An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow(乌鸦) rested on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is this?”
The son replied “It is a crow.”
After a few seconds the father asked his son the second time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I just now told you; it is a crow.”
After a little while, the old man again asked his son the third time, “What is this?”
At this time some expression of anger was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father, “It is a crow, a crow.”
A little later, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “What is it?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? Although I have told you so many times? It is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. The following words were written in it:
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa. When a crow was sitting on the window, my son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel angered. I rather felt affection for my innocent(单纯的) child.
So ……
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but be kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.How many times did the father asked his son the same question?
| A．Twice. | B．Three times. |
| C．Four times. | D．Twenty-three times. |
What was written in the diary mainly shows_________.
| A．the son’s foolishness | B．the father’s loneliness |
| C．the father’s love for his son | D．the son’s curiosity |
After reading the diary, the son most probably felt_________.
| A．very disappointed | B．even angrier |
| C．rather happy | D．deeply ashamed |
What lesson should we learn from the passage?
| A．We should be considerate to our parents. |
| B．It’s important to be a great father. |
| C．We should form the habit of keeping a diary. |
| D．Old diaries have extraordinary values. |
After moving to the United States , immigrant groups trying to fit in tend to choose high calorie fatty foods in an attempt to appear more American , a new study finds . That’s one reason why immigrants approach US levels of obesity within 15 years of moving to America.
The researchers also did an experiment that measured whether or not the threat of appearing un-American influenced respondents’ food choices . After being questioned about their ability to speak English , 75 percent of Asian-Americans identified a typical American food as their favorite. Only 25 percent of Asian-Americans who had not been asked if they spoke English did the same.
When their American identiy was called into question during a follow-up study, Asian-American participants also tended to choose typical American dishes , such as hamburgers and cheese sand wiches In that experiment , 55 Asian-Americans were asked to choose a meal from a local Asian or American restaurant . Some participants were told that only Americans could participate in the study. Those who chose the more typical American fare ended up consuming an extra 182 calories , including 12grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat(饱和脂肪).
“People who feel like they need to prove they belong to a culture will change their habits in an attempt to fit in , ”said Sauna Cheryan ,an anthor of the study and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington.” If immigrants and their children choose unhealthy American foods over healthier traditional foods across their lives , this process of fitting in could lead to poorer health .Cheryan added.
Social pressures , the study concluded , are at the heart of the problem. “In American society today , being American is associated with being white . Americans , who don’t fit this image even if they were born here and speak English , feel that pressure to prove that they’re American,” said Cheryan.The author wants to show that.
| A．more and more Asians enjoy high-calorie snacks |
| B．immigrants tend to eat American junk food to fit in |
| C．most Americans are at the risk of heart disease |
| D．all the American people have a bad eating habit |
According to the survey,.
| A．Asian-Americans care less about their health |
| B．25 percent of Americans like junk food |
| C．choosing food is related to Asian-American’s situation |
| D．immigrants are forced to eat junk food |
The underlined word “fare” in Paragraph 4 most probably means “”.
| A．food offered as a meal | B．a person taking a taxi |
| C．money spent on food | D．an arranged thing to do |
According to Sauna Cheryan,.
| A．what immigrants have done is ridiculous |
| B．American traditional foods are healthier |
| C．immigrants risk their health in order to fit in |
| D．American culture affects immigrants deeply |
Which of the following should take the blame for the bad eating habit?
| A．The situation of employment. | B．The traditional culture. |
| C．The American government. | D．The pressures from society. |
Efforts to reduce the damage from the huge oil spill(漏油)in the Gulf of Mexico are under way . How can you help ?A number of organizations are recruiting(招聘)volunteers.
The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected . Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteers in the affected areas , call 1-866-448-5816.
The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife , and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word “NWF” to 20222. That’ss donate ＄10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill.
United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund . which is providing emergency assistance and long-term recovery support for the communities affected by this oil spill . Those who need help or want to volunteer can dial 2-1-1.You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited . org/gulfrecovery.or text the word “United” to 50555 to donate ＄10 from your mobile phone.
The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats . Their founder , Tad Agoglia —who was named a CNN Hero in 2008—has made their work on the oil . spill their top Priority(首位)until the disaster is contained.They are looking for volunteers . Call 941-388-3010.
