One day, a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor______ the question papers，with the text facing down as usual. ______ he handed them all out, he asked his students to _______ the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no ______, just a black dot in the center of the page.
The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s face, told them the following：
“I want you to write what you ______ there.”
The students, ______, got started on the inexplicable (费解的) task.
At the end of the class, the professor ______ all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them, with no ______, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc. After all had been ______, the classroom was silent, and the professor began to explain：
“I’m not going to grade (打分) this. I ______ wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the ______ part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot, and the same happens in our ______．We have a white paper to observe and ______, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a ______ given to us with love and care, and we always have ______ to celebrate：nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that ______ our livelihood and the miracles we see every day.
______, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots：the health issues that bother us，the lack of money, the ______ relationship with colleagues, the ______ with a friend, and etc.
The dark spots are very ______ compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds.”
1.A.handed out B.wrapped up C.referred to D.pointed at
2.A.Since B.Until C.If D.After
3.A.fold B.turn C.open D.use
4.A.exercises B.choices C.questions D.scores
5.A.remember B.imagine C.study D.see
6.A.surprised B.confused C.curious D.displeased
7.A.collected B.finished C.marked D.selected
8.A.excuse B.doubt C.exception D.explanation
9.A.said B.answered C.returned D.read
10.A.also B.just C.even D.finally
11.A.big B.black C.beautiful D.white
12.A.lives B.classrooms C.colleges D.studies
13.A.send B.keep C.enjoy D.show
14.A.burden B.gift C.pressure D.lesson
15.A.reasons B.time C.freedom D.festivals
16.A.threatens B.ruins C.provides D.changes
17.A.However B.Therefore C.Besides D.Moreover
18.A.close B.complicated C.special D.strong
19.A.stay B.contact C.satisfaction D.disappointment
20.A.dark B.round C.small D.dirty
Ideas for bringing order to your life
You think you're a clean person. You don't leave dirty dishes in the sink - not often. You sweep occasionally. 1. . But there is still so much clutter (凌乱的东西) in your house. And it quickly becomes so troublesome that it's hard to know where to start.
That is why we asked professional organizers for their top tips on getting rid of clutter for good! They' re simple and won't leave you picking up for hours on end.
◎ 2..
"Many people get discouraged because the job is just too big. Choose one drawer, take everything out and ask yourself: What is this doing here?' If you don' t know the answer, the item needs a new home."
--- Rachel Siegel, Spruce Girls
◎ Ask yourself: Would I buy this today?
"If the answer is no, throw it or give it to others. 3., deciding to keep it in your closet won't put money back in your pocket."
--- Jeni Aron, Clutter Cowgirl
◎ Don' t worry about perfection.
" 4.. I thought if things were perfect, I would be more willing to keep them in order. Forget about perfection, and take a hard look at what and where things are piling up and causing clutter."
--- Shara Koplowitz, Organizing
People's Everyday Needs
◎ Keep only what you can store.
"Clothing should fit into closets and dressers. Make sure cleaning and toiletry supplies can fit into your cabinets or closets. 5. , review what is stored, and throw away things that are expired (过渡期) or worn.
--- Annette Reyman, All Right Organizing
A. Start small
B. If there isn't room
C. Follow the one in, one out rule
D. Sometimes you even make your bed
E. If you' re experiencing anxiety and panic
F. I remember wanting my home to be like the pages of a magazine
G. If you're upset about money that you paid for something that you never wear
Whatever happened to the familiar scene from the past of children playing “tag(捉人游戏)” in the streets while their parents chatted with the neighbors over the garden fence? This picture is fading fast today, as children are now leaving the streets in favor of a screen.
Several organizations are attempting to change this situation. One of these organizations is Play England, which aims to improve opportunities for children to play outside. A leading figure in the campaign is 50-year-old Adrian Voce, who has childhood memories of days spent in the “Big Woods” near his house with his older brothers. “We were given a packed lunch and told not to talk to strangers. I can still remember wandering in and out of each other’s houses.” he says.
