Jockeys(职业赛马骑师) are the smallest athletes. They are rarely over five feet six, or 120 pounds. The lighter the weight on the horse, the faster it can go.
Riding fast horses on the track is tough on the small jockeys. The jockey doesn’t“sit”on the horse. He leans forward on his legs. The strain is on his thighs(大腿) and calf(小腿) muscles. As jockeys age, their legs“go”first. Jockeys also need arm strength. It’s a strain holding a 1000-pound racehorse.
On muddy days, jockeys get a pounding of mud. The mud comes flying off the hooves(蹄) of the horses in front. “It feels like someone is punching you all over,”says one rider.
And a jockey can be hurt. A jockey can have a leg jammed between two horses. Or it can get caught between horse and the rail. The worst accidents are from falls. A horse may fall on his rider. Or horses behind may trample if he hits the track. In one year about 240 riders are hurt badly. That’s one out of six jockeys.
But the jockeys are well-paid. A jockey keeps about ten percent of the money his horses win. Jacinto Vasquez, a five-foot-three comer, has ridden horses to ＄7,000,000 in wins in the last eight years, which means he does almost ＄100,000 a year.
Why do some jockeys do better than others? “It isn’t the way a boy sits on a horse or uses the reins or the whip,”says Conn McCreary. McCreary was a top jockey of the 1950’s. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners. “Most jockeys do this the same. It’s the ‘feel’ he has for the horses.”
“When you come right down to it, it just seems that horses run better for some riders,” McCreary says. “A real good jockey doesn’t lose with the best horse. And sometimes he’ll win with the second or third best.”
Many Latin-American riders, like Jacinto, seem to have the knack. “Maybe it’s because we grew up with horses,”says Jacinto. “Maybe it’s because we like to ride. There was a strike at Aqueduct last year. We, Jorge Velasquez, and Angel Cordero (two other top Latin riders) went to a park. We rented horses, and rode around the bridle path(骑马专用道)!”The main idea of Paragraph 1 is about ______________.
| A．the size of jockeys. | B．the age of jockeys |
| C．the size of the horse | D．the speed of the horse |
When a jockey is riding a fast horse, he doesn’t __________.
| A．really sit on the horse | B．lean forward on his legs |
| C．use much arm strength | D．get any mud on wet track |
The most dangerous problem for a jockey arises __________________.
| A．when his leg is jammed between two horses |
| B．when his clothes are splashed over with mud. |
| C．when the jockey’s horse falls on the jockey |
| D．when the jockey is not well paid |
A really good jockey can often win a race ____________.
| A．only when he rides on the best horse |
| B．even when he rides the second best horse |
| C．when he rides on a rented horse |
| D．if the horse is just a Kentucky Herby |
The underlined word “Knack” in the last paragraph probably means__________________.
| A．special skill | B．dangerous hobby |
| C．riding culture | D．excellent horses. |
Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions or complete the statements in no more than 12 words.
The first fast food restaurants opened in the United Sates at the end of the 1950s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the fast food industry continued to expand across the United Sates. Two aspects of American society that helped the fast food industry take off were teenagers and cars. Teenagers were the best workers to fill the low-skill jobs needed to work in fast food restaurants putting together hamburgers, taking orders and frying potatoes. Fast food chains also marketed themselves to people with cars by having drive-thru order windows and car hops. Car hops were waitresses who usually wore roller skates and brought the food outside the restaurant so that people could eat in their cars.
The trend of fast food chains hiring teenagers continues today. One out of every eight Americans has worked at McDonald’s, the largest fast food chain in the United States. Fast food chains used to be found only along highways or in business areas where people need to grab a quick lunch before returning to work. Today, however, fast food restaurants can be found in sports stadiums, airports, gas stations, malls; on college campuses, cruise ships; at K-Mart, Wal-Mart; and in hospital cafeterias.
The popularity of fast food in the United States is related to the idea that people would rather eat in a place they are familiar with rather than try a new place they know nothing about. This is the philosophy behind franchises(特许经营). When a person buys a franchise, they are paying for the use of the company’s name. This system has advantages and disadvantages for the person starting the restaurant. The new franchise owner is called the “franchisee”. The company selling its name is the “franchiser”. The franchiser brings experience, equipment, and a business plan to the deal. The franchisee puts up the money and does all the work. On the negative side, the franchiser gives up some control by not owning each restaurant or store directly. The franchisee gives up her or his ability to make personal decisions because she or he has to obey the rules of the company.
