The key to learning English well is to overcome your shyness and fear , said taxi driver Zhang, who is attending the English training program run by the West Lake Taxi Company. “Out teacher Mrs.Yang encourages us many times to open our mouths and speak English out loudly in her class ,” said Zhang.
Chen Zhong, another fluent(流利的) English speaker, shared his opinion. “I didn’t think English was important to us at the beginning since many foreign passengers could speak some Chinese to me. But when I did speak some English, the foreigners were always pleased and said I was the first taxi driver they had met who could speak English.
Chen said he found studying English extremely interesting. The 160 minutes’ study per week was simply not enough for him. He bought books , tapes and VCDs to learn English on his own.. “Though it cost me a lot of time and energy , I did find it is useful in the long term” he said.
The reward of learning English is more than Chen has expected. Now he has made several foreign friends who book his taxi when they need. Some foreign passengers even give him tips (小费when he communicates with them in English.
To facilitate their studies, the company developed a bilingual(双语的) tape which includes the most frequently used sentences for taxi drivers and the names of major streets and buildings in Shenzhen.
“It has helped me out, ” said Chen. “Once I failed to express ‘Chinese Folk Culture Villages’ in English when I was asked to go there by a foreigner, I played the tape and got its meaning.”
59. What difficulty did Mr.Zhang have learning English at first?
A. He had no time to study English
B. His company didn’t allow them to study English
C. He had no courage to speak out.
D. He had no chance to speak English.
60. Which of the following is NOT the benefit Chen gets from learning English?
A. He gets some good advice on learning English from foreigners.
B. He earns more money from some regular foreign customers.
C. He has to spend both money and effort learning English.
D. He gets great fun and encouragement in learning English.
61. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. the company is the first to encourage its drivers to learn English
B. all the drivers have made money after learning English
C. the company has developed and English tape for its drivers
D. the tape is welcomed by the drivers learning English
62. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word “facilitate” in the fifth paragraph?
A. To make easy B. To increase C. To encourage D. To check
Let’s do some sleep math.You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday.On Saturday and Sunday,you slept in,getting four extra hours.On Monday morning,you were feeling so bright—eyed that you only had one cup of coffee,instead of your usual two.But don’t be cheated by your energy.You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness,or what experts call “sleep debt”一in this case something like six hours,almost a full night’s sleep.
Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get.It’s a shortage that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep.“People get more sleep debt gradually without being noticed,”says William C.Dement,founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic.Studies show that such short term sleep lack leads to a foggy brain,worsened vision,and trouble remembering.Long-term effects include obesity(肥胖),insulin(胰岛素)resistance,and heart disease.A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night——more than two full weeks of sleep every year.
The good news is that,like all debt,with some work,sleep debt can be repaid.Adding all extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up.For the long-term lack of sleep,take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern.
Go to bed when you are tired,and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed).You may find yourself catatonic(有紧张症的)in the beginning of the recovery cycle:expect to have ten hours shut—eye per night;As the days pass,however,the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease.
So earn back that lost sleep and follow the rules of your innate(固有的)sleep needs. You’ll feel better.“When you put away sleep debt,you become a superman,”says Stanford's Dement,talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested.
53.If rou have short-term sleep lack,you may.
A.put on weight B.get heart disease
C.hate eating food D.have a poor sight
54.The example of sleep math is used to show.
A.in what case you build up a sleep debt
B.in what way you can make up for lack of sleep
C.why you are energetic even without enough sleep
D.why you need six hours’sleep every night
55.By saying the underlined sentence,Dement means that.
A.you need a lot of sleep to be a superman
B.you will be in a good state with enough sleep
C.you need to be a superman to repay sleep debt
D.you will become a superman with more sleep debt
56.What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A.How can you keep energetic? B.What is sleep debt?
C.Can you catch up on lost sleep?D.Can coffee refresh you?
BERLIN-A German woman,fearful that a burglar(夜贼)was trying to break into her second storey apartment,called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight,police said Thursday.
Police discovered the “burglar” was a man carrying flowers and a bottle of wine who turned out to be the woman’s boyfriend.But then arrested him on an outstanding reason.
“He was trying to surprise her with the flowers and a bottle of wine but it all went wrong,”said Korbach police spokesman Volker Koenig.He said the man jumped down from the balcony and tried to escape but was quickly caught by police.
“He nevertheless gave the police who were taking him to jail the bottle of wine as a gesture of thanks for the friendly treatment after the arrest.”Koenig said.
LONDON-A smoker who died after battling emphysema(肺气肿)has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a “SMOKING KILLED ME” sign on his hearse and his grave.
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking.
The sign was designed to look like the health warning on a packet of cigarettes. The printed notice at his grave will be left in place for a week. The hearse carrying his body through the town of Dover 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of London and several of the printed signs displayed in the windows.
