It may help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech．At some point in every speech, every speaker says something that is not understood exactly as he has planned．Fortunately, the moments are usually not obvious to the listeners. Why ? Because the listeners do not know what the speaker plans to say. They hear only what the speaker does say. If you lose your place for a moment, wrongly change the order of a couple of sentences, or forget to pause at a certain point, no one will be any the wiser．When such moments occur, don’t worry about them. Just continue as if nothing happened．
Even if you do make an obvious mistake during a speech, that don’t really matter. If you have ever listened to Martin Luther King’s famous speech – “ I have a dream”, you may notice that he stumble（结巴）his words twice during the speech．Most likely, however, you don’t remember．Why? Because you were fixing your attention on its message rather than on his way of speech-making. People care a lot about making mistakes in a speech because they regard speech-making as a kind of performance rather than as an act of communication. They feel the listeners are like judges in an ice-skating competition．But, in fact, the listeners are not looking for a perfect performer. They are looking for a well-thought-out speech that expresses the speaker’s ideas clearly and directly．Sometimes a mistake or two can actually increase a speaker’s attractiveness by making him more human．
As you work on your speech, don’t worry about being imperfect．Once you free your mind of this, you will find it much easier to give your speech freely．The underlined part in the first paragraph means that no one will ___________．
| A．be smarter than you | B．notice your mistakes |
| C．do better than you | D．know what you are talking about |
You don’t remember obvious mistakes in a speech because ___________．
| A．your attention is on the content |
| B．you don’t fully understand the speech |
| C．you don’t know what the speaker plans to say |
| D．you find the way of speech-making more important |
It can be inferred from the passage that ___________．
| A．giving a speech is like giving a performance |
| B．one to two mistakes in a speech may not be bad |
| C．the listeners should pay more attention to how a speech is made |
| D．the more mistakes a speaker makes, the more attractive he will be |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．How to Be a Perfect Speaker |
| B．How to Make a Perfect Speech |
| C．Don’t Expect a Perfect Speech |
| D．Don’t Expect Mistakes in a Speech |
Bad teeth can be painful and even be deadly. Infections of the gums(牙龈) and teeth can release bacteria into the blood system. Those bacteria can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke and worsen the effects of other diseases. And adults are not the only ones at risk. For example, a 12yearold boy died when a tooth infection spread to his brain in 2007 in Washington. Experts said it might have been prevented had he received the dental care he needed.
Experts say good dental care starts at birth. Breast milk, they say, is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow bacterial growth and acid production in the mouth. But dentists say a baby's gums and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding by using a cloth with a little warm water. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give only water.
When baby teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently. The use of fluoride(氟化物) to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. For example, it is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel(釉质), the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes from forming.
But young children often swallow toothpaste when they brush their teeth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry notes that swallowing fluoridated toothpaste can cause problems. So young children should be carefully watched when they brush their teeth. And only a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, the size of a pea, should be used.
Parents often wonder what effect finger sucking might have on their baby's teeth. Dental experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. Most children stop sucking their fingers by the age of four. If it continues, experts advise parents to talk to their children's dentists or doctors. Because it could interfere_with the correct development of permanent teeth.
Dentists say children should have their first dental visit at least by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear—usually at around six months.According to the passage，what is the function of fluoride?
| A．Making the surface on teeth much cleaner. |
| B．Protecting gums from being infected. |
| C．Keeping holes on teeth from forming. |
| D．Slowing down bacterial growth and acid production. |
The underlined phrase “interfere with” in Para.5 probably means “________”．
| A．do harm to | B．account for |
| C．contribute to | D．stand for |
What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?
| A．To warn us of the deadly infections of gums and teeth. |
| B．To introduce the advantages of fluoridated toothpaste. |
| C．To draw our attention to the dental care of young children. |
| D．To present the research results about dental care. |
No one knows for sure when advertising first started. It is possible that it grew out of the discovery that some people did certain kinds of work better than others did them. That led to the concept of specialization, which means that people would specialize, or focus, on doing one specific job.
Let's take a man we'll call Mr. Fielder, for example. He did everything connected with farming. He planted seeds, tended the fields, and harvested and sold his crops. At the same time, he did many other jobs on the farm. However, he didn't make the bricks for his house, cut his trees into boards, make the plows(犁), or any of the other hundreds of things a farm needs. Instead, he got them from people who specialized in doing each of those things.
