Mr. Laurence was not allowed to see Beth, and Meg felt unhappy writing letters to her mother saying nothing about Beth’s illness. Jo nursed Beth night and day, but the time came when Beth did not know her and called for her mother. Jo was frightened, and Meg begged to be allowed to write the truth, but Hannah said there was no danger yet. Then a letter came saying that Mr. March was worse and could not think of coming home for a long time.
How dark the days seemed. How sad and lonely. The sisters worked and waited as the shadow of death lay over the once happy home. It was then that Meg realized how rich she had been in the things which really mattered—love, peace, good health. And Jo, watching her little sister, thought about how unselfish Beth always was—living for others and trying to make home a happy place for all who came there. Amy, sad and lonely at Aunt March’s house, just wanted to come home so that she could do something to help Beth.
On the first day of December, the doctor came in the morning. He looked at Beth, then said quietly, ‘If Mrs. March can leave her husband, I think she should come home now.’
Jo threw on her coat and ran out into the snow to send a telegram. When she arrived back, Laurie came with a letter saying that Mr. March was getting better again. This was good news, but Jo’s face was so unhappy that Laurie asked, ‘What is it? Is Beth worse?’
‘I’ve sent for Mother,’ said Jo, beginning to cry. ‘Beth doesn’t know us any more.’
Laurie held her hand and whispered, ‘I’m here, Jo. Hold on to me. Your mother will be here soon, and then everything will be all right.’
Meg had to write to her mother because _________ at the moment.
A.her mother was away working in another town |
B.her mother was looking after her father in hospital |
C.she wanted to tell her about the illness of Beth |
D.she knew that her mother was getting worse |
Which of the following is NOT true about Beth?
A.She finally recovered from the illness. |
B.She liked playing the piano very much. |
C.She once almost drowned herself in the river. |
D.She was shy but devoted to others. |
Amy _______.
A.was at Aunt March’s house to help with the housework |
B.was somewhat self-centered in the earlier part of the story |
C.was much older than Beth and liked drawing very much |
D.studied all by herself at home instead of going to school |
From the story we know that _______.
A.Laurie helped Jo publish her story in a newspaper |
B.Laurie had been taking care of Mr. March before Beth got ill |
C.Laurie and Jo were very good friends to each other |
D.Laurie and Jo got married in the end |
Cloning is suggested as a means of bringing back a relative, usually a child, killed tragically. Some parents can understand that wish, but it must first be recognized that the copy would be a new baby and not the lost child. Here lies the difficulty, for the sad parents are seeking not a new baby but a return of the dead one. Since the original would be fondly remembered as having particular talents and interests, would not the parents expect the copy to be the same? It is possible, however, that the copy would develop quite differently. Is it fair for the new child to be placed in a family with such unnatural expectations?
Copying is also suggested as a means by which parents can have the child of their dreams. Couples might choose to have a copy of a film star, baseball player or scientist, depending on their interest. But because personality is only partly the result of genetic inheritance (基因遗传), conflicts would be sure to come up if the cloned child failed to develop the same interests as the original. What if the copy of Einstein shows no interest in science? Or the baseball player turns to acting? Success also depends upon fortune. What if the child does not live up to the hopes and dreams of the parents simply because of bad luck?
Every baby should be wanted for itself, as an individual. In making a copy of oneself or some famous person, a parent is carefully specifying (详细说明) the way he or she wishes that child to develop. In recent years, particularly in the United States, much importance has been placed on the right of individuals to reproduce in ways that they wish. So I suggest there is a greater need to consider the interest of the child and to refuse these suggested uses of cloning.
According to the author, in cloning a lost child parents ___________.
A.lose the talents of the lost child |
B.expect too much from the copy |
C.are sure to have an identical copy |
D.are sure to have a baby of their dreams |
What, in the author’s opinion, affects the success of parents’ dreams?
A.The efforts of the parents. |
B.The cloned child’s personality. |
C.The cloned child’s interest in Einstein. |
D.The cloned child’s natural talent. |
In the last paragraph, the author implies that ________.
