to do it. The four boys feel very happy because they have done something good for the passengers. Their warm hearts are moving. More and more people are beginning to join in the activity. The change bags were put _ . Answer: at the bus stops
When Cath Pirret and her husband Iain took their daughters Jessie, 10, and Holly, 7, to Britain earlier this year, it was a trip that was all about showing the girls where their parents grew up. But there were also some key sightseeing opportunities, such as Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall and Tate Modern, before heading to Paris to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. So, what did the couple from Melbourne hope their girls would get from the trip? "A greater understanding that travel is not a difficult thing to do," Cath says."Some of the highlights are to meet new people and adapt to lots of different situations." Cath believes that children, in order to truly benefit from travel, need to be old enough to understand and appreciate the experience. Sydney-based ABC Radio broadcaster and film critic C.J. Johnson travelled a lot with his parents as a child. His father was "really into rivers" and decided he was going to make it the "family mission" to see the "seven great rivers of the world". There's no doubt, thanks to a richer society and the greater ease and access to all forms of travel, that few -- if any -- generations of parents and children have ever had the ability to journey together as far, as wide and as deep as the present one.Travel brings history to life, builds children's independence and opens their minds. A child's view also helps adults to see the world through new eyes. For Keith Bellows, the award-winning editor-in-chief of the American National Geographic Traveler magazine says the world is simply"the greatest classroom we have". He's convinced, like Spicer, that any parent willing and financially able to give the gift of travel offers a gift that keeps on giving. "Children who learn to travel will travel to learn," he says. "And they will do it all their lives." With that in mind, Bellows, a father of three, wrote a book, 100 Places that Can Change Your Child's Life. We can learn from the passage that _ . Answer: A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry, proof reading and problem solving. In an office-based experiment, 88 per cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music. The study also found that 81 per cent completed their fastest work when music was played. And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance, if you're doing your tax returns, then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills. Listening to Jessie Jor Justin Bieber could also improve your speed, with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs. During proof-reading, dance music, such as David Guetta, had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spell-checking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 per cent when no music was played at all. The research, undertaken by Brighton-based Mind lab International, suggests that silent offices may be the least productive. 'The Music Works experiment revealed a positive _ between music and productivity - overall it showed that when listening to music, nine out of 10 people performed better,' said Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mind lab International. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? Answer: Tim and Janey woke up earlier than normal. Their stomach were growling. They were ready for breakfast. They had gone to bed at their normal time, but they could not help being up now. So they woke up their father and went downstairs for breakfast. It was so early in the morning the sun was not even out yet. But their dad knew once the kids were up, there was no going back to sleep, so he got started. He gave them each a banana to start. He let them pick either a biscuit or toast. They chose toast. So he made wheat bread toast and put grape jelly on it. The quickly ate it and the orange juice they were given. They then each had a bowl of Rice Krispies before getting showered and dressed. They kissed their mom as she went to work and began enjoying the day off from school by playing in their rooms. Dad thought he'd done a good job feeding the kids. But in two hours, they both were asking for turkey sandwiches for lunch. With Tim and Janey so hungry so soon, their dad knew he was in for a long day. And a busy one in the kitchen. Why did Tim and Janey get up so early? Answer: About one million years ago, the Ice Age began. The Ice Age was a long period of time in which four great glaciers pushed southward to cover almost all the upper half of North America, and then melted away. Each glacier was a thick sheet of ice and snow that spread out from a center near what is now Hudson Bay in Canada. The winters were long, and the cool summers were too short to melt much of the ice and snow. The ever-growing sheet built up to a thickness of two miles at its center. As all glaciers do, these great glaciers slid. They pushed down giant trees in their paths and scraped the earth bare of soil. Many animals moved farther south to escape. Others stayed and were destroyed. When winters of little snow came, the summer cut into the edges of the ice sheets. As the glaciers melted, rocks soil and other things that had mixed with the ice and snow were left. New hills, lakes and rivers were formed. The last of the great glaciers began its melting about 11, 000 years ago. Its melting formed the Great Lakes. These lakes today are little changed from their early sizes and shapes. The largest of the North American river systems was also influenced by the glaciers. This is the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio system. These rivers were miles wide at first. Through the years they settled into _ present channels. The author states that all glaciers _ . Answer: A man called his son in New York the day before Christmas and said, "I have to tell you your Mom and I are going to divorce ! Thirty years is quite a long time." "Dad, what are you talking about?" the son cried. The father said:"We are sick of each other. I don't want to talk about it anymore. You call your sister in Chicago and tell her about the news." When the daughter got the news, she is very surprised at it. "What? They are getting divorced." She shouted, "I'll stop them." She called her father immediately, and cried to her father," Don't do anything until I get home. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Wait for us, please." The old man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "OK" he said, "they're coming for Christmas and paying their own way." Which of the following sentences is Right ? Answer:
I'm Kate. I'm an American girl. I am thirteen. I'm in a middle school in Shanghai. My English teacher is a Chinese girl. My good friend is Mary. She is an English girl. She is thirteen, too. She is in Wuhan. I'm in Grade Eight. But she is in Grade Nine. We often have a talk by E-mail. We are both good students. Kate and Mary are in _ now. _ cities Once I had an unforgettable experience which has changed and directed the way I think and act even nowadays. When I was about seven years old, my grandfather took me to a fish pond on a farm and told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone. "You may create lots of circles in your life, but the waves that come from those circles will disturb the peace of all your fellow people," he said thoughtfully. "Remember that your circle may touch many other circles, meaning that your thoughts or actions may disturb others' lives. You are responsible for what you put in your circle. You will need to live in a way that allows the good or peace that comes from your circle to be sent to others. At the same time, the anger or jealousy coming from your circle may also spread to other circles. You are responsible for both." For the first time in my life, I realized that each person's inner peace or discord can flow out into the world. If we are filled with inner conflict , doubt or anger, we cannot create world peace. We spread the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever circles are inside us, they are spreading into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life. The author would probably agree that we should _ . share our happiness with other people As rain freezes in the mountains it splits granite Roger Rolls was the first black governor in the history of New York State, USA. He was born in one of New York's notorious slums. The children born here rarely did decent work after they grew up. However, Roger Rolls was an exception, for he was not only admitted to the university, but also he became a governor. At his inaugural press conference, a reporter asked him, "What made you become the governor?" Faced with more than 300 journalists, Rolls did not mention his struggle but only spoke of his primary school schoolmaster---Pierre Paul. In 1961, Pierre Paul was engaged as the director and principle of Nobita Primary School. When he entered this school, he found the children here didn't cooperate with the teachers. Pierre thought up many ways to guide them, but none was effective. Later, he found these children were very superstitious , so when he gave lectures, he added a program of palm reading as a means of fortune-telling, with which he encouraged the students. When Rolls Jumped from the hathpace and walked to the platform with his small hands stretched out, Pierre Paul said, "As soon as I see your slender little fingers, I know you will be the governor of New York State in future." At that moment, Rolls was shocked because only his grandmother inspired him once, saying that he could become the governor of New York State, so he remembered that remark and believed him. From that day on, the "New York State Governor" was like a banner that constantly inspired him to study energetically and make progress. Rolls no longer stained his clothes with mud, nor did he speak in foul language. He began to straighten his back when he was walking. In the next more than 40 years, he demanded himself according to the identity of a governor. At the age of 51, he finally became the governor of New York State. Put up a banner of faith for yourself and you will have the drive to struggle and the vitality of life. In terms of Roger Rolls' success, what did he mention made him become the governor of New York State? Pierre Paul's and his grandmother's encouragement. When you buy cooking oil in the supermarket, you may notice that some brands are labeled as "GM (genetically modified)-free". So, what is genetic modification? Are GM foods safe? These questions have been put back into the spotlight recently. On Nov 19, the Food and Drug Administrati0n (FDA) in the US announced that it had approved the AquAdvantage salmon to go on the market, making it the first genetically modified animal to be approved as food anywhere in the world. GM foods are plants or animals that have been given a gene from another plant or animal to make them stronger in some way. The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster. Although the FDA has said "food from the fish is safe to eat", some believe that scientists can't completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods, simply because they're so new. Others worry that the fish could escape into the wild and cause ecological problems. GM crops have experienced the same controversy, even though GM technology cuts down on the use of pesticides on crops and increases yields. While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates: A total of 28 countries in the world including the US, Brazil and India planted 181.5 million hectares (1.815 million km2) of GM crops in 2014, according to the International Service for tile Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In China, we grow GM cotton and papaya and import GM soybeans, corn, rape, cotton and beets from abroad. Due to safety worries, many countries have regulations for producing and selling GM food. In European Union countries, each GM food must be approved before it can be used. This process can take up to 17 months. The origin of all GM foods must also be traceable, and all food with a GM content of more than 0.9 percent must also be labeled, according to EU website europa.eu. The US is less strict about GM foods. According to FDA regulations, companies introducing new GM foods to the market should report them at least 120 days before release. The labeling is voluntary, except that a product cannot be labeled as "GM-free" if genetically modified materials are used. In China, GM foods can only be produced after strict tests by the Ministry of Agriculture say that they are safe. All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper. One of the reasons for many people to worry about the AquAdvantage salmon is that _ . there are possible health risks that even scientists might not have figured out yet
Like any awards ceremony of its age, the Oscars, now in its 85th year, has been trying hard to change. So how did that go this year? When host Seth MacFarlane noted in his opening speech that it was the first time the Academy Awards had a theme, I thought: "well, that's a good start." But when he revealed that the theme was a tribute to(...) musicals, I was less sure. After all, it's not the first time that musicals have featured at the Oscars. In 2007, the cast of Dream-girls gave a special performance directed by movie director and musical veteran Bill Condon. Then there was the memorable 2009 show hosted by Hugh Jackman, who screams musicals. With Beyonce Knowles and Anne Hathaway, he performed several hit songs from move musical. And in 2010, how did Neil Patrick Harris introduce the hosts? By performing a musical number. So I guess the Oscars could have done better this year. But I must admit, there were more music performances in the three-and-a -half-hour show than ever before. This suggests the Oscars has dropped some of its arrogance and wants to offer audiences more entertainment. It's a timely move as the Golden Globes, also known as the "big party," has become a threat to the Oscars, stealing viewers and even its reputation. Just look at the Oscars' winning list this year. You can't blame the academy for wanting to stick it to the Golden Globes. While they hired Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to host the show--certainly more audience-friendly than MacFarlane-- and Bill Clinton was invited as a presenter, who did viewers get at the Oscars? The First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama. Way to go, Oscar! We know you're struggling to look fresh and young, but don't lose the pride and dignity that made you one biggest honor in the movie industry. Don't ever let that change. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage? The 92-year-old, thin, calm and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, even though she is nearly blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the hall of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she walked slowly to the elevator, I provided a true description of her tiny room, including the old sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she said with the happiness of an eight-year-old girl having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room...just wait." "That doesn't matter," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arranged my mind. I have already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away." She went on to explain, "Old age is like a bank account. You take what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to put in a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank." And with a smile, she said, "All my memories are happy ones." Mrs. Jones was always happy in the nursing home and she died at the age of 108. We can infer from the passage that the author _ . Volunteer Day schedule: 7:30 a.m.: Meet at the Community Center for breakfast. 8-8:30 a.m.: Visit with people from the many participating organizations. Choose which activity you'd like to help with for the day. 8:30-9 a.m.: Board the bus for your chosen activity, and ride with other volunteers to your activity site. 9-12:00 a.m.: Work as a volunteer. 12:00 a.m.-1 p.m.: Share lunch with your volunteer group. Don't forget to bring food for lunch from home! 1-3:30 p.m.: Continue your volunteer work. 3:30 p.m.: Board the bus that will take you back to the Community Center, where you will be able to talk with other volunteers and share your experiences. See below for a list of volunteer opportunities for Volunteer Day so you can begin thinking about which activity you might want to join. Happy Homes: it provides home repairs for needy people in the form of painting. It also provides painters to create beautiful paintings inside schools of community centers. Elder Care: Elder Care sends volunteers into nursing homes to spend time with them, play board games with them, and talk with them. City Parks Association: you can help plant flowers and bushes in city parks or pick up trash around the river banks. These activities are very active, so remember to be prepared with plenty of drinking water! Love and Learning: it provides volunteers to help children with learning disabilities. Read books out loud to groups of children aged four to six, or read one-on-one with struggling readers aged seven to eight. For volunteers who enjoy being outside in nature, they can join _ . Teenagers spend too much time using their cell phones and being connected online these days! Is this a new way to be more social or, does the technology really make them unsocial? And how will this constant connection affect them? My daughter who is fifteen years old has a smart cell phone which means that she is constantly connected to the Internet and of course Facebook. To be around her means that you have to listen to constant "beeps" and sounds from the cell phone when her friends update their status. It makes me really stressed. But that is me. For my daughter, the cell phone is an extension to her body. She sleeps with her cell phone on the pillow; she eats with her cell phone nearby; She even takes the cell phone to the bathroom. For the generation who has grown up with the Internet and cell phones, it is important for them to stay close to their cell phones. They get stressed when they are disconnected! And most of them haven't experienced a life without cell phones. For them, being offline or not having a cell phone is like being totally isolated . And when they get online after a long disconnection they are so stressed out, because they have so much catching-up to do! So how is this constant connection affecting the new generation who has been born with the opportunity to stay connected to the Internet all the time? I see them as guinea pigs ! Because nobody knows how _ will affect humans in the long run. No research has been done yet on long-term side effects of being constantly reachable and connected to others. My conclusion is that teenagers' addiction to cell phones makes them both social and unsocial. The new technology has changed the way they connect with people compared to former generations. They are more social and can be mobile but this also forces them to do more than one job at a time which distracts their attention and prevents them from focusing on the present, which makes them unsociable. No one knows how this use will affect humans. We will just have to wait and see. How does the overuse of cell phones affect teenagers? BEIJING--Apple Inc is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad2 tablet computers with cellular network compatibility for the first time in the Chinese mainland, where the consumer-electronics giant is _ an aggressive expansion. According to China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China.The device, listed under model number "A1396", is compatible with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple's local iPhone partner, China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. China Unicom declined to comment. Apple already offers the 3G iPad2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in the Chinese mainland.Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed the US as the world's largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels. Separately, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Sept 6 that the company's first Hong Kong store, set to open this quarter, will be located in the city's central shopping and business district in the International Finance Center's upscale IFC mall, a commercial center and sightseeing spot along the city's waterfront.Wu also said that Apple is planning a new store in Shanghai later this quarter, which will be its biggest store in China.She declined to give more details or to comment on the 3G iPad2. Apple currently has four full-service Apple stores in the mainland, which receive the most traffic of any Apple stores in the world.The company otherwise relies on resellers to get its products into the market. The new stores reflect Apple's confidence in rising demand for its products such as smart phones and tablet computers.Sales in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan helped boost the company's third-quarter results, newly appointed Chief Executive Tim Cook said in July.China revenue surged six-fold to about $3.8 billion during the three months ended June 25. "This has been a substantial opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we're just scratching the surface right now," Cook said at the time, referring to strong sales in China."I see an incredible opportunity for Apple there." From China Daily 2011-09-08 By saying "we're just scratching the surface right now", Cook means _ .
I was quite close to my grandmother, Julia. We lived with her and then she lived with us. She was a very nice person, both kind and patient. She taught me to read and write when I was young and helped me to be interested in stories and poems. In my mind, my grandmother was a great tailor. She made clothes or toys better than anything you can buy in a shop today. She always made clothes for family and friends. My grandmother was also a hard worker both at home and at work. I can still remember the difficult time when we were very poor. At that time, my grandmother was already sixty years old but she worked in a hospital for a long time every day--not in the office but doing the cleaning outside and taking care of me at the same time while my mom was at work! My brother and sisters also love her. We will never forget our grandmother. She is really important in our lives and is always there for all of us in one way or another. I am proud to be her grandson. At the age of 60, his grandmother _ in a hospital for a long time every day. A. made fine toys B. worked in the office C. did the cleaning D. stayed with his mother Answer: C. did the cleaning One of Anna's friends has chickenpox . Two days later, Katie has chickenpox. Anna's mother says: " Your best friend has chickenpox . We have to keep an eye on you." The next evening, Anna finds some red spots on her face. The next morning, she stays home from school. She can't go to her grandpa's birthday party. She can't go to her soccer practice. She can't go to the supermarket with her mother.Anna cries : " I don't like chickenpox. I miss school. I miss my friends." Then Anna's mother has an idea. After lunch, Katie, Mike and Danny come to Anna's home--- all with spots like her. Anna's mother says : " Let's have a chickenpox party!" All the afternoon, the kids play games. When Anna's friends have to go home, "See you at school." Katie says. "Having chickenpox is not so bad." says Danny. "I know," Anna says with a laugh , " Can we all have chickenpox again next week?" asks Anna's friends to come to her home. A. Anna's mother B. Anna's father C. Anna D. Katie Answer: A. Anna's mother On a cool November afternoon in Fleming Island, Florida, Melissa Hawkinson, 41, was driving her five-year-old twins home from school when she saw a sudden splash in Doctors Lake just ahead. What was that? She thought. As she drove up to the scene, she saw a half-submerged car sinking about 30 yards offshore. "It was going down pretty quickly," Hawkinson recalls. She stopped the car near the boat ramp and ran toward the water. Water is going to be cold, she thought. She took off her vest and leather boots, got into the icy water, and swam to the car, where she found Cameron Dorsey, five, trapped into his car as the swirling water rose around him. Hawkinson tried to open the door, but it was locked. So she pushed and pulled hard on the partially open window until she could reach through and unlock the door. She pulled the boy free, swam to shore, and handed him off to onlookers who were only watching them on a dock. The driver, the boy's suicidal father, swam back to land on his own. Afterward, Hawkinson sat on the shore wrapped in a blanket. "For ten or 15 minutes, I couldn't stop shaking," she said. There's nothing visibly extraordinary about Melissa Hawkinson, an energetic stay-at-home mom with brown hair and a sweet smile. Yet something made her different from the dockside onlookers that day. Why do some people act quickly, willing to take a risk for a stranger? What makes them run toward danger rather than away from it? Hawkinson, the Granite Mountain Hotshots (,)---19 of whom lost their life this past summer in Arizona--- every hero who puts his or her life on the line to save another: what makes them brave? Moreover, can bravery be learned, or is it a quality with which you are born? The answer is complex. Bravery taps the mind, brain and heart. It comes from instinct, training and sympathy. Today, neurologists, psychologists and other researchers are studying bravery, trying to uncover the mystery. How does the writer find other people on the dockside? A. Warm and ready to help B. Thoughtful C. Kind of cold-blooded D. Not skillful at swimming Answer: C. Kind of cold-blooded A lady named Mary from California flew to Japan, in her favourite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at the airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Mary took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly. When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Mary to tea in the lobby . While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, "Oh, it's beautiful!" At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said "Sayonara" and left immediately. Poor Mary was left astonished. What did she do wrong? Everything! Her jeans were the first _ . Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet clients casually dressed. The second mistake was Mary's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Mary put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safe keeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect. Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Mary should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Mary hadn't even given them a gift! What lesson can we draw from this story? A. Think twice before you take any action. B. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. C. To save time is to lengthen life. D. One false move may lose the game. Answer: B. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Battery powered vehicles have less emissions than A. lawnmowers B. wind turbines C. solar power D. dragsters Answer: D. dragsters
If a sitcom that lasts for l0 years is considered popular, then surely one that still arouses emotions after 20 must be considered a classic. Friends first aired in the US in 1994, telling about six young men and women in New York.Since then, it's become one of the most famous titles in the sitcom style, aired in over 100 countries and regions in the world. The show is typical among those who grew up in the 1990s because it explores basic yet important themes like friendship, struggling to survive in a big city, and finding independence and identity, all of which are still relevant to young audiences today. Against the background of the Internet age, IT staff who were once marginalized and laughed at have been brought back to life due to the popularity of hit show The Big Bang Theory, in which four talents lacking normal social skills make an attempt at living on a college campus. At the same time, Gossip Girl, describing a young cast of New Yorkers born with silver spoons in their mouths, showing the difficulties upper-class adolescents experience. The play's fashion and mature subject matter allowed it to draw the interest of both teenagers and adults. Although these typical TV shows cover a wide timeline and a variety of themes, they all have a universal topic. Why are they still appealing? It remains to be found out. What can we learn about The Big Bang Theory? A. It improves the conditions of the people in IT. B. It arouses people's enthusiasm for computers. C. It is about four talents who are good at everything. D. It is set in the time before the Internet came into being. Answer: A. It improves the conditions of the people in IT. If you've ever seen a James Bond movie,you'll know that the hero gets around in a smart Aston Martin car. Even if you know full well that you could never afford such an expensive vehicle, you don't forget the name, or the car. Why? You have been affected by product placement. Companies pay a film to place their products in the movie. Product placement took off in the West in the 1980s and is now catching on in China. Two Hunan Satellite TV dramas are recent examples:Ugly Wudi and Let's Go Watch the Meteor Shower (<<>> ). Shampoo, mobile phones, cars and fitness centers-anything can be product-placed. Advertisers value the mass appeal of the movies, knowing that a successful film can showcase their goods to hundreds of thousands of viewers. But when product placement takes over, artistic considerations can take a back seat. Cai Zhiyong has been product-placing for years. The Beijing-based advertiser admits there is a conflict between art and business. He explains the way one ad works. In If You are the One (<<>> ), the actress Shu Qi plays a flight attendant. The movie contains product placement for airline companies. _ filmmakers often have to give less consideration to the quality of their work because they need money from advertisers. In the original story for Meteor Shower, the heroine's mother owned an ice cream shop. But no ice cream company wanted to sponsor the film. For this reason, the story was changed. In the film the man drinks 20 cups of milk tea instead of eating ice cream. So you may see the power of business over the movies, since the script was perhaps written so that a product could be placed-whether it was ice cream or milk tea. We can learn from the example of Meteor Shower that _ . A. business has a big say in the movie B. the original story was not suitable for a movie C. filmmakers are only concerned about making money D. milk tea is more popular than ice cream Answer: A. business has a big say in the movie Though she is already one of the most famous pop stars of the 21st century, you've probably never heard of a 25-year-old singer, song writer named Stefani Germanotta --- but that's only because almost everyone knows her by her stage name, Lady Gaga. Born in New York City in 1986, Lady Gaga enjoyed music, singing and dancing from an early age: she started playing the piano when only four years old and loved performing in musicals at high school. At 17, she went to a special school for the arts but later left because she wanted to become a professional singer as soon as possible. She became a global star with her first album The Fame in 2008 and followed it in 2009 with The Fame Monster. Earlier this year she released a single, "Born this Way," which broke the record for quickest sales for a piece of music on iTunes, with one million downloads in only five days. Her third album, also called Born this Way, went on sale in May this year. www.ks5u.com Because of how much money she earns, how much she is written and talked about in the media, and how many internet searches are made with her name, Forbes magazine recently put her at number one in its list of the "world's most powerful celebrities ." Most music critics say that what makes Lady Gaga's music stand out are her strong voice and also the strong electronic rhythm of most of her songs, which makes them popular in nightclubs. They also say her music often sounds like the work of other artists, and she herself is quite open about the fact that groups such as Queen and female singers such as Madonna have been a big influence on her. More original than her music, perhaps, is the way she looks. A big part of her image is her outlandish clothes, with her strangest piece of clothing probably having been a dress made partly out of meat, which she wore once in 2010. Part of what has made Lady Gaga so famous so quickly is the way she has used social media. She has over 30 million Facebook friends, for example, and almost 10 million followers on Twitter. Some people complain about Lady Gaga's music in the following except that _ . A. the electric rhythm helps her too much in the performances. B. she is often dressed strangely and differently from others. C. she has been influenced by Madonna's singing style. D. her music is in some way copied from others. Answer: B. she is often dressed strangely and differently from others. Several hundred strangers received "love letters" from a young man on the street. The letter was written and given out by Yang Yang,a student majoring in human resources at Chongqing University of Science and Technology, who hoped to show his disappointment with job hunting. Yang's story has caught media attention perhaps because it is similar to those of millions of recent graduates seeking jobs and struggling for survival in the country's wealthiest cities. They have diplomas, rather than professional skills, and come to big cities in hopes of better lives, only to find low-paying jobs and poor living conditions. They are China's "ant tribe ",a term coined by sociologist Lian Si from Peking University in his 2009 book, Ant Tribe."They're so similar to ants. They share small and narrow living areas. They're intelligent and hardworking, yet nameless and underpaid."The term also speaks to their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the jungle-only the strongest survive. A survey in Lian's another book published this year, Ant Tribe II, found nearly 30 percent of "ants" are graduates of famous universities-almost three times last year's percentage. Most had degrees in popular majors. In addition, 7.2 percent of "ants" have at least a master's degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009. An "ant's" average monthly salary is 1,904 yuan, with about 64 percent of them earning less than 2,000 yuan a month. Another survey in the 2010 Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Talent found more than 1 million "ants" live in big cities. "Most ants are from rural families or small towns, and their experiences in universities didn't arm them well enough to fight with competitors in big cities' employment markets."Professor Zhang Ming at Renmin University of China said. The "ant tribe's" embarrassing living situations have become a serious social problem, and the government should develop smaller cities to attract more graduates from big cities, Zhang believed. However, "ants" expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them positive despite their situations. By writing this article, the author mainly intends to show _ . A. despite better education,"ants" are still struggling B. despite difficulties,"ants" have a promising future C. better education, better job opportunities D. Ant Tribe is a good book to help understand today's China Answer: A. despite better education,"ants" are still struggling We all know that every class has its own rules, like "No smoking!", "No eating!" and "No sleeping!". Our class used to be noisy, because some students were talking when a student was answering the teacher's questions. So our head teacher made some class rules. In class, we should observe the rules. Now, I list some rules in our class: 1. No talking when Someone is speaking. 2. No sleeping in class. 3. No eating in class. 4. Students can't arrive late for school. Be always on time. 5. No playing in class. 6. No laughing when someone makes a mistake. 7. No smoking or drinking. 8. Students can't dye hair. Boys can't let their hair grow too long. 9. In the schoolyard , students can't ride bikes. 10. Students can't fight with each other. Maybe some students don't obey some of the rules. They may smoke, fight and dye hair. But most students think the rules are fine and say they will obey the rules. I think because our class has such rules, we will study better and better. In the schoolyard, students _ . A. can fight with each other B. can't play games C. can play cards D. can't ride bikes Answer: D. can't ride bikes
Much iron is in Answer: Earth's second layer A few days ago, I went to school with lots of books,hoping to get a locker . Suddenly, it started raining heavily. I hurried to pay for my locker, but I was disappointed when they informed me they only accepted cash. I was $ 7.00 short, which meant I had to carry the books back home. It would be an exhausting two-hour journey back home with all those books. An elderly gentleman nearby noticed my problem. He asked how much cash I needed. When I told him I was $7 short, he quickly took out the money from his wallet ."You don't have to pay me back ,"he said. I was speechless; I didn't know whether to take the money or come back with the books the next day. A young student who was working there noticed my hesitation. "He's really nice ,"said the student. I was starving this morning and he bought breakfast for me. He always helps people in different ways. The next day, I went to him and thanked him for trusting me and lending me the money. He said he forgot about it and didn't expect I would give it back. "I'm very happy," he said,"not because I'm getting my money back, but because this is the right way to go---whatever you get from this world, give it back as much as you possibly can. Spread kindness around the world with the smallest things you can do." Later, I found out he wasn't involved with any charity organizations. He has been performing these types of acts for years. Earlier, someone had done something incredibly kind for him and he has been spreading the kindness ever since. He taught me a very important lesson in life. We come to this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. Whatever we own, it will become somebody else's and whatever we leave, it will become somebody else's. When the old gentleman offered the money, the writer was _ . Answer: hesitant LONDON --- A British judge on Thursday sentenced a businessman who sold fake bomb detectors to 10 years in prison, saying the man hadn't cared about potentially deadly consequences. It is believed that James McCormick got about $77.8 million from the sales of his detectors which were based on a kind of golf ball finder to countries including Iraq, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. McCormick, 57, was convicted of cheats last month and sentenced Thursday at the Old Bailey court in London. "Your cheating conduct in selling a great amount of useless equipment simply for huge profit promoted a false sense of security and in all probability materially contributed to causing death and injury to innocent people," Judge Richard Hone told McCormick. "you have neither regret, nor shame, nor any sense of guilt." The detectors, sold for up to $42,000 each, were said to be able to find such dangerous objects as bombs under water and from the air. But in fact they "lacked any grounding in science" and were of no use. McCormick had told the court that he sold his detectors to the police in Kenya, the prison service in Hong Kong, the army in Egypt and the border control in Thailand. "I never had any bad results from customers," he said. ks5u Why was McCormick sentenced to prison? Answer: He cheated in business. Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn't have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package. "Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily," Tony said, "You don't have any luggage, right?" "Only this backpack," Brian answered. "You said I could bring one carry-on bag." "That's right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip." "Thanks." Is Brian a criminal ? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick. Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn't for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible about your travel plans, and don't mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation! Businesses choose the air-courier service because _ . Answer: it saves time THIS WEEK'S TOURS of CATTY SHACK Thursday, January 8, 2015--Daytime Tours Hours: 1:00~4:00 PM, last admittance at 3:15 PM Admission: Adults: $10 Children (3~11): $5 2 & Under: Free Purchase Tickets: Tickets may be pre-purchased up to 24 hours prior to the event by using the button below. Tickets may also be purchased at the ranch--cash, credit Visa, Mastercard & Discover are accepted forms of payment at the ranch. Tickets cannot be exchanged or money refunded. No reservations required. Enjoy a leisurely, guided tour of our sanctuary and see all the residents (Siberian tigers, lions, cougars, black leopards, a bobcat, a coatimundi and foxes)! Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Saturday, January 10, 2015--Night Feeding Tours Hours: Gates open at 6:00 PM. Tours from 6:00 PM -7:00 PM. Last admittance at 7:15 PM. Feeding begins at 7:30 PM. Admission: Adults: $15 Children (3~11): $10 2 & Under: Free Purchase Tickets: Tickets may be pre-purchased up to 24 hours prior to the event by using the button below. Tickets may also be purchased at the ranch -- cash, credit Visa, Mastercard & Discover are accepted forms of payment at the ranch. Tickets cannot be exchanged or money refunded.No reservations required. Enjoy a guided tour of all the residents (Siberian tigers, lions, cougars, black leopards, a bobcat, a coatimundi and foxes) at our sanctuary! Tours begin at 6:00 PM and leave approximately every 15 minutes. Tours last about 45 minutes and include a viewing of all our residents, as time allows, along with facts about the animals. To see the feeding, we suggest everyone arrive at the ranch by 7:15 PM to allow for adequate time for check-in and walking to the feeding point. At 7:30 PM, you will get to watch over 450 pounds of meat distributed throughout the sanctuary! Get ready to see their "wild" side -- there's sure to be plenty of roaring! To learn about more upcoming tours, you can click on the calendar event listing for full details. A couple with his son aged 6 who will attend Daytime Tours on January 8 will pay _ . Answer: $25
