I had my first job at a local diner called the Buttercup Bakery when I was 22. I worked there for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow waitress Helen who had incredible self-respect and did what she loved—serving people. She made everyone smile and feel good, customers and co-workers alike.
Being a waitress changed my life. One of my regular customers was Fred Hasbrook, an electronics salesman. Thanks to the newfound confidence I picked up from Helen, I dreamed of having my own restaurant. But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”
The next day, I shared my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody would just have faith in me.”
He walked over to some of the other diner regulars and the next day handed me checks totaling $50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral（担保）on this loan is my trust in your honesty as a person. Good people with a dream should have the opportunity to make that dream come true.”
I took the checks to Merrill Lynch—the first time I had ever entered a brokerage（经纪业）house—where the money was invested for me. I continued working at the Buttercup, making plans for the restaurant I would open. My investments soured, though, and I lost the money.
After great deliberation（考虑） I decided to apply for a job at Merrill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was hired and ended up becoming a pretty good broker. Eventually I paid back Fred and my customers the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.
I got a thank-you note from Fred, which will be imprinted on my head forever. He had been sick and wrote that my check had helped cover his mounting medical bills. His letter read, “That loan may have been one of the best investments that I will ever make.” According to the passage, the author thought ______.
| A．Helen was full of complaint about her work |
| B．it was easy for Helen to make everyone happy and comfortable |
| C．she was lucky to have a job working with Helen |
| D．it was not acceptable to live in such a bad condition |
By saying that “Being a waitress changed my life.” the author means that ______.
| A．the author got a high pay by working hard |
| B．the author borrowed $50,000 with no interest from Fred Hasbrook |
| C．the effort which she had made influenced her a lot |
| D．the experience working as a waitress was worthwhile for the author |
Which of the following statements is not true of Fred Hasbrook?
| A．Fred Hasbrook was one of the author’s regular customers. |
| B．Fred Hasbrook lent the author $50,000, together with other customers. |
| C．Fred Hasbrook’s self-respect had a great effect on the author. |
| D．Fred Hasbrook’s himself did not have much money. |
What made the author’s customers lend her money according to the passage?
| A．Her maturity. | B．Her honesty. | C．Her faith. | D．Her success. |
B
A new study, led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, shows that living sharks are actually quite advanced in evolutionary terms, despite having retained their basic "sharkiness" over millions of years. The research is published today in the journal Nature.
"Sharks are traditionally thought to be one of the most primitive surviving jawed vertebrates（脊椎动物）. And most textbooks in schools today say that the internal jaw structures of modern sharks should look very similar to those in primitive shark-like fishes," said Alan Pradel, a postdoctoral researcher at the Museum and the lead author of the study. "But we've found that is not the case. "
The new study is based on an extremely well-preserved shark fossil collected by Ohio University professors Royal Mapes and Gene Mapes in Arkansas, where an ocean basin once was home to a diverse marine ecosystem. The fossilized skull of the new species, named Ozarcus mapesae. The heads of all fishes -- sharks included -- are segmented into the jaws and a series of arches that support the jaw and the gills（鳃）. These arches are thought to have given rise to jaws early in the tree of life.
Because shark skeletons are made of cartilage（软骨）, not bone, their fossils are very fragile and are usually found in flattened parts, making it impossible to study the shape of these internal structures. But the Ozarcus mapesae specimen（标本）was preserved in a nearly three-dimensional state, giving researchers a rare glimpse at the organization of the arches in a prehistoric animal.
"This beautiful fossil offers one of the first complete looks at all of the gill arches and associated structures in an early shark. There are other shark fossils like this in existence, but this is the oldest one in which you can see everything," said John Maisey, a curator in the Museum's Division of Paleontology and one of the authors on the study. "There's enough depth in this fossil to allow us to scan it and digitally dissect out the cartilage skeleton."
Working with scientists at the European Synchrotron, the ESRF, Pradel imaged the specimen with high-resolution x-rays to get a detailed view of each individual arch shape and organization. "We discovered that the arrangement of the arches is not like anything you'd see in a modern shark or shark-like fish," said Pradel. "Instead, the arrangement is fundamentally the same as bony fishes."
