The rain was sudden and heavy on a cold night. My bus was not going along its __ route and had stopped at the station because of the __. With 2km still to go, I was running out of __ to pick up my daughter from her childcare centre. I arrived at the day care wet through. __ I was glad to be only a few minutes late. Now I could face the __ problem. There were no buses and I couldn’t afford a __. Home was too far to __ in the rain with a young child and it was getting dark. We stood outside the childcare centre staring at the rain pouring down with no __ of stopping. I just barely noticed __ parent pull up and race inside to __ his child ten minutes later. I did not recognize him.
Having recently gone through an unpleasant __, I was a single mother with no family and no close friends I could __ in Canada. I had to do something; we could not stand on the steps all night. I had to get us somewhere __ some protection. Suddenly there came a __ from behind, “How far are you going?”
I __ to face the parent who’d arrived late. I could hardly believe that there was a chance of a __ and I told him where I lived. He then __ offered to take us，saying “I’m going that way.” I nervously informed him that I was very __ . But he didn’t seem to mind, and was __ happy to do us a favour.
To this day I am still grateful, for we were in trouble __ the kindness of this stranger.
1.A. main B. common C. normal D. ordinary
2.A. light B. thunder C. flood D. wind
3.A. money B. time C. courage D. strength
4.A. for B. so C. or D. but
5.A. entire B. previous C. original D. next
6.A. taxi B. ticket C. phone D. bicycle
7.A. move B. walk C. head D. leave
8.A. sign B. symbol C. signal D. mark
9.A. that B. either C. another D. each
10.A. adopt B. collect C. find D. gather
11.A. place B. marriage C. atmosphere D. trip
12.A. call B. make C. meet D. believe
13.A. with B. from C. to D. under
14.A. whisper B. scream C. voice D. yell
15.A. turned around B. looked up C. went over D. came around
16.A. rescue B. return C. surprise D. lift
17.A. casually B. easily C. excitedly D. thoughtfully
18.A. tired B. grateful C. happy D. wet
19.A. briefly B. commonly C. hardly D. simply
20.A. regardless of B. instead of C. but for D. except for
Are Your Clothes Causing Pollution?
Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans. 1. Clothes worn for outdoor activities and exercise are often made of artificial material, which is useful in keeping warm. But they contain very small plastic fibers, which may also be harming the environment when you wash them. When people wash these clothes, very small pieces go down the drain (下水道) with the wash water.
2.
Pollution caused by plastic is not new, but recent studies have shown the effect of microfibers in the environment.
Studies show very small microfibers are ending up in our waters, which may come from waste water treatment factories. A 2015 study found them in fish from California.
Microfibers，effect on food supplies.
Beyond the waterways, the researchers say microfibers may end up in soil and agricultural lands. 3. This means there is much to be learned about microfibers and the environment.
Some studies have shown that microfibers end up inside sea animals, like oysters. 4. Researchers say that the fibers tend not to move into the tissue of the fish, but it needs more study.
Steps to save or keep microfibers from the environment.
Until more information becomes known, there are steps to take to reduce the amount of microfibers in the environment.
People should use less of the artificial materials. If we already have those in our lives and we’re using them, an important step would be washing them less.
5. A bag is being designed in which to wash these clothes. It traps the microfibers in the bag and it may be available for purchase soon.
A. New technology may also help.
B. Studies on how much of the microfibers is released.
C. The source of these microfibers may surprise you: your clothes.
D. Washing machines keep microfibers from escaping with wash water.
E. Studies on microfibers in the environment.
F. They can also move around the atmosphere.
G. So if these microfibers have been found in fish and seafood, are they safe to eat?
Will Robots Put Us All on the Unemployment Line?
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is blamed for saying he’s “not worried at all” about robots displacing American workers. Yet he’s spot on: Robots will soon launch a productivity boom, leading to improved economic growth, higher wages and a higher standard of living. Just what America needs after a decade dragging along at 2 percent growth.
Scaremongers (危言耸听者) who warn that robots steal jobs are failing to predict the jobs of the future. A hotel worker who makes room-service deliveries today may instead be monitoring or repairing delivery robots. Not to mention the new jobs in every field that will come with a booming economy, predict PricewaterhouseCoopers consultants. Robots are our friends.
And there’s no going back^ contrary to the view of Bill Gates. The tech billionaire wants to put the brakes on the next innovation boom. He’s suggesting a heavy tax to punish robots in the workplace. Complete foolishness.
Economists have been complaining about the poor world economy, declaring what’s needed is a technological breakthrough. Well, here it is — assuming politicians don’t try to kill it.
Robotics has already taken hold in manufacturing, especially the auto industry. These machines are so efficient (高效的) that US factories are producing more with fewer workers on the assembly (装配) line. That gain in productivity translates into higher wages for the remaining factory workers and lower prices for consumers.
If President Trump succeeds in bringing auto jobs back to the United States, they won’t be the same routine, repeated tasks that assembly line workers had in the past. These new jobs will require knowledge of computer-aided design and other complex engineering issues.
The same goes for the service field, like supermarket and warehousing. A surprising 94 percent of CEOs using robots say they’ve increased productivity. The end result: fewer jobs for unskilled workers, though in all possibility more jobs overall as the economy grows, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Message to politicians: Focus on workplace readiness. It beats trying to block technological progress—a vain attempt to protect yesterday’s jobs.
The economy booms when businesses, not politicians, call the shots on technology. Welcoming robots will create more goods and services, a bigger pie for all to share. Skills training will help everyone get a piece of the pie.
1.Who may agree that robots won’t put us all on the unemployment line?
A. Steven Mnuchin. B. Scaremongers.
C. Bill Gates. D. Politicians.
2.Why are robots widely used in manufacturing?
