I once heard this tale in India, where it is told as if true—though any naturalist would know it couldn't be. The country is India. A colonial殖民地的official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests — army officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says women have long outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era（时代、年代）3nd an army officer who says they haven’t. “A woman’s reaction in any crisis," the officer says, “is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. ”
The American scientist does not join in the argument but sits and watches the faces of the other guests. As he stares, he sees a slight strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She gestures to the servant standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The servant's eyes widen. He turns quickly and leaves the room. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the servant place a bowl of milk on the balcony just outside the open glass doors.
The American understands. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing: bait （诱饵）for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. The American’s eyes move across the room but he sees nothing. He realizes the snake can only be in one place—under the table.
His first reaction is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows any sudden movement will frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it
quietens everyone. “I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred—that's five minutes — and not one of you is to move a muscle. Now, ready!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "... two hundred and eighty. . . ” when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the snake emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to slam the balcony doors.
“There is your proof!" the host exclaims. “A man has just shown us perfect self-control. ”
“Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess, “How did you know that cobra was in the room?"
With a faint smile coming across her face she replies: "Because it was lying across my foot. ”
1.From the passage we can conclude that .
A.women are afraid of mice
B.the army officer's opinion is quite wrong
C.the American suggests playing a game for entertainment
D.the hostess has had previous experience addressing snakes
2.Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.
a. The American's eyes sweep the room but he sees nothing.
b. The American suggests the guests playing a game.
c. Following the instructions, the servant puts out some milk.
d. The hostess is staring ahead, a slight weird look appearing.
e. The American shuts the balcony doors safely, and several screams are let out.
f. The snake edges its way to the bowl of milk.
A.d,c,a,b,f,e B.a,b,c,e,f,d
C.d,f,a,b,e,c D.f,e,c,a,d,b
3.Who has real self-control according to the passage?
A.The American. B.The army officer.
C.The girl. D.The hostess.
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A.A Heated Argument B.A Striking Dinner Party
C.An Unbelievable Story D.A Smart Hostess
The BBC Documentary is divided into three categories: BBC Nature, BBC History and BBC Technology. For documentary lovers, it’s a great pleasure in life to enjoy the BBC Documentary with a wide range of subjects and excellent productions, whose super wonderful pictures are also a masterpiece of photography.
Nile 2004
The Nile, the longest river on the earth, spreads through jungles, and finally into the desert. Ancient Egyptians believed that the river had magic power. This documentary will uncover its mystery—a magnificent territory, which is full of rare animals and extends to the most desolate corners of Africa.
Hiroshima 2005
It was an important moment in the 20th century when an atomic bomb was launched into Hiroshima, Japan and it was also a scientific, technological, military and political adventure. This documentary, where we can see the Hiroshima street at the moment of disaster, tries to show us the real history and what life is like for the Japanese people who have experienced the atomic bombing.
Time Machine 2006
Some creatures have to make long-term evolutionary plans in order to survive, but can any creatures live forever? People shorten the growth period of rice regardless of the weather condition, and the modern transportation enables us to reach further areas at a faster speed. But can humans really turn around time? The time machine will introduce scientists' current research on a bug and find out the key to long life.
Super Volcano 2005
Yellowstone National Park, in fact, where the underground magma is ready to move, is one of the largest craters in the United States. With scientific evidence, reliable prediction and solid research by top geologists, the super volcano eruption is presented to the audience in a dramatic way.
1.If you are interested in history, which documentary will suit you well?
A.Nile B.Hiroshima
C.Time Machine D.Super Volcano
2.What can we learn from Time Machine?
A.People can turn around time by a time machine.
B.People have found a bug which can live a long life.
C.People now can travel faster and further in the world.
D.Rice now needs less time to grow according to the climate.
3.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Hiroshima suffered from a disaster caused by atomic bombing.
B.The Nile spreads into the desert with magic power.
C.Yellowstone National Park is about to erupt.
D.The BBC Documentary is popular only because of its wide range of subjects.
One of the executives gathered at the Aspen Institute for a day-long leadership workshop using the works of Shakespeare was discussing the role of Brutus in the death of Julius Caesar. “Brutus was not an honorable man,” he said. “He was a traitor（叛徒）. And he murdered someone in cold blood.” The agreement was that Brutus had acted with cruelty when other options were available to him. He made a bad decision, they said—at least as it was presented by Shakespeare—to take the lead in murdering Julius Caesar. And though one of the executives acknowledged that Brutus had the good of the republic in mind, Caesar was nevertheless his superior. “You have to endeavor,” the executives said, “our policy is to obey the chain of command.”
