A food additive (添加剂) is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of “chemicals in food.” The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas. Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat.
The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory-made substances increase the nutritional value of food. Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange. Like “chemical”, “man-made” doesn’t necessarily mean “not fit to eat”.
Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize, thicken, harden, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers.
Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there’s a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives will go through strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects (副作用) from the long-term use of presently approved (批准) food additives are very small.
From the passage we can learn that .
A.natural foods are much safer than man-made ones |
B.it is right to refuse chemicals in food |
C.food additives are harmful to our health |
D.all foods have chemical substances |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways. |
B.To ensure food safety, the FDA will stop food additives. |
C.Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life. |
D.Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value. |
We can infer from the regulation to the food additives by the FDA that .
A.new additives will be approved more easily than before |
B.food with common-used additives will be taken off the market |
C.food additives will be used in a safer and more scientific way |
D.food producers won’t be allowed to use new food additives |
According to the writer, the food additive is .
A.worrying | B.acceptable |
C.poisonous | D.avoidable |
The last five pounds. The vanity(虚荣) pounds. The dream weight. The fantasy weight. The high school weight. Yes, many names are given to the weight – the five pounds – that seems just out of reach no matter how much we exercise and improve our eating habits.
But why is it out of reach? Is it all in our heads? Or is it because the body has a set-point or ideal weight – a weight to which it doesn’t want to give in?
“There is no such thing as ideal body weight,” says James, author of “Weight Loss That Lasts.” “But your body does resist you when you are trying to lose weight. It gets used to a certain weight over a long period of time and then will defend that weight.”
In other words, the body’s “set point” can be lowered – or raised, he says, but it takes time to reset that new weight. That period of time is at least six months. “I often ask patients, ‘What is the lowest stable weight of your adult life?’ to get an idea of what is realistic” in terms of weight loss and maintenance(保持), James says.
He refers to the body’s refusal to change, weight-wise, as an “biological control system that prevents us from going hungry and dying – part of our primitive(原始的) biology.”
Some people might get down to their dream weight for a short period but then can’t keep it long because the calorie limits are too strict once the body starts defending itself against weight loss.
“That’s why it’s important to set realistic goals,” he says. “The idea of the ‘ideal weight’ or ‘dream weight’ is really just a useless exercise.”
But let’s say your goal is realistic and has been set by a nutritionist (营养师)or other weight-loss professionals and you are still plateauing. What could be going on? The reason is that you need fewer calories the less you weigh. So if you want to continue to drop weight, you have to drop calories and increase calorie-burn.
James encourages people to tell the difference between weight loss goals for health reasons and those to do with vanity. “They are different issues,” James says. “One is where important health benefits are seen and the other is about vanity – wanting to look good in a bathing suit.”
What might a” set-point weight” refer to?
A.A weight that the body doesn’t want to change. |
B.A weight that you have kept for a long time. |
C.A weight that you are trying to lose. |
D.A weight that can be raised or lowered. |
People can’t keep their dream weight for a long time because_________.
A.the body system stops us from hunger |
B.the calorie limits are extremely strict |
C.we haven’t turned to nutritionists for advice |
D.we can’t keep the habits of dieting for six months |
What does it mean by saying “you are still plateauing” ?
A.Your weight keeps increasing. |
B.Your weight remains unchanged. |
C.You are still worrying. |
D.You are still dreaming. |
According to the passage, what is James’ most possible attitude towards t weight loss for vanity?
A.Encouraging. | B.Critical(批判的). |
C.Supportive. | D.Neutral(中立的). |
If you don’t think technology can improve your trip, meet Judy Williams. When she and her husband recently checked into Blu Hotel in Zurich, a clerk asked them to sign the dotted line on a room rate hundreds of dollars higher than their online offer.
“It was not a cheap stay,” says Williams, a lawyer from Billings, Mont. But it became more of one after her husband fired up the Booking.com app he’d used to book their room on his smartphone. “As soon as we showed him the cost, he honored it,” Williams says.
Technology may create challenges for travelers but it can also solve them. It’s more than making sure of a hotel cost. The latest Booking.com can help users select hotels by location, make a secure booking and view the confirmed(已确认的) cost so they never need to re-discuss their hotel price.
