Everydaymillionsoflettersgofro-优题课

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(A)
Every object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(独特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?
Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.
The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.
1. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______.
A. it was an important clue to life in the past B. it was found on a famous trail
C. it at one time belonged to a VIP D. it was a fashionable shoe at that time
2. According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______.
A. eventually became millionaires B. brought with them many shoes
C. had conflicts with the Eskimos D. were not properly equipped
3. The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that _______.
A. they would not die of hunger and cold
B. the army would have enough food for fighting a war
C. they would change these goods with the Eskimos
D. the supplies would make Alaska rich
4. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______.
A. she must have lived a happy life
B. she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose
C. her adventurous spirit is definitely admired
D. her other shoes were equally fashionable
(B)
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”.
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, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
“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’.”
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 an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation 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, Conneticut. “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’.”
5. The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.
A. you can have more time to play with others
B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy
C. you are selfish and treat others rudely
D. you can deal with your business as you have planned
6. When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.
A. secret way　　　B. polite way
C. proud way　　　　　D. guilty way
7. In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.
A. they say “no” at a suitable time
B. they say “no” as much as possible
C. they are afraid of saying “no”
D. they make others angry at them
8. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.
A. enjoys a wonderful life B. makes a lot of money
C. faces difficulty in life　　D. forgets to say “yes” in the end
(C)
A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man — the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.
This attitude toward manual(体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.
9. From paragraph 1, we can know that in America _________.
A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man
B. people can always rise to the top through their won efforts
C. college professors win great respect from common workers
D. people feel painful to mention their fathers as labors.
10. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _________.
A. servants in American are hard to get
B. she takes pride in what she can do herself
C. she can hardly afford servants
D. It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food
11. The expression “ wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_________”.
A. work in a furniture shop B. keep accounts for a bar
C. wait to lay the table D. serve customers in a restaurant
12. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A. A Respectable Self-made Family B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor
C. Characteristics of American Culture D. The Development of Manual Labor
(D)
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.
13. Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
A. At the Derby Arms on Friday.
B. At the Black Horse on Friday.
C. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.
D. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.
14. You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
A. 789—6749. B. 789—4536. C. 682—1158. D. 688—4626.
15. You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
A. Disco at The Lord Napier.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse.
C. The electric accordion at The Derby Arms.
D. Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
16. You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
A. The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms.
C. Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull.
D. Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier.
(E)
With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.
Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”
17. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.
A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas
B. save endangered animals from dying out
C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study
D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another
18. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.
A. available panda eggs B. host animals
C. qualified researchers D. enough money
19. The best title for the passage may be _______.
A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning
B. The First Cloned Panda in the World
C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas
D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever
20. From the passage we know that _______.
A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog
B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit
C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches
D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

Nowadays, it is possible to travel to distant parts of the globe in several hours. This can result in the traveler ending up in a part of the world where time is different from his or her own “body clock” ,which control our sleep patterns.
If we travel east or west by more than four time zones (hours) then we will usually be affected.
In the past when people traveled by sea, there was enough time for the body to adjust to the local time, but with the advent of modern high speed aircraft the body does not have time to adjust. Therefore, there is the term “jet lag(时差反应)”. It normally takes one day per time zone (hour) for the body to adjust to its new surroundings.
The effects of jet lag are usually tiredness and insomnia (失眠) but can also include: poor concentration, nausea (恶心) ,vomiting (呕吐), constipation (便秘) and general malaise (不舒服). The effects are made worse by alcohol.
Sleeping while flying may help to reduce the symptoms (症状) of jet lag, but long periods of immobility aboard aircraft can make the traveler feel numb(麻木的) in the legs. The following are some other tips of reducing the symptoms of jet lag:
①Avoid traveling when you are already tired and rest before departure.
②Stopovers on long flights may be helpful.
③A relaxed flight is important.
④Sleeping tablets will help you to sleep and be correspondingly alert (相对警惕的) during the next day, but they do not speed up adjustment to the new time zone.
⑤Remember the actual traveling time will usually be at least twice the actual time spent in the air since it will include traveling to and from and hanging around in airports.
⑥Avoid heavy commitments on the first day after arrival.
72. The following are the effects of jet lag EXCEPT _____.
A. tiredness B. coughing C. insomnia D. vomiting
73. The word “immobility” in the fifth paragraph means “_____”.
A. stillness B. movement C. activity D. happiness
74. We can reduce the symptoms of jet lag by _____.
A. drinking some alcohol B. keeping ourselves awake
C. taking some medicine D. sleeping while flying
75. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To suggest people travel by sea instead of by air.
B. To tell people the effects of jet lag.
C. To give people some advice about reducing the symptoms of jet lag.
D. To tell people about their body clock.

