Albert was an ordinary worker in an oil company in America. His workmates gave a nickname(绰号) “Four dollars a bucket (桶)” to him, for he was always used to leaving an advertisement of his company “Four dollars a bucket of oil” below his name whenever and wherever he wrote down his name.
As time went by, people forgot his real name. Later, when Rockefeller, the board chairman of the oil company, heard of it, he was very surprised, so he invited Albert to come to his office.
“Some people give you a nickname for ‘Four dollars a bucket’. Why aren’t you angry?” asked Rockefeller with some puzzlement in his eyes.
“Oh! Mr. Rockefeller! I like this nickname very much, because ‘Four dollars a bucket’ is our company’s advertisement. As long as someone calls me ‘Four dollars a bucket’ once, I think it’s a free advertisement for our company. I have no reason to get angry. Don’t you think so, Mr. Rockefeller?”
“Oh! What a fantastic man!” Rockefeller said excitedly when hearing Albert’s words. “Young man, work harder! You must succeed in the future! I believe in you!”
Five years later, Albert became the second board chairman after Rockefeller.
Later Albert said in one of his reports, “I don’t think we should feel frustrated when we have no way to do the world-shaking things. We should treat every thing actively because maybe our future success will begin from a small thing!” What was Albert in the oil company at the beginning?
| A．A customer |
| B．An assistant. |
| C．A manager. |
| D．A worker. |
Why wasn’t Albert angry at his nickname?
| A．He could become famous. |
| B．He liked to have a nickname. |
| C．It could make his workmates happy. |
| D．It could advertise for his company for free. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．It’s very important to do small things well. |
| B．Rockefeller asked young people to work harder. |
| C．You can’t get angry when someone calls your nickname. |
| D．You should make more advertisements for your company. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A Clever Way to Make Advertisements. |
| B．Albert and Rockefeller. |
| C．Four Dollars a Bucket. |
| D．The Second Board Chairman. |
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smoking not only can wrinkle(起皱纹) the face and turn it yellow -- it can do the same to the whole body, researchers reported on Monday.
The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, shows that smoking affects the skin all over the body -- even skin protected from the sun.
"We examined non-facial skin that was protected from the sun, and found that the total number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day and the total years a person has smoked were linked with the amount of skin damage a person experienced," Dr. Yolanda Helfrich of the University of Michigan, who led the study, said in a statement.
"In participants older than 65 years, smokers had significantly more fine wrinkling than nonsmokers. Similar findings were seen in participants aged 45 to 65 years," Helfrich's team added in their report.
The researchers tested 82 people, smokers and nonsmokers, taking pictures of the inner right arms. They ranged in age from 22 to 91 and half were smokers. Independent judges decided how wrinkled each person's skin was.
When skin is exposed to sunlight, notably（尤其）the face, it becomes coarse, wrinkled and discolored with a pale yellow tint, Helfrich's team wrote.
Several previous studies have found that cigarette smoking contributes to premature（过早的）skin aging as measured by facial wrinkles, the study said, but little has been done to measure the aging of skin not exposed to light.
The report did not discuss the mechanism involved but previous research has found that cigarette smoke, among other things, causes blood vessels（血管）beneath the skin to constrict（紧缩）, reducing blood supply to the skin.
Smoking can also damage the connective tissue (组织)that supports both the skin and the internal organs.The best title for this passage would be_______.
| A．The danger of smoking | B．Smoking causes skin aging |
| C．Quit smoking for health | D．A survey of smokers |
It can be inferred from the study _______ .
| A．smoking won’t make skin protected from the sun |
| B．smoking will do damage to skin rather than other organs |
| C．smokers over 65 usually won’t worry about their skin |
| D．the age of smokers is not connected with the result of the test |
From the passage smoking results in skin aging mainly because_____.
| A．it will lower blood supply to skin | B．it can make you feel tired |
| C．it can make skin come off | D．it can make blood run faster |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
| A．inform people about the result of the study |
| B．advise people how to protect skin |
| C．warn people not to smoke again |
| D．introduce a new way of avoiding skin aging |
Only three local students won Chinese Blog Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China.
170 students’ task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many postings based on a theme of choice—all written in Chinese.
Themes ranged from local opinions－such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre－to food blogs.
The entries were judged on Language proficiency（熟练程度）and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers.
Academics(学者) from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges.
In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list—the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China.
