I’m seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.
While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, “Mr. Castle, how are you?” We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, “It was nice talking to you, Brett.” I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh no. He didn’t remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put “Irving” down on my name plate. If he’d have said, “Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?” I’d have been ready for him. There’s nothing personal here.
The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: You couldn’t accept tips. Okay, I’m outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I’d say, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” They’d get angry. When you give someone a tip, you’re sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hands and you expect them to say, “Oh, thanks a lot.” When you say, “I’m sorry, I can’t,” they feel a little put down. They say, “No one will know.” And they put it in your pocket. You say, “I really can’t.” It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store’s belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feel good. I just couldn’t understand the strangeness of some people’s ideas. One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something.
I
had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford
to hate it and give it up.
What can be the best title for this text?
| A．How Hard Life is for Box Boys |
| B．Getting along with Customers |
| C．Why I Gave up My Job |
| D．The Art of Taking Tips |
From the second paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A．the writer didn’t like the impersonal part of his job |
| B．with a name plate, people can easily start talking |
| C．Mr. Castle mistook Irving for Brett |
| D．Irving was the writer’s real name |
The box boy refused to accept tips because ________.
| A．customers only gave small tips |
| B．some customers had strange ideas about tipping |
| C．the store forbade the box boys to take tips |
| D．he didn’t want to fight with the customers |
The u
nderlined phrase “put down” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．misunderstood | B．defeated | C．hateful | D．hurt |
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格1个单词。
Searching for the truth
Collecting mid writing news is like researching in history: the best information comes from those who were there at the time. So if' we want to study tile history of China in the sixth century AD, we look at the writings of the people who lived then. They are called the primary sources because they tell us what it was like to live then. People at a much later date who write about the same events are called the secondary sources. For example, when we read the original writings of Jia Sixie on agriculture, we are reading a primary source; when we read about Jia Sixie in our textbook we are reading secondary source because the passage was written about him and his ideas many years after he died.
When we make news we use primary and secondary sources. We can see this most clearly in TV programmes. As we watch the news on TV, the person presenting the programme in the studio is the secondary source( because he tells us about the news) and the reporter in. Iraq or Washington is the primary source (because he is telling us about what is actually happening there). Without these reporters acting as primary sources, you would never find out what really happened in a war, earthquake, sports meeting, concert or festival. These reporters explain what is happening so we have a clearer idea of what is going on there. They often take photographers with them who act as primary source by giving pictures of events.
In a newspaper the position is different because these two roles are often combined. This means a reporter who investigates a story may be the same person who writes it. If this happens, the reporter is both the primary and the secondary source. But the photographer who works with him/her is still a primary, source.
One of the reasons that it is important to separate primary and secondary sources is that they help us to decide what is a fact and what is an opinion. A fact is something that everybody agrees has happened. An opinion is somebody's idea of what happened. So facts and opinions are often mixed in any report, whether in a newspaper or on TV.
What have you learnt from the above passage?
| Primary Source |
Primary sources are the writing of' the people who lived at (1)___________ time and offer an inside view of a particular event |
| Secondary source |
Secondary sources are the writings of the people who write about the same events at a much later date with explanation and analysis (2)_________ on primary sources |
| News on TV |
The TV (3)__________ in the studio is tile secondary source while the reporter on the (4) ____________ is the primary source |
| News in a newspaper |
A newspaper reporter can be both primary and secondary source if he collects the information anti then (5) ______________ the news. But the photographer(6) ___________ with the reporter is always a primary source |
| Fact |
A fact is something that everybody agrees has happened. In other (7)____________, it is something that is (8) ________________ |
| Opinion |
An opinion is somebody's idea of what (9)________________on |
| Conclusion |
Primary and secondary sources are both important for (10)_______ the truth |
Kuss Middle School serves students in Fall River, Mass. , a former mill town that has struggled economically for decades. Students at Kuss have struggled, too, usually falling short of making the academic progress required under the No Child Left Behind law.
Then, last year, the school experimented with extending the school day. Teachers got paid at a higher hourly rate.
