John Smith was lazy. He had finished his education and was happy to sit in his room and listen to the radio all day long. In fact, he had been doing nothing for almost six months, which worried his father a lot. One day Mr Smith decided that he had to do something. “Johnny, When I was your age 1 was working and supporting my ten brothers and sisters. I want you to go out and get a job.” So that was what he did. In fact, in the next three months, Johnny started ten jobs and was fired from ten jobs. He explained to his father.
“They wanted me to be at work at 8:00 a. m. and told me to do all sorts of unpleasant things.”
“I don’t care how you do it,” Mr Smith said. “Either you earn some money or move out of the house. I gave you one week’s time.”
In the next few days Johnny began to change. He still stayed in his room all day, but spent his time writing letters and reading through the newspapers. More and more posts began to arrive for him. He bought a new suit for himself and invited his parents to the theatre and for dinner afterwards at the most expensive restaurant in town. When his proud parents arrived home after their evening hour, a policeman was waiting at the front door.
“John Smith,” he said as he handed him a piece of paper, “I’ll see you in the court tomorrow.”
When he got outside, Johnny told his parents everything.
“When you told me to earn some money, 1 decided to put an advertisement in the newspaper saying, ‘New way to money fast! Send me $ 5 and I’ll tell you my secret.’ When I received the money I wrote back telling people to do as I do.”
Johnny was fined $ 250 by the court and was ordered to pay all the people back. As he left the court house feeling very ashamed, a newspaper man came up to him, “Young man, would you like to tell your story to my newspaper for $ 2500?”
Johnny was fired from the jobs because _______.
A.he liked listening to the radio |
B.he had a big family to support |
C.he spent a lot of time writing letters |
D.he didn’t do the jobs well |
Johnny put an advertisement in the newspaper about _______ months after he left school.
A.three | B.six | C.nine | D.eleven |
Why was Johnny fined $ 250? _______.
A.Because he was lazy |
B.Because he was out of work |
C.Because he deceived(欺骗) |
D.Because he didn’t pay for his new suit |
What would probably happen at last? _______.
A.Johnny would get $ 2500 from the newspaper |
B.The court would give $ 250 back to Johnny |
C.Johnny would continue to advertise in the newspaper |
D.Johnny would become a newspaper reporter |
Which of the following questions is NOT answered by the information from the passage? _______?
A.How did the parents feel when Johnny invited them to the theatre and dinner |
B.What’s Johnny’s secret |
C.What did the policeman want Johnny to do |
D.How much did Johnny have to pay all the people back |
It is a hot summer day,and you feel thirsty. A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade.How do you feel when you see the glass? Will you describe your feeling as happiness or as pleasure? I believe you will say it is a feeling of pleasure.There is a connection between these two kinds of feelings,and sometimes one causes the other,but they are not the same.Pleasure is more dependent on the five senses while happiness is independent of them.
When you are happy,little unpleasant events usually do not disturb you.When you are unhappy,you feel as if everything is against you.You may compensate for it by eating chocolate and sweets because this gives you pleasure;yet you stay unhappy.A person may smoke cigarettes because it gives him pleasure,yet,this does not make him happier,especially if he knows the fact that it is not good for his health
The physical world is always in a changing state.At each moment a new thing is being created,changed,transformed and then destroyed.This is the normal state of things and no one can change it.If we stay still in a certain state,we are sure to experience unhappiness sooner or later.On the other hand,if we adjust to the environment,nothing can influence our moods.Then outer events have nothing to do with our inner joy of mind.
The room of the mind was filled with worry or fear.If you are free of thinking about them, the room has been emptied,and then you will see what is happening and experience it When your mind stays quiet,you will see that happiness comes from the inside.What does the underlined phrase“compensate for”in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.to make a suitable payment for |
B.to let out your anger for |
C.to provide with a balancing effect for |
D.to solve the problems for |
According to the passage, in which of the following situations can you feel happy?
A.A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade when you feel thirsty. |
B.You eat chocolate and sweets when you feel as if everything is against you. |
C.Smoke cigarettes even though you know the fact that it is not good for your health. |
D.You are free from worry or fear when your mind stays quiet. |
We can learn from the passage.
A.happiness is more dependent on the five senses |
B.pleasure sometimes arouses happiness |
C.you feel happy when nothing around you changes in a certain state |
D.you feel unhappy because you have to adjust to the environment |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Pleasure Leads To Happiness | B.Happiness Changes Us |
C.Happiness Is Within Us | D.Stay A Quiet Mind |
The SAT is one of two major tests for the entrance to American colleges and universities. The other test is called the ACT. More than 2 million students take the SAT yearly, including about 100,000 foreign students. The organization of the SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. The College Board announced that the new SAT will no longer test students on rarely used words. But it will include passages from American historical documents or from writings on freedom and human rights.
The College Board says words on the new test will be related to usage. Students will be asked to tell the meaning of words according to the context of the reading passages. Nigerian student Peace Umoru is in her first year at Howard University. She says the rarely used words are the hardest part for international students. The new test will be easier because of the reform.
Eddie West is with the College Board. He says the new test will better predict a student’s performance in college. The changes are moving the test in a positive direction. The new SAT pays more attention to skills and abilities that students need to succeed. The addition of material about American historical documents could make the test harder for international students. After all, they live in different countries with different cultures. But it’s a good chance for them to understand the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King’s work, or anything else that might be tested.
Students from other countries, particularly those who did not grow up learning English, may feel it is more difficult. For them, the test is in a foreign language. But the College Board says it has formed a free, online educational service. Khan Academy will provide preparation material linked to the newly designed SAT.What will be tested in the new SAT?
A.All the different meanings of a word. |
B.The rare usage of the common words. |
C.The difficult words for foreign students. |
D.The proper meaning of the words in the passages. |
The new SAT could be more difficult for international students because .
