Whenever the sun dropped and the blue sky came up, my father and I used to climb the mountain near my house. Walking together, my father and I used to have a lot of conversations through which I learned lessons from his experiences. He always told me, “You should have goals like climbing the mountain.” Without the mountain-climbing that we both enjoyed ，we couldn’t have enough time to spend together because my father was very busy. I really got a lot from mountain-climbing. It gave me time to talk with my father and to be in deep thought as well as develop my patience (耐力).

Once we climbed a very high mountain. It was so challenging for me because I was only ten years old. During the first few hours of climbing . I enjoyed the flowers and trees, and the birds’ singing, but as time passed, I got a pain in both of my legs. I wanted to quit climbing. In fact, I hated it at that mountain, but my father said to me, “You can always see a beautiful sky at the top of the mountain, but you can’t see it before you reach the top. Only there at the top, can you see all of the nice things, just like in life.”

At that time, I was too young to understand his words. But later after that, I got new hope and confidence. I found myself standing at the top of the sky, which was as clear as crystal (水晶).

66. The passage tells us that mountain-climbing was _____for Father and Son.

A. hard      B. enjoyable       C. painful      D. comfortable

67. The word “quit” in the passage means “______”.

A. carry on    B. put off      C. give up      D. pick up

68. Which of the following is the closest (最接近的) in meaning to the father’s words in the second paragraph?

A. You will get all you need at the top of the mountain. 

B. The sky is always as clear as crystal.

C. You can find life is full of nice things.              D. Never give up half-way.

69. We can infer (推断) from the last paragraph that ______.

A. the writer was very successful in his life.    B. the writer reached the top of the mountain.

C. thought the writer was young, he could understand his father.

D. the writer used to stop half-way when he climbed the mountain.

70. The best title (题目) for the passage is “______”.

A. Reaching the Top of the Mountain       B. Standing at the Top of the Mountain

C. Conversations between Father and Son   D. How to Get to the Top of the Mountain

 

Curiosity is an important characteristic of a genius. You can’t find an intellectual giant who is not a curious person.

  1  This is necessary if you are to have a curious mind. Some things you know and believe might be wrong, and you should be prepared to accept things you don’t know or you don’t quite agree on.

  2 If you just accept the world as it is, you will certainly lose your “curiosity”. Try to discover what is beneath(在…下面) the surfaces of things around you.

Ask questions from time to time. A sure way to discover what is beneath the surface is by asking questions: What is that? Why does it make that way? How does it work? And so on. 3  

See learning as something that is fun. If you see learning as a burden, it will just make the burden heavier. But if you can find learning interesting, it will open another door.  4  

Read different kinds of reading materials. Don’t spend too much time on just one subject.  5  It will introduce you to other possibilities that may interest you.

A．Search for ideas to write about.

B．So make an effort to enjoy the learning process.

C．Discuss your ideas with other people.

D．Feed your mind with interesting facts about different subjects.

E. Keep an open mind.

F. It is the simplest way for curious people to increase their knowledge.

G. Try to look into the things.

 

In November of 2007, NBC Universal launched（发起） its first official Green Week. Throughout the week, NBC Universal presented over 150 hours of environmentally themed content across multiple platforms.

Now, NBC Universal is proud to present Green Week 2009. With a new theme and message of "Green Your Routine," Here at NBC and NBC.com we celebrate our talent in the "The More You Know" PSA campaign, presenting green-themed tips in several of our daytime life, among several other features here on the "Green Your Routine" site.

Fashion & Beauty

Throw a clothes swap party! Dying for that sweater your friend wore the other day? Well, maybe she'll trade for that old T-shirt you have. Here's a website that helps you organize a swap party (www.swapstyle.com), or just plan your own!

Go natural with organic make-up. Applying unnatural products directly on your skin wasn't exactly what nature intended. Try switching to a line of organic make-up and cosmetics for a different way to bring out your natural beauty.

Home

Drop a brick in your toilet tank! Literally! According to the EPA, flushing（冲洗）makes up 30 percent of a household's water use (about three to six gallons per flush). By placing a brick in your toilet tank, you can help to conserve the amount of water used during each flush.

Work

Print smarter. Printing and copying can be one of the most costly operations in any office. To save on ink and paper costs, print double-sided and try to fit more than one page on a sheet. More printing tips can be found here: lifehacker.com

Turn off your computer. Do you leave your computer on overnight? If so, you're using up a good amount of electricity. When you can, try turning off your computer and the power strip it's connected to. If you can't, at least shut off your monitor.

