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Question: Do you think there is too much noise in our city? If you live near an airport,you will be unhappy because of a plane often make a loud noise.The sound of planes or heavy vehicles is likely to cause deafness if heard continuously . However, most people in our city do not seem to mind noise. They like to enjoy music when they are doing uninteresting jobs.It is a new danger because pop music,when played through powerful amplifiers ,can reach 120 decibels(120)at a distance of five feet.A continuous noise of over 85 decibels can cause deafness.It was discovered that many young people in America could hear no better than 65-year-old people. In the past we used to think that only workers in very noisy places would become deaf.For example,when newspapers and books are being printed,the noise level is over 85 decibels,and some of the workers become deaf.Today,however,scientists believe that 10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise. Sometimes noise of less than 85 decibels can make some people tired and stressed.We all know that too much noise makes life difficult and unpleasant.It can do great harm to people's health and prevent people from working well.Workers in noisy offices are not as efficient as those in quiet offices.Noise makes people less efficient.Can anything be done to reduce or control noise? In Britain the government has made several laws to reduce noise.Though the government has spent a lot of money in making airports and main roads quieter,many people think that there are still not enough laws.For example,there are no laws to control the noise of machines.In Japan,America and Norway there are such laws.As a result,workers can be given compensation if they become deaf. In Britain there are laws to _ . A. stop workers from becoming deaf B. control the noise of machines C. keep down noise D. help deaf workers in need Answer: C Question: Tom lived by himself a long way from town. He hardly went to town, but one day he went into town to buy a few things. After he bought them, he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table. When he looked around, he saw some old people put glasses on before reading their newspapers. So after lunch he decided to go to a shop to buy himself one pair, too. He walked along the road, and soon found a shop. The man in the shop let him try on a lot of glasses, but Tom always said, "No, I can't read with these." The man became puzzled , and he said, "Excuse me, but can you read?" "No, of course I can't!" Tom said angrily. "If I could read before, do you think I would come here to buy your glasses?" Tom went to the shop to _ . A. have a rest B. have dinner C. wear glasses D. buy a pair of glasses Answer: D Question: Our voice gives away a lot of information about ourselves. It can tell us our gender and age. And now, scientists say that it can also tell us our height. Scientists at Washington University, Indiana University and University of California found that listeners could accurately tell the height of speakers, just by their voices. And the key to this mystery is a sound known as the subglottal resonance . It _ with height and helps us build a mental picture of a person. "The best way to think about subglottal resonances is to imagine blowing into a glass bottle with water. The less water in the bottle, the lower sound," said John Morton, a scientist at Washington University. And it's the same for humans. The frequency of the subglottal resonance depends on the height. The taller we are, the deeper the resonance frequency is. In order to find out whether people could identify the resonance, scientists did experiments. A number of same-sex pairs of different heights were told to read the same sentence aloud. It was played back to listeners who had to choose which one of the pairs was taller. Then, other listeners had to rank the speakers from the shortest to the tallest. The listeners were able to identify the tall people 62.17% of time, much higher than a lucky guess. Why not try the experiment yourself? Find out if your tall friends have deeper voices. According to the study, taller people usually have a _ voice. A. deeper B. louder C. lower D. higher Answer: A Question: One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander, my 15-year-old son, and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual.A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen. I made a mistake: breaking into my teenager's personal space. "The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Mr.Frankel and Mr.Fox, both 17, are the authors of Breaking the Code, a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents.It is being promoted by its publisher as the first self-help guide by teenagers for their parents, a kind of "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus" that explains the language and actions of teenagers.The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late, money, school pressures, smoking etc. Personally, I welcome their opinions.The most common missteps in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy.Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability . Ms Fox said, "What we want above all is your approval.Don't forget, no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say, we believe the things you say about us." Nancy, a New York child-raising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable."When your kids are saying, ' _ ' there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out." " My parents helped me see that, " Mr.Fox told me, " even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school, times have changed and the way parents educate children is different.These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids.Parents worry about their child crossing the street." The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking. Why does the author mention the book "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus ? A. It is one of the best-sellers B. It is also written by the two girls C. The two books have the similar theme D. The two books have different opinions Answer: C Question: Here is a passage about learning a foreign language. Outside of class, the most natural way of finding out if you are making mistakes is from other people's responses. If the mistakes are too serious, your listeners will be asking you all the time what you mean. If they are not so serious, then people may be asking you whether you said such and such. That will tell you how close you are to speaking "cogently". Of course, there are other times when it is important to have errors pointed out. Your class assignments are probably marked in this way, in which case you need to spend time going over them to take advantage of the individual feedback. In some classes the teacher gets better and better at grammar because she does all the corrections, but the students make slow progress if, when an assignment is returned, they quickly stuff it into their folders without looking. You are the person who should be connecting your error, even if the marker has signaled them, when you look at them; there are some steps to work through. One distinction that has been made about learners' language is this. You make mistakes about rules that you already know but you make errors about points you haven't learned yet. In other words, you can find your own mistakes, but not your errors. First, make sure you understand what you have written or said, or your correction will simply be another stab at the right answer. Next, decide on the best way of practicing the correct form. Would it help you to write out the sentence once more? Can you make up another similar sentence? Then you could test yourself in a few days time to see whether you have remembered the right form, anyone can get it right immediately after being told. He challenge is to remember it and apply it later. How can you know that you are making fewer mistakes when speaking a foreign language? A. By following the suggestions the writer put forward. B. By practicing the correct forms. C. From the teacher's getting better and better at grammar. D. From your listeners responses. Answer: D
Thermal energy is used in a light bulb, which makes filaments Answer: hurt to touch Trees are useful to man in three important ways: They provide him with wood and other products; they provide him shade;. and they help to prevent droughts and floods. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important.In his eagerness to make money from trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And besides, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear. This does not only mean that man will have fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil allowing the rain to sink in and also bind the soil, thus preventing it from being washed away easily;but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When the top-soil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert. Two thousand years ago,a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire .It set up the empire, but, without its trees, its soil became poor and grew weak. When the empire fell to pieces, the home country found itself faced by floods and starvation . The country mentioned in the passage suffered from floods and starvation because _ . Answer: it lost its trees A young man is lying in hospital sadly. The 24-year-old lost his right leg. The doctor said that his long history of smoking was the reason. "I first smoked when I was 14. _ made me feel like a man and I thought it looked cool. Now I know I was wrong," said the young man. It is a mistake many young people make. According to the survey, 40 million of China's 130 million young people aged between 13 and 18 smoke. Fifteen million of them are addicted . The survey also found that about 68% of young smokers first smoked before the age of 13. Many young people see people smoke in the movies, but in real life, stars like Jackie Chan think smoking is a bad thing and not cool at all. Doctors say that if a person starts smoking very young, he or she may live 22 years less than those who don't smoke. What can we learn from the passage? Answer: It's a big problem that many young people smoke. One of the biggest accomplishments in sports in the last hundred years was the 4-minute mile. Running a mile in under 4 minutes was a huge barrier in sports. Once it was broken by one person, lots of athletes tried to break it too. For years, people thought that running a mile in less than 4 minutes was just _ impossible. It was common knowledge that nobody on earth could physically run a mile in under 4 minutes. Professional runners had been trying for years, training to beat that time, but had failed every time. In 1952, a British man by the name of Roger Bannister set a goal for himself: to be the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. He trained intensely, and 2 years later, Bannister finally broke 4-minute barrier. And you know what? Soon after that, more and more people began to run the mile in under 4 minutes. New world records were set almost every year following Bannister's sub-4-minute-mile. Nowadays, even a high school student can reasonably run a 4-minute mile. In about 50 years, the 4-minute mile went from impossible to professional to amateur. But I guess I'm not really answering the question here: what on earth does this have to do with learning Japanese? When you have a goal in mind, mental barriers can be huge obstacles to overcome, and learning Japanese is no different. But if you're devoted enough and make your goal your top priority , you might be surprised at what you can do. Put everything else aside for a while, just go for it and see what you can achieve. After all, if somebody can accomplish something that people thought was physically impossible, then maybe learning Japanese isn't so hard after all. What may the readers be according to the passage? Answer: Students. Little Peter is a boy of nine. He began to go to school when he was six, and now he is in Grade Three. He lives not far from the school, but he is often late for class. He likes watching TV in the evening and goes to bed late, so he can't get up on time in the morning. This term, Mrs. Black, Peter's aunt, teaches music in Peter's school. She is strict with Peter and often tells the boy to obey the school rules and come to school on time. Yesterday morning, Peter got up late. When he hurried to school, it was a quarter past eight. His aunt was waiting for him at the school gate. "You are ten minutes late for the first class, Peter," Mrs. Black said angrily. "Why are you often late for class?" "Every time, when I get to the street corner , I always see a guidepost . It says SCHOOL--GO SLOWLY!" Peter is often late for school because _ . Answer: he likes watching TV
Question: What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs. Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job. Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may _ when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work. From the passage we learn that if a student's school performance is not good, he _ . A. should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities B. will be regretful about his bad results C. may also do well in his future work D. should restart his study in school Answer: C Question: If you are sitting down listening to what I'm going to say, stand up. Move your legs. Touch your toes, if you can. Do anything but sit. If you cut down on the time you spend sitting, you might live longer. New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Just the opposite, says Peter Katzmarzyk. He is a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States. He says that sitting is _ in our lives. "We sit while we're eating; we sit in the car; we sit while we watch TV. Many of us sit for many hours at work. " But, he adds, that does not make sitting good for us. The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. Exercise is important. So is not sitting. "We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, what goes on in the other 23-and-a-half hours a day is also very important." Mr. Katzmarzyk and his co-workers are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. This is a relatively new area of study--studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality or television viewing and mortality. Making uses of the few studies available to them, they found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life. New desk designs are helping Change is already coming to some offices, especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk" lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill desk." A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. That's one of the strategies that many companies are using now. Some companies may equip their employees with a "standing desk" or a "treadmill desk". Other companies may not buy one for everybody, but they'll have a bank of these desks where people can go for an hour a day and answer their emails or talk on the phone. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with such desks to keep children moving. Mr. Katzmarzyk says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives. "As a university professor, you know, it is a very sedentary occupation. We're chained to a desk in terms of writing papers and doing research. We really try to limit the amount of time we spend doing that." Suggestions for sitting less If you work in office job or have a sedentary job, Mr. Katzmarzyk and his team suggest a few simple changes: get up from your desk as often as you can take walks at lunch time walk to your colleagues' offices and talk directly instead of emailing them All these activities may help you live longer. The passage is most likely to be _ . A. a medical research B. a book review C. a health report D. a sports feature Answer: C Question: All my life I had loved airports.To me,they were fl kind of magic gateway to the world,but today it seemed like a cold and heartless place. "Well,here we are,the airport,"my sister said with fl sigh.As 1 watched her unload my luggage,I could see the sadness in her eyes.One last hug and a final good-bye and I would be on my way to a new lire abroad,leaving my beloved sister behind. I looked at my sister and even though her eyes were filled with tears,she was trying to keep a brave face."You'd better go or you'll miss your flight,"she said. "I am just going to walk away and not look back," I said. As I held her one last time she whispered,"Don't worry about me,I'll be fine.""I'll miss you," I replied with tears in my eyes.As I promised,I did not look back. but 1 was sobbing.To me it was the end of the world. While boarding the plane 1 was still crying.I did not have the energy to put my bag in the overhead locker, so I put it on the empty seat next to mine.As I settled into my chair, a feeling of sadness overwhelmed me.I felt like my best friend had just been taken away from me. The plane shook heavily and the bag fell,with some stuff spreading on the floor.When I bent over to gather the things up,I saw an unfamiliar little book in the middle of my belongings.It was not until I picked it up that I realized that it was a diary. Immediately I recognized my sister's handwriting."Hi,Sis,What a day it has been today.First you let me know that you are moving abroad and then my boss..."My sister had been keeping a diary for the past month and she was now passing it on to me.I was to write in it for the next couple of months and then send it back to her.Even though a large ocean separated us,at some point it felt like she was actually there. From the writer's and her sister's tears,we can see _ . A. they loved each other very much B. they felt sad about the new life C. they were afraid of the separation D. it was the end of the world to them Answer: A Question: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is a children's book. As the story opens,eight-year-old farm girl Fern Arable stops her father from killing a baby pig who is weaker than his brothers and sisters.The little pig,Wilbur,becomes one of the main characters in the story.Later he will be treated as a friend by Charlotte,a wise and loving spider living on the same farm.Wilbur slowly realizes that the farmer will kill him for his meat in a few months ,and Charlotte decides to help him out.She tries many things to keep Wilbur alive.She writes words in her web describing how wonderful Wilbur is and this makes the farm famous. White creates a sort of modern animal fable ,in which animals can speak both with each other and with Fern.Also there are many great characters in this book. The society of animals has many lessons to teach children and adults:friendship,sacrifice ,hope,determination,love,duty,fairness,respect,and many more. Part of this novel's success is the fact that the author makes a heroine out of a spider,a creature that many people probably dislike.Unlike a lovely little pig or other creatures,a spider is a creature greatly different from humans.White's Charlotte is a truly wonderful character.He tells the story of Charlotte and her friends in a special way.This is a book that no one could ever dislike.It has much to offer to children as well as to older teens and adult readers. We learn from the passage that Charlitte's Web _ . A. is the most interesting book for children B. White's only book written for children C. is a good book not only for children but also for adults D. is mainly about how animals get along with each other Answer: C Question: If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake,there would be a lot of candles.He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out. While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day,few people in the United States will give him a passing thought.It's nothing personal.Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes. But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius.In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China. In the past two decades,the Chinese study programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities.More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries.These schools teach both Chinese language and culture.The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art,history and philosophy.Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the old Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy.Students in the United States,at the same time,are racing to learn Chinese.So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States.Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers. So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well. Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West. As for the old thinker,he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West,even if his birthday is. What is the best title for the passage? A. Old Thinker with a Big Future B. Huge Fans of the Chinese Language C. Chinese Culture for Westerners D. Forgotten Wisdom in America Answer: A
Question: Which of these items plays an integral role in the survival of many types of flora? A. bee B. cat C. dog D. mouse Answer: A. bee Question: I love collecting old paving bricks ( ). It is my favourite hobby. I started it last year when I needed to help our teacher to hold a fair display ( ) for our school. A few years earlier, I read an article about paving bricks in a fashion magazine. I found it was very interesting, so I decided to do the display on the bricks. But we didn't have so many bricks for a good display. Then I decided to go out and look for them. Now I have collected hundreds of bricks. Most of them are from Ohio ( ). Actually , there are more than one thousand different kinds of bricks in Ohio. Sometimes, I bought some old but special bricks on the Internet. The price is from 5 to 10 dollars for one brick. Sometimes, people can't understand why I buy bricks. I must say that it's my favourite hobby. I collected old paving bricks _ . A. last week B. last year C. A few years ago D. this year Answer: C. A few years ago Question: When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would write a note -- "Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery". Then she put the note and the empty bottles into the milk box. The next day, the buttermilk would magically appear. There was also a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box in the house, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery. I am sad that there is no home milk delivery today. Big companies produce cheaper milk, and milk is for sale everywhere. People may not need the milkman anymore. Recently, I saw an old milk box in the countryside and it brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and put it outside the door. My son's friends always ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship with his milk. The writer's mother put the note _ . A. into the bottles B. into the milk box C. in the kitchen D. in front of the door Answer: B. into the milk box Question: Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, "Sorry for your loss." Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it's best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings Choose silence instead of blurting out 'in-the-moment' feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words. Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say. Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment. Practice being silent at work when you don't have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can elevate the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it's best to just observe and learn. Finally, silence is golden when you don't want to engage in a fool's argument. As some squabbles will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree. Hower,there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice,the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and apprecitsed. What is the best to do during negotiation? A. Grasp every chance to say more than the other B. Close your mouth and just listen to the other C. Say what you chould and draw a conclusion D. Speak out your own points and let the other speak out theirs Answer: C. Say what you chould and draw a conclusion Question: Sleeping in on Saturday after a few weeks of too little shuteye may feel refreshing, but it can give a false sense of security. New research shows long-term sleep loss cannot be cured that easily. Scientists researched the effects of short- and long-term sleep loss and found that those who suffer long-term sleep loss may function normally soon after waking up, but experience steadily slower reaction times as the day goes by, even if they had tried to catch up the previous night. The research has important safety significances in an increasingly busy society, not just for shift-workers but for the roughly one in six Americans who regularly get six hours or less of sleep a night. "We know that staying awake 24 hours without sleep will affect your performance to do all sorts of things, and this effect equals to drinking too much when driving," said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Cohen of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. But when those who suffer long-term sleep loss become all-nighters, "the harm is increased ten times," Cohen said. The National Institutes of Health says adults need seven hours to nine hours of sleep for good health. Regularly getting too little sleep increases the risk of health problems, including memory impairment and a weakened immune system. More immediately, too little sleep affects reaction times; sleepiness is to blame for car crashes and other accidents. It has critically important complicated and unexpected results for anyone who works "crazy hours" and thinks they are performing fine with a few hours of weeknight sleep, said Harris, director at New York's Montefiore Medical Center. "Don't think you can just _ your sleep on the weekend, because it doesn't work that way," he warned. The text mainly advises people _ . A. to sleep more time B. to sleep in on Saturday C. to sleep scientifically D. to sleep little on weekend Answer: C. to sleep scientifically
Wei Hua had a busy day yesterday. She got up before 7 o'clock in the morning, and quickly washed her hands and face. She got to school early. She had a little rest after lunch, but worked hard in class all day. She played basketball after school, and then she walked home. Wei Hua's pen was broken, so she needed a new one. On her way home she bought a new pen at a shop. When she reached home, she had a short rest and a glass of water. After that she helped her parents. She quickly cooked the supper, and cleaned the house. She watched TV for half an hour after supper. Then she started her homework. She finished it at half past nine. She went to bed before a quarter to ten. Yesterday Wei Hua was _ . A ill B busy C sad D happy Answer: B Most respected scientists agree that we need to find another source of energy- and quickly. If we continue to burn oil and pump carbon into the atmosphere, then the effects on global climate will lead to global disasters even before the oil disappear. The British government has set a target of a 20 percent reduction in carbon emission by 2010. Central to this policy is the search for alternative, renewable forms of energy production---and this is where the serious disagreement among scientists begins. Here, two people active in the debate about wind farms give their points of view. Simon Shearman "First, a few facts about wind power. Wind is one of the cheapest of the new, renewable forms of energy. It is extremely safe---no member of the public has ever been injured at a wind farm. The shallow waters around Britain are the windiest in Europe---ideal locations for wind farms and, by 2010, up to ten percent of the electricity used in the UK could be produced by wind power. I find it annoying and frustrating that the biggest objection that opponents of wind farms can come up with is that the crisis of global warming is real and something must be done urgently." Alice Evans "The simple, obvious fact is that wind turbines cannot generate electricity if the wind is too light or too strong and it often is. Many scientists estimate that wind turbines generally produce only 30 percent of their capacity . This is not a reliable enough supply to enable us to close down conventional power stations. In fact, wind power can't keep up with the growth of the demand for electricity, let alone replace other sources of power." It's a topic that is causing heated debate around the country---but one we must address before it's too late---before the oil runs out. We can learn from the passage that _ . A there won't be a global disaster before the world runs out of oil. B the British government wants people to use 20 percent less oil by 2010. C Alice Evans supports the idea of wind power. D Simon Shearman thinks Britain a particularly suitable place for wind farms. Answer: D Birds in cities are damaging their health by trying to sing above the noise of urban life. New research shows that male birds are trying to compete against traffic and city sounds.They are now singing louder and at higher frequencies,which could harm their vocal cords .Some birds are choosing to sing at night instead of during the day.This makes them more open to attack and also creates stress and exhaustion. "The difference between urban and rural birdsong is becoming so big that the two groups could now be unable to communicate.This could lead to inbreeding and a weak gene poo1."said Dr Sue Anne Zollinger of the.University of St Andrews. According to Zollingar,a bird group with a small gene pool might adapt less quickly to new diseases and could be wiped out. A study of the dawn chorus found that birds in Berlin sang up to 14 decibels louder than those in the forest.The birds sang loudest on weekday mornings. "By trying to sing over the sound of the city,birds ale rising vocal injury,"said Zollinger."All this puts the same strain on a bird's vocal cords as when a human need to shout to be heard--except that the birds are doing it all day,every day,"she said. "Singing under such pressure means birds have less control over the sound they produce.Their songs may lose quality and become more rough--sounding."said Zollinger.This could make them appear less attractive to female birds. Mark Constantine,author of The Sound Approach to Birding,said:"Birdsong is important for our quality of life and has been proved to reduce our blood pressure.When we live in the centre of large,urban areas,we get stressed and it's extremely good to have birdsong around us.The impact on humans of birdsong is massive.It harms us,as well as the birds,if their songs become louder and simpler. According to Dr Sue Anne Zollinger,birds singing louder might eventually lead to _ . A the harm done to man's health B the dying out of a species C the serious damage to the bird's vocal cords D the decrease of the birth rate of a bird group Answer: B At 9:00 Dick Spivak's bank telephoned and said his payment was late. "The check is in the post," Dick replied quickly. At 11:45 Dick left for a 12:00 meeting across town. Arriving late, he explained that traffic had been had. That evening, Dick's girlfriend wore a new dress. He hated it. "It looks just great on you," he said. Three lies in one day! Yet Dick Spivak is just an ordinary man. Each time, he told himself that sometimes the truth causes too many problems. Most of us tell much the same white lies, harmless untruths that help to save trouble. How often do we tell white lies? It depends in part on our age, education, and even where we live. According to one U.S. study, women are more truthful than men, and honesty increases as we get older.While most people use little white lies to make life easier, the majority of Americans care about honesty in both public and personal life. They say that people today are less honest than they were ten years ago. Although it is believed that things are getting worse, lying seems to be an age-old human problem. The French philosopher Vauvenarges, writing in the eighteenth century, touched on the truth when he wrote, "All men are born truthful and die liars ." According to the text, most Americans _ . A hate white lies B believe white lies C value honesty D consider others dishonest Answer: C Mr. Brown lived in a house less than two miles from his office, so he was able to drive home every day for lunch. Every time he drove home at noon, he found many cars were parked outside his house and there was no room for his own car. He had to drive somewhere else to park his car. Then he had to walk back home. This made him very angry. He had put up a board, which said, " No parking" in the garden facing the road, but nobody noticed it. People seemed to obey only a police notice with letters on a blue board: POLICE NOTICE NO PARKING Mrs. Brown suggested that he could steal a police notice. He was afraid to do so. She then suggested that he could make one just like a police notice. He said he was not the police and couldn't use the word "police". Several days later, Mr. Brown made a blue board with white letters: POLITE NOTICE NO PARKING " Oh!" Mrs. Brown said, "You told me you weren't going to use the word "police", but why do you use it now?" "Really?" he asked, "Look again." She started to laugh. "You are really clever." Mr. Brown made a notice board which _ in the end. A was just the same as a police notice B was different in colour from a police notice C looked just like a police notice D said " POLICE NOTICE, NO PARKING" Answer: C
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had worked on, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?" Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched for the name of this fellow, it became obvious that there were two people with the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip a coin. Heads--the commander, and tails--the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, "My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington? Obviously, my grade was terrible. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. At last, I worked very hard for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance came as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my chance to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet! What did the author's classmates think about his report? A. Complex. B. Funny. C. Boring. D. Puzzling. Answer: B Eighth-grader Victoria Bills is talking about money with her classmates. She is worried that a company's stock price could fall. It may be an unusual topic of conversation for a 13-year-old. But at Bills' school in Chicago, US, you hear it all the time. The Chicago school's 420 students learn about economic . They also get a chance to make money. Each 1stgrade and 5thgrade, students learn the basics of economics and investing . Then in 6thgrade, they put what they've learned to work. Students join a junior group that manages the $20,000. The group, made up of 12 to 14 students, decides which stocks to buy. After graduating, students pass on $20,000 to the next 1stgrade class. They keep half of the rest of the money; the other half goes toward improving the school. They can choose to put their money in a college-savings program or take the cash. In 2007, Bills suggested that her class buy the stock of the Apple computer company. This was just before the iPhone came out. "We bought stock just at the right time," she says. The kids bought Google stock as it reached $400 a share. It is now worth over $500. "It was a good buy," says Myles Gate, 13. He hopes to be a banker one day. The school's two graduating classes of 2005 and 2006 have each earned about $10,000 in profits . Google stock the kids bought has reached more than _ at present. A. $500 B. $400 C. $10,000 D. $20,000 Answer: A Why might owning a house on an ocean be an issue after a few decades? A. beachfront property shrinking B. increased seagull populations C. Prone to snowstorms D. Food shortage Answer: A There once was a master who went to India. In those times, we didn't have the communications or airplanes or many kinds of transportation that we do now. So the master went to India on foot. He had never been to India before; perhaps he came from Persia. And when he got there, he saw a lot of fruit. In India they have plenty of fruit to sell, but much of it is expensive because they can't grow much due to the water situation. So he saw one basket, a big basket of some very red, long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop, not expensive at all. So he went up and asked, "How much per kilo?" And the shopkeeper said, "Two rupees ." Two rupees in India is nothing; it's like dirt. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it: Oh, my God! His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burned, his eyes were burning, his head was burning and his face became red. As he coughed and choked and gasped for breath, he jumped up and down, saying, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"But he still continued to eat the fruit! Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies ! You can't eat so many; they're not good for you! People use them as a condiment , but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them by the handful like that; they're not fruit!" So the stupid master said, "No, I can't stop! I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them. It's my money!" And you think that master was stupid, right? Similarly, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We invest money, time or effort in a relationship, business or job. And even though it's been a long time, bitter experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more hope that things will change in the future -- this we definitely know by intuition -- we still continue just because we've invested money, time, effort and love into it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and suffered so much but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he'd paid. What is the purpose of the passage? A. To share us a funny story about a silly master. B. To tell us when to give up in life. C. To offer some information about India. D. To remind us how to spend money wisely. Answer: B Tobacco companies are fighting efforts in the United States and Australia to make their products less appealing. In Washington, a federal judge last week blocked the Food and Drug Administration from requiring new warning labels on cigarette packs. Judge Richard Leon ruled in a case brought by five tobacco companies. The judge temporarily stopped a new federal rule which requires large new warnings starting next September. These include color1 images such as a dead body or diseased lungs. And simple text warnings now appear. Congress called for color1 images showing the dangers of smoking, similar to what Canada does. But the tobacco companies say the new requirements approved in June violate their free speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Judge Leon said the FDA could not require the new labels before a lawsuit against the government is decided. Some experts say the process could take years. The judge said he believed the cigarette makers were highly likely to win their case. He said the images should be designed to appeal to emotions, rejecting government arguments that they should be purely factual. He accused the government of trying to use the labels to promote an "obvious anti-smoking agenda?" The head of an anti-smoking group, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the decision "wrong on the science and wrong on the law". About one-fifth of American adults smoke. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills nearly six mil-lion people worldwide each year. More than six hundred thousand of them are non-smokers who breathe other people's tobacco smoke. In Australia, tobacco companies want to stop what would be the world's most restrictive laws on cigarette advertising. Cigarettes could be sold only in plain olive-green packages. Only the brand name and health warnings could appear. The Senate passed the bill last week and sent it back to the Lower House to approve minor amendments . The law is to go into effect in December of next year. Tobacco companies Say the legislation violates the Australian constitution. They say it would unjustly reduce the value of their brand names and trademarks. Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government is ready for a legal fight. Which country has adopted color1 images showing the dangers of smoking as warning labels? A. America. B. Australia. C. Canada. D. Britain. Answer: C
Question: Mr. and Mrs Jones seldom go out in the evening , but last Sunday Mrs Jones said to her husband , " There is a good film at the cinema this evening . Can we go to see it ? " Mr. Jones was quite happy about it . So they went there and they enjoyed the film . They came out of the cinema at 11 o'clock , going into the car and began to drive home . It was quite dark . Then Mrs Jones said , " Bill , look , a woman is running along the road very fast and a man is running after her . Can we help her ? '' Mr. Jones said , " Yes , I can .'' He drove the car slowly near the woman and said to her , " Can we help you ? " " No , thank you , " the woman said , but she didn't stop running . " My husband and I run home after the film , and the last one will wash the dishes at home ." Mr. and Mrs Jones were often _ in the evening . A. at home B. at the cinema C. at work D. out Answer: A. at home Question: All schoolchildren should have "happiness" lessons up to the age of 18 to combat growing levels of depression, according to a senior government adviser. "Pupils should study subjects such as how to manage feelings, attitudes to work and money, channeling negative emotions and even how to take a critical view of the media," said Lord Richard Layard, a Labor peer and professor of economics at the London School of Economics. The proposal comes only days after the Government said that lessons in manners--including respect for the elderly and how to say "please" and "thank you"--should be taught in secondary schools to combat bad behavior. Lord Layard, the director of the wellbeing program at the LSE's Center for Economic Performance, said: "Learning hard things takes an enormous amount of practice. To play the violin well takes 10,000 hours of practice. How can we expect people to learn to be happy without large amounts of practice and repetition?" It is believed that at least two percent of British children under 12 now struggle with significant depression. Among teenagers, the figure rises to five percent. A UNICEF study involving 21 developed countries showed that British children were the least satisfied with their lives, while the World Health Organization predicts that childhood psychiatric disorders will rise by 50 percent by 2020. In a speech at Cambridge University, Lord Layard said the Government's lessons in manners did not go far enough. "We need a commitment to producing a major specialism in this area, with a serious teacher training program," he said. However, happiness lessons have been criticized by academics. Frank Furedi, a sociology professor at Kent University and author of Therapy Culture, said: "In pushing emotional literacy, what some teachers are really doing is abandoning teaching. They are giving up and talking about emotions instead, so that children value all this non-discipline-led activity more than maths, English or science. What is amazing about this is that time and time again, research says that it does not work." We can conclude from the passage that _ . A. the British Government hasn't fully realized the problems with British students B. Lord Layard thinks little of the Government's lessons in manners C. British students are not well-behaved enough D. lessons in manners have brought about positive changes in British students Answer: C. British students are not well-behaved enough Question: The largest campaign of killing rats in history is set to poison millions of rats on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Scientists say the campaign planned for 2013 and 2014 will restore beautiful South Georgia to the position it once held as the world's most important nesting sites for seabirds. It was sailors in the late 18th century who unintentionally introduced rats to what had been a fresh environment. "If we can destroy the rats, at least 100 million birds will return to their home on South Georgia," says Tony Martin, a biology professor at the University of Dundee who was invited to lead the project. South Georgia is by far the largest island to get rid of animals that destroy native wildlife after being introduced deliberately or accidentally by people. Though rats and mice have done the most damage, cats, foxes, goats, deer, rabbits and other species have been targeted in the campaigns around the world. South Georgia is seven times the size of New Zealand's Campbell Island, currently the largest area ever killing rats. The successful war against Campbell Island rats was carried out in 2001 with 132 tons of poison dropped from five helicopters. "New Zealand pioneered the techniques for ridding islands of rats and in fact our operation on South Georgia is based on New Zealand's technology." Says Martin. "Some New Zealanders will be helping our campaign, including our chief pilot, Peter Garden, who was also chief pilot for the projects at Campbell Island and Rat Island, in the Aleutian chain of the north Pacific." The second and third stages in 2013 and 2014 will involve dropping as much as 300 tons of poison from the air onto every part of the island where rats might live. It is a huge operation, carried out during the stormy southern autumn when the rats are hungry and the risks of poisoning native wildlife are less than in the spring and summer months. "Ideally we'd do in winter but the weather makes that too risky," Martin says. The ecological payback will be priceless. But Martin says, "The full benefits will take decades to arrive, because some of these birds are slow to hatch." Which of the following is True about Peter Garden? A. He is in charge of the campaign on the sub-Antarctic island. B. He will be the only pilot for the project on the sub-Antarctic island. C. He will benefit a lot from the campaign on the sub-Antarctic island. D. He made great contributions to the project at Campbell Island and Rat Island. Answer: D. He made great contributions to the project at Campbell Island and Rat Island. Question: Katharine Meyer Graham was once described as "the most powerful woman in America." She was not a government official or elected representative. She owned and published The Washington Post. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country. Katharine Meyer was born in New York City in 1917. Her father was a successful investment banker and became an important financial official. Her family was very rich. Katharine grew up in large houses in New York and Washington. Her parents were often away from home, traveling and working, Katharine was often lonely. Katherine Meyer graduated from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1938. In 1933, her father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful one of five newspapers in Washington. Katharine Graham returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. She married Philip Graham. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter but soon accepted a job at his wife's father's newspaper. Mr. Graham improved The Washington Post. He bought Newsweek and several television stations. He also established close ties with important political leaders. However, Mr. Graham treated his wife badly. He had an affair with a young reporter. For many years, Mr. Graham suffered from mental illness. He killed himself in 1963. Katharine Graham had four children to raise and a newspaper to operate. At first, she was only concerned about finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough. She did not think she had the ability to do an important job. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company. In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a business. Women were expected to look after their homes and children. Katharine Graham met with officials of The Washington Post. She was elected president of The Washington Post Company. She had no idea about how to operate a newspaper. So she decided to learn. She began by hiring Benjamin C.Bradlee. He later became chief editor. Mr. Bradlee improved the newspaper. He hired excellent reporters and editors. They began doing important investigative reporting. In 1969, Mrs. Graham became publisher as well as president of The Washington Post Company. In the 1970s, The Washington Post became famous around the world because of two major successes. What do you think of Benjamin C. Bradlee? A. He was an expert when it came to earning money. B. He brought The Washington Post back to life. C. He intended to buy The Washington Post. D. He should have given more help to Katharine Graham. Answer: B. He brought The Washington Post back to life. Question: Cocoa Beach /Jupiter Surf Camp -- Summer Summer Surf Camp is centrally located on the Best Western seashore in Cocoa Beach & Jupiter at Carlin Beach Park with accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express in Juno Beach. Summer Surf Camp Dates: * Surf Camp -- Session 1 May 27th--30th Family Surf Week (All Ages) * Surf Camp -- Session 2 June 2nd--6th Family Surf Week (All Ages) * Surf Camp -- Session 3 June9th--13th Teen Week (Ages 12--17) * Surf Camp -- Session 4 June16th--20th Family Surf Week (All Ages) * Surf Camp -- Session 5 June23rd--27th Adults Only (18 and over) * Surf Camp -- Session 6 June30th--July 3rd Family Surf Week (All Ages) * Surf Camp -- Session 7 July 7th--11th Family Surf Week (All Ages) * Surf Camp -- Session 8 July 14th--18th Women's Camp (18 and over) Surf Camp -- Session 9 July 21st--25th Family Surf Week (All Ages) Surf Camp -- Session 10 July 28th--August 1st Adults Only (18 and over) * A 20% discount will be applied to the 4-Day Surf Camp Weeks. * Parents are always welcome to sign up and join their children during the teen week surf camp sessions. Summer Camp Details: * Use coupon code: "CAMP5" at checkout to get the 5% discount * Daily Rate: $125.00 / person * Surf Camp Runs: 9:30 a.m. -- 2:30 p.m. Please note: We don't supervise the campers after 2: 45 p.m. Directions to Camp: click here Who are allowed to take pan in Session 5 and Session 8? A. Mr Johnson and his wife. B. A couple without children. C. Mr Black and his 19-year-old son. D. Mrs Black and her 21-year-old daughter. Answer: D. Mrs Black and her 21-year-old daughter.
Sheffield Lincoln College of English Classes for foreign students at all levels 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one course open all year. Small class (maximum 12 students), library, language lab and listening center, accommodations with selected families 25 minutes from London. Course fees for English for one year are $1380 with reduction for shorter periods of study. While you stay there, _ will take care of you. Answer: Driving home from work one evening in the heavy rain, I found a very wet, injured cat on the side of the road. He looked up at me, meowing pitifully. A car must have hit it so it wasn't able to move. I stopped my car and carried the cat in and went on driving. At the nearest vet clinic, the vet gently examined it. "He's about eight months old and has two broken legs, but I would need X-rays to know how serious the damage is," he told me. "As he's not your cat, I don't know if you want to go ahead with this. It could be rather expensive." I knew it would cost me hundreds of dollars, but I agreed with his advice. The following morning the vet rang to say the X-rays confirmed two bad breaks in his legs. "I'll operate on his legs and put metal pins in them to keep them fixed." he told me. That afternoon I went to pick up my little friend. There I could hardly recognize him. His previously dirty fur was now a beautiful silver grey. His front legs were in two casts and he lay there looking at me, purring happily. I thanked the doctor and went out to pay the bill. "I think you've given me the wrong account," I said to the clerk. "This is only $85. He's had X-rays and an operation on his legs." "No, that's right," she replied. "The vet has only charged you for the medication. There's a message on the bottom." Written under the total were the words "SPECIAL RATE FOR ADOPTIONS." I was speechless at his kind and generous gesture. I paid the account and under his message I wrote "WITH GRATEFUL THANKS, CAT AND MUM." What do we know about the author? Answer: A person stuck alone in the woods could keep themselves a bit more protected by building a Answer: Passwords are no safeguards Typing your password or credit card number into a computer is a moment's work. But if you think your personal details disappear as soon as you hit the Return key, think again: they can sit on the computer's hard disk for years waiting for a hacker to take them. As people spend more time on the web and hackers become more experienced, the dangers of storing personal information on computers are growing by the day, security experts say. There are some safe-guards, such as never allowing your computer to store your passwords. But even that in no guarantee of security. When you type in a password, it is stored in random access memory (RAM), where it is held temporarily until other data overwrites it or the computer is switched off. But every so often , the computer copies the contents of its RAM onto hard disk, where it is easy to prey for a hacker, who can read it directly or design a worm to e-mail it back. The longer sensitive data stays in RAM, the more likely it is to be copied onto the disk, where it stays until it is overwritten-which might not happen for years. Tal Garfinkel and colleagues from Stanford University have created a software tool which simulates the workings of a complete computer system. Within the simulation, sensitive data can be tagged and then tracked as it passes through the system. Next, Garfinkel and his team simulated computers running common software that regularly handles passwords or secret personal information, such as Internet Explorer, the Windows login script and Apache server software. In a paper to be presented, they conclude that the programs took no measures to limit the length of time the information is kept. Some of the tested software even copied the sensitive information, obviously without restraint . What does the passage mainly talk about? Answer: People and the sources of air pollution are found in the same places. This means that cities with large populations have the biggest problem of dirty air. Air pollution is caused by many different things. A major source of air pollution is the gas fumes from cars. Statistics show that 93 percent of all auto trips are within cities. Another major source of dirty air is the burning of coal and oil for energy. This energy is needed to make electricity. Of course, much more electricity is used in the city than in the country. On the average, we throw away more trash and garbage than the year before. The burning of garbage contributes to air pollution. Many major industries are also responsible for the dirty air in the around cities. The fumes from iron, steel, chemical, and petroleum production add particles to the air. The effects of air pollution range from mild headaches to death. The levels of pollution found in heavy for traffic may cause headaches for loss of clear vision. Wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes may kill trees and plants and cause metal to corrode. In some of the larger cities, these fumes endanger the live of human beings by contributing to lung diseases and causing early death. In larger cities, the fumes from coal and oil may contribute to _ . Answer:
With six NBA Championships and many more achievements, Michael Jordan is the greatest player the world of basketball has ever seen. Jordan's dream of becoming a basketball player began in his childhood. When he was 9 years old, Jordan finished watching a basketball game in the Munich Olympics on TV,and said to his mother:"One day, I will take part in the Olympic Games and win the gold medal for the US!" His father once told him that practice, confidence and determination were the things that would make a real basketball player. Since then, Jordan practiced very hard and became more and more confident and determined. At the University of North Carolina, Jordan was a familiar name. He made the game- winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship. He saw it as the turning point in his basketball career . In 1984, Jordan led the US Men's Basketball Team to win the gold medal in the Olympic Games and made his childhood dream come true. Jordan entered the NBA in 1984. During his 15 years there, he won every possible award. Jordan was also the greatest clutch player ever. On the basketball court, " _ " means making the last shot when time is almost up. The shooter needs to have great confidence to make the last shot and take away the win. Jordan had 28 clutches in his careerthe most in NBA history. Being confident is what makes Jordan the most famous basketball star ever. In his Hall of Fame Speech in 2009, Jordan announced confidently to the world: " There will never be another Michael Jordan." Jordan's father advised him to do the following EXCEPT _ . A. play in the national team B. practice hard C. always be confident in himself D. have strong determination Answer: A. play in the national team There is a student from China in our class. He is very good at his lessons, but he is also very shy. He doesn't talk too much with us because he thinks that there are so many differences. When he came into our classroom for the first time, he was so frightened that he cried out. That's because of our appearances. For example, his hair is short, black and straight, but ours are all different from his. Jim's hair is yellow and much longer than his. Dave's hair is curly and brown. Kitty's hair is blonde. Our builds and clothes seem to be strange in his eyes,too. Peter is a boy. He is tall and thin, but he wears a colorful T-shirt. Whose hair is curly? A. Jim's. B. Dave's. C. Kitty's. D. Peter's. Answer: B. Dave's. The motion of Earth is responsible for several celestial events. Which of the following events is caused by Earth revolving around the sun? A. the days in a year B. the hours in a day C. the changes in the atmosphere of Earth D. the position of the constellations in space Answer: A. the days in a year It's 8:00 a.m. and you are running out of the door. You walk outside and your handbag suddenly says, "Wait! You forgot your keys!" A talking handbag? Yes, it's true. This "smart bag" can "talk" to the things you often bring with. If you forget your keys or drop your purse, for example, the bag will tell you. How does it work? There is a "smart chip" in the bag. You put other chips on your phone, purse or keys. Then the bag and the others can "talk" to each other--and you! SMART CLOTHES These clothes change colors--while you are wearing them! Is it hot outside? Watch your jacket change from dark blue to a lighter color to protect you from the sun. Did you spill coffee on your white trousers or shirt? No problem. These smart clothes never get dirty! If you go outside with a "smart bag" but forget your keys, your _ will tell you. A. mother B. teacher C. bag D. keys Answer: C. bag Want to add some hours to your day? Ok, you probably can't change the fabric of time. But a new study suggests that the way you feel about your goal can change your concept of time and that some simple strategies could make you feel less rushed. In a series of experiments, Jordan Etkin, a professor of marketing at Duke, and her co-authors, Loannis Evangelidis and Jennifer Aaker, looked at what happens when people see their goals as conflicting with one another. In one, they asked some participants to list two of their goals that they felt were in conflict, and others simply to list two of their goals. Those who were forced to think about conflicting aims felt more time pressure than those who weren't. In another experiment, the researchers gave participants a similar prompt regarding goal conflict, but this time measured their anxiety levels as well as their attitudes toward time. They found that participants who thought about conflicting goals had more anxiety than those who didn't, and that this, in turn, led to feelings of being short on time. "Stress and anxiety and time pressure are closely linked concepts," D. Etkin explained. "When we feel more stress and anxiety in relation to our personal goals, that manifests as a sense of having less time." Technological advances that allow people to do lots of things at once may increase the fe'eling of goal conflict, she said."I think the easier it is for us to try to deal with a lot of these things at the same time," She said"the more opportunity there is for us to feel this conflict between our goals."She isn't the first to suggest that actual busyness isn't the only thing that can make us feel busy At the Atlantic, Derek Thompson wrote that "as a country, we're working less than we did in the 1960s and 1980s." He offered a number of possible reasons some Americans still feel so overworked, including "the fluidness ffl+-) of work and leisure." As he put it:"The idea that work begins and ends at the office is wrong. On the one hand, flexibility is nice, On the other, mixing work and leisure together creates an always-on expectation that makes it hard for white-collar workers to escape the shadow of work responsibilities." And Brigid Schulte writes in her 2014 book Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time that some researchers believe "time has no sharp edges. What often matters more than the activity we're doing at a moment in time, they have found, is how we feel about it.Our concept of time is indeed,our reality." Fortunately, Dr. Etkin and her team did find ways of making us feel better about time--or, at least, of reducing the negative influence of goal conflict. When participants performed a breathing exercise that reduced their anxiety, the impact of such conflict on their perception of time was less pronounced. Reframing anxiety as excitement (by reading the phrase "I am excited!" aloud several times) had a similar effect. Breathing and reframing may not solve everyone's time problems--Ms. Schulte writes that some Americans are indeed working more than they used to. She cites the work of the sociologists Michael Hout and Caroline Hanley, who have "found that working parents combined put in 13 more hours a week on the job in 2000 than they did in 1970. That's 676 hours of additionally paid work a year for a family. And that's on top of all the unpaid hours spent caring for children and keeping the house together." Sometimes, we may feel short on time because we actually are. However, Dr. Etkin believes her findings suggest we may "have the ability to influence our experience of time more than we think we do." "We're all going to have times in our lives when our goals seem to be in more conflict than others," she said. But with techniques like the ones her team tested, "we really can help ourselves feel like we have more time." What makes people feel rushed today? A. Goal conflict. B. High pressure. C. Too much expectation. D. Lack of exercise. Answer: A. Goal conflict.
A beggar followed a lady and asked her for some money. She refused, so he turned away sadly and said he must do what he had made up his mind to do. At this word, the lady was greatly frightened for she was afraid for his life. So she called him back and gave him a dollar. The beggar took the money, put it into his pocket, and thanked her a great deal. "You have saved me from a terrible fate," he said. The lady asked him what he meant. The beggar replied, "Madame, I have been begging all day, but only you have taken pity on me. Without this dollar you gave to me, I should have had to go to work now. The best headline for the story is _ . A How to Beg B Money before Everything C Anything except Work D Work for Money Answer: C. Anything except Work How to Fight Winter Blue Winter's short days are more than cold. For many people, winter depression, the most common type of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is as much a part of the season as hats and scarves. Winter serious SAD sufferers may need medical treatment. Those feeling a little blue can help themselves by sticking to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips: Pace yourself. Don't expect to do everything you normally can. Set a realistic schedule. Don't listen to negative thinking, like blaming yourself or expecting to fail. Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you've achieved something. For example, play table tennis or badminton. If you are feeling depressed, you may feel like staying away from friends. Yet this is a time when friends' support can be helpful. Call them regularly. Remember, the more we put off calling or visiting a friend, the harder it is to rebuild a friendship. Think clearly about what's wrong or right. Instead of giving in to vague feelings of sadness, look at your problems objectively. Break down problems into specific issues that you can work on. Regular exercise helps to prevent and . Eat well. Studies show that a healthy diet can help to maintain (keep) a healthy body and mind. The vitamins, minerals and micro--nutrients found in balanced diet may help our bodies to produce feel-good hormones . Foods containing chemicals to help produce feel-good hormones include bananas, turkey, nuts and seeds. Eat at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day. P.S. Symptoms of SAD: No interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy. Increased need for sleep. A change in eating habits, especially an appetite for sweet or starchy foods. Weight gain A heavy feeling in the arms or legs A drop in energy level Difficulty in concentrating Overly emotional Avoidance of friends and social situations Frequent feelings of guilt Long-term feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems, such as headaches The writer of the passage agrees that _ . A the cold in winter makes us suffer from SAD B hats and scarves protect us from SAD C every one of us meets SAD in winter D we are blue mainly because of short days in winter Answer: D. we are blue mainly because of short days in winter Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said. Voice of the students: "Our parents hold too high _ which put us under lots of pressure. They care too much about our lives and studies," one student said. "It's impolite that some students' parents read their children's diaries without permission!" one student said angrily. "Some of our teachers are so serious that we can't make friends with them at all," another student said sadly. Voice of the parents: One mother said, "After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can't stand her clothes and hairstyle!" "I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn't realize I was being cheated by him until I got a call from his teacher," said a father. Voice of the teachers: An English teacher said, "Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students' brains. The power of teachers has kept students away from them." "Some parents pay too much attention to their children's grades instead of creating a lively and colorful environment at home," another teacher said. "In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about," said a teacher. "A school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure and frustration bravely enough. What can we know from the students' voice? A They hope to be free don't want their parents to be very strict. B The higher expectations their parents hold, the better they will do. C Teachers like making friends with students now. D A warm and happy family isn't expected. Answer: A. They hope to be free don't want their parents to be very strict. Sharing cars to work is not unusual.But what about sharing time to raise children together? In Ningbo city of Zhejiang province in East China, young mothers in the same neighborhood pool their children together, and share the responsibility of being parents. Spending every day together, but not families - in this coastal city of East China, three mothers are trying a new way of raising their kids, by pooling them together. Among the mothers are both office workers and housewives.They say they do so not just because of the tight schedule. Jiujiu's mother said, "By kids pooling, we mean to create an opportunity for the kids to spend time together so that we can observe our kids, learn more about them.And then we can discuss how to better bring them up." The three families have been doing so for two years, in school days and holidays.Their children have grown used to each other's company, Chichi's mother said, "My son was a bit shy.We've been talking him to be more active, but he hardly changed.After joining the kids pool, suddenly we found him willing to communicate with others now.When we are not there, he has to rely on himself to get along with his pals." Generally, mothers speak highly about the pooling.The mothers describe the pooling as bringing the running water into a closed pond.It opens a window to a different world for both kids and parents.But there are moments when opinions differ.Xiaoxiao's mother said, "Sex education for example.Kids will be curious about it when they reach a certain age.Personally I want to talk with my child about it, frankly and sincerely.But the other two moms think it better not to bring it up." Xiaoxiao's mother says her solution is to share some parenting guidebooks with other mothers and let them make the decision. The headmaster of the kindergarten believes such pooling activities test not only children, but also the parents.Jin Hongqing, kindergarten headmaster said, "Parents need to be tolerant and patient.They shouldn't play the blame game when kids fight with each other.It's better to let the kids solve the issue by themselves.What they can do as parents is to communicate." All the following aspects are the benefits of kids pooling EXCEPT _ . A It saves time and helps relieve mother's burden. B It allows parents to learn more about kids. C It allows kids to learn to share and be independent. D It offers better education than the kindergartens. Answer: D. It offers better education than the kindergartens. "Mom, I have cancer." These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that day I felt a wave of paralyzing fear. Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6'2'', weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life. A few month earlier a mole on his neck had changed color. "Dr.Warner called," Scott said that spring morning. "It's melanoma. " I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest. Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summer recess. "There is an 80 percent chance it won't reoccur," the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back "malignant. " We now realized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin. After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encouraging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes removed were malignant. We were very hopeful. For the next six months, Scott's follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought. In January, he was diagnosed as having had a "disease explosion." The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. _ When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic. Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed. I had counted on those last few months. The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements. I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow. After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside. During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind. "Don't let this ruin your life, Mom." "Make sure Dad re models his workshop." "Please, take care of my family." I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? "I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry." No, I knew him better than that. Scott loved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, "Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It's too valuable to waste." That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn't written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life.. I don't believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive. Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult, painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud. What might be the best title of the passage ? A Life is valuable B Grieving and Recovery C Love and sorrow D Alive or dead Answer: B. Grieving and Recovery
In your life, there are a lot of people around you. They are your relatives, neighbors, friends or classmates. Sometimes you get along well with them, but sometimes don't. What can you do when someone hurts you? Most people may be angry or even fight with him. But it's not a good idea. You'd better forget all this and forgive(,) him. Maybe it's not easy for you to do that, but it's possible. Please remember: Keep a good mood, and you will keep healthy. Staying angry with others, in fact, means letting others' mistakes treat yourself unfairly. How can you forgive others? First, think of something pleasant and try to get yourself happy. Second, don't wait others to say sorry to you. If anyone hurts you, he won't say sorry to you. He may just want to hurt you or just don't see things the same way. Third, _ . You can understand their minds better and make yourself a little happier. At last, try to know yourself very well. Whose mistakes caused that, yours or others'? If it's your fault, try to say sorry to them. If it isn't, smile at the thing. ,. Forgetting others' mistakes and staying happy can make us _ . Answer: healthy Which is a distinction between an epidemic and a pandemic? Answer: the geographical area affected Hello, my first name is Jenny and my family name is Brown. I am a girl. I am 11. My telephone number is 025-7658. I have two friends. One is a boy. His name is Mike Green. He is 10. His telephone number is 636-7654. Linda Smith is my friend, too. She is 9. Her telephone number is 356-7890. ,. The writer is _ . Answer: Jenny Brown He has climbed a high mountain, raced the 24-hour motorcycle track in France and even, walked from Tokyo to Kyoto, a distance of 500 km. Now Evolta, Panasonic's 7-inch Humanoid Robot is getting ready for his biggest challenge -- the Ironman Triathlon Championship in Hawaii. To compete in this exhausting contest, the green & white robot which is small enough to fit on a human palm, will have to swim 2.4 miles in the rough ocean, bike 112 miles across the hot Hawaiian desert and, run a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles in the painfully hot weather. Given that he is so tiny and powered by rechargeable batteries of Panasonic, he will be allowed some freedom in the way he competes. For one, he will be starting the race on October 23rd, 2011, three weeks following the real event and, while human competitors have at most 17 hours to complete the triathlon, Evolta will be given 7 days, during which his only "breaks" will be to recharge his batteries. The biggest difference however, will be that unlike a single human body doing all three races, there will be three different "Evolta" robot bodies competing -- each built for the specific race. Evolta the swimmer will be equipped with special arms to swim forward. Evolta the biker, will be on a little two-wheeler with training wheels, while Evolta the runner, will be fixed on what looks like a wheel. In spite of all these advantages, the robot's creator Tomotaka Takahashi believes that the race will be a huge challenge -- not only will Evolta have to battle the wind and sun, but also, small road obstacles that humans just step over. The water will be even worse thanks to the strong waves, tides and ocean winds. But if he does complete it, Evolta will add another feather in his cap and just prove the already well-known fact that Panasonic's rechargeable Evolta batteries are indeed the "world's longest-lasting batteries"! From the text, we can infer that Evolta will take part in the competition to _ . Answer: market Panasonic's batteries Hello, I'm Ann. This is a photo of my family. There are four members in my family. The woman in the photo is my mother Mary. She is a teacher. She likes reading. The man is my father Jack. He's a teacher, too. He can play football, but he can't play basketball. Look, the lovely baby is my brother Mike. I like my family very much. What does my mother like? Answer: My mother likes reading.
For some kids, old photos and baby pictures are embarrassing. For others, they are _ . But for thousands of children living in orphanages worldwide, these records of the past simply don't exist. Either the kids' parents weren't around to snap photos, or the pictures have been lost. Whatever the reason is, the Memory Project is giving orphans a lasting document of their youth. Over the last two years, the Memory Project has provided hand-painted portraits to more than 4,000 children living in orphanages in poor countries. Ben Schumaker, 24, got the idea when he was visiting an orphanage in Guatemala in Central America. But he's not creating the _ alone. Students in hundreds of high school art classes across the U.S. paint them using photos sent from the orphanages. Schumaker believes that the artists benefit from the project as much as the orphans do."There are two purposes of the Memory Project," he said. "One is to offer a special gift to the child abroad. The other is to help open the eyes of the student who is painting."Staring into the eyes of another person, Schumaker believes, it creates a real connection. This connection raises awareness in U.S. schools about the needs of the world's poor children."It's about planting a seed," he said. Schumaker is also working on Books of Hope, a project in which students of all ages put together homemade books for children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India will send books to the U.S. "It's important to me to have it be a two-way exchange," Schmnaker says. According to the passage, Schumaker helps the kids in _ . Answer: Every pet owner loves his pet .There is no argument here. But when we asked our readers whether they would clone their beloved animals , the responses were split almost down the middle . Of the 228 readers who answered it ,108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion . Clearly, from readers' response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and eventual sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people's widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure Most of the readers who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope that clone could truly recreate a pet; many simply did not wish to go against the natural law of life and death. Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More of them owned "the best dog/cat in the world". They thought of their pets as their "best friend" or "a member of the family". They told moving stories of pets' heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion. No wonder the loss is so disturbing---and the cloning so attractive. "People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies," says Gary Kowalski, author of goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. "For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away...It's understandable. Death is always painful. It's difficult to deal with. It's hard to accept." But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seems to be at the heart of this problem. As far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, _ . Answer: There is a big question making the rounds among the parents at my daughter's class. Should the kids refer to the parents' friends as "Mr. Jones" or "Mrs. Smith", rather than using their first names? I was quite shocked, having come from a home where it would have been unheard of to refer to one of my parents' friends by their first names. This was reserved for only the closest of family friends and s, and even they always had "Aunt" or "Uncle" in front their name. Respect is something that is earned. Unlike many of the other virtues we try to nurture in our kids, respect is a bit more complicated. It is not only necessary when dealing well with others, but the virtue of self-respect is critical for kids to succeed and feel good about themselves and their choices throughout their lives. There are several factors that can have a big impact on kids and their ability to be respectful. The first one to consider is manners. Calling adults by their surnames, setting proper examples during sporting events and while driving, and how we talk to each other in our homes all can have an enormous effect on a child's concept of respect and how important it is. Many of these seemingly trivial ideas have become almost outdated, but one should seriously consider the value of these ideas before casting( ) them aside. It is easy to become unaware of these behaviors. Try to keep track of how often your child is subjected to this kind of disrespect. The media, as you may have guessed, plays a large part in the increase in disrespect. Movies are equally to blame, with a PG movie often containing an abundant amount of _ language. These factors and others all contribute to an alarming increase in disrespect in society. If we don't step in and change course, we will find living in a morally respectful culture unlikely. What does the author think of kids' referring to parents' friends by their first names? Answer: The meaning of the word "volunteer" may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means "one who offers his or her services". There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don't expect any kind of pay. At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a _ of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa's homes in Calcutta. The following is her story. "I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school We watched a video about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks. " "I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don't think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help,but to learn about and experience another culture that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world. " What is the best title for the passage? Answer: Nowadays the problem of the generation gap is becoming more and more serious. Poor relationship between parents and their children are very common. Whether we like it or not, our parents are responsible for us at least until we're out of high school. So rather than get upset about that fact, maybe we should focus on some ways to make our relationship better. The best way, in my opinion, is to learn to really communicate with my parents. When I find myself arguing with my mom and dad, I try to stop. If I can manage to stop myself from talking, I usually find that I can calm down quickly. I guess I'm usually acting out of emotion rather than logic . But if I can stop arguing for a minute, it seems that my opinion changes and I start to realize that I'm a bit childish. Emotionally I may still be upset, but logically I understand that yelling and fighting surely won't make things better. Once I've stopped arguing, I look at my parents in the eye. You'd be amazed at how much easier it is to communicate with your parents when you've actually looking at them. Looking away doesn't do much of anything except for giving them the impression that I'm not listening or that I don't care. It's much easier to see things eye to eye when you're physically seeing them eye to eye. Finally, I listen to what they're saying (or at least I try). Communication can't happen unless both sides hear and listen to each other. There is nothing wrong with my hearing, but that doesn't mean I always listen to the sounds that people are making. When I argue with my parents, I can physically hear what they're saying without mentally listening to it. Whether I admit it or not, my parents' experience can actually help them give me some pretty sound advice at times. I don't always agree with them, but I think it's safe to say that it has truly helped our relationship in the long run. What can we learn from the passage? Answer:
Recordings of angry bees are enough to send big, tough African elephants running away, a new study says. Beehives -either recorded or real-may even prevent elephants from damaging farmer's crops. In 2002, scientist Lucy King and her team found that elephants avoid certain trees with bees living in them. Today, Lucy wants to see if African honeybees might discourage elephants from eating crops. But before she asked farmer to go to the trouble of setting up beehives on their farms, she needed to find out if the bees would scare elephants away. Lucy found a wild beehive inside a tree in northern Kenya and set up a recorder. Then she threw a stone into the beehive, which burst into life. Lucy and her assistant hid in their car until the angry bees had calmed down. Next,Lucy searched out elephant families in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya and put a speaker in a close to each family. From a distance, Lucy switched on the pre-recorded sound of angry bees while at the same time recording the elephants with a video camera. Half the elephant groups left the area within ten seconds. Out of a total of 17 groups, only one group ignored the sound of the angry bees. Lucy reported that all the young elephants immediately ran to their mothers to hide under them. When Lucy Played the sound of a waterfall instead of the angry bees to many of the same elephant families, the animals were undisturbed. Even after four minutes, most of the groups stayed in one place. Lucy is now studying whether the elephants will continue to avoid the sound of angry bees after hearing it several times. She hasn't tested enough groups yet to know, but her initial results were promising enough to begin trials with farmers. She has now begun placing speakers in the fields to see if elephants are frightened away. Why did Lucy throw a stone into a wild beehive? Twenty four hours are Most of the concentration of which gas results from the activity of producer organisms? How long is it between a moon phase? Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milk Way? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach your destination. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut-eye. They would have to sleep for years. European researchers are now conducting hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a space flight to distant planets. "If there was an effective technology, it could make deep-space travel a reality," said Mark Ayre of the European Space Agency last month. _ Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleep-like state where they don't age. They have now moved on to small, non-hibernating mammals like rats. The results will be out by the end of 2004. A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, whereas body organs are far more complex. "It's like moving from a simple Apple computer to a supercomputer," said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy's University of Pavia. Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person's metabolism to lower so they would need less energy. Medical research, however, is just half of a space flight hibernation system. There is the challenge of designing a suitable protective shelter. Such a shelter would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator. According to Ayre, the six-person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission to Jupiter's moon Callisto, could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six humans on a five-year flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045. The passage implies that _ .
