Streit was an experienced safecracker who never used force —either against people or safes (
保险箱). He was a real artist of his trade and it took him only 19 minutes to open the most difficult safe he had ever encountered. In about 10 years, helped by his brother Stefan and two friends, he took about $330,000 —from the safes of 28 banks in Austria. On his last job, early in 1999, he left the safe door open and $80,000 behind. With the money ws a note, "We don’t need all that much."
A witness (
目击者) recognized his car and Streit was caught by the police. Then he was sent to Austria’s Stein Prison to serve a six-year sentence. He boasted (吹嘘) at his trial that he would continue breaking the law, "I am a thief and I shall use every opportunity." Despite the warn-ing, prison officials moved Streit to the prison’s blacksmith (铁匠) shop. One day during the week before Christmas, Streit disappeared. Searchers found all his doors were well locked. Streit had managed to make a set of keys and let himself out.
Not to freedom, though. After crossing into Bavaria, Streit attracted the suspicion (
怀疑) of German customs police on purpose and got himself arrested. "I want to be in a German prison,"he explained to the surprised police. "As German courts give much milder (温和的) sentences for crimes like mine and will reduce the time I would otherwise have served in Stein Prison."
In prison, Streit persuaded his keepers to let him make a Christmas Eve telephone call to his former keeper, Karl Schreiner of Stein Prison. "I’m sorry if I caused trouble. I didn’t want to embarrass anybody by escaping. Conditions weren’t that bad. In fact the food was better than it is here."
The underlined word "safecracker" in the first paragraph means "_________".
A.prisoner | B.criminal | C.stealer | D.Robber |
What’s the correct order of the following events?
a. Streit was caught by German customs police.
b. Streit left a note in the bank.
c. Streit was sent to Stein Prison.
d. Streit worked in a blacksmith shop.
e. Streit escaped from prison.
A.d-b-a-c-e | B.b-a-c-d-e | C.b-c-d-e-a | D.d-b-c-e-a |
What helped Streit escape from prison?
A.His living alone in prison. |
B.His good relations with the prison officials. |
C.His cooperation with other prisoners. |
D.His working in the blacksmith shop. |
Streit was finally caught because _______.
A.his car was recognized by someone |
B.he left a note in the bank safe |
C.he was recognized by customs police |
D.he made a phone call to his former keeper |
Streit preferred to serve his time in Germany because _______.
A.he hated working in the blacksmith shop in the Austrian prison |
B.the life of prisoners in Germany was better than those in Austria’s |
C.he wouldn’t have to stay that long in a German prison |
D.he could escape more easily from a German prison |
That“Monday morning feeling”could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2, 600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 percent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 percent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11, 000 Italians proved 8 a. m. on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewest heart attacks in both countries.
The finding could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol(胆固醇)but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them, ”he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal(内分泌)changes in their bodies, ”Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavorable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot(血凝块)which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activities,”said Willich.Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, ________.
A.is not as serious as people thought |
B.is the first killer in Germany and Italy |
C.is created by researchers in Germany and Italy |
D.is harmful to working people in developed countries |
To protect people from a heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to ________.
A.people’s working time | B.people’s living place |
C.people’s diet and lifestyle | D.people’s nationalities |
It can be learned from this passage that the heart attack has something to do with all the following EXCEPT ________.
A.blood pressure | B.heart rate | C.hormonal changes | D.blood type |
If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be?
A.Improve working conditions. | B.Never go to work on Mondays. |
C.Stay with a doctor on Mondays. | D.Get up late on Monday mornings. |
HK’s Family Affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.
In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup(阵容)includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.
For more information, please check:
www. hk. artsfestival. orgThe press conference must have been held ________.
A.in Hong Kong | B.in Europe |
C.in Beijing | D.in England |
By means of“discount packages”you can pay ________.
A.nothing for the cost |
B.less than the usual cost |
C.for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket |
D.for the festival ticket but not for hotel rooms |
According to the text, we do NOT have any information about ________.
A.who will perform on stage | B.what programmes there will be |
C.when the 32nd Art Festival will be held | D.which theatres will put on performances |
The main purpose in writing this text is ________.
