I decided to have dinner in the hotel, for I arrived late one night on a business trip. As I was finishing my meal, an elderly couple came in to dine. They were holding hands and had lovely smiles on their faces. They sat three tables from me. I was amazed at the love they showed for each other. It seemed to strike home all the more, because it was shortly after ending a 20-year marriage and I still had pain in my heart.
My waiter was also their waiter. As I paid my bill, I inquired as to what their bill was. He informed me, and I gave him $40 to pay their bill. He asked if I knew them and I told him "No, I just wanted to repay them for the love that they were showing to each other," and then I departed.
The next day I entered the restaurant to dine before my departure. After I had been seated, the waiter who served me the night before told me that the strangest thing happened after I left the restaurant.
When the elderly couple went to pay for their meal, they were informed that it had been paid. When they inquired who had done this, the hostess told them they had no idea who I was, just retelling what I said.
The couple were amazed. They looked around, asked for the bill of two young couples who were seated together, paid their bill and departed, saying "Love begets(产生) Love" to the amazement of the hostess and waiter.
I smiled and said "That's nice," and proceeded to order my meal.
About 45 minutes later, I finished my meal and was about to head out, but my waiter was nowhere to be found. I waited and waited and finally walked over to the hostess stand and explained that I needed to pay for my meal and hurry to the airport. She smiled and explained that I would not have to pay for my meal, because both the waiter and she felt compelled to pay my bill due to the joy that was brought to the faces of the elderly couple and the amazement of the young couples.
When I told her that they didn't have to do that, she said with a smile "Love begets Love."The writer’s purpose of writing the passage is to .
| A．suggest love never dies |
| B．share an interesting experience |
| C．encourage us to help people in need |
| D．prove a show of love really makes a difference |
Why did the elderly couple pay the bill of the two young couples?
| A．Because they were always ready to help poor people. |
| B．Because they were happy to pass the love they gained. |
| C．Because they invited the young people to the meal. |
| D．Because they didn’t want to take the advantage of the writer’s generosity. |
What can be inferred from the story?
| A．The love between the elderly couple deeply touched the writer who was single. |
| B．The young couples paid the bill of other customers in the restaurant. |
| C．The waiter left on purpose and made the writer stay alone to test him. |
| D．The writer did all this to prove his belief in love. |
Which of the following proverbs can best explain the theme of the story?
| A．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| B．Where there is love, there is life. |
| C．Love me, love my dog. |
| D．As a man sows, so shall he reap (收获). |
As we know，many teen celebrities(名人) feel and think that having a slimmer figure can do great good to them．But，does size really matter？Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their celebrity idols(偶像)？Do celebrities really have the power to influence people，especially teenagers？
For the longest time，many parents blame teen idols for influencing the way their kids act．Have you noticed how teens idolize the celebrities these days？Even，their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days．Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan of Mary Kate Ashley．They are definitely famous teen stars．But，since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business，their health and body suffer．Many kids are aware of this problem．But they are easily influenced by these celebrities to exercise and eat less．
It is a fact that the media，and especially famous teen celebrities，can influence people powerfully．But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place．Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts．They use thin models and celebrities to endorse(做广告宣传) products or to star in an up-and –coming shows or movies．With fierce competition，celebrities are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way．
Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents．Media，especially as well as the celebrities，have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad．It’s good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening．If not，parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what’s in ad what’s out．From the passage we can find Lindsay Lohan_________．
| A．lives an unhealthy lifestyle |
| B．lives a rich and happy life |
| C．doesn’t get any exercise |
| D．sets a good example for teenagers |
According to the writer，why are teenagers easily influenced by some TV shows？
| A．They are tired of school． |
| B．Their celebrity idols appear in many TV shows． |
| C．They’re in their development period． |
| D．They have nothing to do in their spare time |
Many celebrities have to be on diet__________．
| A．to keep healthy to face competition |
| B．to survive under pressure |
| C．to keep a slim size |
| D．to satisfy their teenage fans |
What’s the title of the passage？
| A．Parents’ responsibilities |
| B．Advice on self-control |
| C．Bad influences of celebrities |
| D．Media’s bad influences |
