Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger ,but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways.
You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers .It come from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Driver climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱)than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.
Thinking about the way we use water everyday can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day .Run your dishwasher (洗碗机)only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?
A.Using river water. |
B.Throwing batteries away. |
C.paving parking lots. |
D.Throwing rubbish into lakes. |
What can be inferred from the text?
A.All water shortages are due to human behavior. |
B.It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs. |
C.There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
D.The average family in America makes proper use of water . |
The last paragraph is intended to .
A.show us how to fix leaks at home |
B.tell us how to run a dishwasher |
C.prove what drinking glass is best for us |
D.suggest what we do to save water at home |
The text is mainly about .
A.Why paving roads reduces our water |
B.how much we depend on water to live |
C.why droughts occur more in dry climates |
D.how human activity affects our water supply |
Americans often plan social gatherings(社交聚会)on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning. If the time is convenient (方便) for you, surely accept their invitation. But if you’re busy, don’t be afraid to decline the invitation, perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed.
Invitations are usually sent in person or over the telephone. The main exception(例外) is for some formal occasions, in which case a written invitation will be mailed. You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼).
For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited. If many people were invited, it’s OK to arrive a little late, even as much as half an hour late. For example, it’s OK to arrive late for a party, for a potluck (家常便饭) dinner or for a social gathering inviting a large group of people.
If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会).
If you wish to thank the host for his or her hospitality (好客), it’s right to call or send a brief (简单的) written thank-you note the next day.The passage is to tell us ________.
A.how to accept Americans’ invitations. |
B.something about American social visits. |
C.something about American business visits. |
D.how to make a living in America. |
The underlined word “decline” in the first paragraph most probably means _____.
A.accept | B.receive | C.refuse | D.follow |
If an American only invites you to his home for an informal supper at 7:30p.m., you’d better get to his house at ________.
A.7:15p.m. | B.7:35p.m. | C.7:45p.m. | D.7:55p.m. |
In America, invitations to a wedding are often sent ________.
A.by mail | B.by fax | C.by e-mail | D.over the telephone |
According to the passage, in American ________.
A.if you’re invited to a family as a guest, you can stay as long as you please. |
B.if you’re invited for a party, you must always be on time. |
C.if you’re invited for dinner, you’d better bring some presents. |
D.you must make a call to show your thanks after you get home from the dinner. |
“The first and best of victories for a man is to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.
A single angry word has lost many friends. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whoever the gods would destroy, they first make them mad.” “Keep cool,” says Webster, “anger is not argument.” “Be calm in arguing,” says George Herbert, “for fierceness makes error a fault.”
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “begins with foolishness and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Self-control is man’s last and greatest victory.
If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking too. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Self- control is important for a man |
B.We should learn to be strong. |
C.A man who keeps cool won’t lose any game. |
D.The great heroes in history knew how to control themselves. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.If you are mad, the gods will fail you. |
B.If you lose your temper first, gods will fail you first. |
C.If you can’t control yourself, you will be crazy. |
D.If the gods want to fail you, they will make you mad first. |
Which of the following is NOT true, according to passage?
A.The first and best of victories for a man is to conquer himself. |
B.You will make a small mistake serious if you don’t keep cool. |
C.You must measure a man’s strength by the power of the feelings which conquer him. |
D.Anger begins with foolishness and ends with regret. |
Which of the following can’t help you avoid anger, according to the passage?
A.Being calm in arguing |
B.Checking your temper or anger by speaking low. |
C.Keeping your mouth shut |
D.Trying to make the other angry first. |
If a man lacks self-control,______________________________
A.He will always be controlled by all the people all the time. |
B.He will began with foolish everything every day and lack the strength. |
C.Moral strength and nerve of character will lack as well. |
D.He will have power of gover himself. |
When it comes to human resources, hiring highly-skilled staff is not usually enough for a company to function successfully. Besides the knowledge in their particular fields, employees must always have additional skills-----those of co-operation. In the case that work tasks can only be carried out by communicating with people, accepting common decisions, solving problems, sharing information and helping one another, teamwork skills are important.
While some jobs may require talent, the ability to work as a team is learned. There are no complicated formulas(规则); you don't need to have any special qualities or exceptional mental abilities. Individuals can be effective as a team if they have developed certain behaviors or habits of communication. Many companies, clubs and organizations use team building activities. Team building activities may include a number of teamwork elements. They are aimed at encouraging active participation in task accomplishment while all members have their roles as individuals and are able to co-operate towards a common goal as a team.
Many team building activities focus on problem solving and discussing team issues; thus argument as a way to common consensus (共识) is encouraged. Team building activities often involve recognition and identification of team member skills, talents, knowledge, and experiences which allow the team members to learn more about each other and fully utilize (利用) those skills where appropriate(合适的). Many team activities are focused on developing keys to trust during challenging times.In the author's opinion, which of the following is important for a company to be successful?
