Billy and Bobby were small boys. They were brothers, and they often fought each other.
Last Saturday their mother said to them, “I’m going to cook our lunch now, go out and play in the garden……and be good.”
“Yes, Mum,” the two boys answered, and they went out.
They played in the garden for half an hour, and then Billy ran in. “Mum,” he said, “Bobby’s broken a window in Mrs Allen’s house.” Mrs Allen was one of their neighbours.
“He’s a bad boy,” his mother said. “How did he break it?”
“I threw a stone at him,” Billy answered, “and he quickly moved down.”Billy and Bobby were .
A.sisters | B.classmates | C.not often kind to each other | D.always kind to each other |
Last Saturday their mother asked them .
A.not to play in the garden | B.to cook their lunch |
C.not to go out | D.to be good |
broke the window.
A.Mrs Allen | B.Billy | C.Bobby | D.The mother |
Mrs Allen was .
A.Billy’s mother | B.their neighbour | C.their mother | D.Bobby’s aunt |
The Enigma (谜)of Beauty
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents.Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup.In 18th-century France,wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发)of long,white hair to make themselves attractive.Today,people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive:beauty is power.Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money,get called on more often in class,and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly,and yet we know it when we see it.And our awareness of it may start at a very early age.In one set of studies,six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs.The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students.In the studies,the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers.In studies by psychologists,men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes,fuller lips,and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist.According to scientists,the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits —the full lips,clear skin,strong shoulders —equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way,however." Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations —mostly cultural," says C. Loring Brace,an anthropologist at the University of Michigan.What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another.Look at most Western fashion magazines:the women on the pages are thin.But is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the worlD. They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse,beauty plays a role in our lives.But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another.Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing,it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single,uniform standarD. Beauty really is,as the saying goes,in the eye of the beholder.People's ideas about beauty ________.
A.have existed since ancient times |
B.can be easily described |
C.have little influence on a person's success |
D.are based upon strict criteria |
In Paragraph 3,the babies in the study ________.
A.were rated for their appearance |
B.were entered in a beauty contest |
C.were shown photos of a group of college students |
D.were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones |
The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
A.qualities |
B.measurements |
C.judgments |
D.standards |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up |
B.the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence |
C.the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches |
D.the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds |
In order to help customers find what they want quickly,it’s important to keep the thousands of titles in the Main Street Movies store organized properly.This section of the Employee Handbook will tell you how to organize videos.
Each Main street Movies store has three main sections:
1.New Releases Wall.
2.Film library.
3.Video Games.
New Releases Wall.Almost 70 percent of movie rentals are new releases,and that is the first place where most customers go when they enter the store.The center section of shelves on this wall holds Hottest Hits.When new titles come into the store,place them on this wall in alphabetical order.The shelves beside Hottest Hits are called Recent Releases.The New Releases Wall,including the Hottest Hits and Recent Releases shelves,holds about 350 titles.
Film Library.The thousands of titles in the Film Library are organized into categories.The films within each category are displayed alphabetically.Here are the categories and their two-letter computer codes:
Foreign Language titles include films that were originally made in a foreign language and films with foreign language subtitles.A sticker on the back of each box tells which type of film it is.
Video Game.All the video games in Main street Movies are arranged in alphabetical order.Although video games represent only a small percentage of our inventory(库存),they are stolen more often than any other type of goods in our store.Therefore,video games are never displayed on the shelves.Shelves in the Video Game section hold cardboard with pictures and information about each game.When a customer wants to rent a particular game,you then find the game from the locked case behind the counter.Whom do you think this passage is most probably addressed to?
A.The readers in the store. |
B.The manager of the store. |
C.The customers in the store. |
D.The salespersons of the store. |
In which order are the new movies moved in the store?
A.From Hottest Hits to Film Library to Recent Releases. |
B.From Film Library to Hottest Hits to Recent Releases. |
C.From Recent Releases to Film Library to Hottest Hits. |
D.From Hottest Hits to Recent Releases to Film Library. |
Why can’t video games be seen on the shelves?
