Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big dream—to play the drums in a band. But one big problem lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.
One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.
With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit（成套设备） and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.
It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.
Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: ''If those old people next–door hadn't mattered so much to me, I wouldn't have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened.''Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?
| A．Because she didn't want others to hear her play |
| B．Because she didn't mean to disturb others. |
| C．Because she didn't have her own room |
| D．Because she didn’t like her neighbors. |
Brenda started to give concerts _______.
| A．after she practiced in her space bubble |
| B．when she became part of the unique space journey |
| C．after she became a real musical astronaut |
| D．when people came to see her in the space bubble |
Brenda became famous because _______.
| A．she was good at music and science |
| B．she became a real musical astronaut |
| C．she invented a special way of practice |
| D．she played well and had a talent |
It can be inferred from the text that: " _______".
| A．He laughs best who laughs last | B．It's never too old to learn |
| C．Two heads are better than one | D．One good turn deserves another |
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes． Think about the kind of clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes on sale．
There are labels(标签) ins
ide all new clothes． The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes． The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water． A sweater l
abel may tell you to wash in cold water． The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat． If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time．
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned． Dry cleaning is expensive． When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned． You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made． Well-made clothes last longer． They look good even after they have been washed many times． Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made． They do not always fit better． Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes．If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that __ ．
| A．don’t fit you | B．don’t last long |
| C．need to be dry cleaned | D．can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you______．
| A．how to keep them looking their best | B．how to save money |
| C．whether they fit you or not | D．where to get them dry cleaned |
The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is __ ．
A．to look for well-made clothes |
| B．to see how much money you can spend on it |
| C．to know how to wash them |
| D．to read the labels inside them |
We learn from the passage that cheaper clothes __ ．
| A．are always worse made | B．must be dry cleaned |
| C．can not be washed | D．can sometimes fit you b etter |
The best title for the passage should be __ ．
| A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes |
| B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
| C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper |
| D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
Many teenagers(青少年) feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends．They believe that their family members don’t know them as well as their friends do．In large families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas．
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends．Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone．This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something．These things are difficult to tell their family members．
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them．Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends．Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who chooses your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?
Your answers are welcome． Many teenagers think that ____ can understand them better．
| A．friends | B．brothers | C．sisters | D．parents |
When teenagers have something difficult to tell their parent
s, they usually____．
| A．stay alone at home | B．fight with their parents |
| C．discuss it with their friends | D．go to their brothers and sisters for help |
The sentence (句子) “Your answers are welcome．” means _______．
| A．You are welcome to discuss the questions with us |
| B．We’ve got no idea, so your answers are welcome |
| C．Your answers are always right |
| D．You can give us all the right answers |
Which of the following is the writer’s attitude(态度)?
| A．Parents should choose friends for their children． |
| B．Children should choose everything they like． |
| C．Parents should understand their children better． |
| D．Teenagers should only go to their friends for help． |
Part of the purpose of this
passage is to ___.
| A．give information for the parents to make their own judgment (判断) |
| B．give advice to children who want to choose their friends |
| C．help parents to find better friends for their children |
| D．get some information from many readers |
The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said humorously, “England and America are two nations divided by a common language. If he were writing today, he might add ‘divided by a common technology--- e-mail’”.
Two completely different styles of e-mail have formed on either side of the Atlantic-Euromail and Amerimail. Americail is informal and chatty. It’s likely to begin with a “Hi” and end with a “Bye”. The chances of Amerimail containing a smiley face or an “xoxo” are disturbingly high. We Americans are unwilling to dive into the meat of an e-mail. We feel we have to first inform recipients (收信人) about our vacation on the island which was really excellent except the jellyfish were biting and the kids caught a cold, so we had to skip the whale watching trip, but about that investors’ meeting in New York. Amerimail is a bundle of contradictions, casual and yet direct, respectful yet over proud. In other words, Amerimail is America.