However, it is not only the children that Mr. Voce and his organization have to convince. In many cases the parents themselves block his efforts. A survey in 2014 found that 85 percent of adults agreed that it was important for children to be able to play safely in the road or street where they live. However, many of them were not prepared to park their cars an extra 50 meters away from their homes.
Mr. Voce’s attempts to encourage children to play outside include the organization of campaigns like National Playday. Hundreds of communities all over the country take part in this effort, yet it can take a lot of people to give children a taste of what it is like to play in the streets. On one street in Aldershot last year there were five policemen, three community support officers, a traffic management crew, a closed-circuit television van, and a team of "play workers.”
Society today has changed to such an extent that children do not feel safe on the streets and their parents no longer feel comfortable about letting them play there. It is not only the appeal of computers and video games that has driven children inside, but also the presence of traffic, crime, and violent young people. However, thanks to the efforts of people like Adrian Voce, it may not be too late to turn back the clock.
1.What kind of feeling does Adrian Voce show when he looks back on his childhood?
A.Regret B.Shame
C.Delight D.Surprise
2.Why does the author say the parents themselves block Mr. Voce’s efforts?
A.They don’t want their children to be outside.
B.They are worried about the safety of the streets.
C.They are not optimistic about Mr. Voce’s campaign.
D.They won’t make the street safer for their children to play in.
3.What can we learn about National Playday?
A.It has rapidly spread to other countries.
B.A lot of people are needed to make it work.
C.It has not lived up to the organizers’ expectations.
D.It aims to call on parents to play with their children.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards children playing in the streets?
A.Worried. B.Hopeful.
C.Unclear D.Shocked.
The Egyptian city Thonis-Heracleion was founded in the eighth century B.C. For centuries, its location at the mouth of the Nile River made it a gateway to Egypt which foreign traders needed to pass through. This brought it both wealth and influence. Its name shows the city' s foreign ties: Thonis was its Egyptian name, but the Greeks, who had close contact with the Egyptians, named it Heracleion after the hero Hercules.
The neighboring city Canopus shared Thonis-Heracleion' s wealth and prestige (声望). Both cities appear in the writings of ancient historians and poets. But then they disappeared from all records. For centuries, no one even knew where these once-great cities were located.
In 1933 a British pilot flew over a bay in Egypt and spotted ruins. He reported his find, but nothing came of it. Not until 2000 did anyone research into the bay thoroughly. That year French archaeologist Franck Goddio used a tool that measured variations in the earth's magnetic field ( 磁场 ) to make a detailed map of the ocean floor. The map helped him and his team choose the most promising areas to dig.
At the bottom of the ocean, Goddio’s team found the remains of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. They carefully dug the cities out from mountains of sand that had settled over them. They made some amazing discoveries, such as a five-meter-tall statue. A stele, (石碑) records the city' s name and information about laws, such as tax regulations. And 69 ships lay buried in the same bay - the largest group of ancient ships ever found.
For all their glory, these cities were built on a foundation of soft clay ( 黏 土 ). As their populations grew, the weight of people and homes pressed the clay. In A.D. 800 the ground below the city collapsed (坍塌), causing people to run away. The ground collapsed again some time later, and over the course of 1,000 years, the land sank under the waves. Under the water, sand settled gently over the ruins, saving them from being destroyed.
1.What can we learn about the city Thonis-Heracicion?
A.It was less famous than Canopus.
B.It was once an important center of trade.
C.It was once under the control of the Greeks.
D.It was recorded in more detail than Canopus.
2.Goddio found the sites of Thonis-Heraclcion and Canopus .
A.completely by chance
B.according to the historical records
C.with the support of the British pilot
D.thanks to the map of the ocean floor he made
3.What do we know about the treasures found by Goddio's team?
A.They are still in good condition. B.They are of little historical value.
C.They were hidden in the mountains. D.They belonged to Thonis-Heracleion.
The year is 1971. Ray Tomlinson is sitting in his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He types a few letters on a keyboard. Then he moves to a second computer in the room and reads the monitor. He just sent the first electronic message from one computer to a different computer through a network.
