Every morning Grandpa got up early sitting at the table, reading his book. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to copy him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the book just like you, but I don’t understand it, and I forget what I understand as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the book do?” The grandpa quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandpa laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned. Out of breath, he told his grandpa that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, so he went to get a bucket instead. The grandpa said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.”
The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandpa the basket was empty again. Out of breath, he said, “Grandpa, it’s useless !”“So, you think it is useless?” the grandpa said, “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean.
“Grandson, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you’ll be changed, inside and out.”What puzzled the grandson most was ________.
| A．what kind of book he could understand |
| B．whether it was useful to read books |
| C．why he forgot what he read soon |
| D．how he could read books like his grandpa |
Why did Grandpa ask his grandson to fetch a basket of water? _______
| A．To punish him for not reading carefully. |
| B．To train him to run faster. |
| C．To get him to realize the use of reading books. |
| D．To clean the dirty basket in the river. |
What lesson can we learn from the story? ________
| A．It is foolish to carry water with a basket. |
| B．The old are always wiser than the young. |
| C．Reading books can change a person gradually. |
| D．You can’t expect to remember whatever you read. |
What can be the best title for the text? _______
| A．Grandpa and grandson | B．Carrying water in a basket |
| C．Baskets and books | D．Reading for total changing |
Mike Maietta was eating lunch when he got a text message from his mom.
“Notre Dame,” it said. “Big envelope!”
Mike, a senior at a Californian high school, shouted with joy. The big envelope meant that the excellent university in Indiana had offered him a place in its Class of 2013. But the $51,300 annual fee is a big obstacle. So Mike and his parents are considering offers from several other colleges and are calculating the costs of tuition, housing and holiday trips home.
This year, money is the driving factor for a growing number of high school seniors, who have to decide what colleges to attend this fall. Less jobs and plunging house prices have changed family spending.
“We’re excited that Mike got into eight great schools,” said Mike’s father, an engineer at Microsoft. “But if you consider going to school out of state, you’ve got to think about all of the other costs: moving, flying back and forth for the holidays. You’re looking at about $3,000 a year, just for travel.”
As families weigh their choices, some are going back to financial aid offices hoping help packages can be increased.
Rachel Brown was happy to get a thick envelope from New York University (NYU). Although she has always wanted to live in Manhattan, she is seriously considering the University of California San Diego (UCSD), because of the high cost in New York.
“The tuition for NYU is twice as much as UCSD,” said Rachel, 17. “My mom doesn’t want me to have a big debt when I graduate, and I don’t want that either. I’d have to take out a loan of $15,000. I’ll check and see if there’s any way that NYU can offer me any financial aid.”
More than 7.6 million American students have filled out the Free Application for Students Aid, a 19.9 percent increase over last year.
This month the Federal Department of Education urged college financial aid officers to give more help to certain families. A record 30,428 students applied for 2,300 places at Stanford, partly because the university increased financial aid for families earning below $10,000.Mike may give up Notre Dame because of ______.
| A．travel fees |
| B．poor exam results |
| C．financial concerns |
| D．worries about living far away from home |
The phrase “Big envelope” in paragraph 2 probably refers to“______”.
| A．A text message |
| B．A large gift package |
| C．A scholarship letter |
| D．An admission letter |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．It is hard for college students to borrow money to cover costs. |
| B．Rachel Brown has given up NYU because of its high tuition and big debts. |
| C．The number of American senior students applying for financial aid is increasing. |
| D．An interest-free loan for students helps more students apply for Stanford. |
The passage mainly focuses on ______.
| A．the calculation of different costs including tuition |
| B．the financial crisis of families over college entrance |
| C．the excitement of students’ being able to enter ideal colleges |
| D．the extremely hard financial situation in America |
Guide to Stockholm University Library
Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.
Zones
The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.
Computers
You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers; you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.
Group-study places
If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.
There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.
Storage of Study Material
The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits(学分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.
Rules to be Followed
Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.
Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.Library computers on the ground floor __________.
| A．help students with their field experiments |
| B．are mostly used for filling out application forms |
| C．are for those who wan to access the wi-fi |
| D．contain software essential for schoolwork |
What condition should be met to book a group-study room?
| A．One should first register at the university |
| B．Three-hour use per day is the minimum |
| C．A group must consist of 8 people |
| D．Applicants must mark the room on the map |
A student can rent a locker in the library if he __________.
| A．can afford the rental fee |
| B．attends certain courses |
| C．has earned the required credits |
| D．has nowhere to put his books |
David is an excellent student and he comes from New York. His family was there until he finished eighth grade. David had no choice but to sleep on park benches. Being alone on the streets was scary. One thing kept David going: his determination to do well in school.
Even though many things were difficult in David’s life, one thing was going very well. David was accepted to a special high school called MC2STEM.It is a public school in Cleveland for kids who are extremely good at science. The school turned out a peaceful place for David. He especially enjoyed having the chance to learn by doing lots of projects.
High school wasn’t easy. But David says that the school helped him set high standards for himself. Even when he didn’t have a place to stay at night, David kept his focus on his schoolwork.
