The “Doorman”

On a trip to California, my family stopped for lunch. As we walked toward the entrance to the restaurant, a man, with a　　beard and dirty hair, jumped up from a bench and opened the door for us. Regardless of his　　, he greeted us in a friendly way.

Once inside, my daughters whispered, “Mom, he　　. ”After we ordered our lunch, I explained, telling the kids to look　　the dirt. We then watched other customers approach the restaurant but many　　him. Seeing this rudeness truly upset me. The day I became a mother, I had resolved to set a good　　to my children. Yet sometimes when things didn’t go right, being a good example was　　. When our meal arrived, I realized I had left the car-sick pills in the truck. With the windiest trip ahead, the kids needed them, so I　　myself from the meal and went to get them.

Just then, the “doorman” was opening the door for a couple. They rushed past him without even acknowledging his　　. Letting them in first, I said a loud “thank you” to him as I　　.

When I returned, we talked a bit. He said he was not allowed inside　　he purchased food. I went back and told my family his　　. Then I asked our waitress to add one soup and sandwich. The kids looked　　as we had already eaten, but when I said the order was for the“doorman”, they smiled. When it was time to　　our trip, I noticed the“doorman”enjoying his meal. Upon seeing me, he stood up and thanked me heartily. He then　　his hand for a handshake and I gratefully accepted. I suddenly noticed the tears in his eyes—tears of　　. What happened next drew great astonishment: I gave the“doorman”a　　. He pulled away, with tears　　down his face.

Back in truck, I fell into deep thought. While we can’t choose many things in life, we can choose when to show gratitude(感恩). I said thanks to a man who had　　help open a door for me, and also said thanks for that　　to teach my children by example.

1.A. heavyB. long

C. messyD. grey

2.A. serviceB. appearance

C. statusD. attitude

3.A. smokesB. smiles

C. sniffsD. smells

4.A. beyondB. over

C. aroundD. into

5.A. hatedB. ignored

C. missedD. refused

6.A. targetB. rule

C. recordD. example

7.A. stressfulB. authentic

C. awkwardD. tough

8.A. excusedB. freed

C. preventedD. withdrew

9.A. companyB. presence

C. effortD. attempt

10. A. quittedB. marched

C. exitedD. approached

11.A. beforeB. unless

C. thoughD. since

12.A. storyB. deed

C. experienceD. demand

13. A. concernedB. shocked

C. puzzledD. bored

14.A. makeB. start

C. takeD. continue

15.A. liftedB. washed

C. raisedD. waved

16. A. approvalB. affectionC. sympathyD. gratitude

17. A. hugB. nod

C. liftD. clap

18. A. slippingB. streaming

C. rushingD. breaking

19. A. firmlyB. instantly

C. simplyD. politely

20.A. journeyB. wisdom

C. opportunityD. challenge

The purpose of a letter of application(求職信)is to help you to“sell”yourself. It should state　　the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and what you have　　. It should be simple, human, personal and brief without　　out any necessary facts.

In writing a letter of application, keep in　　that the things a possible employer is most　　to want to know about are your qualifications(條件), your achievements and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part. 　　the first few sentences fail to　　the reader’s attention, the rest of the letter may not be　　at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer not　　your own need or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “I saw your　　in today’s newspaper”, you might say“I have made a careful　　of your advertising during the past six months”or“I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives　　your product and why they like it. ”

Try to　　generalities(概述). Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now　　. College graduates looking for their first positions often ask“What can I　　in a letter? Employers want experience—which, naturally, no　　has. ”The answer is that everything you have ever done is　　.

It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter. 　　a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent　　is to enclose(內(nèi)附)a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it　　for a possible employer to get in touch with you.

1.A. easilyB. carefully

C. obviouslyD. clearly

2.A. doneB. found

C. knownD. heard

3. A. sendingB. leaving

C. takingD. picking

4.A. brainB. sight

C. mindD. order

5.A. probableB. possible

C. ableD. likely

6.A. WhileB. Although

C. IfD. As

7.A. winB. pay

C. showD. fix

8.A. keptB. read

C. writtenD. continued

9. A. fromB. for

C. intoD. to

10.A. articleB. report

C. advertisementD. introduction

11. A. watchB. study

C. searchD. discussion

12.A. useB. make

C. sellD. change

13. A. gainB. rememberC. protectD. avoid

14.A. applyingB. losing

C. preparingD. fitting

15.A. offerB. supply

C. provideD. mean

16. A. workerB. manager

C. ownerD. beginner

17.A. successB. experience

C. practiceD. development

18.A. StateB. Ask

C. MakeD. Get

19.A. resultB. idea

C. promiseD. decision

20. A. easierB. happier

C. cheaperD. safer

　　I’m a straight-A student and have been my whole life. When you come from a family of educators, it just seems　　.

