Gloria is a famous hostess of a TV station. When she was 15, she happened to walk into a bookstore in her hometown and began looking at the books on the shelves. The man behind the counter, John Smith, asked if she'd like a job. She needed to start saving for college, so she said yes.
Gloria worked after school and during summer vacations, and the job helped pay for her first year of college. During college she would do many other jobs: she served coffee in the student union, was a hotel cleaner and even made maps for the Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most satisfying jobs.
One day a woman came into the bookstore and asked Gloria for books on cancer. The woman seemed anxious. Gloria showed her practically everything they had and found other books they could order. The woman left the store less worried, and Gloria has always remembered the pride she felt in having helped her customer.
Years later, as a television hostess, Gloria heard about a child who was born with problems with his fingers and hand. His family could not afford an operation, and the boy lived in shame, hiding his hand in his pocket all the time.
Gloria persuaded her boss to agree to let her do the story. After the story was broadcast, some doctors called, offering to perform the operation for free.
Gloria visited the boy in the hospital after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his repaired hand and say, "Thank you. " What a sweet sense of satisfaction Gloria felt!
At Smith's bookstore, Gloria always realized she was working for the customers, not the store. Today it's the same. The TV station pays her, but she feels that she should work for the people who watch the programmes, helping them understand the world better.
56. When did Gloria get her first job?
A. A few years before college. B. Several years after college.
C When she was studying at college. D. When she was working in the TV station.
57. In which part-time job did Gloria feel the happiest?
A. Cleaning in the hotel. B. Selling books in the bookstore.
C. Serving coffee in the student union. D. Making maps for the Forest Service.
58. How did Gloria help the child get the operation he needed?
A. Her boss agreed to raise money. B. She paid for the operation herself.
C She allowed the boy to show on TV. D. Her news report affected some doctors.
59. What particularly gives her the feeling of pride?
A. Helping people through her work. B. Reporting interesting stories.
C Being able to do different jobs well. D. Paying for her college education herself.
【改编】A few years ago, I was on a plane with my friend, waiting for it to take off. The pilot’s voice was heard throughout the plane: “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don’t work. We are going to jump-start them. Once we get them going, we’ll get up in the air and see what happens.”
That was all he said. “See what happens?” Shouldn’t we have had a better plan than that? At that point. I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying, “Oh no! We are going to crash!’’ There were sighs of hopelessness and anxiety, and we hadn’t even taken off yet.
The pilot even seemed unhappy. He told us our one engine was working double time, and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief.
While I do prefer planning better than “see what happens” when it comes to flying, it really isn’t such a bad idea for life.All too often, people stop trying to achieve their goals just because they don’t have a guaranteed result. But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is just get up in the air, and see what happens. If your effort is to build a business then get up in the air and see what happens! Don’t give yourself all the reasons why you can’t. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will!
If your goal is to start a friendship, say “Hello”, get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding.
If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as your think. It could be fun!
When traveling, i hope that my pilot has a more detailed plan than “we will see what happens” . But in life, it is not a bad strategy at all.What was the pilot’s attitude toward the situation?
| A．Disappointed and panicked |
| B．Surprised and honest |
| C．Comforting and encouraging |
| D．Hesitant and weak. |
What was the passengers’ reaction when they arrived in Norfolk ?
| A．They were thankful and relieved. |
| B．They cheered for the pilot’s correct operation. |
| C．They complained that the plane was not safe enough |
| D．They just walked off the plane as if nothing had happened. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The plane was delayed because of its wheels. |
| B．The plane arrived at the airport safely. |
| C．It was a terrible journey for the author. |
| D．Most of the passengers remained calm on hearing the bad news |
What is the main idea of this article ?
| A．“we will see what happens” is not a good plan for pilots |
| B．Try to have everything prepared before you do something |
| C．When you want to do something, you have to actually do it . |
| D．Never stop chasing your goals even if they are certain to fail |
There are three separate sources of danger in supplying energy by nuclear power.
First, the radioactive (有放射性的) material must travel from its place of production to the power station. Although the power stations themselves are strongly built, the containers used for the transport of the materials are not. Normally, only two methods of transport are in use, namely road or rail. Unfortunately, both of these may have an effect on the general public, since they are sure to pass near, or even through, heavily populated areas.
Second, there is the problem of waste. All nuclear power stations produce wastes that in most cases will remain radioactive for thousands of years. It is impossible to make these wastes non-radioactive, and so they must be stored in one of the inconvenient ways that scientists have invented. For example, they may be buried under the ground, or dropped into deserted mines, or sunk in the sea. However, these methods do not solve the problem, since an earthquake could easily break the containers.
