Hidden in our subconsciousness (潜意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw（拼图玩具） puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道), condemning the minutes for loitering --waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the loan!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! ”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish(appreciate) the moment” is a good motto, actually it isn’t the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.Why does the author describe the mental picture?
| A．To lead us into a perfect world. |
| B．To let people enjoy the scenery. |
| C．To introduce an actual trip of his. |
| D．To compare it to our life’s journey. |
How do people feel when they’re on their trip?
| A．Puzzled. | B．Happy. | C．Relaxed. | D．Impatient. |
What does the author mean by “Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today” in Line 2 Paragraph 5?
| A．Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today. |
| B．We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear. |
| C．regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life. |
| D．We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear. |
Why does the author write the passage?
| A．To teach us a good lesson. |
| B．To tell us the right attitude to life. |
| C．To advice us to forget our worries. |
| D．To stop us wandering along the aisles. |
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, "But, Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead."
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt-- a mistake 75% of US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths (神化,虚构的事) about safety belt ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth the Number One: It's best to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry, but any accident serious enough to "throw you clear" is able going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you'll have traveled through a windshield (挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times in cases where people are "thrown clear".
Myth Number Two: Safety-belts "trap" people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situation, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren't needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour (mph).
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 metres. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, "But, Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead"?
| A．He didn't have his safety belt on. |
| B．He was running across the street. |
| C．He was driving at great speed. |
| D．He didn't take his medicine on time. |
he reason father was in a hurry to get home was that he __________.
| A．wasn't feeling very well | B．hated to drive in the dark |
| C．wanted to take some exercise | D．didn't want to be caught by the people |
According to the text, to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident is very dangerous because you ________.
| A．may be knocked down by other cars. |
| B．may get serious hurt thrown out of the car |
| C．may find it impossible to get away from the seat |
| D．may get caught in the car door |
Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe _______.
| A．they will be unable to think clearly in an accident |
| B．the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident |
| C．they will be caught when help comes |
| D．cars catch fire easily |
What is the advice given in the test?
| A．Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour. |
| B．Try your best to save yourself in a car accident. |
| C．Drive slowly while you're not wearing a safety belt. |
| D．Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving. |
Bowing is a very important custom in Japan. Unlike people in many other countries, they greet each other by bowing instead of shaking hands. It is impolite not to return a bow to whoever bows to you.
Bowing has many functions in one. It expresses the feeling of respect, thanks, regret, and so on. You can bow when you say, “thank you”, “sorry”, “hello”, “goodbye”, “congratulations”, “excuse me”, “good morning”, and more.
Bowing seems simple, but there are different ways of bowing. Bowing techniques vary from a small nod of the head to a long, 90-degree bow. It depends on the social position or age of the person you bow to. If your opposite is of higher social position or older than yourself, you are supposed to bow deeper and longer than him or her. It is polite to bow from your waist. Men usually keep their hands at their sides, and women usually put their hands together on their legs with their fingers touching. If it is not a very formal situation, you can bow by nodding. The most common bow is a bow of about 15 degrees.
You might feel strange doing it, but try to bow in Japan. You will be considered very polite!The author writes the passage mainly to _____.
| A．introduce the history of bowing in Japan |
| B．describe the purposes of bowing in Japan |
| C．describe different ways of bowing in Japan |
| D．introduce the Japanese custom of bowing |
By saying “Bowing has many functions in one”, the author means that _____.
| A．one kind of bow has many similar functions |
| B．people can express different feelings by bowing |
| C．people bow to express their feelings |
| D．the more times you bow, the more respect you receive |
How people greet in many countries?
| A．by bowing | B．by shaking hands |
| C．by kissing each other | D．by touching |
If an assistant wants to show respect to her professor, she may bow like _____.
