The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30 pm．Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song．
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving．But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry．
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 - 8:30 pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm means possible dinner, but 9:30 pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, arrive late．
But this is not always the case．If asked to a students’ party at 6:30 pm, it is unaccepted for guests to appear on time. Being the first to arrive — looking eager — is social death. When my mother is asked to a party at 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven．My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we’re probably closer to student-time than grown-up time．
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element of surprise．The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean _______．
| A．tired | B．crazy | C．happy | D．encouraging |
Jane and David’s story is used to show that _______．
| A．party invitations can be confusing |
| B．party-goers usually get hungry at parties |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
For some young people, arriving on time for a students’ party will probably be considered _______．
| A．very difficult | B．particularly thoughtful |
| C．friendly and polite | D．socially unacceptable |
What is the general idea of the text?
| A．It’s safe to arrive late just when food is served． |
| B．It’s wise to eat something before going to a party． |
| C．It’s important to follow social rules of party-going． |
| D．There’s no need to read invitations carefully． |
The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850 – 1928). After immigrating from England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed "the Garden City", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns．Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs．
The nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities．At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression（萧条）and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life．Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city．Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price．
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries．They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions．As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away．Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city．How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities?
| A．By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago． |
| B．Through his observation of the country life． |
| C．Through the combination of different ideas． |
| D．By taking other people's advice． |
The underlined phrase "drawing on "in Paragraph 1 probably means______．
| A．making comments on | B．giving an explanation of |
| C．giving a description of | D．making use of |
What can we learn about garden cities from the last paragraph?
| A．Each one would continue to become larger |
| B．People would live and work in the same place |
| C．Their number would continue to rise |
| D．Each one would contain a certain type of business |
What could be the best title for the passage?
| A．City and Countryside |
| B．The Invention of the Garden City |
| C．A New City in Chicago |
| D．A Famous Garden City in England |
“One world, one dream”fully shows the universal values of the Olympic spirit---
Unity, friendship, Progress, Harmony(和谐), Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals ,to fight for a bright future of man kid.
_________the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and share the same dreams.
“One world, one dream”is a great proof of the main concepts(理念) of the Beijing Olympic Games. It shows the values of harmony suggested in the concept of “People’s Olympics”,the soul of the three concepts---”Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People’s Olympics.”
It is our belief that peace and progress, brotherhood development, living in amity(和睦),cooperation(合作)and mutual(相互的)benefit, and enjoying a happy life are the common ideals of people throughout the world.
“One world, one dream”is simple in expressions, but great in meaning .It is of China, and also of the world. It communicates the lofty(崇高的)ideal of the people in Beijing as well as in China to share the global community and civilization(文明) and to create a bright future hand in hand with the people from the rest of the world. It expresses the firm belief of a great nation, with a long history of 5,000 years and on its way towards modernization, which contributes to peaceful development, a harmonious society and people’s happiness. It voices the determination of all Chinese people to contribute to the building of a peaceful and bright world.Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
We believe that it’s the ideal of people all over the world that we seek for peace and progress, harmony, friendship and we can work together, benefit each other and enjoy a happy life.
______________________________________________________________________________Fill in the blank in the 2nd paragraph with a proper phrase.(within 5words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What’s the main concepts of the Beijing Olympics?(within 10 words)
How do you find Beijing hosting the 29th Olympic Games?(within 30 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________Translate the underlined sentence in the 1st paragraph into Chinese.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Surfing the Internet for fun will make you a better employee,according to an Australian study.
The University of Melbourne study shows that people who use the Internet for their own reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive than those who do not. Study author brent Coker said“Surfing the Internet at times helps increase an employee’s attention.”
“People need to relax for a bit to get back their attention,”Coker said on the university’s website.”Having a short break, such as a quick surfing of the Internet, helps the mind to rest itself,leading to a higher total Internet attention for a day’s work, and as a result, increase productivity(生产效率),”he said.
According to the study of 300 workers ,70 percent of people who use the Internet at work surf the Internet for their own reasons during office hours. Among the most popular surfing activities are searching for information about products, reading online news, playing online games and watching videos.”Firms spend a lot of money on software to block their employees from watching video, using social networking sites or shopping online, ”said Coker.”that’s not always a good idea.”
