Fortunately, I've been able to avoid the traffic jam brought by presidential visits because ! don't have to commute anywhere. Barack Obama visited Los Angeles recently which paralyzed large sections of a city and you could almost hear the collective pain of unhappy commuters.
I am among the l0 percent of people in the US that regularly work from home. You could include Obama among them, although I suspect his working area in the White House is better-equipped than my small space on to the back of the garage. He also probably doesn't have a problem with three little kids interrupting his phone calls or bursting into his office at inappropriate moments.
Every day there they are, knocking on my window and peering inside, as if looking at an animal in a zoo. Once, a telephone interview I was doing with the former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was interrupted by my older son, then three years old, and completely naked "Ahaaar!" he shouted to my face. "What was that?" said Schwarzenegger. I stammered(结巴地说出) something about the joys of children and silently managed to shoo the boy out of the room without putting down the phone.
I shouldn't complain. I no longer have to stand having someone's armpit(腋窝) being pressed into my face on a crowded train and home status means ! should be a more productive worker although working from home could also lead to "avoiding duties from home". I would argue that a bigger problem is going nuts: Staring at the same walls every day and not going anywhere can do strange things to a person.
I realized I had to get out of the house at least once a day to avoid turning into an unshaven and unshoweredrecluse(隐士) who was still in his pyjamas at dinner time. I would work for an hour or so in a local coffee shop but, like most routine, this became boring because I would constantly see the same faces: Screenwriters poring over screenplays, elderly women heading to the yoga studio next door and hordes of overweight middle-aged male cycling by.
And yet here I am several years later, still working from home consciously and, I'm happy to report, not sitting at my desk in my pyjamas. Not since last Tuesday, anyway.The author may agree that __
| A．it's a bad decision to work from home |
| B．presidential visits bring inconvenience to the locals |
| C．if a person wants to be more productive, he must work from home |
| D．the former California governor was angry at the interruption during the interview |
The incident of three-year-old son is described to prove that___
| A．working from home has some drawbacks |
| B．working from home is a pleasant experience |
| C．Barack Obama has better working conditions than the author |
| D．it's unfortunate for the author to have a naughty boy |
The reason why the author goes to the coffee shop is that __
| A．he wants to get familiar with the people around |
| B．he doesn't like working in his pyjamas at home |
| C．he becomes bored with being a commuter |
| D．he needs some changes to get relaxation |
The whole passage suggests that __
| A．the author has to work from home |
| B．any routine definitely means boredom |
| C．the author is a humorous person |
| D．working from home contributes to avoiding duties |
Michelle Obama, Kate Moss and Samantha Cameron are three of the most stylish﹙时髦的﹚ women on the planet because they have their daughters rather than their style. A new research has shown that women with daughters tend to be more stylish than mothers of sons; a fact partly because of the style advice their daughters offer as they get older.
78 percent of women over the age of 50 say they would be more than happy to let their daughters choose a complete outfit﹙全套衣装﹚ for them. However, just five percent of women say they would turn to their sons for style advice, while 28 percent believe that mothers of boys are less fashionable than women with girls.
“Women who don’t have daughters become less interested in style as they grow older but having a daughter may keep alive her interest in looking great,” comments psychologist Honey Langcaster-James. “And, because of their close relationship, they also have a source of support and encouragement when it comes to their style decisions.”
More than a quarter of women believe that Mums who have sons are less fashion-conscious than Mums with daughters. The most common reasons for this are that daughters are more critical, offer good advice and inspiration, and add an element of competition to look the best while sons don’t seem to care and aren’t as strict as daughters.
Interestingly, although mothers tend to rely on their daughters’ style tips, their confidence isn’t reciprocated﹙互换﹚, with 40 percent of women between the age of 19 and 34 saying they wouldn’t allow their mothers to shop for them as what their mothers would choose for them would not be as good as they expected.
And although they might not appreciate the fashion advice, the research, which was conducted by online retailer Gray & Osbourn, showed that daughters do still need their mothers with 71 percent saying they chat to their female parent every day.
