Every people uses its own special word to show its ideas and feelings. Some of these expressions are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is “Where’s the beef? ”It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be. In the early 1980s“Where’s the beef?” was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone using it at the time.
Beef, of course, is the meat from a cow, and this kind of food is more popular in America than a hamburger made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Ray called this “McDonald’s”. Ray became one of the richest businessmen at last in America.
Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company called “Wendy’s” said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald’s or anyone else. The Wendy’s Company began to use the expression “Where’s the beef ? ”to make people know that Wendy’s hamburgers were the biggest. The Wendy’s television advertisement showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. “Where’s the beef? ”she shouted in a funny way. The advertisement for Wendy’s hamburger restaurants was success. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression “Where’s the beef? ”.
1. _______started Mc Donald’s restaurant.| A．Ray Kroc | B．McDonald | C．Wendy | D．Three old women |
| A．they could sell hamburgers at a low price | B．hamburgers were easy to make |
| C．beef was very popular in America | D．they could make a lot of money |
| A．with many old women eating hamburgers | B．by a television advertisement |
| C．while selling bread with a bit of meat in it | D．at the McDonald’s restaurant |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】With a wide range of events taking place all year round, there’s always something to celebrate in Santa Cruz County. Here are top 4 events this week.
The Jazz Time: Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson takes us on a magical mystery tour of 100 years of jazz in 60 minutes with a great jazz band.
Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front Street, Santa Cruz
Spotlight on the Symphony: Nigel Armstrong
Santa Cruz Symphony’s’ concertmaster (首席小提琴手), Nigel Armstrong, can’t get enough of performing in Santa Cruz County, and has agreed to share his great talent on violin with us.
Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza
Spend the day in Oaxaca! Family-friendly food, music, crafts cultural festival. The entrance fee: $10, free for children aged 5 and under. Limited free parking at the county government center.
San Lorenzo Park, 137 Dakota Avenue, Santa Cruz.
Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir
Led by Linda Tillery, the Cultural Heritage Choir inspires us with exciting rhythms and great energy through different forms, such as stick, song, dance and story.
Cabrillo Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
1. Where would music history lovers prefer to go?| A．Veterans Memorial Building. | B．Samper Recital Hall. |
| C．San Lorenzo Park. | D．Cabrillo Crocker Theater. |
| A．$5. | B．$20. | C．$25. | D．$30. |
| A．The Jazz Time: Steve Wilson. |
| B．Spotlight on the Symphony: Nigel Armnstrong. |
| C．Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza. |
| D．Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. |
【推荐2】The Nutcracker
Showtime: 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., March 12th
Tickets: $ 10 per person for groups of 15 or more; $ 15 for individuals
It’s Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece (代表作) of ballet designed and danced by the Conejo Valley’s oldest established dance company. A holiday tradition of entertainment and inspiration will be enjoyed by audience members of all ages. Join Clara and her Nutcracker Prince on their magical journey through the Kingdom of Sweets. This is an unmissable Nutcracker.
The New Shanghai Circus
Showtime: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., January 22nd
Tickets: $10 per person for groups of 15 or more; $15 for individuals
For more than 2000 years, Chinese acrobats have been thrilling audience and making acrobatics the “longest running” folk art form in history. The New Shanghai Circus represents the best of this glorious tradition, mixing award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, amazing costumes and ancient and contemporary music, and theatrical wonder to present a show of great skill and beauty.
Rumpelstiltskin
Showtime: 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., March 24th
Tickets: $ 9 per person for groups of 15 or more; $ 15 for individuals
It is believed that Daisy can spin straw into gold. A greedy king locks her in a stable and demands that she turn all of the straw into gold. Daisy looks hopeless until a strange little man, Rumpelstiltskin, appears and promises to spin the straw into gold in return for her necklace. The king is delighted but locks her again—wanting twice as much as straw to spin! Who will help Daisy?
1. Who wrote the play The Nutcracker?| A．A dance company | B．The Nutcracker Prince |
| C．Tchaikovsky | D．Clara |
| A．A ballet | B．A fairy story | C．A magic show | D．Chinese acrobatics |
| A．$9 | B．$10 | C．$12 | D．$15 |
【推荐3】Calling all poets! Time for Kids has a challenge for you: Write a rhyming poem and enter it in the TFK Poetry Contest. It must be a poem that does not copy another poet’s work.
