Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking (潜伏) around every ember! The museum is open from 10：00am to 5：00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 
13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:
00pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th. August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5 : 30 pro performance 6:30pm—8:30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10. Child￡7. Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines：From Wellie 
Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette (玫瑰形饰物) that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12: 00pm 
and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080. If
you are interested in cooking, you can go to .
| A．Peterborough Museum | B．Houghton Mill |
| C．Saxon Youth Club | D．Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you ．
| A．￡21 | B．￡17 | C．￡27 | D．￡20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
| A．Playing farmland games. | B．Watching a new play. |
C．Competing in spots activi ties. |
D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will have activities
to choose from for himself.
| A．one activity | B．two activities |
| C．three activities | D．four activities |
Several hundred strangers received “love letters” from a young man on the street. The letter was written and given out by Yang Yang, a student majoring in human resources at Chongqing University of Science and Technology，who hoped to show his disappointment with job hunting.
Yang’s story has caught media attention perhaps because it is similar to those of millions of recent graduates seeking jobs and struggling for survival in the country’s wealthiest cities. They have diplomas, rather than professional skills，and come to big cities in hopes of better lives, only to find low-paying jobs and poor living conditions.
They are China’s “ant tribe(蚁族)”, a term created by sociologist Lian Si from Peking University in his 2009 book, Ant Tribe. “They’re so similar to ants. They share small and narrow living areas. They’re intelligent and hard-working, yet nameless and underpaid.” The term also speaks to their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the jungle -- only the strongest survive.
A survey in Lian’s another book published this year, Ant Tribe II, found nearly 30 percent of “ants” are graduates of famous universities—almost three times last year’s percentage. Most had degrees in popular majors. In addition, 7.2 percent of "ants" have at least a master’s degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009.
An “ant’s” average monthly salary is l, 904 yuan, with about 64 percent of them earning less than 2,000 yuan a month.
Another survey in the 2010 Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Talent found more than 1 million “ants” live in big cities.
“Most ants are from rural families or small towns, and their experiences in universities didn’t arm them well enough to fight with competitors in big cities’ employment markets.” Professor Zhang Ming at Renmin University of China said.
The “ant tribe’s” embarrassing living situations have become a serious social problem, and the government should develop smaller 
cities to attract more graduates from big cities, Zhang
believed.
However, “ants” expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them positive despite their situations.Yang’s story is introduced in order to_________.
| A．analyze graduates’ difficulties in finding jobs |
| B．lead to the topic of the article—“ant tribe” |
| C．tell readers a story about those big cities |
| D．show a clever way of dealing with pressure |
The “ants” fail to find high-paying jobs mainly because__________.
| A．they have no diplomas from good universities |
| B．their majors do not meet the needs of society |
| C．those from rural areas are not treated equally |
| D．they do not have necessary professional skills |
“Ant tribe” members are similar to ants in the following aspects EXCEPT that_________.
| A．they live in narrow and small places in groups |
| B．they work hard but earn little for survival |
| C．they are in a world judged by the jungle law |
| D．they are pleased with being nameless and underpaid |
Professor Zhang thought “ants” problems could be solved by__________.
| A．creating more jobs for graduates in big cities |
| B．developing smaller cities to attract graduates |
| C．sending graduates to rural areas and small towns |
| D．training graduates to improve their ability |
Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum (论坛) asking what “PK” meant.
“My family has been watching the ‘Super Girl’ singing competition TV programme. My little daughter asked me what ‘PK’ meant, but I had no idea,” explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, “PK” is short for “Player Kill”, in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the “Super Girl” singing competition, “PK” was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking (排名).
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students’ compositions using Internet jargons which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn’t understand.
“My ‘GG’ came back this summer from college. He told me I’ve grown up to be a ‘PLMM’. I loved to ‘FB’ with him together; he always took me to the ‘KPM’,” went one composition.
“GG” means Ge Ge (Chinese pinyin for brother). “PLMM” refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl). “FB” means Fu Bai (corruption). “KPM” is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long (dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa (frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao! By writing the article, the writer tries to ________.
| A．explain some Internet language | B．suggest common Internet language |
| C．laugh at the Beijing father | D．draw our attention to Internet language |
What does the writer think about the term “PK”?
| A．Fathers can’t possibly know it. | B．The daughter should understand it. |
| C．Online game players may know it. | D．“Super Girl” shouldn’t have used it. |
The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet jargons ________.
| A．are used not only online | B．can be understood very well |
| C．are welcomed by all the people | D．cause trouble to our mother tongue |
The underlined word “jargons” probably means ________.
| A．expressions | B．phrases | C．letters | D．spellings |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A puzzled father | B．Do you speak Internet jargons? |
| C．Keep away from Internet jargons | D．Kong Long or Qing Wa? |
The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings had appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics.
Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen. We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．No stamps were printed in the first two White Olympics |
| B．The first stamps marking the opening came out for the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．The 3rd White Olympics was in the USA |
| D．The 3rd White Olympics were held in 1932 |
The world made it a rule to publish stamps to mark the great world games _____.
| A．after the year 1936 | B．after the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．before the 3rd White Olympics | D．before the year 1932 |
The Winter Olympics is held once _______.
| A．every two years | B．every three years |
| C．every four years | D．every five years |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| B．Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| C．All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| D．Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games |
What may appear on the stamps of the White Olympics?
| A．Basketball. | B．Table tennis. | C．Football. | D．Skating. |
Whether it’s a carol（圣诞颂歌）service or an evening of karaoke in the pub, many people will enjoy a good old singsong this Christmas. Singing aloud will not just lift the spirits---it’s good for your physical health as well. Filling the lungs（肺）with air, increasing the heart rate and getting blood pumping round the body faster can all help our physical health.
For the past few years Heart Research UK has been Funding a Christmas campaign aimed at getting people singing, simply for the benefit it can bring. The organizer of the campaign says singing is a safe, simple and social activity that everyone can enjoy. “Singing is linked to long life, stress reduction, and general health protection. It also brings a great amount of happiness. It is impossible to sing well with a long face because it affects your pitch（音高）.”
Professor Graham Welch, who leads the International Music Education Research Centre at the University of London, has spent more than 30 years studying the effects of singing. He says that singing is a form of exercise. It means we’re also having a strong aerobic activity（有氧运动）when we’re singing, which results in increasing the feeling of pleasure while decreasing that of stress.
“And communal（共同的）singing—like in a singing group, a church service or even a singsong in the pub—helps improve our sense of self-respect. It increases our sense of satisfaction with ourselves, a greater sense of feeling included. ”
Helen Astrid, a singing teacher, also sees the great effects that singing brings. “It lifts us up on a spiritual level, it helps our self-respect, and it’s great for all ages from small kids to grannies—you can have a good sing and let your hair down.”
But she warns people not to have too many beers or glasses of wine, though a glass may help them gather courage before taking to the stage during the holidays. Heart Research UK holds a campaign to __________.
| A．encourage people to sing for God at Christmas |
| B．study the effects of singing on people |
| C．get people to sing and improve their health |
| D．bring happiness to people during holidays |
What are the benefits of singing according to Graham Welch?
a. Singers’ living longer.
b. Singers’ general health protection.
c. Singers’ feeling happier.
d. Singers’ stress reduced.
e. Singer’s self-respect improved.
| A．a, b, c | B．b, c, d | C．c, d, e | D．a, b, e |
The underlined part “let your hair down” probably means __________.
| A．feel at ease | B．protect yourself |
| C．dress casually | D．cover your nervousness |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Singing at Christmas is good for health. |
| B．In a low mood one is not able to sing well. |
| C．Experts have disagreement on singing. |
| D．Singing is the same as other aerobic activities. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Karaoke—Best Place for Singing! |
| B．Christmas—Best Time for Singing! |
| C．Singing—Healthy but Difficult |
| D．For Health—Let’s Sing! |
The story I am going to tell you happened about three years ago when I started to learn how to drive. At first, I was very frightened, and I thought I could never learn how to drive a car. Driving a car frightened me because in my home country women never drive, but in the United States every woman has to know how to drive. My husband paid an instructor to teach me how to drive. After that, my husband practiced with me for a long time. My husband always told me that I had to learn. It was important to me and my family.
However, I couldn’t get my license right away. I failed my driving test two times. After practicing for a long time, I decided to go for my third driving test. I had failed my first test because I was very nervous. Everybody encouraged me to continue practicing. Three weeks later, I decided to try it again, but I failed again. After that, I was very embarrassed（困窘的）, and I said I couldn’t get it, so I stopped practicing for a while.
Not knowing how to drive was bad because I couldn’t do anything. I had two kids, my husband works, and I have to take care of everything. Driving was so necessary that I decided to try it again. And finally, that time, I passed the test. Now I have my license. I know how to drive, and it has changed my life in some important ways. Now I’m driving to the college, learning English and hoping I will get a good job in the future.Why did the author think that she could never learn how to drive a car?
| A．Because she was not an American woman. |
| B．Because she was afraid of a car or a bus. |
| C．Because in her own country women never drive. |
| D．Because her husband didn’t know how to teach her. |
The underlined word “instructor” in the first paragraph probably means __________.
| A．someone who teaches a special skill |
| B．someone who teaches a sport skill |
| C．someone who teaches in an American college |
| D．the information telling you how to drive a car |
How many persons in the author’s family are mentioned except the author herself?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
The passage mainly shows us that the author failed for quite a few times but she never gave up and __________.
| A．she succeeded in driving her car to send her two children |
| B．she succeeded in driving to the college to get a good job |
| C．she succeeded in driving to the college and learned English |
| D．she succeeded in passing driving test and got her license in the end |
The best title of this passage should be “__________”.
| A．My Driving License | B．My Husband and I |
| C．Passing the Test | D．Never Give Up |
A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was alarmed to discover that it was a rat trap (捕鼠夹).
