It was about midday. I’d left work early in the morning to cash a cheque. I walked along to the bank, and found that there weren’t too many people about ten or eleven customers in there, which was pretty unusual for those central city banks.
I waited until it was my turn and just went up to the desk and started to talk to the bank clerk. He had a really strange expression
on his face -- just sort of blank stare at least I thought he was looking at me and then I realized he was staring over my shoulder.
I began to turn round to see what he was looking at. At the same moment the outside bank guard came flying through the door and lay face down on the floor and following him through the door were three frightening masked men. They were carrying guns; at least I think the one in front was carrying a gun. Whether or not they said anything at that point I can’t remember to this day, or whether people just automatically put their hands up I’ve just no idea.
For a few moments there was just total silence, suddenly broken by the telephone ringing and I remember thinking and wondering who was on the other end of the telephone. Nobody went to answer the telephone, so this thing just kept on ringing and ringing. Then two of the masked men went to the counter, jumped over it and got the cashiers and the bank clerks to start filling the bags with cash. While the two were getting the money, the one at the door who was covering us with the gun was a bit frightened. He started swearing at them, and telling them to hurry up, to get a move on. They jumped back over the counter. One of them slipp
ed as he landed on the floor and fell over and the other two swore at him again. They left through the door. Warning us, “Don’t move, stay like that with your hands up for ten minutes.” And then they just disappeared. Again back to total silence. People put their hands down, I put my hands down but I just stayed exactly where I was.What does the writer mean by saying “…a pretty unusual number for those central banks” in the first paragraph?
| A．More customers than usual were staying in the bank. |
| B．Less bank clerks than expected were in the bank. |
| C．There were often more than a dozen customers in the bank. |
| D．More banks should be open to serve customers in the city center. |
The bank clerk wore a blank expression on his face probably because ________.
| A．he was feeling upset at that moment |
| B．he felt puzzled and sensed something terrible |
| C．he was required to keep silence |
| D．he was threatened with a gun by robbers |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The customers didn’t wait in line but jumped the queue because of the confusion. |
| B．All the people in the bank except the writer put their hands up automatically. |
| C．Nobody answered the phone because all the clerks were busy with work. |
| D．the bank workers were forced to fill the robbers’ bags with cash. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．A Street Gang | B．A Strange Bank |
| C．A Bank Robbery | D．A Horrible Adventure |
To extinguish (熄灭) different kinds of fires, several types of fire extinguishers have been invented. They must be ready for immediate use when fire breaks out. Most portable (手提式的) kinds operate for less than a minute, so they are useful only on small fires. The law requires ships, trains, buses and planes to carry extinguishers.
Since fuel, oxygen and heat must be present in order for fire to exist, one or more of these things must be removed or reduced to extinguish a fire. If the heat is reduced by cooling the material below a certain temperature, the fire goes out. The cooling method is the most common way to put out a fire. Water is the best cooling material because it is low in cost and easy to get.
Another method of extinguishing fire is by cutting off the oxygen. This is usually done by covering the fire with sand, steam or some other things. A blanket may be used do cover a small fire.
A third method is called separation, which includes removing the fuel, or material easy to burn, from a fire, so that it can find no fuel.
The method that is used to put out a fire depends upon the type of fire. Fires have been grouped in three classes. Fires in wood, paper, cloth and the like are called Class A fires. These materials usually help keep the fire on. Such fires can be stopped most readily by cooling with water.If a fire breaks out on a bus, which of the follow should be ready there for you to use?
| A．Sand | B．Water | C．A blanket. | D．An extinguisher. |
To cover a small piece of burning wood with a basin in order to stop the fire is an example of .
| A．cutting off the oxygen | B．reducing the heat |
| C．removing the fuel | D．separating the fire |
In choosing how to put out a fire, we should first be clear about .
| A．when it breaks out | B．what kind it is |
| C．how it comes about | D．where it takes place |
What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Another type of extinguishers |
| B．Another class of fires |
| C．How fires break out. |
| D．How fires can be prevented. |
The technology is great. Without it we wouldn’t have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean’s depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves.
Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who’ve come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don’t have throat cancer, and it’s just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet “school” of medicine does not guarantee accurate self-health-checks.
One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, “I know what’s wrong; I’ve got throat cancer. I know there’s nothing you doctors can do about it and I’ve just got to wait until the day comes.”
As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn’t right. “Did your local doctor do an X-ray?” I asked. “Oh, I haven’t been to the doctor for years,” she replied. “I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that’s what I had.”
However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn’t fit with it—but she’d just ignored this.
I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn’t the cancer but tuberculosis (肺结核)—something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did.
Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. “I’m so embarrassed,” she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should have a microwave sausage while I waited?Mrs. Almond talked about her illness calmly because ______.
| A．she had purchased medicine online |
| B．she thought she knew it well |
| C．she graduated from a medical school |
| D．she had been treated by local doctors |
It was lucky for Mrs. Almond ______.
| A．to have contacted many friends |
| B．to have recovered in a short time |
| C．to have her disease identified in time |
| D．to have her assumption confirmed |
Mrs. Almond said “I’m so embarrassed” (Para. 7) because ______.
| A．she had distrusted her close friends |
| B．she had to tell the truth to the doctor |
| C．she had to refuse the doctor’s advice |
| D．she had caused unnecessary trouble |
By mentioning the breakdown of the computer, the author probably wants to prove ______.
| A．it’s a must to take a break at work |
| B．it’s vital to believe in IT experts |
| C．it’s a danger to work long hours on computers |
| D．it’s unwise to simply rely on technology |
People fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944, when she starred in National Velvet—the story of Velvet Brown, a young girl who wins the first place in a famous horse race. At first, the producers of the movie told Taylor that she was too small to play the part of Velvet. However, they waited for her for a few months as she exercised and trained—and added three inches to her height in four months! Her acting in National Velvet is still considered the best by a child actress.
