题目内容

Dear Guys,

I’d like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That’s when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me.

One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly (勉强地) agreed.

Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn’t have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I’m bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I’d be nervous at what I’m sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request.

However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, and threw it as hard as I could.

It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me.

Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, and then picked up the ball again. If you’ll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next.

The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me.

This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn’t it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless.

Seeing that you weren’t going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel.

Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me.

“Throw it granny-style!” one of you said.

“Just back up a little and give it all you’ve got!” another offered.

And, most embarrassing of all, “You can do it!”

I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame.

Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly.

It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me.

I surprised myself—and I’m sure you as well—by letting out a cry, “DAMN IT!!!” I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I’d be put out of my misery.

Alas, the heart attack didn’t happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: “Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?”

Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period were just enough blows for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, “Please just come get the damn ball.”

And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports.

Sincerely,

Jen Cordery

1.The writer agreed to throw the ball because ______.

A.she needed to have a relax carrying the heavy groceries

B.she wanted to refresh her childhood memories

C.she could not refuse the polite request from the young man

D.she had fallen in love with the young man at first sight

2.Which of the following is closet in meaning to the underlined word “game”?

A.anxious B.brave C.afraid D.curious

3.Why did the writer mention her middle school memory?

A.To explain why she failed the attempts to throw the ball back.

B.To complain that she had not mastered the ball throwing skills.

C.To show how cruel those 13-year-old boys were.

D.To express her dislike towards softball.

4.What the boys said before the writer’s third attempt actually made the writer ________.

A.inspired B.encouraged C.awkward D.depressed

5.What happened to the ball at last?

A.The writer managed to throw the ball back.

B.The boy got the ball back by himself.

C.The writer threw the ball away out of anger.

D.The boys got angry and left without the ball.

6.What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this open letter?

A.To express her regret over what she did the day before.

B.To announce that she would never play all games again.

C.To joke on her inability to throw the ball over the fence.

D.To criticize the young men for their cruelty to her dignity.

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I turned 16 on Friday, but the Driver’s License Office in my small hometown was only open on Tuesday, so I had to wait through that extremely long weekend and an endless Monday before going in for my examination.

I came to the Driver’s License Office half an hour earlier that Tuesday morning, pacing back and forth on the worn porch waiting for the office to open at eight. I reviewed the driver’s manual for the hundredth time. I was ready. I knew the manual backward and forward; I had made an “A” in my driver’s training course, and I was a genius behind the wheel.

Finally, the door opened and a weary-looking man in a brown uniform let me in.

“Let me guess. You want to take the driver’s test.” his voice was not enthusiastic.

“Yes!” I answered in excitement.

“Ok, fill this out, and if you pass we’ll go for a drive.”

I grabbed the test and rushed to the desk where I filled it out in record time. A quick check showed that my paper was perfect.

“Let’s get in the car.” He tossed me a set of keys, and I slid behind the wheel. Everything was going smoothly as we pulled out of the empty parking lot. I signaled a right hand turn, and we were on a deserted street. This was going to be easy.

“Turn left and go up Young Blood Hill,” he ordered. My hometown is in the mountains, and Young Blood Hill was almost vertical (垂直的). As I eased up the steep hill and came to a stop at the top, I heard the car’s engine die. My heart sank. I would have to start it again without rolling back down the hill. I swallowed hard and turned the key; as I moved my foot from the brake, the car began to roll. I suppose I could have rolled all the way back to the bottom except for one thing. There was something behind me which stopped my roll with a rough shake and crash of glass—a police car.

The policeman wrote me a ticket as I looked over the damage, and the man from the Driver’s License Office slid behind the wheel. I waited until we had parked before I asked how long a person had to wait before taking the test again.

1.What time does “that Tuesday morning” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The morning when he made an “A” in his driver’s training course.

B. The morning when he knew the driver’s manual perfectly well.

C. The Tuesday morning right before his 16th birthday.

D. The first Tuesday morning immediately after his 16th birthday.

2.Why didn’t the car roll back to the bottom?

A. It hit a police car.

B. The engine died.

C. The writer braked it hard.

D. The man from the Driver’s License Office helped make it stop.

3.From the underlined sentence “I grabbed the test and rushed to the desk where I filled it out in record time”, we can know that ______ .

A. the writer didn’t like the man from the Driver’s License Office.

B. the writer was excited and eager to go for the driver’s test.

C. time for the test was tight.

D. the test paper was very easy.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. The man from the Driver’s License Office got a ticket.

B. The policeman drove the car away after the accident.

C. The writer failed the driving test.

D. The writer didn’t want to take the driving test again.

Windows 8, apart from Windows 95, is the biggest surprise and the only version of Microsoft’ s operating system that has been changed from the core(核心)when compared to its former one. However, a recent study has shown that under 20% of business owners would be willing to upgrade to the new version of Windows. The reason for this remains to be discussed and debated, and we will try to throw light on this research by providing you with some of the most common advantages and disadvantages of Windows 8.

Generally speaking, there are a great number of plus sides related to upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

Speed — This is the biggest advantage to mention. Boot time has been reported to be up to nine times shorter than that with Windows 7.

New passwords — Instead of typing your passwords, Windows 8 will let you use gestures on your favorite photos to enter your password. This is not only practical but also extremely cool!

