In April 2014, the world’s oldest known message in a bottle was discovered floating in the Baltic Sea. It had spent 101years lost in the ocean! The message was finally sent to the author’s granddaughter.
A German fisherman named Konrad Fischer found the brown bottle near Kiel, Germany. He said he nearly threw the bottle back into the water after pulling it out of a fishing net. Then he noticed something inside.
The bottle in good condition contained a Danish postcard with two German stamps, dated May 17, 1913. Although dampness had made most of the writing illegible(字迹模糊的), the readable part of the message asked whoever found it to return it to an address in Berlin. It even contained two stamps to pay for postage.
From the address, researchers found that the postcard was written by a man named Richard Platz, who was 20 years old when he wrote the message. While he was hiking on the Baltic coast with a nature appreciation group, he threw the bottle into the sea. Then the researcher began a research for any living relatives of his. Sure enough, they were able to find his 62-year-old grandfather, Angela Erdmann, who still lives in Berlin.
"It was almost unbelievable," Erdmann said upon being presented with her grandfather's bottle and message, as quoted in The Local. "That was a pretty moving moment. Tears rolled down my face."
Erdmann never knew her grandfather, who died in 1946, but says that the discovery of the bottle has made her want to learn more about him.
The bottle remained on display at the International Maritime Museum Hamburg until May 1. After that, the researchers examined the postcard and tried to figure out the meaning of the rest of the message.
Previously, the oldest message found in a bottle spent nearly 98 years at sea and was discovered in April 2012, according to Guinness World Records.When Konrad picked up the bottle from the sea, __________.
| A．he thought it would bring him good luck. |
| B．he noticed the postcard inside immediately. |
| C．he decided to uncover the secret of the bottle. |
| D．he wanted to throw it back into the sea at first. |
Why did Richard Platz throw the bottle with the message into the sea?
| A．He expected his grandfather could find the postcard. |
| B．He wished the finder would send the postcard to his home. |
| C．He believed his postcard would be kept secret at sea forever. |
| D．He thought he could make friends with the finder of the bottle. |
What can be the best title for this passage?
| A．The finding of a floating bottle at the sea. |
| B．A one-century-old letter to a grandfather. |
| C．The world’s oldest message in a floating bottle. |
| D．The oldest Danish postcard in a floating bottle. |
We are always told that TV is not good for us. If it is true, how come the TV-addicted kids of our young generation nowadays are much smarter than we are? In my family, the only persons who can work the TV remote control well are the children.
Probably TV really educates us. For example, we can learn a very useful medical fact: A man that has been shot always has time to speak a broken sentence when he is dying. “The killer was…” (dies)
But I suppose the biggest things that we learn from TV can be regarded as “Life Skills”. Bad things simply happen on either stormy or dark nights. Emotional breakdowns make people wander in the heavy rain without raincoats or umbrellas. And contrary to the scientists, the crack of lightning and the accompanying flash come on at exactly the same time, wherever the scenes are.
I’ve even got to know useful geographical facts from science-fiction shows: Aliens only speak the language of English no matter which planet they come from.
To make good use of something that we learn from TV can make our security better. Consider these truths. When you are really attacked by 20 bad guys, you needn’t worry about your being outnumbered. The criminals will hang back and take turns to approach you in ones and twos just so you can conveniently defeat them all. Bad guys who are completely covered in black clothes always remove their black masks to reveal that they are in fact, aha, women.
TV often teaches us a lot of important information as well about escaping from danger. Watch and learn. (1) If anyone is running after you down a passage, you will find that boxes have been conveniently placed near all the walls you need to jump over. (2) If you are tall and handsome, you can run from any number of armed criminals, and every shot will miss you.
Be warned, however, if your name card says “henchman” (帮凶) and you are part of a group of plain-looking people trying to catch a handsome individual, a single shot will kill you. But don’t be anxious: TV also delivers useful information for bad guys. All cars are inflammable (易燃的) and have amazing shock absorbers that enable them to fly into the air and land without damage — except police cars.
TV even teaches us about TV. Whenever anyone turns on a TV, it shows a news flash about someone they know. They then turn the box off immediately after that news item. When the writer says “A man that has been shot always has time to speak a broken sentence when he is dying” (Paragraph 2), he shows his________.
| A．humor | B．sympathy | C．deep concern | D．medical knowledge |
We can learn from Paragraph 3 that in the real world________.
| A．bad things cause people to break down in the rain |
| B．bad things never happen on dark and stormy nights |
| C．people with emotional problems like to walk in the rain without umbrellas |
| D．you can’t hear the crack of lightning and see the accompanying flash exactly at the same time |
On TV what usually happens when a person turns it on?
| A．The program shown is always about the importance of TV. |
| B．The person always turns off the TV when it’s time for news. |
| C．The news shown is always about someone the person knows. |
| D．TV always shows news about famous people. |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．Life skills can be learned from TV. |
| B．What happens in TV is quite different from reality. |
| C．Watching TV makes people more creative. |
| D．TV plays an important role in society. |
The writer of this passage takes a(n) ________ attitude towards TV plays.
| A．positive | B．casual | C．negative | D．indifferent |
For as early as I could remember, my mother had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. However, in the last fifteen years of her life, she had to live with senile dementia (老年痴呆). I would go to my home to pay her a visit in California and she would curiously look at me and then ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I’m your own son, of course.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In Virginia”, I would tell her. “Isn’t that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in Virginia.”
