The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled,little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said,“Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I' m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”I laughed and enthusiastically responded,“Of course you may.”and she gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young,innocent age?”I asked. She jokingly replied,“I'm here to meet a rich husband,get married,have a couple of children,and then retire and travel.”“No,seriously?”I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one. ”she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milk- shake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always attracted listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year,Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she enjoyed the attention from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium(讲台). As she began to deliver her prepared speech,she dropped her 3x5 cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said,“I'm sorry I'm so nervous. I gave up beer for Lent(一种威士忌的牌子) and this whisky is killing me. I'll never get my speech back in order to let me just tell you what I know.”
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began:“We do not stop playing because we are old;we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young,being happy,and achieving success.” “You have to laugh and find humor every day.” You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams,you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it.” “There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing,you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. It’s non-optional but that doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.” “Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did,but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.” She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in honor of the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it! These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.The writer provides the details about Rose in Paragraph 2 to show that_______.
| A.she was an innocent and enthusiastic person |
| B.she was an optimistic and humorous person |
| C.she was an aggressive person with a strong sense of honor |
| D.she was an intelligent person with highly motivated personality |
Why does the writer compare Rose to “time machine” in Paragraph 3?
| A.To describe the friendship between Rose and her young schoolmates. |
| B.To stress her old age and rich wisdom and experience. |
| C.To show that she enjoyed dressing up in spite of her old age. |
| D.To emphasize that she took on the challenge at such an old age. |
Which of the following best explains the sentence ”We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing”(Paragraph 6)?
| A.“If we lose our dreams, we will regret for what we did when young.” |
| B.“If we don’t laugh every day, we will easily get old.” |
| C.“Once we stop seeking and working for our dreams, we will really become old.” |
| D.“Once we stop exercising, we will get weaker physically and mentally.” |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 6 that________.
| A.those who don’t have dreams are as good as dead |
| B.growing old is uncontrollable but growing up is optional |
| C.the elderly usually feel regretful for what they did |
| D.our talent and ability decline with age |
The method the writer uses to describe the character of Rose is________.
| A.making comments | B.making comparisons |
| C.providing arguments | D.giving examples |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A.Meeting challenges | B.Secrets to success |
| C.Dream in heart | D.My best friend |
Dear Mr. Smith,
I currently rent (租) APT#832 in the Canyon Crossing apartments. Overall, I am happy with the location. At the beginning I had planned to live here for at least two years. I like here.
However, I am very disappointed in that there seems to be a terrible roach (蟑螂) problem. I can’t invite any guest over because of this problem and I cannot recommend (推荐) Canyon Crossing to any of my classmates either.
I have left two voice mails for you which are concerned with this problem. You have not returned either one. Therefore, this letter is my next step in hoping to solve the problem. I am kindly asking you to ask an exterminator (灭蟑人) by July 15th. If you fail to do so, I will have no choice but to make a complaint to the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
You are welcome to text me anytime at (435) 234-3452. I hope this problem will be solved soon.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely, Unhappy Ursula
Dear Sir,
I am a new resident (居民) at Sunning Court. I have seen the condition of the building becoming worse and worse since I moved here last year.
First of all, the management of the building is really terrible. Sometimes, there is a bad smell when I walk on the road. I see much rubbish there. No cleaners clean the rubbish. Many roaches and rats run around the building.
My second problem is about the security (安全). I always see the guards reading newspapers or smoking when they are on duty. The security room is very dusty too. When I want to use the phone, they say, “We can’t help.”
I am therefore writing to demand your company’s action to improve the situation. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Chris WongWhat’s the major problem that Ursula is facing now?
| A.She is being troubled by roaches in her apartment. |
| B.The exterminator fails to kill the roaches on time. |
| C.She has become more afraid of roaches than before. |
| D.She can’t find a cheap and comfortable apartment. |
The first letter is most probably written by .
| A.a student | B.an exterminator |
| C.a housekeeper | D.a BBB official |
How does Chris Wong feel about his living conditions at Sunning Court now? .
| A.A bit confused | B.Quite frightened |
| C.Really excited | D.Very disappointed |
The Pickup
Nadine Gordimer
The book talks about the love between an Arab man and a white South African woman. They come from very different cultures with very different ways of looking at the world.
List price: $16.00
Price: $11.30
You save: $4.70(29%)
Publisher: Picador
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Atul Gawande
The modern world has given us huge know-how. Yet failures continue to influence us in health care, government, the law, the financial industry and so on. And the reason is simple: there is so much knowledge that it is hard for people to fully command it. Atul Gawande makes an argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist.
List price: $15.00
Price: $ 11.76
You save: $3.24(21%)
Publisher: Picador
Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer
Micheal White
Micheal White tells the colorful life of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Micheal White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a great scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic ended and science began.
List price: $19.95
Price: $15.01
You save: $4.94(25%)
Publisher: Basic BooksWho has written a book that talks about cultural differences?
| A.Micheal White. | B.Adrian Vickers. |
| C.Atul Gawande. | D.Nadine Gordimer. |
What do The Pickup and The Checklist Manifesto have in common?
| A.They have the same price cut. |
| B.Their list prices are the same. |
| C.Their authors are introduced in detail. |
| D.They share the same publisher. |
In the book Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer Newton _____.
| A.is a great but not perfect man |
| B.lives a meaningful and colorful life |
| C.is the same as what we commonly know |
| D.is an old-time gifted scientist and magician |
Which of the following books offers the biggest price cut?
| A.The pickup. |
| B.Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer. |
| C.A History of Modern Indonesia. |
| D.The Checklist Manifesto : How to Get Things Right |
English, as we all know, is considered as the universal language. It is spoken all over the world. However, you will also notice that people all over the world are using different types of English. Let’s take a closer look at these two popular types: UK and US English. Even if both types of English are wildly used, there are some differences that will be worth knowing to find out the type of English that you are using.
US English is what we know as the American English which is wildly used in the United States. UK English, on the other hand, is known as the British English. Some also call it the BBC English since it is the English used by British reporters, and another name for it is the Queen’s English.
In terms of vocabulary, some words in US English may mean something different in the UK English. For example, the word biscuit for the British means baked sweet or salty cake that is hard when baked and softened over time; while in the US it is a quick bread served with salty foods.
With regards to pronunciation, American English is more nasal (鼻音的). Stress (重音) is also another difference to consider. Just like in the word princess, British stress the second syllable (音节) while Americans stress the first.
Spelling is another area of difference. American English spelling is more simple. Example of which includes, color for the US and colour for the UK, same goes with honor and honour. The doubling of letters in words is another good example. It will be traveler in the US and traveller in the UK. The use of “-og” instead of “-ogue” in word such as dialog and dialogue or catalog and catalogue.What can be the best title for the passage?
| A.Similarity between US English and UK English |
| B.Difference between US English and UK English |
| C.The future of US English and UK English |
| D.The history of US and UK English |
What does the underlined word “it” refer to according to Paragraph 2?
A The British English.
B The American English.
C The BBC.
D The Queen of UK.he word biscuit in UK English refers to the cake which may be finally.
| A.sweet and hard |
| B.salty and sweet |
| C.hard and salty |
| D.salty and soft |
Which of the following may belong to UK English?
| A.Color. | B.Traveler. |
| C.Dialog. | D.Catalogue. |
In the 1950s,a family who owned a farm near Beulah,Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm (榆树).The bull paced around the tree,dragging the heavy iron chain,which led to a groove (槽) in the bark.The groove deepened over the years,though for whatever reason,it did not kill the tree.
After some years,the family took their bull away.They cut the chain,leaving the loop (圈) around the tree and one link hanging down.
Then one year,agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease.All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died.Everyone thought that the old elm would be next.
The farm’s owners considered doing the safe thing:pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died.But they simply could not bring themselves to do it.It was as if the old tree had become a family friend.So they decided to let_nature_take_its_course.
Amazingly,the tree did not die.Nobody could understand why it was the only elm that was still standing in the country!
Plant pathologists(病理学家) from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree.They observed the scar left by the iron chain,now almost completely covered by bark.The plant experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm’s life.They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune (免疫) to the fungus (真菌).
It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.Or,as Ernest Hemimgway put it,“Life breaks us all,but afterwards,many of us are strongest at the broken places.”What happened to the elms in Michigan during the agricultural disaster?
| A.The elms were tied by iron chains. |
| B.Some of the elms were cut up into firewood. |
| C.All the elms were infected by a disease and died. |
| D.Nearly all of the elms died of a disease. |
From the passage we can learn that the old elm was saved by________.
| A.the groove in the bark | B.the fungus in the tree |
| C.the iron remaining in it | D.its own immune system |
The underlined sentence “let_nature_take_its_course” means______.
| A.leave the elm at the mercy of nature |
| B.help the elm grow normally |
| C.let nature take the elm away |
| D.have nature give a lesson to the elm |
What is the best title for the text?
| A.Never Lose Heart in Trouble |
| B.Strike While the Iron is Hot |
| C.Brave to Face Failure |
| D.Stronger after Suffering |
Shu Pulong has helped at least l000 people bitted(咬) by snakes. "It was seeing people with snake bites(伤口) that led me to this career" he said.
In l963, after his army service, Shu entered a medical school and later became a doctor of Chinese medicine. As part of his studies he had to work in the mountains. There he often heard of people who had their arms and legs cut off after a snake bite in order to save their lives.
"I was greatly upset by the story of an old farmer I met. It was a very hot afternoon. The old man was pulling grass in his fields when he felt a pain in his left hand. He at once realized he had been bitten by a poisonous snake. In no time wrapped a cloth tightly around his arm to stop the poison spreading to his heart. Rushing home he shouted 'bring me the knife!' Minutes later the man lost his arm forever."
"The sad story touched me so much that I decided to devote myself to helping people bitten by snakes," Shu said.The best headline (标题) fot this newspaper article is ______.
| A.Astonishing Medicine | B.Farmer Loses Arm |
| C.Dangerous Bites | D.Snake Doctor |
The farmer lost his arm because______.
| A.the cloth was wrapped too tightl | B.he cut it off to save his life |
| C.Shu wasn't there to help him | D.he was alone in the fields |
Shu decided to devote himself to snake medicine because______.
| A.he wanted to save people's arms and legs |
| B.he had studied it at a medical school |
| C.he had seen snakes biting people |
| D.his army service had finished. |
Why did Shu go into the mountains?
| A.He wanted to study snake bites. |
| B.He wanted to help the farmers. |
| C.He was being trained to be a doctor. |
| D.He was expected to serve in the army. |
Which of the following words can take the place of the word career in the first paragraph (段) ?
| A.conclusion | B.story | C.incident | D.job |