A British train station has put up a no kissing sign to stop lovers going full stream ahead with their over-loving goodbyes. Rail users have been told: if you want to get up to that kind of business, do it in the car park.
The sign has gone up at the drop-off point (下车区) at Warrington Bank Quay station in the town of Warrington, between Liverpool and Manchester in northwest England. A man i
n a hat and a woman with a curly-looking hair show people they must not indulge (沉迷于) in full –on lip- locking.
A similar sign, this time permitting kissing , has been put up elsewhere in a zone where smooching (拥吻) is considered acceptable. “We have not banned kissing in the station,” said a spokesman for operators Virgin Rail. “But we have put the sign at the drop-off point because it is not a very big area and it often gets busy 
with lots of traffic.”
The sign is a light-hearted way of getting people to move on quickly. “If people wish to spend a little more time with their loved ones before they leave, then should park in the short-stay car park nearby.”
The busy station links the town with the major cities London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester.
However, one station is trying to rescue love from the tracks, High Wycombe, northwest of London, is having none of it and is actively urging travelers to enjoy love. “Kissing is welcome here! We would never dream of banning kissing,” says a poster of a cartoon couple embracing, framed by a pink heart.
“Railway stations are romantic places,” insisted Kirsteen Roberston from Chiltern Railways. “So our passengers are more than welcome to share a kiss in our stations.”Why is a no kissing sign put up at the drop-off point?
| A．Because the space is limited and people are often crowded. |
| B．Because the station wants to ban kissing in the area. |
| C．Because people can easily see the sign. |
| D．Because the trains have been put off many times. |
The underlined words “that kind of business” mean “_______”
| A．buying and selling | B．kissing each other |
| C．parking cars | D．buying tickets |
From the passage we know that Chilten Railways _____ .
| A．bans kissing in the station | B．plays films of kissing in the station |
| C．encourages kissing in the station | D．bans travelers to see films of kissing |
Have you ever heard the saying “If you want a friend, be one”?
Here is how a new teacher made friends with the girls and boys in her class on the first day of school. As the bell rang, the teacher smiled at each girl and boy. Then she said in a quiet voice, “Good morning. How nice it is to have all of you in my class this year. I'd like to know each of you. I am sure we will enjoy working together.” Everyone felt that she meant what she said because of her sweet voice and her friendly look.
She told the girls and boys her name and wrote it on the blackboard. Then she told them some of the things she liked to do and she was hoping to do with them during the year.
Then she said to the class, “Now you know my name and the things I like and I want to know your names and the things you like. Then I will feel that I know you.”
Could you make friends by doing the same as this teacher did?
One way of getting to know girls and boys in your class is to find out more about them. It is often easy to be friends with those people who have the same hobbies with you. You play the same games and go on journeys together.
You may find that some new comers in your class miss their old friends and feel strange and lonely. You can invite them to take a walk or to ride bikes with you. You will find many things in common to talk about. Just talking together in a friendly manner is one good way to make friends.What does the underlined sentence “If you want a friend, be one” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．You may have a friend by doing everything for him. |
| B．You can make friends by doing what a friend should do. |
| C．If you want to have a friend, try to make one be your friend. |
| D．When you need a friend, you have to be a friend of yourself. |
The teacher’s sweet voice and her friendly look _______.
| A．made every girl and boy happy |
| B．told the girls and boys everything about herself |
| C．showed that she would like to be a friend of the girls and boys’ |
| D．meant she wanted to tell the boys and girls something interesting |
A new comer will be your friend if __________.
| A．he always thinks of his old friends |
| B．you ask him to do something |
| C．he knows you |
| D．you talk with him in a friendly way |
If you want to make friends with others, which of the following shouldn’t you do?
| A．Learn more about them. | B．Go on journeys together. |
| C．Find out your differences. | D．Try to be the same as them. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．How to Make Friends |
| B．Teachers Can Make Friends with Students |
| C．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed |
| D．How to Be Friends with New Comers |
Today's word, pan, takes us back to the days of the gold rush in California.
On January 24th, 1848, a man named James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in California. The news spread quickly. Thousands rushed west. They traveled on foot, on horseback and by boat to reach the gold fields. By 1849, the great gold rush was on. Towns and cities grew overnight. Throughout California --- in the mountains, along the streams and rivers --- thousands of people searched for gold.
Some found areas of mountain rock thick with gold. These men got rich. But such areas were few and quickly claimed by the first men to find them. Others searched for gold in the rivers coming down the mountains. They were after pieces of gold that the rains had washed down from above .
The only way to find this gold was by panning. First a gold miner put dirt in a metal pan and added water. Then he shook the pan so that the water would wash the dirt. Slowly, he poured the water out of the pan. If he was a lucky miner, pieces of gold would remain.
Across the nation, newspapers carried stories of the gold being found. Each one hoped that the place he claimed panned out well --- had some gold.
For many, gold mining did not pan out. For a few, it panned out well. But in time, huge machines were built that could wash many tons of dirt at a time. Panning died out.
The word, however, remained in the language. Today, Americans still say, “ It panned out well ,” when something they have done pleases them. A business, a discovery, a simple event pans out well if it is successful. Unhappily, sometimes things do not pan out.
