An old woman walked into a clothes shop. She asked the salesgirl to let her have a look at a new dress, but the girl stood still behind the counter(柜台), taking no notice of the request. The old woman spoke to the girl again, raising her voice a bit, but still received no answer. The old woman looked at the girl and nodded to herself, “I am too old to see well. I can’t even tell a plastic model from a real girl!”
On hearing this, the salesgirl shouted to the old woman, “What? Did you call me a plastic model?” The old woman was greatly surprised. “Oh, dear me,” she said. “The model can speak!”
What did the old woman go to the shop to do?
A.To choose a dress. | B.To buy a dress for herself. |
C.To show off her dress. | D.To pick a quarrel with the salesgirl. |
The salesgirl did not make a reply ________.
A.because she didn’t see the old woman |
B.because she didn’t think the old woman had enough money for a new dress |
C.because she was too busy to notice the old woman |
D.for some reason unknown in this story |
It was not until that woman spoke for the _______ time that the salesgirl said something.
A.first | B.second |
C.third | D.fourth |
When the old woman said, “I am too old to see well,” she _______.
A.meant to say that she really had poor eyesight |
B.wanted the salesgirl to excuse her |
C.was simply telling a lie |
D.was, in face, trying to make the salesgirl open her mouth |
What do you think the salesgirl would do on hearing this? She would ______.
A.be too angry to say a word for a moment |
B.run and tell the shop-owner about it |
C.apologize to the old woman and do what she had been asked to do |
D.turn back and cry |
Generations of Americans have been brought up to believe that a good breakfast is essential to one’s life. Eating breakfast at the start of the day, we have been told, and told again, is as necessary as putting gasoline in the family car before starting a trip.
But for many people, the thought of food as the first thing in the morning is never a pleasure. So in spite of all the efforts, they still take no breakfast. Between 1977 and 1983, the latest year for which figures could be obtained(可获得的), the number of people who didn’t have breakfast increased by 33%—from 8.8 million to 11.7 million—according to the Chicago-based Market Research Corporation of America.
For those who dislike eating breakfast, however, there is some good news. Several studies in the last few years have shown that, for grown-ups especially, there may be nothing wrong with omitting(省略) breakfast. “Going without breakfast does not affect work,” said Arnold E. Bender, former professor of nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College in London, “nor does giving people breakfast improve work.”
Scientific evidence linking breakfast to better health or better work is surprisingly inadequate(不适当), and most of the recent work involves(涉及) children, not grown-ups. “The literature,” says one researcher, Dr Earnest Polite at the University of Texas, “is poor.”
The main idea of the passage is _______.
A.breakfast has nothing to do with people’s health |
B.a good breakfast used to be important to us |
C.breakfast is not as important to us as gasoline to a car |
D.breakfast is not as important as we thought before |
For those who do not take breakfast, the good news is that _______.
A.several studies have been done in the past few years |
B.the omission of breakfast does no harm to one’s health |
C.grown-ups have especially made studies in this field |
D.eating little in the morning is good for health |
The underlined part “nor does giving people breakfast improve work” means _______.
A.people without breakfast can improve their work |
B.not giving people breakfast improves work |
C.having breakfast does not improve work, either |
D.people having breakfast do improve their work, too |
The word "literature" in the last sentence refers to _______.
A.stories, poems, play, etc |
B.written works on a particular subject |
C.any printed material |
D.the modern literature of America |
What is implied but not stated by the author is that _______.
A.breakfast does not affect work |
B.Dr Polite works at an institution of higher learning |
C.not eating breakfast might affect the health of children |
D.Professor Bender once taught college courses in nutrition in London |
Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values—this can’t be repeated too often—are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering(干涉) with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
Indeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance(机械维修,保养) as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results will be. And at what point should you stop to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by seeking the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You can’t ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there’s life, there’s hope.
When you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.
1. What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. The values are different between the old and the young.
B. The moral problems raised by old people.
C. The personal freedom for the old.
D. Old people’s viewpoint on life.
2. We can know from the first paragraph that________.
A. Very old people would like to live alone to have more personal freedom.
B. Very old people are able to keep their room clean.
C. Very old people like to live with their children.
D. Social services have nothing to do with very old people.
3. According to the author, which of the following is right?
A. The older a person, the more care he needs.
B. Too much emphasis has been put on old people’s values.
C. The human body can’t be compared to a car.
D. It is easy to provide spare parts for old people.
4.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to “________”.
