I graduated from the university with a degree of engineering．It is a good field but my heart was not in it．I wanted to be an actor or work in the entertainment industryliving a creative life．My choice of engineering was really a mistake but I realized too late．As soon as I graduated，I moved straight to Los Angeles—the home of the film and television industry!
I tried to get a job in that field．I often worked as an extra in movies and TV shows—standing in the background while actors are in the foreground．This was fun for a while，but I wanted a real acting job，where I was speaking! Sadly，in Los Angeles，there is too much competition．Every race and age is represented：old，young，black，white，Asian，and Midwestern types like me．Being an extra couldst make enough money for me to live in Los Angeles．I had to do something else for money．
After three years of trying，I gave up my dream of being an actor and started a different career．I then tried network marketing，but in the end，that failed．Seven years after graduating from college，I was still in debt，still searching for a satisfactory life．I decided to go back to engineering．
However，I was starting to get disappointed with my life．Why is life not like what I expected? I expected to have made a lot of money，gotten married，with a house and nice cars，kids，freedom，etc．Millions of people lead lives with their dreams on the shelf , existing but not really living. I wanted my life to be different，more satisfactory，more alive．I wanted a life filled with adventure，romance，friendships，Successes，and dreams realized．But America was not providing that for me．
…
Struggling in the US?
I decided to move to China．
53．What does the underlined sentence mean?
A．A lot of people are living but they are not enjoying their life．
B．A lot of people are living and their life is enjoyable．
C．A lot of people realize their dreams but live a bad life．
D．A lot of people don’t have dreams，nor do they want to live either．
54．What did the writer do before he finally decided to move to China?
A．Marketing→engineering→extra．
B．Extra→marketing→engineering．
C．Engineering→extra→marketing．
D．Extra→engineering→marketing．
55．What can we infer from the passage?
A．Life is difficult in China．
B．Life in the US is easy．
C．There is always somewhere in the world where you can enjoy life．
D．It is certain that more and more Americans will move to China．
56．How can we describe the writer’s attitude toward life?
A．Impractical． B．Passive． C．Disappointed． D．Positive．
When you get tired of homework, several minutes’ walk in a nearby green park helps you relax at once. Or you may stand facing the lake or the seas. They will calm (not to be excited or nervous) you just like the green plants.
Wonder why? Color is a key part of the answers. Since it is so, green and blue help make people feel more quiet and safe.
All colors have special power. Scientists have found that many colors have specific effects on people’s mind and feelings.
Try an easy and interesting experiment and you’ll see how color “misleads” you sometimes. Wrap (包装) two boxes of the same size with colored paper, one red and the other white. Then weigh the two boxes with your hands. Which one is heavier? Most people will think that the red box is heavier, even though they weigh the same.
Colors can affect learning. Scientists have found that students spend more time reading if they read information written in blue text. Blue helps most people calm down and think more.
Clever uses of colors in daily life are to be seen everywhere. Hospitals and libraries seldom paint their walls, tables and desks red. They use light colors, like light blue or green. Red makes people excited while light colors help them relax. Haven’t worked out how color affects your daily life? Start with your small room. Try to make some changes in it and you’ll get to know how important color is! The underlined word “misleads” means _____.
| A．affects |
| B．effects |
| C．causes someone to have a wrong idea |
| D．give wrong directions |
We’d better paint the walls of the hospital in _____.
| A．light blue or light green |
| B．deep red or deep brown |
| C．deep orange or deep red |
| D．light green or light yellow |
If you want to ______, you’d better sit in the room painted blue.
| A．weigh something with your hands |
| B．study attentively |
| C．face the lake or the sea |
| D．enjoy some rock music |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．When you are going to have a rest, you’d better sit in the room painted green |
| B．Scientists have known some differences among some colors |
| C．When you get tired of homework, you should look at the green plants far away |
| D．The passage has told us clearly why some colors are warm and other colors are cool. |
The reading mainly shows us _____.
| A．the difference between red and blue |
| B．how to get on well with others |
| C．how to make smart uses of different colors in our daily life |
| D．how to paint and decorate our rooms |
Rodd and Todd were lucky children chosen to see Santa Claus himself up at the North Pole. Some elves(精灵) come in and said, "Santa Claus is very busy. You'll only be able to see him for a short while, so make the most of it."
