We are always told that TV is not good for us. If it is true, how come the TV-addicted kids of our young generation nowadays are much smarter than we are? In my family, the only persons who can work the TV remote control well are the children.
Probably TV really educates us. For example, we can learn a very useful medical fact: A man that has been shot always has time to speak a broken sentence when he is dying. “The killer was…” (dies)
But I suppose the biggest things that we learn from TV can be regarded as “Life Skills”. Bad things simply happen on either stormy or dark nights. Emotional breakdowns make people wander in the heavy rain without raincoats or umbrellas. And contrary to the scientists, the crack of lightning and the accompanying flash come on at exactly the same time, wherever the scenes are.
I’ve even got to know useful geographical facts from science-fiction shows: Aliens only speak the language of English no matter which planet they come from.
To make good use of something that we learn from TV can make our security better. Consider these truths. When you are really attacked by 20 bad guys, you needn’t worry about your being outnumbered. The criminals will hang back and take turns to approach you in ones and twos just so you can conveniently defeat them all. Bad guys who are completely covered in black clothes always remove their black masks to reveal that they are in fact, aha, women.
TV often teaches us a lot of important information as well about escaping from danger. Watch and learn. (1) If anyone is running after you down a passage, you will find that boxes have been conveniently placed near all the walls you need to jump over. (2) If you are tall and handsome, you can run from any number of armed criminals, and every shot will miss you.
Be warned, however, if your name card says “henchman” (帮凶) and you are part of a group of plain-looking people trying to catch a handsome individual, a single shot will kill you. But don’t be anxious: TV also delivers useful information for bad guys. All cars are inflammable (易燃的) and have amazing shock absorbers that enable them to fly into the air and land without damage — except police cars.
TV even teaches us about TV. Whenever anyone turns on a TV, it shows a news flash about someone they know. They then turn the box off immediately after that news item. When the writer says “A man that has been shot always has time to speak a broken sentence when he is dying” (Paragraph 2), he shows his________.
| A．humor | B．sympathy | C．deep concern | D．medical knowledge |
We can learn from Paragraph 3 that in the real world________.
| A．bad things cause people to break down in the rain |
| B．bad things never happen on dark and stormy nights |
| C．people with emotional problems like to walk in the rain without umbrellas |
| D．you can’t hear the crack of lightning and see the accompanying flash exactly at the same time |
On TV what usually happens when a person turns it on?
| A．The program shown is always about the importance of TV. |
| B．The person always turns off the TV when it’s time for news. |
| C．The news shown is always about someone the person knows. |
| D．TV always shows news about famous people. |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．Life skills can be learned from TV. |
| B．What happens in TV is quite different from reality. |
| C．Watching TV makes people more creative. |
| D．TV plays an important role in society. |
The writer of this passage takes a(n) ________ attitude towards TV plays.
| A．positive | B．casual | C．negative | D．indifferent |
Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you're cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If they are left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet's water. Sometimes owners don't realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can't get anything to drink. Animals that don't have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them. What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?
| A．Thy are often forgotten by their owners |
| B．They like to stay in warm places. |
| C．They build their own shelter. |
| D．They are used to living outdoors. |
. Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?
| A．To keep them company |
| B．To keep them from eating bad food. |
| C．To know when to bring them inside |
| D．To help them find shelters. |
If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may ________.
| A．run short of clean water | B．dig deep holes for fun |
| C．dirty the snow nearby | D．get lost in the wild |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To give practical advice. |
| B．To solve a problem. |
| C．To tell an interesting story. |
| D．To present a research result. |
When I was young I wanted to be a model，so when a national contest was staged，I convinced my parents to take me for an audition (试演)．I was selected and told I had potential. They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious (有声望的) modeling agencies from around the world would attend. At 13，my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgment and I begged my parents to let me go. We have never been rich，but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed.
I imagined being signed by some famous model companies. For months，any boredom or disappointment I faced was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be real model. I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines!
Of course，I wasn't signed，but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5′9″(about 1.75 metres) I could be a success. I prayed for a growth spurt (冲刺) because I could not imagine giving up my dream. I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded $500 for classes. $500 for a photo shoot，and $300 for other expenses. My parents only agreed after hours and hours of my begging.
The agency sent me out on a few auditions，but with every day I didn't receive a call，I grew more depressed. The_ finalstraw came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling. There was an open call in New York City. We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting，only to be told that I was too short. I was devastated (极度不安的)．
Years later，I realized that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn't actually love modeling，just the idea of it. I wanted to be special and I was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal. The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future.What's the author's parents' attitude toward her dream?
| A．Encouraging. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Enthusiastic. |
What was it that made the author end her attempt to become a model?
| A．Her parents were strongly against it. |
| B．She realized that it was impossible for her. |
| C．Even a local modeling agency turned her down. |
| D．She realized that she didn't actually love the idea of modeling. |
The underlined phrase “The final straw” probably means ________.
| A．the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset，angry，etc... |
| B．the final result that she was admitted by the model company. |
| C．the final audition given by the agency. |
| D．the decision that she made at last not to be a model any more. |
What did the author learn from her experience of struggling to be a model?
| A．Where there's a will there's way. |
| B．Being a model is not that easy. |
| C．We should have our own judgment and should not just follow others. |
| D．We might set unpractical goals but the experience can help us grow. |
Below is adapted from an English dictionary. Use the dictionary to answer the following questions.
figure / fīgə / noun, verb
● noun
1. a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade / sales figures
2. a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary
3. (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc. numbers
4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history.
5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly
6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it
7. the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure
8. a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating
* be / become a figure of fun: be / become sb. that others laugh at
* cut a…figure: sb with a particular appearance: He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket.
* put a figure on sth: to say the exact price or number of sth.
* a fine figure of man / woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person
* figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect
* figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority)
● verb
1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning.
2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all.
3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth: We figured that attendance at 150,000.
* figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel?
* figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home so late.
* figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost?
* It / That figures!: That seems reasonable.According to the information above, which of the following sentence is not right?
| A．This year’s sales figures were quite excellent. |
| B．I couldn’t figure out what the teacher was talking about. |
| C．She was the leading figure in British politics in the 1980s. |
| D．He was about to speak but she put a figure on his lips to stop him. |
— She was coming late again for the work.
— ______! That’s typical of her. You just can’t do anything to stop her doing that.
| A．It figures her out | B．She is a figure of fun |
| C．It cuts a poor figure | D．It figures |
The phrase “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” means “______”.
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports |
| C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
Which sentence is used as figure of speech?
| A．John is fond of animals and raises a rabbit as a pet. |
| B．In some countries, bamboo can be used to build houses. |
| C．We all regard Mr. Smith as an important figure in our company. |
| D．I didn’t really mean my partner was a snake. |
India has many festivals, with some celebrations that last for weeks. However, none of them come even close to Holi, India’s most colorful and fun festival. Celebrated on the day following the full moon, this year’s festival happens to be on March 19th.
As with most Indian festivals, this one also has many different folk stories. Most of them center around the success of good over evil. The most popular one is about a king, who hates his son Prahlada for loving the creator of the Universe—Lord Vishnu. When every attempt to stop him fails, his sister, Holika believed to be immune(免疫的) to fire, joins in the effort by inviting the young boy to sit with her inside a huge fire. Helped by the power of Lord Vishnu, Prahlada escapes safely, while the evil Holika is burned to death. To remember this event, huge outdoor fires are lit in the night before Holi in order to clean the air of evil spirits and to celebrate the death of the evil.
So what’s so great about this day? While there are some fun parades(游行) and folk songs and dance performances, the most fun of all is walking to the streets and splashing(泼洒) people with water guns and dry colors and even covering them with entire buckets of colored water. On this day, everybody is fair game, no matter how old or how young.
At about midday, the splashing comes to an end and people living close to oceans or rivers usually take a bath in the water to clean themselves before going home to a delicious home-made big dinner and a well-deserved short sleep, following this full day of fun and activities.Why does the king dislike his son Prahlada?
| A．Because Prahlada doesn’t love him. |
| B．Because Prahlada is rude to Holika. |
| C．Because Prahlada loves Lord Vishnu. |
| D．Because Prahlada concentrates on his own success. |
Prahlada gets out of danger __________.
| A．with the help of Lord Vishnu |
| B．because of his good luck |
| C．by beating his aunt Holika |
| D．using his amazing talent |
The underlined phrase “fair game” in Paragraph 3 refers to a person who __________.
| A．fights against others fairly |
| B．enjoys splashing people |
| C．plays a trick on others |
| D．is the aim of splashing water |
After the fun activities, people living close to oceans or rivers often take a bath because __________.
| A．they have got dirty with dry colors and colored water |
| B．going home with colored water means bad luck |
| C．they believe clean water will bring good luck |
| D．taking a bath shows their true love for Lord Vishnu |
The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water. According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.
| A．clay | B．rock |
| C．stones | D．sand |
The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.
| A．brave | B．cruel |
| C．strange | D．kind |
In the desert _______.
| A．it rains in spring only |
| B．there is some rain, but far from enough |
| C．it rains for a short time every month |
| D．the rainfall is just enough for the plants |
People live _______.
| A．only inside the oases |
| B．only outside the oases |
| C．both inside and outside the oases |
| D．in places with regular rainfalls |
From the passage we know that life _______.
| A．is hard in deserts | B．is happy in deserts |
| C．is impossible in deserts | D．in deserts is much better now |