Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.
I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.
There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.
A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.
Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor(走廊). In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.
I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”
He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.
I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.
When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.
I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.
“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.
At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!
“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.
Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.
Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.
No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.The purpose of the author writing the first paragraph is to _______.
A.answer some questions |
B.arouse (激发) the readers’ curiosity |
C.express some unusual feelings |
D.give some advice in advance |
What do we know about the author and the man sitting next to him?
A.The author didn’t like the man’s foolish questions |
B.They talked with each other all night |
C.They got angry about the window |
D.The author didn’t understand the man’s words |
On this journey on The Flying Bluebird, the author felt uncomfortable because _______.
A.he couldn’t find a seat by the window |
B.he was angry with the man sitting next to him |
C.the window was kept shut all night |
D.there were too many people on the train |
It can be learned from Para.10 that the author was afraid that ______.
A.he would have to spend another sleepless night on the train |
B.more people might crowd into the train |
C.he would miss the ship that went where he worked |
D.he would have to buy another ticket |
The noise in the underlined sentence “a noise started above our heads”(Para.15) was made by ________.
A.the angry passengers shouting at the top of their voices |
B.the ship that was lying two miles away |
C.the falling of boxes and suitcases to the floor |
D.the train itself telling people that something was wrong |
What would be the best title for the text?
A.A Train that Is Never Late |
B.A Quick and Wise Decision |
C.A Journey to Mendov |
D.A Bad Experience on the Train |
A good deal of fascinating research has been done about the reading patterns of young people,and it is surprising to discover at what an early age children start expressing preferences for particular kind of books. A recent report,which examined in detail the reading habits of primary-school children.showed that even seven-year-old boys and girls have clear views about what they want to read. Girls,in general,read more,and far more girls than boys preferred reading stories. Boys were showing a taste for the more instant appeal of picture stories,or else books about their hobbies.
These tastes continue unchanged until the children are teenagers. Apparently girls read more in general,but more fiction in particular .You could say that there are more opportunities for girls to read fiction:magazines encourage the fiction habit in girls in their early teens,and by their late teens they have probably moved on to the adult women’s magazines.Teenage boys tend to buy magazines about their hobbies:motorcycles,heavy transport and to on.
Adult reading tastes are also the subject of research.Again the number of women who read for pleasure is considerably higher than the number of men. It seems that the majority of women still want love stories.There has also been some analysis of what men actually read Apparently only 38 percent of men read anything,but 50 percent of what they read is fiction in the form of action-packed(内容丰富有趣的)stories of space or gunmen What has the recent research into children’s reading show?
A.Children begin to read very fast at an early age |
B.Children examine in detail what they read at school |
C.Children can read clearly in primary schoo1. |
D.Children form their reading tastes by the time they are seven |
If we have a close look at the reading habits of boys and girls we’ll find that_______
A.girls are more interested in fiction than boys |
B.girls are more interested in action-packed stories than boys |
C.boys read much more than girls |
D.boys have no interest in fiction |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
A.boys change their reading tastes more often than girls |
B.people usually do not change their reading tastes when they grow up |
C.boys and girls form their reading habits by reading magazines |
D.people have no definite(确切的)reading tastes |
In a computer age,a broadband Internet connection is very popular now.Whether cable or mobile broadband,today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly,and files download much faster than ten years ago.And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a hidden problem:You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t,it's slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out,there may be no Internet access at a11.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations.In cities and suburbs(郊区),it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone.It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities,especially in developing countries.Internet service providers.for their part,have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely(稀疏地)populated areas.The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper more efficient fiber optics cables(光纤电缆)promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.Still.the“last mile”problem remains hard to deal with.There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection.But someday that might not matter.If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication,it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Internet connections have been popular everywhere. |
B.Internet service providers are willing to care about rural(农村的)customers. |
C.The problem of Internet access hasn’t been completely dealt with |
D.Computer can’t become popular in developing countries. |
Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements_______.
A.make TV and telephone available everywhere |
B.bring great change to people’s everyday life |
C.bring faster Internet connections to users |
D.make it possible for more people to use the Internet |
What may eventually settle the“last mile”problem?
A.The broadband connection’s getting faster. |
B.The rapid progress in cell phone technology. |
C.More and more Internet connections. |
D. More and more Internet users |
The best title for this passage may be________.
A.Internet Connection Problems |
B.Internet Connections Need Improving |
C.Progress in Internet Connections |
D.Internet Connections Today |
I work in a nursing home and my job is to take care of the elderly.
This year, a very sweet old lady that I cared for,Alice, had gone through a difficult time .She got dementia and so she had been in the hospital twice .In November I was finally able to get her back to her“home”.
