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[
"Chocolate may be healthy for us.",
"Eating too much chocolate might be harmful.",
"Allowing yourself a treat like chocolate.",
"Chocolate may help keep people slim."
] |
Chocolate may help keep people slim.
|
People who eat chocolate regularly tend to be thinner, new research suggests.
The findings come from a study of nearly 1,000 US people that looked at diet, calorie intake and body mass index(BMI)----a measure of obesity. It found those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.
Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients that may favour weight loss rather than fat synthesis , scientists believe. Despite boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption was related to lower BMI in the study. The link remained even when other factors, like how much exercise individuals did, were taken into account.
And it appears it is how often you eat chocolate that is important, rather than how much of it you eat. The study found no link with quantity consumed. Lead author Dr. Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said, "Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight."
This is not the first time scientists have suggested that chocolate may be healthy for us. Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart. Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.
And chocolate does contain antioxidants which can help to absorb free radicals----unstable chemicals that can damage our cells. Mice fed for 15 days with epicatechin (present in chocolate) had improved exercise performance and observable changes to their muscle composition. They say clinical trials are now needed in humans to see if this is the case.
But before you reach for a chocolate bar, there are still lots of unanswered questions. And in the absence of conclusive evidence, experts advise caution.
While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like chocolate now and then, eating too much might be harmful because it often contains a lot of sugar and fat too.
|
What is the passage mainly about?
|
[
"Wildlife protectors.",
"Story book writers.",
"Pet dog owners.",
"City zoo managers."
] |
Pet dog owners.
|
Dog Fancy
Cover Price: $ 59.88 Price: $ 12.00 ($ 1.00 / issue) You Save: $ 47.88 (80%)
Issues: 12 issues / 12 months
Details:
Dog Fancy is information driven and provides opportunity for reader interaction. Every issue includes a fold-out four-color poster. Your complete guide to help you better understand, care for and enjoy your dog.
Dog for Kids
Cover Price: $ 23. 94 Price: $ 12.99 ($2.17 / issue) You Save: $ 10.95 (46%)
Issues: 6 issues / 12 months
Details:
Dogs for Kids offers interactive and educational activities, which is intended for children (ages 8 to 12) who love dogs and puppies. Each full-color issue has training tips, fun activities to do with dogs, games, puzzles and posters. Dogs for Kids has received the Maxwell Award for Special Interest Magazines from the Dog Writer's of America for 2 years in a row.
The Bark
Cover Price: $ 19.80 Price: $ 15.00 ($ 2.50 /issue) You Save: $ 4.80 (24%)
Issues: 6 issues / 12 months
Details:
The Bark magazine is designed to include everything related to dog culture. Each issue includes stories, essays, poetry, reviews, interviews and artwork related to the relationship between humans and dogs. The Bark is not a how-to-care-for-your-dog magazine. It's a magazine about living with dogs, which is your magazine: touching, smart and simply wonderful.
Dog World
Cover Price: $ 48.88 Price: $ 15.00 ($1.25 / issue) You Save: $ 33.88 (69%)
Details:
Dog World is written for the dog _ , including professionals in the pet industry. Articles entertain and educate readers about dog health -- care, nutrition, appearance, training and behavior and the law. Dog World is a must-read for its devoted, loyal dog-loving readers.
|
Who would be most interested in the above magazines?
|
[
"is a popular Belgian tourist destination",
"is very welcome among Canadians",
"is a famous restaurant in Belgium",
"is a big international company"
] |
is a famous restaurant in Belgium
|
Who would have thought that potato fries could unite an entire country? Well, that seems to be the case in Belgium where there is currently a movement to have Belgian potato fries officially recognized as cultural heritage.
The fries are served in a paper cone from a "fritkot", which is a shack or a food truck. Across Belgium, there are at least 5,000 fritkots which is 10 times more common than McDonald's restaurants in the United States.
The movement for the fries to be declared official cultural heritage was started by UNAFRI, also known as the national association of fritkot owners. They claim that their establishments represent Belgium very well. "A cone of potato chips is Belgium in miniature . What's amazing is that this way of thinking is the same, in spite of differences among communities and regions," added spokesman Bernard Lefevre.
Tourists can even be seen to line up with locals in Brussels to buy a cone of fries from wellknown fritkots such as Frit Flagey and Maison Antoine. "Before I came here, the only thing I knew about Belgium [Z-x-x-k.Com]was that they liked their fries," said Rachael Webb, a tourist from Ottowa, Canada.
In order to be recognized by UNESCO, it has to be formally supported by the Belgian government of culture.
As of right now, UNESCO has a list of 314 items of "cultural heritage" that they say is worthy enough to be preserved. Items on the list include Turkish coffee and the old native singing of the Central African Republic.
Potatoes reached Belgium in the 16th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that they were cut up into fries and sold as a meal.
|
From the passage, we can know that Maison Antoine _ .
|
[
"Walk everywhere to find your friends.",
"Sit down and stay where you are.",
"Make a small room with branches.",
"Try to find something to eat and drink"
] |
Walk everywhere to find your friends.
|
If you go into the forest with friends, stay with them .If you don't, you may get lost. If you do get lost, this is what you should do. Sit down and stay where you are. Don't try to find your friends. Let them find you. You can help them to find you by stay in one place.
There is another way to help your friends or other people to find you. Give them a signal outing or whistling three times. Stop. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a call for help.
Keep on shouting or whistling, always three times together. When people hear you, they will give two shouts or two whistles. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help.
If you don't think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a small room with branches.
What should you do if you get hungry or need drinking water? You would have to leave your little branch room to look for something to eat and drink. Don't just walk far away. Pick up small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back.
The most important thing you need to do when you are lost ---stay in one place.
|
What shouldn't you do, if you get lost in the forest?
|
[
"A full-time science teacher",
"A teacher with the ability to get along with people",
"A teacher with excellent knowledge about Health & Social Care",
"A technician who can provide a technical support service"
] |
A teacher with excellent knowledge about Health & Social Care
|
Good news! Job offered.
Receptionist Administration
Full Time
A receptionist is required from 1st June 2015 at Dartford Science & Technology College. The position is only from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Friday, with an hour's break for lunch every day. The successful applicant must have a good telephone manner, good interpersonal skills and IT skills.
Science Technician
Term time plus 10 days, 37 hours per week
We are looking for a technician to provide a technical support service for science teaching staff. Applications are to be received no later than midnight on 10thJune 2015.
Health & Social Care Teacher
Our client, an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school in Ealing, West London, is currently seeking a teacher for Health & Social Care. The position will be a full-time post until July 2015. We require an energetic teacher to develop the learning potential of students. We are seeking someone with excellent subject knowledge who can combine academic strictness and achievement with enjoyment of teaching Health & Social Care.
If you are keen to work, click the button below.
|
_ is needed in a school in Ealing, West London.
|
[
"to be a great actress",
"for the enjoyment",
"for money",
"to be more famous"
] |
for the enjoyment
|
Everyone would like to be a millionaire but can you imagine having over $30 million and only being 20 years old? Britney Spears from Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana, is only 20 years old; she is an international pop superstar with not only $30 million but also a $2 million house in LA. At her young age, she can look after her family financially all her life.
This year is a big year for Britney. She is currently on a 31 day tour of the US and every concert is a sell-out. That means she plays in front of a crowd of around 18,000 every time. It's tiring schedule but brings great rewards. When touring, she goes to bed around l a.m. and then has a lie-in until l p.m. or 2 p.m. the next day. Her philosophy is to take care of the body and relax but always make sure you work hard and have fun.
Spears is not satisfied with only touring and selling nearly 40 million records, so she decided to branch out into the movie business and try a bit of acting. She made an appearance in " Austin Powers 3" this year and she is filming a teenage comedy that will be released in March 2003. In this movie, she has a starring role. The movie was her own concept and she picked the writer.
For Britney, acting is another way to express herself and she is enthusiastic about it all. If her movies are successful, her bank account is sure to grow by another few million dollars but she has been quoted as saying she does it for the love, not the money.
|
According to Britney Spears, she works_.
|
[
"in the kitchen",
"telling stories",
"playing \"let's pretend\" games",
"making up stories"
] |
playing "let's pretend" games
|
Rainy days may ruin some cheerful plans for outdoor activities, but it doesn't have to be boring inside. On the next rainy day, try some of these ideas for a day full of fun:
Tell stories. You might tell old stories you heard when you were growing up, or you might make up some really fascinating stories just for the kids. Let them all have a turn at making up stories of their own.
Play in the kitchen. Let the kids help you cook a pizza or maybe some cookies. Give them a chance to help you in the kitchen and make something delicious. Just make sure they remember that part of cooking is cleaning up.
Write a story together. Let the kids come up with a story of their own. They might want to write stories individually and then read them aloud to others, or they might want to get together and write a story together.
Play "let's pretend" games. Let the kids pretend to be teachers, doctors, nurses or policemen. Let them dress up in whatever you may have. Then let them play the roles. You might even volunteer to be the student or the patient.
Have a party. Let the kids pick out some music and dance around the room. Then,
let them fall all over themselves with laughter, when you show them how it was done when you were a kid.
Use these ideas to get you started, and the kids may actually start wishing for more
rainy days.
|
You may need some special clothes when _ .
|
[
"Girls would prefer to make friends with the men with a new plasma TV.",
"Women used tech items less than men in the past.",
"Women are more advanced than men in the future.",
"The use of tech items among women would reduce the price of diamonds."
] |
Women used tech items less than men in the past.
|
Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend, according to a new U.S. study that found three of four women would prefer a new plasma TV to a diamond necklace. The survey, specially by U.S. cable television's Oxygen Net-work that is operated by women found the technology gender gap has almost closed with most women buying new technology and using it easily.
Women were found on average to own 6.6 technology devices while men own 6.9, and four out of every five women felt comfortable using technology with 46 percent doing their own computer trouble--shooting "People have the thought that women are not as advanced as men when it comes to technology and I was surprised at the equivalence men and women now have in terms of technology," Geraldine Laybourne, chairman and chief executive of Oxygen Network said.
The Girls Gone Wired survey of 1,400 women and 700 men aged 15 to 49, which was conducted by market researcher TRU, found that given the choice, women would choose tech items rather than luxury items like jewelry or vacations.
The study found 77 percent of women surveyed would prefer a new plasma television to a diamond necklace and 56 percent would go for a new plasma TV over a weekend vacation in Florida. Even shoes lost out. The study found 86 percent would prefer a new digital video camera to a pair of designer shoes.
The study found over the next five years women see themselves increasing their activities in six tech areas: digital cameras, cell phones, e-mail, camera phones, text-messaging and instant messaging. Laybourne said this increasing use of technology among women was expected to continue.
|
Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
|
[
"Lisbon",
"Oaxaca",
"Istanbul",
"Aruba"
] |
Aruba
|
If you need to relax and want to head overseas, you can think of these four off-peak travel destinations to visit.
Portugal
With rich culture and history, Portugal continues to be one of the most affordable European destinations. Head to this beautiful capital city of Lisbon to attend the festivals and fairs, visit some 12th-century buildings, and stay at one of the newer hotels in the main city district. The Hotel Teatro is a four-star restaurant, and average nightly rates are under $ 150 a night.
Porto, Portugal
+351 220 409 620
Aruba
Set your sights on Aruba for an unforgettable Caribbean holiday. You can get special offers from one of the larger beach resorts here. Some of the chain hotels, including Marriott and Radisson, offer discounts on spa relaxations. The Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa is offering a Super Saver Spring Rate at just $309 per night.
Palm Beach, Aruba
800-967-9033
Oaxaca
Escape to southern Mexico to explore the historic colonial city and learn about the region's traditions, culture, and colorful history. Oaxaca plays host to several cultural festivals and is a great place to just relax. A seven-night stay at the Camino Real Oaxaca is just $207 per night for a deluxe single or double room.
Centro, 68000
01 951 501 6100
Turkey
Another place to have some local culture is Istanbul, Turkey. Stay at a destination that will put you within easy reach of famous sites like the Topkapi Palace. The Modern Sultan Hotel is a deluxe hotel located in the heart of the historic district. Average nightly rates for the bed and breakfast package are just under $ 120 per night.
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 520 00 53
|
If you want to enjoy the beautiful sea, you can go to _ .
|
[
"the general",
"a solider",
"a gun",
"love"
] |
a gun
|
One day a great general asks his soldiers , "What is the strongest power in the world?" Four of his soldiers put up their hands. They want to answer the question.
The general asks the first man to speak. The first man is youngerst, and he is not strong. He says, "My gun is the strongest . It can kill anyone." "Thank you. Next, please." The second man is very strong. He says, "I don't think so. Soldiers use guns. So the soldier is the strongest."
The third man says, "Soldiers use guns, but our general gives orders . So I think our general is the strongest."
The fourth man is the oldest. He says, "Love is the strongest. For love, people don't use guns." The general says noting. He takes out a medal and gives it to him.
|
The youngest man thinks _ is the strongest power in the world.
|
[
"April 5",
"August 5",
"April 21",
"August 21"
] |
August 5
|
Have you seen the movie Changjiang 7(CJ7)?The story is about a boy called Dickey. He lives a poor life with his father. His father doesn't have any money to buy toys for him. One day his father finds him a strange toy from a junkyard . Dickey names it Changjiang 7 (CJ7). It is an alien dog. It can do many things that humans can not do. Dickey takes it to school to help him in many ways.
CJ7 is a popular movie. Xu Jiao,born on August 5,1997 in Ningbo,Zhejiang,plays Dickey. On April 21,the girl won Best New Performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her play in CJ7.Now Xu Jiao becomes a new film star. She is well-known especially among young kids. Many of them want to own such a helpful toy as CJ7.
Xu once said it was difficult to play a boy. "To get an idea of what a boy is like," she said,"I watched boys and I also studied and played with them a lot."
|
Xu Jiao's birthday is on _ .
|
[
"You are not expected to read your own gas or electricity meters.",
"It is now cheaper to use gas than electricity as a form of heating.",
"You are not charged for the call when you report supply failure.",
"You should inform Eastern Energy of a change of address on arrival at your new home."
] |
You are not charged for the call when you report supply failure.
|
Our company, Eastern Energy, is here to help and provide you with personal advice on any matters connected with your bill or any other questions about your gas and electricity supply.
Moving Home
Please give us as much notice as possible if you are moving home, but at least 48 hours required for us to make the necessary arrangements for your gas and electricity supply. Please telephone our 24-hour line at 0131 6753 219 with details of your move. In most cases we are happy to accept your meter reading on the day you move.
Meter Reading
Eastern Energy uses various types of meter ranging from the traditional dial meters to new technology digital display meters. Always read the meter from left to right, ignoring any red dials. If you require assistance, contact our 24-hour line at 0600 7310 310.
Energy Efficiency Line
If you would like advice on the efficient use of energy, please call our Energy Efficiency Line at 0995 7625 513. Please do not use this number for any other enquiries .
Special Services
Passwords-you can choose a password so that, whenever we visit you at home, you will know it is us. If you want more information, please ring our helpline at 0995 7290 290.
If you need help or advice with any issues, please contact us at 0131 6440 188.