Maybe you don’t think animals have certain mental powers which human beings do not have．But the truth is that some of them have instincts，and besides this，I am sure they can feel certain things we humans cannot．A personal experience showed me this．
Some years ago，I had a dog named Howard．From the time when he was a puppy，he was timid，so we named him Howard，sounding like “coward”！He was especially afraid of thunderstorms．At the first flash of lightning or crash of thunder，he would run whining into his house and hide under a table．
I often went for a walk with Howard．Once，as we were walking along a road，it began to rain．I quickly ran to a bus stop for shelter．The bus stop had a roof supported by metal poles．Soon after I had got there，Howard caught my trousers in his teeth and tried to pull me away．At first I was puzzled and a little angry at his behavior．But I decided to humor him and walked away from the shelter into the rain and started to go home．
When I was about two hundred metres from the shelter，there came a flash of lightning and soon after，there was thunder which nearly deafened me．Howard stopped walking and began whining．Thinking he was afraid，I bent to pick him up．As I straightened up，I glanced at the bus shelter we had just left．I was shocked to see that two of the poles were bent and the roof was lying on the ground，broken．The shelter had been struck by the bolt of lightning！The author named his dog Howard mainly because of_______．
| A．his timid characteristic |
| B．one of the author’s friends Howard |
| C．his loud sound |
| D．his strange behaviors |
The reason why the author was puzzled and angry with the dog was that_______．
| A．Howard had a strange behavior |
| B．Howard should be afraid of the metal poles |
| C．Howard should know the approaching of the terrible lightning |
| D．Howard bit his trousers in his teeth |
Which of the following is true according to the passage？
| A．Dogs are cleverer and better than men． |
| B．Dogs are usually afraid of thunderstorms． |
| C．Some animals can feel certain things humans cannot． |
| D．Dogs are naturally born heroes． |
What can be inferred about the bus shelter from the passage？
| A．It was about 200 meters from the author’s home． |
| B．It was destroyed in a rainy day． |
| C．Its roof was supported by wood poles． |
| D．It could produce blinding flash of lightning． |
Man still has a lot to learn about the most powerful and complex part of his body — the brain.
It may be surprising to learn that it isn’t age that makes you lose your memory. The reason could be that you have a "lazy" memory, not an old one. Like your body your memory improves with exercise. Once given plenty of exercise, the brain keeps its power. Before discussing how to improve the memory, let’s look at how the brain works. There are two sides to the brain, the left and the right. The right side deals with the senses (what we see, hear, feel and smell). It's the creative and imaginative side. The left side is concerned with logic. It analyzes information and puts it in order.
Some recent research suggests that we remember everything that happens to us. The problem most of us has is recalling events. Most forgetting takes place immediately after learning. An hour after learning something new, more than 50% has been forgotten. After a month, 80% has been forgotten, and so on.
This shows revision is very important. If you revise new material you have learnt, you remember much more. So it's of vital importance to revise newly learned material often, and have frequent breaks. We best remember what we learn at the beginning of a learning period and at the point where we stop. After the break, revise what was learned before the break and then continue learning the new material. These breaks should happen every 20 or 45 minutes.
Other experiments have shown the brain needs time to "digest" what has been learned. The time necessary for this is 5 to 10 minutes. After the break, the memory will have absorbed what it has just learned, and more will be remembered. During this period it is important to exercise the right side of the brain, because the left side is used during the learning period. Therefore you should relax. Listening to music, breathing in fresh air, and looking at a picture are all ways of using the other side of the brain. So when you are studying alone, make a plan which shows when to have breaks and to revise newly learned material immediately before you begin studying again. If you do in this way, your memory will improve.According to the text, you lose your memory by ________.
| A．getting too old | B．hardly using your brain |
| C．working too hard | D．using your brain too much |
To fight forgetting effectively, we're advised to ________.
| A．go back to what was learned regularly |
| B．break down materials into small pieces |
| C．focus on both ends of a learning period |
| D．take breaks to give the brain a good rest |
During the learning process the brain need breaks to ________.
| A．use the right side of the brain |
| B．revise newly learnt materials |
| C．take in what has been learnt |
| D．relax the left side of the brain |
Where is this text most probably taken from?
| A．Science fictions. | B．Students’ literature. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A science report. |
Welcome to Arundel Castle which is situated in West Sussex, England. The castle has a history of nearly 1000 years and has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world. Arundel Castle also plays a starring role in many films.
