I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile –warm and reassuring –and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.
“It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’.” Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said.” “My husband used to bring me flowers every week –even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and – of course – I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her –that was the night that I won her heart.Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
A.He had to pick up some groceries. |
B.He had to go back to school soon. |
C.He was delayed by an elderly lady. |
D.He was to meet his girlfriend. |
What does the underlined se “her gift”(Paragraph 2) refer to?
A.Her smile. | B.Her words. |
C.Her flowers. | D.her politeness. |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
A.She told him a nice story. |
B.She gave him encouragement. |
C.She allowed him to pay first. |
D.She liked flowers very much. |
What is the message conveyed in the story?
A.Flowers are important for a date. |
B.Love and kindness are rewarding. |
C.Small talk is helpful. |
D.Elderly people deserve respecting. |
Taiwan police cannot decide whether to treat it as an extremely clever act of stealing or an even cleverer cheat(诈骗).Either way, it could be a perfect crime(犯罪), because the criminals are birds----homing pigeons.
The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car: if you want the car back, pay some money. Then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money to the neck of the pigeon inside. Carrying the money in a tiny bag, the pigeon flies off.
There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however, may in fact be the work of an even lazier and more inventive criminal mind---- one that avoids(避免) not only collecting money but going out to steal the car in the first place. Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for things he cannot possibly return. Instead of stealing cars, he lets someone else do it and then waits for the car owner to place an ad in the newspaper asking for help.
The theory is supportd by the fact that, so far,none of the stolen cars have been returned. Also, the amount of money demanded----under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars-----seems too little for a car worth many times more.
Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal. “We have more important things to do,”he said.
( 66.After the car owner received a phone call, he ___________.
went to a certain pigeon and put some money in the bag it carried
gave the money to the thief and had his car back in a park
sent some money to the thief by mail
told the press about it
( )67. The “lazier and more inventive”criminal refers to ________.
the car thief who stays at home B.one of those who put the ads in the paper
one of the policemen in Changwa D. the owner of the pigeons
( )68.The writer mentions the fact that “none of the stolen cars have been returned” to show ____________.
how easily people get fooled by criminals B.what Chen thinks might be correct.
C. the thief is extremely clever. D.the money paid is too little.
( )69. The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A.criminals B. pigeons C. the stolen cars D.demands for money
( )70. We may infer from the text that the criminal knows how to reach the car owners because ____________.
he reads the ads in the newspaper
he lives in the same neighborhood
he has seen the car owners in the park
D.he has trained the pigeons to follow them
There is an English saying :“laughter is best medicine .”Until recently ,few people took the saying seriously .Now however ,doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body .They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health .
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body .People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts ,blood pressure ,breathing and muscles .It was found that laughter had similar effects to physical exercise .It increases blood pressure ,the heart beating and breathing ; it also works several groups of muscles in the face ,the stomach ,and even the feet .If laughter exercises the body ,it must be beneficial .
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body .In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes .The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny programme .The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain .
As a result of these discoveries ,some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics ,in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh .They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing ,making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter .
( )61.Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that .
A.smiling does good to health
B.laughter can be tolerated
C.there is a way to reduce pain
D.laughter can work the muscles in the feet
( )62.The main idea of the passage is .
A.laughter and physical exercise have similar effects on the human body
B.smile can produce the same effects as laughter
C.pain can be reduced by laughter
D.laughter is the best medicine
( )63.The students who tolerated the pain for the longest time .
A. listened to different radio programmes
B. could produce a kind of chemical
C. don’t have stress of pain
D. listened to a funny programme
( )64.The underlined word “diminish” is similar to .
A. test B. stop C. reduce D. increase
( )65.Doctors hold laughter clinics _________.
A. to give better condition to their patients
B.in order to improve patients’ health
C.to make patients smile
D.to prove smile and laughter have the same effect
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you concentrate on the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you've got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a "feel good" impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says "Buy me quickly!" to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say "Buy me quickly!" as you walk by. The expensive meat says "Buy me quickly!" The supermarket tells you what to buy.
56. Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ________.
A. can help customers get the things they want
B. makes customers walk slowly and buy more
C. can make customers relaxed and happy
D. can tell customers exactly where to go
57. The manager knows ________.
A. where customers come from
B. which customers like slow music
C. where fresh meat should be put
D. which customers like cheap meat
58. When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will _______.
A. possibly buy some B. pay no attention to it
C. look for some cheap meat D. feel uncomfortable
59. If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ________.
A. you know where to get things
B. it brings you good luck
C. it makes you spend less money
D. you’ll get a fresh impression
60. Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ________.
A. the customers will buy more B. it looks very expensive
C. the customers come often D. it seems cheap and fine
C
John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公开指责) mother – love or hating moonlight.”
I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon (大海鲢) or catching rainbow trout (红鲭鱼) in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I doing. I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss. Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19 – inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life – changing experience for me. He not only showed my how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime – time (黄金时间) season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.
51.What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that .
A.Americans are believed to be the offspring (后代) of fishermen
B.it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing
C.all Americans are expert at fishing
D.those who dislike fishing would not love their mother
52.The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing .
A.when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck
B.when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell
C.after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama
D.after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone
53.What can be inferred from the text?
A.The author is at most 21 years old.
B.The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life.
C.The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school.
D.President Bush often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job.
54.According to the author, .
A.people can get to know VIPs when fishing.
B.people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing
C.Fishing is a way of communication
D.Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people
55.What is the purpose of the writing?
A.To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.
B.To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.
C.To make others understand the industry of fishing.
D.To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.
B
SYDNEY: As they sat sharing sweets beside a swimming pool in 1999. Shane Gould and Jessicah Schipper were simply getting along well, chatting about sport, life and anything else that came up.
Yet in Sydney next month, they will meet again by the pool, and for a short time the friends will race against each other in the 50 – meter butterfly in the Australian championships at Homebu Bay.
Gould, now a 47 – year – old mother of four, has announced she will be making a return to elite competition (顶级赛事) to swim the one event, having set a qualifying (合格的)time of 30. 32 seconds in winning gold at last year’s United States Masters championships. Her comeback comes 32 years after she won three golds at the Munich Olympics.
Schipper, now a 17 – year – old girl from Brisbane with a bright future of going to Athens for her first Olympics, yesterday recalled (回忆) her time with Gould five years ago.
“I was at a national youth camp on the Gold Coast and Shane had come along to talk to us and watch us train.” Schipper explained. “It seemed as if we had long been good friends. I don’t know why. We just started talking and it went from there.”
“She had a lot to share with all of us at that camp. She old us stories about what it was like at big meets like Olympics and what it was like to be on an Australian team. It was really interesting.”
Next time, things will be more serious: “I will still be swimming in the 50 m butterfly at the nationals, so there is a chance that I could actually be competing against Shane Gould.” said Schipper, who burst onto the scene at last year’s national championships with second places in the 100 m and 200 butterfly.
46.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Stories happening in swimming competitions.
B.Two women swimmers winning Olympic golds.
C.Lessons learned from international swimming championships.
D.Friendship and competition between two swimmers.
47.Gould and Schipper are going to____________.
A.talk about sport and life B.go back to elite competition
C.set a qualifying time and win gold D.take part in the same sports event
48.Gould won her three Olympic golds when she was____________.
A.15 B.17 C.22 D.30
49.The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph probably refers to .
A.the Olympics B.the youth camp
C.the friendship D.the Australian team
50.What Schipper said showed that she___________.
A.was no longer Gould’s friend B.had learned a lot from Gould
C.was not interested in Gould’s stories D.would not like to compete against Gould