It is not a good idea to stop the actor Richard Griffiths in the middle of a play．During the past year he has stopped performances many times at the National Theatre when mobile phones rang, and he threw out one member of the audience because she failed to turn off her phone．
So when a mobile rang out for the third time during his performance in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, he spoke angrily to the theatergoer （爱看戏的人）, “I am not going to compete with these electronic devices （装置）．”
Griffiths’ actions led to a debate in the UK theatre world over whether phones should be forbidden by law from British theatres, too．Actors have already asked the government to legalise （使合法化） the use of an electronic device that stops mobile phone signals in theatres．
Technology companies have “stopping” devices that send out a high-powered signal on the same frequency （频率） as a mobile phone, stopping the mobile phone signal．
However, these are forbidden in many countries because they might stop emergency calls from being made．
Rosemary Squire, president of the Society of West End Theatre, said, “Phones are one of the biggest problems theatres face．We should look at equipment that could stop phones or make a London-wide theatre rule．”
Nick Allott, the managing director of Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s theatre group, said, “We would all welcome some ways of stopping ringing phones but doctors and emergency workers need to be connected in a theatre and we mustn’t stop that．” What can we do to solve the problem?What can we infer from the second paragraph?
| A．Surely Griffiths did better than mobile phones in the theatre． |
| B．Griffiths didn’t want mobile phones to affect his performance． |
| C．Griffiths was jealous that mobile phones attracted the audience’s attention． |
| D．Griffiths taught theatergoers a lesson in the performance as a teacher． |
According to the passage, “stopping” devices ______．
| A．have the same functions as mobile phones |
| B．cause the biggest problem theatres have to face |
| C．prevent the mobile phones signals from being received |
| D．help doctors or emergency workers receive emergency calls |
According to Nick Allott, ______．
| A．“stopping” devices can make the sound of mobile phones disappear |
| B．no one except doctors and emergency workers should have mobile phones |
| C．phones are one of the biggest problems theatres face |
| D．stopping phones in theatres has some side effects |
What will probably be talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Griffiths’ next performance in theatres． |
| B．The opinions the public has about the problem． |
| C．The ways to solve the cellphone problem in public places． |
| D．The side effects mobile phones have on people． |
Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London. Both his father and mother were entertainers and although not of big names, they were doing very well. While the family was by no means rich, the music hall provided the Chaplins with a comfortable living. Unfortunately happy life didn’t last long. Father’s alcoholism was slowly, but surely destroying his marriage. Finally it ended in divorce. His mother managed to keep Charlie and his brother Syney clean and warm, clothed and fed. She would sit at the window watching the passers-by and guess at their characters from the way they looked and behaved, making up tales to delight Charlie and Syney. Charlie took in her skills and went on using them all his life.
Charlie had always believed, even in the worst times, that he had something special locked away inside him. He took his courage and went to one of the top theater agents. With no experience at all, he was offered a plum part (意外得到的好角色) in a new production of “Sherlock Holmes”, which opened on July 27, 1903 at the famous “Pavilion Theatre”. Charlie seemed to change overnight. It was as if he had found the thing he was meant to do. By 1910, Charlie had become “one of the best pantomime (哑剧) artists ever seen ”.
Cinema was born in the same year as Charlie thought people still believed it was a passing fashion, and would never replace live shows. But after using several weeks to watch and to learn, he was determined to master this new medium. It offered him the chance of money and success—and it would set him free from the unpredictability of live audience.
