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Question: When I was 16 years old,I made my first visit to the United States.It wasn't the first time I had been abroad.Like most English children I also learned French at school.And I had often been to France,so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn't understand English.But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems. How wrong I was! The misunderstanding began at the airport.I was looking for a public telephone to give my friend Danny a call and tell her that I had arrived.A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked if he could help me. "Yes,"I said."I want to give my friend a ring." "Well,that's nice,"he said."Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?" "Who is talking about marriage?"I replied."I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived.Can you tell me where there's a phone box?" "Oh!"he said,"there's a phone downstairs." When at last we met,Danny explained the misunderstanding to me. "Don't worry,"she said to me,"I had so many difficulties at first.There are lots of words Which the Americans use differently in meaning from British.You will soon get used to all! How funny things they say.Most of the time British and American people understand each other!'' Where was the writer from? A. He was from America. B. He was from France. C. He was from England. D. He was from China. Answer: C
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Question: Everyone gathered around and Paddy read out loud, slowly, his tone growing sadder and sadder. The little headline said: BOXER RECEIVES LIFF SENTENCE. Frank Cleary, aged 26, professional boxer, was today found guilty of the murder of Albert Gumming, aged 32, laborer, last July. The jury reached its decision after only ten minutes, recommending the most severe punishment to the court. It was, said the Judge, a simple case. Cumming and Cleary had quarreled violently at the Harbour Hotel on July 23rd and police saw Cleary kicking at the head of the unconscious Gumming. When arrested, Cleary was drunk but clear-thinking. Cleary was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. Asked if he had anything to say, Cleary answered, "Just don't tell my mother." "It happened over three years ago," Paddy said helplessly. No one answered him or moved, for no one knew what to do. "Just don't tell my mother," said Fee numbly . "And no one did! Oh, God! My poor, poor Frank!" Paddy wiped the tears from his face and said. "Fee, pack your things. We'll go to see him." _ "I can't go," she said without a hint of pain, yet making everyone feel that the pain was there. "It would kill him to see me. I know him so well--his pride, his ambition. Let him bear the shame alone, it's what he wants. We've got to help him keep his secret. What good will it do him to see us?" Paddy was still weeping, not for Frank, but for the life which had gone from Fee's face, for the dying in her eyes. Frank had always brought bitterness and misfortune, always stood between Fee and himself. He was the cause of her withdrawal from his heart and the hearts of his children. Every time it looked as if there might be happiness for Fee, Frank took it away. But Paddy's love for her was as deep and impossible to wipe out as hers was for Frank. So he said, "Well, Fee, we won't go. But we must make sure he is taken care of. How about if I write to Father Jones and ask him to look out for Frank?" There was no excitement in the eyes, but a faint pink stole into her cheeks. "Yes, Paddy, do that. Only make sure he knows not to tell Frank we found out. Perhaps it would ease Frank to think for certain that we don't know." Paddy cried because he thought _ . A. Frank did kill someone and deserved the punishment B. Frank should have told Fee what had happened C. what had happened to Frank was killing Fee D. Frank had always been a man of bad moral character Answer: C
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Question: When he was a boy, Tim was much influenced by the books about the sea, but in fact by the age of fifteen he had decided to become a doctor rather than a sailor. His father was a dentist and as a result, Tim had the opportunity of meeting many doctors either at home or elsewhere. When he was fourteen he was already hanging around the clinic of a local doctor where he was supposed to help to wrap up medicine bottles, but was actually trying to listen to the conversations taking place between the doctor and his patients in the next room. During the war Tim served in the Navy as a surgeon . "That was the happiest time of my life. I was dealing with very real suffering and on the whole making a success of it." In California he taught the country people simple facts about medicine. He saw himself as a life-saver. He had proved his skills to himself and his ability to take decisions. Thus, while he was able to tell them what to do, he could feel he was saving them. After the war, he got married and chose to be a doctor in the countryside, working under an old doctor who was popular in the area, but who hated the sight of blood and believed that the secret of medicine was faith. This gave the young man many opportunities to go on working as a life-saver. Tim decided to become a doctor mainly because _ A. his father wanted him to be so. B. his father was a surgeon. C. he had read many books about medicine. D. he had chances to know many doctors and know about what doctors did. Answer: D
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Question: People live all over world. They live on land that is low. They live on land that is high. Some live near the oceans. Others live far from the oceans. Earth has many different kinds of lands. In some places, the land is flat . Flat lands are called plains . Some parts of Earth have hills. Hills are higher than the land around them. But hills are lower than mountains. Did you ever try to ride your bicycle up a hill? Some parts of Earth touch oceans. These parts are called _ . Some lands have water all around them. These lands are called islands. Earth has many different bodies of water, too. You know about the oceans. There are very large bodies of water. The water in the oceans is salty. There are also smaller bodies of water called lakes. Lakes have land all around them. Rivers carry water from the land. They are long bodies of running water. The water in rivers is not salty. Most lakes do not have salty water, either. Some lands with water around them are called _ . A. hills B. mountains C. flats D. islands Answer: D
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Question: Say you're in the supermarket parking lot, holding your baby, bags of goods, and trying to open your car. A stranger walks up and says,"Here, let me hold your baby."Should you let him? According to a new New York University study, knowing whether or not to trust someone is so important that we can tell whether a face is trustworthy before we even consciously know it's there. The researchers knew from previous studies that people are fairly similar when it comes to how they judge a face's trustworthiness. They wanted to find out whether that would be true if people only saw a face for a quick moment -- an amount of time so short that it would prevent making a conscious judgment. To carry out their study, the researchers monitored the amygdala of 37 volunteers while showing them 300 faces for 33 milliseconds each. Those faces had already been tested with a different set of 10 subjects, who saw them for much longer. In those earlier tests, people agreed about whether to trust each face. In this new study, fascinatingly, different parts of the amygdala lit up when a subject saw an untrustworthy face and a trustworthy one -- and it lit up more when the face in question was suspicious . "Faces that appear likely to cause harm are suddenly tracked by the amygdala, so it could then quickly change other brain processes and make fast responses to people -- approach or avoid,"says Jon Freeman, the study's senior author."Our talents for making instant judgments could either come from birth or be learned from the social environment." So should you trust the guy in the parking lot? Your brain already knows. What would be the best title for the passage? A. Is facial trustworthiness reliable? B. You can judge a person even without being aware of it C. Your brain decides whether to trust people in milliseconds D. Can the amygdala reveal how people make automatic judgments? Answer: C
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Question: One day, Annette wanted to make a birthday cake for her brother, Todd. She dug around in their white refrigerator and found she would need to go and buy eggs. She also needed to buy icing. Annette got on her pink bike and went to the grocery store. She asked the cashier to tell her what aisle the icing was on. Annette went to the aisle 14 and picked out blue, Todd's favorite color. She then went to get the eggs. Annette worked for 2 hours making the cake. She decorated it in the blue icing, and even wrote "Happy Birthday Todd" in neat letters. Annette's parents made a nice dinner of chicken, red potatoes, and macaroni. After dinner, Annette and her mom and dad sang to Todd. He was excited for the cake and to turn 11, and said Annette was the best sister ever. What aisle was the icing on? A. 2 B. 11 C. 14 D. one Answer: C
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Question: Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defense against getting ill, new study findings suggest. In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny character were less likely to fall ill. The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a "positive emotional style" can help to protect us from suffering the common cold and other illnesses. Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective -- as in happiness improving immune function -- and subjective -- as in happy people being less troubled by a sore throat or runny nose. "People with a positive emotional style may have different immune responses to the virus," explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe." Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less likely to catch a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional style itself had the effect. For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults complete standard measures of personality characteristics, self-felt health and emotional style. Those who had a tendency to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense and aggressive had a negative style. The researchers gave them nasal drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus. Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains or sneezing they had, while the researchers collected objective data. Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal troubles, happy people were less likely to develop a cold. Which is the best title for the passage? _ A. Stay Away from Being Negative B. Positive or Negative?It's Up to You. C. Emotional Style and Flu. D. Optimistic People Likely to Keep Diseases Away. Answer: D
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Question: As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she crashed with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction. "Watch it, Squirt," the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little third grader. Then, with an unfriendly smile on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked. Amy closed her eyes for a moment. --Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom. But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. Amy was tired of it. Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing about her speech or her limping made her feel all alone. Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet. That's why Patti Hagdorn was happy to havesome exciting news to share with her daughter. "There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station," she announced. "Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter." Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas. A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. --Dear Santa Claus, she began. While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy's sister, Jamie, and Amy's mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy's wish list. Amy's dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn't ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night: Dear Santa Clause, My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy . I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me. Love, Amy At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas. When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn't understand her disability. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper. The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television station reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift - just one day without teasing. Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support. Amy and her family read every single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again. Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School. Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel. That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. "Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth." Amy's mother shared the news of a Christmas Wish Contest that day because she knew _ . A. her daughter was teased by a fifth grader B. Amy's disease went much worse than before C. the contest would change Amy's life D. things weren't going well with Amy at school Answer: D
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Question: When I was born, my parents immediately noticed something wrong. My feet were deformed , pointing inward and curling under. I wore casts and foot braces in my first two years to correct the problem. Yet I learned to balance and walk in casts. Soon after the last set of casts came off,Mom enrolled me in dance classes as therapy for my feet. I, however,quickly decided to try something else. Not far from my house was an ice rink in the mall. There,local skaters would perform ice shows. I wanted to try skating. I started taking group skating lessons. Performing on ice came naturally. For me,skating has never been about beating others. It's been about being my personal best. I progressed through various levels rapidly and gave my first ice performance at age seven. Soon I started winning local and regional competitions. That's because being on the ice has always been the one place I can truly express my emotions. _ I began seriously training when I was nine years old. After graduating from girls' high school,I moved to Canada. Saying goodbye to my family and friends made me homesick,but I knew deep down that I had to leave and train full-time to give my dreams a chance at reality. I went to compete in the Olympic Games in 1992.I was the first of the final six skaters on the ice. My long performance started well,but I slipped while landing one of my easiest triple jumps,and my hand touched the ice. I didn't want to make two mistakes in a row,so next I did a jump with just two spins to play it safe. As I neared the end,I had one more jump. I landed it perfectly. When medals were awarded,I found myself on the top step,the gold hanging around my neck and America's national anthem playing. Words can't describe the overwhelming mixture of emotions I felt. The author was enrolled in dance classes to _ . A. meet her interest B. improve her dancing skills C. help treat her feet D. prepare her for skating Answer: C
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Question: A light drizzle was falling as my sister Jill and I ran out of the Methodist Church, eager to get home and play with the presents that Santa had left for us and our baby sister, Sharon. Across the street from the church was a Pan American gas station where the Greyhound bus stopped.It was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing outside the locked door, huddled under the narrow overhang in an attempt to keep dry. I wondered briefly why they were there but then forgot about them as I raced to keep up with Jill. Once we got home, there was barely time to enjoy our presents. We had to go off to our grandparents' house for our annual Christmas dinner. As we drove down the highway through town,I noticed that the family were still there, standing outside the closed gas station. My father was driving very slowly down the highway. The closer we got to the turnoff for my grandparents' house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my father U-turned in the middle of the road and said, ''I can't stand it!" ''What?" asked my mother. ''They've got children. It's Christmas. I can't stand _ ." When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children--two girls and a small boy. My father rolled down his window. "Merry Christmas," he said. "Howdy ,''the man replied. ''You are waiting for the bus?'' my father asked. The man said that they were. They were going to Birmingham, where he had a brother and prospects of a job. "Well, that bus isn't going to come along for several hours, and you're getting wet standing here. Winborn is just a couple miles up the road. They've got a shed with a cover there and some benches". My father said. ''Why don't you all get in the car and I'll run you up there." The man thought about it for a moment, and then he beckoned to his family. They climbed into the car. They had no luggage, only the clothes they were wearing. Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet. Three gloomy faces gave him his answer. "Well I didn't think so," my father said, winking at my mother,"because when I saw Santa this morning, he told me that he was having trouble finding all, and he asked me if he could leave your toys at my house. We'll just go to get them before I take you to the bus stop." All at once, the three children's faces lit up, and they began to bounce around in the back seat, laughing and chattering. When we got out of the car at our house, the three children ran through the front door and straight to the toys that were spread out under our Christmas tree. One of the girls spied Jill's doll and immediately hugged it to her breast. I remember that the little boy grabbed Sharon's ball. And the other girl picked up something of mine. All this happened a long time ago, but the memory of it remains clear. That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy. The three children of the family were gloomy probably because _ . A. they didn't have new clothes to wear B. they hadn't got any present for Christmas C. they were unwilling to move to another city D. they worried about the friends they had made Answer: B
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Question: If a new moon occurred on June 2, when will the next new moon occur? A. June 30 B. June 28 C. June 23 D. June 15 Answer: A
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Question: The complete removal of decomposers from an ecosystem will have the greatest effect on which of the following? A. the spread of disease B. the availability of water C. the recycling of nutrients D. the distribution of organisms Answer: C
