Sometimes it is difficult to talk to taxi drivers. They must give all their attention to the road as they work out the shortest way to the place where you are going. However, passengers from Wangfujing were in surprise when they took a taxi. The driver just would not stop talking ―in English.
Organized by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy, “Dare to Speak” examines if Chinese people will speak English in “real-life” situations. Matthew Knowles, an acting student from South Carolina at Beijing Film Academy, acted the part as the “driver”. He collected six passengers on Saturday morning, most of whom were female white-collar workers.
“Of course they were surprised at first, wondering why I’m driving a taxi, and wondering whether this is a real taxi, but then most of them were pretty willing to speak,” he said. Knowles said he was also surprised by his “passengers”. “Apart from my first ‘passenger’, who could speak very little English, all the rest spoke English very well, and it was fun to communicate with them,” he said, adding that some “passengers” were quite talkative.
The “foreign taxi driver” project was just one of the “Dare to Speak” activities, which have been going on since the end of October. Other projects included a foreign store owner near a high school in Beijing, a cook in a Shanghai university canteen. They were testing the willingness of Chinese people, especially students and white-collar workers, to speak to foreigners in English. Rong Xin, senior manager of IELTS (雅思) with the British Embassy, said they hoped to let IELTS takers in China know that communication is the most important goal of IELTS.
“We hope that more and more IELTS takers in China can realize the importance of communicating in English in real life, instead of just getting high test scores,” she said. Why did Matthew Knowles drive a taxi?
| A．He enjoyed chatting with people in English. |
| B．He played the role of a taxi driver in a film. |
| C．He took part in the project “Dare to speak” |
| D．He wanted to improve his Chinese while driving. |
The Chinese may meet and talk to _______ in “Dare to speak” projects.
| A．a white-collar worker |
| B．a high school student |
| C．a restaurant manager |
| D．a foreign store owner |
The purpose of the project “Dare to Speak” is to _______ .
| A．draw Chinese people’s attention to IELTS |
| B．remind language learners of the goal of learning |
| C．attract more foreigners to start business in China |
| D．give more chances for English learners in China |
We all need a vacation, whether with the entire family or your significant other. Unfortunately, many of us will not be able to follow through with vacation plans. But now, there is an alternative that is catching on (流行起来) rather quickly and it is called a “Staycation”. A staycation is just what it sounds like, a vacation but you stay at home. It might not sound interesting, but you can turn it into a fun and relaxing getaway.
Tell family and friends your plans. In their eyes you are truly on vacation and they only need to contact you in case of an emergency.
Go outside; don’t let the kids sleep all day. Go out and birdwatch, go fishing, explore the parks and nature, take in all you can of the outside world. You can even have a relaxing day at the beach, soak in some sun, and let the kids go swimming.
Go on a picnic; have the kids fly kites. Bring some bubbles, and have a nice day with the wind blowing in your hair. Watch as the kids run and play and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
Camping is another fun way to have a staycation. If you have a camping ground in your area, you can go camping for a day or two and show the kids how it is to live right in the heart of Mother Nature.
Just remember, it really doesn’t matter where you decide to go, whether home or away. As long as you create quality time with your family you can strengthen the bonds that may have been pushed aside during all the long stressful work hours. Time is the most important thing you can give to your husband, wife and kids, enjoying every moment together, and you will have lasting memories in your hearts.
What is mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The popularity of a staycation. |
| B．The importance of a vacation. |
| C．Where to spend your vacation this year. |
| D．How to plan a staycation. |
You should tell family and friends your plans so that .
| A．they will fully support you |
| B．they will take care of your house |
| C．they will contact you only when necessary |
| D．they can help you make preparations |
Which of the following is NOT a good way to have a good staycation?
| A．To sleep at home all day. |
| B．To go out to watch birds. |
| C．To go to the parks. |
| D．To relax on the beach. |
What is the most important thing of taking a staycation?
| A．Spending quality time with your family. |
| B．Letting your kids learn about nature. |
| C．Giving your family relaxing time. |
| D．Getting away from stressful work hours. |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by “ ”.
| A．friendship | B．health | C．links | D．circles |
My students often tell me they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork. My reply is often brief –You have as much time as the president. I usually carry on a bit about there being 24 hours per day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to justify myself to one of my professors by saying that I was working. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant. What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to reflect on the “hard worker” dodge(伎俩), and I have come to some conclusions – all relevant to the issue of how much time we have.