Question: Dear Mrs. Smith, I was a student of yours in Grade Six, and I hope you still remember me. I'm writing this letter because I want to let you know that the school year with you was important and special to me. It made a great contribution to my life. I know I was very quiet in your class, and you never said much to me. But you did something that made a big difference in my life. You see, all through my first years in schools. I hated to read. Books were just words that had very little to do with me, and I was bored by them. I'll never forget the first day of Grade Six when you took out a thick book and began to read the story to our class. Your voice seemed to change with the people in the story, and you drew pictures in my mind as you read aloud. Since that day, I couldn't wait until after lunch when you would read to the class. You read us all kinds of wonderful books. During the summer after my year in your class, I missed hearing the stories you would read. So one day I picked up a book and read it all on my own. I found out that I could make the words interesting, too. Now, I love to read! Thank you for opening the world of books for me. Yours, Linda Which is not true in the story? A. The teacher often said much to Linda. B. The teacher did something important in Linda's life. C. The teacher opened the world of books for Linda. D. The teacher read them all kinds of wonderful books. Answer: A. The teacher often said much to Linda. Question: Thirteen-year-old Greg Hoffman had been begging his parents for an iPhone all year. So on Christmas morning he was thrilled to find the object of his desire under the tree, but there was a _ . The phone came with an 18-point set of terms and conditions that he had to agree to before the phone could be his. And the agreement did not come from Apple or the phone provider, it was from his mother. His mom, Janell Hoffman, included a contract along with the iphone that listed eighteen conditions or rules that Greg has to follow if he wants to keep it. Some of the rules limit the time he can use the phone; not after 7:30 p.m , and he can't take it to school. He also has to promise not to send "hurtful" text messages and e-mails to people; give his passwords to his parents, and always answer the phone when his mom or dad calls. Greg also has to use his own money to replace the phone if it's broken or lost Janell says the idea behind the contract is to teach her son to have a sense of responsibility and to learn to "co-exist with technology, not be ruled by it'. She told him not to use this technology to lie, fool, or cheat another human being. Most of the terms do not just apply to the iphone, but to life. She also advised him to, "keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you," "Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without Googling." "You are growing up in a fast and ever changing world. It is exciting and enticing. Trust your powerful mind and giant heart above any machine. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it," "I love you. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas!" Which of the following may NOT be one of the 18 rules? _ A. Do not use this technology to lie, fool another human being. B. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever. C. I will always know the password. D. Take it to school but turn it off or silence it while having classes Answer: D. Take it to school but turn it off or silence it while having classes Question: Most Americans don't like to get advice from their family. When they need advice, they don't usually ask people they know. They often write letters to newspapers and magazines. And these newspapers and magazines can give advice on many different subjects such as family problems, language learning and how to buy a house and so on. Most newspapers publish letters from readers with problems. And they would also publish the answers to the letters. There are many writers giving advice to newspapers. Some of these writers are doctors, and some are teachers or lawyers . One of the best writers is a woman. Although she doesn't have special learning for this kind of work, experience helps her a lot to give advice. She is named Angel. She started writing advice for newspapers at the age of ten. Her advice to young readers now is in acolumn called DEAR ANGEL in the Philadelphia Bulletin. The passage mainly tells us _ . A. how Americans get advice B. how to get advice from teachers C. Americans have too many family problems D. how to write advice to reader Answer: A. how Americans get advice Question: Did you know that a turtle can lay 12 eggs in one minute? A large sea turtle lays around 150 eggs at a time. She lays all these eggs in just a few minutes. Large sea turtles live in the warm seas of the world. Except for when they lay their eggs, they spend their whole lives in the water. When it is time to lay their eggs, the females swim to land. They usually return to the place where they themselves were born. How they find their way back there is unknown. When they reach shore, the big, heavy turtles crawl slowly up to the high water mark. Using their flippers, they pull themselves along the sand. They must struggle like mountain climbers. When they finally reach dry sand, they rest before beginning the difficult task of laying eggs. The turtles lay the eggs in deep holes and cover them with warm sand. The sand protects the eggs from harm. Then the females leave them. After a few weeks, if you happened to be walking along the beach, you might see the sand begin to shake. You may see tiny black balls coming out of the sand. The tiny heads of baby turtles! We can conclude from this passage that _ . A. many turtles die while swimming to shore B. female turtles protect their babies C. once turtles land, they never return to the sea D. the job of laying eggs takes great strength Answer: D. the job of laying eggs takes great strength Question: Students learn their lessons in class. In class teachers teach them. Students sit in the classroom listening to the teacher. This is a way of learning. Is this the only way for students to learn something? Of course not. There is another way to learn: students can teach themselves. For example, if you can't remember something when you are doing your homework, you can look at your book to find the answer. This is a way to teach yourself. And it is not a difficult thing. We can do this at any place and at any time. How do you teach yourself? The first thing you must do is reading. Read something you are interested in. or you have to read. The second is that you must ask yourself questions. The question is something you don't understand, or you want to know more about. You can write down these questions. A clever student is usually good at asking questions. The third is to answer the question yourself by thinking hard, by reading the passage or other books, and sometimes by asking other people. This is the way of teaching yourself. And you must do this all by yourself. If you keep doing like for a long time, you are sure to succeed in your study. In teaching yourself, the first thing you must do is _ . A. writing B. reading C. asking D. answering Answer: B. reading
After breakfast Mrs. Beckman started packing the bags. She bought the tickets to London. Her husband works there. She and her children are going to fly there to see him. Thomas and Katy can't help her and she told them to play outside. "It often rains in London in autumn," the woman said to herself, " I'd better take the umbrellas. So I won't buy any when it rains there." Suddenly , she heard Thomas crying and ran out at once. She asked, " What's the matter?" "Katy pulled my hair," the boy said in tears . "Don't be angry," said the woman. "She's too young. She doesn't know pulling hair hurts " And then she went to the house again. After a short time there was more crying. She had to come out to see what the matter was. This time Thomas said, "Now she knows." Mrs Beckman will go to London by _ . Answer: Soon it would be the holidays. But before that, there was the end of year exams. All the students worked hard for some time. If they didn't pass, they would have to take the exams in September again. Some students failed, but Kate decided not to be one of them. She worked hard all day, but just before the exams she was working so hard that her sister was worried about her. She was staying up too late . The night before the first exam, Barbala insisted that she should have an early night and take a sleeping pill. She promised to wake her in the morning. As she was falling asleep, Kate was worried in case she over-slept. Her mind kept jumping from subject to subject. At last, with the help of the pill, she fell asleep. she was sitting in the examination hall, looking at the paper. She couldn't answer any of the questions. Everyone round her was writing pages and pages. However hard she thought, she couldn't find anything to write about. She kept looking at her watch. Time was running out. There was only one hour left. She started one question, wrote two sentences, gave up and tried another one. With only half an hour left she wrote another two sentences. By this time she was so worried that she started crying. Her whole body shook(,). It shook so much that it woke her up. She was still in bed and it had all been a terrible dream. A minute later, Barbala called her name. Kate dreamed a terrible dream simply because _ . Answer: Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth's surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth's crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted ---- although scientists are working on it! Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs. The intensity of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can't be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008, was magnitude 7.8. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking. What can be inferred from the passage? Answer: The 115-year-old prestigious Oxford Dictionary will now include popular new Chinese terms like "shanzhai" "youtiao" and "fangnu", as part of the modern Chinese language. As China plays a more and more important role in the world economy, the Chinese language is forever evolving, attracting more attention from people who want to understand this ancient yet vibrant language. For instance, the word "shanzhai" is used to describe the countless knockoffs of iPhones or designer bags imprinted with Louis Vuitton logos. Another new term in the new edition is the word "fangnu", or a "mortgage slave" --a term used to describe the phenomenon in large cities whereby well-educated youth complain of a miserable existence due to the heavy burden of a home mortgage. All these new or often fashionable terms can be found in the new Oxford English-Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary that was unveiled in the recently concluded Beijing International Book Fair last week. The dictionary now is available for retail sales since the beginning of this month. This dictionary is the largest single volume English-Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary and contains 670,000 words and phrases after five years of preparation.Sixty editors from the Oxford University Press and its partner in China--the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press--worked together on the project.According to Julie Kleeman, the dictionary's chief editor, most of the firm's editors were Chinese, while about one fourth were native-English speakers. "We don't want to make it florid(, we want it to be modern and conversational...many of the words in the present dictionary are no longer in use," said Kleeman. "The need for studying Chinese by foreigners today is totally different from decades ago...Precise, native and practical--that is our core advantage," she said. Kleeman said newer publications updates will be available only for the online version as language often changes too quickly for book versions to keep pace. The online version will also offer a Chinese phonetic pronunciation guide. The online version, allowing access via different platforms from the PC to the iPad, will be ready "as soon as possible", Kleeman said. According to Kleeman, one of the features that distinguish Oxford English from other dictionaries is that _ . Answer: A type of bird in Africa eats blood-sucking insects off large mammals. Which word best describes the relationship between the bird and the mammals? Answer:
Does your school have any problems with discipline ? What happens when students _ ? Here are some examples of bad behaviour: * Playing truant (missing school without permission from parents). * Stealing, smoking, hitting, swearing, running, kissing. * Cheating on exams. * Calling a teacher or another pupil a bad name. * Not doing homework. * Not listening or not paying attention in lessons. * Wearing unsuitable clothes. Here are some of the ways that UK school children can be punished: * Exclusion : a pupil is asked to leave the school and not come back. The pupil has to find a new school or a different method of education. * Suspension : a pupil cannot enter the building or attend lessons until the school has a meeting about their situation. Suspension can last from one to 45 days. The pupil is usually given work to do at home with a special teacher. * Detention : a pupil is asked to stay after school and work for 30-60 minutes before they can leave. * Lines: a pupil has to write a sentence many times (e.g. 100 or more) on a sheet of paper, e.g. "I must not shout in class." Freya MacDonald, a 15-year-old pupil from Scotland, _ when she refused to accept her school's punishment. Her family says that she was given 11 detentions for trivial things such as having fizzy drinks in class and coming into school through a fire door. Freya says that repeated detentions ruined her right to an education under Scottish law and made it difficult for her to learn. So she refused to return until the school respected her civil rights. She wants the headmaster and her teachers to sign a letter to promise this. Hundreds of schools in Scotland were told not to use detention as a punishment because of her legal action. Many UK schools now give parents a home&school contract(,), explaining their discipline and rules. Parents must sign this document to agree that they accept the school's rules and discipline and that they are responsible for their child's behaviour. What is the main purpose of the text? A. To list common bad behavior in UK schools. B. To show how UK schools deal with students' parents. C. To find out why more and more pupils break rules in UK schools. D. To introduce how UK schools punish students with their discipline. Answer: D Mark Zukerberg is the founder and CEO of Facebook, an extremely popular social working website that started in the United States. Now, millions of student users visit Facebook daily and the website is one of the top ten widely visited sites on the Internet worldwide. College and high school students use Facebook to communicate with friends and share both information and pictures for free. The company earns money through advertising. Many other companies have been rumored to be interested in buying Facebook. Just a few years after Mark started the company, he was approached by Terry Semel, who was the CEO of Yahoo. Terry offered Mark one billion dollars($1,000,000,000) to sell Facebook to Yahoo. Mark said no, though. He stands behind his dreams at the very beginning. He knows the value of the company could fall down; however, he is in this to build something unbelievable, not be bought out by another company. Maybe he was smart. Now Facebook is rumored to be worth billions of dollars and bigger companies like Microsoft or Google want a share of the company. Some private firms are also interested. Facebook could sell 15billion dollars if Mark decides to sell it at all. Perhaps Mark will just keep working from his California office to continue his dream of building something cool. .Which of the following words best describes Mark Zukerberg according to the passage? A. Determined B. Humorous C. Gentle D. Selfless Answer: A The computer is a useful machine. It is the most important invention in many years. The oldest kind of computer is the abacus , used in China centuries ago, but the first large, modern computer was built in 1946. A computer then could do maths problems quite fast. Today computers are used in many ways and can do many kinds of work. In a few years the computer may touch the life of everyone, even people in faraway villages. In the last few years, there have been great changes in computers. They are getting smaller and smaller, and computing faster and faster, Many scientists agree that computers can now do many things, but they cannot do everything. Who knows what the computers of tomorrow will be like? Will computers bring good things or bad things to people? The scientists of today will have to decide how to use the computers of tomorrow. The computers of today are _ than before. A. bigger B. fewer C. smaller D. taller Answer: C Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic. Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face. "I'm fully expecting it to be tough," Nick Hancock said. "I'm hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I'm going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I'm boxed up for several days by bad weather." Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine and a solar panel for power, more than two months' food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day. Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area. The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010. Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard , his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall. How will Hancock get to Rockall? A. On the coastguard's boat B. On a passenger boat C. On his own plane D. On a passenger plane Answer: B The 2ndWorld Cup Live Painting Competition Brief Introduction The 2ndYouth World Cup Live Painting Competition is a global charity event hosted by Canada Youth Arts Development Foundation and supported by UNICEF. It is a global painting Olympic of the world's children and youth, and also a global charity event aiming to help poor children worldwide. We don't have ready formulas, but we believe in action. The Youth World Cup Live Painting Competition aims to change things for the better. The competition will be a platform to raise awareness for the welfare of poor children. We hope that this annual competition and charity event will grow into an annual celebration of painting, the Olympic of cultural and artistic exchange. All participants are separated into four groups Children Group 1 (Age 4-7) Children Group 2 (Age 8-12) Youth Group 1 (Age 13-17) Youth Group 2 (Age 18-25) Main categories for this edition are Friendship Dream Environmental Protection Tools Pen, pencil, oil, water color, any painting tools and materials are welcome. Size A3 size (43cm x 28cm) Entry fee There is no entry fee. Eligibility This competition is open to anyone worldwide aged 4-25 years old. Deadline June 30, 2014 Prize The Committee will issue one First Award (Gold Medal), three Second Awards (Silver Medals), six Third Awards (Bronze Medals), and Best Innovation Award, Best Color Award, Best Structure Award, Best Method Award, Best Quality Award. First Award will receive the Golden Cup and $500 CAD, Second Award--Silver Cup and $300 CAD, Third Award--Bronze Cup and $100 CAD. All winners of the First Award, Second Award and Third Award from each group will have the opportunities to attend the final competition for live painting competition, which is to be held in Richmond Olympic Oval, Richmond, Canada on August 12th, 2014. All participants in the final competition will receive a certificate, which will be delivered directly from the Organizing Committee. According to the passage, the competition _ . A. is a global painting Olympic for students worldwide B. is a platform to find out children who have a gift for painting C. is held once every four years like the Olympic Games D. aims to help poor children throughout the world Answer: D
Anyone who has ever traveled with a teenager knows that the teenager can make the vacation good or bad for the entire family. As a travel agent, Lynda Maxwell said, "If teenagers are happy, everybody is happy." Teenagers are often interested in travelling, but their interests and schedules often aren't the same as their parents'. It means that when the parents start to look for a place of interest in the early morning, their teenagers may be sleeping soundly! The thing makes travelling with teenagers very difficult, but it isn't impossible. The experts said, "The keys to success is what parents do before they travel." For many families, the hardest part may be finding a vacation time that is right for everyone. Be sure to sit down with everyone else in the family before setting a date. "After setting a date, ask teenagers where they would choose to go," suggested Maxwell. It is possible that they'd like nothing more than to sit on a beach for a week. "Maybe there's a compromise ," said Maxwell. "Most teenagers like using the Internet now, so parents can ask them to think up the ideas about what to see and do," said Brad Anderson. "I find teenagers are excellent at making great suggestions." Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? Teenagers often have some great ideas of travelling. Ask three people to look out the same window at a busy street comer and tell you what they see. Chances are you will receive three different answers. Each person sees the same scene, but each perceives something different about it. Perceiving goes on in our minds. Of the three people who look out the window, one may say that he sees a policeman giving a motorist a ticket. Another may say that he sees a rush-hour traffic jam at the intersection. The third may tell you that he sees a woman trying to cross the street with four children in tow. For perception is the minds' interpretation of what the senses -- in this case our eyes -- tell us. Many psychologists today are working to try to determine just how a person experiences or perceives the world around him. Using a scientific approach, these psychologists set up experiments in which they can control all of the factors. By measuring and charting the results of many experiments, they are trying to find out what makes different people perceive totally different things about the same scene. The best title for this article is _ . Learning About Our Minds Through Science Mount St. Helens was a cone-shaped mountain that formed when molten material reached the surface of Earth and formed layers. Cone-shaped mountains form as a result of which one of these events? volcanic eruptions Utopia is a perfect place. It is a place without war, hunger, poverty, or crime. It is a place where the people work together and share. There is no money in Utopia because the people do not need money. They do not have personal possessions because everything belongs to everyone. All of the people are equal in Utopia, and the laws are all fair. Utopia is not a new place. Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, described a perfect society in his famous dialogue The Republic. In Plato's Republic, philosophers were the kings, and every person had a place in the society. In 1516, Sir Thomas More wrote about an island in the Pacific Ocean where everything was perfect. He named the island " Utopia". In 1602, Tommaso Campanella wrote The City in the Sun about a perfect community on the island of Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) ; and in 1872, Samuel Butler wrote a novel about a perfect country which he named " Erewhon". " Utopia" is a Greek word that means " not a place", and "Erewhon" is the English word " nowhere" spelled backwards. Utopia is a perfect place, but it is not a real place. Most 'real' Utopias last only a short time. This is because everyone wants to live in it, but no one knows how to make it work. As a result, when we say something is ' Utopia' today, we mean that it is a good idea, but it is not realistic. Utopiais a word which came from _ Greek Some parents say their kids don't like sports. Why? Some kids don't like sports because they don't know how to play them. If the kids know how to play a new sport, maybe they will like it. Taking P.E. classes at school is a good way to learn new sports. Another way is to watch videos about sports. Kids can also read some books to learn new sports. Some kids don't like playing sports because they were once on a team and didn't have fun. For those kids, it's a good idea to talk with their teachers or parents. With their help, maybe the kids will like playing sports again. There are many kinds of sports, so a kid should find the sports that _ him or her. If a kid doesn't like team sports, parents can ask him or her to try individual sports, such as swimming and running. Playing sports is a good form of exercise, and it can help kids keep active and healthy. Of course, non-sport activities can also keep kids fit, such as walking a dog, cleaning the room and watering the garden. Which activity is NOT mentioned in the passage? Playing basketball.
Several years ago ,Masaru Ibuka ,chairman of Sony ,was at a company planning a meeting. Suddenly he hdd a brilliant idea. He stopped the meeting and asked everyone present what would happen if Sony removed the recording function and 'speaker and sold headphones with a tape player instead. Almost everyone thought he was crazy. Still ,Ibuka kept thinking about his idea and worked at improving it The result, of course, turned out to be the wildly successful Sony Walkman. Good ideas often start with a seemingly silly question. Bill Bowerman was making breakfast one day. As he stood there making waffles for his son, he wondered what would happen if he poured rubber into his waffle iron. Later ,he tried it and the result looked something Like the bottom of most sports shoes we see today. Still, when he took this idea to several existing shoe companies, he was laughed at In fact, every single company turned him down. Though rather discouraged, Bowerman insisted and went on to form his own company, making NBKE athletic shoes. Sometime good ideas grow out of frustration .When Fred Smith was a student at Yale University, he had some paperwork that he needed to have delivered across the country the next day. Smith was amazed to find out that overnight delivery was impossible. He sat for a long while ,lost in thought Why couldn't there be a reliable overnight mail delivery service? He decided to design one. Smith did just that and turned his design into a class project His business professor gave him only a C for his efforts. However, Smith was not through. He improved the idea in that class project and finally turned them into one of the first and most successful overnight mail service in the world -- FedEx. We know that each of these ideas led to a very successful product or service that has changed the way many of us live. The best questions are usually open-ended and are often silly, Children aren't afraid to ask such questions ,but adults frequently are. Think how different the world might be if people never asked " silly" questions! The passage is mainly developed by _ . A analyzing possible reasons B presenting different opinions C providing typical examples D listing practical suggestions Answer: C Using tablet computers like Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Note just before bed can lead to a poor night's sleep, according to research. More and more people are taking their tablets to bed with them to surf the web, check Facebook or email before switching off the light. But researchers are warning that the blueish light their screens emit can stop users getting a good night's sleep. That is because this type of light mimics daylight, convincing the brain that it is still daytime. Blue light suppresses production of a brain chemical called melatonin, which helps us fall sleep. This is because our brains have evolved to be wakeful during daylight hours. By contrast, light which is more orange or red in tone does not reduce melatonin production, perhaps because our brains recognize it as a cue that the day is ending. Neurologists have known for years that staring at screens late in the evening can disrupt sleep. Researchers at the Lighting Research Centre, at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, are warning that looking at tablet displays for more than two hours "leads to a suppression of our natural melatonin levels as the devices emit optical radiation at short wavelengths" - in other words, they emit bluer light. They say: "Although turning off devices at night is the ultimate solution, it is recommended that if these devices are used at night displays are dimmed as much as possible and that the time spent on them before bed should be limited." They drew their conclusions after measuring melatonin levels in 13 volunteers, after they had spent time viewing iPads at full brightness at a distance of 10 inches, for two hours. Melatonin levels were significantly lower after they had done this, than they were after the volunteers had viewed their iPads for the same time, but while wearing orange glass goggles, which cut out the blue light. They wrote in the journal Applied Ergonomics that tablet makers could "tune the spectral power distribution of self-luminous devices " so that they disrupted the sleep patterns of users less. It is not just a good night's sleep that could be jeopardized by too much late night screen time. Researchers know that persistent disruption to sleep patterns can lead to an increased risk of obesity, and even breast cancer. However, these studies tend to be comparisons of those with chronic sleep disruption, such as long term shift workers, with those who have normal sleep patterns. The writer's purpose for writing this article is to _ . A inform readers of a recent research. B complain about problems caused by using iPads before bed. C offer some suggestions on late night screen viewing. D advocate late night screen viewing. Answer: A A recent survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that about a third of nurses inprefix = st1 /UKplanned to give up their jobs in the next two years because of the amount of worries and unhappiness with their pay. Among those under 40, the percentage of nurses planning to leave their employers increased from 32% in 2005 to 36% in 2007. The survey also found that 71% of nurses believed they could be paid more for less effort if they left nursing, compared to 60% in 1997. The research was published as the RCN hosted a meeting for nurse leaders to deal with the growing concerns of the nurses. Josie Irwin, an RCN expert, said, " Many nurses say that changes in junior doctors' hours have resulted in an increase in their workload. Nurses are under more and more pressure." Ms Irwin added, "Only 22% of all nurses disagree that they are under too much pressure." She also said that 27% of nurses had a second job, with the main reason that they needed some extra income. "Nurses have made it clear that while they enjoy their work, they have more to do than ever and are not being paid enough to do it." She added. " For this reason, the RCN is calling for a pay increase for nurses to bring their pay into line with others." The survey of 4,795 nurses found that some important changes to the profession had taken place in recent years. The average age of the nurses questioned was 42 ---compared to an average of 33 in 1987. The RCN said that the age increase was because people were now becoming nurses later. In the 1960s, the average age of a nurse on the completion of training was 21, but over the last 5 years it has been an average of 29. What would be the best title for this passage? A Nurses dislike their jobs. B Nurses' low income C Nurses plan to give up their jobs. D Nurses' pressure Answer: C Our daughter Kerrin, a student at Boston University, had been home for a week-end visit, and I dropped her off at the bus station just in time for her back to college. After Kerrin's bus had gone and I was driving away, I noticed that she had left her purse on the passenger seat. Worried that she would arrive in Boston without money or keys to her room, I called my wife, Bette Jean, on the car phone, explaining why I would be late. As I was following the bus, Bette Jean phoned me back to say she had phoned the bus dispatcher on the other line and he, in return, had phoned the bus driver on yet another phone. The driver asked me to wave out of my window to show where I was. Then he pulled over at a rest stop, and I did the same. Kerrin jumped off the bus, and I handed her the purse and went on my way. Which of the following is not true? A The bus was too fast for the car to catch up with in no time. B The writer had tried to phone the dispatcher but failed. C The writer couldn't get in touch with the driver by the phone. D Both the writer and the bus driver could use the car phone. Answer: B Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression. Those who suffer from " the autumn blue" are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. "The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is not known yet," says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. "But recent studies indicate that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability of sunlight." One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. "It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart," Chen says. "Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues." Which of the following is true according to the text? A The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown. B Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness. C People feel tired in autumn. D Weather doesn't change people. Answer: A
Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems -- both legal and educational -- for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers. Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly. One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the "throwaway" youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets. Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education. The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that _ . Film 1 -- The environmental problems in South Africa This film will take you on a wonderful trip deep into the South African forests and across four decades of research to experience the changes in the environment in South Africa. With no roads or airstrips nearby, the waterways are the only choice for reaching the great forests. This unbelievable journey invites you to be among the few humans who have dared to go to the South African forests to examine the different disappearing creatures and plants of South Africa. Place: Cheerful Theatre Admission Fees: Front Stalls $30, Stalls $38 (Standard) Front Stalls $15, Stalls $19 (Concession) Note: 1. Concessions are applicable to senior citizens aged 60 or above. 2. Children under 3 years old will not be admitted. Duration: 50 minutes Show Dates: April1 - May 31 Discount: With the cash coupons offered by K&S Ltd., you can now enjoy a 50% discount on the $38 ticket and pay only $19 per head. Film 2 -- The climatic changes in India This film will take you to the mysterious land of India. This film features a scientist, Nina, who set out alone on a five-year journey across the country. Along the way, Nina experiences the harshness of India's land, which contains every type of natural environment on Earth -- from the freezing temperatures of the Himalayas to the extremely hot deserts, and to dense tropical rainforests. The film shows how she survives the tough journey in India. Place: Glorious Theatre Admission Fees: Front Stalls $50, Stalls $70 (Standard) Note: Children under 3 years old will not be admitted. Duration: 120 minutes Show Dates: May 15 - May 31, only one show every day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Not on show at weekends. Special Feature: Good news for those who are interested in India! With the purchase of any two tickets at $70 each, you can join our prize-winning competition to win 2 round-trip tickets to India! Film 3 -- The power of nature This film features inspiring and frightening atmospheric and geological events. It shows how we can help increase our chances of surviving these events. The great earthquakes, exploding mountains, the sky turning black and violent -- natural forces that helped create life on our green planet but can also _ it. Experience our planet's strongest powers as this film delivers the amazing sights of earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes. From volcanic eruptions and trembling fault lines in Turkey to the hurricanes striking America, modern-day disasters are witnessed in eye-popping enormity on the giant screen. Place: Spectacular Theatre Admission Fees: Front Stalls $34, Stalls $42 (Standard) Front Stalls $17, Stalls $21 (Concession) Notes: 1. Concessions are applicable to full-time students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above. 2. Children under 6 years old will not be admitted. Duration: 150 minutes Show Dates: May 5 - June 30, only at weekends. Discount: A 3rd ticket is given free for every 2 tickets bought at whatever price. How many tickets will a group of 6 friends have to pay for if they want to watch Film 3 ? A team of British scientists is preparing to create a digital model of Mount Rushmore using laser scanning so that the iconic U.S. monument can be recreated if it were to be damaged. The survey work is part of a project to accurately record the exact dimensions of 500 of the most famous World Heritage Sites, including the Acropolis in Athens and the Great Wall of China. The joint team, from the Glasgow School of Art and Historic Scotland, are currently surveying 10 World Heritage Sites in Britain before they aim their laser beams at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. There they will team up with members of the CyArk Foundation, a non-profit organization that has identified several "at risk" World heritage Sites. Mount Rushmore is on their list because of concerns over deterioration of the faces of four former presidents on the sculpture. Laser scanning itself is not new but applying the technology to historic sites or buildings is a new approach. "At first, these laser scanners were produced for things like refineries where there are lots of pipes and things or atmosphere that are different for humans to actually tolerate," Chris McGregor of Historic Scotland told Reuters Television. "They hadn't really thought about the built heritage as being a market for such a machine but its use and the work that we are doing with it is really innovative and really exciting. CyArk's goal is to create a huge database of detailed surveys of sites so that they can be maintained or even rebuilt if they should be damaged by a natural disaster, climate change or even war. They cited as an example the Buddhas or Bamiyan in Afghanistan, two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliffduring the sixth century that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Despite offers from the governments of Japan and Switzerland, among others, to help rebuild the Buddhas, the team believe an accurate laser survey would have made the task more achievable. Doug Pritchard from the Glasgow School of Art's Digital Design Studio said, "We are discovering new things about the buildings which are hundreds, thousands of years old," he said. CyaArk said the loss of architectural and archaeological cultural heritage is becoming a crisis of global proportions with an urgent need for reliable documentation as a key step to help preserve heritage sites. The development of laser scanning technology has given a greater accuracy to surveys and thrown new light on ancient monuments. The writer's main purpose of writing the passage is to _ . Sam was an English student. He always stayed at home for his holidays. But last winter he thought, "I have never left the country. All my friends have been to Spain. They like it very much. So this year I'm going there for my holiday." First he went to Madrid and stayed in a small hotel for a few days. One morning he went out for a walk. In his country people drive on the left, but in Spain they drive on the right. Sam forgot about this, and while he came to a busy street, a bike knocked him down. Sam lay on the ground for a few seconds and then he sat up and said, "Where am I?" An old man was selling maps at the side of the street. He quickly came to Sam and said, "Maps of the city, sir?" One morning, Sam was badly hurt by _ . Florence Nightingale was born in a rich family. When she was young, she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also travelled a great deal with her mother and father. As a child, she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them. At last, her mind was made up. "I'm going to be a nurse," she decided. "Nursing isn't the right work for a lady," her father told her. "Then I will make it so," she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France. When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home for women. During the Crimean War in 1854, she went with a group of thirty-eight nurses to the front hospital. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurses went to work. Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicines and food for the men. Her only pay was the smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman. After war, she returned to England and was honoured for her service by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries. Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honour nurses today. During the Crimean War in 1854, Florence served in the front hospital where_.
