Several dollars equal nothing for some people, but make a difference for others. Steve has just lost his wife to cancer and everything they had is gone due to the treatment. He now lives in the shelter for the homeless. So we know each other.
Just like other homeless people, he didn’t think he needed anything. But once he mentioned to me he needed eye glasses. His voice hesitated a bit, he looked down, and it appeared like he thought such a request was just a dream. Too much to hope for? It was as if his wish were known by me only.
I submitted an application for him to a program that is supposed to provide a free eye examination and glasses. Three months later, I phoned to ask what was up with the appointment but they told me there was a cash flow problem until late summer.
Steve showed disappointment, thanked me and started to walk away. I said, “Hold on, I will figure out a way to get you an eye examination and glasses.” His face lit up a tiny bit. He had seen some of the things I have done for other people in our shelter and to me it looked like he might have a line of hope.
I took a picture of him and posted his picture and his story in the Twitter. In about 4 days, eight people from around the world donated $25 each and one person donated $40 and I made up the rest to get him an eye exam and glasses.
Steve picked up his glasses on Wednesday: May 11th, 2011. Today Steve has returned to a previous job he had in a nearby car wash. Because he now has glasses he will be able to see what he is doing while cleaning the vehicles. He is starting a second job at a pet center next week!We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ______.
A.it took a long time to treat Steve’s wife |
B.homeless people never ask for anything |
C.Steve was too embarrassed to ask for help |
D.the author and Steve have been friends for years |
The program failed to satisfy Steve because ______.
A.it was already out of business |
B.it had some trouble in finance |
C.Steve didn’t submit the application himself |
D.it’s not designed for people like Steve |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The program was closed three months ago. |
B.Steve used to work as a salesman in a car factory. |
C.Steve got $240 in total from kind-hearted people. |
D.The author might be a volunteer in the shelter. |
The best title for the passage is probably ______.
A.Money can sometimes talk |
B.Small help can really count |
C.Two heads are better than one |
D.God helps those who help themselves |
A person named Bernard Jackson today is a free man, but he has many bitter memories. He spent five years in prison after a jury (陪审团) wrongly convicted (判处……有罪) him of raping two women. At Jackson’s trial, although two witnesses testified that Jackson was with them in another location at the time of the crime, he was convicted anyway. Why? The jury believed the testimony (证词) of the two victims, who positively identified Jackson as the man who had attacked them. The court eventually freed Jackson after the police found the real criminal.
Many factors influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. For instance, witnesses sometimes see photographs of several suspects before they try to identify the person they saw in a group of people. They can become confused by seeing many photographs of similar faces. The number of people in the group, and whether it is a person or a photograph, may also affect a witness’s decision. People sometimes have difficulty identifying people of other races. The questions the police ask witnesses also have an effect on them.
Many people believe that police officers are more reliable than ordinary people. Psychologists decided to test this idea, and they discovered that it is not true. Two psychologists showed a film of crimes to both police officers and civilians. The psychologists found no difference between the police and the civilians in correctly remembering the details of the crimes.
Despite all the possibilities for inaccuracy, courts cannot leave out eyewitness testimony from a trial. American courts depend almost completely on eyewitness testimony to resolve (决定) court cases. Sometimes it is the only evidence to a crime, such as rape. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is often correct. Although people do sometimes make mistakes, and convict innocent people, more importantly, eyewitness testimony has rightly convicted a larger number of guilty people.
American courts depend on the ability of the twelve jurors, and not the judges, to determine the accuracy of the witness’s testimony. It is their responsibility to decide if a certain witness could actually see, hear and remember what happened. Bernard Jackson was found guilty and sentenced 5 years’ prison because.
A.the police discovered evidence leading to his guilt |
B.he admitted the crime of raping two women |
C.the victims insisted that he was the attacker |
D.the eyewitness proved the victims’ testimony |
The following statements may be the reasons for why sometimes the eyewitness’ testimony is not accurate EXCEPT .
A.the eyewitness is confused by the police’s questions |
B.the eyewitness is shown photos of many similar faces |
C.the eyewitness lacks the professional help from police |
D.the eyewitness can’t identify people of other races clearly |
An inaccurate eyewitness testimony may lead to.
A.the misunderstanding of the case | B.the disbelief in the court |
C.the disrespect for the eyewitness | D.the conviction of an innocent person |
Eyewitness testimony is important because.
A.it can be relied on to detect criminals in all cases. |
B.it is sometimes the only way to resolve court![]() |
C.it is sometimes the only clue for police investigation. |
D.it is more reliable than physical evidences to a crime. |
According to the text, we can infer that.
A.police identification is more reliable than that of the ordinary people |
B.eyewitness testimony is valuable, though sometimes incorrect. |
C.crime victims often fail to give positive identification of the suspects |
D.the jury relies on the judge rather than the eyewitness for a decision |
Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience,researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).
One of the study’s authors,Nina Kraus,said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs,Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages,pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study,the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers,half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie,the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint,bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study,Patrick C.M.Wong,said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.When learning Chinese,a foreigner will find ________.
A.he has a difficult time learning music at the same time |
B.he has an easier time learning music at the same time |
C.it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand |
D.it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch |
Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?
A.Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music. |
B.Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain. |
C.Because music training might help people with language study. |
D.Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music. |
The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”.
A.created | B.spelled |
C.seemed | D.pronounced |
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers |
B.Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study |
C.Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning |
D.Schools Need to Develop Music Programs |
The desire for a better life is sometimes so big that it makes people leave their countries and their families and work in other countries. They know that they will have to face difficult moments,that they won’t be able to communicate with the persons around them,and that maybe they will have to work in illegal conditions to get the money they need for their families,but they all take these chances and they hope they will succeed.
