I was doing some Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well. As she was looking, a little boy came to the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neat-ly, but his clothes were obviously old. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head and said，"No. "
The little girl had chosen her Barbie. However, she stopped and was watching them. Rather dejectedly, the boy had to give up the Pokemon toys and choose something else. The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon toys. She excitedly picked up one and raced towards the checkout. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier （收银员）and whispered something in her ear. The cas her smiled and put the package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier checked his purchases and said，" Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize ！" With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon toys, and he could only stare in surprise. It was exactly what he had wanted ！ The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this. Then they walked out. As I walked back to my car, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him. "Daddy, didn't grandparents want me to buy something that would make me happy?" He said，"Of course they did, honey. " To which the little girl replied，" Well, I just did ！"
I feel very shocked to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the meaning of this festival than most adults I know.The underlined word "dejectedly" in the second paragraph probably means __________.
| A．delightedly | B．disappointedly |
| C．excitedly | D．unexpectedly |
How did the little boy get the Pokemon toys?
| A．His father bought him the Poknemon toys. |
| B．Fortunately, he was the hundredth customer and won the Poknemon toys. |
| C．The cashier felt sympathy for the little boy and gave him the Poknemon toys. |
| D．The little girl bought the Poknemon toys for him. |
What did the little girl mean when saying " Daddy, didn't grand-parents want me to buy something that would make me happy?"
| A．Her grandparents wanted her to be happy. |
| B．Making the little boy happy made her happy. |
| C．The Poknemon toys made her happy. |
| D．Her grandparents hoped that she could help others. |
The airline lost your baggage. The hotel laundry ruined your favorite shirt. The taxi driver asked for more money. When you’re abroad, sometimes things go wrong. Now you can do something about it! Use these tips when you want to express an effective complaint in English.
No matter how unfair the situation is, it’s best to express your complaint politely. In English, you’ll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
“I’m sorry to bother you...” Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn’t that serious. For example, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fried.”
“Can you help me with this?” Everyone would rather be asked to do something than told! So try expressing your complaint as a request for help: “Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons.”
“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” This is a polite way of saying, “Your information is wrong. Please fix it now.” You’ll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations(预定) for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it’s not what you expected. For example, “I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room.”
“I understand it’s not your fault...” Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn’t your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you’re dealing with that you understand they’re not at fault and then directly state the problem: “I understand it’s not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday.”
“Excuse me, but I understood that...” Using this phrase lets the person know you’re well-informed and doubt they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don’t say, “Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: “I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars.” Then give them a chance to do the right thing.What’s the purpose of this passage?
| A．To give an introduction of life abroad. |
| B．To offer advice on giving complaints in English. |
| C．To give suggestions on how to learn English. |
| D．To offer guides to those who travel around the world. |
According to the passage, if we meet an unfair situation, we’d better _____.
| A．use direct language to make others understand |
| B．go for the police immediately |
| C．state our complaints politely |
| D．fight against the one who is responsible |
Why should we start a complaint with polite phrases?
| A．Because the situation is never serious. |
| B．Because the listener may not speak English. |
| C．Because we should be always in good manners abroad. |
| D．Because it can help solve the problem more easily. |
Several effective complaints in English are mentioned above EXCEPT _____.
| A．“Can you help me with this?” |
| B．“I understand it's not your fault.” |
| C．“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” |
| D．“Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” |
Many people have influence on my life, based on their personal characteristics, achievements, and values. I have been lucky to have had a great many teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence. There are artists who have encouraged me by their talents and creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.
As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl”. While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In every aspect of my life, my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could finish my work excellently among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always turn to him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but don’t make yourself made use of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to do anything he sets his mind on, no matter how small it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, sympathy（同情）for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very strict man, but in our daily life, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.
Living in his love and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are doing in.Which of the following could NOT be used to describe the author’s father?
| A．Caring and humorous. |
| B．Knowledgeable and sociable. |
| C．Sympathetic and open-minded. |
| D．Energetic and helpful. |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “excel”?
| A．be cleverer than others. | B．show off. |
| C．do better than others. | D．keep healthy |
According to the underlined sentence, the father was telling the author to ____.
| A．think about others and help them, but not to be used in a bad way |
| B．try to take advantage of those who were friendly to her |
| C．think about others and help them, so that she could make them serve her |
| D．try to be good to those who were worth making friends with |
What can we infer(推论) about the author?
| A．She appreciated her father because he could solve all the problems. |
| B．She considered her father strict and had no smile to her. |
| C．She was outstanding because her father forced her to do so. |
| D．She felt pity for those children without the father. |
The time may soon come when we say goodbye to most of the world’s languages. Today humans express themselves in over 6,000 different languages. But that is quickly changing. Many scientists say that over half of these languages will disappear within the next 50 years. After 100 years, the languages used in the world will not be more than 20.
