A woman and a man were involved in a car accident on a snowy cold Monday morning. Both of their cars became totally damaged. But amazingly neither of them was hurt. God works in mysterious ways.
After they got out of their cars, the woman said, “ So you’re a man. That’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left, but we’re unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days.”
Flattered（受到了奉承）, the man replied, “ Oh yes, I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!”
The woman continued, “And look at this, here’s another miracle. My car is completely destroyed but this bottle of wine doesn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.” Then she handed the bottle to the man.
The man nodded his head in agreement, opened it and drank half the bottle and then handed it back to the woman. The woman took the bottle and immediately put the cap back on, and handed it back to the man.
The man asked, “ Aren’t you having any?”
The woman replied, “ No. I think I’ll just wait for the police…”What was the result of the accident?
| A．The drivers were badly hurt. |
| B．The cars were completely destroyed. |
| C．The police arrived and saved the drivers. |
| D．The drivers became good friends. |
The woman told the man to drink the wine to .
| A．thank God’s help | B．accept her apology |
| C．celebrate their survival | D．calm down and get relaxed |
Which of the following words can best describe the woman?
| A．Tricky. | B．Friendly. | C．Generous. | D．Optimistic（乐观的）. |
A number of scientific studies have suggested that repeatedly heading a football could increase the risk of developing dementia (痴呆症) in later life.
In 2002, former England international footballer Jeff Astle died aged 59. A coroner (验尸官) said that Astle died from a brain disease likely to have been caused by “repeated small damages to the brain” related to heading a heavy leather football.
Dr. Scott Delaney, research director of emergency medicine at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada, has also researched soccer-related head injury and agrees that head-to-head or elbow-to-head blows are the real risk.
In 2007, Delaney carried out a study on footballers aged between 12 and 17 that showed they were half as likely to be concussed (使脑部受到震荡) wearing headgear (帽) than without.
He said youngsters have a higher risk of head injury than adults because their heads are thinner and less able to absorb shock. To make matters worse, their neck muscles aren’t as well developed and they often lack the correct heading technique that can help throw away the force of the ball.
Delaney recommends that children wear headgear when playing football and says his two eldest children wear head protection playing the sport. But he admits that children can be unwilling to be the first to wear head protection—especially when their football heroes play without it.
While headgear can protect footballers from being concussed during a match, no one knows the long-term effects of repeated “sub-concussive” blows to the head.
Delaney says that while there is indirect evidence that a career in soccer can lead to dementia, no one has yet found a sure link between the two. He says proving a link would mean monitoring hundreds of footballers for three or four decades—and that would take a lot of funding.Which might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Playing football may lead to brain damage. |
| B．Repeated small damages to the brain. |
| C．Footballers should wear headgear when playing. . |
| D．Evidence to dementia. |
According to Delaney’s research, what is the most risky injuries to head?
| A．Long-term effects of blows. |
| B．Wearing head protection. |
| C．Underdeveloped neck muscles. |
| D．Head-to-head or elbow-to-head blows. |
Children are unwilling to wear headgear because they think _____ .
| A．headgear is harmful to their heads | B．headgear influences their skills |
| C．they should follow their idols | D．they mustn’t lead the fashion |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____ .
| A．Delaney has studied dementia for three or four decades |
| B．few footballers would like to be studied in the research |
| C．funding is important in order to carry out the research. |
| D．no one can find the link between playing football and dementia |
It is winter in many parts of the world. For some areas, that means snow. Maybe even lots of snow. If you don’t have to drive in it or remove it, snow can be very beautiful. When snow covers everything around you, the world looks like a “winter wonderland”. That is the name of a very popular song about winter. Richard Smith and Felix Bernard wrote the song back in 1934. There are hundreds of recordings of this happy song.
But winter is not always such a beautiful and happy time. It’s cold outside. You try hard to keep warm. The days are darker and shorter. The sun rarely shines. The leaves on the trees are brown. It isn’t surprising that some people are sad in winter. And some people dream about being somewhere else where it’s warm and pretty—like the state of California. The Mamas and the Papas recorded this famous song “California Dreaming”.
During the 1960s, many other famous rock groups released songs about winter. Here is a poetic song by Simon and Garfunkel called “A Hazy Shade of Winter”. They sing about life and hope and possibilities.
In 1968, the group Blood, Sweat and Tears recorded this gentle, sad song about winter. They sing about a lost love and forgotten memories in “Sometimes in Winter”.
In the early 1990s, Tori Amos wrote and recorded the beautiful song called “Winter”. She enjoyed singing about winter when she was a child.
Finally, on a happier note comes this song written and recorded by Fountains of Wayne in 2003. They sing about a snowstorm in a New England town. Nothing unusual there. But instead of being sad or tense about the snow, they write a song about it. The underlined sentence “For some areas, that means snow.” probably means
_____ .
| A．In some areas, when it’s winter, it must snow |
| B．In some areas, it often snows in winter |
| C．In some areas, it’s important to snow |
| D．In some areas, people like snow in winter |
According to the second paragraph, winter is _____ .
| A．beautiful and happy | B．happy and warm |
| C．lovely and hopeful | D．cold and sad |
Which of the songs can bring us hope of life?
| A．Winter Wonderland. | B．California Dreaming. |
| C．A Hazy Shade of Winter. | D．Sometimes in Winter. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Winter in different areas. | B．Different ideas about winter. |
| C．Songs about winter. | D．Winter is cold but happy. |
Off the Beaten Path
Cover price: $30.00
Our price: $19.80
The best-selling Reader’s Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It spotlights over 1,000 of the United States’ most overlooked must-see destinations.