“In short, the research shows just how important relationships are between mothers and daughters,” added Langcaster-James, “and just how much women appreciate an honest and trustworthy opinion.”The opening paragraph is mainly to show .
| A．mothers like to follow their childrens advice |
| B．women with children are often less stylish |
| C．girls influence their mothers style decision |
| D．boys are actually better advisors than girls |
Which of the following may Langcaster-James agree with?
| A．Mothers without daughters show less interest in style. |
| B．Its hard for boys to get along well with their mothers. |
| C．Daughters usually love their mothers more than sons do. |
| D．Girls are more independent than boys in some ways. |
It can be inferred from the passage that girls .
| A．show more interest in science than boys |
| B．are good at encouraging other people |
| C．can help a lot to solve family problems |
| D．care more about what their mothers wear |
By saying their confidence isnt reciprocatedin Paragraph 5, the author means that .
| A．some women dont like to choose clothes for their mothers |
| B．some women arent sure what to wear when attending a party |
| C．some women would not like to follow their mothers style advice |
| D．some women often show no confidence in themselves |
What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?
| A．It confuses many parents how to talk with their kids. |
| B．Mothers of girls are more fashionable than those of boys |
| C．It is important for parents to respect their childrens choice. |
| D．Daughters prefer to talk with their mums instead of dads. |
Meryl Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She is regarded as one of the most talented actresses of all time. The following is a list of movies that Meryl Streep has been involved with:
Kramer vs. Krammer (1979)
In the film, Meryl plays a mother caught up in a custody dispute (拘留纠纷). Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, said, “She’s extraordinarily hardworking. I think she thinks about nothing else but what she’s doing.” Meryl won her first Oscar for her performance in this film.
Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Meryl plays Sophie, a Polish war survivor. To prepare for the role she learned to speak German and perfected a Polish accent. Film critic Roger Ebert said, “This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most natural performances I can imagine.” Meryl won her second Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Out of Africa(1985)
Meryl is Karen Blixen, a Danish woman living in Kenya in the early 20th century. The story follows Karens attempts to run a coffee plantation and her love affair with big-game hunter Denys. The film is based on the memoirs(回忆录) of the real Karen Blixen.
A Cry in the Dark (1995)
This is based on the true-life case of the disappearance of baby Azaria. Meryl plays Linda Chamberlain, a mother who is wrongly accused of killing her own child. After spending four years in prison, it was found that wild dogs had taken away the baby. Meryl won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
The Bridge of Madison County (1995)
This movie is based on one of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th century (the book sold 50 million copies worldwide). Meryl plays Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. It’s about her brief affair with photographer Robert Kincaid.
Mamma Mial(2008)
This is a romantic comedy based on the stage musical Mamma Mial, featuring the music from 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Meryl plays Donna Sheridan, a hotel owner on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Mamma Mial made over U.S. $ 600 million worldwide. Apparently, Meryl had seen the musical in 2001 and was completely absorbed in it. She had no idea that seven years later she’d be in the movie version.For which of the following films did Meryl have to learn a new language?
| A．Kramar vs. Kramar |
| B．A Cry in the Dark |
| C．Sophies Choice |
| D．The Bridges of Madison County |
Which of the following films are based on true-life stories?
| A．Out of Africa & A Cry in the Dark. |
| B．Kramer vs. Kramer & Sophies Choice. |
| C．Sophies Choice & The Bridge of Madison County. |
| D．The Bridges of Madison County & Mamma Mia |
It can be learned from the text that the movie Mamma Mial .
| A．was first shot in 2001 |
| B．probably has audiences screaming with laughter |
| C．has won Meryl a lot of awards |
| D．is based on a popular book |
What do we know about Meryl?
| A．She enjoyed the musical Mamma Mial greatly. |
| B．Her first film was Kramer vs. Kramer. |
| C．She has won one Oscar to date. |
| D．Shes more interested in films than TV programs. |
What can be inferred from the text?
