As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o’clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield's home?
A.She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident. |
B.She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family. |
C.She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision. |
D.She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family. |
What job would the writer take in Mrs Bloomfield's home?
A.A nursery maid. | B.A house cleaner. | C.A home cook. | D.A family teacher. |
Which of the following was TRUE according to the passage?
A.The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold. |
B.The delicious food took the writer's attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words. |
C.All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family. |
D.All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs Bloomfield herself. |
From the passage, we can infer that ___________.
A.Mrs Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot |
B.The youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student |
C.the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should |
D.Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children |
8:30 PM
Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up to date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film, the designer with the latest fashion, and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook. The program is introduced by Fran Levine.
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10 -year –old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year- old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses. Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes or can any child be turned into a genius? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future, what should they do ? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson, the professor at School of Medicine, New York University will help you discover the answer.
10:00 PM
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers. After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure, they found that after 6 months, those devoted to weight-loss exercise and eating a low-salt, low-fat food lost about 13 pounds and became fitter. Plus, 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category. This week, Dr. Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with Hypertension drugs. From Outlook, you can get a great deal of information about _____________.
A.famous stars | B.story tellers |
C.film companies | D.music fans |
Who will be most probably interested in Discovery?
A.Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine. |
B.Children who are good at mathematics. |
C.Parents who want their child to become another Albert Einstein. |
D.Children who are interested in playing chess. |
According to the third text, which of the following has almost the same effect as Hypertension drug?
A.Low-salt and low –fat food. |
B.Loss of thirteen pounds in weight |
C.Six months of exercise without drugs. |
D.Exercise plus a healthy diet. |
How to stick to your own opinion in socializing ?
When it comes to your life , the opinion of others should matter very little . I am not talking about your friends and family , but others who have no importance in your reality – like your social peers and others like them . They are unimportant to your life , and yet you secretly struggle for approval at the cost of your own . Remember , your opinion is king .
Start by being your true self . Allowing your true self to appear and connect with people on a more real level helps them in turn do the same with you . There is openness and honesty in the interaction . At the end of the day this is what we all want – the joy of true and meaningful connections .
Next , evaluate your decisions . Are they representing who you are or are they the result of other people’s opinion ? Practice your ability not to be affected by pressure and learn to take nothing personally . When we are bothered by outer criticisms , it influences and changes our behavior . Don’t look to others for guidance on how to behave . Don’t look for approval . If you don’t need approval , you won’t have a reason to try to impress people or be impressed by them .
And finally , be real in EVERY situation . As you express your real self , others will think highly of you and the few who don’t – don’t matter anyway . Be willing to be judged , and then not take it to heart . If all this is a bit scary , then start small . Rather than not caring at all what others think , start by just caring a little less . No one outside your inner circle should get a vote or pass judgment or have influence on how you live your life .The text is especially helpful for those who want to __________ .
A.enlarge friend circle |
B.speak highly of others |
C.remain unaffected by others’ opinions |
D.develop the ability to make wise decisions |
Being real can help people __________ .
A.get honest relations | B.gain courage |
C.take nothing too personal | D.avoid criticisms |
What are people advised to do in order to stick to their opinions in socializing ?
A.Care about no one’s opinion . |
B.Look for guidance on behaviors . |
C.Impress people by making changes . |
D.Start by taking others’ judgment less seriously . |
There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .
Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant’s(康德)daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .
It may be true that work on the assembly line(流水线)dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .
People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child’s ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom . It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that __________ .
A.great minds hate to live colorful lives |
B.Einstein worked out his theory in a university |
C.Kant only took the same walk on rainy and sunny days |
D.Kant might pass Konigsberg every day at the same time |
How does the author feel about his repetitive work by the water ?
A.It made his mind empty . |
B.It was well-paid but too demanding . |
C.It worked well with his active mind . |
D.It was too interesting to think of anything else . |
The reasons why youngsters dislike dull work include the following EXCEPT that they __________ .
A.are not mature enough |
B.think themselves smart |
C.often complain about others |
D.don’t know how to spend spare time |
What is the purpose of the passage ?
A.To argue for the benefits of dull work . |
B.To present some facts about dull work . |
C.To share his own dull working experience . |
D.To persuade young people to live a dull life . |
Ever wonder why sometimes a hug is all you need ? You can’t explain it , but there’s just something comforting about being in your wife’s arms after a rough day or giving mom a hug after a long time apart .
