Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark exvept for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated. ”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “ Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“ Oh, I’m in no hurry.” She said, “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院)。 I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器)
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At down, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” She asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment joy.”The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to .
A.Show she was familiar with the city |
B.reach the destination on time |
C.let the driver earn more money |
D.see some places for the last time. |
The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he
A.wanted to do her a favor |
B.shut off the meter by mistake |
C.had received her payment in advance |
D.was in a hurry to take other passenhers |
What can we learn from the story?
A.Giving is always a pleasure |
B.People should respect each other |
C.An act of kindness can bring people great joy. |
D.People should learn to appreciate others’ concern. |
Tourism wasn’t as important as it is today. In the past, only people with a good deal of money could travel on holidays to other countries. More people travel today than in the past because there is a growing middle class in many parts of the world; that is to say, people now have more money for travel. Special plane fares(费用) for tourists make travel less expensive and more attractive than ever before. One person doesn’t travel for the same reason as another. But most people enjoy seeing countries that are different from their own. They also like to meet new people and to taste new food.
Tourism causes many changes in a country and in people’s lives. People build new hotels and restaurants and train native men and women as guides to show visitors interesting places. There’re new nightclubs and other amusements. International tourism is clearly a big business.In the old days _________ could travel to other countries.
A.boys and girls, men or women, young or old |
B.either kings or queens |
C.both the poor and the rich |
D.nobody but those who had money |
More people travel today than in the past because______________.
A.people have become interested in traveling |
B.traveling today is easier the in than past |
C.people now have spare money for travel |
D.great changes have taken place in the world |
Which of the following statements is true according to the article?
A. Tourism won’t bring any changes in people’s minds.
People have some trouble in making journey.
C. With the development of tourism, great changes have taken place in many parts in the world.
D. Tourism causes only some changes in clothing. What is the best title of the passage?
A.The Change of Tourism |
B.Tourism |
C.The Importance of Tourism |
D.The Cause of Tourism Change |
Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels (元音) being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact (接触) with many people from around the world. This meant that lots of new vocabulary entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary came out.
Early Modern English and Late Modern English are mostly different in the number of words. Late Modern English has many more words, mainly because of the following two reasons: First, the Industrial Revolution (工业革命) led to the need for new words. Second, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.
From around 1600, the English colonization (殖民地化) of North America led to American English. Some English pronunciations and words “froze” when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that are called “American English” are in fact from British expressions. They were kept in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain. Spanish also had an influence (影响) on American English. For example, words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante are from Spanish. They entered English by the people of Spain who settled in the American West. French words and West African words also influenced American English.
Today, American English has a greater influence, because of the USA’s movies, television, popular music, trade and technology.The main difference between Early and Late Modern English lies in _____.
A.vocabulary | B.pronunciation |
C.spelling | D.grammar |
What helped to increase the vocabulary of Late Modern English?
a. the invention of printing
b. the Industrial Revolution
c. the colonization
d. the contact with other countries
A.a, b, c | B.a, c, d |
C.a, b, d | D.b, c, d |
From the passage, we can learn the word “canyon” is from _____.
A.American dialect | B.African dialect |
C.Spanish | D.French |
One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!
______ — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old! While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.
A.give him or her some advice |
B.just listen unless asked |
C.calm him or her down |
D.share your feelings as well |
When we provide help for our friends, we should _____.
A.try to do everything for them |
B.put them before ourselves |
C.change their bad habits first |
D.ignore their faults |
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?
A.Life without a friend is death. |
B.A friend is easier lost than found. |
C.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
D.A man is known by his friends. |
Which of the following can be put in the blank of the last paragraph?
A.Make plans. | B.Enjoy yourself. |
C.Understand your friends. | D.Play with your friends. |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.How to find a good friend. |
B.How to help friends in trouble. |
C.How to be a good friend. |
D.How to make more friends. |
Some colors people see late at night could cause signs of clinical(临床的) depression(沮丧). That was the finding of a study that builds on earlier study findings. They show that individuals(个人) who live or work in low levels of light overnight(整夜) can develop clinical depression. Doctors use the word “clinical depression” to describe severe form of depression. Signs may include loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, low energy levels and thoughts of death or suicide.