With high academic standards and a competitive　　, I don’t just like losing and I also can’t　　it. I need to beat the　　students, perfectly in everything. I’ve even gone so far as to define myself by my　　, saying how outstanding I am. If I don’t get the grade I　　then I am lost.

Today I was sitting in class trying to　　the last minutes studying for a test in which I had to get full marks. 　　the girl behind me started talking to me, I tried to listen　　while still glancing at my study sheet　　. When I thought the conversation required it, I smiled, nodded and　　. And then I found myself wishing she would be　　so I could study. After a while, she said, “You know, you’re a really good　　. You’re so easy to talk to. ”I froze.

I replayed the praise in my head before smiling and accepting it　　. But inside, I knew it wasn’t true. She’d made every effort to have a conversation and I wasn’t even trying to　　.

I passed the test excellently despite my　　of lost study time, but the one thing I needed to learn most wasn’t on that test. I had　　being the best student so that I had failed at just being normal. So what　　to me most? What I have is all about my personal　　and about me being too self-centered. There can only be so many scholars, but there is　　enough sympathy. I want that to be what matters to me—sympathy.

1.A. usualB. helpless

C. unfortunateD. natural

2.A. spiritB. sport

C. schoolD. market

3.A. takeB. recommend

C. standD. help

4. A. ordinaryB. top

C. handsomeD. strong

5.A. strengthB. appearance

C. gradesD. tricks

6.A. inventB. expect

C. copyD. hide

7.A. saveB. spend

C. collectD. cost

8.A. WhenB. AfterC. BecauseD. Before

9. A. rudelyB. bitterly

C. excitedlyD. politely

10. A. in no timeB. on time

C. for a long timeD. now and then

11.A. refusedB. worked

C. agreedD. waited

12. A. quietB. gentle

C. prettyD. safe

13. A. talkerB. listener

C. lecturerD. teacher

14.A. angrilyB. carelessly

C. disappointedlyD. gladly

15. A. alarmB. gather

C. participateD. shout

16.A. fearB. joy

C. worryD. possession

17. A. given upB. focused on

C. complained ofD. dreamed of

18. A. happensB. matters

C. appealsD. devotes

19. A. successB. failure

C. depressionD. health

20.A. alwaysB. everC. muchD. never

　Beware of those who use the truth to deceive(欺騙). When someone tells you something that is　　, but leaves out important information that should be　　, he can create a false impression.

For example, someone might say, “I just　　a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and　　it in for one hundred dollars!”

This guy is a winner, 　　? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred　　, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big　　!

He didn’t say anything that was　　, but he deliberately left out some important　　. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically　　, but they are just as not　　.

Untrustworthy candidates in　　campaigns often use this tactic(手段). Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, the state lost one million jobs and　　three million jobs. Then she　　another term. One of her opponents runs an ad　　, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!”That’s true. 　　, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of　　million jobs. ”

Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s　　the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the　　. An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples. ”It　　to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.

This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.

1.A. falseB. true

C. interestingD. boring

2.A. includedB. contained

C. ignoredD. referred

3.A. lostB. found

C. donatedD. won

4.A. changedB. took

C. turnedD. made

5.A. rightB. wellC. reallyD. though

6.A. booksB. papers

C. ticketsD. balls

7.A. winnerB. loser

C. fighterD. thinker

8.A. trueB. real

C. doubtfulD. false

9.A. detailsB. information

C. mistakesD. errors

10.A. storiesB. truth

C. messagesD. lies

11. A. pleasantB. exciting

C. honestD. clever

12.A. politicalB. commercial

C. personalD. public

13.A. stoppedB. found

C. avoidedD. gained

14.A. seeksB. gets

C. achievesD. searches

15.A. writingB. telling

C. sayingD. speaking

16.A. OtherwiseB. However

C. MeanwhileD. Because

17. A. oneB. twoC. threeD. four

18.A. forB. to

C. againstD. in

19.A. wordsB. facts

C. dataD. truth

20.A. failsB. tries

C. managesD. plans

Move Earth—It’s Not Science Fiction

LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.

The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.

“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun, ”Laughlin said.

Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.

In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so“seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)—by cooking us.

That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(誤算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.

There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is“most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

1.What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

2.If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of　　　years.

A. 12 billion　B. 6 billion

C. 18 billion　D. 24 billion

3.What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon.

B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

4.What does the underlined word“compromise”mean?

A. Provide. B. Benefit.

C. Share. D. Endanger.

Every time Lionel Messi breaks a record, it seems appropriate to compare him to the legends that came before him.

In 2012, he rewrote soccer history on multiple occasions, and his latest record came when he scored his 86th goal of the calendar year, breaking Gerd Muller’s previous mark, before wrapping up the year with 91 goals.