A.the cloned child is viewed as independent |
B.parents carefully protect the rights of the cloned child |
C.parents are eager to wish the cloned child to be somebody. |
D.the right of growing in his own way is taken away from the cloned child |
As a boy growing up in India, I had wanted to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have lively memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and very enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.
What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
A.Growing up in India. |
B.Once traveling to Canada with his father. |
C.Once staying in Canada. |
D.His father’s stories about his traveling experiences. |
The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
A.happy | B.excited |
C.angry | D.sad |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s trip to Europe in 1998?
A.Both their going and return were by air. |
B.They traveled in the spring that year. |
C.The author traveled with one of his parents. |
D.They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
A.an airline company | B.a city in India |
C.a city in Europe | D.a travel agency |
Have you ever wanted to travel back through time and see what life was like at the beginning of man? Well, museums can make history come alive. And one museum in particular can take you on an exciting journey from the beginning of human culture to the present day.
It is the British Museum. Being one of the largest museums in the world, it is home to over 7 million objects from all the world’s continents. While most of us may not have the chance to visit London, we can catch a glance of the treasures it holds in Beijing. From December 10 to Februry 10, more than 100 cultural relics will be on show in the Palace Museum.
Named “Britain and the World”, a range of pencil sketches, watercolor paintings, sculptures and many other objects have traveled to China.
There are several Chinese objects on show. But “the British Museum got them before 1830 mainly by trade,” said Ma Jige, deputy director of the Exhibition Department of the Palace Museum.
In fact, there are more than 23,000 Chinese relics in the British Museum, including national treasures like gems, artwork and ancient bronze ware objects.
The museum is famous for its exquisite Chinese paintings. Picture of Lady Officials by Gu Kaizhi, a top painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420), is there. The British Museum also holds 13,700 Buddhist records from the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province.
Go to visit the British Museum, and you will ________.
A.travel back to the ancient times |
B.make history come alive |
C.learn more about human culture |
D.have a visit to London |
We can learn from the article that _________.
A.the British Museum is the largest museum in the world |
B.the Palace Museum houses over 7 million objects from all over the world |
C.part of the British Museum’s collection is available in the Palace Museum |
D.the two museums will be combined into one |
According to the article, _________ are shown in the exhibition.
A.its exquisite Chinese paintings |
B.13,700 Buddhist records from Dunhuang Grottoes |
C.works of Gu Kaizhi, a top painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, |
D.a range of pencil sketches, water color paintings, sculptures and many other objects |
How many Chinese relics are there in the British Museum?
A.Over 100. | B.13,700. |
C.Over 23,000. | D.Over 7 million. |
The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7.30pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9.45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11.00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6.30-8.30pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8.00pm or 8.30pm means possible dinner, but 9.30pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late.
But this is not always the case. If asked to a students' party at 6.30pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive-looking eager-is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6.30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group(late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we're young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing(混乱的), sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element(成分) of surprise.
The underlined words "off their heads" probably mean______.
A.tired | B.crazy |
C.curious | D.hopeless |
Jane and David' s story is used to show that______ .
A.petty-goer8 usually get hungry at parties |
B.party invitations can be confusing |
C.people should ask for food at parties |
D.birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
For some young people, arriving on time for a students' party will probably be considered_______.
A.very difficult |
B.particularly thoughtful |
C.friendly and polite |
D.socially unacceptable |
According to the writer, people in their late thirties_______.
A.are likely to arrive late for a party |
B.care little about the party time |
C.haven' t really grown up yet |
D.like surprises at parties |
What is the general idea of the text?
A.It' s safe to arrive late just when food is served. |
B.It' s wise to eat something before going to a party. |
C.It' s important to follow social rules of party-going. |
D.It' s necessary to read invitations carefully. |
“I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to Father Christmas written after his schoolteacher father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched every heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.
But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too, in your mind and in your heart. I find that my parents, long dead now, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself, that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all mother said was “I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.
It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors (挑衅者), and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, one to give me pause.
I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog.” Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.
According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph_____.
A.puts forward the subject of the text |
B.shows the author’s pity on the kid |
C.acts as an introduction to the discussion |
D.makes a clear statement of the author’s views |
In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us____.