A. their money or their health
B. the conclusion you come to
C. your talk to the old people
D. whether age is happy or unpleasant
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the Website you've visited,Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girl friend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen ---- the 21st century replacement of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs(碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no."
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a strong bad feeling about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths(收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give away personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠卷)。
But privacy does matter ---- at least sometimes. It's like health: When you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.
51. What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century replacement of being caught naked"?
A) People's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.
B) In the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets.
C) People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.
D) Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.
52.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A) Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B) Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C) There should be a distance even between friends.
D) There should be fewer arguments between friends.
53. Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"?
A) Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B) People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C) There are always people who are curious about others' affairs.
D) Many search engines benefit from giving away people's identities.
54. What do most Americans do as for privacy protection?
A) They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B) They use various loyalty cards for business transactions(交易).
C) They rely most and more on electronic devices.
D) They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
55. According to the passage, privacy is like health because ___.
A) people will make every effort to keep it.
B) its importance is rarely understood
C) it is something that can easily be lost
D) people don't treasure it until they lose it
It is an exciting start to the college football season. A team that many people never heard of defeated one of the best in the country. If you follow American sports, then you know we are talking about the Michigan-Appalachian State game, which took place on September 1st at Michigan Stadium, in front of more than 100,000 people.
Appalachian State University is in Boone, North Carolina. Its team often plays in a stadium that holds about 25,000 people. Also, Appalachian State plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. Michigan is in the newly named Football Bowl Subdivision, the top level of college football. So the Mountaineers of Appalachian State and the Wolverines of the University of Michigan normally do not even play each other.
But they decided to meet for the first time. Michigan agreed to pay Appalachian State 400,000 dollars, win or lose. Teams like Michigan need victories, even a victory over a lower division team, to get into big, nationally broadcast bowl games. These games are worth millions of dollars at the end of the season.
Fans expected an easy Michigan win. After all, in the preseason, sports experts had considered Michigan the fifth best college football team in the country. But Appalachian State is a two-time national champion at its own division level. Its players wanted to show they could play well against a nationally ranked team. And they did. The final score was Appalachian State thirty-four, Michigan thirty-two. The game quickly became known as one of the greatest upsets in college football history.
The win has brought national attention to Appalachian State. Local stores reported a huge increase in orders for college clothing and other items. And the university official head expects more students to seek admission next year. Last Saturday, at home, Appalachian State defeated another North Carolina school, Lenoir-Rhyne College, forty-eight to seven.
The Michigan-Appalachian State game ________.
A.is a regular competition held in the US every year |
B.is a state competition held for the football championship |
C.is part of a national competition held on September 1st every year |
D.was an occasional football competition between two universities |
Michigan wanted to play with Appalachian State because Michigan ________.
A.needed money to support its development |
B.wanted to test the skills of Appalachian State |
C.was a new football team without experience |
D.needed victories to enter nationally broadcast bowl games |
After the game, the Appalachian State University got _________.
A.much economic support from the government |
B.much national assistance |
C.national recognition |
D.many applicants for admission |
The key to a good interpersonal relationship is simple once you understand the role that needs play in making a relationship weak, moderate, average, or strong.
A person who fails in a relationship is someone who neglects the needs of his or her partner. So the first step to establish a successful relationship is to find out what needs the other person has. It is also very important to understand your own needs so that you can help the other person in the relationship to meet your needs.
Unfortunately, not only do many people fail to see or to understand their partner’s needs, but they do not understand their own. Children have wonderful relationships with their parents as long as their needs are being satisfied. When the needs are not satisfied, the relationship changes and problems arise. As a child grows, needs change; it is necessary that parents recognize these changes. As it is with the child to the parents, it is also with the parents to the child.
The way to recognize the needs of other people is by their responses to you. When you do or say something and you get a positive response, you are well on the way to being recognized. The same goes for you. What is it that you respond to in a positive manner? What do you feel good about getting and about doing? What are you totally guiltless about? What can you do with complete confidence and fearlessness? What emotional scene can you control without fear or guilt? Look in these areas for your needs and you will in all probability find your answers.
