Have you ever had an embarrassing experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony:
My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool middle school. One morning my alarm clock didn’t ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn’t go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn’t understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry:
The most embarrassing experience I’ve ever had happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favorite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife’s hand. There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face. I hadn’t taken my wife’s hand. I’d taken the hand of a complete stranger（陌生人）!Tony arrived at school late that morning because .
| A．he couldn’t find hid shoes |
| B．his alarm clock didn’t ring |
| C．he washed and dressed slowly |
| D．his car went wrong on the way |
The students began laughing when they saw Tony .
| A．wearing a wrong shoe |
| B．his alarm clock didn’t ring |
| C．looking down suddenly |
| D．rushing into the classroom |
Henry and his wife held hands .
| A．at the cinema | B．in the shop |
| C．at the restaurant | D．along the street |
What does the underlined word “scream” mean in Chinese?
| A．尖叫声 | B．笑声 | C．哭声 | D．呼救声 |
Henry was embarrassed because he .
| A．slapped the woman in the face |
| B．took the hand of a complete stranger |
| C．heard hid wife screaming in the street |
| D．knocked over some watches in the shops |
Spending two or three hours playing outdoors each day can reduce(减少)a child’s chance of becoming short-sighted（近视）,research shows . It challenges the belif that short-sightedness is caused by computer use , watching TV or reading in weak light .
Australian government researchers believe that sunlight is good for people’s eyes . They compared the vision （视力）and habits of 100 seven-year-old children in China and Australia .In all,30% of the Chinese children were short-sighted .This percentage was ten times higher than Australian children.
Both groups spent a similar amount of time reading, watching TV and playing computer games .However , the Australia children spent an average of two hours a day outdoors ,90 minutes more than the Chinese children.
Professor Ian Morgan said ,“Humans are naturally long-sighted ,but when people begin to go to school and spend little or no time outdoors ,the number of short-sighted peoplegets larger. We are also seeing more and more short-sighted children in cities all around the world –and the main reason may be that city children spend less time outdoors .
Daylight can be hundreds of times brighter than indoor light . But why does playing outside prevent us from becoming short-sighted ? Scientists believe that natural light has a special chemical（化学物质）which stops the eyeball from growing out of shape and prevents people from becoming short-sighted .
So go outdoors .It doesn’t matter if that time is spent having a picnic or playing sports .
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内。What can reduce a child's chance of becoming short-sighted according to the passage ?
| A．Playing computer games. |
| B．watching TV. |
| C．Reading books. |
| D．Spending 2 or 3 hours playing outside every day. |
What does the underlined word "percentage" mean?
| A．百分比 | B．功率 | C．平均分 | D．效率 |
How much time did the Chinese children spend outdoors according to the research?
| A．2 hours. | B．90 minutes. | C．1 hour. | D．30 minutes. |
What is the fifth paragraph mainly about?
| A．Why people become short-sighted. |
| B．Why natural light has a special chemical. |
| C． Why playing outside is good for one's eyesight. |
| D． Why daylight is much brighter than indoor light. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People will all become short-sighted after they begin to go to school. |
| B．Playing outdoors for 2 or 3 hours every day can help protect your eyesight. |
| C． Children in Australia are more likely to become short-sighted than those in China. |
| D． lf you spend 2 or 3 hours playing outside each day, you will become short-sighted. |
Julio loves to visit his grandmother . He doesn’t get to visit her very often because his family lives in a city that is six hours away .His grandmother lives in a big wooden house on a farm .It is old and looks as if it has secret hiding places .
On the third Sunday of June ,Julio’s parents took him to his grandmother’s .Since it was summer vacation, he was going to stay at grandmother’s for a whole summer . Hid cousins Mario and linda would soon be arriving. They would also be staying at their grandmother’s this summer .
A big porch (走廊) wrapped （缠绕）around two sides of the house .Julio sat in the porch swing （秋千）.He could see the trees that circle the house .They had been planted as a windbreak （防风林）.They protected the house from the wind and blowing dirt .The house was in the middle of a large flat field .
Julio watched the dirt road that led to the house .He couldn’t wait for his cousins to get there .Mario was his age ,and Linda was a year younger .They had fun together .Last summer they spent one whole morning making a fort out of sacks of seed （装种子的麻袋做成的堡垒）.Then Uncle Henry took them on a tractor ride.
Julio remembered another time with his cousins .They had gone out to explore the fields .Julio touched an electric fence and got a shock .Then they found an old snake skin. Nothing like that ever happened at his own home !
Julio could smell the dinner that his grandmother was cooking .It made him hungry .
