Mr. Whitcomb Judson was a really clever man. He invented a special train that was pushed along by air and in 1893 he invented something like a zip(拉链) that could be used to open and close clothes. It could be used on men’s trousers and on ladies’ dresses. He did not call his invention a ‘zip’ but everybody says that he was the ‘Father of the Zip’. Mr. Judson tried to sell his invention but no one wanted it because it did not work very well. A Canadian changed Mr. Judson’s invention and made it better. He made a zip that worked very well in 1913.This is the same zip we use today.Mr. Whitcomb Judson was a _____ man.
| A．kind | B．lazy |
| C．cler | D．foolish |
Mr. Whitcomb Judson invented ______ in 1893.
| A．a special train | B．something l p |
C．a washing machine | D．a special car |
A zip can be used to _______.
| A．open clothes | B．close clothes |
| C．open and close clothes | D．make clothes |
A _______ man changed Mr. Judson’s invention and made it better.
| A．Chinese | B．Canadian |
| C．German | D．Japanese |
_______ was called “Father of Zip”.
| A．Mr. Whitcomb Judson | B．The Canadian |
| C．Whitcomb’s father | D．Whitcomb’s son |
阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容，注意：每个空格只填1个单词
Hey! Mother's Day is coming. Have you planned something good for your mom? If not, try one of these tips.
What's Her Favorite?
Most teens don't know what their mom's favorite is. You do? Then, what are you waiting for? Buy her something she likes and wrap it carefully. The best time to give her that is while she is sleeping at night. Put it on the drawer next to her so that when she wakes up she'll be surprised to see it.
Treat a Queen
Your house is a palace with a king and queen (it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor). Our mother is the real queen in our life and in our family though her duties make her look like she is not. Give the lady a day off and you can do the housework.
Because of stress and the problems that she is facing right now, she doesn't look good any more. Perhaps you could take some of your savings to treat her in a salon or the department store. Then, choose nice clothes that would make her look beautiful!
Have Some of Your Time
Our mothers have special memories in mind. It is the time that they gave birth to their healthy baby. How about you? What's your best moment with her? Have you ever had a good time with your mother not talking about your problems and arguments? Have you ever told her how much you thank her for the life she gave to you, the time she cared for you? Maybe you can tell her how happy you are when she was there looking after you during your painful days in your life.
Tell the magic words
Life is short. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Those three words can make her heart jump for joy, you know? Just tell her “I love you!” and it would make her smile so sweetly. Just try! We don't want to miss a thing, right?
| Tips on |
|
| Buy a |
Buy her something that she Put it on a drawer next to her to give her a |
| Treat your mother as a queen |
Do the housework instead of her to make her Buy her nice clothes to make her |
| Have some of your time |
Remind her of your best moment with her. Don’t Tell her you were so happy when she |
| Tell the magic words |
Tell her “I love you!” to make her heart jump for Just have a |
British people are famous for drinking tea. But brother and sister, Sarah and Bobby Green, became young millionaires when they opened a chain of American-style coffee shops in the UK.
Having the idea: It started when Sarah took a weekend trip to New York to visit her brother Bobby. One evening, in a Thai restaurant, Sarah told Bobby how much she wished she could buy American-style coffee in London. Bobby suggested they started their own coffee shop. Sarah fell in love with the idea.
Doing the Research: Back in London, she spent a whole day on the London subway, getting off the train at different stations to taste the coffee. “It was terrible, and I knew there was a gap (空缺) in the market.” In 1995, they opened their first Coffee Republic shop in central London.
Making it work: The first year was very difficult. British people were not used to the names of American coffees, like latte and macchiato. But being successful was their dream and they were not going to give up. Today, there are over 100 Coffee Republic shops all over the country and the company has ￡30 million a year.