How to enter: This contest begins at 12 pm on May 14 and ends at 12 pm on July 15. To enter online, visit our website and follow instructions to submit the following: (a)an original and previously unpublished poem; (b)the entrant’s first name only and email address; (c)a parent’s email address. Limit one entry per person or email account.
Judging: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following criteria: creativity and originality (50%),use of language and rhyme (25%) and appropriateness to contest theme (25%). Winners will be notified by email during the month of August and must respond within five days.
Eligibility(资格): Open to legal citizens of the United States who are elementary school students and are 8 to 13 years old at the time of entry.
Prizes: Our judge will select four semi-finalists (半决赛选手),from which one winner and three finalists will be chosen. The winner will receive an online class taught by Kenn Nesbitt. All the semi-finalists will receive a signed copy of Bigfoot Is Missing, which is worth about $275. The semi-finalists’ poems will be published at our website.
1. How long will the poetry contest last?| A．One month. | B．Two months. |
| C．Three months. | D．Four months. |
| A．Whether the poem is novel. |
| B．Whether the poem is humorous. |
| C．Whether the poem is written in rhyme. |
| D．Whether the poem is suitable for the contest theme. |
| A．A $275 bonus. |
| B．An online class. |
| C．The position of the assistant editor. |
| D．A signed copy of Bigfoot Is Missing. |
【推荐1】It has taken several tennis matches for Emma Raducanu to transform herself from completely unknown to a global superstar. This was just Raducanu’s second grand slam(大满贯) appearance and no woman in the Open era had ever won in so few attempts. At 18, she is the youngest grand slam champion since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
“A star is born,” tennis legend Martina Navratilova said. “Emma Raducanu makes history and she is just getting started.”
The Queen led the congratulations to Emma Raducanu after the 18-year-old got the US Open title with a stunning victory in New York. “I send my congratulations to you on your success,” the Queen said. “It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament (见证) to your hard work and dedication. I have no doubt your outstanding performance, and that of your opponent Leylah Fernandez, will inspire the next generation of tennis players.”
Hours after Raducanu had won the championship, she found time to send a message to her fans in China in fluent Mandarin. “Hi, everyone,” she said in the video posting. “I want to say thank you to you guys and I hope you could enjoy my tennis. I’m thrilled to win. Love you all.” Raducanu’s mother Renee- full name Dong Meizhai-grew up in Shenyang, a city in north-east China. Overnight, the number of Raducanu’s followers on Instagram more than doubled to 1.3 million.
Raducanu was born in Canada before moving to the UK at the age of two. Her father lan, who works in finance, is Romanian but had moved to Toronto where he met Renee. Raducanu is an only child, educated at Newstead Wood School, a grammar school in nearby Orpington, where former pupils include the world champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith. The school has “churned out a lot of good athletes”, said Raducanu on Sunday, praising the institution for giving her the “flexibility” to study and play tennis.
But it is hard to look beyond Raducanu’s parents for the inspiration and drive that has launched her into the sporting career. She has repeatedly attributed her tenacity to her mother.
1. Why did Emma Raducanu become a superstar overnight?| A．Because she broke the world record for tennis matches. |
| B．Because she put the video posting of her winning the game on the Internet. |
| C．Because she got her second grand slam appearance just in a few attempts. |
| D．Because she beat the tennis legend Martina Navratilova. |
| A．cultivated | B．stirred | C．eliminated | D．found |
| A．Raducanu is the youngest grand slam champion in the world. |
| B．Raducanu’s parents are Romanians. |
| C．Newstead Wood School offered students many courses on arts. |
| D．Raducanu’s parents both have great influences on her achievements. |
| A．diligence | B．dedication | C．determination | D．humour |
【推荐2】While an entire month free of homework or tests may sound too good to be true, that is exactly what the students at Sturenskolan School in Boden, Sweden were treated to in April. What’s more, if the results of the experiment prove encouraging, starting 2019, the middle schoolers will never have to worry about after－school work or tests, aside from the national examinations, which are compulsive for students across the country.
The school’s principal, Petronella Sirkka, who came up with the idea, said, “We are constantly receiving new reports that our children feel bad. And that’s because they have a high level of stress all the time. This is our way of trying to reduce that stress.”
