Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames (绰号). Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he _________.
| A．looked like a musician |
| B．was a musician of much influence |
| C．showed an interest in music |
| D．traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed _________.
| A．by space | B．by examples | C．by time | D．by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. |
| B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．His music was popular with his listeners. |
| D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music | B．The Spread of Popular Music |
| C．The Making of a Musician | D．The Father of the Jazz Style |
Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Often it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singaporeare named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries ---- in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus ---- obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent（月牙） because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again. We learn from Paragraph 1 that _____.
| A．the government is usually the first to name a place |
| B．a ceremony will be held when a place is named |
| C．many places tend to have more than one name |
| D．people prefer the place names given by the government |
Which of the following places is named after a person?
| A．Raffles Place. | B．Selector Airbase. |
| C．Piccadilly Circus. | D．Paya Lebar Crescent. |
What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Change suddenly. | B．Change greatly. |
| C．Disappear quickly. | D．Disappear very slowly. |
Bras Basah Road is named _______.
| A．after an activity | B．after a place |
| C．after a person | D．by its shape |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique. |
| B．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes. |
| C．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain. |
| D．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers. |
A young boy was sitting in the back seat of the car eating an apple. He asked his father, “Why does my apple turn brown?” his father answered, “When the skin is removed, air reaches the flesh of the apple and causes oxidation. This changes the apple’s molecular structure and results in a brownish color.” The boy asked, “ Daddy, what are you talking about?”
I know how that boy feels. Sometimes I want answers to some of those confusing questions that we all meet with, such as how to get through difficult times or what to do in a tough situation. I just want to get it right.
The problem is that I don’t always have the answer I need. Nobody else seems to have them, either. So I go on making mistakes and think that I’ll never get it right.
Often I didn’t know what to do. I often made poor choices, but I gradually improved. Then I realized that I don’t HAVE TO always get it right. I don’t have to always know what to do all the time. All I really need to do is try my best, learn from my mistakes and go on.
Dr. Leo Buscaglia once said, “ No one gets out of this world alive, so the time to live, learn, care, share, celebrate and love is now. That would be pretty hard to do when you’re waiting for all the answers first.”
So you got it wrong. You made a mistake. So what should you do next? Forgive yourself and try again. You may not get out of this world alive, but you can get plenty of life out of this world if you are not too worried about always getting it right. In the beginning, the author tells the story of a boy and his father to ____.
| A．show that the father is very knowledgeable |
| B．say something interesting about apples |
| C．introduce the subject of the passage |
| D．show that children nowadays ask more questions |
How did the boy feel when he heard his father’s explanation?
| A．He admired his father very much. |
| B．He knew what his father meant. |
| C．He thought that he had learned a lot from his father. |
| D．He felt it was difficult to understand. |
What do Dr. Leo Buscaglia’s words mean?
| A．We must make right choices as often as possible. |
| B．We can search the answers when enjoying life itself. |
| C．People have many desires when they enter the world. |
| D．It is hard to lead a happy and satisfying life. |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．We should learn from our mistakes and try again. |
| B．We should try to learn and understand the answers to questions. |
| C．It is very important to try to avoid mistakes. |
| D．It is our duty to make the world a better place. |
What is the style of the passage?
