Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson.
Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other surgeons on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently.
Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan.
As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person.
Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan.
Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.The passage is probably taken from _____.
| A.a radio | B.a magazine | C.TV | D.a paper |
What does the word “surgeons” in paragraph 3 mean?
| A.nurses | B.doctors | C.hospitals | D.points |
Benjamin Carson’s change in study was largely because of ______
| A.his hard work | B.his teacher |
| C.his mother | D.his father |
What’s the aim to write the passage?
| A.To call on us to learn from Benjamin Carson. |
| B.To praise Benjamin Carson for his achievements. |
| C.To show us how Benjamin Carson succeeded |
| D.To introduce Benjamin Carson’s life and work |
Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact(互动)these days.The term is “networked individualism”.This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings.How can we be individuals(个体)and be networked at the same time?You need other people for networks.
Here is what Professor Wellman means.Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail,our social networks included live interactions with relatives,neighbors,and friends.Some of the interaction was by phone,but it was still voice to voice,person to person,in real time.
A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people,electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to-person interaction.However,a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing.Why?
In the past,many people were worried that the Internet isolated(孤立)us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer.But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true.The Internet connects us with more real people than expected—helpful people who can give advice on careers,medical problems,raising children,and choosing a school or college.About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.
Thanks to the computer,we are able to be alone and together with other people—at the same time!The underlined phrase “networked individualism”probably means that by using computers people_______.
| A.stick to their own ways no matter what other people say |
| B.have the rights and freedom to do things of their own interest |
| C.do things in their own ways and express opinions different from other people |
| D.are able to keep to themselves but at the same time reach out to other people |
According to the Pew study,what do many people rely on to make major life decisions?
| A.Networks. | B.Friends. |
| C.Phones. | D.Parents. |
It can be inferred from the Pew study that_______.
| A.people have been separated from each other by using computers |
| B.the Internet makes people waste a lot of time and feel very lonely |
| C.the Internet has become a tool for a new kind of social communication |
| D.a lot of people regard the person-toperson communication as good thing |
Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A.We’re Alone on the Internet. |
| B.We’re Communicating on the Internet. |
| C.We’re Alone Together on the Internet. |
| D.We’re in the Imaginary World of the Internet. |
Danielle Steel,America’s sweetheart,is one of the hardest working women in the book business.Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time,she can work on up to five.Her research alone before writing takes at least three years.Once she has fully studied her subjects,ready to dive into a book,she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education.After graduation,she worked in the public relations and advertising industries.Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for.Her achievements are unbelievable:390 million copies of books in print,nearly fifty New York Times best-selling novels,and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them deal with the real-life problems of death,new babies and new schools.Her 1998 book about the death of her son shot to the top of the New York Times best-selling list as soon as it came out.Twenty-eight of her books have been made into films.She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for one of her books being the Times best-seller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house,a loving family,and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge,Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource(资源) and has kept in touch with them by e-mail.While she is often compared to the heroines(女主人公) of her own invention,her life is undoubtedly much quieter.But,if she does have anything in common with them,it is her strength of will and her inimitable(独特的) style.There is only one Danielle Steel.Danielle Steel is different from other writers in that _______.
| A.she can write several books at the same time |
| B.she often does some reasearch before writing a book |
| C.she is one of the most popular American women writers |
| D.she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break |
Children who have read “Max and Martha” picture books may know _______.
| A.how to deal with affairs at school |
| B.what to do if Max and Martha die |
| C.what to do when new babies are born into their families |
| D.how to solve the difficult problems in their writing classes |
One of Danielle Steel’s achievements is that _______.
| A.some TV plays were based on her books |
| B.her picture books attracted a lot of young men |
| C.one of her books became a best-seller in 1998 |
| D.she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records |
We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel _______.
| A.lives an exciting life | B.values her readers a lot |
| C.writes about quiet women | D.is pleased with her achievements |
When I met him,I had a lot of anger inside of me.I’ve lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem,but in my neighborhood,there are shoot-ups all the time.I know kids who have been shot or beaten up.I have friends who ended up in prison.I could have ended up that way,too,but Mr.Clark wouldn’t let that happen.