If you look at the matter analytically, you can identify two parts of the problem. There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the issue of “work” during that time, which can vary in intensity. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not diligence but the quality of the product that is important.
That led me to a new idea, the quality of work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office – Don’t work harder but work smarter! There’s a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of work. That means thinking of ways of getting more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “learning habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off across the board in all your studies.From the passage, we know that the author is _____.
| A．a poet | B．an educator |
| C．an editor | D．a director |
We can infer from the first two paragraph that we students _____.
| A．have enough time |
| B．can meet the president |
| C．get something done well |
| D．should accept the explanation |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means _____.
| A．That is impossible | B．That is not important |
| C．That is unbearable | D．That is not acceptable |
The main purpose of writing the passage is to give _____.
| A．information | B．encouragement |
| C．criticism | D．advice |
By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you (it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television), all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy torch on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Other than that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those?
I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that "you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop.
As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the Internet all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so very urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that.
One of the most peculiar（独特的）effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation (导航) systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time?! How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependent on online maps, what happens to those great places you find just by chance? You can't exactly find out from Google maps the journey from "here" to" that hidden cafe with the tasty-looking cakes" , or to "that pond next to the church which looks really pretty in the evening sun. " It is, of course, true that we all occasionally need to be pointed in the right direction, but I find that there are often real life humans you can ask.
There are many benefits of having a very basic mobile phone, like the fact that it cost me about twenty pounds, and that I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen .But the main benefit has to be the fact that it provides me with the word 'greatest excuse for my bad habits’. Whether it's turning up late to events ,or getting lost on a trip, or missing buses or trains ,or forgetting about an appointment at work ,I'm pretty sure I'm covered with the following explanation: “I’m really sorry, I don't have a smartphone."
The writer uses his Nokia 1616 mainly to _______.
| A．play online games |
| B．do calculating work |
| C．check social network sites |
| D．make calls and text messages |
It can be inferred from the above passage that_______.
| A．work-related emails should be answered immediately |
| B．a laptop and a smartphone share many functions |
| C．smartphones should always be connected to the net |
| D．a Facebook update is usually very important |
According to the passage, if you use navigation systems, you may _____
| A．miss some really wonderful places |
| B．find a boring trip actually exciting |
| C．be persuaded to eat in a certain café |
| D．be misled to a totally wrong place |
The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to______
| A．explain why he doesn’t want a smartphone |
| B．warn readers of the risks of using smartphones |
| C．complain about the troubles caused by smartphones |
| D．inform readers of the latest development of mobile phones |
Our oldest daughter is having trouble letting go of an old red sofA．
It’s not the sofa she’s having trouble letting go of as much as the memories．It was their first sofA． It has been loaded and unloaded onto moving trucks seven times．Three kids have eaten on it，dripped on it，and jumped on it．
Yet she’s having a hard time letting go and asked if I thought that was strange．
“Completely，” I saiD． “You get it from me．”
When we were ready to get rid of our baby things，I sold our crib (婴儿床) at the neighborhood garage sale．I had pieces of it in the garage and the other pieces of it still in the house．A young woman said she wanted to buy it．
My throat tightened and the tears began to well．She pulled out cash and I cheered up．
But by the time I returned with the other pieces to the crib，I was all sobbing．“Have you considered that maybe you’re not ready to sell it?” the woman askeD．
“No-o-o-o，” I crieD． “It’s fine，really，” I saiD． “Take it．”
Our attachment to stuff grows in direct relationship to the amount of time it has sat in one place．The longer it sits，the harder it is to get rid of it．You think: “Hey，we’ve hung onto it this long – it must be valuable!” As though yellowing and a layer of dust increase value．
People who find it extremely hard to part with things have been made into entertainment in a television show called Hoarders．If an episode (集) of that isn’t depressing enough for you，producers now offer Extreme Hoarders．Both of which are not to be outdone by Storage Wars，a show about aggressive people who bid on other people’s storage units．
Let the sofa go，I told my daughter．It served its purpose．You can get a new one．Give the kids some crackers (饼干) and juice and it will be like the old one in six weeks．What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence “You get it from me”?
