It was dangerously cold. A few drivers slipping and sliding off the road and back on again had cut deep ruts(车辙)in the mud. And the ruts became frozen solid. The drum of our truck’s aging engine worried us.

Trees and bushes heavy with snow bent to form an icy tunnel. We inched along the scary route as Howard grasped the steering wheel(方向盘)tightly, trying to keep the truck in the ruts. We were now riding through a nightmare with no going back. I kept praying the truck would not quit.

However, the engine’s coughing grew worse. We came to a bumping stop. Hot tears ran down my face. We noticed a small house off in the distance. “I will go for help.” Howard’s words ruined my common sense and panic took over. We would take the children — we would walk to that house together!

But the snow was deep, and our two children, asleep in the cab, were too heavy to carry. My husband convinced me to let him go alone. If no one was home or they didn’t answer the door, he would come back and we’d try to hike out to a main road. For now, it was safer in the truck. I wish I could say I have faith, but when he walked away, I was mad at the world.

It seemed as if hours had passed before I heard a familiar voice and a kind laugh of another man as they approached in the snow. The older fellow invited us to go up to the house where his wife was waiting. Two wide-awake kids moved across the seat, ready for adventure. Their voices and laughter carried in the cold night air. When we finally got close, a cheerful woman opened the door. Warm air and the smell of hot buttered popcorn and chocolate drew us in.

Relieved, my prayers were heard!

1.What made the author worried after Howard left the truck?

A. Her being locked in the truck.

B. Howard’s failure to get the help.

C. Children’s fear in the freezing night.

D. The truck’s sudden move in the frozen mud.

2.What can we learn about the older couple from Paragraph 5?

A. They were willing to offer help.

B. They loved making friends with children.

C. They enjoyed cooking in cold winter nights.

D. They came across the Howards on the way home.

3.What would be the best title of the passage?

A. A Scary Night B. Man’s Prayer

C. A Truck Accident D. God’s Answer

If you feel sleepy every morning, don't blame yourself. Your work schedule could be to blame.

A recent research shows that, for many of us, our work schedules do not agree with our natural body clocks—and experts are urging employers to take notice.

“When work schedules agree with people's natural sleep patterns, they produce higher quality and more creative work because they are more focused, less stressed and generally healthier. The opposite is also true—when employees are sleep deprived, they are more likely to make major mistakes and suffer from workplace injuries,” said Christopher Barnes, a management professor from the University of Washington.

“But it's not just about the amount of sleep you get. Whether you can be productive at 8 a.m. depends on your own body. Human beings each have an internal body clock,” said Till Roenneberg, a professor at Ludwig?Maximilian University in Munich. And that clock can differ greatly depending on the person.

“It's like feet,” said Roenneberg. “Some people are born with big feet and some with small feet, but most people are somewhere in the middle.”

Many companies start the work day at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., putting their work schedules in disagreement with their employees' body clock. That mismatch, along with the pressure from work at all hours of the day and night, means that many people suffer from “social jetlag”. In other words, their bodies are always in the wrong time zone. He estimates that more than 70% of people get up earlier than they should.

“There is an old saying that sleep is for the weak,” said Roenneberg. “But I do feel like it doesn't help to have shortened sleep.”

1.According to the author, many people feel sleepy in the morning because________.

A. they start to work too early B. they are not in good health

C. they have no interest in their work D. they stay up too late the night before

2.What does Christopher Barnes mainly tell us?

A. The influences of lack of sleep.

B. The possible causes of poor sleep.

C. The useful ways to improve our sleep.

D. The connection between sleep and work performance.

3.By mentioning people's feet, Roenneberg intends to tell us ________.

A. people are born with feet of different sizes

B. people's body clocks differ from person to person

C. it is the most important to wear shoes of the right size

D. it is most important to obey our natural body clocks

4.Which of the following does the author agree to?

A. Sleep is for the weak. B. The early bird catches the worm.

C. Plenty of sleep contributes to good work. D. The more you sleep, the less work you can do.

Read More & Spend Less

We have more than 7 million used books for sale, from the earliest board books to the all-time classics.

If you like what we have to offer, Tell-a-Friend, we’ll give you more reasons to read!