Mr.Clark worked long hours,making sure I did my work.My grades rose.In fact,the scores of our whole class rose.One day,he took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera,and it was the first time some kids had ever been out of Harlem.Before the show,he treated us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full.We did not want to let him down.
Mr.Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year.He said he would draw three names out of a hat;those students would go with him to Los Angeles to get the award.But when the time came to draw names,Mr.Clark said,“You’re all going.”
On graduation day,there were a lot of tears.We didn’t want his class to end.In 2001,he moved to Atlanta,but he always kept in touch.He started giving lectures about education,and wrote a bestselling book based on his classroom rules,The Essential 55.In 2003,Mr.Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit orphanages(孤儿院).It was the most amazing experience of my life.It’s now my dream to one day start a group of women’s clubs,helping people from all backgrounds.Without Mr.Clark,the writer _______.
| A.might have been put into prison |
| B.might not have won the prize |
| C.might have joined a women’s club |
| D.might not have moved to Atlanta |
The Essential 55 is _______.
| A.a show | B.a speech |
| C.a classroom rule | D.a book |
How many students’ names were finally drawn out of a hat by Mr.Clark?
| A.None. | B.Three. | C.Fifty-five. | D.All. |
In the passage,the writer intends to tell us that _______.
| A.Mr.Clark went to South Africa because he liked traveling |
| B.Mr.Clark helped to set up a group of women’s clubs |
| C.a good teacher can help raise his or her students’ scores |
| D.a good teacher has a good influence on his or her students |
Four people in England back in 1953, stared at Photo 51,It wasn’t much—a picture showing a black X. But three of these people won the Nobel Prize for figuring out what the photo really showed –the shape of DNA The discovery brought fame and fortune to scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. The fourth, the one who actually made the picture, was left out.
Her name was Rosalind Franklin.”She should have been up there,” says historian Mary Bowden.” If her photos hadn’t been there, the others couldn’t have come up with the structure.” One reason Franklin was missing was that she had died of cancer four years before the Nobel decision. But now scholars doubt that Franklin was not only robbed of her life by disease but robbed of credit by her competitors
At Cambridge University in the 1950s, Watson and Click tried to make models by cutting up shapes of DNA’s parts and then putting them together. In the meantime, at King’s College in London, Franklin and Wilkins shone X-rays at the molecule(分子). The rays produced patterns reflection the shape.
But Wilkins and Franklin’s relationship was a lot rockier than the celebrated teamwork of Watson and Crick, Wilkins thought Franklin was hired to be his assistant .But the college actually employed her to take over the DNA project.
What she did was produce X-ray pictures that told Watson and Crick that one of their early models was inside out. And she was not shy about saying so. That angered Watson, who attacked her in return, “Mere inspection suggested that she would not easily bend. Clearly she had to to go or be put in her place.”
As Franklin’s competitors, Wilkins, Watson and Crick had much to gain by cutting her out of the little group of researchers, says historian Pnina Abir-Am. In 1962 at the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony, Wilkins thanked 13 colleagues by name before he mentioned Franklin, Watson wrote his book laughing at her. Crick wrote in 1974 that “Franklin was only two steps away from the solution.”
No, Franklin was the solution. “She contributed more than any other player to solving the structure of DNA . She must be considered a co-discoverer,” Abir-Am says. This was backed up by Aaron Klug, who worked with Franklin and later won a Nobel Prize himself. Once described as the “Dark Lady of DNA”, Franklin is finally coming into the light.What is the text mainly about?
A. The disagreements among DNA researchers.
B. The unfair treatment of Franklin.
C. The process of discovering DNA.
D. The race between two teams of scientists.Watson was angry with Franklin because she .
| A.took the lead in the competition | B.kept her results from him |
| C.proved some of his findings wrong | D.shared her data with other scientists |
Why is Franklin described as “Dark Lady of DNA”?
A. She developed pictures in dark labs.
B. She discovered the black X-the shape of DNA.
C. Her name was forgotten after her death.
D. Her contribution was unknown to the public.What is the writer’s attitude toward Wilkins, Watson and Crick?
| A.Disapproving. | B.Respectful. | C. Admiring. | D.Doubtful. |
It is true that good writers rewrite and rewrite and then rewrite some more. But in order to work up the desire to rewrite, it is important to learn to like what you write at the early stage.