Which group consists only of living things? Answer: rabbit, seed, bird Which list contains only nonliving things? Answer: water, rocks, sunlight If you need any help in planning your future, call in at the Education and Careers Expo , which opened at the City Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday. Expo gives you a unique opportunity to meet leading industrialists and educators. I spoke to several young people at Expo, and they all agreed how useful it was to have so much information under one roof. Duncan Kelly intends to take a university course in design after he leaves school. He was collecting some of the free literature when I spoke to him. "I'm not in a hurry to make a choice at the moment. I want to get all the information before I make up my mind." One feature of Expo is the careers seminars , at which expert speakers outline their respective fields. Barbara Watts is already at university, in the second year of a law degree. She's decided to keep on studying after she graduates. She attended a seminar on international law. "The speaker was really good at getting across his message," said Barbara. "It was very helpful." But Expo isn't just for people who are still in education. It also offers help to those in employment, and to people who are considering retraining or a change of career. One advantage of Expo in that you can meet many prospective employers face to face, and talk to them frankly about your plans. As Charles Li told me, "Normally I wouldn't dare to go and talk to the manager of a company. But today I have talked to several managers. It's easy to meet them here, in a relaxed environment." He left school after Junior High and went to work in a factory to earn a living. He's looking at changing his career and perhaps tidying to be an accountant. The organizers expect over 200,000 young people to visit Expo, and there's no doubt that it's a bit of a squash . But the opportunities available here certainly make up for any discomfort. So, if you need any help with your future, come along to Expo. You don't need a ticket. It's open today, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm, and entry is free to all. Which of the following statements about Expo is NOT true? Answer: It aims at helping interviewees. A military train carrying soldiers has derailed south of Egypt's capital Cairo, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 100, officials say. The train was travelling to an army camp in Cairo when it came off the tracks in the Badrashin area of Giza. It is not yet known what caused the accident. Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record. Last November 50 children died after a train crash into their school bus. Both the transport minister and the head of the railway authority were forced to resign as a result of the crash, which took place in November near Manfalut, 350km south of Cairo. Investigations later showed the barriers at the crossing were not closed because the signal operator had fallen asleep. Monday's incident occurred as the army train was heading from Upper Egypt into Cairo. Reports say more than 1,300 passengers were aboard the train when the accident happened shortly after midnight. The passengers wounded in the accident have been taken to hospitals, the governor of Giza said. An eyewitness told BBC Arabic that he saw two dozen dead bodies at the scene of the accident. The latest incident could increase the pressure on the government to deal with the safety of trains, the BBC's Said Shehata reports from Cairo. Four years ago, some 18 people were killed and dozens injured in an accident crash between two passenger trains in the Giza area. And in 2002, a train caught fire in Cairo, killing 373 people. Who quit the job because of the accident? Answer: The transport minister. If you have ever been discouraged because of failure , please read on. Usually, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain. Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors. "We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders , worms and a lot of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors who were laughing at them. Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!" Their goal was far too difficult, but it made them dig. And that is what a goal is for--to make us move in the direction we have chosen. In other words, it sets us to digging! But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!" And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters. The writer told us the story to _ . Answer: advise us to treats our failures fairly
Dear Jenny, Please take these things to your brother: his math book, baseball, notebook, CDs, and video tape. The math book is on the dresser. The baseball is under the bed. The notebook is on the bed. The CDs are in the drawer. The video tape is on the table. Thanks! Mom The math book is _ . A Jenny's B Mom's C Jenny's brother's D Tom's Answer: C. Jenny's brother's The prefix = st1 /USgovernment has announced plans to list polar bears as a threatened species because of concerns that the ice where they live is melting. But as the BBC's Owen Clegg reports, theUSplans are also important for other reasons. It's estimated that there are no more than twenty-five thousand polar bears living in the wild, and this number could go down by a large amount as the floating ice upon which the bears survive melt away. Now, without admitting the cause of this melt, the US Fish and Wildlife Services are reviewing the bear's living conditions. That action is being taken at all, and marks an important change for the Bush administration; for the first time, it may be forced to acknowledge a link between global warming and its effect on a species. Such a conclusion by an unwilling Bush administration could force far wider changes inWashington's policy towards the environment. This review only came about after a union of environmental groups brought a legal case against the government to take action. Environmentalists, like David Doniger, believe that by calling on the protections of the Endangered Species Act, theUSgovernment may finally be forced to cut back on its sending out greenhouse gases: "It is a very important thing today to have the Bush administration notice that global warming is threatening the existence of the polar bear. Now, it's up to the administration to do something to stop the global warming that's threatening the polar bear." ( David Doniger) The United States is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases which are blamed for trapping heat from the sun and changing the earth's climate. Since taking office in 2001, President Bush has refused to make the link with global warming, but the bad, serious situation of the polar bear may force that position to change. What is the direct reason for the polar bear to become endangered? A It is that the floating ice upon which they survive melts away. B It is that more greenhouse gases have been sent out. C It is because of the global warming. D It is because of no protection of their living conditions. Answer: A. It is that the floating ice upon which they survive melts away. Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning. Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water: At the Lake or Pond Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision-- lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore. Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish. Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes. Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm. Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol . Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water. At the Beach Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides . Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions. Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over. Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel to the shore or should tread water and call for a lifeguard's help. Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning. The passage is probably written for _ . A students at school B kids who want to learn swimming C parents with little children D coaches who teach kids to swim Answer: C. parents with little children It was shortly before midnight, and Dr Patricia was getting ready for bed. The phone rang on the end of the line was a woman about to break a promise. The woman was her mother's neighbour. Flora Harris had made the neighbour swear she wouldn't tell her daughter she'd a heart attack and was in the hospital, for fear her daughter would worry. The neighbour wisely decided to disobey orders. Harris desperately wanted to get to the hospital immediately, but she couldn't. She lives in Washington, D.C, and her mother lives in California. For the past year a half, Harris has gone to Los Angeles every other month to take care of her mother. Flora Harris takes care of her husband, James, who's 91 and has Alzheimer's disease. They live in their own home, and a caregiver comes to help them a few hours a day. Harris is one of many Americans facing the heartache of how to take care of aging parents from afar. She's often worried, not to mention extremely busy with a demanding job, two teenage daughters and the frequent trips to California. In some ways, Harris is lucky. She has the resources to make the trips to Los Angeles. Plus, Harris is a doctor who treats the elderly. " But it's still tough," she said. " I can foresee what the next few years are going to look like, and it's not a pretty picture. My father's going to need diapers . There will come a time when he won' t recognize me and he's easily excited. I worry he's going to be violent and hurt my mother." So what do you do when you live a continent away for your aging, sick parents? There are no magic answers. You can hire someone to help, but you can't _ it completely. What's the main idea of this passage? A Aging people in the USA are increasing. B The rate of heart disease is high in America. C It is difficult to tend aging parents from afar. D Harris advises on tending aging parents from afar. Answer: C. It is difficult to tend aging parents from afar. Why don't so many Americans accept the theory of evolution? A 2001 Gallup Poll found that 45 percent of Americans agree with the statement "God created the human being pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so ", while 37 percent preferred a mixed belief that "Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process", and only 12percent accepted the standard scientific theory that "Human being have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process". There are at least four reasons to make people resistant to accepting evolution. 1. The warfare model of science and religion. The belief that there is a war between science and religion where one is right and the other is wrong, and that one must choose one over the other. 2. The belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets . Many people attempt to use science to prove certain religious tenets, but when they do not appear to fit, the science is rejected. 3. Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory. A significant problem is that most people know so little about the theory. In the 2001 Gallup Poll, for example, a quarter of the people surveyed said they didn't know enough to say whether they accepted evolution or not, and only 34 percent considered themselves to be "very informed " about the theory. 4. The fear that evolution degrades our humanity. Darwin revealed us to be "mere animals", subject to the same natural laws and historical forces as all other animals. Believers should embrace science, especially evolutionary theory, for what it has done to uncover the magnificence of the divinity in a depth never dreamed by our ancient ancestors. We have learned a lot in 4,000 years, and that knowledge should never be denied. Instead, science should be welcomed by all who cherish human understanding and wisdom. The author wrote the passage to _ . A tell the readers that many Americans refuse evolution theory. B tell the readers why so many Americans refuse evolution theory. C advise the readers to value science, including evolution theory. D tell the difference between science and religion. Answer: C. advise the readers to value science, including evolution theory.
Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment-your cell phone or your wallet? Soon you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over an electronic scanner. In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6,800 of its stores. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U.S., but we're likely to see more wireless payment alternatives as something called near field communication (NFC) gets into America's consumer electronics. Last December, some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public. Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above a payment terminal - a contact- free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely adopted in the U.S., a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and- pay systems that use NFC-enabled credit cards, cell phone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale(POS)market. Three big cell phone service providers have formed a joint venture that will go into operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is "to lead the U.S. payments industry from cards to mobile phone." The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security. For instance, what's to stop a thief from digitally pick-pocketing you? "We're still not at the point where an attacker can just brush against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone," says Jimmy Shah. A mobile- security researcher, "Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for larger purchases." Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected. Your wallet isn't. Three cell phone service providers form a joint venture to _ . Answer: get a share in the payments industry We may all like to consider ourselves free spirits. But a study of the tracks left by 50,000 mobile phone users over three months has finally proved that the truth is otherwise. "We are all in one way or another boring," says Albert-Laszlo Barabasi at the Center for Complex Network Research at Northeastern University in Boston, who co-wrote the study. "Spontaneous individuals are largely absent from the population," Barabasi and colleagues used three months' worth of data from a mobile phone network to track the mobile phone towers each person's phone connected to each hour of the day, showing their general location. They conclude that regardless of whether a person typically remains close to home or wanders far and wide, their movements are probably predictable as much as 93 percent of the time. Surprisingly, the mobile phone data showed that individuals' movements were more or less as predictable at weekends as on weekdays, suggesting that routine is rooted in human nature rather than being an effect of work patterns. The mobile phone records were handled to make out the most visited locations for each user. Then the probability of finding a given user at his most visited locations at each hour through the day was calculated. People were to be found in their most visited location for any given hour 70 percent of the time. Not surprisingly, the figure increased at night, and decreased at lunchtime and in the early evening, when most people were returning home from work. The team analyzed the randomness of people's traces to show it was possible in theory to predict the average person's places as much as 93 percent of the time. "Say your routine movement is from home to the coffee shop to work: if you are at home and then go to the coffee shop it's easy for me to predict that you are going to work," says co-author Nicholas Blumm. This predictability was not much affected by differences in age, gender, language spoken or whether a person lived in a rural or urban setting. What is the passage mainly about? Answer: The predictability of one's routine. Loved and hated, but never boring. That is what people say of American writer Norman Mailer, who died late last year at the age of 84. He was the author of some of the greatest books of the 20th century. But Mailer will be remembered as much for his personality as for his writing. He was rude and bad-tempered. He violently attacked other authors and even wounded one of his six wives. However, this never stopped Mailer from being successful. People always wanted to read his books. His provocative writing style and willingness to deal with difficult subjects made his books bestsellers. "He was willing to take risks with just about everything," says the author Gore Vidal. "He had a radical imagination, a way of approaching subjects that was never boring." In a career that lasted six decades, Mailer wrote about a wide variety of subjects from history and politics to sport and celebrities. But he was most famous for writing novels and he twice won the Pulitzer Prize. His best book was The Naked and the Dead, a story about the tensions between American soldiers fighting Japan in World War II. Drawn on his own experiences as a soldier, it is a study of men at war examining their cruelty and bravery. Mailer's brilliance as an author was his ability to capture human behavior. He did so through interesting characters, realistic dialogue and rich descriptions. The author William F. Buckley said, "He created the most beautiful metaphors in the English." Mailer leaves behind more than 40 books as his literary legacy . However, he never achieved his life's goal. He wanted to write what he called the "big one", the greatest novel ever written about America. Well, at least it wasn't for a lack of trying. What attitude does the author hold toward Norman Mailer in the passage? Answer: objective Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty. Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway from side to side. Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden. Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention? Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more leaves. At the end of six months, _ . Answer: one plant had longer roots than the other and had a thicker stem Recently Dr. Cleiman has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle. During the hours when you labor (work) through your work, you may say that you are "hot". That is true, the time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak . For some people the peak comes during the forenoon . For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what this energy cycle means and which cycle each member of the family has. You cannot change your cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. "Habits can help," Dr. Cleiman believes. If your energy cycle is low in the morning but you have an important job early in the day, rise before your usual hour, and then you will work better at your low point. Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a lazy yawn and stretch . Sit on the edge of bed before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome searching for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. According to the passage, _ . Answer: one works better at one's peak energy point
Question: Which of the following reasons would an angler fish use a light? A. attracting researchers B. attracting humans C. attracting predators D. attracting sardines Answer: D. attracting sardines Question: DNA stores the genetic instructions transferred from one generation to the next. What is DNA? A. a molecule B. a membrane C. a cell nucleus D. a spiral-shaped cell Answer: A. a molecule Question: Which species have been on the Earth for the shortest amount of time? A. Humans B. Insects C. Fish D. Reptiles Answer: A. Humans Question: When I was a boy, I was a football fan. I played football with some other boys in the backyard all the time. My mom was worried that I would get ill in the hot summer. One day my brother gave me a new football. I came into the yard and played it excitedly. But suddenly, the ball flew through the window and nearly hit my dad. Dad said nothing. He took my football and cut it in half. I didn't cry because I knew how terrible my mistake was. I didn't expect to get another football. But to my surprise, Dad bought me another one the next month and told me to be more careful. I was really thankful for my father's forgiveness . He showed me that even when I made a mistake, he still loved me and gave me another chance. Parents always give us their unconditional love and forgiveness. We should always give our love and forgiveness to them, too. After his father bought him another football, the writer _ . A. forgot his mistake B. was angry C. was thankful to his father D. didn't like it Answer: C. was thankful to his father Question: Which tool should a student use to compare the masses of two small rocks? A. balance B. hand lens C. ruler D. measuring cup Answer: A. balance
The Save the Children Fund is known as Save the Children. It is an internationally organization that protects children's rights and helps support children in developing countries. It was set up in the United Kingdom in 1919 in order to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic chances, it also provides food and water for the children in natural disasters, war, and other serious situations. Except for the UK organization, there are 30 other national Save the Children organizations who are members of Save the Children International, a global network of charity organizations supporting local partners in over 120 countries around the world. Save the Children helps the local government change so that it can help young people get more rights, it works very well, especially with the support from the UN. Save the Children joins all the members' efforts to protect children from the effects of war. Which of the following is NOT the aim of Save the Children. Over the lifetime of the planet hydro mechanical wearing will create a Bad teeth, a heavier body? And now, weaker bones. Last week, American scientists found another bad thing about cola: It's bad for our bones, especially women's bones. Well, if cola is bad for us, you may want other popular drinks , for example, energy drinks . Energy drinks look cool. Their makers say they give you energy and make you better at sports. So, many students drink them before exams to help them stay awake. But wait. To keep you awake, most energy drinks have a lot of caffeine . They are like a strong cup of coffee or tea. If you drink a lot of them, your heart will beat faster. You will feel nervous . You could also have sleeping problems and find it hard to live without them. Amanda Smith is a 16-year-old US junior high school student. She drinks one or more energy drinks every day. She started to do this a year ago before dance class. But now, Smith says, "I drink them whenever I feel weak or before a test. I cannot help drinking them." The energy you get from the drinks helps for only a short time. You may feel good for an hour or so, but then you'll feel worse than before. Though energy drinks make one feel good at first, it _ . Reading is thought to be a kind of conversation between the reader and the text. The reader puts questions to the text and gets answers. In the light of these he puts further questions, etc. For most of the time this "conversation" goes on below the level of consciousness. At times, however, we become aware of it. This is usually when we are running into difficulties, when mismatch is occurring between our expectations and meaning of the text. When successful matching is being experienced, our questioning of the text continues at the unconscious level. Different people converse with the text differently. Some stay very close to the words on the pages; others take off imaginatively from the words, interpreting, criticizing, analyzing and examining. The former represents a kind of comprehension which is written in the text. The latter represents higher levels of comprehension. The balance between these is important, especially for the advanced readers. There is another conversation which from our point of view is equally important, and that has nothing to do with what is read but with how it is read. We call this a "process" conversation as opposed to "content" conversation. It is concerned not with meaning but with the strategies we employ in reading. If we are advanced reader our ability to hold a content conversation with text is usually well developed but not so our ability to hold a process conversation. It is just this kind of conversation that is of importance when we are seeking to develop our reading to meet the new demands being placed upon us by studying at a higher level. As a kind of conversation between the reader and the text, it becomes conscious only when _ . There are two methods by whichhydrogen can be used to power cars. The first way is to use hydrogen to drive the engine, in much the same way as many cars use gas. The second method is to use the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a battery, making the car a kind of electric one. The dream of producing hydrogen in the car while driving along byelectrolyzing water is a long way off, so we are still at the period of batteries and filling the tank with hydrogen gas. This is the difficulty for potential car users and producers. There are only sixteen hydrogen filling stations in Los Angeles and none in 99% of other cities worldwide. Indeed, some of the big name automobile producers have pulled out of the race to put the first practical hydrogen car on the streets. Ford and GM have announced that they are pulling out in America and so has Renault in France. However, the Japanese companies are pressing on. In fact, Honda introduced its first hydrogen fuel cell car in 1999. They are now producing second generation hydrogen car known as the FCX Clarity. Guess where they are available for sale? In only one city because of its filling stations. Honda thinks that they could go into full-scale production of the FCX Clarity by 2020 if the world is prepared for _ by then. Then there are hydrogen-powered buses in several European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg and Madrid. Lotus, the makers of London taxis, have announced that they propose to manufacture hydrogen-powered taxis in time for the London Olympics. So, the hydrogen vehicle is out there and the numbers will be growing fairly soon. The buses go back to their bus station, where an electrolyzing machine changes water into fuel for them to fill up on and the same will be the case for many of London's taxis. Unfortunately, getting fuel is not the only difficulty for the average motorist, a number of these vehicles cost about $300,000 each. We can learn from the text that _ .
Question: It was your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift -- a smooth silver laptop. You can't wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop computer. Do you just throw away the monitor and keyboard in the trash? Not anymore! Three states, that is, California, Maine, and Maryland, recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones. Although they don't make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned. It is required that e-waste be placed at special sites rather than usual landfills. Several other states are considering similar laws and California is also pushing for a law banning the application of such dangerous substances. Government officials are not the only people taking aim at e-waste; environmentalists are also urging people to recycle their outdated equipment. "It is just a waste ... to not recycle," Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan, "Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible." What Can You Do? Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer. Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment. Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group. What can we know from Patrick's words? A. Waste can't be recycled. B. Waste can be made use of by recycling C. We have to recycle e-waste to protect the environment. D. Protecting the environment is important. Answer: C Question: Smart job-seekers need to rid themselves of several standard myths about interviewing before they start looking for a job. What follows is a list of some of these untruths and some tips to help you do your best at your next interview. Myth 1: The aim of interviewing is to obtain (means "get") a job offer. Only half true. The real aim of an interview is to obtain the job you want. That often means rejecting job offers you don't want! So before you please an employer, be sure you want the job. Myth 2: Always please the interviewer Not true. Try to please yourself. Of course, don't be hostile--nobody wants to hire someone disagreeable. But there is plainly a muddle ground between being too ingratiating and being hostile. Myth 3: Try to control the interview Nobody "controls" an interview. When someone tries to control us, we resent it. When we try to control others, they resent us. Remember you can't control what an employer thinks of you, just as he can't control what you think of him. So he is ready to give and take when being interviewed; never control the interview. Myth 4: Never interrupt the interviewer Study the style of the effective conversationalists: they interrupt and are interrupted! An exciting conversation always makes us feel free--free to interrupt, to disagree, to agree enthusiastically. Just _ Try being yourself for a change. Employers will either like or dislike you, but at least you'll have made an impression. Leaving an employer indifferent is the worst impression you can make. The most important thing to keep in mind when being interviewed for a job is to _ . A. try to obtain the job B. reject the job first C. qualify yourself for the job D. see if it is a job you want Answer: D Question: Dick was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught chemistry in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun . After he finished middle school, he was introduced to an owner of a hotel and began to work there. One day the young man fell to the ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. He was sent to the hospital and the doctor looked him over. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, "I'm a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward for me, please." "Can't anybody help you?" "No, madam," answered Dick. "I have only a sister. She's a nun and she's poor, too." "I don't think so," the nurse said angrily. "Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!" "Well, then," Dick said with a smile. "Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law." After Dick finished middle school, _ . A. he stayed at home B. he began to work in the hotel C. he began to look for a job D. he broke his leg Answer: B Question: We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four.Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner.I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang.Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests' coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom. The guests arrived.I introduced my two daughters to each of them.The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids. Each of the guests paid too much attention to Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile.They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age. I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big "to do" over the younger one because she's the one who seems more easily hurt.We do it with the best of intention . But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child.I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined .I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes.I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying. I said, "What are you doing, my dear?" She turned to me with a sad expression and said, "Mommy, why don't people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I'm not pretty? Is that why they don't say nice things about me as much?" I tried to explain to her, kissing and held her in arms to make her feel better. Now, whenever I visit a friend's home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first. Kristen felt sad and cried because _ . A. the guest gave her more coats to carry B. the guests praised her sister more than her C. her mother didn't introduce her to the guests D. she didn't look as pretty as Kelly Answer: B Question: What's the strongest part of your body? Your head? Bones? It's your teeth. There is a special thing called enamel in teeth. It is the hardest thing in the human body and keeps bacteria away. However, teeth are hurt easily to problems and disease. September 20 is National Teeth-loving Day in China. Let's pay attention to the health of our teeth. Teeth problems are common around the world. Most children and young adults have tooth decay . A study which come out on China Health Monthly magazine this year showed that 40.74% of a sample of 1,306 Chinese students under age 15 has decayed teeth. Food that is rich in sugar increases the risk of tooth decay. After you eat, bacteria go crazy over the sugar on your teeth. The bacteria turn sugar into acids that eat away at tooth enamel. This causes holes in your teeth. Another common problem is crooked teeth . When your new teeth begin to grow and the old teeth haven't fallen out, there isn't enough space for the new ones. This causes crooked teeth. Don't worry. Here are some ways to keep your teeth healthy. Brush at least twice a day in the morning and in the evening. Learn to use dental floss . The floss gets rid of food that's hidden where your toothbrush can't get it. Visit a dentist. He or she can check if you have any dental problems and help you clean your teeth. Pay attention to what you eat. It's better to eat lots of fruit and vegetables instead of fries and drink water instead of soda. *Wear braces to make your teeth straight and beautiful. Crooked teeth refer to _ . A. decayed teeth B. the old teeth C. the fallen teeth D. the new teeth Answer: D
To my Charlie on his wedding day-- I know you think these notes are silly. I have watched you wear a long face over the years when I give them to you. But understand that sometimes I want to tell you something and I want to get it just right. Putting it down on paper helps me do that. I wish I had been a better writer. I wish I had gone to college. If I had, I think I would have studied English and maybe my vocabulary would have improved. So many times I feel I am using the same words over and over. Like a woman wearing the same dress every day. So boring! What I want to say to you, Charley, is you are marrying a wonderful girl. I think of Catherine in many ways like I think of Roberta. Like a daughter. She is sweet and patient. You should be the same with her, Charley. Here is what you are going to find out about marriage: you have to work at it together. And you have to love three things. You have to love 1) Each other. 2) Your children (when you have some). 3) Your marriage. What I mean by that last one is, there may be times that you fight, and sometimes you and Catherine won't even like each other. But those are the times you have to love your marriage. It's like a third party. Look at your wedding photos. Look at any memories you've made. And if you believe in those memories, they will pull you back together. I'm very proud of you today, Charley. I am putting this in your tuxedo pocket because I know how you lose things. I love you every day! Mom What kind of feeling is mainly revealed in the letter? A. Regret. B. Pride. C. Care. D. Complaint. Answer: C. Care. Flexible working hours, homeworking opportunities and cover for emergencies or school holidays are the top concerns for working mothers, according to a British survey on Thursday. The survey of 1,677 people by specialist employment advice website workingmums.co.uk showed that despite a tougher job climate, in which redundancies had risen dramatically during the crisis, mothers demanded for a more flexible schedule. Flexible hours for full-time jobs came top of the list for 85 percent of respondents who were asked what they thought made for a family-friendly employer. That came just ahead of homeworking opportunities. "Flexibility is really key and able to help achieve an element of work/life balance," workingmums.co.uk founder Gillian Nissim told reporters. She said the crisis had not reduced the urgency of this issue for working mums and that employers who want to be prepared for the eventual upturn would do well to listen to them rather than risk losing them to more forward-thinking rivals. Many women said they had considered setting up their own business as a way around the flexibility problem and nearly half (45 percent) of respondents said they had looked into it. Nissim said the workingmums.co.uk database alone showed that on average working mums have more than 15 years of work experience and a range of valuable skills picked up in the workplace and from their parenting experiences. "So the benefits to employers of being able to accommodate a degree of flexibility is significant," she said. Part-time work, flexibility around emergency cover or school holidays were the next highest concerns with extended maternity pay as well on the list of concerns.More than half (54 percent) of respondents said they would accept a less well-paid job in return for flexibility, with 40 percent prepared to consider this option. The passage mainly discuss the problem of _ . A. working mothers requiring flexible working hours. B. working mothers planning to set up their own businesses. C. well-paid jobs. D. unemployment at the time of financial crisis. Answer: A. working mothers requiring flexible working hours. A college student has turned the act of telling someone off into an art form. Lama Ali, who attend school in Virginia, had three final assignments due on the same day for her fashion drawing class. Exhausted after working on painting for seven hours straight, the 20-year-old decided to include a message in American Sign Language to her professor: When your drawing teacher assigns 3 finals so you secretly write "you got me fucked up" in sign language on your final piece. ----Shawty Arabia(@LemAli23) December 7,2016 "You got me fucked up," a bunch of hands in the painting spell out in ASL, in a form of sign known as finger spelling , which uses signs for each letter, rather than for the words themselves. "Honestly the idea just came to me while I was finishing up the piece," Ali toldThe Huffington Post." I was looking at it and thought, 'This could really use something else'. And then the idea struck me: Why not secretly express how I was feeling while struggling at the library at 4 a. m.?" Once the fashion design major had finished her masterpiece, she posted it to Twitter on Dec. 7, where it has received over 113,000likes and 48,000 retweets . Ali, who does not know ASL, toldHuffPostshe taught herself a little bit just for this particular assignment. "You know it's bad when you have to learn a whole other language to express how done you are," she said. "I remembered seeing a post on Tumblr long ago with a similar phrase by the post, she decided to look up the letters in ASL to spell out the message. Someone on Twitter even did the good work of circling them in the painting. Ali toldHuffPostthat when she finally presented the piece to her professor in her class, he absolutely loved it. "Most of my friends in class actually knew about the secret message, so I was really surprised when no one laughed or blew my cover during critique ." She also admits that her professor still doesn't know about the message, despite her post getting so much attention. How did Ali know about American Sign Language? A. She learned it in middle school. B. She majored in it at college. C. She taught herself when prepared for the assignment. D. Someone taught her on Twitter. Answer: C. She taught herself when prepared for the assignment. Hello! I'm Mark Smith. I'm an American boy. I'm 12 years old. This is my little sister, Ann . She is five. My family are in China now. Because my father and my mother work in China. They are English teachers. They work hard. The students all like them. Now I'm a middle school student. I have a friend at school. He's a Chinese boy. He's very good. His name is Huang Long. His English name is Bill. But I don't know his family name. Can you tell me? Huang Long's family name is _ . A. Long B. Bill C. Smith D. Huang Answer: D. Huang Today's career assumption is that you can get a lot of development, challenge and job satisfaction and not necessarily be in a management role. Managing others is always a tough task, but in the past that stress was balanced by hopes for career mobility and financial rewards. Along with a sizable pay raise, people chosen as managers would begin a nearly automatic climb up the career ladder to successful executive private benefits: company cars, club memberships, plus the key to the executive washroom. But in today's global and more competitive showground, a manager sits in an insecure chair. More companies has begun to take less management as they come to view their organizations as collections of talents rather than hierarchies . There are far fewer steps for managers to climb. Also, managerial jobs demand more hours and headaches than ever before but offer slim, if any financial paybacks and perks. Now managers must manage many people who are spread over different locations, even over different continents. They must manage across functions with, say, design, finance and marketing. In many companies, when the most praised people in business are those launching something new, management seems like an invisible, thankless role. Employers are looking for people who can do things, not for people who make other people do things. Moreover it may not pay to be a manager, at least not the way it once did. Ms. Chmielewski says, "The emotional rewards can be great, and there were times when I enjoyed management. But a 10-to-11-hour day and one weekend day a month is the norm ". With more people cautious of joining management, are companies being hurt or worrying about developing future leaders? Not many are. While employers have fired a lot of managers, they believe many more candidates linger on at many companies. "Another reason why companies aren't short of managers," argues Robert Kelley, a business professor, "is that so many workers today are self-managed, either individually or via teams, they don't need a manager." The author mentions what Ms Chmielewski says to reflect that _ . A. the managers' low working efficiency makes them less paid B. the gain of being a manager is not as satisfactory as before C. she enjoys great emotional rewards of being a manager now D. she misses the past enjoyment of being a manager Answer: B. the gain of being a manager is not as satisfactory as before
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to _ death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment--"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region. As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies. What Types of Nerves Make Your Body Work Properly? The body has many kinds of nerves. There are those involved in the process of thinking, memory, and of detecting sensations (such as hot/cold, sharp/dull), and others for vision, hearing, and other bodily functions. The nerves that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle power. Examples of voluntary movements are your making the effort to reach for the phone or step off a curb; these actions are controlled by the muscles in the arms and legs. The heart and the digestive system are also made of muscle but a different kind, and their movements are not under voluntary control. When your heart beats or a meal is digested, it all happens automatically. Therefore, the heart and digestive system are not involved in ALS. Breathing also may seem to be involuntary. Remember, though, while you cannot stop your heart, you can hold your breath-so be aware that ALS may eventually have an impact on breathing. Although the cause of ALS is not completely understood, the recent years have brought a wealth of new scientific understanding regarding the physiology of this disease. While there is not a cure or treatment today that halts or reverses ALS, there is one FDA approved drug, riluzole, that modestly slows the progression of ALS as well as several other drugs in clinical trials that hold promise. Importantly, there are significant devices and therapies that can manage the symptoms of ALS that help people maintain as much independence as possible and prolong survival. It is important to remember that ALS is a quite variable disease; no two people will have the same journey or experiences. There are medically documented cases of people in whom ALS 'burns out,' stops progressing or progresses at a very slow rate. What can we learn from the passage _ ? When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, at the same time they usually talk about a lot of subjects, including children, men, careers and what's happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen---they can't do both---and they don't understand that women can. Besides , women think that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships--not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen. During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot(the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.) and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the small body language signals that show how the characters are feeling emotionally . Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully because they want to keep relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to connect to the facts. Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a way of keeping relationship. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours. There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls' mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Lewis, author ofSocial Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents reply to the brain differences of their children. Since a girl's brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we talk to them more. As a result, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short complaints in reply. Which of the following would be the BEST title for the passage? People living in the UK take quite a few holidays abroad and in this country each year.Choices made about where to go, how to get there and what to do while there can either benefit or harm the environment. While on holiday Many of the things you can do to the greener on holiday will be the same things you can do at home--but there are also some extra things too, like avoiding gifts made from endangered plants and animals.Here are some suggestions: Making the most of locally produced food and drink, and local activities and attractions will support people in the area you are visiting and reduce the need for further environmental influence from transport; Switching off any air conditioning, heating and lights will help reduce climate change effect; Save water--some countries suffer from water shortages and saving water can help avoid damage to our natural habitats . Endangered species Some gifts and foods available in some countries can be made from endangered plants or animals.Check before you buy, but if you doubt, avoid animal and plant gifts.More details of the types of products to avoid and illegal trade hotspots can be found on the Souvenir Alert web page. Making a positive contribution to the place you are visiting There are ways in which your holiday can help support local people and the environment: There are many opportunities to volunteer and help with projects that conserve and improve natural habitats; *When you are away, or if you are looking for somewhere to visit, you can support projects or attractions which protect wildlife, such as nature reserves and conservation projects. We can infer from the passage that _ . A global positioning system(GPS)service is aiding the elderly in the Panlong district of Kunming,capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province. The telecommunications service provider,with the support o,f the local govemment,started the GPS tracking service in January to help the elderly,especially those with Alzheimer's disease,a condition that slowly destroys memory. Huang Haiying,an employee with a local telecommunications company,told China Daily that with the GPS devices ,the people who look after the elderly can quickly find their positions either online or by ca l l ing the service center in case ot emergencles. The system is also connected to the police,hospitals,fire services and community service centers to ensure that the elderly get quick and proper help,Huang said. Experts said that this service could improve the quality of life for thousands of elderly people with Alzheimer's,their families and those who look after them. Hundreds of people have already been helped by the service this year,Huang said. Huang said that the system has about 1 0,000 subscribers and she expects that number to grow 1 0 times over the next three years.A user pays 25 yuan($4)each month for the service.A family with an income below the local poverty line can get a 10 yuan subsidy evcry month from the government. The local government has spent more than 2 million yuan to subsidize the service to date. Rao Yuehui,director of the Panlong civil affairs department,said that about 90,000 people,or 15.4 percent of the district'S population,are more than.60 years old. He Xiangqun,an official with the Yunnan provincial civil affairs department,said that this means that the population meets international standards classifying it, as an aging society as defined by the United Nations. The GPS service mentioned in the passage is _ . Saturday, March 24th We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This is our first trip toThailand . All the different smells make us want to try the food. We aregoing to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North. Tuesday, March 27th Bangkok is wonderful and surprising! The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai. Friday, March 30th Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life-no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say "hello". Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year. It seems that visitors _ in Bangkok.
One day, many years ago, when I was working as a psychologist in England, David was brought into my office. His face was pale and he looked at his own feet. David lost his father when he was two years old and lived with his mother and grandfather ever since. But the year before he turned 13, his grandfather died and his mother was killed in a car accident. His teacher told me that he refused to talk to others from then on. How could I help him? David didn't say a word. As he was leaving, I put my hand on his shoulder."Come back next week if you like. "I said. He came and I suggested we play a game of chess. He agreed. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon--in complete silence. Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed. It seemed that he liked to be with me. But why didn't he ever look at me? "Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. Months later, when I was looking at his head, he suddenly looked up at me. "It's your turn," he said. After that day, David started talking. He finally got friends in school and he even joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times. Now he had re ally started to live his life. Maybe I gave David something. But I learned a lot from him. I learned how time makes it possible to get over what seems to be painful. David showed me how to help people like him. All they need is a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch and an ear that listens. When David was brought into the writer's office, _ . A he said hello to the writer B he seemed happy C he looked at his own feet D he smiled at the writer Answer: C. he looked at his own feet What drifts above the earth longer? A an iron throne B a rock C a fat crowd-worker D an inflatable toy Answer: D. an inflatable toy Little Tom likes cartoons very much .When the cartoons begin on TV, he does nothing until they' re over. Sometimes he'd rather wait for a long time and go to bed late. In the morning his mother has to wake him up, or he will be late for school. Yesterday Tom heard there would be an interesting cartoon today. This morning, as soon as he got up, he turned the television, but didn't receive the programme. He had to have breakfast and then went to school. After school he ran home while his mother was cooking supper in the kitchen . He hurried to the sitting room and turned on the television again, but he couldn't find the cartoon. He rushed into the kitchen and asked his mother to help. "It's only five now," said the woman. "Your programme will be after supper." "Well, let's have supper right now!" Tom spends much time _ when he is free. A playing football B watching football matches on TV C doing his homework D watching cartoons on TV Answer: D. watching cartoons on TV When Andrea Peterson landed her first teaching job, she faced the task of creating a music program with almost no money for equipment or supplies in a climate where standards-based learning was the focus and music just provided a break for students and teachers. For her drive and creativity in overcoming those challenges, she's been name national teacher of the year. Principal Waynes Kettler said he's worked with many outstanding teachers in his 22 years as an educator, but Peterson is "just that one step above anybody I've ever worked with before." Kettler and others at Monte Cristo Elementary School talk about the ways she has introduced the learning from other classrooms into her music program and her creativity in working around things such as the lack of money for new music. When students were reading S.E. Hinton's novel in their regular classroom, Peterson helped them write a 30-minute play with scenes from the book. Then they chose three Broadway tunes that focused on race, equality and social justice, the themes of the book. Peterson composed two other sons herself after classroom discussions about the play and the book. The honor means a lot to residents of Granie Falls. It's inspiring to know that people from small towns can even win national honors. As national teacher of the year, Peterson will spend the next year outside classroom, as a national and international spokeswoman for education. Not surprisingly, she is a big believer in the value of arts education. She said it's essential for schools to offer classes such as art or music and physical education because for some kids one of those subjects is the only thing that motivates them to come back to school day after day. Which of the following is an example of Peterson's way of teaching music? A She wrote plays on themes of race, equality and social justice. B She made use of the contents of other classes in her teaching. C She organized classroom discussions of Broadway tunes. D She helped students compose songs by themselves. Answer: B. She made use of the contents of other classes in her teaching. Drawing is a universal language. It was probably our first form of self-expression when we were babies: long before we start writing, we're painting and scribbling , both in order to make sense of the world and because we enjoy it. In the history of human culture, too, painting and image making came before writing or even simple mathematics: 30,000 years ago compared to 5,000. Yet after we leave school most of us never pick up a pencil again--willingly. If asked to draw something, most adults and many older children will shake their heads and say, " Not me! I can't draw. I'm hopeless at it." When you think about it, this is very strange. Drawing involves coordinating the hand and the eye with the pencil. It's a basic skill, no more difficult to learn than other amazing things that humans do, such as hitting a tennis ball over the net or writing our own name. there's no special talent involved. Anybody who can learn to write can learn to draw. So, there you are - no excuse not to get out your pencil, pencil sharpener and rubber and take part in the Big Draw, a nationwide series of free art events taking place all over Britain next October. Everyone's welcome: all you need is a willingness to express yourself through drawing. The Big Draw, now in its fifth year, has already achieved two world records: one for the longest drawing in the world (1km) and the other for the greatest number of people drawing at the same time (7,000). This year, there will be an attempt to create a new Guinness World Record for the longest visitors'book: people will be invited to leave their name and a drawing on a three-kilometer piece of paper. The theme this year is Inside\Outside--People, Structure( ) and Spaces, and other events planned include drawing on a three-kilometer piece of paper. The Big Draw is not about turning the nation into artists, it is about helping people to acquire this universal language of communication. Its greatest achievement next October will be to bring hundreds of thousands of people together to look, imagine, draw and have fun. Who is the Big Draw for? A People who can't draw. B people who would like to try drawing. C People who want to create a world record. D People who don't draw though they are adults. Answer: B. people who would like to try drawing.
Question: Angie went to the library with her mother. First she had to turn in the books she was returning at the return desk. They said hello to the man there. He took their books. Then they went into the adult reading room. Angie sat in a brown chair at the table. She made a drawing of her mother. Her mother found a large red book. Then they went to the Mystery section. Angie sat in a blue chair. She drew a picture of her brother. Her mother found the book. It was a green book. Finally it was time to go to the children's room. It was Story Hour. Miss Hudson was there to read to all the children. She read a book about friendship. After the story Angie sat in the red chair and began drawing. They were drawing pictures of friends. Angie drew a picture of her best friend Lilly. Miss Hudson hung the pictures on the wall. Then Angie and her mother picked out 8 books to read at home. They checked the books out and went home. What did Angie draw at Story Hour? A. Her mother B. her brother C. Miss Hudson D. Her friend Lilly Answer: D Question: Peng Jiangya, a 24-year-old girl, was born in Guizhou Province. She lives in a village of the Yinjiang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County at the foot of the Fanjing Mountains on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau . Twenty-two years ago, One day her parents were out, she fell into a fire stove at home, and the fire burned her fingers badly. The family was too poor at the time to afford the expensive medical treatment ,at last she lost all her fingers. "When I was a child, I was unable to hold chopsticks. My parents taught me for a long time. It was really difficult, but I tried it over and over again ,and at the age of seven, I overcame it. From then on I knew that one had to put great efforts into what she was doing," said PengJiangya. As a child , PengJiangya often saw others make cross-stitch and then she decided to learn how to make it herself. " Of course, it took me many years to do that, when I was 18, I got it." Said Peng. Now she can make as good cross-stitch works as her companions ,but she is faster than other people. Her hometown of Yinjiang Tujia at the foot of the Fanjing Mountains on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateauhas become a tourist attraction. As for her future, Peng Jiangya said: "I will gather a few other people to embroider the beautiful landscape of our hometown as a souvenir and lasting memory for tourists. At the same time, we can make more money." PengJiangya lost all her fingers, when _ . A. she was 22 years old B. she was 13 years old C. when her parents were at home D. she was at an early age Answer: D Question: If you experience great stress in your life on a frequent basis, you're not alone. Nowadays, stress is almost a given fact of life. Actually, a certain degree of stress can have positive effects on us. But if stress continues over a long period of time, the effects on the body can be harmful, resulting in health problems and stress-related illness, including heart attack and stroke. Stress is a normal reaction by the body to what it perceives as a threatening situation or environment. Short-term reactions may include an increase in heart rate as well as a rise in blood pressure. A person under short-term stress may feel nervous, anxious and even experience shortness of breath. Other reactions can include a dry mouth, quick heartbeat, sweating, stomach upset and diarrhea. When stress is long-term and becomes more chronic in nature, it can cause more serious health-related problems, including regular headaches, back pain, weight changes, sleep difficulties, changes in mood and so on. Chronic stress can also result in memory problems, including difficulty remembering new information and the inability to quickly deal with old information. No matter how your body reacts to stress, ignoring the problem can have serious health results. Not surprisingly, more women than men openly seek the help of their family doctors or other health care experts when they are experiencing stress or stress-related illness. Men are more likely to refuse to admit the problem or attempt to self-treat it, which may contribute to higher rate of drug and alcohol addiction seen in men exposed to chronic stress. There's no doubt that stress is a fact of life and is likely to remain a part of our fast-paced society. Although stress can't be completely _ , methods of dealing with stress-related issues, in my view, can be developed so that the effects of stress on the body are avoided, so people won't be so easy to suffer stress-related illness. What is the purpose of this passage? A. To tell us how to solve the serious problems caused by stress. B. To tell us how to behave well when we are faced with stress. C. To tell us how to protect ourselves from the effects of stress. D. To tell us how to tell short-term stress from long-term stress. Answer: C Question: Most, if not all, Chinese have become richer thanks to 28 years of reform and opening up. But are we any happier? Various surveys attempt to answer this question. Though experts have presented varying percentages based on different standards, their answers tend to find we are generally happier, and the number of optimists rises each year. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' 2006 Blue Book on social progress says 70 per cent of rural and urban citizens surveyed in 2005 reported a feeling of happiness and were optimistic about their futures. But each survey shows a worrisome fact that 10 per cent, at the lowest, of citizens were not content with their lives or not hopeful about the future. We cannot be content with the fact that at least 130 million of our countrymen are not happy. Although a sense of happiness remains a luxury for many of our countrymen because of poverty, we agree wealth is not the only factor of happiness. For most of us, except the extremely rich and naturally born optimists, there simply are too many variables that may kill the feeling of happiness. These include, but are not limited to, rising housing prices, tight and instable job market, back-breaking schooling expenses and medical bills. The most common one, however, is a low sense of security . Some experts pointed that in the low-and-middle income group there was too much uncertainty regarding employment, income, housing, medical situations, and education. How can you feel happy when you always have to prepare yourself for the unexpected? It may be beyond the government's reach, not to mention duty, to guarantee higher income for every citizen. But it does have a burden to create an environment where all citizens can feel a reasonable level of security. According to the passage, the author tends to hold the view that _ . A. the wealthier we get, the happier we become B. though we get wealthier, we do not feel happier C. it is the government's duty to raise every citizen's income D. the government should make sure all citizens feel a good level of security Answer: D Question: Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems and confusion . I decided to take a walk even though I didn't know where to go. The most special thing happened when I was out for this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. I thought he looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody was buying his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me. Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, "Grandfather, may I polish your shoes?" That old man took pity on her, smiled and gave her a shoe to polish. The girl told him she needed money to buy her brother a new school uniform. "Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform." Then they walked to a market , and he bought her brother a uniform. The girl said "thanks" to him and left, leaving the old man smiling. He walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, "You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!" As I walked away, I looked back and I could see him still smiling. I was blown away by the kindness I had just seen. Someone who had so little was so generous! Amazing! My own sadness had completely disappeared, chased way by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man. He only had a little, but shared it so beautifully with someone who had nothing. What can we learn from the passage ? A. If we have only a little, we shouldn't help others B. When we have problems, we must ask others for help C. We should learn to be thankful and share what we have with others D. When we meet with difficulties, we should complain about them. Answer: C
Head teacher, teachers, grandparents, parents and classmates, I'm very proud that I have been chosen to speak to you all today. I'm a bit nervous as I've never made a speech before to so many people, so please forgive me if it shows! www.xkb1.com As we all know, this is the school leavers' party, and it's time to say goodbye to everyone. We're sorry to leave you at the end of our junior high school education, and we promise that we'll never forget the happy times we have spent in these buildings with you all. I'd like to thank three groups of people for the three things I've learnt while I've been a pupil at our school. The three things are friendship, love and knowledge. The first group is my friends, and what I've learnt is the importance of friendship. We've worked hard together, we've even shared some difficult times together, but we've also had a lot of fun. Many of us will go to new schools and we may not see each other so often in the future. Others will go on to senior high school and continue their close friendships. But friends don't have to see each other all the time. Sometimes the friends you treasure most are the friends you see less often. A life without old friends is like a day without sunshine. We'll always stay in touch. The second group is our parents and grandparents. We thank you for the love you have shown us during our years at junior high school, for making a home where we feel both safe and relaxed, and where we can prepare ourselves for our school days. We also thank you for your help with our homework. How many of us owe our good grades to the suggestions you have made during those long evenings? And finally, the third group is our teachers. We can never pay you back for your kindness, your patience, and gift of knowledge which you have offered us; sometimes you've made us work very hard. But you have always been fair and you'll always be our role models. There's a saying from Ireland which is a favourite of mine: Strangers are only friends you haven't met yet. I couldn't say it better myself. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all and wish you success for the future. What's the purpose of the speech? A To thank people. B To look forward to the future. C To say sorry. D To worry about the tests. Answer: A "Men get all the breaks!" the veteran teacher announced to me. A cold greeting. Her stare stabbed like an icicle . "Hello," I countered, extending my hand. "I guess we'll be teaching together this year." "I swear, all you have to do is wear pants and walk into an elementary school and they hire you! It makes me sick!" I would have responded, but she turned her back to me and stomped off down the hall. Who would have imagined that the biggest challenge I would face during my first year on the job would not be students, but fellow teachers? "You can't put that there!" Another teacher burst into my classroom. "You can't put the teacher's desk at the back of the room!" "Pardon?" "If you put your desk way back there, you won't be able to see them cheating!" Next I was told I must not arrange student desks into abutting clusters because "the students might talk too much." At home my wife kept assuring me, "You're there for the kids. When you meet your students, things will be different." And she was right. One day the bell rang and there were thirty-five wonderful sixth graders sitting at their desks (still arranged in clusters) and it was different. I was happy. "Welcome to sixth grade." I began the year as I'd rehearsed for months. "You'll notice," I continued, "my desk is at the back of the room." They chuckled. "I don't want that desk between us. I want to be involved in your learning and involved in your lives." In the days that followed, I ate with my students at lunch (" _ "); I played with my students at recess (" _ "); I read with my students in the library (" _ "); I even stayed after school with some boys who got in trouble with the principal (" _ "). I went home to my wife. "Don't worry," she said. "They're just threatened by you because you're new and you're good. Let the other teachers know you're not a threat. Just keep being nice to them." Obediently, I pulled out the Golden Rule, dusted it off, and vowed to start again. As I did with the children, I started looking for specific, positive things I could build upon and reinforce sincerely in my colleagues: "Nice job on the announcements this morning!" "Wow! I like that worksheet you made up." "Man, your kids walked down the hall so quietly." "I heard your class singing great songs. You do a super job with music!" "I like your bulletin board," I said to Mrs. Icicle Eyes. "Really?" she asked. "It's just the same old thing I put up every year." She reached out and straightened a sagging border. Then, not unlike one of my students, she added, "Do you really like it?" "Yes," I answered firmly. As sure as sun beams, the Golden Rule was shining, and things were finally warming up. That very afternoon, a few parents went to the principal's office asking if their sixth graders could be moved into my class. Of course the students were not transferred, but when the grapevine circulated the request, up went the old barbed wire fence. Complete with machine guns. I continued to do the best job I could. I worked. I taught. I cared. I waited for a breakthrough moment. Months passed. It was lunch recess. I asked a boy walking down the hall. "Have you seen Mrs. So-and-So?" I was, in fact, searching for Mrs. Icicle Eyes. I needed to consult with her. Grinning, he came toward me as if sharing a secret. "She's outside shooting baskets with the girls!" "She's playing basketball with the girls?" I asked incredulously. "Yeah," he nodded. I smiled. I didn't say another word. But my smile inside was even bigger than the one on my face. In the veteran teacher's eyes, the writer got the teaching job because _ . A he was a man B he wore pants C he was experienced D he enjoyed teaching Answer: A John once told me a story about his friend, Michael. Michael happened to be on a train sitting next to a young man who seemed worried. Finally the young man told the friend that he was a convict returning home from a prison far away. What he did had brought shame on his family, and they had neither visited him nor written to him. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel and too busy to write. When he was set free he had written to tell them he wanted to go home. To make matters easy for them, however, he had asked them to put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm. If the family had forgiven him, they were to put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree near the railway. If they didn't want him back, they were to do nothing, and he would stay on the train, and go far away. As the train neared his hometown his _ became so great that he was afraid to look out of the window. He asked Michael to watch for the big apple tree. They changed seats. In a minute, Michael put his hand on the young convict's shoulder, "There it is," His eyes was filled with sudden tears. "It's all right. The whole tree is white with ribbons." According to the passage, the white ribbon in the big apple tree means _ . A pleasure B forgiveness C happiness D education Answer: B Tom grows the nicest vegetables and fruits, and the most beautiful flowers in his village. Plants grow in Tom's garden all through the year.Tom cuts some flowers for his sitting-room table and eats some fruits and vegetables, but he sells most of them in the market. His vegetables, fruits and flowers are so wonderful that they sell much more quickly in the market than those of other villages. How does Tom grow these beautiful plants? He is so lazy that he just sits under his orange tree with his radio. He listens to music all day. That is quite true. Tom plants things in spring, summer, autumn and winter. After that he sits with his radio. And everything grows. It is the music that does work. Tom knows more clearly that music makes the biggest vegetables and fruits and the most beautiful flowers. Plants love music as much as people. Tom listens to the music in the garden because _ . A is very popular. B makes him relaxed. C makes his plants stop growing. D makes his plants grow better. Answer: D When you are in England, you must be very careful in the streets because the traffic goes on the left. Before you cross the street, you must look to the right first and then the left. If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop . Then the people on foot can cross the road. If the lights are green, the traffic can go and people on foot mustn't cross. In the morning and in the evening, when people go to or come back from work, the streets are very busy. The traffic is the most dangerous then. When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too. You must always remember the cars drive on the left. In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors. You can sit on the second floor. From there, you can see the city very well. That'll be very interesting. Which of the following is right? A After you cross the street, you must look to the left first and then the right. B If the lights are red, the traffic mustn't stop. C You must drive cars on the left in England. D In the morning and in the evening when people go to or come back from work, the traffic is not dangerous. Answer: C
Question: Aggressive pedestrians are in fact as dangerous as careless drivers. They cause traffic accidents, injury and death. These dangerous walkers can be seen in any big city over the world. About 69% of last year's pedestrian deaths in the US occurred in urban areas. They cross streets ignoring "DON'T WALK" signals, suddenly appear without warning from behind parked vehicles, walk slowly at crossroads with cell phones attached to heads, blocking traffic. These pedestrians and drivers share a common disregard for the rules of the road, both for selfish reasons. The drivers believe in the power of their machines. If their machines can go faster, they believe they have the right to go faster. If their machines are bigger, they believe they have the right to push smaller vehicles aside. Aggressive pedestrians, on the other hand, believe in the primacy of the individual, the idea that they are first in any environment, under any circumstances, even when they are on foot in a roaring tide of steel and rubber. Last year, an estimated 5,220 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Some 69,000 pedestrians were injured. On average, that worked out to one pedestrian killed in a traffic crash every 101 minutes, and one injured every eight minutes. The good news is that the accident rate is dropping. For example, the number of pedestrians killed last year was 24 percent less than the number killed in traffic accidents a decade earlier. The bad news is that the basic causes of pedestrian deaths remain pretty much the same----disregard for traffic signals, inattention and crossing roads under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol, in fact, was involved in 46 percent of the traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. Of those, 31 percent of the pedestrians were found to be drunk. The bottom line is that the pedestrians must do more to protect their lives as well as the lives of other road users. They can start by obeying traffic signals, using marked cross-walks and calling a cab when they've had too much to drink. What was NOT the basic cause of pedestrian deaths in the US a decade ago? A. Disregard for traffic signals B. Paying no attention to surroundings. C. Crossing roads drunk. D. Overspeeding driving. Answer: D. Overspeeding driving. Question: Finally, there is some good news for older dads. A new study shows that their children and even grandchildren may get a health benefit because of their older age. It's based on research into something called telomeres--tips on the ends of chromosomes Some previous studies have connected having longer telomeres with better health and longer lives. Telomeres haven't been proven to cause those benefits in the general population, but a number of researchers think they may hold secrets for things like longevity and cancer. As you age, telomeres shorten. However, previous studies have shown that the older a man is when he becomes a father, the longer the telomeres his children tend to have. The new research confirms that and finds it's extended to the grandchildren. That's a cheerier result for older dads than some other studies in recent years that indicate their kids are at higher risk for things like autism Carol Greider of Johns Hopkins University, who shared a Nobel Prize in 2009 for telomere research but didn't participate in the new study, said it's no surprise that the telomere effect would extend beyond children to grandchildren. She also said that since older fathers also tend to pass more potentially harmful genetic mutations , it's "not at all clear" whether advanced paternal age gives an overall health benefit to children. In a statement, the researchers who conducted the study said their study shouldn't be taken as a recommendation that men reproduce at older ages because there's a risk of genetic mutations. Some previous studies of the impact of older fatherhood have been less encouraging. In 2010, for example, at least two big studies confirmed a link to having children with autism. In 2008, a big Swedish study strengthened evidence linking bipolar disorder to older paternal ages. What is the main idea of this passage? A. Older parents are greatly encouraged by some good news. B. Dads can have a great influence on their children's development. C. Older dads no longer need to worry about their children's health. D. Older dads might benefit the health of their children and grandchildren. Answer: D. Older dads might benefit the health of their children and grandchildren. Question: "Colour" and "color","favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy? Of course not. In fact,the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783),Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary,rather than rely on British versions . He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded. Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining preposterous (unreasonable),he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous." Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom. "He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,"said Joshua Kendall,who is working on a biography about Webster. "He at last bonded us through our language." When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary? A. In 1758. B. In 1783. C. In 1800. D. In 1828. Answer: C. In 1800. Question: Which object would have more tightly packed matter A. gold B. gas C. wood D. water Answer: A. gold Question: Everyone tries to get to school on time. But when bad weather gives you trouble, can you still make it before the bell rings? In northern China during spring, big sandstorms often make trouble for students and everyone else. When the sky is dark with sand, buses and cars all move much more slowly. Sometimes, people can't even see for 20 metres. Sandstorms usually happen in spring. This year, sandstorms started in late March. They have happened in more than 10 provinces in northern China this year. More than 70 million people have had problems in those places because of the sandstorms. People in southern China don't have to worry about this kind of bad weather. Most of the sand comes from Gansu and Inner Mongolia . In northern China, lots of places have few trees and don't get much rain. People there have been cutting down too many trees. When there aren't many trees, the ground can't keep enough water. Over the years, the ground dries up and turns to sand. When spring comes and the ice melts , the ground becomes looser . Strong winds take the loose sand into the sky. Sandstorms are bad for people's health. If people breathe too much sand, they could cough or have asthma . Sandstorms also give farmers lots of problems. Sometimes their sheep get lost in the storms and never get back home. The winds also tear down farmers' houses. What can you do to stop sandstorms? Here's an idea: Ask you parents to help you plant some trees this spring. If you see people cutting down too many trees, tell them about the dangers of sandstorms, and ask your government to stop them from cutting. Which is not stated in the passage? _ . A. Trees can help keep enough rain water B. More trees need to be planted C. Some people are doing harm to the environment D. Sandstorms are the main cause of asthma Answer: D. Sandstorms are the main cause of asthma
You are going to high school, aren't you? Maybe you don't know what to do. Well, here's a list of the top six things to do when you are in high school. These things will give you ideas of what your high school life could be like. Here you go! 1 Find your passion and what kind of person you are: Whether it's dance, basketball, or drawing, the important thing is that you have found something you are interested in. 2 Talk to people you wouldn't usually talk to: meet new people, find new friends and even talk to people you don't like. It will show what a great person you are. You never know what will happen after high school. 3 Take part in at least one contest : This will give you tears of laughter, happiness and memories. 4 Get a job: This will help you see what it's like to have responsibility . It can also help you make a little money to spend on yourself. 5 Take a trip with your friends: It doesn't matter where you go or what you do, the memories will happen on the way and go on till the final place. 6 Do your best at school: Don't ever get lazy; working hard now will help you in the future. Which of the following you'd better not do according to the passage? Answer: Get lazy Fossils of clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains. Which of these statements best explains why the clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains? Answer: The mountain range was once under water. When we talk about intelligence,we do not mean the ability to get a good score on a certain kind of test,or even the ability to do well in school. These are at best only indicators of something larger,deeper,and far more important. By intelligence we mean a style of life,a way of behaving in various situations. The true test of intelligence is not how much we know to do,but how we behave when we don't know what to do. The intelligent person,young or old,meeting a new situation or problem,opens himself up to it. He tries to take in with mind and senses everything he can about it. He thinks about it,instead of about himself or what it might cause to happen to him. He grapples with it ly,imaginatively,resourcefully ,and if not confidently,at least hopefully;if he fails to master it,he looks without fear or shame at his mistakes and learns what he can from them. This is intelligence. Clearly its roots lie in a certain feeling about life,and one's self with respect to life. Just as clearly,unintelligence is not what most psychologists seem to suppose,the same thing as intelligence,only less of it. It is an entirely different set of attitudes. Years of watching and comparing bright children with the not-bright,or less bright,have shown that they are very different kinds of people. The bright child is curious about life and reality,eager to get in touch with it,embrace it,unite himself with it. There is no wall,no barrier,between himself and life. On the other hand,the dull child is far less curious,far less interested in what goes on and what is real,more inclined to live in a world of fantasy. The bright child likes to experiment,to try things out. He lives by the maxim that there is more than one way to skin a cat. If he can't do something one way,he'll try another. The dull child is usually afraid to try at a11. It takes a great deal of urging to get him to try even once;if that try fails,he is through. Nobody starts off stupid. Hardly an adult in a thousand,or ten thousand,could in any three years of his life learn as much. Grow as much in his understanding of the world around him,as every infant learns and grows in his first three years. But what happens,as we grow older,to this extraordinary capacity for learning and intellectual growth?What happens is that it is destroyed,and more than by any other one thing,it is destroyed by the process that we misname education--a process that goes on in most homes and schools. Which of the following is TRUE about an unintelligent child? Answer: He/She gives up easily. Living near any body of water puts your home at risk of flooding, if there is? Answer: too much rainfall The American Family Immigration History Center is an exciting new interactive area at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum where more than 100 million Americans may search for their family's beginnings in the New World. Now, for the first time, the passengers records of the ships that landed some 22 million immigrants, crewmembers and other passengers at the Port of New York and Ellis Island from 1892 to 1924 have been computerized, making it easier than ever to discover your own family history. Five years in the making, the center was developed and funded by the Statue of the Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., which was responsible for the restoration and preservation of the Statue of the Liberty and Ellis Island, and the creation of the Immigration Museum. For visitors to the Museum, the excitement begins at a welcoming kioskwhere you can enter ancestors' names and see if their arrival records are included in the database and are available in the History Center in the Museum's West Wing. Once inside the Center itself, in the very place where your ancestors (grand-grandparents) may have ended their long journey, you and your family can log on the one of 41 computers, type in name, and, within seconds, set in motion your own special journey of discovery. Imagine the excitement you'll share with your family as you use the latest technology to sort through a vast computerized archive with millions of records, and see your family's own personal story in America come to life before your eyes. Millions of hours were spent creating this vast database and, if you find your ancestors' names, you'll discover answers to questions you've always wondered about... What ship did my family members take? When did they arrive? How old were they? Were they married? Then, take these valuable records and create your own Family History Scrapbook, preserving forever the story of the past while keeping the legacy of your family alive. Why is it easier for visitors to find their family histories in the History Center? Answer: All of its documents are computerized.