A. Mamma Mial is about the story of the pop group ABBA.
B. The Bridges of Madison County was set in Italy.
C. Roger Ebert thinks Meryls best film is Sophies Choice.
D. Dustin Hoffman speaks highly of Meryl.
In one of the old buildings near our school，one could see an old man sitting by a large window on the first floor．His name was James．During the three years at schoo1, I had hardly ever found him missing from his usual position．
He was a high-ranking government official and lived happily with his wife．Once there was a bus accident，in which a number of passengers were seriously injured and were taken to the hospital for treatment．James was responsible for the rescue operation．It was a big hospital，but James was shocked to notice how ill-equipped it was．There were no enough life-saving drugs and life—supporting equipment． The injured and their companions had to struggle there．James attempted to help．However，though he emptied his pockets，many of them died that day．
That was a turning point in his life．He made a decision to devote his life to helping others， particularly the poor and needy patients and their companions．He began spending much of his income on these people．Since this required a lot of time and energy，he found it difficult to fulfill his official duties and therefore chose to retire，which，in turn，reduced his income considerably．
His wife was deeply worried. Most of the time，James was out and paid least attention to home affairs．Meanwhile，as he was spending a lot helping others，she had to struggle even to meet the household expenses．Though she was not opposed to his helping the poor，she urged him not to overlook his own life and home，but it had no effect on him．One day they had a heated argument and in the end she left him，never to return．Though he continued with his work，this was a great blow and did serious harm to his health and enthusiasm and was soon forced to stay indoors．That was when he took his position by the window，spending his time looking outside．
A few weeks after my graduation，I returned to school，only to find the buildings gone．I heard that they were torn down．All the people left except James．He refused to go and the next morning，he was found at his usual place by the window，dead．What changed James’ view towards life?
| A．The difficulties in his career． |
| B．The deaths in the bus accident． |
| C．The bad conditions in the hospital． |
| D．The responsibilities in the operation． |
James chose to retire in order to____________________.
| A．take care of the injured passengers |
| B．find a better job to increase his income |
| C．spare more time and energy to help others |
| D．stay away from the difficult official duties |
James’ wife left because_________________________．
| A．she was strongly against his deeds |
| B．James paid too little attention to his work |
| C．her work to support their daily life was too tiring |
| D．James failed to keep a balance between charity and home |
The underlined word this in Paragraph 4 refers to ____________.
| A．His decision to retire |
| B．The departure of his wife |
| C．The argument with his wife |
| D．His devotion to helping others |
What is possibly the reason why James sat by the window every day?
| A．He expected his wife to return. |
| B．He looked forward to going out. |
| C．He desired to watch the students. |
| D．He attempted to know the outside life. |
When Jeff Sparkman draws his cartoon superheroes with colored pencils, he often has to ask other people to tell him what color his masked men turned out to be because he's color-blind. Now, a new smart phone application (app) can help him figure out what colors he's using and how the picture looks to most everyone else.
The DanKam app, available for iPhone and Android for $2.99, is an application that turns the vague colors that one percent of the population with color-blindness sees into the "true" colors as everyone else sees them. In America, an estimated 32 million color-blind Americans---95% are males---can soon have their life improved.
"DanKam takes the stream of data coming in through the phone's camera and changes the colors slightly so they fall within the range that people who are color-blind see," developer Dan Kaminsky told CNET. He came up with the idea after watching the 2009 film Star Trek with a color-blind friend.
It was then that he got to know more about colorblindness like its varying types and degrees. A vast majority, for instance, have trouble seeing red or green due to a genetic defect(遗传缺陷). Blue-yellow colorblindness, however, is rarer and develops later in life because of aging, illness or head injuries, etc. He started experimenting with one of the most common representations of points in the RGB color model. What the DanKam app attempts to do is to clean up the color space of the image or video signal so that colors can be visible to those suffering from viewing problems. “You can adjust the app to fit your needs. There is a range and not everyone who is color-blind sees things the same.” Says Kaminsky.
