Once in a blue moon,(极为罕见) there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial(天空的) neighbor. A full moon occurred on December 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.
“Blue moons have no astronomical significance,” said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California. “`Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a `hunter's moon'(a full moon in octorber) or a `harvest moon,'” Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac(年历) defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons.What’s the color of blue moon?
| A．blue | B．golden | C．green | D．red |
If you are in China, in which month can you see the blue moon?
| A．December, 2009 | B．November, 2009 |
| C．January, 2010 | D．February, 2010 |
Compared with the hunters moon, the blue moon ________ .
| A．is more beautiful | B．is rarer | C．is larger | D．is brighter |
Which full moon should be called blue moon according to the original definition?
| A．The second full moon in a month with two full moons. |
| B．The third full moon in a month with three full moons. |
| C．The second full moon in a season with four full moons. |
| D．The third full moon in a season with four full moons. |
What would be the best title for the passage ?
| A．Rare New Year’s Eve Blue Moon to Ring in 2010 |
| B．Blue Moon to Take Us Good Fortune |
| C．The Best Time to Observe Blue Moon |
| D．The Reason for Blue Moon’s Appearing |
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.. Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ________.
| A．want to be as rich as their neighbors |
| B．want to be happy |
| C．don’t want others to know they are rich |
| D．want others to know or to think that they are rich |
It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to _________.
| A．live in New York City | B．live outside New York City |
| C．live in apartments | D．have many neighbors |
Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is _____.
| A．an important name |
| B．a popular name in the United States |
| C．his neighbor’s name |
| D．not a good name |
According to the writer, it is ________ to keep up with the Joneses.
| A．impossible | B．interesting |
| C．correct | D．good |
Below is information from a university website under the title of Examination.
Ensure you are prepared for your exams by understanding the processes, dates and support information related to examinations. Please read the information under Examination Policies and Processes below, especially the Rules to be observed by candidates for examinations.
Examination period
Semester 1, 2015 Monday 15 June — Saturday 27 June (inclusive)
Semester 2, 2015 Monday 9 November — Saturday 21 November (inclusive)
Important notice: special consideration
All students are reminded that submitting an unreal medical certificate（证明）or PPC with a special consideration application amounts to misconduct（行为不端）and carries severe fines and punishment.
Final personal exam timetables will be available from 4:00p.m. Thursday the 8th of October.
Rules to be observed by candidates for examinations (updated April 2012)
You need to follow all instructions given by examination teachers.
1. You may take in pens, pencils, drawing instruments and small items of food such as sweets. These items may be left on the desk during the examination. You may also bring in small valuables such as wallets, purses, mobile phones and laptops which must be powered off, not just silent. These items must be placed on the floor below the desk. Don’t leave money or valuables in bags. The University can accept no responsibility for the loss of students’ personal property.
2. Anything taken into an examination room must be made available for inspection(检查) by the examiner or other University staff.
3. The use of approved calculators may be permitted in examinations. The make and model of all calculators used by students in formally inspected examinations will be recorded. You are not permitted to share calculators, or pass them between each other in an examination. Mobile phones which have a calculator facility are not allowed. Use of a non-approved calculator may be regarded as misconduct.
4. No candidate may be admitted to an examination room after 30 minutes from the start of writing. No candidate who has entered an examination room and seen the examination paper may leave until 30 minutes has passed from the time writing started. No candidate may leave during the last ten minutes of any examination.
5. Smoking is not permitted in examination rooms.
Students with disabilities, medical conditions or injuries
If appropriate, special arrangements can be made to meet particular requirements.
Serious illness, injury or misadventure — Special Consideration regarding assessments
Please read about Special Consideration.
◇Students who feel too ill to attempt an examination at the scheduled time should consult a medical practitioner (职业医生) after reading the Special Consideration section.
◇Students who fall ill during an examination will be asked by invigilators(监考官) whether they wish to consult a doctor at the University Health Service. If this occurs the doctor will complete a Special Consideration form and forward it to the relevant examiner.
Misreading of the timetable is not accepted as a reason for failing to attend an exam.We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．there will never be any exams on Saturdays or Sundays |
| B．exams are likely to be held in Semester 1 starting from November |
| C．misreading the timetable will not be an excuse for not attending an exam |
| D．final timetables will be available from 4:00p.m. Thursday the 5th of September, 2014 |
According to the passage, you will be fined if you _______.
| A．share or pass your calculator in an examination |
| B．hand an unreal medical certificate to your school |
| C．use a calculator that is not permitted by your examiner |
| D．leave the examination room 30 minutes before the end of the exam |
When you are in the exam room, you are supposed to _______.
| A．offer your personal items to your examiner |
| B．ensure your mobile phones and laptops are quiet |
| C．pack your small valuables in your own bags |
| D．be prepared for any inspection by your examiner |
Students who fall ill during an exam _______.
| A．will be offered special arrangements to meet particular requirements |
| B．will be asked whether to see a doctor at the University Health Service |
| C．will be required to go to see the doctor and end the exam immediately |
| D．will be advised by invigilators to read the Special Consideration section |
If you want to express something so unbelievable that it must have been a special effect, you have a new word to add to your vocabulary.
It’s “Duang”, an onomatopoetic (拟声词) word which doesn’t relate to any particular Chinese character and refers to a special effect.
A video parody (恶搞) adapted from a shampoo commercial featuring Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan spread quickly online, leading Internet users to invent the new word.
The video begins with Chan flashing his black, smooth hair, which would have been perfect except that it was not his real hair.
