When Lew Alcindor was 13, and obviously still growing, a group of schools began offering him scholarships (奖学金). The Alcindors decided to send their only child to Power Memorial Academy, a small school on Manhattan’s West Side.
At Power, Alcindor came under the control of Coach Jack Donohue, a strict young man who already gained his fame as one of the best coaches in the city. Donohue brought Alcindor along slowly. As a first-year student, the boy was not able to do much but wave his long skinny arms and shoot a basket now and then. But by the second year, when he was 15 years old and nearly 7 feet tall, Alcindor was quick and skillful enough to make the high school All-American team and to lead Power to an undefeated season.
From then on he simply got better. Some rival coaches(对方教练) used to take their teams quickly away from the floor before Power warmed up so that their players would not see him any sooner than they had to. Wearing size 16 D shoes and sucking a lollipop(棒棒糖), Alcindor would loosen up by starting his leaping lay-ups(擦板球). Then he would casually shoot the ball with either hand, to the delight of the fans.
When reporters and photographers began to follow Alcindor closely, Donohue protected his boy firmly. He simply ordered Lew to talk to no member of the press, and this suited Lew fine. He was not comfortable talking to grown-ups, perhaps because he towered over them. Discouraged photographers began following him in secret as though he were an easily-frightened giraffe. Once after ducking into a subway to escape, Alcindor told a friend that it was all becoming like policemen and robbers. “People want you not for yourself,” Donohue warned him, “but because you’re a basketball player. Don’t forget that.”
1. Many schools offer Alcindor scholarships because ______.
A. he was young B. he was hardworking
C. he was tall for his age D. he was skillful at playing basketball
2.. Which of the following best describes Donohue as a young coach?
A. serious, popular and slow B. tall, skillful and successful
C. kind, powerful and undefeated D. well-known, strict and experienced
3.. Why did some rival coaches take their teams away from the floor before Power warmed up?
A. Their teams refused to play Power. B. Their teams feared to see Alcindor.
C. Their teams would lose courage. D. Their teams would lose interest.
4.. What does the last paragraph mainly discuss?
A. How Donohue protected Alcindor from the press.
B. How Alcindor disliked meeting reporters.
C. Why the press followed Alcindor closely.
D. Why the public wanted Alcindor badly.
As hand-held devices such as smartphones are becoming more common, users are reporting some new physical problems. Florida chiropractor Dean Fishman began noticing an increased number of patients talking about neck and shoulder pain. He discovered these symptoms were due to the overuse of hand-held devices, particularly the action of bending the neck, and then coined the term “Text Neck.” As if the painful symptoms weren’t bad enough, Fishman warns that an untreated case of Text Neck could lead to permanent spinal(脊椎) damage.
Other doctors have warned about “iPad Hand,” a condition that occurs when people use tablets like the iPad for hours at a time. Most people use their left hand to support the tablet and their right hand to tap or scroll. Doing this for long periods without changing positions can result in severe joint pain.
In order to avoid or reduce the possibility of getting Text Neck or iPad Hand, use the following basic ergonomic(人体工学的) principles:
Avoid awkward positioning. Don’t strain your neck, and stay aware of how you are positioned in relation to the device. Make sure that both your neck and shoulders are relaxed and that you aren’t leaning over for a long period of time.
Take frequent breaks when using any kind of mobile device. Many doctors recommend that users change their position every 15 minutes.
When using a tablet, use a case that can support the device on a table or your lap at a comfortable viewing angle.