A new study shows that fat people in the United States suffer direct economic and social effects because of their size. The findings are from an 8-year study of about 100,000 people. The people who were studied were between the age of 18 and 24 when the research began. The researchers who carried out the study say they consider the people fat if they are in the top of 5% of the measurement in which weight is linked to height. For example, fat women in the study were about 160 centimeters tall and weighed about 90 kilograms. Fat men in the study were about 175 centimeters tall and weighed 100 kilograms. The researchers say that more than 1,000,000 Americans are that big. The researchers found that fat young women were from wealthy families. The fat women also were 20% less likely to get married and they earned an average of about $6,700 a year less than other women. The study showed less effects on fat men. They earned an average of about $3,000 a year less than other men. Fat men also were 11% less likely to get married. The researchers consider the people fat if _ . Answer: they are in the top of the measurement in which weight is linked to height. Alexander von Humboldt was born in 1769 in Berlin, Germany. As a young boy, he wanted to learn about the world. Humboldt followed his dream. In 1799, he traveled with a friend to Central and South America. On their trip, Humboldt and his friend saw and did many things. They sailed down the Amazon River. They watched dolphins play in the ocean. They explored the rain forest and climbed mountains and volcanoes. They were able to make the first maps of the northern part of South America. Humboldt set a world record for mountain climbing. He also made a discovery. During his climb, Humboldt became very sick. He found out that the higher he climbed, the less oxygen there was in the air. This made it more difficult to breathe. Later, this became known as mountain sickness. Science was another part of Humboldt's interests. He wanted to write about all of the new things he saw. He described the new plants, animals, and rocks which had never been seen by scientists before. Humboldt also studied the way of life of the local people. He learned how the native people along the Amazon River used plants in their daily lives. For example, they used a strong poison from a vine to make poisoned arrows. The natives used these arrows for hunting their food. The Amazon Indians also used a native plant to treat malaria , a serious illness. The plant grew wild, but after it was dug up, it was never replanted. Humboldt warned the natives that the plant was in danger of dying out. He looked for ways to preserve the plant and to make it grow strong. Although Humboldt took many risks during his trip, he lived to be 90 years old. In his lifetime, he made many discoveries and shared them with the world. As a tribute to Humboldt, there are rivers and mountains named after him. Humboldt and his friend made maps of _ . Answer: the northern part of South America When a creature experiences feeling, they are likely Answer: sensing a thing's texture Years ago people could hardly accept the ideas of a woman's being a doctor.In order to get into medical school in 1847,Elizabeth Blackwell was asked to keep it a secret that she was a woman.This was _ to her beliefs,and she refused to do it.After entering medical school,Elizabeth often had to summon all her courage to free the unkindness of teachers and classmates.By her great efforts,she was able to complete her studies.Many people came to her graduation just to have a look at a woman doctor.Doctor Blackwell soon found that most people were not as ready as to go to a woman doctor.She had to struggle to make a living.Then came the great day when she was offered a job as a doctor in a hospital.She did so well that she was asked to organize a new hospital and medical college.The United States can now be proud of thousands of women doctors. When she was at the medical school,Blackwell _ . Answer: made great efforts to do well in her lessons My 13-year-old daughter Lisa remembers birthdays, makes people cards when they are sick, and sends encouraging notes written in colored pens in her neat, artistic hand. One day I got a call from her principal, "I called to tell you that in 20 years of teaching I have seen nothing like what Lisa did today", he said I held my breath again as I thought, my Lisa? My sweet daughter? She must be the wrong kid. What could she have done? My silence made him go on. "I've never seen a student do anything so nice for anyone who needed it more." "What did she do?" I asked. He explained to me about the cupcakes . When Lisa came home from school that afternoon, I told her the principal from her school had phoned me. "Yeah", she answered, "I got called out of math class to go to his office. Everyone thought I was in trouble, but he just wanted to know what was going on at lunch." Lisa and Ashley had sat with Jordan, a boy who is in special classes. They talked about birthdays, and Lisa asked Jordan when his birthday was. He told her it was coming up but that he lives in a group home and they don't celebrate birthdays there. "I remembered his birthday was today, so I made the cupcakes yesterday," Lisa explained. "Ashley bought a two-liter bottle of soda and some birthday cups, plates, and napkins left over from her little brother's party, and we got some other kids together at lunch today to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Jordan." "The principal wanted to know why they were having a birthday party for Jordan at school. When they told him, he just shook his head, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes," Lisa told me. "Finally, he said he was going to tell my parents that I wasn't in trouble, he was proud of what I did, and I could go back to math class." How different my daughter was from me. Better, in fact! I wouldn't have ever known how to help out disadvantaged kids like that. But my wise daughter knew how-- all it took was cupcakes and adventurous , independent , kind spirit. What kind of person is Lisa according to the article? Answer: She is warm-hearted and caring.
Do you like playing football? If you do, you may want to join the school football team. Read on and see how to join the school football team. The first step is to know the information about the team. You can ask these questions. Then you can find more information. How many students are there in the football team? How many new players do they need? How often do they play football? The second step is to practice. Practice football with your friends or your family. Only good players can join the school football team. So you need to practice your skill. The third step is to study hard. If you don't do well in your study, your teachers and parents won't let you join the football team. The last step is to _ . Have a good rest and you can be the best player. Please read the first step, which is NOT the right question? Answer: Can I join the school team? European Day of Languages falls on 26 September. BBC News Online reported the attitudes across several European Union countries to languages. Tamsin Smith, Rome, Italy Italians place very high importance on learning languages, particularly English. Twenty years ago it was quite difficult to find an English speaker here but today it is quite easy. The strong influence of American and English culture helps young people to learn the English language. They often become familiar with it through "Harry Potter" books or Disney movies. English schools, where Italian children are taught all their lessons in English, are also becoming popular among rich Italians. Lucien Libert, Paris, France Languages are very important in France. A good knowledge of the English language is necessary for many Frenchmen to get a good job and the more languages you can learn, the better. English is the first language you learn in school and you start very young. Most people have at least eight years of learning English at school. Learning German or Spanish comes next and Latin is also taught in most schools. While French people learn languages, there is also a movement to protect the French language. James Helm, Dublin, Ireland The English language predominates in Ireland, but the ancient Irish language is a lasting source of pride and interest, and it remains a living tongue that is used in several areas. School are required to teach ancient Irish, and most students learn it as part of the subjects. There is a continuing discussion about how to protect the language best. In recent years some primary schools have introduced foreign language classes for younger students, and the Irish government has tried to encourage schools to offer more languages such as French, Spanish, German and Italian. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? Answer: Attitudes to Languages in Europe. Betty Bower, an adult, asked Jeff Geetus to lend her $1,000. Geetus replied that he would do so only if Bower's father, Cash, would guarantee the loan. At Bower's request, Cash mailed a signed letter to Geetus: "If you lend $1,000 to my daughter, I will repay it if she doesn't." On September 15, Geetus, having read Cash's letter, lent $1,000 to Bower, which Bower agreed to repay in installments of $100 plus accrued interest on the last day of each month beginning October 31. Cash died on September 16. Later that same day, unaware of Cash's death, Geetus mailed a letter to Cash advising that he had made the $1,000 loan to Bower on September 15. Bower did not pay the installments due on October 31, November 30, or December 31, and has informed Geetus that she will be unable to make repayments in the foreseeable future. On January 15, Geetus is entitled to a judgment against Bower for which of the following amounts? Answer: $300 plus the accrued interest, because Bower's breach is only a partial breach. Monday - 9:00 p.m. PT (11:00 p.m. CT) (Midnight ET) I love to answer questions about children's health. Some questions and their answers become articles, FAQ's, Updates, Fast Facts, Top Tips, or Guidelines here on the site. I answer others in real time during chat. Either way, here is how to submit a question - I am available live, for one hour, every weekday. No appointments are necessary! All you have to do is log on to Chat and ask your question. In most cases, you'll get your answer right there! Some of the questions from chat are selected for me to write about in greater depth. Even if you don't have time to stay at chat, come for a moment, and send your question to the chat host to be considered for a future article. Please join me in chat, Monday - November 22, 2004 at 9:00 p.m. PT(11:00 p.m. CT) (Midnight ET) I will be in the chat room for one hour to answer your children's health questions. To ask your question please type a " ?" mark on the screen A host will call upon you when it is your turn to ask a question. Click here to chat Click here to learn more about chat Click here for a complete chat schedule Which is NOT true according to the passage ? Answer: Anyone who asks questions must come to the chat room. Dear Mr. Wang, Someone comes to the office to see you in the morning, but you and your wife are out. He comes here at 10am. Because he is very busy, he goes away half an hour later. He tells me that he is your classmate at college . Now he teaches Chinese in a high school in this city and he lives near the No. 6 Middle School. He is a very tall man with short hair. He wears a pair of glasses. He tells me his telephone number is 33426685. He is often at home at 7:00 pm. So you can call him in the evening. The author writes this note to _ . Answer: Mr. Wang
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways. It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people _ from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very probably be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth. Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence. The phrase " at random" (Line 3, Para.2) means _ . Answer: Here are my three photos. This is my friend, Wu Huan. She is a good girl. She is 11 years old. She is in ChongQing with her family. She likes vegetables and chicken. She doesn't like ice cream or strawberries. This is me. My name is Chen Ming. I am 12 years old. I am a middle school student in Suzhou. I like eating fruit and vegetables. But I don't like eggs or carrots. This is my friend, too. His name is Doudou. He is in Suzhou with me. He likes bones . He doesn't like broccoli. He likes playing with balls. He is a nice dog! Which sentence is true? Answer: Going green seems to be fad for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can't really say, but for the tow of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle. On April22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task. With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My life and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps. Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished. Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet. It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because _ . Answer: It's not easy to be an astronaut's son.Everybody expects you to be special or perfect. I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he's so special and so good at everything he does. Even in middle school he was monitor and captain of the football team. Well, to be honest, I often dream about being some kind of hero or doing something special--like saving a child from a burning building One morning my teacher said there would be a Father's Day writing competition for the whole school."I hope we have a winner right here in my class." When I got home,I started to think about what to write.My father is an astronaut. No, I wouldn't start like that. That was the way others saw him.How did I see my father? Hmm...I saw him sitting with me in the dark when I had a terrible dream.I remembered how he hugged me for hours when my dog Spotty was killed by a car. Yes, these were the things I was going to write. To me,he wasn't just a famous astronaut. He was my dad. My parents and l went to school Thursday night. There were so many people in the big hall! My dad looked at me, and I shrugged . The third prize was announced and it was not me.1 was relieved and disappointed at the same time. The second prize was announced. it was me. I went up to the stage and read what I had written,"My father's son".When I finished,Dad put his hand on my shoulder."Son,this is the proudest moment of my life.'' It was the proudest moment of my life, too. Maybe I'll never be a great hero or win a Nobel Prize, but it was enough just to be my father's son. What did the boy probably write in his composition? Answer: Sustainable management is seen as a practical and economical way of protecting species from dying out. Instead of depending on largely ineffective laws against poaching , it gives local people a good economic reason to preserve plants and animals. In Zimbabwe, for instance, there is a sustainable management project to protect elephants. Foreign tourists pay large sums of money to kill these animals for sports. This money is then given to the inhabitants of the area where the hunting takes place. In theory, locals will be encouraged to protect elephants, instead of poaching them because of the economic benefit involved. This sounds like a sensible strategy, but it remains to be seen whether it will work. With corruption in these developing countries, some observers are skeptical that the money will actually reach the people it is intended for. Others wonder how effective the locals will be at stopping poachers. There are also questions about whether sustainable management is practical when it comes to protecting forests. In theory, the principle should be the same as with elephants --- allow logging companies to cut down certain number of trees, but not so many as to completely destroy the forest. Sustainable management of forests requires controls on the number of trees which are cut down, as well as investment in replacing them. Because almost all tropical forests are located in countries which desperately need funds from logging, there are few regulations and motive to do this. One solution might be to confirm wood comes from sustainably managed forests. In theory, consumers would buy only this wood and so force logging companies to _ or go out of business. Unfortunately, unrestricted logging is so much more profitable that wood prices from managed forests would cost up to five times more --- an increase that consumers, no matter how "green", are unlikely to pay. What attitude does the author take towards the sustainable management? Answer:
People drink tea. There are many kinds of tea, such as black tea, green tea, white tea and yellow tea. People drink a lot of tea in China. Some people drink it because they think it makes them healthy. Many people drink it because it tastes very good. It is delicious. People drink a lot of tea in Japan. People drink a lot of green tea in South Korea, too. In Vietnam, people like to drink coffee first. Then they drink tea. People drink a lot of tea in England. Every afternoon, people drink tea. It's "tea time". English people like to drink their tea with milk in it. Many people drink black tea in the US. In the South, people like to drink sweet tea. Sweet tea is cold black tea with sugar in it. Most tea comes from China. Some tea comes from India or Sri Lanka. Kenya, Japan and Indonesia also grow tea. In China some people drink tea because it makes them _ . healthy If your recurring dreams are worrying you,you can rest assured and needn't worry.Psychologists say in the vast majority of these cases,this is just the mind's way of dealing with stress and conflicts,problems and concerns.It's a good thing. They call be surprisingly vivid and real,or fragmented and weird.They can be comforting or frightening.Our dreams can tell us a lot about what we are really thinking.Dreams give us an x-ray of our unconsciousness .They tell us,particularly when we are at life's passages or turning points. Lisa Oppenheim had the same dream whenever she was about to move to a new home or a new city.It's always just a feeling of needing to stay safe.Experts say disturbing dreams often occur around major life events.For Lisa,it was moving.For others,it can be marriage or divorce,the death of a loved one or pressure at work. Doctor Siegel has studied the meaning of dream for nearly 30 years.He believes stressful or upsetting dreams can be a sign of what's buried deep inside our minds. He said."Dreams are important to survival.They are crucial to the balance of our psyche .They help us work out problems that we're having every single day.They go to the cutting edge of what's stressful,what's bothering us and what we're working out in our lives.Dreams can guide us and in order to find that guidance,to find that deep source of wisdom that's in our dreams every night,we need to pay attention to our dreams." But many dreams are scary and horrible.How can we understand these nightmares? Doctor Siegel says they are reflecting especially intense emotion or unresolved conflict.The stronger the emotion in the dream,whether it's pleasure or fear,the likelier the dream is to be important. Knowing what your recurring dreams or nightmares mean can be liberating.Some nightmares can be a sign of serious psychological problems,such as post-dramatic stress disorder.If they are extremely disturbing or violent or the cause of severe anxiety,you should see a professional therapist . By saying "Dreams give US an x-ray of our unconsciousness," the author means that dreams show us our real mind The advantages of an international language in the modern world are obvious. Thanks to modern methods of transport, we can travel everywhere more easily and more quickly than ever before, but the language problem still remains. Without a common language, there may be misunderstandings between people of different countries. There are two possible solutions to this problem: either we choose one of the main living languages of the world, or we make up an artificial one. But neither solution is simple because no living language will be acceptable to everyone and because an artificial language, such as Esperanto, has no culture and would be thought boring by many learners. It is often said that English is quickly becoming a world language. It is certainly the most widely used language in the world, and second only to Chinese in its number or native speakers, but there are certain worries of choosing English as an international language. First of all, for political reasons and national pride, English is not acceptable to everyone as a world language. Many dislike its influence. English words enter their language and this often threats their own language. In France, a new word "frangla is" has been invented to describe the results. Although English is being taught in more and more schools abroad, the process is not always popular. Not every nation is prepared to accept the leading position of English in their education system Every nation doesn't accept a living language as a world language partly because _ . a foreign language has certain dangers A 90-year-old tortoise is going twice its usual speed after being equipped with a set of wheels. The animal, called Mrs T, was facing a terrible future after losing her two front legs in a mouse attack while she was sleeping in winter, but her owners glued the wheels onto her shell . "She's going double the speed she used to," said the owner Jude Ryder, "She uses her back legs to push herself along and seems quite happy." The 58-year-old owner was surprised when she went to check on her loved pet last month and found her front legs had been eaten in the mouse attack. The local animal doctor tried his best to save Mrs T. But he was afraid that the tortoise would not survive without being mobile. After paying PS1,000 for the treatment, Mrs Ryder turned to her son Dale for help. Dale designed the front wheels and used resin to add them to the front of the shell. Mrs Ryder said: "She liked them immediately, but she must learn how to turn and stop. She can get a good speed up, much faster than before. Mrs T is still quite young for a tortoise. She could go on for another 50 years. All she needs is a new set of tyres sometimes." When Mrs T was sixty years old, she was bought as a pet for Dale, an 8-year-old boy. It liked running happily in Mrs Ryder's garden in spring and summer. When winter came, Mrs T slept in the garden shelter. A mouse got in last month and chewed off both her front legs. Mrs Ryder said: "We were afraid she would be sure to die, but her new set of wheels have saved her life. She can run in the garden again and we can always find her because she leaves very strange footprints behind wherever she goes." Mice attacking tortoises is not uncommon around us--in 2013 Britain's oldest tortoise died after a mouse attack. The tortoise called Thomas was 130 when he was bitten at his home in Guernsey. He spent five days on strong antibiotics , but the wound became so infected that his owner had no choice but to have him put to sleep. According to the passage, Mrs Ryder's son is about _ . 38 years old During 1976 a series of arsons, one of which damaged the Humongous Store, occurred in the City of Swelter. In early 1977 Swelter's City Council adopted this resolution: The City will pay $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of anyone guilty of any of the 1976 arsons committed here. The foregoing was telecast by the city's sole television station once daily for one week. Subsequently, Humongous, by a written memorandum to Gimlet, a private detective, proposed to pay Gimlet $200 "for each day's work you actually perform in investigating our fire." Thereafter, in August 1977, the Swelter City Council by resolution repealed its reward offer and caused this resolution to be broadcast once daily for a week over two local radio stations, the local television station having meanwhile ceased operations. In September 1977, a Humongous employee voluntarily confessed to Gimlet to having committed all of the 1976 arsons. Humongous's president thereupon paid Gimlet at the proposed daily rate for his investigation and suggested that Gimlet also claim the city's reward, of which Gimlet had been previously unaware. Gimlet immediately made the claim. In December 1977, as a result of Gimlet's investigation, the Humongous employee was convicted of burning the store. The city, which has no immunity to suit, has since refused to pay Gimlet anything, although he swears that he never heard of the city's repealer before claiming its reward"In a suit by Gimlet against the city to recover the $10,000 reward, which of the following, in light of the facts given, most usefully supports Gimlet's claim? The city's offer was in the nature of a bounty, so that the elements of contract are not essential to the city's liability.
At first glance, there is little in Horton to attract people. The other nearby towns have much more to offer: Bradfield has its river and historic buildings, while Newtown has shops and entertainment. The buildings of Horton look dirty and unloved. For shops, there is a small supermarket, a few bargain shops, a bakery which, strangely, does not sell bread and a florist which has one stand of sad-looking flowers. Even so, Horton has several advantages over its neighbouring towns. Firstly, it has a country park. Four thousand years ago, this was an important fort. There are no historic remains here now, but there are wonderful views over the countryside. On sunny weekends you can often see kids out with their parents, kicking balls or flying kites. There aren't many job opportunities in Horton, and the roads to nearby cities aren't really fast, but there are excellent rail links. You can be in London in an hour and a half, and other cities are less than an hour away. That means that parents can earn a good salary and still get home in time to spend the evenings with their families. Houses in Horton aren't pretty, but they're functional and cheap. The streets are quiet and safe, and there are plenty of parks and playgrounds. It has a library, three primary schools and a secondary school, St. Mark's. It is friendly and offers a wide range of subjects and activities to children of all abilities and backgrounds. The town also has a swimming and a sports centre, and the community halls hold regular clubs and events for people of all ages. What is the writer's main purpose? To explain why Horton is a good place to live in. The space shuttle Discovery has had a long and busy career. For 27 years, it has worked for NASA, carrying astronauts to space and back on 39 missions. On March 9, 2011, after returning from its final voyage, the world's most traveled spaceship was retired. A crowd of shuttle workers, reporters and schoolchildren waited to greet Discovery at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Three minutes before noon, they watched as the shuttle appeared in the sky and made one last touchdown. "For the final time: wheels stop," Discovery's commander Steven Lindsey said when the shuttle rolled to a stop. Discovery's final trip was to the International Space Station (ISS), a giant space lab in the sky. Discovery's crew took care of the last U.S. construction project at ISS. They delivered 10 tons of supplies for the ISS. The six-person crew also dropped off an unusual companion for ISS's researchers: a human-like robot named Robonaut 2. Astronauts will assemble R2 at the ISS over several months. Now, NASA is its shuttle programme. NASA is to begin work on new spaceships that can travel longer distances. Discovery's retirement is the first of three. Endeavor, another shuttle, is scheduled to make its final voyage soon. And Atlantis's last trip is planned for the end of June. Museums across the country have requested the retired shuttles. The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, in Washington, D.C., was the lucky recipient of Discovery. The museum's collection contains hundreds of NASA artifacts. Where will the other shuttles go? You'll have to wait to find out. NASA will announce its decision on April 12, the 30 anniversary of the first space shuttle launching. Stay tuned! According to the text, we can learn about _ . museums' great interest in the retired shuttles An old farmer lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early to read his Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. He told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water with a basket. The old man said, " You're just not trying hard enough," So the boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one inside and outside. "You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives." According to the grandson, _ . reading the Bhagavat Geeta was meaningless Alice needs some money for a Mother's Day present. She tells her father about her problem. "I'll pay you to do some housework. You can clean up the yard ," her father says. "You can also wash my car and Mum's. Both of them need to be washed because they're really dirty." Alice works on the yard and washes her father's car. "Too bad! You didn't have time to wash Mum's car," Dad says when he pays her. The next morning Alice wakes up early. First she washes her mother's car. Then she goes to the flower shop. She also buys her mother's favourite bread on her way home. After breakfast Alice asks her mother to go to the garage . She opens the gate. "Wow!" Alice's mother says. "My car is _ ." "Open the door," Alice says. Alice's mother opens the door. There on the seat she sees a bunch of flowers. "Happy Mother's Day!" Alice says. What do you think of Alice? She is very nice to her parents. Good readers know that reading isn't just about knowing words--it's a way of thinking. Some readers think before, during and after reading. Here are some suggestions that may be of some help. Think before you read. Before you read the text, ask yourself the questions that why you are reading it and what you want to get from it. Answering the questions will help you choose what words you need to know and what words you can skip or scan. Think while you are reading. Can you get the meaning of the text without looking up new words in a dictionary? Are there any clues in the text? A text will often give examples that may help you understand what some of the words mean, let's take the following sentence for example. Many large Russian cities such as Chelayabinsk and Irkutsk, have taken steps to protect their culture. The words "Chelyabinsk"and"Irkutsk" may be new to us, but the sentence tells us that they are examples of _ Think after you read. Do you understand the text? What is the main idea of the text? Can you guess the meaning of the new words? Which words do you need to look up? Is the text too easy or too hard for you? If you practice reading and thinking in this way, you will become a smarter reader and you will learn more, faster and better. The author of the passage mainly advises that_. we should think before, while and after reading a passage
It will be hot--hot enough that most locals will have cleared town for cooler places. But because athletes competing at the 2004 Olympics have no choice but to stay in the hot weather, many plan to turn to science to stay cool. Some will put their hands in ice water just before competing and nearly all will be wearing fabrics designed with hot weather in mind. "Normally we warm up before exercise,"said Gordon Sleivert, director of sports science and medicine at the Canadian Sport Center in Victoria, British Columbia."But in this case we're taking the warm out of warm up. It's like pre-cooling." Experts are predicting the average high this August in Athens will be 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with temperatures often reaching above 100(the average temperature in Sydney for the 2000 summer games was 64). Although some events, such as the marathon, will start early(1 a.m.) to avoid hot weather, _ Drinking lots of water will help athletes keep cool, but humidity remains a problem. The body's ability to cool down is weakened by damp air since sweat drips off the skin rather than evaporates ,resulting in dehydration without the cooling. "Getting hot is a real problem because when our brains heats up, the brain waves are more like when you're really sleepy. Everything feels harder," said Sleivert. The following things will be likely to happen in the hot weather EXCEPT _ . When I first got an e-mail account ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail,I have an endless series of advertisements and other _ that do not interest me at all. If we want e-mail to continue to be useful, we need specific laws that make spamming a crime. If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam, the problem will certainly get much worse. Computer programs allow spammers to send hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly. As more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products,individual e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails. Would people continue to use e-mail if they had to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time? This problem is troubling individuals and companies as well. Many spam e-mails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company. Companies rely on e-mail for their employees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local communications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively. Such a situation results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks. These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are, in the end, passed on to the consumer. For these reasons, I believe that lawmakers need to legislate against spare. Spammers should be fined, and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people. E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently, but spam is destroying this convenience. What is the purpose of the text? Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease. At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic disease that destroys brain cells. Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking, then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans. As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior. In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk. Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus .It may be caused by a poisonous substance in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease. According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease? For Robert Valderzak of Washington D.C.,Tuesday's earthquake was a miracle . Ever since he fell and got his skull broken on Father's Day,75-year-old Valderzak had suffered severe hearing loss. But after the 5.8 quake, he could hear everything. Valderzak was chatting with his daughter and three sons when the quake hit D.C.'s Veterans Affairs Hospital,where he is batting cancer. "It shook m terrible--right out of the bed," said Valderzak."But after that it stopped.And my son talked to me, and I could hear his voice." Tests confirmed Valdezak's significant hearing improvement.But his doctors think they have a medical explanation for the "miracle". "He.had conductive hearing loss,caused by a liquid in his middle ear, as well as loss due to nerve damage,"said Dr.Ross Fletcher,chief of staff at the VA Hospital. "A combustion of a drag he was taking and the earthquake event itself likely led to him losing the liquid and listening back his hearing." Dr.Jennifer Smullen of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary said the shaking itself might not have been enough to clear the fluid from Valderzak's inner ear. "But if somebody was suddenly surprised, and shouted out,sometimes that's enough to clear some fluid out from the ear drum."she Bald. Valderzak had adjusted to his hearing loss with the help of a special microphone and some training in _ .But the situation was far from satisfactory. "The devices helped,but by the time I got them all connected up,everyone had left and I was talking to myself,"he said,adding that lip reading meant he could only talk to one person at a time. But now he can talk to all four of his kids again. What was Valderzak doing when the earthquake happened?. Harry is eighteen now. He studies in a middle school. His parents like him very much and hope he can become a famous man. So they often tell him to study hard and they do all for him. They call him at six in the morning, after breakfast his father takes him to school in a car and in the afternoon, as soon as the young man comes back, the supper is ready. Of course, he never washes his clothes or goes to buy something in the shops. Once, Harry's father was sent to London on business. He would stay there for half a year. Leaving, he told his wife to take good care of their son. The woman had to get up earlier and did all what her husband did before. And two months later she was so tired that she was ill in bed. Now the young man got into trouble. He couldn't do any housework. He had to do as his mother told him. Even he didn't know where to get on the bus! Yesterday Harry's mother found his shoes were worn out and told him to buy a new pair in the shop. But he didn't know how to choose. The woman had a sigh and gave him a shoe pattern and told him to buy a pair of shoes himself. It's Saturday today and Harry doesn't go to school. With a policeman's help, he found a shop. The shopkeeper was friendly to him. The man brought a lot of shoes and asked him to choose. When he was trying on a pair, suddenly he remembered something and took them off. The man was surprised and asked, "What's the matter, young man?" "I'm sorry, I've left the shoe pattern at home!" In fact, _ .
For a long time, people who fish have had to rely on luck to catch fish. Even big fishing ships, fitted out with radar and modern equipment, have their share of bad days. Wouldn't it be nice if fish could be trained to come at the call of a whistle the way some days are trained? Well, the days of "fish whistle" may be just _ . Japanese companies are working on methods that will train fish to return to harvest areas at the sound of an underwater whistle. The method works like this: First, fish eggs are hatched in a laboratory. Whenever feeding time arrives, a whistle sounds. The young fish learn to return to their feeding areas at the sound of the whistle. Later, the fish are set free at sea, near special-made under water "barns". There, the whistle-plus-feeding program continues. Being well fed and sheltered, the fish continue to live around the barn. So when fishing time arrives, all the harvesters need to do is to sound the whistle, drop their nets, and draw in a lot of fish. Many countries have closed their offshore fishing waters to ships from other countries. With fish whistle and barns, Japan hopes to become less dependent on importing fish from other countries. Which of the following statements is true? Answer: Hong Kong Harbour Cruise By Night Enjoy your wonderful dinner on the ferry and see the fantastic city lights. Time: 7:00 pm~10:00 pm daily Price: With dinner Without dinner Adult: HK$300 HK$120 Child under 12: HK$ 210 HK$ 84 Start/ Stop: Kowloon Public Pier (Near Star Ferry Pier) Ticket Office:Star Company (123 Canton Road) Where does the cruise start? Answer: Steve Jobs-A surprising success. Nothing in the early years of Steve Job's life suggested that he would be so successful. Born in San Francisco, the child of two students, he was adopted and grew up close to Silicon Valley. While at company-and he and his best friend Steve Wozniak got summer jobs there. After finishing high school in 1972, Jobs studied at an expensive liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon but he dropped pout after one after one term. He grew his hair and a beard, slept on friends' floors, and sometimes went to a Hare Krishna temple for free meals. Like many drop-outs at that Beatles-inspired time, his ambition was to visit a guru([])in India, which he eventually did with a friend. When they got there, the guru had died. At this point, Jobs has a limited education, and no obvious talents, apart from a notorious ability to talk. However, he did have a devoted friend who was an electronics genius. They were a great team. Without Jobs' s ambition, high design standards, the ability to make deals and great maketing skills-Wozniak might well have spent a quiet life designing hardware at HP. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: Guinness World Records, the global authority on record-breaking achievements, presented China Central TV (CCTV) the world record for Most Watched National Network TV Broadcast for its annual Spring Festival Gala show. The program, which is produced especially to celebratethe Chinese New Year, had a unique reach of 498,659,000 viewers on CCTV-1, 3 and 4 in 2012 , making it the most watched national variety entertainment show in the world. The official record certificate was presented by Guinness World Records, Global Managing Director, Mr. Alistair Richards to CCTV Vice President Mr. Luo Ming during a special "China in Cannes" reception co-hosted with Reed MIDEM as part of the celebrations to honor the Chinese delegation at this year's MIPTV market. CSM Media Research, which supplied the viewing figures for Guinness World Records verification , considered viewers aged 4 years or above who watched at least one minute of the 2012 show on either CCTV-1, 3 or 4, the three channels which aired the show at the same time. The figure refers to viewers on any one of the three channels, therefore excluding duplications . This represents almost 40% of the China TV population aged 4 years or above. Commenting on CCTV's incredible record achievement which is based on reach of audience, Alistair Richards said, "It is fitting that we celebratethis amazing achievement at MIPTV. National networks have the power to move nations and CCTV's Spring Festival Gala is the ultimate example. It reaches nearly half a billion people on the biggest holiday of their year." CCTV Vice President Luo Ming, who accepted the Guinness World Records certificate on behalf of CCTV, said, "Chinese New Year is a special time for families in China and our Spring Festival Gala has been the traditional TV entertainment highlight for three decades. Although this is a world record achieved by our viewers, it is also a record won by the staff of CCTV, who makes it possible for our television shows to reach homes right across China." The new record will be included in the next edition of the world famous Guinness World Records book. Who could be counted as a valid viewer to the Gala show for Guinness World Record? Answer: My mother is taking a tour of the new house via Skype. I leaned the laptop so she can see where she's going,pleased that our Internet connection in Zimbabwe is holding. "This is the living room," I say. Then I tell mydaughter,s;Show Grandma the bed for the mummy and the daddy. " From a continent away, Grandma gave herapproval. Mum had a dollhouse,too. My grandmother,a single mother, did not have enough money to buy my mother areal dollhouse. So Mum made do,laboring over her square cookie tin for years. She stuck patterns on the bright walls : tin cans of jam and bags of flour to make sure the dolls' store was overflowing. My mother passed her love of life in miniature( ) on to me very early. At age 5,1 made chests of drawers for my dollhouse bedroom from matchboxes glued together. Unlike my mother,l was given some ready-made doll furniture and accessories. My mother encouraged me,always responding to my calI,"Come to see what I've made Lrur IIly clollhuuse ! " I spent hours writing a book with the unoriginal but certainly accurate title " How To Make Dolls' House Furniture". The book was lost in a household move. But the satisfying feeling of filling up blank pages with my own ideas stayed with me,pushing me into a career centered on words. My daughter turned 3 recently, and last month I put a strong empty cardboard box,about the size of a tea tray ,in Cassia's bedroom. I searched the shops for dollhouse furniture. But an afternoon's searching yielded only a pink plastic toilet and sink. It doesn't matter,l told myself. I showed Cassia how to make plates for her table from coloured buttons. Fascinated, she collected black stones. What my mother gave me was much more than a fascination with tiny things :It was the ability to view things from a new perspective , to put oneself in another person's shoes , and to solve problems with whatever is at hand. What was the writer's mother looking at is _ . Answer:
Question: Should people be allowed to use cellphones while driving? Alejandra Pachecho from Venezuela: No. Why not? That is because in this world some people drive very crazily. Also, most people who use cellphones to talk in the car usually pay more attention to what they are talking about than to driving. One of the reasons that I feel this way is that ny friend had a car accident while using a cellphone. He lost his life and his friends did, too. Rodrigo Cruz from Colombia: That depends. The a dvantages of using a cellphone while driving are that you can call the police if there is a car accident, call for help when somebody's car breaks down, and call when somebody needs something before arriving home or at the office. The disadvantages is that people get distracted when they are driving at the same time they are talking on a cellular phone. It can cause car accidents. Carl Khalid from Saudi Arabia: No. I would recommend if you want to use a cellphone while you're driving, pull over and take your time. You will avoid a lot of trouble. There are many advantages of using cellphones in cars. In emergencies such as accidents, a flat tire or engine problem, the cellphone is useful for calling 911 for help. Using the cellphone while driving can save time, but using it while driving can alsocause a lot of problems such as missing a red light or signs, not observing cars, or not paying attention to the speed limit. It causes a lot of problems. All these problems could cause loss of concentration. Mirna Hazim: Yes. A cellphone is helpful; it is one of the most important communication devices. For example, if you want to talk with somebody for an important reason, you can. One time when I was coming back from work at 10 o'clock at night, I had a problem with my car. It wouldn't move. I was scared to go into a store to call my brother because I didn't know the places there. I thought it could be dangerous. That night, I found out that owning a cellphone is important. What do you think of cellphone? Send your opinion to our website. According to the passage, Rodrigo Cruz _ . A. advises people to use cellphones while driving if they are in an emergency B. has seen many car accidents caused by using cellphones while driving C. lost a friend who had a car accident due to using a cellphone while driving D. advises drivers to use cellphones if there aren't many cars on the road Answer: A Question: A month went by in this manner, but a month was all I could bear. The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went. I had loved that woman -- still loved her -- too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me. Whatever feelings I might have for her now, I had to see her again. At once. ... I knew Marguerite. Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion. Probably, she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting. But, seeing me back and coming face to face with me, weak as I was, she had sensed that my return had a purpose, and must have wondered what was going to happen. If, when I saw her again, Marguerite had been unhappy; if, in taking my revenge , there had also been some way of helping her then I might well have forgiven her, and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm. But when I saw her again, she was happy, at least on the surface. Another man had ensured her the wealthy life in which I had been unable to keep her. She brought shame both to my pride and my love; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered. I could not remain cold to what she did now. It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show coldness. Coldness, therefore, was the feeling which I now needed to pretend, not only in her presence but in the eyes of others. I tried to put a smile on my face, and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was staying. ... Prudence saw me to the door, and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer. What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have? A. Coldness and love. B. Coldness and hate. C. Love and hate. D. Hate and sadness. Answer: C Question: All over the world people began their exciting day by drinking a cup or several cups of coffee. People have always said that a cup of coffee in the morning helps them begin their day on the right foot. They need this cup of coffee to get going in the morning. It is not the coffee but something in the coffee that activates our bodies and brains. It is a material called caffeine. Caffeine may increase a person's mental and physical abilities. For example, two cups of coffee will _ blood flow, breathing, and body heat production by 10% to 20%. All of this make your heart beat faster and doctors warn that this may be somewhat dangerous. Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, chocolate, and many other common foods. A little caffeine is probably helpful. But too much caffeine can result in nervousness and sleeplessness. They need this cup of coffee to get going in the morning. In this sentence "get going" means " _ " A. go for a walk B. get along well C. leave home early D. start their new day Answer: D Question: My mother was a housewife. She thought that successful people spent a lot more time reading than watching TV. So she asked my brother and me not to watch too much TV, but to read two books every week in our free time. She would check them with marks, though she couldn't read the book at all. When I went to high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted cool clothes and hung out with friends. I became a C-student, but I didn't care. One night I complained about not having enough Italian shirts. Then my mother gave me all the money and said I could get the money left to buy shirts if I finished buying all the things the family needed. I was pleased with that, but after I bought those things, there was no money left. I got to know how difficult it was for my mother to do all these. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. Finally, my dream came true and I became a doctor. My story is really my mother's story----a woman with little education greatly changed my life as a parent. So I believe there is no job more important than parenting. The writer mainly wants to tell us that _ . A. mothers with little education change their children more. B. his mother is cruel and unhelpful C. there is a job more important than parenting. D. his mother has an important influence on him. Answer: D Question: It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery. Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey. There were no Christmas carolers walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up houses and broken windows. Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets. It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place. Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit. Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door. In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner. Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair. She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years. "Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled. "Where can we put this for you?" She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in. The children climbed around, wearing only diapers . There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet. There was no Christmas tree or decorations. My heart sank. It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family. We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand. "You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying. _ I opened my arms and gave her a hug. "Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door. I realized how warm I felt inside. This was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other. By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant _ . A. they were waiting for help B. they were looking for food and clothing C. they were going to move away D. they were living a very poor life Answer: D
Question: When you're a parent to a young child, you spend a lot of time talking about feelings: about having to share, about being disappointed because you may not have a cookie instead of broccoli , about the great injustice of a parent pressing the elevator button before the child has a chance to. And in a parenting culture that's increasingly concerned with centering children's needs above all else, mothers and fathers have become skillful at talking about their kids' feelings while masking their own. But new research suggests that parents who hide their negative emotions are doing their children, and themselves harm. A study published this month says that when parents put on a faux-happy face for their kids, they do damage to their own sense of wellbeing and authenticity. "For the average parent the findings suggest when they attempt to hide their negative emotion expression and overexpress their positive emotions with their children, it actually comes at a cost: doing so may lead parents to feel worse themselves," researcher Dr Emily Impett, says. It makes sense that parents often fall back on amping up the positivity for the sake of their children--there are a lot of things in the world we want to protect our kids from. But children are often smarter than we expect and are quite in tune with what the people closest to them--their parents--are feeling. There was a time about a year or so ago, for example, when I received some bad news over the phone; I was home with my four-year-old and so I did my best to put on a brave face. She knew immediately something was wrong though, and was confused. When I finally let a few tears out and explained that Mom heard something sad about a friend, she was, of course, just fine. My daughter patted my shoulder, gave me a hug, and went back to playing. She felt better that she was able to help me, and the moment made a lot more sense to her emotionally than a smiling mom holding back sobs. I was glad that I could feel sad momentarily and not have to work hard to hide that. Relaying positive feelings to your children when you don't feel them is a move the researchers called high cost -- that it may seem like the most beneficial to your child at the time but that parents should find other ways of communicating emotions that "allow them to feel true to themselves". But this is also about children seeing the world in a more honest way. While we will want to protect our children from things that aren't age-appropriate or harmful, it's better to raise a generation of kids who understand that moms and dads are people too. We can conclude from the passage that _ . A. protecting children from age-inappropriate things is important B. it makes sense for children to know their parents' negative feelings C. children will admire their parents more because of being protected D. separation from negative feelings helps children see the world honestly Answer: B. it makes sense for children to know their parents' negative feelings Question: A businesswoman, a mother of four, an international fashion icon , a woman committed to making the world a better place for women and children--Queen Rania of Jordan is truly changing the world. Rania was bom in Kuwait, in 1970.Shortly after Iraq invaded that country in 1990, her family fled and settled in Jordan.After graduating from a business school, Rania became successful in the business world. When she was just 22, she went to a dinner party that changed her life forever.It was there that she met Jordan' s Prince Abdullah.Six months later, Rania and Abdullah had a royal wedding and started a family. After the death of her father - in - law, King Hussein, in 1999, Prince Abdullah was crowned King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Rania became the world' s youngest living queen. In her role as Queen, Rania has become well known around the world for her charity work and her efforts to improve educational opportunities for girls.She is an outspoken advocate of women' s rights, education reform, and child abuse.She is also well - known for her efforts to remove Western stereotypes about the Muslim world. Rania explains that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty." You can change the course of a nation through education," she says." One of the most important things you can do for a girl is empower her with her education.Once she has the education she can then have control over her income, she can change her life, she can have choices." In the future, Rania says, she hopes for a more open and secure world."We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think,' Well, that' s their problem.' But it' s not," she says." When you solve somebody else' s problem, you are solving a problem for yourself, because our world today is so interconnected." Rania thinks that _ . A. women have brought about great changes to the world B. education can help a girl find a wealthy husband C. in the world today, all countries depend on each other D. the Muslim world needs more help from the western countries Answer: C. in the world today, all countries depend on each other Question: "Are you happy?" The simple question usually makes people confused . Even Mo Yan, who won a Nobel Prize, replied to it by saying, "I don't know." When a migrant worker was asked, "Are you happy? (Ni Xing Fu Ma?)" by a CCTV reporter, he looked confused before replying, "My family name is Zeng. (Wo Xing Zeng.)" This has become a joke. But his answer showed migrant workers and TV reporters live in different worlds and they cannot even communicate with each other. Similarly, when asked, "Are you happy?" a 73-year-old man, collecting used plastic bottles in a street in Zhejiang, said, "The bottles can be sold for 0.1 yuan each." Asked again, he said, "The government is good." The reporter went on, "My question is 'Are you happy?'" The old man answered, "My hearing is not good." The reporter probably tried to reach the same answer that the interviewees including the migrant worker and the old man are "happy". In fact, when the question is asked, we should learn about people's true situation and their true wishes and opinions but their "Yes" or "No". Luckily, the government has paid more attention to the importance. Now there are many TV programs giving common people the chance to give their opinions. "Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily." At last year's National People's Congress , Wen Jiabao said and agreed that increasing happiness would be a top aim for the 12th five-year plan. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. The reporters wanted the people to say "Yes" when asked "Are you happy?" B. Letting people live more happily is a top aim in the next five years. C. The reporter asked the old man three different questions. D. We can call the migrant worker Mr. Zeng. Answer: C. The reporter asked the old man three different questions. Question: Good morning! I'm Mike Brown. I am an English boy. My telephone number is five-four-five-zero-six-seven-eight. This is my room . The quilt is blue. In the room, there are books , a computer and a pencil box . Mike is _ . A. a Chinese boy B. an English boy C. an English girl D. a Chinese girl Answer: B. an English boy Question: His name is James,but people call him Rocky.The name fits.He's big,over six feet tall,and he's tough when he needs to be.James "Rocky" Robinson lives and works in New York City's BedfordStuyvesant district,one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States.Yet it is here in BedStuy that he is saving lives and reviving a community. In 1966,when Rocky was twentysix years old,his sevenyearold niece was struck by a car on the street of BedStuy.Had someone at the scene known first aid or CPR,she might have lived.But by the time she reached a hospital,she was dead. His niece's unnecessary death was one reason why Rocky became a paramedic .Working for the Emergency Medical Service of New York City,he realized that more than half the city's emergency calls came from highcrime areas.According to Rocky,residents of crimeplagued minority neighborhoods like BedStuy sometimes had to wait as long as 26 minutes after calling 911 for an ambulance while calls in richer white communities were answered _ . Rocky decided to find out more about the problem.His research showed that the richer communities had organized their own ambulance corps to improve city services because the city was overwhelmed with calls."If that's the key to success,"he told his friend and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) colleague,Joe Perez,"we'll start our own corps in BedStuy!" In 1988,Rocky had no idea that he and Joe would be attempting to establish the first minorityrun ambulance service in the country,or just how creative he would have to be to overcome the difficulty.The pair's first challenge was to find a location for the headquarters.They took over an abandoned building that was commonly used by drug dealers.Because there was no electricity or running water (except for the leaks in the roof),the two men worked during daylight hours.They used a twoway radio to receive emergency calls. Although they could make do with their new headquarters,Rocky and Joe still lacked the most important component of an ambulance service:an ambulance.An old Chevrolet got them to the scenes of accidents,fires,shootings,and stabbings.But the car didn't always start.At times,they were forced to strap their trauma kits and oxygen tanks to their backs and run on foot to the emergencies.Everyone laughed,except the victims who were still alive when Rocky and Joe arrived. James' sevenyearold niece would have been saved if _ . A. she had been sent to a better hospital B. she had got first aid and arrived in hospital earlier C. James had been at the spot D. emergency calls had been available in the area Answer: B. she had got first aid and arrived in hospital earlier
Starving polar bears are eating one another in the Arctic. Flowers are blooming too soon and die. The ice caps are melting so fast that rising water levels will threaten coastal towns along Florida within several decades. These are just a few examples of the terrible consequences of climate change supported by a new analysis inNature. In the past three decades, average global temperatures have risen about 0. 6degC and are _ to jump by about 1. 7degC by the end of the century, says Cynthia Rosenzweig, who leads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. "We've already seen that a relatively low amount of warming," she says, "can lead to a broad range of changes. " The unnatural warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide produced by cars and coal-powered plants, brings trouble for entire ecosystems. In North America alone, scientists have identified 89 species of plants, such as the American holly that have flowered earlier in the spring. In Spain, apple trees bloom 35 days ahead of schedule in response to the higher temperatures. Other wildlife, like the insects that use certain plants for food and the birds that feed on the insects, must then move forward their seasonal stirrings and mating patterns to survive. To try to follow this time shift, some birds such as robins, the classic symbol of winter'sthaw , are returning to Colorado from their migrations some two weeks earlier than in years past. All these changes can throw a food chain in disorder. Some bird species that arrive before the insects reappear may starve to death. "Around the world, plants and animals are waking up to an earlier alarm clock than they used to," says Terry Root, a biologist from Stanford University. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: Global warming changing nature's clock Weeks have passed since the world lost contact with Malaysia Airlines flightMH370and its 239passengers and crew. Although there is little hope of finding any of the passengers and crew alive,China has been making all-out efforts to find what remains of the plane in the southern Indian Ocean,where the plane is believed to have crashed.The search operations involve the navy,the marine police,scientific research and so on.While China's authorities and military forces have passed the test,the search operations have also shown some weaknesses.It is necessary to address these problems because China is a nation that faces many natural disasters. Lack of professional equipment has been the most notable problem.Among all the ships involved in the search for MH370,only Nanhai jiu 115and Donghai jiu 101and a few other ships have professional rescue equipment.There are also gaps between China and the US in other technologies such as sea-probing equipment and telecommunications.China mainly sent transporter planes,which lacked the necessary equipment to probe the ocean.While the United States sent P-3C and P-SA planes and MH60-R helicopters with equipment that can probe to depths of 76meters and cover 770sq kilometers in four hours. China's technology clearly needs to be improved,After the plane lost contact on March 8,more than one satellite received signals from it,but there is no report of any of China's satellites receiving a signal. Besides technology,China urgently needs to strengthen its international soft power,because almost all the important information was first obtained by Western media,which put pressure upon the Malaysian government for more timely and accurate information.Chinese media mainly forwarded the news broken by their Western colleagues. Last but not least,more attention should be paid to international cooperation.The search and rescue efforts could well have been a race against time to save lives,but limited by international laws and the absence of cooperation mechanisms,China and some other countries involved did not fully share timely information. What is China's most urgent problem to be deal with in rescue work according to the passage? Answer: Lack of professional equipment. The day after Thanksgiving is considered the first day of the holiday shopping season in the prefix = st1 /United States. It even has a name -- "Black Friday." The name comes from the idea that this is the day when store owners begin to show a profit for the year. In the past, before calculators and computers, workers recorded the profits and losses of American businesses in special books. They used red ink to record losses. They used black ink to record profits. They used the term "in the red" to mean losing money. "In the black" meant making a profit. So "Black Friday" was the day when the store owners moved from being "in the red" to "in the black." Many people consider "Black Friday" to be the busiest shopping day of the year. But that is probably false. Researchers say it may be the day when the largest number of people go to stores. But it is not necessarily the day when shoppers spend the largest amount of money. Some experts say Americans just want to get out of the house the day after Thanksgiving. And many stores reduce some of their prices on "Black Friday." However, experts say that many people wait until much closer to Christmas, December 25, hoping to find even lower prices. They say the busiest day of the year in terms of the amount of shoppers and sales is usually the Saturday before Christmas. A marketing services company carried out a public opinion study about shopping last month. It asked almost one thousand Americans about their gift buying plans. One-third said they plan to go to stores to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. The study found that these shoppers are mainly young people, probably because older people do not want to deal with huge crowds. In fact, business leaders say many older Americans are doing their shopping at home -- on the computer. They say the day most people shop online is the Monday after "Black Friday." They even have a name for it -- "Cyber Monday." Which is the busiest shopping day of the year according to the text? Answer: the Saturday before Christmas Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a _ ," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework." He points out that differences among households exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children." Stafford said. Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005. Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most - about 21 hours a week. Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men. Having children increases housework even further. With more than three, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours. What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text? Answer: An unmarried man. Finding the Real You Psychometric testing--personality testing--has been very popular nowadays as studies show their results to be three times more accurate in predicting your job performance. These tests are now included in almost all graduate recruitment and are widely used in the selection of managers. The most popular of these personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is based on the theory that we are born with a tendency to one personality type which stays more or less fixed throughout life. You answer 88 questions and are then given your "type", such as Outgoing or Quiet, Feeling or Thinking. Critics of personality testing raise doubts about "social engineering". Psychologist Dr. Colin Gill warns that the "popular" personality traits have their disadvantages. "People who are extremely open to new experiences can be butterflies, going from one idea to the next without mastering any of them." However, the psychometric test is here to stay, which may be why a whole sub-industry on cheating personality tests has sprung up. "It's possible to cheat," admits Gill, "but having to pretend to be the person you are at work will be tiring and unhappy and probably short-lived." So can we change our personality? "Your basic personality is fixed by the time you're 21,"says Gill," but it can be affected by motivation and intelligence. If you didn't have the personality type to be a doctor but desperately wanted to be one and were intelligent enough to master the skills, you could still go ahead. But trying to go too much against type for too long requires much energy and is actually to be suffered for long. I think it's why we're seeing this trend for downshifting--too many people trying to fit in to a type that they aren't really suited for." Our interest in personality now exists in every part of our lives. If you ask an expert for advice on anything, you'll probably be quizzed about your personality. But if personality tests have any value to us, perhaps it is to free us from the idea that all of us are full of potential, and remind us of what we are. As they say in one test when they ask for your age: pick the one you are, not the one you wish you were. In Dr. Gill's view, how easy is it to change your personality? Answer: It's unlikely because it requires much energy.
Vans, Keds, Dollies--they sound like the names of rock bands, but if you have teenagers, you'll know they're actually the latest in teenage footwear. But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future. Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers' shoe choice. KEDS/VANS Slip-on shoes with elastic sides are particularly popular among teenage boys-with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands. The main problem is that they are just too flat--so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful. BALLET PUMPS The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems. "As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait ,this leads to short-and long-term problems such as calluses ,heel and knee pain." WEDGES AND STILETTOS These shoes can also cause problems with gait, They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer's body weight forward, making them very unstable. Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain. SCHOOL SHOES So what do podiatrists have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear? Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on, with a small heel and a deep toe-box that does not press the toes, such as Clark's, Marks & Spencer or Rhino. If your teen insists on wearing 'bad' shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage. Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems? Answer: In 1886 explorer Robert Peary traveled to Greenland for the U.S. Navy. Before his journey, no one knew Greenland's size or shape. On Peary's first trips, he explored Greenland, mapping parts of it. When Peary returned to the United States, he went to a businessman to sell some furs. There he met Matthew Henson, an African American mechanic, builder and navigator. When Peary went to Nicaragua on a Navy mission ,Henson went with him. When that job was over, the two headed to the Arctic. Henson and Peary set sail for Greenland. When they landed, Henson built a house for their base camp. Peary and his men set out to explore the land by dog sledge . Henson was injured and had to stay at the base. While there, he made friends with the Inuit, the native people. In 1895 Henson, Peary and Hugh Lee went out on another dog sledge journey. This time, they found Greenland's northernmost point. They now knew that the North Pole lay under the frozen Arctic Ocean. Peary had hoped to cross the ice. but the group ran out of food and returned to base camp. In the years that followed, Peary and Henson tried several times to reach the North Pole, but each time they failed. On one trip, Peary's feet froze, and he lost his toes . Peary and Henson planned last trip when Peary was 53 years old. They started across the sea ice from Ellesmere Island, which is located north of Canada. The temperature dropped as low as--51 degrees Celsius. The explores' cheeks froze , and they suffered snow blindness from the sun's glare. They experienced high winds and storms, and they also faced a hidden danger. Under the frozen ocean were powerful currents . The ice moved and broke apart leaving open water, called leads. Twice Peary fell into leads. But eventually he and Henson became the first persons to reach the North Pole. Which of the following words can be used to describe Peary? Answer: A wetland habitat can continue to support the birds and fish that live there if people ___. Answer: Vacation is a time for refreshment. In work, we are often called to think. Sometimes, it's good to give our brains a rest. Without a break, we may not be able to perform up to our potential. This can be a problem, not only for the employee, but for the employer as well. "The main benefit of vacation is for the worker to come back energized," says Weaver. "If they haven't had a break, then they're not coming back with new energy. They haven't had a chance to step back and get perspective , and come back with renewed enthusiasm." Long working hours without a break, insecurity about one's job, and other work-related worries can lead to burnout and stress. Humans can usually adapt to pressure, but not for a limitless amount of time. "It is a problem of relating good workers and having them loyal to the firm while they're _ ," says David Maume, PhD, professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati. He says burnout can also affect employees' productivity, creativity, and effectiveness. In addition, high levels of stress are likely to be precursors to depression, which can hit both the employer and employee's pocketbook. Even people who manage to remain productive at work can have problems. If they're always at work, then they're not with their family and friends. If they're working while on vacation, for the time that they're on the job, they're not really present. An unbalanced emphasis on work can strain family and social life. When you come up for air, you may see that you're alone, or that your relationships have gone on without you. When a worker is always at work, he is likely to get more and more _ . Answer: You may have heard the popular saying, "there are always more fish in the sea". But as many new studies show, fish populations are changing, and not necessarily for the better. Consider the case of big, predatory fish. These giants, like sharks and cod , eat other smaller fish. Big fish are an important part of the marine ecosystem because they keep down the numbers of smaller fish. Without fish that eat other fish, populations of smaller swimmers would increase, eating more plants, and leaving less vegetation for other creatures, including future fish. As fierce as predators can be, they're no match for fishing technology. Many people love to catch predatory fish like sharks, cod and tuna, and new studies suggest that over-fishing is threatening these creatures near the top of the marine food chain. In one study, Villy Christensen and his colleagues looked at 200 past studies of marine life to learn how fish populations have changed over time. Christensen reported that between 1910 and 1970, the numbers of big predators decreased slowly, and that in 1970 their populations really started to drop. Around that time, fishing ships began using new tools that led to more fish being caught. The numbers have been falling quickly ever since. Reg Watson looked at the problem from the perspective of the fishermen. In the middle of the 20thcentury, Watson reported, fishing boats didn't go far from home, and most fish were caught near the shore. That was no longer true by the 1980s. By then, fishing had moved farther from shore, into the open oceans, and was helped by the development of new technologies. But since the 1990s, something has changed. Despite new technologies and more efforts, fishing operations have not continued to develop. Scientists study historical data to understand the present, and this research is needed to forecast the future of fish and fishing. And the forecast doesn't look good: large predator fish are becoming harder to find, and soon may disappear. Why did the number of big predators begin to fall quickly in 1970? Answer:
WHAT do you do when you feel lonely? Hide yourself away and spend your time reading, watching TV or walking around? You might think that feeling lonely is just like feeling happy, sad or scared - that it's just one of your various moods . That is true. However, if you let yourself be lonely for too long without dealing with it, you could be making a serious mistake. Doctors have known for some time that feeling lonely is bad for the mind. It can lead to mental health problems such as depression ,stress and reduced confidence. "Being lonely means not feeling connected or cared for, it's not about being physically alone," Lisa Jaremka, scientist from Ohio State University, US, told Live Science in January. But there's growing evidence that not having friends is connected with physical illness as well. In 2006, for example, scientists studied 2,800 women who had cancer. They found that those who had few friends or family were five times more likely to die of their disease than women with many social contacts. Also, even healthy people had a better chance of falling ill if they felt left out by others, according to the BBC. The results have scientists thinking that loneliness might hurt the immune system , which protects the body from diseases. Hoping to prove this theory, Jaremka and her research team put volunteers through a stress test. During the test, volunteers were asked to make an unprepared speech in front of a group of stony-faced people. The researchers found that volunteers who said they were lonely in their daily lives felt more stress during the test. And their blood samples showed that all the stress had managed to cause harmful changes to their immune system. "Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor --- a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time," explained Jaremka, who led the study. The number of people suffering from loneliness is increasing all over the world. However, solving the problem is easier said than done. It won't work to just "tell anyone to go out and find someone to love you", said Jaremka. " We need to create support networks." If people feel lonely for a long time, _ . Answer: they are more likely to fall ill On Christmas Eve--the night before Christmas, children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Santa Claus to give them some presents. Mr. Green tells his children that Santa Claus is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on the top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of presents. Christmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and shout "Merry Christmas!" Do you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other. On the morning of Christmas Day, children say " _ " to their parents. Answer: Merry Christmas! I was an introvert by nature. For as long as I remember, showing a sincere smile when meeting someone had never been easy. When meeting people, instead of being excited, I often felt upset or self-disturbed. But we all know having friends is important. The more friends you have, the more opportunities you get, no matter whether it's a job opportunity, a romantic relationship, or a business partner. So a smile is important to making others feel comfortable. Mother Teresa said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person and a beautiful thing." The smile I'm talking about is not to make a face to someone. I'm talking about those wide smiles you make when meeting old friends. So I've discovered a trick. I call this technique "Oh, it's Jamie!" When I meet someone, I imagine him as an old friend of mine called Jamie. He was my first friend when we were still kids. It's no secret why my smile is as wide as I can possibly make. And the best part, whenever you're friendly to others, they are friendly in return. You're not hearing this from me. A research which was done early by scientists actually backs this claim. So do remember to give it a try. What is the key to the author's trick? Answer: Supposing someone is your old friend. The Arctic Fox Characteristics The arctic fox is dark gray to bluish brown in the summer. In the winter its fur is white or creamy white. It has a long bushy tail, a short nose and small, curled back ears. It has short legs and thick fur. Its short legs and nose, thick fur and small ears are adaptions that help it survive in cold climates. Because its legs are so short and its ears and nose are small, they are less exposed to the cold. The arctic fox also has thick fur and hair on its paw pads that help keep it warm. When the arctic fox is sleeping, it protects its nose from the cold by curling its bushy tail around its body. The arctic fox is about three feet long and weighs between five and fifteen pounds. Males are larger than females. Diet The arctic fox is an opportunities eater. It will eat just about whatever it comes across. It eats small mammals like lemmings and it also eats birds, insects and eggs. In fact, in the winter it often follows polar bears and wolves and eats their leftover kill. In the summer the arctic fox will carry extra food to its den and store it under rocks to eat later. The arctic fox sometimes even makes its own freezer by digging a hole in the permafrost and storing its food there. A major source of food for the arctic fox is the lemming. In fact, the arctic fox population often peaks every four years in a cycle that follows lemming population changes. Life Cycle The arctic fox mates between February and June. The female builds a new den and gives birth to between six and twelve dark--furred kits. Both the female and the male will take care of the young kits. The male will guard the den and bring food to the den for the mother and the kits. The kits are weaned when they are between two and four weeks old and then they will start to leave the den. What can NOT be inferred from the text? Answer: The number of the lemmings does not change Tom brought a box of biscuits to a summer camp. He ate a few and placed the rest under his bed. After lunch, he found the box was gone. He went to tell his camp coach about it. The next day, the coach saw a boy eating Tom's biscuits behind a tree. He came up with an idea to solve the problem. He found Tom and said to him, "I know who took away your biscuits. Will you help me to teach him a lesson?" "Well, yes... are you going to punish him, sir?" Tom asked. "No, I'm not," the coach explained patiently. "That would only make him hate you. I want you to write to your mother and ask for more gifts." Tom received another box of biscuits by mailing from his mother a few days later. "Now," said the coach, "go and share them with the boy who stole your biscuits." Tom didn't understand the coach's intention , but he still followed his suggestion. Half an hour later the coach saw the two boys come up the hill, arm in arm. The boy was trying to ask Tom to accept his toy robot in payment for the stolen biscuits. And Tom was refusing the gift from his new friend. He said that a few biscuits were not so important. In some situations, forgiveness is better than punishment. Why did the coach ask Tom to ask for more gifts? Answer: The coach wanted to teach the boy a lesson.