A.Because they’ve been sold out. |
B.Because they’re in the storehouse. |
C.Because they’re in a locked case behind the counter. |
D.Because they represent a small percentage of the inventory. |
How can a customer find a film with foreign language subtitles?
A.Check the computer. |
B.Look at the back of the box. |
C.Check the center section. |
D.Watch a few minutes of the film. |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean,so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever.He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men,“Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No,sir,” the men answereD.
The director was angry.“Why not?” he askeD.
“Well,sir,” one of the men answered,“we’re on the east coast here,and the sun sets in the west.We can get you a sunrise over the sea,if necessary,but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouteD. “Go to the airport,take the next flight to the west coast,and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an ideA. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested,“and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director saiD. Then he turned to the camera crew and said,“Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director.“Here it is,sir,” they said,and gave it to him.He was very pleaseD.
They all went into the studio.“All right,” the director explained,“now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye.Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began,but after a quarter of a minute,the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards,and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.One evening,the director sent his camera crew out ________.
A.to film a scene on the sea |
B.to find an actor and an actress |
C.to watch a beautiful sunset |
D.to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
A.Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset. |
B.Because he was angry with his crew. |
C.Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset. |
D.Because it was his secretary’s suggestion. |
The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ________.
A.it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
B.when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
C.it was more moving than a sunrise |
D.the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began,the director suddenly put his face in his hands ________.
A.because he was moved to tears |
B.as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
C.as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
D.because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine |
Summer Holiday Fun 2015!
The summer holidays are upon us again.Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum's main attraction this summer.Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits!Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember!The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday,and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun:Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music,compete in sports activities,or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club,Saxon Community Centre,Norman Road,Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm.PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday,12th August between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Through the Looking Glass—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th,August.Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play.Gates open 5:30 pm,performance 6:30 pm—8:30 pm.Tea room will be open until the end of the interval.Adult £ 10 Child £7 Family £20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games:From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches,come and join the Farmland Team.Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner!No need to book,just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday,19th August.Suitable for children aged four and above,each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price.Tickets Cost:£ 7 per child.
For further information,call 01223 810080.If you are interested in cooking,you can go to ________.
A.Peterborough Museum |
B.Houghton Mill |
C.Saxon Youth Club |
D.Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents,so it will cost you ________.
A.£7 |
B.£17 |
C.£27 |
D.£20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents' company?
A.Playing farmland games. |
B.Watching the new play. |
C.Competing in sports activities. |
D.Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. |
Last night’s meteor(流星)shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers.According to Gabe Rothschild,Emerald Valley’s mayor,people gathered in the suburbs of the city,carrying heavy telescopes,expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky.What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overheaD.
“My family was so frustrated,”admitted town resident Duane Cosby.“We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing,but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”
Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades.They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past.They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution.This population consists of birds,bats,frogs,snakes,etC. For example,outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds.According to the International Dark-Sky Association.“100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”
Countless more animal casualties(伤亡)result from the use of artificial lighting.Clearly,people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings,but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans,too.They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution.For years,Flagstaff,Arizona,has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.Similar efforts have been made worldwide,and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them,so that other creatures can share the night.It happened last night that .
A.the city’s lights affected the meteor watching |
B.the meteors flew past before being noticed |
C.the city light show attracted many people |
D.the meteor watching ended up a social outing |
What do the astronomers complain about?
A.Meteor showers occur less often than before. |
B.Their observation equipment is in poor repair. |
C.Light pollution has remained unsolved for years. |
D.Their eyesight is falling due to artificial lighting. |
What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?
A. Birds may take other migration paths.
B. Animals’ living habits may change suddenly.
C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduceD.
D. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.What message does the author most want to give us?
A.Saving wildlife is saving ourselves. |
B.Great efforts should be made to save energy. |
C.Human activities should be environmentally friendly. |
D.New equipment should be introduced for space study. |