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London, four years after her parents, both Americans, had moved there for business reasons in 1928. When World War II started, the Taylor moved to Beverly Hills, California, and there Elizabeth started acting in movies. After her success as a child star, Taylor had no trouble moving into adult roles and won twice for Best Actress: Butterfield (1960) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? (1966)
Taylor’s fame（名声）and popularity gave her a lot of power with the movie industry, so she was able to demand very high pay for her movies. In 1963, she received $1 million for her part in Cleopatra—the highest pay received by any star up to that time.
Elizabeth Taylor is a legend (传奇人物) of our time. Like Velvet Brown in National Velvet, she has been lucky, she has beauty, fame and wealth. But she is also a hard worker. Taylor seldom acts in movies any more. Instead, she puts her time and efforts into her businesses, and into helping others—several years ago, she founded an organization that has raised more than $40 million for research and education.The producers didn’t let Taylor play the part of Velvet at first because they thought she ____.
| A．was too young |
| B．was small in size |
| C．did not play well enough |
| D．did not show much interest |
What Elizabeth Taylor and Velvet Brown had in common was that they were both _____.
| A．popular all their lives |
| B．famous actresses |
| C．rich and kind-hearted |
| D．successful when very young |
Taylor became Best Actress at the age of .
| A．12 | B．28 | C．32 | D．34 |
In her later life, Elizabeth Taylor devoted herself to .
| A．turning herself into a legend |
| B．collecting money for the poor |
| C．doing business and helping others |
| D．do research and education work |
Children find meanings in their old family tales.
When Stephen Guyer’s three children were growing up, he told them stories about how his grandfather, a banker, all in the 1930s, but did not lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the darkest times his strong-minded grandfather was nearly , he loaded his family into the car and them to see family members in Canada with a ,“there are more important things in life than money. ”
The took on a new meaning recently when Mr. Guyer downsized to a house from a more expensive and comfortable one. He was that his children, a daughter, 15, and twins, 22, would be upset. To his surprise, they weren’t. , their reaction echoed （与---共鸣） their great-grandfather’s. What they was how warm the people were in the house and how of their heart was accessible.
Many parents are finding family stories have surprising power to help children hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in a storytelling events and festivals.
A university of 65 families with children aged from 14 to 16 found kids’ ability to parents’ stories was linked to a lower rate of anger and anxiety.
The is telling the stories in a way children can . We’re not talking here about the kind of story that , “ When I was a kid, I walked to school every day uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow. ” Instead, we should choose a story suited to the child’s , and make eye contact to create “a personal experience”, We don’t have to tell children they should take from the story and what the moral is. ”
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As your charming child changes into a rebellious teenager, take a deep breath and have a good look at the situation before you throw up your arms in anger or distress. Your teen takes a vital step towards adulthood by way of fighting against your rules, regulations and attitudes. Moving beyond their previous dependence on parents, teachers and other adults, teens learn to make decisions, understand the consequences of their behavior and get ready to take on adult responsibilities.
The growing need for independence sits at the heart of teenage rebellion. Many teens prefer to use peers as role models and often begin to question the reasoning behind home and school boundaries as they step closer to adulthood. The physical changes involved in adolescence coincide with(与…相一致) emotional, intellectual and moral growth, points out Kids Health---all of these can affect teenagers strongly and leave them feeling at a loss and stressed. They test different types of behavior, and it’s through this testing and boundary pushing that they learn what works and what does not from their own successes and mistakes.
Changes to a teenager’s hair and clothing emphasize her growing independent tastes and highlight her inclusion in a group of friends. Her opinions may begin to differ from yours as she develops her own values, leading to potential conflicts on subjects ranging from television programs to world affairs. A teen may break family rules regarding chores, loud music and schoolwork and find herself facing unwelcome punishment as a result. These acts of rebellion normally occur from time to time rather than continuously. They give teenagers the chance to see the results of their decisions for themselves and learn when rebellion may be a mistake.
Unhealthy patterns of rebellion can include acts of rebellion that increase in frequency. Violent bursts of anger, physically and emotional destructive behavior and offensive language may indicate that your teen feels bitter hatred towards adults and authority and needs help in navigating those feelings. Watch for falling grades, frequent truancy(逃学) from school or sudden changes to friendship, as these could indicate a variety of problems, including drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse.A rebellious teenager has the following characteristics EXCEPT _________.
| A．dependence on parents |
| B．disobeying rules and regulations |
| C．making his own decisions |
| D．preparing to undertake adult duties |
According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that during adolescence teenagers ____.
| A．want to learn from the older generation |
| B．remain unchanged |
| C．are under pressure and feel confused |
| D．need to be told what to do |
The underlined phrase “inclusion in” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __.
| A．fitting in | B．separating from |
| C．competing in | D．fighting for |
In the last paragraph, parents are advised ______.
| A．to leave them alone when their teens behave badly |
| B．to neglect their teens’ possible unfavorable experiences |
| C．to blame their teens for no reason |
| D．to provide their rebellious teens with proper guidance |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Teenage Problems | B．Rebellion against Parents |
| C．Generation Gap | D．Teenage Rebellion |