How clean are the nation’s homes?
According to a survey by CIF, there’s room for improvement all over Britain.
Love or hate it — cleaning your home is one job you simply can’t ignore（忽视）. But that’s not to say everyone spends the same amount of time or effort on making their places spotless. A new survey by CIF— experts on making tough cleaning jobs easier—— shows that when it comes to washing windows or cleaning the oven（烤箱）,where you live in the UK it may show how much effort you put into the task.
BATHROOM
25% of men have never cleaned the toilet — but those in Wales are the worst. Nearly four in 10 Welsh men said they never cleaned anywhere in the house. Hate cleaning the shower head? You’re not alone — a quarter of a million Brits say the same. 20% of Scots regard window-cleaning as their most hated job.
KITCHEN
36% of people in the south-east say cleaning the cooker is their hated task. 68% of those in the north-east spend more than six hours a week cleaning their homes — especially the kitchen — in sharp contrast to the 49% of Welsh and West Country folk, who put their hands up to cleaning for under an hour.
BEDROOM
18% believe cleaning starts here: that’s the percentage of women who clean wearing their dressing gowns. 51% of women in the north-west may be staying in bed and giving their husband a cuddle（拥抱）—as a thank-you for helping them clean. In other places, there are far fewer helpful men.
LIVING ROOM
32% of women in the north-east turn up the stereo to help make the dusting more fun. Almost six in 10 women agree, however, that cleaning is seriously energetic exercise.
SHIFT THE DIRT WITH CIF
It’s no secret that the right cleaning products will cut cleaning time and effort in half— and no one knows that better than How Clean Is Your house? Presenters Aggie Mackenzie and Kim Woodburn. For solutions（解决办法）to all your cleaning needs, here are some of CIF’s top tips:
·Stop a lot of build-up on your shower head—give it a quick squirt（喷洒）with CIF bathroom spray once a week.
·Stainless steel（不锈钢）tools seem to need endless cleaning. The CIF Wild Qrchid Qxy-Gel-it lifts dirt easily and leaves the kitchen smelling fresh and clean.
·Cooking outside? CIF cream will get your barbecue （烤架）spotlessly clean, ready for those long, lazy summer evenings. Perfect!The main purpose of this passage is to ______.
| A．tell us the results of a certain survey |
| B．advertise a certain product |
| C．advise men to do more cleaning housework |
| D．tell us which is the hardest job at home |
It can be concluded from the survey that people in different parts of Britain______.
| A．have different views on house cleaning |
| B．spend different amounts of time and effort on house cleaning |
| C．like to do different kinds of housework |
| D．have different ways to do housework |
According to the survey,______ spend the most time cleaning their homes.
| A．the Welsh | B．people in the north-west |
| C．people in the south-east | D．people in the north-east |
CIF in the passage probably refers to ______.
| A．an organization doing research on housework |
| B．a group of experts who give advice on doing housework |
| C．a company providing advice and products on cleaning |
| D．a company providing cleaning services |
I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun of him. He was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger.
I was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I
did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.
One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the "big person for kids". I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn't understand how to make different parts of members into whole things.
The day before report cards were to come out, I knew that Mr. Young would give me an E, just like he always did.
I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big person if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.
I smiled at him and said, "Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you're missing your finger?"
He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.
"They shouldn't do that to you because you can't help having a finger, Mr. Young. Just like I can't help not being able to learn numbers and stuff like that." I said.
The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I opened it: Geography, B + ; Mechanical Drawing, C - ; English, D - ; History, C - ; Gym, B + ; Art, C ; Math, D -.
That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head. From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is _____ in some subjects.
| A．mind- blowing |
| B．slow-witted |
| C．fun-loving |
| D．badly-behaved |
Where may the boy live according to the passage?
| A．In an orphanage. |
| B．In a big prison. |
| C．In the school dormitory. |
| D．In his home. |
What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?
A. D-.
B. C.
C. B+.
D. E. The underlined word" tucked" in the passage most probably means "_____".
| A．stuck |
| B．listed |
| C．hid |
| D．copied |
The reason why the boy remembers Mr Young is that___.
| A．he missed one of his fingers |
| B．he treated his students very well |
| C．he understood the boy |
| D．he taught his students in a special way |
Before she appeared on the reality show(真人秀) Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle was just an ordinary middle-aged British woman. Now all this is going to change.
She lives in a house with her cat Pebbles in a tiny Scottish town. Because of learning difficulties, she doesn’t have much education. But what she does have is a very good voice. As a kid, she sang in church and choirs and school plays. For a living, she sang at local pubs.
When she took the stage on April 10th her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags. The audience laughed at her.
But then she opened her mouth. A few bars into the song and the laughing audience went silent. A beautiful voice was singing I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Everyone was amazed. At the end of her song, the audience jumped to their feet and applauded wildly.
Almost overnight, Susan became a household name. She won fans and millions of admirers. Her online videos have drawn over 85.2 million hits.
Susan’s story proved the truth of an old saying: “Never judge the book by its cover.” Susan may look ordinary, and doesn’t have much dress sense, but she can certainly sing.
