Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict(冲突) . It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end, they fell apart.
One morning, a man with a carpenter’s toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said, “I have a job for you. Look at the farm across the creek（河沟）. My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer（推土机）to dig the creek last week to spite(刁难) me. So I want you to build me a fence, an 8 – foot – high fence, in order not to see his place any more.” The carpenter smiled and said, “I see. I’ll try to do a job that satisfies you.” Then the elder brother went downtown.
At sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide! To his surprise, there was no fence there at all! Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming to him with the hands outstretching. The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder.
“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other work for you,” said the elder brother.
“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”What was the life like for the two brothers before the conflict?
| A．They lived a poor life. | B．They lived in peace. |
| C．They never spoke to each other. | D．They lived on the same farm. |
It can be learned that the carpenter was ________.
| A．unwilling to obey the farmer | B．fond of building bridges |
| C．unable to build a fence | D．willing to help others |
The best title for t
his passage is ________.
| A．A Fine Piece of Work | B．A Carpenter |
| C．A Conflict between Two Brothers | D．Two Brothers |
Whi
ch of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The elder brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek. |
| B．The elder brother helped the carpenter build the bridge. |
| C．The brothers were both satisfied with the carpenter’s work. |
| D．The carpenter planned to build an 8-foot - high fence as asked to. |
We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.Other drivers thought the author and his wife were _______.
| A．carrying a cupboard to the church |
| B．sending flowers to the church |
| C．carrying nothing but a piece of furniture |
| D．going to attend a funeral at the church |
The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
| A．driving in gathering darkness |
| B．in great sorrow |
| C．driving with wild flowers in the car |
| D．carrying furniture |
What did the husband think of this matter?
| A．It was very strange. | B．He took great pride in it. |
| C．He felt ashamed of it. | D．He was puzzled at it. |
Scientists fear rising energy bills may lead to an increase in obesity （肥胖） after discovering a link between poorly-heated homes and higher body -fat．
Researchers from the University of Stirling’s Behavioural Science Centre set out to explore claims that warm indoor temperatures have contributed to rising obesity levels in winter．Instead, the team found that people who live in well-heated homes are more likely to have low body mass index （体重指数） levels while those who keep their heating turned down or off tend to be heavier．
Dr Michael Daly, behavioral scientist and senior lecturer, said: "We set out to investigate the scientific claims that cooler indoor temperatures help us maintain a healthy weight by pushing our bodies to use up more energy. In fact, the research suggests people may eat less and burn more energy when in a warmer indoor environment．
The 13-year study, published in the journal Obesity, involved more than 100,000 adults across England．
Researchers found reduced weight levels among people living in homes heated to above 23°C（73F）, which involved about 15,000 of the households studied．
Dr Daly said: "As national gas bills continue to rise faster than the rate of inflation, this research suggests the obesity could worsen where heating is turned down below comfortable levels or off for long periods to cut costs．"
This is not just about people who live in well-heated homes being in the financial position to afford more expensive low-calorie foods, exercise classes and sporting activities, and therefore finding it easier to maintain a low BMI level．The study took age, sex, social class and other factors into account．
"The comfortable temperature of 20°C -23°C is where we feel comfortable in our clothes and are neither hot nor cold．At temperatures above this, we use more energy and we eat less because our appetite is affected．" The findings of the research can be described as ___．
| A．horrible | B．surprising |
| C．funny | D．encouraging |
According to the passage, with rising gas bills, people may turn down or off their heating to______.
| A．stay in shape | B．maintain a low BMI level |
| C．save money | D．avoid eating more |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Obesity links to poorly-heated homes |
| B．Well-heated home's contribute to obesity |
| C．Obesity--- A weighty problem in England |
| D．Rising energy bills help maintain a healthy weight |
Italians were reminded to slow down and relax on World Slow Day, an annual event celebrating life's simple pleasures.
"Let's take this day to stop and think about all the things we miss while we're rushing through our lives," said Bruno Contigiani, the President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. Contigiani, 62, a one-time high-powered manager, is now an ambassador for the slow life movement around the world. He started the first World Slow Day in 2007 to encourage the values of living and working at a more natural pace, and to make people rethink their daily lifestyle.
Contigiani's association suggests "14 commandments (诫条) " for living better, such as waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast without rushing. Others include walking whenever possible, and reading in the evenings instead of watching television.
This year, Contigiani left Italy where the event has spread around the country for Shanghai, one of the fastest moving cities in the world. The slow-living supporter said he wandered around the busiest streets of the commercial center for an entire afternoon, inviting people to "slow down". "Among the ‘14 commandments’, the one about waking up five minutes earlier was the most popular by far, " Contigiani said.
Back in Italy, the now well-known event hosts a lot of activities, such as reminding people to stop and smell the roses. In central Milan you would probably be fined if you walk too fast. In parks and public spaces, free yoga and Tai Chi (太极拳) lessons are important parts of the events.
Italian farmers' union noted that Italians spent less and less time preparing meals, a habit connected to rising levels of obesity（肥胖）. Therefore, the group said World Slow Day was a good opportunity to remind Italians to take extra time at meals in particular.
