Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners (小饭馆 )for these reasons, too. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first "diner" in 1872. It wasn't really a diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late- night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in a diner at any time. Diners changed in other way, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually building with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as Mc Donald's and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.What kind of meal did the first "diner" serve?
| A．Only breakfast. | B．Only lunch. | C．Only supper. | D．All of the above. |
According to Paragraph 3, diners changed in .
| A．two ways | B．three ways | C．four ways | D．five ways |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Diners existed before fast-food restaurants. |
| B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee. |
| C．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant. |
| D．Sandwiches became bigger. |
The main idea of the passage is that .
| A．the diner is a traditional, popular place to eat in the United States |
| B．Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside |
| C．American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers |
| D．diners are different from fast food restaurants in many ways. |
There is a common belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever considered spelling unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, quite different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely in writing without holding him back with spelling.
If spelling becomes the only point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will write only words within his spelling range (范围). That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience:“This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes.” It may have been a sharp criticism(批评) of the pupils technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad thing for the teacher who had omitted (略过) to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes, but if his priority had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more hope to seek improvement.The expression “play safe” probably means ____.
| A．to write carefully | B．to do as teachers say |
| C．to use dictionaries frequently | D．to avoid using words one is not sure of |
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that____.
| A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely |
| B．teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes |
| C．students will have more trust in writing |
| D．students will learn to spell words correctly |
The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgement on that sensitive piece of writing is____.
| A．reasonable | B．unfair | C．foolish | D．careless |
The major point discussed in the passage is _______.
| A．the importance of developing writing skills |
| B．the importance of spelling |
| C．the correct way of marking composition |
| D．the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition |
About 30 years ago, I left Cuba for the United States with my son. After getting settled finally in Brunswick, New Jersey, I enrolled(注册) my son in kindergarten. Several weeks later, my son’s teacher asked me to meet him at his office.
In the teacher’s office, and exchange of greetings was followed by his questions: “ Is your son mentally retarded(弱智的)? Does he suffer from any kind of mental disability?”
Was he talking about my wonderful Scola? No, no, it can’t be. What a helpless, lonely moment! I told him that Scola was a quiet, sweet little boy, instead. I asked him why he was asking me all these questions.
My son could not follow the teacher’s directions, he told me, and thus, Scola was disrupting the class. Didn’t he know my son did not speak English yet?
He was angry: “ Why hasn’t your son been taught to speak English? Don’t you speak English at home?”
No, I didn’t speak English at home, I replied. I was sure my son would learn English in a couple of months, and I didn’t want him to forget his native language. Well, wrong answer! What kind of person would not speak in English to her son at home and at all times? “ Are you one of those people who come to this country to save dollars and sent them back to their country, never wanting to be a part of this society?”
Needless to say, I tried to tell him I was not one of “ those people.” Then he told me the meeting was over, and I left.
As I had expected, my son learned to speak English fluently before the school year was over. He went on to graduate from college and got a job, earning close to six figures. He travels widely and leads a well-adjusted, contented life. And he has benefited from being bilingual(双语的)。
Speaking more than one language allows people to communicate with others; it teaches people about other cultures and other places- something very basic and obviously lacking in the “educator” I met in New Jersey.The teacher asked the author to his office________.
| A．to work out a study plan for Scola |
| B．to get Scola enrolled in kindergarten |
| C．to discuss Scola’s in-class performance |
| D．to find a language partner for Scola |
What does the underlined word “disrupting” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Attending | B．Disturbing | C．Breaking | D．Following |
The author’s attitude towards being bilingual may best be described as __________.
| A．positive | B．critical | C．casual | D．passive |
This text is likely to be selected from a book of __________.
| A．geography | B．medicine | C．history | D．education |
HONG KONG — Hong Kong Disneyland is too crowded, a senior Chinese tourism official said today, hinting that another Disney Park is necessary to accommodate demand from China’s huge population.
The comments by Shao Qiwei, director of China’s State Administration of Tourism, came a day after Shanghai’s mayor Han Zheng said the city was preparing to build China’s second Disney theme park.
“China has a very large population. We now have 1.3 billion people. The market is very large. As far as I know, Hong Kong Disneyland is now very crowded,” said Shao, whose comments were broadcast on Hong Kong’s Cable TV.
The Hong Kong theme park, which opened in September, was widely criticized in January when it turned away hundreds of Lunar New Year holiday makers from mainland China because the park was full. Chaos(混乱) erupted when angry crowds tried to force their way into the park.
The embarrassing incident prompted a public apology from Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest and a dressing down from Hong Kong’s leader Donald Tsang. Authorities are carefully studying the issue of overcrowding in preparation for the possible building of the Disney park in Shanghai, Shao said.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that no agreement has been reached on the park in Shanghai, quoting senior vice president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Leslie Goodman. Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government, which shouldered the bulk of the park’s construction fees.Why is it necessary to build a Disney park in Shanghai?
| A．Hong Kong Disneyland can’t meet the need of the large population. |
| B．Hong Kong Disneyland is too small and very crowded. |
| C．Hong Kong Disney Park was criticized by tourists. |
| D．Hong Kong Disneyland is far from the mainland. |
Hundreds of visitors from Mainland China got angry because ________.
| A．the services in the park were not as good as expected | B．they were not allowed to go into the park |
| C．the park was too crowded | D．chaos happened at the entrance to the park |
The building of a Disney park in Shanghai ________.
| A．has been agreed to by The Walt Disney Co. |
| B．is financed The Walt Disney Co. |
| C．will be in the charge of the Shanghai government |
| D．remains to be discussed with The Walt Disney Co. |
In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride(搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured(使…放心) me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favor I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.”
I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.The author had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because __________.
| A．her work delayed her trip to Sydney | B．she missed the only train back home |
| C．the town was far away from Sydney | D．she was going home for her holidays |
Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?
| A．He watched the girl for three hours. | B．He gave the girl a ride back home. |
| C．He bought sandwiches for the girl. | D．He helped the girl find a ride. |
The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that______.
| A．she was going to the nearby town | B．she had known him for decades |
| C．she wanted to repay the favor she once got | D．she realized he was Gordon |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Those who give rides will be repaid. | B．Giving sometimes produces nice results. |
| C．Good manners bring about happiness. | D．People should offer free rides to others. |
Lucy: Hi, Kate. What are you doing tonight?
Kate: ___________ Any suggestions?
Lucy: ___________ I’m planning it for days.
Kate: A 3D film? Who stars?
Lucy: Suraj Sharma, a handsome young actor.
Kate: Oh! ____________
Lucy: An Indian boy’s unusual experience with a tiger at sea.
Kate: __________ What time is it on?
Lucy: Half past six. __________
Kate: Sure. When and where shall we meet?
Lucy: Let’s meet around six at the gate of Oscar Cinema.
Kate: Great. See you then.
| A．How about seeing the 3D film Life of Pi? |
| B．What about going to a concert? |
| C．Not decided yet. |
| D．What is it about? |
E. Wow, sounds cool.
F. Could you pick me up?
G. Do you want to join me?