Transportation

Organize a carpool. There are many benefits to carpooling. You save on gas, reduce wear and tear on your car, and you get to ride in the HOV lanes. Get connected with your neighbours and co-workers to start sharing rides and check out this website for more tips: www.erideshare.com.

Lose the car, get a bike. If you live close to where you work, try taking a bike instead of driving. You'll keep in shape and save on gas!

Every small step and effort makes a difference! Be sure to GREEN YOUR ROUTINE!

1.NBC Universal holds Green Week activities ___________.

       A. in a university          B. in a park           C. in an office          D. on the internet

2.This year, Green Week welcomes ____________.

A. advice on how to improve the website                  

B. suggestions about how to make their activities more interesting

C. tips on what to do to make our life greener

D. opinions on whether we should have campaigns

3.If you want to carpool with somebody, you can find more advice and information at______.

       A. www.swapstyle.com                                            B. www.erideshare.com

       C. www. lifehacker.com                                           D. www. NBC.com

4.Which is NOT recommended by Green Week this year?

       A. Using things like cucumbers to beautify your skin.

       B. Reducing the room of your toilet tank to save water when flushing.

       C. Giving away your old clothes to those in need of them.

       D. Printing and using computers in an economical way.

 

 

    Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent(具备智能的). They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.

    The touch-screen devices(触摸屏装置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.

    Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.

    Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.

    “The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander. “They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”

    People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system(系统) that will organize the trip around the store. If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.

    The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.

    The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.

1. The underlined word “they” (paragraph 1) refers to ______.

  A. supermarkets  B. shop assistants    C. shopping carts           D. shop managers

2. Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?

  a. Start the system.                                               b. Make a shopping list.

  c. Find the things you want.                                  d. Go to a self-checkout stand.

  A. abdc                            B. bacd                        C. acbd                        D. bcad

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.

  A. intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money

  B. the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices

  C. shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid

  D. average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices

4. What might be the most suitable title for the text?

  A. New age for supermarkets                 

B. Concierge and Shopping Buddy

  C. New computers make shopping carts smarter            

D. Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

 

Are you stuck in a rut（车辙）and looking for a change? Fed up of seeing hungry, poor faces on your TV screen and want to do something to help? Perhaps you’ve considered volunteering overseas but ruled it out because you thought you were too old, couldn’t commit enough time, or have a family. If so, think again.

“Over the past five years it has become far safer --- and more professionally acceptable --- to take up a job volunteering overseas,” says David Stitt, managing director of Gap Year for Grown Ups, a company catering for volunteers in their late 20s and upwards. “While 10 years ago intrepid souls took financial and personal risks in volunteering abroad, now several organizations exist to make the experience safe and well-organized.

Nowadays, universities and business encourage overseas volunteering among students and employees. Entire families can volunteer abroad, and agencies are employing more disabled and retired people. A prosperous “humanitarian tourism” industry has sprung up; thousands of UK citizens will do some form of overseas volunteering this year.

“Some volunteering jobs are easier to find than others,” explains Kevin Cusack, from a volunteer advice agency. “If you can speak English, it’s not too hard to land a job teaching English, even without a qualification, and those who enjoy working with children should be able to find child care work.” zxxk

Whether your interest is rainforests or women’s rights, you can find a volunteer position to suit you. But be warned: unless you have relevant skills or existing overseas development experience, it’s going to cost. Just how much depends on the location and length of the position, but you should budget for somewhere between £1,500 and £6,000.

“Having to pay to volunteer may sound paradoxical (矛盾的), but it’s the best way to ensure you get a position that benefits the local community while matching your interests and skills,” explains Cusack.  “You can also discuss the time you want to commit to a project --- many positions can fit into a holiday or even a weekend.”

1.The underlined words “intrepid souls” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to ___________.

A．companies        B．volunteers         C．fighters           D．students

2.In Kevin Cusack’s opinion, paying to volunteer overseas ___________.

A．must be incredible and unrealistic

B．can help volunteers learn more about another culture

C．may benefit both volunteers and the community they work in

D．needs confidence, courage and determination

3.What can we learn from the text?

A．Disabled people can also take up a job volunteering overseas.

B．In the past no one could take up a job volunteering overseas.

C．“Humanitarian tourism” industry is in its beginning stage.

D．Taking up a job volunteering overseas needs at least £1,500.

4.Where can we most probably read this article?

A．In a job guidebook.

B．In a celebrity biography.

C．In a guidebook to work overseas.

D．In a report on volunteer work.

5.What is the writer’s attitude towards volunteer work?

A．Critical.           B．Unfavorable.       C．Supportive.        D．Disagreeable.