In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride (搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured （使…放心）me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favour I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.” I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.
1.The author had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because .
A. her work delayed her trip to Sydney
B. she was going home for her holidays
C. the town was far away from Sydney
D. she missed the only train back home
2. Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?
A. He helped the girl find a ride.
B. He gave the girl a ride back home.
C. He bought sandwiches for the girl.
D. He watched the girl for three hours.
3.The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that .
A. she realized he was Gordon
B. she had known him for decades
C. she was going to the nearby town
D. she wanted to repay the favour she once got
4.What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
A. Giving sometimes produces nice results.
B. Those who give rides will be rapid.
C. Good manners bring about happiness.
D. People should offer free rides to others.
Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.
“ I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the [bar and wanted to see what was open,” said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
“ As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs,” said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. “ We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things,” he added, “and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars.”
9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.
“It's just like smartphones 10 years ago,” Weintraub said. “A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural,” he said. “ There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there.”
1. One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to ____.
A. program the opening hours of a bar
B. supply you with a picture of the future
C. provide information about your surroundings
D. update the maps and GPS in your smartphones
2.The underlined phrase "pop up" in the third paragraph probably means " ____".
A. develop rapidly
B. get round quickly
C. appear immediately
D. go over automatically
3.According to Sam Biddle, the smartphone-like glasses are ____.
A. necessary for teenagers
B. attractive to New Yorkers
C. available to people worldwide
D. expensive for average consumers
4.We can learn from the last two paragraphs that the smartphone-like glasses ____.
A. may have a potential market
B. are as common as smartphones
C. are popular among young adults
D. will be improved by a new technology
In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yetas early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.
1.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?
A. To bring Europe together again.
B. To honor heroes of World War 11.
C. To introduce young theatre groups.
D. To attract great artists from Europe.
2.Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?
A. They owned a public house there.
B. They came to take up a challenge.
C. They thought they were also famous.
D. They wanted to take part in the festival.
3.Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
A. they owned a public house there
B. University students.
C. Artists from around the world.
D. Performers of music and dance.
4.We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival______.
A. has become a non-official event
B. has gone beyond an art festival
C. gives shows all year round
D. keeps growing rapidly
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
1.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
A. They took a later flight.
B. They had early bookings.
C. Their flight had been delayed.
D. Their flight had been cancelled.
2.What can we learn about the author?
A. She rarely misses a good deal.
B. She seldom makes a compromise.
C. She is very strict with her children.
D. She is interested in cheap products.
3.What does the author do?
A. She's a teacher.
B. She's a housewife.
C. She's a media person.
D. She's a businesswoman.
4.What does the author want to tell us?
A. How to expose bad tricks.
B. How to reserve airline seats.
C. How to spend money wisely.
D. How to make a business deal.
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In 2012, I had just recovered form a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer's conference in Orlando, Florida. My family persuaded me that a(n) might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I .
Arriving in the Sunshine State was rather tiring, but I to catch a taxi to my and settle in. Next morning, I took another to the shopping centre to buy a few souvenirs. I went to a cafe to have lunch, but all the tables were . Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can my table."
I gratefully sat down with the lady and we had a happy lunch together. As the drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't a car, and hadn't realised how taking taxis would be, After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. I'm retired and it would be my pleasure to you wherever you wish." I told her that I couldn't put her to that ,but she brushed aside my protests (反对)。She asked me where I was and next morning she was waiting at my apartment at the time to take me to Disney World. She spent some time with me before leaving me to alone. At the end of the day, she to take me back to my accommodation. I her money but she refused to take any.
I'll never forget that wonderful lady who, through her , filled my brief holiday in Florida with wonderful memories.
1.A. holiday B. ceremony C. operation D. experiment
2.A. kept B. went C. dropped D. knocked
3.A. intended B. promised C. managed D. deserved
4.A. hospital B. company C. university D. accommodation
5.A. colleague B. passenger C. suitcase D. taxi
6.A. Instead B. First C. Later D. Once
7.A. classified B. occupied C. decorated D. painted
8.A. share B. reserve C. set D. possess
9.A. old B. poor C. innocent D. stubborn
10.A. journey B. meal C. speech D. interview
11.A. donated B. repaired C. hired D. guided
12.A. convenient B. worthwhile C. unfortunate D. expensive
13.A. inspire B. entertain C. call D. drive
14.A. business B. argument C. trouble D. challenge
15.A. working B. staying C. moving D. shopping
16.A. appointed B. limited C. favourite D. regular
17.A. digest B. explore C. perform D. calculate
18.A. forgot B. refused C. returned D. preferred
19.A. sent B. lent C. offered D. owed
20.A. confidence B. dignity C. curiosity D. kindness
— How about dinner tonight? It's on me.
— ______ .
A. You are welcome B. Oh, I'd like to
C. Well, I'm afraid so D. That's all right