Alice had thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that that happy moment was not going to happen,she was very sad.Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to make her feel happy,I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve,I gave her a surprise by asking if she could like to go to a candlelight service at church that night
Instead of taking her to my church,I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got her a seat where her friends could see her as they came in.Then soon some of her friends came to the church and they rushed over to greet her and sit with her.
The candlelight service was beautiful and Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there.
The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift: the smile on Alice’s faceThe underlined word“dementia”in Paragraph 2 probably is_______
A.a house | B.a letter | C.an illness | D.a plan |
Where did Alice spend her Christmas Eve according to the story?
A.In her old house |
B.In her old neighborhood church. |
C.In the nursing home. |
D.In the hospital. |
What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve?
A.The candlelight service. |
B.Praise from Alice’s friends. |
C.Alice’s happiness |
D.Thanks from Alice’ s daughter. |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.A special candlelight Christmas Eve |
B.The dream of all old lonely lady |
C.My special job |
D.The true love |
One day a student was walking with his teacher in the countryside.As they went along,they saw a pair of old shoes lying in the path.They were a pool farmer’s,who was working in the nearby field.
The student turned to the teacher saying:“We will hide his shoes,and hide ourselves behind those trees,and wait to see what he will do”
“My young friend.”answered the teacher,“we should never make fun of the poor. Why not put a coin in each shoe,and then we will hide ourselves and watch?”The student did so and they both hid themselves behind the trees. The poor man soon finished his work,and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.
After putting on his coat,he put his foot into one of his shoes,and felt something hard.Then he bent (弯腰) down to feel what it was,and found the coin. Surprised,he looked at the coin,turned it around and looked at it again.He then looked around,but no person was seen.He put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe. His surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.
He couldn’t control his feelings and fell to his knees,looked up to the sky and expressed his thanks. Then he spoke of his wife,sick and helpless,and his children without bread.He said the help would save them from dying.
The student stood there deeply moved,and his eyes filled with tears.“Now,”said the teacher, “Are you not much happier than if you had hidden the shoes?”When the student saw the shoes,he wanted to_______
A.steal them | B.play a joke on the owner |
C.find their owner | D.give the owner some money |
According to the passage,the teacher is______.
A.quiet and honest | B.kind and friendly |
C.patient and clever | D.strict and careful |
When the farmer saw the second coin, he______
A.was surprised and decided to find the owner |
B.was worried and looked up at the sky |
C.was very excited and grateful |
D.spoke of his difficulties and asked for more help |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.True happiness comes from helping others. |
B.All good things come to an end |
C.Where there is a will,there is away |
D.It is never too late to learn |
Let’s read the descriptions of the following scenes of shopping. A man enters a store to buy milk. He walks out of the store with milk. That is all— milk. At the same time, a woman enters the same grocery store also to buy milk. She buys it. But, she also buys chicken and lemons to make dinner that night. Then she remembers to buy food for her son to eat at school. She also gets a bottle of wine for drinks with friends and a birthday card for her husband's niece. Then she gets coffee for breakfast, ice cream for dessert and remembers stamps to mail the bills. And don't forget soap for the bathroom.
And that is the difference between the female and male brains simply explained in a grocery store. Generally speaking,men do one thing at a time. Women do many. Doing many things at one time is often called “multi-tasking”, a very popular word these days.
Now scientific research supports this theory about male and female brains. A recent study has confirmed what we have known all along—men and women think differently.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania studied brain images of 949 people aged from 8 to 22 years old. They found that male brains have more connections on one side of the brain, or hemisphere. In the female brain, they found more activities and connections between the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain is known as the side of “reason”. The right hemisphere is known as the “creative” side.
Regina Verma is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She co-wrote the report. She says when women are asked to do something difficult, they might use different parts of the brain. Men, she adds, generally use just one side of the brain.
As a result, men generally deal directly with a problem. There is a strong connection between the “understanding” and the “action” parts of their brains. Women, however, might include other parts of the brain, like the part connected with reason and the part connected with sensitivity when solving a problem. Women take a less direct path to find a solution.
Dr. Verma warns that the study should not lead anyone to expect some behaviors from women and others from men.By describing the scene of shopping, the writer wants to ____ .
A.criticize women's wasted living expenses |
B.illustrate men and women's different brains |
C.think highly of women's considerate behavior |
D.reveal men and women's preference of living expenses |
When asked to deal with a problem, _____ .
A.men tend to take action straight |
B.women tend to take action straight |
C.women tend to use a single part of the brain |
D.men tend to use connected parts of the brain |
Dr. Verma's warning indicates that _____ .
A.women and men can hardly cooperate well |
B.women and men can hardly complete multitasks |
C.women and men can hardly learn from each other |
D.neither women nor men can always perform the same behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Reason or Sensitivity |
B.Multi-tasking or Single-tasking |
C.“Reason” Brain or “Creative” Brain |
D.Costly Shopping or Economical Shopping |