Pingyao, located in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site. It is 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River. People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a county government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of _ are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang (Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its lacquer ware became well known as well. In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi's history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people. In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as "World Culture Heritage Site" . If you want to know about the history of banking in China, which of the following places should you visit? Answer: Sunrise Prosperity. Easter is one of the two important Christian festivals.Easter celebrates resurrections of Jesus Christ and Christmas celebrates his birth.It's not a festival as big as Christmas.It starts usually in late March or early April and the Easter holiday is Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.It's quite a long holiday for everybody. The main symbol of Easter is Easter eggs.Children like Easter eggs because they are made of chocolate.Eggs are a symbol of new life. Easter is also a time for families to get together like Christmas.Many people see Easter as a nice long holiday and they have a good time with their families and friends. People begin to celebrate Easter in _ . Answer: late March or early April Peter Fern was mad on mountains. Climbing was the love of his life. Church towers, seaside cliffs, rock faces, ice mountains, anything --- "If it's there," he used to say, "then I want to climb it." so the news of his marriage gave me surprise. I'd never known him to take much interest in girls. Well, well, Peter Fern, a married man! I couldn't get over it. I wondered whether his wife would try to stop some of his risky adventures. She was French perhaps --- from that place where he usually spent his holidays. Chamonix, wasn't it? From Chamonix he's climbed Mont. Blanc on his seventeenth birthday, and one of the Aifuilles the day after! That was it, then; she was French, from a family, most of whom liked climbing. No doubt --- No other explanation. A month later I met them both in town. Anna surprised me because she was English. She was a dancer in the theatre. "never climbed more than sixty steps in my life." she told me. "Peter has his interests, and I've got mine. No problem." "None at all, " Peter said, smiling. "Where did you spend your honeymoon?" I asked. "Somewhere far from theater and mountains, was it?" "We had a week's holiday," Anna said, "I flew toprefix = st1 /New Yorkto see the drake Dancers on Broadway. a wonderful show!" Peter said, "Didn't want to miss the good weather. So I went toSwitzerlandand climbed the north face of the Eiger with Allen Dunlop. Great fun, the Eiger. Grand place for a honeymoon! I'll show you the photographs we took one day." The writer had thought the only reason why Fern married was that the girl _ Answer: might be French living near the mountain, and from a mountaineer family Head held high, hands firmly gripping her walker, Mary Arnott, 99, walks slowly with dignity through the women's changing room at the Etobicoke Olympium pool, past the teenage girls who have been blow-drying their hair for half an hour, into the mist of the showers, then out the door and first one into the heated pool. She jumps over to the shallow end, stopping to talk to friends--everyone knows Arnott here; she swims twice a week and treats it as a job--about their children, the viciousness of bridge and their health. In fact, Arnott is an exception to the exception. Not only has she lived 20 years past the average lifespan for Canadians, she's healthy, her mind is sharp and she lives independently. Born in Brooklyn on May 28, 1909, Arnott was raised on Staten Island. She survived scarlet fever , helped bring up four siblings after her mother died in 1923 and worked as a secretary in New York City for 12 years, earning$35 a week and a$150 bonus at Christmas. Now she's happy living in a one-room apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom in her daughter's house. She wears a hearing aid, does the cryptic crossword with a magnifying glass, and can't really explain why she has live so well so long. Until recently, she has still liked to drink red wine--she used to drink two glasses before supper each day. It's more likely genes, she admits. Her interest in other people and life in general may have had something to do with it. Asked if a star photographer can take her picture at the pool, Arnott seems cheerful. "I look good in a swimsuit," she says, nodding her head firmly. "I look better in a swimsuit than I do in pants. " Which of the following is TRUE as for Mary Arnott as an exception to the exception? Answer: She's healthy and her mind is sharp. Japan made Pearl Harbor Answer: it's victim
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. Which of the following is WRONG? A. Master Shifu is a kung fu teacher. B. The Furious Five are Master Shifu's students. C. The Furious Five become the Dragon Warrior. D. Shifu and the Furious Five don't like Po the panda. Answer: C What do you do if you are in trouble on a lonely island? Surely you need to find a way to get in touch with the outside world. Your best chance of doing this is to draw the attention of a passing plane. Body signals Pilots from different countries understand body signals if they have the correct training, When you wave your arms up and down in a straight line, it means, "yes". When you point downwards and swing your arm from side to side, it means "no". If you want the pilot to know that it's safe to land, push your hands out in front of you and bend your knees. If you want to say that it's not safe to land, put your arms in the air and move them to one side. Smoke signals The smoke from a fire can be seen from far away, so it's a good way to draw attention. If the weather is dry, it isn't hard to start a fire. Remember, however, that fires can be very dangerous if they get out of control. Never light a tire unless you're sure that it can't spread. If the ground is dark, light smoke can be seen more easily. Green grass and leaves produce light smoke. Ground-to-air signals It's a good idea lo build some signals, too. Use large pieces of wood to make the symbols . If you can't find any wood, use earth. Some useful symbols are: F "I need food and water" II "I need medicine." I "I am badly hurt." X "I am unable lo move from here." Pilots' replies If the pilot lowers the plane's wings from side to side, this means: "message received and understood" (At night, the pilot flashes the plane's green lights.) If the pilot flies the plane in a clockwise circle, this means "message received hut not understood" (At night, the: pilot flashes the plants red lights.) However, there is no signal which means "message not received. From the passage we know that _ . A. swinging your arm from side to side means "yes" B. light smoke can be seen easily if the ground is dark. C. make a symbol "I" if you need some medicine D. the pilots make replies with a yellow light at night. Answer: B Sometimes the best advice doesn't come from a book, a microphone, from behind a desk in Washington or even from the people who are the leaders in their fields. Sometimes the best life lessons are found deep in the roots of where we came from. My father passed away years ago, but I always remember the lessons he taught me. Three of them particularly shape my perspective day after day. The first one is that little things make big things happen. To the best of my memory, when I was young, we needed to build a new shed. Those were the days when stores like Home Depot and Lowes didn't exist. Brand-new timber was expensive, so folks often reused the materials that others in the community didn't need. That summer, Dad and I used the boards from an old abandoned barn. We pulled them down one by one, drew the nails out and took off the tin and straightened it in order to reuse it. We got our supplies back to our yard and got to work. I don't know how much of a help I really was, but I chose to stay beside Dad the entire period, working along with him. The sun was hot that day, and sweat formed and ran down our faces. I stood there and handed him the nails one by one, which were hammered into that shed. Dad made me feel proud of my work. Even though I just handed him the nails, he repeatedly emphasized how we built the new shed "together". He taught me that when you're willing to do hard work, even in little things, big things come together. The second one is that we should honor our promises. As a young man, my father always carried a pocket-sized Bible in his chest pocket. Shortly before the invasion of Normandy in 1944, he prayed for God's protection and promised God that if he made it home, he would make sure his family attended church every Sunday. Well, he made it home and he kept that promise. I cannot remember a Sunday when Dad did not take my mother, my siblings and me to church -- even when we were away on vacation. I now have my Dad's pocket Bible. It is one of my most treasured possessions, and it serves as a constant reminder of my dad's service to his country. However, it also serves as a visual representation of my dad's firm determination to keep his promises. Today, I place great value on my family and my faith, undoubtedly because of my dad's example. This lesson of promise has been introduced into all areas of my life. The third one is that listening is a way to acquire wisdom. My dad and I kept ourselves busy doing a lot of things together. During the nights of late summer, after dinner, the whole family would gather on our small porch to talk as the sun went down. Sometimes an aunt or uncle would drop by, and at other times my grandparents would be there. They would talk about the neighborhood news, the goings-on in modern Western society and politics -- mostly ordinary things, but it was good to sit there listening and to be together. Moreover, sitting there on the porch as dusk faded into night, I learned the value of listening and observing. Sometimes taking a moment to pause gives us the best perspective and sometimes we find the best answers simply by listening. Life in America becomes more complex. However, I like to think back to the simple lessons I learned from my father. They were the building blocks of my character and the values that still guide me today. Perhaps someone who has influence on your life taught you life lessons that helped form your character. I'm convinced that our nation could gain a lot by applying these lessons today. If we did, I think we would be reminded that the reason why our nation has become great is not merely that we have had wise leaders or well-spoken elected officials. Our nation has become great because of those ordinary Americans like my father, who have pride in their work, place great value on honesty, character and commitments, and pass those lessons on to their children and grandchildren. And that is the reason why we are still great today. While building the new shed with his father, the author_. A. managed to get in touch with some folks B. realized how hard his father worked C. tried his best to help his father D. was curious about everything Answer: C Lee Humberg, district manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is the man in charge of figuring out how to remove the flocks of 15,000 to 20,000 Canada geese that could strike planes flying in and out of the New York area. The Port Authority, the agency that manages airport in New York and New Jersey, estimates that there have been as many as 315 bird strikes annually in the past 30 years. Bird strikes have been a hot topic since a US Airways jet suffered a "double strike" and made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in January 2009. All 155 passengers were rescued safely and the flight was called "Miracle on the Hudson". The plane finally ended up at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. The next major bird strike may not have such a happy ending. To thin the flocks, Humberg and his team have tracked down goose nests and killed eggs with corn oil. They've also terrified the birds with dogs, remote-controlled boats and kites that look like eagles. But the only method that effectively decreases the goose population is the one that angers animal lovers the most: gassing hundreds at a time. "If all you are doing is goose harassment every day, it's very frustrating, because you are just playing Ping-Pong with the birds," Humberg told New York magazine. "It's basically an arms race to come up with the tools to deal with them." Now New York City plans to send the geese captured to Pennsylvania to be cooked and distributed at food banks as meals for the poor. That might just be a fate better than flying into a 747 engine. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. Canada geese can fly as high as planes B. New York airlines are in poor management C. bird strikes happen once a week on average D. the poor may also benefit from Humberg's work Answer: D A Frenchman was once traveling in England. He could not speak English at all. One day he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table. When the waiter came up, he opened his mouth, put his finger in his mouth and took it out. He wanted to showed, "Bring me something to eat." The waiter soon brought him a cup of tea. The man shook his head and put his finger in and out of his mouth again. The waiter understood him and took the tea away. In a moment he came back with a cup of coffee. But the man refused it. He shook his head again and again whenever the waiter brought him something to drink, for drinks were not food. When the Frenchman was going away, he saw another foreigner came in. This new comer saw the waiter, and put his hand on his stomach(,). That was enough. In a few minutes there was a large plate meat and vegetables on the table in front of him. The Frenchman signed to the waiter _ . A. to show he was thirsty B. to tell him bring a cup of tea C. to refuse the coffee D. to ask him for some food Answer: D
Question: In some national parks, controlled fires are maintained by firefighters. Which of these is one of the major reasons for using controlled burns to maintain certain ecosystems? A. to give nonnative plants a chance to colonize the region B. to prevent the spread of pests that cause damage to plants C. to replace matured plants with saplings of the same species D. to rid the forest floor of accumulated deadwood and brush Answer: D Question: Global Architecture Business Development Director The person filling this position will develop the company's development plan and supervise the expansion of the business.Candidates should be able to have a background in successful business planning. JOB DESCRIPTION Responsible for managing external contracts and relationships with local businesses and the local government offices.Responsible for evaluating the success of projects and services. QUALIFICATIONS,TRAINING and EXPERIENCE A degree in business management.Minimum of five years' relevant experience,preferably managing a multi-functional team.Excellent sales, negotiation and interpersonal skills are key requirements of the job.Strong numerical and analytical ability and a solid grasp of computer spreadsheet applications are essential. Personnel management required.Good communication skills are essential,both written and verbal.Must be willing to travel. Send cover letter and resume to: Marko Cerise Human Relations Manager Global Architecture Associates Dear Mr. Cerise, I read your job advertisement in Professional Monthly and believe that I am well suited to fill the position. For the past 6 years I have been working as the regional promotions manager for a national chain of book stores. In this position,1 was responsible for supervising a team of six promotions and marketing staff.It was my responsibility to plan the sales events and promotional campaigns,and produce evaluation reports on the efficacy of each campaign.The position involved regular visits to each of the nine branches in the area,so I am used to spending a significant part of my working week on the road. A big part of the job was communicating with both senior management and individual store managers to ensure that new product lines were appropriately supported and within budget targets.I have found working in this position to be very rewarding but 1 feel I am ready for a change and look forward to facing new challenges. In respect to my current position,1 would be willing to start within one month of receiving a job offer. For further employment and educational details please see the accompanying resum. Sincerely, Jennifer Dankert What requirement stated in the advertisement does Ms Dankert NOT address? A. Management experience. B. Experience with promotional events. C. Knowledge of computer software. D. Supervisory skills. Answer: C Question: Parents should stop blaming themselves because there's not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal. I've seen friends deal with _ in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said. "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him." He hasn't forgotten them. He's just decided that he's not going to use them. She confessed that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor. Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, "I don't like your dress; it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home. "Where did we go wrong?" her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents. This text is most probably written by _ . A. a doctor for mental health problems B. a headmaster of a middle school C. a parent with teenage children D. a specialist in teenager studies Answer: D Question: It was a morning, about 8:30 am, when an old man in his 80's reached my hospital to take care of his finger. He said he was in a hurry because he had an appointment at 9 am. While taking care of his finger I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The old man told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I asked if she would be unhappy if he was a bit late. He replied that there was something wrong with his wife's mind and she hadn't known who he was since five years ago. I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled to me and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." The old man went to the nursing home to _ with his wife. A. play sports B. have breakfast C. enjoy music D. have classes Answer: B Question: At present, too much carbon dioxide makes the earth warmer and warmer and causes terrible effect to human beings. To save our planet, to save ourselves, a new lifestyle called low-carbon life becomes popular. Low carbon means low energy and no waste. It is necessary for everybody to learn to live a low-carbon life. To live a low-carbon life, we'd better save energy as possible. Turn off the lights and TV whenever they are not needed. If possible, use cold water to wash clothes or dishes. Take a short shower and try to take a cold one when the weather gets warm. Don't do the cooking with electricity. To live a low-carbon life, we should eat less meat. Everybody knows eating too much meat makes people fat and easy to have heart disease, but maybe you don't know keeping animals for food produces even more carbon dioxide than all the cars in the world, and being a vegetarian can help reduce one and a half tons of carbon dioxide a year. Maybe _ is a little difficult, but it's really necessary. To live a low-carbon life, we are supposed to do less shopping. When we go shopping, we may drive a car or take other transportations. On the one hand, these machines pollute the air and waste energy. On the other hand, most of us always buy some useless things because of some advertisements. It is not only a waste of money but also causes trouble to the earth, because as you know, making everything will produce carbon dioxide more or less. There are many other ways to live low-carbon life, such as recycling things, planting trees and reusing textbooks. If we can keep it a habit in our daily life, the earth will become a safer planet for us to live on. ,. If everybody lives a low-carbon life, _ . A. we will waste more energy B. there will be less carbon dioxide C. the earth will become a dangerous place to live on D. there will be more carbon dioxide Answer: B
After the "Big Bang ",the earth was just a cloud of energetic dust. What it was to become was a mystery until the dust began to slowly combine into a ball moving around the sun. The problem was that the earth became violent because it was not clear whether the solid shape was to last or not. It exploded loudly with fire and rock, which were in time to produce the water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases, which were to make the earth's atmosphere. As the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface. Nobody knew that it was going to be different from other planets going round the sun. Water had already disappeared from planets like Mars or satellites like the moon, but it stayed on the earth. This is how the earth began to show its special qualities. Many people think that this was important for the beginning of life. It allowed the earth to dissolve harmful gases, which had become part of the earth's atmosphere, into the oceans and seas. That made it possible for life to begin to develop. What scientists think is that the earth was different because of the arrival of small plants growing in the water on its surface. Nobody understood that these plants were the start of many changes. They multiplied and filled the first oceans and seas with oxygen .This encouraged the development of early shellfish and all sorts of fish. Many millions of years later the first green plants began to appear on land. Scientists believe that taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and filling the air with oxygen helped life to develop. Later land animals appeared. Some were insects. Others, called amphibians, were able to live on land as well as in the sea. When the plants grew into forests, reptiles appeared for the first time. They produced young generally by laying eggs. Later, some huge animals, called dinosaurs, developed, They laid eggs too. They became the most important animals on the earth for millions of years. But when they disappeared, mammals became more important. They were the last group of animals and they were different because they produced their young from within their bodies. Small clever animals, now with hands and feet, appeared and spread all over the earth. They developed new methods of growing food, hunting and moving around. As time went by they covered the earth and have become the most important animals on the planet. But they are not taking care of the earth very well. They are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which prevents heat from escaping from the earth into space. The earth may become too hot for the lives on it. Whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on whether this problem can be solved. Why was the earth different from other planets? Answer: The water remained. I had a terrible accident and was transferred via a helicopter to the Pittsburgh Hospital. I was conscious of my accident and friends, and family passing out at the sight of me. It was no picnic! Late one evening ,I could hear the nurses in the next room repeatedly talking to a new patient. "Sandy, your mom is here. Open your eyes. " This had gone on throughout the night. "Sandy ,your dad has some flowers for you. Open your eyes and look at them. " I asked the nurse as she checked in on me what had happened to Sandy. The nurse said that Sandy was about 17 and had been involved in a car wreck. She was in a deep coma , not in good shape. Over the next few nights ,I started talking to Sandy. Although, it was said silently, I started to urge her to open her eyes or say something. Her parents visited with me one evening, and they seemed to be from an important family but in much grief, much like the faces of those that had visited me. And there I was speechless, immobile and had no real way of easing their pain. It became very important to me to pray for her recovery, not my own. In some strange way, I believed that if Sandy would just open her eyes ,my own situation would get better. Sandy never came out of the coma as far as I know. During my stay in hospital, there were many times I felt like I was in an emotional coma. But I still could hear "just open your eyes. " Even now I think of her quite often. I remember the long nights in the hospital, the smell of the hospital environment and the helplessness we all felt. Even though Sandy's situation was bad, I am thankful for understanding what it means to let go of your own problems and concentrate on others. Which word can best describe the author according to the passage? Answer: Kind. Jim is a young farmer. He was once put into prison( ). One day, he got a letter from his mother. " I'm so worried about our farm,"she wrote."it's time to plant potatoes. I can't dig ( ) all the fields( ) by myself." Jim read the letter and became sad. " What can I do?" he thought. Then he had a good idea. He wrote to his mother," don't dig the fields. There is much money in the earth. Don't plant potatoes until I come home." Some days later, Jim got another letter from his mother. It said, " Two days ago, about ten men came to our farm and dug all the fields. I can't understand it. It seemed that they were looking for something. What should I do?" Jim smiled when he read his mother's letter. He wrote a letter to his mother at once. It was very short. Guess what it would say. Jim's mother was much worried about _ . Answer: the money "Cooking With Kids creates fun and food for the family. Kate Heyhoe gives simple practical tips on how to bring the family together for mealtime magic." --Linda Gassenheimer, award-winning author of Dinner in Minutes "I have just helped my four year old granddaughter Jessica to make stuffed eggs. What fun it is to cook with a new generation and what a joy now to have a brilliant new book like Cooking With Kids to pass on a passion for life and its healthy pleasures to a child!" --Graham Kerr, International Culinary Consultant "Like millions of moms, I want to prepare delicious, nutritious meals for my family, and after working all day in the restaurant, I also want to spend quality time with my sons. Cooking together is the natural solution. But in the kitchen, you need the proper tools to do the job well; Cooking With Kids is just the tool to get you started." --Chef Mary Sue Milliken, TV hostess, cookbook author "In Cooking With Kids, Kate Heyhoe brings kids into the kitchen and teaches them not only great tasting recipes but cooking fundamentals such as how to hold a knife, set a table and how to survive in a supermarket. With families' busy schedules, this book is a wonderful sourcebook for family interaction." --Emily Luchetti, executive pastry chef "Seize the moment, and a copy of this delightful cooking guide, then call the children to the kitchen to experience the joy of an often neglected pleasure of family life---cooking food together." --Marcel Desaulniers, author of Death by Chocolate "In Cooking with Kids, Kate Heyhoe takes your hand and leads you through the kitchen on a most delightful tour. The book is packed with easy-to-understand guidance and simple, tasty recipes that will delight kids of any age, and that includes every inner child who never learned the secrets of the kitchen. " --Michele Anna Jordan, author of Home Cooking What's the main purpose of the passage? Answer: To recommend a cooking book. Some people like to collect stamps. Others prefer posters or coins. But Pinky Bhutia is different. She collects children. In her mountain village, in Sikkim, she is known as the wonderful young woman who adopts all the children she can. Pinky was 14 when she adopted her first child, a Nepali baby girl, whose patents passed away. Pinky's parents did not mind. Pinky left school and started working full time because she had a baby to feed. Today , she has twelve adopted children, and two sons from her marriage. Pinky is about 30 years old and she comes from a common family. If you passed her on the street, you wouldn't give her a second look. She lives in a brown mud-washed house. There is a vegetable garden outside. Red hens with noisy chicks run all over the garden looking for food. If you ask her why she provides a home to so many kids, she smiles shyly. But her eyes are serious. "I know what it is to be poor and hungry." As a child, her only dream was to eat a full meal, and her favorite amusement was watching people with shoes and imagining what it felt like. By adopting poor and homeless children she is making sure that they never feel that hopeless. Pinky feels very proud when she sees her children happy and bright, Her oldest baby, Aarita Rai, is now 20 years old, Then, there is 19-year-old Nimbe who came to Pinky because her mother was unable to look after her. She started to work in a government office two years ago. Ten-year-old Bhim and 14-year-old Kumar came to Pinky five years ago, after their father's death. They started living on a patch of land given by Pinky and grew vegetables for sale. "I like children. It's not one more mouth to feed but one more soul saved," Pinky says. Whic of the following statements is TRUE? Answer: Bhim and Kumar are from the same family.
Question: The fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan was the subject of popular books and movies for many decades. In recent years, however, the character has been criticized as an ill image of Asian-Americans. Yunte Huang, an English professor at the University of California, says that's not the case. He has been exploring the character and real-life policeman who inspired him. Charlie Chan has been a familiar character to readers and film-goers, beginning in the 1920s. The detective solved crimes around the world in more than 40 films through the 1940s, and with the invention of television, found a new audience in the 1950s and 1960s. Huang discovered Charlie Chan through books by American author Earl Derr Biggers, who created the character. "One day, I happened to find two Charlie Chan novels. At that point I thought I knew that he was a negative character against Asians, but when I read the book," he says, "I was immediately attracted. Ever since then, I've been a fan of Charlie Chan." As a fan of the books and films, Huang was surprised to learn that Charlie Chan was based on a real detective named Chang Apana, who was born to Chinese parents in Hawaii around 1871. Apana worked as a cowboy, and joined the Honolulu police force in 1898. "He almost immediately became a local legend because as a former cowboy," says Huang, "he would walk the most dangerous areas in Chinatown carrying a bullwhip instead of a gun. He didn't need that." Although some say the image of Charlie Chan, with his broken English, is embarrassing for Asian-Americans, Huang believes Chan's broken English and unusual ancient sayings were part of his charm . "Let me just quote a few - 'Actions speak louder than French,' or 'Mind like parachute . Only function when open.' Charlie Chan always owes these instructive sayings to Confucius' eastern wisdom. For Huang, the fictional Charlie Chan is highly entertaining, while the real-life policeman, Chang Apana, is a Chinese-American success, whose story is worth telling. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. American author Earl Derr Biggers gave an ill picture of Asian-Americans B. Yunte Huang believes Charlie Chan represents Asian wisdom in some way C. Chan's story was more popular with TV audience than readers and film-goers D. Charlie Chan became an ill image of Asian-Americans when it first appeared. Answer: B Question: My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr3:-@ kids FTF. ILNY, it's gr8. Can you understand this sentence? If you can't, don't feel too bad; neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on Internet or cell phones. To new comers, it can look like a completely foreign language. So, what is the translation of the sentence above? My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It's great. School teachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes can be seen in students' writing. They fear the language could become corrupted . "Everyone should just relax", say linguists . They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing, has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nurberg, from Stanford University, agrees. "People get better at writing by writing," he says. "kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mails, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than their parents." Linguist James says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And you can _ that when today's teenagers become tomorrow's parents. They too will think this way. James argues that languages do not and cannot become corrupted. They simply change to meet the new needs. However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write standard English. Cynthia McVey says, "I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it's important that they get across to their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but learning to write proper English is a must for their future." Perhaps we should give teenagers a little more trust anyway. Erin, aged 12, says, "I wouldn't use text language in my homework. Texting is just for fun. " What can be the best title for the passage? A. Netspeak: a widely-used language on Internet B. Is Netspeak harming the English language? C. Is Netspeak helpful in language learning? D. Netspeak: advantages and disadvantages Answer: B Question: The property of matter that resists changes in motion is called A. inertia. B. friction. C. gravity. D. weight. Answer: A Question: When Dekalb Walcott III was just 8 years old, his father, a Chicago fire chief, let him _ on a call. Dekalb says a lot of kids idolized basketball player Michael Jordan when he was growing up in Chicago in the 1990s. Not him. "I wanted to be like Dekalb Walcott Jr.," he says of his father. So when his dad asked if he wanted to go on that call with him when he was 8, Dekalb was excited. "I'm jumping up and down, saying, "Mom, can I go? Can I go?' " The experience changed Dekalb's life, he tells his dad on a visit to StoryCorps. "My eyes got big from the moment the alarm went off." the younger Dekalb says. " This is the life that I want to live someday. " Now 27, the younger Dekalb is living that life. He became a firefighter at 21 and went to work alongside his dad at the Chicago Fire Department. Before his father retired, the pair even went out on a call together -- father supervising son. "You know, it's everything for me to watch you grow," his father says. But he also recalls worrying about one particular fire that his son faced. "I received a phone call that night. And they said, 'Well, your son was at this fire.' I said, 'OK, which way is this conversation going to go?' " Dekalb Walcott Jr. recalls. "And they said, 'But he's OK. And he put it out all by himself. Everybody here was proud of him.' "And the word went around, 'Who was out there managing that fire? Oh, that's Walcott! That's Walcott up there!' So, you know, moments like that, it's heaven on Earth for a dad." Dekalb Walcott Jr. retired in 2009. The younger Dekalb says he's proud of being a second-generation firefighter. "You know, it makes me look forward to fatherhood as well, because I'm definitely looking forward to passing that torch down to my son." Which of the following is the best title of the passage? A. Passing The Torch: A Firefighter Dad's Legacy B. Putting Out Fire: A Challenging Job for Father and son C. Dekalb Walcott III: A Second-generation Firefighter D. Dekalb Walcott Jr.: A Chicago Fire Chief Answer: A Question: Jeffrey Bezos, the founder, president and chairman of the board of Amazon. com, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother's ancestors were early settlers in Texas, and over the generations had acquired a 25,000 acre farm at Cotulla. Jeffrey spent most summers of his youth working with his grandfather on their farm. Jeffrey showed intense and varied scientific interests at an early age. He set up an electric alarm to keep his younger sisters and brothers out of his room and changed his parents' garage into a laboratory for his science projects. After he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Jeffrey Bezos found employment on Wall Street, where computer science was increasingly in demand to study market trends. He rose quickly, becoming a senior vice president, and looked forward to a bright career in finance, when he made a discovery that changed his life, and the course of business history. In 1994, there was still no Internet commerce to speak of. One day that spring, Jeffrey Bezos observed that Internet usage was increasing by 2,300 percent a year. He saw an opportunity for a new circle of commerce, and immediately began considering the possibilities. Bezos founded Amazon. com in 1994, setting up the original company in his garage. The company was called Amazon for the seemingly endless South American river with its numberless branches. It started as an online bookstore but soon diversified to all kinds of products. His work with Amazon eventually led him to become one of the most excellent dot-com entrepreneurs. He was named Time magazine's Person of the Year in 1999. In 2008, he was selected by U. S. News & World Report as one of America's Best Leaders. Bezos's Amazon has become "the Earth's biggest anything store". Amazon. com is now called "one of the smartest strategies in business history. Today Jeffrey Bezos lives North of Seattle and is increasingly concerned with charity activities. "Giving away money takes as much attention as building a successful company," he has said. In his childhood, Bezos _ . A. had to work with parents on their farm all day long B. showed great interest in science C. didn't get along well with his brothers and sisters D. wanted to become a businessman Answer: B
Brief Introduction (Adeline) Virginia Woolf (nee Stephen; 25 January 1882 - 28 March 1941) was an English novelist and essayist, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century.During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One's Own (1929), with its famous dictum, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."Main body My dear, 'Dearest, I feel certain I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don't think two people could have been happier till this terrible disease came. I can't fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can't even write this properly. I can't read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that - everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been ...........................form the last letter of virginia woolf According to the main body, which of the following is not the reason of her Dutch act ? Answer: Summer is slipping away from me.Some days, it makes me want to cry.Other days, I feel a sense of expectation within me just thinking about fall that makes me want to burst.Tonight, all five of us were in the family room doing our own things. At this moment, my littlest kid is my number one trouble and my number one joy.He has a tooth on the way and although it's such a tiny thing, it's causing so much grief.I'm holding him a lot and I'm not going to lie.I live for his afternoon nap so I'm able to actually get dressed and use the restroom. The big E is starting school soon.The other day, I found myself a bit depressed about the end of summer and the beginning of another school year.I looked out of our front window with eyes that were heavy and a bit teary.Then, I suddenly realized just how silly this end of summer depression of mine is.I can't change time.But, I can change my emotions and my thoughts.I decided not to spend my final days of summer vacation walking around with a sad face.I decided to hug the last few days of summer and remind myself that before I know it, we will be back in our school routine and all will go well. This week we plan on meeting teachers.I'm taking my girl to have her nails done before her first day of kindergarten.We want to bake a few dozen cookies.We'll take our evening walks as usual and stay up late.And last but not least, I'll get school clothes ready, I'll pack lunches and write lunch notes, we'll read "The Kissing Hand," like we normally do, and I'll tuck my third grader and kindergartener in their little beds before the big first day. Thank you summer, you've been warm and wonderful, you've been sweet and sticky, you've been refreshing and exactly what we need.And your sunsets have been amazing, so thank you. How will the author spend the final days of the summer vacation? Answer: A 14-year-old British student is packing for the next day of school: textbooks, notebooks, pens, 250 grams of flour, an egg and some cooking oil. Wait, what? It's not a joke. From September, cookery will be a compulsory course for kids aged 7-14 in the UK. Primary school students will learn how to put things together and make simple, healthy food. At high school, students will then master a number of different meals. They will also learn some cooking skills including baking. Britain is sometimes known as a country with bad food and unhealthy eating habits. These new courses are part of the country's effort to bring healthy food back onto the table. "One in four British families no longer has a table that everyone can eat around. One out of every two meals we eat is eaten alone. Only four out of ten of us enjoy eating meals with our children," British writer Joanna Blythman wrote in her book Bad Food Britain: How A Nation Ruined Its Appetite in 2006. Instead, ready meals have become the first choice for many British kids, because their parents are often too busy to cook a proper meal. The Department for Education hopes that the cookery courses can introduce children to good food and reduce childhood _ . "It's important that children can develop an interest and understanding of good food," said a spokesman for the department. "We want to encourage them to develop a love of food and cooking that will stay with them as they grow up. The aim of the cookery course is to help children _ . Answer: There are many kinds of sales. For example, a "back-to-school sale" is held near the beginning of the school year. Parents like the lower prices of the clothes and school supplies for their children. A "midnight madness" event starts very late at night. An "early bird special" sale starts very early in the morning. This kind of sale is popular the day after Thanksgiving in November. A favorite sale among many people is the "buy one, get one free" sale. You buy one thing and get a second one without cost. When people see the word "free" in an advertisement they know they are getting a good deal. As a matter of fact, it is not the case. Another kind of sale is a "going out of business" sale. This is when a storeowner tries to sell all the goods in the store before closing the business permanently . Let us say the store sells floor coverings. The owner lowers the prices and puts up a sign that says: "Going out of business sale. All items MUST be sold by tomorrow." People who buy the floor coverings think they are getting a special deal because everything must be sold in a short period of time. Then, days later they see the store did not close permanently. And they see the same sign that claims the store is going out of business. Some business owners really do not end the business. They just want to earn more money. People also hold their own sales. They hold garage sales and yard sales outside their home. They sell things they no longer want. Groups such as religious centers or schools hold bake sales. They sell cakes, cookies and other baked goods to raise money. In America, you can always find a good sale, no matter the day or time of year. There is the Independence Day sale, Veteran's Day sale, clearance sale, sidewalk sale, red tag sale, white sale, blue light special, liquidation sale, half-off sale, warehouse sale, tent sale ... What's the purpose of some owners who do "going out of business" sale repeatedly? Answer: 1990 was a significant year in world enents. In Febbruary, Nelson Mandela was set free after 27 years in prison. In October, East and West Germany became one country again. Then at the end of 1990, the World Wide Web was born. For this final event we have one man to thank, Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the Web. Berners-Lee was born on June 8, 1955 in London, England. His parents, both computer designers, encouraged him to think and work creativelhy as he grew up. He was an excellent student and naturally took an interest in computers and science. After graduating from Oxford University, Tim went to work at a science research centre in Sfwitzerland. There be developed some of the different systems that would later become the Web. The first was HTML, the computer language used to make web pages. The second was an address system that let computers anhywhere find each other and send and receive information. In 1990, while still at the science centre in Switzerland, he put them together to make the first Internet browser. It could run on any computer and allowed people to create share their information with the rest of the world. Tim knew that the more people used the Web, the more useful it would be. He wasn't interested in money but knowledge, so he gave out his invention for free to anyone who was interested. Many were interested and the growth of the Internet began. Today Tim works as a professor at the MIT in America, researching new and interesting ways to use the Web. He has received many awards from governments and organizations for his efforts. He is still not very interested in money. That is why he is so admired by his students and workmates. It may also be one of the reasons that few people outside the world of technology know his name. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? Answer:
Question: Even in early time, people could realize the important of dreams and knew that dreams gave meaning to life. Every great achievement has been the result of years of dreaming. If a person has a dream and holds fast to it, he or she will find a way to bring it into reality . Children do not have much experience or knowledge. However, they are natural dreamers. We should not laugh at them for being _ . Many great men were dreamers when they were children. One such dreamer was Thomas Edison. He used to be ostracized when he was in primary school, but his achievements were greater than everyone else's in his time. Teenagers and young people should also be encouraged to dream. The world is full of successful teenagers and young people. They dreamt big and their dreams changed their lives and even the world. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the good examples. They have developed technology and brought great progress to human besides making money for themselves. Older people should believe that it is never too late to dream and that human mind is never too old to make dreams turn into reality. Colonel Saunders realized his dreams at the age of 67 and set up the biggest fried chicken company (KFC) in the world. To dream is a wonderful ability which can lead to wonderful results. Olympic records were broken by players who were brave enough to dream. No one is too young or too old to dream and to make dreams come true. People who _ could probably realize their dreams. A. find a way to dream B. dream and hold fast to them C. get the meaning of life D. have very good school results Answer: B Question: Many places in the world need more fresh water . Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh. Why aren't there many factories like the Symi factory? In some places, the sun isn't hot enough, or it doesn't shine every day. In these places other ways to heating sea water can be used. These ways cost more money, but they work faster than the sun. By boiling sea water with high heat,a lot of fresh water can be made quickly. But heating is not the only way to get fresh water from salt water. Other ways are tried. One way is freezing . The fresh part of salt water freezes first. To get fresh water, the pieces of ice are taken out. Which way is best? The one that gives the most water for the least money. It may be a different way for each place. Symi's way seems very good for small, hot places. It doesn't make very much water at a time. But the factory is easy to build and cost little. Which of the following isn't true? A. New ways are tried to get fresh water. B. A lot of fresh water can be made quickly by heating. C. The best way is to get the most fresh water with the least money. D. The Symi's way doesn't work in dry places. Answer: C Question: In Asia,there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them.Although all kites have a similar structure ,they are widely different in size and shape.Kitefighting competitions are also held,in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponents' kites or cut their strings . For more than 15 years,the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kitemaking and kiteflying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii.In its kitemaking lessons,students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes!Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite.Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980.Their kites are made of nylon .Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne.The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite. The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern.The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a twostring controllable kite.Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in.Then the controls are given to the students. Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites.Even the simplest structure can work,and can give hours of fun.Go on,give it a try! (2012*,D) What is mainly described in the text? A. A kite factory. B. Kiteflying lessons. C. Special competitions. D. The kitemaking process. Answer: A Question: For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.[:] But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience. Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools. The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs "mobile operas" shortened versions of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program. The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to _ . A. celebrate its 75th anniversary B. reduce the cost C. attract young people D. make Cinderella popular Answer: B Question: After observing several dogs running, students ask the following question: Do dogs with long hair run faster than dogs with short hair? How can the students best answer their question? A. record the weights and heights of many dogs B. measure the speeds and hair lengths of many dogs C. research to find the type of dog with the longest hair D. race one long-haired dog against one short-haired dog Answer: B
