When I was a boy growing up, we lived across a river from the main road next to a set of rail road tracks. The only way to our house was across a _______. Our only neighbor, Frankie, lived in a(n)_______house on the hillside behind our home. His house, _______, was over a hundred years old.
Frankie was already nearly 80 years old when I was _______. He was a first generation, Italian immigrant who had never married. He had _______on the railroad for over 40 years before retiring but still worked hard every day. I would watch him with _______grow plants on hillsides. Frankie was _______by today’s standards. He had no electricity or running water and would _______once a week with water he boiled. I never seemed to_______the smell when I visited him, though. His ________remained broken even after all his years in America but somehow I never had any trouble ________him.
Frankie also ________ me in my spiritual growth. He did this mainly by ________. He never lectured or taught. He just showed me how to live with honesty, kindness, and goodness. He showed me the joy of nature, the ________that can come from just sitting outside on a sunny day.
When Frankie ________, we found he had over 40,000 dollars in the bank, a ________at that time, from a lifetime of saving. It was sent to his brothers and sisters________living in Italy. We often wondered why he hadn’t used it to buy a better home and live more ________. Looking back now, however, I know the ________. He had food, shelter, clothes, and warmth both in his house and in his spirit. He ________nothing more to be happy in his life.
1.A. street B. board C. map D. bridge
2.A. open B. empty C. old D. dark
3.A. in fact B. at first C. above all D. as usual
4.A. employed B. born C. prepared D. educated
5.A. worked B. waited C. walked D. traveled
6.A. delight B. amazement C. regret D. patience
7.A. weak B. careless C. poor D. smelly
8.A. dive B. swim C. bathe D. practice
9.A. mind B. bear C. have D. take
10.A. heart B. English C. life D. time
11.A. understanding B. finding C. believing D. improving
12.A. served B. guided C. held D. accepted
13.A. nature B. choice C. order D. example
14.A. courage B. wealth C. peace D. strength
15.A. failed B. returned C. settled D. died
16.A. record B. secret C. fortune D. success
17.A. still B. also C. again D. often
18.A. actively B. comfortably C. safely D. quietly
19.A. method B. process C. chance D. answer
20.A. managed B. changed C. needed D. explained
Organic exercise is a good fit for people looking to train functionally. It is defined as exercise that is similar to the type of physical activity performed by ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors. Organic exercise is generally preformed in natural or outdoor settings. 1.Organic exercise may include such activities as walking, jogging, swimming, hiking or rock climbing.
When it comes to organic exercise, one of its most significant benefits is its limited reliance on equipment. 2.Going for a jog, walking, or even hiking does not require tools, weights, or even hiking does not require tools, weights, or other products, and therefore, is fairly inexpensive.
Since the types of activity emphasized in organic exercise programs are similar to those performed as part of daily life, they do not require extensive or long amounts of practice to obtain proficiency(精通). 3.Therefore the type of activity recommended in an organic workout routine can be performed by beginning or advanced exercisers alike with relative ease.
While the type of exercise recommended in an organic workout may be easy enough to perform, the intensity at which it is recommended can be too much for some individuals. 4.Individuals who are new to exercise or suffer from a chronic health condition that limits their physical ability may find it difficult to perform exercise that is especially strenuous.
5.Individuals who are new to exercise may want to talk with their health care provider before choosing this type of activity. In some cases, it may be better to start off with a more traditional workout and slowly transition to organic exercise than starting with this regimen(养生法)right off the bat.
A. Weigh both the benefits and drawbacks.
B. In fact, it can be done nearly anywhere, any time.
C. Therefore it requires very little helping equipment.
D. Choosing the right types of organic exercise is important.
E. Most adults already know how to hike, swim or dig, for example.
F. In fact, one of the biggest drawbacks is the emphasis on high-intensity exercise.
G. While organic exercise may be a good choice for some, it is right for all adults.
Americans always attach great weight to the business of the country. President Coolidge’s statement, “the business of America is business.” Still points to an important truth today—that business institutions have more prestige(威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly (垄断、垄断者) of power. In contrast to one, all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors(下属) or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believes, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternation to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore world as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity in America rather than the aristocratic(贵族的) idea of inherited privilege in many other countries
1.The statement “The business of America is business” probably means “_______”.
A. the business institutions in American are concerned with commerce(商业)
B. business problems are of great importance to the American government
C. business is of primary concern to Americans
D. America is a great power in world business
2.Who can benefit from the business competition?
A. Honest businessmen.
B. People with ideas of equality and freedom.
C. Both businessmen and their customers.
D. Both business institutions and government.
3.Government is believed to differ unusually from business because government is characterized by ________.
A. its absolute control of power
B. its function in preserving personal freedom
C. its role in protecting basic American values
D. its democratic way of exercising leadership
4.It can be concluded from the passage that the author believes ________.
A. Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries
B. in many countries, success often depends on one’s social status
C. American businesses are more democratic(民主的) than those in other countries
D. businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in America
While music has value all by itself, researchers have long noticed that musicians also tend to be better at learning languages and show other improved reading and math abilities. Now a new study from the University of Washington by Christina Zhao shows that rhythm is an important bridge between music and speech as early as nine months of age.
Researchers randomly placed babies into two groups of 20 each, and each group played at the lab with their parents for a dozen 15-minute sessions over a month.
In one group, researchers played recordings of songs with a waltz rhythm and showed the parents how to help their babies tap out that 1-2-3 beat in time with the music on boy drums or with their feet. In the other group, children played with typical toys and no music.
