After a lot of weightlifting and 25 exhausting days training, a 52-year-old woman recently became the first female “gripman” on San Francisco’s historic cable cars.
Fannie Barnes passed her written test and completed a final run under the watchful eye of a supervisor, Municipal Railway spokesman Alan Siegel said.
Deep calluses(茧) are already forming at the base of her fingers and there is a hole in her glove. Two other women quit after a single day with injured muscles. “Now they’re going to have to change the word from gripman to grip person, just because of me,” Barnes said earlier, “I’m so excited.”
After almost a year of serious workouts, Barns can pull more than 61 kilos, only 23 kilos less than her body weight. And she’ll need the muscle, for this is no modern, push-button technology. Every time a car starts up again after making a stop, the gripman must haul back on a lever controlling a device that grips the cable, which runs continuously at 14 kilometers per hour. If the grip slips, so does the car. A second person operates the brakes.
In addition to having to throw her weight around on the job, she’s got to throw out some attitude to men who were hard to convince. The city employs 76 men in the job.
“A lot of men said mean things to me and didn’t want to help train me. But I would like to thank the guys who were against me because they gave me even more inspiration to do it.” she said.
Not all the men were against her. Many of the male colleagues yelled out support as she did her training runs. One of her biggest tests was drizzly December morning. She first went down the Hyde Street Hill, considered the most dangerous incline on the cable car routes. “I had to have the will and I had to believe I could do it,” she said. “It was scary, but as I started going down full grip and felt that I was in control, I knew I was on my way,” Barnes already is a pioneer of sorts. She started working as a cable car conductor six years ago, collecting fares and assisting on the back brake. She is one of only three women to have that job. But she said she always wanted the job up front on the car. (400)What is unusual about Fannie Barnes getting a job as a gripman?
| A．She is the oldest one to work as a grpman. |
| B．She is the first women to work as a gripman. |
| C．She is the fattest women to work as a gripman. |
| D．She is the most suitable one to work as a gripman. |
What did the 52-year-old woman do when she first began working on the city’s cable car?
| A．As a gripman. | B．As a conductor. | C．As a brakeman. | D．As a supervisor. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Fannie Barnes is ________.
| A．strong and easy-going | B．strong-willed and self-confident |
| C．popular and humorous | D．considerate and quick-tempered |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish(清漆), which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins | B．The History of Italian Violins |
| C．Special Musical Instruments | D．How to Make the Best Violins |
The main purpose of the first paragraph is to_______________.
| A．list some facts | B．raise a question |
| C．give an opinion | D．offer an answer |
What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?
| A．The shape. | B．The size. | C．The wood. | D．The varnish. |
Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins?
| A．Light. | B．Shining. | C．Valuable. | D．Modern. |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Modern things are always better than ancient ones. |
| B．Ancient things are always better than modern ones. |
| C．Once a cultural relic is lost, it can never be recovered. |
| D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious. |
HOLIDAY HOMES IN MALLORCA
Holiday houses in Mallorca sailing and fishing port-quiet even in summer season. Beautifully situated houses with sights of sea and mountains, yet near to shops and restaurants. Cars and bicycles for hire. Sailing and sports clubs nearby.
ITALY IN COMFORT
Luxury coach (-carriage) trips of Italy, out of normal holiday season. 21days to visit five Italian cities starting from London 1st May, 1st September. The trips are guided by professor Martin Davis. Head of Italian Studies, London University. See the arts and culture of historic Italy.
KIBBUTZ HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL(以色列)
Working holidays on a kibbutz (co-operative farm) in Israel. All nationalities welcome for one to three months, if prepared to work morning with kibbutz members. Accommodation(住宿), food and trips to historic sights all provided free-you pay only for the special low- cost return flight.
TWO WEEKS ON A CARIBBEAN ISLAND
Two-week holidays in the Hotel Splendid, on a lovely beach with golden sands and deep-blue sea. Tennis, golf, sailing and all water sports, trips around the island arranged. Near to town of Castries with lively evening entertainment-dancing.
