The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people choose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie (妖怪) left in a bottle. When they are finally uncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important: It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner.
1.What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?
A. It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola.
B. It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story.
C. It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble.
D. It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time.
2.One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that _______.
A. story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work
B. people are used to exposing their weaknesses
C. people sometimes have no courage to share their stories
D. some stories make themselves feel uneasy
3.Which is close in meaning to the underlined word “uncorked” in Paragraph 3?
A. freed B. broken C. unfolded D. untouched
4.The writer aims to convince us to _______.
A. be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets
B. share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves
C. remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories
D. realize the importance of being honest when making friends
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch. In addition to our exhibition galleries, you may want to visit the Albert Einstein Planetarium, Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, and the Public Observatory on the east end. There are many things to do at the Museum in DC. We offer daily tours and educational activities for both children and adults. We also have scheduled lectures and events throughout the year.
Hours & Admission: Open every day except December 25. Admission is free.
Regular Hours: 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Extended Hours: 10: 00 am to 7: 30 pm
December 26—30, 2014.
March 30—April 20, 2015.
Fridays and Saturdays, April 24—May 16, 2015.
May 17—September 7, 2015.
VISITING TIPS:
Limit the Number of Bags: All visitors are screened through metal detectors upon entry. The fewer items you bring inside the Museum, the faster your entry. Before you visit, please review the list of prohibited items, which include pocket knives and tripods (三脚架). Visitors carrying prohibited items will not be allowed inside the Museum, so please leave them at home or in your car.
No Food and Drink: Only bottled water is permitted in the Museum. You may only consume food and other drinks in the Food Court, not in the Museum. Groups who bring food are encouraged to picnic on the National Mall.
Please Take Photos: You are welcome to take photos for personal use. However, tripods and monopods (单脚架) are not permitted without approval.
First Aid: The Museum has a First Aid office and a nurse on duty. Please contact the nearest security officer or the Welcome Center for assistance.
Visit the Welcome Center:
At our Welcome Center in the South Lobby, staff and volunteers can answer any questions you have during your visit.
Open 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Phone: 202-633-2214
E-mail: NASM-VisitorServices@ si. edu
1.According to the passage, the National Air and Space Museum is a museum _______.
A. where only adults can take part in some educational activities
B. everyone can pay a visit to without buying tickets
C. where one can touch anything he likes
D. everyone can visit without time limits all the year round
2.If the Greens plan to visit the Museum at 6: 00 pm, it is accessible on _______.
A. December 24, 2014 (Wednesday) B. March 1, 2015 (Sunday)
C. July 6, 2015 (Monday) D. September 15, 2015 (Tuesday)
3.A visitor to the museum can _______.
A. eat and drink in the Museum or in the Food Court
B. take photos with tripods for personal use
C. bring fewer bags to go through metal detectors
D. get some medical treatment if he suddenly falls ill
4. The purpose of this passage is to _______.
A. make an advertisement for the museum
B. attract people to explore the universe
C. encourage adults to bring their children there
D. show what is on display in the museum
CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a second thought. Actually, the ancient Greeks wrote this way. The lack of punctuation marks probably didn’t bother good readers, though. As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time, sentences switched directions. A sentence read from left to right. The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc. The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They • put • something • that • can • separate • words • in • a • sentence. The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a dot.
When the 5th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma (逗号).
Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark (感叹号) comes from the Latin word io. It means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question.
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example the “interrobang”. This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, “She did what?” or “How much did you pay for that dress?” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.
1.From the first paragraph, we can know that _______.
A. good readers had trouble reading without punctuation marks
B. a sentence always read from left to right in ancient Greece
C. ancient Greeks switched the direction of punctuation marks
D. the use of punctuation marks can date back to ancient times
2. The passage is developed _______.
A. by time B. by space
C. by comparison D. by importance
3. We can learn from the passage that _______.
A. ancient Romans didn’t use any punctuation marks
B. exclamation and question marks came from Latin
C. spaces and slashes were already used before the 5th century
D. Aldus Manutius first started to use commas
4. What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
A. The combination of two marks will not work.
B. It takes time for people to accept new punctuation marks.
C. Old punctuation marks need to be standardized.
D. Punctuation marks are still changing today.
To most people, noise pollution is a jet flying over their head. For one Spanish woman, it is a neighbor playing the piano. The woman has taken her neighbor to court. Now she wants to send her neighbor to prison for over seven years on the charges of psychological damage and noise pollution.
