I had once helped a friend of mine run a watermelon stall. I noticed something interesting. Almost every buyer would lift the melon up to their ear，smartly tap it, apparently trying to listen to something. I wondered what they expected to hear.
Finally I could no longer hold back my curiosity and made bold to ask a customer—an elderly gentleman—about this. Hearing my question，he roared with laughter. Then he replied in a selfmocking(自嘲)tone.“Young lady，I have been doing this for more than fifty years. All I know is that everybody would stare at you as if you were a fool if you just pick up the melon and leave！”
Not long after that，my watermelon stall friend unexpectedly sent me an invitation for her wedding，which really surprised me. I asked her, “How come you are seized by a sudden desire to get married? I don't remember ever hearing you mention that yon've got a boyfriend.” She answered while counting money，“Everyone has to get married anyway，so it is better to get married sooner than later.”
I could think of no word to refute(反驳)her. It seems that everybody is living for everybody else and has forgotten the need of their own heart. It may be safe and save a lot of worries by following others' suit in doing things. The use of We or Us will give one a steady and sure sense of pride. But using the pronoun “I” would often give one a guilty conscience.
I find all these things somewhat funny. We have got used to taking cue from(模仿) others and follow their suit. In turn，we also take it for granted that we should judge the right and wrong of others by our own standard. As a matter of fact，this massive practice is still wrong though we all follow others' suit like this, but we feel at ease and, justified simply because this is the way of us, and so we can have an easy conscience because this has been practiced by so many people.The writer probably feels that it is ________.
| A．necessary for the buyer to tap the watermelon |
| B．foolish of the buyers to buy watermelon without tapping it |
| C．funny that the buyers will tap the watermelons when buying them |
| D．wise of the elderly gentleman to tap watermelons before buy them |
The writer uses the example of her friend's decision of getting married to show that ________.
| A．her friend took no account of others's feeling |
| B．her friend decided to marry just to follow the crowd |
| C．her friend was a person who has strong personality |
| D．everybody in the world should marry for others |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．It may be safe to follow others' suit in doing things. |
| B．I was surprised to receive my friend's invitation for her wedding. |
| C．My experience of helping my friend run a watermelon stall was interesting. |
| D．The use of We or I will give speakers themselves quite different senses. |
Which word can replace the underlined word“justified”in the last paragraph?
| A．Reasonable. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Ashamed. | D．Nervous. |
In which section of a magazine can you read the passage?
| A．Art and Life | B．Sport and Health |
| C．Culture and Society | D．Science and Technology |
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the
process of aging could be slowed down.With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University,
he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and jobs.
Computer technology enabled the researchers to get right measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. Contraction (收缩) of the front and side parts as cells died was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not clear in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy (补救) to the contraction normally associated with age using the head.
The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking (萎缩) brains as farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to keep good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators."wThe team of doctors wanted to find out ______.
| A．why certain people age sooner than others | B．how to make people live much longer |
| C．the size of certain people's brains | D．the people with more intelligence |
On what are their research findings based?
| A．A survey of farmers in northern Japan. |
| B．Tests performed on a thousand old people. |
| C．The study of brain volumes of different people. |
| D．The latest development of computer technology. |
Matsuzawa thinks that _______.
| A．our brains grow as we grow older |
| B．the front section of the brain does not shrink |
| C．sixty-year-old people have better brains than thirty-year-olds |
| D．the contraction of brains is connected with brain exercise |
According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than others?
| A．Farmers. | B．Lawyers. | C．Government workers. | D．Shop assistants.w |
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other
three. And when she watches two of mine, I'll take someone out.w The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “she's like a different child when there's no one else around,” Christie shared with me quietly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的） son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our ac
tivities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam who's always follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child--talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves（应得到） to be an only child at least once in a while.What is the text mainly about?w
| A．The basic needs of children. |
| B．The advantage of spending time with one child at a time. |
| C．The happy life of two families. |
| D．The experience of the only child being with mother. |
Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were ________.
| A．happy | B．curious | C．regretful | D．friendly |
What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
| A．Tom has less difficulty in speaking. | B．Sam holds her hand more often. |
| C．The boys become better followers. | D．The daughter acts like a leader. |
The author seems to believe that ________.
| A．having brothers and sisters is fun | B．it's tiring to look after three children |
| C．every child needs parents' full attention | D．parents should watch others' children |
what it meant to serve a non–American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did,
but we might not get paid.
Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who
offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate (合适的) tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service, but the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it on himself/herself.
So if you order $100 worth of food, you are expected to pay your waiter at least $15, making your total payment $115. Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiter that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.
It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one c
omes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.
Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.
Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill. So as much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect. Why would the author and her coworkers groan when they had to serve a non-American?
| A．They would have difficulty understanding the customer. |
B．They had to work ha rder to get tips from the customer. |
| C．They might not get any payment from the customer. |
| D．They thought a non-American customer would be hard to please. |
If you order $550 worth of food, you are supposed to pay your waiter at least ______.
| A．$55 | B．$82.5 | C．$100 | D．$110 |
Why would it be thought unacceptable not to tip a waiter in the US?
A．They enjoy  getting tips from their customers. |
| B．They work harder than waiters in other countries. |
| C．They are greedier than waiters in other countries. |
| D．They earn most of their money from diners’ tips. |
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn ----and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (栏), list your sources (来源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Snacks |
$26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$25.00 |
Music downloads |
$12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$12.50 |
Movies |
$18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$30.00 |
Video rentals |
$10.00 |
| Total: |
$87.50 |
Total |
$66.00 |
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be
realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in
that space simply because you wish you were spending less
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!Who is the passage written for?w
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Breadwinners. | D．Bank managers. |
The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
| A．learn to be realistic | B．increase their saving |
| C．manage their money well | D．test their power-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?w
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Which of the fol
lowing budgets is effective?
| A． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Money earned walking dogs $20.00 Bus fares $40.00 Movies $28.00 Total: $60 Total $48.00 |
| B． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Movies $30.00 Money earned washing cars $10.00 Bus fares $10.00 Total: $30.00 Total: $40.00 |
| C． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $27.50 Money earned selling drinks $22.00 Money earned babysitting $22.50 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |
| D． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $26.00 Video rentals $22.00 Money earned doing yard work $24.00 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |
Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.
You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.
● A Is For Love
Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words
● Listening to the sound of Chinese
Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.
● A few Chinese words
Each word is enlarged for easy study.
If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.
● Zhongwen site
More than a dictionary!
● Clavis Sinica
Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word’s definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word. If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.
● Chinese Character Visual Dictionary
If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.
● The Chinese Outpost
Pronunciation, Character and Grammer By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.
● Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online
● Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning
● Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany
If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.
● Wanfang Data
As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science && Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.This passage is most probably from ______.
| A．a TV programme | B．a teacher’s lecture |
| C．a newspaper | D．the Internet |
If you want to know each Chinese character’s definition, pronunciation and much more information, you’d better surf ______.
| A．Zhongwen site | B．A Is For Love | C．Clavis Sinica | D．A few Chinese words |
If you want to know China about its culture, medicine, business, science, you’d better surf ______.
| A．Learn Mandarin online | B．Wanfang Data |
| C．Rainland kids discover Chinese | D．The Chinese Outpost |
The underlined word “gateway” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.
A．an opening in a wall that can be closed b y a gate |
| B．a place through which you can go to another place |
| C．the space when a door is open |
| D．a means of getting or achieving something |