One day, a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor ______ the question papers, with the text facing down as usual. ______ he handed them all out, he asked his students to ______ the page and begin. To everyone's surprise, there were no ______, just a black dot (点) in the center of the page. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone's face, told them the following:
"I want you to write what you ______ there.”
The students, ______, got started on the inexplicable (令人费解的) task.
At the end of the class, the professor ______ all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them, with no ______, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc. After all had been ______, the classroom was silent, the professor began to explain:
"I'm not going to grade this. I ______ wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the ______ part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot, and the same happens in our ______. We have a white paper to observe and ______, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a ______ given to us with love and care and we always have ______ to celebrate: nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us. the job that ______ our livelihood and the miracles we see every day.
____, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots: the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the ______ relationship with colleagues, the _______ with a friend, and etc.
The dark spots are very _______ compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. "
1.A. handed out B. turned up C. referred to D. pointed at
2.A. Since B. Until C. If D. After
3.A. fold B. turn C. open D. use
4.A. exercises B. choices C. questions D. scores
5.A. remember B. imagine C. study D. see
6.A. surprised B. confused C. curious D. displeased
7.A. collected B. finished C. marked D. selected
8.A. excuse B. doubt C. exception D. explanation
9.A. said B. answered C. returned D. read
10.A. also B. just C. even D. finally
11.A. big B. black C. beautiful D. white
12.A. lives B. classrooms C. colleges D. studies
13.A. send B. keep C. enjoy D. show
14.A. burden B. gift C. pressure D. lesson
15.A. reasons B. time C. freedom D. festivals
16.A. threatens B. ruins C. provides D. changes
17.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Moreover
18.A. close B. complicated C. special D. strong
19.A. stay B. contact C. satisfaction D. disappointment
20.A. dark B. round C. small D. dirty
Being organized is an important skill for school and life．When you’re well organized, you can stay focused，instead of spending time hunting things down．
1.For schoolwork, it means having one notebook or place where you store all your assignment，so you know what you have to do and when. Keeping all your school work neat and in a specific place--these are the main parts of organization.
For home stuff, being organized means having a place to put your things and putting them back as you go.2.It means keeping your schoolbag，your shoes, and your clean underwear in the same places so you always know where to find them.
Planning is part of being organized, too. 3.Calendars，lists，and schedules can help you plan. You can buy or draw a calendar and keep it near your workplace. Making a schedule or “to-do” list for yourself is a good idea. Looking at your list helps you keep track of what you need to do. 4.Check off things when you’ve done them. Use your list to help you decide which thing is the most important to work on first.
5.But once you’re organized，it feels great．The less time you spend hunting around for things or panicking about homework，the more time you have for better things，like reading a good book or playing.
A. Planning means deciding what you will do and when you will do it.
B. First，you should get your schoolwork organized.
C. Add new things as you get assignments.
D. You will benefit a lot from a good habit.
E. What does it mean to be organized?
F. It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.
G. It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.
A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy and speed, The Telegraph reported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, "Switch off the music and concentrate!" Well, if that's the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.
The company gave 26 participants a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.
The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, "Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state... they are going to become more positive about the work."
However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cut mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.
1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Music helps us to learn
B. We cannot live without music
C. Different music, different lives
D. Music in the classroom.
2.What did the participants have to do in the study？
A. Persuade their parents to listen to music.
B. Listen to the same music together.
C. Try their best to choose the most suitable music.
D. Finish tasks with music or without music at all.
3.What does the underlined word "they" refer to in Para 3？
A. tools B. results
C. tests D. participants
4.When you review your English writing, what kind of music is the best choice？
A. Classical music B. Dance music
C. Pop music D. Rock music
CALGARY, CANADA---It was one of the most important phone calls Bruce Burrell has ever received, a call warning that a flood was headed Calgary’s way.
“I got a phone call about five in the morning on Thursday from Len McCharles, who was on watch at the time, and he said “there has been big flooding in Canmore and it’s heading this way,” said Burrell, the head of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
“I got up immediately, turned on the morning news, saw the pictures from Canmore and then called McCharles back. I said “open the Emergency Operations Centre.”
Burrell was in the EOC for 48 hours straight and it wasn’t until Burrell left the centre for the first time that the disaster(灾难）hit him.
“Once you step outside and you actually see it and hear it, it paints a completely different picture from what you thought you would be dealing with.”
Calgary firefighters came to help the Calgarians who were influenced by floodwaters. Keal Prince, captain of the Calgary Fire Department remembers how a young boy lost his finger while helping a woman remove debris(瓦砾）out of her house.
“As his finger got cut off it went into a fully loaded dumpster(装好的垃圾箱）”Prince said. “People had worked hours to get the dumpster loaded and now they’re working tirelessly, quickly to unload that dumpster, looking for that finger.”
“We had to remove a lot of debris to find that finger. Luckily, the finger was found and it was reattached(重新接上），”Prince added.
