During the Christmas shopping rush in London, the intriguing story was reported of a tramp(流浪汉) who, apparently through no fault of his own, found himself locked in a well-known chain store late on Christmas Eve. No doubt the store was crowded with last minute Christmas shoppers and the staff were dead beat and longing to get home. Presumably all the proper Security checks were made before the store was locked and they left to enjoy the three-day holiday untroubled by customers desperate to get last minute Christmas presents
However that may be, our tramp found himself alone in the store and decided to make the best of it. There was food, drink, bedding and camping equipment, of which he made good use. There must also have been television sets and radios Though it was not reported if he took advantage of these facilities, when the shop re-opened, he was discovered in bed with a large number of empty bottles beside him. He seems to have been a man of good humour and philosophic temperament---as indeed vagrants(流浪汉) very commonly arc. Everyone also was enjoying Christmas, so he saw no good reason why he should not do the same. He submitted, cheerfully enough, to being taken way by the police. Perhaps he had bad a better Christmas than usual. He was sent to prison for Seven days. The judge awarded no compensation to the chain store for the food and drink our tramp had consumed. They had, in his opinion, already received valuable free publicity from the coverage the story received in the newspapers and on television. Perhaps the judge had had a good Christmas too.
1.The tramp was locked in the store____
A. for his mistakes. B. due to a misunderstanding
C. by accident. D. through an error of judgment.
2.The staff were 'dead beat' means they were _____
A. half asleep B. exhausted. C. annoyed. D. forgetful.
3.What action did the tramp take? He_____
A. looted the store. B. made himself at home.
C. went to sleep for 2 days. D. had a Christmas party.
4.When the tramp was arrested, he _____
A. laughed at the police. B. looked forward to going to pr)son.
C. rook his bottles with him. D. didn't make any fuss
5.Why didn't the judge award compensation to the chain store?
A. The tramp had stolen nothing of value B. The store had profited by the incident.
C. The tramp deserved a happy Christmas D. The store was responsible for what happened.
One day Mr. Kerry was walking along the Strand in London, killing time, when his eye was caught by an enormous picture displayed upon the wall of a house. It represented a human figure covered with long, dark hair, with huge nails upon his hands and a most fearful expression. On coming nearer, he heard a man call out 'Walk in, ladies and gentlemen, the most wonderful curiosity ever exhibited-only five pence-the wild man from Africa-he eats raw food, and many other pleasing and surprising performances. Mr. Kerry paid his money and was admitted. At first the crowd prevented his seeing anything, for the place was full of suffocation(窒息), and the noise was awful. At last, Mr. Kerry obtained, by dint of squeezing and pushing, a place in the front, when to his horror, he saw a figure that was far worse than the portrait outside.
It was a man, nearly naked, covered with long, shaggy hair, that grew even over his nose and cheekbones. He sprang about, sometimes his feet, sometimes on all-fours, but always uttering the most fearful yells, and glaring upon the crowd in a manner that was really dangerous. Mr. Kerry did not feel exactly happy at the whole proceeding, and began heartily to wish himself outside. Suddenly, thc savage gave a more frantic scream than before and seized a morsel(小块) of raw beef which a keeper extended to him on a long fork. This he tore to pieces eagerly, and devoured in the most voracious(贪婪的) manner, amid great clapping of hands and other evidence of satisfaction from the audience: 'I'll go now', thought Mr. Kerry, 'for who knows whether, in his hungry moods, he might not fancy finishing his dinner with me.' Just at this instant, some sounds struck his ear that surprised him. He listened more attentively and, to his amazement, found that amid the most fearful cries and wild yells, the savage was talking Irish. Now, Mr. Kerry had never heard of an African Irishman so he listened very closely, and, by degrees, not only thc words were known to him, but the very voice was familiar, so turning to the savage he addressed him in Irish, at the same time fixing him with a severe look.
'Who are you?' said Mr. Kerry.
'Billy McCabe, sir.'
'And what do you mean by playing your tricks here, instead of earning your living like an honest man?'
'Well,' said Billy, 'I'm earning the rent to pay you. One must do many strange things to pay the kind of rent you charge.'
1.Mr. Kerry was walking along the Strand because _____
A .he had nothing else to do.
