jaguar n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the US. and in Central and South America.
jargon 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense. 2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand. 3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English. 4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was field with jargon.
jaunt 1. n. a trip taken for fun 2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday .
javelin 1. n. a spear most commonly used as a weapon or in hunting 2. n. a light-weight metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field contests. 3. n. the contest in which a javelin is thrown. 4. v. to strike, as with a javelin
jazz 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats. 2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz. 3. n. slang empty talk. 4. adj. of or like jazz: a jazz band, a jazz records
jennet n. a small Spanish horse Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
| A．Definition 1 | B．Definition 2 | C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon.
| A．Definition 1 | B．definition 2 | C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don’t give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.
| A．rhythmic beats | B．a type of music |
| C．meaningless talk | D．a kind of dance |
In today’s world, almost everyone knows that air pollution and water pollution are harmful to people’s health. However, not all know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human, too.
People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf(耳聋的). Today, however, scientists believe that 10% of workers in Britain are deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers in America could hear no better than 65-year-old people, for these young people like to listen to “pop” music and most of “pop” music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet plane or machines will make people’s life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad. It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels（分贝） can cause deafness.
Nowadays the governments in many countries have made laws to reduce or control noise and make it less than 85 decibels. In China, the people’s government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also the noise pollution problems.In the world today, not every person knows .
| A．water pollution | B．air pollution | C．harmful pollution | D．noise pollution |
Today scientists believe that.
| A．90% of all the workers in Britain are not suffering from noise |
| B．10% of all the workers in Britain are working in noisy places |
| C．10% of all the workers in Britain are deafened by the noise where they work. |
| D．90% of all the workers are free from any noise |
Those whousually have poorer hearing.
| A．weave cloth | B．sell newspapers |
| C．like listening to music | D．often travel by plane |
According to the passage, a continuous noise can make you deaf.
| A．in working places | B．of less then 85 decibels |
| C．of over 85 decibels | D．of only 85 decibels |
When I was young, my father used to grow carnations — a kind of flower that was red, pink or white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came home from work, he would enjoy watching them. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnation from their stems（枝干）one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.
When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When dad arrived, he went as usual straight to watch the flowers. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbors’ children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”
Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged（拥抱）dad strongly.How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut?
| A．Lucky. | B．Helpful. | C．Upset. | D．Worried. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．No one knew what my sister had done with the carnations. |
| B．My younger sister told my father the truth about the carnations. |
| C．Dad had thought one outsider had cut the flowers from the stems. |
| D．Dad asked my sister to help arrange the carnations on the ground. |
What caused my younger sister to smile and hug dad strongly?
| A．Mom’s help. | B．Mom’s words. | C．Dad’s silence. | D．Dad’s love. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Neighbors | B．Telling the truth | C．Growing Carnations | D．Dad’s Best Flower |
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
| A．he is out of work . | B．whatever he does make no sense |
| C．he is worried about his writing. | D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time. |
When the writer uses the word “forget” , his real meaning is _______.
| A．Somebody really forgets his cell phone at home. |
| B．Somebody thinks cell phone is not a suitable means of communication. |
| C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cell phone. |
| D．Somebody leaves his cell phone at home on purpose. |
Which of the following is right?
| A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now. |
| B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish. |
| C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent. |
| D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate. |
What does the underlined word mean?
| A．difference | B．sameness | C．simplicity | D．complication |
What is the main idea of the article?
| A．The importance of spending time in quiet. |
| B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax. |
| C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life. |
| D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer. |
Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the past, when "duty'' and "responsibility" were often the words used.
Parents today are more youthful in appearance and attitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge the divide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading, snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.
For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby have spent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children. "It's great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "We discuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads to other Conversations. We're definitely closer."
A popular movement of parent effectiveness training in the 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourages children to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, says Robert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University, "Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had not before."
On the plus side, he adds, these conversations made parents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings that adults need to be aware of.
But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Many parents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "The power shifted to children. Parents said, 'I have to focus on making my child happy', as opposed to 'I have to act as a parent most appropriately'."
Other changes are occurring as the ranks of working mothers grow. Time-short parents encourage children's independence, making them more responsible for themselves. "They'll say, 'We trust you to make the right decisions' (whether they're ready to assume the responsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.
The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-century has also affected the family dynamics (原动力). Some parents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child's self-esteem.What's the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?
| A．Parents are chasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children. |
| B．More parents and children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport. |
| C．Parents are taking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children. |
| D．The generation gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children's thoughts more. |
Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?
| A．Younger parents. | B．Parent effectiveness training. |
| C．More working mothers. | D．The self-esteem movement. |
What's Billingham's attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?
| A．He supports them. | B．He admires them. |
| C．He disagrees with them. | D．He thinks they're unreasonable. |
What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?
| A．The effect of more working mothers on children' s education. |
| B．The benefits of the new relationship between parents and children. |
| C．The importance of self-esteem and ways to develop children's self-esteem. |
| D．The risks of setting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude. |
What's the best title for the text?
| A．Parents and Children as Friends. | B．Parents and Professors as Debaters. |
| C．Growing Mutual Understanding. | D．Disappearing Responsibility. |
Tayka Hotel De Sal
Where: Tahua, Bolivia
How much: About $95 a night
Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim．Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses (床垫) and blankets)．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat．Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries．When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: About $240 a night
Why it’s cool: Ridding a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure．As you look out of your open window—there is no glass!—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read．You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”.
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet．Sweet Willyis a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly．Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side．You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a ffew steps of the loft(阁楼）in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose．Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant (消防栓）outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: Between $130 and $475 a night.
Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash．But your stay will be much more modern．Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer．(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
| B．It should be protected against the rain. |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive. | B．Being comfortable. | C．Being natural. | D．Being unique. |
What does the underlined part “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A．The name of the hotel.
B．The name of the hotel owner.
C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
| A．Tayka Hotel De Sal | B．Green Magic Nature Resort |
| C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B | D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel |
What may be the purpose of the writer writing the passage?
| A．To show his wide knowledge. | B．To introduce some interesting hotels. |
| C．To develop business in tourism. | D．To attract attention from the readers. |