A.how much he misses his parents now |
B.why his parents often appear in his dreams |
C.when Lucien will get over all his sadness |
D.how proud he was when he succeeded in life |
What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?
A.Proud | B.Happy |
C.Disappointed | D.Worried |
In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is________.
A.to leave behind a precious memory to the people related |
B.to have a high sense of duty to the whole society |
C.to care what others will remember and treasure |
D.to share happiness and sadness with his family |
What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem________?
A.Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns. |
B.Advise parents stay with their children safely at home. |
C.Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death. |
D.Try to keep violence and murder far away from society. |
Christian Eijkman, a Dutch doctor, left the Netherlands for the island of Java. Many people on the island had a disease called beri-beri. He was going there to try and find a cure. At first, Eijkman thought some kind of germ (细菌) caused beri-beri. He raised some chickens. He didn’t eat them, but made experiments on them. The local people were quite surprised at that. One day he noticed that his chickens became sick when they were fed the food most Javanese ate-refined white rice (精炼米). When he fed them with unrefined rice, also known as brown rice, they recovered.
Eijkman realized that he had made an important discovery-that some things in food could prevent disease. These things were named vitamins (维生素). The Javanese were not getting enough vitamins because they had actually removed the part that contains vitamins. Later, other diseases were also found to be caused by the lack of vitamins in a person’s food.
Today many people know the importance of vitamins and they make sure they have enough vitamins from the food they eat. If they don’t, they can also take vitamin pills.
The underlined word “cure” in Para 1 probably means ______.
A.a medical treatment | B.a kind of vitamin |
C.a kind of germ | D.a kind of rice |
Christian Eijkman went to the island of Java to ______.
A.spend his holiday |
B.find ways to grow better crops |
C.do some research about the island |
D.help the Javanese with their illness |
Why did Christian Eijkman raise some chickens?
A.To eat them. |
B.To carry out his experiments. |
C.To give the Javanese a surprise. |
D.To make money by selling them. |
If a person doesn’t get enough vitamins in his diet, he’d better _____.
A.eat more rice | B.eat more meat |
C.eat some chicken | D.eat vitamin pills |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
A.Beri was caused by chickens |
B.the Javanese didn’t like vitamins |
C.Christian Eijkman’s experiment was successful |
D.the Javanese’s disease was caused by a kind of germ |
Public speaking is a common cause of stress for everyone. The idea of standing in front of a large group with all eyes on you can make you feel fearful in almost all kinds of situation, for example giving a presentation in class, proposing a toast at dinner or making a work-related presentation. It seems to be a fear that’s impossible to overcome. If you have ever experienced this, you know while the anxiety may develop at the actual event, it is a feeling that begins much earlier than the actual day. There are many ways you can work on your confidence and prepare yourself for a public speaking event.
A consultant specializing (专门研究) in presentation skills can help you to overcome your sense of panic. Working with a consultant does not indicate that you have a major problem; it is only an approach to receiving guidance on relaxation strategies, such as deep breathing, which can help you deal with public speaking problems with ease.
Consultants can also help you work on your confidence. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing. Even well-established public speakers practice techniques such as meditation (沉思冥想) to calm themselves before a public appearance.
It’s well worth the time and effort to overcome the fear of public speaking, particularly if talks and presentations are part of your work description. Keep in mind that many of those around you are also struggling with this fear of public speaking. It will help you to become an able speaker if you can prepare beforehand. For example, you can put in time on planning your presentation in detail and practicing it many times in secret. As you get more and more familiar with your material, you’ll be able to fine-tune (微调) the details of your presentation and this will make you a confident speaker. Your speech will become excellent in terms of style and content.
Remember that the more you get into this pattern of feeling good about yourself, the stronger you will feel about approaching events when you have to make a speech. You can also work on physical details such as adjusting your tone (音调) before the presentation by doing some warm-up exercises.
In a word, believing in yourself and presenting yourself well can help you deeply impress your audience. And after a few speeches you’ll notice yourself overcoming the sense of panic that you now feel in public speaking situations.