Santa Claus appeared, carrying all the toys the two boys had ever wanted. While Todd ran to hug Santa Claus, Rodd went over to the bicycle he had always dreamed of having. Santa was only there for a few seconds, and disappeared before Rodd had even looked at him. He cried and complained, but within a few hours the two boys had been returned to their homes.
From that day on, every time Rodd saw a toy he felt the excitement of receiving a present, but he would instantly look around to see what else of importance he was missing. And in this way, Rodd helped those who had nothing, giving love to those who almost never received it, and putting smiles on the faces of the unhappy. All by himself, he managed to change the atmosphere of his town, and no one could know him without being grateful to him.
One Christmas, while he was sleeping, he felt someone pulling his leg. Rodd opened his eyes and saw the long white beard and the soft red suit. "Forgive me. I didn't know how to choose what was most important," said Rodd. But Santa Claus answered with a smile. "I chose to spend some time with the best boy in the world, just before I leave you the great gift you've earned for yourself. Thank you!” And the next morning, there were no presents under the Christmas tree. That Christmas, the gift had been so big that it couldn't fit down the chimney; the only place it could fit was in Rodd's heart. The story mainly tells us ______.
| A．to respect Santa Claus |
| B．to spend Christmas with Santa Claus |
| C．not to miss the important thing |
| D．not to ask for too many gifts for Christmas |
Rodd and Todd were told by elves that _______.
| A．it was not easy to meet Santa Claus |
| B．they had to wait for a long time |
| C．they have only a little time to be with Santa Claus |
| D．they would be sent back a few hours later |
Rodd missed Santa Claus because_______.
| A．he only focused on the present |
| B．he preferred the present to Santa Claus |
| C．he had never received any presents before |
| D．he was too young to know what was more important |
What was the people’s attitude towards Rodd in the town?
| A．They were grateful for his help. |
| B．They didn’t know him well. |
| C．They treated him as Santa Claus. |
| D．They gave him many presents. |
We can infer from the story that _____.
| A．Todd was cleverer than Rodd |
| B．Rodd would give present to others. |
| C．Rodd would go to the North Pole again |
| D．Rodd got more than common boys at last. |
This is VOA. The National Cryptologic Museum is on Fort George G. Meade, a military base near Washington, DC. The method of hiding exact meanings is called coding. People have used secret codes throughout history to protect important information. The National Cryptologic Museum celebrated 60 years of cryptologic excellence in 2012. One event there marked the sixtieth anniversary of the National Security Agency. Two former NSA workers shared their memories of operating a code machine called Sigaba.
In 1940, an American woman named Genevieve Grotjan found some information being repeated in Japanese coded messages. Her discovery helped the United States understand secret Japanese diplomatic messages. After the United States understood the code, it was possible to study messages from the Japanese ambassador to Germany and to his supervisors in Japan.
Understanding these messages helped the United States prepare for a possible war in the Pacific with Japan. After the attack on Pearl Harbor. the American naval commander in the Pacific Ocean was Chester Nimitz. His forces were much smaller than the Japanese Naval forces. And the Japanese had been winning many victories. Joseph Rochefort had worked for several months to read the secret Japanese Naval code called JN-25. If he could understand enough of the code, he would be able to give Admiral Nimitz very valuable information.
From the beginning of 1942, the Japanese code discussed a place called "AF." Joseph Rochefort felt the Japanese were planning an important battle aimed at "AF." After several weeks, he and other naval experts told Admiral Nimitz that their best idea was that the "AF" in the Japanese code was the American-held island of Midway. Admiral Nimitz said he must have more information to prepare for such an attack.
