In the kitchen of my mother's houses there has always been a wooden stand with a small notepad and a hole for a pencil.
I’m looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can't be the same pencil. The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.
“I'm just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these years.” I say to her, walking back into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. “You still use a pencil. Can’t you afford a pen?”
My mother replies a little sharply. “It works perfectly well. I've always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen these days. ”
Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, “One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on.”
This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is also a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have traveled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible exhibits at every meal. Why has the author's mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen?
| A．To leave messages. |
| B．To list her everyday tasks. |
| C．To note down maths problems. |
| D．To write down a flash of inspiration（灵感）. |
What is the author's original opinion about the wooden stand?
| A．It has great value for the family. |
| B．It needs to be replaced by a better one. |
| C．It brings her back to her lonely childhood. |
| D．It should be passed on to the next generation. |
The author feels embarrassed for ______.
| A．blaming her mother wrongly |
| B．giving her mother a lot of trouble |
| C．not making good use of time as her mother did |
| D．not making any breakthrough in her field |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．The mother is successful in her career. |
| B．The family members like traveling. |
| C．The author had little time to play when young. |
| D．The marks on the breadboard have disappeared. |
In the author's mind, her mother is ______.
| A．strange in behavior |
| B．enthusiastic about her research |
| C．fond of collecting old things |
| D．careless about her appearance |
The forces that make Japan one of the world’s most earthquakeprone (有地震倾向的) countries could become part of its longterm energy solution.
Water from deep below the ground at Japan’s tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity.
Although Japanese hightech companies are leaders in geothermal (地热的) technology and export it，its use is limited in the nation.
“Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy，” said Yoshiyasu Takefuji，a leading researcher of thermalelectric power production.
The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11,2011 caused a reaction against atomic power，which previously made up 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs，and increased interest in alternative energies，which accounted for only 8 percent.
Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy，following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs.
For now，geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan，which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power.
The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories.Another problem is that Japan’s potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden.
“We can’t even dig 10 cm inside national parks.” said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric，adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow.
Researcher Hideaki Matsui said，“Producing electricity using hot springs is a decadeslong project.We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term.”
The Earth Policy Institute in Washington，US，believed Japan could produce 80 000 megawatts (兆瓦) and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology.
Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology，with a 70 percent market share.In 2010，Fuji Electric built the world’s largest geothermal factory in New Zealand.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Alternative energies in Japan |
| B．World’s largest geothermal plant |
| C．Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology |
| D．Japan thinks of geothermal energy |
What percentage of Japan’s energy needs is geothermal energy?
| A．About 8%. | B．Below 1%. |
| C．Around 30%. | D．Over 80%. |
According to Shigeto Yamada，the growth of geothermal power in Japan needs________.
| A．a change of rules | B．financial support |
| C．local people’s help | D．high technology |
Geothermal energy is considered as a longterm program by________.
| A．Yoshiyasu Takefuji | B．Hideaki Matsui |
| C．Shigeto Yamada | D．Yoko Ono |
It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that________.
| A．the world’s biggest geothermal plant was built by America |
| B．Japan will not export its geothermal technology |
| C．the potential of Japan’s geothermal energy is great |
| D．it is hard to find geothermal energy in Japan |
A dentist’s office may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect holiday destination.But a growing number of Europeans are travelling abroad for medical treatment to save money，or maybe to combine a visit to the doctor with some sightseeing，creating a potential but fastgrowing market for traditional tour operators.
“It was simply cheaper for me to go to a dentist in Hungary，” said a 42yearold physical therapist from Berlin.He chose the clinic near Budapest from an Internet advertisement，attracted by hundreds of euros in savings compared with the same treatment in Germany.He was happy to find when he got there that the clinic was clean，the staff qualified and the work thorough.
People travel abroad for medical treatment for various reasons：it’s cheaper，they face a long wait at home，or the treatment they want is not available in their own country.The Britishbased Medical Tourist Company refers about 100 patients a year to hospitals in India for treatments.And Chief Executive Premhar Shah reports rapid growth in demand from customers in Africa，where it can be harder to find wellequipped medical facilities for complex surgeries.
Some patients who have immigrated may prefer to return to be close to their families when they undergo surgery.“People will want to take the opportunity to seek treatment in places where they have relatives who might be able to look after them.I’m seeing that especially with younger people from eastern Europe，” said a professor at the University of Oxford.
For some，there is the attraction of free treatment abroad.British lawmakers have called for tighter checks on patients arriving for treatment，out of concerns that foreign citizens are travelling to Britain to take advantage of the free service.
