Many years ago, I went through a tough time. One afternoon, I picked my girls up. It was late when we returned home. I went to unlock the door and found my key wouldn’t go in. I kept trying while my daughter went to get a flashlight. When she returned with it we found somehow the lock had been “stuffed” with sunflower seed shells. Thinking that one of the neighborhood children had been up to no good, I really didn’t give it much consideration.
I found all windows were locked up tight. So I returned to the back door. Oh my God, I will never forget the shock of that moment. The house was empty! Other than a few things remaining on the back porch, everything was gone! Then I heard a car pull into the driveway and found two policemen walking up. They inquired why I had broken into the house. They then asked me for proof that I lived at that address, so I asked them to wait a minute while I went to get my rent receipt and identification from inside the house. I explained the matter to them and showed them the door lock.
At this point they were not buying any of my story. I could tell from their actions and tone of voice that they thought I was breaking into an empty house for somewhere to sleep.
I asked a neighbor for the phone number of house owner and the officer made a call. The owner was quite shocked to hear my story. She said that my roommate had been going through an eviction(驱逐) process with the court when I moved in with her and had lost the case. She had been ordered to move by 10 am on that date. The court order had been issued the same day I had paid her 1/2 of the rent and a deposit of $300,000.
The owner was very kind and understanding but there was nothing she could do. The house had been rented already and the people were to move in the following weekend.
The officers let me go and I went to gather my girls into the car. They were both exhausted and old. Also very frightened, because they thought their mamma was going to jail. I had to pull over because the tears took control. I couldn’t believe it! Everything we owned was gone, I had used up all our money moving in and paying my “friend” our share of costs. I knew very few people in town, as we had just moved there recently.
I went to sit back in the car with the girls, I talked to the girls, explaining our situation to them so that they wouldn’t be afraid. During this time there was a “street person” with a bag, looking in the garbage for cans, bottles, and anything that might bring him some cash. But I didn’t pay much attention to him. I decided to get the girls something to eat for breakfast. We grabbed some bread, and chips and returned for a “picnic”. When we got there, I noticed that the man was not alone. He was with a small group of others like him and they were passing a hat amongst themselves.
I was busy setting up our little “picnic” when I heard a voice saying, “MaAm, please excuse… but…well…I overheard the situation you are in, and well… I and the fellows took up a collection for you and your little girls. It’s not very much, but maybe it’ll help a little.” I looked up at this man---dirty, needing a shave ----and saw the face of an angel. I started crying. The man tried to hand me $30. I folded his hand back over the money and just hugged him as tight as I could. I told him, “Thank you for your more than generous offer, but we are going to be just fine.” He didn’t believe me at first, but I convinced him that it was okay.
Later that afternoon I went to the market and bought the making for a barbecue and off to that little park. It didn’t take us very long to find those gentlemen and invite them to join us for lunch. I had a wonderful afternoon that day, sitting there with those old guys, singing songs. They had some of the most entertaining stories and they shared the dreams they once had. They shared themselves… from the heart.The writer couldn’t open the door because ________
| A．she didn’t have the right key |
| B．there was something else in the lock |
| C．someone had changed the lock |
| D．the owner of the house refused her living there |
How did the writer come into the house?
| A．She came in with the help of the policemen. |
| B．She came in by breaking the glass. |
| C．She came in with the help of a flashlight. |
| D．She came in from the back door. |
When the writer came into her house, she must feel _____
| A．excited | B．confused |
| C．shocked | D．frustrated |
The writer was not allowed to stay at the house because ____
| A．she was cheated by her roommate and the house had been rented to others |
| B．the house owner was angry about her breaking the glass of the house. |
| C．she hadn’t paid her share of rent. |
| D．she was ordered to move out by the court |
The underlined sentence “At this point they were not buying any of my story.” May mean ________.
| A．the policemen didn’t have enough money. |
| B．the policemen didn’t believe the writer’s words. |
| C．the policemen helped the writer to break the window. |
| D．the policemen wanted to get the rent receipt. |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage
| A．The street person was poor and didn’t dress well. |
| B．The writer accepted the money the street person gave her. |
| C．The street person didn’t know the writer before. |
| D．The writer got along well with the street person and his fellows. |
One of India’s top engineering schools has restricted Internet access in its boarding houses, saying addiction to surfing, gaming and blogging was affecting students’ performance, making them lonely and even suicidal.
