We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it,” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack(行李架), I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was 20 pounds poorer, and the cupboard was tied onto the roof rack. It was six inches long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”
In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir,” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car: first at the flowers, and then at the cupboard. “Well, well,” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was, something else.”
My wife began to laugh. Then the truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.It can be inferred from the passage that______.
| A．other drivers let the couple go first, because the husband did not drive fast |
| B．the cupboard cost less than 20 pounds |
| C．the husband, in fact, would rather not buy the cupboard |
| D．all the cars followed the couple’s |
The police will be more polite to those who are______.
| A．in great sorrow | B．driving in the gathering darkness |
| C．driving with wild flowers in the car | D．carrying furniture |
What did the police officer think of the cupboard?
| A．It was so expensive that it needed their help |
| B．It was a box for a dead person to be buried in. |
| C．There might be something stolen in it. |
| D．It was a big box with some bomb in it. |
What did the husband think of the whole matter?
| A．It was very strange. | B．He took great pride in it. |
| C．He was puzzled at it | D．He felt embarrassed. |
My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in: Someone will give you an electronic PIN to wear. The PIN tells the house who you are and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights near you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you, too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it for you. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to want something. There is a home control console (控制台) which is a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you the key to my car, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the key. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that in ten years from now, most new houses will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've got.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others'. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, ”How did I live without them?”The writer’s house is made of the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．bamboo | B．wood | C．glass | D．software |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert. | B．A famous doctor. |
| C．A sportsman. | D．An experienced teacher. |
The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because______________.
| A．it has your favorite music following you |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
| D．it is controlled by computers |
What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. | B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．How great the computers are. | D．Easy life in the future. |
When was the last time your family sat down together to have a dinner?
The speed at which we live today no longer allows for slow eating habits. Most people work long hours. There is lots of fast food and eating out is now on the increase. Often, food is eaten in front of the television in silence, or a child eats alone in front of the computer.
When I was a child, every evening around the same time, one of the children would be asked to set the table, and then we'd go and wash our hands: before the meal. This was the time of day when we would talk about our day at school. But now things have changed a lot.
A family environment plays an important role for children in learning to communicate with others and understanding table manners, such as waiting for others to finish before leaving the table and not speaking with a mouth full of food. Parents’ likes and dislikes of a certain food will also influence a child's own likes and dislikes. Studies have shown that children who often eat with their families have better results at school than children who eat with their families less than twice a week.
Regular meal times give children the chance to discuss their problems with family members. They can also learn to respect others around the table. Talking to your children over dinner is the best way of having their-trust. Children learn good eating habits from their parents at a very young age. Family meals are important. Prepare them for your children.Some families eat less together because __________.
| A．most children live in a school |
| B．people are busy with their work |
| C．table manners change a lot |
| D．food in the restaurant is better |
Children who often eat with their families _________.
| A．turn out to do better in their studies |
| B．prefer to share food with others |
| C．show concerns about families |
| D．are interested in cooking |
Which word can best describe the writer's attitude towards eating together with families?
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Worried. | D．Grateful. |
Which would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Table manners of a family | B．The importance of meals |
| C．Why should the family eat together? | D．How to choose food for your family? |
Welcome to the Ambassador Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you can make full use of our facilities（设备）.
Dining Room
Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The room staff will bring a breakfast tray to your room at any time after 7 a.m. Please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed.
Lunch: 12:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Room Service
This operates 24 hours a day; phone the Reception Desk, and your message will be passed on to the room staff.
Telephones
To make a phone call, dial 0 for Reception and ask to be connected. We apologize for delays in putting calls through when the staffs are very busy. There are also public telephone boxes near the Reception Desk. Early calls should be booked with Reception.
Laundry
We have a laundry in the hotel, and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to collect them.
Bar
The hotel bar is open from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.You would see this notice ___________.
| A．in a hotel bar |
| B．in a hotel dining room |
| C．in a bedroom of a large hotel |
| D．in the entrance of a small family hotel |
What time can you have breakfast in the dinning room?
| A．6:50 a.m. | B．7:00 a.m. | C．7:30 a.m. | D．8:30 a.m. |
What should you do when you come back to the hotel to make an important call and see a lot of people around the Reception Desk?
| A．Go to your room and phone from there. |
| B．Ask at the Reception Desk. |
| C．Go to the public telephone boxes. |
| D．Go out again and look for a private phone. |
What should you do if you want to have your trousers washed?
| A．Ask the room staff to collect them to the laundry. |
| B．Go to the hotel bar. |
| C．Hang a message outside your door. |
| D．Ask the room staff to clean them for you. |
Every year in late spring at Wild Friends, the wildlife health center, workers receive baby animals, including songbirds and rabbits. This is the busiest time when workers care for and raise all the little ones before sending them back into the wild.
There are many reasons for these little animals' coming to the center. First of all, street cats or dogs catch, injure or take away little birds from their nests. Sometimes people catch baby animals and keep them at home, giving them food that they are not used to. It would make them sick. Most people don't realize that it's against law to get live animals out of their nests.
As for songbirds, people often find them on the ground in their yards, thinking they have no other choice but to leave them on the ground to die. This is because many people wrongly believe that once a bird is touched by a person, its mother will not accept this child bird. But that's not true.
If a little bird falls out of the nest, you should check whether it is injured. If not, you should put the bird back in the nest. If the bird is injured, call your local wildlife center quickly.
As for the progress of protecting wild animals, people at Wild Friends devote all their energy to this work. Over the last weeks, they have been able to send many of the birds and rabbits that came here earlier this spring back to nature.Which is the busiest season for workers at Wild Friends?
| A．Spring | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
Which of the following will probably injure young birds?
| A．Giving them food they don't like. | B．Letting them play with children. |
| C．Leaving them on the ground. | D．Bringing them to the center. |
If a young healthy bird is lying on the ground, you should ________.
| A．wait for its mother | B．help it go back home |
| C．touch it with your hands | D．call workers at Wild Friends |
Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth’s neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth’s size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles（装置）. Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft(航天器) and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_____________________________________
But before you start packing your bags, let’s consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth’s gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won’t survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星细菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion(万亿). How can we justify spending that much when so many problems—poverty, disease—could use the cash here on Earth?Which of the following is TRUE according to the “A welcoming planet” part?
| A．Mars is a little bigger than Earth. |
| B．There are flowing rivers on Mars. |
| C．People haven’t been to Mars so far. |
| D．Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars. |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage?
| A．Living in space. | B．Limited resources. |
| C．Extreme conditions. | D．Interesting challenges. |
By “Tiny dangers” the author means ________________.
| A．there is no serious danger |
| B．people won’t be in any danger |
| C．it’s difficult for people to realize the danger |
| D．the danger may be caused by very small things |
Which may cause the biggest danger?
| A．Martian germs may be different from those on Earth. |
| B．Martian germs may be brought back to Earth. |
| C．People may carry germs to Mars. |
| D．There may be germs on Mars. |
Which section of a newspaper is the passage most probably taken from?
| A．People | B．History | C．Science | D．Business |
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