Just two years before her 100th birthday, Sensei Keiko Fukuda has become the first woman to achieve a tenth-degree black belt --- the highest rank in the martial art and combat sport judo(柔道). Fukuda is now one of only four living people who’ve earned the tenth-degree (or dan) black belt. Throughout history, only sixteen people have ever achieved this honor.
Fukuda began practicing judo in 1935 and is the only surviving student of its founder, Kano Jiguro. Urged by her teacher, she learned English to help spread judo internationally.
During a time when getting married, building a family, and becoming a housewife was the standard, Fukuda went against tradition, opting out of marriage to pursue the martial art.
“All I did was judo ... this was my marriage,” Fukuda reflected tearfully to the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is when my life destiny was set. I just never imagined how long this road would be.”
She described the Jiguro’s school, known as the Kodokan, as “old-fashioned and sexist(性别歧视的) about belts and ranks”. In fact, an order that prevented women from achieving any higher than a fifth-degree black belt kept Fukuda at that level for thirty years. She was finally promoted to sixth dan in 1972 when a woman’s division was created.
Fukuda said she approached judo and her life with the intention to “be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically”. Fukuda said this kind of beauty is decidedly not external (外部的). “ A kind soul is inner beauty,” she explained to the paper. “I believe this is true beauty … All my life this has been my dream.”
Dream realized, the 98-year-old Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues to teach judo three times a week at a woman’s judo.It can be learned from the passage that ____________.
| A．Fukuda achieved the tenth-degree black belt at 97. |
| B．four people earned the tenth-degree black belt in history. |
| C．nearly all of Kano Jiguro’s students were dead. |
| D．the Kodokan was founded in 1935. |
The underlined part “opting out of” in the 3rd paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．choosing or welcoming | B．longing for or desiring |
| C．keeping out of or avoiding | D．missing or having no chance of |
Why did Fukuda remain at fifth-degree black belt for so long a time?
| A．It was hard for her to improve her level. |
| B．She suffered from a foolish rule. |
| C．Her family life took up too much of her time. |
| D．She didn’t want to improve her level. |
Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The only surviving student of Kano Jiguro remains single. |
| B．The tenth-degree black belt is the highest rank in judo. |
| C．Sensei Keiko Fukuda spreads judo throughout the world. |
| D．98-year-old woman becomes the first woman ever to earn judo’s highest-degree black belt. |
Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.
The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.
There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany began to produce contact lenses.
Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.
While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.
| A．toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century |
| B．people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century |
| C．more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century |
| D．the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century |
All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______.
| A．Diners Club | B．Sir John Herschel |
| C．Dr Eugen Frick | D．the Zeiss factory |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?
A. Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years.
B. Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA.
C. The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development.
D. American Express is only used by American travelers now.The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______.
| A．the greatest inventions came about by chance |
| B．inventions came about through careful research and patient study |
| C．inventors still continue to make inventions |
| D．necessity is the mother of invention |
To get an extra 14 years of life, don’t smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in a proper amount. That is according to a study published this Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal.
After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45-79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993-2007, Kay-Tee, Khaw of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who didn’t.
“We’ve known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we’ve not seen this benefit before, ” said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain’s Medical Research Council. “The benefit was also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from.”
Study participants（参与者）scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake．
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to introduce policies helping people to adopt these changes．But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would surely gain 14 years．
“We can't say that any person could gain 14 years by doing these things, ”said Dr．Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization．“The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically（理论上地）possible．”
“Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking isn't good for them, ”Susan Jebb said．“We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change．”Which of the following DOESN'T belong to the four healthy habits?
| A．Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day． |
| B．Do proper exercise in the morning every day． |
| C．Drinking alcohol in the proper amount every day． |
| D．Having a cigarette before going to bed every day． |
We can learn from the passage that．
| A．Susan Jebb did not take part in the study． |
| B．the study observed people as well as tested specific changes． |
| C．there's no need for people under 45 to adopt these good habits． |
| D．only those from first class can benefit from these healthy behaviors． |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．All the people are well aware of the harm of their bad habits． |
| B．People aged 45 to 70 have bad habits in the United Kingdom． |
| C．Governments should take measures to help people change their bad habits． |
| D．People have adopted the four healthy habits after knowing they're good． |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Smoking and Drinking Cuts You 14 Years |
| B．How to Live a Much Healthier Life |
| C．Healthy Habits May Give Extra 14 Years |
| D．How to Make Your Life Longer Than Others |
“I don’t believe in Santa Claus!” Trogmire announced.
Tremor looked shocked. “Why not?” he asked.
“Because he never leaves me any gifts at all,” Trogmire growled.
Tremor thought about the evidence for a few seconds. “Maybe,” he suggested, “it’s because when Santa checked his list, your name wasn’t in the ‘nice’ column.”
“So, he could at least bring me a lump of coal!” Trogmire replied. “And,” he went on, “Troubled doesn’t believe in Santa, either.”
“Right,” Tremor said, “because he saw his parents putting the ‘From Santa’ presents under the tree. But I know the truth about that. My mother found out from Troubled’s mother. When Troubled’s parents got an e-mail from Santa, saying that he would never bring Troubled another gift, they didn’t want to tell him the truth. So now they buy presents and pretend they’re from Santa.”
“What did Troubled do to get Santa so mad?” Trogmire questioned.
“I think it had something to do with the time he put glue paper all over the living room floor on Christmas Eve, and left a sign that said, ‘Trapped like a rat!’ hanging over the fireplace.” said Tremor.
“I guess Santa doesn’t have a sense of humour,” sighed Trogmire. “Well, at least I’m not the only one who Santa scratched off his name list.”Why doesn’t Santa leave presents for Trogmire or Troubled?
| A．Their parents won’t let him leave gifts. | B．He can’t find their homes. |
| C．He often forgets their names. | D．They have behaved badly. |
Trogmire and Troubled don’t believe in Santa because ________.
| A．Santa has no sense of humor | B．Santa doesn’t give them anything |
| C．they are too naughty to believe | D．Tremor convinced them he wasn’t real |
Troubled’s parents never ________.
| A．told him about the message from Santa | B．loved him very much |
| C．cared about how he behaved | D．bought him anything |
Trogmire’s last comment could be an example of the saying _______.
| A．Misery(苦难,不幸) loves company | B．Easy come, easy go |
| C．Beauty is only skin deep | D．Love me, love my dog |
You’re out to dinner. The food is delicious and the service is fine. You decide to leave a big fat tip. Why? The answer may not be as simple as you think.
Tipping, psychologists have found, is not just about service. Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors from the waiter’s choice of words to how they carry themselves while taking orders to the bill’s total.
“Studies before have shown that mimicry (模仿) brings into positive feelings for the mimicker,” wrote Rick van Baaren, a social psychology professor. “These studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous toward the person who mimics them.”
So Rick van Baren divided 59 waiters into two groups. He requested that half serve with a phrase such as, “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat the orders and preferences back to the customers. Rick van Baaren then compared their take-home(实得收入). The results were clear---it pays to mimic your customer. The copycat waiters earned almost double the amount of tips to the other group.
Leonard Green and Joel Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis, found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill. After research on the 1,000 tips left for waiters, cab drivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in these three areas dropped as customers’ bills went up.
“That’s also a point of tipping,” Green says. “You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pick you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you. If they weren’t there you’d never get any service. So part of the idea of a tip is for just being there.”According to the passage, a customer gives the cab driver a tip for ____.
| A．driver’s politeness | B．being there | C．driver’s attitudes | D．driver’s mimicry |
According to the passage, which of the following will be likely to show the right change of the tip percentages for the three areas researched?
According to the passage, we know the writer seems to _________.
| A．oppose Mr. Green’s idea about tipping |
| B．support the opinions of Mr. Green and Rick van Baaren about tipping |
| C．give his generous tip to the waiters very often |
| D．think part of Mr. Green’s explanation is reasonable |
As is known to all, colors appear in every language to express people’s feeling and thoughts．Then, what is the situation in American English?
Red is a hot color．Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair．They are red hot when they are very angry about something．The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery taste．Fast loud music is popular with many people．They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz．
Pink is a lighter kind of red．People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health．The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century．It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health．
The color black is often used in expressions．People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day．People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now．But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations．
The color green is natural for trees and grass．But it is an unnatural color for humans．A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green．A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green．
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has．That person may say he is green with envy．Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks．Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the back side of the paper money．Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT _______．
| A．something unfair |
| B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland Jazz |
People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because _______．
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the color pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she _______．
| A．enjoys himself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomachache | D．likes trees and grass |
In the writer’s eyes, what is related to a black day?
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift． |
| B．Passing a very difficult test． |
| C．Failing in an important interview． |
| D．Being invited to an exciting party． |