For 52 years my father got up at 5:30 am every morning, went to work, and returned home at 5:30 pm. I never saw my father stayed home from work ill, nor did I ever see my father lay down to take a nap. He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family. All he asked from me, his daughter, was to help him while he was repairing something, so we could have some time to talk.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me at 9:00 am every Sunday. Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days in the 80-degree Kansas heat, painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea. Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swing set for my daughter. Four years ago, my father drove all the way from Denver to Topeka, with an eight-foot Colorado Blue Spruce (云杉) in his truck, so that we could have a part of Colorado growing on our land.
On the morning of January 16, 1996, my sister telephoned me; my father was in the hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤) in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way I realized that I hadn’t communicated with him as much as I’d always wanted to. I vowed(发誓) that when I arrived, I would have a long talk with him. I arrived in Florida at 1 am, only to find that my father, at the age of 76, had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.
1. From the first paragraph we can infer that the author’s father ______.
A. was a good driver B. was in good health
C. sometimes fell ill D. had no hobbies
2. The underlined phrase “other than” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “______”.
A. except B. including C. without D. due to
3. According to the last paragraph, we can know that the author’s father was born in ______.
A. 1916 B. 1918 C. 1920 D. 1922
4. The author wrote the article in order to ______.
A. praise her father B. remember her father
C. show her father loved her D. let her father be known
Change is everything in the case of mobile phones. Recent research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well.
First, let’s talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and its parent, the fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a landline goes to a place. If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it.
This has several implications(含义). The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the “meeting” influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now, however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer “see you there at 8”,but “text me around 8 and we’ll see where we all are.”
Texting changes people as well. In their paper, “Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS (Short Message Service) Text Messaging", two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the “talkers” and the “texters”-those who prefer voice to text messages and those who prefer text to voice.
They found that the mobile phone’s individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well.
Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the “speakeasy”: the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the “spacemaker”: these people focus on themselves and keep out other people.
Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera- phones intrude(侵入)on people’s privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn’t worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.The “meeting” influence of a mobile phone refers to the fact that ________.
A.people are able to meet someone at any place and any time |
B.people have to make a firm plan about when and where to meet |
C.people can arrange their meeting place and time more flexibly |
D.people have to attend more phone meetings than ever before |
According to the two British researchers, the Social and Psychological Effects are most likely to be seen on ________.
A.talkers | B.Texters |
C.the “spacemaker” | D.the “speakeasy” |
We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters are _________.
A.shocking to others |
B.well written |
C.unacceptable by others |
D.showing or making a new personality known |
According to the passage, who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile?
A.talkers | B.the “speakeasy” |
C.the “spacemaker” | D.texters |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A.The Influence of Short Message Service |
B.Body Language and the Mobile Phone |
C.Changes in the Use of the Mobile |
D.Changes Caused by Mobile Phone Use |
Nothing could stop Dad. After he was put on disability for a bad back, he bought a small farm in the country, just enough to grow food for the family. He planted vegetables, fruit trees and even kept bees for honey.
And every week he cleaned Old Man McColgin's chicken house in exchange for manure(肥料). The smell really burned the inside of your nose. When we complained about the terrible smell, Dad said the stronger the manure, the healthier the crops, and he was right. For example, just one of his cantaloupes(甜瓜) filled the entire house with its sweet smell, and the taste was even sweeter.
As the vegetables started coming in, Dad threw himself into cooking. One day, armed with a basket of vegetables, he announced he was going to make stew(炖菜).Dad pulled out a pressure cooker(高压锅)and filled it up with cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, corns, onions and carrots. For about half an hour, the pressure built and the vegetables cooked. Finally, Dad turned off the stove, the pot began to cool and the pressure relief valve sprayed out a cloud of steam. If we thought Dad's pile of chicken manure was bad, this was 10 times worse. When Dad took off the lid, the smell nearly knocked us out.
Dad carried the pot out and we opened doors and windows to air out the house. Just how bad was it? The neighbors came out of their houses to see if we had a gas leak!
