Our village carpenter(木匠), John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the job.
My wife said to me quietly, “It’s his ninth cup of tea today.” But she said in a loud voice, “It is a beautiful table, dear, isn’t it?”
“I will decide about that when I see the bill, ” I read:
One dining table, 10 November, 1989.
Cost of wood: ＄17.00
Paint: ＄1.50
Work: 8 hours (＄1 an hour) ＄8.00
Total: ＄36.50
When I was looking at the bill, John said, “It’s been a fine day, hasn’t it? Quite sunny.” “Yes,” I said, “I’m glad it is only the 10th of November.”
“Me, too,” said John. “You wait. It’ll be a lot colder by the end of the month.”
“Yes, colder…. And more expensive! Dining tables will be ＄20 more expensive on November 30th, won’t they, John?” John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.
“If it isn’t too much trouble, John,” I said, “Please add it up again and you can forget the date.”
I paid him ＄26.50and he was happy to get it.Why did John talk about the weather when the writer was looking at the bill?_______
| A．Because he didn’t want the writer to go through the bill carefully. |
| B．Because it was really a fine day. |
| C．Because he wanted the writer to check the bill carefully. |
| D．Because he wanted to tell the writer what the weather was like. |
Why did the writer say that dining table would be＄ 20 more expensive on November 30th ?__________
| A．Because it was difficult to make dining tables in cold weather. |
| B．Because paint would be more expensive. |
| C．Because the cost of wood would be more expensive. |
| D．Because he thought John would certainly add to the cost of the dining table. |
From the story we know that _____________
| A．John made a mistake in the bill. |
| B．John tried to fool the writer in order to get more money for his work |
| C．John had written out the bill before the writer got home. |
| D．John still wanted to get ＄36.50 for his work in the end. |
KING LEAR
Part 3
NARRATOR: As soon as Goneril has got all she can from her father, she begins treating him disrespectfully. When Lear wants to speak to her, Goneril tells her servant, Oswald, to say she is sick. She encourages her staff to be disrespectful towards Lear and begins complaining about the hundred soldiers Lear has brought with him. However, King Lear soon has a friend by his side. The Duke of Kent, who Lear ordered to leave Britain, cannot abandon his king. He therefore comes to Lear disguised as a servant called Caius and asks for a job.
(Enter Lear, several of Lear's soldiers and Kent disguised as a servant.)
LEAR: OK, Caius. I'll give you a trial. And if you prove to be good at your job, I'll keep you on as my servant. (Oswald enters.) Hey, you there. Where's my daughter? (Oswald ignores the king and hurries out of the room.) Hey. What's going on? Call him back. Is he deaf? (A Soldier rushes out after Oswald.) It's as though the whole world has gone to sleep. (Soldier reenters.) Where's that servant? Why didn’t he come back when I called?
SOLDIER:Sir, he answered me very rudely and said he would not come back.
LEAR: I don’t believe it!
SOLDIER: Sir, I am sorry, to tell you this, but it seems to me that you are not being treated with the respect due to a king. Everyone here, including your daughter, is behaving very coldly towards you.
LEAR:Mmm. I suspected the same, but I kept telling myself it was my imagination. Please tell my daughter I wish to speak with her. (Soldier bows and leaves. Oswald enters.) Ah, come here my man and answer me. Who am I?
OSWALD: My lady's father.
LEAR: Your lady's father? Is that all I am to you, you dog, you slave! (Lear raises his arm as though to strike Oswald.)
OSWALD: I'll not be hit, my Lord.
KENT:(Kent kicks Oswald's feet out from under him.) And you won't be laid flat on your back either, I suppose. Now get up and get out of here. (Oswald leaves.)
LEAR: My thanks, Caius. I can see you will be a most valuable servant.
(Enter Goneril.) What's up, daughter? You always seem to be frowning lately.
GONERIL: Is it any wonder that I frown when your soldiers are continually drinking and fighting? I thought when I told you about their behavior you would make them behave, but now I hear you have insulted Oswald. I do believe you are encouraging your soldiers in their bad behavior.
LEAR: Is this my daughter scolding me?
GONERIL: I have had enough of your soldiers. They are expensive to keep and you don't need them. Besides, their drunken behavior and bad manners are disgusting. You will send half of them away. And unless you want me to get rid of the rest of them too, I suggest you teach them how to behave properly.
LEAR: That's a lie. My soldiers are good men who know how to behave properly. I won't stay here to be insulted. I still have one more daughter. She'll scratch out your eyes when she hears how you've treated me. Men! Get my horses ready and collect my baggage. I'll leave immediately. I won't stay where I'm not welcome. (Lear and companions leave.)