| A．“You can get another sofa from me．” |
| B．“You can get mental support from me．” |
| C．“You behave just the same way I do．” |
| D．“You are asking the right person to help you．” |
When the writer was selling the crib，_____．
| A．she felt relieved that there was someone willing to buy it |
| B．she showed a strong attachment to the old item |
| C．she couldn’t decide whether or not to sell it in the end |
| D．she changed her mind in hopes of keeping it and increasing its value |
The writer refers to the television shows to _____．
| A．prove that it’s depressing to get attached to old stuff |
| B．explain what contributes to people’s attachment to old stuff |
| C．show that people in TV shows live the same lives as ordinary people do |
| D．prove that it’s actually common for people to find it hard to get rid of old stuff |
Which opinion might the writer agree with according to the article?
| A．If you give away old stuff regularly，you are wasteful． |
| B．If the old stuff has done what it was supposed to，then let it go． |
| C．Nothing is more valuable than your love for your old stuff． |
| D．The older your stuff is，the less trouble you have getting rid of it． |
Listening, really listening, can improve communication and build respect with others. Communication begins by listening and then suggesting that you hear what the person is saying.
This can be recognized by focus or eye contact, body language, and reflective listening.
Focus (Eye Contact)—Focus means that you are looking directly at the person speaking and not looking off to one side or continuing to do something else. You are focused on what is being said; the speaker is the center of attention. Listening attentively is essential for positive communication.
Listening Without Interrupting—Does your body acknowledge(承认) that you are listening? Use smiles, nods, and expressions of understanding to communicate to the speaker that you are listening. It is not necessary that you agree or disagree at this time. It is more important for the person speaking to know that his or her words are respected. This strengthens communication.
Reflective Listening—Reflective listening involves hearing the feelings and meanings of the speaker. It is a re-statement (in different words) of what the speaker said. You, in essence, mirror the words of the speaker and rephrase them back to the speaker, checking for accuracy(准确)of understanding. This process affirms the speaker, indicates a respect of the person, and shows that you understand the speaker’s message. Through careful reflection of the speaker’s words, you can make clear the message and build mutual(相互的) understanding. Through reflective listening and the careful exchange of words, we learn that other people have important feelings and opinions which we need to consider. Learning to understand the importance of all ideas, not just our own, can lead to successful resolution of problems and mutual respect.The best way to build respect with others is _____.
| A．to look directly at the person speaking |
| B．to listen to the speaker attentively |
| C．to interrupt the speaker when necessary |
| D．to use expressions of understanding |
What strengthens communication with the person speaking?
| A．Making him or her know that his or her words are respected. |
| B．Expressing agreement or disagreement in time when listening. |
| C．Repeating his or her words from time to time. |
| D．Listening instead of saying anything. |
Reflective Listening is aimed to _____.
| A．show you are not absent in mind |
| B．make sure the speaker’s words are correct |
| C．checking for accuracy of understanding |
| D．express your own ideas without delay |
Hi, everybody !
Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore!
Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.
Are you Chinese film fans? OK, here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years, Chinese films are very popular in the States, such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Flowers of Shanghai.
Do you like French films? Well, here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema: students and teachers, specialists and fans, and so on.
Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia ( 百科全书 ) of Indian Cinema. The book is a complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know, the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.
If you like British films, we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.
In our bookstore, you can also find books about Mexican, Japanese, Australian, German and Italian films.
Well, please help yourselves to some coffee or tea, and have a good time here!The speaker of the passage is most probably _______
| A．the author of 25 New Takes |
| B．a tourist in the cinema bookstore |
| C．the manager of the cinema bookstore |
| D．a reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema |
How many Asian countries does the speaker refer to when he talks about the film books?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Nine. |
Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage？
| A．Indian cinema is second only to Hollywood. |
| B．The British Cinema Book includes a complete list of names of stars. |
| C．Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon is well received in the States. |
| D．The French Cinema Book covers over a century's French films. |
The purpose of the speaker is_______.
| A．to satisfy the customers' various tastes |
| B．to keep the authors in the cinema bookstore |
| C．to offer the tourists chances to meet the film stars |
| D．to take the readers into film producers |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
For some minutes, all was quiet in the street. Then from across the street someone came walking.
