An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother， “Only a miracle（奇迹） can save him now，” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore （药店） with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want？” asked the salesman. “It‘s for my little brother，” the girl answered. “He’s really，really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” “Pardon？” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost？” “We don‘t sell a miracle here， child. I’m sorry，” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen， if it isn‘t enough， I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked， “What kind of a miracle does your brother need？”
“I don‘t know，” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can‘t pay for it， so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have？” asked the man. “$ 1.11， but I can try and get some more，” she answered. “Well， what luck，” smiled the man. “$ 1.11， the price of a miracle for little brothers.”
He took up the girl‘s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong，a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn‘t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost？What was the trouble in the little girl‘s family？
A. Her brother was seriously ill.
B. They had no money.
C. Nothing could save her brother.
D. Both A and B.In the eye of the little girl， a miracle might be _______.
| A．something interesting |
| B．something beautiful |
| C．some wonderful medicine |
| D．some good food |
The little girl said again and again “…I can try and get some more.” That shows _______.
| A．she had still kept some money |
| B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．There was no need to worry about money |
| D．she thought money was easy to get |
From the passage we can infer （推断） that _______.
| A．The doctor didn‘t ask for any pay |
| B．A miracle is sure to happen if you keep on |
| C．The little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought |
Men can be beautiful too, right?
CHINA is going to host the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest in Guangzhou this December. This year for the first time the contest will include a male section. Students from over 130 countries will compete for Mr. and Miss Beauty. The contest is one of the most respected beauty contests in the world. It was copied by the United Nations University (an international university belonging to the United Nations) in 1986.
Stick to studying
LI Yining, an economics professor at Peking University, said that he would not encourage students to try their luck in the stock market (股市). “They should stress study,” Li said, in his speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University. When asked, the professor said he expected house prices in Beijing to continue to rise. Li thinks the government should provide more affordable houses for low-level income people.
Campus cinema
Students at over 100 universities will have a digital cinema on campus after the National Day holiday. The 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project was launched at the end of September. The ticket will cost 3-8 yuan, rather than 30-40 yuan at cinemas in town. Students often download movies online or watch DVDs. Now they can enjoy original films in the digital cinema. The digital cinema will show a variety of films other than Hollywood blockbusters (好莱坞大片).
Getting practical
All 12,000 graduates from vocational school in Shanxi Province have landed a job, according to the provincial government. In the past five years, it is estimated that over 95 percent of the professional school graduates have found jobs. However, the number for university graduates is 70 percent. Some employers said that they prefer professional school graduates who learned something more practical in school and expected lower salaries than university students. In the third part, the underlined word “launched” may mean ______.
| A．started | B．ended | C．told | D．mentioned |
Where can the material be chosen from?
| A．A novel. | B．A newspaper. | C．An advertisement. | D．A fashion magazine. |
. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．More than 130 countries will take part in the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest. |
| B．The ticket for digital film will cost 3-8 yuan. |
| C．In the past five years, over 95 percent of the university graduates have found jobs in Shanxi. |
| D．Over 100 universities took part in the 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project. |
. Professor Li thinks that ______.
| A．the house prices in Beijing will keep going up. |
| B．the students should try their luck in the stock market. |
| C．the government can do nothing about housing problem. |
| D．the students should not only pay attention to study. |
. What can we infer from the passage?
| A． In Shanxi, the professional school graduates are less popular with employers than university graduates recently. |
| B．The digital cinema will only show Hollywood blockbusters. |
| C．The graduates from universities can put what they learned into practice more easily. |
| D．No men competed in the World University Students Beauty Contest before this year. |
“Oh please God, no, no!” Stephen Eldredge cried out when he saw his wife, Shelli, badly wounded on the side of the road. She had broken actually every long bone in her body, along with her pelvis, jaw, and cheekbones. He was terrified his bride would bleed to death.
