Several years ago, my company experienced a slowdown in business. We hoped that it was only ______. We had work enough for only four days of the week. So we decided that we would ______ from Monday through Thursday, and take Fridays to do ______ projects in our hometown.
One day, we went to a very old gentleman’s______ to do a total cleanup. When we arrived, an elderly woman______ us at the door. We thought she was the wife, but it turned out she was the ______. She was 75, and her father 97! Soon, we began to ______ the house and the yard. It was _____ how much work a group could get done when everyone was working ______. That gentleman’s house went from dirt to a sparkling clean palace by the time we ______ .
The thing I most remember about that day, ______ , was not the great cleaning job that we did, but something ______. When we walked into the house, I noticed the wonderful drawings that ______ the walls. The daughter told us that her father had _____ them, and that he hadn’t ______art until he was 80 years old. I was ______ : these drawings were works of art that could have easily been hanging in a museum. At the time, I was in my early 30s and wanted to do something that would _____ my creative and artistic competence more than being president of a company would _____ . I had felt that it was too_____ to make a change at this “advanced” stage of my life. Boy! My _____ belief system got expanded that afternoon!
1.A. temporary B. easy C. proper D. impossible
2.A. rest B. play C. start D. work
3.A. research B. service C. design D. class
4.A. company B. house C. office D. room
5.A. showed B. helped C. invited D. greeted
6.A. colleague B. wife C. daughter D. partner
7.A. sell B. buy C. clean D. tour
8.A. amazing B. amusing C. boring D. tiring
9.A. individually B. together C. alone D. equally
10.A. finished B. washed C. started D. arrived
11.A. however B. therefore C. instead D. moreover
12.A. similar B. familiar C. different D. absurd
13.A. built B. faced C. made D. decorated
14.A. colored B. painted C. observed D. purchased
15.A. appealed to B. given up C. kept to D. taken up
16.A. disappointed B. embarrassed C. shocked D. satisfied
17.A. use B. lack C. add D. provide
18.A. continue B. allow C. fail D. process
19.A. active B. simple C. difficult D. strange
20.A. open B. social C. new D. limited
Rich and Famous
Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher， followed by working in banking and finance， and then medicine． But today's situation is quite different．1. Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star， or an actor-in other words，they hope to become a celebrity ．
According to experts， young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame．2. Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived． Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career． The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in． As a result， they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control．3. The truth is quite simple： they have been so far removed from it for so long．
In spite of these disadvantages， there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status． They are not satisfied just making a living-they want to be rich and famous． Globally， more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months．4. They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction．
While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions， others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals．5.That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success． As a result， many people won't realize their childhood dreams， which could have a negative effect on their happiness．
A． The younger generation don't favor these professions any more．
B． In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture．
C． Unfortunately， they do not always have a positive effect on people's life．
D． Besides， it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life．
E． People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved．
F． This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people．
G． The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous．
You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age is there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart's music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we'll become more intelligent.
The_idea_took_off,_with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart's music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them produce better milk.
I'll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short－lived and it doesn't make us more intelligent.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
A. Mozart composed many musical pieces for children.
B. Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent.
C. There are few products on the Internet about Mozart's music.
D. There is little scientific evidence to support the Mozart effect.
2.Why did many people believe in the idea of the Mozart effect?
A. Because a study described it in the journal Nature.
B. Because Mozart himself was a genius.
C. Because Mozart's music is enjoyable.
D. Because Mozart's music makes people relaxed.
3.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 suggests that ________.
A. people were strongly against the idea
B. the idea was accepted by many people
C. Mozart played an important part in people's life
D. the US government helped promote the idea
4.What is the author's attitude towards the Mozart effect?
A. Favorable. B. Objective.
C. Doubtful. D. Positive.
When athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics collect their medals, they'll not only be wearing something that celebrates their sporting performance, but something that symbolizes lastingness. For both the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, organizers aim to make all of the gold, silver, and bronze medals out of used electronics. This strong message about how to make use of e-waste has gotten a lot of Japan involved.
Starting in April 2017, the Japanese Olympic Committee began collecting old laptops, digital cameras, smartphones, and other abandoned electronics. The initiative(倡议）has achieved great success. Already, the quantity needed for bronze medals has been met, and they're in the homestretch for silver and gold medals, meaning the collection process can pack up at the end of March.
When looking just at the number of cell phones collected, the amount of waste is shocking. In a period of about 18 months, a little over 5 million smartphones were collected thanks to cooperation with NTT DOCOMO. Japan's largest mobile phone operator allowed the public to turn in phones at their shops, which counted a lot in the project’s success.
After being taken apart and sorted, the small electronics underwent a smelting process to extract(提炼）all the gold, silver，and bronze elements. Thanks to this initiative, the worldwide struggle with e-waste will have a global platform. According to a study published by the United Nations University—44.7 million metric tons of e-waste were made in 2016. Only 20% of that was actually recycled. Unfortunately, this figure is set to rise significantly in the coming years, moving to 52.2 million metric tons by 2021. So while the Tokyo Olympics initiative might be just a drop in the bucket, it’s a good start in showing what the public can do if they're made more aware of the issue.
