The new year has begun and some people may be looking to 2015 as the year they get a dog. A furry friend will bring a lot of fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. But looking after a pet does require some responsibility from the pet owner if you want your new friend to be healthy and happy in your family.
The following is a checklist for people who are considering adopting an animal.
Where to find a dog
There are hundreds of pet shops in Shanghai, big and small, where you can find puppies at a cost ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of yuan. The pet shop will tell you some basic facts about dogs of a specific breed. But don't forget to ask about the vaccination status if you are buying a puppy, which needs three injections with an interval of three to four weeks between shots.
Another option is to ask your friends if they know anyone with a dog that has recently had puppies. This option is more reliable than buying a puppy from someone you don’t know, especially the street peddlers who might carry animals with diseases.
Another highly recommended option is to adopt one from an NGO dedicated to providing shelter and protecting stray animals. This is quite practical if you don't care about the dog's breed.
Vaccination (疫苗)
As a pet owner, there are some things you must do otherwise you may get into big trouble, and one of these is getting your dog vaccinated.
Dogs need regular shots to fight against canine parvovirus (犬细小病毒), rabies and other diseases or viruses.
To ensure the vaccines are not substandard, we strongly recommend you get your furry friend a shot from a qualified vet, which may cost a few hundred yuan each year.
Another advantage of using the vet as opposed to getting your dog vaccinated yourself, is that the vet will examine its condition to see whether it is suitable to get a shot now and take immediate action if it has an allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Because you are advised not to give your animal a bath for one week following its vaccination, you should clean your animal one or two days before the shot if you don’t want your dog to get too dirty.
Parasite (寄生虫) protection
As a pet owner, you need to be prepared to get rid of fleas (跳蚤), heartworm (犬心虫), roundworm (蛔虫）, intestinal worms and other parasites from your dog.
Dogs need regular flea and tick control and parasite protection, even if it does not show symptoms of being affected by the parasite. An adult dog needs to be fed with a tablet every six months to make sure it does not have any parasite.
You also need to take measures every three months to help expel fleas and ticks from your animal. You need to learn the signs of a flea bite: they may immediately cause a dog to feel extremely itchy. Within 30 minutes of a bite, they may develop a red bump. Secondary infections caused by scratching are also common.
Dog training
No dog is born with good manners. Pooping on the carpet, leaping enthusiastically onto guests, pulling so hard that it practically yanks your arm out of the socket when on walks — that’s all perfectly acceptable in the canine world. It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to.
Despite the adage（谚语；格言） about old dogs and new tricks, there are no age limits to teaching dogs. And whether you've got a brand-new puppy or an older dog, the first step is the same: learn how to be a good teacher.
Every dog is different and will respond better to a slightly different training style, but these general guidelines apply: stay consistent and patient, and reward your dog for getting it right.The underlined word “vet” means____________.
| A．a surgeon | B．a physician |
| C．a dentist | D．a doctor who treats animals |
According to the article, how many aspects should a pet owner pay attention to?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
Which of the following sentences is FALSE?
| A．A dog can bring much fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. |
| B．As a pet owner, it is unnecessary for you to be prepared to get rid of fleas. |
| C．It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to. |
| D．After getting a dog, the first step for its owner is to be a good teacher. |
Kids are cool to wear blue jeans and T-shirts today.It is fashionable like that.Fashion refers to the styles of dress that are currently popular.Fashion goes beyond just clothes, though.It’s important for some people to wear only the latest fashions and styles.For others, though, keeping up with trends isn’t that important.The one thing that stays the same with fashion is this: it always changes!
During the 1960s and 1970s, hippies made bell-bottomed blue jeans（喇叭裤）popular.Also, in the 1980s, Michael Jackson made parachute pants（降落伞裤）all the fashion.Now try to find these items in today’s clothing stores!
Do you know why fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change.Over time, the new replaces the old.People are influenced greatly by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movies stars, as well as popular films, television shows, books and music.We are also influenced by the fashion industry’s advertising.
The stars of popular culture are always searching for a new angle to maintain（保持）their popularity.Often these new angles come in the form of new clothing or hairstyles.When people see these new styles, they often want to imitate their favorite stars.To do so, they seek out the latest fashions to make themselves look like the people they want to imitate.In this way, fashions evolve and change over time.
Clothes have been used to separate people into groups for many years.Even today, brand-name, clothing that is more expensive than other types of clothing can be used by some people to distinguish themselves from others.