Question: Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country, you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week, how you can get along with your fellow students, and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today. First, let's talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be, you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students, especially at large universities. In lectures, it's very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also, you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn't enough to just read your textbooks; you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures, the reading, and the homework. In large universities, graduate students, called teaching assistants, usually direct discussion sections. If your major is chemistry, or physics, or another science, you'll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab, or laboratory, doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non science majors do. On the other hand, people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do. According to the author, science majors _ . A. read and write less than non science majors B. have to work harder than non science majors C. spend less time on their studies than non science majors D. consider experiments more important than discussions Answer: A. read and write less than non science majors Question: Even if you are an experienced backpacker or climber,you need to know what to do if something goes wrong.It is not that Alaska is that much more dangerous than other places.It is no more _ than elsewhere,as long as the proper precautions are taken.So, being prepared is crucial to ensure a safe trip. First of all,make sure you pack everything you will need for your trip.Even if you are traveling by car,pack clothes and gear for backpacking.Because of the bad weather, cars break down frequently. Pack a survival kit full with:a down coat, boots ,mittens, a hat, snow-pants,sleeping bags,candles,a flashlight,and high-energy food. If you are traveling by car , also pack extra belts, a shovel, and a chain. If you are camping or hiking,make sure you know how to avoid bears.If you are lost in the wilderness, there is no doubt you will encounter them. However,there is no need to be nervous.Just take these precautions:make noise as you walk,bears will avoid you;cook your food away from where you sleep,and store your food away from where you sleep,so the bears are not attracted.Both of these should keep the bear away.However,if you do encounter a bear,there are two different schools of thought.One is to make noise and scare the bear away.The other is to stand still and speak softly to get the bear to leave.If you are dealing with a brown bear,you can climb a tree,since it cannot follow.But,black bears can climb.If for some reason the bear attacks,play dead.Try to protect your head and neck,and hopefully the bear will leave its"dead" prey. Which of the following is the main idea of this passage? A. There are some tips to survive in Alaska's wilderness. B. The bears in Alaska's wilderness are very dangerous. C. Something should be taken along while traveling by car. D. You should learn how to protect yourself. Answer: A. There are some tips to survive in Alaska's wilderness. Question: Children form opinions about drugs and alcohol at a very early age. Even four and five year olds have definite opinions about alcohol. Preschoolers, because of the commercials they see on TV, often think that alcohol helps people have more fun and be better athletes! Images of alcohol are everywhere in out society--consumption of alcohol is represented twice per hour in daytime shows, and three times in an average evening program. Despite the wide spread of alcohol in our society, and the problems that can be connected with it, many parents feel uncomfortable when talking about alcohol with their children, or are not sure when and how to start. Many parents believe that teenage drinking is something that their children would never be involved in. Unfortunately, teenage drinking is very common in North Dakota. In a state wide survey of adolescents in junior and senior high school. Only 24% claimed to have never consumed alcohol. When asked about their drinking in the past 30 days: 61% adolescents reported drinking 42% drank five or more drinks in a row 17% reported binge drinking 4.2% reported driving and drinking Other research on rural youth in North Dakota has found that about 10% of a sample of fifth and sixth graders were engaged in frequent drinking. Teenagers who reported alcohol use (especially those who began use in late elementary school and junior high school) were more likely to be depressed, feel less positive about both their family and friends, and have poorer grades. Research has found that children and even teenagers look to their parents in making decisions about important things in their life. Decisions about using alcohol are undoubtedly something that parents will want to provide guidance about. Here are some suggestions about talking to children about alcohol. What will the article probably talk about next? A. How to be supportive of your children. B. Means of teaching children to make important decisions. C. Advice about talking to children about alcohol. D. Why teenagers look to their parents in making decisions. Answer: C. Advice about talking to children about alcohol. Question: Old Cremona Violins Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the Italian violins. But they aren't the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones. Some people think it is the age of the violins. But not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special . So age cannot be the answer. Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood must be from certain kinds of trees. But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape . The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood. Size and shape may not be the answer, either. Scientists can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish. Varnish is what covers the wood of the violin. It makes the wood look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. But no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish. Some scientists believe that the secret of the old violins was _ . A. their sound B. their colour C. their varnish D. the music Answer: C. their varnish Question: During which season of the year would a rabbit's fur be thickest? A. fall B. spring C. summer D. winter Answer: D. winter
When people ask your children to "get an education", they tell you only half the truth. What they really mean is to get just enough education to give manpower for your society. Get a high school diploma, at least. Without that, you are occupationally dead, unless your name happens to be George Washington or Thomas Edison and you can successfully stop study in primary schools. Get a college degree, if possible. With a BA, you should start to find a job. You have to _ now. If you do go for a master's degree, make sure it is an MBA and only from a first - class university. Otherwise, the famous law of diminishing begins to work. Do you know, for example, that long - distance truck drivers make more money a year than full professors? Yes, each driver was paid $28,000 in 1997 while a full professor managed to get $27,930. A PhD is the highest degree you can get, but except in a few specialized fields such as physics or chemistry, where the degree can quickly be turned to industrial or commercial aim, you are facing a not very bright future. There are more PhDs unemployed in this country than in any other part of the world by far. If you became a PhD in English or history or political science or languages or - worst of all - in philosophy , you take the risk of becoming over - educated for our national demands. Thousands of PhDs are selling shoes, driving taxis, waiting on tables and filling out applications month after month, and then may be taking a job in some high school or college with the pay much less than a door-keeper makes. According to the writer, society expects education to turn out people who will_. Mr. Perkin stands at the bus stop and watches the cars go by. Many of the cars are Beta 400s, and most of them are yellow. Mr. Perkin likes to do what other people do. So the following week he buys a new yellow Beta 400s. He likes it very much and doesn't like the old red one any more. This morning Mr. Perkin parks his car in a big park at half past eight near his office. But when he comes out of his office at five o'clock, there're so many yellow Beta 400s in the park. Mr. Perkin can't find out which car is his because he forgets its number and leaves his licence at home. He tries his key in some of the cars and people looks at him. He has to give up. Poor Mr. Perkin can do nothing. He waits nearly two hours until his car is the only yellow Beta 400s left in the park. Mr. Perkin goes to his office _ . China's air pollution problems are more serious these days. But just try to remember that the air pollution shouldn't stop you from enjoying life in China. Here are some tips for you to keep the smog away. Watch the weather report. As you can see, it will give you an _ of pollution, but my general rule is: if it's above 80, wear a face mask and limit time to spend outside; if it's below 80, go outside and enjoy the day, open all the windows to get some much-needed fresh air and exercise. But do not exercise outside if the pollution is high. I went running once when it was around 120, and I was ill and missed several days of work. Get a house plant that cleans the air. A house plant can make your home beautiful and clean the air. I have some plants and just yesterday, I bought another plant. At that time I didn't know it could clean the air. I just got it because it could make me feel better. Never open the windows. No matter how hot and wet it is inside, just wait until it is a nice day to air your apartment. Just stay at home and do some things you like. What's the best title of the passage? 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. Kerrin didn't find her purse missing until_. The use of the word imitation reminds me that we ought to make some more comments on the risk of people imitating what they see on the screen in the way of crime or violence. First there was always a risk of children acting out scenes which could be dangerous. For example, I remember a woman who was head of a middle school telling me that she had happened to look out of her window when the children were on the playground and had seen them putting a small boy on a chair with a rope round his neck and the rope over the branch of a tree; fortunately she was in time to get there before the child was hanged. I remember a film in particular in which the hero who was imprisoned had escaped by electrocuting his guard, the technique of doing this being shown in detail. This was the kind of scene which we could cut for these reasons. In films for young people and adults we always tried to keep off the screen the details of criminal techniques, such as how to open a locked door with a piece of hard plastic or how to open a safe; if we were consulted before production, I used to advise that the details should not be shown. When I gave talks in prisons about film checking I had full support for this, since fathers who were in prison for criminal offences did not want their children to get on crime. Every time I gave a talk in a prison someone used to mention the French film Rififi. made by Jules Dassin in 1954. This remarkable film showed in great detail a robbery of a jeweler's shop, the robbery lasting about half an hour and being backed by only natural sound...one of the most brilliant film sequences of all time. I remember our discussion at the time. We thought that the robbery was finished only with the use of advanced and obviously expensive equipment and that only the most experienced and skilled criminals could possibly imitate it; we believed therefore that it was ly safe. When talking in prisons some years later I learned that there had been several robberies in which the techniques had been copied, so perhaps we were wrong. What is the writer's attitude towards the film in which the hero had escaped by electrocuting the guard?
In the first programme,The Mexican Wave, the focus is on the Orange Monarch butterfly. Each autumn in the pine forests of central prefix = st1 /Mexico, one of the greatest natural phenomena appears, as tens of millions of beautiful orange Monarch butterflies pour into the trees to spend the winter months. Some of them have migrated several thousand kilometres from their breeding grounds in North America and Canada, but although they've never been here before, they travel south and find their way to an area not much bigger than the English county of Devon. Although they coat the trees and when they take flight, look like an orange snowstorm, these butterflies are under threat at both ends of their journey.The pine forest are being cut down illegally by gangs of loggers, despite protection from the Mexican government. Local people need timber and firewood to survive. Where the butterflies breed in North America, their foodplant, the milkweed, is being killed by herbicides and agricultural practices, and the Monarch's migration is in danger.With location reports from the Mexican forests, Brett Westwood explores how steps are being taken to develop sustainable forestry to help preserve this magnificent insect. What's the main reason for the decline of the number of Orange Monarch butterflies? . A Being killed by enemies B Being caught by human beings C Lack of protection from the Mexican government D The disappearance of their habitat and food Answer: D In the food chain process a cattail has the role of A decomposer B consumer C producer D trader Answer: C For the 17 years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said, "Victor and Elizabeth, my children, I'm very happy because you love each other, and because one day you'll get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you look after them when I have gone." My mother died and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death. The time came for me to go to university. I didn't want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry would not let him go to university with me. So I had gone alone. On my first day at university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying, "Some of you will become the greatest scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. This is why God made you intelligent--to help other people." After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was 15; I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. From then on, I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I started to work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist. The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years, I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short. After two years, I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was the best in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death, so it was a dark and terrible time. I built a tall mast about 150 meters high, which is higher than the tallest building in the city, to catch lightning and send the electricity down to my machine in the lab. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead. Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. Victor did all the following during his research in the university EXCEPT that _ . A he discovered many things and built a scientific machine B he learnt much about death both in the hospitals and in the university C he worked hard and took only one day's holiday during the next two years D he built a tall mast to catch lightning and send the electricity down to the lab Answer: C A student is dropping objects of various sizes and shapes and recording the time it takes for each object to hit the ground. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer? A What force slows some objects down? B What force pulls objects to the ground? C Do some objects fall more quickly than others? D Do objects break or bounce when hitting the ground? Answer: C Tu Youyou has become the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize, for her work in helping to create an anti-malaria medicine. The 84-year-old's route to the honour has been anything but traditional. In China, she is being called the "three nos" winner: no medical degree, no doctorate, and she's never worked overseas. In 1967, malaria, a then deadly disease, spread by mosquitoes was _ Chinese soldiers fighting Americans in the jungles of northern Vietnam. A secret research unit "Mission 523 "was formed to find a cure for the illness. Two years later, Tu Youyou was instructed to become the new head of "Mission 523". "Mission523" read ancient books carefully for a long time to find historical methods of fighting malaria. When she started her search for an anti-malarial drug, more than 240,000 compounds around the world had already been tested, without any success. Finally, the team found a brief reference to one substance, sweet wormwood , which had been used to treat malaria in China around 400 AD. The team took out one active compound in wormwood, and then tested it. But nothing was effective until Tu Youyou returned to the original ancient text. After another careful reading, she changed the drug recipe one final time, heating the compound without allowing it to reach boiling point. After the drug showed promising results in mice and monkeys, Tu Youyou volunteered to be the first human recipient of the new drug. " In any case, Tu Youyou is consistently praised for her drive and passion. One former colleague. Lianda Li, says Ms Tu is "unsociable and quite straightforward", adding that "if she disagrees with something, she will say it." Another colleague, Fuming Liao, who has worked with Tu Youyou for more than 40 years, describes her as a "tough and stubborn woman". Stubborn enough to spend decades piecing together ancient texts, she applies them to modern scientific practices. The result has saved millions of lives. According to Para. I, we can learn that _ . A Tu is the first woman to win a Nobel Prize B Tu has a medical degree C Tu's road to success is not traditional D Tu discovered a cure for malaria Answer: C
THIS movie is about an adventure on an island called Skull, where an oversize gorilla named Kong falls in love with a blonde beauty. Nothing much to expect, you might say . But you might be wrong. It has been 72 years since the story was first brought to the screen. But the latest movie version, "King Kong", is a box office hit in the prefix = st1 /US. The film opens inChinaon January 14. Kong himself resonates through American culture: his name known to every 10-year-old boy, his image used to sell everything from insurance to snacks. So what is it that makes the story attractive to generations of Americans? Set in the Great Depression of the 1930s, the film follows New Yorkactress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), who is kidnapped by movie makers. She was taken to theSkullIsland, where she was caught by the aboriginals, who want to sacrifice her to King Kong, a gorilla. But instead of eating Ann, King Kong saves her. He is captured and dragged back to New York. There he bursts free and climbs theEmpireStateBuildingin search of Ann. Why did King Kong appear in 1933? And why is he back now, in 2005? In 1933 a worldwide economic depression threw the future into doubt. "The monster represents American workers' feelings at being caged by forces beyond their control," says Gerald Molyneaux, La SalleUniversityfilm professor and biographer of Charlie Chaplin. Now, once again, Americans worry about their future in an age of terror, threatened by the presence of "the other" this time by al-Qaida. But some people, on the other hand, see the movie just as what it is. "I am confident the story is not any type of social or political allegory," says artist Dave Dorman, creator of the cover illustrations for the new King Kong comic books. "Sometimes an ape is just an ape." The main purpose for the writer to write this passage is _ . Answer: There was once a rabbit who thought the more friends she had, the better. So she made many friends. She even thought she was the most popular animal in the world. One day the rabbit heard hounds baying not far from her. Usually, she hurried away at the first sound of a baying dog. But this time she didn't want to run for her life as before. "I have so many friends, and they could help me," she thought. She decided to ask one of them to carry her to safety. The rabbit asked the horse, "Please, dear friend, will you carry me away from the hounds?" The horse answered, "I wish I could help you, but I have work to do for my owner." Then the rabbit asked the cow for help. The cow answered, "I wish I could help you, but it's almost milking time." The goat had something important to do, too. So were the sheep and the pig. Every animal the rabbit asked for help seemed to be _ . Even the calf had no time for her. Each of her friends said, "I wish I could help you." But all of them had some excuse that prevented them from helping her. Sadly, the rabbit said to herself, "I have so many friends in the world, but why don't they help me when I'm in danger?" By this time, the hounds were getting closer. The rabbit didn't have any time to think. She was forced to run for her life. She quickly took off and, luckily, escaped just in time. The reason why the rabbit didn't get help from the animals is that _ . Answer: The announcement of Osama bin Laden's killing by U.S. Navy SEALs touched off a series of emotional reactions around the world, from joy to grief. For most Americans, it prompted a time of rejoicing, a magnificent sense of closure, and a feeling that justice had been done. But for those who were followers of bin Laden, there was anger, heightened feelings of revenge , and a deep sense of loss. How do we make meaning from such a moment in history? And how do we help children understand the deep values that unite us as a nation? This is indeed a teachable moment for families and for classrooms around the country. Reactions to murder can be very confusing to children because they are not able to morally reason like adults. Instead of understanding his killing as an act of justice, children may interpret it as an act of revenge. They can internalize joyful reactions to mean"When someone harms me or my family, it is okay to hurt them back."Talking with children about this event is an important lesson in moral development. Adults can help children understand justice and revenge by talking about the values behind these two concepts. There are sticky issues here -- and sometimes there are no concrete answers! Getting kids to reflect on and discuss moral dilemmas is important to development. Justice is understood differently by different cultures, depending upon their history. At the core of justice are certain shared values about moral rightness, fairness, and ethics that ifbreachedpunishment will follow. Justice is an integral part of the American legal system, a foundation of how our culture thinks about crime and punishment. Justice is about how our actions have consequences. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher, suggested that justice evolved from two natural human tendencies: revenge and empathy. Humans have natural empathy for people who are hurt. Indeed, the human loss from 911 was overwhelming to everyone, not just those who lost loved ones. Through our ability to put ourselves into another person's place, we feel a natural desire to revenge on those who hurt us. Thus, Mill believed the laws of justice evolved from the difference between empathy and revenge. What is the difference between justice and revenge? Justice is undertaken and supported by legitimate judicial systems founded on certain ethics and morals. It is meant to be restorative. On the other hand, revenge is often done to make others suffer the same or greater pain than that which was originally inflicted. It can be argued that the type of killing done by al-Qaeda is steeped in revenge because it is designed to inflict the greatest harm on innocent people. Helping children understand the meaning of justice and its underlying values is important. It develops a child's ability to develop skills in moral reasoning. And it helps them distinguish between concepts such as justice and revenge. When they are faced with their own moral dilemmas, they will be able to respond. An event like bin Laden's death and the intense emotions surrounding the event of 911 are different for each American household. Talk to your children about your feelings. Ask them about theirs. Perhaps they are too young to remember the day when the World Trade Center was attacked and the immense grief you felt. Tell them about that day. Talk about justice -- and the consequences of our actions. Share your own moral dilemmas and how you worked through them. Current events present an opportunity to talk about American values. It is also an occasion to talk about family values. How do your kids experience the consequences of their actions when they are dishonest, selfish, or treat others with disrespect. Families should initiate conversations about values and moral dilemmas often in a child's life. Families who create open environments for dialogue with children around values and meaning in life nurture kids who grow up to reason for themselves. Through respectful listening and conversations about moral dilemmas, you can help your child develop into a caring, sympathetic, engaged adult. The passage will most probably be followed by . Answer: There are several ski hills that can be found locally, and not so locally. Here's a bit of an informal snow report for any visitors to the city who may be unfamiliar with the local options for skiing. Sunshine Village Sunshine is definitely the premier ski hill in the area. Of all the hills in Alberta, Sunshine is the one that has earned international _ . Ticket prices are cheaper this year than they have been in the past. Adults pay $76.5, seniors $61.5, and children only pay $26.5. At present, they have a snow base of 107 cm. The terrain is a mix of both easy and hard runs. Lake Louise Of all the ski resorts nearby it is the largest with 4,200 acres of ski-able terrain. It has the best balance between easy and difficult runs, and it gets snow of 93 cm right now. Adults pay $75.5, seniors pay $54.5, and children pay $24.5. Lake Louise is a great choice for anyone looking to do some easy access backcountry skiing. Nakiska While it will be opening shortly, Nakiska is popular to the public. Currently, they have a base of 71cm. The terrain at Nakiska is varied, but slants more towards the easy side. It's the best place for families to go skiing as there is a lot of beginner and kid terrain. Tickets are relatively cheap. Adults pay $64.5, seniors pay $51.5, and children only pay $19.5. Olympic Park O.P. was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Canada, and it is a world-class facility for almost every winter sport. It has facilities not only for skiing, but also for all kinds of other activities. It has a snow base of 102 cm, but it isn't the primary focus. However, with tickets starting at $5 and capping at $39, it is very inexpensive. What can we know about Sunshine Village? Answer: People with bigger brains ftend to score higher on standardized tests of intelligence, according to new study findings. However, the study author Dr Michael A.McDaniel of the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond emphasized that these findings represent a general trend, and people with small heads should not automatically believe they are less intelligent. For instance, Albert Einstein's brain was "not particularly large", McDaniel noted. "There's some relationship between brain size and intelligence on the average, but there's plenty of room for exceptions," he said. Interest in the relationship between brain size and intelligence grew in the1830s, when German anatomist Frederich Tiedmann wrote that he believed there was "an unquestionable connection between the size of the brain and the mental energy displayed by the individual man". Since that statement, scientists have conducted numerous studies to determine if Tiedmann's assertion was, in fact, correct. Most studies have looked into the link between head size and intelligence. More recently, however, researchers have published additional studies on brain size and intelligence, measured using MRI scan . For his study, McDaniel analyzed more than 20 studies that looked into the relationship between brain size and intelligence in a total of 1,530 people. The studies showed that on the average, people with larger brain volume tended to be more intelligent. The relationship between brain volume and intelligence was stronger in women than men, and in adults than in children. McDaniel notes in the journal Intelligence. McDaniel is not sure why the relationship was stronger for adults and women. "Other research has shown that women, on the average, tend to have smaller brains than men, but score just as well--if not higher--in tests of intelligence," he said. McDaniel insisted that the relationship between brain size and intelligence is not a "perfect" one. "One can certainly find lots of examples of smaller-sized people who are highly intelligent," he said, "But, on the average, the relationship holds." According to the text, Dr McDaniel's study _ . Answer:
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the horizon was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world's 14 highest mountains. His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia's snowcapped Himalayas. At 26,545 feet, its peak is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing. "It tends to be the trickiest, the most dangerous," said Viesturs. "There's no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches and ice falls that protect the mountain." In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog's tale of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog's story was of frostbite and difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was right away. Viesturs got his start on Washington's Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world's highest peaks. Finally, he's done. The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. "You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it," said Viesturs. "If we have the patience and the respect, and if we're here at the right time, under the right circumstances, they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down." What's next for a man who can't stop climbing? "I'm going to hug my wife and kids and kind of kick back and enjoy the summer," says Viesturs. But for a man who's climbed the world's 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon set off on yet another adventure. The author used Viestures' words in Paragraph 6 to support a view that _ . All students need to have good habits :When you have good study habits, you learn things quickly. You also remember them easily. Do you like to study in the living room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. The telephone bell rings there; the TV is there, and sometimes it is a good place for your pet dog or cats to play and rest. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better. Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too. You'll feel tired easily if there is not enough light . So you should have a clean and bright lamp. To tell you the truth, the most important is that you should put your heart into your study. You'll feel tired easily if the light is _ . Dear Jenny, How are you? Thanks for your last letter. I like English and Maths, too. I think they're interesting and useful . Our school is over at 3:40 p. m. every day and I can get home at 4 o'clock, but I don't go home at once . On Monday afternoon, I have a violin lesson from 4:00 to 5:00. I like sports, and I'm in the school basketball team with our P. E. teacher on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday afternoon, I go shopping with my parents. We buy a lot of food and fruits, and I like eating them very much. On Thursday, I often watch TV at home after school. I like Sports World very much On Saturday we don't have classes. I often sing in an art school. I like singing and I can sing better now. I usually go to the park or have a rest at home on Sunday. I'm busy every day, but I'm very happy because I have fun in my life. Yours, Alice Alice's school is over at _ in the afternoon every day. Norman Cousins was a businessman from the United States who often traveled around the world on business. He enjoyed his work and traveling. Then, after returning to the United States from a busy and tiring trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics( USSR),Mr. Cousins got sick. Because he had pushed his body to the limit of its strength on the trip, a chemical change began to take place inside him. The material between his bones became weak. In less than one week after his return, he could not stand. Every move that he made was painful. He was not able to sleep at night. The doctore told him that they did not know how to cure Mr. Cousins ' problem and he might never get over the illness. Mr. Cousins, however, refused to give up hope. Mr. Cousins thought that unhappy thoughts were causing bad chemical changes in his body. He did not want to take medicine to cure himself. Instead,he felt that happy thoughts or laughter might cure his illness. .' He began to experiment on himself while still in hospital by watching funny shows on television. Mr. Cousins quickly found that 10 minutes of real laughter during the day gave him two hours of pain -free sleep at night. Deciding that the doctors could not help him, Mr. Cousins left the hospital and checked into a hotel room where he could continue his experiments with laughter. For eight days,Mr. Cousins rested in the hotel room watching funny shows on television,reading funny books,and sleeping whenever he felt tired. Within three weeks,he felt well enough to take a vacation to Puerto . Rico where he began running on the beach for exercise. After a few months,Mr. Cousins returned to work. He has laughed himself back to health. What did Mr. Cousins think caused his illness? A Chinese tourist has died in Hong Kong a day after being beaten up during a so-called "forced shopping" tour. Businessmen try to make money by forcing tourists to buy goods at some stores. Police said the dead, 54, tried to quiet a tourist and a tour guide after the tourist decided not to buy anything at a shop. At least four people have been arrested. The dead, from north-east China, was found lying cold outside the shop in Kowloon on Monday morning. He tried to make peace in a fight between two women -- believed to be the tour leader and one of the tourists, but a group of men pulled them onto the street and beat them, police said. The two women, aged 32 and 53, have been arrested, along with two men, one a 44-year-old Hong Kong and the other a 32-year-old mainlander. Police say they are still searching for two other suspects. On the mainland the man's death cause a boycott of travel to Hong Kong. The HongKong local people hate mainlanders because they think mainlanders push up prices. They say mainlanders are always eating on the underground and making loud noises. China's National Tourism Administration has asked Hong Kong to protect mainland tourists' rights. How old was the dead? _ .
American and British people use different greetings. In the USA the commonest greeting is "Hi". In Britain it is "Hello!" or "How are you?" "Hi!" is creeping into British, too. When they are introduced to someone, the Americans say, "Glad to know you. " The British say, "How do you do?" or "Pleased to meet you. " When Americans say "Good-bye", they nearly always add, "Have a good day. " or "Have a good trip. " etc. to friends and strangers alike. Britons are already beginning to use "Have a good day. " The British usually use "got" in the sense of "have". The Americans hardly ever do. AmE: Do you have a car, room, etc. ? Yes, I do. BrE: Have you got a car, room, etc. ? Yes, I have. There are a number of differences between American and British English in the spelling of words, e. g. check(US)/cheque(UK). Many American words ending in "or", e. g. honor, labor are spelt in British English with an "our," e. g. honour, labour. Many verbs in American English with "ize" or "izing" forms, e. g. organize, realizing are spelt in BrE with "ise" or "ising", e. g. organise, realising. In American English, "practice" is used both for the verb and noun. In BrE, the verb is spelt "practise", and the noun "practice. " In AmE, one writes "traveler," while in BrE, one writes "traveller". It was once _ that British and American English would become separate languages finally. But the opposite has happened. The links between the two countries are so strong that linguistically ,and probably culturally too, they are closer together than ever before. AmE---- American English BrE----British English Which of the following is TRUE? A The two languages will become separate languages. B American English will be used more and more. C The two languages will be closer and closer. D British English will be used more and more. Answer: C It was 3: 45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history. The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia-where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part-other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia . In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling. Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death-probably by a deadly injection or pill-to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a cooling off period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks, he says. The author's attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of _ . A opposition B suspicion C approval D indifference Answer: C Basic Study Manual Hardcover: $ 37.50 Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers, business trainers and by students themselves. Read this book and learn: What the three barriers to study are - and what to do about them * What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying * Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding * Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study. Study Skills for Life Hardcover: $31.99 L. Ron Hubbard's study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them the ability to study and learn. Fully illustrated for easy comprehension. Learning How to Learn Hardcover: $24.99 The basics of effective study for 8-to 12-year olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book regain their liking for study and their ability to apply this knowledge in life. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies! * How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children Hardcover: $34.90 In spite of billions of dollars spent on "educational research," children are not taught the most basic skills of learning, even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found not one that told them how to use a dictionary -or that one should. Written for children 8 to 12-year old, this fully illustrated book will teach your child: * How to find words in a dictionary * The different ways that words are used * What the different marks and symbols that are used in a dictionary mean * How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words Includes a section for parents and teachers showing you how to use this book with children. Buy this book and give it to your children to unlock their education. What's more, you'll just pay 50% for it before May 1, 2008. The purpose of the passage meant to _ . A introduce the four books to readers B help children to learn English C enrich students knowledge about nature D sell the four books to readers Answer: D The State of Missoula has enacted a new election code designed to increase voter responsibility in the exercise of the franchise and to enlarge citizen participation in the electoral process. None of its provisions conflicts with federal statutes.The Missoula election code provides that in a special-purpose election for directors of a state watershed improvement district, the franchise is limited to landowners within the district, because they are the only ones directly affected by the outcome. Each vote is weighted according to the proportion of the holding of that individual in relation to the total affected property. The best argument in support of the statute and against the application of the "one man, one vote" principle in this situation is that the principle A applies only to elections of individuals to statewide public office. B does not apply where property rights are involved. C does not apply, because the actions of such a district principally affect landowners. D does not apply, because of rights reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment Answer: C In a natural disaster--a hurricane, flood, volcanic eruption, or other catastrophes--minutes and even seconds of warning can make the difference between life and death.Because of this, scientists are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen.They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained. On September 29, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi, after damaging Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and several islands of the Caribbean badly with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km per hour.Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States, although hundreds died in the Caribbean. This was a very different outcome from 1900, when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston, Texas, killing at least 6,000 people. Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century----residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching, while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance, allowing for extensive safety precautions . At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning, some residents of New Orleans, Louisiana were less satisfied.A day before Georges made landfall, forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans.Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level, the city is at risk for flooding.Emergency management officials must begin evacuations well before a storm strikes.But evacuation costs money: businesses close, tourists leave, and citizens take precautionary measures.The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city' s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million.After Georges missed New Orleans, some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs. The different views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges show some of the complexities related to predicting disasters.Disaster prediction is a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions. What is the purpose of disaster prediction according to the passage? A To identify the cause of disasters. B To save people' s lives and property. C To prevent natural disasters from happening, D To apply advanced technology to disaster prediction. Answer: B
Harriet Tubman was an AfricanAmerican woman who fought against slavery. She was born in 1820. She helped many people escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad. It was an organized effort to help slaves from the southern states to areas that banned slavery. Slaves could be sold freely. Families were often separated. Harriet married a free black man named John Tubman in 1844, yet she remained a slave. In 1849, the farmer who owned her died. Then she ran to the home of a white woman who had offered to help her. This woman told her how to reach another home where she could hide. Harriet Tubman went from place to place in this way. This was how the Underground Railroad operated. Finally,she went into the northern state of Pennsylvania. During the next ten years,she led an expanded Underground Railroad,and helped 300 slaves escape. Harriet Tubman found another way to fight against slavery during the Civil War. She went into the southern states to spy for the North. After the Civil War,Harriet Tubman settled in New York State. She gave speeches to raise money for better education for black Americans, worked for women's rights and sought help for older adults who had been slaves. Harriet Tubman died in 1913.By that time, she had been recognized as an American heroine . What can be inferred from the passage? Answer: The Underground Railroad was a way to freedom. 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. Which of the following is NOT true? Answer: Diana wants to be a teacher at the supermarket to make money. Booker T. Washington was born in a black slave family in Virginia of the USA in 1856, seven years before slavery was abolished by Abraham Lincoln in January, 1863. He wrote a book about his life called Up From Slavery, which was published in 1901. In the book, he said that he had no choice but to work in a coal mine when he was 16 years old. He had no chance to go to school. He heard two coal miners talking about a school for black children which was called the Hampton Institute. He determined that he would go there. He gave up his job and told other members of his race that he was going to school across the state. The older people had spent their best years as slaves and were poor. However, some gave Booker some pocket money or a handkerchief. Hardly had anyone expected any of their race to leave home to attend a boarding school. He took a train to Richmond, Virginia, where he ran out of money. It was 82 miles from the Hampton Institute. He slept under a wooden sidewalk . He helped unload pigs and iron from a ship for some money and when he had enough, he continued his journey, arriving at school with 50 cents. This diligence pushed him to graduate and become a teacher at the Hampton Institute. When he was 25 years old, he was asked to start a new school for black children in Alabama. called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. Thirty-four years later, this school had 1,500 students and 200 teachers and Booker T. Washington became the most influential black leader of his generation. Booker T. Washington didn't go to school early in life because _ . Answer: he had to work as a coal miner "Holding girls back from an education is robbing them of their dignity ," says Mariam, a teacher, in an interview with Action Press. "I feel proud when I tell people that I'm from Swat in Pakistan, with its green and mountainous valley. But I don't feel proud about the number of women and girls where I'm from who are still being unable to enjoy the right for an education. "I have taught many students -- including Malaya, the young education activist who was shot in the head as travelling to school in Pakistan after campaigning for girls' education. Among them I see the dignity that education can offer. This is why I have long been devoted to teaching, and why I am doing what I can to make sure that all girls have the chance to go to school. "At the Khushaal school and college in Mingora, many girls are prevented from going to school because of poverty and fights. However, the most common reasons for girls not attending classes are cultural. People fear that females will become too independent if educated. Instead, parents prefer to marry off girls early. Girls and young women are considered a financial burden if left dependent on their parents." "In the school where I have been teaching for over ten years, I have seen how this discrimination plays out. Parents regard an educated and independent female as being too clever for her own. Even if parents agree to give a girl an education, a limit is set to the number of years for her to attend classes and it is common for girls to make it through only primary school. This is why I have been working tirelessly to change these damaging views and cultural practices. These are crimes against humanity ,which I have no choice but to strongly accuse of." "Malala was right to fight for her education." says Mariam, who will be in New York with UNESCO , delivering a speech calling for world leaders to make sure every child gets a chance to go to school. Which of the following is true about Mariam? Answer: She spoke in favour of Malala's action in the interview. The largest outbreak of the deadly disease Ebola was caused by an infected bat biting a toddler, say a group of international researchers. The 17-strong team of European and African tropical disease researchers, ecologists and anthropologists have spent three weeks investigating the outbreak of the disease in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The researchers captured the bats and other creatures near the village of Meliandoua in remote eastern Guinea, where the disease began in December 2013. The boy was bitten and passed the infection on to his mother and both died within a week. The disease was then spread far and wide by the people who came to the funeral. Most of the previous outbreaks have been caused by meat from dead infected animals collected by hunters who then sell it on. Fruit bats, however, are widely eaten in rural West Africa. The team, led by epidemiologist Herr Leendertz, a disease ecologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, are expected to publish their results in a major journal soon. Herr Leendertz's team believe that an infected straw-colored fruit bat brought the disease to Guinea. The mammals are known to travel long distances and usually settle in forests near cities. Herr Leendertz said, " The evidence is not 100 percent and we can only say that it is possible. They can travel far in one night. I don't think an individual bat or colony migrated all the way from Congo or Gabon to West Africa. These big colonies are connected. There is a possibility for the virus to mix between colonies. The bats share the same fruit. It is likely not to have even been one species of bat. The virus may jump from one species to another." If the bat theory is confirmed, the locals would try to destroy the colonies, which, Herr Leendertz says, would be an ecological disaster, because bats pollinate plants and kill insects. And bat hunts would also only increase human contact with potentially infected animals. In Herr Leendertz's opinion, _ . Answer: the disease Ebola may jump from one species to another
Bill and his family has been living in the six-family building for years. All the neighbors got along fairly well with each other until recently. An old man and his wife used to live on the second floor. Bill's mother and the old lady were good friends. Unfortunately the lady died last month. Her husband could not live alone, so he had his grandson move over and live with him. The grandson has become a problem to all the neighbors, especially to Bill's family. The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy. Bill is used to peace and quiet but the young man likes to listen to the radio late at night. Sometimes friends of his visit and they make a lot of noise. That is too much for Bill's family. Bill's mother once asked the old man politely if he was able to sleep well at night, but obviously the man didn't understand what she meant. If he did and spoke to his grandson, the young man obviously didn't listen, since things haven't changed any. Everyone in Bill's family agrees that something must be done though they don't want to hurt the kind old man. Which of the following statements is true? A The old man could not live without his wife's help. B The old man and his wife were sometimes making trouble too. C Bill's mother was kind to her neighbors. D Bill's mother was the only one who likes the young man. Answer: C Today, when a fire breaks out, you can be sure a citizen with a cell-phone camera has posted it to Facebook or Twitter, or sent it to the media.But up to now, that citizen has not been able to easily send images and details of what is happening to the people who need it most: police, firefighters and building-security people who must respond, and whose ability to help is often measured in minutes, if not seconds. That's about to change.A one-year old company called Elerts has developed a system that's designed to mobile and social technologies to speed the flow of information between citizens and emergency workers in time of danger.The system involves free mobile applications--iPhone and iPad app is available now--that eyewitnesses can use to report incidents and get public-safety warnings.And Elerts is offering a management console for security firms and universities to receive the reports and distribute warnings and instructions, like a map with the best evacuation route . The service is the brainchild of Chris Russo, deputy fire chief in the coastal town of Hull, Mass.As mobile communications sped up, he grew increasingly frustrated by his inability to communicate effectively with colleagues and the public, particularly with people who are at the scene and might be able to provide help. "Remembering situations when communications failed _ ," Mr.Russo says.Last summer, he was in a search at a beach for a missing boy, who went into a bathhouse but didn't come out.First responders feared an abduction on the beach or shark attack.The child's mother, who didn't speak English well, was so sad that she couldn't remember what color1 shorts he had on.Mr.Russo had no photo of the child, and no ability to turn to beachgoers. Two long hours later, the boy was spotted by a low-flying helicopter lost and alone on the beach crying--a lucky break."If 5 percent of beachgoers had an app to receive a message and send in sightings of a lost boy, the happy ending might have come much sooner," Mr.Russo said. The author takes Chris Russo's experience as an example to _ . A advertise his creativity in communication B inform readers how Russo got the idea of the service C make the passage more interesting to read D show readers the working principle of the new system Answer: B 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. The passage is likely to be taken from _ . A a textbook B a book review C a science magazine D a news report Answer: D 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. Scientists create digital models of World Heritage Sites to _ . A make more money. B develop tour markets better. C make these sites better known by people D recreate these sites in case they are damaged. Answer: D If you want to express something so unbelievable that it must have been a special effect, you have a new word to add to your vocabulary. It's "Duang", an onomatopoetic word which doesn't relate to any particular Chinese character and refers to a special effect. A video parody adapted from a shampoo commercial featuring Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan spread quickly online, leading Internet users to invent the new word. The video begins with Chan flashing his black, smooth hair, which would have been perfect except that it was not his real hair. Next, a self-satisfied Chan admits, to the repetitive, rhythmical sounds of "Duang", "I refused to approve of this product when they first came to me because of my thin hair, but the director insisted, saying special effects could be used to make my hair look healthy on the screen. Now you see, it's all special effects. It's not real." The original advertisement became the target of punishment by the government for over- spreading the effects of the shampoo after it was broadcast in 2004. "Duang" has now become one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social network site among those crazy ones imitating Jackie Chan's speech in different situations. The actor's Weibo account was flooded with comments containing the word in this sweeping online trend. The video came at a time when the famous movie star has been under public attention after trying to save the ill image of his son, Jaycee Chan, who was released from prison this week. Data from Baidu, the major Chinese search engine, also proved the phrase's popularity as it has been searched more than 586,000 times within two days. The word of geili's sudden rise in 2010 caught the attention of international media when it made up for the word's official translation-geilivable-to describe something cool or awesome. It's not the first time that online word has become a regular vocabulary in China. What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage? A To tell us online words have enriched Chinese vocabulary. B To teach all the Internet users how to invent new words. C To explain how Jackie Chan invented the popular word. D To urge people to fight against the false advertisements. Answer: A
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. " If someone asks about swimming, Mary Arnott may _ . Answer: like swimsuit better Although man has known asbestos for hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H.W.Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers,was responsible for the opening of that first mine. Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves,which looked much like ordinary work gloves,he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increased business in asbestos roofing materials. However,because it was very expensive to transport them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein, in the province of Quebec in Canada. Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral,which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated,a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibers. Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads ,but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so- called "cloth of stone." Johns proved his ability as a salesman by _ . Answer: showing the use of asbestos gloves We always celebrated Dad's birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing home. When we knew it might be his last birthday, the whole family decided to get together for a huge birthday celebration at the nursing home. Dad was a good storyteller and we were always his listeners. During a quiet moment, I announced it was now Dad's turn to listen to stories for a change. I wanted everyone to tell Dad what we loved about him. The room became quiet. Then one after another, people told stories from their hearts, while Dad listened with tears in eyes. Everyone seemed to have more than one story. Even the little grandchildren couldn't wait to tell Dad why they loved him. For a man who had been kind to so many hundreds of people in his life, here was our chance to tell him how much we love him. A few months later, at Dad's memorial service, we more fully realized what we had given to Dad that night. Those are the stories people normally tell at a funeral after a loved one is no longer alive to hear the words. They tell stories, full of tears. But we had given those memories to Dad in his life, and we had told them through laughter, together with hugs and joy. He had them to hold and enjoyed them from time to time in his mind during his last days and months. Words do matter, and they are enough. We just need to say them or to speak them publicly the ones we love. That's the ways to give back love and that's our chance to celebrate a person in his or her life. The best title of the passage can be _ . Answer: Say Our Love Publicly Hello, everyone! My name is Bob. I have a good friend. His name is Paul. He is a yellow dog. I like him very much. Every morning Paul runs with me, and we play in the park every afternoon. Paul is very fat. He likes eating beef hamburgers for breakfast. For dinner, he likes fish. Paul likes red. He has two red hats. Look! They are on my bed. But Paul is lost now. Please help me. My telephone number is 312-3216. My E-mail address is _ . Thanks. Paul is _ . Answer: a dog As civilization proceeds in the direction of technology, it passes the point of supplying all the basic essentials of life--food, shelter, clothes and warmth. Then we are faced with a choice between using technology to provide and fulfill needs which have now been regarded as unnecessary or, on the other hand, using technology to reduce the number of hours of work which a man must do in order to earn a given standard of living. In other words, we either raise our standard of living above that necessary for comfort and happiness or we leave it at this level and work shorter hours. I shall take it for granted that mankind has, by that time, chosen the latter alternative. Men will be working shorter and shorter hours in their paid employment. It follows that the housewife will also expect to be able to have more leisure in her life without lowering her standard of living. It also follows that human domestic servants will have completely ceased to exist. Yet the great majority of the housewives will wish to be relieved completely from the routine operations of the home such as scrubbing the floors or the bath of the cooker, or washing the clothes or washing up, or dusting or sweeping, or making beds. By far the most logical step to relieve the housewife of routine is to provide a robot which can be trained to the requirements of a particular home and can be programmed to carry out half a dozen or more standard operations, when switched by the housewife. According to the author, we are faced with _ . Answer: a choice between using technology to provide and fulfill needs to reduce the number of working hours
Every day 25 million U.S. children ride school buses. The safety record for these buses is much better than for passenger cars; but nevertheless, about 10 children are killed each year riding on large school buses, and nearly four times that number are killed outside buses in the loading zones. By and large, however, the nation's school children are transported to and from school safely. Even though the number of school bus accidents is not large, the safety of children is always of intense public concern. While everyone wants to see children transported safely, people are divided about what needs to be done-particularly whether seat belts should be compulsory. People in favor of seat belts on school buses-many of them parents and medical organizations-argue that seat belts are necessary not only to reduce fatality and injury, but also to teach children lessons about the importance of using them routinely in any moving vehicle. A side benefit, they point out, is that seat belts help keep children in their seats, away from the bus driver. People who object to seat belt installation suggest that children are already well protected by the school buses that follow the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) safety requirements set in 1977. They also believe that many children won't wear seat belts anyway, and that may damage the belts or use them as weapons to hurt other children. A new research council report on school bus safety suggest that there are alternate safety devices and procedures that may be more effective and less expensive. For example, the study committee suggested that raising seat backs four inches may have the same safety effectiveness as seat belts. The report sponsored by the Department of transportation at the request of Congress, reviews seat belts extensively while taking a broader look at safety in and around school buses. According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control of the school buses "safety"? A A new Research Council. B The Department of Transportation. C The Medical Organization. D National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Answer: D. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Aunt Ma sees an ad in a newspaper for a nice bed in a shop. It costs 600 yuan. Aunt Ma likes it, so she goes to the shop. The shopkeeper shows one to her. Aunt Ma has a look at it and says, "There aren't any beautiful pillows on this bed, but there are many on the bed in your ad." "Yes, that is an ad," answers the shopkeeper. "If you want a bed the same as the one in the ad, you need to pay 60 yuan more." Aunt Ma isn't happy. Then she says, "That's _ ." "Well," answers the shopkeeper. "Look, there is a girl on a bike in an ad in your newspaper too, but can you buy the bike with the girl?" What else is in Aunt Ma's newspaper? A An ad for a bike. B An ad for some pillows. C An ad for a bed. D An ad for a girl. Answer: A. An ad for a bike. Everyone knows that there's not enough land in Hong Kong. If you go there by air, you will land at Kai Tak Airport. It was built out into the sea. It is in the part of Hong Kong called Kowloon. Kowloon is one of the two big islands in Hong Kong. The other island is Hong Kong itself. You can get there by ship or through a tunnel under the sea. The population of Hong Kong is more than six million. Chinese and English are spoken by many people there. Clothes, computers, radios, televisions are made in Hong Kong. It is a shopping center. You can buy all kinds of things there. Hong Kong is also a beautiful city. It is a good place for traveling. People from all over the world visit Hong Kong every year. You can watch dog-racing and motor-racing there. When you are hot and tired, you may rest in the small cool gardens. There are also a lot of tall buildings with comfortable rooms to live in. If you enjoy eating out, you can easily find a good place for delicious food. Foods of different flavors are served in Hong Kong. What's the population of Hong Kong? A Nearly 6 million. B Less than 6 million. C Over 6 million. D Only 6 million. Answer: C. Over 6 million. It was a very hot summer morning but inside the Pyramid it was quite cool. Tom and his classmates had just walked into the Pyramid and were very surprised to see what it was like. They went to the Queen's Room. They saw a passage .At the end of it there was a small room. They were told that they couldn't go into that room, because it was newly found. Tom looked towards the passage. Two of his friends Jason and Peter saw him and said "Don't get into trouble, Tom!", As soon as nobody was looking, Tom went up the dark passage, opened the door and walked in. Suddenly the door closed behind him. The room was very dark, but luckily Tom had brought a torch with him. When he turned it on, he saw two white faces in front of him."Oh, no!" f he cried and ran to the door. He quickly opened it and went down the passage to the Queen's Room as fast as he could. As soon as Tom disappeared, Jason and Peter took the pieces of white cloth off their faces and walked slowly down the passage. They couldn't stop laughing. 4iThat will teach him a lesson," said Jason. Why did Jason and Peter say "Don't get into trouble, Tom!"? A Because they knew Tom wanted to go into that small room. B Because Tom always got into trouble when they were at school. C Because Tom was very afraid of the small room's darkness. D Because they were not good friends. Answer: A. Because they knew Tom wanted to go into that small room. There once was a very wealthy man who had made great achievement. He had more money than he could ever spend, and he was admired and looked up to by his neighbors. Still,he knew that something was missing in his life. He wasn't happy. All his life he had been striving for happiness, but he had never been able to find it. Then one day, he heard about a hidden temple in Nepal that had a special room that contained the secret of happiness. He immediately sold all that he owned and set out to find this hidden temple. After many years of searching and countless hardships he arrived there. He was tired and penniless, but he knew that none of that was important now because he had found the temple. He asked a wise, smiling monk if he could enter the special room. The monk agreed and showed him the stairs leading to the room. He climbed them with legs shaking with expectation and slowly opened the door. He stared into the room with sunlight streaming through the window and saw what he had come so far to find. There hanging on the wall was the secret of happiness. The man gazed at himself in the mirror and laughed. It is time that we all realized that we were the secret of our own happiness. Happiness is a choice that we can make. Don't spend the rest of your life searching the world for happiness then. Just look in the mirror and laugh. Just let the happiness flow from your heart, mind, and soul until it fills your life and the lives of all those around you. Which of the following statements is not tree? A On the way to seeking happiness, the man spent all his money B Happiness is a choice that depends on ourselves. C With a lot of money, the man lived a happy life. D The man was very happy when he found the secret of happiness Answer: C. With a lot of money, the man lived a happy life.
A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more satisfied in making shoes than anyone else. His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sang but little, and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a sleep at day-break, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that God had not made sleep a saleable product, like foods or drinks. Then he visited the cobbler and asked him, "How much a year do you earn, Master Gregory?" "How much a year, sir?" said the merry cobbler laughing, "I never count my income in that way, living as what I like from one day to another; somehow I manage to make the ends meet throughout the year; each day brings its meals." "Well then! How much a day do you earn, my friend?" asked the banker continuously. "Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is that a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work, so we won't earn any money during these days, without which our earnings would be better." The banker, who was laughing at the cobbler's simplicity, said that "In the future, I will satisfy what you want. Take the hundred coins, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need." The cobbler was very delighted and fancied that he possessed all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he lost his voice. The banker could now have a sound sleep. However, at that moment, the cobbler realized that what he acquired now was the source of sorrow. Sleep broke up with him; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took its place. All day, his eye wandered in the direction of the treasure, even at night, if some naughty cats made noises, he would think somebody was robbing him. At last, the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor; "Give me back," said he, "sleep and my voice, and take your hundred coins." Which of the followings is the best title for this story? Answer: The cobbler and the banker. His eyes nearly in tears from the crush of fellow travelers at Guangzhou's train station, Hong Tao said things were much better on Sunday, after days of waiting for a train to his home in Hubei province. "I think it's fine today, and everything is going smoothly," the 28-year-old said. "I thought it would be really crowded but it has turned out to be OK." Chinese authorities say they expect 1.3 million people to travel out of Guangzhou's train station over the next few days, as they rush to get home by Wednesday, the eve of Lunar New Year. Hong's optimism may have been helped by the blue skies that emerged over Guangzhou on Sunday for the first time in a week. Last week, a rare winter storm paralyzed China's transportation system as millions tried to get home to celebrate the holiday -- the only chance for many migrant workers to see their families all year. China's state-run Xinhua news agency said Friday that 95 percent of rail traffic had "returned to normal." But Guangzhou's train station remained packed with a backlog of hundreds of thousands of travelers hoping to get home for the holiday. A young woman was stepped on in a stampede at the train station Friday, and later died of her injuries, according to Xinhua. Video of the situation on Friday showed crowds of people screaming, elbowing each other, in some cases sobbing and collapsing in the rush to get a slot (,) on a train. China Sunday announced it has organized over 300,000 People's Liberation Army forces to southern China in what it described as a "war on winter weather". The government also announced a $700 million plan to help farmers whose crops have been destroyed. How many days is it from the day this article was made to the Lunar New Year? Answer: Five days. The creation of sediment is produced by Answer: the break down of other materials People express their personalities in their clothes, their cars, and their homes. Our diets can also show our personalities because we might choose certain food to tell people something about us. For example, some people mainly enjoy high quality food, such as caviar and lobster , and they eat only in expensive restaurants - never in cafeterias or bars. They know about the "better things in life". Some people choose not to eat meat. Vegetarians often have more in common than just their diet. Their personalities might be similar too. For instance, vegetarians in the United States and Canada may be creative people, and they might not enjoy competitive sports or jobs. They worry about the health of the world, and they are probably strongly against the war. Some people eat mostly fast food. One study shows that many fast-food eaters have a lot in common, but they are very different from vegetarians. They are competitive and good at business. They are also usually in a hurry. Many fast-food eaters might not agree with this description of their personalities, but it is a common picture of them. Some people also believe that people of the same astrological sign have similar food personalities. Aries (born under the sign of Aries, between March 21 and April 20) usually like spicy foods, with a lot of onions and pepper. People with the sign of Taurus (April 21 to May 22) prefer healthful fruits and vegetables, but they often eat too much. Sagittarius (November 22 to December.22) like traditional food from many different countries. What is your food personality? Why do some people mainly eat high quality food? Answer: They want to enjoy better things in life. As the population of the planet increases, so does the number of homes, businesses, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted. Humans demand these lights. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets safe. The problem is that researchers are finding that all the light is having a negative effect on humans and wildlife as well. Less than 10 years ago I drove to a thinly populated section of my town, lay down in the middle of the road and watched an attractive meteor shower . The area was short of homes, street lights and traffic. If I did that today, I wouldn't be able to see the meteor shower as well. Due to the increase in street lights, I would surely be run over by a car. Nowadays scientists are finding light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide pollution. If you've ever taken a flight at night, the view is beautiful, but you must remember that all the light you see wastes electricity. The crew of the space shuttles see an even bigger picture of how extensive the wasted electricity is worldwide. One of the saddest parts of light pollution is that most of it is unnecessary and most of the outdoor light that we use is wasted. One only needs to look at a row of street lights to see how much of the light shines upwards and lights the sky; a total waste of electricity. Additionally, somewhere electricity needs to be produced, and the production of electricity creates pollution by releasing greenhouse gases. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life. Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lighted buildings, as they become puzzled by the light. It has been long known that tiny baby sea turtles become lost and follow lights on the shore instead of heading towards the sea. Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative effect. Following some guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution. Which of the following is the effect of light pollution? Answer: The air we breathe may be polluted.
