options
listlengths 2
5
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|---|---|---|---|
[
"four",
"five",
"six",
"seven"
] |
five
|
Hi! My name is Robert and I live in Chicago. My school is called Parkside Elementary. It is Jake and Elizabeth's school too. Michael and Trevor's school is called Lincoln Middle School. In the USA many students go to elementary school between the ages of 5-10, then middle school between the ages of 11-13, and then a four year high school, and last but not least, many people go to college or vocational school. Our elementary school starts at 8:30 am and ends at 3:20 pm. We go to school on Monday through Fridays and have the weekends off.
Some of the favorite sports here in America are basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, and more. But, my favorite sport is football. My favorite player in the NFL (National Football League) is Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears ( the Bears are my favorite team too).
Americans wear jeans, a shirt, socks, shoes, and sometimes a hat. I usually wear a baseball hat, my favorite pants, and my favorite shirt. My pants have 4 pockets on it, and my shirt has red and black stripes on it.
There is no common agreement in the west about the best method of education. Many _ can be found among parents, teachers, and students.
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR02www.qzjyzx.com2/italy.html
http://www.cfl.cqu.edu.cn/jpkc/kj/xb/xb2/2-1/culturalnotes.htm
|
Students in elementary school stay at school for about _ days.
|
[
"their friend's",
"their teacher's",
"their uncle's",
"their grandparents'"
] |
their uncle's
|
Dear Frank,
Thank you for your email. I'm very glad you are having a good trip now. Ottawa is very beautiful in May. I hope I can have a chance to go there one day. Our summer holiday will start next month. I like my summer holiday, although it's hot at that time in America. In summer holiday, I can swim in the sea and go fishing. It's so cool. And I am going to our hometown near Chicago with my sister, Linda, and my parents agree .Our uncle lives there, so Linda and I can stay with him. We are not going to take a plane. We are going there by train. I am going to fish there. And Linda likes painting. She is going to do some painting there. I'm sure we'll have a good time.
Sincerely,
Jack
|
Jack and Linda are going to live in the home of _ .
|
[
"32",
"36",
"38",
"39"
] |
39
|
Look! This is a photo of my family. My name is Brooklyn. I am 11 years old now. You know my father? Yes, he is David Beckham. He is a good football player . He is thirty-nine years old now. This is my mother. Her name is Victoria. She is thirty-six years old now. I have a brother. But he is not in this photo. He is only 1 year old. His name is Romeo. We are very happy.
,.
|
My father is _ years old.
|
[
"the Belgian government",
"many Belgian communities",
"a Belgian industry",
"a Belgian cultural association"
] |
a Belgian industry
|
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.
|
The movement to have potato fries declared cultural heritage was started by _ .
|
[
"$ 785",
"$ 1,050",
"$ 157",
"$ 875"
] |
$ 875
|
Here is a story told about an American general who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the United States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.
Soon after the war the general returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops as $ 5 each. On each of the teeth there was a label with the name of the general and words: "Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home." The general got angry. He rushed to his office and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.
The officers went out and visited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth.
|
In the evening, the officers went back with all the teeth which cost _ .
|
[
"Long",
"Quiet",
"Clean",
"Beautiful"
] |
Beautiful
|
Hello, I'm Jones. I want to go to the following three places.
I would like to visit Harpo Studios in Chicago, because it hosts The Oprah Winfrey Show. I really love Oprah Winfrey. I want to meet her. It doesn't snow in my country. Chicago is in the northeast of the USA. I'd like to be there, see snow.
Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. I would like to visit its beautiful streets and the famous Eiffel Tower. Paris has many zoos. So I can go to the zoos and have a look at the animals. There are many cars on the streets, but I can take the subway to get around the city.
On my summer vocation, I would like to go to Barcelona. First, there are many beautiful beaches. Second, there are well-known desserts and fruits in Barcelona.
|
What does Jones think of the streets in Paris?
|
[
"Tragedy cannot separate loving couple",
"A day without sunshine is like night",
"True love is based on understanding",
"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart"
] |
True love is based on understanding
|
"I don't think I can do this any more." "Yes, you can. You only have five more radiation treatments to go. " I held my wife Becky close.
Ever since the breast cancer diagnosis , she had tried hard to be strong for the kids and for me. When her diagnosis came, my first thought was there was no way I could lose my wife. The doctors assured us the cancer was discovered early so we were feeling positive.
Becky had received an operation and was recovering from it. After six weeks of radiation therapy , she was facing her final five treatments. She was weak and tired, in low spirits. Seeing her suffering, I felt so helpless and powerless.
As soon as I was outside, long-held frustration and anger erupted in me like a volcano. I took a hammer and suddenly was swinging as hard as I could, beating heavily on the front porch . While doing so, I imagined I was beating my wife's cancer. With all my strength, I destroyed the porch.
During the treatment, my wife had been very brave. She said she had it easy, but I don't think it was easy for her.
Seeing the porch gone, Becky shook her head at the window. I came into the room, not knowing how she would react to what I had done.
"Becky, are you mad at me?" She looked at me in surprise. "For what?" I pointed at the gate. "For tearing down the porch." She laughed. "Look how sunny this room is now. I love that it's bright in here."
"You comforted me in my darker hour, Vince. You've found a way to deal with your own frustration. By destroying the porch, you let the sunshine in."
As I looked around the brightened room, I realized the light that filled the space was the light of hope that shone so bright after the darkness. We never did re-build the porch.
|
What lesson can we learn from the passage?
|
[
"wastes more natural resources",
"is difficult to transport",
"causes less eco-footprint",
"takes up more space"
] |
causes less eco-footprint
|
With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint , it's no surprise that they're looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles and the corks uses large quantities of natural resources and causes a lot of pollution.
Beyond manufacturing, the transport of wine in glass bottles across the country and around the world also has its environmental effect. Trucking all the heavy glass bottles causes a much larger carbon footprint than the transportation of much lighter boxed wine. Almost half the weight of an ordinary case of wine comes from the bottles; about 95 percent of the weight of a case of boxed wine is the wine itself.
"A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and causes about 5.2 pounds of carbon dioxide when it travels from a farm in California to a store in New York," reports Colman, a researcher. "A 3-liter box causes about half the carbon dioxide per 750 milliliters."
According to the Wine Group, the third largest wine company in the world and a big advocate for switching away from glass bottles, there are other advantages to boxed wine (which typically includes a plastic bag within a cardboard box). The vacuum packaging of boxed wine allows it to stay fresh for up to six weeks in the fridge once the seal is broken and the first glass has been poured.
Still, despite the benefits, boxed wine may still be a tough pill to swallow for many wine experts. "Even those traditionalists who are coming around to the idea that maybe screw caps are fine for some wines, would not like the idea of a cellar full of cardboard boxes," says wine writer Lee Asbell. "It is difficult to imagine how wine service at fine-dining establishments would handle such a change." For now, boxed wine is still the field of cheaper brands. But that could all change as more and more wine makers and drinkers take responsibility for saving the Earth.
|
Compared with glass bottled wine, boxed wine _ .
|
[
"telling him how to do",
"pushing him out of the nest",
"flying around him",
"asking his father to teach him"
] |
pushing him out of the nest
|
Once upon a time there was a baby eagle living in a nest on a cliff . The baby eagle liked the nest. It was the only world he had ever known. It was warm and comfortable. Many times each day the mother would _ down from the sky and land in the nest and feed the baby eagle delicious food. She was like a god to him he had no idea where she came from or how she worked her magic.
The baby eagle was hungry all the time, but the mother eagle would always come just in time with the food. The baby eagle grew strong. The mother wanted him to try flying and getting the food out of the nest. But the baby eagle was afraid to do it. The mother eagle flew away and stopped coming to the nest. The baby eagle cried and cried. But there was no one there to hear him. Two days later, the mother eagle appeared at the top of the mountain cliff with a big bowl of delicious food and she looked down at her baby.
The mother said, "Here is some very delicious food, all you have to do is come to get it."
"Come to get it!" said the baby, with much anger. "How?"
The mother pushed him out of the nest. The ground rushed closer, faster and faster. Something strange happens. He looked down and saw the sky. He wasn't moving towards the ground anymore, his eyes were pointed up at the sun.
"Hug?" he said. "What's going on here!"
" You're flying," his mother said.
"This is fun!" laughed the baby eagle.
|
The mother eagle taught her baby to fly by _ .
|
[
"to persuade people to play poker",
"to present American history",
"to teach you some poker skills",
"to recommend a book"
] |
to recommend a book
|
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker
You may not play poker yourself but for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the fate of the free world has been determined by men who do. So this recommendation is not for those who already play the game - if you do, you needn't bother reading the rest of this review, just go off and buy the book - as to the non-player, this is seriously worth their attention.
Although it began as poque, a French game that developed in New Orleans and headed up the Mississippi steamboats, by the mid-19th century poker was the most popular American amusement; the national game, in effect. So the history of America can be viewed through the history of poker, as James McManus quietly demonstrates. In this book you watch America grow up over a card table, from the wild west games which could either leave you broke, or dead, or both to the more polite early 20th-century scenes of respectable games.
And it is possible to argue, after reading this book, that history would be different if there were no such game which combined luck, intelligence, dishonesty, courage, skill and character. (There's a very good chapter which tries to work out how much luck is involved in the game.) Few over here have read or will read Shelby Foote's 2,836-page history of the American civil war, so we can be grateful that McManus provides us with a clear and elegant outline which tells how it was "the first work of history to explore how the game's wisdom and logic fit into the whole scheme of _ ". Not only, for instance, was Ulysses S Grant a good poker player, but as a student at West Point he'd learned the betting strategies of many of his contemporaries who would go on to become rebel generals. Nixon's poker game has already been analysed by Garry Wills in his Nixon Agonistes; Oskar Morgenstern, one of Eisenhower's advisers, pointed out that chess was Russians' national game and poker was the Americans'.
This is not, though, the history of poker, but, as the subtitle tells us, the story of poker, you will find fuller details elsewhere. This is a very flowing and impressionistic account, with a huge knowledge of the game; at times, in its mixing together of anecdote and observation, it produces the feeling you might get from studying a work of art. McManus is a first-rate writer: controlled, sensitive, accurate and convincing. And if the game makes no sense to you or holds no appeal, it might be the case that you are putting yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with the rest of humankind.
|
The purpose of the writing is _ .
|
[
"A given task leads to achievement.",
"Stick to your own decision.",
"Get ready for challenges.",
"Hard work pays off."
] |
A given task leads to achievement.
|
Earlier this week, I wrapped up a 5-day trip in San Francisco. I woke up a few hours before sunrise, drove through the darkness and out of the city, hiked for 30 minutes to the top of a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and snapped this photo. As I stood there soaking in the early morning light, I was reminded of an important lesson.
When I arrived in San Francisco, I told myself, "Just take photos as you do other things." My primary goal was to meet with friends and so I figured I could take pictures as we walked around the city. This resulted in exactly zero photos worth sharing. I had vague ideas like, "I'd like to do some street photography," but I never went out with the intent of photographing something specific. Finally, on the last morning, I went out with the intent of capturing a specific picture and I ended up with something worth sharing. My mistake was that I assumed that because I wanted to take photos, I would end up getting a desirable result.
How often do you do this in your own life? We go to the gym to "work out" without trying to become better at something specific. We wish that we were more creative, but never work on a particular project. When you commit to a task, however, then the next step is obvious. You want to take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise? Next step: find a good spot. You've found a good spot? Next step: wake up early and drive there.
This is perhaps the most shocking thing: if box yourself in, then you'll begin to break out and achieve something greater than you ever imagined.
|
What lesson did the author learn?
|
[
"The funny look of the teacher.",
".The teacher's interesting lecture.",
"The funny picture about the teacher.",
"The short story written on the note."
] |
The funny picture about the teacher.
|
I was giving the class when her giggling drew my attention. Walking over to the young trouble-maker, I asked for the note in her hands.
It was a had-drawn picture of me, teeth blackened, nostrils upwards, and the words "I'm stupid" coming out of my mouth. I managed to fold up the picture calmly and continue the class. My mind, however, was working angrily. I knew the two most likely suspects for drawing the picture. Maybe it was high time that I taught them a lesson!
Somehow, in the very moment of real hurt and anger, I asked myself very softly, "How can I ever bring good out of this?"
When there were about six minutes left of the class, I showed the kids the picture. The whole class was silent. I told them there must be a reason behind such a picture and that now was their chance to tell me the reason. Then I let them write silently while I stood sadly in the back of the classroom.
Most of them either blamed the artist or felt sorry. But two notes, from the girls I figured were behind the picture, had a list of issues. I was too mean and too strict. Reading those notes, I realized that where I thought I was driving them to success I was actually driving them away. I had some apologizing to do.
When the kids walked into my classroom the next day, one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one signed by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for forgiveness. I was extremely surprised. And more than a little shameful. I had my little speech all ready to give to the kids, but they did it before me.
|
What caused the girl to giggle?
|
[
"talk to their families while it rains.",
"ask others for help.",
"have to stop climbing.",
"have to stay in a hotel for the night."
] |
have to stay in a hotel for the night.
|
In most of the time, I am devoted to my research in the lab with my friend Dave, who loves traveling very much. To make our life colorful and relax ourselves, in July, my friend and I are taking a camping trip. We will travel for four weeks and will tour the United States and part of Canada. We have decided to camp because it does not cost as much as vacationing in hotels.
We have to plan very carefully in advance. First, the car we are going to drive is very small, so we have decided to take only one small suitcase each and as few camping things as possible. We will take some medicine with us to prevent insects from hurting us, and also food for picnics. Second, there is a lot to see in the United States and Canada, so we have to decide on the direction we want to drive.
The date we are leaving is July 2, from which day we will have two months off. We want to see and do many things on our camping tour. We want to climb in the mountains, visit famous caves, and swim in cool mountain rivers. We want to visit many cities and talk to many people, which I am sure can enrich our experience greatly. We also want to find a hotel room if it rains at night. We expect to have an exciting trip.
|
If they are caught in the rain , they will _ .
|
[
"he is young",
"he is absent-minded",
"he often loses his money",
"he doesn't like shopping"
] |
he is absent-minded
|
My husband is a born shopper. He loves to look at things and to touch them. He likes to compare prices between the same items in different shops. He would never think of buying anything without looking around in several different shops. On the other hand, I'm not a shopper. I think shopping is boring and unpleasant. If I like something and I have enough money to take it, I buy it at once. I never look around for a good price or a better deal. Of course my husband and I never go shopping together. Doing shopping together would be too painful for both of us. When it comes to shopping, we go our different ways.
Sometimes I ask my son Jimmy to buy some food in the shop not far from our home. But he is always absent-minded. This was his story.
One day I said to him, " I hope you won't forget what I have told you to buy." " No," said Jimmy. "I won't forget. You want three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat."
He went running down the street to the shop. As he ran, he said to himself over and over again, "three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat."
In the beginning he remembered everything but he stopped several times. Once he saw two men fighting outside a clothes shop until a policeman stopped them. One of them was badly hurt. Then he stopped to give ten cents to a beggar. Then he met some of his friends and he played with them for a while. When he reached the shop, he had forgotten everything except six eggs.
As he walked home, his face became sadder and sadder. When he saw me he said, "I'm sorry, Mum. I have forgotten to buy oranges and the meat. I only remembered to buy six eggs, but I've dropped three of them."
|
Jimmy can't do the shopping well because _ .
|
[
"uselss",
"difficult",
"quite easy",
"important"
] |
important
|
Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know --- the language of the body.
All over the world, people "talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes." When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more imformal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved . They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.