Any member of our website who invites friends and family to try our books using the “Tell-a-Friend” program will see a 20% discount when that friend places their first order within 14 days.

Start exploring and save big on all your favorites. Here we list some of our books that are heavily discounted.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

By Giles Andreae

This book has been pleasing children for over 15 years. Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can’t dance… or can they?

2004, Paperback

ISBN:9780439539470

From $0.99

Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids

By Rob Elliott

With over 700,000 copies sold, this book will have children rolling on the floor with laughter. A great gift idea for any child.

2010, Paperback

ISBN: 9780800788032

From $0.89

Love You ForeverBy Robert Munsch

With simple text and pictures, Love You Forever is a book to be shared----a story about love that children will carry with them throughout their lives.

1995, Hardback

ISBN;9780099266891

From¥1.98

How to Win Friends & Influence People

By Dale Carnegie

As the most famous confidence-building book ever published(出版), this classic book will turn your relationships around and improve your relationships with everyone in your life.

2013, Paperback

ISBN: 9788087888223

From $0.99

1.The “Tell-a-Friend” program encourages people to .

A. take pleasure in reading with their friends.

B. help a friend form the habit of reading.

C. share the website with others

D. read more but spend less

2.Who wrote the story about animals?

A. Rob Elliott B. Giles Andreae

C. Dale Carnegie D. Robert Munsch

3.Which book has a different kind of paper cover from the others?

A. How to Win Friends & Influence People

B. Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids

C. Giraffes Can’t Dance

D. Love You Forever

The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.

Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang (团伙). Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them____a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.

Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence.

Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school.

1.According to the passage, music could make students smarter by _______________.

A. improving their classroom skills and paying attention

B. improving their classroom skills and imagination

C. improving their attention, direction and imagination

D. learning music, making music and trying out their own ideas

2.What does the underlined phrase "glued to" in the second paragraph mean?

A. unwilling to turn on B. always looking

C. unwilling to leave D. always playing

3.The third paragraph mainly tells us that music could _______________.

A. give children self-expression and self-confidence

B. bring to children achievement and success

C. give children something to be proud of

D. develop children's self-confidence

4.What's the best title of this passage?

A. Music is a must as a course at school

B. Music builds children's self-confidence

C. Music makes students much smarter

D. Learning music and making music

A few months after we moved to a small city in France, I wanted to meet my husband for lunch at the university where he worked. I got lost. I had to call him for help. One of his friends said to him later, “How could she get lost? She just needed to go straight.”

Well, no. That’s the problem. You never “just go straight”, because France is the land of roundabouts (弯道). Highways, major streets, little village lanes – if you go straight long enough, you’ll end up going in circles.

Even after a year here, I’d still get lost going to the grocery store, or just about anywhere that wasn’t within a hundred yards of my house.

I admit I have a horrible sense of direction, can’t read a map, and am not such a good driver. Plus, I’ve been spoiled (宠坏) by living in American cities, where you just indeed need to “go straight”. But in France, driving became my nightmare — the roads are roundabouts within roundabouts.

Finally I found a solution: a GPS program on my smart phone. I rely on it to get anywhere, even places I’ve been.

But it does leave me feeling very bad and helpless when, often, the program doesn’t work, can’t find a GPS signal, or gives wrong information. I’d have to wait until my GPS gets recovered, or else I use my old solution: I call my husband. Is the GPS making us more stupid, or helping us going around more? In my case, it’s probably both.

1.The friend of the writer’s husband’s thought ________.

A. the roundabouts were confusing B. the way to the university was simple

C. she didn’t lose her way D. she was a foolish woman

2.The writer thinks if one just “goes straight” in France, he will probably ________.

A. arrive at his destination at last B. come back to where he starts

C. find his way out of the city D. end up in a grocery store

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the writer?

A. She lacks the sense of direction.

B. She once lived in a different country.

C. She has stayed in France for more than a year.

D. She has already got used to the French way of life.

4.What does the writer think of the GPS program?

A. It’s a satisfactory solution to her problem.

B. It improves her sense of direction.

C. It doesn’t always work very well.

D. It is a useless device for her.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网