Euromail is stiff and cold often beginning with a formal “Dear Mr. X” and ending with a simple “Sincerely”. You won’t find any mention of kids or the weather or jellyfish in Euromail. It’s all business. It’s also slow. Your correspondent might take days even weeks to answer a message. Euromail is exactly like the Europeans themselves.
Recently about 100 managers were asked on both sides of the Atlantic whether they noticed differences in e-mail styles. Most said yes. Here are a few of their observations:
“Americans tend to write (e-mail) exactly as they speak.”
“Why don’t you just call me instead of writing five e-mails back and forth?”
“Europeans are less interested in checking e-mail”.
“In general, Americans are much more responsive to e-mail—they respond faster and provide more information.”
So which is better, Euromail or Amerimail? I realized it’s not popular these days to suggest we have anything to learn from Europeans, but I’m fed up with an inbox filled with casual, barely meaningful e-mails from friends and colleagues. If the alternative is a few earnestly written, carefully worded bits of Euromail, then I say, “Bring it on.” What did George Bernard Shaw mean by saying “England and America are two nations divided by a common language”?
| A．There is not much difference between British English and American English. |
| B．Both England and America speak the common language, so they are much the same. |
| C．Either England or America is a divided nation, though they share a common language. |
| D．There is sharp difference between England and America despite their common language. |
Which of the following is most likely to be the “meat” of an Amerimail?
| A．The jellyfish were biting. |
| B．We had an excellent vacation on the island. |
| C．We had to skip the whale watching trip. |
| D．We were to attend the investors’ meeting in New York. |
On receiving an e-mail, Europeans tend to __________.
| A．respond to it immediately and earnestly |
| B．take more time than Americans to respond to it |
| C．respond by calling up their correspondent |
| D．never respond to it all |
What are characteristics of Amerimail?
| A．Informal and chatty | B．Casual and indirect |
| C．Stiff and cold | D．Formal and direc60 |
We can conclude from the passage that __________.
| A．the different e-mail styles do much harm to the relationship between the two sides on Atlantic |
| B．Amerimail is more appreciated by the writer for being informative and casually written |
| C．Euromail always impresses the writer as something more pleasant to read |
| D．the writer doesn’t favor either e-mail style as both have their own shortcomings |
TOKYO -- The number of domestic infections cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Japan hits 42 on Sunday after a total of 34 people in Osaka and Hyogo counties were confirmed to have been infected, local media reported.
The total number of the infection in the country now stands at 46, including the first four cases contracted abroad.
The country is now facing the risk of grass-root outbreak which could lead the WHO to raise its new flu pandemic alert（传染病预警）to the highest level of 6 from the current 5, experts has warned.
The 34 newly confirmed domestic cases, 11 in Osaka and 23 in Hyogo, included high school students, college students and teachers, the health ministry and local governments said Sunday.
Japan on Saturday confirmed the first eight cases of domestic infection on students of a Kobe high school. The later confirmed cases in Osaka are said to have contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. Osaka and Hyogo are neighboring in the Kansai region.
All of the 42 people had no record of overseas travel.
Meanwhile, a total of 143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School where many infections in Osaka were found, have shown symptoms of influenza since around Monday, according to local media reports.
The privately run school said it will be closed from Monday through Saturday.
More than 1,000 educational facilities -- kindergartens, and elementary, junior and senior high schools -- in Osaka and Hyogo counties have decided to suspend classes for certain periods following the confirmation of new flu infections in the counties, Kyodo News reported.
The two counties have requested private schools to follow suit.
Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto held a meeting of a new flu task force on Sunday and decided to ask facilities such as movie theaters to suspend operations to prevent the spread of the flu.
TV clips showed people in Kansai region started to wear masks in public spaces and rushed to drug stores for buying medicines.
The Japanese government on Saturday shifted the stage of its new-flu action program from “a period of overseas outbreak” to “a period of domestic outbreak” and called for companies and schools in the areas concerned to allow individuals to avoid commuting（出行） during rush hours.
