I met the old man at a cafe. “Did you hear the radio news yesterday?” he asked me. “No,” I replied. “Anything exciting?”“Exciting? NO! Something very sad. A group of hungry dogs killed and ate my best friend.”
“Oh, dear!” I cried. “How did it happen?”“He was working on the hillside when the dogs attacked him. When he didn't return, I went to the hillside and found…”“His body?” I asked. The old fellow drank half of his coffee. “No. I told you they were hungry dogs, didn't I? The big bones were lying every where. But they found this.” He pushed open a match box he was holding in his hand. In it was a man's thumb, lying on some white bloody material.
“This is my friend's right thumb. The dogs ate the rest of him”. The old man began to cry. He finished his coffee quickly and left the cafe. I drank mine and called the waiter. “I'll pay the gentleman's bill. His poor friend—how terrible!”“You've heard the news?” The waiter laughed. “Sure. There's a hole in the bottom of the match box. He put his own thumb through the hole. The blood is red ink, I believe. Is the story worth a cup of coffee, sir?”“But he held the box in his right hand.”“Yes, but listeners look into the box. They just can't take their sight off that terrible thing.”“And when he tells the story, he gets free cup of coffee!” I said, laughing. “Yes, sir, but only from strangers who come to this town, and, of course, he does us no harm!” We can learn from this passage ________.
A.the writer came to the cafe for the first time |
B.the old man made a living by telling jokes in the cafe |
C.the writer had known about the old man before |
D.what had happened to his best friend made the old man mad |
Having heard the old man's story, the writer _______ .
A.couldn't help laughing immediately | B.showed great mercy upon him |
C.didn't believe him at all | D.bought the old man another cup of coffee |
It turned out that the thumb in the match box was actually __________.
A.the right thumb of his best friend |
B.the thumb he stole from the dead body of an unknown person |
C.something made of bloody white materials |
D.his own right thumb |
The waiter hadn't let out the truth of the old man's story earlier because _______ .
A.he was nobody but the best friend of the old man |
B.the old man wouldn't pay for his coffee if he did |
C.the waiter hadn't seen through the old man's trick |
D.the old man helped the cafe in some way |
As suggested by the passage, what might happen in the end?
A.The writer refused to pay the old man's bill. |
B.The writer decided to make the trick known to the public. |
C.More strangers would hear the old man's story. |
D.The old man wouldn't visit the cafe any more. |
Challenging work that requires lots of analytical thinking,planning and other managerial skills might help your brain stay sharp as you age,a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology suggests.
Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany gathered more than 1,000 retired workers who were over age 75 and assessed the volunteers' memory and thinking skills through a battery of tests.Then,for eight years,the scientists asked the same group to come back to the lab every 18 months to take the same sorts of tests.
Those who had held mentally stimulating(刺激),demanding jobs before retirement tended to do the best on the tests.And they tended to lose cognitive(认知)function at a much slower rate than those with the least mentally challenging jobs.The results held true even after the scientists accounted for the participants' overall health status.
"This works just like physical exercise," says Francisca Then,who led the study."After a long run,you may feel like you're in pain,you may feel tired.But it makes you fit.After a long day at work﹣sure,you will feel tired,but it can help your brain stay healthy."
It's not just corporate jobs,or even paid work that can help keep your brain fit.Then points out.A waiter's job,for example,that requires multitasking,teamwork and decision﹣making could be just as stimulating as any high﹣level office work.And "running a family household requires high﹣level planning and coordinating(协调)," she says."You have to organize the activities of the children and take care of the bills and groceries."
Of course,our brains can decline as we grow older for lots of reasons﹣including other environmental influences or genetic factors.Still,continuing to challenge yourself mentally and keeping your mind busy can only help.
(1)Why did the scientists ask the volunteers to take the tests?
A. |
To assess their health status. |
B. |
To evaluate their work habits. |
C. |
To analyze their personality. |
D. |
To measure their mental ability. |
(2)How does Francisca Then explain her findings in paragraph 4?