Students weren't thrilled at first with leaving school at 4:15 p.m. instead of at 2:20 p.m. But the added hours gave them more time for physical education and let them select special interest classes. By the end of the year, student scores had risen by enough to enable Kuss to make the progress required under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
The only surprise is that more districts haven't lengthened school schedules set decades ago to accommodate (适应) a farm economy rather the information economy of today.
| School days The USA ranks 36th of 40 industrialized nations in average weekly instructional time. Selected countries: 1) Thailand--30.5 hours 2) Korea--30.3 hours 7) China--26.5 hours 14) France--24.6 hours 15 ) UK--24.6 hours 16) Mexico--24.2 hours 23 ) Japan--23.8 hours 26)Canada--23.6 hours 36)USA--22.2 hours 40)Brazil--19 hours |
New research suggests the time is ready for a change:
Matched against 39 other developed countries, the United States is near the bottom in the rankings of average weekly instructional time in school. Measured over 12 years, students in the top-scoring countries spend the equivalent of a full extra year in school.
US students perform poorly on math and science tests compared to their international peers, according to a US Education Department comparison released earlier this month. In math, American 15-year-old scored near the bottom among the study's 30 developed countries.
Most countries that boost the number of minutes spent on math instruction find pay offs in improved math scores, according to a study released this month by the Brookings Institution. Small in creases in the school day are more effective than a longer school year, the report concluded.
The most encouraging news about the benefits of extending the school day comes from Massachusetts, where an experiment with 10 schools, including Kuss, appears to be working. Those 10 schools lengthened their instructional days by 25% and boosted their state scores in math, English and science at all grades.
Perhaps the concept won't work everywhere. Certainly, it won't instantly be popular. But it's obvious that a problem exists or that adding class time seems to help.What is the main idea of the above passage?
| A．Experiments with extended school hours produce academic gains. |
| B．Kuss Middle School sets a good example for US education. |
| C．Academic progress has achieved under the No Child Left Behind law. |
| D．Information age calls for more instructional lime at all schools. |
A longer school day is suggested for the following reasons except that _________.
| A．students from many developed countries spend more time at school |
| B．American students do a bad job at science subjects |
| C．teachers are paid at a higher rate with time added |
| D．a longer school day works better than a longer school year |
Which statement is true of Kuss Middle School?
| A．Kuss Middle School lies in where a farm economy is changing to an information one. |
| B．Kuss Middle school has joined the federal "No Child Left Behind" progrann |
| C．Neither teachers nor students are happy with the longer school day. |
| D．Adding class time functions at Kuss Middle School. |
The writer has expressed ____________.
| A．a positive attitude towards adding school time |
| B．a negative attitude towards adding school time |
| C．a changing attitude towards adding school time |
| D．a right attitude towards adding school time |
Honesty may well be the policy, but it often deserts us when no one is watching, psychologists report today. Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze(注视) of a pair of eyes. The surprise was that the eyes were not real, but photographed.
Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret. They attached a poster to a cupboard of mugs above an-honesty box alongside a kettle ,with tea, coffee and milk. Over 10 weeks, they alternated each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers.
Dr. Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study, said that even though the eyes were not real they still seemed to make people behave more honestly. They effect may arise from behavioral characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances of survival. Individuals had to co-operate for the good of the group, rather than act selfishly.
"If nobody is watching us it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we think we're being watched we should behave better, so people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us, "Dr. Bateson said.
"We thought we'd get a slight effect with eyes, but it was quite striking how much difference they made. Even at a subconscious(潜意识的) level, it seems people respond to eyes, and that might be because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved(进化) to respond to."
The finding, which researchers believe sheds light on our evolutionary past, could be turned to practical use. The psychologists say images of eyes could promote ticket sales on public transport and improve monitor systems to prevent antisocial behavior.This passage is mainly about _______________.
| A．the policy of honesty |
| B．an honesty box to collect money |
| C．evolution on honesty |
| D．an experiment on honesty |
The reason for doing the experiment secretly is that the researchers _____________.
| A．wanted to get a comparatively more exact result |
| B．had known they wanted to do something illegally |
| C．meant to get the co-operation of their colleagues |
| D．intended to sell the hot drinks at a higher price |
People behave honestly under watchful gaze of eyes because _____________.
| A．they want to leave a good impression |
| B．they fear to be laughed at by others |
| C．they've got the nature through evolution |
| D．they take the photo for a real pair of eyes |
The underlined phrase" sheds light on" in the last paragraph means _____.
| A．causes somebody to become cheerful |
| B．makes something easier to understand |
| C．comes upon something by accident |
| D．brings something into the broad daylight |
You can be proud of yourselves, even if you can only make one or two of these green changes. The goal here is to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are closely associated to the big problem of global-warming.