Along with a case, use a separate keyboard with your tablet. This will be more comfortable since you’ll be resting both hands on the keyboard. And since you won’t be holding the tablet, you’ll be less likely to experience hand or arm pain.What kind of product for hand-held devices does the writer discuss?
| A．One for recording. | B．One for charging. |
| C．One for telephoning. | D．One for typing. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “coined” (Para1)?
| A．cashed | B．created | C．changed | D．completed |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．If you are holding an iPad for long periods, it could cause spinal damage. |
| B．Text Neck symptoms include long-term damage in the back. |
| C．You are advised to lean over in relation to the device. |
| D．You should rest your hands on the keyboard at times. |
In which magazine would you most likely find this article?
| A．Personal Finance | B．Science Fiction Monthly |
| C．Mind and Body | D．Smartphone World |
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 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. 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 the time I reached the last word, pleased, I persuaded myself that I had read The Republic, and seriously crossed Plato off my list.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer thought it was impossible for one to read two thousand books. |
| B．While at high school, the writer had plans for reading. |
| C．The writer only read books no more than 100 pages. |
| D．The writer thought the teacher was not being serious about the suggestion of reading. |
The underlined phrase "with finality" most probably means ____________.
| A．firmly | B．immediately | C．simply | 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 |
Restoring the quakehit ecosystems is a question of balancing the interests of the local people and the environment. Rural methane (沼气) projects can reduce the number of locals taking firewood from the mountainsides. The use of straw as food for animals will ensure that vegetation(草木) can grow. In Sihai township and Dazhuangke village, in Beijing, they now have a forestry coverage of 85% or more, compared to the 30% they had 15 years ago. Back then, land was used very inefficiently: one person would use 20 mu of forest just for firewood. With those pressures on the ecosystem, no amount of spending on reforestation will succeed. Then the government relocated the population and paid those who remained to tend the forest and provide coal. This reduced the pressures on the ecosystem and it was able to recover naturally.
When an ecosystem has not been pushed past certain limits, it is able to recover on its own. Human involvement should only play a minor role, including after an earthquake. This is particularly the case for sandy grasslands, grasslands deserts, the mountains of the south and the northern sides of mountains in the north. In these areas soil remains and the water, light, heat and nutrients needed are available. Less human involvement is even more appropriate in areas with a small population, where it can avoid money being wasted on ineffective efforts, such as creating forests in dry areas.
The creation of nature reserves should be a model to allow damaged ecosystems to recover. Funding can start at the national level; centrallyfunded nature reserves can enforce environmental protection laws and help to promote the local economy. This will solve the problems of reserves being run to make money. When national reserves are funded, local governments will be able to adopt the same model and provide the funds for nature reserves from their own budgets. The first project should be established in nature reserves hit by the quake; these can then become models for other areas.To restore the quakehit ecosystem, government should ________.
| A．forbid locals from taking firewood from the mountainsides |
| B．encourage local people to feed their animals just with straw |
| C．spend large amounts of money relocating the population |
| D．protect the environment without harming locals' interests |
The forestry coverage in rural Beijing has increased greatly because ________.
| A．pressures on land were reduced | B．a large amount of coal is provided |
| C．no people live in that area | D．locals take good care of the forest |
According to the passage ________ play(s) a major role in ecosystem recovery.
| A．local people | B．nature itself |
| C．human involvement | D．government's effort |
According to the last paragraph, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Nature reserves could be helpful to recover the damaged ecosystems. |
| B．Centrallyfunded nature reserves are beneficial to local economy. |
| C．Some nature reserves are created for the purpose of making money. |
| D．The first projects on nature reserves should be set up in quakehit areas. |
 |
Apple iPad Mini Wi-Fi 16 GB - Black & Slate $329 online 71 reviews October 2012 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 7.9 inch - With Camera - 10.9 ounces（1 pound ="16" ounces） With a touch screen and the ability to take an awesome 360-degree picture from the top of a mountain, its 7.9-inch display more than measures up to the complete iPad experience. View web pages. See where you are and what's around you using online maps. Flick（浏览） through your photos and watch videos in vivid detail. And wave hello to the family on a video call. With the same LED backlight technology and the same fast, fluid performance that the iPad is known for, the iPad Mini doesn't disappoint customers. And with automatic shake-resistant video, your videos are instantly ready to share. |
 |
Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16 GB – Black $350 online 2,564 reviews March 2011 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - With Camera - 10 hour battery -1.32 pounds This device has two cameras, a dual-core（双核） A5 chip, and the same battery life – all in a thinner, lighter Multi-Touch design. It makes surfing the Web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books feel natural. LED backlighting makes everything you see remarkably vivid and bright. With every turn of the device (even upside down), the display adjusts to fit. It has a wide, 178° viewing angle. |
 |
Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi 32 GB $600 online 454 reviews May 2010 - Apple - Handheld - 32 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - 1.5 pounds Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi is a magical and revolutionary product and the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. Taking advantage of the large multi-touch screen and advanced capabilities of the iPad, you can do things that you can't do on any other device. The high-resolution（分辨率）, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display on the iPad is remarkably vivid. Thin and light and with a wide viewing angle, it automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks. |
According to the advertisement, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The Apple iPad 2 has a single core and 360-degree viewing angle. |
| B．The Apple iPad Mini can store as much information as the Apple iPad 2 can. |
| C．The Apple iPad Mini’s performance is disappointing compared to that of others. |
| D．The Apple iPad 1 is the oldest, the most expensive and the smallest of all three. |
According to the advertisement, which one probably attracts most attention?