The global medical tourism market is believed to be worth $40 billion to $60 billion and growing at about 20 percent per year.The 42yearold physical therapist was satisfied with________in Hungary.
| A．the price instead of the service |
| B．the service instead of the price |
| C．both the price and the service |
| D．neither the price nor the service |
How many reasons are mentioned to explain why people go abroad for medical treatment?
| A．Four. | B．Five. |
| C．Six. | D．Seven. |
According to the article，________for medical treatment.
| A．more Africans want to travel abroad |
| B．more Europeans want to travel to Africa |
| C．more Britons want to travel to India |
| D．no one would come to Great Britain |
Young people from eastern Europe return to their mother countries for surgery in order to________.
| A．get cheaper medical service |
| B．be looked after by relatives |
| C．have better medical treatment |
| D．enjoy free medical treatment |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．Overseas sightseeing. | B．Hospital treatment. |
| C．Medical tourism. | D．Travelers’ health problems. |
A euphemism (from the Greek words eu—well and pheme—speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions.Most people，for example，would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed.They would soften the pain by saying：We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep.Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly，or cuddly rather than fat.
Euphemisms are an important part of every language，but it seems that English has an evergrowing number of them.The nonnative speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears，he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation.He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom，or comfort station) is，but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog.He might have learned，for example，that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant.If，however，he says to his boss，“Congratulations！I hear your wife is in the family way，” he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances.
Schools are full of euphemisms.At Frankfurt International School，for example，the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Academic Workshop (in the high school)．Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward，and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message.According to the passage，people use euphemisms in order to________.
| A．make themselves understood |
| B．avoid embarrassment |
| C．to sound straightforward |
| D．attract attention |
A person who is described as plain and cuddly is in fact________.
| A．tall and handsome | B．pretty and slim |
| C．ugly but tall | D．ugly and fat |
When an English lady says she has to see a man about a dog，she might want to________.
| A．have her old dog killed | B．see an ugly friend |
| C．go to the toilet | D．see a pregnant woman |
The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to________.
| A．stress that euphemisms are an important part of every language |
| B．inform readers that English has an evergrowing number of euphemisms |
| C．suggest nonnative speakers use euphemisms as often as possible |
| D．warn English learners to be careful about the meaning and use of euphemisms |
At Frankfurt International School，the students who receive lessons in Study Center________.
| A．have poor grades in the subjects |
| B．do well in school |
| C．work hard at their lessons |
| D．prefer to learn more |
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness，happiness，goodness，and selfrespect？The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized (把……归类) as “honor” help you create this life of good feelings.
Here’s an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item.If we keep silent，and profit from the clerk’s mistake，we would drive home with a sense of sneaky (暗中的) excitement.Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune.On the other hand，if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item，the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty.We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then，what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case，where we don’t tell the clerk，a couple of things would happen.Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief.In the process，we would lose some peace of mind and selfrespect.We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted，since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends.We damage our own reputations by telling others.In contrast，bringing_the_error_to_the__clerk’s__attention causes different things to happen.Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable.Upon leaving the store，we feel honorable and our selfrespect is increased.Whenever we take honorable actions we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions.Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions.Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence.And it’s easy to think and act honorably again when we’re happy.While the positive cycle can be difficult to start，once it’s started，it’s easy to continue.Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind，which is important for our happiness.According to the passage，the positive action in the example contributes to our________.
| A．selfrespect | B．financial rewards |
| C．advertising ability | D．friendly relationship |
The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to________.
| A．lying | B．stealing |
| C．cheating | D．advertising |
The underlined phrase “bringing the error to the clerk’s attention” means________.
| A．telling the truth to the clerk |
| B．offering advice to the clerk |
| C．asking the clerk to be more attentive |
| D．reminding the clerk of the charged items |
How will we feel if we let the clerk know the mistake?
| A．We’ll be very excited. |
| B．We’ll feel unfortunate. |
| C．We’ll have a sense of honor. |
| D．We’ll feel sorry for the clerk. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
| A．How to Live Truthfully |
| B．Importance of Peacefulness |
| C．Ways of Gaining Selfrespect |
| D．Happiness through Honorable Actions |
Since we are social beings，the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships.One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful (有压力的) conditions.Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties.Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems.People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties.Studies over types of illnesses，from depression to heart disease，show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness，and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways.First，friends，relatives and coworkers may let us know that they value us.Our selfrespect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties.Second，other people often provide us with informational support.They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them.Third，we typically find social companionship supportive.Taking part in freetime activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles.Finally，other people may give us instrumental support—money aid，material resources，and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.Interpersonal relationships are important because they can________.
| A．deal with life changes |
| B．smooth away daily problems |
| C．make people live more easily |
| D．cure types of illnesses |
The researches show that people’s physical and mental health________.
| A．has much to do with the amount of support they get from others |
| B．lies in the social medical care systems which support them |
| C．depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
| D．is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions”？
| A．takes place of | B．makes up of |
| C．lessens the effect of | D．gets rid of |
Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of________.
| A．instrumental support |
| B．informational support |
| C．social companionship |
| D．the strengthening of selfrespect |
What is the subject discussed in the text?
| A．Effects of stressful conditions. |
| B．Kinds of social support. |
| C．Ways to deal with stress. |
| D．Interpersonal relationships. |