Being online is no
2 . “If you could have any three things, what would you want?”
Eleven-year-old Ruby Kate Chitsey loves asking that question, but it’s not a game she plays at recess(课间). She asks it at nursing homes in the Harrison, Arkansas, where she lives. Even more amazing, she then sets out to make the residents’ wishes come true.
Ruby Kate often tags along with her mother, Amanda, who works at nursing home in the summer. “I’ve never found them scary at all, so I’m able to just go up to them and ask if they need anything,” she says.
Last May, Ruby K ate noticed a resident named Pearl staring out a window. She seemed sad. “What are you looking at?” Ruby Kate asked. Pearl said she was watching her dog being led away by his new owner after a visit. Pearl didn’t know when she would see her dog again. Pearl was a medicaid recipient, who got only $40 a month to spend on personal items. Ruby Kate and Amanda asked around and discovered that many residents are unable to afford even the smallest luxuries. So Ruby Kate decided to do something about it.
She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most. “That’s a lot simpler than going, ‘Hey, what do you want?’” she explains. “They can understand you better.” Amanda worried that people would ask for things an 11-year-old wouldn’t be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald’s fries, and even just a prayer.
“It broke me as a human,” Amanda says. “We left the nursing home that day and went straight to a store and bought as many items as we could.”
Using their own money, the Chitseys granted the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for donations. The good people of Harrison responded enthusiastically, and they raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.
1. Why does Ruby often ask the same question?A.She likes hearing everyone’s stories. |
B.It makes her famous in the community. |
C.She finds it amusing to repeat the question. |
D.She wants to help residents in nursing homes. |
A.Pearl was in good health. | B.Pearl couldn’t afford to keep her dog. |
C.Pearl was too old to raise a dog. | D.Pearl sold her dog for small luxuries. |
A.The residents’ gratitude for Amanda’s assistance. |
B.The popularity Ruby achieved for her good deeds. |
C.The simplicity and sincerity of the residents’ requests. |
D.The residents’ enthusiasm and optimism in difficult times. |
A.Action speak louder than words. | B.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
C.Kindness is the language of the heart. | D.Nothing is difficult to a willing heart. |
6 . Earlier this year, I removed all Internet services from my home, which was very upsetting at first, but I have lived that way.
I was not content with the time I was wasting—
Now the Internet is a tool I use to improve my life.
It will be upsetting at first, but you will live, and your life will be better without it.
A.Here are some of my tips to use the Internet in a more productive way |
B.Since I got rid of the Internet at home, I’ve found so many benefits |
C.I don’t have a monthly Internet bill |
D.I learnt to think independently |
E.It ended up being the most productive and wisest decision I’ve ever made |
F.I log on to watch some videos or laugh at funny pictures |
G.I felt I could do more purposeful things than spend it on the Internet |
7 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms (海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model thatprojectschanges to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 39C, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener.” Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing,” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “ but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”
1. What directly makes the change of the ocean’s appearance?A.The increase of phytoplankton. |
B.The way light reflects off the organisms. |
C.The type and concentration of phytoplankton. |
D.The decline of phytoplankton. |
A.Control. | B.Use. |
C.Predict. | D.Discover. |
A.Phytoplankton are sensitive to the ocean’s warming trend. |
B.Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide at the bottom of the ocean. |
C.Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear bluer |
D.Data have been found to show the change in the colour of the ocean |
A.To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton. |
B.To explain the effect of climate change on oceans. |
C.To analyze the consequences of ocean colour changes. |
D.To analyze the composition of the ocean food chain. |
8 . Welcome to Los Angeles. Here are some best things to do in Los Angeles (LA) with your kids.
Fall at the Beach
Thanks to its almost perfect weather all through the year, a visit to the beach is one of the best things to do when in Los Angeles with kids. While they enjoy themselves nearby, you can simply relax and have a good rest in the sun.
Trip to Disneyland
A trip to the City of Angels with your little angels is incomplete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom. The joy they'll feel from being around all those Disney characters will light up your day, too.