| A．Apple iPad 2 | B．Apple iPad Mini |
| C．Apple iPad 1 | D．Dual-Core A5 |
We know from the advertisement that____________
| A．we can’t voice chat with friends using the Apple iPad Mini. |
| B．we need to locate available Apple iPad 1Wi-Fi networks ourselves. |
| C．with the Apple iPad Mini, your videos always remain relatively smooth. |
| D．the Apple iPad 2 display only adjusts when the device is turned upside down. |
It's common for parents to feel emotional when the moment comes for their child to leave home and go to university. Even parents who don't speak about the event are likely to feel a sense of sadness because it’s the end of an era where you and your family were at the centre of your child's world. As a parent you’ll probably continue to support your child in different ways, but the main job of raising your child is over. It's a huge change for everyone involved.
There are a few things that you can do to make the transition easier. Plan carefully for your child's departure and think about how you can help. Many parents take their child to university for the first time. If you decide to do that, be ready to feel a real wrench when the time comes to say goodbye. Your child will probably be as nervous as you are about the moment when you finally say goodbye – but that might not show!
Be positive and cheerful about the choice your child has made to continue studying, and plan to leave once you've unpacked the car and looked around your child's new living accommodations. If you can, save your tears for the car – you'll make things easier on your child and yourself.
The more you've invested in being a parent, the more you'll feel a sense of loss, so the sadness you feel now is a sign that you've been a good mom or dad. Remind yourself that parenting is all about raising an independent and confident child who functions well without you. If your child quickly settles and starts enjoying himself, you should congratulate yourself.
It's also only fair to allow yourself some time to grieve(悲痛). Don't expect to pick yourself up and move on straight away. But you may decide to find a hobby or sport to fill your extra time. Perhaps you've always wanted to learn a new language, go to yoga classes or take up swimming. You may decide to spend more time with family and close friends, who are likely to be feeling the absence of your child as well.
Agree on the best approach to staying in touch before your child leaves, and stick to your agreement. Try not to panic if your child doesn't respond immediately – remember, they're starting a new and busy life.Why do parents feel sad when their child leaves home for college?
| A．Because the absence of their child makes them feel lonely. |
| B．Because their children will start a new life in college. |
| C．Because it means the end of love between parents and their child. |
| D．Because they are no longer the main focus of their children’s life. |
The underlined word “wrench” in Paragraph 2 means a feeling of ________.
| A．sorrow | B．regret | C．anger | D．love |
What does good parenting consist of?
| A．Supporting your child in different ways all the time. |
| B．Congratulating yourself when your child goes to college. |
| C．Preparing your child to stand on their own feet in the future. |
| D．Investing as much as possible in the growth of your child. |
What’s NOT advised as the way to recover from your child’s departure?
| A．Developing a new hobby or sport |
| B．Learning a new language. |
| C．Spending more time with close friends |
| D．Staying in touch with your child. |
What would be an appropriate title for the whole passage?
| A．Staying in Touch with Your Child |
| B．Preparing to Say Goodbye to Your Child |
| C．Dealing with Your Child Leaving Home for University |
| D．Life after Your Child Has Left Home for University |