8：30PMOutlookOutlookisbackwith-优题课

As a boy growing up in India，I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s，with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe，where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium，Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand，during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable，even for someone like me，who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe，we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport，for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河)，it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation，but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again，with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas，Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today，I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying，in general，for me，has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience)．Flying on Lufthansa，however，is something I always have and always will look forward to.
What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?

A．Growing up in India.

B．Once staying in Canada.

C．Once traveling to Canada with his father.

D．His father's stories about his traveling experiences.

Which of the following is TRUE about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?

A．The author traveled with one of his parents.

B．Both their going and return are by air.

C．They traveled in spring that year.

D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.

A．a city in India	B．a city in Europe
C．an airline company	D．a travel agency

The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”．

A．happy

B．sad

C．angry

D．enjoyable

Barack Obama urged congressional leaders on Monday to act quickly to pass a huge stimulus package for the U.S. economy. He met with a bipartisan (concerning or involving two different political parties) group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Later he met individually with Democratic and Republican House and Senate leaders and spoke to a bipartisan leadership gathering. In comments to reporters early on Monday, he emphasized the urgency of finalizing economic legislation (立法). “We have got an extraordinary economic challenge ahead of us,” he said, “We are expecting a sobering job report at the end of the week. Nancy Pelosi and her staff have been extraordinarily helpful in working with our team so that we can shape an economic recovery and reinvestment plan that starts putting people back to work.”
Mr. Obama wants tax cuts for individual Americans and businesses to make up a significant portion of expected legislation. This could involve as much as $300 billion of a bill that is likely to go beyond $700 billion and include aid to cash-poor U.S. states, and money for alternative energy and a range of infrastructure (基础设施) projects. Later, Mr. Obama said he expects to be able to sign legislation as soon as the end of this month, adding that quick action is necessary to “break the drive of the U.S. economic depression”.
Emerging later from bipartisan talks with Mr. Obama, Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers discussed with the president how to pass a stimulus package as quickly as possible. “An economic recovery package that will create jobs immediately and will grow the economy and that is what we talked about today,” said Nancy Pelosi. “How we could do this fast, deliberatively and to act upon it soon.” Just how soon that would be, Pelosi would not say.
How much support Democrats can obtain from Republicans will depend on the details. But the severity of the U.S. economic depression has created considerable bipartisan backing for quick action. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid said: “There are investments that we need to make on behalf of the American people to turn around this economy. We felt very good about the meeting; we are confident that we can do this and we have to do this.”
“I think the best thing I can do is to decline to comment on what they are going to do going forward,” said Dana Perino. “Obviously, we think that tax cuts were the right way to help our economy get out of the economic depression that this president inherited and we know that tax cuts can stimulate innovation.” Asked by reporters how large the economic stimulus package might be, Senate Majority Leader Reid said Obama indicated that all but one of some 28 economists advising him had said it should range from $800 billion to $1.3 trillion.
Barack Obama urged congressional leaders and met with bipartisan leaders to _____.

A．take over the White House

B．end economic decline

C．understand each other better

D．negotiate political issues

If the stimulus package is passed quickly and successfully, it can _____.

A．obtain support from Republicans

B．finalize economic legislation

C．enhance America’s international position

D．provide job opportunities

What is the bipartisan leaders’ attitude towards this meeting?

A．Uncertain.

B．Hopeful.

C．Disappointed.

D．Indifferent.

What can we infer from the passage?

A．The best way out of the economic depression is tax cuts.

B．The Republic Party plays the key role in coping with the economic depression.

C．Democrats and Republicans will team up in the economic depression.

D．When the stimulus package will be passed is known to the lawmakers.

