It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense. It takes the most cool-headed drivers' great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place onto the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can't even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart. The passage mainly talks about __________.
| A．traffic jams |
| B．road politeness |
| C．good manners |
| D．modern drivers |
Troubles on the road are often caused by __________.
| A．the behavior of the drivers |
| B．traffic jams |
| C．great speed |
| D．terrible road conditions |
According to the writer, a good driver should __________.
| A．be able to recognize politeness when he sees it |
| B．beat back when forced to face rude driving |
| C．encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to |
| D．join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel |
The following statements are right EXCEPT that __________.
| A．some modern drivers are not good at driving |
| B．road politeness is good sense as well as good manners |
| C．drivers are expected to master the roadmanship |
| D．traffic jams are caused by tigers behind the wheel |
It is not always right for drivers to __________.
| A．master roadmanship |
| B．recognize politeness when they see it |
| C．give a friendly nod or wave in answer to an act of politeness |
| D．wave a child crossing the street onto the path of oncoming cars |
Salem, the “City of Peace”, is a small city with a big history. It is the second established city in Massachusetts and the second oldest settlement in New England. While Salem has been long known as the “Witch City” due to the notable witch trials of 1692, Salem also played an important part in Revolutionary times and was an active leader of several Massachusetts’ industries, which is why you will find mansions (宅邸) of the country’s first millionaires there.
Salem is located approximately 16 miles (30 minutes) north of Boston and is bordered by Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Swampscott and the Atlantic Ocean. Boston & Maine Railroad serves Salem with transport service, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority maintains a rail stop and bus service. Air service is available from Beverly Airport (5 miles away) and Logan International Airport (16 miles away). Access is also available on a ferry from Boston.
Salem has various restaurants including outdoor cafes, various restaurants and fine dining establishments. For shoppers there are malls and department stores, an open market, a waterfront village, as well as a downtown shopping district.
There are many local artists and musicians who have shops along the city streets. On a nightly basis, one can stop in a local restaurant or nightspot and listen to some of the most creative music. World famous artwork is displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum and the work of local artists can be found displayed in many downtown shops including Artist Row.
The City of Salem has long had a commitment to the promotion of art and culture. The Salem Cultural Council is a local agency of Salem residents that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, sciences and humanities. Local artists and theaters, such as CinemaSalem, the Salem Theatre Company, the Salem State College Center for the Arts, the Griffen Theater and the Rebel Shakespeare Company provide entertainment and learning opportunities to residents and visitors alike. The Salem Arts Association, Inc. is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit arts organization. The SAA seeks to bring art, in all its forms, to the community and bring the community, in all its diversity, to the arts in Salem, Massachusetts.What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Salem, the Industry City |
| B．Salem, the Witch City |
| C．Salem, the City with a Big History |
| D．Salem, the City of Peace |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Salem?
| A．It is the second established city in Massachusetts with Boston to the north. |
| B．It was developed in several of Massachusetts’ industries. |
| C．Every night local restaurants there entertain visitors with some music. |
| D．Salem is accessible by train, bus, plane and ferry. |
Visitors to Salem have a secure chance to appreciate first-class works of art in ____________.
| A．Artist Row | B．Peabody Essex Museum |
| C．the MBTA | D．the Salem Cultural Council |
After reading the passage, we may decide that ____________.
| A．Salem is a preferred city for millionaires now |
| B．the promotion of art and culture in Salem is totally government action |
| C．once an important industrial city, now Salem has a strong cultural atmosphere |
| D．visitors to Salem will find few choices in dining and shopping |
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I’d be twins!” He was a natural motivator.
One day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it. You can’t be positive all the time. How do you do it?”
Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself ‘Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood.’ I choose the first. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.” Michael continued, “Life is all about choices. The bottom line is: It’s your choice how you live life.”
Several years later, Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communications tower. I saw him about six months after the accident. I asked him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
He said, “I first thought of my soon-to-born daughter and then remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live. I knew I needed to take action. So when a nurse kept shouting questions at me asking if I was allergic to anything, I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity’. Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I’m choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead’.”
