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My doorbell rings at 11 a.m. On the step, I find an elderly Chinese lady. She is small and slight. She holds a paper carrier bag in her hands.

I know this lady. It is by no means her first visit. Her daughter, Nicole, bought the house next door last October. Nicole, who is currently in Shanghai, has apparently told her mother that I am having heart surgery shortly, and the result is that her mother has decided I need to be supplied with meals.

I know what is inside the paper carrier bag — a stainless-steel container with a meal of rice, vegetables and either chicken, meat or shrimp. This has become an almost-daily occurrence.

Communication between my benefactor (恩人)and me is somewhat handicapped by the fact that she doesn’t speak English and all I can say in Mandarin is “hello”. Once, she brought an iPad and pointed to the screen, which displayed a message from Nicole telling me that her mother wanted to know if the food was all right.

“Your mother just can’t be bringing me meals like this all the time” I protested. “I can hardly reciprocate by cooking something from my native land, like roast beef or Yorkshire pudding for her” I said.

“Oh,no,” Nicole said. “Don’t worry about that. She has to cook for the family anyway, and she wants to do it for you. You can call her Wing, which is her surname.”

The tenant in my basement suite is a university student who speaks Mandarin quite well, so with her help, I have found out that Wing is 68—13 years younger than I am — and that she lived through the Cultural Revolution. For my part, I was raised in wartime Britain.

So here we are, two grandmothers a world away from where we were raised, neither of us able to speak the other’s language. But the doorbell keeps ringing and there is the familiar paper earner bag, handed smilingly to me by Wing.

Right now I am working on some more Mandarin words—it’s the least I can do after such a display of kindness.

“Thank you” is, of course,the first one, which somehow seems inadequate.

1.The author and Wing got to know each other .

A. as next door neighbors

B. when exchanging meals

C. by sharing similar experiences

D. after using an iPad to communicate

2.The underlined word “reciprocate” in Paragraph 5 probably means .

A. do as well B. offer generously

C. give in return D. accept with pleasure

3.The author’s effort to learn Mandarin shows her .

A. great satisfaction B. real kindness

C. heartfelt thanks D. sincere friendship

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While music has value all by itself, researchers have long noticed that musicians also tend to be better at learning languages and show other improved reading and math abilities. Now a new study from the University of Washington by Christina Zhao shows that rhythm is an important bridge between music and speech as early as nine months of age.

Researchers randomly placed babies into two groups of 20 each, and each group played at the lab with their parents for a dozen 15-minute sessions over a month.

In one group, researchers played recordings of songs with a waltz rhythm and showed the parents how to help their babies tap out that 1-2-3 beat in time with the music on boy drums or with their feet. In the other group, children played with typical toys and no music.

The babies in the music group were better able to detect random mistakes in that rhythm when they heard it within two weeks of the last session. They also showed a stronger brain response to disruptions in the rhythm. For example, researchers would sometimes alter the timing of syllables(音节) by slightly shortening the middle sound of a word like bibbi to make it bibi—and the babies with music training were more likely to notice it.

In other words, music training not only improved the babies’ ability to notice when a musical rhythm skipped a beat, but also improved their ability to notice when the rhythms of speech changed unexpectedly, an important skill for learning to talk.

The study reflects Zhao’s personal experiences as a pianist who music in college, and as someone who speaks both Mandarin and English. She noticed that a lot of her fellow musicians were also good at learning other languages. “That really got me wondering how these two are related, “Zhao said.

1.What can we learn about the new study?

A. It included twenty babies.

B. The babies were grouped by age.

C. It was carried out in form of lab tests.

D. The two groups were offered different types of music.

2.According to the last paragraph, Christina Zhao ________.

A. will carry on with this study

B. is good at discovering hidden connections

C. is willing to share her personal experiences

D. began learning different languages during childhood

3.Which is the best title for the text?

A. Music Learners’ Advantages Over Language Learners

B. An Important Bridge Between Music and Babies

C. Researchers Prove Music’s Influence on Babies

D. Music Skills May Help Babies Learn Languages

With all the snow and bitter cold we’ve had this winter, it’s hard to imagine jumping into a large body of water. But not far away, there are plenty of warm places where you can not only splash but swim.