When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, "Hello." Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.
|
In the passsage, the writer thinks that body language is _ .
|
[
"nothing but meaningless patterns",
"uninteresting aspects of the world",
"subjects chosen partly for their meaning",
"completely meaningless subjects"
] |
subjects chosen partly for their meaning
|
Every artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something that has not been said before. He hopes that the public will listen and understand ----he wants to teach them, and he wants them to learn from him.
What visional artists like painters want to teach is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experience into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain choice of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions possible, is very interesting for them and worth showing to us. Without their work we should never have noticed these particular shapes and colors, or have felt the delight which they brought to the artists.
Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in movement and at rest; their choices show that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Modern artists might say that they only choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Yet even they do not choose totally without thinking about the character of their subjects.
If one painter chooses to paint a decaying leg and another a lake in moonlight, each of them is directing our attention to a certain aspect of the world . Each painter is telling us something, showing us something, emphasizing something - all of which means that, consciously or unconsciously, he is trying to teach us.
|
The writer says that modern art contains _
|
[
"small planets",
"the same as asteroids",
"from broken parts of asteroids",
"the light we see when meteoroids hit our atmosphere"
] |
the light we see when meteoroids hit our atmosphere
|
When we look at the sky and see a bright light moving quickly across it or coming towards the earth, we talk about seeing a "shooting star" or a "falling star". These moving lights are not, in fact, stars at all. They are small pieces of matter from outer space, which burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. The correct name of them is meteoroids. Any pieces that make it to the Earth's surface without completely burning up are known as meteorites. A meteor is actually the name given to the light we see when a meteoroid is burning up.
When a meteorite hits the Earth at speeds between 11 and 72 kilometers a second, it can do amazing damage. A very large meteorite could knock the earth out of its orbit. If this happened, all life on Earth would probably become extinct . The path we follow around the Sun would change and as a result the Earth would become either much hotter or much colder. This change in temperature would affect sea levels and the amount of water in rivers. There would either be huge floods, which would cover most of the land with water, or the oceans would dry up and there would be a drought, which means a long period of time without rain. Either way, nothing could survive. If a large meteorite landed in the sea it would almost certainly cause tsunamis, which would race towards the land, destroying everything in their paths.
Although it is unlikely the Earth will be struck by a meteorite large enough to do that kind of damage, there is evidence of fairly large meteorites hitting the Earth in the past. In 1908 a large area of forest in Tunguska, Siberia was destroyed by a meteorite that came apart just before it hit the ground. The moon, however, has about three billion craterscaused by meteorites impacting its surface. The reason more meteorites have reached the surface of the moon than the surface of the Earth is that the moon does not have enough atmosphere for the meteorites to burn up in. some of the meteorites that have reached the Earth's surface have done considerable damage. Some scientists believe it was a change of climate caused by meteorites hitting the Earth that resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs and other large prehistoric animals.
Scientists are especially interested in meteorites because they contain information about the solar system. It is widely believed by scientists that most meteorites are produced by collisions between asteroids (small planets). These collisions probably happened many billions of years ago. This means the physical and chemical structure of a meteorite can give scientists information about the early days of the universe.
|
Meteors are _ .
|
[
"she sees everything",
"she doesn't see anything clearly",
"Jack sees everything clearly",
"Jack doesn't see anything clearly"
] |
she doesn't see anything clearly
|
Amy is short-sighted, so she wears glasses. But she doesn't wears glasses when she is with her fried, Jack. When Jack comes to her house to take her out, she takes her glasses off. When she gets bake ,she puts on the glasses.
One day, Amy's mother asks her ,"Why don't you wear your glasses when you are with Jack? He takes you to see many ;lovely places in his car, but you can't see anything clearly."Amy says, "He thinks I look more lovely when I'm not wearing my glasses and I think he looks better, too."
|
Amy thinks Jack looks better when _ .
|
[
"they bring in great profits",
"they require a lot of money to make",
"they are not difficult to produce",
"they attract more viewers than other programs"
] |
they bring in great profits
|
Making an advertisement for television often costs more than a movie. For example, a two - hour movie costs $6 million to make. A TV commercial can cost more than $6 000 a second. And that does not include cost of paying for air time. Which is more valuable, the program or the ad? In terms of money - and making money is what television is all about - the commercial is by far the more important.
Research, market testing, talent, time and money ---- all come together to make us want to buy a product.
No matter how bad we think a commercial is, it works. The sales of Charm went up once the ads began. TV commercials actually buy their way into our head. We, in turn, buy the product.
And the ads work because so much time and attention are given to them. Here are some rules of commercial ad making. If you want to get the low middle - class buyer, make sure the announcer has a though, manly voice. Put some people in the ad who work with their hands. If you want to sell to upper - class audience, make sure that the house, the furniture, and the hair style are the types that the group identifies with. If you want the buyer feel superior to the character selling the product, then make that person so stupid or silly that everyone will feel great about himself or herself.
We laugh at commercials. We don't think we pay that much attention to them. But evidence shows we are kidding ourselves. The making of a commercial that costs so much money is not kid stuff. It's big, big business. And it's telling us what to think , what we need, and what to buy. To put simply, the TV commercial is a form of brainwashing.
|
TV commercials are more important than other programs to television because _ .
|
[
"Supportive.",
"Suspicious.",
"Indifferent.",
"Critical."
] |
Suspicious.
|
Public caught up in argument over safety of genetically modified or simply GM products, report Zhang Lei and Zhong Nan in Beijing.
More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of the product.
The first China Golden Rice Tasting Event was held at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province, sparking another round in the nationwide debate about the safety of GM crops, often called "Frankenfood" by opponents.
Similar events have been held in more than 28 cities since May, the university said.
Both the pro and anti camps have posted conflicting comments on the Internet, with each providing evidence to back up their beliefs, but the exchanges are becoming increasingly bitter.
Jiang Tao, a senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is in favor of GM foods, was annoyed about what he called "amateurs" spreading rumors.
"Just look at the people who are opposed to GM foods; can you find anyone from a related field in the scientific community?" he asked. Jiang also accused the anti-GM lobby of repeatedly using outdated or inaccurate data to support an "incorrect" stance.
Chen Yunfa, an independent researcher into the Yangtze River Delta economy, recently wrote a commentary on the Internet news portal Eastday in which he criticized the actions of the 61 scientists, saying they had gone "beyond their proper duty". He suggested that large multinational corporations might be behind the letter and similar incidents, prompted by a desire to freeze China's patent hybrid rice technology out of the market.
To support his contentions, Chen said that GM rice, first produced by scientists in the US, still hasn't gained official approval from the US government. However, the US authorities have actually granted licenses to six varieties of GM rice. The commercial planting of two varieties - anti-herbicide (BAR) transgenic rice LL RICE 06 and LL RICE 62 - produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, was approved in 1999 and a license for cultivation for edible use was granted in 2000.
The public outcry for GM labeling and boycotting has hindered the advancement of the technology. Concern about GM foods has been fueled by studies like the one published by French professor Gilles-Eric Seralini in September 2012. Seralini claimed that his research involving rats proved that the GM corn fed to them caused tumor growth. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the pesticides used on GMOs are contributing to the decline of the world's honey bee population, leading to honey bee deaths by infecting the brains of the insects with toxins. Therefore, some experts recommend the labeling of non-GM foods so that consumers can make that decision without a regulatory burden being placed on GMOs.
However, we should be cautious about anything that may risk humans' life. Only time will tell.
|
What is the writer's attitude towards GM products?
|
[
"45",
"40",
"75",
"60"
] |
40
|
This is my school. There are many trees and flowers in it. The teaching building is big and tall. There is a big playground in our school..It is very nice to have it . After 4:30 in the afternoon, many students come to the playground to play football and some students play table tennis in the table tennis room.
There are 1,200 students in 30 classes in our school. The students all like to study. The teachers in our school are very good. They help the students to study and sometimes play with them .All the students like them, too.
|
There are at least _ students in one class.
|
[
"went to another hotel",
"each got a small room for the night",
"stayed together in a small room",
"got a small room Mr King kept for himself"
] |
stayed together in a small room
|
Mr King was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday night, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr King said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy.
Mr King wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a very small room, was empty. He asked them if they would share a room. The three men said they would. Mr King said the room would be thirty dollars: ten for each one. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room.
Mr King soon began to feel sorry. "Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as price for that small room. " he thought. He called his assistant over and said, "Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room."
The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, "How can three men divide five dollars? I'll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back, and Mr King will never know. " So the assistant returned one dollar to each man.
Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had paid nine. There were three men, $ 9 x3 = $ 27. The assistant kept $ 2. $ 27 + $ 2 = $ 29. Where is the missing dollar?
|
With the help of the manager, the three men _ .
|
[
"the modem's help",
"the telephone line's help",
"the web designers' work",
"the website manager's work"
] |
the web designers' work
|
Mails, games, music, news, chat rooms and shopping! The Interent is part of our life today. It's easy to get onto the Internet. The only thing we need to do is to use a modem which is used for connecting a computer to a telephone line. The Internet is changing and growing all the time. More and more people have computers and use the Internet. Using the Internet means surfing the World Wide Web(That's the "WWW" you always hear about). The Internet has a large number of websites . They are the places where you go to get information and do things.
Where do these websites come from? They are made by web designers. What happens when you click on a word or a picture? You are sent to another page. It's all because of the web designers. Web designers do a lot of work by using a computer programming language.
Is web design all about computer programming? No, it's about making something new. Web designers must imagine a lot when they are making a website. It must look good and be fun to use. A big part of web design is art. They choose the best pictures and colors to make the website look good. They also write the things that you see on the website. An important part of their job is to share ideas with the website manager about how to design the website well.
|
It's possible for us to change websites just by a click because of _ .
|
[
"what is anxiety",
"what causes anxiety",
"when anxiety becomes serious",
"how to handle anxiety"
] |
how to handle anxiety
|
Are you stressed out, scared or worried all the time? Do you avoid going to certain places, seeing friends or doing certain things because of your worries? Do your worries keep you awake at night? If you've answered yes, you may be suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of life. Anxiety is your brain's way of telling you about danger. It is anxiety which helps you jump out of the way if a car is speeding towards you. But if it gets out of hand, anxiety can get in the way of you getting on with life and can become a real problem. If this is the case for you, treatment may be a helpful way for you to get your anxiety under control.
Anxiety is a normal part of life. Some people may feel uneasy if moving to a new place and some may get overly anxious in certain situations. There are lots of reasons for this. One main reason is after a stressful thing which has happened in your life. So, if you are involved in a car crash, it's quite likely that you will be more worried than other people around cars and driving.
Being anxious also probably runs in families. If your parents suffer from anxiety then you are more likely to be anxious too. This is probably partly due to genetics, and partly because of how things are when you're growing up.
Even though people don't talk about it much, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems. About 1 in 4 people will have an anxiety problem at some time in their life.
If you have an anxiety problem it's hard for other people to understand why something that doesn't worry them, like being in a crowd of people, can be so scary for you. This can make you feel separated and lonely, as may become worse and worse.
The good news is there are lots of excellent treatments available for anxiety. These include talking therapies and drugs.
|
The author will most probably talk about _ following this passage.
|
[
"It is interesting to build cities and live under the sea.",
"We have advanced lighting equipment so that we can see the \"sun\" under the sea.",
"We can make oxygen under the sea with the high technology.",
"There is no oxygen and moisture around the earth as it is destroyed."
] |
There is no oxygen and moisture around the earth as it is destroyed.
|
It is December 25th, 2050. The people in the city are all celebrating Christmas. I'm the mayor of our city. My citizens and I are holding a big party under the sea, though you wouldn't believe it. But please do not feel excited, you should feel sad because we have to live under the sea. Because of the pollution, the earth has been completely destroyed, from top to bottom. The atmosphere has no oxygen and moisture. As a result, the plants are burned by the strong sunlight with a great number of harmful rays. Of course, none of them are still alive. Not only no green, but also the temperature reaches about 121degC all day even in winter because there is too much CO2 circling the earth.
On the land, there is no life. Luckily, the sea is not destroyed by human. So, we have to move into the sea. At the bottom of the water, people have built many new cities. There is a lot of advanced(,) equipment in each city. Computers are used to control all the machines, even the people's life. We can also make the seawater into fresh water. There are two machines making oxygen. If they stop working for only one minute, more than 10 million people will die.
The population of our city is over 30 million and, of course, it is quite crowded. We have lots of high buildings and bridges. The roads are wide, too. Our cars are small UFOs, don't be surprised, it is true. At the bottom of the sea you can't see anything, because there is no light all day. However, we have advanced lighting equipment so that we can see the "sun" under the sea. Of course, the advanced lighting equipment is very expensive. And if it doesn't work, we can see nothing under the sea. What should we do then?
|
Why do people have to live under the sea in 2050 according to the passage?
|
[
"By teaching him how to draw.",
"By asking teacher for advice.",
"By describing everything to him.",
"By sending him to his dream school."
] |
By describing everything to him.
|
Billy's favorite color is orange. But he can't see what orange looks like. Billy is blind.
A month after he was born, his mother noticed that his eyes weren't quite as big as a normal baby's."Billy would never be able to see." the doctor told his mother. After that Billy's mother began talking to him, describing things she saw outside the window. She described everything to him.
Billy does not only depend on his mother's descriptions to learn about the world around him. He sees with his ears and his hands, too. He has perfect hearing. When people make phone calls, he can tell the numbers they dial .
Billy loves computer science. He began teaching himself computer programming when he was just seven years old. His dream school would be Stanford University. He gets top grades in his classes, making that a real possibility.
"You can't let excuses get in the way of your dreams, and if you do that you can't move forward and reach your goals, "said Billy.
|
How did Billy's mother help him?
|
[
"At London University",
"In a newspaper",
"On the Internet",
"On TV"
] |
On the Internet
|
An experienced teacher is offering private lessons in English.
Please email me at the address below and tell me:
*Your age
*Reasons for learning English
*Your level of English
*Areas that you need to focus on - grammar, listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc.
Mrs. Daniels( daniels _ [email protected])
From: Li _ [email protected]
To: daniels _ [email protected]
CC...:
Subject: English Lessons
Dear Mrs. Daniels,
I recently saw your advertisement on the university website offering private English lessons. I'm very interested in your private lessons and would like some more information.
I am a student at Aston College here in Hong Kong studying English, so my language level is already quite good.
However, I feel that I need to improve my listening and speaking skills. This is because I'm planning to study at London University in England next year and I think your lessons will help me to live and study abroad.
Could you send me some more information about the lessons offered, such as where and when they will be held and how much they cost? Also, I would like to know whether you teach students in groups or one-on-one.
I would be glad to supply any further information you might need.
Regards,
Li Hua
|
Where did Li Hua see Mrs. Daniels' advertisement?
|
[
"surfing the Internet",
"making a phone call",
"paying a visit",
"watching TV"
] |
watching TV
|
Good training plays an essential role in the development of an efficient workplace. Ensuring that employees receive the appropriate skills training for their job is the type of preparation that future success in business is predicated on. Seeking out experienced guidance better enables businesses to compete and succeed.
Gainful employment is made even more worthwhile with help from Train to Gain. Funded by the Government, Train to Gain is a service that's managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Its purpose is to help businesses throughout England to choose the best and most suitable training to meet the needs of their particular environment and a competitive global marketplace. Train to Gain is responsible for introducing employers to independent and experienced Skills Brokers who identify and form a range of services vital to a productive working atmosphere. These Skills Brokers offer advice, match any training needs identified with training providers and will ensure that training is delivered to meet business needs.
Train to Gain Skills Brokers review and analyze the employer's business needs to assess what skills are needed both now and in the future. The next step is the selection of the right training providers and the choice of how and when the training is delivered. A Train to Gain Skills Broker will recommend the best funding options available to the business and Train to Gain may even provide some funding itself to organizations.
