"Shark on the bait (诱饵) !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors. His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water. Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait.The shark followed. No one asked what kind of shark it was. Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark.
Andre lifted the bait aboard. Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor.“My goodness Andre!” I said. His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water. Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently. No one spoke. No one breathed. The moment seemed endless. In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back.
Still nobody spoke. Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident. I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor. Sharks are attracted to motors by r.heir electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable. " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years. "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it."
Nearly every encounter (遭遇) we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical. The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years. Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice. Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food. Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death. Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite.The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when ________.
A.Andre was about to fall into the water |
B.Andre was about to touch the shark |
C.Andre was followed by the shark |
D.Andre was bitten by the shark |
What does the author think of the encounters with great whites________.
A.Exciting. | B.Educational. |
C.Frightening | D.Reasonable |
Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because________.
A.they are taught how to fight off sharks |
B.sharks discover they are no threats |
C.they manage to swim to safety |
D.sharks stop attacking them |
I think people everywhere dream about having lots of money. You could win a large amount of money in the United States through lotteries. People pay money for tickets with numbers. If your combination of numbers is chosen, you win a huge amount of money --- often in the millions.
A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. And the money he did earn was chicken feed --- very little.
Sometimes Al even had to accept gifts from his family and friends. But do not get me wrong. My friend was not a deadbeat. He was not the kind of person who never paid the money he owed. He was always very careful with the money he spent. In fact, he was often a cheapskate(守财奴). He did not like to spend money.
One day, Al got together a few dollars for a lottery ticket. He thought he would never strike it rich or gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his combination of numbers was chosen and he won the lottery and won a great deal of money.
Al was so excited. The first thing he did was to buy a costly new car. Then he started spending money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it. It was like he had money to burn. He had more money than he needed and it was burning a hole in his pocket so he spent it quickly.
When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al paid every time. He told me the money made him feel like a million dollars. He was very happy.
But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was down and out again. He had no money left. He had spent his bottom dollar, his very last amount. He did not even build up a nest egg. He had not saved any of the money. Some might say he was penny wise and pound foolish. He was wise about small things, but not about important things.The role of the first paragraph is to __________.
A.show the attraction of lotteries |
B.tell some facts about lotteries |
C.explain how to win the lottery |
D.introduce the story of Al |
Before winning the lottery, Al ____________.
A.failed to make both ends meet |
B.earned nothing and borrowed money |
C.once had a relatively rich family |
D.didn’t know how to save money |
The underlined word “deadbeat” in Para. 3 probably refers to a person who _______.
A.is lazy with no job to do |
B.tries to avoid his debts |
C.likes to spend money |
D.is generous |
What was to become of Al, according to the passage?
A.He had built up a nest egg. |
B.He was a cheapskate again. |
C.He felt like a million dollars. |
D.He was penny wise and pound foolish. |
James knew the decision was not going to be an easy one to make as he sat on the hill near the small town that he lived in. There was no one he could turn to for advice. His only sister lived away and he hardly ever saw her and when his sister came over, they always ended up in an argument.
It had been a hot day and James’s clothes seemed to stick to his body. He had felt terrible for weeks and he was just tired of feeling sick. He had started vomiting(呕吐)after he would eat anything and he knew that something would have to be done.
After going to the doctor, he was told to come back in a few days. The next three days had gone by slowly and it was time for his visit to the doctor. He had been shown into the doctor’s office and James knew it was bad news. The end result was he had stomach cancer.
James sat on the hill looking down at the town and wonder what he would do. Taking out his phone, he dialed his sister’s number and told her the bad news. She started to cry and said, “If anything happens to you, I will be alone in this world.”
Marie, his sister said, “You are moving up here and you will live with me until you get back on your feet, so go home, pack up and I will be there to get you in two days.”
He smiled and said, “It sounds wonderful, but I still haven’t decided if I am going to have the surgery or not?” Hearing this, she softly whispered, “Of course you are having the surgery. I will pick you up in two days. I love you.”
James knew the final word was still up to him and he would think about it because this was a decision that wouldn’t come easy to him.From the very beginning, we know that James ________________.
A.used to sit on the hill when in trouble |
B.lived alone and seldom met others |
C.didn’t get along well with Marie |
D.never made a decision by himself |
James decided to go to his doctor when _____________.
A.he felt it had been too hot for him |
B.he vomited anything he ate |
C.he felt sick for several weeks |
D.he got a call from his sister |
The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to _____________.
A.James having the surgery |
B.Packing up within two days |
C.Marie coming to meet him |
D.James moving to live with Marie |
What is the message expressed in the passage?
A.Health is not valued till sickness comes. |
B.Blood is thicker than water. |
C.Each day brings its own bread. |
D.Good health is above wealth. |
To protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security(安全) Administration (TSA) is required by law to check all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and checked. Your bag was among those selected for check.