NARRATOR: Lear sends Kent on ahead to the castle of his other daughter, Regan, to tell her that he will soon be arriving. Goneril sends her servant Oswald to Regan to tell her side of the story.Who does the underlined “him” probably refer to?
| A．Kent. | B．Oswald. | C．Lear. | D．Soldier. |
Why did the Duke of Kent disguise himself as a servant?
| A．To find a chance to meet Goneril. |
| B．To share some of the king’s wealth. |
| C．To find a job in the court. |
| D．To serve and help his king— Lear. |
From the passage, what is the relationship between Goneril and Regan?
| A．Sisters. | B．Couple. |
| C．Sister and Brother. | D．Brothers. |
Which of the following best describe the character of King Lear in this passage?
| A．A wise king and father. |
| B．A cold-hearted father. |
| C．A cruel and selfish king. |
| D．A stupid and a bit stubborn man. |
Many countries have passed safety laws that require seat belts in vehicles. A modern three-point seat belt, also called a safety belt, is a harness to prevent the driver or a passenger from flying forward and hitting hard against the interior of a vehicle during a collision. A modern seat belt will help to position you properly to gain maximum benefit from your car’s airbags that will inflate（使充气）during a collision. Using a seat belt also prevents you from being ejected (弹出) from a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Research shows that when you wear a modern seat belt, you reduce the risk of death or serious injury by 70% or more during an auto accident.
Seat belts have existed in different forms since the early days of automobiles, and they have changed from a single lap belt to the three-point seat belt we use today. In 1911 the first airplane seat belt was installed. Then, in the 1920’s they were used in racecars. By the 1930s, a group of American physicians created lap belts for their own vehicles and urged vehicle manufacturers to provide seat belts on all vehicles.
Dr. C. Hunter Shelden made a major contribution to our safety with his article in the November 5, 1955 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). He strongly encouraged the manufacture and use of door locks, airbags, and retractable(伸缩式的) seat belts, like the ones we use today. The modern three-point seat belt, including a lap belt and a shoulder belt, was introduced as standard equipment on Volvo cars in 1959.
In 1970, the state of Victoria in Australia made the wearing of a seat belt compulsory for every car driver and front-seat passenger. Today many countries have also mandated(授权) the use of five-point safety harnesses for carefully designed child safety seats that can protect a child during a serious car accident.
An airbag is a Supplemental Restraint System, or SRS, and consists of a rapidly inflatable restraint cushion that works together with a seat belt to protect you during a collision. Modern cars often contain several airbags in various locations. Since airbags can only inflate once and will quickly deflate after the initial impact, they will not provide any protection for you during a secondary collision.
The inflation of airbag can protect or hurt you. The risk zone for a driver’s airbag is the first 8 centimeters from its pre-inflation location. While driving, you should remain about 25 centimeters from the airbag in the center of the wheel. As a driver, wear your seat belt and make sure children correctly use their seat belts. Failure to wear a seat belt properly means the airbags in your car might injure or even kill you during an accident.
An essential part of your safe driving skills is the habit of making sure that you and each of your passengers are always properly positioned and wearing a seat belt. There are many wonderful benefits of being able to drive a car, but there are also severe consequences during an accident for anyone who chooses not to wear a seat belt.This article mostly deals with .
| A．how to drive safely on the road |
| B．different forms of seat belts |
| C．the history of seat belt development |
| D．the importance of seat belt use |
We can learn from this article that _____.
| A．to reduce your risk of death or serious injury by 70%, you must wear a five-point seat belt while you are driving |
| B．American physicians created lap belts for their own vehicles because they had seen many injuries caused by car accidents |
| C．if two or more collisions occur during a serious car accident, your airbags can help reduce the risk of death by 70% |
| D．the U.S. was the first country to require by law that car drivers and front-seat passengers wear their seat belts |
The author treats the subject of this article with .
| A．good humor | B．admiration |
| C．seriousness | D．disapproval |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Seat belts were first used in airplanes and then applied to vehicles. |
| B．Airbags, door locks, and seat belts were all designed at the same time. |
| C．The lap belt is more modern than the 3-point safety belt. |
| D．Buying the latest seat belts is an essential driving skill. |
With the average temperature for January standing at -50℃, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2℃.
This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water' due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.
Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horse meat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.
Doctors say the reason the locals don't suffer from malnutrition is that their animals' milk contains a lot of micronutrients.
Unsurprisingly, locals are hardened to the weather and unlike in other countries— where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon's solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52℃.
There are few modern conveniences in the village— with many buildings still having outdoor toilets - and most people still burn coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town shuts down in about five hours, and the pipes freeze and crack.
Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.
Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception the phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.
Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days. The earth must first have melted sufficiently in order to dig it, so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours. Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug. The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.
Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions.Which of the following statements about this village is true?
| A．Local children don’t go to school because of the extreme cold. |
| B．People there live a hard and simple life with few modern conveniences. |
| C．People there have a healthy and balanced diets by eating vegetables and meat. |
| D．The name of this village— Oymyakon suggests that it’s extremely cold here. |
The sentence “If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.” can be put .
| A．before the first paragraph |
| B．after the first paragraph |
| C．after the sixth paragraph |
| D．before the last paragraph |
What does the underlined phrase “grinding to a halt” probably mean in this passage?
| A．stopping | B．growing | C．continuing | D．failing |
What is the purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To attract more people to visit this village. |
| B．To inform readers of this special village. |
| C．To help solve problems facing the village。 |
| D．To draw readers’ attention to poor people. |
The insanely popular song ‘Gangnam Style’ from South Korean recording artist PSY has just become the most watched video on YouTube ever, garnering more than 808 million views on the popular media site.