Tigers are strong and dangerous animals. But now they are in danger. In the past, there were eight kinds of tigers in the world. But during the 20th century, only five were left. The number of Siberian tigers was about 300, but now it is less than 22. They're in danger of dying out. If the government does nothing, we won't be able to see them in ten to twenty years. In order to stop people from hunting and killing wild tigers, and in order to make wild tigers more, the World Wildlife Fund has started a program recently . China and twelve other countries joined it. However, it's not enough. Remember that nature is a food chain . If we hurt and kill too many wild deer and pigs, wild tigers will die out because of hunger . So the most important thing is to save the animals that tigers eat. In order to protect the wild tigers, we need call on more people to stop eating, hunting and killing wild animals. ,. The passage mainly tells us _ . A. why and how do we protect the wild tigers B. The government does everything they could to protect the wild tigers C. the wild tigers will die out in ten to twenty years D. the most important thing is to save the animals that tigers eat Answer: A John keeps a record of new words and expressions in English. He usually writes them in a note-book. Then, later in the day, he asks his teacher about them. "Mrs. Thomas, these expressions are new to me. 'She's blue today.', 'You're yellow', 'A little white lie', 'She has green fingers'." After looking at the note-book, Mrs. Thomas says, "In everyday English, John,'blue' sometimes means sad. 'Yellow' means afraid. A person with 'green fingers' grows plants successfully. And 'a white lie' is not a bad lie." "I don't understand. Please give me an example." " For example, I offer you some cake. The truth is that you don't like my cake. You don't say that. Instead, you say, 'No, thanks, I'm not hungry.' That's a white lie." John says, "I see , thanks for the explanation!" A person with "green fingers" is one who _ planting. A. is a new hand in B. is good at C. works hard at D. is interested in Answer: B If you're into sports, you've seen it happen--tennis players jump over the net to shake hands after a hard match; football players exchange clothes after 90 minutes of knocking each other around; even boxers touch gloves at the beginning of each round. Players in every event, from spelling _ to golf, act in this way. It's all part of sportsmanship, a great tradition in sport and competition. It means playing and being calm all through the match. Everyone feels great when they win. In the last few years, you might see some players celebrate a goal with a long victory dance or talk big about their ability. However, it's always hard for people to say in public that they made a bad play. Good sportsmanship is what they really need. It's the golden rule of sports. Good sportsmanship means that you play by the rules, talk politely to everyone during games and stay cool even when you lose the game. At the school sports meeting, for example, it's more important for you to know how to work as part of a team and cheer your teammates on. That may help you enjoy more success at your future work. In competition--as in life--you may not always win, but believe me, sportsmanship will help you get through, and there is always the next match. ,. What match do you know will last 90 minutes? A. Tennis B. Football C. Golf D. Spelling bees Answer: B At the age of 14, Hugh Evans spent a night with cockroaches crawling all over him. That experience turned out to be life-changing for Evans, now 30. Far removed from his comfortable home in Australia, he traveled to the Philippines with an aid organization that set him up with a host family. Their home was in Smokey Mountain, a teeming slum in Manila. A boy in the family, Sonny Boy, was the same age as Evans. The difference between their lives shocked him hard. "I believed that I wanted to commit my life to this," said Evans. "I want to see an end to extreme poverty in my lifetime." It's the same goal shared by global organizations and world leaders, and some great progress has been made in reducing the number of the world's poorest. In 1981, about half the developing world lived in extreme poverty. By 2010, it had fallen to about 20 percent. The organization has set 2030 as the goal to reduce the rate even further, to 3 percent. The gains worldwide are unbalanced. China and Southeast Asia have made huge progress in lifting their populations above that line. But the opposite is true in some areas in Africa. Even though economic growth is developing across the continent, the number of extremely poor people actually increased over the last three decades. The organization's campaign, "Live Below the Line", hoped for an even greater effect by actually having people eat the way that the world's poorest have to do every day. This year about 15,000 people worldwide joined in the campaign such as Ben Affleck and Josh Groban, as well as other notables, such as Jill Biden and Hunter Biden, the vice president's son. The campaign will raise up to $4,000,000 for various aid organizations working to help the world's poorest. The author mentioned Evans' experience in his teens to _ . A. help us know him well B. warn us not to live a poor life C. show how he missed his teenage time D. show how the poor life experienced in the Philippines influenced him Answer: D A 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile late on Tuesday, cutting power and leading to small landslides and a tsunami . Four men and one woman died --two who suffered heart attacks and three who were crushed . About 300 prisoners escaped from the northern port city of Iquique in the immediate aftershock . The quake struck at about 8:46 p.m. local time, some 60 miles northwest of Iquique. It had a depth of 12.5 miles. Chile's National Emergency Office asked coastal residents to leave for safe places. "The fact is, we will know the extent of the damage as time goes by and when we inspect the areas in the light of day," Chile's President Michelle Bachelet said early on Wednesday. "The country has faced these first emergency hours very well." Residents in the port city of Antofagasta walked calmly through the streets to higher ground as traffic became heavy in some places. "Many people are fearful after experiencing the powerful earthquake in 2010, so they immediately rushed to higher ground when they heard the tsunami warning," said a government official."There have been lots of aftershocks and communications have been cut off in many of the affected areas. So people are waiting in the dark hills, not knowing what is to come, and hoping they will be able to return to their homes safely." The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent our several tsunami warnings, but called off all of them by early Wednesday. Tsunami waves of more than six feet caused by the earthquake washed ashore on the coast of Pisagua. Iquique, with a population of more than 200,000, saw seven-foot waves. How did the whole country respond to the earthquake when it happened? A. They were so fearful that they were in a panic. B. They went into the streets immediately. C. They acted very calmly. D. They drove to higher ground after hearing the warning. Answer: C
On September 22, 2007, 108 Chinese cities took part in Car-Free Day, a global event held every year, for the first time. China became the world's second-largest auto market and third-largest car-maker in 2006. It has also become the second-largest greenhouse gas producer in the world, and is rapidly catching up with the United States. In this sense, China's participation will greatly promote the Car-Free Day movement. The number of cars on the road is going up rapidly in China. In Beijing, about 1,000 new cars are added to the streets on an average day. Cars certainly offer people plenty of freedom to move around. But in many Chinese cities, appearance of too many cars has turned into a major problem. Getting stuck in traffic jams is an everyday experience for drivers. Even worse is the environmental impact caused by cars. According to a national report, on a "smog day", 79 percent of the air pollution is caused by cars. The growing number of traffic accidents is another problem. Over 100,000 people die from traffic accidents every year in China, which is by far the highest number of road deaths in the world. 108 cities' participation in Car-Free Day shows growing public concern about the traffic and environmental problems caused by cars. On this day, all cars were banned from running in selected areas of the participating cities. People were encouraged to walk, cycle and use public transport. According to experts, the carbon monoxide in the atmosphere produced by cars was reduced by 3,000 tons on Car-Free Day. With cleaner air and smoother traffic flow on the day, more cities will hopefully want to join the event next year. And more people might share the hope that Car-Free Day is not just on September 22, but a possibility 365 days of the year. Car-Free Day in China will _ . Answer: attract more people to join in Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled----to $1.01 per pack---smokers have jammed telephone 'quit lines' across the country seeking to kick the habit. This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase. The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they _ people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely. In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4.78. The influence is obvious. In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26 % of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records. Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans "who choose to smoke." That's true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today's adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better. The text is mainly about _ . Answer: the effect of tobacco tax increase President Xi Jinping announced Thursday that China will cut its military by 300,000 troops, a significant reduction in one of the largest militaries in the world and a move that the Chinese leader called a gesture of peace. "The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires efforts of one generation after another," Xi said in a speech at Tiananmen Square remembering the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. "Having created an impressive civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese civilization will lead to an even brighter future," he said. Xi's announcement came as China staged a massive military parade in central Beijing, sending a stream of troops, tanks, and ballistic missiles down a major east-west street as fighter jets flew overhead with multicolored smoke. Xi's speech kicked off the parade. An estimated 12,000 troops--about 1,000 of whom hailed from Belarus, Cuba, Tajikistan, and other countries-marched along the 10-lane Chang'an Avenue from the commercial center wangfujing to Tiannmen Square, about 1.5 miles away. They were joined by 200 fighter jets and 500 pieces of military hardware, including tanks and ballistic missiles. Representatives from 49 countries were in attendance, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and U. N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Rory Medcalf, head of the national security college at Australian National University, said the Beijing may have decided to cut 300,000 troops "in the name of efficiency and cost saving." Xi conducted a "troop inspection" after his speech, riding down Chan'gan Avenue in a Chinese-made Hongqi parade car. On Thursday morning, China's popular microblogging site Sina Weibo filled up with 350 million comments related to the parade. While many users expressed their love of their country and pride, few posts were filled with criticism. "The soldiers are too serious," wrote one user. Others complained about the cloud of gray exhaust that followed a column of tanks. What can we infer from the passage? Answer: The majority of web users think highly of the parade. It rained on a hot summer afternoon and a puddle formed. After several hours, the puddle was gone. Which two processes made the puddle form and then disappear? Answer: precipitation followed by evaporation Every weekday morning I take the 8:30 bus to go to my job. I know by sight several people who also ride in that bus. Some of the girls work as maids. They get off at each stop in ones, twos or threes. But at one corner something wonderful happens. Before the bus stops, a little dog races out of the nearest house. He doesn't look at two of the maids who get off. But for the third he has a joyful "Hello!" From head to tail his little body wags his happiness. Everyone on the bus watches until the maid and the dog go into the house. One day not long ago the maid wasn't on the bus. I wondered if the dog would be waiting for her. Sure enough, he was! He stood at the back door of the bus for a minute. I could see his joyful welcome turning into fearful worry. Where was she? The driver closed the back door. The dog ran to the front door. It, too, shut in his face. Everyone on the bus felt sad. Poor little pup! He looked so unhappy, standing there! The driver couldn't stand it. He opened the door and looked down at the dog. "She didn't come today," he said, in a loud, kind voice. A man in a front seat leaned forward. "Maybe she will come tomorrow," he called. The dog wagged his tail as if to say "thank you." He watched the bus as we pulled away. Then he turned to trot home -- alone. The next day everyone on the bus was happy to see the maid back again. Yes, the dog was waiting for her. The welcome he gave her was even warmer and more delighted than usual. We all smiled at one another. How bright and good the morning suddenly seemed to us! The next day people on the bus were happy, for _ . Answer: the maid was among them again
Katie went to the store. She needed to buy some flowers. She also needed to buy a snack and a bow. The store is down the street. Katie's mother drove her to the store. Her mother is named June. Katie looked around for the flowers. She found some pink ones. Katie then looked for the snacks. She wanted cookies not chips. She found some chocolate cookies. Katie then looked for a bow. She wanted to get one for her cat. Her cat is named James. James likes wearing bows. Katie also has a dog, but he does not like bows. His name is Sammy. Katie gave the bow to James the cat. He liked it. Katie ate her snack. She likes chocolate cookies. Katie gave the flowers to her mother. Her mother was very happy. She likes flowers. Katie did not get anything for Sammy. She gave Sammy a hug instead. Sammy likes hugs. James does not like hugs. Katie had a great day. Who likes wearing bows? Answer: The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At that time, many color1ful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamp marking the opening of the White Olympics was issued on January 25th, 1932 in the United states to celebrate the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, issuing stamps during the White Olympics became a tradition. To observe the 4th Winter Olympic Games, a group of stamps were published in Germany in November, 1935. The five rings of the Olympics were printed on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the symbol appeared on stamps of the Winter Olympics. In the 1950s, the stamps of this kind became more color1ful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February, 1980, when the Chinese sportsmen began to march into the area of the Winter Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise funds for the sports meet. Different kinds of sports were represented on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of the athletes. In 1935, on the front of the sportswear _ of the Olympics were printed. Answer: When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to there radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses. Drops in air pressure produce an effect on small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are good weather indicators. People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that, before a storm, field mice come out of their holes and run around, Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains. Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways. For example, some birds become irritable and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread. Other birds chirp and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won't get another chance for an hour or two. Birds also seek safe places before a storm, You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building. Pre-storm low pressure makes the are so thin that birds have difficulty flying. It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime, rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn. Watch for other weather signs if you see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may be flying ahead of a storm. By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind of weather. How can birds sense the coming of a storm? _ Answer: 150 Years of Cool Look in the bedrooms of young people around the world. You will probably find a pair of blue jeans in each room. Jeans are very popular all over the world. Jeans give you the feeling of comfort, youth and energy. They have long been liked by every person. Levi Strauss is an American company. It first made blue jeans. The company was founded in 1853 by 24-year-old Levi Strauss. Twenty years later, he made the first blue jeans in the world. The jeans were used as working trousers for the cowboys of the American West. During the Second World War, American soldiers brought blue jeans to Europe and Asia. People there began to wear jeans. Little by little, they become cool. People from different countries like different styles of jeans. Americans like to wear simple and single-colored jeans, but many Chinese like to wear jeans with lots of different colors. Jeans now can be seen everywhere: However, in many places, it's not always good to wear jeans. No matter how good they may look, or what color they are, it's often not right to wear jeans in formal places. But, when you are out, relaxing and having fun, jeans are the best choice. The story is talking about _ . Answer: The size and location of the world's deserts are always changing. Over millions of years, as climates change and mountains rise, new dry and wet areas appear. But within the last hundred years deserts have been increasing after frightful speed. This is partly because of natural changes, but most responsible for creating deserts are men. Man can make deserts, but they can also prevent them from getting bigger. Algeria is planning a green belt of trees along the edge of the Sahara Desert to stop the sand. In China, too, _ are being built in the northwest to keep the desert from growing. But desert still threaten the world. Experts believe that land that is on the way to becoming deserts equals the size of Australia, Russia and US put together. Can we stop the spread of the world's deserts and save the land that is so essential to mankind? Yes, we can, and we must. Which of the following do you think is the best method? Answer:
Fish have ears. Really. They're quite small and have no opening to the outside world carrying sound through the body. For the past seven years, Simon Thorrold, a university professor, has been examining fish ears, small round ear bones called otoliths. As fish grow, so do their otoliths. Each day, their otoliths gain a ring of calcium carbonate . By looking through a microscope and counting these rings, Thorrold can determine the exact age of a young fish. As a fish gets older, its otoliths no longer get daily rings. Instead, they get yearly rings, which can also be counted, giving information about the fish's age, just like the growth rings of a tree. Ring counting is nothing new to fish scientists. But Thorrold has turned to a new direction. They're examining the chemical elements of each otolith ring. The daily ring gives us the time, but chemistry tells us about the environment in which the fish swam on any given day. These elements tell us about the chemistry of the water that the fish was in. It also says something about water temperature, which determines how much of these elements will gather within each otolith ring. Thorrold can tell, for example, if a fish spent time in the open ocean before entering the less salty water of coastal areas. He can basically tell where fish are spending their time at any given stage of history. In the case of the Atlantic croaker, a popular saltwater food fish, Thorrold and his assistant have successfully followed the travelling of young fish from mid-ocean to the coast, a journey of many hundreds of miles. This is important to managers in the fish industry, who know nearly nothing about the track of the young fish for most food fish in the ocean. Eager to learn about his technology, fish scientists are now lending Thorrold their ears. Why does the writer compare the fish to trees? Answer: They both have growth rings. Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States or Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will learn a musical instrument or ballet or other classes which will give them a head start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So the parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter. However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap. Parents can see that their children's skills vary, skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today's children lack self-respect and self-confidence. The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents aren't teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident, happy and clever. Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing housework. Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It's an enjoyable but difficult experiment. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually to finish his job successfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of self-confidence. Some old machines , such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your children to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest He will spend hours looking at them, trying to fix them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities aren't merely teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important. Generally speaking, children's skills _ . Answer: may be different Many people are upset when their flight is delayed. Not only do they have to change their schedule but, even worse, they have to wait in an airport! There's no need to be upset, though. Airports are much better places these days than most people think. Look at the following realities, and you may change your mind. Belief 1 : Airport food is bad--as bad as airplane food. Reality : Airports have fine international food and you can buy something to have for later--for example, cheese and seafood in Paris. Belief 2 : _ Reality : In Amsterdam,you can buy anything. In El Paso,Texas, you can buy old-fashioned knives or special art. The art is so interesting that some people fly to El Paso just to visit the airport gallery . And Singapore's airports are known for some of the best shopping in the world. Belief 3 : Airports make people uncomfortable and tense. Reality : The airport at Honolulu has peaceful gardens. Pittsburgh has a meditation room : when you walk in, you can hear relaxing music and see pictures of clouds painted on the walls. If you prefer exercise, hotels at the airports in Los Angeles, Dallas,and many other cities have fitness centers that anyone can use. So, the next time you're waiting in an airport, have some fun! What can we know about the airport at Honolulu? Answer: It has peaceful gardens for passengers to relax in. Nathan Sawaya's childhood was a lot of fun. He drew cartoons, wrote stories, and played with plastic toy bricks . His grandparents bought his first set of toy bricks when he was five years old and he's been building with toy bricks ever since. He even took his building bricks to college with him! Instead of books and a computer, he had a model of Greenwich Village made of bricks on his desk. Nathan started as a lawyer but gave up His highly-paid job to become an artist that uses toys in his art. He uses toy bricks to build everything from the Statue of Liberty to Superman! He has more than 1.5 million colored bricks in his working room in New York which he uses to make pieces of art. He started by building small models but then decided to do something big and created a self-portrait . It took him two days just to build the eyes. Nathan's work has appeared in museums around the world. Children love his art because it is made out of the same toys that they play with at home and adults love his work because it is fascinating. Since it began in2007, Nathan's exhibition "The Art of the Brick" has been very popular with museum visitors everywhere. "I'm proud that I took a dream I had as a child, to become an artist, and I have actually made a job out of it," says Nathan. "To do what you love in life is the most important thing." Why did Nathan give up his job as a lawyer? Answer: Because he decided to become an artist of toy bricks. There are many types of reports.A report is simply an account of something that has happened.The commonest are news reports.We get them in newspapers,over radio and on television.Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels. The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news.If you examine a newspaper closely,you will find that there are all types of news:accidents,floods,fires,wars,fashions ,sports,books,etc.The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings.Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing. A news report is usually very short,except when it is about something very important,but it contains a lot of information.It is also written in short paragraphs.The first paragraph is in fact a summary of the news item.It gives all the necessary information,what,when,where,how and why.The other paragraphs give full details of the subject.There may also be interviews with people.The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas . Often there are photographs to go with the news to make it more interesting. This passage mainly talks about _ . Answer: news reports
Accident Report Form Accident A car hit a tree. Four people were in the car. Weather condition There was a heavy rain. Cause The driver named Li Jun drank too much. Date of call March 20th, 2009 Time of call 8:30 p.m. Name of caller A man called Zhang Wei. (He was taking a walk there at that time.) Place Zhongshan Road, Nanjing Conditions of victims Mr. Green hurt his head. Mrs. Green hurt her left leg. Their daughter felt frightened. Their dog died. Action Policemen arrived at 8: 40 p.m. and sent the victims to Gulou Hospital at 8:45 p.m. What was the weather like that day? A It was sunny. B It was snowy C It was cloudy. D It was rainy. Answer: D. It was rainy. 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) Which of the following is TRUE about the life in frontier America in the mid-1700s? A People couldn't make fire. B Kids played with toys and games all day long. C People could use a spinning wheel. D Kids didn't feed the animals. Answer: C. People could use a spinning wheel. Dear Customers, I love slipping into a comfortable chair for a long read--as I relax into the chair, I also relax into the author's words, stories and ideas. The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into the background, and what remains is the author's world. Today, we at Amazon are excited to announce Mindle, a wireless, portable reading device with instant access to more than 90,000 books, magazines and newspapers. We've been working on Mindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Mindle to disappear in your hands--to get out of the way--so you can enjoy your reading. We also wanted to go beyond the physical book. Mindle is wireless, so whether you're lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No computer is needed--you do your reading directly from the device. We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones. But unlike mobile phones, there are no monthly wireless bills, no service or data plans, and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install (,). We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology. Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper. Sharp and natural with no strong light, reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Mindle weighs only 10.3 ounces--less than paperback--but can carry two hundred books. Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks! Jeff Bezos Founder & CEO With the device, the reader is able to _ . A enjoy reading when driving a car B improve reading skills C gain access to free software D get rid of heavy books made of paper Answer: D. get rid of heavy books made of paper The United States has many different kinds of climate .On the west coast ,the temperature changes very little between summer and winter,but the north central states have a very different kind of climate.In these states,people wear light clothes during the summer,and they need heavy wool or fur clothes in winter. In the southwest,the climate is quite warm during the winter,but hot in summer. In the eastern part of the United States,summer temperatures are very different from winter temperatures.Summers are usually hot,and winters are usually cold.Spring temperatures are comfortably warm,and autumn temperatures are quite cool. Years ago,people in the cold areas of the United States did not often get vegetables and fresh fruits during the winter.Today trucks and trains carry fruits and vegetables very quickly to all parts of the United States.In this way,Americans"send their climate"to people in other states. Which statement is true according to the passage? A Most states in America have almost the same climate. B The climate in the west of the USA is almost the same as that in China. C Now Americans don't worry about eating fresh fruits and vegetables. D In winter,most Americans have to wear heavy clothes. Answer: C. Now Americans don't worry about eating fresh fruits and vegetables. When the Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon in 1969, millions of people were rather sad. The person to blame for this was an artist named Chesley Bonestell. For many years, Bonestell had been creating beautifully detailed paintings of the Moon and planets. Viewers of his artwork were unhappy because the real Moon did not look like Bonestell's pictures of it. As a space artist, Bonestell tried to make his drawings look exciting and as true as the Moon is. He worked closely with astronomers and scientists to get the most up-to-date scientific information available. But in the 1940s and 1950s, no one had ever seen another planet up close. Yet Bonestell's paintings looked so real that some people thought they were photographs. Even though Bonestell was interested in astronomy, he did not start out as a space artist. As a young man he studied architecture -- the art and science of designing and making buildings. In 1938 Bonestell became a special effects artist in Hollywood. It was here that he learned he could improve his paintings by following the methods used in the movies. In 1944, a popular magazine published a series of Bonestell's paintings of the planet Saturn. He drew Saturn as if it were seen by someone standing on each of the planet's moons. The results were _ . Within a few years, Bonestell's artwork was appearing regularly in magazines and books on astronomy and space flight. Many of Bonestell's artworks had been right all along. But the biggest surprise was the Moon. Someone asked Bonestell what he was thinking when he saw the first pictures from the Moon. "I thought how wrong I was!" he said. "My mountains were sharp , and they aren't on the Moon." But he shouldn't have felt bad. No space artist had ever before taken so many people to so many faraway worlds. In the years just before the first manned space flights, Bonestell's artwork prepared people for the amazing space adventure to come. Bonestell made his space drawings _ . A from a very early age B by copying photographs C with the help of scientists D in order to make a living Answer: C. with the help of scientists
Most young boys like spending time on things like video games, superhero movies and sports, but Ken, a 9-year-old boy from the Philippines, is spending his free time trying to start an animal shelter for at-risk dogs. In February, photos of Ken feeding dogs on the street circled the Internet and immediately attracted many people who wanted to help. "I feel sorry for the dogs with no owners while other dogs around the world are being pampered ," Ken tells Pet360 in an email. "It really wasn't fair. And they are really thin." When Ken began feeding the dogs which had health problems, they would not let the boy come close. But after several feedings, the dogs warmed up to Ken and allowed the boy to help them. When animal lovers found out what Ken was doing, donations started to roll in, and Ken and his father were able to start a non-profit animal shelter called Happy Animals Club. The donations helped three dogs, Blackie, Brownie and White Puppy, receive high-quality canned food and treatment. After two months with Ken at Happy Animals Club, the dogs look like completely different animals and will be adopted soon. In May, Ken and his father hiring a 10,000-square-foot lot , where Ken hopes to build a no-kill animal shelter to help more dogs in need. "I want the dogs to have a home, where they can have shelter, eat and have fun," says Ken. Ken wants to save dogs from the city pound where most animals are put down. Right now, Ken doesn't have enough money to start the shelter. If you also want to save homeless dogs, you can visit the Happy Animals Club's website and offer some help. When animal lovers knew what Ken was doing, they _ . A were surprised B felt very excited C supported him D brought dogs to him Answer: C. supported him If you could be anybody in the world, who would it be? Your neighbour or a super star? A few people have experienced what it might be like to step into the skin of another person, thanks to an unusual virtual reality device. Rikke Wahl, an actress, model and artist, was one of the participants in a body swapping experiment at the Be Another lab, a project developed by a group of artists based in Barcelona. She swapped with her partner, an actor, using a machine called The Machine to Be Another and temporarily became a man. "As I looked down, I saw my whole body as a man, dressed in my partner's pants," she said. "That's the picture I remember best." The set-up is relatively simple. Both users wear a virtual reality headset with a camera on the top. The video from each camera is sent to the other person, so what you see is the exact view of your partner. If she moves her arm, you see it. If you move your arm, she sees it. To get used to seeing another person's body without actually having control of it, participants start by raising their arms and legs very slowly, so that the other can follow along. Eventually, this kind of slow synchronised movement becomes comfortable, and participants really start to feel as though they are living in another person's body. Using such technology promises to alter people's behaviour afterwards-potentially for the better. Studies have shown that virtual reality can be effective in fighting racism-the bias that humans have against those who don't look or sound like them. Researchers at the University of Barcelona gave people a questionnaire called the Implicit Association Test, which measures the strength of people's associations between, for instance, black people and adjectives such as good, bad, athletic or awkward. Then they asked them to control the body of a dark skinned digital character using virtual reality glasses, before taking the test again. This time, the participants' bias scores were lower. The idea is that once you've "put yourself in another's shoes" you're less likely to think ill of them, because your brain has internalised the feeling of being that person. The creators of The Machine to Be Another hope to achieve a similar result. "At the end of body swapping, people feel like holding each other in their arms," says Arthur Pointeau, a programmer with the project. "It's a really nice way to have this kind of experience. I would really, really recommend it to everyone." In the Implicit Association Test, before the participants used virtual reality glasses to control a dark skinned digital character, _ . A they fought strongly against racism B they scored lower on the test for racism C they changed their behaviour dramatically D they were more biased against those unlike them Answer: D. they were more biased against those unlike them Problem: I'm bored. We have a day off because of the heavy rain. If you didn't go to school today, what would you do? Why? Linda Some advice: If I were you, I would be at home doing something, such as making my bed or helping my mother do some chores. That way, my room would be clean and my parents would be happy. Tina I would do what I love! Maybe I would help Mom do some cooking. I would learn how to make dumplings. Kathy I don't have enough time in one day to do all the things I want to. People who get bored usually don't have a good imagination . There are lots of different books to read, websites to surf, people to visit and things to make. June Well, if I were you, I would watch a good movie and then take a good nap . Your brain and body will then be relaxed and ready for classes the next day. Lisa ,. (10) What's Linda's problem? A She doesn't have a job. B She feels bored. C She hates rainy days. D She feels awful at school. Answer: B. She feels bored. When I was in the seventh grade, I was a candy striper at a local hospital in my town. I volunteered about 30 to 40 hours a week during the summer. Most of the time I spent there was with Mr. Gillespie. He never had any visitors, and nobody seemed to care about his condition. I spent many days there holding his hand and talking to him, helping with anything that needed to be done. He became a close friend of mine, even though he responded with only an occasional squeeze of my hand. Mr. Gillespie was in a coma . I left for a week for a vacation with my parents, and when I came back, Mr. Gillespie was gone. I didn't have the courage to ask any of the nurses where he was, for fear they might tell me he had died. So with many questions unanswered, I continued to volunteer there through my eighth-grade year. Several years later, when I was a junior in high school, I was at the gas station when I noticed a familiar face. When I realized who it was, my eyes filled with tears. He was alive! I got up the nerve to ask him if he was Mr. Gillespie, and if he had been in a coma about five years ago. With an uncertain look on his face, he replied yes. I explained how I knew him, and that I had spent many hours talking to him in the hospital. His eyes welled up with tears, and he gave me the warmest hug I had ever received. He began to tell me how, as he lay there comatose , he could hear me talking to him and could feel me holding his hand the whole time. He thought it was an angel , who was there with him. Mr. Gillespie firmly believed that it was my voice and touch that had kept him alive. Then he told me about his life. We exchanged a hug, said our good-byes and went our separate ways. Although I haven't seen him since, he fills my heart with joy every day. I know that I made a difference between his life and his death. As importantly, he has made a great difference in my life. I will never forget him and what he did for me: He made me an angel. Judging from the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? A The author continued her volunteer work in the hospital until seventh-grade. B The author met Mr. Gillespie at a gas station several years later. C Mr. Gillespie recognized the author's voice the moment he met her. D No one in the hospital believed that Mr. Gillespie would recover from his coma. Answer: B. The author met Mr. Gillespie at a gas station several years later. Effective environmental protection laws and other measures have led to the improvement of water quality in Tai Hu lake in prefix = st1 /JiangsuProvince. The news was announced by officials from the provincial environmental protection bureau, which has just conducted an inspection of the lake area. By the end of September, about 80 per cent of industrial pollutants met required standards and the lake is expected to be cleaner by the end of the year, officials said. According to targets set by the State Environmental Protection Administration, all polluting enterprises must meet set standards by the end of this year or they will be shut down. The Taihu Lake area, which surrounds the cities of Suzhou, Wuxiand Changshou, is one of the most economically developed areas in the country and has long enjoyed a reputation as the "land of fish and rice" However, the quality of water in the lake has been deteriorating at an alarmingly rate in recent years, which has caused concern from the government and local people. Pollution is so high mainly because people do not have enough environmental awareness and have put economic benefits ahead of their surroundings. Economic development in the area has been rapid with hundreds of factories being built. But officials say most of these do not have the anti-pollution equipment or measures they should have. Because of the lack of waste treatment facilities, wasted water and other rubbish from residential areas in nearby towns and villages flow into rivers which are connected to TaihuLake. This also contributed to the lake's pollution. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the provincial and local governments began to tackle the problem. Experts were invited to offer suggestions and laws and regulations were issued. All newly built factories and enterprises in the lake area were required to install necessary anti-pollution facilities before they can go into operation. Also, some wasted water treatment works will be built in the three cities. After reading the text, we can learn that _ . A the economy development will do harm for the environment B we can not avoid polluting if we wish to develop our economy. C only the experts can deal with the pollution D pollution can't be the result of the economy development Answer: D. pollution can't be the result of the economy development
Ask runners why they run and you'll get a variety of answers; to stay healthy or to feel better. Some have an even bigger reasonto stay calm or out of prison. But Back on My Feet puts recovering addicts and the homeless on the road to a brighter future, starting with a simple step; attending group runs three tunes a week. At 5:30 a.m. on a hot July day, Back on My Feet's Team Brooklyn gathered in a parking lot. After a round of hugs and some warm-up, the group of eight volunteers and seven residents set out on a run to nearby Prospect Park. Some ran three miles, some longer, but the goal for all was to finish as a team "It's helping me put my life back together," said Jimmy, a 58-year-old cancer survivor who was homeless and a former alcohol addict. "It's healthy. It makes me feel good inside," adds Jimmy. Many are skeptical about the idea of homeless runners, according to Anne Mahlum, who founded Back on My Feet in 2007 after starting a running club for men at a shelter near her Philadelphia home. They did want to run, and in just six years, Mahlum's small running club has expanded to 10 cities around the country, and 388 active members. The only requirement for joining, besides wanting to, is insisting on at least 30 days."The first day we give them new shoes and Back on My Feet shirts," Mahlum says. "Then they run a mile the first day. And then gradually we'll encourage them to build goals. "After 30 days,residents gain access to services like financial aid,housing assistance and employment opportunities through Back on My Feet's partners. In its first year, the New York chapter has seen 41 members obtain employment, 34 gain housing and 50 work in job-training programs. That's not to say it's always easy. "I wanted to quit. But then I started to push myself,"said Adel, 39, who began running in March. "Now I would love to run a 10-mile run. Or maybe a marathon one day, who knows. I ran this far, so why not?" What great change happened to Adel after a period of running? A He was more confident. B He was much prouder. C He was more addictive. D He was more grateful. Answer: A. He was more confident. Flying a kite can be dangerous. When I was eight years old I went to the park with my dad to fly my new kite. We stood on the top of a hill and tried to catch the wind. It took us almost half an hour, but we finally got the kite into the air. As it lifted into the sky, the kite caught the edge of my jacket and I was pulled up into the wind with the kite. I flew higher and higher into the air until I my dad looked like an ant on the ground. The park was beautiful from up high, and I could see our car getting smaller. I flew all the way out of the city and over the lake. Eventually, the wind started to die down and I fell closer to the water. I called out to some people on a boat and they sailed over so I could land on their boat. I told them about my adventure and they sailed me back to land, where my dad picked me up. He took me out for ice cream and we went home. Why does the main character say it can be dangerous to fly a kite? A Because the kite has sharp edges. B Because the kite string got twisted around her. C Because she got caught on the kite and pulled up into the air. D Because she ran too fast with the kite and fell down. Answer: C. Because she got caught on the kite and pulled up into the air. Le Val de Cantobre, Aveyron (France) It's in the grounds of a medieval house. There's a swimming pool, a river and a pizza restaurant. The scenery around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week's stay will cost you about EUR280. For more information please go to www.eurocamp.co.uk. Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle (Thailand) This must be one of the best campsites ( ) in the world. Instead of tents, there are "canvas cabins ". And there's a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 of cabins to rent so you'll have to book early. The campsite can only be reached by river boat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, it isn't cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about EUR1,500! For more information please go to www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle. Three Cliffs Bay, Gower (Wales) The Three Cliffs Bay is in a beautiful part of the country, and it won't cost you much either: a family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about EUR28 a day. There's a camp shop where you can buy food and drinks, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won't even have to cook. You can water-ski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way. For more information please go to www.Threecliffsbay.com. Longitude 131, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia) Situated in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, near the massive red rock formerly known as Ayer's Rock, this is more like a hotel than a campsite. There's a restaurant, a pool and even a library. The only problem is that it's a bit expensive -- around EUR1,500 a night. For more information please go to www.Longitude131.com.au. Visitors can do all the following in Four Seasons Tented Camp EXCEPT _ . A enjoy a spa B rent a cabin C ride an elephant D visit a pub Answer: D. visit a pub Environment California tries to protect the places we live, advance(;) the environmental values we share and do good things for our environment. Environment California is a statewide, citizen-based environmental organization. We believe there's something special about California -something worth protecting for the future generations. Whether it's our Pacific coastline, or our 278 state parks, California's natural wonders make our life colorful in different ways. Protecting our environment requires independent research, powerful advocacy and action. That's the idea behind Environment California. Together with thousands of supporters, we take the kind of action that is good for our environment.:Z. xx. k.Com] Funded by supporters like you, we research the challenges that California's environment is facing and educate the public about what's in danger. Through our research reports, interviews with reporters, letters to the editors, blogs and more, we raise people's awareness of environmental issues and offer good solutions. When decisions are being made about California's environment, our elected officials hear plenty from the oil companies, developers and other powerful groups. We make the case for our environment and help people like you make your voices heard through emails, letters, phone calls and more, all passed to the right people. Why did the writer write this passage? A To tell us why people should join Environment California. B To introduce Environment California. C To show the environmental reports. D To talk about ways to protect the environment Answer: B. To introduce Environment California. I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutesthat was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show's website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she's really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint. It's the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can't button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic . Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three. Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano. That's right. He only has to hear it once. Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn't limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music. With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven't heard their favorite songs for decades. As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development. If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of "disability" and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she "can't" do something. Now that's priceless. Who says there's nothing good on TV? How does Derek help the elderly? A By buying them a jukebox machine. B By building senior centers for them. C By singing the old songs they ask for. D By playing the piano to raise money for them. Answer: C. By singing the old songs they ask for.