Charlie’s first film, released in February 1914, was called “Making a living”. After that he made another ten. The public loved him and producers were demanding more and more Chaplin films. In an incredibly short time, Charlie had become a very important man in motion picture.Which of the following is NOT true about Charlie Chaplin?
| A．Mother had much influence on Charlie Chaplin’s career. |
| B．“Sherlock Holmes” made Charlie rise to fame overnight. |
| C．Charlie had been famous when the cinema became a fashion. |
| D．Charlie’s work in both the theater and the cinema was welcomed. |
What can you infer from the passage?
| A．Charlie Chaplin’s belief in his potential led to his success. |
| B．Charlie Chaplin got his first role in a film at 14. |
| C．Cinema was a form of art showing live performance. |
| D．Motion picture was a passing fashion lasting a short time. |
The underlined word “unpredictability” in Paragraph 3 means____________.
| A．low spirits | B．opposing attitude |
| C．successful performance | D．changing state |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Charlie Chaplin made the cinema industry popular. |
| B．Charlie Chaplin’s early success in his career. |
| C．Charlie Chaplin was a best pantomime artist. |
| D．Charlie Chaplin’s determination to do what he liked. |
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I’d be twins!” He was a natural motivator.
One day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it. You can’t be positive all the time. How do you do it?”
Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself ‘Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood.’ I choose the first. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.” Michael continued, “Life is all about choices. The bottom line is: It’s your choice how you live life.”
Several years later, Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communications tower. I saw him about six months after the accident. I asked him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
He said, “I first thought of my soon-to-born daughter and then remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live. I knew I needed to take action. So when a nurse kept shouting questions at me asking if I was allergic to anything, I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity’. Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I’m choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead’.”
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Michael is a person whom people don’t like very much. |
| B．Michael knows how to learn from bad things in life. |
| C．Doctors thought Michael was dead. |
| D．The author didn’t think Michael was a happy person. |
According to Michael, when someone complains to you, you should ____________.
| A．share your own experiences with him |
| B．just listen to what the person says and feel sorry for him |
| C．tell the person to look at the happy side of life instead of just listening |
| D．discuss with the person and tell him to reflect on the complaints |
The author quotes Michael’s words “If I were any better, I’d be twins!” to tell us ____________.
| A．Michael wants to have a twin brother |
| B．Michael is not satisfied with his present life |
| C．Michael is always optimistic |
| D．Michael likes to change his mood |
Which of the following best summarizes the main idea?
| A．Accidents will happen. |
| B．When God shuts a door, he opens another. |
| C．Nothing ventured, nothing gained. |
| D．Attitude is everything. |
Has anyone noticed how, with the passage of time, one’s relationship with one’s grown-up daughters and sons becomes changed? I’ve been aware of this for some time but I’m not quite sure how to deal with it.
Take the kitchen sink for example.
Following a family get-together at my place, I walked into the kitchen to find Kate, my daughter carefully cleaning the sink.
“Don’t do that; what are you doing that for?” I said, unhappy about the hidden criticism.
“Mum,” she said, “you really ought to put your glasses on when you clean the sink. Behind the tap here was black!”
But it’s not just things like kitchen sinks. Another time Kate arrived to pick me up to lunch. She looked at me and then asked, “Mum, why do you use brown eyebrow pencil when your hair is grey?”
A sudden memory of her, aged 14, going to her first mixed party flooded back. She had come in to say goodbye. For a moment I thought she’d been an accident. Both eyes were black. I remember suggesting that perhaps a little less eye make-up might be more effective.
Now I told her, “My hair used to be brown.”
“It looks absurd.”
“Mrs. Menzies had dark eyebrows with grey hair.”
“Yes, but you’re not Mrs. Menzies, are you?” she said triumphantly, as if that proved her point.
But a recent event made me realize that something really must be done.
She had returned some for a few weeks before getting married. One evening I went out on a dinner date. By the time my companion left me at the front door, it was about 2am. As I stepped in, an angry figure in a white nightgown stopped me.
“Well, what time of night is this to be coming home?” she shouted. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”
Shades of the past come back to disturb me. But what should I do about all this? Nothing, probably. Maybe, after all, it’s only a stage young people are going through.The daughter thought her mother didn’t clean the kitchen sink well because of her .
| A．laziness | B．carelessness | C．unhappiness | D．poor-quality glasses |
From the passage we know the daughter .
| A．didn’t want to help with the sink |
| B．didn’t like brown eyebrow pencils |
| C．had an accident when she went to her first party |
| D．shouted at her mum because she came home late |
How does the mother feel after all these have happened?
| A．Shocked. | B．Proud. | C．Envious. | D．Confused. |
The author writes the stories to prove that .
| A．their relationship became stronger |
| B．their roles changed as time passed |
| C．her daughter very much cared about her |
| D．her daughter got upset as she grew up |
I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more abiding emotion.
Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”.
But in memoir（回忆录） after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness.
The way people stick to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually reduces their chances of ever obtaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, and self-improvement.What does the author want to tell us? He wants to tell us .
| A．he lives in Hollywood, so he feels not happy |
| B．the true meaning of happiness |
| C．in fact, famous people are not very happy |
| D．happiness is not equal to fun |
What is many intelligent people’s viewpoint about happiness?
| A．Happiness just means having fun. | B．Happiness is not equal to fun. |
| C．Happiness means doing what you like. | D．Happiness means being rich. |
What does the underlined word “equate” in the second paragraph mean? It means .
| A．compare | B．think |
| C．similar or connected | D．match |
According to the passage, the author may agree .
| A．amusement park can bring us happiness |
| B．fun will bring some happiness to us |
| C．pain will bring us happiness |
| D．efforts can bring us happiness |
One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather’s handwriting ,the young man opened the envelope. A letter inside read:
Dear Ronny,
Years ago you came to me for help .You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you’ve accomplished so much in your life? You’re still full of energy, and I’m already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you’ve got?"
I didn’t know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.
I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it "keeping your eyes wide open."
First ,realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones .If you don’t keep watching for them, you’ll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while ,and you will be.
When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They’ll leave you wiser ,stronger, and more capable than you were the day before .when you make a mistake ,be grateful for the things it taught you .Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.
And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you’re only fooling yourself.
It’s also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your ming focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.
But be ready to end up in some new places too ,As you grow with the years, you’ll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.
Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar .Life isn’t just reaching peaks, Part of it is moving from one peak to the next .If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit .Leave the past in the past .Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.
Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy ,lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.
Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.
And be sure to take breaks once in a while .They’ll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you .
Most important of all. never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the once who resolves to win. Give life everything you’ve got, and life will give its best back to you.
Love always,
GrandpaThe underlined part “But knowing my days are numbered” implies that .
| A．his grandpa could count days | B．his grandpa’s cach day was important |
| C．his grandpa knew he was dying | D．his grandpa was eager to tell the young man |
Why did the young man’s grandpa write this letter? Because .
| A．he wanted to recall his whole life |
| B．he wanted to tell his grandson how great he was |
| C．he wanted to explain how to keep energy |
| D．he wanted to show how to succeed |
The young man’s grandpa may agree .
| A．how a person looks at things has nothing to do with one’s future |
| B．we should be thankful for what mistakes teach us |
| C．successful life is just reaching peaks |
| D．It’s not so important to decide exactly what you want |
According to the passage, .
| A．learning to give up is very important | B．we’d better stay in the familiar |
| C．obeying little rules doesn’t matter | D．taking breaks once in a while is good to us |
For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is linked to sweet memories of eating ice cream．Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety．His life’s work of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food．
Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California．At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream．His sister’s husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores．
In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business．Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well．So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store．This permitted the company to grow quickly．
By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins．They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had．There was one flavor for every day of the month．
Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake" the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969．Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins’ personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge"．They said: "We sell fun, not just ice cream．"
By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States．The business partners sold their company that year．Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world．What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The managers of Baskin-Robbins． | B．The start of Baskin-Robbins． |
| C．The production of Baskin Robbins． | D．The great success of Baskin-Robbins． |
From the text we learn that _____．
| A．Baskin-Robbins was the only shop selling ice cream in 1945 |
| B．Baskin-Robbins was famous for their special ice cream flavors |
| C．Baskin-Robbins grew quickly because they combined their other stores together |
| D．there had been more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world by 1967 |
What was probably the main reason for Baskin-Robbins’ success?
