【原创】1 was having a great morning until I sat down in front of my office computer.’’Your password has expired，’’a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it.Coming up with a new code doesn't seem like a big deal, unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one upper-case letter(太写字母)，one symbol and one number, and the whole thing can't be fewer than eight characters. And I can't use any of the same passwords I've used in the past three months.
Suddenly a strong emotion grew in me. What didn't make it any better was that l was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief over what she had done to me was all I thought about every day.
That didn't work and I had to type a password that I'd have to reenter many times for the next 30 days. I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss. He'd said, "I'm going to use a password to change my life.“
I couldn't focus on getting things done in my current mood. There were clear indicators of what I needed to do to regain control of my life. My password reminded me that I shouldn't let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.
I made my password Forgive@ h3r.
I had to type this statement several times a day. The simple action changed the way I looked at her. That constant reminder led me to accept the way things had happened at the end of my marriage and embrace a new way of dealing with my depression. As the month wore on,I felt a slow healing begin to take place. By the time my server prompted me to reset my password the following month, felt free.
One month later, my dear Exchange server asked me yet again to reset my password.I thought about the next thing that i had to get done.
My password became Quit@ smoking4ever
This password was a painful one to type during that month,but doing it helped me to yell at myself in my mind as i typed that statement.it motivated me to follow my monthly goal.
Seeing how these reminders helped to materialize my goals kept me motivated and excited.While it is sometimes difficult to come up with your next goal, keeping at it brings great results.Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “expired" in Para.1 ?
| A．Been updated. | B．Been out of date. |
| C．Remained very cool. | D．Been replaced. |
What changes happened one month after the author set the password Forgive@ h3r?
| A．He became calm and accepted the fact. |
| B．He felt he was the victim of the failed marriage. |
| C．He loved his former wife more than before. |
| D．He felt relieved that he had divorced. |
What is the lesson the author has learned through the experience?
| A．Computers are the best friend of us humans. |
| B．Many a hand makes light work. |
| C．Don't be discouraged by difficulties. |
| D．Keeping oneself reminded of his goal will work. |
Which of the following might be one of the passwords the author set?
| A．eattwice@day. | B．save4triptoChina. |
| C．Date@her | D．Save4@ring. |
Mrs. Janes gave music lessons at a school. She had a good voice and enjoyed singing, except that some of her high tones sound like a gate that had forgotten to oil. Mrs. Janes knew her weakness well, and took every chance she could find to practise these high notes. As she lived in a small house, where she could not practise without disturbing the rest of the family, she usually went for long walks along the country roads whenever she had time and practised her high notes there. Whenever she heard a car or a person coming along the road, she stopped and waited until she could no longer be heard before she started practicing again, because she was a shy person.
One afternoon, a fast, opened car came up behind her so silently and so fast that she didn’t hear it until it was only a few yards from her. She was singing some of her highest and most difficult tones at that time and as the car passed; she saw an anxious expression came over the driver’s face. He stopped his car suddenly, jumped out and began to examine all his tyres carefully.
Mrs. Janes didn’t dare to tell him what the noise he had heard really was, so he got back into the car and drove off. How did Mrs. Janes sing?
| A．She sang well, but she didn’t practise singing hard. |
| B．She enjoyed singing, but she had a terrible voice. |
| C．She was a good singer, but she could not sing the high tones well. |
| D．She sang terribly, she was no singer at all. |
Why did she go for long walks along the country roads?
| A．Because she enjoyed the country’s fresh air. |
| B．Because she was afraid to disturb the rest of the family. |
| C．Because she lived in a small house far away. |
| D．Because she was afraid to practise the high tones. |
Why did the driver stop his car suddenly and jump out of it?
| A．Because he supposed something must have gone wrong with his car. |
| B．Because he was moved by the pretty voice of Mrs. Janes. |
| C．Because he wondered what had happened to Mrs. Janes. |
| D．Because he frightened by the terrible voice of Mrs. Janes. |
Where did the noise come from?
| A．From the small house. | B．From Mrs. Janes’ voice. |
| C．From the types. | D．From the engine. |
◇ Share Flats Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. Quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6, 800 including bills with maid. Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809.
◇ Moving Sale 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green 3×7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140, up, each; plants, big and small. Tel: Weekend, 2521-6011/Weekday, 2524-5867.