Authorities at the best Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai said students had stopped socializing and many were late for morning classes or slept through them. “Now, a student doesn’t even know who lives two doors away from him because he is so busy on the Internet,” said Prakash Gopalan, dean of Student Affairs. “The old dormitory culture of companionship and socializing among students is gone. This is not healthy in our opinion.”
IITMumbai, with about 5,000 students, is one of the seven IITs across India which are considered to be among the finest engineering schools in the world. They are also a talent pool for global technology giants. But their hard courses, tough competition and lonely campus lifestyle have taken an effect on students. Depressive and dysfunctional lifestyles are known to be common among IIT students, and at least nine have committed suicide in the past five years. Students have unlimited free Internet access in their boarding houses to help them in their studies, but many also use it to surf, chat, download movies and music, blog and for gaming.
“Starting Monday, Internet access will be banned between 11 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. at IITMumbai’s 13 boarding buildings to encourage students to sleep early and to try and force them out of their shells.” Gopalan said. But the move has not gone down well with students who say they hate their lives being regulated. “Now they will say we need to listen to a lullaby (摇篮曲) to go to sleep.” said Rajiv, an electronics student.According to the text, the students addicted to the Internet in IIT-Mumbai are likely to ______.
| A．perform well in studies | B．participate in social activities |
| C．know their classmates better | D．feel lonely and even suicidal |
The underlined word “dysfunctional” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “______”.
| A．unpopular | B．meaningful | C．abnormal | D．exciting |
What measures have been taken in IITMumbai?
| A．Students must go to bed before 11 p.m. |
| B．Students are forbidden to surf the Internet on campus. |
| C．Students have unlimited free Internet access in their dormitories. |
| D．Internet access is unavailable in deep night in boarding buildings. |
We may infer from the last paragraph that ______.
| A．all electronics students hate the banning order |
| B．some students complain about the banning order |
| C．there is no Internet access on the IIT campus ever since |
| D．more students prefer listening to music to surfing the Internet |
I’ve often wondered if I might do more good as a travel agent rather than as a psychologist. It seems that I have been more dramatically affected by certain kinds of travel experiences than I ever have.
My trip to Iceland is a fine example of that. The plan was to spend two days in a remote mountain hut in Iceland. I was working on a photographic book about winter in Iceland and needed to capture images of this amazing region of high mountain peaks, smoky volcanoes, and lakes with floating icebergs.
The moment after we arrived, the weather turned extreme making visibility impossible. It snowed so much and the wind blew so hard that we couldn’t leave the tiny hut. To stay warm, we walked around in circles much of the day inside the tiny hut. We tried to call for help but the radio did not work. Day after day, we watched our supplies of food and fuel grow dangerously short. We got acute cabin fever (幽居病) and started going for walks and ski expeditions outside. Even when the weather finally broke, nobody came to get us even though it was three days beyond our scheduled pickup. By the time the rescue team came to pull us out, we had all given up hope.
From then on, the world looks different to me, as does my life. It would have taken me years of psychotherapy to get to the same point.
Almost everyone has a story to tell, and interestingly, most of these experiences were not altogether pleasant at the time. In fact, it appears that the most constructive life-changing journeys were those that involved some sorts of awful and uncomfortable events that forced the person to develop new resources, increase confidence, and solve problems in new ways.The writer went to Iceland to ______.
| A．enjoy the natural beautiful floating icebergs |
| B．take photos about the region for a book |
| C．collect materials for psychological research |
| D．challenge the high mountains there |
During the trip in Iceland, those travelers faced difficulties EXCEPT that ______.
| A．they got lost in the mountain |
| B．they were short of food and fuel |
| C．they couldn’t see the surroundings clearly |
| D．they failed to get in touch with the rescue team |
From Paragraph 3, we learn that the travelers ______.
| A．were in despair before they were rescued |
| B．stayed in the hut for three days altogether |
| C．got sick because of going for ski outside |
| D．got rescued immediately the weather turned fine |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The writer is a travel agent who loves difficult challenges. |
| B．In Iceland the weather is always extreme and it snows a lot. |
| C．The travellers were so depressed that they needed psychotherapy. |
| D．Awful journeys may become life-changing events that inspire people. |
I recently ran into a friend I hadn't seen for a long while. Our conversation was lively andfull of news from both sides. Before we parted she said "You'll have to drop in sometime. "immediately sensed that if I simply " dropped in" I would take my friend by surprise, and I would be discouraged by the image of her standing in her doorway, staring at me, and asking, " Oh ,err …what brings you here?"
