Yesterday my old neighbor knocked on my door angrily. Obviously, my cat, Rocco, had left a turd (粪便) in his perfect flower beds.
Fortunately, I wasn’t home when this happened, so he angrily complained to my friend and neighbor Kate about this. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture.
When I got home later, Kate had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Hearing it was about my cat again, my stomach turned. Several weeks before, he’d gotten so upset that he threatened to put rat traps on the ground, hoping that would frighten me into keeping my cat indoors. So, I was a little apprehensive this time.
But I couldn’t help but laugh when Kate told me the whole story. I understood what gardening meant to him. Since my old neighbor retired ten years ago, he had spent all of his time on his garden. So when I saw him in the garden later on, I went to talk to him. To my surprise, it turned out quite nice. I was really surprised to find that I had the grace (雅量) not to respond to his bad words. Instead, I engaged (使忙于) him in a conversation on the beautiful flowers he’d planted, the color combinations and the care he took to create such a sense of order. I tried to convey my understanding and appreciation without complimenting or talking down to him. I was really amazed by how that turned out. We hadn’t had a conversation like that for over a year!The story happened .
| A．between family members | B．between strangers |
| C．between friends | D．between neighbors |
What does the underlined word “apprehensive” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Anxious. | B．Satisfied. | C．Angry. | D．Excited. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The author’s friend dealt with the incident patiently after it happened. |
| B．The author’s old neighbor had a bad relationship with all his neighbors. |
| C．It was the first time that the author’s cat had made the neighbor angry. |
| D．The neighbor didn’t say bad words about the cat’s action. |
We can infer from the text that after the talk with his old neighbor, the author would .
| A．throw his cat away | B．send his cat to others |
| C．feel relaxed and happy | D．become more nervous |
Your House Will Take Care of You In Old Age
Have you ever thought what your life would be like in old age?
Everyone talks about the “aging” society with large numbers of elderly people needing home care. Now German researchers have set up a “smart”house, programmed to help the elderly live at home with dignity. Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute say the house combines existing technology with future-oriented technology.
For example, the “smart”bathroom has a touch screen mirror that can remind people to take their medicine, wash their hands or brush their teeth. The hardware behind Fraunhofer’s electronic bathroom is not new, and the software runs on a regular personal computer.
When the medicine cabinet is opened, a display in the middle of the mirror tells the person how many pills to take. The mirror is linked to a care provider, who can remotely check whether a patient at home is actually taking medicine and brushing his or her teeth. As many elderly people have arthritic(关节炎的) conditions that make it difficult to operate water taps, the mirror also has displays that turn the water tap on or off or control the water temperature.
The bathroom is only the start. Kitchens, bedrooms and all other parts of the intelligent”home will become “user-friendly”to meet all kinds of individual needs. Sensors in doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets detect every activity and record them electronically. Doctors or care staff can see from the computer records what personal hygiene tasks have been completed, how often the elderly person visits the bathroom or uses the toilet. In case of an emergency, the computer automatically alerts the chosen contact person or calls the care center.The smart bathroom has a touch screen mirror ____.
| A．that can remind people to do many things |
| B．which is linked to a nursing house |
| C．behind which is a medicine cabinet |
| D．that can help the elderly brush their teeth |
The underlined word them in the last paragraph refers to ___.
| A．sensors |
| B．doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets |
| C．individual needs |
| D．every activity |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring. | B．By comparing. |
| C．By listing examples. | D．By introducing a practical method. |
The author of the text mainly ___.
| A．calls on people to care for the old |
| B．introduces a new house |
| C．promotes a new house |
| D．encourages the old to live with dignity |
Many people in the United States like eggs for breakfast. There are many different ways to cook eggs. One of the most common kinds of eggs for breakfast is scrambled eggs. In addition, this is one of the easiest dishes to cook. Read this recipe(秘法)for scrambled eggs and you will see how easy it is.
| Scrambled Eggs |
|
| Utensils |
Ingredients |
| a frying pan a spatula(刮勺) 1 tea spoon a fork or spoon a small bowl |
eggs 2 tablespoons of milk or butter salt pepper(胡椒) |
Steps:
1) Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium(适中的)heat.
2) In a small bowl, mix the eggs and the milk. Use the fork (or the spoon) to mix these well.
3) Pour this mixture into the pan.
4) Stir the eggs from time to time with the spatula. Continue until the eggs are no longer liquid.