Complaints
We hope you will never have a problem or cause to complain, but, if you do, please contact our complaints handling team at PO Box, Stanfield, ST55 6GF or telephone us at 0131 6753 270.
Supply Failure
If you experience any problems with your electricity supply, please call free at 0600 7838 836, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
|
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
|
[
"Younger age.",
"Irrational thinking.",
"Knowledge of history.",
"Excess restrictions."
] |
Excess restrictions.
|
Now, I want to start with a question: When was the last time you were called childish? For kids like me, being called childish can be a frequent occurrence. Every time we make irrational demands, exhibit irresponsible behavior, or display any other signs of being normal American citizens, we are called childish. _ A _ . After all, take a look at these events: imperialism and colonization , world wars, George W. Bush. Ask yourself: Who's responsible? Adults.
Now, what have kids done? _ B _ . Well, Anne Frank touched millions with her powerful account of the Holocaust , Ruby Bridges helped end segregation in the United States, and, most recently, Charlie Simpson helped to raise 120,000 pounds for Haiti on his little bike. So, as you can see evidenced by such examples, age has ly nothing to do with it. We are called childish so often by adults that we should abolish this age-discrimination when it comes to criticizing behavior associated with irresponsibility and irrational thinking.
Then again, who's to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren't exactly what the world needs? Maybe you've had grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking: That's impossible or that costs too much or that won't benefit me. For better or worse, we kids aren't hampered as much when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things. _ C _ . Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and hopeful thinking, like my wish that no one went hungry or that everything were free kind of utopia . How many of you still dream like that and believe in the possibilities? Sometimes a knowledge of history and the past failures of utopian ideals can be a burden. On the other hand, we kids still dream about perfection. _ D _ . And that's a good thing because in order to make anything a reality, you have to dream about it first.
Now, our inborn wisdom doesn't have to be insiders' knowledge. Kids already do a lot of learning from adults, and we have a lot to share. I think that adults should start learning from kids. Now, I do most of my speaking in front of an education crowd, teachers and students, and I like this analogy. It shouldn't just be a teacher at the head of the classroom telling students to do this, do that. The students should teach their teachers. Learning between grown ups and kids should be reciprocal. The reality, unfortunately, is a little different, and it has a lot to do with trust, or a lack of it. Now, if you don't trust someone, you place restrictions on them, right. If I doubt my older sister's ability to pay back the 10 percent interest I established on her last loan, I'm going to withhold her ability to get more money from me until she pays it back.
True story, by the way. Now, adults seem to have a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids from every "don't do that," "don't do this" in the school handbook, to restrictions on school internet use. Kids have no, or very little, say in making the rules, when really the attitude should be reciprocal , meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population.
Adults, you need to listen and learn from kids. The world needs opportunities for new leaders and new ideas. Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed. Are you ready to make the match?
|
Which of the following least explains kids' advantage over adults based on the speaker?
|
[
"A colorful life",
"A beautiful house",
"Peace and freedom",
"Money for his life"
] |
Peace and freedom
|
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I am a web designer.
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take me to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long Those are my great memories.
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: As life was hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age .However, it taught me to deal with problems _ . I learnt to be independent.
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I'd change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn't matter as I can live with my family and we are safe.
Q: How do you get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I have got. That's my way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filter out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feeling should be passed through sight ,hearing and touch.
|
What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?
|
[
"the black car was full of garbage",
"the taxi driver didn't want his mood ruined",
"the driver of the black car didn't cause any damage to the taxi",
"the driver of the black car was angry and the taxi driver felt a little frightened"
] |
the taxi driver didn't want his mood ruined
|
We were driving on the right road when, all of a sudden, a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stepped on his brake, skidded , and missed the black car's back end by just inches! The driver of the black car, who almost caused a major accident, turned his head angrily and started shouting bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, my taxi driver was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to hospital!" And the following is what my taxi driver told me, which I now call "the law of the Garbage Truck".
"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish him well, and move on. Believe me. You'll be happier."
So this is "The Law of the Garbage Truck". I started thinking: How often do I let "Garbage Trucks" run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was then that I said, "I'm not going to do it any more."
I began to see "Garbage Trucks". I see _ they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, and move on.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. What about you? The mark of a successful person is how quickly he can get back his focus on what's important.
|
The reason why the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy is that _ .
|
[
".quality",
".service",
"function",
"shopping"
] |
.service
|
RichardSolo 1800 Rechargeable Battery
In just minutes a day, plug in and charge your iPhone quickly!
Just plug RichardSolo 1800 into your iPhone once or twice a day, for fifteen minutes, and keep your iPhone charged up. At your desk, or at dinner, plug RichardSolo into iPhone to instantly transfer change. No more battery worries. RichardSolo will charge iPhone to full 1.5 time, and it is good for 3-5 years of recharges.
Use the iPhone while charging it. Even charge the RichardSolo 1800 and iPhone together at the same time. Take only one charger when traveling and wake up in the morning with the RichardSolo and the iPhone charged.
RichardSolo 1800 is largest in its class and holds its charge for months. Works with almost all iPhone cases.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed, with our 30-day return privilege. If you're not satisfied for any reason, we'll email you a pre-paid return label.
Actual customer comments:
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This is what I call great customer support. I wish more companies would figure this out these days. Thank you so much.---D.C.
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This is the best customer service experience I have had in a long time.---L.L.
I've read online about your amazing customer service, and I must say I'm now a true believer.---B.L.
|
The customer comments on the battery are mainly about its _ .
|
[
"The U.S. will be ranked first in natural gas because it has huge fields of gas shale.",
"People gain natural gas from shale rock using a method different from the traditional ones.",
"Gas shale exploration will bring human beings abundant supply of natural gas.",
"There should be no concern over the energy shortage because the industry is developing."
] |
People gain natural gas from shale rock using a method different from the traditional ones.
|
Many people think the search for cleaner energy leads only to renewable resources like sun, wind and water. But it also leads to a fossil fuel. Natural gas is considered the cleanest of the fossil fuels, the fuels created by plant and animal remains over millions of years.
Burning it releases fewer pollutants than oil or coal. The gas is mainly methane . It produces half the carbon dioxide of other fossil fuels. So it may help cut the production of carbon gases linked to climate change.
Russia is first in what are called "proved reserves" of natural gas. The United States is sixth. Over the years, big oil and gas companies recovered much of the easily reached supplies of gas in America. They drilled straight down into formations where gas collects. As these supplies were used up, big drillers looked for similar formations in other countries.
But now the industry is taking a new look. Companies are developing gas supplies trapped in shale rock two to three thousand meters underground. They drill down to the shale , then go sideways and inject high-pressure water, sand or other material into the rock. This causes the rock to break, or fracture, releasing the gas. Huge fields of gas shale are believed to lie under the Appalachian Mountains, Michigan and the south-central states.
Gas shale exploration is being done mainly by small to medium sized companies. Eric Potter is a program director in the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.
ERIC POTTER: "The types of opportunities that are left for natural gas exploration in the U.S. have changed. So it's a different class of resource -- not as easy to develop, and not even recognized as something worth pursuing, say, twenty years ago."
He says more than half the gas in the United States is now coming from these new reserves.
But hydraulic fracturing can also produce debate and anger over the risk of groundwater pollution. This method of drilling is not federally supervised under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Some in Congress want to end that exemption from the law.
Natural gas provides Americans with about one-fourth of their energy. And, unlike oil, most of it is produced in America. Gas producers invested heavily in reaching new supplies when prices were high. But prices are down sharply now because the recession cut demand for energy. So energy expert Eric Potter says it is too early to know how the new gas shale reserves will affect the market.
|
What does the writer mean by saying "now the industry is taking a new look"?
|
[
"Stronger imaginative ability.",
"Additional presentation skills.",
"More mathematical confidence.",
"Greater chances of becoming teachers."
] |
More mathematical confidence.
|
The Basics of Math--Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents , the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to "make sense" of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing--and completely understandable--field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as "the best math teacher in America," is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.
|
What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?
|
[
"Opal Mining in Australia",
"The Desert Climate in Coober Pedy",
"Gift shops in Coober Pedy",
"World's First Underground Town"
] |
World's First Underground Town
|
When you walk into the small Australian town of Coober Pedy, you may be surprised by what you can see. It's just barren land there!
So why even call it a town? There are more than 4,000 people of 48 nationalities. However, all of the people live underground!
Coober Pedy was established in 1915, following the discovery of opals . The town is sometimes called the "opal capital of the world," because it is the largest opal mining area in the world.
Due to a desert climate , people came to realize that while working under the ground was easy, living above it was not. The solution was to move underground, by changing old mines into homes and establishing the world's first and most likely, only underground town.
As years have gone by, the homes have become bigger. There are now also some hotels for tourists. They come from all over the world just to see this unusual town. Coober Pedy is probably best known for its unique style of underground living.
While the structures may be located underground, they are in no way worse than those that lie above. Not only do their walls have the color of beautiful red, but also the structures have all the modern equipment like walk-in closets, modern kitchens and televisions. And the town also has gift shops selling opal jewelry, a couple of museums and even a church!
Besides, Coober Pedy is also a favourite among filmmakers. And it has appeared in a series of movies such as Pitch Black, Red Planet and Opal Dream.
|
The best title for this passage might be _ .
|
[
"a travel guide",
"a history book",
"a popular science magazine",
"an official announcement"
] |
a popular science magazine
|
In the countries of South and Southeast Asia, the elephant has been an important part of the culture, economy and religion for centuries. And nowhere more so than in Thailand. Unlike its African cousin, the Asian elephant is easily domesticated . The rare so-called white elephants have actually lent the power of royalty to its rulers,and until the 1920s the national flag was a white elephant on a red background. To the early Western visitors, the country's romantic name was" Land of the White Elephant".
Today, however, the story is very different. Out of work and out of land, the Thai elephant struggles for survival in a nation that no longer needs it. The elephant has found itself more or less deserted by previous owners who have moved on to a different economic world and a society in the western part. And while the elephant's problems began many years ago, now it has a very low national advantage.
How does the national symbol turn into ignored animals? It is a story of worse environment and the changing lives of the Thais themselves. According to Richard Lair, Thailand's expert on the Asian elephant and author of the report Gone Astray, at the turn of the last century, there may well have been as many as 100,000 national elephants in the country.
In the north of Thailand alone, it was estimated that more than 20,000 elephants were employed in transport, 1,000 of them alone on the road between the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Saen.
This was at a time when 90 percent of Thailand was still forest---a habitat that not only supported the animals but also made them necessary to carry goods and people. Nothing ploughs through thick forest better than lots of sure-footed elephants.
By 1950 the elephant population had dropped, but still to the number of 13, 397. However, today there are probably no more than 3,800, with another l,350 wandering free in the national parks. But now, Thailand's forest covers only 20 percent of the land. This deforestation is the central point of the elephant's difficult situation, for it has effectively put the animals out of work. This century, as the road network grew, the elephant's role as a beast of burden decreased.
|
The passage is most probably from _ .
|
[
"Chinese law on preventing occupational diseases has worked well.",
"the workers` awareness of protecting themselves has been greatly raised.",
"much remains to be done to protect the workers from workplace diseases.",
"the workers themselves are responsible for any workplace diseases or accidents."
] |
much remains to be done to protect the workers from workplace diseases.
|
Chinese officials yesterday urged employers to take more measures to protect workers against workplace diseases and injuries.
Experts estimate that about 200 million workers face a potential danger of occupational diseases and work-related injuries.
The majority of them are farmers-turned-workers who are working in small or medium-sized firms.
One of the most serious workplace diseases on the Chinese mainland is pneumoconiosis, a lung disease that is caused by breathing in too much dust of coal, silicon, and cerement. It causes serious breathing difficulties and can be fatal .
The disease killed 966 people in the country last year, according to an official report released by the Ministry of Health yesterday.
From the early 1950s until the end of last year, 607,570 people were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis.
Among the number, 137,481 people died from the disease.
Chen Xiaohong, vice minister of health, said the general level of prevention and control of workplace diseases is still quite low in China.
"Health authorities at various levels will do more education work in the future to raise employers` awareness that they are the first person responsible for any workplace diseases or accidents," Chen said.
He made the remark at a ceremony held by his ministry and other relevant departments under the State Council to award prizes to 56 companies which have done well in protecting workers` health.
On the Chinese mainland, more than 16 million companies are engaged in potentially dangerous sectors, such as coal mining, construction, and those that use chemicals, according to the Ministry of Health.
Although many companies, especially large foreign-invested and State-owned ones, have done well in protecting workers` health, many employees are still working in dangerous places with poor protection and without any insurance support.
At least 90 per cent of Chinese companies are small or medium-sized organizations.
Many of these companies, especially private ones based in towns and villages, do not want to spend their money strengthening workplace protection against various diseases and injuries, or buying insurance policies for their employees.
According to statistics from Chinese labour and social welfare authorities, there are about 120 million farmers-turned-workers working in Chinese cities. Less than 10 per cent of them have medical or injury insurance and many have no contracts with employers.
According to Chinese law on preventing occupational diseases, employers should establish qualified working conditions before opening factories, buy insurance policies for their workers, and provide regular health examinations for labourers.
However, according to a survey last year of 74,946 companies that use chemicals or are based in "dangerous sectors," only about 50 per cent offered health tests for workers.
|
From the passage, we can infer _ .
|
[
"He helped her practice walking.",
"He visited her and made a toy for her.",
"He showed her she could still do things.",
"He painted special pictures for her."
] |
He showed her she could still do things.
|
Many years ago,my dad was facing a serious heart condition.He was unable to do a steady job.He fell suddenly ill and had to be admitted to the hospital
He wanted to do something to keep himself busy, so he decided to volunteer at the local children's hospital.My dad loved kids.It was the perfect job for him.He ended up working with the seriously ill children.He would talk,play, and do arts with them.
One of his kids was a girl with a rare disease that paralyzed her from the neck down.She couldn't do anything,and she was very depressed.My dad decided to try to help her.He started visiting her in her room,bringing paints,brushes and paper.He stood the paper up,put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint.He didn't use his hands at a11.All the while he would tell her, "See,you can do anything you set your mind to.''
At the end of the day, she began to paint using her mouth,and she and my dad became friends.Soon after, the little girl was sent home because the doctors felt there was nothing else they could do for her.My dad also left the children's hospital for a little while because he became i11.Some time later after my dad had recovered and returned to work,in came the little girl who had been paralyzed and only this time she was walking.She ran straight over to my dad and hugged him really tight.She gave him a picture she had done using her hands.At the bottom it read:"Thank you for helping me walk.''
My dad would cry every time he told US this story and SO would we.He would say sometimes love is more powerful than doctor, and my dad--who died just a few months after the little girl gave the picture--loved every single child in that hospital.
|
How did the author's father help the paralyzed little girl?
|
[
"Because the old man ran faster than him.",
"Because he ran most slowly.",
"Because he was over 50 years younger.",
"Because he ran faster than the old man."
] |
Because the old man ran faster than him.
|
Think back to a time in your life when you tried something new.
