A long time ago, and still in some countries today, the dollar and penny did not even exist. Actually, trading a cow for two pigs is still the norm (常态) for many cultures. So how is it that we get to use paper and coins?
The biggest challenge for ancient cultures was to have a system that would allow people to exchange products with each other. However, the problem came up when one person was in need of something immediately that they didn’t have a product to trade. For example, a farmer that needed wheat only had fruit to exchange but the fruit wasn’t ready to hand over for another two months. This is what started the idea of a “common currency”. The farmer could buy what he needed with “currency” and just as important, the value of the goods he was exchanging was standardized. He did not have to worry about giving anything in return now or later; his deal was complete. Thus “money” was born.
Over time, each country has developed its own currency and something that might cost 1,000,000 lire in one country might be 1 dollar in the US currency. Most countries also frequently use powerful political people as the “face” of their currency. The US currency is the best example of this. Can you name all the presidents that currently appear on not only paper money but also coins?
The real excitement, however, is the future of how we buy things. People have started to use debit cards (借记卡) that allow you to pay using your bank account rather than cash. That has given way to something called Mondex. Mondex allows you to “wave” your card past any special device that can read these cards. You no longer have to insert, swipe (刷) and then punch in numbers, which could cause security problems.
1.What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A.To introduce the topic of the text.
B.To explain what money was like in history.
C.To tell us that there was no money long ago.
D.To compare the difference between a cow and two pigs.
2.The farmer had an idea of using currency when ________.
A.he had a product to exchange B.he had made a lot of money
C.he had nothing to trade for what he needed D.he would harvest his fruit
3.Mondex is a kind of card which can ________.
A.keep you safe if you are in trouble
B.save you a large amount of money
C.help you trade safely and conveniently
D.make you happy whenever you are bored
4.What does this passage mainly talk about?
A.The evolution of payment. B.The trade in ancient times.
C.The use of money in the world. D.New ways of payment.
Mrs. Jones was my first patient when I started medical school — and I owe her a lot.
She was under my care for the first two years of my medical training, yet I knew very little about her, except that she was thin, perhaps in her mid 70s. It might seem rather negligent not to know the basic facts of my patient, but I had a valid reason — Mrs. Jones was dead, and had been dead for about three years before I made a patient of her. Mrs. Jones was the dead body that I dissected (解剖) over the first two years of my medical training.
Of course, her name wasn’t really Mrs. Jones, but it seemed a little impolite to be conducting research into someone’s body without even knowing its name, so out of courtesy, I thought she should have one. “Me and Mrs. Jones, we’ve got a thing going on.” went the song coming out of the radio as I unzipped the bag of her on my first day — and so she was christened (命名).
As the months passed, I soon forgot that Mrs. Jones had, in fact, once been alive. One day, though, she suddenly became very human again. I’d been dissecting Mrs. Jones a good 18 months before I got around to the uterus (子宫). After I’d removed it, the professor came up to me, “If you look at the opening carefully, you’ll see that the angle indicates that this woman has had several children, probably three.” I stared at it, and I suddenly felt very strange. This woman, who had given me something incredibly precious that I’d begun to take for granted, wasn’t a dead body. She was a person, a mother, in fact.
At my graduation, the same professor came over to congratulate me. I explained the story about Mrs. Jones to him, and recalled what he’d told me about her having children and how that had affected me all those years ago.
“Well,” he said, “at the beginning of your training you had a dead body and managed to turn it into a person. Now you’re a doctor, the trick is to have a person and not turn them into a dead body,” and he laughed, shook my hand and walked away.
1.What does the underlined word “negligent” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Irresponsible. B.Pitiful.
C.Regretful. D.Miserable.
2.How did Mrs. Jones get her name?
A.She was named after the author’s favorite singer.
B.It came from a song being played during their first meet.
C.It was passed down from the seniors of the author’s school.
D.It just occurred to the author when he opened the bag of her.
3.What could be the author’s feeling for Mrs Jones Now?
A.Indifferent. B.Ashamed.
C.Grateful. D.Guilty.
4.What did the professor imply by his words in the last paragraph?
A.Medical students are able to bring the dead back to life.
B.Good doctors never fail to save their patients from dying.
