While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, showe heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says.
But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average night of the population has been increasing ye the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged.]
“The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6′6″(6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6′3″ bed caters for less than half of the male population.” Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, “seven-foot beds would work fine.”
Sililarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses′Caledoman Hotl in Edinburgh, 6′6″beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans.What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign?
| A．To provide better services. |
| B．To rebuild hotels and restaurants. |
| C．To draw public attention to the needs of the tall. |
| D．To attract more people to become its members. |
Which of the following might be a bed of proper length according to Phil Heinricy?
| A．7′2″. | B．7′ | C．6′6″ | D．6′3″ |
What may happen to restaurants with small tables?
| A．They may lose some customers. |
| B．They may start businesses elsewhere. |
| C．They have to find easy chairs to match the tables. |
| D．They have to provide enough space for the long-legged. |
What change has already been made in a hotel in Edinburgh?
| A．Tall people pay more for larger beds. |
| B．6′6″beds have taken the place of 6′3″beds. |
| C．Special rooms are kept for Americans. |
| D．Guest rooms are standardized. |
Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read, the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting homemade movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee.
In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learningdisabled class, which lasted one month. Only when the family moved to another town did he land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually graduated.
After being denied entrance into a traditional filmmaking school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him back sometime to visit.
He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark suit, carrying his father's briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave. The guard waved back. He was in.
“For the entire summer，” Spielberg remembers, “I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn't a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office that wasn't being used, and became a squatter (擅自占用他人房子的人). I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28yearold Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million, then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew what his teachers didn't—talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker.Why was Steven Spielberg laughed at by his classmates?
| A．He was the youngest boy. |
| B．He was too short for his age. |
| C．He liked to fight with other boys. |
| D．He didn't care much about his lessons. |
Why did Steven's friends pay him some money?
| A．To see his movies. |
| B．To use his camera. |
| C．To look at his photos. |
| D．To include them in the movie. |
What did Steven Spielberg intend to do after graduating from high school?
| A．Study English at a college. |
| B．Become a newspaper editor. |
| C．Work for Universal Studios. |
| D．Go to a traditional filmmaking school. |
What could have changed Steven Spielberg's life?
| A．Being dressed in a suit. |
| B．Meeting Chuck Silvers. |
| C．Missing a filmmaking school. |
| D．Working for Universal Studios. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Always follow our dream and we can make it. |
| B．We need someone to help us realize our dreams. |
| C．Anyone can become a film director if he wants to. |
| D．We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way. |
Here I'd like to talk about how to develop your curiosity and make use of it to make discoveries. Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers when you are curious about something and want to know more about it.
Firstly, write down the subject that you are interested in on a note card or piece of paper. Just put the main idea down, such as “Discover more about dinosaurs.”
Next, think for a moment about what you already know about your subject and list information like the sentences below：
1. Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeared.
2. Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
3. Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.
Thirdly, ask yourself “What can I do with what I want to learn？” On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them：
1. What's the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
2. How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
3. Have dinosaurs really disappeared?
Fourthly, armed_with_your_list_of_questions,_you can now visit the nearest library or turn to computer to begin your research. As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.
For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago. Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more deeply.
The next time you find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions. And remember—learning more always bring more questions.While doing some research, you should take the following steps________.
①list what you want to know
②choose a research subject
③list what you already know
④discover new problems
| A．①④③② | B．①②④③ |
| C．②③①④ | D．②①④③ |
What does the underlined sentence “armed with your list of questions” mean?
| A．Taking your list of questions with you to do more research. |
| B．Writing down your list of questions before turning to the computer. |
| C．Discussing your questions with your classmates for solution. |
| D．Putting your questions aside before going to the library. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．You can find all the answers online. |
| B．Learn more, and you'll have no questions. |
| C．Asking questions is the only way for research. |
| D．During the research, more questions may arise. |
The best title for this passage is________.
| A．Discovering Dinosaurs |
| B．Asking Good Questions |
| C．Finding Suitable Subjects |
| D．Having Interesting Answers |
Research shows that much of our predisposition (倾向) towards determination, sociability and selfcontrol and sense of purpose is in our genes. In fact, our DNA plays a bigger role in influencing these traits (characteristics) than our upbringing (儿童期的教养) and the company we keep. Taken together, these aspects of personality can make the difference between success and failure, say the Edinburgh University researchers.
They questioned more than 800 pairs of twins about their attitudes to life to tease apart the influences of nature and nurture. Comparing identical twins, who share all their DNA and their upbringing, with nonidentical twins, who have a shared background but are no more genetically alike than other brothers and sisters, is a technique often used by researchers to quantify the influence of genetics.
The results, published in the Journal of Personality, showed that genes play a much bigger role than lifestyle, with selfcontrol particularly etched (铭刻) into our DNA.
Our genes also largely determine how determined and persistent we are. This is important in terms of success, as someone who refuses to give up is more likely to achieve their dreams than someone_who_throws_in_the_towel_at_the_first_hiccough.
Researcher Professor Timothy Bates said, “Ever since the ancient Greeks, people have debated the nature of a good life and the nature of a virtuous life. Why do some people seem to manage their lives, have good relationships and cooperate to achieve their goals while others do not? Previously, the role of family and the environment around the home often controlled people's ideas about what affected psychological wellbeing. However, this work emphasizes a much more powerful influence from genetics.”
However, those who haven't been dealt a helpful hand of genes shouldn't be too depressed. The professor says a sense of purpose is the key and advises those who are eager for success to focus their thoughts on making a difference.What does the result of the research indicate?
| A．Our DNA is the only factor to decide our traits. |
| B．Our DNA plays a decisive role in achieving success. |
| C．Education plays little part in the formation of our character. |
| D．Society has little effect on us in our personality. |
The underlined part in Paragraph 4 refers to someone who ________.
| A．is born successful |
| B．determines to make a difference |
| C．makes great effort |
| D．admits defeat easily |
Timothy Bates mentions the ancient Greeks in order to indicate that ________.
| A．some people can live a good life because they can manage their lives |
| B．people haven't made it clear yet what is the key personality trait to be a success |
| C．in ancient Greece the role of family and the environment was ignored |
| D．the relationship between personality and success has always been people's concern |
According to the passage, the key personality trait is ________.
| A．determination | B．kindness |
| C．politeness | D．sociability |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．How do people work hard? |
| B．Why can some people succeed? |
| C．DNA determines success or failure. |
| D．Several factors determine personality. |
Finally, I entered the university. Because of my careful savings, I did not have to work during the school year. Then, summer came and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night, instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. I even decided to take a class at a community (社区)college. This class at the community college saved me $650. It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling, I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus (校园) admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks, but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1 600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had$1 600 in the bank that I had forgotten about! One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost, but the loss of time to make money; however, I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic (伦理). Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.Where did the writer probably work parttime before attending the university?
| A．In a restaurant. | B．In the tennis camps. |
| C．In a company. | D．In the admissions office. |
The writer took a class at a community college mainly because ________.
| A．she wanted to save money |
| B．life there was relatively easy |
| C．summer time was tiring |
| D．it was required by the university |
The writer's major concern about the trip to Israel was that ________.
| A．her mother would not give her approval |
| B．she would fail to get credits in Israel |
| C．a wellpaid summer job would be lost |
| D．$1 600 couldn't be drawn out in time |
The passage is mainly about how the writer ________.
| A．made money on the college campus |
| B．managed to make full use of her vacation |
| C．was forced to support herself by her mother |
| D．was shaped by working parttime through college |
Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has a good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.
One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8：30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It's the least I could do. Please, I insist.” Jimmy agreed.
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer's office with disappointed looks on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed？” Jimmy's heart sank.“With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview ？” he thought to himself.
Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy's surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.
“ Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right dicision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into this office. I just know you'd be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations！” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of welldeserved coffee as he landed himself a new job. Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?
| A．He was out of work. |
| B．He was bored with his job. |
| C．He wanted a higher position |
| D．He hoped to find a better boss |
What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?
| A．A friend's car had a flat tyre. |
| B．A wild man was pushing a car. |
| C．A terrible car accident happened. |
| D．An old man's car broke down. |
Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?
| A．He was also to be interviewed. |
| B．He needed a travelling companion. |
| C．He always helped people in need. |
| D．He was thankful to Jimmy. |
How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer's question?
| A．He was sorry for the other applicants. |
| B．There was no hope for him to get the job. |
| C．He regretted helping the old man. |
| D．The interviewer was very rude. |
What can we learn from Jimmy's experience?
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Good is rewarded with good. |
| D．Two heads are better than one. |