Over 43,000 companies have already engaged with the Train to Gain service. As a result, more than 175,000 employees have begun their training with over 77,000 first full Level 2 achievements over the past 12 months. By the end of 2013 it is expected that over 500,000 learners will have achieved a first full Level 2 qualification through Train to Gain. The service will increase the opportunity for employees from a low skills base to reach Level 2 and beyond.
For more information about Train to Gain, visit traintogain.gov.uk, call 0800 015 55 45 or visit a Skills Broker in your area.
|
Which of the following is NOT the way to get more information about Train to Gain?
|
[
"is the oldest species of pine.",
"produces a long cone",
"has willow-like needles",
"prefers sandy soil"
] |
has willow-like needles
|
There are 115 distinct species of pine trees with 35 native to North America. Pines are defined as evergreens with long, needle-like leaves and are only native to the northern hemisphere. Pine trees are an adaptable and tough species that can survive in many conditions where other plants cannot. The average pine is 45 to 60 feet tall, but some are nearly twice as high.
Western White Pine
The western white pine grows the tallest of any pine tree, reaching up to 110 feet in height. They have blue-green needles arranged in bundles of five and produce a long cone .
Bristlecone Pine
The bristlecone pine grows slowly, reading about 20 feet tall. It is one of the oldest species of pine.
Mexican Pine
The Mexican pine can grow to 50 feet tall, with long, slender needles that drape off it like a weeping willow . Often nicknamed the "willow pine", it is native to Mexico. Its leaves can droop up to 12 inches long.
Sugar Pine
The sugar pine is another of the large pine species, such as the bull pine, but it also has the largest cones of any pine species, at 10 to 20 inches long. It grows from Oregon to California and is often used for construction.
Jack Pine
The jack pine is one of the smallest species of pine with rare leaves. Compared with the pines mentioned above, it doesn't seem to belong to the family. It is considered a member of the scrub-pine family; it prefers sandy soil.
|
The Mexican pine _ .
|
[
"He was such a good salesman that he went on to own 25 newsagent shops with another man.",
"The newspaperman liked him so much he gave him a job.",
"He ran himself into exhaustion delivering papers.",
"He learnt to read and write."
] |
He ran himself into exhaustion delivering papers.
|
Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith , and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.
However, Edward was _ a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy. When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.
One day, he went for an interview at a solictior's office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"
Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father's smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .
"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"
For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.
In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.
Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you'd been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.
"Yes!" said Edward. "I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!"
|
Which of the following is NOT ture about Edward Sims?
|
[
"More people prefer to travel on public transportation which costs less than driving cars.",
"People shop in nearby stores without having to drive, so small businesses are declining.",
"People return to the traditional exercise of walking, which helps them to look healthier.",
"The auto industry has been forced to develop new models which are more economical."
] |
People shop in nearby stores without having to drive, so small businesses are declining.
|
"Extra? Extra! Gasoline hits four dollars a gallon!"
No one will really be shocked -- except, perhaps, the old-timers who tell about the good old days when gas was three gallons for a dollar, and people drove around "just for the fun of it".
As a matter of fact, the price of gas has been rising fast and steadily for several years, and many adjustments have already been made.
There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However, the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished , and many people have found employment there.
Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models.
There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars.
In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving.
Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums.
People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of weather.
These conditions, however, may not last. Already our clever chemists are at work on new synthetic fuels which, they say, will put us right back where we were -- on wheels. Shall we wish them success or not?
|
Which of the following is NOT a result of the gas price rising?
|
[
"Londoners and Parisians",
"A Modern Tale of Two Cities",
"The Similarity of Two Cities",
"Fancy London and FashionableParis"
] |
A Modern Tale of Two Cities
|
LONDON--A morning's train ride away, across the Channel, English kids talk about Liverpool's soccer team in aprefix = st1 /Parispub.
Some Parisians have even started to go to work in London.
In the 19thcentury, Charles Dickens compared the two great rival cities, London and Paris, in "A Tale of Two Cities." These days, it might be A Tale of One City.
Parisians are these days likely to smile in sympathy at a visitor's broken French and respond in polite English.
As jobs grew lack at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the Channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris, rich in beauty, is more attractive. But Londonfeels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.
"For me, the difference is that Londonis real, alive," said Trevor Wheeler, a banker.
Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. "I am French, but I'll stay in London," she said.
There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to Londontwo years ago. "I think people laugh more inParis," she said.
In fact, London and Paris, with their obvious new similarities, are beyond the cold descriptions. As the European Union gradually loosened controls, Londoners _ intoParisto shop, eat and buy property.
"Both cities have changed beyond recognition." Said Larry Collins, a writer and sometimes a Londoner.
Like most people who know both well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably.
"I first fell in love with Parisin the 1950s, and it is still a wonderful place," Collins said.
"But if I had to choose, it would be London. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better."
But certainly not cheaper.
In fancy parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Parisrequires a lifestyle choice.
Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don't have to choose.
"I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is so structured," she said. "InLondon, you can be who you want. No one cares."
|
The best title for this passage is _ .
|
[
"big cities",
"the country",
"only towns",
"the mountain"
] |
the country
|
All the cities are quite the same. Living in a modern Australian city is not very different from living in an American city. But there are some differences on farms.
In many parts of the world, farmers and their families live in villages or towns. In the United States, each farm family lives in its own fields. Usually their neighbours live far away. It's hard for them to see each other on weekdays. Their children take school buses to the nearest schools. These schools are only for the farm families in this area. In some areas, there are small schools for a few farm families, and the children walk to schools.
Life keeps changing for everyone, so do farmers. Today there are cars, good roads, radios, television sets and there are modern machines for farming. All of these are changing farm life.
|
Usually farm families live in _ .
|
[
"email [email protected]",
"visit the owner in person",
"call 773-885-6604",
"call 650-759-7174"
] |
email [email protected]
|
Calculus Book for sale!
Thomas' Calculus-- Weir, Hass, & Giordano 11thedition
Brand new, never been used but I will let it go for used price. Bookstore sold at $150. Call me and let me hear your offer.
Tel: 773-885-6604
READING IS GOOD FOR YOU, PEOPLE!
Why don't more people read today? I have so many great books for sale. If you are interested in any of these GOOD BOOK DEALS, email me or call me at 650-759-7174 to pick them up.
*All the Days Of My Life(So Far), by Alison Sweeney $5
*All Our Yesterdays, by Robert B.Parker $1
*The Meaning of Everything, by Simon Winchester $5
*Exploring Language, by Gary Goshgarian $5
*The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery $1
*Jack at Sea, by Philippe Dupasquier $1
"The Children's Classics" Book Set --$200
This is a book set that I'd love to keep, but just don't have any extra room on my already crowded bookshelf. It is an old, traditional set. The set is in excellent condition. There are nine titles in the set (see list below). I honestly have no idea what this set is worth, but I've been told I should sell the set for well over $200, so make me an offer and we'll see what we can do. Please contact me by email if you are interested: [email protected]
Book Titles
*Black Beauty(276 pgs) *Tom Sawyer(272 pgs)
*Treasure Island(270 pgs) *Heidi(278 pgs)
*Alice in Wonderland(276 pgs) *Andersen's Fairy Tales(278 pgs)
*Arabian Nights (276 pgs) *Robin Hood(278 pgs)
*King Arthur(274 pgs)
|
If you are interested inTom Sawyer, you can _ .
|
[
"for his bag",
"to see a doctor",
"for dinner",
"for his pen"
] |
for dinner
|
Once a great boxer , Tom Brown, went to a restaurant for dinner. He put his bag near the door, but he was afraid that someone would take it away. So he got out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote on it, "The great boxer, Tom Brown, left his bag here and he will be back in a few minutes." He put the paper on his bag and went to have his dinner. When he came back, his bag wasn't there. But he found a piece of paper on the ground. It said, "A great runner took away your bag, and will not be back."
|
Tom Brown went to the restaurant _ .
|
[
"Another accusation by Taubenfeld.",
"The opinions from Lavigne's fans.",
"The final judgement from the court.",
"The argument of the Rubinoos."
] |
The final judgement from the court.
|
Lavigne,who married in July 2006,set foot in film with Fast Food NationandThe Flock,before releaseing her chart-toppong third album The Best Damn Thing.Despite her punk rock pose and her occasionally impolite public behavior,singer Avril Lavigne is sure sensitive about one thing--her reputation .
In an open letter on her official web site,Lavigne responds to public views that her hit single"girlfriend,"from her 1atest album The Best Damn Thing,was copied form a 1979 song called"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"by a new wave group called the Rubinoos.The group's songwrieers,Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer,have gone to 1aw against the singer."I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on 5 words,"Lavigne blogs."A11 songs share similar song words and emotions.As humans we speak one language."In fact,Lavigne 1ists several songs,which are similar in words."Simply,I have been falsely accused of copying their song.I have done nothing wrong and there is no sense of their claim,"she writes.
The Rubinoos'accusation is not the first time that Lavigne's song writing practices have been called into question.In a recent interview with Performing Song-writing Magazine, Canasian singer--songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk discusses cooperating with Lavigne.And she te11s the magazine that she gave Lavignc the song "contagious",which.she claims,appears on The Best Damn Thing.On the album,however.The song is owned only by Lavigne and the song writing partner Evan Tauenfeld.
"I was going to be a bigger person and not reply when I read Chantal Kreviazuk's article," Lavigne writes."Our songs have no similarities or opposites meanings,i.e.different wods,different tunes,different styles.There are hundreds of songs out there with the title'Contagious'." Lavigne adds:"I am not going to sit here and defend my writing skil1s.I don't have to prove anything to anyone.I know who I am and what I have done and succeeded in and no one can take that away from me."
|
Which information wi1l most probnbly be provided following the last passage?
|
[
"He uses it as a place to store objects.",
"He uses it to carry his books and sports equipment.",
"His parents tell him to clean it all the time.",
"He's had it for as long as he can remember."
] |
He uses it as a place to store objects.
|
Justin's bedroom was so full of flat bicycle tires, bent tennis rackets, deflated basketballs, and games with missing pieces that you could barely get in the door. His parents _ him to clean out his room.
"What use is a fish tank with a hole in the bottom?" his father asked. But Justin simply smiled and repeated his motto, "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy."
When Justin was away from home, he always carried his blue backpack--a smaller version of his bedroom--a place to store the many objects that he collected. It was so worn and stretched that it hardly resembled a backpack anymore.
Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise hopeless situations. Many of his classmates and neighbors sought him out when they needed help with a problem. On the first day of school, his friend Kenny, came looking for Justin.
"Do you think you have something in your bag that could help me remember my locker combination?" he asked. "I lost the piece of paper it was written on. I have a science class in two minutes and if I'm late on the first day it'll make me look bad for the rest of the year." Kenny looked really worried.
"Relax," Justin said, taking his backpack off and unzipping the top. "Remember how you borrowed my notebook in homeroom to write the combination down? Well, I know how we can recover what you wrote."
He took the notebook and a soft lead pencil out of his bag. The page that Kenny had written on had left faint marks on another page in the notebook. Justin held the pencil on its side and rubbed it lightly over the marks. Slowly but surely the numbers of the locker combination appeared in white, set off by the gray pencil rubbings.
"That's amazing!" Kenny said. "I owe you one." And he dashed off to open his locker.
It was just another day in the life of the boy whose motto was "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy."
|
In what way is Justin's backpack a smaller version of his bedroom?
|
[
"In China",
"In America",
"In England",
"In Canada"
] |
In China
|
Boys and girls, let's begin our English class now. This time I want to talk about my family. Then I want you to say something about your families.
There are seven people in my family. They are my parents, my two sisters, my brother, his wife and I. In England, a family like this is a big one. My father has a factory . It isn't very big. It makes all kinds of boats. My brother is a doctor. He works in a hospital . His wife works in a hospital, too. She is a nurse. My two sisters are students. One wants to be a teacher. She studies hard and well. The other likes singing very much and can sing very well. So she wants to be a singer . I'm now in China teaching English and learning Chinese. My mother stays at home. Can you guess what she does at home? Yes, she does housework. She is a housewife.
|
Where am I now ?
|
[
"a new rule for all airlines",
"the disadvantages of electronic devices",
"a possible cause of aircraft incidents",
"effective safety measures for air flight"
] |
a possible cause of aircraft incidents
|
The biggest danger facing airlines nowadays may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with portable computer in business class. In the last 16 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference . The source of this interference remains not proved, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.
RTC.A. an organization which advises the aviation ( )industry, has suggested that all airlines ban such devices from being used during "critical" stages of flight particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently , rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some air- lines prevent passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are unwilling to carry out a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flight.
The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft's computers. Experts know that portable devices send out radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not.
The fact that aircraft may be fragile to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying,though, is the passenger who can 't hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music's too loud.
|
The passage is mainly about _ .
|
[
"Because the old man hired them to do so.",
"Because they wanted to know how much money the old man had begged.",
"Because the old man wanted to live comfortably.",
"Because the neighbours could not bear the smell coming out of the oldman's house."
] |
Because the neighbours could not bear the smell coming out of the oldman's house.
|
I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbours could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
He said nothing at all: he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(,). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth.
|
Why did the police officer clean the old man's house?
|
[
"sing songs",
"fly kites",
"cook",
"speak Chinese and English"
] |
speak Chinese and English
|
Hello! My name is Bill. I am twelve years old. I am from America. Now I am in a junior high school in Xiamen.
We have 20 boys and 25 girls in our class. My favorite teacher is Miss White. She is from Canada. She is 27 years old. She is tall. She has long brown hair. Her face is round and she has big eyes. She is a good teacher. She can speak English and Chinese.
I have a good friend here. His name is Mike. He is an English boy. We have the same age. My classmates are kind to me. We often help each other.
,A, B, C, D. (5)
|
Miss White can _ .
|
[
"She felt happy with his request.",
"She felt sad about his request.",
"She felt surprised at his request.",
"She was not satisfied with his request."
] |
She was not satisfied with his request.
|
On Saturday Patrick woke up with a little shock, knowing that this was a special day. For a moment he couldn't think exactly why, and then, with an excited flutter of his stomach, he remembered. At ten o'clock today he was going to find out the final result of the programme called Super Brain. He got dressed more carefully than usual, went downstairs and turned on the TV. Quickly he switched channels. Cartoons, cartoons, advertisements, man talking, snow, snow... and still nothing at all on Channel 8.
"Patrick, turn it off, darling, if you're going to watch." Judith walked past with the newspaper under her arm and her eyes half closed. She headed for the kitchen. Patrick turned off the TV and followed.
"What's for breakfast, Mum?"
"We will see," Judith said in a low voice, turning on the electric kettle . She looked sleepily at him and smiled. "You look nice, darling," She said. "You're all ready. But we can't go till eight-thirty at the earliest, you know. Nothing will be open till then."
Patrick's stomach seemed to feel a little sick. "We aren't going out, are we?" He asked. Judith began to make the tea. "Don't say you've forgotten!" she said, "I promised you, last Saturday. Your new trainers, remember?"
"Oh--oh, but I can't go out this morning, Mum. There's something I've got to watch on TV. At ten o'clock. I've got to! My trainers will be all right for another week." Patrick said with excitement, looking quite worried.
Judith faced him, hands on hips, "Patrick," she said with great dislike, "it's all organized."
|
How did Judith feel about Patrick's requests?
|
[
"We should encourage students to give up full-time jobs.",
"Families should offer their children more help financially.",
"We should stand up and say something for today's college students.",
"We should make more strict regulations to force students to study hard."
] |
We should make more strict regulations to force students to study hard.
|
It's high time someone spoke up for today's college students. They're probably the most hardworking, ambitious people in America and their problems are not properly appreciated.
