A young woman was driving through the lonely countryside. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift. “I can't leave her out in this weather.” the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door. “Do you want a lift?” she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, “Have you been waiting for a long time?” The old woman shook her head, “Strange.” thought the young woman. She tried again, “Bad weather for the time of year,” she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what the young woman said, the hitchhiker(搭车者) gave no answer except for a nod of the head or a shrug.
Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker's hands, which were large and hairy. Suddenly she realized that the hitchhiker was actually a man! She stopped the car. “I can't see out of the rear screen,” she said, “Would you mind clearing it for me?”
The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the terrified young woman raced off.
When she got to the next village she pulled up. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. She gave a gasp(喘息), inside the bag was a gun.What made the young woman feel strange about the old woman?
A.That she gave no answer to her questions. |
B.That she was unable to speak. |
C.That she kept nodding her head |
D.That she had large and hairy hands. |
A "lift" in the passage means ___________.
A.an elevator |
B.an act of raising something |
C.a ride in the car |
D.help |
The hitchhiker left the bag with a gun in it behind because ____.
A.he wanted to give her a warning |
B.he had not expected that the woman would leave him behind in the rain |
C.it was his present for her |
D.he wanted to kill her with the gun |
Why did the young woman driver suddenly feel the hitchhiker was a man when she talked to the woman?
A.The woman only nodded her head, but no words |
B.She noticed the hitchhiker's hands, which were large and hairy. |
C.Because it was dark and raining |
D.Because she found the gun in the woman’s handbag. |
[1] Look at the center circles of Diagram A and Diagram B. Which of the centre circles looks larger?
[2] Take a first look and you probably think that the centre circle in Diagram A is smaller than that in Diagram B. In fact, they are exactly the same size.
[3]Then look at the picture on the right. What do you see? A vase? Or two faces? Does the picture change quickly from one to the other again and again? Maybe or maybe not, but you can see them at the same time.
[4]“What’s happening? Is something wrong with my eyes?” You may wonder at what you see. Don’t worry. Here is how it goes:
[5]When we look at things, our eyes send messages to our brains and then our brains interpret the information. However, sometimes our brains interpret the received information in a wrong way. It seems that our eyes are playing a joke on us. This often happens and we call it “Visual illusion(幻觉)”.
[6] Movie makers often make use of illusions. They make the objects around actors much smaller or bigger than usual. This makes us believe that the actors are much larger or smaller than they usually are. The movies Jurassic Park and Honey J shrunk the kids just make use of illusions.In which column of a magazine can you read the above text?
A.Culture. | B.Science. | C.Humour. | D.Education. |
The centre circle in Diagram A looks smaller than that in Diagram B, That’s because____.
A.something is wrong with our eyes |
B.the two circles are not of the same size |
C.our brains interpret the information wrongly |
D.pictures change quickly from one to the other |
In the picture on the right, it seems that Line AB is shorter than line CD, but in fact line AB is as long as Line CD. Which paragraph can explain what has happened to our eyes?
A. The second one. B. The third one. C. The sixth one.. D. The fifth oneWhat’s the right order according to the text?
a. We look at things with our eyes. b. Our brains interpret the messages.
c. Our brains tell us what we have seen.d. Our eyes send messages to our brains.
A. a-d-b-cB c-a-b-d C a-c-d-b D. b-e-a-d
To: "The Shoe People" <inquiries@shoepeople.com>
From: "John Trimbald" <jtconstruction@img.com>
Subject: Customer Complaint
To Whom it May Concern,
I have trusted the Shoe People to protect the feet of my employees for over ten years now. I recently purchased a few pairs of boots from your company for my crew. Though my men were initially satisfied with the boots, the soles began to fall apart on them after just twelve weeks. This was extremely surprising considering they came with a six year warranty. The boots are unsafe to wear because my men are pouring hot concrete. Please respond as soon as possible with instructions on how I can return the boots and receive a refund.
Thank you,
John Trimbald, Foreman, JT Construction
To: “John Trimbald” <jtconstruction @ img. com>
From: “The Shoe People” <inquiries @ shoepeople. com>
Dear Mr. Trimbald,
Thank you for your e-mail concerning the poor quality of our rubber soled black workboots. A representative will be by your office next week to pick up the damaged boots. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you and your crew.
Along with five new pairs of workboots for your crew (we included one extra pair), we have enclosed a free year's supply of sole protector spray. In our retail stores, this spray is always recommended to buyers who work on heated floors. This should have been brought to your attention at the time of your initial order. Please excuse our oversight.
To date we have had no complaints about these workboots from customers who have used the protector spray. However, should you use the spray and find that you are still unsatisfied with the boots, please return the boots and spray for a full refund. Thank you for supporting The Shoe People. Have a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Stan Mason, PresidentThe first email is basically an email of.
A.apology | B.sympathy | C.appreciation | D.complaint |
What’s wrong with the boots John Trimbald bought?
A.The soles of the boots began to fall apart. |
B.The color of the boots had shaded a lot. |
C.The boots didn’t fit the workers well. |
D.The patterns of the boots didn’t satisfy the workers. |
What is the underlined word “spray” used for according to the passage?
A.To repair the damaged boots. | B.To protect the soles from heat. |
C.To prevent the crew from danger. | D.To protect the boots from concrete. |
According to the president of The Shoe People, John Trimbald.
A.can exchange the damaged boots with new ones at any time |
B.must return the damaged boots to any of the retail stores |
C.will get new pairs of boots and a free year’s supply of spray |
D.can return the damaged boots and spray for a full refund now |
One girl decided to study judo(柔道) although she had lost her left arm in a car accident.