Mother seemed only forgetful as well as confused at the beginning of that disease, but sometime later she would go through different time of intense anxiety. She would keep walk ing through the house she used to live in most of her life crying uneasily that she would like to go home. Or sometimes she left home and wandered away if she were unattended for a short time.
Hoping to make her happy and put her mind at ease I would take her in my car, visiting sites where she used to live when she was a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn(草坪). I pictured my mother there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I think it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still energetic and attentive.
Watching my mother’s suffering set me wondering where I would have in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of senile dementia is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance. What’s the main idea of the first and second paragraphs?
| A．The mother of the author could not find her home. |
| B．The mother of the author could not remember who’s his son. |
| C．The author’s mother suffered with serious senile dementia. |
| D．The author didn’t know how to cure his mother. |
Which of the following is NOT the symptom of the mother of the author?
| A．forgetful | B．confused | C．cheerful | D．uneasy |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “picture”?
| A．photograph | B．describe | C．appear | D．paint |
What can you infer from the third paragraph?
| A．The author cared much about his mother. |
| B．The mother of the author liked pet lambs very much. |
| C．The author found a very little girl who was playing with a pet lamb. |
| D．The mother of the author did not like her usual home. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Where Is Home? | B．A story about a son and a mother. |
| C．Everyone will suffer with senile dementia. | D．Take Mother Home. |
Attention STARBUCKS
Owners of Stainless Steel(不锈钢) Travel Mug
Mug lid Recall---16 oz Stainless Steel Travel Mug
We’ve recognized a fault at the cup. The fault might cause some lids to lift slightly from the body of the mug, and could possibly result in injury from hot liquid leaking. So, we have given a lid recall notice immediately. The notice is only related to STARBUCKS 16 oz Stainless Steel Travel Mugs which were sold between November 2012 and February 2013. The bottom of the mug is stamped with “ThermoSServ”, the distributor’s (经销商) name. There is not any printing on the mug handle.
At STARBUCKS, customers’ safety is valued above anything else. Therefore, no matter whether your lid is leaking , in the interest of your safety, we request you bring your mug to your nearest STARBUCKS (excluding Esso STARBUCKS), where they are sure exchange the lid for a new lid that fits well and safely. The new lids are going to be available March 1, 2013.
Don’t use your mug until you exchange the lid, please.
Here’s what you do:
* Please do not use your mug until you have exchanged the lid for a new one.
* New lids will be available March 1, 2013.
* Return your travel mug to a STARBUCKS store.
* Your lid will be exchanged for a new lid.
If you’d like to return the entire mug, bring it back at any time for a full repayment.
If you have any questions regarding this recall, please don’t hesitate to us at:
Toll Free Number: 1-999-701-1717
9:30 am - 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time STARBUCKS The passage is written in order to ________.
| A．warn against the danger of using the mugs |
| B．inform people of exchanging a lid |
| C．persuade people to buy a new lid |
| D．introduce a new type of mugs |
The advertisement is mainly aimed at those who ________.
| A．have 16 oz Stainless mugs | B．often travel around |
| C．want to buy 16 oz stainless mugs | D．are selling the mugs |
According to the advertisement, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．People should stop using the mug immediately. |
| B．People can get the money back if they return the mug. |
| C．People with questions can call the company free of charge. |
| D．People can return the lid between October 2012 and January 2013. |
We can learn that STARBUCKS from the passage ________.
| A．is a club for travelers |
| B．wants to make more money |
| C．is an organization helping customers |
| D．cares about the customers’ safety |
The passage is most likely taken from a(n) ________.
| A．news report | B．advertisement | C．tour-guide book | D．novel |
In a cab, a woman seemed in such a hurry. She constantly rushed the cab driver to drive quickly. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts of getting to the airport as soon as possible that she was not aware they were going by a different route.
All of a sudden, a young man got inside the cab. He took her handbag in which she had put her visa, passport, and all the money for the trip.
The cab driver, who was in collusion with the robber, left her in the exactly middle of a dark street. She thought that she was rather unfortunate in the very situation.