Sparkman, a copy editor at CNET, tried out the app and was pleased with the results. "It would be useful for dressing for a job interview," he said. But using it for his art is “the most practical application." It worked well on LED and other lights on electronic gadgets, which means Sparkman can now identify the power light on his computer display as green.According to the first two paragraphs, we can know that DanKam ___________.
| A．appeared in the movie Star Trek |
| B．can turn vague colors into real ones |
| C．is a phone used to help drawing pictures |
| D．is designed to help people with colorblindness |
How does DanKam’s app work?
| A．It puts LED and other lights on electronic gadgets. |
| B．It changes the colors so that color-blind people can see them. |
| C．It checks color-blind people’s types of degrees of colorblindness. |
| D．It shows common representations of points in the RGB color model |
It can be inferred from the passage that colorblindness __________.
| A．cannot be cured by any methods |
| B．is more commonly seen in women |
| C．is not necessarily inborn disease |
| D．makes people unable to tell any colors |
The underlined word visible in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．portable | B．enjoyable |
| C．adjustable | D．recognizable |
Which of the following is NOT included in the things that DanKam helps Sparkman with?
| A．Choosing clothes. |
| B．Drawing his pictures. |
| C．Playing computer games |
| D．Handling electronic gadgets. |
Doha, the capital of Qatar，is a city of contrasts(对照). In a few decades it has beentransformed from a small port to an international city. Today, its skyline is shaped by rising skyscrapers, but Old Doha---though fast disappearing---can still be found.
Time seems to stand still in the old quarter of the city. On the dusty streets, Indian and Pakistani men sit cross-legged outside tea shops and restaurants. At one end of the road, men queue by the doorways of crowded supermarkets to buy necessities: boxes of teabags, milk, sugar, bread and soap. The shops are dark and poorly stocked. However, only five miles away, on the other side of the city, Doha shows a completely different image. It shines brilliantly with skyscrapers, five-star hotels and noble apartment buildings. The area looks like any other modem district in the world.
Qatar, a tiny gulf(海湾)nation, is a country of vast local and international ambitions. At home, it has owned several international universities. Abroad, it tries to speak louder on gulf affairs. These ambitions are urged by the country’s unbelievably rich reserves of fossil fuels．In December 2012, Daba was the site of Copl8 UN Climate Change Conference and in 2022，Qatar will host the World Cup.
Mohammed Salim, 55, runs a hair salon in the old part of the city where he works as a hair
dresser．When he came to Doha 22 years ago from Pakistan，he recalls，Doha was a quiet town with few modern buildings．“At that time，Doha seemed rather small．There were no big roads or malls at all.” He has noticed a drop in customers to his salon in recent years．“People now tend to go to more fashionable hair salons in shopping malls．Some day this old area will be gone, and my business will probably be gone, too．I'll be sad. I love here, but things are changing．We can’t ignore it.”What makes Doha become a city of contrasts according to the passage?
| A．The city’s old and modern districts． |
| B．The modern city and the tiny country． |
| C．The city’s past and present conditions． |
| D．The fashionable city and its poor citizens． |
What do we know about the shops in the old quarter of Doha?
| A．They don't have many goods or customers． |
| B．They provide a great variety of luxury goods． |
| C．They are bright big shops crowded with people． |
| D．They look poor and offer fewer choices of goods． |
Qatar tries to speak louder on gulf affairs because______________.
A it has international cities such as Doha
B．it is going to host the World Cup in 2022
C．it has made progress in building universities
D．it is known for its large reserves of natural gasThe author takes the hair salon as an example to show that___________.
| A．people in Doha are fashionable |
| B．the economy in Doha becomes bad |
| C．changes are happening to Old Doha |
| D．Doha used to be an undeveloped town |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Old Doha is characterized by rising skyscrapers． |
| B．Doha seemed small in the past as is recalled by Salim． |
| C．Doha will host Copl8 UN Climate Change Conference in 2022． |
| D．The western side of Doha looks more modern than the eastern side. |