There are some topics that readers never grow bored with, and the search for a suitable partner（伴侣） is one of them. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, first published in 1813, tells the story of five young women, all of whom are looking for a husband. In order to fully understand the novel, the readers must know that at the time when Jane Austen was writing, if a family was not rich, the daughters needed to marry well in order to live a comfortable, independent life. That is the reason why Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the five girls, is so eager to have her daughters married.
The heroine of the story is Elizabeth Bennet, and as in all good romantic novels, she and Darcy, the man she finally marries, remain separate until the very end of the story. The wealthy Darcy is a proud, unsociable man, and when Elizabeth hears that he has insulted both her and her family, she dislikes him very much. Poor Darcy then falls head over heels in love with Elizabeth, and has to work terribly hard to persuade her to change her mind about him. He succeeds of course, and they live happily ever after.
Set at the turn of the 19th century, the novel is still attractive to modern readers. It has become one of the most popular novels and receives great attention from literary scholars（学者）.Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic（戏剧的）and a lot of novels and stories modeling after Austen’s memorable characters or themes. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.
Jane Austen is rightly famous for her style. Her sentences have a wonderful rhythm（韵律）, and she makes such clever, true comments about people. It is not surprising that Pride and Prejudice has lasted. In the 19th century, a poor girl in Britain was often encouraged to .
| A．master the skills of writing | B．marry the one she loved |
| C．obey her parents | D．change her life by marrying rich |
The underlined word “insulted” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to .
| A．treated warmly | B．paid no attention to |
| C．had mercy on | D．said something rude about |
What do we know about Elizabeth and Darcy?
| A．They’ve experienced ups and downs but get married in the end. |
| B．They both come from poor families and wish to marry rich. |
| C．They get separated from each other shortly after being married. |
| D．Darcy falls over and gets hurt but Elizabeth still loves him. |
According to the passage, Pride and Prejudice _________.
| A．was first published in 1813 and sold 20 million copies soon |
| B．tells a sad love story which moves generations of readers |
| C．inspired many other novels and many plays have been produced based on it. |
| D．is set at the turn of the 19th century and not well received worldwide |
A winter wonderland on the outskirts of Quebec City has become one of Canada's hottest attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests stay close for warmth in sleeping bags on beds of ice, hats pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails (鸡尾酒) in glasses also made of ice.
A cool place to host a memorable wedding or for a romantic getaway, the Quebec Ice Hotel has attracted 600,000 curious tourists, including 30,000 who stayed overnight, since opening seasonally 11 years ago. Like Victoria and Jeremy Martin, dozens of couples will exchange vows (誓约) this winter in a temporary church next to the hotel, made entirely from blocks of ice with seats covered in furs.
Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C (minus four F) in winter, but inside the hotel's 36 rooms it is relatively comfortable. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an insulator, trapping body heat inside. Each room is uniquely decorated, using designs created by Quebec architecture students. Two hotel bars also sell special cocktails in ice glasses.
First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. This year for the first time the ice hotel has teamed up with a brick and concrete Quebec City hotel to offer packages(全套服务) for one-night accommodations at each. Prices for one night only at the ice hotel start at 200 US dollars per person.
The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-feet) buildings take six weeks starting in December to build, using 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice, at a cost of some 750,000 US dollars. Eleven weeks after its seasonal grand opening, the hotel will close on March 27 and then melt away with the arrival of spring.What is true with the ice hotel?
| A．630,000 people have visited it. |
| B．Its rooms all look alike. |
| C．It stays open for two months each year. |
| D．Wedding ceremonies are often held there. |
The underlined word “insulator” in Paragraph 3 possibly refers to something that ______.
| A．stops heat passing through it |
| B．collects and reflects light and heat |
| C．makes things become very cold |
| D．works like an air-conditioner |
First-time guests are advised to stay there only one night because _______.
| A．they may not be able to stand the cold |
| B．their other night is with an ordinary hotel |
| C．new guests have no advantages over old ones |
| D．they may find the beds made of ice too hard to sleep on. |
What kind of job do you want to do in the future ? One that earns the most money or one that gives you the highest social position? What about a job that makes you feel happy? Surprisingly, these three things do not always go together in the job world .
