There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her.
One day,feeling very sad and lonely,she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn (荆棘) bush. The young girl carefully released the butterfly. Instead of flying away,the little butterfly changed into
a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“For your wonderful kindness,” the good fairy said to the girl,“I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied,“I want to be happy.”
The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the little girl grew up,there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness .She would only smile and answer,“The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”
When she was very old and on her deathbed,the neighbors all gathered around her,and feared that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us,please,” they begged,“Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said,“She told me that everyone,no matter how secure they seemed,no matter how old or young,how rich or poor,had need of me.”
36. ______ the girl felt sad and lonely.
A. There were many friends but B. There was nobody to love her so
C. There was nothing to do D. Seeing the butterfly was caught
37. Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn,the orphan girl ______.
A. helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn B. felt sorrow,but she didn’t go up to help it
C. fell down on it too D. failed to help it release from the thorn
38. The butterfly ______ after it was saved by the little girl.
A. flied away B. still died
C. changed into a fairy D. was more beautiful than before
39. The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.
A. to be rich B. to have her own parents
C. to have a lot of friends D. happiness
40. The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying,because ______.
A. they loved this woman deeply and they didn’t wanted her to die
B. the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died
C. they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness
D. they wanted to pray for her after her death
It is said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but even if you manage to bag a bargain meal, it will not taste as good as a more expensive choice, according to scientists.
A new study has found that restaurant goers who pay more for their meals think the food is tastier than offered for a smaller price. The experts think that people tend to associate cost with quality and this changes their perception(感知) of how food tastes.
Scientists at Cornell University studied the eating habits of 139 people enjoying an Italian buffet in a restaurant. The price of the food was set by the researchers at either $4 or $8 for the all-you-can-eat meal. Customers were asked to rate how good the food tasted, the quality of the restaurant and to leave their names.
The experiment showed that the people who paid $8 enjoyed their meal 11% more than those who ate the “cheaper” buffet. Interestingly those that paid for the $4 buffet said they felt guiltier about loading up their plates and felt that they overate. However, the scientists said that both groups ate around the same quantity of food in total.
Brian Wansink, a professor of consumer behavior at the university, said: “We were fascinated to find that pricing has little effect on how much one eats, but a huge effect on how you interpret the experience.” He thinks that people enjoyed their food more as they associated cost with quality and that small changes to a restaurant can change how tasty people find their meals.
In a previous study, researchers from the university showed that people who eat in bright lighting consume more than people who eat in less brightly lit areas. We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.there were 139 subjects involved in the new study |
B.a free lunch might be as delicious as you expected |
C.the high pricing will change the exact taste of the food |
D.in the experiment, the price of the food ranged from $4 to $8 |
According to the passage, which of the following factors has an effect on the quantity of food a person consumes?
A.The taste of the food. |
B.The price of the food. |
C.The number of companions. |
D.The lighting of the restaurant. |
Who will benefit most from the new study?
A.The person who runs a restaurant. |
B.The person who often eats outside. |
C.The person who works on decoration. |
D.The person who studies in university. |
The passage is intended to ________.
A.promote marketing methods |
B.inform readers of a new study |
C.teach consumers how to eat better |
D.find the association between cost and quality |
I was twenty-two, and in Bolivia. I’d been to every other country in South America, and now I was set on getting into Chile, the last on the list.
After several days, I reached the hills. It was cold, and even the distant mountains were clear. The days were lonely, but one evening I met Filomeno and his fellow teachers. They tried to persuade me not to go to Chile, saying it was a bad place, and that I would be killed. I didn’t believe them. I knew nothing of the current politics; I just wanted to go there.
So I walked into the mountains, feeling excited, and came to a sign with the word "Chile" on it. A frightening soldier appeared, stuck a gun in my back, and pushed me down a slope to the police station. The police chief then told me, "There’s nothing for you here." I explained that I had come to see this beautiful country. But he was annoyed.
In the evening they filled me with food. There was laughter, and I was less tense. Then the police chief took me to a tiny cell. I lay down on the mattress (
垫子). Even though I had no light and none of my possessions, I felt euphoric. At least I had arrived! And what a story I’d have to tell! The next morning I was released, and I was told that Chile didn’t want me. Throwing my belongings into my backpack, I shouted and screamed at the soldiers. After all this effort I was being sent home! I stomped (以重踏步方式走) towards Bolivia expecting to feel a bullet. But I’d be back! I told myself.
The author went to Chile to ______.
A.visit his friend Filomeno | B.settle there forever |
C.complete his trip plan | D.risk his life |
The underlined word "euphoric" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "______".
A.terrible | B.shamed | C.bored | D.excited |
According to the last paragraph, the author lost his temper because ______.