People like the Secretary of Education simply don't know what they're talking about when they knock students. Nor do those who complain about falling academic standards.
The vast majority of the nation's 12 million students are struggling to pay for their educations. They are part of the invisible workforce. Many hold down full-time jobs. They're frying hamburgers, photographing weddings, working in construction, and waiting on tables. The fact that they even show up for classes is a wonderful event.
The financial situation of most students explains a lot about what is happening in schools. Why are the traditional courses so unpopular? Why are students flocking to accounting and computer science and any professional programs that seem to lead to careers?
Answer: Today's working student has been forced into a kind of premature matter-of-fact way of viewing things. Romance is gone. The notion of transforming one's self through study alone has disappeared. Today's students seek freedom from manual labor, and the status conferred by a good job.
There are other consequences. Today's students don't have much time or energy to be devoted, and carry out independent research or even do serious homework. That's the secret behind falling academic standards. Students have become consumers. They want grades and certifications. Their professors can't be expected to give a grade of failure to students who are clearly tired from the effort to pay their bills.
There's a lot wrong with this situation. It's twisting the definition of education out of shape. Worse, it's creating a generation that is totally unpleasant. The brightest students turn out to be yuppies . The vast majority are, at least, good-natured semi-literates.
The time has run out for philosophical debates about fixed courses of study. What this country needs is someone to stand up and say that being a full-time student during one's formative years is an honorable calling worthy of support. If families can't or won't give it to their children, then the government should.
|
Which of the following suggestions will the author not agree with?
|
[
"hotels",
"post office",
"new buildings and quiet parks",
"old buildings and interesting little stores"
] |
old buildings and interesting little stores
|
Visiting Mineral City!
Mineral City is an interesting place to visit. It is a beautiful little town with many old buildings.
Take a walk through the center of the town on Main Street. Look first at the Mineral City Hotel. It is on the corner of Main Street and Glenn Avenue. It is about 150 years old and people will stay there. There is an interesting old building across the street from the hotel. This was a post office. Now it is a store for books and videos. There are many places to eat on Main Street. You can get lunch or dinner in one of these places. There is a park between Main Street and Oak Street. You can sit on a bench in the park. It is nice and quiet, and you can enjoy the trees and flowers.
You can also take a walk down Glenn Avenue. Look at the old buildings and interesting little stores on this street.
|
There are some _ on Glenn Avenue.
|
[
"it is needed by our employer",
"we need it to improve our feelings",
"it can help us feel about the employer",
"it can help us win the employer's impression"
] |
it can help us win the employer's impression
|
The impression you make at the beginning of an interview is very important. Employers often decide to hire someone in the first three minutes of the interview. They judge you by your appearance, attitude and manners.
A friendly smile when you walk into the room is important. A smile shows a confident and positive attitude.
When you introduce yourself, make eye contact with the interviewer. Some interviewers offer a handshake. Others don't.
Try to be as natural as possible. But pay attention to your body language. The way you sit, walk, gesture, use your voice and show feelings on your face is all part of your body language. It makes the interviewer know how you feel about yourself and the situation you are in. Are you feeling positively about yourself? Your abilities? Your interest in the job?
Speak clearly and loudly enough. Show interest and enthusiasm in your voice. When you speak, look at the interviewer. Also, don't say negative things about yourself, or former employer.
Listen to questions carefully. If you don't understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat or explain politely.
Almost everyone is nervous in a job interview. Interviewers know that. They don't expect you to be totally calm and relaxed. But they expect you to try to control your nervousness. They expect you to show confidence in your ability to do the job.
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for her or his time.
It's a good idea to send a short thank-you letter right after the interview, or deliver it by hand.
Phone the company if you have not heard anything after one week. Ask if they have made a decision about the job.
Good luck!
|
We pay attention to our body language because _ .
|
[
"Why are wild pigs so hard to control?",
"Are wild pigs pests or wild animals?",
"Wild pigs----an increasing danger in the US.",
"How to deal with the problem of wild pigs?"
] |
How to deal with the problem of wild pigs?
|
On May 23rd the United States Department of Agriculture will meet to discuss the pressing topic of wild pigs. These beasts, which number 6 million or so, are an increasing bother. At their worst, they can damage crops, spread diseases, attack humans and kill farm animals. And things are getting worse: a study show that they are likely to double in number over the next 3 years. Why is it so hard to control wild pigs?
Introduced to America in the 16th century, and related to the wild pigs found in Europe, wild pigs can be found in 75% of all states. No single law exists to control them and regulations differ between states: while in Missouri they can only be shot if met by chance, in Texas hunting is actively encouraged. A "pork chopper" law allows Texan hunters to shoot wild pigs from helicopters, and some people in Louisiana have even built their own pighunting drone . As well as being popular with hunters, wild pigs are cheaper for game raisers to breed than deer. In Michigan and Pennsylvania suggested bans on the private breeding of pigs for hunting have caused quarrels between game raisers and wildlife officials.
Wild pigs' double nature----considered pests by farmers, but valued by hunters----makes it hard to pass laws to control them. Two other factors also contribute. Nearly 70% of land in America is privately owned. And it is difficult for lawmakers to impose breeding and hunting laws on private landowners. Secondly, it is hard to define a wild pig.
In some states, laws are being introduced to redefine the term "wild animal" to keep out wild pigs. This is good news for those raising pigs for hunting, but less are to those who consider them pests whose number should be limited. Meanwhile, discussions continue over how to deal with this problem.
|
What is the best title of the text?
|
[
"real father",
"uncle",
"English teacher",
"friend"
] |
friend
|
Bob Smith is old. He has two big houses and a new car. He has no wife, but he is a father of four children. He has two sons and two daughters. One son is from Canada. His name is Jack. The other is from England. His name is Mike. One of his daughters is from China. Her name is Meimei. She is eleven years old. The other is from America. Her name is Lucy. She's eleven, too.
Bob Smith is not the children's real father, but he loves them very much. The children love their "father", too. Bob Smith has many toys for the children. He gives different toys to different children. The boys play with toy cars. The girls play with doll and toy animals. Bob Smith is their good friend.
|
Bob is children's _ .
|
[
"In time of peace prepare for war",
"Put the cart before the horse",
"One man's meat is another man's poison",
"Easier said than done"
] |
In time of peace prepare for war
|
The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example, at many public exhibitions about energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little money has been spent on SPS research
There are people who claim that SPS is unrealistic - because launch costs are much too high today; or because it is too far away. So why do we believe that it is important to continue to do researches on SPS? The reason is very simple.
Humans are going to need huge amounts of electric power in coming decades. Within 50 years the world population is expected to double, while economic growth will continue around the world, especially in the poorer countries. But existing energy sources already face serious problems. They are limited; they are polluted; they are dangerous. So 50 or 100 years from now, where is our power going to come from? Nobody knows. And so we believe that new large-scale possibilities should be studied further.
We must remember that humans have some choices concerning our future. To some extent we can choose the direction in which our civilization develops. And choices that are made in the coming decades - such as the energy sources that we will or will not use, will have major, long-term meaning for human life on earth. We believe that if research continues to show that SPS is environmentally and economically attractive, SPS will open the door to a much more attractive future for human civilization than any ground-based energy source, and one that the public will support and that young people will find challenging and exciting. Furthermore energy from SPS can be readily used in developing countries, as the SPS 2000 project will show, thus aiding economic development worldwide. In addition, by creating large commercial fund for space engineering, SPS will open the frontier of space to economic development, thus creating a limitless new field for the growth of the world economy.
|
The writer's attitude towards the research can best be summarized by the saying " _ ".
|
[
"Her father spent a lot of money on his phone.",
"Her father did not do any housework or read to her.",
"Her father made a lot of noise by talking on the phone.",
"Her father gave his attention to his phone instead of her."
] |
Her father gave his attention to his phone instead of her.
|
A couple of weeks ago, my 12-year-old daughter, Ella threatened to take my phone and break it. "At night you'll always have your phone out and break you'll just type," Ella says. "I'm ready to go to bed, and try to get you to read stories for me and you're just standing there reading your texts and texting other people," she adds. I came to realize that I was ignoring her as a father.
Ella isn't the only kid who feels this way about her parent's relationship with devices. Catherine Steiner-Adair, a psychologist at Harvard, wrote The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age. For her book, Steiner-Adair interviewed more than 1,000 kids from the ages of 4 to 18. She talked to hundreds of teachers and parents.
One of the many things that knocked my socks off, " she says, "was the consistency with which children -- whether they were 4 or 8 or 18 or 24-- talked about feeling exhausted and frustrated or mad trying to get their parents' attention, competing with computer screens or iPhone screens or any kind of technology."
A couple of years ago, my daughter got a laptop for school. And because she was becoming more independent, we got her a phone. We set up rules for when she could use the device and when she'd need to put it away. We created a charging station, outside her bedroom, where she had to plug in these devices every night. Basically -- except for homework-- she has to put it all away when she comes home.
Steiner-Adair says most adults don't set up similar limits in their own lives. "We've lost the boundaries that protect work and family life,'' she says. "So it is very hard to manage yourself and be present in the moments your children need you.''
After my daughter's little intervention ,I made myself a promise to create my own charging station. To plug my phone in-- somewhere faraway -- when I am done working for the day. I've been trying to leave it there untouched for most of the weekend
|
Why did Ella threaten to break her father's phone?
|
[
"A young camel",
"Enjoy the desert of life",
"The force of determination",
"The importance of freedom"
] |
The force of determination
|
A baby camel asked his mother, "Why do we have such large hooves on our feet?" She turned him and began her explanation.
"The big hooves are to keep us from sinking into the sand."
"Oh! So why do we have long eyelashes ?"
"It's to protect our eyes from the sand."
"Why the big humps ?"
"That is to store fat and have enough energy to go long distances in the hot desert!"
"I see!" The baby camel stretched his neck and looked up at his mother, "Then what are we doing in this cage in the middle of a zoo?"
Like the baby camel, I had asked the same kind of questions. When my blindness set in, I at first locked myself in a cage of self-pity and bitterness. I was tired to waling out of that dark cage.
Heavens! What was I thinking? Those _ were self-imposed . Finally, eagerness to leave it inspired me to open my ears to hear a reassuring whisper - I was created for much more.
I broke down those bars and stepped out into the desert of life. I walking difficultly through the heat with determination. And the hooves of confidence kept me from sinking into the sand of danger.
Each time I reached another point in my journey, my eyes saw a whole new world with opportunities to make a difference. Best of all, I was pleased the I was indeed created for much more! Bars come in all sizes and shapes. But none can hold up the force of determination that breaks them down.
Step back and peek at what bars limit you. Take a deep breath, break them down, and come out into the freshness of a new life!
|
What would be the best title for the passage?
|
[
"adventurous",
"pleasant",
"exciting",
"dull"
] |
adventurous
|
Erik wants to climb Mount Everest. He loves to climb, and there is no place greater for climbers than the top of 29,035 feet, the world's highest mountain.
Erik is blind. He has been blind since age 13, when an eye disease robbed him of his sight. His new book, Touch the Top of the World: A blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See, describes his blindness and climbing. He is the first blind man to attempt Everest. The team reached the base camp at 17,800 feet last Wednesday and began its climb Saturday. If all goes well, Erik will reach the top on about May 15.
"I'm not just some broken blind guy," Erik, aged 32,said for hours before he left Los Angeles on Friday for Katmandu, Nepal. "1 put my life in my fellow climbers'hands, and they put their lives in my hands. It's an honor to reach that state. "
"I want to experience the sense of adventure. Blindness has nothing to do with that. But a message of the climb is that a blind person can join a team and climb the highest mountain in the world. "
Erik has climbed the highest tops on four continents: North America's Mount McKmley, South America's Aconcagua, Africa's Kilimanjaro and Antarctica's Vinson Massif. He is an expert rock and ice climber, having scaled El Captain in Yosemite National Park. When he was 16, he attended a school that taught blind people to be independent. One day, a group went rock-climbing. "1 really liked it," Erik said, "You can solve problems. It is sense in your inner mind. People didn't think blind people could go out and become expert rock climbers.
|
Erik expected the climb of Mount Everest to be_.
|
[
"technology and economy",
"population and industries",
"population and humanity",
"industries and balance."
] |
population and industries
|
People live in different parts of the world and lead different types of lives. Their lifestyles change across the different areas in the world. What is the difference between a city and country life? Let us see.
We can see the modern facilities everywhere in the city like the Internet, telephone, television and satellite communication facilities are widely available in the city. A majority of families in the city are enjoying this technological advancement.
The increasing population has led to an imbalance in human population. More and more industries have led to environmental problems like pollution.
However, the rise in economic growth has resulted in a self-centered nature of society. While technological advancement has brought the world closer, human beings have gone far apart from each other.
The country is not crowded with constructions all over. Houses are rather widely spaced with enough room for fields and gardens. The country is the only area fortunate enough to house the _ . People in the country live in close to nature. Apart from people, there is room for pets and animals that help keep a balance in nature.
Due to a lesser number of people in the country, it is not overcrowded by people. These areas have least amounts of pollution. Pollution is less also because of very less number of industries in the country. The life may not be as enjoyable as that in the city, but the people there are generous, kind and friendly. The country is the one where humanity is still alive.
Every coin has two sides to it. While we can't enjoy expensive things and technology in the country, it is rich in its relationship with 'nature'. The city life is modern in technology and career opportunities. However, the falling humanity and a bad environmental balance affect the bright future of city life.
|
According to the passage, the main reason for pollution is _ .
|
[
"he had found a good job",
"he would have something to eat",
"he would no longer suffer from the Depression",
"he would get what he wanted without losing his self-respect"
] |
he would get what he wanted without losing his self-respect
|
Work is a part of living --my grandparents understood that. They lived and worked on a farm that has been in my family for 150 years. They raised chickens for eggs , pigs and cattle for meat . Cows were kept for milk and the cream, from which Grandma made butter and cheese. What little yard they had became a garden.
The Depression, therefore, didn't make much change in their lives. But it did bring an unending flow of men out of work, drifting from job to job, to the farm. The first to show up at the door of the kitchen was a man in rags. He took off his hat and quietly explained that he hadn't eaten for a while. Grandpa stood watching him a bit , then said , "There's a stack of firewood against the fence behind the barn . I've been needing to get it moved to the other side of the fence . You have just about enough time to finish the job before lunch ."
Grandma said a surprising thing happened. The man got a shine in his eyes and he hurried to the barn at once. She set another place at the table and made an apple pie. During lunch, the stranger didn't say much, but when he left, his shoulders had straightened. "Nothing ruins a man like losing his self-respect," Grandpa later told me.
Soon after, another man showed up asking for a meal. This one was dressed in a suit and carried a small old suitcase. Grandpa came out when he heard voices. He looked at the man and then offered a handshake." There is a stack of firewood along the fence down behind the barn I've been meaning to get it moved. It'd sure be a help to me . And we'd be pleased to have you stay for lunch." The fellow set his suitcase aside and neatly laid his coat on top. Then he set off to work.
Grandma says she doesn't remember how many strangers they shared a meal with during those Depression days-or how many times that stack of wood got moved.
|
When he was asked to move a stack of firewood, the first man who asked for a meal got a shine in his eyes for he was glad that _ .
|
[
"drinking more water than other animals",
"lying on the ground making strange noise",
"resting in a secret place to avoid enemies",
"being quiet and making little movement"
] |
being quiet and making little movement
|
Folk medicine keeps the body healthy by using medicines taken from surrounding plants and herbs . Since materialsfor making a medicine to cure a sickness can be found everywhere, one can practise folk medicine in any place of the world.