Going back to the farmyard the rat gave a warning: “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” The chicken raised her head and said: “Excuse me, Mr Rat, I can tell this is a big concern to you, but it is of no business to me. I cannot be bothered with it.”
The rat turned to the pig and told him: “There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!”“I am so very sorry, Mr. Rat,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. I will make sure that you are in my prayers.”
The rat turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?”
So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey (猎物). The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet (短柄斧) to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.
His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer killed the pig.
The farmer’s wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow killed to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.The underlined word “dejected” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to .
| A．disappointed | B．surprised | C．confused | D．doubtful |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．The chicken showed great concern for the rat. |
| B．The pig helped the rat get rid of the trap. |
| C．The cow didn’t care about what the rat said. |
| D．The snake was killed after being caught in the trap. |
We can conclude from the article that .
| A．the farmer’s wife got good treatment in the hospital |
| B．the farmer regretted setting up the rat trap |
| C．the rat was very wise in avoiding the trap |
| D．none of the other animals felt threatened by the rat trap |
What message does the story intend to convey?
| A．We should mind our own business. | B．Everything is related to something else. |
| C．Helping others is always a virtue. | D．We should treat animals in a friendly way. |
In college, Spring Break （春假）is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights, bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.
The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as literacy （识字）, homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons, raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.
The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word, the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens nd engage themselves in making a difference in society.
In the spring of 2006, about 36,000 students in the USA participated in the Alternative Break Program.
Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself, including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. “I was a student who went on alternative break trips and had my life totally transformed by that experience,” she said. “Every year, we meet many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected with their alternative break experiences.”
The Program began in 1991.Today, it has become increasingly popular with college students in the United States.Who mat choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program?(No mare than 10 words)
is the aim of the Program?(NO more than 15 words)
What is the meaning of the underlined word "transformed" in Paragraph 5? (1 word)
What is Samantha's attitude toward the Program?(No more than 10 words)
If you take part in the Program, which project are you interested in? And why?(No more than 25 words)
Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones3 and 4often offer larger accommodation in a less crowned area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground.
Meal Plans Available
♢ Continental Breakfast
♢ Breakfast and Dinner
♢ Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal（谷物类食品），bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally
part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit.you must first ask your host’s permission.You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room.This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestule and is more suitable for the long-stay student.However,it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much.The passage is probably written for
| A．host willing to receive foreign students |
| B．loreigners hoping to build British culture |
| C．travellers planning to vist famlies in London |
| D．English learners applying to like in English homes |
Which of the following will the host provide?
Room cleaning.
Medical care.
Free transport.
Physical trainning.What can be inferred from Paragraph3?
A.Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2.
B.The business centre of London is in Zone.
C.Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre.According to the passage. What does continental Breakfast include?
| A．Dessert and coffee |
| B．Fruit and vegetables. |
| C．bread and fruit juice |
| D．Centre and cold meat. |
Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?
| A．To experience a warmer famliy atmosphere. |
| B．To enrich their knowledge of English\ |
| C．To entertain friends as they like. |
| D．To enjoy much more freedom. |
In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.
“You can’t say it’s not a great university,just because Papa went there.”
“That’s not it at all.And it is a top university.”She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren’t that bad,are they?”
“No,”she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”
Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment (投资) could show returns.What’s more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ；otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship（奖学金）.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because
his father grduated from the university
his mother did not thinks it a great university
his parents needed him to help support the family
his parents did not have enough money for himThe father srarted his small shop with the money from
| A．a local league | B．his university |
| C．his relatives | D．his college friends |
Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
| A．To help with her husband’s business | B．To raise money for her son |
| C．To meet her long-forgotten friends | D．To better manage her life |
According to the text,what was the author determined to do in that autumn? To get a well-paid job for himself
To improve relations with his mother
To go to his dream university
To carry on with his father’s business
If you want to join Live Card to save money on tickets, you can call .
| A．0844 847 2484 | B．0800 587 5007 |
| C．0844 499 6699 | D．0161 245 6609 |
How can you pay for a ticket when you book by post?
| A．By visiting the website of a post office. |
| B．By going to your local bank in person. |
| C．By enclosing your Live Card in an envelope. |
| D．By providing your credit card information. |
What benefit can group bookers enjoy according to the text?
| A．Delayed payment for tickets. | B．Invitations to opening nights. |
| C．Reduced booking fees by phone | D．Generous discounts on tickets. |
There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers, he used two buckers. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled (溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say, "See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!"