In recent years, the word pan has taken on another meaning. Today, it also means to criticize. How it got this meaning is hard to discover. But the job of a critic is to sometimes pan the work of a writer, artist or singer.Why did so many people flood to California in 1848?
| A．Because towns and cities there developed quickly. |
| B．Because the mountains in California were a great place for travel. |
| C．Because they wanted to get rich by looking for gold. |
| D．Because the land of California was fertile at that time. |
The underlined part “It panned out well" in Paragraph 7 has the same meaning as “______”
| A．Everything turned out well | B．Nothing could be worse |
| C．It's not the case | D．It's a pity |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To tell us some stories about the gold rush. |
| B．To introduce the word "pan" in American English. |
| C．To teach us how to look for gold in rivers. |
| D．To introduce the history of the gold rush in California |
Dining in a completely dark room, unaware what’s on your plate while sitting next to a complete stranger may not sound like an ideal restaurant experience but it’s certainly an intriguing way to spend a rainy night in London.
Dans le Noir, close to London’s financial district, is a restaurant full of blind waiters and waitresses who become your eyes around the restaurant, whose original Paris branch opened in 2004.
In the bar with the light, you choose whether you want the fish, meat or vegetable, but the dishes themselves remain a secret, as do the ingredients of the “surprise” cocktails. Bags, coats and devices(设备)that light up, including watches and mobile phones, are kept in the bar. Placing your hand on the shoulder of your guide, you are led to a table in a black dining room that sets up to 60 people. And it is dark.
The waiters tell you when the food is being placed down in front of you, then the fun begins, trying to get food into your mouth, then identifying just what it is that’s on your plate, and finally whether you have missed any of it.
It’s also a great chance to break social convention and eat using your fingers. Those same fingers are also the only way you can tell how much wine you’re pouring into your glass.
The happy atmosphere in the dining room also made the night memorable. You can’t really avoid talking to the person next to you at the long tables and guessing what the dishes are certainly provides adequate fuel for the conversations.
All will be revealed at the end of the meal when you are led back out into the lit bar. Not only do you finally get to see what you’ve just been eating but also who you’ ve been talking to for the last 90 minutes.What does the underlined word “intriguing.” in the first paragraph mean?
A terrible B. interesting C. expensive D. newAccording to the text, “ Dans le Noir”__________.
A is far from London’s financial district
B has its first branch opened in Britain
C is very popular among blind customers
D has a dining room which can seat up to 60 peopleWe know from the text that the customers in “Dans le Noir”_________.
| A．are forbidden to eat with their fingers |
| B．can talk to the strangers at table |
| C．will book the menu in a dark bar |
| D．can take their mobile phones into the dining room |
What’s the main purpose of the text?
| A．To help blind people find a job in restaurants. |
| B．To show how to open a restaurant with a new idea. |
| C．To show how to enjoy the time in a dark restaurant. |
| D．To introduce and attract customers to “Dans le Noir ”. |
Endless playing of songs like All I want for Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn’t just drive us mad —the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned.
While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers’ spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.
“Background music, or “Muzak”,can be used by marketers to impose cultures ---such as the commercialization of Christmas--- onto consumers and influence their behaviour,” experts said.
Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of.”
“Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears.”
Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often “dumb down” the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour.
It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example.
Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers.
“A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways,” Dr. Bradshaw said.
Background music is often classed as “Muzak” in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s.According to Dr. Bradshaw, in what ways does Christmas music influence customers?
①their mood②their income
③their sense of time④ the sort of products they buy
| A．①②③ | B．①③④ | C．②③④ | D．①②④ |
Shopkeepers slow down the rhythm of music in shops to ___________.
| A．let customers spend more time shopping |
| B．make customers and sales assistants relaxed |
| C．let customers enjoy the beautiful music |
| D．help customers find what they really want |
What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops?
| A．Classical music | B．Popular modern songs. |
| C．Folk songs. | D．Jazz music. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Music makes happy Christmas |
| B．Christmas “Muzak” |
| C．How to make Christmas music? |
| D．Christmas music makes us spend more |
According to the US Geological Survey, about seven million earthquakes strike worldwide every year—but fortunately, only about 1500 of these are of a magnitude(震级) of 5 or greater on the Richter scale. Certain areas, such as California and Japan, are more prone to earthquakes than others. Although the chance of being caught in “The Big one” is remote, it’s wise to be prepared if you live in a region where earthquakes are common.
Educate your family about earthquakes before a big one strikes. For example, they need to know to take shelter in a doorway or under a strong object if indoors, and never to run outdoors if they are inside. If outside, they need to know to stay away from power lines and buildings where objects could fall.
Teach family members how to turn off gas or water lines or electrical power that may need to be shut off after a quake if severe damage occurs.
Develop a plan. Where will your family meet in the event of a disaster? What if some people are at work or school? How will you know if they are safe? Where will you all meet up?
Pack a preparedness kit(衣物装备) and keep it in a safe location. In a major earthquake, it’s possible that you won’t be able to get into your house. Keep supplies in your car trunk or an outside storage shed if possible. Pack whatever your family is likely to need, enough for three days to a week, including food, water, medication, first aid and personal hygiene supplies, flashlights, a portable radio, blankets, clothes and shoes, cash, or camp stove, candles, matches or lighters, and a whistle.
Consider earthquake insurance for your home if you live in an earthquake-prone area. Regular homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover earthquake damage.The underlined words “prone to ” in paragraph 1 can be replaced by___________.
| A．likely to suffer | B．frequent to explore |
| C．regular to measure | D．impossible to experience |
According to the passage, if you are outside in an earthquake, you should_________.
| A．stay where you are | B．hide under a big tree |
| C．avoid power lines | D．sit on the ground |
We can learn from the passage that_________.
| A．about 1,500 earthquakes happen every year |
| B．people should store some clothes in their houses in advance |
| C．family members should meet in their home after an earthquake |
| D．people suffering earthquakes often should buy earthquake insurance |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Keep Safe in an Earthquake |
| B．How to Prepare for an Earthquake |
| C．Who Can Help Us After an Earthquake? |
| D．Where Is an Earthquake-prone Area? |