Have you ever had an embarrassing（尴尬的）experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony:
My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool secondary school. One morning my alarm clock didn't ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn't go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn't understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry:
The most embarrassing experience I've ever had, happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favourite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife's hand. There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face. I hadn't taken my wife's hand. I'd taken the hand of a complete stranger!
James:
My wife and I had decided to buy a new house, and I'd made an appointment to see our bank manager. I'd never met him before. I went into town in my car and I was lucky enough to find a parking space outside the bank. I'd just started reversing(倒车) into the space when another car made its way into it. I was irritated! I opened my window and shouted at the man in the car. He ignored me and walked away. It took me twenty minutes to find another place. As soon as I had parked the car, I rushed back to the bank. I was ten minutes late for my appointment. I went to the manager's office, knocked and walked in. The manager was sitting behind his desk. He was the man who had taken my parking space!The students began laughing when they saw Tony_______.
| A．wearing a wrong shoe | B．carrying an alarm clock |
| C．looking down suddenly | D．rushing into the classroom |
Henry was embarrassed because he_______.
| A．slapped the woman in the face |
| B．took the hand of a complete stranger |
| C．heard his wife screaming in the street |
| D．knocked over some watches in the shop |
James went into town to_______.
| A．put money in the bank | B．look for a job |
| C．meet the bank manager | D．buy a new car |
The underlined word "irritated" probably means "_______ ".
| A．angry | B．impolite | C．worried | D．embarrassed |
More than 50 music students of New Milford High School in New Jersey, US, got a letter from their headmaster. The letter said that the music department (系) of the school was in big trouble. The students had to pass a test, or the department would be closed.
The test came on Saturday. The nervous students were required t, o play a piece of music created by Richard Strauss. And they had to sing the words to the music - German words! There were also other difficult tasks. One student had to sing Mary Had A little Lamb, a children's song, in an operatic (歌剧的) voice.
After three hours of testing, the students all waited for the results. They met some students from the New Jersey Youth Orchestra (管弦乐团) while waiting. They had the same test and only got a passing grade.
The worried New Milford High School students started to realize they had no chance. But then the headmaster came and told them something very dramatic (戏剧性的), "Someone has played a joke on you TV "
What was going on?
The test was part of a new reality TV show called "Schooled". The students' parents, the school and a TV network had made it together. Everything was faked. The "students from New Jersey Youth Orchestra" were students from another school. There were hidden cameras. The students' parents were hiding as they watched.
As a reward for putting up with the joke, the students got gifts: MP3 players, digital cameras and school supplies (文具). They were all from the show's sponsor (赞助商).
| A．the headmaster would be in big trouble |
| B．the school had a problem with money |
| C．the students had to pass a test to save the music department |
| D．the students had to give up music |
| A．they were not good at music |
| B．the test was very simple |
| C．they thought they couldn't pass |
| D．the test meant so much |
| A．not real | B．not serious |
| C．popular | D．stupid |
| A．music course | B．TV show |
| C．documentary | D．comedy film |
Yesterday I went to the nursing home to visit my grandma. She just got out of the hospital recently where she had some serious operations.
When I got there, she was so happy to see me. We hugged, kissed and exchanged greetings. Then I heard a woman crying. It was my grandma's roommate. The curtain was drawn so I could not see her. She started calling out a name that wasn't mine but she was certainly talking to me, begging me to go to her side of the room.
I ignored (忽视) her at first and continued talking with my grandma. Then she started begging and saying, "Please, come to see me!" So I went to see her.
When I drew the curtain back, she looked so old but flashed me the biggest smile ! She opened her arms wide for me to hug her so I bent low and gave her a hug. I sat on her bed and talked with her for a few minutes. She kept calling me by the other name, but I did not correct her. She told me stories as if I had been there when they happened.
Finally I went back to talk with my grandma. Then the woman started crying again, saying, "Please, come back." She finally slept.
I stopped by the nurse's station and the nurse told me that the lady suffers from Alzheimer's (老年痴呆症). I mentioned the name she had called me. The nurse told me it was the lady's daughter's name, Then I understood why she wanted me to go to visit her.
We will all get old some day. Some of us will have broken minds like the lady and some of us will have broken bodies like my grandma. As I was leaving, I promised I would go back and visit the lady, even after my grandma moves back to her home.
| A．Because she needed another operation. |
| B．Because she had been used to living there. |
| C．Because she waited for the writer to come. |
| D．Because she wanted to see her old friends there. |
| A．she missed her daughter very much |
| B．she expected to tell stories to the writer |
| C．she feared the curtain being drawn |
| D．she was troubled by the writer's talking |
| A．Selfish. | B．Lonely. | C．Strong. | D．Lazy. |
| A．The lady came out to see me. |
| B．The lady's daughter always visited her. |
| C．The writer's grandma had something important to tell her. |
| D．The writer would go back and visit the old lady. |
、阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下面的四篇短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
A
Plants are very important for living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is be-cause plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.