As stated, our own needs are often hidden. The techniques covered in the power of self-mind control will allow you to discover your needs and show you who you are in regard to interpersonal relationships. Your effectiveness in influencing and dealing with people will greatly increase the power of self-mind control.
From the passage we learn that ________.
A.it is hard to make good interpersonal relationships |
B.there are several levels of relationships among people |
C.the success of different interpersonal relationships can be measured by needs |
D.the first step to establish a successful relationship is to know your own needs |
According to Paragraph 2, the most important factor in dealing with people is to ________.
A.be kind to them and help them |
B.only think of their needs |
C.find out both your needs and theirs |
D.learn some interpersonal techniques |
Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.A child’s needs change with his growth. |
B.A child should also know his parents’ needs. |
C.It’s easier to find your own needs than to find others’. |
D.You can learn what others need by their responses to you. |
The last two paragraphs are written mainly to tell us ________.
A.why some people fail in a relationship |
B.how to increase the power of self-mind control |
C.why our needs are often hidden |
D.how to recognize others’ needs and yours |
Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.
Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.
Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.
We can infer that the passage was written in __________.
A.2005 | B.2006 | C.2007 | D.2008 |
The author first discovered the effects of music __________.
A.from his parents | B.by chance |
C.at work | D.when he was a child |
Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?
A.It helps him block out the outside world. |
B.It arouses his subconscious talent. |
C.It helps his mind relax. |
D.It makes him work without any thought. |
The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.
A.tell us that life is dull |
B.prove that music affects mood |
C.tell us how to seek happiness |
D.tell us bad mood can affect work |
In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.
A.listen to some of Bob Marley’s |
B.only choose relaxing music |
C.test all kinds of music |
D.listen to classic rock |
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning,a middle,and an endwith commercials (商业广告) thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.""Drink Good Wet Root Beer.""Fill up with Pacific Gas."Only if you sleep,which is equal to turning the television set off,are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting,even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changednew houses,new buildings,sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless (鲁莽的) or daring,the ride can be as thrilling (惊心动魄的) as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the rightor the lefthand lane? After a while,of course,the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course,has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed,with your hands in your lap,with your hands on the armrestseven with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit.
According to the passage,what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?
A.Buses on the road. | B.Films on television. |
C.Advertisements on the billboards. | D.Gas stations. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips. |
B.To persuade you to take a long bus trip. |
C.To explain how bus trips and television shows differ. |
D.To describe the billboards along the road. |
The writer of this passage would probably favor .
A.bus drivers who aren’t reckless | B.driving alone |
C.a television set on the bus | D.no billboards along the road |
The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because .
A.the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun |
B.they both have a beginning,a middle,and an end,with commercials in between |
C.the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses |
D.both traveling and watching TV are not exciting. |
The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are .
A.exciting | B.comfortable | C.tiring | D.boring |
Modern man has cleared the forests for farmland and for wood,and has also carelessly burned them. More than that,though,he has also interfered (干涉) with the invisible bonds between the living things in the forests. There are many examples of this kind of destruction. The harmfulness of man’s interference can be seen in what happened many years ago in the forest of the Kaibab plateau (凯亚巴布高原) of northern Arizona. Man tried to improve on the natural web of forest life and destroyed it instead.
The Kaibab had a storybook forest of largesized pine,Douglas fir,white fir,blue and Engelmann spruce. In 1882 a visitor noted,"We,who ... have wandered through its forests and parks,have come to regard it as the most enchanting region it has ever been our privilege (特权) to visit."This was also the living place of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Indians hunted there every autumn to gather meat and skins. The forest also had mountain lions,timber wolves and bobcats that kept the deer from multiplying too rapidly.
Then,in 1906,President Theodore Roosevelt made the Kaibab a national game preserve. Deer hunting was forbidden. Government hunters started killing off the deer’s enemies. In 25 years’ time,6,250 mountain lions,wolves and bobcats were killed. Before the program,there were about 4,000 deer in the Kaibab,by 1924,there were about 100,000.
The deer ate every leaf and twig they could reach. But there was not nearly enough food. Hunting of deer was permitted again. This caused a slight decrease in the deer herd (鹿群),but a far greater loss resulted from starvation (饥饿) and disease. Some 60 percent of the deer herd died in two winters. By 1930 the herd had dropped to 20,000 animals. By 1942 it was down to 8,000.
