We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.
1.Where can you find this passage?
A. In a medicine dictionary. B. in a kids’ story book.
C. In a social science book. D. In a science textbook.
2.According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
A. disturbed. B. bored. C. ignored. D. relaxed.
3.A “rubber neck” often __________________ .
A. says bad words behind people.
B. quarrels face to face with neighbors.
C. bargains with salespeople over the price
D. asks about other people’s business
4.Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
A. Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance.
B. Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles.
C. Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy.
D. Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies.
5.What is the main purpose of the author?
A. To tell people what might be bad manners in public.
B. To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck”
C. To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”.
D. To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck.
Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It's not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low. It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water. It’s because they're smart.
"Fish are sensitive, they have personalities," says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. "I would never eat anyone I know personally."
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. "While it may seem conspicuous that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?"
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are skeptical. "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught."
"For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner. "Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"
1.According to Dr. Sylvia Earle, he would stop eating fish as a result of the following reasons EXCEPT ___________ .
A. Fish are sensitive and have personalities
B. He knows fish very well
C. Fish are dangerous to eat because the water is polluted
D. Fish are clever
2.Dr. Lynne Sneddon describes the behavior of eating fish in a(n) _______ tone.
A. opposed B. optimistic C. indifferent D. supportive
3.Which word below can take the place of the underlined word “conspicuous” in Paragraph 4?
A. obvious B. easy C. impossible D. necessary
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____________ .
A. Human beings should stop eating fish
B. We would feel guilty if we continued eating fish
C. People eat fish because fish are delicious
D. Cucumber is a kind of vegetable or fruit
5.What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?
A. To advise people to stop eating fish.
B. To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish.
C. To advise people not to stop eating fish.
D. To tell us that fish will feel pain when caught and transported.
My grandfather went to high school in the 1920s. While in school, he became in the drama program, acting in various productions. He in touch with his drama teacher.
My father went to high school in the 1960s. Like his before him, he acted in high school. He, too,stayed in touch with his drama teacher for the rest of the teacher's I graduated in 1997. When Hoover, my drama teacher, was in Alaska, I didn't want her to feel like she was ending her life , so I sent her many packages, including Drama Club yearbook photos from each year she there in order that she could see the students whose lives she forever .
Her nickname for our group of Drama Club was "the Throwaway Kids". , no? She described us as that we were nonconformists (不墨守成规者) that other teachers didn't know what to do with. She simply us for who we are, and that was exactly what we needed.
We have all become members of society: reporters, lawyers, and singers, soldiers, doctors and, you guessed it, teachers. Every member of my family is a teacher. This year the 73rd year we have taught in Alaska altogether.
me, teaching the course is only one important part of the job. As I returned to my classroom just before the final bell on the last day of school in May, I thought how the most emotional part of the experience will not be seeing the recent return to say "hello" at Christmas. That was how the of keeping in touch with our teachers our whole life long began in my family. Honestly, learning a lifetime.
1.A. famous B. active C. anxious D. attractive
2.A. lost B. provided C. kept D. shared
3.A. teacher B. classmate C. mother D. father
4.A. life B.job C. space D. season
5.A. dying B. singing C. acting D. playing
6.A. Poor B. angry C. anxious D. alone
7.A. taught B. constructed C. ordered D. demanded
8.A. protected B. developed C. scolded D. affected
9.A. Interesting B. Exciting C. Shocking D. Encouraging
10.A. because B. if C. But D. although
11.A. purely B. exactly C. obviously D. basically
12.A. entertained B. accepted C. disliked D. noticed
13.A. consuming B. contributing C. confirming D. connecting
14.A. fills . B. marks C. covers D. deals
15.A. After B. With C. To D. By
16.A. natural B. simple C. entire D. casual
17.A. fel1 B. rang C. broke D. rolled
18.A. classmates B. soldiers C. adultsD. graduates
19.A. tradition B. culture C. custom D. behavior
20.A. wastes B. puts C. takes D. pulls
The telephone _____ three times in the last hour, and each time it _____ for my sister.
A. had rung; wasB. has rung; wasC. rang; has beenD. has been ringing; is
____ the movie star has always been the focus of much media attention, he tries to lead a normal life.
A. When B. While C. Unless D. Since
Due to the unreasonable individual income _______, the gap between the rich and poor has become an outstanding issue.
A. contribution B. association C. accommodation D. distribution