◇ Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted Required by busy electronics(电子) company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary ￥6598-10230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon Rd, Hung Hom Kowloon. The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _______.
| A．rent(租) a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．take on a maid to look after herself and the flat |
according to the ads, you may _______.
| A．buy an old picture for $150 |
| B．call at 25720836 and see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for $ 400 |
| D．hire a maid by paying $6 800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should_______.
| A．get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
| B．call at 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
| C．do it before you move to another place |
| D．call at either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 on Saturday |
Once you can get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
| A．you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| B．you should write a letter to Mrs. G Chan |
| C．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
| D．you will get no more than $6 598 each month |
We do not know exactly how many whales there are in the sea because we can’t count them. But we believe at the beginning of the eighteenth century there were 105,000 humpback whales and 120,000 right whales. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were 75,000 humpbacks and 80,000 rights.
Since 1900 their numbers have fallen very quickly. Between 1935 and 1950 the number of humpbacks fell from 20,000 to 10,000 and since 1950 the number has fallen to only 6,000. The number of right whales has fallen even faster. In 1935 there were 25,000. The number fell to 6,000 in 1950 and since 1950 the number has fallen to 4,000. Men have always been hunters. Thousands of whales have become victims(牺牲品). It’s time to do something to protect whales. Which of the following is true?
| A．We know the exact number of whales in the sea. |
| B．It’s easy for us to count whales in the sea. |
| C．We find it impossible to count whales in the sea. |
| D．We don’t want to know how many whales there are in the sea. |
The number of right whales has fallen _______.
| A．more slowly than that of humpback whales |
| B．faster than that of humpback whales |
| C．as slowly as that of humpback whales |
| D．as fast as that of humpback whales |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the number of humpback whales |
| B．the number of right whales |
| C．hunting whales |
| D．the necessity of protecting whales |
An old woman walked into a clothes shop. She asked the salesgirl to let her have a look at a new dress, but the girl stood still behind the counter(柜台), taking no notice of the request. The old woman spoke to the girl again, raising her voice a bit, but still received no answer. The old woman looked at the girl and nodded to herself, “I am too old to see well. I can’t even tell a plastic model from a real girl!”
On hearing this, the salesgirl shouted to the old woman, “What? Did you call me a plastic model?” The old woman was greatly surprised. “Oh, dear me,” she said. “The model can speak!” What did the old woman go to the shop to do?
| A．To choose a dress. | B．To buy a dress for herself. |
| C．To show off her dress. | D．To pick a quarrel with the salesgirl. |
The salesgirl did not make a reply ________.
| A．because she didn’t see the old woman |
| B．because she didn’t think the old woman had enough money for a new dress |
| C．because she was too busy to notice the old woman |
| D．for some reason unknown in this story |
It was not until that woman spoke for the _______ time that the salesgirl said something.
| A．first | B．second |
| C．third | D．fourth |
When the old woman said, “I am too old to see well,” she _______.
| A．meant to say that she really had poor eyesight |
| B．wanted the salesgirl to excuse her |
| C．was simply telling a lie |
| D．was, in face, trying to make the salesgirl open her mouth |
What do you think the salesgirl would do on hearing this? She would ______.
| A．be too angry to say a word for a moment |
| B．run and tell the shop-owner about it |
| C．apologize to the old woman and do what she had been asked to do |
| D．turn back and cry |
The basic flag of the United States is one of the world’s oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzer land are older.
During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonise.
The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14, 1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776. Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.
By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star. In 1921 Preside William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag- maker’s fancy.
The evolution of the stars and stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was official changed for the 26th time since its creation.
There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president’s and vice- president’s flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag. The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling. The basic flag of the United States is _______.
| A．the oldest national flag in the world |
| B．one of the world’ s oldest flags |
| C．the most beautiful flag in the West |
| D．as old as the basic flags of some European nations |
Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flown over the land were symbols of _______.
| A．self- rule | B．occupation |
| C．peace and friendship | D．independence |
The first official flag of the United States was adopted ________.
| A．before the Independence War |
| B．right after the Independence War |
| C．when independence was declared in 1776 |
| D．during the War of Independence which ended in 1783 |
The 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars represent _______.
| A．13 independent states |
| B．the colonies that declared independence in 1776. |
| C．the U. S. Congress |
| D．13 famous figures in the American colonies |
How many states were represented on the new flag adopted in 1795?
| A．13. | B．15. |
| C．20. | D．2. |