Whatever happened to the unannounced drop-in visit? When I was growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that people-mostly relatives, but also friends-were always dropping in . My parents would put coffee on, and my mom would find something in the kitchen to serve along with it. Then the conversation would begin…The neighbor lady, a worrier, was unloading her sadness while my mom quietly listened. The Irish man next door had such an atcent that I remember asking what language he spoke. My Polish relatives arrived in packs…But I never heard my parents say any- thing like " We weren't expecting you" or " This isn't a good time. " Drop-in visitors had a certain right of way and became No. 1.
What happened to such visits? Actually I know the answer. Times have changed. Everybody gets busy with work. There is no longer a stay-at-home mom keeping a pot of hot coffee or tea ready throughout the day for a surprise guest. Exploding malls and stores are now replacing homes as a central form of entertainment.
Just the other day a former student of mine showed up. "I'm sorry for the surprise visit. " my student began. "I just wanted to see if you still lived here. I'll only stay a minute. "
My response was immediate. "No, you won't," I said. " Just come in, sit, have coffee, and we'11 talk. "I had nothing in the kitchen but we ordered pizza. And we had a lovely time. I have tried to keep the drop-in tradition alive though it takes some effort.The author thought of his friend's invitation- " You'll have to drop in sometime"-as______
| A． a nice way of refusal | B． an excuse of leaving |
| C．a kind of politeness | D．an expression of surprise |
The underlined phrase "dropping in" in the second paragraph means_________.
| A．pay a sudden visit | B．make many friends |
| C．make a special date | D．have a good time |
The woman from the neighborhood used to visit the author' s home to _______.
| A．seek comfort from my parents | B．make nevr friends |
| C．listen to my parents' story | D．taste nice dishes |
From the third paragraph of the passage, we can infer that_______.
| A．unexpected visitors are still welcome now |
| B．modern people prefer outdoor activities |
| C．there are more jobs for the housewives now |
| D．the author misses the lost good days |
The author writes the passage intending to ________.
| A．encourage people to be drop-in visitors |
| B．explain how to deal with unexpected visitors |
| C．share his feelings about the drop-in tradition |
| D．show the importance of making friends |
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logcally. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lotol inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of people who desired better functioning of the existent products.Every indivicdual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invenaion of a new tool or device.Many new household inveritions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are pa- tented(专利的) and have trade mark licenses(许可) . The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effedtive method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer fumiture that speciflcally hides all the computer wires and keeps; a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing(安装) the dirt drain(排水管) at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph tells us the importance of
| A．the particular changes in houses |
| B．the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| C．the difference between human beings and animals |
| D． human being role in making inventions |
What plays the most impoltant role in causing people to invent new things?
| A．To improve the present living conditions. |
| B．To earn more money and gain awards. |
| C．To be recorded by some special companies. |
| D．To meet the new demands of new science. |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to
| A．prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because
| A．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by common people |
| B．common people have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| C．wisdom and in spiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage is mainly talking about _______.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．household inventions and their influence |
| C．different ideas about household inventions |
| D．the history of household inventions |
It happened to me recently, I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President.A friend I wsa talking to agreed with me that it was,in his words,”a brilliantly written book”.However,he then went on to talk about Mr.Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his back-ground at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven't. In the World Book Day's" Report on Guilty Secrets" ,Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I'm not one to Lie too often (I'd hate to be caught out) , I'll admit here and now that I haven't read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, un- like 42 percent of peoples I have read the book at number one, George Orwell's 1984. I think
it's really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens , Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven ' tread him, but haven't lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to "impress" someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in-depth !
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella ( ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I' lI come clean: I do thi8 and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).Which of the fokllowing is a "guilty secret" according io the world Book Day report?
| A．42% of people pretended to have read 1984. |
| B．Charles Dickens is very low on the top--tcn list. |
| C．The author admitted having read 9 books |
| D．Dreams From My Father is hardly read. |
How did the author find his friend a book liar?
| A．By mentioning a famous name. | B．By discussing the book itself |
| C．By judging his manner of speaking. | D． By looking into his background. |
By lying about reading, a person hopes to_____.
A.learn about the book
C. appear knowledgeable
B. control the conversation
D make more friendsWhat is the author's attitude to 58% of readers?
| A．Doubtiful | B．Favorable | C．Uncaring | D．Friendly |
In the sentenced I'd hate to be caught out". "catch out" can have the similqr meaning with ____.
| A．catch up | B．1ook for | C．catch at | D．find out |