D
A husband-and-wife team from California reached the Pacific Ocean after a 4,900- mile-cross
-country walk, becoming the first to backpack the American Discovery Trail in one continuous
walk.
Marcia and Ken powers, of Pleasanton, started the travel across 13 states, through 14 national parks and 16 national forests on Feb. 27 from Cape Henlopen in Delaware. Nearly eight months later, the excited couple walked through water into the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes, a day ahead of time.
“We are a little sad that a great adventure is over. It was a fantastic adventure. And now we go home and just do housework. It's really sad.” Marcia, who said she's in her 50s, and her 60-year-old husband traversed cities, desert, mountains and farmland before reaching the Pacifics alone with arms around each other' s backpacks.
They overcame deep snow in the East, a quicksand in Utah, close lightning strikes in the Mid- west and strong desert sandstorms in the West while averaging 22 miles a day and taking only four days off. But they enjoyed the French history of St. Louis' the beauty of the Colorado Rockies and the kindness of strangers they met along the way. They particularly remember two brothers ---- a
doctor and dentist-------who put them up in their homes, after terrible days, and a motorcyclist who gave them water after they failed to find any on Utah's lonely Wah Wah Desert.
“Americans are truly warm-hearted and wonderful people.” Marcia Powers said. “We got to meet people that we would never meet in our daily living at home. We got to touch it with our feet and hands and smell all its scents and hear its wildlife. It' s an amazing country,” she added.
68. Which of the following about couple's walk is TRUE?
A. The walk covered more than 13 states.
B. The walk lasted about half a year.
C. The walk didn't meet any desert.
D. The walk might end before October 27.
69. The underlined word “traversed” in the third paragraph means “____________.”
A. enjoy B. move across, through or over
C. overcome D. look at
70. According to the text, we can infer that during the walk the couple __________.
A. were treated warm-heartedly by the local people
B. never stopped to have a rest
C. were ever caught in a heavy rain and became ill
D. felt the quicksand in Utah was very interesting
71. The couple went through many places except ____________.
A. big rivers B. desert C. hills D. fields
Lost iPhone
Unexpectedly, I lost my white iPhon5s in Midtown on Friday night. It had a blue green cover on it. There are many pictures of my son on it, and I’m heartbroken. Please return, no questions asked. Reward. Reply to: 2652255359@craigslist.org
Do you need a babysitter that you can trust?
My name is Tina. I am a responsible babysitter that you can trust. If you are looking for someone dependable and affordable I am that person! I HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE (including disabled children) ! I am a retired Home Health Aid and absolutely love children. I work with my sister Iris who has also 20+years as a teacher’s assistant. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINC YOU! Available 24 hours and flexible with fees! I am fully bilingual—Spanish/English. Please email me or call 712-867-7688.
I BABYSIT ONLY AT MY HOME.
I accept children from all ages. Fee starts from $100-$150 a week depending on the hours. I am very flexible and my fee can change. Feel free to contact me via email or on my cell phone 566-67-1873 and we can work something out.
Part-time Chinese Babysitter Wanted
Part-time Chinese speaking babysitter needed to assist with one-year-old twins and to perform some light housework as needed. Assistance needed Fridays and occasional weekends. Please provide your salary expectation. College students are welcome to apply.
Reply to: 2652113885 @craigslist.orgWho posted the lost and found information?
A.A mother | B.A kind woman |
C.A heartbroken girl | D.A parent |
What do we know about Tina?
A.She can speak two languages. |
B.She lives alone now. |
C.She takes care of children over 3. |
D.She used to be a teacher’s assistant. |
If you want to send your kids to the babysitter’s home, you can find one in______.
A.Ad 1 | B.Ad 2 | C.Ad 3 | D.Ad 4 |
Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover (营业额).
