Big Ben, the landmark of London, a clock famous for its accuracy and chimes(和谐的钟声), stopped working for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday.
People do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It continued keeping time, but stopped again at 10:20 p.m. and remained silent for about 90 minutes before starting up again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said.
There has been speculation(推测) that a recent period of hot weather may have been to blame(责备). Temperatures in London reached 90 ℉on Saturday, and forecasters called it England’s hottest day in May since 1953.
The clock has experienced occasional problems. In 1962, snow caused the clock to stop before the New Year. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later.How many times has Big Ben stopped up to now?
| A．Three | B．Five | C．Six | D．Eight |
The probable reason for Big Ben stopping working this time is ________.
| A．high temperature | B．low temperature |
| C．broken machine | D．heavy snow |
The passage mainly talks about ________.
| A．Big Ben’s history |
| B．the solution to Big Ben’s problem. |
| C．the landmark of London |
| D．Big Ben’s silence |
If you want to express something so unbelievable that it must have been a special effect, you have a new word to add to your vocabulary.
It’s “Duang”, an onomatopoetic (拟声词) word which doesn’t relate to any particular Chinese character and refers to a special effect.
A video parody (恶搞) adapted from a shampoo commercial featuring Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan spread quickly online, leading Internet users to invent the new word.
The video begins with Chan flashing his black, smooth hair, which would have been perfect except that it was not his real hair.
Next, a self-satisfied Chan admits, to the repetitive, rhythmical sounds of “Duang”, “I refused to approve of this product when they first came to me because of my thin hair, but the director insisted, saying special effects could be used to make my hair look healthy on the screen. Now you see, it’s all special effects. It’s not real.”
The original advertisement became the target of punishment by the government for over- spreading the effects of the shampoo after it was broadcast in 2004.
“Duang” has now become one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social network site among those crazy ones imitating Jackie Chan’s speech in different situations.
The actor’s Weibo account was flooded with comments containing the word in this sweeping online trend.
The video came at a time when the famous movie star has been under public attention after trying to save the ill image of his son, Jaycee Chan, who was released from prison this week.
Data from Baidu, the major Chinese search engine, also proved the phrase’s popularity as it has been searched more than 586,000 times within two days.
The word of geili’s sudden rise in 2010 caught the attention of international media when it made up for the word’s official translation－geilivable－to describe something cool or awesome.
It’s not the first time that online word has become a regular vocabulary in China.From the passage we know that the word “Duang” was originally made .
| A．by some crazy Internet users |
| B．to refer to a kind of product |
| C．by Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan |
| D．to expresssome special meaning |
From the passage we know that the new word “geili” is .
| A．only popular in China |
| B．a cool and awesome word |
| C．used by ordinary people |
| D．also widely used abroad |
What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?
| A．To tell us online words have enriched Chinese vocabulary. |
| B．To teach all the Internet users how to invent new words. |
| C．To explain how Jackie Chan invented the popular word. |
| D．To urge people to fight against the false advertisements. |
Dennis Sinar, 51, a doctor from New York, is quick to explain why he took a year-long break from his job. “I was pretty burned out after practicing medicine for 26 years. I needed a recharge.” So he took a “gap year”, from July 2011 to June 2012, to explore things like ancient buildings, and traditional Eastern medicine, in locations including Alaska, Nepal and Romania.
“Taking a break from work is an excellent way for adults to go into a new career or refresh an old one,” said Holly Bull, president of Princeton, N, J. “In recent years, mid-career breaks have been gaining more interest,” she said. A report on adult gap years published this year by a market research company also described the potential American market for gap years as a “sleeping giant.”
“A gap year is a challenge for the older individual to step out of a comfort zone and take a risk. I enjoyed that side most.” said Dr. Sinar, who kept a daily blog about his experience. His time studying Eastern medicine “assured the reasons I went into health care,” said Dr. Sinar, who returned to practice medicine at his old job, although he works fewer days. “I use those experiences to provide my patients with more care,” he added. “And I listen better than I did before.”
