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 favor 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 missed the only train back home |
| C．the town was far away from Sydney | D．she was going home for her holidays |
Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?
| A．He watched the girl for three hours. | B．He gave the girl a ride back home. |
| C．He bought sandwiches for the girl. | D．He helped the girl find a ride. |
The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that______.
| A．she was going to the nearby town | B．she had known him for decades |
| C．she wanted to repay the favor she once got | D．she realized he was Gordon |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Those who give rides will be repaid. | B．Giving sometimes produces nice results. |
| C．Good manners bring about happiness. | D．People should offer free rides to others. |
When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.
| A．a terrible animal that is not popular |
| B．a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck |
| C．a reflection of China’s national characteristics |
| D．an animal that can create harmony and bring rain |
Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?
| A．China. | B．Wales. | C．Bhutan. | D．India. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies. |
| B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo. |
| C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports. |
| D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries. |
LG Electronics, the world’s fourth largest cell phone producer, has added another feature to the mobile phone-reading books for the visually impaired(弱视). The company started marketing the model, the LF1300 on Sep.18.No other people but the blind and visually-impaired with a certificate(证书) can buy the talking phone at sales shops of LG Electronics.
“The LF1300 is the world’s first mobile phone that is capable of reading books for the print-disabled, who otherwise could not enjoy them．This is not about making money but about continuing to put froth efforts to reduce the digital difference for the disabled,” LG Vice President said.
Its users can download about 300 audio books from the Internet site of LG Sangam Library to their phones for free in two ways. One is to access the digital library’s Website on a computer designed for the blind to get the audio books and transfer them to cell phones. The other is to download the digital books directly with cell phones through the wireless net work by touching a hot key on the LF1300 phone.
On top of its unique feature of reading books, the LF1300 is no worse than the pupular top-line phones in both outlooks and frnctionalities(功能性). The phone is armed with an MP3 player and a Bluetooth headset, enabling users to listen to the music or talk without a cord. The user interface（界面) of the LF1300 is also designed for the blind,enabling phone users to control it through a voice guidance system.
However, because the phone’s internal mimory of 17MB is small even for a single audio book file, which takes up 80MB on average, a high-volume external memory is a must for the talking book services.are allowed to buy the talking phone.
| A．Disabled people with a certificate |
| B．All the blind and poor-sighted people |
| C．The blind and poor-sighted with a certificate |
| D．Both healthy and disabled citizens |
The users can enjoy reading books on LF1300 by.
| A．talking to the microphone | B．touching any key |
| C．touching its screen | D．touching the hot key |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．This is the first time LG company has done something for the disabled. |
| B．Phone users don’t have to pay much to download the digital books. |
| C．LF1300 has a less attractive outlook than any other top-line phone. |
| D．The disadvantage of LF1300 is that it has too small internal memory. |
The best title of the passage might be.
| A．A New Type of Cell Phone is on the Market |
| B．Mobile Phones Can Read Books for the Print-Disabled |
| C．The Disabled will Benefit from Cell Phone Producers |
| D．Advanced Technology Helps the Blind Read Books |
Have you ever been in a meeting while someone was making a speech and realized suddenly that your mind was a million miles away? You probably felt sorry and made up your mind to pay attention and never have daydreaming again. Most of us from earlier school days have been told that daydreaming is a waste of time.
“ On the contrary,” says L.Giambra, an expert in psychology（心理学）, “ daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn’t get done all the thinking it has to do during a normal day… .
You can’t possibly do all your thinking with a conscious（有意识的） mind. Instead, your unconscious mind is working out problems all the time. Daydreaming then may be one way that the unconscious states of minds have silent dialogues.”
Early experts in psychology paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even considered them harmful. At one time daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illness. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980s. Eric Klinger, a professor of psychology, is the writer of the book Daydreaming. Klinger says, “we know now that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences, and plan for our futures… Daydreams really are a window on the things we fear and the things we long for in life.”
Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams which may be hard to understand. It’s easier to gain a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you recognize the difficult situations in your life and find out a possible way of handling them.
Daydreams cannot be predicted; they move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of useful ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy.
So the next time you catch yourself daydreaming, don’t stop. Just pay attention to your dream. It may be more important than you think.In what way are daydreams different from sleep dreams?
| A．Daydreams help to develop an unconscious mind. |
| B．Daydreams are not so easy for us to control and direct. |
| C．Daydreams help us to handle more difficult situations |
| D．Daydreams are easier for us to understand. |
Professor Eric Klinger believes that _______.
| A．our fears and longings in life are shown in our daydreams |
| B．we may study our experiences just through our daydreams |
| C．daydreaming is one of the important ways that we recognize our lives |
| D．we should be able to tell our futures by having daydreams |
The writer of the article thinks that ______.
| A．daydreaming is more helpful than sleep dreams |
| B．many artists and scientists are famous because they have daydreams |
| C．professor Eric Klinger has a better idea than L. Giambra |
| D．daydreaming with an unconscious mind will do good to health |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Daydreaming was once regarded as a cause of mental illness. |
| B．Experts began to have a better understanding of daydreams in the late 1980s. |
| C．Scientists believe that we can know daydreams before having them. |
| D． Many well-known artists gained energy of creation from daydream |
Bicycle Safety
Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus(校园). Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack---even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It’s fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
Equipment
Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.
Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fits properly.
Lights Always have a front headlight---visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15 mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of way to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such spots can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
No bicycle registration---------------------------------------------------$25
Bicycle parking banned--------------------------------------------------$30
Blocking path with bicycle ---------------------------------------------$40
Violation of bicycle equipment requirement -------------------------$35Registration of your bicycle may help you _____________.
| A．find your stolen bicycle | B．get your serial number |
| C．receive free repair services | D．settle conflicts with walkers |
According to the passage, what bike equipment is a free choice for bicycle riders?
| A．Brakes. | B．A helmet. | C．A headlight. | D．A taillight. |
When you ride a bicycle on the campus, _________________.
| A．ride on posted bicycle paths and sidewalks |
| B．cycle at a speed of over 15 mph |
| C．put the walkers’ right of way first |
| D．call the police before leaving in case of accident |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A guide for safe bicycling on campus |
| B．Directions for bicycle tour on campus. |
| C．Regulations of bicycle race on campus. |
| D．Rules for riding motor vehicles on campus. |
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bikes to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bikes to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines．
For several years, this group had been trying to get the city government to help bike riders． For example, they want the city to draw special lanes(车道) for bikes on some of the main streets, because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes．
But no bike lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business．
The city government has not yet decided what to do． It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park—the largest place open ground in New York— is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bikes only．In New York, a group of bike riders__________．
| A．are keeping practicing for health |
| B．have no cars of their own |
| C．are complaining there are not enough buses |
| D．are trying to settle the problem of air pollution |
The bike riders suggest that __________．
| A．bikes should be used instead of cars |
| B．bike lanes should be drawn |
| C．fewer buses or cars should be used |
| D．the number of special lanes should be decreased |
The advantage of the special lanes is that__________．
| A．they will make cars and buses run slowly |
| B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks |
| C．they will make the city more beautiful |
| D．they will prevent accidents |