Burrell is proud of what the city has achieved so far. And he says the city couldn’t have done it without hundreds of unsung heroes. “There were a lot of unbelievable things that went on during the flood and I think that is what Calgarians need to be proud of.”
1.On the morning of Thursday, Burrell ______.
A. recogised his house was flooded
B. was called to go to Canmore to help people
C. got to know from others about a coming disater.
D. opened his house and found something was wrong.
2.Hearing what had happened, Burrell ________.
A. called the centre to collect pictures
B. reported the event to the TV station
C. went to the flooded areas immediately
D. gave orders for work to be started at once
3.It seemed that the young boy ____.
A. was a great help
B. had a happy ending
C. looked for his finger hours alone
D. was hurt while unloading the dumpster
4.We can infer from the last paragragh that Burrell ______.
A. thinks highly of people in Calgary
B. has received praise from Calgarians
C. thinks it’s his duty to protect the city
D. feels the firefighters need more training
$1150 a month - Bright room on 18th Avenue
Our roommate is moving and we're looking for someone to fill her spot. Move-in date is April 15. We are looking for someone responsible who can appreciate a friendly relaxed household. Common areas must be cleaned on a regular basis and we all take turns with house cleaning.
About us
You'll be sharing the house with a young female professional and a couple with healthy lifestyles who works with a game publishing company. We're clean and considerate and respect one another's privacy. The environment is quiet.
Your room
It is a clean room that gets plenty of sunlight. With wooden floors and a good size closet (壁橱). It is very quiet.
Location
Convenient access to restaurants, banks, parks & shops. 10 minutes to SFSU. 4 blocks to L train, 28 & 45 Bus line. Quiet resident area. Easy street parking (街边停车).
House
There are well equipped kitchen, sunroom, big-screen TV, onsite washer and dryer. Separate bathroom. The house features a large elegant living room with fireplace perfect for entertaining and relaxing. Everything is here ... pot, pans, plates & cups. Nice and big backyard. All you need is the stuff (物品) for your room.
Move-in requirement
One month rent and one month deposit (保证金) plus $350 security deposit. Total move-in cost is $2450. We first require a 6-month lease (租期) then month to month.
Please reply by email to "sunnyhouse" to schedule a viewing. Please tell us something about yourself together with your photo. We are available to show the room weeknights from 7:20pm-8:00pm. Some weekday viewing can be arranged and scheduled. Please bring personal references and proof of income. Must be able to pay rent on time. Please bring a copy of your ID card for reference.
No Smoking
No Drugs
No Pets
No overnight guests
1.How much is one month deposit of the room?
A. $1150 B. $2300
C. $950 D. $2450
2.What can we infer from the passage?
A. You can move into the room on April 10.
B. You can get your friend sleep in the room.
C. You need not to clean the house.
D. You can schedule a viewing by email.
3.What kind of the whole house is it
?
A. unfurnished. B. dirty
C. quiet D. inconvenient
Calvin Gillian didn’t believe that Norway was the place for an adventurous holiday. However, some friends told him to go there and he loved it.
“I’m an extreme-sports maniac. I’ve traveled to many different countries, but I didn’t expect Norway to be a good place for an extreme holiday. Tourists usually visit Norway because of its old Viking history or to go fishing and boating in the famous fjords(峡湾) to enjoy a relaxing holiday, or to go climbing to enjoy the beauty of nature. But I didn’t go for fishing; I wanted adventure.
“Skiing is the best thing you can do in Norway. Svartisen, the Black Ice glacier(冰川）, is wonderful. The ice is not the usual white but a deep blue color, like the sea. However, you have to wear special clothes, because skiing on a million-year-old glacier can be very dangerous.”
“Then, there is Hunderfossen Family Park for Toll Park. You can go water skiing and ice skating. It is certainly a beautiful place but it is more expensive than visiting other parts of Norway.
“I also visited the Homenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo. The view from the top of the ski jump was wonderful and the the ski museum was very interesting. I wanted to try a jump but unfortunately, it’s only for professional ski-jumpers. Anyway, I was very tired and I needed a break, so I went back to my hotel and got some sleep.
“Next year, I am going to take my girlfriend to Norway, too. She is having her holiday in Australia now and she wants to have a different type of adventure for next year.”
1.How did Calvin Gillian feel about his trip?
A. Bored B. Relaxed
C. Satisfied D. Disappointed
2.The underlined word “maniac”(in para.2) refers to someone who___.
A. has a strong interest in something
B. has a bad opinion of something
C. expects things to be successful
D. likes to compete with others
3.What did Calvin Gillian do in Norway?
A. Ski-jumping B. Climbing
C. Fishing D. Skiing
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A. Calvin Gillian’s Holiday Countries B. Travel in Different Countries
C. Historical Places in Norway D. A Norwegian Adventure
