A man came to the USA from another country. After 1. (settle) down at an island, he went into a cafeteria to get something 2. (eat). He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order, but nobody did. 3.(final), a woman with a tray full of food sat down opposite him and informed him 4. the cafeteria worked.
“Start out at that end,” she said. “Just go along the line and pick out what you want. At 5. other end they’ll tell you how much you have to pay.”
“I soon 6. (learn) how everything worked in the USA,” the man told his friend. “Life’s a cafeteria there. You can get anything you want as long as you are willing to pay the price. You can even get success, 7. you’ll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you. You have to get up and get it 8. .”
You can’t change the inevitable thing. The only thing you can do 9. (be) to control your attitude. Once you reach that point in life, happiness and 10. (satisfy) can’t be too far away.
My fiance (未婚夫) and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were , and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.
One agent a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was our range, so we declined. But she kept urging us to have a look .
We finally did and it was at first sight. It was Our Home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of it would be like to live there.
Days later, we made a(n) —far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn’t us. They renewed their offer . It was also much more than we could afford, but far than the original asking price.
The next day, we got a message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the directly. We made our final offer, which was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer’s bid. We knew it, we had to try.
“Sold!” said the owner. Then he : He’d seen us sitting by the lake all those times; he knew how much we loved the place and that we’d the years of work they had put into their home; he realized he would take a by selling it to us, but it was worthwhile; we were the people they wanted to live there. He told us to consider the in the price “an early wedding present.”
That’s how we found our home and how I learned that when people are they are not strangers, only friends we haven’t yet met.
1.A. needed B. limited C. enough D. large
2.A. recommended B. decorated C. sold D. rented
3.A. below B. within C. beyond D. between
4.A. at least B. at most C. at times D. at hand
5.A. relief B. concern C. love D. curiosity
6.A. pride B. happiness C. challenge D. desire
7.A. which B. why C. that D. what
8.A. effort B. offer C. promise D. profit
9.A. come across B. look after C. depend on D. laugh at
10.A. instead B. indeed C. aside D. apart
11.A. worse B. better C. less D. higher
12.A. relaxing B. disappointing C. pleasant D. regular
13.A. agents B. buyers C. managers D. owners
14.A. already B. still C. generally D. ever
15.A. so B. or C. for D. but
16.A. apologized B. complained C. criticized D. explained
17.A. check B. analyze C. appreciate D. ignore
18.A. loss B. risk C. chance D. lead
19.A. increase B. difference C. interest D. average
20.A. kind B. polite C. smart D. energetic
Secret codes（密码）keep messages private. Banks, companies, and government agencies use secret codes in doing business, especially when information is sent by computer.People have used secret codes for thousands of years.1.Code breaking never lags（落后）far behind code making. The science of creating and reading coded messages is called cryptography.There are three main types of cryptography.2.For example, the first letters of “My elephant eats too many eels” spell out the hidden message “Meet me.” 3.You might represent each letter with a number, for example. Let’s number the letters of the alphabet, in order, from 1 to 26. If we substitute a number for each letter, the message “Meet me” would read “135520135.”A code uses symbols to replace words, phrases, or sentences. To read the message of a real code, you must have a code book.4.For example, “bridge” might stand for “meet” and “out” might stand for “me.” The message “Bridge out” would actually mean “Meet me.”5.However, it is also hard to keep a code book secret for long. So codes must be changed frequently.
A. It is very hard to break a code without the code book. |
B. In any language, some letters are used more than others. |
C. Only people who know the keyword can read the message. |
D. As long as there have been codes, people have tried to break them. |
E. You can hide a message by having the first letters of each word spell it out. |
F. With a code book, you might write down words that would stand for other words. |
G. Another way to hide a message is to use symbols to stand for specific letters of the alphabet. |
A long weekend is a great opportunity to do something a little different. Many people use a long weekend for a getaway, a short trip to leave the stress of their everyday lives behind and explore, learn, or relax.
Hotel Romance
Many hotels and resorts feature something special to start the getaway, such as champagnes (香槟酒), flowers, or a fruit basket in the room on arrival. Getaway packages usually include a room with something special, a heart shaped bed, for example. Additional benefits could be room service meals or other private dining, plus tickets or discounts for local attractions.
Visit a Spa
Spa getaways can take place at a location that focuses only on spa services or at a hotel that offers a spa as one of its features. Some spas emphasize treatments fit for their geographic area or a local attraction. A spa in a grape growing region might provide grape juice masks, or a hotel near a hot spring could offer mineral baths. Most spas offer a range of massage (按摩), health and beauty treatments, so a spa getaway can be relaxing with other benefits.
Learn a Skill
A long weekend may not be enough time to become an expert at something new, but it provides a way for people to begin their explorations. Some organizations offer intensive(集中的)courses that last two or three days. People with special interests can get away from their routines while learning such things as how to make beer, speak a new language, or take better photos.
Help Others
Some organizations cooperate with businesses to have accommodations and activities for short-term volunteers. Most volunteer vacations involve ecology friendly or charity activities. A volunteer getaway is a way to relieve stress and help others at the stone time.
Stay in a National Park
For those who want to relax in a rural environment, a national park fits the bill. Most national parks provide camping areas for tents and trailers. Several have cabins (小屋) within the parks available to rent. A getaway to a national park provides privacy, stress relief, and the time to get to know some important natural resources.
1.The underlined word "getaway’’ in this passage most probably means_____.
A. an exciting exploration B. an interesting location
C. a short vacation D. an unforgettable experience
2.It can be learned from the text that_____.
A. spas are offered in the tourist attractions all over the country
B. intensive courses of some organizations help people get away from home
C. helping others at weekend makes people feel more stressful
D. people may get close to nature in a national park
3.Which of the following can be rented in a national park?
A. Cabins. B. Trailers.
C. Camping areas. D. Tents.
4.The best title of the passage can be_________.
A. Away from Our Busy Work B. Good Ways to Relieve Stress
C. Enjoy Life and Help Others D. Long Weekend Getaway
For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts and rejections with it.
Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize (幻想) about what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal .We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self-worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long time to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes towards ourselves, the whole world changes.
1.The passage tries to stress the importance of ____________.
A. body size B. different beauty standards
C. culture difference D. attitudes towards life
2.What does the word “everything” in paragraph 2 mean?
A. The whole world B. All the problems.
C. All the properties.D. The absolute truth.
3.What can be inferred about the author?
A. The author is a Samoan.
B. The author succeeded in losing weight.
C. The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.
D. The author has been troubled by her/his weight.
4.According to the author , what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later ?
A. They feel optimistic about future plans on weight control.
B. They are indifferent to the regained weight.
C. The feel angry about the regained weight.
D. They think they should give up their future plans on weight control.
“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?”Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago. ”
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedmam. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic- breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? That answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(传言)can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.”In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).
Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.
1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to ______.
A. introduce a topic B. present an argument
C. describe the characters D. clarify his writing purpose
2.In the author’s opinion, many people like to gossip because it ______.
A. gives them a feeling of pleasure
B. help them to make more friends
C. makes them better at telling stories
D. enables them to meet important people
3.Professor David Wilson think that gossip can ______.
A. provide students with written rules
B. help people watch their own behaviors
C. force school to improve student handbooks
D. attract the police’s attention to group behaviors
4.What advice does the author give in the passage?
A. Never become a gossiper B. Stay away from gossipers
C. Don’t let gossip turn into lies D. Think twice before you gossip.
