While small may be beautiful，tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems，particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB)，which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall，has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants.Beds that are too small，shower heads that are too low，and restaurant tables with hardly any legroom all make life difficult for those of above average height，it says.
But it is not just the extratall whose needs are not being met.The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds，doorways，and chairs has remained unchanged.
“The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it，so even a kingsize bed at 6′6″ (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men，while the standard 6′3″ bed caters for less than half of the male population，” said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy，“Sevenfoot beds would work fine.”
Similarly，restaurant tables can cause no end of problems.Small tables，which mean the longlegged have to sit a foot or so away from them，are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note，however.At Queens Moat Houses’ Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh，6′6″ beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors，particularly Americans. (2011·新课标全国，B)
1.What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign?
A．To provide better services.
B．To rebuild hotels and restaurants.
C．To draw public attention to the needs of the tall.
D．To attract more people to become its members.
2.Which of the following might be a bed of proper length according to Phil Heinricy?
A．7′2″. B．7′. C．6′6″. D．6′3″.
3.What may happen to restaurants with small tables?
A．They may lose some customers.
B．They may start businesses elsewhere.
C．They have to find easy chairs to match the tables.
D．They have to provide enough space for the longlegged.
4.What change has already been made in a hotel in Edinburgh?
A．Tall people pay more for larger beds.
B．6′6″ beds have taken the place of 6′3″ beds.
C．Special rooms are kept for Americans.
D．Guest rooms are standardized.
The Best of Alaska
Nothing evokes(唤起) Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river.Combine these images with high mountains，brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska!
Join us for an unforgettable 7day excursion(远足) to the last frontier！Additional highlights include：a scenic flight over Glacier Bay National Park，a rafting trip through the heart of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve，historic Skagway，a whale watching cruise and the company of knowledgeable local guides.
HIGHLIGHTS：
JUNEAU：Juneau，the state capital，is rich in culture and scenic beauty.It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES：Haines is a small community located along the fiords(峡湾)．The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska.In 2004，Haines was listed by Outside Magazine and National Geographic Adventure as one of the best places for recreation and living.The activities listed below are located in Haines.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS：Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes.Alaska Indian Arts is also the headquarters for several of Alaska’s outstanding craftsmen and artisans.We spend a few hours learning carving，native beading(串珠饰) and culture from these master artists.
SKAGWAY：Skagway is famous for its role in the Klondike Gold Stampede over 100 years ago.Today，it is a historic yet lively town，which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colourful shops.In Skagway，we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor’s Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS：Gustavus is the gateway to the Glacier Bay National Park.We’ll stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights.This will be the base for both the whalewatching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay.
DATES/PRICES：
May 16，June 20，July 18，August 15.
7 days—$3,500，including lodging，all meals，excursions，guides，park fees，sales taxes，and transportation between Juneau，Skagway，Haines，and Gustavus.Not included：alcohol，personal items，airfare to and from Juneau.
CONTACTS：
Email：info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call：(800)7663396
Write：Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School
P．O.Box 1081，Haines AK 99827
1.You can feel the history of the local place at ______.
A．Juneau B．Skagway
C．Haines D．Gustavus
2.You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at ________.
A．the Glacier Bay National Park
B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park
C．the White Pass Yukon
D．the Northwest Native Tribes
3.According to the advertisement，the participants of the excursion ________.
A．will spend one day experiencing the local culture at Alaska Indian Arts
B．can contact Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School by email or fax
C．are able to experience some adventurous activities in Haines
D．can get lots of traditional native artworks free of charge
4.Which of the following requires participants to pay additional fees?
A．Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train.
B．A full day cruise in Glacier Bay.
C．Having the last supper at Juneau.
D．Flying from Juneau to their hometowns.
We come by business naturally in our family.Each of the seven children in our family worked in our father’s store.As we worked and watched，we ____ that work was about more than ____ and making a sale.
