A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. “Your son is here,”she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.
Heavily drugged with sleep because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly(隐约) saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out with his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s weak ones, expressing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward(病房), holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest a while. He refused. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only holding tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died.
The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.“Who was that man?”he asked. The nurse was surprised. “He was your father,”she answered. “No, he wasn’t,”the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”asked the nurse. “I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.”he answered.Why did the nurse take the Marine to the old man’s bed?
| A．Because he was the old man’s son. |
| B．Because she knew that he was a warm-hearted man. |
| C．Because she couldn’t find anyone else there. |
| D．Because she thought he was the old man’s son. |
Why did the old man hold the Marine’s hand all through the night?
| A．Because he knew he would die the next day. |
| B．Because he hadn’t seen his son for a long time. |
| C．Because he was dying and mistook him for his son. |
| D．Because he enjoyed doing that and so did the Marine. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The Marine didn’t know the old man at all. |
| B．The nurse was careless and made a mistake. |
| C．The Marine happened to be the old man’s son’s friend. |
| D．The old man passed away peacefully and contentedly. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The next time someone needs you, be there. |
| B．All the soldiers are as kind as the Marine. |
| C．We’d better not correct someone else’s mistakes. |
| D．The young should accompany their parents all the time. |
After a week-long vacation, U.S. President Barack Obama will focus on proposals to strengthen the still-recovering American economy. The agenda includes the reform of the nation’s health care system.
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as some call it, expands federal health care programs for the needy and encourages Americans of all income groups to purchase private health care insurance.
“If you do not have insurance, beginning on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business. You can comparison--shop in an online marketplace, just like you would for cell phone plans or plane tickets. You may be eligible for new tax credits to help you afford the plan that’s right for you. And if you are in the up to half of all Americans who have been sick or have a preexisting condition, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies have to cover you," Obama said.
Health-care spending accounts for one-seventh of U.S. economic activity, and is projected to increase to one-fifth in coming years. The cost has a direct bearing on America’s economic and financial well--being. Drawn up in 2010, the Affordable Care Act aims to control costs and expand access to health care. The effort is a big failure, according to Republican law makers like Tim Griffin and Todd Young.
“Republicans will continue to do everything we can to protect all Americans from the president's top-down, one-size-fits-all, Washington-knows-best approach to health care that is driving up costs and hurting our economy," said Griffin. “The sooner we can delay, oppose and cancel the president's health-care law, the sooner we can get people back to work and focus on expanding opportunity for everyone.”
The president accuses Republicans of putting partisanship(党派偏见) ahead of Americans’ health-care needs. “A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they will somehow be sticking it to me. But they would just be sticking it to you. Your health insurance is not something to play politics with. Our economy is not something to play politics with," he said.
As a matter of fact，the success or failure of Obamacare could shape the president’s legacy long after he leaves office.It is implied in Obama’s words in Paragraph 3 that.
| A．health care insurance will be of great benefit to Americans |
| B．health care insurance will help recover American economy |
| C．insurance companies don’t expect him to carry out the law |
| D．insurance companies will cover Americans in all aspects |
According to Tim Griffin，Obama’s health-care law.
| A．will be strongly opposed to by the Republicans |
| B．will cause fewer economic problems in America |
| C．will be canceled sooner or later by the government |
| D．will never work without the help of the Republicans. |
What does Obama accuse Republicans of according to the passage?
| A．They don’t know what Americans are in need of. |
| B．They tend to put their own benefit ahead of Americans’. |
| C．They know nothing about health insurance and economy. |
| D．They like to play politics with economy and health insurance |
What is the author’s tone in this passage?
| A．Subjective | B．Critical | C．Unconcerned | D．Objective |
| Honey Sweet Cake (Prep. Time: 12 mins.) Ingredients Strawberries in syrup(糖浆), 1 package (unfrozen) Heavy cream, 1 cup Corn flour, 2 tablespoons Process Mix the strawberries, cream and corn flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, while constantly mixing until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and refrigerate for two hours, Fill the frozen mixture in a cake, and serve. |
| Rosy Cake (Prep. Time: 10 mins. ) Ingredients Sugar, 3/4 cup Water, 1 cup Corn flour, 3 tablespoons Strawberries , 2  ——3 cupsProcess Take a large saucepan and mix all the ingredients. Cook until the mixture thickens over medium heat. Let it cool naturally and completely. Fill up your cake with the mixture, and serve. |
| Triangle Sweet (Prep. Time: 15 mins. ) Ingredients Sugar, cupWhipping cream, cupUnflavored gelatin(明胶) , 1 tablespoon Cold water, 2 tablespoons Boiled water, 3 tablespoons Strawberries, crushed, 2 cups Process Add sugar to the crushed strawberries and set them aside. In cold water, soften the gelatin, and once it is softened, add boiling water. Stir until the gelatin dissolves. Add the dissolved gelatin mixture to the strawberries and let it cool. Now whip(搅打) the cream till it becomes stiff. When the strawberry mixture is of syrup thickness, add the whipped cream to it. Refrigerate until it sets. Fill it into your cake, and serve. |
| Flaming Maple (Prep. Time: 10 mins. ) Ingredients Fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoonsHoney, 2 tablespoons Maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Strawberries, ripe, 2 pints Process Make a fruit butter of half of the strawberries. Add honey, lemon juice, and maple syrup until it forms a smooth sauce. Add the remaining strawberries. Fill the mixture in the cake, and serve. |
Which of the following ingredients are used in all the recipes?
