A Narrow Escape
Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days’ holiday with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented (租) a cottage in the country, although he hardly spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it. Many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked (漏水), Cwet.
On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories our uncle told of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting stories, He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash(倒塌声) from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.
When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen right on to the pillow(枕头)of my bed.
66. The uncle disliked the rented cottage for the reason that _____.
A. there were no beds in it
B. the windows were broken and the roof leaked
C. it was too old for him to live in
D. it was very rainy in the area
67. On the first evening, the writer was very sleepy, _____.
A. but he did his best not to miss any stories
B. so he had to go to bed early
C. because he was tired of his uncle’s stories
D. and he was gradually falling asleep while listening
68. A narrow escape means ___.
A. A person runs away from a danger through a narrow door.
B. A person escapes a danger by luck.
C. A person escapes a danger easily.
D. A person runs away from a danger easily.
Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing (治疗) power of humor.It is claimed that humor not only affects patients’ moods, but can actually help them recover faster.
Several studies seem to support this.Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts.Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies.
Despite all this, many researchers are not convinced.They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally, with or without a daily dose of laughter.They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health, it is hard to tell which comes first.
Humor in times of stress, however, clearly makes us feel better.On one level, it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us.On another, it releases powerful endorphins, a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain.
There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person’s health.It can show, for example, whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe (额叶).
Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list.Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis (综合) of ideas.Subjects with specifically located brain damage, however, responded only to slapstick (闹剧) endings, which did not depend on a particular context.When pressed, the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings.They simply did not find them funny.
Of course, humor is largely an individual matter.Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes, there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain.However, you might suggest that he lighten up—for the health of it.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A.all researchers have agreed on the healing power of humor |
B.people seldom accuse their friends of not understanding jokes |
C.the author holds a positive attitude to the healing power of humor |
D.reading comics will surely become a popular way of treating diseases |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Many researchers are not convinced of the healing power of humor. |
B.Patients in bad moods are known to have higher immune cell counts. |
C.Optimism in general does seem to be related to better health. |
D.People should try their best to cheer up for their good health. |
Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that ________.
A.the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains |
B.a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings |
C.a person suffering certain brain damage doesn’t appreciate a good joke |
D.humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Which comes first, humor or health? |
B.Humor can cure different illnesses |
C.People need humor in times of stress |
D.Humor contributes to good health |
What Is Natural Medicine
Natural Medicine is to use the natural environment, the nature of the material itself to cure diseases and restore the health.It involves bettering one’s breathing way, sunbathing, improving one’s diets and so on, which play an important part in our healthcare.
Start a Rewarding Career Today
The Australian Institute of Applied Sciences College of Natural Medicine provides you with Nationally Recognized natural medicine courses that can be studied in the comfort of your own home, or at our Brisbane campus in the heart of Stones Corner.AIAS College of Natural Medicine has been providing accredited (官方认可的) natural health courses for more than 20 years, and offers accredited certificate, diploma and advanced diploma level natural medicine, beauty and massage (按摩) courses.
Why Study at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences
With over 36 years of specialized training and 120 courses, our Natural Medicine College is Australia’s longest running and most sought after training provider for Natural Medicine Education.Our state of the art facilities, highly experienced instructors and friendly support staff make us the first choice for Distance Education and On-campus study.
Studying at Home
All of our courses are available to study at home.We provide all the material and support you will need to successfully complete your course.
Benefits of Studying at Home
●Work at your own pace.
●No need to travel or relocate closer to a campus.
●No interruption to your existing commitments.
●You are still in full contact with the college via Telephone, Email and Post, so you won’t be out of touch with the latest training techniques.You can learn how to ______ at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences College of Natural Medicine.
A.apply science to our life |
B.operate on various patients |
C.adjust one’s diet or breath |
D.look after mentally-ill people |
One of the reasons for your choice of going to the college is that _______.
A.it is the oldest college of this type in Australia |
B.it offers more courses than any other college |
C.you may find the best art facilities there |
D.you will get accredited certificate or diploma |
If you take the courses at home, you are more likely to _______.
A.focus on your own interests |
B.adjust your study schedules |
C.get any help from instructors |
D.keep up with new techniques |
It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.
Despite her obvious pride, Ms.Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here.“I never in my life thought I’d work abroad,” said Ms.Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements employing young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf.
Twenty years ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms.Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare.But just as young men from poor Arab nations poured into the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so.
Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way.
For many families, allowing a daughter to work may call her virtue into question.Yet this culture is changing, said Musa Shteiwi, a sociologist at Jordan University in Amman.“We’re noticing more and more single women going to the gulf these days,” he said.“It’s still not exactly common, but over the last four or five years it’s become quite an observable phenomenon.”
Many of the young Arab women working in the Persian Gulf take delight in their status as pioneers, role models for their friends and younger female relatives.Young women brought up in a culture that highly values community, have learned to see themselves as individuals.The experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of separation from their home countries and their families.
—From New York Times (December 22, 2014)It can be inferred from the passage that young Arab women _________.
A.go to work abroad after American women’s example |
B.didn’t start to work abroad until the late 20th century |
C.are commonly used to living and working separately |
D.expect to take the same family responsibilities as men |
According to the passage, the Arab women flight attendants can be described as _________.
A.proud, homesick or independent |
B.honest, outstanding or optimistic |
C.mature, enthusiastic or energetic |
D.painful, desperate or conservative |
How do the public respond to young Arab women’s new mobility?
A.The public think highly of it. |
B.The public care very little about it. |
C.The public show both interest and anxiety. |
D.The public are strongly against it. |
The author intends to tell the readers that __________.
A.Arab women can hardly find any work |
B.flight attendants are badly needed in the gulf |
C.flight attendants lead quite a different life |
D.young Arab women’s values are changing |
Spring is coming, and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs.Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices.Whatever we are wearing, our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身)nose rings, or certain dress styles.It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do “cover” themselves in order to convey (传递) certain messages.What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are.Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies.Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.
Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money.Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees (雇员), because those people represent the companies to their customers.
As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers.There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers.Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer.No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.Which of the following is the newspaper editor’s opinion according to Paragraph 2?
A.People’s appearances carry messages about themselves. |
B.Customers’ choices influence dress standards in companies. |
C.Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated. |
D.Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace. |
What can be inferred from the text?
A.Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview. |
B.What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies. |
C.Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates. |
D.Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Employees Matter |
B.Personal Choices Matter |
C.Appearances Matter |
D.Hiring Managers Matter |
Top lists are lecturing people on everything from"100 books to read ".Aren't you just tired of being told what to do with your time?
Now you have a list to end all lists!
Take a look at the following two examples from the list of "101 things not to do":
Swim with Dolphins(海豚)?
Swimming with dolphins is one of the world’s most profitable tourist activities.However, every dolphin will welcome having their busy, tiring day interrupted by tourists screaming pushing around them in the water.Worse yet, when dolphins get too near to the boats loaded tourists, they could get caught up in ropes and killed by propellers(螺旋桨).
Here’s a little secret.Dolphins look like smiling at you, but actually they’re just opening mouths.
Go to See the Mona Lisa?
There must be something about the mysterious(神秘的) smile.The 6 million people who visit the lady in the Louvre every year can’t all be wrong after all.But they can be quite annoying standing in front of you, holding up their cameras to prevent you from seeing anything.In fact, it is hard for you to see the painting clearly because you have to stay away from it for security reasons.After queuing for hours, many tourists can remain in front of the painting only for 15 seconds most.
If the mysterious lady in the picture knew her fate, she wouldn’t just be smiling, she laughing.
So, still long to see the Mona Lisa? If you want to find out more about the list, read 101 Tings NOT to Do Before You Die.Visit www.not2dobeforeidie.co.uk and buy the book at a 20% discount.According to the passage, swimming with dolphins________.
A.is the world’s most popular tourist activity |
B.gives fun to both tourists and dolphins |
C.will make tourists busy and tired |
D.can cause danger to dolphins |
what does the author think about going to see the Mona Lisa?
A.It is wrong to go and see the mysterious smile. |
B.It is not as satisfying as expected. |
C.Fifteen seconds in front of the painting is enough. |
D.Queuing for hours is worthwhile. |
The list of “101 things not to do” is made most probably because its author_______.
A.thinks it boring to do the things suggested by other lists |
B.believes other lists are not humorous enough |
C.intends to persuade people to read more lists |
D.wants to provide a list different from other lists |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To advertise a book |
B.To introduce a website |
C.To comment on popular lists |
D.To recommend tourist activities. |