There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend(hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing(批评) and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation(模仿). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact(接触) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
1. People who are unhappy _______.
A. always consider things differently from others
B. usually are affected by the results of certain things
C. usually misunderstand what others think or say
D. always discover the unpleasant side of certain things
2. The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “_______”.
A. have a good taste with social life B. make others unhappy
C. tend so scold others openly D. enjoy the pleasure of life
3. We can conclude from the passage that _______.
A. we should pity all such unhappy people
B. such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
C. people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
D. unhappy people can not understand happy persons
4. If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should _______.
A. prevent any communication with them
B. show no respect and politeness to them
C. persuade them to recognize the bad effects
D. quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes
5. In this passage, the writer mainly _______.
A. describes two types of people
B. laughs at the unhappy people
C. suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness
D. tells people how to be happy in life
Disney’s cartoon, Finding Nemo, tells a touching story of a father called Martin and his son Nemo.
Martin loses his wife and an entire family of unhatched eggs to a huge shark. Only one fish egg remains, Nemo. Martin promises his dead wife that he will protect his young son at any cost. So, Martin becomes fearful of almost everything in the ocean. That makes him over protective-he hopes to keep his kid safe from the challenges that life presents. Martin’s nagging(唠叨)makes Nemo feel that he doesn’t need his dad telling him what to do.
So on his first day of school, Nemo and some friends swim to the edge of their coral reef, a place Martin always thinks is very dangerous. When Martin shouts at Nemo come back, Nemo refuses to listen to him and swim out to a boat in the distance. Suddenly, he gets caught by some divers. So begins Martin’s journey to find Nemo, who ends up in an aquarium in an office in Australia. Soon the worried father runs into Dory, a forgetful blue fish, who helps Martin find his son. Meanwhile, Nemo misses his father terribly. He soon hears that he will be given to an eight-year-old girl who likes to kill fish.
Can Martin find his son before it is too late?
Finding Nemo is a physical and mental journey. Martin overcomes his shyness and anxieties and Nemo discovers his own and his father’s hidden strengths. It celebrates the relationship between fathers and their sons.
The cartoon paints a sea world that is alive with color. All the characters are very human-like and have their own personalities.
Finding Nemo was released in the US on may 30, earning about US $70.6 million in just three days, it has set a new opening records for a cartoon. What is the passage mainly about?
A.How a father finds his son |
B.How to get home when getting lost |
C.A brief introduction to a cartoon film |
D.The love between a father and his son |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the second paragraph?
A.Martin’s wife and most of his children died because of disease. |
B.Martin is a coward that he is afraid of everything. |
C.Nemo has grown up and doesn’t need his father’s protection any longer. |
D.Martin loves his son so much that he becomes so protective. |
It can be concluded according to the cartoon that ________.
A.Nemo has a wonderful journey after leaving his father. |
B.Martin has met a lot of difficulties finding his son. |
C.Nemo is really independent after leaving his father. |
D.Nemo never needs any protection from his father. |
What is the theme of the cartoon?
A.We should always listen to our parents. |
B.Parents should let their children have an independent life. |
C.Parent should take care of their children in case they get lost. |
D.Parental love is the greatest love in the world. |
Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “ being a writer” and “ writing”. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a computer. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the US Coast Guard to become a free writer, I had no promise at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used computer and felt a real writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I know I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering. What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test--- even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.The passage is meant to _______.
A.warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience |
B.advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer |
C.show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to be after wealth and fame |
D.encourage young people to be after a writer career |
What can be concluded from the passage?
A.Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding |
B.Writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort |
C.Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation(隔离) |
D.The chances for a writer to become successful are small |
Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?
A.He wasn’t able to produce a single book |
B.He hadn’t seen a change for the better |
C.He wasn’t able to have a rest for a whole year |
D.He found his dream would never come true |
“Shadowland” inthelastsentencerefersto_____.
A.thewonderlandonoftendreamsabout |
B.thebrightfuturethatoneislookingforwardto |
C.thestateofuncertaintybeforeone’sfinalgoalisreached |
D.aworldthatexistsonlyinone’simagination |
Speaking in any language is all about imitating (模仿) other people. You want to be able to speak like native speakers do. Before you can form your own correct sentences, you first need to see lots of similar ones in the language you are learning.
When you speak in your native language, you don't have to think about the grammar or the words you use. Correct sentences just come to you. In fact, your brain uses sentences you've already seen or heard. If you want to speak a foreign language fluently, you have to learn it the way you learned your native language--- by massive(大量的) input.