Susan’s fans admire her courage, as much as they do her voice. She has experienced mockery and many disappointments, but her love for music has kept her going, which is worth anyone’s respect. According to the passage, Susan Boyle _______.
| A．is a famous young actress |
| B．became famous after a show |
| C．used to be a good student |
| D．is good at dancing and has millions of admirers |
The underlined phrase “just one step up from” in the third paragraph probably means______.
| A．far from | B．close to | C．different from | D．the same as |
The audience jumped and applauded wildly because__________.
| A．her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags |
| B．she looked very funny |
| C．she sang so well that everyone was amazed |
| D．she made a foolish mistake in the end |
Susan Boyle has many fans now because of _______.
| A．her beautiful face |
| B．her knowing how to dress |
| C．her good education |
| D．her beautiful voice and courage |
The passage is mainly about___________,
| A．how to win fans |
| B．how to sing well |
| C．a woman’s sudden success |
| D．a woman’s simple life |
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America"home", but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become "American" is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of "side-by-side" living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits.
They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives-such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living "side-by-side" has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups,or newspapers. More than 215 million people call America "home" because_______.
| A．they have their houses |
| B．they settle there now |
| C．they want to make their home there |
| D．they like that land very much |
"Side-by-side" living style means _______.
| A．to make friends with native people |
| B．to keep their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| C．the groups of people who live nearby |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
According to the passage, people in the USA______.
| A．share American customs and cultures |
| B．live in a kind of”side by side”society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．"Side-by-side" living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People. |
| D．"Side-by-side" Living Style in America. |
Most people nowadays are persistently seeking for opportunities that will assist them in reaching their goals. Marketing yourself is when there is a demand for you and your services that will help you achieve your goals．
Marketing yourself means you are simply "selling" yourself! The common problem in marketing yourself is that most people think that it is nasty to do this．They think that marketing concerns only to a business.Of course, this is absolutely not true.People who want to attain the success they desire must promote themselves.
In every attempt you make, just think that marketing yourself is a very useful tool.The better you market yourself, the more opportunities you will have．Marketing yourself does not really mean telling every person how beautiful and wonderful you are.It simply means telling your prospective employer that you exist, that you have the possibility of generating much greater income than your prospective employer makes.Or maybe you have the chance of doing something better.There are actually several different ways of marketing yourself．But there are only two primary approaches that you implement（实施）.The first is you find ways to reach out to others and the second is to construct ways in order for the people to find you and make connection with you.
In order for you to reach out and touch the lives of others, you have to be a good person and a good employee．In that way your good reputation will follow naturally.Have a brief and concise（简明的） message that you can share with others．When you market yourself, you tell people who you are and what you can do for others．Plan well and practice your message.
In constructing ways for the people to notice and make connection with you, you must be open to them.Bear in mind that communication is a great opportunity to make an impact especially when you market yourself.You also communicate by what you are wearing．Know the appropriate dress code and have a plenty of time to decide what you wear.Just will remember to make a great first impression!According to the passage, in general people tend to think marketing yourself _____.
| A．is a very useful tool |
| B．will make you have more opportunities |
| C．is nasty and concerns only to a business |
| D．is natural |
All of the following are True about the marketing yourself EXCEPT _____.
| A．if you can marketing yourself better, you will have more opportunities |
| B．if you want to succeed, you must learn how to market yourself |
| C．marketing yourself simply means making your boss know you can make more money than him |
| D．marketing yourself really means telling others you are beautiful and wonderful |
In order to market yourself well, you can do these things EXCEPT _____.
| A．praise yourself greatly |
| B．wear appropriately |
| C．have a brief and clear message |
| D．be open to others |
It can be concluded from the passage that _____.
| A．there are only two ways of marketing yourself |
| B．communication plays an important part in marketing yourself |
| C．you needn’t spent plenty of time to decide what you will wear |
| D．marketing yourself simply means telling your employer you must earn much greater than him |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Achieving your Goals |
| B．Knowing the Appropriate Dress |
| C．Ways of marketing yourself |
| D．Marketing yourself |
When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s,we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep.His name was Mr.Basille.He wore a white cap and drove a white truck.As a 5yearold boy,I couldn't take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt.He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course,he delivered more than milk.There was cheese,eggs and so on.If we needed to change our order,my mother would pen a note-"Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery" —and place it in the box along with the empty bottles.And then,the buttermilk would magically(魔术般)appear.
All of this was about more than convenience.There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen.Mr.Basille even had a key to our house,for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors,so that the milk wouldn't freeze.And I remember Mr.Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table,having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today.Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk,thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete(竞争). Besides,milk is for sale everywhere,and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories.I took it home and planted it on the back porch(门廊)．Every so often my son's friends will ask what it is.So I start telling stories of my boyhood,and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.Mr.Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer ________.
to show his magical power
to pay for the delivery
to satisfy his curiosity
to please his motherWhat can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy's house?
He wanted to have tea there.
He was treated as a family member.
He was a respectable person.
He was fully trusted by the family.Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
Nobody wants to be a milkman now.
It has been driven out of the market.
Its service is getting poor.
It is forbidden by lawWhy did the author bring back home an old milk box?
He missed the good old days.
He wanted to tell interesting stories.
He needed it for his milk bottles.
He planted flowers in it.