I am surprised at the number of famous writers I know who say that they so dislike reading their own writing later that they even hate to look over the publishers' opinions. One reason we may dislike reading our own work is that we're often disappointed that the rich ideas in our minds seem very thin and plain when first written down. Jerry Fodor and Steven Pinker suggest that this fact may be a result of how our minds work.
Different from popular belief ,we do not usually think in the works and sentences of ordinary language but in symbols for ideas (known as "mentalese"), and writing our ideas down is an act of translation from that symbolic language . But while mentalese contains our thoughts in the form of a complex tapestry (织锦),writing can only be composed one thread at a time . Therefore it should not be surprising that our first attempt at expressing ideas should look so simple. It is only by repeatedly rewriting that we produces new threads and connect them to get closer to the ideas formed in our minds.
When people write as if some strict critics (批评家) are looking over their shoulder , they are so worried about what this critic might say that they get stuck before they even start. Peter Elbow makes an excellent suggestion to deal with this problem. When writing we should have two different minds. At the first stage, we should see every idea, as well as the words we use to express it ,as wonderful and worth putting down . It is only during rewrites that we should examine what we excitedly wrote in the first stage and check for weaknesses.
| 1. |
What do we learn from the text about those famous writers?
|
| 2. |
What do people generally believe about the way human minds work?
|
| 3. |
What can we conclude from the text?
|
When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from china,
When India had not opened up its markers to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans. Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now,
Still ,her answer surprised me: "Green tea,"
As long as I can remember she didn't even drink Indian tea.
I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story. My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses
At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian, It was a strange country
How things change [And how soon]
Now every town of any size seems to have a "China Market". And everyone is talking about China
The government of India has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment(投资)and such a step would "work wonders as it did for China".
But it's a two-way street, I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Rangalore to train in software. Meanwhile, all the IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China,
No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to his about us$15 billion for last year and us$20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments,
No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian(中印)century as the two countries started on January I the Sino-Indian Friendship Year,
But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea.
| 1. |
Why did the mother ask for Chinese green tea?
|
| 2. |
What does the author mean by "it's a two-way street' in paragraph 10?
|
| 3. |
hat do we know about the Indian IT industry?
|
| 4. |
In the text the author expresses,
|
Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival (竞争对手)。Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia. ”George and Rivhard wereat school.
| A.roommates | B.good friends |
| C.competitors | D.booksellers |
How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
| A.He envied Richard’s marriage. |
| B.He thought of Richard from time to time. |
| C.He felt lucky with no rival in town. |
| D.He was guilty of Richard’s death. |
George got information about Richard from.
| A.a dictionary collector in Australia |
| B.the latter’s rivals Dylans |
| C.a rare first edition of a dictionary |
| D.the wrapping paper of a book |
What happened to George and Richard in the end?
| A.Both George and Richard became millionaires. |
| B.Both of them realized their original ambitions. |
| C.George established a successful business white Richard was missing. |
| D.Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success. |
Eddie McKay, a once-forgotten pilot, is a subject of great interest to a group of history students in Canada.
It all started when Graham Broad, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, found McKay’s name in a footnote in a book about university history. McKay was included in a list of university alumni (校友) who had served during the First World War, but his name was unfamiliar to Broad, a specialist in military history. Out of curiosity, Broad spent hours at the local archives (档案馆) in a fruitless search for information on McKay. Tired and discouraged, he finally gave up. On his way out, Broad’s glance happened to fall on an exhibiting case showing some old newspapers. His eye was drawn to an old picture of a young man in a rugby uniform. As he read the words beside the picture, he experienced a thrilling realization. “After looking for him all day, there he was, staring up at me out of the exhibiting case,” said Broad. Excited by the find, Broad asked his students to continue his search. They combed old newspapers and other materials for clues. Gradually, a picture came into view.
