London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi survey.
The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals（对手）across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive（连续的）years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travelers.
London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi license.
New York's yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan's cab drivers tied （打成平局）with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.
Travelers said New York had the most convenient taxis.
Taxi drivers in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travelers thinking the Italian capital had the world's worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.
"Traveling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travelers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of traveling from the airport to their hotel," a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.
The global survey scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and convenience.
Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.
The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travelers between May 11-28 this year.
1.Which of the following about London’s taxi drivers is wrong?
A．They are the friendliest. B．They are the most knowledgeable.
C．They charge the most money. D．They drive fastest.
2.What does the underlined word “rigorous” mean in the third paragraph? .
A．strict B．important C．official D．lawful
3.The writer introduced the result of the study by ___________.
A．interviewing city leaders B．interviewing the taxi drivers
C．listing the ranks of cities concerned D．reading forms concerned
4.Rome’s taxi drivers are lack of __________.
A．good manners B．driving skills
C．the sense of cleanliness D．the sense of safety
President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket.
"I just miss – I miss being unknown," he said. "I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk."
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by ... spend the day watching people – I miss that".
Faced with criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting relaxed.
"It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours," he told Hearst magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disillusioned（醒悟的，幻想破灭的） with the some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed to change, such as the "kabuki dance（日本歌舞）" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as excuse by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in important issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up（打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years.
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.
1.What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us? .
A．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures.
B．Obama likes going shopping with his girls.
C．Obama likes to take a walk.
D．Obama likes to watch folks passing by.
2.According to Obama, he plays golf to ___________.
A．avoid criticism
B．show his ability
C．get relaxed
D．show his advantage over the former presidents
3.What does the underlined word “It” refer to in the fifth paragraph?
A．Playing golf. B．Getting relaxed.
C．Changing some ways of Washington. D．Watching people
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A．Obama complains about lack of privacy as president
B．Obama can’t live a normal life
C．Obama is often criticized
D．Obama likes to play golf
Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion—like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with (充斥) different kinds of thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think?
The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse yourself in the negative emotion.
Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute—but only one minute—to do nothing else but feel that emotion.
When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I willing to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?”
Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.
If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.
When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath.
This exercise seems simple—almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.
1.What should you do when you are into negativity according to the article?
A．Listen to some music.
B．Ignore it and do something else.
C．Just do nothing and truly feel that emotion.
D．Think about it and try to deal with it immediately.
2.The underlined word “immerse” (Paragraph 2) most probably means _____.
A．break down B．get rid of C．cut off D．throw into
3.What’s the best title of this text?
A．Clear Your Mental Space.
B．Deep Breath, Trouble Away.
C．Try to Avoid the Negative Emotion.
D．Keep Holding on to This Negative Emotion as Long as Possible.
4.The author’s opinion towards negative emotion is _____.
A．doubtful B．optimistic C．frightened D．confused
Strange things happen when you travel, because the earth is divided into twenty-four zones. The time difference between two zones is one hour. You can have days with more than twenty-four hours and days with fewer than twenty- four hours. You can have weeks with more than seven days and weeks with fewer than seven days.
If you make a five-trip across the Atlantic Ocean , your ship come into a different time zone every day. As you come into each zone, the time changes one hour. If you travel west, you set your watch back. If you travel east, you set it ahead. Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours.
If you make a trip by ship across the Pacific Ocean , you cross the International Date Line. This is the point where a new day begins when you cross the line, you change one full day. If you travel east, today becomes yesterday, if you travel west it is tomorrow.
1.Something interesting will happen to the time if you travel because ______.
A．a day has always fewer than twenty-four hours
B．a day has always more than twenty- four hours
C．a day has more or fewer than twenty-four hours,
D．some time zones are large and some time zones are small
2.The time difference between two time zones is ______.
A．twenty-four hours B．one hour
C．two hours D．twenty-three hours
3.If we travel east across the International Date Line on July 5th, the date becomes July ____.
A．3rd B．4th C．5th D．6th
“Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with. It is 36 to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to and 37 other people as equals. A down-to-earth person is just the 38 of someone who acts important and proud.
Down-to-earth persons 39 be important members of society, of course. 40 they do not let their importance “go to their heads”. They do not 41 themselves to be better persons than others of less importance. Someone who is filled with his own importance and pride, often without cause, is 42 to have “his nose in the air”. There is 43 way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.
Americans 44 another expression that means almost the same as “down-to-earth”. The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”. Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person with a good 45 of reality. He 46 what is called “common sense”. He may have 47 , but he does not allow them to 48 his knowledge of what is real.
The opposite kind of 49 is one who has his “head-in-the-clouds”. A man with his-head-in-the-clouds is a dreamer whose 50 is not in the real world.
51 , such a dreamer can be brought back to earth. 52 words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth.
Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very 53 to have both feet on-the –ground. 54 we have both our feet on-the –ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act 55 and openly towards others. Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
1. A．pleasant B．sad C．common D．surprising
2. A．meets B．welcomes C．receives D．accepts
3. A．case B．kind C．opposite D．example
4. A．must B．may C．should D．will
5. A．But B．So C．For D．And
6. A．wish B．expect C．desire D．consider
7. A．said B．told C．asked D．made
8. A．some B．a C．no D．every
9. A．discover B．find C．make D．use
10. A．understanding B．wish C．reason D．expectation
11. A．demands B．lacks C．has D．likes
12. A．fortunes B．dreams C．achievements D．disadvantages
13. A．block B．protect C．own D．gain
14. A．idea B．people C．attitude D．person
15. A．mind B．life C．body D．head
16. A．Always B．Therefore C．However D．Sometimes
17. A．Sharp B．All C．No D．Bad
18. A．possible B．probable C．likely D．able
19. A．Though B．Since C．When D．Unless
20. A．kindly B．directly C．friendly D．honestly
—Do you like some more chocolate?
— , Bob, but I don’t want to gain weight.
A．Forget it B．Thanks C．Never mind D．Not at all