When I was a teenager I volunteered to pass out water at a local race. I was so excited to see all the different runners who passed by and quickly took a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past and a few wheeled past.[:ZXXK]
I saw so many types of people doing it. I thought maybe I could do it too! The next year I decided to run for the race, but I had little running practice. I just wanted to finish. On the day of the race, it was terribly hot. After running for about 5 miles, I was thinking, "I must be crazy. Why did I do this? What was I thinking?" And at one moment, I said to myself, "I am never doing this again!"
That first 10 km race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and walked. At times, I didn't know if I could finish.
Near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me, very fast, and I felt a little embarrassed that I was more than 50 years younger than he and I couldn't even keep up with him. But then I realized something. He was running his race and I was running mine. How often in life do we compare ourselves to others when we really shouldn't? I decided that I would not give up on running races,and that one day I would be one of those 70yearolds who were still running.
As I crossed the finishing line, I was proud of myself. I didn't regret having such an experience.
|
Why did the writer feel embarrassed?
|
[
"give her some messages about Dad",
"make sure her room was clean",
"check that she was still there",
"find out how she was"
] |
find out how she was
|
It was a cloudy day on November 11, 2015. We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched, mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop . She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors."
"Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?"
Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.
After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you."
Outside, Mum told me, "Dagma is fine. No fever. "
"You see her, Mum?"
"Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But the floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush. "
|
Mum went to see Dagma in the hospital to _ .
|
[
"impatient, careful and humour",
"patient, thoughtful and strict",
"patient, kind and humour",
"impatient, kind and stubborn"
] |
patient, kind and humour
|
Having a bit of a temper tantrum , whether at home or in the classroom, is as harmful as you can get and only serves to discourage your teenagers.
What they really need at this stage in their lives are words that build them up according to their needs that it may benefit them-that is, words of encouragement, affirmation and a good deal of praise. The benefits to them and us as parents and teachers are quite amazing-harmony, peace and love.
When I left my last school where I had been a casual for eight years, I received "thank you" notes from the students. I think these notes illustrate what teenagers want and need from their parents and teachers.
Some of the notes mention kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, encouragement and fun. Teenagers value these qualities and what I found was that the more I relaxed and enjoyed their company, the less I had to discipline them.
Below I've included a few excerpts from the notes to let the kids speak for themselves. These are teenagers speaking from the heart and show what, according to teenagers, they need and value.
Each note began, "Thank you for..."
* making each student in the school happy
* putting up with us every time you get us (i.e. having patience)
* Always giving every student a chance and treating everyone like an adult giving lots
of merits and making every lesson fun and enjoyable
* Being very kind & for giving me lots of (merit) stickers
* You make working be fun
* Being a patient and thoughtful teacher
Patience is needed as well as kindness, thoughtfulness, a sense of humor and fun and the ability to listen more than talk.
When we praise and value our teenagers, the results are nothing short of miraculous.
|
From the passage, we can learn that the author is _ .
|
[
"A great man.",
"Small acts of big love.",
"A kind of charity.",
"My dream."
] |
Small acts of big love.
|
One day, when I arrived at school, an ice cream truck was parked in the schoolyard. Ice cream men usually drove their trucks to primary schools. I had never thought one ice cream truck would come to bring ice cream to us older kids. When I went up to the truck, I was quite surprised to hear the man call out, "Free ice cream!" To make sure of his words, I asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "Free ice cream. Choose whichever you like." he said, smiling.
After I was certain that the man was just giving away the ice cream, I talked with him for a long time. He told me that his dream had always been to travel around giving away ice cream, and that's what he was now doing. With his mother's support, he kept doing what he loved even during hard times. Now, however, some large companies are helping him his plan.
The man said he wanted to encourage people to do exactly what their heart told them to do with their lives. I kept asking him, "So your dream was just to drive around and give away ice cream? It seems like a very unusual goal." "Yes, just meeting people and making them smile," he replied. At that point he handed me my ice cream. I thanked him, but what I got from him was much more than just an ice cream. It can't easily be explained in words. I believe what he is doing is exactly what a great person does all the time: small acts of big love.
|
What's the best title of this story?
|
[
"enthusiastic",
"encouraged",
"embarrassed",
"upset"
] |
upset
|
Many years ago there was a huge oil refinery fire in a small town. Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air. The sky was thick with grimy black smoke. The heat was intense--so intense that firefighters had to park their trucks a block away and waited for the heat to die down before they could begin to fight the fire. However, it was about to rage out of control.
Then, all of a sudden, from several blocks away came a fire truck racing down the street. With its brakes screeching, it hit the curb in front of the fire. The firefighters jumped out and began to battle the blaze. All the firefighters who were parked a block away saw this, and they jumped into their trucks, drove down the block and began to fight the fire, too. As a result of that cooperative effort, they were just barely able to bring the fire under control.
The people who saw this teamwork thought, "My goodness, the man who drove that lead fire truck--what an act of bravery!" They decided to give him a special award to recognize him for his bravery in leading the charge.
At the ceremony the mayor said, "Captain, we want to honor you for a fantastic act of bravery in leading the charge. You prevented the loss of property, perhaps even the loss of life. If there is one special thing you could have--just about anything--what would it be?"
Without hesitation, the captain replied, "Your Honor, a new set of brakes of my truck would be great!"
|
How was the captain probably feeling when his truck charged down the street to the fire?
|
[
"set",
"fall",
"park",
"descend",
"reduce"
] |
reduce
|
rise
|
They were hoping their campaign would create a rise in awareness of the problem and hopefully do what to its effect?
|
[
"Our class was noisy in the past.",
"There are ten class rules listed.",
"Boys can't dye hair or let their hair grow too long.",
"Only a small number of students will obey the rules."
] |
Only a small number of students will obey the rules.
|
We all know that every class has its own rules, like "No smoking!", "No eating!" and "No sleeping!". Our class used to be noisy, because some students were talking when a student was answering the teacher's questions. So our head teacher made some class rules.
In class, we should observe the rules. Now, I list some rules in our class:
1. No talking when Someone is speaking.
2. No sleeping in class.
3. No eating in class.
4. Students can't arrive late for school. Be always on time.
5. No playing in class.
6. No laughing when someone makes a mistake.
7. No smoking or drinking.
8. Students can't dye hair. Boys can't let their hair grow too long.
9. In the schoolyard , students can't ride bikes.
10. Students can't fight with each other.
Maybe some students don't obey some of the rules. They may smoke, fight and dye hair. But most students think the rules are fine and say they will obey the rules. I think because our class has such rules, we will study better and better.
|
Which of the following is NOT true?
|
[
"She has taken pictures of the smiling horses.",
"She has taken pictures of the smiling kids.",
"She is a good reporter.",
"She has become a famous reporter."
] |
She has taken pictures of the smiling horses.
|
I had never given a thought to working on a newspaper. But when my husband decided to start one in our small rocky mountain town, I went along with the idea. I didn't know how to interview anyone, take interesting photos, or even put a newspaper article together. So I took my camera and just started carrying it with me everywhere.
One Saturday morning, I went on a children's hayride to get some shots of the local kids. I arrived early, so I could talk to the adults in charge, I needed to get some information to go with any picture I took.
After the kids were seated on the hay , I had plenty of pictures of their smiling faces. I just stopped to chat with a lady who had her horse with her. She planned to ride alongside the wagon and keep an eye on things.
While I chatted with her, her horse turned to fully face me and gave me a big horse smile. He opened his mouth wide, showing all of his teeth. We all laughed and I asked the lady to make him do it again so I could take a picture. She said she hadn't made him do it the first time and didn't know how to get him smile again. ks5u
I stepped back, positioned my camera, and said to the horse, "Smile again for the camera," and he did! He looked right at the camera and gave me a huge horse smile. In fact, I got two shots of him and he was willing to keep smiling at the camera.
Later on, we published the pictures of the kids and their hayride in the paper but the picture of the horse got the most attention. I have kept that picture in my photo album to this day. And proudly show it off every chance I get.
After that, I was always ready to go and get the story. I had learned how exciting and rewarding interviews and news photography could be. You may think you know your community pretty well. But wonderful surprises are waiting around you.
|
According to the text, why is the writer proud?
|
[
"To provide information to police who are looking for stolen art.",
"To persuade art dealers to check for fake copies before selling art.",
"To explain how modern technology can be applied in unique ways.",
"To help artists restore damaged artwork to its original appearance."
] |
To explain how modern technology can be applied in unique ways.
|
Some wonderfully creative uses of X-rays have been in the world of art.But the most impressive one is to uncover what has been covered up.Details unfolded by an X-ray of a painting can ' t be seen any other way.For example, in the past, paintings were often repaired if small pieces of paint fell off the canvas . These repairs cannot be seen just by looking at the painting.It takes an X-ray to discover where the repairs have been made.
An X-ray of a painting is one of the best ways to tell if it was created by a famous painter or if it is a forgery .If there is a question as to whether an old master has painted a certain painting or not, X-rays are made and compared to those of paintings that are known to be original.If the brushstrokes , for example, are shown to be totally different than in other work done by a certain artist, then the painting is proved to be a fake copy.
Since modern paints are usually made from different materials than paints of hundreds of years ago, the image they leave on an X-ray film looks different.This is another way X-rays can be used to spot a forgery.A modem artist will try to make a forgery look hundreds of years old by painting dirty varnish on it or by using artificial means to get the varnish to look cracked.To the naked eye the forgery may look old, but when a careful study of the X-ray image is made, the _ is obvious.
It was common many years ago for an artist to finish a painting, decide it wasn't any good, and paint a completely different picture on top of it.Or artists would paint over others' work --it was their version of recycling.Taking an X-ray is the only way to find out if there is a picture underneath the picture you see with your eyes.Sometimes museums will be more interested in the painting beneath than the one on top, and will restore the older one by having the top layer painstakingly removed.
|
What is the main purpose of the article?
|
[
"The former jammed bike paths will be widened.",
"Noerrebrogade is to be made \"Europe's great cycling street\".",
"All commuters will be pushed to leave their cars at home.",
"More suburbanites will be got out of their cars and onto two wheels."
] |
All commuters will be pushed to leave their cars at home.
|
Considered one of Europe's two "bicycle capitals" along with Amsterdam, Copenhagen counts more bicycles than people and cycling is so popular that its numerous bike paths can become crowded. Two-wheeler traffic jams are especially regular on the main Noerrebrogade road used by around 36,000 cyclists a day. "You have to elbow your way in to go forward and some cyclists aren't always thoughtful," complains 22-year-old university student Lea Bresell.
The creation of bike highways "comes right on time", says Danish Cyclist Federation Spokesman Frits Bredal. "Copenhagen's roads are overloaded with people who want to ride their bicycles in all kinds of weather," he says. "If in the 1960s Danes viewed the car as the symbol of freedom, the bicycles have supposed that role today," Bredal says. "It's a _ of transportation used by all social classes, even politicians ride bikes," he says.
It is on crowded Noerrebrogade--the busiest bicycle street in Europe, according to the cyclist association--that city planners have decided to build the first of Copenhagen's environmentally friendly roads. The jammed bike paths will be widened up to four metres on either side of the road, which itself will be reserved for bikes only. The idea is to make Noerrebrogade "Europe's great cycling street", says Andreas Roehl, Copenhagen government's bicycle program manager who is also known as "Mr. Bike".
But Roehl is not content with making life easier for Copenhagen's inner-city cyclists: He wants to get suburbanites out of their cars and onto two wheels as well. His goal is to hike the percentage of suburban commuters cycling to and from the city from the 37 percent it is today to 50 percent by 2015.
|
Which of the following is NOTincluded in Andreas Roehl's plan?
|
[
"It has a history of over 30 years.",
"It has built up a large pen market.",
"It has its name printed on each pen.",
"It charges a low price for extra service."
] |
It has a history of over 30 years.
|
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|
What do we know about 1234 PENS?
|
[
"the children would lose their souls",
"she had stayed in the village too long",
"she didn't take a picture of the head first",
"she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand."
] |
she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand.
|
A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens cap!"
|
The traveller made an apology to (......) the head because _ .
|
[
"mountains and valleys",
"the sun,the moon and the earth",
"cities and countries",
"seas,lakes and rivers"
] |
seas,lakes and rivers
|
Thousands of years ago much of our earth was covered with blocks of ice.These ice blocks were as tall as high buildings in modern cities.Most of the ice was in the northern part of the world. Then the ice blocks started to move south.Cold and rain came with the ice.Animals and people had to move. At last, the ice began to melt .After half a million years, most of it had melted.More than half of the earth became covered with water.The _ became much warmer.Things began to grow.The earth began to look the way it looks today.
|
The melting ice may help to form _ .
|
[
"their psychological distress",
"their emotional distress",
"their childhood stressful events",
"their childhood relationships with their parents"
] |
their childhood stressful events
|
Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists who studied hundreds of adults of all ages. "As our study shows, fathers do play a unique and important role in the mental health of their children much later in life," psychology professor Melanie Mallers of California State University said.
For this study, 912 adult men and women between the ages of 25 and 74 completed short daily telephone interviews about that day's experiences over an eight-day period. The interviews focused on the participants' psychological and emotional distress (i.e.whether they were nervous, sad, etc.) and if they had experienced any stressful events that day.
The participants were also required to answer questions such as, "How would you rate your relationship with your mother during the years when you were growing up?" and "How much time and attention did your mother give you when you needed it?" The same questions were asked about fathers.
People who reported they had a good mother-child relationship reported three percent less psychological distress compared to those who reported a poor relationship, according to Mallers. Men who reported having a good relationship with their fathers during childhood were more likely to be less emotional when reacting to stressful events in their current daily lives than those who had a poor relationship, according to her findings.
Also, the quality of mother and father relationships was significantly associated with how many stressful events the participants faced on a daily basis. In other words, if they had a poor childhood relationship with both parents, they reported more stressful incidents over the eight-day study when compared to those who had a good relationship with their parents.
Mallers explained why healthy or unhealthy relationships may have an effect on how people handle stress as adults. "Perhaps having caring parents equips children with the experiences and skills necessary to more successfully navigate their relationships with other people throughout childhood and into adulthood," she said.
|
In the interviews, people were asked about all of the following things EXCEPT _ .
|
[
"He didn't think David would catch any fish in that stream.",
"It was wonderful to catch some fish there.",
"David was not allowed to fish there.",
"The fish in the stream were very smart."
] |
He didn't think David would catch any fish in that stream.
|
David was a successful young man who worked in a large company in a big city in America. His favorite hobby was fishing. But it was several years since he had last gone fishing. He was too busy to get a chance to practice.
Then one summer he decided to go on vacation to a village where there were a lot of streams . "I ought to be able to have some good fishing there," he said to himself confidently and made good preparations for fishing.
The next morning after he arrived there, he walked to the nearest stream with his fishing rod . To his surprise, he saw an old man standing beside the water, doing nothing. So he asked him whether it was a private stream. The old man answered that it was not a private stream and everyone could fish there, so David said to him, " Well, then it won't be fined if I catch some fish here, will it?"
"Oh, no," answered the old man. "It won't be, but it will be a miracle ."
|
What did the old man mean by the word "miracle"?
|
[
"peaceful",
"difficult",
"dangerous",
"changeable"
] |
peaceful
|
What's your opinion about gun control in the US?
Figures tell a different story: Countries that allow their citizens to carry guns seem to have more killings than those that do not allow them. It's easy to kill with a gun. The media is filled with violence. People, especially young people, watch television. Having a gun does not cause someone to kill. The problem is within that person's mind. Controlling guns will not control killing. Changing the mindset will, however.
--- Bobby Walker, U.S.
Guns are deadly to all others who are near or know someone who has one. People don't understand the danger it holds, and don't realize what will happen just by cleaning it of if a younger child gets a hold of it. This weapon is dangerous and we don't need teens, kids, anyone to have them. Society can get along without guns.
---Ann Miller, U.S
I have a very large farm near Austin, Texas, USA. Because it is far from the city, I need to protect my property and cattle from thieves and wild dogs. The wildlife, such as coyotes and puma , can feed on deer, mice, rabbits--they don't bother me and I don't bother them. I lost 45 animals to thieves that cut a fence. This will never happen again. You ask if I would shoot--of course--that's why I carry a gun.
--- Texas Rancher, U.S
Some people think guns are very bad because they lead to violence. In my opinion, when people kill themselves or others, they do not have any feelings because they do not know anything about love, sympathy , and promise. The only way those persons can get these feelings is when they keep close to family, friends and people who matter to them. Now, having a gun is not a problem: the problem is what the people feel when they use one.
---Connie Faille, Colombia
|
The relationship between the Texas Rancher and coyotes can be described as _
|
[
"She used a pair of walking sticks.",
"She practiced hard every day.",
"She walked on her knees.",
"She asked her friends for help"
] |
She walked on her knees.
|
In seventh grade, Brittany Blythe dreamed of being a cheerleader. Her school's coaches were less than enthusiastic. "They said, 'I don't know how you'll be able to do it,' she recalls. "'You won't be able to do it. '"
But Brittany, now a junior at Strath Haven High School near Philadelphia, persisted . And when the junior team cheerleaders won a tournament last year, she was right there, dancing and cheering with the rest of the team.
Not bad for someone whose legs were cut off below the knee when she was two years old.
Brittany, 18, was born without shinbones --"just blood and muscle tissue", as she puts it. When she tried to walk, her legs twisted.
After the operation, she adapted quickly. "From day one, I basically jumped up and wanted to do everything," she says. Prosthetic legs allowed her to move around upright, but too slowly to keep up with her friends. Brittany's solution: take the legs off and walk on her knees---sometimes she still does when safety and comfort permit.
She's rarely _ . Other children laughed at her through the years, especially in junior high school, but she says the challenge only made her stronger. Now she's trying to convince her coaches to let her remove the prostheses and be a flyer, the cheerleader who's thrown in the air and caught by her teammates.
Brittany doesn't think her problems are more difficult than the next person's. "My disability was the first thing I had to get through, and that's going to prepare me for the future," she says. "It's all just a test: If someone throws you a curve ball , what are you going to do?"
|
What did Brittany do to keep up with her friends?
|
[
"$19.99 CAN.",
"US$19.99",
"The author doesn't tell us.",
"$ 20."
] |
$19.99 CAN.
|
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher:. Sams (March 29,2005)
ISBN: 0672327627
Product Dimensions: 8.4x5.5x0.6 inches
OVERVIEW
This book offers straightforward practical answers when you need fast results. By working through each 10-minute lesson, you'll learn what you need to begin to use the PHP scripting language to make your websites interactive and dynamic.
REVIEW
When I first laid eyes on this book and its title, Teach Yourself PHP in 10 minutes, my first thought was that I was going to see this! So I opened it up and figured I'd look through it for ten minutes and see what would hit me. Well, 10 minutes turned into 20, 20 into 30 and 30 into a valuable resource that sits on my desk.
Not only are the lessons within brief, but they are very easy to understand, well presented and very easy to understand for the beginner. Each lesson comes with tips to point out shortcuts, cautions to help you avoid common mistakes and notes to additional infomation. This book can be used in two ways, as a reference or as a complete tutorial on PHP basics. That alone is something that is very rare in teaching type books these days.
Some of the more valuable and informative lessons will take you into the areas of:
--Strings and variables
--Processing HTML forms
--Controlling and filtering data
--User authentication
--Cookies and sessions
--Security practices
--Configuring PHP and more!!!
The book is pretty basic for experienced PHP coders, but for new or intermediate users this book is worth more than the small $19.99 CAN suggested price. Although the cover suggests it covers PHP 5.0, the coding found within also applies to PHP 4.X
CONCLUSION
This book completely surprised me with its value and does indeed teach you in ten minutes what other books claim to do in 24 hours. Full marks to author Chris Newman for this handy guide.
|
What is the price of the book?
|
[
"not to be afraid of failure",
"dress yourself properly",
"pretend to know everything",
"make your advantages more obvious"
] |
pretend to know everything
|
People who show confidence really seem to have it made. They seize more rewarding careers, keep good relationships, and just seem to do everything with more styles than the rest of us.
So what is the secret? There isn't one. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that anyone can learn to develop. And although people who are raised in an encouraging environment with confident role models have a hard start in self-confidence development, we all can learn to become more confident at any age.
Try these simple tips for practising and increasing your self-confidence levels:
Dare to fail. Anybody who's out there bravely performing is going to fail repeatedly. If you are not failing, you are not trying. So don't take failure too hard or too personally. Just learn to deal with it and use its lessons to keep improving.
When in doubt, pretend you know what you are doing. Because, if you are confident of your abilities, by the time you have done it, you will be experienced.
Dress for success. You don't have to be beautiful to be confident. Make the most of your own unique physical characters and weaken your disadvantages.
Listen to yourself. You are the only person who knows what's right for you. Don't put others' opinions above your own inner voice.
Build a confident vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down and give up continually blaming your tiny weaknesses. Learn to show up your strong points and the world will learn to see and celebrate them with you.
Pass on the praise. Praise others for their virtues and strengths. This practice will not decrease your confidence, but help increase it.
|
All the following are tips to increase your self-confidence level EXCEPT _ .
|
[
"his cousins are funny",
"he enjoys playing with them",
"he doesn't like children",
"his cousins have too much energy"
] |
his cousins have too much energy
|
Some families live quite far in the UK.Visiting them can either be an adventure or a chore .It depends on how much family members like each other.
If all goes well,kids have an exciting time.Your relatives will plan different fun activities and make you happy.Taking you to visit relatives gives your parents a chance to rest.It gives older relatives a good chance to _ when they had young kids.If they do not have children of their own,they get to play parent for a while.
I remember that Blackpool Pleasure Beach was the place I liked to go with my grandparents
It is an amusement park on the northwest coast.It is packed with roller coasters and candy stalls .You could race small boats on a lake or scare yourself into death riding the ghost train.I had good memories of my time there.
As you get older,you suddenly become the one who must help your relatives with their kids.I have four COUSINS aged between one and eleven.They are fantastic and I really enjoy seeing them.However,it is very tiring,as they get so excited and energetic .I fall asleep hoping they will remember our good times when they get older.
|
The author feel tired after playing with his cousins because _ .
|
[
"You can read on computers.",
"Reading is a good hobby.",
"Good readers must be good writers.",
"Reading is useful."
] |
Reading is a good hobby.
|
Reading is a good hobby for all kinds of reasons. First , reading is fun. You can always keep yourself happy if like reading. You will never feel bored or tired. Next, you can read a book anywhere----in a car, on a plane, or even in the bathroom. All you need is a book! Another good reason for reading is that it is useful. If you read as a hobby, you will get better and better at it. And you will read faster and find it easier to understand what you read. As your reading skills improve, you will probably find your schoolwork becomes much better.
Some people say that reading is out of date . This is not true. You can read on computers, and the better you read, the better your computer skills will be. Good readers may become writers, too. They always have more things to write about.
Reading is a wonderful hobby. Why not start reading ri ght now?
|
What d oes the passage mainly tell us?
|
[
"Safari Cafe.",
"Gorilla Grill.",
"La Casita.",
"Silverback's Cafe."
] |
Gorilla Grill.
|
The Los Angeles Zoo has many public programs that aim to teach the public about animals and natural protection.
Safari shuttle
While you're here, take the Safari shuttle for a quick trip from one end of the Zoo to the other.
All day long, seven days a week (from 10 am to 5 pm), the Safari Shuttle picks up passengers, circles the Zoo, and returns to the main flamingo exhibit near the front entrance. You can get on and off the shuttle as often as you like.
Food
Safari Cafe (at the Zoo entrance) offers Starbucks coffee, fresh-baked cookies, and ice cream. Gorilla Grill is the spot for toasted food, kids' meals, snacks, and ice cream. La Casita serves a variety of Mexican food and refreshments . Silverback's Cafe offers sandwiches, salads, bread bowls, cold beer, and refreshments.
Hour
The Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day of the year except Christmas Day. Special summer long hours are until 6 pm. from July 1 to September 7. Please remember, the Zoo starts putting animals in for the night at 4 pm during regular hours, and at 5 pm. during summer hours.
Admission Prices
Adults (aged 13 and above): $ 9
Seniors (aged 62 and above): $ 6
Children (aged 2 to 12): $ 4
Children (under 2): free
Items Not Allowed on Zoo Grounds
Alcohol, Glass bottles, Pets, Bicycles, Skateboards, and In-line skate.
If you are planning a picnic while visiting the Zoo, please do not bring any glass items or other things that are easy to break. Also for the safety of the animals, no plastic bags are allowed within the Zoo.
|
Which of the following provides kids' meals?
|
[
"The math book.",
"The baseball.",
"The notebook.",
"The CDs."
] |
The baseball.
|
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
|
What's under the bed?
|
[
"genetics",
"money",
"exam success",
"ability at English"
] |
exam success
|
A new report says promising children money to pass exams does not help exam grades. The report says parents could be wasting their money by using cash to get their kids to study more. However, the promise of a trip somewhere nice could encourage students to try harder and do better at school. Researchers from the University of Bristol (in England) and the University of Chicago (in the USA) looked at how promises of cash and tickets to events affected students' studying and learning. Over 10,000 pupils took part in the research throughout the year 2012. There was an improvement in classwork and homework, but this did not result in better test scores.
Lead researcher Dr Simon Burgess suggested the research looked at the wrong areas. He said it had not looked at the things that really got students to increase their effort. He added that: "Clearly, some pupils have a lot of goals and believe that education is a way of getting what they want out of life, but there are kids who think that working hard doesn't make a difference." He said these children think exam success is "all in your genes" because of their family background. Education expert Dr Kevan Collins said good teachers were better than promises of rewards to get children to study, especially for children from low-income families. He wrote: "What really makes the difference is how students are taught."
|
What do some students think is because of "your genes"?
|
[
"their bad health",
"their lonely life",
"their dangerous stove",
"their poor memory"
] |
their poor memory
|
An elderly couple lived far away from their children. They noticed that they were beginning to forget many little things around the house. They were afraid that this could be perilous, as one of them might forget to turn off the stove and thus cause a fire. They were so worried that they decided to see their doctor to get some help. Their doctor told them that it was unnecessary to take medicine and that many people of their age found it useful to write themselves little notes as reminders. The elderly couple thought this wonderful, and left the doctor's office very pleased with the advice.
When they got home, the wife said, "Dear, will you please go to the kitchen and get me a dish of ice cream? And why don't you write that down so you won't forget?"
"Don't be silly," said the husband. "I can remember a dish of ice cream!"
"Well," said the wife, "I'd also like some strawberries on it. You should write that down, because I know you'll forget."
"Come on, my memory's not that bad," replied the husband. "A dish of ice cream and some strawberries. I can remember that!"
And with that, the husband shut the kitchen door behind him. The wife could hear him getting out pots and pans, and making some noise, preparing the dish. He came out of the kitchen about 15 minutes later.
Walking over to his wife, he presented her with a plate of fried eggs. The wife took a look at the plate, glanced up at her husband and said, "Hey, where's the toast?"
|
The couple was worried about _ .
|
[
"how the author obtained more drugs",
"how the author shot people for money",
"how the author quit taking drugs",
"how God helps people to quit taking drugs"
] |
how the author quit taking drugs
|
"How call I obtain more drugs?" I cried."I can't live without the help of drugs!''.You see,I was only 14 years of age when someone said to me,"Here,smoke this! It will make you feel good." So that is how my habit of d rug-taking began.
Soon I felt I could not live without more and more drugs.So I found I needed more and more money to buy drugs.So I began to steal things from my family and from shops.Then in the street I pointed my gun at people,saying, "Give me your money,or I will shoot you!"
I lost all my friends.My family also said,"Get out of this house and never return here!" I then realized the truth-drugs were killing me."Unless someone told me how to escape from the desire for drugs,I will soon be dead," I said .
Then one day,I read in a paper, "We help drug-takers!'' I decided,"I will go and see what these people think they can do for me."So I stayed at their meeting place for seven months.But they failed.They did not take the desire for drugs from me.
Then one day,I read something in the magazine called "La Paloma".I read how people said,"We could not escape from the desire for drugs.But now we have freedom.God gave us power to escape this desire.God gives us the power of the spirit when we believe what Jesus Christ obtained for us by dying for us."SO I decided,"I will go to this Betel meeting place as reported in 'La Paloma'.I will see if they can help me.''
Now I found these Betel people never left me alone.Yes,someone was always there with me day and night.Then one day I cried out to God,"God,please help me!" I know God heard my cry.I found I now had power to escape the desire for drugs.
At last I am free from the desire for drugs.I have found real peace of mind.I now enjoy life and help other people to overcome their d rug problem.
|
The passage mainly tells us
|
[
"daydreaming is neither harmful nor useful to daydreamers",
"daydreams are not the same as, but similar to sleep dreams",
"daydreaming is the result of dialogues between two persons.",
"daydreams are of great help to us in solving problems"
] |
daydreams are of great help to us in solving problems
|
Do you think that day dreaming is a waste of time? Probably so.
"On the contrary." says L. Giambra. an expert in psychology ."Daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn't get done all the thinking it has to do during a normal day. You can't possibly do all your thinking with a consciousness . Instead, your unconscious mind is working out problems all the time. Daydreaming then may be one way that the unconscious and conscious states of mind have silent dialogues."
Early psychology experts paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even considered them harmful. In the past daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980's. Eric Klinger, a professor of psychology, is the writer of the book DAYDREAMING. Klinger says. "We know now that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences, and plan for our futures... Daydreams really are a window on the things we fear and the things we long for in life."
Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand. It's easier to gain a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you recognize the difficult situations in our life and find out a possible way of dealing with them.
Daydreams cannot be predicted. They move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy.
|
After reading the passage we can conclude that _ .
|
[
"The virtual fitting room was invented in Russia.",
"The virtual fitting room and the virtual make-up mirror both use the augmented reality technology to help people with the way they look.",
"The customer can control the program by pushing virtual buttons.",
"The customer looks like he/she is actually wearing the clothes while using this technology."
] |
The customer looks like he/she is actually wearing the clothes while using this technology.
|
Have you ever wanted to try on clothes without going to the trouble of getting undressed? If you have, here's the device for you: the virtual fitting room.
