It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for "Six days shall you labor and do all your work" was taken seriously back then. Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning. Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets, they had sent him to the kitchen for more string(线). It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.
My mother looked at the sitting room, its furniture disordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she cast a look toward the window. "Come on, girls! Let's take string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute."
On the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something wrong, together with her girls.
There never was such a day for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, just for the joy of sending it up again.
Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. "Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven," I thought confusedly.
It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to the house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was, we didn't mention that day afterward. I felt a little embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep "the things that cannot be and yet they are."
The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to "go park, see duck."
"I can't go!" I said. "I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that far."
My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from the peas she was shelling（去皮）. "It's a wonderful day," she offered, "really warm, yet there's a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?"
I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The locked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. "Come on," I told my little girl. "You're right, it's too good a day to miss."
Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath (余波) of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of — what dark and horrible things?
"Say!" A smile sipped out from his lips. "Do you remember — no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me."
I hardly dared speak. "Remember what?"
"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp (战俘营), when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?"Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because she thought_________.
| A．she was too old to fly kites |
| B．she should have been doing her housework then |
| C．her husband would make fun of her |
| D．her girls weren’t supposed to play the boy’s game |
By "we were all beside ourselves," the writer means that they all _________.
| A．felt confused | B．looked on |
| C．went wild with joy | D．forgot their fights |
What did the writer think after the kite-flying?
| A．The boys must have had more fun than the girls. |
| B．All the others must have forgotten that day. |
| C．Her parents should spend more time with them. |
| D．They should have finished their work before playing. |
Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?
| A．She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother. |
| B．She thought it was a great day to play outside. |
| C．She had finished her work in the kitchen. |
| D．She was reminded of the day they flew kites. |
The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that _________.
| A．the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories |
| B．his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life |
| C．childhood friendship means so much to the writer |
| D．people like him really changed a lot after the war |
Drink drivers could be prohibited from driving under the influence if new technology from Nissan is introduced.
The Japanese car maker has developed a new odor (气味) detection system designed to prevent drivers from operating a car if they are over the legal limit. The system works by using a series of sensors (传感器) to detect the level of alcohol the driver has consumed.
A high-sensitivity alcohol odor sensor is built into the gear stick (变速杆), which is able to detect the presence of the driver’s palm as he or she attempts to start driving. If the alcohol level detected is above a pre-determined limit, the system automatically locks the transmission(变速器), immobilizing the car. A voice alert is also issued via the car navigation system telling the driver that he or she is over the limit.
Extra sensors are also placed in the driver and passenger seats and a warning is issued if these sensors detect the presence of alcohol in the air inside the vehicle cabin.
While still in the developmental stage the concept of drink driving detectors being built into cars has generally been welcomed by many drivers.
Nissan said the technology is part of a project aimed at halving the number of fatalities (灾祸) and serious injuries in Nissan cars by 2015 compared to 2005 levels.The detection system works _______________.
| A．by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin |
| B．by measuring the volume of the alcohol in vehicle cabin |
| C．by detecting the weight of the school in the vehicle cabin |
| D．by using a car navigation system |
What do we know about the detection system?
| A．The detection system is still in the developmental stage. |
| B．The new technology from Nissan has been introduced. |
| C．The driving detectors are being built into cars. |
| D．The system has already been used in some car companies. |
The driver’s attitude toward the detection system is that of _______________.
| A．annoyance | B．welcome | C．unconcern | D．doubt |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Nissan will release drink-proof cars. |
| B．Traffic accidents will be decreased. |
| C．A project halving the number of accidents. |
| D．A new odor detection system. |
Have you ever been in a situation, where you felt uneasy because of something you think you may have forgotten to do or perhaps a feeling that you annoyed someone whom you wanted to get along with really well. If you have experienced such feelings and worse on a regular basis, then you most probably are a victim of anxiety attacks.
All of us, to some extent, have experienced anxiety at different levels. There are somethings you may know about anxiety, and some things that you may not be familiar with. So in order to be prepared for your unexpected feeling of anxiety, you need to get to know what anxiety is before it escalates into a panic attack.
Anxiety is simply the feeling of discomfort, uneasiness or fear of what may eventually happen resulting from an imagined, or a real threatening condition. On the extreme end panic attacks can occur due to heightened(增加) feelings of anxiety.
There are two main symptoms(症状) during an anxiety / panic attack and these are physical and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms include difficulty in breathing, shaking, direct feeling of heat, rapid heartbeat and tiredness while emotional symptoms deal with worrying, depression, fear, and lack of focus.
