When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter (炼铜厂), and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.
Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No”.
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren’t any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.
Paul later got married but his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow (誓言) he made to himself as a child.When Paul was a boy, _______.
| A．he had decided never to leave his hometown |
| B．the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter |
| C．he hit a young visitor because of his comments on the wasteland |
| D．he stopped the copper smelter polluting the area |
Paul went to college to study the science of plants, because _______.
| A．he wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself |
| B．he was interested in planting trees since he was young |
| C．he wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him |
| D．he thought his knowledge would make his advice more convincing |
What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably mean?
| A．It was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland. |
| B．His normal work and life would be greatly affected. |
| C．No one would like to join him in the efforts. |
| D．He had to keep everything he did secret. |
The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because_______.
| A．they realized the importance of environmental protection |
| B．what Paul was doing moved them |
| C．Paul persuaded them to help him |
| D．they had legal pressure |
Still waiting for little green men to make contact? Don't hold your breath.
A leading astronomer has concluded there probably aren't any aliens out there – meaning we are absolutely alone in the universe.
Even though there may be tens of thousands of other distant planets similar in size to Earth, the conditions on them are likely to be too hard to support life-forms such as ET.
Dr Howard Smith, a senior astrophysicist at Harvard University, believes there is very little hope of discovering aliens and, even if we did, it would be almost impossible to make contact.
So far astronomers have discovered a total of 500 planets in distant solar systems – known as extrasolar systems – although they believe billions of others exist.
But Dr Smith points out that many of these planets are either too close to the sun or too far away, meaning their surface temperatures are so bad that they could not support life. Others have unusual orbits which cause vast temperature variations, making it impossible for water to exist – the most important thing for life.
Dr Smith said, "We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own. It means it is highly unlikely there are any planets with intelligent life close enough for us to make contact." But his suggestions contradict other leading scientists who have claimed aliens almost certainly exist.
Only last month Professor Stephen Hawking said the fact that there are billions of galaxies out there made it reasonable to think there were other life-forms in the universe.
Researchers from the University of London have recently suggested that aliens could be living on as many as 40,000 other planets. But Dr Smith said: "Any hope of contact has to be limited to a relatively tiny space around the Earth, reaching maybe 1,250 light years out from our planet, where aliens might be able to pick up our signals or send us their own. But communicating would still take decades or centuries."By saying ＂don’t hold your breath＂, the author advised the reader not to _____.
| A．keep silent | B．give up | C．expect so | D．be afraid |
Dr Smith concludes there probably aren’t any aliens because other planets _____.
| A．are too far away from the earth |
| B．are different from the Earth in size |
| C．don’t have rich natural resources |
| D．don’t have a suitable living environment |
Researchers from the University of London are mentioned to show that ______.
| A．they have better explanations about aliens |
| B．aliens certainly exist on many planets |
| C．they disagree with Dr Smith’s suggestion |
| D．aliens can pick up signals from the earth |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．There must be other life forms in the universe. |
| B．We can communicate with aliens in decades. |
| C．The chances of finding aliens are slight. |
| D．Many other planets are quite different from the Earth. |
When creating a digital advertisement or something to promote a product or service ,music is one of the most important aspects. Whether it is simply a jingle（短歌）,musical note or any other use of sound，music can play a huge role in attracting a customer’s attention or being noticed by your target audience.
Music can work hand-in-hand with what you are advertising. Many times the advertising jingle, or saying, is what the audience remembers. Companies such as McDonald’s and Subway have used this method many times with different jingles and little sayings that are easy to remember and fun to sing along with.
Usually concepts that are part of a jingle would sound conceited(自负的) and pompous(浮夸的) when said in a normal conversation. When put to music however, and sung in a rhythm，it suddenly sounds attractive. For example, if someone said,” No one does it better than me” in a normal statement, this would sound very conceited. Add music and a tune to this statement and it becomes attractive and fun for others to sing along with.
While understanding how important music is for your advertising needs, it is also important for you to know the best way to get special music.