A new study says the warm feeling in a hug is more than just skin deep . Researchers from the University of California , Berkeley believe that this loving feeling could have anti-aging benefits .
Oxytocin , sometimes referred to as the “ love hormone(荷尔蒙)” or the “ trust hormone , ” is responsible for those indescribable feelings we get when we’re bonding with a lover or a loved one .
Levels of the hormone drop as we age , and evidence suggests that could be a contributing factor to the deterioration of our bodies as we age . Muscle loss in particular is one of the major side effects of aging , with our bodies losing up to 5 percent of our muscle mass each decade past our 30s .
In the study , published in the journal Nature Communications , researchers injected oxytocin into older mice with muscle damage . The older mice had lower levels of the homeone than younger mice initially . But after nine days , the older mice who were given the hormone healed better than those who did not . In fact , their ability to repair muscle damage was up to 80 percent that of the younger mice .
The results were not only fast-acting , but provide hope for future uses of the hormone in a variety of anti-aging capacities . “ This is good because it demonstrates that extra oxytocin improves aged tissue stem cells(组织干细胞)without making muscle stem cells divide uncontrollably , ” study co-author Wendy Cousins said in a statement .
Previous uses of anti-aging molecules have also been associated with higher cancer risk , but researchers are hopeful that oxytocin can be useful in humans without this risk . In the future , researchers of Berkeley say oxytocin could be used to fight other age-related health issues by improving bone health and even being used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy .
Now go out and give someone a hug .According to the passage , oxytocin __________ .
A.decreases when people get older |
B.creates loving feeling on the skin |
C.leads to the great loss of muscles |
D.can be used in humans without any risk |
The underlined word “ deterioration ” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to the state of __________ .
A.getting fatter | B.becoming worse or less |
C.growing stronger | D.dividing uncontrollably |
What can be learned from the research ?
A.All the older mice healed faster in the research . |
B.Older mice healed better than younger ones after 9 days . |
C.Extra oxytocin in older mice controlled muscle cell division . |
D.Mice with oxytocin injection improved the ability to repair muscle damage . |
What can be a suitable title for the passage ?
A.When Do We Need A Hug ? |
B.A New Anti-aging Product |
C.Hugs Having Healing Power |
D.How Can We Grow Muscles ? |
Lying in the sun on a rock , the cougar(美洲豹)saw Jeb and his son Tom before they saw it . Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands , making himself look big to the cougar . It worked . The cougar hesitated , ready to attack Jeb , but ready to forget the whole thing , too .
Jeb let go of his jacket , grasped Tom and held him across his body , making a cross . Now the cougar’s enemy looked even bigger , and it rose up , ready to move away , but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb .
“ Tom , no ! ” shouted his father .
But Tom broke and ran and that’s the last thing you do with a cougar . The second Tom broke free , Jeb threw himself on the cougar , just as it jumped from the rock . They hit each other in mid-air and both fell . The cougar was on Jeb in a flash , leaving Tom alone , which was what Jeb wanted .
Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance , even with just his fists . As the cougar’s claws(爪子)got into his left shoulder , Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard . The animal howled(吼叫)and put its head back . Jeb followed up with his other fist . Then out of the corner of his eye , Jeb saw Tom . The boy was running back to help his father .
“ knife , Tom , ” shouted Jeb .
The boy ran to his father’s bag , while Jeb started shouting as well as hitting , to keep the cougar’s attention away from Tom . Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb . The cougar was moving its head in and out , trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms . Tom swung with the knife , into the cougar’s back . It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains .
The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds .Why did Jeb pull his jacket open when he saw the cougar ?
A.To get ready to fight . | B.To protect his son . |
C.To calm himself down . | D.To frighten it away . |
What can we learn from the passage about cougars ?
A.They always forget things . |
B.They dislike loud noises . |
C.They like to attack running people . |
D.They hesitate before attack . |
Jeb tried to hold the cougar’s attention by __________ .
A.making a wall with his arms |
B.keeping shouting and hitting |
C.throwing himself on the cougar |
D.swinging his fists at the cougar’s eyes |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Jeb ?
A.Smart but bad-tempered . | B.Loving and determined . |
C.Tough and warm-hearted . | D.Determined but hesitant . |