During the very night, she was told a piece of shocking news. Tears came down her cheek. Flight 360, the plane that she should have got on board, had crashed. Had she not lost her important belongings, she could surely have lost the thing far more precious——her life.
Sometimes bad things really happen. There are times when nothing seems to go our way. So what should we do about it? We must get rid of all these frustrations and start all over again in the faith that we will get what we deserve.
Don’t waste your time and energy on things that can’t be changed. Continuous worrying will only affect your health and you’ll be doing much more damage than what was previously done.
What if it was the other way round? What if we never ran out of good luck?
There was a man who won the lottery. He became greedy and wasted all his money on everything he could get his hands on.
But when he one day made it to the front page of the newspaper again, it was a different story. He had been killed because of his riches. If you attain good luck, you can never be too secure about it. Life is so unpredictable. You never know what will happen next.
Live one day at a time. We sometimes subject ourselves to unnecessary emotional trouble. But please don’t forget: sometimes misfortune can be the source of happiness. Live for the moment. Do what must be done for the present and the future will turn out just fine. Believe me. And believe in yourself. As Captain Planet always says, “The power is yours！” The underlined phrase “in collusion with” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________.”
| A．was forced by | B．was fighting bravely against |
| C．was doing one’s best to beg | D．had cooperated with |
From the passage, we learn that ________.
| A．robbers are sure to get what they want |
| B．somebody never runs out of good luck |
| C．the woman was lucky to miss her flight |
| D．if one feels oneself lucky, he or she will continue to be so |
The writer presents the second example in order to ________.
| A．warn people of the danger of winning the lottery |
| B．tell people life is unpredictable |
| C．encourage people to buy lottery |
| D．persuade people not to be greedy |
According to the author, which of the following choices is the correct attitude to adopt to life?
| A．Never waste any time or energy because time is so limited. |
| B．One needn’t be worried or feel frustrated. Believe in yourself. |
| C．Even while everything appears to be going smoothly, we should keep fully alert. |
| D．Worrying about what you don’t have |
The passage above is intended to tell us ________.
| A．misfortune sometimes is a blessing |
| B．we should save up for a rainy day |
| C．fortune just goes with those prepared minds |
| D．both losses and gains go hand in hand |
It’s the dirty little secret many shampoo companies don’t want you to know. When you wash your hair with certain traditional chemical shampoos, you may actually be removing your hair and scalp（头皮）of their natural oils. These shampoos generate a thick bubble to clean hair, they can also create dryness, curl, dullness, and color fade. We then spend a lot of time and money on products that are effectively repairing the damage caused by shampoo.
Chaz Dean got tired of clients leaving his salon raving about their color and the feeling of their hair---brassy（似黄铜的） and dull.He knew the main cause was likely their shampoo, so he started experimenting with various ingredients, including natural herbs and botanicals, that he knew had cleansing（弄干净）and hydrating (保湿的) properties.
The result was a totally new approach to the way we cleanse our hair. It’s calledWEN® Cleansing Conditioner. WEN® contains a super-hydrating natural herbs and botanicals mixture of glycerin, chamomile(甘菊), rosemary, calendula, and Cherry bark, which when combined, will both cleanse the hair as well as give shine and softness, even to damaged hair.
WEN® is a 5-in-1 formula（配方） that takes the place of your shampoo, And the most amazing thing about it is that it cleanses without bubble. Instead, when mixed with water, it creates a smooth bubble for shiny, healthy-looking, manageable results. The first time you try it certainly feels strange, but the results speak for themselves.
Before being marketed, WEN® went through extensive consumer tests, and the results were impressive. More than 90 percentof the participants in the studies reported that their hair was more shiny, less frizzy, and had more bounce.
WEN® is recommended for all hair types, and once you start using it, it will become the only cleanser/conditioner youwill want to include in your daily routine.
Right now, WEN® is offering an easy way for online shoppers to try the product.Now you just pay less than $30 and have a 60 day money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied. Click hereto learn more about WEN®and try this revolutionary new approach yourself.We can infer from the first paragraph that _________________
| A．All the shampoo companies are irresponsible. |
| B．Few traditional shampoos depend on chemicals for cleaning. |
| C．WEN® does harm to people’s hair. |
| D．It takes much time and money to repair hair damaged by shampoo. |
What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “ raving about”(in para.2)?
| A．smiling satisfactorily at | B．shouting angrily for |
| C．crying excitedly for | D．sighing silently at |
Which is right according to the passage?
| A．WEN® contains natural herbs and botanicals. |
| B．You cann’t use WEN® without bubble. |
| C．WEN® hasn’t been tested before selling. |
| D．WEN® is accessible only online. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Why are shampoos a waste of money | B．Why do we need shampoos |
| C．WEN® is your best choice. | D．WEN® has good guarantee |
Where does the passage come from ?
| A．magazine | B．website | C．newspaper | D．text |