The 1950s and 60s brought many new things to American offices, including the Xerox machine , word processing and -- perhaps less famously -- the first National Secretaries Day, in 1952. Secretaries of that era expected a bright future, and many saw their job as a ticket to a better life. But nearly 60 years later, on the date now promoted as Administrative Professionals Day, we 're living through the end of a recession in which around two million secretaries lost their jobs after bosses discovered they could handle their calendars and travel arrangements online, and found their assistants unnecessary. Clearly, technological advances haven't made things turn out quite the way those mid-century futurists imagined. 'New technologies did make the lives of 20th-century secretaries easier. But even from the start, the relationship between secretaries and technology was fraught. As early as 1966, with the introduction of the first computerized word-processing system, secretaries were worrying that machines could, replace them. Coffee has long been a flash point for emotions about the differences between service and servility in offices . In the 1970s, when the second wave of feminism began to change the traditional relationship of male boss and female secretary , more than one secretary was fired for refusing to make , fetch or serve coffee .In Los Angeles, in 1973, one secretary , Leona Pendleton, was fired for being "unqualified , and failing to obey instructions " after refusing to make coffee . This sort of thing still happens today . It's interesting to note that strengthening their positions as being important indicators of social status has often been one way secretaries have tried to keep themselves from being dismissed.. After all these years , a human being still needs to plug in Mr. Coffee and deliver his output . But that won't save an assistant's job from the stomach of computerization . Secretaries can only hope that bosses won't take the human in question for granted , a sign that not everyone will be celebrating this Administrative Professionals Day. Why were so many secretaries fired during this recession? ? , Answer: A four-year-old girl sees three biscuits divided between a stuffed crocodile and a teddy bear.The crocodile gets two; the bear one."Is that fair?" asks the experimenter.The girl judges that it is not."How about now?" asks the experimenter, breaking the bear's single biscuit in half.The girl cheers up: "Oh yes, now it's fair.They both have two." Strangely, children feel very strongly about fairness, even when they hardly understand it. Adults care about fairness too --- but how much? One way to find out is by using the ultimatum game, created by economist Werner Guth.Jack is given a pile of money and proposes how it should be divided with Jill.Jill can accept Jack's "ultimatum", otherwise the deal is off, and neither gets anything. Suppose Jack and Jill don't care about fairness, just about accumulating cash.Then Jack can offer Jill as little as he likes and Jill will still accept.After all, a little money is more than no money.But imagine, instead, that Jack and Jill both care only about fairness and that the fairest outcome is equality.Then Jack would offer Jill half the money; and Jill wouldn't accept otherwise. What happens when we ask people to play this game for real? It turns out that people value fairness a lot.Anyone offered less than 20-30% of the money is likely to reject it.Receiving an unfair offers makes us feel sick.Happily, most offers are pretty equitable; indeed, by far the most common is a 50-50 split. But children, and adults, also care about a very different sort of (un)fairness, namely cheating.Think how many games of snakes and ladders have ended in arguments when one child "accidentally" miscounts her moves and another child objects.But this sense of fairness isn't about equality of outcome: games inevitably have winners and losers.Here, fairness is about playing by the rules. Both fairness-as-equality and fairness-as-no-cheating matter.Which is more important: equality or no-cheating? I think the answer is neither.The national lottery , like other lotteries, certainly doesn't make the world more equal: a few people get rich and most people get nothing.Nevertheless, we hope, it is fair --- but what does this mean? The fairness-as-no-cheating viewpoint has a ready answer: a lottery is fair if it is conducted according to the "rules".But which rules? None of us has the slightest idea, I suspect.Suppose that buried in the small print at lottery HQ is a rule that forbids people with a particular surname (let's say, Moriarty).So a Ms Moriarty could buy a ticket each week for years without any chance of success. How would she react if she found out? Surely with anger: how dare the organisers let her play, week after week, without mentioning that she couldn't possibly win! She'd reasonably feel unfairly treated because _ . To protest against unfairness, then, is to make an accusation of bad faith.From this viewpoint, an equal split between the crocodile and the bear seems fair because (normally, at least), it is the only split they would both agree to.But were the girl to learn that the crocodile doesn't like biscuits or that the bear isn't hungry, I suspect she'd think it perfectly fair for one toy to take the whole.Inequality of biscuits (or anything else) isn't necessarily unfair, if both parties are happy.And the unfairness of cheating comes from the same source: we'd never accept that someone else can unilaterally violate agreements that we have all signed up to. So perhaps the four-year-old's intuitions about fairness is the beginnings of an understanding of negotiation.With a sense of fairness, people will have to make us acceptable offers (or we'll reject their ultimatums) and stick by the (reasonable) rules, or we'll be on the warpath.So a sense of fairness is crucial to effective negotiation; and negotiation, over toys, treats etc, is part of life. The chief factor in preventing unfairness is to _ . Answer: Northern Lights Tour Located in the middle of the northern lights belt, Tromso can offer some of the highest levels of northern lights activity on earth. Perhaps Tromso is the world's best place for a Northern Lights Tour. Join one of our Northern Lights Holidays this winter. It could become one of the greatest experiences in your life. DESTINATION Tromso county, Norway. PRICE $450 per person WHEN 2th September until 31st March. PICK-UP Each evening at 6 PM outside your hotel. DROP-OFF Earliest at 12 AM. When we have a sighting we often stay out later, at no extra cost. SIZE OF GROUP Maximum 8 participants is recommended and normal, but not absolute. A small group allows more freedom in terms of chasing the northern lights. INCLUDED - Transportation each day in a comfortable car - A meal each day - All necessary equipment such as snowshoes, flashlight, water-filled bottle, woolen underwear, a warm, hat, warm shoes, warm stockings, and reindeer skin to lie on, if needed. - A guide who will do anything necessary to find the northern lights. EXCITING CHASE A Northern Lights Holiday means an intense and exciting chase--to the coast or deep into the wild, perhaps even to the Finnish border. Each day on a Northern Lights Tour we contact meteorologists shortly before departure to get accurate information. In order to find out where we will have best chances to see the northern lights. WE GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP The northern lights are unpredictable, but we guarantee that we will do everything to find _ . Patience is a keyword on Northern Lights Tour. ECO-TOURISM We offer ecologically sustainable and responsible tours. Travelling in small groups is an essential part of the ecotourism concept, as small groups have lesser impact on nature and will not disturb the wildlife unnecessarily. The passage is most likely to be taken from a(n) _ . Answer: American's genius with high technology may have put men on the moon, but there is growing doubt about its ability to solve human problems closer to home. In fact, a slight but significant change from purely technological solutions is already under way as scientists insist that answers to the world's problems will not come from an attractive exhibition of electronics and machines. Instead, as they see it, solutions must develop from a better understanding of the humans that drive the system and from a fuller appreciation of the limits and potential of the earth's resources. What this means is an increased emphasis on the life and earth sciences, on sociology, psychology, economics and even philosophy. More and more of the best minds in science, particularly young researchers, are being drawn into these developing fields. All this is not to say that technological creativity will not play a critical role in solving energy and food shortages, or that answers to environmental difficulties will not come from further advances in the same technologies that may have helped cause the problems. Where the real challenge lies, in the view of the new generation of scientists, is in finding ways to produce goods and meet the world's needs, using less of the raw materials that are becoming short. Which of the following best expresses the main idea? Answer: Peter is eight years old, and he goes to a school near his house. He always goes there and comes home on foot. He usually gets back on time, but last Friday he came home from school late. His mother saw him and said to him, "Why are you late today, Peter?" "My teacher was angry and told me to see the headmaster after class," Peter answered. "To see the headmaster?" his mother asked. "Why did she tell you to see him?" "Because she asked a question in class," Peter said, "And nobody could answer it except me." His mother became angry. "But why did your teacher tell you to see the headmaster then?" she asked. "Because her question was 'Who put the glue on my chair?'" Peter said. --Why was Peter late last Friday? --Because _ . Answer:
Our magazine is presenting to you the top four iPhone (the best seller of Apple Company) applications for more fun on hiking or camping trips recommended by our A-list field hikers and travelers. 1. GPS Kit by Garafa--Never get lost (for $10.) What it does: Download before you leave or use your phone's data connection to view maps from Google (satellite, landscape, cycling, and street), or Bing (shaded relief, street, or image). Record your movements, drop notes or photo makers on previously downloaded Google Earth. 2. Photosynth by Microsoft--Perfect the view (for free!) What it does: Make 360degx360degpanoramas to your own taste. It saves the panorama as a single image to your camera roll after combining images. Once you get to know how to hold the iPhone and move to take the photos, you can have pretty simple, fast panoramas! 3. Soundcloud by Soundcloud--Share the sounds (for free!) What it does: Basic sound recorder with on-board editing (cutting) capabilities. Upload your recordings to the Internet, share on social networks and listen to and follow others! It allows for super-simple recording and uploading to the Internet. You can upload all the sounds as "non-shared" files, so you can download them to your computer for continued storage and editing. In addition, with _ , you will never fear your dirty laundries are to put you to shame. There is a growing community of users, including Paul Salopek who is walking around the world. 4. Postagram by Sincerely--Send moments (application is free! /$1 per card.) What it does: The application allows personalized production of e-postcards right from your iPhone. There aren't many post offices out in the mountains, so this can be critical to send a gift home. And even if there are post offices where you are traveling, sometimes it's easier, cheaper and more fun to send your own DIY messages home. If Mary wants her parents to enjoy some traveling e-cards of hers, she may be interested in _ . A GPS Kit B Soundcloud C Photosynth D Postagram Answer: D. Postagram When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor, Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. He never invited us to play in his yard, but he was a very kind person. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't saving lives, he was planting trees. He owned a large field and wanted to make it a forest. The good doctor had some interesting ideas about planting trees. He never watered his new trees. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you watered them, each baby tree would grow weaker and weaker, so you had to make things difficult for them and pick out the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in search of water under the earth by themselves. Deep roots were very important. So he never watered his trees. He'd planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he'd beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's attention. Dr. Gibbs died several years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I watched him plant about twenty-five years ago. They're very big and strong now. I planted some trees a few years back and carried water to them for whole summer. After two years of caring too much, whenever a cold wind blows in, they shake a lot. Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to face difficulties. There's always cold wind blowing somewhere, so what we need to do is to pray for roots that reach deep into the brave heart, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we could face it strongly and won't be beaten down. When Dr. Gibbs said "...pick out the weaker trees early on.", he meant that _ . A some weak trees would be easily found out at the beginning B he would choose the weak trees to water earlier C the weak trees would be sent to his patients later D he would not plant weak trees so early anymore Answer: A. some weak trees would be easily found out at the beginning One of the tough things about being a high school student is that you never seem to get enough sleep at night, which often leaves you nodding off during classes. "The best amount of sleep to get is about seven and a half to eight hours," Peter Venn at Queen Victoria Hospital, UK, told The Telegraph. Spending either less than six or more than nine hours in sleeping puts your health at risk. A popular solution to a lack of sleep at night is to take a "power nap" during the day, but does this work? Generally speaking, it can be beneficial. Research shows that a nap in the middle of the day --even a brief one as short as five or 10 minutes ---can clear your mind and leave you with increased energy and improved productivity , according to Forbes. However, as refreshing as it might be, if you are getting adequate sleep at night, taking a power nap isn't such a wise choice. The reason is that sleeping during the day can interfere with your body's biorhythms . The brain gets used to going to bed at roughly the same time each night and getting up at the same time each day, and you don't want to disturb this routine. One more thing to keep in mind is that a power nap should never be used as a replacement for a good night's sleep. "Twenty minutes of power nap during the day is not like a tablet which will definitely work," Rahul Mukherjee, an Indian sleep specialist, told The Telegraph. "An hour's sleep before midnight is worth a couple of hours' sleep after midnight." What is the healthiest amount of sleep for the majority of people according to the article? A About six or seven hours. B About 10 hours. C About nine and a half to 10 hours. D About seven and a half to eight hours. Answer: D. About seven and a half to eight hours. Jill was a normal student. However, she was barely passing her classes this year. Her finals were coming up in a few weeks and Jill was very nervous about her Math test. She was never very good at Math. Her brother always teased her because he was great at Math, History, and Science, but she preferred Art. To raise her grades, Jill spent the week before finals studying every day in the school library. On the last day before the test, Jill walked in and was ready to work hard like she had every day that week. Except this time she looked over and saw her best friend, Michelle, walking up to her. Michelle greeted Jill and told her that she wants to help her study for the Math test. The two girls spend the rest of the afternoon looking over their class notes. By the end of the day, Jill finally felt ready. She left and walked back to her house. That night Jill made sure to get lots of sleep. She awoke early and had a filling breakfast before making her way to school. Her teacher, Mr. Matthews, handed out the Math tests and she began to work. She felt like she did a really good job, but she was scared, too. Jill had to wait until tomorrow to see how she did. The next day she hurried back to class. Jill walked in and grabbed her test from the stack of papers. She let out a yell. Jill had failed. She turned to her friend Michelle and started to cry. She was so upset. What class did Jill prefer? A Science B Art C History D Math Answer: B. Art In the United States and several other countries, 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League. They play on teams in their hometowns. Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires to make sure that everyone follows the rules. Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms. Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant. Eventually, the top teams go to the Little League World Series. One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, Little League got started in Pennsylvania. Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings than adult baseball. Little League became popular after World War II when the game spread across the United States. By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe. Children's baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years. After this, the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series, but the ban came to an end after one year. At first, Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve. However, in 1974, the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit. The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls. Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen. Occasionally a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player. For example, Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues, ten of them as an All-Star player. But, by and large, youngsters play baseball for fun and because their parents are proud of them. The mothers and fathers of Little League players _ . A help run the games B travel in coaches C give the teams money D play in the World Series Answer: A. help run the games
When to go:The Magic Kingdom,which was opened in 1971,was the first theme park at Walt Disney World. All Disney World theme parks are open 365 days a year,although opening and closing time for each park changes from day to day. If you plan to make a trip to the Magic Kingdom without kids,try to visit on a school day to avoid the largest crowds. If you need to visit during a school vacation,try at least to avoid the week between Christmas and New Year and the Fourth of July. If you are not staying at a Disney World hotel,avoid visiting the Magic Kingdom on its Extra Magic Hours days,as Disney's hotel guests get into the park early on those days,and visitors who arrive at the Magic Kingdom's normal opening time have to wait for a long time. Before you go:Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online at Disney World's website. For advice on picking the right ticket,see our guide to Disney World tickets. You will also need to call in advance to make lunch and/or dinner reservations . Disney accepts reservations up to 180 days in advance,but you need contact 1-407-WDW-DINE. When you get there:Plan to arrive at the Magic Kingdom's front gate before the park opens in the morning. Keep in mind that to reach the Magic Kingdom,you must park at Disney World's Transportation and Ticket Center parking lot,ride at tram to the TTC,then take a ferry boat across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom. It makes for a fantastic approach,but takes extra time. Give yourself an extra hour in the summer and half an hour during the school year. Through 1-407-WDW-DINE,you can _ . Answer: make reservations for meals in the park "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got father and mother and each other," said Beth, contentedly. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly: "We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never", but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was. Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone: "You know the reason mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't"; and Meg shook her head, and she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted. "But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from mother or you, but I do want to buy UNDINE AND SINTRAM for myself; I've wanted it so long," said Jo, who was a bookworm. "I planned to spend mine on new music," said Beth, with a little sigh. "I shall get a nice box of Faber's drawing pencils; I really need them," said Amy, decidedly. "Mother didn't say anything about our money, and she won't wish us to give up everything. Let's each buy what we want, and have a little fun; I'm sure we work hard enough to earn it," cried Jo, examining the heels of her shoes in a gentlemanly manner. "I know I do - teaching those tiresome children nearly all day when I am longing to enjoy myself at home," began Meg, in the complaining tone again. "You don't have half such a hard time as I do," said Jo. "How would you like to be shut up for hours with a nervous, fussy old lady, who is never satisfied, and worries you till you're ready to fly out of the window or cry?" "It's naughty to fret; but I do think washing dishes and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the world. _ and my hands get so stiff, I can't practice well at all"; and Beth looked at her rough hands with a sigh that anyone could hear. "I don't believe any of you suffer as I do." cried Amy, "for you don't have to go to school with impertinent girls, who plague you if you don't know your lessons, and laugh at your dresses, and label your father if he isn't rich." "If you mean libel, I'd say so, and not talk about labels, as if papa was a pickle-bottle," advised Jo, laughing. "I know what I mean, and you needn't be satirical about it. It's proper to use good words, and improve your vocabulary," returned Amy, with dignity. "Don't peck at one another, children. Don't you wish we had the money papa lost when we were little, Jo? Dear me! How happy and good we'd be, if we had no worries!" said Meg, who could remember better times. "You once said you thought we were a deal happier than the King children, for they were fighting and fretting all the time, in spite of their money." "So I did. I think we are; for, though we do have to work, we make fun for ourselves, and are a pretty jolly set, as Jo would say." Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle. "Don't, Jo; it's so boyish!" "That's why I do it." "I detest rude, unladylike girls!" "I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!" "Birds in their little nests agree" sang Beth, the peacemaker, with such a funny face that both sharp voices softened to a laugh, and the `pecking' ended for that time. By saying "It makes me cross" Beth means she is rather _ . Answer: angry An anxious mother watched as rescuers freed her baby from a muddy well. After being pulled from the well,the baby joyfully ran to its mom as the rescuers took a break. It was a difficult and potentially dangerous rescue: the baby was an 8-month-old elephant, and at first its mother thought the humans were trying to harm it. The baby elephant fell into the five-foot-deep well near Kenya's Amboseli National Park. Local people had dug the well for water. It took 30 minutes to remove the trapped elephant. While Vicki Fishlock of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants made a loud shout to frighten the mother away, two men struggled to get a rope around the baby elephant. Once the rope was in place, Fishlock used her jeep to pull the baby out. Fishlock recognized Zombe, the mother of the trapped baby elephant,from a mark on her ear. She believes that in the end Zombe realized the humans were trying to help. "Rescues where the elephant's family members are around are always stressful, and I'm always happy when everyone is safe," Fishlock said."The reunions always bring tears to my eyes. The depth of their love for each other is one of the things that make elephants so unusual." The very next day, another baby elephant fell into the same well. The 3-month-old's family had been driven away from the area by local people. Once it had been rescued, the Amboseli Trust had to send it to an elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. The rescues showed the _ of elephants across Africa. Elephants are fighting to survive, as conflicts between the animals and humans are increasing. Thousands of elephants are also being killed for their tusks. The tusks are sold in Asia, where ivory trinkets are in high demand. The Amboseli Trust has been studying elephants and trying to help them since 1972. Fishlock said, "We hope this rescue persuades people that elephants are special and deserve to be protected and treasured." What did the two baby elephants have in common? Answer: They were both trapped in the same well. Since the 1990s, education has been required for all South Africans from age seven to fifteen. Last December, the government announced that 70% of students passed their final examination to finish high school. In 2008, the pass rate was about 63%. There have been increases each year since then. Professor Shireen Motala says basic education is no longer a problem in South Africa. Most children stay in school until they are about sixteen. The problem is that large numbers of them leave without completing high school. Students take an examination known as the "matric" in Grade Twelve. Professor Motala says, "Less than half of the children who started school in 2000 sat for the matric last year. Many dropped out of school, so only around 45% took the matric. And the worry is where those students actually go." Those who drop out have to compete with better educated people for jobs. Educational researchers also point to another problem. South African schools do not produce enough students with the skills for higher education in maths and science. Many schools are not well-equipped. Children do not see laboratories, and, as a result, their science marks are not very good. They do not have libraries at school. Also, many teachers do not have the skills or training to do their jobs. In South Africa, a number of teachers were poorly trained before. Secondly, teachers have been confused by the many educational reform efforts in the last fifteen years. Finally, language differences in the classroom have not got as much attention as they should, which is a huge problem. Subjects such as maths and science are taught in English starting at about the age of ten. But South Africa has eleven official languages. South Africa's minister of basic education promises a number of improvements. Angie Motshega says teacher development efforts will focus on subject and content knowledge, making sure that the correct teachers are in the correct jobs. What is the real concern of Shireen Motala? Answer: Most children have to find a job at an early age. We often think of future. We often wonder what the world would be like in a hundred years'time. Think of space,perhaps a permanent station on the moon will have been set up. Perhaps people will be able to visit the moon as tourists. Cheap rockets for space travel will have been developed,permitting long journeys throughout the solar system . When that time comes,people will be taking holidays in space and visiting other planets. Great progress will have been made in medicine,too. Perhaps a cure will have been discovered for the most terrible of all diseases--cancer. Pollution is a problem we must solve. In a hundred years'time it will have been controlled. All the world will have been developed -- even Antarctica. There will be large cities in Antarctica. We already have supersonic flight,but in a hundred years'time we will have supersonic land travel as well. We will have used up most of earth's land to build our cities, so floating cities will have been built. The Japanese already have plans for cities of this kind. And there will be cities under the sea. The first of these will have been completed. Man will also have supersonic land travel _ . Answer: about a century later
The orderly came back in a few minutes with a rifle and some Burmans. He told us that the elephant was in the rice fields below, only a few hundred yards away. As I started forward practically the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me. They had seen the rifle and were all shouting that I was going to shoot the elephant. It was fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd; besides, they wanted the meat. It made me a little uneasy. I had no intention of shooting the elephant--I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself--and it is always uneasy to have a crowd following you. I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people knocking and pushing at my heels. Beyond the huts there was a rice field a thousand yards across, muddy from the first rains. The elephant was standing eight yards from the road. He took not the slightest notice of the crowd. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his knees to clean them and feeding them into his mouth. As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him. It is a serious matter to shoot a working elephant -- it is comparable to destroying a huge and costly piece of machinery. There, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow. I thought then and I think now that his attack of "must" was already passing off, in which case he would merely wander harmlessly about. Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him. But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me. It was an immense crowd, two thousand at the least and growing every minute. I looked at the sea of the faces above the colorful clothes--faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun, all certain that the elephant was going to be shot. They were watching me as they would watch a magician about to perform a trick. They did not like me. But with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching. And suddenly I realized that I should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward. And it was at this moment that I first felt the hollowness, the uselessness of the white man's control in the East. Here was I, standing in front of the unarmed crowd--seemingly the leading actor; but in reality only a puppet . I understood in this moment that when the white man turns ruler of complete power it is his own freedom that he destroys. What does the writer intend to tells us when he tells the story? A Leading actors are sometimes foolish puppets. B Government for white people are useless. C Power can sometimes turn people imprisoned. D Unarmed crowds are in control of everything. Answer: C. Power can sometimes turn people imprisoned. Last year, on report card day, my son and a group of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald's. "Jack got a laptop for getting straight A's, and Laurie got a cell-phone," one boy said. "Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPod Nano, and she's only in third grade," said another. "And how about Brian? He got $10 for each A." I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cell-phone, and the DVD player? I saw the road ahead: _ I saw my comfortable lifestyle disappear before my eyes---no more of those $5 bags of already-peeled organic carrots. No more organic anything! I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal achieved by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns ? What about the orchestra ? Would first chair pay more than second? I'd be penniless by eighth-grade graduation. "We never paid anything for good grades," said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. "He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that's about it." Don't you just hate that? We're all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she's spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation. And what about the primary grades? What do these students get? "When the teacher asked if anyone got rewards for good grades, everyone in my class raised their hands and said they got ice cream cones ," said one third-grader. What's the best title for the passage? A Tips on Paying Kids for Good Grades B New Trends in Paying Kids for Good Grades C Good Grades Mean Good Rewards D Don't Pay Kids for Good Grades Answer: D. Don't Pay Kids for Good Grades Students are studying some leaves. They group the leaves by shape. Which science process are the students using when they put the leaves in different groups? A classifying B predicting C measuring D experimenting Answer: A. classifying Which set of equipment would be best to use when investigating what is found in a sample of pond water? A net, gloves, specimen bags B beaker, calculator, graph paper C microscope, eye dropper, slides D measuring tape, thermometer, clipboard Answer: C. microscope, eye dropper, slides The Chinese invented paper in 105 A. D. They mixed the bark of a tree and rags with water, put a screen into the mixture, and lifted out a thin piece of wet paper. They dried the paper in the sun. The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world. The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world. For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood. Who discovered how to make paper? A The Chinese. B The Pacific Islanders. C The Mayan Indians. D All of the above. Answer: D. All of the above.
Though the Web is becoming increasingly popular, the TV never fails to attract people. Do you know which television network is the largest in America? It is not ABC, CBS, or Fox. Nor is it one of the cable net-works such as CNN, which carries only news and news stories. It is not ESPN, the all-sports cable net-work, or even MTV, which is famous for its music videos. Rather it is PBS, Public Broadcasting System, a non-profit public broadcasting TV service. PBS has 349 member television stations in the U. S. and some member stations by cable in Canada. PBS only attracts a minority of all TV viewers, about 2 percent. The industry leader, NBC, however, attracts 11 percent of viewers. But the growth of public television in the past two decades has been dramatic. This is especially noteworthy when one considers that public television stations must often survive on very limited budgets, on viewers' donations, and on private foundations and some governmental funding. The level of quality of PBS programs, whether in national and international news, entertainment, or education, is excellent. Almost a whole generation of children throughout the world is familiar with Sesame Street and the characters of The Muppet Show. PBS is especially well known for the quality of its many educational TV programs. Over 95 percent of all public television stations have tele-courses. These courses are accepted and supported by more than 1, 800 colleges and universities throughout the US. Each year, over a quarter of a million students take courses this way. According to this article, PBS received part of its funding from _ . the audience There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effective coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them. Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style. Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration. No matter what the school' s policy is, there are only specific essential pieces to the wardrobe that are necessary, so _ . A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day. Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn't be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles. Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students. What would be the best title for the text? The advantages of school uniforms. Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide. "Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift. Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors. Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too. Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true? The writer annoyed the student who asked the question. For years my husband, John, and I had dreamed of taking our three kids to Disney World.We'd planned our trip down to the last detail and dollar.But in Georgia, halfway there, our car broke down. At a garage, the mechanic promised our Mercury Sable would be repaired by the next week.Meanwhile, John tried to find us a rental car.After many phone calls, John finally found a car.Luckily, our auto club would _ .We ended up arriving there three hours behind schedule.We tried every ride and met Mickey. At the end of the long weekend we called the garage to check on our car.It turned out that the mechanic hadn't even looked at it yet! John got on the phone again.He found it would cost more than $ l, 100 to rent a car to drive home.That plus a plane ticket for him to go pick up our own car and we'd be out over $2,000! I wailed and asked John, "What are we going to do?" He said, "It'll work out." John encouraged me not to lose heart and he insisted on trying to find a way out.Amazingly, John found a car transport company that had a car we could drive home, paying only for gas! But all the way home I couldn't stop thinking about the money we'd still need for John's trip back to the garage and another long driving home. When we got home, the high school student who had fed our cats asked how our trip was.I gave him the rundown, "Things worked out okay except that our car's still stuck in Georgia." "No problem," he said."I'm heading to Florida for a spring break with my parents.We'll be glad to stop in Georgia on the way back and pick up your car." We ended up spending only $50 more than we'd budgeted.The next week, our car was back, and I had a new understanding of dealing with trouble.Whatever happens, if you never give up, a good solution will come out at last. From the passage we can learn that _ . the couple budgeted for their trip carefully Note: 1gigawtt =" 1000" megawatts SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years. The world's most valuable company is working with its Chinese suppliers to eventually produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy. The commitment announced Wednesday represents Apple's latest attempt to prevent the popularity of its devices and digital services from increasing the carbon emissions that are widely believed to change the Earth's climate. Apple Inc. estimates 20 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided as more of its suppliers rely on renewable energy between now and 2020. That's like having four million fewer cars on the road for a year. Panels capable of generating about 200 megawatts of solar power will be financed by Apple in the northern, southern and eastern regions of China, where many of its suppliers are located. The company is teaming up with its Chinese suppliers to build the capacity for the remaining 2 gigawatts of renewable energy, which will be a mix of solar, wind and hydroelectric power. Foxconn, which runs the factory where the most iPhones are assembled, is pledging to contribute 400 megawatts of solar power as part of the 2-gigawatt commitment. The solar panels to be built by 2018 in China's Henan Province are supposed to produce as much renewable energy as Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory consumes while making iPhones. Apple has made protecting the environment a higher priority since Tim Cook replaced the late Steve Jobs as the company's CEO four years ago. "Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now," Cook said in a statement. "The transition to a new green economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose." Apple just completed projects in China that generate 40 megawatts of solar energy to cover the power required by its 24 stores and 19 offices in the country. All of Apple's data centers, offices and stores in the U.S. already have been running on renewable energy. "When you look at all the air pollution in China, all the manufacturing that is done there has a lot to do with it, so this is a significant step in the right direction," said Gary Cook, a senior analyst for Greenpeace, a group devoted to protecting the environment. Apple also has a financial motivation to help make China a better place to live. The greater China region is Apple's second biggest market behind the U.S. Tim Cook has made it clear that he wants the company to make even more progress as rising incomes enable more of China's population to buy smart phones and other gadgets. Apple can easily afford to go green. The company had $203 billion in cash at the end of June. This story has been reflected to correct that Apple and its suppliers haven't set a timetable for producing the 2.2 gigawatts of renewable energy in China. It is estimated that with Apple's new commitment, _ . Much of its greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided between now and 2020
Li Lei, Beijing I found the summer vacation was not so interesting as I imagined . It was very hot, so I had to spend most of the time staying at home, watching TV, listening to the radio and playing with my dog. Sometimes, I went to visit my relatives . Gina, New York I went to the countryside with my family and stayed there for about two weeks. The air there was nice and clean. Every day, we fed the chickens, milked the cows, played with the dogs and went fishing. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We wished to go there again. Alice, London My summer vacation was great. I went to Switzerland with my friends and stayed there for a week. It wasn't very hot there. We went to a climb the Alps . We felt very tired but excited. We also saw some beautiful lakes, went boating and took many photos. Li Lei did NOT _ during the summer vacation. Answer: Dewey is the true story of an abandoned kitten who went on to live an extraordinary life, inspiring a struggling single mother , transforming a sleepy library and the local people of Lowa farm town, and eventually getting hold of the hearts of animal lovers around the world. Vicki Myron was a single mom ,who , after surviving the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband ,went back to school and became a librarian .As the director of the Spencer Public Library, her biggest challenge was to raise the spirits of the residents of a remote town affected deeply by the farm crisis of the 1980s .Her solution came when Vicki found a tiny kitten almost frozen to death in the library's night drop box.Recognizing the extraordinary strength and uniqueness of this kitten , Vivki received approval from the library board to adopt him as Spencer's resident cat.From that moment on, her life ---and the town of Spencer--- would change forever. Dewey, as the townspeople named the kitten, grew into a friendly cat whose funny behavior kept people laughing and whose sixth sense about those in need created hundreds of deep and loving friendships.As his fame grew, people drove hundreds of miles to meet Dewey, and he even became a subject of a hit documentary in Japan !Through it all, Dewey remained a loyal companion , a beacon of hope not just for Vicki Myron, but for the entire town of Spencer as it slowly pulled itself up from the worst financial crisis in its long history. When Dewey died in 2006 at the age of 19, his _ appeared in over 250 newspapers , including the New York Times and USA Today , and was announced on the national television evening news. Which of the following descriptions of Vicki Myron is _ true? Answer: When Christie Andrews was born, she weighed less that half of one kilogram. Her heart was the size of a large coin. Her mother said Christie was so small that she could hold her in the palm of one hand. Christie couldn't breathe without a machine to give her oxygen. If she had been born 20 years earlier, she would probably have died at once. She needed two operations, but she survived without serious damage. Twenty years ago , 90% of all premature babies died. Today, doctors manage to save four out of every five, because they have better machines for breathing and better ways to feed the babies. But saving Christie's life cost more than $ 400,000. In some cases, doctors spend 1 million dollars saving a single child. The parents usually don't have enough money to pay. The government, an insurance company or the hospital picks up the bill. Even after a baby goes home from the hospital, it may require medical care. Some people think it makes more sense to spend money saving 10 adults who have cancer or other diseases than saving one small baby. But nobody wants to be the doctor who has to tell parents to their faces, "Sorry, I won't save your new child." The main idea of the article is _ . Answer: Mosquitoes ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn't just annoying--it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. "I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us," she says. At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor ? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, _ They insert their arms into the insects' hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don't feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey. Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes' choice of a host. She's even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. "By using genetics to make mutant mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans," Vosshall says. Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab's proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets that carry long-lasting repellants or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world--and a lot of itching everywhere else. Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes? Answer: Nonverbal Communication When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally. Before saying anything, people communicate nonverbally by making gestures. According to an investigation ,only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don't know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world. In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means "yes". In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean "no". In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying "I've heard you." In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone's life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means "Everything is all right." However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there. In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means "I'm the champion" or "I'm the winner". It is the sign that prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship. There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans stand closer to each other than English people. English people don't like touching somebody or being touched. Now in America, touch is important. For example friends touch each other on the arm. They often put an arm around a friend when they say "hello" or "goodbye". When the Russian leader put up his clasped hands after the meeting at the White House _ . Answer:
Today, we'll visit a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. We are exploring Death Valley National Park . Death Valley is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California into the neighboring state of Nevada. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous desert and mountains. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. Much of Death Valley is flat and dry. In some areas the ground is nothing but salt. Nothing is able to grow in this salty ground. However, it would be wrong to think that nothing lives in Death Valley. The valley is full of life. Wildflowers grow very quickly after even a small amount of rain. Several kinds of birds live in Death Valley, as do mammals and reptiles. Many different snakes live there too. The area got its name in 1849. That was the year after gold was discovered in California. Thousands of people from around the country traveled to the gold mining areas of the state. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley. But there was a lack of water and there were too few plants for their work animals to eat. The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the valley. Slowly, they began to suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the valley. As they left, a woman in the group looked back and said, "Goodbye, death valley." The name has never been changed. Death Valley became a national park in 1994. More than one million people visit the park each year. The text is most probably from _ . A a story book B a radio program C a science magazine D a news report Answer: B Which will most likely cause a decrease in predator populations? A an increase in prey populations B a decrease in prey populations C a decrease in decomposers D an increase in producers Answer: B My Uncle Dave posed an interesting question to my wife and me when he came to visit us the other day. He asked: "What do you think the world will be like in 50 or 100 years, in terms of technology and society and so on?" He says he asks many of the people he meets this question to see what their thoughts are. His point is that no one really knows. I mean, in 1945, could people have even imagined surfing the net or sending e-mails as we do? No way. And the pace of technological innovation is incredible . We're on a more different curve than we used to be. One thing I'm looking forward to is real software agents. There is so much information out there, but I want something that can help me find what I really want. For instance, in about ten years, I think, there will be no longer recorded music, and there will be some big databases from which you can download music onto your hard drive or whatever. At that point, there will be so much music to choose from and you'll be able to sample things before you buy them. But the question will be how I find what I'm looking for and how I do find the music that might interest me. Or more generally, how do I find information that I want without spending all the time myself surfing the net? How do I find people who are like-minded , with whom I might really want to communicate? I want to find those people but it's hard to do. In the future I think that one will be able to build a community of like-minded people who live all over the globe. It's going to be very interesting, I think. No one really knows what the future will be like because _ . A there is too much information for us to choose from B technological development is too fast C people live in different countries D no one is intelligent enough to answer such a question Answer: B Imagine your body is like the house you live in. Every day, your family creates rubbish. The rubbish builds up until it is put out for the weekly garbage collection. Now, say you put three bags of garbage out, but because one of the collectors was away sick, only two bags are collected. You take the leftover bag inside to be put out again next week. The following week you put on another three bags, plus the leftover bag from last week. But again, only two bags are collected. Imagine this cycle is repeated over the following weeks. This is a simple description of what happens to your body when your kidneys don't work efficiently. Your body is not thoroughly emptied of waste products. Other areas of the body such as blood pressure and red blood cell production are affected and the _ process that may lead to kidney failure begins. It's not uncommon for people to lose up to 90% of their kidney function before developing any symptoms. There may be no warning signs. This makes early detection difficult. Kidney's main job is to remove toxins and unwanted water from our blood. Every day our kidneys clean an average of 200 litres of blood. Kidney failure may be a gradual and silent process, going unnoticed because there is no apparent pain. Research shows that more than 25% of the patients requiring dialysis do not see a kidney specialist before they have to do so. Some risk factors for kidney disease such as age and genetic make up are out of our control; however, some changes in lifestyle may help prevent kidney damage.Two major risk factors for kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, have been on the rise over the last few decades.Both conditions are chiefly affected by being overweight and not getting enough exercises, which are the potential risk factors for the kidney disease. The author gives the example of the house we live in to indicate that _ . A it's safe and harmless for our body to keep some waste B it's important for our body to empty the waste in time every day C our body will not produce any waste if our kidneys work efficiently D it doesn't matter much if the waste in our body is not emptied in time Answer: B If there's one thing I' ve learned from my years of being a kid, it' s that you have ZERO control over your own life. Ever since school ended, I haven' t had anything I' ve needed to do or anywhere I' ve needed to be. As long as the air-conditioning was working and the TV remote had batteries in it, I was ready for a relaxing summer holiday. But then, out of the blue, this happened - " Pack your bags. We' re going on a road trip ! " Mom said excitedly. This isn't the first time Mom has sprung a trip on us without any warming. Last year on the first day of summer, she said we were going .to visit Aunt Loretta at the nursing home. It wasn't exactly my idea of a fun way to kick off the summer. One time when we visited Aunt Loretta, her roommate grasped me and wouldn't let me go until someone gave her a chocolate cookie ! Mom kept talking about going to the nursing home for a whole day, which made me worry a lot. But at breakfast the next morning, she told us where we were really going - Disney World. I was very happy, because I was really worried about spending the whole week at the nursing home. So was Dad. But when my little brother, Danny, heard about the change he became very angry. Mom had talked up the Aunt Loretta trip so much that Danny was actually excited about going there. We ended up putting off our trip to Disney so we could visit Aunt Loretta. I tried to talk Mom into letting us do something normal, like going to a water park for the day, but she didn't want to hear it. She said that spending a lot of time together in the car would be a " bonding" experience for the whole family. From the passage, we can learn that the author _ A loved his aunt very much B got pretty excited about the road trip C felt helpless with his mother's surprise trips D blamed Danny for not going to Disney World Answer: C
What characteristic of viruses distinguishes them from cells? Answer: Tom and Fred are students. They are twelve years old, and they are in the same class in their school. On Monday morning, they have a fight in class, and their teacher is angry. She says to the boys, "Come here after school this afternoon, and write your names 1,000 times ." After the last class, Tom and Fred are in the classroom with their teacher and write their names. But Fred cries . The teacher looks at him and asks why. "Because his name is Tom King, and my name is Frederick Hollingsworth," Fred says ," It is bad . I have a very, very long name!" The teacher asks them to _ in the classroom. Answer: AC/DC have postponed their US tour after singer Brian Johnson was warned by doctors that he was at risk of "total hearing loss". This is unsurprising, given the decades that the Australian band has been pumping out the hard rock decibels . But deafness isn't only a concern for rock musicians. In recent years it has become clear that anyone around music a lot has reason to be equally worried. When exposed to music, risk to hearing arises from a combination of how loud the sound is and how long you're exposed to it. If you visit a nightclub that is thumping out music on the dance floor at 100 dB, then after only 10-15 minutes the exposure is potentially damaging. In a quieter part of the club, but where the music is still loud enough that you have to shout at your friends, then you could be there for a couple of hours before having to worry about your hearing. Of course music frequently exceeds 80-85 dB, but what counts most in assessing the risk to hearing is the average exposure. Exposure to high noise levels often causes temporary deafness - something many people have experienced after going to a nightclub. While hearing usually recovers after a few hours or days, repeated loud exposure leads to permanent hearing damage. Initially, this damage is subtle and unlikely to be noticed by the listener. Problems only becomes significant in middle age when the noise-induced hearing loss combines with the natural loss of hearing due to ageing. Improved technology means that the number of musicians having to give up performing could decrease, but student musicians need to be educated about the dangers of noise-caused hearing loss. The increasing use of headphones will also work against this - for musicians and everyone else. Unless people are careful with the volume level on their portable music players, hearing loss caused by music will increase. (http://theconversation.com/highway-to-hearing-hell-musicians-and-the-danger-of-deafness-55983) What's the most important factor considered in the assessment of risk music has to hearing? Answer: "The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful," says Plato. Selfcontrol is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom. A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. _ "Keep cool", says George Herbert, "for fierceness makes error a fault." To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. "Anger," says Pythagoras, "brings with folly and ends with regret." You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him. Selfcontrol is man's last greatest victory. If a man lacks selfcontrol he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no selfconfidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks selfcontrol, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also. If a man lacks selfcontrol, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _ . Answer: Scientists used to exploreon the surface of the ocean. Now they are exploring below the surface, too. They want to know about ocean water and the plant and animal life deep in the ocean. In 1934 the scientist William Beebe dived 3 000 feet below the surface in a hollow steel ball. In 1935 August Piccard dived 10330 feet. In 1960 his son Jean dived to a depth of 35 800 feet. All these early dives were deep. But the divers could not stay down for very long. They had to come back up to the surface after a few seconds. Scientists needed to stay down longer to study life below surface. Gradually they succeeded. Cousteau, a Frenchman, was able to keep men down to a depth of 90 feet for a week. Now scientists are developing even better equipment. With this new equipment,men can stay below the surface for days or even weeks. In 1962 Cousteau set up a research station 35 feet below the surface. Then,in 1964,he set up another station on the ocean floor of the Red Sea. This was the first undersea station to operate without help from the surface. Many countries are now studying undersea living. The former Soviet Union has an undersea laboratory in the Crimean Sea. The United States has a laboratory 50 feet down on the ocean floor off the Virgin Islands. In 1970 five men lived there for two weeks. Then a team of five women scientists stayed in the laboratory. Next came other teams of men. All were there to explore the ocean depths and to make plans for the use of its resources. Scientists hope to find enough mineral,vegetable,and animal wealth there to provide food for the entire world. Who made the deepest dive _ Answer:
This is an excerpt from Emma Watsons speech at the United Nations headquarters. Today we are launching a campaign(called "He For She"). I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of this kind in the UN. We want to try to involve as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change. I started questioning gender-based assumption a long time ago. When I was 8, I was confused being called bossy because I wanted to direct a play that we put on for our parents, but the boys were not. When I was 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media. At 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of a lot of sports teams because they didn't want to appear masculine. At 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings. I decided that I was a feminist. This seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists. Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I'm from Britain and I think it is right that I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. These rights, I considered to be human rights, but I am one of the lucky ones. My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn't love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn't assume that I would end up nowhere because I might give birth to a child one day. These influences were the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it but they are the inadvertent feminists who are changing the world today. We need more of those. Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend you a formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. Because to date, I've seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man, or less of men. I've seen men made fragile and insecure by distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don't have the benefits of equality, either. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive, both men and women should be free to be strong. This is what "He For She" is about. It's about freedom. You might be thinking: who is this Harry Potter girl? What is she doing at the UN? I've been asking myself at the same thing. All I know is that I care about this problem and I want to make it better. And having seen what I've seen and given the chance, I feel my responsibility to say something. Statesman Edmund Burke said _ In my nervousness for this speech and in my moment of doubt, I told myself firmly: If not me, who? If not now, when? If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope those words would be helpful. Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take 75 years, or for me it will be nearly 100 before women can be expected to be paid as same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the 16 years as children. At current rate, it will be until 2086 before all rural African girls can have secondary education. We are struggling for a uniting world, but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called "He For She". I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen and to ask yourself: if not me, who? If not now, when? Thank you. We can know from Emma Watson's personal experience that _ . Answer: her mentors treated her the same way they treated boy students. If you're like a lot of married guys, you don't need to be reminded about men being from Mars or women from Venus. Chances are that you're all too familiar with the feeling that you and your wife are from different worlds. When married people start noticing their fundamental differences, it can lead to a breakdown in communication. The way to have a successful marriage is through communication, common ground and understanding. Here are some pointers to guide you in the right direction. Rather than ending up in an endless back and forth, forget about the issue for a minute. Instead, think about how you feel she's acting toward you and ask her if that's how she feels about you. If you think she's being unfair, ask her if she thinks you're being unfair. Switching the focus to that shared feeling can help your wife see things from your point of view. It's important to accept the fact that there's a two-way street between you and your wife. If you think she doesn't make enough of an effort to see things from your point of view, you have to ask yourself if you're making an effort to see it her way. Realize nobody can wave a magic wand to make you and your wife completely understand each other all the time. Many couples have an extremely close friendship and do almost everything together before they're married. Once you've tied the knot, you may begin to notice that you're not as alike as you once thought. It seems obvious, but some guys get fooled into thinking their wife will be as excited about all of their interests and hobbies as they are. Don't be surprised when you find out that she's not just like "one of the guys." Sooner or later you'll realize that she might be going along with some of your interests just to make you happy. Rather than feel offended if you find out she's not as into your favorite hobby as you thought, appreciate the effort she put into making you happy. Swallow your pride and try to take part in some of her hobbies, too, even if you might _ at first. While you're not going to be trying on makeup with her, you could try baking a recipe together. If either of you is always giving everything and getting nothing in return, there's going to be bitterness. The best marriages are built on compromise. You knew you were going to have to give and take for your marriage to work; now it's time to make it happen. What is the best title of the text? Answer: How to get her to speak your language. Which best describes a proton? Answer: positively charged and part of the nucleus What will, for all intents and purposes, never run out? Answer: sunlight America, has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English "not well" or "not at all ". That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered _ . Besides that, many high school and college students---and even some elementary school students---are required to take a foreign language. Actually, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of using different languages. Ethnic enclaves have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers---numbering over 17 million---form the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country! Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the "English Only " movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the "official language" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such "language restrictionism". But so far, 19 states have passed "English Only" legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate. Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the "language of wider communication". Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop the ability in using English in order to do well in America. American also recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language skill can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. What can be the best title of this passage? Answer: Being Bilingual
When I was eleven years old, God gave me a gift of happiness and I had a carefree childhood in France. One day, on my way home from school, a truck ran over me and my legs were cut off. As I lay there bleeding, I suddenly realized that I might have to live the rest of my life without legs. How depressed I was at that moment! But then I realized that depression won't get my legs back. So I decided not to waste my life feeling depressed. When my parents arrived at the hospital, they stood there quietly, looked so shocked and sad. I told them, "I've already accepted the fact. Now you also have to get used to this." Ever since then, I often see my friends getting worried about little things: The buses comes late; they get bad grades on the tests and so on. But I just enjoy life. I was lucky to realize that it is a waste of energy to pay attention to what you have lost, and that the key to happiness is to take pleasure in what you have. Sounds simple, doesn't it? So why are many people unhappy? People often think happiness is based on what they achieve. "My whole life would improve if I had a new car." But when they get the car and what happens? For a whole week they are walking on air. Then they go right back to be unhappy. Happiness is not a happening; it's a state of mind. Even though you have the whole world and you'll still be unsatisfied. And you have relatively little but feel full of joy. Happiness comes from mastering the art of enjoying and taking pleasure in what you already have. The author wants to tell us _ . Answer: A young woman was driving through the lonely countryside. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift. "I can't leave her out in this weather," the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door. "Do you want a lift?" she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, "Have you been waiting for a long time?" The old woman shook her head. "Strange," thought the young woman. She tried again. "Bad weather for the time of year," she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what she said, the hitchhiker gave no answer except for a nod of the head or a shrug. Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker's hands which were large and hairy. Suddenly she realized that the hitchhiker was actually a man! She stopped the car. "I can't see out of the rear screen," she said, "Would you mind clearing it for me?" The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the terrified young woman raced off. When she got to the next village she pulled up. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. She gave a gasp; inside the bag was a gun. The young woman stopped the car because _ . Answer: Safeburn Planning a home demands great care. The fireplace should be distinctive and elegant , with a fire that looks like a fire, giving your family the warmth and protection they need.Every year 7,000 people die in fires in Britain, and hundreds of them are little children. Thousands more are disfigured for life. When you choose a fire, choose Safeburn. It gives you the atmosphere of home comfort you are looking for, and sets your mind at rest. Caithness Pride Caithness Pride. The ninth Duke of Caithness would only drink the best whisky. So he built his own private still, in the heart of the Highlands, with the fresh water running in the stream nearby. When we came into possession of the still, we paid the Duke's heirs a lot of money for it. But it was worth it. After all, what was good for the Duke is too good to be kept a secret. In most British houses, you won't miss seeing fireplaces in their sitting rooms, which suggests in British people's family life fire is very _ . Answer: Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of non-farm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September, 2009. The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year's financial crash. On the one hand more women have entered the labor market over the years, and on the other hand the economic recession has hit men harder than women. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost 11% compared to 8% for women. Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women. Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And a recent study from the University of California, Davis, reveals that women hold fifty-one percent of well-paid management and professional jobs. Yet the study also shows that men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at most companies. The results have remained largely unchanged for five years. Also, a new research paper in the journalSex Roleslooks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their families. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found that they all value their independence and many enjoy having the power of control, though not all want it. But they even feel more pressure and worry. That is partly because of cultural expectations that working women should still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened. There have been an increasing number of jobs for women in _ . Answer: News 1 Liu Xiang won China's first gold medal in the world championships in 12.95 seconds. "Everybody wants to win a world title. I was nervous before the race. But I dealt with it so I'm very happy," Liu said with a smile after the race. Some reporters noticed that at the start, Liu Xiang was crying. He said that is his way of letting off pressure. "My start wasn't good, maybe because I was nervous or because I was a bit slow," he said. Liu will run next at the Shanghai Grand Prix meeting at the end of September. He is confident after winning the gold medal. "I want people to know how fast I am," he said. "This is number one speed. There's nothing I can't do." News 2 Have you ever got angry at books that are full of mistakes? Don't worry, things will get better soon. Last week, China started checking textbooks, dictionaries and children's books all over the country. The government said the results of the check would come out at the end of June. News 3 Last Wednesday Medvedev took over from Vladimir Putin . At the age of 42, he becomes the youngest president of modern Russia. Medvedev was born to a family of teachers. He read a lot from a young age. After university, the soft-spoken young man went on to teach law at university and became very popular with his students. In 2005, Medvedev became the first deputy prime minister . But he was as friendly as before. "He has not changed. He invited me to his home," said Vera Smirnova, Medvedev's first teacher. "In Russia, only two politicians have invited their first teachers to their homes, Medvedev and Putin." What Medvedev's first teacher said shows _ . Answer:
A father isn't happy with his only son. He doesn't think his son is clever. One day, the father gives his son a task. He says, here is a coin. Go to buy one thing. That must be something to eat, something to drink, and something to plant. "What can I buy with one coin? It is too hard!" Then a girl finds the boy is not happy and comes up to him. "Can I help you? " The boy tells her that hard task. "I know what you can do, " she says. "Go and buy a watermelon with this coin. " It will give you everything your father wants." The boy thanks the girl and then runs to buy a watermelon. When the father sees the watermelon, he is very happy. "Good Job!" "In fact, that's not my idea. A girl helps me", says the boy. The father then says, " _ is more important than cleverness." ,. _ helps the boy. Answer: A girl He was the baby with no name. Found and taken from the north Atlantic 6 days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, his tiny body so moved the salvage workers that they called him "Our baby". In their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, people collected money for a headstone in front of the baby's grave, carved with the words: "To the memory of an unknown child." He has rested there ever since. But history has a way of uncovering its secrets. On November 5 , this year, three members of a family from Finland arrived at Halifax and laid fresh flowers at the grave. "This is our baby," says Magda Schleifer,68,a banker. She grew up hearing stories about a great-aunt named Maria Panula, 42, who had sailed on the Titanic for America to be reunited with her husband. According to the information Mrs Schleifer had gathered, Panula gave up her seat on a lifeboat to search for her five children----including a 13-month-old boy named Eino--from whom she had become separated during the final minutes of the crossing. "We thought they were all lost in the sea." says Schleifer. Now, using teeth and bone pieces taken from the baby's grave, scientists have compared the DNA from the Unknown Child with those collected from members of five families who lost relatives on the Titanic and never recovered the bodies. The result of the test points only to one possible person: young Eino. Now the family see no need for a new grave. "he belongs to the people of Halifax," says Schleifer. " They've taken care of him for 90 years." Adapted from ,November 25 ,2002 Some members of the family went to Halifax and put flowers at the child'grave on November 5 , _ . Answer: 2002 The day began with clear sunlight and blue skies.It soon turned into years of war, economic breakdown and political division. Ten years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11,2001, America has come out of the smoke a very different country.Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11. Suddenly America had to wake up to the fact that not everyone loves the USS A.Members of al-Qaeda, the militant group that earned out the attacks, were angry about US support for the Israelis against Palestinians in the Middle East, about US troops in Saudi Arabia, and about sanctions against Iraq. "September 11 and the years that followed were a shock to our national consciousness," said Nicholas Bums, American ambassador to NATO at the time.The terrorists struck not only the buildings, but also Americans- faith in their power.The fear that America had lost control of events as widespread. In the name of fighting terrorism, the US launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.More than 6,000 Americans have died.Tens of thousands of ordinary people in those countries have also lost their lives. But deaths are only part of the story.The world was shocked by photographs of Americans torturing Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.David Goldstein, a reporter with The Kansas City Star, questioned American behavior: "Has torturing so-called terrorists saved American lives or made the values we advocate around the world weaker? ..." Is that what we've become?" However, a brief moment of national unity did occur straight after 9/11."Americans were coming together in an unusually powerful way ...in the ashes.We live in a bittersweet memory of that collective tragedy and collective possibility," said filmmaker Ken Burns. September 11 was that kind of common moment.When it was over, the Harth still turned in its usual way and the stars in the sky shone as before.But the universe had shifted somehow. Though the world felt the consequence of September 11, more is to come.Ten years on, it still might be too soon to tell. What can be inferred from the passage? Answer: Some Americans are skeptical about America's armed behavior overseas. I felt excited, curious and nervous at the same time. I was excited because I would be skipping two grades. I was curious because I didn't know how high school students were taught. However, I was most nervous at the idea that I would be doing high school homework. I had just walked into the class when the bell rang. This wasn't a good start. But the kid in front of me looked very friendly. Luckily, since it was the first day of school, my teacher talked for about half of the period and we just had the rest of the period to start the class. I didn't know what he was saying at first, but when I saw the problems on the paper, I knew what to do. The next day, the kid said hi and I said hi back. We got into a conversation. It seemed that whenever I was talking to my friend, everyone stopped staring at me. Then the class started. It was easy. But I was still uncomfortable because I couldn't look around without meeting others'eyes, so I just kept my eyes on the whiteboard and on my textbook. However, my friend didn't show up the next day, and the eighth graders just kept on staring at me. I didn't know why. The next day everything changed. My friend was back to school. I was praised for my homework. Everyone stared at me less. Some started to be a little friendlier towards me. I felt at home at last here. My teachers also seemed pretty nice. Why did the author always keep his eyes on the whiteboard and the textbook? Answer: To avoid meeting others' eyes. In the Netherlands,cycling isn't seen as eccrfriendly exercise; it's part of everyday life, as it's people's top choice to school and work. There are more bicycles than residents in the Netherlands. In cities like Amsterdam and The Hague, up to 70 percent of all journeys are made by bike. So how did cycling become such a popular means of transportation in the European country? In the 1970s, the Dutch government began to improve its cycling infrastructure due to both a social movement demanding safer cycling condition for children and the oil crisis in the Middle East, when oil producing countries stopped their exports to Western Europe. To make cycling safer and more appealing, the Dutch have built the widest cycling net- work in the world. The country has over 40,000 kilometers of bicycle lanes and paths,which are clearly marked. They have smooth surfaces,separate signs and lights for those on two wheels. The lanes are wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and passing. In many cities the bike lanes are completely segregated from motorized traffic. And in many traffic situations cyclists are given priority over drivers. Sometimes, where space is limited and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words "Bike Street:Cars are guests". As young people aren't allowed to drive alone until they are 18,cycling offers Dutch teen- agers an alternative form of freedom. The government also makes cycling training lessons a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum . Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in the country. Cyclists are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere. Take Groningen, a city in the northeastern part of the Netherlands,for example. The city's central train station has underground parking for 10,000 bikes. Which of the following made the government improve the cycling infrastructure? Answer: Children's safety demand and lack of oil.
Question: The orange towers of the Golden Gate Bridge-probably the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed bridge in the world-are visible from almost every point of elevation in San Francisco. The only cleft in Northern California's 600-mile continental wall, for years this mile-wide strait was considered unbridgeable. As much an architectural as an engineering feat, the Golden Gate took only 52 months to design and build. Designed by Joseph Strauss, it was the first really massive suspension bridge, with a span of 4200ft, and until 1959 ranked as the world's longest. It connects the city at its northwesterly point on the peninsula to Marin County and Northern California, and was designed to with-stand winds of up to a hundred miles an hour and to swing as much as 27ft. Handsome on a clear day, the bridge takes on an eerie quality when the thick white fogs pour in and hide it almost completely. You can either drive or walk across. The drive is the more thrilling of the two options as you race under the bridge's towers, but the half-hour walk across it really gives you time to take in its enormous size and absorb the views of the city behind you and the head-lands of Northern California straight ahead. Pause at the midway point and consider the seven or so suicides a month who choose this spot,260ft up, as their jumping-off spot. Monitors of such events speculate that victims always face the city before they leap. In 1995,when the suicide toll from the bridge had reached almost 1000,police kept the figures quiet to avoid a rush of would-be suicides going for the dubious distinction of being the thousandth person to leap. Perhaps the best loved symbol of San Francisco, in 1987 the Golden Gate proved an auspicious place for a sunrise party when crowds gathered to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Some quarter of a million people turned up (a third of the city's entire population);the winds were strong and the huge numbers caused the bridge to buckle, but fortunately not to break. If you want to enjoy the views of San Francisco from the bridge, you'd better cross the bridge _ . A. by train B. on foot C. by car D. by ship Answer: B. on foot Question: With the new school year quickly coming near (or perhaps, for your early-starters, already under way), it's time to get ready for a successful term . And while you may be cleaning your wardrobe , it's equally important to freshen up your study skills, too. Have you ever noticed that your study habits are different from those of your friends? Or how you seem to learn faster in certain classes? Some people are quick to blame the teacher or subject for their difficulties, but that isn't always the cause . One thing that many people seem to ignore is their learning type. Now, you may be wondering what a learning type is and how to find yours. There are three different learning types: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic. You can be a _ of learning types, but most people have one main type. 1. Visual learners learn best by seeing. If you seem to easily get information from pictures, graphs, and videos, you are likely a visual learner. 2. Auditory learners learn best by hearing. If you seem to remember things by hearing them, whether listening to a lecture or repeating information out loud, then you are likely an auditory learner. 3. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing. If you seem to learn best by working with your hands or testing out what you are shown, you are likely a kinesthetic learner. So now that you know your personal learning style, the trick is to find out how to use your new-found knowledge to help you in your classes. What do you think the speaker is going to do next? A. To give further explanation to the three types of learners. B. To give clear examples of the three types of learners. C. To make a survey about the three types of learners. D. To suggest different study skills to different types of learners. Answer: D. To suggest different study skills to different types of learners. Question: There is one language, and people, young and old , men and women, use it very often, in every country in the world. It is everyone's second language . You can't hear it, but it is very easy to understand . It is sign ( )language. When you wave to a friend in the street, you are using sign language. When you put up your hand in class, you are saying "Please ask me, I think I know the right answer". When a police officer wants to stop cars or buses, he puts up his hand. He's using sign language. Churchill's famous "V for Victory "is also sign language. Sign language is useful in quite places full of noise . Even when you are swimming with your friends , you can have a talk under water. When you put up your hand in class, you mean _ . A. you can answer the question B. you want to write a question C. you can use sign language D. both A and B Answer: A. you can answer the question Question: Some 80 percent of graduate students in East China's Zhejiang Province said in a survey they will give up trying to find jobs in Beijing,Shanghai and Guangzhou,first-tier cities in China that have been considered dream places for many,because of the untouchable home prices and high living costs. The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 job seekers who were attending Sunday's job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students.The survey showed graduates are becoming more realistic in their job search despite the job market becoming better. The fair attracted more than 10,000 graduate students with 7,382 positions. "The pressure of buying a house in Beijing is unbelievable,"said Wang Jian from Nanjiing Normal University,who acknowledged he had thought about finding a job in Beijing,Shanghai or Guangzhou,but in the face of huge pressures,he has no choice but to be "realistic". People can have a very comfortable life in Nanjing with a monthly salary of between 3,000 yuan($450)and 4,000 yuan,but in Shanghai,5,000 yuan a month can only help you survive and buying a house will remain a dream. A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology said he just turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month because"living costs in Shanghai are too high." An unnamed male student from Nanjing University said he will try first-tier cities only if he can get a high salary."I would go to Beijing only if I can earn 200,000 yuan a year,"he said. "Beijing,Shanghai and Guangzhou once had the advantages that other cities don't have,but the high housing prices and living costs make young people barely able to breathe,"said Ren Leiming from the job service center of Jiangsu's colleges and universities. "First-tier cities have plenty of talents that make it hard for people to be outstanding,and if you go work in smaller cities you can become a dominant player at your position much more easily,"said Ren. We can learn from the news report that _ . A. in Shanghai,5,000 yuan a month can only help you buy a luxury house B. the fair attracted more than 10,000 graduate students and laid-off workers with 7,382 positions C. The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 personnel managers who were attending Sunday's joh fair in Jiangsu for graduate students D. a student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month Answer: D. a student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month Question: We humans live in different parts of the world, but we have the same "mother". She gives us everything we need in our daily life. She is our Mother Earth. April 22 is Earth Day. The theme of this year is "Green Cities". A green city is a healthy and pleasant place for people to live, according to the United Nations. A green city can get its energy from renewable sources like solar and wind power. Also, it is connected by clean public transportation. Moreover, a green city is made up of facilities that can save energy and reduce waste. Around the world, many cities and countries have done well to build themselves in a green way. Chicago is well known for its green roof program. These roofs are covered with plants. The plants get a great amount of rainwater. Later, the water evaporates to help make the air cool and clean. So far, there are about 360 green roofs in Chicago, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Curitiba, Brazil, has great transportation. It opened the world's first bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 1974. BRT runs on special lanes. This makes sure that buses are on time even in traffic jams. With the help of BRT, the city has the lowest level of air pollution in Brazil. Today, many other countries have copied BRT, including China and Mexico. Singapore is home to the first zero-energy building in Southeast Asia. Zero energy means a building is able to create more energy than it uses. Zero-energy buildings work with solar panels mainly on roofs. These panels can make electricity which powers the buildings. By 2030, Singapore plans to build 80 percent of its buildings like this. The theme of Earth Day this year is " _ ". A. Green Roofs B. Green Cities C. Reducing and Recycling D. Environmental Protection Answer: B. Green Cities
When July comes, children know they'll have the final exams and the school year will end soon. Boys and girls will have a nearly two months' holiday, and they'll leave school by train or by car to return home to see their fathers and mothers. The summer holiday is the best time of the year for most students. The weather is good, so they can spend most of their time playing outside .If one lives in the country, he can go on a trip into the woods or in the fields. If one lives in a big city, he can go to a park to play. The best place for a summer holiday is the seaside. Some children are lucky enough to live near the sea. But for the others who do not, if they have the chance to stay at one of the big seaside towns for a week or two, they will talk about it all the following school year. Now, what makes children like the seaside so much? I think it is the sand, the sea and the sun, not anything else. Of course, there are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat and interesting things to do. But the feeling of the sand under their feet, the salt water on their skin, and the warm sun on their backs make them happier. It's the best way for children to go to the _ to spend their summer holidays. A park B seaside C city D country Answer: B Lichens are difficult to see. They don't move. They often mix into the living place. You might not even recognize one if you are looking right at it. Lichens live on rocks, branches, houses, and even metal street signs. You can find these colorful organisms almost everywhere -- from deserts to rainforests, and from Antarctica to Africa. They've traveled in outer space, and some scientists think there might even be lichens on Mars. What you probably don't realize is that a lichen is more than a single thing. It includes two different types of living organisms: a fungus and an alga . Neither of these organisms is a plant, so the lichen isn't a plant either. Through photosynthesis , the alga gets the sun's energy to make food for the fungus, which is the place for the alga to live in. However, the alga cannot leave the fungus. Around the world, scientists have found tens of thousands of types of lichens. Many may not even have been discovered yet. As scientists continue to find new kinds of lichens, they are also working to understand how they are connected to one another. By putting together a lichen family tree, they hope to understand why so many different types of lichens have grown in so many places around the world. Many researchers are trying to understand basic facts about the organisms and their connections. Researchers are also using lichens to examine the health of the environment. Which of the following statements is NOT the scientists' purposes of studying lichens? A To understand basic facts about them. B To creat a lichen family tree. C To understand how lichens are related to each other. D To understand why lichens can live in different places. Answer: B If there's one thing I' ve learned from my years of being a kid, it' s that you have ZERO control over your own life. Ever since school ended, I haven' t had anything I' ve needed to do or anywhere I' ve needed to be. As long as the air-conditioning was working and the TV remote had batteries in it, I was ready for a relaxing summer holiday. But then, out of the blue, this happened - " Pack your bags. We' re going on a road trip ! " Mom said excitedly. This isn't the first time Mom has sprung a trip on us without any warming. Last year on the first day of summer, she said we were going .to visit Aunt Loretta at the nursing home. It wasn't exactly my idea of a fun way to kick off the summer. One time when we visited Aunt Loretta, her roommate grasped me and wouldn't let me go until someone gave her a chocolate cookie ! Mom kept talking about going to the nursing home for a whole day, which made me worry a lot. But at breakfast the next morning, she told us where we were really going - Disney World. I was very happy, because I was really worried about spending the whole week at the nursing home. So was Dad. But when my little brother, Danny, heard about the change he became very angry. Mom had talked up the Aunt Loretta trip so much that Danny was actually excited about going there. We ended up putting off our trip to Disney so we could visit Aunt Loretta. I tried to talk Mom into letting us do something normal, like going to a water park for the day, but she didn't want to hear it. She said that spending a lot of time together in the car would be a " bonding" experience for the whole family. Who makes the final decision in the family? A The author. B Mom. C Dad. D Aunt Loretta Answer: B It would be hard for a family to live on 300 yuan a month, wouldn't it? That's how much Li Hua's family have to live on for a whole year. The world is now trying to help people like Li Hua to live better. From Tuesday until today, about 2,000 government leaders , scientists met in Shanghai to talk about stopping poverty around the world. According to the United Nations, the poorest people in the world live on less than 8.5 yuan a day. Most of those people live in African countries like Sierra Leone and Somalia. These countries often have wars and lots of diseases. Now, more than 1 billion people in the world live in poverty. The UN said that by 2015, that number should be cut in half. To help China's poor people, the World Bank has given more than 37 billion yuan to help China build railways and schools and stop river pollution and deserts. Many places in China's countryside, like Li Hua's home in Chongqing, are very poor. Li Hua, 13, lives with her mother, two grandparents and a 16-year-old brother in Chongqing. Her father is dead. The family make their living by planting crops. They have no TV, no electric fan and no telephone. How much do Li Hua's family have to live on for a whole year? A 300 yuan B 600 yuan C 1,500 yuan D 2,000 yuan Answer: A My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died . As a single parent . I tried to do my best to talk to him . But the more I tried , the more he pulled away . When his report card arrived during his junior year , it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year . At this rate he would never graduate . I sent him to the school adviser , and I even begged him . Nothing worked . One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help . "Please God ,I can't do anything more for my son . I'm at the end of my rope . I'm giving the whole thing up to you ." I was at work when I got a phone call . A man introduced himself as the headmaster . "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences ." Before he could say another word , I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger . "I love my son but I just don't know what to do . I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked . It's out of my hands . "For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line . The headmaster seriously said , "Thank you for your time", and hung up . Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades . Finally , he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year , I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl . I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around . On our way home , he said , "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year ?" I nodded . "That was me . I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said , it really hit me how much I was hurting you . That's when I knew I had to make you proud ." What is the main idea of this passage ? A Children in single-parent families often have mental problems . B Mother's love plays an important role in teenagers' life . C Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers . D School education doesn't work without full support from parents . Answer: B
The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning. The U.S. Geological Survey conducts and supports research on the likelihood of future earthquakes. Scientists estimate earthquake probabilities in two ways: by studying the history of large earthquakes in a special area and the rate at which strain accumulates in the rock. Scientists study the past frequency of large earthquakes in order to determine the future likelihood of similar large shocks. For example scientists researched the large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region during the 75 years between 1836 and 1911. For the next 68 years, no earthquakes of magnitude 6 or large occurred in the region. Beginning with a magnitude 6 shock in 1979, the earthquakes in the region increased dramatically; between 1979 and 1989, there were four magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. So scientists estimated that the probability of a magnitude 6.8 or larger earthquake occurring during the next 30 years in the region is about 67 percent. Another way to predict earthquakes is to study how fast strain accumulates. When plate movements build the strain in rocks to a critical level, like pulling a rubber band too tight, the rocks will suddenly break and slip to a new position. Scientists measure how much strain accumulates along a fault each year, how much time has passed since the last earthquake, and how much strain was released in the last earthquake. This information is used to calculate the time required for the accumulating strain to build to the level that results in an earthquake. This simple model is so complicated that such detailed information about faults is rare. In the United States, only the San Andreas Fault System has adequate records for using this prediction method. Scientific understanding of earthquakes is of vital importance to the Nation. As the population increases, expanding urban development and construction encroach upon areas susceptible to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destruction. What is the critical factor of forming a fault? A. The material of rocks. B. The existing time span of the rocks. C. The plate movements around the rocks. D. The amount of strain released in the last earthquake. Answer: C. The plate movements around the rocks. Today, there are many chances for those who wish to continue their education. However, nearly all require some break in one's career in order to attend school full time. Part-time education, that is, attending school at night or for one weekend a month, tends to drag the process out over time and puts the completion of a degree program out of reach of many people. Additionally, such programs require a fixed time commitment which can also impact negatively on one's career and family time. Of the many approaches to teaching and learning, however, perhaps the most flexible is that called distance learning. Distance learning is an educational method which allows the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals which are so necessary in today's world. The time required to study may be set aside at the student's convenience. Additionally, the student may enroll in distance learning courses from actually any place in the world, while continuing to pursue their chosen career. Individual assistance may be available via regular airmail, telephone, fax machine, teleconferencing and over the Internet. Good distance learning programs are characterized by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject, so a student doesn't need to travel away from home to take a test. Another characteristic of a good distance learning program is the equivalence of the distance learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus. The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is employed. The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another characteristic of a good distance learning program. In the final analysis, a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual student but also the company or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit, professional development, and business growth of the organization. Supporting distance learning programs for their employees gives the business the advantage of retaining career-minded people while contributing to their personal and professional growth through education. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of distance learning? A. The student may choose his or her own pace. B. The student may study at his or her convenience. C. They can pursue their chosen career while studying. D. Individual assistance comes through regular airmail, telephone and fax machine. Answer: D. Individual assistance comes through regular airmail, telephone and fax machine. Parents might tell older children to "Act your age". But some researchers say that is what persons from thirteen to nineteen years old are doing. While teenagers can look all grown up, studies have shown that their brains are still developing. How much this explains their behavior, though, is a subject of debate. Jay Giedd of America's National Institutes of Health is a leader in this area of research. Doctor Giedd has been studying a group of young people since 1991. They visit him every two years for imaging tests of their brains. He says considerable development continues in young people from the teenage years into the twenties. A part of the brain called the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex appears especially undeveloped in teenagers. Researchers believe that this area controls judgment and consideration of risk. So, its underdevelopment may explain why young people seem more willing to take risks like driving too fast. Laurence Steinberg is a psychology professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. He says stronger laws and stronger parental control are needed to protect teens from themselves. That includes raising the age for driving. He says research shows that teenage brains are not fully equipped to control behavior. Other researchers, however, say there is not enough evidence to make a strong case for such findings. Psychologist Robert Epstein is a visiting scholar at the University of California in San Diego. Mr. Epstein notes that teen behavior differs from culture to culture. He says behavior depends for the most part on socialization. He believes that teenagers will demonstrate better, safer behavior if they spend more time with adults, and are treated more like them. But is that always true? Mike Males works at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco. He suggests that all of this talk lately about brainless teens could be an attempt to take away attention from the reality. Writing in the New York Times, he says it is middle-aged adults whose behavior has worsened. In his words, if grown-ups really have superior brains, why don't we act as if we do? If your parents ask you to act your age, they really mean to advise that you _ . A. behave yourself B. take care of yourself C. make yourself at home D. do everything on your own Answer: A. behave yourself Loren Gladstone of Toronto is 58, but thinking over how to bequeath his digital property . Doing the paperwork after his parents' death was a challenge. "When my time comes, I wonder if my children will even know what paper is," he says. As a software developer, his virtual property is both valuable and vital to his business. That reflects a problem. Online lives have increasing economic and emotional value. But testamentary laws offer confusing and incomplete ways of bequeathing and inheriting them. Digital property may include software, websites, downloaded content, online gaming identities, social-media accounts and even e-mails. In Britain alone holdings of digital music may be worth over PS9 billion ($14 billion). A fifth of respondents to a Chinese local-newspaper survey said they had over 5,000 yuan($790) of digital property. And value does not lie only in money."Anyone with kids under 14 years old probably has two prints of them and the rest are in online galleries,"says Nathan Lustig of Entrustet, a company that helps people manage digital property. Service providers have different rules--and few state them clearly in their terms and conditions. Many give users a personal right to use an account, but nobody else, even after death. Facebook allows relatives to close an account or turn it into a memorial page. Gmail (run by Google) will provide copies of e-mails to an executor . Music downloaded via iTunes is held under a license which can be abolished on death. Apple declined to comment on the record on this or other policies. All e-mail and data on its iCloud service are deleted on the death of the owner. This has led to cases to court in America. In 2004 the family of Justin Ellsworth, an army man killed in Iraq, took Yahoo! to court in Michigan to get copies of his e-mails. This year, a court in Oregon ruled that another American mother whose son had died could use her dead son's password to enter his Facebook account for a short period. Now five American states have made laws giving executors control over the social-networking accounts of dead users. But this raises the subject of privacy. Passing music on is one thing; not everyone may want their relatives to read their e-mails. Colin Pearson, a London-based lawyer, says access should come only with a clear provision in a will. But laws, wills and password safes may be contrary to the providers' terms of service, especially when the executor is in one country and the data in another. Headaches for the living and lots of lovely work for lawyers. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage? A. Digital Information B. Testamentary Laws C. Deathless Data D. Vital Property Answer: C. Deathless Data Here are some news from China Daily in February, 2016. 1. Air quality in 271 out of 338 prefecture-level or above cities failed to meet national standards on the Chinese New Year Eve to 6 am the next morning on Feb 8, primarily because of pollution caused by firecrackers . 2. According to data released by CCTV, the Spring Festival Gala was watched on TV domestically by 690 million views while 138 million people watched it online. 3. Kung Fu Panda 3 and The Mermaid<<>> were very popular movies during the Spring Festival. But The Mermaid has earned more than 2 billion yuan after nine days in Chinese mainland theaters. It is expected to break the box office records Fast & Furious 7<<7>> and Monster Hunt<<>> set on the Chinese mainland to become the highest earning film in China's film history. 4. After the universal two-child policy, China will have a baby boom. Especially Chinese people have traditionally believed babies born in the Year of the Monkey to be smart and confident, due to their love of the animal because it is cute and resembles humans in many ways. What caused the air pollution on the Chinese New Year Eve to 6 am on Feb 8? A. Cities. B. Firecrackers. C. Population. D. Movies. Answer: B. Firecrackers.
