1 . When I was reading a post about taking someone to the movies, something happened a couple of years ago suddenly hit me.
I used to drink Cokes and they had a competition where there was a code inside the bottle cap. You might win something so long as you went to a website and entered the code. I won some free Cokes. But what astonished and delighted me was the Grand Prize I won then.
The Grand Prize was free movies for a year. They pointed out that one movie a week was what free movies for a year meant. All of the tickets were valid(有效的) for one year from the day I received them. So I must use them in the following year. I used quite a few taking friends to movies we all wanted to see.
But the best thing I did with them was that I donated 20 tickets (all I had left by that time) to the local Women’s Transition House, a place where women and children could go when avoiding a bad situation in general and get help to make a new start.
My workplace team had decided to help people in need, so we collected donations for that particular New Year’s Day. I knew that the Women’s Transition House provided some childcare for the women so they could go for job interviews and things like that.
I put those tickets in a box and wrote a note on the outside, asking the Women’s Transition House staff to give movie tickets to women there over the holidays to have some fun to do, with or without their children, which made me really happy.
1. How did the author get the tickets?| A．By visiting a website by chance. | B．By using some Cokes to get them. |
| C．By getting a code at the bottom of a bottle. | D．By winning the prize for drinking Cokes. |
| A．About 22. | B．About 32. | C．About 52. | D．About 365. |
| A．Lucky and caring. | B．Creative and careful. |
| C．Responsible and cheerful. | D．Thankful and generous. |
| A．The roses in their hands, the flavor in mine. |
| B．Good luck favors those who are always ready. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．God helps those who help themselves. |
2 . Share with us!
Would you like to have your writing published in this magazine? Then let us know! We pay for stories, anecdotes and jokes.
Anecdotes and jokes $50
What’s made you laugh recently? A funny sign? A colleague’s behaviour? Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter is the Best Medicine!
Email: juliet@sws. com
Smart Animals Up to $100
Send us a tale about the strange behaviour of unique pets or wildlife in up to 300 words. Email: audrey@sws. com
Power of Love Up to $150
Acts of generosity can change lives or just give you that warm feeling full of love. Share your moments in 100-500 words.
Email: susan@sws. com
My Story $350
Do you have an inspiring or life-changing story to tell? Your story must be true, unpublished, original and 800-1000 words.
Email: nanjc@sws. com
For more information, please visit: http://www.sws.com/share
1. If you want to share a story of your pets with the readers, you need to send it to .| A．Anecdotes and Jokes. | B．Smart Animals. |
| C．Power of Love. | D．My Story. |
| A．juliet@sws. com. | B．nanjc@sws. com. |
| C．audrey@sws. com. | D．susan@sws. com. |
| A．describe strange behaviour. | B．include less than 800 words. |
| C．be published before. | D．be real and original. |
3 . Red squirrels (松鼠) , a kind of animal once lost from their native woodlands, have been returned to the north-west Highlands, early results of a reintroduction (重新引进) project show.
The new population has naturally increased since they were reintroduced to north-west Scotland last year. The animal had disappeared as a result of the reduction of forests, as well as illness and competition from the introduced non-native grey squirrel. However, Trees for Life—the organization behind the project—is hopeful that red squirrels will continue to add to their 138,000 number and continue their increase.
“Early results shows that this could be a real wildlife success story. The new squirrel populations are not only living in their new homes, they are also starting to spread out into new areas, with squirrels being sighted as far as 15km away, “said Becky Priestley, Trees for Life’s wildlife officer.
The first relocation began in the spring of 2016, through to this year, when the first 33 squirrels from Inverness-shire and Moray were set free at Shieldaig in Wester Ross. Another 22 were set free at the Coulin estate, next to Beinn Eighe, plus 30 at Plockton, which is partly owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
The red squirrel, found throughout Eurasia, has experienced a great population reduction in recent years. In 2007, just 25,000 could be found throughout the UK after a one-time high of 3.5 million. This is often because of the fact that their grey cousins have a larger appetite (食欲) and eat most of the food in the forest. Reds are also more likely to be influenced by viruses (病毒) than greys, dying up to 25 times quicker.
Grey squirrels first came to England from North America in 1876 as a decorative species. However, it was not until 1930 that the damage they did was realized, when it was almost too late for the reds.
Now, though, red squirrels appear to naturally take over their land again. During 2016, they spread beyond Shieldaig, with one sighting eight miles away beyond Loch Torridon. One was seen recently near Nostie, about five miles from the release site, and there have been sightings further.
1. What is the reason for red squirrel’s disappearing from north-west Highlands?| A．Humans’ activity caused the forests to reduce. |
| B．There’s competition from native animals. |
| C．The number of their natural enemies was reduced. |
| D．There was illness spreading among the red squirrels. |
| A．At Shieldaig. | B．At the Coulin estate. |
| C．At Plockton. | D．At Moray. |
| A．have a better appetite |
| B．are easier to fight against viruses |
| C．are more beautiful and decorative |
| D．are more likely to suffer from illnesses |
| A．Difficult. | B．Successful. |
| C．Depressing. | D．Unrealistic. |
4 . A new pastor(牧师) named John reopened a church that had been abandoned in a suburb. He found it broken, and in need of a lot of repair work. His goal was to have everything done in time for his first service on Christmas Eve.