The distinction was previously held by another pop heavyweight, Justin Bieber, whose song ‘Baby’ had a little more than 804 million views at press time. PSY made the announcement on his Twitter page earlier today.
Since its release, the song has defeated such other popular videos as Jennifer Lopez’s ‘On the Floor,’ Eminem's ‘Love the Way You Lie’ and LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem.’ And in September, 'Gangnam Style' also became the most liked video on YouTube, now with nearly 5.4 million thumbs up.
At the time of the announcement, the Guinness Book of World Records released a statement saying: “In years past it was unthinkable that something would be viewed a hundred million times, and now Gangnam Style has achieved more than twice this figure in just three months on YouTube. PSY, your certificate is waiting here at our office, come pick it up any time!”
Despite its massive popularity, the video shows no signs of slowing down, and it even has a shot at becoming the first video to get more than one billion views.
If it maintains its current rate of around six million new views per day, ‘Gangnam Style’ would be in line to break that record by the end of the year.
The YouTube honors are just the latest in a long list that shows just how popular the song has become. Since it was released in July, the song has seen a meteoric rise through the music industry.
It has found its way to the tops of music charts in more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Canada, while providing material for thousands of parody（恶搞）videos.
It became a staple (主要部份) in the 2012 presidential elections with the now famous ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video and was even used by the North Korean government in propaganda films promoting their supreme leader.
Meanwhile, such influential figures as President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have all made mention of the hit song.This passage mainly talks about a world famous________.
| A．music | B．music video |
| C．video website | D．Korean pop singer |
Which of the following about “Gangnam Style” is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“Gangnam Style” has defeated Justin Bieber’s “Baby” on You Tube’s views. |
| B．“Gangnam Style” has been the favorite to at least 5.4 million people. |
| C．“Gangnam Style” has been the first to get more than 1 billion views. |
| D．“Gangnam Style” has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．PSY will become one of the greatest musicians due to the popularity of “Gangnam Style”. |
| B．Obama won the presidential election partly because of the ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video. |
| C．Despite its massive popularity, the fever of “Gangnam Style” has decreased. |
| D．The influence of “Gangnam Style” has spread far and wide. |
The age at which kids first fall victim to bullying (欺侮）could influence how strongly they are affected，suggests a new study. And，surprisingly，it is not the youngest kids who are hurt the most in the long term.
Bullying can have long-lasting effects，but particularly when it begins in adolescence，the researchers say. People subjected to either verbal ( 口头 上的）or physical bullying are known to be at greater risk of developing depression，anxiety disorders or to behave violently. But not everyone reacts in this way.
Children bullied for the first time before they hit adolescence seem to get over it， but those who are bullied for the first time later on in adolescence seem to become more aggressive or are more likely to turn to drink as a means of coping. These are the conclusions of psychologist Matthew Newman and colleagues from the University of Texas at Austin，US.
The team gave questionnaires to nearly 1，500 college students regarding their experience of physical and psychological bullying before adolescence—before high school—and in late adolescence—at high school. They assessed mood and mental state，judging by signs of anxiety or depression，such as sleeplessness. The group was also questioned about how they would react to certain challenges，such as humiliation.
People who were bullied all revealed slightly higher levels of stress. But while those bullied earlier in life seemed to respond normally to provocation (杉匕畔)，people bullied for the
first time late in adolescence are more withdrawn and sensitive to violence.
There are also sex differences between those bullied for the first time during adolescence， with females more likely to react aggressively when provoked and males are much more likely to turn to alcohol to escape bad situations.
The best solution in all cases was strong social support，whether from friends，family or school. Those with no one to share their problems with suffered the most.
So perhaps it is best not to shelter children completely from bullying early on，suggests Newman. “They may get stressed，but unhealthy coping really jumps out when they are bullied for the first time later on. ”What determines the degree of bullying’s effect on people according to the study?
| A．The reason why they are bullied. |
| B．The place where they are first bullied. |
| C．The age at which they are first bullied. |
| D．The person who first bullies them. |
What may happen to those first bullied later on in adolescence according to Newman and his colleagues?
| A．Some are likely to be more aggressive. |
| B．They seem to easily get over the effect of bullying. |
| C．Most of them will respond to bullying normally. |
| D．Most of them are afraid of sharing their problems. |
What does the underlined word "humiliation"in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Carrying out an important plan. |
| B．Being made to feel ashamed. |
| C．Trying hard to survive an accident. |
| D．Feeling hopeless in an emergency. |
The sex differences between people bullied for the first time during adolescence are reflected in .
| A．the support they get from the society |
| B．the effect bullying has on them |
| C．the way they react to provocation |
| D．the type of bullying they receive |