The Navy experts decided to trick Japan. They told the American military force on Midway to broadcast a false message. The message would say the island was having problems with its water-processing equipment. The message asked that fresh water be sent to the island immediately. This message was not sent in code.
Several days later, a Japanese radio broadcast in the JN-25 code said that "AF" had little water. Joseph Rochefort had the evidence he needed. "AF" was now known to be the island of Midway. He also told Admiral Nimitz the Japanese would attack Midway on June 13.The battle that followed was a huge American victory. That victory was possible because Joseph Rochefort learned to read enough of the Japanese code to discover the meaning of the letters "AF."
One American code has never been broken. Perhaps it never will. It was used in the Pacific during World War Two. For many years the government would not discuss this secret code. Listen for a moment to this very unusual code. Then you may understand why the Japanese military forces were never able to understand any of it.
The code is in the voice of a Native American. The man you just heard is singing a simple song in the Navajo language. Very few people outside the Navajo nation are able to speak any of their very difficult language.
At the beginning of World War Two, the United States Marine Corps asked members of the Navajo tribe to train as Code Talkers.
The Cryptologic Museum says the Marine Corps Code Talkers could take a sentence in English and change it into their language in about 20 seconds. A code machine needed about 30 minutes to do the same work.
The Navajo Code Talkers took part in every battle the Marines entered in the Pacific during World War Two. The Japanese were very skilled at breaking codes. But they were never able to understand any of what they called "The Marine Code."
The Cryptologic Museum has many pieces of mechanical and electric equipment used to change words into code. It also has almost as many examples of machines used to try to change code back into useful words.The NSA was founded__________.
| A．in 1940 | B．1942 |
| C．in 1952 | D．in 2012 |
According to the passage, which one is not right?
| A．“Cryptologic’’ implies containing some hidden information |
| B．The US decoded “AF” and won the victory in Midway Islands |
| C．Both Rchefort and Nimitz were American navy commanders |
| D．The US Marine Corps was fallen for in Midway Islands battle |
The Americans used the Navajo language in their coding system during the Second World War for the reason that .
| A． unusual language was successfully used for codes |
| B．it was commonly used in coding system worldwide |
| C．the United States Marine Corps invented it then |
| D．it was the most beautiful language in the world |
This passage is probably adapted from ____________.
| A．an evening paper |
| B．a science fiction |
| C．a broadcasting program |
| D．a travel guidebook |
Superstorm Sandy’s march of destruction claimed at least 43 lives and left more than eight million people without electricity by late Tuesday, in one of the largest storms ever to strike the East Coast.
Less violent but still dangerous, the storm swept across Pennsylvania on Tuesday and the northeastern US began its slow process of recovery. As dawn broke Tuesday on the storm’s trail of destruction, it began exposing stories of heroism and tragedy, bad decisions and lucky breaks.
In Broad Channel in New York City, a 29-year-old mother was forced to dive and swim out of her house’s front window with her 8-year-old daughter. And in Freeport, N.Y., Nicole Smith returned home --- to find a boat on her lawn. She asked passers-by for $5 to take a snapshot. A 13-year-old girl was found dead, in her pajamas, a block from her washed-out Staten Island home. On Monday night, Sandy’s waves ripped out the entire deck of Jeffrey Ratner’s home, along with the back wall. Still, Mr. Ratner said, he remains optimistic about the future. “We are going to rebuild it,” he said.
The official warnings to evacuate(疏散)were clear, a couple said. But staying home just seemed easier. “It’s not their fault; it’s ours,” said Mary Norton, 88, head in her hands. “We did not leave.”
New York’s extensive transit system, a lifeline for millions of commuters(上下班往返的人), suffered the greatest damage as floodwaters drowned all seven subway tunnels connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. Jseph Lhota, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, described it as the most destroying in the 108-year history of the New York subway.