1st November - 31st March =￡720 per person
1st April - 30th October =￡850 per person
Jack and his wife Mary, who have recently retired, want to see places of cultural and historic interest abroad, but Mary hates flying.
Peter and Maria, university students, want to travel as far as possible on little money, and would like to get to know a country by working there for three months with other young people.
Michael, a young computer programmer, has been working hard and needs a holiday to relax in winter. He would like to go somewhere warmer and sunny, where he can swim in the sea, and he enjoys sports and dancing.
Herry and Kate, both teachers, and their two sons, have to take their holiday during the school summer holidays. There must be plenty for the boys to do, although Harry and Kate just want to have beautiful scenery, good food and wine and peace.Michael would most probably go to ________ for his holiday.
| A．Italy | B．Israel | C．Mallorca | D．a Caribbean island |
The most suitable place where Peter and Maria can enjoy their holiday would be________.
| A．an Italian city | B．a kibbutz in Israel |
| C．a Caribbean island | D．the port in Mallorca |
The best holiday for Jack and Mary would be________.
| A．the 21-day coach trip of Italy |
| B．the 2-week stay in the Hotel Splendid |
| C．the 14-day trip around a Caribbean island |
| D．the working holidays for 1-3 months on a kibbutz in Israel |
Harry and Kate and their sons would like________.
| A．a holiday working on a kibbutz in Israel |
| B．a holiday visiting cities by coach in Italy |
| C．a holiday house in the fishing port in Mallorca |
| D．a holiday hotel on a lovely beach on a Carribean Island |
You can find this passage most probably in ________.
| A．a school library | B．a tourist agency |
| C．the post office | D．the museum |
When we see well, we do not think about our eyes very often. It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we realize how important our eyes are.
People who are near-sighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Everything else seems unclear. Many people who do a lot of work, such as writing, reading and sewing become near-sighted.
Then people who are far-sighted endure just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty in reading a book unless they hold it at arm’s length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses, too.
Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. They have what is called astigmatism（散光）. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people’s eyes become cloudy because of cataracts（白内障）. Long ago these people often became blind. Now however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove then.
Having two good eyes is important for judging distances. Each eye sees things from a slightly different angle（角度）. To prove this to yourself, look at an object out of one eye; then look at the same object out of your other eye. You will find the object’s relation to the background and other things around it has changed. The difference between these two different eye views helps us to judge how far away an object is. People who have only one eye cannot judge distance as people with two eyes. We should take good care of our eyes.
| A．only when we can see well |
| B．only when we cannot see perfectly |
| C．only when we are near-sighted or far-sighted |
| D．even if we can see well or perfectly |
When things far away seem unclear, one is probably.
| A．near-sighted | B．far-sighted | C．astigmatic | D．suffering from cataracts |
The underlined word endure in the third paragraph probably means.
| A．experience | B．imagine | C．suffer from | D．recover from |
Having two eyes instead of one is particularly useful for.
| A．seeing at night | B．seeing objects far away |
| C．looking over a wide area | D．judging distances |
People who suffer from astigmatism have.
| A．one eye bigger than the other |
| B．eyes that are not exactly the right shape |
| C．a difficulty that can be corrected by an operation |
| D．an eye difficult that cannot be corrected by glasses. |
John Smith was lazy. He had finished his education and was happy to sit in his room and listen to the radio all day long. In fact, he had been doing nothing for almost six months, which worried his father a lot. One day Mr Smith decided that he had to do something. “Johnny. When I was your age I was working and supporting my ten brothers and sisters. I want you to go out and get a job.” So that was what he did. In fact, in the next three months, Johnny started ten jobs and was fired from ten jobs. He explained to his father.
“They wanted me to be at work at 8:00 a. m. and told me to do all sorts of unpleasant things.”
“I don’t care how you do it,” Mr Smith said. “Either you earn some money or move out of the house. I gave you one week’s time.”
In the next few days Johnny began to change. He still stayed in his room all day, but spent his time writing letters and reading through the newspapers. More and more posts began to arrive for him. He bought a new suit for himself and invited his parents to the theatre and for dinner afterwards at the most expensive restaurant in town. When his proud parents arrived home after their evening hour, a policeman was waiting at the front door.
