House Sitting
In many countries of the world people do what is called house sitting. It means that if owners of the house are going away, they want someone to come into their home and look after the house and maybe pets while they are away.
In Australia, many people travel. After people retire, they might buy a van and travel all over the country. 1. (many people—retired people—thousands of them)
So if someone wants to travel or go away for some reason, they might want someone in their home to care for it and keep the gardens tidy. House sitters might have to care for pets. Also, quite a few people have swimming pools in their back yards and they need cleaning. 2. I feel it is a great way of seeing the country, because you go and stay in a new city, get to meet new people, and have time to go sightseeing in a new area.
3. There are websites where you find the advertisements by people who want to travel, and by replying to the advertisement, you can make arrangements to go and look after their home.
There are some requirements to be a house sitter. You must be a trusted person, so that the home owner knows you will not steal anything. You must be able to go when the house owner wants you to go, so you need lots of free time. 4. You need to be good with pets, able to care for cats and dogs, or other pets they may have.
Some house sitting jobs are just for a few days or a couple of weeks while the home owner has a short holiday. Sometimes it is for much longer. We have had one house sit for six months, while the home owner travelled to Europe.
5. Then you can travel to many different countries and stay there. One of the important things to get are references from the home owners where you have stayed. A reference is a written letter to say that you are trustworthy and have looked after their home well. You can show these letters to prospective house sitting jobs and they know you will do a good job.
A. I have done house sitting many times.
B. Thousands of people do this all the time.
C. It is also possible to do house sitting in other countries.
D. Generally you have many opportunities to get a house sitting job.
E. You must take a little care over what your description says about you.
F. This is an international house sitting service for all city and country areas.
G. You must have a good car, so you can travel to different parts of the country.
I was 20 years old when my mother passed away. It was the first real blow that life had dealt me, and I thought I would never recover. Then, by the time the following spring came, the pain was almost bearable and again I could find pleasure in the miraculous reward of nature.
At first, I went to the cemetery with trepidation. But then, amazingly, by tending her grave and decorating it with flowers, I was ridding myself of the painful memories.
The years passed. I moved from Kaposvar, Hungary, the town where I had been born and had spent my youth. So did my siblings. We only came together on feast days, especially on All Souls’ Day in the cemetery.
Father lived with me for many years, to a ripe old age. Now that he, too, rests beneath the white marble stone, I go even more eagerly to the cemetery. While I tend my parents’ grave site, again I am with them in thought.
One day I noticed a modest grave site behind my parents’ plot. It lay among the magnificent granite and marble markers of the other graves, its very simplicity calling attention to itself. Ivy(长春藤) had covered the site and its only decoration was a simple wooden cross on which was written in copper letters a name, and that she lived 22 years. Whenever I went by, the plot and its surroundings looked cared for and neat, and each time I felt curious about this mysterious woman who had lived all of 22 years.
Once I saw an elderly man leaving from there. I concluded that perhaps he had come to visit his wife. In 1996 I was preparing for All Souls’ Day in the cemetery when again I caught sight of him, tending the grave. Tall, somewhat bent, he was well passed middle age. We nodded to each other and continued our work. Occasionally I stole a glance at my neighbor. When I noticed that he hadn’t got the tools for a proper cleanup, I offered him mine, which he gratefully accepted. After this, it seemed only natural to engage him in conversation. I asked him whose grave it was. This was his answer:
“My mother’s. She died young, in 1912 when I was only a year-and-a half old. I really never knew her. I made her that cross and the copper letters.”
Then he went on:“No one comes to visit this grave but me because I was her only child. She died of pneumonia. My father remarried and my stepmother only cared for her own children. So then I always came here to my mother, whether in sadness or in joy. Later, life took me far afield, but I never forgot this grave. For me it was the same as the family home is for others. I always came home here.”
“With the years passing, it is getting more difficult for me to come, but as long as my legs will carry me, at least twice a year I visit my mother. I’m in my 80s. so who knows how long I can still make it.“
In stunned silence I listened. Tears clouded my eyes as I realized that I had never seen such boundless love. How much easier is my lot, I thought, for at any moment I can reach into my storehouse of memories and draw out the joyful or sad vignettes(小插图) that bind me to my parents with a thousand threads. What memories might this kindly old gentleman harbor? Perhaps a face from an ancient faded photograph of his mother.
What a great attachment throughout his long life must have led him back again and again to the resting place of that young woman whose motherly love he could never truly savor(尝到), only forever feels its enormous lack.
We said good-bye. I was deeply moved because I knew that I had been given a great gift. I had been allowed a glimpse of the royal and long-lasting affection that bound a simple and noble-hearted man to his mother. I decided I would tend the grave together with that of my parents, where, finally, the aged child will have met his youthful mother.
1.All Souls’ Day is a feast day ________.
A. to visit the cemetery and memorize the dead
B. for families to get together in the cemetery
C. to give gifts to family members
D. for daughters and sons to memorize their parents
2.From the passage, we know ________.
A. the author’s mother died young and her father, too
B. the author’s mother is dead while her father enjoys a long life
C. the man’s mother died very young before he was born
D. the author’s father lived long while the man’s mother died very young
3.The underlined words “calling attention to itself” in the 5th paragraph means ________.
A. desiring to be paid attention to
B. making it easily noticed
C. too modest to be noticed
D. calling itself to draw others’ attention
4.The author stole a glance at her neighbor because ________.
A. they were living in the same neighborhood
B. the man was tall and straight, well passed middle age
C. she was wondering about the dead young lady’s story
D. she knew the dead in the grave was the man’s mother
5.From Paragraph 10 we can conclude that ________.