A. |
By using an expert's words. |
B. |
By making a comparison. |
C. |
By referring to another study. |
D. |
By introducing a concept. |
(3)Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. |
Retired Workers Can Pick Up New Skills |
B. |
Old People Should Take Challenging Jobs |
C. |
Your Tough Job Might Help Keep You Sharp |
D. |
Cognitive Function May Decline As You Age |
The traffic signals along Factoria Boulevard in Bellevue,Washington,generally don't flash the same length of green twice in a row,especially at rush hour.At 9:30am,the full red/yellow/green signal cycle might be 140 seconds.By 9:33am,a burst of additional traffic might push it to 145 seconds.Less traffic at 9:37am could push it down to 135.Just like the traffic itself,the timing of the signals changes.
Thatis by design.Bellevue,a fast﹣growing city just east of Seattle,uses a system that is gaining popularity around the US:intersection(十字路口)signals that can adjust in real time to traffic conditions.These lights,known as adaptive signals,have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home.
"Adaptive signals can make sure that the traffic demand that is there is being addressed," says Alex Stevanovic,a researcher at Florida Atlantic University.
For all of Bellevue's success,adaptive signals are not a cure﹣all for jammed roadways.Kevin Balke,a research engineer at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute,says that while smart lights can be particularly beneficial for some cities,others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference."It's not going to fix everything,but adaptive signals have some benefits for smaller cities," he says.
In Bellevue,the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches.In the past,there was often an automatic reaction to increased traffic:just widen the roads,says Mark Poch,the Bellevue Transportation Department's traffic engineering manager.Now he hopes that other cities will consider making their streets run smarter instead of just making them bigger.
(1)What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. |
Increased length of green lights. |
B. |
Shortened traffic signal cycle. |
C. |
Flexible timing of traffic signals. |
D. |
Smooth traffic flow on the road. |
(2)What does Kevin Balke say about adaptive signals?
A. |
They work better on broad roads. |
B. |
They should be used in other cities. |
C. |
They have greatly reduced traffic on the road. |
D. |
They are less helpful in cities seriously jammed. |
(3)What can we learn from Bellevue's success?
A. |
It is rewarding to try new things. |
B. |
The old methods still work today. |
C. |
It pays to put theory into practice. |
D. |
The simplest way is the best way. |
I am an active playgoer and play﹣reader,and perhaps my best reason for editing this book is a hope of sharing my enthusiasm for the theater with others.To do this I have searched through dozens of plays to find the ones that I think best show the power and purpose of the short play.
Each play has a theme or central idea which the playwright(剧作家)hopes to get across through dialogue and action.A few characters are used to create a single impression growing out of the theme.It is not my intention to point out the central theme of each of the plays in this collection,for that would,indeed,ruin the pleasure of reading,discussing,and thinking about the plays and the effectiveness of the playwright.However,a variety of types is represented here.These include comedy,satire,poignant drama,historical and regional drama.To show the versatility(多面性)of the short play,I have included a guidance play,a radio play and a television play.
Among the writers of the plays in this collection,Paul Green,Susan Glaspell,Maxwell Anderson,Thornton Wilder,William Saroyan,and Tennessee Williams have all received Pulitzer Prizes for their contributions to the theater.More information about the playwrights will be found at the end of this book.
To get the most out of reading these plays,try to picture the play on stage,with you,the reader,in the audience.The houselights dim(变暗).The curtains are about to open,and in a few minutes the action and dialogue will tell you the story.
(1)What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?
A. |
He has written dozens of plays. |
B. |
He has a deep love for the theater. |
C. |
He is a professional stage actor. |
D. |
He likes reading short plays to others. |
(2)What does the author avoid doing in his work?
A. |
Stating the plays' central ideas. |
B. |
Selecting works by famous playwrights. |
C. |
Including various types of plays. |
D. |
Offering information on the playwrights. |
(3)What does the author suggest readers do while reading the plays?
