In my twenty-six years as a free writer, I have worked for newspapers, magazines and the Internet sites.
I have reviewed the famous people, and criticized the political characters. Yet along my journalistic journey there have been several interviews that remain deeply in my memory. For not only did the characters of those specific people impress me, they actually influenced my life.
Lynn R. Taylor is such a special person.
Born in Buffalo, New York, on May 2, 1962, Lynn Taylor was just like all the other kids in her neighborhood. At the age of three she was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor, a cancer of the kidneys. Given a “no-chance” prediction, doctors completely removed one of Lynn’s kidneys and part of another. They then predicted that if she survived to the age of five, she might possibly make ten.
In the decade that followed, Lynn Taylor met and surpassed all medical experts’ gloom-and-doom predictions. At the age of fourteen she was in full remission(缓解), and by seventeen, she was considered cured. Yet in this case, Lynn’s medical history was far from closed.
Over the next twenty-three years, Lynn earned her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in economics. Then she was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Sussex in England. There she was invited to teach and earned her second master’s degree. Upon returning to Buffalo, the successful young woman engaged in a variety of high level jobs, including head of Multicultural Affairs at a local college.
Recently Lynn has added a new activity to her schedule----that of a cancer hospital volunteer. It is her wish to provide living proof for patients that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence but rather, as she has proved, something to overcome.When Lynn Taylor was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors __________.
| A．tried their best to make her live until then |
| B．thought it was a wonder that she could live to three |
| C．thought that she couldn’t live long |
| D．believe that she could survive |
Lynn is working as a cancer hospital volunteer mainly to __________.
| A．help the cancer patient to recover |
| B．encourage the patients to fight cancer bravely |
| C．help the doctors and nurses as a reward |
| D．entertain the cancer patients |
What can we learn about Lynn’s condition now?
| A．she is still not strong enough to do much work. |
| B．she is learning medicine at a college. |
| C．she still can’t do without medicine. |
| D．she is fully recovered. |
The purpose of the writer is to tell us __________.
| A．his experience as a free writer. |
| B．a special person who influenced his life. |
| C．there is a cure for Wilms Tumor. |
| D．how Lynn Taylor fought against cancer. |
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 |
Xu Shu was much valued by Liu Bei for his strategic talents. After several victories on the battleground against Cao Cao, Xu was made the chief military advisor. Cao Cao was greatly surprised at the news. “If you want this person,” one of his advisors said, “you can bring his mother to Xuchang and send a forged letter in his mother's handwriting, asking Xu Shu to desert Liu Bei and come here. As Xu is well-known for a strong filial（孝顺的） affection, surely he will come.” This plot worked. For Xu, on receiving the letter, cried tearfully, asking Liu Bei for an immediate departure. Feeling sad, though, Liu persisted in his stay for another night, during which the two aired their sad feelings.
The next day Liu laid a banquet outside the city for Xu. Holding the latter's hand, Liu said, “After we separate today, only heaven knows when and where we will meet again.” He wept bitter tears.
After setting off on his way, Xu suddenly turned his horse and returned. “I almost forgot an important matter.” He said to Liu. “Ten kilometers from Xiangyang City, in a place called Long zhong, there is a talent called Zhuge Liang. Do you want to meet him？” Liu expressed his willingness at once, but also aired doubt about whether Zhuge Liang was as talented as Xu. “He tells positions of stars in the heavens,” Xu assured him, “and recognizes everything on earth. He knows a person's real nature at the first meeting----the number one talent under the heaven. If you have him as your military advisor, you'll have the country under your name.” Liu suggested a visit to Zhuge by Xu on his behalf. At this, the latter shook his head in disapproval. “You must go and offer your invitation personally, and his acceptance depends entirely on your sincerity.” With these words said, Xu turned his horse and left. Later, Liu paid three trips to Zhuge's straw house, another favorite story among Chinese people.The underlined word “forged” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
| A．forced | B．false | C．friendly | D．touching |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Zhuge was able to tell a person’s personality at first sight. |
| B．No sooner did Xu receive the letter than he departed for Cao Cao. |
| C．Liu showed little interest in visiting Zhuge because he was doubtful of the stranger’s ability. |
| D．Liu showed his disapproval when Xu advised him to call on Zhuge in person. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．There was no doubt that Zhuge was competent as a military advisor |
| B．No one would be better than Zhuge in terms of giving military advice |
| C．Zhuge was such a talent that he could make the country named after Liu |
| D．With the help of Zhuge, Liu would be able to rule the whole country |
The paragraph following the last one most probably deals with __________.
| A．why people considered Zhuge as a talent |
| B．the difficulty Xu met with on the way to meet his mother |
| C．the plot Cao Cao made to bring Xu’s mother to Xuchang |
| D．how Liu sincerely invited Zhuge to assist him in military affairs |
The text is developed in the order of __________.
| A．space | B．logic | C．time | D．cause and result |
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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