When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.”
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week long.”
And then, in prefect English I said, “I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world

  1. 1.

    Why was the author’s mother poorly served?

    1. A.
      She was unable to speak good English
    2. B.
      She was often misunderstood
    3. C.
      She was not clearly heard
    4. D.
      She was not very polite
  2. 2.

    After the author made the phone call, __________

    1. A.
      they forgave the stockbroker
    2. B.
      they failed to get the check
    3. C.
      they went to New York immediately
    4. D.
      they spoke to their boss at once
  3. 3.

    What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

    1. A.
      It confuses her
    2. B.
      It embarrassed her
    3. C.
      It helps her understand the world
    4. D.
      It helps her tolerate rude people
  4. 4.

    We can infer from the passage that Chinese English _________

    1. A.
      is clear and natural to non-native speakers
    2. B.
      is vivid and direct to non-native speakers
    3. C.
      has a very bad reputation in America
    4. D.
      may bring inconvenience in America

When something goes wrong, it  can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so?and?so's fault.”or “I know I'm late, but it's not my fault; the car broke down.”It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation.This is the winner's key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or,you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So,stop focusing on “whose fault it is.”Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stone for success

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, winners______.

    1. A.
      meet with fewer difficulties in their lives
    2. B.
      have responsible and able colleagues
    3. C.
      blame themselves rather than others
    4. D.
      deal with problems rather than blame others
  2. 2.

    The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

    1. A.
      improve
    2. B.
      avoid
    3. C.
      accept
    4. D.
      consider
  3. 3.

    When your colleague brings about a problem, you should ______.

    1. A.
      blame him for his lack of responsibility
    2. B.
      tell him to find the cause of the problem
    3. C.
      find a better way to handle the problem
    4. D.
      ask a more able colleague for help
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

    1. A.
      A Winner's Opportunity
    2. B.
      A Winner's Problem
    3. C.
      A Winner's Secret
    4. D.
      A Winner's Achievement

More than an eye candy
Parents in Beijing are ready to go a little further to please their children now that the new China Science and Technology Museum has opened its 198-seat 4D theater.
The 4D theater, which opened last month (December ), is the third cinema the museum has opened to the public since its relocation to the National Olympic Park in September.
YAOX Entertainment, a Taiwan-based company producing 3D,4D,special effects and animated films, is responsible for providing the films in the coming month.
As for 3D films, audiences have to wear special goggles while watching these movies. In addition, viewers can feel wind, a rainstorm, or waterfall, and the seats will move according to the plot.
Admission for adult visitors is 30 yuan per person, 20 yuan for students and children.
The new China Science and Technology Museum, 5 Beijing Donglu, Chaoyang District.
Film introduction
U-Bugs Adventure: Under attack in an air-sea fight, a German U-boat from World War II dives deep for protection. The strong tides take it to a mysterious ancient city at the bottom of  the. Suddenly, a giant sea monster takes on the sub(潜水艇) and during the struggle it falls into an energy light-beam zone, and is transported through a time tunnel to meet with Zheng He’s 14th century fleet sailing to the West. Duration: 15 minutes
Dog & Bugs: A dog sees some bees buzzing around and wonders: “How can I fly in the sky as free as those bugs?” Then, he sprouts a pair of wings, just like the bees, and flaps his wings to join them and collect some honey. Duration: 15 minutes
Virus to Go: This film is about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is like a terrorist attack, causing extensive contamination(大范围的感染). Because of human neglect(忽视), the SARS virus cannot be stopped and causes harm to an entire city. Fortunately, at the last minute, man finds a way to solve the crisis. Duration: 15 minutes

  1. 1.

    The underlined word“goggles”means       .

    1. A.
      a type of watch                 
    2. B.
      a kind of glasses
    3. C.
      ear-protecting equipment         
    4. D.
      a piece of jewellery 
  2. 2.

    If you happen to be interested in Sci-fi & history films, most probably            should be your cup of tea.

    1. A.
      the mew China Science and Technology Museum    
    2. B.
      U-Boat Adventure
    3. C.
      Dog & Bugs                                 
    4. D.
      Virus to Go
  3. 3.

    In which section of an English newspaper can you find the information above?

