There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penage. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back..
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
1.The author expected the train trip to be_________.
A. adventurous B. dull C. exciting D. pleasant
2.What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
A. The mountains along the way.
B. The friendly country people.
C. The crowds of people in the streets.
D. The simple lunch served on the train.
3.Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?
A. choose B. enjoy C. prepare for D. carry on
4.Where was the writer going?
A. Butterworth. B. The Causeway. C. Johore Baru. D. Singapore.
5.What can we learn from the story?
A. Comfort in traveling by train.
B. Pleasure of living in the country.
C. Reading gives people delight.
D. Smiles brighten people up.
Protecting Copyright
Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music. As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.com to download music files. But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs’ copyright bursts onto the screen. The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright. Lawsuits have been filed against four websites offering free downloads. In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation for their losses. Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website. This caused a heated discussion on Interact file sharing.
“Baidu’s defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying. Down loaders may face lawsuits or fines,” said an official.
Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn’t think that getting music from websites is wrong. She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends. When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others’ work without paying.
However, other teenagers have different ideas. Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers. “If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD,” she said. “So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than pursuing file-sharers.”
1.Which of the following best describes the passage?
A. Downloading material can be illegal.
B. Music on the Internet is of better quality.
C. It’s good to get free music on the Internet.
D. Baidu is a popular web company.
2.The four web companies were put to court because ________.
A. they got copyrighted songs without paying
B. they make copyrighted files for free downloads
C. they downloaded copyrighted music for people
D. they offer free music on line
3.How do some of the teenagers feel while downloading free music after the lawsuit?
A. A bit guilty. B. A little sad.
C. Extremely angry. D. Awfully sorry.
4.What’s the advantage of file sharing for recording companies?
A. Getting more money from web companies.
B. Making pop singers more popular.
C. Helping to improve the music.
D. Enabling people to download favorite songs.
5.It can be inferred from the text that _________.
A. Web companies are still ignoring the copyright laws.
B. Teenagers haven’t got money to buy CDs.
C. Teenagers are probably still downloading free music.
D. Teenagers prefer CDs with copyright to pirated music.
Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic（流行病） of sleepiness in the nation．“I can’t think of a single study that hasn’t found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,” says Dr．David．Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest．
The beginning of our sleep-deficit（lack）crises can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago．From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night．“The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark．” By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock．“People cheat in their sleep, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it,” says Dr．David．“They think they’re okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally energetic. ”
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researches say, is the complexity of the day．Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their programs．“In our society, you’re considered dynamic if you say you need only 5．5 hours’ sleep．If you’ve got to get 8．5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition．”
To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier．“We’ve found that if you’re in sleep deficit, performance suffers,” says Dr．David．“Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate．”
1.What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The history of people’s sleeping patterns．
B. The epidemic of sleepiness in the modern times．
C. Research on the causes and consequences of sleep-deficit．
D. The minimum of our sleeping hours．
2.Which of the following is Dr．David’s opinion?
A. People’s metal power suffers if they are lacking in sleep．
B. Some people can remain energetic with only 6．5 hours’ sleep a night．
C. If they get 8．5 hours’ sleep, people will be full of drive and ambition．
D. People who think they are sleeping enough are better off than those who don't．
3.People in the 18th and 19th centuries slept about 9．5 hours a night because _______．
A. they had no electricity
B. they knew what was best for their health
C. they were forced by their parents to do so
D. they were not so dynamic and ambitious as modern people are
4.The major cause of sleep-deficit of modern people is _______．
A. the endless TV programs in the evenings and the internet
B. the heavy work load of the day
C. the sufficient energy modern people usually have
D. loud noises in the modern cities
5.What does the word “subjects” in paragraph 4 mean?
A. Person or thing that is being discussed or described．
B. Branch of knowledge studied in a school．
C. Person or thing being treated in a certain way or being experimented on．
D. Any member of a State apart from the supreme ruler．
Today, when there are many top graduates looking for top jobs, graduates can differentiate(区别) themselves by obtaining a double major or even a double degree. Increasingly, employers are looking for individuals who are not only competent and intelligent, but who have different skill sets and who are knowledgeable in many areas. Part of the appeal to employers is that your extra work demonstrates a willingness to take on difficult tasks. Additionally, if your majors overlap (重叠), you are able to show potential employers that you have both breadth and depth of knowledge.
