They sit by the door waiting for me. And while I may speak more about the narrowness of my very limited life than their real worth, just the fact that they're sitting there, waiting for me, makes me happy.
I speak, of course, of my wonderful, brilliant, intelligently designed, calf-high rubber boots. They are a piece of industrial genius（杰作）. They are real and vibrant（活力的），and make my life more worth living.
My rubber boots are real and they do not fail me. I slip them on over my socks at a moment's notice. They go on easily. My feet feel joyful like the wagging（摇摆）tail of a dog waiting for its walk. My feet know they are safe.
I step outside the house and nothing can stop me the late season snowstorm, the pool of standing water at the bottom of my doorsteps that will never give off, the mud and dirt this season brings. My feet are warm and dry and happy. And so am I.
My boots are modest. They make no promise they can't keep. I found them at one-third the price of the long boots I looked at longingly for years. Mine are American-made and inexpensive and unattractive and brown and solid. They are now three years old and still look new. I know I will have them forever. I will die with them on. They are homely and they are wonderful.
My rubber boots make me braver and kinder and more generous. Yes, I will get the mail. Yes, I will get the newspaper. Yes, I will walk the dog. Yes to the garbage. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have rubber boots, good strong rubber boots-and I am not afraid. We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．the writer has a small life circle |
| B．it must be very cold in winter where the writer lives |
| C．the writer enjoys the dog wagging its tail |
| D．the boots are designed by an industrial talent |
Which of the following is mentioned in the last two paragraphs?
| A．The writer is a postman by occupation. |
| B．The writer will wear the boots all his life. |
| C．The writer bought the boots out of curiosity. |
| D．The boots are good-looking, old and American made. |
Which is the right order of the writer's developing the passage?
a. He feels at home in the boots.
b. His feet feel safe.
c. They bring him happiness.
d. His life is meaningful.
e. He feels very fearless.
f. They warm his feet and keep wet out.
| A．a-c-b-e-d-f |
| B．c-d-e-f-b-a |
| C．a-c-b-f-d-e |
| D．c-d-b-f-a-e |
The writer writes the passage in order to __________.
| A．tell his daily life |
| B．advertise rubber boots |
| C．praise the objects ordinary but reliable |
| D．attach the importance to happiness and safety |
Last Friday, after doing all the family shopping in town I wanted a rest before catching the train, so I bought a newspaper and some chocolate and went into the station coffee shop. It was a cheap self-service place with long table to keep a place and went to get a cup of coffee.
When I came back with the coffee, there was someone in the next seat. It was one of those wild-looking boys, with dark glasses and old clothes, and his hair was colored bright red at the front. What did surprise me was that he’d started to eat my chocolate.
I was rather uneasy about him, but I didn’t want to make more trouble. I just looked down at the front page of the newspaper, tasted my coffee and took a bit of chocolate. The boy looked at me closely. Then he took a second piece of chocolate. I could hardly believe it. Still I didn’t say anything to him. When he took a third piece, I felt angrier. I thought, well, I shall have the last piece. “And I got it.”
The boy gave me a strange look, and then stood up. As he left he shouted out, “There is something wrong with the woman,” Everybody looked at me, but it was worse then I finished my coffee and got ready to leave. My face turned red when I knew I’d made a mistake. I wasn’t my chocolate that I had eaten. There was mine, just under my newspaper.In which order did the writer do the following things?
a. Went into a coffee shop. b. Got a cup of coffee,
c. Started to eat some chocolate. d. Did some shopping.
e. Found a seat in the shop. f. Bought some chocolate.
| A．a, e, f, b, c, d | B．a, d, f, b, e, c | C．d, f, a, e, b, c | D．d, a, f, c, b, e |
The writer went into the station coffee shop to______.
| A．buy a newspaper | B．meet a boy with dark glasses |
| C．put her heavy bag | D．take a short rest |
When the writer came back to the table, she was surprised because______.
| A．her chocolate had been eaten up |
| B．the boy was eating her chocolate |
| C．there was a boy sitting next to her |
| D．what the boy did seemed quite rude |
How do you think the writer felt at last?
| A．She felt disappointed | B．She felt ashamed |
| C．She became angrier. | D．She thought it very funny. |
People born in winter are more likely to suffer mental health disorders, according to a recent study carried out by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
Researchers raised baby mice from birth to weaning (断奶) in either “summer” light cycles of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark or “winter” cycles of 8 hours of light and 16 hours of dark. A third group experienced 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark a day.
Then half the winter mice stayed in a winter cycle, while half switched to a summer schedule. The summer mice were similarly split. The mice raised in equal periods of light and dark were split into three groups, one of which stayed on the 12hour schedule, one of which joined the winter group, and one of which joined the summer group.
After 28 days, it turns out the summerborn mice behaved the same whether they stayed on the summer cycle or switched to winter. But among the winterborn mice, those stayed in winter kept their previous schedule, while those that switched to summer stayed active for an extra hour and a half, which indicates that mice born and weaned in a winter light cycle showed dramatic disruptions in their biological clocks.
