【推荐3】    1    

End-of-year celebrations have been over.    2    . Next Christmas if we want to avoid the financial headache after all the parties are over, what should we do? Finance experts Paul and Alan share their advice on how to keep the silly season affordable while having the true spirit of Christmas.

Plan to spend.

“In our family, we make a list of all the people we would like to buy presents for and assign an amount to each.    3    .” says Alan. Paul agrees, adding, “The gifts don't have to be a new iPod. It's about the process of giving and spending time with friends and family.”

Give from the heart.

“I also believe the true spirit of Christmas is to be generous, but not silly,” says Paul, “and to give gifts has deeper meaning rather than pure dollar value. I love thinking of what this person would truly appreciate.    4    .” Allan says, “My sister moved into her first house recently, so I bought her a drill. Nobody had ever thought of giving her a drill. She loved it very much.”

Be a card sharp.

“If you have difficulty controlling your credit card, change it for a debit card （借记卡）.” suggests Alan. “You use it like Visa or Mastercard but you can only spend your own money.    5    .? If you do need a bit of credit, reduce the limit. I gave my daughter a credit card with a $500 limit. It can never blow out. But she's got it if she needs something for university, for example.”

A．And then finding that special item shows you really know him

B．Spend as much money as possible on gifts

C．Maybe again we spent more than budget

D．So it will help us survive holiday season hell

E．When it gets to zero, that's it—it gets rejected

F．Then we add it up to ensure we stick to it

G．Have a very merry and debt-free Christmas

【推荐1】She’s rarely seen without an elegant handbag on her arm, but the question of what the Queen keeps inside it has long remained a mystery. Now a new book claims to cast light on the contents of the royal matriarch’s main possession.

What’s In The Queen’s Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets reveals that though the 81-year-old British monarch(君主) doesn’t carry cash, keys or passport—since she doesn’t own one—her bag is far from empty. Inside are a collection of little presents from her children, a make-up case, some family photos, and a camera sometimes. There’s also an s-shaped metal hook that she places on the dinner table’s edge to hang her bag from so that it doesn’t touch the floor.

Should you ever meet the Queen, it’s not what’s in her bag but what she does with it that should concern you. She uses her bags, of which she has about 200 made by London-based firm Launier, to send signals to her staff.

Before dining with Queen, a point is made to inform guests that dinner will end in about five minutes after she places her bag on the table top.

On walkabouts, she holds the bag to one side to show she intends to move on, at which point a lady-in-waiting joins the conversation, allowing her to slip away without causing offence.

When at a banquet, if the Queen’s bag is placed on the floor then it’s a sign that she’s not finding the conversation interesting, and wants nothing more than to escape. However, if the royal bag is dangling happily from the crook of her left arm, she is happy and relaxed.

1. What does the article tell us about the Queen’s handbag?

A．She seldom has it with her.

B．She always carries the same handbag.

C．It used to be thought empty.

D．Its contents are not the same as ours.

2. When is it necessary for the Queen to convey her intention with her bag?

A．When she is with guests.	B．When she eats outside.
C．When she has her staff around.	D．When she is tired of speaking.

3. The Queen gives no signal when she ________.

A．hangs her bag on the metal hook	B．hangs her bag from her left arm
C．places her bag on the floor	D．puts her bag on the table top

4. “What’s In The Queen’s Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets ” is italicized（用斜体写）because that’s ________.

A．he very title of the article

B．the name of a book

C．the main information given in the article

D．what the writer wants to stress

【推荐2】There was a time in the 1960’s and 1970’s when some people believed that coffee would replace tea as Britain’s favourite drink, but that did not happen, and today, tea remains Britain’s favourite drink.

To say that the British are fond of tea is something of an understatement(轻描淡写). From the Royal(皇室的) Family down to the homeless and the out-of-work, tea is more than just a pleasure. It is an important part of life!

The popularity of tea in the United Kingdom has a long history. It was in 1657 that Thomas Garway, the owner of a coffee house, sold the first tea in London. The drink soon became popular as another choice besides coffee.

