Americans do many different things during their vacations. Some people stay at home and enjoy time with their families. They may go to a local swimming pool, zoo or museum. Other people travel to enjoy large national parks, the mountains, the ocean, or large amusement parks. Many people visit interesting American cities or historic areas. Some people visit family members in other states. Still other Americans visit foreign countries.
Recently there is a new use for vacation time — learning about a new kind of job. This program is called Vocation Vacations. People pay between six hundred and five thousand dollars to work at a job for a few days or a week.
Brian Kurth of Portland, Oregon, started Vocation Vacations. He says it serves a valuable purpose. It gives people a chance to try out a job they always wanted without leaving their present job.
People use Vocation Vacations to try many kinds of jobs around the United States. These are jobs that anyone can learn to do. For example, they can learn how to make beer, wine, cheese or cakes. They can help train dogs or horses. They can learn how to be a hunting and fishing guide or a gardener. They can work with a sports announcer, television producer, wedding planner or photographer. Or they can learn how to operate a very small hotel, called a “bed and breakfast”.
Vocation Vacations recently added several new jobs. They include comedians, dog-sled (雪橇) drivers and hair stylists. The company says the most popular job so far is winemaking.
The Vocation Vacations Website recently asked visitors what prevents them from working at their dream job. More than two thousand people answered. Forty-two percent said the main block is money. Lack of the right education or experience was the answer given by twenty-five percent. Other answers included fear of failure and lack of family support.From the first paragraph we can learn that on holiday .
| A．Americans often try out new jobs |
| B．Americans prefer to travel |
| C．what Americans usually do |
| D．how Americans enjoy themselves at home |
What is “Vocation Vacations” according to the passage?
| A．The best way of enjoying time with one’s family. |
| B．A program of learning a new job on holiday. |
| C．A chance to learn how to operate a hotel. |
| D．The most popular jobs around the US. |
It seems that most of the jobs in Vocation Vacations are .
| A．difficult | B．boring |
| C．expensive | D．enjoyable |
When people take the jobs in vocation vacations, .
| A．they can choose many kinds of them |
| B．they can get some money for their work |
| C．they must have much experience |
| D．they must have a lot of money |
Henry Ford grew up on an un-electrified farm, and as a young man he followed Edison's career as the inventor became a national role model. Ford took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company working his way up to chief engineer．
In 1896 Ford was thirty-three and, though still working for Edison Co., he had created his first experimental automobile the Ford Quadricycle2 during his off-time. At an Edison company party in New York, Ford had his first chance to meet his hero Edison and was able to explain his new automobile to the great inventor. Edison was impressed. Edison is said to have slammed his fist down_and shouted, “Young man, that's the thing! You have it! Your car is self-contained and carries its own power plant.” Edison himself had been working on the idea, but had only been considering electricity as the power source, so the idea of a gas engine was a somewhat new one．
The words comforted Ford greatly, who immediately set out building a second car which was to become the Model-T.6. The two men became fast friends and would go on camping trips together．When Edison later became limited to a wheelchair, Ford brought an extra one to his house so they could race．At the 50th anniversary of the invention of light-bulb, Ford honored Edison．When Edison spoke, he ended his speech directed at Ford, “ As to Henry Ford, words fail to express my feelings．I can only say that he is my friend.” Therefore it is no surprise that Ford wanted something to remember Edison by after he passed away in 1931.
Once, Ford asked Thomas Edison's son Charles to sit by the dying inventor's bedside and hold a test tube next to his father's mouth to catch his final breath. Ford was a man with many strange behaviors (as was Edison) including some interest in reanimation and spiritualism（夏活通灵术）and some say that he was attempting to catch Edison's soul as it escaped his body in hopes of later bringing the inventor back to life.
The test tube itself didn't turn up until 1950 when it was listed in the Ford possessions after Clara Ford's passing away, and then lost again until 1978 when it was discovered in an exhibit Entitled “Henry Ford-A Personal History” in the Henry Ford Museum. It would then be discovered that the tube was labeled “Edison's Last Breath”.
There is a further mystery of this “last breath” test tube．It would seem as if Edison had quite a last breath indeed, as the Edison Estate holds a collection of 42 test tubes all supposedly containing Edison's last breath．
Regardless of the excitement over the last breath, the test tube is quite touching in its meaning．Although both men were known for all sorts of poor behavior towards their loved ones and mistreatment of employees, between them at least, there was clearly a deep respect and admiration．The purpose of the author writing this passage is to .
| A．remind the readers of the importance of the two inventors |
| B．stress the importance of friendship |
| C．tell the readers some stories about the two inventors |
| D．show that love can lead to some poor behaviors |
From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2, we can learn that .
