Suppose you have three things: a piece of wood, a nail and a hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, and the nail is a mean rumor(语言) about that person. If you hammer the nail in, you're obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there's still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying(欺侮). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it's usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It's the same thing as teasing, only it's done behind someone's back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you're sending a signal that the person is outside the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You're making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it's OK to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, but gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let's say you hear that a teacher plans to call a Snowy Day tomorrow because a blizzard（暴风雪） is coming. Expecting a day off, you don't do your homework as usual. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle(毛毛雨), and school isn't off after all. You get zeroes on your work.
1.If a rumor is spread about someone, others may ________.
A. keep away from him or her
B. point out his or her advantages
C. not feel he or she is an outsider
D. be hurt if getting close to him or her again
2.To tell the rumor and the teasing apart, you depend on ________.
A. whether it is painful or not
B. whether it is done behind someone
C. whether it is a kind of bullying
D. whether it is spread fast
3.From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
A. it is hard to keep rumors a secret
B. rumors can destroy your interest in learning
C. rumors can control your whole life
D. believing rumors can lead to bad choices
4.The purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. advise on how to deal with rumors
B. teach us how to judge a rumor
C. explain why rumors hurt
D. find out why rumors spread fast
It could happen just about any time you step out in public. You get onto an almost-empty bus, but the next passenger in decides to ignore dozens of empty seats to sit right next to you. While you're waiting in line at a supermarket, the next customer insists on standing only two inches behind you and shouting into his cell-phone. You go into a public restroom, and the next person to enter decides to use the next stall. Transgressions(冒犯) like these don't just make us feel uncomfortable; we often feel anxious, alarmed; and violated(被侵犯的). It is the attack of the personal-space invaders.
In any society, shared definitions of personal space govern how we interact with other people. People living in densely(密集地) populated cities like Mumbai, Beijing, or Mexico City tend to require less personal space than people living in sparsely(稀少地) populated places within the country. In America, New Yorkers often have smaller requirements than residents of western states, like Montana, Shenandoah and Wyoming. Because everyone has different standards, gestures that are innocent in one place can be interpreted as opposite in another, especially in Britain.
As the British etiquette(礼仪) website Debrett puts it, as a British person, somebody standing too close may make you "focus less on what somebody is saying than on how close they are to you". Simple acts like putting an arm around someone you don't know may seem friendly in China, but they can make us very uncomfortable. People from many European countries such as France and Spain kiss each other on the cheek when they meet, yet to British person, this seems too friendly and "touch-freely". The website explains! "The British are not backslappers(拍人后背的人) and generally do not show affection in public".
Are British people unfriendly? Far from it. The website adds that they are not as "stand-offish and aloof' as they may seem, but very friendly and helpful to foreigners. However, remember not to be too close. If you are going to come closer than an arm's length, please let them know.
1.According to the passage, if you were meeting a British for the first time, it would be polite of you to ________.
A. kiss him/her on the cheek
B. keep an arm's length away from him/her
C. put an arm around him/her
D. slap his/her back
2.According to the passage, who tend to require more personal space?
A. People living in Beijing and people living in Mexico City.
B. People living in Mumbai and people living in Shenandoah.
C. People living in Wyoming and people living in New York.
D. People living in Wyoming and people living in Montana.
3.The underlined word "stand-offish and aloof' in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A. cold and indifferent
B. modest and cool
C. gentlemanly and kind-hearted
D. independent and strong-willed
4.What can we conclude from the article?
A. British people like to sit next to other people on empty buses.
B. British people usually kiss strangers on the cheek to greet them.
C. British people are helpful though they may not appear to be.
D. British people are delighted to show affection in public.
When I was watching a sports event yesterday, I met with an amazing sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of pure courage and determination.
The event was swimming. I watched a man dive off the blocks and knew right away that something was wrong. I'm not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold — his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle.
I heard the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes (划水) and you could tell he was worn out. But in those few awkward strokes, the crowd changed. No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and yell things like, "Come on, you can do it!" He did. The crowd went wild.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to take part in the event. Even though he recorded the slowest time, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors—a man that gave his all, knowing that he had no chance but to compete because of the spirit of the games.
1.We know from the passage that the swimmer ________.
A. was not professional
B. had two competitors
C. had a wrong start
D. didn't try his best
2.What can be learned from the last two paragraphs?
A. The swimmer lost his spirit.
B. The swimmer didn't finish his match.
C. The audience was touched deeply by the swimmer.
D. The crowd supported the swimmer from the beginning.
3.The author's attitude towards the swimmer is that of ________.
A. tolerance
B. disappointment
C. carelessness
D. admiration
4.Which one is the best title of the story?
A. Successful Swimmers
B. Go for it
C. What an Event
D. Awkward Strokes
Tom is studying in Oxford and has just bought a new bike. He is worried about security. His
friend found this article and sent it to him.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. Many bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts（灯柱）or trees. Take off small parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles（车座）．
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for advice from a bike shop.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details in their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to get in touch with you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself. Its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.
1.The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle ________.
A. in the bike shop and your computer
B. at a police station or in a security company
C. in a security company and your university
D. by yourself and in a security company
2.Which part of the article gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it?
A. Locks.B. Basic Security.C. Finally.D. Registration.
3.The main purpose of this article is ________.
A. to tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen
B. to give you advice on where to buy a good lock
C. to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe
D. to say why you shouldn't keep your bicycle in a lonely place
每年都有许多人外出旅游，一些人的不文明行为引起了社会的广泛关注。某英文报社正在举行以“文明旅游”为主题的讨论。假定你是李华，请你给报社写一封信，呼吁大家做文明游客。要点如下：
1．尊重习俗；
2．不高声喧哗；.
3．其他。
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．开头和结尾语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I’ve read your discussion on how to behave properly while traveling, ________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错
假定英语课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。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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：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限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I’m tiring. I’ve been digging all day and I’ll be doing same tomorrow. But I’ve never had so many fun. As an archaeology student, I have already knew something about the Qin Tomb. Most Chinese child can tell you Qin Shihuang first joined China together. He was a brilliant ruler, and he was also a cruel man. When he became king, he immediate ordered workers to construct an underground tomb, which it is said to contain great treasures. But the actual entrance to the tomb has ever been found, nor has the tomb been opened. It’s said that if everyone steps across the entrance, the crossbows will fire.
