Post your problems on the blog and get other bloggers’ advice!
| My problem is my parents. They never stop going on about how I should keep my room tidy, keep my hair tidy and wear smart clothes. They even make me do the washing-up after dinner every night! What should I do? Helen, USA |
My best friend has suddenly become an ex-friend and I don’t know why! Last week we phoned each other every day and emailed too. But at school on Monday she didn’t look at me or speak to me. I don’t know what I’ve done. Gimbya, India |
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| Hi, Helen. I think you should do what your parents ask. You should respect them. It’s their house you live in and their money you spend. Emily, New Zealand |
Why do you think you’re the only one with parents like that? All parents are the same. They don’t understand that fashions have changed in the last 30 years! Tom, America |
I feel sorry for you, Gimbya. My best friend did the same to me and I still don’t know the reason. Could you ask another friend to speak to her for you? George, France |
| Helen, why should your parents do all the housework? You should help around the house. I think it’s OK for students to wear school uniforms. Teenagers should look like teenagers. Simon, Scotland |
Don’t worry about it so much! Phone your friend up as usual and she won’t be able to ignore(忽视) you. Everything will be fine. Aisha, Nigeria |
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45. Helen’s problem is about her ______.
A. classmates B. study C. parents D. room
46. ______ has the same problem as Gimbya.
A. George B. Aisha C. Helen D. Ali
47. ______ don’t agree with Helen. They think she should change her idea.
A. Tom and Emily B. Emily and Simon
C. Simon and Tom D. Aisha and George
48. An ex-friend is a person who is ______.
A. gets along well with others
B. quite helpful when you have any problem
C. ready for asking you for help all the time
D. no longer a good friend as before
Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression.
Those who suffer from “the autumn blue” are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. “The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder（SAD）, is not known yet,” says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. “But recent studies show that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability（得到）of sunlight.”
One theory is that with decreased exposure(曝露） to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit（传送） information between nerves, called neurotransmitters （for example, serotonin）, may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. “It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart ,” Chen says. “Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues.”Autumn blues is also called autumn _______.
| A．sunshine | B．depression |
| C．blue music | D．cold winds |
From the 3rd paragraph we know that there ________ that can help to deal with autumn blues.
| A．is no biological clock | B．is a real example |
| C．are some ways | D．is no possibility |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness. |
| B．People feel tired in autumn |
| C．The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown. |
| D．Weather doesn’t change people. |
Which of the following CAN’T you do in order to deal with autumn blues?
| A．Reset the biological clock regulating mood, sleep and hormones. |
| B．Eat more food very low in calories and sugar. |
| C．Keep the balance of nerves that transmit information. |
| D．Take outdoor activities or sports. |
Peter Onruang, a Hollywood businessman, has paid $310,000 to clone his best friend Wolfie, a lovely dog. He said, “Wolfie was more than just a pet to me.” Wolfie died two years ago, at the age of 15. But long before she and her sister Bubble passed away, Onruang had plans to bring them back to life. Onruang said, “I buried them at home. Each time I visit them, I say, ‘Hi, I’m making a new body for you.’”
Finally, Onruang found the South Korean biotechnology company RNL Bio, which can and will clone animals. Onruang collected his dogs’ stem cells (干细胞), and then he started a website MyFriendAgain.com, so he could earn and save the $310,000 that the cloning would cost.
The new dogs should look identical (完全相同的) to Wolfie and Bubble. When the cloning process is done, Onruang may end up with several clones of each dog. But Onruang admits he’s still not sure that they will be exactly the same.
Scientists cloned the first animal, a sheep named Dolly, in 1996 in Scotland. That project has raised ethical (伦理的) questions about where science should draw the line. Another question is whether such technique will lead to a day when humans could be cloned.
“If I had an opportunity to clone myself, I would do it readily,” Onruang said. “Because it’s me, I’m raising myself. I have already known exactly my strengths and weaknesses. This person is going to be the new and improved me, and will live the life I’ve always wanted to live.”Onruang started the website MyFriendAgain.com in order to .
| A．encourage more people to clone their pets |
| B．draw people’s attention to cloning |
| C．collect his dog’s stem cells |
| D．raise money to pay for the cloning |
The purpose of the fourth paragraph is to tell us .
| A．when and where scientists cloned the first sheep Dolly |
| B．people are in favor of the clone technology |
| C．there are arguments about the clone technology |
| D．cloning will be of great benefit to humans |
What is Onruang’s attitude towards cloning humans?
| A．He doesn’t care about it. | B．He is enthusiastic about it. |
| C．He strongly opposes it. | D．He never thinks about it. |
The wedding（婚礼） took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time.
Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a particular “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector （测谎仪）test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer（占卜家）who declared that they were suited.
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious through-out the wedding and Mr. Cordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted.
Organizations, including the marriage guidance service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one expert put it, “we have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously. Marriage should always be about love.”
The couples are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last?How did the couple’s parents react to the wedding?
| A．The bride’s mother shared their joy. |
| B．The bridegroom’s parents were quite delighted |
| C．The bridegroom’s parents were not that joyful. |
| D．The bride’s father felt uncomfortable about the wedding. |
Some experts believe that ________.
| A．marriage without the couple’s meeting each other first ends up in divorce. |
| B．most young people take marriage seriously except this couple. |
| C．young people nowadays are too careless about marriage. |
| D．taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems. |
One of the prizes for the couple is ________.
| A．to spend their honeymoon wherever they like. |
| B．to use an apartment free for some time. |
| C．to have a wedding dress free. |
| D．to own an American sports car. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Two Strangers and a Wedding. | B．A Wedding Based on love. |
| C．A Short--lived Marriage. | D．A Well--Matched Couple. |
Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)？
| A．Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner” |
| B．Because diner was a new word |
| C．Because the first diner was not what it is now |
| D．Because it is a special kind of restaurant |
According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________
| A．Two ways | B．four ways |
| C．three ways | D．five ways |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant |
| B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee |
| C．Sandwiches became bigger |
| D．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
| A． Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside |
| B． The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States |
| C． American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers |
| D． Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways |
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate from the bottom of your heart, for he was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When asked how he was able to do so, he would reply,“ If I were any better, I would be twins!”
There was no doubt that Jerry was unique because he had several followers who were in his shadow from restaurant to restaurant. Obviously, these colleagues were greatly touched by Jerry’s attitude so as to follow him here and there. Being a natural motivator, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation whenever he or she was having a bad day.
Curious about his style, I went up to Jerry and asked him, “ I can’t believe it! You can’t be a positive person all the time. How do you do it? ” Jerry replied, “ Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or to point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”
“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “ Yes, it is,” Jerry said. “ Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon after I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination(密码组合). The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments(碎片) of the bullets still in his body.
I bumped into Jerry about six months after the terrifying accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “ If I were any better, I’d be twins. Want to see my scars(伤疤)？” I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “ Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Weren’t you scared?” I asked.
Jerry continued, “The paramedics(护理人员)were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read,‘ He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.” “What did you do?” I asked. “Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets(子弹)！’. Over their laughter I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’ ”
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his experienced doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.By saying “If I were any better, I would be twins！”(Paragraphs 1&7), Jerry means that_________.
| A．he felt depressed in life |
| B．he was content with his life |
| C．he regretted not having a twin brother |
| D．he attempted to live as good a life as his twin brother |
According to Paragraph 3, what did the writer think of Jerry’s positive thinking style at first?
| A．He accepted it and tried to copy it. |
| B．He was jealous of and even hated it. |
| C．He was in favor of and reflected on it. |
| D．He failed to understand it and tended to confirm it. |
Why did Jerry think he needed to take action in hospital?
| A．He couldn’t bear the rudeness of a big nurse. |
| B．The medical staff were not skilled enough to save him. |
| C．He was in danger and had to follow the nurses’ instructions. |
| D．He had to encourage the doctors and nurses for the operation. |
The underlined part” declined to”(Paragraph 7) can best be replaced by__________.
| A．refused to | B．promised to |
| C．agreed to | D．intended to |
Which of the following would best describe Jerry according to the passage?
| A．Humorous and optimistic. |
| B．Unique(独特) and unselfish. |
| C．Positive and cautious. |
| D．Outstanding and ambitious. |
Which of the following is conveyed in this article?
| A．Jerry’s survival is a miracle (奇迹). |
| B．Unique people may achieve success. |
| C．Attitude is everything. |
| D．Choices mean success. |
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