(Note: Answer the question or complete the statement in NO MORE THAN 12 WORDS.)Fast food chains hire teenagers because ________________________________________.
Fast food restaurants used to find its location according to _________________________.
According to the author, what’s the philosophy behind franchises?
What is the advantage of franchise to the franchisee?
Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A—F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
| A. Forecasting Research B. Well-known Weather Forecasters C. Severe Weather Events D. Weather Forecasting E. The Forecasting Process F. Historical Background |
The task of predicting the weather that will be observed at a future time is called weather forecasting. As one of the primary objectives of the science of meteorology, weather forecasting has depended critically on the scientific and technological advances in meteorology that have taken place since the latter half of the 19th century.
Throughout most of history, forecasting efforts at any given site depended solely on observations that could be made at the site. With the development of the telegraph in the mid-1800s, weather forecasters were able to obtain observations from many distant locations within a few hours of the collection of such data. Weather forecasting was revolutionized in the 1920s by the work of a group of Norwegian scientists. This group provided a consistent and empirically based description of atmospheric circulation systems. Current weather-forecasting techniques were initiated by the theoretical work of American meteorologist Jule Charney in developing numerical weather prediction. Experimental numerical forecasts in 1950 proved so fruitful that they were soon adopted on a practical basis. Since then, computerized systems based on numerical models have become a central part of weather forecasting.
The process of making a weather forecast can be separated into three steps: observation and analysis, extrapolation to find the future state of the atmosphere, and prediction of particular variables. The standard extrapolation technique is to assume that weather features will continue to move as they have been moving. In some cases the third step simply consists of noting the results of extrapolation, but actual prediction usually involves considerable efforts beyond this.
Great attention is paid to weather forecasts during times of severe events (blizzard, hurricane and typhoon, tornado), and so forth. Accordingly, the National Weather Service (NWS) commits significant resources to the forecast of such events. Blizzards or strong extra-tropical cycles are handled through the usual forecast information channels, with the local NWS office issuing special advisories as appropriate.
A number of new observing systems are being developed for forecasting purposes. These include the Next-Generation Radar digital weather radar, which is intended to detect motions towards or away from the radar installation. In addition, automated systems are being developed for taking observations at surface stations and on board buoys, ships, and aircraft. The communications, processing, and display systems intended to govern this torrent of further data are still being elaborated.
A new argument has been put forward as to whether penguins are disturbed by the presence of tourists in Antarctica.
Previous research by scientists from Keil University in Germany monitored Adelie penguins and noted that the birds’ heart rates increased dramatically at the sight of a human as far as 30 meters away. But new research using an artificial egg, which is equipped to measure heart rates, disputes this. Scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge say that a slow moving human who does not approach the nest too closely, is not viewed as a threat by penguins.
The earlier findings have been used to partly explain the 20 per cent drop in populations of certain types of penguins near tourist sites. However, tour operators have continued to insist that their activities do not adversely affect wildlife in Antarctica, saying they encourage non-disruptive behavior in tourists, and that the decline in penguin numbers is caused by other factors.
Amanda Nimon of the Scott Polar Research Institute spent three southern hemisphere summers at Cuverville Island in Antarctica studying penguin behavior towards humans. “A nesting penguin will react very differently to a person rapidly and closely approaching the nest,” says Nimon. “First they exhibit large and prolonged heart rate changes and then they often flee the nest leaving it open for predators (掠夺者) to fly in and remove eggs or chicks.” The artificial egg, specially for the project, monitored both the parent who had been ‘disturbed’ when the egg was placed in the nest and the other parent as they both took it in turns to guard the nest.
However, Boris Culik, who monitored the Adelie penguins, believes that Nimon’s findings do not invalidate his own research. He points out that species behave differently – and Nimon’s work was with Gentoo penguins. Nimon and her colleagues believe that Culik’s research was methodologically flawed because the monitoring of penguins’ responses needed capturing and restraining the birds and fitting them with beart-rate transmitters. Therefore, argues Nimon, it would not be surprising if they became stressed on seeing a human subsequently. According to the passage, what overall message is presented?
| A．No firm conclusions are drawn. |
| B．Neither Culik’s nor Nimon’s findings are of much value. |
| C．Penguin reduction is closed related to tourist behavior. |
| D．Tourists are not responsible for the fall in penguin numbers. |
Which ONE argument of the following is stated in the passage?
| A．Penguins are harder to research when they have young. |
| B．Tour operators should encourage tourists to avoid Antarctica. |
| C．Not all penguins behave in the same way. |
| D．Penguins need better protection from tourists. |
What do you notice about the views presented in the passage?
