Fix it on your own
Did you know that a bowl of rice could save your iPod if you drop it in a swimming pool by accident? Or that the camera on your phone could tell you what’s wrong with your TV remote control? The experts at Geek Squad （geelsquad．co．uk） have made a gadget （小机件） rescue guide．So, let’s take a look at some of their useful advice．
♦How to get more juice out of your phone batter
If your battery goes dead but you need to get a number or send one last text, try warming it up．That may give you a tiny bit of power．Take the battery from the phone and rub it between your hands．Or warm it under your arm for a few minutes．Then try to start the phone but use it quickly．
♦What to do if your gadget gets wet
First, try drying it out with a vacuum cleaner （真空吸尘器）．If a vacuum cleaner isn’t at hand, fill a pot or bowl with uncooked rice and put your wet gadget inside．The dry, uncooked rice will absorb all the water and, after a few hours, you should be able to use the gadget．Don’t forget to remove the battery and SIM card before you dry it．
♦What to do if your TV remote control stops working
If replacing the batteries doesn’t work, get the camera function up on your phone and point the remote at the lens （镜头）．When you press a button on the remote, if it is working, the glass bobble （小球） at the front of the remote will light up when you look at it on the screen of your phone．This is because the screen on a phone or digital camera picks up infrared rays （红外线）, even though your eyes don’t．If the glass bobble doesn’t light up, the remote is broken．If it does, the receiving device （装置） is broken．If your cell phone falls into a sink, you can _________．
| A．warm it up under your arm |
| B．remove the battery after you dry it |
| C．put it into the uncooked rice |
| D．press it with both of your hands |
Why can a phone be used to prove the TV remote control works well? Because it can _____．
| A．improve the TV remote control | B．receive infrared ray |
| C．picture the TV remote control | D．reflect infrared ray |
In which section of a newspaper can we possibly read this text?
| A．Life | B．Entertainment | C．Finance | D．Culture |
The purpose of this passage is to give people __________．
| A．personal opinions | B．professional guides |
| C．necessary warnings | D．practical tips |
Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills （读写能力）With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence （自信心） , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.
Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager. What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Children’s reading difficulties. | B．Advantages of raising dogs. |
| C．Service in a public library. | D．A special reading program. |
Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _______.
| A．dogs are young children’s best friends |
| B．children can play with dogs while reading |
| C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children |
| D．children and dogs understand each other |
By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library_______.
| A．uses dogs to attract children | B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA |
| C．has opened a children's department | D．has decided to train some dogs |
A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _______.
| A．a book used in Saturday classes | B．a book written by the children |
| C．a prize for the children | D．a gift from parent |
Mr. Briggs got a job with an insurance company(保险公司) after he left school and went around visiting people in their homes to sell them life insurance. One day, after he had been working for the company for about a year, the insurance manager sent for him and said, “Mr. Briggs, I have been looking at your record as a salesman with our company, and there is one thing that surprises me about it. Why have you been selling insurance only to people over 95 years old, and why have you been giving them such generous（宽厚的）conditions? You’ll ruin our company if you go on like that.”
“Oh, no, sir,” answered Mr. Briggs at once, “Before I started work, I looked at the figures(数字) for deaths in this country during the past ten years, and I can tell you that few people die at the age of 95.” Before he worked in an insurance company, what was Mr. Briggs?______.
| A．He was a worker. | B．He was an official. |
| C．He was a student. | D．He was a businessman. |
The word “ruin” in the second paragraph means .
| A．lose | B．break | C．leave | D．destroy |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Mr. Briggs had studied the figures for deaths for several years. |
| B．Mr. Briggs began to look at the figures after he started work. |
| C．A great number of very old people die every year. |
| D．The number of the very old people who died every year is small. |
Bean and other seed shoots are also known as sprouts (新芽). The dry bean seeds contain a store of nutrients just waiting to be released when they sprout. Under the right conditions they will germinate (发芽)。 As they grow, the food value of the seeds is multiplied into vitamins, minerals (矿物质) and other nutrients. This happens almost overnight!
