After a very busy afternoon, as I walked into my hous
e, I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia, upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice, but this time, extremely tired from chores, I simply pulled off my coat, sat down in a chair and listened to my friend's f
rustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her, I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia's depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. "I'm so grateful for the way you helped me through this," she said.
At first I was surprised. After all, I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting(发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening, I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact, most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap; it's listening that's rare and valuable. It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying, but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker, that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately, listening isn't as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work, multitasking has become the barrier(障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my e-mail while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system: Most of us take in only about half of what's being said during a conversation, according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute, yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore, because we think much more quickly than we speak, it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times, it's a skill worth developing. With a little practice — employing some techniques— you can become a better listener. In Paragraph 2, the author mainly talks abou
t ____.
| A．the importance of listening | B．the importance of venting anger |
| C．her own listening experience | D．her own venting experience |
The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that ____.
| A．we think much more quickly than we speak |
| B．we can only understand about half of what we hear |
| C．there is not much thinking time available while we are listening |
D．we lose our concentration easily while we are listen ing |
What will be discussed following the passage?
| A．Why listening is valuable. | B．What we should do while listening |
| C．How to become a good listener | D．How to stop drifting off while listening. |
HK’s Family Affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.
In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup（阵容）includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.
For more information, please check:
www. hk. artsfestival. orgThe press conference must have been held ________.
| A．in Hong Kong | B．in Europe |
| C．in Beijing | D．in England |
By means of“discount packages”you can pay ________.
| A．nothing for the cost |
| B．less than the usual cost |
| C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket |
| D．for the festival ticket but not for hotel rooms |
According to the text, we do NOT have any information about ________.
| A．who will perform on stage | B．what programmes there will be |
| C．when the 32nd Art Festival will be held | D．which theatres will put on performances |
The main purpose in writing this text is ________.
| A．to make the 32nd Art Festival known | B．to announce the plan of the art festival |
| C．to introduce the cost of the art festival | D．to sell a service during the art festival |
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:
For washing the car...........................................$5.00
For making my own bed this week...................$1.00
Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50
Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25
Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00
Getting a good report card................................$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00
Total .......................................................... ......$14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”“All paid.”.What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Part-time Job | B．Mother’s Love, No Charge |
| C．Payment for House Work. | D．Greedy Mother |
The writer wrote the passage in order to ______.
| A．show that children should be paid for their housework |
| B．show that children should not be paid for their housework |
| C．show a clever way of teaching children |
| D．tell children how to spend their spare time |
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
| A．Clever. | B．Greedy. | C．Cold-hearted. | D．Selfish. |
From the last passage we know that ______.
| A．the boy got all the money he wanted |
| B．the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy |
| C．the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework |
| D．the mother was angry with what the boy said |
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is achieved through the use of a turntable (转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when it is pushed by those at the table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place on the lazy Susan.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet (橱柜). In this sense, the lazy Susan is a type of shelving unit within the cabinet that is able to turn around its axis(轴心) . One may turn the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods in storage. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets that are located at a right angle (直角) to each another. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
It is believed that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan in the 18th century, though it was called “dumbwaiter” at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph (留声机). The turntable may have developed into the lazy Susan later.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term “lazy Susan” was used in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term “dumbwaiter” is still used rather than “lazy Susan”. The reason for the naming of it is still a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan.What is a “lazy Susan”?
| A．A waitress | B．A convenient tool | C．A table | D．A cabinet |
According to those who believed Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, _______.
| A．his daughter was very lazy | B．the lazy Susan didn’t exist until the 18th century |
| C．Thomas Edison was his friend | D．Thomas Edison didn’t invent the phonograph |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
| A．the lazy Susan can work by itself |
| B．the lazy Susan was named after Thomas Edison’s daughter |
| C．how the lazy Susan got its name remains unknown |
| D．the lazy Susan was invented in Britain |
The writer wrote the passage mainly to _________.
| A．discuss how the lazy Susan was named | B．teach us how to make a lazy Susan |
| C．introduce Thomas Edison’s inventions | D．tell us what a lazy Susan is and its origin |
1 Year, 47 Issues
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About The New Yorker Magazine:
The New Yorker is the eclectic magazine for readers interested in the arts, current events, and culture. The New Yorker includes articles on domestic and international news, exploring current ideas and trends, plus sports, fashion, and entertainment events. In addition, The New Yorker is well known for publishing outstanding short fiction and cartoons with an ironic twist.