Snorkel the Philippines

On the other side of the world, there are some amazing hidden destinations in the Pacific Ocean that offer diving and swimming. The Coral Triangle is named for its vast variety of corals(珊瑚), some 600 different species. And, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the area is home to six of the seven world marine turtle species and more than 2,000 species of fish.

Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire

Often referred to as a diver’s paradise(天堂), Bonaire has an average forecast of 82 degrees and sunny year-round. Bonaire is known for “shore diving”, which means you can walk into the water and off you go. There are more than 50 easily accessible dive sites along the west coast. The natural reefs(礁) are full of more than 400 colorful species of fish, sea turtles and coral, as well as several shipwrecks (nowhere else to be seen).

Plunge the Depths of Palau

Also in the Western Pacific is the remote island of Palau, an island country also nicknamed “Rainbow’s End” because it’s so far away. You have to fly from Asian areas, like Thailand, India, Vietnam, but it’s worth it. In Palau, divers will find drop-offs, shallow reefs and channels beneath the sea. Reef walls in Palau team with marine life, schools of fish, old growth coral gardens and hidden marine lakes.

Greg Deaver

Talking of Mexico, the island of Cozumel is a premier warm-weather diving site, with the second largest reef system in the world. It’s Mexico’s largest Caribbean island, largest permanently inhabited island, and Mexico’s third-largest island, and its people mainly live in the town of San Miguel. Easy to reach by plane from the US, Cozumel is known for its massive underwater walls and “drift diving”. In Cozumel, you’ll find a vast number of fish, corals, sponges, nurse sharks, big stingrays, hawks bill turtles and lots of macro life within its clear blue and very warm waters.

1.What do the four places have in common according to the passage?

A. They own the largest reef systems.

B. They are good diving spots in winter.

C. They all provide you with shipwrecks.

D. They are all difficult to reach.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. If you want to go to Plunge the Depths of Palau, you can take a flight from Vietnam.

B. Snorkel the Philippines is disliked by the world because of its location.

C. Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire is the only place where you can see corals.

D. Greg Deaver is the coolest one among the four places.

3.It can be learned from the passage that ______________.

A. Cozumel is a small country in the Atlantic

B. Cozumel is famous for the town San Miguel

C. Cozumel is a close neighbor to Mexico

D. Cozumel is located in North America

On a bright Friday afternoon in spring, Sumeja Tulic had every reason to enjoy walking in the streets of New York, a city she'd_______nine months earlier from London to attend a journalism school. “When the weather is good, it's very hard to find a reason to be_______or dissatisfied with the city,” she said.

Yet her time in New York has coincided with endless ugliness, As she_______toward the subway station, she thought, “Please, God, I want to see something_______today.” She said, “Enough of this craziness”.

At the City Hall_______, she settled onto a bench. It was just after 2 p.m. Only a few people were there. A man___________against a pillar(柱子), the way anyone might, waiting for the train. The stillness was interrupted by a(n)___________that the next train was two stations away. Then Tulic_______the man at the pillar collapsing forward onto the tracks.

A man, who was_______waiting for the train on the platform, ran over, peered over the edge and then jumped onto the________.

The man who had________was not moving. Two more men jumped down to help.

"I don't know________these men got the wit and the quickness," Tulic said. "The man who fell was kind of jammed in the tracks. They were very________to know that the train was coming. Will it stop? Will they________pulling him out?"

On the tracks, the________man was held up to a sitting position by the three men, who then lifted him from below to________who dragged him from above and rolled him onto the platform. Then the rescuers were themselves ____________, pulled back to safety by helping hands. As soon as they were all clear, the train pulled in.

An ambulance________soon and the man was taken to a local hospital with________but non-life-threatening injuries, doctors said.

"That is the greatest thing." Tulic said," The infrastructure(基础设施)in this city of millions is the________themselves providing, being there for others."