One of the most popular items in the school newspaper is the advice column. No one knows who writes it. The students think their teacher does, but it might be a student using a false name. The students enjoy thinking up problems for the advice column. Here are some of them and their answers. Ask the Wise Owl Q: I'm always late for school. I try not to be, but I can't help it. Please advise me what to do. Tommy. A: You are probably late for school because you don't really like school. My advice to you is to try and enjoy school more, then you won't be late so often. Q: I find it difficult to make friends. What do you think I should do? Sara. A: I can't advise you until I know more about you. Your problem may be that you are shy. On the other hand, it may be the opposite. You may be too bold . Write and tell me more about yourself. Q: I'm always at the bottom(,) of the class. What do you advise me to do? Molly. A: I advise you to concentrate on improving your grades in one subject to start with. If you can do this, you should move a little way up from the bottom. Next, try to improve your grades in another subject, and so on. If you concentrate on one subject at a time, by the end of the year you should be quite a long way up from the bottom in all your classes. By the end of the year, where should Molly be in all her classes? Quite a long way up from the bottom. An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes. Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses to the homeless on the street. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops to visit his homeless friends. One of them is Oscar Young. The two men hug when they see each other. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings. In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun. Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man. Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors. What's the main idea of the passage? An artist creates homes for the homeless. Hello, I'm Kate. I like different kinds of food. I like hamburgers, salad and orange juice. For breakfast, I often have some milk and hamburgers. I don't like dessert . My favorite football star, Tony Brown, eats lots of healthy food. He likes eggs and vegetables for breakfast. For lunch, he eats hamburgers, tomatoes, chicken, oranges and apple juice. For dinner, he likes meat and French fries. He doesn't have dessert. "I like football better than dessert." he says. Tony Brown likes _ better. football The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking until they found an oasis , where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning , but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?" The other friend replied: _ can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it." You have to learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in the stone. Which of the following can be the proper title of the passage? Forgiveness and Gratitude Last summer, two nineteenth-century cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana, to be moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco. The houses were made of wood. These cottages once housed early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil; now they hold Twitter engineers. The cottages could be an example of the industry' s odd love affair with "low technology," a concept associated with the natural world, and with old-school craftsmanship that exists long before the Internet era. Low technology is not virtual --so, to take advantage of it, Internet companies have had to get creative. The rescued wood cottages, fitted by hand in the late eighteen-hundreds, are an obvious example, but Twitter's designs lie on the extreme end. Other companies are using a broader interpretation of low technology that focuses on nature. Amazon is building three glass spheres filled with trees, so that employees can "work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting." At Google's office, an entire floor is carpeted in glass. Facebook's second Menlo Park campus will have a rooftop park with a walking trail. Olle Lundberg, the founder of Lundberg Design, has worked with many tech companies over the years. "We have lost the connection to the maker in our lives, and our tech engineers are the ones who feel impoverished , because they're surrounded by the digital world," he says. "They're looking for a way to regain their individual identity, and we've found that introducing real crafts is one way to do that." This craft based theory is rooted in history, William Morris, the English artist and writer, turned back to pre-industrial arts in the eighteen-sixties, just after the Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts movement defined itself against machines. "Without creative human occupation, people became disconnected from life," Morris said. Research has shown that natural environments can restore our mental capacities. In Japan, patients are encouraged to "forest-bathe," taking walks through woods to lower their blood pressure. These health benefits apply to the workplace as well. Rachel Kaplvin, a professor of environmental psychology, has spent years researching the restorative effects of natural environment. Her research found that workers with access to nature at the office--even simple views of trees and flowers--felt their jobs were less stressful and more satisfying. If low-tech offices can potentially nourish the brains and improve the mental health of employees then, fine, bring on the cottages. Low technology is regarded as something that _ . is related to nature
The industrial age has been the only period of human history in which most people's work has taken the form of jobs. The industrial age may now be coming to an end, and some of changes in work patterns which it brought may have to be reversed. This seems a discouraging thought. But, in fact, it could offer the prospect of a better future for work. Universal employment, as its history show, hasn't meant economic freedom. Employment became widespread when the enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people dependent on paid work by taking them away from the use of the land, and thus from the means to provide a living for themselves. Then the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people's homes. Later, as transport improved, first by rail and then by road, people traveled longer distances to their place of employment until, eventually, many people's work lost all connection with their home lives and the places in which they lived. Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. In pre-industrial times, men and women had shared the productive work of the household and village community. Now it became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife. Tax and benefit regulations still assume this norm today, and restrict more flexible sharing of work roles between sexes. It was not only women whose work status suffered. As employment became the dominant form of work, young people and old people were kept out -- a problem now, as more teenagers disappointed and annoyed at school and more retired people want to live active lives. All this may now have to change. The time has certainly come to switch some efforts and resources away from the utopian goal of creating jobs for all, to the urgent practical task of helping many people to manage without full-time jobs. Before the enclosures of the 17thand 18th, people lived mainly on _ . Answer: Which of the following best describes an interaction between Earth and solar energy that functions to warm up the planet? Answer: Woodland High School is an international sch ool. We have students from all around the world. As an international student you can get first-class facilities with trained teachers to help. For further information: inf@woodland.uk Subjects We offer a wide choice of subjects for international students, which includes: Arts, IT, French, English, Spanish and other languages. Communication Studies, Social Sciences, etc. For further information: sub@woodland.uk Tuition Fees Tuition fees are different from subject to subject, from PS5,000 to PS6,000 a year. For further information: tui@woodland.uk Accommodation You can have a room in a 4-bedroom flat, which will cost about PS100 a month with other regular living costs of about PS150 a month for one person. For further information: acc@woodland.uk Health The Student Health Service provides excellent medical services for students. The Medical Centre is open five days a week, including student holidays with four doctors and nurses to meet your me dical needs. For further information: heal@woodland.uk Sports The Centre is a great place to have sports activities. Trained exercise teachers can help you work out a training plan and keep you active. The sports hall has volleyball, b asketball and indoor football counts and a swimming pool as well. There are also a large number of sports clubs at Woodland High School. For further information: sport@woodland.uk According to the text, what will you do if you are ill during Christmas holiday? Answer: Students who are engaged in their work are energized by four goals--success, curiosity, originality, and satisfying relationships. How do we cultivate these drives in the classroom? Ten years ago, we began a research project by asking both teachers and students two simple questions: What kind of work do you find totally engaging? and What kind of work do you hate to do? Almost immediately, we noticed distinct patterns in their responses. Engaging work, respondents said, was work that stimulated their curiosity, permitted them to express their creativity, and fostered positive relationships with others. It was also work at which they were good. As for activities they hated, both teachers and students cited work that was repetitive, that required little or no thought, and that was forced on them by others. How, then, would we define engagement? Perhaps the best definition comes from the work of Phil Schlecty (1994), who says students who are engaged exhibit three characteristics: (1) they are attracted to their work, (2) they persist in their work despite challenges and obstacles, and (3) they take visible delight in accomplishing their work. Most teachers have seen these signs of engagement during a project, presentation, or lively class discussion. They have caught glimpses of the inspired inner world of a child, and hoped to sustain this wonder, enthusiasm, and perseverance every day. At the same time, they may have felt held back by traditions of reward and punishment. Our challenge is to go beyond these very real difficulties and provide a practical model for understanding what our students want and need. According to the work of Phil Schlecty, which characteristic is NOT shown by students who are engaged? Answer: Welcome to your favorite show-"Music Land" ! This month we are going to have some special shows on Bach, the Father of Music. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany in 1685. During his life, Bach wrote a lot of music for the church and for his students, but he himself did not keep his own works carefully. Luckily, his second wife saved them for him, so today we can still remember Bach through his music. Bach married twice in his life and had 20 children. He loved his family very much. He wrote music for one of his daughters to tell her that too much coffee was bad for her health. I am now going to play a song for you from this interesting Coffee Cantata. And we will hear more about Bach after this song. Why did Bach write the Coffee Cantata? Answer:
Bob always took the newspaper to Grandpa White's home before going home. Grandpa White's was at the end of the road. Bob liked Grandpa White. He was often waiting for him near the front gate with sweets or a nice cake. Besides, He often asked Bob about things he was doing, what he was going to do for the summer and what he liked to do. The thing that Bob didn't like about Grandpa was his never-ending stories about his boyhood in California. Bob was never asked to hear about Grandpa's boyhood, but he couldn't get away. After Grandpa's wife died in October, Bob could see that Grandpa was lonelier than ever. He would often join Bob halfway along the road and walk along with him as he gave out the newspapers. Grandpa seemed to have all day, and Bob was often late giving newspapers to his customers . Bob didn't want to complain, but the customers were unhappy. Bob could do nothing when _ . Answer: Many people will remember the flight of the space shuttle Challenger , in June, 1993.The achievement of Sally Ride, America's first woman astronaut to fly into space, made this flight especially memorable.Students from two high schools in Camden, New Jersey, however, are likely to remember Norma rather than Sally whenever they think about the flight. Norma didn't travel alone.She brought about 100 companions along with her.Norma was an ant, a queen ant who, with her subjects, made up the first ant colony to travel into space.The ants were part of a science experiment designed by the students to test the effects of weightlessness on insects. The equipment designed by the students for their colony functioned perfectly throughout the long space trip.The young scientists and their teachers were very sad to find that their insect astronauts had all died at some point before the container was returned to the school and opened.The problem did not occur in space, but on the ground after Challenger had landed.The container remained in the desert for nearly a week before the ant colony was removed.The hot, dry desert air dried out the colony's container and the ants died from lack of moisture . The project was termed a success because it did provide useful information.Students will continue their efforts to find out exactly what went wrong.They will try to prevent the same difficulties from recurring on future missions .They don't want to be discouraged either by the death of the ants or by the $10,000 shuttle fare they will have to pay to send the next colony of ants into space. On the next space trip , ants_. Answer: I stole your dog today. No, I didn't set a foot on your house, but from the condition of your dog, I can imagine what it looks like...the word "rubbish" comes to mind. I found her along a road, with a heavy chain wrapped around her neck, still attached to rotten boards from her doghouse. Not only did I know that most of the town people had already ignored her, judging by where I found her, but I knew that if she had gotten into the Woods, the "cross" that she dragged behind her would have wrapped around a tree until starvation or thirst killed her. She has a beautiful name now. Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should. Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting. She has stopped flinching when I make a sudden movement, because she knows now that I won't beat her, in fact, she rarely leaves my side. She's even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I watched from the window as she attempted to play with the other dogs. No, it's clear she does not miss you or her former life on a chain. It's not clear yet whether she'll remain here or whether I'll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual attention than I can give her, but one thing is certain, this is one bit of stolen "property" who is never returning to you. So sue me, accuse me, plead with the courts that she is rightfully yours ... I'm convinced this is the best "crime" I've ever committed. Hardly anything has pleased me more than the day I stole your dog. I need only look into her beautiful brown eyes to know that she'd defend my decision with her life. If we have one prayer, it is that you will not replace her, and if we have one special day to celebrate together, it is the day I stole your dog and the day she stole my heart. All the following statements showed us the dog's recovery from her nature except _ . Answer: Millions of Americans return from long-distance trips by air, but their luggage doesn't always come home with them. Airline identification tags can come loose, and the bags go who-knows-where. And passengers leave all kinds of things on planes. The airlines collect the items and, for 90 days, attempt to find their owners. They don't keep them, since they're not in the warehouse business. And by law, they cannot sell the bags, because the airlines might be tempted to deliberately misplace luggage. So once insurance companies have paid for lost bags and their contents, and they no longer belong to passengers, a unique store in the little town of Scottsboro, Alabama, buys them. The "Unclaimed Baggage Center," is so popular that the building, which is set up like a department store, is the number-one tourist attraction in all of Alabama. More than one million visitors stop in each year and take one of the store's shopping carts on a hunt for treasures. Each day, clerks bring out 7,000 new items, and veteran shoppers rush to paw over them. You can find everything from precious jewels to hockey sticks, best-selling novels, leather jackets, tape recorders, surfboards, even half -used tubes of toothpaste. The store's own laundry washes or cleans all the clothes found in luggage, then sells them. The Unclaimed Baggage Center has found guns, illegal drugs and even a live rattlesnake. The store has a little museum where some of its most unusual acquisitions have been preserved. They include highland bagpipes, a burial mask from an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, and a medieval suit of armor. Statistics indicate that less than one-half of one percent of luggage checked on U.S. carriers is permanently lost and available to the store. What can we infer from the passage? Answer: Every day, about one-quarter of American adults eat at fast-food restaurants. Cheap, tasty, and convenient, fast food is rich in fat and calories, and it's low in fiber and nutrients. Thanks in large part to fast food, half of America's adults and one-quarter of its children are fat, double the rate of a generation ago. In the past two decades, eating habits have changed as people pay more attention to their health. However, many Americans continue to eat red meat (beef in particular) as well as pork, chicken and other foods. Although beer and wine are popular in most areas, many Americans _ alcohol, because they think they will become healthier without drinking it. Various kinds of mineral water are commonly available. Eating styles and habits vary between people of different backgrounds, but Americans generally eat with the fork in the hand with which they write. A knife is used for cutting and spreading; otherwise, it is laid on the plate or table. Fast foods, such as chips, fried chicken, hamburgers, and pizza, tend to be eaten with the fingers. There is an obvious difference between what people may do at home or in a fast-food restaurant, and how they act in a more formal restaurant. Because both parents often work outside the home, some Americans are less likely to sit down as a family to eat once the children are older and able to prepare their own food or serve themselves. How many adults became fat after eating fast foods a generation ago? Answer:
My name is Tom. I like shopping, but I think shopping with young children is not an easy thing. I have to look after them while I am shopping. I don't think shopping with women is fun, either. I often go shopping with my friends. It is fun. If I think a kind of shirt is fit for me, I think it is also fit for my friends. So I'd like them to think about buying the same things. My name is Sandy. I like shopping too. But I never go shopping on Saturdays or Sundays. There are a lot of people in the shops. I like shopping with my friends. I usually spend a lot of time choosing things because I never buy the first thing I see. I always look around other shops to find the best price. I can find the best very well. I dislike buying food in small shops and street markets. I think food in the supermarket is very fresh and very cheap, so I like shopping there. From what Tom says, we know _ . A many people like shopping at weekends. B it is fun for Tom to go shopping with his friends. C people don't like shopping at weekends. D things are cheap at weekends. Answer: B We can see walls everywhere in the world. But the Great Wall of China is the biggest of all. The Chinese call it. "The Ten-thousand-Li. Great Wall." It's in fact more than 6,000 kilometers long. It's 4-5 meters wide. In most places, five houses or ten men can walk side by side. When you visit the Great Wall, you can't help wondering how the Chinese people were able to build such a great wall thousands of years ago. Without any modern machine , it was really very difficult to build it. They had to do all the work by hand. It took millions of men hundreds of years to build it. The Great Wall has a history of over two thousand years. The kings began to build the first parts of it around two thousand seven hundred years ago. Then, Qin Shihuang had all the walls joined up . He thought that could keep the enemy out of the country. Today the Great Wall has become a place of interest. Not only Chinese people but also people from all over the world come to visit it. It took _ men _ years old to build the Great Wall. A millions; millions B hundreds of; hundreds of C millions of; hundreds D hundreds of; millions of Answer: C A little girl was given so many picture books on her seventh birthday that her father. Who should have run his office and let her mother run the home, thought his daughter should give one or two of her new books to a little neighbor boy named Robert, who had visited their home sometimes. Now, taking books, or anything else, from a little girl is like taking sweets from a baby, but the father of the little girl had his way and Robert got a couple of her books. "After all, that leaves you with nine," said the father, who thought he was a child psychologist ,and couldn't shout his big stupid mouth on the subject. A few weeks later, the father went to his library to look up "father" in The Oxford English Dictionary, eager to enjoy the praise of fatherhood through the centuries, but he couldn't find volume F-G and then he discovered that others were missing too. A-B,L-M, V-Z. He looked everywhere for them, and learned what had happened to the four missing volumes. "A man came to the door this morning" said the little daughter, "and he didn't know how to get from here to Torrington or from Torrington to Wintec, and he was a kind man, much nicer than Robert, and so I gave him four of your books After all, there are thirteen volumes in the Oxford English Dictionary, and that leaves you with nine. According to the writer's opinion, _ A a mother should keep house and father educate the children B A father should run the home as well as his office C A father should run his office and leave his children to his wife D A father shouldn't only run his office but educate his children Answer: C Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish. Now there are few birds, animals, and fish. The lake water is polluted. It is in a colour of dirty brown, and it is filled with strange plants. How did this happen? First, we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog. When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around. In the past, there were forests all round Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean. Now there are many homes around the lake. People often use the chemicals in their gardens. They use other chemicals inside their houses for cleaning and killing insects. There are also many businesses. Businesses use chemicals in their machines of shops. Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks. When it rains, the rainwater picks up all the chemicals from home and businesses and then carries them into the lake . They pollute the water and kill the animals. Boats on the lake are also a problem. Lake Ponkapog is a popular place for motorboats . But oil and gas from boats often get into the lake. So more bad chemicals go into the water this way. People in Hartwell are worried . They love their lake and want to save it. Will it be possible? A clean lake must have clean rainwater going into it. Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at other chemicals on the ground. And they mustn't use motorboats any more on the lake. All these may change people's lives. Only then can Lake Ponkapog be a beautiful, clean lake again. The passage is about _ . A boats on the Lake Pankapog B why the water is dirty in Lake Ponkapog C clean rainwater D dirty lakes Answer: B Defendant, a worker in a metalworking shop, had long been teasing Vincent, a young colleague, by calling him insulting names and ridiculing him. One day Vincent responded to the teasing by picking up a metal bar and attacking Defendant. Defendant could have escaped from the shop. He parried the blow with his left arm, and with his right hand struck Vincent a blow on his jaw from which the young man died. Select from the choices (A D) the most serious offense of which the defendant could be properly convicted. A Involuntary manslaughter B Voluntary manslaughter C Murder D None of the abov Answer: D
Hi! I'm Jack. I'm in a new school this term. Now let me tell you about my school now. My new school is big and nice. There are one thousand and four hundred students and one hundred and forty teachers in my school. I like the teachers. They are very kind to me. My classmates are very friendly , too. They teach me Chinese and I teach them English. There are trees, flowers and green grass in my school. They are very beautiful. Behind my school there is a small river. The water in it is quite clean. We can swim in it. We have no classes on Saturdays or Sundays. Sometimes I go to play football or basketball with my classmates. Sometimes I stay at home and watch TV. Sometimes I go to shops with my father and mother. We all like China. There are _ students and _ teachers in Jack's school. Answer: 1;400;140 Members of a planning team build a model of a nearby stream and then block the stream to show how it can form a lake. Which is a limitation of the model? Answer: showing how the dam will affect the plants and animals in the area Old George selected his food in the supermarket more carefully than NASA chose its astronauts. When he left the cashier, he was pleased to think that he had saved 80 cents today. At the exit, the cold wind made him think of his gloves. He looked for them in his coat and pants but could not find them anywhere. He had bought the black gloves at a good price, for just $35, years ago. They were soft and very comfortable. He had taken great care looking after them, so they were _ . George, calm on the outside but mad on the inside, re-entered the store. He followed the same route he had walked before. Several minutes of searching turned out to be in vain . His black gloves were gone. "People have changed," he said to himself. "Years ago, if somebody picked up something lost, they would give it back. Not any more!" He stared at anybody wearing black gloves to see if they looked like his. On his way to the dairy section, he noticed a lady wearing a pair of black gloves. He sped up and in three seconds was in front of her. But when the surprised woman looked over, his eyes dropped, for her gloves were just far too small to be his. He went over to the cashier to ask if she had received any lost gloves, but she said no. He finally walked out into the street. A few days later, poor George decided to buy another leather pair. Before getting on the subway, he stepped into the supermarket again to see if by any chance his gloves had been returned to the lost and found office. "What color are they?" the woman in the office asked. "Black," he gave the same answer. She looked into her drawer and drew out a pair of men's leather gloves. "Are they?" "Yes! Those are mine," George exclaimed, his eyes full of joy. George searched for his gloves in a mad way because _ . Answer: he would rather not spend money on another pair A new report says sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected. American scientists say the ice is melting even faster than computer programs had estimated. Scientists know that climate change has a major effect on the Arctic Ocean partly because sea ice is disappearing. They also know that areas of open seawater are expanding. Such areas are known to take in sunlight and increase temperatures. Scientists say this has helped to cause the loss of the Arctic's ice cover. For the study, the American scientists compared eighteen computer programs with observations made by satellites and other instruments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the computer programs to prepare its 2007 estimates of climate change. The computer programs gave estimates of the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean in the month of September. September is when the Arctic has the least ice, after the warm, summer months. The computer estimates suggested an ice loss of two and a half percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and 2006. Newer studies of the Arctic have used information gathered by aircraft, satellites and ships. This information showed a loss of September ice cover of almost eight percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and last year. This means the ice is disappearing about thirty years faster than the computer programs estimated. The scientists say the programs might not have recognized the full effect of increased carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth's atmosphere. They say their study suggests the gases may have more of an effect than had been thought. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: Newer studies show gases may have more effect on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. Job Chances in Top Schools Throughout China Interested in teaching in a foreign country? Schools all over China are looking for skilled teachers interested in teaching English. There are chances all over the country. Apply today! Necessary conditions Native speaker of English BA Degree or higher (English and Education major preferred) Teaching experience is preferred, but not required. Must be a citizen of one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, the United States, or the United Kingdom. Pay to be offered From $1,800 to $2,300 a month depending on conditions and experience Pays differ depending on schools. Benefits differ between employers, but the following benefits must be offered: FREE apartment with furniture Overtime pay 10---14 days paid vacation Medical insurance---generally half provided Round-trip ticket How to apply To apply, only send us the following information: Resume/Date of Birth/Recent picture Once we receive your information, we will get you into our job matching lists, when a match is recorded, we will get in touch with you for an interview. Click on the following apply. Now button to offer your resume and required documentation. Any questions send us an e-mail at primejobs@teachers.com. If you get the job and take the vacation for ten days, you will _ . Answer: be paid as usual
There was once a small town by a river. There were many houses in this town and they were all different colors, shapes and sizes. which made the people happy. On one street there was a red house, a green house, a blue house and one purple house with yellow stripes. The people in the town were all very friendly and knew each other well. When the people of the town went out they loved to wear hats but never wore shoes and the hats were also many different colors, shapes and sizes. On Sundays all the families in town would go to the park by the river and have picnics. The children would run, skip and play and the parents would talk, eat and laugh. The children loved the picnic foods they had. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and steak. They also had salads, coleslaw, fries and chips. The kids' favorite was hamburgers with fries. On days when it rained the children and parents would stay inside and read or color pictures and drink hot chocolate and they loved to wear big warm sweaters. At night the family would all go to the kitchen and cook dinner together and after dinner was finished they would all clear the table and clean the dishes together before getting ready for bed. They would put their pajamas on but never wear socks and they would get under the covers and fall asleep. What were the kids favorite foods at the picnics? A Steak and salad B Chicken and coleslaw C Hamburgers and Fries D Hot dogs and chips Answer: C Chinese New Year is next week in January this year. Do you need great furniture for your room? Come and buy things at our great sale at Helen's Furniture Store. Look! Here are some nice tape players in white, blue and red for mothers. We sell them for only $20. For students, we have desks and chairs for $25 a set. You can buy big tables for $50 and small tables for $40. What color do you like? Sofas in all colors are only $100 each. One interesting thing: You can buy great vegetables here, too. The vegetables are from Yunnan and Taiwan. Come to our store. You will like it. Chinese New Year is _ this year. A in January B in May C in June D in November Answer: A If a sitcom that lasts for l0 years is considered popular,then surely one that still arouses emotions after 20 must be considered a classic.Friends first aired in the US in 1994,featuring a cast of six young men and women in New York.In the time since,it's become one of the most famous titles in the sitcom style,aired in over 100 countries and regions in the world. The show is typical among those who grew up in the 1990s because it explores basic yet important themes like friendship,struggling to survive in a big city,and finding independence and identity,all of which are still relevant to young audiences today. Against the background of the Internet age,IT staff who were once marginalized and laughed at have experienced a revival due to the popularity of hit show The Big Bang Theory,in which four talents lacking normal social skills make an attempt at living on a college campus. At the same time,Gossip Girl,describing a young cast of New Yorkers born with silver spoons in their mouths,demonstrates the difficulties upper-class adolescents experience.The show's fashion and mature subject matter allowed it to capture the interest of both teenagers and adults. Although these typical TV shows span a wide timeline and feature a variety of themes,they all have a universal topic.Love,money,friendship,career aspirations and identity are things all young people struggle to understand.Why are they still fascinating? It remains to be found out. What will the author most probably talk about next? A The introduction to other hit sitcoms. B The further information about the plot. C The emotional response among audience. D The analysis of the reasons for the appeal. Answer: D Everyone who has eaten instant noodles before knows how it looks like. It is very easy to cook it instantly by putting the noodles into the boiling water and add in those MSG packets, together with your other ingredients like eggs or vegetables. However, have you ever wondered whether this is the correct way of cooking it? When you first took out the noodles from the packaging, you will notice that the noodles are joined together nicely as a piece. In order to make the noodles joined together nicely side by side, it needs some form of wax coating to achieve an attractive instant noodles in front of us. Many people who enjoy eating instant noodles frequently do not really bother too much of it, as it seems very normal to everyone to have it nicely displayed in front of us. However, researches have shown that the layer of wax coating on the noodles is quite harmful to our body and we should not eat it too frequently. It is advisable to have a break of 2-3 days before we start to eat another packet of instant noodles as our body need about 3 days to clear that layer of wax coating away from our body system. Do you know the danger of having too much wax coating stored in our stomach? It will lead to CANCER if it is stored in our body system for a long period of time. There are 2 keys points to take note while preparing instant noodles: 1) Wash the instant noodles with warm water first, stir it and pour away the water containing the wax coating. 2) Repeat Step 1 and try to stir the noodles again to wash away the wax coating on the noodles before cooking it in a new pot of water. Hope this article will let more people have self-awareness of the hidden danger of instant noodles and thus eat safely and stay healthy. Many people don't care about too much of the wax coating on the instant noodles because _ . A They enjoy the taste of the wax coating B They take the wax coating for granted C They don't know the hidden danger at all D They can consume it faster than other people Answer: C Many women write to me perplexed about why they can't form close friendships.They try new approaches,put themselves in all the right places,see therapists,and read relevant selfhelp books.They consider themselves interesting,loyal,kind,and friendworthy people.But for reasons unknown to them,they have a tough time forming intimate relationships.Many admit to not having even one close friend. A recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology offers some clues as to how both nature(personality) and nurture (experience) impact our friendships.Researchers at the University of Virginia and University of Toronto,Mississauga studied more than 7,000 American adults between the ages of 20 and 75 over a period of ten years,looking at the number of times these adults moved during childhood.Their study,like prior ones,showed a link between residential mobility and adult wellbeing:The more times participants moved as children,the poorer the quality of their adult social relationships. But digging deeper,the researchers found that personality--specifically being introverted or extroverted --could either intensify or buffer the effect of moving to a new town or neighborhood during childhood.The negative impact of more moves during childhood was far greater for introverts compared to extroverts. "Moving a lot makes it difficult for people to maintain longterm close relationships," stated Dr.Shigehiro Oishi,the first author of the study,in a press release from the American Psychological Association,"This might not be a serious problem for outgoing people who can make friends quickly and easily.Less outgoing people have a harder time making new friends." Families often have to relocate--across town,across the country,or across the globe.Yet,in many cases,their kids and young adolescents haven't yet built up a bank of friendships.So the conventional wisdom is to try to minimize moves for the sake of your child,whenever possible,and to move at the end of the academic year. We can infer from the passage that _ . A our friendships are mainly affected by our nurture B we can move when children have made a lot of friends C the impact of moves will disappear when one reaches adulthood D there is some way to minimize the impact of moves during childhood on children Answer: D
I'm Kate. I'm an American girl. I am thirteen. I'm in a middle school in Shanghai. My English teacher is a Chinese girl. My good friend is Mary. She is an English girl. She is thirteen, too. She is in Wuhan. I'm in Grade Eight. But she is in Grade Nine. We often have a talk by E-mail. We are both good students. Kate is from the _ . Answer: It is estimated that some seven hundred million people, about half the world's adult population, are unable to read or write, and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level is so slight that it is hardly called literacy . Recently the attack on illiteracy had been stepped up. A world plan has been drawn up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Paris, as part of the United Nations Development Decade ,and an international conference of the subject has also been held. UNESCO stresses that functional literacy is the aim. People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship, the ability of reading notices, newspapers, timetables, letters, price-lists to keep simple records and accounts, to select the importance of the information gathered, and to fill in the forms. The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In Africa there are at least one hundred million illiterate people, which is eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population. In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million; most of them are in Sothern Europe, with Spain, Italy, Portugal, Yugoslavia heading the list (the United Kingdom has about seven hundred thousand). UNESGO is eager for each country in the world, poor or rich, to wipe out illiteracy. Which of the statements is true? Answer: Astronauts aboard the space station celebrated a space first on Wednesday by drinking water that had been recycled from their urine , sweat and water got from air. They said "cheers," clicked drinking bags and toasted NASA workers on the ground. The urine recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will have NASA money because it won't have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttles or cargo rockets. Besides, it's important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six. The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttles Endeavour, but it couldn't be used until samples were tested back on earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The three-man crew stood holding their drinks and congratulated engineers in two NASA centres that worked on the system. "This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction," American astronaut Michael Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. "The taste is worth trying." The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the vapor is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. Then the water vapor is mixed with water from air, and then it goes through filters . When six crew members are aboard it can make about six gallons from urine in about six hours. "Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on earth, but with a lot longer time between urine and the tap," said Marybeth Edeen, the space station's national lab manager. The technology NASA developed for this system has already been used for quick water purification after the 2004 Asian tsunami. According to the text, the recycling system is important because _ . Answer: TOKYO - Japan is considering plans to calm tensions with China by acknowledging Chinese claims to the disputed islands in the East China Sea, while maintaining its own position, Kyodo News cited sources as saying on Tuesday. The report said that the plans would allow Japan, without changing its long-held position, to _ a little with China, which has called on Tokyo to acknowledge the existence of a dispute over the Chinese Diaoyu Islands, referred to as Senkaku Islands in Japan. Japan has refused to rescind its recent purchase in mid-September of three of the five Diaoyu islands from a so-called private Japanese owner, which the government says was meant to maintain the uninhabited islands in a stable manner, despite China's strong protest. It remains uncertain, however, whether China would be encouraged by the Japanese step to improve the tensioned ties, said Kyodo. The passage may come from _ . Answer: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a desire of the next promotion , the bigger paycheck, the larger house. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure , it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted. It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. _ . I learned to live many years ago. Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my choice, it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and totally. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a deadly illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived. The best title of this passage probably is _ . Answer:
Question: If you're looking for the rock between the 2nd and the 4th from our star you are looking for A. uranus B. earth C. jupiter D. pluto Answer: B Question: Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be last within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where there is zero logic and dead people can speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the hidden shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just "mental noise"--the random byproducts of the neural repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are regulating moods while the brain is "offline". And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events actually can be bought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better. "It's your dream," says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center. "If you don't like it, change it." Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during rapid eye movement sleep when most vivid dreams occur as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved: the limbic system or the emotional brain is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex--the center of intellect and reasoning, is relatively quiet. "We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day," says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement. This link is shown among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events--until, it appears, we begin to dream. There is probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or "We wake up in a panic," Cartwright says. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep or rather dream on it and you'll feel better in the morning. What does Rosalind Cartwright think of dreams? A. Dreamers can exercise conscious control over them. B. They are shadows of our unconscious desires and fears. C. People with more emotional changes dream more often. D. They are actually products of our brain's neural repairs. Answer: A Question: Agatha Christie used to go out at night. She will never forget the night when she met a robber many years ago. That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted till 2 o'clock in the morning. Without company, Agatha walked home along the quiet street. Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building, a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. "Good morning, lady," the man said in a low voice, "I don't think you wish to die here!""What do you want?" Agatha asked. "Your earrings . Take them off!"Agatha suddenly had a bright idea. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground. "Take them and let me go." she said. The robber was uncertain. He saw that the girl didn't care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more, so he said, "Give me your necklace." "Oh, sir. It's not worth much. Please let me keep it." "Stop talking rubbish. Quick!" With shaky hands, Agatha took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to her home. The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings . Agatha will never forget the night because _ . A. she was robbed of her earrings B. she was robbed but she fooled the robber C. she had such a nice time at the party D. it is dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night Answer: B Question: Addle, who has been in the painting and contracting business for 10 years and has a fine reputation, contracts to paint Boone's barn. Boone's barn is a standard red barn with a loft. The contract has no provision regarding assignment."If Addle assigns the contract to Coot, who has comparable experience and reputation, which of the following statements is correct? A. Addle is in breach of contract. B. Boone may refuse to accept performance by Coot. C. Boone is required to accept performance by Coot. D. There is a novation Answer: C Question: It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can't imagine we will do without him when he's gone. Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill's leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month. As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company's most competitive areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work. Bill increased the company's sale _ . A. by 37 per cent every month B. to the second largest in the area C. to be the fifth largest in the area D. five times as much as before Answer: B