    1. A.
      News    
    2. B.
      Business   
    3. C.
      Entertainment    
    4. D.
      Sports

Set aside at least ten minutes, and then sit facing each other. Decide who will be the Talker and who will be the Listener. It makes no difference, because later you will change roles.
How to perform the One-Minute Drill
For approximately 30 seconds, the Talker can say anything he or she wants. Your job will be to express your thoughts and feelings. You can discuss problems you've had a hard time talking about. Remember to limit yourself to about 30 seconds. When the Talker finishes, the Listener will summarize what the Talker just said, as well as how the Talker was feeling inside, as accurately as possible.
The Talker now gives the Listener a grade between 0 and 100 per cent to indicate how accurate the summary was. If the rating is 95 per cent or more, you can change roles; the new Talker can continue with the same topic or move on to something entirely new.
However, if the grade is below 95 per cent, the Talker should point out what the Listener missed or got wrong, and repeat the process until the overall rating is 95 per cent or more. Then you can change roles and repeat the exercise for as long as you both like.
How it works
Thirty seconds of emotionally charged information is sufficiently challenging for anyone. Express your feelings in strong, clear, direct language, but as your partner will be listening attentively, you won't need to shout, exaggerate or put your partner down.
The Listener should sit and listen respectfully without interrupting. Look into your partner's eyes, but avoid using negative body language. If you like, take a few notes.
So the Talker might say: "When I come home from work, I feel tired and I need some quiet time. But you tell me I'm supposed to spend time with the kids. This makes me feel frustrated. I work hard and I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I feel like I deserve a little time to relax, not listen to more demands."
In response, the Listener might summarize like this: "You just told me that you feel exhausted when you come home at night because you've been working hard all day. When I tell you I want you to spend time with the kids, you feel frustrated and ticked off because you're tired and you need time to relax. You see me as very demanding, and you're probably feeling like I don't appreciate you."
The first time you attempt the One-Minute Drill, you may get a low score. Don't worry, because you'll get up to speed quickly. Once you've tried this exercise a few times, you'll find that you can nearly always get ratings of 95 per cent or better on the first or second try.

  1. 1.

    Who is the One-Minute Drill intended for?

    1. A.
      Those who are to act some roles in a certain play for the first time in their life.
    2. B.
      Those who are preparing for the interview in order to make a good first impression.
    3. C.
      Those who have difficulty communicating with their colleagues or family members.
    4. D.
      Those who have troubled relationships with their friends or family members and try to improve them.
  2. 2.

    Which of the following is NOT true?

    1. A.
      In the One-Minute Drill, the Talker and the Listener change roles in the process.
    2. B.
      The Talker should talk about his / her thoughts and feelings in a brief way.
    3. C.
      The Listener should listen carefully, respectfully and later summarize accurately.
    4. D.
      After the Talker finishes talking, the Listener is to give him / her a grade.
  3. 3.

    From the example given in “How it works,” we can guess that the talk might be between _____.

    1. A.
      husband and wife
    2. B.
      father and son
    3. C.
      mother and daughter
    4. D.
      sister and brother
  4. 4.

    What does the underlined part “ticked off” probably mean in this reading?

    1. A.
      fast asleep
    2. B.
      very angry
    3. C.
      burst into tears
    4. D.
      marked with a symbol

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2, 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives .
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker(面包师)in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery(面包房)into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them .
Samuel Pepys , the famous writer, writer about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path(路径) of the fire.With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone.In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among which was the new St Paul’s
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

  1. 1.

    The underlined word‘family’in the second paragraph probably means____.

    1. A.
      house
    2. B.
      children
    3. C.
      wife and husband
    4. D.
      wife and children
  2. 2.

    It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that .

    1. A.
      many people lost their lives
    2. B.
      the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
    3. C.
      many famous buildings were destroyed
    4. D.
      the King’s bakery was burned down
  3. 3.

    Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?

    1. A.
      Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.
    2. B.
      Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.
    3. C.
      To show that poor people suffered most.
    4. D.
      To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.
  4. 4.

    How was the fire put out according to the text?

    1. A.
      The King and his soldiers came to help.
    2. B.
      All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.
    3. C.
      People managed to get enough water from the river.
    4. D.
      Houses standing in the path of the fire were destroyed.

Scientists are trying to make the deserts ,which get very little rain, into good land again. They want to bring water to the deserts,so people can live and grow food. They are learning a lot about the deserts. But more and more of the earth is becoming desert all the time. Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time.
Why is more and more land becoming desert?Scientists think that people make deserts.People are doing bad things to the earth against the scientists’ wish.
Some places on the earth don’t get much rain. But they still don’t become deserts.This is because some green plants are growing there.Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places.Plants don’t let the sun make the earth even drier. Plants do not let the wind blow the dirt away.When a bit of rain falls,the plants hold the water. Without plants, the land can become desert more easily.

  1. 1.

    Deserts ____________ .

    1. A.
      never have any plants or animals in them
    2. B.
      can all be turned into good land before long
    3. C.
      are becoming smaller and smaller
    4. D.
      get very little rain
  2. 2.

    More and more land is becoming desert  because____________.

    1. A.
      plants can’t grow there
    2. B.
      there is not enough rain
    3. C.
      people haven’t done what scientists wish them to do
    4. D.
      scientists know little about the deserts
  3. 3.

    Small green plants are very important to dry places because ________

    1. A.
      they don’t let the sun make the earth even drier
    2. B.
      they don’t let the wind blow the soil away
    3. C.
      they hold water
    4. D.
      All of the above.
  4. 4.

    After reading this passage, we learn that _____________ .