A.Specialized knowledge. | B.Highly-skilled staff. |
C.Exceptional talent. | D.Teamwork skills. |
According to the second paragraph, co-operation skills______.
A.require special qualities and abilities |
B.are learned while working in a team |
C.need exceptional mental abilities |
D.are quite complicated to learn |
Team building activities are good for______.
A.hiring employees with special talent |
B.encouraging employees to co-operate |
C.helping employees work independently |
D.training employees in their special fields |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Team Building | B.Problem Solving |
C.Communication Skills | D.Company Management |
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射) so that they won’t carry diseases. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of stores. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be: Their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.The passage mainly talks about ______.
A.how to keep diseases from pets | B.Canadians have pets as friends |
C.how to take good care of pets | D.life of the old in Canada |
Pets are given injections in animal hospitals ______.
A.in order to keep them safe | B.after being taken home |
C.because they carry diseases | D.because they are sick |
The word “bird feeder” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A.a person who gives food to birds | B.a container that has food for birds |
C.something that catches birds | D.an animal that eats birds |
“Well, what did I say?Buck’s a real fighter, all right,” said Francois the next morning when he discovered that Spitz had disappeared and that Buck was covered in blood.
“Spitz fought like a wolf,” said Perrault, as he looked at the bites all over Buck.
“And Buck fought like ten wolves,” answered Francois. “And we'll travel faster now. No more Spitz,no more trouble.”
Francois started to harness the dogs. He needed a new lead-dog, and decided that Solleks was the best dog that he had. But Buck jumped at Solleks and took his place.
“Look at Buck!” said Francois,laughing. “He's killed Spitz,and now he wants to be lead-dog.Go away, Buck!”
He pulled Buck away and tried to harness Solleks again.Solleks was unhappy too. He was frightened of Buck, and when Francois turned his back,Buck took Solleks’ place again. Now Francois was angry.
“I'll show you! ” he cried,and went to get a heavy club from the sledge.
Buck remembered the man in the red coat,and moved away. This time,when Solleks was harnessed as lead-dog,Buck did not try to move in.He kept a few meters away and circled around Francois carefully. But when Francois called him to his old place in front of Dave, Buck refused.He had won his fight with Spitz and he wanted to be lead-dog.
For an hour the two men tried to harness him.Buck did not run away,but he did not let them catch him.Finally,Francois sat down,and Perrault looked at his watch.It was getting late. The two men looked at one another and smiled. Francois walked up to Solleks,took off his harness, led him back and harnessed him in his old place.Then he called Buck. All the other dogs were harnessed and the only empty place was now the one at the front. But Buck did not move.
“Put down the club,” said Perrault.
Francois dropped the club, and immediately Buck came up to the front of the team.Francois harnessed him, and in a minute the sledge was moving.
Buck was an excellent leader. He moved and thought quickly and led the other dogs well. A new leader made no difference to Dave and Solleks; they continued to pull hard.But the other dogs had had an easy life when Spitz was leading.They were surprised when Buck made them work hard and punished them for their mistakes. Pike,the second dog,was usually lazy;but by the end of the first day he was pulling harder than he had ever pulled in his life. The first night in camp Buck fought Joe,another difficult dog,and after that there were no more problems with him.The team started to pull together,and to move faster and faster.
“I've never seen a dog like Buck!” cried Francois, “Never! He's worth a thousand dollars. What do you think, Perrault? ”
Perrault agreed.They were moving quickly,and covering more ground every day. The snow was good and hard,and no new snow fell.The temperature dropped to 45°C below zero, and didn't change.
This time there was more ice on the Thirty Mile River, and they crossed in a day.Some days they ran a hundred kilometers,or even more. They reached Skagway in fourteen days; the fastest time ever.The writer mentioned “the man in the red coat” in the passage to show that____.
A.the man in the red coat once beat Buck severely with a club. |
B.Buck remembered Francois was the man in the red coat. |
C.the man in the red was quite friendly to Buck in his memory. |
D.Buck remembered Francois was a friend of the man in the red coat. |
Why did Buck fight Joe the first night in camp?
A.He wanted to get rid of Joe. |
B.He wanted to make some trouble. |
C.He was interested in fighting with others. |
D.He wanted to teach Joe a lesson. |
According to the passage, which of the following is true about the other dogs?
A.Dave stood in the second position in the team. |
B.Joe was always quite lazy in the team. |
C.Pike was a trouble-maker in the team. |
D.Solleks was hard-working in the team. |
What did Francois think of Buck at the end of the passage?
A.annoying | B.admirable | C.aggressive | D.average |
Which of the following best shows that Buck was an excellent leader?
A.He killed Spitz at the beginning of the story. |
B.He punished them for their mistakes. |
C.He fought Joe the first night in camp. |
D.They reached Skagway in the fastest time ever. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The Fight with Dogs | B.The New Lead-dog |
C.A Dog Called Buck | D.A Real Fighter |