C.Medical staff ought to have respect for life and humanity.
D.Being a doctor has nothing to do with the medical training.
Dreaming of summer picnics filled with family and fun? We’ve come up with 4 of the top picnic areas across the US.
Cumberland Islands, Georgia
A few hours south of Savannah, this national seashore is a picnic paradise. It’s an unspoiled place in the Deep South with over 50 miles of hiking trail. Covered in Spanish moss (苔藓), the trails are lined with trees and since it’s still a rural area, the stars line up for a spectacular show at night and creates the perfect evening starlit picnic opportunity.
Giant Park, Chicago
If you are looking for delicious food in Chicago, go for a taste of a 20-day, lake-front, foodie festival that happens in October each year. Grab a spot near the fountain to enjoy your picnic, appreciate the city scenery and lake views and relax with family and friends. If you are there on July 4th, be sure to plan the day to include the fireworks display at the Navy Pier.
Cranberry Islands, Maine
Here, you’ll enjoy natural picnics with island views. The islands are a delightful group of islands about 20 minutes offshore from Acadia National Park. You can visit the islands by private boat or ferry service. Bring a picnic basket along for the ride as it’s a romantic picnic area to take your special someone or go for a family outing to visit the islands.
Big Sur, California
The Point Lobos State Reserve is a small gem. Besides the coastal wildlife there are rare plant communities, and unique geological (地质的) formations. It’s good to have a picnic there. We recommend bringing a telescope, because much of the wildlife can be seen only at a distance.
1.What do we know about Cumberland Islands?
A.They are just next to Savannah.
B.They haven’t lost their naturalness.
C.They are almost covered in Spanish moss.
D.They have an impressive show every night.
2.What is special to Cranberry Islands?
A.There is a great trail to hike along.
B.They have unique geological formations.
C.You can find a quiet place to enjoy fireworks.
D.You can enjoy a romantic atmosphere there.
3.Where can you observe wildlife with a telescope?
A.At the Navy Pier. B.In the Deep South.
C.At the Point Lobos State Reserve. D.At Acadia National Park.
假设你是学生会主席李华，当地电视台将举办外国人参与的“汉字听写大会”，委托你向学校国际部留学生通知相关事宜，请你写一则书面通知，要点包括
1．参赛日期：2018年8月20日
2．复习范围：中国四大名著中的词汇
3．奖品：中国四大名著套书
4．联系人及电话，李华12345678910
注意：词数100左右，可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：汉字听写大会 a Chinese Character Dictation Competition
四大名著套书 a set of the Four Great Classical Novels
Notice
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The Student Union
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文， 请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^）, 并在此符号下写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用（\） 划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
There are many differences in eating habits among China and western countries. Firstly, Chinese people ate rice, noodles, vegetables and meat when western people prefer bread, milk, salad and steak. Secondly, westerners used to eating with a knife and a fork, but the Chinese eat with chopstick. Thirdly westerners usually eat quiet instead of making a loud noise during meals. They think it is very much impolite. However, this is common for the Chinese to talk with family members and friends while have dinner. Anyway, it is considering bad manners in both China and western countries to talk with our mouths full.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Despite many laws and national parks to protect tigers, their habitats continue to be destroyed and they are still hunted.1.(sad), tigers are among the most endangered species in the world nowadays. Altogether, there are no more than 5,000 tigers 2. (leave) in the wild. Some think that the tiger is already to the point of3.(die) out in the wild. There are many reasons 4. this, like habitat loss and hunting.
Over the years, a number of steps 5. (take) to help preserve the tiger population. The Wildlife Conservation Society ( WCS) protects wildlife and habitats. Today WCS is carrying out work in 53 nations across the world, protecting 6.great variety of species from butterflies to tigers. In 2010, WCS started Tigers Forever, 7. aim was to increase the number of tigers in the world by 50 percent in the next 10 years. To achieve their goals,they are working together with governments and other8.(organize) which are willing to take strong and effective measures to protect tigers and other wild species
Right now the tiger population 9.(increase) under this program in India and in Far East Russia. Thanks to the hard work of WCS, these large cats have a chance of survival in their 10. (nature) environments and not just in zoos years.