The technology, designed by Russian company AR Door, was first tried out in May. When a customer walks into a "fitting" room, they'll stand in front of a big screen that looks like a mirror. A camera in the mirror, using Microsoft Kinect, monitors a customer's movement and projects a 3-D image of the clothes onto you while you stand before a screen.
The room also uses augmented reality technology. "Augmented reality allows the customers to choose an item of clothing without having to try it on physically," the company told the Daily Mail. A customer can spin around to see all angles of the clothes, and can control the program by pushing virtual buttons.
AR Door is not the only company to be developing technology to help people with the way they look. Japanese company Shiseido recently presented its Magic Mirror, a virtual make-up mirror that allows people to get a full makeover in seconds.
However, the technology is not perfect. The clothes still seem to hang on the surface of the body, rather than look like the customer is actually wearing them. And people shopping for clothes are probably still better off actually trying them on.
In the end, you won't know how something really looks and feels.
|
Which of the following is NOT true?
|
[
"but he soon put up a new one",
"because the vehicle did not look like an ambulance any more",
"so he asked the garage to paint another one on",
"but the siren and the flashing light still worked"
] |
but the siren and the flashing light still worked
|
Friedrich Dobl, a Yugoslav working in Germany, was fed up with traffic jams. At long weekends and holiday times when he wanted to get him quickly he always found himself behind hundreds of other cars moving slowly along the notorious foreign workers' route through Germany and Austria.
How easy it all was for police and emergency services. A siren, a flashing light? And like magic everyone was out the way. Going home from work one night he passed a garage. And there in front of him was the answer to his problems. An old ambulance was for sale. The red cross had been removed. But not the flashing light, and the siren. He tried the light. It flashed magnificently. He tried the siren. That too sounded impressive. He bought the ambulance and opened up for himself a dream world of motoring. It began early in the morning, all his luggage in the back of the ambulance and motorway in Germany looking reasonably clear. Soon, as always, a long line of traffic appeared ahead. He switched on the flashing light and set off the siren. Cars swiftly slowed and pulled off the fast lane. Other cars stopped and drivers waved him ahead to an open road all his own. In record time he crossed the border into Austria. The big bluff was working. Police even waved him through the confusion caused by an accident.
But then the Yugoslav made his big mistake. Until then he had only stopped for petrol. Now he was driving past a real accident, lights flashing , to late realize that it was not another traffic jam as he assumed. They stopped him, and after hearing the story of his ride across two countries fined him 12. 5 pounds.
|
The red cross had been removed _ .
|
[
"E-books can help children develop early reading skills.",
"Parents and children don't tend to read e-books together.",
"E-books replace parents' role in their children's reading.",
"Parents prefer e-books to traditional books."
] |
Parents and children don't tend to read e-books together.
|
Julianna Huth, a second grader at Green Primary School, in Green, Ohio, is a fan of the digital world. The 8-year-old enjoys e-books at home and at school. "It's just cool that you can read on your IPad," said Julianna, who started using e-books when she was 6. "It's more fun and you learn more from it."
Children would say that books on e-readers are fun. They include music, cartoons and other interactive functions that make reading a book feel like playing a video game. But is it better than a book?
Julianna's teacher, Kourtney Denning, thinks highly of e-books. "Traditional books aren't good enough anymore," she said. "We have to transform our learning as we know it."
Julianna's mother, Cathy Ivancic, said that electronic devices like the IPad were new and fun and gave children the motivation to read, including those who didn't like reading.
Some people, however, are suggesting a closer look, especially for younger children learning to read. "Read traditional books with your child. We don't have any evidence that any kind of electronic device is better than a parent," said Julia Parish-Morris, who has studied e-books and how children interact with them.
Ms. Parish-Morris and educators are concerned that children can be distracted by the cartoons and gamelike features within e-books. Keeping a focus on the story is important in developing reading and writing skills.
"The most important thing is sitting and talking with your children," said Gabrille Strouse, a professor who has studied e-books. "Whether you're reading a book or an e-book, co-interacting, co-viewing is the best way for them to learn."
Lisa Guernsey, director of the early education initiative at the New America Foundation, says conversations about how events of a story relate to(......) the child's own life, or asking open-ended questions about what happened, are examples of natural dialogue. But this kind of interaction is often different with e-books , she said, and in some cases, disappears.
"We are seeing some evidence that parents expect the e-books to do it all and are stepping back from communicating with their children," she said.
|
Which of the following would Lisa Guernsey most probably agree with?
|
[
"He asked the boy to give some bread to the dog.",
"He took the boy to his house and gave him money.",
"He hit the boy with a stick and didn't give him any money.",
"He gave the boy a dollar and then hit him with a stick."
] |
He hit the boy with a stick and didn't give him any money.
|
Mr Stilwell looked out of his window. There was a boy at the other side of the street. The boy sat before a store and took some bread out of a bag and then began eating it.
There was a very thin dog in the street too. The boy said to it very kindly. "Come here, good dog. Do you want a piece of bread?"
The dog was very hungry and went to the boy, but he didn't give it any of his bread. Instead, he kicked the dog. It ran away and the boy laughed.
Then Mr Stilwell came out of his house and said to the boy, "Do you want a dollar?"
The boy was happy and said, "Yes, I do."
"Come here," Mr Stilwell said. The boy went to Mr. Stilwell, but Mr Stilwell didn't give him a dollar. Instead, he hit him with a stick.
The boy cried and said, "Why did you hit me? I didn't ask you for any money."
"No," Mr. Stilwell said, "and the dog didn't ask you for any bread, but you kicked it."
|
What did Mr Stilwell do to the boy?
|
[
"The river Jordan runs into the Dead Sea.",
"The world will only be thirsty.",
"The sea looks beautiful when the sun-is shining on it.",
"The Dead Sea is the saltiest lake in the world."
] |
The world will only be thirsty.
|
The world is not only hungry, it will also be thirsty for water. About 97% of water on the earth is sea water, or salty water. Man can only drink or use the other 3% of the fresh water which comes from rivers, lakes and underground.
The sea is very big. Look at the map of the world, there is more sea than land. It covers quarters of the earth, it looks very beautiful when the sun is shinning on it. But it can be terrible when there is a strong wind. Some parts of the sea are very deep. There is one place near Japan. It's nearly 11 kilometers high. If we put that mountain into the sea at that place, there would be 2 kilometers of water above it!
The sea is salty. There is one "sea" called the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is not a sea. It's a big lake in the Jordan Valley. It's the saltiest. It's near the city of Jericho. It's about 80.kilometres long, between 4.8 and 17.7 kilometers wide. The river Jordan runs into the Dead Sea. The sun is not there and the water is salty. Fish can't live in the Dead Sea and plants can't grow near it. People can't swim well in the Dead Sea, but they can float on the water. The water is very blue and the air is clean. In winter, people come to the Dead Sea to enjoy the sunshine.
|
According to the passage, which of the following isn't true?
|
[
"an American should show sympathy to others.",
"American ancestors are Samaritans.",
"travelers are so poor as to be helped.",
"help is the foundation of American culture."
] |
an American should show sympathy to others.
|
Do Americans have morals ? That's a good question. Many people insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions. Some voices, though, are calling Americans back to traditional moral values. William J. Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education, edited the Book of Virtues in 1993 to do just that. Bennett suggests that great moral stories can build character. The success of Bennett ' s book shows that many Americans still believe in moral values. But what are they?
One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree tells this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new axe. When his father asked him about it, George said honestly, "I can not tell a lie. I did it with my axe." Instead of punishment, George received his father's praise for telling the truth. Sometimes American honesty-being open and direct-can offend people. But Americans still believe that "honesty is the best policy."
Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance. Remember Aesop's fable( )about the rabbit and the turtle that had a race? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle finally won because he didn't give up.
Sympathy may be the queen of American virtues. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man who showed sympathy. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. The traveler had been beaten and robbed. The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need.
In no way can these brief descriptions cover all the moral values honored by Americans. Responsibility, loyalty, courage, gratitude and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett's bestseller-over 800 pages-highlights just 10 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has only covered the surface. But no matter how long or short the list is, moral values are invaluable, they are the foundation of American culture-and any culture.
|
The story about a Samaritan suggests that
|
[
"spends more time with her kids",
"has an interest in classical music",
"works as a reporter of a magazine",
"helps people buy recycled clothes"
] |
spends more time with her kids
|
More People Are Leaving the Rat Race for the Simple Life
Time is more precious than money for an increasing number of people who are choosing to live more with less--and liking it
Kay and Charles Giddens, two lawyers, sold their home to start a B&B hotel.Four years later, the couple dishes out banana pancake breakfast, cleans toilets and serves homemade chocolate chip cookies to guests in a B&B hotel surrounded by trees on a hill known for colorful sunsets.
"Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the stress? No," says Ms.Giddens, "This is a phenomenon that's fairly widespread. A lot of people are reevaluating their lives and figuring out what they want to do.If their base is being damaged, what's the payoff?"
Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.
Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make."You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is," Ms.Robin says, "You tend not to use things up.You cook at home rather than eat out..."
Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks."It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids," she says, "Simplicity is not just about saving money; it's about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music."
Mrs.Luhrs now edits a magazine,Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.
"It's not about poverty," Mrs.Luhrs explains, "It's about conscious living and creating the life you want.The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn."
|
It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs _ .
|
[
"he went to encourage Amy frequently",
"he was quite curious about Amy",
"he had to send letters to Amy daily",
"he was moved by Amy's story"
] |
he had to send letters to Amy daily
|
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am 17 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day when no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.
Love, Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Content. When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, Manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He thought it wound be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special girl and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the "News Sentinel". The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift--just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy saw a world full of people who truly cared about each other.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to hold her head high.
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne High School. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially declared December 21stas Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. "Everyone," he said, "wants to and should be treated with respect, dignity and warmth."
|
The postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house because _ .
|
[
"Eating healthy food every day.",
"Having the right types of genes.",
"Having a healthy lifestyle.",
"Taking drugs that prevent ageing."
] |
Having the right types of genes.
|
Good Genes Mean Long Life
Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of "Methuselah" genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern .
The "Methuselah" genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person's lifespan . Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
"If we know which genes control longevity then we can ... target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing," he told The Times.
"Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it."
|
According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
|
[
"Titian Peale.",
"Rubens Peale.",
"Raphaelle Peale.",
"Sarah Miriam Peale."
] |
Sarah Miriam Peale.
|
The Peales were a famous family of American artists.Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution.He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington.His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.
Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale seum,which he founded in Philadelphia.The world's first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike.The museum's most popular display was the skeleton of a huge,extinct elephant,which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in l801.
Three of Peale's seventeen children were also famous artists.Raphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers,fruit,and cheese.His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people,including one of George Washington. Another brother,Rubens Peale,painted mostly landscapes and portraits.
James Peale.the brother of Charles Willson Peale,specialized in miniatures .His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America
|
Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?
|
[
"Mr Clark takes some good food to the party",
"Mr Clark does not like the people at the party",
"The people at the party don't know Mr Clark",
"Mr Clark was not good with the people at the party"
] |
Mr Clark does not like the people at the party
|
Mr Clark goes to a dinner party in old clothes. He comes into the room, but the people in the room don't look at him. They don't ask him to sit at the table.
Mr Clark goes home and puts on his good clothes. He goes back to the party. People in the room stands up and smiles at him. They give him very good food to eat.
Mr Clark _ his clothes, and puts them in the food and say, "Eat, clothes!"
The other people ask, "What are you doing?"
He answers, "I'm asking my coat to eat food. When I am wearing my old clothes, you don't look at me. You don't ask me to sit down. Now I am in these clothes. And you give me very good food. Now I know, you give the food to my clothes, not to me!"
,.
|
From the story , we know _ .
|
[
"ask the dog for help",
"show he is friendly",
"show his anger",
"show his respect for him"
] |
show he is friendly
|
What could be cuter than your puppy giving his doggy friend a kiss on the nose? Nothing, really. But is your dog actual-fly planting a kiss on his friend? Yes, but that's only one of the reasons your dog may lick another dog's nose. Here are some other reasons why your dog may lick another dog's nose.
During an introduction, a shy and lower-ranking dog will lower his head, avoid direct eye contact and gently extend his tongue to lick the nose of a more confident and high-ranking dog. The first dog licks the nose of the second dog to simply make it know that:he comes in peace.
Dogs who are already friends will also trade kisses. Two strongly bonded dog pals will lick and clean each other. They give each other "dog kisses" showing friendship.
Puppies also "kiss" their mothers, but it's not a gesture of love. When puppies stop suckling their mothers' tits for milk and start to eat semisolid food instead;they lick their mothers' mouths and noses in the hope of getting the mother to regurgitate some semi-digested food.
So how to help your _ dog make friends with other dogs? You can carefully select confident-but-friendly and good-tempered dogs to play with your shy dog, to help him develop his social skills. Also consider taking him to a special training class that focuses on socialization and positive training technique.
Do not disturb them when your two dogs play "kiss" briefly with each other. Sit back and enjoy this display of friendship. Then call them over and have them do a command such as "sit'' or "shake paws". Offer them treats as a reward for being good to each other.
If you foster a dog and have three or more resident dogs, introduce the foster dog to your brood dog one at a time and let muzzle licking between them happen naturally. Start with your least reactive or most friendly dog. Never force an in production between the dogs because this can deepen the foster dog's submissiveness or spark a fight.
|
We know a shy and lower--ranking dog licks the nose of a higher-ranking dog to _ .
|
[
"it is always morally right to treat old people and push off death",
"the opinion that we should try every means possible to save old people is uncertain",
"old people can enjoy a happy life only if they are very rich",
"medical decisions for old people should be left to the doctors"
] |
it is always morally right to treat old people and push off death
|
Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes into touch with them.Their values---this can not be repeated too often--aren't necessarily our values.Physical comfort,cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things.The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a room with rotten food covered by small worms,and an old person lying alone on bed,taking no notice of the worms.But is it interrupting personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers,the ones who clear up the worms,think we're in danger of carrying this idea of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
Indeed,the old can be easily hurt or harmed.The old is like a car: it needs more mechanical repair as it gets older.You can carry this comparison right through to provision of spare parts.But never forget that such operations are painful experiences,however good the results are.And at what point should you stop to treat the old body?Is it morally right to try to push off death by continuing the development of medicine to excite the forgetful old mind and to make the old body active,knowing that it is designed to die?You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide,because so long as they can see the technical chances,they will feel it necessary to give them a try,by the rule that while there's life,there's hope.
Talking to the old,however,you're forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or health than it does on your ability to have fun.
|
The writer of this passage thinks that _ .
|
[
"the Tuba City",
"the moon",
"the NASA research center",
"the Apollo moon mission"
] |
the moon
|
About 1966 or so, a NASA team doing work for the Apollo moon mission took the astronauts near Tuba City. There the land of the Navajo Reservation looks very much like the lunar surface. Among all the trucks and large vehicles were two large figures that were dressed in full lunar space suits.