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Question: You are careful with your money: you collect all kinds of coupons; look for group-buy deals if you eat out; you don't buy clothes unless in a sale. Does all this make you a wise consumer? Let's do the math first: you walk into a coffee shop and see two deals for a cup of coffee. The first deal offers 33 percent extra coffee. The second takes 33 percent off the regular price. What's the better deal? Well, they are about the same, you'd think. And you'd be wrong. The deals appear to be equal, but in fact, they are different. Here's the math: Let's say the standard coffee is 10 yuan and let's divide the amount of coffee into three portions . That makes about 3.3 yuan per portion, The first deal gets you 4 portions for 10 yuan (2.5 yuan per portion) and the second gets you 3 portions of coffee for 6.6 yuan (2.2 yuan per portion) and is therefore a better deal. In a new study published by the Journal of Marketing, participants were asked the same question, and most of them chose the first deal, the Atlantic website reported. Why? Because getting something extra for free feels better than getting the same for less. The applications of this view into consumer psychology are huge. Instead of offering direct discounts, shops offer larger sizes or free samples. According to the study, the reason why these marketing tricks work is that consumers don't really know how much anything should cost, so we rely on parts of our brains that aren't strictly quantitative. There are some traps we should be aware of when shopping. First of all, we are heavily influenced by the first number. Suppose you are shopping in Hong Kong. You walk into Hermes, and you see a 100,000 yuan bag. "That's crazy." You shake your head and leave. The next shop is Gucci, a handbag here costs 25,000 yuan. The price is still high, but compared to the 100,000 yuan price tag you just committed to your memory, this is a steal. Stores often use the price difference to set consumers' expectation. zxxk Another trap we often fall to Is that we are not really sure what things are worth. And so we use clues to tell us what we ought to pay for them. US economist Dan Ariely has done an experiment to prove this. According to the Atlantic, Ariely pretended he was giving a lecture on poetry. He told one group of students that the tickets cost money and another group that they would be paid to attend. Then he informed both groups that thelecture was free. The first group was anxious to attend, believing they were getting something of value for free. The second group mostly declined, believing they were being forced to volunteer for the same event without reward. What's a lecture on poetry by an economist worth? The students had no idea. That's the point. Do we really know what a shirt is worth ? What about a cup of coffee? What's the worth of a life insurance.policy? Who knows? Most of us don't. As a result, our shopping brain uses only what is knowable: visual clues, invited emotions, comparisons, and a sense of bargain. We are not stupid. We are just easily influenced. What can we know from US economist Dan Ariely's experiment? A. Ariely's free lecture enjoyed popularity among students. B. The students actually didn't know what the lecture was worth. C. The second group was willing to be volunteers without reward. D. The first group was eager to find out the value of Ariely's lecture. Answer: B
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Question: Are people less happy or more happy the older they get ? A study found that people generally become happier and experience less worry after age 50. In fact, it found that by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were at 18. The finding came from a Gallup survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States in 2008. At that time, the people were between the age of 18 an 85. Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25. Stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. But the people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties. The survey also found that men and women had similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men did. The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age. So why would happiness increase with age ? One theory is that, as people get older, they become more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences. The original goal of the study was to confirm the popular belief that aging is connected with increased sleep problems. The survey did find an increase during middle age, especially in women. But except for that , people reported that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older. According to the survey, when will adults feel most stressful? A. In their twenties. B. In their fifties. C. In their seventies. D. In their eighties. Answer: A
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Question: Which of the following items of evidence is LEAST likely to be admitted without a supporting witness? A. In a libel action, a copy of a newspaper purporting to be published by Defendant Newspaper Publishing Company. B. In a case involving contaminated food, a can label purporting to identify the canner as Defendant Company. C. In a defamation case, a document purporting to be a memorandum from the Defendant Company president to "All Personnel," printed on Defendant Company's letterhead. D. In a case involving injury to a pedestrian, a pamphlet on stopping distances issued by the State Highway Departmen Answer: C
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Question: Two-year-old hero Ye Chengfeng saved most of his family from a deadly gas leak . As his grandfather lay dead, the child woke up his grandmother and saved five other family members from deaths. More and more British school kids use their mobile phones to cheat in exams. They use them to send messages to get the answers. So far this year, 1,013 students were caught cheating with mobile phones. Teachers are now teaching themselves so they can find the cheats. They also ask the students to hand the phones in before exams. A new study shows that girl chimps are faster to use tools than boys! Experts found that girl chimps in East Africa use sticks to dig in the soil two years earlier than boys do. But they don't know why. Girls watched their moms work, but boys climbed trees. Yes, human girls always learn to write and draw first, but boys often run and play balls earlier than girls. In Germany, doctors have three ways to help kids who are addicted to the Internet. First, learning art -- Kids learn painting or singing; second, doing sports -- Kids do swimming or horse riding. The last one is to go into nature -- Kids plant flowers and grow vegetables. Doctors want kids to find other ways to have fun rather than surf the Internet. The British teachers are teaching themselves to _ . A. send messages to each other B. find their students' cheats in exams C. stop the students from using their mobile phones D. ask the students to hand in their phones before exams Answer: B
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Question: In the history of Hawaii, surfing is a serious thing. Ancient leaders used the sport as a training exercise to keep themselves strong. They also used surfing competitions instead of wars to solve conflicts between people. For a long time ,this tradition of surfing was known mainly to the people of Hawaii. Then Duke Kahanamoku came along and changed the world. When he was 21years old, Duke broke two world swimming records. Not surprisingly, Duke easily made the Olympic swimming team in 1912.During his Olympic career, Duke won three gold medals and two silver medals in swimming. When Duke finished winning medals at the Olympics, he toured the world. He also brought along his surfboard. Duke had been surfing ever since he was a little boy. In 1917,he rode a single wave for more than a mile! Duke amazed people by riding his 16-foot-long board. He is considered the father of modern surfing. Since Duke was handsome and strong, people loved to watch him. His next career move was clear. Duke headed for Hollywood. From 1925 to 1955,he made more than 30 movies. One day in 1925, Duke and a few other surfers were hanging out on the beach when a boat turned over not far from them. The surfers hit the waves with their big boards and saved 12 of the passengers. Duke alone saved eight of them! After that, lifeguards at beaches started using surfboards to save swimmers. Helping others was a big thing in Duke's life. In 1932,Duke became sheriff of Honolulu, Hawaii, holding the position for almost 30 years. As sheriff, in fact, his job was to greet visitors who came to the city .From the Olympics to Hollywood, Duke Kahanamoku had put Hawaii on the map when it was still a little known island. When he was 75 years old, Dukes name was added to both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. He died in 1968 at the age of 78. What is the text mainly about? A. The development of Hawaii. B. The achievements of Duke. C. The personal life of Duke. D. The history of surfing. Answer: B
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Question: For Rachael and Leigh Badman, there is only one wish on their Christmas list this year _ that their sick daughter survives until December 25. Fifteen -year-old Paige suffers from a rare brain condition. The disease affects as few as 12 people in the world, and can kill her any day without warning. And her condition has _ in recent months. Each time she closes her eyes, she may never wake up. Rachael and Leigh Badman are worried that she couldn't live through Christmas. They filled their house with Christmas decorations on November1, so she could enjoy her favorite day of the year in advance. Paige was diagnosed with the condition four years ago. Mrs. Badman described the condition as "being on death row" as she never knows if she will wake up and still have a daughter. She said, " Paige always loves Christmas and it's heartbreaking to see her suffering like this." In the last months, Paige has been unable to eat and has never walked or spoken. But she loves music, and enjoys watching pop stars' DVDs. And in May she also went on holiday to Florida with her parents and little brother, Kefton. The family , who have already organized parts of Paige's funeral, also saw the teenager swimming with dolphins during the trip. Since then, however, her condition has worsened. Mrs Badman, who is separated from her husband and works as Paige's full-time carer, said, "Now she can't eat or drink anymore, and her brain is shrinking. With all her problems, we just thought, 'Let's get the Christmas tree up as soon as possible.' We're praying she lives to see Christmas Day." Paige's parents got the Christmas tree up on November 1 to _ . A. let her enjoy the great time with visitors B. let her understand her parents' love C. let her enjoy Christmas early before her death D. let her receive more good wishes from others Answer: C
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Question: Carr ran into and injured Pedersen, a pedestrian. With Carr in his car were Wanda and Walter Passenger. Passerby saw the accident and called the police department, which sent Sheriff to investigate. All of these people were available as potential witnesses in the case of Pedersen v. Carr. Pedersen alleges that Carr, while drunk, struck Pedersen, who was in a duly marked crosswalk.On the evening of the day of the accident, Walter Passenger wrote a letter to his sister in which he described the accident. When Walter is later testifying on direct examination and says he cannot remember some details of the accident, Pedersen's counsel seeks to show him the letter to assist him. The trial judge should rule this A. permissible under the doctrine of present recollection refreshed. B. permissible under the doctrine of past recollection recorded. C. objectionable, because the letter was not a spontaneous utterance. D. objectionable, because the letter is a selfserving declaration insofar as the witness, Walter, is concerned Answer: A
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Question: What sort of habitat would living things live in? A. A habitat with plenty of water B. A habitat with varying weather C. A habitat that most animals choose D. A habitat with many toys Answer: A
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Question: China has now mapped out plans for its next four launches in the Shenzhou program on the next flight. But one conclusion seems to have escaped most reports in the aerospace media. The flight of Shenzhou 7 could be timed to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. Plans for the 2008 Summer Olympics call for the events to be held between the 8th and 24th of August. It's reasonable to expect that China will use the event to promote its achievements before the world, and human spaceflight is China's most significant recent breakthrough. Shenzhou 7, China's next manned space mission, was originally advertised for 2007. This fit into the pattern of staging a two-year gap between crewed Shenzhou missions, which have previously launched in 2003 and 2005. But Chinese media statements have recently _ this to 2008. Chinese media have reported that while the overall program is going well, more time is needed to work on the spacesuit that will be used on this flight to stage China's first spacewalk. It's possible that Chinese engineers want to make best preparations for this complex mission. China could intend to carry out the mission of Shenzhou 7 just as media attention is focused on the lead-up to the Olympics. The crew of the flight, and possibly China's other flown astronauts, could then take part in the opening ceremony. China has previously feted her space travellers in great celebrations, such as the Hong Kong event that saw Yang Liwei singing with actor Jacky Chan. China has also suggested that the activity will be carried out by a single astronaut, and has indicated that half an hour is a rough estimate of the planned time for the spacewalk. China is apparently following suit, probably for the same reasons of conservative mission planning and safety. China has decided to carry out its human spaceflight in 2008 in order to _ . A. make the Beijing Olympics more interesting. B. show its great achievements to the world. C. prove that China is a developed country. D. introduce its science and technology to the world. Answer: B
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Question: For centuries ,the only form of written correspondence was the letter .Letters were ,and are ,sent by some form of postal service ,the history of which goes back a long way. Indeed ,the Egyptians began sending letters from about 2000 BC, as did the Chinese a thousand years later. Of course ,modern postal services now are much more developed and faster ,depending as they do on cars and planes for delivery .Yet they are still too slow for some people to send urgent documents and letters. The invention of the fax machine increased the speed of delivering documents even more .When you send a fax ,you are sending a copy of a piece of correspondence to someone by telephone service .It was not until the early 1980s that such a service was developed enough for businesses to be able to fax documents to each other. The fax service is still very much in use when copies of documents require to be sent ,but ,as a way of fast correspondence, it has been largely taken the place of by email. Email is used to describe messages sent from one computer user to another. There are advantages and disadvantages with emails. If you send someone and email, then he will receive it extremely quickly. Normal postal services are rather slow as far as speed of delivery is concerned. However ,if you write something by email ,which you might later regret ,and send it immediately ,there is no chance for second thoughts. At least ,if you are posting a letter you have to address and seal the envelope and take it to the post box .There is plenty of time to change your mind. The message is think before you email! It can be inferred from the text that_. A. the fax service had been fully developed by the 1980s B. letters have been used in prefix = st1 /Chinafor about 1,000 years C. the fax machine was invented after the 1980s D. letters have been used in Egyptfor about 2,000 years Answer: C
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Question: South Asia heatwave kills nearly 100 DHAKA - A heat wave sweeping India, Bangladesh and Nepal has killed nearly 100 people over the past two weeks, officials said on June 3, 2005. A third of the people died in northern Bangladesh, mostly women and children from dehydration , heat stroke and diarrhoea . "We are getting reports of several deaths due to heat wave and related diseases almost every day," an official said, as temperatures touched 43degC . The weather office in Dhaka said the hot weather will persist for another week until the monsoon rains which are normally due by the middle of June. Severe heat conditions in the southern Indian have killed at least 55 people, officials in the two states said. While temperatures have fallen from a high of 45degC in Andhra Pradesh to around 40degC, giving a respite to people, they are still on the rise in Orissa with Talcher town registering 48.5deg C, a weather official said. At least five people have died in prefix = st1 /Nepalfrom extreme heat, the government said. When the monsoon rains come, the temperature will _ . A. remain the same B. go on to rise sharply C. begin to drop obviously D. rise a little Answer: C
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Question: Here are some world-famous cultural sites that you may be interested in: Old City of Jerusalem The Old City was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the "World Heritage in Danger List" the following year. The city has had a history of three different religions fighting over their holy sites and yet also living together in the same city. Jerusalem has always been of great symbolic importance. Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148for more information. Khami Ruins National Monument The City of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological value. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for business over a long period of time. Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365for more information. Ancient City of Pingyao Pingyao is a typically well-kept example of an ancient Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. It is most famous for its ancient buildings which were in connection with the ancient Chinese banks --Qianzhuang or Piaohao. It provides a complete picture of cultural, social, economic and political development during one of the most important periods of Chinese history. Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812for more information. Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape Mapungubwe is set against the northern border of South Africa that joins Zimbabwe and Botswana. Mapungubwe had developed into the largest kingdom in South Africa before it was given up in the 14th century. What survive now are the almost _ remains of the palace sites and also the entire settlement area, as well as two earlier capital sites. It shows a perfect picture of the development of social and political structures over 400 years. Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1099for more information. What can we learn about Mapungubwe? A. It was set up in the 14th century. B. It is on the southern border of Africa. C. It belongs to both Zimbabwe and Botswana. D. It once was the largest kingdom in South Africa. Answer: D
