A mouse looked through a crack(缝隙) in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package; what food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Running to the farmyard, the mouse shouted, warning everyone, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken, with her head high, glared at the mouse and said, “Shut up. Little Ugly. This is a great concern to you, but it has nothing to do with me; I can’t be troubled by it.
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr. Mouse,” said the pig sympathetically, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; you are always in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who relied, “ A mouse trap, am I in great danger, huh?”
Now the mouse had to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
The very night a sound was heard through the house, like that of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a big 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. It is said that drinking fresh chicken soup will help treat fever, so the farmer took his sharp knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued, so 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, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow killed to provide for all of them to eat.
So next time when someone is facing a problem, don’t say that it has nothing to do with you. Remember: when the least of us is threatened, we all might be at risk.We could see from the passage that the mouse was _____.
| A．good at cheating others | B．honest |
| C．kind and warm-hearted | D．foolish |
Which of the following is False according to the passage?
| A．The others help the farmer kill the cow. |
| B．The mouse trap was very practical |
| C．The pig is more friendly than the other animals. |
| D．The farmer’s family was very poor and they had no friends |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Better safe than sorry |
| B．Traps can always cause chain reactions |
| C．To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all |
| D．What you think impossible to happen to you might come at you unexpectedly |
It is easy for us to tell our friends from our enemies. But can other animals do the same? Elephants can! They can use their sense of vision and smell to tell the difference between people who pose a threat and those who do not.
In Kenya, researchers have found that elephants react differently to clothing worn by men of the Maasai and Kamba ethnic groups. Young Maasai men spear animals and thus pose a threat to elephants; Kamba men are mainly farmers and are not a danger to elephants.
In an experiment conducted by animal scientists, elephants were first presented with clean clothing or clothing that had been worn for five days by either a Maasai or a Kamba man. When the elephants detected the smell of clothing worn by a Maasai man, they moved away from the smell faster and took longer to relax than when they detected the smells of either clothing worn by Kamba men or clothing that had not been worn at all.
Garment color also plays a role, though in a different way. In the same study, when the elephants saw red clothing not worn before, they reacted angrily, as red is typically worn by Maasai men. Rather than running away as they did with the smell, the elephants acted aggressively toward the red clothing.
The researchers believe that the elephants’ emotional reactions are due to their different interpretations of the smells and the sights. Smelling a potential danger means that a threat is nearby and the best thing to do is run away and hide. Seeing a potential threat without its smell means that risk is low. Therefore, instead of showing fear and running away, the elephants express their anger and become aggressive. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Maasai people are a threat to elephants. |
| B．Kamba people raise elephants for farming. |
| C．Both Kamba and Maasai people are elephant hunters. |
| D．Both Kamba and Maasai people traditionally wear red clothing. |
How did the elephants react to smell in the study?
| A．They attacked a man with the smell of new clothing. |
| B．They needed time to relax when smelling something unfamiliar. |
| C．They became anxious when they smelled Kamba-scented clothing. |
| D．They were frightened and ran away when they smelled their enemies. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Elephants attack people who wear red clothing. |
| B．Elephants use sight and smell to detect danger. |
| C．Scientists are now able to control elephants’ emotions. |
| D．Some Kenyan tribes understand elephants’ emotions very well. |
What can be inferred about the elephant’s behavior from this passage?
| A．Elephants learn from their experiences. |
| B．Elephants have sharper sense of smell than sight. |
| C．Elephants are more intelligent than other animals. |
| D．Elephants tend to attack rather than escape when in danger. |
A man claiming to be a pastor(牧师) apparently tried to stiff a waiter on a tip, explaining that his work for God allowed him not to leave one.
A photo of the receipt, posted to Reddit.com, shows a bill for $34.93 with an automatic 18 percent gratuity(小费) (or $6.29) added above a blank space for an additional tip.
“I give God 10%,” the diner wrote on the receipt, scratching out the automatic tip. “Why do you get 18?” He then wrote “Pastor” above his signature, and an emphatic “0” where the additional tip would be. (The automatic gratuity, however, had already been added to the total.)
The Reddit user who submitted the image explained in the comments section that the receipt was part of a total bill for a party of 20, which is why the gratuity was automatically added.
“Parties up to eight ... may tip whatever they’d like, but larger parties receive an automatic gratuity," the server wrote. "It’s in the computer; it’s not something I do.”
The server added: “They had no problem with my service, and told me I was great. They just didn’t want to pay when the time came.”
Scribbling(乱涂) notes on receipts has become something of a trend. Earlier this month, the manager of a North Carolina Red Robin surprised an overdue pregnant woman by comping her meal.
“Once seated, a manager came up to us and started talking,” the woman's husband told Consumerist. “He was extremely friendly and jokingly asked my wife if this was her last meal before heading to the hospital.”
When the check came, a note from the manager next to her portion of the bill read: “MOM 2 BEE GOOD LUC.”