During the last few years, business executives and book writers looking for a new way to advise corporate America have been exploiting Shakespeare’s wisdom for profitable ends. None more so than husband and wife team Kenneth and Carol Adelman, well-known advisers to the White House, who started up a training company called “Movers and Shakespeares”. They are amateur Shakespeare scholars and Shakespeare lovers, and they have combined their passion and their high level contacts into a management training business. They conduct between 30 and 40 workshops annually, focusing on half a dozen different plays, mostly for corporations, but also for government agencies.
The workshops all take the same form, focusing on a single play as a kind of case study, and using individual scenes as specific lessons. In Julius Caesar , sly provocation（狡诈的挑唆） of Brutus to take up arms against the what was a basis for a discussion of methods of team building and grass roots organism.
Although neither of the Adelmans is academically trained in literature, the programmes, contain plenty of Shakespeare tradition and background. Their workshop on Henry V, for example, includes a helpful explanation of Henry’s winning strategy at the Battle of Agincourt. But they do come to the text with a few biases (偏向): their reading of Henry V minimizes his misuse of power. Instead, they emphasize the story of the youth who seizes opportunity and becomes a masterful leader. And at the workshop on Caesar, Mr. Adelmans had little good to say about Brutus, saying “the noblest Roman of them all” couldn’t make his mind up about things.
Many of the participants pointed to very specific elements in the play that they felt related Caesar’s pride, which led to his murder, and Brutus’s mistakes in leading the after the murder, they said, raise vital questions for anyone serving as a business when and ho w do you resist the boss?
1.According to paragraph 1, what did all the executives think of Brutus?
A.Cruel. B.Superior.
C.Honorable. D.Bade
2.According to the passage, the Adelmans set up “Movers and Shakespeares” to ________.
A.help executives to understand Shakespeare’s plays better
B.give advice on leadership by analyzing Shakespeare’s plays
C.provide case studies of Shakespeare’s plays in literature workshops
D.guide government agencies to follow the characters in Shakespeare’s plays.
3.Why do the Adelmans conduct a workshop on Henry V?
A.To highlight the importance of catching opportunities.
B.To encourage masterful leaders to plan strategies to win.
C.To illustrate the harm of prejudices in management.
D.To warn executives against power misuse.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A.the Adelmans’ programme proves biased as the roles of characters are maximized.
B.executives feel bored with too many specific elements of Shakespeare’s plays.
C.the Adelmans will make more profits if they are professional scholars.
D.Shakespeare has played an important role in the management field.
5.The best title for the passage is _____.
A.Shakespeare’s plays: Executives reconsider corporate culture
B.Shakespeare’s plays: An essential key to business success
C.Shakespeare’s plays: a lesson for business motivation
D.Shakespeare’s plays: Dramatic training brings dramatic results
Look to many of history’s cultural symbols, and there you’ll find an ancestor of Frosty, the snowman in the movie Frozen. It appeared on some of the first postcards, starred in some of the earliest silent movies, and was the subject of a couple of the earliest photos, dating all the way back to the 1800s. I discovered even more about one of humanity’s earliest forms of life art during several years of research around the world.
For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walk through town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence, Italy, to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.
The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing works called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Some were political in nature, criticizing the church and government. Some were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of defining freedom. At least until spring arrived, by which time they were dealing with damaging floods.
If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday Sechselauten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffed with explosive and paraded through town by bakers and other tradesmen who throw bread to the crowds. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on a 40-foot pile of firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.
1.According to the passage, why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?
A.People thought of snow as holy art supplies.
B.People longed to see masterpieces of snow.
C.Building snowmen was a way for people to express themselves.
D.Building snowmen helped people develop their skill and thought.
2.“The heyday of the snowman” （paragraph 4） means the time when___________.
A.snowmen were made mainly by artists
B.snowmen enjoyed great popularity
C.snowmen were politically criticized
D.snowmen caused damaging floods
3.In Zurich, the blowing up of the Boogg symbolizes__________________.
