Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 101. Mr. John Evans had never found the time or money to make the trip from his home in Forest Fach, near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all-expense-paid birthday treat to the capital he just could not refuse.
He arrived at Paddington Station and smartly turned out in his best suit, favorite Panama hat and a red rose in his buttonhole. “It’s very exciting. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. “But I’ve been on the seas to that faraway land called Ilfracombe 21 miles from home,” he joked.
Mr. Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. “There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings return from Swansea – too much I thought. All my money went to the family then,” he said.
During the next two days Mr. Evans will be taken on a short tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the House of Parliament organized by his MP, Mr. Gareth Wardell.
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided for him if he gets tired. “I don’t like the chair – people will think I am aging,” he said. His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized – no wine, no tobacco and no anger.
Before setting off from Swansea with his 76 – year – old son, Amwell, he said jokingly, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket.”
1.The very reason that Mr. Evans didn’t go to see the world is that _______.
A. he had already been on the seas to Ilfracombe
B. he was too busy to go too far away from home
C. he believed “East or west, home is the best”
D. he couldn’t afford both the time and the money
2.Mr. Evans didn’t like the wheelchair simply because _______.
A. he was not used to traveling in it
B. the wheelchair was of poor quality and not easy to operate
C. he thought he was still young enough to manage the trip
D. he actually preferred walking to sitting in it at home
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Mr. Evans had to pay for the return ticket.
B. The trip to London excited Mr. Evans very much.
C. Mr. Evans had to work hard to raise his family when young.
D. Humor was one of Mr. Evans’ characters.
4.The probable explanation to Mr. Evans’ long life lies in _______.
A. his sticking to his hometown
B. his hard working for the family
C. his good living habits
D. his living conditions near the Swansea
The $ 11 billion self – help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.
The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults.
In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."
Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?
A. It is based on the concept of positive thinking.
B. It is a highly profitable industry.
C. It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.
D. It has produced positive results.
2.What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?
A. There can be no simple treatment for psychological problems.
B. Encouraging positive thinking may do more harm than good.
C. Unhappy people cannot think positively.
D. The power of positive thinking is limited.
3.What does the author mean by “you're just underlining his faults” in the third paragraph?
A. You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.
B. You are pointing out the errors he has made.
C. You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.
D. You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.
4.It can be inferred from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic that .
A. it is important for people to continually keep their self - esteem
B. self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood
C. people with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings
D. forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem
Today, we are told, children don't spend enough time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV — they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.
But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens, climbing trees and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.
Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids' development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go”．
So despite the complicated world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature's playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children's daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted”．
This might sound a bit old fashioned to you, or maybe, like me, it made you think about sticking on your boots, getting outdoors and reliving your childhood. There's no age limit on enjoying yourself!
1.What is the best title of the text?
A. Adventures of children B. Benefits of wild time
C. More space for children D. Wild time for children
2.Children are encouraged to do the following activities except________.
A. watching TV B. climbing trees
C. playing hide and seek D. building dens
3.According to Andy Simpson, we know that________.
A. wild time is hard to design
B. wild time is beneficial for children
C. parents know the importance of wild time
D. parents like keeping their children indoors
4.The last paragraph suggests that________.
A. people like recalling the past
B. it is out of date to go outdoors
C. it is too late for adults to enjoy nature
D. people at any age can enjoy wild time
Bayfield Shopping Coupons (赠券)
1. Six Hours Free Parking
If you spend $100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipts to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking.
Offer until November 14.
2. Win a $1,000 CD Collection
Win your choice of $1,000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music.
Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21.
Check store for more information.
3. Buy One, Get One Free
Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free.
Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost.
Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer.
4. 10％ Off
Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10％discount on any books you buy.
We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas. We have plenty of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush.
Offer here until November 14.
5. Half-price Movie Tickets
Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, showing in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center.
Offer good through December 1. Limit one per customer.
6. Free Soft Drink
Buy any meal for at least $6 at Mike’s Café, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best fast food in the Shopping Centre. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service.
You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14.
1.What are these ads for?
A. Food you can order for delivery.
B. Places to go on vacation.
C. Things on sale in a big store.
D. Special offers at a shopping center.
2.Which of the following is true according to the ads?
A. Spending $ 50 means 3 hours of free parking.
B. One person can buy 4 tickets for the price of three.
C. After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free.
D. At Mike’s Cafe, people can get a free drink after spending $ 6.
3.We can know from this passage_________.
A. there are more than one theatre in the center
B. if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price
C. you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes
D. you won’t enjoy the wonderful service at Mike’s Café
作文
Bookcrossing. Com 是一个面向全球的图书分享网站。该网站组织的分享活动有两种参与方式：一是自由分享（wild release），即把书放在指定地点，由其他参与者自由获取；二是定向分享（controlled release），即直接传递给另一位参与者。假设你是李华，请用英文写信申请参加。内容应包括：
·表明写信目的
·选择一种分享方式
·简述作出该选择的理由
·希望了解更多信息
注意：（1）词数不少于80；
（2）书信格式及开头已给出（不计入总词数）
Dear sir/madam,
Learning that you are organizing this activity to share books worldwide, ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
With the development of people’s living condition, more and more people possess their own cars. Some of us think it is good to own a car. For instance, it’s convenient, fast and comfortable means of transportation. Moreover, it shows that people are becoming richer and the country is much more stronger. It also made relative businesses and industries develop faster.
However, others have different opinions, thinking that cars give up waste gases and pollute the environment around. Too much cars will have some bad effects, such as more accidents and crowdedness. Besides, lack parking lots is another big problem.
As far as I’m concerned, we ought to think careful before buying cars. As if we have cars, we may use it less.