When placed in direct sunlight, which object will absorb the most visible light energy? Answer: When electric current flows through the metal filament of a light bulb, electrical energy is converted to Answer: Is it ever a good idea admitting a teenager to carry a credit card? My kids watch closely as I swipe the card through the register. They've seen me do it hundreds, thousands of times. Cool. They are _ to swipe it through the machine themselves. When we walk out of the store with our groceries or pet food, or whatever, it's almost as though money has not changed hands, painless, easy. So it shouldn't be shocking to discover that teenagers are becoming card carrying consumers in their own right. The question is, should they? While some argue it's best to teach kids how to use a credit card while still living under the family roof, not everyone agrees. Dave Ramsey, financial expert says getting credit card for your teenager is actually "an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible." Now parents are required to co-sign on credit cards for children under 21. "If their name is on the credit card, then the parent may say, Hey, my name is on this. Don't get me into trouble," says Mary Beth Pinto, a marketing professor. "When parents were the co-obligors , the children caused less debt. If the parents are the co-obligors, the tendency is that the parents were explaining how to use the cards." Still, Pinto believes parents should start the process much earlier. "Yes, there has to be teaching going on and it has to start when they're younger. You're not going to get rid of credit cards. They are here to stay. You have to have them. You can't fight progress," Pinto said. Ramsey, however, disagrees. "Throwing teens into a pool of (credit) sharks is a sure way to guarantee a life-time of heartache." he said, "You can make online purchases and rent a car with a credit card. Of course, you must have money in your bank account before you can make a purchase with a credit card. But paying for things with money is what you are supposed to do." What's Ramsey's attitude towards teens' using credit cards? Answer: One day a red rose blossomed in a forest. A pine tree not far away said, "You're so beautiful! I wish I could be lovely like you. " The rose said, "I am the most beautiful plant in the forest. " Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant. It is full of thorns !"Sometimes, the red rose would look at the cactus and say, "This plant is useless. I'm sorry I am his neighbor. " Summer came and the plants and animals needed water, but no rain fell. One day the rose saw some birds stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away. The red rose asked what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. The pine tree told the red rose, "You can also drink from it. The birds can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help. " The red rose felt _ , but she still asked the cactus for help. The cactus agreed kindly and the birds filled their beaks with water for the rose's roots. Later on, the rose never gave her opinion about anyone by look again. What did the rose think of the cactus at the beginning of the story? Answer: The Ancient Town of Fenghuang, one of China's most well-known ancient towns, was under water as heavy rain hit the center of the country, with tens of thousands of people leaving from the area. Heavy rain and floods lasted for the past few days. Waters in the nearby Tuojiang River rose by almost one meter above warning level , causing heavy rainstorms. More than 120,000 local people and tourists have been helped to leave there because of the terrible _ . And more than 4,000 shops in the town have been shut. Several bridges on the Tuojiang River have been damaged or destroyed. Water has flowed into many bars, restaurants and hotels in its ancient town, and electricity in the ancient town has been cut off. About 128,000 people have been affected by the floods. Though the heavy rains have stopped, but the popular tourist spot remains closed for local people's safety. A shoe shop owner named Kuang said the flood was the worst the town had experienced. "The floods came so quickly that I didn't have time to move the shoes," he said sadly. "The flood has led to Fenghuang old town becoming a water town." said a post on a discussion page on the topic set up on Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter. "We could only live in an old factory now where many homeless people have to stay together. The crowded space is full of sadness." Tang said. At least 14 people were killed in flooding in Hunan Province and the neighboring province of Jiangxi and region of Guangxi last month, Xinhua reported. How many people were affected by the flood? Answer:
Tom and Joseph are best friends. They spent their summer vacation in Africa. When they were walking through the desert , they started to argue about something. Tom became very angry and slapped Joseph in the face. Joseph felt hurt, but he didn't say anything to Tom. Then Joseph wrote in the sand : "Today my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking until they found a small lake. They decided to have a bath . But when Joseph got in the water, he started to sink . Tom jumped in after him and pulled him out. His friend saved his life. After he became well again, Joseph wrote on a stone : "Today my best friend saved my life." Tom couldn't understand it. "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand. Now you write on a stone. Why?" he asked. _ " Joseph answered. "But when someone does something good for us, we must write it on stones so that no wind can ever take it away." Tom slapped Joseph because _ . A he wanted to play a trick on Joseph B he argued with Joseph and got angry with him C Joseph took him the wrong way in the desert D Joseph played with sand Answer: B. he argued with Joseph and got angry with him Up to two-fifths of a food crop is often wasted because it is "ugly", a report on food waste has shown. Produce grown in the UK that does not meet retailer standards on appearance is often given to animals or thrown out even though it is healthy to eat. The report from the UK's global food security program also showed that the average household throws away more than 5kg of food a week, and nearly two-thirds of that waste is avoidable. The waste costs PS 480 a year per household on average, and PS 680 per family. Households throw away a fifth of the food they buy, wasting it for reasons ranging from cooking too much to not using it before it goes bad, the study showed. Consumption is the top area where food is wasted in the UK, the study said. Farmers respond to consumer demands for high-quality food with standards that can lead to the crop being wasted. Some supermarkets have started marketing "odd shapes and sizes" of fruit and vegetables, though. Also, more UK consumers are prepared to accept "ugly" fruit and vegetables, amid concerns over sustainability and food prices, the research said. In developing countries, much of the loss of food occurs during post-harvesting storage, processing and packaging. Tackling waste globally is necessary to feed a growing world population sustainably. One in eight people worldwide doesn't have enough food, the report said. Around a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted. Professor Tim Benton, an expert on food security at the University of Leeds, said: "Over 5 million people in the UK live in poverty, where basic food provision is a daily challenge." Nearly 400,000 people used food banks last year, according to the Trussell Trust. "At the same time, 15 million tons of food is wasted annually, with nearly half thrown away within UK households. Reducing the scale of losses and waste throughout the food system is a crucial step." The report highlights priorities for research to help reduce food waste, including improving harvesting and packaging technologies and seasonal weather prediction. We can conclude from the article that _ . A over half of the food produce in the UK is wasted within households B "ugly" fruits and vegetables are becoming more and more popular in the UK C avoiding food waste could, by itself, solve food shortage problems around the world D developing better farming and packaging technologies is key to reducing food waste Answer: D. developing better farming and packaging technologies is key to reducing food waste A mother in Australia was told by a doctor that her new born son was dead but she helped to bring him back to life by holding the baby against her body. She used a method known as a kangaroo care. The child, named Jamie ,was born after only 27 weeks with his twin sister, Emily, in a hospital in Sydney. Her birth went well ,but his was a different story. The doctor struggled for 20 minutes to save Jamie before announcing him dead. "His little arms and legs were just falling down away from his body." Kate Ogg said ,"I took off my coat and put him on my chest with his head over my arm." She and her husband, David ,said to the child as she continued to hold him for nearly 2 hours. During that time, the two-pound baby showed the sign of life. She said , "I told my mum ,who was there, that he was still alive. Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger. "Their tiny baby grew stronger and stronger in his mother's arms, and their final goodbye turned into a hello. The doctor at first ignored the baby's movements, but when he put the stethoscope to his chest, his mouth was wide open and he said ,"It's my fault, It's a miracle( ). "The kangaroo care helps the baby keep body warmth" Dr Pinchi Srinivasan said, "It also regulates heartbeat and breathing rates and is believed to help weight gain and improve sleeping habits. Fathers can also use kangaroo care. The key to the method is skin-to-skin contact." The practice began in less developed nations. It has become a recognized pracitce in helping premature babies. The techniques is good for babies, and is used in many baby care centers. After hearing what the doctor said, the mother _ . A became so sad that she almost became mad B didn't give up and tried to bring her baby to life C chose to believe the doctor D became angry at what the doctor did to the baby Answer: B. didn't give up and tried to bring her baby to life When Sara and Nathan Jones were training to become foster parents , their son, Noah, learned a tough thing or two about foster care. For instance, nearly 600 local foster kids changed families every year, and they carried their belongings from one home to the next in black garbage bags. Noah, then ten, couldn't imagine squeezing his clothes, favorite toy, and soccer ball into a trash bag and dragging it to a new house in the middle of the night. "Packing kids' belongings into garbage bags is like telling them that their stuff has no more worth than trash," says Noah. So with help from his parents and younger sisters, Macy, then nine, and Molly, then seven, Noah began to collect suitcases and duffel bags from friends and extended family; he received more than 100 bags in less than two weeks. He then sent letters to churches and put ads in local newspapers and on radio stations asking for donations. Within a few months, the family was collecting about 500 bags a week, which they stored briefly in their spare bathroom and downstairs hallway before giving them to foster care caseworkers at the Department for Community Based Services. In addition to suitcases, Noah now provides foster kids with backpacks containing shampoo, soap, a journal, and a toy--all donated. "My hope is that by giving the children things that are just theirs, they will feel a little control in the midst of the chaos," says Noah. Noah's group, A Case for Dignity, collects and distributes hundreds of bags a year. He recently convinced foster care managers from 15 Kentucky counties to pledge to use his bags instead of trash bags. "I've been so inspired by him," says his mom. "If a ten-year-old can see a problem and create a solution, how much more can we do as adults?" What can we learn from the text? A Noah, Macy and Molly are all foster kids. B Noah's mom takes great pride in A Case for Dignity. C Foster care managers all promise to use his bags. D Noah couldn't put up with foster parents. Answer: B. Noah's mom takes great pride in A Case for Dignity. Which characteristic will a baby chimpanzee inherit from its parents? A fur color B hunting skills C feeding behavior D sleeping routine Answer: A. fur color
This is a song, and millions of Americans will hear it on New Year's Eve. It is called "Auld Lang Syne" (<<>> ). It is the traditional music played during New Year's celebration. "Auld Lang Syne" is an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends. The words "auld lang syne" mean "old long since". No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Burns was published in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a song book three years later. The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quartet. One of the 4 musicians in the group is VOA's Rich Kainfaite. As we end our programme with "Auld Lang Syne",I would like to wish all of our radio friends a very happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas. Auld Lang Syne is an old _ . A English poem B Scottish poem C American poem D Chinese poem Answer: B. Scottish poem Knowing how to communicate well needs very personal attention between you and another human being. Is there a better way to learn how to communicate effectively? Yes, there is. Please follow the 3 basic steps below. 1. Relax and Breathe. Whether it's a business meeting or the first date, the first thing you must do in order to communicate is to relax. When you relax you are in control. You control your reactions and your reactions do not control you. Breathing is central to relaxation. Take a few deep breaths and your body will begin to be more at ease. This will help you apply what you already know about how to communicate well. 2. Think and you will be prepared. Have you ever heard the old saying, "think before you speak"? Well, it is true. By thinking ahead about how the conversation might flow, you will be better prepared, more at ease and more confident. 3. Follow the flow of the conversation. If you are uncomfortable, being silent will only make it worse and make the other person uncomfortable as well. So when all else fails, follow through with small talk until a common topic appears. A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask the other person questions. People love to talk about themselves and if you do this they will think very highly of you. . If you make an effort, you will succeed. If you want to talk with others successfully, the most important thing you should do is _ . A to follow the flow of the conversation. B to take as many deep breaths as possible C to make a good preparation for the conversation D to keep calm and relax yourself fully Answer: D. to keep calm and relax yourself fully Bobbi Kristina Brown's family has been gathered around her since she was hospitalized on Saturday after being found unconscious in the bathtub of her suburban Atlanta townhome. Whitney Houston's only child is now at Emory University Hospital and is still fighting for her life, as a family statement said on Monday. Nothing has changed, despite reports that are popping up and painting a more serious picture. Fox News reported Wednesday that the situation is horrific. "It's now a matter of when the family wants to let go and accept that she's pretty much not going to make it," a source told FOX411. "They've left it up to the family as to how long they want to keep her alive." People Magazine is also reporting that a doctor told Brown's family on Wednesday that nothing more could be done. "Everyone is coming to the hospital to say goodbye," said a family member. And the Daily Mail says Brown has been taken off life support. But Bobby Brown issued a statement late Thursday denying these reports. "If we issued a statement every time the media published a false report regarding this matter, that's all we would be doing 24 hours a day. This is false, just as is the vast majority of the other reporting that is currently taking place," he said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. A source close to the family tells USA TODAY that it's wrong to say the family is gathering to say goodbye, because the family has been there since the beginning, so nothing is any different today for them. Also, Brown is "not brain dead," as has been reported. And, as for other stories saying that the Houston family is feuding with Bobbi Kristina's dad, Bobby Brown? Those aren't true either. They "are NOT fighting," says our source. Which can be the best title of the passage? A An Accident In The Bathtub B Kristina, We're Still Praying And Waiting On A Miracle C False Reports From Different News Media D Bobbi Kristina's Final Days Answer: C. False Reports From Different News Media Better think twice before choosing a password for e-mail, online bank or shopping. Simple passwords are easy to be stolen . A password is like a key to your home. If someone steals it, he'll get chances to steal something else. We use passwords everywhere in our life. We are so used to passwords that we don't pay any attention to them until we lose or forget one. A study of 28,000 passwords recently stolen from a popular website showed that people often do the easy thing. It found that 16 percent took a first name as a password. Another 14 percent used the easiest keyboard combinations such as 12345678 or QWERTY. 5 percent of the stolen passwords were names of television shows or stars popular with young people. 3 percent of the passwords expressed feelings like "I don't care", "whatever", "I love you", or their opposite , "I hate you". Robert Graham, who did the study, advises people to choose a password that is longer than eight characters with one capital letter and one symbol . Of course, safe passwords don't mean those hard to remember. Forgetting your password is sometimes a big headache for you. Maybe, the best password is easy for you and hard for others. About 40 percent of passwords are easily stolen because the users often do _ things. A easy B busy C careful D good Answer: A. easy We can slow down aging. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging. His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging. Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called "Shen". According to Shen, it is the kidney which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the Shen system slows the aging process, says a report in the Telegraph newspaper. We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness, wrinkles and so on. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves. So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young? This is where Dr. Shen's herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell. The reason why people become old is that _ . A their bodies produce T-cells B they become weaker and weaker C they have reduced strength, loss of hair D their bodies are unable to fight diseases Answer: A. their bodies produce T-cells
Allen : I've never been a big fan of the bears ,especially the vacation show .On my last trip to Disneyland (1999) we passed it by ,because we didn't want to spend the time on something we didn't really enjoy. If we'd known it would be closed by our next visit, I'm sure we would have watched it one more time. I was just making the point that it wasn't until Disney announced the closing that this feeling suddenly sprang up for the Country Bear show at Disneyland. But I think the idea of keeping some attractions open forever regardless of the number of visitors it gets is a mistake .We all have great memories of the Bears ,but clearly very few kids today (or I should say families today) are making those same memories from this show . That may be a sad fact ,but it's a fact. For whatever reason, the show doesn't pull in the numbers. Isn't it right to use the Country Bear space to bring in a more popular attraction so that more kids today can make those magic memories of an attraction THEY like? Otherwise aren't we just telling kids today that they "have to" make great memories of the Bears ,when it's obvious that the kids themselves are not enjoying the Bears like we did? Roger: I am very disappointed that they have decided to retire the Country Bear Playhouse. I remember going to the show as a child ,and still enjoyed it as a teenager, and now young adult .It is true that there aren't a lot of shows left at DL and with this one closing even less .Being at DL does require a lot of walking ,and it is nice to have a few attractions that are a place to sit and enjoy a good show. I understand that DL has to develop ,but there has to be some history to the Disneyland that Walt Disney first designed .There should be some parts of DL that just never go away ,and this is one of them . By the time I have children it looks like there won't be any attractions that I can say I went to as a child at the rate they are going. Now the Bears are leaving .What I want to say is : stop trying to compete with everyone! DL is the best ,because of attractions like the Country Bears. If DL insists on destroying all of its magic to make way for the latest ,well ,then it might as well be just another theme park. Which is the best choice to complete Roger's idea: "The Country Bears have been a part of Disneyland for nearly 30 years,_." Answer: and I am sad that the Bears will be leaving Making friends is a skill like most skills. It improves with practice. If you want to meet people and make friends, you must be willing to take some action. You must first go where there are people. You won't make friends staying home alone. Joining a club or a group, talking with those who like the same things as you do is much easier. Or join someone in some activity. Many people are nervous when talking to new people. After all meeting strangers means facing the unknown. And it's human nature to feel a bit uncomfortable about unknown. Most of our fears about dealing with new people comes from doubts about ourselves. We imagine other people are judging us, finding us too tall or too short, too this or too that. But don't forget that they must be feeling the same way. Try to accept yourself as you are, and try to put the other person at ease. You'll both feel more comfortable. Try to act self-confident even if you don't feel that way. When you enter a room full of strangers, such as a new classroom, walk tall and straight, look directly at other people and smile. If you see someone you'd like to speak to, say something. Don't wait for the other person to start a conversation. Just meeting someone new does not mean that you will make friends with that person--friendship is based on mutual liking and "give and take". It takes time and effort to develop. The development of friendship needs _ . Answer: time and effort Is your schoolbag too heavy to carry? The e-schoolbag will help you. In fact, the e-schoolbag should perhaps be called an e-textbook. It is a small computer for students. Heavy schoolbags have been a serious problem for them for a long time. But the e-schoolbag will change everything. It is much lighter than a usual schoolbag. Also, it is as small as a usual textbook, an exercise book and so on. They can be made into _ that are as small as a stamp. The students can read the text page by page on the "screen", take notes, or even send e-mails to their teachers. All they have to do is to put the right chip into the e-schoolbag and press the button. It is said that e-schoolbags have been put into use in some Chinese middle schools. In 2012, some students in Shanghai started to use e-schoolbags in the new term. Some say that e-textbooks can be easily broken. Some say it is not good to students' eyes. But only time will tell us all. What's the best title of this passage? Answer: A New Kind of Schoolbag. What does a squirrel not eat? Answer: animals It is a very usual thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone. One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a cake, I got it. We talked and joked. From then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than Diana. However, I also began to feel a little uneasy. After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks and at that time Vivien came and sat with me. She gave me a sandwich. She also gave one to Diana, but Diana didn't get it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude. "Never mind," Vivien said , " I'm used to it." After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. When we walked home, I tried to correct her attitude , but she would not listen to me. She said, "Go and join your 'dear' Vivien. I know you make new friends and forget the old ones." For the next few weeks, we did not talk to each other. Then, one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, "I'm really sorry about what I did. I'm a spoiled girl, but I also need good friends just like you. Would you please forgive me? Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I are best friends. Diana asked Vivien and the writer to forgive her because _ . Answer: she knew she was wrong
Alfred Carlton Gilbert(1884-1961) was a man of many ideas and talents. As a small boy, he kept trying new things. At age 12, he started a sports club for his friends and got their school to have a field day with active games and prizes. As he grew and practiced, Gilbert became skilled at pole vaulting , pull-ups, the long jump and football. Gilbert broke the world record for pull-ups in 1900 and the distance record for running long dive in 1902. And he won a gold medal in the pole vault at the Olympic Games in 1908. By that time, he had nearly finished medical studies. Choosing not to make medicine his career, Gilbert co-founded Mysto Manufacturing, a manufacturer of magic sets, in 1907. Gilbert had amused his friends and earned college money by doing magic tricks, so he knew what was needed. One day, Gilbert saw workers using steel girders to build towers for power lines. That gave him the idea for the Erector Set, a popular construction toy. In 1917, the Council of National Defense thought no toys should be produced for Christmas because the country was fighting in World War I. Gilbert and other men from the Toy Manufacturers of America went to Washington, with about 40 different toys. They had 15 minutes to speak. This meeting was at the end of a long, hard day. Gilbert told the government men at the meeting how toys helped children learn. His helpers brought out the toys. Soon, the tired government men were on the floor, playing with building sets, models of navy ships, and other toys. The time limit was forgotten; so was the Christmas toy ban . Gilbert spent the rest of his life improving erector sets. His company made and sold the sets, plus chemistry and other science sets and toy trains. He made items for homes, businesses, and the army. When he died in 1961, he had 150 patents for his many inventions. But his main joy was in helping children learn and have fun at the same time. What would be the best title for the text? Answer: The amazing Mr. Gilbert. The Black family often do housework together at the weekend. Pam often cleans bedrooms. Her father buys _ for the next week. Her mother washes the clothes. John, Pam's brother, helps to cut the grass in the garden. The Blacks often ride bikes to the park nearby. In the park, they can play basketball and football. They always have a good time there. They say they like working and playing together. The Blacks like to _ . Answer: go to the park Multicellular organisms grow in size by producing more Answer: cells. I went online to check if my pay was in my bank account . To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, a company I'd never worked for had also paid me! I know I'd have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. Easier said than done. The bank couldn't help as it "wasn't a bank problem." The human-resource department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn't have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully I had a sympathetic call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company "Daniel" worked for. I expected the bank would get in touch with me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he'd tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves. We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel's pay but red tape made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn't do -- admit a mistake had occurred and fix it. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Answer: Neither the bank nor the company admitted their fault. According to the National Retail Federation, we spend a record of $18.6 billion on Mother's Day gifts every year that works out to about $152 per mom. If you're looking to step up your gift-giving game, here are a few fun ideas. Of course, your mom will love you no matter what, but a nice gift wouldn't hurt! J. Crew's Poppy King Lipstick, $18.00 Bright color1s are the trend for summer. But if your mom isn't ready for a head-to-toe Technicolor1 look, she can still be on trend with J. Crew's Poppy King lipstick. Called as the "perfect shade" for all skin types, the bright coral is sure to bring a smile to her lips. Standard Phone Case, $ 30. 00 A color1ful case for mom's phone is in fashion and practical. Boutiqueme. net offers a variety of styles and color1s including several ones which can be "mom-o-grammed" with her initials . NOOK Simple Touch With GlowLight, $139.00 In recognition of all the bedtime stories she read to you, why not give mom the perfect e-reader for reading in bed? The NOOK Simple Touch With GlowLight is the first and only e-reader designed specifically for reading in bed. Then Again, by Diane Keaton, published by Random House, $ 26. 00 hardcover/$16. 00 paperback Then Again, a memoir from actress Diane Keaton, is her version of I Remember Mama. One reviewer says that it is a "far-reaching, heartbreaking, ly easily understandable book about mothers, daughters, childhood, aging, joyfulness, love, work.., and show business, too." If your mom has real feeling for beauty, you should choose _ . Answer: Poppy King Lipstick
Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea--until you have to pack. The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack. Organize Yourself Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. When you've done this once, it'll be easier next time. Start Small Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed tightly. In an emergency, you can purchase them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time. The Clothing Dilemma Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe -- hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you've picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine. Don't try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag. Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it's cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering up will keep you warm and it will leave more room in your bag. Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free. Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag! If you buy things at your local store ahead of time, you can _ . Answer: have more visiting time Children of America are getting fatter every time. 13% of the children at the age of 6 to 11 are overweight(too fat). When we look at children's lives today in the USA, we can see the root(origin)of the problem--sports and foods. Young children like sports but they don't have enough around the start of high school. That's especially true for girls. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, schools are becoming much more interested in sports teams. So children are not able to get enough exercise just when they need it the most. There is also the food problem. Children get most of their calories at restaurants or parties or somewhere else away from home. They often drink too many Cokes. Parents have a lot of fears about telling a child he needs to lose weight-- they are afraid it will push a child into an eating disorder. Some parents fear that pushing children to lose weight means their children will think they're not good enough, or not loved because of their weight. Parents need to come to terms with the fact that the family is very important to the children. The most useful program for children is called "family weight control". This is good news. Mom and Dad, even if they don't have weight problems, have to go through the same program as their children and learn how to get some exercise and how to eat healthily. The writer wants to tell parents that _ . Answer: family members can help overweight children a lot There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite s. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved. I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly _ the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics. It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back. From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time. The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug . I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car. I looked forward to the return journey. What can we learn from the story? Answer: Smiles brighten people up. In the early 1950s, researchers found that people scored lower on intelligence tests if they spoke more than one language. Research in the sixties found the opposite. Bilingual people scored higher than monolinguals, people who speak only one language. So which is it? Researchers presented their newest studies last month at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The latest evidence shows that being bilingual does not necessarily make people smarter. But researcher Ellen Bialystok says it probably does make you better at certain skills. Ellen Bialystok said, "Imagine driving down the highway. There're many things that could capture your attention and you really need to be able to monitor all of them. Why would bilingualism make you any better at that?" And the answer, she says, is that bilingual people are often better at controlling their attention -- a function called the executive control system. Ms. Bialystok is a psychology professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. She says the best method to measure the executive control system is called the Stroop Test. A person is shown words in different color1s. The person has to ignore the word but say the color1. The .problem is that the words are all names of color1s. Ellen Bialystok said, "So you would have the word blue written in red, but you have to say red. But blue is so salient , it's just lighting up all these circuits in your brain, and you really want to say blue. So you need a mechanism to _ that so that you can say red. That's the executive control system." Her work shows that bilingual people continually practice this function. They have to, because both languages are active in their brain at the same time. They need to suppress one to be able to speak in the other. This mental exercise might help in other ways, too. Researchers say bilingual children are better able to separate a word from its meaning, and more likely to have friends from different cultures. Bilingual adults are often four to five years later than others in developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the text? Answer: It's not possible for bilingual people to develop Alzheimer's disease. When a cell takes in in oxygen an use cellular respiration it will then expire Answer: CO2
Most magazines, whether online or print, will include book reviews. However, most editors and staff writers are usually too busy to read books and review them themselves. Therefore, writing book reviews can be a great way to get started with a writing career. How do you write a great book review that will be sure to be noticed? Follow these tips to write a really interesting and unique book review. Start with a description of the book. Many people that are reading your review may not know anything about the book you're reviewing. Instead of making readers go find information on their own by searching for the book title, start out with a little description of the book. Make sure you avoid too long of a summary. Start with a short paragraph or so that hits all the major points but doesn't give too much away. You don't want to tell your readers everything about the book, because then they won't have to read it at all. Just give enough information so your readers are interested in reading the book. Be objective. Some magazines like to publish book reviews that are completely impersonal. This means that they want a review of the book that doesn't share your opinion and that in which your opinion isn't obvious from reading what you wrote. If you hated a book, it might not be a great book to review. You probably want to review books that you enjoyed. Avoid talking about how much you liked the book, however. You should not include your personal reaction to the book until the very end, where you include a sentence or two about whether or not you would recommend a book and to whom you would recommend it. Look through a lens . A great way to get your review noticed is to look at a book through a specific lens. Read the book as a feminist would, for example, and talk about what a feminist might say to applaud or criticize the book. You can choose any number of lenses, and feminism is just one choice. An economic lens, a family lens, the lens of a different nationality, or the lens of a child could all be interesting ways to look at a book. If you look at a book in this way, instead of just reading it and forming your own opinion, it will be much more interesting and marketable. This is especially the case if you look at a lens that relates to the subject of the magazine to which you are submitting. Feminist magazines love book reviews about books read through a feminist lens, for example, because it is appropriate to their readership. Talk about the writer's style. Another great way to write a book review is to talk about the writer's style. Anyone can pick up a book and read the story, but it takes an experienced writer to note interesting things about another writer's style and write about them intelligently. Furthermore, most people want to know if a book is easy or fun to read over whether or not the subject matter will interest them. For what purpose is the passage written? A. To offer tips on writing book reviews. B. To give advice on reading books. C. To introduce writing styles. D. To comment on a book. Answer: A A captain of a boat lost his way in the middle of a storm. While trying to control the ship and avoid sinking, he started feeling annoyed. The water became bigger; the noise of the water hitting the boat, like a feather carried by the wind, almost led him to hopelessness. But he did not give up and tried harder every time the waves hit the boat. In his desperate attempts to stay strong and keep the boat steady, he was unable to hear one of his crew officers yelling at him. "Captain, Captain!" kept yelling the officer. He held on to one of the deck's bars in order not to fall off the boat, "Captain, Captain!" insisted the officer. This time, while the officer was trying to approach him, a huge wave almost made the boat turn over and he fell and rolled on the deck till he luckily found another bar to hold on to. After several attempts, the officer finally was able to reach his fighting and tired captain, who had started to yell out his frustration and thoughts to the angry waves. "If I am a good and hard-working man, why does this happen to me? And why can't I get out of this one? I have been sailing the open ocean for years to fish the best catch and get support for my family!! Why, why, why?!!!" At that moment, his crew officer was able to catch the captain's shoulder and make him turn so that the captain could hear him. "Captain, Captain!" yelled again the officer. The captain looked at him angrily because the officer distracted him from his difficult task. "What do you need, officer? Don't you see I am trying to control the ship and find our way back?" complained the captain. His officer kept holding on to the captain and pointed at the opposite direction, towards the stern . "Captain!" he replied. "The lighthouse is right over there, on the other side. We are going in the wrong direction!!" The best title of the text would be " _ ". A. The Boat B. The Captain C. The Lighthouse D. What was wrong? Answer: C What kind of sports impressed you most during your childhood? Maybe racing around the playground or skipping rope for hours would bring you pleasure. At that time you weren't thinking of fitness, you were just thinking of entertainment. But in this age of high-tech home equipment and underused gym memberships, the simple joy of jumping rope has been forgotten. I think rediscovering it probably will give you a total-body exercise. Although considered an excellent form of exercise, jumping rope has never received widespread acceptance because of two reasons. First,most people recognize jumping rope as an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don't think they'll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes in order to achieve a beneficial physical effect. Second, many regard it as somewhat boring and overly repetitive --not as something fun or enjoyable. _ . Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce over and over again, players good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double -bounce , a skip, a knee-up, side swings , as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping . Nowadays researchers are discovering that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning . It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres to perform equallyto each other . In short, jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space , yet leading to a much healthier life. One reason that can explain why rope jumping has not spread widely is that _ . A. it benefits the cardiovascular system B. it is too difficult for people to learn to jump C. it is believed to be boring and repetitive D. it requires little equipment, time and space Answer: C In 1620,about half the USA was covered by forests .Today the forests have almost gone .A lot of good land has gone with them ,leaving only sand .China doesn't want to copy the USA's example.We're planting more and more tress .We've built the "Great Green Wall "of tress across northern pat of our country .The "Great Green Wall"is 7,000 kilometers long ,and between 400 and 1,700 kilometers wide .It will stop the wind from blowing the earth away .It will stop the sand from moving towards the rich farmland in the south .More "Great Green Wall "are needed .Trees must be grown all over the world. "Great Green Wall "will make the world better . ,. Trees must be grown in _ . A. China B. the USA C. some countries D. every part of the world Answer: D Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. "We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain," the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep "is just the tip of the iceberg." He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. What is implied about the example of a bird's sleeping in front of a mirror? A. An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security. B. Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security. C. The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread. D. A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror. Answer: A
American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. There are four bases in baseball - first, second, third and home plate. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base - in order - and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to get a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted. The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the 1974 baseball seasons. Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was trying to find the record for hitting the most home runs . Aaron needed just one home run to be well matched with the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. That gave him 714 home runs - the same as Babe Ruth. After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time when it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number 715? The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one. So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity. The expression is used to business and politics. No business deal or political events are really complete until you discuss all the problems involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must _ to get a point. To master a language one must be able to speak and understand the spoken language as well as to read and write.Lenin and his wife translated a long English book into Russian but when they went to England in 1902, English people couldn't understand a word Lenin and his wife said, and Lenin and his wife couldn't understand what was said to them.This shows the importance of spoken language. Speaking, of course can't go without listening.If you want to pronounce a word correctly, first you must hear it correctly.The sounds of Chinese and English languages are not exactly the same.If you don't listen carefully, you'll find it difficult or even impossible to understand the native speakers. Well, what about writing? Like speaking, it's to exchange ideas.People usually use shorter words and shorter sentences in their writing. The important thing is to make your idea clear in your mind and then to write it in a clear lively language. Chinese students read too slowly.If you read fast, you understand better.If you read too slowly by the time you have reached to the end of a page you have forgotten what the beginning is about.When you meet with new words don't look them up in the dictionary.Guess the meaning to form the context. You may not guess quite correctly the first time but as new words appear again and again in different context their meaning will become clearer and clearer. If you look up every word you'll never finish a book. Students of a foreign language need a particular knowledge, the knowledge of the life, history and geography of the people whose language they're studying. They should study those subjects in the foreign language not only in translation.In this way one can kill two birds with one stone: learn a foreign language and get some knowledge of the foreign country at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone means _ . When you put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, 12 hard years of study will have come to an end. Forget your studies for a while. It's time to enjoy yourselves! There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts. High school students in western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have party to _ their graduation. It's to mark the time when kids turn into young men and women. After the party, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they will no longer depend on their parents as before. As the party, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials. Common party activities include dining, dancing, the crowing of a ball king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class party through the four years of their high school. High schools in or near large cities may rent big rooms at expensive hotels or,to be unusual, on a pleasure boat.But often costs are out by simply using the school gym.Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special.The music played at the party will be the most popular kinds,like rock and hip-hop. Sometimes teachers and parents also go to the party,but others like to go with friends,to whom they are soon going to say goodbye. All the following statements are true EXCEPT that _ Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian writer and poet, who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Composed of 326 short verses, Stray Birds is a collection of short verses translated from Bengali into English by the poet himself, where Tagore spiritualizes nature into the experiences of human existence while demonstrating his love for nature and simplicity through poetic words. Now read the following verses taken from Stray Birds(1916) and try to answer the questions. Man does not reveal himself in his history, he struggles up through it. (verse 52) The cloud stood humbly in a corner of the sky. The Morning crowned it with splendour . (verse 100) Man is worse than an animal when he is an animal. (verse 248) Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave. The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him. (verse 127) The stream of truth flows through its channels of mistakes. (verse 243) Let him only see the thorns who has eyes to see the rose. (verse 230) Set bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in the sky. (verse 231) Men are cruel, but Man is kind. (verse 219) Let me not put myself wrongly to my world and set it against me. (verse 206) Wrong cannot afford defeat but right can. (verse 68) "I give my whole water in joy," sings the waterfall. "though little of it is enough for the thirsty." (verse 69) The woodcutter's axe begged for its handle from the tree. The tree gave it. (verse 71) *Thank the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience. (verse 64) Which of the verses sing praise for those who are ready to sacrifice themselves without asking anything in return? Dr. Tanaka discovered a new virus. The virus has a single strand of a nucleic acid, but she does not know if it is DNA or RNA. After running tests, she concludes that it is DNA. Which of the following would lead her to that conclusion?