And all that the old bucket could say was, "I know I'm not very useful, but I can only do my best. I'm happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least."
One day, the gardener heard that kind or conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, "You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path."
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare (光秃秃的)earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.
| 1． |
What does the underlined word "dilapidated" probably mean?
|
| 2． |
What was the old bucket ashamed of?
|
| 3． |
The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to
|
| 4． |
Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?
|
Long long ago, there was an old merchant who had three sons. “To which one shall I leave my fortune?” he wondered. “It must be to the cleverest son. But which one is the cleverest?”
He called his three sons to him. “Here is some money,” he told them, “you must each take one coin to buy something that will fill this room. Anyone who can do this shall have my fortune.”
“It is a big room,” said the eldest son.
“One coin will not buy very much,” said the second son.
But the youngest son said nothing. He stood and thought, and then he smiled, “Come, brothers,” he said, “let us go to the market.”
The eldest son bought straw with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of straw. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the straw covered only a corner of the room.
The second son bought sand with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of sand. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the sand covered only half of the floor.
“What did you buy?” the eldest son angrily asked the youngest son. “You don't have any straw.”
“Yes, what did you buy?” the second son asked angrily. “You don't have any sand.”
“I bought this,” said the youngest son.
“A candle！” cried his brothers. “What good is a candle?”
“Watch”, said the youngest son.
He lit the candle, and all at once the room was filled from wall to wall, from ceiling to floor. It was filled with light!
“Although you are the youngest, you are indeed the cleverest of my sons,” the old merchant said.
And that is how, the old merchant left his fortune to his youngest son, the one who could fill a room with light. Who would get father's fortune?
| A．The oldest son. | B．The richest son. |
| C．The cleverest son. | D．The silliest son. |
The merchant left his fortune to the son
| A．who would fill the room by using something which is worthy of one coin |
| B．who would take care of him when he became old |
| C．who wanted to get his fortune |
| D．who got married first |
How do you think of the youngest son?
| A．He is very clever. | B．He is very lazy. |
| C．He is very mean. | D．He is very diligent. |
The youngest son used _____ to fill the room.
| A．straw | B．candle | C．sand | D．water |
People often talk as if shyness is a disease or mental condition that can be cured. I prefer to think of it as an emotional disability. It’s something we are born with and something we carry with us in our entire lives. There are too many people, however, who seem to be determined to find some way of doing away with their shyness. In my opinion, it’s a waste of time. I don’t mean that we should do nothing about it; quite the contrary, I think we need to separate the basic fact of shyness from our ability to take part in a social environment.
Look at one of the most famous shy people of them all, Johnny Carson. This man is painfully shy, yet for decades he made a living talking and associating with different people every night, in front of a national audience. Carson has never done away with his shyness, but he has successfully found a way to deal with it to the extent that he could be, not just a talk show host, but a legend (传奇) among talk show hosts. Look also at Sally Fields, who has recently admitted her problem with shyness. This is a woman who has appeared in many films, TV shows and interviews, yet in her early years she was so shy that she turned down a lunch invitation from Jane Fonda because she was terribly afraid of meeting her.
I guess that our shyness is there because each of us is born with some insecurity (不安全感) and this insecurity prevents us from reading out to others the way people with a more open personality do. As we grow up and become adults, we allow our social skills to grow and develop. But we are still stuck in kindergarten or elementary school or wherever it was when our shyness took root in our soul.. In the author’s view, shyness can be explained as _________.
| A．a disease that can be easily cured |
| B．a not very normal mental condition |
| C．an emotional disability |
| D．something we pick up after birth |
. The author believes it’s a waste of time to ____________
| A．develop a healthy personality |
| B．talk with as many people as possible |
| C．study where shyness comes from |
| D．look for ways to do away with one’s shyness |
. Which of the following is TRUE of Johnny Carson?
| A．He dared to speak in front of a national audience. |
| B．He did away with his shyness carefully. |
| C．He was described as a hero in some legend books. |
| D．He failed to become a good talk show host. |
. The author thinks that our shyness is there because _______
| A．we are not open enough |
| B．we don’t feel safe at heart |
| C．we try to reach out to others all the time |
| D．we lack certain social skills |
The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame（驯养的）rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
| A．is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
| B．used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
| C．has never really existed in the world |
| D．is the king of all kinds of birds |
The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
| A．the phoenix used to do so | B．they may get rid of the mites |
| C．they want to burn their feather | D．they can heat themselves |
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
| A．The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
| B．The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
| C．The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
| D．The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．living forever | B．offering warmth |
| C．coming back to life | D．staying healthy |
What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
| A．Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
| B．If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
| C．Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
| D．If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
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