It looked like a man of middle height, dressed in a big raincoat, a soft hat and rubber-soled boots or shoes, and making little sound while walking. No one was in sight. It was a street with two rows of about fifty small houses and there were three lamps on either side. The lamp nearest to the child’s house could be seen clearly, but the others were almost hidden by the smoky air. A car passed the end of the street and its lights showed faintly，but clearly enough to show the smooth skin of a woman’s face. The car disappeared as the woman, wrapped up in her coat, reached the doorway of the child’s house. She put a key in the lock quickly, pushed the door open and stepped inside, then closed the door without looking round. She began to breathe hard.
She leaned against the door for a moment, then straightened up as if with an effort, and walked towards the door of the front room, the passage leading to the kitchen, and the narrow staircase. She hesitated outside the door, then went up the stairs quickly but with hardly a sound. There was enough light from the narrow hall to show the four doors leading off a small landing(楼梯平台). She pushed each door open in turn and shone a torch inside, and the light fell upon beds, walls, furniture, a bathroom hand-basin, a mirror which flashed brightness back; but this was not what the woman was looking for. She turned away and went downstairs, and hesitated again at the foot of the stairs, then turned towards the kitchen. Clearly there was nothing there, or in the small washroom that she wanted. Two rooms remained; the front room and a smaller one next to it. She opened the front room door. After a moment, she saw the child’s bed and the child.The lights of the car passing the end of the street showed that ______.
| A．a woman was driving the car |
| B．someone was standing by a street lamp. |
| C．a man and a woman were walking up the street. |
| D．a woman was walking by herself up the street. |
After the woman closed the front door, she ___________.
| A．looked round quickly |
| B．started breathing again |
| C．rested before moving |
| D．walked straight towards the front door |
When she was upstairs, the woman _______.
| A．saw that there was a wash-basin in each room |
| B．noticed a mirror which she was looking for |
| C．found a torch in one of the rooms |
| D．opened four different doors |
Once she was in the house, the woman behaved as if what she was looking for _______.
| A．might be in the kitchen |
| B．was more likely to be upstairs |
| C．would be easily seen by the light from the hall |
| D．would look frightening to a child |
At the age of ten I could not figure out what this Elvis Presley guy had that the rest of us boys did not have．I mean，he had a head，two arms and two legs，just like the rest of us．About nine o’clock on Saturday morning I decided to ask Eugene Correthers，one of the older boys，what it was that made this Elvis guy so special．He told me that it was Elvis’wavy hair and the way he moved his body．
About half an hour later all the boys in the orphanage(孤儿院)were called to the main dining-room and told we were all going to downtown Jacksonville，Florida to get a new pair of Buster Brown shoes and a haircut．That is when I got this big idea，which hit me like a ton of bricks. If the Elvis hair cut was the big secret，then that’s what I was going to get．
A11 the way to town I told everybody, including the matron(女管家)from the orphanage who was taking us to town，that I was going to look just like Elvis Presley and that I would learn to move around just like he did and that I would be rich and famous one day, just like him．
When I got my new Buster Brown shoes, I could hardly wait for my new hair cut and now that I had my new Busier Brown shoes I would be very happy to go back to the orphanage and practice being like Elvis.
We finally arrived at the big barber shop，where they cut our hair for free because we were orphans(孤儿)．I looked at the barber and said，“I want an Elvis hair cut. Can you make my hair like Elvis?”I asked him，with a big smile on my face．“Let's just see what we can do for you，little man，”he said．I was so happy when he started to cut my hair．Just as he started to cut my hair, the matron signed for him to come over to where she was standing．She whispered something into his ear and then he shook his head，like he was telling her“No”．Then he told me they were not allowed to give us Elvis hair cuts．Then I saw my hair falling onto the floor．In the author’s eyes，Elvis Presley was_________．
| A．disgusting | B．admirable |
| C．ambitious | D．dynamic |
From the passage，we can know that______________．
| A．Buster Brown was more appealing than Elvis Presley |
| B．An Elvis hair cut cost the orphans a lot of money |
| C．The matron did not want the boy to have an Elvis hair cut |
| D．The barber was unwilling to give the boy an Elvis hair cut |
We can learn from the underlined sentence that the boy was______．
| A．excited to have an Elvis hair cut |
| B．worried to think about the secret |
| C．anxious to remove the ton of bricks |
| D．careful to seize the chance |
How would the boy probably feel when he walked out of the barber shop?