According to a general social survey by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago in the US, the ten happiest jobs are not those with better pay or higher social position. They are ordinary jobs.
But what is it that makes a “happy” job?
Researchers found that people are happier when they feel they are doing something worthwhile. Six of the top ten happiest jobs are based heavily on helping others, such as firefighters, teachers, and physical therapists(理疗师 ).
Being able to express oneself is also important for people to feel satisfied . Take authors as an example. Their pay is “ridiculously low or non-existent”, but “the freedom of writing down the contents of your own mind leads to happiness ,”wrote business author Steve Denning on his blog on Forbes.com.
These jobs are greatly different to the top ten “hated jobs”, according a website survey earlier this year. Director of information technology, sales manager, technical specialist and others that are generally considered respectable jobs are on the list.
Todd May from The New York Times didn’t find the results strange. He argued that
“ a meaningful life must, in some sense then , make people feel worthwhile”. If a person doesn’t participate in the causes “ that are generally regarded as worthy, like feeding and clothing the poor, their life will lack meaning ,”he said . Work takes up the greater part of most people’s lives . It’s no wonder that the people with the most worthwhile jobs are the happiest of all.
However, it’s important to remember that these two surveys are broad ones and that it doesn’t matter whether your dream job is on the two lists. Now it is the time to think about the future . After all, something that satisfies your mind will always bring you happiness. According to the passage , which of the following is probably a happy job?
| A．A marketing manager | B． An engineer of IT |
| C．A teacher of art | D． A technical expert |
Steve Denning thinks that being an author is happy mainly because authors_____.
| A．are helpful to others |
| B．can be free to express themselves |
| C．earn much money |
| D．are considered respectable |
From the passage we learn that_________.
| A．the more you earn , the happier you are |
| B．respectable jobs are happy jobs |
| C．the higher your social position is , the happier you are |
| D．most happy jobs are related to helping others |
In the last paragraph the author stresses that_________.
| A．your future job should be one that makes you happy |
| B．your dream jobs should be based on the two surveys |
| C．the two surveys are of great importance |
| D．it won’t be easy to find a job in the future |
Through history, children have played with toys and they help to prepare children for adult life. But the toys are changing all the time. As science and technology have changed the way adults live, the toys children play with have changed as well. Developments in science and technology have had a big effect on the toys that children play with. Today trains and mobile phones are popular toys for young children, but there were no toys of this kind before real trains and mobile phones were invented. The materials that toys are made of have also changed. Today lots of toys are made of plastic. Plastic is a modern, man-made material that did not exist (存在) in the past. On the other hand, some other toys that you have might not be all that different from the ones children played with 1,000 years ago. Scientists have found some bone dice (骰子)in Aberdeen. In medieval (中世纪的)times dice were used for playing games as much as they are today.
A recent survey found that half of all the children aged from 4 to 6 have played video games, a quarter of them regularly. The increasing use of electronic toys troubles Dr Singer, a professor at Yale. “One thing we know is that kids in early years need to be in touch with the real world,” he said, “No matter how brilliant they are, they’re not going to learn to walk, to move or to talk to others unless their hands or feet have a direct role in such activities.”
Some toy experts argue that the best toys are the ones that increase a child’s creativity and imagination. Traditional toys can be used for different kinds of purposes and be used in group settings, individually(单独地), and one-to-one. They are also used differently depending on the child’s age and skill level. And these toys made of natural materials are valuable for children because they teach children what the world is made of.In how many ways do toys change according to the first paragraph?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D． Four. |
From the article, we can know that .
| A．only children like to play with toys |
| B．toys have nothing to do with children’s future life |
| C．the development of toys is related to science and technology |
| D．plastic is the best material for making toys |
According to Dr Singer, .
| A．the electronic toys are good for children if they play often enough |
| B．the electronic toys prevent children keeping in touch with the real world |
| C．children should be stopped from being hurt by the danger coming from the outside world |
| D．children should play with electronic toys instead of the traditional ones |
Brrriiinnng．The alarm clock announces the start of another busy weekday in the morning．You jump out of bed, rush into the shower, into your clothes and out the door with hardly a moment to think．A stressful journey to work gets your blood pressure climbing．Once at the office, you glance through the newspaper with depressing stories or reports of disasters．In that sort of mood, who can get down to work, particularly some creative, original problem-solving work?
