Munish Bansal has amassed(积累)8,500 digital images of daughter Suman, 12, and her brother Jay, 10, since the day they were born. He has enough pictures to fill 600 albums and shows them on a website named “delightful kids”.
Mr. Bansal, 36, an accountant from Gillingham, Kent: “It started when I took a picture of Suman on the day when she was born. I did the same the following day, and the day after, and the day after that. Before I knew it, she had turned one and I had 365 images. It seemed a shame to stop, so I kept going - and did the same when Jay came along.” Mr. Bansal, who lives with housewife Rita, 39, began the family album on the day Suman was born in 1996. With a digital camera, he takes the picture usually before school or during dinner.
The photographs capture her life from a baby and toddler, through to early school days and into her teens. They include important landmarks like walking, the day she spoke, her first words and the beginning of school. He did the same with her younger brother Jay who was born two years later.
Mr. Bansal admits both Suman and Jay are “quite em
barrassed” about the website - and their father. Suman, who turns 13 tomorrow, said: “It's interesting because when I look at the baby photos I don't recognize myself - but I'm not planning on letting Dad do this for ever.” Mr. Bansal has said he will continue until they are old enough to leave home. “As they get older, Sunam and Jay have become quite embarrassed about what I'm doing,” he said. “But I hope that one day both of them will appreciate what I’ve done, and look back on their childhoods with happy memories.”
1. People can see their pictures by ______.
A. looking at the 600 albums B. visiting a website named “delightful kids”
C. collecting all the 8,500 digital images D. using all their digital camera
2. When Mr. Bansal started to take the picture, he was ______.
A. 24 years old B. 26 years old. C. 28 years old D. 30 years old
3. How do Suman and Jay think of what their father has done?
A. They feel very pleased with what their father has done
B. They think highly of what their father has done
C. They feel uncomfortable with what their father has done
D. They are surprised at what their father has done
4. From the passage we can infer that ______.
A. Mr. Bansal is sorry for taking so many pictures.
B. Mr. Bansal will stop taking photos next year
C. Mr. Bansal wants his children to leave home now
D. Mr. Bansal love his children very much
Manage your time well for each module(单元), but also make sure you get a good balance(平衡) between work and social life. That is vital for life in general.
Set aside time specifically for each subject. Try to study one subject a day. You need to balance time. If you are bad at balancing things, make a personal timetable. Even if you do not stick to it, you will have an idea what you should be doing each day. This is better than trying to do everything each day and, at the end of the week, not achieve anything. Also, try to keep your weekends free of studying. Only study at the weekend if you really have to.
I had to learn to balance work, study and family when I was at college. I was a retail assistant working part-time and had at least four modules to complete at the same time at college. I also had to help around the house doing household cleaning and shopping at times. I managed to finish my college work on time, which was very difficult and hard, and still hold down a job.
Why was it possible? Because I only thought about my part-time work when I was at work on the weekends and my college work had to be done from Mondays to Fridays before the weekends. This was hard—but you need to set a timetable for yourself. It was an achievement when I finally realized that things have to be done in order, and need to be organized as well.
Balancing study and other aspects(方面) of your life can be a problem if you have a job or a family, but planning in advance is helpful. Use the time you have well. Do not leave anything until the last minute, as this will only cause problems.The underlined word “vital”(in Paragraph 1) means_____________.
| A．common | B．necessary | C．easy | D．difficult |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the advice the writer gives?
| A．Try to study many subjects in a day. | B．Try not to study on the weekends. |
| C．Plan in advance. | D．Try to set a timetable. |
It could be inferred from the passage that__________.
| A．the writer has a part-time job as an assistant when he was at college |
| B．you need to set a timetable for yourself |
| C．you should make a personal timetable if you are bad at balancing your time |
| D．the writer can arrange（安排） his time well when he was at college |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．I had a good time during my college. |
| B．How to study well at college. |
| C．Balance time between study and other aspects of your life. |
| D．How to plan your things in advance. |
Simona lives in Bucharest, Romania. She is nine years old and HIV positive(阳性). When Simona’s mother found out about her illness five years ago, her first reaction was to tell everyone, looking for support.
