Lillian was a young girl who grew up in a village. At the age of 16, her father forced her to drop out of school and find a job to help the family.
With limited education, skills and hope, she would take the bus into the big cities of Windsor and Detroit, walk aimlessly about and then return home every day. She couldn’t even bring herself to knock on a door.
As the days passed, Lillian knew she would soon have to knock on a door. On one of her trips, Lillian saw a sign at Carhartt Overall Company, saying, “Help Wanted, Secretarial. Apply Within.”
She walked up to the office and was met by the office manager, who sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Let’s see how good you really are.”
She directed Lillian to type a single letter and then left. Lillian looked at the clock: 11:40 am. She figured that she could run away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least try the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line. It had five words and she made four mistakes. The clock read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and she will never see me again.” On her second try, Lillian got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper. At last she completed the letter with some mistakes.
Just then, the door opened and the office manager walked in. She came directly over to Lillian, read the letter, paused and then said, “Lillian, you’ve done a good job.”Why did the office manager leave after directing Lillian to type a letter?
| A．She was not satisfied with Lillian. |
| B．She found Lillian was too young. |
| C．She wanted to let the girl be quiet. |
| D．She wanted to test Lillian |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in paragraph 6?
| A．Lillian didn’t have enough confidence in herself. |
| B．Lillian didn’t like the workers there. |
| C．Lillian didn’t want the job. |
| D．Lillian wanted to have lunch then. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
The girl didn’t like to go to school.
The girl’s family was not very rich.
The girl’s father was very fond of money.
The girl was living in a poor village. From the passage it can be inferred that in the end__________.
| A．Lillian had to run away without being noticed. |
| B．Lillian’s father wanted his daughter to return to school. |
| C．the office manager was deeply moved by the girl. |
| D．Lillian was allowed to work there. |
Money has always complicated our social lives. A question in October from a woman wondering whether she should attend her neighbors’ holiday parties broke my heart: “I am not able to do the same in return, and I just feel like a freeloader to do so，” she wrote. “I’m not even in a position this year to take an appropriate thankyou gift with me.” I told her to go, of course.
Meanwhile, hosts worried about the costs of entertaining — the hosts who write to me, anyway. On the other hand, the hosts that guests write to me about have taken some extreme measures to reduce the cost of their hospitality. These range from a dinner party where a relative of the host explained how expensive the steaks were and “rather pointedly suggested” that the letter writer “make a financial contribution” to the cost of dinner, to some Cape Cod homeowners who invited a couple to spend a weekend with them — as long as they brought their own food, bottled water, and toilet paper.
Weddings and other special events always create extra sources of stress, worsened by the fact that people rarely want to talk honestly about their money situations. One couple chose to have only a civil wedding ceremony for financial reasons and wondered how to tell people this without going into too much detail. A sixtysomething couple needed to cut back on Christmas gifts to their children but weren’t sure how to tell them about it. People who had been laid off wondered how to notify friends, respond to inquiries about their job search, and compete with former colleagues for positions.
If you are searching for the answers to them, write to me—an advice columnist.The underlined word “freeloader” in the 1st paragraph showed the woman’s ________．
| A．disapproval | B．happiness |
| C．confusion | D．agreement |
What bothered the hosts mentioned in Paragraph 2 most in their social lives?
| A．Steaks. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Cost. | D．Thankyou gifts. |
What would you be expected to do if you were invited to spend a weekend with some Cape Cod homeowners?
| A．Ask someone for advice. |
| B．Get your food and water ready. |
| C．Bring a bottle of wine with you. |
| D．Make a financial contribution to the cost. |
What makes the social life even worse?
| A．Weddings and other social events. |
| B．Being laid off and notifying friends. |
| C．Cutting back the costs for lack of money. |
| D．Telling others about their financial troubles. |
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook from scratch? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can’t you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of adults are so idle that they’d catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2，000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain’s largest health charity. The results were startling.
About one in six people surveyed said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it’s no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese before they start school. Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too. If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the simple tasks.”
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most indolent city in the UK, with 75% surveyed admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results pose serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesityrelated illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.What do lazy British people probably choose to do?
| A．Go to stores. | B．Catch the lift. |
| C．Cook from scratch. | D．Climb flights of stairs. |
How many people surveyed don’t play with children because of tiredness?
| A．About 419. | B．About 333. |
| C．About 654. | D．About 1280. |
What is the potential result of more and more people, including children, getting obese?
| A．People will not get enough exercise. |
| B．People will not have enough money. |
| C．People will not be able to do the easy job. |
| D．People will not cure themselves of heart disease. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the finding of the study?
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Negative. | D．Supportive. |
Wilma Subra had no intention of becoming a public speaker. After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, she went to work at Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana.
As part of her job, she conducted field research on toxic (poisonous) substances in the environment, often in minority communities located near large industrial polluters. She found many families were being exposed to high, sometimes deadly levels of chemicals and other toxic substances. But she was not allowed to make her information public.
Frustrated by these restrictions, Subra left her job in 1981, created her own company and has devoted the past two decades to helping people fight back against giant industrial polluters. She works with families and community groups to conduct environmental tests, interpret test results, and organize for change.
Because of her efforts, dozens of toxic sites across the country have been cleaned up. And one chemical industry spokesperson calls her “a_top_gun” for the environmental movement.
