Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.

During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you’re “hot”, that’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak(最高峰). For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why it is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues(自言自语)as: “Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” the possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature—and—energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.

You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract(对抗)your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam and work better at your low point.

Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn(呵欠)and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.

If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably ______.

       A.he is a lazy person       

       B.he refuses to follow his own energy cycle

       C.he is not sure when his energy is low

       D he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening

Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?

       A.Not knowing about the energy cycle   

       B.Familiar monologues

       C.A change in a family member’s energy cycle

       D.Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members

If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should ______.

       A.change his energy cycle B.overcome his laziness

       C.get up earlier than usual        D.go to bed earlier

You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will ______.

       A.help to keep your energy for the day’s work

       B.help you to control your temper early in the day

       C.enable you to concentrate on your routine work

       D.keep your energy cycle under control all day

Americans often plan social gatherings(社交聚会)on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning. If the time is convenient (方便) for you, surely accept their invitation. But if you’re busy, don’t be afraid to decline the invitation, perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed.

Invitations are usually sent in person or over the telephone. The main exception(例外) is for some formal occasions, in which case a written invitation will be mailed. You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼).

For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited. If many people were invited, it’s OK to arrive a little late, even as much as half an hour late. For example, it’s OK to arrive late for a party, for a potluck (家常便饭) dinner or for a social gathering inviting a large group of people.

If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会).

If you wish to thank the host for his or her hospitality (好客), it’s right to call or send a brief (简单的) written thank-you note the next day.

1.The passage is to tell us ________.

A.how to accept Americans’ invitations.

B.something about American social visits.

C.something about American business visits.

D.how to make a living in America.

2.The underlined word “decline” in the first paragraph most probably means _____.

A.accept            B.receive           C.refuse            D.follow

3.If an American only invites you to his home for an informal supper at 7:30p.m., you’d better get to his house at ________.

A.7:15p.m.          B.7:35p.m.          C.7:45p.m.          D.7:55p.m.

4.In America, invitations to a wedding are often sent ________.

A.by mail           B.by fax            C.by e-mail          D.over the telephone

5.According to the passage, in American ________.

A.if you’re invited to a family as a guest, you can stay as long as you please.

B.if you’re invited for a party, you must always be on time.

C.if you’re invited for dinner, you’d better bring some presents.

D.you must make a call to show your thanks after you get home from the dinner.

 

FOR many young people, having to attend school with a parent would be their worst nightmare. However, Senior 1 student Li Qinmei is happy taking her father with her as long as she can go to classes. He is disabled and unable to take care of himself.

The 16-year-old country girl in Zhucheng, Shandong Province has experienced one disaster after another in her short life. Li lost her mother at three. Four years later, her father became paralyzed after a tractor accident. At 12, her misfortune returned with the death of her grandma. Since then she has been forced to shoulder all the responsibility for her broken family.

Li learnt to cook and managed to live a life with an allowance of only 24 yuan per month. The most difficult thing she had to deal with was helping her father bathe, dress and use the toilet as he could hardly move.

"I felt embarrassed, and so did my dad. It was really hard at the beginning," she recalled.

During most of her junior school years, Li went to classes only once a month as her father was seriously ill at the time.

"I taught myself at home and asked teachers for help on my school days," she explained.

Li's hard work paid off this fall. She was admitted by Zhucheng No 1 High School, a local key school, based on her good performance in the entrance exams.

The school offered Li and her father a room on campus to live in so she could look after him during breaks.

Once in a while, Li felt sad when she saw her classmates going shopping or hanging out with friends.

"I envy them sometimes because they have both mum and dad to look after them. However, I soon feel relieved as I still have my dad with me," she said.

Li admitted that the difficulties in life had taught her to be strong.

"I believe I will go on and continue my studies at a good university," she said, in a confident tone.

Her teacher Mr. Wang has the same belief. Li made great progress in the recent monthly exams. "She works hard and is always eager to excel . It's not easy for her never to be late for school, but she has managed to make it work," Wang said.

