Scientists in Mexico have just begun a new study of one of the world’s biggest pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun, north of Mexico City. They’re putting lots of small, high-tech machines under the pyramid to try to unlock some of its secrets. For thousands of years, people have tried to uncover the secrets of the pyramids.
The people who built the pyramids made lots of secret doors and rooms to stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. However, there always have been some smart thieves in history. Now, almost all of Egypt’s pyramids have been robbed, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only one of the ancient wonders of the world that is still standing.
In AD 820, an Arab king named Abdullah AL Manum got a group of workers to dig their way into the Great Pyramid and have a look. Inside the pyramid, they found three rooms—the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. But to their surprise, the men didn’t find the treasures they wanted. The Queen’s and King’s Chambers were both empty! Where were the King’s mummy and his treasures? Had someone already taken them away? The huge stone doors at the pyramid’s entrance were still closed when AL Manum’s men went inside. How had the thieves got in and out?
Since then, many people have gone inside the Great Pyramid to have a look or to try to take things. But still, no other chambers or walkways have been found.
In 2002, an American team made the most recent visit to the Great Pyramid. Scientists sent a robot into the pyramid, but they only found a mysterious locked stone door.The first two paragraphs were written to show that ____.
| A．ancient Egyptian emperors were cruel |
| B．the Pyramid of the Sun is an unusual historic building |
| C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient Egypt |
| D．the secrets of the pyramids remain to be uncovered |
What is the purpose of making some secret doors to the pyramids? _______.
| A．To try to unlock some of its secrets |
| B．To stop robbers from finding the treasures inside |
| C．To refuse some visitors all over the world into it |
| D．To tell the truth to the people in the future |
Which of the following is NOT true to the Great Pyramid of Khufu?
| A．It is the largest pyramid in the world. |
| B．It is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing. |
| C．Abdullah AL Manum took the King’s mummy and his treasures away. |
| D．Scientists found a mysterious locked stone door to the Great Pyramid. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Pyramid of the Sun |
| B．The Great Pyramid of Khufu |
| C．A Mysterious Locked Stone Door |
| D．Unlocking the Doors of History of the Pyramid |
How do you design a pay plan that motivates people to do their best work? A new study by three Harvard researchers suggests a novel answer: Shortly after you hire new workers, give them a raise.
"Previous research has shown that paying people more than they expect may elicit reciprocity(相互作用) in the form of greater productivity," notes Deepak Malhotra, a Harvard business-administration professor who worked on the study. What he and his colleagues found, however, was that the connection between more pay and extra effort depends on presenting the increase "as a gift—that is, as something you've chosen to do purely as a nice gesture, with no strings attached."
Malhotra and his team studied 267 people hired by oDesk, a global online network of freelancers, to do a one-time data-entry project for four hours. All of the new hires were people in developing countries, for whom hourly wages of $3 and $4 were higher than what they had been making in previous jobs.
The researchers split the group up into three equal parts. One group was told they would earn $3 an hour. A second group was initially hired at $3 an hour but, before they started working, they got a surprise: The budget for the project had expanded unexpectedly, they were told, and they would now be paid $4 an hour. The third group was offered $4 an hour from the start and given no increase.
Even though the second and third groups were eventually paid the same amount, the second group worked harder and produced more—about 20% more—than either of the other two. People in the second group also showed the most stamina, maintaining their focus all the way through the assigned task and performing especially well toward the end of the four hours. Interestingly, the more experienced employees in the high-performing group were the most productive of all, apparently because their previous work experience led them to appreciate the rarity of an unexpected raise.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Malhotra points out that higher pay, in and of itself, didn't promote productivity: People who made $4 an hour from the beginning worked no harder than those who were hired at $3 and were then paid $3.
To get the most impact from their pay plans, he adds, companies might consider not only what to pay new hires, but when to pay it.
"The key thing is how you present [the reason for an increase]," he says. Doling out extra money could promote productivity most "if you make it clear that the pay raise is something you're choosing to do just because you can. Our theory is that people will reciprocate. If you do something nice, they'll do something nice back."
| A．The quality of being intelligent or clever. |
| B．The quality of doing something difficult or dangerous. |
| C．The physical or mental energy needed to do a tiring activity for a long time. |
| D．A particular method of doing an activity, usually involving practical skills. |
| A．Because they thought they were better paid than the other groups. |
| B．Because they were experienced employees from developing countries. |
| C．Because an unexpected raise reminded them of their previous work. |
| D．Because they felt they were nicely treated and tried best to repay it. |
| A．No pains, no gains. |
| B．It matters not what we give but how. |
| C．Honesty is the best policy. |
| D．Actions speak louder than words. |
They like using the Internet. They have lots of pocket money to spend. And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy－games, CDs and clothing－are easily sold on the Web.