| A．They are groundless. |
| B．They are factual. |
| C．They are descriptive. |
| D．They are conflicting. |
What does the underlined word (final line) probably mean?
| A．later on |
| B．carmly |
| C．separately |
| D．in the same place |
A casual employee is one who is engaged and paid as such by agreement between the employer and employee. There is a three-hour minimum payment for each period of engagement and a four-hour minimum engagement on a Public Holiday. No notice of termination is required. For night work between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday to Friday a penalty of $1.28 per hour (or part of hour) shall be paid with a minimum of $4.37 for any one day on which such hours are worked.
Meals: Casual employees whose engagement extends for five hours or more shall be provided with a meal free of charge, or shall be paid in lieu of $5.00 ($6.00 from 1 May 1996)
Casual employment over eight hours: Paid at the overtime rate of full time employees.
Payment of wages: By mutual consent either weekly or on termination of engagement.
Annual leave: Pro-rata Annual Leave entitlement for casuals is on the basis of 1/12th of earnings. Many employers pay this inclusive with the hourly rate. If this is not done, it should be paid on termination of services or at the end of 12 months’ service.
Special clothing: A casual employee is required to provide and wear a black and white uniform or an equivalent standard specified by the club (e.g. blue and white, cook’s clothing, etc.) this includes how tie and cummerbund if required by the employer. The employer may launder all uniforms, or pay the employee and allowance of $1.00 per engagement ($1.20 from 1 May 1996) for general staff. Cooks shall be paid $1.50 per engagement ($1.70 from 1 May 1996).Casual employees must be given a free meal or a meal allowance if they ______.
| A．work after 7:00 a.m. | B．work over five hours a day |
| C．have had 12 months’ service | D．are paid $5.00 |
In casual employment, notice of termination is ______.
| A．not possible | B．not necessary | C．provided | D．paid in lieu |
Which of the following sentences best sums up the situation of casual staff?
| A．The employers of casual staff are well protected by regulations. |
| B．Casual staff need to provide their own uniforms. |
| C．The rights and conditions of casual staff are clearly specified. |
| D．The conditions of casual staff are as good as those of full-time staff. |
All over the world, libraries have begun the Herculean task of making faithful digital copies of the books, images and recordings that preserve the intellectual effort of humankind. For armchair scholars, the work promises to bring such a wealth of information to the desktop that the present Internet may seem amateurish in retrospect. …
Librarians see three clear benefits to going digital. First, it helps them preserve rare and fragile objects without denying access to those who wish to study them. The British Library, for example, holds the only medieval manuscript of Beowulf in London. Only qualified scholars were allowed to see it until Kevin S. Kiernan of the University of Kentucky scanned the manuscript with three different light sources (revealing detail not normally apparent to the naked eye) and put the images up on the Internet for anyone to peruse (阅览). Tokyo’s National Diet Library is similarly creating highly detailed digital photographs of 1,236 woodblock prints, scrolls and other materials it considers national treasures so that researchers can scrutinize them without handling the originals.
A second benefit is convenience. Once books are converted to digital form, patrons can retrieve them in seconds rather than minutes. Several people can simultaneously read the same book or view the same picture. Clerks are spared the chore of reshelving. And libraries could conceivably use the Internet to land their virtual collections to those who are unable to visit in person.
The third advantage of electronic copies is that they occupy millimeters of space on a magnetic disk rather than meters on a shelf. Expanding library buildings is increasingly costly. The University of California at Berkeley recently spent $46 million on an underground addition to house 1.5 million books – an average cost of $30 per volume. The price of disk storage, in contrast, has fallen to about $2 per 300-page publication and continues to drop.The best title for this passage would be __________.
| A．Three Benefits of Libraries |
| B．Libraries Going Digital |
| C．Space-saving E-learning |
| D．Security of Electronic Reading |
Which paragraph(s) in the text offer(s) further explanation of the central idea?
| A．Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 | B．Paragraphs 3 and 4 |
| C．Paragraphs 2 and 4 | D．Paragraph 4 |
Which one of the following is mentioned as the advantages of E-libraries
| A．Old manuscripts can be moved more easily |
| B．Materials can be examined without being touched |
| C．Fewer staff will be required in libraries |
| D．Libraries will be able to move underground |
What does the word ‘scrutinize’ probably mean?
| A．keep for a while | B．reprint | C．restore | D．examine carefully |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号