I stood outside New York's Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes.
Life was tough. I couldn't stand, much less walk. I rarely, left the farmhouse---and then only in someone's arms. Mam bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
“The world will see him when he can walk,” she told Dad. “And he will walk.”
Mam devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
“There's nothing anyone can do but you can't,” Mam said. “You and I are going to walk through town.”
The next day Mam dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed her hair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mam took my hand. “Hold your head up high, now, Ronan,” she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I'd walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mam's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I'd done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mam's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I've sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world's finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mam's words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mam's promise lived.What was the problem with the author as a baby?
| A．He was expected unable to walk. |
| B．He was born outward in character. |
| C．He had a problem with listening. |
| D．He was shorter than a normal baby. |
The underlined word “deformity” in the second paragraph most probably means _______.
| A．shortcoming | B．disadvantage | C．disability | D．delay |
Why did Mam dress him and herself in finest clothes?
| A．To hide their depressed feeling. |
| B．To indicate it an unusual day. |
| C．To show off their clothes. |
| D．To celebrate his successful operation. |
From the story we may conclude that his mother was _______.
| A．determined | B．stubborn | C．generous | D．distinguished |
According to the writer, what mattered most in his success?
| A．His consistent effort. | B．His talent for music. |
| C．His countless failures. | D．His mother's promise. |
The National Geographic Channel has unearthed a time capsule (时光宝盒) buried by late Apple chairman and co-founder Steve Jobs thirty years ago.
The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes(魔方) and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa" ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. '
Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface(图形用户界面)
Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts(人工制品）that are still being catalogued.
“When the end came off .literally things just poured out .”noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there.”
“They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in plastic bags." Saylor said .“I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside.”
Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall.Which of the following is true about the Lisa mouse?
| A．The mouse was the first commercial one for consumers |
| B．The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer |
| C．The mouse was buried in Aspen ,Colotado for two decades. |
| D．The mouse was invented after the International Design Conference |
Why wasn't the time capsule dug up in 2000?
| A．Because it was not the time set by Steve Jobs. |
| B．Because it could not be accurately located. |
| C．Because organizers forgot its precise shape . |
| D．Because the local government didn't approve. |
From the passage we can infer that_______.
| A．there were some special photographs found-inside the time capsule |
| B．a Steve Jobs speech with future predictions was found inside the cap |
| C．Steve Jobs predictions for future technologies have come true |
| D．more about the capsule will be discovered in the Diggers program |
The best title for the passage might be _______.
| A．The "Lost" Steve Jobs Time Capsule |
| B．The Mystery of Steve Jobs Speech Solved |
| C．Steve Jobs' 1983 Time Capsule Recovered |
| D．Co-founder & Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs |
A middle school student ,who jumped into the hot seat when his school bus driver passed out on the way to class this morning is being praised as a "quick thinker" for leading the bus. and 15 other students .to safety. Seventh grader Jeremy Wuitschick is being praised by the local police chief for his actions.
Wuitschick hopped out of his seat and grabbed the steering wheel(方向盘) . pulling the bus over to the side of the road before pulling the keys from the ignition(点火开关）“I'll give the kid credit for fast thinking. He did the right thing and we're going to do something for him. The kid definitely deserves credit." Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes cold ABC News.
Police officers were informed of a school bus driving irregularly through town around 8 a.m. today .but by the time an officer arrived at the scene ,Wuitschick had had it under control. He had pulled the bus over in front of Discovery Primary School . which is near to the school where the students were headed .Surprise Lake Middle School. "I knew something was wrong." Wuitschick told ABC. " it was pretty scary. I was just acting on instinct .It was all happening really quickly."
Jeff Short .assistant dean for the Fife school district . said the students had been trained in emergency situations on the school bus .including how to shut down ,the bus in an emergency. A staff member at the school .John McCrossin . happened to be driving behind the bus when the driver lost consciousness(知觉) . and rushed onto the bus to administer CPR(心肺复苏 ) once Wuitschick had pulled over to the side of the road .Rhodes said.
The kids told McCrossin they had already called 911. The bus driver . whose name has not been released . was taken to the hospital. Emergency service personnel told school administrators he was suffering from a problem related to the heart. Short said his condition was severe. Rhodes said that there were no traffic accidents or other injuries. Bill Rhodes praised Wuitschick because
A. he drove the school bus to campus
B he did bring the school bus to safety
C. he helped the police in public affairs
D. he successfully saved the bus driverWhen the police reached the spot._______.
A. the bus driver had already recovered
B. the bus had just arrived at its destination
C. the bus had already been under control
D the bus was running crazily on the roadFrom the passage we can learn that_______.
| A．Bill Rhodes gave Wuitschick a credit card for his deed |
| B．McCtossin offered to call 911 when the event happened |
| C．Jeff Short happened to be driving behind the school bus |
| D．Wuitschick had been well trained in dealing with emergencies |
The passage is probably taken from______.
| A．a personal diary | B．a news report |
| C．an accident record | D．a research paper |
Women work harder than men at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study at Brunel University.