Finally he saw a cloud of dust coming up the road .“They’re here ! They are here !”He shouted .
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。并将其标号填入题前括号内。Why doesn’t Julio often visit his grandmother ?
| A．Because he doesn’t love his grandmother. |
| B．Because his parents don’t let him visit his grandmother. |
| C．Because his home is far away from his grandmother's. |
| D．Because he is often ill . |
Who is the youngest of Julio and his cousins ?
| A．Linda. | B．Julio. | C．Mario. | D．Henry. |
The story tells about Julio and his cousins doing all of the following except_____.
| A．watching old movie |
| B．taking a tractor ride |
| C．finding a snake skin |
| D．making a fort from seed sacks |
How do you think Julio felt when he saw his cousins arriving?
| A． He was worried. | B． Ht: was excited. |
| C．He was angry . | D． He was sad |
After Julio cousins arrive , when would probably happen next ?
| A．They would build a fort on the hill |
| B．They would look for snake skins . |
| C．They would climb the trees in their grandmother’s yard |
| D．They would eat dinner at their grandmother’s house |
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. He was a very clever boy. His favorite subjects at school were science and math. When he was 13, he started to play with computers. At that time, computers were large machines. Once he was very interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software program with the old machine. Bill sold it for $4,200 when he was only 17.
In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University(哈佛大学). In his third school year, he left Harvard to work for a company called Microsoft. Bill began his company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought the computer would come into every office and every home soon. So they began developing(发展) the software for personalcomputers. They improved(改进) the software to make it easier for people to use computers.Bill Gates grew up in _______.
| A．Canada | B．Australia | C．America | D．Germany |
What subjects did Bill like best at school?
| A．Science and math | B．Languages and art |
| C．Math and languages | D．Music and P.E |
Bill’s company worked hard at _______.
| A．making large machines | B．playing computer games |
| C．mending old machines | D．developing software |
Bill started to play with computers ______.
| A．in 1955 | B．in 1968 | C．in 1973 | D．1975 |
The word “personal” means _______.
| A．个人的 | B．公众的 | C．大型的 | D．昂贵的 |
I’m taking my family to other countries to have a trip. My wife and I and our two children are all going along. My elder brother will go with us, too. He has never been overseas and he is even more excited than the children. My father is so old that he’d like to stay at home and take care of the house.
We’re going by train to New York, and then take a ship to Europe. When we arrive in Europe, we’re going to some countries for sightseeing (观光). We’ll go to places either by train or by bus. We’re going to fly home.
It took us a long time to decide where to go, but I think we’ll have a very interesting trip. We’ll go to England, France and Italy. We also talked about how we would go to Europe. At first we wanted to fly because it would be faster and would save more time, But my brother likes to take a boat trip and the children like that, too.How many people of the family will go to have a trip?
| A． Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
My father will not go on the trip because ____.
| A．he doesn’t like travels |
| B．staying at home is more interesting |
| C．he is too old to travel |
| D．nobody wants to take him along |
We’re coming back home by_____ .
| A．sea | B．air | C．bus | D．train |
In Europe we will _____.
| A．go sight-seeing at the seaside |
| B．to go to different countries by ship |
| C．buy a lot of presents |
| D．go from place to place by train or by bus |
My brother and my children would like to _____.
| A．do some shopping in Europe |
| B．study the Italian language in Italy |
| C．enjoy a trip by ship |
| D．learn French in France |
One day Einstein(爱因斯坦) was walking in the street in New York. His friend met him and said to him, “Einstein, you should buy a new coat. Look, how old your coat is!” But Einstein answered, “It doesn’t matter. Nobody knows me here.”
After a few years Einstein became a famous scientist. But he still wore the old coat.
His friend met him again and asked him to buy a new one. But Einstein said, “I needn’t buy a new one. Everyone knows me here.”Einstein was ______ scientist.
| A．an English | B．a Chinese |
| C．an American | D．a Japanese |
Einstein’s coat was very old. His friend ______.
| A．gave him a new one |
| B．asked him to buy a new one |
| C．helped him buy a new one |
| D．helped him mend(修理) the old coat |
Einstein didn’t want to buy a new one because ______.
| A．nobodyknew him |
| B．he likedthe old one |
| C．he had no money |
| D．he didn’t mind it |
A few years later Einstein ______.
| A．bought a new one |
| B．became a great scientist |
| C．still wore an old coat |
| D．B and C |
The title(题目) of this article should(应该) be ______.
| A．Einstein’s Coat |
| B．Einstein and His New Coat |
| C．Einstein and His friend |
| D．Einstein |