“That’s when I found out who really was my friend, and who wasn’t, ”she said. “Quite a few people stopped visiting me and asked their children not to play with Simona any more. Because of this, quarrels began in my family with each trouble brought about by her diagnosis. My husband became more and more unfriendly toward me and toward Simona. He didn’t understand how important it was for Simona to receive regular examinations by a doctor or why she needed proper treatment for her sickness.”
When her mother tried to enroll(登记) Simona in a school, the teacher warned her that when other parents found out about her illness she would be shunned by the other children.
Simona’s mother looked for help and found a social worker from the Community Resource Center. The social worker helped her enroll Simona in another school and provided emotional, financial, and material support for the family. Simona’s parents were able to ease the tension(紧张)in the family. Her mother also now attends parenting classes and support groups at the Center.
The Community Resource Center provides not only many needed resources, but also a place where women can gain skills and self-confidence. It provides children with a place where they are accepted. At the Center parents and children find a place where they can grow and find the support they need to stay together and care for each other.Many people prevented their children playing with Simona because___________.
| A．she had no true friends | B．she was a naughty girl |
| C．she suffered from HIV | D．she had a strange character |
Simona’s father thought that Simona____________.
| A．shouldn’t bring so much trouble to them |
| B．should receive examinations regularly by a doctor |
| C．shouldn’t see the doctor for her sickness |
| D．should be treated properly for her sickness |
Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?
| A．Simona has been suffering from HIV for five years. |
| B．Few people visited Simona’s mother because of Simona’s illness. |
| C．Simona’s mother received help from a social worker. |
| D．Simona was accepted immediately by the first school. |
From the last paragraph we can draw a conclusion（结论） that____________.
| A．all the children at the Center are strong and healthy |
| B．Simona’s mother learned little knowledge at the Center |
| C．children at the Center are very friendly to each other |
| D．women at the Center learn to accept each other |
Bernice Gallegos sat down one day this summer, as she does pretty much every day, and began listing items on eBay．She dug into a box and pulled out a baseball card．She stopped for a moment and admired the picture．“Red Stocking B．B．Club of Cincinnati,” the card read, under the reddish brown color photo of 10 men with their socks pulled up to their knees．
As a collector and seller, it's her job to spot old items that might have value today．It's what Bernice, 72, and her husband, Al Gallegos, 80, have been doing since 1974 at their California antique （古玩） store．
This card, she figured, was worth selling on eBay．She took a picture, wrote a description and put it up for auction （拍卖）．She put a $10 price tag on it, deciding against $15 because it would have cost her an extra 20 cents．Later that night she got a few odd inquiries—someone wanting to know whether the card was real, someone wanting her to end the auction and sell him the card immediately．
The card is actually 139 years old．Sports card collectors call the find "extremely rare" and estimate the card could fetch five, or perhaps, six figures at auction．
Just like that, Bernice is the least likely character ever for a rare-baseball card story．"I didn't even know baseball existed that far back," Gallegos says, "I don't think that I've ever been to a baseball game．" The theory is that the card came out of a storage space they bought a few years back．It is not uncommon in their line of work to buy the entire contents of storage units for around $200．
When she met with card trader Rick Mirigian, she found out what the card was—an 1869 advertisement with a picture of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings．
"When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich bag and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted," Mirigian says．"They've uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine．That card is history．It's like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso．"What can we conclude from Paragraph 3?