Stewart Island Ferry Services
While most visitors spend at least one night on Stewart Island, it is also readily accessible by ferry as a day excursion from Invercargill and Bluff.
Experience Foveaux Strait in comfort and style on board our express catamarans. During the one-hour crossing between Bluff and Stewart Island keep a lookout for wildlife, especially seabirds. Watching mollymawks (albatross) soaring behind the ferry is a fantastic sight.
Interesting landmarks commonly seen include Dog Island Lighthouse, Ruapuke Island, Titi Islands and Mt Anglem - Stewart Island’s highest point.
 Free tea and coffee on board
 Interpretation handouts are available (English only).
 Wheelchair access available
 Personal baggage is carried free on the ferries - max. two bags per person (one stowed and one small carry-on). Additional baggage is by prior arrangement.
 Vehicle parking available at Bluff (extra cost - reservations recommended)

FERRY TO STEWART ISLAND Depart Bluff All year 9:30am Sep-May 5:00pm Oct –Apr 11:00am Jun –Aug 4:30pm Late Dec –mid Jan8:00am	FERRY TO BLUFF Depart Stewart Island All year 8:00am Sep –May 3:30pm Oct –Mar 6:00pm Apr 5:00pm Jun-Aug 3:00pm Late Dec –mid Jan 9:30am
Other departures as locally advertised Duration 1hr Check-in 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. (Check-in and boarding gates are closed 10 minutes prior to times stated above.)

“20% Multi-Purchase REWARD” on Return Ferry Services
Buy 2 or more different excursions and SAVE 20% off all lower priced!
Kids Go FREE on selected departures during NZ School Holidays!
Kids Go FREE for travel 20 April - 5 May 2013.
If leaving a car at Bluff, a traveler had better _____.

A．refer to the handouts first

B．use wheelchair access

C．make a reservation

D．park it 30 minutes before departure time

John, who went to Stewart Island on Dec. 28^th, got to the ferry dock at 7:55am. When did he most probably leave Bluff?

A．At 8:00a.m..

B．At 9:30a.m..

C．At 11:00a.m..

D．At 3:00p.m..

Which of the following is false about the ferry services?

A．Tea and coffee are free for passengers.

B．Children go free for travel for about 15 days.

C．Travelers are sure to see some seabirds during the crossing.

D．Passengers have to pay extra cost for extra pieces of luggage.

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two survivors agreed that they had no alternativethan to pray to God.
However, to find out whose prayers were more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. But the other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man became lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon thereafter the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island, and in the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island.
The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island, considering the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn’t deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”
“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
“He prayed that all your prayers would be answered.”
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. So what you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself.
The first man’s wife is _____.

A．a swimmer who got to the island by accident

B．an angel sent by God to keep him company

C．a survivor from another wrecked ship

D．a native person on the desert-like island

The underlined word “barren” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _____.

A．isolated

B．unproductive

C．fertile

D．dry

Which of the following is true about the second man?

A．He didn’t deserve any blessing from God.

B．None of his prayers was answered by God.

C．He is not brave enough to tell God his needs.

D．His prayer helped his companion get out of trouble.

What’s the moral of the story?

A．Never judge a person by appearance.

B．Don’t lose heart in trouble.

C．Helping others is helping ourselves.

D．Greed is the root of all evil.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
The Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet, chat and go where we have never been before.
But just as in face to face communication, there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line .__ ___ Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes.
For anything you’re about to send : ask yourself , “Would I say this to the person’s face?” if the answer is no, rewrite and reread.__ _____
If someone in the chat room is rude to you , your instinct(本能)is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so.__ __ If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it .Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.
____ Offer advice when asked by newcomers , as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate .When someone makes a mistake, whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it .If it is a small mistake , you may not need to say anything .Even if you feel strongly about it , think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you license to correct everyone else.
______ At the same time ,if you find you are wrong , be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.
It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age,sex and marital status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don’t ask such questions .

A．It’s natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online .

B．Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying the words to the person’s face.

C．Everyone was new to the network once.

D．The basic rule is simple : treat others in the same way you would want to be treated .

E. When you send short messages to a person online , you must say something beautiful to hear.
F. You should either ignore the person,or use your chat software to block their messages.
G. If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake , point it out politely .

A．a famous university	B．a medical center
C．a well-known doctor	D．a drug company

A．Exercise plus a healthy diet.	B．Loss of thirteen pounds in weight..
C．Six months of exercise without drugs.	D．Low-salt and low-fat food.