1 Year, 12 Issues
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About Playboy Magazine:
Playboy is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although Playboy is most well-known for its pictorials (插图)of beautiful women, it is also highly regarded for its interviews and fiction writing. Playboy includes regular feature articles on finance, sports, self-improvement, technology, and psychology. You must be 18 or older to order Playboy.
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About Nick Magazine:
Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, ages 6 to 14. It is wholesome (对身心有益的), imaginative, and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective (视角). Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from Nick with your kids.
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About Lucky Magazine:
Lucky is the ultimate shopping magazine with the best looks, the best buys, and the best trends before they hit the stores. But what makes it really unique is all the detailed information you’ll get on how to purchase the merchandise (商品) you’ll find. Lucky provides you with 800 numbers, web site addresses, and more to make your shopping experience easy and convenient! Lucky is your one-stop shopping guide to all the greatest new products on the market. What’s more, it provides wonderful entertainment for women.Which magazine gives buyers the cheapest price according to the advertisements?
| A．The New Yorker | B．Playboy | C．Nick | D．Lucky |
What is the striking feature of the Lucky magazine?
| A．It supplies much entertainment for women and children. |
| B．It contains many outstanding novels and cartoons. |
| C．It is famous for beautiful pictures of beautiful women. |
| D．There’s much detailed information on how to find new products on the market. |
If you are a housewife, which magazine will you probably buy?
A. A. The New Yorker B. LuckyC. Nick D. PlayboyWhat information is contained in all the four magazines?
| A．Sports | B．Entertainment | C．News | D．Trends |
Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet well-known for how he wrote his poems He wrote his poems with capital (大写的) letters in the words . For example, the title of one of his poems is “The little horse is newlY” The “Y” is a capital letter. He also used “i” instead of “I” to refer to himself in the poems.
Edward was born on October14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Edward’s father was also named Edward. Young Edward’s mother was named Rebecca. She loved to spend time with her children. She also taught Edward Jr how to write poems. Edward’s sister was born 1896 and her name was Elizabeth. Edward’s father was the first professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He later became the minister of one of Boston’s respected churches. He was the one who taught his son to use his hands as well as his mind. Edward Jr used his hands to paint abstract art.
E.E.Cummings was a very smart boy. Edward was 12 when he became a freshman in high school. He loved circuses, ballets, music and amusement parks.
Edward graduated from Harvard in 1916. During World War I , he joined the army and was sent to France where he drove an ambulance. He and his friend from Harvard were arrested because people thought they were German spies. They were kept in one room where they slept , ate , talked and tried to deal with their fears and boredom. Edward wrote his first book, published in 1922, called The Enormous Room, based on his wartime experiences.
E.E.Cummings was a poet that made his own rules in poetry. He was one of the most popular poets of the 20th century.Which is a special feature of E.E.Cummings’ poems?
| A．Their titles are all written with capital letters. |
| B．A special capital letter is used in them to refer to the writer. |
| C．He used “Y” to refer to “you”. |
| D．He used letters in a special way in them |
What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．Edward’s schooling | B．Edward’s parents |
| C．Edward’s family | D．Edward’s childhood. |
E.E.Cummings was arrested in the war because ___________.
| A．he went to France without permission | B．he looked like a Frenchman |
| C．he was thought to be German agent | D．he drove away a car that belonged to the army |