Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!The text is mainly about_________.
| A．a strange man | B．how roller skating began |
| C．an unusual party | D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.
| A．often gave others surprises | B．was a gifted musician |
| C．was full of imagination | D．invented the roller skates |
Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.
| A．test his invention | B．arrive at the party sooner |
| C．impress the party guests | D．show his skill in walking on wheels |
What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
| A．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation. |
| B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool. |
| C．The roller skates needed further improvement. |
| D．Merlin regretted what he had done |
A bargain is something offered at a low and advantageous price. A more recent definition is: a bargain is a dirty trick to force money out of the pockets of silly and innocent people.
The cost of producing a new - for example - toothpaste would make 80p the proper price for it, so we will market it at £1.20. It is not a bad toothpaste, and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the attraction of novelty soon fades, so sales will fall. When that happens we will reduce the price to £1.15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5p OFF all over it.
Sometimes it is not 5p OFF but 1p OFF. What breathtaking rudeness to advertise 1p OFF your soap or washing powder or whatever! Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult(侮辱), but he doesn’t. A bargain must not be missed. People say one has to have washing powder (or whatever) and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper.
The real danger starts when unnecessary things become ‘bargains’. Many people just cannot resist bargains. Provided they think they are getting a bargain they will buy clothes they will never wear or furniture they have no space for. Once I heard of a man who bought an electric saw as a bargain and cut off two of his fingers the next day. But he had no regrets: the saw had been truly cheap.
Quite a few people actually believe that they make money on such bargains. A lady once told me: “I’ve had a lucky day today. I bought a dress for £120, reduced from £400; and I bought a beautiful Persian carpet for £600, reduced from £900.” It will never occur to her that she has actually wasted £720. She feels as though she had made £580. She also feels, I am sure, that if she had more time for shopping, she could make a living out of it.
Some people buy in large quantities because it is cheaper. Once a couple bought enough sugar for their lifetime and the lifetime of their children and grandchildren. They thought it a bargain not to be missed. When the sugar arrived they didn’t know where to store it – until they realized that their toilet was a very spacious one. So that was where they piled up their sugar. Not only did their guests feel rather strange whenever they were offered sugar to put into their coffee, but the toilet became extremely sticky.
To offer bargains is a commercial trick to make the poor poorer. When greedy fools fall for this trick, it serves them right.
Which word best describes the language style of the passage?
| A．Polite. | B．Foolish. | C．Humorous. | D．Serious. |
What does the underlined word “novelty” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Good quality. | B．Low price. |
| C．Newness. | D．Curiosity. |
How does the author feel about 1p OFF a product?
| A．It’s a gift for poor people. |
| B．It’s an offense to shoppers. |
| C．It’s a bargain worth trying. |
| D．It’s a real reduction in price. |
Which statement will the author probably agree with?
| A．Bargains are things people don’t really need. |
| B．Bargains are often real cheap products. |
| C．Bargains help people make a living. |
| D．Bargains play tricks on people. |
The bed should be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep.
Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment. For five days in a row, the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep. Their sleep patterns were monitored all night. Before and after each trial period, the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin (褪黑激素) was in their blood at any given time.
When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning. People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion (分泌) was delayed by an hour and a half.
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed. Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note：“Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk.”
However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter (过滤) short wavelengths. While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research.In Charles Czeislers experiment, all the subjects were asked to______.
| A．sit in a row and receive the strict tests |
| B．have their sleep patterns observed all night |
| C．read a paper book and an iPad at the same time |
| D．have their blood tested per hour during the trial |
The third paragraph tells us the iPad readers were likely to____________.
| A．feel less sleepy and tired in the day |
| B．fall asleep more easily after reading |
| C．become less energetic the next morning |
| D．have a lot more melatonin secretion |
The special software recently developed can______.
| A．remove the blue light from your devices completely |
| B．help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelength |
| C．weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading |
| D．be used in all the e-things widely and safely |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．No e-reading in bed before sleep |
| B．New software for night e-readers |
| C．Wrong behaviors before bedtime |
| D．No games on iPad in bed |
My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole．Most of the kids swim there, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his safety．
Still, the firefighter's first words "You need to come up here to the Stillwater River" made me catch my breath, and his follow-up words gave me relief: “ Your son is OK．”
When I got to the river, I immediately saw the fire truck, ambulance and Anton, wrapped with a towel about his shoulders, sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine．
I hurried over to him. "You OK?"I asked．
“Yeah," was all he said．But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn't get it from my son, however, who tends to play his cards close to his vest．
The story was this: A woman was being swept under water. Hearing the cries, Anton and his friend Tyler, without hesitation, swam out to her, and brought her safely to shore．
In an age in which the word "hero" is broadcast with abandon and seemingly applied to anyone who make it through the day, I realized the real thing in my son．The teens are stubborn and self-centred, but that didn't mean they have no desire to do good．
Still shocked by my son's daring, I drove him home．Along the way, I tried to dig out some more information from him - but he had precious little to say．The only words he said were,
“What's for supper?"