Unfortunately, this can often have the effect of distancing certain groups from others.Don’t forget that it’s always OK to develop your own sense of style that is unique and separate from what the fashion world determines! Stay true to yourself and let your personality—not your clothes—speak for who you are！What does the example of bell-bottomed blue jeans and parachute pants in Paragraph 2 suggest?
| A．Michael Jackson is a good designer. |
| B．Stars are always influential. |
| C．People have different dressing styles. |
| D．Fashion always changes. |
What causes the changes of fashions?
| A．Advertisements change rapidly. |
| B．Movie stars are changing over time. |
| C．Popular culture influences people. |
| D．New films and shows replace the old. |
What does the author mainly want to stress in the last paragraph?
| A．The importance of having one’s own personality. |
| B．The bad effects of following fashion. |
| C．The good influences of popular styles. |
| D．The advantages of staying unique. |
We can learn from the text that_____________.
| A．fashion is all about clothes |
| B．clothes may separate and distance people |
| C．the author has gone out of fashion |
| D．people like imitating others’ dressing style |
The piano on which Mozart wrote all of his late works returned home to Vienna for the first time since his death in 1791.The piano will stand in his former Vienna home, now a museum, for two weeks, ending in a concert of the works by Mozart.
Mozart bought the instrument from Anton Walter, the most famous piano maker of his time, in 1782.He wrote more than 50 works for the piano on it, many of them in the apartment in Vienna.After Mozart’s death, Constanze, Mozart’s wife, gave the instrument to their elder surviving son, Carl Thomas, who donated it to the Mozarteum Salzburg on what would have been the composer’s 100th birthday.The piano is now part of the permanent exhibition in the Austrian city of Salzburg.
“ It was very hard to let it go,” said Matthias Schulz, director of the Mozarteum Salzburg.“ If we didn’ t know it was in the best hands, we wouldn’ t have done it.” The piano is much smaller and lighter than modern concert ones.Its sound is fresher and brighter than that of a modern piano, with lighter action and hammers (音锤).
Piano restorer Josef Meingast, who has looked after the Mozart piano since 1975, said it was superior to any of its surviving copies.Meingast said he had to fight to replace the existing strings (琴键), dating from a 1973 restoration, with softer ones that produce a rounder sound thought to be more similar to what Mozart would have produced.
Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov, who planned to give a concert of Mozart’ s music on the piano on November 7, said he was privileged to play such an instrument.It’s easily the biggest day of a musician’ s life.”According to the passage, the piano___________.
| A．is now being owned by the Mozart family |
| B．has been kept by Carl Thomas since Mozart died |
| C．is much bigger and heavier than modern ones |
| D．is part of the permanent exhibition in the city of Salzburg |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The piano has never been repaired. |
| B．Anton Walter was also a very famous pianist. |
| C．Josef Meingast devoted himself to restoring the piano. |
| D．Matthias Schulz doubted if the piano would be well looked af. |
How will Alexander Melnikov feel when playing that piano?
| A．Upset | B．Honored | C．Frightened | D．Creative |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Mozart’s piano returns home to Vinna. |
| B．Mozart’s piano connects too many artists. |
| C．Mozart’s piano reflects all his wonderful life. |
| D．Mozart’s piano is restored to its original form. |
Are you stuck in a job you don’t like? Many people hold ideas about jobs and careers that are holding them back.Let’s see the truth behind some career myths.
A CV (简历) is the only way to get a job.
To tell the truth, many employers don’t like or actually read CVs.Some employers would prefer to judge a person after a face-to-face meeting, or give them some part-time work first to see what they are truly like in the workplace.
Having an up-to-date CV is important when applying for jobs advertised in the paper, from larger organizations, or when you want to leave some information about yourself for the employers.
I have to make my decision now and stick to it.
There is a great saying: “Life is a journey not a destination.” Journeys are full of options.You make and change your decisions all the time based on new experiences and information.
Yes, you do have to make decisions, but you do not have to be limited by those career decisions by sticking to them.What’s more important is having a go and exploring new things.
I can’t get into the work I like because there are too few opportunities.
I have no doubt getting into work that you really want to do can be challenging.But I do also believe opportunities exist in most career areas because employment needs change all the time.One strategy I’d suggest if you can’t get your dream job is to go after what you want and grab any opportunity that moves you toward your dream job.
It’s the school’s responsibility to talk about careers and work.