Another pain point for travelers is traffic that eats away precious vacation time. There’s a new app called Commute which is aimed at users who have to make the same trip every day. But if you’re headed to Los Angeles or Honolulu, where visitors can easily get stuck in hours of heavy traffic, Commute can help.
Just input basic information about your destination and expected leaving time, and the app will start sending you traffic information 15 minutes before you leave. Testing Commute proved to be a challenge for me, because my home address is about 900 miles from my place of work. But if you have only a short distance to travel through a heavily populated area, you can use Commute to avoid traffic jams.
Another source of travel-related problems is money. That’s particularly true when you’re dealing with a foreign currency. The latest Travel Money Tracker helps travelers prevent currency mix-ups. It immediately changes a country’s native currency to yours, so you know exactly how much that Espresso(浓咖啡) in Milan costs in dollars. It can also warn you when you’re overspending, which can sometimes be a problem when you’re on vacation. The only catch, of course, is that you have to remember to record all your purchases.
Taken together, these apps solve some of the most common travel problems. But not all of them. Some things, no smartphone can fix, which means I get to keep my job – for now.
What does the writer want to tell through the example of Judy Williams?
A.The cost of Blu Hotel was higher than that of others. |
B.The clerk was very friendly and patient. |
C.The smartphones have many functions. |
D.Technology can make our trips better. |
Commute is not suitable for those who_________.
A.have a long journey |
B.go on the same trip every day |
C.can easily get stuck in traffic jams |
D.travel a short distance downtown |
What is the function of Travel Money Tracker?
A.It tells people how much Espresso costs. |
B.It changes the native currency to yours. |
C.It warns people when they are shopping. |
D.It records all people’s purchases. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To encourage people to travel. |
B.To introduce some new apps. |
C.To help people with technology problems. |
D.To provide people with traveling information. |
When I started a degree in English language, I hadn’t intended to study abroad, not to mention starting learning German. But having recently returned from my year abroad in Germany, I can say that making the effort to learn the language really enriched my experience.
With language translation technology advancing all the time, it’s convenient to rely on Google Translate and smartphone apps without having to learn the language. But a second language shouldn’t be a luxury(奢侈品). Researchers have discovered that much language learning can increase the size of your brain in as little as three months. From my own experience, learning the language lets you travel beyond the well-known tourist paths, gain a real student experience and widen your social network beyond the international circle.
The process of learning German abroad was completely different from my language course at university, where students sat quietly and stumbled(结巴) through spoken exercises. Instead, language learning abroad was energetic and part of my lifestyle – from chatting with sales assistants to preparing speeches with course mates. It meant being part of the local area.
Visiting language exchange cafés – where international and German students meet to improve their European language – was a great way to practice in a relaxed space and meet a wide range of people. Not being afraid to make mistakes is important to learn a language. By giving up that comfortable phrase “Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch!” (I speak only a little German), I made progress and it was praised by friends and locals alike.
Germany has a lively theater scene and learning the language meant I was able to get more entertainment and an understanding of German culture.
Even when it comes to eating out, knowing the language works to your advantage. In more than a few traditional German restaurants, the English menus didn’t contain all the dishes listed on the German menus.
Learning the language has saved me from getting on the wrong train, after last-minute platform changes were announced in German.
So why not learn the local language in your year abroad? It’ll improve your employability while letting you take part fully in local life.
What is the purpose of writing this passage?
A.To share his or her experience of learning a foreign language. |
B.To tell the readers the advantages of knowing a foreign language. |
C.To give the readers an understanding of German culture. |
D.To advise the readers to learn a local language when abroad. |
What is the writer’s opinion about a second language?
A.It is not popular any longer. |
B.It costs a lot of money. |
C.It is practical and useful. |
D.It demands much brain to learn. |
When a person says “Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch!”, he feels_________.
A.comfortable about the situation |
B.afraid to make mistakes |
C.satisfied with the progress |
D.confident about himself |
How does the writer develop his or her argument?
A.By explaining reasons and results. |
B.By listing the advantages. |
C.By comparing different methods. |
D.By providing scientific discoveries. |
If you have seen or heard of the British TV series Downton Abbey, you have probably noticed an “upstairs-downstairs” class system in which the noble people are upstairs, worrying what clothes they should wear for dinner and the poor people are downstairs, working hard to make food and tea. So it’s not hard to tell that people are divided into different classes. British society has changed a lot since the days of Downton Abbey, but the division still exists and the funny accents do, too.