In a country known for its noisiness, the case has raised eyebrows. Neighbors often complain about street noise in Spain, but people seeking prison time for someone practicing the piano is unheard of. At the trial, Sonia Bosom says she has been suffering noise pollution up to now due to the practice sessions of Laia Martin, who lives below her. Martin, 27, didn’t admit that she played at home that often, saying she took regular classes in other towns and mostly practiced at home on the weekends.
On the first day of the trial, the newspaper reported that Bosom told the court she now hated pianos so much that she couldn’t even stand seeing them in a film.
Bosom says years of hearing constant playing has caused her “psychological injury”. Medical reports show she has suffered from a variety of problems, including insomnia (失眠), anxiety, and panic attacks.
She says tests by local authorities have found that the sound levels made by the piano are up to 10 decibels (分贝) higher than the limit. City authorities have asked the family several times to either stop the piano playing or soundproof (隔音) the room. The family told the court they carried out soundproofing work twice but the complaints continued.
The court hasn’t made a final decision. A spokeswoman says the trial will end before May.
1.Bosom wants to send Martin to prison because _______.
A. Martin’s playing the piano damaged her health
B. Bosom suffered from heart attack
C. Martin refused to take regular classes in other towns
D. Martin flew a jet over her head
2.How did Laia Martin respond to the complaints?
A. She stopped playing the piano.
B. She soundproofed the room.
C. She didn’t admit she played at home.
D. She took her neighbor to court.
3.Which of the following may probably be the best title for the passage?
A. A 7-year Sentence Caused by the Piano
B. Pianist Charged with Noise Pollution
C. Health Problems of a Spanish Woman
D. Actions Against Noise by Local Authority
假如你叫李华, 你发现你的英国网友Alice的生活方式不太健康。你想给她提些建议。 请你用英语给写封电子邮件，内容包括:
• 用水果代替零食；
• 用水代替可乐；
• 减少使用电子产品的时间;
• 多运动；
注意：1. 词数120左右，短文的开头和结尾已经写好，不计入总词数；
2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯；
3. 短文中不能出现与本人相关的信息。
Dear Alice,
Hope everything goes well with you.
Yours Sincerely,
Li Hua
Flying out of an airport in the United States is not always easy. You will need to complete the ticketing process, baggage check, and security clearance procedures before boarding the plane.
If you are flying on an international flight, you'd better arrive two hours before your plane is scheduled to leave. You might need more time in a busy airport in a large city. If you are traveling on a domestic (国内的) flight, you may only need to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before your plane takes off.
Every airport in the States is now moving its ticketing procedure to electronic ticketing device. By using a ticketing machine, you have the chance to choose a seat you like on the plane. If you use it to check-in your bags, you will only have to talk to the ticketing agent when you turn in your luggage to be tagged (加标签). At the same time a real person will be nearby to help you if you need it.
After you have checked in, you will have to pass through airport security. Have your ID card or passport and boarding pass ready to show the security officer when entering the security checkpoint line. Airport security is getting tight in the States today. You're not allowed to travel with any prohibited things like knifes or fireworks.
After the security staff has checked your travel documents, you shall put all of your belongings through a scanning machine and then walk through a metal detector (探测器) or a full body scanner. You need to take off your coat, belt, and sometimes your shoes to go through one of these scanners. Be sure not to have any metal in your pockets. If you do not understand a question you are asked at a security checkpoint, ask the person to repeat their question until you are able to respond with an accurate answer.
Title | 1.___ on air travel in the US |
Time of 2.___ | ■ Arrive two hours before 3.___, and even more time in a busy airport, traveling on an international flight. ■ Arrive 90 minutes before your plane 4.___ for a domestic flight. |
Check-in | ■ Choose your seat on a ticketing machine. ■ Get the ticketing agent 5.___ when turning in your luggage to be tagged. ■6.___ to the airport staff for help if necessary. |
Airport security | ■7.___ the security officer your travel documents. ■8.___ taking those that are prohibited. ■ Be sure not to take any metal with you when9.___ through a scanner. ■ Respond 10.___ when questioned at a security checkpoint. |
