Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be simple fact? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?
If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant. The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake. The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk. The fourth, who got hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope. The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant’s legs. The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan.
Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience. So if someone disagrees with you about a“simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.
To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a“simple fact”, try this simple experiment. Get three large bowls. Put ice water in one. Put hot water in the second. Put lukewarm water in the third. Now put your left hand in the ice water. Put your right hand in the hot water. After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water. Your right hand will tell you the water is cold. Your left hand will tell you it’s hot!
1.What makes people think about simple facts differently?
A. The fact that simple facts differ from one another.
B. The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact.
C. The fact that people often disagree with one another.
D. The fact that it’s hard to make up one’s mind about simple facts.
2.Which of the following temperatures can the word “lukewarm” be applied to?
A. Around 1℃ B. Above 60℃ C. Around 25℃ D. Below 0℃
3.After reading the last paragraph, we may think of .
A. Newton’s law B. Gallileo’s theory of falling objects
C. Einstein’s theory of relativity D. Marx’s On Capital
4.The main idea of this passage is .
A. people often judge something according to his own experience
B. people often agree about simple facts
C. it’s hard for a person to make up his mind about a simple fact
D. don’t care too much about simple facts
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
1.David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because .
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because .
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
3.According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D. All the employers in the US are for casual office wear.
4.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT .
A. saving employees’ money
B. making employees more attractive
C. improving employees’ motivation
D. making employees happier
A friend of mine was sitting in the living room one day when his cat dragged in a little “gift” in its mouth—a dead animal of some sort. Taking a closer look, he was surprised to 36 it as the bunny(小兔子) that 37 Mary, the young daughter of the family next door. My friend felt 38 , believing his cat had killed Mary’s bunny.
My quick-thinking friend came up with a plan. 39 from the cat’s mouth the dead animal, which by now was a 40 mess, he put it in the kitchen sink. With a little warm water and some shampoo, he tried to 41 the dead bunny as best he could. Then he took a hair dryer and blowdried the bunny 42 it looked pretty good.
Finally, under the cover of darkness, he crept into the next-door garden and placed it 43 in the cage. He managed to make the bunny look very 44 there in his little box.
The next morning, my friend looked out of the window and noticed a crowd of people 45 around the rabbit hutch(笼). Everyone seemed to be talking and pointing. My friend 46 to go over and act like any normal 47 neighbor and find out what was going on.
When he got there, Mary’s mother said to my friend, “You won’t believe this! It’s a(n) 48 thing! Mary’s bunny 49 a few days ago, and we buried that little bunny right over there…”
Have you ever tried to cover up one wrongdoing with another? Covering up only makes matters 50 .
When we get caught doing something 51 , for example, we may 52 to cover it up with a lie. But just like Mary’s bunny, the result is 53 what we expected. We 54 looking foolish. We would have been better off admitting we were wrong and accepting the 55 . What do you think of it?
1.A. treat B. catch C. appreciate D. recognize
2.A. looked for B. got along C. belonged to D. resulted from
3.A. pleased B. terrible C. confused D. excited
4.A. Looking B. Removing C. Preventing D. Hearing
5.A. dirty B. lovely C. gifted D. strange
6.A. dress up B. bring up C. clean up D. make up
7.A. whenever B. though C. before D. until
8.A. carefully B. strangely C. espe cially D. wonderfully
9.A. serious B. accurate C. balanced D. natural
10.A. cheered B. gathered C. ran D. looked
11.A. wished B. decided C. hesitated D. meant
12.A. anxious B. discouraged C. wise D. curious
13.A. strange B. difficult C. committed D. annoying
14.A. passed away B. ran away C. set out D. went up
15.A. more B. worse C. better D. faster
16.A. exciting B. perfect C. strange D. wrong
17.A. refuse B. attempt C. promise D. pretend
18.A. often B. just C. always D. never
19.A. get down B. end up C. go through D. set out
20.A. consequences B. opportunities C. expectations D. choices
-- They are quiet, aren’t they? --- Yes. They are accustomed __________ at meals.
A. to talk B. to not talk C. to talking D. to not talking
Occasions are quite rare ____ I have the time to spend a day with my kids.
A. who B. which C. why D. when
By the time he realizes he ____ into a trap, it’ll be too late for him to do anything about it.
A. walks B. walked C. has walked D. had walked