However, Coker said the study looked at people who surfed the Internet in moderation(),or were on the Internet for lee than 20 percent of their total time in the office.”Those who spend too much time surfing the Internet will have a lower productivity than those without,”he said.What does the University of Melbourne study mainly show?
| A．People who surf the Internet are good employees. |
| B．Not everyone surfs the Internet for fun during office hours. |
| C．Surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increase productivity. |
| D．The Internet is becoming more and more important in people’s life. |
According to paragraph 3,Brent Coker would most probably agree that ________.
| A．the longer a person’s mind rests the better attention he will have. |
| B．surfing the Internet is the best way to increase productivity. |
| C．workers should have a long break during office hours |
| D．workers should let their minds rest now and then. |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as one of the most popular surfing activities?
| A．Watching videos. | B．reading online news. |
| C．Reading online novels. | D．Playing online games. |
The underlined word “block” in paragraph 4 means “_______”.
| A．prevent | B．cycle | C．burst | D．breathe |
What can we infer from the last paragraph？
| A．Spending too much time surfing the Internet reduces productivity. |
| B．Those who never surf the Internet have the lowest productivity. |
| C．Most people don’t surf the internet in modernation during office hours. |
| D．People should spend as little time as possible surfing the Internet. |
We probably all know people, either at work or in our personal lives, who are really good listeners. No matter what kind of situation we’re in, they always seem to know just what to say and how to say it so that we’re not offended(被冒犯) or upset. We probably also know people who are masters at managing their emotions(情绪). They don’t get angry in stressful situations. Instead, they have the ability to calmly look at a problem and find a solution. They take criticism(批评) well, and they know when to use it to improve their performance.
People like these who have a high degree of emotional intelligence, or EI(情商). They know themselves very well, and they’re also able to sense the emotional needs of others.
As more and more people accept that emotional intelligence is just as important to professional success as technical(专业的) ability, companies are increasingly using EI when they hire and promote(提拔) someone. For example, one large cosmetics (化妆品) company recently changed their hiring process for salespeople to choose candidates(被选的人) based on emotional intelligence. The result? Salespeople hired with the new system have sold, on average, $91,000 more than salespeople selected under the old system.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand what they are telling you, and realize how your emotions affect people around you. Emotional intelligence also involves your perception (洞察力) of others: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage relationships more effectively.
People with high emotional intelligence are usually successful in most things they do. Why? Because they are the ones that others want on their team. When people with high EI send an email, it get answered. When they need help, they get it. Because they make others feel good, they go through life much more easily than people who are easily angered or upset.
The good news is that emotional intelligence can be taught and developed. Many books and tests are available to help you determine your current EI, and identify where you may need to do some work. According to the passage, we’re all probably impressed by people who _____.
| A．are ready to help others |
| B．are very successful in their lives |
| C．have high emotional intelligence |
| D．know how to control their temper |
By mentioning the cosmetics company, the author tries to _____.
| A．stress the importance of emotional intelligence |
| B．speak highly of its new salespeople |
| C．show its effective hiring system |
| D．explain what improvements it has made |
The underlined word “they” in the fourth paragraph refers to “_____”.
| A．your emotions | B．people around you |
| C．effective relationships | D．your opinions of others |
Which statement is TRUE about people with high EI?
| A．They are usually good speakers. |
| B．They are born to be sensitive and intelligent. |
| C．They don’t get angry in any situation. |
| D．They can understand others’ feelings well. |
What’s most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．What emotional intelligence is. |
| B．How emotional intelligence can be improved. |
| C．Many books on emotional intelligence. |
| D．More people with high emotional intelligence. |
The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” –-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet ---used the title in 2008. A lovely bear --- popular in the US and UK --- that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version(简装本) of London’s Independent newspaper was started last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce(电子商务) first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at （针对）young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s“ i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition（定义）,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now connected with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade(十年).
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was connected with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared. People use iPlayer to __________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers | C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
| A．popular | B．uncertain | C．clear | D．unique |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
| A．portable | B．environmentally friendly | C．advanced | D．recyclable |
The writer suggests that __________.
| A．“i” products are often of high quality |
| B．iTeddy is alive bear |
| C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
| D．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |