Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints(抱怨) of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles(过道) .
With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish(美化) one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.What do many single people in Pairs complain about?
| A．The difficulty in meeting people. |
| B．The idea of supermarket dating. |
| C．The items on their grocery list. |
| D．The inconvenience in shopping. |
Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?
| A．The dating supermarket is located in Paris. |
| B．The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings. |
| C．People looking for love must get a basket of a particular colour |
| D．The dating supermarket has very good business. |
According to the writer, a possible way to win a woman’s heart is to _______.
| A．pick up a purple basket |
| B．Buy low-fat food |
| C．embellish your appearance |
| D．buy pet food |
Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?
| A．The supermarket dating is more convenient. |
| B．The supermarket dating is more casual. |
| C．The supermarket dating can be trusted more. |
| D．The supermarket dating is less expensive. |
Monitoring the mood of a pet dog could be used as an early warning sign that an elderly owner is struggling to cope, a new report has claimed.
Researchers placed movement sensors (探测器) on dogs to track their behaviour and identified 17 distinct activities, including chewing, barking, sitting and digging.
This allowed them to map the normal behaviour of a healthy, happy dog, which means any changes can be monitored and could indicate an issue with their owner.
Nils Hammerla, part of the team from Newcastle University, said, “Humans and dogs have lived together in close relationships for thousands of years, which has led to strong emotional and social mutual bonds.”
“A dog’s physical and emotional dependence on their owner means that their well-being is likely to reflect that of their owner. Any changes such as the dog being walked less often, perhaps not being fed regularly, or simply demonstrating “unhappy” behaviour could be an early indicator for families that an older relative needs help. This is the first system of its kind which allows us to remotely monitor a dog’s behaviour in its natural setting.”
The team of academics, who presented their findings at the 2013 UbiComp conference in Zurich, created a hi-tech, waterproof (防水的) dog collar for the study.
Dr Cas Ladha, who led the study, said: “A lot of our research is focused on developing intelligent systems that can help older people to live independently for longer. But developing a system that reassures family and carers that an older relative is well without intruding on (侵犯) the individual’s privacy is difficult. This is just the first step but the idea behind this research is that it would allow us to support people without the need for cameras.”
A range of dogs was used for the study, as the team needed to map distinct behaviours that correlated between different breeds.From the text, we know that Nils Hammerla ____________.
| A．led the study and identified 17 activities of dogs |
| B．thinks some activities of dogs can reflect senior owners’ health |
| C．studied the relationship between humans and animals |
| D．developed a hi-tech, waterproof dog collar |
The underlined word “reassure” in Paragraph 7 probably means ____________.
| A．protect | B．comfort |
| C．warn | D．recognize |
Which of the following is an advantage of the intelligent system mentioned in the text?
| A．It can indicate that people aren’t well. |
| B．It can identify different activities of dogs. |
| C．It monitors an elderly owner without disturbing his privacy. |
| D．It lets people see the dog’s behavior clearly. |
Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
| A．Dogs’ mood can be an indicator of owners’ health |
| B．Strong bonds between dogs and their senior owners |
| C．Signs that your older relative needs help |
| D．A special way of taking care of the old |
Is early childhood education really necessary ? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child’s physical , sensory , communicational and social development . Early childhood education has become a concern of the government , who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for kindergarten .
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education . Studies have shown that orphaned children (孤儿) who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school , and even in life. Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school , less likely to end up in Special Education classes , and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail (prison) .
There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early . Time Magazine Online explains that “ the younger the child is , the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work .” I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school . Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school , the better off he or she is , so they push to start children earlier .
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years , studies also show that this head start is really a “ false start” , as the gains are lost in middle and high school years. It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life’s success than early education . Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children. Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap .The government values the early childhood education in order to ___________ .
| A．develop the children’s communication |
| B．help the children to learn by playing |
| C．get the children prepared for the kindergarten |
| D．train the children formally and regularly |
According to the studies , ___________ .
| A．children with good early education may have a rich life |
| B．the orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life |
| C．children without early education can do well at school |
| D．Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children |
The explanation of Time Magazine Online suggests that ____________ .
| A．the early childhood education is helpless to the child’s grade |
| B．it is good for the young children to receive early education |
| C．the early education can help the children follow the grade |
| D．the younger the children are , the more clever they will be |
The main idea of the last paragraph is that ___________ .
| A．the early childhood education is very necessary |
| B．Head Start programs have helped the children a lot |
| C．environment is the most important to life’s success |
| D．better ways should be found to help the poor children |
The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all , sometimes it can be confusing .
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar . Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends , join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However , having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind , the prospect (前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking (令人焦虑不安的). Where do you start ? Who should you make friends with ? Which clubs should you join ?
Luckily , there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you are worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot . So just take it all in slowly . Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week :
Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节). Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
Be kind . Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
Be social . The more active you are , the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room .
Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly .
So with a bit of clever planning and effort , Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits .Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage ?
| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your door. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week . |
The underlined word “ recruits” in the last paragraph refers to _________ .
| A．courses | B．freshers |
| C．neighbors | D．challenges |
We can infer from the 4th paragraph that __________ .
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit universities life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
Why does the author suggests having wine glasses and snacks handy ?
| A．To pass the busy university life. |
| B．To help make friends with other freshers . |
| C．To show yourself a drinker as others. |
| D．To pass the time in a happy way. |
The main purpose of the passage is to _________ .
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
Booking opens for Beckett Shorts on September .
BY TELEPHONE
For credit card booking. Calls are answered .
BOX OFFICE 01789 295623 9 a.m.～ 8 p.m. (Mon.～ Sat)
0541 541051 (24 hours , 7 days , no booking charge )
BY FAX
For credit card booking . Please allow at least 48 hours for reply , if required.
BOX OFFICE 01789 261974 or 01862 387765
BY POST
Please enclose (附上) a cheque or credit card details together with an SAE or add 50 p to the total amount (总额) to cover postage. Please send to the Box Office , RST, Stratford-upon-Avon , CV37 6BB. In which of the following ways of booking does one probably have to pay extra money ?
| A．In person. | B．By telephone. |
| C．By fax. | D．By post . |
One has to wait for 2 days or longer for a reply if he / she pays _______ .
| A．in person | B．by telephone |
| C．by fax | D．by post |
. What is a useful number to call at 11 a.m. Sunday ?
| A．01789 295623. | B．0541 541051. |
| C．01789 261174. | D．01862 387665. |
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station . When other teens were studying or going out , she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University . And her amazing story has inspired a movie , “ Homeless to Harvard : The Liz Murray Story” , shown in late April .
Liz Murray , a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination . Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house . Liz was the only member who had a job . Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died , she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless . At night , she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding , by understanding that there was a whole other way of being . I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night .
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on . She used the benefits that come easily to others , such as a safe living environment , to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down”. She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much . They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they loved me all the time.”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision”. The main idea of the passage is __________ .
| A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University |
| B．What a hard time Liz had in her childhood |
| C．why Liz loved her parents so much |
| D．how Liz struggled to change her life |
In which order did the following things happen to Liz ?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admission into Harvard University.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble about finding a place to sleep .
| A．b, a , e , c, d | B．a , b , c , e , d |
| C．e , d, b , a , c | D．b , e , a , d , c |
What actually made her go towards her goal ?
| A．Envy and encouragement. |
| B．Willpower and determination . |
| C．Decisions and understanding. |
| D．Love and respect for her parents. |
When she wrote “ What drove me to live on … I had only experienced a small part of the society，she meant that __________ .
| A．she had little experience of social life. |
| B．she could hardly understand the society. |
| C．she would do something for her own life. |
| D．she needed to travel more around the world. |