A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice.According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords(声带)can heal.
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. "It's a proud moment for all of us," his wife told DNAIndia.com.
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their enthusiasm.Don't get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity.But his record—singing for 80 hours straight—is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Granted, I'm not qualified to speak on the subject.I've got no world records to my name, and I never expect to have any.Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley(集成曲)of pop songs.
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure.He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades(荣誉).The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake.
To all of these enterprising souls I ask, simply, "What was it all for?"
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you became a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you, with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese.
After all, records are made to be broken.From the text, we can conclude that the author _________.
A.thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless |
B.feels it a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures |
C.is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords |
D.has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ feat |
Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to ________.
A.become an international celebrity |
B.know all about Guinness records |
C.practice a great deal |
D.bear great stress for fear of injury |
We can infer from the article that ________.
A.after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak |
B.Burbure’s wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record |
C.many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior |
D.challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health |
The author’s attitude to some Guinness world records is ________.
A.positive | B.impressed | C.negative | D.touched |
A trip with your family and friends to Disney World can be one of the best vacations of your life. When you decide to travel to this destination, you can be sure in the knowledge that you are going to have a great time.
Many travelers may be worried about the exorbitant amount of money that one has to pay for a comfortable and fun trip to Disney World. We all want to give our family and children the best time since it may only be a once in a lifetime vacation. However it would not be wise to end up in debt over a week-long stay in Disney World. A few handy tips and a little planning can make a lot of difference and can reduce some of your financial (经济上的) worries.
You need to start planning for a vacation to Disney World well in advance. The first step is deciding what time of year you wish to visit it. The peak seasons of the year will be costly for the accommodations (膳宿) whether you are staying within or outside the theme park. Staying outside the resort is a choice that may save you a large amount of money if you plan to stay for a week or two. Also, there are plenty of budget (价格低廉的) hotels outside Disney World that offer cheap and pleasant accommodations with shuttle services. Another money saving tip is to buy food ahead of time. If you have most of your meals at your hotel or at cheaper restaurants, it will save you a lot of money. You can try not to buy food in and around Disney World. Carrying food and beverages and enough cold water would help you reduce the cost, too. The first paragraph mainly tells us that ______.
A.a trip to Disney World must be the best vacation of your life |
B.you are sure to have a good time by visiting Disney World |
C.when you decide to travel to Disney World, you should bring your family and friends with you |
D.you can get rich knowledge during your travel to Disney World |
The underlined word “exorbitant” in Paragraph 2 probably means “______”.
A.too low | B.too high |
C.too expensive | D.too small |
Why do you need to start planning for a vacation to Disney World well in advance?
A.You can get more information about Disney World ahead of time. |
B.You can make it more economical to travel to Disney World. |
C.You can spend longer time traveling in Disney World. |
D.You can receive a warm welcome in Disney World. |
How can you save money if you visit Disney World according to the passage?
A.By going there in the peak seasons. |
B.By staying outside the resort for a week or two. |
C.By buying food ahead of time in Disney World. |
D.By carrying enough food and drinks. |
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were sitting on the sand, reading their magazines. Mr. Gordon was too stingy(吝啬)to rent a chair. Their twelve-year-old daughter,Sandra, was playing at the water's edge. Suddenly a huge wave lifted Sandra up and carried her out to sea. Fortunately, a lifeguard was on duty and he saw the wave carry Sandra away. He ran along the beach and dived into the sea. He swam quickly to where the girl, with her head only just above the water, was shouting for help. She was very frightened. When the lifeguard reached her, she struggled with him, as drowning people often do. However, he was a skilful lifeguard and quickly took hold of her and swam with her back to the beach. By the time he reached it, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had realized what had happened. They had run down to the water's edge. Neither of them could swim. They just stood in the shallow water, and worried about their daughter. Had the lifeguard reached her in time? Fortunately, he had. “That was quick work,young man,”Mr. Gordon said. He turned to his wife, “Give the lifeguard a dollar.” “A dollar!” Sandra cried. “Dad,how can you give him a dollar! He saved my life. I was half dead.” “Quite right, girl” Mr. Gordon said, pleased by his daughter's awareness(知道) of the value of money. He turned to his wife again and said, “She's right. She was only half dead. Give him fifty cents. ”What happened to Sandra?