A B C D
Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!The text is mainly about_________.
| A．a strange man | B．how roller skating began |
| C．an unusual party | D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.
| A．often gave others surprises | B．was a gifted musician |
| C．was full of imagination | D．invented the roller skates |
Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.
| A．test his invention | B．arrive at the party sooner |
| C．impress the party guests | D．show his skill in walking on wheels |
What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
| A．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation. |
| B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool. |
| C．The roller skates needed further improvement. |
| D．Merlin regretted what he had done |
When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼铜厂), and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.
Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No.”
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. He was told everyone knew that even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn't get his idea accepted.
Paul later got married and had some kids. But, his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow(誓言) he made to himself as a child.When Paul was a boy, _________.
| A．he had decided never to leave his hometown |
| B．the economy of Utah depended on the copper smelter |
| C．he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area |
| D．no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution |
Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants?
| A．He wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself. |
| B．He was interested in planting trees since he was young. |
| C．He wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him. |
| D．He thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive. |
What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” in paragraph 5 probably refer to?
| A．That his normal work and life would be greatly affected. |
| B．That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland. |
| C．That no one would like to join him in the efforts. |
| D．That he had to keep everything he did secret. |
The message of the passage is that ___________.
| A．perseverance(持之以恒) will work wonders |
| B．action speaks louder than words |
| C．God helps those who help themselves |
| D．many hands make light work. |
Commencement (毕业典礼) is a time for idealism.
But economic reality is cruel everywhere; especially for new graduate. They have been told repeatedly that a college degree is an open sesame(芝麻) to the global economy. But that’s not necessarily so, according to new research by two economists at he Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Frank Levy and Peter Temin.
It is true that people with college degrees make more money than people without degrees. The gap has narrowed somewhat in recent years, which is disturbing. But the earning power of college graduates still far outpaces that of less-educated workers.
The bad news, though, is that a college degree does not ensure a bigger share of the economics pie for many graduates. In recent decades Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin show, only college-educated women have seen their income grow in line with economy wide gains in productivity. The earnings of male college graduates have failed to keep pace with productivity gains.
Instead, a huge share of productivity growth, which expands the nation’s income, is going to Americans on the top of the income scale. In 2005, the latest year with available data, the top of 1 percent of Americans---whose average annual income was $ 1.1 million--- took in 21.8 percent of the nation’s income, their largest share since 1929.
Administration officials, and other politicians and economists, often, believe that income inequality, reflects an education gap. But Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin show that in the case of men, the average bachelor’s degree is not enough to catch the rising tide of the global economy.
They argue that the real reason that inequality is worsening is the lack of strong policies that broadly distribute economic gains. In the past, for example, a more progressive income tax and unions promote equality. Positive measures have been eroding and new ones have not yet emerged, making the income gap even greater.
Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin conclude that only a new government policy can restore general prosperity. That’s a challenge to the nation’s leader and today’s graduates. America needs them to contribute to the development of the nation in global economy.The passage is mainly about that _______.
| A．there is a big income gap between female and male college graduates in America. |
| B．college graduates find it hard to find an ideal job after graduation in America. |
| C．research shows that American government should take measures to ensure income equality for college graduates |
| D．college degrees are losing value in America. |
What is the main idea of paragraph 5?
| A．The whole nation has enjoyed a big income growth with the growth of productivity. |
| B．Much of the total income in America has been gained by a few very rich people. |
| C．A small part of people in America have income increase. |
| D．Upper class Americans contribute most to productivity growth. |
The underlined word “eroding” in paragraph 7 probably means _______.
| A．being gradually destroyed by wind or rain |
| B．gradually reducing power |
| C．gradually disappearing |
| D．gradually not suitable |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．female college graduates have higher income than male ones. |
| B．female college graduates have benefited from some governmental measures to ensure their income growth. |
| C．income tax can grantee income equality. |
| D．new measures and policies have been taken to promote income equality. |
From the passage, some economists believe that the worsening income inequality is caused by ______.
| A．lower college degree of college graduates |
| B．lack of proper governmental policies |
| C．gender discrimination |
| D．underdevelopment of economy and productivity. |