A.they are short of skills and abilities |
B.they often perform badly in college |
C.they know nothing about American history |
D.they have different cultural backgrounds |
What’s the main idea of the text?
A.How to prepare for the new SAT. |
B.The SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. |
C.Advice for foreign students on passing the SAT. |
D.Tests for entrance to American colleges and universities. |
Everyone, please imagine, a big explosion breaks out as the plane takes us high in the sky. The plane is full of smoke and the engine sounds scary. Two minutes later, the engines are turned off. We are now sitting in a plane with no sound. And we can see: Life is over.
That really happened. In January 2009, I had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York.
Now let me tell you the three things I learned when the silence came.
First, I thought about all the people I wanted to reach out to but didn’t. I thought about all the experiences I wanted to have but never did. I no longer wanted to put off anything in life. Second, I really regretted the time I wasted on things that did not matter. I decided to remove negative energy from my life. Third, I realized, wow, dying was not scary. But it was very sad just because I only wished I could have seen my kids grow up.
Fortunately, I was given the gift of a miracle of not dying that day. I was given another gift, with which I was to see into the future and come back and live differently.
About a month later, my wife and I were at a performance by my daughter, not much artistic talent. Yet, I’m crying. I realized that above all, the only goal in my life was to be a good father.
Audience, again, imagine the same thing happening on your plane. How would you change? What would you get done? And more than anything, are you being the best parent you can?
Thank you.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Air crash is always a tragedy. |
B.What I learned from the air crash. |
C.Life is a miracle as we imagine. |
D.How to become a good father. |
When does the idea “Life is over” come into being?
A.Exactly during the explosion. |
B.When the plane was full of smoke. |
C.Before the engines sounded scary. |
D.When the engines were turned off. |
What is the author’s final goal in life?
A.Never to put off anything in life. |
B.To remove negative energy from life. |
C.To see his daughter grow up. |
D.To be a good father. |
San Francisco(People's Daily Online)-- Apple Inc. Tuesday introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay alongside the company's iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California.
What apple does is to replace consumers' wallet with its cell phone. Apple said it hopes to speed up the checkout process, make credit-card payments more secure and ultimately, to replace physical wallets.
With the near-field communication technology, Apple's gadgets like iPhone and Apple watch can transmit a radio signal between the device and a receiver when the two are in an inch apart. "To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent," Apple says on its official website.
Apple said that each transaction (交易)would be authorized(授权) with a one-time, unique number, creating a security code that it said is more secure than the one on the back of your credit card because cashiers wont see your name, card number or security code. The service will work with the three major payment networks —American Express, MasterCard and Visa —and Apple said that there are 220,000 merchant locations that accept these contactless payments.
When some applaud this disrupted service that will compete with Paypal and endanger other online payment companies, some others concern about its safety, especially when another retailer Home Depot confirmed a data opening yesterday and iCloud was reported exposing nude (裸体)pictures of celebrities (名人) a week ago.
Leo Zheng, a technology reporter in Silicon Valley said: "When Apple attracts consumers to put all their cards into one iPhone and promised the security, Jennifer Lawrence should say something."Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Apple announces mobile payment service to replace consumers' wallet. |
B.Consumers can pay in cash through mobile phones. |
C.Apple Inc. will introduce new models to the market. |
D.Mobile payment will be popular soon. |
After reading the third paragraph, we know.
A.Apple’s new products are popular |
B.Apple can be used as an ID |
C.Apple's gadgets can receive message easily |
D.how Apple's gadgets work |
The attitude of the writer towards the mobile payment is .
A.indifferent (冷漠的) | B.objective |
C.skeptical | D.positive |
What could have happened to Jennifer Lawrence?
A.She made great contributions to Apple. |
B.She put all her cards into her iPhone. |
C.Her nude pictures were spread online. |
D.Her iPhone often broke down. |
Your House Will Take Care of You In Old Age
Have you ever thought what your life would be like in old age?
Everyone talks about the “aging” society with large numbers of elderly people needing home care. Now German researchers have set up a “smart”house, programmed to help the elderly live at home with dignity. Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute say the house combines existing technology with future-oriented technology.
For example, the “smart”bathroom has a touch screen mirror that can remind people to take their medicine, wash their hands or brush their teeth. The hardware behind Fraunhofer’s electronic bathroom is not new, and the software runs on a regular personal computer.
When the medicine cabinet is opened, a display in the middle of the mirror tells the person how many pills to take. The mirror is linked to a care provider, who can remotely check whether a patient at home is actually taking medicine and brushing his or her teeth. As many elderly people have arthritic(关节炎的) conditions that make it difficult to operate water taps, the mirror also has displays that turn the water tap on or off or control the water temperature.
The bathroom is only the start. Kitchens, bedrooms and all other parts of the intelligent”home will become “user-friendly”to meet all kinds of individual needs. Sensors in doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets detect every activity and record them electronically. Doctors or care staff can see from the computer records what personal hygiene tasks have been completed, how often the elderly person visits the bathroom or uses the toilet. In case of an emergency, the computer automatically alerts the chosen contact person or calls the care center.The smart bathroom has a touch screen mirror ____.
A.that can remind people to do many things |
B.which is linked to a nursing house |
C.behind which is a medicine cabinet |
D.that can help the elderly brush their teeth |
The underlined word them in the last paragraph refers to ___.
A.sensors |
B.doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets |
C.individual needs |
D.every activity |
How is the passage mainly developed?
A.By inferring. | B.By comparing. |
C.By listing examples. | D.By introducing a practical method. |
The author of the text mainly ___.
A.calls on people to care for the old |
B.introduces a new house |
C.promotes a new house |
D.encourages the old to live with dignity |