The use of folk medicine goes all the way back to the time of the earliest man when both man and animal used plants and herbs to keep healthy. It is usually seen that an animal eat snakeroot after being bitten by a poisonous snake. Because animals seem to have this natural ability for knowing which plants and herbs will cure what sickness, man probably learned how to care for himself by animal watching.
Man also learned other things from animals. He observed that wild animals, when sick, kept quiet and rest, getting well with the help of the medicine in plants and pure air. He saw that an animal with a fever could often be found resting in a cool place, eating nothing, and often drinking water until the fever was gone.
Some believe that folk medicine deals with a lot of old wives' tales which have something to do with the medical treatment of the body. Stories are told about the powers of a certain vegetable material, which when hung around the neck, brings the wearer good health during the cold winter months. Such a story is simply a fairy tale. It should be separated from the discussion of folk medicine.
|
Sick animals were often seen _ .
|
[
"creative",
"hardworking",
"satisfied",
"wise."
] |
satisfied
|
Did you watch the magic shows played by Liu Qian from Taiwan in the 2009 CCTV Spring Festival Gala ? They attracted great attention and wide interests of the audience . During the gala, Liu mangaged to drop a coin into a glass which was placed upside down and _ a finger ring into an egg. The two magic shows were so successful that everyone is now mad about him and all want to know how to play magic tricks. "I saw the surprise on everyone's face. It was cool, "Liu said.
However, you may not believe that Liu didn't go to any magic school. He just learned by himself. When Liu was seven, he saw a coin trick in a big store. At that moment Liu decided to learn magic. He worked hard at it. He practiced hard to improve his skills. Then one day he was able to put on a show for his class.
After years of hard work, now Liu is a great magician. But he isn't satisfied with what he has got and keeps on trying every day. He may spend three years working out a new show.
|
According to the passage, we can use the following words to describe Liu Qian EXCEPT _ .
|
[
"Because everyone has a changing circle of friends.",
"Because we sometimes forget to renew phone books.",
"Because we'll never forget some of our friends.",
"Because our circle of friends will not change."
] |
Because we'll never forget some of our friends.
|
TS said that everyone has a changing circle of friends. However, no matter how frequently we renew our phone books, some names always remain. These names remind us of the good times we spent together with our friends. Though we may not see them every day, they will always stay in our hearts.
Tom was often called "Big Head" at school because of his extraordinarily large head. He was one of my close friends at primary school. But since graduation, we have been studying in different cities and haven't seen each other for a long time.
Several days ago, I received an e-mail saying that my former classmates from primary school were holding a party to get together and chat about past memories. I was so excited because [ would get to see Tom again. What would he look like now? Would we still feel as close to each other as we had done back then? I was a little frightened about what I would find.
When I arrived at the party, I did manage to recognize Tom. However, he was much taller than he had been before. What's more, his head was no longer big.
"Hi, Buddy. Do you recognize me?" Tom walked towards me.
"Of course. How could I ever forget our ' Big Head' ," I said jokingly, "But where has your big head gone?"
"Haha, maybe it didn't keep up with the steps of time and stayed in the past," Tom patted his own head and answered with a laugh.
All my _ suddenly disappeared. I realized that time had changed us outwardly, but our friendship hadn't changed at all. I chatted happily with Tom about our shared experiences in primary school.
Then I looked around the small room and saw different faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, but none of them the faces of strangers. The whole party was filled with a warm atmosphere. Everyone was lost in the sweet memories of childhood. They forgot all their present-day stresses and pressures.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? Come and get some pizza!" A call from a friend woke me up from my thoughts. I hurried towards the table. "Wait! That biggest piece is mine!"
|
Why are some names always in our phone books?
|
[
"your eyes are poor",
"its image falls on the blind spot",
"your left eye is not open",
"you move it close to your eye"
] |
its image falls on the blind spot
|
It seems to be strange to you there is a blind spot on the eyes,Here is an interesting experiment that can make something disappear,when one eye is open.
Make a card about the size of a postcard and write two English letters L and R on it,L on the left and R on the right.First,hold the card about 80 cm away and you see both the letters.Then close your right eye and look at the letter R only with your left eye.And now,as you move the card slowly towards you,you'll find the letter L disappearing.But if you move the card nearer to your face,the letter will be seen again.Now do the same experiment with your left eye closed,you'll find the letter R disappearing.
Why does the letter disappear? It is because there is a blind spot on the eye.When the image of the letter falls on the blind spot,it won't be seen.That is why either of the letters
disappears.
|
You fail to see the letter L in the experiment because _ .
|
[
"Online video broadcasting will disappear.",
"Network technologies will be slowed down",
"Publishing webcasts will gradually go down.",
"Bloggers and webcasters will avoid real names."
] |
Publishing webcasts will gradually go down.
|
China plans to make new rules to give more controls over the growing number of blogs and webcasts. Nowadays, advanced network technologies, such as blogging and webcasting, are being improved to challenge the government's ability to watch over the Internet.
Chinese government is in the middle of making new rules over Internet publishing, and blogs and websites publishing webcasts will fall under these rules. Government officials hope the new rules will ensure a more healthy and active Internet environment and will fully respect and protect Chinese citizens' freedom of speech. Specific details on what kind of rules will be carried out are still unknown to the public. Despite the growing popularity, bloggers and webcasters have been unpopular with publication institutions. In 2006, a series of cases involving bloggers who had dived into other people's privacy and written materials ruining other's fame urged the government to consider whether to require bloggers to use their real names when they _
Webcasting without copyright and illegally "copying" products from copyrighted materials have also led government officials to consider starting a nationwide check of online video broadcasting, and allow only qualified websites to offer webcasts.
|
What will happen if more controls are given by the government?
|
[
"Tonio often encouraged Sam when Sam burst into tears.",
"The two brothers went to the same kindergarten.",
"Neither of the brothers played with other children.",
"They supported each other in different ways."
] |
They supported each other in different ways.
|
I know it is wrong to envy your children. But when I see my son, Tonio and his younger brother Sam going down a slide together, one's arm around the other, I know I have missed something wonderful.
Not only did I never have a brother, but also I had no friendships like theirs. My sister was old enough to help take care of me, so she was more a mother than a playmate, and I was more a _ than a friend. A brother would have been wonderful, but it was not in the family planning.
Now I finally live with brothers, my sons, Tonio and Sam. I am watching them build the kind of relationship that I once dreamed about. They go to bed together. When one comes into our bed after a nightmare, my wife and I know that before morning his brother will follow.
Sam manages the world with more ease than his elder brother, whose frustrations often bring him to tears. With a sincere "Smile, Tonio," Sam is the one who comforts him. Tonio, on the other hand, has stopped playing with boys at his age who don't like playing with Sam. They are always backing each other up.
I don't know what kind of relationship they will have when they grow up. Parents always want their children to have what they never could. I want them to have each other. So I imagine them going to the same college, marrying sisters and living on the same block.
That's why I was so worried the day Tonio started kindergarten. I felt that I would lose something too. As we headed for school that morning, both boys seemed relaxed, as if neither had any idea that the day was going to be different, that starting then, Tonio would be leaving behind his brother, his best friend, his right arm.
Tonio's first day was chaotic, with hundreds of children outside looking for their teachers. Before any of us could say goodbye, Tonio disappeared with his new classmates. He turned to wave and then was gone. It was so sudden. Sam even didn' t see him go. Although parents had been asked to ease the craziness of the first day by statying out of the school, I lifted Sam up and took him to Tonio's classroom, looking for a glimpse of Tonio. Sam spotted him first.
My wife and I didn't head back home immediately, stopping instead at a coffee shop to treat Sam to hot chocolate. We even let him eat ice-cream with his fingers. Sam was still quiet, so I asked him if he missed his brother already.
He didn't answer. Instead he asked, "Daddy, is Tonio going to be gone forever?"
"No, Sammy," I said, feeling happy about his sweet question. "Not forever, just until three o'clock."
I sometimes think that the greatest thing I have ever done is to help create these brothers. And I didn't stop with them. We had another child, and for the third time in a row, it was a boy. It wasn't long before his brothers climbed into the crib to play with him. I am surrounded by brothers.
|
What can we learn about the two little brothers?
|
[
"he has not grown up yet",
"he has not yet got up",
"he has not woke up yet",
"he has not yet come upstairs"
] |
he has not yet got up
|
First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out," I put my head out of a window and a basin of water fell on me. It seems that "Look out" may mean "don't look out."
Second Frenchman: Once I was on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck," I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them.
Third Frenchman: I once visited an English friend early in the morning and the maid who came to the door and said, "He's not up yet. Come back in half an hour," When I went again for him, she said, "He's not down yet."
"If he's not up and he's not down, where is he?" I asked.
She said, "He's still in bed. When I say 'He's not up ' I mean 'he has not yet got up'. When I say 'He's not down ' I mean 'he has not yet come downstairs,'"
|
When the maid said, "He's not up yet." She meant that _ .
|
[
"he read a book about a famous magician",
"he learned to pick a lock",
"he started entertaining at local parties",
"he learned to do card tricks"
] |
he read a book about a famous magician
|
Harry Houdini was a man who astonished and attracted many people during his life. Whether he was escaping from a locked box or making things disappear and reappear, he surely was entertaining. People thought that he must truly have some supernatural powers, but in fact, what Harry really had was drive.
Harry was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1874. His real name was Ehrich Weiss, the third of five children. His family moved to Wisconsin not long after his birth and when he was nine, he was tying ropes all over his backyard and learning amazing tricks to show his friends and neighbors. He visited the local locksmith, and when he had reached his teens he could pick almost any lock that was made. He also learned how to do card tricks. He and his brother, Theo, would often entertain at local parties and clubs for extra money.
When Ehrich was 16, he came across a book that would actually change his life: the biography of France's greatest magician, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. It showed Ehrich that his hobby of magic and tricks could also be a career. Immediately, he changed his name to Harry Houdini. He and Theo headed out to make a living as magicians.
In 1893, they performed at the Chicago World's Fair, and after that they traveled around giving magic shows for anyone willing to listen and pay. Theo grew restless, however, as the jobs became scarce, so he left. His timing was perfect since Harry had just fallen in love with a lovely woman named Bess who was just the right size for slipping in and out of the trunk they used in their magic tricks. They married immediately and then off they went, traveling with circuses and other road shows. Harry learned more and more tricks and spent much of his time reading and studying all kinds of locks, especially handcuffs. However, no matter what tricks they did or how hard they tried, Bess and Harry were not doing well. They tried to sell their shows for seven years and finally, in desperation, they went to Europe.
It was the right move. Harry's persistence and constant practice were about to pay off. To get people's attention, he walked into police stations and offered to be handcuffed by all the policemen. They were shocked when he was loose only seconds later. Soon, everyone in Europe was talking about Houdini's astounding skills. He was in high demand and found himself doing more and more dangerous acts. He escaped from a straitjacket hanging upside down over the street; he escaped from locked boxes of all kinds; and, of course, he got out of any kind of handcuffs put on him.
After several years in Europe, Bess and Harry returned to the United States in victory. Harry was doing such amazing tricks that people felt he must have special powers. However, few realized how much time he spent practicing and studying. He would do special exercises to keep his body strong, and he would do tricks with his fingers to keep them flexible. He would spend large amounts of time tying and untying knots -- with his toes! For his underwater tricks, he would get in the bathtub and practice holding his breath for longer and longer times. Since many of his tricks involved being deep in icy water, he would pour buckets of ice in the tub to get accustomed to working in the cold.
The reason that Harry Houdini was such a success was that he practiced and prepared for whatever might happen. When a college student punched him in the abdomen in 1926, however, he wasn't prepared. The punch did internal damage that not even this magician could get out of. Harry died in 1926 at 52 years of age -- a master of his trade and a true legend.
|
Houdini decided to become a magician after _ .
|
[
"to make an experiment",
"to perform a research",
"to start a marketplace",
"to operate a business"
] |
to start a marketplace
|
Fidenzio Salvatori is determined that the city of Toronto will have an outdoor marketplace for merchants from its immigrant community, complete with dancing and other forms of amusement form their native countries. "Toronto is truly multicultural ," he said in a newspaper interview. "It's a city from many places, and multicultural marketplace will help Torontonians to understand and appreciate the rich variety of cultural groups in our city."
Salvatori, aged 23, will soon complete his studies at the University of Toronto. He was eleven years old when he came to Canada from Italy with his parents. "Most of Toronto's immigrants are from lands where the marketplace has always been part of daily life," he said.
Salvatori has been interested in getting an open-air market for Toronto for the last three years. This year, with the help of two fellow students, he prepared a proposal on the subject and presented it to the city's Executive committee, asking for their support. The proposal pointed out Toronto's rich variety of national groups, "whose customs include market shopping."
Under a Canadian government program for multiculturalism, the three students have received two thousand dollars with which they will do a study to find out whether Toronto's immigrant businessmen would support an open-air market. They hope the merchants will support the plan strongly. "A study done earlier this year showed that 90 percent of shoppers would be in favor of it," Salvatori said. "At first it would be an experiment. But we think it will prove to be good business for the merchants, as well as tourist attraction."
|
Fidenzio Salvatori, with two other students, has got two thousand dollars from the government _ .
|
[
"kind-hearted",
"a person who depended on someone else to finish her work",
"trying to frighten the policeman on the strength of her friends' powerful positions",
"introducing her good friends' names to the young officer"
] |
trying to frighten the policeman on the strength of her friends' powerful positions
|
An expensive car speeding down the main street of a small town was soon caught up with by a young motorcycle policeman. As he started to make out the ticket, the woman behind the wheel said proudly, "Before you go any further, young man, I think you should know that the mayor of this city is a good friend of mine."The officer did not say a word, but kept writing. "I am also a friend of chief of police Barens,"continued the woman, getting more angrier each moment. Still he kept on writing. "Young man ,"she persisted, "I know Judge Lawson and State Senator Patton." Handing the ticket to the woman, the officer asked pleasantly, "Tell me, do you know Bill Bronson."
"Why, no,"She answered. "Well, that is the man you should have known,"he said, heading back to his motorcycle, "I am Bill Bronson."
|
The woman was _ .
|
[
"test who had the fastest bike",
"decide who was the most competitive",
"find the secret tracks on the mountain",
"race to the top of BlackMountain"
] |
race to the top of BlackMountain
|
Nathan's second-hand bike was good enough to get him anywhere he wanted to go. Of course, it couldn't match Tim's in a normal speed race, but all the fancy gears in the world wouldn't get you up Black Mountain. It was so steep in places that you had to get off your bike and push.
On this particular afternoon, the odds were all on Nathan's side. First, he was stronger. Tim had always been thin, but recently he'd started to grow so fast that his arms and legs were like pieces of spaghetti. As well as being considerably fitter than his friend, Nathan knew the shortcuts up prefix = st1 /BlackMountain.
So when Nathan accepted the challenge, he was sure he'd win. He nearly always did, in competitions with Tim. That was what was strange. Tim was so competitive, and yet he wasn't any good at physical things.
By the time the two boys were three quarters of the way to the top, Nathan was clearly ahead. While the road zigzagged back and forth up the mountainside, in certain places, there were also vertical tracks, where water rushing down the slope in winter had bitten erosion courses into the soil. These had in turn been so overgrown by bushes and long grass in the spring that they looked like tunnels through the bush. The trick was to know where you could cut off a whole bend in the road by leaving the road and pushing your bike up one of these half-hidden pathways. If you chose the wrong one you'd struggle up for ten minutes and then suddenly reach a dead end. Then there was no choice but to go back.
|
What did Tim challenge Nathan to do?
|
[
"the fire was terrible and dangerous",
"it was impossible to put out the fire",
"more than one hundred people died of the fire",
"to join in the fight against the fire"
] |
the fire was terrible and dangerous
|
No one knows yet the _ number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire .But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred .
A wall of flames fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria . Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes . People are rushing excitedly into the streets . The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so .
The cause of the fire is unknown . No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months , and the hot , north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour .
The firefighters are travelling to the fire by road , rail and air . But it is not easy to get there . Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines . The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips .
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War .
|
The writer wrote this article mainly to tell people _ .
|
[
"enjoy themselves",
"work together",
"use coins",
"operate a machine"
] |
use coins
|
Six chimps were introduced to a slot machine called the Chimp- O- Mat, which would give out one grape when a white coin was insert into the slot. When Dr Wolf showed a young chimp named Moos how he could win himself a grape by inserting a coin, Moos immediately picked up another coin, pushed it into the slot, then stuck out his paw and waited for a grape to drop out..
Besides white coins, the chimps were given yellow coins to insert into the slot, but nothing came out because they were worthless. The chimps soon learned this fact. When a handful of white and yellow coins were thrown into the cage housing, Bula, Bimba and Alpha, the three chimps rushed for the white coins and never touched the yellow ones.
Now the chimps were madly in love with money. Would the six chimps value money enough to work for it? To find the answer, Dr Wolfe designed a work machine. The chimps were shown that when a large handle was lifted, they could pick one grape. When they had learned the skill of lifting the handle to get the grape, Dr Wolf made a change to the machines so that instead of the grape they would find a white coin. This coin would still buy them one grape at the Chimp- O- Mat.
Thus the complexity of getting a grape was not only doubled, but also the money to buy the grape could be achieved only by honest work. The handle they had to lift to get the coin weighed eighty pounds. Great effort is needed for a young chimp to raise that weight, yet the formerly lazy chimps not only quickly mastered the new operation, but also showed great eagerness to work for money.
|
The purpose of the Chimp- O- Mat experiment was to discover whether chimps would learn to _ .
|
[
"Students who finish all the activities.",
"Students who finish first on the test.",
"Students who make the greatest progress in the test.",
"Students who get scores of 85 percent or above on all the activities."
] |
Students who get scores of 85 percent or above on all the activities.
|
Nearly half of elementary and high schools in the US use the Presidential Fitness Test. It checks kids' fitness levels. Students are tested at least twice a year. In 1956, US President Eisenhower created the test, and it has been a tradition in schools since 1966.
There are five activities in the test: sit-ups , push-ups , sit and reach, endurance run or walk and shuttle run . Students who get scores at or above 85 percent on all the activities can get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award.
The test encourages students to live a healthy and active life. Students taking the test are really testing their limits, according to the US National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
China has a similar test: the physical education(PE) test. Beginning at the age of 7, students in China are tested twice a year to check if they are healthy and strong. They also finish activities like the endurance run, sit-ups and the shuttle run.
However, unlike students in the US who get awards, Chinese students get points in PE tests. The highest score is 100. For junior school students, the PE test is more important because it is worth 30 to 40 points in the entrance exam for senior high school. In order to get a good score, most students begin to prepare for the test in their junior one year.
|
Who can get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award?
|
[
"go to the house of noodles",
"get a lunch special",
"go to the dessert house",
"go to any houses"
] |
go to the dessert house
|
House of noodles
We have three size bowls of noodles, small, medium and large. A small bowl of mutton and carrot noodles is RMB 5. A medium bowl of beef and potato noodles is RMB 7. A large bowl of chicken and cabbage noodles is RMB 8.
Welcome to our house.
Lunch special
We have some great specials. The cabbage, tomatoes and rice lunch special is RMB 3. The beef, carrots and rice lunch special is RMB 5. The dumplings and soup lunch special is RMB 8.
Time: 11:00a.m---2:00p.m
Dessert house
What kind of dessert would you like? We have two new specials: (1) Apple, strawberry and ice cream. (2) Banana, orange and ice cream. And what size of dessert would you like? Small, medium or large? And we also have juice and tea.
|
If you want to have some dessert, you can _ .
|
[
"Liu Qian is a born magician",
"Liu Qian studied magic at university.",
"Liu Qian became successful mainly because he was hard-working.",
"Godmother helped him."
] |
Liu Qian became successful mainly because he was hard-working.
|
Liu Qian, a magician from Taiwan, cast his spell over an audience of thousands on the CCTV Spring Festival Show. Die-hard fans are still trying to work out the secrets behind many of the tricks he performed.
But Liu, 32, when asked, laughed off the idea that there might be an "answer" to his magic. "The most fascinating things about magic is the puzzling process. People enjoy how magicians make the impossible come true," said Liu.
Few people today believe in the possibility of real magic. They also often fail to consider magicians' devotion to their art. It can take a magician years' of practice to perfect a trick before he performs it on stage.
Part of Liu's star appeal is his astonishing skill. However, when he began in the industry, he was embarrassingly clumsy. "I could practice thousands of times for one single act. It wasn't much fun," he said.
No magician's supernatural powers on stage extend to their life off stage. Liu says his life was no easier or funnier because he was a magician.
He developed an interest in magic at a young age, but didn't consider making a living out of it until he graduated from university. He had studied Japanese language and found himself unable to find a job. "My parents never considered being a magician as a proper job. To begin with, I had little confidence I would be doing this in the long term," he said.
Yet Liu felt a powerful calling to become a magician. "For many people, magic somehow means a miracle, which is something we all secretly wish for no matter how hard-bitten or cynical we become," he said.
Liu may be right. A popular modern dream is of the fairy godmother, who waves her magic wand and makes our dreams come true. But according to Liu, we all have the power to create magic in our lives. As Liu puts it: it's not the magic that makes it work;it's the way we work that makes it magic.
|
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
|
[
"Ask the manager of the air company to cut down the price of the ticket.",
"You'd better stay one more night and not go home on Saturday",
"You'd better fly during the week and spend your weekends at home.",
"Never go abroad on business during the weekend alone."
] |
You'd better stay one more night and not go home on Saturday
|
More often than not, the person sitting next to you on a plane or sleeping in the next hotel room has paid more or less than you did for the same services. Each day, airlines give more than several hundred fares for flights between the same two cities and hotels charge different rates for the same room. So how do you find the best rates? Here are some tips:
^ Sign up for fare special e-mails. When airlines get into a fare war, the cost of a plane ticket can fall overnight and the discounted fare may be sold out by noon the next day. Get on the mailing list of airlines and other travel Web sites so you can be told immediately if fares drop.
^ Buy your tickets at least 21 days in advance. There are usually four different timetables for advance tickets: 21-day, 14-day, 7-day, and 3-day. The further in advance you book your flight, the lower the fare you will find.
^ Consider another airport. Find out about all the airports that are near your destination city. You might be able to fly into a smaller airport or neighboring city at a much lower rate.
^ Stay over a Saturday night. Airlines give the highest fares to business travelers, who fly during the week and spend their weekends at home. If you plan to leave for your trip on a Wednesday and return on Saturday, your fare would be a lot higher than you stay until Sunday morning.
^ Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Some airlines offer cheaper fares on different days of the week. Generally, it's the cheapest to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Remember, though, that a Saturday stay is necessary to receive the lowest rate.
^ Pick a flight with plenty of open seats. Seats in a flight are divided into "classes", and each class has its own price. Since the cheapest classes sell first, the fewer seats that are left on a plane, the more expensive they are.
|
If you are a business traveler, you want to save money. What should you do?
|
[
"English",
"music",
"swimming",
"soccer"
] |
swimming
|
My name is Sabrina. I'm 23 years old. I come from London. Now I live in Beijing. I love teaching English. I think it's interesting. I can speak Chinese, too. I have experience in teaching English in China. My e-mail address is [email protected].
I'm Bill, an 18-year-old student. I live in Nanjing now. I can play the guitar well. I like to be a teacher. I have free time on weekends. Do you want to learn the guitar? Please call me at 15069606503.
I'm June Smith. I'm 25. I can swim well. I want to be a swimming teacher. I love kids and I'm good with kids. I can help them learn to swim. If you need a teacher in your club, please e-mail me at [email protected].
.
|
June wants to work in a(n) _ club.
|
[
"Rainy",
"Snowy",
"Windy",
"Warm"
] |
Snowy
|
It was late on a snowing night. Doctor Van was driving fast to the hospital to do an operation on a badly hurt person. Minutes later he came to a red traffic light and had to stop to wait. A man suddenly opened the door of the car and got in.
"Drive on, " shouted the man, "Just do what I've told you to. " The man was strong and tall while Doctor Van was not.
"But I'm a doctor, " Van tried to tell him what he was going to do. "I'm on my way to the hospital to save..." "Stop talking and drive faster, as fast as you can!" the man stopped Van and Van had to do so.
Only a few minutes had passed when the man made Van stop his car again and drove him off, and he himself drove away very quickly.
Van stood in the snow for a moment and then walked around to look for a taxi.
Another half an hour had passed when Van got out of the taxi and ran into the hospital. But it was too late and nothing could be done.
The man who had taken Van's car was standing by the person all the time. He was so sad! Only then did Van know that the man was the father of that badly hurt person!
|
What was the weather like that night?
|
[
"find a new way to treat malaria.",
"recommend a new smart phone.",
"promote a new program.",
"introduce a new device to detect disease."
] |
introduce a new device to detect disease.
|
Doctors fighting malaria---one of the deadliest diseases on the planet--- may soon have a new affordable weapon in their smart phones. Researchers have found a way to use the phone's camera to detect the microorganism in the patient's blood that causes the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 600,000 people died of malaria in 2013, making this mosquito-borne disease one of the deadliest in the world.
The saddest aspect of this calamity is that it affects mostly young children.
Early detection of the infection is important for successful treatment. But since the first symptoms resemble ordinary flu, a microbiologist must look at a drop of a patient's blood under a microscope for a proper diagnosis.
Scientists in Britain have now developed a smart phone attachment called Xrapid, that turns the phone into a 200-power microscope, while the attached app---based on facial recognition software - quickly detects the parasitic protozoa in the blood smear .
Jean Viry-Babel is the CEO of IanXen, the company that developed the app. He says it is cheap and works on the spot. "So we take a high-definition picture of a sample of blood. We separate the red blood cells from the rest---the white blood cells, the platelets ---and we start looking at each of the red blood cells individually," said Viry-Babel.
Viry-Babel says the app is affordable, easy to use and provides reliability of up to 98 percent. The only additional equipment required is an ordinary glass lab slide - called a "slate."
"There's only one button, which is called "Diagnose". So you put it on the slate and you put it on the dried blood, and you press diagnose and it tells you yes or no," he said.
Researchers say the field-testing of the device will begin in January and February in Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia --- while commercial use is scheduled to start by the end of March.
They also plan to expand the versatility of the new device---teaching it to recognize other diseases, such as tuberculosis and Lyme Disease.
|
The text is meant to _ .
|
[
"the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years",
"the rapid increase of motor vehicles in cities",
"the building of power plants in northern China",
"the poor weather conditions caused by complex geographical factors"
] |
the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years
|
This winter, the air quality over the north China plain was so bad that it was actually off the standard scale. The air pollution reached levels that the World Health Organization describes as dangerous. On Thursday, heavy smog blanketed most of northern and eastern China again.
It is reasonable to ask why the air pollution is so bad this winter. Weather conditions and topographic factors have been given as reasons, but, although contributing factors, these are not to blame. The worsening air pollution is linked to an energy mix that relies heavily on coal and to motor vehicle emissions . But despite the astonishing growth of motor vehicles in our cities, it is the burning of coal that is the biggest cause of air pollution. More than half of the country's power plants are located in the eastern region and China's coal consumption has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching 3.8 billion tons last year, accounting for almost half the world's total coal consumption. And with coal occupying nearly 70 percent of the country's primary energy consumption, it has become critical to reduce the use of coal if we are to solve the nation's overall air pollution problem.
In the face of the poisonous air recently, one citizen said, "we have nothing but hot air to purify the skies". In fact, the government plans to have 350 billion yuan ($55.67 billion) investment in improving coal-fired facilities and limiting the use of yellow-label cars that do not meet the Euro I emissions standard and so on.
However, it would be far more effective to reduce emissions at the source, which means that the biggest challenge currently facing government departments is saying "no" to the country's air polluting offenders. According to the Joint Prevention and Control Plan on Air Pollution in Key Regions released recently by the State Council, the amount of coal the nation consumes is set to rise by 30 percent during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This is not going to let anyone breathe easier.
This highlights a key problem when it comes to environmental issues in this country - economic development comes first. The fundamental cause of the worsening air pollution is the idea of economic growth at any cost, which has resulted in ever-worsening pollution. And the priority given to economic growth presents another problem, namely the failure of existing environmental protection policies and regulations to control pollution. For instance, the current weak regulations covering emissions would suggest there has been a significant reduction in emissions when clearly this is not the case. Also those enterprises found breaking the regulations are still far lower than the cost of treating the pollution they produce. This means even if many large-scale enterprises with lagging production capacity fail to meet the requirements for environmental protection, the environmental protection department is incapable of shutting these enterprises down or forcing their relocation. [: _ Z _ X _ X _ K]
Dealing with air pollution requires taking action at the local level to reduce vehicle emissions and at the regional level to reduce industrial emissions. But it also requires giving more priority to environmental issues in policymaking. Our hope is that the environmental protection department will be truly capable of saying "no" to pollution, and it will raise standards and effectively enforce them, and that governments at all levels will prioritize quality of life not just economic growth.
|
It can be learned from the passage that the essential reason for the worsening air conditions in China is _ .
|
[
"seven",
"nine",
"ten",
"twelve"
] |
twelve
|
Course A: Understanding computers
1. A twelve-hour course for people who do not know very much about computers but need to learn about them. You can learn what computers are, what computers can do and cannot do, and how to use them.
2. Course fee: $75, from June 1 to June 28, 9~12am every Sunday.
3. Equipment fee: $10.
4. Teacher: Joseph Saunders, professor of computer science at New Urban University, with twelve years of experience in computer field.
Call 67801642 or 67801643 for more information.
Course B: Learning to speak French
1. A course with a small class of less than 20 people, twice a week. Your French level is tested in the first class. Then you can begin practicing at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed, and prepares you to learn through situations of real life with a funny and easy method.
2. Course fee: $200, from June 1 to June 25, 4~7pm every Monday and Thursday.
3. Personal tutoring fee: $100.
4. Teacher: From the first day on you can have your own personal French teacher that corrects your exercises and assists you along the course, who has successfully taught French course before.
Phone 67353019 for more information.
Course C: Learning to swim
1. A course for people who have interest in swimming. We offer morning and afternoon classes, where swimming knowledge will be taught. Then you can gain swimming skills through practicing in water.
2. Course fee: $150, from June 9 to June 29, 10am~4pm every Tuesday and Friday..
3. Personal tutoring Fee: $100
4. Teacher: Teachers from sports college and experienced swimming-loves.
Very close to the Central Park. For further information call 67432308.
|
The computer professor has got _ years of experience in computer field.
|
[
"Complex.",
"Funny.",
"Boring.",
"Puzzling."
] |
Funny.
|
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had worked on, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?"
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched for the name of this fellow, it became obvious that there were two people with the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip a coin. Heads--the commander, and tails--the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, "My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was terrible. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. At last, I worked very hard for the rest of the school year.
Ten months later, that chance came as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my chance to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!
|
What did the author's classmates think about his report?
|
[
"Because during times of crisis, people tend to worry about their future.",
"Because aliens often threaten the human race.",
"Because killer diseases happen at times.",
"Because the old Mayan story says that the world will"
] |
Because during times of crisis, people tend to worry about their future.
|
It's not the first movie to show the end of the world. But in the latest box office hit 2012 it is neither aliens nor a killer disease that threaten the human race, but climate change.