The research, which followed 200 students for four years, found that women consistently outperformed men in their studies even though they had started their courses with almost identical A-level grades.
An analysis of the results showed that while 65 percent of female graduates were awarded, only 35 percent of male graduates did as well. Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research showed that trend continued at university.
Fiona Smith, who led the research, said, “The research shows that the difference has something to do with schools in general.”
“It also shows something about the inequality for working women in terms of pay and promotion. Women work harder at school, harder at university, and do better at both, but they still receive less pay.”
The research found that female students were more faithful, less likely to miss lectures, and more likely to believe that their marks reflected their abilities than male students. Female students were also more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors.
Women were also more likely to choose their universities because they liked the courses offered.
In contrast, men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to “other affairs” and “laziness”, and to believe that playing sports was an important part of university life.
Generally, people think that women’s success comes from more emphasis on coursework, but the research showed that female geographers at Brunel did better in their exams than in their coursework.
Dr Smith said, “Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important part of university life. They believe that they need to work harder in order to compete in the male-dominated (男性主导的) environment they will encounter at work. Good grades are viewed as an ‘insurance policy’ for success. Men, on the other hand, prefer going out and playing sports to academic work.”
“This research shows how important it is to get all young people working hard and teach them the value of higher education,” he said.The research at Brunel University showed that women ________.
| A．did worse than men both at school and at university |
| B．got better grades than men |
| C．paid little attention to their courses |
| D．often missed classes |
Which of the following about men is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．They work as hard as women. |
| B．They spend as much time on courses as women. |
| C．They play a lot more than women. |
| D．They consider good grades to be an “insurance policy” for success. |
We can infer from the results of the research that ________.
| A．women do better both at school and at university |
| B．female students are more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors |
| C．compared with men, women are in an unfavorable condition in the male-dominated world |
| D．it’s easier for women to get rises in pay and promotion |
The main purpose of the research is to _________.
| A．give the government some advice on higher education |
| B．show us some information about higher education |
| C．show the sex difference in higher education |
| D．make all students work hard and realize the importance of higher education |
Bayfield Shopping Coupons (赠券)
1. Six Hours Free Parking
If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $ 100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipts to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking.
Offer until November 14.
2. Win a $ 1,000 CD Collection
Win your choice of $1,000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music.
Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21.
Check store for more information.
3. Buy One, Get One Free
Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Men’s Wear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free.
Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost.
Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer.
4. 10% Off
Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy.
We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas. We have plenty of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush.
Offer here until November 14.
5. Half-price Movie Tickets
Buy a full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center.
Offer good through December 1. Limit one per customer.
6. Free Soft Drink
Buy any meal for at least $ 6 at Mike’s Cafe, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best fast food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service.
You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14.What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. | B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Special offers at a shopping center. | D．Things on sale in a big store. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the ads?
| A．Spending $ 50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 4 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
| D．At Mike’s Cafe, people can get a free soft drink after spending $ 6. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Clothes store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Toy store. |
We can know from this passage _________.
| A．there is more than one theater in the center |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price |
| C．you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes |
| D．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal |
A recent experiment held in Japan shows that it is almost impossible for people to walk exactly straight for 60 metres. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found 20 healthy men and asked them to walk as straight as possible to a target 60 metres away at normal speed. Each man had to walk on white paper fixed flat to the floor wearing wet colored socks. The footprints revealed that all walked in a winding rather than a straight line. Researchers found that people readjust the direction of walking every few seconds. The amount of the winding differed from subject to subject. This suggests that none of us can walk in a strictly straight line. We walk in a winding way mainly because of a slight structural or functional imbalance of our limbs (四肢). Although we may start walking in a straight line, several steps afterwards we have changed direction.
Eyesight helps us to correct the direction of walking and leads us to the target. Your ears also help you walk. After turning around a lot with your eyes closed, you can hardly stand still, let alone walk straight.
It’s all because your ears help you balance. Inside your inner ear there is a structure which contains liquids. On the sides of the organ are many tiny hair-like structures that move around as the liquid flows. When you spin (旋转) the liquid inside also spins. The difference is that when you stop, the liquid continues to spin for a while. Dizziness is the result of these nerves in your ear. When you open your eyes, although your eyesight tells you to walk in a straight line, your brain will trust your ears more, thus you walk in a curved line.The experiment held in Japan proved that _______.
| A．the participants kept readjusting their direction of walking |
| B．all the participants had a good sense of direction |
| C．the experiment was done in different ways |
| D．none of the participants finished the 60 metres |
The underlined word “subject” in Para. 1 refers to ________.
| A．a person with a functional imbalance |
| B．a person chosen to be studied in an experiment |
| C．the subject one studies at school |
| D．the direction of walking |
The purpose of writing the article is to ________.
| A．prove that ears and eyes help us to walk straight |
| B．explain why we can hardly walk in a strictly straight line |
| C．point out the importance of noticing everyday science |
| D．give background information about a latest study |
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