A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized(强调) the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic(适当的话题). “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted again by his words：“You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request you to do so, ” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say’ you don’t say？” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really!’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _______.
| A．English idioms were not important |
| B．I was not careful with English idioms |
| C．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance of them |
| D．I had no interest in them |
At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant _______.
| A．he was not interested in the topic |
| B．he was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means _______.
| A．interesting | B．important |
| C．terrible | D．unlucky |
Which of the following is true according to the passage？
| A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. |
After the Englishman explained the idiom, _______.
| A．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool |
| B．the Englishman became a real fool. |
| C．I felt very silly |
| D．I became more carefully in everything |
Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: one is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits die hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singapore (新加坡) are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries--in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus--obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example. “Bras Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay (马来语). Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent (月牙) because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.We learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
| A．the government is usually the first to name a place |
| B．a ceremony will be held when a place is named |
| C．many places tend to have more than one name |
| D．people prefer the place names given by the government |
What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Change suddenly. | B．Change significantly. |
| C．Disappear very slowly. | D．Disappear mysteriously. |
Which of the following places is named after a person?
| A．Selector Airbase. | B．Raffles Place. |
| C．Piccadilly Circus. | D．Paya Lebar Crescent. |
Bras Basah Road is named ________.
| A．after an activity | B．after a place |
| C．after a person | D．by its shape |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers. |
| B．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes. |
| C．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique. |
| D．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain. |
Spending as little as $5 a day on someone else could significantly boost happiness, the team at the University of British Columbia found.
Their experiments on more than 630 Americans showed they were measurably happier when they spent money on others--even if they thought spending the money on themselves would make them happier.
“We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn,” said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. They asked their 600 volunteers first to rate their general happiness, report their annual income and detail their monthly spending including bills, gifts for themselves, gifts for others and donations to charity.
“No matter how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not, ” Dunn said in a statement.
Dunn’s team also surveyed 16 employees at a company in Boston before and after they received an annual profit sharing bonus of between $ 3,000 and $ 8,000. “Employees who devoted more of their bonus to prosocial spending experienced greater happiness after receiving the bonus, and the manner in which they spent that bonus was a more important predictor of their happiness than the size of the bonus itself,” they wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.
They gave their volunteers $5 or $20 and half got clear instructions on how to spend it. Those who spent the money on someone or something else reported feeling happier about it.
“These findings suggest that very minor changes in spending allocations-as little as $5-may be enough to produce real gains in happiness on a given day, ” Dunn said.The underlined word “boost” in the first paragraph probably means________.
| A．help to find | B．help to increase |
| C．help to bring | D．help to get |
Dunn is ________.
| A．an employee in a company |
| B．a reporter in a journal |
| C．a psychologist at a university |
| D．a volunteer in the experiment |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Those who spend more money on others can get much more bonus. |
| B．People usually think spending money on themselves will make them happier. |
| C．Very small changes in spending your money may be enough to gain happiness. |
| D．Researchers think that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn. |
What is the general idea of the passage?
| A．The more you earn, the greater happiness you will get. |
| B．Spending more money on yourself will make you happier. |
| C．You can spend only $ 5 a day on someone else to get happiness. |
| D．If you spend money on someone else, you will feel happier. |
It can be inferred from the 6th paragraph that ________.
| A．the volunteers not given $ 5 or $ 20 spent their own money on themselves |
| B．those who spent the money on someone or something else felt happier about it |
| C．half of the volunteers could spend the money as they liked |
| D．the volunteers were given $ 5 or $ 20 as a reward for the experiment |
When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart.
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I’m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.The author and his father became further apart because_________.
| A．they had different views on things |
| B．they lived very far from each other |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they seldom went to see each other |
What made the author come back to Tennessee?
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
| B．Because his father is ill and needs caring. |
| C．Because he decided to live in a different city. |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
For the author, fishing with his old father_________.
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．is a good way to get close to nature |
| C．offers a chance for them to communicate |
| D．makes him realize the importance of exercise |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer’s car is always breaking down. |
| B．Father intended me to be a fisherman. |
| C．I was unwilling to come back. |
| D．Father used to think it was useless to attend college. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Forgiving Is Difficult |
| B．My Beloved Father |
| C．Memories of Old Days |
| D．Fishing Brings Us Together |
Since last year, Where Are We Going, Dad? has become the most popular TV shows. On the show, the five fathers and their children traveled around China riding camels through the western deserts, fishing on the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare home in southwestern Yunnan province.