Some say the film lacks good dialogue and its science is questionable, others believe German director Roland Emmerich makes up for these flaws in special effects. An earthquake destroys the White House and Yellow stone National Park ends up in flames.
Emmerich borrows from the old Mayan story which says, that the world will end in 2012.He is being criticized for
Internet rumors about doomsday
"There is no factual basis for these claims,'' NASA said on its website. "Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat connected with 2012,'' it insisted. "After all, our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, " they added.
According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, it was first thought that the disaster would happen in May 2003. When the world continued, supporters picked the last day of the Mayan calendar.
"Every culture has a myth of destruction , just as they have a myth of creation. These myths |of destruction tend to surface during times of crisis , " Michael A. Ryan, an assistant profess of history,speaking to Purdue University News. Ryan studies apocalyptic themes from the Middle Ages at the US university. "Today's current economic climate is a state of crisis for many people who are worried whether they can afford to feed themselves,"he added.
|
Why do the rumors about doomsday come about now and then?
|
[
"unconcerned",
"doubtful",
"positive",
"hopeful."
] |
doubtful
|
I believe that animals possess greater intelligence than most people think. But plants? I've never considered the possibility of plant intelligence. The idea seems absurd .
Yet I've had friends argue that plant intelligence might exist. "What are the differences between plants and animals?" they ask, and then they argue about certain species that seem to share the intelligence of both plants and animals.
New research suggests that plants communicate via "networks". Plant communication is not idea, and cannot indicate that it is a kind of intelligence, but it is still interesting.
Recent research from Vidi researcher Josef Stuefer at the Radboud University Nijmegen shows that plants have their own chat systems that they can use to warn each other. Therefore plants are not boring and passive organisms that just stand there waiting to be cut down or eaten up. Many plants form internal communication networks and are able to exchange information networks and are able to exchange information efficiently.
Many herbal plants such as strawberries and clovers naturally form networks. Individual plants remain connected with each other for a certain period of time by means of runners (plant stems that grow along the ground and put down roots to form new plants). These connections enable the plants to share information with each other via internal channels. They are therefore very similar to computer networks. But what do plants chat to each other about?
Recently Stuefer and hus colleagues were the first to prove that clover plants warn each other via the network links if danger is nearby. If one of the plants is attacked by caterpillars , the other members of the network are warned via an internal signal. Once warned the intact plants strengthen their chemical and mechanicaicl resistance so that they are less attractive to advancing caterpillars. Thanks to this early warning system, the plants can stay one step ahead of their attackers. The research has shown that this significantly limits the damage to the plants.
Again, I don't believe this reflects intelligence,
|
The author's attitude towards plant intelligence is _
|
[
"bearable",
"Unacceptable",
"reasonable",
"understandable"
] |
Unacceptable
|
The word I'm going to introduce to you today is-phubbing. Let's see the definition of this term:phubbing n. the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your cell phone instead of paying attention As you can probably guess, phubbing is a blend of phone and snubbing. The term was coined by a 23-year-old Melbourne resident Alex Haigh. Obviously, he got fed up with how people are always checking Facebook or Twitter on their phones when they are supposed to be interacting with someone face to face. He wanted to put an end to this social phenomenon, therefore he came up with this catchy term.
And it did catch on. The word's earliest media mention dates back to June 2012, and in a little over a year's time, phubbing has already been picked up by almost all the mainstream media outlets one can think of.
Here is a typical example from the British newspaper The Independent. In the article titled The Rise of Phubbing, which was published on August 5, 2013, Tom Chatfield writes, there's an uncomfortable truth at the heart of phubbing: other people are easier to handle when seen on screen. They're less likely to demand unreasonable efforts such as undivided attention or clean shirts.
While the term phubbing has undoubtedly taken off, some people question why it is called phubbing instead of phnubbing. Alex Haigh has not personally addressed the issue, but word has it that phubbing sounds more crispy and thus easier to remember.
Phubbing is indeed a univers al problem that can no longer be ignored. So why do people keep phubbing each other if they know it's rude? Is there anything we can do to stop it? Or maybe we should just be more kind, because sometimes there are good excuses to phub.
I think there is plenty we can do to try and stop phubbing. For starters, we can jo in Alex Haigh in his Stop Phubbing campaign. Remind our friends and family that phubbing is not appreciated. We can also make or download some anti-phubbing posters to spread the word in public places. And don't forget that some phubbers simply do not realize the harmful effect their behavior has on others,so be b rave enough to stop them, even if you are a total stranger.
|
The author's attitude towards the act of phubbing can be described as _ .
|
[
"dangerous",
"exciting",
"boring",
"hard"
] |
exciting
|
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.
|
If all goes well,visiting relatives far away can be _ for kids.
|
[
"to get everying one wants from others",
"to say what one wants to know",
"to share ideas, opinions, news, etc with one another",
"to make oneself understood by others"
] |
to share ideas, opinions, news, etc with one another
|
Can you remember the day when you spoke your first word? If you can, you are unusual. Try to imagine what first few months of your life were like. I am sure you just spent most of your time eating, sleeping and crying. As you grow older, you were awake more of the time. It took your parents more time to play with you and talk to you. You watched and listened curiously. You began to know that people made certain sounds to go with certain things.
Then you began to try making the sounds you heard. And step by step you were able to make the right sound for one thing.On that day you came to understand the secret of language. The secret is that a certain sound means a certain thing. One sound might be as good as another. But it is no good as a word unless everybody agrees on its meaning. Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things, can they understand each other. Then, and only then do these people have a LANGUAGE.
After you found the secret of language, you learned words. Some of the words meant things, such as BOOKS, CHAIRS and SHOES. Some words meant doing things, such as GO and SWIM. And other words describe things, such as GOOD and DIRTY. Soon you learned to put words together to express one's idea, such as "I want to go out and play with my friends." This is language. By means of language people can communicate. So we say languages are means of communication.
|
The aim in using language is _ .
|
[
"Careless driving.",
"Heavy wind.",
"Over loading.",
"Obstacle on the track."
] |
Obstacle on the track.
|
An elderly woman died and several other passengers were critically injured when a crowded Virgin express train crashed in Cumbria last night.
A huge rescue operation involving RAF helicopters and dozens of ambulances arrive. After passengers were trapped in the train for more than four hours because fallen power line poles made access for emergency workers difficult.
Authorities reported up to 80 injuries. Thirteen people were taken to hospital in a" _ or serious condition."
Between 180 and 200 passengers were on the 5:15pm Virgin service from London Euston to Glasgow Central when all nine carriages left the rails between Oxenholme and Tebay. Witnesses said that the train shook violently before toppling over into an embankment with at least four carriages overturning. Early this morning, authorities confirmed an elderly woman had died and some other passengers had suffered injuries including back strains, head wounds and broken bones.
Ruth Colton, a passenger on the train, said she was reading a book when the journey became uncomfortable. It seemed that the train was being beaten by heavy winds,"as if we were on a plane".
The accident brought concerns that Britain's busiest rail route would be crippled for some time. The line between Preston and Carlisle was postponed as Virgin Trains promised a rapid investigation into the "serious incident"--the company's first big crash.
It is understood that the investigation will examine whether there was an obstacle on the track and the possibility of speeding or mechanical breakdown. The driver, who was injured, will be interviewed and a black-box recorder installed in the train will be examined.
|
Which of the following is the possible cause of the accident?
|
[
"He was afraid the owner might changes his mind.",
"He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.",
"He wanted to keep the farm as it was.",
"He was eager to become a farm owner."
] |
He wanted to keep the farm as it was.
|
At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house.I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live.In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.
The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place.But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him.However, I let him.keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.
The real attraction of' the Hollowell farm to me was its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded on one side by the river, and separated from highway by a wide field. The poor condition if the house and fences showed that it hadn't been used for some time.I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields.I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements.But it turned out as I have said.
I was not really troubled by _ .I had always had a.garden, but I don't think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted .It makes but little difference you own a farm or not.
|
Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?
|
[
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.",
"Little Red Riding Hood.",
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears.",
"Hansel and Gretel."
] |
Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
|
Is traditional fairytales good all the time? Recent research found one in five parents have abandoned those old classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Hansel and Gretel and they're in favor of more modern books.
One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the terrible details of Little Red Riding Hood. The survey of 2,000 adults was carried out to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM, which starts tonight at 9:00 pm on Watch, and sees six series based on traditional fairytales. The research found a quarter of parents wouldn't consider reading a fairytale to their child until they had reached the age of five, as they cause too many awkward questions. And 52 percent of the parents said Cinderella didn't send a good message to their children as it portrays a young woman doing housework all day. Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it condones stealing.
Steve Hornsey, General Manager of Watch, said: "Bedtime stories are supposed to relax the children and send them off to sleep soundly. But as we see in GRIMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic tales so it's understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children. As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five year old with an over active imagination could think they are true. Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales, as we see in GRIMM, good will defeat evil and there is always a moral to the story."
Though half of parents said traditional tales are more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids' books, two thirds of mums and dads said they were no longer appropriate to soothe youngsters before bed. On the contrary, they might give their children nightmares.
|
Which of the traditional fairytales tells one can get away with stealing?
|
[
"In new film",
"At the cinema",
"On television",
"At concerts"
] |
On television
|
In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the filmmaker Walt Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walt Disney heard Nash's voice, he said "Stop! That's our duck!"
The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and wore his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight-minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audience liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very quickly. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a _ like Mickey.
In the 1930s, 40s and 50s Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational films about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared---there were no more new cartoons.
Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's children can still see the old cartoons on television and hear that famous voice.
|
Where do today's children see Donald Duck?
|
[
"to play football",
"to cheer Hector",
"to direct Hector",
"to pick up the football"
] |
to cheer Hector
|
Hector always gave everything he had. But because he was only half the size of the other boys, he mostly had to sit out his high school football games. Even so, Hector's father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.
A few years later, Hector decided to try out for the college team. The coach kept him on because he always put all his heart into each practice. But still, the boy never got to play.
Unfortunately, shortly before the big playoff game, Hector was told that his father had died. The coach suggested he shouldn't come to the game. But the boy wanted to be there.
On Saturday, the game wasn't going well. Hector kept asking the coach to give him a chance. Finally, the coach gave in. What a surprise! Hector ran, passed, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to catch up. The score was soon tied .
Near the end of the game, Hector took the ball and ran all the way for the winning touchdown . Then the coach came up to him, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! How did you do it?" Hector replied, with tears in his eyes, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that he was also blind?"
|
Hector's father attended every game _ .
|
[
"A new ways to locate metal deposits is found.",
"Gold is found in many trees in Australia.",
"Gold in trees can lead to hidden deposits.",
"Dr. Mel Lintern discovered new gold deposits."
] |
Gold in trees can lead to hidden deposits.
|
Money might not grow on trees, but scientists have confirmed that gold is found in the leaves of some plants. Researchers from Australia say that the presence of the particles in an eucalyptus tree's leaves indicates that deposits are buried many meters below. They believe that the discovery offers a new way to locate the valuable metal in difficult-to-reach locations.
Dr. Mel Lintern from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said, "We've found a lot of the easy deposits in Australia in this way. Now we are trying to find the more difficult ones that are buried tens of meters below. And the trees are providing us with a method to be able to do this."
Using the Australian synchrotron - a vast machine that uses X-rays to explore matter in remarkable detail - they found gold in the leaves, twigs and bark of some trees. The amount of the precious metal in an eucalyptus tree's leaves were tiny. "We need 500 eucalyptus trees growing over a gold deposit to have enough gold in the trees themselves to make a gold ring," said Dr. Lintern. However, the presence of the particles pointed to richer deposits buried more than 30m below.
Dr. Lintern said, "We believe that the trees are acting like a pump. They are bringing life-giving water from their roots, and in so doing, they are taking smaller dissolved gold particles up into the leaves."
Currently, the metal is found in outcrops ,where the ore appears at the surface, or it is detected through exploratory drilling.
But the researchers said that analyzing plants could offer a better and simpler method to detect untapped gold deposits. Dr. Lintern said, "Not only do we believe it is a way of saving the exploration cost, because exploring for these deposits can be quite expensive, it also minimizes the damage to the environment because we are taking a very small sample from the trees themselves, as well as the leaves and twigs on the ground. The plant-analyzing method is certain to work."
|
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
|
[
"Tim.",
"Han Mei",
"Li Fang",
"Both Tim and Li Fang"
] |
Tim.
|
Tim and Li Fang are not going to have any classes next week. They're going to work on a farm. They are going to leave at about seven thirty on Monday morning. They are going to travel to the farm by bus. They are going to wear old clothes because they are going to grow rice. They are going to have fish for lunch. They are also going to have a swim at the farm.
Tim and Li Fang are excited about going to the farm. Not only are they going to help around the farm, they are going to learn about farming.
Li Fang is worried that Tim won't arrive on time to catch the bus because he is nearly always late. Li Fang often has to say to him, "Don't be late, Tim."
|
Who is often late?
|
[
"ten and forty dollars",
"Fifteen and twenty dollars",
"twenty and thirty dollars",
"Thirty and forty dollars"
] |
ten and forty dollars
|
Below you will find a selection of helpful books to learn more about effective campaigns and one-to-one permission email marketing and more.
* Advanced Email Marketing
Email is specially brilliant: low cost, high speed, personal, moving , and interactive. But there's a big difference between knowing that email is a powerful marketing tool and proving it. --A1 $15.00
* Sign Me Up!
Imagine it: prospects actually ask you to email your marketing information to them. At a time when people wouldn't give out their email addresses and don't believe most emails, it's harder than ever for ordinary marketers to separate their emails from waste emails.--A2 $13.00
* The Quiet Revolution
A revolution is taking place which will forever change the world of marketing. The strategies and techniques that have served marketers for years will not only decline in effectiveness, but will begin to quietly decline the very brands and the customer relationships that companies have worked so hard to create. --A3 $18.00
* Permission Marketing
Seth Godin, one of the world's foremost online promoters, offers his best advice for advertising in Permission Marketing. Godin argues that business can no longer rely only on traditional forms of "interruption advertising" in magazines and mailings, or radio and television commercials.--A5 $19.05
* TOTAL E-Mail Marketing
Total E-Mail Marketing shows how to run effective e-mail campaigns aimed at both getting and keeping customers. The book covers much more than simply guidelines on e-mail creativity. It explains how to plan and carry out e-mail campaigns which connect with other online and offline communication. --A6 $39.5
* Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank
This copy of the book offers the most comprehensive (and immediately usable) information on "how to make your website usable" in the fewest amount of pages possible. --A7 $31.4
|
The prices of all the books are between _ .
|
[
"they are the fuel-cell-powered cars",
"they are energy-saving and cut pollution",
"they are perfect cars in the world",
"they produce no gases to pollute the environment"
] |
they are energy-saving and cut pollution
|
A California family drives a car that could help protect the environment. When Jon and Sandy go to the store or to their daughters' soccer games, they drive in high-tech style. They drive a $1 million, fuel-cell-powered car. It may be the world's most expensive car and one of the most environmentally friendly cars. The FCX is the first fuel-cell-powered car to be used by a family anywhere in the world. The FCX uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Car makers have been working to develop vehicles that are better for the environment. They are developing cars that use fuel other than gasoline. And then what is fuel cell technology? Fuel cell technology works by changing the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water. This process produces electricity, and water vapor which comes out of the exhaust pipe. Most cars release dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Many scientists say these gases are major contributors to global warming. "The FCX is driven just like any other vehicle on the road, but without the gases which pollute the environment," scientists say. Fuel cell technology has been around since the 1800s, but scientists have yet been to perfect it. They say it may take years before the technology is ready for widespread use. Another earth-friendly car is already on the market. Hybrid cars use both gasoline and an electric motor. They are becoming more popular with customers because they cut pollution and improve fuel efficiency.
|
Hybrid cars are popular because _ .
|
[
"she was a Chinese",
"she had much in common with Arthur",
"other women stopped writing to Arthur",
"she was cute and nice and often phoned to Arthur"
] |
she had much in common with Arthur
|
To all of you at Chinese love links, I am 44 years old and never married. I have always wanted to find that perfect someone that I dream about. For about the last five years I have almost given up the hope of ever finding the one I truly wish to spend the rest of my life with.