The educator says that while banning homework and tests sounds radical(激进的), it makes sense given the changes in the curriculum and approaches to education. While in the past students were primarily subjected to memorizing facts, learning today is all about reflection and analysis. As a result, it is often harder for kids, especially those with little support at home, to comprehend the material by themselves.
Sirkka is not the only one who believes after－school work does not help students learn. In March 2018, another principal in Canada also decided to do away with homework. They hope parents will spend the extra time reading to their kids.
While the long－term impact of the recent decisions made by the two educators remains to be seen, the experiment has already proved successful in Finland which has done away with homework, grades, and even teaching by subjects for many years. Yet, Finnish students always rank high in the PISA(Programme for International Student Assessment) tests especially in math and science but they have the least homework! Hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before US educators follow their lead and ban after－school work as well!
1. The students at Sturenskolan School had no homework in April because ________.| A．the headmaster was experimenting with her idea |
| B．they needed to do some experiments during the month |
| C．they were busy preparing for the national examinations |
| D．the headmaster had to carry out the government’s policy |
| A．Children have to do more analyzing. |
| B．The approach to education is complex. |
| C．Children get no support at home and school. |
| D．There are more facts to memorize. |
| A．Help children with their homework. |
| B．Free children from after－school housework. |
| C．Spend more time reading to their children. |
| D．Communicate with teachers from time to time. |
| A．They study the hardest at school. |
| B．They have a more relaxing school life. |
| C．They enjoy great success after graduation. |
| D．They all have a talent for math and science. |
【推荐3】How do you film something that isn’t real? Like, for example, a dragon. Movie-makers have used all sorts of tricks to create fire-breathing creatures, each more amazing than the last.
Puppets and Perspective
The earliest, and simplest, film dragons were just big puppets. Filmmakers realized that they could get away with much smaller puppets if the actor just stood way behind the dragon. On film, the dragon looked HUGE but really it was just closer to the camera.
Stop-Motion
If puppets aren't your thing, try stop-motion animation. Movie cameras are just fast cameras that snap (拍快照) 24 pictures a second, then play them back at the same speed. To make a clay dragon seem to move, all you have to do is take a picture, move your clay dragon a tiny bit, and take another. Be sure you have plenty of time, though-you'll need 1,440 pictures for every minute of film!
Computer Animation
Puppets and clay models are kid games, compared to the tricks you can do with computers. To make films with real actors battling fantastical beasts, live actors are filmed first, just pretending to battle a dragon. Then, using powerful computer programs, artists make animated dragons moving to match the actors and add these on top of the real film footage. As computer animation gets better and better, so do the dragons.
1. What were the earliest and simplest film dragons?| A．They were fire-breathing creatures. | B．They were big puppets. |
| C．They were huge cameras. | D．They were flame-breathing monsters. |
| A．1,440. | B．50. | C．42. | D．24. |
| A．Computer Animation. | B．Stop-Motion. |
| C．Puppets and Perspective. | D．Clay models. |
【推荐1】Medicine is not only a human invention. Many other animals, from insects to birds to nonhuman primates (灵长类), have been known to self-medicate with plants and minerals for infections and other conditions. Behavioral ecologist Helen of the Borneo Nature Foundation has spent decades studying the island’ s orangutans (红毛猩猩) and says she has now found evidence they use plants in a previously unseen medicinal way.
During more than 20,000 hours of formal observation, Helen and her colleagues watched 10 orangutans occasionally chew a particular plant (which is not part of their normal diet) into a juice and then rub it into their fur. They spent up to 45 minutes at a time rubbing the mixture onto their upper arms or legs. The researchers believe this behavior is the first known example of a nonhuman animal using an external pain-killer.
Local people use the same plant—Dracaena cantleyi (龙血树), an unremarkable-looking bush with stalked leaves—to treat aches and pains. Helens, co-authors studied its chemistry. They added chemicals from the plant to human cells that had been grown in a dish and had been artificially stimulated to produce cytokines (细胞因子), an immune system response that causes inflammation (炎症) and discomfort. The plant chemical reduced the production of several types of cytokines. The scientists reported the finding in a study published last November in Scientific Reports.
The results suggest that orangutans use the plant to reduce inflammation and treat pain. Such findings could help identify plants and chemicals that might be useful for human medications.