How has Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training.Partly through her commitment to environmental justice. But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking. “Public speaking，” she says, “is the primary vehicle I use for reaching people.”
If you had asked Subra before 1981 “Do you see yourself as a major public speaker？”， she would have laughed at the idea. Yet today she gives more than one hundred presentations a year. Along the way, she’s lectured at Harvard, testified before Congress, and addressed audiences in 40 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and Japan.What did Wilma Subra study for her job before 1981?
| A．Chemistry and microbiology. |
| B．Families affected by toxic chemicals. |
| C．Toxic substances in the environment. |
| D．Minority communities near industrial polluters. |
Why did Wilma Subra quit her job in 1981?
| A．She wanted to create her own company. |
| B．She preferred freedom to restrictions. |
| C．She hoped to work with families and communities. |
| D．She was forbidden to inform the public of toxic pollution. |
Wilma Subra is called “a top gun” in the 4th paragraph for ________．
| A．her scientific training |
| B．her efforts to fight against pollution |
| C．her help in closing down dozens of toxic sites |
| D．her strong belief in environmental justice |
What does Wilma Subra think of “public speaking”？
| A．She values it. | B．She laughs at it. |
| C．She is against it. | D．She has no idea of it. |
| Time |
Event |
Location |
Audience |
| 10：15 a．m. on Wednesday |
BABY_AND_ME Babies from birth to 18 months old and their parents/caregivers can enjoy great books, lively songs, and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. This program is limited to 35 participants. |
Muhlenberg Library, Community Room |
Children, Infant (0－18 months) |
| 10：30 a．m. on Wednesday |
OPEN_LAB Are you having trouble with your email? Don’t know how to cut and paste? Never touched a computer? This is the time and place for you to get ahead with 21st century technology! Bring your technology questions and/or your wireless enabled device and get oneonone assistance, discover online tutorials, improve your skills, exceed the limits of your imagination！ |
St. George Library Center, TechConnect Lab |
Adults |
| 10 a．m. on Thursday |
I_NEED_A_DOCTOR:_HEALTH_INFO_ONLINE Learn to find consumer health information online, including doctors’ credentials, hospital information, drug side effects, conventional and alternative medical treatments of diseases, diets, weight loss, nutrition and exercises, and how to evaluate these websites. |
Kips Bay Library |
Adults |
| 12 noon on Thursdays |
No talking, no cell phone, and no noise are required in our quiet study room. This room is open thanks to our volunteers, and is subject to their availability. If you are interested in keeping the quiet study room open more hours, please see a staff member about becoming a volunteer! Quiet Study Hours: Mondays 12－5, Tuesdays 1－5, Wednesdays 1－5, Thursdays 12－5, Fridays 10－3, Saturdays 10－3. Subject to cancellation /change of hours without prior notice. |
67th Street Library |
50＋， Book Lovers， Business people |
Who will probably take part in the event “BABY AND ME”？
| A．Book lovers. | B．Businessmen. |
| C．Infants. | D．Adults 50＋. |
Where will you go if you want to learn about computer technology?
| A．Muhlenberg Library. | B．St. George Library Center. |
| C．Kips Bay Library. | D．67th Street Library. |
In which event can you work as a volunteer?
A. BABY AND ME.
B. OPEN LAB.
C. I NEED A DOCTOR: HEALTH INFO ONLINE.
D. QUIET STUDY ROOM.
Road rage is commonly seen or often happens in our daily lives. There have been countless stories about this new and scary phenomenon, considered a type of aggressive driving. While drunk driving remains a critical problem, the facts about aggressive driving are surely as disturbing. For instance, last year alone, 41, 907 people died on the highways. Of those deaths, it’s estimated that about two-thirds were caused at last in part by aggressive driving behavior.
Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now? Experts have several theories, and all are probably partially correct. One suggestion is sheer overcrowding. In the last decade, the number of cars on the roads has increased by more than 11 percent, and the number of miles driven has increased by 35 percent. However, the number of new road miles has only increased by 1 percent. That means more cars in the same amount of space; and the problem is magnified in urban areas.
Also, people have less time and more things to do. With people working and trying to fit extra chores and activities into the day, stress levels have never been higher. Stress creates anxiety, which leads to short tempers. These factors, when combined in certain stations, can spell Road Rage.
You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively, but you might be surprised. For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a lower driver, sounded the born long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing? If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, watch out!
Whether you are getting angry at other drivers, or another driver is visibly upset with you, there are things you can do to avoid any major conflict. If you are easily influenced by road rage, the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way. If you are the target of another driver’s rage, do everything possible to get away from the other driver safely, including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way.Last year on the highways, .
| A．approximately two thirds of drivers were killed by road rages |
| B．road rage remained the No. 1 killer and took 41,907 people’s lives |
| C．more people were killed by aggressive driving than by drunk driving. |
| D．drunk driving was a problem more serious than aggressive driving. |
As a cause of aggressive driving, which of the following is not included?
| A．Drivers’ stress and anxiety. |
| B．Rush hour traffic. |
| C．Increasing number of cars. |
| D．Overcrowded roads. |
Which of the following shows the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The bad results of road rage |
| B．How to discharge your emotion properly. |
| C．The practical ways to escape any fight on roads |
| D．People easily influenced by road rage |