By studying for a double major, although you will be studying for only one degree, you will be focusing on two related and integrated subjects that complement (补充) each other. Classes overlap between the majors, meaning fewer classes are required than with a double degree, so it is easier to finish within four years.
In contrast, with the more rigorous (严格的) double degree, you will be studying for two different degrees in two completely different areas of study. Although pursuing such a course of study allows students to complete two wholly separate degrees in less time than if they were to earn them separately, many strong students still find it incredibly difficult to complete in four or five years.
If you are committed to a double major/degree, it is wise to do a little bit of planning. Some students try to find two courses of studies that are related, while others seek to round out their academic studies by choosing two completely unrelated fields.
For double majors, common pairings include: (i) economics and a foreign language; (ii) political science or government and journalism; (iii) economics and psychology.
For double degrees, common pairings include: (i) engineering and a business program such as finance or accounting; (ii) engineering and economics.
1.What do employers think of the graduates with different skill sets and knowledge in many areas?
A. They should be given top jobs.
B. They are willing to take difficult tasks.
C. They are better than those who are competent and intelligent.
D. They must have attained a double major or even a double degree.
2.According to the passage, the underlined word “breadth” most probably means_________.
A. quality B. amount C. quantity D. width
3.To obtain a double major, you _________.
A. should complete two wholly separate degrees
B. need to focus on two related and integrated subjects
C. need to spend more time than obtaining a double degree
D. have to take courses in two completely different areas of study
4.If you are devoted to a double major or degree, you should _________.
A. find two subjects with overlapping classes
B. learn about what your potential employers want
C. decide what to learn with your intentions considered
D. try to decide on some common pairings as soon as possible
5.Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
A. Economics is a major while engineering is a degree.
B. Every college student should take a double major or degree.
C. Earning a double degree is more difficult than obtaining a double major.
D. Some students choose two completely unrelated fields to show their ability in academic study.
When I was 17，I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last，someday you’ll most certainly be right” It made a deep 1 on me, and since then, for the past 33 years，I have 2 in the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life， 3 I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 4 ，I know I need to change something．
Remembering that I’ll be 5 soon is the most important tool I’ve ever known to help me make the big 6 in life because almost everything falls away in the face of death， 7 only what is truly important.
About a year ago I was 8 with cancer. My doctor even advised me to go home and get my affairs 9 order，which is a doctor’s way of telling people to prepare to die．I 10 with that diagnosis all day． 11 ，at last an advanced test showed that it was a very rare cancer that is 12 with surgery．I had the surgery and I’m fine now.
13 wants to die．Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all 14 ．No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be，because death is very likely the single best invention of 15 ．It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to 16 for the new．Right now the new is you．But someday not too 17 from now，you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．Sorry to be so dramatic，but it is quite true.
Your time is 18 ，so don’t waste it living someone else’s 1ife．Don’t be 19 by dogma (教条) —which is living with the results of other people’s thinking．Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner 20 ．And most importantly，have the courage to follow your heart.
1.A. joke B. curse C. decision D. impression
2.A. looked B. seen C. found D. 1ost
3.A. might B. should C. would D. could
4.A. hurry B. 1ine C. row D. moment
5.A. successful B. dead C. rich D. frustrated
6.A. choices B. fortune C. impressions D. apologies
7.A. proving B. confirming C. leaving D. telling
8.A. treated B. cured C. diagnosed D. round
9.A. on B. for C. at D. in
10.A. met B. 1ived C. did D. got
11.A. But B. However C. Therefore D. So
12.A. incurable B. fatal C. curable D. changeable
13.A. No one B. Someone C. Anyone D. Everyone
14.A. want B. avoid C. escape D. share
15.A. destination B. science C. 1ife D. disease
16.A. make up B. make way C. make our D. make for
17.A. distant B. long C. short D. away
18.A. enough B. rare C. limited D. 1ost
19.A. wasted B. cheated C. excited D. trapped
20.A. love B. voice C. direction D.confusion
— Hey! Lucy! Have you heard about the optional courses this year?
— _______ .What about that?
A．Not really B．Not exactly C．Not simply D．Not nearly