Suppose there was another man we shall call Mr. Plowright. Using what he knew about farming and working with iron, Mr. Plowright invented a plow that made farming easier. Mr. Plowright did not really like farming himself and wanted to specialize in making really good plows. Perhaps, he thought, other farmers will trade what they grow for one of my plows.
How did Mr. Plowright let people know what he was doing? Why, he advertised, of course. First he opened a shop and then he put up a sign outside the shop to attract customers. That sign may have been no more than a plow carved into a piece of wood and a simple arrow pointing to the shop door. It was probably all the information people needed to find Mr. Plowright and his really good plows.
Many historians believe that the first outdoor signs were used about five thousand years ago. Even before most people could read, they understood such signs. Shopkeepers would carve into stone, clay, or wood symbols for the products they had for sale.
A medium, in advertising talk, is the way you communicate your message. You might say that the first medium used in advertising was signs with symbols. The second medium was audio, or sound, although that term is not used exactly in the way we use it today. Originally, just the human voice and maybe some kind of simple instrument, such as a bell, were used to get people's attention.
A crier, in the historical sense, is not someone who weeps easily. It is someone, probably a man, with a voice loud enough to be heard over the other noises of a city. In ancient Egypt, shopkeepers might hire such a person to spread the news about their products. Often this earliest form of advertising involved a newly arrived ship loaded with goods. Perhaps the crier described the goods, explained where they came from, and praised their quality. His job was, in other words, not too different from a TV or radio commercial in today's world.What probably led to the start of advertising?
| A．The discovery of iron. |
| B．The specialization of labor. |
| C．The appearance of new jobs. |
| D．The development of farming techniques. |
To advertise his plows, Mr. Plowright ________.
| A．praised his plows in public |
| B．placed a sign outside the shop |
| C．hung an arrow pointing to the shop |
| D．showed his products to the customers |
The writer makes up the two stories of Mr. Fielder and Mr. Plowright in order to ________.
| A．explain the origin of advertising |
| B．predict the future of advertising |
| C．expose problems in advertising |
| D．provide suggestions for advertising |
In ancient Egypt, a crier was probably someone who ________.
| A．owned a ship |
| B．had the loudest voice |
| C．ran a shop selling goods to farmers |
| D．functioned like today's TV or radio commercial |
The last two paragraphs are mainly about ________.
| A．the history of advertising |
| B．the benefits of advertising |
| C．the early forms of advertising |
| D．the basic design of advertising |
There is no question that teenagers need rules, which is often not a difficult thing for parents to give.What can be more challenging is giving teenagers their freedom.It can be difficult to draw the line between the two.However, some issues cannot be changed by discussion and require firm rules.For instance, rules should be established concerning driving the family car.
I will admit that I have no problem coming up with rules.To me they make life easier and they leave no room for questioning.What can be more difficult, however, is giving my teens their freedom.I guess there are really two primary reasons for this.One is that sometimes I am afraid to give them freedom.The second is that I'm not always so sure what the freedom should be.
It helps that I have a husband with whom I can discuss these problems.We talk about them,_give our thoughts and then we come up with an agreement.Sometimes one of us might be more unwilling but we know that there comes a time when we really do have to learn how to let go of the reins(缰绳) a bit.
If we try to make life have nothing but rules, we are more likely to see our teen's rebelling(反抗)．They need to know that while we do have certain expectations, we also trust them to begin making their own choices and decisions.How else can they do that unless they are given the space and room to do it?
It's really all about balance and I will be the first to admit that it can be a challenge to carry out.However, it is a necessary part of growing up.Yes, teens definitely need rules but they also need freedom.According to the first paragraph, it is difficult to decide ________.
| A．whether the children need rules |
| B．whether the children should be given freedom |
| C．how much freedom should be given to children |
| D．what issues require nonnegotiable rules |
According to the writer, only rules without freedom will make the children ________.
| A．strongwilled | B．rebellious |
| C．weak | D．independent |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Rules are difficult to make for parents. |
| B．Rules and freedom are similarly important. |
| C．We should give children freedom as much as possible. |
| D．Rules are more important than freedom. |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
| A．Problems. | B．Children. | C．Rules. | D．Reasons. |
It's slimbudget time in Las Vegas
Las Vegas? It's where halfprice flights are wide open and where reservations are easily booked on a moment's notice. Tourism is down, so rooms are plentiful, as well as inexpensive.
