I never thought I would have a life-changing experience at Wal-Mart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn't moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he's an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, "How's it going?" But he did something different--he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd. I has grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don't give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, "I just found out I have six months to live," and someone would reply, "Have a great day!"
But that wasn't the end.
He gave them the change, walked around the counter, and extended his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked the customers in the eyes. "I sure want to thank you for shopping here today," he told them. "You have a great day. Bye-bye."
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some sheepish grins. All had been touched by his simple gesture--and in a place they never expected. They would gather their things and walk out, smiling.
Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name--Marty.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy's body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.What was most customers' reaction to Marty's behavior?
| A．They thought it priceless. |
| B．They thought it awful and odd. |
| C．They felt somewhat offended. |
| D．They were in some way moved. |
The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because______
| A．the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| B．the cashier couldn't work as fast as others |
| C．there were some big purchases |
| D．the writer was not patient enough |
What can we infer about Sam Walton?
| A．He might be Marty's father or grandfather. |
| B．He might have died while working in the market. |
| C．He might be friendly and devoted to Wal-Mart. |
| D．He might have come back from the dead once before. |
According to the writer, when common people ask you "How's it going?"
| A．they are just practicing their conversation ability |
| B．they are inquiring about your private information |
| C．they don't expect to hear any negative answers |
| D．they don't really care what you may answer |
What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B．Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| C．A little positive action can make a big difference. |
| D．Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
Imagine this situation. You pass a group of people. The people are talking to each other. You cannot hear what they are saying. But suddenly they start laughing. What would you think? Would you think they were laughing at something funny that one of them said? Or—be honest with yourself—would you think they were laughing at you? Yes, you.
Being laughed at is a common fear. But a major study published in two thousand and nine found that this fear is not the same around the world. It differs from culture to culture.
People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them. Less than ten percent of Finns in the study said they would think that, compared to eighty percent of people in Thailand.
Some people in the study said they felt unsure of themselves in social situations but hid their feelings of insecurity. Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before.
The study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia were more likely to be in the first group. They would hide their feelings of insecurity if they were around other people’s laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan were more likely to try to avoid such situations if they felt they had been laughed at before.
Shy people often avoid situations that would force them into close contact with other people. They worry that something they say or do will make other people laugh at them. But some people worry much more than others. They may have a disorder called gelotophobia. Gelos is a Greek word. It means laughter. Phobia means fear. This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives.
In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another purpose of the study was to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures. The researchers surveyed more than twenty-two thousand people in forty-two different languages. The findings appeared in the scientific journal Humor.People in Finland don’t believe other people are making fun of them if.
| A．they suddenly start to laugh |
| B．they keep on laughing |
| C．they laugh in their presence |
| D．they stop laughing suddenly |
What’s FALSE of the study led by a team from the University of Zurich?
| A．They wanted to study the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. |
| B．They wanted to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures. |
| C．They did such a survey in order to prevent people from being laughed at in public. |
| D．They surveyed more than 22 thousand people coming from different cultures. |
The passage is likely to occur in.
| A．an advertisement | B．a science magazine |
| C．a science fiction | D．a storybook |
According to the passage, people who suffer from gelotophobia.
| A．care more about being laughed at by others |
| B．shouldn’t hide their feelings of insecurity |
| C．should avoid having close contact with other people |
| D．will lead a happy life so long as they care |
If you want to go out for lunch on Sunday, you can call up the number.
| A．2785161 or 2706030 | B．2706030 or 3562367 |
| C．7364431 or 2785161 | D．3562367 or 2785161 |
You do not have to pay on Mondays if you go to.
| A．Skyline Hotel |
| B．Lansdowne Park Shopping Center |
| C．New York Museum |
| D．Garden Restaurant |
If you want to enjoy yourself on Sunday morning, you can go to.
| A．5300 No. 3 Road | B．Vanier Park, 1100 Chestnut St |
| C．9020 Bridgeport Road | D．3031 No. 3 Road |
Howard Dill is a giant among giant pumpkin(南瓜) growers. He grew world champion pumpkins for four years running，from 1979 to 1982, and missed winning the fifth year by only 5 pounds. Today, his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds are sold worldwide to more than 50 seed companies. The pumpkins grown from his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds commonly weigh in at over 1,000 pounds. “I don’t have any training in genetics(遗传学); it was all trial and error,” Dill says. He got his love of pumpkins from his father and has enjoyed growing them for years.