In spite of the negative impression we have for anxiety, it is not dangerous in any way whatever. The feeling of anxiety is not bad, in fact it’s more of a defensive feeling which protects us from possible danger by engaging a response within us in fight or fight situations. So it’s not the “bad guy”, you just have to learn how to control it. Panic attacks, however, are far more dangerous and should be a concern to your health. Panic can sometimes result in blurred (模糊不清的) vision, difficulty in breathing due to a tight chest. The best way to different anxiety from any serious illness is to ask a medical expert for advice on a regular basis.According to the passage, a panic attack is _______________.
| A．as serious as an anxiety attack | B．not so serious as an anxiety attack |
| C．resulted from an anxiety attack | D．resulted in an anxiety attack |
The underlined word “escalates” in the second paragraph means “_______________”.
| A．happens suddenly | B．becomes more serious |
| C．mixes things together | D．connects something with |
A victim of anxiety attacks may have the symptoms that ______________.
| A．he doesn’t want to have anything to eat |
| B．he has trouble in hearing and vision |
| C．he is always worried about others |
| D．he can’t pay attention to what he does |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that ______________.
| A．an anxiety attack does good to us | B．an anxiety attack does no harm to us |
| C．an anxiety attack is a serious illness | D．an anxiety attack is very dangerous |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks | B．Ways of Getting Rid of Anxiety |
| C．Harm Caused by Anxiety | D．Getting to know Anxiety |
Arabs consider it extremely bad manners to start talking business immediately. Even the busiest government official always takes extra time to be polite and offer refreshments (茶点). No matter how busy you are, you should make time for this.
The conference visit is a way of doing business throughout the Arab world. Frequently, you will have to discuss your business in the presence of strangers, who may or may not have anything to do with your business. Do not be surprised if your meeting is interrupted several times by people who come into the room unannounced, whisper, or speak softly to the person with whom you are talking, and leave. Act as though you do not hear, and never show displeasure at being interrupted.
Making decisions quickly is not an Arab custom. There is a vagueness (模糊) in doing business in the Middle East which will puzzle a newcomer. Give yourself lots of time and ask lots of questions.
When an Arab says “yes”, he may mean “maybe”. When he says “maybe”, he probably means “no”. You will seldom get a direct “no” from an Arab because it is considered not polite. Instead of “no”, he will say “inshallah”, which means “if God is willing”. On the other hand, “yes” does not necessarily mean “yes”. A smile and a slow nod might be like an agreement but in fact your host is being polite. An Arab considers it rude to disagree with a guest.The main purpose of this article is to explain _________________.
| A．why you need extra time when you visit Arab countries |
| B．how to be polite when doing business in the Arab world |
| C．why Arab officials are so busy |
| D．what Arabs say when doing business |
According to the article, which of the following would be considered polite?
| A．You leave angrily because of interruptions. |
| B．You demand an immediate decision. |
| C．You refuse a cup of tea and show pictures of your product right away. |
| D．You look out of the window while a stranger comes in to speak with your host. |
Which of the following is NOT an Arab custom?
| A．To care less about being interrupted during their meeting. |
| B．Often to give you a vague answer. |
| C．Seldom to say “no” directly. |
| D．Seldom to hesitate to start talking business in the presence of strangers. |
A proven method for effective textbook reading is the SQ3R method developed by Francis Robinson. The first is to survey (the S step) the chapter by reading the title, introduction, section headings, summary., and by studying any graphs, tables, illustrations or charts. The purpose of this step is to get an overview of the chapter so that you will know before you read what it will be about. In the second step (the Q step), for each section you ask yourself questions such as "What do I already know about this topic?" and "What do I want to know?" In this step you also take the section heading and turn it into a question. This step gives you a purpose for reading the section. The third step (the first of the 3 R's) is to read to find the answers to your questions. Then at the end of each section, before going on to the next section, you recite ( the second of the 3 R's) the answers to the questions that formed in the question step. When you recite you should say the information you want to learn out loud in your own words. The fifth step is done after you have completed step 2, 3 and 4 for each section. You review (the last of the 3 R's) the entire chapter. The review is done much as the survey was in the first step. As you review, hold a mental conversation with yourself as you recite the information you selected as important to learn. The mental conversation could take the form of asking and answering the questions formed the headings or reading the summary, which lists the main ideas in the chapter, and trying to fill in the details for each main idea. The passage implies that the SQ3R method.
| A．needs to be prove | B．leaves much to be desired |
| C．turns out to be practicable | D．cannot be used by every reader |
The SQ3R method consists of steps.
| A．three | B．four | C．five | D．seven |
According to the passage, the first step helps the readers.
| A．read the first several paragraphs | B．scan the whole chapter |
| C．study the graphs | D．get the theme of chapter |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．In the last step, you should remember all the information. |
| B．When you finish the last step, you will get both the main idea and the details. |
| C．The mental conversation involves answering the questions asked by the author. |
| D．While you are holding a mental conversation you select the important information. |
Handshaking, though a European practice, is now often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed (无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of goodwill. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other's hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. This practice wax later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. "Let's shake (hands) on it' sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Some-times the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite, it is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or her. Even if', for politeness, lie holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding (误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other.
| A．to make a deal | B．to greet each other |
| C．to show friendliness | D．to reach an agreement |
The first paragraph mainly tells us.
| A．where handshaking was first practised |
| B．how handshaking came about |
| C．about the relationship between handshaking and trade |
| D．about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese. |
| B．Westerners are unwilling to shake hands. |
| C．We should make a judgment before shaking hands. |
| D．We shouldn't shake hands with European women. |
The main purpose of the text is
| A．to tell us some differences between the East and the West |
| B．to offer us some important facts about handshaking |
| C．to introduce us to some different customs in the West |
| D．to give us some advice before we travel abroad |