We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home.
On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow.
“Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack.
It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”
In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing.
“It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
| A．would like very much to buy | B．badly wanted |
| C．was glad to have bought | D．would rather not buy |
Other drivers thought they were _______.
| A．carrying a cupboard to the church |
| B．sending flowers to the church |
| C．carrying nothing but a piece of furniture |
| D．going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church |
The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
| A．driving in gathering darkness |
| B．in great sorrow (悲痛) |
| C．driving with wild flowers in the car |
| D．carrying furniture |
What did the husband think of the whole matter?
| A．It was very strange. | B．He felt ashamed of it. |
| C．He took great pride in it. | D．He was puzzled at it. |
Yasuda is 95 years old. He and his colleagues, looking for easier ways to search the Web and send e-mail, represent a potential market for Apple (AAPL)'s iPad. The company has sold 3. 27 million iPads since its launch in April, but doesn't break down sales figures by customer age, making it impossible to know with certainty how many old people are buying them. However, evidence suggests it's popular with the old.
The iPad's intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to old citizens around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo: "The iPad is a good tool for the elderly because it's very forgiving of mistakes." Miura's team uses computers to help train senior citizens to rejoin the workforce. "Unlike the PC, it doesn't require previous (先前的) knowledge," he says.
James Cordwell, a technology analyst at Atlantic-Equities in London, says the iPad's popularity with the elderly is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of younger customer. "The world's population, especially in developed markets, is getting older, and it's probably a market where Apple has least entered," Cordwell says. Elderly users are "a key source of growth for them in the future."
The elderly in Japan, who make up an estimated 22 percent of the population, may prove particularly quick to accept the iPad. They spend more than any other group in the country except for those under 30, according to a report by Japan's Cabinet Office. Mo-too Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent against dementia (痴呆). "Trying new things like that is a good mental exercise," he says. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The iPad was only intended for elderly people. |
| B．The use of iPad requires previous knowledge. |
| C．The use of iPad is mentally useful to the old. |
| D．Only the elderly in Japan can use iPad. |
What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
| A．The old get a bit strike from the iPad. |
| B．The iPad causes a heavy burden to the old. |
| C．The iPad is accepted by the old. |
| D．The old are very familiar with the iPad. |
Which of the following is NOT the advantage of the iPad over the PC?
| A．It has intuitive interface. |
| B．It is easier to operate. |
| C．It is more accessible to beginners. |
| D．It is a good mental exercise. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The old are the largest consumers in Japan. |
| B．The iPad is traditionally accepted by the young. |
| C．The old in Japan are fond of latest hi-tech products. |
| D．The old customers will soon replace the younger ones. |
What could be the best title for the passage?
| A．The iPad Leads Apple to the Elderly |
| B．IPad Hits Japan's Store Shelves |
| C．IPad's Arrival in Tokyo Causes Japanese to Excite |
| D．AAPL Tries to Balance the Old and the Yong |
It is difficult for doctors to help a person with a damaged brain. Without enough blood, the brain lives for only three to five minutes. More often the doctors can't fix the damage. Sometimes they are afraid to try something to help because it is dangerous to work on the brain. The doctors might make the person worse if they operate on the brain.
Dr. Robert White, a famous professor and doctor, thinks he knows a way to help. He thinks doctors should make the brain very cold. If it is very cold, the brain can live without blood for 30 minutes. This gives the doctor a longer time to do something for the brain.
Dr. White tried his idea on 13 monkeys. First he taught them to do different jobs, then he operated on them. He made the monkeys' blood back to the monkeys' brains. When the brain's temperature was 10℃, Dr. White stopped the blood to the brain. After 30 minutes he turned the blood back on. He warmed the blood again. After their operations the monkeys were like they had been before. They were healthy and busy. Each one could still do the jobs the doctor had taught them. The biggest difficulty in operating on the damaged brain is that __________.
| A．the time is too short for doctors |
| B．the patients are often too nervous |
| C．the damage is extremely hard to fix |
| D．the blood-cooling machine might break down |
The brain operation was made possible mainly by __________.
| A．taking the blood out of the brain |
| B．trying the operation on monkeys first |
| C．having the blood go through a machine |
| D．lowering the brain's temperature |
With Dr. White's new idea, the operation on the damaged brain __________.
