I went to India for a 2-week vacation to visit my relatives. We stopped on a red light, and as always, there were a lot of activities outside the cars near the . People walked in, between the cars newspaper, water and a number of kids looked for a bit of charity from the car owners. It’s a familiar in most poor developing countries.
While we were for the red light to turn green, I noticed a man outside a couple of in front of ours trying to sell bottles of water. It’s unusual at first. He was a man in his 40s with relatively clothes. But he walked around in a strange way. He kind of his way around the spaces. He was blind.
Carrying a couple of water bottles on one hand, he got to the outside of our car. Out of , my mum decided to buy one water bottle. As she gave the man the money, the light turned green. The car behind sounded loudly and , trying to get ahead of traffic. Seeing this, my mum kindly told the man to the change. However, with his sense of touch, he quickly went through his shirt pocket and threw the money at my mum’s . It was the exact change. The cars behind us were really getting out of control, we decided to go on our way.
I broke down and even when I got home. Here’s a blind man, born in , trying to sell water bottles on the streets to make ends meet. He our sympathy. Life hasn’t been to him, yet he’s giving it his best shot. I think that is what is all about facing life bravely.
1. A. signs B. crossroads C. stations D. theatre
2. A. giving B. buying C. selling D. throwing
3.A. scene B. play C. activity D. street
4.A. watching B. asking C. waiting D. changing
5.A. blocks B. crossings C. turns D. cars
6.A. everything B. something C. anything D. nothing
7.A. expensive B. fashionable C. ragged D. splendid
8.A. pushed B. drove C. cleared D. felt
9.A. eventually B. quickly C. frequently D. happily
10.A. curiosity B. sympathy C. thirsty D. politeness
11.A. impatiently B. casually C. naturally D. carefully
12.A. keep B. return C. borrow D. count
13.A. searched for B. went through C. turned over D. looked for
14.A. hand B. arm C. face D. lap
15.A. still B. yet C. so D. but
16.A. gave up B: set off C. held on D. broke down
17.A. pain B. poverty C. sadness D. loneliness
18.A. refused B. enjoyed C. doubted D. cheated
19.A. rich B. unfair C. kind D. bad
20.A. kindness B. courage C experience D. challenge
Every year, it costs British students more and more to attend university. 1. So is a university degree really worth it?
In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. As a result, more than 80% of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. 2. The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around ￡12,000. Students of medicine, who study for longer, usually have debts of more than ￡20,000. That is a lot of money. 3. They even struggle to pay rent on a house, because they have to start paying back the student loan after graduating.
You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in “white-collar jobs” seem to have a degree these days, so there is a lot of competition. 4. Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often over-qualified for the work they are doing. While at university, they had dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job. Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates.
5. Students have always been seen as not having a lot of money, but “student poverty” is now considered a real problem in the UK. Most British students expect to get a loan, part-time job or summer job. Worse still, however, an increasing number of students turn to crime to support themselves.
A. They are graduating with larger and larger debts.
B. All these lead to the reevaluation of a university degree.
C. It means graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years.
D. Sometimes they have to borrow money from relatives and friends.
E. If solved improperly, the debts might cause serious social problems.
F. They use the loan to pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses.
G. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper.
People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. “Today we’re looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow’s reality—the driverless car.” The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the US government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
“Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are making Hondas safer,” said Angie Nucci of Honda America. “A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes.” Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers, but don’t replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
“By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident,” Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. “It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first.”
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
B. Driverless cars are pointing us a faraway future.
C. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
D. Google’s self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
2.We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
A. helped design self-driving cars
B. supports self-driving cars on roads
C. considers self-driving cars science fiction
D. improved the self-driving car systems
3.According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?
A. They are not allowed to run on the road.
B. Their technical problems remain to be solved.
C. They are now too expensive for consumers.
D. They are more dangerous for people on the street.
4.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. The Benefits of the Self-driving Cars
B. The Biggest Challenge of the Self-driving Cars
C. Safer or More Dangerous Self-driving Cars
D. Self-driving Cars—Science Fiction Future Is Near
A Southampton University team found that people who were vegetarians by 30 had recorded five IQ points higher on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with a higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 people was reported in the British Medical Journal.
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarians — although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
Men who were vegetarians had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in the IQ scores, between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarians but reported eating fish or chicken.
