阅读理解

　　Do you know who invented the slide-fastener, or rather, the zipper(拉链)?No one thought of anything like the zipper until Whitcomb Judson came along．Judson’s slide-fastener was an out-of-blue invention．No one knows what gave him the idea．No one even knows much about him, except that he was a mechanical engineer living in Chicago and that he patented other inventions to do with a street railway system and motorcars．

　　Judson invented the first zipper in 1891．This ingenious little device looks very simple, and the principle behind it is simple, too; yet it took a lot of years, together with another inventor to make the zipper really practical．

　　The zipper had to be produced cheaply, because no one would pay a lot of money for it．Judson invented a machine to mass-produce his slide-fastener．But the machine was terribly complicated and kept on breaking down．So in 1905 Judson invented a new fastener, the C-curity, which was easier to manufacture．Clothing manufacturers, however, were not the least bit interested in trying out the fasteners, so the only way Judson could get them on to the market was by letting pedlars(小贩) sell them from door to door．Moreover, the C-curity fastener was clumsy and had a bad habit of bursting open at inconvenient times．

　　Then a young Swedish engineer called Sundback came to work for Judson’s struggling company．He thought hard and decided that the interlocking parts needed to be much smaller to give the fastener greater flexibility and to stop it bursting open．After several attempts, Sundback invented a really practical fastener in 1913．It is in all important ways the same as the one we use today．

　　Clothing manufacturers still refused to use the fastener．But in 1918 an inventor showed the American army a flying suit he had invented．It happened to use the slide-fastener．The army put the suit through such tough tests that it disintegrated(分裂)－all except the fastener!A Navy officer happened to see the tests, and Judson’s unknown little company got an order for ten thousand fasteners．Later, Judson’s invention was used in the manufacture of rubber galoshes(橡胶套鞋) by a big company．They called the galoshes `Zippers′．This is how the slide-fastener got it s popular name．

阅读理解

　　“I sat-in at a restaurant for six months, and when they finally agreed to serve me, they didn’t have what I wanted”－so went a famous line．In reality, the sit-in movement was not a joke．It began in Greensboro, North Carolina, at 4∶30 P.M., on the afternoon of February 1, 1960．On that day, Ezell Blair Jr．, Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, and Franklin McClain entered an F．W．Woolworth store．They sat down at a segregated(分开的) lunch counter, ordered coffee, and then refused to leave when told,“We don’t serve Negroes．”

　　The four young men had expected not to be served．What no one had expected, however, was that they would sit there and politely, but firmly, refuse to leave．This was 1960, and throughout the South black people were not allowed to sit at the same lunch counters with whites, swim at the same beaches, use the same water fountains, or worship at the same churches．Segregation was the law, and it meant separation of the races in every way．

　　The next day, the four returned to Woolworth’s－this time accompanied by sixteen other students．Again they sat at the lunch counter and requested service．Again they were refused．And again, they declined to leave．On Wednesday, February 3, seventy students filled the Woolworth’s store．This time, the group included white students as well as black．Many brought school books and studied while they waited．By this time, their protest had become known nationwide as a“sit-in”．

　　On Thursday, there was trouble．An angry group of white teenagers began shoving and cursing them but were quickly removed by the police．By February 10, the sit-in movement had spread to five other states．

　　By September 1961, more than 70,000 people, both black and white, had participated in sit-ins at segregated restaurants and lunch counters, kneel-ins(祈祷示威) at segregated churches, read-ins at segregated libraries, and swim-ins at segregated pools and beaches．Over 3,600 people had been arrested, and more than 100 students had been expelled．But they were getting results．On June 10, 1964, the U．S Senate passed a major civil rights bill outlawing racial discrimination in all public places．President Lyndon Johnson signed it on July 2, and it became law．But the highest credit still goes to the four brave students from North Carolina who first sat-in and waited it out．

阅读理解

　　The host poured the tea into the cup and placed it on the small table in front of his guests, who were a father and daughter, and put the lid on the cup with a clink．Apparently thinking of something, he hurried into the inner room, leaving the thermos on the table．His two guests heard a chest of drawers opening and a rustling．

　　They remained sitting in the parlor, the ten-year-old daughter looking at the flowers outside the window, the father just about to take his cup, when the crash came, right there in the parlor．Something was hopelessly broken．

　　It was the thermos, which had fallen to the floor．The girl looked over her shoulder abruptly, startled, staring．It was mysterious．Neither of them had touched it, not even a little bit．True, it hadn’t stood steadily when their host placed it on the table, but it hadn’t fallen then．

　　The crash of the thermos caused the host, with a box of sugar cubes in his hand, to rush back from the inner room．He gawked at the steaming floor and blurted out,“It doesn’t matter!It doesn’t matter!”

　　The father started to say something．Then he muttered,“Sorry, I touched it and it fell．”

　　“It doesn’t matter,”the host said．

　　Later, when they left the house, the daughter said,“Daddy, did you touch it?”

　　“No．But it stood so close to me．”

　　“But you didn’t touch it．I saw your reflection in the windowpane．You were sitting perfectly still．”

　　The father laughed．“What then would you give as the cause of its fall?”

