A young man approached the foreman（工头）of a logging crew (伐木队) and asked for a job. “That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell (砍伐) this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman said, “You can start Monday.”
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday went by — and on Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your wages on the way out today.” Shocked, the young man replied, “I thought you would pay me on Friday.”
“Normally we do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to the last place today.”
“But I’m quite hardworking,” the young man disagreed. “I am the first to arrive and the last to leave and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”
The foreman thought for a minute and then asked “Have you sharpened your axe?”
The young man replied, “No, sir. I’ve been working too hard to take time for that!”
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to “sharpen” the axe. In today’s world it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?
There’s nothing wrong with hard work. But we shouldn’t get so busy that we ignore the truly important things in life. We all need time to relax, to think, to learn and to grow. If we don’t take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.By telling the story, the writer wanted to tell us .
| A．where there is a will, there is a way |
| B．all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy |
| C．hard work can make up for lack of intelligence |
| D．health is over wealth |
The young man got the job by .
| A．defeating others | B．giving promises |
| C．showing skills | D．answering questions |
Why did the foreman pay the young man on Thursday instead of on the normal Friday?
| A．He wanted the young man to have a rest. |
| B．He wanted the young man to work harder. |
| C．He wanted to reward the young man for his hard work. |
| D．He was unsatisfied with the young man and was to fire him. |
What can we learn about the young man?
| A．He is optimistic. | B．He is a little dishonest. |
| C．He is intelligent. | D．He is hardworking. |
A nobleman and a merchant once met in an inn. For their lunch they both ordered soup. When it was brought, the nobleman took a spoonful, but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes. The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit that he had burned his mouth and answered, “Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime, for which he was hanged. I was thinking of his death, and that made me weep.” The merchant believed this story and began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. The nobleman noticed it and asked the merchant, “Sir, why do you weep?” The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived (欺骗) him, answered, “My lord(="master)," I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother.”This story teaches us ______.
| A．not to believe everything you hear |
| B．not to eat soup that is too hot |
| C．not to eat in inns |
| D．to cry when we burn our mouth |
The nobleman did not tell the truth because he ______.
| A．felt ashamed | B．was in an inn |
| C．was angry | D．was a nobleman |
It is probable that the nobleman ______.
| A．had never eaten soup |
| B．knew the soup was too hot |
| C．had no brother who was hanged |
| D．had a very good brother |
The merchant’s answer showed that he ______.
| A．had kind heart |
| B．was angry with the nobleman |
| C．believed the nobleman |
| D．was very happy |
This fourth of July I moved into a new house with my wife, Nicole. Nicole and I met through a series of coincidences that would be unlikely without some unbelievable force causing them to happen.
The day Nicole and I met, we talked about the Yankees. In the restaurant where we sat, the first game between the Yanks and Tampa Bay was being shown on television. Nicole was happy I was a baseball fan, and she told me that was an important reason when she considered dating (约会) me. “My dad wouldn’t like me dating anyone who isn’t,” she said.
Nicole’s dad, Ira, used to be a coach for the Yankees. Many years ago, a colleague (同事) of his was leaving and packing up his office. The only thing left unpacked was a photo on the wall. It was a picture of Sparky Lyle, a famous baseball player. Sparky had signed the photo on the bottom.
“You’re not taking that?” Ira asked. “You want it?” his colleague offered. “Sure!” Ira said. He jumped at the chance to have a signed photo from a great player who had helped the team win two World Series.
Ira told me the story after the movers had gone. He then said to me, “Adam, when I first learned who was dating my daughter, that photo came into my mind,” he said. “But by now, I know for sure you’re meant to have it.” He then presented me with a box. I tore it open. Inside was the signed photo of Sparky Lyle which I had lost years ago.
“To Adam, Best Wishes, Sparky Lyle”. It was picked up by Nicole’s dad years before I’d even met her. The perfect gift — a sign only making me believe what I already knew ... I was meant for Nicole and her family all along.What does the underlined word “coincidences” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．New things. |
| B．Important things. |
| C．Things that happened long ago. |
| D．Things that happened by chance. |
A big reason why Nicole agreed to be Adam’s girlfriend was that _____.
| A．he was able |
| B．he was a baseball fan |
| C．he got a new house |
| D．they had much in common |
Ira got the photo of Sparky Lyle from _____.
| A．Sparky Lyle | B．Nicole |
| C．his colleague | D．Adam |
We can infer from the text that _____.
| A．Adam did not like the gift |
| B．Nicole found the lost picture |
| C．Adam and Nicole will love each other forever |
| D．the picture of Sparky Lyle was first owned by Adam |
Computer technology is still developing rapidly. The computer of the future will continue to increase in value and performance while decreasing in cost. It will become smaller, but faster and more powerful.
It is possible to make some guesses about what the future of the computer will look like, based upon the types of technologies that are being developed now. A lot of progress has already been made in some of these new technologies, but some are still in their earliest stages and may not be ready for use for years. Two of the most interesting areas of computing that are currently being developed are quantum computing (量子计算) and nanotechnology (纳米技术).
Quantum computing is one possibility for the future of the computer that could make computers run far faster than even the quickest computers do today. Quantum computers could be able to do what modern supercomputers are unable to do by using transistors that are able to take on many states at the same time.
