A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was alarmed to discover that it was a rat trap (捕鼠夹).
Going back to the farmyard the rat gave a warning: “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” The chicken raised her head and said: “Excuse me, Mr Rat, I can tell this is a big concern to you, but it is of no business to me. I cannot be bothered with it.”
The rat turned to the pig and told him: “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!”“I am so very sorry, Mr. Rat,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. I will make sure that you are in my prayers.”
The rat turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?”
So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey (猎物). The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet (短柄斧) to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.
His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer killed the pig.
The farmer’s wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow killed to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.The underlined word “dejected” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to .
| A．disappointed | B．surprised | C．confused | D．doubtful |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．The chicken showed great concern for the rat. |
| B．The pig helped the rat get rid of the trap. |
| C．The cow didn’t care about what the rat said. |
| D．The snake was killed after being caught in the trap. |
We can conclude from the article that .
| A．the farmer’s wife got good treatment in the hospital |
| B．the farmer regretted setting up the rat trap |
| C．the rat was very wise in avoiding the trap |
| D．none of the other animals felt threatened by the rat trap |
What message does the story intend to convey?
| A．We should mind our own business. | B．Everything is related to something else. |
| C．Helping others is always a virtue. | D．We should treat animals in a friendly way. |
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word—“heart”. We will try to “get to the heart of the matter” to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.” Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.” Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,” or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart” discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart, ” or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell you a secret. I would speak with “all my heart”.
When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve”. Her emotions are not protected.
If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.” For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.” However, you might have a “change of heart” based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.” And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still”.If you are not so happy, you may feel that ________.
| A．you “have a heart of stone” | B．you have to “take heart” |
| C．you “break you heart” | D．you “speak from the bottom of the heart” |
From the above passage we may see ________.
| A．English words can all be used differently |
| B．some phrases do not have a fixed meaning |
| C．languages change with the time |
| D．the same word may have various meanings |
What is the passage trying to impress the readers?
| A．To explain how “heart” is used in phrases. |
| B．To show the author’s perfect English. |
| C．To tell English learners to learn English in phrases. |
| D．To advertise an English course. |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
| A．A change of heart | B．Open up the heart of “heart” |
| C．Never let your heart stand still | D．Wear your heart on your sleeve |
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands— on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities，or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre,Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm．
Call 01 353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5:30pm，performance 6:30pm—8:30pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book，just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost￡7 per child．
For further information，call 01223 810080．If you are interested in cooking, you can go to __________.
| A．Peterborough Museum | B．Houghton Mill |
| C．Saxon Youth Club | D．Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you __________．
| A．￡7 | B．￡17 | C．￡27 | D．￡20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
| A．Playing farmland games | B．Watching a new play． |
| C．Competing in sports activities． | D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition． |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will have __________ to choose from for himself．
| A．one activity | B．two activities |
| C．three activities | D．four activities |
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last，the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door，she nearly tripped over Sheba．
“Hey，Sheba,” she said，“I’ve got no time for you now，but I’ll take you out as soon as I get
back from tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously，she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医)
When she got there，the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba，Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office．
“Listen，doctor，I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting. Can I leave her with you，and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up，and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure.” said the doctor.
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes．As she was once more
entering the hall，the phone by the door began to ring．
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately,” said the doctor’s voice．“I’m coming round right away，and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”
At that moment，a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne．
“She’s fine，Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now．”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man，who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him．
“My God,” said Joanne，“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar.” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat：it turned out to be three human fingers.”Joanne wanted to get back to her home again ．
| A．to dress up for the meeting | B．to phone the police station |
| C．to catch the badly hurt burglar | D．to wait for her dog to be cured |
From the passage we can infer that ．
| A．Sheba fought against the burglar |
| B．the police found the burglar had broken in |
| C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting at first |
| D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog |
The underlined word a burglar in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
| A．a cleaner | B．a physician | C．a thief | D．a murderer |
In this passage, the writer intends to tell us that the dog is ．
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．frightening | D．devoted |
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
77.For children who receive allowances, they’d better not ________.
A. waste money to buy gifts for their parents or friends
B. buy their favorite clothing or electronics for themselves
C. save money like their parents or other adults
D. ask for the next allowance before the decided date.
78．Many parents give children an allowance regularly to ______.
A. meet children’s basic need for life
B. give control over their children
C. see whether they have financial mistakes
D. help children learn how to manage money
79.If children are required to save their allowance, they ______.
A. can experience three things related to money
B. can understand the relation between goals and sacrifice
C. will do more work around the house
D. help themselves found the basis for their future life
80. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Be Generous to Pay Your Children
B. Be Wise to Avoid Financial Mistakes
C. Saving Allowances Does Good to Children
D. Allowances Help Children Learn about Money
Sandeep Mukerji was on his first visit to Thailand but would leave the “Land of Smiles” with a frown and an empty pocket.
A stone’s throw from the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the 26-year-old Canadian ran into a monk in a robe. The monk told him that the attraction he was hoping to visit had been closed.
The monk then introduced Mukerji to a jewellery store instead. On the way there, three different people told him that it was the last day of a once-a-year, tax-free jewellery promotion to encourage tourism.
They said that tourists can make a lot of money by buying gems（宝石）in Thailand and selling them once at home.
Two hours later, Mukerji had spent US $ 1, 250 on a set of almost worthless jewellery in the jewellery store.
“The whole process took me by surprise. They take advantage of your greed,” he said.
In fact, Mukerji is just one of a huge number of tourists who are cheated by the promise of making a fortune. The scam（诡计）brings Thailand more than US $ 10 million each year.
Although tourist police stations have displayed posters to warn of the scam, many fresh-faced tourists still fall prey to the trick.
The police say they receive 5～10 complaints a day. Many more may not realize they have been cheated until they go back home.
That authorities say that the jewellery scam is harmful to Thailand’s image, but getting rid of the cheats is hard.
Sanit Miphan, head of the police, said the scam has been running for about 15 years but not one jewellery shop owner has been arrested.
The shops usually open for two weeks and then close. They reopen and register under a new name. What’s more, overcharging（要价过高）itself is not breaking the law.
Yet, to keep the tourism business alive, the police said they would take action against any shop receiving more than 10 complaints.
73. Sandeep Mukerji was cheated probably because of all the following EXCEPT that_______.
A. he was young
B. he believed that the monk wouldn’t cheat others
C. he had more or less the wish to try his fortune
D. the cheat scam was too skillful to be found out
74. How many people cheated Sandeen Mukerji?
A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five
75. Suppose everyone who was cheated lost as much as Mukerji did, how many visitors to Bankok would be cheated each year?
A. About 6, 000 B. About 8, 000 C. About 10, 000. D. About12, 000.
76. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Thai tourist police are carrying out their task very efficiently.
B. The management of Thai tourist market is very strict.
C. Any shop receiving complaints will be punished as seriously as possible.
D. It is hard for the police to crack down（制裁） the cheats efficiently partly because many cheats’ deeds seem not to break the law.
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