The man sitting opposite Robert was the Financial Controller. Everybody called him “the FC” for short. He made all the decisions about money. Robert needed some more. That was why he had to see him. The two men did not get on very well. In fact, they had always disliked each other.
“Your request is out of the question,” the FC said. Robert had difficulty in controlling himself, but he managed somehow. He explained that he wanted the money in order to make more programmes.
“And why do you want to do that?” the FC asked sharply. Again, Robert almost lost his temper. “Because more and more people are listening to my department’s programmes. There’s great demand for them,” he answered.
The FC did not seem to believe him. But Robert had a report on the numbers of listeners to all EBC programmes. The FC became less confident. Robert threw the report down on the table and told him to read it.
The FC looked at it in silence. The figures (数字) proved that he had been wrong, but he did not want to admit it. “Well,” he finally said, “I may have made a small mistake.” Robert noticed the word “may.” He got up to leave. But he had the feeling that he would get the money after all.In the story the Financial Controller was a person who was in charge of
| A．Robert’s department’s programmes | B．EBC programmes |
| C．EBC money | D．both B and C |
“Your request is out of the question.”Here “out of the question”means
| A．without any question | B．with some question |
| C．impossible | D．possible |
Robert decided to make more programmes because
| A．he wanted to meet the needs of the listeners |
| B．“the FC” disliked him |
| C．the members of his department wanted him to do so |
| D．he wanted to show himself off |
Why were more and more people listening to Robert’s programmes?
| A．Because he always lost his temper (脾气) |
| B．Because he disliked “the FC” |
| C．Because the programmes were rich and to the taste of the listeners |
| D．We don’t know |
Who do you think won the argument(争论)in the end?
| A．The Financial Controller | B．Robert | C．Nobody | D．The listeners |
Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn’t. Even when the bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa Peffers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and stored in refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and drinking up!
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, “Most bottled water is just tap water.” And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America’s desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents’ generation never had bottled water,” says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free. “You don’t need to fetch it home from the store, and it’s cheaper,” she adds.
Bottled water’s role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers “And what’s your drink?” that’s no reason to forget your conviction(信念). “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’ll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you,” Peffers says. “And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.” suggest that people _______.
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle. |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O. |
| C．shouldn’t be pleased with just recycling empty bottles. |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottled water. |
According to the author, tap water is _______.
| A．as safe as bottled water | B．morel likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water | D．less convenient than bottled water |
The underlined part “going bottle free” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．giving up bottled water |
| C．recycling use water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.” Loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow. |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert. |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status. |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public. |
John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose.
When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin. The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner's name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell.
He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested — 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York.
She wrote, “You’ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat.” So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose.
As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her, entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split in two. He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him.
The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, “I’m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?”
She replied with a smile, “I don’t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, I’d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”John was eager to know the former owner of the book because he______.
| A．was very interested in the contents of the book |
| B．was impressed by the notes written by its owner |
| C．wanted to improve his handwriting |
| D．wanted to discuss the book with her |
What happened to John after getting in touch with Miss Hollis Maynell?
| A．He served in the army abroad. |
| B．He went overseas for vacation. |
| C．He went on a business trip in New York. |
| D．He visited Miss Maynell. |
What do we know about the woman with a rose?
| A．She was Miss Maynell’s close friend. |
| B．She was a waitress in the big restaurant. |
| C．She was probably a passerby. |
| D．She was paid to meet John at the Station. |
Which would be the best title of the text?
| A．An Interesting Book | B．A Woman With a Rose |
| C．A Brave Soldier | D．A Love Test |
READY or not, the college application season has begun. There are two main kinds of early admissions programs: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action is a great choice for the well-prepared student. Students apply early, and are allowed to apply under an Early Action program to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest advantage for students is that colleges let them know early – in most cases, before Jan 1. Roughly 15 percent of colleges and universities offer an Early Action option. Oct 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities.This movement toward earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast, with many of the large public universities leading the way. North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia all have an Oct 15 Early Action deadline.
Early Decision is a promise that cannot be reversed. Students who are accepted must take back their other applications and should attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school under an Early Decision program. Early Decision deadlines are in early November, with colleges letting students know by mid-December.Many students believe that they are more likely to be accepted if they apply for Early Decision, but it actually depends.
