Traveling without a map in different countries, I find out about different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map: they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely, “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!
However, one thing will help you everywhere in the world. It’s body language.Which one of the followings is probably an example of Japanese directions?
A.“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
B.“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school. The library is right in front of you.” |
C.“The post office is about five minutes from here” |
D.“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
People in Los Angeles don’t give directions in miles because _________.
A.they use landmarks in their directions instead of distance |
B.t![]() |
C.they often have no idea of distance measured by miles |
D.they prefer to use body language |
Greeks give directions by __________.
A.using street names | B.using landmarks |
C.leading people the way | D.giving people a wrong direction |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.There are different ways to give directions in different parts of the world. |
B.People in Yucatan give wrong directions on purpose. |
C.People in some places give directions using landmarks. |
D.People in some places give directions in time. |
What does the writer want to tell us?
A.It's difficult to travel without a map. |
B.It's important to use body language when you are travelling. |
C.In different countries, there are different styles of directions. |
D.You can't trust everyone when you are travelling. |
Promised yourself to quit smoking in the new year, but just can't stop lighting up? You're not alone, with an Australian survey showing that only 3 percent of smokers who made such resolutions stuck with them.
An online poll of just over 1,000 people, conducted ahead of the launch of a video game designed to help smokers quit, showed one in four Australians made New Year's resolutions to quit —— but more than half went back on their word within a week.Some 15 percent lit up within hours of making the pledge, the survey showed,
The research revealed that seven out of ten smokers have tried to kick the habit at some point.
"Our research shows that the majority of smokers in Australia want to quit but are struggling to stick to their resolution.For most people, the desire to stop smoking is not enough, "Edward Fong, general manager of Ubisoft, the videogame manufacturer selling the anti— smoking software, said in a statement.
According to the survey, Australian smokers light up an average of 13.8 cigarettes every day or 5,037 cigarettes a year.There are currently 2.63 million smokers in Australia, which equates to 16 percent of the population over the age of 18, with women on average making more attempts to quit than men.The World Health Organization says smoking kills about 4 million people each year, causing a quarter of deaths related to heart disease.The organization estimates that by 2030, more than 8 million people will die from tobacco - related causes each year, mainly in developing countries.According to the passage, _______ succeeded in giving up smoking.
A.most of the smokers | B.None of the smokers |
C.a few of the smokers | D.a quarter of the smokers |
The research shows that ______.
A.some 70% of smokers have quitted smoking |
B.about 15% of smokers give up smoking only a few hours |
C.the number of men smokers are more than that of women ones |
D.all the smokers want to quit smoking |
What is the population over the age of 18 in Australia?
A.2.63million. | B.4 million. |
C.16.44 million. | D.8 million. |
The number of smokers dying from tobacco — related causes each year by 2030 is.
A.about one million | B.about two million |
C.more than 4 million | D.more than 8 million |
Where do you suppose this passage is probably taken from?
A.Health magazine. | B.Evening paper. |
C.Office Report. | D.Science-Journal. |
Do you love music? I’d like to introduce you to a band today. The Lumineers is a band based in Denver, Colorado. The group released its first album The Lumineers in April, 2012. Recently, the record went gold, meaning 500, 000 copies had been sold. That is really a large number. Critics have mostly praised the album The Lumineers. Some have called the album’s sound “expansive”, and its songs “creative”.
The most popular song from the album is Ho, Hey. It is Number One on three Billboard singles charts: rock, adult Pop and alternative. A lot of people think of Ho, Hey as a love song. And The Lumineers say it is. But lead singer and guitarist (吉它手) Wesley Schultz says it is also about his personal struggles when he was living and working in New York City.
The three members of The Lumineers were excited when asked to perform at the Grammy nominations (提名) concert. But they were also very surprised when they were named as Grammy nominees. The band is up for(被提名) Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Americana Album. Drummer Jeremiah Fraites told reporters, “We had no idea. ”
Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz grew up in New Jersey and have been playing music together for about eight years. They found cellist (大提琴手) Neyla Pekarek, a native of Denver, after they moved to that city. Neyla Pekarek told one reporter that the band’s style developed naturally. She said it came from a lot of writing, experimenting and making changes to let the lyrics tell the stories they were meant to tell.
We leave you with one of those stories. This is Stubborn Love from the album The Lumineers. Hope you’ll enjoy their staging.What do we know about the album The Lumineers from Paragraph 1?
A.It includes some old songs. |
B.It didn’t sell well at first. |
C.It was released recently. |
D.It is a great success. |
By listening to Ho, Hey, we can learn something about ________.
A.Wesley Schultz’s struggles in New York City |
B.the happy times of Wesley Schultz as a singer |
C.three Billboard singles charts in New York City |
D.a touching love story that happened in New York City |
What is implied about The Lumineers in Paragraph 3?
A.They didn’t expect they would be nominated Grammy awards. |
B.They didn’t want to perform at the Grammy nominations concert. |
C.They were very calm when told they were nominated Grammy awards. |
D.They were surely to win the Grammy award for Best Americana Album. |
What is this passage mainly about?
A.People’s opinions on the album The Lumineers. |
B.The struggles of a band named The Lumineers. |
C.A song from a famous band in the United States. |
D.A band that has been nominated Grammy awards. |
Where is this passage probably taken from?
A.A newspaper. | B.A radio program. |
C.A magazine. | D.A textbook. |
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner(囚犯,俘虏) of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. “We have one more gift for you. ” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained. “I worked so hard for my bike. and it’s not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn’t have to do anything for it. ” My dad smiled. “She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her,” he said. What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me. He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend.What do we know about the author’s bike?
A.It was worth $120. | B.Allen bought it for him. |
C.It was very fashionable. | D.He didn’t like it actually. |
Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
A.He had paid off his debt. |
B.He had learned to ride a bike. |
C.He could also own Liz’s bike. |
D.He could sell his bike to Liz. |
Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
A.His sister got a new record player. |
B.His father didn’t care about him. |
C.The record player wasn’t new. |
D.His sister got a better gift. |
Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt ________.
A.moved | B.satisfied | C.puzzled | D.disappointed |
The author finally realized that ________.
A.the new bike actually belonged to him |
B.the new bike wasn’t bought by his father |
C.his father actually gave him a more valuable gift |
D.his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact |
In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’ t well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There are a lot of things on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well being than family relationships.”
Bella DePaulo, a visiting psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on single people and friendships, notes that in many studies, friendship has an even greater effect on health than a spouse or a family member.
It isn’ t entirely clear why friendship has such a big effect. It may be because people with strong social ties also have better access to health services and care. Beyond that, however, friendship clearly has a profound psychological effect. People with strong friendships are less likely than others to get colds, perhaps because they have lower stress levels.
Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone.
The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.
“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen A.Roberto, director of the center for gerontology (老年医学) at Virginia Tech.“ Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”What’ s the main idea of the passage?
A.People should make friends as many as possible. |
B.Friendships do great good to human health. |
C.People with friends have optimistic attitude. |
D.Several studies have been done on friendships. |
Which of the following is true?
A.People haven’t attached importance to friendships. |
B.A friend can replace doctors and selfhelp books. |
C.People with many friends may have higher stress levels. |
D.People who have friends tend to be fat. |
The author mentioned the study in the last three paragraphs to indicate that ________.
A.students should climb the steep hill with friends |
B.it takes a long time to make friends |
C.a friend in need is a friend indeed |
D.people accompanied by friends remain optimistic in the face of difficulty |
In Paragraph 2 the author aims to tell us ________.
A.friendship has a strong physical effect on people’s health |
B.we cannot be too careful when making friends |
C.older people are likely to have fewer friends |
D.60 percent of the people without friends will become fat when they get old |
According to Karen A. Roberto, ________.
A. the effect of friendships is overvalued
B. studies on friendships make our life better
C. friends are more important than family members
D. friends can help each other when faced with problems
“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried out the tragedy, “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人).”
He grew up, handsome. A favourite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people,” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
A.Because her son had a tiny face. |
B.Because she saw her son crying. |
C.Because her son was born imperfect. |
D.Because her son was in her arms. |
Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
A.Nervous. | B.Sympathetic. | C.Proud. | D.Angry. |
Who gave the son the ears?
A.A doctor. | B.His father. |
C.His mother. | D.A stranger. |
The underlined word “reveal” in the last but one paragraph means “________”.
A.see | B.show | C.find | D.search |
The best title for the passage would be ________.
A.Mother’s hair |
B.An unforgettable memory |
C.Who gave me the ears? |
D.Who is my best respectable person? |