The babies in the music group were better able to detect random mistakes in that rhythm when they heard it within two weeks of the last session. They also showed a stronger brain response to disruptions in the rhythm. For example, researchers would sometimes alter the timing of syllables(音节) by slightly shortening the middle sound of a word like bibbi to make it bibi—and the babies with music training were more likely to notice it.
In other words, music training not only improved the babies’ ability to notice when a musical rhythm skipped a beat, but also improved their ability to notice when the rhythms of speech changed unexpectedly, an important skill for learning to talk.
The study reflects Zhao’s personal experiences as a pianist who music in college, and as someone who speaks both Mandarin and English. She noticed that a lot of her fellow musicians were also good at learning other languages. “That really got me wondering how these two are related, “Zhao said.
1.What can we learn about the new study?
A. It included twenty babies.
B. The babies were grouped by age.
C. It was carried out in form of lab tests.
D. The two groups were offered different types of music.
2.According to the last paragraph, Christina Zhao ________.
A. will carry on with this study
B. is good at discovering hidden connections
C. is willing to share her personal experiences
D. began learning different languages during childhood
3.Which is the best title for the text?
A. Music Learners’ Advantages Over Language Learners
B. An Important Bridge Between Music and Babies
C. Researchers Prove Music’s Influence on Babies
D. Music Skills May Help Babies Learn Languages
“A room without books is like a body without a soul,” observed the Roman philosopher, Cicero. It can also be a sign of financial problems to come. New research has uncovered a strong connection between the earning of adults and whether they grew up surrounded by books as children.
Three economists at the University of Padua—Giorgio Brunello, Guglielmo Weber and Christoph Weiss—studied 6000 men born in nine European countries and concluded that children with access to books could expect to earn more money than those who grew up with few or no books.
They studied the period from 1920 to 1956, when school reforms saw the minimum school leaving age raised across Europe. They booked at whether, at the age of 10, a child lived in a house with fewer than 10 books, a shelf of books, a bookcase with up to 100 books, two bookcases, or more than two bookcases.
Over the period studied, the research, published in The Economic Journal, found that an additional year of education increased a man’s average lifetime earnings by 9%. Men brought up in houses with less than a shelf of books earned only 5% more as a result of the extra year’s education, compared with 21% more for those who had access to a lot of books. And those who had access to books were more likely to move to the better-earning opportunities in cities than those without books. The men’s first job was also much more likely to be a white-collar job.
The economists offer a number of theories for the results. “Perhaps books matter because they encourage children to read more and reading can have positive effects on school performance,” they said.
The number of books in children’s homes can effectively predict their cognitive(认知的) test scores. This may indicate a home that encourages cognitive skills, which are important for economic success in life.
1.Why did author mention Cicero’s words in the first paragraph?
A. To make an argument. B. To introduce the topic.
C. To express his own views. D. To arouse readers’ interest.
2.What can we learn about the people studied by the researchers?
A. They were tracked by researchers since age 10.
B. They all left school because of school reforms.
C. They came from several different countries.
D. They are now white-collar professionals.
3.How does the author show the results of the research?
A. By listing numbers.
B. By providing examples.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By following the order of importance.
4.What is the main conclusion to the research?
A. Homes without books are vulnerable（脆弱）to financial problems.
B. Families that can afford books raise successful children.
C. Boy who love reading books earn more than girls.
D. Children who live with books earn more as adults.
More cycling, better public transport and car bans… Places all over the world are taking a range of measures to lower traffic pollution.
Paris
Paris bans cars in many historic central districts on weekends, places odd-even(单双日制的) bans on vehicles, makes public transport free during major pollution events and encourages car-sharing programs. A long section of the right bank of the river. Seine is now car-free and a monthly ban on cars has come into force along the Champs-Elysees.
The Netherlands
Politicians want to ban the sale of all petrol cars from 2025, allowing only electric of hydrogen vehicles. The new law will allow anyone who already owns a petrol car to continue using it. Most cities encourage bicycle use.
Freiburg
Freiburg in Germany has 500km of bike routes and a cheap and efficient public transport system. One town, Vauban, forbids people to park near homes and makes car-owners pay 18,000 for a space on the edge of town. In return for living without a car, people are offered cheaper housing, free public transport, and plentiful bicycle spaces.
Curitiba
The southern Brazilian city of two million people has one of the biggest and lowest-cost bus systems in the world. Nearly 70% of its people go to work by public transport and the result is pollution-free air and traffic-free streets.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen prioritizes(优先考虑) bikes over cars and now has more cycles than people. The city calculates that one mile on a bike is worth $0.42 to society, while one mile in a car is a $0.2 loss. Large parts of the Danish capital have been closed to vehicles for decades.
1.What will happen in Paris during major pollution events?
A. Historic central districts won’t allow cars in.
B. People can take public transport free of charge.
C. Car-sharing programs will raise money publicly.
D. People must obey the old-even traffic restrictions.
2.From 2025, the Netherlands will ________.
A. put 500km of bike routes into full use
B. completely forbid the use of petrol cars
C. only allow the sale of electric or hydrogen vehicles
D. own the biggest and lowest-cost bus system in the world
3.What does Vauban forbid its people to do?
A. Park their cars around their homes. B. Sell or buy parking spaces.
C. Occupy bicycle spaces. D. Go to work by car.
4.Which of the following cities attach great importance to cycling?
A. Park and Curitiba. B. Paris and Freiburg.
C. Curitiba and Copenhagen. D. Freiburg and Copenhagen.