I have always tried to be a nice guy. I had found your website some four or five months before. I did not know what to expect. I don't know how to speak Chinese and never thought truly of how I was to an Asian woman.
Well, I had a lot of replies from some very nice and pretty women. I had a hard time finding only a couple to write to. But one stood out from the rest. She was cute, nice and seemed to hold a lot of the same values as I do. In a short time I had decided to write only to her. We communicated via e - mails 2 - 3 times a day and phone calls once or twice a week.
I went and met her and her family only a week ago. Her name is Ying and she lives in prefix = st1 /Nanning. I foundNanningto be one of the most beautiful cities I had ever been to. We had even decided to marry and to bring her to theUSAunder the fiancee visa. Not only did she meet everything I had ever hoped to find in someone else but turned out to be what every woman should be like, at least the ones I have met. We plan to marry as soon as she is here and start a family together as neither of us has children but we both want them.
So to anyone out there reading this, I can only say this: You may not find what you are looking for if you're not honest with your partner and yourself. This site worked for me mostly because I was honest with something that I wanted in someone else. When I did find her, love can work even across the other side of the world, between language differences and cultural differences. I wish you all luck in finding your perfect match. I have finally found mine and wishto give all my thanks to those at Chinese love links to help make it happen.
Sincerely yours,
Arthur
|
Ying stood out from the rest because
|
[
"was not very hard",
"took the other students an hour to finish",
"had more than one hundred questions",
"needed to be done by tossing a coin"
] |
took the other students an hour to finish
|
When I was at university,I studied very hard.But a lot of my friends did very little work.Some did just enough to pass exams.Others didn't do quite enough.Fred Baines was one of them.He spent more time drinking in the Students' Union than working in the library.
Once at the end of the term,we had to take an important test in chemistry.The test had a hundred questions. In my room the night before the test,Fred was watching TV.Fred usually worried a lot the night before a test.But on that night he looked perfectly calm.Then he told me of his plan."It's very simple.There are a hundred questions and I have to get fifty correct to pass the test.I'll take a coin into the examination room.I haven't studied a chemistry book for months,so I'll just toss the coin.That way,I'm sure I'll get half the questions right."
The next day,Fred came happily into the exam room.As he sat tossing a coin for half an hour he marked down his answers.Then he left,half an hour before the rest of us.
The next day,he saw the chemistry professor in the corridor."Oh,good,"he said,"Have you got the result of the test?"The professor looked at him and smiled,"Ah,it's you,Baines.Just a minute."Then he reached into his pocket and took out a coin.He threw it into the air,caught it in his hand and looked at it.
"I'm terribly sorry,Baines,"he said,"You failed!"
|
The chemistry exam in fact _ .
|
[
"in the shop",
"at the zoo",
"in the forest.",
"on the farm."
] |
in the forest.
|
Once upon a time, there was a farmer called Da Niu. One day he was walking in the forest and found a bird. The bird's was hurt and it cried. Da Niu picked it up and took it home. He looked after it carefully every day. The bird got well soon.
One morning Da Niu enjoyed the sunshine next to the wall. The bird took his hat and flew away. Da Niu was very _ and ran after it. He shouted , "What a bad bird you are!"
Suddenly he heard a big noise from his back. The wall he sat next to just now. fell down .
|
Da Niu found the bird _ .
|
[
"In their school.",
"At home.",
"In a park",
"In a weekend Chinese school in a church."
] |
In a weekend Chinese school in a church.
|
Many overseas Chinese make their kids learn the Chinese language because they don't want them to lose their mother language.
In the city of Portland in the USA, there is a weekend Chinese school in a church. In the school, there are Chinese kids and American kids. They study Chinese on Saturdays and Sundays. Teachers at the school are usually some overseas Chinese women. Miss Tian is one of them. She is from Beijing. She teaches her students many Chinese characters, sentences and Chinese songs.
Most of these kids speak English better than Chinese, because they spend most of their time at the local school, and their classmates are American.Their teachers teach them in English.
When the overseas Chinese children get home after school, their parents often speak Chinese to them. Only at that time do they think they are at home.
|
Where do the kids learn Chinese?
|
[
"was famous",
"didn't want to have friends",
"was not good at making friends",
"spent most of his time in working and had no time to make friends"
] |
spent most of his time in working and had no time to make friends
|
Even people who don't understand English can enjoy Chaplin's films because they are mostly silent. It isn't what he says that makes us laugh. It depends upon actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world. He is _ of the art - a kind of world language.
As a young man, he and his brother traveled to America in a small company of actors. Chaplin was then invited to join a new company that was making film comedies. Very soon he had made dozens of short films for this company. And it was in his second film that he wore the clothes which made his reputation - black hat, tight coat, baggy trousers, huge shoes, moustache and walking stick. He intended simply to make people laugh. But the odd make-up made him look both comic and sad.
By the time he was thirty, Chaplin was the greatest, best known and best loved comedian in the world. He received thousands of dollars for each film he made. He had formed his own manner of acting. He was welcomed by excited crowds wherever he went. But he worked very hard and had few close friends. Perhaps that is why the sad side of the little tramp began to show more clearly in the films he made. The little man began to want more than food and a roof over his head. He began to want love.
In one of his most famous films "The Gold Rush" a girl plays tricks on the little man. Then she begins to feel sorry for him and treats him kindly. He mistakes her pity for love. The girl in "City Lights" is blind. She thinks he is the most wonderful man she has ever met. But then she recovers her sight and sees what a foolish figure he is. This sadness gives Chaplin's films a depth of human experience which few comedians can equal.
After living in America for forty years he moved to Switzerland. There he died on Christmas Day 1977. He once described himself as a citizen of famous pictures that were made during the 1920s and 1930s, the time of the silent films. But, to many people all over the world Chaplin will always be the king of comedy.
|
Charlie Chaplin had few friends because he _ .
|
[
"harmful",
"easy",
"interesting",
"common"
] |
common
|
Studies show that you may be lied to every day anywhere from 10 to 200 times. We say, "Nice song." "Honey, you don't look fat in that, no." But another study showed that strangers lied three times within the first 10 minutes of meeting each other. We lie more to strangers than we lie to coworkers. Men lie eight times more about themselves than they do other people. Women lie more to protect other people. If you're married, you're going to lie to your wife/ husband in one out of every 10 communications. If you're unmarried, that number drops to three. But look, if at some point you got lied to, it's because you agreed to get lied to. Truth about lying: lying's a cooperative act. Not all lies are harmful. Sometimes we're willing to lie for the sake of social dignity , maybe to keep a private secret.
Lying is complex. It's woven into the fabric of our daily and business lives. We're deeply disturbed by the truth. We explain it, sometimes for very good reasons, other times just because we don't understand the gaps between ideals and realities in our lives. We're against lying, but secretly we're for it in ways that our society has practiced for centuries and centuries. It's as old as breathing. It's part of our culture and history. Think the stories from Dante, Shakespeare, the Bible, News of the World.
Lying has great value to the evolution of human being. Researchers have long known that the more intelligent the species, the more likely it is to lie. We human like to become leaders. It starts really early. How early? Well, babies will pretend to cry, pause, wait to see who's coming and then go right back to crying. One-year-olds learn hiding truth. Two-year-olds bluff . Five-year-olds lie outright and try to control via flattery . Nine-year-olds, masters of covering up. By the time you enter college, you're going to lie to your mom in one out of every five interactions. By the time we enter this work world to be breadwinners, we've entered a world that is just full of fake digital friends, business media, identity thieves, world-class cheats, ----in short, a post-truth society.
What do you do? Well there are steps we can take to guide our way through the bushes. Trained lie spotters get to the truth 90% of the time. The rest of us, we're only 54% accurate. Why is it so easy to learn? There are clever liars and stupid liars. There're no real original liars. We all make the same mistakes. We all use the same techniques.
|
From Para.1 we learn that lying is very _ .
|
[
"are dishonorable and shameless",
"disagree with the full face transplant",
"are seriously injured by an accident",
"are disfigured by accidents, burns and cancer"
] |
are disfigured by accidents, burns and cancer
|
Full face transplants are no longer science fiction fantasy, a leading surgeon has said, adding that they are technically feasible but ethically complex.
Peter Butler from London's Royal Free Hospital called for a debate on the ethics of such an operation made possible by new drugs whichstop the body's immune system rejecting a transplanted face. "It is not 'Can we do it?' but 'Should we do it?'" he told the BBC."The technical part is not complex, but I don't think that's going to be the very great difficulty. The ethical and moral debate is obviously going to have to take place before the first facial transplantation."
The British Association of Plastic Surgeons will discuss the microsurgical procedure , which could give new skin, bone, noses, chin, lips and ears from _ donors to patients disfigured by accidents, burns or cancer. But surgeons could have trouble finding enough willing donors. prefix = st1 /Butlersaid his survey of doctors, nurses and members of the public showed most would accept a face transplant but few were willing to donate their own after dying.
Despite a number of ethical concerns, Christine Piff, who founded the charity Let's Face It after suffering a rare facial cancer 25 years ago, welcomed the possibility of face transplants. She rejected the idea that the procedure would mean people would end up living with a dead person's face. "There are so many people without faces, I have half a face... but we are all so much more than just a face... you don't take on their personality. You are still you," she told reporters. "If we can donate other organs of the body, then why not the face? I can't see anything wrong with it."
|
When Christine Piff says "There are so many people without faces...", she refers to the people who _ .
|
[
"call on us to work even harder",
"cause people to think about how to study more efficiently",
"advise people to do research into his classmate's success",
"criticize China's educational system"
] |
cause people to think about how to study more efficiently
|
Changsha,
Hunan Province
May 6, 2010
Dear editor,
Under China's current educational system, there are those who do nothing but study. They of course are thought to be model students.
But I feel that there is another type of student who, perhaps not as diligent as the first type, uses his time more efficiently and achieves a lot academically.
Last year, a classmate of mine was accepted by a top university. It surprised all of us. It was because, unlike most of us, he didn't spend too much of his time studying.
When I asked him the secret of his success, he said that the key was properly and scientifically arranging his time.
" I spent a lot of time keeping fit and as a result, I was able to better concentrate on my class work."
The moral of the story is: it isn't necessary to sit at your desk all day long to get high academic grades.
Yours,
Zhang Zishu
|
The reader wrote the letter in order to _ .
|
[
"Santa would not know where the tree was.",
"Santa would be angry and would not give her any gifts.",
"Her big brother might laugh at her.",
"Santa might think she was a \"bad\" child."
] |
Her big brother might laugh at her.
|
One year, my school report made my parents angry. On Christmas Eve, all the presents were stolen, along with our TV. My parents told me that there were no presents because Santa was very angry with my behavior over the past year. The next year on Christmas Eve I slept downstairs with a plastic sword waiting for Santa to make sure that he didn't steal the new TV. The next morning, when I woke up, I saw Santa standing there. As soon as I saw that there were no presents, I grabbed my plastic sword and ran at him, shouting angrily: "THIEF! THIEF!"
Jack
When I was young, we always had a specific room for the Christmas tree. My mom never really liked the location, so one year she moved the tree into another room. I was convinced that Santa would not know where the tree was and would get lost in our house. I was worried that he would be mad and put me on the "bad" list and would not give me any gifts because he couldn't find the tree. I came up with the idea to make signs leading from the fireplace to the tree. They said things like: "Tree this way" or "Santa, put the gifts over here." When my big brother saw them he began to laugh his head off.
Lucy
Does everyone remember going to the mall and sitting on Santa's lap to have his picture taken at Christmas time?
Well, I used to think that if I did that, Santa would get mad bcause he would have to go all around the world and give every kid the chance to have his picture taken with him. Of course his lap would hurt and he would be very fired. I thought he might keep a copy of the picture and that would be how he decided who would be on his naughty list.
My mom couldn't get me onto Santa's lap until she made him promise I wouldn't end up on his naughty list.
Lydia
|
Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons why Lucy didn't want the tree to be moved?
|
[
"The author",
"Chris Novak",
"The Humane Society",
"A participant's mother"
] |
A participant's mother
|
If I raised the question, "What would be the last thing you would expect to happen while watching your son's flag football game?" you probably still couldn't come up with what happened to me and my family.
As we were sitting on the sidelines enjoying the game, a low-flying bird came swooping in attempting to land on my daughter's head! It honestly came out of nowhere. We were seated by ourselves on the tree lined side of the field. I was able to calm my daughter's shock and fear once I showed her that the bird was not some wild animal, it was in fact, somebody's pet!
Now, we're sitting at the outdoor fields of the Pontiac Silverdome, far from any populated area, wondering where this very social cockatiel, an Australian parrot could have come from. I walked up to the bird and put out my hand. Immediately, it hopped on and chirped in a friendly way. We looked around us and knew that we could not just leave and suppose that the bird would return to where it came from. This was a very
bird that needed help or it would not survive.
The flag football game had ended so we walked the bird over to other groups of adults and asked if they knew of anyone who had lost a bird. All the kids were excited about the bird and fed it with some post game snacks. The bird's nails were getting long and he was looking pretty dirty, so we knew it had been out here for a long time and was hungry. Since its wings were clipped, it could fly a little but probably not more than 100 yards or so at a try. We all just scratched our heads as a group wondering what to do with the lost bird.
We explained to the kids that this bird needed our help since it was someone's pet and would not know how to get its own food, and it could not fly well since its wings were clipped. The kids understood, and all of them wanted to take the bird home! The parents however, knew this was not a good choice as one had a large dog, another two cats, etc. We explained to the kids that one of us could take the bird home for the night and then bring it to the Humane Society in the morning in hopes to connect it to its owners. We couldn't keep the bird. It wasn't ours. This was tough for the kids to understand at first. We couldn't just leave the bird either. There was no way it could attend itself. The group of us sat around the Silverdome practice fields for quite a while trying to determine the best course of choice for the lost bird. It was getting dark out but no one was willing to leave that parking lot until we had a game plan for how to help the bird.
The owner of the football league, Chris Novak, offered to take the bird. It was extremely nice of him and he really stepped in to help while all the rest of us who had kids tugging on our shirts and begging to take it home. We took a box and put a bunch of holes in it and he brought it home for the night. Another mom went online and found a family that had lost a bird that looked just like the one we'd found. She emailed the info to Chris who got in touch with the family and the next day, reunited the bird with the family that lost it almost 3 weeks earlier! When Chris emailed us to let us know, we could not believe that this bird had traveled from The Rochester Tienken area all the way to the Silverdome!
We were so happy to be able to save this bird and get it back to its family. I showed my kids the email about how the other family got their pet back. The family has 3 kids who were so happy to see their bird. My kids realized what a nice ending this story had. Not only had we been able to save this bird's life, but we were able to bring it back to the family that loves and misses him.
The life lesson in the missing bird story seemed to miss its mark with my kids at first. They were a little bummed out that they couldn't keep the lost bird. I explained to them that when an animal or someone needs help, you just can't turn a blind eye and hope everything works out OK. The "lost bird incident" was also a reminder to them that teamwork and the kindness of strangers can make a world of difference and that a group of well-meaning strangers can work together to help someone. It wasn't a heroic act, but one that I knew had sunk in with my kids when they realized that trying to help was the best and only real course of action.
|
Who was the first one to find the bird's owner?
|
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