　The thermos fell by itself．The floor is uneven．It wasn’t steady when Mr．Li put it there．Daddy, why did you say that you…?

　　“That won’t do, girl．It sounds more acceptable when I say I knocked it down．There are things which people accept less, the more you defend them．The truer the story you tell, the less true it sounds．”

　　The daughter was lost in silence for a while．Then she said,“Can you explain it only this way?”

　　“Only this way,”her father said．

阅读理解

　　An Australian adventurer has taken on a dangerous bid to become the first kayaker(皮艇手)to paddle 1,600 kilometers(1,000 miles)from his country to New Zealand．

　　Having spent five years planning his trip across the Tasman Sea, Andrew McAuley, 39, ignored strong request by marine police to stop an attempt they described as“dangerous and high-risk”．McAuley left early from Fortescue in south-eastern Tasmania on a risky journey that was expected to take a month．

　　McAuley, who was last year’s Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, has equipped his kayak with navigation and safety equipment to protect him from the bad weather at night．Although well prepared for his 1,600-kilometre adventurous journey, he admitted on his website earlier that he was both excited and scared．“The balance of each emotion changes from time to time, but overall I can’t wait to get out there and get it done,”wrote McAuley．“I’m hungry for some paddling!”

　　McAuley aims to reach New Zealand’s Milford Sound in 30 days, where he will present his passport to New Zealand customs authorities．“You know it’s a long kayak trip when you need your passport,”he said．

　　McAuley admitted the Tasman crossing, which had been attempted just twice by others－unsuccessfully－would be“very hard going”．However, a wealth of experience at sea gave him some idea of what to expect, he said．

　　Between 2000 and 2003, McAuley crossed the Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia three times, and last year led an 850- kilometer Antarctic kayaking expedition．In 2004, he completed the 530-kilometer Gulf of Carpentaria crossing, northern Australia, sleeping in his kayak in rough oceans for six nights and“battling salt sores, fever and encounters with sharks and sea snakes along the way”．

阅读理解

　　The most common way to find a job opening is by reading the classified ads section of your local newspaper．Some people also get job leads from their school counselors．If you’re interested in working at a restaurant, bookstore garden center, or other service business in your area, the best approach is to go there and fill out an application form．

　　If you can afford to work on a short-term basis without pay, volunteering can be a great way to get quality experience that looks good on a resume．Check out the volunteer center in your area(or online)for ideas and offer to coach soccer or help out with a summer camp．Help your favorite teacher tutor summer-school students．Walk dogs at your local animal shelter．Work with a local environmental organization on river cleanup．Volunteering means you’ll be working for a good cause－something that future employers or colleges like to see on an applicant’s resume－while investing time in your career goals．

　　Your school counselor may be able to help open other doors of opportunity via internships．Some companies and businesses offer bright students short-term, hands-on training in exchange for a willingness to learn and work hard．If you perform well at our internship, you may be offered a full-time job next summer or even an ongoing part-time job．Internships can also provide you with valuable references that can help you to land future jobs．

　　If traditional job opportunities don’t appeal to you, consider more creative opportunities．Be your own boss by starting a pet sitting, dog walking, lawn care, computer services, or cleaning business．Print up flyers(小传单)advertising the services your business offers, your rates, and your phone number or email address, then drop one off at every house in your neighborhood．

　　Some others also ask me how to have an interview．It’s not just previous job history or unique skills that matter at the interview．Both your attitude and your appearance affect your chances of getting the job you want．You’ve probably heard your parents talk about making a good first impression with what you wear．

阅读理解

　　Songs that make our hearts happy can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday．

　　They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels(血管)dilated in much the same way as when they are laughing, or taking blood medications．

　　“We have a pretty impressive effect,”said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology(心脏病学)at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore．

　　“Blood vessel diameter improved,”he said．“The vessel opened up pretty significantly．You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise．”A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins．

　　When blood vessels open up more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the clots(凝块)that cause heart attacks and strokes．“We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but rather to add this to an overall program of heart health,”said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans．

　　Miller’s team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music．They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function．

　　Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music．Listening to music they disliked－in most cases in this group heavy metal－blood vessels narrowed by six percent, Miller said．

　　Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering that laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly．“I asked myself what other things make us feel real good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course．Music came to mind…It makes me feel really good,”he said．

　　Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important rather than what pleases each individual．

阅读理解

　　A small bag of baked Cheetos could be sold during school hours, but forget about Gatorade or even whole milk．

　　New food rules proposed(建议)by state education officials on Friday would not permit the sale of snacks with too much fat, sugar or calories during the school day, as well as carbonated drinks, juice drinks that aren’t 100 percent juice and milk that isn’t low-fat．

　　Baked Cheetos would make the cut because a 1-ounce bag doesn’t exceed(超过)35 percent in fat calories－one of the proposed standards．But Gatorade has too much sugar, state officials said．Only non-flavored, non-sweetened and non-carbonated water will do．

　　Food and drinks that don’t meet the guidelines still could be placed in school selling machines but couldn’t be sold during school hours at elementary and middle schools．

