The story begins with fishing.
Once a boy and his father went fishing before bass (a kind of special fish) season opened. They were fishing ea
rly in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure (鱼饵) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass(the special fish).
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 pm – two hours before the bass season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. “You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy, “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the la
ke. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish … again and again … every time he has an ethical decision to make. For, as his father had
taught him, ethics (伦理道德)are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?
| A.The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
| B.The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish. |
| C.The father lit a match in order to check the time. |
| D.They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done. |
From the text we know that the father _____.
| A.disliked the huge fish | B.was firm and stubborn |
| C.didn’t love his son | D.always disagreed with his son |
The successful architect went fishing with his children at the same place because _____.
| A.they might catch a big fish there |
| B.he was taught a moral lesson there |
C.it was a mo st popular fishing spot |
| D.their children enjoyed fishing there |
What does the story imply?
| A.An ethical decision is always easy to make. |
| B.It is easy to say something, but difficult to do. |
| C.It’s hard to tell right from wrong sometimes |
| D.Fishing can help one to make right decisions |
What kind of the person the father is?
| A.kind | B.honest | C.optimistic | D.satisfied |
Gene technology to benefit people
Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic talked about by people.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only can these two diseases be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life can be longer.
Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial family being a good example, have hereditary (遗传的) diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing with hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientists just need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to make human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep, even a cow, therefore these people predict that human babies would be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology.
6What does “these two killers” in the second paragraph refer to?
| A.Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases. |
| B.The two murderers who killed the cloned baby. |
| C.Hereditary disease and cancer. |
| D.Cancer and heart disease. |
In what way can gene technology help to treat hereditary diseases?
| A.Using gene technology, a scientist finds the wrong gene and corrects it. |
| B.Using gene technology, people with hereditary diseases can live longer. |
| C.Using gene technology, human babies can also be cloned. |
| D.Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology. |
What is the main purpose of writing the text?
| A.Explaining that gene technology will also do great harm to human race. |
| B.Telling the readers the positive effects gene technology has on people’s life. |
| C.Expressing the writer’s idea that gene technology will benefit people. |
| D.Informing people that gene technology helps clone babies in large quantities. |
The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic(算数) and to prepare them for Algebra (代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents (指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing — and completely understandable — field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery (神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is a master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?
| A.Arithmetic. | B.College Mathematics. |
| C.Algebra. | D.Mathematics Education. |
What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?
| A.Stronger imaginative ability. |
| B.Additional presentation skills. |
| C.Greater chances of becoming teachers. |
| D.More mathematical confidence. |
What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?
| A.He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television. |
| B.He works in Georgia State University. |
| C.He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math. |
| D.He specializes in training teachers. |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
| A.A news report. | B.An advertisement |
| C.A lesson plan. | D.A book review |
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的).The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening — in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed — and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers. But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to ______ .
| A.expect small changes | B.notice small changes |
| C.welcome small changes | D.exaggerate (夸大) small changes |
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
| A.Cautiously. | B.Skeptically. |
| C.Positively. | D.Critically. |
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by ______ .
| A.the tight security | B.the messy arrivals hall |
| C.the relaxed policemen | D.the bank robbers |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
| A.Life in Britain. | B.Britain in Memory. |
| C.Britain in Future. | D.Back in Britain. |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late,but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.According to the passage, winners .
| A.blame themselves rather than others |
| B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
| C.have responsible and able colleagues |
| D.deal with problems rather than blame others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A.improve | B.accept |
| C.avoid | D.consider |
When problems occur, winners take them as ______.
| A.excuses for their failures | B.chances for self-development |
| C.challenges to their colleagues | D.barriers to greater power |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A.A Winner’s Opportunity. | B.A Winner’s Problem. |
| C.A Winner’s Secret. | D.A Winner’s Achievement. |
Finding true happiness is a universal aspiration (渴望). We all want it, but can we all have it? Genuine happiness is written all over our faces when we are truly contented, and, likewise, a forced smile does nothing to hide underlying sadness.
Believing that everyone can create their own lasting joy, Matthieu Richard has been declared the Happiest Man in the World. Richard earned his “happiest man” status after a series of laboratory tests in 2004. Richard has shared his thoughts on happiness with a worldwide audience. As an experienced speaker, he has explained his insights into happiness to everyone, from students to corporate groups. Looking inwards to find joy rather than relying on outer conditions, he believes, is the way to achieve well-being.
“It’s quite clear that the outer conditions are not enough. The way we interpret those outer conditions in our inner experience is what determines either a sense of well-being or misery. We love to go jogging for fitness and we do all kinds of things to remain beautiful, yet we spend surprisingly little time taking care of what matters most: the way our minds function. It’s the essential thing that determines the quality of our experience.” Besides this, Richard stresses that it is not what’s happening around us that makes us unhappy, but rather the way we choose to react to it.
The pursuit of happiness is becoming a modern obsession(痴迷). As life becomes more complex, our ability to process our reactions to various outside influences comes under strain. “Genuine happiness” he says, “doesn’t mean pleasant feelings one after the other. It’s more like a series of qualities that we can develop as skills — like openness, genuine love, compassion, inner strength and inner peace.”Richard has been declared the Happiest Man in the World _______.
| A.because he has shared his thoughts on happiness with a worldwide audience |
| B.after he has explained his insights into happiness to everyone |
| C.after a series of laboratory tests |
| D.because he tries his best to achieve happiness and well-being |
According to Richard, what is the best way to achieve well-being?
| A.Interpreting those outer conditions in our inner experience. |
| B.Looking inwards to find joy rather than relying on outer conditions. |
| C.Spending little time taking care of what matters most. |
| D.Reacting to various outside influences in the modern world. |
What determines the quality of our experience?
| A.The way our minds react to outer conditions. |
| B.Insights into happiness that we hold. |
| C.The constant pursuit of happiness in our life. |
| D.Those outer conditions affecting our happiness. |
How can we pursuit happiness?
| A.Go jogging for happiness. |
| B.Do everything to remain beautiful. |
| C.Make sure that our minds are functioning normally. |
| D.Develop necessary qualities. |