When someone says, "Well, I guess I’ll have to go to face the music", it does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this or that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour（剌耳的; 拙劣的）music, indeed, but it has to be faced.
The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first information comes from the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their cue（提示，暗示） to go on, they often said, "It’s time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did--- face the orchestra (管弦乐队) which was just below the stage.
An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps unfriendly especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. So, “to face the music" came to mean having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.
The other explanation comes from the army. Men had to face inspection(视察)by their leader. The soldiers worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean--shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do? According to the passage, the word “music" means________.
| A．your boss’s criticism(批评) | B．your leader’s inspection |
| C．something unpleasant to be experienced | D．sour pop music |
The phrase ‘to face the music" was first used by _______.
| A．all the Americans | B．the American writer James Fennimore cooper |
| C．some American actors | D．the American orchestra |
An actor might feel frightened or nervous when going on stage. One of the reasons is that ______.
| A．his performance was not good at all |
| B．he might not remember what he should say on stage |
| C．he had to face the unfriendly audience |
| D．most of the audience might be his friends |
to face the music" is also used to mean that soldiers were not willing _______.
| A．to be examined about their equipment | B．to be found weak |
| C．to show themselves up in public | D．to be inspected by their leader |
The passage is mainly about_______.
| A．the meaning of the phrase ‘to face the music" | B．how to deal with something unpleasant |
| C．how to learn English phrase | D．how to go through difficulty |
What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?
| A．The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was． |
| B．The recorder was impatient and rude． |
| C．Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society． |
| D．The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced． |
How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?
| A．Puzzled． | B．Curious． |
| C．Upset． | D．Frightened． |
How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?
| A．Angry． | B．Calm． |
| C．Unconfident． | D．Annoyed． |
Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?
| A．Because the author cared little about rewards． |
| B．Because she admired the author's research work in the lab． |
| C．Because the author did something she had little knowledge of． |
| D．Because she thought the author did admirable work． |
What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect． |
| B．To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it． |
| C．To show that the author had a grander job than Emily． |
| D．To show that being a mother is hard and boring work． |
A
Over the last 30 years, Bangkok, once a small fishing village, has transformed into a rich, concrete, high-rise city that it is today．The spreading metropolis and its population of 12 million now produces 35 per cent of Thailand's economic wealth．
As a magnet for foreign companies, Bangkok attracts many overseas managers and business people from different fields, including tourism! automobiles and electronics．The city's population of foreigners is in the high hundreds of thousands, with tens of thousands of Japanese, Chinese and western employees working alongside hundreds of thousands of Burmese who mostly do unskilled jobs shunned by Thais．
For those used to the good life, the variety and quality of the city's food is a key attraction, says one US manager, before listing many of his favorite Italian, Mexican and, of course, Thai restaurants．Most offer quality meals for less than the cost of a takeaway sandwich in London．
Great choice and value can be found in Bangkok's other attractions, too．For overseas business people who enjoy shopping in luxury and air-conditioned comfort! The city has hundreds of modern shopping malls．Some foreigners, however, prefer the charms of Chanukah Market, where anything can be bought at a good price by the skilled bargainer．
When the time comes to talk business many overseas business people prefer to move out of the markets and onto the golf course．Thailand has thousands of courses, which can provide a welcome break from the busy and noisy city life．But most business people go to the golf course because it's the perfect place to discuss the next big deal．
Because of the fast-paced life some foreign business people see Bangkok as a place to stay for the short term! rather than a lifetime．Australian computer software designer Sarah Huang is seven months pregnant but still working full-time in her Bangkok office．She says the city is” definitely a place I want to stay for the next five, ten years"．Nannies and home help are affordable, but high fees for quality secondary education have convinced Ms．Huang to return to Australia when her child reaches high school age．According to the first two paragraphs, we know that
| A．Bangkok offers many working opportunities for people |
| B．Bangkok has always been a rich Thai city |
| C．most foreigners coming to Bangkok are tourists |
| D．Burmese in Bangkok mostly work for Thais |
The underlined word” shunned" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
| A．forgotten | B．unwanted |
| C．appreciated | D．rewarded |
What is the main attraction of golf for business people according to the passage?
| A．It is the most convenient way for them to get regular exercise． |
| B．It is a good place in which to discuss business matters． |
| C．It is a great way to escape from the noise and pollution of the city． |
| D．It gives them the opportunity to meet local people in a social setting． |
Sarah Huang says she’ll eventually leave Bangkok because.
| A．she is going to have a baby |
| B．her working hours are too long |
| C．it's not easy to find suitable home help there |
| D．the cost of a good education there is too high |
The main purpose of the passage is to．
| A．explain the reasons for Bangkok's rapid economic growth over the past 30 years |
| B．promote the many attractions Bangkok has to offer tourists visiting the city |
| C．describe the attractions of living in Bangkok for foreign business people |
| D．compare the lifestyles of Burmese workers and foreign business people in Bangkok |
E
Imagine a house that keeps itself warm in the wintertime. Think of the savings in terms of fuel bills and unfriendly emissions. Such houses in fact exist, called “passive houses”. The concept of these highly energy-efficient buildings took root in the 1990s, before slowly consolidating as a niche construction (生态位构建) concept in the 2000s. Are passive houses now actively moving into the mainstream as sustainable buildings?
