Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects (影响) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954 - )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 - )
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911. Who once won the Nobel Prize?
| A．Jane Addams and Marie Curie. |
| B．Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher. |
| C．Marie Curie and Angela Merkel. |
| D．Marie Curie and Rachel Carson. |
We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to _____.
| A．help the poor |
| B．spread geographic knowledge |
| C．protect the environment |
| D．protect the rights of women |
What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?
| A．Both of them were scientists before coming to power. |
| B．Both of them are the first woman head of their country. |
| C．Both of them are famous for being strict. |
| D．Both of them have worked for three terms. |
Who once failed to find a job?
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Sandra Day O’Connor. |
| C．Rachel Carson. | D．Margaret Thatcher. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Great women | B．Famous scientists |
| C．Strong leaders | D．Ways to success for women |
D
“Just take it easy.” “Don’t be nervous.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”
But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.
The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.
“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.
The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.Why are the words at the beginning of the passage given to people?
| A．To ease their doubt about plane. |
| B．To reduce their fear of flying. |
| C．To have fun on their flight journey. |
| D．To use some medicine to cure their fear of flying. |
Which of the following about the VALK Foundation is true according to the passage?
| A．It is a group focusing on psychology on the flight. |
| B．It was the first center to do research into fear of flying. |
| C．It focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying. |
| D．It organizes the world conferences on fear of flying annually. |
What is the purpose of Flight App VALK ?
| A．To help passengers experience the fear of flying. |
| B．To teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight. |
| C．To treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying. |
| D．To help relax passengers before and during flights. |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph ?
| A．Many adults are suffering from fear of flying. |
| B．Many planes will be installed with the Flight App. |
| C．It’s not comflex for people to use the Flight App. |
| D．The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively. |
C
As smartphones and other handheld devices are becoming more affordable, doctors say children who spend long hours playing video games are increasingly showing signs of postural deformities. Physical therapists warn that long-term consequences may be severe.
Owaish Batliwala, 10, from Mumbai, India, admitted spending three to four hours each day playing games on his tablet computer. When he started complaining about a neck pain, his mother Mehzabin became concerned.
“My son got a problem in his neck around June, July. The pain gradually spread to his hand and his back, this was the problem,” she explained. “He plays for hours on the iPad and mobile phone. He plays regularly for at least for two-three hours, that's what caused the problem.”
Physical therapist Sadia Vanjara said the number of young children with chronic pain in upper extremities is on the rise.
“They are not ageing, they haven't had an accident, their age is like, under 10, they are not complaining, the blood reports are fine, their X-rays are fine, their MRI's are fine, then where is the culprit? And that is the very common thing that is happening amongst all children and that is smart phones and the gadgets,” Vanjara said.
There are more smartphone users in India than anywhere else in the world, except for China. Networking technology giant Cisco estimates their numbers will increase from 140 million today to 651 million by the end of the decade.
Vanjara said the best remedies for already-existing pain are daily exercises.
With correct posture, pain can be prevented, so Vanjara also teaches children how to hold their gadgets correctly.
“If you hold the phone up in front of you, your head will not be bent down to look at it and so your neck won’t get strained,” she said.
With the number of smartphones and other handheld devices constantly on the rise, Vanjara predicts we will see not only physical but also psychological and emotional ailments stemming from their excessive use.Why did Mehzabin become concerned?
| A．Her son was addicted to playing computer games. |
| B．Her son’s neck pain has spread to his hand and his back. |
| C．There is something wrong with her son’s neck. |
| D．Her son’s addiction to computer games has caused mental disease. |
What is true according to the passage ?
| A．India has the most smartphone users in the world. |
| B．The number of smartphone users will double in ten years. |
| C．Young children are aging because of using handheld devices. |
| D．Long time’s playing video games will have bad results in the long run. |
Vanjara advised the children to_______________.
| A．avoid using smartphones |
| B．take exercise every day to relieve the pain |
| C．stop holding the phone up in front of them |
| D．bend down their heads to look at the phones |
What may be the best title of the passage?
| A．Doctors Warn of Gadget Addiction Consequences |
| B．Physical, Psychological and Emotional Effects of Gadget Addiction |
| C．The Risk of Back and Neck Pain |
| D．Never Use Handheld Devices for a Long Time |
B
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh（法老）treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, ”Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it’s going to rain.”I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his smile.
Several months ago I was racing to catch a bus. As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Grey hound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile ,”Oh that bus left five minutes ago.”Dreams of head-cutting!