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Michael is a person whom people don’t like very much. |
| B．Michael knows how to learn from bad things in life. |
| C．Doctors thought Michael was dead. |
| D．The author didn’t think Michael was a happy person. |
According to Michael, when someone complains to you, you should ____________.
| A．share your own experiences with him |
| B．just listen to what the person says and feel sorry for him |
| C．tell the person to look at the happy side of life instead of just listening |
| D．discuss with the person and tell him to reflect on the complaints |
The author quotes Michael’s words “If I were any better, I’d be twins!” to tell us ____________.
| A．Michael wants to have a twin brother |
| B．Michael is not satisfied with his present life |
| C．Michael is always optimistic |
| D．Michael likes to change his mood |
Which of the following best summarizes the main idea?
| A．Accidents will happen. |
| B．When God shuts a door, he opens another. |
| C．Nothing ventured, nothing gained. |
| D．Attitude is everything. |
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present．On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office，a street urchin was walking around the shining car．“Is this your
car，Paul？”he asked．
Paul answered，“Yes，my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised．“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything？Boy，I wish…” He hesitated．
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for．He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on，“that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car？”
“Oh yes，I'd love that．”
After a short ride，the boy turned and with his eyes shining，said，“Paul，would you mind driving in front of my house？”
Paul smiled a little．He thought he knew what the boy wanted．He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked．
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
注：urchin 顽童 hesitate 犹豫 crippled 残疾 cent 美分The street urchin was very surprised when ________．
| A．Paul received an expensive car |
| B．Paul told him about the car |
| C．he saw the shining car |
| D．he was walking around the car |
From the story we can see the urchin ________．
| A．wished to give his brother a car |
| B．wanted Paul’s brother to give him a car |
| C．wished he could have a brother like Paul's |
| D．wished Paul could be a brother like that |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ________．
| A．to show his neighbors the big car |
B．to show he had a rich friend |
| C．to let his brother ride in the car |
| D．to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer（推断）from the story that ________．
| A．Paul couldn't understand the urchin |
| B．the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
| C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
| D．the urchin's wish came true in the end |
Now satellites are helping to forecast（预报）the weather. They are in space, and they can reach any part of the world. The satellites take pictures of the atmosphere（大气）, because this is where the weather forms（形成）. They send these pictures to the weather stations. So meteorologists（气象学家）can see the weather of any part of the world. From the pictures, the scientists can often say how the weather will change.
Today, nearly five hundred weather stations in sixty countries receive satellite pictures. When they receive new pictures, the meteorologists compare（比较）them with earlier ones. Perhaps they may find that the clouds have changed during the last few hours. This may mean that the weather on the ground may soon change, too. In their next weather forecast, the meteorologists can say this.
So the weather satellites are a great help to the meteorologists. Before satellites were invented, the scientists could forecast the weather for about 24 or 48 hours. Now they can make good forecasts for three or five days. Soon, perhaps, they may be able to forecast the weather for a week or more ahead（提前）.Satellites travel _____________.
| A．in space | B．in the atmosphere |
| C．above the ground | D．above space |
Why do we use the weather satellites to take pictures of the atmosphere? Because __________.
| A．the weather satellites can do it easily |
| B．clouds form there |
| C．the weather forms there |
| D．the pictures can forecast the weather |
Meteorologists forecast the weather __________.
| A．when they have received satellite pictures |
| B．after they have compared new satellite pictures with earlier ones |
| C．before they received satellite pictures |
| D．during they study satellite pictures |
The main（主要的）idea of this passage is that satellites are now used in _________.
| A．taking pictures of the atmosphere |
| B．receiving pictures of the atmosphere |
| C．doing other work in many ways |
| D．weather forecasting |
“Cool”is a word with many meanings．Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold．As the world has changed，the word has had many different meaning．
“Cool”can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything．
When you see a famous car in the street，maybe you will say，“It’s cool．”You may think，“He’s so cool，”when you see your favorite footballer．
We all maximize（扩大） the meaning of“cool”．You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”．Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used．A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall（瀑布）they had visited．On one student’s paper was Just the one sentence，“It’s so cool．Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt．
But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏）of words．Without “cool”，some people have no words to show the same meaning．So it is quite important to keep some credibility（可信性）．Can you think of many other words that make your life as colourful as the word “cool”？ I can．And I think they are also very cool．We know that the word "cool" has had ________.
| A．only one meaning | B．no meanings |
| C．many different meanings | D．the same meaning |
In the passage，the word“express” means“________”.
| A．see | B．show | C．know | D．feel |
If you are _______ something，you may say，“It’s cool.”
| A．interested in | B．angry about |
| C．afraid of | D．unhappy with |
In the passage，the writer suggests（暗示）that the word “cool”________．
| A．can be used instead of many words |
| B．usually means something interesting |
| C．can make your life colorful |
| D．may not be as cool as it seems |