1. What does “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Birds. | B．Local people. |
| C．The ten orangutans. | D．The researchers. |
| A．It can produce cytokines. | B．It is effective as a pain-killer. |
| C．It is a special looking bush. | D．It can lead to inflammation and discomfort. |
| A．Orangutans mainly live on the particular plant. |
| B．Orangutans are the first animals to use a pain-killer. |
| C．Helens findings can be of great use for human drugs. |
| D．Helens co-authors added the chemicals from human cells to the plant. |
| A．By analyzing data. | B．By sharing experiences. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By giving examples. |
【推荐2】If you watched the 2018 Winter Olympics, then you might have noticed the suits that the athletes wore. Have you ever wondered why they look so unique? Besides making the athletes look stylish, the suits can also help them move faster. This is especially true for speed skaters.
Wave your hand around in the air. You might feel some air moving around your hand, but you probably don’t think that it can slow your hand down. But if you wave your hand around in some water, you can feel that it is not easy to move your hand. This is called drag (阻力). Air has less drag than water, but it can affect your speed.
Speed skaters wear suits that reduce drag. The suit makes the surface of their body smooth. This way, the air moves more easily over their body and there is less drag.
The US speed skating team’s suits were made out of a white nylon-spandex (尼龙氨纶) mix called H1. When we move, we leave a vacuum (真空) hole of air behind us that can slow us down. Speed skaters need to make it as small as possible. The H1 fabric (织物) can help with this. The fabric makes the airflow behind moving objects more steady and therefore makes the hole smaller, Wired magazine reported.
The H1 fabric was used for the arms and legs of the team’s suits. That’s because human arms and legs move more and feel more drag.
Wearing high-tech suits might not decide the final victor in a competition. But the suits give athletes the best tool to do their job.
1. What was the main goal in making the speed skaters’ suits?| A．To make them stylish. | B．To reduce drag. |
| C．To help the body relax. | D．To make air move slowly. |
| A．A white nylon-spandex mix. | B．The H1 fabric. |
| C．A vacuum hole of air. | D．The airflow. |
| A．A special suit is a tool for athletes to do their job. |
| B．The H1 fabric is made out of cotton. |
| C．The H1 fabric was used to make the entirety of the suits. |
| D．Water has less drag than air. |
| A．Skaters in Competitions | B．Changes Happening in Suits |
| C．Ways of Changing Suits | D．High-tech Suits for Skaters |
【推荐3】A star athlete at the college where I work recently stopped by my office. After committing a few unforced errors during a weekend match, she suffered severely by self-criticism.
This student, like many I teach, strongly believes she should be able to control the outcomes of her life by virtue of her hard work. In her mind, “Nothing can stop me but myself”. So when these students fall short of what they imagine they should accomplish, they are filled with self-blame, reasoning, “If my accomplishments are mine to control, my failures must be entirely my faults, too”, which makes it extremely difficult for them to move on.
We often owe young adults struggling with failure to their parents’ overprotection of them from discomfort. But there is another factor at play: a message transmitted by indulging (纵容的) parents who have falsely promised them that they can achieve anything if they are willing to work for it. However, the cruel reality of life is that you can do everything in your power — and still fail. Then what should be done to help?
Psychologists Luthar and Kumar urge parents and teachers to spend time helping students find purpose, or goals they genuinely love to pursue and that make an impact on the world, which may help them gain greater life satisfaction and become more psychologically mature. Besides, instead of allowing our kids to beat themselves up when things don’t go their way, we might all question a culture where one is considered lazy without full devotion. The point is to remind them that life has a way of sucker-punching (出其不意) us when we least expect it. It’s often the people who learn to say “stuff happens” who get up the fastest.
1. What does the underlined phrase “by virtue of” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．in addition to | B．in spite of | C．by means of | D．for fear of |
| A．they are not taught how to deal with difficulties |
| B．they are short of the ability to handle failure |
| C．they are under the protection of their parents |
| D．they are misled by their parents’ false message |
| A．To teach students how to avoid faults. |
| B．To lead students to set their truly loved goals. |
| C．To help students to discover a path to success. |
| D．To allow kids to blame themselves. |
| A．Students don’t care about failure at all. |
| B．Students are sure to succeed if they try their best. |
| C．Students should bear all the failures on their own. |
| D．Students with positive attitudes can move on more easily. |
Daily free e-books are the main feature on this site, and there are some fantastic titles to choose from, including a large number of children's books and young adult novels. The format is unique to Kindle though,so unless you have a conversion(转换)program, you might be out of luck if you're using a different e-reader.