The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible, open-minded thinking．Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we’re unfocused．If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed．Sleepy people’s lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving．By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you’re missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer．
The trip you take to work doesn’t help, either．The stress slows down the speed with which signals travel between neurons(神经细胞), making inspirations less likely to occur．And while we all should read a lot about what’s going on in the world, it would not make you feel good for sure, so put that news website or newspaper aside until after the day’s work is done．
So what would our mornings look like if we wanted to start them with a full capacity for creative problem solving? We’d set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead．We’d stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, stopping thinking about tasks in favor of a few more minutes of relaxation．We’d take some deep breaths on our way to work, instead of complaining about heavy traffic．And once in the office—after we get a cup of coffee—we’d click on links not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the web has to offer．According to the author, we are ore creative when we are________?
| A．focused． | B．relaxed |
| C．awake． | D．busy． |
What does the author imply about newspapers?
| A．They are normally full of bad news． |
| B．They are solution providers． |
| C．They are a source of inspiration． |
| D．They are more educational than websites． |
By“tune into your wandering mind”in Para．2, the author means “_______”．
| A．wander into the wild |
| B．listen to a beautiful tune |
| C．stop concentrating on anything |
| D．switch to the traffic channel |
The author writes the last paragraph in order to _______．
| A．establish a routine for the future |
| B．summarize past experiences |
| C．advocate diverse ways of life |
| D．offer practical suggestions |
Recently, a professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called MoneyandtheMeaningofLife. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our daytoday life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life.
He says that our relation with others often becomes clearly defined when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you have a very good friend. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money. If he does, it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn't. This person may say that he has a certain feeling, but if it is not carried out in the money world, there is something less real about it.
Since money is so important to us, we consider those who possess a lot of it to be very important. The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book.
Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich?
Answer: The most surprising thing is why people give me so much respect. I am nothing. I do not know much. All I am is rich.
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? In his book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society: to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end. Money plays an important role in the material world, but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life.The author seems to believe that asking your friend to lend you some money ________.
| A．is a good way to test your friendship |
| B．will do harm to your friendship |
| C．will strengthen your friendship |
| D．is a good way to break off your friendship |
What can we learn about the millionaire from his answer in the interview?
| A．He does not feel that he is well educated. |
| B．He does not think that he is a very important person. |
| C．He does not think that being rich is worth so much attention. |
| D．He does not consider himself to be very successful. |
What does the American professor of philosophy want to explain in his book?
| A．Money is an end. | B．Money is a means. |
| C．Money is everything. | D．Money is unimportant. |
Which of the following might the author disagree with?
| A．Money is important in modern society. |
| B．The meaning of life does not completely lie in money. |
| C．Wealth will surely bring the owner happiness |
| D．Happiness is not necessarily the result of wealth. |
Say sorry to your wife---it may help her live longer, according to scientists.
“Sorry” may be the hardest word, but scientists say it could be one of the healthiest. Researchers have discovered that women who receive an apology for hurtful behavior suffer less stress and possible damage to their heart than those who don’t.
It is said that the heartbeat of a wronged woman returns to normal 20 percent quicker after a well-timed “sorry” than without it. But for men, their heartbeat takes longer to recover, according to the research.
The research was undertaken by American scientists using 29 men and 59 women whose diastolic blood pressure was measured throughout an experiment. Diastolic blood pressure
is a measure of pressure in the blood vessels( 血管 ) between heartbeats---if it is continuously high it can increase the chances of heart attacks.
