To Whom It May Concern:
On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松饼粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.
Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried prapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient(配料 ) . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce (沙司 ). I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.
When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect”muffins.
I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely ,
Michelle BauerThis letter is most likely addressed to _______.
| A．a local storeowner |
| B．the owner of the muffin mix company |
| C．the clerk at a local muffin bakery |
| D．George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix |
The tone(语气 ) of the author can best be described as ________.
| A．embarrassed | B．hopeless | C．disappointed | D．disgusted |
The author was unhappy with the product because________.
| A．the directions of the product contained a mistake |
| B．it was not up to the promise made on the box |
| C．it was too difficult to follow the directions |
| D．it was worth less money than she paid for it |
The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.
| A．prevent others from making the same mistake |
| B．persuade the company to change the wording on their box |
| C．get back all the money paid from the shop |
| D．complain about how bad the muffins tasted |
A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ron Howard isn’t among most directors, despite an impressive list of credits, a Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.
The Oscar winning Russel Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia(神经分裂症). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero, not just because of his academic achievements, but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness.
In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself.” The proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straightforward approach brought him few friends.
After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation was secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military who employed him during the early stages of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop.
Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.The passage is most probably _____.
| A．a book review | B．a movie review |
| C．a movie poster | D．an advertisement |
Which can replace the underlined phrase “hit on” in the fourth paragraph?
| A．put up with | B．come on |
| C．put on | D．come up with |
Which of the following statements is not true?
| A．John Nash did not go mad totally. |
| B．Ron Howard is an outstanding director. |
| C．The stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness. |
| D．Nash didn’t have many friends. |
We can infer form the text that _____.
| A．without Alicia, John Nash would not have recovered from schizophrenia. |
| B．John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia. |
| C．Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie. |
| D．John Nash volunteered to serve in the army. |
By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along , doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students take much more kindly to a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “ tough-minded ” school of workers doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “ freedom ”. Freedom from control and discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “ self-expression ” or “ personality development ”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality ( being on time ), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is __________ .
| A．changing from one subject to another |
| B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work |
| C．the unwillingness to work out a systematic plan |
| D．working on a subject only when one feels like it |
Which of the following is TRUE ?
| A．Many students are not interested in using a self-controlled timetable . |
| B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable . |
| C．Most people over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable . |
| D．Tough-minded people agree that good work is done naturally . |
The underlined part “ as the fit takes them ” means __________ .
| A．when they have the energy | B．when they are in the mood |
| C．when they feel fit | D．when they find conditions suitable |
A suitable title for the passage might be __________ .
| A．Attitudes to Study | B．A Study Plan |
| C．The Difficulties of Studying | D．Study and Self-discipline |
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “The elevators are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be understood as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.
| A．turn around and greet one another |
| B．look around or examine their phone |
| C．make eye contact with those in the elevator |
| D．try to keep a distance from other people |
Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two
people in an elevator? 
According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
| A．someone’s odd behaviors | B．a lack of space |
| C．their unfamiliarity with one another | D．their eye contact with one another |
What’s the passage mainly about _____.
| A．Bad manners in the elevator |
| B．Some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette |
| C．An interesting but awkward elevator ride |
| D．The strange behaviors in the elevator |
Eight Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You
Should you spend your money on a home security system? A look inside a burglar’s(夜盗) mind might help you decide.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in your home, I unlatched(拔下插销) the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation which I am more than happy to accept.
4. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house, or it will be a dead giveaway. By the way, loud dogs and nosy neighbors are the two things I hate most.
5. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door---understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
6. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet(柜子). Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
7. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not fastened, I’ll take it with me.
8. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook.com page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.Money and valuables might be the safest if kept in your______.
| A．kids’ room | B．sock drawer |
| C．medicine cabinet | D．safe |
The underlined words “a dead giveaway” here may probably be something that______.
| A．throws away useless things at home |
| B．warns a burglar that someone is dead |
| C．tells a burglar the truth |
| D．frightens a burglar away |
We can draw a conclusion from the text that______.
| A．burglars seldom steal in bad weather |
| B．if you do housework yourself, you’ll stay away from burglars |
| C．you yourself are sometimes to blame for a theft |
| D．you can always count on your neighbors when you are out |
The main purpose of the article is to _____.
| A．summarize when burglars steal most frequently |
| B．encourage people to spend money on home security systems |
| C．explain why burglars take up stealing |
| D．teach people how to protect their homes |
Once Dr. Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students. The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical problems. His condition was not improving, and there was not much hope he would live.
Dr. Mellinkoff asked to see the patient. He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt. The patient smiled and said everything was all right. Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat. The patient said that he had no desire to eat.
“ Are you getting food you like? ”
The patient said nothing.
“ Do you get the kind of food you have at home? ”
The answer was no.
The doctor put his hand on the man’s shoulder and his voice was very soft.
“ If , you had food that you liked , would you eat it? ”
“ Yes , yes. ” the patient said.
The change in the patient’s appearance couldn’t have been more obvious. Nothing was said , but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received.
Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn’t getting food he could eat. One of the students said, “ We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals. ”
“ Suppose, ” the doctor replied, “ you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn’t carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request? ”
“ I would probably insist, ” the student said.
“ Very well, ” the doctor said. “ You might want to try the same method in the kitchen. It won’t be easy, but I can help you Meanwhile, let’s get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it. Or he’ll be killed by hunger. By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish. If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him. ”
Three weeks later, Dr. Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power. It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable.The patient had no desire to eat because __________.
| A．he was not hungry | B．he was seriously ill |
| C．he was given special meals | D．he was not satisfied with the food |
According to the passage , we can conclude that __________.
| A．the patient was from another country . |
| B．the patient’s illness was caused by hunger |
| C．Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient |
| D．the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr. Mellinkoff ?
| A．Cold. | B．Considerate. |
| C．Curious . | D．Confident. |
What do you think Dr. Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?
| A．Doctors should know their patients’ real problems. |
| B．Doctors should be able to speak foreign languages. |
| C．Doctors should try to improve their medical skills. |
| D．Doctors should give more medicine to patients. |
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