A. the author lived near the cemetery and can visit her parents at any time
B. the poor gentleman had hardly any memory of his dear mother’s love
C. the author is bound to her parents with threads
D. the gentleman comes back “home” whenever he wants to
6.What message is conveyed in the passage?
A. Love is a length of thread to bind mother and children together.
B. Mother needs love from her children even if she is dead.
C. Parents’ love is always royal and long-lasting to children.
D. Mother’s love can be a boundless gift to their children.
Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan's Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.
Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina's shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn't strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo's wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan's Island should be able to resist a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan's Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble "a large party lantern" at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house's wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings (桩) might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. "These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings," said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house's ground-to-roof shell. " The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up, " said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
1.After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina's shore line should ________.
A. be easily reinforced
B. look smarter in design
C. satisfy higher building standards
D. be designed in the shape of cubes
2.Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.
A. withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr
B. make stronger pilings deep in the sand
C. break huge sea waves into smaller ones
D. prevent water from rushing into the house
3.The main function of the shell is ________.
A. to strengthen the pilings of the house
B. to give the house a better appearance
C. to protect the wooden frame of the house
D. to slow down the speed of the swelling water
4.It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.
A. fancy-lookingB. water-proof
C. easily breakableD. extremely strong
For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs, coupled with the aging of the baby-boom generation, a longer life span means that the nation's elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law and business as well. "In addition to the doctors, we're going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers," says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Gerontology (老年学).
Lawyers can specialize in "elder law," which covers everything from trusts and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination (歧视). Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. "Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money," one professor says.
Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was "really bored with bacteria." So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, "I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying."
1."...Old is suddenly in" (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably means "________".
A. America has suddenly become a nation of old people
B. gerontology has suddenly become popular
C. more elderly professors are found on American campuses
D. American colleges have realized the need of enrolling older students
2.With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit ________.
A. from the adoption of the "elder law"
B. from giving special services to the elderly
C. by enriching their professional knowledge
D. by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests
3.Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder market?
A. Retirees are more generous in spending money.
B. They can employ more gerontologists.
C. The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power.
D. There are more elderly people working than before.
4.Who can make big money in the new century according to the passage?
A. Retirees who are business-minded.
B. The volunteer workers in retirement homes.
C. College graduates with an MBA or law degree.
D. Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology.
5.It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America's elderly population ________.
A. will provide good job opportunities in many areas
B. will place an unbearable burden on society
C. may lead to nursing home abuse and age discrimination
D. will create new fields of study in universities
Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, "The business of America is business." By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.
Few would argue with Ford's statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry " or "show business."
The positive side of Henry Ford's statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system creates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.
The negative side of Henry Ford's statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business—referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many.
1.The United States is a typical country ________.
A. which encourages free trade at home and abroad
B. where people's chief concern is how to make money
C. where all businesses are managed scientifically
D. which normally works according to the federal budget
2.The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that ________.
A. most newspapers are run by big businesses
B. even public organizations concentrate on working for profits
C. Americans of all professions know how to do business
D. even arts and entertainment are regarded as business
3.According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that ________.
A. they can start profitable businesses there
B. they can be more competitive in business
C. they will make a fortune overnight there
D. they will find better chances of employment
4.Henry Ford's statement can be taken negatively because ________.
A. working people are discouraged to fight for their fights
B. there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists
C. there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor
D. public services are not run by the federal government
5.A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in ________.
A. reduction in the number of employees
B. improvement of working conditions
C. fewer disputes between labor and management
D. a rise in workers' wages
It seems like everywhere a person goes there is at least one person with a cell phone to his ear. Even in places ________ cell phone usage is banned such as concert halls or movie theaters there is the ________ offender, or at least a few people using the text messaging feature ________ their phones.
Cell phone usage has ________ over the past decade and continues to rise. Nearly 200 ________ people in the United States have cell phones and there are ________ over one billion users worldwide. That means there are a lot of phones ________ their frequencies over the airwaves at any given time.
Concern has arisen over whether or not cell phone usage ________ harm a person’s health. Brain cancer rates in the United States have risen since call phones were ________, leading some people to wonder if cell phone usage is the reason for the ________.
Some people say the biggest danger ________ cell phones isn’t from the either real or perceived potential to develop cancer, but from ________ while using the cell phone. How many of us have seen vehicles driving ________ erratically(不稳定地) down the road. And we often see when we get near the vehicle the driver on a cell phone is ________ on a cell phone. It is a proven fact that a driver on a cell phone is ________ attentive and more likely to get in an accident. And, hands-free sets aren’t the ________ that some people may believe. Yes, they ________ both hands for driving and prevent a person from getting a sore(酸疼的) arm, ________ the driver’s mind is still ________ the conversation and therefore less attentive to what is ________ around him or her on the road.
1.A. whichB. whereC. thereD. here
2.A. busyB. alwaysC. occasionalD. occasionally
3.A. underB. onC. fromD. to
4.A. been explodedB. explodedC. been explodingD. exploding
5.A. millionsB. millions ofC. millionD. million of
6.A. wellB. goodC. betterD. best
7.A. deliveringB. carryingC. takingD. sending
8.A. mayB. mustC. canD. should
9.A. allowedB. inventedC. introducedD. bought
10.A. increaseB. declineC. improvementD. rose
11.A. withB. beforeC. inD. on
12.A. attentionB. attractive
C. carelessD. inattentiveness
13.A. quiteB. almostC. hardlyD. nearly
14.A. usingB. talkingC. movingD. handing
15.A. moreB. lessC. leastD. fewer
16.A. problemB. questionC. meanD. answer
17.A. hold upB. pick upC. put upD. free up
18.A. thereforeB. asC. butD. though
19.A. taken upB. filled byC. occupied withD. picked up
20.A. happening toB. going onC. talking aboutD. moving about