The men and women were asked to undertake a difficult mathematical task. They were told they had five minutes to complete it but were disturbed after a minute and told rudely to carry out the task more quickly. They were disturbed twice more before five minutes had passed and told to speed up. Finally they were told, “ You’re obviously not good enough.” Two minutes later researchers said sorry to half of the men and women.
The researchers found that, on average, the women’s diastolic blood pressure dropped back to normal 20 percent---quicker if they received an apology from the researchers, while the men’s took 20 percent longer to return to normal. One of the researchers said, “Results indicates that the effects of apology and forgiveness on women are greater.” The term “sorry” is considered as one of the healthiest words because it _________.
| A．is the most powerful |
| B．can cure heart disease |
| C．helps people forget hurtful behavior |
| D．can reduce pressure and damage to the heart |
We can know from Paragraph 3 _________.
| A．women’s hearts beat faster than men’s |
| B．women are quicker at making apologies |
| C．men can forgive others’mistakes more easily than women |
| D．men stay angry for a longer time than women after receiving an apology |
Which of the following is the RIGHT time order for events in the study?
a. Half of them received apologies.
b. They were disturbed a minute later.
c. They were told that they weren’t good enough.
d. They were asked to finish a math task in five minutes.
e. They were disturbed two more times during the study.
| A．d-b-c-e-a | B．d-c-b-a-e | C．d-b-e-c-a | D．d-c-b-e-a |
The research confirmed (证实) that _________.
| A．men are unwilling to apologize to others for their mistakes |
| B．men’s chances of getting heart attacks are higher than women’s |
| C．women can benefit more from receiving apologies than men |
| D．people can also get healthy benefits from giving apologies |
A teenager realized her dream of becoming a professional model three years after a serious car accident.
Marita Davies was on her way home from a party when the crash happened. The car that Marita took as a passenger was going the wrong way and crashed into another car driven by a drunken driver named David Hudson, which left her with a broken leg and back. It took the firefighters more than two hours to free the teenager from the damaged car before she was taken to hospital. Marita was in a wheelchair for a year after being bed-ridden for nine months.
Marita feared her dream of a modeling career was over. She said, “I was extremely upset and shocked when I knew about my terrible injuries. I thought my dream of becoming a model was over. My leg and back were broken. The crash had broken my confidence and I became quiet and spent less time with other people. I was 16, and at that age all I wanted to do was to go out with my friends.”
But as her health took a turn for the better, Marita finally came out of the wheelchair and learned to walk. She decided she would still try to follow her dreams, and sent some photos off to some modeling agencies. She did a few unpaid jobs while studying at college. Soon, paid commercial modeling jobs started coming in. Marita was a bit doubtful at first, because the crash had left her with huge scars on her leg and back. She was worried that people wouldn’t want her to model for them, but this didn’t stop her.
Marita had done amazingly well to overcome everything that had been thrown at her in the three years. Finally, Marita became a professional model in 2013. She was signed up for advertising campaigns and appeared in TV ads. When did the accident happen?
| A．In 2008. | B．In 2009. |
| C．In 2010. | D．In 2011. |
Who should be to blame for the accident?
| A．Marita Davies. |
| B．David Hudson. |
| C．The driver of the car that Marita took. |
| D．Both of the drivers involved in the accident. |
How did Marita feel when modeling jobs became available to her?
| A．Lucky. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Unconfident. |
The passage is intended to ______.
| A．prove modeling is a promising career. |
| B．warn people not to drive after drinking |
| C．suggest having a dream is a good thing |
| D．praise Marita’s spirits to overcome difficulties |
Is this a car? Is it a smart phone? Is it a gaming machine?
Yes to all three. The Toyota Fun-Vii is a pleasure palace on wheels.
If Toyota has its way, paint jobs could become a thing
of the past, because it has introduced an amazing car that can
change its whole look in an instant.