AmenCares is providing medical care and supplies to oilspill victims along the Gulf , and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster . Mental health experts are in great demand . The Children’s Health Fund can be reached at 1-800-535-7418.If you see an oiled bird in the Gulf of Mexico . you are supposed to .
| A．catch it | B．raise it at home |
| C．call 1-866-557-1401 | D．shoot at it |
.If you text the word . “NWF”to 20222 with your cellphone , you will.
| A．donate＄10 to the Nationas Wildlife Federation |
| B．get a free gift |
| C．donate＄10 to United Way |
| D．have a chance of winning a trip to France |
Which of the following organizations are providing medical care?
| A．United Way and AmenCares. |
| B．The Deep Water Horizon and The National Wildlife Federation. |
| C．The National Wildlife Federation and The Children’s Health Fund. |
| D．AmeriCares and The Children’s Health Fund. |
We can infer that Tad Agoglia.
| A．is a person with the social responsibility |
| B．is an engineer on dam –building |
| C．is the founder of AmeriCares |
| D．should be responsible for the oil spill |
If you are good at treating mental health problems and willing to volunteer ,you can dial the telephone number.
| A．1-800-486-4357 | B．1-800-535-744 |
| C．1-866-448-5816 | D．941-388-3010 |
At 20 year of age F.W. Woolworth found work in exchange for room and board at a local dry goods store , and after his employers held a successful clearance sale he saw the possibilities of a discount store. His key improvements were having the goods on open display instead of behind the counter , and having prices plainly marked instead of bargaining.
With borrowed funds he opened his first F.W. Woolworth store in the suburb of Utica, New York in 1879, but the store closed the following year . Deciding that his problem had been a poor location. He opened a new store in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylyania in 1881. Within months he was opening multiple stores in business partnerships with local retailers,and within a few years Woolworth was a millionaire. In 1909 he opened his first store in England, and in 1913 the company opened its new headquarters in New York’s Woolworth Building—then the tallest building in the world.
Woolworth had a deep fear of dentists , allowing his teeth to rot ,and died of a dental(牙齿)lunch counters in many stores , Woolworth was America’s largest restaurant chain through the 1940s. The company peaked as the world’s largest department store chain in the late 1970s, with more than 4 . 000 stores. By the late 1990s business was sputtering (喷溅), and the company closed all of its American department stores,renamed itself Venator, and sold the Woolworth Building . In 2003 Venator renamed itself after the company’s most successful division, Foot Locker, Inc . Under separate ownership , Woolworth stores are still operated in Austria , Germany , Mexico, South Africa , and the United Kingdom.The first F. W. Woolworth store failed mainly because.
| A．it was located too far away from the city center |
| B．it was a new brand for customers |
| C．its goods are much too expensive |
| D．it was inconvenient for customers to choose goods |
A clearance sale offers customers a good chance.
| A．to make a purchase on cash |
| B．to buy something in a very low price |
| C．to bargain with the sellers |
| D．to pick up what you like for free |
Which is the right order of events that happened in this passage?
a.Woolworth became a millionaire
b.first F. W. Woolworth store opened
c.F.W. Woolworth found work at a local dry goods store
d.The company peaked as the world’s largest department store chain
e.Woolworth died of a dental infection
| A．d-b-c-e-a | B．a-c-b-d-e | C．c-b-a-e-d | D．a-d-e-c-b |
We know from this passage that.
| A．Woolworth built the tallest building in the world in 1913. |
| B．the number of Woolworth reached its peak before the death of F.W. Woolworth |
| C．offering free lunch is one of the characters of Woolworth store store chain |
| D．Woolworth had no chain stores in America for about 20 years |
.F.W.Woolworth’s success mainly owes to .
| A．his hard working and diligent efforts |
| B．his gifted talent in selling |
| C．his new market concept and sales model |
| D．his rich experience in the dry goods store |
For the last couple of weeks , I had been stuck in front of my computer working on a project that was very important to me . My every waking hour was consumed by the project and although I imagined that I would feel happy after completing parts of the project, I was confused to find that instead , I was feeling rather depressed . I tried a range of methods to help cheer myself up. I had a relaxing bath, cooked a delicious meal to enjoy with my family and even watched a lighthearted movie,but to no avail. It was only when I turned to meditation(沉思) for a solution that the answer came to me : turn to nature!
