Here is a humorous story. Frank Smithson woke up and leaned over to turn off the alarm clock.“Oh,no!”he thought to himself.“Another day at that office;a boss who shouts at me all the time.”
As Frank went downstairs his eyes fell on a large brown envelope by the door.He was overjoyed when he opened it and read the letter inside. “Bigwoods Football Pools(足球赌博公司)would like to congratulate you.You have won half a million pounds.”
Frank suddenly came to life.The cigarette(香烟) fell from his lips as he let out a shout that could be heard halfway down the street.
At 11:30 Frank arrived at work.“Please explain why you're so late,”his boss said.“Go and jump in the lake,” replied Frank. “I've just come into a little money so this is goodbye.Find yourself someone else to shout at.”
That evening Frank was smoking a very expensive Havana cigar(雪茄)when a knock was heard on the door.He rushed to the door.Outside were two men,neatly dressed in grey suits.“Mr Smithson,” one of them said,“We're from Bigwoods Football Pools.I'm afraid there’s been a terrible mistake……”What do we know about Frank?
A.He was a lazy man. | B.He was a lucky person. |
C.He made a lot of money. | D.He didn't get on well with his boss. |
Why did Frank dare to shout to his boss?
A.Because he found a better job. |
B.Because his boss did not like him. |
C.Because he thought he did not need the job. |
D.Because he was not late in fact. |
When he heard the knock at the door,Frank probably thought __.
A.someone had come to make an apology. |
B.someone had come to give him the money. |
C.his friends had come to ask about the football pools. |
D.his friends had come to congratulate him on his luck. |
On hearing“…there's been a terrible mistake…”Frank was most likely to be________.
A.disappointed. | B.worried. | C.nervous. | D.curious. |
Last year.I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, DC.I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended.Immediately, I pulled out all of my change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her.But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money.I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done.I acted with prejudice―I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be.I hated what I saw in myself.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant.I left Honduras and arrived in the US at the age of 15.I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister.Through the years, I have been a doorkeeper, cashier and pizza delivery driver among many other humble(卑微的)jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced prejudice.I remember a time―at the age of 17―when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am, where I have been ,and to lose sight of where I want to be going.That blind woman on the streets cured me of my blindness.She reminded me of my belief in humility(谦虚).By the way, I helped that lady to the post office.I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.How did the writer give the blind woman money?
A.In a modest way | B.In a polite way |
C.In an impatient way. | D.In a painful way |
According to the text, the writer__________.
A.still lives a poor life
B.was busy with his work
C.was born in Honduras
D.was a native of Washington D.C.According to the text, the author most probably agrees that one should__________.
A.be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
B.try to experience different kinds of culture |
C.treat others equally with love and respect |
D.think about one’s past as often as possible |
What would be the best title of the text?
A.A priceless lesson | B.An act of prejudice |
C.A sightseeing trip | D.A humble moment |
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – A fish that lives in mangrove swamps(红树沼泽)across the Americas can live out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted(适应)to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Magrove Rivulus, a type of small killifish, lives in small pools of water in a certain type of empty nut or even old beer cans in the mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil. When their living place dries up, they live on the land in logs(圆木),said Scott Taylor, a researcher at the Brevard Endangered Lands Program in Florida.
The fish, whose scientific name is Rivulus marmoratus, can grow as large as three inches. They group together in logs and breathe air through their skin until they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came after a trip to Belize.“We kicked over a log and the fish just came crowding out,” Taylor told Reuters in neighboring Guatgemala by telephone. He said he will make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in an inactive state. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at Canada’s University of Guelph.
Further studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
“These animals live in conditions similar to those that existed millions of years ago, when animals began making the transition(过渡)from water onto land,” Wright said.The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that _______.
A.likes eating nuts |
B.prefers living in dry places |
C.is the longest living fish on earth |
D.can stay alive for two months out of water |
Who will write up a report on Mangrove Rivulus?
A.Patricia Wright | B.Researchers in Guatemala |
C.Scientists from Belize | D.Scott Taylor |
According to the text, lungfish can________
A.breathe through its skin |
B.move freely on dry land |
C.remain alive out of water |
D.be as active on land as in water |
What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?
A.It was made quite by accident |
B.It was based on a lab test of sea life |
C.It was supported by an American magazine |
D.It was helped by Patricia Wright |
It's only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in "Fiji time"?
Viti Levu is Fiji’s the largest island and here you'll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you'll never feel crowded. And with a climate(气候)that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come. From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost any where in the world.
Whenever you come , wherever you go ,you’re sure to see some unforgettable events , from war dances to religious songs, from market days to religious days. It's not just stagedfor tourists; it's still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji's spirit by being part of the traditional sharing of yaqona—a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant
So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime? Where is the international airport of Fiji?
A.In Suva | B.In Sydney | C.On the island of Vatoa | D.On the island of Viti Levu |
What does the text tell us about Fiji people?
A.They invented “Fiji time”![]() |
B.They stick to a traditional way of life |
C.They like to travel from place to place |
D.They love taking adventures abroad |
One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is
A.its comfortable hotels |
B.its good weather all year round |
C.its exciting football matches |
D.its religious beliefs |
Where can we most probably read this text?
A.In a personal diary | B.In a science report |
C.In a travel magazine | D.In a geography textbook |
How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead.They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separate successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose”——they are doing what they believe they are put here to do.In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to become fully functioning people.They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do—and it shows. People want to do business with them because of their commitment(投身;奉献). To live their life on purpose,successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up.Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.Rather than seeing it negative or depressing they use the knowledge to spur themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A.How People Live Their Life on Purpose |
B.How People Can Be Successful |
C.How People Can Do Their Own Things |
D.How People Do Business |
By living life “on purpose”,successful people can __________.
A.do a lot of work |
B.concentrate on their jobs |
C.do business with many people |
D.do all of the above mentioned |
The underlined word “it’’ in the second paragraph refers to __________.
A.the main concern of successful people |
B.the job that successful people do |
C.the commitment with which successful people do their job |
D.the business that successful people do with other people |
The underlined word “spur” in the last sentence most probably means________.
A.encourage | B.excite | C.relieve | D.force |
It is Saturday afternoon. You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together. Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate. How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension(紧张情绪)between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations. As you are getting older, you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends.
However, at the same time,your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes. While you once spent most of your free time with your family, you are now often absent from home. Parents may get their feelings hurt. Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period. You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you.
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease(缓解)the tension.
* Make your plans in advance.Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time.
* When something with your friends interferes(干扰;冲突)with a family event, try to figure out if there is any way you can do both.
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family. Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them.
Some of the time you won’t be happy with the outcome(结果). You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends. However, if you show consideration(体谅)for the feelings of both your family and your friends, you can solve the problem in a tender way.The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
A.show a disagreement of views |
B.serve as a description of teenager trouble |
C.serve as an introduction to the discussion |
D.show the popularity of teenager problem |
The tension between teenagers and their families is caused by the fact that____________.
A.teenagers don’t like to take family demands |
B.parents want to keep their family under control |
C.parents feel unhappy t![]() |
D.both parents and teenagers don’t pay attention to each other’s feeling much |
Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the passage?
A.Don’t feel angry if your parents ask you to do something. |
B.Try to think of ways to balance family event with friend event. |
C.Tell your parents before you decide to spend time with your friends. |
D.Advise your parents to do something that you are interested in with you. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To inform us of parent and teenager tension. |
B.To tell us about a common teenager problem. |
C.To persuade parents to show consideration for teenagers. |
D.To advise teenagers how to deal with their tension with their family. |