For Brian McGarry, an economics lecturer who built a family house based on passive housing criteria in the Pyrenees this year, the arguments look convincing. As his first full winter in the low energy house draws in, we asked him to keep us informed. Do passive houses work?
I had never heard of a passive house in February 2012, when I purchased a plot of land. Nor did I expect that I would be persuaded to build a pre-constructed, custom-designed house based on energy-efficient passive house criteria. It promised to be easier and quicker to build, cheaper to run, and more comfortable to live in. The objective was to incorporate the fundamental concepts of passive energy management into my project: an airtight and highly insulated building envelope; large southfacing double or triple-glazed windows (if possible, filled with argon gas) that passively capture the energy of the sun; a heat recovery ventilation system to provide fresh air; and a simple, low-cost heating system consisting of a modern wood-burning stove, a bathroom heater and a portable radiator backup for when the sun doesn’t shine and temperatures decline. No significant
limitations were placed on the design, and it had excellent environmental credentials. Moreover, the cost was no more than a conventional build.
After six months in use, the house is proving to be both cheap to run and remarkably comfortable–staying cool in the hot summer was effortless, as long as the windows were shuttered or shaded from the sun. Nowstaying warm in the cold, high-altitude December climate also seems easy, so far.
Winter arrived in force in the Pyrenees in November, with abundant snowfalls and temperatures as low as minus 8° Celsius. Though early days, the house has responded well: the stove is lit during cold evenings but the portable radiator has not yet been needed. This type of construction seems not only to make economic andenvironmental sense, but to enhance our quality of life, too.We can learn from Paragraph one that passive houses __________.
| A．consume extra energy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer |
| B．had been introduced for a decade before the birth of the theory |
| C．appeal to both the self-builders and those constructors |
| D．refer to a certain house comfortable, costly and also pleasing |
Regarding the passive energy management, the houses have characteristics EXCEPT _______
| A．using south-facing windows to take in solar energy |
| B．Providing energy for taking a shower when it’s rainy |
| C．supplying fresh air with a special heat recovery system |
| D．placing more demands and restrictions on the design |
How did Brian McGarry find his self-built passive house?
| A．very unaffordable |
| B．Energy-consuming |
| C．comfortable to live in |
| D．Awkward to use |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the passive housing?
| A．supportive | B．critical |
| C．oppositive | D．doubtful |
D
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity (密切关系) to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best urn(瓮) of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world ofa man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, if remembered and cherished, become our constant companions andcomforters.
Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort.
Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effects of time have been to filter out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.
A good book may be among the best of friends because_____.
| A．it changes over the past of time |
| B．it contains all kinds of knowledge |
| C．it doesn’t betray us when we are in trouble |
| D．it comforts us in youth and instructs us in age |
“Love me, love my book” in paragraph 3 probably means _______?
| A．If you love me, you must reading books. |
| B．The book can be a bond between friends. |
| C．I love books as much I love friends. |
| D．If you love the author, you will love his books. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Time can tell whether a literature is good or bad. |
| B．All books are our constant companions and comforters. |
| C．Temples, statues and books cannot stand the test of time. |
| D．The world of a man’s thoughts is what his life is all about. |
The best title for this passage can be .
| A．Reading Books |
| B．A Good Book |
| C．Our Best Friend |
| D．Companionship of Books |
C
For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find an internship (实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far behind.
Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higherearnings in later years. The students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and go on to higher education.
In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment. But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的)kids with no jobs and no skills.
Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teach them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example ,encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.
However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to-19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row.
“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they will become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a researcher in the US.
In the author’s opinion, German high school leavers ______.
| A．enjoy more career-related courses than that of US |
| B．need more career advice from their schools |
| C．perform better in exams than American students |
| D．are less brought into contact with the working world |
According to Robert Schwartz, high school students should _________.
| A．directly carry on higher education |
| B．get contact with the working world |
| C．focus on their performance in exams |
| D．not miss out on the summer job experience |
The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably mean “______”.
| A．incredible | B．motivating |
| C．impressive | D．discouraging |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Remarks on recent US high school education reform |
| B．Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers in US. |
| C．The lack of career-based education in US high schools. |
| D．The severe situation of unemployment in US. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号