| A．Bernice had to pay some fees for her card on eBay． |
| B．Bernice wanted to end the auction that night． |
| C．Bernice decided to sell the card for $15． |
| D．eBay charged her 20 cents for the card． |
The underlined word "fetch" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "____"．
| A．go and bring | B．add up to | C．go down to | D．be sold for |
From the passage, we may learn that ____．
| A．Bernice is a baseball fan |
| B．Bernice is the last person to purchase the rare-baseball card |
| C．Bernice unexpectedly became the owner of the rare-baseball card |
| D．Bernice didn't realize the value of the card until she put it up for auction |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Surprisingly Valuable Discovery | B．Be mice Gallegos—A Lucky Collector |
| C．Sports Card Collectors | D．The History of the Baseball Card |
The Couch Surfing network is an online community stretching across the globe with over one and a half million members．The basic concept is to provide a platform for travelers to contact people who are willing to put them up free of charge．Travelers connect with potential hosts online and, if they like each other, exchange details to make further arrangements．
Basil is one traveler from Switzerland who is currently couch surfing with a Chinese host in Beijing．"I thought staying in hostel is nice but you mostly meet foreigners and speak English．If you use Couch Surfing you have chance to meet people living here and really get a chance to know the life of the place you visit．" Basil was speaking during a regular meeting of the Beijing network of Couch Surfing with a membership of almost 2,000．
Although some people may have concerns about meeting complete strangers and giving them full access to your house, Beijing group member Fred Sharp from California says that the Couch Surfing community is one that generally attracts trustworthy people．
"I have never had a problem with guests．I'd say that this Couch Surfing community worldwide is a fairly trustworthy community．Like I say, always be cautious, make sure that you read everyone's profile that you're considering hosting, and if it doesn't feel right just say 'no', it's ok．"
Originally launched in the US as a non-profit organization in 2004, Couch Surfing is growing fast across the world．China is no exception with around 30,000 members and hundreds more signing up each week．One of them is Beijing resident Hai Yan who joined in November 2009．She says the first time she hosted a guest was a very positive experience．"My first guest was from Italy．He was very kind and helpful．He bought me a present from Italy, a handbag．It's a famous brand!"
As the organization grows from strength to strength, hotel owners across the world will be watching very closely and possibly thinking twice about raising their prices too high．The Couch Surfing network is intended to ____．
| A．give reliable information about hotels |
| B．provide people with a platform to contact each other |
| C．find potential hosts who want to supply travelers with couches |
| D．offer travelers convenience to find suitable hosts for free accommodations |
According to Fred Sharp, ____．
| A．couch surfers can fully rely on Couch Surfing community |
| B．Couch Surfing community enables you to meet different people |
| C．Couch Surfing community is trusted by all couch surfers |
| D．couch surfers may form a judgment on hosts and make a final decision |
We can infer from the passage that ____．
| A．Couch Surfing has a long history |
| B．Hai Yan is satisfied with her host |
| C．Couch Surfing is getting popular in China |
| D．Basil works at the Beijing Network |
The last paragraph suggests that hotels will ____．
| A．be replaced by the organization | B．probably not charge too much |
| C．not consider raising their prices | D．show no concern about the organization |
Why People Get Tattoos
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed （刺） him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg．Jack was getting a tattoo．His friend Tony had recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by it that he decided to get one too．Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today．
The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does．Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group．Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group．Some of these groups wear only brand – name clothes．Others wear tattoos．When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same thing．
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America．A wide variety of media images show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines, fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colorful patterns．These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status．As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value．
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings－in other words, to show their individuality（个性）．A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm．Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders．A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life．
As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos．A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform, a sign of fashion, or an expression of individuality．The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself．For Jack, it was a mixture of all three．Jack has got tattoos in order to ．
| A．show his great bravery | B．gain a special experience |
| C．make himself more healthy | D．be different from others |
According to the passage, media images are linked to ．
| A．traditional lifestyle | B．social position |
| C．cultural background | D．public interest |
We can infer from the passage that ．
| A．some people get tattoos out of pressure | B．tattoo is related to religious belief |
| C．getting tattoos costs a lot of money | D．most people with tattoos are artists |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP: Central Point P: Point SP: Sub-Point C: Conclusion
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