Nowadays, what divides Britons is the so-called “North-South divide”. As you make your way north from the south coast of England, the accent begins to change. The posh “How are you” in parts of the South becomes “Ahhdu” (how do you do) in the Midlands, “reeit” (are you all right) in the North West, “eyyup” (what’s up) in Yorkshire, and “hou’s it gaun” (how’s it going) in Scotland. Besides accents, the economy also changes. The rich southern city of London slowly becomes the North where people general have less money.
So where does the “South” stop being the “South” and the “North” start being the “North”? Well, depending on where someone comes from in Britain, you’ll get a different answer.
“Anywhere above London is ‘the North’,” you might hear a Londoner say. Or if you’re in Scotland, you might hear, “Southern softer!”, talking about a person from Lancashire or Yorkshire, who think of themselves as “hard (tough) Northerners”. “Anywhere south of Manchester is not northern,” you might hear a person from Manchester say.
Many stereotypes (成见) have come from the “North-South Divide”, too. Often, southerners are seen as being rude and snobbish (势利眼的) by northerners. And northerners are often seen as uneducated by southerners.
Today, the career you have and the person you marry don’t depend on where you were born or what class you are from. But as London is getting richer and people are moving to the South for work, the North-South divide is getting bigger. Yet for all that divides us, the truth is, we couldn’t live without each other!
The first paragraph serves to _________.
A.compare the lives of upstairs with those of downstairs |
B.explain how the class system worked in the past |
C.attack the unfair class division |
D.introduce the topic of the passage |
People from North West greet each other by saying _________.
A.“hou’s it gaun” | B.“reeit” |
C.“eyyup” | D.“ahhdu” |
From Paragraph 4 we get to know _________.
A.Scotlanders think Londoners are not strong enough |
B.Manchester people think Scotland belongs to the South |
C.Manchester people regard themselves as Northerners |
D.there is no such thing as “North-South Divide” |
What is the passage mainly talking about?
A.British accents are different from North to South. |
B.Class division is getting smaller at present. |
C.It is about the “North-South Division” and its influence. |
D.Northerners and Southerners dislike each other in Britain. |
For most South Africans, Nelson Mandela is the father of their nation – many even called him "Tata", a local word for father. It was sometimes forgotten that he was also a real father of six, grandfather of 18, great-grandfather of eight, and husband to three women.
He earned a place in history just like another father of a nation, Mahatma Gandhi. But there was a fundamental difference between these beloved men. While Gandhi was thought to be a depressed family man, Mandela was a strong and loving family man. Even so, Mandela and his family paid dearly for his devotion to his country's freedom.
Mandela himself offered a glimpse into his personal war. "To be the father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy. But it was a joy I had far too little of." he said in April 1992, announcing his separation from Winnie.
In 1944, Nelson Mandela married Evelyn. "I could not give up my life in the struggle," Mandela explained in his autobiography(自传), Long Walk to Freedom, "and she (Evelyn) could not live with my devotion to something other than herself and her family... I never lost my admiration for her, but in the end we could not make our marriage work." They divorced in 1958.
When Evelyn died in 2004, Mandela stood at her graveside with his third wife, Graca. Winnie also attended the funeral.
Mandela married Winnie in 1958. But Winnie bore the hardship of life as Mandela, enduring her husband's 27-year imprisonment. From prison, Mandela wrote some of the greatest love letters to Winnie. "I dust it (your photo) carefully every morning – I even touch your nose with mine to regain the electric current that used to run through my blood whenever I did so."
For many South Africans, it was the end of a fairytale love story when their separation was made public in 1992. "Tensions" had arisen and they had agreed on a separation. The hurt in his words was clear: "Perhaps I was blinded to certain things because of the pain I felt for not being able to play my role as a husband to my wife and a father to my children."
“Unstable(不稳定的) personal lives seemed freedom fighters' destiny(命运),” he said. "When your life is the struggle, as mine was, there is little room left for family. That has always been my greatest regret, and the most painful aspect of the choice I made." The couple divorced in 1996.
The author mentioned Mahatma Gandhi in the second paragraph in order to _________.
A.show the character of Gandhi |
B.prove Mandela is the great leader |
C.draw attention to Mandela’s personal life |
D.honour these two great fathers |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph shows_________.