In those days, however, tea was not something for anyone. For a century and a half, it remained an expensive drink. Many bosses served a cup of it to their workers in the middle of the morning, thus inventing a lasting British institution, the “tea break”. But as a social drink outside the workplace, tea was served for the nobility(贵族) and for the growing middle classes. Among those who had the money for tea, it became very popular as a drink to be enjoyed in cafés and “tea gardens”.

It was the 7th Duchess of Bedford who, in around 1800, started the popular “afternoon tea”, which took place at about four o'clock. At about the same time, the Earl of Sandwich popularised a new way of eating bread with something (e. g. jam) between them, and before long, a small meal at the end of the afternoon with tea and sandwiches had become part of a way of life.

As tea became much cheaper during the nineteenth century, its popularity spread right through British society. In working-class households, it was served with the main meal of the day, eaten when workers returned home after a day’s labour. This meal has become known as “high tea”.

Today, tea can be drunk at any time of day. Most people in Britain drink tea for breakfast. The mid-morning “tea break” is an institution in British offices and factories. Later in the day, “afternoon tea” is still a way of life in the south of England and among the middle classes, while “high tea” has remained a tradition in the north of Britain.

1. Who played an important part in the beginning of tea time in England?

A．Thomas Garway.	B．The Royal Family.
C．The Earl of Sandwich.	D．The Duchess of Bedford.

2. What does the underlined word “institution” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．drink	B．workplace
C．tradition	D．order

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The “tea break” kept the workers from being sleepy after lunch.

B．Workers could enjoy a cup of tea in “tea gardens” at their workplace.

C．“High tea” was usually served with the main meal for the middle classes.

D．The “afternoon tea” together with sandwiches became popular in around 1800.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．The Popularity of Tea	B．Tea and the British
C．Tea and the Middle Class	D．The History of Tea

【推荐3】As a child growing up in a suburban town in the Northeast of the United States, the arrival of spring had little meaning for me. Sure, we had a weeklong spring vocation from school, but the key word there was vacation, not spring.

For the kids in my neighborhood, the arrival of spring was a non-event. There were two important seasons: winter, when we could go skating and sledding or build snow forts, and summer, when we could finally make proper use of the beach about 100 meter east of my family home. Spring and autumn were just technical details, weeks and weeks of waiting for the good times’ return.

Admittedly, spring later developed its own attractions for me- “In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love”, as the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson noted-however, it was not spring itself, but the other stuff bat got my attention.

In short, I never thought much at all about spring.... and then I arrived in China. I had been in Beijing for about three months when my first Spring Festival rolled around, and it could hardly be ignored. Aside from the random bursts of fireworks at any time day or night, what stood out most for me was that the capital seemed to be empty.

It was as though the crowds and streams of cars and trucks commonly seen in the capital had all gone into hiding. My puzzlement cleared up when I returned to work. My colleagues explained that Chinese traditionally travel, if necessary, to visit their families during Spring Festival, and that many Beijingers were not natives of the capital.

I also got my first knowledge of something about Spring Festival that never ceases to amaze me. Regardless of when the holiday is set to begin, there is an almost immediate and sudden change for the better in the weather. Spring really does arrive.

I can’t begin to figure out how the ancient Chinese could create a system that would almost always accurately predict when the season would shift year after year after year. But they did.

1. What did the author think of spring as a child?

A．It was a season full of promise.	B．It was always beyond his imagination.
C．It was a tiring and long holiday.	D．It hardly left a good impression on him.

2. What impressed the author most about Beijing during the Spring Festival?

A．The busy traffic.	B．The unexpected quietness.
C．Beijingers’ love for travel.	D．Occasional bursts of fireworks.

3. How does the author feel about the system created by ancient Chinese?

A．Adorable.

B．Confused.

C．Wonderful.

D．Convenient.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Spring Festival in Beijing will make one feel quite lonely.

B．The author spent his first Spring Festival at a colleague’s home.

C．In China Spring Festival always indicates the coming of Spring.

D．The author still worked during the Spring Festival while in Beijing.

【推荐1】While staring out of the window during a flight, not everyone will think carefully about the question why airplanes have rounded windows rather than square ones .

