About 70 scientists were working on a very busy project. All of them felt really desperate due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting their job.
One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him, “Sir, I’ve promised to take my children to the exhibition going on in our township so I want to leave at 5:30 p. m.” His boss replied, “OK. You’re permitted to leave the office early today.”
The scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual, he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch only when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8:30 p. m. Suddenly he remembered his promise to the children. He looked for his boss but he was not there. Having told him in the morning himself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. The children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, “Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?” The man replied, “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about the children?” His wife replied, “You don’t know? Your boss came here at 5:15 p. m. and has taken them to the exhibition.”
What had really happened was the boss who gave him permission was observing him working seriously at 5:00 p. m. He thought to himself: this person will not leave the work, but he’s promised to take his children to the exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them there. The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it’s done, loyalty is established.
That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was extraordinarily huge. By the way ,can you boldly guess who the boss was? He was none other that the mastermind behind India’s successful nuclear weapons program, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India.
1.The scientist asked for an early leave because______.
A.he felt increasingly desperate about his work
B.he meant to accompany his wife at dinner
C.the task at hand was close to completion
D.he’d promised to take his kids to a show
2.The underlined sentence implies that the scientist thought his wife was _____.
A.dissatisfied with his coming home late
B.ready to serve dinner for him
C.grateful to his kind-hearted boss
D.delighted to see him back home
3.The boss took children to the exhibition_________.
A.when it was too late for the scientist to do so
B.because the scientist was absorbed in his work
C.because he also wanted to see what was on show
D.when the man’s wife asked him to do so
4.All the scientists stayed loyal to their boss__________.
A.out of gratefulness for his thoughtfulness
B.because he had power over them
C.to learn how to live under pressure
D.every time he took the children to the show
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up(蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
68. “The door to his room is always shut” in the first paragraph suggests that the son______.
A. is always busy with his studies B. doesn’t want to be disturbed
C. keeps himself away from his parents D. begins to dislike his parents
69. What troubles Tina and Mark most is that______.
A. their daughter isn’t as lovely as before
B. they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
C. they don’t know what to say to their daughter
D. their daughter talks with them only when she needs help
70. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
A. Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.
B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents.
C. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.
D. Teenagers talk little about their own lives.
71. What can be learned from the passage?
A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
B. Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.
C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers.
D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.
Nanda sees a wearable computer as a handbag, one that’s built out of four-inch squares and triangles of fabric (织物), with tiny computer chips embedded (嵌入) in it. It looks, feels and weighs like your typical leather purse.
That’s where the similarities end: This bag can wirelessly keep track of your belongings and remind you, just as you’re about to leave the house, to take your wallet. It can review the weather report and suggest that you grab an umbrella. This purse can even upload your favorite songs onto your scarf (围巾).
Sure, a computing purse and scarf set may seem like the stuff of science fiction. But these devices (装置), part of next generation of wearable computers, could become common within a few years. DuPont created new super strong fibres that can conduct electricity and can be woven into ordinary-looking clothes. And the chipmaker developed chip packaging allowing wearable computers to be washed, even in the heavy-duty cycle.
As a result, these new wearable devices are different from the heavy and silly types of the recent past, which often required users to be wrapped in wires and type on their stomachs. Unlike the old types, these new wearable computers also make economic sense. When her bag becomes commercially available in two to three years, Nanda expects it will cost around $150, which is the price of an average leather purse.
Here’s how the bag works: You place a special radio-signal-transmitting chip onto your wallet. A similar radio in your purse picks up the signal and notifies you that you’ve forgotten to take your wallet. In turn, sensors on your purse’s handles will inform the computer that you’ve picked up the purse and are ready to go.
Already, these new kinds of wearable devices are applied in markets like auto repair, emergency services, medical monitoring-and even, increasingly, for consumers at large. Indeed, more people will want to cross that bridge in the coming years—making for a booming market for wearable computers that don’t look like something out of science fiction.
72. Which of the following describes a wearable computer?
A.It can be washed in washing machines.
B.It is much heavier than a leather purse.
C.It can download songs from the Internet.
D.It is made of clothes conducting electricity.
73. According to the passage, the new wearable computers .
A.require users to operate on the stomach
B.pick up the signals through wires and chips
C.are being put to use in some different areas now
D.are smarter but more expensive than the old ones
74. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A.The new wearable computers have become fashionable.
B.People would like to learn more about the new computers.
C.The idea of the purse-like computers comes from science fiction.
D.New wearable computers promise to sell well in the future.
75. The purpose of the passage is .
A.to introduce a new kind of computer
B.to explain the functions of computers
C.to compare different types of computers
D.to show how high technology affects our life
“We started as a group of friends with the same problem: difficulty in our personal life to manage our time, being always in a hurry.” This thought was recently offered by Bruno to explain the origin of The Art of Living Slowly, an organization that he founded two years ago, with his wife, Ella.
Bruno and Ella said they decided to draw more people’s attention to the overlooked idea that “time is wealth.” On February 19th last year, they created a new holiday, the first Global Day of Slow Living. Despite its ambitious name, the event was limited almost entirely to Italy, where the couple arranged a number of events: a reverse bicycle race in which the last rider was declared the winner; an afternoon of grandfathers reading poetry to children etc.
One Monday in late February, 2008, the couple staged a New York version (版本) of the Day of Slow Living. “It has to be a Monday, the worst day to try to slow down.” Bruno explained. Bruno was wearing a police cap, mirrored sunglasses, and a sandwich board stating, “Watch out! Speed-walking camera is in action!” He flagged down passers-by and handed them postcards printed with fourteen “slowmandments.” For example, No. 4: Write your text message on your cell phone with no symbols and get in the habit of starting with “Dear …” No 7: Avoid being so busy that you don’t have time for yourself. Bruno told the passers-by to read them once a day and keep the doctor away.