Why? It is because people from different cultures live and work together much more often than before. This brings changes. The languages of the world’s main culture are replacing the languages of the smaller cultures. Most international trade takes place in world languages such as English. People respect their own cultures and traditions, but when it comes to getting a job, knowing a world language is often necessary. It may mean the difference between success and failure.
Technology works on the change of languages in an even more amazing way. Modern media such as radio and television give young people in developing countries much knowledge about the world. But this knowledge doesn’t come in words from the mouths of their parents or the elders in their neighborhood. It usually comes in the language of a different culture.
People in different cultures think it good for them to share a popular language. They can quickly share ideas and work together. Knowing the same language means easier communication and is a basis for trust.
Is the death of a small local language such a terrible thing? The answer is maybe. Many cultures may have words for many useful things we know nothing about. If their languages die, their valuable wisdom may be lost forever. The future of the world’s language depends on our actions now. Will we protect endangered languages or allow them to quietly disappear?
Time will have the last word.Scientists say that within 50 years, perhaps, there will be only_____ languages in the world.
| A．no more than 20 | B．over 3,000 |
| C．4,000 | D．around 3,000 |
According to the passage, if all the people in the world knew a major world language, _____.
| A．radio and television would all use the language |
| B．it would be easier for them to share their ideas |
| C．lessons at schools would be taught in the language |
| D．people would respect their own culture more |
We can know that if nobody spoke the languages of smaller cultures, _____.
| A．people would find working together was difficult. |
| B．knowledge would come from the mouths of the elders |
| C．many of the words for things we do not know would be lost |
| D．there would be no smaller cultures in the world |
By saying “Time will have the last word.”, the writer means “_____”.
| A．let us wait and see |
| B．we have time to do something |
| C．it is too late to do anything |
| D．it is only a problem of time |
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups—porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive—telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured（确信的）that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided for us.”
God brews（泡，沏）the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. "
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.What did the conversation turn into?
| A．complaints | B．study |
| C．discussion | D．chat |
Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups?
| A．To give his students many more choices. |
| B．To teach his students how to enjoy coffee. |
| C．To show the students his collection of cups. |
| D．To tell his students the right attitude to life. |
According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _____.
| A．get the best type of coffee cups |
| B．make the best of what they have |
| C．have a wide range of coffee cups |
| D．care about social status and wealth |
The best title for the passage would be _____.
| A．God's Coffee |
| B．The Pressure of Life |
| C．The Happiest People |
| D．Professor's Coffee Cups |
Here is a great new toy just for you! It is called FUNNY FACES. It is small enough to fit in your hand, but you can do so many things with Funny Faces!
With Funny Faces, you can shape a mouth into a happy smile, or you can make a sad face. If you want to show an angry face, you can make it appear to be fierce（凶狠的）. The eyebrows (眉毛) move up and down, the eyes turn from side to side, and the ears move slightly.
It is lots of fun to play with Funny Faces, by yourself or with your friends, make up stories about the different faces, put on a Funny Faces show and invite your friends to watch it.
A Funny Faces toy costs only five dollars. It is a super toy that every child should have. Buy Funny Faces today! You will find it in many stores in your city or town.
And if you buy Funny Faces now, we will send you a FREE gift. It is a special case for your toy. You will not find this case in stores. Here is all you have to do:
Cut off the top of the Funny Faces box. It writes “A Great New Toy!”
Write your name and address on a piece of paper.
Mail both pieces to the Funny Faces address on the front of the box.
Act today! This offer is good only until June 30.According to the passage, what is Funny Faces?
| A．A kind of toy. | B．A box. |
| C．A special show. | D．A picture. |
With Funny Faces, we can _____.
| A．make our friends angry |
| B．write names and address |
| C．shape a mouth into a smile |
| D．turn our eyes from side to side |
Why does the author write this passage?
| A．To tell us how to get a free gift. |
| B．To encourage us to buy Funny Faces. |
| C．To show us how to enjoy Funny Faces. |
| D．To advise us to put on an interesting show. |
We can see the passage is _____.
| A．a story | B．a news report |
| C．a letter | D．an advertisement |