Advice for others: Sarah has now written a best-selling book about their experience, called Anyone Can Do It! She hopes it will help other young people to start their own businesses. She says, “If you think you have the energy, then get out and follow your dream.”What kind of company do they run?
| A．A fast-food restaurant. | B．A tea shop. |
| C．A coffee shop. | D．A big hotel. |
Where are their Coffee Republic shops?
| A．All over the UK. | B．All over the US. |
| C．In central London. | D．In New York. |
Which of the following information is mentioned(提到) in the passage?
| A．Sarah was not interested in Bobby’s idea. |
| B．British people never drank coffee before 1995. |
| C．Sarah’s best-selling book is about how to make coffee. |
| D．Sarah found a business chance while doing the research. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Sarah’s life. |
| B．Sarah’s weekend trip. |
| C．The American-style coffee. |
| D．The success of a family business. |
Where may this passage come from?
| A．In a film. |
| B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a sports magazine. |
| D．In a novel. |
Now the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
( MUSIC)
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. When they are red-hot, they are very angry about something. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say such music is red-hot.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in the stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back of the paper money.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day.
(MUSIC)
I’m Warren Scheer. Listen again next week for another Words and Their Stories program in Special English on the Voice of America.We say you are in the pink when you are _______________.
| A．very sad | B．very happy |
| C．in good health | D．feeling well |
What does the word “ upset” mean ?
| A．happy | B．sad |
| C．satisfied | D．active |
We describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a __________ day.
| A．red | B．green |
| C．pink | D．black |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People in the USA use black to express heat. |
| B．If you are blue, you are very happy. |
| C．Green is a natural color for humans. |
| D．If you have a sick feeling in the stomach, you feel a little green. |
What is this passage probably written for?
| A．A radio program. | B．A news report. |
| C．A telephone call. | D．A TV play. |
My favourite great book is The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain．Tom lives with his aunt Polly in a quiet street of St. Petersburg, Missouri．He’s a lively and clever young boy，and he finds himself in many exciting adventures(冒险)．He runs away with his two friends，Huck Finn and Joe，to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River for several days．With Huck he goes looking for treasure, with Becky he gets lost in a cave．and finally，they find a box of gold．
My favourite scene in the book is when everyone thinks Tom is dead．He decides to go to his own funeral．He hides and watches for a time, and then suddenly he appears. Everyone is surprised to see him but they’re also pleased to see him alive．
Tom is the hero of the story，but there are other important characters．Huck is an outsider and everyone is afraid of him．Becky is pretty with fair hair，Joe is Tom’s best friend．and Injun Joe is the bad man of the story.
The theme of the story is about children growing up．It describes how strangers are seen in small towns of America. Finally, it talks about freedom，social rules and how people are punished(惩罚)for bad behaviour.
Why do I think The Adventure of Tom Sawyer is a great book? Mark Twain wrote the story in 1876，but it's still read and loved by people all over the world today．And although it’s only a story. Twain wrote it in the everyday English of the southern states of America in the 19th century，so it sounds very real. Today it’s thought to be one of the greatest books in American literature. Go on--- read it! I know you’ll enjoy it，too.Who is the bad man in the story?
| A．Huck Finn． | B．Injun Joe． |
| C．Becky． | D．Polly． |
How did people feel when Tom appeared at his own funeral ?
| A．They were surprised and pleased． |
| B．They were surprised and sad |
| C．They were worried and excited． |
| D．They were frightened and happy． |
The whole book is mainly about _______ ．
| A．freedom and social rules |
| B．children’s bad behaviour |
| C．the growth of young children |
| D．strangers in American small towns |
Most schools in England require children to wear a school uniform.
There are at least four advantages. Firstly, when they go on a school trip they all look the same and so they can’t get lost. Secondly, it stops kids worrying about what to wear each day. Everyone is equal. Thirdly, parents don’t have to shop for expensive and different clothes for their children to show off. Fourthly, wearing a uniform gives a sense of being proud and discipline(纪律约束) in them.What colour are the shoes that the English students wear in school?
| A．White | B．Grey |
| C．Black | D．Yellow |
Which of the following is one of the advantages of wearing a uniform?
| A．It gives students a sense of being proud |
| B．It helps children show off |
| C．It helps children choose different clothes |
| D．It makes children strange |