A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did, he would not say hello to neighbors or passers-by, but simply glare at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man.
As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said.
“Uh, sir, I uh am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one.”
The old man just stared at the boy. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace. “Do you collect dogs?” the little boy asked.
“Yes, I have many collectibles in my house. They are my family here. They are all I have.”
The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul. “Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.”
The old man was ready to close the door and said: “No, boy, I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad for the old man because he was alone in the big house. Then he thought of a little dog figurine that he had got some years earlier from an aunt. The boy headed back down to the old man’s house with it. He knocked on the door again and this time the old man came right to the door. “Boy, I thought I told you no magazines.”
“No, sir. I know that. I wanted to bring you a gift.” The boy handed him the figurine and the old man’s face lit up.
The old man was surprised and said: “Boy, you have a big heart. Why are you doing this?”
The boy smiled at the man and said: “Because you like dogs.”
From that day on, the old man started coming out of the house and greeting people. He and the boy became friends.
This simple nice act changed both of their lives forever.How did the boy feel when he first knocked on the old man’s door?
| A.Excited. | B.Sad. |
| C.Frightened. | D.Silly. |
What can we learn from the article about the old man?
| A.He preferred dog figurines to real dogs. |
| B.He longed for (渴望) friendship with others. |
| C.He found his neighbors unfriendly. |
| D.He was sad because he felt alone. |
When the boy knocked on the door again, ________.
| A.the old man was impatient with him |
| B.the old man refused to open the door |
| C.he didn’t think the old man would open it |
| D.he wanted to sell a magazine to the old man |
With the story, the author tries to show us that _______.
| A.smiling is the best way to make others feel comfortable |
| B.we should help strangers if they are angry |
| C.being kind to others can have a positive effect on our lives |
| D.you need to do something special if you want to make friends |
If your job requires a lot of sitting, you could be putting your health at danger.
The American Journal of Epidemiology (流行病学) did a study in 2010 on the correlation (相互联系) between sitting and an individual's physical health. In the study, 53,440 working men and 69,776 working women were surveyed on their time spent sitting. The subjects were all disease free when employed. The researchers identified 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up.
The findings: Women who reported sitting for more than six hours per day had an approximately 40 higher all-cause death rate than those who reported less than three hours a day, and men had an approximately 20 higher death rate.
Well, now's a fine time to get this information. But why didn't they tell me this years ago? I would have planned on taking a more active job instead of the sedentary (坐着的) job of an editor.
So what can you do if you have to work for a living at a job that requires a lot of sitting? Here are some ideas:
Take frequent breaks. It is recommended that workers vary activities, change their position, and take short breaks every 20 minutes to rest muscles and increase blood circulation. Get a standing desk. Some studies have shown that working from an upright position may be better for health. The serious fitness people can even purchase a treadmill (跑步机) desk. It only goes about one mile per hour. Have a walking meeting. If your group is kind of small, going for a walk while discussing topics is a good alternative.According to the text, the study in 2010 ______.
| A.found men reporting shorter sitting time than women |
| B.surveyed more men than women on their daily sitting time |
| C.identified fewer deaths in men than in women during the 14-year follow-up |
| D.discovered correlation between sitting and physical health in men and in women |
We can infer from the text that the author did not recommend ______.
| A.using a standing desk | B.resting one's muscles |
| C.quitting sedentary jobs | D.taking a walk while discussing |
What does the underlined word "subjects" in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A.Things being discussed. | B.People being studied. |
| C.Areas of knowledge being learned. | D.Objects being painted. |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A.Your job could be killing you. |
| B.Working out leads to health risks. |
| C.Long-time sitting is positively associated with health. |
| D.A study on sitting time and physical health was completed. |
In 1992, I had just launched a new business called Video News International.
It was the world's first video journalist network. The idea was to cover news and sell the service to news organizations.
One day, a young intern (实习生) who was working for us named Anthony Lappe pulled me aside.
"There is something you have to see," he told me. "Comcast is doing this really cool thing."
"What?"
"The Internet," he said. "It's going to be really big."
Anthony later introduced me to the head of the Internet project.
"We are looking for content to put on our network here," the guy said to me.
Well, I said I had lots of content to offer.
The guy's eyes lit up. "Cool," he said. "We would like to put it on our network."
Well, I was always looking for new clients.
"What are you going to pay?" I asked.
He said that they could not pay anything for the content, but they would set up a URL for me.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's kind of like your address on the web."
"What would I do with this URL thing?"
"Well, it could be your business."
"I don't see how it is a business, and there's not even any advertising," I cleverly replied.
"Not yet," he said. "But one day there might be."
I thought about it for two seconds.
"Naah..." I said. "I've got bigger fish to fry. I've got to be going now. Maybe we can cooperate next time."
And I walked out.
Idiot!
Well, that Internet thing turned out to be so much bigger than I had thought. I wish I had never made such a mistake. Sorry Anthony. You were right.The head of the Internet project expected the author to _______.
| A.become a user of their product |
| B.put advertisements on their web |
| C.provide video news for their network |
| D.get an email address from the Internet |
The guy's offer was rejected because the author ______
| A.didn't think it a good deal |
| B.was unwilling to trust a stranger |
| C.was too occupied to start a new business |
| D.was worried about the safety of e-business |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A.I don't believe your words. |
| B.I ought to cook dinner now. |
| C.I need to get more payment. |
| D.I have something more important to do. |
Which of the following can be the best title for this text?
| A.Power of New Technology |
| B.Never Too Old to Learn |
| C.My Biggest Mistake Ever |
| D.Building a Business Partnership |
My friend had mentioned the other day that her father had a lot of children's toys he was looking to give away. She knew I have a three-year-old daughter so she thought of me first. I told her I would love it if I could get some nice things for my daughter, which I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford.