One dad doesn’t know how to do his daughter’s hair, so some people try to help him. Another one must survive with his son for three days in the desert because the father can’t cook, they only eat instant noodles.
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular? Because it is about how Chinese parents look after their kids. The show makes modern parents think about what they should do with their kids.” In traditional Chinese culture, the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentle on their kids and more involved in their upbringing (成长).” said Li Minyi, a professor of early childhood education.
In the past, children were taught their parents’ wishes and look after them in their old age. But today Chinese parents increasingly realize that respecting their children’s choices may be a better way to prepare them for modern society. As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time.According to the passage, what didn’t the fathers and their children do on the show?
| A．Rode camels. |
| B．Sold vegetables. |
| C．Climbed the mountains. |
| D．Fished on the east coast. |
One father and his son only eat instant noodles because______.
| A．there aren’t ant vegetables in the desert. |
| B．they have no money to buy something to eat. |
| C．they think instant noddles are the most delicious. |
| D．the father can’t cook. |
In the fourth paragraph, the underlined word “them” refers to______.
| A．modern parents |
| B．the five fathers on the show |
| C．the parents in the past |
| D．the children in the old days |
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular?
| A．Because there are many famous stars on the show. |
| B．Because it’s about how Chinese parents raise their children. |
| C．Because it’s about how to help the poor. |
| D．Because it’s about how to sell vegetables. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Fathers are much gentle on their kids on the show. |
| B．Children were told to obey their parents’ wishes in the past. |
| C．Parents can also learn something when they raise their children. |
| D．In traditional Chinese culture, parents are both strict with their kids. |
It has been two years since China Daily last interviewed 31-year-old Zhang Chao．The micrograph enthusiast still wears the same hair style, even the same coat．
But one thing is very different: He's become a celebrity in cyberspace almost overnight, after his pictures, which show what the smog in Beijing looks like under his microscope, spread like a virus on China's major micro-blogging site Sina Weibo, since he posted them last Friday．Now the media is always interviewing him．
Zhang's apartment is on the eighth floor, which he says is perfect for capturing the thickest levels of smog．
As a Beijing native, Zhang explains his original purpose is to deconstruct Beijing's smog and expose its mystery．" People have higher and higher standards for the environment," he says," When I was a child, I was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms, so I feel Beijing's air seems much better now all in all because there are hardly any sandstorms in recent years．Now, we've noticed PM2.5, which has long been neglected．"
Although he graduated as a science major from Beijing Normal University, Zhang says it is difficult for him to give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing. Under his scope, which magnifies（放大）the sample 1,000 times, the smog is found to contain minerals, fragments of animal fur and insects, seeds and burnt dust．But many are compounds, he says, which are more difficult to identify．
Zhang realizes that he may have disappointed the public because he can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 , today's most notorious(.臭名昭著的) element in smog. It is beyond the capacity of his microscope and camera to explore such tiny grains, " You cannot imagine how splendid the micro world is" ! says Zhang Chao.Zhang Chao has become a celebrity in cyberspace because_________.
| A．he has taken many pictures of smog |
| B．he is a micrograph enthusiast |
| C．he graduated from Beijing Normal University |
| D．his smog pictures spread widely on Sina Weibo |
The underlined words " deconstruct Beijing's smog " in paragraph 4 probably mean_____.
| A．collect the smog widely |
| B．give a detailed analysis of the smog |
| C．observe the smog carefully |
| D．emphasize the importance of the smog |
According to the text, which of the following is wrong?
| A．PM2.5 has long been ignored． |
| B．PM2.5 is an element in smog． |
| C．Under the scope the smog can be identified clearly． |
| D．In recent years there are less sandstorms in Beijing． |
From the passage we can infer that _____．
| A．Zhang Chao is interested in the micro world very much |
| B．Zhang Chao can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 |
| C．Zhang Chao was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms when he was a child |
| D．Zhang Chao can give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing |
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