| A．can last as long as 30 minutes |
| B．can keep the brain's blood warm |
| C．can keep the patient's brain healthy |
| D．can help monkeys do different jobs |
What is the right order of the steps in the operation?
a. make the blood back to the brain
b. stop the blood to the brain
c. have the blood cooled down
d. operate on the brain
| A．a, b, c, d | B．a, c, b, d |
| C．c, b, d, a | D．b, c, d, a |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．If there isn't enough blood, the brain can live for only three to five minutes. |
| B．If the brain is very cold, it can live without blood for half an hour. |
| C．Dr. White tried his idea for thirteen times. |
| D．After their operations, the monkeys were healthy and busy again. |
At the age of ten I could not figure out what this Elvis Presley guy had that the rest of us boys did not have. I mean, he had a head, two arms and two legs, just like the rest of us. About nine o'clock on Saturday morning I decided to ask Eugene Correthers, one of the older boys, what it was that made this Elvis guy so special. He told me that it was Elvis' wavy hair and the way he moved his body.
About half an hour later all the boys in the orphanage (孤儿院) were called to the main dining-room and told we were all going to downtown Jacksonville, Florida to get a new pair of Buster Brown shoes and a hair cut. That is when I got this big idea, which hit me like a ton of bricks. If the Elvis hair cut was the big secret, then that's what I was going to get.
All the way to town I told everybody, including the matron (女管家) from the orphanage who was taking us to town, that I was going to look just like Elvis Presley and that I would learn to move around just like he did and that I would be rich and famous one day, just like him.
When I got my new Buster Brown shoes, I could hardly wait for my new hair cut and now that I had my new Buster Brown shoes I would be very happy to go back to the orphanage and practice being like Elvis.
We finally arrived at the big barber shop, where they cut our hair for free because we were orphans (孤儿). I looked at the barber and said, "I want an Elvis hair cut. Can you make my hair like Elvis?" I asked him, with a big smile on my face. "Let's just see what we can do for you, little man," he said. I was so happy when he started to cut my hair. Just as he started to cut my hair, the matron signed for him to come over to where she was standing. She whispered something into his ear and then he shook his head, like he was telling her "No". Then he told me they were not allowed to give us Elvis hair cuts. Then I saw my hair falling onto the floor. In the author's eyes, Elvis Presley was __________.
| A．disgusting | B．admirable |
| C．ambitious | D．dynamic |
From the passage, we can know that __________.
| A．Buster Brown was more appealing than Elvis Presley |
| B．An Elvis hair cut cost the orphans a lot of money |
| C．The author was fascinated with the stars Buster and Elvis |
| D．The barber was unwilling to give the boy an Elvis hair cut |
We can learn from the underlined sentence that the boy was __________.
| A．excited to have an Elvis hair cut |
| B．worried to think about the secret |
| C．anxious to remove the ton of bricks |
| D．careful to seize the chance |
How would the boy probably feel when he walked out of the barber shop?
| A．Delighted. | B．Guilty. |
| C．Self-satisfied. | D．Depressed. |
On April 16th, don't be surprised if the woman next to you on the subway looks like she forgot to get dressed for work. She won't be alone. People in their pajamas (睡衣裤)will be spotted all across the country—traveling on the subway, in line for their morning coffee, and even walking into office buildings. That's because people will be trading in their business suits for pajamas and celebrating National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day.
There is nothing more comfortable than sitting at your desk in soft cotton flannel (法兰绒的）pajamas or wearing your favorite slippers while you deeply think about the day's tasks. The Pajama Gram Company, which produces and sells pajama, believes that Americans need a break, especially the day after income taxes are due. That's why they are celebrating National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day.
Wearing pajamas to work can be relaxing and can actually help employees be more productive. David Alien, author of The Art of Stress-free Productivity, promotes (倡导）relaxation to increase productivity. "Our ability to be productive is directly proportional (成比例的）to our ability to relax," said Allen. "Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve stress free productivity."
At the Pajama Gram Company, it's not unusual to find employees wearing their pajamas at important meetings or at their desks. The company even invented the term" life is bananas, send some pajamas，"to describe how they feel about the world we live in.