Question: Scientists have transformed men's minds into avirtual woman's body in an experiment that could throw light upon how humans distinguish themselves form others. In a study at Barcelona University, men wore a virtual reality headset that allowed them to see and hear the world as a female character. When they looked down, they could even see their new body and clothes. The "body-swapping" effect was so convincing that the men's sense of self was transferred into the virtual woman, causing them to react to events in the virtual world they wereimmersed . "This work opens up another avenue for virtual reality, which is not just to transform your sense of place, but also your sense of self," said Mel Slater, "If you can temporarily give people the illusion that their bodies are different, then the evidence suggests it also affects their behavior and the way they think. They can have new experiences: a person who is thin can know what it is like to be fat. A man can have an experience of what it's like to be a woman." During the experiment, a "female" approached and hit the face of the character another man was playing. "Their reaction was immediate," said Slate. "They would take in a quick breath and maybeflinch . The more people reported being in the girl's body, the stronger physical reaction they had." But in all cases, the feeling was temporary and lasted only as long as the study. The study shows that our minds have a very fluid picture of our bodies. The research is expected to shed light on the puzzle of how our brain tells the difference between a part of our own body and something else in the wider world. Thus the work might improve the conditions for those who have experienced strokes by placing them in a world that helps them to use their bodies to the full again. Of the following statements, which we can't infer from the passage? A. Men in the experiment can temporarily have the wrong feeling that they are women. B. When hit, the men in the virtual world will react angrily to it. C. As soon as the experiment is finished, the men will return to the normal state D. Probably, this study can be applied to medical fields and benefit humans. Answer: B Question: Short Skirts Are Out! After decades of skimpy skirts and sleeveless tops on game days, some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class. In Lake County, Florida, cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo. Principals at two of Lake's eight high schools - Leesburg and Lake Minneola - are not allowing the outfits in school at all. Michelle Thomas, a cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn't wear her outfit to school on game days. "It shows that we're a team just like all the other sports," she said. But the school administrators did not agree. "During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student," said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code. Bare midriffs are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts. Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven't become more revealing over the last 10 years. She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick. "Cheerleading is athletic," Noone said. "There's a lot of jumping, so you won't want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a tie touch." Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they'll follow the rules. Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress codes, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity. "I understanding, because they are kind of short," said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader, about her miniskirt. "It would have been really, really cool to wear them to school." According to the new dress codes for cheerleaders in some American schools, _ . A. bare midriffs are banned B. cheerleading miniskirts are banned C. cheerleader uniforms have switched from skirts to trousers D. cheerleaders have to make their uniforms less revealing Answer: D Question: There are about 34,000 different known species of spiders in the world, but only a dozen of them are harmful to humans. Four of the deadliest spiders in the world are the following. These spiders should undoubtedly be avoided. Brown Recluse Spider The brown recluse spider is native to the United States. It prefers areas that are dark and quiet. They can be found both indoors and outside. Their characteristic marking is a dark violin shape on top. The brown recluse spider is not an aggressive spider, but will inject venom into its victims if it is pressed against the skin. In children, the elderly, and those with lowered immune systems, the venom will cause serious illness or death. Black Widow Spider The black widow can be found in the southeastern United States. Their characteristic marking is a red hourglass shape on their black stomach. It is not an aggressive spider. The black widow injects a neurotoxin into its victims. The neurotoxin can interfere with nerves to muscle tissue. In children and the elderly, the neurotoxin can be fatal. Brazilian Wandering Spider The Brazilian wandering spider has a few names such as the banana spider and the armed spider. They can be found in the regions of Central and South America where the climate is warm. These are highly aggressive spiders and are extremely dangerous. They wander around the forest floor and are commonly found in people's homes. It injects a neurotoxin which can cause death. Sydney Funnel-Web Spider The Sydney funnel-web spider resides near Sydney, Australia. They can grow to 3 inches in length and have a dark and smooth body. They are extremely aggressive and are the most poisonous spiders. They will strike repeatedly, possibly causing death by injecting a neurotoxin into their victims. These four species of spiders are not all aggressive, but all can cause painful bites and serious bad reactions. Keep your eyes open because the best way to deal with these dangerous creatures is to avoid them. This passage was written mainly to _ . A. help us recognize the deadliest spiders so we can avoid them B. inform us about some information about spiders C. tell us there are only a minority of harmful spiders D. reveal some interesting facts of the deadliest spiders Answer: A Question: Mr. Smith works in an office. He is very busy and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes from his office, he's always tired and wants to go to bed early. But his wife often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after supper. She doesn't stop talking until she falls asleep, but it's usually too late and Mr Smith has to get up in time in the morning when she is asleep. One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work. He decided to go to see a doctor. And Mrs Smith went to the hospital with him. Before her husband said what was the matter with him, the woman told the doctor all and the man understood why. He wrote out a prescription. And when Mr Smith brought the medicine to the resulting-room, the doctor said to her, "The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the pills are for you." "For me?" the woman said in surprise, "I'm fine. I don't need any medicine!" "I don't think so, madam," said the doctor, "They are sleeping pills, your husband will soon be all right if you take them." What does Mrs Smith often do after supper? A. She watches TV B. She does the chores C. She begins talking D. She goes to bed early Answer: C Question: The Buzz prefix = st1 /10345 N. Scottsdale Rd. , Scottsdale (480)991-3866 The Buzz is a favorite among underage college students. The club, within a shopping center, has two levels. The downstairs is for everyone, while the upstairs is only for those over 21 years old. Open only on Friday and Saturday. Though it's intended for the youth, it's a wide age range. Devil House 829 S. Rural Rd., Tempe (480)517-1188 There really isn't a ton to say about the Devil House. It's located right near the crossing of Rural and University, making it an easy walk on foot. It's a simple bar; not so expensive, not so big and not so concerned with anything other than offering beer drinkers and sports fans a homey place to meet up. Northern Lounge 5008 W. Northern Ave., Glendale (623)937-0940 This bar is all about action and activity. You're welcome, of course, to sit around and drink. You'll come soon on stage for live music. It's a fun, interactive atmosphere and their karaoke nights have been popular on the west side for quite a while. Casey Moore's 850 S Ash Ave., Tempe (480)968-9935 Casey Moore's is really everything a college bar should be: comfortable, fun, reasonably-price and close to campus. The outside is pretty big and has plenty of tables, while inside is darker and equally comfortable and a big bar for sitting and chatting. According to the passage, we know that _ . A. people of different ages can go to The Buzz. B. People can sit chatting in the outside of Casey Moore's C. People often feel uncomfortable sitting and drinking in Northern Lounge. D. There is a long way to get to Devil House. Answer: A
For Yali Liu, the hardest thing about UK higher education is having to go to the pub. "It's how much you need to invest socially with other students," she says. "I don't like going to a pub or club, but people just keep going out and I feel the pressure to go out too." This is because, unlike in China, she says, there is so much emphasis during the course on teamwork and group projects, so socialising with other students - especially British people, is crucial. Liu, 23, who is in her final year of a BSc in business administration at the University of Bath, is one of more than 80,000 Chinese students studying in UK universities. They are responsible for a large proportion of the more than PS10bn a year that international students contribute to the UK economy. However, research shows that where their academic attainment is concerned, the picture is not satisfactory. While nearly 58% of all students - and 45% of overseas students graduated with a first-class degree last year, this was true of only 35% of students from China. To find an explanation, Zhiqi Wang and Ian Crawford, lecturers at the University of Bath, compared the performance of Chinese and British undergraduates in each year of their degree. Taking a sample of 100 British and Chinese students and comparing their average marks and final degree classification, they found a dramatic drop in performance among the Chinese students between year one, when they performed better than their UK counterparts, and year two, when they performed worse. They believe the drop results from two factors. First, Chinese students fail to adapt their approaches to learning and so their performance declines in the later years when the complexity of the work increases. Second, many young people in China enroll in higher education due to pressure from family rather than their own motivation. Professor Sedghi thinks part of the problem may be the changing socio-economic background of Chinese undergraduates. While 85% of Chinese students at British universities before 2000 were mature students, often funded by the government, since 2004, however, they have been younger, most funded by their families. Maybe UK institutions need to work harder to take into account what a big challenge it is for young people from a radically different culture and linguistic background to adapt to life in the UK. "We need to do more, contacting students before their arrival, assigning them tutors, encouraging peer-assisted learning, for example," says Sedghi. Which of the following is NOT a possible factor for Chinese students' unsatisfactory attainment? Answer: They are too young and mostly come from poor families. On Jan 23, 2012, I was aboard a ship on the Yangtze River, listening to the sound of fireworks and eating plate after plate of dumplings. On Sunday Feb 10, 2013, I was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year again - in London's Chinatown. It was raining. It was cold. But ever since I left Beijing in August, I had promised myself I would celebrate Chinese New Year - if only to help with my Beijing "homesickness". Central London was dressed up for the occasion. There was a stage for a big fireworks display for the evening. Even so, it wasn't like my real Beijing chunjie. Even buying a baozi didn't cheer me up. It cost about 10 times as much as the real thing does in Beijing and got stuck to its rain-ruined paper bag. Cold, wet and depressed, I ran into a shop for shelter. Suddenly, there it was. Between the packets of dried meat and fish, the bags of rice and the smell of dried noodles in this little Chinese supermarket, I had found home. An hour later, I hurried into my house with bags of frozen jiaozi, packets of sauce and a large bottle of vinegar. I boiled water, tore open the packets, grabbed my chopsticks and settled down to a feast. This, I thought, is a Happy Chinese New Year. I even watched the fireworks on TV. After all, why face the British weather when I can bring China home in one bite? How did the author feel when she found some Chinese foods in a supermarket? Answer: a bit comfortable Good afternoon,and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today,I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws. The first one is about drinking. Now,you may not buy alcohol in this country if you are under 18 years of age,nor may your friends buy it for you. Secondly,noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means,but please don't make unnecessary noise,particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet. Thirdly,crossing the road. Be careful!The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings and do not take any chances when crossing the road. My next point is about litter (throwing away waste material in a public place).It is an offence to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away,please put it in your pocket and take it home,or put it in a litter bin. Finally,as regards something,it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age. I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance,you should _ your local police station,who will be pleased to help you. Now,are there any questions? Who do you think is most likely to make the speech? Answer: A policeman The purpose of students who come to school is to study.But studying needs right ways,or we would waste the time or the money.The followings are ways for studying. The best time for reading is morning.Because in the morning,the air is fresh and our minds are clear.For that reason,we can get good results. When we study we must be patient.If we don't understand a text well,we must read it again.We should not read the next until we have learned the first one well. When we are studying,we must put our hearts into the book.We cannot read absent-mindedly ,or we could get nothing from the book while we are reading. We must always ask"why".If we can't understand well,write it down and ask our teachers or parents,brothers or friends,in some possible ways.We must know it completely and then our knowledge can be used well. Though there are many ways for studying,however,the above mentioned will be helpful if we can keep them in heart. Which of the followings is NOT TRUE? Answer: We don't have to ask"why"when we can't understand well. Lodestones sharply yank metal nails because of Answer: allure
Back those photos up The images were striking. Homes on the East Coast were washed away by Superstorm Sandy. People were in tears, picking up faded photographs, among their only remaining possessions. If that doesn't move you to get serious about safekeeping your lifetime of memories, what will? The digital age offers tools never imaginable before--including one-click access to a lifetime of family photos. Here is a brochure on how to back up your photos and save them online, where they can live forever and be accessible in good times and bad. Scanning The first step for those old photos is to scan them and save them to a digital format. Most printers come with scanners these days, so that's an easy but extremely time-consuming step. Storing the photos With your scans in place, import the photos into your computer, and back them up. You could make multiple copies of the disks and spread them to loved ones. Or you could choose external hard drives or USB thumb drive, and add your photo and video collection from your computer. Online backup If you need lots of space, look at a pure online backup service, Caronite. Caronite backs up 300 million files daily. Once you sign up, it starts to pick up everything you have on your hard drive. But photo collection on your computer's main hard drive charges for $59 a year. Cloud Storage For folks who don't need automatic backup, but instead want to take a more active approach, Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft's SkyDrive let you store files online by yourself, share and instantly access them. All offer free options--2GB of free storage for Dropbox, 5GB for Google and 7GB for SkyDrive. But if you want more, you need to pay. Bottom Line The hard drive or flash drive is the cheapest and easiest. But drives can fail. Online services are more expensive, but more secure. With more of us switching back and forth between our computers, such services are the best way to get access to our data from wherever we are. What can we know from the passage? On November 8,all flags in Finland were flown at half-mast .People were showing their respect to the victims of a high school tragedy.The day before,an 18-year-old boy opened fire at his high school, killing seven other students and the principal before ending his own life. The first school shooting in Finland since 1989 _ the nation where gun crime is rare and people enjoy a high standard of living.While the police are busy searching for the killer's motives,another issue is creating debate in the North European country----the right to carry a gun. Finland is one of a few developed Western countries that allow private possession of guns.The right to bear arms is deeply rooted in Finnish culture.Anyone older than 15 can buy a gun from certain shops,and gun clubs are popular places to hang out. The high school shooter was a member of the Helsinki Shooting Club,which has 1,500 members Descendants of hunters,Finns have survived by hunting and fishing for thousands of years.But today hunting is just done for entertainment.And its land,half of which is covered by forest,provides an ideal site for hunting. In Finland,there are about 56 guns for every 100 people.That figure is higher than any other country in the world except for the United States and Yemen.In comparison with those two nations,however,Finland has largely avoided bloodshed caused by firearms,at least until last week.However,the recent event proved the need for stricter gun laws. Petri Oinonen,a gun dealer,said the shooting did not surprise him."It was only a question of when this was going to happen,not if it was going to happen." According to Petri Oinonen,we can learn_. The tragic death of celebrity Wang Bei has made people aware of the risks of cosmetic surgery, which is becoming increasingly popular. A survey on the reaction to Wang's death, conducted by Tencent, which runs China's most popular instant-messaging service, received more than 600,000 responses, as of press time Monday.Forty-one percent of respondents expressed sorrow over her death, saying, "It's a pity she died at such a young age." Some 31 percent said she should have been more cautious and less vain, while 10 percent were enraged at the hospital that conducted the surgery.The remaining 18 percent were indifferent. A common thread of online discussion is why someone considered beautiful was so dissatisfied with her looks.Some netizens said Wang was a victim of society's unrealistic ideal of beauty: double eyelids, an aquiline nose and the pointed chin typical of Western celebrities.Others said her death underscores the limits to which people will go to achieve fame and fortune.Young people, see cosmetic surgery as the key to wealth and love. "They want to improve their appearance to find better opportunities at work and in marriage," says Ding Xiaobang, a plastic surgeon with the Peking Union Medical College Hospital."We're living in a highly competitive society.People regard appearance as a weapon and a means of empowerment...Most of them tell me, 'I don't care how much I spend, just make me look beautiful'." In the past decade, Ding says he Has seen a growing number of patients, like Wang Bei, who are young and naturally good-looking.The surgeon attributes this trend to people becoming richer, the standards of beauty changing, competition and frustration. "Some are frustrated with life and use surgery as a way to try and recover," lie says. The surge in demand for plastic surgery has resulted in a rise in the number of unauthorized business establishments and surgeons conducting such procedures. Meanwhile, experts say, young and beautiful people who still seek plastic surgery need to address their self-awareness issues and be more accepting. "They've built their identity around the admiration of others and fail to establish a system to assess themselves," says Zhu Wenbo, a psychologist with Blue Bay Psychological Consulting Center in Chengdu."People's opinions always change, so this is not a reliable way to evaluate oneself." Why is there such a trend of having medical cosmetic surgery according to Ding Xiaobang? As nanny , cook, cleaner, shopper, driver, and gardener, she has one of the most demanding jobs in Britain today. And paying someone else to do the chores which take the average housewife 71 hours a week would cost EUR349. At over EUR18,000 a year that's more than the earnings of 70 percent of the population, including train drivers, firemen, prison officers, and social worker. Looking after a baby less than a year old takes a housewife into a even higher pay league. According to a stud, she earns EUR457 a week - at nearly EUR24,000 a year, the same as teachers, engineers, and chemists. Researchers put a price on each chore, then tried to find out how long the average person takes doing them. They found housewives spend an average 70.7 hours a week on housework - with looking after the children (17.9hours) and cooking and cleaning (12.9 hours each) the most time-consuming . A wife with a part-time job still works and average of 59 hours a week at home. Those in full-time employment put in longer hours at home than in the workplace. The good news is that these hours sharply as children get older. While the average mother with child under one puts in 90 hours weekly, the figure drops to 80 hours from one to four and to 66 hours from five to ten. Mother-of-four Karen Williams from London said, "Paying the housewives may not be practical, but the government should recognize the value of housework, perhaps through the tax. Running a house takes a lot of time and most husbands don't understand this. For example, my husband only puts a shelf up now and again. He never cleans the kitchen - that's the real test." According to the text, a housewife with a baby less than one year old may work _ . A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him.Thus, feeling inferior , the seed gave no importance to his existence . Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun.Later, he was given rain. Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side."Thank God for this.I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say. "What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked.He thought the man was making fun of him.No one ever spoke to him like that. "Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked. "It is me.A seed." `"A seed?" The man looked at the big tree."Are you joking? You are not a seed.You are a big tree!" "Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?" "To feel your shade ! Don't tell me you didn't know you had grown over time." A moment passed before the traveler's words brought him pride. The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life.The years of torture by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up. "Oh! That means I'm not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable.Wow! That's great!" Where does the passage most probably come from?