“John Smith,” he said as he handed him a piece of paper, “I’ll see you in the court tomorrow.”
When he got outside, Johnny told his parents everything.
“When you told me to earn some money, I decided to put an advertisement in the newspaper saying, ‘New way to earn money fast! Send me $ 5 and I’ll tell you my secret.’ When I received the money I wrote back telling people to do as I do.”
Johnny was fined $ 250 by the court and was ordered to pay all the people back. As he left the court house feeling very ashamed, a newspaper man came up to him, “Young man, would you like to tell your story to my newspaper for $ 2500?”Johnny was fired from the jobs because _______.
| A．he liked listening to the radio |
| B．he had a big family to support |
| C．he spent a lot of time writing letters |
| D．he didn’t do the jobs well |
Johnny put an advertisement in the newspaper about _______ months after he left school.
| A．three | B．six | C．nine | D．eleven |
Why was Johnny fined $ 250? _______.
| A．Because he was lazy |
| B．Because he was out of work |
| C．Because he cheated people |
| D．Because he didn’t pay for his new suit |
What would probably happen at last? _______.
| A．Johnny would get $ 2500 from the newspaper |
| B．The court would give $ 250 back to Johnny |
| C．Johnny would continue to advertise in the newspaper |
| D．Johnny would become a newspaper reporter |
Which of the following questions is NOT answered by the information from the passage? _______?
| A．How did the parents feel when Johnny invited them to the theatre and dinner |
| B．What’s Johnny’s secret |
| C．What did the policeman want Johnny to do |
| D．How much did Johnny have to pay all the people back |
Military training has long been considered a ritual(仪式) that freshmen must go through in order to officially start their college lives. While some question the necessity of such training. Many students see military training as a campus tradition that should be maintained.
Early in February, the Ministry of Education issued a new regulation that colleges and universities should carry out a minimum of 14 days compulsory military training for freshmen.
In a report by Beijing Evening News, Hou Zhengfang, a Beijing-based education PhD, questioned the benefits of military training. “The training routine does little to improve students’ physical fitness over only two weeks’ time. Maybe some disaster prevention training, such as earthquake survival or escaping from fires would be of greater benefit.”
Meng Yang, a 19-year-old freshman at Guangxi University, fainted during training. She said that many students, especially girls, are willing to train under direct sunshine. “For me, military training is physically challenging and even damages my health.”
According to Li Jian from the student affairs office of Guangzhou University, feeling dizzy happens frequently during military training and the school has received a lot of complaints from both students and parents: “But I still think military training is a good thing. Students are easier to manage after the military training. They became more positive about their new environment after the training.”
Although autumn is fast approaching Beijing, the noon heat burns 3300 freshmen on Tsinghua University’s campus. Chu Jinjing, a freshman majoring in medicine, did feel some discomfort while training in sweaty clothes in the glaring heat, the 18-year-old still enjoyed being part of group going through strict exercises. “By going through this tough training, students bond faster and a sense of belonging to the school can be formed. I’ve made a lot of friends already.”
According to the Ministry of Education, the purpose of military training is to teach students discipline, the spirit of teamwork and endurance. But in reality, according to Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, the effect is not satisfying. “Such goals require long-term development. It is unrealistic to expect military training to make a difference in only 14 days.” He thus suggests that it should be up to schools to conduct military training in a way that best suits their students.
However, Wang Wenhui, an 18-year-old freshman from Xi’an Jiaotong University, sees military training as a tradition that reaches beyond character building. “From junior and senior high school to college, we join military training to start a new journey. I would feel a bit incomplete without it.”How many people expressing their opinions are mentioned in this passage?
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
According to Hou Zhengfang, it seems much more beneficial to give freshmen_____________.
| A．survival skills |
| B．military training |
| C．the spirit of teamwork and endurance |
| D．strict exercises |
What is the author’s attitude towards military training?
| A．Supportive | B．Subjective | C．Objective | D．Rejective |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Policy Made by the Ministry of Education |
| B．Military Training under Fire |
| C．A New Journey |
| D．A Best Way to Teach Students Discipline |