There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encourage him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole lift. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D.(医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
A.She made Teddy feel ashamed |
B.She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
C.She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
D.She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
A.He often told lies. |
B.He was good at math. |
C.He needed motherly care. |
D.He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
A.She taught fewer school subjects. |
B.She became stricter with her students. |
C.She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
D.She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
A.She had kept in touch with him. |
B.She had given him encouragement. |
C.She had sent him Christmas presents. |
D.She had taught him how to judge people. |
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
As many as 28 different varieties of precious stones were used to decorate the outside of the Taj Mahal. Construction took around 20 years. The building, which was made from white marble from the quarries(采石场) of Rajasthan, appears pink in the morning, white in the day and golden in the moonlight.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Akashi Strait, Japan
It took 10 years to construct the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. It connects the city of Kobe, on Japan’s mainland, with Iwaya on Awaji Island. Before it opened, the only way to get between the two cities was by ferry. However, the waterway was at the mercy of severe storms and when two ferries overturned in 1955, killing 168 people, public anger convinced the government of the need for a bridge. It's the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a length of 1,991 meters.
Panama Canal, Panama
More than 4. 5 million cubic yards of concrete were used in the construction of this canal’s locks and dams. The Panama Canal is a 47-mile long waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The earth and rubble dug to make way for it was enough to bury Manhattan to a depth of four meters. A series of locks allows ships to pass through the water. Each lock door weighs 750 tons and each lock fills with 52 million gallons of water to accommodate the 15,000 ships that use the canal every year.
Grand Canyon Skywalk, Arizona
The Skywalk’s foundation is strong enough to support 71 million pounds , Located 1,219 meters above the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon's Sky Walk consists of one million pounds of steel and 83,000 pounds of glass. It was the creation of Las Vegas businessman David Jin, who approached the Hualapai Tribe with the idea of a glass walkway over the Grand Canyon in 1996. The Sky walk was assembled on site.The Japanese government decided to build the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge ___________
A.in the year of 1955 |
B.following public opinion |
C.to show its national power |
D.to develop Japan’s economy |
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is probably a real challenge for those who __________
A.are airsick |
B.hate rock climbing |
C.have a fear of height |
D.feel ill traveling in boat |
In which section of a book can the text probably be seen?
A.Science | B.Agriculture | C.Technology | D.Geography |
Has this happened to you? You’re about to drift off to sleep when suddenly you feel like you’re falling or coming down on a roller coaster.
You then wake up to realize that you’re safe in your bed. You may have been confused or frightened for a second or two and your heart may be beating faster. You may have also felt the muscles in your body jerk(抽搐) when this all happened. Did you ever wonder why?
This falling sensation, together with a body movement known as a “sleep start”, is what doctors and scientists call a myoclonic(肌阵挛的)jerk, and it usually happens right before going into deeper stages of sleep. Here’s why doctors think the falling feeling and myoclonic jerks happen. When you fall asleep, normally your body temperature goes down and your heart start to beat just a little slower. This is because your brain signals your body to relax to prepare for sleep. When your muscles are relaxed, you go into the very first stages of sleep, but you’re not sleeping too deeply yet.
This brain activity may cause your larger muscles to contract(收缩) a little bit. In response, another part of your brain will make up a very quick mini-dream to go along with what is happening. You might think this would take a while, but your brain works so fast that it makes up the story almost at the same instant that your muscles jerk.
During this light sleep, you can be awakened easily. People who wake up during this light sleep believe they haven’t fallen asleep yet. That’s why you may think that your body jerked right before you were about to fall asleep.
Myoclonic jerk are a normal part of sleep. Most people have them at one time or another. But many people don’t realize their muscles are jerking during night sleep if it doesn’t wake them up.
So the next time you dream about falling and wake up in a sweat, don’t worry! Your body is just telling your muscles to relax and get some rest!People sometimes wake up during a light sleep because______.
A.they are disturbed by others. |
B.they are too tired to fall asleep. |
C.their bodies are preparing for sleep. |
D.they believe their lives are in danger. |
What does the underlined part “ what is happening” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A.The body jerk | B.The mini- dream |
C.The slow heartbeat | D.The falling body temperature |
The author thinks myoclonic jerks during sleep are _____.
A.worrying | B.usual | C.abnormal | D.useful |
It can be inferred that myoclonic jerks ________.
A. lead to muscle disease
B. happen in a deep sleep
B. are related to brain disease
D. don’t always wake people up
Picture the scene: You come home after work feeling too exhausted to cook –only to find a delicious meal worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting for you. It sounds like a fantasy, but it could be about to come true thanks to a robot chef developed by British scientists.
Those scientists have come up with a set of robotic arms so smart that they are capable of cooking meals all by themselves. The device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen.
Scientists at Moley Robotics spent almost 18 years developing the hands. According to its creators, the arms can chop, stir, whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat, whether it is a simple home-cooked supper, or a complicated creation designed by a world-class chef. The hands move a little slowly, hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy, but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wiping a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips.
