“In our time,” Marx once wrote, “change is upon the world and cannot be stopped as we wish. The thing now is to understand it.” Marx devoted his life to understanding that change.
Born in Trier in 1818, he came from a rich, middle—class family. Many of his relatives had believed in Judaism(犹太教),but his father had changed to believe in Protestantism(新教) in order to become a lawyer. After studying at the universities of Bonn and Berlin, Marx became interested in politics in his early twenties and in 1848 wrote The Communist Manifesto, together with his life-long friend Friedrich Engels.
Revolution broke out throughout Europe in 1848 and Marx was forced to leave Germany when it failed in 1849. He moved to London, where he spent the rest of his life, working in the British Museum.
His stay in the house in Dean Street in Soho was a time of great hardship for Marx and his family. He was surviving almost on the money provided by Engels and on the very little money he earned as the foreign reporter for a newspaper in New York.
Three of his six children died during the time in Soho and, Marx even had to borrow money in order to bury one of them. Only when Marx’s wife Jenny got 120 pounds after her mother died was the family able to move out of Soho and into a slightly better house in Kentish Town.
Marx died on March 14th ,1883, and is buried in Highgate Cemetery in north London.
69.Why did Karl Marx’s father change his belief from Judaism to Protestantism?
A.For his son’s education. B.For his career development.
C.Not to be looked down on. D.To move to another country.
70.Why did Karl Max leave Germany?
A.He was offered a job by the British Museum.
B.He couldn’t find work in Germany.
C.The political situation was very dangerous for him.
D.He wanted to write a book.
71.Where did Karl Marx work for a newspaper?
A.In New York. B.In Berlin. C.In Trier. D.In London.
72.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Karl Marx lived a happy life in Soho, London
B.Karl Marx suffered the death of more than half his children
C.Karl Marx was born in a poor family
D.Karl Marx lived a better life after his mother-in-law died
73.Which is the right order of the following facts?
a. Marx’s family moved to Kentish Town.
b. Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto with Engels.
c. He began to work as the foreign reporter for a newspaper.
d. Marx had to leave Germany because of the failure of the revolution.
A. b d a c B. b d c a C. c a b d D. c b d a
A huge shire horse in Australia has been declared the biggest horse in the world by its owner , beating the current Guinness World Record(吉尼斯记录) by several inches .
The huge five-year-old , from Pakenham , S. E Australia , measures an amazing 20.1 hands , or 2.057m tall . He weighs over 1.3 tons ( 1,300kg) — about the same as a small car — and is still growing . His owner , horse trainer Jane Greenman , 47 , says the only time the horse runs is when there is food on offer . “ He eats an unbelievable amount . I would hate to run a team of eight horses his size—it would send you broke . ” she says .
The massive horse , whose name is Noddy , was born in Australia with its parents imported from England . Noddy’s grandfather , Ladbrooke Edward (UK) was the world’s tallest horse during the 1980’s .But Jane had no idea that the horse she raised from the age of six months would grow this big . Noddy immediately began to rocket and soon overtook both his parents in size .
Although she says that she is not interested in the Guiness Book of World Records , nevertheless Jane has carried out her own research and is sure that Noddy comes top . “ The nearest is a horse in Texas , at 20 hands ,” says Jane . “ Noddy is already an inch taller than that . The frightening thing is he still hasn’t finished—shire horses aren’t fully grown until they’re about six or seven .”
Jane has said that Noddy could be sold overseas , possibly even fetching a record price to match his height . She is unwilling to sell , but to fund the high cost of keeping him she needs to put him to work . “ He needs a job . It’s very hard to find jobs for such a big horse in Australia . I wish he could stay here but I’ve tried everywhere , ” she says regretfully . “ I just want people to enjoy this beautiful animal as much as I do .” How old is the horse now ?
A.Six months old . | B. Five years old . |
C.Two years old . | D.Six years old . |
The underlined word “ rocket ” in Paragraph 3 probably means “ ”.
A.run fast | B.eat a lot | C.grow fast | D.get strong |
Which of the following is a big problem for the horse’s owner ?
A.She doesn’t know how to apply for the Guinness World Record . |
B.She has to feed eight big horses at the same time . |
C.Another horse in Texas is growing even faster than hers . |
D.There is not enough money to cover(支付) the cost of raising the horse . |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
A.Noddy won’t grow any taller |
B.Noddy’s growth can be genetically(基因) explained |
C.many people are willing to buy Noddy |
D.no job will be available for Noddy at all |
What would be the best title for this passage ?
A.Jane Greenman becomes famous for her horse |
B.New world record for the biggest horse |
C.Large size means no job for a big horse |
D.Jane Greenman , an excellent horse trainer |
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles (走道) between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you think about the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you’ve got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a “feel good” impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says “Buy me quickly!” to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say “Buy me quickly!” as you walk by. The expensive meat says “Buy me quickly!” The supermarket tells you what to buy.Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ______.
A.makes customers walk slowly and buy more |
B.can help customers get the things they want |
C.can make customers relaxed and happy |
D.can tell customers exactly where to go |
The manager knows ______.
A.where customers come from |
B.which customers like slow music |
C.where fresh meat should be put |
D.which customers like cheap meat |
When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will ______.
A.pay no attention to it | B.possibly buy some |
C.look for some cheap meat | D.feel uncomfortable |
If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ______.
A.you know where to get things |
B.it brings you good luck |
C.it makes you spend less money |
D.you’ll get a fresh impression |
Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ______.
