Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it－using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry（丰田凯美瑞）and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom（赎金）,” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition（点火装置） as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said. What does the underlined word "towed" mean in paragraph 3?
| A．removed. | B．damaged. |
| C．stolen. | D．sold. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers. |
| B．Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter. |
| C．Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back. |
| D．Mrs. Anderson used her daughter's key to unlock Charlie's car and drive home. |
What does Charlie mean by "high-five for Toyota"?
| A． He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys. |
| B． He should thank Toyota for returning his car. |
| C． He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back. |
| D． He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars. |
What is likely to happen next according to the passage?
| A．Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car. |
| B．Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car. |
| C．Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation. |
| D．The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation. |
I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke (唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than“broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions(认识)of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken” ; and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal (内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure. I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show: her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.The author used to think of her mother’s English as .
| A．impolite | B．amusing |
| C．imperfect | D．practical |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
| A．Americans do not understand broken English. |
| B．The author’s mother was not respected sometimes. |
| C．The author’s mother had positive influence on her. |
| D．Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts. |
The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is .
| A．well structured |
| B．in the old style |
| C．easy to translate |
| D．rich in meaning |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The change of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English. |
| B．The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother. |
| C．The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English. |
| D．The author’s experiences of using broken English. |
Picking a university is a tense period of asking yourself which institution is most relevant. That’s why university rankings play such a vital role in students searching for their next academic direction. Rankings are also an inescapable part of the reputation and brand image of universities. “No university website is complete without the claim to be in the top 100 for something or other,” reported the BBC. The reason is simple: Rankings help them to attract students, staff and research investment.
Currently there are numbers of university rankings, and each has its own list of criteria. But the main categories are the same: academic reputation, graduates' performance and faculty resources.
However, experts point out the ranking process isn't entirely reliable. Mark Kantrowitz, a US financial aid researcher, said university rankings were mostly just for show. He wrote in The New York Times. “It may give your parents better bragging rights, but that's about it.”
Moreover, it’s not difficult to see the limitations of university rankings. Many rankings focus on the number of times research work is cited (引用) by other researchers. It helps British and US universities to dominate global rankings because English is the favored language of academia, John O’Leary, a member of the QS academic advisory board, told The Gunrdian. Also, rankings such as QS mainly focus on the qualities of the university rather than its students. “Any university ranking is likely to help students make better decisions about where to study, but the need to balance them with other more human factors is also important,” said Phil Moss, an education and admissions consultant. “Advice from graduates or current students can be as valuable in providing a genuine insight into the experience or quality of a particular degree program. It can also add an element that rankings can never convey -- the actual emotion of a university experience.”Why do universities consider rankings important?
| A．Rankings make them more appealing. |
| B．Rankings are students’ only reference. |
| C．Rankings can increase their academic level. |
| D．Rankings help them complete their websites. |
What does the underlined “It” in paragraph 4 refer to?
| A．Academic research work. |
| B．The number of researches. |
| C．The way of ranking universities. |
| D．The limitation of university ranking. |
According to John O’Leary, what helps British and US universities rank well?
| A．The wide use of English in academia. |
| B．Their outstanding qualities. |
| C．Their graduates’ excellent performance. |
| D．The academia’s favor to them. |
Besides ranking, what does Phil Moss suggest you should refer to if you're picking a university?
| A．Investment in education. |
| B．Guidance from professors. |
| C．Information on websites. |
| D．Suggestions from students. |
Maurice Mountain is a retired lawyer in Washington, D.C. He developed a prototype(原型机) for a device he calls the Presto Emergency Boat Ladder. His invention is a small folding ladder that attaches to the side of a boat to help people who fall into the water. Mr. Mountain plans to mass-produce his boat ladder.
He created his invention at a workshop called TechShop. Mr. Mountain says, “I think it encourages innovation. I think people who probably have had ideas rolling around in the back of their minds for years but have never had the opportunity to actually put them into production or even experiment with them would find this place wonderful. Members of TechShop use high-tech equipment to develop and produce ideas they have for inventions.” Isabella Musachio manages a TechShop in Arlington, Virginia. She says the shop has many different kinds of equipment.
“TechShop is a do-it-yourself maker space. So when you come in we have all these different areas of the shop, and we have a metal shop, wood shop, lasers, 3D printers, electronics. I mean, we have so many different areas and we have all the equipment that is availahle to anybody above the age of 12.”
Membership costs for TechShop start at just over $ 100 per month. Members are able to use costly machines including 3D modeling tools and laser cutters. Isabella Musachio says TechShop helps its members build their dreams.