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Question: Have you ever asked yourself why you have two eyes instead of one, three, or even hundreds as some insects have? Have you wondered why your eyes are set close together on the front of your face rather than on the sides of your head, as on animals like rabbits, antelopes, and horses? The reasons are simple -- and important to the way you see the rest of your world. Your eyes are like two small cameras. A camera catches an image of an object and records this image in miniature on a small piece of film. Similarly, when you look at something, each eye takes in what it sees and sends this image to the back of the eyeball. From each eye, an optic nerve then sends the image to the brain. Because your eyes are set close together, they view the world from about the same height but from slightly different angles. While your right eye sees an object a little to the right, your left eye sees the same object slightly to the left. Working as a team, the eyes send the images to the part of your brain called the cerebral cortex, which combines them into a single, centered image. Seeing with two eyes working together is called stereoscopic vision. This allows you to view the world in three dimensions, or 3-D. These dimensions are height, width, and depth. Sensing depth allows you to judge the distance between you and the objects you see. It also helps you to adjust to the changing angle at which you see something as you move closer to or farther away from it. As you walk along a sidewalk, for example, seeing in stereo helps you to know how close you are to the street, how far you need to walk to arrive at a certain building, and how close you are to stepping on a rock or a piece of glass. As your body moves, your eyes give you a continual flow of information about where things are in relation to where you are. If images are coming from only one eye, however, only two of these dimensions - height and width - can be sensed. A world seen with one eye is thus two-dimensional, as in a photograph. The sense of depth is lacking, making it more difficult to move around safely. Now consider why your two eyes are located on the front of your face. Think of other animals with this same arrangement. Some examples are lions, wolves, and owls. What do these creatures have in common? They are all animals that hunt. These animals have eyes facing directly in front of them. This provides a field of vision that is about 180 degrees wide, like a half-circle. This kind of sight is called binocular vision. On the other hand, animals that are hunted have eyes on the sides of the head. This provides nearly a 360-degree field of vision. Because these animals need to de ready to run at any moment in order to stay alive, they need to see things coming from the sides and from behind. However, without stereoscopic vision, these animals have a more difficult time determining how far away a threat is. This article would most likely be found in a _ . A. textbook about animal behavior B. popular science or health magazine C. professional magazine for doctors D. newspaper's local news section Answer: C
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Question: As far back as he could remember,Larry had longed to go to Hollywood and become a film star. The young man's hopes for success were broken again and again, however. Hollywood just did not seem interesting. When he first came to California, Larry had decided never to give up and return home without success. Therefore, he kept on trying. Someday, he told himself, his big opportunity would come. Larry found a job parking cars for one of Hollywood's big restaurants. His pay was basic, but since the guests were kind enough to give him more money, he managed to make a living. One day he recognized an important film director driving into the parking lot and getting out of his car. Larry had recently heard that the man was ready to make a new picture. Larry got into the car and prepared to drive it on into the lot and park it. Then he stopped, jumped out, and ran over to the director. "Excuse me, sir, but I think it is only fair to tell you that it is now or never if you want me in your next picture. A lot of big companies are after me." Instead of pushing away the boy,the director laughed,then wrote something on a card and handed it to the young man." Come and see me tomorrow." Larry got a small part in the director's next film. He was on his wayrefers to the fact that _ . A. he gave up and returned home B. he began to work towards success C. he took a journey to Hollywood D. he had difficulty in playing the small part Answer: B
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Question: Is bicycling hard to learn? Different people have many different answers. It is strange enough that the same person may also have a different answer as time goes by. Five years ago when I was in Junior Grade One, I got interested in bicycling because I thought my uncle was very cool when he rode his bike. He could ride a bike with only one wheel. He could also sit on the bike and keep it standing straight, without moving for a long time. I thought it was easy to learn to ride a bike, so I decided to learn from my uncle. He told me how to ride. When I fell off the bike the first time, I was afraid to try again. It was too hard for me to learn. Then my uncle helped me by holding the bike for me and not to let go. With his help, I was able to ride longer and longer. "You can do it by yourself now, young boy!" I heard his voice far behind me. Five years ago when the writer was in _ , he got interested in bicycling. A. Junior Grade One B. Junior Grade Two C. Senior Grade One D. Senior Grade Two Answer: A
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Question: If you are looking for a day trip with the family, here's a list of festivals and fairs happening within a reasonable drive from Charlotte. Hopscotch Music Festival Where: Downtown Raleigh(various places) When: Today---Saturday Highlights: This music festival features performances by more than 175 national and international bands playing in 15 different places, all within walking distance. Music _ will include rock, hip-hop, heavy metal, dance, classical, folk and everything in between. Admission: $10--$30 Details: www.hopscotchmusicfest.com Flatwoods festival Where: 451 Peach Tree Toad, Bennett When: 10 am. Saturday--5 pm Sunday Highlights: This annual festival, which is in its 15thyear, features family fun, food and horse rides. There will also be musical entertainment and a grand parade with cars, trucks, tractors, horse-drawn vehicles, floats, farm equipment and more. Admission: On Saturday, free; on Sunday, $5 for ages 13 and under. Details: 919-548-5192; www.visitpittsboro.com NC Mountain State Fair Where: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher When: Various times, today---Sept.16 Highlights: In celebration of the people, agriculture, art and traditions that make our region great, the fair offers performances and even a man who carves artwork with a saw. Admission:$7; $3 for kids 6---12 and seniors Details: 828-687-1414; www.mountainfair.org How can you know the details about Flatwoods Festival? A. By surfing the website:www.mountainfair.org B. By dialing the telephone number: 828-687-1414 C. By dialing the telephone number: 919-548-5192 D. By surfing the website: www.hopscotchmusicfest.com Answer: C
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Question: That "Monday morning feeling" could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break. The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2,600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 per cent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day. Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 per cent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day. A study of 11,000 Italians proved 8 am on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewer heart attacks in both countries. The findings could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. "We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol but we don't know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can't give clear advice on how to prevent them," he said. Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work. "When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal changes in their bodies," Willich explained. "All these things can have an unfavourable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot in the arteries which will cause a heart attack." "When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activity," said Willich. If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be? A. Stop working on Monday B. Create a pleasant working environment C. Get up late on Monday morning D. Go to work with a doctor Answer: B
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Question: Typhoons in the northern part of the world have girls' names.Sometimes they have very beautiful names.Rose is a pretty name but there was nothing pretty about Typhoon Rose.It was the worst typhoon to hit Hong Kong in ten years. It began to rain in the morning of Monday, August 16th, 1971.At ten o'clock in the morning, Typhoon Rose was still 130 miles away but already the wind was blowing people's umbrella away.The wind became stronger and stronger.The typhoon shelters were soon full of boats.Ships that were too big to go inside the shelters put down more anchors .Some very big ships went out to sea.It is safer for a big ship to be at sea in a typhoon because it cannot be blown onto rocks.Kai Tak Airport closed.No planes were able to take off or land.At 9:00 in the evening, all the lights went out. No one slept well that night.It is difficult to sleep in such bad weather. In Typhoon Rose, more than one hundred people died.229 people were hurt and 66 of these had to go to hospital.1500 lost their homes.The people of Hong Kong will not quickly forget Typhoon Rose! Some big ships didn't go inside the shelters because _ . A. they had more anchors B. it is safer outside C. they were out at sea and they weren't fast enough to reach the shelters when Typhoon Rose came D. it was too expensive for big ships to go inside the shelters Answer: B
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Question: New software is able to analyze exactly how many hairs there are in a patch of skin and could help in testing the effectiveness of baldness treatments and depilatory creams, say Australian researchers. Researchers from CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences in prefix = st1 /Sydneyreport their findings in the November issue of the journalSkin Research and Technology. The software, developed with a UKcompany, will make it easier for researchers developing hair removal creams to accurately assess how well they work, says Dr Pascal Vallotton. "Up to now they were counting the number of hairs that survived after treatment by hand. That's hard work and it's difficult because you may count a hair twice or you may miss it." he said. The software relies on images captured by a small flatbed scanner pressed onto the skin. Using a mathematical algorithm , the software then identifies and traces each individual hair based on an understanding of a hair's unique features, such as its straightness. The software is able to distinguish between hairs and other features on the skin such as wounds or moles . "Our skin irregularities make it difficult to say this is a hair or this is a mole," Dr Vallotton said. Comparison between earlier and later images can also determine if hair is growing quickly or slowly, he says. Unfortunately, to check the accuracy of the software, the researchers still had to adopt the old-fashioned method of counting hairs, helped by volunteers from neighboring labs who put their skins on the line for science. "We had 12 volunteers, mostly from neighboring labs, and we acquired images of hair before and after treatment," Dr Vallotton said. To ensure an accurate count, the individual hairs had to be marked off as they were counted, but after such a laborious process, the researchers were pleased to discover the software results were comparable to the manual count. Dr Vallotton says the software could also be useful in testing the effectiveness of balding treatments and counting or tracing substances other than hairs, that are long and thin and otherwise difficult to image. What did the 12 volunteers do in the experiment? A. They counted the hairs by hand. B. They divided the hairs into parts. C. They controlled laborious process. D. They offered their hair for experiment. Answer: D
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Question: Do you love hamburgers? Do you how they were created? The first hamburgers in U.S. history were served in New Haven, Connecticut, at Louis' Lunch sandwich shop in 1895. Louis Lassen, founder of Louis' Lunch, ran a small lunch wagon selling steak sandwiches to local factory workers. Because he didn't like to waste the excess beef from his daily lunch rush, he ground it up, grilled it, and served it between two slice of bread--and thus America's first hamburger was created. The small _ is still owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of the Lassen family. Hamburgers are still the specialty of the house, where steak is ground fresh each day and hand molded, slow cooked, broiled vertically, and served between two slices of toast with your choice of only three "acceptable" garnishes: cheese, tomato, and onion. Want ketchup or mustard? Forget it. You will be told "no" in no uncertain terms. This is the home of the greatest hamburger in the world, claim the owners, who are perhaps best known for allowing their customers to have a burger the Lassen way or not at all. Which of the following is not available for customers to choose from at Louis Lunch? A. Cheese. B. Tomato. C. Mustard. D. Onion. Answer: C
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Question: What is the smallest particle of the element gold (Au) that can still be classified as gold? A. atom B. molecule C. neutron D. proton Answer: A
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Question: A child sits at his desk waiting for the teacher to hand back his test and praying that it is not sprayed with red marks. Fellow students in the classroom know a paper that has several red markings on it will usually receive a lower grade. The child with many red markings on his test will quickly fold the paper and stuff it into his desk in the hope that no one will see his test. There is an education movement to retire the reds for softer color1s of purple, green, and blue pens to mark students' work. Many educators understand the psychological harm the constant red markings on the paper do to a child's self-esteem. After a child receives his test back with countless red markings there is a rare chance that he will bother to find out his errors. It is too embarrassing in the classroom to examine his errors and also many children do not want to show their parents their red stained test. The purpose of grading a paper or test is to identify the child's weakness and offer suggestions to improve their ability in a specific subject. Red markings are too for the student to calmly understand their errors ; instead they become upset and begin their self-critical dialogue. No student wants to fail; they just do not know how to excel. All color1s have an influence on our state of mind. Red is a powerful color1 that gives us energy. Colors such as blues and greens are calming color1s to the body. Hospitals often have doctors wear blue or green scrubs because it relaxes the patient on a subconscious level. I have never seen a doctor wear red scrubs because it will stress the patient. Remember this when you decide to mark a child' paper with red, the color1 of blood. What is the text mainly about? A. How a child sees his test result. B. How to grade a student's paper. C. The harm of using red color1 in grading students' papers. D. Different influences of color1s. Answer: C
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Question: One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread. The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while. Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner's ear, and shook them, so that they made a dingling noise. "What was that?" asked the restaurant owner. "That was payment for you," answered Nasreddin. "What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!" protested the restaurant owner. "The sound of the coin is payment for the smell of the soup," answered Nasreddin. "Now go back to your restaurant." The poor man held his bread over the soup to _ . A. make it heated B. warm his cold hands C. avoid paying the restaurant owner D. make it smell and taste a little better Answer: D
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Question: Bill has a sister, Amy. Next Friday is Amy's birthday. Bill wants to buy a present for her. However, he doesn't have much money. Now he is in shopping mall. He spends a lot of time choosing a good and cheap present in a toy shop, but he can't find anything. He goes to the next shop. There are some beautiful hair clips in it. Bill likes them very much. He knows Amy wants to have one all the time. He chooses a blue one. It's not expensive. It costs 7 yuan. He goes back home happily. How much does Bill pay for the hair clip? A. 1 yuan B. 7 yuan C. 9 yuan D. 11 yuan Answer: B
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Question: What a great Paralympic Games this has been. An outstanding Opening Ceremony, splendid athletic performances in perfect stadiums, the best-ever Paralympic Villages, amazing high definition television coverage, a never ending and self-generating supply of passion and emotion, superb organization, wonderful volunteers, millions of new Paralympic sports lovers both here in China and around the world. These are the greatest Paralympic Games ever. --Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee It was another spectacular show. Perhaps it's not quite as sublimely beautiful as the opening, but a fitting end to what has been a memorable 12 days in the Chinese capital. The Paralympics were inspiring. Not only the Paralympians themselves, but also the warmth of people in Beijing and the sense of self-respect among the disabled in China that these Games seem to have inspired, as well as a new attitude in general from the government and form Chinese society as a whole. -- Jeff Z. prefix = st1 /Klein,New YorkTimes It doesn't get any better for disabled persons living in Beijingthan September 2008, with increased access for them in public areas. But there are still problems. Some taxi drivers are not willing to pick up wheelchair users. Some companies deliberately break employment laws that ask them to employ a percentage of disabled persons. Many schools haven't opened their door to disabled students. During the past Paralympics, Chinese society has witnessed firsthand the abilities of disabled persons in sporting. And the next step will be for the abilities of disabled people on the Paralympics to be translated into a realization of their abilities to study, work and go about daily life in a barrier-free society. -- Eric Roeder, China Daily The passage is probably taken from a(n) _ . A. newspaper B. advertisement C. story D. research report Answer: A
