One evening in November, Berlin received a telephone call from Mrs. Green. “Please, Dr Berlin, come to my house. I had 50,000 dollars on my desk and now it is gone.”
Dr Berlin arrived at Mrs. Green’s house at eight o’clock. First he asked Mrs. Green, “When did you see the money last?”
“At seven o’clock. I put it on my desk in my living room. Then I went to wash my hair. I came back at seven thirty and the money was gone.”
“I see.” Dr Berlin said. “Were you alone in the house?”
“No. My sister’s son Jack is here, too.” Then Dr Berlin and Mrs. Green went to Jack’s room.”
“Please, sit down,” Jack said. Dr Berlin sat on the only chair in the room, and the chair was cold. He also saw some books on the ground near his feet.
“What have you been doing this evening?” Dr Berlin asked.
“I came home at six-thirty, and went right to my room. I’ve been sitting in that chair and reading all the evening. I never got up and I never left the room. Maybe somebody came into the house and took my aunt’s money.”
After hearing that, Dr Berlin was clear about who had taken the money.
59. When did Dr Berlin answer the phone from Mrs. Green?
A. At 6:30 B. At 7:00 C. After 7:30 D. At 8:00
60. Where did Mrs. Green put her money?
A. In her living room. B. In her washing room.
C. In Jack’s room. D. In her office.
61. When did the thief take Mrs. Green’s money?
A. Before Mrs. Green came back home.
B. When Jack was reading.
C. After Mrs. Green went to wash her hair.
D. When Dr Berlin was answering the phone.
62. Which of the following is WRONG?
A. Mrs. Green didn’t live alone.
B. Jack had given a careless reply (回答).
C. Dr Berlin found out who had taken the money.
D. Jack had been really reading books all that evening.
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. She studied in her mother’s school, and finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene developed X-ray equipment in military(军事) hospitals in France and Belgium to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and got married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and work. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity(辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.Irene Curie was awarded a Military Medal because she _____________.
A.won the Nobel Prize with Frederic |
B.received a degree in mathematics |
C.contributed to saving the wounded |
D.worked as a helper to her mother |
Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?
A.At the College of Sevigne. |
B.At the Curie Institute. |
C.At the University of Paris. |
D.At a military hospital. |
The underlined word “leukemia” probably refers to a __________.
A.habit | B.research |
C.machine | D.disease |
Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you.” Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special.
People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don’t have a “furniture street” or a “computer road” which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often “let their fingers do the walking” through the store hot lines. From the first “hello”, customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop.
When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don’t usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don’t have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they’re at a flea market or a yard sale, they don’t bother trying to bargain.
When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy’s Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm “thank you” from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don’t have to carry heavy bags out to the car.By quoting (引用) the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you”, the author intends to_______.
A.suggest that customers believe what mercials say deeply |
B.show readers the American idea on good customer service |
C.express all the stores pay much attention to the customers |
D.persuade readers to choose the stores with ads correctly |
In the USA, what may you do at first if you want to do some shopping?
A.To visit a professional street with lots of similar stores. |
B.To pare prices in many shops in the same street. |
C.To make phone calls and get better shopping choices. |
D.To receive other customers’ answers to the questions. |
Which of the followings shows American stores offer convenience to customers in this passage?
A.The store clerks don’t usually sit around watching TV or playing cards. |
B.Some stores offer price bargain to the customers like a yard sale. |
C.The clerks give customers a smile and a warm “thank you” after paying. |
D.Some stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes are crowded. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
A.Customer Service in America |
B.Excellent Stores in America |
C.Shopping Rules in America |
D.Being King or Queen in America |
Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York.b. Worked in a bank.
c. Travelled to Texas. d. Was put in prison.
e. Had a newspaper job. f. Learned to write stories.
A.e. c. f. b. d. a | B.c. e. b. d. f. A |
C.e. b. d. c. a. f. | D.c. b. e. d. a f. |
O. Henry went to prison because.
A.people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper |
B.he broke the law by not using his own name |
C.he wanted to write stories about prisoners |
D.people thought he had taken money that was not his |
What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
A.He was well-educated. |
B.He was not serious about his work. |
C.He was devoted to the poor. |
D.He was very good at learning. |
Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
A.His life inside the prison. |
B.The newspaper articles he wrote. |
C.The city and people of New York. |
D.His exciting early life as a boy. |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货),saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a plete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A.The man’s job was bike racing. |
B.It was their only possession. |
C.It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
D.They used it for work and daily life. |
We can infer from the text that ____________.
A.the couple worked 60 hours a week. |
B.people were busy before Christmas |
C.the stranger brought over the bike |
D.life was hard for the young family. |
How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
A.From radio broadcasts. |
B.From a newspaper. |
C.From TV news. |
D.From a stranger. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
A.Strangers are usually of little help. |
B.One should take care of their bike. |
C.News reports make people famous. |
D.An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term “couch slouch”, with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
“We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you,” she said on Monday.
“The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary’s fault but we want to use another term instead of “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.”
The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”
The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.
Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.
“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said “dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses.”
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.
But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added.
The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.British potato farmers wanted to _________.
A.advertise their produces |
B.call for a higher price for their potatoes |
C.remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary |
D.let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives |
The farmers think that _________.
A.potatoes have had a bad image |
B.Potatoes are good for people by nature |
C.potatoes sometimes do harm to people |
D.it’s the dictionary’s fault to use the expression “couch potato” |
John Simpson thinks that _________.
A.the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary |
B.dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses |
C.little-used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries |
D.it is impossible for them to take the expression out of the dictionary |
What is wrong with the expression “couch potato” according to the farmers in this passage?
A.It is connected with unfavorable meaning. |
B.Potato should be used in the expression. |
C.It is borrowed from America English. |
D.It refers to a kind of person. |