    1. A.
      plants can keep dry land from becoming desert
    2. B.
      it is good to get rid of the grass in the deserts
    3. C.
      all places without much rain will become deserts
    4. D.
      it is better to grow crops on dry land than to cut them

A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor(售票员) hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. "You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man.
"Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger. "That's right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor. "
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said , "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised..."
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted (打断谈话), "I know his name. I call him Dad."

  1. 1.

    The passengers were ________ to see the conductor's kindness to the woman and the child.

    1. A.
      excited
    2. B.
      pleased
    3. C.
      interested
    4. D.
      surprised
  2. 2.

    One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______  .

    1. A.
      make a demand for more buses
    2. B.
      thank the conductor for his good service
    3. C.
      criticize(批评) the conductor for his rude behavior
    4. D.
      invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor
  3. 3.

    What was the gentleman?

    1. A.
      A teacher.
    2. B.
      A newspaper reporter.
    3. C.
      Not known from the story.
    4. D.
      The conductor's friend from his company.
  4. 4.

    The word "he" in the last paragraph refers to _______.

    1. A.
      the gentleman
    2. B.
      the conductor
    3. C.
      the middle-aged man
    4. D.
      the three-year-old child

Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning
“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin's experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog's eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy's DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate(代孕的)mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流产,发育不全) fetuses(胎)may be acceptable when you're dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin's phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy's mysterious billionaire owner; he's put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M's research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy's fine qualities after she does die. The prototype(原型;雏形)is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and supersmart. Missy's master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament(气质、性情). In a statement of purpose, Missy's owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we're not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”

  1. 1.

    By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.

    1. A.
      human cloning is a foolish undertaking
    2. B.
      animal cloning is absolutely impractical
    3. C.
      human cloning should be done selectively
    4. D.
      animal cloning is not worth the effort at all
  2. 2.

    What does the first paragraph tell us about Westhusin's dog cloning project?

    1. A.
      Its success is already in sight.
    2. B.
      It is progressing smoothly.
    3. C.
      It is doomed to utter failure.
    4. D.
      Its outcome remains uncertain.
  3. 3.

    By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin hopes to ________.

    1. A.
      study the possibility of cloning humans
    2. B.
      search for ways to modify its temperament
    3. C.
      find out the differences between Missy and its clones
    4. D.
      examine the reproductive system of the dog species
  4. 4.

    We learn from the passage that animal clones are likely to have ________.

    1. A.
      a bad temper
    2. B.
      defective(有缺陷的、有毛病的)organs
    3. C.
      immune deficiency
    4. D.
      an abnormal shape

It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.

  1. 1.

    What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragraph 2 mean in the passage?

    1. A.
      problems of the Internet
    2. B.
      cheating
    3. C.
      learning pressure
    4. D.
      coursework
  2. 2.

    Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?

    1. A.
      There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation.
    2. B.
      With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework.
    3. C.
      The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism.
    4. D.
      Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework.
  3. 3.

    It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____.

    1. A.
      blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web
    2. B.
      have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years
    3. C.
      be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him
    4. D.
      worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web
  4. 4.

    The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____.

    1. A.
      Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website
    2. B.
      different people’s opinions on plagiarism
    3. C.
      how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood
    4. D.
      the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood

A new system that scans customers’ fingerprints and subtracts(减去)the grocery bill from their bank accounts has taken supermarkets in Germany to use the new system. “Almost a quarter of our customers pay with their fingers,” said an employee at the headquarters. Edeka has tried the system at 70 of its supermarkets. It says it will introduce it at 200 others because customers like it.
“At first we thought that only the young who really keep up with the latest technology would be interested, but we were wrong,” said Stefan Sewoester from IT Werke. “Almost two-thirds of the people who use the system are 40 and older,” he said.
IT Werke, a computer company, is one of the pioneers of fingerprint payment software in Germany. It has helped about 150 shops, canteens and bars to put in the fingerprint scanning machines. Each costs about 2,000 euros.
To sign up for the service, customers must have their fingerprints taken and leave their addresses and banking details with the shop. The shop then takes the cost of goods directly out of the customer’s bank account.
“It is especially a good thing for elderly people. Now they do not have to remember their pin to pay with their bank cards, or to scratch around for their glasses or cash.” Sewoester said.
The stores benefit from the system too. It saves more than time in the check-out line. It also cuts out the hidden costs of accepting electronic card payments.

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, the fingerprint system______.

    1. A.
      was invented by the Edeka supermarket chain
    2. B.
      has caused payment revolution in Germany
    3. C.
      is more popular with young people
    4. D.
      is preferred by most American customers
  2. 2.

    To apply to pay with fingers, customers are required to do all of the following EXCEPT______.

    1. A.
      have their fingerprints taken
    2. B.
      leave their addresses
    3. C.
      give the shop information about the bank accounts
    4. D.
      have their phones connected with computers
  3. 3.

    Why do elderly people benefit much from the fingerprint machine?

    1. A.
      They will spend less time on shopping..
    2. B.
      They are not forgetful.
    3. C.
      They don’t like to pay in cash
    4. D.
      They always fail to find their bank cards.
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