A.Mandela felt regretful about his family life |
B.Mandela got no joy from his family |
C.Mandela was not satisfied with his wife Winne |
D.Mandela preferred to be the father of the nation |
The first wife of Nelson Mandela is _________.
A.Winnie | B.Evelyn |
C.Graca | D.not mentioned |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Mandela: not just the father of the nation. |
B.Mandela: a devoted leader of the nation. |
C.Mandela: a freedom fighter with deep love. |
D.Mandela: success and failure. |
The timing of school holidays has always had a lot to do with when a family goes on vacation. For many kids, summer holidays mean spending time outdoors and heading toward water- the local swimming pool, a lake, or the beach.
What people wear to go swimming or sunbathing has changed a great deal since the early 1990s. Do you know what early swimsuits(游泳衣) looked like and what they were made of? The earliest swimsuits covered most of the body and were called “bathing clothes”. They were often made of wool, which made them scratchy(扎人的) and very heavy when they got wet. Newer materials made it possible to make lighter swimsuits. Over time, swimsuits covered less and less of the body. In 1946, the bikini became popular among women.
Summer holidays don’t just mean going to the water. They can also mean going for a bike ride, or a picnic. It all depends how you want to spend your summer days.
If you live or spend your holiday near the water, then fishing, diving and boating are all good possibilities. In summertime, lots of people enjoy playing, picnicking, and just going out with friends on a long summer day until the sun goes down.
A famous song called Summertime from the opera Porgy and Bess describes life’s more relaxed pace in this season, “Summertime...and the living is easy. Fish are jumping...” Ask your parents and older relatives about their summertime memories.
What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?
A.Being near water is great in summer for kids. |
B.It is great for kids to spend holidays with their family. |
C.when you should prepare for summer holidays. |
D.Where you can find water on summer holidays. |
From the passage we can know that_________.
A.People with “bathing clothes” could swim easily |
B.The earlier swimsuits were very comfortable to wear |
C.There are other ways to enjoy summer holidays |
D.It is easy for a family to arrange summer holidays |
What is summertime like according to the passage?
A.It is busy | B.It is interesting |
C.It is simple | D.It is hard |
If the crust (外壳) of the earth were not pretty solid (坚固的),it would be shaking about and moving up and down frequently. However,there are places in the rocks of the earth’s crust where it isn’t strongly held together—where faults exist. Along the faults,one rock might push against another with great force. The energy is changed to vibration in the rocks,so they begin to shake and we have an earthquake!
The most famous one in North America was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Seven hundred people died and property(财产)damage amounted to about $425,000,000.The greatest destruction came from the fires that followed the quake.
One of the most famous earthquakes in Europe took place in Lisbon,Portugal,in 1755.The city was destroyed and at least thirty thousand people were killed. In 1908,in Calabria and Sicily,a quake killed about seventy-five thousand people. In 1915,in central Italy,hundreds of towns and villages were damaged and thirty thousand people were killed.
Two great earthquakes that caused great damage in Asia took place in Tokyo,Japan,and in Gansu Province in China. The Tokyo quake of 1923 killed more than one hundred thousand people and destroyed the city and the city of Yokohama,too. The Chinese quake in 1920 covered more than three hundred square miles and killed about two hundred thousand people.
The first paragraph mainly tells us .
A.where earthquakes happen |
B.how earthquakes happen |
C.the damage caused by earthquakes |
D.famous earthquakes in the world |
Which of the following is the correct order of the years when the earthquakes happened?
①the San Francisco earthquake
②the earthquake in Lisbon,Portugal
③the earthquake in Calabria and Sicily
④the earthquake in central Italy
⑤the earthquake in Gansu Province
⑥the Tokyo quake
A.③④⑤⑥②① | B.⑤⑥②①③④ |
C.②①③④⑤⑥ | D.①③④②⑤⑥ |
According to the passage,the earthquake that killed the most people happened in .
A.Portugal | B.Italy | C.Japan | D.China |
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying,along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered(零散的) articles.
Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talks, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide(自杀). But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
How did Bill and Mark get to know each other?
A.They were attending the same junior high school. |
B.They were living in the same neighborhood. |
C.Mark was once invited to Bill’s home to play video games together. |
D.Mark once lent Bill a hand when he dropped all things the was carrying. |
The underlined word “tripped” in Paragraph One probably means .