While he was homeless, David would sometimes sleep in the park during the day because it was safer. “ If you sleep in the daytime in the park, people won’t bother you,” he says. “you’re just taking a nap. It’s acceptable.” Then David would study through the night. He showered at a friend’s house when his friend’s parents were at work.
All his hard work paid off. In May 2011, David graduated second in his high school class. He was accepted to 22 colleges. He also won a scholarship form the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It will pay for all his college expenses.
Last fall, David began attending Harvard University, one of the top colleges in the US.”I found the perfect school for me.” He wrote in his blog.
In the future, David might look for a job at a company like Google. Even better, he would like to start his own company. David says, “ I want to work for myself.”
According to the passage, David ________.
| A．liked to sleep on park benches. |
| B．studied very hard. |
| C．felt high school was easy. |
| D．hated doing a lot of projects. |
We can know from the passage that David would _________.
| A．work only in big companies. |
| B．start a company with partners. |
| C．win a scholarship again. |
| D．have a bright future. |
Which of the following word can best describe David?
| A．cautious | B．Lazy | C．Determined | D．Creative |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．A top University | B．A Poor Student |
| C．Homeless to Harvard | D．Winning a Scholarship |
People these days always complain how they suffer stress from their daily life. With drugs widely available in the market today, it is still advisable that we consume the best kind of medicine for our body, that is natural drugs.
One of the natural resources for a relaxation drug is the Valerian Root Extract. Scientifically known as Valeriana Officinalis, this plant is a flowering type with heads of pink and white flowers mostly blooming in the summer months. Native in Europe and in small parts of Asia, the plant became popular worldwide because of its sweet scent and unique health benefits.
Past research suggests that the valerian root has healing characteristics that focus on the neurotransmitter of the brain, which makes the brain cells function well. Other researches about this herb suggest that it can keep a person free of anxiety. Although there are various types of valerian root products in the market today, modern medical studies have concluded that further research has to be taken into consideration before acknowledging the so-called benefits of Valerian Root Extracts.
One sample of the so-called benefits is the treatment for anxiety disorder called “social anxiety disorder” or SAD. The benefit has insufficient evidence to support its claim as an alternative relief for anxiety. However, many patients said that they felt improvements on their nervous conditions, stress and overall mental ability.
Valerian Root Extract can be acquired as a tea, tablet, or liquid extract. It is recommended that you consult your physician about this herbal plant if it can really benefit your health.What does the author intend to do in the passage?
| A．To tell readers how to reduce stress. |
| B．To introduce a natural anxiety treatment. |
| C．To analyze the benefits of plants. |
| D．To advertise for the new product. |
What do we know about Valeriana Officinalis?
| A．It is also called Valerian Root Extract. |
| B．It is blooming all the year around. |
| C．It is only grown in European countries. |
| D．It is well received for its health benefits. |
The underlined word “insufficient” in the passage means ______.
| A．too much | B．pretty plentiful |
| C．not enough | D．well tested |
The next time you get caught jumping on your bed you can tell your parents with a straight face that you are not playing, simply getting ready got a promising career in “Mattress Jumping”. Believe it or not, there are some people who actually get paid to do that! According to Reuben Reynoso, a professional mattress tester at San Francisco’s McRoskey Mattress Factory that still makes every mattress by hand, it is real work and needs some training. For a start, it’s not all about jumping to new heights or doing tricks like professional athletes, but rather about feeling each area of the mattress carefully to detect the filling. In order to do it right, every bit of the mattress has to be tested slowly and deliberately.
Over the years, Reynoso has figured out the perfect routine. He begins by placing a protective mat over the mattress so that it doesn’t get dirty or absorb the smell from his feet. Then begins the fun---he steps to the middle of an edge and then takes five steps back and five steps forward. In this way, he slowly but surely, covers the entire surface. The key according to him is to find the perfect number of jumps---Too many and he will end up destroying the mattress completely. Too few? And it will not fit into the giant machine for that final sewing! Who knew a job that sounds so simple could have so many skills!
While Reuben will not reveal how he got into this profession, he will admit that it is more fun than being a carpenter, roofer, construction worker and railroad engineer---all jobs he has tried previous to finding his true profession!We learn from the text that the McRoskey Mattress Factory ______.
| A．is the world’s oldest mattress factory |
| B．make mattresses for sports |
| C．produces mattresses by hand |
| D．hires athletes as mattress testers |
The protective mat is used to ______.
| A．prevent the tester getting hurt |
| B．keep the mattress as clean as possible |
| C．protect the mattress from being destroyed |
| D．make the mattress fit into the sewing machine |
According to Reynoso, the most important thing in his work is ______.
| A．the timing of his jumps |
| B．the height of his jumps |
| C．the number of his jumps |
| D．the frequency of his jumps |
We can learn from the text that Reynoso ______.
| A．has been injured several times in his work |
| B．liked mattress jumping in his childhood |
| C．didn’t choose mattress testing as his first job |
| D．dreamt about becoming a jumping athlete |
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