World Slow Day is by now an international event. A total of 90 “Slow Cities" in 11 countries inspired by the “live well" philosophy are supporting the day. What's the best title of the text?
| A．Slow Life Supporters | B．Lifestyle of Italy |
| C．World Slow Day | D．Living Well |
World Slow Day is intended to .
| A．tell people to walk slowly |
| B．encourage people to enjoy pleasant things |
| C．advise people to adjust to modern lifestyle |
| D．remind people to live and work at a natural pace |
Which of the following goes against the "commandments"?
| A．Walking whenever possible. |
| B．Slowing down to smell flowers. |
| C．Watching TV in the evenings instead of reading. |
| D．Waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast. |
In which section of a newspaper is the text probably put?
| A．Advertisement. | B．Culture. |
| C．Business. | D．Entertainment. |
''If you can see the magic in a fairytale童话）, you can face the future”-- Danielle Steel
Who have not read fairytales? We all have had the experience of taking great delight in the beauty and innocence of fairytales．May it be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty．．．Fairytale is a word which cannot be new to us. But haveyou ever travelled ages back to the earliest of times and uncovered the fascinating facts about these stories?
The history of the fairytale is particularly difficult to track．The oral tradition of the fairytale came long before the written page．The oldest known fairytales date back to ancient Egypt around 1300B.C.and now, after travelling through various periods of time, they have grown and matured in various aspects and have become the most popular forms of stories for young children
The characters and themes of fairytales are simple and similar:Princesses and goose girls, youngest sons and brave princes, wicked, stepmothers, fairy godmothers, talking animals, glass mountains, witches, castles and the like. The tale goes into an unreal world and in this never-never land our heroes kill the enemy, succeed to kingdoms and marry the ever beautiful princesses. W. H Auden said, “The way to read a fairytale is to throw yourself in.” It is very true indeed or you will not be able to feel the ecstasy of reading a fairytale. So whenever you read a fairytale, imagine you arethe hero/heroine and you will be carried to a mysterious land where everything will be as you want.
Every child believes in fairies（仙女), dragons, etc. Yet, as we grow up we fail to believe in these fantasy-based characters．Fairytales are told to children when they are young. This is very essential indeed, for if in the beginning of our lives, our minds are touched by the beauty, innocence and the morals in these tales, we will be able to obtain the optimistic side of happenings．In life, sometimes, believing in such mystics can lead to greathappiness．
Well, I don’t know about you, but I do believe in fairies…and who knows I may someday meet one because, after all, believing is just the beginning! And as J.M. Barries said, “When you say I don’t believe in fairies, a fairy somewhere drops dead.” And I wouldn’t want anyone dead on my account, would you?In Paragraph 1, thewriter mentioned Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to __
| A．tell the beauty and innocence of thefairytales |
| B．present us the fascinating facts behind them |
| C．show us that fairytales are something we are familiar with |
| D．describe his feeling towards fairytales |
The underlined word '"ecstasy" in Paragraph 3 probably means“___”
| A．delight | B．innocence |
| C．mystery | D．the optimistic side |
Why is it important to tell the fairytales to the children when young?
| A．Because they can gain greathappiness． |
| B．Because it is easier for the children to throw themselves in the role |
| C．Because they tend to have wild imagination |
| D．Because when they see the magic in the tales in the beginning, they can face the future |
How do you understand the sentence in the last paragraph "When you say I don't believe in fairies, a fairy somewhere drops dead.” ?
| A．If you don’t believe in the tales, the fairy will be really sad． |
| B．We need the beauty, innocence, and moral of the fairytales to stay optimistic． |
| C．If nobody believes in us, we will be heartbroken． |
| D．The writer is just trying to be humorous by saying this． |
If you didn't look at them, they weren't there, right? On seeing those in rags on the corner, I only wanted the light to turn green fast enough so that I wouldn't have to keep pretending not to see them.
Then, one day, as I was holding the hand of my best friend Jane who was young but dying of breast cancer, she told me that she made every moment count by slowing down and by seeing everything . I held her hand for five years and then she passed away. She did teach me something. It took a while for her words to really sink in. I can be a slow learner.
I started by seeing everything, and focused on their presence. One day I saw a Vietnam veteran(老兵). I asked him what would make his day.
"A hot cup of coffee," he told me.
I bought him a cup of coffee, a stack of pancakes, some eggs, and so on. After our meal together, I asked him if there was anything else that would make his life a bit easier.
"A new pair of socks, "he said.
Socks, really? I actually happened to be wearing a nice pair of wool hiking socks at that very moment. I told him that I wanted to give him the pair I was wearing if he would accept it. Finally he agreed. We sat down on a bench, and he started to first take off his boots, and then remove the black socks that had once been white off his feet. I think a layer or two of skin might have come off with them. Taking his new pair of socks, he held the socks up to his cheeks and said they were warm and smelled as good as me, pools of tears in his eyes.
Such a simple luxury (奢侈品) I used to take for granted. Now I always have an extra pair with me in my car. They are always my best pair, just waiting to be given away. On seeing the homeless, the author used to_______.
| A．act as if they were not there | B．show mercy to them |
| C．hide in the corner | D．make fun of them |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．He was slow in learning things. |
| B．His best friend was once a teacher. |
| C．He was sad that his friend was dying. |
| D．He didn't understand Jane's words at first. |
Why does the author always have an extra pair of socks in his car?
| A．To decorate his car. |
| B．To sell it to others. |
| C．To keep it for a change. |
| D．To donate it to a needy person. |
What does the author want to convey to us?
| A．All men are born equal. |
| B．Don't miss doing any good thing. |
| C．A beggar's purse is bottomless. |
| D．Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. |