5) Add salt and pepper, Add a little or a lot, as you like.For this recipe, you do not need __________.
| A．a knife | B．a spatula | C．a bowl | D．a fork |
Which of these steps comes first?
| A．Stir the eggs with the spatula. |
| B．Eat the eggs for breakfast. |
| C．Add salt and pepper. |
| D．Mix the eggs and the milk. |
Which of these words means “to change from solid to liquid”?
| A．pour | B．melt | C．stir | D．scramble |
Read the recipe again, in which of the five steps do you scramble the eggs?
| A．Step 2 | B．Step 3 | C．Step 4 | D．Step 5 |
Americans won’t live without cars! Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets, as millions of new cars are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars with gas.
Most Americans find it hard to think what life would be without a car. However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution by cars. The polluted air is poisonous and dangerous to health.
One way to get rid of the polluted air is to design a new car that does not pollute. That’s what several large car factories are trying to do. But to build the new car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.
Another way is to take place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on some new cars. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.
To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we’ll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down the number of their cars they are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. Riding a bike is thought to help keep the air clean.
But this change does not come easily, a large number of workers may find themselves with no jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.If the number of cars is cut down, the most serious problem in American workers is_______.
| A．to keep the air clean | B．to have no work to do |
| C．to get a better life | D．to go to work by bike |
Large car factories are trying to build a clean car, .
| A．which is clean itself |
| B．which does not pollute the air |
| C．which is used to clean streets |
| D．which is easier to make |
What is the conclusion of the writer?
| A．Bicycling is the only way out. |
| B．The number of cars must be cut down. |
| C．Cars bring us nothing but serious problems. |
| D．Cars bring us not only a better life but serious problems. |
How to Make a Budget(预算)
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns, list your sources of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$ 20.00 |
Snacks |
$ 26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$ 25.00 |
Music downloads |
$ 12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$ 12.50 |
Movies |
$ 18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$ 30.00 |
Video Rentals |
$ 10.00 |
| Total: |
$ 87.50 |
Total： |
$ 66.00 |
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!The purpose of making a budget is to help people ___.
| A．learn to be realistic |
| B．manage their money well |
| C．increase their savings |
| D．test their power of self-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Who is the passage written for?
| A．Bank manager | B．Parents |
| C．Breadwinners | D．Children |
Nicholas Winton，a British saved 669 children from the Nazis，was awarded the highest civilian honour in the Czech Republic on Tuesday．
Winton，now 105，was presented with the Order of the White Lion by the Czech president in a special ceremony at Prague Castle．
Winton，who has often been nicknamed “the British Schindler”，organised the transportation and settlement of 669 children over nine months before the Second World War broke out in September 1939．Most of those he saved were Jewish children living in then-German occupied Czechoslovakia whose families were later imprisoned or murdered in concentration camps．
Winton gave a speech during the ceremony．He said，“I want to thank you all for this enormous expression of thanks for something which happened to me a long time ago．I am delighted that so many of the children are still about and are here to thank me．England was the only country at that time willing to accept unaccompanied minors．I thank the British people for making room to accept them，and of course the enormous help given by so many of the Czechs who were at that time doing what they could to fight the Germans and to try to get the children out．’’
In the same ceremony，the Order of the White Lion was also presented to his grandson Nicholas Soames in honor of Sir Winston Churchill．They are the only British citizens to receive the award，after Margaret Thatcher and the Queen．Presenting the award，the Czech President，Milos Zeman said．“It is a great pleasure to present this award to two great personalities of the UK．I am only ashamed it has been awarded so late—but better late than never．”Why has Winton been called“ the British Schindler”?
| A．Because he rescued 669 children before the Second World War． |
| B．Because he joined the army in the Second World War． |
| C．Because he made great contributions after the Second World War． |
| D．Because he saved 669 Jewish children before the Second World War． |
According to Winton，we can infer_______．
| A．all the children once he saved attended the ceremony |
| B．the Czechs also played an important role in helping the children |
| C．England was the only country to fight the Germans at that time |
| D．England was the only country to help the Czechs |
The underlined word“minors”in Paragraph 4 refers to ________.
| A．Englishmen | B．Germans |
| C．children | D．Winton’s family members |
The passage mainly wants to tell us_________．
| A．Winton was awarded |
| B．Winton saved 669 children |
| C．what the Order of the White Lion is |
| D．Winton felt thankful at the ceremony |