For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.
1.The passage mainly tells us something about ______.
A. the past and present of British pubs
B. the decline of British pubs
C. the long history of British pubs
D. the importance of British pubs
2.Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?
A. The credit crunch.
B. The present closing time.
C. The ban of smoking.
D. Having no spare money.
3.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. British people used to like drinking slowly
B. closing the pubs early will reduce social problems
C. binge drinking means drinking less beer
D. British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking
4.We can see from the last paragraph that the author _______.
A. is against the admission of too many women to the pubs
B. holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs
C. thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems
D. thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The importance of working hard at school.
B. Choosing a career according to one’s strengths.
C. How to face one’s weakness.
D. The value of school work.
2.The writer thinks that a student have a part-time job is probably ______.
A. a good way to find out his weak points
B. one of the best ways of earning extra money
C. of great use for his work in the future
D. a waste of time he could have spent on study
3.From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _______.
A. should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities
B. will be regretful about his bad results
C. may also do well in his future work
D. should restart his study in school
4.The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para 3) probably means “_______”.
A. be clumsy at doing things
B. be skillful in doing things
C. be not interested in certain things
D. be easily bored in doing things
Dr. Glenn Tisman, a cancer specialist, knew his young neighbor, Ray Bateman, had an unusual mind. But he had no idea at the time that 12 - year – old Ray had the ability to become his partner in cancer research.
Ray’s parents remembered that at age four, Ray surprised them by fixing a broken vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）. When he was ten, he speedily constructed the family color television from a kit. Later, he succeeded in assembling（组装） a complex stereo system after two experts had failed to do the job.
When Ray was ten, he convinced his parents to buy him a computer. In a short time, Ray was able to do amazing things with the computer. Ray shared his enthusiasm for computers with Dr. Tisman, who used a computer for his research. The two discussed computers and medicine frequently. Amazingly, Ray understood the biology and chemistry related to Dr. Tisman’s medical research without any previous instruction.
Ray then worked with Dr. Tisman after school. He helped conduct research with the equipment and kept it in working order. The purpose of the research was to test the effectiveness of mixing an old cancer drug with certain vitamins. Ray analyzed patient test results by computer, while Dr. Tisman handled all patient contact. Together, they came up with solid research that helped advance cancer treatment.
In 1988, 14 - year - old Ray went with Dr. Tisman to a meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research（AFCR）, where Ray presented their initial research findings. Using terminology（术语） beyond the grasp of most kids his age, Ray told the scientists how the new drug mixture caused fewer and milder side effects for cancer patients.
A year later, Ray returned to the meeting to update the findings of his and Dr. Tisman’s research. By then, he had become well - known for his devotion to finding cures for sick patients. Stories about him appeared in hundred of newspapers around the world. He appeared on television newscasts and talk shows.
Ray continued to spend most free hours working with Dr. Tisman. The two began studying the effects of vitamins on babies inside the womb（子宫）. However, Ray’s main interest remained cancer treatment, and he continues his research today.
1.According to the passage, Ray______.
A. is a boy of many gifts
B. is very helpful to his parents
C. learned fast under Dr. Tisman’s instruction
D. stopped working with Dr. Tisman after his success
2.What do we know about Dr. Tisman?
A. He succeeded in finding cures for cancer.
B. He made a new discovery in cancer treatment.
C. He convinced Ray to become a partner of him.
D. He taught Ray knowledge related to his research.
3.What made Ray first known to the medical world?
A. His presentation at AFCR.
B. His great skills in computer.
C. His devotion to cancer research.
D. His appearance on television newscasts.
4.Dr. Tisman’s research is aimed at ______.
A. providing different cancer treatments
B. proving the effects of vitamins on babies
C. finding the side effects of a cancer drug
D. testing the effectiveness of a new drug mixture
Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. Due to his old age, he was going bald, which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool. Therefore, biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool.
Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of fat to keep them warm, penguins depend on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water.
"He was cold; he would shake," said Pam Schaller, a senior biologist. Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific, why not make one for Pierre?
Schaller designed the suit, which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers.
“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable,” she said.
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit, but in fact, they accepted his new look. He swam freely and got along with others well, although he was the only penguin with a black stomach.
Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers, but “certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”.
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back.
1.Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of _____.
A. not having a layer of blubber
B. having few feathers due to old age
C. having no wetsuit
D. others penguins rejecting him
2.The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from _____.
A. total invention
B. waterproof feathers
C. the use of wetsuit on humans
D. the use of heat lamp
3.Schaller followed Pierre in order to see _____.
A. whether other penguins would reject him
B. if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit
C. if the wetsuit kept warm
D. whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering
4.The best title of the passage is _____.
A. Wetsuit for An Old Penguin
B. Old Penguin Getting Bald
C. Unwilling to Swim
D. Strange Look of PierreＢ
A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 36 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning 37 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 38 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 39 lessons at age 54! I told her that it was very 40 that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情）to play the piano.
Then she asked me 41 question. “I have been playing for 8 years now,” I answered.
“Then you must play a song for me before you leave,” she 42 .I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she 43 me of our musical “ 44 _”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 45 asked me to play a song for her. I thought 46 and decided to play David Lantz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for 47 ,and it was my soul-searching song.
I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions 48 into it as possible. She loved it. 49 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man!”
I turned around. And there was an old lady 50 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to 51 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to 52 my bed, but your music made me feel good ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked 53 back to her room.
I was deeply 54 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s 55 for peace and joy.
1.A. observed B. watched C. noticed D. caught
2.A. on B. at C. over D. against
3.A. player B. teacher C. composer D. starter
4.A. giving B. attending C. teaching D. reviewing
5.A. interesting B. wonderful C. moved D. impressive
6.A. another B. a different C. the same D. other
7.A. advised B. ordered C. demanded D. requested
8.A. warned B. reminded C. asked D. required
9.A. course B. task C. discussion D. deal
10.A. and B. but C. as a result D. what’s more
11.A. for the moment B. at the moment
C. for a moment D. at a moment
12.A. music B. songs C. the piano D. vitamins
13.A. dropping B. falling C. pouring D. running
14.A. Since B. As C. While D. Because
15.A. taking B. making C. having D. giving
16.A. thank B. praise C. admire D. owe
17.A. get on B. get up C. get off D. get down
18.A. quietly B. calmly C. happily D. slowly
19.A. shocked B. touched C. delighted D. disturbed
20.A. world B. heart C. brains D. dreams
To be successful, you must be smart, confident, and, ______ honest.
A. therefore B. above all C. however D. after all
