I entered high school having read hundreds of books. But I was not a good reader. Merely bookish, I lacked a point of view when I read. Rather, I read in order to get a point of view. I searched books for good expressions and sayings, pieces of information, ideas, themes—anything to enrich my thought and make me feel educated. When one of my teachers suggested to his sleepy tenth-grade English class that a person could not have a "complicated (复杂的) idea" until he had read at least two thousand books, I heard the words without recognizing either its irony (嘲讽) or its very complicated truth. I merely determined to make a list of all the books I had ever read. Strict with myself, I included only once a title I might have read several times. ( How, after all, could one read a book more than once?) And I included only those books over a hundred pages in length. ( Could anything shorter be a book?)
There was yet another high school list I made. One day I came across a newspaper article about an English professor at a nearby state college. The article had a list of the "hundred most important books of Western Civilization. " "More than anything else in my life," the professor told the reporter with finality , " these books have made me all that I am . " That was the kind of words I couldn’t ignore (忽视). I kept the list for the several months it took me to read all of the titles. Most books, of course, I hardly understood. While reading Plato's The Republic, for example, I needed to keep looking at the introduction of the book to remind myself what the text was about. However, with the special patience and superstition (迷信) of a schoolboy, I looked at every word of the text. And by me time I reached the last word, pleased, I persuaded myself that I had read The Republic, and seriously crossed Plato off my list.On hearing the teacher's suggestion of reading, the writer thought________.
A.one must read as many books as possible |
B.a student should not have a complicated idea |
C.it was impossible for one to read two thousand books |
D.students ought to make a list of the books they had read |
While at high school, the writer________.
A.had plans for reading | B.learned to educate himself |
C.only read books over 100 pages | D.read only one book several times |
The underlined phrase "with finality" probably means
A.firmly | B.clearly | C.proudly | D.pleasantly |
The writer's purpose in mentioning The Republic is to________.
A.explain why it was included in the list |
B.describe why he seriously crossed it off the list |
C.show that he read the books blindly though they were hard to understand |
D.prove that he understood most of it because he had looked at every word |
The writer provides two book lists to ________.
A.show how he developed his point of view |
B.tell his reading experience at high school |
C.introduce the two persons' reading methods |
D.explain that he read many books at high school |
My interest in Chinese food started years a90, when l was a young reporter for the Washington Post. Our office wasn’t far from Chinatown, where I found some very good Chinese restaurants.
The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. I noticed the fresh taste of the meat and vegetables. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it has this special feature.
Many years ago, China had an energy crisis because it lost much of its wood due to over population and poor management of its forests. This loss was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get,so the Chinese had to either find a substitute for their valuable wood,or learn how to use it better. There weren’t any substitutes so people found ways to economize.
In order to economize in cookin9, they had to use very little wood. So they started cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil.That way,the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in this way kept its fresh flavor一and it's this flavor that attracts people from other countries to the art of Chinese cooking. This text is mainly about________.
A.what caused Chinese food to taste fresh |
B.how Chinese food is cooked in the US |
C.when the author started to make Chinese food |
D.why most foreigners like cooking Chinese food |
The author mentioned the energy crisis to show________.
A.it is important to protect the forests |
B.it is necessary to find substitutes for wood |
C.why the Chinese changed their way of cooking |
D.what problems a big population is causing China today |
It can be inferred from the text that before the energy crisis Chinese food________.
A.was cooked in rather large pieces |
B.was cooked in water but not oil |
C.didn’t taste good |
D.didn’t look fresh |
Jerry Morris died on 28 October 2009. He was 99 years old. You have probably never heard of him. He was a professor of public health. More than 50 years ago he produced one of the most famous epidemiological (流行病学) papers of the 20th century.
His study showed that bus conductors were much less likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers. Why? Becausethe conductors spent their working day walking. It seems obvious now but in the middle of the last century doctors were puzzled by the rising numbers of people who got heart diseases. Jerry Morris found one of the main causes: asedentary (久坐不动的) lifestyle. He started exercising for a few minutes eachday and lived until his 100th year.
If you wish to protect your heart, you have to do more than wander in the garden. The exercise needs to be reasonable. Jogging is not for everyone and a round trip to the gym takes a couple of hours, plus the monthly membership fee is only good value if you visit regularly. Theanswer is simple: walk.
A half-hour purposeful walk five times a week will lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Older people sometimes feel they have left it too late. But it is never too late to start and there are no upper age limits. Start gently. Take your time: a15-minute flat walk in the nearest park, four or five times a week. Within a month or so, you are already beginning to protect your heart. Build the walks up. When you can comfortably walk for half an hour in the park, go further: try following rivers and canals.
Regular walkers have their own natural gymnasium. Thereis no membership fee, just some of the finest scenery in the world. Great Britain is the walker’s gym. Whenyou have followed the rivers and canals, and are enjoying walking for a couple of hours, head for the coast. Once again, build it up slowly. When you are comfortable with long coastal walks, you can think of our national parks.Jerry Morris is mentioned in the first paragraph mainly to __________.
A.make his epidemiological message known to the public |
B.praise his research into ways of improving public health |
C.introduce the topic of doing exercise and keeping healthy |
D.give an example of a person who lives a healthy and long life |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
A.bus conductors are more likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers. |
B.doctors in the 1950s knew why heart diseases kept happening to people. |
C.walking is better than doing sports in a gym because it saves time and money. |
D.British people love walking because they have free gymnasium with finest scenery. |
What suggestion does the writer give about walking?
A.Parks are the best place for walking. |
B.Starters should not push themselves too hard. |
C.A two-quarter walk a day is suitable for starters. |
D.People of old age might not be fit enough to start walking. |
What might be the best title for this passage?