Getting there: The best way to get there from McCarran Airport is to exit the baggage claim through Door 11 and check in at any number of shuttle booths. Shuttle vans that run between the airport and the Las Vegas Strip cost $6 for a oneway trip.
Leaving Las Vegas：Many Vegas vacationers are eager to get there and slow to leave. So take the “redeye” back home. Most redeye flights leave around midnight, leaving you with an extra night of gaming, and fun without added expense of a higher hotel charge. You can sleep the whole way home.
Romantic getaway: Las Vegas is no longer all about gaming. The artwork at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is certainly comparable to that at the Louvre. Speaking of Paris, take a trip up the Eiffel Tower at ParisLas Vegas. The Eiffel Tower Experience costs just $10($7 for kids) and is unquestionably worth the price of admission. For an intimate evening, don't hesitate to book reservations at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Get an impressive nighttime view of the Fountains at Bellagio by asking for seating alongside the floortoceiling windows. This is truly a oneofakind finedining experience. Details：www.parislasvegas.com.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes：Casinos(娱乐场) can appear very close together, but actually may not be. Know the tram systems that run up and down the Strip. Most tram lines are free.
Shows：Purchase show tickets at one of the many “Half Priced Show” booths on the Strip. You can experience a unique show each night of your stay. Need a look at what's playing when you'll be there? Visit www.booklasvegasshows.com.
Buffets：In Vegas you can take anything to the next level—including eating. Seven casinos on the Strip have teamed up to bring you an amazing deal：seven buffets—breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner—all for just $44.99 within a 24hour period. Details：www.harrahs.com/total/lasvegas/buffetofbuffets.What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To introduce the present situation of Las Vegas. |
| B．To attract readers to travel to Las Vegas. |
| C．To tell readers how to go to Las Vegas. |
| D．To show his own travel experience. |
If you want to know more about food in Las Vegas, you should ________.
| A．visit www.parislasvegas.com |
| B．visit www.booklasvegasshows.com |
| C．visit www.harrahs.com/total/lasvegas/buffetofbuffets |
| D．visit www.newyorknewyork.com/attractions/ |
therollercoaster.aspxIf a couple and a 5yearold child want to take the Eiffel Tower Experience, they have to pay ________.
| A．$10 | B．$20 |
| C．$27 | D．$34 |
From the passage, we can conclude that ________.
| A．Las Vegas is famous as a gaming city |
| B．eating in Las Vegas is very expensive |
| C．all the redeye flights leave around midnight |
| D．a round trip in Las Vegas costs $6 |
People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars.And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway.Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months.I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting，and some acted just simply rudely.I started hating the way I was treated，and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜) before were pretty ordinary.So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths (神秘)．If the star was a bad guy，I would say so.If I thought anyone was stupid，I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty.Surprisingly，many of them hated me for it.I have gotten so many attacks on my character.In their eyes，being famous is everything，even more desirable that being truly creative and talented.
Why do we need stars？In fact，the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (闲聊)．Over time，talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about.Thus，some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends.That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview—as we care.We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars.As a whole，our society is not as religious as it once was.It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did.Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars，but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant，and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die.I am part of this whole process.No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.What are the stars like according to the author?
| A．They always treat others rudely. |
| B．They always talk about something dull. |
| C．They are actually ordinary people. |
| D．They are usually honest and polite. |
We worship stars because ________.
| A．we need true mental heroes to support us |
| B．we can learn something useful from famous stars |
| C．we concern about the stars，family and friends |
| D．we like talking about the star's dressing styles |
When the author is writing this article，his tone sounds ________.
| A．excited | B．angry |
| C．worried | D．calm |
What is the main purpose of the author writing the passage?
| A．To show the disadvantages of working with stars. |
| B．To remind us not to worship famous stars blindly. |
| C．To laugh at the failures of stars he has interviewed. |
| D．To talk about the reasons why we worship stars. |