The drug store was closing for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, the shop-assistant, was ready to go home. Mr. Carr, the boss, stared at him and said: “Hold on, Alfred. Maybe you'd be good enough to take the things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go.”Alfred's face got red. After a little hesitation, he took out what he had stolen. Mr. Carr said, “Maybe I should call your mother and let her know I'm going to have to put you in prison.”
Alfred thought his mother would come rushing in, eyes burning with anger. But, to his surprise, she arrived wearing a smile. “Hello, I'm Alfred's mother. Is he in trouble?”she said. Mr. Carr was surprised, too. He had expected Alfred's mother to come in nervously, shaking with fear, asking with wet eyes for a mercy for her son. But no, she was most calm, quiet and pleasant and was making Mr. Carr feel guilty…. Soon Mr. Carr was shaking his head in agreement with what she was saying. “Of course”, he said, “I don't want to be cruel. You are right. Sometimes, a little good advice is the best thing for a boy at certain times in his life and it often takes the youths long time to get sense into their heads.”And he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins's hand.
Back home, without even looking at Alfred, she said, “You are a bad luck. It is one thing after another, always has been. Why do you stand there so stupidly? Go to bed.”In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. There was no shame in him, just pride in his mother's strength. He felt he must tell her how great she was. As he got to the kitchen, he saw his mother drinking a cup of tea. He was shocked by what he saw. His mother's face was a frightened, broken one. It was not the same cool, bright face he saw earlier in the drug store. As she lifted the tea cup, her hand shook. And some of the tea splashed on the table. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. He watched his mother without making a sound. The picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth coming to an end. He saw all the troubles he brought his mother in her shaking hand and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.The reason why Mr. Carr felt guilty was that ________.
| A．he found Alfred was in fact innocent |
| B．he should have called a policeman in first |
| C．Alfred's mother appeared polite and gentle |
| D．he thought he was partly responsible for it |
Which of the following is probably said by Mrs. Higgins while talking to Mr. Carr?
| A．“Please, for God's sake, you know, he is just a kid.” |
| B．“I can't believe it! You are treating my son like that!” |
| C．“You know, it takes time for a youth to truly grow up.” |
| D．“Punishment makes sense because it teaches about the law.” |
What does the underlined phrase "his mother's strength"(Para. 3) refer to?
| A．Mrs. Higgins's calmness and communicating skills. |
| B．Mrs. Higgins's attitude towards parental sufferings. |
| C．Mrs. Higgins's love and care for her son Alfred. |
| D．Mrs. Higgins's greatness as a woman. |
After the incident, young Alfred would probably ________.
| A．feel ashamed of her mother |
| B．change his attitudes towards life |
| C．learn to live an independent life |
| D．hate Mr. Carr for hurting her mother |
Psychologists in Britain have said that the last full week of January is the most depressing time of year, and labelled next Monday ‘Blue Monday’. Blue is a slang way of saying unhappy.
Mondays are generally seen as the worst day of the week because people feel grumpy(脾气坏的) and tired at having to go back to work after a weekend with a different sleep pattern.
There are various reasons why more people feel depressed at this time of year. Many people have unpaid credit card bills for the Christmas presents they bought, and pay day is often not until the end of the month.
As the party season is over, people feel stressed because they have to go back to real life – work and commuting; and they may be unhappy with their body image after bingeing on booze, chocolates, and other food at Christmas-time.
People may have already failed in their New Year’s resolutions, such as giving up smoking. The bad weather in January can also contribute to people feeling fed up.
Some companies are taking this quite seriously and offering counselling (咨询) for any staff who are feeling depressed. They hope that helping people as soon as there are signs of depression will avoid absenteeism(旷工). Evidence shows that unreasonable managers who contribute to their staff feeling fed up at this time can expect an uncooperative workforce.
However, it’s not all bad! Many people feel optimistic at this time, that things can only get better. Psychologists offer suggestions of how to combat feeling blue. These include spending 15 minutes doing a ‘gratitude exercise’ thinking about and writing down what you are grateful for, such as health, family, friends and so on.
Taking up a new hobby, doing some exercise, going to bed earlier, eating a healthy breakfast, and listening to some uplifting music, are all recommended as ways to feel more cheerful.
To avoid feeling blue next January, experts say that the best thing to do is to plan better next December. Spend less on presents, eat and drink less over the festive period, and make more realistic New Year’s resolutions.What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．A Happy Monday. | B．Blue Monday. |
| C．New Year’s Resolutions. | D．A Sad Christmas. |
What can be inferred from the second and the third paragraphs?