49. The man climbing up .
A. was actually a wanted thief
B. was put into prison in the end
C. thanked the police for setting him free
D. was treated badly by the police
50. The best title for the first news item might be “ .”
A. A burglar’s love B. A devoted boyfriend
C. Flowers and wine D. Price for being romantic
51. The public paid more attention to the smoker because .
A.he died after smoking for many years
B.he had the sign put on his hearse and his grave
C.he(tied of a lung disease without any treatment
D.he wanted the sign left on his grave for one day
52.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.The sign will be printed on the packet of cigarettes.
B.The signs were also shown in the windows of the hearse.
C.London is to the northwest of the town of Dover.
D.The smoker regretted forming the habit of smoking.
Listen carefully,working people! We would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s“no”.What do you ask? We’ll say it again:“No”,a sweet and simple“no”.Say“no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Time is precious.People are spending money buying time。And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”said Leslie Charles,a professional speaker from East Lansing,Michigan.Susie Watson,a famous writer,said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment.“I would rather have someone give me a loving‘no’ than all obligated(强制的)‘yes’,”she said.She feels “no” need to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally.Does she feel guilty about it?“Not at all,”said Watson,who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury.Connecticut.“Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’.My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time.“Every year there are more demands on your time.Other people are happy to use up your time.”Watson said.Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend.a powerful tool to take back your life.“No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.“No” is power and strength.“No” now seems completely correct.
“Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy.But finally it’s greatly liberating,”Charles said.But,he added,a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term
habit.But.he also warns:“Don’t go to extremes.Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”
45.The underlined part “you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself” probably means that .
A.you can have more time to play with others
B.you needn’t mind other’s feeling when happy
C.you are selfish and may treat others rudely
D.you can do with your business as planned
46.When you say “no” to others,you should say it .
A. secretly B.politely C.proudly D.guiltily
47.In Watson’s opinion,people can save much time if they .
A.1earn to refuse B. refuse as much as possible
C.fear to refuse D. refuse without hesitation
48.If you say “no” to everything.you’11 .
A.make a lot of money B.enjoy a more wonderful life
C.face difficulty in life D. forget to say “yes” in the end
After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter.It Can be nothing more than a penny.Whatever the coin is,no one ignores the sound of it.It got me thinking about sounds again.We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention.
People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine,a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street.When I’m in New York,I’m a New Yorker.I don’t turn either.Like the natives,I hardly hear a siren(警报)there.
However,at home in my little town in Connecticut,it’s different.The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed.It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us.not the loudest.In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors.I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house.How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling,for instance:I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises.The tapping,tapping,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me.I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it.
41.The sound of a coin dropping makes people.
A.think of money B.look at each other
C.pay attention to it D.stop crossing the street
42.The author dislikes whistling because.
A.he has got tired of it B.it reminds him of tense people
C.he used to be happier D.he doesn’t like workers
43. What kind of sound does the author find pleasant?
A.Tapping sound of his typewriter. B.Clinking sound of keys.
C.Tinkling sound of a coin dropping.D.Creaking sound of footsteps.
44.How does the author feel about sounds in general?
A.They make him feel al home. B.He thinks they should be ignored.
C.He prefers silence to loud noises.D.He believes they ale part of our life.
On Anger
Doctors say anger can be an extremely harmful emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that angry feelings can lead to heart disease, stomach problem, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, losing control of themselves. But other people repress their anger. They cannot or will not express it.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (激素) that are produced during tense situations. They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood and narrow the blood vessels to the interstices (空隙). In general, the person feels excited and ready to act.
Doctors said that repressing these feelings only makes the feelings continue. And this can lead to many medical problems. Doctors thought a person could prevent these problems by letting the anger out by expressing it freely. But recently some doctors held a different view. They said that people who express anger repeatedly and violently did become, in fact, more and not less angry. They said this, too, can cause medical problems.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger strongly may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious, enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
69. Repressing anger was considered to be dangerous because of all the following EXCEPT that __________ .
A. the heart rate increases B. the blood pressure rises
C. the blood contains sugar D. some blood vessels become thinner
70. Which of the following is the more recent view about the expression of anger?
A. It is dangerous to express anger repeatedly or repress one’s anger.
B. One can avoid his medical problems by expressing his anger freely.
C. One’s heart rate will increase if his anger is repressed.
D. One is likely to suffer from high blood pressure in a fit of great anger.
71. When you get angry, which of the following should you do for the sake of health?
A. Repressing the anger. B. Expressing the anger.
C. Treating the anger properly. D. Learning how to make a deal.
72. What is the central topic of this passage about?
A. The different ways of dealing with anger.
B. The dangers of anger and the solution
C. New medical discoveries.
D. The argument between the new and old views about anger.