He worked hard. However, when John went to the church on Dec. 21, his heart sank: a large area of plaster (石膏) had fallen off the front wall due to a terrible storm the night before. John headed home, and on the way he stopped at a market selling items for charity.
One of the items was an exquisite( 精致的)handmade tablecloth. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. It started to snow. An old woman had missed her bus, and he invited her to wait in the warm church for the next one. As John put up the tablecloth the woman asked him to check the corner for the initials(手写字母). They were her initials: she had made this tablecloth 35 years before. Then the war broke out, and forced her to part with her husband.
John wanted to give her the tablecloth. but she asked him to keep it for the church. John insisted on driving her home which he thought was the least he could do.
What a wonderful service he had on Christmas Eve! John noticed one old man staring at the tablecloth on the front wall. The man said it was similar to one that his wife had made many years before.
John brought the old man to the house where he had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped him climb the three flights of stairs to her apartment, and saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever have imagined.
1. According to Paragraph one, we learn that John decided to_______.| A．help people affected by a terrible storm |
| B．buy goods for charity in the neighborhood |
| C．repair the abandoned church before his first service |
| D．do some work for the local people |
| A．The woman’s husband had to leave her because of a war |
| B．Johns service on Christmas Eve was disappointing |
| C．Everyone was surprised by the beauty of the tablecloth. |
| D．John drove the old man home because he was lost. |
| A．he loved its colors | B．he had seen it in a church |
| C．It was like one his wife had made | D．it looked strange hanging on a wall |
| A．A kind pastor who had difficulty repairing an ancient church |
| B．A new pastor who gave his first service with a couples help |
| C．A tablecloth made 35 years ago being discovered by a pastor |
| D．An old couple being reunited on Christmas Eve through a tablecloth |
5 . A new study explores the custom of tipping in the United States. Many Americans give tips to people who perform a job for them, especially workers in the service industry. They pay a little extra to people cutting their hair, driving them across town or serving them a meal at a restaurant.
The researchers found that men give bigger tips to restaurant workers than women. And people who live in the northern US are more generous with tips than those living in the South. People who earn $ 50, 000 or more a year give bigger tips than those who earn less than $50, 000. There is one likely reason: the wealthier Americans have more money to spend.
Michael Lynn is a professor of consumer behavior and marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in New York. In other words, he knows a lot about the issue of tipping. In earlier surveys, Lynn said he found mixed results on the generosity of men and women when it comes to tipping. In some studies, men gave bigger tips than women. In others, women gave more money.
Lynn’s own research in American restaurants found that men give bigger tips when the restaurant server is a woman and women give more when the server is a man. Tips are very important to service employees. People who work at restaurants often get most of their earnings from tips.
Nationwide, Americans generally tip between 15 to 20 percent at restaurants and leave from $2 to S 10 a day for the people who clean their hotel rooms. Tips of 15 percent of the reading on the meter (计价器) are also common for people who drive taxis.
But here is something to keep in mind. If you are able to give the person serving you a tip or a bigger one than what is expected, your generosity will be welcome. Many service workers do not make much money, and even an extra dollar or two can make a difference in their lives.
1. What is paragraph I mainly about?| A．A study in a restaurant. | B．A job offering a lot of tips. |
| C．The service industry in the US. | D．The custom of tipping in the US. |
| A．People give more tips to the opposite sex server. |
| B．People are always more generous to service employers. |
| C．Men give the same tips to the women restaurant servers as women. |
| D．Men always give more tips to the men restaurant servers than women. |
| A．$2. | B．$10. |
| C．$15. | D．$20. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Critical. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Supportive. |
6 . For centuries, dolphins have got our admiration, and it is easy to see why. They are beautiful, cute and smart sea animals. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. It is said that dolphins are the world’s second brightest creatures after humans and have many brain features related to intelligence. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.
1. Dolphins are different from many other animals because they _____.| A．live in groups |
| B．have large brains |
| C．are warm-blooded |
| D．have their own language |
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. | C．Its jaw. | D．Its eyes. |
| A．He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．They wanted his help. |
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
7 . The following are advertisements for books from Amazon.com. If you are interested in one of them, you can contact us. Surely, you’ll find every penny of yours is worth it, because they are all best sellers.
◆The Silent Wife: An emotional page turner with a twist that will take your breath away
Feb 24, 2017 by Kerry Fisher
Paperback
$6. 64 save you $4.35
FREE Shipping on qualified orders
In stock
◆Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your life... And Maybe the World Apr 4, 2017 by William H. McRaven
Hardcover
$10.40 save you $7.6
FREE Shipping on qualified orders
More Buying Choices $6.16.