Determined, Dad filled our plates with steaming stew and passed them around. It didn’t look that bad, and after the first wave had shut down my ability to smell, it didn’t offend the nose so much, edible, and we drank up every last drop of soup.Why did Dad clean Old Man Mocolgin’s chicken house regularly?
A.To earn some money for the family. |
B.To collect manure for his crops. |
C.To get rid of the terrible smell. |
D.To set a good example to us. |
What can we infer about Dad’s stew?
A.It is popular among the neighbors. |
B.It contains honey and vegetables. |
C.It looks very wonderful. |
D.It tastes quite delicious. |
What does the underlined word “offend” in the last paragraph mean?
A.To attract | B.To upset | C.To air | D.To shut |
Across Britain, burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers. But, according to a new study, we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year.
Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work. Now, the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labors, they would earn as much as£172,000 a year.
The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do, as well as the hours they are working, to determine the figure. This would make their yearly income £30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns.
By analyzing the numbers, it found the average mother works 119 hours a week, 40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate and 79 hours as overtime. After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18, it found that, on most days, mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm.
To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labor, it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on, including housekeeper, part-time lawyer, personal trainer and entertainer. Being a part-time lawyer, at £48.98 an hour, would prove to be the most profitable of the “mum jibs”, with psychologist(心理学家) a close second.
It also asked mothers about the challenges they face, with 80 percent making emotional(情感的) demand as the hardest thing about motherhood.
Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends.
The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother’s Day. The emotional, physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending, but children are also sources of great joy and happiness. Investing(投入) in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent.How much would a mother earn a year if working as the Prime Minister?
A.£30,000. | B.£142,000. |
C.£172,000. | D.£202,000. |
The biggest challenge for most mothers is from .
A.emotional demand | B.low pay for work |
C.heavy workload | D.lack of training |
What is stressed in the last paragraph?
A.Mothers’ importance shows in family all year long. |
B.The sacrifices mothers make are huge but worthwhile. |
C.Mothers’ devotion to children can hardly be calculated. |
D.Investing time in parenting would bring a financial return. |
What can we conclude from the study?
A.Mothers’ working hours should be largely reduced. |
B.Mothers should balance their time for work and rest. |
C.Mothers’ labor is of a higher value than it is realized. |
D.Mothers should be freed from housework for social life. |
In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics(策略).
One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food(垃圾食品) later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics(化妆品) section: while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.
Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.
When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?
A.To save customers times. |
B.To show they are high quality foods. |
C.To help sell junk food. |
D.To sell them at discount prices. |
According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?
A.Opening the store early in the morning. |
B.Displaying British wines next to French ones. |
C.Inviting customers to play music. |
D.Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread. |
What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?
A.The house structure is a key factor customers consider. |
B.The more costly the house is, the better it sells. |
C.An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste. |
D.A good first impression increases sales. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To explain how businesses turn people into their customers. |
B.To introduce how businesses have grown from the past. |
C.To report researches on customer behavior. |
D.To show dishonest business practices. |
Metro Pocket Guide
Metrorail(地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under ago five may travel free with a paying customer.
Farecard machine are in every station, Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and farecard machine only provide up to $ 5 in change.
Get one of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a. m. until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of Service
Open: 5 a. m Mon-Fri 7a. m. Sat—Sun .
Close: midnight Sun—Thurs 3 a.m. Fri.---Sat. nights.
Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in the station.
Metrobus
When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1. 35 . when paying with a smarTrip card, the fare is $1. 25
Fares for the Senior /disabled customers
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards, farecard or SmarTrip cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors. com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100
Travel tips (提示)
. Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a. m. and between 4 and 6 p. m.
. If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.what should you know about farecard machine?
A.They start selling tickets at 9:30 a. m. |
B.They are connected to change machines. |
C.They offer special service to the elderly. |
D.They make change for no more than $5. |
At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?
A.At midnight | B.at 3 a. m. |
C.at 5 am | D.at 7 p. m. |
What is good about a SmarTrip card?
A.It is convenient for old people |
B.It saves money for its users |
C.it can be bought at any time |
D.it is sold on the Internet. |
Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
A.202-962-1195 | B.202-962-1100 |
C.202-673-7000 | D.202-673-8000 |