During the check, your bag and its contents may have been searched for items forbidden by law such
as fireworks, fuels, gunpowder, etc. At the completion of the check, the contents were returned to your bag, which was resealed(重新封口)with a "special" lock.
If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for check because it was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to reseal your bag upon completion of check. However, TSA is not liable for damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution (预防措施) .
For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: WWW.TSATravelTips.us.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Center:
Phone: toll-free at (866) 289-9673
Email: TellTSA@tas.dot.govThe passage is trying to ______.
A.introduce one of the security acts |
B.tell people about baggage check |
C.warn against the damage of locking the baggage |
D.persuade people to contact TSA |
The passage is most probably written to those who ______.
A.had their baggage selected for checking |
B.refused to check their baggage |
C.kept some damaged items in their baggage |
D.left their baggage unlocked |
The underlined word “liable” means “______”.
A.suitable by law | B.permitted by law |
C.responsible by law | D.prepared by law |
For packing tips and other suggestions, visit ______.
A.TellTSA@tas.dot.gov |
B.TSA Consumer Response Center |
C.toll-free at (866) 289-9673 |
D.WWW.TSATravelTips.us |
My son and I were trying to sell the house we had repaired, but in the barn(谷仓)there were bats and they would not leave. The barn was their home. They told us so in their own way they hung for the season. “Don’t worry about it, Dad.” Patrick said. “They keep down the mosquitoes(蚊子).”
Unfortunately they also kept the buyers away. When we had asked a person to sell the house for us he had refused to show it because of the bats. “Bats are popular,” Patrick comforted me. “They are ecological.” “Isn’t there a machine you can buy that produces high-frequency sounds to keep bats away?” “ I don’t know,” said Patrick. “But I like bats, and whoever buys this house will probably like them too.’ “Probably?” I hated that word. “How many bats are there, anyway?” “I counted about 90 last night,” said Patrick. “They were dropping out from under the edge of the roof.” “You mean there are more------outside?” “They’re everywhere, Dad. But look at it this way. When the cold weather comes, they’ll be off to Mexico. Maybe in the spring we can keep them out. Don’t worry about it,” he said for the
the hundredth time. “It’s not a problem.”
The bat expert I called was even more active than Patrick. “I think you’ve got a large number there,” he said in wonder. “I’ve been trying to attract bats to our house for 25 years. A single bat ears up his weight in mosquitoes and black flies three times every night. You’ve a very lucky man.” I offered to share my luck with him. He could take them away. “Bats have a remarkable homing instinct(本能),” he said. “They’d fly straight back even if I transported them 100 miles. Once they have settled, you can’t stop them from coming back.” I was silent.
Finally we managed to rent the house to a young family, who were also interested in buying it. “What about the bats?” I said to Patrick. “Oh, they love the bats,” he said. “No mosquitoes. No black flies. It’s one of the things that attracted them.” “Do you think they will really buy the house?” “Probably? Well, if they do, I suppose I’ll have to admit that I was wrong.” “You mean you’re going to eat your words?”
“Yes. I am.”What was the problem the author had with his house?
A.Bats were living in the barn and wouldn’t go away. |
B.The author and his son couldn’t sleep well because of the bats |
C.The author and his son might be able to stay for the season. |
D.The house was still badly in need of repair. |
What did Patrick suggest the author should do to stop the bats living in the barn?
A.Buy a high-frequency machine. |
B.Close the barn in the spring. |
C.Reduce the number of mosquitoes. |
D.Move them one hundred miles away. |
What happened to the house in the end?
A.Some people agreed to rent the house. |
B.The author failed to find anybody who wanted to live in the house |
C.The bat expert made the decision to buy the house. |
D.The bats left the house for Mexico in the spring. |
Why did the author think he might have to “eat his words”?
A.He felt sorry for the bats. |
B.He was happy about selling the house. |
C.He realized they might be wrong about the bats’ actions |
D.He might be mistaken about being unable to sell the house. |
Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble —and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP(特异功能). ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here’s an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!” Just then, a telegram came. The woman’s father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what’s behind these strange mental messages. Here’s another example —one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, “There’s room for one more.” The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said. “There’s room for one more.”
Then the man saw that the driver’s face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn’t get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ______.
A.possible | B.imaginative |
C.not real | D.impossible |
By studying ESP, scientists may get to ______.
A.learn how people tell lies |
B.know more about human dreams |
C.know more about human mind |
D.learn how strange things happen |
In the last paragraph the underlined word “coincidences” probably means “______”.
A.things that may not happen |
B.things that happen by accident |
C.things that must happen |
D.things that happen in a dream |
This article is mainly about ______.
A.the human dream | B.a crowded bus |
C.the human mind | D.the sixth sense |