Stephen and Shelli had married just six months before near their home in South Jordan, Utah. They were in Hawaii on a family vacation with two of their sons. The family had rented electric motors and headed towards a nature preserve near Waikiki. But Shelli had fallen behind and the family turned back to make sure she was okay.
Shelli lost so much blood that her heart couldn’t function properly and she went into shock at the hospital. Physicians were able to make her come to herself. On the first and second days there, she lived through half a dozen operations. On day three, the worst of Stephen’s fears came true. Shelli didn’t wake. She had shown heart failure and lung failure. “I thought every heartbeat would be her last,” Stephen says.
As days passed with no change, one doctor gently asked if it was time to let Shelli go. An MRI（核磁共振）showed her brain didn’t have much chance of supporting life. Stephen couldn’t bear the thought of trapping his wife’s beautiful spirit in a body that would never work. If he kept her alive, what kind of life would she have ? He called family, religious leaders, and physician friends in Utah for guidance.
And he decided there still was a chance.
The family moved Shelli to a Utah hospital closer to home. In the next few weeks she started opening her eyes, but it wasn’t entirely clear how conscious she was. Nearly seven weeks after the accident, Stephen was joking with his sister in the hospital room when he saw Shelli smile, a big toothy grin. “Did you understand that?” he asked. She smiled again. Stephen fell to his knees in thanks.
Shelli’s recovery has been slow but steady. Initially, she couldn’t remember much of the previous months, including her own wedding. Shelli has endured 17 operations so far and may require more surgery. She will definitely need more months of recovery. But she is able to walk. “She’s got her life back. She’s able to love and be loved, and be the person she was.” Elovie says.
When Shelli hears about each step in her recovery, she calls it “miracle after miracle”. As for his experience, Stephen says, “This is a story of fear that was slowly replaced by faith.” We learn from the first two paragraphs that .
| A．Stephen and Shelli left home to hold the wedding ceremony. |
| B．Shelli was mainly wounded in the back |
| C．the couple were in Hawaii when the accident happened |
| D．the accident happened on their way to Waikiki |
In the hospital room Shelli smiled for the first time after the accident because.
| A．she liked people telling jokes. |
| B．she had remembered all that had happened |
| C．she was excited that she got her life back |
| D．she understood the joke being talked about |
By saying “miracle after miracle”, Shelli means that .
| A．she suffered what a terrible accident |
| B．she appreciated the care of her husband so much |
| C．the love for her family got her life back |
| D．it really surprised her that she survived so many operations |
. After reading the passage, what impresses us most may be that.
| A．Stephen’s not giving up | B．the doctor’s skill and hard work |
| C．Shelli’s bravery and persistence | D．the couple’s faith |
Holiday Inns and McDonald’s. both saw unmatched growth in the 1960s. Their growth opened another direct business operation—franchising.
These operations have the same general pattern. The franchisor, the parent company, first establishes a successful retail business. As it expands, it sees a profit potential in offering others the right to open similar business under its name. The parent company’s methods and means of identification with consumers are included in this right. The parent company supplies skill, and may build and rent stores to franchisees. For these advantages the franchisee pays the franchisor a considerable fee. However, some of the advantages and disadvantages are different.
By extending a “proven” marketing method, a parent can profit in several ways. First, the franchisee’s purchase price gives the parent an immediate return on the plan. Then the sale of supplies to the franchisee provides a continuing source of profits. As new businesses are added and the company’s reputation spreads, the values of the franchise increases and sales of franchises become easier. The snowballing effect can be dramatic. Such growth, too, bring into play the economies of scale. Regional or national advertising that might be financially impossible for a franchisor with 20 franchises could be profitable for one with 40.