Schools do have a part to play in providing career advice for students, but others also have a responsibility.I would suggest that a student-parent-school partnership approach is a far better way of looking at this.A lot of information is available on the internet, in the newspapers, through relatives and friends.The passage was written mainly to ___________.
| A．tell people how to get a good job |
| B．teach people how to behave in a job interview |
| C．correct some wrong ideas about looking for jobs |
| D．introduce right attitudes towards work |
According to the passage, when you are looking for jobs a CV __________.
| A．is the most important thing |
| B．is no longer popular |
| C．should be given face to face. |
| D．should contain your latest information |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _________.
| A．students should use as many resources as possible when looking for a job |
| B．the school is the main source of career advice to students |
| C．students should rely on relatives and friends to find a good job |
| D．information on the Internet is not necessarily true |
Dear Students,
I am delighted to be your guest.
I would like to tell you about myself.I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years.I chose this job so I could travel the world, but the job has taught me many unforgettable lessons.The work is sometimes difficult.I have seen famines, wars, earthquakes, poverty and death.But I have also seen courage, hope and happiness.
In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children.Some were as young as four years old.They lived in the streets and survived by begging or stealing.But then a wonderful lady called Rosa opened a home for them.Within one year, she was looking after two hundred children.She clothed them, fed them, and taught them.She gave them hope.
Another time, I was in Turkey after a terrible earthquake, in one place.I found an old lady whose house was in ruins, her son was missing and rescue workers said there was no chance that he was still alive.But the old lady did not give up hope.For four days, she moved heavy stones one at a time by herself.She did not stop until she found her son.He was alive.
Here in China, I met a young boy with a serious condition.He had undergone twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital.I thought he would be sad, but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.
In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from.When my life is difficult, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these three people.The underlined word “ famine ”in Paragraph 2 means __________.
| A．pleasure | B．joy |
| C．luck | D．extreme lack of food |
What can we learn about Rosa?
| A．She’ s a rich lady and she likes to help the homeless children. |
| B．She’ s a kind-hearted woman and she provides houses for the homeless children. |
| C．She’ s a great mother and she looks after the homeless children. |
| D．She’ s a good teacher and she teaches the homeless children. |
The speaker is giving a speech to students in __________.
| A．China | B．Canada | C．Turkey | D．India |
For what does the speaker admire the Turkish woman and the Chinese boy?
| A．Their bravery. | B．Their strong mind. |
| C．Their age. | D．Their luck. |
There was once a professor of medicine, who was very strict with the students. Whenever he took the chair on the exam committee(担任考试委员会主席), the students would be in fear, because he was seldom pleased with the answers they gave. A student would be lucky enough if he or she could receive a good mark from him. At the end of the term, the students of medicine would take their exam again. Now a student entered the exam room and got seated before the committee. This student was a little nervous as he knew it would not be so easy to get through the exam at all. The professor began to ask. The student was required to describe a certain illness, his description of which turned out to be OK.
Then the professor asked about the cure (药剂) for illness, and the student, too, answered just as right.
“Good,” said the professor, “and how much will you give the patient?”
“A full spoon”, answered the student.
“Now you may go out and wait for what you can get”, said the professor. At the same time, the committee discussed carefully the answers the student had given. Suddenly the student noticed that there was something wrong with his last answer. “A full spoon is too much,” he thought to himself. Anxiously he opened the door of the room and cried, “Mr. Professor, I’ve made a mistake! A full spoon is too much for a patient. He can take only five drops.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” said the professor coldly, “But it’s too late. Your patient has died.”The students were afraid of the professor because .
| A．they often angered and disappointed him |
| B．their answers often astonished him |
| C．their answers seldom satisfied him |
| D．he often misunderstood them and gave them bad marks |
The student’s description of the illness was .
| A．not correct | B．not satisfied |
| C．completely discouraging | D．accepted. |
Before he left the room the student was almost sure that .
| A．he had passed the exam, and the only thing was to wait for the mark |
| B．his last answer was satisfying |
| C．he had made a mistake |
| D．he had not done well in the exam. |
Which of the following is Not true?
| A．The patient will be in danger if he’s taken as much as a full spoon. |
| B．The doctor will be in trouble if he’s given the patient a full spoon. |
| C．Since one spoon is less than five drops, the patient will be all right soon if he takes only one full spoon at a time. |
| D．If the patient wants to remain safe, he should take no more than five drops at a time |