A. novel B. news C. essay D poem
Technology is making life easier for some dairy farmers．They use robotic systems to milk their cows．Cows are trained to follow a series of paths that lead to milking stations．Only one cow at a time can enter a station．
Once inside，the cow is rewarded with food．As the cow eats，a robotic arm cleans and connects the animal to the milking machine．A few minutes later，milking is complete．The gate is opened，the cow is released and the next cow enters．
The robotic systems are designed to operate 24 hours a day．The cows get to decide when they want to be milked．Cows are milked an average of about three times a day．Some are milked four to six times a day．
The cows wear collars around their necks that identify them to the system．A computer keeps records on their eating and milking．A cow is released from the station if the computer decides it should not be milked．
The automated system also measures the temperature and color of freshly produced milk．Milk is thrown away if it does not pass the tests．
Professor Plaut believes the systems will appeal（吸引） especially to the next generation of farmers．She means young people who are more interested in technology and less interested in working all the time on the farm．Still，she says the price of robotic milking systems will continue to limit their use．
Doug and Tina Suhr have more than 100 cows on their family farm．Last year it became the fourth farm in southeast Minnesota to get a robotic milking system．A recent story in a local agricultural newspaper said the first robot cost 175 000 dollars．The second cost 150 000．
Doug told AgriNews that wages that would have been paid for one employee in five years will pay for one robot．He says the increase in milk production reaches a high of more than six kilograms per cow per day．From the first paragraph，we can infer________．
| A．the robotic system is designed to reduce labor |
| B．cows can be raised by robots in the future |
| C．robots direct cows into milking stations |
| D．cows are kept clean by robots on some farms |
Besides milking cows，the robotic system also can______．
| A．adjust the temperature of milking stations |
| B．judge the quality of fresh milk |
| C．improve the appetite of cows |
| D．keep fresh milk for two weeks |
Why is the robotic system not popular now?
| A．Because young people have no interest in it． |
| B．Because it is difficult to learn how to use it． |
| C．Because people can’t afford to buy it． |
| D．Because it usually causes the waste of milk． |
According to Doug，what is the wage of an employee?
| A．150 000～170 000． | B．750 000． |
| C．150 000～30 000． | D．30 000—32 000 |
The best title for the passage may be_________．
| A．Letting robot milk your cow | B．Milking cows by hand |
| C．Improving the quality of milk | D．Drinking fresh milk every day |
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York, in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be a farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly from the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.” Frank took a short business course in order to _________.
| A．get away from the farm | B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．earn more money for his family | D．get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _________.
| A．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| B．he cut down the price by half |
| C．he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| D．the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives |
| D．His natural skill for showing things |
The belief that “ The customer is always right” suggests that ________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
A little stress is good, since it helps you keep motivated to meet your goals. However, too much stress is bad for your health. Stress needs to be managed in order to prevent anxiety (焦虑). Here are some tips on how to manage stress.
Write it out
Write down everything that seems stressful, and ways to deal with each problem. You’ll find a things-to-do list much easier to manage than having all messed up in your head. Write down the tasks along with the specific times when you can do them.
One task at a time
Give each task all your attention while you’re doing it, and forget the rest. This will keep you from feeling anxious about things you have left to do. Thinking about other tasks only adds unnecessary stress, and can even stop you from doing the task you’re busy with at present. You don’t need to do everything all at once, or on your own. The feeling of being pressed to finish something on time will somehow disappear if someone is there to help you.
Give yourself a reward
Rewarding yourself for what you’ve already done, no matter how small, is a great way to motivate yourself to keep going. It will reduce stress, and make you happier to go on with the next task.
Give yourself a break
Breaks of ten to fifteen minutes are important. Visit a cafe or take a quick walk —anything to take your mind off the work for a while. If you need to stay at work, sit with your eyes closed and imagine a peaceful place or some other relaxing scenes. This will remove the stress from your muscles and mind.The best title for the passage would probably be _____.
| A．Stress Is Good or Not |
| B．How to Form Good Working Habits |
| C．Tips on How to Manage Stress |
| D．Ways to Keep Healthy |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．It’s better to plan a specific time to do the task. |
| B．It helps you stay motivated to think about the undone tasks. |
| C．It’s unnecessary for you to do all the tasks by yourself. |
| D．It helps if you put your attention to one task at a time. |
Which of the following would the author agree?
| A．The more stress you have, the more motivated you will be. |
| B．Writing down everything seems impossible. |
| C．Only reward yourself for your biggest achievements in your work. |
| D．It is necessary to have a break during your work. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Stress is always bad for people. |
| B．Imagining a relaxing scene may help. |
| C．The best way to relax is by rewarding yourself. |
| D．Finishing tasks on time reduces stress. |