1 . The Basics of Math—Made Clear

Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.

The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.

Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.

By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery (神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.

Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.

With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.

If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.

1. What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?

A．Algebra.	B．College Mathematics.
C．Arithmetic.	D．Mathematics Education.

2. What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?

A．Stronger imaginative ability.	B．Additional presentation skills.
C．More mathematical confidence.	D．Greater chances of becoming teachers.

3. What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?

A．He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television.

B．He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math.

C．He works in Georgia State University.

D．He specializes in training teachers.

4. Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A book review
C．A lesson plan.	D．An advertisement

2 . About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film­studio (影棚) to take part in a crowd­scene. Although our “act” would last only for a short time,we could see quite a number of interesting things.

We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie­camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in “snow”. Two more fans were turned on, and a “strong wind” blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.

The next scene was a complete contrast (对比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!

Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three_minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film “stars”！

1. Who is the author?

A．A cameraman.

B．A film director.

C．A crowd­scene actor.

D．A workman for scene setting.

2. What made the author feel cold?

A．The heavy snowfall.

B．The man­made scene.

C．The low temperature.

D．The film being shown.

3. What would happen in the “three minutes” mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．A new scene would be filmed.

B．More stars would act in the film.

C．The author would leave the studio.

D．The next scene would be prepared.

3 . I travel a lot in my work, and what I dislike about my job is eating alone. It always makes me feel lonely to see others laughing and talking. So, room service for several nights was a better choice for me.

After having room service three nights at a hotel in Houston, however, I needed to get out of my room. Although the restaurant opened at 6:30, I arrived at 6:25. The waiter at the front desk made a comment(评论) about my “being there really early”. I explained my dislike of eating alone in restaurants. He then seated me at a lovely table and asked me whether I would mind if he sat down with me for a while.

I was glad! He sat and talked with me about his career goals and the difficulty of being at work on nights, weekends and holidays. He said he hadn’t enough time to be with his family. After 15 minutes, he saw some customers at the front desk and excused himself. I noticed that before he went to the front desk, he stopped in the kitchen for a moment.

Then another waiter came out of the kitchen and had a wonderful chat with me. Before I left that night, some other waiters, even the cook, had come out of the kitchen and sat with me!

When I asked for my bill about one hour later, all the people who had sat down with me came over in a big group to my table, and presented me with a red rose. And I cried! What had begun as a lonely night ended as a beautiful experience.

1. The author asked for room service because _______.

A．a lot of money would be saved in this way

B．he didn’t like to eat with other people around

C．he didn’t wanted to be recognized by the waiters

D．seeing people laughing and talking made him feel bad

2. How did the waiter feel when he saw the author come in at 6:25?

A．Dissatisfied.	B．Pleased.
C．Surprised.	D．Angry.

3. From the third paragraph, we can learn that the waiter at the front desk ______

A．knew how to attract more customers to his restaurant

B．found it hard to balance his work and his family

C．was getting tired of his present job

D．had never had such a chance to talk about his worries

4. The author wants to tell us that ______.

A．people are actually all lonely in their own way

B．restaurants should put the need of customers first

C．the kindness of strangers can make you less lonely

D．restaurants are full of surprises for lonely people

4 . Why play games?Because they are fun,and a lot more besides.Following the rules...planning your next move...acting as a team member...these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.

Think about some of the games you played as a young child,such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek.Such games are entertaining and fun.But perhaps more importantly,they translate life into exciting dreams that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives,such as taking turns and cooperating(合作).

Many children’s games have a practical side.Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups.For instance,some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones,which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调) needed in hunting.

Many sports encourage national or local pride.The most famous games of all,the Olympic Games,bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition.People who watch the event wave flags,knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country,not just the athlete who earned it.For countries experiencing natural disasters or war,an Olympic win can mean so much.

Sports are also an event that unites people.Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living.Nicolette Iribarne,a Califomian soccer player,has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer.He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.

Next time you play your favorite game or sport,think about why you enjoy it,what skills are needed,and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.

1. Through playing hide-and-seek,children are expected to learn to 　　　.

A．be a team leader

B．obey the basic rules

C．act as a grown-up

D．predict possible danger

2. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can 　　　.