| A．They sold not only ice cream, but fun． |
| B．They renamed their company． |
| C．They put all their hearts into the business． |
| D．They sold "Lunar Cheesecake"． |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that
| A．Jamoca Almond Fudge is Baskins’ favorite |
| B．Cherry chocolate chip sells best |
| C．Robbins and Baskin were good at inventing new ice creams |
| D．Lunar cheesecake was invented for the astronauts |
Car sharing is another way to drive green that’s gaining in popularity, especially in urban areas．People who may not drive every day but still want a car to run errands （差事）or drive on weekends benefit most from car sharing．Car sharing is usually run by a service like Zipcar, though there are non-profit （非营利的）and informal car sharing services．Members pay a monthly fee and have access to an entire fleet of cars when they need one．The cars are parked in fixed spots around the city, so members only need to make a reservation, and then go to the pickup spot．
Car sharing has major environmental benefits because it reduces the number of cars on the road．Members don’t drive just because they are in a car．They plan trips, and if they don’t need a car, they don’t use one．Still, a car is available to them if they need to make a big trip to the grocery store, pick someone up at the airport or if they want to go to the beach for the day．Members also benefit by having access to a car without any of the headaches of ownership．They usually don’t have to pay for the gas, insurance or maintenance （保养）, and the monthly membership fee is less than a typical car payment．So if you really want to go green but aren’t ready to totally give up a car yet, car sharing may be the way to go．
If you still need to get around, but want to go even greener than sharing a car, share a bus!The author intends to tell us that car sharing ________．
| A．has become the most popular way to go to work |
| B．has become the best way to cut living costs |
| C．is becoming more and more popular in cities |
| D．is becoming popular both in urban and rural （乡村的）areas |
We can conclude from the passage that _________．
| A．Zipear can’t help you if you are running urgent errands |
| B．Zipcar, different from other services, aims green driving with no profit |
| C．Zipcar is a company supplying car sharing service for a monthly payment |
| D．Zipcar is a company providing formal car sharing free |
The second paragraph mainly tells us _________．
| A．why people will share a car |
| B．why car sharing benefits the environment |
| C．why car sharing is cheaper than owning a car |
| D．why a car is available to members |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Car sharing has become a new trend （趋势）． |
| B．Car sharing can save you the headaches of ownership． |
| C．Bus sharing is even greener than car sharing． |
| D．Zipcar is the largest company offering car sharing services． |
A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便车）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盘）!
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐弯处）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________．
| A．felt very curious | B．was extremely frightened |
| C．cried for help | D．remained as calm as possible |
According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?
| A．His reasonable behavior． | B．His vivid description． |
| C．His plain appearance． | D．His honest attitude． |
We can infer from the passage that ________．
| A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride |
| B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners |
| C．the car probably broke down on the way |
| D．the two young men were familiar with the man |
Read the passage carefully．Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.
Most people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before．But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure．That’s why a new study of French workers is welcome news.
Led by Hugo Westland, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue (疲劳) in people after they got tired while they were still employed.
The scientists followed the employees of the French national gas and electric company for 14 years．They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement．The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.
Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work．The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions (养老金) that French workers enjoy．Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries.
“The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important,” Westerlund says．“We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement．But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won’t see the improvements we did.”
However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees’ health after they leave their jobs－with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work．
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS.)According to some recent studies, retired people may have depression and higher rates of other diseases like __________.
Westerlund’s group found that in the year just after the retirement most retired French workers felt much less tired both __________.
What does the word “improvements” in paragraph 5 refer to?
Retirement may make people happier with __________.
Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets．But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.
That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”－events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to get the past “Where are you from?”
Mr．Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.
The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives．The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”
As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain．Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another．“We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says．“But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”
The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer．The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom with for hours．But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.