“It was a pleasant surprise and made my tired-of-being-pregnant wife a little more cheery,” the man said.What did the pastor mean by saying, “I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?”
| A．He was bargaining with the waiter. |
| B．He didn’t mean to pay the gratuity at all. |
| C．God gave him the privilege not to pay a gratuity. |
| D．The gratuity had already been paid by his friends. |
What do you learn from the article?
| A．The pastor paid ten percent gratuity of the meal to God. |
| B．A party of six diners can choose whatever gratuity they want to pay. |
| C．According to the husband, the wife enjoyed the process of being pregnant. |
| D．The pastor paid $34.93 in total for the meal. |
What does the underlined word “stiff” mean?
| A．amuse | B．abuse | C．persuade | D．fail to pay |
Fourteen – year – old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first．
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges. But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. “I couldn’t be thinking about how many mistakes I’d make — it would distract me from playing,” he says. “I didn’t even remember trying to impress people while I played. It’s almost as if they weren’t there. I just wanted to make music.”
Hawley is a winner. But he didn’t become a winner by concentrating on winning. He did it by concentrating on playing well．
“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,” said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin. “The important thing in life is not the triumph (胜利) but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr. Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions. “They are interested in winning, but they are most interested in self - development, testing their limits.”
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they’ve had and how much they’ve learned from each. “Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing,” Garfield says. “They kept calling their losses ‘setbacks’.”
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree．
“The worst thing you can do if you’ve had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a long depression. You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them.” Garfield believes that most people don’t give themselves enough praise. He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you’ve done on the way to a goal．Hawley won the contest because ________．
| A．he put all his mind to his performance |
| B．he cared much about the judges’ feelings |
| C．he tried his best to avoid making mistakes |
| D．he paid close attention to the people around |
According to the passage, successful people concentrate on ________．
| A．challenging their own limits | B．learning from others |
| C．defeating their opponents | D．avoiding setbacks |
The passage tells us that “praise” in times of trouble ________．
| A．helps people deal with their disappointment |
| B．makes people forget their setbacks |
| C．makes people regret about their past |
| D．helps people analyze what went wrong |
Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other．In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness ― people are just too busy to bother looking．
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking．Nor are they reading a book．New technology has replaced quiet habits．Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book．
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（使用月票上下班者）. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40, 000 ― yes, 40, 000 “apps” have been designed．
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time - fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks．Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen．
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction (消遣) of choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music － iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages．
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work．With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train．Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ________ to their iPhones
| A．iShoot | B．Tube Exits | C．iSteam | D．iPod |
People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ________．
| A．they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other |
| B．they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed |
| C．they feel sleepy because of getting up early |
| D．they’re busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films |
The underlined word “apps” in the third paragraph means ________．
| A．computers |
| B．programs downloaded for the iPhone |
| C．computer companies |
| D．fortune from London commuters |
The main idea of the passage is that ________．
| A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers |
| B．Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40, 000 apps |
| C．technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time |
| D．riding a London subway is a must when visiting London |
Springtime in Paris
Departures: May 5, 12, 19 and June 9
4 days for $129 per person
Paris in the Springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer everyone and with prices at just $129. It's great value too.
Your break begins with executive coach transfer (中转) from regional (各地的) pickup points and travel to Paris is via crosschannel ferry (渡船), arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and a restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame enabling you to explore Paris with ease.
The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the coach takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you will ever have heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends midafternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a ‘Paris By Night’ tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights.
Day three takes you to Montmartre, perhaps the most picturesque quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the picturesque gardens or look through among the antique shops (古玩店). In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Patin. On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry.
Included in the price of $129 per person：
* Return executive coach travel to Paris;
* Return ferry crossings；
* Three nights accommodation in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities；
* Continental breakfast during your stay；
* Guided sightseeing tour of “Paris By Day” and “Paris By Night”；
* Visit to Chateau of Versailles (admission not included)；
* Tour on Montmartre；
* Services of an experienced bilingual tour guide at all times.This advertisement is mainly________.
| A．to tell tourists the route to Paris |
| B．to show the price of traveling to Paris |
| C．to introduce the city of Paris |
| D．to attract tourists to Paris |
During the stay in Paris, the tourists will________.
| A．have a free time of half day |
| B．have a “Paris By Night” on the first evening |
| C．have a pleasure voyage on the River Seine together |
| D．live in a hotel two miles away from Paris |
After paying $129，the tourists will have to pay ________ in Paris.
| A．the continental breakfasts |
| B．tour on Montmartre |
| C．admission ticket to Chateau of Versailles |
| D．services of a bilingual tour guide |
We learn from the text that________.
| A．the tourists can telephone in Ibis without paying |
| B．the tourists will see the Eiffel Tower on the third day |
| C．Palace of Versailles is not in the center of Paris |
| D．it will take you a long time to get to Montmartre from Paris |
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