The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks(火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr.Smith, a rich neighbour, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“ Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉) , even if it is only to pass the time ? ” said the blacksmith. “ Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you .”
The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
“ How funny it seems, ” he used to say, “ even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ___________.
| A．his father told him to | B．he wanted to learn a skill |
| C．Jones encouraged him to | D．he just wanted to pass his time |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
| A．Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks. |
| B．The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill. |
| C．The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get. |
| D．The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young. |
What can we learn from the story ?
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Skill makes life easy. |
| C．A good beginning makes good ending. |
| D．Every man has his gift. |
A young fashion designer from Germany is revolutionizing high fashion by designing clothes from milk.
Domaske, 28, has developed a fabric(织物) called QMilch from high concentrations of the milk protein casein (酪蛋白). “It feels like silk and it doesn’t smell----you can wash it just like anything else,“ Domaske told Reuters. Made from all natural materials, QMilch has many health benefits, says Domaske. The amion acids （氨基酸）in the protein fight bacteria and aging, and can help regulate both blood circulation and body temperature, she says.
Domaske’s fashion label MCC is popular among people, and has now started weaving the milk fiber into its collection.
Currently MCC’s line of clothes----which feature flowing wrap dresses with modern cuts and bright patterns----are made from combinations of various fibers, including QMilch. But Domaske plans to design a collection made entirely from the milk fiber.
Milk fabric has been around since the 1930s, but was always produced in environmentally unfriendly ways that used a lot of chemicals. Unlike early forms, QMilch is made almost entirely from casein without chemicals.
“We have developed an all-natural fiber consisting of a very high concentration of casein, with a few other natural ingredients – and in only two years,” Domaske, a fo
rmer microbiology student, say.
The casein is taken from dried milk powder and then heated up in a type of meat-mincing machine（绞肉机）with other natural ingredients. The fiber comes out in threads and is then made into yarn（纱线）on a spinning machine.
Domaske says it would take about 6 liters of milk to produce an entire dress, which costs about $200 to $270. Luckily, for that kind of money, the clothes don’t come with a date when they are no longer usable----during the heating process, the molecules（分子）bond in such a way that the protein won’t break down.
Due to its anti-bacterial qualities, the fiber can also be used in medicine and makeup, and some auto companies have ever looked into using it in car seat covering.Which of the following feature of QMilch is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．It is beneficial to one’s health. |
| B．It feels soft and has a special smell. |
| C．It is easy to clean. |
| D．It is a man-made fiber that uses no chemicals. |
We can learn from the passage that MCC’s line of clothes ?
| A．are fashion labels created by Domaske’s students |
| B．are characterized by their modern cuts and bright patterns |
| C．are made completely from various chemicals |
| D．are produced in environmentally unfriendly ways |
Put the following in order in which clothes can be produced from milk.
a. Casein is heated
b. Milk powder is acquired.
c. Casein is taken from dried milk powder.
d. The fiber is spun into yarn.
e. Threads of fiber are produced.
f. Clothes are woven.
| A．a,c,b,e,d,f | B．b,c,a,d,e,f. |
| C．b,c,a,e,d,f | D．c,a,e,b,d,f |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．this new type of clothing will never go out of fashion |
| B．these new clothes are reasonably priced |
| C．the new clothes are heat-resistant |
| D．milk fiber will have a good sales market |
Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Franco’s world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorms started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sig
ht and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perh
aps, the only way for him to regain them was another sudden shock. The reason why James attempted to kill himself was that _________.
| A．a terrible electrical accident happened to him |
| B．nobody in the whole world cared about him |
| C．he was struck by the lightning once more |
| D．he had to live in a dark and silent world |
What was James doing when he was struck by the lightning?
| A．Taking a walk with a stick |
| B．Putting an end to his life |
| C．Sheltering from the rain under a tree |
| D．Lying on the ground |
What does the underlined word “compellent” in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．Unexplained. | B．Convincing. |
| C．Wrong | D．True |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．A Terrible Electrical Accident |
| B．What a Sudden Shock |
| C．An Unforgettable Experience |
| D．James Franco and His wife |
When I had breast cancer I had to have chemotherapy (化疗). The hardest part of that entire experience was losing my hair. It was like having a tattoo(纹身) across my forehead that said “chemotherapy patient.” I am a very active and athletic person, so to have people looking at me with pity as if I was an invalid was very hard to take. Of course they never said anything, but if I got in an elevator. Everyone looked away because they didn’t know what to say. But I didn’t blame them.
The best compliment I ever received was when I was at work one day, wearing my scarf over my bald head, and a UPS guy came in to deliver a package. He looked me right in the eye and said, “So, are you on chemotherapy?” I said, “Yes, thank you for asking. You are the first person to actually acknowledge that fact.” It felt so good to be talked to like a “real” person, without any pity, just the facts. I asked him what made him decide to say something, and he told me that a woman he worked with had just gone through the same thing several months before.
I had some joke business cards that said my job title was “Supreme Commander of the Universe”, so whenever this same UPS guy came to deliver a package, he would also say, “Hey, Supreme Commander, how is it going?” Then my company moved to a new location, and since that time I hadn’t seen the UPS guy-Bryan- in probably two years.