| A．Edison envied what Ford had achieved |
| B．Edison was annoyed that Ford did better than him |
| C．Edison was angry because Ford stole his idea |
| D．Edison was extremely amazed at Ford's new idea |
“The 1ast breath test tube” can probably be regarded as .
| A．a symbol of a friendship and memory |
| B．a witness to a scientific breakthrough |
| C．a failure to bring Edison back to life |
| D．a sign of the two inventors' poor behavior |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that“ ”.
| A．Great minds think alike |
| B．Nobody is perfect |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
Below are pages adapted from, http://sochi2014. com/en/
Sochi Volunteers
● 5 December 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is Prepared for Games
On international Volunteer Day, 5 December, the Organizing Committee of the Winter Games in Sochi presented the national “Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team”, The Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is complete, consisting of 25,000 volunteers from 26 volunteer centers across Russia as well as global volunteers.
● 6 August 2013 Sochi 2014 Sochi 2014 volunteer s meet athletics stars in Moscow
Approximately 2,000 Sochi 2014 volunteers will take part in the staging of the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Moscow from 10-18 August.
● 30 May 2013 “Sochi 2014”volunteers on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals
In St. Petersburg during the 11th “Sport Accord”, Annual International Sports Convention was held on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals.
● 11 March 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program Launched across Russia
On March 11, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee launched a large-scale project for training 25,000 volunteers for the 2014Games in Sochi.
Sochi Culture Activities
● International Ballet Stars Gala, 29 January 2014
Year of Russian Culture in the United Kingdom and Year of British Culture.
● Sochi 2014 Culture Olympiad to Present History of Sports in Russia, 20 December 2013
As part of the Year of the of the Museum of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad the “ Training the Strength of the Body, Sports and the Romanov Family ” exhibition will be open starting from 21 December at the Sochi Art Museum.
● Sochi 2014 Cultural Program Culminates in Grand Finale, 16 December 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has presented an entertaining Cultural Program for the guests and participants of the Olympic Games.
● Sochi 2014 Games Fans’ Anthem will Unite Spectators in the Stands, 31 October 2013
100 days before the start of the first ever Olympic Winter Games in Russia, the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad and General Partner of the Games Sberbank have unveiled the fans’ anthem for the Games. The anthem will be played at all Olympic venues and will be the main song at the sports fields for the competitions.
● “White Stick” Music Festival to Take Place during the Start of Sochi 2014 Torch Relay, 7 October 2013
On 7 October, during the launch of the Olympic Torch Relay, the “White Stick” IV International charity festival will take place against the backdrop of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad in Moscow.
● Winners of Cultural Program Competition to Perform at Sochi Games, 19 September 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee’s cultural program Contest has come to an end and the winners have been announced. It took place within the framework of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad.
● Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad to Showcase Russia’s cultural diversity, 22 August 2013
From August, 25 to September 8, the “Alluring Worlds, Ethnic Russia” travelling festival will travel along the coast of the Black Sea. The festival is part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad’s Year of the Museums and will illustrate Russia’s diversity.Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program was launched on ．
| A．30 May 2013 | B．11 March 2013 | C．16 December 2013 | D．19 September 2013 |
“White Stick" Music Festival took place in .
| A．Sochi | B．St. Petersburg | C．the United Kingdom | D．Moscow |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The 25 ,000 volunteers were from Russia. |
| B．Winners of Cultural Program Competition weren't known until 19 September 2013. |
| C．From August,25 to September,8,you were able to enjoy Winter Games in Sochi. |
| D．Few of the cultural activities were intended for creating atmosphere of Sochi Winter Games. |
From the two boxes, you can learn that the activities were listed according to .
| A．importance | B．place | C．date | D．name |
On Saturday, Feb 12, 2000, two things happened that changed my life.
First of all, my baby sister got married. She was 26 this day, and yet to me she was still my baby sister.
I was happy, but also sad. Gone were the days of me bossing(支使) her around. My bossy behavior had once earned me the nickname Lucy. If you’re a fan of Peanuts, then you can clearly imagine my behavior as an older sister.
At one point, I left the wedding reception to get some air. I went outside and walked to a nearby playground. I’m not sure how long I sat there before my sister came and joined me. We talked about how we were both grown up. As she wiped a tear from my eye, she lovingly said, “You’ll always be Lucy to me.” We hugged.
Then, my cousin Mike walked over to tell us that it was time to cut the cake, and the second thing that changed my life that day came to pass.
“Hey, did you guys hear that Charles Schulz died today?” he said casually – as if it were no big deal. Then he took my sister’s arm and they turned to head back to the reception hall. “Coming?” they asked. “In a minute,” I replied, and I sat back down on the bench, dizzy from what Mike had just told me.
How could Charles Schulz be dead? He was my creator! He was almost like a father to me!