Ereader Love
The majority of books on this site are in the science fiction and romance styles, but there are some jewels to be found in the other sections as well. Young adult readers may find some unique stories to dive into, and there are a few hundred mystery and horror novels to read through too.
Project Gutenberg
This site deals only with older books such as classic novels and reference materials, and are free in the United States because their copyright has been out of date.Gutenberg has over 42, 000 free e-books available, so any book lovers will have plenty of materials to refer to.
Scribd. com
A great site for self-published authors, Scribd gives people the opportunity to upload their own work, and download books by other authors. There's a small catch: not all the books are free.You can read free short pieces of some novels and then purchase with a little money, but there are many impressive titles available for no charge whatsoever.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．E-books on EReader IQ are free of charge. |
| B．Up-to-date novels can be found in Project Gutenberg. |
| C．Scribd. com is for famous writers to upload their work. |
| D．Mystery and horror novels are in the majority on Ereader Love. |
| A．EReader IQ |
| B．Ereader Love |
| C．Project Gutenberg |
| D．Scribd.com |
| A．To stress the importance of e-reading. |
| B．To compare the advantages of e-book websites. |
| C．To introduce searching techniques for e-reading. |
| D．To recommend some online resources of e-books. |
Do not miss your chance to see Texas' first modern art museum—the McNay Art Museum. There are more than 20,000 different and significant works. With beautiful Spanish gardens and the amazing architecture of the building, the art within the walls isn't the only wonder to see.
Address: 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio
TEL: (210) 824 - 5368
San Antonio Art League & Museum
The San Antonio Art League & Museum is a great showcase for local artists and home to permanent exhibits, many of which express the history of the area. The museum houses both traditional and contemporary works.
Address: 130 King William Street, San Antonio
TEL: (210) 223 - 1140
Guinness World Records Museum
The Guinness World Records has probably brought you amazing stories of all the record holders in the world. This museum is a good choice for the entire family, as it contains some of the most amazing oddities in the world.
Address: 329 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio
TEI: (210) 226 - 2828
Buck horn Saloon and Museum
For a cowboy-style activity, head to the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum is located only two blocks from the Alamo, offering a convenient location to those who are visiting Downtown San Antonio. After being built over 130 years ago, the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum has become a unique place for locals and tourists alike to visit. Here, guests will be able to feast upon delic ious dishes.
Address: 318 E. Houston Street, San Antonio
TEL: (210) 247 - 4000
1. What can we see in Texas’ first modern art museum?| A．traditional and contemporary works | B．Stories of record holders |
| C．Beautiful gardens | D．Cowboy-style activities. |
| A．McNay Art Museum | B．Guinness World Records Museum |
| C．Buckhorn Saloon and Museum | D．San Antonio Art League & Museum |
| A．It only fits for local tourists. | B．It has a history of 100 years |
| C．It provides delicious foods. | D．It’s near downtown |
【推荐3】Fire fighting is a serious matter. Knowing what to do during a fire can save people's lives. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone else in the family, such as stairways and emergency exits, but not elevators.
From the lower floors of buildings, escape through windows is possible. Learn the best way to get out from a windows with the least chance of serious injury.
The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person, hanging by the fingertips, will have a drop of about 6 feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way down than to stay in a burning building.
Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed before opening the Window. Otherwise, smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may have leaked into the room.
On the second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those which open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement might end in injury. Bushes and trees can help you to have a soft landing.
1. Which of the following should be avoided when trying to escape from a fire?| A．Windows. | B．Elevators. | C．Fire exits. | D．Stairways. |
| A．About 12 feet. | B．About 6 feet. |
| C．About the height of an average man. | D．Nearly 10 feet. |
| A．They are the only way. | B．They are the best way. |
| C．They are safer than any other ways. | D．They are one of the possible ways. |
| A．drop directly onto the ground |
| B．first drop onto a roof then onto the cement |
| C．drop from a roof window then onto bushes or trees |
| D．drop onto the cement rather than bushes and grass |