I went to answer my door at home one day, and there was Bryan with a package. Small world. “Hey, Supreme Commander, long time no see!” he said. He sees so many people all day long, every day, delivering packages but he remembered me after two years. What a great compliment! Of course, I remembered him, too, because he was the only person who could see me during that time when I was “the invisible woman.”Why did the author say “It felt so good to be talked to like “real” person”?
| A．Because her friends didn’t realize the fact that she got sick before. |
| B．Because her friends didn’t want to talk with her since she had cancer. |
| C．Because her friends treated her as a patient. |
| D．Because her friends were afraid of infection. |
What can be inferred from the third paragraph?
| A．It was the author’s cancer that helped her to be remembered by a stranger. |
| B．The UPS guy had become a good friend of the author’s. |
| C．The guy was very polite. |
| D．The author didn’t want to be remembered for her cancer. |
What was the author’s attitude towards her cancer?
| A．Surprised. | B．Regretful. |
| C．Positive. | D．Depressed. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The author experienced something miserable after she had cancer. |
| B．The author got a great compliment that a stranger remembered for her cancer. |
C．the author became strong and  positive after she was ill. |
| D．The author recognized that she was not a normal person any longer. |
A Hong Kong Disneyland park admission ticket is your passport to a full day of magical adventures. Learn the ways to buy your tickets now.
Three types of 1-day ticket are available:
| Ticket Type |
Price |
 General Admission Ticket (aged 12—64) |
HK $ 499 |
| Child Ticket (aged 3----11) |
HK $ 355 |
| Senior Ticket (aged 65or above) |
100 |
Free admission for Child aged under 3.
Book Online Now
Purchase tickets conveniently through our website, then pick up your tickets starting from 1 hour after you have purchased online.
Purchase Tickets Directly at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express
You can purchase tickets at the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express, conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station. Open from 9:00 am----8:00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9:00 am----5:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Purchase 2 park Tickets at one of the following locations and receive a FREE limited-edition Disney gift:
★Avenue of Stars Kiosks
You can purchase tickets at Avenue of Stars Kiosks in Tsim Sha Tsui. Open daily from 9:00 am----10:30 pm.
★Asia World-Expo Box Office
You can purchase tickets at Asia World-Expo Box Office. Open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am----6:00 pm.
Reserve Tickets for Hotel Guest
As a hotel Guest of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Park tickets are reserved for your purchase at front desk. Open daily from 9:00 am----8:00 pm.
Buy at Hong Kong Disneyland Main Entrance
Guests can purchase tickets on the day of their visit at the Main Entrance Ticket Booths or Guest Relations Windows. Open daily from 30 minutes before Park opening until Park closes. In which place can you get a free gift for buying two tickets?
| A．Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express. |
| B．Asia World-Expo Box Office. |
| C．Hong Kong Disneyland main Entrance. |
| D．Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. |
For a young couple with a 2-year-old kid spending a day in the park, they have to pay at least .
| A．HK $ 998 | B．HK $ 854 |
| C．HK $ 499 | D．HK $ 1353 |
To buy tickets at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express on Sundays, you have to get there before.
| A．10:30 pm | B．6:00 pm |
| C．8:00 pm | D．5:00 pm |
ELMONT, N. Y. (AP)---Elmont High School senior Harold Ekeh had a plan—he would apply to 13 colleges , including all eight Ivy League schools, figuring it would help his chances of getting into at least one great school.
It worked, And then some, The teenager from Long Island was accepted at all 13 schools, and now faces his next big test: deciding where to go.
“I was stunned, I was really shocked, ”Ekeh told The Associated Press during an interview Tuesday at his home near the Belmont Park racetrack, his four younger brothers running around.
He found out last week he had been accepted to Princeton University. That made him eight for eight in the Ivy League—he had already been accepted to Yale University , Brown University, Columbia University , Cornell University , Dartmouth College, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. His other acceptances came from Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Stony Brook University and Vanderbilt University.
“We are so proud of him, ” said his mother , Roseline Ekeh.“Hard work, dedication, prayer brought him to where he is today. ”
Born in Nigeria, Harold was eight years old when his parents brought the family to the United States.
“It was kind of difficult adjusting to the new environment and the new culture, ” he said. But he saw his parents working hard, “and I took their example and decides to apply myself”
He referenced that effort in his college essay, writing, “Like a tree, uprooted and replanted, I could have withered in a new country surrounded by people and languages I did not understand. Yet, I witnessed my parents persevere despite the potential to give in. I faced my challenges with newfound zeal; I risked insults, spending my break talking to unfamiliar faces, ignoring their sarcastic remarks. ”
Harold “is tremendously focused in everything he does.” said John Capozzi, the school’s principal, “He’s a great role model. All the students and faculty are so proud of him. ”
Harold is the second Long Island student in as many years to get into all eight Ivies. Last year, William Floyd High School’s Kwasi Enim chose to go to Yale.
Harold, who has a 100. 51 grade-point average and wants to be a neurosurgeon, said he was leaning toward Yale, and had heard from Enin, offering congratulations. Like Enin, he’s likely to announce his college choice at a press conference later this month. The deadline to decide is May 1.Which is closest in meaning to the underlined phrase“apply myself”?
| A．Word hard. | B．Write to the college. |
| C．Make a formal request. | D．Make an adjustment. |
Which of the following is true about Harold?
| A．He was born into a Nigerian family in the US. |
| B．He planted a tree once he moved to the US, |
| C．He was always welcome and popular in his schools. |
| D．He paid a lot to make his way to offeres from all Ivies. |
Harold is probably going to
| A．Harvard | B．Princeton | C．Yale | D．MIT |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．Too many cooks spoil the soup. |
| B．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| C．One can kill two birds with one stone. |
| D．Chance favors only the prepared mind. |