| Strategy 1: Bring your own cup to Starbucks |
|
| You'll get a 10-cent discount, and it's one less paper cup to end up in a dustbin |
The store won't create more waste when they throw away a cup |
| Strategy 2: Turn off your computer |
|
| When in standby mode, your PC is still using energy |
Turning off a monitor for 40 hours a week may only save $ 5 a month, but it reduces CO2 by 750 pounds |
| Strategy 3: Reuse plastic bags |
|
| Instead of throwing away 100 billion plastic bags a year, try and get a second, third, or tenth use out of them. Better yet, next time you shop, try a reusable bag |
You're reducing pollution. The amount of oil it would take to make just 14 plastic bags would run your car for one mile |
| Strategy 4: Use recycled paper in the bathroom |
|
| Most of the toilet paper we use is made from trees found in forests previously untouched by humans |
If every household replaced one roll of toilet paper with a recycled one,424,000trees would still be standing. Look for eco paper towels too |
| Strategy 5: Buy energy-efficient appliances(电器) |
|
| Replace the old fridge with an Energy Star appliance and you'll use 15 percent less energy. It might be a little expensive to buy, but you'll save money on your electricity bills and help the environment |
If we all used one Energy Star appliance at home, it would be like planting 1.7 million acres of new trees |
| Strategy 6: Plant a tree |
|
| Adding green to your garden is beautiful and earth-pleasing |
Just one tree will help make cleaner air and save the environment from 5, 000 pounds of hot carbon dioxide each year |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Strategies to Save Money |
| B．Ways to be Earth-Friendly |
| C．Strategies to End Global-Warming |
| D．Ways to Limit Carbon Dioxide |
According to the writer, what will happen if our PC is switched off when not in use?
| A．It will help to save a large amount of money. |
| B．It will help to reduce a great deal of CO2. |
| C．It will save the amount of oil that runs your car for a mile. |
| D．It will be like planting 1.7 million acres of new trees. |
Which strategies suggest recycling or reuse of things?
| A．Strategies 1 & 3. | B．Strategies 2 & 5. |
| C．Strategies 3 & 6. | D．Strategies 4 & 5. |
What benefits do these strategies have in common?
| A．They all help reduce the use of energy like electricity. |
| B．They all cut down the amount of the use of paper. |
| C．They all result in producing less greenhouse gases. |
| D．They all aid to preserve our trees and forest. |
Maybelle said she wouldn't be coming with me to the library. I asked why, and she said she could get all the short stories she wanted off the Internet. Saved walking all the way to the library, and putting up with my long chat on the way there, and on the way back. Maybelle is very direct like that, always has been.
"But, Maybelle, we've been walking to the library every' Monday for the last fifty years!"
She said," Why don't you get Internet'? We can send each other emails."
So I had to get Internet. I called the local high school. They said they'd send me a good student to tell me all about computers and such.
Evil thing, this Internet. Makes you lose old friends, forces you to learn new complex ideas, even if you're too old. But Maybelle said you have to be modern; otherwise, you're dead.
The kid came the next day. Tall skinny black kid, by tile name of Arsenius, said his work would cost me.
I said, "All right. As long as I get Internet."
"You need a computer, then you need to get hooked up," he said.
"Let's buy a computer and get hooked up, then."
"How much you want to spend?"
"Whatever it takes."
"How many rams you want?"
I wasn't going to show him my ignorance, so I said, "Whatever it takes."
"Let's go to the mall. You got a car?"
"In the garage."
When I opened the garage door, he gasped. Daddy's car is still there, a'57 Chevy. I never drive it. Walk everywhere.
I said," Let's walk. It's only a mile or so."
He said," Let's drive, or you will faint on me in this heat."
"Young man, I don't faint, never have. We're walking."
"I get paid by the hour," he said. "Walking will cost you a lot more. Also, you feel like carrying a computer a mile or so?"What kind of person is Maybelle?
| A．She always says what she means in an honest way. |
| B．She no longer likes reading in her old age. |
| C．She doesn't want to be friends with the writer any mort. |
| D．She doesn't want to keep up with the time. |
Why does the writer want to have Internet at his place?
| A．Because the writer believes that one is never too old to learn. |
| B．Because the writer thinks that it is better late than never. |
| C．Because of the pressure from people of his age. |
| D．Because of the convenience the Internet will bring. |
Arsenius gives _________ reasons for driving to the mall.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |