TheotherdayIheardafewlocalmusi-优题课

Should ecigarettes (electronic cigarettes) be a new choice for the smokers trying to get rid of the habit? Reactions from Americans are mixed．More than half of the people questioned in a survey think ecigarettes should be controlled by the US Food and Drug Administration，but 47 percent believe the ecigarettes should be available to the smokers who want to quit．
“In the hunt for a safer cigarette，ecigarettes are becoming a popular choice among those either trying to quit or looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer，” Zogby International，which conducted the survey，said in a statement．
About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the survey had heard about ecigarettes，which are batterypowered，or rechargeable cigarettes that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution．They do not produce smoke but a water vapor without smell．Sold mostly on the Internet，ecigarettes were first made in China．
Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using ecigarettes，saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit．The WHO said people who smoke ecigarettes breathe in a fine fog of nicotine into the lungs．
Nearly a third of people questioned in the survey think that ecigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden，because they don’t produce smoke，but 46 percent disagree．Men who were aware of the availability of ecigarettes were more likely than women to say they should be a choice available to smokers who want to quit．Young people，aged 18－29，and singles were the groups most open to trying ecigarettes．Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide，according to the WHO．
What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．American smokers ought to try ecigarettes．

B．Americans have different opinions about ecigarettes．

C．Every kind of cigarettes should be forbidden in America．

D．Most of the Americans don’t like ecigarettes．

According to Zogby International，ecigarettes ______．

A．are much safer than common cigarettes

B．are popular among people who want to quit smoking

C．will take the place of traditional cigarettes

D．are produced in a safer way by manufacturers

What do we know about ecigarettes from the passage?

A．Most Americans are familiar with them．

B．They are a good choice as there is no nicotine．

C．They produce a water vapor that can’t be seen．

D．Most people buy them on the Internet．

What’s the attitude of the WHO towards ecigarettes?

A．Negative

B．Supportive

C．Doubtful

D．Indifferent

Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive (自我毁灭的) acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
What do most people think causes bad behavior?

A．Being forced by others.

B．Not having enough will power.

C．Enjoying their first experiences.

D．Following the examples of their friends.

The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.

A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes

B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers

C．self-control should be developed when one is young

D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations

In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.

A．without self-control, no one can succeed

B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results

C．applying self-control correctly is important

D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior

What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My First Sip of Beer

B．Do You Have Will Power ?

C．Will Power Benefits Us

D．Dark Side of Self-control

To Whom It May Concern:
On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松饼粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.
Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried prapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient(配料 ) . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce (沙司 ). I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.
When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect” muffins.
I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely ,
Michelle Bauer
This letter is most likely addressed to _______.

A．a local storeowner

B．the owner of the muffin mix company

C．the clerk at a local muffin bakery

D．George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix

The tone(语气 ) of the author can best be described as ________.

A．embarrassed	B．hopeless
C．disappointed	D．disgusted

the author was unhappy with the product because________.

A．the directions of the product contained a mistake

B．it was not up to the promise made on the box

C．it was too difficult to follow the directions

D．it was worth less money than she paid for it

The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.

A．prevent others from making the same mistake

B．persuade the company to change the wording on their box

C．get back all the money paid from the shop

D．complain about how bad the muffins tasted

London is one of the most popular sites in the world for tourists to visit. If you are planning a trip to London in the future, you’re lucky. There are a variety of attractions for you to enjoy.
One of the most popular tourist attractions in London is the Tower of London. Founded more than 900 years ago, the Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous towers and has changer a lot. Here, you can also find the seven raven（乌鸦）which live in the Tower. There is a story that says：If there are no ravens in the Tower, the Tower and the kingdom will fall. There are also lots of tours, exhibits and special events that you can enjoy throughout the year.
Another popular place to visit is Westminster Abbey. It was set up in 1065 by Edward the Confessor. Visitors to Westminster Abbey can enjoy its beautiful special Gothic architecture（哥特式建筑）. There are also lots of memorials of Kings and Queens to enjoy. Excellent transportation is available here by bus or tube from many locations in London.
Buckingham Palace is another place with a rich history to discover. It’s the official London residence（住处） of Queen Elizabeth II. During August and September, you can visit the State Rooms and see the Changing of the Guards. The Queen’s Gallery is opened to the public daily. Checking the official timetable before you make sure to visit the Palace is a must, because it is not open year round.
If you’re expecting to enjoy one of London’s most beautiful landscapes, Hyde Park is the place for you. There are many activities available here to enjoy, including guided walking tours, swimming, tennis, and horse riding. In addition, many concerts are performed in Hyde Park. There’s also a playground available for the kids.
Tourist attractions in London

The Tower of London	Built （71） __________900 years ago, the Tower of London is world-famous. There are many ravens living in the Tower. （72） __________to an old story, if there are no ravens in the Tower of London, the Tower and the kingdom will fall. * During the （73） __________year, you can enjoy lots of tours, exhibits and special events.
Westminster Abbey	（74） __________in 1065, Westminster Abbey is famous for its beautiful special Gothic architecture and memorials of Kings and Queens.
Buckingham Palace	* With a rich （75） __________to discover, Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II. （76） __________August to September, you can visit the State Rooms and see the Changing of the Guards. The public can get （77） __________to the Queen’s Gallery every day. It’s （78） __________to check the official timetable before you visit the Palace.
Hyde Park	As one of London’s most beautiful landscapes, Hyde Park is the palace for you to walk, play tennis, （79） __________and ride horses. In addition, you can go to a （80） __________that is performed in Hyde Park.

Robert Frost was one of America’s best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.
He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America’s Civil War. The general’s name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.
Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost’s childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost’s father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim of his anger.
Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert’s grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.
Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.
In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy’s Will. When it appeared in 1913, Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.
Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost’s second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston.
The followings are writers EXCEPT __________.

A．Robert Edward Lee	B．Robert Lee Frost
C．Ernest Hemingway	D．Ezra Pound

The passage wrote about Hemingway in order to show that __________.

A．he had great influence on Frost’s poetry and life

B．Frost’s poetry style was the same as Hemingway’s

C．Frost was unhappy because he was the victim of his father

D．Frost spent his childhood unhappily

What can we learn from the passage?

A．Once Frost’s first book was published he gained great praise in his country.

B．After leaving Harvard University, he began to learn to write poetry.

C．Frost was found lo have a gift in poetry while he studied in high school.

D．Robert Frost’s father was angry and drank a lot because he didn’t realize his dream.

What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Robert Frost’s unhappy childhood.

B．Robert Frost’ s first and second book.

C．Robert Frost’s family and jobs.

D．Robert Frost’s life and poetry.