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
A.The number of its customers was declining |
B.Its customers found the food unhealthy |
C.It was in need of financial support |
D.Most of its restaurants were closed |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.customers of Sparrow restaurants |
B.Sparrow restaurants |
C.customers of other fast-food chains |
D.other fast-food chains |
For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
A.To build a good relationship with the public. |
B.To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow. |
C.To learn about customers’ spending power. |
D.To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants. |
What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
A.He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts. |
B.He made Sparrow much more competitive. |
C.He helped Sparrow take over a company. |
D.He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees. |
Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China’s higher education reform? It’s too early to answer. But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education. Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education----unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities.
The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions. Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas.
The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away. On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.
Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation. Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.
The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China’s higher education internationally competitive. To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out. The ministry should have applauded the independence. The school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise.
Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage. Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill.Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because _________.
A.they believe that the school will have a bright future |
B.they believe the government is sure to approve the school |
C.the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully |
D.they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions |
The trouble the students in the school may have is that ________.
A.the government will have no voice in the school |
B.they won’t receive any diploma when graduating from the school |
C.other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school |
D.they will not learn how to be competitive |
What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology?
A.It is another kind of diploma mill. |
B.It’s impossible for the school to be competitive. |
C.It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education. |
D.Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform. |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.University of New Style. |
B.China’s Education Reform. |
C.Modeling Hong Kong University. |
D.Authorized or Not? |
Nine years ago, after Leo had died, people said to me. "I never knew he was your stepfather." You see, I never called him that. At first, he was no one special in my life. Then he became my friend. In time, I felt he was also my father.
Leo married my mother when I was eleven. Two years later we moved into a house in a new suburban development, where we put down roots. At first our lawn was just a mud with wild grass, but Leo saw bright possibilities. "We'll plant trees there to give us shade as well as some flowers," he said. And just these little touches made our house different from all the others. More important, a real family was forming. Leo was becoming a full-time parent, and I was learning what it meant to have a father.
Weekday mornings when the weather was bad, Leo often drove me to school. Having a father drop you off may have been something my classmates took for granted, but I always thought it was wonderful. Saturday mornings, we went to the hardware shop, then stepped into the five-and-ten, buying a sports magazine or something else. Some people might think that doing shopping together is nothing special, but I, who had ever before spent my childhood watching other families do their everyday activities, experienced them now with extreme delight. Looking back, I realized that Leo gave me what I needed most—the experience of doing ordinary things together as a family.
Soon after we moved to the suburbs, one of our new neighbors introduced herself to me. She had already met my mother and Leo. "You know," she said, "you look just like your father." I knew she was just making conversation--but even so... "Thank you", I said. Why tell her anything different?The writer's purpose in writing this passage is _______.
A.to show his pride to have a good stepfather |
B.to show how interesting a person Leo was |
C.to remind us of our parents |
D.to explain why they moved to the suburbs |
The phrase “put down roots”in the second paragraph means _______.
A.farmed | B.planted | C.settled | D.worked |
In the writer's opinion, _______.
A.it is not easy to live with a stepfather |
B.not all the stepfathers are as good as Leo |
C.the husband and wife must think more about their children before they divorce |
D.in stepfamilies the love and friendship are extremely precious |
The last sentence “Why tell her anything different?”means that _________.
A.he should have told the truth |
B.he wouldn't tell her the truth |
C.he wanted to tell her something that had nothing to do with Leo |
D.he wanted to keep silence whenever he met the neighbors |
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programs are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This is started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they are watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music. This passage mainly talks about __________.
A.American music |
B.American popular music |
C.three sorts of music |
D.popular music singers |
The first three paragraphs mainly tell us _____________.
A.that Americans like folk music |
B.that popular music is an important kind of music in American |
C.how to become a national star as a pop singer in American |
D.popular music in America is what every student likes |
The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to “__________”.
A.American music |
B.folk music |
C.country music |
D.the common life of Americans |
According to the passage, the song Country Road probably belongs to _________.
A.pop music |
B.folk music |
C.western music |
D.jazz |