In some cases there is big increase in students being accepted, and at other colleges it is not that big at all. Generally, the strongest students are applying early. Athletes and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply for Early Decision
Choose the best answer:
| A．To explain the process of applying to study in the US. |
| B．To describe two types of US college early admissions programs. |
| C．To encourage students who want to study in the US to apply early. |
| D．To list the advantages of early admissions programs. |
| A．A student who is accepted as an Early Action applicant must attend the college they apply to. |
| B．The deadline for Early Action is usually two months earlier than the one for Early Decision. |
| C．Students can apply to several colleges at the same time under an Early Action program. |
| D．Students can apply for Early Action at the majority of universities and colleges in the US. |
| A．changed | B．balanced | C．accepted | D．arranged |
| A．Students are not allowed to apply for both Early Decision and Early Action at the same time. |
| B．Students applying for Early Decision impress colleges because they tend to be more active than others. |
| C．Early Decision is most fit for students who are skilled in some field. |
| D．Those applying for Early Decision have a better chance of being accepted than those applying for Early Action. |
OF course, Ms Cratty wasn’t really my aunt and, out of fear, I never called her that to her face. I only called her “My Aunt Fannie (俚语)” because the name always made my father chuckle (轻声地笑) and caused my mother to look seriously at both of us – at me for being disrespectful of my elder, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions so I looked for every opportunity to work the name into as many conversations as possible.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large farmhouse owned by Ms Cratty and her twin brother. Neither had married, and they had no children. My father once told me that it was because they were both too mean to share their family’s money or pass it on. Ms Cratty was famous for her jam and for never sharing the recipe with another one. Even though my mother knew the recipe , she never made the jam without Ms Cratty kitchen to direct the process and keep the secret.
Each August, my mother would prepare me for Aunt Fannie’s visit. One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam process Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise that I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and someday you will be rich. I still have my very first quarter, given to me by my grandfather.” It had obviously worked for her. So, I put the quarter in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has made me wealthy, but I keep them as reminders to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is the relationships and the memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
| A．Because she wanted to show respect for her. |
| B．Because she believed that made her seem closer to her. |
| C．Because she loved to see her parents’ responses to it. |
| D．Because she didn’t like her and thus made fun of her. |
| A．owned the large farmhouse with Aunt Fannie |
| B．disliked Aunt Fannie’s meanness and the way she would never share |
| C．didn’t know the exact way to make the jam |
| D．tried to make Aunt Fannie believe that the secret recipe was safe |
| A．was a reminder of the valuable things in her life |
| B．would bring her good luck and make her rich |
| C．was a small reward for her help with the jam process |
| D．was the exact one that Aunt Fannie had received from her grandfather |
| A．have a certain secret recipe |
| B．have lasting love and friendship |
| C．share our wealth with others |
| D．have good fortune and money |
HOW many of you have used rock, paper, scissors (RPS) as a “fair” way to settle something? If you think it is a game of chance, think again, according to scientists.
RPS is a game as popular in the East as it is in the West. The rules are the same: Two players make one of the three hand signs. To decide the winner, rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock.
Many of us play with no game plan in mind. But researchers have worked out several winning patterns. The World Rock Paper Scissors Society holds tournaments (联赛) in Toronto, Canada. According to their data, players choose rock (35.4 percent) and paper (35 percent) more than scissors (29.6 percent).
If your opponent is a man or an angry person, it’s quite possible they will start the game with rock, researchers have found. If your opponent is a woman or a beginner, you should expect them to start with scissors.
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists asked 360 students to compete in a RPS tournament at Zhejiang University. Scientists found that winners tend to choose the same action they won with, while the loser tends to change to the next action in the order of rock, scissors, paper.This is called the “win-stay lose-change” strategy(策略). Humans use this strategy in many competitive situations.
Expert RPS players have many other techniques. Monica Martinez, 2008 winner of the World RPS Tournament, said that she read faces.“I didn’t worry about what I was going to do, I just did what I thought they were going to do,” she told The Telegraph. If your friends are similar experts, learn from Jonathan Monaco, winner of the 2009 USA RPS Tournament. He wears dark sunglasses to cover his expressions during the game.
Remember, the strategy for playing RPS depends on how skilled your opponent is. But if you’re looking for a quick, simple winning rule for a match, choose paper. Scissors is the least popular choice, and men favor rock. Both are reasons to choose paper.
| A．The popularity of RPS games around the world. |
| B．The general rules of RPS games. |
| C．A game plan for RPS games. |
| D．The fairness of RPS games. |
| A．studying the rules of the game |
| B．analyzing game data |
| C．interviewing expert players |
| D．organizing major tournaments |
| A．She likes to use the same actions many times in a row when playing the game. |
| B．She usually follows the order of rock, scissors and paper when playing the game. |
| C．She is good at reading her opponent’s moves when playing the game. |
| D．She often wears dark sunglasses when playing the game. |
| A．scissors is the most popular choice of skilled RPS players |
| B．paper is a safer choice than rock and scissors for RPS players |
| C．beginners have barely any chance of winning against skilled RPS players |
| D．men are usually better at RPS games than women |