Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores(杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering. I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper… On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition(过渡), that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my newfound “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment(责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To write some great books. | B．To stay away from busy schedules. |
| C．To teach his grandchildren. | D．To plan for his future. |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He wasn’t satisfied with his retired life. | B．He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor. |
| C．He was concerned about the people there. | D．He missed his students in that country. |
The underlined part “the tables have turned” (Paragraph 5) most probably means that the writer ______.
| A．improved the situation in his school | B．felt happy to work with students again |
| C．changed his attitude toward his retirement | D．became a learner rather than a teacher |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Meaningful. | B．Troublesome. | C．Relaxing. | D．Disappointing. |
I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles"（风格）of directions every time I ask "How can I get to the post office".
Foreign tourists are often confused （困惑）in Japan because most streets there don't have names. In Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers，"Go straight down to the comer. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop. "
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. In-stead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say，" Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile. "
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. " How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh，" they answer，"it's about five minutes from here. " You say，" Yes, but how many miles away is it? "They don't know. It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say，" Sorry, I have no idea. " But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers " I don't know. " People in Yucatan believe that " I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan ！ When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually __________.
| A．describe the place carefully |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets |
| D．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
| A．New York. |
| B．Los Angeles. |
| C．Kansas. |
| D．Iowa. |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer __________.
| A．in order to save time |
| B．Los Angeles. |
| C．so as to be polite |
| D．for fun |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
The Internet has become part of teenage life. There's a report on 3，375 students aged from 10 to 18 in seven Chinese cities. It says that 38 percent of them believe they use the Internet often. While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using it in a good way. Many are playing online games too much. A few even visit Websites they should not look at. Bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet.
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook on good Internet behavior has started to be used in some Shanghai middle schools this term. It uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet. It gives useful ad-vice such as it's good to read news or find helpful information to study. Some students also make online friends. But if you are meeting a friend offline, let your parents know.
Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea. It will teach students how to be a good person in the online world. It will be a guide for teens to use the Internet and keep students away from bad sites. From the report, about __________ students between 10~18 years old in the seven cities use the Internet often.
| A．3，375 |
| B．1，280 |
| C．2，100 |
| D．3，000 |
What do most of the students do on the Internet?
| A．To make online friends. |
| B．To play online games. |
| C．To get useful information to help in their studies. |
| D．To visit Websites they should not look at. |
Why do teachers and parents think the book is a good idea?
| A．Because it helps with the students' studies. |
| B．Because it gives useful information for studying. |
| C．Because it is used in Shanghai middle schools. |
| D．Because it teaches students how to be a good person in the on-line world. |
Choose the best title for the passage（文章）.
| A．The Internet has become part of teenage life. |
| B．Students can't use the Internet. |
| C．Be careful when using the Internet. |
| D．How to be a good person. |
One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen-Listen when they are talking. Don't say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it's not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them-If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don't do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra pencil or pen with you to classes in case they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them-Be there for your friends to help make them feel better in hard times. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U. S. actor, once said，" I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control, but if you can't stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve to be with me at my best. " Always remember this ！ If you don't want to stay with your friends when they're in hard times, then you don't deserve to be with them when they're having a good time!
__________-Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you'll remember these things when you're all old! While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should __________.
| A．give him or her some advice |
| B．just listen unless asked |
| C．calm him or her down |
| D．share your feelings as well |
When we provide help for our friends, we should __________.
| A．try to do everything for them |
| B．put them before ourselves |
| C．change their bad habits first |
| D．ignore their faults |
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe's words?
| A．Life without a friend is death. |
| B．A friend is easier lost than found. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．A man is known by his friends. |
Which of the following can be put in the blank of the last paragraph?
| A．Make plans |
| B．Enjoy yourself |
| C．Understand your friends |
| D．Play with your friends |
When you're surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?
According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computera single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters to record the computer user's age, gender, location, favorite movies and hobbies. The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc.，a New York company, uses sophisticated software called a " beacon" to capture what people are typing on a website.
Lotame packages that data into profiles（个人资料）about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Batches of such data may be sold for a few dollars. The survey of The Wall Street Journal discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.
The "cookie"-a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing firms which might be used to remember your preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites is already old news. There are new and more complex tools such as " beacons " which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage. These beacons instantly assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented （空前的）threats. Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.
Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous and the data is used harmlessly. But the technology has grown so powerful that even some of the biggest websites in the US don't know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. These include MSN. com and Yahoo, com.
Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising something you've been planning to buy, don't be amazed that your computer can read your mind. The purpose of the passage is to __________.
| A．introduce a tiny file in a computer single code |
| B．show how your individual information was let out when you surf the Internet |
| C．show how to protect your privacy |
| D．introduce a sophisticated software called a " beacon" |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A．Lotame sells the profiles about individuals to companies seeking customers with their age, gender, location, hobbies and names. |
| B．spying on Internet users is the fastest-growing business on the World Wide Web. |
| C．some of the biggest websites in the US know they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. |
| D．a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters can record users' information. |
It can be inferred that __________.
| A．because the data is used harmlessly the Internet users around the world will not face threats |
| B．when a person surf the Internet, his personal details may be let out without his knowledge |
| C．your computer can really read your mind |
| D．MSN. com and Yahoo. com use software to capture what people are typing on a website |
According to the passage，"beacon"__________.
| A．is a tiny text file put on your PC by websites |
| B．is a software that can package that data into profiles about individuals |
| C．can assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions |
| D．is not more complex than the "cookie" |
Joseph Goldberger was a doctor for the Unite States Public Health Service. In 1912，he began to study a disease that was killing thousands of people in the South. The disease was pellagra（烟酸缺乏病）.
Doctor Goldberger traveled to the state of Mississippi where many people had pellagra. He studied the patients and their families. Most of the people were poor. The doctor came to believe that the disease was not passed from one person to another, but instead had something to do with food.
He received agreement from state officials to test this idea at a prison（监狱）. Prisoners were offered pardons if they took part. One group of prisoners received their usual food, mostly corn. A second group ate meat, fresh vegetables and milk. Members of the first group developed pellagra. The second group did not.
But some experts refused to accept that poor food caused pellagra. They thought there were other causes.
So Doctor Goldberger put blood from a person with pellagra into his own body. He even took pills that had blood from pellagra patients. An assistant also took part in the experiments. So did Doctor Goldberger's wife. None of them got sick. Later, the doctor discovered that a bit of dried brewer's yeast （酿酒的酵母）each day could prevent pellagra.
Joseph Goldberger died of cancer in 1929. He was 55 years old. Several years later, researchers discovered the true cause of pellagra ： having little of the vitamin B. How old was Doctor Goldberger when he began to study pellagra?
| A．22. |
| B．30. |
| C．38. |
| D．55. |
The underlined words " this idea" （in Paragraph 3） refers to __________.
| A．the guessing that pellagra had something to do with food |
| B．a kind of yeast that prevented pellagra |
| C．pellagra that was easily passed from one person to another |
| D．a poor food that caused pellagra |
Which is the right order about what Doctor Goldberger did?
a. He did a test on prisoners at a prison.
b. He did the experiments on himself.
c. He came to Mississippi to study the patients and their families.
d. He found poor food was easy to cause pellagra.
e. He discovered a little dried brewer's yeast every day could prevent pellagra.
| A．a, d，c, e，b |
| B．c, a，d, b，e |
| C．b, e，c, a，d |
| D．c, b，e, a，d |
This passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．Doctor Goldberger's life |
| B．something about pellagra |
| C．Doctor Goldberger's work experience |
| D．Doctor Goldberger's study on pellagra |
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