Like many lovers of books, Mary and her husband, Richard Goldman, seldom walked past a bookstore without stopping to look inside. They often talked of opening their own store one day.
When Mary was in hospital with heart trouble in 1989, they decided it was time to get serious. Richard, who worked for a business company, expected to work for himself, and Mary needed to slow down from her job.
They started by talking to bookstore owners and researching the industry(产业). “We knew it had to be a specialty(专业) store because we couldn’t afford enough money,” says Mary. One idea came to her: She’d read somewhere that about 20 percent of books sold were mysteries, and many buyers spent more $300 a year on books. She and Richard were themselves mystery readers.
On Halloween 1992, they opened the Mystery Lovers Bookshop and Café near their home. With three children in college, the couple could not spend all the family’s money to start a shop. To pay the $100,000 cost, they drew some of their savings, borrowed from friends and from a bank.
The store only broke even in its first year, with only $120,000 in sales. But Mary was always coming up with new ways to attract(吸引) buyers. The shop had a coffee bar and it offered gifts to mystery lovers and provided dinners for book clubs that met in the store. She also invited some writers to discuss their stories.
Today Mystery Lovers makes sales of about $420,000 a year. After paying taxes, business costs and the six part-time sales workers, Richard and Mary together earn about $34,000.
“The job you love may not go hand in hand with a million-dollar income(收入)” says Richard. “This has always been about a pleasant life for ourselves, not about making a lot of money.”When Mary was in hospital, the couple realized that ____.
| A．they had to put their plan into practice |
| B．health was more important than money |
| C．heart trouble was a serious illness |
| D．they both needed to stop working |
After Mary got well from her illness they began _____.
| A．to study how to open a bookstore |
| B．to buy and read more mystery books |
| C．to do market research on book business |
| D．to work harder to save money for the bookstore |
How did their bookstore do in the first year?
| A．They had to borrow money to keep it going. |
| B．They made just enough to pay all the costs. |
| C．They succeeded in making a lot of money. |
| D．They failed though they worked hard. |
According to Richard, the main purpose of opening the bookstore is _____.
| A．to pay for their children’s education |
| B．to get to know more writers |
| C．to set up more bookstores |
| D．to do what they like to do |
Microblog is used by more and more people in China. Do you know what it is?
Micorblog makes the people around the world know each other better. It helps people to find the information that they need more easily, also to get some information about the world they did not know before.
Many famous people are using microblog now, including singers, TV hosts and artists. The first day of Chinese New Year in 2013, people on Sina Microblog sent 9,873 microblogs to wish somebody a Happy New Year. Yao Chen, a movie star, became the queen of microblog because her microblog had over 1.3 million followers; Li Yuchun sent a microblog and got 11,760 comments (评论) within 24 hours; Cai Kangyong, who is a famous TV host and famous writer in Taiwan, had 15,143 followers within 24 hours.
Why is microblog so popular? The most important reason is that it is easy. People need not use too much time to write the articles to express their feelings. They can write at most 140 words, and then send them through computers or mobile phones onto the microblog. As soon as they send it out, their fans will know. They can send it out anytime, anywhere.
Many of my friends use microblogs to share things with others. They can talk about what they see, hear and think in a sentence or a photo. Also, they can follow their friends’ or their favorite stars’. They can even join in any discussion of anything. Microblog is a hit now! Have you microblogged today? 264According to the passage, ______.
| A．microblog can make people know each other better |
| B．you can write as many words as you like in microblog |
| C．microblog is not very popular in China |
| D．microblog is only used by people under 18 |
Microblog is very popular. The most important reason is that _____.
| A．many famous people are using it now |
| B．it is easy, quick and very useful |
| C．people can share their photos with others |
| D．people can join in any discussion |
The word “hit” in the 5th paragraph means _____.
| A．important information and comments |
| B．somebody interesting and helpful |
| C．something popular and successful |
| D．famous people and movie stars |
Many companies use guards and expensive alarm systems to protect their property (财产). Soon a new kind of protection will be used—robots. Engineers have been working on the first mobile robots for businesses. The robots will guard factories, warehouses (仓库) and museums at night.
The mobile robots will move around slowly on wheels. They will be able to detect (察觉,发现) people through walls and pick up sounds, such as breaking glass. They can be fixed with loud sirens to frighten thieves, or radios to signal police or guards.
To protect a building, a robot will have to move around without knocking into the walls. Information about the building will have to be stored in the robot’s small, built-in computer. A floor map could be programmed into the computer’s memory, for example.
A mobile robot will not be able to do everything. Unlike human guards, it will not be able to climb stairs, open doors, or move along rough ground. It won’t be able to tell the difference between friends and enemies. Because of that, people will have to be prevented from entering the area it moves.
One kind of mobile robot will be able to “sense” whether a chair or a box has been moved and go around it. This robot will also judge size well enough so that it won’t send an alarm if a cat crosses the room. And if someone tries to steal this robot, it will sound a loud, painful siren. The three-foot-tall robot is hard to be stolen anyway. It weighs about 200 pounds.
