Maybe you have seen this in schools: Some students study nearly all the time but they just pass their exams, while some others may spend much l 1. time on their books but do much better in exams. How could this happen? People used to think that hard work is the only way to success. But now they understand that smart work can make them successful, too.
Hard workers don’t m 2. working for long hours, while smart workers always think of several different answers to these questions. “Why should I suffer this?” “Isn’t there a better way to do this?” Thanks to these people, we can use computers instead of the abacus now. P 3. in every field is the direct result of “try to find a better way” by smart workers. There was a large soap factory in Japan. Once it received an unusual letter from someone who c 4. that there was no soap in the soapbox he bought.
How could empty soapbox go out of the factory? The engineers checked the producing and packing. The producing was fine, but in about one in ten thousand cases, the packing machines let an empty soapbox go. There was no need to spend a lot of money repairing the machine for such a small problem. The engineer soon worked out a s 5. . He put a large X-ray (X射线) machine and two large computers to find out the empty soapbox. A 6. teaching the workers how to use it, he sat down in his seat, exhausted.
“Sir, we could have solved the problems in a much simpler and cheaper way.” a worker said.
“Really? How?” “We can put a huge fan near the packing machine. The wind coming from the fan will blow away the empty boxes and leave the other o 7. with soap. There would be no need for an X-ray machine, two computers, and operating by workers.”
See, this is smart work. In order to succeed, we should not only learn from the engineers’ hard work, but also think smart like the workers.
Today, clothes are made in many different colours. They are also made from many different
like wools, cotton, linen and silk. Most people own lots of clothes. Each day, they choose what to wear.
Clothes
Clothes cover our bodies and protect us from the weather. They can also make us feel good about the way we look. Sometimes, our clothes tell other people about us, such as the work we do or what religion(宗教) we are. People have been wearing clothes for many thousands of years, but the clothes people wore long ago were different from the clothes people wear today.
Fashion
Fashion means the kinds of clothes that are popular at one time. Ancient Romans wore dresses. Some Romans wore togas(宽外袍) to special events. Long ago, women in some countries wore corsets under their dresses. Corsets were pulled in tight and tied at the back, so they weren’t to wear. Women wore corsets to make their waists (腰)look smaller. Fashion . It can be different from place to place. However, most people today wear simple clothes that are easy to put on and care for. Clothes need to be for the climate a person lives in, too.
Uniforms
People have worn uniforms for thousands of years. Uniforms show the work people do, or what school they go to, or what team or group they belong to. Most uniforms today are suitable. Some uniforms help to protect people from danger.
Clothes in the past and the future
You can learn more about the clothes people used to wear by looking at old paintings and old photos. What clothes will people wear in the future? What styles will people wear? Maybe people in the future will look back at the clothes in fashion today and think they look strange!
1.A. products B. chemicals C. materials D. styles
2.A. something B. anything C. nothing D. everything
3.A. warm B. comfortable C. beautiful D. suitable
4.A. repeats B. continues C. increases D. changes
5.A. thick B. right C. traditional D. dry
6.A. especially B. seldom C. finally D. even
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of (感到难为情) my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her Chinese English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother realized that she was poor at English. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was made to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent(青少年的) voice that was not very certain, “This is Mrs. Tan.” My mother was standing beside me saying, “Why he doesn’t send me check, already two weeks late.” And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather worried. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” My mother then talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York to tell him in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed(令人尴尬) me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped me see things, express ideas, and make sense of the world.
1.Why was the writer’s mother poorly served?
A. She was unable to speak good English.
B. She was often treated unfairly.
C. She was not clearly heard.
D. She was not very polite.
2.From Paragraph 2, we know that the writer was ____________.
A. good at pretending
B. rude to the stockbroker
C. ready to help her mother
D. not willing to phone for her mother
3. After the writer made the phone call, the writer and her mum___________.
A. received the check at once
B. still failed to get the check
C. went to New York immediately
D. spoke to the stockbroker’s boss at once
4.What does the underlined phrase “make sense of” in last paragraph mean?
A. confuse B. surprise.
C. understand D. refuse.
5.We can know from the passage that Chinese English ___________.
A. is clear and natural to native speakers
B. is well received by native speakers
C. is widely used in America
D. may bring inconvenience in America
6.The best title of the passage might be __________.
A. Great Mother
B. Natural English
C. Mother’s Chinese English
D. Perfect English
Complete the following sentences as required (根据所给要求，完成下列句子。每空格限填一词) (共14分)
1.Anna goes to the school library twice a week. (改为一般疑问句)
________ Anna ________ to the school library twice a week?
2.They went to the supermarket to buy some food for the picnic yesterday.(对划线部分提问)
________ ________ they go to the supermarket yesterday?
3.Students mustn’t smoke because smoking is harmful to their health. (保持句意基本不变)
Students ________ ________ to smoke because smoking is harmful to their health.
4.“Have you finished reading the report?” the manager asked me. (合成宾语从句)
The manager asked me ________ I ________ finished reading the report.
5.The old man has planted many trees since he came to live here.（改为被动语态）
Many trees ________ ________ planted by the old man since he came to live here.
6.It’s fun to go for a spring outing with my classmates.(改为感叹句)
________ ________ it is to go for a spring outing with my classmates!
7.foot, had, you, better, on, there, go (连词成句)
___________________________________________________________________.
---A: Sorry, I didn’t return your book on time.
---B: _______.
A. I agree with you. B. It doesn’t matter.
C. You’re welcome. D. That’s a good idea.
---A: Sophia, your handwriting is really beautiful. I love it.
---B: _______.
A. I practise it every day. B. No, I don’t think so.
C. Thank you very much. D. Well, it’s not good enough.