“No surprise, ” said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Innova Junior College, which organized the event. “Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language. ”
One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao 19, from the Saint Andrew’s Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts
Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible
“Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers.” Said Miss Gao. “I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts.” The competition was organized by ___________.
| A．the National University of Singapore | B．Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao |
| C．the Saint Andrew’s Junior College | D．Innova Junior College |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Not all the themes were about local subjects. |
| B．Chinese students won most of the awards. |
| C．The blogs could be written in Chinese or Singlish. |
| D．The judges were from universities in Singapore and China. |
What Miss Gao said suggests that ___________.
| A．she likes to blame the authorities | B．she thinks highly of the others’ blogs |
| C．she has a sense of responsibility | D．she loves to read valuable posts |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．how Chinese students won the awards in the competition |
| B．why bloggers should take responsibility for their blogs |
| C．what the result of the competition was |
| D．how Miss Gao won the first prize in the competition |
It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial（财政的）package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition（学费）, room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was to smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus （校园）including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?
| A．He was lost in his dream. |
| B．He was full of joy. |
| C．He was worried about the money. |
| D．He was uncertain which school to go to. |
We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.
| A．honest | B．supportive | C．strict | D．decisive |
In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.
| A．would charge me nothing for tuition | B．would pay for transport to the school |
| C．would show me around the campus | D．would offer free meals at all events |
What does the author mainly want to say?
| A．You should consider comfort in your choice of schools. |
| B．You should try your best to attend your dream school. |
| C．Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit. |
| D．Your choice of schools should be based on their fame. |
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. “Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?” “When I got that great job, did Jim, as a friend, really feel good about it?” “And was Paul friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back, these thoughts can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it is too late.
Why do we go wrong with our friends, or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meanings. And if we do not really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. When someone tells you, “You’re a lucky dog!” Is he really on your side? If he says, “You’re a lucky guy!” that is being friendly. But “a lucky dog”? There is a bit of envy (嫉妒) in those words. What he may be saying is that he does not think you deserve (应得) your luck.
“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for” is another phrase that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem. But this phrase contains the thought that your problem is not at all important.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Is what he says shown by the tone of voice? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save your another mistake. When the writer thinks of some of the things that happened between him and his friends, he .
| A．feels happy, thinking how nice his friends are to him |
| B．feels he might not have understood his friend’s true feelings |
| C．thinks it a mistake to have broken up with his girl friend |
| D．is sorry that his friends let him down |
When the writer talks about the saying, “You’re a lucky dog!” he is saying that .
| A．the speaker is just friendly |
| B．this sentence suggests the same as “You’re a lucky guy!” |
| C．the word “dog” should not be used to apply to people |
| D．sometimes the words show that the speaker is a bit envious |
This passage tries to tell you how to .
| A．avoid mistakes about money and friends |
| B．get an idea of friendly people |
| C．avoid mistakes in understanding what people tell you |
| D．keep people friendly without trusting them |
The writer suggests that should be trusted.
| A．everybody | B．nobody | C．all the people | D．not all the people |
History is full of examples of leaders joining together to meet common goals. But rarely have two leaders worked together with such friendship and cooperation as American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. They both were born in wealthy families and were active in politics for many years. Both men loved the sea and the navy，history and nature.
Roosevelt and Churchill first met when they were lowerlevel officials in World War One. But neither man remembered much about that meeting. However，as they worked together during the Second World War they came to like and trust each other. Roosevelt and Churchill exchanged more than one thousand seven hundred letters and messages during five and a half years. They met many times，at large national gatherings and in private talks. But the closeness of their friendship might be seen best in a story told by one of Roosevelt’s close advisors，Harry Hopkins. Hopkins remembered how Churchill was visiting Roosevelt at the White House one day. Roosevelt went into Churchill’s room in the morning to say hello. But the president was shocked to see Churchill coming from the washing room with no clothes at all. Roosevelt immediately apologized to the British leader for seeing him naked. But Churchill reportedly said: “The Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to hide from the president of the United States.” And then both men laughed.
The United States and Great Britain were only two of several nations that joined together in the war to resist Hitler and his Allies. In January,1942，twentysix of these nations signed an agreement promising to fight for peace，religious freedom，human rights，and justice. The three major Allies，however，were the most important for the war effort: the United States，Britain，and the Soviet Union. Yet，Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed about when to attack Hitler in western Europe. And Churchill resisted Roosevelt’s suggestions that Britain give up some of its colonies. But in general，the friendship between Roosevelt and Churchill，and between the United States and Britain led the two nations to cooperate closely.What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Roosevelt and Churchill had much in common. |
| B．Roosevelt and Churchill had nothing in common. |
| C．Roosevelt and Churchill had no difference but cooperation. |
| D．Roosevelt and Churchill always joined together to meet common goals. |
Which of the following about Roosevelt and Churchill is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Since World War One they had believed in each other. |
| B．They exchanged just 27 letters and messages per month during the 5.5 years. |
| C．Harry Hopkins never let out the closeness of their friendship. |
| D．Roosevelt and Churchill hadn’t been presidents before World War One. |
We can know from the passage that________.
| A．Roosevelt and Churchill did not always agree with each other |
| B．over two differences between Churchill and Roosevelt were mentioned |
| C．Churchill urged Roosevelt to give up some of its colonies |
| D．the differences between Roosevelt and Churchill had an effect on their cooperation |