I had lost so many things on that day. My innocence had slipped away like a thief in the night. It was gone before I could do anything about it, taking with it all the treasures that I had held in my heart. I felt myself grow up in an instant. I saw, for the first time, what I really was – a 30-year-old woman with a husband of my own, and soon, a child of my own.
I took a deep breath and stood up from the bench. I turned and headed back to the hall, hoping I hadn’t missed the cutting of the cake. It was the day that my sister grew wings of her own and left the nest – the day that Lucy died, and I was born.Why did the author feel sad at her sister’s wedding?
| A．She was afraid of change. |
| B．Her sister was getting ready to move far away from her. |
| C．Her wonderful childhood with her sister had become a thing of the past. |
| D．She had nobody to turn to for help with housework. |
When the author’s cousin told her that Charles Schulz had died, she __________.
| A．felt a great sense of loss |
| B．burst into tears |
| C．thought he was joking |
| D．got angry at him for his attitude |
What is implied when the author says that “Lucy died, and I was born”?
| A．The author has realized how her sister must have felt about her and decided to change. |
| B．Lucy no longer matters to the author. |
| C．The author doesn’t like the nickname Lucy anymore. |
| D．The author is no longer sad and ready to face the fact that she is an adult. |
The best title of the passage can be __________.
| A．Two things changing my life |
| B．My baby sister’s wedding |
| C．Not Lucy anymore |
| D．Not innocent anymore |
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes (骗局).
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What does Paragraph 1 want to say?
| A．Researchers and scientists are not perfect. |
| B．Something that we read may not be true. |
| C．Researchers and scientists know everything. |
| D．People don’t know whether water is good or bad. |
What is the reason why Johann Beringer was fooled?
| A．His fellow scientists wanted to make fun of him. |
| B．His workmates are eager to become famous too. |
| C．These scientists made a mistake because of carelessness. |
| D．His colleagues envied him and did so to destroy his fame. |
The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man ______.
| A．was in fact a complex hoax |
| B．was a great scientific invention |
| C．contributed to the theory of evolution |
| D．had the skull like that of an ape |
What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Happily. | B．Generally. | C．Doubtfully. | D．Completely. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Hebrew is probably a kind of language. |
| B．Truths of science will never be out of time. |
| C．People believe scientists because they are persuasive. |
| D．We are advised to believe famous scientists. |
In Egyptian myth, Apophis was the ancient spirit of evil and destruction, a demon (恶魔) that was determined to throw the world into darkness forever. A fitting name, astronomers reasoned, for a threat now rushing towards Earth from outer space. Scientists are monitoring the progress of a 390-metere wide asteroid (小行星) discovered last year, which is potentially on a collision (碰撞)course with the planet.
NASA has estimated that Apophis has an outside chance of hitting the Earth in 2036. If it did hit us, thousands of square kilometers would be directly affected by the explosion but the whole of the Earth would see the effects of the dust sent into the atmosphere. At a recent meeting of experts in Near-Earth objects (NEOs) in London, scientists said it could take decades to design, test and build the required technology to deflect the asteroid.
The Apophis asteroid is placed at four out of ten on the Torino scale—a measure of the threat caused by an NEO where 10 is a certain collision which could cause a global disaster. This is the most possible danger of any asteroid in recorded history and it has a 1 in 37 chance of hitting the Earth.
Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer from Queen’s University Belfast, said, “When it does pass close to us on April 13, 2029, the Earth will deflect it and change its orbit. There is a small possibility that if it passes through a particular point in space, the so-called keyhole, the Earth’s gravity will change things so that when it comes back around again in 2036, it will collide with us.” The chance of Apophis passing through the keyhole, a 600-meter patch of space, is 1 in 5,500, based on current information.
There is no shortage of ideas on how to deflect asteroids. The Advanced Concepts Team at the European Space Agency has led the effort in designing a range of satellites and rockets to nudge asteroids that are on a collision course for Earth into a different orbit.The best title for this passage would be ___________.
| A．Apophis Asteroid, a Possible Destroyer of Earth |
| B．Apophis, a Good Name for Dangerous Asteroid |
| C．Our Planet Will Be Ruined in 2036 |
| D．Scientists Study Apophis Asteroid |
The name Apophis mentioned in the passage indicates that the asteroid is _________.
| A．powerful | B．mysterious | C．boring | D．destructive |
The underlined word “deflect” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A．destroy the quality of |
| B．change the direction of |
| C．measure the size of |
| D．look into the truth of |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If Apophis hit the earth, its impact would be enormous. |
| B．No way to deal with Apophis is available at present. |
| C．Apophis is the first dangerous asteroid in recorded history. |
| D．It is uncertain whether Apophis will hit the earth in 2036. |
What would the passage talk about if it continued?
| A．An Egyptian myth about Apophis. |
| B．NASA’s study on NEOs. |
| C．How the keyhole influences Apophis. |
| D．What methods can be used to deflect the asteroid. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号