It’s not the news that makes someone angry. It’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn’t get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you’re tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn’t ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter mainly told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or dinner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warming .Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, ” Oh, that’s all right I’ll catch the next one.” Big winners, when they bear bad news ,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded（被轰炸的）person is sure to have.Why did the writer tell the story of the pharaoh in paragraph 1?
| A．To make a comparison | B．To introduce a topic |
| C．To give an example | D．To offer an argument |
What does “Dreams of head-cutting!” in Paragraph3 mean?
| A．The writer was mad at the sales agent |
| B．The writer was reminded of the cruel pharaoh |
| C．The writer wished that the sales agent would have had dreams |
| D．The writer dreamed of cutting the sales agent’s head that night. |
Why was the writer angry with his neighbor?
| A．Because he couldn’t have a picnic. |
| B．Because the weather was bad. |
| C．Because he hated smiles. |
| D．Because of his unsympathetic attitude. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Learning ancient traditions can be useful. |
| B．Delivering bad news properly is important in communication. |
| C．Helping others sincerely is the key to business success. |
| D．Receiving bad news requires great courage. |
A
Chocoholics everywhere have a duty to help preserve the world’s dwindling supply of cocoa. Leading chocolatiers offer their advice.
We are running out of chocolate, by 2020 as predicted. Sure, some might say this is due to serious economic and geopolitical reasons – climate change, rising demand in Brazil and China, the spectre of Ebola spreading to west African cocoa-growing nations such as Ivory Coast and Ghana.
We know the real reason. It’s the fault of posh（考究的）choc. In the last 10 to 15 years, we have gone from buying a foil-wrapped bar from the newsagents to an unprecedented age of cocoa decadence – demanding a minimum of 70% cocoa solids.
With the shortage, is it time to dial back on this gourmet choc free-for-all, so when the bad times come, there’s enough cocoa left for Cadbury’s to eke out a few Dairy Milks?
We asked chocolatiers to help create a “code of conduct” for responsible chocolate eating in the event of a shortage …So how best should we use what’s left?
Switch to carob (even if it doesn’t taste very nice)
Carob is a chocolate substitute made from the pods of the carob tree – and it’s been languishing（低迷）in a health-food shop near you for years. “Is carob an alternative?” says Young. “If it was used as an ingredient, in a cupcake or chocolate bread, we could accept it”.
Ration（定量）chocolate in cakes and other dishes
Does that triple chocolate cake you’re making need the choc buttercream, the dark chocolate ganache and the white chocolate curls? Certainly when it comes to bought products, Young thinks “there’ll be a change to the amount of chocolate you get in things like cakes and flavoured milks”. “Revere chocolate more. Cut out all the other stuff,” says Coady.
Be prepared to pay more. A lot more
“A Dairy Milk will be a luxury item – we’ll have to save up!” speculates Young. That would be bad news for consumers, but there is an upside to the looming shortage – it could finally spell good news for cocoa growers, many of whom receive a “small amount” for their product, says Harcourt-Cooze: “If a shortage meant cocoa farmers got high prices, it would make me smile.”
Stop abusing chocolate
Yes, we’re looking at you, ChocoChicken – the restaurant that serves chocolate fried chicken with chocolate ketchup and white choc-fried potatoes. Other offenders we have spotted include white chocolate sauces for meat dishes and Scotch eggs with a cacao nib crust.Which of the following explains the underlined word dwindling?
| A．extreme | B．whole |
| C．increasing | D．decreasing |
What is the root cause of chocolate shortage?
| A．Increasing demand | B．Climate change |
| C．Epidemic disease | D．Excessive consumption |
Which option is NOT correct according to the passage?
| A．“Young” is probably a chocolatier. |
| B．Cocoa farmers might benefit from the shortage. |
| C．Carob is much more delicious than cocoa products. |
| D．Carob can be accepted as an ingredient in a cupcake or chocolate bread. |
Choose the action recommended according to the code of conduct for responsible chocolate eating.
| A．Mary tries to reduce the amount of cocoa when baking cookies. |
| B．Jack often treats himself with a chocolate feast after work. |
| C．Dan refuses to eat carob products as a substitute. |
| D．Rachel throws away chocolate bars which she has not finished. |
We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter．We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine．Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack．Sometimes it's an ingredient（配料） in the main course of a meal．Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken．The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices（香料） like chili peppers．
Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree．The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say "Ugh!" and run away．Workers must first dry and then roast the beans．This removes the bitter taste．
The word "chocolate" comes from a Mayan word．The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico．They valued the cacao tree．Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink．
When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too． Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine．No one had the idea of adding sugar．The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes．Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion．
In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao．It quickly became a cheap and popular drink．Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate．Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together． People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better．
Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie．Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce．It was _____that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao．
| A．The workers in the chocolate factory |
| B．The Spaniards |
| C．The people in England |
| D．The owner of a chocolate factory |
The Spaniards think that cacao was a medicine because_____
| A．it was strong and bitter． |
| B．it was good for digestion． |
| C．it cured man's diseases． |
| D．it was a kind of drink for good health． |
Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?
a．Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England．
b．A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate．
c．The Spaniards started drinking cacao．
d．It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao．
e．A factory mixed milk and chocolate together．
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．c-d-e-b-a |
| C．c-d-a-b-e | D．c-d-b-e-a |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____．
| A．chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or a candy bar |
| B．Mexicans like chocolate very much |
| C．chocolate is a product of the cacao tree |
| D．people liked the taste of chocolate mixed with milk |