I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile –warm and reassuring –and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.
“It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’.” Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said.” “My husband used to bring me flowers every week –even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and – of course – I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her –that was the night that I won her heart.Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
| A．He had to pick up some groceries. |
| B．He had to go back to school soon. |
| C．He was delayed by an elderly lady. |
| D．He was to meet his girlfriend. |
What does the underlined se “her gift”(Paragraph 2) refer to?
| A．Her smile. | B．Her words. |
| C．Her flowers. | D．her politeness. |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
| A．She told him a nice story. |
| B．She gave him encouragement. |
| C．She allowed him to pay first. |
| D．She liked flowers very much. |
What is the message conveyed in the story?
| A．Flowers are important for a date. |
| B．Love and kindness are rewarding. |
| C．Small talk is helpful. |
| D．Elderly people deserve respecting. |
Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people who worried about getting older.
Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of 50. In fact, they say by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were when they were 18 years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the US. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85.
The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25.
The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.
The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Science.
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.What does the underlined word “negative” mean?
| A．负面的 | B．积极的 |
| C．平和的 | D．激烈的 |
What kind of people has the highest stress levels?
| A．People were between the ages of 18 and 85. |
| B．Those in their seventies and eighties. |
| C．People reached their fifties. |
| D．Adults between the ages of 22 and 25. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. |
| B．Researchers know exactly why happiness increases as people get older. |
| C．Women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men. |
| D．Levels of stress were highest among adults between the age of 22 and 25. |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A．The older, the happier. |
| B．Why elder people feel happier than young men? |
| C．Different emotional patterns between men and women. |
| D．What makes the elder happy? |
Our first winter in Canada was the happiest we have experienced. We were living in the countryside then and had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn. One evening in mid December snow began to fall. When we looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing, we all cheered. It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. We could hardly wait for the snow to stop so that we could go out to play. Next morning when we woke up, it was still snowing. We switched on the radio and learned that more than ten inches of snow had falled during the night and that since the roads were blocked there would be no school that day. We jumped up and down for joy and begged mother to let us go outside to play in the snow. She said we could go out after breakfast if we dressed ourselves warmly and promised to come back as soon as we felt cold.
When we went out, the snow had almost stopped. The roads , paths, gardens, and playing grounds were all hidden under a white blanket of soft snow. It was the most beautiful sight we had ever seen. Just then, we saw some neighbour’s children coming out to play. We ran over to join them. Together we built a snowman and a snow house. After that, we took turns sliding down a hill on a large piece of cardboard. We were having so much fun when supper time came. Mother almost had to force us to go in and eat.The children all cheered when they saw the snow because ________.
| A．they knew they would have no school for the next day |
| B．it was the first time they had seen snow |
| C．they knew that winter had come |
| D．they liked cold weather |
The children didn’t have to go to school because ________.
| A．their teachers were sure that children liked snow |
| B．they wanted to play on the snow field |
| C．heavy snow blocked the roads |
| D．their mother allowed them to play truant |
The writer and his brothers and sisters built ________.
| A．a snowman and a cardboard house of their own |
| B．a snowman and a snow house for themselves to live in |
| C．a snowman and a snow house with their neighbors’ children |
| D．a white blanket on the roads |
A book review tells not only what a book is about, but also how successful it is at what it is trying to do. Professors often assign (布置) book reviews as practice in careful analytical (分析的) reading.
As a reviewer, you bring together the two parts of accurate, analytical reading and strong, personal response when you indicate what the book is about and what it might mean to a reader. In other words, reviewers answer not only the WHAT but the SO WHAT question about a book. Thus, in writing a review, you combine the skills of describing what is on the page，analyzing how the book tried to achieve its purpose, and expressing your own reactions.
Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book, like:
Title.
Author.
Place of publication, publisher, date of publication.
Number of pages.
The review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say. The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again, so your readers don't have to look up to find this information. You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book, the purpose or audience for the book, and your reaction and evaluation.
Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses how to judge the book. Next, you should give a summary of the main points, quoting (引用) and explaining key phrases from the author. Finally, you get to the heart of your review -- your evaluation of the book. In this section, you might discuss some of the following issues:
·How well the book has achieved its goal.
·What possibilities are suggested by the book.
·What the book has left out.
·How the book compares with others on the subject.
·What personal experiences you've had related to the subject.
It is important to use labels (标签) to carefully distinguish your views from the author's, so that you don't confuse your readers.
