After being laid off, he was reduced to himself to plant vegetable on the farm.
A．hiring…out B．catching…on C．splitting…off D．taking…up
This job is great salary. However, it has several disadvantage, such as long working hours and inconvenient working place.
A．on behalf of B．in addition to C．thanks to D．in terms of
spacecraft Shenzhou Ⅶ took off on November 1st, 2011, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China.
A．The; the B．The; / C．A; the D．A; /
The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked. The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.
1.The best title for the passage would be “________”.
A．Development of the National Flag B．Power of the National Flag
C．Types of Flags D．Uses of Flags
2.The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A．impossible to make sure of B．likely to be protected
C．easy to be damaged D．difficult to find
3.The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because ________.
A．they could tell direction
B．they could bring good luck to ancient fighters
C．they were handed down by the ancestors
D．they were believed to stand for natural forces
4.What does the author know of the first national flag?
A．He knows when it was sent to Europe.
B．He believes it was made in Egypt.
C．He thinks it came from China.
D．He doubts where it started.
5.What will the author most probably talk about next?
A．The role of China in the spread of the national flag.
B．The second ancestor of the national flag.
C．The use of modern flags in Europe.
D．The importance of modern flags
LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
"The hate we hold within us is a cancer, " Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart's first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian- born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.
The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. "People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness," he said, "People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one."
Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
"The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with," said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people "want to get free of the past".
1.From this passage we know that________.
A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hate
B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors
C．without hate, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart
D．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies
2.If you are angry with somebody, you should________.
A．attend Hart’s course
B．never meet him or her any longer
C．persuade him or her to have a positive talk with you
D．treat him or her positively instead of negatively
3.In Hart's first 20- week workshop, people there can ________.
A．meet their enemies B．change their attitudes
C．enjoy the professor's teaching D．learn how to quarrel with others
4.If you are a member in Hart's workshop, you'll________.
A．meet in eight or ten groups
B．get rid of the illness of cancer
C．attend a gathering twice a month
D．pour out everything stored in your mind
5.The author wrote this passage in order to________.
A．persuade Britons to go to Hart's workshop
B．tell us the news about Hart's workshop
C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart's
D．help us to look at various kinds of angers
Every year many students went to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more than, college fees.
Many people think that college bookstores are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually kept and students may purchase new textbooks or choose to buy second-hand books and save money. But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.
More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they keep a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they surf online since there are so many ‘unreal’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shopping costs and delivery time when making their decision.
Online auctions(拍卖) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you must depend on the auction seller's timetable.
One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics.
1.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A．Learning to Save on Textbooks B．Why Buy Textbooks
C．Online Shopping D．Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks
2.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?
A．College bookstores. B．Online used bookstores.
C．Online auctions. D．Second-hand bookstore centres.
3.The underlined expression “pros and cons” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.
A．professionals and conservatives B．joy and sadness
C．advantages and disadvantages D．processes and conditions
4.According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.
A．a government project aimed at helping English majors
B．a project to help poor students get free learning materials
C．a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts
D．a website for students to get free sources for English learning
5.From the passage, we can learn that__________.
A．the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition
B．online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books
C．students should visit many websites before buying their books
D．students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision
