A hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time. Hobbyists raise pets, build model ships, weave baskets, watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate, and swim. Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and plays, and perform on musical instruments. They collect everything from books to butterflies, and from shells to stamps.
People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge, and relaxation. Sometimes they even produce financial profit(利润). Hobbies help people balance between work and play. Hobbies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired. Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of (不论)his age, position, or income.
Hobbies can help a person’s mental and physical health. Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable in helping patients recover from physical or mental illness. Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves. Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes.
In early times, most people were too engaged in making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who had leisure(休闲)did enjoy hobbies. The ancient Egyptians played games with balls made of wood or pottery.
People today have more time than ever before for hobbies. Machines have reduced the amount of time they must spent on their jobs. Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the same monotonous(单调的) tasks all day long. More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age. Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to do with their newly found leisure hours.
Sir William Osier, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value of hobbies by saying, “No man is really happy or safe without a hobby.”It seems that people who may spend more time enjoying their hobbies.
| A．have little money | B．have much money |
| C．have retired from their work | D．have left school |
The underlined phrase “recover from” in the third paragraph means .
| A．get back | B．become healthy again |
| C．become calm | D．supply with a new cover |
In early times, most people spent less time on their hobbies, because .
| A．they were busy in making a living |
| B．they suffered from illnesses. |
| C．they were brave and hard-working |
| D．they were not interested in them. |
What’s the writer’s opinion about hobbies?
| A．People all over the world have the same hobby. |
| B．Machines also have their hobbies. |
| C．Hobbies are popular among people in Egypt. |
| D．People should have hobbies in their spare time. |
Most of us know about the Nobel Prize(诺贝尔奖) especially the Nobel Peace Prize, but few of us know anything about the man who set them up. His name was Alfred Nobel. He was a great scientist and inventor himself. Besides, he had a big business. His business may surprise you. He made and sold explosives. His companies even made and sold weapons. Isn’t this something that surprises you? The man who made money from weapons should set up the Peace Prize?
Though Alfred Nobel had a lot of money from weapons, he hated war. He hoped that there would be no war in the world. He was one of the richest in Europe. When he died in 1896, he left behind him a lot of money and his famous will. According to his will, most of his money was placed in a fund. He wanted the interest(利息) from the fund（资金） to be used as prizes every year. We know them as the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Prizes are international（国际的）. Alfred Nobel wanted the winners to be chosen for their work, not the country they came from.
Alfred Nobel had given his whole life to his studies and work and to the benefits of mankind. He made money all by his own efforts, but he left the world share his wealth. His inventions and wealth stay with the world for ever.Alfred’s business was _____.
| A．making and selling explosives |
| B．not making and selling weapons |
| C．making explosives and selling weapons |
| D．making weapons and selling explosives |
Nobel wanted to set up the Nobel Peace Prize because _____.
| A．he made enough money |
| B．he hated war |
| C．he wanted to get more interest from the fund |
| D．he liked to live in a peaceful world |
Nobel Prizes come from _____.
| A．all Nobel’s money in the fund |
| B．all Nobel’s money in his company |
| C．all the interest from the fund |
| D．some of the interest in the fund |
Nobel was a (an) _____ person in the world.
| A．interesting | B．unselfish |
| C．kind-hearted | D．richest |
Which statement of the following is Right according to the passage?
| A．Nobel set up his company to sell clothes. |
| B．Most of Nobel’s money was used for the world Wars. |
| C．Nobel Prizes are only for some people from some special countries. |
| D．Nobel worked hard in his life and saved lots of money for the world to share. |
The trip to the United Stated opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don’t care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it’s great, but it also causes problems. Since they don’t care about their appearance, they don’t really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don’t really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some respects, the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, in theory, can’t kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
With regard to other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of bond（联系）between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don’t really care how the others will judge them. In France, it’s not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans’ behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.American young people _______.
| A．are just interested in people’s clothes |
| B．show more interest in people’s ideas |
| C．care more about their weight |
| D．are more concerned about appearance |
When American youth fall in love with each other, they _________.
| A．will not hold each other |
| B．will always think about their future |
| C．will rarely display their love in public |
| D．will kiss wherever they like |
When meeting with strangers, American girls will not _______.
| A．try to establish a type of relationship with them |
| B．have faith in themselves |
| C．start to create a conversation |
| D．behave in a way similar to French girls |
It can be inferred from the passage that French youth may think more about ______.
| A．their relationship’s future |
| B．their public images |
| C．their physical displays |
| D．their lover’s ideas |
The passage is mainly about the______ between American youth and French youth.
| A．similarities | B．friendship |
| C．differences | D．differences and the similarities |
It was time for a school holiday and I was at home. My family’s house was located in (位于) an area by the sea.