Title |
About the fear of public speaking |
|
Introduction |
* When speaking in public, you will feel_______ in almost every situation. * This feeling usually begins ________ the actual day. |
|
Ways |
Turn to a consultant. |
* A consultant can guide you and help you (_____. * A consultant can also help you build confidence which can make your public speaking ________. |
Make _______. |
* Make a detailed _______ for your presentation. * Spend time _____ it. * Pay attention to your tone. |
|
_______ |
A combination of great confidence and a good ______ will help you make a deep_________ on your audience. |
In high school, “cool” is the rule, so teenagers will do anything to avoid possibly embarrassing situations.
But not Samantha Elton, 15. She seeks them out. And if she can make a fool of herself as in the process, well, that’s even better.
For the past two years, Elton, has been a practitioner of improvisation, doing things that others would be embarrassed to consider.
Elton is a member of High School Jesters, a group that teaches improvisation techniques to students. The group was founded two years ago by Nicholas Kopatich, himself a keen improviser.
“I was sitting in my dorm room and some friends were having chats about comedy and improvisation,” Kopatich recalls. They asked for lessons after Kopatich told them he had improvisation experience. The small group turned out to be pretty good at it, so they did a show for the dorm. And things snowballed.
While even her mother marvels at Elton’s ability to get up in front of audience without a script to fall back on, the teen enjoys such opportunities. Performing improvisation comes with a certain freedom that theater doesn’t provide.
“What I like about it the most is that I don’t have to be a certain character or a certain way, and because of that I can’t get anything wrong,” Elton says, “I get to write the story while I’m doing it.”
Monica Elton, Samantha’s mom, thinks the workshops are a valuable outlet that a lot of students may not get in their schools. High school kids don’t usually like to act silly or look uncool, she says, but improvisation teaches them that it’s OK to have flaws.
“I like to think we give kids positively that allows them to gain confidence,” says Brent Mukai, a High School Jesters instructor. The great thing about improvisation is that it is an art form that is open to anyone. But there’s more to it than getting up in front of audience and telling jokes or acting silly.
“You don’t need to be the most amazing actress to be an improviser,” Samantha Elton says, “It’s really a place where I can show people my creativity. I can paint pictures for people and entertain others.”
It’s really free.
What do we know about improvisation?
A.Performers act as a certain character. |
B.Performers need a script to act on. |
C.Performers intend to make audience embarrassed. |
D.Performers develop the story as they are playing. |
According to Monica, practicing improvisation made Elton _______.
A.treat flaws as normal things |
B.accept cool as the rule |
C.avoid doing embarrassing things |
D.care about what others comment on her |
It can be inferred that Kopatich formed High School Jesters _______.
A.on purpose | B.by accident |
C.for business | D.out of curiosity |
The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A.teens make a fool of themselves |
B.teens perform improvisation to be cool |
C.teens express creativity through arts |
D.teens gain confidence in the improvisation |
Every day it seems that people are coming up with new and innovative ways to use mobile devices like cellphones and smart phones. Researchers at Princeton University are looking for new ways to measure a person’s sense of wellbeing with mobile devices.
To gain a better understanding of how cellphones and other mobile devices can measure our sense of happiness, the research team conducted a study that was published recently in the journal Demography. To gather data for their study, the team created an application for mobile devices using the Android operating system.
Once the app was developed, the researchers invited people to download it and take part in their study. Over a three-week period, the research team was able to collect data from some 270 participants living in 13 countries.
Participants came not only from the United States, but also from other nations like Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Over the course of the study, participants received occasional text questions from the researchers that asked “How happy are you?”. Along with recording their response, the app used the mobile device’s built-in GPS to keep track of the participant’s location.
The study participants were asked to rate their current state of happiness on a scale of zero to five. As they gathered data from the information collected through the application, the researchers then were able to create new methods that could help provide a better understanding of how our surroundings can influence our emotional well-being.
The researchers learned that mobile devices can provide an effective way to quickly grab information that, because of today’s active lifestyle, can be difficult to record. Being able to quickly grab this information was something the researchers felt was important. They said feelings and emotions that were recorded as they were happening were most likely to be more honest and precise than using other methods like writing down how they felt on a piece of paper after the fact.
