Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in Lon-don. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost it at the station.
On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman’s umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off.
“Wait a minute, sir,” shouted the old woman. “That’s my umbrella!”
Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry,“Oh, I’m very sorry, Madam! I didn’t mean it!”
Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. “It seems that I had a better result than the other four women.” She thought.We can learn from the passage that Mr. Brown was ______.
| A．a conductor | B．a worker | C．a thief | D．an umbrella maker |
The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.
| A．his ticket | B．his bag | C．his drawing | D．his umbrella |
Why did Mr. Brown take the woman’s umbrella?
| A．Because he was lost in thought. |
| B．Because it was much like his own umbrella. |
| C．Because he thought the woman would not notice it. |
| D．Because the woman misplaced it beside Mr. Brown. |
When looking at Mr. Brown with four umbrellas, the woman felt ______.
| A．surprised | B．angry | C．fortunate | D．sad |
How did Mr. Brown get the four umbrellas?
| A．He picked them on the train. |
| B．He brought them from his small town. |
| C．He bought them in London. |
| D．He stole them from four women. |
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel（纪录片） as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before they had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
| A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.
| A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing |
| B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday |
| C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address |
| D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together |
Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?
| A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son. |
| C．He had missed his son and his family for days. |
| D．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．The Good Old Times | B．What He Valued Most |
| C．My lost friend | D．The Lost Childhood Days |
Drunken driving –sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic (流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers，adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts，but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies，especially concerning young children，that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21，reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18，the number of people killed by 18-20 years old drivers more than doubled，so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers，however，fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop ‘responsible attitudes’ about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already，to a marked drop in accidents，some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was ‘obviously drunk’ and later drove off the road，killing a 9-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state，some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919，which President Hoover called the ‘noble experiment’. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking，but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally，there is no easy solution. Statistics issued in New Jersey suggested that ____________.
| A．many drivers were not of legal age. | B．young drivers were often bad drivers. |
| C．the level of drinking increased in the 1960s. | D．the legal drinking age should be raised. |
The underlined word ‘lenient’ in the first paragraph means ‘_________’.
| A．serious | B．cruel | C．merciful | D．determined |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.
| A． judges are no longer tolerant |
| B． new laws are introduced in some states |
| C． the increasing number of traffic accidents has got the attention of the public |
| D． drivers do not appreciate their manly image any more |
Which of the following best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It may lead to organized crime. | B．It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| C．The new laws can stop heavy drinking. | D．There should be no bars to serve drinks. |
When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry (黑莓手机) at the door. ‘I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,’ says Baxter，who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. ‘It’s there and it beckons (召唤). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.’
Americans are connected at unprecedented (前所未有的) levels一93% now use cell phones or wireless devices；one third of those are ‘smart phones’ that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail，among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road，staying in touch with friends and family，efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside：often，we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.
That's why，despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever，2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date，the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention，not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess.
‘What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,’ says Scott Campbell. ‘It can be a good thing，but I also see new ways the traditional social fabric (社会结构) is getting somewhat torn apart.’
Our days are filled with beeps and pings·----many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much，but we can’t seem to stop posting，texting or surfing.
‘We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing,’ says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off.
‘Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,’ she says. ‘We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.’What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．2010: The year technology developed quickly. |
| B．2010: The year technology sped up our life pace. |
| C．2010: The year technology replaced talking. |
| D．2010: The year technology made communicating easier. |
According to Paragraph l，Gretchen Baxter thinks_________.
| A．the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive way |
| B．the new technology is so tempting that she could even put her daughter and husband behind |
| C．it is encouraging to see progress on the new technology every year |
| D．people are too dependent on the new technology to let go |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the ‘traditional social fabric’. |
| B．Mobile devices play a less important part in American life. |
| C．Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety. |
| D．Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again· |
| B．Using mobile services can help people get connection with each other. |
| C．Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life. |
| D．The connection with people can happen naturally. |
DONATE YOUR OLD JEANS AND DO THE PLANET GOOD
What Will Be Done With All This Denim?
All the denim (牛仔布) will be donated to Cotton. From Blue to Green. This denim drive recycled jeans into UltraTouchTM Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, which is used to help build houses in places that have been damaged by hurricanes and other natural disasters. Your jeans will help keep clothes out of landfills, and build houses for families to live in! UltraTouchTM is made of 85% recycled fibers and is an environmentally safe, natural cotton fiber insulation.
It’s a Fact: It takes about 500 pairs of old jeans to insulate one average-size US house.
Here’s How You Can Get Involved!
1.Get a parent’s permission and select as many denim jeans as you like. (Any denim clothing is OK.)
2.The denim must be used and can be any brand.
3.The denim can be any color or size but must have been worn by a human. (no doll clothes!)
4.Jeans must be received by June 30, 2011.
POST A JOB AD—IDEAL FOR CASUAL ADVERTISERS
REGISTER NOW AND POST A JOB AD
All job Advertisements are reviewed and uploaded usually within 24 hours.
Standard Job Advertisement
$65.00 + GST (Goods and Service Tax) =" $" 71.50
Premium Job Advertisement
$80.00 + GST =" $88.00"
No additional costs for all the features below.
Standard Job Ad Features:
---Active for 30 days
---Include your company LOGO
---Update or Edit live ads online anytime
---Access state of your job ad
---Unlimited text to describe your vacancy
(able to insert HTML links—very useful if you want candidate to apply using your own online application on your corporate website)
---Able to copy and paste your active job ad from other job sites including logo and layout
Premium Job Ad Features:
---All the features of a standard Job Ad
---Displayed on top of the main job search page with highlighted colors also within the standard job ads in its highlighted format. For any questions contact us.
REGISTER NOW AND POST A JOB ADThe denim clothing that you intend to donate ____________.
| A．can be either new or second-hand | B．can be of any size or color |
| C．must be a certain famous brand | D．can be worn by dolls and humans |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the ad?
| A．UltraTouchTM may be the name of a building material. |
| B．UltraTouchTM can protect houses from natural disasters. |
| C．The deadline of the denim clothing donated is July 20, 2011. |
| D．The denim clothing is collected to provide clothes for the homeless. |
Premium Job Ad is different from Standard Job Ad because it ____________.
| A．doesn’t need paying additional money | B．can be shown on top of the main job search page |
| C．is active for more than 30 days online | D．can be inserted HTML links on your own website. |
Inaugural Address－John F. Kennedy
delivered 20 January 1961
We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
The world is very different now, for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe–the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge—and more…
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
What should friends and foes know?
| A．That the United States is powerful. |
| B．That a new generation of Americans are responsible for their government. |
| C．That the United States is governed by liberals. |
| D．That the rights of man come from the hand of God. |
What is Kennedy’s promise to the world?
| A．To support liberty. | B．To abolish all forms of human poverty. |
| C．To visit each country at least once. | D．To support any friend. |
What should citizens of the world ask of America?
| A．How America can help them. |
| B．If America plans to invade their country. |
| C．What they can do for freedom. |
| D．What they can do for America. |
Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Human beings have the power to put an end to all forms of poverty. |
| B．We should remember we are the first revolution. |
| C．Our nation has always been committed to human rights. |
| D．We should assure the survival and the success of liberty. |