Having people from many different backgrounds all over the world write something specifically for you is one of the best ways to get songs written just for you. You simply choose which one you believe is best for the project. So instead of hiring a single songwriter to compose your music, you can run a contest for you advertising jingle and songwriters around the world write you a finished jingle in an attempt to win your contest.What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．How to use music in advertising. |
| B．Advertising music can help sell products. |
| C．How to get an advertising jingle. |
| D．Advertisements are important in promoting. |
What makes concepts of an advertising jingle sound attractive?
| A．Wonderful sayings. | B．Word and pictures. |
| C．Beautiful voice. | D．Music and tune. |
According to the writer, the best way to get an advertising jingle is____.
| A．to collect works from public | B．to invite a famous singer |
| C．to get advice from experts | D．to hire a top songwriter |
What’s the advantage of your running a contest for an advertising jingle?
| A．It will save much time. | B．You can get the best works. |
| C．It will cost less money. | D．You can sell more products. |
Nowhere else like Alaska can you enjoy a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day holiday to Alaska!
You can have fun here:
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along the fjords (峡湾). The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines an important center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation devoted to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes. You can spend a few hours learning carving, playing native beading (珠子) from local artists.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is a lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and origins. In Skagway, you may stop at the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor’s Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. You’ll stay at a comfortable house here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion (远足) and a full day cruise (巡游) in Glacier Bay.
DATES/ PRICES:
May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
7 days --- $3,500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
E-mail: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 1.800.766.3396
Address: Alaska Mountain Guides& Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827Where can you get to know the local history?
| A．In Skagway. | B．In Juneau. |
| C．In Haines. | D．In Gustavus. |
You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at ________.
| A．the White Pass Yukon |
| B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park |
| C．Gacier Bay National Park |
| D．the fjords |
The text is mainly written to ________.
| A．tell people how to visit Alaska |
| B．explain why Alaska is famous |
| C．introduce beautiful places in Alaska |
| D．attract people to visit Alaska |
Many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero.
That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone’s life?
Today I looked up the word “hero” in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read “a person who does something brave” and also “a person who is good and noble”.
That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. And I remembered what happened to me years ago.
After my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get up enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero.
The many stories I kept writing in the following years saved the life of a teenage boy. In turn that makes the person who sent me the card a double hero. I suppose that is why I fight so hard to help the children now living in orphanages (孤儿院). Most children come out of these institutions with a very hard and bitter attitude against the world. The gifts we send them let them know that they have not been forgotten. Hopefully, most of them will never hurt anyone because of the kindness shown to them by those of us who cared. If it works, we will also become "heroes".The main idea of the passage is _______________.
| A．why the writer should be a hero | B．that everyone is a hero |
| C．whether the writer is a hero | D．what a hero exactly is |
Why did the woman call the writer a hero at the end of the call?
| A．Because he asked her son not to kill himself. |
| B．Because he saved a family from a burning car. |
| C．Because his story saved her son’s life. |
| D．Because he was cute and kind to everybody. |
What does the underlined word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．The fact that the sender helped the writer. |
| B．The action of sending the card. |
| C．The wonderful card the writer received. |
| D．The fact that the sender was a friend of the writer. |
According to the writer, who can be considered as a hero?
| A．A person who is brave. |
| B．A person who helps someone in trouble. |
| C．A person who can hold a door for others. |
| D．A person who writes wonderful stories. |
Your teen is falling asleep in class
Teens have a busy morning schedule as they need to wake up and get moving very early in order to catch a bus and get to school by the required time. This means teens need to get their rest the night before or they will be too tired to learn anything at school.
When a teen falls asleep in class, two things happen: he/she misses what is being taught and he/she loses the respect of the teacher. He/She may also receive a consequence from the school, depending on the classroom discipline policy.
To prevent your teen from being sleepy in class, try these three tips:
* Set a time for “lights out” on school nights. This is never be any later than 10 p. m. and preferably 9 p.m. Soft music can be on and used to help calm your teen.
* Help your teen develop a nighttime routine that involves activities that slow them down for the end of the day. Turning off the computer and disconnecting from friends and the excitement of the day an hour before bedtime will also help your teen relax.
*This will reinforce（增强）what it feels like to be rested and capable of accomplishing what he/she wants.
| A．What’s worse, they may even fall asleep in class. |
| B．Taking a bath and reading are two activities that work well. |
| C．Set a good example and show him/her your love for learning. |
| D．Point out the positives after your teen has had a good night’s rest. |
E. “Lights out” means the computer, television, lights and cell phone should be off.
F. All of these things affect your teen’s academic success and can be avoided.
G. While your teen keeps his/her goals in line with your expectations, he/she may have his/her own goals.