Reading and listening will help you develop language intuition(直觉). It's all about putting lots of correct sentences in your head. Then your brain can imitate them, producing similar sentences to express the meaning you want. When you read and listen a lot, paying attention to useful vocabulary, you will soon start to use new words and phrases in your speaking and writing, and you will develop language intuition. You will start to feel what sounds good and what sounds bad --- just as you do in your native language.
It may seem like you need more time to learn a language by reading and listening, as opposed (相反的)to learning based on grammar rules. For example, to get a good feeling for the use of articles in English you need to read lots of sentences, analyzing them closely. Wouldn't it be easier to read a unit on articles in a grammar book? Well, the problem is that it takes lots of time to build a sentence when you have to think of grammar rules. When you talk to someone, you don't have time for that. The input-based approach may seem to be more demanding, but it's the only way to achieve fluency.According to the passage, if you want to speak a foreign language like a native speaker, you must_________.
A.learn grammar very well |
B.input many sentences in your head |
C.read many books in the foreign language |
D.write many compositions |
Which of the following sentences can explain the meaning of language intuition?
A.Ability to understand a foreign language |
B.Ability to use a foreign language without thinking about it |
C.Ability to speak a foreign language |
D.Ability to imitate a native speaker |
In the author’s view, what plays an important role in developing language intuition?
A.Listening and Reading |
B.Writing and Listening |
C.Reading and Translating |
D.Listening and Translating |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.You can speak your native language without think about grammar |
B.Before you can speak your native you must hear millions of sentences |
C.The input-based approach is the only way to speak a language fluently |
D.Grammar is no use at all |
Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday.Today,more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns (客栈) instead of hotels.They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years.In the past five to ten years,these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States.Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms,others are much larger.Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms,others do.
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel.Usually the cost is much less.Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home.The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit.Many vacationers say that they enjoy the chance to meet local families.68.Americans take a holiday trip _____.
A.all the year round | B.for years |
C.every year | D.every other year |
69.Staying at the bed-and-breakfast inns,_______.
A.the travelers needn’t pay anything |
B.the travelers don’t have to pay for the telephone or television |
C.the travelers can meet and talk with the local people |
D.the owners will show the travelers around the area |
70. Which if TRUE according to the passage?
A.European and American vacationers like staying at bed-and-breakfast inns. |
B.All Ameicans enjoy traveling |
C.These bed-and-breakfast inns are all old historic buildings |
D.Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inns is just like at the traveler’s home |
The smallest animal with a backbone(脊椎) known to science, a fish from the carp family, has been discovered in the peat swamps (沼泽)of Indonesia. Mature(成熟的)females of the fish species (种类)Paedocypris reach just 7.9mm in length.
The species was discovered in the highly acidic (酸性的) peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra by a team led by Ralf Britz, a zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London.
“This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career,” Dr Britz said. “It’s tiny, and it lives in acid. I hope that we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.”
The species lives in dark tea-colored swamp waters, which are 100 times more acidic than rainwater. Although these swamps were once thought to be inhabited by very few animals, recent research has shown that they are home to a highly different range of species that occur nowhere else.
The peat swamps were damaged by forest fires in 1997, and are also threatened by agriculture. The scientists behind the discovery said that several populations of Paedocypris had already been lost.
“Many of the peat swamps we surveyed(调查)throughout South-East Asia no longer exist,” Dr Britz said. “Populations of all the miniature(微型的)fish of peat swamps have decreased or disappeared.”
Details of the discovery are published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B.64.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.The Strangest Fish |
B.Acidic Peat Swamps |
C.Strange Species |
D.The Smallest Backbone Animal |
65.Where does the smallest backbone animal live?
A.It lives in highly acidic rainwater. |
B.The species lives in the acidic waters of dark tea-coloured swamps. |
C.It was put in the Natural History Museum in London. |
D.Its habitat disappears completely. |
66.According to the passage, the forest fires in 1997 have led to the fact that______.
A.many places where these animals lived have been damaged |
B.the population of the specieshas increased |
C.there are many animals in the acidic peat swamps today |
D.agriculture doesn’t affect the living space of these animals |
67.Dr Britz’s words imply______.
A.the habitat will be more after a period of time |
B.many peat swamps that they surveyed have already survived |
C.he wants to find more miniature fishes before their habitat disappears |
D.he wants to have further research |