A.to make the 32nd Art Festival known | B.to announce the plan of the art festival |
C.to introduce the cost of the art festival | D.to sell a service during the art festival |
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:
For washing the car...........................................$5.00
For making my own bed this week...................$1.00
Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50
Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25
Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00
Getting a good report card................................$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00
Total .......................................................... ......$14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”“All paid.”.What’s the best title for this passage?
A.Part-time Job | B.Mother’s Love, No Charge |
C.Payment for House Work. | D.Greedy Mother |
The writer wrote the passage in order to ______.
A.show that children should be paid for their housework |
B.show that children should not be paid for their housework |
C.show a clever way of teaching children |
D.tell children how to spend their spare time |
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
A.Clever. | B.Greedy. | C.Cold-hearted. | D.Selfish. |
From the last passage we know that ______.
A.the boy got all the money he wanted |
B.the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy |
C.the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework |
D.the mother was angry with what the boy said |
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is achieved through the use of a turntable (转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when it is pushed by those at the table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place on the lazy Susan.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet (橱柜). In this sense, the lazy Susan is a type of shelving unit within the cabinet that is able to turn around its axis(轴心) . One may turn the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods in storage. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets that are located at a right angle (直角) to each another. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
It is believed that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan in the 18th century, though it was called “dumbwaiter” at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph (留声机). The turntable may have developed into the lazy Susan later.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term “lazy Susan” was used in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term “dumbwaiter” is still used rather than “lazy Susan”. The reason for the naming of it is still a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan.What is a “lazy Susan”?
A.A waitress | B.A convenient tool | C.A table | D.A cabinet |
According to those who believed Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, _______.
A.his daughter was very lazy | B.the lazy Susan didn’t exist until the 18th century |
C.Thomas Edison was his friend | D.Thomas Edison didn’t invent the phonograph |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
A.the lazy Susan can work by itself |
B.the lazy Susan was named after Thomas Edison’s daughter |
C.how the lazy Susan got its name remains unknown |
D.the lazy Susan was invented in Britain |
The writer wrote the passage mainly to _________.
A.discuss how the lazy Susan was named | B.teach us how to make a lazy Susan |
C.introduce Thomas Edison’s inventions | D.tell us what a lazy Susan is and its origin |
1 Year, 47 Issues
Cover Price: $217.87
Your Price: $47.00
About The New Yorker Magazine:
The New Yorker is the eclectic magazine for readers interested in the arts, current events, and culture. The New Yorker includes articles on domestic and international news, exploring current ideas and trends, plus sports, fashion, and entertainment events. In addition, The New Yorker is well known for publishing outstanding short fiction and cartoons with an ironic twist.
1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $68.89
Your Price: $15.96
About Playboy Magazine:
Playboy is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although Playboy is most well-known for its pictorials (插图)of beautiful women, it is also highly regarded for its interviews and fiction writing. Playboy includes regular feature articles on finance, sports, self-improvement, technology, and psychology. You must be 18 or older to order Playboy.
1 Year, 10 Issues
Cover Price: $39.90
Your Price: $23.00
About Nick Magazine:
Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, ages 6 to 14. It is wholesome (对身心有益的), imaginative, and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective (视角). Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from Nick with your kids.
1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $35.40
Your Price: $15.00
About Lucky Magazine:
Lucky is the ultimate shopping magazine with the best looks, the best buys, and the best trends before they hit the stores. But what makes it really unique is all the detailed information you’ll get on how to purchase the merchandise (商品) you’ll find. Lucky provides you with 800 numbers, web site addresses, and more to make your shopping experience easy and convenient! Lucky is your one-stop shopping guide to all the greatest new products on the market. What’s more, it provides wonderful entertainment for women.Which magazine gives buyers the cheapest price according to the advertisements?
A.The New Yorker | B.Playboy | C.Nick | D.Lucky |
What is the striking feature of the Lucky magazine?
A.It supplies much entertainment for women and children. |
B.It contains many outstanding novels and cartoons. |
C.It is famous for beautiful pictures of beautiful women. |
D.There’s much detailed information on how to find new products on the market. |
If you are a housewife, which magazine will you probably buy?
A. A. The New Yorker B. LuckyC. Nick D. PlayboyWhat information is contained in all the four magazines?
A.Sports | B.Entertainment | C.News | D.Trends |