Long ago, there was a time when parents told children to read slowly and loudly to understand everything they read. While, a lot of things have changed. Now, learning experts and teachers ask students to read faster and understand important points. Here are a few tips for students who have every little time, but a lot to learn. Making a time table Your timetable should have separate time for eating, playing games, exercise, reading the newspaper and studying You should not only make a timetable, but also do according to it. Taking notes Taking notes is an important part of learning . You need to take lecture notes and notes from your textbooks. Read the notes before going to bed. This helps you memorize the lessons clearly prefix = st1 /Reading techniques You need to read fast and learn more things. Here are some advice on fast reading. Take a quick look them cover to cover to find out the important units. Take a quick look over the units, and find the important points. Bedaubed the speed of reading, and pass your eyes through the top of the letters and not through the center. Don't go back to read a word or a sentence. How to increase memory Try to understand completely what you read or hear. Repeat what you hear or read in your mid. A single word can help you remember a whole idea. How to increase concentration Mental concentration is important to memory and better learning. You should separate a specific place and a specific time of the day for reading. Sit straight. It increases your concentration. Good conditions for learning A silent location that you don't use for sleeping, eating or entertainment purpose is the best place for reading. Taking exercise daily is good for students. It increases concentration. What is the passage mainly about? A. Learning tips for students. B. Some tips for fast reading. C. How to arrange one's study. D. How to form good exercise habits. Answer: A One day Mrs Jones goes shopping alone . When Mr Jones comes home in the evening, she begins to tell him about a beautiful dress. "I see it in a shop this morning," she says, "and..." "And you want to buy it," says Mr Jones, "how much is it?" "Fifteen pounds." Every evening, when Mr Jones comes back from work, his wife goes on talking only about the dress. And at last, after a week, he says, "Oh, buy the dress! Here's the money!" She is very happy. But the next evening, when Mr Jones comes home and asks, "Have you got the famous dress?" She says, "No." Why not?" he says. "Well, it is still in the window of the shop after a week. I think nobody else wants this dress. So I think it is not a good one!" From the story we can know _ . A. Mrs Jones is a housewife, she doesn't have much money B. Mr Jones doesn't like his wife C. Mr Jones comes home for lunch every day D. Mrs Jones doesn't like the things if others like them Answer: A In a unique research cooperation between Stratasys, Education, R&D departments and MIT's Self-Assembly Lab, a new process is being developed, known as 4D Printing. The 4D printing concept, which allows materials to "self-assemble " into 3D structures, was initially proposed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty member Skylar Tibbits. Tibbits and his team combined a strand of plastic with a layer made out of "smart" material that could self-assemble in water. They advanced this concept by creating materials that can change into several different complicated shapes, though this kind of material remains the bottleneck of 4D technology. To many people that are just starting to get used to the idea of 3D printers, the name 4D is causing confusion because they cannot understand where this fourth "dimension" coming from. 4D technology shares many of the same principles of 3D printing and is essentially still about creating a new, 3D structure out of certain component; however, Tibbits states the fourth dimension at work here comes from concept of the fourth dimension of time. The difference between these 3D and 4D creations is that these new forms have the ability to transform and adapt over time. 4D printing works through self-assembly -- a system where "disordered elements form an "ordered" structure via an interaction. With these 4D printed materials, these disordered materials are strands or sheets of specially designed materials. Environmental changes then stimulate a response from them so that they form a preprogrammed shape. The idea of having adaptable technology that only relies on energy and non-human interactions raises some interesting questions about where 4D printing can be used and the practical applications in dangerous environments. This could mean improved infrastructures in extreme conditions, leading to a reduced need for workers to put themselves at risk, but the potential goes even further than that. The technology promises exciting new possibilities for a variety of applications. A solar panel or similar product could be produced in a flat shape onto which functional devices can be easily installed. It could then be changed to a compact shape for packing and shipping. After arriving at its destination, the product could be stimulated to form a different shape that serves its function. Also it could be used to build furniture, bikes, cars and even buildings. As with many of the ideas being put forward, it is easy to go a step too far into the extreme, but this just shows the potential of 4D in comparison to 3D. The next stage for the research is to move from printing single strands to sheets and eventually whole structures. And water need not be the process ' s only energy source. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A. electricity is not used in 4D technology B. 4D printing has been applied in industry C. more potential of 4D is to be discovered D. smart materials can change in a random way Answer: A Eleven-year-olds are to learn Shakespeare using the approaches taken by actors, and English teachers will be encouraged to let pupils walk around the classroom rather than read the plays while pupils are sitting at their desks. Within the English curriculum you tend to look at a play text as a piece of literature rather than performance. But you can't possibly understand Shakespeare's language if you're just reading it in your head. Shakespeare is difficult; it's not a 21stcentury text. You have to use different ways to understand it. The new teaching way focuses on how actors come to understand Shakespeare's language. In fact actors have the same nervousness about Shakespeare's language as young people in schools do. But in six to eight weeks they get to a place of complete confidence about the play. Pupils can do as well. Exercises devised are to let children aged 11 to 14 imitate the methods of professional actors. Written and oral assessments developed alongside the lessons will show how well students have understood the texts. In one task pupils will work on creating four key physical figures of king, warrior , lover and joker, finding which lines of their chosen character go with those features first and then acting them out. Through this they can examine how a character such as Macbeth can switch dramatically within one scene from soldier to kingly figure to trick planner. It's really creative but you're still getting a really wonderful model of understanding. _ Educators think Shakespeare should be a central part of every young person's education. Developing a love of Shakespeare at a young age often leads to a lifelong passion for literature and helps to improve a child's reading and writing. You cannot understand Shakespeare's words easily because _ . A. they are pieces of literature B. their expressions are different C. ordinary people cannot understand them D. they are performances Answer: B Ellie and her grandfather went to the beach late in the afternoon. "Why are we going to the beach, Grandpa?" Ellie asked. He smiled a big old smile. "We're looking for treasure," he said. He carried two small plastic shovels and a basket. "What's in the basket?" she asked. "Some pie and soda to celebrate when we find our treasure." He gave his granddaughter a happy laugh. They picked a spot and started digging. They found only sand. They picked another spot by some rocks and found all sorts of small and interesting little stones. Ellie grinned at their odd shapes and colors. They dug further away from the water and found an old bottle. Ellie threw it away into the trash can. They dug closer to the water and found many sea shells. Ellie clapped happily at how smooth and nice they felt. They had much fun digging, but it started to get late. Her grandpa seemed sad. "We did not find any treasure after all," he said. "How about that, grandpa?" she said, pointing toward the pretty sunset that made the water appear yellow and bright. He grandfather laughed. "That is a great treasure after all." Ellie and her grandfather laughed and hugged. They ate pie happily and watched the sun set. What treasure did they find at the end? A. sand B. sunset C. rocks D. shells Answer: B
Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms. Octopuses The mother octopus lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched . Crocodiles A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies. She starts by building a nest , which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until they learn to hunt on their own. Bats Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngster before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch . Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return often to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own. Koalas The animal mom gives birth after a pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 months old. How long does the bat mom help to feed her babies? Answer: Can you imagine that you can save your own life during a heart attack by coughing ? Let's see how... A heart attack can happen to anyone. Let's say it's 4:17 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. Not only was the workload extremely heavy, you also had a disagreement with your boss, and no matter how hard you tried, he just wouldn't see your side of the situation. You're really upset and the more you think about it, the more nervous you become. All of a sudden you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to spread out into your arm and up into your . You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home, unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy who taught the course didn't tell you how to perform it on yourself. Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seems in order. Without help the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very powerfully. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and last long, as when producing from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without stopping until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm . In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help. Now, do you understand the whole matter? Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives! According to Paragraph 5, coughing during a heart attack helps _ . Answer: One day, Mr Smith is going to take a train to his hometown. When the train starts, one of his shoes falls to the ground. The train is going faster and faster, and he can't pick it up. Then he quickly takes off the other shoe and throw it on the ground near the fallen shoe. A little boy on the train asks him, "Why do you do that? You have lost one shoe. "Mr Smith answers, " If a man picks them up, he may get a pair of shoes. " What happens to Mr Smith when the train starts? He lost _ . Answer: A story tells about an elder villager who led other villagers carrying salt day and night to a town in order to buy food for the winter. One night they camped in an open air with a starry sky above. The elder villager, following the tradition passed down from ancestors, took out three blocks of salt and threw them into the campfire to tell the change of weather in the mountains. All people waited for the old man's "weather report": if the salt in the fire produced crackling sound , they would have good weather; if no sound was produced, it then meant the good weather would soon end and a storm would come at any moment. The elder villager looked serious. The salt in the campfire made no sound at all. He urged the whole team to set out immediately. A young man in the group thought it absurdly superstitious to "forecast the weather by using salt". It was not until the next afternoon, the weather suddenly changed, with cold winds blowing and a snowstorm coming. In fact, the method used by the elder man could be well explained by modern science: whether or not salt produces sound in campfire depends on air humidity .That is to say, when a snowstorm _ , lead to high humidity, the salt blocks will not produce any sound in fire. Young people often don't mind the philosophy of the old, regarding their ideas as out date and useless. To be honest, however, some beliefs in life are just like salt blocks that are distilled from the sea: old as they are, they remain crystals , and carry with them deep memories of the sea. ,. What will happen if it rains recently? Answer: A well-dressed man goes into a restaurant one day. He sits down at a table near the window. A waiter comes up to him and says, 'Can I help you, sir?' The man says, 'Can I see the menu? ' 'Of course.' The man wants a good meal and he orders a lot of nice food. The waiter gets them for him. The man is having his meal. At this time, a boy comes in and sits beside the man. He asks the man to give him an ice cream. The man does so. Now the boy is eating his ice cream. The man says, 'I go out for a newspaper.' The man goes out. After the boy eats his ice cream up, he stands up and goes to the door. 'Excuse me, but your father doesn't give the money for the meal and your ice cream.' the waiter stops him and says. 'Father? You are wrong. He isn't my father. I don't know him. I meet him in the street. He says he will give me an ice cream if I come here at 12 o'clock.' The man asks _ for the boy. Answer:
One day I got in a taxi, and we left for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when, suddenly, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stopped his car at once. The tire made a very loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the black of the other car. I was _ . But then I couldn't believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head and started yelling at us. I couldn't believe it! But my taxi driver just smiled at the guy. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost sent us to hospital. " This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call "The Law of the Rubbish Truck . " He explained that many people are like rubbish trucks. They run around full of rubbish, full of anger and full of bad feelings. As their rubbish piles up, they look for a place to throw it away and sometimes they'll throw it at you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their rubbish and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets. Successful people never let rubbish trucks change their moods . Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love those who love you and pray for those who don't. What does the passage mainly tell us? There are four hats. They are red, yellow, green and white. They are Mike's, Bill's, Tom's and John's. Tom's hat is not yellow, green or red. John's hat is not green. And Mike's hat is not yellow or green. What color are their hats? ,. Mike's hat is _ . The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman's failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time,the nation's biggest insurance company,American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk. Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G--the most to any single company during the crisis. As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again. Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America's carmakers The big three automakers--General Motors, Ford and Chrysler--told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans. As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties. According to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of _ . The Process of Ageing At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the possibility of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable ; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though vague at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us. This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually "die of old age", and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favor of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and physically strong we are. Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things "wear out". Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact ran out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics . But these are not similar or equivalent to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending. But a watch could never repair itself -- it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction . We could, at one time, repair ourselves -- well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents. Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power, an illness which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and into our grave. If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve, it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again. What can be learned from this passage is that _ . "Children should not be left unsupervised to play with a dog." say experts in this week's British Medical Journal. Their advice is part of a review aimed at doctors who deal with dog bites. "Dog bites and maulings are a worldwide problem, particularly in children." write Marina Morgan and John Palmer. Every year 250,000 people who have been bitten by dogs attend minor injuries and emergency units in the United Kingdom, and half of all children are reportedly bitten by dogs at some time, boys more than girls. Accurate death figures are difficult to obtain, but in the past five years, two to three cases a year have made news headlines. Based on the latest medical evidence, _ advise doctors how to examine and treat a patient presenting with a dog bite. They discuss the risk of infection and when to refer to specialist care. For travelers bitten abroad, they suggest assessing the risk of rabies . In terms of prevention, they suggest that children should be taught to treat dogs with respect, avoid direct eye contact, and not tease them. They should be taught not to approach an unfamiliar dog; play with any dog unless under close supervision; run or scream in the presence of a dog; pet a dog without first letting it sniff you; or disturb a dog that is eating, sleeping, or caring for its babies. "Dog owners also need to change their behavior", says Rachel Besser, a children's doctor and lifetime dog owner, in an article. "It is clear that not all dog owners appreciate that children should not be left unsupervised with a dog", she says. Just as some parents are obliged to take parenting classes, she would like to see compulsive classes for expectant dog owners to teach them about the responsibilities of dog ownership. Educational programs are also needed to teach children about some precautionary behaviors around dogs. Finally, she would like to see animal doctors advising dog owners about bite prevention, and doctors promoting bite prevention when treating patients who have been bitten by dogs. What are Rachel Besser's words mainly about?
Kate Green is a girl. She is my good friend . She is English. Kate is her first name.Green is her family name. Mr Green is her father .His first name is John. Mrs Green is her mother . Her first name is Helen. Kate is eleven years old. Her home telephone number is 865---64108. (10) Kate is _ . Answer: It was Monday. Mrs Smith's dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.Considering that there was no better way, Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it "Give my dog half a pound of meat. " Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently:" Take this to the butcher and he's going to give you your lunch today." Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once. At sunset, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it. he gave it half a pound of meat once more. The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his regular customers . However, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. At six o'clock,, it came for more meat, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, "This is a small dog. Why does Mrs Smith feed it with so much meat today?" Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there was a piece of blank paper. He laughed and phoned Mrs Smith. The little dog went to the butcher's _ during the period. Answer: "This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family. It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions. On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing over the elements. That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service. As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama. We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted. For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love. At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others. This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others. I wish you all a very happy Christmas. " What might be the main purpose of this speech? Answer: Hello! I'm Lily. I'm going to have a busy weekend. On Saturday morning, I 'm going to the Beach Park with my friends. We are going to ride bikes there because we can do some sightseeing on the way. We are going to play on the beach. At noon, we are going to have a picnic in the park. In the afternoon, we are going to visit our maths teacher. She wants us to go to her room and help us with our maths. In the evening, I'm going to visit my aunt with my mother, because it's my cousin's birthday. There is going to be a party in her house. On Sunday morning, I'm going to the bookstore with my good friends. I'm going to buy some storybooks. After lunch, I'm going to do sports with my brother. In the evening, I'm going to watch TV and clean my room. How busy I am! ,,. Lily is going to the Beach Park _ . Answer: Which statement best describes the organization of the Periodic Table of the Elements? Answer:
Question: The sun was just coming up when I headed out to work last May at 6 a.m. Not quite dark but dark enough to need my headlights. I turned onto one of the lonely rural country roads. Maybe it was because I was listening to the radio, maybe it was because I was already thinking about some projects at work, that I didn't spot the dark object on the road until I was too late. I ran over it and felt the back left tire pull, and then sink. I stopped and got out of the car. No mystery here---- my back left tyre was cut like a loaf of bread. Back 50 yards was a piece of sharp iron I had run over. I had never changed a tyre. I looked up the road. Not a car in either direction. The nearest service station was miles away. I threw up my hands. Then I remembered---- my cell phone! I powered it up before realizing, I didn't know who to call. Wouldn't you know it, I spotted a car coming from the opposite direction. The driver slowed as he approached. I guessed he could see I was in trouble. He stopped his car, got out and immediately saw the trouble. "Madam, would you like me to change that tyre for you?" he asked. The man couldn't have been more friendly. I was frightened out there and he put me completely at ease. "There," he said, after putting on the spare, "you are all set to go." "Good thing for me that you were driving this way," I told him, as I climbed back into my car. "Funny you should say that," he said. "Just like you, I was heading to work, but my job is in the opposite direction. I made a wrong turn at some point. I don't know what I was thinking." The writer didn't notice the object on the road because _ . A. it was rather dark then B. she didn't use her headlights C. there was much traffic D. she was careless when driving Answer: D. she was careless when driving Question: "It hurts me more than you", and "This is for your own good"--these are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework. That was before we entered _ in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They taught that it was all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation. Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we've made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who says of her students "so passive" and wonders what has happened. Nothing is demanded of them, she believes. Television, says Klompus, contributes to children's passivity. "We're talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them, instead of saying 'go and look it up', you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid." Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It's time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again. What is the main idea of the passage? A. Parents should leave their kids alone B. Kids should have more activities at school. C. It's time to be stricter with our kids. D. Parents should set a good example to their kids. Answer: C. It's time to be stricter with our kids. Question: A student adds sugar, spices, and salt to a bowl of peanuts and stirs them together. What has the student made? A. a compound B. a substance C. a mixture D. a solution Answer: C. a mixture Question: If you try to explain to someone, without using pictures, how to build the building that you have designed, it would take an enormous amount of writing and might end up with a very funny-looking building. The architect uses pictures called details to show how many hundreds of parts go together to form a complete building. This type of drawing is called drafting and is done by people called draftsmen. Draftsmen make up the largest group of the architectural offices' work force. Because of the wide range of duties they perform, draftsmen are sometimes called architectural technicians. In a typical office, there are not only career draftsmen but also architectural graduates working as junior draftsmen to learn the trade. Career draftsmen are usually graduates from a two-year junior college called technical school. There was a time when architectural office used young people right out of high school as tracers. Their job was to trace over the other people's details while learning to be a draftsman. This is no longer possible with the fast-pace of architects' offices today although a junior draftsman is given guides by the more experienced employees. So a good comprehensive architectural drafting course is a must before anyone seeks a job with an architectural firm. The job of the draftsmen is to translate the ideas and directions of architects, designers and engineers into complete and accurate working drawings. These become the plans and details used in the actual construction of a building. The project must be shown in great detail and drawn very clearly, so there is no chance for misunderstanding by the contractors . Every line and figure has an effect on the finished product. As you can see, the draftsman is a key member of the architectural team. Of course, a junior draftsman is not expected to produce a complete set of working drawings. Depending on the size of the office and difficulty of the project, draftsmen may work in groups. The group leader coordinates the group and works closely with the project architect while the drawings are being produced. Working conditions are mostly very pleasant as draftsmen's work is intense and many people depend on accurate work. Each draftsman has a large combination drawing board and desk with various drawing aids. Almost without exception, members of the architectural team have at one time in their careers worked as draftsmen. This is essential to an architect education and most architects never get very far away from the drafting board. What is most essential for draftsmen's work according to the author? A. An architect education. B. The spirit of team work. C. Accuracy in the drawings. D. Advanced drawing aids. Answer: C. Accuracy in the drawings. Question: Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man's life and two to a woman's. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm. Even if the odds are stacked against you(the conditions are not favourable),marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke. There's a _ , however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouses; death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects. So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological mechanisms .For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner. A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100.The best social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says:" People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected." William Farr's study and other studies show that _ . A. social life provides an effective cure for illness B. Being sociable helps improve one's quality of life C. Women benefit more than men from marriage D. Marriage contributes a great deal to longevity Answer: D. Marriage contributes a great deal to longevity
The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It's cold and dark. The deeper it is, the less sunlight there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It's very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes, but some have big eyes. A few have eyes only on one side. Besides the coldness and the darkness, deep sea animals face a third danger--other animals. Animals must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants, and some eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. One is that they need to find animals as their food, and the other is that they have to try not to become other animals' meals. ,. (5) Many fishes have _ . Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It's very likely that you'll want to have volunteers to help with the organization's activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work. Let's begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract. People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people's wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g., "I volunteer because it's important to me") to an external factor (e.g., "I volunteer because I'm required to do so"). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must. Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to "training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they do experience". Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view "volunteer" as an important social role. It was assumed that those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as "Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am." Consistent with the researchers' expectations, they found a positive correlation between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: "Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity.... Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity". What is the best title of the passage? The Sauna World Championships ended in tragedy at the weekend when one of the two finalists collapsed and died. Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy, a Russian amateur wrestler in his 60s, suffered severe burns in the bizarre annual event in the southern Finnish town of Heinola. He was pronounced dead late on Saturday after he collapsed alongside reigning champion Timo Kaukonen of Finland roughly six minutes into the final round. The "sport" calls on participants to sit in a 230-degree (110 Celsius) room as water was tossed onto a _ stove, officials and witnesses said. Medical workers pulled both men out of the sauna in front of nearly 1,000 horrified spectators. Both were shaking and bleeding from what appeared to be severe burns, said Hakon Eikesdal, a photographer with the Norwegian daily Dagbladet. Kaukonen, about 40, was in hospital in stable condition Sunday, contest spokesman Ossi Arvela said. The event, which had over 130 participants from 15 countries, had been held since 1999. It will never be held again, Arvela said. A pint of water is added to the stove every 30 seconds and the last person to remain at the sauna is the winner. There was no prize other than "some small things" Arvela said. He declined to provide details. Arvela said Kaukonen -- the defending world champion -- had refused to leave the sauna despite getting sick. Sauna bathing is a popular past-time in Finland, which has an estimated 1.6 million saunas for a population of 5 million. Temperatures are normally kept around 158 to 176 degrees (70~80 degrees Celsius). "I know this is very hard to understand to people outside Finland who are not familiar with the sauna habit," Arvela said. "It is not so unusual to have 110 degrees in a sauna. A lot of competitors before have sat in higher temperatures than that." Arvela said all rules in Saturday's competition were followed and the temperatures and times were similar to those in previous years. What can we conclude from the situation after the tragedy? Ben Olsen had great careers as professional players. His story tells a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America. Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United's early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in 1998. His young professional career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship , on the strength of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable. "I'd lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game." said Ben Olsen. Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play. "Some teams are very fast and athletic. Some teams are a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league." Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of 2006. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget. Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in 2007. He scored seven goals including a "hat trick"-- three in one game. Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull in June of 2007 He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor operation became major ankle surgery . Ben Olsen retired after the 2009 season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United. According to the passage, which of the following is true? A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet. "What's the problem?" The vet asked him when he arrived. "My cow's ill" the farmer said. "I don't know what the matter with her is. She's lying down and won't eat. She's making a strange noise." The vet looked over the cow. "She's certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine." He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better" How should I give them to her?" the farmer asked. The vet gave him a tube and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That will make it." The next day The farmer sat outside his house and looked more worried. "How's your cow?" the vet asked." No change," the farmer said, "and I am feeling very strange myself. I did what you said, I put the tube in the cow's mouth and then put two pills down it." And?" the vet asked." The cow blew first, and blew the pills to my mouth." the farmer said. ,. In the story, the vet must be _ .
The word "death" is a word many Chinese friends tell me I should not say aloud. They advise me to avoid the word because only speaking of it may bring ill fortune. I deeply believe, however, that to know how to live, we must also know how to die. The problem is how we talk about death. Like everyone in Taiwan this week, I have had "Tomb Sweeping Day". I am proud to be part of a people whose culture sends millions of families to cemeteries on this special day to share memories and endless love. Today, eight days after the death of Pope John Paul II, millions of people of all backgrounds still grieve his passing away. He was a deeply human person who knew how to laugh and show emotions, a writer with a gift for words a leader who appealed to us by the sheer light of his love for life. On the same day and only hours before the Holy Father left us, a friend of mine named Veronica McBride died of cancer in a small Wisconsin city. My friend Veronica was 52 years old. She was an attractive, humorous young woman who, as the saying goes, "never married". She published several humor books with her mother, Mary McBride. She enjoyed traveling, and for years sent Christmas card photos of herself standing beside monuments or odd animals. She fought cancer for five years. She joked about her treatment keeping her pretty because it kept her thin, and told me she didn't mind losing her hair because of . "I get to wear nice wigs!" The last time I saw Veronica was when I visited her family on a sunny day in August in 2003. When she burst into the front door later and saw me in the living room, she ignored me completely in her hurry to hug her newest baby nephew, leaving me shaking my head in laughter at her. As we look to the significance of the Holy Father and his life, surely we must also keep our eyes open to see the wonder and goodness in ordinary people who show us how to live and how to die. Why does the writer compare the Holly Father with his friend? Answer: Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee . In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries. Perhaps the show's popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It's possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them. But there's still hope for the paint brush. China's Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write. In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher's examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. "If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?" we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. "The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture," she reasons. "Students must learn now so they don't forget when they grow up." says the teacher. Where does this text probably come from? Answer: An astronomer is studying two stars that are the same distance from Earth. Star X appears brighter than star Y. Which statement best explains this observation? Answer: Though my career as a banker was financially rewarding, I was never content with the work. I was annoyed by my workmates' coldness and endless counting. Gradually, I began to envy my wife Julie's teaching career, which was full of passion and challenges. However, I admitted that leaving a secure(, ) position and going to school needed courage. One winter evening I heard Julie complaining about a student's bad academic performance. She said, "Baxter used to do his homework very well, but it has dropped recently." The next evening when I arrived home, Julie asked, "Will you drive me to Baxter's house? I want to talk with his family about his homework." After an hour, a hut stood before us. Baxter was busy gathering firewood in the front yard. Seeing us, Baxter was surprised, but greeted us happily. Julie asked, "Where are your parents?" Baxter said they were not in. We found that it was dark in the hut. On our way home, Julie cried, "His work was good in the early autumn when the days were longer. But now, in the dark, he can't do his homework." Then she decided to help him so that he could focus on his studies. I was moved by her kindness and I wanted to help poor students. At the end of the month, I said goodbye to the bank. Now I am teaching the students and I love my job. What can we infer from the text? Answer: A bracket fungus grows on a dead tree and breaks it down into chemical nutrients. What term best classifies the role of a bracket fungus in this ecosystem? Answer:
Question: The rising sea waters caused by global warming have inspired a Russian architect to design a hotel that could be built on water as well as land.The eco-friendly "Ark" could be constructed in just a few months anywhere in the world, the designer says. It's called "The Ark",but looks more like a ship sitting upside down on the water.A new design by Russian architect A1exander Remizov challenges the tradition of land-based hotel and would provide a shelter in the future--should the world face a modern-day flood as described in the Bible. The building of the hotel could be fast and simple."Prefabricated section could be put together in three to four months," Remizov said. The versatile structure could be constructed in most corners of the earth, even in earthquake-prone areas.Constructing "The Ark"--which would include 14 000 square meters of living space---would cost roughly the same as building an energy-efficient house. The self-supporting structure would be built around a central post, connecting wind generators and heat pumps on its roof with the basement,where solar,wind,and thermal energy could be stored and turned into electricity. Remizov has designed the building without glass,choosing instead the lasting and self-cleaning foil that could defend itself against rough weather conditions.That foil would be fastened to metals,which would also collect rainwater.The building would also feature an indoor jungle, creating its microclimate. What characteristics will the new hotel have? A. A climate with no rain will form around the hotel. B. The material can protect the hotel from bad weather. C. A power station will be built in the hotel. D. Bricks will be used as the materials instead of glass. Answer: B. The material can protect the hotel from bad weather. Question: Below are reviews for three books and two book series. Each has been read and loved by students across the country. The Outsiders This book, first published in 1967. has become a classic for teens across the nation. It focuses on Ponyboy , who has been labeled all his life as a greaser. The greaser's opposing group is the " socs ". kids who have lots of money and can break any rules without getting in trouble. As the novel develops, S. E. Hinton allows the reader to see exactly how these labels affect teens in both the greaser and the soc group. If you've ever watched the movie The Outsiders, this story may sound familiar, as the movie was based on the book . The Outsiders gives teens a look into life in the 50's and 60's, offering timeless lessons that still apply to today's youth. Out of the Dust Any student interested in the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl should read Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Hesse is able to capture the mood and spirit of this era through the use of poetry. The main character of the book, Billie Jo, is growing up in Oklahoma, the heart of the Dust Bowl. Through free verse poetry, Billie Jo narrates her tale of poverty and survival during this difficult time. Out of the Dust is an excellent lesson in history . Due to the short length and writing style, the book is a quick but worthwhile read. By the end of the book, the reader is eager to start the story over again . Hesse is able to pack a lot of emotions and details into her short book , making the story very real and believable. The Giver The Giver depicts a perfect society in which citizens experience no pain, have never felt fear, and life is completely under control. However, as the reader progresses through the story, it's easy to see that this community is far from utopia . Instead, through the experiences felt by the main character Jonas, the reader learns there is a missing from life in this world.. During the Ceremony of the Twelves, each 12--year --old is assigned their life --long career in the community . Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memories, a very special job assigned to one person at a time . When Jonas receives his training . he learns many truths about his community that change how he feels about his life, making him determined to do something to change it . The Giver is a good book for teens who enjoy science fiction and fantasy. The book makes you examine your own life, values, and beliefs, striving to find how you would define the perfect society. Anne of Green Gables This eight-book series depicts the life of Anne Shirley, an orphan that is adopted in Prince Edward Island, Canada . The books are set in the 1800s to the 1900s, the last one taking place during World War I. Anne is a loveable spirit who has many misfortunes and laughable experiences when growing up and going to college. The Anne of Green Gables series is fun to read. creating a strong attachment to the reader and making the last book a bitter -sweet experience. Teenage girls who are looking for a female role model will love Anne Shirley. Harry Potter J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has sold more copies than any other series in history. The series , which includes seven books in all , fallows a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witcheraft and Wizardy. The seven books follow Harry through seven years of wizarding school . During this time , readers experience the wizarding world through Harry's eyes and watch him make friends. Learn magic and fight a wizard. The Harry Potter books are an enchanting read for all ages. No matter who you are. you will find yourself absorbed in the magical world created by J. K. Rowling. The greaser group may refer to those kids _ . A. who are poor in their lessons at school B. who get along well with the soc group C. who go between the poor and the rich children D. who are poor and often get into trouble for breaking rules Answer: D. who are poor and often get into trouble for breaking rules Question: Michael Jackson's sudden death really astonished his fans, but soon they are glad to find another younger "King of Pop" has appeared. Wang Yiming, who is known as Xiao Bao, has already been popular across the world with his wonderful dance moves. He once appeared on U.S. television show "Ellen" and performed successfully at the World Expo 2010. About seven years ago, Xiao Bao was born prematurely , which made his mother really worried. He was so weak. What could he do? Doctors suggested that moving his body to music would help make him strong, but soon his parents were surprised by how quickly Xiao Bao fell in love with music! "When he was young, we just started playing music to him and he started moving around like this. But we didn't think that he had such a strong feeling for music. When he was just several months old, we would let him listen to music and he would stop crying and calm down at once," the proud mother once said. So far, Xiao Bao has learned the moonwalk and other Jackson's moves well. His fans are crazy about his wonderful shows. He has drawn more people's attention. He is fast becoming internationally popular. There are lots of problems waiting for him, but Xiao Bao will never give up. He is serious about his dancing career . Where there is a will, there is a way. We are sure that Xiao Bao's dream will come true one day. Why did doctors advise Xiao Bao to dance? A. Because they knew Xiao Bao's feeling for music. B. Because Xiao Bao's parents wanted them to do so. C. Because Xiao Bao likes Michael's dancing a lot. D. Because they thought dancing would be good for his health. Answer: D. Because they thought dancing would be good for his health. Question: Compared to the other parts of the body, our ears don't ask for much. They don't need to be brushed once a day like your teeth. But they need some special care, especially if you like listening to music with earphones. Maybe your mum or dad has told you, "Turn that down before you go deaf!" Well, they are quite right. Loud noise might cause hearing loss for a short time or even forever. Think that earphones are a good way to escape from tour parents' eyes? Well. It may not be as good a way as you expect. American doctors have studied a group of 44,000 people who used earphones more than 15 hours per week. The doctors found that 37,000 of them were getting hearing problems. If you use earphones for too long a time, your ears might feel painful. You could also lose your hearing for the rest of your life. So don't wear your earphones too long. Use them less than one hour a day. Want sharp hearing? Don't forget to do the following: Try to stay away from places where there is too much noise, like a disco. If you have to go, wear earplugs. When swimming, remember to put earplugs into your ears to stop water from getting in. Never put anything sharp into your ears. If you think you have too much earwax, ask your mum or dad to help you clean it out. Keep these things in mind! Then you won't be saying "WHAT???" when you are older. Using earphones "may not be as good a way as you expect" because _ . A. your parents know what you're doing B. it can cause hearing problems C. it makes your parents angry D. most of you use them improperly Answer: B. it can cause hearing problems Question: It's a good time for a theme park, according to a report. There was a four percent growth in the number of visitors to theme parks in 2014 compared with 2013. There were a total of 223,450,000 visits to the top 25 theme parks in 2014. But even extreme enthusiasts may not be able to get to every park on the top-25 list. Here are six theme parks that are less known to Americans. But they're truly worth a visit. Ocean Park Hong Kong's Ocean Park is a marine mammal park, animal theme park and amusement park. It came in at No.13 on the top-25 list. Lotte World Located in Seoul, South Korea, Lotte World is famous for having the world's largest indoor theme park together with an outdoor theme park. It's also home to South Korea's largest ice skating rink. It was ranked No.14 on the top-25 list. Everland Also in South Korea, Everland is located in Gyeonggi-Do. It includes a zoo and a water park and was ranked No.16. Europa Park Europe Park, located in Rust, is the largest theme park in Germany and one of four in Europe to make the top-25 list. It got No.21. Tivoli Gardens When you take into consideration that Tivoli Gardens is closed a few months every year, its spot at No.23 is impressive. Located in Copenhagen, it's famous for its fairy-tale atmosphere and antique roller coaster. De Efteling De Efteling is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Katsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions are based on elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables and folklore. It was ranked No.24. How many European theme parks are on the top 25 list? A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 Answer: B. 3
There are only 24 hours in a day,but people can use the time wisely. In other words,effective time management is important if you want to succeed. Knowing the importance of daily matters is the first step towards good time management. Write down the things that you want to do and organize them according to their level of importance. The important thing should be done first. If there are too many things that have to be done in one day, then you have to give up doing something that is less important on your list. Besides this,you need to spend a specific amount of time doing all the activities you have written down and make sure you finish them on time. People often slow down in their work even though they know that time will never wait for them. Make sure you keep to your plan and finish the tasks one by one. Do not try to do too many things at once. Also,you can group similar activities together and do them one by one. For example, you can group all the tasks you need to do in the office together and do them while you're in office. Do all the tasks that have to be done in one place first, and then move to the next place to do the other tasks. "The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you're the pilot, "said Michael Althsuler. Your future is in your hands,so remember to invest your time wisely from today on. Which of the following ideas would the author agree with? A Never give up doing the least important things B Successful people can make a day last longer than 24 hours C Writing down daily tasks is the first step towards success D Effective time management can help one to succeed Answer: D. Effective time management can help one to succeed A primary school teacher asked her students to write a composition about what they would like God to do for them. At the end of the day, while marking the compositions, she read one that impressed her deeply. Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her, "What happened?" She answered, "Read this. It is one of my students' compositions." "Dear God, tonight I ask you for something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around me. To be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruption or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me close when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. And ...I want my brothers to fight to be with me...I want to feel that my family just put everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me. And last but not least, make sure that I can make them all happy and entertain them. God, I don't ask you for much. I just want to live like our TV. " At that moment the husband said, "My God, poor kid, what horrible parents!" .The teacher looked up at him and said, "That composition is our son's!" According to the article, what will happen when the boy talks? A Everyone will pay attention to him. B He will be interrupted. C No one will pay attention. D His mother will talk to him. Answer: A. Everyone will pay attention to him. Phil Donahue,the former television talk show host,had something of a reputation for giving clergy a hard time,and he has said the reason he's that way is that he has little respect for them.Most clergy will do anything for some media attention,he says.In his autobiography ,however, he tells about an encounter with a minister who was different.It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio,and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster.He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini camera to film the story. It was so cold when he got there,however, the camera wouldn't work.So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run.In the meantime,the families of the trapped miners were gathered around.The),were just simple mining people--women,old men,and children.Several of the trapped men were fathers. Then the local minister arrived.He was tall and thin,and he didn't speak well at a11.But he gathered all the families around in a circle,and the held one another in their arms while he prayed for them. As this was going on,Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work,and he was extremely disappointed because he couldn't film the scene.Finally,after the prayer was over,Donahue managed to get his camera operating.So he told the minister he had his camera working now and asked if the minister would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news. This simple West Virginia preacher, however,told Donahue,"Young man,we don't pray for the news.I'm sorry,but we've already prayed,and I will not pose." To this day,Donahue remembers that minister with respect.You don't forget that kind of character,no matter who you are or what you believe. What do we know about Donahue's camera? A It was advanced and hard to operate. B The low temperature prevented it working properly. C It was all right before the prayer started. D It needed to be repaired. Answer: B. The low temperature prevented it working properly. Like other student athletes, Ray Ray McElrathbey deals with schoolwork, practice and games. But after a long day of studying and working out on the football field, the prefix = st1 /ClemsonUniversityplayer can't relax with friends. Ray Ray has to make sure his 11-year-old brother, Fahmarr, gets a good dinner, does his homework and goes to bed. Since taking responsibility for Fahmarr this August, "I've aged dramatically , " said Ray Ray. "I can't be running around at all hours, making 19-year-old decisions. " Ray Ray has temporary custody of Fahmarr. Their mother struggles with drug addiction , and they are not in touch with their dad. Ray Ray didn't want to see his brother go into foster care, where they both had spent time. The brothers now live together in an apartment near the campus in Clemson,South Carolina. Clemson Tigers fans aren't the only people supporting Ray Ray.Sports Illustrated, ESPNandABCnews have featured the story. The brothers have received praise and many offers of help. But Ray Ray attends the university on a scholarship. Under the rules, he can't accept money or gifts. Coaches'family members can't even give Fahmarr a ride home from school. This changed a few weeks ago, when the National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed Clemson to set up a trust fund for Fahmarr. It will help provide for his basic needs, including food and clothing. But the brothers can give each other something that all the money in the world can't buy. Ray Ray says he hopes to instill qualities of "strength and intelligence"in Fahmarr. He says having his brother around is "a great thing, knowing he will grow up right. " It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A Ray Ray must be the best player on his team B like his brother, Ray Ray may enjoy little care from their parents C ClemsonUniversitywill raise money for Ray Ray and his brother D Ray Ray's brother must have a good academic performance Answer: B. like his brother, Ray Ray may enjoy little care from their parents 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. Which of the following things did NOT Environment California do? A Do good things for our environment. B Protect people in the city. C Advance the environmental values. D Protect the places we live. Answer: B. Protect people in the city.
Some advice on travel Here is some advice on travel. I think it will be helpful to you. 1. Forget fashion! Always wear your most comfortable clothes and shoes when you go on long trips. 2. If you're going somewhere cold, remember to take your warm clothes with you. 3. If you are going somewhere sunny, remember to take some sun block and sunglasses. 4. Traveling on trains and buses can be boring, so you'd better take an MP4 player. 5. Always take a camera with you to _ those special moments. 6. Be careful with your things whenever you go to crowded places, like a train station. 7. Always leave room in your bag for souvenirs . 8. Tour buses often stop at expensive shops along the way. Save your money by buying souvenirs at local shops. 9. Most countries have lower prices for students, so if you are, take your student card with you. 10. If you travel abroad, remember to take your passport. You must always _ while you are at some crowded places. Answer: There are two major parties in Britain today,the Conservative and the Labour,which have been in power by turns since 1945.The twoparty system of Britain was formed in the course of the development of the capitalist state and the political parties. To strengthen the state machine,the British bourgeosie have let it come into being and exist in one form or another since the 17th century. P.S.Tregidgo once said,"The more parties there are,the less likely it is that any one of them will be strong enough in Parliament to control all the others; but when there are only two,one of them is sure to have a majority of seats. This helps to ensure a strong and stable government." This explains why the British have the twoparty system. The division into two parties grew out the establishment of a Protestant Church of England in the 16th century. Because of a purely religious difference of opinion,the Puritans were separated from the broad body of the Anglican Church. The non Puritan Anglicans were on the side of the King and Church,whose supporters were called by their opponents "Tories".The Puritans were for Parliament and trade,whose supporters are called by the "Tories" "Whigs".The Tories and the Whigs were in power by turns for a long time. In 1833,the Tory Party split into two and its name was changed to Conservative. In the 1860s the Whigs became Liberals. Since then,the Liberals and the Conservatives were in office by turns until 1922.They have some different opinions,but were both controlled by the rich. The working class became more and more unwilling to follow the Conservatives and the Liberals. They wanted to have their own party. So the Labour Party was formed by the trade unions. After 1922,the Labour Party gradually replaced the Liberal Party. We can learn from what P.S Tregidgo once said that _ . Answer: Which two systems are involved when waste and water are removed from blood as it flows through the kidneys? Answer: The Moon lacks weather and climate changes like those on Earth. What causes the lack of weather on the Moon? Answer: Danny. . Danny: The pencil is green. It's not mine. It's my friend Kevin's. The eraser is not Kevin's. It's Sally's. She has three erasers. The red pen is Millie's. The ruler is Millie's, too. The blue notebook is not Millie's. It's John's. What's mine? The key is. It's not in my schoolbag. It's in my jacket. Thank you, Kevin, Sally, Millie and John. The color of Millie's pen is _ . Answer:
Google Glass, a wearable computer, will not go on sale for many months. But the resistance is already under way. The glasses-like device, which allows users to access the Internet, take photos and shoot videos, has been banned by a bar in Seattle, because according to the bar' owner, the bar was "kind of a private place." Besides, large parts of Las Vegas will not welcome wearers. Google Glass is a pair of glasses with a tiny computer attached to the right earpiece and has the ability to capture any chance encounter and broadcast it to millions. As personal technology becomes increasingly invisible, it is causing questions of whether it will rob people of privacy. As Google sees it, Glass is a revolutionary new way to quickly and effortlessly connect people with information. Google stresses that Glass is a work in its early stage, with test versions now being released to 2,000 developers. The company hopes they'll be seen as normal and become accepted in the same way smart phones are. The wearer has to speak or touch the device to activate it, and must look directly at someone to take a photograph or video of them. "We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues," said Courtney Hohne, a Google spokeswoman. Critics view Glass as an unfriendly new technology that could rob people of what few privacy they have left. They think Google is downplaying the privacy and security risks. According to Google, it's obvious when someone is taking pictures or recording a video on Glass. Developers, however, are pushing the limits. One created a small sensation in tech circles with a program that eliminated the need for gestures or voice commands. To snap a picture, all the user needed to do was wink . Imagine a surveillance device that you could wear on your body all day without anyone being the wiser. Out on the street, in the subway, at a bar or cafe, people would never know whether the stranger next to them is secretly recording their every move. It is really a privacy disaster. Which of the followings is the best title of this passage? A. The Disadvantages of Google Glass. B. A New Way to Gain More Information. C. Privacy Concerns of Google Glass. D. A Revolutionary Technology. Answer: C Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don't act in the romantic way that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion. "I love you" is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more _ . Finally my father has a bad temper when he's very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper. One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her. "Mom. I have a question to ask you." I said after a while. "What?" She replied, still doing her work. "Is there love between you and Dad?" I asked her in a very low voice. My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes, She didn't answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt. I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn't know what to do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words: "Susan," she said thoughtfully. "Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable . If life is a quilt then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or any time, but it's really there. Love is inside." What's the best title of passages? A. Life without love. B. My parents' love. C. Life like sewing the quilt. D. Love in mind. Answer: D Gina's sister lives in England. She knows something about China on TV. But she wants to know more. So she is looking forward to visiting China. She will have a holiday next week. She is going to visit Beijing because she likes Chinese culture. She is going there by plane and then stay in a hotel. In Beijing she is going to do sightseeing, and visit the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and walk up the Great Wall. Gina's sister also likes animals. She likes Chinese pandas very much. So she is going to visit Beijing Zoo to see the pandas there and take some photos of them. On the last day in Beijing she is going shopping. She wants to buy Gina a present. She knows that Gina likes Chinese silk and Chinese paintings. Gina's sister is going to buy Gina some _ . A. photos of pandas B. Chinese silk and Chinese paintings C. Chinese silk D. Chinese paintings Answer: B Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster`s ears and mouth. One common mistake is the The Lecture, the long _ that often starts with "When I was your age...." Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures "long, one-side discussions in which I don`t say much." Kids reflexively shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over, and they don`t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. "First, they scream. Then comes the 'We`re so disappointed' speech. Then the 'I never did that to my parents' lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back." Lines like "When you have children of your own, you`ll understand" have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on cliches to justify our actions, we weaken our position. Since kids are creatures of the here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, "Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: 'I`m not letting you go to the party because I don`t think there will be enough adult supervisions .'" Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. "I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I`m preaching." This really helped when Betty`s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating "Don`t drink; don`t speed," she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teen-ager`s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn`t being asked for them. In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should _ . A. tell their kids to listen carefully B. set out their warnings directly C. list out as many examples as possible D. arouse kids` desire to express themselves. Answer: D Gordon Brown was born in Scotland in 1951.His childhood was a brilliant success because of his intellectual strength.He was accepted into middle school at 10.At 16 he became the youngest student at Edinburgh University. "At that time, he was a lucky boy, good at almost everything," said his old friend Murray Elder.However, setbacks fell on the brilliant boy.After a rugby injury, he became blind in his left eye.Before long, similar symptoms developed in his right eye."I lay in the hospital bed in total darkness, uncertain about my future," said Brown. Looking back into the past, Brown didn't complain about his bad luck.He even said: "One door closes; you can't play rugby any more, so you focus on other things." Brown was interested in student politics in university, which helped a lot in his political career later in life. In 1997, Brown was made Chancellor of the Exchequer .He has succeeded in giving the country a high rate of employment and the longest period of economic growth in its history. Compared with his successful career, Brown's family life is full of downs.He lost his first daughter ten days after her birth.His one-year-old youngest son has a deadly disease."These accidents make me appreciate my life more," he said. When Gordon Brown looked back on the past, he _ . A. still had hope for the future B. wished that he had not played rugby C. believed that his door was closed D. felt very sad about his misfortune Answer: A
I was born an albino.No one in my family had ever known what an albino was,what it meant to be an albino,and what had to be done differently because I was an albino. My parents treated me just like they treated everybody else.That was just about the best thing they could have done.It helped me trust myself,so when the annoyances came along,I could deal with them. True,my photo always looked like a snowball with two pieces of coal for eyes.Kids would tease me,asking if I was joining the circus and calling me "Whitey".Like most albinos,I had terrible eyesight,and my grades suffered until eventually I overcame my feeling ashamed of myself and realized it was okay to ask to sit in the front of the classroom so I could see the blackboard better.People stared at me when I held reading material right at the tip of my nose so I could see it well enough to read.Even when I was eight or nine.movie-theater clerks started asking me to pay adult prices because I "looked older". The worst part for me was that because my eyesight was so bad,I couldn't play sports very well.I didn't give up trying,though.And I studied harder. Eventually,I got better at school and loved it.By the time I got to college 1 was double majoring,going to summer school and devoting myself to every kind of extracurricular activity I could find.I had learned to be proud of being an albino.I did my best to make "albino" a positive word.And I decided to make my living with my eyes. I couldn't see well enough to play spots,but with a solid education and the drive to do it.I could make a living involved in the field I loved.I've done it now for more than thirty years in print and in video,and now in cyberspace.People make jokes about how I'm the only "blind editor" they know,but most of the time the jokes are signs of respect.And I make jokes about being an albino. I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania.I now realize that being born an albino helped me to overcome difficulties,gain confidence,and be proud of my personal achievement and humble about my professional accomplishments. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A The author's study was affected by his eyesight at first. B The author had to pay adult prices for movies when he was still young C Despite his bad eyesight,the author played sport well. D "Albino" has already become a positive word now. Answer: A. The author's study was affected by his eyesight at first. Mrs. Black was a poor old woman and she lived in a small village. Her husband died ten years ago. But she had a 24-year-old daughter. Her name was Alice. She worked in New York and lived there. It was far away from her mother's village, and she was not happy about this. One day Alice said to her mother, "I've found a good job in Boston, and I can make a lot of money there, so I will go to work in Boston next week. But don't worry, Mum. I'll send you some money every week. " A month later, Mrs. Black was very angry. She decided to go to see her daughter in Boston on a train. When she saw her daughter, she said, "Alice, why do you never call me?" Alice laughed, "But mother," she said, "you haven't got a telephone." "No", she answered, "I haven't, but you have got one. " Alice had never telephoned her mother because _ . A she didn't have time to do so B her mother didn't have a telephone C she didn't want to spend money on calling D her mother didn't know how to make a telephone call Answer: B. her mother didn't have a telephone A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of them fell off their chairs," Gerner says. Gerner manages school facilities for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings. Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation ," Mark. McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool." Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work." But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science," he says. What dose Gerner think of the ideas of green schools? A They are questionable. B They are out of date. C They are advanced. D They are practical. Answer: A. They are questionable. When John Milton , writer of "Paradise Lost" ,entered Cambridge University, in 1625, he was already skilled in Latin after seven years of studying it as his second language at St. Paul's School,prefix = st1 /London. Like all English boys who prepared for college in grammar schools ,he had learned not only to read Latin but also to speak and writer it smoothly and correctly .His pronunciation of Latin was English ,however ,and seemed to have sounded strange to his friends when he later visited Italy. Schoolboys gained their skill in Latin in a bitter way. They kept in mind the rules to make learning by heart easier. They first made a word-for-word translation and then an idiomatic translation into English .As they increased their skill ,they translated their English back into Latin without referring to the book and then compared their translation with the original .The schoolmaster was always at hand to encourage them. All schoolmasters believed Latin _ . After several years of study ,the boys began to write compositions in imitation of the Latin writers they read. And as they began to read Latin poems ,they began to write poems in Latin .Because Milton was already a poet at ten ,his poems were much better than those painfully put together by the other boys. During the seven yearsMiltonspent at university ,he made regular use of his command of Latin. He wrote some excellent Latin poems ,which he published among his works in 1645. It can be inferred from the passage that_. A Milton's training in Latin was similar to that of the other boys B Milton hadn't learned any foreign language except Latin before going to college C Milton's Italian friends helped him with Latin when talking D Milton's classmates learned Latin harder but worse than Milton. Answer: A. Milton's training in Latin was similar to that of the other boys By November 30, 2015, the comedy Goodbye, Mr. Loser had got more than 1,400 million yuan in ticket sales. It was amazing that a film with common actors who had their first shows in the film got such great success. What's more, the actors were all stage performers and they improved their acting skills by making this film. The comedy tells about a common middle-aged man who has no job but problems. He seems to be a loser in life and never gets any success. He causes many jokes and is laughed at a lot. And because of his bad luck, he feels upset most of the time. Later, a sudden accident changes his life and he starts to realize how important the family to him. Goodbye, Mr. Loser was the first movie made by Happy Mahua Pictures. The film came out on September 30, 2015. Because of its great success, the film company became famous overnight. During the seven-day holiday for National Day in 2015, the ticket sales were just behind the most popular film being shown at the same time-Lost in Hong Kong. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Goodbye, Mr. Loser? A It came out at the end of September in 2015. B It tells about a common middle-aged man. C It made its film company famous overnight. D It was more popular than Lost in Hong Kong. Answer: D. It was more popular than Lost in Hong Kong.
