I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a passage from the Bible about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.” “Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that medical checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?” It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.” From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage __________.
| A．all by himself | B．with Evelyn |
| C．with his family | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ________.
| A．he was willing to be a good husband |
| B．he could afford time to care for her |
| C．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．He was so good to her that she thought she would be dying. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.
| A．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life |
| B．he is beginning to regret what he did to his wife before |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
| D．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband |
No one knows for sure when advertising first started. It is possible that it grew out of the discovery that some people did certain kinds of work better than others did them. That led to the concept of specialization, which means that people would specialize, or focus on doing one specific job.
Let’s take a man we’ll call Mr. Fielder for example. He did everything connected with farming. He planted seeds, tended the fields, and harvested and sold his crops. At the same time, he did many other jobs on the farm. However, he didn’t make the bricks for his house, cut his trees into boards, make the plows, or any of other hundreds of things a farm needs. Instead, he got them from people who specialized in doing each of those things.
Suppose there was another man we shall call Mr. Plowright. Using what he knew about farming and working with iron, Mr. Plowright invented a plow that made farming easier. Mr. Plowright did not really like farming himself and wanted to specialize in making really good plows. Perhaps, he thought, other farmers will trade what they grow for one of my plows.
How did Mr. Plowright let people know what he was doing? Why, he advertised, of course. First he opened a shop and then he put up a sign outside the shop to attract customers. That sign may have been no more than a plow carved into a piece of wood and a simple arrow pointing to the shop door. It was probably all the information people needed to find Mr. Plowright and his really good plows.
Many historians believe that the first outdoor signs were used about five thousand years ago. Even before most people could read, they understood such signs. Shopkeepers would carve into stone, clay, or wood symbols for the products they had for sale.
A medium, in advertising talk, is the way you communicate your message. You might say that the first medium used in advertising was signs with symbols. The second medium was audio, or sound, although that term is not used exactly in the way we use it today. Originally, just the human voice and maybe some kind of simple instrument, such as a bell, were used to get people’s attention.
A crier, in the historical sense, is not someone who weeps easily. It is someone, probably a man, with a voice loud enough to be heard over the other noises of a city. In ancient Egypt, shopkeepers might hire such a person to spread the news about their products. Often this earliest form of advertising involved a newly arrived ship loaded with goods. Perhaps the crier described the goods, explained where they came from, and praised their quality. His job was, in other words, not too different from a TV or radio commercial in today’s world.What probably led to the start of advertisement?
| A．The discovery of iron. |
| B．The development of farming techniques. |
| C．The appearance of new jobs. |
| D．The specialization of labor. |
The writer makes up the two stories of Mr. Fielder and Mr. Plowright in order to __________.
| A．explain the origin of advertising |
| B．predict the future of advertising |
| C．provide suggestions for advertising |
| D．expose problems in advertising |
In ancient Egypt, a crier was probably someone who __________.
| A．had the loudest voice |
| B．took possession of a ship |
| C．functioned like today’s TV or radio commercial |
| D．ran a shop selling goods to farmers |
The last two paragraphs are mainly about __________.
| A．the basic design of advertising |
| B．the early forms of advertising |
| C．the benefits of advertising |
| D．the history of advertising |
Accurately forecasting the weather is a very hard thing to do. There are many parts of weather dynamics — the study of how water and air in motion cause weather patterns — to consider. Even the best forecast can be changed by a small weather disturbance halfway around the world. Today’s forecast use complex computer models, weather instruments, and detailed analyses of daily observations to predict the weather. However, it hasn’t always been that way. People, like your grandparents, use folklore and proverbs to help forecast the weather. They remembered what conditions caused changes and observed the factors associated with weather: atmospheric and cloud conditions, temperature, winds, and reactions of plants and animals. Many people believe that this way of forecasting weather is accurate more often than modem forecasting.
Grandma’s aching joints might indicate the arrival of a low-pressure system. She might also observe the geese flying lower than usual, confirming the low-pressure system. Finally, she might feel dampness on her skin, a sign of high humidity (湿度). Based on these three observations, grandma might warn that a storm is brewing.
Joints and nerves can indicate dropping air pressure, dissolved gases in the blood form bubbles under low air pressure. This causes pain in joints and nerve endings. Geese and other birds respond to changes in air pressure by adjusting how high they fly. In the fair, calm weather of a high-pressure system, the birds fly higher than in the stormy weather associated with a low-pressure system.
Nature provides other clues to changing weather. A decrease in air pressure causes deer and elk to come down from the mountains to look for shelter. Some animals feed more than usual. The higher humidity before a storm causes some insects to leave the trees and gather near the ground. Some flowers close so rain doesn’t get inside them. In winter, rhododendron plants curl up to protect themselves as the temperature drops.
Several of the sayings apply in particular areas of the world. Here are some of them.
■Early thunder, early spring.
■Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning.
■When teeth and bones ache, expect the clouds to fill the lake.