A. They are productive. B. They are our friends.
C. Workers will earn more money. D. Workers can’t do skilled tasks.
3.What does PricewaterhouseCooper indicate?
A. More workers will lose their jobs.
B. Everybody should be retrained to gain new skills.
C. More jobs will be created due to the growth of economy.
D. High productivity leads to higher wages for all people.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards the application of robots?
A. Supportive. B. Respectful.
C. Doubtful. D. Negative.
How Interest Rates Affect Spending
With every loan, there is a possibility that the borrower will not repay the money. To compensate lenders for that risk, there must be a reward: interest. Interest is the amount of money that lenders earn when they make a loan that the borrower repays, and the interest rate is the percentage of the loan amount that the lender charges to lend money.
The existence of interest allows borrowers to spend money immediately, instead of waiting to save the money to make a purchase. The lower the interest rate, the more willing people are to borrow money to make big purchases，such as houses or cars. When consumers pay less in interest，this gives them more money to spend, which can create a chain effect of increased spending throughout the economy. Businesses and farmers also benefit from lower interest rates, as it encourages them to make large equipment purchases due to the low cost of borrowing. This creates a situation where output and productivity increase.
Conversely, higher interest rates mean that consumers don’t have as much disposable (可支配的) income and must cut back on spending. When higher interest rates are coupled with increased lending standards, banks make fewer loans. This affects not only consumers, but also businesses and farmers, who cut back on spending for new equipment, thus slowing productivity or reducing the number of employees. The tighter lending standards mean that consumers will cut back on spending, and this will affect many businesses1 bottom lines. This will cause the businesses to reduce the number of employees that they have and to hold off on any major equipment purchases.
1.What is interest?
A. The amount of money the borrowers earn.
B. The percentage of the loan amount.
C. A sum of money repaid by lenders.
D. A charge made for borrowing money.
2.What will happen when the interest is low?
A. Houses and cars will be more expensive.
B. People will make purchases by saving money.
C. Big purchases will cost more money.
D. Spending will be encouraged.
3.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “conversely” in Paragraph 3?
A. Above all. B. Most importantly.
C. On the contrary. D. In fact.
4.What will be a possible result of the higher interest rate?
A. More new equipment will be purchased. B. Productivity will be increased.
C. Banks will make more loans. D. Some people will lose their jobs.
He may be younger than their children but one of Britain’s brainiest children has been hired by a university to help adults with their sums.
Yasha Asley, 14, is employed by the University of Leicester - where he is also a degree student - to run tutorials. He became the youngest ever student at the University and is now the youngest ever employee. Yasha was interviewed and offered the paid job when he was just 13 years old - beating adult applicants. Administration staff had to apply to Leicester city council (委员会) for special permission to employ him because he was so young. The weekly tutorials Yasha runs are for adult students who need help and support solving problems following lectures. Proud Yasha said: “I am having the best years of my life. I love going to university and I love my new job helping other students.” Yasha, who has been called a “human calculator”, is now in his final year and plans to start a Phd when he finishes his course.
The child genius attended a state primary school before winning his place to study degree level maths at just 12 years old in 2014. He was the first child in the world to achieve an A grade in maths A Level, scoring 100 per cent and 99 per cent in two of the six papers when he was just 8 years old. He passed more A levels in maths and statistics aged 9 and 10. After finishing year 6 at primary he went straight to University.
Of his achievements, Yasha said: UI love maths because it is an exact science. It is the only science where you can prove what you say is correct. It is so easy and an enjoyable subject to study.”
1.What does the underlined word “their” in the first paragraph refer to?
A. Yasha’s parents’. B. Adults’.
C. Applicants’. D. University teachers’.
2.What do we know about Yasha from the passage?
A. He is the youngest employee in Britain. B. He is now working as a full-time tutor.
C. He teaches adult students maths. D. He skipped secondary and high schools.
3.Which word best describes Yasha?
A. Hardworking. B. Outstanding.
C. Helpful. D. Lucky.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. 14-year-old Yasha Employed as University Tutor
B. Youngest Child Genius ever Seen in the world
C. Hard Work Finally Paying off
D. Nothing Impossible for a Willing Heart
International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning
2017
Event
International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning 2017
Dates
November 17--19, 2017 Place
Hilton Hotel Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Organizer
Institute of Modem Languages and Communications (IMLC), Multimedia University, Malaysia
Theme
Innovating (创新) Minds, Communicating Ideas: Reinventing Language Teaching & Learning
Aims
* To bring together academics, researchers，teachers and experts to share，collaborate (合作) on and study current new ideas, practices and developments in language teaching and learning;
* To create academic links and long-term partnerships and collaborations among the participants in terms of both teaching and research.
Conference speakers
Malachi Edwin Vethamani, president of Malaysian English Language Teaching Association
Liam Brown, training and development manager for English & Exams Division, British Council
Call for papers
* Teaching of English as a Second Language
* Foreign Language Teaching
* Language Teaching and Learning Theories
* Research in Language Teaching and Learning
* Multi Media in Language Teaching and Learning
* Computer Assisted Language Learning
* Testing and Evaluation
* Intercultural Awareness in the Language Classroom
Deadline for submission of abstracts
July 31, 2017
Deadline for participation registration
October 15, 2017
Contact
For more information, go to http://imcicon.mmu.edu.my
1.What is the purpose of the conference?
A. To ask participants to teach and learn together.
B. To create a long term relationship among teachers.
C. To practice language teaching and learning.
D. To encourage sharing, studying and cooperating.
2.How many topics of the papers are closely related to hi-tech teaching aids?
A. 2. B. 3.
C. 4. D. 5.
3.What is required before attending the conference?
A. Submission of papers. B. Participation registration.
C. Contact with the organizer. D. Going to http://imcicon.mmu.edu.my.