When I met her father, he began to explain he was too poor once and that he would hate to throw away things that can be very useful.
Before he showed me what he was giving away, I thought the toys would be mostly lego's(乐高积木) or things like that. When he was showing me around I saw a bed, a slide, a kitchen set and many other things that just blew my mind. He told me to write a list of everything my daughter could use and as my eyes were wide, he told me not to feel guilty. He said I was helping him by getting rid of the stuff.
As I was looking around I did feel guilty, but I tried to remain more grateful than guilty. Every time I tried to thank him for giving me and my daughter all this wonderful stuff he would thank me right back. I wanted to believe that he was just thanking me so that I wouldn't feel so guilty but in reality I believe that he was as grateful as I was that these toys would be put to good use.
In the eyes of charity, it makes sense to feel grateful, but guilt is just as normal. I know that we could have lived without a slide, which is why I do feel guilty, but I am grateful all the same because my daughter really does enjoy all these nice things!Why did the old man want to give away his toys?
| A.He wanted to help those poor children. |
| B.He was wealthy enough to buy new toys. |
| C.He wanted to make full use of those toys. |
| D.He needed some space for more useful things. |
In the writer's opinion, the old man felt grateful because________.
| A.he wanted to make her more guilty |
| B.he wanted her to take the toys quickly |
| C.the toys would be put to good use |
| D.he finally got rid of the stuff |
What can we know from the passage?
| A.The writer took all the toys home. |
| B.The old man was a kind and thoughtful person |
| C.The writer wanted to refuse the stuff when she first saw them. |
| D.The writer's daughter enjoyed the slide most among all the stuff. |
How did the writer feel when given the stuff?
| A.Guilty and honored. | B.Grateful and respected. |
| C.Honored and respected. | D.Guilty and grateful. |
In a computer age,a broadband Internet connection is very popular now.Whether cable or mobile broadband,today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly,and files download much faster than ten years ago.And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a hidden problem:You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t,it's slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out,there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem,which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations.In cities and suburbs(郊区),it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone.It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities,especially in developing countries.Internet service providers, for their part,have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely(稀疏地)populated areas.The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper more efficient fiber optics cables(光纤电缆)promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.Still, the“last mile”problem remains hard to deal with.There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection.But someday that might not matter.If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication,it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.Internet connections have been popular everywhere. |
| B.Internet service providers are willing to care about rural(农村的)customers. |
| C.The problem of Internet access hasn’t been completely dealt with. |
| D.Computer can’t become popular in developing countries. |
Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements_______.
| A.make TV and telephone available everywhere |
| B.bring great change to people’s everyday life |
| C.bring faster Internet connections to users |
| D.make it possible for more people to use the Internet |
What may eventually settle the“last mile”problem?
| A.The broadband connection’s getting faster. |
| B.The rapid progress in cell phone technology. |
| C.More and more Internet connections. |
| D.More and more Internet users. |
The best title for this passage may be________.
| A.Internet Connection Problems |
| B.Internet Connections Need Improving |
| C.Progress in Internet Connections |
| D.Internet Connections Today |
Come out and let us teach you how to skydive today! We are located in Xenia, Ohio and are within a reasonable driving distance of major cities in Ohio. Situated on a private airport, Skydive Greene County offers world-class training. We didn’t start skydiving but we are Ohio’s oldest skydiving school which opened in 1961!
Tandem Skydiving
Tandem skydiving is required if this is your first time skydiving. After filling out paperwork and watching a short video, you will be ready to make your skydive. Somewhere around 11,500 feet you will be secured to your tandem instructor. The door will open and you exit the plane.
Your freefall with your instructor will last for approximately 40-50 seconds. We can almost guarantee this will be the most exciting minute of your life as you reach the speed of around 120 mph, falling for about two miles back to the earth!
Don’t forget to have a video taken of your skydive to show all those that didn’t think you would jump from an airplane!
Static Line Courses.
Once you have made your tandem skydiving, you can move on to our Static Line Program. The Static Line Jump is the traditional way to learn to skydive. We have classes throughout the year. Every student will be led through the entire day by a licensed instructor. Never does the student feel unattended.
Once training is over, students will make their first jump on that very same day! If the weather does not cooperate, you can come back the next day, or we will re-schedule a time to make your skydive.
Price
$165.00 Tandem skydiving only
$175.00 Static Line Course only
Invite one of our professional videographers on your skydive:
$125.00 DVD with photos
Booking
To book your tandem skydive or skydiving course, call us at (937) 372-0700. We just ask for a call if you cannot keep your scheduled appointment. And you must be at least 18 years old to make a skydive at SGC
Come to learn with the best and make a skydive today! For further information, please call us at (937) 372-0700 or visit our website www. greenecounty.com!Skydive Greene County ________.
| A.offers training in major cities in Ohio |
| B.is the oldest skydiving school in the USA |
| C.guarantees every skydiver a freefall experience |
| D.requires all the students to receive one-day training |
Skydivers doing tandem skydiving will have to________.
| A.practise before skydiving |
| B.jump with a professional coach |
| C.have a video taken while skydiving |
| D.show others how to skydive from a plane |
What will a student probably do after training in Static Line Course?
| A.Make a tandem skydiving. |
| B.Receive a skydive license. |
| C.Pay 165 dollars to SGC |
| D.Try the freefall at once. |
To book a skydive in SGC, one must________.
| A.telephone SGC | B.fill in some forms |
| C.visit SGC’s website | D.keep the appointment |