“Soon, you’re going to have to move out!” cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood.
One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1.25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed, covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door.
Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give, it wouldn’t be worth the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be pruned(剪枝) in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake.
Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (施肥) have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long disappeared under the thick leaves.
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold; First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回) my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.
Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I’ll think about that tomorrow.What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?
A.Frequent pruning and fertilizing. | B.A lot of care and the right soil. |
C.Tomato plants grown alongside. | D.Cages placed around the roots. |
The writer planted the tomato because _________.
A.there was room for it in the garden |
B.the soil was just right for it |
C.it cost only $1.25 |
D.the roses’ branches needed to be covered |
This year the writer’s roses were __________.
A.removed from the rose bed |
B.largely hidden under the tomato plant |
C.mostly damaged by too much sunlight |
D.picked along with the tomatoes |
By saying “the prize so dearly won” in paragraph 5, the writer wants to ________.
A.express her liking for the roses |
B.show the hardship of growing the roses |
C.show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes |
D.express her care for the tomatoes |
In the situation described in the text, one good thing is that ________.
A.the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes |
B.the roses cost the writer little money |
C.someone will help the writer make the decision |
D.the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes |
One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action—a man on the go, walking along the streets, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but you have put a bug in his ear —maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk that he overlooked that morning. It starts worrying him a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to make a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays was in his eighties, someone asked him “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” he said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of_________.
A.a friend who is ill | B.a ma![]() |
C.a person having lost a close friend | D.a stranger who looks somewhat worried |
G
eorge Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his________.
A.cheerfulness | B.cleverness | C.ability | D.politeness |
The underlined ‘You’ve put a bug in his ear’ in the 1st paragraph means that you’ve _____.
A.made him laugh | B.shown concern for him |
C.made fun of him | D.given him some kind of warning |
Experts say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. “There are three stages of culture shock,” say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems---the telephone, post office, or transportation---may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity.
They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rises to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create and escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock. When people move to a new country, they _________.
A.will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty |
B.have well prepared for the new surroundings |
C.will get used to the culture of the country quickly |
D.will never be familiar with culture of the country |
According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except __________.
A.language communication | B.weather conditions and customs |
C.public service systems | D.homesickness |
When people are homesick, they tend to ________.
A.find some people to talk to | B.go outside to have a walk |
C.visit their friends far away | D.stay indoors all the time |
The writer tells us that the best way to overcome culture sho
ck is to _______.
A.protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment | B.develop a strange sense of self-protection |
C.get familiar with new culture | D.return to our own country |
Win a week in England!
You still don’t know what to do this summer? Well, here’s your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections) are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour’s drive from London and close to the sea resort of Herne Bay. It is also the home of one of England’s most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad’s Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress(堡垒). It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself.
The trip to England includes:
* travel by train (via the Eurotunnel) to and from any railway station in Germany
* room and full board with a guest family for one week
* language course in small groups
* two trips to London
* large choice of sports and entertainment
* German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day
Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question: When was Charles Dickens born?
So, take the chance and send your answer by 1 May to:
Free4Fun "Rochester"
Free4Fun, 24 Elphinstone Road, Hastings, 2FQ6VJ
fax: 089 / 85 763-103 e-mail: free4fun@netlight.com
The two winners will be contacted directly before 5 May. They will also be announced in the June issue of Free4Fun. Good luck!
For further information, contact:
phone: (03212) 144 43 fax: (03212) 144 42e-mail: info@etc. comWhat activities can you participate in during the trip?
A.Working as a language advisor. | B.Learning the German language. |
C.Traveling by train with a guest family. | D.Enjoying sports and entertainment. |
If you want to win a prize you have to send your answer to.
A.the June issue of Free4fun | B.free4fun@netlight. com |
C.info@etc. com | D.ETC |
The personsare likely to win the free trip.
A.who know the birth date of Charles Dickens |
B.who are attracted by Rochester Castle |
C.who are contacted and announced by Free4Fun and ETC |
D.who know more about Charles Dickens’ works |
This ad was probably designed to target.
A.Italians | B.Europeans | C.Germans | D.Americans |
One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of: a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill of the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right down, and his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi’s forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard none of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby’s behavior a symbol of the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don’t read and they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight about it? Let them watch it all they want! Why did the author bring a TV set into his son’s room?
A.To make his son keep quiet. | B.To spend the night by watching TV programs. |
C.In order not to let his son feel lonely. | D.To make his son go to sleep as soon as possible. |
The baby’s reaction to the TV program was _______ for the writer.
A.unexpected | B.encouraging | C.exciting | D.calm |
From this passage we know that the author is probably .
A.a doctor | B.a reporter | C.an editor | D.a teacher |
According to the passage, which is true of the school children?
A.They prefer reading to watching TV. |
B.They like watching TV after school. |
C.They would rather watch TV than read books. |
D.They like their teachers who teach them reading. |
Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of living space. The amount of space a person needs around him is a cultural (文化的) difference, not an economic one. Knowing your own psychological (心理的) space needs is important because they strongly affect your choices, including, for example, the number of bedrooms in the home. If you were brought up in a two-child family and both you and your sister or brother had your own bedrooms, the chances are if you have two children or more, that you also will offer separate bedrooms for them. In America, for example, they train people to want to have their own rooms by giving them their own rooms when they are babies. This is very unusual in the world. In many other countries, the baby sleeps in the same bed with his parents or in bed near them.
The space in the home also shows a lot about psychological space needs. Some families gather closer to each other and the size of their house has nothing to do with it. Others have separate little corners where family members go to be alone.
Although it is true that psychological space needs are not decided by economic reasons, they sometimes have to be changed a little because of economic pressure(压力). It is almost impossible, however, to completely change your psychological space needs.
The first sentence in Paragraph 1 “Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of space” means “______”.
A.Not two people need exactly the same amount of living space |
B.Living space requirements are not always the same |
C.The world requires the same amount of living space |
D.Nobody needs a required amount of living space |
Some families gather closer to each other at home than others because ______.
A.they have limited living space |
B.they are brought up in a large family |
C.it satisfies(满足) their psychological space needs |
D.the children in the family sleep in the same bed with their parents |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Americans are trained to live in the large rooms at birth. |
B.Economic situation decides one’s amount of space needs. |
C.People in different countries demand(need) different psychological space. |
D.Knowing your psychological space needs is important, as it has effect on your future. |
The best title for this passage is ______.
A.American Way of Living |
B.Psychological Space |
C.Space Needs in Different Countries |
D.Psychological Space and Economic Pressure |