Captain Alfred Edwin McKay joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916. He downed ten enemy planes, outlived his entire squadron (中队) as a WWI flyer, spent some time as a flying instructor in England, then returned to the front, where he was eventually shot down over Belgium and killed in December 1917. But there’s more to his story. “For a brief time in 1916 he was probably the most famous pilot in the world,” says Broad. “He was credited with downing Oswald Boelcke, the most famous German pilot at the time.” Yet, in a letter home, McKay refused to take credit, saying that Boelcke had actually crashed into another German plane.
McKay’s war records were destroyed during a World War II air bombing on London — an explanation for why he was all but forgotten.
But now, thanks to the efforts of Broad and his students, a marker in McKay’s memory was placed on the university grounds in November 2007. “I found my eyes filling with tears as I read the word ‘deceased’ (阵亡) next to his name,” said Corey Everrett, a student who found a picture of Mckay in his uniform. “This was such a simple example of the fact that he had been a student just like us, but instead of finishing his time at Western, he chose to fight and die for his country.”What made Professor Broad continue his search for more information on McKay?
| A.A uniform of McKay. | B.A footnote about McKay. |
| C.A book on McKay. | D.A picture of McKay. |
What did the students find out about McKay?
| A.He trained pilots for some time. |
| B.He lived longer than other pilots. |
| C.He died in the Second World War. |
| D.He was downed by the pilot Boelcke. |
McKay’s flying documents were destroyed in.
| A.Belgium | B.Germany | C.Canada | D.England |
We can learn from the last paragraph that McKay.
| A.preferred fight to his study |
| B.went to war before graduation |
| C.left a picture for Corey Everrett |
| D.set an example for his fellow students |
What is the text mainly about?
| A.The research into war history. |
| B.The finding of a forgotten hero. |
| C.The pilots of the two world wars. |
| D.The importance of military studies. |
It was the first snow of winter — an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through brst snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled won my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-mc-down from my brother, and if made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes, At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots(靴子).
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence(信心).
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them”.
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying(烦人的) little girl, She struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens(连指手套)?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.The little girl was more satisfied with her_____.
| A.trousers | B.jacket | C.boots | D.hat |
Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the girl’s boots mainly because_____.
| A.the girl got them from her brother | B.the girl put something in them |
| C.they were on the wrong feet | D.they did not fit the girl well |
Why does the author Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A.Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes. |
| B.Because it was the most exciting day of the winter . |
| C.Because the little girl played a trick on her. |
| D.Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf. |
We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson____.
| A.was losing confidence in the little girl. |
| B.gradually lost patience with the little girl. |
| C.became disappointed with the little girl. |
| D.was getting bored with the little girl. |
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left at message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call.
Three hours passing by, I became more and more and impatient. I was certain that my agent didn't care about my work, and he didn't care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, "Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?"
At that time I didn't realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, "Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!" And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth...?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the test of the house, "Now hear this! All objects in this room----if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!"
Then she turned to me. Kissed me and said calmly, "Honey, you just have to learn how to take control." With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight , I noticed that something in my mood (情绪) had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her aunties helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him and talk to him calmly.
| 1. |
Why did the author shout at the telephone?
|
| 2. |
What did the author's wife do after she heard his shouting?
|
| 3. |
What made the author laugh?
|
| 4. |
What does the underlined word "aunties" refer to?
|
阅读下面短文,并按照题目要求用英语回答问题.
Almost everybody in America will spend a part of his or her life behind a shopping cart(购物手推车). They will, in a lifetime, push the chrome-plated contraptions many miles. But few will know—or even think to ask—who it was that invented them.
Sylvan N. Goldman invented the shopping cart in 1937. At that time he was in the supermarket business. Every day he would see shoppers lugging(吃力地携带) groceries around in baskets they had to carry.
One day Goldman suddenly had the idea of putting baskets on wheels. The wheeled baskets would make shopping much easier for his customers, and would help to attract more business.
On June 4, 1937, Goldman’s first carts were ready for use in his market. He was terribly excited on the morning of that day as customers began arriving. He couldn’t wait to see them using his invention.
But Goldman was disappointed. Most shoppers gave the carts a long look, but hardly anybody would give them a try.