Visit to the museums
If you want to turn your stay in LA into an educational one for your kids, you should visit the museums. Starting with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, or the California Science Center, or even the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, you have many choices. I'm sure a visit to all these places will make your kids feel smarter.
Visit to the Universal Studios Hollywood
Your kids could get to see interesting things from some of the most popular movies ever. From the theme park of Jurassic Park to Wisteria Lane from the TV play Desperate Housewives, the Universal Studios Hollywood is a place that we all find wonderful.
1. The passage is written for those who ________.A.will go on a business trip to Los Angeles |
B.plan to have a trip to Los Angeles with their kids |
C.want to educate their children by traveling abroad |
D.are interested in the history and culture of Los Angeles |
A.the Universal Studios Hollywood |
B.the Magic Kingdom |
C.the museums |
D.the beach |
A.children can learn a lot there |
B.parents can take a rest there |
C.it provides different sports equipment |
D.it’s the best beach in the world |
9 . Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something
Molai
A.dream | B.job | C.home | D.choice |
A.nature | B.youth | C.culture | D.knowledge |
A.precious | B.interesting | C.disturbing | D.awkward |
A.waste | B.tension | C.pain | D.damage |
A.Besides | B.However | C.Therefore | D.Otherwise |
A.agreed | B.realized | C.remembered | D.predicted |
A.noise | B.heat | C.disease | D.dust |
A.directions | B.partners | C.help | D.shelter |
A.labor | B.police | C.forest | D.finance |
A.rebuilt | B.discovered | C.left | D.managed |
A.Decorating | B.Observing | C.Watering | D.Guarding |
A.tough | B.illegal | C.fantastic | D.beneficial |
A.back | B.top | C.foot | D.side |
A.cool down | B.keep off | C.purify | D.collect |
A.returned | B.learned | C.failed | D.continued |
10 . If you want to convince the boss you deserve a pay rise or promotion, the solution could be simple --- eat the same food as they do. Psychologists have discovered managers are much more likely to instantly trust us if we choose the same dishes as them.
During experiments, discussions over wages and work conditions were much more successful if both sides chose to snack on the same treats. And shoppers were much more likely to buy a product advertised on TV by someone eating a similar food to them at the time.
The reason is thought to be the so–called similarity attraction theory --- where people tend to like others who have similar tastes or habits to themselves. But this is believed to be one of the first studies highlighting the role of food in this relationship. Researchers at Chicago University in the US conducted a series of experiments to examine food’s role in earning trust.
In a test, participants were told to watch TV --- where someone pretending to be a member of the public praised a certain product. The volunteers were given Kit Kat bars to nibble, while the TV people ate either a Kit Kat or grapes as they talked.
The results showed viewers were much more likely to express an interest in buying the product if the TV showed the other person eating a Kit Kat too. The researchers added, “Although similarity in food consumption is not a sign of whether two people will get along, we find consumers treat this as such. They feel more trusting of those who consume as they do. It means people can immediately begin to feel friendship and develop a bond, leading to smoother transactions from the start.”
Harley Street psychologist Dr. Lucy Atcheson said it was already known that wearing similar clothes could instantly create trust. But this was the first report that food had the same effect. She said, “This is really interesting. It makes sense as people feel they have common ground and can trust the other person. That means negotiations are more likely to be successful.”
1. According to the passage, customers are likely to buy a product from a dealer who ______.A.advertises his products on TV | B.has the same taste as them |
C.reduces the price of his products | D.pays attention to the quality of his products |
A.food plays an important role in earning people’s trust |
B.bosses like employees that have the same taste as them |
C.people who have similar tastes to their boss’s earn more |
D.people have less interest in buying products advertised on TV |
A.People who eat similar food are more likely to trust each other. |
B.People will get along with each other if they like to eat similar things. |
C.The effect of wearing similar clothes hasn’t been proved by researchers. |
D.People are more likely to make friends with those wearing the same clothes as them. |
A.Honesty is the best policy. | B.All good things come to an end. |
C.Birds of a feather flock together. | D.Where there is a will, there is a way. |