B. he was late for an appointment.
C. he was looking for something to do.
D. he was reluctant to go home.
2.Inside the house, at first, Mr. Kerry____
A. was nearly suffocated.
B. could see nothing.
C. was pushed about.
D .couldn't hear anything
3.The wild man gave the impression of being dangerous by_______
A. the way he moved B. the way he dressed
C. the looks he gave D. the cries he made
4.Mr Kerry decided to leave the house because _______
A. he felt extremely frightened B. he was worried what might happen
C. he didn’t wish to eat with the savage D. he feared he might have a heart attack
5.The wild man surprised Mr Kerry by speaking Irish since____
A. he was on show in London B. he was a primitive savage.
C. he previously spoke nonsense D. he was thought to be African.
Why is there no risk to the customer when a bank prints the customer’s name to his cheques?
When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by drawing a check in favor of another person. Primarily, the bank-customer’s account is in credit or overdrawn. But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank and its customer owe a large number of obligations(义务) to one another. Many of these obligations can give rise to problems but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.
The bank must obey its customer’s instructions, and not those of anyone else. When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit（把......记入借方） his account only in respect of checks drawn by himself. He gives the bank specimens(标本) of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right to pay out a customer’s money on a check on which its customer’s signature has been forged(伪造). It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skillful one: the bank must recognize its customer’s signature. For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer’s name on his checks. If this helps forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.
1.When you have a bank account, you ___
A. must always be in credit
B. can’t draw any money if you’re overdrawn
C. can draw money without notice
D. can’t pay money to anyone else
2.One of the obligations a bank has to a customer_____
A. is that it can’t take instructions from other people
B. is that it can avoid complications and problems
C. it must pay money to the customer even if he is seriously overdrawn
D. it must print the customer’s signature
3.The underlined part “the law is loaded against him” in the second paragraph is most likely to mean_____
A. the law is not of his interest
B. the law is unfavorable to him
C. the law is not in favor of him
D. the law is not in his honor
4.If someone forged your signature and drew money from your account___
A. the bank would always pay money to the forger
B. the bank wouldn’t lose any money
C. you wouldn’t lose any money
D. you wouldn’t lose your money
I'm usually fairly doubtful about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America's kids so stressed? According to the report there are two main causes: increasing loneliness ─ brought on by high divorce rates and little communication with society, among other things ─ and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Given that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation handle such difficulties. At the top of the list is giving children a better appreciation of the limits of individualism (个人主义). No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps protect individuals against stress. To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news. Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you deal with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to ruin your life.
1.The author thinks that the conclusions of any research comparing people's state of mind today with people’s state of mind in the past are______.
A. surprising B. confusing C. interesting D. questionable
2.What does the author mean when he says, “we can't turn the clock back” (Paragraph 3)?
A. It's impossible to slow down the pace of change.
B. The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.
C. Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.
D. It's impossible to forget the past.
3.According to the analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago____.
A. had little communication with friends
B. were probably less self-centered
C. probably suffered less from anxiety
D. were considered less individualistic
4.The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is ____.
A. to provide the children with a safer environment
B. to lower their expectations for the children
C. to get the children more active socially
D. to set an example for the children to follow
5.What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A. Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be dealt with.
B. Children's anxiety has been taken too seriously.
C. Children's anxiety can disappear with more parental care.
D. Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.
It was a quarter past nine as Marie hurried into the office building where she would be working. Her bus had inched along through heavy morning traffic, making her a few minutes late for her very first job. She decided she would start out half an hour earlier the next day. Once inside the building, she had to stand at the lifts and wait several minutes before one arrived. When she finally reached the office marked "King Enterprises," she knocked at the door nervously and waited. There was no answer. She tapped on the door again, but still there was no reply. From inside the next office, she could hear the sound of voices, so she opened the door and went in. Although she was sure it was the same office she had been in two weeks before when she had had the interview with Mr. King, it looked quite different now. In fact, it hardly looked like an office at all. The employees were just standing around chatting and smoking. At the far end of the room, somebody must have just told a good joke, she thought, because there was a loud burst of laughter as she came in. For a moment she had thought they were laughing at her. Then one of the men looked at his watch, clapped his hands and said something to the others. Quickly they all went to their desks and, in a matter of seconds, everyone was hard at work. No one paid any mind to Marie. Finally she went up to the man who was sitting at the desk nearest to the door and explained that this was her first day in the office. Hardly looking up from his work, he told her to have a seat and wait for Mr. King, who would arrive at any moment. Then Marie realized that the day's work in the office began just before Mr. King arrived. Later she found out that he lived in Connecticut and came into Manhattan on the same train every morning, arriving in the office at 9:35, so that his staff knew exactly when to start working.