The parent, then, finds immediate gains from the opportunity to expand markets on the basis of reputation alone, without having to put up capital or take the risk of owning retail stores. Added to this advantage is a less obvious but material one, Skilled, responsible retail managers are rare. People who invest their capital in franchises, though, probably come closer to the ideal than do paid managers. In fact, the franchisee is an independent store operator working for the franchisor, but without an independent’s freedom to drop supplies at will. Of course the factory’s costs of selling supplies are less. But also certainly the franchisee buying goods that have had broad consumer acceptance will not casually change supplies, even when the contract permits. If the hamburger is not what the customer expected, they may not return. Having paid for the goodwill, the franchisee won’t thoughtlessly destroy it. Franchising refers to a business operation in which a successful parent company .
| A．sells name-brand goods to a private investor |
| B．rents proven ideas and techniques for investment |
| C．sells the right, the guidance to a business under its name |
| D．takes no advertising responsibility for individual investors |
. The advantages of franchising to the parent company are all the following EXCEPT.
| A．an immediate investment return |
| B．the profit from the sale of supplies |
| C．the ownership of additional retail stores |
| D．the possibility of profitable advertising |
The passage mainly tells the reader .
| A．the advantages and disadvantages of franchising |
| B．the benefits of franchising to the franchisor |
| C．the unmatched economic growth in the 1960’s |
| D．some regional and national business operation |
. What will the author probably discuss after the last paragraph?
| A．More advantages of franchising. |
| B．Negative aspects related to franchising. |
| C．The standard of consumer acceptance. |
| D．Risks of investment besides franchising |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed — no examination is perfect — but to have no tests or examination would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency the values and the purpose of each teacher.
Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them — a form of favouritism will replace equality at the moment. The bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school.
The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer. The word “favouritism” in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that .
| A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs. |
| B．poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets. |
| C．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs. |
| D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success. |
. What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?
| A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation. |
| B．There would be more opportunities and excellence. |
| C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools. |
| D．Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation. |
. The opponents of the examination system will agree that .
| A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection |
| B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs. |
| C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards |
| D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with |
. The passage mainly focuses on .
| A．schools and certificates | B．examination and equality |
| C．opportunity and employment | D．standards and reputation |
Grown-ups know that people and objects are solid. At the movies, we know that if we reach out to touch Tom Cruise, all we will feel is air. But does a baby have this understanding?
To see whether babies know objects are solid, T. Bower designed a method for projecting an optical illusion of a hanging ball. His plan was to first give babies a real ball, one they could reach out and touch, and then to show them the illusion. If they knew that objects are solid and they reached out for the illusion and found empty air, they could be expected to show surprise in their faces and movements. All the 16- to 24-week-old babies tested were surprised when they reached for the illusion and found that the ball was not there.
Grown-ups also have a sense of object permanence, We know that if we put a box in a room and lock the door, the box will still be there when we come back. But does a baby realize that a ball that rolls under a chair does not disappear and go to never-never land?
Experiments done by Bower suggest that babies develop a sense of object permanence when they are about 18 weeks old. In his experiments, Bower used a toy train that went behind a screen. When 16-week-old and 22-week-old babies watched the toy train disappear behind the left side of the screen, they looked to the right, expecting it to reappear. If the experimenter took the train off the table and lifted the screen, all the babies seemed surprised not to see the train. This seems to show that all the babies had a sense of object permanence. But the second part of the experiment showed that this was not really the case. The researcher substituted a ball for the train when it went behind the screen. The 22-week-old babies seemed surprised and looked back to the left side for the train. But the 16-week-old babies did not seem to notice the switch. Thus, the 16-week-old babies seem to have a sense of “something permanence,” while the 22-week-old babies had a sense of object permanence related to a particular object. The passage is mainly about .
| A．babies’ understanding of objects | B．effects of experiments on babies |
| C．babies’ sense of sight | D．different tests on babies’ feelings |
In Paragraph 3, “object permanence” means that when out of sight, an object .
| A．still exists | B．keeps its shape | C．still stays solid | D．is beyond reach |
. What did Bower use in his experiments?
| A．A chair. | B．A screen. | C．A film. | D．A box. |
. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The babies didn’t have a sense of direction. |
| B．The older babies preferred toy trains to balls. |
| C．The younger babies liked looking for missing objects. |
| D．The babies couldn’t tell a ball from its optical illusion. |