| A．Delighted． | B．Guilty． |
| C．Self-satisfied． | D．Depressed． |
Decision-thinking is not unlike poker—it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think and what you think they think you think. The mental process is similar. Naturally, this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are, by any standards, good thinkers.
The great mathematician John von Neumann was one of the founders of game theory. In particular , he showed that all games fall into two classes : there are what he called games of “ perfect information ” , games like chess where the players can’t hide anything or play tricks : they don’t win by chance , but by means of logic and skills . Then there are games of “imperfect information”, like poker, in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another.
One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of “perfect information”. Quite the reverse, business, polities, life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information. Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors, which would even puzzle the best poker players. But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance, and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess, not poker.The subject discussed in this text is __________.
| A．the process of reaching decisions |
| B．the difference between poker and chess. |
| C．the secret of making good business plans |
| D．the value of information in winning games |
An important factor in a game of imperfect information is __________.
| A．rules | B．luck | C．time | D．ideas |
Which of the following can be used in place of “Quite the reverse ” in Paragraph 3 ?
| A．Quite right. | B．True enough. |
| C．Most unlikely. | D．Just the opposite. |
In the writer’s opinion, when making business decisions one should _________.
| A．put perfect information before imperfect information |
| B．accept the existence of unknown factors |
| C．regard business as a game of chess |
| D．mix known and unknown factors |
Myth: If you cut your hair, it will grow long faster.
Truth: That’s not true. “Your hair isn’t like a lawn or a rosebush, where cutting can stimulate fresh growth,” says Phillip Kingsley. The length of your hair is genetically determined. When it reaches a certain length, it stops growing. When you clear up the dead split ends, this make your hair look healthier, but not necessarily longer.
Myth: If you skip meals, you lose weight fast.
Truth: There’s no truth in this advice. Not only will you lose weight by starving yourself, but according to Carol Ann Rinzler, this may actually cause you to gain weight. Rinzler reasons that missing a meal causes your metabolism(新陈代谢) to slow down so that you burn food more slowly. This only makes you feel hungrier and by the time you finally do reach the table you will probably eat more food. Strange as it may seem, studies show that eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day is a more healthy way to lose pounds.
Myth: If you swallow gum，it will stay inside your stomach for seven years.
Truth: Actually, it takes just a few days for gum to make its exit---not seven years, says NeiIzenberg, M. D., editor of Kids Health Organization. But because gum is made of the same thing as rubber, it cannot be fully digested in your stomach--- so if you gum up the works on a regular basis, you might find yourself in a sticky situation.
Myth: The best way to stop a nosebleed is to lift your head back.
Truth: Now that’s bad advice. Bloody noses are caused by broken blood vessels, so while lifting your head back might stop the fluid from rushing out of your nose, it won’t stop the bleeding; you’ll just end up swallowing lots of blood. Your best bet? “Rest quietly. Don’t poke or pick, and the blood will naturally clot (凝结) within a minute or two”. Suggests Dr. Izenberg.The length of your hair is determined by ________
| A．cutting it often | B．your gene |
| C．the food you eat | D．clearing up the dead split ends |
According to Carol Ann Rinzler, skipping meals will __________.
| A．help you lose weight fast |
| B．help you lose weight slowly |
| C．cause you to become fatter |
| D．make you burning food more quickly |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Gum cannot be fully digested in the stomach |
| B．Gum can stay inside your stomach for seven years if you swallow it |
| C．Gum can leave your stomach after you swallow in a few days later |
| D．If you often swallow gum, you might find yourself in a sticky situation |
DEAR Daughter,
We have not seen you for a while now, so I thought we might check in. Did you fall off the edge of the Earth? Your mother worries, you know, and I am just curious. Well, I am more than curious. I feel abandoned.
