My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff (职员) were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment.
One day I came home from work and waited for my son to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. “Perhaps he’s just a bit late,” said the secretary. “I will call the driver to see if those children are home.” A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends’ parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all “No.”
By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn’t at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. “He’s okay,” I heard. “He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it’s dark, can he spend the night with my family?”
I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children’s names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary (警戒的) step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff.From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.
A.the author’s son went home by bus every after-noon |
B.the author’s son came to school earlier than other students |
C.the author’s home was farther than that of any other student |
D.the author was a teacher in her son’s primary school |
At first the secretary thought ________.
A.the author’s son was still at school |
B.the school bus would arrive in a while |
C.the author’s son was at his friend’s home |
D.there might be something wrong with the school bus |
The author’s son probably spent the night _________.
A.in the bus | B.at his own home |
C.at the driver’s home | D.in the secretary’s office |
The author wrote the text to ________.
A.praise the school for its quick action |
B.thank the bus driver for his kindness |
C.complain about the secretary of the school |
D.show her concern for kids safety |
Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food,according to a major study.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its imagined health benefits,creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.
A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years,however,found there was no significant difference.
“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally(通常)produced foodstuffs,but these have nothing to do with public health,” said Alan Dangour ,one of the report's authors.
“Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority .”
The results of research,which was commissioned by the British government’s Food Standards Agency,were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets,including Britain,as a slowdown in economic growth has led consumers to cut back on purchases.
The Soil Association said that growth in sales of organic products in Britain slowed to just 1.7percent,well below the average annual growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade.
64. Why does organic food cost more than conventionally produced food?
A. Because people think they are much healthier.
B. Because they are more delicious.
C. Because people prefer organic food.
D. Because they sell better.
65. According to the study,organic food is than conventionally produced food.
A. much healthierB. better
C. no healthierD. less healthier
66. Sales of organic food have fallen because of . .
A. high price B. economic decline
C. bad service D. poor quality
67. Where can you find this passage in a newspaper?
A. Economy B. Science.
C. Food & Nutrition D. Fashion
Don't believe all of the stereotypes (模式化的形象) you may have heard about Americans.Even the ones that are true in general may not be true about specific individuals or a large part of the population.For example,although Americans tend to be louder than people from other cultures(especially at athletic events),many of the people you meet will be quiet and polite.Some people may be intolerant,but most will be pleasant and welcoming.Remember that American films and television exaggerate(夸张)in order to generate excitement,and so present a rather false picture of what 1ife in the United States is really like.Therefore,tourists in the US are not always on their best behavior.
Americans do tend to be more informal than people from other countries.It is common for Americans to wear casual clothing to school and to greet professors by first name.However,good manners and politeness are always appreciated.If you are polite,and dress a little more formally than your American friends,it will not be poorly thought of.
However,some businesses require their employees to wear a uniform or a suit.It would be improper to wear a T-shirt and blue jeans to a job interview.Some of the more prestigious restaurants require a coat and tie.Americans tend to dress up for cultural events(the opera,theater and ballet)and to dress down for athletic events.Formal wear is required at weddings and funerals,or any other event with religious event.If you rely on the stereotypes,you will likely put yourself into an embarrassing situation
60. The underlined sentence probably means .
A. Some of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans are not true
B. You should not believe the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans
C. None of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans should be believed
D. None of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans should not be believed
61. The passage is probably written for .
A. businessmen
B. visitors to America
C. American students
D. American film--makers
62. The second paragraph suggests that .
A. most Americans are polite
B. people who are polite are welcome
C. casual clothing makes others uncomfortable
D. American students are impolite to their teachers
63. We can learn from the passage that .
A. American films are mostly poor comedies
B. it is good manners to wear blue jeans to a wedding. Americans usually wear formal clothes in a theater
D. to dress formally makes others feel you are not easy to get on with
The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition-and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “Thank you” and she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what I would say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. So did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for”,he said at the end . And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus has said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
And with this prize that I received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread. And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace, be the good news to the poor, the poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But to a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society, that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable… And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.
56. What can be learned from the second paragraph?
A. The woman should have paid more attention to herself.
B. The man couldn’t blame anyone.
C. The author is religious.
D. The man died in the street.
57. The purpose of this passage is .
A. To appeal for more donation for the poor.
B. To call on the public to love each other.
C. To tell the readers the poor are wonderful.
D. To express how moved the author is to receive the prize.
58. is NOT inferred from the passage?
A. The author has few supporters.
B. The author was somewhat surprised at what the man said.
C. The author is delighted to help others in trouble.
D. The author may agree to solve social problems in soft ways.
59. What’s the best title of this passage?
A. Have Sympathy for the Poor
B. The Poor are Wonderful
C. Smile and Love
D. Relieve Poverty
How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings
Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical(经验的,实证的) basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused and lead to relaxation.
Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room's ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.
In additions to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant's ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention.
Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.
Recent study on room lighting design suggests that dim(暗淡的) light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.
So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies, so we're almost looking at the problem through a straw(吸管)," architect David Allison says. "How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That's what we're all struggling with."
What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?
A. Light. B. Ceilings. C. Windows. D. Furniture.
The passage tells us that ______.
A. the shape of furniture may affect people's feelings
B. lower ceilings may help improve students' creativity
C. children in a dim classroom may improve their grades
D. students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that ______.
A. the problem is not approached step by step
B. the researches so far have faults in themselves
C. the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect
D. research in this area is not enough to make generalized patterns
70. Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
CP: Central Point P: Point SP: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion
Some say everyday miracles(奇迹) are predestined(注定的)----the right time for the appointed meeting. And it can happen anywhere.
In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped.
When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid. Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift(换班)at the hospital had been changed to see her son’s performance. She was given the night off. Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving CPR, breathing into his mouth and giving chest compressions. And he revived in the end.
After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time.
Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table. He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking.
Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color began to return to her face.
"The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened."
Who was the woman?
Penny Brown.
63. The author wrote the passage to show us that_______.
A. miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere
B. whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day
C. God will help those who give others a helping hand
D. miracles won’t come without any difficulty sometimes
64. Why did Penny Brown change her shift and was given the night off that night?
A. She was invited to give the players directions
B. She volunteered to give medical services
C. She was a little worried about his son’s safety
D. She came to watch her son’s game and cheered him
65. The underlined word “revived”(paragraph3) most likely means______.
A. came back to life B. became worse C. failed D. moved
66. When Kevin knew the woman was Penny Brown, probably he first felt _____.
A. happy B. surprised C. sad D. worried