Ternang, Mon, more than 10, 000 people were made homeless in Ternang after six days of continuous heavy rain. The wooden bridge across the river has been swept away, . The town is cut by flood waters. At the fifth mile Jalan Tengku, the water is not two metres deep. It is closed to all traffic. Motorists going south are advised to use Jalan Hisamuddin. Flooding first appeared at mid - afternoon yesterday along the river banks. People moving to higher ground were just in time to escape from the flood. Most of the people had to leave their possessions behind. Helped by the army, police, Red Cross Society, the whole town was moved out of danger. They are new houses near the town ofprefix = st1 /Tulang. "Everything possible is being done to help the unfortunate people, " a government official said, " In fact, money, food and clothing have begun to come in from organizations and people. " According to the latest reports it is still raining heavily at Ternang. The whole town is expected to be totally covered. So far nobody has been reported dead. Motorists to the south were advised to _ . A. return home B. stay at home in Jalan Hisamuddin C. move to higher ground D. travel by Jalan Hisamuddin Answer: D. travel by Jalan Hisamuddin A smuggler drove to the border. When a soldier looked in the truck, he was surprised to find six big bags. "What's in them?" the soldier asked. "Dirt," the smuggler answered. "Take them out," the soldier said. "I want to check them." The smuggler opened the bags, and sure enough, each one of them was filled with dirt. So the soldier let him go. A week later, the smuggler came back, and once again, the soldier looked in the truck. "What's in the bags this time?" he asked. "Dirt, more dirt," said the smuggler. Not believing him, the soldier checked the bags and, once again, he found nothing but dirt. The same thing happened every week for six months, and the soldier finally became so frustrated that he left and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Then one night, the smuggler went to the restaurant and had a drink. The waiter saw him and said, "Listen! Drinks are free tonight if you tell me what you were smuggling all that time." Slowly, the smuggler got close to the waiter and said, "Trucks." What did the smuggler smuggle all that time? A. Dirt. B. Drinks. C. Trucks. D. Foods. Answer: C. Trucks. What are you going to do if you are in a burning house? How will you escape? Do you know how to save yourself? Please read the following passage. Escaping a fire is a serious matter.Knowing what to do during a fire can save your life.It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone in the family,such as stairways and fire escapes,but not lifts. From the lower floors of the buildings,escaping through windows is possible,learn the best way of leaving by windows with the least chance of serious injury. The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground.An average person,hanging by the finger-tips will have a drop of about six feet to the ground.It is about the height of an average man.Of course,it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building. Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help.Be sure to keep the door closed.Or smoke and fire may be drawn into the room.Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may leaked into the room. On a second or third floor,the best windows for escaping are those that open onto a roof.From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely.Dropping onto cement might end in injury.Bushes and grass can help to break a fall. Which of the following escaping way is NOT right? _ . A. You can escape through stairways. B. You can choose fire escapes. C. Escape from the windows that open onto a roof. D. Use a lift to come down at once. Answer: D. Use a lift to come down at once. October 7th Dear Liu Qi. I'm writing to tell you that the students of our school are planning to go for a school trip to Beijing near the end of this month, from October 20thto 27th. I'd like to invite you to come and join us. I remember you told me that you liked travelling. We'll visit many places of interest. Such as the Great Wall, the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace. If it doesn't rain, we'' also go camping at the foot of the Great Wall. We'll stay at the Beijing Holidday Village. During these days, we'll have parties. At the parties, the students will sing, dance and play games together. Would you please write back to let me know if you come? We need to buy the train tickets ahead of time . I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours, Lin Yun Why does Lin Yun invite Liu Qi to join their school trip? A. Because Lin knows Liu likes traveling B. Because Lin wants to see Liu C. Because Liu asks Lin to do so D. Because Liu likes Beijing. Answer: A. Because Lin knows Liu likes traveling A person who is deaf when he is born is usually dumb as well. There may be nothing wrong with his mouth and tongue, but he cannot speak. This is because he cannot hear people, so he has nothing to imitate . He may try to make sounds himself, but cannot hear his own voice. However, even though he finds it difficult to speak and cannot hear, he can learn to read. Nowadays such persons can also be taught to speak because we have modern methods and equipment, but we did not have these when Helen Keller was born. Even with modern methods and equipment, however, it is not easy for deaf children to learn to speak, though most of them succeed. When a child is deaf and blind as well, it becomes much more difficult, though it is possible. Helen Keller was born in 1880. She became very ill at the age of nineteen months. Medical knowledge was not as great then as it is now. She did not die but lost her sight and hearing. As a result, she became dumb as well. Her parents did their best to teach her, but she couldn't speak by the age of six. Then, in 1887, a teacher, Miss Sullivan, came to live with her. Miss Sullivan herself had been blind. She had been partly cured. Though she could not see very well, she was not blind. Helen was a difficult pupil at first, but in a month Helen had learned how to understand signs and how to make them herself. At last in spite of her great difficulties, Helen learned to read, write and speak, even though she was deaf and blind. She even went to college and had full education. She wrote many books, and though other people have written books about her, her own books are the ones that best explain how it feels to be deaf, dumb and blind. Her best book is The Story of My Life. Perhaps you have read it. Though it was written in 1902, it is still a very interesting book. Even if you have not read it, you may have heard of Helen Keller. When Helen was nineteen months old, _ . A. she died of illness B. she was healthy C. she was very ill D. she began to learn to speak Answer: C. she was very ill
Next time you raise an eyebrow at the views of your partner, friend, sibling or colleague, remember they could be helping to make you smarter. New research shows that intelligence is not fixed but can be boosted throughout adulthood by family members, bright mates and intellectually stretching careers. The study challenges the commonly held belief that intelligence is static by the age of about 18. Current scientific consensus suggests that intelligence is controlled by genes, with environmental factors such as schooling and nutrition playing a partial role up to this age. After this point, IQ scores stabilize . But James Flynn, professor of political studies and psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand, argues that people can "upgrade" their own intelligence throughout their lives. He believes intellectual stimulation from others is crucial as the "brain seems to be rather like a muscle - the more you use it, the stronger it gets". However, the opposite is also true - so people sharing a home or workplace with those who are intellectually challenged risk seeing their IQ levels fall as a result. He found the "understanding quality" of a family changes the IQs of all members, especially children. It can "lift" or hold back, depending on the "gap between their brightness and that of their siblings and parents". A bright ten-year-old with brothers and sisters of average intelligence will suffer a five to ten point IQ disadvantage, compared to a similar child with equally bright siblings. However, children with a low IQ could gain six to eight points by having brighter siblings and special educational treatment to help pull them up. Professor Flynn also concluded that although genetics and early life experiences determine about 80 percent of intelligence, the remaining 20 percent is linked to lifestyle. This means that people can raise their IQ, or allow it to fall, by ten points or more. Therefore, the best way to boost IQ level is to mix with bright friends, find an intellectually challenging job and marry someone cleverer. We can learn from the passage that _ . after 18, you still have the possibility to become smarter Robinson Crusoe is a famous novel written by Daniel Defoe. The book tells the story of a man who is shipwrecked . He spends 28 years on an island near Venezuela. The book tells the story of everything that happens to Robinson Crusoe. He hopes someone will rescue him, but he has been there for so long on his own that he also begins to fear being rescued. Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719. Most experts believe the story is based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, who was a Scottish sailor. On an expedition in 1704, Selkirk had an argument with his ship's captain. Selkirk thought the ship was not safe and was about to fall apart. When the ship stopped at a remote island to get fresh water, Selkirk got off. He tried to get the other crew members to leave with him, but nobody would. The shop then sailed away without him. Selkirk spent four years and four months on his own on the island, known as Aguas Buenas. Selkirk was finally rescued by a ship that visited the island in 1709. The ship's captain was grateful to Selkirk because he provided food for the crew when they arrived. Now archaeologists think they have found the remains of Selkirk's camp on Aguas Buenas. They found two deep holes that would have held wooden posts. The archaeologists say this is evidence that Selkirk built a shelter there. The post holes are near a fresh water stream. They are located quite high up, which would have meant that Selkirk was able to watch out for the ships coming close to the island. The most interesting evidence, the archaeologists say, is part of a piece of equipment used by sailors to navigate . Historians believe Selkirk was a navigator, so the instrument could have belonged to him. Robinson Crusoe was published ten years after Selkirk was rescued. Most experts think Daniel Defoe heard and read stories about Selkirk, which inspired him to write the book. How could Selkirk see ships that might rescue him, according to archaeologists? By watching from his shelter high on the island. There are many different ways to travel to Paris from London. One of the quickest and most popular ways is by train. From Waterloo Railway station, you can travel all the way to Paris. The journey takes about three hours. The train, called the Eurostar, is very modern, and the seats are comfortable. You can also travel to France by ship. First, you go to Dover, on the coast , by bus from London. The bus stops at the Ferry Terminal Seven in Dover. You can buy your tickets there. People who travel by car can drive on to the ferry , too. Another way to travel to Paris is by plane. There are several airports with international flights to Paris and other cities in France. You can travel to London Airport by bus or underground. Some people even go by taxi but this is a very expensive way to travel! The most popular way to Paris is _ . by train Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas: 1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people? There are isolating jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation. 2) How do you handle change? Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine. 3) Do you enjoy working with computers? I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well. 4) What type of work environment do you enjoy? This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly. 5) How do you like to get paid? Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this. Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs. As the only physician in a small local clinic and hospital, Katrina Poe sees dozens of patients on any given day. She's on call at the hospital in Kilmichael every day, and she gets little time with her sons, aged 3 and 3 months. But the country doctor doesn't complain about her job. It's the one she chose for herself 25 years ago while she was a fifth-grader in Kilmicahael. The daughter of two workers in a town that had produced only two other doctors, Poe might not have been expected to go to college at all, let alone medical school. But it was a challenge at first, being the town's first female and first black doctor. She even had patients who refused to see her at first. But a lot of those patients who were unwilling in the beginning are now some of her most favorite patients and have accepted her, finally. Many patients, in fact, now refuse to seek health care elsewhere. Though she's working at least 80 hours a week, Poe is sorry that she sometimes has to turn patients away. "I just can't see everybody," she says. "I'm seeing patients after hours, so it's just very busy." In addition to her work at the hospital and clinic, Poe cares for all residents of the local nursing home and the local mental health facility during monthly visits. "This town and the little hospital are fortunate to have her," says Calvin Johnson, Poe's husband. He says it is without a doubt "the love and support of the people" that make living in Kilmichael worthwhile for the family. In recognition of her services to rural medicine, the Texas-based physician staffing firm Staff Care Inc. named Poe, 35, the "2005 Country Doctor of the Year." When Katrina Poe began her work at the beginning, it was difficult because _ . she was not accepted by the local people
One day Tom was playing with his younger brother Paul beside the well near their home. Suddenly Tom fell down the well. Paul was frightened. Their parents were not at home. Their father was working in the factory and their mother was helping a neighbor. Tom called his younger brother, Paul. Paul looked at the bottom of the well and saw his brother standing in the water of the well. Tom was five feet tall and the water was only three feet deep. Paul was glad to see his brother safe in the well. Then he ran home and brought a long rope. He was only six and not very strong, so he could not pull Tom out. He was thinking hard and finally had a good idea. He tied one end of the rope to a tree and threw the other end to his brother in the well. Then Tom climbed up the rope and got out of the well. He thanked his brother first and went home to exchange his wet clothes. Paul was _ . Answer: Once there was an old man in a town. He always forgot a lot of things. So his wifealways had to say to him, " Don't forget this !" One day he went on a long trip alone. Before he left home, his wife said, " Now you have all these things. They are what you need for your trip. Take care of your things during the trip." He went to the station, bought a ticket and got on the train with it.. About half an hour later, the conductor began to see the tickets. He came to the old man and said, " Will you please show me your ticket ? " The old man looked for his ticket in all his pockets, but he could not find it. He was very worried. " I can not find my ticket. I really bought a ticket before I got on the train, " said the old man. " I believe you bought a ticket. All right, you do not have to buy another one." Said the conductor kindly. " But how can I know where I'm going ? I can not remember my station!" the old man said sadly. The old man was sad because _ . Answer: PGL kids everywhere, will tell you that we are the best when it comes to thrills, challenges and adventures - all rolled into one fantastic holiday! Children leave PGL with loads of more friends and interests and feel more confident - they'll be counting the days until their next PGL holiday! For childcare voucher information, please click here. Climbing Adventure This holiday will teach you how to independently climb! At the end of the week you'll get to use all your new skills when you visit a local cliff for some outdoor crag climbing. We make the best use of all our activities including Climbing, Abseiling, Trapeze, Zip Wire and Jacob's Ladder to teach you all the right rope work and climbing skills. Throughout the holiday you will work towards the National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme and by the end of the holiday you will have achieved Level 2. Cook's Academy Our brand new holiday for 2013! Come along and learn how to cook with a top chef! Whether you've never cooked before or are a bit of a pro, this holiday will have you cooking a variety of tasty dishes and treats. No experience is required as our professional chef will pass on their knowledge so you can develop from any level of experience. What's more, you'll get your very own recipe book containing everything you've learnt and will be able to take a dish home to impress your friends and family. Dance This holiday is an excellent opportunity to try loads of different dance styles. You'll spend half of each day learning different types of dance, everything from salsa to ballroom dancing and street dance to jive. Throughout the week your instructors will give you lots of tips and advice as well as helping you prepare a dance routine to impress your friends when you perform at the end of the week. Film Making You and your group will be able to choose what type of film to make - adventure, fantasy, thriller or comedy and then you'll become a film crew, creating your own blockbuster ready to show to everyone else at the end of the week. You will find out what's involved in directing a movie and have the chance to edit your film using professional editing software. What's more, you'll have your film on DVD to take home with you too! What will you do during the Climbing Adventure holiday? Answer: When in 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States, there was no permanent capital in which to house the government. During the Revolutionary War several different cities had served as the national capital. In addition, members of congress could not agree as to where this permanent capital should be located. Some officials wanted it in the north, others wanted it in the south. Each of the states hoped that the capital might lie within its own state lines. At last it was decided that the capital should occupy a section by itself, separate from any of the states. The place chosen was situated on the Potomac River. The land belonged originally to the state of Maryland, but Maryland agreed to the national government. The section was named the Washington. Work was begun on the new capital in 1791. in the year 1899 Congress occupied the new capital building at the same time the White House was opened as the home of all future presidents. Why was it decided that the capital should be separated from any of the states? Because _ . Answer: We're trying to decide where to go on our vacation this summer. We usually go to the Lake Arrowhead for a few weeks, but we'd like to go somewhere else this year. We're tired of doing the same thing summer after summer. Some friends of ours suggested that we go to Hawaii. That would be wonderful! I'm sure we'd enjoy a trip like that, but of course _ . In the first place, it would be rather expensive, and in the second place, there wouldn't be enough time. If we're lucky enough to save some money between now and next summer, and if I'm lucky enough to get four weeks of vacation instead of two weeks, maybe we can go to Hawaii next year. As a matter of fact, if we wanted to plan a trip like that, it might be advisable to stay home this summer and not go any place. That's one way we could begin to save some money for next year's trip. Also, if we were to stay here, I could offer to work instead of taking two weeks off; then maybe my boss would suggest that I be given four weeks' vacation next summer instead of two weeks. The author _ to spend their vacation this year. Answer:
Although cats may be one of the most popular pets today, little is known about how and when humans and cats set up their close relationship. The earliest evidence for human-cat interaction dates back to prehistoric Cyprus , where the remains of a wild cat and a human -- dated 9,500 years old -- were found buried together. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has confirmed the first direct evidence of a human-domestic cat relationship among Chinese farmers 5,300 years ago. Researchers studied the bones of cats, dogs, deer and other animals unearthed in an excavation near a village in Central China. By using some ways, scientists showed that the cats were living on a mostly millet -based diet, just like the domesticated dogs and pigs from the site. "The most reasonable explanation for a high consumption of millet-based food is that the cats had formed a stable and mutual relationship with humans and could easily feed on rodents around human villages, find leftover food or even have been fed by people intentionally," said Hu Yaowu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, whose research focuses on the relationship between humans and domesticated animals. "It is very interesting for us to find the consumption of millet-based foods by the cats, since this kind of evidence had long been missing." Hu explains. Since cats usually eat meat, such a diet would be unexpected, unless the cats were being fed by people, the study argues. The researchers also found that one of the cats survived to reach old age, implying that it had a safe place to live and enough to eat. Why the farmers wanted to keep cats nearby or make them "pets" could be answered by other evidence. Chinese archaeologists found some storage containers were specifically designed to keep out rodents -- a vermin that cats could certainly have helped with. The simplified theory is that rats were attracted to the food of farmers, and so were harmful to farmers. Cats were attracted to the rats, and so farmers formed a mutually beneficial relationship with cats, taking care of them in return for pest control. The evidence found in the remains dating back to prehistoric Cyprus means _ . Answer: If you have no friends around you, it's time that you should know about your neighborhood. Not all of your neighbors out there are friendly, but at least you need to communicate with them. It is common that when you are new to the neighborhood, your neighbors might actually greet you in an inspiring way. In other words, they are pleased to welcome you in their neighbor-hood. Both you and your neighbors may start in getting known to each other by introducing yourselves. This is a sign that you and your neighbors are actually friends. Instead of watching television and playing computer games all the time, you also need to take a break and have some fun talking with your neighbors. But if you want to make friends with them, you need to do something that might please them. The only problem for this situation is that you are afraid to approach and greet them in a nice way. This is a challenge that you or your fellow neighbors must be aware of. You need to get as many friends as possible in your neighborhood, and one of them is to get closer with the unfriendly. If you want to get closer with him but he refuses to be friends with you, don't force him anymore. Treat him with some respect if you don't like to create any more problems. However, if he agrees to be your friend, you are lucky and start treating him like a friend. It is very tough to approach a person in your neighborhood, but it is a good challenge. This is how important for you to get closer with your neighbors, even if they're unfriendly. This is better than sticking yourself alone at home and not having time for social interactions with real people. The main purpose of the passage is to _ . Answer: The work of railroad pioneers in America became the basis for a great surge of railroad building halfway though the nineteenth century that linked the nation together as never before. Railroads eventually became the nation's number one transportation system, and remained so until the construction of the interstate highway system halfway through the twentieth century. They were of great importance stimulating economic expansion,but their influence reached beyond the economy and was strong in American society at large. By 1804, English as American inventors had experimented with steam engines for moving land vehicles. In 1820,John Stevens ran a locomotive and cars around in a circular track on his New Jersey estate,which the public saw as amusing toy. And in 1825, after opening a short length of track, the Stockton to Darlington Railroad in England became the first line to carry general traffic. American businesspeople, especially those in the Atlanic coastal region who looked for better communication with the West, quickly became interested in the English experiment. The first company in America to begin actual operations was the Baltimore and Ohio,wich opened a thirteen-mile length of track in 1830. It used a team of horses to pull a trainof passenger carriages and freight wagons along the track. Steam locomotive power didn't come into regular service until two years later. However, for the first decade or more, there was not yet a true railroad system. Even the longest of the lines was ly short in the 1830's, and most of them served simply to connect water routes to each other, not to link one railroad to another. Even when two lines did connect, the tracks often differed in width, so cars from one line couldn't fit onto tracks of the next line. Schedules were unreliable and wrecks were frequent. Significantly, however, some important developments during the 1830's and 1840's included the introduction of heavier iron rails, more flexible and powerful locomotives, and passenger cars were redesigned to become more stable, comfortable, and larger. By the end of 1830 only 23 miles of track had been laid in the country. But by 1936, more than 1,000 miles of track had been laid in eleven States, and within the decade, almost 3,000 miles had been constructed. By that early age, the United States had already surpassed Great Britain in railroad construction, and particularly from the mid-1860's, the late nineteenth century belonged to the railroads. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? Answer: At a supermarket in County Durham, England, the workers are getting ready for some lessons in sign language . They are excited to meet their teacher -- two-year-old Diana Graham. The little girl will teach them how to communicate with deaf customers . Diana is a wonder child. She began to use sign language to "speak" to her deaf mother before she said her first word. So whenever the phone rings or there's a knock at the door, her mother can be quickly told by her. Diana understands the sign language well. Her mother even reads story books to her in sign language. Her grandmother said, "Diana started signing at about five months. She is so clever for her age."The supermarket officials couldn't think of a better sign language teacher for their workers. So they asked Diana to give some lessons to the workers. They hoped that her lessons would help the workers communicate better with deaf customers during their shopping. When did Diana begin to use sign language? Answer: One of its worst ever mass shootings in America occurred on Friday when 20 children and six adults were shot dead by a gunman who opened fire at an elementary school in Connecticut. The gunshot at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, about 65 miles north-east of New York, is understood to have been carried out by a gunman, who was later found dead at the scene. State policeman Paul Vance said 18 children died at the scene and two more died in hospital Six adults were found dead at the school, Vance said.The bodies of the victims remain inside the school. In an emotional press conference at the White House, Barack Obama suggested that he may take action.Fighting back tears, he said: "We've tolerate too many of these tragedies in the past few years.And each time ] learn the news I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent.And that was especially true today.I know there's not a parent in America who isn't in the same overwhelming sorrow that I am." Referring to a number of major shootings this year alone, Obama continued: "Whether it's an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street comer in Chicago - these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children.And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics." The best headline of the news should be _ . Answer:
About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college in New York, I was working as a practice student at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while I was working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in wheelchair. As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was seated on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and the trunk of the human body. She was wearing a little white dress with the patterns of red roses and yellow dots. As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink . As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the most beautiful, largest smile I have ever seen All of a sudden her _ was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. I immediately felt full of hope and confidence. She took me, a poor, unhappy college student, into her world, a world of smiles, love and warmth. That was ten years ago, but I still remember it clearly as if it happened just yesterday. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me. What was the writer a decade ago? Answer: A university student who had not yet taken a degree. The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, "city of the sun", and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia. It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians' idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn't get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix! Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in _ . Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _ . Answer: they may get rid of the mites There are two main kinds of sports. These two kinds of sports are team sports and individual sports. Team sports are such sports as baseball,basketball and volleyball. Team sports need two separate teams. The teams play against each other. They compete against each other in order to get the best score. For example, in a football game, if Team A gets 7 points and Team B gets 3 points,Team A wins the game. Team sports are sometimes called competitive sports. Besides team sports, there is another main type of sporting activity. It's individual sports. In individual sports there are no teams. People play individual sports such as swimming, skiing and running. Of course, it is possible to compete in individual sports. It is possible to keep a score in individual sports. The main difference, however, between team sports and individual sports is that team sports always require more than one person. In a football match, Team A gets 0 and Team B gets 2, then _ . Answer: Team B wins An old man walked slowly into a restaurant with his cane . His old jacket and shoes made him unusual that day. A young waitress named Mary watched him move towards a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said with a smile, "Here, sir. Let me give you a hand." Without saying a word, he gave her a smile. She pulled the chair away from the table and helped him sit down. Then she put his cane against the table so that he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice, he said, "Thank you, miss." "You're welcome, sir," she replied. "I'll be back in a moment, and if you need anything, just wave at me!" After he had finished a good meal. Mary brought him the change. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, "Come back and see us, sir!" The old man turned around and smiled. When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under the plate, she found a business card, a 100-dollar bill and a note. The note said, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness." In fact, the old man was the owner of the restaurant. That was the first time that she, or any of his waitresses, had seen him. As soon as the old man entered the restaurant, Mary greeted him _ . Answer: politely Millions of people pass through the gates of Disney's entertainment parks in California, Florida and prefix = st1 /Japaneach year. What makes these place an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way they're treated once they get there. The people at Disney go out of their way to serve their "guests", as they prefer to call them, and to see that they enjoy themselves. All new employees, from vice presidents to part-time workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking "Traditions I". Here, they learn about the company's history, how it is managed, and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the park a success. After passing "Traditions I", the employees go on to do more specialized training for their specific jobs. No detail is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eight-hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple, ordinary job, he replied, "What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or what bus to take back to the campgrounds?...We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy the party." Even Disney's managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the mangers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail , and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week help them to see the company's goals more clearly. All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in Americaor the world. As one longtime business observer once said, "How Disney treats people, communicates with them, rewards them , is in my view the very reason for his fifty years of success... I have watched, very carefully and with great respect and admiration, the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis, successfully. It is what Disney does best." Each year, managers wear special service clothes and work in the park to_. Answer: gain a better view of the company's objectives
Which of the following is a central role of carbon in the chemistry of living organisms? Answer: Carbon can form many types of molecules with covalent bonds. A young man worked very hard at his lessons. He was too busy to have a rest. At last, he became ill, so he couldn't go to sleep. Every night, when he went to bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he always stayed awake and couldn't fall asleep. After some days, he decided to see a doctor. "I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do? Could you please help me?" "I have a suggestion ,"said the doctor. "Try counting numbers. By the time you reach one thousand, you'll be asleep. I'm sure of it." The next day the man returned to the doctor's office. "Well," said the doctor, how are you today? Did you try my suggestion?" The man still looked tired. "Yes," he said, "I tried counting one, two, and three-- up to one thousand. But when I reached five hundred and sixty-nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some tea so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep." The young man returned to the doctor's office the next day because _ . Answer: he still couldn't go to sleep at night It's hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the world--it affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our national characteristics.Studies have shown that changeable weather can make it difficult to concentrate, cloudy skies slow down reaction, and hot,dry winds make many people badtempered. If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly,you could be forgiven for thinking that the weather is random.In fact the weather is controlled by systems which move around areas of the globe.In the UK the weather depends on depressions , often called lows,and anticyclones ,also known as highs.These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from the west to the east.Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind.In modern times, human activities seem to be altering weather patterns.Gases produced by heavy industry change the temperature of the earth's surface,and affect cloud formation.Some researchers say that factories in Europe and North America may have been one of the causes of the droughts in Africa in the 1980s. The human race has always tried to guess the weather,especially in areas of the world where there are frequent changes.Traditional rhymes point to early attempts to identify weather patterns; popular poems include: Red sky at night, shepherd's delight;red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning. Flies will swarm before a storm. Rain before 7,clear by 11. While folk wisdom can provide a guide to help forecast weather, today's methods of prediction increasingly rely on technology.Satellites, balloons,ships, aircrafts and weather centers with sensitive monitoring equipment, send data to computers.The data is then processed, and the weather is predicted.However,even this system cannot predict weather for longer than about a week. When weather keeps changing, _ . Answer: people find it hard to focus on their work Halloween falls on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago. The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day marches in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The act of giving out soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for homeless ghosts. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was finally taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given sweets, food, and money. The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies were often not enough because people were afraid of the darkness and would stay at home without doing businesses. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would meet with ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for their fellows . On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to satisfy the ghosts and prevent them from trying to enter their houses. Ancient people would wear masks on Halloween in order to _ . Answer: look like ghosts Telepathy: Mind-to-mind Contact Telepathy is the ability to communicate without the use of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). It's an instinct which can be woken up in times of emergency or need. When we feel that something is happening or about to happen by instinct, we're using resources within the unconscious mind. When the resources of two persons' unconscious minds link together into the same frequency, we call it Telepathy. We can either send or receive Telepathy. If you know who is calling before you answer the ringing phone, you are probably a good receiver. If you think of a person and he/she calls you, you are most likely to be better at sending. You can easily put your abilities to the test. Think of somebody and will him or her to contact you. Be patient. The other person may not be a good receiver, but they should contact you much earlier than would normally be expected. Or whenever the phones rings, but try "feeling" who is contacting you. Don't guess, but try to feel it with your mind. However, if neither of these work for you, that doesn't mean that you have no ability of telepathy. As mentioned earlier, telepathy is most likely to turn up in case of emergency. Telepathy dreams often contain telepathic messages. Two people may both dream of the other and find that their dreams had a clear connection. These people are probably linking to each other's unconscious mind. Telepathy & Relationships. The more people spend time together, the more likely they are to be able to link up to the other's mind, especially when separated. There are two reasons for this. One is that they understand the other's mind through time spent together; the other is that there is usually a strong desire to communicate. A mother will often sense that her child is in danger. This is due to the child's eagerly wanting his or her mother, knowing that this person who would always want to be there for them, and the mother's deep desire to protect her child from harm. Which is not the way to help people gain Telepathy? Answer: Separate them all the time.
One bitterly cold day, a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood, I quickly set out with my best friend, Bruce, to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of dangers. When I chose a big 23-meter-tall tree and prepared to cut it down, my best friend suddenly warned me, "Don't cut down that tree! It's too close to the power line!" I wasn't sure about it. So I decided to _ his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell, there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right. The tree caught the power line, bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all, electricity can't travel through wood, so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree, pain ran up my arm and through my head. I had been shocked! After I returned home and told my mother what had happened, she quickly called the power company. Workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree, and when I told him I had, his face turned pale. "You should have been killed," he said. So why am I still alive? It was my boots that saved my life. Within two hours, the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down--but not my mother. Even though she was glad I wasn't hurt, my mother was well serious with me. After all, I shouldn't have brushed off my friend's warning. Through this experience, I learned that it's important to listen to people who offer a different perspective . Taking the time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the "shock of my life". In spite of Bruce's warning, the author still cut the tree because _ . Answer: he wasn't sure whether Bruce was right and was anxious to go home In the age of reality television, success isn't the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong. Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled "The True Idol" on April 6. The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" on the television show "American Idol 3", on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act. Hung's response? "I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all." That's good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad. But, it was this very bad act that sold well. Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: "Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That's what William did and immediately won the hearts of America." Whatever _ is, for the moment it's big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station. So, what does Hung think of this? "There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn't have much respect for me and some were kind of mean." Now he says he's not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn't been easy. What is the main idea of this passage? Answer: How an unsuccessful person became famous. ARE you creative, shy, outgoing? Our personalities reveal a lot about who we are. But what's surprising is that our personality can also say something about our health. That's according to researchers at Duke University, US. During an experiment on 1,000 people, scientists assessed their personalities in two ways: by asking someone they knew, such as a family member or friend; then by asking someone they had just met, such as a nurse. The study found that those who were careful at age 26 were in better health after 12 years. Being careful means that people tend to have a lot of self-control, and are less likely to smoke, the scientists said. Careful people are also more likely to have an active lifestyle and healthy diet. From those who were least careful, 45 percent developed health problems by the age of 38. Such health issues included gum disease and high blood pressure . To compare, only 18 percent of careful people went on to develop health problems. Another positive personality was called "openness to experience", meaning curious and imaginative. People who have more of this personality have higher IQ scores. So they'd be more likely to know how to find medical help to prevent disease. According to the report, if doctors assessed our personalities, it could help doctors to find which young adults need advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. What's surprising is that stress didn't play a big part on a person's health. Even though stress and anxiety are usually linked to bad health. But can a doctor who knows our personality really improve our health? Or should doctors be kept away from knowing something so personal? From the passage, we learn that careful people _ . Answer: are likely to have a healthy lifestyle He was a hero that saved two children from the jaws of a cougar . Standing barely 1.7 meters, the 22-year-old with black-frame glasses might pass more for a Chinese Harry Potter. Yet Shen Huigang is now getting recognition for his bravery in fighting off a cougar on Vancouver Island, Canada, during a family outing. Shen, also known as Ian, was then an exchange student. With him was a friend, Myles Hagar, and Hagar's two grandchildren. Silently and suddenly a cougar appeared out of nowhere. By the time they spotted the cat, it already had the head of 18-month-old Julien in its mouth. "At first, my brain was nothing but blank," Shen recalled. "But I believed I could get the child back." He gestured as if he were ready for a fight, and tried to scare the beast off with his bag. Hearing the noise Shen made, the animal dropped the baby and Hagar rushed to grab his grandson. But the animal didn't run, instead turned toward 3-year-old Iris standing beside Shen. "Had Ian not been there, shouting at the cougar, remaining calm and standing firm, it would certainly have attacked Iris." Hagar recalled. They chased the animal back into the woods. "We moved slowly to our vehicle as we waved our fists and bags, pretending to wrestle it," Shen said. "The vehicle wasn't far away but it felt like it took us a century to travel the short journey." As Hagar drove for help, Shen held the heavily-bleeding boy in the passenger seat and calmly kept him awake by hugging and kissing him in case he would go into a coma . The boy was flown to a hospital nearby. Doctors later said his little skull had been punctured through to his brain in two places. Luckily, Julien made a full recovery. "Any hesitation, even a second delay, would have resulted in certain death for Julien, but Ian was there..." Hagar said. Following the incident, the story appeared on Canadian TV networks in every city, and in many small town newspapers---plus many US Internet news sites. The Royal Canadian Humane Association planned to give Shen a Canada Bravery Award, but it couldn't reach him because he had returned to China. Why did the cougar drop the baby? Answer: Because it was scared by the noise made by Ian's shouting. While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke caused by air pollution. But things could start to get better soon. The government is co-operating with a US- based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel vehicles ( ) by 40 per cent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the technology can be applied to them. "We encourage the development of public transportation. But at the same time we need to reduce pollution from them," said an official. Efforts are being made to improve the capital's environment with tighter controls on emissions . Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November and December or be closed. Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998 the air quality index gave just 100 days as good. "I am glad to see an improvement," said a Senior 1 boy living in the northwest of Beijing. "Compared to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though. I hate the pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic accident because I couldn't see a car only metres away from me in frog." In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by the visiting French air force was called off. Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms from the desert all contribute to the city's bad air. Which is not correct according to the passage? Answer: Beijing's air quality is getting worse and worse.
An American psychotherapist Glenn Doman wrote a best-selling book calledHow to Teach Your Baby to Readin 1963. Now translated into 17 languages, this book arose from his work with brain-damaged children in Pennsylvania. Doman and his team of specialists had wondered why brain-injured children didn't improve with treatment. Then they realized that orthodox methods of treatment only relieved the symptoms, not the problem, which of course was the brain itself. So they develop a new approach. "All we do for all the children here is to give them visual, auditory and tactile stimulation with increased frequency, intensity and duration, in recognition of the orderly way in which the brain grows," says Doman. "The result was that by 1960 we had hundreds of severely brain-injured two-year-olds who could read and understand." The team had discovered that even children who had half their brains removed could, by stimulation, achieve higher IQs than the average normal child. Then the team began to think if such amazing results could be achieved with brain-damaged children, what would happen if the same treatment were given to normal children? So eight years ago the Better Baby Institute was opened for the benefit of normal children. The same stimulating environment was provided, and by the time the children left, around seven years old, they could generally speak and read three foreign languages, play a musical instrument, read three full-length books a week and do all the other things that a so-called "normal" child could do. In Doman's view, the child's passion to learn during the years up to six must be fed. He believes that, like muscles, the brain develops with use, especially so in those first few years. Nowadays, parents come from all over the world to Pennsylvania to see and learn from the workof Doman and his team; they want to discover how they can fulfill their roles as nature's teachers, by using their love, understanding and instincts for the benefit of the children. For in the words of Doman, "every child born has a greater potential intelligence than Leonardo da Vinci used". At the Better Baby Institute _ . Answer: the idea of "normal" achievement was challenged The British Museum first opened in the 18th Century largely based on the collections of the scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The current neoclassical building was founded nearly a century later and is quadrangular with four wings and a great classical appearance. Inside is a courtyard, the Great Court, covered with a special modern addition--a spiraling glass and steel roof which was designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2000. The courtyard surrounds the round Reading Room with a copper domed ceiling the same size as the dome of St Peter's in Rome. The museum, one of the oldest in the world, is Britain's largest museum, and widely considered to be one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. The permanent collection is made up of over 8 million objects spanning the history of the world's cultures from the stone tools of early man to twentieth-century prints. The collection includes controversial items including the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Greece, Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone. The expansion of the museum over the years has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions including the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. The British Library previously occupied the Reading Room but in 1997 moved to a new site next to St Pancras Station on Euston Road. There are frequent special exhibitions of international significance. Opening Times: The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it stays open until 8:30 pm. Entry to the museum is free, although a charge may be made for entry to temporary exhibitions. Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. Nearest Underground Station: Tottenham Court Road (5-minute walk), Russell Square (6-minute walk) and Holborn (7-minute walk).Website: http://www. britishmuseum. org/. What's the writer's purpose in mentioning St Peter's? Answer: To show the size of the Reading Room's dome. Sunshine is a great film, which takes us on a voyage into space when mankind is in danger. In 2057, our Sun is dying and mankind faces extinction. A spaceship named IcarusII, carries an enormous bomb to return life to the dying star. As the movie begins, the spacecraft is approaching the Sun. Suddenly, the operating system is out of control;then the crew receive a frightening signal from the original IcarusI which was sent to carry out the same task seven years ago. Should the crew continue flying to the Sun in the endangered ship? The question is not so much about whether any crew member can survive--the chances of that hardly exist--but should they try to grab the other bomb in IcarusI and take it to the Sun? Two shots at saving mankind are obviously better than one. After the decision is made, a crew member makes a mistake that places the mission in extreme danger. More accidents occur, and the crew face a difficult situation:there isn't enough oxygen for them on the ship. www.ks5u.com Among the most exciting scenes is a space walk by Capa and Kaneda when the ship's shield is damaged and must be inspected and repaired. Then when docked with IcarusI, the crew find it will be difficult for them to achieve the goal of the voyage. The film reaches its climax when the computer in IcarusI detects the presence of an unknown crew member. Indeed, the major task of the flight is to take back the world by restarting the failing Sun. However, Sunshine also makes clear the psychological and physical danger of space travel. What's the author's attitude towards "Sunshine"? Answer: Favorable. "Be home by dinnertime", Eric's mother said as he left for school that morning. Eric was excited. Today was show and tell, and he planned to do his magic tricks for the whole class. Once he got to school, he couldn't wait until it was his turn. First up was Angie, who brought her pet lizard. It could change colors to match whatever it was sitting on. The second to be called was John, who showed the class a flower he had grown from seeds. Finally Eric's name was called. He went to the front of the class. "For my first trick" he said, "I'll pull a hamster out of a hat". He had borrowed his sister Candice's pet hamster in order to do his trick. He showed the class his that the hat was empty, then he reached inside, into the secret space where the hamster was hidden. The hamster was gone. He heard a scream. Two girls were standing on their chairs, and the hamster was crawling toward the back of the class. The teacher made him stay after school as punishment, but at least he made it home by dinnertime. Which child was not at show and tell? Answer: Candice. Suffering from painful and terminal cancer, Willa persuaded Harold, her husband, to kill her to end her misery. As they reminisced about their life together and reaffirmed their love for each other, Harold tried to discourage Willa from giving up. Willa insisted, however, and finally Harold held a gun to her head and killed her. The most serious degree of criminal homicide of which Harold can be legally convicted is Answer: murder.

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