Nearly everyone agrees that money doesn’t buy as much as it used to, no matter when you want to spend it. This is certainly true of the paper money that passes so quickly through one’s hands. But what about coins that seem to do very little except stay in purses and pockets? Unlike notes, metal money becomes more valuable the longer it is held, especially if it is put away where it won’t get scratched or worn. Why is this? One reason is that coins, being more durable, fall more readily into a category for collectors. Naturally, the rarer gold pieces must become more valuable as the price of this metal goes up.
But, curiously, one of the rarest coins in the world is not made of gold, but of the relatively cheaper silver. In 1840, the United States mint (造币厂) struck 19570 silver dollars. That is what its records show. Today only six of this original number remain and these are unlikely ever to reach the auction (拍卖) market. So what happened to some 19564 large silver coins, not the easiest sort of things to lose? One of the more romantic theories is that they were part of the payment to Napoleon for the American land then known as Louisiana. But they never reached France. Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, the ship transporting them was sunk, either by a storm or by pirates. The probable answer to the mystery is that they were melted down — since the silver value was greater than the actual value of the coin. What really happened to the rest will probably always remain a mystery. What is known is that whoever can come up with one will find himself instantly rich.We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．money buys as much as it did before |
| B．money does not buy as much as it did before |
| C．paper money buys more than metal money |
| D．metal money buys more than paper money |
Which of the following is true of a coin?
| A．The longer it is held, the less valuable it becomes. |
| B．The more it wears out, the more valuable it becomes. |
| C．The less it gets scratched, the less it values. |
| D．The longer it lasts, the more it values. |
According to this passage, one of the rarest coins in the world is made of _______.
| A．silver | B．gold |
| C．copper | D．paper |
Coins become more valuable because _______.
| A．they stay in purses and pockets |
| B．the price of metal goes up |
| C．they fall more readily into a category for collectors due to their duration |
| D．Both B and C |
What really happened to some 19564 large silver coins?
| A．They were melted down. |
| B．They were sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| C．It is still a mystery. |
| D．They were stolen by pirates. |
A new plan for getting children to and from school is being started by a local government in Eastern England. This could end the worries of many parents fearful for their children's safety on the roads．
Until now the local government have only been prepared to provide bus services for children living more than three miles from their school, or sometimes less if special reasons existed．Now it has been decided that if a group of parents ask for help in organizing transport they will be prepared to go ahead, as long as the arrangement will not lose money and children taking part will be attending their nearest school．
The new plan is to be tried out this term for children living at Milton who attend Impington School．The children live just within the three-mile limit and the local government have said in the past that they will not agree to provide free transport to the school．But now they have agreed to offer a sum of money for a bus service from Milton to Impington and back, a plan which has the support of the school's headmaster．
Between 50 and 60 parents have said they would like their children to take part．Final calculations have still to be carried out, but a government official has said the cost to parents should be less than ￡20 a term．
They have been able to arrange the service at a low cost because there is already an agreement with the bus company for a bus to take children who live further away to Impington．The same bus would now just make one more journey to pick up the Milton children．The official said they would get in touch with other groups of parents who in the past had asked if transport could be provided for their children, to see if they would like to take part in the new plan．What is the aim of the plan?
| A．To prevent the students' road accidents． |
| B．To relieve the traffic pressure． |
| C．To save time for the parents and students． |
| D．To help the parents save money． |
How can the local government arrange the new bus service at a low cost?
| A．By letting the bus run in the morning only． |
| B．By limiting the number of the students． |
| C．By obtaining the support from the headmaster． |
| D．By linking the new bus service with the existing one． |
The new bus service will be paid for by ______．
| A．the parents |
| B．the local government |
| C．the bus company |
| D．the local government and the parents |
Which of the following is possible if the plan is carried out?
| A．The bus company will make much more money． |
| B．The children can choose whatever school they like． |
| C．The parents can get rid of their worries． |
| D．The students in Impington school can have free bus rides． |
This passage is most probably ______．
| A．a personal letter | B．an advertisement |
| C．a headmaster's report | D．a newspaper article |
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Time, a faithful company of our life, is a universal topic. People are always curious about what it is, how it travels and who it meets.
Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s smartest physicists, once said. “I’m fascinated by time.”
Many of us are, and the popularity of time travel novels, movies and TV series has proved that. After Palace and Startling by Each Step achieved astonishing ratings last year, Palace 2 aired on January 20, attracting time travel fans back to TV.
Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris achieved great success. It was nominated for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Art Direction for the 2012 Academy Awards.
Dream of heroism
Time travel TV series and movies connect both today and the past, thus offering room for imagination. Imagination creates a chance for the young to fulfill a dream that is hard to achieve in reality.
Chinese writer Xi Juan is a pioneer of time-travel stories in China. In 1993 she published a love story about a young woman time traveling to ancient times. The leading role’s modern personality and perception of love help her win the heart of a cool, handsome martial art master. Such a plot satisfies female fans’ love fantasy.
Starting from the late 1990s, novels about men traveling back to the past prevailed (盛行), with a Step into the Past as the most popular example. In these stories, the male leading roles accomplish great things with their modern skills and wisdom.
It is usually “a dream of heroism come true”, along with enviable romances.
Eye candy
“I’m hooked by the shows because they are characterized by dramatic and poetic love and have eye-pleasing actors,” Xia Xiaoyan, who works for a foreign-owned enterprise in Shanghai, explained her love for time travel TV series.
Her comment echoes a 2011 survey by Creat Marketing Research Co Ltd in China. When asked about what is so appealing about time travel TV series, 21 percent of respondents answered, “These attractive characters.”
A bigger reason behind the popularity of time travel stories, however, is the relaxation they offer, according to the survey.
Cai Yinong agrees. “Many people are facing tremendous pressure in their fast-paced lives, so this genre is more relaxing than other shows as it provides people with a terrific outlet to escape reality,” Cai told China Daily.
Cultural homesickness
“Which dynasty would you like to live in if you could travel to the past?” asked a survey launched by Shanghai University and Shanghai Social Sciences Association last December.
About 60 percent of the 2,543 respondents chose Tang Dynasty, while Qing Dynasty, and the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were the other top two destinations.
The survey results reflects people’s definition of the good days: prosperous economy and culture, steady society, fair and uncorrupted politics, and opening up to the outside world.
As for the movie Midnight in Paris, it features modernity versus cultural homesickness. The New York Times commented, “The past seems so much more vivid, more substantial, than the present. The good old days are so attractive because we were not around, however much we wish we were.”
| Time travel wins fans |
|
| Phenomenon |
l Stephen Hawking shows great interest in l People prefer l Woody Allen was |
| Reasons for its |
Supporting details |
| Dream of heroism |
l Chances are offered for the young to fulfill l achieve in reality. l Xi Juan’s 1993 love story l ancient times, which satisfies females fans. l From the late 1990s, novels about l the past became increasingly popular. l The male leading role in A Step Into the Past travels back to the past l to fulfill great things by using his |
| Eye candy |
Attractive actors and travel stories make viewers under pressure |
| Cultural homesickness |
Most respondents chose to live in a certain dynasty for: l Prosperous economy and l Steady society; l Fair and uncorrupted politics; l Opening up to the outside world. |
Why texting harms your IQ
The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 per cent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an email and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.” We can learn from the passage that “infomania” ______.
| A．has a positive influence on one’s IQ |
| B．results in the change of part of the brain |
| C．lies in the problem of lack of concentration |
| D．is caused by too much use of modern technology |
The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ______.
| A．the important function of advanced technology |
| B．the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits |
| C．the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology |
| D．the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness |
The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “______”.
| A．examined carefully | B．copied patiently |
| C．corrected quickly | D．admitted freely |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
Who is your role model? Normally the answer to this question would be anyone around you who you find truly inspiring. It could also be someone like J. K. Rowling or Martin Luther King Jr. who have proven to be strong and intelligent people.
However, in today's world, stars are regarded as role models along with the heroes listed above, despite their intentions or actions. Teens attempt to imitate their actions for two major reasons. First, to be fashionable and accepted by popular culture, and second»because stars' actions are so well documented by the media that it seems to grab our attention and turns it to following stars' lives. Much of the reports about stars is shocking and exhibits bad morals or lifestyles that aren't right for teenagers. In addition, almost everything stars do is described beyond truth to make a shocking story by taking it to the next level.