| A．heavy cream | B．sugar syrup | C．corn flour | D．strawberries |
Chefs needn't freeze the ingredients when preparing ___________
① Honey Sweet Cake ②Rosy Cake ③Triangle Sweet④ Flaming Maple
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．①④ | D．②④ |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Triangle Sweet takes the longest time to prepare. |
| B．Strawberries used in the recipes aren’t all fresh. |
| C．Most strawberries are used when making a Rose Cake. |
| D．Honey Sweet Cake is the best choice for busy mothers. |
In how many recipes should chefs thicken the mixture by heating?
| A．Only one | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?
| A．He thinks it is unnecessary. | B．He thinks little of it. |
| C．He appreciates it very much. | D．He thinks it goes too far. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．German men never treat a woman to dinner. |
| B．The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver. |
| C．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job. |
| D．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.
| A．like to fight with each other | B．treat women in a polite way |
| C．are as generous as English men | D．are unwilling to spend money for women |
The author develops the text through the method of ______.
| A．making comparisons | B．telling stories | C．giving reasons | D．giving examples |
For the last couple of weeks, I had been stuck in front of my computer working on a project that was very important to me. My every waking hour was consumed by the project and although I imagined that I would feel happy after completing parts of the project, I was confused to find that instead, I was feeling rather depressed. I tried a range of methods to help cheer myself up. I had a relaxing bath, cooked a delicious meal to enjoy with my family and even watched a lighthearted movie, but to no avail. It was only when I turned to meditation for a solution that the answer came to me: turn to nature!
The very next day, I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and set off to spend a few hours walking in a nature reserve, even though it was pouring with rain. Within a couple of minutes I felt alive again. To be honest, I felt like a young school girl again and had to stop myself from hopping along the path singing, "I'm singing in the rain", a song I used to sing when I was a child. I think as adults we often try too hard to control our inner children and as a result we restrain our own spirits, which only leads to depression and stress.
Interestingly, it has been shown that people who spend 40 minutes walking in a nature reserve have a drop in their blood pressure levels, but this does not happen when they spend a similar amount of time walking in a busy city centre.
If you feel a little low in spirit and know that you have spent too much time indoors, relax completely, remove your shoes and let your inner child come out and play.The author walked in a nature reserve in the rain in order to__________.
| A．take photos | B．find a solution to the project |
| C．hop along the path | D．cheer herself up |
The underlined part "to no avail" in Paragraph 1 probably means " __________.".
| A．unsuccessful | B．unrelated | C．uninteresting | D．unexpected |
In the author's opinion, __________.
| A．a bath can make people relaxed |
| B．depression is usually caused by hard work |
| C．walking in a busy city centre harms people's health |
| D．adults should express their inner feelings freely |
The last paragraph mainly serves as a(n) __________.
| A．explanation | B．suggestion | C．introduction | D．reminder |
A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ron Howard isn’t among most directors, despite an impressive list of credits, a Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.
The Oscar winning Russel Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia(神经分裂症). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero, not just because of his academic achievements, but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness.
In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself.” The proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straightforward approach brought him few friends.
After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation was secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military who employed him during the early stages of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop.
Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.The passage is most probably _____.
| A．a book review | B．a movie review |
| C．a movie poster | D．an advertisement |
Which can replace the underlined phrase “hit on” in the fourth paragraph?
| A．put up with | B．come on |
| C．put on | D．come up with |
Which of the following statements is not true?
| A．John Nash did not go mad totally. |
| B．Ron Howard is an outstanding director. |
| C．The stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness. |
| D．Nash didn’t have many friends. |
We can infer form the text that _____.
| A．without Alicia, John Nash would not have recovered from schizophrenia. |
| B．John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia. |
| C．Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie. |
| D．John Nash volunteered to serve in the army. |