Paul, the oracle octopus (神算章鱼), was given a replica (复制品) of the World Cup as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in predicting the results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible supernatural powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the German team’s five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
“We have had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his usual job-making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Pual with the World Cup replica.
There’s no rational(合理的)reasons why Paul always got it right. Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s guess, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I’ve ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them. We had people coming in saying they didn’t know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It’s funny. But he kept getting it right.” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet(累计下注)on Paul’s prediction from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds($4,500)by the end of the tournament.
Paul’s home at Sea Life aquarium(水族馆)in Oberhausen has been crowded with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his predicting live. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday, 12 July, 2010. Paul was rewarded a replica of the Word Cup because he .
A.will celebrate his birthday soon |
B.predicted the results of matches accurately |
C.helped beat Netherlands in the final |
D.helped many fans earn much money |
If a fan had placed a 200-pound accumulator bet on Paul’s prediction, he would have won
during the tournament.
A.$30,000 | B.$45,000 | C.$60,000 | D.$90,000 |
The underlined word “tipped” in the 2nd paragraph probably means .
A.ordered | B.announced | C.predicted | D.helped |
From what Sharpe said we can learn that .
A.it’s amazing for Paul to make more exact prediction than people |
B.octopus like Paul may all have the ability to predict exactly |
C.it’s common for people to believe in sea life for prediction |
D.we’d better not bet with animals when we have trouble making our picks |
We can learn from this passage that .
A.Paul used to be children’s favorite sea life |
B.it’s useless to bet with the oracle octopus |
C.Paul was born with the ability to predict World Cup results |
D.Germany will never be beaten if Paul stays with them |
Item 78431 The Video Camera Pen
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This is the pen that has a built-in video camera, capturing (拍摄,录制) videos or still images with a click of its button.Ideal for use while secured in a pocket, it can capture up to five hours of video. Its battery provides up to two hours of power before requiring a recharge.
Item 78098 The Wristwatch Camcorder
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This is the men’s watch with an unnoticeable camera located at the two-o’clock position, yet the watch’s hands never make it covered.So you’ll be always ready to capture a famous person or a pet’s ridiculous actions. The camera’s rechargeable battery provides up to two hours of use from a four-hour charge.
Item 77918 The only 55 Inch Widescreen Personal Movie Theater
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This is the only personal media viewer that provides a private viewing experience just like watching a widescreen 55 inch television from 10 meters away.It connects to a video iPod, iPhone, portable DVD player with two AA batteries providing up to six hours of continuous operation.
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This is the watch that vividly displays 120 of your favorite digital photographs.You can download digital photographs to the watch.The watch can be viewed in the Photo Album mode (模式) or digital mode (time and date view).A six-hour charge provides up to 10 days of useWhat’s the purpose of this passage?
A.To advertise some goods. | B.To show how fashionable the items are. |
C.To teach how to operate the items. | D.To compare some goods. |
What do Item 78431 and Item 78098 have in common according to this passage?
A.They both sell well. | B.They are both cheap. |
C.They both have unusual appearances. | D.They both can take photos. |
If you’re a movie fan, you probably show strong interest in ________
A.Item78098 | B.Item77918 |
C.Item77281 | D.Item78431 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.In fact, Item 78098 cannot tell time |
B.All the items include rechargeable batteries. |
C.In a way, Item 77281 is user-friendly. |
D.Item 77918 works as a DVD player. |
英语中有一句谚语“A friend in need is a friend in indeed.”你班正在举行以”交友之道”为主题的英语演讲比赛,请以此为题并根据下面的提示写一篇120词左右的演讲稿。开头已给出,不计入总词数。
提示:1.对人要友善,用微笑吸引人;
2.要善解人意,设身处地地为别人着想。
3.不要吵架,遇事要商量
4.关心别人要胜过关心自己
5.不要相信那些在危机时刻背离朋友的人。
6.根据你对交友之道的理解,进行适当的补充,并发表自己的看法。
How to make friends
Good morning,everyone!
The topic of my speech today is “How to make friends”.
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for listening.
●Ms Tan, you’ve referred to your new novel as your eighth book.
That’s because it took me six or seven attempts at a second novel before I started and completed this one.
●Why do you think you had so many false starts?
I would say that my reasons were wrong. I was trying to prove that I wasn’t just a mother-daughter storyteller, or I was trying to prove that I didn’t just have to write about things that were strictly Chinese or Chinese-American. Those were never the right reasons for writing those early stories. And I could never come up with other better reasons for continuing them.
●What kept you going on this book?
This book was different because it was based on my mother’s real life. The reason for writing it became more personal and emotional. After The Joy Luck Club came out, my mother was always explaining to people that she wasn’t any of the mothers in that book. And at one point she said to me, “Next book tells my true story.” And then she started telling me things I never knew before. She also told me many, many stories, because my mother doesn’t generalize(笼统地表达). The book really grew out of that.
●Have you ever visited China?
Yes. I’ve been there twice: about three years ago and then again last November, both times with my mother and my husband.
●Was it difficult to understand the Chinese-American dialect(方言) without sounding like a parody(拙劣的模仿)?
No, because it’s the language I’ve heard all my life from my mother. She speaks English as it’s direct translation from Chinese. But it’s more than that. Her language also has more imagery than English.
●Can you think of an example?
Somebody might say to me, “Don’t work so hard. You’ll kill yourself.” My mother will say to me,“Why do you press all your brains out on this page for someone else?” So it’s very vivid. That’s the way she talks.
●Have many readers told you that the Chinese mother in your book reminded them of the typical Jewish (有癖好的) mother?
Many people have told me that. I think the mother-daughter relationship is very intense(紧张) in both cases. Culturally there is an acceptance that mothers have the power to tell their children, especially their daughters, how to conduct their lives --- not simply up until the time they are 18, but for the rest of their lives. However, when children grow up in a different culture from their parents’,they tend to keep more secrets from their parents. The children think, “They just wouldn’t understand that I had to do this.” And that can really create a gap, and it can grow as the number of secrets grows.Based on the questions in this interview, what do you think Ms Tan’ s profession is?
A.A journalist. | B.A story-writer. | C.An interviewer. | D.An interviewee. |
What’ s TRUE about Tan’ s second book?
A.It’ s about her real life in America. |
B.The name of the book is The Joy Luck Club. |
C.It is the result of many times of carefull thought. |
D.It includes many works of her mother. |
Which question is NOT answered in the interview?
A.How does she think of her mother’ s language? |
B.How many books does she plan to write? |
C.When did she visit China? |
D.How is generation gap created? |
We can infer that________.
A.Tan’ s mother is a good storyteller |
B.Tan plans to write another book about her mother |
C.Tan plans to return to China |
D.Tan’ s mother is hard to communicate with because of personality |
The last paragraph mainly talks about________.
A.how to keep secrets from parents |
B.how to deal with the mother-daughter relationship |
C.how to conduct the lives |
D.how the generation gap comes about |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob (烤肉串)hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customer especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Easrern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled wit food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordably but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill(烤肉架).
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Jooieh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken picccs served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a plan that should not be overlooked.When first entering the restaurant ,one can find that it .
A.is splendidly decorated. | B.has pleasant smells of kabobs. |
C.is crowded with dining table. | D.looks like a common restaurant. |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
A.Watching news events on TV. | B.Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
C.Reading local English newspaper. | D.Discussing world topics in loe voices. |
The food of the restaurant .
A.is served in small amounts. | B.is rather expensive. |
C.is rich in verity. | D.is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
A.Rice | B.Chicken | C.Bread | D.Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that restaurant .
A.occupies |
B.owns a favorable location |
C.is popular for its special food |
D.has a quiet environment inside |
I went into Harrods in London (a huge department store I am sure you have heard of) to buy some Minton china plates for a wedding anniversary which was to be a group gift from friends to other friends in Geneva.
Having only 30 minutes between meeting. I whizzed there in a taxi from the office and battled through the milling people on the 2nd day of the sales on the ground floor up to the 5th to the china department. There was a man standing there who was obviously a sales person who I rushed up to and asked if he had this particular china in stock and if it would take long to wrap, etc. He was amazing. He got the plates in seconds, wrapped them up and asked me if I wanted a store card, to which I replied no, because I lived in Switzerland, to which he replied asking if, as I lived abroad, would like a tax rebate form(退税表). After that he showed me what to do, produced a map of the store and told me where I should go for the formalities(程序). That was fabulous! I thanked him and said what wonderful service he had given me. I even asked if he gave this to everyone, to which he answered: “I’m just doing what is required at Harrods”. With that, a tall man in a gray suit approached me and offered his hand to shake mine saying, “Can I introduce myself? I am the Chief Executive of Harrods and what an interesting conversation I have just heard…” He had been wandering through the store (as you should do as a hands-on CEO) and had overheard me thanking this salesman, whose face, I can hardly describe, was frozen in a mixture of delight awe and astonishment!
Can you imagine the salesman going home to his family and friends recounting what the CEO spoke to him after overhearing him being praised by a customer?The writer went to Harrods to __________.
A.kill time | B.buy some gifts | C.go sightseeing | D.shop for her wedding |
What does the underlined word “whiz” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.drive | B.arrive | C.rush | D.leave |
Which of the following sentences can best replace “I’m just doing what is required at Harrods” in the second paragraph?
A.“I’m an honest man.” |
B.“I must obey the rules.” |
C.“Harrods is strict with its employees.” |
D.“Anybody will receive our good service.” |
As soon as she bought what she wanted, the writer________.
A.went to a meeting. | B.flew back to Geneva |
C.visited one of her friends | D.attended a wedding ceremony |
The writer wrote the above passage because she thought what she had experience was so ____.
A.pleasant | B.strange | C.exciting | D.amusing |