Xinhua Sept．25,2008
JIUQUAN, Gansu---China launched successfully its third manned spacecraft on Thursday with three astronauts on board to attempt the country’s first-ever space walk．
The spaceship Shenzhou VII blasted off（发射） on a Long March II-F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gansu Province at 9：10pm．after a breathtaking countdown to another milestone on China’s space journey．
On board pilots Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng are expected to orbit the earth for three days, when one of them will float out of the cabin about 343 kilometers above the earth．
When they make it, China will become the third country in the world who is able to conduct extravehicular activity （EVA） in space following the former Soviet Union and the United States．
President Hu Jintao watched the historic moment at the launch center, joined by Chinese experts and other work staff．
Hu briefly met the trio astronauts before they entered the spacecraft Thursday afternoon, wishing them “a complete success in this glorious and sacred mission”．
“During the mission, you will carry out China’s EVA with homemade EVA space suit, which is a great leap for China’s space technology．” said Hu．
Other tasks of the Shenzhou VII crew include the release of a small monitoring satellite and a trial of the data relay of the satellite Tianlian-I．
If successful, the mission would be of great significance to the country’s future plans to build a space lab and a space station, said ZhangJianqi, deputy chief commander of the manned space project．In which section would the passage be seen in a newspaper?
| A．Science and Technology． | B．Entertainment． |
| C．Sports report． | D．Advertisement |
Which one is NOT true according to the report?
| A．China launched its third manned spacecraft． |
| B．The pilots on board are expected to orbit the earth for three days |
| C．The spaceship Shenzhou VII blasted off three astronauts on board． |
| D．One of the three astronauts will float out of the cabin above the earth． |
What is the great leap for China’s space technology during the space journey?
| A．The spaceship Shenzhou VII blasted off successfully． |
| B．The astronauts will carry out China’s EVA with homemade EVA space suit． |
| C．Three astronauts are expected to orbit the earth for 3 days． |
| D．The spaceship Shenzhou VII will release a small monitoring satellite． |
The tasks of the Shenzhou VII crew include the following EXCEPT ________．
| A．the release of a small monitoring satellite |
| B．a trial of the data relay of the satellite Tianlian-I |
| C．carrying out China’s EVA with homemade EVA space suit |
| D．building a space lab and a space station |
The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he had been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the telephone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs. Higgins finally arrived . She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins pulled out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr.Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner, “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again and I will let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’ hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old ma for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything. |
| B．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing. |
| C．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear. |
| D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning. |
What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
| A．annoyed | B．got over | C．convinced | D．made less angry |
What was the mother’s attitude towards Alfred?
| A．She felt disappointed with him. | B．She was strict with him. |
| C．She was supportive of him. | D．She was afraid of him. |
What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was_______.
| A．how angry she was | B．how effective she handled Mr. Carr. |
| C．that she was able to save him | D．that she didn’t cry |
From the last paragraph, we know Alfred________.
| A．was no longer a youth. | B．felt proud of his mother |
| C．wanted his mother to be happy | D．felt guilty and regretful for his deed. |
Details of the latest James Bond film Skyfall have been shown to the public. It comes 50 years to the day after actor Sean Connery first played Bond — the superspy in Dr No.
The new film, known at the moment only as Bond 23, will be the third to star Daniel Craig as the secretagent (特工). Other names in the cast include Albert Finney, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes.
British film-maker Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for American Beauty, will direct the latest adventure.
Ajay Chowdhury, from the James Bond International Fan Club, said, “Daniel Craig’s third time as 007 has been looked forward to by Bond fans around the world. The fans have been made to wait extra long for this film since the global economiccrisis (经济危机) delayed the film for some time.”
“Mendes has an unusual way of directing, and with the acting gift and the precedent (先例) set by the previous two films in which Craig played Bond, Skyfall promises a Bond film where the sky may not be the limit.”
It is reported that the film will send 007 to South Africa and India to hunt for a criminal (犯罪的) organization. Other reported locations for filming include Duntrune Castle, near Lochgilphead in Argyll, Scotland, which is believed to be the spy’s home.
The film is set to be released in the UK this October.
Craig’ s performance as Bond gave new life to the film series, leading to the highest ever 007 box office (票房) takings of ￡367 million for his role in Casino Royale in 2006. Quantum of Solace, the most recent film in the series released in 2008, made ￡353 million.According to the text, who will play Bond in film Skyfall?
| A．Albert Finney. | B．Sean Connery. |
| C．Daniel Craig. | D．Sam Mendes. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．Skyfall will be the last film of the 007 series. |
| B．Bond first appeared on the screen about 50 years ago. |
| C．Sam Mendes won an Oscar for American Beauty. |
| D．Skyfall will be shot in South Africa and India. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Skyfall will also be a Bond film. |
| B．Skyfall will be a great film. |
| C．Skyfall will be longer than the previous ones. |
| D．Skyfall will be set in the sky. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The film Skyfall will be released later than planned. |
| B．It is the first time that Daniel Craig has played Bond. |
| C．Daniel Craig receives little attention from movie fans. |
| D．Quantum of Solace has made the most money so far. |
As soon as you meet, or even see, a person, you form an impression of him based on his posture, gestures and facial expressions. This is why it is important to make a good first impression on the person who will be interviewing you. Within the first 60 seconds of meeting you, the interviewer will have formed an impression about what type of person you are and what kind of employee you would become, and 55% of this will be based only on your body language. Here are some tips to make that impression a good one.
