STRANGERS parties go wild these days. The main idea of them is to never let the people know who their matches are until the last minute. These are some popular practices that are storming the world’s youth on this V-day.
Speed dating
It’s exactly what the name implies. Complete with a timer, a whistle and 50 willing singles, speed dating is not the traditional dinner and a movie type of first date. Singles pay US $35 for three minutes with more than two dozen future dates. They ask questions and try to get to know each other. At the sound of a whistle, they do the same thing all over again―25 times in all.
Lock and key party
Women are given a lock and men are given a key, upon arriving at the party. Each key and lock has several matches. One can hunt for his/her later-to-be sweetheart in various groups, and try out the key or lock. Each time a lock and key match the pair are entered into a ballot (票数） for top prizes!
Dinner in the dark
Waiters wearing night vision glasses guide the guests through the pitch-black dining room. They are seated at the table and familiarized with the wine glass and plate. Food is handled with the fingers. People will not see the food they are eating or the guests at their table until the dessert course. At that moment, dining partners will appear.
Message party
Have A Cocktail, Leave A Message! When you arrive, you get a tag with a number and a pad of post-it notes. If you see someone you like, write a message on the message board. But wait… You’ve got a message… Go and collect it! You can make new friends and win lots of gifts. The more messages you leave on the bulletin board, the more chances you have of winning prizes.
1.What do you think the similarities of these parties are?
A. All the parties have very strict rules for their members.
B. If you want to go to any of the parties, you have to buy a ticket.
C. All the parties are aimed at strangers who want to be lovers.
D. All the parties are suitable not only for the young but for the old.
2.In which party does a participant have to be careful with the time?
A. Speed dating. B. Lock and key party.
C. Dinner in the dark. D. Message party.
3.If you go to the Dinner in the dark, ________.
A. you have to eat with your hands
B. you have to wear night vision glasses
C. guests eat all the courses in the darkness
D. your dining partners will help you choose the food
4.How many of the parties offer gifts or prizes?
A. 4. B. 3. C. 2. D. 1.
The passengers on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have thought I was strange. In particular a gentleman sitting opposite me was always staring at me, looking at the cheese bread on the floor in front of me and then staring back at me. A passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop, but the gentleman might not think so. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” — my stop was quickly coming up. I had few minutes to either take the cheese bread, which nobody else was claiming, or left it there.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would others on the subway think of me if I took the cheese bread? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I was stealing?” The ignorant thing to do was say “yes” to any of those self-imposed questions. Actually, they were just my own thoughts. Though I would leave the subway, walk a block to my office, get settled at my desk, and sit comfortably in my office for the whole day, I couldn’t get rid of the enormous sense of guilt and regret.
My thoughts once pushed me towards pride and ignorance, but finally I had to admit I was wrong. This missing cheese bread could be a gift for a homeless person who suffered from cold and hunger. So why not overcome a little bit of my pride and pass along so much kindness?
Just as the doors opened at my stop, I grabbed the cheese bread and left the subway. It felt awesome, but I didn’t care if people were looking at me or what they were thinking. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen’s park, where I often saw a homeless man sitting outside. I always wanted to give him something, but only today I walked toward him, who wrapped himself in a sleeping bag. I was full of satisfaction, and so did the homeless man, I thought.
1.The gentleman kept staring at the author because _______.
A. he wanted to talk to the author
B. he might think the author dropped the bread
C. the author appeared too nervous
D. the author was going to get off
2.The underlined word “self-imposed” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
A. easily obtained
B. strongly supported
C. deliberately created
D. completely unaccepted
3.Why did the author grab the cheese bread when he got off?
A. He noticed that no one was looking at him.
B. He didn’t want to see the cheese bread to go to waste.
C. He remembered a homeless man at that very moment.
D. He valued kindness more than his own pride.
I liked climbing things when I was a baby. My mother remembers and has told me most of those 16 moments like this one. When I was one and a half years old, we lived in our first house in Rue St-Louis. On a hot summer day, my father intended to 17 the roof of our old house. In order to climb up there, he 18 a ladder front of the house.
In my town, 19 could walk outside because the streets were 20 . I was outside watching my father climb on that strange thing. I was curious about why my father disappear at last. So I decided to go up it to 21 why it was impossible to see my father after he reached the 22 of that thing. At 1.5 years old, still a baby wearing pampers, I climbed that ladder to the roof top and started walking 23 . My father did not notice that-he was on the other side occupied with his repairs. It happened that a nice lady in our 24 passed by and 25 me. The nice lady came to my house and 26 my mother of it, who was fearful and 27 ran outside to speak with me.
She really thought I would just 28 that roof, for I was just a baby 29 . She asked me to sit down and stop moving in a 30 way you speak to your babies when they are cute. 31 , I threw myself flat on the 32 and waited.
My mother climbed the ladder to 33 me up and there I was enjoying the view laughing at my mother’s shocked face. 34 the saying goes, “He who knows nothing 35 nothing.”
1.A．valuable B．unforgettable C．endless D．worthy
2.A．build B．paint C．clean D．mend
3.A．spread B．laid C．stood D．moved
4.A．adults B．children C．babies D．villagers
5.A．smooth B．wide C．clean D．safe
6.A．figure out B．think out C．pick out D．point out
7.A．foot B．top C．step D．body
8.A．out B．up C．down D．around
9.A．house B．neighborhood C．family D．company
10.A．met B．inspected C．heard D．spotted
11.A．asked B．warned C．reminded D．advised
12.A．quietly B．slowly C．immediately D．curiously
13.A．fall off B．climb onto C．repair D．destroy
14.A．after all B．at all C．in all D．all in all
15.A．concerned B．cautious C．nice D．clear
16.A．Therefore B．Instead C．However D．Otherwise
17.A．ladder B．ground C．roof D．street
18.A．bring B．pick C．put D．take
19.A．When B．While C．For D．As
20.A．doubts B．fears C．ignores D．understands
—Jones! Roy has broken the glass.
— Such things happen.
A. Doesn’t matter. B. How come?
C. What a pity! D. What has become of him?
The experiment shows that proper amounts of exercise, if ___ regularly, can improve our health.
A. being carried out B. carrying out C. to carry out D. carried out
The discovery of gold in Sahara Desert led thousands to believe that a fortune________.
A. is made B. was to be made C. would make D. had made