A．describe life in an exciting way

B．turn real-life experiences into a play

C．make learning life skills more interesting

D．change people’s views of sporting events

3. According to the passage,why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?

A．It inspires people’s deep love for the country.

B．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners.

C．It helps the country out of natural disasters.

D．It earns the winners fame and fortune.

4. Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to 　　　.

A．bring fun to poor kids

B．provide soccer balls for children

C．give poor kids a chance for a better life

D．appeal to soccer players to help poor kids

5. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Games benefit people all their lives.

B．Sports can get all athletes together.

C．People are advised to play games for fun.

D．Sports increase a country’s competitiveness.

5 . Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don’t think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.
When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often
gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says ______ anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past.
1. The author of the passage tries to make his viewpoint clear _______.

A．by raising his own examples

B．based on his own experience

C．by mentioning some studies w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om

D．by mentioning some typical patients

2. The example of the cartoon book characters is taken in the passage to_______.

A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health.

B．introduce a famous expert.

C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces.

D．show how to control one’s temper.

3. The underlined phrase “holding on to” in this passage possibly means“_______”.

A．removing

B．keeping up

C．getting rid of

D．learning about

4. The best title for this passage is probably _______.

A．Forgiveness	B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health
C．A Secret to Keeping Health	D．Anger Is Bad for Health

6 . Hobbs was an orphan（孤儿）. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will（遗嘱）,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.
1. Hobbs wanted to borrow money to _______.

A．study abroad

B．work abroad

C．pay off the debts

D．learn to paint pictures

2. What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” （in Paragraph 2） probably mean?

A．Surprised.

B．Frightened

C．Satisfied.

D．Excited.

3. With the money he got, at first Hobbs _______.

A．planned to have a happy life for a few days	B．decided to give up his work in the factory
C．was to give a dinner to his friends	D．had no idea what to do

4. Hobbs was asked to _______.

A．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it

B．read his uncle’s will

C．buy some pictures

D．tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money

7 . It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
1. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.	B．It was their only possession.
C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.	D．They used it for work and daily life.

2. We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.	B．people were busy before Christmas
C．the stranger brought over the bike	D．life was hard for the young family.

3. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.	B．From a newspaper.
C．From TV news.	D．From a stranger.

4. What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help.	B．One should take care of their bike.
C．News reports make people famous.	D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

8 . Doctors have known for a long time that extremely loud noises can cause hearing damage or loss. The noise can be the sound of a jet airplane or machines in factories of loud music or other common sound at home and at work. A person only needs to hear the noise for little more than one second to be affected.
An American scientist has found that using aspirin (阿斯匹林) increase the temporary (暂时的)hearing loss or damage from loud noise. He did an experiment using a number of students at a university who all had normal hearing. He gave them different amounts of aspirin for different periods of time, then he tested their hearing ability. He found that students who were given four grams of aspirin a day for two days suffered much greater temporary hearing loss than those who did not use aspirin. The hearing loss was about two times as great.
The scientist said millions of persons in the U.S. use much larger amounts of aspirin than were used in his experiment. He said these persons face a serious danger of suffering hearing loss from loud noise.
1. Doctors have long known that__________.

A．one may lose his hearing when he hears a terribly loud noise.

B．one may become deaf when he hears a loud noise.

C．loud noises can cause damage to the hearing of the young people only

D．common sounds at home are not harmful to the ear

2. This passage suggests that one’s hearing________.

A．will be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise for only little more than one second

B．will be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise less than one second

C．will not be damaged if he has heard a loud noise for only little more than one second

D．will not be damaged if he has little more than one second to get ready

3. One conclusion you can draw from the passage is that aspirin________.

A．makes hearing damage from loud noise worse

B．should never be taken more than four grams

C．can damage one’s hearing when it is given more than four grams daily

D．always increases hearing loss by two times

4. Millions of Americans are in danger of suffering hearing loss because they__________.

A．take too much aspirin

B．often take air trips

C．like listening to loud music

D．have too much loud noises at home and at work

5. The American scientist did his experiment in order to find ________.

A．how much aspirin would affect a person’s hearing

B．how much aspirin should be given in the treatment of the patients with hearing damage from loud noise

C．whether aspirin would increase the temporary hearing damage from loud noises

D．whether the people who had hearing damage should use aspirin