A.the start of the parade
B.the coming of a longer summer
C.the passing of the winter
D.the success of tradesmen
4.What can be concluded about snowmen from the passage?
A.They were appreciated in history
B.They have lost their value
C.They were related to movies
D.They vary in shape and size
阅读理解。
The freezing Northeast hasn’t been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, so when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florida, my bags were packed before you could say “sunshine”. I left for the land of warmth and vitamin C(维生素C), thinking of beaches and orange trees. When we touched down to blue skies and warm air, I sent up a small prayer of gratefulness. Swimming pools, wine tasting, and pink sunsets(at normal evening hours, not 4 in the afternoon) filled the weekend, but the best part- particularly to my taste, dulled by months of cold- weather root vegetables- was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers’ market that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.
The market, which was founded in 1979, sets up its tents every Saturday from 7:00 am to 1 p.m, rain or shine, along North Lemon and State streets. Baskets of perfect red strawberries, the red-painted sides of the Java Dawg coffee truck; and most of all, the tomatoes: amazing, large, soft and round red tomatoes.
Disappointed by many a broken, vine-ripened(蔓上成熟的) promise, I’ve refused to buy winter tomatoes for years. No matter how attractive they look in the store, once I get them home they’re unfailingly dry, hard, and tasteless. But I homed in, with uncertainty, on one particular table at the Brown’s Grove Farm’s stand, full of fresh and soft tomatoes the size of my fist. These were the real deal- and at that moment, I realized that the best part of Sarasota in winter was going to be eating things that back home in New York I wouldn’t be experiencing again for months.
Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight, my happiness deepened when I learned that Brown’s Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty, a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, where- luckily for me- I was planning to have dinner that very night. Without even seeing the menu, I knew I’d be ordering every tomato on it.
1.What did the author think of her winter life in New York?
A.Exciting. B.Boring.
C.Relaxing. D.Annoying.
2.What made the author’s getting up late early worthwhile?
A.Having a swim.
B.Breathing in fresh air.
C.Walking in the morning sun.
D.Visiting a local farmer’s market.
3.What can we learn about tomatoes sold in New York in winter?
A.They are soft. B.They look nice.
C.They taste great D.They are juicy.
4.What was the author going to that evening?
A.Go to a farm. B.Check into a hotel.
C.Eat in a restaurant. D.Buy fresh vegatables.
Group exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve physical fitness and sustain a healthy lifestyle.Group exercise is challenging, yet fun and empowering! Of course everyone knows that exercise is good for the body.However, studies have shown that when exercise is performed in groups, it's not only great for improving physical health but for psychological health. It's an opportunity to be social, release endorphins , and improve your strength. Additionally, group exercise creates a community feel and the shared common goal motivates participants to work hard. The instrumental support of taking on a fitness journey with others proves more effective than going to the gym alone.
Another beneficial aspect of group exercise is the informational support participants receive from the instructor.Many people fear the gym because they feel lost and don't want to embarrass themselves. If you feel you can relate, then group training is an even better option for you. It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision of a fitness instructor. If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, !you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track. Don't let
fitness frighten you!
If you're serious about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, it's extremely important to surround yourself with people who'll provide you with the proper emotional support. I wouldn't scold anyone for deciding to party on weekends and in turn I wouldn't expect anyone to give offence to me for focusing on my health. Surround yourself with people who uplift, encourage and understand you! Make fitness even more fun by trying something new or any group fitness class, with a friend. Plan to go for a jog together. Then try a fun healthy restaurant or fresh juice bar! Fitness can be both fun and social!
Surrounding yourself with people who'll provide you with respect support can be very beneficial while working towards reaching health and fitness goals. First, decide to do it for yourself and work towards staying positive. Then make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive. Don't let negativity ruin your motivation.
1.The first paragraph focuses on .
A.the greatest challenge of group exercise
B.the most effective way to improve physical fitness
C.the contribution of group exercise to psychological health
D.the shared common goal in performing exercise in groups
2.The underlined word "upbeat" in the second paragraph probably means "
A.cheerful B.average C.serious D.temporal
3.When it comes to emotional support, the author thinks it necessary
A.to sustain a colorful lifestyle
B.to party on weekends with positive people
C.to try a fun healthy restaurant regularly
D.to surround yourself with supportive people
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Seeking Support B.Supporting Health
C.Improving Your Strength D.Building Up Fitness
