Below is a passages adapted from a website.
| Tayka Hotel De Sal Where: Tahua, Bolivia  How much: About $95 a night Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt---including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses (床垫) and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- Green Magic Nature Resort Where: Vythiri, India  How much: About $240 a night Why it’s cool: Taking a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window---there is no glass!---you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy(罩蓬). Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read. You don’t even have to come down for breakfast---the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- Dog Bark Park Inn B&B Where: Cottonwood, Idaho  How much: $92 a night Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side．You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼）in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose. Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant (消防栓）outside. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- Gamirasu Cave Hotel Where: Ayvali, Turkey  How much: Between $130 and $475 a night. Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer. (Don’t worry---there is heat in winter.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- Treebones Resort Where: California, America  How much: $100 a night Why it’s cool: You can sleep in a “room” any night, but how often do you get the chance to sleep in a yurt. What’s a yurt? Good question. Yurts are the name given to guest rooms at the Treebones Resort. These spaces provide all of the accessibility to nature you’d enjoy in a tent, but with all the comforts of a cabin. In one of sixteen yurts, you will doze off(打盹儿) while gazing at the stars that can be seen through a sky dome. |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To sell the hotels. |
| B．To attract guests. |
| C．To offer good service. |
| D．To get popular. |
If you want to experience a thrilling life, you’d better go to ____________.
| A．Treebones Resort |
| B．Gamirasu Cave Hotel |
| C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B |
| D．Green Magic Nature Resort |
Sweet Willy is the name of ____________.
| A．a doghouse for the family pet |
| B．a thirty-foot-tall family dog |
| C．the building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B |
| D．the guest rooms in Dog Bark Park Inn B&B |
Which of the following words can best describe all the five hotels in the passage?
| A．Unique. | B．Ordinary. | C．Costly. | D．Natural. |
Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what are the values which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought.
Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors. I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most ( but not all) Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans.
It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are ingrained in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions-actions which might otherwise appear "strange", "confusing", or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective of the foreigner's own society and its values.
The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter ( meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet.An ordinary American can't tell you his/her value system because _____.
| A．this is something an American lives by |
| B．everyone will have his/her own value system |
| C．he/she has never thought about it |
| D．values are something often in their thought |
The author lists 13 values in his booklet to _____.
| A．invite foreigners to visit America |
| B．look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors |
| C．describe the confusing actions of most Americans |
| D．help international visitors understand Americans |
The underlined word "ingrained" in Line 2, Paragraph 3 most probably means _____.
| A．rooted in the minds | B．found in the grains |
| C．planted for food | D．prepared with grain |
Visitors sometimes find Americans behave in a strange, confusing or unbelievableway, probably because _____.
| A．Americans are hard to understand |
| B．Americans have values which are entirely different from their own |
| C．they view Americans according to the values in their own society |
| D．it is difficult to understand any people when you first encounter them |
We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity. We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility, not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable—a place where brains, energy and ambition are what counts, not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project, an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts, looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time, comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street. Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right, just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample, in terms of income, were able to bootstrap their way into the top. Meanwhile, an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom, having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up. When the studies were released, most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates, in fact, that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force. This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles, correlations and percentages is of a nation in which, overall, "the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one", as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55,600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71,900. However, this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally. The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data. Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder, but there is "stickiness at the ends" —four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor, and four out of ten who are born rich will stay rich.What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?
| A．Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top. |
| B．Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches. |
| C．The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality. |
| D．The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites. |
It can be inferred from the undertone of the writer that America, as a classless society, should ________.
| A．perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity |
| B．have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain |
| C．enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment |
| D．encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The US is a land where brains, energy and ambition are what counts. |
| B．Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains. |
| C．Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered. |
| D．Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder. |
What might be the best title for this passage?
| A．Social Upward Mobility. |
| B．Incredible Income Gains. |
| C．Inequality in Wealth. |
| D．America Not Land of Opportunity. |
By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students take much more kindly to a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “tough-minded” school of workers doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. Freedom from control and discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality (being on time), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is __________ .
| A．changing from one subject to another |
| B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work |
| C．the unwillingness to work out a systematic plan |
| D．working on a subject only when one feels like it |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Many students are not interested in using a self-controlled timetable. |
| B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable. |
| C．Most people over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable. |
| D．Tough-minded people agree that good work is done naturally. |
The underlined part “as the fit takes them” means __________.
| A．when they have the energy |
| B．when they are in the mood |
| C．when they feel fit |
| D．when they find conditions suitable |
A suitable title for the passage might be __________.
| A．Attitudes to Study |
| B．A Study Plan |
| C．The Difficulties of Studying |
| D．Study and Self-discipline |
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “The elevators are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be understood as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.
| A．turn around and greet one another |
| B．look around or examine their phone |
| C．make eye contact with those in the elevator |
| D．try to keep a distance from other people |
Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two
people in an elevator?
According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
| A．someone’s odd behaviors |
| B．a lack of space |
| C．their unfamiliarity with one another |
| D．their eye contact with one another |
What’s the passage mainly about _____.
| A．Bad manners in the elevator |
| B．Some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette |
| C．An interesting but awkward elevator ride |
| D．The strange behaviors in the elevator |
Should you spend your money on a home security system? A look inside a burglar’s mind might help you decide.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in your home, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation which I am more than happy to accept.
4. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house, or it will be a dead giveaway. By the way, loud dogs and nosy neighbors are the two things I hate most.
5. It’s raining. You’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door---understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
6. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
7. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not fastened, I’ll take it with me.
8. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook.com page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.Money and valuables might be the safest if kept in your______.
| A．kids’ room | B．sock drawer |
| C．medicine cabinet | D．safe |
The underlined words “a dead giveaway” here may probably be something that______.
| A．throws away useless things at home |
| B．warns a burglar that someone is dead |
| C．tells a burglar the truth |
| D．frightens a burglar away |
We can draw a conclusion from the text that______.
| A．burglars seldom steal in bad weather |
| B．if you do housework yourself, you’ll stay away from burglars |
| C．you yourself are sometimes to blame for a theft |
| D．you can always count on your neighbors when you are out |
The main purpose of the article is to _____.
| A．summarize when burglars steal most frequently |
| B．encourage people to spend money on home security systems |
| C．explain why burglars take up stealing |
| D．teach people how to protect their homes |