Windows 8 experience — Apart from computers, Windows 8 will be used on all devices, including smart phones, tablet PC’s and so on. Also, owing to the fact that it has been specifically designed with touch screen users in mind, Windows 8, besides using keyboard and mouse, will offer a whole new user experience.

However, there are still some disadvantages.

The first one that has to be mentioned is that there is no Start Menu from Windows. Yes, there is no Start button in the lower left corner, and this might be a real puzzle of many Windows users. Also, many users have had a problem to get used to the new interface(界面)introduced by Windows 8. The biggest problem that is worth noticing is that Windows 8 was originally designed for touch screen users, and this may have a bad effect on desktop users who have gotten used to doing everything with the help of their keyboard and mouse.

1.What does “plus sides” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?

A. Math symbols. B. Strengths.

C. New rules. D. Messages.

2.The most attractive aspect of Windows 8 is its .

A. fast rate B. complex passwords

C. unique experience D. new interface

3.From the text we can learn that Windows 8 .

A. no longer requires a password

B. was upgraded from windows 95

C. will be popular with desktop users

D. can be used on more than computers

4.Many Windows 8 users will face the problem that .

A. they don’t get accustomed to the new interface

B. they have to use fingerprints instead of buttons

C. keyboard and mouse can’t be used any longer

D. Start Menu is hidden in the lower left corner

Soup on my nose, a nearly spilled glass of wine and chocolate down my white blouse, as blind dates suggest, this was a really messy one. I have never made so much noise with plates and glasses, nor had I dined with a never-before-met companion. This blind date was quite different: we could see nothing. "Put your left hand on my shoulder, and then we'll take small steps forward," said Michael, the visually impaired(视力障碍的) server, in an East London accent. We three felt our way carefully bumping past heavy curtains before being arranged at the dining table, where we would eat and drink three completely secret and unseen courses.

Welcome to Alchemy in the Dark, Hong Kong's first full-time restaurant in total darkness. Upon arrival, diners briefly tell the chef on their allergies(过敏性反应), lock away their mobile phones and enter the windowless restaurant, which can seat 25. When the meal is over, the contents of the delicious menu are shown --- often to the diners' surprise. "This is definitely duck," my friend said, while eating chicken. "This soup," I declared, "is carrot and coriander." Even the too-close smell did not reveal the real tomato and cumin flavors. Dining in the dark changes everything: the sense of smell is heightened, manners go out of the window ----using your hands to feel around the plate becomes normal--- and there is a strange thrill in being able to ignore your facial expressions. Best of all? You don't have to spend hours beforehand(事先) wondering what to wear.

Alchemy in the Dark is at 16 Arbuthnot Road, Central, (tel: 6821 2801) and is open Monday to Saturday, from 7pm to 11pm. Reservations are required. A three-course meal with wine pairing costs HK$700 per person. Five per cent of all profits go to the Hong Kong Society for the Blind.

1.How did the author and her companion arrive at their dining table?

A. By using a map

B. By being led

C. By feeling their way.

D. By finding it by themselves

2.According to passage, which of the following is true?

A. The diners might eat what they are allergic to.

B. The author enjoyed a special lunch at Alchemy in the Dark.

C. The restaurant donated some money to the H. K Society for the Blind.

D. The diners aren’t allowed to take phones to the restaurant at any time.

3.From the passage we can learn that the author ___________.

A. had the table booked

B. shared the meal with a friend.

C. practiced how to eat in total darkness.

D. chose her clothes in advance for the meal.

4.The last paragraph is intended to ____________.

A. present some facts about eating in the dark.

B. inform what to do at Alchemy in the Dark

C. conclude the experience of eating at Alchemy in the Dark.

D. provide some information about Alchemy in the Dark.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Of the many unpleasant emotions we can experience, fear may top the list. 1. . Fear can also keep us from pursuing the things in life that really matter --- like following our dreams, and developing important relationships. 2. .

Experience fear.

I used to be very afraid of speaking in front of people. I would get sweaty palms and my stomach would be so tied up that I wouldn't be able to eat. However, each time I spoke, I noticed afterwards that it wasn't that bad. Things I fear are never as bad in reality as I make them out in my mind. 3. .

Create space.

The first and most important step to being fearless is to create some space between ourselves and the emotion of fear. This isn't accomplished by ignoring the fear, or trying to talk ourselves out of it. 4. . In fact, a recent research shows that by simply admitting the emotion we actually begin to reverse the "fight or flight (逃避)" response in the body.

Control the breath and feel the fear.

Once we acknowledge the presence of fear, the second step is to control the breathing so that it becomes slower and gentler. We try to make the breath just a little bit longer, and feel how fear manifests (展现) in the body. 5. .

With practice, we can create enough space between us and the emotion of fear so that we're able to replace a fearful thought with a positive one. We can imagine a positive outcome for whatever we're about to do. For instance, before I get up to speak in front of a group of people, I imagine that the audience is positively impressed by what I say and that I manage to complete the speech successfully.

A. As we pay attention to the physical symptoms of fear, we can see fear objectively.

B. Fear is more than just physically unpleasant.

C. Fear, if left uncontrolled, can even destroy our life.

D. So one way to get rid of fear is to simply push ourselves to do things that we fear.

E. When we can see a positive outcome in our mind, fear no longer holds us back.

F. I have some ideas, though, of how to be free from fear.

G. Space is created only when we can honestly acknowledge that fear exists.

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