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.The study the team conducted has not been published yet. |
B.About 270 people from 13 countries participated in the study. |
C.The participants didn’t need to download the app to participate. |
D.None of the participants came from the United Kingdom. |
What did the researchers find vital as to rate people’s sense of happiness from the passage?
A.Recording people’s feelings and emotions quickly. |
B.Writing down how they felt on a piece of paper. |
C.Answering the text question “How happy are you?” |
D.Knowing how the surroundings affect people’s happiness. |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably refers to ______.
A.emotion | B.wealth |
C.happiness | D.technology |
The best title of the passage is most likely to be “_______”.
A.People’s Sense of Happiness Related to Mobile Phones |
B.Scientists Track Happiness with Cellphones |
C.Methods to Rate People’s Happiness |
D.A Better Understanding of People’s Sense of Happiness |
A mother’s ad calling for her son to come home for Chinese New Year ran on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily newspaper on January 14.
It placed a full page ad, saying “Dear Peng, I’ve called you many times but you don’t pick up, maybe you will see this. Dad and mom won’t ever force you to get married anymore, come home for Chinese New Year! From your mom who loves you.”
The ad, which appeared on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily on Tuesday, would cost $2,796.80 Australian dollars ($2465). The newspaper serves the city’s Chinese community. The mother, who lives in Guangzhou had placed the ad after losing contact with her son.
Every year around this time, many Chinese prepare to head home for China’s most important festival. But many of the younger generation are afraid of facing family confrontations about their love life.
On the online Chinese forum Tianya. cn, a single man asked for advice on facing his family. “It’s almost that time of the year. How should I explain to my family and relatives that I am single?” a user in Guangzhou “1979xiaozhu” posted. Many of the replies were telling him not to go home instead.
User “qianlidaiwanwoduxing” wrote: “Going home means they will either arrange blind dates for you or you get scolded.”
“This year my mom gave me an ultimatum. One, bring 50,000 yuan; second, bring a wife home. If I don’t have both then she said I don’t need to come home. What a tragedy!” said user “fghjkh84”.
Those girls who can’t handle the pressure of parents can rent a boyfriend for the day through China’s online shopping giant, Taobao.com. Rental boyfriends come with services such as meeting the parents, shopping and watching movies.
The mother placed a full page ad in order to _______.
A.ask her son to come back to China for the festival |
B.beg her son to answer her telephone more times |
C.force her son to come home and get married |
D.make her son become famous in Melbourne |
Why did the mother place the ad in the Chinese Melbourne Daily?
A.Because her son didn’t want to get married in China. |
B.Because she couldn’t get in touch with her son any more. |
C.Because her son wanted to live alone in Australia. |
D.Because she wanted her son to come back to work. |
What leads many Chinese young people not to go home for New Year?
A.Their busy work. | B.The long distance. |
C.Their low pay. | D.Their love life. |
From the passage we can infer ______.
A.the user “1979xiaozhu” is a married young man |
B.the user “qianlidaiwanwoduxing” will go home |
C.the user “fghjkh84” will bring a wife home |
D.some single girls have to bring an untrue boyfriend home |
“When an American asks me this question, it’s like a wall of ice crashing down between us.” my Moscow-born friend Galina said. The question is “How are you?”.
The answer Americans give, of course is, “Fine.” But when Russians hear this they think one of two things: you are experiencing a rare moment of fineness or you are lying.
Ask a Russian, “How are you?” and you will hear, for better or worse, the truth. I have experienced many painful minutes of silence after my grandmother made her stock response: “Terrible,” to which she might add, “Why? Because being old is terrible and I am very old.”
“‘Fine’ makes Russians think that Americans have no soul,” I explained recently to an American-born friend. “That they just want to go home, eat a frozen dinner in front of the TV, and wait out the hours before going to work to make money again.” He laughed, “You know, there’s something to that.”
The thing most Russians don’t realize is that, in English, “How are you?” isn’t a question at all, but a form of “hi”, like the Russian “privyet!”
Psychologists at the University of Michigan have shown that, while Russians are, indeed, easier to be depressed than Americans, their open acceptance of bad experiences might be healthier.