“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up．“What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”
Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics．Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”What can the “conversations” be best described as?
| A．Deep and one-on-one. | B．Sensitive and mad. |
| C．Instant and inspiring. | D．Ordinary and encouraging. |
In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.
| A．pair freely with anyone they like |
| B．have a guided talk for a set of period of time |
| C．ask questions they themselves would not answer |
| D．wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features． |
In paragraph 6, “they would be ‘intimate’” is closest in meaning to “______”.
| A．they would have physical contact | B．they would have in-depth talk |
| C．they would be close friends | D．they would exchange basic information |
From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.
| A．an attempt to promote thinking interaction |
| B．one of the maddest activities ever conducted |
| C．a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas |
| D．an effort to give people a chance of talking freely |
Dec. 24, 1848
Dear Johnston,
Your request for eighty dollars, I do not think it best to satisfy now. At the various times when I have helped you a little, you have said to me, “We can get along very well again,” but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now this can only happen by some fault in your behavior. What that fault is, I think I know. You are not lazy, and still you are an idler(游手好闲). I doubt whether since I saw you, you have done a good whole day’s work, in any other day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it.
This habit of uselessly wasting time is the whole difficulty; it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it, easier than they can get out after they are in.
You are now in need of some ready money; and what I suggest is, that you shall go to work hard, for somebody who will give you money for it.
Let father and your boys take charge of your things at home-prepare for a crop, and make the crop, and you go to work for the best money wages, or to pay back any debt you owe. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor, I now promise you that for every dollar you will, between this and the first of May, get for your own labor, I will then give you one other dollar. By this, if you hire yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you will get ten more, making twenty dollars a month for your work.
Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your place in Heaven for $ 70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the seventy or eighty dollars for four or five months’ work. You say if I furnish you the money you will deed(抵押) me the land, and if you don’t pay the money back, you will deliver possession-Nonsense! If you can’t now live with the land, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth more than eight time eighty dollars to you.
Affectionately
Your brother
A. Lincoln Abraham Lincoln wrote the letter to Johnston mainly to ________.
| A．show his concern for him | B．recommend him to save money |
| C．decline his request and motivate him | D．introduce him a new job |
What’s the problem with Johnston, according to Lincoln?
| A．He was very lazy. | B．He wasted time a lot. |
| C．He couldn’t get much from work. | D．He disliked working. |
In the letter Lincoln suggested that Johnston should ________.
| A．keep himself from getting into trouble | B．go to work hard for somebody |
| C．manage well the things at home | D．keep the children out of the idle habit |
If Johnston got one dollar for his work, Lincoln promised to _________.
| A．reward him with labor | B．pay off his debt |
| C．hire him at 10 dollars a month | D．give him another dollar |
In order to get 80 dollars from Lincoln, Johnston promised to ________.
| A．take away his place in Heaven | B．deed Lincoln the land |
| C．live without the land | D．do good work every day |
Qian Xuesen is one of the pioneers of China’s space science. As a world-famous expert on aerospace rockets and aerodynamics, he obtained great achievements in the areas of applied mechanics, engineering cybernetics and system engineering and made distinguished contributions to the foundation and development of Chinese aerospace undertaking(事业).
He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934, and Qian Xuesen went to the United States to study in MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one year later. After receiving master’s degree in MIT, he went to study in California Institute of Technology and received PhD degrees in both aerospace and mathematics.
In 1955, six years after the founding of People’s Republic of China, Qian Xuesen returned to his motherland. His return brought China the hope of developing space science and its own missiles. In 1956, Qian Xuesen put forward “Proposal on the Development of China’s Aviation Industry for National Defense”. With the support from Zhou Enlai, the premier, and marshal Nie Rongzheng, Qian Xuesen began to prepare for the establishment of China’s first missile and rocket research and development structure, the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defense. Henceforth(从此以后), he has long been in charge of the chief technological research and development of China’s missile, rocket and spacecraft.
Due to research and development led by Qian Xuesen, China successfully exploded its first atom bomb in 1964. Later, China launched its first man-made satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, to the earth orbit on April 24, 1970, becoming the fifth country in the world to independently launch satellite following the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USA, France and Japan. The satellite floated around the earth, blaring(高声播放)the song Dong Fang Hong, which has the same name as the satellite.