Then, like other essays, you can end with a direct comment on the book, and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion.
There is, of course, no set form, but a general rule is that the first one-half to two-thirds of the review should summarize the author's main ideas and at least one-third should evaluate the book. According to the text, personal response of a book reviewer refers to _______.
| A．accurate and analytical reading |
| B．the reviewer’s understanding about the background of the book |
| C．the reviewer's indication of what the book is about and what it means to a reader |
| D．skills of describing what is on the page |
What is the most important part of a book review?
| A．The heading. | B．The evaluation. |
| C．The conclusion. | D．The introduction. |
Readers will get puzzled if __________.
| A．there is no heading in a book review |
| B．the book review is not complex enough |
| C．the reviewer's point of view is mixed with the author's |
| D．there are some different issues listed in the book review |
What is suggested for a book review in this text?
| A．Quoting from other similar books. |
| B．Commenting on the book in a fixed form. |
| C．Analyzing the author's writing experience in the past. |
| D．Comparing the book with others on a similar subject. |
There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms．The idea may seem disagreeable at first，but considering all the positive effects coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them．
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment．Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat and professional manner．It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman．And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style．
Purchasing(购买) school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration．No matter what the school's policy is，there are only specific essential(基本的) pieces to the wardrobe(服装) that are necessary，so it won’t break the bank．A few wardrobe items can last a long time．Parents could also enjoy an easy morning，as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day．
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly．Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore(琐事) when students are limited in their choices，so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit the day and getting ready quickly．Some students may not like the lack of individuality(个性) with a uniform，but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles．
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture．Celebrities(名人)and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students．What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to dress properly． |
| B．The history of school uniforms． |
| C．The advantages of school uniforms． |
| D．How to deal with pressure in school． |
Teachers think that wearing school uniforms __________．
| A．is just a tradition that students should follow |
| B．makes students feel less pressure in study |
| C．helps students put more effort into their studies |
| D．makes students lose their independence and identity |
The underlined part “it won't break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”．
| A．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money |
| B．a school uniform should be worn every day |
| C．parents will have to go to the bank many times |
| D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform |
We can infer from the text that school uniform __________．
| A．are not popular with fashion designers |
| B．were not accepted by parents in the past |
| C．will be designed by students themselves |
| D．will be more fashionable in the future |
Each of us can live strong，healthy，energetic lives for a long time to come．The key？Actually，there are many of them．
Eat fewer calories，but more food
Slimming down can help prevent disease，and cutting way back on the amount you eat may even slow the aging process．When nutrition researchers invited themselves over for dinner in kitchens across the globe-from Greece to Japan to the state of Pennsylvania--they discovered a stomach-satisfying secret to good health：Pile your plate high with vegetables and fruits，add respectable parts of beans and whole grains，and ignore high-calorie food like cheeseburgers，cream sauces，and fatty meats．
Use exercise as an anti-aging vaccine
Exercise can help you gain a better quality of life as you age．It's no secret that physical activity strengthens muscles，burn calories，and puts a happy bounce in your step．But recently，researchers discovered a new，extra benefit：Exercise acts as a powerful way against the aging process itself. When exercise physiologists put healthy people aged 60 to 85 on Weight-training programs for six months then tested them for signs of free-radical(自由基) damage，they were surprised by the results．By the end of the study，low-intensity exercisers had a drop in free-radical damage，while high-intensity exercisers had a slight increase．
Find something interesting to do
Life is always busy no matter what your age．But the truth is，when people are retired，time usually does become more available for adults after 60．With this time come choices．The easy one is merely to relax：watch more TV，eat out more often，talk on the phone as much as you want．The better choice? Discover something more meaningful to devote yourself to and do it wholeheartedly．Which of the following is what you should eat more?
| A．Fatty meats． | B．Whole grains． |
| C．Cream sauces． | D．Cheeseburgers． |
The new discovery of exercise probably is that__________．
| A．it can help you live a better life |
| B．it can strengthen muscles |
| C．it can burn calories |
| D．it can prevent aging process |
When do you have more free time according to this text?
| A．In your fifties． | B．Beyond sixty． |
| C．Over seventy | D．Before sixty． |
The best title of this text should be "_______"．
| A．How to Keep a Balanced Diet |
| B．The Importance of Your Health |
| C．Keys to living Longer and Better |
| D．Hobbies making Your Healthy |
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