Over the years, aerospace engineering has made huge steps in airplane technology, meaning planes can carry more passengers and go faster. The planes have also changed shape to increase safety—including the windows. As commercial air travel took off in the mid -20th century, airline companies began to fly at higher altitudes to lower their cost—the air density (密度) is lower up there, creating less drag (阻力) for airplanes. However, higher altitudes came with problems, like the fact human beings can’t really survive at 30,000 feet. To make that possible, the cabin was changed to a cylindrical (圆柱体) shape to support the pressure inside. But at first, plane builders left in the standard square windows and this expansion meant disaster. The de Havilland Comet came into fashion in the 1950s. With a closed cabin, it was able to go higher and faster than other aircraft .

However, where there’s a comer, there’s a weak spot. Windows, having four comers, have four potential weak spots, making them likely to crash under stress— such as air pressure. By curving the window, the stress that would eventually break the window comer is distributed and the chance of it breaking is reduced. Rounded shapes are also stronger and resist deformation   (变形), and can thus survive the extreme differences in pressure between the inside and outside of the aircraft .

Fortunately, designers figured out the lack of design pretty quick . Now we have nice, rounded airplane windows that can resist the pressure of traveling altitude. It gives being able to gaze out of your window to the world from 35,000 feet a whole new outlook, doesn’t it?

1. Why did airlines aim to fly at higher altitudes?

A．To save money for less drag.

B．To help the plane to take off.

C．To increase safety of the plane .

D．To carry more passengers and go faster.

2. What does the underlined words “de Havilland Comet” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．An aircraft.	B．A band.
C．A planet	D．A design.

3. Which is the advantage of the rounded window?

A．It increases the air pressure.

B．It weakens the strength of air pressure.

C．It reduces the possibility of breaking up.

D．It helps to survive the extreme weather.

【推荐2】A scientist working at her lab bench and a six-old baby playing with his food might seem to have little in common. After all, the scientist is engaged in serious research to uncover the very nature of the physical world, and the baby is, well, just playing … right? Perhaps, but some developmental psychologists (心理学家) have argued that this “play” is more like a scientific investigation than one might think.

Take a closer look at the baby playing at the table. Each time the bowl of rice is pushed over the table edge, it falls in the ground — and, in the process, it brings out important evidence about how physical objects interact (相互作用); bowls of rice do not float in mid-air, but require support to remain stable. It is likely that babies are not born knowing the basic fact of the universe; nor are they ever clearly taught it. Instead, babies may form an understanding of object support through repeated experiments and then build on this knowledge to learn even more about how objects interact. Though their ranges and tools differ, the baby’s investigation and the scientist’s experiment appear to share the same aim (to learn about the natural world), overall approach (gathering direct evidence from the world), and logic (are my observations what I expected?).

Some psychologists suggest that young children learn about more than just the physical world in this way — that they investigate human psychology and the rules of language using similar means. For example, it may only be through repeated experiments, evidence gathering, and finally overturning a theory, that a baby will come to accept the idea that other people can have different views and desires from what he or she has, for example, unlike the child, Mommy actually doesn’t like Dove chocolate.

Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws light on how children learn, but it also offers an inspiring look at science and scientists. Why do young children and scientists seem to be so much alike? Psychologists have suggested that science as an effort — the desire to explore, explain, and understand our world — is simply something that comes from our babyhood. Perhaps evolution (进化) provided human babies with curiosity and a natural drive to explain their worlds, and adult scientists simply make use of the same drive that served them as children. The same cognitive (认知的) systems that make young children feel good about figuring something out may have been adopted by adult scientists. As some psychologists put it, “It is not that children are little scientists but that scientists are big children.”

1. According to some developmental psychologists, ________.

A．a baby’s play is nothing more than a game

B．scientific research into babies’ games is possible

C．the nature of babies’ play has been thoroughly investigated

D．a baby’s play is somehow similar to a scientist’s experiment

2. We learn from Paragraph 2 that ________

A．scientists and babies seem to observe the world differently

B．scientists and babies often interact with each other

C．babies are born with the knowledge of object support

D．babies seem to collect evidence just as scientists do

3. Children may learn the rules of language by ________.

A．exploring the physical world	B．investigating human psychology
C．repeating their own experiments	D．observing their parents’ behaviors

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The world may be more clearly explained through children’s play.

B．Studying babies’ play may lead to a better understanding of science.

C．Children may have greater ability to figure out things than scientists.