One lesson stands out in my mind.It was shortly before Christmas.I was in eighth grade and was working evenings，straightening the toy section.A little boy，five or six years old，came in.He was wearing a brown torn coat with ____ sleeves.His shoes were scuffed(磨损) and his one shoelace was torn.The little boy looked poor to me—too poor to ____ to buy anything.He looked around the toy section，picked up this item and that，and ____ put them back in their place.
Dad came down the stairs and walked over to the boy.His steel blue eyes ____ and the dimple(酒窝) in his cheek stood out as he ____ the boy what he could do for him.The boy said he was looking for a Christmas ___ for his brother.I was impressed that Dad treated him with the same ____ as any adult.Dad told him to take his ___ and look around.He did.
After about 20 minutes，the little boy picked up a toy plane，walked up to my dad and said, “How much for this，Mister？”
“How much you ____？” Dad asked.
The little boy held out his hand and ___ it.His hand was creased(起皱) with ____ lines of dirt from holding his ____ too tightly.In his hand lay only 27 cents.The ____ on the toy plane he’d ____ was $3.98.
“That’ll just ___ it，” Dad said as he made the sale.Dad’s reply still ____ in my ears.When the little boy walked out of the store，I didn’t notice the worn coat or the ____ torn shoelace.What I saw was a happy child with a ____.
1.A.showed B．heard
C．learned D．guessed
2.A.survival B．pleasure
C．trouble D．expectation
3.A.short B．dirty
C．tight D．colorful
4.A.intend B．attempt
C．afford D．decide
5.A.suddenly B．differently
C．happily D．carefully
6.A.closed B．smiled
C．shone D．focused
7.A.asked B．told
C．showed D．called
8.A.tree B．card
C．present D．cake
9.A.friendship B．respect
C．support D．favor
10.A.effort B．word
C．time D．courage
11.A.paid B．earned
C．lost D．got
12.A.cleaned B．opened
C．gave D．turned
13.A.lonB．thin
C．wet D．flat
14.A.toy B．pocket
C．hand D．money
15.A.price B．number
C．quality D．value
16.A.carried out B．picked out
C．put out D．pulled out
17.A.change B．cover
C．need D．take
18.A.rings B．stays
C．runs D．pauses
19.A.clean B．normal
C．single D．double
20.A.choice B．hope
C．package D．treasure
In Asia，there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them.Although all kites have a similar structure(结构)，they are widely different in size and shape.Kitefighting competitions are also held，in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponents’(对手) kites or cut their strings(线)．
For more than 15 years，the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kitemaking and kiteflying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii.In its kitemaking lessons，students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes！Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite.Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980.Their kites are made of nylon(尼龙)．Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne.The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite.
The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern.The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a twostring controllable kite.Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in.Then the controls are given to the students.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites.Even the simplest structure can work，and can give hours of fun.Go on，give it a try！
(2012·安徽，D)
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．A hot knife is used to iron the nylon.
B．Children never fly kites on their own in flying lessons.
C．Kite strings must not be cut in kitefighting competitions.
D．Daphne designs kites for the Big Wind Kite Factory.
2. What is different about the kite used for flying lessons?
A．It has two strings.
B．It is simple in design.
C．It has a rainbow pattern.
D．It is shaped like a diamond.
3. According to Jonathan，what do you need to have fun with kites?
A．A large kite.
B．Any type of kite.
C．A complex structure.
D．A kite that impresses others.
4.What is mainly described in the text?
A．A kite factory.
B．Kiteflying lessons.
C．Special competitions.
D．The kitemaking process.
Boiler rooms are often dirty and steamy，but this one is clean and cool.Fox Point is a very new 47unit living building in South Bronx，one of the city’s poorest areas.Twothirds of the people living there are formerly (以前) homeless people，whose rent is paid by the government.The rest are lowincome families.The boiler room has special equipment，which produces energy for electricity and heat.It reuses heat that would otherwise be lost to the air，reducing carbon emissions(碳排放)while also cutting costs.