The Pajama Grma Company offers over 100 styles of pajamas, robes, slippers and spa products. Each pajama gram gift comes along with beautiful pajamas, lavender(熏衣草)bath tea, Do-Not-Disturb sign for the door and a gift card. On April 16th, people in America often ________
| A．forget to change pajamas for work |
| B．do pajama business on the way to work |
| C．go to work in their pajamas |
| D．celebrate their traditional festival |
People celebrate this special day because they are expected to __________
| A．work in a more effective way |
| B．increase their ability to relax |
| C．spend less on their daily clothes |
| D．have more time to rest |
The underlined word "bananas" can be replaced by __________.
| A．easy and free |
| B．happy and interesting |
| C．crazy and busy |
| D．full of fruits |
According to the passage, which gifts will you receive from the Pajama Gram Company?
a. a sleepwear
b. a beautiful box
c. a Do-Not-Disturb sign
d. lavender bath tea
e. a personalized gift card
| A．c, d，e |
| B．a, c，d |
| C．b, c，d, e |
| D．a, c，d, e |
The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
| A．advertise the Pajama Gram Company |
| B．introduce a special day in America |
| C．describe the busy life in America |
| D．advise people to buy more pajamas |
At 227 billion yuan ($33 billion) for 2008, Guangdong's cultural industries accounted for 6.4 percent of its GDP and experienced a growth rate of 13.8 percent. But Lai admits that size does not equal weight. "Our businesses are mostly small, financing difficult and brands few."
One local brand that has made it big is Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf, also translated as Happy Sheep and Gray Wolf, China's most popular cartoon series currently being aired. But Liu Manyi, general manager of Creative Power Entertaining Inc, the firm behind the hit show, is not laughing to the bank. Instead she is bitter: "Pirate discs were all over the streets before our first movie hit the screen. Their images appear on all kinds of products. All this has no proper licensing."
In case you don't know, China produces the largest amount of animated(动画的) programming in the world. But quantity is not quality. Behind every Pleasant Goat there are tens of thousands of flops. The best way for the government to promote the country's creative industries is to crack down on piracy (盗版). Hollywood often raises its voice about being victimized (受害) in China. Truth be told, Hollywood is probably the least affected since there is a quota system for China's importation of Hollywood films.
Many Chinese producers are taking baby steps and the domestic market is all they have. If their rights in the home market are not protected, they will never see the day their products find a foreign audience.
The sudden closure(关闭) of BT websites where copyrighted materials used to flow freely suggests a determination on the part of the government to take intellectual property rights seriously. This kind of websites is bad for us, so we should ban them.
Much of the news coming out of the 2009 International Cultural Industries Forum was encouraging. China's film industry is expected to get 6 billion yuan ($879 million) in box office receipts this year. A decade from now, this number may go up to 30 billion, according to some forecasts.
If the government takes serious action against online and offline pirates, China's creative industries may well have a bright future. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Fast as the development of Guangdong's cultural industries is, Guangdong's cultural industries don't have a big challenge in the world. |
| B．Guangdong's cultural industries can make a big profit although they are just the small companies. |
| C．Guangdong's cultural industries make a big contribution to its GDP because of their strong economic power. |
| D．The development of Guangdong's cultural industries cannot catch up with any other industries. |
What does Liu Manyi think about Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf!
| A．It is a failure since it is a local brand. |
| B．It is a success but cannot get the expected profit. |
| C．Its profit from the images has been shared legally. |
| D．Pirate discs make it more popular among the children. |
Hollywood films are mentioned to tell us that __________.
| A．Hollywood films make our creative industries have less space to survive |
| B．it is piracy that makes it possible for Hollywood films to get less influenced |
| C．our creative industries need enough protection to have a bright future |
| D．foreign films have taken up more market in China than the local ones |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Chinese creative industries are more advanced than foreign ones. |
| B．The domestic market is of little significance to the survival of Chinese creative industries. |
| C．BT websites stand in the way of the development of Chinese creative industries. |
| D．The growth of China's film industry is always slow and needs more support. |
In which column of a newspaper will you probably read this passage?
A. Regional.
B. Economic.
C. Sports.
D, Cartoon.