D．One’s drive for scientific research may become stronger as he grows.

【推荐3】Walking doesn’t require any special equipment or gym memberships, and best of all, it’s completely free. For most of us, walking is something we do automatically. It doesn’t require much effort, so many of us fail to remember the benefits of walking for health.

But what happens if we stop walking on auto-pilot and start challenging our brains and bodies by walking backwards? Not only does this change of direction require more of our attention, but it may also bring additional health benefits.

One of the most well-studied benefits of walking backwards is improving stability and balance. Walking backwards can improve forward gait (how a person walks) and balance for healthy adults and those with knee osteoarthritis (关节炎). Walking backwards causes us to take shorter, more frequent steps, leading to improved muscular endurance for the muscles of the lower legs while reducing the burden on our joints.

While normal walking can help us maintain a healthy weight, walking backwards may be even more efficient. Energy expenditure (消耗) when walking backwards is almost 40 percent higher than walking at the same speed forwards, with one study showing reductions in body fat for women who completed a six-week backwards walk or run training program.

Walking backwards is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. When walking backwards, we’re more likely to miss block that we could crash into or fall over, so in the interest of safety, it’s best to start indoors where you will not crash into someone or outside in a flat, open area. Keep your head and chest upright while reaching back with your big toe for each step, rolling through the foot from toe to heel.

1. What can we learn about walking from the first paragraph?

A．Its cost is surprisingly high.	B．Its training equipment is rare.
C．Its advantages are often ignored.	D．Its benefits are partly unknown.

2. What benefit does walking backwards bring to legs?

A．Speeding the walking pace.	B．Lowering the load of joints.
C．Relieving the pain of knees.	D．Strengthening the whole muscle.

3. Who is most likely to practice walking backwards according to paragraph 4?

A．A man eager to lose weight.	B．An athlete trained to run faster.
C．A fat woman suffering illness.	D．A teenager unable to concentrate.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The difficulty in walking backwards.	B．The danger of walking backwards.
C．Some tips about walking backwards.	D．Right places for walking backwards.

【推荐1】Some pigs tend to be optimistic while others are pessimistic, according to a new research that is meaningful to animal welfare. The study, published in the journal Biology Letters, is the first to show that mood and personality interact in an animal, influencing judgment.

Asher, a researcher at the University of Newcastle's Institute of Neuroscience, and her team housed groups of pigs in two types of environment. One reflected standard commercial conditions and the other was cushier with more space and plenty of soft, deep straw. After the pigs got accustomed to these new homes over a few weeks, the researchers picked 18 pigs from each type to train and test their judgment.

“To do this, we trained each pig. In one corner of a training room there would be a bowl with chocolate sweets — pigs love them — and at the opposite side of the room there would be a bowl containing coffee beans, which pigs find bitter­tasting,” a researcher said.

Over a number of training trials, pigs learned to go to the bowl reliably when it was in the corner where they had figured out to expect chocolate sweets. On the contrary, they quickly learned to avoid the bowl when it was in the corner where they would expect to find the coffee beans.

The researchers next placed an unfamiliar bowl in different locations, to see how the pigs would react. Some gaily dashed to the bowl no matter what was inside, showing optimism that it would contain their favorite sweets. Others, however, behaved as though they expected it to contain coffee beans, displaying pessimism.

The findings suggest that a one­size­fits­all answer to animal welfare issues does not exist. Even if pigs are just equal to bacon or other meat for some people, there is still cause for concern. Studies have suggested that how an animal is treated during its lifetime can directly affect meat quality and taste.

1. What was the study trying to figure out?

A．How to make pigs happier.

B．The similarities between humans and pigs.

C．How living environment affected pigs' mood.

D．How pigs' mood and personality affected their judgment.

2. What does the underlined word “cushier” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Simple.	B．More comfortable.
C．Unpractical.	D．Less free.

3. What do the findings of the new research imply?

A．People should treat pigs equally.

B．People's health relies on meat quality.

C．People should meet pigs' various needs.

D．People's attitude toward pigs is totally wrong.

【推荐2】Researchers have been looking forward to using tiny flying robots to settle important tasks. The various machines could be used to help astronauts on space missions, and even to help bees with plant pollination(授粉). However, fitting the heavy electric equipment that is used to power and control the wings into the tiny robot has been challenging. Now thanks to RoboBee X-Wing—the world’s lightest aerial vehicle that can fly not tied to a power source.