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Question: Mrs Weeks was reading a newspaper story to her class. The story said: Were you ever in a hospital when you were small? How did you feel? The doctors in Children's Hospital are asking for money for children's toys. Some children in the hospital must stay in bed for many weeks. Toys are needed to keep these sick children happy and quiet. Money for them can be sent to the hospital. After Mrs. Weeks read the story, she said,"This story gave me an idea." "You want us to bring some money for the toys.""We could bring some of our own toys for the children in the hospital, "said the boys and girls one after another. "Well, your ideas would be nice, "Mrs. Weeks said,"but mine is different." Mrs. Weeks smiled. "Do you think you could make toys?" she asked. "Yes, yes," the whole class answered. "Great! Let's begin to make toys tomorrow," said Mrs. Weeks. On Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Weeks took the children to the hospital with the toys made by her students. The children in the hospital felt very happy to see the toys. The children in the class felt happy, too. A few days later, Mrs. Weeks read another newspaper story to the class: Some school pupils brought toys to Children's Hospital last week. The toys were made by the pupils of Grade Three in Green Street School. The doctors said, "We have never had so many wonderful toys. Our children are very happy with them. They say, 'THANK YOU, GRADE THREE'" What was the first newspaper story mainly about? A. Sick children in Children's Hospital B. Doctors in Children's Hospital C. Mrs. Weeks and her students D. Toys made by the boys and girls Answer: A
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Question: As a newspaper reporter, Inez' s father traveled around the world. He wrote stories about the interesting people he met. On her fifteenth birthday, Inez could hardly believe it when her father announced that she was old enough to go with him on one of his trips! He said his next story would be about salt mining in Europe. Inez had never thought much about salt,she didn' t know what to expect,but she knew she would love being with her father. Months later, when Inez and her father arrived at the salt mine ,they found themselves walking into the middle of a busy workday. Mrs. Walker, the owner, said she would not be available to talk until the workday was over. She suggested that Inez and her father should help out so Inez ' s father would have first-hand experience for his story. Before Inez realized what was happening, she was in the factory. This was not what she had imagined her trip would be like. People rushed past her carrying hammers, nails, and wood to make boxes for the salt. Everyone seemed to be in such a hurry. As another newly constructed box was pushed at her, Inez spread a label with glue and stuck it on the side of the box. When she had agreed to go with her father on his newspaper assignment, she had pictured an adventure, not hard labor. Inez looked at the salt covering her father' s once-blue pants and sighed. She could taste the salt in her mouth and smell it in the air. Inez had been using salt all her life, but she had never imagined that it existed in such quantities or that it was so hard to package. Inez' s father rubbed his hands together and grinned at her. ''I know this probably isn't what you had in mind," he said, "but sometimes the best days are the ones that don' t go as planned. Best? she wondered. She had learned two lessons today. One was to value every grain of salt to fall from a shaker. The other was to hear the details before agreeing to go on a job with her father! Why does the author most likely write this story? A. To discuss what it is like when a child travels with a parent. B. To describe how places around the world are different. C. To explain which tools are used when packaging salt. D. To show that sometimes events turn out differently than expected. Answer: D
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Question: All students need to have good study habits . When you have good study habits, you can learn things quickly. You also remember them easily. Do you like to study in the living-room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better. Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too. You are feeling tired easily if there is not enough light. The living-room is not a good place for study because it is too _ . A. quiet B. noisy C. clean D. big Answer: B
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Question: Which form of energy is needed to change water from a liquid to a gas? A. heat B. mechanical C. chemical D. sound Answer: A
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Question: China Merchants Bank Co Ltd has teamed up with ride-hailing major Didi Kuaidi to provide automobile financing and expand its reach in China's booming mobile payment industry. The two have inked a comprehensive partnership, which includes a strategic investment by the former in the latter. Under the partnership, CMB will become the first bricks-and-mortar bank that can offer in-app credit card payments to Didi users. At present, users of Didi can only choose third-party payment solutions like WeChat Payment and Alipay to pay cab fares. Zhao Ju, vice-president of CMB, said the cooperation with Didi was an important step in its mobile Internet finance strategy. "CMB's mobile payment is going to enter a new chapter by leveraging Didi Kuaidi's vast user base," he said. According to a report by China Internet Network Information Center earlier this month, Didi holds 87.2 percent of China's private car hailing market. The company said it has received 1.43 billion car-hailing requests on its platforms in 2015, which means 1.43 billion payments were made via smartphones. CMB is expected to use Didi to reach the core users of China's mobile payment market. Jean Liu, president of Didi, said many of the expats prefer payment by credit card rather than Alipay or WeChat. "The new partnership will help improve service quality and customer loyalty," she said. The investment makes CMB part of Didi's existing investors, including Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and China Investment Corporation. Both of the companies declined to reveal the actual amount of the investment. Liu, who showed up on Tuesday for the first time in public after her treatment for breast cancer, said the cooperation with CMB is for the long run and "the capital investment is only part of it". Under the partnership, CMB and Didi will cooperate on a wide range of initiatives on financial services and online-to-offline cooperation. Apart from the in-app credit card payments, the two companies are going to launch joint credit cards in late February and automobile financing services for Didi's car owners. CMB's branches across China are expected to help Didi recruit more drivers. "There is a lot of room for imagination in our partnership," Li said, adding in future people may use their CMB credit card reward points to pay for the ride on Didi. Li Chao, an analyst with iResearch Consulting Group, said the partnership may not significantly boost CMB's mobile payment business. "Didi has educated the market for three years and its customers have formed the habit of paying by WeChat or Alipay. So I think CMB can only turn a very smart proportion of Didi users into its payment customer," he said. "But the move shows that China's traditional banking industry is finally thinking out of the box and looking for outside partners in Internet finance competition," he said. Statistics from Big-Data Research showed that more than 90 percent of China's 9.3 trillion yuan ($1.41 trillion) worth of third party mobile payment market is donated by Alibaba and Tencent. The main idea of this passage is that _ .? A. CMB develops partnership with Didi Kuaidi. B. CMB is looking for outside partners in Internet finance competition. C. Didi Kuaidi is going to enter a new chapter. D. Alibaba and Tencent dominate the mobile payment market. Answer: A
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Question: Liu Yun, 13, pretty and smart. She is a good student. But many students try to stay from her because Liu Yun's mum has AIDS and her father has died of AIDS. Luckily, Liu Yun didn't get it. AIDS means fear for most people. Nobody wants to play games with her. Even a teacher who used to like her turns his back on her now. The biggest problem is how other people look at her. She sometimes wants todrop out of schoolbecause she can no longer face others' indifference . It is said if a person has AIDS, it's still safe to eat and play with him. So I think Liu Yun's classmates and teachers are afraid of AIDS because they don't know much about AIDS. And Liu Yun needs their love and understanding. Even a friendly smile means a lot to her. What will you do when you best friend has AIDS? A. I'll stay away from him. B. I won't have meals with him. C. I won't talk with him. D. I should be more friendly to him than before. Answer: D
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Question: Which of the following would slow the flow of electricity? A. a metal fork B. a pencil eraser C. a paper clip D. aluminum foil Answer: B
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Question: The earth is the only planet that scientists are certain has life .What does the earth have that the other planets don't ? For one thing , the earth has just the right temperature . As _ from the sun , the earth seems to be just the right distance away . The planets that are closer to the sun are so hot that their surfaces bake in the sun . The farthest planets are cold balls . When the earth developed-- which scientists believe may have happened about billions of years ago , many gases covered the earth . The gases caused the earth to be hot . But something wonderful happened . The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form . It rained very hard for a very long time . This gave the earth its oceans . Water made it possible for plants to grow . The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere . Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe . Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth . That planet is Mars . Mars is smaller than the earth , and it is quite a bit cooler . But it is not too cold for humans . On some days , the temperatures are as cold as a winter day in the northern United States . If you wore a special spacesuit , you could walk around on Mars . You would have to bring your own air to breathe , though . The air on Mars is too thin to breathe . Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system . It is sixteen miles high . The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high . The most unexpected sight on Mars is dried-up river beds . Scientists believe that Mars was once much wetter that it is now . Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars ? Scientists are not sure , but there has been no sign so far . The best title for the passage should be _ . A. Living Things on Our Earth B. The Moon C. Living Things on the Moon D. Mars Is Most Like the Earth Answer: D
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Question: An ordinance of City makes it unlawful to park a motor vehicle on a City street within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. At 1:55 p.m., Parker, realizing that he must be in Bank before it closed at 2:00 p.m., and finding no other space available, parked his automobile in front of a fire hydrant on a City street. Parker then hurried into the bank, leaving his aged neighbor, Ned, as a passenger in the rear seat of the car. About five minutes later, and while Parker was still in Bank, Driver was driving down the street. Driver swerved to avoid what he mistakenly thought was a hole in the street and sideswiped Parker's car. Parker's car was turned over on top of the hydrant, breaking the hydrant and causing a small flood of water. Parker's car was severely damaged and Ned was badly injured. There is no applicable guest statute."If City asserts a claim against Driver for the damage to the fire hydrant and Driver was negligent in swerving his car, his negligence is A. a cause in fact and a legal cause of City's harm. B. a cause in fact, but not a legal cause, of City's harm because Parker parked illegally. C. a legal cause, but not a cause in fact, of City's harm because Parker's car struck the hydrant. D. neither a legal cause nor a cause in fact of City's harm Answer: A
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Question: Last Sunday, Aron Ralston, an experienced hiker and mountaineer, set off to walk alone through the Bluejohn desert canyon in Utah. He was planning an eight-hour, 21-kilometer hike. While he was climbing through a narrow part of the canyon, a big stone weighing about 400 kilos fell and trapped his right arm. When he failed to return to the mountain camp where he was staying that night, people simply thought he had decided to camp out somewhere in the canyon. When he still had not returned by Tuesday, the alarm was raised, A search party set out on Wednesday evening, but there we no sign and his family began to fear the worst. In fact, Ralston, 27, was lying trapped in the canyon. By Tuesday, he had run out of water. By Thursday, he realized that he would not survive unless he took unusual action, so he used his pocket knife to cut his arm below the elbow . He then climbed down to the bottom of the canyon. There he met two other hikers, who helped him back to safety. He received some help at a local hospital before being carried to St. Mary's hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado for surgery. Ralston's astonishing survival brought equal amounts of praise and criticism. While praising the climber for his bravery and calm, experts also pointed out he had broken the first rule of outdoor pursuits. He had failed to leave words with anyone of where he was going that day. This was in fact Ralston's second near-death experience. In February, he was buried up to the neck in snow by an avalanche while skiing in the Colorado Rockies. Ralston not only managed to dig himself out but he also rescued his skiing companion, who had been completely buried in the snow. Ralton rescued himself and his friend in less than 15 minutes. According to the passage, a "hiker" is probably someone who _ . A. enjoys walking short distances B. enjoys walking long distances C. climbs rocks and mountains D. likes adventure Answer: B
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Question: High-quality customer service is preached by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done. Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, s, co-workers, strangers--and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde Group and Wharton School. "Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers," said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde Group. "The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement." On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative review. The resulting "snowball effect" can be disastrous to retailers. According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople. During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers. "Retailers who're responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly," said Professor Stephen Hoch. "Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help." Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.ks5u What does Paula Courtney imply by saying "...the shopper must also find a replacement" (Line 2, Para. 4) A. New customers are bound to replace old ones. B. It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. C. Most stores provide the same kind of service. D. Not complaining to manager causes the shopper some trouble too. Answer: D
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Question: Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist. Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but...when you love your art, nothing is too much. But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn't afford the lessons any more. Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour. "Delia," Joe said, "I'll be much happier if you keep up your lessons," Delia said it didn't matter. "When I've had some money, I'll continue." But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them. A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. "I met a man from Vermont," he said, "who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!" _ .They didn't have to worry any more about money. Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia's hand was wrapped in a bandage . He asked her what had happened. "Oh," said Delia. "My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. " "Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?" Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. "Oh Joe, I couldn't get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can't work any more. But we'll still have money from the man in Vermont, won't we?" Joe looked at her. "There's no man in Vermont, " he said. "I've been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who's burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed." They both laughed. [A story by O. Henry--adapted ] The writer of the story is _ . A. Joe B. Delia C. O. Henry D. Sally Answer: C
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Question: One day in 1924, five men who were camping in the Cascade Mountains saw a group of huge apelike creatures coming out of the woods. They hurried back to their wooden house and locked themselves inside. While they were in, the creatures threw rocks against the house. Several hours later these strange hairy giants went back into the woods. After the men returned to the town and told the people about their adventure, _ . These were the people who remembered hearing tales about footprints of an animal that walked like a human being. The five men, however, were not the first to have seen these creatures called Bigfoot. Long before their experience, the local Native Americans were certain that a group of apelike animals had been living in the _ mountain for centuries. In 1958, some workers, who were building a road through the jungles of Northern California, often found huge footprints in the earth around their camp. Then in 1967, Roger Patterson, a man who was interested in finding Bigfoot, went into the same jungles with a friend. While riding, they were suddenly thrown off from their horses. Patterson saw a tall apelike animal standing not far away. He managed to take photos of the hairy creature before it disappeared in the jungles. When Patterson's photos were shown to the public, not many people believed his story. Richard Brown, an experienced hunter, discovered a similar creature. He saw the animal clearly through the telescopic lens of his rifle . He said the creature looked more like a human being than an animal. Later many other people also found deep footprints in the same area. In spite of regular reports of sightings and footprints, most experts still do not believe that Bigfoot really exists . The BEST title for this passage would be " _ ". A. The adventures of five campers B. The experts and Bigfoot C. The creatures called Bigfoot D. The adventures of Bigfoot Answer: C