The destruction of the environment of the Kaibab resulted from .
A.turning the forest into cultivated land |
B.interfering with natural cycle of forest life |
C.forest fires caused by man’s carelessness |
D.cutting the trees for building materials |
"Engelmann spruce"(Para. 2) is most likely the name of .
A.a tree | B.an animal | C.a mountain | D.a game |
The number of the deer in the Kaibab had increased enormously in years’ time.
A.25 | B.6 | C.18 | D.12 |
Years later,large numbers of deer in the Kaibab died mainly because of .
A.the cold | B.the organized kill |
C.the shortage of food | D.the poor management |
In the USA Forbes magazine has published its annual list of the richest people in the world. Bill Gates of Microsoft is the richest man again for the eleventh successive year with a fortune of fortyfour billion dollars.
There are a record 691 dollar billionaires according to Forbes magazine. Between them they have a fortune of two point two trillion dollars. The highest concentration of the ultrarich is in New York followed by Moscow and San Fransisco and then London and Los Angeles. But in total the very wealthy live in fortyseven different countries with Iceland Kazakstan Ukraine and Poland entering the list for the first time this year.
Laksmi Mittal,an Indian born steel tycoon (巨头)enjoyed the biggest increase in personal fortune. His net worth has quadrupled (变成四倍)to thirteen billion dollars making him the world’s third richest man. Ingvar Kamprad founder of the Swedish furniture chain Ikea also saw a big increase in wealth taking him to the sixth place. Developing countries make more of a showing than in past years — there are for example three Russians and four Indians in the top sixty richest people, though surprisingly perhaps none from China excluding Hong Kong. Asian wealth is probably underrepresented as its usually spread among families whereas Forbes looks at individuals. Relatively few women feature in the list — among them is JK Rowling,author of the Harry Potter novels ranked 620th with a fortune of 519 million dollars. New entrants to the list include the founders of the Internet search group Google Sergie Brin and Larry Page each worth more than seven billion dollars after their company’s recent stock market debut. The richest Italian is the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi ranked number 25 in the global wealth league.
Which of the following persons has the largest fortune according to this year’s Forbes magazine?
A.Laksmi Mittal. | B.Ingvar Kamprad. |
C.JK Rowling. | D.Silvio Berlusconi. |
There are about _____ persons with a fortune between 100 million dollars and 519 million dollars in the world.
A.300 | B.180 | C.70 | D.150 |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.No Chinese has entered the top sixty richest people in the world. |
B.Russia is a developing country. |
C.This is the first time that Sergie Brin and Larry Page has been included in the list. |
D.There are more billionaires(亿万富翁) in New York than any other city in the world. |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.There are more billionaires in London than in Moscow. |
B.Ukraine is a very rich country in the world. |
C.JK Rowling’s novels have sold very well. |
D.The IT industry is a profitmaking industry. |
US college students are burdened, with credit card (信用卡)debt, according to a study published Tuesday, and the problem can be serious-ranging from more drop-outs, to future employment problems and even self-murder. The study, by Georgetown University sociologist (社会学家) Robert Manning, blamed credit card issuers for actively targeting students and colleges for allowing them to do so. "The unrestricted selling of credit cards in universities or colleges is so aggressive that it now forms a greater threat than alcohol or sexual diseases," Manning told a news conference in Washington. "If we do not quickly deal with this serious problem, the matter will continue to get worse, with social consequences far more tragic (悲剧的) than mere dollars and cents. "
Based on hundreds of face-to-face interviews and surveys with students, Manning concluded both the number with credit card debt and their indebtedness had been "underreported" in previous studies-which failed to reflect the "survival strategies" many used to deal with their debts. These included the use of federal student loans to pay off credit cards, effectively shifting the debt, appealing to parents for loans, reducing course work hours to increase time at paid jobs, or even dropping out altogether to work full time.
"Official drop-out rates include growing numbers of students who are unable to cope with the stress of their debts and / or part time jobs for servicing their credit cards, " the study said. "Students credit card debts are examined during the employment process and may be an important factor in evaluating future employees," it noted. O’Donnell and Manning agreed students should bear some responsibility for reckless use of credit, but said credit card companies also had to be held responsible for making it so easy for them to get into debt. Manning said one of the most troublesome aspects of the student credit card issue was "the seduction (诱惑) of college and university officials by the credit card industry".