Third, there may occur (发生) the danger of a leak (泄漏) or an explosion at the power station. As with the other two dangers, this is not very likely, so it does not provide a serious objection (不赞成，反对) to the nuclear program. However, it can happen.
Separately, these three types of dangers are not a great cause for worry. Taken together, though, the probability of disaster is extremely high.【改编】Which of the following is not true?
| A．It is likely that a leak or an explosion occurs at a power station. |
| B．It is not usual for radioactive materials to be conveyed across land. |
| C．The containers are likely to be broken by an earthquake. |
| D．Nuclear wastes remain risky in most cases for many years. |
The author thinks that the ways to store nuclear wastes are __________.
| A．easy | B．impossible |
| C．reasonable | D．ineffective |
【改编】What do we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The power station is a place that frees from danger. |
| B．The dangers of nuclear energy could be prevented. |
| C．The general public are opposed to the nuclear program. |
| D．By itself, none of the three dangers is very likely to lead to much worry. |
What is this passage about?
| A．Uses of nuclear power. |
| B．Dangers from nuclear power. |
| C．Public anger at nuclear power. |
| D．Accidents caused by nuclear power. |
【原创】NOWADAYS, most animated (动画) films rely heavily on computer technology. But his magical world – where witches (魔法师) cast spells and castles float in the sky – is brought to life by hand. Nevertheless, Hayao Miyazaki is referred to as Japan’s Walt Disney and considered by many to be the world’s greatest living animator.
This month, the 72-year-old Miyazaki announced his retirement. The Japanese animator has directed 11 animated full-length films over the past four decades, including the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (《千与千寻》) and his latest release, The Wind Rises (《起风了》), which tells the life story of a man who designed Japanese World War II fighter planes.
Just as The Wind Rises shows, Miyazaki is well-known for his obsession with flight, especially human flight. Other striking aspects of Miyazaki’s films include his themes of environmental protection and the horrors of war.
Miyazaki’s work is also famous for its lack of clearly defined good and evil characters. He sees the 21st century as a complex time when old norms need to be re-examined.
As a storyteller, he is an inventor of fairy tales full of mystery. In the Miyazakian universe, wizards (巫师) turn into birds of prey; young girls are transformed overnight into 90-year-old women; greedy parents are changed into pigs; and shooting stars become fire demons (恶魔).
As a visual (视觉的) artist, most of Miyazaki’s grace comes from his vivid (鲜明的) colors and lovingly drawn landscapes – a rolling meadow (草地) covered with flowers and shadowed by clouds, or a range of rocky hills rising toward snow-capped mountain peaks
People attribute Miyazaki’s success to his long pursuit of his hand-drawn technique, although in an interview with CNN he called himself an “extinct species” in the age of digital animation.
A recent television documentary on the making of The Wind Rises showed a disappointed Miyazaki throwing a pile (堆) of drawings into the trash. He is said to have redrawn thousands of frames of the much-praised Princess Mononoke (《幽灵公主》) when they did not meet his standards.
But his huge attention to detail has earned him the respect of the entire animated film world. Even John Lasseter – head of Pixar, the famous US computer animation studio – once called Miyazaki “one of the greatest filmmakers of our time”.What can we know about Miyazaki’s film The Wind Rises?
| A．It was put on a long time ago. |
| B．Its hero is a soldier. |
| C．It describes horrors of war. |
| D．It is an Oscar-winning film. |
What does the underlined word “obsession” mean in paragraph 3? ?
| A．Enthusiasm. | B．Hate. | C．Envy | D．Sympathy. |
According to the article,Miyazake’s films _____.
| A．are full of mystery and imaginative characters and landscapes |
| B．are likely to use hand-drawn technique and redrawn abstract frames |
| C．are full of new norms and clearly defined good and evil characters |
| D．are likely to demonstrate environmental protection and anti-war themes |
What is the main idea of this article ?
| A．Miyazake’s impact on Japanese culture |
| B．the characteristics of Miyazake’s films |
| C．what inspired Miyazake to create his films |
| D．what made Miyazake succeed |
Before he sailed round the world alone, Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times. He had tried to fly round the world but failed. That was in 1931.
The years passed. He gave up flying and began sailing. He enjoyed it greatly. Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo transatlantic sailing race. His old dream of going round the world came back, but this time he would sail.His friends and doctors did not think he could do it, as he had lung cancer. But Chichester was determined to carry out his plan. In August 1966, at the age of nearly 65, an age when many men retire, he began the greatest voyage of his life.