Recently, when I looked through a few American guides on traveling to Russia, I was disappointed to find that they all suggested that tourists adopt the American approach to “How are you”.
When you ask a Russian “how are you” the Russian will ________.
A.answer “fine” | B.tell you the truth |
C.make no answer | D.get angry and walk away |
If an American answers “fine” to the question “how are you”, the Russian will think ______.
A.he is not honest | B.he will go home |
C.he likes watching TV | D.he is living a bad life |
We can infer Russians’ answer to “how are you” can make Americans feel ________.
A.happy | B.angry |
C.puzzled | D.touched |
I have ______ many different friends ______ it is hard to choose just one best friend.
A.so; as | B.so; that |
C.such; as | D.such; that |
Wednesday night 7: 30 p. m. at the Chuckle Bar!
Starring Rodney Mann, Pedro Mendez and Larry Dunne!
Next Wednesday night at the Chuckle Bar we have an all star line up of comedians. Three of the world’s best known comedians are coming together for one night only. Book your tickets by calling 1 900 555 6565 or be at the door early to buy them before the show begins.
Rodney Mann
Mann is famous for his jokes about average people and their life. Many of his jokes are social commentaries on everyday things. He loves to set his jokes in New York, the city where he grew up.
Mann’s most famous opening line, “You know, I was walking down the street the other day. . . ” is known all over the world. He is just back from his tour of Europe, and is appearing at the Chuckle Bar for one night only. Don’t miss it!
Pedro Mendez
Pedro Mendez grew up on a small farm in Panama. He moved to the USA with his parents when he was ten, and has been telling jokes and making people laugh ever since. Recently, the 30 year old comedian began to film a new TV programme that he will both act in and produce.
Experience Mendez’s unique Latin style humor for yourself. His routine, “I had a farm in Panama”, is a classic that should not be missed.
Larry Dunne
Larry Dunne has been making people laugh all over the world for more than five decades. He began his career by performing for soldiers in Hawaii in the 1950s, and since then, he has been the host of his own late night TV programme. The videos and DVDs of his performances are the best sellers of any stand-up acts out there. As an old style comedian, Dunne uses lots of singing and dancing as part of his routines.
Dunne is best known for his jokes about life in the USA and how it has changed during his lifetime. This will be Dunne’s last show before he retires, so don’t miss it.
Call 1-900-555-6565 to reserve your tickets or be at the door by 7: 00 p. m. .
Rodney Mann grew up in ______ .
A.the USA | B.Panama |
C.Hawaii | D.New York |
The show begins ______.
A.at lunch time | B.at 7: 30 p. m. |
C.at 7: 00 p.m | D.at 7: 30 a. m. |
Pedro Mendez has lived in ______ for ______ years.
A.the USA; thirty-four | B.the USA; |
C.Panama; thirty-four | D.the USA; twenty |
The oldest comedian is probably ______, and has been performing ______.
A.Rodney Mann; for over fifty years |
B.Larry Dunne; since the 1970s |
C.Larry Dunne; for over fifty years |
D.Pedro Mendez; for over fifty years |
The comedy show will have ______ comedians on ______ night.
A.three; one | B.three; two |
C.one; three | D.one; two |
A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package: What food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse declared the warning, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken clucked ( 咯咯叫 ), raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell you this is a great concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me, I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, “A mouse trap, am I in great danger, huh?”
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and depressed to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse 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 an evil 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 knew to treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his knife 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, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow slaughtered 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 the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We may infer that the passage is most probably a ______.
A.an advertisement | B.fable |
C.science fiction | D.news report |
We could see from the passage that the mouse was ______.
A.kind and warm-hearted |
B.well-informed |
C.good at cheating others |
D.foolish and rude |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The pig was comparatively less friendly than the others in the farmyard. |
B.The mouse trap that the mouse discovered was not a practical one. |
C.The farmer and his wife trapped an evil snake that night. |
D.The farmer’s family was in fact poor and they had no friends. |
How many animals are mentioned in this passage?
A.five | B.three | C.four | D.six |
What can we learn from the story?
A.Better safe than sorry. |
B.Traps are usually well disguised. |
C.To help others is just to save you. |
D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all. |