A. People have to pay for the things and can’t get paid until the end of the month.
B. People feel happy when they go to work on Monday.
C. Many companies offer counselling to their staff who are feeling depressed.In order to avoid feeling blue next time, you can do the following EXCEPT _______.
| A．spend less on gifts. |
| B．eat and drink less over the holidays. |
| C．drinking alcohol with your best friends. |
| D．make more realistic New Year’s resolutions. |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．the last full week of January is the most depressing time of year. |
| B．The bad weather in January can also lead to people feeling fed up. |
| C．Some companies are offering counselling for any staff who are feeling depressed. |
| D．Many people feel optimistic at that time and can get better. |
The following are books sold on our website, perhaps some of them you’ll be interested in.
The Top Gear Guide to Britain (Hardback)
Our price: £9.99
For over ten years, Top Gear has been travelling all over Britain in the course of making the world’s best programme about cars, driving.
This book is not only a guide for outsiders; it is an invaluable reference manual for Britons themselves, like a mirror held up to our very souls.
Still Open All Hours (Hardback)
Our price: £12.49
From its first episode in 1973, Open All Hours was an instant hit. Audiences around Britain loved its familiar setting, good natured humour, and the hilarious (非常滑稽的) partnership of Ronnie Barker and David Jason. Whilst it only ran for 26 episodes, it firmly cemented itself as a British comedy classic.
Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook (Paperback)
Our price: £7.99
Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook, the first and only official book from Brendan O’Carroll’s brilliant educational creation, is filled with useful advice and gives us a unique look into the lives of the Brown family.
I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue: The Best of Forty Years (Hardback)
Our price: £15.99
“I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” is the most listened to comedy programme on British radio. It regularly attracts a large audience. The author tells us about the forty years of the programme.
Life on Air (Hardback)
Our price: £16.49
Sir David Attenborough is Britain’s best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly six decades, and in this volume of memoirs Sir David tells stories of the people and animals he has met and the places he has visited.If you are driving to Britain for your holidays, you probably will be interested in _______.
| A．The Top Gear Guide to Britain |
| B．I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue: The Best of Forty Years |
| C．Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook |
| D．Still Open All Hours |
Sally is a housewife with three naughty children, which book will attract her most?
| A．Life on Air. |
| B．Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook. |
| C．The Top Gear Guide to Britain. |
| D．Still Open All Hours. |
If you are interested in comedy, which books may you buy?
| A．Life on Air and Still Open All Hours. |
| B．Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook and The Top Gear Guide to Britain. |
| C．I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue: The Best of Forty Years and Mrs Brown’s Family Handbook. |
| D．I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue: The Best of Forty Years and Still Open All Hours. |
On the second day of the World Internet Conference themed with cybersecurity and international cooperation held in Wuzhen, an official with China’s network emergency watchdog said that 6,118 domestic websites have been controlled by the United States, according to Shanghai Securities News.
Among the hacked websites in the first half of this year, 48.8 percent were under the thumb of overseas IP addresses, said Huang Chengqing, director-general of the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team and Coordination Center (CNERT/CC).
He added that the US contributed the most, followed by Hong Kong, which controlled 3,097, and South Korea with 2,307.
Among the overseas IP addresses inserting backdoor programs in domestic websites, the US accounted for 29.3 percent, South Korea for 6 percent and Hong Kong for 5 percent, he said.
In addition, 4.9 percent of government websites have been attacked, and 3.2 percent inserted with backdoor programs.
Huang also said that the number of Chinese computers affected by Trojan Horse viruses reached 190,000 in the six-month period.
To safeguard cybersecurity, the CNERT/CC has cooperated with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and built relationships with 59 countries and 127 organizations.
Over the past two years, the center dealt with more than 15,000 cross-border online security cases.The theme of the World Internet Conference is _______.
| A．the safety of the Internet |
| B．international control and worldwide cooperation |
| C．cybersecurity and international cooperation |
| D．network emergency. |
Which of the following is true according to the first three paragraphs?
A. 6,118 domestic websites have been owned by the USA.
B. 48.8 percent were under the thumb of overseas IP addresses among the hacked websites in the second half of the year.
C. The USA, Hong Kong and South Korea are the biggest victims of the hacked websites.
D. The US is the biggest attacker when it comes to the hacked websites.What should we do to safeguard cybersecurity?
| A．Try to attack the websites in other countries with Trojan Horse viruses. |
| B．Insert backdoor programs in everyday apps. |
| C．Strengthen the cooperation with other countries and organizations. |
| D．The passage does not mention. |
The number of the cross-border online security cases dealt with in the past two years by the CNERT/CC is _______.
| A．190,000 | B．over 15,000 | C．3,097 | D．6,118 |
Five-year-old Jocelyn Rojas spent all day playing happily with her friends outside her grandmother’s apartment building. Her mom, Jaimee, kept her eye on the little girl from a window. At about 4 p.m., Jocelyn walked around the corner of the building to get her bicycle. However, half an hour later, she disappeared. Jaimee called 911.