1.What can be learnt about Tokyo Olympics initiative from the passage?
A. E-waste in the world is increasing significantly.
B. It is easy to get elements needed from the used electronics.
C. Only producers of electronics participated in the project.
D. NTT DOCOMO contributed to the success of the project.
2.Which can best replace the underlined word “homestretch” in Paragraph 2?
A. starting period B. collection effort
C. final stage D. hard search
3.What influence does the Tokyo Olympics initiative have?
A. It offers an effective method to solve the problem of e-waste.
B. It shows the power of advanced technology in daily life.
C. It saves the expense spent in making all the medals.
D. It encourages the public’s involvement in dealing with e-waste.
4.What is the writer’s attitude to the Tokyo Olympics initiative?
A. Positive B. Negative
C. Ambiguous D. Indifferent
When my father married my mother in 1943, he gave my mother a 1937 crown coin and told her to keep it in the back of her purse and not to spend it. This would mean that she always felt that she was protected and would always have money if she really needed it.
When I was married in 1970, my husband, who had heard this story, obtained a 1937 crown coin for me and I have always kept it in my wallet, and I have always had enough for my needs.
A friend recently fell on hard times, partly through external (外部的）circumstances and partly through poor planning. Friends and I have loaned her money, paid her bills, given her food, and even tried to teach her budget techniques, but none of them has been a solution. She has just slipped deeper and deeper into financial trouble and depression.
Last week she looked pale and unwell, very depressed and hopeless, very sad for a friend to see and I then thought about how the crown coin, a physical reminder of another's care and love had protected me, so I went to the bank for a $ 100 dollar-bill.
I told my friend the story and asked her to keep the $ 100 in the back of her wallet. It turned out that she didn't have a wallet, so she put the money in a little pencil case where she kept her coins. She immediately felt better—“I feel rich, and thank you for being a good friend,” she said, and we were both a bit teary.
I went home and remembered a little wallet I had that I’d never used, and thought, “I’ll give that to my friend. ” I opened it, and inside, found $ 100.
1.What did the 1937 crown coin from the author’s father mean to her mother?
A. His concern for her. B. His pity and protection for her.
C. His care and love for her. D. His pride and respect for her.
2.Where did the author’s friend keep the $ 100 dollar-bill?
A. In the back of her wallet. B. In a little pencil case.
C. In the pocket of her raincoat. D. In the layer of her suitcase.
3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. The author became rich all of a sudden.
B. The author's friend would receive a wallet as a gift.
C. The author's friend was not touched by her story.
D. The author felt uncomfortable when receiving the bill.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. A crown coin B. The help to a friend
C. A hard life D. A gift from my father
For the business traveler who’s all about efficiency: check out these hotels that will get you in and out with a minimum trouble.
When you’re pressed for time on a business trip, nothing can annoy you more than a slow hotel check-in process. On your next trip, try these hotels that offer a speedier check-in process.
◆ Marriott Detroit Airport
Another option for business travelers in a hurry: Marriott is rolling out its mobile check-in app to 325 hotels this year, including the Marriott Detroit Airport hotel. (I’ve tested the app itself but not for a real visit quite yet.) here is the basic idea: you download the iPhone or Android app. The night before, you can “check-in” virtually. When you arrive, you get an alert that the room is ready and your key, which is already tied to your reservation, is waiting for you at the desk.
◆Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
I happened to stay at this hotel recently and liked how fast the kiosk check-in works. The kiosk asks you to insert your credit card, similar to an airport terminal. The whole process took about 3 minutes. When I left, I was equally impressed with the fast check-out: An agent meets you in the lobby with, an iPad and asks for an email to use for a receipt. The big advantage: you never have to wait in line.
◆Radisson LaCrosse
The Radisson is trying to make the kiosk process even faster. At a few select hotels like the Radisson Lacrosse in Wisconsin，you use a mobile app to register and then receive a barcode by email or text. When you get to the kiosk, you can scan the barcode to get your key without any other steps required. It’s super fast. You can find this new check-in system at the Radisson hotels in Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Phoenix as well.
1.Which two hotels offer a mobile app for customers to check in?
A. Marriott Detroit Airport and Yotel New York .
B. Marriott Detroit Airport and Radisson LaCrosse.
C. Marriott Detroit Airport and Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
D. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis and Radisson LaCrosse.
2.Which hotel will send you a receipt by email?
A. Yotel New York. B. Marriott Detroit Airport.
C. Radisson LaCrosse. D. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
3.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Checking out the hotels will make you in trouble
B. Three hotels that will make your life easier
C. Try these hotels that offer you comfort
D. Hotels for the travelers