U.S. companies pay almost $10 billion a year to protect their property with alarm systems and human guards. Mobile robots may be cheaper. (296) Why is the new kind of robots called mobile robots? Because they can _____.
| A．guard factories, warehouses and museums |
| B．send loud, painful sirens when it is stolen |
| C．sense moving objects and signal police |
| D．move around and do the programmed work |
How will a robot get directions for moving around a building?
| A．From a human guard. | B．From a built-in computer. |
| C．From another robot. | D．From radio signals. |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．New Guards. | B．Science and Technology. |
| C．Alarm Systems. | D．Engineers and Robots. |
|
Yoga is a kind of sport. It is very popular around the world now. Everyone, young and old can do yoga. It’s good for both men and women.
Why do people like yoga? There’s a short answer and a long answer to that question. The short answer is that yoga makes you feel better. Practising, breathing exercises and thinking make you healthier in body, mind and spirit.For many people, that's enough of an answer, but there's more if you are interested.
Yoga began in India about 5,000 years ago. At that time, people wanted to be free, healthy and live a long life, so this kind of exercise was born. The early yoga was part of a religion (宗教). It was usually taught one to one—one teacher with one student. Yoga is an Indian word that means “to join together”. There are three parts of yoga altogether: exercise, breathing and meditation (沉思). In the past, people paid more attention to the spirit. The idea behind the exercise was to join the mind, body and spirit as one. Yoga can give you peace, help you feel relaxed, and have fewer worries and illnesses. 204
| A．An old Indian sport. | B．A European game. |
| C．A popular idea. | D．An enjoyment. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Yoga has four parts altogether. | B．Anyone can practise yoga. |
| C．Yoga was taught in classes. | D．Yoga can bring the world peace. |
Why do people like yoga?
| A．Because it brings happiness and relax. |
| B．Because it helps you work more quickly. |
| C．Because it is part of the real religion. |
| D．Because it is good for your health. |
School Activities for Kids and Teens
January is a month of fun-filled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them. When you want some fun activities for January, think about these ideas happening in this month.
Secret of the Dragon Time: Mon., Jan. 1, 10:30 am Cost: Adult: $7.40 Child (under 15): half Tel.: 3403 2578 Add.: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children ride a dragon to explore the ocean. |
The Search for Life Time: Thurs., Jan. 4, 2:00 pm Cost: Adult: $14.50 Child (under 15): $8.70 Tel.: 3403 7689 Add.: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there? These are the questions asked in this show. |
Magic Class Time: Fri., Jan. 12, 10:00 am Cost: Free Tel.: 3403 8470 to book your seat beforehand Add.: Centenary Community Hub, 171 Dandenong Road Note: Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party. |
Science with Me Making Your Own Guitar  Time: Sat., Jul. 20, 3:00 pm Cost: Free Tel.: 3403 1226 to book your seat beforehand Add.: 10, Egginton Close Note: Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom? Science with Me is going to be with you. Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you. |
If you want to make a guitar, you can call ________.
| A．3403 8470 | B．3403 1226 | C．3403 7689 | D．3403 2578 |
John and his 10-year-old son want to watch Secret of the Dragon. They will pay ________.
| A．$7.40 | B．$11.10 | C．$14.80 | D．$23.20 |
Rita plans to join Magic Class. She may learn about _______.
| A．real magic | B．making coins | C．magic stories | D．holding parties |
Alec is strongly interested in space life. He may go to _______.
| A．Magic Class | B．Science with Me |
| C．Secret of the Dragon | D．The Search for Life |
Hello! The Generation 90s is coming!
Wearing earphones, using net language and text messaging, the Gen – 90s following the Gen – 80s begin to make their world debut(初次露面).
Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle. Read and judge for yourself if you fit the Gen – 90s profile(形象).
Earphones
These little earphones seem to grow on the heads of the Gen – 90s. They might lead to MP4, MP5 or Iphone players and are used to listen to pop songs. But too much time on earphones is bad for ears.
Martian(火星的) Language
They have created their own online language. It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand. This is a generation full of imagination. But try not to use them when writing compositions. Teacher may get annoyed.
Self – Portrait(自我)
Saying “cheese” to their own cameras is common for this generation. A little bit of narcissism(自恋) never hurts anyone. It helps them reflect(反映) a little on their own lives. But be careful not to put all private photos online.
Text – Messaging
They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak. However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.The readers of the passage maybe_______.
| A．Teens | B．Educators | C．Socialists | D．Parents |
The writer described the Gen-90s in _______ ways.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the Gen-90s’ happy life |
| B．the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
| C．the Gen-90s’ lifestyle and some useful advice for them |
| D．the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
According to the text, the writer will choose _______ as a good example to the Gen-90s.
| A．Li Hua likes dancing and always wears beautiful dresses. |
| B．Zhang Chao speaks English and Japanese very well. |
| C．Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends. |
| D．Fangfang likes taking photos of her own and often put them online. |
How is the passage organized?
| A．By making comparisons(比较). |
| B．By showing a topic and giving explanations(解释). |
| C．By using famous people’s words. |
| D．By listing data(数据). |
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