A short time later, police officers and firefighters crowded inthe area, blocking streets and searching the neighborhood. Officers handed out photos of the girl wearing thick-framed glasses.
Temar Boggs, 15, a school athlete in track, was with some friends moving a couch into the apartment of his elderly neighbor when one officer approached him and asked if he’d seen Jocelyn. Unfortunately, none of them had seen her. A little bit later, Temar and his friends went to check out the situation. By 6:30 p.m., Jocelyn had been missing for more than two hours, and the search team was worried that the sun would set before she was found.
Just at that moment, Temar felt an intense emotion that he was going to find her. He and his friend Chris Garcia, 13, rode alongside, simply keeping a sharp eye out as they circled around. Then Temar spotted a car circling around, as if the driver were unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Temar cycled close and made eye contact with the man behind the wheel, an older guy wearing a red-and-white striped shirt, and saw a tiny blond girl in the passenger seat. Temar instantly realized it must be the missing girl.
The boys cycled after the car, but the driver kept moving, winding his way through the neighborhood.
Finally, the driver had to park the car ahead of them and pushed open the passenger-side door. A girl slipped out of the car. It was Jocelyn. Temar got off his bike, and carried her to the police. The kidnapper sped away.
A police report later identified the man as a 63-ycar-old sex offender. He is still at large.
Neil Harkins, chief of the Manheim Police Department, says “The boys’ heroics are ‘something we don’t normally hear about.’ It is a very brave thing for young boys to do that.” But when asked, Temar, now a tenth-grade student at Lucy Laney High School, says “I didn’t do it for attention. I just wanted to help.”Why did Jaimee call 911?
| A．Because her mother was in need of help. |
| B．Because her house was on fire. |
| C．Because her daughter was missing. |
| D．Because she was trapped in the building. |
What was Temar doing when the police were searching for Jocelyn?
| A．He and his friends were playing outside the building. |
| B．He was helping the police hand out the photos of the missing girl. |
| C．He and his friends were helping his neighbor moving a couch. |
| D．He and his friends were having a cycling race. |
What do the underlined words mean in Paragraph 7?
| A．as large as a man. | B．free. |
| C．put in prison. | D．arrested. |
From what Neil Harkins says, we can know _______.
| A．Temar and his friends did a heroic thing. |
| B．Temar is a boy with little courage. |
| C．The kidnapper was under control because of Temar and his friends. |
| D．Temar didn’t want to catch people’s attention. |
| Book Introductions |
| The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling This is the story of a child who is found and brought up by Mr. Allworthy. The child, Tom Jones, has a good life at first but then gets into trouble. His life has a series of adventures and difficulties but eventually he becomes a good and happy man. |
| The Picture of Dorian Bray Young Gray has his picture painted by an artist who is impressed by his beauty. But after he realizes the shortness of youth, he wishes that he would remain young and untouched as years go by. He threw himself into a life of degradation(堕落) and crime. The story ends with the death of young Gray. |
| Dombey and Son Dombey, the owner of a shipping house, is a rich , proud, and heartless man, whose concern in life is his good name in connection with his firm. He doesn’t take good care of his daughter and lays all his hopes on his son, Paul, who will carry on his business. But Paul dies in childhood because of poor health. Having lost both his pride and wealth, his business goes from bad to worse. Dombey lives alone, and finally is taken care of by his daughter. |
| Vanity Fair The central character, Becky Sharp, is an orphan. In order to climb up into the upper class, she tries to marry the fat brother of her schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a daughter of a rich man. And then she remarries. Becky and her husband spend their time in Paris and London, living comfortably. She ends up as a “respected” member of society. |
In The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Tom __________.
| A．becomes a successful businessman |
| B．lives a poor and troubled life |
| C．lives alone and has no friends |
| D．becomes a happy man |
In Dombey and Son, we can learn that Dombey __________.
| A．loves his son more than himself |
| B．shares his wealth with his family |
| C．feels sorry for his poor health |
| D．suffers a series of losses in his life |
Which book centers on a young man of great beauty?
| A．The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. |
| B．The Picture of Dorian Bray. |
| C．Dombey and Son. |
| D．Vanity Fair. |
According to Vanity Fair, __________desires to live an upper-class life.
| A．Becky Sharp | B．Becky Sharp’s second husband |
| C．Amelia Sedley | D．Amelia Sedley’s brother |