Fox Point is operated by Palladia，a group that specializes in providing housing and services to needy people.Palladia received support from Enterprise Community Partners (ECP)，which helps build affordable housing by providing support to housing developers.
ECP has created national standards for healthy，environmentally (环境方面) clever and affordable homes which are called the Green Communities Standards.These standards include water keeping，energy saving and the use of environmentally friendly building materials.Meeting the standards increases housing construction costs by 2%，which is rapidly paid back by lower running costs.Even the positioning of a window to get most daylight can help save energy.
Michael Bloomberg，New York’s mayor，plans to create 165,000 affordable housing units for 500,000 New Yorkers.Almost 80% of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings，and 40% of those are caused by housing.So he recently announced that the city’s Department of Housing and Preservation and Development (DHPD)，whose duty is to develop and keep the city’s supply of affordable housing，will require all its new projects to follow ECP’s green standards.
Similar measures have been taken by other cities，such as Cleveland and Denver，but New York’s DHPD is the largest city developer of affordable housing in the country.(2010·四川，B)
1.What is the purpose of describing the boiler rooms in the first paragraph?
A．To explain the measures the city takes to care for poor people.
B．To suggest that affordable housing is possible in all areas.
C．To show how the environmentfriendly building works.
D．To compare old and new boiler rooms.
2.What is an advantage of the buildings meeting the Green Communities Standards?
A．Lower running costs.
B．Costing less in construction.
C．Less air to be lost in hot days.
D．Better prices for homeless people.
3.It can be learned from the text that________.
A．New York City is seriously polluted
B．people’s daily life causes many carbon emissions in New York City
C．a great number of people in New York City don’t have houses to live in
D．some other cities have developed more affordable housing than New York City
4.What is the main purpose of this text?
A．To call on people to pay more attention to housing problems.
B．To prove that some standards are needed for affordable housing.
C．To ask society to help homeless people and lowincome families.
D．To introduce healthy，environmentally clever and affordable housing.
A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States.The woman had visited major businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.
“I studied English before I left home，”she said.“But I still was not sure that people were speaking English.”
Her problem is easy to understand.Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere.They have a language of their own.Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work.Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.
One such saying is “get your act together”．
When things go wrong in a business，an employer may get angry.He may shout，“Stop making mistakes.Get your act together.”
Or，if the employer is calmer，he may say，“Let us get our act together.”
Either way，the meaning is the same.Getting your act together is getting organized.In business，it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.
It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began.But，it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry.Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes.The director may have said，“Calm down，now.Get your act together.”
Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late 1970s.Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in 1978.The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.
Now，this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet.One company even called its yearly report，“Getting Our Act Together.”
The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people.It is cut to the chase.
She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company.One official was giving a very long report.It was not very interesting.In fact，some people at the meeting were falling asleep.
Finally，the president of the company said，“Cut to the chase.”
Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material.Hurry and get to the good part.
Naturally，this saying was started by people who make movies.Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies.Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars，or in airplanes or on foot.
Cut is the director’s word for stop.The director means to stop filming，leave out some material，and get to the chase scene now.
So，if your employer tells you to cut to the chase，be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.
1.After the woman visited the United States she might feel that ________.
A．her English was poor
B．it’s easy to master English
C．it’s difficult to make money
D．people there weren’t very friendly
2.In which situation could the words “get your act together” be used?
A．A task is completed successfully.
B．Players perform badly in a match.
C．Audience is satisfied with the actor’s performance in a movie.
D．Visitors make a tiresome and unpleasant trip to someplace.
3.According to the text，the expression “get one’s act together” ________.
A．was first used by a Japanese businesswoman
B．was forbidden to be used in the government policy
C．originally came from a yearly report of a company
D．was commonly read by readers in a newspaper in 1978
4.What do the sayings “get your act together” and “cut to the chase” have in common?
A．Their use. B．Their meaning.
C．Their origin. D．Their popularity.
