Have you ever been to the world's smallest bookstore?

The World's Smallest Bookstore,whose official name is just these three words,sits quietly about 100 miles northeast of Toronto.

The bookstore is about 10 feet by 10 feet,so it is easy to imagine how tiny it really is.The bookstore is open 24 hours a day.Inside the bookstore are various books,especially literary books and classic authors' works.So if you are looking for something less popular,you may get a bit disappointed there.

Another special feature of this bookstore is that each book only costs three dollars.All the expenses are paid on the honor system,which means buyers should make a note of what they've bought and leave their money by themselves.So the tools of the trade in this bookstore are quite simple: pens,papers,light bulbs and a label-maker.

In order to catch passers-by's attention,the billboards(广告牌)of the bookstore are several times bigger than the store itself.With these large eye-catchers,many people are willing to stop by and have a visit.

1.What's the passage mainly about?___

A. The world's smallest bookstore.

B. A strange way of selling books.

C. The popular books nowadays.

D. The popular bookstores in the world.

2.When can you buy a book in the store?___

A. In the morning.

B. In the afternoon.

C. At night.

D. At any time of the day.

3.Which of the following books might you most probably get in the store?___

A. Books on popular science.

B. Literary books.

C. The year book of a university.

D. Books on economic control.

4.How does the store attract readers' attention?___

A. By putting up a huge billboard.

B. By making ads on TV.

C. By broadcasting loud music.

D. By handing out ads in the street.

A typical lion tamer(驯兽师) in people’s mind is an entertainer holding a whip(鞭) and a chair.The whip gets all of the attention,but it’s mostly for show.In reality,it’s the chair that does the important work.When a lion tamer holds a chair in front of the lion’s face,the lion tries to focus on all four legs of the chair at the same time.With its focus divided,the lion becomes confused and is unsure about what to do next.When faced with so many options,the lion chooses to freeze and wait instead of attacking the man holding the chair.

How often do you find yourself in the same position as the lion?How often do you have something you want to achieve(e.g.lose weight,start a business,travel more)—only to end up confused by all of the options in front of you and never make progress?

This upsets me to no end because while all the experts are busy debating about which option is best,the people who want to improve their lives are left confused by all of the conflicting information.The end result is that we feel like we can’t focus or that we’re focused on the wrong things,and so we take less action,make less progress,and stay the same when we could be improving.

It doesn’t have to be that way.Anytime you find the world waving a chair in your face,remember this:All you need to do is focus on one thing.You just need to get started.Starting before you feel ready is one of the habits of successful people.If you have somewhere you want to go,something you want to accomplish,someone you want to become...take immediate action.If you’re clear about where you want to go,the rest of the world will either help you get there or get out of the way.

1.Why does the lion tamer use a chair?

A. To trick the lion. B. To show off his skills.

C. To get ready for a fight. D. To entertain the audience.

2.In what sense are people similar to a lion facing a chair?

A. They feel puzzled over choices.

B. They hold on to the wrong things.

C. They find it hard to make changes.

D. They have to do something for show.

3.What is the author’s attitude towards the experts mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A. Tolerant. B. Doubtful.

C. Respectful. D. Supportive.

4.When the world is “waving a chair in your face”,you’re advised to    .

A. wait for a better chance B. break your old habits

C. make a quick decision D. ask for clear guidance

There is a lot to learn about the creations of Beatrix Potter—not only is she the author and illustrator of one of the world's most famous children's books,The Tale of Peter Rabbit,but also a pioneering conservationist with the spirit of a scientist.

"Potter grew up as the daughter of a wealthy Victorian family,but along with her brother who filled an entire floor of their large house in London with all sorts of animals,"said Anne Lundin,a retired professor for the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.

"As an adult,she was a frustrated botanical illustrator and scientist.That field was not open to her because she was female,"Lundin said.Potter was urged to tum the charming illustrations and stories she wrote in letters to children into books.She wrote 23 books in all—a body of work that has inspired plays,ballets,films and an astonishing amount of merchandise.

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit is probably the most famous children's book in the world,which was published in 1902 and has really stood the test of time.It's been translated into 36 languages.The parents and grandparents will share it with the next generation,"said Lundin.

Potter also made a mark on the world through her land conservation."In many ways,she was like Peter Rabbit, venturing into a world of adventure and risk.She withdrew from London as soon as she started making some money on her books to the Lake District and became an extremely important farmer and conservationist.She preserved and passed on 15 farms and over 4,000 acres,which were given back to the country as gifts in the 20th century,"said Lundin.

Even though she was born 150 years ago,she was amazingly modern—her embracing of the natural world, commented Jennifer Blatchley Smith,an artistic director of the show Peter Rabbit Tales to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth.

1.What helped Beatrix Potter to write The Tale of Peter Rabbit successfully ?

A. Her life and work experiences.

B. Her specialty in animated(动画)pictures.

C. Her success in becoming a botanical scientist.

D. Her interest in animals in childhood alone.

2.What does the word "frustrated" in the third paragraph mean?

A. Disappointed. B. Devoted.

C. Motivated. D. Inspired.

3.What is Beatrix Potter?

A. A botanist and artist.

B. An extremely important farmer and successful scientist.

C. A writer,conservationist and farmer.

D. An artistic director.

4.Why does the author write the article?

A. In celebration of Potter's 150th birthday.

B. In honour of Potter's new contributions.

C. In praise of Potter's spirit of selflessness.

D. In support of Potter's book promotions.

Thousands of persons in Peru are suffering from the disease cholera. Medical experts say it is the first time in their century that cholera has reached the western part of the world. The United States Centers for disease control says the kind of cholera has been spreading throughout the world since 1961. It was discovered that year in Indonesia. Since the first case in Peru, more than sixteen thousand people have been affected and about one hundred have died.

Cholera is caused by polluted food and water. People become infected (传染) when they eat the polluted food or drink the polluted water. If untreated immediately, they may die within hours. Most victims however, can be saved. Treatment includes drugs and replacement of body fluids (液体) directly into the blood.

Medical researchers have developed a vaccine (菌苗) medicines to protect against cholera. But the vaccine is only about 50% effective. And it protects against cholera for only about six months. Medical experts say the best way to fight cholera is to prevent it. They also say people should not eat uncooked food or food that has not been cooked long enough. People who live in areas where cholera has been found should wash their hands before eating and cooking. They should drink only water that has been boiled or made pure with chemicals.

1.The underlined word “Cholera” in the first paragraph means ________.

A. a certain place in Peru

B. a kind of illness which may make people die

C. a certain place in Indonesia

D. a certain medicine to deal with diseases

2.Cholera results from (由于……结果) ________.

A. Peru and Indonesia

B. the different peoples in the world

C. the different areas in the world

D. polluted water and polluted food

3.How to treat the people who have been caught by cholera?

A. By medicines and blood improvement.

B. By eating unpolluted food.

C. By drinking unpolluted water.

D. By taking them to a separated place.

4.The most effective way of avoiding cholera is ________.

A. seeing doctors as soon as possible

B. fighting against it

C. paying attention to the eating and drinking

D. taking vaccine immediately

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