Mr Oleynik, who is leading the project, said, “All the things which are possible with the hand are possible here. There is no limitation. A lot of people want to go to Michelin-starred restaurants, but they are quite expensive and may be quite far from the home. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy very good food, and for a reasonable price. ”
The only cuisine that is off the robot’s menu at the moment is sushi, which requires extremely steady pressure and nimble fingers to make, but the team plan to conquer that as well by the time it goes on sale.People go to Michelin-starred restaurants in order to______.
A.appreciate car tires. | B.enjoy delicious meals |
C.see the new robot chefs | D.escape from work |
What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.British scientists | B.The robot chef’s arms |
C.Cooks at restaurants | D.Household wives |
Which kind of food CAN’T the robot chef cook at present?
A.Bread | B.Beef | C.Sushi | D.Sandwich |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Hands of a robot chef can perform exactly like a cook. |
B.Robot chefs are available at shopping malls. |
C.Michelin-starred restaurants are suitable for many people. |
D.It is uncertain when the robot can cook all kinds of food. |
The pounding(重击声)was driving Edward crazy. A new neighbor had just moved into the apartment below him. The newcomer was deaf, or seemed to be, because he played his stereoloud enough for the whole building to hear.
On the first day he heard the stereo rocking over, Edward marched downstairs and politely told the newcomer that his stereo was too loud. He asked the new tenant to turn the volume down and keep it down as long as he lived in the building. The tenant appeared surprised and embarrassed, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that loud.”
So, Edward returned upstairs, feeling good, because he had taken a stand and politely let the newcomer know that loud music was not going to be tolerated. The next day all was quiet, and Edward continued to be pleased with himself. The following day, Edward thought it must be Fourth of July, because a marching band was playing on his street. In fact, it was the new neighbor who was playing his music loud again.
Edward was not one to repeat himself, feeling that each time you repeated yourself, you diminished the value of your words. So, he did what he always did with rude neighbors-grinand bear it. Eventually, they would move away. What else are you going to do?
In Los Angles a year ago, a woman had complained to her upstairs neighbor that he was playing his drums too loud and too often. The drummer repeatedly ignored her. One day the woman walked upstairs and shot the drummer in the head and his girlfriend in the chest. The woman was sentenced to prison for 20 years.
The dead drummer won’t bother anyone with his drums, but the woman might be wishing now that she had learned to grin and bear it. If she were still living in her apartment, she could always move. When you’re in prison, you don’t have that option.The man living below where Edward lived was .
A.a deaf man | B.the owner of the house |
C.a tenant | D.an old neighbor |
What did Edward always do with rude neighbors?
A.Grinning and bearing it. |
B.Persuading them to stop repeatedly. |
C.Shouting them to dead. |
D.Moving away from the rude neighbors. |
The woman killed her neighbor because .
A.he ignored her advice repeatedly |
B.she could not stand his playing the guitar too loud |
C.she could not put up with him any longer |
D.he played the drums too often |
The author writes the last paragraph to prove that .
A.being in prison means the loss of freedom |
B.grinning and bearing it is the best policy |
C.Edward should follow the example of the woman |
D.the woman was right to kill her neighbor |
More than great drinks, great rewards
Enjoy all the benefits and more with your membership to our Loyalty Program!
Whenever you pay with your membership account, you’ll earn a Star.
Collect more Stars, earn more rewards.
Three ways to join us
Buy a Starbucks Card handy to create an account.
Track your Stars online or through the mobile app, and we’ll send an email when you’ve earned a reward.
You can also join from your phone.
Download the Starbucks® App.
One of the most exciting benefits of being a member is using our mobile app to: pay for purchases; view your Stars and rewards; access iTunes® Pick of the Week; see current offers.
Or you can join with specially marked coffee purchased at the grocery store.
Enter your Starcode ( limit 2 per day).
Look for the Starcode symbol on specially marked Starbucks® products where you buy groceries.
Three levels with increasingly greater rewards
To reach each level in our Loyalty Program, you need to collect more Stars. ( Remember, to earn a Star you must pay with a registered Starbucks Card. )
Welcome level
To earn your first rewards, just register a Starbucks Card.
Birthday drink or treat on us; birthday coupon (优惠券) for 15% off a purchase at StarbucksStore.com.
Green level
Collect 5 Stars within 12 months and you’ll be in the Green level.
What is included in the Welcome level plus
Free in-store refills (续杯) on hot or iced brewed coffee or tea
Gold level
Collect 30 Stars within 12 months and you’re at the Gold level.
What is included in the Green, level plus
A free food or drink item after another 12 Stars earned
Personalized Gold CardWhich of the following is a way you can apply for membership?
A.To enter a Starcode from specially marked Starbucks® products. |
B.To buy a Starbucks Card over the phone. |
C.To update the Starbucks® App from the official website. |
D.To buy a drink at a Starbucks on weekends. |
With the Starbucks®App, you can ________.
A.change the prices | B.earn a Star |
C.pay for rewards | D.view current offers |
With a Starbucks Card of Green level, you will get ________.
A.a free cake | B.personalized Green Card |
C.free in-store refills | D.all purchases 15% off |