The Gardens
The White Garden is planted with soft white Iceberg Roses, and Snow White Lilies.
The Rose Garden is newly planted with lovely old-fashioned English roses that are at their very best in June and July.
The Organic Kitchen Garden produces a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, pears, cherries and apples.
The Castle Shop
In the Castle Shop, you will discover a wide and interesting range of gift ideas for everyone. It offers gifts and souvenirs designed to appeal to all tastes and pockets. Foods, china, books, and stationery (文具)are all available. Many are sold in this Castle Shop only.
At Arundel Castle we pride ourselves on supporting local suppliers and actively encourage environmentally friendly products.
The Arundel Festival 2014
Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August
The annual Arundel Festival gets bigger and better every year. It is one of the most amazing, diverse and easily accessible arts festivals in the UK, offering a mix of visual arts, music, theatre and street entertainment.
Parking
Coaches and mini-buses can drop off at the main Castle entrance in Mill Road and park in the main town car park that is opposite the Castle entrance. Please inform us when making your booking of how many parking permits are required.When visiting the castle, you can________.
| A．get old-fashioned English roses as gifts |
| B．buy eco-friendly products in the Castle Shop |
| C．get seasonal fruit and vegetables for free |
| D．see how the local gifts are being made |
How long does the Arundel Festival last this year?
| A．10 days | B．One week | C．16 days | D．One month |
Where can you park the coach?
| A．In Mill Road |
| B．Inside the Castle |
| C．In the main town car park |
| D．At the main Castle entrance |
A recent survey in the United States showed that the average family spent more money on its pets than on its children. Although rather shocking, it should not surprise anyone who has seen the doggy parlors(客厅) where loved pets rest. Are Americans unique in treating their little friends in this way? No, the English, too, pay more attention to their pets.
This can clearly be seen when we look at pet foods, which often contain more vitamins than human food. They certainly cost much. Last year the British public spent two hundred million pounds on pet food alone, to say nothing of veterinary bills or animal furniture. It is difficult not to feel angry about this when considering what the same amount could do for victims of starvation and poverty, so it is not unusual for me to get hot under collar when I read an old man left all his money to his dog instead of his children.
There are a variety of reasons why I find pets-raising alarming. They cause physical problems. An example of this is New York where they have great difficulty getting rid of the mess that dogs leave on the streets. Many people find this funny, but in a number of large cities it is a major problem. Animals can cause disease, too. It is the threat of rabies — a disease with no known cure.
Another problem is the carelessness of pet owners. Most little children want a dog or a cat, and they continually push their mothers and fathers until they get one. It is only when the "sweet little thing" has been brought home that the parents realize how much time and money must be spent on "Rover" or "Bonzo". Then they just abandon it. As a result, they are allowed to run free. English farmers lose hundreds of sheep a year, killed by someone's pet and you must have read of children being hurt by some pets of their own.
Lastly, I would only suggest that we have got our priorities wrong and that something should be done about it. In my view, it's time we stopped being sentimental about pets. I can see no reason why we should get upset when animals are cut up for medical experiments. This will lead us to discovering cures for serious human diseases, then I say, “keep cutting!”The doggy parlors are mentioned in the 1st paragraph to show ________.
| A．where Americans keep their pets |
| B．what costly lives the pets are living |
| C．why children love their pets so much |
| D．how much pets depend on their masters |
In the second paragraph "to get hot under the collar" probably means ________.
| A．getting quite hot | B．feeling overwhelmingly angry |
| C．becoming excited | D．receiving a fashionable shirt |
According to the author, in which field can animals be most useful?
| A．Pet. | B．Food. | C．Medicine. | D．Sports. |
What is author’s attitude towards pets-raising?
| A．Pitiful. | B．Neutral. | C．Opposed. | D．Supportive. |
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