Made by Harvard researchers, the insect-inspired robot weighs only 259 milligrams, has four wings whose distance is 3.5 centimeters, and stands 6.5 centimeters high. Its four small wings, which can flap up(拍动) to 170 times a second, are controlled by actuators(驱动器). They become small when the electricity passes through them. Six small solar cells, fitted above the wings to prevent them from disturbing the flight, provide the power.

RoboBee X-Wing is powered by six solar cells. To test its flying abilities, the team, led by doctor Noah Jafferis and PhD student Elizabeth Helbling, exposed the RoboBee X-Wing’s solar cells to LED lighting. To their delight, the tiny robot’s wings began to flap, and it rose, keeping a flight for about half a second. Though the robot lost its flight ability as soon as the power source was turned off, its short flight was cheered for its huge effect on the future of tiny flying robots.

However, though the current RoboBee X-Wing is a step in the right direction, it is not quite ready for main time. The researchers also hope to experiment with other power sources, such as batteries, sun light or radio frequency signals, and to add more advanced “brains” and sensor systems to navigate and complete tasks independently.

1. What can we know about small flying robots according to the first paragraph?

A．They are made to do ordinary tasks by scientists.

B．They can be used only for very dangerous task.

C．They can be powered directly by the energy of the sun.

D．It’s not easy to fit the heavy electric equipment into them.

2. Why is RoboBee X-Wing considered having a big effect on the future of tiny flying robots?

A．Because it is ready for the instant use.

B．Because it can take off and fly out of control.

C．Because it can fly not tied to a power source.

D．Because it can settle important tasks.

3. Which of the following is TRUE about RoboBee X-Wing?

A．It can’t be used in crowded places.

B．It can be used for giving directions.

C．It can use radio signals to power itself.

D．It still can’t be used widely at present.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.	B．Science.
C．Education.	D．Health.

【推荐3】Want to pick up that new best-seller for your flight, but not sure you want to spend the money?

This will change your mind.

If you’ve done a lot of traveling, you’ve probably noticed that the bookstores at airports all look pretty similar. They’ve all got familiar logos, the walls of inviting plane snacks, and, of course, the towers of new hardcover books. Chances are you’ve wanted to grab one of those books for the plane ride. However, those hardcover books are a little pricey. Is it worth it to splurge, just to relieve the midair boredom?

Yes it is—because of a cool program that these bookstores have in place. These similar airport stores are all owned by the company Paradies Lagardère, and all of those stores take part in what’s called the “Read and Return program.” It’s exactly what it sounds like. Whenever you buy one of those books, you’ve got six months to finish it and bring it back to the same, or another, Paradies Lagardère location. When you do that, you get half your money for the original purchase back.

If you’re going on a trip, buy that book you’ve been dying to read. When you go back to the airport for the return trip, bring the book back with you and get half the money back. While you’re still in the bookstore, go ahead and get that other book you’ve been dying to read. Or the sequel to the book you read on the way there. Either way, your boredom on the flight back will be cured. And it gets better: the book you gave back will be re-sold for half price! Here’s what you can get for free at an airport.

There are two things you do need to make sure of. You have to bring back the receipt to get your money back. Also, the book needs to be in decent condition. But other than that, this program couldn’t be easier. In a way, it’s like a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal for books. Or get two books for the price of one-and-a-half. Either way, count us in.

1. What does the underlined word “splurge” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Spend the money.	B．Take the effort.
C．Take the trouble.	D．Spend the time.

2. How does the “Read and Return program” run?

A．You can read books for free in any Paradies Lagardère store.

B．You can buy books for half price in airport bookstores.

C．You need to return the book to the same store where you buy it.

D．You can get half your money back if you return the book timely.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．It is difficult to take part in the program.

B．The receipt is necessary if you want to return the book.

C．The program is popular with readers.

D．The program runs successfully.

4. Why does the author write this passage?

A．To encourage people to read on airplanes.

B．To introduce Paradies Lagardère company.

C．To advertise the “Read and Return program”.

D．To show the advantages of reading on airplanes.