The Mother Goose Stories, so well known to children all over the word, are co
mmonly said to have been written by a little old woman for her grandchildren. According to some people, she lived in Boston, and her real name was Elizabeth Vergoose. Her son-in-law, a printer named Thomas Fleet, was supposed to have published the famous stories and poems for small children in 1719. However, no copy of this book has ever been found, and most sc
holars doubt the truth of this story—and doubt, moreover, that Mother Goose was ever a real person. They point out that the name is a direct translation of the French “Mere I’ Oye.” In 1697 the Frenchman Charles Perrault published the first book in which this name was used. The collection contains eight tales, including “Sleeping Beauty,”“Cinderella,” and “Puss in Boots.” But Perrault did not originate these stories; they were already quite popular in his day, and he only collected them.
In 1729 there appeared an English translation of Perrault’s collection,Robert Samber’s Histories or Tales of Past times, Told by MotherGoose(London,1729), which introduced “Sleeping Beauty”, “Little Red-hood”, “Puss in Boots”,”Cinderella” and other Perrault’s tales to English-speaking audiences. These were fairy tales(童话)。 John Newbery published a book of English rhymes，Mother Goose’s Melody, or Sonnets for the Cradle( London, undated,1765), which switched the focus from fairy tale to nursery rhymes, and in English this was until recently the primary meaning for Mother Goose.A book of poems for children entitled Mother Goose’s Melody was published in England in1781, and the name “Mother Goose” has been associated with children’s poetry ever since.What is supposed to have happened in 1719?
| A．Elizabeth Vergoose wrote the first Mother Goose Stories. |
B．The Mo ther Goose Stories were translated into French. |
| C．Thomas Fleet published the Mother Goose Stories. |
| D．Charles Perrault published the first Mother Goose Stories. |
Most scholars consider Mother Goose to be _________.
| A．a real person | B．a translation from French |
| C．a collection by Elizabeth Vergoose | D．a book written by a little old woman |
When Perrault published the first book in 1679, _______.
| A．no story of the book had been known to people |
| B．some stories of the book were already well known |
| C．few people were interested in the stories of the book |
| D．stories like “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella” became popular |
The name used in the first book published in 1679 is supposed to have been _______.
| A．Mother Goose | B．Charles Perrault | C．Elizabeth Vergoose | D．Mere I’ Oye |
When people talk about Mother Goo
se, they refer to,___________
| A．a printer of Boston | B．a kind of animal |
| C． children’s poetry | D．the French “Mere L’oye |
It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
| A．Feel shy. | B．Stay calm. | C．Keep up. | D．Feel upset. |
In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.
| A．problems cause troubles |
| B．attitude is everything |
| C．challenges can be avoided |
| D．personalities are built on failures |
According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we ______.
| A．can only depend on our parents |
| B．are not alone |
| C．should only believe ourselves |
| D．are not confident |
What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?
| A．To encourage. | B．To compare. | C．To prove. | D．To explain. |
Cleanse, tone and moisturize: three words that everyone should keep in mind when going through their daily routines. As a society, we decide what are important habits to keep up with, such as taking care of your skin.
It takes a good five minutes every morning and night to properly care for your skin, but most men and women believe that they do not have time in their busy schedule to do so. Having good skin boosts（增加）sef-confidence and improve overall health and attitude.
Cleansing the face is important for women who wear make-up because it clears the face from exposure to free radicals（自由基） in the air. Toning your face is important to balance your skin’s PH level ( which needs to be between 4.5 and 5.5 ) and also to remove the impurities from water, which is full of lead. Finally, moisturizing your face hydrates（增湿）the skin.
In this day and age there are more issues with free radicals that damage your skin than ever before. Smog, UVA/ UVB damage, smoke, alcohol, and more are all negative contributing factors to damaging the aging of your skin.
The global community has advanced the environment into a high percentage of free radical, but we also now have the technology for the best skin care. The issue with skin care is most people feel that you only need to take action if you have a serious skin condition, such as acne(粉刺). But no matter what age and what condition your skin is in, you should actively do something to maintain it.
Most skin care products today are all-natural; many of them advertise being 100 percent vegan（素食）.
Ingredients（成分）that are natural for anti-aging are : DMAE, alpha lapoic acid, antioxidants, collagen booster, SPF and many more. All of these ingredients help prevent aging and sun damage while regenerating new skin cells. Aging appears fastest on your face, neck, and back of the hands and feet, which means you must apply skin care products to all areas. People need to take care of their skin, whether they have a skin condition or not.
If one wants to age gracefully, one must put forth the effort on their skin.
| Title |
Beauty begins skin deep. |
| Topic |
The (1)_________ of caring our skin. |
| (2) ________ Of skin care |
● Good skin makes you feel more (3)___________. ● Good skin helps keep you healthy both (4)_________ and mentally. ● Cleansing your face: You can reduce the (5)_________ done to your face by free radicals. Toning your face: You can maintain the (6)_________ your skin’s PH level. Moisturizing your face: You can keep your face moist. ● Skin care slows down the speed of (7)___________. |
| Tips |
● (8)__________ five minutes every morning and night caring for your skin. ● Use all-natural skin care products. ● Apply skin products to all areas (9) _________ aging may appear. |
| (10)________ |
If you want to keep young, you should put forth the effort to skin care. |
Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are taking efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to official data. Crosswalks can be especially dangerous for the elderly. Among people 70 and older, 36% of pedestrian deaths in 2006 occurred in crosswalks, compared with 21% of those younger than 70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Federal Highway Administration(FHWA) advise that next year states increase by nearly 15% the amount of time traffic lights provide for pedestrians to cross the street after the flashing orange hand appears.