A.She ran into the sea. |
B.Her life was saved by a lifeguard. |
C.She was drowned. |
D.She died. |
What did Mr. and Mrs. Gordon do when Sandra was carried out to sea by the wave?
A.They shouted to the lifeguard. |
B.They dived into the water. |
C.Perhaps they were reading magazines. |
D.They offered the lifeguard money to save Sandra. |
Why was Sandra angry with her father?
A.He did not give the lifeguard any money. |
B.He did not swim out to save her. |
C.He did not show the lifeguard hearty thankfulness. |
D.He gave the lifeguard too much money. |
Why was Mr. Gordon pleased with her daughter?
A.She was safe again. |
B.She was polite to the lifeguard. |
C.He thought she did not want him to give the life-guard too much money. |
D.She gave the lifeguard fifty cents. |
One day I took several pairs of shoes to the shoemaker to be mended. After a week I went to take them back. Four months later, my husband and I were invited to dinner. I took out a pair of shoes. I hadn't worn them since they were mended. I put one shoe on my right foot, and then I put the other on my left. But I felt that the other one was on the wrong foot. I took both shoes off for a closer look. They were nearly the same style (式样), color and size, but each was for the right foot. Then I thought of the shoemaker. Though I was sure he wouldn't remember me after such a long time, I called him. "Thank goodness you called me at last!" He said happily. "An angry woman has been troubling me for months!"How many pairs of shoes did the woman take to the shoemaker to be mended?
A.One shoe. | B.Two pairs of shoes. |
C.Only three shoes. | D.Some pairs of shoes. |
The shoemaker ___________.
A.was very careful with his work |
B.mistook one of the woman' s shoes for the other woman' s |
C.forgot the woman because it happened a long time ago |
D.was troubled by two men |
Did the woman look at the shoes carefully after they were taken back?
A.Yes, she did. | B.The story didn't tell us. |
C.No, but her husband did. | D.No, she didn't. |
The shoemaker felt very when the woman rang him.
A.sad | B.angry | C.glad | D.worried |
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer. Sports change with the season.
People play different games in winter and summer. Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities. The Arabs use horses or camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back to thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person’s character(性格). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(体面).According to this passage we know that ____.
A.people began to play about one hundred years ago |
B.about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played |
C.basketball has a longer history than volleyball |
D.not all the games have a long history |
The writer didn’t tell us in this passage that ____.
A.basketball was invented in America |
B.sports change with the season |
C.games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities |
D.football is played all over the world |
People all over the world enjoy sports because ____ .
A.sports are interesting |
B.sports help to keep people healthy , happy and to live longer |
C.sports help to train one’s character |
D.all of the above |
From this passage we can see that _____ .
A.sports and games are unimportant things that people do |
B.sports and games should be treated only as amusement (娱乐活动) |
C.sports and games are only useful to the old |
D.none of the above is true |
What’s the writer’s attitude of the sports?
A.positive | B.negative | C.neutral | D.We have no idea. |
Many teenagers(青少年) feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members don’t know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something. These things are difficult to tell their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who chooses your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?
Your answers are welcome.Many teenagers think that ____ can understand them better.
A.friends | B.brothers | C.sisters | D.parents |
When teenagers have something difficult to tell their parents, they usually____
A.stay alone at home |
B.fight with their parents |
C.discuss it with their friends |
D.go to their brothers and sisters for help |
The sentence (句子) “Your answers are welcome.” means _______.
A.You are welcome to discuss the questions with us. |
B.We have got no idea, so your answers are welcome. |
C.Your answers are always right. |
D.You can give us all the right answers. |
Which of the following is the writer’s attitude(态度)?
A.Parents should choose friends for their children |
B.Children should choose everything they like |
C.Parents should understand their children better |
D.Teenagers should only go to their friends for help |
Part of the purpose of this passage is to ___.
A.give information for the parents to make their own judgment (判断) |
B.give advice to children who want to choose their friends |
C.help parents to find better friends for their children |
D.get some information from many readers |