Nanotechnology could also change the face of computing, by creating computers that could be very powerful, though they are tiny in size. These computers could be incorporated (并入) into everyday objects, including electrical appliances (电器), clothes and even the human body. We will be able to use computers in new and unimaginable ways. They will become a part of our lives rather than simply being a box that is used only for specific purposes, such as work.
Quantum computing and nanotechnology will be able to play new roles, which will make us live greener lives, as well as enjoy better health and happier lives.Which of the following can NOT describe the computer of the future properly?
| A．Much smaller. |
| B．Much faster. |
| C．More powerful. |
| D．Less valuable. |
According to the text, quantum computing _____.
| A．has been put in use so far |
| B．can make computers run by themselves |
| C．can reduce the cost of computers |
| D．will work by using transistors |
We can learn from the text that nanotechnology will _____.
| A．create much smaller computers |
| B．be used in electrical appliances and clothing |
| C．change the structure of computers |
| D．make computers just serve specific purposes |
The text is mainly about _____.
| A．what nanotechnology is |
| B．what quantum computing is |
| C．what the future of the computer is |
| D．what future computers can bring us |
In the United States, many low income (低收入) parents cannot afford to buy enough food for their children. A program called Kids Café is helping some of these children by providing free nutritious (有营养的) snacks and meals during after-school programs.
At a community (社区) center in Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C., children make a snack as part of their afterschool program. “The snack is very healthy for your body, but the main thing is that it tastes really, really good,” Keith Clements tells them. He runs the Kids Café program.
The children are between the ages of 5 and 11 and are from several local schools. About half have parents from Ethiopia. Many of the children eat their traditional food at home. Kids Café, with food offered free by a food bank, gives them an opportunity to try different types of food.
“It’s good,” says one girl. But Rebecca Nance, whose parents are from the US, is not so sure. “The taste is weird.” Her mother, Daffany Nance has two children in the program. She’s glad her kids are getting nutritious food. “Even in my house we don’t have much junk food,” she says, “so it’s very important that it’s healthy and continues to help them grow better.”
The charity (慈善机构), Feeding America, started the national Kids Café program in 1993. The charity says more than 16 million children in the United States do not have enough healthy food to eat.
Kids Café became part of the afterschool program at this community center five years ago. Lori McFail heads the afterschool program. She says some children do not eat good evening meals because their parents work late or cannot afford healthy food. She hopes the children will make full use of what they’ve learned about nutrition in their lives.What is the purpose of starting Kids Café?
| A．To provide poor children with nutritious food. |
| B．To raise money for some poor children. |
| C．To develop the afterschool program. |
| D．To help poor children learn new skills. |
The underlined word “weird” is the closest in meaning to _____.
| A．delicious | B．unusual |
| C．terrible | D．strong |
What can we learn about Daffany Nance?
| A．She is from Ethiopia and has two children. |
| B．She cared little about her children’s diet before. |
| C．She believes the program is good for her children. |
| D．She hopes more types of food can be offered for free. |
Who leads the afterschool program?
| A．Lori McFail. |
| B．Keith Clements. |
| C．Feeding America. |
| D．A community center in Virginia. |
Steve Sparks was a young successful lawyer when a bruise （挫伤） on one of the legs of his 3-year-old daughter changed his life. The bruise led to a doctor’s visit. The doctor said his daughter was suffering from leukemia (白血病).
Steve said that in a moment his life changed from what restaurant he was going to take his clients (客户) to lunch to whether his daughter Katie was ever going to see her fourth birthday.
For three years Katie received a lot of treatment at the Nemours Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and with the help of wonderful doctors, kind nurses, whom Steve and his wife Michelle called heroes, Katie’s leukemia was cured (治愈).
Forever changed by the experience and encouraged by the heroes at Nemours who saved his daughter’s life, Steve felt he couldn’t go back to business as usual. He felt there was something else he was meant to do and that something else led him to join the Nemours Foundation（基金会）at the age of 28. The job change came with a 65% pay cut from what he was making as a lawyer, but Steve thought he was right and it was more important to help those who need help. Steve is glad to have made such a choice.
Katie is now a healthy 20-year-old college student and Steve is one of the leaders of the Nemours Foundation. In three weeks Steve will have a party for Katie’s 21st birthday, and give big thanks to the Nemours by riding his bicycle from Nemours in Jack-sonville, Florida to Wilmington, Delaware. He’ll ride 900 miles in 9 days and raise $100,000 for the Nemours Foundation with the hope of saving more children’s lives.From the text we can learn that _____.
| A．Steve hated being a lawyer |
| B．Katie’s bruise caused leukemia |
| C．Katie suffered from leukemia at four |
| D．Steve had ever doubted whether Katie could survive |
What did Steve and his wife think of the doctors and nurses?
| A．They were unfriendly. |
| B．They were great. |
| C．They were inexperienced. |
| D．They were clever. |
Which of the following is TRUE about Steve’s becoming a member of the Nemours Foundation?
| A．He felt sorry about his decision. |
| B．He didn’t get even half the pay he used to. |
| C．His daughter gave him much encouragement. |
| D．He was advised to do so by the doctors. |
Steve will ride 900 miles in 9 days to _____.
| A．show he is strong enough |
| B．celebrate his daughter’s birthday |
| C．raise money to save more children’s lives |
| D．advise people to do more exercise |