题目内容
She hesitated _______ before she made up his mind.
A. for instant B. for an instant
C. for instance D. for an instance
B
for an instant一会儿,为固定搭配。
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meeting in New York,So I had to get back . But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged一okay, ordered-them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing (揭露) the worst tricks . I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in. I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
【小题1】Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
A.They took a later flight. |
B.They had early bookings. |
C.Their flight had been delayed. |
D.Their flight had been cancelled. |
A.She rarely misses a good deal. |
B.She seldom makes a compromise. |
C.She is very strict with her children |
D.She is interested in cheap products. |
A.She's a teacher. |
B.She's a housewife. |
C.She's a media person. |
D.She's a businesswoman. |
A.How to expose bad tricks. |
B.How to reserve airline seats. |
C.How to spend money wisely, |
D.How to make a business deal. |
Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience,researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).
One of the study’s authors,Nina Kraus,said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs,Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages,pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study,the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers,half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie,the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint,bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study,Patrick C.M.Wong,said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
【小题1】When learning Chinese,a foreigner will find ________.
A.he has a difficult time learning music at the same time |
B.he has an easier time learning music at the same time |
C.it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand |
D.it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch |
A.Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music. |
B.Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain. |
C.Because music training might help people with language study. |
D.Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music. |
A.created | B.spelled |
C.seemed | D.pronounced |
A.Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers |
B.Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study |
C.Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning |
D.Schools Need to Develop Music Programs |
阅读下面的短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意:每空一词,注意所填的词开头的大小写。
It is interesting to know what people of different nations like to do best.
In France, when a woman enters a cafe or restaurant, she is freely discussed, not only about her appearance but about her past and future as well. She invites looks in the street whether she is beautiful or plain. There is no better way for a woman to get back her self-confidence than a walk in the streets of Paris or Marseilles, and women really like that.
In Italy, people love talking. They sit about in cafes, exchanging news and discussing politics. They do not hesitate to ask questions about the family, income and private life of anybody who happens to be there.
The Swiss eat as a pastime. Ladies walk into a teashop, eat a couple of ice creams and a large piece of chocolate cake, and then leave, complaining about their weight.
For the Americans, the greatest fondness is said to be the push of buttons. You push a button in the lift, you push a button for cigarette, chewing gums, stamps, even for a life insurance. You can even push a button to get married and another button to get divorced.
In England, waiting in a line is national passion. The English will form a line whether they have the opportunities when the train is practically empty and everybody can have a seat
In different (1)__▲___ | What people like to do best |
In France | People love to discuss how a woman (2)___▲____, what she did in the past and what she will be in the future. Women like to (3)___▲___ in the street to get back confidence. |
In Italy | People sit in café, (4)___▲___ with each other, and sometimes they even ask about some (5)___▲___ information. |
In Swiss | Ladies eat a lot of fatty (6)___▲____ but they often (7)___▲___ having done so. |
In the (8)__▲__ | It seems that you can do almost everything (9)__▲___ pushing buttons. |
In England | The whole nation love to (10)___▲___in a line almost anywhere and anytime. |