I spent some time alone that evening, thinking about the tragedy that might have been. The next morning, when Anton got up, I half wanted him to tell me the story．But all he did was toast some bread, pull himself together, and head for the door to start a new day. Watching from the window, I was reminded that still water often runs deep.Why did the mother allow her son to swim there?
| A．He was an excellent swimmer. |
| B．The water of the river is shallow. |
| C．He was old enough to swim. |
| D．The rocks can be of help if there's danger. |
The underlined part "who tends to play his cards close to his vest" probably means ________
| A．Anton is a boy fond of swimming with other kids |
| B．Anton is unwilling to tell others what he thinks |
| C．Anton always has a desire to help others |
| D．Anton seldom changes his mind |
In the mother's eyes, what her son did was__________
| A．dangerous but interesting |
| B．meaningful but difficult |
| C．unexpected and courageous |
| D．awful and absurd |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Son, My Hero | B．Anton, A Silent Boy |
| C．A Good Deed | D．A Proud Mother |
It's time for your family to relax and have fun! The following family adventures have links for you to get more information.
Take the Rides of Your Life
Visit Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, to seek thrills "Even though it's located off the beaten track, experts regularly praise Cedar Point as the best overall theme park of the country," says U.S. News & World Report. The park calls itself the roller coaster capital of the world, and with 16 to choose from, it's hard to argue. It's open daily from May 10 through Labor Day; weekends only from Labor Day through November 2.
Tickets start at $ 48.99 per person if purchased online.
http://www.cedarpoint,com.
Wander Free on a Dude farm
Dust off your cowboy boots and ready your cowboy hats for a visit to this Rocky Mountains paradise. Located in Augusta, Montana, "The farm has everything an aspiring cowboy or girl could long for," says Sunset magazine, including hiking trails, fishing trips, campfires with sing-alongs, and, of course, horseback rides. The large farm operates from June through September; kids-only and adults-only programs are available.
Total cost starts at $ 1,360 per adult, $ 1,276 per teen, and $ 1,168 per child.
http://www.triplejranch.com.
Dig for Dinosaurs
Most kids （and adults）love dinosaurs, and to make their wildest dreams come true, head to Fruita, Colorado. The Museum of Western Colorado offers Dino Digs for children ages five and older. You can choose from one-, three-, and five-day expeditions. "Imagine how your child will feel when she helps unearth the fossilized（化石）bones of ancient species," says Outside magazine. It lasts from May to October.
Digs start at $ 125 per person.
http://www.museumofwesternco.com
Surf Sand Dunes
Swap your snowboard for a sand-board, and head to Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon. Real Simple recommends learning the basics at this private dune park, "which offers board rentals and lessons - often taught by world-champion sand boarders." Then you 'can hit the "slopes" to test your skills. From March to June, and September to November.
Rentals for a sand-board start at $ 10 per day; lessons start at $ 45 an hour per person.
http:/'www. Sandmasterpark.com.What is special about Cedar Point?
| A．You can visit Cedar Point on weekends. |
| B．It has 16 roller coasters for you to choose from. |
| C．You can help unearth the fossilized bones of dinosaurs. |
| D．It offers lessons taught by world-champion sand boarders. |
If you have a 3-day holiday in April, which of the following may interest you most?
| A．Take the Rides of Your Life |
| B．Wander Free on a Dude farm |
| C．Dig for Dinosaurs |
| D．Surf Sand Dunes |
Where will you probably find this passage?
| A．A science fiction | B．An adventure storybook |
| C．A travel magazine | D．A theme park advertisement |
It's Friday morning in the year 2025, and you're running late. You got distracted watching the music video that as playing in the corner of your bathroom mirror while you were brushing your teeth. How will you get to your office at Mega Giga Industries on time?
A quick check of your Internet-connected refrigerator magnet tells you your train which travels at speeds up to 250 miles an hour as it electromagnetically(电磁的) hovers above its guide track is a bit behind schedule, too. So you decide to drive your environmentally-friendly hydrogen(氢气) fuel cell car instead or rather let your car drive you. It's programmed to know the way, and it will get you there without speeding, getting lost, or crashing.
Sealing into your office chair, which changes color to match what you're wearing, you pick up yesterday morning's newspaper. Printed on reusable electronic paper, it instantly rewrites itself with today's headlines. Now it's time for your big meeting. Uh-oh!
You've left your handwritten notes at home. No problem! The digital ink pen you used has stored an electronic copy of what you wrote.
Your wrist(手腕) watch videophone suddenly rings. Your best friend's face pops up on the organic light-emitting diode (二极管) screen asking what you're doing this weekend. Will you slap on your 3D contact lenses and play virtual soccer with the US Olympic team? No, no. Your friend says, so you have to take the new nanotube elevator (made of microscopic fibers many times stronger than steel) 60,000 miles into space.
Could this scene really take place in just a couple of decades? The researchers who are currently developing all this stuff think so. These things may be as common in 20 years as cell phones and DVD players are today.The author wrote the passage to ______.
| A．show picture the life of the future |
| B．introduce some high technology |
| C．tell us the future life is fantastic |
| D．tell us the future life is convenient |
What is the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A．The car is very good. |
| B．The driver of the car is very clever. |
| C．The car is controlled by yourself. |
| D．The car can run by itself without your control. |
From the passage we know that ______.
| A．you can read the newspaper on TV |
| B．the newspaper is printed on the used paper |
| C．the newspaper can update by itself |
| D．the newspaper is put in the changeable chair |
From the last paragraph we can conclude that ______.
| A．all the imagination can come true now |
| B．it is impossible to see the scene |
| C．it will take us no more than ten years to realize the dream |
| D．the researchers believe the scene will take place in some years |
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