An 18-year-old student at Stanford University was struggling to pay his fees. Not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright_______. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to_______money for their education.
They_______out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager_______a guaranteed fee of $2,000 for the piano recital（独奏会）. A deal was_______and the boys began to work to make the concert a_______.
The big day arrived. But_______, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total_______was only $ 1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight (困境). They gave him the entire $1,600, plus a _______for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the________possible. Paderewski tore up the cheque, ________the $1,600 and told the two boys to keep the money they needed for the fees. The boys were________, and thanked him heartedly.
It was a small act of________. But it clearly marked out Paderewski________a great human being.________should he help two people he did not even know? We all________situations like these in our lives. And________of us only think “If I help them, what will happen to me?” The truly________people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don't do it________something in return. They do it__________they feel it’s the right thing to do.
1.A. time B. task C. idea D. decision
2.A. receive B. raise C. borrow D. donate
3.A. reached B. turned C. pointed D. called
4.A. increased B. covered C. considered D. demanded
5.A. rejected B. struck C. cancelled D. attracted
6.A. success B. career C. background D. performance
7.A. uncertainly B. unbelievably C. unfortunately D. undoubtedly
8.A. cost B. bill C. collection D. allowance
9.A. benefit B. profit C. charge D. cheque
10.A. soonest B. latest C. longest D. farthest
11.A. took B. counted C. deposited D. returned
12.A. pleased B. surprised C. frightened D. interested
13.A. devotion B. kindness C. sympathy D. teamwork
14.A. like B. for C. as D. to
15.A. How B. Where C. When D. Why
16.A. come across B. deal with C. adapt to D. think of
17.A. both B. few C. none D. most
18.A. able B. rich C. great D. famous
19.A. taking B. expecting C. offering D. preparing
20.A. because B. though C. before D. so
Reasons to Take Part in Student Clubs and Organizations
Many college students don’t know what they’re missing by not taking part in the student clubs and organizations that are offered at most colleges and universities. Taking part in one can be a rich and rewarding experience. 1.Check them out and see what’s available. Here are a few reasons why you should take part in student clubs and organizations.
(1)Meet new people.
It can be hard to meet new people in college, especially in your first year. 2. However, in a club, you’ll find yourself in a smaller group of people who likely share your interest.
(2)Help your major.
There are many student clubs and organizations for different majors and departments. Such clubs can be a lot of fun as well as a great academic resource for you. By joining an academic club you will probably have an easier time to know professors in your departments. 3.
(3)Learn important leadership skills.
Student clubs and organizations can be a good way to learn important leadership skills that would look great on job applications. 4. These skills could be event planning, finance management, and so on. Find a club that you love being a part of and if you work hard you might be able to gain such a position.
(4)5.
Lastly, student clubs and organizations can simply be a lot of fun. Make sure to take advantage of student clubs and organizations to make the most out of your time in college!
A. Have fun.
B. Never waste energy.
C. Class sizes can be big.
D. Take advantage of your major.
E. So don't just walk past those tables during clubs week.
F. In a club, you will be able to gain other important skills.
G. And you might even get access to study help and other academic advice.
We know a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of reading a hard-copy book vs reading electronically. The problem is, many of us refuse to listen.
Don’t get me wrong: Digital reading has some real advantages. Ask people what they like most about reading on digital screens, and you hear over and again about convenience. More points for digital reading: e-books tend to be cheaper. There’s also the environmental argument. Think of the trees!
Yet the soundness of this case is arguable. The earth metals to build e-readers are not just rare but highly poisonous. And think about all that energy needed to run servers and cooling fans. And remember, trees are a renewable resource.
Then, there’s the appeal of a hard copy. Many people prefer print when reading both for pleasure and for school or work. Drawing examples from my own research, some of the reasons arc aesthetic(美学的). Others involve a sense of accomplishment, ease of annotation (“I can write on the pages”), and navigation (“easy to locate where I was”). Meanwhile, I hear abundant complaints about eye strain(干涩) and headaches when using screens.
Much of what students liked about reading print involved their minds. They say “it’s easier to focus.” Some also acknowledged they took more time with printed text and read more carefully.
But what makes the failure of electronic reading is concentration. More than 92 percent of those I surveyed said they concentrate best when reading a hard copy. When a digital device has an Internet connection, it’s hard to resist the temptation(诱惑).
So if digital interruptions don’t threaten your enjoyment or understanding of a text, then medium may not matter. Casual reading like David Baldacci? If you break to check sports scores, little harm done. But just don’t expect to understand Joyce’s novels this way.
1.What is an advantage of reading a hard-copy book?
A. It is cheaper. B. It is easier to carry around.
C. It helps people think deeper. D. It provides instant information.
2.What's the biggest problem of reading digitally?
A. Environmental concern. B. Physical discomfort.
C. Concentration. D. Internet connection.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards e-reading?
A. Supportive. B. Disapproving. C. Optimistic. D. Unconcerned.
4.How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By analyzing possible reasons. B. By providing typical examples.
C. By listing practical suggestions. D. By presenting direct comparisons.
It was an old apartment building, in which many parts are made of wood. Regardless of the warning of firemen, the residents wouldn’t move out because they were poor and had nowhere to go.