George Garritan, chairman of the Department of Leadership and Human Capital Management at New York University, certainly agrees with Dr. Sinar. He said a gap-year experience could be worthwhile for employees and companies. For employees, investing in themselves and improving skill sets is a move that will benefit throughout their career. He added that returning employees feel refreshed and have given more thought to their career. For companies, offering unpaid leaves makes good sense for attracting and keeping talented employees.Dr. Sinar took a gap year because he ______.
| A．had lost his old job |
| B．wanted to refresh after 26 years’ work |
| C．had a desire for travelling |
| D．became interested in historical research |
The phrase “sleeping giant” (in 2nd paragraph) indicates that ______.
| A．it’s too early for people to accept the concept of gap year |
| B．the effect of gap year policy remains to be seen |
| C．it’s difficult to foresee the gap year market |
| D．more American people will accept the gap year policy |
What’s George Garritan’s attitude toward the “gap year”?
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Uncertain. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．How an adult plans a mid-career gap year. |
| B．Why a gap year is worthwhile for adults. |
| C．Whether a gap year is popular with adults. |
| D．Why a gap year is challenging for individuals. |
I was a dance teacher when I first began working with people who have disabilities. I had thirty students. These were teens and adults up to the age of 40. We learned new steps together. We laughed together and we shared a love of music and fellowship.
I had one pupil, Dan, who didn’t appear to get much out of the class. I never had eye contact with him. When I left the class to travel down the stairs to reach the main floor of the building, he moved worriedly as a blind person might do in unfamiliar condition.
One day his parents met me shopping downtown and told me that they were so grateful that I was teaching the class. They said that my class was the high point of their son’s week. Were they just being polite?
A week later, a snowstorm held me up and I was later than usual pulling into the school parking lot. Ahead of me by one row of cars, and over to one side, was my student, Dan and his worker. I could see his face as he moved toward the building. He was excited. I watched Dan run toward the building in anticipation of（期待着）his weekly treat, my class. I cried as it hit me that though I could not see in class all that Dan got from the class, it surely meant a lot to him. Dan did indeed love the class. He was getting enjoyment out of it.
Today when I teach courses at the College to students, I remind them that children can stand on the sidelines and seem to be uninterested and yet they can be learning at the same pace as those who are in the middle of the activity. When I teach this, I think, yes and this is true for those with disabilities too!
Teach with the wonderful enthusiasm and you are bound to reach your students. Do your job with a love for others and you will be successful no matter what your job involves.The writer found her working with disabilities _______.
| A．boring | B．confusing |
| C．satisfying | D．challenging |
The writer has learned from Dan that ______.
| A．a teacher is sure to reach his students |
| B．kids with disabilities need more love |
| C．students learn in different ways |
| D．a students make achievements out of a class |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The writer was doubtful when hearing what Dan’s parents said. |
| B．Dan didn’t get much out of the dancing class. |
| C．Dan received more attention in the writer’s class. |
| D．The writer was impatient with Dan at first. |
What may be the best title for the passage?
| A．A student with disability |
| B．Learning with Dan |
| C．Enjoying a lesson with children |
| D．Sharing love with students |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”.
In order to find better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon（现象）”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”（空巢综合症）. According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by ________.
| A．their earlier experience of living alone |
| B．the poor living conditions in their native countries |
| C．the common worry that they have not saved much money |
| D．the distance between where parents live and where their children live |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to ________.
| A．realize their dreams in foreign countries |
| B．seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C．live in the countries with more money |
| D．continue their studies abroad |
If young people go abroad, ________.
| A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B．they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C．they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D．they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B．“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
The society discussed in the passage is most probably ________.
| A．France | B．America |
| C．China | D．Britain |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter(（中枢神经系统的）灰白质). This is the area of the brain which processes(加工,处理) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University of London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals（双语者）” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density(密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．language learning and the increase in one’s brain power. |
| C．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| D．language learning and the study of maths |
In the second paragraph, the writer mentions exercise in order to _____.
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labour |
| B．prove that one needs more practice when he or she is learning a language |
| C．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
| D．to show the importance of using the language when you learn it. |
What change can we get during the experience of learning a second language?
| A．The increase of the ability to learn. |
| B．The development of muscles. |
| C．The improvement of strange pronunciation. |
| D．A worse understanding of different ideas. |
We may know from the scientific findings that _______.
| A．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| B．the experience of learning a second language has a bad effect on people’s brain |
| C．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
| D．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| C．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| D．you’d better start to learn a second language between 2 and 34 |
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