As a forerunner leading the development of China’s aerospace science and technology, Qian Xuesen also provided chances for young scientists. Wang Yongzhi, former chief designer of China’s manned-space project, has benefited a lot from Qian Xuesen. “He suggested that rocket of the second generation should be developed by our second generation scientists. This suggestion gave us chances to be general designers.” Recalling the experience working with Qian Xuesen, Sun Jiadong, general designer of China’s lunar orbiter project, is very grateful. “He put great expectation on us and trusted us a lot. Whenever we made mistakes, he seldom blamed us, but helped us to find out the reason so we could avoid it in the future.”
Honored as Father of China’s Missile and King of Rockets, Qian Xuesen never stopped his work on scientific research after he retired. He said he had no time to review the past, but looked forward to the future.When did Qian xuesen begin to study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
| A．In 1955. | B．In 1935. | C．In 1936. | D．In 1934. |
Which of the following is about the five countries that launched man-made satellite independently before 1970?
| A．The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the UK, France, China and Japan. |
| B．The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USA, Japan, Canada and China. |
| C．America, France, Japan, China and Australia. |
| D．The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, America, France, Japan and China. |
What does the underlined word “forerunner”(Paragraph 5) probably mean?
| A．A leader. | |
| B．A competitor. | C．A pioneer. |
| D．A successful scientist. |
According to the passage, which of the following about Qian Xuesen is NOT true?
| A．In 1956, he made good preparations for the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defence. |
| B．He made outstanding contributions to the establishment and development of Chinese aerospace undertaking. |
| C．He returned to China, bringing China the hope of developing space science and its own missiles. |
| D．He devoted all his life to China’s space science. |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that _________.
| A．Qian Xuesen is very concerned about the development of young scientists |
| B．The help of Qian Xuesen is beneficial to young scientists |
| C．Qian Xuesen gives many opportunities to general designers |
| D．When the chief designers do something wrong, Qian Xuesen helps them find out the cause |
My grandfather worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates（木箱）for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage in Brazil. On his way home, he found his glasses were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket and fallen into one of the crates. His new glasses were heading for Brazil!
The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
“It’s not fair,” he thought as he walked home angrily. “I’ve been very faithful in giving my time and money to my work, and now this.”
Several months later, the director of the orphanage came to the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to my grandfather’s small church in Chicago.
He began by thanking the people for their kindness in supporting the orphanage. “But most of all,” he said, “ I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, some people had just come to the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were very worried about this. Then your crates arrived. When I removed the covers, I found a pair of glasses lying on top.”
He paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, he continued: “When I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been made just for me!” The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But they thought it was strange because there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
Sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, my grandfather, an ordinary carpenter realized his glasses had found a good place to go.The underlined word “miraculous”（Paragraph 6）can be replaced by .
| A．practical | B．wonderful | C．necessary | D．important |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Perfect Mistake. | B．An Ordinary Carpenter. |
| C．A Careless Old Man. | D．A Pair of Glasses. |
It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.
“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d pushed,” she says. “I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected.
“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says, “I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for blaming her child. All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted and hurt other children?”
Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a hidden danger.
In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.
“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent. We see our children as a mirror of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving improperly, then that’s somehow a criticism(批评) of me.”
In those situations, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two opinions.
“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids have antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”
He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel careless, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.
This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents and ask them to deal with it,” she says.
Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Start with something like: ‘I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want…’” What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?
| A．Make an apology | B．Come over to stop her |
| C．Blame her own boy | D．Take her own boy away |
What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?
| A．It’s important not to hurt them in any way |
| B．It’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing |
| C．It’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids |
| D．It’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble |
According to professor Naomi White, when one’s kids are criticized, their parents will probably feel ______.
| A．discouraged | B．hurt | C．puzzled | D．affected |
What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew Fuller?
| A．Talk to them directly in a mild way | B．Complain to their parents politely |
| C．Simply leave them alone | D．Punish them lightly |
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