Apparently you’ve dumped us for your career. I can understand that, because you’ve always had a wonderful work ethic (道德).
Look, obviously your long absence has confused us. As we go about our daily routines, your mother and I are distracted – both by your absence and our pride in your career. The other day, I entered my work password into the microwave, then stood there cursing it for not working. And I was so off my game (状态差) that I actually used that cholesterol-free mayo (不含胆固醇的蛋黄酱) your mother insisted on buying in an effort to drive me from the house.
Listen, a lot has happened since you’ve been away. Abraham Lincoln was shot. We had two more children – a princess, now 23; a boy, now 12.
Yesterday I bought a very clean 2001 Camaro car from an older woman. Your mother is not happy about this. She says it is the kind of muscle car driven by ex-convicts (有犯罪前科的人) when they examine your house at 2 am.
In response, I tell her it was the car of my dreams (when I was 18). So that’s where your long absence has left us. Your long absence is not so bad, though we miss your roaring laughter ... the way your cheeks flush (晕红) when you eat Thai food. How you always march too hard into the house, like a Scotsman stepping on snakes.
Each evening, your mother now waits by the window the way she did when you used to step off the bus in first grade, your hair full of rubber bands.
Bet that drove you crazy even then, her running out on the porch (门廊) like you’d just returned from a month-long journey to the moon.
Look, parents are not easy people.
But should the urge ever hit you, feel free to stop by some time. Our house is your house. Our hearts are yours too.
And your mother is still waiting by the window.
Love, DadThe author entered his work password into the microwave because __________.
| A．all kinds of passwords made him confused |
| B．he was thinking too much about his work |
| C．he was affected by his daughter’s long absence |
| D．he was getting old and he had forgotten how to use the microwave |
The author describes his and his wife’s current situation by __________.
| A．comparing the past and present |
| B．talking about history and his dream |
| C．listing changes they have made to their routines |
| D．detailing strange things they have started doing |
With the last six paragraphs, the author is trying to __________.
| A．describe what kind of person his daughter is |
| B．show how much he and his wife care about their daughter |
| C．show how annoyed his daughter must feel about her mother |
| D．remind his daughter of the problems they had |
From the article, we can conclude that the author is __________.
| A．humorous | B．inspiring | C．serious | D．patient |
A mental professor walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired(询问): "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Different answers called out from the audience.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb(无知觉的) and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "The stress and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed--incapable of doing anything."
It's important to remember to let go of your stress. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!
Comments
Aye Chan Aung---October 27, 2015 at 11:37 am
Short but valuable! It has clearly taught me how to deal with stress.
Nelson Malicdem--October 28, 2015 at 8:23 pm
Wow! Thanks to the author and to the one who submitted this article. I am experiencing a challenge, as I read this it gives me peace. What exactly is in the article is what I am doing. My burden actually paralyzes me without my knowing it. I should put down the glass of water that I'm holding. Thank you so much!The professor tells a lesson by ________.
| A．asking a surprising question |
| B．giving proper examples |
| C．imagining a situation |
| D．making a comparison（比较） |
From what the professor says, we can know a small problem _________.
| A．can result in a complete failure |
| B．is seldom taken seriously |
| C．can cause much stress |
| D．seldom causes real problems |
From the two comments, we can know that ________.
| A．Nelson Malicdem expresses thanks to the professor |
| B．Nelson Malicdem thinks the story is meaningful |
| C．Aye Chan Aung is suffering from heavy stress |
| D．Aye Chan Aung complains the story is too short |
Where can we most probably read the passage?
| A．On a health website. |
| B．On a high school website. |
| C．In a magazine for teenagers. |
| D．In a textbook about mental health. |
I am an English dictionary. I can still remember the day my ex-owner bought me. He had stood in front of the shelf for around half an hour before finally picking me. Originally, he chose my neighbor. But because she had some ink on the cover, he put her down and chose me instead.
I may sound arrogant (傲慢的) . But please forgive me. I am so proud of my vocabulary. With 100,000 entries and 300,000 examples, I think no scholar can be more knowledgeable than me. My only weakness is that I can’t speak. But that is not my fault. I was not designed to speak in the first place. My ex-owner was supposed to read the phonetic symbols (音标) clearly printed beside each word, which were also my selling point. I should have been respected but have ended up lying next to a piece of used toilet paper inside the rubbish bin.