After a while, Goldman decided to ask customers why they weren’t using his carts. “Don’t you think this arm is strong enough to carry a shopping basket?” one shopper replied.
But Goldman wasn’t beaten yet. He knew his carts would be a great success if only he could persuade people to give them a try. To this end, Goldman hired a group of people to push carts around his market and pretend they were shopping! Seeing this, the real customers gradually began copying the phony(假冒的) customers.
As Goldman had hoped, the carts were soon attracting larger and larger numbers of customers to his market. But not only did more people come—those who came bought more. With larger, easier-to-handle baskets, customers unconsciously bought a greater number of items than before.
Today’s shopping carts are five times larger than Goldman’s original model. Perhaps that’s one reason Americans today spend more than five times as much money on food each year as they did before 1937—before the coming of the shopping cart.The underlined words “chrome-plate contraptions” in Paragraph 1 refer to ______.
(No more than 3 words)What was the purpose of Goldman’s invention? (No more than 10 words)
Why was Goldman disappointed at first? (No more than 10 words)
Why did Goldman hire people to push carts around his market? (No more than 10 words)
What do you think of Goldman? Please give your reasons. (No more than 20 words)
When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from China.
When India had not opened up its markets to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans.Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now.
Still, her answer surprised me: “Green tea.”
As long as I can remember she didn’t even drink Indian tea .
I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story.My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses.
At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian.It was a strange country.
How things change! And how soon!
Now every town of any size seems to have a “China Market”.And everyone is talking about China.
The govemment of Indin has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done.A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment(投资)and such a step would “work wonders as it did for China”.
But it’s a two-way street.I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Bangalore to train in software.Meanwhile, all the Indian IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China.
No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to hit about US $15 billion for last year and US $20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments.
No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian(中印)century as the two countries started on January 1 the Sino-Indian Friendship Year.
But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea.According to the passage, the author left _____ for ______.
| A.India; China | B.China; India |
| C.China; Longjing | D.India; Shenzhen |
The reason why the writer’s mother asked for Chinese green tea is that_____.
| A.she had a son working in China | B.she believed it had a curing effect |
| C.she enjoyed Chinese products | D.she was tired of Indian tea |
The underlined part “it’s a two-way street” in Paragraph 10 probably means ____.
| A.The exchanges between Indian and China benefit both. |
| B.China and India have different traffic rules. |
| C.Tea trade works wonders in both India and China. |
| D.Chinese produces are popular in both China and India. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A.the author was concerned for his mother’s health |
| B.the author was in favor of drinking Chinese green tea |
| C.the author was surprised at China’s recent development |
| D.the author was curious about the growth of India’s IT industry |
My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed. I'm sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, "The war is over!" For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn't last a tiny bit longer.
| 1. |
What the grandfather was most worried about was.
|
| 2. |
The underlined phrase "draft notice" means "".
|
| 3. |
What did the "service pins"(in Para. 2) stand for in the eyes of the little girls?
|
| 4. |
Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
|
Computer programmer David Jones earns $35.000 a year designing new computer games. yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡)Instead he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18. The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job David’s firm releases(推出)two new games for the fast growing computer market each month
But David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot he cannot drive a car take out a mortgage(抵押贷款),or get credit cards David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago ,a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs” he said David spends some of his money on records and clothes and gives his mother 50 pounds a week But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school “ he said “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway” David added :”I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休)is a possibility You never know when the market might disappear.”In what way is David different from people of his age?
| A.He often goes out with friends |
| B.He lives with his mother |
| C.He has a handsome income |
| D.He graduated with six O-levels |
What is one of the problems that David is facing now?
| A.He is too young to get a credit card |
| B.He has no time to learn driving |
| C.He has very little spare time |
| D.He will soon lose his job |
Why was David able to get the job in the company?
| A.He had done well in all his exams |
| B.He had written some computer programs |
| C.He was good at playing computer games |
| D.He had learnt to use computers at school |
Why did David decide to leave school and start working?
| A.He received lots of job offers |
| B.He was eager to help his mother |
| C.He lost interest in school studies |
| D.He wanted to earn his own living |