Getting paid to talk about the World Cup is a great job. I’m not a football commentator(评论员), though-just an English teacher in Japan.
I come to Japan two years ago, and didn’t think I would stay, but Japan has that effect on you. People often end up living here longer than they planned. I think it’s best to teach in a bigger city where there are other foreigners to mix with, rather than a small town where English teachers often complain of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Many people choose to live in Tokyo, of course, which is good for the nightlife factor. But I’d say that for general quality of living, cities of neither too large nor too small, like Sapporo where I live, are better choices.
I teach English privately, which means I’m my own boss. If you want to devote yourself to private teaching, it’s well worth doing a TEFL course first, because your lessons will be much better for it. The problem with private teaching is finding students; it took me a year to build up a full schedule(日程表) of private lessons, so I started out teaching in schools part-time.
Most of my foreign friends here work full-time for big English conversation schools. The salary is fine to live on, but whether you can save money depends on how much going out and traveling you do here.
The schools are unwilling to take time off –even teachers with tickets for the England-Argentina game had trouble getting the day off. From the passage we know in Japan the writer likes to live in ________.
A.Tokyo | B.a small town |
C.a city of middle size | D.a big city |
According to the writer, one had better _______ first to do private teaching better.
A.give a TEFL course | B.decide his or her own lessons |
C.find students | D.build up a full schedule |
The underlined sentence in the second paragraph implies that _______.
A.there are many foreigners in Japan |
B.Japan is good for nightlife |
C.they can teach English privately in Japan |
D.Japan has something more attractive than expected |
After reading the passage, we can see _________.
A.the writer travelled a lot and saved much money in Japan. |
B.the writer teaches English in more than one school as a part-time job. |
C.the writer enjoys watching football games |
D.the writer spent one year in finding students for his private teaching. |
D
Something big is happening to the human race, something that could be called the Great Transformation.
The Transformation consists of all the changes that are occurring in human life due to advancing technology. For thousands of years such progress occurred slowly. Now everything is changing so fast that you may find yourself wondering where all this progress is really leading.
Nobody knows what all these changes really will mean in the long run. But this mysterious Transformation is the biggest story of all time. it is the story of the human race itself.
Some people worry about what will happen when the deposits (蕴藏) of petroleum are gone, but already researchers are finding all kinds of new ways to obtain energy. Someday, solar power collected by satellites circling the earth or fission (裂变) power produced by mankind may give us all the energy we need for an expanding civilization. Space exploration promises to open up much new land for human settlement, as well as leading to the harvest of mineral resources.
Like it or not, our advancing technology has made us masters of the earth. We not only control all the other animals, but we are reshaping the world's plant life and even its soil and rocks, its waters and surrounding air.
Technology gives us the power to build a magnificent new civilization, if we can just agree on what we want it to be. But today, there is little global agreement on goals and how we should achieve them.
So it remains to be seen what will happen as a result of our technology. Pessimists (悲观者) worry that we will use the technology eventually to blow ourselves up. But they have been saying that for decades, and so far we have escaped. Whether we will continue to do so remains unknown, but we can continue to hope. The great Transformation is caused by___________.
A.changes in human life |
B.the development of science and technology |
C.space exploration |
D.unknown reasons |
Today it is impossible for people to build a remarkable new civilization because___________.
A.nobody is optimistic about the future |
B.human beings are unable to do so |
C.people disagree with each other in many ways |
D.people are worried too much |
According to the passage, pessimists believe that___________ .
A.the future of the world will remain unknown |
B.technological advances will destroy the human race at last |
C.technological advances help little in people's life |
D.there is no need to develop technology |
C(2010 ‘江苏)
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of correct answers. That question is‘What’s your name?’ Everyone gives a different answer. but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used Some parents choose the name of a well-known person A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means‘ bright’; Beatrice means‘0ne who gives happiness’; Donald means‘world ruler’ ;Leonard means 6 as brave as a lion’.
The earliest last names, or Surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook(小溪) ; someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are : Carter – a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter-a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Tallman John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or-son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish People added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell. Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
A.Places where people lived. |
B.People’s characters. |
C.Talents that people possessed. |
D.People’s occupations. |
According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably___________.
A.owned or drove a cart |
B.made things with metals |
C.made kitchen tools or containers |
D.built houses and furniture |
Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named___________.
A.Beatrice Smith |
B.Leonard Carter |
C.George Longstreet |
D.Donald Greenwood |
The underlined word ‘descendants’ in the last paragraph means a person’s___________.
A.later generations |
B.friends and relatives |
C.colleagues and partners |
D.later sponsors |
B(2010 天津)
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules. . . planning your next move. . . acting as a team member. . . these are all ‘game’ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek Such games are entertaining and fun But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating(合作).
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调) needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world People on all continents play it-some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He I created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life. Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to___________.
A.be a team leader |
B.obey the basic rules |
C.act as a grown-up |
D.predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can___________
A.describe life in an exciting way |
B.turn real-life experiences into a play |
C.make learning life skills more interesting |
D.change people’s views of sporting events |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
A.It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
B.It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
C.It helps the country Out of natural disasters. |
D.It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to______.
A.bring fun to poor kids |
B.provide soccer balls for children |
C.give poor kids a chance for a better life |
D.appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A Games benefit people all their lives.
B. Sports can get all athletes together.
C. People are advised to play games for fun
D. Sports increase a country’s competitiveness.
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tall you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners –while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did
It best .Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned Most quickly to baseline heart rates .With pets in the room ,people also made fewer math mistakes Than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more released(放松)around Pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a Year studying 36 fat people and were put on a diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 fat people without pets were put on a diet program. On average,people lost about 11 pounds, Or 5% of their body weight .Their dogs did even better,losing an average of 12 pounds,more then 15%of their body weight .Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but ,say Researchers,got more exercise overall –mostly with their dogs –and found it worth doing. What does the text mainly discuss?
A.What pets bring to their owners |
B.How pets help people calm down |
C.people's opinions of keeping pets |
D.Pet's value in medical research |
We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if ____________
A.he has a pet companion |
B.he has less stress of work |
C.he often dose mental arithmetic |
D.he is taken care of by his family |
According to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
A.They have lower blood pressure. |
B.They become more patient. |
C.They are less nervous. |
D.They are in higher spirits. |
The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that
A.people with dogs did more exercise |
B.dogs lost the same weight as people did |
C.dogs liked exercise much more than people did |
D.people without dogs found the program unhelpful |
补全对话。根据对话内容,从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。其中有两项为多余选项
W:Hi ,John
M: Hi,Lucy.
W: Yes,I’m required to tell a story in English before the lesson begins.
M: Oh,I see.
W: You’re right.I need to practice on the stage before they all come
M:
W: Yes,here,in my pocket……Oops,where is it?
M: Don’t worry.
W: No,not in the bag,either.I’m afraid .I left it at home.
M:
W: Aha!It’s just the key to the classroom!Thank you so much.
A.Glad to see you |
B.What’s the story about? |
C.What’s that around your neck? |
D.Maybe you put it in your schoolbag |
E.Do you have the key to the classroom
F.You’re goying to school rather early today
G.So you want to get to the classroom earlier to make some preparation?