How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
A. From her relatives. | B. From her mother. |
C. From books and pictures. | D. From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.
A. confused B. excited C. worried D amazedFor the first two years in New York, the author _________.
A. often lost her way B. did not think about her future
C. studied in three different schools D got on well with her stepfatherWhat can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A. She worked as a translator. B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family. D She helped her family with her English.
In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride (搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured (使…放心)me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favour I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.”
I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.The author had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because .
A.her work delayed her trip to Sydney |
B.she was going home for her holidays |
C.the town was far away from Sydney |
D.she missed the only train back home |
Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?
A.He helped the girl find a ride. |
B.He gave the girl a ride back home. |
C.He bought sandwiches for the girl. |
D.He watched the girl for three hours. |
The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that .
A.she realized he was Gordon |
B.she had known him for decades |
C.she was going to the nearby town |
D.she wanted to repay the favour she once got |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
A.Giving sometimes produces nice results. |
B.Those who give rides will be rapid. |
C.Good manners bring about happiness. |
D.People should offer free rides to others. |
For kids and many adults, a San Diego vacation means theme parks and other attractions. Before heading to a park, call or check its website for updated hours of operation; many parks have seasonal or holiday hours. Ticket prices listed here are for general admission, single-day use only.
Sea World San Diego
A 6-minute ride called Journey to Atlantis, which is to open in late May, tells the legend of the island nation. After the ride of Greek fishing boats, folks can visit a new exhibit of dolphins, which have not been on display at the park since 1998.
DETAILS: General admission is $46.95 for adults, $37.95 for children aged 3-9, free for children 2 and younger. 1-800-380-3230 or www.seaworld.
San Diego Zoo
There’s not much in the way of new attractions. The zoo has a baby panda, Mei Sheng. Nighttime Zoo, a program popular with families, starts June 26.
DETAILS: General admission is $21 for adults, $14 for children aged 3-11, free for children 2 and younger. 1-(619)-234-3153 or www.sandiegozoo,org.
Maritime (海的) Museum of San Diego
The HMS Surprise, the 18th-century British warship featured in the film Master and Commander, is on exhibit through Nov. 30.
DETAILS: The ship is in use for tours from 9 am to 8 pm daily. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children aged 13-17, $5 for kids aged 6-12, and free for kids 5 and younger. 1-(619)-234-9153 or www.sdmaritime.org.
Old Town Trolley Tours
Visiting relatives or friends in San Diego? They can get a hometown pass and ride for free with your paid admission.
DETAILS: The main ticket booth (售票厅) is in Old Town at 4010 Twiggs. Hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, daily $25. www.historictours/sandiego.The purpose of this passage is to _____.
A.warn | B.amuse | C.persuade | D.guide |
If you want to enjoy the performance of dolphins, you should go to _____.
A.Sea World San Diego |
B.San Diego Zoo |
C.Maritime Museum of San Diego |
D.Old Town Trolley Tours |
If a couple visits San Diego Zoo with their children, one aged 3 and the other 2, the admission will be _____.
A.$ 35 | B.$ 49 | C.$ 56 | D.$ 70 |
The other day when I was passing a clothing store, I fell in love with a skirt. I knew it would suit me best at first sight. But when I looked at the price tag (标签), I knew I had to give it up.
The love for beautiful clothes has been planted in my heart the day when I was born to be a woman. Several years ago I read an article in a magazine. The article stated that when a woman is at her best time, she is usually poor or tasteless, so she can’t get the right clothes; when she can afford to buy the clothes she likes, she often finds that they do not suit her anymore.
On the way home, I was quite disturbed by such thoughts. It was just a pity, like many other pities. I thought to myself this way. But when I was about to enter the building where I was living, I saw the big mirror placed in the entrance. I saw a girl in it who was in cheap but cleanly washed sweater and jeans. She was rather young, healthy and energetic. For quite a while I was touched by what I had seen in the mirror.
Then I almost forgot the tale: A person without shoes cried until he saw a man without feet. Being young without good clothes is like the person without shoes. I should have felt grateful that I haven’t lost my feet.How did the author feel when she decided not to buy the skirt?
A.Embarrassed. | B.Wise. | C.Regretful. | D.Relieved. |
The underlined word “She” in Paragraph 3 refers to .
A.the author’s friend | B.a stranger |
C.the author’s roommate | D.the author |
Why was the author touched by what she saw in the mirror?
A.She came to realize what she really possessed. |
B.She was reminded of her devotion to beauty. |
C.She didn’t feel at ease when looking into a mirror. |
D.She never thought over the other side of a person. |
We can learn from the text that the author considered her love for beautiful clothes as .
A.funny | B.natural | C.silly | D.simple |
The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic(算数) and to prepare them for Algebra (代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents (指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing — and completely understandable — field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery (神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is a master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?
A.Arithmetic. | B.College Mathematics. |
C.Algebra. | D.Mathematics Education. |
What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?
A.Stronger imaginative ability. |
B.Additional presentation skills. |
C.Greater chances of becoming teachers. |
D.More mathematical confidence. |
What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?
A.He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television. |
B.He works in Georgia State University. |
C.He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math. |
D.He specializes in training teachers. |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
A.A news report. | B.An advertisement |
C.A lesson plan. | D.A book review |
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的).The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening — in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed — and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers. But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to ______ .
A.expect small changes |
B.notice small changes |
C.welcome small changes |
D.exaggerate (夸大) small changes |
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
A.Cautiously. | B.Skeptically. |
C.Positively. | D.Critically. |
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by ______ .
A.the tight security | B.the messy arrivals hall |
C.the relaxed policemen | D.the bank robbers |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
A.Life in Britain. | B.Britain in Memory. |
C.Britain in Future. | D.Back in Britain. |