Container Gardens by Number
Cover price: $15.95
Our price: $9.49
A unique book contains 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished planter and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden.
Best Weekend Projects
Cover price: $17.95
Our price: $13.96
Choose from 80 unique ideas to create an extraordinary living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style that addresses readers in an accessible, user-friendly tone.
1801 Home Remedies
Cover price: $40.00
Our price: $29.96
Plenty of health complaints can be handled at home. Each and every remedy will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound.
Dozens of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn, bad breath, and blisters to allergies, and hiccups.You can most probably read the passage in a _____ .
| A．newspaper | B．travel guide | C．reference book | D．textbook |
How much money could you save if you want to buy a travel book?
| A．$6.46 | B．$10.20 | C．$13.96 | D．$19.8 |
Which of the following could help you deal with common diseases without a doctor?
| A．Off the Beaten Path. | B．Container Gardens by Number. |
| C．1801 Home Remedies. | D．Best Weekend Projects. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To share opinions about the books with readers. |
| B．To advise readers to read more in spare time. |
| C．To share the pleasure of reading with readers. |
| D．To advise readers to buy their books. |
“Hurry, Mommy! Let’s go trick-or-treating!” My daughter waited by the door in her pink princess skirt while I prayed in the living room. Usually I liked taking her out on Halloween, but this year I was sad. I was worried about my mother, who was in China on vacation. I got a call that afternoon that she had slipped and fallen on the hard floor of her hotel and broken her leg. She was taken to a hospital in Beijing. Mom was nervous because she couldn’t understand any of the doctors. If only I could do something to help her!
I knew I couldn’t let my worries spoil my daughter’s fun. There was nothing I could do for Mom except pray, I thought. We left the house and went down the block. I was so upset that I hardly took notice of the kids around me. There came the man to whose son I’d once given piano lessons. “Hello there,” I said, greeting him and the boy at his side.
“Hello,” the father answered. “Having fun?”“I’m trying,” I said. “Why, what’s wrong?” he asked. I told him the whole story. “My mother, in China, broke her leg and didn’t understand any of the doctors. And I’m too far away to do anything!” I said.
He raised his eyebrows. “Beijing, you said?” he asked. I nodded. He smiled. “Believe it or not, my sister is a doctor at an English-speaking hospital there. If you want, I’ll make a call right away and we’ll try and get your mom transferred (转移).”
A few days later I sat in the living room with my daughter as she finished the last of the candy. “Mommy, how far away is China?” she asked. “Not as far as I thought,” I said.What did the author’s daughter want to do?
| A．Pray with the author. | B．Enjoy herself outside. |
| C．Play a trick on her mom. | D．Go to the theatre to see a play. |
What was the author’s mother worried about most?
| A．She couldn’t get used to the life in Beijing. |
| B．She was hurt in the leg badly while travelling. |
| C．She was too old and weak to pray for her daughter. |
| D．She couldn’t make herself understood by the doctor. |
The author hardly took notice of the kids around because _____ .
| A．she was calling her mother | B．she felt very sad at that time |
| C．she was about to give a lesson | D．she couldn’t find her daughter |
We can infer from the text that _____ .
| A．the man’s sister would help the author’s mother |
| B．the author would come to China to see her mother |
| C．the author was a famous music teacher in the town |
| D．the author’s daughter wanted to travel in China |
Holidays are often associated with no work and all play. People seek to enjoy their holidays in different ways. Vacation packages (一揽子交易) have been in existence for a long time. ------ So now people can choose from the different packages according to their own tastes.
Sky diving, hiking and many other extreme sports are packaged with hotel tours to attract the younger generation. Tour service providers enjoy the benefits of the increase in bookings from hotel tours. Holiday-makers enjoy the exciting experiences without making efforts to look for hotels. ------
----- These holiday-makers enjoy student discount and packages while learning about history and culture of different places.
Summer vacation packages have never fallen down the rankings. ------ Having a warm sunny day at the beach is one of the fast selling vacation packages in the leisure industry.
Safari (游猎) adventures have always attracted some of the modern adventurers. The animals of Africa continue to amaze crowds that have only seen these creatures on educational channels. Many activities like outdoor camping, safari day tours and hiking in protected parks are always welcomed by holiday-makers.
----- Alaways try something new or fun to do and your days of relaxation will be always exciting.
| A．Picking out a vacation package can keep yourself from boring vacations. |
| B．Everyone is in a winning situation. |
| C．You can’t miss vacation packages if you want to have a good vacation. |
| D．Educational vacation packages are quite suitable for students. |
E.They are one of the favorite choices for most holiday-makers who like sunny beaches.
F.They are continually being improved to meet people’s demands.
G. Vacation needs your plan.