The finding is the first of its kind in mammals, and it could explain why people born in winter are at higher risk for mental health disorders including bipolar depression, schizophrenia and seasonal affective disorder.
“We know that the biological clock regulates mood in humans，”said study researcher McMahon. “If the mechanism (机制) similar to the one that we found in mice operates in humans, then it could not only have an effect on a number of behavioral disorders, but also have a more general effect on personality.”How many groups of mice are there finally in all in the experiment?
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
What's the main idea of the text?
| A．The biological clock regulates mood in humans. |
| B．People born in winter are at higher risk for physical health disorders. |
| C．Being born in winter has a negative effect on people's mental health. |
| D．The length of light will influence the behavior of the mice. |
The underlined word “split”(Paragraph 3) can be replaced by ________.
| A．ended | B．torn | C．hit | D．divided |
Who is the appropriate reader of the passage?
| A．A jobhunter. | B．A student in the university. |
| C．A newlymarried couple. | D．An experienced dentist. |
What’s on stage
An acrobatic(杂技)show: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe(剧团)will present “ The Soul of China”, where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills(寒意)will run down your spine(脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p. m. , September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m. —5:00 p. m. until September10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Oil paintings: The Wangfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a. m. —4:00 p. m. until September15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a. m. —4:00 p. m. , daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District (shaoyaoju area)
Concerts
Beijing rocks: “The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock” is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium Orchestra(管弦乐队): La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orchestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world to commemorate(纪念) the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time: 7:30 p. m. September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of NationalitiesWhat do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned here?
| A．When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold. |
| B．Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists. |
| C．Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised. |
| D．Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching. |
The most characteristic thing about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that____.
| A．it will let the audience choose the music |
| B．it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes |
| C．it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China |
| D．it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians |
Suppose it is September 14th today, how many activities can people choose to attend?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
On the whole, we can conclude____.
| A．people in Beijing prefer modern culture to something traditional |
| B．there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month |
| C．most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only |
| D．we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing |
WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers.
Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting （骗过） his high school's monitoring system. This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life.
While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security （DHS） secret prison.There he is treated as a possible terrorist. He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears.
When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists.While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen.
He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously(匿名地).
The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society.What kind of article does this passage belong to?
| A．A fascinating story. | B．A book review. |
| C．A news report. | D．A TV programme. |
Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because________.
| A．he killed his friend |
| B．he bombed a military vehicle |
| C．he did something that a possible terrorist could do |
| D．his injured friend disappeared |
From the second paragraph we can infer that______.
| A．Marcus Yallow is much more comfortable obeying the rules of society |
| B．Marcus Yallow is smart, fast and wise in real life |
| C．Marcus Yallow always plays online games in real life |
| D．Marcus Yallow is expert at the network world |
In the end of the book, Marcus Yallow __________.
| A．is supposed to be more irresponsible |
| B．becomes aware of very serious issues about his society |
| C．presents a young man who is irresponsible |
| D．plays a popular online game in real life |
Is crying good therapy? Experts say yes. Having a good weep at the weekend is becoming more popular among office workers in China.
“I need to cry to let my feeling out,” said 22-year-old Guo Meng, a smart-looking young woman. “I remember one day when I got home I felt so down but I had no one to talk to, so I just curled up(蜷缩) with my teddy bear and cried myself to sleep,” Guo said. The next day, she said, she felt much better and life seemed not so bad after all.
Because crying is taken as a sign of weakness, people make a great show of being strong and not displaying emotion. Psychologists and medical practitioners agree that crying is beneficial for mental health but people still regard it as a sign of failure and bottle up their feelings. A famous Chinese author once said to cry is normal, and even brave. Those who display their emotions can deal with their troubles bravely after the tears dry, while those who soldier on let problems fester（恶化）.
In the Chaoyang district of Beijing, there is a special place for people to cry their sadness out. It is called “Cry Bar”. On the door of each of its “cry rooms” there is a saying encouraging people to let the tears flow freely.
“Crying is a kind of therapy, but it needs some direction,” said Milulu, a psychologist.
“People should realize the point of crying is to relieve pressure, but some of the young people who come to the Cry Bar simply sit and weep. The purpose of crying is to make it easier to improve your life after the tears dry, not to get lost in bad memories.”
Crying is only one way of relieving pressure, and we need to face problems squarely and solve them once the tears have dried, said Mululu.Crying _____ made Guo Meng feel better.
| A．with some friend | B．all the night with a toy |
| C．during her sleep | D．in bed before sleep |
According to the third paragraph, people usually make great efforts to_____.
| A．get rid of their sadness | B．bottle up their feelings |
| C．act on psychologists’ advice | D．face their troubles bravely |
What should the customers do at the Cry Bar?
| A．Think of every sad experience they’ve had and cry |
| B．Keep crying as loudly as long as possible. |
| C．Satisfy any desire to cry and weep until it is gone. |
| D．Hold back their tears until they can’t help but cry. |
From the text, we can learn that crying ____.
| A．is to relieve pressure | B．must help to solve problems |
| C．means facing problems squarely | D．can’t weaken sad feelings. |
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