The girl began lessons with an old Japanese judo instructor. The girl was doing well. So she couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the instructor had taught her only one move.
“Instructor,” the girl finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the instructor replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in her teacher, the girl kept training.
Several months later, the instructor took the girl to her first tournament. Surprising herself, the girl easily won her first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, her opponent became impatient and charged. The girl skillfully used her one move to win the match. Still amazed by her success, the girl was now in the finals.This time, her opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while, the girl appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the girl might get hurt, the referee(裁判员) called a time-out. She was about to stop the match when the instructor intervened(干预).
“No,” the instructor insisted, “Let her continue.”
Soon after the match restarted, her opponent made a serious mistake: she dropped her guard. Instantly, the girl used her move to pin her opponent. The girl had won the match and the tournament. She was the champion.
On the way home, the girl and her teacher reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the girl gathered the courage to ask what was really on her mind.
“Instructor, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons,” the teacher answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”
The girl’s biggest weakness had become her biggest strength.What can we learn about the girl?
A.She was disabled in an accident. | B.She disliked judo training. |
C.She learnt several moves. | D.She won the first two matches hard. |
The underlined word “overmatched” probably means .
A.impatient | B.depressed | C.defeated | D.trapped |
The girl won the championship because of .
A.her bravery | B.her tricks | C.her skills | D.her strength |
Which of the following is probably the best title of the story?
A.The Story of a Girl. | B.A Disabled Girl. |
C.Defense Matters. | D.Weakness Becomes Strength. |
New arrivals
I Love You, Sweetheart Author(s): Elm Hill Books Publisher: Elm Hill Books Format: Hardcover List Price: $9.99 Our price: $4.99 Category: Self-Help Subject: Motivational & Inspirational ISBN-10: 1404185526 Language : English Pages: 24 Overview: A great gift for your sweetheart. This book contains 24 pages full of pictures and thoughts to remember. This perfect gift also contains a CD with 3 all-time favorite love songs and a place to write your own note of romance and love. |
Eat Right for Your Metabolism Author(s): Kliment, Felicia Drury Publisher: McGraw-hill Companies Format: Paperback List Price: $16.95 Our price: $4.99 Category: Health & Fitness Subject: Diets ISBN-10: 0071460152 Language : English Pages: 312 Overview: Offer an eating plan. Help you keep your ideal weight without dieting or drugs. |
The Girls Author(s): McLellan, Diana Publisher: LA eekly Books Format: Paperback List Price: $16.95 Our price: $3.99 Category: Acting Arts Subject: Film ISBN-10: 0312283202 Language : English Pages: 440 Overview: In The Girls, Diana Mclellan shows the complex(复杂的)and close connections that lay behind the public personae(表面形象)of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and the women who loved them. |
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas Gift Set Author(s): Tommy Nelson Publisher: Tommy Nelson Format: Boxed-set List Price: $14.99 Our price: $6.99 Category: Children Fiction Subject: Holidays & Festivals -- Christmas ISBN-10: 140039404X Language : English Pages: 104 Overview: This delightful take(诠释)on the traditional song “Twelve days of Christmas” is the funniest, furriest, freshest way to laugh through the holidays. |
If Michelle, ten, wants some books to read, she may choose the work(作品) by _____.
A.Elm Hill Books | B.Kliment, Felicia Drury |
C.McLellan, Diana | D.Tommy Nelson |
If John wants to build up his body, the book number he may choose is ________.
A.1404185526 | B.0071460152 | C.0312283202 | D.140039404X |
The Girls is probably written for those who are interested in ______.
A.fiction | B.pop songs | C.acting arts | D.health |
Which will save the most money for you?
A.I Love You, Sweetheart |
B.Eat Right for Your Metabolism |
C.The Girls |
D.The Twelve Dogs of Christmas Gift Set |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.The Girls is thicker than The Twelve Dogs of Christmas Gift Set. |
B.There are only some beautiful pictures in I Love You, Sweetheart. |
C.Eat Right for Your Metabolism tells us the connection between people. |
D.Not only I Love You, Sweetheart but also The Girls is paperback. |
Americans often plan social gatherings(社交聚会)on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning. If the time is convenient (方便) for you, surely accept their invitation. But if you’re busy, don’t be afraid to decline the invitation, perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed.
Invitations are usually sent in person or over the telephone. The main exception(例外) is for some formal occasions, in which case a written invitation will be mailed. You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼).
For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited. If many people were invited, it’s OK to arrive a little late, even as much as half an hour late. For example, it’s OK to arrive late for a party, for a potluck (家常便饭) dinner or for a social gathering inviting a large group of people.
If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会).
If you wish to thank the host for his or her hospitality (好客), it’s right to call or send a brief (简单的) written thank-you note the next day.The passage is to tell us ________.
A.how to accept Americans’ invitations. |
B.something about American social visits. |
C.something about American business visits. |
D.how to make a living in America. |
The underlined word “decline” in the first paragraph most probably means _____.
A.accept | B.receive | C.refuse | D.follow |
If an American only invites you to his home for an informal supper at 7:30p.m., you’d better get to his house at ________.
A.7:15p.m. | B.7:35p.m. | C.7:45p.m. | D.7:55p.m. |
In America, invitations to a wedding are often sent ________.
A.by mail | B.by fax | C.by e-mail | D.over the telephone |
According to the passage, in American ________.
A.if you’re invited to a family as a guest, you can stay as long as you please. |
B.if you’re invited for a party, you must always be on time. |
C.if you’re invited for dinner, you’d better bring some presents. |
D.you must make a call to show your thanks after you get home from the dinner. |