Sociologist Robert Manning's study shows that .
A.the number of American college students using credit cards on campus is increasing |
B.more and more American college students meet with credit card debt problems |
C.more and more American colleges encourage students to use credit cards to make profits |
D.credit card issuers will run into debt for encouraging college students to use credit cards |
The author's feeling towards college students with credit card debts is __.
A.discouraged and negative | B.pitiful and critical |
C.indifferent and disapproving | D.negative and doubtful |
The author implies all of following should be responsible for this problem EXCEPT .
A.credit card issuers | B.college authorities |
C.parents of the students | D.students themselves |
The word "reckless" in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by .
A.inconsiderate | B.frequent | C.careful | D.regular |
Every human being has a unique① arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable. Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.
The ridge structure on a person’s fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries. Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original② pattern. It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed. Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.
Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer’s ink. They can by recorded easily. With special methods, identification③ can be achieved successfully within a short time. Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case. A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain. His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.
When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. Special techniques are used to “develop” them. Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.
Notes:
① unique adj. 唯一的,独特的
② original adj. 最初的,原始的
③ identification n. 辩认,鉴定
Scientists and experts have proved that the pattern of a human being’s finger skin ________.
A.is similar to his mother’s |
B.is valuable to himself only |
C.is like that of others with the same type of blood |
D.is different from that of all others |
If your fingers are wounded by knife, fire or other means, the structure of skin will ________.
A.be changed partly | B.be replaced by a different one |
C.be the same when the wound is recovered | D.become ugly |
Some criminals remove their own finger-prints by ________.
A.using printer’s ink | B.injuring the inner skin |
C.damaging the outer skin | D.damaging the colour |
Finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case because it ________.
A.is complicated but reliable | B.is simple and not expensive |
C.is expensive but easy to do | D.can bring a lot of money |
It’s no surprise why Kung Fu Hustle is the top-grossing①homegrown movie in Hong Kong. Hustle’s approach to a simple good-against-evil plot is extremely cheerful.
Humor bordering on slapstick combined with exciting choreography②by Yuen Wo Ping, who masterminded③the fight scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix, make Kung Fu Hustle a lively, visual treat.
There is plenty of violence, but it’s largely cartoonish. Stephen Chow wrote, directed, produced and stars in this non-stop action movie, which is in Cantonese with English subtitles④.
Chow plays Sing, an eager young man who longs to be a member of the powerful and cruel Axe Gang. When gang members appear on the scene, sometimes dancing with their frightening axes in hand, the sky breaks out with fireworks. The sets are shocking, with classic cars lining the neon-lighted streets and gambling casinos⑤serving as the backdrop to the underworld activities. All these give off the sensation of Old West shootouts.
One neighborhood is blessedly away from the disorder. Pig Sty Alley is so poverty-stricken it holds no interest for the Axe Gang. Then in wanders the unlucky Sing, who attempts to get money there. But folks are not what they seem: The town is full of kung fu masters.
Sing tries to single out someone he can fight, but it seems as if everyone, elderly and very young alike, has a body like Charles Atlas. During the time, Sing calls upon the Axe Gang, which faces off against the people of Pig Sty Alley, led by the town’ s landlords, the powerful lady in curlers and her husband. Fans of kung fu movies will have a rip-roaring time, but even moviegoers are sure to enjoy spirited action of Kung Fu Hustle.
Notes:
① top-grossing adj. 票房收入最高的
② choreography n. 舞蹈术
③ mastermind vt. 策划
④ subtitle n. 说明对白的字幕
⑤ gambling casino 赌博场
Which of the following characters does the passage mainly describe?
A.Stephen Chow | B.Yuen Wo Ping | C.Sing | D.Charles Atlas |
Kung Fu Hustle becomes the top-grossing homegrown movie in Hong Kong because _______.
A. it is full of humor and exciting action B. it is full of cartoonish characters
B. it is mainly made up of dance D. it is a non-stop action movie
Which of the following about the Axe Gang is TRUE?
A.The Axe Gang is popular with fans of kung fu movies. |
B.The Axe Gang is always easy do good things. |
C.The Axe Gang doesn’t know how to use guns. |
D.The Axe Gang often fights against its enemy using the axes. |
In which part are you likely to find it if the passage appears in the web site?