1.Marie felt nervous when she knocked at the door because _______.
A. she had never met the boss once before
B. she was a little bit late for work
C. she was afraid that she had gone to the wrong place
D. there was no answer from inside the office
2.Marie could hardly recognize the office she went into as _______.
A. she had been there only once
B. Mr. King was not in the office
C. nobody was doing any work
D. the office had a new appearance
3.The people in the office suddenly started working because _______.
A. they saw a stranger in the office
B. they had finished their morning break
C. no one wanted to talk to Marie
D. the boss was about to arrive
4.We can infer from the passage that the employees of the enterprise
_______.
A. would start their work day by listening to a joke
B. were considerate to newcomers
C. were always punctual for work
D. lacked devotion to the company
5.What is probably the best title for the passage?
A. Punctual Like a Clock
B. A Cold Welcome
C. An Unpunctual Manager
D. Better Late Than Never
When New York City was not very big, there was a market on the East River. On market day all the farmers came there to sell their vegetable, butter and eggs, and fruit. They laughed and talked together, so no one could hear the river that ran beside them.
But Hans ,the butterman , sat without a smile. He sold pounds of butter from a table beside him. Many people said that his butter wasn’t the right weight. They said that his rolls of butter didn’t weigh as much as a pound.
Once the weighmaster came walking down the road. He was looking for people who did not sell the full weight. Someone told him, ”Watch Hans, the butterman.”
Hans had good eyes. He saw the weighmaster and quickly put the piece of gold into the first roll of butter, between the butter and its cover.
A captain was standing beside Hans’s table, and he had seen Hans put the piece of gold into the roll. He stood at Hans’s side when the weighmaster came up to him.
“Good morning,” said the weighmaster.
“Good morning,” said Hans. “I think that you are looking for farmers who trick the people of our town.
“I’m,” said the weighmaster. “Someone told me that your rolls of butter don’t weigh a full pound.”
“Oh yes, they do. Here, Weighmaster. Here is a roll of butter. Weigh it yourself,” said Hans.
Hans took the first roll of butter and gave it to the weighmaster.
The weighmaster took his scales and put the butter onto it. The roll weighed more than a pound.
“I’ve made a mistake,” said the weighmaster. “You are an honest man. There is enough butter in this roll.”
Then the captain stood in front of Hans’s table. “You are an honest man, so I want to buy some of your butter,” he said. Before Hans could speak, the captain picked up the roll of butter with the piece of gold in it. “I’ll take this one.”
Hans’s heart began beating more quickly. “No, not that one. I’ve sold that one to a friend of mine. Take another one.”
“No, I want this one,” said the captain.
“I won’t sell it to you. I told you that I’ve sold it to a friend,” said Hans.
“Don’t make me angry. The weighmaster weighed this roll. Give your friend another one.”
“But I want to give him this one,” said Hans, who was now very uncomfortable.
“I ask you, good Weighmaster,” said the captain angrily, “don’t I have the right to choose the piece of butter that I want? I will pay good money for it.”
“Of course you have the right, Captain,” said the weighmaster. “What are you afraid of, Hans? Aren’t all the rolls of butter alike? Perhaps I have to weigh all of them.”
What could Hans say? What could he do? He had to smile and sell the butter to the captain. The captain gave Hans three cents for the butter.
The captain and the weighmaster walked away together.
“You punished the thief,” said the weighmaster.
“No, he punished himself,” said the captain, smile.
1.When Hans saw the weighmaster, he .
A. stood up at once B. said hello to the weighmaster
C. put a piece of gold into a roll of butter quickly
D. gave the weighmaster a piece
2.After the weighmaster weighed the roll of butter that Hans gave, he .
A. thought Hans was an honest man
B. wanted to weigh all the other rolls of butter
C. wanted to buy a roll of butter from Hans
D. thought Hans was foolish
3.The captain wanted to buy butter from Hans .
A. because he knew Hans was an honest man
B. because he wanted to punish Hans
C. to get the piece of gold in the butter
D. because the butter weighed more than a pound
4.Hans didn't want to sell that roll of butter to the captain because .
A. he had sold it to someone else
B. he didn't like the captain
C. he didn't want to lose the piece of gold in it
D. it weighed more than a pound