However, teens must take responsibility for their actions. We can't always blame stars for influencing us. Only you have control over yourself and only you choose to do something. Our bodies and actions are in the hands of no one else.
Now, who ever said stars are role models? Whether they choose to be or not, stars set examples as soon as they step into the spotlight. With reporters following and recording every move they make, it is impossible not to be watched and then be imitated. These people influence, teens whether or not they want to. Why should someone who doesn't want to be setting an example set one? So，should we look up to them or to people who are true and good role models? It's our responsibility as teens to know right from wrong, and it's time for us to take responsibility for our actions. In doing so，we will lean toward those inspiring people that want to be setting an example, and follow in their steps to be like them.
According to the first paragraph, _____can usually be role models.
| A．political leaders |
| B．wealthy writers |
| C．people inspiring others |
| D．people with great intelligence |
What are the major reasons for the teens to imitate stars? _____.
| A．Interest in stars' life and expectation of getting rich |
| B．Motivation for being fashionable and inspiration from popular examples |
| C．Intentions to gain acceptance and encouragement from stars' lifestyle |
| D．Desires to be stylish and great influence from the mass media |
The author writes the passage mainly to advise the teenagers to_____.
| A．have a control over their own bodies and actions |
| B．be responsible for their own choices and behaviors |
| C．follow fashionable stars' steps to be more popular |
| D．choose right role models according to different reports |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．stars have the responsibility for teenagers' actions |
| B．not all famous stars choose to influence teenagers |
| C．teenagers choose those inspiring people as their role models |
| D．stars set examples immediately they stepped into the spotlight |
A metaphor is a poetic device that deals with comparison. It compares similar qualities of two dissimilar objects. With a simple metaphor, one object becomes the other: Love is a rose. Although this does not sound like a particularly rich image, a metaphor can communicate so much about a particular image that poets use them more than any other type of figurative language. The reason for this is that poets compose their poetry to express what they are experiencing emotionally at that moment. Consequently, what the poet imagines love to be may or may not be our understanding of love. Therefore, the poet’s job is to enable us to experience it, to feel it the same way as the poet does.
Let’s analyze this remarkably simple metaphor concerning love and the rose to see what it offers. Because the poet uses a comparison with a rose, first we must examine the characteristics of that flower. A rose is impressive in its beauty, its petals（花瓣）are nicely soft, and its smell is pleasing. It’s possible to say that a rose is actually a feast to the senses of sight, touch, and smell. The rose’s appearance seems to border on perfection, each petal seemingly equal in form. Isn’t this the way one’s love should be？A loved one should be a delight to one’s senses and seem perfect.
However, there is another dimension added to the comparison by using a rose. Roses have thorns. The poet wants to convey the idea that roses can be tricky. So can love, the metaphor tells us. When one reaches out with absolute trust to touch the object of his or her affection, ouch, a thorn can cause great harm! “Be careful,” the metaphor warns, “Love is a feast to the senses, but it can overwhelm us, and it can also hurt us and cause acute suffering.” This is the poet’s understanding of love—an admonition (劝诫). What is the point？Just this: It took almost 14 sentences to clarify what a simple metaphor communicates in only four words! That is the artistry and the joy of the simple metaphor. According to the passage, a metaphor is a ________.
| A．description of two similar objects in a poetic way |
| B．literary device specially employed in poetry writing |
| C．contrast between two different things to create a vivid image |
| D．comparison between two different objects with similar features |
As is meant by the author, thorns of a rose ________.
| A．add a new element to the image of love |
| B．protect the rose from harm |
| C．symbolize reduced love |
| D．cause acute suffering |
It can be inferred from the passage that a metaphor is _______.
| A．difficult to understand | B．rich in meaning |
| C．simple to use | D．perfect in form |
The main idea of this passage is that ________.
| A．love is a rose in metaphor |
| B．a rose is a good image in poetry |
| C．a metaphor is a great poetic device |
| D．a poet should be careful to use a metaphor |
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