A.Entertainment. | B.Travel. | C.News. | D.Books. |
Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast① fortune, largely to the cause of global health, during the course of his lifetime. With an estimated②worth of more than $ 40 billion, according to Forbes, the project will be no small feat③for Gates. Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues, Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations, he says, has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially④ successful. “National borders allow inequalities,” said Gates, “We all need to take a more global view, rather than just saying my country is doing well. We have to step up these health issues, knowing how few resources are going into them.”
Gates said that both his parents set good examples to him as a child. His father, William H. Gates, was the head of the local Planned Parenthood, and his mother, Mary, volunteered for the United Way. As he gathered his fortune, Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well, but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However, Gates, 47, began to question his ability to wait that long. “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said, “I started to think, how many lives could I save before then?”
Notes:
① vast adj. 巨额的
② estimate v. 估计,估价
③ feat n. 功绩,壮举
④ financially adv. 财政上,金融上
Choose the best answers according to the above:
Why will Bill Gates give away his vast fortune?
A.to improve the health of population in America alone |
B.to improve the health of population all over the world |
C.to avoid leaving his children too much money |
D.to spare the American government the burden of health care |
According to the passage, which of the following is right?
A.Americans should care about people in other countries |
B.Americans should treat fellow citizens well |
C.Americans should devote themselves to certain projects |
D.Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune |
Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of __.
A.his weakening health condition |
B.his parents’ suggestions |
C.his great success in business |
D.his concerns for suffering people |
According to the passage, which word can be used to describe Bill Gates?
A.brave | B.kind-hearted | C.strong-minded | D.confident |
Among the dead in South Asia’s tsunami① were many tourists at Sri Lanka’s national wildlife park at Yala. But very few of the park’s animals — elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and wild cats — appear to have died. There are theories that animals can sense natural disasters and flee to safety.
First, it’s possible that the animals may have heard the quake before the tsunami hit. The underwater rupture likely produced sound waves known as infrasound② or infrasonic sound. Humans can’t hear infrasound, but many animals including dogs, elephants, tigers and pigeons can.
A second early warning sign the animals might have sensed is ground vibration③. The massive quake would have produced vibrational waves known as Rayleigh waves. These vibrations move through the ground like waves move on the surface of the ocean but faster. They travel at ten times the speed of sound. The Rayleigh waves would have reached SriLanka hours before the water hit. Mammals, birds, insects and spiders can sense Rayleigh waves. So the animals at Yale might have felt the Rayleigh waves and then run to higher ground.
But what about humans? While we can’t hear infrasound, we can feel it, although we don’t necessarily know we’re feeling it. We also experience Rayleigh waves by special sensors in our joints, which exist just for that purpose. Sadly, it seems we don’t pay attention to the information when we get it. Maybe we screen it out because there’s so much going on before our eyes and in our ears. Humans have a lot of things on our minds and usually that works out OK.
Notes:
① tsunami n. 海啸
② infrasound n. 次声
③ vibration n. 振动,颤动
Choose the best answers according to the above:
Why did few animals at Yala die when the tsunamis that caused a huge number of human deaths hit?
A.Because the animals were staying at a higher place in the park. |
B.Because the animals were able to run much faster than human beings. |
C.Because human beings cannot hear the infrasonic sound. |
D.Because the animals might have picked up the danger signals and ran away. |
Which of the statements about “Ravleigh waves” is true?
A.Rayleigh waves are massive vibrational waves that usually cause quakes or tsunamis. |
B.Rayleigh waves move on the ocean surface at a speed ten times that of sound waves. |
C.Rayleigh waves can be felt both by animals and human beings. |
D.Rayleigh waves, just like infrasonic sound, can only be felt by animals. |
When a tsunami hits, it is possible that____.
A.we can’t feel the infrasound so we can’t be informed of the danger |
B.we can feel Rayleigh waves as well as infrasound so we are able to escape the danger like animals |
C.we were so busy with things on our minds that we feel neither infrasound nor Rayleigh waves |
D.we think nothing of the information of its coming even though we can also get it |
What does the underlined word “that” in the last sentence refer to?
A.Screening out the information. |
B.There being so much going on before our eyes and in our ears. |
C.Having a lot of things on our minds. |
D.Paying attention to the information. |