The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches (串) of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. "Banana 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira"
He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill He didn't have change, so I told him not to worry.
He .said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it's not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.
I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What's up”. I asked him. “I...I don't have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills.
"Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. "Thank you, sir," he said. 'Thank you very much.”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for school-books. What if he's a cheat (骗子)? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn't know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face
" Long time."
"Are you in school now?” I asked.
He nodded.
"That's good," I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. "Here," I held out a 500 naira bill. "Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. "What's wrong?” I asked. "It's a gift"
He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shine with sweat (汗水)。 He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, "I've been waiting to give these to you."
72. What was the author's first impression of the boy?
A. He seemed to be poor and greedy.
B. He seemed to have suffered a lot
C. He seemed younger than his age.
D. He seemed good at bargaining
73. The second time the author met the boy, the boy________.
A. told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts
B. wanted to express his thanks
C. asked him for money for his schoolbooks
D. tried to take advantage of him
74. Why did the author give his money to the boy?
A. Because he had enough money to do that.
B. Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.
C. Because he held a higher position in the society.
D. Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.
75. Which of the following best describes the boy?
A. Brave and polite.
B. Kind and smart
C. Honest and thankful.
D. Shy and nervous.
72B 73 A 74B 75C
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help.“
Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m
giving the whole thing up to you.” I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.” By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and ______.
A.preferred to stay alone at home | B.lost interest in his studies |
C.refused to talk to others | D.began to dislike his mother |
There was silence on the other end of the line because______.
A.the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
B.the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
C.the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice |
D.the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence “he even made the honor roll means that______”.
A.he was even on the list to be praised at the parent-teacher meeting |
B.he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
C.he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
D.he was even on the l![]() |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
B.Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life. |
C.Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
D.School education doesn’t work without full support from parents. |
Our spiritual intelligence quotient (精神智商), or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.
Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude (独处) and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume (强度) in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"
But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail. "Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. “But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度) I never considered before.”
Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut(本能的) feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good. The passage is mainly about.
A.what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life |
B.what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved |
C.the relationship between your SQ and your life |
D.advantages and disadvantages of SQ |
The underlined phrase "to tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to _____.
A.get your spirit relaxed | B.keep up your spirit |
C.keep seated quietly | D.change your spirit |
From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is.
A.a peaceful mind | B.deep thought | C.spare time and hobbies | D.good spirits |
According to the passage, which of the following is True?
A.Not everyone has SQ. |
B.You have to go to classes to learn how to improve your SQ. |
C.SQ leads us to take wrong actions. |
D.SQ can benefit our life. |
Section One
The city is an accumulation of human civilization. Just as the American social philosopher (哲学家) Lewis Mumford put it, it is a special system which, fine and compact, has been designed to preserve the fruits of human civilization. Many Western languages have developed their versions of the term “civilization” from the same Latin (拉丁语的) word “civitas”(meaning “city”), and it is by no means a coincidence. The city has played a significant role in the perfection of order in human society.
Section Two
The emblem, showing the image of three people ― you, me, him/her holding hands together, symbolizes the big family of mankind. Inspired by the shape of the Chinese character “世” (meaning the world), the design conveys the organizers' wish to host an Expo which is of global scale and which displays the various urban cultures of the world.
Section Three
Created from the inspiration of Chinese character “人”, the design roots deeply in Chinese culture. It tells the world the eternal core (永恒的核心) and theme of Shanghai World Expo will be always human. The mascot “Haibao” will become the messenger for the theme of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China “Better City, Better Life”.
The basic structure of the Chinese character “人” in which each stroke(一笔,一划) supports each other also shows the concept that the beautiful life should depends on mutual-help. If the human are willing to support one another, the harmony among human, nature, and society will be available. Such an urban life will be nice.
Haibao’s confident smile is expressing his sincere greeting from China ― “World Expo 2010 Shanghai China welcomes you!” Section One mainly tells us about ______.
A.the part cities play in human civilization | B.the development of the word “city” |
C.why the Expo is held in Shanghai | D.where human civilization originated |
The underlined word “it” in Section One refers to ______.
A.the civilization | B.the philosopher | C.the word | D.the city |
Which correctly matches the sections with the pictures described in the passage?
Pictures |
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Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail. But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate(适度的) amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity (fatness).
The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 30 to 40 who fall into the “normal weight” based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.
Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight. Although alcohol is packed with calories, the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol drinks a day, compared with nondrinkers.
The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk.
The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men. A 2003 study of Briti
sh men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers. Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women. Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute(替代)alcohol for food. In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize(代谢)alcohol. Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change. But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism.
The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight. Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean(瘦的) woman. The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic drinks. According to the study, which of the following regular drinker is less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers?
A B C DThat men regular drinkers gained more weight than women regular drinkers is due to the following except ______.
A.women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food. |
B.men drink alcohol much faster than women. |
C.men and women metabolize alcohol differently. |
D.men have different effects on eating habits with women. |
The underlined word “whereas” may probably mean _______.
A.so | B.in order that | C.but | D.and then |
What can a dieter probably do before reading this passage?
A.Rush to drink alcohol to lose weight |
B.Add alcohol to his or her daily caloric intake. |
C.Face the weight problems alone. |
D.Try to stop drinking any alcohol or wine. |
The Writers' Strike:Making the Best of the Worst
By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working. With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period.
Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV. With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to stil
l put family first.
For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock. Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show (幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss.
If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking. If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you. If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you .
If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV. Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing.
If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch.
A.Friday Night Lights | B.30 Rock |
C.the Amazin![]() |
D.Saturday Night Live |
From the DVD shows listed above, we can learn that .
A.two teams won the amazing race |
B.football fans enjoy the Amazing Race |
C.the Bluths care about their family though selfish |
D.30 Rock and Saturday Night Live have nothing in common |
The author writes the passage to tell us that.
A.the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great |
B.the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation |
C.watching DVD is a good choice during the strike |
D.we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes |
The passage is most probably taken from.
A.a book review | B.a newspaper | C.a film poster | D.a DVD menu |