Flowering plants can make seeds（种子）.The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit.
Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores（孢子）．Spores are very, very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores fall on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.
| A．Of all living things, animals are most important. |
| B．Spores are seeds. |
| C．All fruits of flowering plants have seeds. |
| D．Without plants, man will die out. |
| A．how plants can make food from air |
| B．how spores grow into new plants |
| C．why some plants have no seeds |
| D．why non-flowering plants are more important than flowering plants |
| A．a story book | B．a novel |
| C．a science magazine | D．a laboratory report |
Robots seem to be getting more and more advanced, as these four examples clearly show.
Simon the Robot was developed by the Georgia Institute of
Technology. He's an upper-torso humanoid robot (上躯干机器人).
Simon the Robot can grasp and release objects, clean up a workspace and
interact with humans. In tests, Simon the Robot could tell whether
someone was paying attention to him.
Budgee was created by Five Elements Robotics. With two wheels and a
little basket, he can carry things for you while you are at the shops or in the
park. You can communicate with him by using an app on your phone, and
set basic commands such as the distance he has to walk behind you.
Budgee can hold up to 22 kilograms and fold up into a small package that
weighs just over 2 kilograms.
Paro is a baby seal (海豹) robot that was designed by
Takanori Shibata. He's used on patients in hospitals and nursing
homes. He can respond to sounds, learn a name and even show
emotions such as surprise, happiness and anger. And he's active
during the day and sleeps at night.
Rover was created by a team at Sydney University and has been
used to herd (放牧) cows. The prototype needs to be operated by a
human but in the future they're hoping to develop a fully_automated
version. As well as herding cows, Rover can also monitor animals that
are about to give birth, and gather data on soil. Which of these robots can help us carry things when shopping?
| A．Simon the Robot. | B．Budgee. |
| C．Paro. | D．Rover. |
What can Rover do to help people?
| A．Clean up a workspace. | B．Nurse patients. |
| C．Herd cows. | D．Show emotions. |
Which word has the same meaning as the underlined word “commands” ?
| A．orders | B．purposes |
| C．introductions | D．voices |
What is special about the robot designed by Takanori Shibata?
| A． He is active all day and all night. |
| B． He can talk with patients. |
| C． He looks like a baby. |
| D． He always works in hospitals. |
Where does this passage possibly come from?
| A．sports newspaper. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．A travel guidebook. | D．A shopping advertisement. |
In September 2013, the China National Tourism Administration（国家旅游局）issued a new set of tourist guideline in order to improve tourists' behavior when they travel abroad. Although the 64-page handbook contains suggestions for Chinese tourists when traveling at home, the main purpose is to improve the poor reputation（声誉）of Chinese tourists abroad.
In 2013, more than 83 million Chinese people traveled overseas, up 18 percent from the year 2012, according to the China Tourism Academy. But even as they travel farther, the Chinese tourists continue to take bad habits with them. From damaging ancient Egyptian temples to letting children defecate（排便）in the middle of airports, Chinese tourists have earned a bad fame. Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang even stressed the need for Chinese tourists to behave better while traveling overseas so as to protect China's image abroad.
Now with the latest "guidebook", Chinese travelers should have no excuse for rude behavior. According to the guidelines, when using the restroom, Chinese tourists are asked not to forget to flush the toilet after using it.
The guidelines also remind tourists of not fighting with others when they want to take pictures at tourist attractions. When flying, the guidelines advise travelers not to take life vests（救生衣）away from airplanes.
Chinese tourists are also encouraged to be respectful of local customs wherever they travel. In the United Kingdom, for example, it is not polite to ask people。Where are you going?" or “Have you eaten?", the handbook says.
Nevertheless, with a very short history of traveling overseas, it is not surprising that many Chinese tourists behave badly on their foreign trips. We should give them time to change.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填涂在答题卡相应位置。What's the main purpose of the new guideline?
| A．To improve the Chinese tourists' behavior abroad. |
| B．To guide the Chinese tourists how to travel farther. |
| C．To introduce the famous places of interest all over the world. |
| D．To give suggestions to Chinese tourists when traveling at home. |
How many people traveled abroad in 2012?
| A．About 83 million. | B．About 18 million. |
| C．About 98 million. | D．About 70 million. |
Which of the following behavior is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Damaging ancient Egyptian temples. |
| B．Taking life vests away from airplanes. |
| C．Fighting with others when taking pictures. |
| D．Taking photos in areas marked "No photos". |
What are Chinese tourists encouraged to do?
| A．Respect local customs wherever they travel. |
| B．Try to be polite both at home and abroad. |
| C．Ask questions when they meet with difficulty. |
| D．Take the guidebook with them when traveling abroad. |
Why is it not surprising for some Chinese tourists to behave badly abroad?
| A．They can't speak foreign languages. |
| B．They don't get trained before traveling abroad. |
| C．They don't understand local people and culture. |
| D．China has a very short history of overseas travel. |
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