A.Long Life Comes from Walking |
B.Walking Helps Cure Heart Disease |
C.A Walk a Day Keeps the Doctors away |
D.An Hour’s Walk in Nature is Worth Two in the Gym |
There is no question that fewer teenagers are on the roads in the US.
In 1978, 50% of 16-year-olds had got their first driving licence. In 2008, according to the US Transportation Department, it was just 30%. The number of those aged 19 and under with driving licences has also been declining since 1978, when 11, 989, 000 had licence. In 2010, it was 9, 932, 441, or 4.1% of American drivers.
In the UK, 683, 273 teenagers have driving licences- just 1.85% of total licence holders, according to Department of Transport figures from September 2010.
But the decline in the US may have more to do with tougher tests and the introduction of the new rule in many states, which force drivers aged under 16 to be with licensed drivers of 21 years and older when driving.
In recent years, the annual number of journeys being made by American drivers of all ages has declined clearly for the first time ever. Car use began falling in 2007, when average petrol prices almost doubled to $4.12 a gallon, and the economy became worse.
But there are signs that it is getting back to normal and American remains a country on wheels. It has a higher number of cars per head of population than any other country in the world.
“Cars will always be a popular means of transportation in America. You have to take into consideration some places don’t have access to public transportation. Cars are the only way some people can get around,” says Kristin Nevels. This makes driving necessary in some rural states, where about twice as many teenagers are on the road than in big cities. The underlined word “declining” in the second paragraph most probably means “__________”.
A.rising | B.dropping | C.improving | D.holding |
In recent years cars are used less than before mainly because of __________.
A.traffic jams | B.harder tests | C.expensive petrol | D.worst economy |
We can learn from the last paragraph that Kristin Nevels __________.
A.doubts the popularity of the car use in the future. |
B.thinks American people can not live without cars. |
C.holds confident attitude to the cars’ future in America. |
D.believes America should build up its public transportation. |
What can be inferred from the text?
A.The UK has more teenager drivers than the US. |
B.A 15-year-old boy cannot drive alone in the US. |
C.The US has very developed bus transportation system. |
D.Big cities have more teenager drivers than rural areas in the US. |
Siri. The intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask.
Now you can use your voice to use your iPhone 4S. Just talk to Siri as you would to a person: “Do I need an umbrella?” or “Where’s the closest ATM?” Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean. It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, it answers you. Siri makes phone calls, sends messages, schedules meetings, sets reminders, and more. How much more? Just ask, and Siri tells you that, too.
Dual-core A5 chip: the most powerful iPhone ever.
Two cores in the A5 chip provide up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics. And you’ll feel the effects. iPhone 4S is quick and responsive, which makes all the difference when you’re launching apps, surfing the web, gaming, an doing just about everything. And no matter what you’re doing, you can keep on doing it. Because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life.
FaceTime. It’s even better face-to-face.
FaceTime of iPhone 4S lets you hear a voice and see the face that goes with it—iPhone to iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi. So no matter where they are, no matter where you are, you’ll always be there. Making a FaceTime call is just as easy as making a phone call. And it’s even easier with Siri. Just tell Siri “FaceTime with Mom” and you show up, smile and wave hello. You’ll never miss a big event, an important meeting or a good laugh. And who wouldn’t be happy to see your face? The passage is mainly about __________.
A.how to use iPhone 4S | B.some models of iPhone 4S |
C.some special uses of iPhone 4S | D.how to understand some pictures |
What is special about Siri?
A.It can take photos. | B.It can make videos. |
C.It can write messages. | D.It can answer questions. |
Which of the following helps iPhone 4S to perform fast?
A.![]() |
B.![]() |
C.![]() |
D.![]() |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about FaceTime?
A.It can be used together with Siri. |
B.It allows you to see the other person’s face. |
C.It allows you to hear the other person’s voice. |
D.It can only be used between iPhone and iPhone. |
I arrived late one night on a business trip, so I decided to have dinner in the hotel I stayed in. As I was finishing my meal, an elderly couple came in. They were holding hands and had lovely smiles on their faces. They sat three tables from me. I was amazed at the love they showed for each other. It stuck me because it was shortly after ending a 20-year marriage and I still had pain in my heart.
My waiter was also their waiter. As I paid my bill, I asked what their bill was. He told me, and I gave him $40 to pay their bill. He asked if I knew them and I told him “No, I just wanted to repay them for the love that they were showing to each other,” and then I left.
The next day I entered the restaurant again. After I had been seated, the waiter who served me the night before told me that the strangest thing happened after I left the restaurant. When the elderly couple went to pay for their meal, they were told that it had been paid. The waiter just told them what I said. They were amazed. They looked around, asked for the bill of two young couples who were seated together, paid their bill and left.
I smiled and ordered my meal. About 45 minutes later, I finished my meal and was about to head out, but my waiter was nowhere to be found. I explained to the hostess that I needed to pay for my meal and hurry to the airport. She smiled and explained that I would not have to pay, because she felt she should pay for my bill because of the joy brought to the faces of the elderly couple and the amazement of the young couples.
When I told her that they didn’t have to do that, she said with a smile “Love creates Love.”From the first paragraph we know the writer must feel __________.
A.pleased | B.worried | C.sad | D.nervous |
The elderly couple paid the bill of the two young couples because they __________.
A.knew the two young couples |
B.were happy to pass the love they got |
C.were always ready to help poor people |
D.wanted to invite the young people to the meal |
The writer’s purpose of writing the passage is to __________.
A.suggest true love never dies |
B.share an interesting experience |
C.encourage us to help people in need |
D.prove a show of love really makes a difference |