In the new study, American investigators designed an experiment that exposed hamsters(仓鼠) to different colors. The researchers chose hamsters because they are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are active at night.
The animals were separated into four groups. One group of hamsters was kept in the dark during their night-time period. Another group was placed in front of a blue light, a third group slept in front of a white light, while a fourth was put in front of a red light.
After four weeks, the researchers noted how much sugary water the hamsters drank. They found that the most depressed animals drank the least amount of water.
Randy Nelson heads the Department of Neuroscience at Ohio State University. He says animals that slept in blue and white light appeared to be the most depressed. “What we saw is that these animals didn’t show any sleep uneasiness(不安) at all but they did mess up biological clock genes and they did show depressive sign while if they were in the dim(微弱) red light, they did not.”
Randy Nelson notes that photosensitive(感光) cells in the eyes have little to do with eyesight. He says these cells send signals to the area of the brain that controls what has been called the natural sleep-wake cycle.
He says there’s a lot of blue in white light. This explains why the blue light and white light hamsters appear to be more depressed than the hamsters seeing red light or darkness.Researchers use hamsters in the experiment because __________.
A.they are similar to humans in dealing with colors |
B.they are easy to observe and study |
C.they are sensitive to colors like human beings |
D.they are active at night and sleep during the day |
What sign shows that the hamsters are being depressed?
A.They drink less sugary water. |
B.They don’t sleep well. |
C.Their eyesight becomes worse. |
D.Their energy level becomes low. |
__________ tends to cause hamsters to be depressed.
A.Dim light | B.Red light |
C.Blue light | D.Darkness |
What can help people who work late at night to avoid being depressed?
A.Not being exposed to dim red light when using computers. |
B.Equipping their computer screens to put it more in the reddish light. |
C.Living or working in low levels of light overnight. |
D.Going to see doctors of clinical depression regularly for help. |
London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to stay in, but there are many budget hotels that offer accommodation(膳宿) at a reasonable cost. Please take careful note of the facilities (设施) described for each budget hotel; the very cheapest accommodation may offer good budget deals but a minimum(最少量) of facilities. The higher the price per room, the greater the number and quality of facilities you can expect.
Arriva Hotel
This 2-star Arriva Hotel lies at the heart of the city centre--just a short walk from King’s Cross Tube station London’s famous attractions are all easily accessible by foot or public transport. A short stroll(闲逛) will bring you to the British Museum and the fashionable area of Bloomsbury.
With 75 en-suite rooms(浴室套间) available, the Arriva Hotel is a large budget hotel that offers accommodation for tourists at a very reasonable price. Also, Wi-Fi Internet(无线网络) connection is available in most rooms and a Continental(欧式) breakfast is included in the rates.
From: $ 50.00
Accommodation Rating: ★★
Beaconsfield Hotel
The Beaconsfield Hotel is situated on Green Lanes, North London, famous for its Turkish community. The Beaconsfield Hotel is housed in an attractive Victorian building, which is also home to a traditional pub(客栈, 酒馆)--if you want to experience real British culture, an afternoon in the pub is the place to do it! Manor House Station is just a short walk to Beaconsfield Hotel, so you will find traveling around the city quick and easy. The Beaconsfield Hotel offers ten comfortable rooms, each with a television, fridge and kettle.
There is a shared kitchen where you can prepare your meals. Bathroom facilities at Beaconsfield Hotel are also shared, but there are enough facilities for all guests to use.
From: $ 30.00
Accommodation Rating: unratedWhat might be the purpose of writing the text?
A.To show the problems of London hotels. |
B.To give warnings to some illegal hotels. |
C.To blame the travel industry of London. |
D.To tell us two budget hotels. |
Budget hotels attract guests mainly because of their __________.
A.good service |
B.low prices |
C.convenient locations |
D.accommodation conditions |
Compared to the Arriva Hotel, the Beaconsfield Hotel ___________.
A.is smaller |
B.is rated higher |
C.is more expensive |
D.is nearer to the city center |