All statistics indicate that Messi is currently the best player in the world, and that he will go down in history as the top footballer of his generation. But when he is judged against all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona, he still has work to do.

We don’t know whether the Barcelona striker will have another year in which he records more than 90 goals, but he must still sustain(維持)a similar level of production for the next several seasons.

Messi has already taken part in three of Barcelona’s victorious Champions League(冠軍聯(lián)賽)campaigns, and he played an important role in two of them. In order to firmly establish himself as the greatest club football player in history, he must win the tournament a few more times.

Most importantly, the Argentine(阿根廷人)needs to win on the international stage. Regardless of what Messi does for Barcelona, his legacy will be incomplete if he cannot win the World Cup with Argentina.

Both Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers, and Messi’s performances for his country have been severely disappointing.

While he was still a teenager in 2006-and his lackluster(平淡的)showing is excusable due to his youth-he cannot brush off the disappointment that characterized Argentina’s performance in 2010.

But the 4-0 loss to Germany in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final seems to have sparked Messi. He scored 12 times for Argentina last year, and the next World Cup could finally be Messi’s breakout performance in blue and white stripes.

Due to all of his accomplishments, it is easy to forget that the extraordinary footballer is just 25 years old. If he can avoid injury or lengthy slumps(低潮狀態(tài))until his speed and skills start to decline due to age, he may continue to break records and win trophies.

1.What will Messi have to do in order to be complete in his soccer career?

A. He must win the World Cup with Argentina.

B. He must win the tournament a few more times.

C. He must defeat Pele and Maradona.

D. He must avoid injury or lengthy slumps.

2.How was Messi’s performance in 2010 World Cup?

A. Excellent.

B. Inspiring.

C. Disappointing.

D. Normal.

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Messi has firmly established himself as the greatest club soccer player in history.

B. Messi will try his best to win the next World Cup with Argentina.

C. Messi can avoid injury and lengthy slumps to break records and win trophies.

D. Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. Lionel Messi, the Best Soccer Player of All Time

B. Lionel Messi, the Greatest Soccer Player in History

C. Barcelona and Lionel Messi

D. World Cup and Lionel Messi

NO matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you’ll see Lonely Planet guidebooks in the hands of travelers.

Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. This year marks the company’s 40th anniversary. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts, all dedicated to travel.

Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They save you time and keep you from missing the very best things in a place. And of course, their reviews of hostels, hotels and restaurants, in addition to ticket information about your destination, are useful.

This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map, directing the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.

But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自發(fā)性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also lament(哀嘆)that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same things and having the same experiences as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same trail.

Another criticism of travel guides is that they have an overly(過度的)large influence on local communities. For example, some locals dedicate their lives solely(僅僅)to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They fake a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses just to attract tourists’ dollars.

1.The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that　　　.

A. it can help you to save time and money when traveling

B. you will not miss the best things without having to make choices

C. it provides a lot of useful information about your destination

D. you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city

2.Who will find a Lonely Planet guidebook very useful?

A. Someone who always takes a taxi when traveling.

B. A tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences.

C. A person who’s nervous touring an unfamiliar place.

D. A native traveler who is traveling alone.

3.People criticize the guidebook because　　　.

A. the guidebook is not as useful as most travelers expect

B. travelers using it will be bored with meeting the same people on their journey

C. travelers using it may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures

D. local people keep their old lifestyle under the guidebook’s influence

4.What does the underlined word“fake”in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. mistake　　B. learn　　C. pretend　　D. create

From Avatar to Lord of the Rings, plants are no strangers to playing big movie roles. However, no one has ever shot a film that plants themselves can watch until now. In a New York art gallery, seven house plants have spent the last seven weeks watching Strange Skies, the first travel documentary for a vegetable audience. All the plants sat in the cinema in rows, enjoying themselves in Italian sunshine.

The movie was made by American artist Jonathon Keats. It consists of Italian skies recorded over two months and made into a six-minute-long movie. The film shows the clear dawn(黎明), high clouds, amazing dusk and then beautiful night. The movie has no sound and the plants, of course, do not applaud. But Stephen Squibb, a professor from Harvard University, said these plants could benefit from it—the light of the movie keeps them alive because they can continue the process of turning light into energy.

“I realized there was a much larger audience—plants—that were not being serviced, ”Keats said. “I wanted to provide plants with entertainment that companies such as Disney provide for humans. ”Meanwhile, Keats also wants to explore plants’ sensibilities(敏感性)further. He plans to open a“restaurant for plants”at a Californian museum.

One visitor, photographer Abbas Ebrahimi, admired(羨慕)the green audience, “Plants are better than us. We die and go, while in spring they come back each time. ”But when talking about the movie, he said after thinking for a few minutes, “It doesn’t mean anything to me at all. It’s just about light. For some people, it might mean something. ”

1.What can we learn about Keats according to the passage?