The Vii in Fun-Vii, which stands for “Vehicle, Interactive,
Internet” It is a small three-seater car that looks like a smart phone, so it is called a smart phone on wheels．Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact（互相作用） with the internet and be controlled by a smart phone．The magical car allows the owners to download pictures from their phones onto the outside, so that the look of the car could be changed instantly．The color inside could also be changed to reflect the owner's mood．Just as the company president Akio Toyoda said, "A car must appeal to our emotions．If it's not fun, it's not a car．"
Its outside and inside are not made of solid paint but touch screens that can display pictures and videos．A network update function downloads all the latest software to make sure the car is always up-to-date, and it can provide the latest entertainment as well as information about its surroundings to the driver．As you drive around, the thoughtful car allows you to communicate with your friends in the nearby cars．It also helps you find your way from one place to another． It's all because the car is networked with all the other cars on the road and drives itself． The smart car is a practical, family sized vehicle fuelled by hydrogen, and it is one of the futuristic concept cars under the theme of "fun to drive, again"．It heralds （预示） a not-too-distant future where people, cars and society are linked．Which of the following may not be a key word for the concept car?
| A．Fun． | B．Interactive． | C．High-speed． | D．Smart． |
According to the text, Toyota Fun-Vii is _____．
| A．a new concept car not powered by gas |
| B．an amazing car without any pollution |
| C．the latest software from network |
| D．a gaming machine with high speed |
The owners of the Fun-Vii can reflect their mood by _____．
| A．downloading images to change the outside |
| B．interacting with computers while driving |
| C．changing the color inside the car |
| D．changing the speed of the car |
What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?
| A．The ways of driving the Fun-vii. |
| B．How can you find your way in the Fun-Vii． |
| C．The unusual look of the Fun-Vii． |
| D．The new functions of the Fun-Vii． |
We can infer from the text that the Fun-Vii _____．
| A．will finally replace all the present cars |
| B．will completely solve the problem of energy shortage |
| C．will make car paint industry face a difficult situation |
| D．will take the place of a smart phone |
When you are talking to somebody at a party, do you focus entirely on the person you are speaking with or does your attention keep jumping around the room to all the other people there? General1y, if the person is someone you really want to talk to, you will focus on him. Most other people will only get about half of your attention.
You may think that this is OK, because if you don’t really want to talk to him, then what does it matter if you don’t give him your full attention? Consider two things. First, you may just not realize the importance of that conversation. If you are at a networking meeting and you hope to meet the CEO of Company X, but you end up talking to someone who has a low-level job at a different company, then you may let your attention wander（走神）as you speak to him. But maybe you don’t realize that this person has already met the CEO and could introduce you. Do you think he will do that if he feels you don’t really care about speaking to him? This doesn’t mean you need to spend the whole time talking to him. Five or ten minutes of real attentive（专心的）conversation can be worth 30 minutes to an hour of partial attention.
Second, whether you want to speak to someone is based on the situation. You can love your wife, but if she tries to talk to you while you are watching something you like on TV, where is your attention going? Make your own decision, but if you want her to feel valued, give her your 100% attention. The nice thing is that in many cases you can give her your attention for a few minutes and then return to what you were doing. You miss very little, she feels valued, and all is good. The author’s opinion is made believable mainly by ________.
A using figures B. giving examples C. asking questions D. descriptionThe second paragraph mainly tells you that ________.
| A．you should be interested in everyone at a party |
| B．you can refuse to talk to someone you don’t like at a party |
| C．you should focus on whoever you are talking to |
| D．you should be patient with everyone at a party |
A person who has a low-level job probably ________.
| A．would like to talk to you |
| B．is well worth focusing on |
| C．wants to make friends with you |
| D．is the one you’re looking for |
If your wife wants to talk to you when you are busy, you should ________.
| A．decide what to do according to the situation |
| B．go on with what you are doing |
| C．stop doing anything immediately |
| D．finish what you are doing with her |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Always be friendly to others at a party. |
| B．It is important for you to be active at a party. |
| C．You should respect your wife at any time. |
| D．Improve your communication skills by focusing on others |
Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here’s where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles — making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles — so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren’t fooled — they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they’re more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate .
| A．children’s and adults’ eye-sight |
| B．people’s ability to see accurately |
| C．children’s and adults’ brains |
| D．the influence of people’s age |
When asked to find the larger circle, .
| A．children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around |
| B．only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around |
| C．children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around |
| D．adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around |
According to the passage, we can know that .
| A．a smaller orange circle appears bigger on a white background |
| B．an orange circle appears bigger than a gray one of the same size |
| C．a circle surrounded by other circles looks bigger than its real size |
| D．a circle surrounded by bigger ones looks smaller than its real size |
Visual context may work when children get older than .
| A．4 | B．6 | C．10 | D．18 |
Why are younger children not fooled?
| A．Because they are smarter than older children and adults. |
| B．Because older people are influenced by their experience. |
| C．Because people’s eyes become weaker as they grow older. |
| D．Because their brain can hardly notice related things together. |
The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don’t care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it’s great, but it also causes problems. Since they don’t care about their appearance, they don’t really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don’t really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some respects, the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can’t kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don’t really care how the others will judge them. In France, it’s not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans’ behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.The underlined word “respects” in the third paragraph probably means____.
| A．approaches | B．aspects | C．honors | D．means |
When American youth fall in love with each other, they _________.
| A．will not hold each other |
| B．will rarely display their love in public |
| C．will always think about their future |
| D．will kiss wherever they like |
It can be inferred from the passage that French youth may think more about ______.
| A．their relationship’s future | B．their public images |
| C．their physical displays | D．their lover’s ideas |
The passage is mainly about the______ between American youth and French youth.
| A．differences | B．friendship | C．similarities | D．relationships |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin —a town near the Mississippi River, where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado (龙卷风)that struck on May 22, 2011.
The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
“The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts.”
“Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters,” added Angelina. “So often, these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 branch community foundations. The Foundation’s task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public leadership.
“We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them,” said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but we learned that they made a donation.Where did the disaster most probably happen?
| A．in Britain | B．in the USA | C．in Australia | D．in China |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $500,000 after the disaster_______.
| A．by post | B．in the flesh |
| C．through a foundation | D．through the local Red Cross |
The best title for the passage is______.
| A．A disaster by a huge tornado in Joplin |
| B．Rebuilding efforts after the disaster |
| C．The Community Foundation of the Ozarks |
| D．A donation from the Pitts |
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself.
The expression to be in hot water is a very old expression. Hot water was used five hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
That no longer happens. But we still get in hot water. When we are in hot water, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble—serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Beingin deep water is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position.
To keep your head above water is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.
Water over the dam is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again.
Another common expression to hold water, is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container.; If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes.
Throwing cold water also is an expression that deals with ideas or suggestions. It means to not like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold water on the idea, because she says a new car costs too much.If Robert says he is in deep water, we may guess_________.
| A．he is swimming under the water |
| B．he is tired of changing shoes |
| C．he nearly breaks a law |
| D．he faces a difficult choice |
What can you say to your friend Jane, who is troubled by a mistake she has made?
| A．Keep your head above water. |
| B．Throw cold water. |
| C．It is water over the dam. |
| D．It can hold water. |
If your argument doesn’t hold water, then it is _________.
| A．weak | B．convincing | C．logical | D．disappointing |
The passage explains the origins of the following expressions EXCEPT_________.
| A．to be in hot water |
| B．to keep your head above water |
| C．water over the dam |
| D．to hold water |
It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragraph 2 mean in the passage?
| A．problems of the Internet | B．cheating |
| C．learning pressure | D．coursework |
Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
| A．There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation. |
| B．With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework. |
| C．The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism. |
| D．Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework. |
It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____.
| A．blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web |
| B．have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years |
| C．be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him |
| D．worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web |
The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____.
| A．Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website |
| B．different people’s opinions on plagiarism |
| C．how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood |
| D．the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood |
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