Next, a self-satisfied Chan admits, to the repetitive, rhythmical sounds of “Duang”, “I refused to approve of this product when they first came to me because of my thin hair, but the director insisted, saying special effects could be used to make my hair look healthy on the screen. Now you see, it’s all special effects. It’s not real.”
The original advertisement became the target of punishment by the government for over- spreading the effects of the shampoo after it was broadcast in 2004.
“Duang” has now become one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social network site among those crazy ones imitating Jackie Chan’s speech in different situations.
The actor’s Weibo account was flooded with comments containing the word in this sweeping online trend.
The video came at a time when the famous movie star has been under public attention after trying to save the ill image of his son, Jaycee Chan, who was released from prison this week.
Data from Baidu, the major Chinese search engine, also proved the phrase’s popularity as it has been searched more than 586,000 times within two days.
The word of geili’s sudden rise in 2010 caught the attention of international media when it made up for the word’s official translation－geilivable－to describe something cool or awesome.
It’s not the first time that online word has become a regular vocabulary in China.From the passage we know that the word “Duang” was originally made .
| A．by some crazy Internet users |
| B．to refer to a kind of product |
| C．by Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan |
| D．to expresssome special meaning |
From the passage we know that the new word “geili” is .
| A．only popular in China |
| B．a cool and awesome word |
| C．used by ordinary people |
| D．also widely used abroad |
What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?
| A．To tell us online words have enriched Chinese vocabulary. |
| B．To teach all the Internet users how to invent new words. |
| C．To explain how Jackie Chan invented the popular word. |
| D．To urge people to fight against the false advertisements. |
Dennis Sinar, 51, a doctor from New York, is quick to explain why he took a year-long break from his job. “I was pretty burned out after practicing medicine for 26 years. I needed a recharge.” So he took a “gap year”, from July 2011 to June 2012, to explore things like ancient buildings, and traditional Eastern medicine, in locations including Alaska, Nepal and Romania.
“Taking a break from work is an excellent way for adults to go into a new career or refresh an old one,” said Holly Bull, president of Princeton, N, J. “In recent years, mid-career breaks have been gaining more interest,” she said. A report on adult gap years published this year by a market research company also described the potential American market for gap years as a “sleeping giant.”
“A gap year is a challenge for the older individual to step out of a comfort zone and take a risk. I enjoyed that side most.” said Dr. Sinar, who kept a daily blog about his experience. His time studying Eastern medicine “assured the reasons I went into health care,” said Dr. Sinar, who returned to practice medicine at his old job, although he works fewer days. “I use those experiences to provide my patients with more care,” he added. “And I listen better than I did before.”
George Garritan, chairman of the Department of Leadership and Human Capital Management at New York University, certainly agrees with Dr. Sinar. He said a gap-year experience could be worthwhile for employees and companies. For employees, investing in themselves and improving skill sets is a move that will benefit throughout their career. He added that returning employees feel refreshed and have given more thought to their career. For companies, offering unpaid leaves makes good sense for attracting and keeping talented employees.Dr. Sinar took a gap year because he ______.
| A．had lost his old job |
| B．wanted to refresh after 26 years’ work |
| C．had a desire for travelling |
| D．became interested in historical research |
The phrase “sleeping giant” (in 2nd paragraph) indicates that ______.
| A．it’s too early for people to accept the concept of gap year |
| B．the effect of gap year policy remains to be seen |
| C．it’s difficult to foresee the gap year market |
| D．more American people will accept the gap year policy |
What’s George Garritan’s attitude toward the “gap year”?
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Uncertain. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．How an adult plans a mid-career gap year. |
| B．Why a gap year is worthwhile for adults. |
| C．Whether a gap year is popular with adults. |
| D．Why a gap year is challenging for individuals. |
I was a dance teacher when I first began working with people who have disabilities. I had thirty students. These were teens and adults up to the age of 40. We learned new steps together. We laughed together and we shared a love of music and fellowship.
I had one pupil, Dan, who didn’t appear to get much out of the class. I never had eye contact with him. When I left the class to travel down the stairs to reach the main floor of the building, he moved worriedly as a blind person might do in unfamiliar condition.
One day his parents met me shopping downtown and told me that they were so grateful that I was teaching the class. They said that my class was the high point of their son’s week. Were they just being polite?
A week later, a snowstorm held me up and I was later than usual pulling into the school parking lot. Ahead of me by one row of cars, and over to one side, was my student, Dan and his worker. I could see his face as he moved toward the building. He was excited. I watched Dan run toward the building in anticipation of（期待着）his weekly treat, my class. I cried as it hit me that though I could not see in class all that Dan got from the class, it surely meant a lot to him. Dan did indeed love the class. He was getting enjoyment out of it.
Today when I teach courses at the College to students, I remind them that children can stand on the sidelines and seem to be uninterested and yet they can be learning at the same pace as those who are in the middle of the activity. When I teach this, I think, yes and this is true for those with disabilities too!
Teach with the wonderful enthusiasm and you are bound to reach your students. Do your job with a love for others and you will be successful no matter what your job involves.The writer found her working with disabilities _______.
| A．boring | B．confusing |
| C．satisfying | D．challenging |
The writer has learned from Dan that ______.
| A．a teacher is sure to reach his students |
| B．kids with disabilities need more love |
| C．students learn in different ways |
| D．a students make achievements out of a class |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The writer was doubtful when hearing what Dan’s parents said. |
| B．Dan didn’t get much out of the dancing class. |
| C．Dan received more attention in the writer’s class. |
| D．The writer was impatient with Dan at first. |
What may be the best title for the passage?
| A．A student with disability |
| B．Learning with Dan |
| C．Enjoying a lesson with children |
| D．Sharing love with students |
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