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said, “The findings that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarians as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why a higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said，“It is like the chicken and egg. Do people become vegetarians because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they are clever enough to be more aware of health issues？”
1.What’ s the result of the research mentioned in the text?
A. Children with a higher IQ are less likely to have heart disease later in life.
B. Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life.
C. Intelligent children tend to belong to higher social class later in life.
D. Children with a healthier heart tend to have a higher IQ later in life.
2.It was found in the research that________.
A. most of the participants became vegetarians 20 years after the IQ tests were carried out
B. female vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians
C. vegetarians who ate fish or chicken were of similar intelligence with strict vegetarians
D. vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians
3.Catharine Gale talked about “being vegetarians” in a(n)________way.
A. doubtful B. favorable
C. negative D. objective
4.What’ s the best title for the text?
A. Get more IQ points!
B. Be a vegetarian, please!
C. A high IQ is linked to being a vegetarian
D. Vegetarian diet cuts heart risk
HOTEL INFORMATION
Baymont Inn Ft.Lauderdale
3800 W．Commercial, Ft. Lauderdale．FL 33309
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Room Information
Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen , or King bed (s) , smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each spacious guest room is a hair dryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, 25’TV and guest voice mail．
Check-in Time：7:00 P. M.
Hotel Amenities：Air Conditioned, Free Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available．
Beach Plaza Hotel
625 N．Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft．Lauderdale, FL 33304
Room Information
The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach．Each room features direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service．The very affordable efficiency studios even include full kitchens! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard．
Check-in Time：7:05 P. M.
Hotel Amenities：Air Conditioned, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable．
Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel
3711 N．Ocean Blvd, Ft．Lauderdale, FL 33308
Room Information
Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies．
Check-in Time：7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities：Parking，Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room．
1.Which hotel gives a promise?
A．Beach Plaza Hotel． B．Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale．
C．Baymont Inn Hotel． D．Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
2.In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A．Beach Plaza Hotel． B．Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale．
C．Baymont Inn Hotel． D．Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
3.If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel．
A．enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room
B．want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel
C．are fond of swimming in heated water
D．are a cigarette smoker
4.Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
A．In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available．
B．All of the three hotels provide television with cable．
C．You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
D．While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet．
There has been an outpouring of love for a 23-year-old disabled woman whose dog was killed in front of her while a groomer(美容师) tried to trim(修剪) its claws.
Calls and e-mails came from as far away as the Upper Peninsula and Arizona as well as Oakland and Macomb counties, offering Laurie Crouch, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis(硬化症), everything from dogs to money, such as that from Jason Daly of Roseville who said, “ I would like to buy her a new dog.”
A story about the death of Crouch’s pet, Gooch, was printed on the front page of Macomb Daily. Crouch said a man sat on the dog to trim its nails. Gooch died after one claw was trimmed.
Crouch yelled at the groomer to stop when she saw Gooch was struggling to breathe, but she said she was ignored. “If I could have walked, I would have put my hands on her and pulled her off my dog and physically stopped her, but I can’t do that.” Gooch was not a trained service animal, but naturally helped Crouch by picking up things for her.
“This case is absolute animal abuse(虐待),” Larry Obrecht, division manager of the Oakland County Animal Shelter in Auburn Hills, said.
People who read the story contacted Oakland Press to offer help. A message, from Rebecca Amett of Giggles N Wiggles Puppy Rescue, in Roseville, said, “We have puppies to donate … and want to help the young woman who lost her service dog.”
“When Gooch was with me, I was happy,” Crouch said, “I think I can be happy again but no animal can replace Gooch. There’s never going to be another Gooch out there but I think I will find a dog that can bring me joy again.”
1.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. A disabled woman’s service dog.
B. A cruel groomer killed a disabled woman’s dog.
C. People’s love for a disabled woman who lost her dog.
D. Disabled woman loves to have the dog as company.
2. People called and emailed to .
A. offer help and care to Laurie Crouch.
B. give their angry voice to the groomer.
C. offer a cure for Crouch’s disease.
D. tell Crouch how to punish the groomer.
3.We can infer from the passage that .
A. Crouch refused to take another dog.
B. Crouch must be sad after losing her dog.
C. Crouch has accepted another dog from a stranger.
D. Crouch can live well without a dog’s company.