The authors say it's not unexpected that sharks -- which have existed for about 420 million years -- would undergo evolution of these structures. But the new work, especially when considered alongside other recent developments about early jawed vertebrates, has significant implications for the future of evolutionary studies of this group. "Bony fishes might have more to tell us about our first jawed ancestors than do living sharks," Maisey said.What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．Living sharks are quite advanced in evolutionary terms. |
| B．Sharks have kept their basic “sharkiness” over millions of years. |
| C．The jaw structures of modern sharks are similar to those in fishes. |
| D．Shark’s jaws have remained almost the same over millions of years. |
It is hard to study the internal jaw structures of ancient sharks because .
| A．there are only a few shark fossils |
| B．shark skeletons are made of bones |
| C．their fossils are often in poor condition |
| D．their fossils are found in a nearly three-dimensional state |
According to Paragraph 4, the shark fossil used in the study is .
| A．the only complete shark fossil |
| B．the oldest complete shark fossil |
| C．the only Ozarcus mapesae specimen |
| D．the biggest Ozarcus mapesae specimen |
A
We need your help -- actually, we all need each other's help!
Although dinner might be just about our only daily opportunity to sit down together, catch up and eat a healthy meal, we tend to be too busy/stressed/tired (you can throw in a dozen other reasons) to cook ourselves. The kids are shrieking, everyone is starving and your fridge contains nothing but a few squishy squashes and a limp carrot. So what do we all do? We give up and give in to some awful food choices that someone in some far-off factory or fast-food restaurant "cooked" without one bit of love in their heart. And this is making us sick and fat and it's killing us.
Why not try HOME COOKED SUNDAYS? The idea is simple: Use the one day of the week we do have time to cook -- Sundays. Let's make it a fun bonding activity -- and a wildly productive and delicious one, too. Let's use Sundays to shop, prep and cook with our families (hey, everyone can pitch in!), and then enjoy a great sit-down dinner at the family table. Let's turn this into a cherished weekly ritual（惯例）.
To get people excited and cooking again, Kirstin Uhrenholdt (she is Danish and -- no kidding -- grew up on a fruit farm) and I wrote The Family Cooks, a cookbook filled with easy, healthy and tasty recipes.
We included lots of tips and tricks to avoid an unhealthy week -- including how to avoid junk food hazards in the supermarket, and ways that small and big kids can help you cook. We know you have good ones, too. So let's share all our great ideas and inspire others to give it a try, because we know that Home Cooked Sundays will guarantee calmer and healthier weeknights -- and give us the perfect way to start the week connecting with our kids while teaching them a thing or two about health and happiness.
Will you help make home-cooked meals synonymous with Sundays? Share your ideas, inspirations and best tips on how you prep your fridge on Sunday for a smooth week ahead. Send us your three best tips and favorite go-to recipe for Sunday dinner.
We will post ours, and together, we'll make Home Cooked Sunday the single best and most delicious day of the week!The problem mentioned in Paragraph 2 is that .
| A．people give up cooking for many reasons |
| B．many people have been killed by fast food |
| C．there are only a few good fast-food restaurants |
| D．some people don’t know how to love and be loved |
The author advises readers to .
| A．attend a cooking competition |
| B．start cooking on Sundays regularly |
| C．buy the cookbook The Family Cooks |
| D．spend more time with families on Sundays |
Conservationists have made plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．
Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct．The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity（酸性）, overfishing and pollution．
The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation．This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel．
"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project．"In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said．"Their projects will last for two years．We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training．" She added．
Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem, known as the rainforests of the oceans．Despite taking up under 0．2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life．If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity, but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs．
Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach(漂白)．Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their color．Bleached corals often die if the stress continues．Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish．What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Scientists are taking measures to protect coral. |
| B．Scientists are doing research about coral reef. |
| C．Why some coral are dying out. |
| D．People should change climate to protect coral. |
Which of the following can’t threaten the existence of coral?
| A．Overfishing． |
| B．Polluted water |
| C．The increase in sea temperature. |
| D．Human exploration． |
What is the bad result of coral extinction?
| A．It help to keep the balance of the marine ecosystems |
| B．It will cause the temperature of sea water rise. |
| C．It can lead to the loss of about thirty percent of the marine life |
| D．It can destroy the rainforests on our earth． |
Which statement may Catherine Head agree with?