“Our motto is ‘build your dreams here’ because you can really come in with just an idea, and then with the help of TechShop make that leap from an idea to building your project o, your prototype or even your business.”
Jim Newton is the founder of TechShop. He first introduced the idea for the technology workshops at an arts and sciences event called Maker Faire in San Mateo, California in 2006. His idea attracted hundreds of members during that event, Now, there are eight TechShop locations in the U. S. In all, there are more than 6,000 members. Two more-TechShop locations in the cities of St. Louis and Look Angeles will be set up.The invention Mr. Mountain invented will be used to____ .
A save the drowning people
B. help people climb the ladder
C. make the boat safer
D. let the boat float safelyWhat can be inferred from what Mr. Mountain says in Paragraph 2?.
| A．People with imagination can achieve their dreams. |
| B．TechShop can help turn some people’s ideas into reality. |
| C．TechShop is a place where people can put forward their new ideas. |
| D．It's hard for people to put their ideas into practice. |
From the last paragraph, we can know _____.
| A．Jim Newton is a very great invention |
| B．people didn't like TechShop at first |
| C．TechShop will become more and more popular |
| D．TechShop greeted with bad reviews in 2006 |
What can we know about TechShop from the passage?
| A．TechShop is founded by Maurice Mountain. |
| B．TechShop puts high-tech dreams within reach. |
| C．TechShop is a non-profit organization. |
| D．TechShop offers its members more ideas. |
Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of their programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness, Public Speaking.
After my speech, I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speaker, faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was not only appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After delivering is successfully, I became more confident .l said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plant, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step.Which of the following is the hest title for the passage?
| A．Practice Makes a Man a Better Speechmaker |
| B．Public Speaking Makes a Man Embarrassed. |
| C．Principal Provides the Best Chances. |
| D．Spoken English Develops in Malting Speeches. |
The author had bad feelings before the speech because______.
| A．he disliked the idea of giving a lecture |
| B．he had got a high fever before that |
| C．he regretted accepting the invitation |
| D．he feared he couldn't perform it properly |
What does the underlined part “ominous apprehensions” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Unlucky opportunities. |
| B．Negative ideas. |
| C．Curious views. |
| D．Happy comments. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty. |
| B．Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud. |
| C．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
| D．Necessity is the mother of invention. |
Delta College starts Street Fair
San Joaquin Delta College will introduce its new Summer Street Fair, which runs from noon to 8 p. m every Friday stating this week through Aug. 9 in Delta’s L-l parking lot near Pacific Avenue and March Lane. The fair goes with Delta’s weekend flea market.
This week’s featured performers are guitarist Travis Matsumoto from noon to 3 p.m., and Julio and his Jazz Trio from 3 to 6 p.m.
Lode Farmers Market opens
The Angels Camp Certified Farmers Market begins its yearly run from 5 p.m. to dusk this Friday in Utica Park in downtown Angels Camp. Opening night will feature wine tasting from award-winning Four Winds Cellars, and live music by guitarist Nicholas Leffler. Visitors will find fresh, locally grown produce and specialty foods. There will also be barbecue and California-
Mexican fusion cuisine.
Join River Rafting for a good cause
Whitewater enthusiasts can participate in Mokelumne Rive, Rafting Adventures on June 16 in Mokelumne Hill. Local outfitter O.A.R.S. is donating its services to help with the event. Departures are at 8 a.m., noon, or 4 p.m. The trip should last about three hours.
The trip is appropriate for those 7 and older, and the ability to swim is not required. The cost is $ 70 per person.
Films center on paddling water
The festival is an annual contest that awards winning films that focus on paddling in rivers, lakes and oceans in a variety of locales. Tickets to the film festival are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and are also available online at
ticketriver.com/event/7002-reel-paddling-film-festival.
The evening also includes a drawing. Prizes include whitewater trips on the South Fork of the American River.If you want to go to the Summer Street Fair, .
| A．you must be a student from Delta College |
| B．you can go there on the afternoon of Friday |
| C．you should live near the Pacific Avenue |
| D．you must give a performance in the market |
If you want to enjoy the tasty foods, you can go to____.
| A．the new Summer Street Fair of Delta College |
| B．Lode Farmers Market |
| C．Mokelumne River Rafting Adventures |
| D．the film festival centering on paddling water |
If you are interested in paddling in rivers.
| A．you can know all the American rivers |
| B．you must try hard to get many prizes |
| C．you can get tickets from a website |
| D．you must keep silent in the evening |