“Just take a deep breath.” “Don’t think about it.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”

But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.

The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.

“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.

The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.

1.By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.

A. decrease their fear of flying

B. get rid of their doubt about plane

C. have a good time on their flight journey

D. use some medicine to cure their fear of flying

2.According to the passage, the VALK Foundation ______.

A. is a group focusing on psychology on the flight

B. was the first center to do research into fear of flying

C. organize the world conferences on fear of flying annually

D. focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying

3.Flight App VALK is aimed to ______.

A. help passengers experience the fear of flying

B. help relax passengers before and during flights

C. treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying

D. teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight

4.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A. Many adults are suffering from fear of flying

B. It’s convenient for people to use the Flight App

C. Many planes will be installed with the Flight App

D.The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively

5.In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?

A. Culture                        B. Entertainment

C. Technology        D. Education

 

In the clinic, I asked if Michael could be retested, so the specialist tested him again. To my _36_, it was the same score.

   Later that evening, I _37_ told Frank what I had learned that day. After talking it over, we agree that we knew our _38_ much better than an IQ test. We _39_ that Michael’s score must have been a _40_ and we should treat him _41_ as usual.

   We moved to Indiana in 1962, and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year. He got _42_ grades in the school, especially _43_ biology and chemistry, which was a great comfort.

   Michael _44_ Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student, soon afterwards, his teachers permitted him to take more courses than _45_. In 1968, he was accepted by the School of Medicine, Yale University.

   On graduation day in 1972, Frank and I _46_ the ceremony at Yale. After the ceremony, we told Michael about the _47_ IQ score he got when he was six. Since that day, Michael sometimes would look at us and say _48_, “My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor, not until after I graduated from medical school!” It is his special way of thanking us for the _49_ we had in him.

   Interestingly, Michael then _50_ another IQ test. We went to the same clinic where he had _51_ the test eighteen years before. This time Michael scored 126, an increase of 36 points. A result like that was supposed to be _52_.

         Children often do as _53_ as what adults, particularly parents and teachers, _54_ of them. That is, tell a child he is“ _55_”, and he may play the role of a foolish child.

1.A. joy                        B. surprise                  C. disappointment              D. dislike

2.A. hopefully            B. fearfully                  C. cheerfully                        D. tearfully

3.A. student                B. son                           C. friend                               D. doctor

4.A. decided               B. realized                   C. argued                             D. understood

5.A. joke                B. mistake           C. warning                            D. wonder

6.A. specially              B. naturally                 C. strictly                              D. carefully

7.A. poor               B. average           C. good                            D. standard

8.A. in                         B. about                       C. of                             D. for

9.A. visited                           B. chose                      C. passed                              D. entered

10.A. allowed             B. described               C. required                          D. offered

11.A. missed               B. held                         C. delayed                            D. attended

12.A. high              B. same                         C. different                          D. low

13.A. curiously           B. eagerly          C. jokingly                   D. calmly

14.A. faith                            B. interest                   C. pride                                 D. delight

15.A. looked for                  B. asked for                C. waited for                        D. prepared for

16.A. received      B. accepted                  C. organized                         D. discussed

17.A. imperfect                   B. uncertain                C. impossible                       D. unsatisfactory

18.A. honestly      B. well                           C. much                               D. bravely

19.A. expect                        B. learn                        C. hear                               D. speak

20.A. wise                       B. rude                          C. shy                                    D. stupid

 

The meaning of the word “volunteer ” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.

At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.

“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”

“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”

1.According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.

A.is willing to help those in need without pay

B.can afford to travel to different places

C.has a strong wish to be successful

D.has made a big fortune in life

2.Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.

A.after she met Mother Teresa               B.after she finished high school

C.when she was touring Calcutta             D.when she was working in a hospital

3.Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?

A.She liked to work with Mother Teresa.

B.She had already had some experience.

C.She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example.

D.She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example.

4.What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?

A.Going abroad to help the sick.

B.Working in Mother Teresa’s home.

C.Doing simple things to help the poor.

D.Improving oneself through helping others.

 

                              A

George had stolen some money, but the police had caught him and he had been put in prison. Now his trial was about to begin, and he felt sure that he would be found guilty and sent to prison for a long time.

Then he discovered that an old friend of his was one of the members of the jury at his trial. Of course, he did not tell anybody, but he managed to see his friend secretly one day. He said to him, "Jim, I know that the jury will find me guilty of having stolen the money. I cannot hope to be found not guilty of taking it —— that would be too much to expect. But I should be grateful to you for the rest of my life if you could persuade the other members of the jury to add a strong recommendation for mercy to their statement that they consider me guilty."

“Well, George,”answered Jim. “I shall certainly try to do what I can for you as an old friend, but of course I cannot promise anything. The other eleven people on the jury look terribly strong-minded to me.”

George said that he would quite understand if Jim was not able to do anything for him, and thanked him warmly for agreeing to help.

The trial went on, and at last the time came for the jury to decide whether George was guilty or not. It took them five hours, but in the end they found George guilty, with a strong recommendation for mercy.

Of course, George was very pleased, but he did not have a chance to see Jim for some time after the trial. At last, however, Jim visited him in prison, and George thanked him warmly and asked him how he had managed to persuade the other members of the jury to recommend mercy.

"Well, George," Jim answered, "as I thought, those eleven men were very difficult to persuade, but I managed it in the end by tiring them out. Do you know, those fools had all wanted to find you not guilty!"

1.56. We are told that George expected Jim to help _____.

A.prove him innocent

B.him turn over a new leaf

C.lighten his punishment

D.him escape from prison

2.57. Which of the following is true about Jim?

A.He covered up George's guilt.

B.He persuaded the jury to set George free.

C.He told the jury that George was indeed guilty.

D.He recommended severe punishment to give George a lesson.

3.58. The passage suggests that _____.

A.it was due to Jim that George was found guilty

B.Jim did not do exactly what George asked him to do

C.Jim asked his colleagues to recommend mercy

D.Jim persuaded the jury to lighten George's punishment

4.59. The title for this passage is ______.

A.Illegal or Not?

B.Guilty or Not?

C.Merciful or Not?

D.Answerable or Not?

 

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