| A．Nearly all kinds of coral species are at risk. |
| B．Increased acidity has a negative on the existence of coral. |
| C．Climatic instability can’t affect corals. |
| D．It will takes decades to complete the Edge Coral Reefs project. |
How will the scientists help carry out the Edge Coral Reefs project?
| A．By providing tools and money. |
| B．By doing some experiments. |
| C．By removing some dangerous sea animals. |
| D．By punishing the people who break the rules. |
An opportunity for you to ride and compete with other enthusiasts of small displacement motorcycles. 200 miles of beautiful East Texas back roads starting and finishing at the Boles Field Recreational Area in the Sabine National Forest near Shelbyville, Texas with a rest stop and lunch at Sawmill Town USA in Newton, Texas. There will be a spectator class(观众组) if you would like to ride your larger street bike on the course. Competition classes will consist of the following: Class I-0 to 60cc, Class II-61 to 125cc, Class III-126 to 250cc, and Class IV-stock Cushman scooters. The Spectator Class won’t be scored but will be eligible for door prizes. Scoring for the competition - 200 points if the rider completes all miles on time. Extra points for age of machine, 2 points added for each year under 1990 model year. (i.e. 1960 model receives 60 additional points).
Class I bikes will go out from Boles Field at 8:00 am. Class II and Class IV bikes will depart Boles Field at 8:30 am. Class III bikes will leave Boles Field at 9:00 am .There may be secret check points along the route.
All classes will check in between 11:45 am and 12:15 pm at Sawmill Town USA, where a general membership meeting will be held at 1:00 pm.
Class I will leave Sawmill Town at 2:00 pm. Class II and IV will leave at 2:30 pm. Class III will leave at 3:00 pm. Check in at Boles Field between 5:45 pm and 6:15 pm. Awards will be given as soon as the results are tabulated.
Entry Fee: $30.00 @ contestant for Classes I through IV .Trophies for first place in each class. $100.00 prize for Overall Winner . $20.00 entry fee for Spectator Class .
For more information: P.O. Box 534 Joaquin, Texas 75954Where will the prizes be given away?
| A．East Texas. | B．Joaquin, Texas |
| C．The Boles Field. | D．Sawmill Town. |
The competitor completing all miles on time on a 1980 model motorcycle will get_____.
| A．180 points. | B．220 points. |
| C．200 points. | D．20 points. |
From the passage we can know ______.
| A．the Spectator Class can take part free of charge. |
| B．the Road Endurance Run is non-stop. |
| C．the route should be covered within at most 10 hours. |
| D．The riders have to ride a distance of 200 miles. |
What does the underlined word ”eligible” mean ?
| A．Qualified. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Grateful. | D．Desperate. |
What type of writing is this text?
| A．An exhibition guide. | B．An art show review. |
| C．An announcement. | D．An official report. |
As more and more people speak the global languages of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will likely die out by the next century, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations- UNESCO and National Geographic among them –have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect.
Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi with an Ethnolinguistic Introduction to the Speakers and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, looking and raising a family in a village in Nepal.
Documenting the Tangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayans reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record.
At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials- including photographs, films, tap recordings, and field notes- which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection.
Now, through the two organizations that he has founded—the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project- Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to scholars but to the youngers.
Generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected. Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet. Turin notes, the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities.According to the passage, many experts like Mark Turin are devoted to ____.
| A．looking for the lost languages |
| B．spreading the knowledge of global languages |
| C．saving the languages that are dying out |
| D．organizing new language research groups |
Why some languages are dying out?
| A．Because some people are ashamed of their native language. |
| B．Because the local people are forbidden to use them. |
| C．Because the global languages are widely used . |
| D．Because the people who use them are dying out. |
What does Turin do in his work?
| A．Listen, copy and store. |
| B．Copying, experiment and protect. |
| C．Protect , collect and report. |
| D．Document, protect and reconnect. |
Which of the following may be useful in Turin’s work?
| A．Cameras and radios. | B．Recorders and computers. |
| C．Telescopes and TVs. | D．Telephones and fax. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Some scientists are trying to rescue disappearing languages. |
| B．Some languages are becoming extinct. |
| C．There are various languages in the world. |
| D．Not all languages are in use. |