Bruno was sure that it would have ___________ if they had left Gretel behind in Berlin to look after the house because she was nothing but trouble.
A. made it clear B. broken the rules of politeness
C. made a lot more sense D. received a small pension
Well, if Father’s job means that we have to move away from our house and the sliding banister and my three best friends for life, then I think Father should ___________ about his job, don’t you?
A. have big things in mind B. let the matters drop
C. stretch out D. think twice
‘Although I’m sure you’ll see them again in time. And don’t ____________ your mother when she’s talking, please,’ she added, for although this was strange and unpleasant news, there was certainly no need for Bruno to break the rules of politeness which he had been taught.
A. watch B. interrupt
C. protest D. reveal
Never Talk to Strangers?
“Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction (诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill (灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety.
To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common—but a lost child may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behavior; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not.
For young children, nothing replaces close supervision (监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and attitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.
1.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 11-year-old boy?
A. He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule.
B. He hid from the rescuers to avoid possible abduction.
C. He eventually showed up when his hide-and seek game ended.
D. He stayed where he was, expecting the coming of familiar people.
2.Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?
A. Being abducted by a parent. B. Running away.
C. Being abducted by strangers. D. Wandering off.
3.The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because ___________.
A. a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous
B. adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell
C. the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting
D. a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger
4.Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?
A. It is not well recognized by parents.
B. It is practical as a safety tip in daily life.
C. It is easy enough for children to follow.
D. It is not effective in keeping kids safe.
A bargain is something offered at a low and advantageous price. A more recent definition is: a bargain is a dirty trick to force money out of the pockets of silly and innocent people.
The cost of producing a new-for example - toothpaste would make 80p the proper price for it, so we will market it at £1.20. It is not a bad toothpaste, and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the attraction of novelty soon fades, so sales will fall. When that happens we will reduce the price to £1.15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5p OFF all over it.
Sometimes it is not 5p OFF but 1p OFF. What breathtaking rudeness to advertise 1p OFF your soap or washing powder or whatever! Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult(侮辱), but he doesn't. A bargain must not be missed. People say one has to have washing powder (or whatever) and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper.
The real danger starts when unnecessary things become ‘bargains’. Many people just cannot resist bargains. Provided they think they are getting a bargain they will buy clothes they will never wear or furniture they have no space for. Once I heard of a man who bought an electric saw as a bargain and cut off two of his fingers the next day. But he had no regrets: the saw had been truly cheap.
Quite a few people actually believe that they make money on such bargains. A lady once told me: “I’ve had a lucky day today. I bought a dress for £120, reduced from £400; and l bought a beautiful Persian carpet for £600, reduced from £900.” It will never occur to her that she has actually wasted £720. She feels as though she had made £580. She also feels, I am sure, that if she had more time for shopping, she could make a living out of it.
Some people buy in large quantities because it is cheaper. Once a couple bought enough sugar for their lifetime and the lifetime of their children and grandchildren. They thought it a bargain not to be missed. When the sugar arrived they didn't know where to store it - until they realized that their toilet was a very spacious one. So that was where they piled up their sugar. Not only did their guests feel rather strange whenever they were offered sugar to put into their coffee, but the toilet became extremely sticky.
To offer bargains is a commercial trick to make the poor poorer. When greedy fools fall for this trick, it serves them right.
1.Which word best describes the language style of the passage?
A. Polite. B. Foolish.
C. Humorous. D. Serious.
2.What does the underlined word “novelty” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Good quality. B. Low price.
C. Curiosity. D. Newness.
3.How does the author feel about 1p OFF a product?
A. It’s a gift for poor people.
B. It’s an offense to shoppers.
C. It’s a bargain worth trying.
D. It’s a real reduction in price.
4.Which statement will the author probably agree with?
A. Bargains are things people don’t really need.
B. Bargains are often real cheap products.
C. Bargains help people make a living.
D. Bargains play tricks on people.
All you have is what you bring with you
I’ve always felt a need to be prepared for whatever situation I’ve found myself in.
My mother once took me to a store when I was seven years old. She and I got to the checkout counter, and she realized she had forgotten a couple of things on her shopping list. She left me with the cart and ran off to get what she needed.
“I’ll be right back.” she said.
She was gone just a few minutes, but in that time, I had loaded all the things on the belt and everything was rung up. I was left staring at the cashier, who was staring at me. “Do you have money for me, son?” she said. “I’ll need to be paid.”
I didn’t realize she was just trying to amuse herself. So I stood there, ashamed and embarrassed.
By the time my mom returned, I was angry. “You left me here with no money! This lady asked me for the money, and I had nothing to give her!”
Now that I’m an adult, you'll never catch me with less than $200 in my wallet. I want to be prepared in case I need it.
I’ve always admired people who are over-prepared. In college, I had a classmate named Norman. One day he was giving a presentation on an overhead projector and in the middle of his talk, the light bulb (灯泡) on the projector blew out. We would have to wait ten minutes until someone found a new projector.
“It’s Okay.” he announced. “There’s nothing to worry, about.”
We watched him walk over to his bag and pull something out. He had brought along a spare bulb for the overhead projector. Who could even think of that?
I often told my students, “When you go into the wilderness, the only thing you can depend on is what you take with you.” And essentially, the wilderness is anywhere but your home or office. So take money. Pack a light bulb. Be prepared.
1.Why did the cashier ask a seven-year-old boy to pay for the purchases?
A. The boy was shopping by himself.
B. The cashier was playing a joke on him.
C. The boy’s mother asked her to do so.
D. The boy’s mother was away for something else.
2.Why was the boy angry with his mother?
A. His mother left him alone.
B. His mother forgot to buy something.
C. He lost face in front of the cashier.
D. He had just quarreled with the cashier.
3.Why did Norman bring a spare bulb with him?
A. He was always well-prepared.
B. His presentation was about bulbs.
C. He knew the classroom equipment was of poor quality.
D. He predicted the bulb on the projector would blow out.
4.What do the two stories tell us?
A. Accidents happen almost every day.
B. Money is the key that opens all doors.
C. In fair weather, prepare for a rainy day.
D. Chances favor those who are well-prepared.