1.Li Qinmei has to shoulder the family because ________.

A. her father was badly injured in a car accident

B. her mother passed away when she was 3

C. her grandma died when she was 12

D. misfortune in her life forced her to do so

2.From the passage we can infer that _________.

A. Li Qinmei doesn’t like others talking about her father

B. many young students hate going to school with their parents  

C. Li Qinmei has made great progress in her study

D. Li Qinmei has lost three relatives and has to take care of her father

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “hanging out” in the passage?_________.

A. playing outside  B. working hard  C. exchanging ideas  D. talking happily

4.According to the passage, which statement is Not True? __________.

A. Li Qinmei was admitted to a local key school because of his good scores in the exams

B. Li Qinmei is very embarrassed when she helps her father bathe

C. Li Qinmei often goes to attend her father after class

D. Li Qinmei is able to go to class on time though she has to attend her father

5.What’s the best title of the story?________.

A. Difficulties make strong             B. A touching story

C. A strong-minded girl-Li Qinmei       D. Li Qinmei’s successful study life

 

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries.  Being a PhD student without a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date

     We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversations between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile—warm and reassuring(令人宽慰的)-and I returned her gift by smiling back.

     “Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.

     “Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one,’” jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”

     “Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said .”My husband used to bring me flowers every week—even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and—of course— I miss him since he’s passed away.”

      I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.

      It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “May you have a wonderful evening ,”I said. I left het with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.

      I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her—that was the night that I won her heart .

41.Why was the writer in a hurry that day?

A. He was to meet his girlfriend.             B. He had to go back to school soon.

C. He was delayed by an elderly lady.          D. He had to pick up some groceries.

42.What does the underlined phrase “her gift” (Paragraph 2 ) refer to?

A. Her words.                 B. Her smile.        C. Her flowers.             D. Her politeness.

43.Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?

A. She told him a nice story.                       B. She allowed him to pay first.

C. She gave him encouragement.                  D. She liked flowers very much.

44.What is the message conveyed in the story?

A. Flowers are important for a date.        B. Small talk is helpful.

C. Love and kindness are rewarding.         D. Elderly people deserve respecting.

 

To whom it may concern,

This letter describes the worst travel experience I have ever had.The problems we had were the result of poor management and thoughtless employees.Your airline should be ashamed of treating its  customers so poorly.

On January 5, we arrived in Denver from Houston and checked in for our next flight.It wasn't long before the agent announced that our flight would be delayed because of a mechanical problem. The equipment was in Aspen, and they expected it to be repaired soon.

Soon shortly turned to much later, and during the delay, weather temporarily closed the Aspen airport.The weather cleared in Aspen and the plane took off very late for Denver.While it was in the air, the agent announced that the plane would be used for the next flight and that our flight was being cancelled.

This cancellation struck me as being unfair.There was a mad scramble (争先恐后) as the 50 or so passengers scheduled for our flight fought for seats on later flights.When the dust settled, we were wait-listed on the 9'-00 flight the next morning.We had to spend the night in the airport.

Coming home was no better.Because of a mechanical problem, it looked like we would miss our connection in Denver.The agent assured us they would hold the Newark flight for us.Needless to say, the flight to Houston taxied out as we pulled into the gate.Arrangements were made for us to take the next flight, so we sat in the airport for 5 hours.When we finally arrived in Houston, our skis were missing.As of this writing, the skis have not been found.

Nothing you can do will make us feel better about our flights.If you are a responsible business, however, you will do what you can to see that passengers in the future are treated better.

With great displeasure,

Phyllis Dooley

1.When Phyllis wrote her letter, she felt ______.

    A.tired          B.fooled         C.annoyed        D.ashamed

2.What was Phyllis' destination when she left home on January 5?

    A.Denver.       B.Houston.     C.Aspen.        D.Not mentioned

3.What happened to Phyllis on her day coming home?

    A.She took a taxi to Houston airport.

    B.Her flight to Houston was cancelled.

    C.Her flight was delayed for five hours.

    D.She missed her connection in Denver.

 

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