The very next day , I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and set off to spend a few hours walking in a nature reserve , even though it was pouring with rain . Within a couple of minutes I felt alive again.To be honest . I felt like a young school girl again and had to stop myself from hopping along the path singing , “I’m singing in the rain.”a song I used to sing when I was a child . I think as adults we often try too hard to control our inner children and as a result we restrain(限制)our own spirits , which only leads to depression and stress.
Interestingly,it has been shown that people who spend 40 minutes walking in a nature reserve have a drop in their blood pressure levels. But this does not happen when they spend a similar amount of time walking in a busy city centre .
If you feel a little low in spirit and know that you have spent too much time indoors , relax completely , remove your shoes and let your inner child come out and play.The author felt depressed because she.
| A．couldn’t consume her waking hour |
| B．had not seen a film for a long time. |
| C．had not finished her work on time |
| D．had worked on a hard job for too long |
The author walked in a nature reserve in the rain in order to.
| A．take photos | B．find a solution to the project |
| C．hop along the path | D．cheer herself up |
The underlined part“to no avail” in Paragraph 1 probably means“”.
| A．unsuccessful | B．unrelated | C．uninteresting | D．unexpected |
In the author’s opinion,.
| A．a bath can make people relaxed |
| B．depression is usually caused by hard work |
| C．walking in a busy city centre harms people’s health |
| D．adults should express their inner feelings freely |
The last paragraph mainly serves as a(n).
| A．explanation | B．suggestion | C．introduction | D．reminder |
So much to do, so little time．So much information, so little time to read．In this age there is more information than ever before．There is not enough time to read everything we want to read．However, you can take in and understand more information in shorter time through speed-reading．This article will not make you read 3,000 words per minute, but it will show you how to increase your speed greatly．You will also learn the basic techniques of speed reading, along with the dos and don’ts of speed-reading．
When you first learned to read, you would say the word out loud and sound it out．Then you might whisper the word because people can become annoyed when you read aloud．The stage you are now at is saying the word in your head．Most people tend to read this way．Saying the word in your head will cut your reading speed tremendously （极大的）．
How do you calculate your reading speed? The speed is measured by how many words per minute you can read．Get some reading material, preferably a book．Find out how many words are on the page．Time yourself one minute．Start your timer and start reading．When the timer sounds, stop at once．If you counted 500 words on the page and you read half of the page, then you are probably reading at 250 words per minute．
The first thing about speed-reading is looking at the word and recognizing it．Don’t say the word in your mind, just look at it and recognize its appearance．Later you will recognize groups of four words or more to increase your speed．This is the first and most important step in speed-reading．
The next step is technique．As with any other skill, speed-reading requires technique．You should first be sitting up straight with your book on a horizontal （水平的） surface, such as a table or desk．Next, should be able to see the entire page．This is necessary if you want to recognize clumps of words．Lastly, you should be focused．It’s hard to read with a lot of noise．Find a quiet place to read．This will help your understanding of the text．You need something to guide your eyes while reading．Then right, you should use your hand．Remember when you were little, you would read using your finger．That is a great technique, only now you’re using your hand to underline each line．Move your finger smoothly across page．No need to go rush, start out slow．Keep your eyes focused on words as you recognize them while using your hand as a guide．This will increase your speed．
The third step is practice．Practice makes perfect．Set time intervals．Read using different techniques,
but make sure you understand what you’re reading．Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
| A．Now there is limited information than ever before． |
| B．Now conditions ask people to use less time to know more information． |
| C．Now people can read what they like． |
| D．The less you read, the more time you will spend． |
The underlined sentence “you should be focused” in the fifth paragraph means that ______．
| A．a person should devote his attention to it while reading |
| B．your feelings will be hurt while reading |
| C．a person should smooth away difficulties while he reads |
| D．you should pay attention to your faults while you are reading |
To speed up your reading, you should_________．
| A．sit up straight with your book flat and use something to guide your eyes |
| B．say every word out loud and sound it out |
| C．know it is necessary to read quickly |
| D．underline some important words while you say them |