But paying online is a troublesome business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards. Most have to use a parent’s card. They want a facility that allows them to spend money.
That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (网络的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products can stimulate online sales.
In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and ￡20bn annually in the UK. Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school－88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK. According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online－mainly CDs and books.
In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children. Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing them to spend on the high street. They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.
One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cyber cash is through prepaid cards such as Internet Cash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as￡20 or $50 with a concealed 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.
| A．Sellers. | B．Buyers. |
| C．Teenagers. | D．Parents. |
| A．More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access. |
| B．Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards. |
| C．Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online. |
| D．Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop. |
| A．a new machine |
| B．special coins and notes |
| C．prepaid cards |
| D．pay-as-you-go mobile phones |
| A．Online shopping traps. |
| B．Internet users in the US and the UK. |
| C．New credit cards for parents. |
| D．The arrival of cyber pocket money. |
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Antz is a movie that shows young kids how to work as a team. It shows however small a part they may have, what matters most is the team outcome of that small-small effort they all put to make things happen. It tells them never ever to give up the dream and never ever to accept failure. It tells about an ant that is never known by its size but by its team. |
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Forrest Gump tells a story of a boy who stands for friends and has a strong will power. He never throws his life for chance but makes the best out of it. This story will make your kids feel sure about themselves and their abilities, making them brave enough to stand up to any challenges. |
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Lion King is an American animated (动画的）musical adventure film produced by Wall Disney Feature Animation. The movie will show your kids the importance of having friends in one’s life. |
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Dumbo will give your child wings to imagine without any boundaries. He doesn’t have to be logical every time. He has to understand that it’s the mental strength rather than the physical strength that brings out the best out of everything. Free for parents who come to see the film with their child. |
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As a parent we are always caring about our kids but sometimes it’s not helpful for their growth. Finding Nemo, an animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation， shows us how to teach them to overcome their fear by trying things，failing and bouncing back again for the /ry. |
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The director brings out the best of the characters in the movie Toy Story. The movie portrays the emotions of the toys. How beautifully the emotions like friendship，togetherness ，leadership，love，care and so on have turned up in this movie! |
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| A．teamwork | B．self-confidence |
| C．Imagination | D．friendship |
| A．$ 10. | B．$ 20. | C．$ 30. | D．$ 45. |
| A．Parents. | B．Teachers. |
| C．Children. | D．Clerks. |
| A．friendship | B．love |
| C．leadership | D．Generosity |
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
| A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
| C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
| A．Availability of modern media. |
| B．Inadequate social recognition. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. |
| D．Huge population of fans. |
| A．Sincere. | B．Skeptical. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
Hi, I’m your tooth. I’ve been asked to represent the rest of your teeth. We need your help. We like to be clean when you show us off with your big, wide smiles.
First, let me tell you a little about us. You weren’t born with the baby teeth, they developed when you were about six or seven months old. You went from milk to real food in no time thanks to your twenty primary teeth. Eventually, they loosened and fell out, one at a time, probably about the time you were six or seven years old.
Then we came into your life. We are your permanent teeth, all twenty-eight of us. Some people may even have thirty-two depending on those wisdom teeth in the back. Sometimes they are able to help, and sometimes they cause trouble. Many times wisdom teeth are sideways and have to be pulled. Some people don’t even have them at all!
On a more personal note, I am an incisor, and you have seven more just like me, here in the front of your mouth. We do the biting on those chocolate chip cookies you like so much. Next to us are the canines, four sharp teeth, two on either side. Their job is to tear food; pizza is a good one for them. Behind them are eight premolars and eight to twelve molars, depending on those wisdom teeth. The molars do the majority of the work chewing the food that you eat. They do a great job on those carrots you like so much!
Did you know we not only help you bite and chew but also help you talk? That’s right. Try to say “tooth” without letting your tongue touch the back of your teeth. It sounds pretty funny, doesn’t it?How many teeth does a four-year-old boy usually have according to the passage?
| A．20. | B．24. | C．28. | D．32. |
Why are the wisdom teeth pulled sometimes?
| A．Because they are useless. |
| B．Because they are in the back. |
| C．Because they are ugly. |
| D．Because they grow in wrong directions. |
The word “I” in the passage refers to a _____.
| A．wisdom tooth | B．baby tooth |
| C．molar | D．permanent tooth |