Once I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that it would take only a few minutes. Thus, on one evening, three people turned up at my house and were shown into my front room. When they saw the room they were a bit alarmed, for it was laid out as a studio. In front of each easy chair there was a microphone at head height, with wires leading to a tape-recorder in the middle of the floor. I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink.
I turned on the tape-recorder and each in turn seriously counted from one to twenty in their best accent. When it was over, I turned the tape-recorder off and brought round the drinks, and for the rest of the evening there was general cheerful conversation—interrupted only by the fact that I had to take a telephone call in another room, which unfortunately lasted some time.
Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the tape-recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one, which was turning happily away in the kitchen. The participants, having seen the visible tape-recorder turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones which stayed in front of their chairs, only a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality. And my lengthy absence meant that I was able to obtain as natural a piece of conversation as it would be possible to find.
I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the event was over, and gave them the choice of destroying the tape. None of them wanted to—though for some years afterwards it always seemed to be my round when it came to the buying of drinks. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business.The writer asked his friends to count from one to twenty because _______.
| A．he wanted to record the numbers for his research |
| B．he wanted to find out whether the tape recorder was working |
| C．he wanted to make his friends relax before real recording started |
| D．he wanted his friends to think that was all he wanted to record |
The writer went into another room to ________.
| A．get a natural recording of his friends’ conversation |
| B．stay away from too much drinking with his friends |
| C．bring a telephone into the front room |
| D．answer a long distance phone call |
The writer turned off the tape-recorder because _______.
| A．he had to answer a phone call |
| B．he wanted his friends to enjoy some drinks |
| C．he thought the tape-recorder might bother his friends |
| D．he wanted to make his friends believe he had finished the recording |
Which one is true according to the passage?
| A．The writer destroyed the tape. |
| B．The writer’s friends destroyed the tape. |
| C．The writer did tell his friends what had happened. |
| D．The writer’s friends like to drink. |
Prison Break is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star, Wentworth Miller. His character, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show.
Having committed a crime to get into prison and break out with his innocent brother, Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on TV today. But what about the man behind the character?
Miller,35, is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way.
Miller didn’t take direct path to fame and fortune. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995, not with a degree in theatre of film, but in English. He didn’t even act when he was in college. His only performance experience was in his university’s singing group. Yet , at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to Hollywood.
Miller has always been different. Although he is American, he was in Britain when his father was studying there. His family background is also a special mix of cultures. “My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle. I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place,” Miller says.
Following his unusual path, Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he
first went to Hollywood. Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant. Not what you would expect from a Princeton graduate. However, it all paid off for Miller in the end.
In 2002, Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia（《恐龙帝国》）. He starred as a thoughtful and shy man. Producers remembered his performance when they were casting Prison Break two years later. With a golden globe nomination（提名）and another season of Prison Break on his resume, Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Michael Scofield in Prison Break . |
| B．Hollywood’s recent big hit—Prison Break. |
| C．Miller’s unusual path to fame and fortune. |
| D．The man who will take over all of the world. |
The writer thinks “Miller is a hard guy to figure out” because.
| A．it’s difficult to tell him from others |
| B．he is a shy man and hard to cooperate with |
| C．he always has ideas hard for people to understand |
| D．his family background and life experience are very special |
Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence “it all paid off for Miller in the end”?
| A．Miller put a lot of extra work for his final success. |
| B．Miller gained fame and fortune at last with his first film. |
| C．Miller finally succeeded even if he has been in low position. |
| D．Miller managed to pay off his debts with his small income in the end. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Miller?
| A．He is chosen to play the Michael Scofield due to his interesting personality. |
| B．His performance in Dinotopia makes some contributions to his success. |
| C．He has the same experience with the character Michael Scofield. |
| D．He is angry about his being born into a mixed-cultural family. |
There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular（土话）—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane（车道）, and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan （about US $700）.
The life of a green collar may go something like this; Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged.
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief（摆脱贫困）projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars. |
| B．The increasing awareness of environmental protection. |
| C．New trends of life in China’s big cities. |
| D．The lifestyle of green collars. |
Green collars willafter work.
| A．prefer to be left alone |
| B．have fun with old friends |
| C．think nothing about work and more |
| D．do a lot of extra work at home |
What ’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?
| A．Appreciative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Neutral. |
The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are .
| A．in heavy polluted areas | B．in faraway places |
| C．in a poor state of education | D．in unfavourable conditions |
Dear Sirs，
Your shipment(装运)of twelve thousand“Smart”watches was received by our company this morning．However，we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our instructions．
It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks. While we appreciate that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable．We must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you that your existing stocks ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers．and is sure to have a negative effect on future orders．
The second complaint concerns the difference in colour．Only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours we ordered．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions．Since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will , of course, be returned to you．
We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received．since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been made to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．We should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely your responsibility．
As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory，and to deduct(扣除)any costs from our final settlement．We shall also be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
We look forward to your immediate reply．
Yours sincerely，
John SmithHow many complaints does John Smith make with the“Smart”watch producer?