Many said, “I can’t do this. New York is too fast.” Bruno admitted. But many stopped, they read and said. “This one is good for me, because trying to slow down is like trying to stop smoking.”
When asked about their plans for the future. Bruno and Ella looked at each other and chanted the name of the city they have chosen for next year’s Global Day of Slow Living, “Tokyo!”
68. The Art of Living Slowly was founded to help people .
A.understand the truth of life. B.know the difficulty in managing time
C.avoid being in a hurry all the time D.make friends with the same problem
69. What did Bruno do in New York?
A.He advertised his idea on a sandwich board.
B.He stopped passers-by and delivered postcards.
C.He served as a policeman to prevent accidents.
D.He took photos for the people who walked fast.
70. Which statement may be included in the fourteen “slowmandments” in paragraph 3?
A.Wake up five minutes earlier. B.Do two things at the same time.
C.Make a habit of writing letters. D.Don’t work on weekends and relax.
71. What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The new holiday is usually celebrated on a fixed day.
B.Italian grandfathers enjoy reading poetry to children.
C.The couple tend to choose busy cities to promote the idea.
D.New Yorkers have a negative attitude towards slow living.
Twenty–six years after a terrible bicycle accident which left her in a coma(昏迷) for two months and with permanent brain injuries, Barbara Buchan performs many actions more slowly than others. But on September 10 in Beijing, Buchan, at 52, the oldest member of the United States Paralympic team, broke the record and won the gold medal for her disability class in the individual 3,000–meter cycling pursuit.
“You can be very upset at the world and have everyone take care of you.” Buchan said by telephone from Beijing, “or get back on your feet again.”
Buchan first dreamed of Olympic gold at age 15 while watching the 1972 Munich Games. She became a top American cyclist by July 1982, when a terrible road–race crash injured her brain and left doctors doubtful about whether she would survive. She was wearing only a soft leather helmet at the time; her accident made the rule put into practice that cyclists wear the hard–shell helmets that are now common.
Buchan recovered enough of her athletic ability to run track in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, where she won a silver medal in the 800 meters. Women’s cycling was not included in the Paralympics yet, so Buchan trained to the point where she raced against men in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia-she finished 9th and 10th in two races-and then successfully fought for a separate women’s cycling program beginning in 2004 in Athens, where she did not get a medal.
Even though she was approaching her 50s, Buchan kept racing and again made the United States Paralympic team for Beijing-where she is twice the age of most of her teammates and competitors.
“Barbara’s almost the leader of our team-she’s been through it all,” said Craig Griffin, the United States cycling coach. “She’s never tired. She’s never let her body go and then come back. I don’t think age is as big of a deal as people make it out to be.”
64. According to the text, after the accident, .
A.Buchan asked her friends to take care of her
B.cyclists started to wear helmets in competition
C.Buchan could not answer questions correctly
D.doctors doubted whether Buchan could come back to life
65. What’s the right order of the events related to Buchan?
a. She won a gold medal in Beijing.
b. She became a top American cyclist.
c. She won a silver medal in the 800 meters.
d. She suffered a terrible bicycle accident.
e. She took part in a cycling program in Athens.
A.c-d-b-a-e B.b-c-d-a-e
C.b-d-e-c-a D.c-b-d-e-a
66. What does the underlined phrase “get back on your feet” in the second paragraph mean?
A.rise to your feet B.walk on your way
C.go beyond yourself D.depend on yourself
67. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A.The Making of a Hero B.From a Loser to a Winner
C.All Roads Lead to Rome D.Health is Better than Wealth
Information for Visitors to the Breenda Museum
Opening times
The Breenda Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission (门票) is free and the museum is open to all.
The Breenda Museum is closed for the Christmas Holidays from 5:00 pm on Wednesday 23 December 2009 until 10:00 am Wednesday 6 January 2010.
Location and local transport network
The museum is located inside The Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.
The College is within easy walking distance of Tower underground station. It is a short taxi or underground journey from most major rail stations. There are two NCP car parks nearby.
Group bookings
All groups must book in advance. An online booking form for groups is now available.
Admission is free. A donation (捐献) of £3 per person is encouraged.
To book a visit please contact the museum on 020 7788 6060 or email: museums@rcsng.ac.uk
Tours for groups
Tours of the museum can be booked for up to 30 people:
*An introductory tour lasts 30 minutes and is £100 plus VAT (增殖税).
*A specialized tour lasts 45 minutes and is £130 plus VAT.
*Tours for schools are free, but donations are encouraged (£3 per person).
*After hours tours (5:30-7:30 pm) are £130 per tour plus VAT. A tour will last 20-25 minutes.
To book a tour or a place for the free tour, please call 020 7869 6560.
60. From the text we know the Breenda Museum is open at .
A. 4:00 pm Monday Jan.11, 2010 B. 11:00 am Friday Dec. 18, 2009
C. 6:00 am Thursday Jan.7, 2010 D. 11:00 am Wednesday Dec.30, 2009
61. To get to the museum, a tourist at the Tower underground station .
A. can just walk B. may go by train
C. should take a bus D. must take another underground
62. Which of the following is true about group bookings?
A. Every person is charged £3. B. Tours are available any time.
C. Tours must be booked in time. D. Free tours can be booked on the Internet.
63. Which tour lasts the shortest time?
A. Tours for schools. B. Tours for after hours.
C. The specialized tours. D. The introductory tours.