Forecaster said Sandy, which had maximum continuing winds of 45 miles an hour Tuesday afternoon, would cross western Pennsylvania on Tuesday night before moving into Canada on Wednesday as it meets cold air fronts. Another inch of rain was expected from the eastern Great Lakes across the mid-Atlantic and into southern New England.The passage mainly talks about________.
| A．New York’s extensive transit system |
| B．when and why superstorm formed |
| C．the latest information about Sandy |
| D．superstorm Sandy’s destruction in America |
Mary Norton and her husband didn’t leave their home because________.
| A．they didn’t know a superstorm was on the way |
| B．they didn’t believe the government’s warnings |
| C．they didn’t want to take the trouble to move |
| D．they had no chance of leaving before Sandy hit the area |
The transit system mentioned in the last paragraph but one refers to_________.
| A．the bus route | B．the ship route |
| C．the flight course | D．the subway route |
Which of the following statements about Sandy is WRONG?
| A．It had killed at least 43 lives when the news was released. |
| B．It would move into Canada on Tuesday night. |
| C．It would bring another rain to the eastern Great Lakes |
| D．It led to power failure in many areas in America. |
Never before in Chinese history has a documentary film aroused so much public enthusiasm. Everybody is talking about a new 7-part documentary called A Bite of China which was recently broadcast late at night on CCTV I. The documentary describes various gourmet items across the vast Chinese culinary (烹饪) landscape.
According to Taobao, China’s biggest online retail website, just five days after the series began to air, nearly 6 million people went to the site in search of various local specialties, particularly those mentioned in the documentary. More than 7.2 million deals were concluded. A ham producer from Yunnan Province saw his sales grow 17-fold in five days.
However, one can’t help but believe that the documentary’s popularity is probably linked to the endless stream of terrible food security issues that have emerged in recent years. In one well-received article, a netizen wrote, “I wonder how many felt so empty-hearted and sighed after watching the film. Blue-vitriol watered chive, formaldehyde(甲醛) sprayed cabbage, Sudan Red colored salty eggs, restaurants using gutter oil. The list is long…”
A varied and ancient food culture that is famous world-wide and which should have made the Chinese proud ends like this: one can only sigh. Food is the most vital thing in people’s lives. Yet China’s food industry is a typical description of “bad money driving out the good”.The market is huge while the cost of faking and cheating is so low for unscrupulous (不道德的) businessmen; and the punishment is too light. Take the milk industry as an example. Although Sanlu, the company that sold the melamine-adulterated milk powder, was punished, thousands of other dairies didn’t work hard to improve the quality. In order to allow national brands to survive, Chinese authorities are happy to loosen their regulations.
As the documentary shows, people are attracted not to gourmet items like matsutake, a species of rare mushroom grown naturally in remote forests, but to common Chinese dishes like barley, lotus root or tofu. They are what meet our basic needs. This explains why people are so excited about A Bite of China---it is a reminder that there is still a world out there where food is excellent and people have dignity.The underlined word “gourmet items” probably means________.
| A．beautiful clothes | B．latest technology |
| C．delicious food | D．great inventions |
The second paragraph mainly talks about______.
| A．The popularity of the document |
| B．the content of the document |
| C．the history of Chinese gourmet |
| D．the producer of the document |
We can infer from what a netizen wrote in one well –received article that ______.
| A．none of the television viewers have a knowledge of the Chinese food culture |
| B．there is a huge contrast between the ancient food culture and the reality |
| C．the price of food is too high for many common people |
| D．the documentary was made by a world-famous Chinese director |
According to the passage, China’s food industry is full of faking and cheating because_____.
| A．there are still so many poor people at the present time |
| B．the punishment for unscrupulous businessmen isn’t serious enough |
| C．the Chinese government encourages it to do so |
| D．the food technology is not so advanced as in developed countries |
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