A jobless man wanted very much to have the position of " office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. " You have passed the test," he said. "Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the form to fill in and the date when you may start. " The man replied,"But I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail. " " I'm sorry,"said the HR manager. " If you don't have an e-mail, that means you are not living. And anyone who isn't living cannot have the job. "
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do with only $ 10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He repeated the operation three times, and started to go early every day, and returned home late. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles (运货车队). Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers(零售商)in the US.
One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said,"I haven't got one. " His friend couldn't believe his ears. " Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a while and replied," Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft ! " What did the man do for the test?
A.He sent e-mails. | B.He did the cleaning. |
C.He sold computers. | D.He filled in forms. |
The man didn't get the job because he __________.
A.disliked such a job |
B.didn't pass the test |
C.didn't have an e-mail |
D.knew nothing about computers |
The man __________ after he left Microsoft.
A.went to look for another job |
B.asked for food from door to door |
C.thought of an idea to make money |
D.bought a computer and got an e-mail |
Why could the man become one of the biggest food retailers in the US?
A.Because he had many friends to help him. |
B.Because he was smart and worked very hard. |
C.Because he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. |
D.Because he wanted to show Microsoft he was living. |
What does the story want to tell us?
A.Computers are very important in our daily life. |
B.Everyone can make a lot of money with only $ 10. |
C.The HR manager didn't find the ability of the man. |
D.Nothing in the world is impossible if we work hard. |
The UN Security Council was created in 1945. It is made up of 10 rotating (轮值的) members and five permanent members, which have a veto, the power to stop a resolution (决议). Most UN members now consider the organization's structure outdated. But any changes need the agreement of two-thirds of the 191 members, and no veto from any of the five permanent council members.
Last year, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India formed a lobbying (游说) group to get permanent council seats. But North and South Korea have doubts about Japan, Italy opposes Germany for a seat, Pakistan is against India's candidacy (候选资格) and Mexico and Argentina frown on Brazil.
A wave of emotion swept through China last week as millions voiced their opposition to Japan's permanent membership of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. By last Friday over 22 million Chinese had signed an online petition (请愿) against Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the council.
According to major Chinese websites, such as sina.com, more than 170,000 overseas Chinese also signed. This is the first online activity of its kind.
The petition was started by US-based Alliance for Preserving the Truth of the Sino-Japanese War (抗日战争史实维护会). They want Japan to apologize for crimes during World War II. The group also plans to present the petition to the UN this autumn.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said he didn't think the petition shows anti-Japanese feeling. He believed instead it is a request for Japan to take a responsible attitude towards history.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.Function of the UN in world affairs. | B.Members of the UN. |
C.Facts about the UN Security Council. | D.Reform of the UN Security Council. |
Which statement is true according to the text?
A.Four countries, such as Japan, Germany, Brazil and India are applying for joining the UN. |
B.Some countries, such as North and South Korea, Italy, Pakistan, Mexico and Argentina propose ticking the four countries out of the UN. |
C.If the countries’ bids for permanent membership of the Council are turned down, the opponent countries will take the place. |
D.The UN Security Council is going to take in new members. |
The underlined phrase “frown on” in the third paragraph can be replaced by _____.
A.agree on | B.disapprove of |
C.give a firm support to | D.say yes to |
What’s the main reason for China’s opposition to Japan’s permanent membership of the Council?
A.Japan is unwilling to admit to its crimes against the Chinese in the World War II. |
B.Millions of people in Asia signed a petition against it. |
C.The Chinese people have strong anti-Japanese feeling. |
D.Japan is an irresponsible country that once had a history of invasion. |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red? ____. Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. __
__. If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
____. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. __
__ . A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides(自杀) than any other bridge in the area — until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
____. It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.
A.On the other hand, black is depressing. |
B.They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favorite color as grow up — we are born with our preference. |
C.The rooms are painted in different colors as you like. |
D.If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. |
E. Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.
F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.
G. Colors do influence our moods---there is no doubt about it
Trouve sat up on its back legs and growled(吼叫) the words, “How are you, Grandmamma?” The audience roared with laughter and clapped. Twenty-year-old Aleck gave the dog a morsel(一口) of food. His hard work had paid off. His dog could talk!
Aleck was fascinated with the different sounds of people’s speech. His father taught students who had a speech problem to improve their speech. Aleck paid close attention. Could an animal form sounds into words, too? He decided to experiment with Trouve, the family dog.
The easy part was teaching Trouve to growl whenever Aleck wanted. The little dog growled for a morsel of food.
Next Aleck moved the dog’s “lips” as it growled. It sounded like “ma mama”. Trouve learned quickly to stop the growling just as Aleck’s hand moved away. They practiced and practiced until the dog said “mama” perfectly.