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Question: There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-----you don't need the break as much as you may think that makes you feel less tired. Scientists have long assumed that willpower is a limited resource, which is why you feel the need to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you're feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower was by rest, food or entertainment. But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that people's beliefs in willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Prof.Veronika Job. "'But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily used up, you can go on and on." The researchers designed four experiments to test students'-beliefs in willpower. After a tiring task, those, who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource, performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptation . Mr. Job said. "The theory that willpower is a limited resource is interesting, but it has had unintended consequences. Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their power of concentration is limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.'" The findings could help people who are" battling temptation. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior. The theory that willpower is limited supports that _ . A. people must eat snacks when they feel tired B. people do need a break to restore their willpower C. there's no way to strengthen people's willpower D. weak willpower doesn't affect people's life much Answer: B
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Question: Sydney is one of the world's biggest cities and has something for everyone when he comes to shopping.You will find excellent Australian products alongside the best that the world has to offer.At the bottom of Sydney Tower, you can shop in 160 of Sydney's favorite stores including 16 jewellery stores and many gift and fashion shops.They're all at Westfield Centrepoint. Tel:9231 9300 SOVEREIGN HILL This prizewinning living museum is where Australia's history comes alive!Visit daily or stay for the night and experience life of the Gold Rush days.A wonderful nightly sound and light show,"Blood on the Southern Cross"tells the story of the famous Eureka Uprising.Enjoy shopping along with real life character and entertainment,4star hotel and breakfast. Tel:5331 1944 ANCHORAGE RESTAURANT Come and enjoy our delicious Cantonese seafood right on the water's edge in the historic fishing port of Williamstown with views of the city centre across Port Phillip Bay. Open 7 days a week Lunch:Sunday to Friday 11:00 a.m.2:00 p.m. Dinner:Monday to Saturday 5:00 p.m.10:00 p.m. Tel:9397 6270 or 9397 7799 COOK'S COTTAGE Built by James and Grace Cook,parents of Captain James Cook,Cook's Cottage stands proudly in the Fitzroy Gardens as a reminder of life in the eighteenth century,and as a celebration and commemoration of the life and travels of Captain James Cook. Open 9:00 a.m.5:00 p.m. daily, and until 5:30 pm during the summer. Tel:9419 4677 Where can you spend the night in a tour? A. Cook's Cottage. B. Westfield Centrepoint. C. Sydney Tower. D. Sovereign Hill. Answer: D
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Question: Why are some rocks smoother and rounder than others? A. They have the shapes of the minerals from which they are made. B. They were smoothed by the action of wind and water. C. They were squeezed up through the soil. D. They hardened in rounded pockets of soil. Answer: B
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Question: Typhoons in the northern part of the world have girls' names.Sometimes they have very beautiful names.Rose is a pretty name but there was nothing pretty about Typhoon Rose.It was the worst typhoon to hit Hong Kong in ten years. It began to rain in the morning of Monday, August 16th, 1971.At ten o'clock in the morning, Typhoon Rose was still 130 miles away but already the wind was blowing people's umbrella away.The wind became stronger and stronger.The typhoon shelters were soon full of boats.Ships that were too big to go inside the shelters put down more anchors .Some very big ships went out to sea.It is safer for a big ship to be at sea in a typhoon because it cannot be blown onto rocks.Kai Tak Airport closed.No planes were able to take off or land.At 9:00 in the evening, all the lights went out. No one slept well that night.It is difficult to sleep in such bad weather. In Typhoon Rose, more than one hundred people died.229 people were hurt and 66 of these had to go to hospital.1500 lost their homes.The people of Hong Kong will not quickly forget Typhoon Rose! This passage is mainly about _ . A. the names of typhoons B. typhoons in Hong King C. Typhoon Rose D. the typhoons Answer: C
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Question: Although American children still spend part of their days reading, they are spending less time doing it for pleasure than years ago, with large gaps in proficiency ,according to a recent report. "It raises an alarm," said Vicky Rideout, the lead author of the report. "We're witnessing a really large drop in reading among teenagers and the speed of that drop is getting faster and faster." The report found that the percentage of nine-year-old children reading for pleasure once or more per week had dropped from 81 percent in 1984 to 76 percent in 2013, based on government studies. About a third of 13-year-olds and almost half of 17-year-olds reported in one study that they read for pleasure less than twice a year. Of those who read or are read to, children often spend on average between 30 minutes and an hour daily with that activity, the report found. Older children and teenagers tend to read for pleasure for an equally long time each day. Rideout warned that there may be differences in how people come across texts and the included studies may not take into account stories read on line or on social media. The report also found that many young children are struggling with literacy . Only about one-third of fourth grade students are "proficient" in reading and another one-third scored below "basic" in reading skills. Despite the large percentage of children with below-basic reading skills, reading scores among young children have improved since the 1970s, according to one test that measures reading ability. The reading scores among 17-year-olds, however, reminded relatively unchanged since the 1790s. About 46 percent of white children are considered "proficient" in reading, compared with 18 percent of black children and 20 percent of Hispanic kids. Those gap remained relatively unchanged over the past 20 years, according to the report. "To go 20 years with no progress in that area is shameful", Rideout said. The report stresses some behaviors that have been tied to children being more frequent readers. Those behaviors include parents setting aside time to read with their children and parents reading themselves to model good behavior. Which of the following is TRUE about the report findings? A. The reading scores among older children have improved. B. The reading scores among young children haven't changed. C. The gap between black children and white children has narrowed. D. Black children have lower proficiency in reading than white children. Answer: D
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Question: Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US. When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered trees. Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus.Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood.Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper. The Pentagon even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.So far, the poplar, eucalyptus , apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered.All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes . However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results.They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment. "It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species." But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled. Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered? A. Papaya. B. Pine. C. Apple. D. Poplar. Answer: A
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Question: Despite organized anti-bottled-water campaigns across the country and a noisy debate about bottled water's environmental effect, Americans are buying more bottled water than ever. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do so many people seem to think they should have any input on what other Americans choose to buy or do? If they want to buy bottled water, let them. If they want to eat fast food, let them. If they want to smoke pot, let them. ----Barackalypse People just get tired of paying for others' bad behavior. If many people eat too much fast food, you pay higher insurance bill. If many people frequently buy bottled water, your trash bills go up and landfills fill up quickly. It's about personal responsibility, which really should be a basis of our society. ----Bdbr So? This is the price you pay to live in a free society. You want to control the life of another just so you can save a little money? What would you say when someone do the same to you? ----Norman619 I'm just glad there are still people who still believe personal responsibility is a good thing. We make your life cheaper and less bothersome. ----Yoyo What a waste of money. It's fine when you're on the road and you need a cold drink, but people who buy cases of bottled water for home are completely crazy. ----Agmlauncher I wish we all can find a way to improve things and benefit from this. The environment needs a lot of help but businesses will always work on what people would need and demand. Is this part of the trade-off? Hope we can find better ways. ----Skipweis Which of the following statements will go with Skipweis' opinion? A. People's demand for bottled water is to blame. B. Environment is more important than business. C. At present we can't benefit form bottled water at all. D. It's necessary to figure out solutions to the conflict. Answer: D
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Question: Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules...planning your next move...acting as a team member...these are all "game" ideas that you will come across throughout your life. Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate _ that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating . Many children's games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones. Which sharpens the hand-eye coordination needed in hunting. Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much. Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it--some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to give people hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future. Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life. What can be learned from the passage? A. Games benefit people all their lives. B. Sports can get all athletes together. C. People are advised to play games for fun. D. Sports increase a country's competitiveness. Answer: A
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Question: When I first saw the bookAlice in Lace, I thought I was going to like it. And as it turned out, I love it! I love books about life and being a kid. And Alice in Laceis just that kind. It's a humorous book about being thirteen and the problems kids might face. Alice and her friends get a strange assignment from their totally cool teacher, Mr. Everett. It was like playing the game of "Life," but you had to act it out. So Pamela is pregnant, Elizabeth buys a car and Alice gets married. Well, of course, Pamela wasn't really pregnant, but she walked around with a pillow under her shirt to get people's reactions. Elizabeth didn't really buy a car, but she went to the car lot and made the sales guy think she was. The whole class got assignments like these! I would love to do something like that for school. In the book Alice has a lot to think about. "Getting married is hard!" Alice says. She has to plan the ceremony, the honeymoon, find a place to live, pay for furniture and two months' rent and food. Maybe she and her "husband" could work it out -- if they were getting on fine! Although this book was funny, it really made me think about how problems like these could really mess up your life. Take teenage pregnancy for example. How could you have a baby and stay in school? You couldn't find a babysitter every day to stay with your kid. A child really consumes your life. I understand what the teacher was trying to do. He was trying to discourage the class from getting into these problems by giving them a glimpse of life. As someone about to become a teenager myself, I can say sometimes a story makes you think about what's up ahead. Overall, I would say this book is wonderful. My favorite part of the book is discovering that if I like it, there are seven other Alice books I can check out at my local library. I love this book, and I hope you will too. We can infer from the passage that Pamela, Elizabeth and Alice _ . A. turn out to be the author's classmates B. are characters in Alice in Lace C. get along quite well D. become dismissed from school Answer: B
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Question: A 50-year-old American officer came back to his school. The teacher asked him to give a talk to the small boys and girls there. The talk was about the love of their great country. All the little ones were sitting in a large meeting-room. The old officer went up and began speaking. He said , " Boys and girls . I studied in this school forty years ago. When I was your age, we were not as happy as you are today. Think about it and answer me, why are you so happy now?" No sound came from the children. The old man waited for a long time. Then a short boy in the front put up his small dirty hand. "Good boy! Please answer me, dear." said the officer. With a big smile on his face, the boy stood up and said, "If you speak long enough, we won't have Maths and biology lessons this morning." The children were thought to be _ before. A. as good as B. as well as C. as happy as D. much happier than Answer: D
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Question: Officials in the Midwestern U. S. town of Joplin, Missouri, say the death from Sundays' big tornado reaches 116 and that search efforts continue for possible survivors trapped in rubble . Search and rescue teams are conducting their third sweep through the nearly 10 kilometer - long and one - kilometer wide area of destruction left by the tornado. They are working as quickly as possible while weather conditions remain relatively stable. More storms are forecast for the area. Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said there are areas with large piles of rubble that might hold survivors. "We are still finding individuals. We did rescue seven individuals from underneath rubble yesterday and, of course, we are also finding dead folks as well." Said more folks and that is why we are doing these searches. We want to make every opportunity that we can to find everybody that is in the rubble and that has survived to this point." Randles said the current sweep involves a slower pace that previous searches and that he plans a fourth search, possibly on Wednesday, using specially trained dogs. "We are searching every structure that has been damaged or destroyed in a more in-depth manner, "he said." I have dogs and dog handlers coming from all over the country do help us in that effort." Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations are helping people who were left homeless by the tornado and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on hand to help. "Joplin is a great city. We have suffered a great loss, "said Rohr." We will recover and we will recover strongly and we have a lot of help and a lot of volunteers to make that easier." The tornado that struck Joplin was classified by the Natioonal Weather Service as an F - 4, with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour. It lasted only 20 minutes, but it killed more that 100 people, injured more than 400 others, and destroyed or heavily damaged some 2,000 homes, businesses, churches and a hospital. Authorities have registered more than 1,700 calls about missing people and they hope to _ most of those cases soon, as victims are identified and survivors come forth and reunite with loved ones. This was the worst tornado to strike the United States in 60 years. It was the latest in a wave of violent storms that have swept Midwestern and southern states in recent weeks, leaving more than 300 people dead an causing more than $2 billion dollars in damage. The number of death caused by the tornado that struck Joplin reached more than _ . A. 100 B. 300 C. 400 D. 1,700 Answer: A
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Question: I am Bill.I am an English teacher.My wife is Linda.She is a nurse. We have a daughter and a son. Look! These are my friends.This is Mr Black.He's a worker.He works in a shoe factory .He makes shoes.That's Mrs Black.She works in a supermarket .The girl is their daughter.She's a student.She's thirteen.The boy is their son.He is only seven years old.His name is Carl. We are good friends. Where does Mr Black work? A. He works in a school. B. He works in a shoe factory. C. He works in a shop. D. He works at home. Answer: B
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Question: Jim is my good friend. We are in the same school. He is an American. We are good friends. This is Jim's bedroom. It's not big, but new. A black desk is in the room. Some English books are on the desk. Jim's backpack is on it. The backpack is yellow, but old. What's under the red chair? It's a white cat. It's a Chinese cat. Its name is Mimi. Jim's father is in the living room. He is about fifty years old. Where is his mother? She is in the bedroom. She is a teacher. Jim's backpack is _ . A. old B. new C. in the desk D. under the desk Answer: A
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Question: Look at these things. This is Mr. Wang's ID card. And this is Jim's watch, that's Mary's key. Gina's notebook is over there. Look! What's that on the floor? Oh, it's gold ring. It's Jenny's ring. It's very nice. . Is Jenny's ring very nice? _ A. Yes, she is. B. No, she isn't. C. Yes, it is. D. No, it isn't. Answer: C