It is all because of the electronic dictionary. He is the bad guy because he takes advantage of my one weakness. And I just don’t understand why he can be so slim. He also has about 100,000entries but 450,000 examples! But I know this was not the reason why my ex-owner was attracted, for he was not a very diligent (勤奋的) student and seldom read the examples listed. The main reason was that the bad guy had so many games in him. My ex-owner always pretended to be working hard while actually he was playing games.
My ex-owner put me on his bookshelf because of my awesome English name “Advanced English Dictionary”. He wanted people to think that he was an advanced learner. I wanted to tell him that it would be better if he hid the comic books standing next to me. But, you know, I can’t speak. I stood there for years. I was so bored. So I talked to the comic book next to me. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have talked to him because I was educated and he was not. But who else could I choose? He told me that my ex-owner had read him once only and then put him there. I was upset because he had never read me from page one to page 1,000. Was I not a better book than the comic book? I wanted to challenge his honesty but before I did so, he was thrown away.
I give up. My pages are absorbing waste water. There is no way people will use me again. Suddenly, I want to talk to the comic book. Would he talk to me if we met?Why does the dictionary think that the electronic dictionary is the “bad guy”?
| A．I t contains more words and examples. |
| B．It can actually pronounce the words. |
| C．It has a smaller size. |
| D．It has many games. |
The dictionary thinks that its ex-owner put it on the bookshelf because he ______.
| A．thought that it could match the comic books |
| B．wanted his friends to study English |
| C．just wanted to show off |
| D．had to use it sometimes |
What was the dictionary’s attitude toward the comic book standing next to it?
| A．It wanted to make friends with him. |
| B．It respected him. |
| C．It envied him. |
| D．It hated him. |
Which of the following is the best title for the text?
| A．A Dictionary Is Replaced with an Electronic One |
| B．Students Seldom Use Dictionaries |
| C．A Dictionary and a Comic Book |
| D．The Experience of a Dictionary |
The pounding（重击声）was driving Edward crazy. A new neighbor had just moved into the apartment below him. The newcomer was deaf, or seemed to be, because he played his stereoloud enough for the whole building to hear.
On the first day he heard the stereo rocking over, Edward marched downstairs and politely told the newcomer that his stereo was too loud. He asked the new tenant to turn the volume down and keep it down as long as he lived in the building. The tenant appeared surprised and embarrassed, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that loud.”
So, Edward returned upstairs, feeling good, because he had taken a stand and politely let the newcomer know that loud music was not going to be tolerated. The next day all was quiet, and Edward continued to be pleased with himself. The following day, Edward thought it must be Fourth of July, because a marching band was playing on his street. In fact, it was the new neighbor who was playing his music loud again.
Edward was not one to repeat himself, feeling that each time you repeated yourself, you diminished the value of your words. So, he did what he always did with rude neighbors－grinand bear it. Eventually, they would move away. What else are you going to do?
In Los Angles a year ago, a woman had complained to her upstairs neighbor that he was playing his drums too loud and too often. The drummer repeatedly ignored her. One day the woman walked upstairs and shot the drummer in the head and his girlfriend in the chest. The woman was sentenced to prison for 20 years.
The dead drummer won’t bother anyone with his drums, but the woman might be wishing now that she had learned to grin and bear it. If she were still living in her apartment, she could always move. When you’re in prison, you don’t have that option.
The man living below where Edward lived was .
| A．a deaf man | B．the owner of the house |
| C．a tenant | D．an old neighbor |
What did Edward always do with rude neighbors?
| A．Grinning and bearing it. |
| B．Persuading them to stop repeatedly. |
| C．Shouting them to dead. |
| D．Moving away from the rude neighbors. |
The woman killed her neighbor because .
| A．he ignored her advice repeatedly |
| B．she could not stand his playing the guitar too loud |
| C．she could not put up with him any longer |
| D．he played the drums too often |
The author writes the last paragraph to prove that .
| A．being in prison means the loss of freedom |
| B．grinning and bearing it is the best policy |
| C．Edward should follow the example of the woman |
| D．the woman was right to kill her neighbor |
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