It's not much, but it's home. Francis Chan, an engineer, lives in Hampstead, north London, in a flat that's just 4ft wide by 21ft long. He loves it.
Tiny though it is, it has got all the comforts. Peter Baynes, Chan’s architect (建筑师),has achieved a clever piece of design, according to architectural experts.
The Chan mini-house was built on what was once a path down the side of a big Victarian house. Not an inch of space is wasted.
When you step in through the front door, you're standing in the shower, on Britain' s only self-cleansing doormat (自动清洁门垫). A door opens on to an equally tiny toilet with washbasin. Two steps further in comes the kitchen, complete with full-sized cooker and fridge, and washer/ drier. A worktop folds down from the wall.
Another step and you're into the dining/ office area. Four people can sit here for dinner, says Chan as he sets the table-top into place. He even has a fold-down drawing-board for when he's working at home. The bed is hidden under a cover board right at the back. "I don't even have to make the bed," Chan says." I just put the cover down. "
Chan's business suits hang neatly on the wall over the bed. Daylight comes in through the skylight. The house feels like a very small boat and Chan admits he toyed with the idea of naming it the "boat-house".
"It cost around ￡4,700 to build last year. Now it's been valued at ￡30,000. It proves that good design doesn't need to cost more. It just needs a lot of care." says Chan.By saying "It's not much" (line 1, para. 1), the author means that Chan's flat______.
| A．is cheap | B．has cheap furniture | C．has a simple design | D．is fairly small |
Where is Chan's flat?
| A．Next to a big house | B．Under an old building |
| C．In a busy London street | D．By the side of a country road |
Which of the following is the right order of things described in the text?
| A．Shower, kitchen, toilet, dining table and bed |
| B．Shower, toilet, dining table, kitchen and bed |
| C．Shower, toilet, kitchen, dining table and bed |
| D．Shower, kitchen, toilet, bed and dining table |
What is the purpose of this writing?
| A．To sell Chan's flat for more money |
| B．To tell people how to take care of small flat |
| C．To introduce to readers a cleverly-designed flat |
| D．To call on engineers to design their own home |
You probably know you should say "please" and "thank you" at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?
Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can't hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. No one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears. So even if you are alone when listening to your MP3 players, you shouldn't turn it up too high.
Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 off and put it away. Libraries and schools don't allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don't have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense(无意义） to listen on your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.
Take One Out! Once in a while it's okay just to take out one earphone and not the other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone.
It's Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.The underlined word "volume" in Paragraph 2 probably means "_________."
| A．the type of music |
| B．the length of a song |
| C．the amount of a sound |
| D．the color of an MP3 player |
We should turn down the music when we are alone because loud music_________.
| A．may annoy others | B．will make us tired |
| C．is bad for MP3 players | D．can hurt our ears |
If we listen to our MP3 player at a play, _________.
| A．the theatre won't allow it |
| B．we may miss part of the play |
| C．others won't hear the play well |
| D．the actors will get angry |
The main idea of this passage is about _________.
| A．music lovers | B．music manners |
| C．music players | D．MP3 earphones |
There was a doctor in our city who was famous for his skills. Once he received a little child who was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, his young patient got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.
The child’s mother was very much thankful to the doctor, and she visited him to thank him for what he had done for her child. “Doctor,” she said, “you have saved my little son. I don’t know how to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it.” The doctor stood up and said coldly, “Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to be paid properly for what he has done.” The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, “Perhaps you will tell me how much your fee is?”
“Fifty pounds”, he answered.
The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She handed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying good bye to the doctor, went out of the room.The lady was thankful to the doctor because ________.
| A．he had saved her life |
| B．he often called on her |
| C．he had saved her son’s life |
| D．he had given her some money |
The doctor refused the lady’s purse because he thought ______.
| A．the purse should be given between friends |
| B．the purse was too small |
| C．the lady was not kind to him |
| D．the lady didn’t gave him money but the purse |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The lady didn’t pay the doctor any money. |
| B．The lady was means. |
| C．The lady had planned to give the doctor 200 pounds. |
| D．The lady was angry with the doctor. |
One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire after working for forty years. Jack said in surprise, “I’m only seven, so it means grandpa has been... er... A really long time!”