FHWA spokesman Doug Hecox says reasons for the change include an aging population that needs more time to cross, health-conscious Americans walking more, children encouraged to walk to prevent getting overweight and high gas prices pushing people to walk instead of drive.
Pedestrian deaths went down by 12% from 5,449 in 1996 to 4,784 in 2006, Bur among those in 2006, 471 were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 ten years earlier, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) says.Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Among 100 pedestrian deaths there were 21 people younger than 70 |
| B．Old people are more likely to meet with accidents happened per hour. |
| C．Traffic accidents killed more old people than young people |
| D．About seven traffic accidents happened per hour. |
What is FHWA’s suggestion to states?
| A．Fixing more traffic lights |
| B．Providing more crosswalks |
| C．Giving pedestrians more time to cross streets. |
| D．Drivers don’t give way |
What’s the cause of the crosswalk safety problem according to the test?
| A．There’re many cars and buses on the road. |
| B．Pedestrians are careless. |
| C．Crosswalks are crowded. |
| D．Drivers don’t give way. |
The report from NHTSA suggests that
| A．fewer people were injured in crosswalks |
| B．crosswalk safety has been greatly improved |
| C．much has been done to reduce traffic accidents |
| D．pedestrian deaths in crosswalks remain a serious problem |
DU Lala is the hottest career coach in the country. The fictional character in the acclaimed novel Du La La’s Promotion shows others how to take the high road to success in a multinational company. But does her story describe a real or distorted picture of work life? The answer is as complicated as office life itself.
Over one million copies of the book have been sold since its release in 2007. Go Lala Go!, a movie adaptation of the novel set to hit cinemas next weekend, has stirred up even more interest in the story. The film stars Xu Jinglei and Stanley Huang, but fans seem to be more excited about seeing the story unfold on the big screen.
According to a recent sina.com survey, 45 percent of the 6,810 netizens polled said they have drawn career pointers from the novel. Other office novels, such as In and Out of the Loop, Win and Lose and Drowning and Floating, seem to have been received with similar interest.
“These books show me the life of white collars, and they teach me career rules and jargon that are not offered in class,” said Zhang Shanshan, a 22-year-old senior at Beijing Forestry University. Zhang says the competition, humor and office gossip in the book intrigued her. “I can’t wait to embark on my own career,” she said.
The popularity of office novels does not surprise Chen Ning, a senior career consultant at Zhaopin.com. “Novels about office fights and struggles satisfy the psychological demands of an ordinary office worker,” Chen said. “The leading characters face great pressure, fierce competition and an uncertain future. This is what really happens in many readers’ daily life.”
Li Ke, the author of Du Lala’s Promotion, has been stressing the significance of her fiction. “I want to provide real and useful common sense, knowledge and experience to office workers,” Li told the Qianjiang Evening News last year.
Recent graduates say they have found the basic work principles highlighted in the novel to be instructive. “If these books had been published five years earlier, I might have avoided some problems,” said Xu Jun, an HR manager at Guangqi Honda Automobile Company. “They often discuss basic office principles, which are relevant for staff working under the middle management level. They also help readers to see the importance of basic problem solving and organizational skills.”
But some veteran employees warn that the novels are not always realistic. They say this is especially true of the characters. “The protagonists appear to be unbeatable,” said Hou Zhendong, an HR manager at General Electric. “Du Lala’s team leader quit in an irresponsible way; her boss is inept; and the staff around her is either stupid or overly-sophisticated. Du stands out in emergencies and makes all the right decisions. The truth is, real-life colleagues are not that polarized（截然对立）,” Hou said. “You seldom get to negotiate your salary with a big boss. And, most of the time, you make wrong decisions far more than you make correct ones.”
The career principles in the books are also of limited use. “Most of the stories happen in Fortune 500 companies with a long history. Their cultures are well-established, and their rules are scientific,” Hou said. “But if you work for a small foreign company, or a local enterprise, some principles are useless.”
Liu Rui, a project manager at IBM, suggests fans of these books focus on the little bits of wisdom they provide. “The novels give rookies（新手） some inspiration,” he said. “They emphasize the importance of observation, practice and self-examination. These tips are precious and universally true.”Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Recent graduates can learn a lot of useful career principles from the novel. |
| B．The best novel shows readers how to be promoted in various companies. |
| C．The book Go Lala Go! Sells very well. |
| D．The movie adaptation of the novel will be a massive hit at the box-office in China. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Du Lala’s story reflects the true office life. |
| B．Go Lala Go! Enjoys more popularity than other office novels, such as In and Out of the Loop, Win and Lose and Drowning and Floating. |
| C．Some people argue that the story is a bit polarized. |
| D．Both rookies and veteran employees are fond of Go Lala Go!. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Life of White Collars |
| B．The Hottest Career Coach |
| C．How to Promote in Company |
| D．Go Lala Go! — Office Life Not All Fairytale Drama |
The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems—how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour. The passage mainly deals with .
| A．the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer |
| B．the relationship between genius and success |
| C．the decisive factor in making a genius |
| D．the way of gaining some sense of distinction |
By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could .
| A．come to understand the inner structure of writing |
| B．join a fascinating circle of writers someday |
| C．share with a novelist her likes and dislikes |
| D．learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security |
In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.
| A．her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success. |
| B．her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance |
| C．she acquires the magic of some great achievement |
| D．she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success |
| B．A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing. |
| C．As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his/her effort. |
| D．What really matters is what you do rather than who you are. |