A.stopped | B.scattered |
C.trapped himself | D.caught his foot on something |
According to the passage, we learn that ________
A.Bill would have gone to another school if Mark hadn’t met him that day. |
B.Mark would have been informed of Bill’s death shortly after |
C.Bill would have killed himself |
D.Bill’s mother would find out his secret |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The boy took so many books with him because he was about to graduate soon. |
B.In fact Mark knew from the beginning that he had saved his friend’s life. |
C.Bill actually wanted to have a good sleep because he was too tired. |
D.After they entered Bill’s house they had a drink together. |
On March 19, 2013, Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani student and women’s-education activist(积极分子), returned to the classroom for the first time since being attacked by a member of the Taliban on October 9, 2012. Malala was shot on her way home from school in Mingora, Pakistan. The Taliban(塔利班) said that they did the attack. The group said the attack should be a warning to others. Malala was targeted(作为目标) because she expresses her opinion publicly about girls’ rights to education.
After a long period of recovery, Malala is starting as a ninth-year student at Edgbaston High School. It is the oldest independent girl’s school in Birmingham, England. Though she has no specific plans to return to Pakistan, Malala still speaks out as a voice for change in her country, and everywhere. “I’m excited that today I have realized my dream of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this kind of chance,” Malala said in a statement .
Malala has been an Internet blogger since she was 11 years old. In 2011 she was awarded Pakistan’s National Peace Award for her bravery in writing about the difficulties of life and education in the shadow of the Taliban. She has spoken publicly about children’s rights and been nominated(提名) for an international children’s peace prize.
Why did the Taliban attack Malala?
A.She is a Pakistani student. |
B.She was targeted without being planned. |
C.She didn’t want to be a member of the Taliban. |
D.She spoke publicly about girls’ rights to education. |
How long did it take Malala to recover from the attack?
A.Four years. | B.About one year. |
C.Over five months. | D.About four months. |
We can learn from the passage that Malala______.
A.is now attending school in Pakistan |
B.is still under the shadow of the attack |
C.has made a careful plan for her future |
D.cares about the situation in her home country |
While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters(汉字) have too many strokes(笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Peking University when I grow up.” Piao is from South Korea. He came to China in 2008.
In South Korea, there are more than 300000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some South Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, South Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.
Chinese isn’t just popular in South Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Chinese Ministry of Education says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.
In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots(中国结). Some even try to write and draw in Chinese way!
People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucious College(孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These colleges will teach Chinese to foreign students.
Which of the following is the topic sentence for the text?
A.Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. |
B.Chinese can be more difficult to learn. |
C.In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. |
D.Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots. |
Where does Piao Chenglong come from?
A.China | B.America | C.South Korea | D.Spain |
According to the text, some American middle school students learn to do the following EXCEPT_______.
A.making jiaozi |
B.writing and drawing in Chinese way |
C.trying Chinese knots |
D.singing Chinese songs |
Why do foreign kids want to learn Chinese?
A.Because Chinese is getting more important in their schools. |
B.Because Chinese characters have too many strokes. |
C.Because the number of people learning Chinese will be 800 million. |
D.Because China is becoming more and more important in the world. |
Once an Englishman named Larry Belmont went to Russia for a holiday. After he got back, some of his friends came. “I had a very dangerous trip while I was in Russia,” Larry said. “I went to see a friend in the country when the sun went down, I was still travelling through a forest in a sleigh(雪橇). It was a long way from my friend’s house when about twenty wolves began to follow my sleigh.”
“It was very dark in the forest. There was thick snow on the ground. First I heard the wolves. The noise was terrible! Then I saw long, grey forms among the trees, and soon the wolves were near me. They were running very fast, and they didn’t seem to get tired like the horses.”
“What did you do?” one of Larry’s friends asked.
“When the wolves got very near,” Larry answered, “I put up my gun and shot the first wolf dead. Then all the other wolves stopped and ate it, so my sleigh got away from them for a few minutes. Then they finished their meal, and I heard them coming again. The moon was shining brightly on the snow now, and after a few minutes I saw them running among the trees once more. They came nearer again, and then I shot another one of them, and the others stopped once more to eat it. The same thing happened again, and my horses became more and more tired and ran slower and slower until, after two hours, only one wolf was still alive and following me.”