Have you ever heard about the Whale Inside Dark Restaurant? The restaurant is in eastern downtown Beijing. It's the first eat-in-the-dark restaurant in China, and also in Asia. The restaurant is so welcome, since it's open in January at jianwai SOHO in Chaoyang District. People going there will experience darkness both during the day and the night. The restaurant offers not only a wonderful choice for food, but also a special environment for friends or parties. Every day, Whale Inside receives at least 50 guests from everywhere around Beijing. About 10 per cent of them are foreigners. The customers will go to the light to see the menu, and then they have to hand in all mobile phones, watches and other things that can give off light. They then move to the dark world. Waiters will lead them to the dark dining area. Of course, the waiters are all wearing special glasses that can make them see in the dark. Customers cannot see anything including their food or friends. They have to look for their spoons, drinks, and anything else. Every table may get a "secret dish ". The guests will have one chance to guess what the dish is made of. Everyone who guesses it correctly can win a prize. "It is not easy," said the manager, "because without seeing it, only 30 per cent of the guests can get the answer." Whale Inside is a place where people can _ . A eat special dark food B choose any food they like C have meals in darkness D eat inside a whale Answer: C This is our last issue of the 2010-11 school year.Our cover story, on hair, may be more useful to your students than you suspect.They're in the process of building their identities and testing independence, so some big questions --should I shave, or wait? Will I go bald like my dad? --are front and center to them.We hope the article helps them think through their options We round out the year with some other interesting topics.You and your class may not know much about borderline personality disorder; hopefully, our piece on this mental health issue will change that.Also look for stories about making small talk and medical decisions, as well as an up-to-date piece on the _ of mixing alcohol with energy drinks or caffeine, which is becoming popular among some teens but may be life-taking. And we hope you've found our blog equally helpful.Have you checked it out yet?Visit us at www.weeklyreader.com/chblog.We are constantly on the lookout for resources you can use for bringing health news into your classroom, links to contests and cool health sites, and comments from other subscribers.Please let us know what you think! Don't forget that you can now access every Current Health Teens page in a digital format.Teachers and students can read articles on computers at home or school, as well as on interactive whiteboards.You can log in to this feature here.You'll need your account number, which is listed next to your name on the mailing label printed on the blue and yellow back cover of your Teacher's Guide. We're always eager to hear from our readers--drop us a note at chteens@weeklyreader.com and let us know what you think.Thanks for choosing Current Health! Enjoy your summer, and we'll meet you right back here, next school year! Cordially, Meredith Matthews Senior Editor Current Health Teens What is the time of the year when this issue comes out? A January. B March. C June. D October Answer: C Melissa observes a plant and records her observations. On Monday it is 4 cm tall. On Friday it is 5 cm tall. Melissa concludes that the plant is A dead B alive C flowering D green Answer: B What do all mammals have in common that distinguishes them from birds? A eyes B fur C a brain D a heart Answer: B Human bodies have complex structures that support growth and survival. What is the most basic structure of the human body that supports growth and survival? A a cell B a tissue C an organ D an organ system Answer: A
How you end a computer session depends on how you use the computer, your views on energy conservation , and what you have been told about how your decision will affect your investment's longevity: will frequent starting and stopping cause its circuits to burn out sooner? Rest easy, your computer is more likely to be damaged by a virus picked up from the Internet than by being turned off and on too much. They are also energyefficient: such efficiency has reached the point where most computers place themselves in sleep mode if they remain idle for a certain period of time. So your computer will likely slip into sleep mode anyway, even if you leave it on overnight. Sleep mode itself, once a pretty unreliable option--you never knew if you would be able to wake your computer without having to reboot it--has been vastly improved with newer operating systems. If you want your computer to consume as little energy as possible when not in use, shut it down. If you want it to consume zero energy, you're going to have to unplug (......) it. Your computer can be in only three states: on, sleep or off--each of which draws some level of electric current. A computer that is "on" will either be actively processing information or sitting idle, depending on whether the user is typing a document, reading an email or has stepped away briefly. The amount of wattage drawn when the computer is on varies greatly depending on whether it is a laptop or a desktop computer. The latter uses more energy because desktop power supplies are less efficient and require a separate and often larger, powerhungry monitor. It also varies based on the type of work being done: complex calculations requiring intensive processing are more powerhungry, whereas writing or Web browsing consumes far less electricity. When does a computer consume the most energy? A When we let it remain idle. B When we use it to do complex calculations. C When we use it to type some documents and emails. D When we use it for surfing the Internet. Answer: B My husband is a born shopper. He loves to look at things and to touch them. He likes to compare prices between the same items in different shops. He would never think of buying anything without looking around in several different shops. On the other hand, I'm not a shopper. I think shopping is boring and unpleasant. If I like something and I have enough money to take it, I buy it at once. I never look around for a good price or a better deal. Of course my husband and I never go shopping together. Doing shopping together would be too painful for both of us. When it comes to shopping, we go our different ways. Sometimes I ask my son Jimmy to buy some food in the shop not far from our home. But he is always absent-minded. This was his story. One day I said to him, " I hope you won't forget what I have told you to buy." " No," said Jimmy. "I won't forget. You want three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat." He went running down the street to the shop. As he ran, he said to himself over and over again, "three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat." In the beginning he remembered everything but he stopped several times. Once he saw two men fighting outside a clothes shop until a policeman stopped them. One of them was badly hurt. Then he stopped to give ten cents to a beggar. Then he met some of his friends and he played with them for a while. When he reached the shop, he had forgotten everything except six eggs. As he walked home, his face became sadder and sadder. When he saw me he said, "I'm sorry, Mum. I have forgotten to buy oranges and the meat. I only remembered to buy six eggs, but I've dropped three of them." The husband likes shopping because _ . A he has much money. B he likes the shops. C he likes to compare the prices between the same items. D he has nothing to do but shopping. Answer: C Enjoy wonderful programmes on Hello TV 7.00 a.m.-8.00 a.m. Follow Billy As Billy grows up, his tail is becoming longer and longer. He is worried about it very much and wants to ask someone for help. It is said there is an old man in the forest. He has magic power to do everything. Billy decided to visit him. You can have an adventure in the forest with Billy and learn some useful English vocabulary from it. 10.00 a.m.-11.00 a.m. Best Friends It is about two kids ----Jane and Alice. They are good friends and always trust and support each other. After watching this drama series, you will know the magic of friendship. 5.00 p.m-6.30 p.m. World Sport This is a sports round-up for kids. It covers the recent important sporting events. There are also interviews with some young sports stars. They are hard-working and full of dreams. By answering questions on the phone, you can get some sports posters. If someone wants to learn English, which programme is the best? A World sport B Best Friends C Hello TV D Follow Billy. Answer: D International Exchange Programme The application form for participation on the exchange programme for 2016/17 can be found in Application Procedures. Applying Qualification--Current Queen Mary undergraduate students(with the exception of students in Biomedical Sciences,Chemistry,Dentistry and Medicine)have qualifications to apply. Law Students--Students enrolled in The School of Law should contact Sheila Shirley(s.shirley@qmul.ac.uk)for details of study abroad opportunities. English and Drama Studen--Students cannot study abroad for the full academic year. Students will be able to spend only the autumn semester studying at one of our exchange partners* Applications A complete application will consist of the two-page application form,a personal statement and a supporting academic reference.Students should follow these application procedures. Applicants must ensure they have spoken to their departmental study abroad instructor before submitting their application.Applications can be submitted in person at The Study Abroad Office(E09,Ground Floor,Queens'Building)or by email to h.gibney@qmul.ac.uk New Exchange Partners for 2016/2017 For 2016/17 we hope to offer students the opportunity to study abroad at the following new partners:The University of Pennsylvania--UPenn(USA),The University of Sydney(Australia) and Waseda University(Japan).Should we be unable to send students to any of these new institutions on exchange,and if you intend to include one or more of these destinations with your application,please provide at least one alternative destination from the list of other partner programmes. Who can apply for the exchange programme? A Students in Biomedical Sciences B Students in Chemistry C Students in Dentistry D Students in English and Drama Answer: D Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies. One summer he got a job in a butcher's shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. He did so well that the butcher went into a room behind the shop to do all the accounts ( ) .In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher's shop and in the hospital, Bob had to wear white clothes. One evening in the hospital, Bob had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating - room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Bob coming to get her, she felt even more frightened. "No! No!" she cried. "Not a butcher! I won't let a butcher operate on me!" with these words ,she fainted away. In the hospital, Bob's job was _ . A to take care of the wounded soldiers B to give the doctor's advice C to find out what was wrong with the sick people D to carry the sick people from one place to another Answer: D
Today Mike is playing near a river. Suddenly, his knife goes into the water. He likes the knife very much. Now it's lost. So he is very _ . Then an old woman comes up and asks Mike what is wrong."I lost my knife." He says. The old woman gives him a gold knife and asks "Is it your knife?" "No," says the boy. The old woman gives him a silver knife and asks again " And this one?" "No," says the boy. Then she gives him an iron knife."Yes, that's mine." Calls out the happy boy. The old woman says, "No, take the gold and silver knife. You are a good boy." _ knife is Mike's. Answer: The iron Even though orbiters have eyed it from space and landers have rumbled across its surface, Mars still has more secrets to reveal. Two findings emerged this week: the possibility of an active glacier far from the planet's poles and evidence that sulfur--rather than carbon--was the element driving the planet's warmer climate long ago. Both discoveries could force some rethinking about Martian evolution and dynamics--and maybe even provide insights about Earth's past. The glacier discovery was announced Wednesday by the European Space Agency (ESA). A high-resolution stereo camera aboard ESA's Mars Express spacecraft spotted the feature in a region called Deuteronilus Mensae, located in the mid-north latitudes of the planet. The Mars Express science team drew the preliminary conclusion that the material in the feature is water ice and that it accumulated as recently as 10,000 years ago, probably from an underground source. Other deposits of water ice have been mapped at the martian poles, but they're much bigger and are millions of years old. The find is a surprise because the prevailing view is that any water reaching the martian surface from underground quickly evaporates and eventually drifts into space. Yet all of the physical characteristics of the feature are "consistent with that of a glacier," says geologist and team member Ronald Greeley of Arizona State University in prefix = st1 /Tempe. Meanwhile, in the 21 December issue of Science, a team from HarvardUniversityand the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a possible solution for the curious absence of carbon-based minerals on Mars. A buildup of carbon dioxide in the ancient martian atmosphere supposedly produced enough of a greenhouse effect to allow liquid water to flow for a time on the surface. The problem is that such a process should have deposited ample carbon-containing minerals on the planet's surface--something that hasn't been found. So the researchers have come up with a new explanation: Large amounts of sulfur dioxide(SO2) in the atmosphere, the result of early volcanic activity, captured enough heat to allow water to flow. This would explain the plentiful distribution of sulfates among martian minerals. What is probably the title of the passage? Answer: The red planet still packs surprises During the fall reproductive season, the belly of a male brook trout becomes bright orange. The orange belly provides some camouflage and helps attract females. This trait evolved in brook trout because, compared to males with pale bellies, males with bright orange bellies are more likely to Answer: fertilize eggs to produce offspring. Scientists can determine someone's favorite food from their shape. They have discovered that the arrangement of taste buds on the tongue varies for different body types. The scientist team examined 1,000 British adults and divided them into three physiologically recognized body types--ectomorphs, endomorphs mesomorphs. They determined that a person's body type indicated where they were likely to have the most taste buds - on the sweet, bitter or salty areas of their tongues. The study showed that ectomorphs, who make up one in three of the population, usually have a small delicate shape, have a sweet tooth but hate bitter foods. Mesomorphs, who make up 20percent of the population, usually have a muscular shape and prefer salty and bitter foods but dislike sweet foods. Half the British population are endomorphs with soft, rounded bodies, and they like most foods. The findings showed that for two in three people food preference was a physiological rather than a psychological choice. Body shape expert Simon Bradshaw, who takes change of his team, said, "It appears that simply by looking at a person's body shape we can make sure about their taste preferences." But Catherine Collins, of the British Dietetic Association said, "It is difficult to tell whether our body shape dictates the food we like, or the food we like dictates body shape. _ people who prefer most types of foods will be fatter and people who are the endomorph shape tend to find it more difficult to lose weight." This message is mainly about _ . Answer: a study that body shape has something to do with taste buds Each year,millions of children around the world are unable to go to school.To draw attention to this widespread problem,the United Nations (UN) is putting education first.Recently,the UN screened a documentary film called Back to School.The film is the second in a series of documentaries for the project Time for School. These films follow seven children from seven different countries.This 12year project began in 2003,when the children first started school."This is something we could do to help the education crisis in the world,"said producer and writer Judy Katz."Documentary filmmakers can get deeply involved in a problem and do something about it." More than 100 million children will never set foot in a school.Sixty percent of those children are girls.Cheryl Faye,head of the UN Girls Education Initiative,spoke about the many factors that prevent girls from getting an education.One problem is the long distance many children must travel to get to school.Also,girls in many cultures are traditionally expected to marry early and work to help their families."We need to make a special effort for girls,"Faye said. As part of the UN's Millennium goals,the organization wants every single child to get at least an elementary education by 2015. Students from Lawrence Middle School in New York were deeply moved after they saw the film.The seventhgrade class is raising money to help build a library on the outskirts of Nairobi,Kenya,where Joab--a child in the documentary--lives.The class teacher,Karen Weiner,and the class are known in their school as the "Kenya crew".All the kids were really happy to support Joab and said they felt great about their fundraising efforts.Like the seventhgraders at Lawrence Middle School,kids can work together to make a difference in places like Nairobi.By raising money for education,kids can help children on the other side of the world have a chance of a better,happier life. Why are the class teacher,Karen Weiner,and the class considered as "Kenya crew"? Answer: Because they are trying their great efforts to raise money for the education of Kenya Children.
It was an extremely hot day. My younger brother Walt and I had decided to go swimming in the stream behind Mr Blickez's house, because it would be the only way to cool ourselves down. Across his farm and through some woods was a deep swimming hole supplied by several cold springs . The only problem with our plan was that this farm was guarded by a huge mean Hereford bull . Mr Blickez had told us that Elsie, the animal's name, was the meanest bull in town, maybe even the county, and we believed in him. But the hotter it got, the more we thought there was reason to doubt about what he said. For one thing, we remembered Mr Blickez liked telling tall tales; for another, Elsie seemed like a strange name for a bull. Finally, I talked Mom into asking permission for us to walk through the farm, and Mr Blickez finally agreed. On our way across the farm, we stopped at the fence to admire the swimming hole. The sun shone brightly across the cool waters. We couldn't wait to get there. Suddenly, Walt shouted loudly. Elsie had run to him and was licking his back. I immediately hid under the fence. However, when I looked up, I saw that Elsie wasn't a big mean bull at all. She was just a friendly young cow, and she was going to keep licking my brother's back as long as he stood still. When we discovered the truth, we were so happy. We then ran to the swimming hole and jumped in. The water was just as wonderful as we had dreamed. After that day, we had many good days and we often visited our secret swimming hole guarded by the so-called "big mean bull". What was the problem faced by the author and his brother? Answer: TOKYO, JAPAN--What do you do when you see a cockroach ? Do you hit it with a newspaper? Do you step on it? When researchers at Tokyo University see a cockroach, they take the remote control and make the cockroach turn around, run left or right, or go forward. These scientists are changing the cockroaches into robots. Each cockroach has a very small pack that has in it a microprocessor .Then researchers can send signals from the remote control to the pack. The signals control the movements of the cockroaches. Why does anyone want to control a cockroach? "Insects can do many things that people can't," says Isao Shimoyama, head of robot research at Tokyo University. In a few years, he says, these robot insects will carry very small cameras. They will be able to move through earthquake rubble to look for people or move under doors to find information about someone. This may seem strange, but the Japanese government thinks the research is very important. The government is giving the scientists $ 5 million for this research. First, the researchers breed hundreds of cockroaches. They use only the American cockroach because it is bigger and stronger than other cockroaches. Then they choose the best cockroaches and remove their wings and antennae . They put small packs where the antennae were. The packs weigh about three grams, or about two times the weight of the cockroaches themselves. "Cockroaches are very strong," says Ralph Holzer, who is a researcher at Tokyo University. "They can lift 20 times their own weight. " With a remote control, the scientists send signals to the packs. When a cockroach gets the signal, it moves. The problem is that the cockroaches don't always move in the right direction. What can cockroaches do to help people? Answer: The Worldwatch Institute said in 2011 far too many people were living with less than they needed. It says, for example, nearly one billion people were hungry arid just as many were illiterate . Worldwatch Institute's Danielle Nierenberg said while a billion people went to bed hungry each night, it wasn't because of a lack of available food. "We produce more than enough food in the world to feed not only the 7 billion people who are on earth today, but 9 to 11 billion people. By 2050, we expect the population to be about 9 and a half billion people and we now produce enough food to feed all of those people. But the question is really one of how do we get food to the people who need it the most. Poverty really delays the progress of allowing people to eat well. Not just getting enough basic crops, but being able to buy fruits and vegetables and the things that will really nourish them," she said. The director of the Nourishing the Planet Project said besides poverty and a lack of access to food, much food is simply lost. Worldwatch estimates 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year. "20 to 50 percent of the global food harvest is wasted before it can ever reach people's stomachs. And this is really a moral problem when you consider all of the people who are hungry in the world. The good news about that 20 to 50 percent of global food waste number is that it's easy to prevent food waste.We can do it in our homes. Consumers can do a lot to prevent food waste by planning meals better, by not buying too much food. In the developing world there are storage systems that are beginning to be put in place that help farmers protect their food from crop diseases or molds ,"she said. Nierenberg said prevention measures can be put in place all along the food chain. While it may not seem obvious, the Worldwatch Institute project director said malnutrition and illiteracy are closely linked. "When people, especially farmers, don't have the education that they need to live productive lives, they can't learn new skills. And in sub-Saharan Africa, women farmers, especially, don't have access to education. This prevents them from not only learning new cropping techniques and learning new technologies; it also prevents them from being able to get financial and banking services. They can't have bank accounts. They can't buy land. They can't buy the inputs that they need to make their crops more productive," she said. Nierenberg said despite the many challenges, Worldwatch is hopeful for the future. She says there are a growing number of new projects to address hunger and poverty, while at the same time protecting the environment. What is the good news about wasted food according to Nierenberg? Answer: There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else. Some people try to get it by making money. They think that when they have enough money to buy such things as houses, farms, and cars, they will have the one thing that everyone wants. Other people believe that if they know enough they will find this thing. They study all their lives in search of it. Still others think that if they have power,they will find this thing. They keep telling themselves:When I am a boss,I will no longer have to search for this thing. What is it that everyone wants more than anything else?What is it that all of us keep working and striving for each day?It is happiness.Happiness is a strange thing. It does not mean the same to all men. What _ will _ make _ one _ man _ happy _ may _ not _ make _ another _ man _ happy. Some men say that happiness comes from helping others;other men say that happiness comes from making life more pleasant for everyone. What do you mean when you say: "That makes me happy." Read what different people have said about happiness. Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind, comfort, money or it may be what you search for--happiness. Other people believe that if they know enough they will find this thing.This sentence means _ . Answer: Exercise. Get fit. Watch your weight. We see these messages all around us in magazines and newspapers, but how do you choose the right activity? There are three main goals for fitness. First, strengthening the heart and lungs. Second, strengthening the muscles. Third, controlling body weight. Not all activities will meet each goal. You may center on one goal or, for total fitness, all three. Running No other exercise will help you lose weight faster than running. It also strengthens your heart, lungs, and leg muscles. But it can hurt your joints. If you feel pain in your knees, you need to stop and choose a different activity. Walking This activity puts less stress on the body than running. But to see results you need to get your heart beating faster. This means you'll need to walk fast. Swimming Swimming is a great way to strengthen different pasts of your body. But if weight loss is your goal, you may want to pass on the pool. The water in a swimming pool is cooler than our body temperature. The body naturally protects itself from the cold by keeping fat. Cycling Riding a bicycle will help you lose weight and work your leg muscles. But be careful! If you live in the city, stay on bike path, away from traffic. Or you can ride indoors on a stationary bike. Weight lifting We often hear of elderly people falling and hurting themselves. They just don't have the strength to catch themselves. Lifting weights can prevent that. It also helps prevent injury form other activities. The drawback to weight lifting is that you'll need to pay for a membership at a gym. Which of the following statements is not mentioned in the text? Answer:
This is Linda's room. It's a nice room. It's very clean . I can see a brown bed. A photo of a boy is on the wall . Can you see a brown desk? Yes, it's in the room, on the left . A green chair is on the floor. Some books and blue pens are on the desk. Linda's lamp is on the desk, too. It's a pink lamp. Where is Linda? Is she in the room? No, she isn't. She is at school. _ are on the desk. Answer: A Korean wave is sweeping across China, with many Chinese women worshipping South Korean actors Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Min Ho as demigods . Chinese netizens have always been divided over South Korean TV dramas, but there is no doubt that programs from the neighboring country are now enjoying a new round of popularity in China. And a big part of the credit for that goes to You Who Came From The Star, the South Korean TV series which is on the air now. Top South Korean actors Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo Hyun recently earned a popularity rating of 24.8 percent in their country, considered strong by Nielsen Korea. You Who Came From The Star and The Heirs have been subjects of hot online discussions throughout Asia. Besides, the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, read by the hero in You Who Came From The Star was a hard-to-get item on Amazon for a while. The two TV programs have several common elements: a tall, handsome, and rich hero who loves the heroine blindly and always protects her, and an equally handsome man madly in love with the same woman. Both programs portray the purity of love, which is expressed through a kiss or a warm hug. Perhaps that's the secret of their success; perhaps people are still fascinated by Cinderella-type stories. The growing wealth gap is a matter of social concern both in South Korea and China, and the challenges that young people face in their search for a better life might have prompted many ordinary girls to dream of marrying rich, caring men. This is precisely what the popular South Korean TV dramas portray. In fact, South Korean TV dramas are tailored to meet the market's demands. In contrast, Chinese TV screens are flooded by knock-off or poorly made soap operas. There are too many Chinese TV dramas that are either of the stereotyped war theme or just blindly copy foreign programs. The lack of good stories has resulted in loads of TV series on time travel or fights in the harems of Qing Dynastyemperors. These, in short, are the pain of Chinese TV productions. The shooting for South Korean productions generally starts when the scripts are just one-third ready. Many popular productions have their own websites, where scriptwriters post part of the finished scripts, inviting viewers to leave messages, discuss the plot and come up with suggestions for future events. This not only keeps viewers' interest in the TV dramas alive, but also helps scriptwriters and directors make changes to the storylines to suit the audience's demand. Hopefully, the innovation-induced success of South Korean TV programs will prompt Chinese TV drama makers to think up new ideas and abandon their bad practice of copying foreign productions in order to attract more viewers at home, and possibly abroad. Which of the following best explains people's favor for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane? Answer: Six years ago, a Miami woman walking through the hall of an office building casually noticed two men standing together. Several minutes after her leaving, the men murdered a person working in the building. Police investigators determined that the woman was the only witness who had seen the two suspects, and could possibly describe them. In an interview with police, her memory of the men proved disappointingly unclear. Several days later, psychologist Ronald P. Fisher was brought in to get a more complete description from the woman. Fisher's interview produced a breakthrough--the woman reported a clear picture of one of the suspects. She then recalled several details about his appearances. This information gave police important leads that enabled them to arrest the suspects and close the case. Police investigators found the help from Fisher because of his rich knowledge in conducting the so-called cognitive interview, a kind of memory-rebuilding process. In its original form, the cognitive interview focuses on guiding witnesses through four general recalling techniques: thinking about physical surroundings and personal feelings that existed at the time of past events, reporting everything that comes to mind about those events no matter how broken or unconnected, retelling events in kinds of time orders, beginning to end, end to beginning, forward or backward, and accepting different views while recalling events. Usually, an interviewer begins the cognitive approach by encouraging the witness to take an active role in recalling information rather than giving answers only to someone else's questions. The witness first describes what happened in his or her own words, with no interviewer interruptions. The interviewer then goes further with specific techniques, such as having the witness tell the details of what happened from different aspects. Experiments with police detectives trained in this demanding interview method find that they get nearly 50% more information from witnesses than before training, while error rates remain about the same. What is the purpose of this passage? Answer: A recent study shows that young people in the UK aged between 11 and 15 spend, on average,52 hours a week in front of a screen.Dr.Aric Sigman, a researcher from the British Psychological Society,believes watching too much TV can cause health problems for children,including attention deficit disorder and obesity .He said children under three shouldn't watch TV at all. Children aged between three and seven should watch no more than 30 minutes to an hour of TV a day; 7 to 12-year-olds should be limited to an hour,and 12 to 15-year-olds should watch one and a half hours at most. Both adults and children believe that it can be difficult to cut down on screen time."It needs a bit of effort,but small steps can make a difference,"says Dr. Aric Sigman.He also offered some tips to change the family's TV habits. TVs and computers should be placed out of children's bedrooms.Watching TV before going to sleep doesn't help children to settle . Having the TV and computer in a family room also means that parents can know what they are watching and who they are talking to online.Parents can tell children how much time they can spend watching TV or playing computer games.Parents can tell children to do something different,such as playing games or going out for a bike ride.Dr. Aric Sigman says:"We went into lots of schools and the children told us they wished their parents would take them to the park and play with them." Where is this text probably from? Answer: London's Chinese community dates back to the 18th century, when a small number of Chinese sailors moved to the city to work in Limehouse, east London. As time went by, other Chinese people came to this area and Limehouse began to be known as "Chinatown". At the start of the 20th century, there were just 545 Chinese people in Britain. However, this situation changed greatly after the Second World War. At this time, many farmers in Hong Kong lost their jobs, and decided to move to London. In the 1950s, a small Chinese restaurant opened in central London. Many British people visited it and said that Chinese food was wonderful! Suddenly, Chinese restaurants started opening in every part of the city. Instead of too little work, the new Chinese immigrants now found that they had too much! Most of the new immigrants enjoyed their lives and the chances they were offered. Many asked their friends and relatives to join them from their hometowns, and a lot of families were reunited again at this time. As time went by, London's Chinese community became more and more successful. The sons and daughters of the first restaurant workers, encouraged by their parents, studied very hard at school and university. And most got highly-paid jobs. As a result, increasing numbers of Chinese families left Chinatown and moved to the more expensive places. Chinatown, however, is still as lively as ever, and a must-see for any visitor to London. The passage is mainly about _ . Answer:
Today, an increasing number of people are always looking at their mobile phones with their heads down. These people are called the "Heads-down Tribe" . Are you a heads-down tribe member? Heads-down tribe members now can be seen everywhere. Using mobile phones may cause accidents and even cost a lot of money. Also, more and more interesting and strange facts happen to the "Heads-down Tribe". Let's have a look at an interesting TV report. A man in America kept using his mobile phone on his way home. As a result, he bumped into a big lost bear on the street. When he lifted his eyes from the phone,he was so scared that he turned around and ran away as quickly as possible. Another fact is that we can often see people in the restaurant eating face to face but looking at their own mobile phones. It's strange that they don't talk to the ones who sit opposite to them during the meal. Some of them even have fun communicating with others on the phone. Mobile phones are helpful and necessary tools for modern life. Are mobile phones good or bad? It depends on how people use them. Let's be "healthy" users and try to be the "Heads-up Tribe". What is the main idea of the passage? We should use mobile phones properly. As a high school dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellow non-scholars. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the "bad kids", the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts will deal drugs, shoplift, or even shoot pool all day. My own favorite hooky hangout was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had the time to read everything I wanted to. Best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt uncontrolled and free. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was, and until I did, everything else felt like a waste of time. To be honest, though, my daily life as a dropout consisted mostly of long hot baths, afternoon naps, and microwave food. After nearly three years of such self-centered pleasure, a series of strange thoughts began to enter my mind continuously. Images of myself at the age of 35-still living at home, collecting dust balls on the couch, reading the same book over and over-began to bother me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over, "Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?" The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure, I was having a wonderful time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but they were getting a raw deal. What parents long to see their child drop out of school, with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I had been visited by Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility, and there was no looking back. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself. And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and get me GED (General Educational Development), and then enroll in City College. So next time you see a dropout, that unchangeable anti-student, be understanding. And please don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do. It never works. He'll come around when he's ready. Which question is NOT answered in the article? What did the writer's parents say when he dropped out? Scores of people queued up to use a cash machine after it started giving out double the money requested. The cash machine, outside a Sainsbury's store in Barham Road, Hull, attracted a big crowd of people hoping to take advantage of the fault, on Tuesday night. Police officers were eventually sent in to guard the machine and prevent anymore money from being withdrawn. The fault is thought to have affected cash machines at supermarkets across the city. It is not yet known whether the customers will have to repay the cash or how much money was taken out. A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said, "Officers were sent to the cash machine to prevent anyone else from withdrawing anymore money. We have also tried to make contact with the owners of the machine." The spokeswoman said those who benefited from the fault could be traced and could face theft charges, but investigations would only take place if the operator made a complaint. The cash machine is owned by a company called Payzone, a spokesman later confirmed. He said the fault was due to the machine being filled with notes of the wrong denomination . An investigation is underway into the incident and the machine had been taken out of service, he added. The Payzone spokesman said, "The transit company which is contracted to service this ATM has filled it up with the wrong denomination of notes, meaning it is paying out double what it should have. " He could not say how much money had been taken out of the machine, or whether it would have to be paid back. It was understood that a number of cash machines in Hull owned by other companies had also been affected by this problem, he added. People who had managed to get money from the cash machine would face theft charges if _ . the operator complained to the police A mouse is homozygous for black fur (BB). The other parent is heterozygous for black fur with a recessive trait for brown fur ( Bb ). If black is the dominant trait, what percentage of the offspring will be brown? 0% People in different places eat different things. In South China people like to eat rice. Sometimes they eat it twice or three times a day. They usually eat it with fish, meat and vegetables. It tastes very delicious. Japanese like to eat rice, too. They also eat a lot of fish. Sometimes they eat raw fish.It sounds strange but smells very fresh. In western countries like Britain, Australia and the USA, the most important food is bread or potatoes. People usually make their bread at home. And they cook potatoes in different ways. In England the most popular food is fish and chips. Sometimes people eat this food at home, in their workplace, in the park or even on the street. People call it "takeaway" food. In China today,there are also much"takeaway"food,and most children like to eat them. People may feel _ to hear that Japanese eat raw fish. surprised
Question: Late that afternoon I took the train back to Sydney. There I found another surprise waiting for me. My room at the hotel had been given to somebody else and they had no room for me. Harkin had known my travel plans and had planned everything. How could he have booked the room only for three days? There was nothing to be done but to find another hotel. The waiters were happy to find me a new hotel, and when I said that I was happy to stay at the airport, thinking it might be cheaper than staying in the city, they suggested the Holiday Inn at the airport. There was one small matter: the room rate was 300$ per night. The best hotel in Katoomba had wanted only 145$. I asked if there was anything cheaper they might suggest but they warned that most hotels would already be full by this time. The hotel was far from the train station, so I had to take a taxi, as 25$. On the way to the Holiday Inn, we passed a hotel just two blocks from the Holiday Inn that advertised a room rate of 104$. At the desk I asked if their room rate could go down a lot. "No, this is a 4star hotel," the waiter told me. "In that case," I replied, "I'll just walk the two blocks to the cheap hotel." But she warned me that they were probably full and that if I didn't take the room, it might not be available when I came back. Finally, I decided to take the room. The room itself was big, but the air conditioning couldn't keep up with the Australian heat. I couldn't get to sleep until about 1:00 am. How did the writer feel when hearing the room rate at the Holiday Inn? A. Surprised. B. Relaxed. C. Nervous. D. Happy. Answer: A. Surprised. Question: Believe it or not but it is true. There are people who lose the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage. But they become extremely good at something else. They become experts at spotting liars. The condition in which people lose their power to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasia . A study conducted in Massachusetts, U.S., has clearly proved that aphasics make good lie detectors . In the last 100 years, many doctors studying the brain have mentioned examples of this amazing power of patients suffering from aphasia. Recently, scientists conducted tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true. They studied the powers of a mixed group of people. Some were normal; others were aphasic. And it was proved clearly that the normal volunteers still got fooled by words. The aphasics were far ahead of them in recognizing false speech. The results of the study were reported in the magazine Nature. `Fourteen years ago, famous American doctor, Dr. Oliver Sacks, wrote about his experiences with aphasic patients in a book. He remembered a particular incident in a hospital. Patients from the aphasia room were watching TV. Their president, Ronald Reagan, was giving a speech. He was trying to put feelings into each and every word of his speech. But his speech had an opposite effect on the patients. They were not impressed. On the contrary, the whole room shook with their laughter. The aphasics knew that he did not mean a word of what he was saying. Dr. Sacks saw aphasics as more gifted than normal people. Normal people "get carried away" by words. An aphasic cannot understand words. But he or she can still understand what is being said. He said most of the aphasics had this superior understanding. So, while normal people think of aphasic patients as brain damaged, they actually seem to understand human expressions better. Dr. Oliver Sacks thinks that aphasics _ . A. can be cured totally B. can not understand what is being said C. are specially gifted in a way D. should be treated equally and nicely Answer: C. are specially gifted in a way Question: Elizabeth Freeman was born about 1742 to African American parents who were slaves. At the age of six months she was acquired, along with her sister, by John Ashley, a wealthy Massachusetts slaveholders. She became known as "Mumbet" or "Mum Bett." For nearly 30 years Mumbet served the Ashley family. One day, Ashley's wife tried to strike Mumbet's sister with a spade. Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Furious, she left the house and refused to come back. When the Ashleys tried to make her return, Mumbet consulted a lawyer, Theodore Sedgewick. With his help, Mumbet sued for her freedom. While serving the Ashleys, Mumbet had listened to many discussions of the new Massachusetts constitution. If the constitution said that all people were free and equal, then she thought it should apply to her. Eventually, Mumbet won her freedom---- the first slave in Massachusetts to do so under the new constitution. Strangely enough, after the trial, the Ashleys asked Mumbet to come back and work for them as a paid employee. She declined and instead went to work for Segdewick. Mumbet died in 1829, but her legacy lived on in her many descendants . One of her great-grandchildren was W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founder of the NAACP, and an important writer and spokesperson for African American civil rights. Mumbet's tombstone still stands in the Massachusetts cemetery where she was buried. It reads, in part: "She was born a slave and remained a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write, yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal." What did Mumbet learn from discussions about the new consititution? A. She should always obey her owners' orders B. She should be as free and equal as whites C. How to be a good servant D. How to apply for a job Answer: B. She should be as free and equal as whites Question: Background music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it. Recorded background music first found its way into factories, shops and restaurants in the USA. Very soon it spread to other parts of the world. Now it is becoming difficult to go shopping or eat a meal without listening to background music. To begin with, background music was intended simply to create a soothing atmosphere. Recently, however, it's becoming a big business. An American marketing expert has shown that music can boost sales or increase factory production by as much as a third. But it has to be the light music. Lively music has no effect at all on sales. Slow music can increase receipts by 34%. This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to spot items they would like to buy. Yet, slow music isn't always the answer. The expert found that in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales. So restaurant owners might be well advised to play faster music to keep the customers moving-unless, of course, the resulting indigestion leads to complaints. Background music was first used _ . A. in the cinemas and theatres in the USA B. in the offices and hospitals in the USA C. in the schools and churches in the USA D. in the factories, shops and restaurants in the USA Answer: D. in the factories, shops and restaurants in the USA Question: A newly-wedded couple on a four-month honeymoon were hit by six natural disasters, including the Australian floods, Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami . Stefan and Erika Svanstrom left Stockholm, Sweden, on December 6 and were immediately stuck in Munich, Germany, due to one of Europe's worst snowstorms. Travelling with their baby daughter, they flew on to Cairns in Australia which was then struck by one of the most violent cyclones in the nation's history. From there, the couple, in their 20s, were forced to shelter for 24 hours on the cement floor of a shopping centre with 2,500 others. "Trees were being knocked over and big branches were put down across the streets, " Mr. Svanstrom told Sweden's Expressen newspaper. "We escaped by the skin of our teeth." Mr. Svanstrom said they then headed south to Brisbane but the city was experiencing massive flooding, so they crossed the country to Perth where they narrowly escaped burning bush fires. The couple then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, arriving just after a massive magnitude 6.3 earthquake attacked the city on February 22. Mrs. Svanstrom said, "When we got there the whole town was like a war zone. We could not visit the city since it was completely blocked off, so instead we travelled around before going to Japan." But days after the Svanstroms arrived, Tokyo was rocked by Japan's largest earthquake since records began. "The trembling was horrible and we saw roof tiles fly off the buildings," Mr. Svanstrom said. "It was like the buildings were swaying back and forth." The family returned to Stockholm on March 29 after a much calmer visit to their last destination China. But Mr. Svanstrom --- who also survived the destructive Boxing Day tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004 --- said the marriage was still going strong. He added, "I know marriages have to experience some difficulties, but I think we have been through most of them. We've certainly experienced more than our fair share of disasters, but the most important thing is that we're together and happy." The best title for this passage is _ . A. Meeting Disasters During Honeymoon B. Six Natural Disasters C. Newly-wed Couple Met Australian Floods D. Japanese Tsunami Answer: A. Meeting Disasters During Honeymoon
Charlie works in a post office. His father lost his job five years ago and his mother is often ill. And he has two brothers and a sister. He works hard and tries his best to buy enough food for his family. Last month his family had to move to an old house outside the city. It's farther from the post office and he has to get up early in the morning in order to catch the 6:30 train. The head of his office is strict and everybody has to get there on time. He knows what it'll mean if he's late. A friend of his had pity on him and lent his old car to him. The young man was happy and from then on he could go to work by car. Last Saturday Charlie went to buy some medicine for his mother. Bad luck! When he came out of the shop, he couldn't find the car. He was quite worried and began to look for it in front of the shop but he didn't find it. Suddenly he saw a woman parked a car there and hurried into the shop. Charlie saw the car wasn't locked. He got on it and drove it at once. He was afraid the loser would run after him and drove fast. A truck hit it at a crossing and he lost consciousness. This morning the young man came back to life and saw there were a few policemen standing by his bed. He asked, "Where am I?" "In Room 103." "In hospital or in prison ?" Charlie's family moved to the old house outside the city because _ . Answer: they hoped to save some money Boys and girls,as we all know,most people,especially young people ,tend to care about their hair much because hair plays a very important role in our appearance.But can you imagine what other uses hair has?Do you have any idea that human hair may become a new solar energy soutce?Before we begin with the new content of our Physics ,let me tell you a new invention first. It's reported that a Nepali teenager has designed a $32 solar panel using human hair. Milan Karki,who is 18 years old and lives in a village in rural Nepal,used human hair to replace silicon ,which is a common but expensive componet of solar panels. By using hair as a replacement,Karki says that solar panels can be produced for around $32,a price that could be halved if they were mass-produced. The solar panel works,because melanin ,which gives hair its colour,is light sensitive and can act as an elecrtical conductor.Kaiki was inspired to think of the idea by a Stephen Hawking book ,which explained how to create elecrtic energy from hair. The device that Karki has invented is capable of producing 9V or 18V of energy--plenty to charge a mobile phone. "Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and lasts a few months;whereas a pack of batteries would cost50p and lasts few nights,"according to The Daily Mail. The solar panel is claimed to be easy to service as the hair is easy to replace. Karki has now seng out several devices to other disrticts near his home for tetimg .He said,"First I wanted to provide elecricity for my home,then my village .Now I am thinking for the whole worle." So next time when you have a haircut,do remember to keep your hair cut down to use for energy.Perhaps you can also provide elecrticity for your home,even your village using your own hair. Which of the following is true about the new invention? Answer: The device can produce 9V or 18V of energy. Rehan was never serious about his studies. He always wanted to play with his friends and had a bad image in his teachers' eyes. After the first term exams, it was time for result. Rehan was upset. That day, in the first class Sir Mushtaq said, "Tomorrow there will be a parent teacher meeting and you will get your result." Hearing this Rehan was worried. He went home as usual, but didn't tell his mother about the parent teacher meeting. The next day when his teacher asked him about his parents, he said, "My parents are out of town, so please give my result to me." When Rehan went back home, he told his mother that he had got 95. his mother was glad and said, "Well done, my son! Show me your report card." Now, Rehan was really worried but he said, "Mom, actually this time we haven't got any report card and our teacher only told the result orally." A result without a report card? Rehan's mother asked, but didn't ask any more questions. She also promised to buy a new bicycle for Rehan as his reward. One day Rehan came back from school, threw the bag on the floor and rushed towards his room. When his mother saw the dirty bag on the floor, she decided to clean it for him. As she opened it, she found the report card about which Rehan had lied. Rehan's mother quickly went to Rehan's room and showed him the report card. Tears started to fall down from Rehan's eyes. For many days Rehan's mother didn't talk to him. At last Rehan said sorry to his mother for cheating. He promised to get first position in his class next time. Rehan proved himself. He worked very hard and at last he got first position in the final term. Rehan felt upset because _ . Answer: he did badly in the exams. Only if you don't have a fear of heights do you want to visit the CN Tower. And if you can take a trip to the top of it will surely be worth it. The CN tower is Canada's most famous symbol and the centre of tourism in Toronto. Over 550 meters, it is one of the tallest building in the world; on a clear day the view is wonderful. Each year, around 2 million people take the elevator ride to the top of the tower to take in the breath-taking view at the top of the world. Once you are at the top, see if you have the courage to walk across the see-through glass floor . If you are hungry, plan to eat at the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower. The floor in the 360-degree restaurant rotates once every 72 minutes allowing everyone a complete view of the city below. The CN tower has broken record many times, winning such titles as World's Longest Metal staircase ,World's Tallest building and , most recently , World's Highest Wine Cellar. In 1995, the CN tower was considered as one of the seven wonders of the Modern World. Today, the top of the tower, more than 333m in the air, serves as the year-round workplace for more than 550 people. The tower's workers help to make the world-class attractions and food there. While at the CN tower, you'll also have the chance to visit gift shops. You will find the CN Tower in the heart of downtown, on Front Street. On the north shore of Lake Ontario, the CN Tower is open 364 days a year(closed on Christmas Day). How many titles has the Tower got? Answer: 4 My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment. One day I came home from work and waited for my son to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. "Perhaps he's just a bit late," said the secretary. "I will call the driver to see if those children are home." A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends' parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all "No." By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn't at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. "He's okay," I heard. "He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it's dark, can he spend the night with my family?" I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children's names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff. The author wrote the text to _ . Answer: praise the school for its quick action
Question: No opera smells of the sea quite like Britten's Peter Grimes. The music makes us constantly aware of the sea's immensity, it's potential for threat, and the play of light on its waves. But the sea isn't just a special background, it weighs on the lives of the characters, offering them a living, but at a price. In the first act the laboured sound of the strings evokes the complete heaviness of the sailor's work, as they haul the boats up the shingle . Then a storm gathers which rages through the scene at the Inn, and stirs up an orchestral hurricane. Even when it's calm and favorable, the sea is inescapable. In the comfortable enclosed world of the opera house, this can only be suggested. In the production of Peter Grimes about to open at the Aldeburgh Festival, it will be really present, because the opera is taking place on the beach, the setting for much of the narrative of Britten's opera, and also the poem by the Suffolk poet George Crabbe that inspired it. This won't be the first opera production to be set in the actual landscape in which the action takes place. There's a well-known filmed production of Tosca shot in Castel Gandolfo in Rome, and a production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena was once mounted in the moat surrounding the Tower of London. But those were manageable urban landscapes, with comfortingly solid buildings to act as wind shields and acoustic blocks. On the Aldeburgh beach there's actually nothing, apart from a few boats, some whole, some wrecked. Here anything more complicated than walking the dog is hard to solve. The wind blows away one's words, so conversation is hard, and anything not tied down tends to blow away. The sliding shingle turns one's steps into a drunken stagger. The idea of performing an opera in these conditions seems quite _ -- an accusation Aldeburgh director Jonathan Reakie takes cheerfully on the chin. Why has he done it? "Well, Grimes is the opera of Britten's that's most associated with Aldeburgh, but it's never been produced at the Festival which he founded. There just isn't the space for it. In his anniversary year we wanted to focus on Britten's connection with Suffolk, and this seemed the boldest way to do it." Having had the mad idea, Reakie found his colleagues were not just accepting, but enthusiastic. "We spent a long time thinking about ways to do it. One idea we had was to do all the scenes at the right time of day. There's one scene at dawn, another at midday, and a lot of action at night, but that was too complicated. Then we thought about doing a few scenes on the beach. But in the end, we thought hell, let's just do the whole thing." Which of the following can best describe the sailor's work in the first act? A. Pleasant. B. Hard. C. Comfortable. D. Attractive. Answer: B Question: Americans have always been hungry for the holidays. After all, a big Thanksgiving feast is one of our country's oldest traditions, older than America itself. Thankfully, the spirit behind Thanksgiving has never changed, either. It has always been a special time to be thankful for the blessings of the past year. The feast that has become known as the First Thanksgiving was actually a harvest festival celebrated in December of 1621. That's when English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gave thanks for the progress they had made after a harsh winter in their new country. Guests at outdoor tables gobbled up ducks, geese turkeys, clams, eels, fish, wild plums, corn bread and other goodies. About 90 Native Americans also came and brought five deer to add to the feast. The festival lasted for three days. Thanksgiving customs spread and expanded along with the rest of America. After the American Revolution, George Washington proclaimed that the first national Thanksgiving would be on November 26, 1789. In the decades to follow, however, people celebrate Thanksgiving locally and with no official date. A women's magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to change this. After years of trying hard to get support, she finally persuaded President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday in November 1863 as a national day of Thanksgiving. It stayed that way for 75 years afterward until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas to encourage gift-buyers and help businesses. So Congress ruled that, after 1941, Thanksgiving would be an official federal holiday falling each year on the fourth Thursday of November. This year we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26. What can we NOT learn from the passage? A. Some Native Americans also joined the First Thanksgiving. B. Americans will have three days off on Thanksgiving Day. C. Roosevelt set Thanksgiving one week earlier to develop economy. D. People still celebrated Thanksgiving with no official date in 1809. Answer: B Question: A group of fifteen-year-old students at Sunshine School are holding a charity sale to raise money to help their classmate Lisa. Lisa had cerebral palsy when she was a baby. People who have cerebral palsy have trouble walking. Although Lisa has to use a wheelchair to help her get around, she never gives up. And she is always ready to help others. "Lisa has the chance of standing up, but she needs an operation which will cost lots of money." Lisa's doctor said. "I never thought that I could stand up one day. Actually the news is surprising for me. However, when I see my parents are worried about the cost of the operation, I am sad. I am used to my life. I don't mind if I can't stand up." Lisa said. "Now my classmates and some other kind people are helping me. I am really thankful. If I stood up one day, I could try my best to help more people." "While helping Lisa, we can also learn a lot. We have learned how to cook cookies and how to sell them," Betty, one of Lisa's classmates said. "Now we know making money is not easy, so we won't waste money anymore." Alex, a boy in Lisa's class, told a reporter that they could raise about $100 every day. "We have raised about $2,100 so far. We hope we will raise more money for Lisa's operation." he said. What can you know from the passage? A. Lisa is so nervous. B. Lisa is lucky because many people are helping her. C. The doctor has no confidence in Lisa's operation. D. Lisa's classmates have made enough money for Lisa's operation. Answer: B Question: Passage 1 The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web,e-mail,and software,to mention just a few. Not long ago,the Information Highway was a new road,with not many users. Now,everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems,forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally,accidents will happen on such a crowded road,and usually victims are some files,gone forever. Then,of course,there' s Mr. Cool,with his new broad-band connection,who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don' t trick yourself:he pays for that speeding. Passage 2 Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it?Doctor Herman Friedman,who is considered a leading expert on the subject,will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef,which came into the public eye in 2002,is his latest interest. Signed copies of his color1ful book,which was p ublished just last month,will be on sale after his talk. Passage 2 is most probably _ . A. a poster about a lecture B. an ad for a new book C. a note to a doctor in a university D. an introduction to a professor Answer: A Question: BEIJING (AP) -- Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring. Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated. The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit that can cause chest discomfort and _ problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes. In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported. The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory. Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States. China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site. State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution. A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital. We can learn from the text that _ . A. the sandstorms were purposely made by China. B. the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution. C. the sandstorms badly affected the air in US. D. China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed. Answer: B
Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty. Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway from side to side. Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden. Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention? Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more leaves. The experiment has proved that _ -. I often walk dogs at an animal shelter near our house. When they see me, they look so happy, because they know they will get to go outside, play with me and get lots of love from me. -----Mandy, 12 Every weekend, I go to an animal shelter to help. They have adoption events at pet stores. I help out by talking to people about animals, feeding animals and making sure the cages are clean. It makes me feel great when a cat or dog gets a new home. ----Lucas, 11 Sometimes I do things for my neighbors and ask them to give me some money or clothes. Then I can give these to the unlucky people. ----Linda, 10 I love volunteering! Last week, I cleaned up the houses for people who couldn't do it themselves. I also made gifts for many women on Mother's Day. And I'll help the older people cook dinner next week. I love the feeling I get when the people smile and I know I made a difference in their life. ----Megan, 13 I volunteer at an after-school reading program. I help young children to learn how to read. My favorite part of it is seeing a little child feels excited when he or she learns a new word. ----Victoria, 12 What will Megan do next week? EF (English First) is the world's leading privately owned education company. Founded in 1965, EF operates in over 50 countries around the world. We have vacancies for teaching positions across China so if you prefer the fast-paced city life like Shanghai, we probably have the position for you. We have both Kids&Teens schools and Adult schools in over 60 cities in China. Teaching at English First At English First, you'll be provided the resources to become the best teacher you can be. Our new and color1ful classrooms offer state-of-the-art technology including Internet-connected computers, interactive whiteboards and iPads. We also offer a world-class teacher development program with certification courses to our teachers to help them move into more senior positions within EF. Join the EF Teacher Network today Join a supportive community of EF staff and teachers from day one. We're here to provide the support you need every step of the way, from preparing your legal work visa to airport pickup. Learn how to order food in Chinese with our free language classes or attend a weekly teacher social sponsored by the company. There's so much to experience living abroad and you'll experience it to the fullest with EF. Requirements A bachelor's degree A TEFL Certificate (EF TEFL sponsorship available) Passport holders from the UK, the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand The ability to obtain a clear background check The ability to live abroad for at least one year Your benefits package 12,000-13,500 RMB monthly, based on qualifications 10 paid annual leave days plus 11 national holidays Airport pickup upon arrival Free hotel accommodation during your first two weeks at EF Free Mandarin Chinese lessons What is the purpose of the passage? Did you know that reading can keep your mind active and engaged well into old age? Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home. She was 100 years old. She read at least one book per week, mostly novels. She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with. "I love to read. It helps me keep up with what's going on in the world," she said. "A friend of mine brings me a new book every week. I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books." "I can't get around much any more," said the 100-year-old woman, "but when I read, I can go anywhere, anytime I want. And no one has to help me!" Reading also sets a good example for younger generations. I have observed that the best readers are those students who see their parents reading. And I'm not talking about only reading novels. Newspapers and magazines are important too. Your actions will communicate a great deal to your children and grandchildren about what you value. But why is reading so important? In this day and age, with television to give us news, and movies and videos to keep us entertained, who needs to read? The answer is everyone. Developing good reading skills does not only mean that you can read a novel or a magazine, it also means being able to read and understand things like a credit card contract or an insurance policy, or the instructions for how to put a new printer to use with your computer. In addition, developing good reading skills means that you can think for yourself. You can read about the advantages and disadvantages of anything from homeschooling to taking a vacation to Ireland. And then you can make up your own mind about what's best for you and your family. In which part of a newspaper would the passage be most likely to appear? What tool would be most useful to calculate the volume of a glass prism?
Dear Michelle, My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have "joint custody" . What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly. We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away. A Hopeless Ant Dear Hopeless Ant, First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents. You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation. If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents. Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time. I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children. Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life. Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going. Michelle According to the text, which of the following is the Hopeless Ant in need of at present? Answer: Keep himself/herself away from danger. It was the last time Susan Butcher ran the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1992. An hour into the race, Susan and her sled dog team sped down a hill and crashed into a fallen tree. Although hurt, Susan continued the difficult race. The Iditarod Race started in 1925 when a doctor in Nome, Alaska was desperately in need of medicine to stop the spread of a deadly disease. Only a hospital had what he needed, but it was 700 mile-away! In January, it was too dangerous to send a boat and too stormy for his tiny airplane. The only hope was to use several sled dog teams following a trail, called the Iditarod Trail. They passed the medicine from one sled team to another. Wind and snow did not stop the men and their dogs. The medicine was delivered in record time. The race follows the route of the famous medicine run. Over 1,000 miles long, it is considered the toughest race in the world. Susan Butcher was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her teens Susan was given a Siberian husky dog and became very interested in huskies as sled dogs. After reading about the Iditarod Race, Susan moved to Alaska. She got several jobs to earn money to buy herself a sled and a team of huskies. After years of hard work and training, Susan achieved her dream of racing on the Iditarod Trail. In 1978, at the age of 24, Susan entered the race for the first time and became the first woman to finish in the top 20. In 1982 she came in second. In 1984 she was leading her team across a frozen waterway when they fell into the water. Her lead dog managed to pull Susan and the other dogs out of danger. Remarkably, she came in second. In her fourth race, in 1985,a starving moose attacked her dogs, killing two and injuring eleven. Susan had to leave the race. In 1986 Susan joined the race again. This time, she won. She won again in 1987. In 1988 she became the first person ever to win three Iditarod races in a row. Unbelievably, Susan won for the fourth time in 1990. In the year _ , Susan Butcher won three races in a row. Answer: 1986, 1987 and 1988 These days, more and more young people wish to be more beautiful, So they turn to plastic surgery ( ) for help. They spend thousands of yuan on these painful surgeries to fix their nose, to fix their eyes or to be thinner. In fact, most people are not happy about the way they look. Even the most beautiful actresses often wish they could fix something about their looks.So we should believe that we are as beautiful as others. A smile is beautiful on any face, being kind is much more beautiful than a pretty look. So, let's feel happy that we all have beautiful and healthy bodies that do not need surgeries! Today, I wish you to make a small _ believe yourself! smile and be kind to others. If you do these, you will be happy, beautiful, and popular everywhere you go. which is NOT true according to the passage? Answer: Actors never worry about their looks. If you dream of going to someplace warm to escape the cold winter weather, a trip to a recently discovered planet would certainly warm you right up. The planet, named OCLE-TR-56b, has temperatures of more than 3,000 degF. "This is the hottest planet we know about," says Dr. Dimitar Sasselov, a scientist who led the discovery team, "It is hot enough to have an iron fog and to rain hot iron droplets " The new planet is 30 times farther away than any planet discovered by scientists before. It is in the Milky Way but it is not in our solar system The new planet moves around a star much like our sun, however. Scientists discovered the planet by using a new planet-searching method, called"transit technique" They were able to catch sight of the planet when it moved in front of its star, causing the star's light to dim .Scientists compare the method to discovering the shadow of a bee flying in front of a searchlight 200 miles away. "We believe the door has been opened wide to go and discover planets like Earth," says Sasedlov. We can infer from the passage that _ . Answer: the star could block our view of the new planet If you see someone drowning, speed is very important. Once you get him out of the water, if he isn't breathing, you have four minutes before his brain is completely destroyed. Support his neck, move his head back and press his chin upwards. This stops the tongue blocking the airway in the throat and is sometimes enough to get him breathing again. If that doesn't work, start mouth-to-mouth breathing. Press his nostrils (the two holes at the end of your nose, through which you breathe and smell things) together with your fingers. Open your mouth and take a deep breath. Blow into his lungs until his chest rises, then remove your mouth and watch his chest fall. Repeat twelve times a minute. Keep doing until professional help arrives. To bring a child back to life, keep your lips around his mouth and gently blow into his mouth. Give the first four breaths as quickly as possible to fill the blood with oxygen. If, in spite of your efforts, he starts turning a blue-grey colour, and you can feel no pulse , then pressing is the last chance of saving his life. With arms straight, rock forwards, pressing down on the lower half of the breastbone. Don't be too hard or you may break a rib. Check how effective you are by seeing if his colour improves or his pulse becomes independent to your chest pressing. If this happens, stop the pressing. Otherwise continue until rescue arrives. To press his chin upwards is a way to _ . Answer: keep the tongue from blocking the airway in the throat .
Question: India was once part of the British Empire, but thanks to modern technology and a booming economy, it has turned the tables on its former colonial master. Indian tutors are helping to teach math to British children over high-speed Internet connections. Early results suggest the idea is improving exam results. But not everyone is happy at this "outsourcing" of tutoring. It's 3:30, and pupils at Raynham Primary School in London are gathering for their after-school maths lessons. Five time zones-- thousands of kilometers away--their math tutors are also arriving for class. High-speed Internet has made it possible for Indian tutors to teach British pupils in real time. Each pupil gets a dedicated one-to-one online tutor. The students work with activities on their computer screen and wear a headset and microphone to talk to their tutor. The class teacher, Altus Basson, says he has seen an improvement in results. "There are some children who've really rocketed in their results. Children who struggleto focus in class focus a lot better on the laptops. The real advantage is that each child gets a focused activity and a single tutor," he said. Such individualized teaching is the core idea of Brightspark Education, the company that provides the online tutoring, says founder Tom Hooper. "Children today feel very confident online; they feel very engaged; they feel very in control. And that's half the battle with education.Give them control, make them feel confident and enjoy their learning and you'll see them start to improve and embrace it," he said. Raynham Primary School is among the first in Europe to try online tutoring. At between $20 and $25 an hour, it's about half the cost of face-to-face coaching. But some people say an Internet connection is not enough of a connection for teaching and learning. Kevin Courtney is deputy General Secretary of Britain's National Union of Teachers. "We think, there's a really important emotional connection between a teacher and a child whether it's a whole class or whether it's one-to-one. You need that immediacy of feedback and we're not convinced that that can happen across an Internet connection. In one of the wealthiest.countries in the world, we think that we can afford to have teachers with genuine emotional connection there with the children," he said. Brightspark Education says the online tutoring is used only as an addition to supplement regular teaching. The company says its service does not represent a threat to teachers' jobs in Britain. Parents say they're very satisfied with the results they've seen. And what about the children?Children: "I love it!"I love it!"I hate maths!" So math--or, as the British call it, maths--is still not everyone's favorite subject even with the latest technology to teach it. According to Kevin Courtne, _ . . A. online tutoring will represent a threat to teachers' jobs in Britain B. online tutoring has a great influence on British. C. the emotional connection between a teacher and a child is important D. immediacy of feedback can happen across an Internet connection Answer: C. the emotional connection between a teacher and a child is important Question: When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter ,and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him. Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was "No". Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn't get his idea accepted. Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, "It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges." Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting. And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against _ . Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing. Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child. The message of the passage is that _ . A. action speaks louder than words B. perseverance will work wonders C. God helps those who help themselves D. many hands make light work Answer: B. perseverance will work wonders Question: Going to college and living away from home for the first time can be terribie.Students tend to have higher academic achievements in college when they enjoy living in the dormitory.Most colleges and universities have many programs that help first-year students adjust to studying and living in a new community.Take advantage of these programs and make new friends as you adjust to your college life. _ .Greet and meet everyone in the dorm.Find out their class schedules and hobbies.You may be able to find study partners this way.Most students are just like you being away from their home the first time.Don't be afraid toknock on your neighbors'doors and introduce yourself.The residence staff will also help you in adjusting tocollege iife.Get to know them as soon as possible. Get along with your roommate.Your roommates can be eitherr your lifelong friends or enemies.Try to be friends to them.Respect each other, including their space.Do not use your roommates' belongings without permission.Communicate among each other regarding your daily schedule, study or sleep habits and off campus guest visits. Always say hello. Get involved.To adjust to college life away from home,you need to got involved in college activities.Join clubs.Attend events that are hosted by your residence life and academic departments.Attend those events with your new friends. Most colleges have many events throughout the semester.Student union is a great place to meet new friends and learn about the upcoming events. Call home when you need to.College life can be very exciting in the beginning. Most students get lonely and homesick during the middle of the semester or during festivals,It is normal to feel sad.Call home or even visit home when you need to. Talk to your friends back home.Understand that many people love and support you and they are very proud of you. What does the text mainly tell us? A. Advice on how to adjust to college life. B. Things that can be done in a dormitory. C. Places to live in when going to a college. D. Ways of making friends with roommates. Answer: A. Advice on how to adjust to college life. Question: A tuna would prefer to consume A. An Apple B. beef C. Nemo D. dogs Answer: C. Nemo Question: In a federal civil trial, Plaintiff wishes to establish that, in a state court, Defendant had been convicted of fraud, a fact that Defendant denies. Which mode of proof of the conviction is LEAST likely to be permitted? A. A certified copy of the judgment of conviction, offered as a selfauthenticating document. B. Testimony of Plaintiff, who was present at the time of the sentence. C. Testimony by a witness to whom Defendant made an oral admission that he had been convicted. D. Judicial notice of the conviction, based on the court's telephone call to the clerk of the state court, whom the judge knows personally. Answer: D. Judicial notice of the conviction, based on the court's telephone call to the clerk of the state court, whom the judge knows personally.
