When you hear the word quicksand, what image comes to mind? You probably picture someone up to the waist in wet land, screaming for help. In fact, quicksand can be very dangerous. People and animals have sunk into quicksand before and never escaped. However, the more you know about quicksand, the safer you will be.

First, quicksand is really ordinary sand. It isn’t some sort of strange hungry beast. Quicksand forms when water seeps up (渗出) from the underneath a layer of fine sand. The water pushes the grains of sand apart and makes the sand loose. This loose sand will not hold up a heavy weight.

Quicksand usually forms along the banks of rivers, at the seashore, or under slow-moving rivers and streams. It only forms when water flows upward through the sand, not over it. If you are in a place that tends to have quicksand, it’s a good idea to carry a large stick. As you walk, poke (戳) the ground in front of you to be sure it’s firm.

Let’s suppose that you happen to step into some quicksand. The best way to deal with it is to stay calm. You may sink, but you won’t sink quickly. You will have time to try several ways to get out. First, drop anything you might be carrying that adds weight, such as a backpack. Then try walking out -making slow and steady movements with your legs. If this doesn’t work, the best thing to do is lie back and float, it’s even easier to float on quicksand than on regular water.

Of course, you will want to call for help. If help is nearby, it’s best simply to wait. If help is not nearby, then continue to lie on your back but make slow, rolling movements toward the edge of the quicksand. When you feel solid ground underneath, you can stand up.

Some animals seem to know how to avoid sinking down into quicksand. Mules, for instance, fold their legs underneath them and float on their bellies. Cows, on the other hand, tend to panic and wave their legs around. This doesn’t help them escape. So, if you are ever trapped in quicksand, think like a mule, not like a cow.

56. What detail supports the idea that quicksand can be dangerous?

   A. Quicksand forms when water seeps up from underneath.

B. You will have time to try several ways to get out.

C. Animals have fallen into quicksand and never escaped.

D. Quicksand is really just an ordinary sand.

57. If you get caught, what should you do first?

A. Wave your arms and legs quickly.

B. Drop anything heavy that you are carrying.

C. Fold your legs underneath you.

D. Poke a stick into the ground in front of you.

58. How is the mule’s reaction to quicksand different from a cow’s reaction?

A. Mules fold their legs and float on their bellies.

B. Mules wave their legs around.

C. Mules sink immediately.

D. Mules panic and splash their legs around.

59. What’s the passage about?

A. Quicksand is not really made up of sand.

B. Quicksand can be dangerous, but there are ways to escape.

C. You should poke the ground in front of you with a stick.

D. Animals are able to float on quicksand, but humans always sink.

60. The author’s main purpose in this passage is to _______________.

A. give information about quicksand

B. tell an entertaining story

C. persuade people to avoid quicksand

D. explain how quicksand forms

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.   36  man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon. His bed was next to the room's only   37 . The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
They talked for hours   38 . Every afternoon when the man by the window could sit up, he   39  pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The other man felt his world would be   40  and enlivened by all the wonderful world outside.
The window overlooked a   41  with a lovely lake. Ducks played on the water while children   42  their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm in flowers. A fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the   43 .
As the man by the window described all this in delicate   44 , the other man would close his eyes and   45  the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade   46 .   47  the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window pictured it with   48  words.    
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the nurse arrived,   49  to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and had the body taken away.
The other man asked to be   50  next to the window. Painfully, he sat up to take his first look at the world outside.   51 , he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.
He slowly turn to look out the window. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have   52  his roommate to describe such wonderful things outside. The nurse   53  that the man was blind. "Perhaps he just wanted to   54  you."
Shared grief is half the sorrow,   55  happiness when shared, is doubled.

A different sort of generation gap is developing in the workplace. Someone --- specifically the father-daughter team of Larry and Meagan Johnson --- has figured out that on some American job sites, five generations are working side by side.
In their new book about generations in the workplace the pair argue that while such an age difference adds a lot of texture and a variety of life experiences, it can also bring tensions and conflicts.
The Johnsons are human-resource trainers and public speakers. Dad Larry is a former health-care executive; daughter Meagan is a onetime high-level sales manager.
Here are the oldest and youngest of the five generations they identify:
They call the oldest group Traditionals, born before 1945. They were heavily influenced by the lessons of the Great Depression and World War Two. They respect authority, set a high standard of workmanship, and communicate easily and confidently. But they’re also stubbornly independent. They want their opinions heard.
At the other extreme are what the Johnsons call Linksters, born after 1995 into today’s more complicated, multi-media world. They live and breathe technology and are often social activists.
You won’t find many 15-year olds in the offices of large companies, except as volunteers, of course, but quite old and quite young workers do come together in sales environments like bike shops and ice-cream stores.
The Johnsons, Larry and Meagan, represent a generation gap themselves in their work with jobsite issues. The Johnsons’ point is that as the average lifespan continues to rise and retirement dates get delayed because of the tight economy, people of different generations are working side by side, more often bringing with them very different ideas about company loyalty and work values.
The five generations are heavily influenced by quite different events, social trends, and the cultural phenomena of their times. Their experiences shape their behavior and make it difficult, sometimes, for managers to achieve a strong and efficient workplace.
Larry and Meagan Johnson discuss all this in greater detail in a new book, “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters --- Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work,” published by Amacom Press, which is available in all good bookstore from this Friday.
【小题1】The type of generation gap in paragraph 1 refers to the difference in beliefs ________.

Fading beauty
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.  
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.   
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (化学状态).  
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.  
During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.   
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?

As I look back on that day now, it surely lacks any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief until I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually expect to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely astonished. I remember shaking with excitement.
Though I was absolutely thrilled with the chance, it did not come without its fair share of challenge. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to pick up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme attention to detail (细节) and stress on practice that set us apart. To then follow those high-energy rehearsals with a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new meaning of the words “hard work.” What I thought were my physical boundaries were pushed much further than I thought possible. I learned to make each performance better than the last.
Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great honor of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a tradition that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow-and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

1. 1.

   How many years has the Capital Dancing Company existed when the author received the phone call from it?

   1. A.
      180
   2. B.
      1925
   3. C.
      2005
   4. D.
      80
2. 2.

   How did the author feel when she look back on that day now?

   1. A.
      strange
   2. B.
      unrealistic
   3. C.
      indifferent
   4. D.
      lucky
3. 3.

   Which of the following statement can best interpret the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

   1. A.
      Though I was excited, I should share the chance with others.
   2. B.
      Though I was excited, it’s fair to share the chance when there is challenge.
   3. C.
      Though I was excited, it’s a challenge for me to share the chance with others.
   4. D.
      Though I was excited, I know clearly where there is chance there is challenge.
4. 4.

   What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?

   1. A.
      The company values practice most.
   2. B.
      The company extremely focus on intelligence.
   3. C.
      The company has an inherited tradition of inspiring its members break their limits.
   4. D.
      The company sets the members apart in order to extremely stress detail and practice.