I just sat down in front of the television. Suddenly I heard a loud noise and then the first shock started to hit. My mom and I ran to the front door. We got out and we were standing in the street holding on to each other to stand up. The ground was covered with snow. I could remember watching black cracks in the earth snaking their way along the ground. A tree in our back yard was actually cut in half.
As suddenly as the earthquake started, it was over. Dead silence. Then a light snow began to fall. All the power was off—no radio, no TV and no communication with the outside world. We found out later that the ground area was lowered an average of 35 feet.
My dad succeeded in getting home from where he worked in the city centre. Later that evening we were told to leave the area because a terrible ocean wave was expected. We spent the night and the next day and night away from home at the shelter.
I often think about the courage my dad showed during that time. Before Dad retired, he was a senior manager of a famous local company. This company was damaged because of the quake. Dad stayed in the company to rebuild the business and rebuild our family home.In which season did the earthquake take place?
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. |
| C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
After the earthquake, the writer’s father ______.
| A．opened up his own company |
| B．lived with his family and did a better job |
| C．helped neighbors build their houses |
| D．became a famous person in their town |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．My father | B．My mother and I |
| C．A quake in my town | D．Earthquake tips |
Gold Coast family holidays are always great fun whether you are from Australia or from abroad. There are beautiful beaches, adventure parks, nature parks and so much more.
There are so many sights to see here. It is a pity to drive in a car and you’ll miss a great part of it. Australia is home to many animals and birds that can only be seen when moving slowly and going into the areas that they live.
When you are on a bicycle, you have the advantage of being able to stop whenever you want to catch sight of (看见) an interesting animal or bird that you have never seen before. It is a quieter mode (方式) of transportation as well, so you might even be able to take a picture. When you are on the beach, you can breathe that clean air and view the beauty of the water and sand. It is a totally different experience from either simply sunbathing or passing it in a car.
There are many choices of hiring (租) a bicycle to experience the Gold Coast attractions. There are stores that will fit a bike perfectly to your size. These bikes for both adults and children are in many styles and colors to please any taste. If you have ever wanted to try a tandem bike (双人单车), now is your chance, because they have those too.
A bicycle hire on Gold Coast is something that everyone should try at least once. This is a wonderful chance for anyone who likes to cycle and it is also a cheap way to travel with your family.You’d better not drive in a car on Gold Coast because ______.
| A．you will break the traffic rules |
| B．you will cause much noise |
| C．you can’t enjoy the beautiful sights well |
| D．you can’t drive into some parks |
The following advantages of hiring bikes are mentioned EXCEPT that ______.
| A．you can take photos of animals |
| B．it is a cheap way of traveling |
| C．you can get a clearer sight of animals |
| D．it is a good way to do sunbathing |
What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．How to hire bikes on Gold Coast. |
| B．What kinds of bikes there are in stores. |
| C．What bikes are the most popular. |
| D．Who can hire bikes on Gold Coast. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards a bike hire on Gold Coast?
| A．He supports it very much. |
| B．He thinks it’s a personal choice. |
| C．He doesn’t like this way of traveling. |
| D．He thinks it’s only good for adults. |
It is important to learn business English if you are going to be successful in another country where English is the primary language. It will also be a great idea to practice speaking and writing in business English. If a university offers a course on business English, it will be a good idea to take the class. Reading, writing and speaking English is necessary to start a business.
Business English is different from asking where to find the nearest hotel. There are classes you can take to help you but there are things that you can learn on your own. Vocabulary and grammar are a good place to start with. You need to know what words mean. Later, try to pronounce the words and then look them up in the dictionary. Try using them in a sentence and ask someone who is good at English to help you. Once you have an understanding of English, you can use it in business English.
In business you will have to learn such things as taking messages, answering the phones with proper words and communicating with your co-workers. You may have to learn how to make travel plans. Business English is very different than spoken English. Grammar is the same but you have to learn things like expressing yourself in a proper manner or maybe making a report in your office.
If you are working in the customer service sector (客户服务部门), you really have to learn business English. Dealing with the public is sometimes more important than asking your boss for a raise (加薪). Most businesses offer training classes and some companies offer classes on how to do the job with proper business English.Why do people learn business English?
| A．They want successful communication. |
| B．They want to ask the boss for a raise. |
| C．They want to have their own company. |
| D．They will have a chance to get a better job. |
We can learn from the text that business English ______.
| A．is much more difficult than daily English |
| B．pays more attention to the forms of expressions |
| C．is required by most international companies |
| D．can give you a hand when dealing with people |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．The development of business English. |
| B．The tips on learning business English. |
| C．The introduction to business English. |
| D．The comparison between business English and daily English. |
The following language skills are mentioned of business English EXCEPT ______.
| A．listening | B．reading |
| C．speaking | D．writing |