　　The proposed rules are part of Gov．Rod Blagojevich’s push to ban school junk food．High schools are not included in the proposals．

　　Now, pupils up to 5th grade can’t buy junk food during breakfast and lunch．

　　The proposed rules would extend that restriction to before and throughout the school day, and to youngsters through grade 8．

　　The state now defines junk food by types of food, such as candy and potato chips．The proposed rules set limits for calorie, fat and sugar content instead, so healthier versions of snacks, such as baked chips, could be sold．

　　The Illinois State Board of Education is expected to approve the guidelines next week, but the new rules still require a legislative(立法的)review．Education officials would like to see the rules in place next school year．

阅读理解

　　Out and about

　　Use personal stereos and mobile telephones with care．

　　If possible, walk in the direction of oncoming traffic, in the middle of the pavement

　　Look after your valuables; keep your house and car keys separate from your bag．

　　Taxis and mini cabs

　　Whenever possible pre-book a taxi．

　　Use a reputable company; transport for London maintains a list．

　　When traveling alone sit in the back seat．

　　In your car

　　Have your keys ready so that you can get straight into your parked car．

　　Consider locking your doors when traveling and when you leave your car to pay for your fuel．

　　You may wish to take a mobile telephone but you must have a hands-free system to use it while driving．

　　Children

　　Don’t dress children in clothing with their name on it．

　　Teach them not to speak to people they do not know．

　　Teach them an emergency contact number．

　　Public transport

　　Plan your journey; know the timetable．

　　If possible, try not to travel alone．

　　Avoid sitting upstairs on a double-decker bus．

　　Be discreet with your conversation; you never know who is listening．

　　Home security

　　Whenever you go out, always lock the doors and close the windows．

　　Use European Standard locks on the front and back doors and on windows．Ensure you draw the curtains after dark．

　　Avoid displaying identification．Do not put your name on the letterbox or bell．

　　Confirm the identity of callers．

阅读理解

　　“Don’t sit so close to the TV,”Susan Thomas yells from the kitchen to her children in the living room．“It’ll hurt your eyes．”

　　Thomas isn’t an eye doctor, but there’s no doubt in her mind that sitting too close to the television is bad for your vision．“It’s just something that everyone knows is true,” she says．“The world is round, puppies are cute, and sitting too close to the TV is bad for your eyes．”

　　Thomas, and millions of other people, however, might be surprised to learn that this old wives’ tale isn’t true．Sitting close to the TV might make your eyes feel tired but, according to medical studies, it won’t damage them．The same is true of reading in inadequate(不充足的)light．

　　Old wives’ tales, those stories and bits of everyday advice that get passed down through the generations, seem to be a part of every culture．While some of them have a grain of truth to them, many others are completely false．For example, if you go outside with wet hair, you’ll catch a cold．No．Colds are caused by viruses, so going out with wet hair(or even naked)on a cold day won’t make you sick．

　　“Carrots are good for your eyes．You’ve never seen a rabbit wearing glasses, have you?”Partially true．Carrots contain a chemical which prevents eye disease, but other vegetables like spinach have much more of it．

　　“Don’t crack your knuckles(指关节)－it’ll give you arthritis(关节炎)．”Not in this lifetime．Cracking your knuckles may make an unpleasant noise, but it doesn’t damage your hands in any way．

　　Of course that doesn’t mean that all old wives’ tales are nonsense．For example, you can tell what kind of husband a man will make by the way he treats his mother．Now those are words to live by．

阅读理解

　　One evening Mr．Green was driving in his car along a lonely country road．He had been to London where he had drawn ￡50 from the bank, and he was now returning home with the money which he had put in his pocket book．At the loneliest part of the road a man in shabby, badly-fitting clothes stopped him and asked for a lift．Mr．Green told him to get into the car and continued on his way．As he talked to the man he learned that he had been in prison for robbery and had broken out of prison two days ago．Mr．Green was very worried at the thought of ￡50 that he had put in his pocket book．Suddenly he saw a police-car and had a bright idea．He had just reached a small town where the speed limit was 30 miles an hour．He pressed down the accelerator and drove the car as fast as it would go．He looked back and saw that the police-car had seen him and had begun to chase him．After a mile or so the police-car overtook him and ordered him to stop．A policeman got out and came to Mr．Green’s car．Mr．Green had hoped that he could tell the policeman about the escaped robber, but the man had taken a gun out of his pocket and had put it to Mr．Green’s back．The policeman took out his notebook and pencil and said he wanted Mr．Green’s name and address．Mr．Green asked to be taken to the police station but the policeman said,“No, I want your name and address now．You will have to appear at the police court later．”So, Mr．Green gave the policeman his name and address．The policeman wrote it down, put his notebook and pencil back in his pocket and gave Mr．Green a talk about dangerous driving．Then Mr．Green started up his car again and drove on．He had given up all hope of his ￡50, but just as he reached the outskirts of London, the passenger said he wanted to get out here．Mr．Green stopped the car, the man got out and said,“Thanks for the lift．You’ve been good to me．This is the least I can do in return．”And he handed Mr．Green the policeman’s notebook．

　　While the policeman had talked to Mr．Green, the thief had stolen the notebook．