Nearby, a Navajo shepherd and his son were watching the strange creatures walk about, occasionally being watched over by other NASA workers. The two Navajo people were noticed and approached by the NASA people. Since the shepherd and his son did not know English, they asked the NASA people who the strange creatures were. The NASA people told them that they were just men that were getting ready to go to the moon. The shepherd became very excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.
The NASA officials thought this was a great idea so they provided a tape recorder. After the man gave them his message, they asked his son to translate. His son would not.
Later, they tried a few more people on the Navajo Reservation to translate and every person they asked would chuckle and then refuse to translate. Finally, with cash in hand someone translated the message, "Watch out for these guys, they have come to take your land!"
|
The appearance of the Navajo Reservation is very similar to that of _ .
|
[
"a teacher",
"a journalist",
"a lawyer",
"a doctor"
] |
a teacher
|
Soon Tommy's parents, who had recently separated, would arrive for a conference on his failing schoolwork and bad behavior. Neither parent knew that I had called the other.
Tommy, an only child, had always been happy, cooperative and an excellent student. How could I convince his father and mother that his recent failing grades represented a broken-hearted child's reaction to his parents' separation and pending divorce?
Tommy's mother entered and took one of the chairs. Soon the father arrived. Good! At least they were concerned enough to be here in time. They ignored each other.
As I gave a detailed account of Tommy's behavior and schoolwork, I prayed for the right words to bring these two together to help them see what they were doing to their son. But somehow the words wouldn't come. Perhaps if they saw one of his dirty, carelessly done papers?
I found a sheet in the back of his desk. Writing covered both sides: not the assignment, but a single sentence scribbled over and over.
Silently I gave it to Tommy's mother. She read it and then handed it to her husband. Then his face softened.
At last he folded the paper carefully, placed it in his pocket, and reached for his wife's hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him. He helped her with her coat and they left together.
In his own way God had given me the words to reunite that family. He had guided me to the sheet of yellow copy paper covered with the pain out pouring of a small boy's troubled heart.
The words are "Dear Mom...Dear Daddy... I love you..."
|
This passage is most probably written by _ .
|
[
"Romantic stories.",
"Mysteries.",
"Horror stories.",
"Comedies."
] |
Mysteries.
|
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the nine o'clock Mystery Hour. Today we'll show you two British stories. We hope you'll enjoy them.
About 900 years ago two green children arrived in a small village in south England. Their eyes and skin were green and they spoke a strange language. They were very tired and weak, so the people of the village looked after them. The boy died a year later, but the girl grew strong and lived the rest of her life there. And her skin color turned back to normal day by day. Scientists say that sometimes of people don't have enough food to eat for a long time, their skin goes very pale and can turn green.
Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland. It's a very deep and cold lake. For hundreds of years, people have talked about a monster called Nessie which lives in the lake. About seventy years ago, two people saw something moving in the lake. They said that the animal was playing and rolling around in the water. Since then many people say they have seen the monster. Their descriptions are always the same. It looks like a dinosaur, with a very long neck and a small head. It has a big bump on its back. People have tried to photograph the animal, but the pictures have not been very clear. Scientists don't know whether there is a monster or not. Some say it may be a whale or a very large fish. Some think it's a snake. Others say there's nothing at all-- nothing but people's imagination. Maybe we'll never know what's in Loch Ness.
|
What kind of story is talked about in this program?
|
[
"It can help us to be a good player.",
"It can help us write well in the future.",
"It can help make us work better",
"It can make us watch more TV at home."
] |
It can help us write well in the future.
|
People like to read or listen to stories, especially children. After reading, some children wish to be writers some day. They want to write stories or books for people to read. That's good! It's good to write something for people to read! But they should know that they need to be good readers first before they are really good writers. They should read a lot of books. Instead of watching TV and spending a lot of time playing games when they are free. There is more fun in reading. After you read some good books, you may want to look for more books to read. Before you decide to be a good writer, you should say to yourself. "I must read more and more to become better and better at writing!"
|
What can reading do for us if we do much of it ?
|
[
"[email protected]",
"[email protected]",
"[email protected]",
"[email protected]"
] |
Share With Us
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Anecdotes and Jokes $50
What made you laugh recently? A funny sign? A colleague's behaviour? Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter is the Best Medicine! Email: [email protected]
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Send us a tale about the strange behaviour of unique pets or wildlife in up 300 words. Email: [email protected]
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Acts of generosity can change lives or just give you that warm feeling full of love. Share your moments 100--500 words. Email: [email protected]
My Story $350
Do you have an inspiring or life-changing story to tell? Your story must be true, unpublished, original and 800--
1000 words. Email: [email protected]
For more information, please visit: http://www.sws.com./share
|
A story showing people's generosity should be emailed to the editor at _ .
|
|
[
"Health.",
"Technology.",
"Entertainment.",
"Business."
] |
Technology.
|
Helge and Kari Farsund, who live in Oslo, Norway, have been a couple for 50 years. Mr Farsund worrked as an engineer, while his wife was an intensive-care nurse at one point serving with the Red Cross in Rwanda, helping victims of the violent war in that country.Three years ago, a personal tragedy struck, when Mrs Farsund was found to have developed Alzheimer's . 'As the condition became worse, Mr Farsund began looking for a system that could help both of them live as normal a life as possible. He came across the healthcare technology company Abilia, which has come up with just such a network.
At the center \of the system is an iPad-like device. The screen has Skype, which allows carers to regularly check in with patients. It also has a planner for patients or carers to record up-coming events and provides spoken reminders about daily tasks, such as when they need to take medicine.
Some l,000 people now have the system installed in their homes, and 25 of them, including the Farsunds, are testing the latest version, which combines the screen with wirelessly connected sensors. The motion sensors know if you are in the room or open a door, and send out alarms, for instance, if the stove is left on for more than 15 minutes or a per.son opens a door in the middle of the night. The second is a particular issue in Oslo, where sub-zero winters mean some Alzheimer's patients are freezing to death.
"With.this kind of system, it allows people to take care of themselves, which is the most important thing," says vice president Oystein Johnsen. For him, any move to improve city life needs to begin with people. "Smart cities are coming and they need to start with individuals in their own home," he says. "It also saves the govemment money. In Norway it costPS100,000 per year to have someone in a home, while this system costs 15,000. That is a lot of money to save."
|
Which section of BBC news is most likely to.include this passage?
|
[
"students will be able to express their ideas more freely",
"students will have more confidence in writing",
"students will have less trouble in correcting mistakes",
"students will learn to be independent of teachers"
] |
students will be able to express their ideas more freely
|
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to "play safe". He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: "This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is terrible." It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil's technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child's deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement.
|
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that _ .
|
[
"the President",
"each state",
"insurance companies",
"the US government"
] |
each state
|
Last year, Jack Bleed cut through the bone of his ring finger while working. The 31-year-old resident of North Little Rock, Arkansas, waited for about six hours at a nearby medical center while the medical staff there called all over town -- even as far away as Dallas and Memphis -- to find a hand surgeon to reattach his finger. Finally, a willing doctor was located in Louisville, Kentucky. But even though Bleed had insurance , he would have to hire a private plane to get himself there, at a cost of $4,300. In the end, he charged the cost to two credit cards, and his finger was saved. His insurance company eventually covered the cost of the plane, but his experience makes people aware of the fact that trauma care in the United States is not only geographically limited, but in many places, non-existent.
Only eight states -- New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington -- have local, fully functional trauma systems. The remaining states have partial systems, and 12 -- including Arkansas -- have no trauma system at all.
Although the President has signed a bill of $12 million for the purpose of supporting trauma care systems nationwide, many in Congress are unwilling to spend government money for a service they think should be paid for by states, says Wayne Meredith, medical director for trauma programs at the American College of Surgeons. Meanwhile, many states have also failed to find the dollars to support trauma systems. To make matters worse, many people without insurance depend heavily on the emergency care services, placing a huge financial burden on the medical centers that serve them.
For the same reason, doctors, too, often go unpaid. They are unwilling to perform emergency care, worsening critical shortages of neurosurgeons, orthopedists, and hand surgeons -- the very types of specialists Bleed needed at short notice.
Supporting a trauma care system doesn't take much. A half-penny sales tax in Miami-Dade County makes its outstanding system work. In Arkansas alone, says Wayne Meredith, a well-funded trauma system would possibly prevent 200 to 600 deaths each year. If trauma care systems were to work well across the nation, experts say, many thousands of lives each year could be saved. "You don't get much better return on your investment than that," Meredith says.
|
Many people in Congress argue that trauma care systems should be supported by _ .
|
[
"The story was soon known in other places.",
"Someone didn't want wolves to be killed so the farmer was on trial.",
"The farmer was guilty of his killing.",
"The local government took measures for the thing."
] |
Someone didn't want wolves to be killed so the farmer was on trial.
|
The thing was a hot one! A farmer had shot two wolves on purpose. He had seen the wolves on his farm and decided to get them before they caused trouble. He knew wolves were a kind of protected animals. However, he also knew most of his neighbors would shoot wolves, too. Shortly after the farmer skinned the wolves, problems began. It seemed that someone didn't like the idea of killing wolves after all. The officials had arrived. Out-of-town reporters got hold of the story. And now the farmer was on trial for his killing of the wolves.
|
Which of the following is not true?
|
[
"The damage was not serious at all.",
"The cat was too young to be X-rayed.",
"The doctor wasn't sure whether the author would like to cover the expenses.",
"The examination was too expensive for the author to afford."
] |
The doctor wasn't sure whether the author would like to cover the expenses.
|
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."
|
Why didn't the vet give the cat X-rays immediately?
|
[
"kindness",
"knowledge",
"patience",
"questions"
] |
knowledge
|
Long ago ,there lived in Greece a learned man. He was so well known for his good knowledge of almost everything that lots of people from all over the country came to learn from him. The great man taught his students whole-heartedly and answered their questions with great patience.
One day a student asked him, " My dear teacher, didn't you say you yourself have many ,many more questions about things than we do? But I think we students have far more than you."
With a smile on his face, the teacher drew two circles ,one as large as a big cake, the other smaller. Then he said , "Of course, I have learned much more. But it's wrong to think that a teacher has fewer questions than his students. Now, look at these two circles. The inside of the bigger one is my knowledge of things, and the inside of the smaller one is yours. Out of the circles is what is still unknown to us. Since mine is larger, I have to use the longer line to draw the bigger circle. That means I have more opportunities to face what is still unknown. And that's why I myself have more questions than you do. The more you learn , the more questions you have. You will never learn enough ,you know."
|
The teacher was famous for his _ .
|
[
"travel in Moscow",
"invest in a factory in Moscow",
"visit a modern factory",
"know the old worker"
] |
invest in a factory in Moscow
|
Mr. Brown lives in America and has a big factory there. He is busy all the time. But when he takes his holidays, he always goes traveling and has been to about thirty countries. One summer he went to visit Moscow. There he heard the workers were paid much less than those in his countries. And most factories couldn't work because they were short of money. He thought he would save much money if he invested in a factory there. The Russians knew it and warmly met him and he was invited to visit a modern factory. He went to the workplaces, watched carefully how the machines worked. The workers worked hard when he went in.
Soon it was time to have lunch. Mr. Brown went in the dining -room. Meat, eggs, milk and bread could be bough there. It seemed that they weren't short of anything. Mr. Brown came up to an old worker and sat down next to him.
Are you satisfied with your life, sir? Asked Mr. Brown.
"Of course," the worker answered and went on drinking.
"What do you have now?"
"I live in beautiful villa ," answered the man. "I have a new fridge, a new color television and I drive a new car to my factory."
"What's your next wish, then?"
"To buy a pair of strong shoes!"
|
At first, Mr. Brown was going to _ .
|
[
"His team examined the 20-year careers of physicists.",
"He came from Havard, a top-ranking university himself and knew it well.",
"Individual physicists' citations by other authors increased within 5 years.",
"They ranked the physicists' institutions according to citations to these universities' paper."
] |
They ranked the physicists' institutions according to citations to these universities' paper.
|
Most academics would view a post at an elite university like Oxford or Harvard as the crowning achievement of a career--bringing both honour and access to better wine cellars. But scholars desire such places for reasons beyond glory. They believe perching on one of the topmost branches of the academic tree will also improve the quality of their work, by bringing them together with other geniuses with whom they can collaborate and who may help spark new ideas. This sounds reasonable. Unfortunately,as Albert Laszlo Barabasi of Northeastern University,in Boston (and also, it must be said, of Harvard), shows in a study published in Scientific Reports, it is not true.
Dr Barabasi and his team examined the careers of physicists who began publishing between 1950 and 1980 and continued to do so for at least 20 years. They ranked the impact of the institutions these people attended by counting the number of citations each institution's papers received within five years of publication. By tracking the association of individual physicists and counting their citations in a similar way, Dr Barabasi was able to work out whether moving from a low to a high-ranking university improved a physicist's impact. In total, he and his team analysed 2,725 careers.
They found that, though an average physicist moved once or twice during his career, moving from a low-rank university to an elite one did not increase his scientific impact. Going in the opposite direction, however, did have a small negative influence. The consequence is that elite university do not,at least as far as physicists are concerned,add value to output. That surprising conclusion is one which the authorities in countries such as Britain, who are seeking to concentrate expensive subjects such as physics in fewer, more elite institutions--partly to save money, but also to create what are seen as centers of excellence--might wish to consider.
|
On what basis did Dr Barabasi's research team draw conclusions that getting a post at a higher-rank university won't help scholastic impact?
|
[
"is studying in the classroom",
"is playing games",
"is reading a story outside the classroom",
"is cleaning the classroom with me"
] |
is reading a story outside the classroom
|
It is five o'clock in the afternoon. It's time to go home. But we must clean our classroom. There are five students in our group. Now there are only three. Li Hong is playing games. Lin Tao is reading a story outside the classroom. I say to them, " Please come and clean our classroom!" We begin to clean it. Look! Li Hong is carrying water. Lin Tao and I are cleaning the floor. Soon we finish it. Where are the other two students in our group? We look for them and find them playing soccer on the playground. So we play soccer together with them.
|
It's time to clean the classroom, but Lin Tao _ .
|
[
"Michael Amatrudo charged a high price for selling his elderly parents.",
"William Shatner sold the kidney stone so as to donate the money to charity.",
"Jon Malipieman was sold because he was not wanted any longer.",
"The soul of Michael Jacobsen is worth more than that of Woody Allen."
] |
Jon Malipieman was sold because he was not wanted any longer.
|
An American research company shows that $248.7 billion online sales are expected by 2014. It seems as if we can't get enough of spending money through countless online clicks today. Following are some of the incredible things that you can buy online!
1) Parents
51-year-old Michael Amatrudo from Connecticut put a posting on Craig list in 2009 to sell his elderly parents, asking for $155 in return.
2) Chewing Gum
Bidding for Britney Spears' chewing gum reached $14,000 in 2004. The pop star's half-eaten sandwich also went for over $500.
3) Kidney Stone
Star Trek actor William Shatner sold his kidney stone for $20,000 when he put it up for sale online to see how much a piece of him was worth. He ended up giving the money to charity.