A.the customers will buy more | B.it looks very expensive |
C.the customers come often | D.it seems cheap and fine |
Finally, I got a part – time job working at the local coffee shop. I had figured that the job would be easy. However, the actual situation was not what I had expected. The customers were hard to please. There was always too much sugar, too little ice, or not enough skimmed milk. However, I kept at it.
One rainy day, Hank, one of my regular customers, came in looking sad and defeated. I asked what the problem was and if we could help, but Hank wouldn’t tell me any details. He just said he felt like going to bed, pulling the sheets up over his head, and staying there for a few days. I knew exactly how he felt.
Before he left, I handed him a bag of his favorite type of doughnuts along with his iced coffee. He looked at me skeptically because he hadn’t ordered anything else except iced coffee.
“It’s on me,” I told him. “Have a nice day.”
He smiled and thanked me before turning around and heading back out into the rain.
The next day was a horrible one. The rain kept pouring down and I spent my afternoon hanging out the window, handing people their orders. What’s worse, no one felt like tipping that day.
However, around 7:00 pm, Hank drove up to the window. Instead of ordering anything, he handed me a single pink rose and a little note. He said that few people take the time to care about others nowadays and he was glad there were still people like me in the world. I was speechless and very touched; I hadn’t thought that I had done anything incredible.
The note read:
Christine,
Thanks for being so sweet, kind and thoughtful yesterday. I was sincerely touched by you. It is so nice to meet someone that’s nice, warm, sensitive and unselfish. Please don’t change your ways because I truly believe that you will excel. Have a great day!
Hank
Later, I did come across more complaining customers. But anytime I felt sad or just sick of coffee, I thought of Hank and his kindness. Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”How did the author feel after he began to work at the coffee shop?
A.Disappointed. | B.Confused. | C.Excited . | D.Satisfied. |
What happened to the regular customer of the author?
A.He was very sick and had to stay in bed for some days. |
B.He was not satisfied with the coffee served to him. |
C.He was anxious to stay at home for a long time. |
D.He was not feeling himself for some reasons. |
What does the underlined word “skeptically” probably mean in the passage?
A.questioningly | B.hopefully | C.anxiously | D.excitedly |
It was Hank who helped the author realize the importance of .
A.patience in one’s work |
B.being kind to regular customers |
C.taking time to care about others |
D.sticking to one’s own career |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Coffee Shop Kindness | B.A Warm – hearted Man |
C.My Part – time Job | D.A Horrible Raining Day |
Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.
Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment.
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment. Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition.
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural.How can we live with contentment?
A.To change our lifestyle. |
B.To have a motivation in life. |
C.To give less attention to what we are grateful for. |
D.To realize the difference between needs and desires. |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Make wise decisions. | B.Know the present situation |
C.Let go of regrets. | D.Remember the past. |
The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “__”.
A.enjoy | B.change | C.create | D.neglect |
What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
A.Make time for simple pleasures. |
B.Learn from successful people. |
C.Focus on your future goals. |
D.Create chance to learn more. |
As many as 4 out of every 1,000 infants born today have permanent hearing loss. When parents learn that their child has hearing loss, they are faced with many difficult decisions. These decisions can include choosing therapies and schools, as well as finding financial help for hearing aids or cochlear implants (人工耳蜗). Help Me Hear Foundation is a public charity that gives the gift of hearing to deaf children from families existing on very low incomes around the world. The foundation offers life-changing services for impoverished families, and provides real help for children with hearing impairment who may otherwise be left behind in schools or society due to their lack of hearing.
Help Me Hear Foundation believes that a child’s first years of development are critical. Being able to hear is vital to human, and Help Me Hear Foundation seeks to provide a positive lasting impression on society through its programs. Help Me Hear Foundation has many goals, including relieving the burden on communities with hearing-impaired infants and children, and strengthening the social structure of families and neighborhoods.
Recipients of Help Me Hear Foundation’s benefits receive state-of-the-art hearing devices that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars per child over the course of their lifetime. The Foundation raises money through donations for hearing aids and cochlear implants, which saves recipients and their families on average over $50,000 on related expenses.
The Foundation tries to be a transparent charity, and wants to be a catalyst for allowing deaf and hearing-impaired children to develop in a typical fashion alongside their peers.
Needy families can obtain information on specific services, and find out about deafness education by visiting the Help Me Hear Foundation’s website. The website offers helpful information on how hearing aids work, and how hearing aids ease many of the learning and language challenges that hearing-impaired children deal with on a daily basis.Help Me Hear Foundation was probably set up to _____.
A.build schools for deaf children |
B.research deaf children’s behavior |
C.protect deaf children from being ignored |
D.offer real help to poor deaf children |
We learn from the text that _____.
A.the local government is in charge of the foundation |
B.the work of the foundation depends on donations |
C.even blind children can turn to the foundation |
D.poor deaf African children cannot get help from the foundation |
Visit the foundation’s website, and you will learn about _____.
A.the function of hearing aids |
B.the specific services the foundation needs |
C.the challenges that children face every day |
D.the prices of a variety of hearing aids |
For whom is the text most probably written?
A.Poor parents who have deaf children. |
B.Doctors who want to improve skills. |
C.Students who cannot see the blackboard clearly. |
D.Teachers who have deaf children in their class. |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
A.tell how to avoid permanent hearing loss |
B.explain how hard a life deaf children live |
C.introduce Help Me Hear Foundation |
D.advise people to give money to Help Me Hear Foundation |