“Wasn’t it too fat to run?” one of Larry’s friends asked.
The purpose of this passage is to_______.
A.amuse readers |
B.tell an exciting adventure |
C.praise Larry Belmont’s bravery |
D.show the danger of travelling through a forest |
Larry told his friends what happened to him when he was ______.
A.in Russia one winter morning |
B.in England one winter evening |
C.in Russia one winter evening |
D.in America one winter morning |
According to what Larry said, the last wolf ______.
A.was the strongest of all |
B.had eaten up all the other wolves |
C.ran much faster than the other wolves |
D.was very fat and couldn’t run fast enough |
From what Larry’s friend asked in the end,we know that ______
A.Larry’s trip was really dangerous |
B.the last wolf was too fat to run |
C.all the wolves had been shot by Larry |
D.his friend did not believe what Larry had said. |
One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen----Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them----If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra pencil or pen with you to classes in case they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them----Be there for your friends to help make them feel better in hard times. Marilyn Monroe, a famous US actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control, but if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve(应受、值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!
______----Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!
While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should ____.
A.give him or her some advice |
B.just listen unless asked |
C.calm him or her down |
D.share your feelings as well |
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?
A.Life without a friend is death. |
B.A friend is easier lost than found. |
C.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
D.A man is known by his friends. |
Which of the following can be put in the blank of the last paragraph?
A.Make plans | B.Enjoy yourself |
C.Understand your friends | D.Play with your friends |
The passage is mainly about _______.
A.how to find a good friend |
B.how to help friends in trouble |
C.how to be a good friend |
D.how to make more friends |
Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons (神经元)in our brains.
Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate (模仿)it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions,they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.
Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains,but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages,and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example: "The hand took hold of the ball"), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).
Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.
Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact(互动).Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent (相等物)for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does—well, perhaps you'll understand why.
Mirror neurons can explain _____.
A.why we cry when we are hurt |
B.why we cough when we suffer from a cold |
C.why we smile when we see someone else smile |
D.why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late |
The underlined word "triggered" in the third paragraph probably means “____”.
A.set off | B.cut off |
C.built up | D.broken up |
We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons _____.
A.relate to human behavior and interaction |
B.control human physical actions and feelings |
C.result in bad behavior and social disorders |
D.determine our knowledge and language abilities |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Ways to find mirror neurons. |
B.Problems of mirror neurons. |
C.Existence of mirror neurons. |
D.Functions of mirror neurons. |
Finally, a cell phone
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“Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and get a cell phone. My kids have been annoying me and the last straw was when my car broke down,and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones all have cameras, computers and a "global-positioning" something or other that's supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren't much help. They couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were confusing, and expensive ... and the contract (合同)lasted for two years! I'd almost given up until a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the convenience and safety of being about to stay in touch --- with a phone I can actually use. ”
Affordable plans that I can understand一and no contract to sign (签订)! Unlike other cell phones,Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I'm never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won't find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign—so I'm not locked in for years at a time. The US-based customer service is second to none. And the phone gets service anywhere in the country.
Monthly Minutes |
50 |
100 |
Monthly Rate |
$14.99 |
$19.99 |
911 Access |
FREE |
FREE |
Long Distance Calls |
No additional charge |
No additional charge |
Friendly Return Policy |
30 days |
30 days |
Call now and receive a FREE gift when you order. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it! Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. If you aren't as happy with it as I am, you can return it and get your money back. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts are ready to answer your questions. Call 1-888-809-8794 or visit www. jitterbugdirect.com.
What made “I” finally think of getting a cell phone?
A.Being stuck by the highway. |
B.Being urged by his grandkids. |
C.Being persuaded by cell phone salespersons. |
D.Being attracted by the friendly return policy. |
On the monthly basis of 100 minutes, the Jitterbug weekly rate is about ____.
A.$3.75 | B.$4.99 | C.$14. 99 | D.$19.99 |
An advantage of Jitterbug mentioned in the passage is _____.
A.its discount price with a free gift |
B.its reasonable rate plans without a contract |
C.its “global-positioning” system with 911 access |
D.its good customer service all over the world |
The main purpose of the passage is to _____.
A.tell a customer's story of Jitterbug |
B.provide two ways to order Jitterbug |
C.give a brief introduction of Jitterbug |
D.attract potential customers to Jitterbug |