Why I Don’t Spare “Spare Change”
“Poor but honest. ” “The deserving poor.” These words always come to my mind when I think of “the poor”. But I also think of people who, perhaps through alcohol or drugs, have ruined not only their own lives but also the lives of others in order to give way to their own pleasure. Perhaps alcoholism and drug addiction really are “diseases”, as many people say, but my own feeling－ based, of course, not on any serious study－is that most alcoholics and drug addicts belong to the “undeserving poor”. And that is largely why I don’t give spare change to beggars.
But surely among the street people there are also some who can rightly be called “deserving”. Deserving what? My spare change? Or simply the government’s assistance? It happens that I have been brought up to believe that it is proper to make contributions to charity（慈善机构）, but if I give some change to a beggar, am I making a contribution to charity and thereby helping someone, or, am I perhaps simply encouraging someone not to get help? Or, maybe even worse, am I supporting a cheat?
If one believes in the value of private charity, one can either give to needy people or to charitable organizations. In giving to a beggar one may indeed be helping a person who badly needs help, but one cannot be certain that one is giving to a needy person. In giving to an organization, on the other hand, one can feel that one’s money is likely to be used wisely. True, facing a beggar one may feel that this particular unfortunate person needs help at this moment－a cup of coffee or a sandwich－and the need will not be met unless I put my hand in my pocket right now. But I have come to think that the beggars whom I meet can get along without my spare change, and indeed perhaps they are actually better off for not having money to buy alcohol or drugs.
I know nothing about these beggars, but it’s my impression that they simply prefer begging to working. I am not generalizing about street people. I am talking about the people whom I actually meet. That’s why I do not give “spare change”, and I don’t think I will in the future.
68. What does the author think of beggars who take drugs?
A. They should be given a check-up. B. They really need money to live.
C. They have no pleasure in life. D. They are not worth helping.
69. Why doesn’t the author give money to street people?
A. He doesn’t think they need help. B. He doesn’t have enough money to give.
C. He is not convinced they will use it rightly.
D. He believes they can get help from the government.
70. In the second paragraph, the author presents his idea by_____.
A. asking questions for people to think about B. giving examples to support his argument
C. raising questions and answering them D. expressing his opinions directly
71. Which of the following opinions does the author accept?
A. Drug addiction is a disease. B. Some street people are poor and needy.
C. Most beggars have received enough help.
D. Charitable organizations handle money properly.

Telecommuting(远程办公) will have major effects on the worlds of work and family life. However, its biggest effect will be in the area of individual freedom, responsibility and time management.
Work and workplaces will change greatly. Offices may become smaller, as fewer desks are needed. There will be greater need for high-speed Internet connections to link the office and the home, and even homes to other homes, as other employees also begin working at home. Hours spent in traffic jams, and fights for parking should diminish, as workers travel less.
Family life will also change. Both husbands and wives will be able to arrange their work around family commitments such as taking children to school, cooking, spare time activities, and so on. However, households(家人) will also have to set aside areas for work-particularly if more than one person is telecommuting.
However, although the ideas of more time at home and less time traveling are attractive, there are some drawbacks to telecommuting. People may feel that they cannot escape from work, work longer hours, or become less social. The quality of work may suffer because of fewer face-to-face interactions with other employees, and there may be delays if other workers are not immediately available. Telecommuters may also feel isolated. A major change will be in the way people think about work as a place or an institution. Instead, they will focus on the task or the product. Workers may feel less loyal to a company.
In conclusion, the effects are difficult to predict because they depend on the extent to which telecommuting becomes popular. At the same time, however, telecommuting could be the start of a major societal shift, possibly as big as the Industrial Revolution which created our present ideas of work.
64. This passage was mainly written to tell us _____.
A. about the advantages of telecommuting
B. how telecommuting will change the world
C. that telecommuting will affect family life D. how to telecommute in the future
65. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. The disadvantages of telecommuting. B. Setting aside areas for work.
C. The future of telecommuting. D. The employees’ focus on work.
66. With telecommuting in the future, which of the following will be reduced?
A. Working hours and family time. B. Face-to-face communication.
C. Spare time and individual freedom. D. Spending time with friends.
67. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Telecommuting will change the world completely.
B. There will be no traffic jams because of telecommuting.
C. Work efficiency will increase through telecommuting.
D. Telecommuting workers will likely change their jobs.

Throughout the ages, man has tried to create beauty through painting, music, sculpture(雕刻) and other kinds of artistic expression. It seems to be a basic need for humans to surround themselves with art. Some people, however, feel that the government is wasting money by spending it on art, particularly when there are so many other more important things that the money can be used for.
It can be wrong for governments to spend large sums of money on art. Too often, governments spend the money unwisely. Cities end up with huge statues or expensive, empty buildings that are only used by a few people. Many times, the art is also chosen to represent social or political rather than artisticideas, and even if it represents artistic ideas, tastes in art can change very rapidly. Without thinking carefully about how to spend the money, the people may end up with an expensive collection of worthless paintings of tasteless productions.
At the same time it would be wrong to say that governments should not spend any money at all on art. Painters, musicians, and composers cannot survive without monetary support. Many times, the art is inaccessible (很难到的) to ordinary people because only rich people and large companies can afford it. Governments have a duty to make this art available to everyone. Art helps people enjoy life,
Although people do need to be provided with the necessities of life, governments also have a duty to provide their citizens with something more. I firmly believe that spending money on art is vital (必不可少的) part of a government’s responsibility, and I am confident that my country is able to contribute a great deal to the rich collection of art from around passage?
60. What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?
A. Why tastes in art change so rapidly. B. The importance of art to human beings.
C. Humans’ need to be surrounded by art.
D. Whether or not the government should spend money on art.
61. The following are reasons why governments spend too much money on arts EXCEPT that _____.
A. art is changing with time rapidly B. they choose art to serve political purpose
C. they don’t think carefully enough about what to buy
D. art is necessary for the life of poor people
62. The underlined word “monetary” in the third paragraph probably means“_____”.
A. political B. financial C. temporary(临时的) D. continuous
63. According to the author, what is the function of art?
A. Art can be very valuable when it is traded. B. Art makes people’s lives worthwhile.
C. Art can unite governments. D. Art can make governments fashionable.

A．different kinds of stamps in different countries	B．an organization that makes rules
C．international mail	D．the size and weight of letters