What did this first e-mail say? Tomlinson doesn't remember. Maybe it was just a string ( 串 ) of letters, like "q w e r t y u i o p." He does remember the second message. He sent it to his co-workers. This second e-mail message told people how to send e-mail on the computer network.
Before 1971, people only had keyboards monitors, which were all connected to a computer, at their desks. People could only send messages to other people on the same computer. They could send files (文件) to other computers through the network, but they couldn't "talk".
To solve this problem, Tomlinson needed a way to direct messages to the right person on the right computer on any network. He chose the @ symbol to separate a person's name from the name of the computer the person was using. The @ symbol was a good choice. This symbol was not in anyone's name. Few people used it. In fact, typewriter companies thought about taking it off the keyboard.
In the 1970s, only about 500 people used e-mail to do projects at work. Then, in the 1980s, the first personal computers arrived. For the first time, people could have computers at home. Then cane the Internet: Soon e-mail became a popular way to communicate. Today, over one billion people use it.
Tomlinson is sorry about one thing － spam. Most of it is advertising that tries to sell something. As much as 70 percent of each day's 180 billion e-mail messages is spam. As the number of e-mail users grows, spam is becoming more and more of a problem.
Pitifully, Tomlinson never made any money from e-mail and most people don't even know his name. However, thanks to this unknown hero, people all over the world can communicate with each other in seconds.
1.What can we learn about Tomlinson's first e-mail?
A.It had several files attached. B.It was just a test message.
C.It was an e-mail usage warning. D.It came from one of his co-workers.
2.What happened before e-mail?
A.There wasn't the @ symbol on the keyboard.
B.Personal computers had been networked.
C.Not many people used the @ symbol.
D.Computers had been used at home.
3.What did the public think of e-mail in the 1970s?
A.They were against it. B.They thought highly of it.
C.They paid little attention to it. D.They had high expectations for it.
4.What does "spam" probably refer to?
A.Unfinished e-mail. B.Unknown e-mail.
C.Unwanted e-mail. D.Unfamiliar e-mail.
AREA HOTELS
Spend your vacation with us. We offer luxury suites ( 豪华套房), an Olympic-sized pool, astate-of-the-art fitness center, and a beauty spa. Leave business cares behind while you relax at the Rosewood Hotel. You'll never want to leave! Call 800-555-0942 for reservations.
The Woodside Motel is the place to stay while visiting our city. After a day of sightseeing, relax in the comfort of your luxury room. All our rooms have king-sized beds, free movies, and mini-bars. Our outdoor playground and indoor recreation room (娱乐室) mean the little ones will never be bored. Babysitting service available. Enjoy your next family vacation at the Woodside Motel.
The Columbus Hotel is close to the city's finest restaurants and clubs. Enjoy the wonderful view of the city skyline from the Columbus Rooftop Restaurant. Host your next conference or banquet ( 宴 会 ) with us. We have a selection of reception rooms and banquet rooms suitable for conferences and parties. Call 245-555-0982 to speak to our banquet coordinator (协调员), 245-555-0987 for dinner reservations at the Rooftop Restaurant, and 245-555-0862 to reserve a room.
Next time you re in town, stay at the City View Hotel. Whether you' re here to shop, play, or work, City View's location can' t be beaten. We're close to all major bus lines and right next to the city's business district. All rooms include kitchens. Call 492-555-5932 for reservations. Don' t forget to ask about out special weekly and monthly prices.
The Sunflower Motel offers reasonable prices and cable TV in every room. Pets are welcome (extra charge applies). Special weekend prices. Call 488-555-0821 for reservations.
1.Which hotel is most suitable for a couple with a six-month-old baby?
A.The Rosewood Hotel. B.The Woodside Motel.
C.The Columbus Hotel. D.The Sunflower Motel.
2.What number may you call if you are looking for a place to hold a big birthday party?
A.245-555-0982. B.245-555-0862.
C.492-555-5932. D.488-555-0821.
3.What is the advantage of the City View Hotel?
A.Its luxury suites. B.Its convenient location.
C.Its personalized room service. D.Its sports-themed entertainments.
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A.A travel journal. B.A research paper.
C.A business report D.A tourist guidebook.