On the other hand,there are people who immigrate(移民)just for the sake of the people they love. They leave their families to make other families with the people they love. Women go to meet their men who have chosen other countries to start a new life,even if they miss their families and friends. Maybe they don’t have a place to work but they are able to wait to see what destiny(命运) has for them.
There are also the cases of the people who are forced to leave their countries because of a war which threatens their lives. They’d rather start from the very beginning again than risk putting their lives in danger.
When welldeveloped countries see that their homeland is being “invaded” by lots of immigrants,they set new laws that make immigration harder. As a result of this,many illegal immigrants cross the borders and are eager to work,although they are paid only half the amount of money native workers receive for the same kind of job.
The opinions of the local people are varied and they range from total refusal to complete acceptance. Immigrants in countries which have large communities of them are fighting for the recognition of their social rights and for equal treatment.
Many immigrants have managed to be fully accepted by the communities where they live and have managed to change the opinions of the local people about them.Which of the following reasons for immigration is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Escaping from a war. | B.Being reunited with the beloved people. |
C.Seeking a better life. | D.Studying a foreign language. |
What’s the usual response to immigrants in welldeveloped countries?
A.To accept them. | B.To put limitations on immigration. |
C.To refuse them. | D.To encourage them. |
The passage implies that ________.
A.culture shock causes great anxiety in some immigrants |
B.illegal immigrants cause great damage to developed countries |
C.stricter laws should be set to prevent immigration |
D.many people go to other countries with great determination |
While most high school students spend most of their time worrying about who likes who, and different relationships between their classmates, I choose to focus on my school lessons and sports.
When I was young, my mother encouraged me to develop and keep friendship with boys in order to build strong relationships. But she told me not to risk a good friendship with a boy with the title of boyfriend. It’ s indeed a wise choice to stay friends with those of the opposite sex. In my opinion, even though some high school relationship might continue after graduation, the probability of them lasting much longer is so slim that there really is not a point to it.
Firstly you have to think about such a question— whether it is possible to hurt both of you, or even hurt both of your future husbands or wives. My second point is that you still can date if you hope marriage could possibly follow. Except this, there really is not any other reason for dating. Some students desire relationships for a chance to be romantic. While these are nice to have, there are many more important things at this point in our lives.
The titles of boyfriend and girlfriend put too much stress on a relationship between high school students. Just staying as common friends may be the best choice for us. I strongly recommend we should deal with it in an appropriate way and follow our teachers’ advice if necessary.The author writes this passage probably for to read.
A.high school students | B.school teachers |
C.parents and teachers | D.married couples |
Between sexes, the relationship of being good friends might be than that of being boy/girl-friends.
A.weaker | B.safer | C.slimmer | D.stronger |
How does the writer like the idea of dating among the students?
A.Dating is a nice chance for students to be romantic. |
B.Studying is far more important than dating in school. |
C.In high school dating can surely lead to future marriage. |
D.Dating in high school is sure to hurt your future family. |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph might refer to .
A.the title of boyfriend or girlfriend at school |
B.advice given by both teachers and parents |
C.the pressure from school lessons and sports |
D.the relationship between students of opposite sexes |
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of the most private women in the world, yet when she went to work as an editor in the last two decades of her life, she revealed (展现) herself as she did nowhere else.
After the death of her second husband, Greek shipping magnate(巨头) Aristotie Onassis Jacqueline’s close friend and former White House secretary Letitia Baldrige made a suggestion that she consider a career in publishing. After consideration, Jacqueline accepted it. Perhaps she hoped to find there some ideas about how to live her own life .She became not less but more interested in reading. For the last 20 years of her life, Jacqueline worked as a publisher’s editor, first at Viking, then at Doubleday, pursuing(追求)a late-life career longer than her two marriages combined. During her time in publishing, she was responsible for managing and editing more than 100 successfully marketed books. Among the first books were In the Russian Style and Inventive Paris Clothes. She also succeeded in persuading TV hosts Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell to transform their popular television conversations into a book ,The Power of Myth. The book went on to become an international best-seller. She dealt, too, with Michael Jackson as he prepared his autobiography(自传),Moonwalk.
Jaequeliner may have been hired for her name and for her social relations, but she soon proved her worth. Her choices, suggestions and widespread social relations were of benefit both to the publishing firms and to Jacqueline herself. In the books she selected for publication, she built on a lifetime of spending time by herself as a reader and left a record of the growth of her mind. Her books are the autobiography she never wrote. Her role as First lady, in the end, was overshadowed by her performance as an editor. However, few knew that she had achieved so much.We can learn from the passage that Jacqueline ______.
A.became fond of reading after working as an editor |
B.was in charge of publishing 100 books |
C.promoted her books through social relations![]() |
D.gained a lot from her career as an editor |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that ______.
A.Jacqueline ended up as an editor rather than as First Lady |
B.Jacqueline’s life as First Lady was more colorful than as an editor |
C.Jacqueline was more successful as an editor than as First Lady |
D.Jacqueline’s role as First Lady was more brilliant than as an editor |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Jacqueline’s two marriages lasted more than 20 years |
B.Jacqueline’s own publishing firm was set up eventually |
C.Jacqueline’s views and beliefs were reflected in the books she edited |
D.Jacqueline’s achievements were widely known |
The passage is mainly ______.
A.an introduction of Jacqueline’s life both as First Lady and as an editor. |
B.a brief description of Jacqueline’s lifelong experiences. |
C.a brief account of Jacqueline’s career as an editor in her last 20 years. |
D.an analysis of Jacqueline’s social relations in publishing |