His parents said, “Yes. That’s why we are going to have a surprise party for him.”
Jack loved his grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position on that card, so he decided to build a new one for his grandpa.
When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn’t want to put his gift together with others’. He carried it around with him the whole evening.
When all the other people left, he took his grandpa’s hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift.
His grandpa smiled, “Well, it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?” “Sure!” Jack said excitedly.
As grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with his new position: FULL-TIME GRANDPA! Jack said, “Now your full-time job is my grandpa!”
“ Well, how much do I get paid?” his Grandpa asked, smiling. “As many hugs as you want!” With these words, Jack gave grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the richest man in the world!” said grandpa.
Who was going to retire?
| A．Jack’s grandma. | B．Jack’s grandpa. |
| C．Jack’s mother. | D．Jack’s father. |
What did Jack decide to do for his grandpa?
| A．To build a new position for him. |
| B．To draw a picture for him. |
| C．To sing a song for him. |
| D．To buy a gift for him. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Jack was the first one to give his gift to his grandpa. |
| B．Jack was the last one to give his gift to his grandpa. |
| C．Jack gave his gift to his grandpa together with other people. |
| D．Jack gave his gift to his grandpa together with his parents. |
Why were there tears in grandpa’s eyes?
| A．Because he would lose his position. |
| B．Because he was not cared for. |
| C．Because he was moved by Jack’s gift. |
| D．Because he was unhappy. |
Many people earn their living with their hands. Ed earns his living with his feet! And a very good living it is, too.
Ed’s story began in a very small town in Brazil. His father and mother were very poor. Seven people lived in their tiny house. Ed’s father often played football. Little Ed wanted to play football too. So his father made a soft ball for him to kick. It was a sock filled with soft materials. The little boy kicked it every day.
At last Ed learned to kick a real football. By the time he was 11, he played football very well.
One day Ed was playing with some men. A man passing by saw how fast the boy ran. He stopped to watch. How well Ed kicked the ball!
After the game, the man called Ed to him. “My name is Mr. Dee,” he said. “I used to play football for a living. Will you let me teach you what I know?”
“Oh, yes!” Ed answered.
In the next four years, Mr. Dee trained Ed to be a fine player. The boy worked hard. At last Mr. Dee talked to Ed’s father. “This boy is ready to play with the big teams,” he said. “Let me take him to a city that has a good team.”
Mr. Dee took Ed to Santos, Brazil. There, the boy joined the Santos Football Club.
In his first big game, Ed helped his team win by seven points. He made four of the seven points!
Many people thought he was the best football player in the world. He was “The King of Football”What is said about Ed’s family when he was a little child?
| A．There were seven people in his family. |
| B．His father made soft balls for a living. |
| C．His parents liked playing football. |
| D．His parents bought him a football. |
When he first saw Ed playing football, Mr. Dee was attracted by .
| A．his young age |
| B．his running speed |
| C．his love for football |
| D．his playing with men |
What can we know about Mr. Dee from the text?
| A．He joined the Santos Football Club. |
| B．He and Ed used to live in the same town. |
| C．He had been the best football player in Brazil. |
| D．He happened to find a very good football player. |
All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.
In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in tea houses. They prefer their tea plain(原味), with nothing else in it.
Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony. It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.
Another tea-drink country is England. In England, the late afternoon is “teatime”. Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in a teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.
In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea—“iced tea”. Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.The passage is about .
| A．Chinese tea |
| B．why tea is important |
| C．the teatime in England |
| D．different ways of tea drinking in different countries |
Tea is popular .
| A．all around the world |
| B．only in the United States |
| C．only in English-speaking countries |
| D．in Asian countries |
The English like to .
| A．eat cakes and cookies with their tea |
| B．drink their tea plain |
| C．have tea with dinner |
| D．drink their tea in a special room |