1.A. hung out B. moved to C. passed by D. left behind

2.A. pleased B. ashamed C. depressed D. relieved

3.A. walked B. rushed C. travelled D. toured

4.A. urgent B. strange C. mysterious D. nice

5.A. station B. school C. theatre D. store

6.A. struggled B. leaned C. lay D. sat

7.A. note B. report C. announcement D. poster

8.A. remembered B. foresaw C. ignored D. glimpsed

9.A. again B. also C. never D. seldom

10.A. tracks B. road C. train D. platform

11.A. stood B. settled C. fallen D. escaped

12.A. whom B. whether C. when D. where

13.A. nervous B. embarrassed C. dangerous D. disappointed

14.A. object to B. succeed in C. put off D. give up

15.A. unconscious B. dying C. active D. discouraged

16.A. them B. us C. others D. anyone

17.A. jammed B. recognized C. affected D. rescued

18.A. stopped B. started C. arrived D. raced

19.A. careless B. serious C. slight D. unforgettable

20.A. people B. passengers C. friends D. students

The Benefits of Keeping a Journal

If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. And to be honest, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it.1.

It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever got an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down? 2..But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I’m away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.

It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve got. 3. You can use the ideas to push yourself forward.

4.After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.

It helps you expand your idea. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it. 5. In the end, you will expand your ideas.

A. I often experienced that myself.

B. It trains you to express your thoughts.

C. It allows you to see your progress over time.

D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.

E. Here are some benefits you will get by keep a journal.

F. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.

G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Driving could soon be a far more pleasant experience thanks to a personal in-car robot being developed by researchers. The robot, which is called “Affective Intelligent Driving Agent (AIDA)” will be able to tell you the best route home based on traffic reports, remind you to pick up petrol and suggest places you may like to visit. The robot, which sits on the dashboard, is being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Volkswagen.

AIDA communicates with the driver through an expressive robot screen and will even appear sympathetic if you're having a bad day. Cynthia Breazeal, director of MIT’s Personal Robots Group, said: “We are developing AIDA to read the driver’s mood from facial expression and other cues and respond in a proper way.”

AIDA works by analyzing the driver’s mobility patterns, keeping track of common routes and destinations. The creators say the robot should be able to work out home and work locations within a week of driving. Soon afterwards, the system will direct the driver to their preferred supermarket, suggesting a route that avoids traffic-clogged roads. AIDA might recommend a petrol stop en route if the fuel tank is nearly empty. The robot will also incorporate real-time information about traffic jams, the weather report, commercial activity, tourist attractions, and residential areas.

“In developing AIDA we asked ourselves how we could design a system that would offer the same kind of guidance as an informed and friendly companion.”

“AIDA can also give you feedback on your driving, helping you achieve more energy efficiency and safer behavior,” Assaf Biderman from SENSEable City Lab added.

1.What is AIDA in this passage?

A. A personal driver.

B. A traffic controller.

C. A traffic indicator.

D. A smart car robot.

2.What’s the most impressive about AIDA according to the passage?

A. It can stay away from traffic jams.

B. It can replace the driver to drive the car.

C. It can interact with the driver.

D. It can help the driver find the way.

3.From the last paragraph we can know that .

A. it’s possible to drive a car without any petrol

B. AIDA can help us to become better drivers

C. people can save a lot of energy by driving a car

D. It can help the driver find the way

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. An Intelligent Device for Drivers

B. A New Model of Volkswagen

C. The Cooperation of Two Car Makers

D. Traffic Management in Big Cities

As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of the Independence. He wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress. As a result, he became famous.

Born in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later, was much interested in politics.

Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the representative of the American government in 1784. Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams.

Far from a handsome man, he was tall with long arms and big hands. Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured.

Jefferson was regarded as a defender of freedom on America. As a president, he protected the right of free speech. Interestingly enough, in his eight years as President, Jefferson never vetoed a bill which Congress had passed. He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American Independence.

1.From the passage we can infer that America won its independence in ________.

A. 1786 B. 1776

C. 1842 D. 1800

2.How old was Thomas Jefferson when he became Governor of Virginia?

A. He was 26. B. He was in his forties.

C. He was 36. D. We don’t know.

3.Which of the following statements is true?

A. Jefferson was not only very talented but also very handsome.

B. Jefferson was not an easy person to get along with.

C. Jefferson was an amusing talker, but not good at speaking in public.

D. Not being politically-minded, Jefferson never vetoed a bill passed by the Congress.

4.Jefferson died when he was ________.

A. 72 B. 73

C. 83 D. 92

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