Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament(证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don’t worry abut their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you’d like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat--this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!
So please treasure your college years--make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & MomWe can read between the lines that________.
| A．Dad is very strict with his daughter |
| B．Dad has a strong love for his daughter |
| C．Dad always worries about his daughter |
| D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Plan things before you do them. |
| B．Self-learning is very important in college. |
| C．Follow your passion and what other people say. |
| D．Leading a life is just like driving a car. |
The underlined word “destiny” in the passage is the closest in meaning to____________.
| A．weight | B．Time | C．position | D．life |
The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to____________.
| A．make the most of her college | B．fight till she succeeds |
| C．be confident and happy | D．smile to her trouble in 1ife |
A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces (熔炉) that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die.
The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns.
After the explosion gravity pulls in what’s left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds.
The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born!
That’s what we know about black holes. What we don’t know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine.
But if the black hole doesn’t keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a “white hole” in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly—somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time — many years in the past or future.
Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black hole must remain a mystery.
Black holes are a mystery—but that hasn’t stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth’s energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste—a sort of huge waste disposal(处理) in the sky!When the star begins to die ______.
| A．there is no fuel left in it | B．its outer layer goes into space first |
| C．a huge explosion will happen | D．it doesn’t give off light any longer |
Which of the following doesn’t help produce a black hole?
| A．The gravity inside the star is very strong. | B．The light can’t go out of the star. |
| C．The star becomes smaller and smaller | D．The dying star shines very brightly. |
The black hole ______.
| A．continues becoming smaller and smaller all the time |
| B．goes into another universe and becomes a white hole |
| C．can pull in everything we know of in the world |
| D．will appear at another place at a different time |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A New Scientific Discovery: Black Holes |
| B．How Do Black Holes Come Into Being? |
| C．What Are Black Holes? |
| D．Travel Through A Black Hole |
BEIJING, Nov. 26—U.S. dollar hit another record low against the euro on Friday, with the European currency climbing above $1.32 for the first time. The green-back fell to its lowest in nearly five years against the yen the same day.
By 1943 EST, the dollar was trading at US$1.3265 per euro, compared with US$1.3270 in thin late New York trade. It was at 102.55 yen, little changed from New York after touching 102.37, a level not seen since March 2000, in London.
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki repeated his warning against dollar weakness, threatening to take action against sudden moves, but market participants said such verbal intervention (口头干涉) had long lost its clout.
Traders were expecting market liquidity to remain thin on Friday because of the extended U.S. holiday.
In such thin trading, many said a fall in the dollar past 102 yen and US$1.33 per euro was a real possibility.
Referring to recent currency movements as “brutal”, European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet, who is the most vocal European policymaker on dollar weakness, is due to make comments in Rio de Janeiro, along with ECB council member and Spanish central bank governor Jaime Caruana.
Introduced in 1999 as the common currency for 12 European countries, the euro initially(最初) dropped against the dollar but has risen some 60 percent since hitting an all-time low of 82 U.S. cents in October 2000.
What does “the green-back” refer to in the first paragraph?
| A．U.S. dollar | B．Another record |
| C．The euro | D．European currency |
How did Sadakazu Tanigaki feel about dollar weakness?
| A．Excited | B．Puzzled | C．worried | D．Disappointed |
The underlined word “brutal” probably means ______.
| A．cruelty | B．help | C．criticism | D．apology |
According to some people, it was possible for the dollar to trade ______.
| A．at 1.3265 per euro | B．at 1.32 per euro |
| C．at 1.3270 per euro | D．at 1.331 per euro |
| PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER WANTED A well-known printing company, now well established in the UK and in the Far East, wishes to set up a manufacturing base in Europe. An experienced manager, responsible to the Production Director, is required to assist in setting up the department and will then take charge of the day-to-day work. The successful applicant will have had experience of modern methods and machines especially in the printing, multicolour work and finishing processes, he / she will have had at least three years’ experience in cost-effective management. A good working knowledge of English is essential. We offer excellent pay and prospects, with 4 week’s holiday a year plus public holidays, a company car, and a company pension scheme(养老金制度). Interviews will be arranged in the nearest city to applicant’s home. Write, with CV, to the Personnel Manager, Box 32507, Daily News, Kemsworth Street, Comston. United Kingdom SG186 37AH. |
| ASSISTANT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER An internationally recognized printing company is seeking to set up a manufacturing plant in Europe. We are appointing an assistant (male or female) to our Print Production Manager. The job-holder will carry out duties involving the buying of paper and of finishing equipment, will liaise (联络) with the supervisors of the various production lines, and will assist the Production Manager. At least three years’ experience on one or more lines as well as supervisory experience is needed. A working knowledge of English is required to communicate with colleagues in the UK. We offer excellent pay, prospects, holidays, pension scheme, sick pay, etc. Write to the Manager, Box 3526. Broad Street, Northby, Millshire BK 57PX. |
Both the printing companies ______.
| A．are well-known all over the world | B．require at least three years’ experience |
| C．offer excellent pay and sick pay | D．prefer to hire a man manager |
According to the first advertisement, the applicant living in a small village will ______.
| A．get in touch with the Personal Manager by telephone | |
| B．get the result on TV | C．be interviewed in a city |
| D．write to Box 3526 to get more information |
We can infer from the two advertisements that ______.
| A．the companies want to do business in Europe and Far East. |
| B．cars are necessary for the successful applicants. |
| C．the companies haven’t got telephones to save money. |
| D．applicants should write to the company first. |
The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from. We can know from the first paragraph that ______.
| A．the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody |
| B．people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up |
| C．patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948 |
| D．the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers |
. What do we know about the NHS?
| A．It’s managed by the central government. |
| B．Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions. |
| C．It hires more people than any other unit in Europe. |
| D．Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care. |
All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ______.
| A．take care of the local people’s health |
| B．often take part in competitions to see who is the best |
| C．work under high pressure nowadays |
| D．have more responsibilities than before |
What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?
| A．suffering | B．different | C．prevented | D．free |
The biggest problem for the NHS is ______.
| A．many hospitals are too old to be used |
| B．some services are in the charge of individuals |
| C．more and more patients go to GPs for treatment |
| D．there is not enough money for further reform |
Happiness is U-shaped, for we are happier at the start and end of our lives but hit a slump when we are middle-aged, British and US researchers say.
Economists from the University of Warwick, central England, and from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, looked at data on the mental health of two million people from 80 countries.
In Britain, the probability of depression for men and women peaks at around 44 years of age, Warwick University said in a press release.
In the United States, though, ________________________between men and women. Among women, unhappiness peaked at around the age of 40, whereas among men, it was about 50.
But the U-shape of happiness is constant around the world, and mid-life depression occurs regardless of marital status(婚姻状况), changes in job or income.
The study appears in Social Science & Medicine, published by the Dutch publishing house Elsevier.
"It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children." said co-author Andrew Oswald.
One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their ambitions at middle age. The researchers said.
Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more.
But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.
"For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year," Oswald said. "Only in their fifties do people emerge from this low period.
1.Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?
There are chances that the middle-aged people will realize their ideal is likely to be unattainable.
_________________________________________________________________________
2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence．(within 10 words)
3.How do you understand the sentence that “Happiness is U-shaped”? (within 20 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
4.Is mid-life depression a common Phenomenon in the world ? How do you know?(within 15 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
5.Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese
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