A. |
Control their feelings. |
B. |
Apply their acting skills. |
C. |
Use their imagination. |
D. |
Keep their audience in mind. |
(4)What is this text?
A. |
A short story. |
B. |
An introduction to a book. |
C. |
A play review. |
D. |
An advertisement for a theater. |
I remember the day shyness took over my life.I was 14 and having a French lesson.The teacher told us to record ourselves speaking about a holiday.Perfect! I recorded myself with confidence.Then,I pressed "play" to listen back.All I heard was a little kid talking.My immediate reaction was to assume I was listening to someone else's recording.But that was my voice.I realised there was something strange about me.
My little voice has made me feel really shy.And my shyness has caused me to avoid attending events,not make important connections,and keep my ideas to myself.As a shy person,working from home,hiding behind my computer was brilliant.But the more time I spent hidden away,the more my comfort zone shrank(缩小).Everyday interactions,like ordering a coffee,became increasingly awkward and uncomfortable.
And then,one day I was at a big conference and it suddenly hit me like lightning.All speakers were confident,comfortable with being seen.There were no quieter voices.But the trouble is,if the loud voices are the only ones you hear,we quiet people feel even more alienated(疏远的).The world needs a mixture of personalities.Success is not just about who can shout the loudest.The world needs quieter people,too.That day I chose to stop hiding and embrace my shyness.No more feeling like I needed to change who I am in order to succeed.No more living a small life.
Then I created the Shy and Mighty Society,a space for shy people like me to shine,and in the process of helping others,I could also push myself forward,bit by bit.Now,I'm happy to tell people I feel shy.I'm not ashamed any more.And I know that I'm not alone.
(1)Why did the author feel strange about herself after listening to the recording?(no more than 10 words)
(2)What is the main idea of Para.2?(no more than 10 words)
(3)What does the underlined word in Para.3 mean?(1 word)
(4)Why did the author create the Shy and Mighty Society? (no more than 10 words)
(5)Suppose you are in charge of the Shy and Mighty Society,what will you do to help other shy people? And why?(no more than 20 words)
Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task.If you're studying history,asking yourself the question "why is history important" is a very good first step.History is an essential part of human civilization.You will find something here that will arouse your interest,or get you thinking about the significance of history.
History grounds us in our roots.History is an important and interesting field of study,and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper,more meaningful glimpse(一瞥) into our ancestral pasts,and how we got to where we are today.Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging,which is something that studying your roots and being open﹣minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.
History enriches our experience.Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago.According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same.With the information about the ancestors,one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.
History makes us more empathetic (具有共情能力的).Studying history can give us insight(洞察力) into why our culture does certain things,and how the past has shaped it into what we know now.It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures.Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance(无知).We're scared of the things that we don't understand.History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.
History can inspire us to learn more.What's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons.It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts.Study the 19th century England,and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.Look up Charles Dickens,and you might learn a thing or two about realism.Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels,and discover the history of romantic poets in England.It can go anywhere,and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.
The value of history cannot be underestimated.We don't have to live in the past,but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.
(1)The underlined part "where we are today" in Para.2 probably means .
A.the turning point in our history
B.the present state of our nation
C.the location of our homeland
D.the total area of our country
(2)According to the experts,why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life?
A.The problems at present are similar to those in the past.
B.Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.
C.The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.
D.People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.
(3)What can be concluded from Para.4?
A.It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.
B.People are willing to accept foreign cultures.
C.Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.
D.History helps us improve our cross﹣cultural awareness.
(4)With the example in Para.5,the writer intends to show that .
A.Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature
B.Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets
C.reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period
D.studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields
(5)What could be the best title for the passage?
A.How to Build Cultural Identity
B.Why Studying History Matters
C.Know the Past,Know the Present
D.History:a Way to Broaden Horizons