First of all, relax. Think positive thoughts and you are more likely to come across as a positive, confident person during the interview. Dress smartly, as your appearance is one of the first things an interviewer will notice you. Stand up straight, and walk in with your shoulders back and your head up. Try to avoid slowing down as you walk into the room because this suggests fear and uncertainty. Shake hands with the interviewer firmly. You should have a positive handshake and a warm smile. Opening your coat or jacket as you sit down shows that you, too, are open.
Posture is important. You should be sitting well back in your seat. Sit up straight and lean forward slightly, but not too much. Sitting at too much of an angle (角度) expresses discomfort and distrust. Tow of the most common defensive (防卫的) signals are crossing your arms and legs, so try to avoid them.
Another important issue is eye contact. Looking someone in the eye shows confidence in yourself and trust in the other person. However, don’t overdo it, as too much eye contact or staring will make the other person uncomfortable. Use more eye contact when listening than when talking, and when you look away, look down. Looking up at the ceiling will make you seem bored or rude.The purpose of the first paragraph is to tell readers .
| A．what a good first impression is |
| B．how to make a good first impression |
| C．how long it takes to make a first impression |
| D．the importance of making a good first impression |
Which of the following does the author advise you to do when you are being interviewed?
| A．Cross your arms or legs. |
| B．Open your coat or jacket when sitting down. |
| C．Go into the room more slowly than usual. |
| D．Avoid looking at the eyes of the interviewer directly. |
If you lean forward too much, it means .
| A．you are very bored | B．you are too nervous |
| C．you don’t have confidence | D．you don’t trust others |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．How to use body language to win an interview |
| B．How to answer questions in an interview |
| C．How to understand body language |
| D．How to deal with an interviewer |
When you’re lying on the white sands of the Mexican Rivera, the stresses (压力) of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation—you have to finish something.
Here lies the problem for travel writer and food critic (评论家) Edie Jarolim. “I always loved traveling and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things,” Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere--- in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one of her three books, The Complete Idiot Travel Guide to Mexican Beach Resorts.
Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took a test for Frommer’s travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer’s, Jarolim worked for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor’s where she fell so in love with a description of the Southwest of the U.S. that she moved there.
Now as a travel writer, she spends one-third of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is fact-checking all the information. Sure, it’s great to write about a tourist attraction, but you’d better get the local museum hours correct or you could really ruin someone’s vacation.What is most difficult for Jarolim?
| A．Working in different places to collect information. |
| B．Checking all the facts to be written in the guides. |
| C．Finishing her work as soon as possible. |
| D．Passing a test to write travel guides. |
What do we know about Jarolim from the text?
| A．She is successful in her job. |
| B．She finds her life full of stresses. |
| C．She spends half of her time traveling. |
| D．She is especially interested in museums. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Adventures in Travel Writing | B．Working as a Food Critic |
| C．Travel Guides on the Market | D．Vacationing for a Living |
It all started at the beginning of this term. At first, Carmen wasn’t really sure what was happening. In class, she had to squint (眯眼) to see the blackboard clearly. As it got worse, she became more and more worried. It was important for her to see the notes and homework the teacher wrote on the board.
In class, she asked for a desk that was closer to the blackboard. One day, her teacher said, “Carmen, I’ve noticed you squinting a lot. Are you having trouble seeing the board?” Carmen shook her head. “I’m fine, Mrs. Cruz.”
At home, she had to sit closer and closer to the television. Her mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows.
“Tomorrow I will go to see a doctor,” she said firmly. Three days later, Carmen had new glasses. She was told to wear them all the time. “All of the kids at school will think I am a nerd (书呆子)，” she said. “You look just as beautiful with those glasses on as you do without them,” her mother said. But Carmen didn’t believe her.
The next day, Carmen kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. Suddenly, she heard her friend Theresa shout. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My silver ring is gone!” Theresa cried. Carmen could tell that Theresa was very upset. They all looked for the ring in the grassy area of the playground.
Carmen realized that she could search better if she could see better. She took the glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Everything looked so different! So clear! And a glimmer (微光) of silver caught her eye.
“Here it is,” she shouted. “Thanks Carmen,” Theresa said. “I didn’t know you wore glasses. They look great!” “Thanks,” Carmen replied shyly.
As they walked back toward the school building, two more girls praised her glasses. Carmen smiled. “Maybe wearing glasses won’t be so bad after all,” she thought.According to the text, Carmen_________.
| A．doesn’t like doing homework |
| B．often tells lies to her teacher |
| C．cares how well she does in lesson |
| D．has trouble getting along with her classmates |
When Carmen wore glasses for the first time, she felt________.
| A．sad | B．pleased | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
| A．Other girls expect to have new glasses. |
| B．Carmen will get used to wearing glasses. |
| C．Wearing glasses will make Carmen look beautiful. |
| D．Carmen hopes to receive more comments on her glasses. |
The purpose of the text is to tell readers__________.
| A．how to protect their eyes |
| B．never to make fun of others |
| C．things aren’t always as bad as we expect |
| D．it is necessary to give a hand to those in trouble |