It is easy to grow your own sprouts, but you need to buy your seeds from supermarkets or health food stores. Seeds for planting in the garden are often powdered with chemicals, so when becoming sprouts they are not safe to eat.
Try growing sprouts from a variety of beans and seeds. You will find different sprouts at different stages. Bean sprouts are best when they are about three centimeters long. Wheat and sunflower sprouts taste best when the sprouts and the seeds are of the same length. If the sunflower sprout is too long it leaves a funny stinging feeling in the throat after eating. Alfalfa sprouts are best when their small leaves are well developed. Pea and soybean sprouts are good long or short.
If you leave your sprouts in filtered sunlight for a few hours, the leaves will turn green as chlorophyll (叶绿素) is added. Eating sprouts with green leaves benefits your blood, cells, and the digestive system. Which of the following sprouts taste good whether they are long or short?
| A．Soybean sprouts | B．Sunflower sprouts |
| C．Alfalfa sprouts | D．Wheat sprouts |
As sprouts grow, the food value of the seeds will_____.
| A．increase | B．decrease | C．remain the same | D．lose |
From the passage we know that______.
| A．Long sunflower sprouts taste better than short ones |
| B．Eating too long sunflower sprouts will make you feel uncomfortable in the throat |
| C．Eating sprouts with green leaves will be harmful to your health |
| D．It takes a long time for the food value of the seeds to multiply |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Sprouts of seeds for planting in the garden may not be safe to eat. |
| B．Alfalfa sprouts taste best when their small leaves are more fully grown. |
| C．All sprouts taste best during the early stage of their growth. |
| D．Sunlight will make the leaves of sprouts green. |
It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself. There is one particular story that he always told with great delight.
In his early days as a lawyer, Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal(法律的)cases. During one of these trips, he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him. The stranger looked at the tall clumsy(笨拙的)lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonging to Lincoln. Lincoln was a bit puzzled. He had never seen the man before. He didn’t see how a total stranger could have something of his. Lincoln asked how this could be. The stranger pulled out a penknife and began to explain. Many years before, he had been given the pocketknife. He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself.
Lincoln’s eyes always sparked when he reached this part of the story. The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it. The tale itself was funny. But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself.This passage is about.
| A．a stranger and his strange knife |
| B．Lincoln’s favorite story |
| C．meeting stranger in a train |
| D．Lincoln’s favorite penknife |
From the story we can infer that the stranger in the train
| A．liked to make friends | B．liked to tell jokes |
| C．collected penknives | D．was not handsome |
Lincoln was given the pocketknife for
| A．his appearance | B．a good laugh |
| C．being a lawyer | D．being good-humored |
Which of the following statements is right?
| A．Lincoln, even though great, was not proud. |
| B．Lincoln was a great and proud man. |
| C．Lincoln lacked self-respect. |
| D．Lincoln had a good sense of humor. |
What does the word “sparked” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．闪耀 | B．暗淡 | C．无神 | D．忧伤 |
A new law helps people with disabilities. The law says that people with disabilities must be able to get into and out of all public buildings. It also says that business must offer special services to people who have special needs. Companies can not refuse to hire disabled workers. Many businesses may have to change their buildings and services.
—Ramps (坡道) must be built so people can get into buildings.
—Movie theatres must have space for people in wheelchairs and seats for their friends to sit near them.
—Elevators (电梯) must have floor number in Braille.
This law will help millions of people. One woman who has been in a wheelchair for many years said,“It is like a dream.”According to the passage we can see that.
| A．it will be difficult for the normal persons to get into the public buildings |
| B．the buildings of all the businesses will have to be changed |
| C．Most businesses used to offer special services to people who have special needs |
| D．it was difficult for the disabled workers to find jobs in the past |
Ramps can help people.
| A．with hearing problems |
| B．who have difficulty in using their hands |
| C．who have difficulty in using their legs or feet |
| D．who don’t like stairs |
The fact that the new law has been passed shows that______.
| A．the government has paid no attention to the disabilities |
| B．the government wants to help these disabilities |
| C．normal people show mercy to the disabilities |
| D．companies will hire millions of disabled people |