When Rebecca Saxon was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 27, she thought her life was over. But in her darkest hour, inspiration struck and she found a way of turning her disaster into advantage.
Following her cancer treatment, Rebecca launched a successful business 'Something Blue Bridal Shoes，which is about wedding shoes for brides.
Rebecca, from London, England, says: 'I started doing sketches of wedding shoes with blue soles when I was halfway through my cancer treatment. I had a hit a real low and was going through that whole "Will I live or die?" situation. But I decided that I was going to pick myself up and fight this cancer. The sketches were my release and the way I got through the many hours spent in a hospital room.
“ I had no idea what was going to happen to me. But I knew I had to be positive if I was going to overcome this treatment. I told myself this was not going to be the end for me. I decided to channel my negative feelings and start drawing.
“I had always loved fashion and when I was younger. Several of my friends were getting married at the time so weddings were very much in the air. So initially, I would be drawing designs for bridal gowns and other garments.
“But then I started sketching wedding footwear - designing shoes with distinctive, blue soles which were super comfy too. I thought it would be a lovely way of integrating the 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' tradition.
“Drawing really helped me deal with my treatment. Rebecca ___________ in August 2011.
With the encouragement of her entrepreneur boyfriend, Mike Bandar, she then turned her dreams into her reality and set up 'Something Blue Bridal Shoes'. Each brand shoe from the collection has a blue sole, predicting the age-old tradition of what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck.
1. When did Rebecca feel when she knew her illness first?

A．Indifferent

B．Disappointed

C．Hopeful

D．Curious

2. Rebecca specially designed shoes for        .

A．patients in hospital	B．married couple
C．brides in the wedding	D．homeless people

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．Rebecca designed shoes during her cancer treatment.

B．Rebecca’s boyfriend parted with her because of her cancer.

C．Rebecca wanted to be a bride wearing the shoes she designed herself.

D．Rebecca’s friends wear Blue Bridal Shoes during the wedding.

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase“ was given the all-clear”？

A．gave up the treatment

B．was announced incurable

C．broke away from dangerous period

D．was operated on again

Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve. It’s your hair that reveals what you’re really like.
If you want to show your goal-set side, go for a high ponytail. People with this hairstyle tend to be results-driven and logical, according to Jean Haner, a US expert in face reading who wrote The Wisdom of Your Face. When she first came out as an actress, Li Bingbing’s looks were often described as fragile, partly because of her long locks. But now, her polished high ponytail has convinced everyone that she is unstoppable and will go to any lengths to achieve her goals.
Wavy hair is attractive to many. But if you have curly hair and all you want to do is straighten it, this usually means your life is too chaotic（混乱） and you need to calm down. US singer Taylor Swift is a perfect example of this kind. By making hair straight, she’s controlling its intensity and giving herself a sense of calmness, according to Cosmopolitan magazine. She may have decided to enjoy herself for a moment after all the ups and downs in her love life.
Want to have more fun in your life? Curly hair may _______ For those who have straight hair that is always curled, it can mean they’re craving for a more interesting life. The theory is that curly hair is more interesting than straight hair and will lead to more exciting experiences. If you don’t believe it, take US singer Beyonce Knowles’ case as an example. Her curly hairdo presents a more positive and fun image to the world.
If you have a super short wash-and-go hairstyle, you must be super confident. Miley Cyrus is one of those types. Long gone are the days when she was the lovely Disney star who had long wavy strands. Now she has a super short wash-and-go hairdo that is as rebellious as her personality. As she told E! Online, by keeping her hair short, she is speaking on behalf of girls everywhere, breaking the stereotype of more traditional hairstyles.
5. How does the author develop the passage?

A．By giving examples	B．By making comparison
C．By making assumption	D．By quoting wise words

6. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase“give you away”in para4？

A．Stop you having fun	B．Show your inner secret
C．Bring more money	D．Attract more fans

7. According to the passage, we can infer       .

A．High ponytail means being more logical

B．Taylor Swift used to be a lovely Disney star

C．US singer Beyonce Knowles likes straight hairstyle

D．Li Bingbing experienced ups and downs in her love life

8. If you want to show your super confidence, you are advised to have .

A．a high ponytail	B．a straight hair
C．a curly hair	D．a short wash-and-go hairdo

I log onto a computer at the doctor’s office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room.

There, a robotic nurse directs me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my symptoms and gives me a prescription (处方). I pay for my visit using a credit card machine and return home without having met another human being.

When I call my dentist’s office and actually get a human being on the line, I am thrilled. And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store, I feel like shouting, “When it comes to cashiers, make mine human, please!”

After all, human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can brighten a young mother’s day. A cashier may also show compassion (同情) for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.

What technological device would do any of this? I don’t want to go back to the Stone Age, but I’m also worried about a world run by machines. Sometimes when you’re chatting with someone, you discover things you need to know. Maybe a receptionist needs prayers said for a sick child. Maybe a salesperson can offer a bit of encouragement to a customer who is feeling tired.

Machines can be efficient and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. But they lack an element so important to everyday life.

Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is something no machine will ever have. It is being human that prompts us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment.

9. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the first two paragraphs?

A．To indicate high technology can make our future life very easy.

B．To describe a possible future scene where robots take control of our life.

C．To warn readers of the possible dangers of robotic nurses and doctors.

D．To predict how technology can affect the way we see a doctoring the future.

10. Why does the author prefer being served by humans rather than by robots?

A．Robots are indifferent and emotionless.

B．Robots can’t provide efficient services.

C．Robots don’t offer to give store coupons.

D．Robots are unable to do a job as well as humans.

11. What’s the author’s attitude towards machines?

A．He wishes one day they would come to life.

B．He is absolutely against their existence in his life.

C．He doesn’t like they get involved in his life too much.

D．He is afraid they would take the place of human beings.

There are some strange driving laws in different countries.

Countries	Laws
Vietnam	If you’re in Vietnam without a Vietnamese driver’s license, you risk a prison sentence of up to three years.
Russia	In Moscow, if your car is dirty enough to draw dust art, you will be fined about 2,000 rubles (about US $55). Worse yet, it’s illegal to wash your car by hand in public places — forcing you to take it to one of the few car wash facilities.
Thailand	Drivers —male or female — can’t drive shirtless, whether it’s a car, a bus, or a tuk-tuk cab.
France	France requires its drivers to carry a portable breathalyzer(酒精测量仪) at all times when driving a car. The one-time breathalyzer cost around US$5, and if you don’t have one, you will be fined US$15.
Cyprus	Raising your hands in the car can get you fined of US$35. The law states a driver can be fined if the person “is in an irregular position inside the car or raises his hand from the steering wheel unnecessarily.

12. Where should you go to wash your car when you are in Moscow?

A．The car wash facilities	B．Any public place
C．Your home	D．The forest

13. What can get you fined for in Cyprus?

A．Forgetting to carry a portable breathalyzer

B．Not having a Cyprus driver’s license

C．Putting your hands above your head when you are driving

D．Driving without a shirt

14. If you are fined thousands of dollars in Japan, you may have been ____.

A．in an irregular position in your car

B．sitting in a car with a drunk driver

C．splashing a person with mud

D．impolite to other drivers

15. This text can most likely be found in _______.

A．a law document

B．a fashion magazine

C．an international newspaper

D．a column on interesting cultures