On June 15th，2012，millions of people watched as 33yearold Nik Wallenda walked across one of the world's greatest waterfalls on a tightrope(钢丝)．What made the 25－minute walk that was televised live and watched by over 13 million people worldwide even more amazing，is that it was done over the Niagara Falls－An action that had never been attempted before.
Even though Nik was wearing a harness(保护带)，a safety measure provided by ABC，the television network that broadcast the event，his action to keep his balance against the strong winds made for some heart－stopping(令人担忧的) moments for the audience.
Nik，however，never slowed down for even one moment.Wearing special shoes made by his mother，he remained totally focused on the job at hand.It was only when he got to the last stretch near Canada's Table Rock that he knelt down on one knee and finally broke into a smile.Waving and blowing kisses to the cheering audience，he knew he had accomplished a great task，which most people had thought impossible.
While he described the whole experience as peaceful and relaxing，Nik said his biggest challenges came from a totally unexpected source－his 40 pound balancing pole.The balancing pole was so heavy that he could hardly carry it on the tightrope.
One would think that now that Nik has realized his lifelong dream he would be ready to hang up his “balancing pole”．However，the adventurer who already has seven Guinness World Records under his belt，is just getting started－Next up? A 5，000－foot tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon.While the one across the Niagara Falls took years of planning because he had to convince the US and Canadian officials，this one should happen in the very near future.That's because，the Florida resident has already been granted(授予) a permit by the Canyon officials.Why did so many people fix their attention on the event?
A．Because it was done by Nik Wallenda.
B．Because nobody had done it there before.
C．Because it was broadcast live by ABC.
D．Because it was impossible to do the event.What made the audience hold their breath during Nik's performance?
| A．How Nik managed to cross the Niagara Falls with safety measure. |
| B．What Nik would do when he lost his balance on the tightrope. |
| C．How Nik kept his balance against the strong winds. |
| D．How long Nik will take to finish the event. |
What was the greatest difficulty for him to face in Nik view?
| A．The supplied tightrope. |
| B．The safety belt. |
| C．The balancing pole. |
| D．The audience's noise. |
What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Nik will go on with his dream. |
| B．Nik's life dream is changing. |
| C．Permission of governments is important. |
| D．The Grand Canyon is a dream for Nik. |
Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also cause damage to physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study.
For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority(当权者) has shown no relationship with workers’ health. But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work disturbs their home life. However, the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out (抵消) the negative aspects when it came to people’s physical and psychological health.
These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages and disadvantages of authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects. For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and well-being. Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay.
Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and tiredness. Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.
“This isn’t to suggest that having authority is ‘bad’ — in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the negative sides and deal with them.” researcher Scott Schieman said. Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy physical and mental well-being by creating stress. “These are key stressors that can tax individuals’ ability to function effectively,” Schieman said. Work will have a negative effect on job authority’s health probably because ________.
| A．they are not fit for their work |
| B．they have power over hiring and pay |
| C．they are faced with severe competition |
| D．they don’t get on well with their co-workers |
Most people don’t see that bosses have health effects because ________.
| A．their health problems are not serious enough to see |
| B．they have enough money to keep themselves healthy |
| C．their problems are quite different from those of workers |
| D．the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other |
From the passage we can infer that the study aims to ________.
| A．warn people not to be a boss for ever |
| B．remind the boss to deal with the bad effects of their work |
| C．show that having authority is harmful to one’s health |
| D．prove that being a boss can benefit a lot |
The best title for this passage might be ________.
| A．Lower-status can affect health |
| B．Authority can affect health in a way |
| C．Positive aspects of a power position |
| D．Disadvantages of being a boss |
I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks (地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan! When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.
| A．describe the place carefully |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets |
| D．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles. |
| C．Kansas. | D．Iowa. |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ______.
| A．to save time | B．as a test |
| C．to be polite | D．for fun |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
That cold January night, it seemed I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible robbers. Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
| A．Cold and sick | B．ucky and hopeful |
| C．Satisfied and cheerful | D．Disappointed and helpless |
In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
| A．Someone offered to take her back home. |
| B．A red-haired man came to see her. |
| C．She heard someone call her name. |
| D．Her wallet was found in a garbage truck. |
From the text, we can infer that the writer ________.
| A．would stop working at night |
| B．would stay on in San Francisco |
| C．would make friends with cleaners |
| D．would give up her job at the bank |
The text is developed ________.
| A．by contrast | B．by space |
| C．by example | D．by time |
There is a saying “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” What one individual considers beautiful may not be beautiful to another. When we talk about beauty in people, we often refer to their physical attractiveness. Of course, a beautiful or handsome face is pleasant to look at. But to me, beauty is not only something that pleases the eyes, but also pleases the other senses and the mind. I think true beauty makes you see beyond the lovely sight. It will give you insight or realization of something interesting beyond just the outward appearance.
The most memorable “beautiful people” are those who have attractive personalities behind the pretty faces. In one of my previous classes, there were two beautiful girls, Sue and Lin. Both had almost perfect faces and slender figures. But Lin was used to getting her way. She felt that her looks could help her get anything she wanted, especially among the boys. Sue, on the other hand, treated her beauty in a matter-of-fact way and she was nice to everyone. She was also a member of the debating team. Her personality was mostly accepted by others and it made her a more outstanding beauty than Lin.
Inner beauty is another kind of beauty that attracts people greatly. People who have this kind of beauty have attained (达到) inner peace. They care about their fellow-men, and try to right the injustices in this world. Two well-known personalities who exemplify (以…为典型) this are Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. Mandela is willing to sacrifice his life and freedom to obtain equal right for the blacks in South Africa. Mother Theresa’s mission (使命) is to help the poorest of the world’s poor. This inner look makes the world a better place. When we talk about beauty in people, we often only refer to __________.
| A．“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” |
| B．something beyond the lovely sight |
| C．their attractive appearance |
| D．the other senses |
According to the passage, why did the author think Sue was more beautiful than Lin?
| A．Because Sue had perfect face. |
| B．Because Sue was highly thought of by others. |
| C．Because Sue had slender figure. |
| D．Because Lin treated her beauty in a matter-of-fact way. |
What’s the author’s opinion on beauty?
| A．Beauty is a perfect face. |
| B．Beauty is something that pleases the eyes. |
| C．Beauty is an attractive personality behind the pretty faces. |
| D．Inner beauty doesn’t attract people. |
If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake，there would be a lot of candles．He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out．
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day，few people in the United States will give him a passing thought．It’s nothing personal．Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes．
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius．In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China．
In the past two decades，the Chinese study programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities．More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries．These schools teach both Chinese language and culture．The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art，history and philosophy．Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the old Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy．Students in the United States，at the same time，are racing to learn Chinese．So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States．Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers．
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well．
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West．
As for the old thinker，he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West，even if his birthday is．The first paragraph is mainly intended to_________．
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| C．show great respect for the old thinker |
| D．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
The reason why few Americans remember Confucius on his birthday is probably that______．
| A．they don’t care about Confucius at all． |
| B．they consider their own national heroes more important． |
| C．he has become a bridge between foreigners and China. |
| D．they don’t pay much attention to the birthdays of famous people． |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students________．
| A．were not interested in Chinese studies before |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| D．hope to make money in China |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
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