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Question: No matter who you are or where you come from, one thing is certain: you are familiar to the mosquito, although you probably wish you weren't. Mosquitoes are everywhere. They can be found all over the world, and they come in more than 2,500 species . Somewhere, at some time, you have surely met at least one. No one loves the mosquito. But unfortunately, the mosquito may decide who she loves. She? Yes, she. Do you know that only the female mosquito bites? Well, it's true. And it's not because she is unfriendly; she needs blood to reproduce. Do you know how the female mosquito decides whom to bite? She is quite selective, and she chooses her victims carefully. First, she uses sensors to find her victim. These sensors are located on her two antennae and her three pairs of legs. With these sensors, she tests your body moisture, body warmth, and chemical substances in your sweat. If she likes what she finds, she bites. But if you are not attractive, she'll reject you for another one. The next time a mosquito bites you, just remember that you are chosen. You are special. If the mosquito likes you, she settles onto your flesh very gently, and she breaks your skin with her long nose tip. Long nose tip? What's that? It's a kind of mouth and it sticks out just below the mosquito's eyes. It contains six sharp instruments called styles. She thrusts all six styles into your skin at once, and if she hits a blood pipe, she'll get a full dinner in about a minute. All this usually takes place so quickly and quietly that you may not have doubted anything is happening. Why does a mosquito bite itch ? The itch is not really from the bite. lt's from the saliva the mosquito mixes with your blood to keep it from being blocked as she sucks up her long nose tip. By the time the itch begins, she has gone. And then what happens? Well after her delicious dinner, the mosquito is tired. She just wants to find a place to rest. Heavy with your blood, she picks a spot on a leaf, a wall or a stone to quietly lay her eggs. Just one drop of blood will produce hundreds of eggs. It is _ that makes you itch. A. your blood B. her bite C. her suck D. her saliva Answer: D
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Question: The Loss of Innocence Innocence is such a precious gift. It's explained as freedom from guilt or wrong doing. Just imagine never having to worry about anything and having a guilt-free mind. Some people wish to save this kind of innocence from being lost from childhood to adulthood. What would the world be like if innocence were never lost? One way it would benefit humanity is the lack of hatred among the world. During youth, there may be an occasional argument, even a little physical fight, but nothing like firing a handgun at a fellow human being. And children are blind towards the racial differences of others. A kid will hang out with any other kid. It is the lack of innocence and the ignorance we learn from adults that influence children otherwise. Another benefit is the constant desire for fun and adventure. With very little if any time at all for fun, the adventurous mind is lost in time with the responsibilities placed upon adults. If innocence were kept alive, these ambitions would never depart from our lives. However, other people actually hate the idea of innocence lasting for ever. They feel that the lack of organization and mental power of those with innocence would cause extremely destructive consequences to society in general. A large number of individuals would never have the urge to learn, work, and act upon the necessary needs for humanity to survive. Without a proper education which is usually provided by those who no longer live in a world of innocence, people would not have the desire to succeed, get a good job in life, or provide income for their families, which would hurt the lives of children. The lack of a good education and career would also harm the economy. As long as innocence is kept alive, no one would be terribly angry at the lack of effort people put out in the workplace, resulting in a strong decline in production and quality of needed goods. Maybe it is wrong in wanting to save innocence. It sure is a nice thought, though. Perhaps innocence was meant to be lost. It was god's will to make things the way they are, and there is a good purpose for everything. All that remains to be said about innocence is to enjoy it while it lasts. According to the author, people with innocence can hurt the economy with their lack of _ . A. motivational will B. mental ability C. adventurous ambitions D. needed goods Answer: A
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Question: Statue of Liberty Basics: Statue of Liberty Phone:212-363-3200 Statue cruise phone:877-LADY-TIX Nearest subways to Statue of Liberty :4/5 to Bowling Green; N/R to Whitehall Street;1 to South Ferry (you must be in the first 5 cars of the train to exit at South Ferry). Follow the signs to Castle Clinton to buy tickets for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. There is plenty of room for running around and relaxing on Liberty Island. For children 7-12 there is a Junior Ranger Program available. Pick up a free booklet on Liberty Island. Admission to Liberty State Park is free, but you must buy a ferry ticket to get there. Statue Cruises Ferry Ticket Prices: Adult:$13; Senior Citizens (62+) $10; children (4-12)$5; Children 3 and under free. You can buy your tickets for the ferry online at http//:www.statuecruises.come/ferry-service/welcome.aspx. Ferry ticket included with the New York Pass----- present New York Pass in Castle Clinton bookstore for ticket. Statue of Liberty Tour Hours Ferries to the island leave from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Liberty Island closes at 6 pm and the last ferry returns to Battery Park by 6:30. Schedules are updated and revised frequently, so please check the official ferry schedule. Statue of Liberty Tour Reservation Climb the Crown of the Statue of Liberty with a Crown Ticket, which costs an additional $3 and includes access to the Museum and Pedestal as well. Museum/ Pedestrian Tickets are free (with ferry ticket purchase). Order your tickets in advance: 877-LADY-TIX or online when you purchase your ferry ticket. Tour tickets are time specific. If you want to buy a tour ticket in advance, you should _ A. call 212-363-3200 B. call 877-LADY-TIX C. go to Castle Clinton ` D. get a booklet on Liberty Island Answer: B
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Question: Dad had a green comb .He bought it when he married Mum. Every night,he would hand me his comb and say. "Good girl, help Daddy clean it, OK?" I was pleased to do it. At age five, this dull task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on and brush the comb carefully. Satisfied that I'd done a good job. I would happily return the comb to Dad. He would smile affectionately at me and place the comb on his wallet. Two years later. Dad started his own business, which wasn't doing so well. That was when things started to change. Dad didn't come home as early and as much as he used to. Mum and I became mad with him for placing our family in trouble. With time, an uncomfortable silence grew between us. After my graduation, Dad's business was getting back on track. On my 28th birthday. Dad came home early. As usual I helped him carry his bags into his study. When I turned to leave, he said," Hey, would you help me clean my comb?" I looked at him a while,then took the comb and headed to the sink. It hit me then: why, as a child, helping Dad clean his comb was such a pleasure. That routine meant Dad was home early to spend the evening with Mum and me. It meant a happy and loving family. I passed the clean comb back to Dad. He smiled at me and carefully placed his comb on his wallet. But this time, I noticed something different. Dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before, the smile of a father who just wanted a good life for his family. It occurred to the author that helping Dad cleaning the comb meant _ . A. she could play with water B. she could spend more time with her father C. she could have the chance to see the comb D. she could take the responsibility for the family Answer: B
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Question: Mr. Brad wants to see a film. After lunch, he goes to a cinema, buys a ticket and goes in. But after two or three minutes he comes out again and buys a second ticket and then walks in again. After a few minutes he comes out again and buys a third ticket. Two or three minutes after that, he comes out a third time and asks for another ticket. But the girl says to him, "Why are you buying all these tickets? Are you meeting your friends in the cinema all the time?" "No, I'm not doing that." Mr. Brad says, "But a big woman always stops me at the gate of the cinema and she tears all my tickets." The girl has a good laugh and says, "One ticket is enough. She is on duty." Mr. Brad buys _ tickets altogether . A. two B. three C. four D. five Answer: B
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Question: Targeting teens Using the web makes teens a target. Posting too much personal information for those millions of cyber eyes to see can cause some big problems and can even invite a threat to your life. As Mary learned, not everyone on the Internet is who he or she says they are. Adults will sometimes pose as other teens, posting fake photos and nice messages to gain trust. They use their fake identity to access the personal information of others, such as home address, phone number, or school name. "That's not the most common scenario ," says David Finkelhor, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire. "Only 3 percent of teens aged 10 to 18 who use the Internet report being asked to meet offline. But the danger is real." Safety measures Mary's Myspace profile is set to "private", which means that only the people she adds under the "friend" category can access her page. She also doesn't have any pictures of herself on her site. The only self-identifying material she has posted is her name, grade, and a list of hobbies. Stay safe and have fun online Experts say almost 90 percent of U.S. teens are online. But not everyone knows how to surf the web in a smart way. With these tips, you can have fun, stay safe, and avoid embarrassment! *Pick a safe password. Make sure your password is something that other people won't be able to guess. *Pick a safe username. Make sure yours doesn't say too much about you, "Happy girl 13" is better than "Alice Waters 13". Don't include your name, age, or where you are from. Never tell a stranger your name, school, address, age, birthday, phone number, or friends' name. In Mary's opinion, _ . A. one shouldn't trust everyone online B. one shouldn't trust anyone online C. there are many liars online D. all people online pretend to be others Answer: A
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Question: One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart." With these words, Howard Kelly left that house. Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Dressed in his doctor's clothes, Dr. Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and decided to do his best to save her life. At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to the woman's room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words: "Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr. Howard Kelly." Tear of joy flooded her eyes. The best title for this passage is _ . A. A Glass of Milk B. A Warm-hearted Woman C. The Final Bill D. A Famous Doctor Answer: A
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Question: One of the strongest arguments for the raising of the school leaving age(ROSLA)has been that it will bring us some way nearer to "equality of opportunity". Many people like to think of our present system of schooling as providing plenty of steps up the ladder of success for clever children. It would be good to think that no one who is really bright can be missed out when the state system is obviously so complete. It is obvious, for instance, that many children from less wealthy homes reach university or do well in other ways. Unfortunately we now have plenty of proofs that many children of every level of ability do much less well than they could. For instance, during the years of national military service it was possible to test the intelligence of all males 18 to 20 year old. Half of those soldiers who were placed in the two highest ability groups had left school at 15. It has also been shown that the percentage of working class children going to university is almost the same now as it was in 1939. One study of 5,000 children from birth to 21 years old shows that up to half the bright pupils from working class homes left school when they reached 16 years old. Moreover, there is no difference in intelligence between the sexes, but far more boys than girls stay in education after 16. It is clear from this and many other proofs that many children are still leaving school too early to benefit from the prizes--money, social respectability, and interesting jobs--which higher education gives. It is clear too that the reasons why such children leave have much to do with their social background. Their parents often need the extra money another money-earner would bring in; they don't value education for itself because their own was probably dull and unhappy. It is not so much that they force their sons and daughters to leave school, rather that they tend to say, "it's up to you". This article shows that equal opportunity in education A. is a thing of the past B. has not yet been achieved C. is there for those who deserve it D. has greatly improved our society Answer: B
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Question: Every four years athletes from the world take part in the Olympic Games. Both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games are held every four years. The Winter Olympic Games are usually held two years before the Summer Olympic Games. The ancient Olympic Games began around the year 776 BC in Greece. Many of the sports were the same as they are now. Some of the games in which the young men competed were: running, jumping, and wrestling. Women were not allowed to take part in the games. After about the year 393 AD the Olympic Games stopped. For centuries there were no Olympic Games. But they were not forgotten. The first Olympic Games in modern times happened in 1896. They were held in Greece--the country in which the Games were born. in the Games there were 311 competitors from 13 countries. After that more and more countries joined in the Games. In 2000, over 10,000 athletes from 227 countries went to Sydney; Australia, for the 27th Olympic Games! There are 300 different events in the Games. Horse riding, hammer throw and shooting are some of the more unusual events. The best title for the passage might be. A. Games. B. The Olympic Games C. The Ancient Olympic Games D. The Modern Olympic Games Answer: B
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Question: Herta Muller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.The award was announced in Stockholm on Thursday. Ms.Muller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987.She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Gunter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901.She is the 12th woman to win the literature prize.But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V.S.Naipaul, Ms.Muller is ly unknown outside of literary circles in Germany. "I am very surprised and still cannot believe it," Ms.Muller said in a statement delivered by her publisher in Germany."I can't say anything more at the moment." She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels "The Land of Green Plums" and "The Appointment." At the news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms.Muller, wearing all black and sitting on a leopard-print chair, appeared nervous with all the cameras flashing on her. When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Boll, Ms.Muller remained philosophical."I am now nothing better and I'm nothing worse," she said, adding: "My inner thing is writing.That's what I can hold on to." Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter England, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms.Muller was honored for her "very, very distinct special language" and because "she has really a story to tell about cruelty and repression in a village much like the one Muller grew up in." The awards ceremony is planned for Dec.10 in Stockholm.As the winner, Ms.Muller will receive about $1.4 million. According to the passage, all of the following statements are wrong EXCEPT that _ . A. she moved to Germany from Romania when she was 40 B. most of her works are very popular outside Germany C. she is the first German writer that has won the Nobel Prize in literature D. so far there are 13 winners whose works are written in German Answer: D
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Question: Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.The sense of humour ismysteriously connected with national characteristics.A Frenchman ,for instance, might find it hard to laugh at Russian joke.In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears. Most funny stories are based on comic situations.In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a worldwide request.No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say ,Charlie Chaplin's early films.However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from America, has recently come into fashion.It is called "sick humour".Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent (cause by force)death or serious accidents.Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.The following example of "sick humour" will enable you to judge for yourself. A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas.From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor tell him when he would be able to go home.He was afraid of having to spend Christmas in hospital .Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.On Christmas day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.The man took heart and, sure enough , on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital , the man drank a little more than what was good for him.In the process, he enjoyed himself and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. The man spent Christmas day feeling miserable because _ . A. the doctor had failed to cure him B. he was not able to be with his friends C. being unable to walk, he did not enjoy the celebrations at the hospital D. he thought he might also miss the New Year's Eve celebration Answer: C
