Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast① fortune, largely to the cause of global health, during the course of his lifetime. With an estimated②worth of more than $ 40 billion, according to Forbes, the project will be no small feat③for Gates. Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues, Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations, he says, has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially④ successful. “National borders allow inequalities,” said Gates, “We all need to take a more global view, rather than just saying my country is doing well. We have to step up these health issues, knowing how few resources are going into them.”
Gates said that both his parents set good examples to him as a child. His father, William H. Gates, was the head of the local Planned Parenthood, and his mother, Mary, volunteered for the United Way. As he gathered his fortune, Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well, but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However, Gates, 47, began to question his ability to wait that long. “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said, “I started to think, how many lives could I save before then?”
Notes:
① vast adj. 巨额的
② estimate v. 估计，估价
③ feat n. 功绩，壮举
④ financially adv. 财政上，金融上
Choose the best answers according to the above: Why will Bill Gates give away his vast fortune?
| A．to improve the health of population in America alone |
| B．to improve the health of population all over the world |
| C．to avoid leaving his children too much money |
| D．to spare the American government the burden of health care |
According to the passage, which of the following is right?
| A．Americans should care about people in other countries |
| B．Americans should treat fellow citizens well |
| C．Americans should devote themselves to certain projects |
| D．Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune |
Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of __.
| A．his weakening health condition |
| B．his parents’ suggestions |
| C．his great success in business |
| D．his concerns for suffering people |
According to the passage, which word can be used to describe Bill Gates?
| A．brave | B．kind-hearted | C．strong-minded | D．confident |
Suppose you want to go abroad and learn about the foreign exchange in culture in different countries. Here is some information you may need.
| Name: Susan Lane Age: 22 Place: Reykjavik, Iceland, 2010. Cost: $7,000 Organization: AFS Experience: “I think it was a turning point in my life. I began to understand more about my own culture by experiencing another culture and seeing how other people live.” |
| Name: Sara Small Age: 23 Place: Crivitz, Germany, 2012. Cost: $8,000 Organization: EF Foundation Experience: “I love the traveling and I made a lot of friends. I found the European school system to be hard but I am fluent now in German so it was worth it I did miss my family and friends in Australia but I would love to do it again.” |
| Name: David Links Age: 16 Place: Stuttgart, Germany, 2012.. Cost: $6,000 Organization: Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Experience: “I wanted to try something that was very different in culture. In Germany everything was different but I soon got settled. The family I was with was great and I really feel as though I have a second family.” |
| Name: Tom Jennings Age: 21 Place: Conflans, France, 2011.. Cost: $7,000 Organization: Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Experience: “There were times when it was difficult but I liked it, experiencing a different culture. You just have to play each situation as it comes. If there is one thing you learn when you are on a student-exchahge program it is how to take care of yourself.” |
| Name: Linda Marks Age: 19 Place: Chonburi Province, Thailand, 2010. Cost: $3,500 Organization: Rotary International Experience: “There are lots of ups and downs, but you always come back for more. I had a few problems but there was always someone to turn to and that was great.” |
According to the information, taking part in a foreign exchange program can cost _________.
| A．from $6,000 to $8,000 | B．from $3,500 to $8,000 |
| C．anything from $3,500 | D．no more than $7,000 |
Which organization held more foreign exchanges?
| A．EF Foundation | B．AFS |
| C．Rotary International | D．SCCE |
The students who refer to both the good and bad times as an exchange student include _________.
| A．Susan Lane and Sara Small | B．Linda Marks and David Links |
| C．Tom Jennings and Linda Marks | D．Susan Lane and Tom Jennings |
As a result of his experience in the foreign exchange program Tom Jennings learnt to become _________.
| A．independent and adaptable | B．determined and independent |
| C．selfish and defensive | D．defensive and determined |
If a student wanted to take part in a foreign exchange program, but had not enough money, then the best place would be _________.
| A．Iceland and America | B．Thailand and France |
| C．Germany and Iceland | D．Germany and Thailand |
Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal’s number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer?
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be blended(混合) with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The result are electronic garments.
If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-free, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these high-tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100 percent shock proof, they say.
The Electrotextiles team has also created the world’s first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These ‘lap-tap’ gadgets(器具) are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirt-cum-mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim(牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood(风帽) and the electronic ski jacket with a built-in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that _________.
| A．they feel smooth and soft | B．they use electricity as power |
| C．they can be washed in water | D．they are made from flexible materials |
How will researchers improve these high-tech clothes?
| A．Body heat will be used as power. | B．The wearer will not get shocked. |
| C．A tiny nine-volt battery will work. | D．They will get charged automatically. |
What does the underlined phrase “This handy invention” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．The laptop computer. | B．The electronic ski jacket. |
| C．The shirt-cure-mobile phone. | D．The world’s first cloth keyboard. |
If you are going on a ski adventure, which device do you need?
| A．The cloth keyboard. | B．The electronic ski jacket. |
| C．The necktie to be used as a mouse. | D．The denim jacket with earphones. |
The main purpose of the text is _________.
| A．to advertise for an English company | B．to predict the future trend of science |
| C．to show how rapidly science develops | D．to introduce some intelligent clothing |
It was blazing hot, just like most July days. I stepped into a tiny ice-cream shop to cool off with a
chocolate ice-cream. It was an old woman bent over a table near the door. Her back was so badly twisted that her face nearly touched the tabletop. I sat down facing her a couple of tables away.