■When high clouds and low clouds do not match together, prepare for a blow and a change in the weather.It is true that ___________.
| A．using folklore and proverbs to forecast weather is more accurate than modem forecasting |
| B．complex computer models and weather instruments can always forecast weather accurately |
| C．modern forecasting cannot always guarantee accurate weather forecasting for some reason |
| D．modem forecasting along with other observations is sure to give accurate weather forecast |
In a low-pressure system, you may notice the following EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．some birds will be seen flying near the surface of the earth |
| B．some flowers close so rain doesn’t get inside |
| C．some animals come down from mountains |
| D．some insects disappear from ground |
It is a fact that the behavior of plants and animals is _________.
| A．likely to reflect long-term weather forecasting |
| B．likely to reflect short-term weather forecasting |
| C．unlikely to reflect any kind of weather forecasting |
| D．more likely to reflect both short-term and long term weather forecasting |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．People can forecast weather with no modern equipment. |
| B．How to use proverbs to forecast weather forecasting. |
| C．Hard as it is, weather forecasting has a scientific base. |
| D．The importance of weather forecasting. |
The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”:
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
— in person
The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.--8 p.m.
— by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card（Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted）.
— by post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
— on line
Complete the on-line booking form at www.satanfiedtheatre.com.
DICOUNTS:
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible（suitable）for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
PLEASE NOTE: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unpredicted circumstances.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT _____
| A．go to the Box Office on Sundays. |
| B．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card. |
| C．use the Internet. |
| D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office. |
If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?
| A．$120 | B．$126 | C．$140 | D．$150 |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre. |
| B．A school party of 15 students should pay 90 for the standby tickets. |
| C．A group of 12 persons can get 10 per cent discount. |
| D．The audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show. |
What kind of tickets are the cheapest?
| A．The standby tickets for school parties of ten or more. |
| B．The standby tickets. |
| C．The tickets for Saver discount. |
| D．The tickets for group booking. |
Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Woman
Let us imagine how Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's most famous work, might be updated, 200 years on. Austen's popularity is rooted in her intelligence. But today she would certainly have had a very different life, as would her characters. Here's my own suggestion. . .
It is a truth finally and universally acknowledged that a single woman with brains deserves to have equal opportunities to men, however disadvantaged she may feel by sexism.
"My dear husband," said his hopeful wife one day, "have you heard that the local store, standing empty for so long, is taken over by a bright young businesswoman?"
Her dull and indifferent (漠不关心的) husband replied that he had not. "But it is, it is," she replied excitedly. Mr Dull-Husband made no reply.
"Don't you want to know her plans?" she cried with some impatience.
"Well, clearly you think it matters to your silly little head… so I'd better listen. "
"Well, my dear, the rumour (传言) is that she has already set up a string of successful businesses in northern England, though how a woman can know anything about that is beyond me. She will move in herself next month. "
"What is her name?"
"Bingley.”
"Is she married or single?"
"What a question! And none of your business. But her coming will be good for our five boys. "
"How so? How can it possibly affect them? "
"My dear love; those lazy boys need something to wake them up. There are sure to be jobs going."
"Is that her point in settling here? Surely as a woman she has simply taken a fancy to the place."
"Nonsense, my love, how little you've noticed the world has changed. She's got a first-rate degree and some sort of business qualification, I'm told. She surely needs one of our boys! Perhaps you might give her a call. "
"Me? No. Perhaps you can take an interest. You still have your looks, after all. She may even offer you a job. "
"Oh, that's not likely. These new chances belong to the younger generation. But now you mention it, I think I'll go along all the same. "
And Mrs. Bennet went along. That was 10 years ago. She is now managing director of a FTSE-listed company.
... It would remain the case, of course, that Mrs. Bennet would be one of very few women on the company board, that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues, her bonus of a more "female" dimension and her lifespan (年限) among the city's business leaders shorter than theirs. Still, she'd no doubt have enjoyed Davos (达沃斯经济论坛)—and might even have hobnobbed (攀谈) with influential figures.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Austen was born 200 years ago. |
| B．Austen’s success lies in her wisdom. |
| C．Austen rewrote Pride and Prejudice. |
| D．Austen’s updated work gains popularity. |
The underlined part in the passage suggests that Mrs Bennet ________.
| A．had mixed feelings of admiration and surprise about Bingley |
| B．felt kind of worried and doubtful about Bingley |
| C．was extremely anxious to meet Bingley |
| D．had a great curiosity about Bingley |
In the eyes of Mrs Bennet, Bingley surely needed one of their boys to ________.
| A．get married to | B．help her move in |
| C．work for her | D．take over her store |
What does the writer intend to tell us?
| A．Women with brains can also be as successful as men. |
| B．Women have to pay a high price for success. |
| C．A judgment must be made free from prejudice. |
| D．Sex discrimination still exists nowadays. |
Have you ever been asked about what happiness is? Of course, the answers vary from person to person. But when asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫不掩饰的).
In the teenage years, the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it’s conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated(复杂的).
My definition for happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It’s easy to ignore the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don’t think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we’ve got to have. We’re so self-conscious about our “right” to it that it’s making us miserable. So we run after it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren’t necessarily happier.
Happiness isn’t about what happens to us—it’s about how we see what happens to us. It’s the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It’s not wishing for what we don’t have, but enjoying what we do possess.As people grow older, they ___________.
| A．associate their happiness less with others |
| B．feel it harder to experience happiness |
| C．will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness |
| D．tend to believe responsibility means happiness |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 5 and 6?
| A．She cares little about her own health. |
| B．She enjoys the freedom of traveling. |
| C．She prefers getting pleasure from housework. |
| D．She is easily pleased by things in daily life. |
People who equal happiness with wealth and success__________.
| A．consider pressure something blocking their way |
| B．are at a loss to make correct choices |
| C．stress the right to happiness too much |
| D．are more likely to be happy |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Happy is he who is content. |
| B．Each man is the master of his own fate. |
| C．Success leads to happiness. |
| D．Happiness lies between the positive and the negative. |