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Question: Are you good with money?I learnt to be careful with it during my childhood. My father would give me some pocket money and tell me it should last for a whole week. So,I learnt I had to save some if I didn't want to run out of cash quickly. No surprise there:my dad was an accountant! It's never too early to become money savvy .That's what British personal finances expert Martin Lewis thinks. He was part of a successful campaign to include financial education on the school curriculum in England. It will be embedded in maths and citizenship education. This includes children from 5 to 16 years old. Lewis says:"We desperately need to break the cycle of financial illiteracy in the UK--one of the causes of our current economic crisis and a huge contributor to continued mis-selling epidemics ." Being careful with money pays off. Banks in Britain recently found themselves having to pay a large number of people who were persuaded to spend money and buy insurance policies they didn't need. Many wasted their money on investments which were not for them. Few have the patience to read the small print. The British say'take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves'.It means you have to watch your daily expenses and not just the big purchases in your life such as houses. Martin Lewis has made millions from his website which advises people to be thrifty and refuses any suggestion that he is mean. The expert says in an interview with the English newspaper the Daily Express:"the better you are with your cash,the better your life can be. People think I am telling them to stop spending money but I am simply telling them to spend it wisely." The financial education in England aims to _ . A. educate children to become money savvy B. avoid continued mis-selling epidemics C. help children make money D. deal with the current economic crisis Answer: A
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Question: Cause and effect is one way to explain things that happen around us. Many things happen because something caused or influenced them to happen. Sometimes it is hard to look at a cause and find out what caused or influenced them to happen. Sometimes it is hard to look at a cause and find out what causes the effect. It may help you to start with the effect and use your reasoning skills. Think about all the things you know that could be reasons for the effect you can see. For example, you may see someone putting on a heavy jacket. This is the effect. To look for a cause, think to yourself, "What would take someone put on a heavy jacket?" Maybe the person is going outside into very cold weather. Maybe the person works in the penguin pen at Sea World. Maybe the person is going to visit an ice skating rink where the air is kept very cold. All of these things could be a cause for putting on a heavy jacket. Now, think about a second example. The effect is a boy named Abi has to go to the head teacher's office. What are the possible causes? Maybe he bullied another student. Maybe he is just being picked up early. Maybe he is being given a prize! Here is another example for you to think about its cause and effect. Cait, 13, was trying to fall asleep when her 8-year-old brother, Doug, came into her room. He looked around a bit, but seemed really out of it. Then Doug went back into the hallway and stood there looking straight up at the hall light for quite a while. Little brothers can be very strange, but this was really much too strange. Cait's father appeared and explained that Doug was sleepwalking. What's the cause end effect, could you tell? ,. What was Doug doing when his sister Cait tried to fall asleep? A. He was going outside. B. He was reading a story. C. He was sleepwalking. D. He was looking for his dad. Answer: C
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Question: Singapore's public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. There are three main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city--trains, buses and taxis. TRAINS Trains run from 6:00 am to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link cars for $15, you can ride the trains and buses as you like. If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333. BUSES There are several bus services in Singapore and fares start at 80 cents. Be sure always to ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he can not give change. If you need help, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333. TAXIS There are three main taxi companies--City Cab (6552 2222), Comfor (6552 1111) and Tibs (6552 8888). Booking can also be easily by calling the numbers listed above. RENABLE CARS Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the _ of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you'll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won't let you see. For car rental, call Avis on + 65 6737 1668. By an EZ-Link care, you can take _ . A. both buses and trains B. only trains C. both buses and taxis D. only rental cars Answer: A
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Question: New changes have taken place in Paris in recent years. Paris used to be among Europe's busiest cities. Traffic jams could be seen all the time. But now there is a new 2.5 kilometre-long car-free area inside the city. The Louvre attracts world tourists. People visit there not just for the art works, but also enjoy the roof of the building which is like a flying carpet. The world's most beautiful city is now even more beautiful. Lijiang River National Park, China. Lijiang River is in Guilin. It is well-known for its clear water, limestone and green hills. The hills have beautiful names depending on different shapes, such as "Elephant Trunk". These attract many Chinese poets and artists. The best way to enjoy Lijing River is to take an 83 km boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo in summer. Zurich, Switzerland What do you think Zurich is famous for? Great banks? Yes. People can find many Swiss banks and foreign banks here. But the city is of great interest to many people for another reason. Zurich hosts Europe's largest street party each year. Its Street Parade has overtaken London's Notting Hill Carival. What's hot in the city in 2014? In August, Zurich will host the European Athletic Championships. This gives tourists a chance to see the world's top athletes making new records. Adelaide, Australia Many people may know Sydney or Melbourne. They are big cities in Australia. But Adelaide wins people's hearts with great festivals and tasty food. Adelaide Fringe Festival is the largest art festival in Australia. Every February and March, people celebrate with outdoor art works, dance performances and live music. Adelaide has many kinds of foreign foods. British fish and chips, Italian pizza and German pork can be found in most restaurants. Compared with London's Notting Hill Carnival, the Street Parade in Zurich is _ . A. even worse B. exactly the same C. much better D. less popular Answer: C
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Question: Ricky and Carmen were friends. Ricky was an inchworm. He had a skinny body and was bright green. Carmen was a ladybug. She had a round body and was red with black spots. They liked to play together in the grass. One day Ricky and Carmen were playing in the grass. Carmen saw something new. She asked Ricky, "What is that yellow thing?" Ricky did not know. They went over to the yellow thing. It was not grass. It was not alive. It was big and flat and looked like it might be fun for jumping. Carmen said, "Let's jump on it." Ricky said, "Okay, but I hope we don't get in trouble." They jumped on the big yellow thing. It was fun! They were happy jumping together! All of a sudden, the big yellow thing moved. It went up in the air. Ricky and Carmen held on. It went up and up. It went into the sky. Ricky and Carmen were scared. They wanted to get down. They shouted, "Help, help!" A bird heard them and flew over. His name was George. George said, "What's wrong? Don't you like it up here on your kite?" "No, we don't!" said Ricky. "What's a kite?" said Carmen. George told them they were on a kite. He showed them the string. He said, "You can follow that string all the way to the ground." It looked like a long way down. But they thanked George for his help and slowly crawled down the string to the ground. They were safe. How did Ricky and Carmen feel on the kite? A. Only happy. B. First scared, then happy. C. Only scared. D. First happy, then scared. Answer: D
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Question: When most people think of the Olympics, they don't think of science. But in the USA, each year, students take part in a kind of competition called the Science Olympiad. It has a lot of different events. Students go there to show how much they know about the science of music, biology, chemistry and others. My best event is forestry . This time, I went to the Olympiad with my school's team. We had worked hard, but this was the state competition. It would be hard to win. The Olympiad was out of town, so we got to ride on a bus and stay in a hotel for a night. The Olympiad was in three big rooms. When we got there, we set up our team's "camp" off to one side. The big day had come at last! First, I went to watch the tower building competition. That's when students build small towers and put heavy things on top of it. They hope they can hold them up. One of my schoolmates was putting things on her tower. She was nervous, and in the end it was too heavy for her tower to hold it--it broke! I felt bad for her. After lunch, I helped some teammates with their events. One was geography, and the other was history. I don't know much about those things, so I just watched my teammates do most of the work. At last, it was time for my favorite event--forestry. Another student was also in the forestry event. The rules were easy. We had to look at more than 40 different kinds of leaves and find out which plants they were from. We also had to answer some questions about the uses of each leaf. I knew almost all of the leaves and could answer most of the questions. I had spent more than a month studying on the Internet to get ready. At the end, it was time for the awards , I was nervous, because the forestry awards were last. We won second place in the whole state! A nice man gave me a medal and smiled at me. I had a great time at the Science Olympiad. I can't wait for next year! Choose the best answer according to the passage. The writer took part in the competition _ . A. in the morning B. at noon C. in the afternoon D. at night Answer: C
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Question: Food or friends? Lip salve or iPod? What is the most important thing in the US teenagers' lives today? Let's take a look. Some find that they can't do without people. "My biggest need is my friends. Without them, I wouldn't do much," said Adrian Fernandez, a 14-year-old boy. With others, food always comes first. "I do not think that I could live without chili con carne . I eat it every day. And if I didn't have it, it's all I would think about," said Max Wu, an 8th-grade boy. Sometimes, the things teenagers can't do without are strange. Take 14-year-old girl Hannah Sacchini for example. "I cannot live without lip salve, especially in winter," said Hannah Sacchini. "I go mad if my lips get dry." Of course, today everybody uses mobile phones and computers. Some teens can't live without these high-tech things. Justin Beck, a 15-year-old boy, feels like this: "I would not be able to live without my iPod. I use it for so many different things. I always have it with me," he said. So, now we know the things US kids really must have. What about you and your classmates? What can't you live without? ,. (10) Hannah Sacchini will become _ if her lips get dry. A. fat B. excited C. shy D. annoyed Answer: D
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Question: Library Special Needs Service Shellharbour City Library provides a rang of Library Special Needs Service for people who are unable to access our library service in the usual way. As long as you live in Shellharbour City, we'll provide a full rang of library services and resources including: * Large printed and ordinary printed books * Talking books on tape and CD * DVDs and music CDs * Magazines * Reference and information requests You will be asked to complete a 'Statement of Need' application form which must be signed by a medical professional. Home delivery service Let us know what you like to read and we will choose the resources for you.Our staff will deliver the resources to your home for free. We also provide a service where we can choose the resources for you or someone instead of you choose the things from the library .You can also choose the resources you need personally. Talking books and captioned videos The library can provide talking books for people who are unable to use printed books because of eye diseases. You don't have to miss out on reading any more when you can borrow talking books from the library. If you have limited hearing which prevents you from enjoying movies, we can provide captioned videos for you at no charge. Languages besides English We can provide books in a rang of languages besides English. If possible, we will request these items from the State Library of NSW, Australia. How to join? Contact the Library Special Needs Coordinator to register or discuss if you are eligible for any of the services we provide ---Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am ---5pm on 4297 2522 for more information. How can you learn more about the special service information? A. By emailing the library. B. By visiting the library personally. C. By contacting the library on weekends. D. By phoning the library at the required time. Answer: D
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Question: Have your parents ever inspected your room to see if you cleaned it properly? Imagine having your entire houses, garage, and yard inspected at any time -- with no warning. Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse living, and a keeper's reputation depended on results. A few times each year, an inspector arrived to look over the entire light station. The inspections were supposed to be a surprise, but keeper sometimes had advance notice. Once lighthouses had telephones, keepers would call each other to warn that the inspector was approaching. After boats began flying special flags noting the inspector aboard, the keeper's family made it a game to see who could notice the boat first. As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes. The keeper then scurried to put on his dress uniform and cap. Children of keepers remember inspectors wearing white gloves to run their fingers over door frames and windowsills looking for dust. Despite the serious nature of inspections, they resulted in some funny moments. Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. At the time, people did not have dishwashers in their homes. In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth and stuck them in the oven. If the inspector opened the oven door, it would look like bread was baking. he never did. One day, Glenn Furst's mother put oil on the kitchen floor just before the inspector entered their house. Like floor wax, the oil made the floors shiny and helped protect the wood. This time, though, she used a little too much oil. When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface. "He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight," Glenn late wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened. The family began making preparations immediately after _ . A. one of the members saw the boat B. a warning call reached the lighthouse C. the keeper put on the dress uniform and cap D. the inspector flew special flags in the distance Answer: A
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Question: Civil Affairs and Public Security Departments have been urged to take comprehensive steps to help children who are begging on the nation's streets and are often abused. Premier Wen Jiabao said during his online chat with netizens, China Daily reported. Wen said he has paid close attention to the ongoing micro blog campaign that calls on concerned netizens to post photos of children begging on the streets in the hope that police will rescue them and return them to their families. There are many reasons why children turn to begging, including poverty and family problems. Joint efforts will help end the problem. His remarks were welcomed by Yu Jianrong, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who starts the online campaign to on child begging. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) also released a statement encouraging people to contact the police if they find any suspect who abuses, or forces juveniles to beg on the streets. People can either call 110 and or dial 12338 and connect with a hotline set up by the ACWF. The statement was reported by Xinhua News Agency. The micro blog campaign has gained support from charities, and other social institutions since it was launched in January. One Foundation, a Shenzhen-based charity, set up a fund on Feb 19 for a database for sharing information about missing children So far, One Foundation has raised 720,000 yuan ($109,500). Meanwhile, Shanghai Time Plastic Surgery Hospital has offered free plastic surgery to Ren Fangfang, an 8-year-old girl who suffered physical abuse at the hands of a man who used her to beg for him. What's the main purpose of the online blog campaign started by Yu Jianrong? A. To draw the top leader's attention to the child beggars. B. To call for comprehensive steps from the government. C. To gain support from charities and other social institutions. D. To post photos of child beggars and help them go back home. Answer: C
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Question: What must you do when you receive a present for your birthday? You have to sit down and write a thank-you note. The word "thanks" is very important. We have to use them very often. We say them when someone gives us drink, helps us to pick up things, hands us a letter or lends us a book. It is rude to ask someone to do something without saying "please". We have to use it when we ask for something, too. It may be a book or a pencil, more rice or help. We have to use "please" to make request pleasant. We have to learn to say "sorry", too. When we have hurt someone, we'll have to go up and say we're sorry. When we have forgotten something, we will say "sorry". We can make people forget wrong by saying it. These three words are simple but important. Our children must learn to use them. They are pleasing words to use in any language. When we receive a birthday present, we have to_. A. return it B. give it to one of our friends C. do nothing D. write a thank-you note Answer: D