| A．Five． | B．Four． | C．Three． | D．Two． |
The producer of“Smart”watches were given the order because_________
| A．they produced the best watches of its kind in the world |
| B．the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared |
| C．they promised they could produce enough stocks quite quickly |
| D．they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock |
Receiving watches in the wrong colours is a problem because_______
| A．the Hong Kong agent stressed the need to fulfill the order exactly |
| B．these watches will be difficult to sell． |
| C． these watches will not be able to get into the limited market |
| D．people will not buy the watches at present |
LONDON (AP) — England joins on Sunday the growing list of places that ban smoking in public buildings, taxis and other places including even Buckingham Palace with a tough law.
Pubs, clubs and restaurants will all be smoke-free. Taxi and delivery drivers have been warned that they too could be fined 50 pounds, or about $100, if caught lighting up inside work vehicles.
Experts say the bans have become an irreversible (不可逆转的) tread because of greatly rising health costs and public uneasiness over second-hand smoke. Some of the strictest smoking bans are in the United States, even though there is no federal anti-smoking policy. New York and Florida have strict bans, while California has certain outdoor smoking bans.
Spain, Italy, Iran, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, South Africa, Uruguay and new Zealand have passed legislation(立法) to restrict smoking. France banned smoking in many public places in February and plans to extend the ban to cafes and restaurants next year. Finland is introducing a ban in 2009.
Despite the spread of bans, the World Health Organization predicts a steady rise in tobacco sales. In its Tobacco Atlas, the WHO said that by 2030 there will be “at least another two billion smokers in the world” and an expected decrease in male smokers “will be offset by an increase in female smoking rates, especially in developing countries.”
In advance of the English ban, anti-smoking ads have coated bus stops and the British government has subsidized(资助) programs to help people quit. The rest of Britain—Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland —already have smoking bans in place.The first two paragraphs mainly tell us_______
| A．Buckingham Palace bans smoking |
| B．smoking ban comes into force in England |
| C．there’s no smoking in Buckingham Palace |
| D．smoking is against the law in England |
Which of the following places may still be smoking areas in England?
| A．Private houses | B．Taxis. |
| C．Restaurants. | D．London clubs |
The underlined word “offset” in paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
| A．decreased | B．raised | C．encouraged | D．balanced |
What do we know from the passage?
| A．Smoking has strictly been forbidden in cafes in France. |
| B．There is an extremely strict smoking ban everywhere in America. |
| C．Smoking situation is still serious across the world. |
| D．Related ads didn’t appear in England until the English ban was lifted.（解除） |
Do your children always sit still and watch TV? If so, you should be very alert!
Nowadays, children watch television for long hours. They often spend evenings watching their favorite programs on TV. Sometimes they might stay up late to watch TV. Their addiction to television results in their not having time to play or do exercise. They should go outside with friends or spend time reading books. Moreover, watching television too much is harmful to their eyesight.
Researchers claim that attention deficit disorders in children are a result of watching too much television. They say that watching television leads to a developmental disorder in the part of the brain which is responsible for language skills. Children who watch television more and read less have greater difficulty paying attention and concentrating. Children that spend long hours watching television are more likely to be affected by attention deficit disorders.
Television is one form of media which is used to show all kinds of products. Watching too much television can lead to early exposure to a wide variety of things. Television advertisements may cause children to behave incorrectly or damage themselves. Advertisements about fast food, cold drinks or other such products that are not good for children’s health can have a bad effect on them. Some TV shows and films also affect how children think and behave.
Studies in psychology have shown that certain programs can have a long-lasting effect on children’s minds. Horror scenes and other frightening shows can have a negative effect on the minds of children watching them.
Television is a means of recreation but watching it too often is harmful to children’s physical and mental health. You need to help you children deep a balance of everything in life.The underlined word “deficit ” in the third paragraph most probably means _____.
| A．need | B．habit | C．fear | D．lack |
It’s implied in the last paragraph that you should ______.
| A．decide on when children can watch television |
| B．give children more time to play |
| C．help you children balance everyday life |
| D．stop you children from watching TV |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The bad effects watching TV has on children. |
| B．How many hours children should spend watching TV. |
| C．How advertisements affect children’s behavior. |
| D．What scenes children should not watch on TV. |
Which of the following are the effects of watching too much TV according to the passage?
a. causing children to have less time to read good books.
b. making children behave improperly
c. harming children’s eyesight
d. affecting the parent-child relationship
| A．a, b, d | B．b, c, d | C．a, b, c | D．a, c, d |