A. He is an artist from Harvard University.

B. He opened a restaurant for plants.

C. He made the film Strange Skies.

D. He liked recording Italian skies.

2.It can be learned that Strange Skies　　　.

A. has already created beautiful sound

B. was shot from dawn to dusk

C. made plants play roles in it

D. is the first travel film for plants

3.What did Stephen Squibb think of Strange Skies?

A. He thought it had explored plants’ sensibilities.

B. He thought it meant nothing to him.

C. He thought it could keep plants growing.

D. He thought it offered entertainment to plants.

4.Why did Abbas Ebrahimi admire the green audience?

A. Because they die and re-grow in spring.

B. Because they mean something to him.

C. Because there are more plants than people.

D. Because they can enjoy the movie.

What makes humans smarter than other animals? We’ve got a bigger brain, of course. But when it comes to brains, is bigger always better?

Traditionally, scientists have thought that humans’ superior intelligence derived(源于)mostly from the fact that our brains are three times bigger than those of our nearest living relatives, chimpanzees. People even used to believe that because men have slightly larger brains than women that men are smarter.

This, however, is not the truth. Scientists at University College London in the UK have found that brain organization, and not brain size, is the key to the superiority of human intelligence, reported Live Science.

Through millions of years of evolution, our ancestors were constantly pushed to get smarter so that they could meet the demands of new environments. However, holding this growing intelligence in increasingly large brains was not the best choice because bigger brains require more energy to power. “This is when reorganization may come into play, ”said Christophe Soligo, a member of the London research team.

In the study, scientists looked at the brains of 17 species of primates(靈長目動(dòng)物), including monkeys, apes and humans. They found that in the process of evolution, brains didn’t keep growing as a whole. Certain regions of the brain grew prior to others in response to species’ needs, and in this way they could make the best use of their limited brain space.

For example, when early humans were struggling to survive, the brain region in charge of using tools and finding food grew in size more than other regions. But in modern times, the prefrontal cortex(前額皮質(zhì))—the region in charge of social cognition(認(rèn)知), moral judgments and goal-directed planning—grew more than the rest of the brain.

Think of the brain as a room. If a big room is poorly organized, it doesn’t necessarily store more stuff than a smaller one.

Paul Manger, professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, explains this principle using the example of whales. He told Scientific American: “Whales have big brains, absolutely. But if you look at the actual structure of the brain, it’s not very complex. Brain size only matters if the rest of the brain is organized properly. ”

1.It has recently been found that humans are smarter than the other animals mainly because　　　.

A. they are a species of primates

B. they have much larger brains

C. their brain structure is more complex

D. they were constantly pushed to get smarter

2.According to the article, in recent human evolution, 　　　.

A. the brain kept growing in size to adapt to new environments

B. most regions of the brain didn’t change

C. the prefrontal cortex grew more than the rest of the brain

D. humans’ brains became increasingly simple so that humans could survive

3.What can we conclude from the article?

A. Gender makes a difference in intelligence.

B. The size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence.

C. Species whose brain is organized properly tend to be smarter.

D. Larger brains are usually organized better than smaller ones.

4.The method the writer uses to develop the last paragraph is　　　.

A. by presenting research data

B. by giving examples

C. by making a comparison

D. by analyzing cause and effect

Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. Many others and I have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot. My words for last year were“passion”, “focus”and“delegate”and I stayed true to them. This year, 2013, my goals are more personal and less professional.

FOCUS

Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I’m too much of a multitasker. The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer, all my projects were handled via a schedule, I’m putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule.

HEALTH

I get so busy taking care of everyone else, and I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check, not only for me but because I promised my 9-year-old son. I’ll make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss being thin, and it’s time to get it back.

CELEBRATE

What good is having it if I’m not taking time to enjoy it? I have a wonderful job, a happy family, and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working? Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years, the best thing I’ve done for myself and my family in a long time. This year, I’m making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings.

Do you have any words for 2013?

1.The underlined word “multitasker” probably refers to a person who　　　.

A. makes a living by writing

B. always fails to finish a task on time

C. has several things to do at the same time

D. pays more attention to fitness and housekeeping

2. Why does the writer have“HEALTH”as one of his three words?

A. He wants to take better care of others.

B. He’s gaining weight and feeling bad.

C. He did not take any exercise in the past.

D. He got the idea from his son.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The word“CELEBRATE”can remind the writer to enjoy life.

B. The writer has a vacation with his family every four years.

C. The word“FOCUS”can help the writer focus on his family.

D. The writer used to be overweight for lack of exercise.

4.The best title for the passage might be　　　.

A. Three Words for 2013

B. Health Should Go First

C. Keep Organized

D. Goals for 2013