One night, the building was on fire. The residents began to run for their lives. When half of the population had got themselves out, the wooden staircases broke down. The remaining residents rushed to the roof of the third floor, which had not been touched by the flames yet, waiting for the firemen to rescue them. Firemen did arrive in a short while. But the fire engines and ladders could not reach the building as the alley was too narrow to allow the passage. The situation was critical, since the fire might burn the roof at any moment. The firemen placed a few cushions on the floor, and got some quills from the nearby houses to add to the pile. Then they asked the people on the burning building to jump on the pile after they had shown how. A man jumped down, bottom touching the pile, uninjured. Another person jumped down, uninjured...They jumped one after another, all safe.
Finally, Singermary became the only remaining one on the roof, hesitating while the fire was swallowing the roof soon. People shouted: “Jump, jump!”Singermary jumped, but she jumped head down with open arms. People were amazed and greatly shocked. How could she do such a jump? It was a suicide gesture! Fortunately, the cushions were very thick. She did not die, but injured seriously, saying with what strength she got: “Please take me to hospital! ”She was pregnant, and she had jumped head down in order to keep the child safe. That was mother’s love! People were deeply moved.
1.When did the wooden staircase break down?
A. After half of the residents ran out. B. Before the residents discovered the fire.
C. Immediately the firemen arrived. D. The moment the fire started.
2.Why couldn’t the firemen put out the fire?
A. The cushions blocked the way. B. The fire engines were too old.
C. The building was made of wood. D. The alley was not wide enough.
3.Why did Singermary jump in a different way?
A. To reduce the danger. B. To cover her fright.
C. To protect her child. D. To shock her neighbours.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Harmony of Neighbourhood B. Mother’s Love
C. Heroic Firemen D. An Urgent Rescue
An old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small danger to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied: “I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.” It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled（授权）the pedestrian to walk down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social chaos.
There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means .It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be limited. When the policeman steps into the middle of the road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny（暴政）, but of liberty.
Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract（契约）. In matters which do not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free as 1 like. If I go down the street dressed strangely, who shall say me no? We have a whole kingdom in which we rule alone and can do what we choose. But directly we step out of that kingdom, our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty.
We all tend to forget this. A reasonable consideration for the rights or feelings of others is the base of social conduct.
1.What does the first paragraph serve as?
A. A background. B. An introduction. C. A comment. D. An explanation.
2.Which is an example of getting liberty-drunk?
A. Park anywhere you like. B. Walk along the pavement.
C. Wear whatever you like. D. Make loud noises in the wild.
3.What might the author have stated his “rule of the road” (Paragraph 2) as?
A. Follow the orders of policemen. B. Do what you like in private.
C. Never walk in the middle of the road. D. Do not behave inconsiderately in public.
4.What does the underlined word “qualified” (Paragraph 3) mean?
A. Limited. B. Ruined. C. Improved. D. Educated.
At a click of mouse consumers can purchase the goods and service they need at online shops. What they have to do is waiting for the goods sent to their homes. We shall all be grateful to the pioneers of online shopping for bringing us such convenience.
Michael Aldrich（the UK）
Online shopping was invented and pioneered by Michael Aldrich in the UK. In 1979 he connected a television via a telephone line to a real-time multi-user transaction(交易)processing computer. He sold mainly Business-to-Business systems. There were a number of significant world firsts with new applications in several business fields.
Jeff Bezos（the USA）
Jeff Bezos defined online shopping and rewrote the rules of commerce. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web server and browser（浏览器）in 1990. In 1994, Jeff Bezos read an article about how the World Wide Web was growing by 2,300 percent a year. He knew he had to tap into such a great potential for commerce. On July 6, 1995, Bezos launched Amazon.com, which operated out of the garage of his two bedroom home in suburban Seattle, Washington. With almost no publicity, sales took off immediately. The company has now expanded into dozens of product categories, forcing the world’s biggest retailer（零售商）to rethink their business models, and finally changing the way people shop.
Jack Ma（China）
As a child, Jack Ma was bad at maths but fascinated by English. He travelled to the United States in 1995 as a translator to help a Chinese firm recover payment. The attempt failed. But a friend in Seattle showed Ma the Internet, and an idea began brewing.
In 1999, Mr Ma gathered 17 friends and founded Alibaba in his apartment in Hangzhou. Alibaba’s model was simple: allow small and medium-sized Chinese companies to find global buyers they would otherwise only be able to meet at trade shows. It works brilliantly. Alibaba’s sales are now more than those of eBay and Amazon combined.
1.What made Amazon.com a success?
A. Business-to-Business systems. B. The World Wide Web server and browser
C. Commercial publicity. D. Help from retailers.
2.How did Jack Ma have the idea of founding Alibaba?
A. A translator helped him. B. A Chinese firm inspired him.
C. lie was introduced to the Internet. D. lie was funded by some companies.
3.What do the pioneers have in common?
A. They have improved computers.
B. They have sold goods worldwide.
C. They have enlarged product categories.
D. They have contributed to online shopping.