4) An Imaginary Friend
This imaginary guy went (or might still be going) by the name of Jon Malipieman and was sold on eBay for $3,000 by a man who claimed:
"My imaginary friend Jon Malipieman is getting too old for me now. I am now 27 and I feel I am growing out of him. He is very friendly. Along with him, I will send you what he likes and dislikes, his favorite things to do and his personal self portrait."
5) Souls
The website demonical.com is probably the creepiest site I have ever visited. You can sell your own soul or buy the souls of people such as Fidel Castro and Woody Allen (both selling for $950). Bill Gate, whoever that is, has his soul for sale at $1,300 while Michael Jacobsen's soul is being sold for $3000.
6) A Rock That Looks Like Meat
The screen shot from eBay tells us that people are bidding over $1 million for this "naturally formed bbq pork rock". Absolute madness.
|
What can be inferred from the text?
|
[
"the five-day joint military drill is held in Russia's Far East area.",
"China, Russia and other member states of the SCO, held three similar anti-terrorism exercises before this",
"not only the other four member states of the SCO, but also the members from America and France will send military observers",
"the target for the exercise is to show two nations strong determination to beat the terrorists severely and at the same time to show their military abilities to jointly deal with various kinds of security threats internationally."
] |
the target for the exercise is to show two nations strong determination to beat the terrorists severely and at the same time to show their military abilities to jointly deal with various kinds of security threats internationally.
|
(Xinhua)
Chinese and Russian armed forces on Wednesday began a five-day joint military drill aimed at boosting their troops' capability in fighting against terrorist. They will conduct a joint antiterror military exercise beginning July 22.
The exercise, named "Peace Mission-2009", will be carried out in Russia's Far East area and the Shenyang Military Area Command in northeast China, according to the two countries' defense authorities. It will last five days.
About 1,300 people from the army and air force of each side will participate in the exercise. The Russian forces would also send an airborne assault unit to participate in the exercise, according to the Defense Ministry.
The more than 2,600 soldiers have conducted joint exercise before. From July 23 to 26, the troops will conduct the exercise at a training base in the Shenyang Military Area Command where theater-level command headquarters of both sides will be established.
The deputy chief of general staff of Chinese armed forces Ma Xiaotian told reporters this morning that the Chinese military is well prepared for Sunday's joint anti-terror drill with Russia in a training base in Baicheng, Jilin Province.
The other four member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Takistan, Uzbekistan and the SCO's secretariat will send military observers.
China, Russia and other member states of the SCO held two similar anti-terrorism exercises under the name of "Peace Mission" in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
The exercise was not targeted at any particular third party, but would show the abilities and resolution of both sides to jointly deal with various kinds of security threats and crack down on terrorist, separatist and extremist forces, the spokesman said.
|
The passage tells us that .
|
[
"he often tells people time",
"he is usually trying to tell others the time",
"he has a helmet on his head",
"he wears special clothes"
] |
he has a helmet on his head
|
The English policeman has several nicknames but the most frequently used are "copper" and "bobby". The first name comes from the verb to "cop", meaning to "take" or "capture", and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth-century politician, who was the founder of the police force as we know it today. An early nickname for the policeman was "peeler", but this one has died out.
Whatever we may call them, the general opinion about the police seems to be a good one except, of course, among the criminal part of the community where the police are given more bad nicknames which came from America, such as "fuzz" or "pig". Visitors to prefix = st1 /Englandseem, nearly always, to be very impressed by the English police. It has, in fact, become a standing joke that the visitor toBritain, when asked for his views of the country, will always say, "I think your policemen are wonderful."
Well, the British bobby may not always be wonderful but he is usually a very friendly and helpful sort of character. A music-hall song of some years ago was called, "If You Want To Know The Time, Ask A Policeman". Nowadays, most people own watches but they still seem to find plenty of other questions to ask the policemen. In London, the policemen spend so much of their time directing visitors about the city that one wonders how they ever find time to do anything else!
Two things are noticeable to the stranger, when he sees an English policeman for the first time. The first is that he does not carry a gun and the second is that he wears a very special type of helmet . His helmet, together with his height, enables an English policeman to be seen from a long distance, a fact that is not without its usefulness. From time to time it is suggested that the policeman should be given a gun and that his helmet should be taken from him, but both these suggestions are not accepted by the majority of the public and the police themselves.
|
If you see an English policeman for the first time, you will probably notice at once that _ .
|
[
"she had to persuade her daughter to face the public cleverly",
"she had difficulty in making the public not laugh at her daughter.",
"the public thought her daughter's looks was caused by her ill-treatment",
"the public thought she didn't treat her daughter's illness in hospital"
] |
the public thought her daughter's looks was caused by her ill-treatment
|
Megan Tarzynski, 17, knows she lives in a world where looks are important, especially for teenage girls, but she is not ashamed of (...) her looks.
At Notre Dame High School for girls, Tarzynski takes an active part in many activities. "I am involved with drama club and another club called Polish club," said Megan.
Eighty-five percent of Megan's body is covered with what are called "port wine stains "caused by a serious illness. She also has glaucoma .
Megan has been going to Children's Memorial Hospital for laser treatment since she was a child.
When she was growing up, her mom, Karen Miller, had a hard time dealing with the public.
"I'd be accused of beating her and burning her. I mean, it was very difficult, very difficult, and I was a young mom and just to hear those things from people was hurtful," said Karen.
Support from her family and persons of her age have helped Megan accept herself.
"I only wear make-up if I'm going out in public or some place where I would feel more uncomfortable," she said. "And, if I'm at school, I usually don't wear make-up. I feel pretty comfortable with the girls around me," said Megan.
One of those girls is Megan's new friend Tanan Nicpon. She said, "I don't judge Megan by her looks. She is a really cool person."
"Megan is amazing. There is nothing that she can't do. She doesn't let anybody put her down. She does not let anyone help her in any way; she doesn't want any special treatment. She just does everything. She's amazing," said Karen.
In the autumn, Megan will be a senior at Notre Dame High School.
|
Karen Miller had a hard time dealing with the public because _ .
|
[
"Only the writer himself",
"The writer and his mother together",
"Only the writer's sister",
"With the help of a sleigh, the writer or his sister"
] |
With the help of a sleigh, the writer or his sister
|
My father was lame and very short. I was very shy to be seen with my father when I was growing up. When we walked together, he used to put his hand on my arm for balance, and people would stop to watch us. So I didn't like to go out with him. Sometimes my mother left our town to see her sister, and I had to helphim instead of my mother. I didn't say much as we went along. As we started out, he always said, "You can walk fast. And I can keep up with you."
We usually walk to the subway, by which he went to work. He went to work though he was sick or it was bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and could get to the office on time even if others could not. When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk even with other person's help. At such times my sister or I would pull him across the streets on a child's sleigh to the subway entrance.
When I think of it now, I am surprised how much courage he had to make his way to the office. I never heard my father _ it. Now he has been gone many years, but I think of him often. I really want to tell him how sorry I feel for it and how deeply I love him.
|
_ helped father go to work when it snows.
|
[
"Fourteen students sat around a large round table, taking the test.",
"There were four math problems on the test.",
"You will lose more points if you get the answer wrong than if you give up the question.",
"The proctor announced the instructions as soon as the test began."
] |
You will lose more points if you get the answer wrong than if you give up the question.
|
So the evening turned to night, and the night turned to morning. And before I knew it , the SAT was before me. I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I knew one thing: I wanted to get it over with.
SAT for the students is like tooth pulling. For those smart Asian kiddos, it's like walking through the park: easy and carefree. _
As I arrived outside of the dining hall, already a mob of students were sitting, talking, or standing silently waiting to get in. Jones students are lucky not only to have such a testing center at school, but also the feeling of their home school where it feels comfortable and familiar.
"ID, please," my former math teacher asked at the door.
"Okay." She looked over my ID, checked off my name on her list, and pointed towards the dining hall tables inside.
With hesitation, I picked up my feet and was directed to a large round table in the middle of the dinning hall. At least fourteen people could sit at this table but only four were allowed to take their test here.
"I'm glad it's multiple choices." I heard one student say. All the questions on the test have five choices except for one math section where they have only four. If you get an answer wrong, you don't get any point, plus you get a penalty of a 1/4 point. If you don't answer a question, you don't get any point, nor penalties.
When everyone had a seat and the actual SAT I booklet in front of them, the proctor of the test called for our attentions. "In front of you, you should have a SAT I test and a scantron . Please do not open the test booklet until I say so." He then went on to talk about the procedures, the amount of time, signature of honesty, etc. After thirty minutes of instruction reading, he gave us all a solemn expression before saying, "You may begin now. Good luck."
I could hear a hundred booklets being opened and pencils scratching the surface. I looked to my right, I looked to my left, I did a quick prayer for whoever was in charge up in the heavens, and started my test. At least I wouldn't know my score until summer time.
|
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
|
[
"The receiver's appearance.",
"The sender's emotions.",
"The feeling of the receiver.",
"The love between them."
] |
The sender's emotions.
|
Young men often give flowers to young women when they are in love. This tradition may have come from prefix = st1 /Turkey.
In the 1700s inTurkey, it was quite popular for people in love to send each other baskets full of strange things. The baskets were delivered secretly to the person who was receiving it. Usually, an old woman who sold flowers or fruit on the street left the basket beside the person's door.
These baskets included a variety of "gifts": flowers, stones, feathers, wax, and even charcoal. Each thing in the basket had a special meaning. By figuring out the secret message contained in each item, the person who received the basket began to understand little by little the true feeling of the person who sent it.
This idea of sending gifts of love with secret meanings quickly spread toGermany,France, andEngland. However, as time passed, only flowers remained popular.
An innocent bunch of flowers told young ladies about the feeling in the hearts of young men. Each different flower held a different meaning. For example, the flowers from an orange tree meant, "You are beautiful and pure." Pink carnations meant, "My love for you is strong and great." Yellow roses, on the other hand, meant, "I saw you with someone else."
Many flower dictionaries were made to help young people in love understand the meaning of the flowers they received. Not all of the dictionaries agreed, however, on the meaning of each flower, so a person had to be careful about the flowers they chose to send.
By the 1880s, using flowers to send messages had fallen out of fashion, and the more direct way of sending love letters began. Today, flowers are still considered a lovely gift, but the meaning for each kind of flower has been lost.
|
What did the items in the basket explain to the receiver?
|
[
"In a museum.",
"In a magazine.",
"In a newspaper.",
"On the Internet."
] |
On the Internet.
|
English is spoken as a first language by about 375 million people and as a foreign language by around 750 million people. It is being learned by about a billion people. These numbers alone make English _ to learn. If you are not fluent in English, it may be good for you to know the advantages of learning the language.
In many countries, English is used as a working language. In the United States, English speakers make more money than those who don't speak English at all. Learning . English can increase the chance of getting a good job.
If you visit a country, you can easily find someone who can speak at least a little English. So if 'you know English, you have a chance to communicate almost anywhere you travel.
Its not easy for parents who don't understand English to raise children in an English -speaking country. For example; if they send their children to school and the teacher does not speak their mother language, parents are likely to have difficulty communicating with the teacher. And if the children have homework they do not understand, parents cannot help them.
Want to get advice on how to learn English well? Please go on looking at our website.
,.
|
Where can you probably find the above reading?
|
[
"how to express thanks to others",
"how to deal with interpersonal relationships",
"the kindness of people who serve him",
"the importance of expressing thanks"
] |
the importance of expressing thanks
|
I hated writing thank-you notes as a child, but I had no choice: My mother was adamant about honoring other people's kindness and generosity. But now after a childhood spent crafting those notes, the music of gratitude flows naturally from me.
I hire Brant to build an arbor around my front door. I drew it exactly as I wanted, and he realized my vision perfectly. Surprised at how the arbor's beauty uplifted me every time I stepped into my house, I called Brant a few weeks after the arbor went up. He answered the phone defensively.
"What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice cold and distant.
"You can say, 'You're welcome,' " I responded.
"I don't understand," Brant shot back.
"I am calling to say 'Thank you.' ''
Silence.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I love my arbor, and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your work."
More silence.
"I've been doing this work for 20 years, and no one has ever called to thank me for it," said Brant. "People only call me when they have problems." He was doubtful.
I also had a similar experience with L.J. He answered my questions, didn't push, and gave me space to think and decide. I wrote to let him know that he completely exceeded my expectations of what a beat-them-down car sales experience would be like, and that I was happy with my car choice. L.J. called me a few days later. He said that this was the first thank-you note in the history of the dealership.
Are we really living in an age when feedback only closes with complaint? It seems to me that when we focus on problems, we only have dissatisfaction and complaint. But when we focus on celebrating goodness, we are likely to turn it into something positive.
|
By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show _ .
|
[
"to keep it slim",
"to keep it warm",
"to take special care of its legs",
"to take it to animal doctors regularly"
] |
to keep it warm
|
Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children.
Greyhounds can live for 12 - 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don't need a lot of space, don't make a lot of noise, and don't eat a lot for their size.
Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33 cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these.
Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they're slim they don't have the leg problems like other dogs the same height . But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside.
|
If you keep a pet greyhound, it is important _ .
|
[
"warn us to keep away from soft drinks",
"teach us some useful ways of keeping healthy",
"tell us how to choose a good one from all kinds of drinks",
"make the advertisements for soft drinks"
] |
tell us how to choose a good one from all kinds of drinks
|
On a hot summer day, a soft drink can really take away your thirst. At home, at school, in the park or at the movies---you can find one almost anywhere.
Carbonated
You can see bubbles in these! Of all soft drinks sold, about 75 percent are carbonated . But be careful, carbonated soft drinks have lots of sugar and caffeine . Caffeine is not very good for you in the summer because it takes water out of your body. And the sugar can make you overweight if you drink too much.
Fruit juice
There are different kinds of juice. One kind is made only from fresh fruit. This kind of fruit juice may not taste sweet enough for some people, but it is nutritious . Another kind of fruit juice tastes good but has lots of sugar in it. Many young people buy this kind because the advertisements are good. It is bad for your teeth and bones to drink lots of this.
Energy drinks
These kinds of drinks have caffeine and things that make people get excited in them. They are sometimes called "party drinks". Doctors say that if you drink too much of this kind, you may have a heart attack.
Bottled water
We have lots of different kinds of bottled water, such as mineral water, purified water and distilled water . They are clean and easy to drink. But it is best not to drink very cold water. It may make your stomach feel bad.
Sports drinks
Most of these have funny names like "Scream " and "G-Vital ". They have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. After you play sports, you may want to drink one of these.
But if you just spend your summer holiday sitting around watching TV, you won't need them at all!
|
The writer wrote this passage to _ .
|
[
"no scientist is as great as Albert Einstein during this century",
"Albert Einstein was likely to be the greatest scientist of his time",
"Albert Einstein made the first atomic bomb for the United States of America",
"Albert Einstein gave up his German citizenship for political reasons"
] |
Albert Einstein gave up his German citizenship for political reasons
|
Albert Einstein was probably the most famous scientist of the twentieth century. He changed scientific thinking in the modern world. He is generally considered as the greatest physicist who ever lived. What's more, he devoted a lot of his time and energy to working for human rights and progress.
