Personally I think trains are exciting and romantic. I must that trains are not important means of transportation in the US, but I do have some with them.

When I was a child, growing up in a small town with very little , we used to go to the station to watch the passenger trains coming in. There was something about the steaming, roaring string of cars coming into view around the mountains, slowly growing larger and and finally crowds of strangers onto the platform.

I took my train trip when I was ten years old. I went with my elder sister to visit our cousins six hundred miles away. The train--so loud and violent on the outside--was and rocking inside. We were very excited, and as that was also our first time away from our parents, we felt somewhat frightened too. However, because I had so much, I was a little disappointed when I was finally one of the passengers I had for so long.

As a college student, I ride overnight train to my roommate’s hometown. We could never afford a , so we played cards, sang, ate, read and talked we finally fell uncomfortably asleep in the straight-backed seats.

My idea that trains are may come from the fact that my husband and I took the train on our honeymoon, spending extra money to eat in the dining car, and the window as the desert scenery slid past.

Now, when I make a trip, I always fly or drive, and are not a very important part of my life. , every time I hear the train whistle faraway on a quiet night, I can always feel the in my heart to pack my bags and jump on board, entering a world of motions, sounds, sights, and experience which just aren’t in the dull environment of an airplane.

1.A. admit B. believe C. predict D. ensure

2.A. trouble B. fun C. photos D. experience

3.A. education B. entertainment C. work D.money

4.A. boring B. satisfying C. exciting D. terrifying

5.A. smaller B. louder C. noisier D. faster

6.A. spilling B. throwing C. removing D. shooting

7.A. only B. first C. second D. last

8.A. gentle B. small C. big D. rough

9.A. experienced B. knew C. thought D. expected

10.A. waited B. appreciated C. watched D. trusted

11.A. used to B. ought to C. could D. must

12.A. ticket B. seat C. meal D. sleeper

13.A. until B. since C. before D. after

14.A. exciting B. romantic C. beautiful D. comfortable

15.A. leaning against B. standing by C. looking out of D. sitting beside

16.A. trains B. cars C. planes D. boats

17.A. Still B. Therefore C. Indeed D. Instead

18.A. possibility B. preference C. impulse D. impatience

19.A. common B. gentle C. quiet D. unique

20.A. mentioned B. matched C. discussed D. allowed

Large companies need a way to reach the savings of the public at large. The same problem, on a smaller scale, faces practically every company trying to develop new products and create new jobs. There can be little prospect of raising the sort of sum needed from friends and people we know, and while banks may agree to provide short-term finance, they are generally unwilling to provide money on a permanent basis for long- term projects. So companies turn to the public, inviting people to lend them money, or take a share in the business in exchange for a share in future profits. This they do by issuing stocks and shares in the business through the Stock Exchange. By doing so, they can put the savings of individuals both at home and overseas into circulation.

When the saver needs his money back, he does not have to go to the company with which he originally placed it. Instead, he sells his shares through a stockbroker to some other savers who are seeking to invest their money.

Many of the services needed both by industry and by each of us are provided by the government or by local authorities. Hospitals, roads, electricity, telephones, equipment and new development, if they are to serve us properly, require more money than it is raised through taxes alone. The government, local authorities, and nationalized industries therefore frequently need to borrow money to finance major capital spending, and then too, come to the Stock Exchange.

There is hardly a man or a woman in this country whose job or whose standard of living does not depend on the ability of his or her employers to raise money to finance new development. In one way or another, new money must come from the savings of the country. The Stock Exchange exists to provide a channel through which these savings can reach those who need finance.

1.How does a company get the public to invest their savings for it according to the passage?

A. By paying them very high interests for borrowing their savings.

B. By providing a share to them in the future profits.

C. By offering favorable terms to attract them to buy its products.

D. By selling its stocks and shares to them through the Stock Exchange.

2.According to the passage, many services wanting to serve people properly have to_______.

A. get as much finance as possible through taxes

B. get the support from the government or local authorities

C. be able to provide what people really need

D. get persistent financial support

3.According to the passage, what factor has a great effect on the workers’ job and living standard?

A. Their employers’ policy for offering good welfare to them.

B. Their employers’ strategy for the company’s development.

C. Their employers’ capacity of raising money to finance new development.

D. Their employers’ ability to make the company obtain a great profit.

How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.

The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right(don’t forget the insides of the teeth!)and make sure you’re brushing long enough.“It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.

The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth.“We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.

Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said“yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199,depending on features. The U.S.is the first target market.

Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.

1.Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?

A. It can sense how users brush their teeth.

B. It can track users’ school performance.

C. It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist.

D. It can help users find their phones.

2.What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?

A. You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B. You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis.

C. You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.

D. You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

3.Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?

A. It can be used to update mobile phones.

B. It can be used to play mobile phone games.

C. It can send messages to other users.

D. It can talk to its developers.

4.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A. How Serval found out his kids lied to him.

B. Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary.

C. How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth.

D. What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush.

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