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Question: Please excuse me if I'm a little quiet today. Mark is leaving, and I'm kind of sad. You probably don't know Mark, but you might know someone like him. He has been the heart and soul of the office for years. He has never been interested in getting praise for the wonderful work he does. He just does his job - very well. We're pleased that he is moving on to new, better things. But this doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to change things. A nice neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love through marriage. Our ability to deal with change and disruption decides to a great degree, our peace, happiness and satisfaction in life. But how do we do that? Chris the California surfer, once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow." "It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride them where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. You're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get it. But mostly you just take them the way they come." I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events -- both good and bad. There will always be things over which you have no control. The truly successful person expects the unexpected and is prepared to make adjustments . Don't stop trying to make all your dreams come true. But when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, work around them -- and then move on. We're going to miss Mark. But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting , we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future -- for him, and for us. We'll go out and do everything that we can to make that future happen. Which of the following is TRUE according to the article? A. The author cannot understand why so many things are changing. B. The author's sadness for Mark's leaving will last a long time. C. The author is pleased as well as sad that Mark is leaving. D. The author thinks it is too easy for us to get used to things. Answer: C
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Question: In late March,Southwest University became the first school in China to open a 24-hour hotline providing suicide-prevention counseling. College suicide is a heart-breaking and argumentative topic.Chinese college students have long been the focus of public attention:their youth,education and,most importantly, bright futures make them the envy of society. However, in recent years,we've read more reports of student suicides.Perhaps that's simply because of society's attention with youth.But it could also signify the increasing troubled mental state of college students. Many studies have sought to find out the causes of student suicides.Not surprisingly, the top factors usually include psychological and physical sickness,emotional trouble and peer pressure. Despair about their futures is also quickly becoming a leading factor:Many students say they feel hopeless and confused about the direction of their careers in a crowded job market. Thankfully, more and more universities and colleges are providing counseling services to address students'mental and psychological problems.These at least offer some comfort to students facing tough job prospects and personal difficulties. From appointing in-house student counselors to setting up hotlines and recruiting students to help their troubled peers.many universities are making efforts to fight student depression.There is no denying that much remains to be done,but such efforts are already working,helping students and saving lives. However, the most important front in this battle lies with the students themselves.Whatever efforts school officials make,it is up to students to realize their problems and ask help.Unfortunately, many students considering suicide refuse to seek help.By shutting themselves away, they can easily fall into vicious cycles ,becoming ever more vulnerable to.personal difficulties and the pressures of the outside world. While establishing better on-campus psychological education and outreach programs are a step forward,students themselves must actively reach out for help.These dangers are a reality for every student not only those who feel confused and depressed. What is the key to avoid student suicides? A. Parents communicate with their children and understand them. B. Colleges and universities offer more help to students. C. Students themselves realize their problems and seek help from others. D. Friends give more comfort and show more understanding to the problem students. Answer: C
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Question: From 2008 to 2018, the concentration of single carbon molecules bonded with two oxygen molecules present in the air has dramatically A. sharply declined B. grown C. decreased D. polluted public opinion Answer: B
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Question: About a year ago, if you had asked who Dinara Safina was the answer would have been: "She is Marat. Safin's younger sister." Back then she was overshadowed by her wonder brother. But now she has made a name for herself: the world No. 1 player in women's tennis. The 22-year-old Russian. will overtake Serena Williams of the prefix = st1 /USfor top ranking on April 20. "Before, every place I go, I am Marat's sister. Nothing else," she told New York Times. "I always wanted to be myself, and now finally the results are coming, and people can know me as Dinara Satina." Safina has made it to two great event finals, in the 2008 French and in this year's Australian Open, and won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympic Games. Clearly; family isn't the only connection Safina's and her brother share. Both of their DNA burns with competitive fire. Satin has held the distinction for years of being a hot tempered player on Court. When he lost his temper, he would break a racket . Safina is as emotionally explosive as her brother. A headline in the newspaper The Australian once described her as "mad as a snake". The Sydney Morning Herald, during the Australian Open, summed up Safina's volatile emotional state with the headline: "Satina goes from basket case to top of the world." It's not rare for a family to have two top tennis players. Safina's father owns a tennis academy and her mother worked as a coach. "I had no choice but to become a tennis player, but I don't mind being a tennis player," Safina said. From this talented family she is also given one of her best weapons on court, her size. She is 1.82 meters tall and Weighs 70 kg. But it is hard work that led her to her recent Success. "I hope to prove to everyone over the coming months that I deserve the honor of being world No. 1," she said. What can we learn from this passage? A. Family plays an role in shaping world-rank players. B. As long as you have the same size as Safina, you are surely to succeed. C. Safina hasn't been getting along with her brother for being ill-tempered. D. Fine qualities help to make a top player, counting hard work. Answer: D
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Question: It's well known that our human memory can fail us. People can be forgetful, and they can sometimes also "remember" things incorrectly, with damaging consequences in the classroom, courtroom, and other areas of life. Now, researchers show for the first time that bumblebees can be unreliable witnesses too. Bumblebees are rather clever animals, which explains why Chittka has been studying learning and memory in the insects for the last 20 years. Most times when people have studied memory in animals, errors in performance have been taken to mean that the animals failed to learn the task or perhaps learned it and then forgot. But what if animals can experience a more interesting type of memory failure? To find out, Chittka first trained bumblebees to expect a reward when visiting a yellow artificial flower followed by one with black-and-white rings. During subsequent tests, bees were given a choice between three types of flowers. Two were the types they'd seen in the training before. The third had yellow-and-white rings, representing a mixed-up version of the other two. Minutes after the training, the bees showed a clear preference for the flower that recently rewarded them. One or three days later, however, something very different happened when the bumblebees' memory was put to the test. At first, the bees showed the same preference displayed in the earlier tests, but as the time went on, they began selecting the flower with yellow rings, even though they'd never actually seen that one in training before. Chittka says that insects make similar errors in the conjunction of long-term memories as humans do. The ability to extract common features between different events in the environment might come at the expense of remembering every detail correctly. In bees, with their limited brain capacity , the pressure to store main features of several objects rather than each individual object might be much greater, compared with humans. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? A. Human memory can fail sometimes. B. Bumblebees make false memories too. C. Humans are not as clever as bumblebees. D. Bumblebees have extraordinary memory. Answer: B
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Question: Grandmother's Favourite Doll A little girl had a doll. She loved it so much that she would treat it with great care, even though her friends would laugh at her for being so careful. As time passed, the girl grew up, moved houses, became an adult, married, had children, and finally became a lovely little old woman with many grandchildren. One day, she returned to her hometown, found her _ house, and went in. Among hundreds of old things, the now-old little girl found her doll. It was as well looked after as before. She took it home with her and gave it to her granddaughter. Her granddaughter loved it. Each time the old woman saw her granddaughter playing with the doll, tears of joy would roll down her cheeks . She was so glad to see now it was in the hands of her granddaughter. Whenever she saw her granddaughter playing with the doll, she would _ . A. feel very excited and joyful B. think of her old friends C. want to buy her granddaughter a new doll D. wish to go back to her hometown again Answer: A
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Question: At least 3 people are dead in the Philippines now that Typhoon Hagupit has landed. The typhoon, which hit the eastern Philippines over the weekend, has blown down trees and sent more than 650thousand people into shelters before weakening. "There were very strong winds last night. The roof was beginning to move, and rain was getting inside the rooms," said a villager. The storm hit with gusts of over 100 miles per hour. And while the storm has slowed considerably from the super typhoon level it had last week, Hagupit still remains strong enough to create more damage. Christopher Perez is a local weather forecaster. He says, "We are continuing to expect bad weather and rough ocean waves. Threats of possible flash floods and landslides as well as possible storm waves are occurring in coastal areas." Hagupit is expected to roll into the South China Sea tomorrow. It's currently going westward toward the southern tip of Vietnam, meaning it's unlikely to affect China. Hagupit's strength in the Philippines is much less severe than Typhoon Haiyan, which rolled through the country in 2013. Haiyan's tsunamilike storm waves and killer winds left thousands of people dead and _ . The central Philippines is still trying to recover from last year's massive storm waves. We can know from the passage that the Typhoon Hagupit is _ . A. getting stronger B. weakening C. going to affect China soon D. moving more than 120 miles per hour Answer: B
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Question: The Greens are English. Now they are in Beijing. This is their first visit to China. They are going to stay in China for three weeks. They want to visit some big cities and villages. They want to learn some Chinese. Mr Green is driver. He likes driving in Beijing very much. Mrs Green is a teacher. She is visiting a middle school near Beijing. Their son Jim is a middle school student. He meets some Chinese students, and he likes to speak English with them. They take a lot of photos in China. When they are back in English, they are going to show the photos to their friends. They want the English people to know more about China. Mrs Green's _ is a middle school student. A. daughter B. son C. sister D. brother Answer: B
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Question: Michael's birthday was coming soon, so he asked his dad for a bicycle so that he would not need to walk to school anymore. However, Michael's dad had lost his job and did not have much money. Michael got a book instead. One bright and sunny day while Michael was walking past a store on his way to school, he saw a big boy on a bike. The bike was too small for the boy. As the boy was turning around a corner, the bike skidded on a small pool of water and he fell off the bike. The boy was also in Michael's school. The boy's name was William. William seemed to have broken his leg. Michael picked up William's bike and rode to the nearby hospital to get help. A few minutes later, an ambulance came and brought William to the hospital. Michael rode William's bike to school so he would not be late for class. After school, Michael quickly rode the bicycle to William's house with a book and a magazine. William was not too seriously hurt. He went home after his leg was put in a cast . To Michael's surprise, William was getting a new bike on his birthday in two months' time and Michael could have William's old bike. Michael was very happy. From then on, Michael and William became good friends. Michael visited William every day till William's leg got well again. Which of the following is true? A. William hit Michael on his way to school. B. William gave his old bicycle to Michael. C. Michael broke his leg in the accident. D. Michael was late for school. Answer: B
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Question: On New Year's Day, many people eat special food for good luck. In Spain and some Latin American countries ,people eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve--One grape for good luck in each month of the new year. Chinese people eat dumplings. Some are made with a coin inside. Everyone tries to find the coin for good luck and money in the new year. Of course they don't eat the coin . In the south of China, people make rice cakes for New Year. The Chinese pronunciation for rice cake is "Nian Gao", which means "get better year after year". Japanese people eat noodles on New Year's Eve and on their birthdays. They think it may bring them good luck and long life. The food may be different in each country, but the meaning is the same---people hope the food will bring them luck and happiness(,) in the coming year. What's the meaning for Japanese noodles on New Year's Eve? A. good luck B. long life C. money D. both A and B Answer: D
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Question: Dear Annie, Thank you for your letter. I'm glad you like your school. I go to school from Monday to Friday. We have four classes in the morning and two classes in the afternoon. We have many things to do after class. On Monday and Wednesday afternoon we do sports. On Tuesday afternoon some of us have a singing class and on Thursday afternoon some have a drawing class. On Friday afternoon, we practice speaking English. My Chinese friends like to talk with me in English. They think I am like an English teacher. Isn't it great? On Saturdays and Sundays I don't go to school. Very often I go to the parks and have a good time with my family there. Yours, Henry How many classes does Henry have on Thursday? A. six B. four C. five D. two Answer: A
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Question: American beekeeping operations have been hit hard by what scientists call colony collapse disorder(C.C.D.). Almost half of their worker bees have disappeared during the past season. C.C.D. has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America. Bees fly away from the hive and never return. Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found. Many crops and trees depend on pollination by bees to help them grow. A new report says virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies in the United States. This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus. It was first identified in Israel in 2004. Ian Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in Science magazine. Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause. He says it may work with other causes to produce the collapse disorder. The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published last year. They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder. They found evidence of the virus in twenty-five of them, and in one healthy colony. The next step is further testing of healthy hives. The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from Australia. They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected. The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has not been hurt by the varroa mite . This insect attacks honey bees, which could make the disorder more likely to affect a hive. Australian bee producers reject these suspicions. And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because of the weather. Honey bees gather nectar from flowers and trees. The sweet liquid gives them food and material to make honey. But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of nectar in many flowers. Many bees may have starved. Dry weather in areas of the country could also be playing a part. Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time. He lives in central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in 1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country. How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage? A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six. Answer: A
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Question: Why do plants grow in some places and not in others? Why does some land have so much growing on it, while other land has almost no plants growing on it at all? To grow, plants need several things. One is warmth. In very cold places almost nothing grows. Plants also need water. In very dry parts of the Earth only a few unusual plants can grow. That's why dry deserts everywhere are almost not covered by trees or grass. Plants must also have a place in which to put down their roots and grow. They find it difficult to grow on hard land. The town is built on hard land. The plants here have only the soil found between the _ cracks of the stones to grow in. Another thing plants must have before they can grow is food. What will happen if we try to make things grow on the sandy beach? A few plants, such as beach grass, will grow in sand, but most plants won't. Even if the weather is warm enough and we water the plants each day, many of them will die because the sand on this beach has almost no food for plants. The passage can most probably be found in a_book. A. science B. history C. travel D. math Answer: A
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Question: Birds that do not receive adequate nutrition during development sing less often and for shorter periods of time as adult birds. Which best describes the outcome of nutritional stress in these songbirds? A. They are less likely to ward off predators. B. They are less likely to obtain good nesting sites. C. They are less likely to find adequate food supplies. D. They are less likely to attract mates and pass on their genes. Answer: D
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