Dill still grows giant pumpkins, but not for competition. In the fall, visitors come to enjoy the pumpkins on his 90-acre farm in Nova Scotia, Canada. He plants ten acres of pumpkins for Halloween and two acres of giant pumpkins. One of giant pumpkins was recently baked into 442 pumpkin pies and sold at $5 each for charity.
It you want to try growing a giant pumpkin, Dill recommends starting with a soil test and then adding fertilizer(农药) as needed. Plant the giant pumpkin seed. A giant pumpkin can gain 15 to 20 pounds a day, so careful watering—every day or two—is necessary. You should wait about 130 days until the pumpkin matures and then you can harvest it.
Dill’s favorite pumpkin set the Guinness Book record in 1981. It weighted 493.5 pounds. “I’ve grown them larger since, but that one meant a lot,” he remembers. “I never would have imagined ten
years ago that there would be a 1,000-pounder, but there are many of them now,” says Dill. The 2006 world record holder is Larry Checkon of Pennsylvania. He grew a 1,469 pounder. Dill says, “These world champions are grown from my seeds, so I feel like a winner right along with them.”What can we learn about the world champion pumpkin of 1983?
| A．It weighed over 1,000 pounds. |
| B．It was missing after the competition. |
| C．It was 5 pounds heavier than that of 1982. |
| D．It was 5 pounds heavier than Dill’s biggest one that year. |
One of Dill’s giant pumpkins earned.
| A．$2210 | B．$442 | C．$1000 | D．$1469 |
In the third paragraph Dill mainly tells about.
| A．how to do a soil test |
| B．how to plant the giant pumpkin seed |
| C．when to water the pumpkin |
| D．how to grow a giant pumpkin |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Gardening Giant: Howard Dill |
| B．World Champion Pumpkin |
| C．Dill Atlantic Giant Seeds |
| D．How to Grow Giant Pumpkins |
Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in the country.
The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.
As a result, the student visa(签证) application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit(押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be given a working visa lasting from two to four years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.
“This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas,” says Wang Lan, an expert from Education International Cooperation Group(EIC), a Beijing-based company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.
However, in the past few years, many of Wang's student clients(客户) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were difficult. The change in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her postgraduate studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.
“According to the previous deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan($86,850). Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents,” Li says.
She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.
“I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I return to China,” she says.
Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to study abroad, according to the report by EIC.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia. |
| B．Australia is a most attractive place for students in China. |
| C．Australia widens window of opportunity for international students. |
| D．More students will work in Australia after their graduation. |
After the new regulations are passed, .
| A．more students will come to Australia to work |
| B．more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia |
| C．the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students |
| D．more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia |
How much can Li’s parents save according to the new regulations?
| A．550,000 yuan. | B．140,000 yuan. | C．410,000 yuan. | D．86,850 yuan. |
Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation?
| A．The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness. |
| B．They can earn more money in Australia. |
| C．Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever. |
| D．They have to do so according to the new regulations. |
Lynn was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of l6, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In l922, with limited education and skills, the future didn’t look bright for Lynn. Her father demanded that Lynn find a job as soon as possible, but she didn’t have the confidence to ask for a job.
One day, Lynn gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lynn told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lynn, let’s see how good you really are.” She directed Lynn to type a single letter, and then left. Lynn looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.”
On her second attempt, things didn’t get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55—five minutes to freedom.
Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lynn, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl’s shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lynn, you’re doing good work!”
Lynn was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good. I think I’ll stay!”
Lynn did stay at Carhartt Overall Company…for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents—all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.Why did Lynn leave school at an early age?
| A．To learn English well. |
| B．To earn money for her family. |
| C．To get self-confidence. |
| D．To become a typist. |
When Lynn applied for the job, she.
| A．could speak good English |
| B．didn’t know much about typing |
| C．knew Margaret very well |
| D．never wrote any letter |
How many attempts did Lynn make to type the letter?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Who does the underlined word “someone” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Lynn’s father. | B．Lynn herself. | C．A president. | D．Margaret. |
What can we learn from Lynn's story?
| A．Encouragement makes a difference. |
| B．Honesty is the best policy. |
| C．Virtue(美德) leads to success. |
| D．Time waits for no man. |