Chichester covered 14100 miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously sailed alone. He arrived in Australia on 12 December, just 107 days out from England. He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him. On shore, Chichester could not walk without help. Everybody said the same thing: he had done enough; he must not go any further. But he did not listen.
After resting in Sydney for a few weeks, Chichester set off once more in spite of his friends' attempts to dissuade him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape Horn.After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn, Chichester sent the following radio message to London: "I feel as if I had wakened from a nightmare. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again."
Just before 9 o'clock on Sunday evening 28 May 1967, he arrived back in England, where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him.Queen Elizabeth II knighted(授以爵位) him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had used almost 400 years earlier to knight Sir Francis Drake after he had sailed round the world for the first time.The whole voyage from England and back had covered 28,500 miles. It had taken him nine months, of which the sailing time was 226 days. He had done what he wanted to accomplish.What can we learn about Chichester?
| A．He failed the solo transatlantic sailing race in 1959. |
| B．He was a brave and determined man. |
| C．The second half of his voyage was not as dangerous as the first half. |
| D．The radio message expressed his concern about the sailing. |
【改编】What happened to Queen Elizabeth II after Chichester arrived back in England?
| A．She called on the English to learn form him. |
| B．She was waiting to congratulate on his success in sailing. |
| C．She thought little of his achievements. |
| D．She knighted him for praising him. |
【改编】What can we infer from the text ? ____
| A．Anyone who had sailed alone traveled less than 7050miles before 1966 |
| B．Chichester sailed round the Atlantic in 1931 |
| C．Most of the English leave their jobs at the age of 65 |
| D．Chichester died of lung cancer in 1967 after he went back to England |
D
A new satellite is travelling 1.5 million kilometers over a 110-day period to enter an orbit of the sun. It is called DSCOVR--the Deep Space Climate Observatory. It will replace a satellite that has been observing space weather.
DSCOVR will begin its work during the worst of the 11-year-long solar cycle. This is a time when extreme weather on the sun can have the greatest effect on planet Earth.
DSCOVR will gather information about a continuing flow of particles from the sun. We are protected from these particles by the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. But we are not fully protected from what scientists call Coronal Mass Ejections. These are strong storms that can happen on the sun's surface.
Thomas Berger is the director of the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. He says these ejections are much more dangerous than solar particles. He says the Coronal Mass Ejections are extremely large magnetic clouds that are expelled from the sun at extremely high speeds. He says when they impact Earth, it is like a hurricane impacting Earth in terms of space weather.
Violent space weather can make electric systems stop working. It can block satellite signals to Earth. It can interfere with radio signals and air travel.
Mr. Berger says we cannot stop the ejections from affecting us, but we can prepare for them if we know when they will happen. When the DSCOVR satellite records an ejection, it will release a warning. Mr. Berger says the warning will provide NOAA about 15 to 60 minutes to let people know that a very strong storm is coming in to the Earth. He says that is enough time for power grid operators to take protective action. He says it is also enough time for workers to place satellites on a safe operating method if necessary.
Mr. Berger says scientists would like even more time, of course. He says researchers are developing instruments that will give an earlier warning.
The warnings from DSCOVR will be for the whole planet. But Mr. Berger says a new system may be able to give more-targeted warnings. He says future models will be able to tell exactly what part of the world will be more at risk from a solar storm.
That means that, for the first time, humans will get both a warning that a magnetic storm is heading towards Earth and information about where it is likely to hit.The new satellite is used to ________?
| A．replace the satellite in use |
| B．observe space weather |
| C．study the sun |
| D．take pictures of space |
When will DSCOVR begin its work___________?
| A．before the worst of the 11-year-long solar cycle |
| B．during the worst of the 11-year-long solar cycle |
| C．after the worst of the 11-year-long solar cycle |
| D．as soon as it enter the robit of the sun |
According to Thomas Berger, __________?
| A．the Coronal Mass Ejections are expelled from the sun at extremely low speeds |
| B．the ejections can be stopped from affecting us |
| C．ejections are far more dangerous than solar particles |
| D．15 to 60 minutes is not enough for power grid operators |
How much time do people have to make preparations for the ejections__________?
| A．more than 60 minutes |
| B．less than 60 minutes |
| C．about half an hour |
| D．between 15 and 60 minutes |
What do know from the passage__________?
| A．The warnings from DSCOVR will be for just some part of Earth |
| B．future models will be able to tell what part will be more likely to be hit |
| C．there is nothing we can do in the face of the solar storm |
| D．humans have received the warning sent from the satellite |