Soon Aleck discovered more. If he pushed gently under the dog’s jawbone(下颌骨), it made the “ga” sound. If he pushed once and moved the dog’s lips twice, he could make the dog say, “ga mama.” With even more practice, it sounded like “grandmamma”. Whenever Trouve said “grandmamma”, Aleck gave the dog two treats, so Trouve loved the lessons.
Aleck tried to teach his dog to move its tongue so that Trouve could say more words. That didn’t work, but Aleck didn’t give up.
After many hours of practice, Trouve could say, “Ow ah oo ga-ma-ma?” This sounded just like “How are you, Grandmamma?”
Friends and neighbors traveled to see young Aleck and his amazing talking dog. Rumors spread that the dog could speak by itself, which wasn’t true. No matter how much Aleck tried, the dog was never able to move its lips without help.
Aleck’s full name was Alexander Graham Bell. He wanted to know more about the world all his life. He had many ideas. Some worked; others didn’t. But he kept trying—always learning. One of his inventions was something called the telephone. Which of the following is TRUE of Aleck?
A.His father had an influence on him. |
B.He had a talent for giving speeches. |
C.He taught Trouve to talk in honor of his grandmother. |
D.He carried out many experiments to improve people’s speech. |
Trouve grew fond of practicing talking because _____.
A.it liked being together with Aleck |
B.it was given some food for that |
C.it would like to develop its potential(潜能) |
D.Aleck treated it like one of the family |
Which of the following words can best describe Aleck?
A.Humorous. | B.Naughty. |
C.Knowledgeable. | D.Curious. |
What contributes most to Aleck’s success in teaching the dog to talk?
A.His own hard work. | B.His neighbor’s help. |
C.His father’s encouragement. | D.The dog’s smartness. |
According to the passage, how many statements are true?
a. The audience was very excited to hear the dog growling the sound “ma”.
b. The dog could understand Aleck’s sign.
c. The dog could move its tongue successfully by itself.
d. Aleck kept trying his ideas all the while.
e. The only intention of Aleck’s is telephone.
A.2 | B.3 | C.4 | D.5 |
Fair Way
The Westborough High School golf team had taken the official photos with the state prize. The other teams, disappointed, were on the bus heading home. And then Westborough instructor Greg Rota noticed something wrong on one of the score cards. A 9 had been recorded as A 7. They were not the state prize winner; Woburn High had won. “No one would have known,” said Woburn’s instructor, Bob Doran. For Rota, it wasn’t a difficult decision: “The prize wasn’t ours to take.”
Coin Stars
“College students are lazy, but they also want to help,” says University of Pennsylvania graduate Dana Hork. So she made it easy, placing cups in rooms where students could leave their spare coins, and handing out cups to first-year students to keep in their homes. Her “Change for Change” effort has collected $40,000 for charities, which were decided upon by students.
Never Forgotten
A school in Massachusetts received a $9.5 million check from Jacques LeBermuth. But it took officials several days of digging to discover his connection to the school. Records showed the LeBermuth came from Belgium and studied in the school in the 1920s. When his family fell on hard times, he was offered free room and board. LeBermuth became a trader, owned shares of AT&T and lived off the earnings until he died, at age 89. What did Greg Rota probably do in the end?
A.Took photos of Doran. | B.Had a meeting with Doran. |
C.Returned the prize to the organizer. | D.Apologized to Woburn High School. |
Greg Rota’s decision shows that he was _____.
A.honest | B.polite | C.careful | D.friendly |
The underlined word “Change” in the second paragraph means _____.
A.Idea | B.Decision | C.Cups | D.Coins |
What did the school officials do after receiving the check from Mr. LeBermuth?
A.They tried to find out why he gave them the money. |
B.They went to Belgium to pay their respects to him. |
C.They dug out the records that were buried underground. |
D.They decided to offer their students free room and board. |
Jacques LeBermuth gave the money to the school because ____.
A.the school asked for it |
B.he had no need for that much money |
C.the school had helped him in the past |
D.he wanted to be remembered by the students |
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会)of each new skill in the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing.It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child.This might happen at any stage.A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads.On the other hand, though, if a child, is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children.Some may be especially strict in money matters; Others are severe (严格的) over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals.In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching.To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德).Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept".If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills.
A.will make the child lose interest in learning new things |
B.sets up dangerous states of worry in the child |
C.is universal among parents |
D.should be avoided |
In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents.
A.should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read |
B.should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own |
C.should expect a lot from the children |
D.should create as many learning opportunities as possible |
In terms of moral matters, parents should.
A.follow the rules themselves |
B.be aware of the huge difference between adults and children |
C.always ensure the security of their children |
D.forbid their children to follow hook teachings |