HAVE you noticed that the moon is becoming rounder and brighter day after day? That's because Sept 8 is the Mid-Autumn Festival. For Chinese people, a full moon means that family members can get together on that day. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people get together and enjoy the round moon . They also send wishes for family members not with them. There are many stories about the moon to make the tradition more interesting. In China, Chang'e flying to the moon is a well-known legend . Hou Yi and Chang'e were husband and wife in old times. At the time, there were 10 suns in the sky. Hou yi, a brave man, shot down nine suns. People see Hou Yi as a great hero. Besides China, many other countries have beautiful stories about the moon. In Greek legend , Artemis is the goddess of the moon. She takes care of the hunt and wild animals. Artemis also looks after young children and women in childbirth . In India, the god of the moon is Soma. He has four hands and rides through the sky in a chariot . If a baby is born on a full moon day, Indian people believe he or she is lucky. What does the article mainly talk about? Answer: Stories about the moon in different countries. To all of you at Chinese love links, I am 44 years old and never married. I have always wanted to find that perfect someone that I dream about. For about the last five years I have almost given up the hope of ever finding the one I truly wish to spend the rest of my life with. I have always tried to be a nice guy. I had found your website some four or five months before. I did not know what to expect. I don't know how to speak Chinese and never thought truly of how I was to an Asian woman. Well, I had a lot of replies from some very nice and pretty women. I had a hard time finding only a couple to write to. But one stood out from the rest. She was cute, nice and seemed to hold a lot of the same values as I do. In a short time I had decided to write only to her. We communicated via e - mails 2 - 3 times a day and phone calls once or twice a week. I went and met her and her family only a week ago. Her name is Ying and she lives in prefix = st1 /Nanning. I foundNanningto be one of the most beautiful cities I had ever been to. We had even decided to marry and to bring her to theUSAunder the fiancee visa. Not only did she meet everything I had ever hoped to find in someone else but turned out to be what every woman should be like, at least the ones I have met. We plan to marry as soon as she is here and start a family together as neither of us has children but we both want them. So to anyone out there reading this, I can only say this: You may not find what you are looking for if you're not honest with your partner and yourself. This site worked for me mostly because I was honest with something that I wanted in someone else. When I did find her, love can work even across the other side of the world, between language differences and cultural differences. I wish you all luck in finding your perfect match. I have finally found mine and wishto give all my thanks to those at Chinese love links to help make it happen. Sincerely yours, Arthur Arthur thinks _ is the most important in finding someone one wants to marry. Answer: being honest with the partner and oneself We are all busy talking about and using the Internet. But how many of us know the history of the Internet? Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn't work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time . At first the Internet was only used by the government , but in the early 1970s; universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and yet Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made "surfing" the Internet easier. Today it is easy to get online and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among young people. The Internet has become one of the most important parts of people s life. What can we infer from the last sentence ? Answer: People will more and more depend on the Internet. Until late in the 20th century, most Americans spent time with people of generations. Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves.That's because we group people by age. We put our three-year-olds together in day-care center, our 13-year-olds in school and sports activities, and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes. Why? We live away from the old for many reasons: young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears for aging and dying. It is much harder to watch .someone we love disappear before our eyes. Sometimes it's so hard that we stay away from the people who need us most. Fortunately, .some of us have found our way to the old. And we have discovered that they often save the young. A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbours and had her children deliver it and visit. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. "My children have never been less lonely," the reporter said. The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn't gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed asleep wake up to watch the child. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure. Grandparents are a special case. They give grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity. As my husband put it, "my grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end." Grandchildren speak of attention they don't get from worried parents. "My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down," one friend said. A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter, calmer, more trusting. Why do children not get attention from their parents? Answer: Because their parents are too busy to take care of them. Children all over the world like to celebrate their birthdays. American children are the same. They usually celebrate with a party .They ask their friends to their parties. They don't have the party on the right date of their birthday if it comes on a school day. They may hold it at the weekend then. Today many children like two kinds of parties. One is at home. Parents decorate the house with balloons and coloured paper. They make a special birthday dinner. The children play games. The other kind is away from home. Some are at a special restaurant. The children eat pizza and ice cream. The waiters also sing and say "happy birthday" to the children. Other parties are at a park, or at a cinema, or in some other places. There is a cake with candles at every birthday party. There is one candle for each year of a birthday boy's or girl's age. When the candles are lighted , everyone sings the special birthday song: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. Birthday parties change. Many people don't have them when they are not young. They say they would like to forget how old they are. But they do like to keep the happy birthday parties of their childhood in mind. How many kinds of birthday parties are there in America? Answer: Two
Many families find that when it comes to a Caribbean getaway, they prefer bigger hotels. If you're considering an Aruba vacation, there are plenty of resorts that will suit your every need. Aruba Marriott Resort and Casino This resort is on Aruba's famous palm Beach, and has the largest rooms of all Aruba hotels. A recent upgrade gives it a very fashionable look and feel. The resort offers excellent services on site including delicate fine dining and a 24-hour casino. Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Popular with families, this resort stands out by its style and elegance. The most attractive aspect is the Spanish-style architecture and garden-like grounds. you will find waterfalls flowing into the beautiful man-made lake which add to the relaxing atmosphere. This hotel offers plenty to enjoy. Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites This resort is absolutely fantastic for families with young children and features 40 acres of private beaches. The pool complex features several outdoor pools, two pool-side bars, and a swim-up bar. There is also a kids club which offers many activities. Guests at this hotel even have full access to the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spring. Occidental Grand Aruba This resort is set on a beautiful white sandy beach and offers everything from sailing to late-night dancing. There is always plenty to do on the resort free of charge, but if you want to pay a little extra you can book yourself in for deep-sea fishing, golf, or private tennis lessons. The author writes the passage to _ . Answer: introduce If a living being will make it to adulthood, then the most important thing to it will be Answer: edibles Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that the country would take actions to improve school bus safety on Sunday, a day after China saw its second terrible school bus accident in November, 2011. "School buses should be safe mobile campuses for students," the premier said at a national meeting on women and children, "Society should remember in mind that children should be the first to enjoy all kinds of social caring and the last ones to suffer from any disaster." School buses have become a hot topic in China since the deaths of 21 people, including 19 pre-school students, in a traffic accident between a truck and a school-owned minibus in Gansu province on Nov. 16, 2011. The nine-seat minibus was carrying 64 people at the time of the accident, according to the reports. The second accident, in which a school bus in the northern province of Liaoning _ on Friday, left 35 people injured, according to China Daily. "In recent days, a series of big accidents involving school buses has led to great anger among the people. These accidents have also made me uncomfortable," said Mr Wang, an old teacher from Jiangsu. And he also thought that school bus safety must become a serious problem for schools and the government. Premier Wen has already asked the government to develop new safety standard for school buses and made sure to help local government with safe buses for school-age children. How many seats did the minibus in Gansu province have before it was turned into a school bus? Answer: 9 There can be no doubt about the positive changes that have taken place in the last hundred yeas. In Western countries we eat more nutritiously, we are wealthier, we are healthier and there are more opportunities. But then, why, in the midst of so much excitement and opportunity, has life satisfaction declined so much? Why is depression the most common illness in the Western world? And why, when most infectious diseases have been conquered and rates of heart attacks and stokes have been reduced, do so many people report that they are feeling ill? It is argued that "functional illnesses" such as constant tiredness, the inability to sleep and anxiety that makes you ill, are caused by the body's failure to adapt to social change. Modern life is exhausting because we are often compelled to live by its standards, even though technically we have a choice to live otherwise. Everybody thought we would benefit from the invention of machines to carry out the more dull tasks in our life, leaving us many more opportunities for leisure and relaxation. And yet the opposite has happened. Only recently a lifestyle survey found that for 42% of its 5,000 interviewees, lack of sleep was their principal health concern, followed by 34% worrying about general exhaustion. A quarter acknowledged experiencing stress and depression. Working long hours in companies with a restricted social life is threatening our health and people feel unable to cope. The new technological age that claims freedom by allowing us greater flexibility is, in fact, slowly working to destroy us. Jobs for the whole life are an old story. If people take time out to recover, somebody else will come along to fill their position. Who, in this current every-man-for-himself climate, wants their employer to think they cannot cope, especially when there are mortgages and families at stake? Over the last century, in Western countries _ . Answer: infectious diseases have declined As students, you may have many dreams. They can be very big like becoming Superman, or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the ten best students in your class. If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true? Follow Your Heart by Australian writer Andrew Matthews tells us that making our dreams come true is life's biggest _ . "You may think you're not very good at some school subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a star. These ideas stop you from getting your dream," the book says. In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first important thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don't let it leave your heart . Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true faster. A big dream is, in fact, many small dreams. Never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road. But the biggest problem comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will bring you better exam points. Saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book. When you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. Then you will be able to learn more skills and find new interests. What should NOT you do to make your dream come true? Answer: Watch TV to get better exam points.
The American secret service began in 1865. It has many important jobs. One is to stop different types of fraud , such as printing fake money, credit card fraud and computer fraud. The other is to protect the president at all times. The secret service's earliest job was to stop people from making fake money. The secret service agents still have to do that because the criminals are smarter now. They are better at using computers and other expensive equipment. But agents are much smarter. Protecting the president is hard. The most dangerous places are outdoors. Agents can't check every person in the crowd, so they must watch the crowd carefully. And they always follow the president. They're just like the president's shadow. Unluckily, some criminals do want to give the president trouble, or even hurt him. The secret service agents try to find _ and stop them when they want to do something bad. It's a dangerous, but important job. The secret service helps keep the president and the country safe. ,. At the very beginning, the secret service's job was to _ . stop fake money making Computer Technician (Part Time Student Helper) * Government Department * Flexible schedule * Good opportunity for the young adults Our client, a Government Department, is now looking for numbers of Part Time Computer Technicians to join their supporting team. Job Responsibilities * Responsible for answering queries to end users on the use of computer and electronic systems and facilities * Provide general technical support to end users Handle, on regular health checks on equipment, reset problem terminals and reinstall software Job Requirements: Diploma/ higher diploma in Computer Science or related discipline obtained from Hong Kong University / IVE or above Part-time experience in Customer Services and/or IT support is an advantage Good at verbal and written English, Cantonese and Mandarin * With basic knowledge or experience in IT networking * Good working attitude, energetic and self-motivated candidate is highly preferred * Students in Year 1 and Year 2 are preferred * Training will be provided Attractive remuneration package will be negotiated to the right candidate. Interested parties please email a MS Word Version resume and expected salary to technology @man power professional, com. hk (CC: iris. cheung @ manpower-professional. Com. hk) and quote the job reference. Job Ref: 506-111213-IR Job Type: Contract Location: Start Date: ASAP Duration: Salary/Rate : Contact: Iris Cheung Open To: Hong Kong Residents Only Submitted: 12/04/2016 The main purpose of this passage is to _ . advertise a job Dear Bridge of Hope supporters, July 2010 was a productive month for the teachers at BOH. Marilyn traveled to Liberia and helped Kathleen Ngenda with her teacher training program on Basic Adult Literacy. During the eight-day training, she helped the teachers learn to pronounce, spell and write correctly. They are currently working on personal sets of cards and lists so that they can teach this concept to students in the fall. Kathleen plans on two trips back to the school to monitor teachers in their teaching. Marilyn found a very dedicated and enthusiastic group of elementary teachers who are focused on bettering themselves as educators. BOHUSA will offer financial support for their further educational studies this fall. Our goal is to have all staff be certified by the end of 2013. The Liberian government recommends a C-certificate for teachers of elementary students, which can be obtained in one year of education classes (taken on Saturdays). There is a great need to add seventh and eighth grade classrooms and a library. There is actually no room, however, and so we need to add a second floor. Currently the ground floor houses the church and the school uses this space for daily services. The first floor would give space for three more classrooms, in addition to a large reading room and computer labs. About $40,000 to 50,000 is required to meet the educational needs. If you would like to contribute to this building project, please make out your check to: Bridge of Hope 12002 Arnold Rd. Orrville, Ohio 44667 Bridge of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization. You do not have to pay tax on your contributions. Marilyn went to Liberia to _ . help train teachers Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family's only surviving relative lived. It was Sally's relative -- a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The _ would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors . As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative's home and subscribed for the local paper. For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming. "Thirty thousand dollars!" All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it. There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour -- note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, "Ah, it'll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we'll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter." Aleck responded with decision and calmness. "You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work. "Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?" "No, there's no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er..., I've turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat." "Why, Aleck, it's splendid! What does it amount to?" "I think -- well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more." "My! Isn't it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!" Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out. A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? The $30,000 Bequest Which of the following elements is best able to combine with itself and hydrogen [H] to form large molecules? carbon [C]
Question: Here is a dog with a lantern in his mouth, he is looking for his master . Carlo, a lovely dog, had been taught to be useful. The roads, in the place where his master lived, were often so bad that it was not safe for any person to go out without a light on dark nights. So Carlo's master taught him to carry a lantern for him at night; and he did it as steadily as any boy could have done. Carlo never trotted too far before his master so that the bright light of the lantern might guide his master's steps. When he came to a deep rut or hole in the road, he would turn round to his master, seemed to say, /Take care, there is a hole here. " The dog's master lived about a mile from the town; and when he could not get home before dark, Carlo used to be sent to him with the lantern. Carlo knew where to go. He also knew the road which his master would take. But Carlo didn't always find his master right away. When he reached the town, he would run off to a house where his master often was. Still holding his lantern, he would scratch at the street-door with his feet and bark ; as much as to say, 6/Here am I, Master, with the lantern, are you ready for home? " Someone would perhaps come to the door and sa 6/Your master is not here. " Carlo would growl , seemed to say, "Then he is somewhere else, and I must find him. " He would then run off to one house after another, until he found his master, then the two went home together. The best title for the story is _ . A. A dog and his master B. The dog with the lantern C. How a dog guide his master's step D. How a dog found his master Answer: B. The dog with the lantern Question: 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. Easter eggs are _ . A. covered by chocolate B. chocolate eggs C. a symbol of death D. not food Answer: B. chocolate eggs Question: Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. "I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses," she says. "I used to wear them to watch TV." Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as "Klieg eyes". It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must. Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban "Wayfarers" were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban "Aviator" sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban "Predator" sunglasses famous in Men in Black. Of course sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don't have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach. We may know from this passage that _ . A. Ray-Ban is the name of sunglasses maker B. Audrey Hephburn was a famous film star C. Sunglasses made Top Gun the hit in 1986 D. Men in Black must be an advertisement of sunglasses Answer: B. Audrey Hephburn was a famous film star Question: A newborn kangaroo has the ability to crawl into its mother's pouch to drink milk. This is an example of A. migration. B. an instinct. C. hibernation. D. a learned behavior. Answer: B. an instinct. Question: For many years, we couldn't talk with the deaf. These deaf people couldn't use a spoken language. But beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using this language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language. How did this sign language work? The deaf learnt to make certain movements with their hands, faces and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. People might move their forefingers across their lips. This meant "you are not telling the truth". They might tap their chin with three fingers. This meant "my uncle". The deaf learned to see a finger alphabet. They used their fingers to make the letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute. The deaf don't use the sign language and finger spelling as much as they once were. Today, the deaf learn to understand others by watching their lips. They also learn how to speak. How did this sign language work? A. The deaf make certain movements using their hands, faces and bodies. B. The deaf speak with their mouth. C. The deaf talk with us by writing. D. The deaf only talk to us by using their fingers. Answer: A. The deaf make certain movements using their hands, faces and bodies.
Question: Autistic children may learn better from robots than from human beings, according to a study at a school in Birmingham. Two robots like humans, Max and Ben, have been helping teach autistic children at Sutcliffe Primary School since March last year. The school is the first in the UK to try the new way. Ian Lowe, the head teacher, said, "The robots have no feelings, so autistic children find that they are less terrible than their teachers." He added, "They are really cute-looking. Autistic children are hard to communicate with adults and other children, but for some reasons they like these robots. "Some children are not able to communicate with others. But they come into school and start to communicate through the robots." The robots are knee-high and move like children. The school is using them to teach phonics and play cards or memory and imitation games with children from five to ten. Dr Guldberg said, "We do many different activities with the robots acting as a model for the children's behavior. It is amazing to see how interested and concentrated the children can be when they are working with the robots. It can be very difficult to get autistic children to concentrate." He added, "If you can meet the needs of autistic children, you can meet the needs of all children. And you know, when people feel safe and interested, they learn much better." Which is TRUE about Max and Ben? A. They are robots with feelings. B. The can move like teachers. C. They are interested in autistic children. D. They can make autistic children concentrate. Answer: D Question: Alex,Nicole and Vickie are friends.They live in the same neighborhood.They want to make some money to buy Christmas presents. "We need to print out fliers and pass them around to all the houses,"says Nicole.Alex's dad helps them print out fliers.The three friends go to all the houses and put a flier in everyone's mailbox. "It's winter,"says Vickie."There is lots of snow on the ground.Maybe people will need us to sweep the snow for them." First,Mrs.Jones _ the children to sweep the snow from her driveway .She says,"I have twin baby girls.I am much too busy to sweep the snow myself." Then,Mrs.Smith calls them.She says,"I am very old,and the snow is much too heavy for me to move." Then,Mr.Lee visits them.He says,"My garden is much too big to sweep all by myself.Can you help me?" The children work very hard sweeping the snow.It is cold,but they also have great fun.They make 30 dollars in all.Now they can buy nice Christmas presents for their friends and families. Why does Mr. Lee ask the children for help? A. He is too busy with his babies. B. He is too old to sweep snow. C. His garden is much too big. D. He wants to help the children. Answer: C Question: Grooves running down the sides of a riverbank are most likely caused by A. wind. B. rocks. C. leaves. D. rainwater. Answer: D Question: Long long ago, a king had a big rock placed in the middle of a very busy road. Then he hid nearby to see if anyone would move the rock out of the way to make it convenient for others. Some of the king's wealthiest supporters came past and simply walked around it. Many others complained about the rock and some blamed the king for the problem. To the king's surprise, no one did anything about moving it out of the way. Finally, a poor farmer came along, carrying a load of old vegetables. When he saw the rock, he put down his load, and tried to move the heavy rock to the side of the road. No one stopped to help him. Many laughed at him and made jokes as they walked past. Finally, after much pushing and straining, and with no help , the farmer managed to get the rock to the side of the road. As he bent down to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a small bag lying in the road, exactly where the rock had been. There was a lot of money and a note in the bag. The note was from the king saying that the money was for the person who moved the rock out of the way. Taking responsibility is about solving hard problems. The farmer takes responsibility when no one else is prepared to. It does not always mean that you will get an instant reward, but it is a value that builds up a community, and makes life better for all of us. Why did the king put a big rock in the middle of the road? A. To see if anyone would move the rock away. B. To see who was the most powerful. C. To find out who was the most poorest. D. To see how people walked around it. Answer: A Question: As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let's look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, "a homeless dog", "a mad dog", "a running dog" and "a dog catching a mouse", have negative meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive actions. For example, "you are a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person. And "every dog has its day" means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person's serious illness, they say "sick as a dog". The word "dog-tired" means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, "cat" is often used to describe a woman who is cruel. There are many other examples of how "cat" is used differently as well. The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries. The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. Words show differences in culture. B. Chinese people prefer dogs to cats. C. Western people think cats to be good friends. D. Rose is the national flower of all western countries. Answer: A
The Asuncion zoo is looking for a mate for Coco, an endangered hyacinth macaw ,and it is the last known male of his species left in Paraguay. Coco was sent to the zoo eight years ago. A recent DNA test showed that he is male. Zoo worker Celia said To avoid mixing species, the zoo has had to keep him apart from the other macaws, which has left him lonely and bored. "He is quite sociable, although he has only learned to say 'Hello', but when he hears music, he dances" Celia said He has a yellow circle around his eyes that set off the rest of his blue feathers. He is more or less a cousin to Blu , he macaw that starts in the movie, Rio.That species, cyanopsitta-spixii ,is all blue and even more endangered than the hyacinth macaw. Like the bird in the movie, scientists hope to find Coco a mate to- rebuild the species. Because international laws against animal training are now so strict, nobody is willing to lend the zoo a female. "The best solution is to find a female hyacinth macaw in our country. " Celia said, "there are at least two other known hyacinth-macaws but without DNA test, it is impossible to know if they are female, and the owners are not willing to help,because the mating process can take some time and be a little hard on females." It can be inferred from the text that _ . Answer: rebuilding the Coco's species will take time Have you ever been talking to somebody at the party? Do you focus entirely on the person you are speaking with or does your attention keep jumping around the room to all the other people there? Generally speaking, if the person is someone you really want to talk to you will focus on them. Most other people will only get about half of your attention. You may think that this is OK, because if you don't really want to talk to them then what does it matter if you don't give them your full attention? Consider two things. First, you may just not realize the importance of that conversation. If you are at a networking meeting and you hope to meet the CEO of Company X but you end up talking to someone who has a low-level job at a different company, then you may let your attention wander as you speak to him. But maybe you don't realize that this person has already met the CEO and could introduce you. Do you think he will do that if he feels you don't really care about speaking to him? This doesn't mean you need to spend the entire time talking to him. Five or ten minutes of real attentive conversation can be worth 30 minutes to an hour of partial attention interaction. Second, whether you want to speak to someone changes based on the situation. You love your spouse , but if he or she tries to talk to you while you are watching something you like on TV, where is your attention going? Make your own decision, but if you want them to feel valued, give them your 100% attention. "The nice thing is that in many cases you can give them your attention for a few minutes and then return to what you were doing. You miss very little, they feel valued, and all is good." If your spouse wants to talk to you when you are busy you should _ . Answer: decide according to the situation Do You Want to Be an Artist? Do you want to be an artist? Come to our club. We have guitar, violin, piano and drum lessons for just Y=240 each. You can also learn to sing or dance for just Y=180 each. If you like art, you can be satisfied, too. Art lessons are just Y=200 each. How much is it for the piano lesson ? It's Y= _ . Answer: 240 A very young boy, Tom, lives a long way from the city. One day he goes to the city to visit his friend, Jack. Jack asks Tom to have lunch together. They go into the restaurant and sit down at a table. Tom looks around and he sees some old people put eye glasses on before reading their books, so after lunch he goes to a shop to buy some glasses, too. He walks along the road, and soon finds a shop. The man in the shop makes him try on a lot of glasses, but Tom always says, "No, I can't read with these." The man in the shop becomes more and more puzzled . At last he says, "Excuse me, but can't you read at all?" "No, I can't." Tom says, "If I can read, do you think I come here to buy glasses?" Tom goes to the restaurant to _ . Answer: have lunch Passage 1 Does the early bird catch the worm? No, he saves it for tea: Animals seek out food in the morning but don't tuck in until afternoon. The early bird,strategy was revealed in an experiment in which over 2,000 birds were fitted with tiny radio tags which activated when they landed on feeders hidden in the woods. The feeders were moved around over the course of the day and the researchers noted when the birds landed on them. This revealed that the birds were much better at finding the feeders' new locations in the morning. However, they waited until the afternoon to get tucked in. The researchers said the complex strategy acts as an insurance policy, with birds remaining light yet still able to get enough fat to survive the night. It is particularly important in winter when the risks of predation are high and just one day without food can make the difference between life and death for small birds. Passage 2 What is a place where you could find old pictures of camels carrying people to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and also books about ancient Aztecs in Mexico? It is all found in the World Digital Library (WDL). Its collection is available on the Internet. The library has 8,000 items from whole books to ancient writings, to music and photographs. James Billington, who launched the WDL in 2009, says he wanted it to include items that are both interesting and important. Every item is explained in the 6 official languages of the United Nations: English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian plus Portuguese. 25 million people have visited the website from 250 places since. Anyone may search the World Digital Library by subject, time period, kind of document or area of the world. The website is www.wdl.org. According to Passage 1, we can know feeders are _ . Answer: devices that supplies food for wild birds
Homelessness is a huge problem all over the world. It's said that each day there are about 1 million people living on the streets in the US. It is a serious problem which should be dealt with effectively. There are two main reasons for people leaving their homes: poverty and less affordable houses due to bad economic conditions. Other reasons include: domestic violence, divorce, and mental illness. Living without a home makes people main targets of violence activities and besides, these homeless people have to face the following difficulties on a daily basis. They have to move about, carrying their belongings, which makes it difficult for the charity and the government to help them. They have limited access to bathrooms and restrooms and are forced to live in dirty conditions, making them easy to be attacked by diseases. They have limited access to health-care facilities in case of emergency, and almost no access to education as they have no money. They are often ill-treated by society, which makes them unfriendly, often ending up being involved in activities connected with crime like selling drugs or guns. Homelessness is not something that happened overnight --- it has been in the country for decades. The society usually believes those living on the street to be mentally unstable. This belief is partially true. Most of them are normal people just like you and me. The federal government is doing all it can to help but it is not enough, so the ordinary citizens have to stand up and try to help whenever it's possible. There are various organizations, such as charity organizations that are working constantly to make sure that homeless people find a shelter to live in. the united efforts have helped millions of people return to their normal lifestyle. However, there is still a long way to go before a better situation is created for all the homeless. Homeless people suffer from all the following except _ . Answer: India has a very vast history and heritage. The country has witnessed some of the most important events in the past and every event has an effect of its own on the culture, religion, lifestyle, and economy of the country. This is one of the leading reasons why tourists prefer India to travel and explore. Historical tours in India provide everything that a traveler expects from his/her journey. These historical tours give an opportunity to study and explore Indian history. Historical tours of India generally consisted of four phases: ancient, medieval , modern India and contemporary India. Some of the historical travel packages are: Forts and Palaces The rich cultural past of India is reflected in the countless forts and palaces across the country. Most of the forts were constructed as a defense device to keep the enemy away and palaces were made on the names of the kings and queens. Some of the famous forts and palaces are: Agra Fort (Agra), Fatehpur Sikri (Agra), Hawa Mahal (Jaipur), Amber Fort (Jaipur), City Palace (Jaipur), Gwalior Fort (Gwalior), Mysore Palace (Mysore), Red Fort (Delhi), etc. India Heritage Tours The main purpose of India Heritage tours is to make Indians as well as tourists familiar with the rich Indian legacy . The heritage of the country is at least 5000 years. Some of the heritage tours are: medieval heritage, Rajput heritage, Golden Triangle, splendid Gujarat, etc. South India Historical Tours The Southern India is known for its diversity and there are many places, which attract tourists, not only from the country but also from all around the world. The famous tourists' destinations in South India include Goa, Cochin, Kerala, Munnar, Periyar, Kottayam and the list goes on and on. According to the passage, Rajput heritage_. Answer: Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws on its wings when young. They build their homes about 4.6m above the river, an important feature for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin. In appearance, the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside. The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young. Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip. Using these four claws, together with the beak , they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws. During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes. What is the text mainly about? Answer: Except for a few times, Americans are not big present-givers. There's no exchange of presents among business people, and if one American tries to give another a present, it may look like that he wants to bribe him. Americans have learned that in some other countries people like to give presents to others, but among ourselves we don't see the need for presents. Even friends may never exchange presents. When I go to foreign countries, I try to bring back little things for _ but nobody would feel unhappy if I didn't. I don't often remember a friend's birthday, and few people outside of my family remember mine. If someone gave me presents too often, I'd get unpleasant. But a present from a foreigner - that kind from his or her homeland -- won't go wrong, except to government employees who can't be given presents. You usually open a present at once and in front of the person who gives it except Christmas and birthday presents. You should only say, "It's so nice. Thanks..." when you get Christmas or birthday presents. You may want to bring a bottle of wine or flowers to a dinner party, but you're never asked to. Nobody will mind if you bring wine, but your friend may not use it that evening. At Christmas we often give presents to our family and sometimes our friends. We also give presents to people who have been helpful during the year- doormen, babysitters, housecleaners, newspaper senders-- anyone who has often helped us. What is the main idea of the passage? Answer: Millions of British people have _ the traditional "thank you" and took the place of it with the less formal "cheers", according to a survey. Although the common person will say "thank you" nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to add a "cheers" or "ta" where it's needed to show they are fashionable. One in twenty now say "nice one" instead, while the younger are more likely to offer a "cool" than a "thank you". "Merci", "fab" and even "gracias" were also listed as common phrases to use, as "much appreciated ". One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal "thank you" was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won't say thank you if they are in a bad mood. Most people stated that saying thank you was something that their parents trained them. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person's face without even meaning it, while one fifth avoid saying it when they know they should. It seems our friends and family get the stress of our bad manners. Half of them admit they're not good at thanking those closest to them. Many of them explain that they don't say thank you because their family "already know I'm grateful". When spoken words won't do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. One third will still send a handwritten thank-you note---but 45 percent admit it's been more than six months since they tried to send one. A quarter of British people say "thank you" with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake. It follows that 85 percent of people will be angry because of not getting the gratitude they feel they should receive. It can be learned from the passage that _ . Answer:
Karl Fleming joined the military because he needed a change in his life. He had a successful career with a shipping company but he wanted to do something more. He found that something in the U.S. army. Fleming began his service in 2009 and never looked back. A few years later, Fleming volunteered to go to Afghanistan. There, he worked as a bodyguard for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He enjoyed it, except for the almost-nightly rocket attacks. Karl was never hit directly by a rocket, but he didn't need to be to feel its effects. The rockets caused severe shaking, shaking so bad that Fleming was left with many injuries. He was also diagnosed with concussions and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Fleming said he was down but not out. Once he returned from Afghanistan, Fleming underwent one test after another. At first, Fleming said he thought he could recover or be able to return to duty and realize his dream of becoming an officer. But then came the news he had never imagined: Fleming would never be an officer because he was too injured to continue. Fleming said he was depressed after learning his military career was over. Add that to the memory loss, extreme anxiety and the many painful medical procedures he was already experiencing. He rarely ventured outside on the weekend. Instead, he preferred to sleep in. All that changed, however, with Fleming's service dog, Kuchar. Fleming said he had heard dogs could help people suffering from PTSD, so he started doing research. Karl eventually selected K9s for Warriors, which is where he met Kuchar, a yellow lab. Fleming and Kuchar trained together for weeks, before returning to Fort Benning. K9s for Warriors provided Fleming with Kuchar and the training for free. Life with Kuchar has been life-changing. Fleming doesn't sleep in any more because Kuchar won't let him. Instead, they venture out into a world Karl was once afraid of -- a world for Fleming that now seems impossible to imagine without Kuchar by his side. The passage is mainly about Fleming's _ . A change of life B service in the military C medical procedures D experiences in Afghanistan Answer: A. change of life You could have poor eyesight because you didn't spend enough time outdoors as a child, according to the conclusion of some studies on short-sightedness published in the Optometry and Vision Science. Although short-sightedness can easily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses , it's much better to prevent it altogether. This means we should allow the eyes to develop the way they should in childhood. Children need to spend more time outdoors, focusing on distant objects, say the Australian researchers. This gives the eyeballs a chance to develop as they should. According to one study on short-sightedness, the risk of developing short-sightedness is great -- about 60 percent -- in children who get five hours or less per week of outdoor activities. But if they do outdoor activities for 14 hours or more a week, the risk drops to 20 percent. Spending time outdoors can even help people overcome a genetic predisposition to short-sightedness. Children with parents who are short-sighted can bring down their risk by spending a few hours a day outdoors, suggest the findings from another of the studies presented at the conference. It's being in an outdoor environment that seems to be important, not the type of activity. Studies show that both active and passive outdoor activities have the same protective effect. So encourage children to balance the time they spend reading and studying with time outside. Two to three hours a day outside of school hours is the suggested amount by scientists. If it's hard to find that time, then cut the amount of television and reduce the time they spend on computer games and get kids to take frequent breaks outdoors when reading and studying. We can infer people use contact lenses to _ . A prevent short-sightedness B correct short-sightedness C protect their eyes from sunlight D decorate their eyes Answer: B. correct short-sightedness Section 1 of the Vehicle Code of State makes it illegal to cross a street in a central business district other than at a designated crosswalk. Section 2 of the Code prohibits parking any motor vehicle so that it blocks any part of a designated crosswalk. Ped wanted to cross Main Street in the central business district of City, located in State, but a truck parked by Trucker was blocking the designated crosswalk. Ped stepped out into Main Street and carefully walked around the back of the truck. Ped was struck by a motor vehicle negligently operated by Driver."If Ped asserts a claim against Driver, Ped's failure to be in the crosswalk will have which of the following effects? A It is not relevant in determining the right of Ped. B It may be considered by the trier of fact on the issue of Driver's liability. C It will bar Ped's recovery unless Driver saw Ped in time to avoid the impact. D It will bar Ped's recovery as a matter of law Answer: B. It may be considered by the trier of fact on the issue of Driver's liability. Do you know some world famous brands , such as Nike, adidas, Kappa...? What do you think of them? Do you use their products ? Here are some students' opinions: Sam: I am a Nike fan. Many of Nike's advertisements are fun and its products are great! I have a pair of Nike basketball shoes. Joe: In my eyes , top brand means high quality, So I love top brand products though they're very expensive. I was glad Mum bought me a Kappa T-shirt last month. Sally:The logos of famous brands are usually unique and nice. It's cool to own products with those logos. Sometimes I wear my adidas coat. Jack:Many top brand products are advertised by spokesmen . I love the spokesmen of many top brand products. I've got many Nike socks. Susan: I know it's popular for young people to have famous brand products these days. But my parents both lost their jobs. I have no interest in following the fashion. I only choose the products that are not expensive. Adam: As a student, I don't earn money myself. It's not easy for my parents to support me. So I only use some ordinary products. I don't agree students use the famous brand products. Joe loves top brand products because he thinks _ . A top brand means high quality B top brands' advertisements are fun C it's cool to own top brand products D the spokesmen of top brand products are his favourite Answer: A. top brand means high quality Even if trees cannot walk, they are still on the move. In parts of the Arctic, entire forests are moving northward. Across the Arctic, temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world. As that happens, the tree line that marks where forests stop and the treeless tundra starts has been shifting northward. Trees growing along the tree line must protect themselves from the cold wind. To do _ , plants tend to grow horizontal branches low to the ground. The energy it takes for trees to grow this way means they don't have enough energy to make seeds. But as Earth's climate has been warming, trees no longer have to just grow horizontally. Many can instead grow up toward the sky. This takes less energy. And with all the leftover energy. these trees have started producing more seeds. This happens especially in places where the white spruce grows. White spruce, which is a North American tree, is quite able to produce a lot of seeds, which can move long distances in the wind. When wind-blown seeds end up on the tundra beyond the tree line, they eventually can sprout new trees. This explains how a forest can move. Of course, the process would work only if the tundra were warm enough. But in recent years, the whole planet has been warming. New trees will provide shelters for some snow, keeping the sun's rays from making the white surface disappear. Instead, the trees absorb the sun's heat. This warms the surrounding air. The extra warmth encourages even more trees to produce seeds. That further boosts a forest's ability to expand. In addition, more trees will trap more snow, preventing much of it from being blown away. Snow can trap heat in the soil below,which encourages trees to grow. The recent rise of temperature has helped more trees grow. The recent rise of temperatures has helped more trees grow past the tree line. People worry about impacts on the animals that depend on frozen conditions for food and shelter. The passage is most probably taken from _ . A a health report B a science report C a fashion magazine D a children's magazine Answer: B. a science report
In its early history, Chicago had floods frequently, especially in the spring, making the streets so muddy that people, horses, and carts got stuck. An old joke that was popular at the time went something like this: A man is stuck up to his waist in a muddy Chicago street. Asked if he needs help, he replies, "No, thanks. I've got a good horse under me." The city planner decided to build an underground drainage system, but there simply wasn't enough difference between the height of the ground level and the water level. The only two options were to lower the Chicago River or raise the city. An engineer named Ellis Chesbrough convinced me the city that it had no choice but to build the pipes above ground and then cover them with dirt. This raised the level of the city's streets by as much as 12 feet. This of course created a new problem: dirt practically buried the first floors of every building in Chicago. Building owners were faced with a choice: either change the first floors of their buildings into basements, and the second stories into main floors, or _ the entire buildings to meet the new street level. Small wood-frame buildings could be lifted fairly easily. But what about large, heavy structures like Tremont Hotel, which was a six-story brick building? That's where George Pullman came in. He had developed some house-moving skills successfully. To lift a big structure like the Tremont Hotel, Pullman would place thousands of jackscrews beneath the building's foundation. One man was assigned to operate each section of roughly 10 jackscrews. At Pullman's signal each man turned his jackscrew the same amount at the same time, thereby raising the building slowly and evenly. Astonishingly, the Tremont Hotel stay open during the entire operation, and many of its guests didn't even notice anything was happening. Some people like to say that every problem has a solution. But in Chicago's early history, every engineering solution seemed to create a new problem. Now that Chicago's waste water was draining efficiently into the Chicago River, the city's next step was to clean the polluted river. The city planners were convinced by Ellis Chesbrough to _ . Answer: According to the fossil record, when did episodes of rapid speciation commonly take place? Answer: Snowflakes! You can catch them on your tongue or use them to make a perfect snowball. But have you ever thought about taking pictures of them? Ken Libbrecht did. He is a physics professor from California. Although the weather in California is usually warm and sunny, Ken's hobby is taking pictures of snowflakes. He travels to cold areas like Alaska and Canada to find snowstorms and take pictures of the snowflakes. "They are often beautiful, and every snowfall brings new surprises," says Ken. Ken takes pictures of snowflakes with a high-quality digital camera. He uses a microscope to make the tiny snowflakes larger. To get the best images, Ken built a special photo-microscope just for snowflakes. He collects flakes by letting them fall onto a piece of foam board . The pictures must be taken outdoors, so Ken wears lots of clothes to stay warm. But his fingers often get cold, because it's difficult for him to take pictures of a tiny snowflake with gloves. Each snowflake has shapes and patterns that make it as unique as a person's fingerprint. The hobby of snowflake photography is also unique. Next time a snowstorm blows through your town, take a closer look at the flakes before you gather them into a snowball. See if you can notice their unique patterns. Millions of snowflakes are waiting for you! ,. Which of the following isn't used when Ken works with snowflakes? Answer: Recordings of angry bees are enough to send big, tough African elephants running away, a new study says. Beehives -either recorded or real-may even prevent elephants from damaging farmer's crops. In 2002, scientist Lucy King and her team found that elephants avoid certain trees with bees living in them. Today, Lucy wants to see if African honeybees might discourage elephants from eating crops. But before she asked farmer to go to the trouble of setting up beehives on their farms, she needed to find out if the bees would scare elephants away. Lucy found a wild beehive inside a tree in northern Kenya and set up a recorder. Then she threw a stone into the beehive, which burst into life. Lucy and her assistant hid in their car until the angry bees had calmed down. Next,Lucy searched out elephant families in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya and put a speaker in a close to each family. From a distance, Lucy switched on the pre-recorded sound of angry bees while at the same time recording the elephants with a video camera. Half the elephant groups left the area within ten seconds. Out of a total of 17 groups, only one group ignored the sound of the angry bees. Lucy reported that all the young elephants immediately ran to their mothers to hide under them. When Lucy Played the sound of a waterfall instead of the angry bees to many of the same elephant families, the animals were undisturbed. Even after four minutes, most of the groups stayed in one place. Lucy is now studying whether the elephants will continue to avoid the sound of angry bees after hearing it several times. She hasn't tested enough groups yet to know, but her initial results were promising enough to begin trials with farmers. She has now begun placing speakers in the fields to see if elephants are frightened away. We know from the passage that elephants may be frightened of _ . Answer: I was in Houston a few weeks ago,and needed to be back home in Austin by midmorning the next day.Though I usually left in the evening,for some reason last time I had to choose to set off after midnight. I was on my way back to Austin when I realized I left an important file,and knew I had to return to get it.I took the first exit I could,but when I rounded the corner,an 18-wheeler was stopped dead in the exit lane.I swerved to avoid it,and then I realized that there was something wrong with my car.So I pulled into a small parking lot and unsurprisingly found the area deserted at 3:15am.I've lived in urban areas most of my life.I'm fairly street-wise and don't become frightened easily,but I knew I was in a pretty tough neighborhood. There was no one in Houston to pick me up.I immediately locked the doors and picked up my phone to call a tow truck.Soon a young man knocked on my driver's side window and asked if he could help me.Judging from his appearance,he was far from a mad man,but I knew he was far more likely to rob than help me.So I lied to him.After a while,he asked again,but this time I politely refused and told him the tow truck was due any minute.He finally said,"Madam,you need help.A tow truck in Houston will arrive anywhere between 45minutes and approximately never (which I knew was true),and you aren't going anywhere until you change your flat tire." After considering thoroughly,I got out.He looked surprised,but got right to work.He changed the tire,returned the seat to its place and said,"Thank you for letting me help you.You gave me a chance when most people would never open the door to someone like me.Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?"When I recovered,I gave him a giant hug.I left with a new tire and a renewed faith in human nature. Why did the author lie to the man and refuse his help in the beginning? Answer:
Each time I see a balloon , my mind flies back to a memory when I was a six-year-old girl . It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died . I asked my mum if my dad had gone to heaven . " Yes , honey . Of course , " she said . " Can we write him a letter ? " She paused , the longest pause of my short life , and answered , " Yes . " My heart jumped . " Can the mailman go there ? " I asked . " No , but I have an idea . " Mum drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon . I asked her what it was for . " Just wait , honey . You'll see . " Mum told me to write my letter . Eagerly , I got my favorite pen , and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink . I wrote about my day , what I learned at school , how Mum was doing , and even about what happened in a story I had read . For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive . I gave the letter to Mum . She read it over , and a smile crossed her face . She made a hole in the corner of the letter to tie it to the balloon . We went outside and she gave me the balloon . It was still raining . " Okay , on the count of three , let it go . One , two , three . " The balloon , carrying my letter , flew upwards against the rain . We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds . Later I realized , like the balloon , that Dad had never let his sickness get him down . He was strong . No matter what he suffered , he'd keep on , fly up , and finally go beyond this cold world and his sick body . He rose into sky and became something beautiful . I watched until the balloon disappeared into the grey and white and I prayed that his strength was passed on . I prayed to be a balloon . In the eyes of the author , what was the rain like ? Answer: The hard time her father had . No one really knows how and why people change as they get older. Also, no theory sufficiently explains all the changes of the aging process. Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects different people and organs. In fact, even in one person , different organ systems "age " at a different rate. At a certain point in our lives our body systems will begin to weaken . It may become more difficult for us to see and hear. The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to _ from disease and injury. In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives. Many factors decide our health . A good diet plays an important role. The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors. Our living condition is yet another. But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer. There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes. Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living. Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves. What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon. Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years! How many factors which decide our health are mentioned in the text? Answer: Four Which activity would most increase atmospheric CO2? Answer: speedboat driving Fiji is a beautiful country which consists of many islands. It's located in the South Pacific and it's famous for its beautiful scenery. Here are some family resorts for you. Shangri-La's Fijian Resort &Spa, Yanuca Island (4.5stars) Hitting the top spot once again is the worthy Shangri-La's Fijian Resort and Spa, Situated on its own private island, the resort is an easy 45 minutes by road from the airport. Idyllic island landscapes of tropical gardens and white sand beaches, with swimming right off shore, wait for the visitors. Kids stay and eat free, making the Shangri-la an affordable tropical stay. www. shangri-la.com The Naviti Resort, Coral Coast(4 stars) Located on the famous Coral Coast, this resort is popular with Australian families looking for value and quality. Kids rule at the Rugg Rats Club while there are also specialized teenager activities that will keep them busy both on resort grounds and beyond. Meanwhile, the whole family will enjoy outstanding facilities including 9-hole golf course, swim-up bar, fully equipped gym and giant chess board. www.warwicknaviti.com Mana Island Resort&Spa, Mana Island (4 stars) Learning about Fijian culture is a big part of the Vonu kids' Club at Mana Island, with activities including palm weaving, local games and shell collecting which are all part of the fun. Add to these two pools, a large playground, plenty of water sports. www.manafiji.com Sheraton Denarau Villas (5 stars) Sheraton Denarau Villas are specially designed to suit families, with dining areas, kitchen and laundry facilities plus the convenience of full hotel facilities. These are family-friendly activities on offer including fish feeding, Iawn bowls, boating and a special children's program. www. sheraton.com/denarauvillasoffers According to the passage, Shangri-la's Fijian Resort and Spa _ . Answer: keeps the top spot If you are sending a text, watching the TV or listening to the radio, you may want to stop and give this your full attention. Multi-tasking shrinks the brain, research suggests. A study found that men and women who frequently used several types of technology at the same time had less grey matter in a key part of the brain. University of Sussex researchers said, "Simultaneously using mobile phones, laptops and other media devices could be changing the structure of our brains." The finding follows research which has linked multi-tasking with a shortened attention span, depression, anxiety and lower grades at school. The researchers began by asking 75 healthy men and women how often they divided their attention between different types of technology. This could mean sending a text message while listening to music and checking email, or speaking on the phone while watching TV and surfing the web. The volunteers were then given brain scans which showed they had less grey matter in a region called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The findings held even when differences in personality were taken into account. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, is the first to make a link between multi-tasking and the structure of the brain. Researcher Kep Kee Loh said, "Media multi-tasking is becoming more common in our lives today and there is increasing concern about its impacts on our cognition and social-emotional well-being." He added that more research is needed to prove that multi-tasking shrinks the brain. This is because it is also possible that people with less grey matter in the ACC are more drawn to using lots of small devices simultaneously. Scientists have previously demonstrated brain structure can be changed on prolonged exposure to new environments and experience. Other studies have shown that training -- such as learning to juggle or taxi drivers learning the map of London -- can increase grey-matter densities in certain parts. Experts have also warned of the harmful impact technology can have on our memory and attention span. According to Kep Kee Loh, _ . Answer: the link between multi-tasking and brain shrinkage needs further research
In a city, the daily high and low 16 temperatures for a month are best represented by which of the following? Answer: Walking is so simple and convenient that it couldn't possibly count as exercise, right? Wrong. Study after study shows that regular walking can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease. The study published in Diabetes Research in Clinical Practice shows that the blood pressure of the overweight men being tested improved and the amount of body fat greatly decreased. That's good news, because walking has now become the most popular fitness activity in the United States. Convenient, simple, and gentle on the joints, walking is perhaps the easiest form of exercise to maintain. According to a survey, four out of five women who start a walking program continue to walk, while half of women who attempt other types of aerobic exercise , such as swimming, drop out during the first few months. Here are some basics for walking exercise. Walk at a pace that makes you breathe heavily, but still able to talk. Your goal, first and foremost, is to walk five days a week, 30 minutes a walk. Do that, and you are getting the base-level amount of exercise that research says should maintain your health and vigor . Walk for as long as you are comfortable the first week, even if it is just to your mailbox and back. Each following week, increase that amount by no more than 10 percent. Start every walk with five minutes of easy-paced walking, about the same pace at which you do shopping, to get your body warmed up. Then, cool down at the end of each walk with another five minutes of easy-paced walking. This allows your heart rate to gradually speed up and slow down. What would be the best title for the passage? Answer: Some people put metal tags on their dog's collars, because in darkness, these collars can Answer: Memphis is the largest city in the southern State of Tennessee, USA. The Mississippi River flows along the west side of the city. Memphis is the chief centre of business, industry and transportation in Tennessee. Six hundred fifty thousand people live in the city. More than one million people live in the area. Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About forty eight percent of the city's population is African American. In 1968, city workers who collected waste went on strike. Most of the workers were black. The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior went to Memphis to support the workers. On April 4th, King was murdered in Memphis by James Earl Ray. After Mr King's death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black people. In 1991, voters elected W*E Herenton the city's first black mayor . The same year, Memphis opened the National Civil Rights Museum. It was built next to the place where Martin Luther King was killed. Many people visit the museum to learn about the history of the American civil rights movement. Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit Memphis. Tourism has become a major industry. Why do people visit the National Civil Rights Museum? Answer: Imagine picking apples on Christmas or going skating on May Day. What about going for a swim on Thanksgiving? Without Leap Day ,which takes place every four years, that could happen. Our calendar is normally 365 days long. It was created to match the cycles of the seasons. But Roman ruler Julius Caesar noticed a problem: The earth doesn't circle the sun in exactly 365 days. It actually cakes 365 and one-quarter days. He figured out that the extra part of a day would cause the calendar to grow apart from the seasons over time. Over 100 years, the seasons would shift about 24 days. Spring would start on April 13 instead of March 20. Caesar used math to figure out a way to stop the calendar from shifting. He decided to add an extra day to the month of February every four years. His idea helped keep the seasons and calendar matched up. Even so, it still wasn't perfect--his calendar was adding too many days. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII worked on Caesar's idea. His calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, declares that every year that is equally divided by 400 is a leap year. Turn-of-the-century years, or years ending in "00", would not be leap years unless they could be divided equally by 400. These complicated equations help keep the calendar in balance with the orbit of the earth. Today, we still use the Gregorian calendar. In about 3,000 years, the calendar will be only one day out of step with the seasons, It's still not perfect, but mathematicians decided it was as close as we could get. Which of the following years is a leap year according to Pope? Answer:
Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. "We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity," Wishnatzki said. "The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful." So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a "vision system" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. Which of the following describes the typical winter scene of eastern Hillsborough County? Answer: Workers pick and package strawberries. The singer, Mick Jagger, of the Rolling Stones sings a song that tells people they can't always get what they want but if we try sometimes we can get what we need. The past years in my life my parents have told me this saying many times. I've always complained about the quote . Although over time I have told myself to learn from it. This year my girlfriend flew off to college in West Palm, Florida. This has been a killer for me because I haven't been able to see her and she is having a rough time in school. The last two months have been hard but we are working through it. I have been trying to get my dad to buy me a plane ticket to go down there. My dad told me if I brought him some money he would help me pay for the ticket. I started to complain to him because I had no way of getting any money to give him. I spent several days and nights thinking of ways to earn money to go see my girlfriend. I finally came to the conclusion that I would get a job and work hard to earn some money to give to my dad. I applied to Safeway and I ended up getting the job. I have been working at Safeway for about a month now and work hard to earn money to go see my girlfriend. The other day my mom had surprised me and told me that she asked her boss if she could use their business miles to buy me a ticket down to Florida for two weeks. I was very thankful and told her I would help pay for anything that I have to. The thought of me working hard and getting a job showed my mom that I really cared and was trying my best to be a successful person. I believe that you can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you get what you need. The author's parents often told him the saying quoted from the song because_. Answer: They tried to educate him to do things for himself Mental and health experts believe personality plays an important part in how we experience stress. Personality is the way a person acts, feels and thinks. Some people are aggressive and always in a hurry. They often become angry when things do not happen the way they planned. They are called "Type A" personalities. Studies suggest that these people often get stress-related disorders. The "Type B" personality is calmer. These people are able to deal with all kinds of situations more easily. As a result, they are less affected by stress. Studies have also shown that men and women deal with stress differently. Women seem to be better able to deal with stress than men are. However, experts say women are three times more likely to develop depression in reaction to the stress in their lives. American writer John Gray became famous for his book, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." He notes that men and women have opposite ways of dealing with stress. For a man, the best way is to rest and forget about daily problems. But a woman suffering from stress needs to talk about her problems. Experts say there are several ways to deal with stress, including deep breathing, exercise, eating healthy foods, getting enough rest and balancing the time spent working and playing. Exercise is one of the most effective stress-reduction measures, as physical changes from exercise make you feel better. In addition, exercise can also improve the body's defense system against disease. Keeping stress to yourself can make problems worse. Experts say that expressing emotions to friends or family members or writing down your feelings can help reduce stress. And they also suggest that people should attempt to accept or change stressful situations whenever possible. If you want to reduce your stress, you can _ . Answer: take some exercise If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment,don't lock yourself up in a quiet room. A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur to creative thinking than the sound of silence,Time magazine reported. A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz with a little noise. Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels,the level one might find in a busy coffee shop. A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction. The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia,Canada,to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background. In one experiment,scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress . Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud. While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book. the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can't think at all. Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily. Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity. Equally, working in a care environment isn't good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with. The recommended level of background noise is _ . Answer: 70 decibels Many children would start school hungry without breakfast clubs, teachers have claimed. A new survey suggests these clubs are the only way many students can get a meal before lessons. About 54% of the 552 school staff questioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers(ATL)said their school provides a breakfast club for pupils. The biggest reason for them to attend these clubs is that their parents or carer goes to work early, cited by 76.8% of those questioned. About 22.6% said children attended due to lack of money at home because parents or carers are unemployed and 15.2% said lack of money at home due to changes or cuts to benefits. About 17.6% said pupils mainly attend breakfast clubs to socialize. The survey found that teachers believe that offering breakfast to pupils often helps improve their concentration and ability to learn. One primary school teacher said: "Although there is a charge for our breakfast club, we have accessed funding for those pupils on free school meals and the breakfast club had an effect on their attendance, concentration and being in school for the start of lessons. ATL general secretary Dr Roper said a nutritious meal at the start of the day has a huge impact on pupils' ability to learn. "Many schools do everything they can to ensure children eat well during school term-time. But there are many children living in poverty, who we fear won't be getting a decent meal a day in the holidays and this is something the government needs to address," she said. A Department for Education spokesman said: "We know how important it is for children to have a good breakfast. We want schools and local authorities to use their budgets to best meet the needs of their children. Many provide breakfast clubs which offer a free meal to children from poorer families. The Pupil Premium, which will double to PS 2.5 billion in 2014-2015, targets extra money to help schools to provide support such as this to the most disadvantaged children. The free school meal scheme also ensures that these children have access to a nutritious lunch every day. How many factors are mentioned which can account for the popularity of breakfast clubs? Answer: Three.
Question: I remember a day when I was a little kid. I was making a sandwich in the kitchen when I noticed the date on one of the wine bottles. " Dad, dad!" I cried. "This wine is too old to drink." " Son, hold on," he said. " No, you can't drink this tonight! This bottle of wine was made 10 years ago." " Wait, let me tell you..." " Would you like me to throw it away fro you?" I asked. " Son, wait a second," he said. "Son, some wines get better over time. The longer you wait to drink it, the better it will be. Although this may seem strange, it is true." When I was young, I didn't have any understanding of what this meant, but now, this would have been very helpful to remember as I went through my teenage years. In our society, we forget this simple rule: The longer you want for certain things, the better they will be. But we want the best job as quickly as possible; we want to graduate from college in as few years as possible; we even speed through our homework just to chat with friends. When we do this, we lose something of great importance. We all want to get to the next step so quickly that perhaps we don't get ready enough to get there. This has a negative effect on our society. When trying to go to the right college, we will do anything to get in and when we rush through our class-work, we may not study enough for the test, and end up failing. We need to be ready for whatever comes, ready for the unexpected. Wine gets better over time, so do the things in our paths of life. In the author's opinion, if we do things too quickly, we will _ . A. do it better B. save much time C. graduate from college more quickly D. miss something useful to us in life Answer: D. miss something useful to us in life Question: In a society where lung and breast cancers are leading causes of cancer death worldwide, early detection of the disease is highly desirable. In a new scientific study, researchers present astonishing new evidence that man's best friend, the dog, may have the ability to contribute to early cancer detection. Researchers show scientific evidence that a dog's extraordinary smelling ability can distinguish people with both early and late stage lung and breast cancers from healthy people. Researchers first discovered this in the case report of a dog warning its owner to the presence of a melanoma by constantly sniffing the skin lesion . Later studies published in major medical magazines proved the ability of trained dogs to detect both melanomas and bladder cancers. The new study is the first to test whether dogs can detect cancers only by sniffing the breath of cancer patients. In this study, five household dogs were trained within a short 3-week period to detect lung or breast cancer by sniffing the breath of cancer patients. The experiment consisted of 86 cancer patients (55 with lung cancer and 31 with breast cancer) and 83 healthy people. All cancer patients had recently been diagnosed with cancer and had not yet undergone any chemotherapy treatment . The dogs were presented with breath samples from the cancer patients and the healthy ones, captured in a special tube. Dogs were trained to give a positive identification of a cancer patient by sitting or lying down directly in front of a test station containing a cancer patient sample, while ignoring healthy samples. The results of the study showed that dogs can detect breast and lung cancer between 88% and 97%. Moreover, the study also proved that the trained dogs could even detect the early stages of lung cancer, as well as early breast cancer. The researchers concluded that breath analysis might become a potential of cancer diagnosis. In this scientific study, five household dogs, _ lung cancer patients and healthy people are involved. A. 86; 88 B. 31; 97 C. 55; 83 D. 86; 83 Answer: C. 55; 83 Question: "Dutch" expressions heard in American English were first used in prefix = st1 /Englandin the 17thcentury. That was a time of fierce competition betweenEnglandandHolland. At that time, the British used "Dutch" as a word for something bad, or false. A Dutch agreement was one made between men who had drunk too much alcohol. Dutch leave was what a soldier took when he left his base without permission. Some of these old expressions are still used today with a little different meaning. Long ago, a Dutch treat was a dinner at which the invited guests were expected to pay for their own share of food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means that when friends go out to have fun, each person pays his own share. Another common expression heard a few years ago was "In Dutch". If someone told you that you were in Dutch, they mean that you were in trouble. Some of the Dutch expressions heard in American English have nothing to do with the Dutch people at all. In the seventeen hundreds, Germans who moved to theUnited Statesoften were called Dutch. During the American Civil War, supporters of the northern side in the central state ofMissouriwere called Dutch, because many of them were German settlers. President Theodore Roosevelt once noted that anything foreign and non-English was called Dutch. What's the passage mainly about? A. Telling us that"Dutch" is not a good word. B. Showing that "Dutch" means differently between the British and the American. C. Telling us there was fierce competition between EnglandandHolland. D. Helping us enlarge the knowledge about the word "Dutch". Answer: D. Helping us enlarge the knowledge about the word "Dutch". Question: When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we're hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education. One cost-cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor's degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there's a question: Would the quality of undergraduate education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a "three-year degree" model. I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits. In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly "throw out" one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist "diluting " the quality of the education they offer. In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior to a quality three-year education. A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it's not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University. ks5uks5u We can learn from the passage that _ . A. most American universities are against the "three-year degree" model B. many famous US universities are considering adopting the "three-year degree" model C. professors are willing to accept the "three-year degree" model D. The "three-year degree" model can make college learning more efficient Answer: A. most American universities are against the "three-year degree" model Question: "Look, my mum's in hospital, dying, she won't survive the night, I'm going to miss the connection to Leeds at Peterborough, I'd be grateful if you'd leave me alone.Okay?" "Okay," he said, finally getting up."Sorry to hear that, son.Hope you make it home in time." Then he left. Ten minutes later, he was back.Oh no, I thought, "here we go again".This time I really want to rag him down the train. He touched my arm."Listen, when we get to Peterborough, shoot straight over to Platform One as quick as you like.The Leeds train'll be there." I said, stupidly, "What do you mean? Is it late, or something?" "No, it isn't late," he said."No, I've just radioed Peterborough.They're going to hold the train up for you.As soon as you get on, it goes." " Everyone will be complaining about how late it is, but let' s not worry about that on this occasion.You'll get home and that's the main thing.Good luck and God bless. Then he was off down the train again. I chased him down the train.I wanted to give him all the things I had, but I knew he would be offended. I caught him up and grabbed his arm."Oh, er, I just wanted to..." I was suddenly speechless."I, if erm... "It's okay," he said."Not a problem. " I wish I had some way to thank you," I said." I appreciate what you've done." "Not a problem," he said again."If you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out.That will pay me back enough.Tell them to pay you back the same way and soon the world will be a better place." I was at my mother's side when she died in the early hours of the morning. How did the author catch the connection to Leeds he was going to miss? A. The Leed's train was late because of the bad weather. B. The Leed's train ran by a new timetable. C. The train arrived at Peterborough station ahead of time. D. The conductor radioed Peterborough and they held the train up for the author. Answer: D. The conductor radioed Peterborough and they held the train up for the author.

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