The Kyodo News quoted Masato Tashiro, a member of the World Health Organization's emergency committee, as saying that several hundred people in Japan already may have been infected with the new flu. According to the passage, the total number of the A/H1N1 infection in Japan now is __________.
| A．42 | B．34 | C．46 | D．143 |
The reasons for the happening of the later confirmed cases in Osaka are the following Except __________.
| A．143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School have shown symptoms of influenza. |
| B．Some students in a Kobe High school got infected. |
| C．Osaka and Hyogo are next to each other in the Kansai region. |
| D．The later infected people contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. |
What is the implied meaning of what Masato Tashiro said in the last paragraph?
| A．The real situation about the new flu in Japan may be worse than it has been reported. |
| B．Several hundred people have been infected but they don’t know it. |
| C．The WHO has to raise its new flu pandemic alert to the highest level. |
| D．The WHO’s emergency committee are trying to confirm the number of infection in Japan. |
Which of the following is one of the measures already taken by the Japanese government?
| A．Raising the new flu pandemic alert to the highest level. |
| B．Holding a meeting to ask some facilities in the country to stop their operations. |
| C．Calling for individuals in the whole country to avoid commuting during rush hours. |
| D．Changing its stage of its new-flu action program to a more serious level. |
The purpose of the passage is __________.
| A．to introduce the domestic infection cases in Japan. |
| B．to draw people’s attention to the worsening situation. |
| C．to give some advice on preventing the spread of the flu. |
| D．to call for educational facilities in Japan to suspend classes for some time. |
In the earliest stages of man’s development he had no more need of money than animals have. He was content with very simple forms of shelter, made his own rough tools and weapons and could provide food and clothing for himself and his family from natural materials around him. As he became more civilized, however, he began to want better shelter, more efficient tools and weapons, and more comfortable and more lasting clothing than could be provided by his own neighborhood or by the work of his own unskilled hands. For these things he had to turn to the skilled people such as smiths, leather workers or carpenters. It was then that the question of payment arose.
At first he got what he wanted by a simple process of exchange. The smith who had not the time to look after land or cattle was glad to take meat or grain from the farmer in exchange for an axe or a plough (犁). But as more and more goods which had no fixed exchange value came on the market, exchange became too complicated to be satisfactory. Another problem arose when those who made things wanted to get stocks of wood or leather, or iron, but had nothing to offer in exchange until their finished goods were ready.
Thus the difficulties of exchange led by degree to the invention of money. In some countries easily handled things like seeds or shells were given a certain value and farmer, instead of paying the smith for a new axe by giving him some meat or grain, gave him so many shells. If the smith had any shells left when he had bought his food, he could get stocks of the raw materials of his trade. In some countries quite large things such as cows or camels or even big flat stones were used for trade. Later, pieces of metal, bearing values according to the rarity (稀有) of the metal and the size of the pieces, or coins were used. Money as we know it had arrived.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Man needed little in the earliest stages of development. |
| B．Man preferred to make tools by himself. |
| C．How the simple process of exchange arose. |
| D．What the early man needed from others. |
As men became more civilized they __________.
| A．all learnt to make by themselves the things needed |
| B．had to travel a lot to look for what they wanted |
| C．wanted better things than those they themselves could provide |
| D．no longer provided food and clothing for themselves |
Exchange of goods became difficult because __________.
| A．man became more civilized |
| B．there was not a marketplace for farmers and smiths to exchange their goods |
| C．farmers hadn’t enough grain or meat to provide for skilled workers |
| D．more and more goods which had no fixed exchange values appeared on the market. |
Money was not used until __________.
| A．paper was invented |
| B．nothing could be offered in exchange |
| C．people practiced a simple process of exchange |
| D．the exchange of one thing for another became too complicated |
What was used for trade according to the text?
| A．Shells | B．Tea | C．Salt | D．Horses |
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