A.he was prevented from entering Chile |
B.he was badly treated by the soldiers in Chile |
C.it was his last chance to travel |
D.his friends had stopped him from going to Chile |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.An exciting fight with soldiers in Chile. |
B.How the author escaped from Chile. |
C.An adventure in Chile. |
D.Why the author went to Chile. |
Everybody hates it, but everybody does it. A recent report said that 40%of Americans hate tipping. In America alone, tipping is a $16 billion-a-year industry. Consumers acting politely ought not to pay more than they have to for a given service. Tips should not exist. So why do they? The common opinion in the past was that tips both rewarded the efforts of good service and reduced uncomfortable feelings of inequality. And also, tipping makes for closer relations. It went without saying that the better the service, the bigger the tip.
But according to a new research from Cornell University, tips no longer serve any useful function. The paper analyzes numbers they got from 2,547 groups dining at 20 different restaurants. The connection between larger tips and better service was very weak. Only a tiny part of the size of the tip had anything to do with the quality of service.
Tipping is better explained, by culture than by the money people spend. In America, the custom came into being a long time ago. It is regarded as part of the accepted cost of a service. In New York restaurants, failing to tip at least l5% could well mean dissatisfaction from the customers. Hairdressers can expect to get l5%-20%, and the man who delivers your fast food $2. In Europe, tipping is less common. In many restaurants the amount of tip is decided by a standard service charge. In many Asian countries, tipping has never really caught on at all. Only a few have really taken to tipping.
According to Michael Lynn, the Cornell papers' author, countries in which people are more social or outgoing tend to tip more. Tipping may reduce anxiety about being served by strangers. And Mr. Lynn says, “In America, where people are expressive and eager to mix up with others, tipping is about social approval. If you tip badly, people think less of you. Tipping well is a chance to show off." This passage is mainly about ________.
A.different kinds of tipping in different countries |
B.the relationship between tipping and custom |
C.the origin and present meaning of tipping |
D.most American people hate tipping |
Which of the following best explains the underlined phrase "caught on"?
A.become popular. | B.been hated. |
C.been stopped. | D.been permitted |
Among the following situations, in your opinion, who is likely to tip most?
A.A Frenchman just quarreled with the barber who did his hair badly in New York. |
B.An American just had a wonderful dinner in a well known restaurant in New York. |
C.A Japanese businessman asked for a pizza delivery from a Pizza Hut in New York. |
D.A Chinese student enjoyed his meal in a famous fast food restaurant in New York. |
We can infer from this passage that ________.
A.tipping is no longer a good way to satisfy some customers themselves |
B.tipping is especially popular in New York |
C.tipping in America can make service better now |
D.tipping has something to do with people's character |
Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK?
-Mariana
A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy (策略). But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption.(假设)
Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK.
You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you.
Regardless of whether you consult(咨询) with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your assignments.
-Professor ByronWhat problem does Mariana meet?
A.She has trouble learning English grammar. |
B.She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. |
C.She doesn't get on well with her classmates. |
D.She isn't able to express herself in English. |
According to Pro. Byron, what's the most important in writing a paper?
A.Professional advice. |
B.Polishing carefully. |
C.Organizing thoughts. |
D.Familiar materials. |
When asking someone for help on your paper, you should ask him ______.
A.to hand in the paper after reading it |
B.to write the difficult part for you |
C.to make a writing. plan for you |
D.to tell you the part to be improved |
What does the underlined word refer to in the text?
A.Essays. | B.Courses |
C.Ideas. | D.Resources. |
Selfies (自拍) have become an increasingly common way to capture memorable moments. When it comes to taking selfies , knowing the following tips can directly affect the quality of your final product. .
The use of light is vital to improving image quality. Lights can help avoid shadows and create soft features on your face, so turn your face toward the main light. source. If you want to be creative, play with light angles by turning your body, but make sure the photo is properly exposed and your face is lit from the front or the side. Besides, avoid taking selfies against the main light source or with overhead lighting. Additionally, natural light possesses a warmth that makes you look like you're glowing.(发光)
When taking selfies, angles also matter a lot. Hold the camera away from your face, and try to take photos both horizontally(水平地) and vertically. If not, your face might look bigger than usual. Ideally, the universal selfie angle is 45 degrees above your head. But you should study your face at different angles because finding your best angle requires you having seen all of them.
One problem with selfies is that most have distracting backgrounds. You can always do more to show others your best side. Try to simplify the background by taking selfies outdoors or in spacious areas. Document yourself engaging in interesting activities-hiking with family members, visiting landmarks, or working out with friends. At least, you can make the photo appealing by getting rid of your outstretched arm or a background that's too busy.
You can also download some photo apps that allow you to adjust the lighting and contrast. Some apps offer useful filters(滤光器), which can change your skin tone and eliminate pimples (粉刺) on your face.To get an image of high quality, you need to _______.
A.be under the light source |
B.be against the main light |
C.face the main light source |
D.have the photo fully exposed |
How can you find the angle that suits you most?
A.Study your face at different angles. |
B.Hold the camera far enough from you. |
C.Keep the camera lower than your face. |
D.Place the camera 45 degrees above your head. |
Which of the following should be avoided when taking selfies?
A.The use of natural light. |
B.A landmark as a background. |
C.Changes of the skin tone. |
D.A busy background. |