In 1933, while Einstein was visiting England and the United States, the Nazi government of Germany took all his things away, including his position and his citizenship. Einstein then settled down in the United States. In 1939, Einstein, who loved peace--afraid of a world in which only Hitler would had an atomic bomb --tried hard to persuade President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a famous letter to have the United States start uranium research. That Germany, after all, had no bomb, and that the first bomb would fall on Japan, could not have been expected. After the war, Einstein never stopped working for peace and reducing the number of soldiers in the world.
Although he wasn't connected with any accepted religion , Einstein felt that trust in a personal God was too special an idea to be suitable to the God at work in this universe, but he never believed that the universe was one of chance or disorder. The universe to him was one of pure law and order. He once said, "God may know everything, but he is not hateful."
|
From the passage we know that_.
|
[
"how to study well",
"how to get on with others",
"to show love and care for others",
"All above"
] |
All above
|
Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents. Most students are always told by their parents to study harder and better so that they can have a wonderful life in the future. Though this may be a good idea for those very bright students, it can have terrible results for many students who are not gifted enough. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have their parents lose hope. Such students felt that they are hated by everyone else they meet and they don't want to go to school any longer. They become dropouts.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers' work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents serif their children to those schools opening in the evenings and on weekends -- they only help the students to pass the exams and never teach them any real sense of the world.
Many Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students' hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules are harmful to the feelings of the students. Almost 40% of the students said that no one had taught them how to get on with others, how to tell right from wrong and how to show love and care for others, even for their parents.
|
According to the passage, it's necessary to teach students _ .
|
[
"Give presents.",
"Ask for money.",
"ask for presents.",
"Give money."
] |
Give presents.
|
On Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas Day, children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give some presents. Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings children a lot of presents.
Christmas Day always begins before breakfast. 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 children.
|
On Christmas Day, what do people often do to children?
|
[
"A special restaurant",
"A lovely baby",
"Soul and clothes",
"Parents' influence on babies"
] |
Soul and clothes
|
Last weekend, our family went to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant. We were the only family with a baby in the restaurant. Suddenly, my baby Erik became excited when we were enjoying our meal. I looked around and saw an old man with old clothes and dirty old shoes. His hair was unwashed. He was smiling at my Erik.
"He might hurt my Erik," I thought. Everyone in the restaurant looked at us and the old man. Then we decided to leave. The old man sat between the door and us.
As I walked closer to the man, I turned my back. Suddenly, Erik leaned over my arms, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position . Before I could stop him, Erik had escaped from my arms to the man's. Soon the very old smelly man and my young baby developed a kind of friendship.
Erik put his little hand on the man's face, and I saw the old man closed his eyes and tears running down his face. His aged hands held my baby so gently . A moment later, the old man opened his eyes, passed me my baby and said, "Thank you, Madam. You've given me the best Christmas gift."
I cried, with my face burning hot. A child saw a soul , but a mother saw only a kind of clothes.
|
What is the best title of the passage?
|
[
"Zhang Lin likes Uncle Wu's son.",
"Zhang Lin is Uncle Wu's son.",
"Zhang Lin looks like Uncle Wu's son.",
"Zhang Lin is like Uncle Wu's son."
] |
Zhang Lin is like Uncle Wu's son.
|
Zhang Lin is a middle school student. He is a good boy. Uncle Wu lives next to him. Uncle Wu has no child and can't see anything. He works in the factory near Zhang Lin's school. He goes to work at 7:30 in the morning and comes home at 4:30 in the afternoon. Zhang Lin walks to school at 8:00 in the morning and comes home at the same time as Uncle Wu in the afternoon. On weekdays Zhang Lin gets up early to take Uncle Wu to the factory. After school he takes him home. On Sundays Zhang Lin helps Uncle Wu clean the house and do some cooking. Uncle Wu thanks Zhang Lin very much. He says, "Zhang Lin is a good boy. He is like my son."
|
Which of the following is right ?
|
[
"Englishmen are stubborn and too strict with themselves",
"queuing is a kind of automatic behavior for Englishmen",
"queuing is essential in maintaining good public order",
"other Europeans are more open-minded than Englishmen"
] |
queuing is a kind of automatic behavior for Englishmen
|
The English expect each other to observe the rules of queuing, feel highly offended when these rules are broken, but lack the confidence or social skills to express their annoyance in a straightforward manner. In other countries, this is not a problem: in America, where a queue-jumper has committed a kind of rudeness rather than a sin, the response is a loud warning: the offender is simply told "Hey, you, get back in line!" or words to that effect. On the European continent, the reaction tends to be loud and argumentative; in some other parts of the world, queue-jumpers may simply be pushed back into line. Ironically , it is only in England, where queue-jumping is regarded as deeply immoral, that the queue-jumper is likely to get away with the offence. Only rarely do the English actually speak up and tell the jumper to go to the back of the queue.
Queuing is almost a national pastime for the English, who automatically arrange themselves into orderly lines at bus stops, shop counters, ice-cream vans, entrances, exits, and lifts. In 1946, a Hungarian humorist described queuing as English "national passion". "On the continent," he said. "if people are waiting at a bus stop they walk around in a seemingly relaxed fashion. When the bus arrives they make a dash for it...An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms orderly queue of one." In an update over thirty years later in 1977 he confirmed that this was still the case. After nearly another thirty years nothing much seems to have changed.
In many cases, queue-jumping is effectively prevented by non-verbal signals alone. When someone is considering jumping a queue, the queuers will start glancing at him sideways, through narrowed, suspicious eyes. Then they move a bit closer to the person in front of them, just in case the jumper might try to insert himself in the gap. Frowns, glares, and raised eyebrows -- accompanied by heavy sighs, pointed coughs -- are usually the worst that the person will suffer if he jumps a queue. Faced with all this, the jumper will think better of it and withdraw to the back of the queue.
|
By quoting the description of a Hungarian humorist, the author intends to show_.
|
[
"Dubai has created many man-made islands.",
"There are many foreigners working in Dubai.",
"Many international visitors come to Dubai every year.",
"Dubai now gets money mainly from selling oil."
] |
Dubai now gets money mainly from selling oil.
|
Dubai is a city of big business, expensive hotels , skyscrapers ,and shopping malls, In the early 20th century, Dubai was a successful trading port. People from the world stopped in Dubai to do business, But it was still a small city, and most people lived as fishermen and businessmen. Then in 1966, oil was discovered. This brought a lot of money into the area, and soon Dubai began to change.
Today Dubai is one of the world's most important business centers. In fact , each year the city gets its money mainly from business, not oil.
Recently Dubai has attracted more and more visitors from abroad, They come to relax on its beaches, and every year, millions visit just to go shopping!
Dubai is also one of the world's fastest growing cities. Many tall buildings are built in months. The city also has many man-made islands.One of these, the Palm Jumeirah, is like a palm tree and is very beautiful.
The city is still an amazing mix of people from different countries . The people from 150 countries live and work in Dubai , and foreigners now _ Dubai natives by eight to one!
Many people welcome the city's growth. But an increasing number of Dubai natives worry about the speed of change As a Dubai native says, " _ ."
|
Which of the following is NOTtrue?
|
[
"girls were not allowed to play hockey in the past",
"female players can be represented by men",
"boys don't like to play hockey with girls",
"more and more girls are interested in hockey"
] |
more and more girls are interested in hockey
|
Lexi Peters, a 14-year-old girl in New York, loves hockey. She's not only good at playing on her after-school team, but also at playing hockey video games. But when Peters played the popular NHL (National Hockey League) games made by Electronic Arts, something really bothered her. The virtual character in the game could only be a boy -- not a girl.
She didn't think that was reasonable. There must be many girls playing hockey in the US. So she wrote a letter to Electronic Arts.
"Being represented by a man is unfair to women and girl hockey players," Peters wrote. "Women's hockey is a fast-growing sport. I am confident that I'm not the only woman interested in the opportunity to create herself in the game."
Several weeks later, Peters received an unexpected e-mail from the senior producer for EA Sports' NHL games, David Littman. "Hi, Lexi," the e-mail began. "We agree with you!"
Electronic Arts said it would create a female player in the game. "I was thinking you could be the model," Littman wrote. Peters almost couldn't believe it. Later, she sent photos of herself taken at all different angles .
And so, when Electronic Arts released the newest version of their game, NHL 12, this fall, Peters was the face of the female player. She can now skate with the NHL's great players. "It's strange at first, but you get used to it," said Peters. "It's really funny and cool."
For Peters, there is also an important lesson that she will take with her the rest of her life. "If you have something to say, and you think it's important, go for it!" she said.
|
According to Peters' letter, we can know that _ .
|
[
"Critical.",
"Unfavorable.",
"Supportive.",
"Disagreeable."
] |
Supportive.
|
Are you stuck in a rut and looking for a change? Fed up of seeing hungry, poor faces on your TV screen and want to do something to help? Perhaps you've considered volunteering overseas but ruled it out because you thought you were too old, couldn't commit enough time, or have a family. If so, think again.
"Over the past five years it has become far safer --- and more professionally acceptable --- to take up a job volunteering overseas," says David Stitt, managing director of Gap Year for Grown Ups, a company catering for volunteers in their late 20s and upwards. "While 10 years ago _ took financial and personal risks in volunteering abroad, now several organizations exist to make the experience safe and well-organized.
Nowadays, universities and business encourage overseas volunteering among students and employees. Entire families can volunteer abroad, and agencies are employing more disabled and retired people. A prosperous "humanitarian tourism" industry has sprung up; thousands of UK citizens will do some form of overseas volunteering this year.
"Some volunteering jobs are easier to find than others," explains Kevin Cusack, from a volunteer advice agency. "If you can speak English, it's not too hard to land a job teaching English, even without a qualification, and those who enjoy working with children should be able to find child care work." zxxk
Whether your interest is rainforests or women's rights, you can find a volunteer position to suit you. But be warned: unless you have relevant skills or existing overseas development experience, it's going to cost. Just how much depends on the location and length of the position, but you should budget for somewhere between PS1,500 and PS6,000.
"Having to pay to volunteer may sound paradoxical , but it's the best way to ensure you get a position that benefits the local community while matching your interests and skills," explains Cusack. "You can also discuss the time you want to commit to a project --- many positions can fit into a holiday or even a weekend."
|
What is the writer's attitude towards volunteer work?
|
[
"show us disadvantages of golf.",
"encourage us to take part in green sports.",
"explain the major sports influence of popular sports,",
"discuss different kinds of environment-friendly sport."
] |
encourage us to take part in green sports.
|
Sports can help you keep fit and close to nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should realize that sport you choose might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are _ . Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also lots of water. Besides, huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses in good condition. This causes major environmental changes. For example, in the dry places of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for (...) serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes, and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also help you stay healthy. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and keep thin.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener than by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms." They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership . And best of all, it's free.
|
The author writes the passage to _ .
|
[
"ask readers to buy the new type of production.",
"tell us how fast the modern technology is developing.",
"introduce a new type of IP technology---VOIP.",
"teach the readers how to use VOIP."
] |
introduce a new type of IP technology---VOIP.
|
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It is also referred to as IP Telephony. It is another way of making phone calls, though the 'phone' part is not always present any more, as you can communicate without a telephone set. VOIP is especially popular with long distance calls. The main reason for which people are so massively turning to VOIP technology is the cost. VOIP is said to be cheap, but most people use it for free. Yes, if you have a computer with a microphone and speakers, and a good Internet connection, you can communicate using VOIP for free.
There are basically three ways of using VOIP. One is to have a PC on both communicating sides; another is to have a phone on one side and a PC on the other and the third is to have two phones.
VOIP is a ly new technology and it has already achieved wide acceptance and use. There is still a lot to improve and it is expected to have major technological advances in VOIP in the future. It has so far proved to be a good candidate for replacing the POTS (Plain Old Telephone System). It, of course, has drawbacks along with the numerous advantages it brings; and its increasing use worldwide is creating new considerations surrounding its regulations and security.
The growth of VOIP today can be compared to that of the Internet in the early 90's. The public is getting more and more conscious of the advantages they can get from VOIP at home or in their businesses. Advertising campaigns, which are present everywhere on the net, are contributing a lot towards the popularization of VOIP which not only gives facilities and allows people to save, but also producing huge income for those who dived early into the new phenomenon.
|
The author writes the passage mainly to _ .
|
[
"Every coin has two sides.",
"Each one has his strong points.",
"A friend in need is a friend indeed.",
"Where there is a will, there is a way."
] |
Each one has his strong points.
|
The Oil Lamp and the Lighthouse
On an island off the coast of a rocky shore stood a great lighthouse. During the day, the white walls of the lighthouse shined under the sunlight, while at night it burned a light for those at sea. Many people visited the lighthouse, and when they did, they commented on its size and strength and admired the beauty that it added to the surroundings. Some told its keeper how its light had saved them during a storm.
All loved the lighthouse except a little oil lamp that lived in the lighthouse. By day it hung forgotten at the bottom of the stairs. At dusk it helped the keeper of the lighthouse make his way from the bottom of the stairs to his bedroom. It seemed to the oil lamp that he is not important. To his way of thinking, his shortcomings were made clear by his nearness to one so much greater than he. Always, the oil lamp labored under this heaviness of heart.
Then one day, after a brilliant afternoon when many visitors had come to play on the sandy beach, there was a knock at the door. It was a boy, searching for a friend who was lost. The sun had set and what had seemed such friendly shores hours before was now dark and cold.
The keeper quickly took the youth inside and hugged him into a blanket. Then he reached to the hook between the door and the stairs and took down the little oil lamp. After carefully making sure that the tank was full of oil, the keeper lit the lamp and whispered, "Burn bright tonight, my dear friend. I cannot take the lighthouse with me. He serves his purpose here, but you were made for times like this. It is now that I need you most!"
In that instant, all of the oil lamp's misgivings were replaced by joy---joy in knowing that here was something only he could do. All through the night, through bushes, the oil lamp burned brighter and more steadily than ever before. He had to; the keeper was depending on him. At last the lost boy was found and brought safely back to the lighthouse and his friend.
Never again did the oil lamp doubt his place or purpose. He had learned a great lesson that night: he was happiest and most useful being himself.
|
What can we learn from the story?
|
[
"10 miles",
"15 kilometers",
"30.27 inches",
"43 meters"
] |
10 miles
|
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Hi 56degF/13degC 56degF/13degC 59degF/15degC 58degF/14degC 54degF/12degC
Lo 42degF/6degC 47degF/8degC 50degF/10degC 46degF/8degC 45degF/7degC
Mostly sunny Sunny to partly
cloudy Some sunshine
giving way to
clouds A couple of
morning showers Sun mixing
with high clouds
Other Locations
Place Conditions Temperature Humidity Pressure
Chicago Overcast 45degF/7degC 68% 30.12 in
London Partly Sunny 55degF/13degC 58% 29.77 in
Los Angeles Clear 52degF/11degC 25% 29.99 in
San Francisco Clear 42degF/6degC 84% 30.1 in
Tokyo Rain 50degF/10degC 87% 29.83 in
|
How far can we see clearly at the most in New York on Monday?
|
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