◆Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Feb 7, 2017 by Jenny Lawson
Paperback
$5.95 save you$10.04
FREE Shipping on qualified orders
More Buying Choices $5.52
Hardcover
$15.19 save you $11.80
FREE Shipping on qualified orders
◆Magpie Murders: A Novel: this brilliant, attractive thriller weaves a classic mystery story worthy of Agatha Christie into an original modern-day mystery.
Mar 27, 2018 by Anthony Horowitz
Paperback
$11.59 save you $5.4
FREE Shipping on qualified orders
Available for pre-order. This item will be released on March 27, 2018.
1. Which of the following books save you the most?| A．Furiously Happy. |
| B．Make Your Bed. |
| C．The Silent Wife. |
| D．Magpie Murders. |
| A．The Silent Wife. |
| B．Make Your Bed. |
| C．Furiously Happy. |
| D．Magpie Murders. |
| A．They are all best sellers of the same year. |
| B．They all have hardcover and paperback. |
| C．They are all mystery stories. |
| D．They all have discounted prices. |
8 . Gold Coast family holidays are always great fun whether you are from Australia or from abroad. There are beautiful beaches, adventure parks, nature parks and so much more.
There are so many sights to see here. It is a pity to drive in a car and you'll miss a great part of it. Australia is home to many animals and birds that can only be seen when moving slowly and going into the areas that they live.
When you are on a bicycle, you have the advantage of being able to stop whenever you want to see an interesting animal or bird that you have never seen before. It is a quieter mode(方式) of transportation as well, so you might even be able to take a picture. When you are on the beach, you can breathe that clean air and view the beauty of the water and sand. It is a totally different experience from either simply sunbathing or passing it in a car.
There are many choices of hiring a bicycle to experience the Gold Coast attractions. There are stores that will fit a bike perfectly to your size. These bikes for both adults and children are in many styles and colors to please any taste. If you have ever wanted to try a tandem bike (双人单车), now is your chance, because they have those too.
A bicycle hire on Gold Coast is something that everyone should try at least once. This is a wonderful chance for anyone who likes to cycle and it is also a cheap way to travel with your family.
1. You'd better not drive in a car on Gold Coast because .| A．you will break the traffic rules |
| B．you will cause much noise |
| C．you can't enjoy the beautiful sights well |
| D．you can't drive into some parks |
| A．you can take photos of animals |
| B．it is a cheap way of traveling |
| C．you can get a clearer sight of animals |
| D．it is a good way to do sunbathing |
| A．How to hire bikes on Gold Coast. |
| B．What kinds of bikes there are in stores. |
| C．What bikes are the most popular. |
| D．Who can hire bikes on Gold Coast. |
| A．He supports it very much. |
| B．He thinks it's a personal choice. |
| C．He doesn't like this way of traveling. |
| D．He thinks it's only good for adults. |
Dr. Robert White, a famous professor and doctor, thinks he knows a way to help. He thinks doctors should make the brain very cold. If it is very cold, the brain can live without blood for 30 minutes. This gives the doctor a longer time to do something for the brain.
Dr. White tried his idea on 13 monkeys. First he taught them to do different jobs, then he operated on them. He made the monkeys' blood go through a machine. The machine cooled the blood. Then the machine sent the blood back to the monkeys' brains. When the brain' s temperature was 10°C, Dr. White stopped the blood to the brain. After 30 minutes he turned the blood back on. He warmed the blood again. After their operations the monkeys were like they had been before. They were healthy and busy. Each one could still do the jobs the doctor had taught them.
1. The biggest difficulty in operating on the damaged brain is that _______.
| A．the time is too short for doctors |
| B．the patients are often too nervous |
| C．the damage is extremely hard to fix |
| D．the blood-cooling machine might break down |
| A．taking the blood out of the brain |
| B．trying the operation on monkeys first |
| C．lowering the brain' s temperature |
| D．having the blood go through a machine |
a. send the cooled blood back to the brain
b. stop the blood to the brain
c. have the blood cooled down
d. operate on the brain
| A．a,b,c,d | B．c,a,b,d |
| C．c, b, d, a | D．b, c, d, a |
| A．can last as long as 30 minutes |
| B．can keep the brain's blood warm |
| C．can keep the patient's brain healthy |
| D．can help monkeys do different jobs |
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!”
The young man felt ashamed and left silently.
1. How did the young man find the precious stone?
| A．He found it in his food. | B．He dug it out in a valley. |
| C．He saw it in the woman’s bag. | D．He noticed it shining in the stream. |
| A．Money. | B．Worry. | C．Health. | D．Trouble. |
| A．he found the stone was not precious |
| B．he understood the real meaning of joy |
| C．he felt embarrassed at taking away the stone |
| D．he wanted to get something even more precious |
| A．A special stone | B．The joy of giving |
| C．A woman and a young man | D．An experience in the mountains |