“Poor woman,” I thought, “What does she get out of life? Why God let people live so long past their prime?”
As I thought, another aged lady entered the shop and sat down with her. Soon the two of them were talking about childhood days. They talked of how little the shop had changed in 70 years... In minutes, the two of them were trembling with laughter.
I looked again at the first woman, then in the mirror on a nearby wall, catching a picture of myself. I was wearing a dirty shirt. She was well dressed in white, her hands sparking with gold rings. I was sad. She was laughing, smiling. I was putting the pieces of my life together. She had millions of wonderful memories to recall. I sat alone. She was sharing the day with a good friend. I was secretly worried about getting old. She was old, but it wasn’t hurting her.
As I left the shop, I thought of my foolish question about God letting people live past their prime. Why, that woman was more alive, more sensitive to life than I was. Age has not bent her spirit.From the passage we know that the ice-shop _________.
| A．changed a lot in the past | B．had only a couple of tables |
| C．started its business 70 years ago. | D．had only women shoppers. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “prime” in this passage?
| A．miserable life |
| B．wonderful experience |
| C．long career |
| D．time of great strength, beauty, vigor(活力) |
The writer implies all of the following except that _________.
| A．the old lady had lived a full and satisfying life |
| B．the writer had more problems than the old lady |
| C．the old lady was very lonely and sad |
| D．the old lady had learned to enjoy the simple things in life |
Which of the following is the conclusion the writer made about the old lady?
| A．She was more alive and sensitive to life than the writer. |
| B．She considered the young man pitiable. |
| C．She was to be pitied for her old age. |
| D．People should not be allowed to live when they are too old. |
Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
| A．To tell us the life of old people |
| B．To show that old age does not mean being short of spirit. |
| C．To show the difference between the old and the young. |
| D．To make the reader have a pity on the old people. |
On Christmas morning, Linda wakes up, and tries to imagine the wide-eyed surprise of children in another household as they unwrap the presents she carefully chose for them. Linda has never met the children, but that’s all part of the joy of giving as secret Santas, she says.
"It's an amazing feeling to buy gifts on an anonymous (匿名的) basis," says Linda.
"It brings a whole new meaning to the holidays."
Linda and Tony are an American couple living in Toronto, Canada, and Linda did charitable work as a member of the American Women's Club of Toronto. As the name suggests, members are U.S. citizens living in Toronto, who join together for fellowship and community service.
To find her "adopted" family, Linda goes to the local schools and requests a wish list for a family that's struggling to survive. Last year she helped a single mother with three children. The mother works as a cleaning lady in a nursing home.
"The list is always heartbreaking. They have an opportunity to ask for anything and do just the opposite, asking for basic clothes or simple toys," she says. "We always buy the kids a new winter coat, hats, and gloves." She also buys gifts for the parents.
Last year Linda asked the mother for a second wish list--one that didn't include the basics. "Every child should have a Christmas that sticks with them for a lifetime." She purchased iPods for the two older children and a video game system for the youngest."I have learned a very valuable lesson in all of this," says Linda. "Pay attention to what's going on in your own backyard--no matter where you live."
The joy of giving as secret Santas is much sweeter when the gift is anonymous.What reaction does Linda imagine the children will have?
(No more than 5 words) (2 marks)Why did Linda join the American Women's Club of Toronto?
(No more than 10 words) (2 marks)Why did Linda ask for a second wish list?
(No more than 15 words) (3 marks)What kind of people does "secret Santas" in the passage refer to?
(No more than 12 words)(3 marks)
People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions--and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of. expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than did Westerners. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less."
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation. The discovery shows that Westerners __
| A．pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth |
| B．consider facial expressions universally reliable |
| C．observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways |
| D．have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions |
What were the people asked to do in the study?
| A．To make a face at each other. | B．To get their faces impressive. |
| C．To classify some face pictures. | D．To observe the researchers' faces. |
What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
| A．The participants in the study. | B．The researchers of the study. |
| C．The errors made during the study. | D．The data collected from the study. |
In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to __
| A．do translation more successfully | B．study the mouth more frequently |
| C．examine the eyes more attentively | D．read facial expressions more correctly |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Eye as the Window to the Soul |
| B．Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
| C．Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills |
| D．How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |