At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer. The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France. After four horrible years as an army private fighting in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February 1946. Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada. Two months later he was on his way.
When the old car rumbled (发着辘辘声) toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five foot and four inches frame. The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You’re a skinny thing.” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids. “Money is tight. You’ll get room and board. You’ll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again. Ten dollars a week. Sundays off.” Stanley nodded. He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job.
From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family. They made fun of the way he dressed and talked. He could do nothing right. The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake. The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played tricks on him. But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded.
Stanley never became part of the Lapine family. After work, they ignored him. He spend his nights alone in a tiny bedroom. However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer’s horses, eagerly awaiting him at the field gate. He called them his gentle giants. On Saturday nights he hitch-hiked into the nearest town and wandered the streets or enjoyed a restaurant meal before returning to the farm.
Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months as his farmhand. The railway station master, when questioned later that week, said he had not seen him. In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again. That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand, opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey (赛马骑师), Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada.”
【小题1】Stanley Vine decided to go to Canada because ___________.

A．he wanted to escape from war-torn France

B．he wanted to serve in the Canadian army

C．he couldn’t find a job in England

D．he loved working as a farmhand

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Stanley joined the French army when he was 18 years old.

B．On the farm Stanley had to milk the cows 14 times a week.

C．The Lapine family were very rich but cruel to Stanley.

D．Stanely read about the job offer in a newspaper.

【小题3】What did Stanley like doing after work each day?

A．Hitch-hiking to different towns.

B．Caring for the farmer’s horses.

C．Wandering around the farm alone.

D．Preparing meals on the farm.

【小题4】Why was Armand so astonished when he read about Stanley in the magazine?

A．He didn’t know Stanley had been a British soldier.

B．He had no idea Stanley had always been a wealthy man.

C．He didn’t know his father paid Stanley so little money.

D．He didn’t expect Stanley to become such a success.

At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer. The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France. After four horrible years as an army private fighting in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February 1946. Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada. Two months later he was on his way.

When the old car rumbled (发着辘辘声) toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five foot and four inches frame. The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You’re a skinny thing.” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids. “Money is tight. You’ll get room and board. You’ll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again. Ten dollars a week. Sundays off.” Stanley nodded. He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job.

From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family. They made fun of the way he dressed and talked. He could do nothing right. The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake. The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played tricks on him. But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded.

Stanley never became part of the Lapine family. After work, they ignored him. He spend his nights alone in a tiny bedroom. However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer’s horses, eagerly awaiting him at the field gate. He called them his gentle giants. On Saturday nights he hitch-hiked into the nearest town and wandered the streets or enjoyed a restaurant meal before returning to the farm.

Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months as his farmhand. The railway station master, when questioned later that week, said he had not seen him. In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again. That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand, opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey (赛马骑师), Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada.”

1.Stanley Vine decided to go to Canada because ___________.

A．he wanted to escape from war-torn France

B．he wanted to serve in the Canadian army

C．he couldn’t find a job in England

D．he loved working as a farmhand

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Stanley joined the French army when he was 18 years old.

B．On the farm Stanley had to milk the cows 14 times a week.

C．The Lapine family were very rich but cruel to Stanley.

D．Stanely read about the job offer in a newspaper.

3.What did Stanley like doing after work each day?

A．Hitch-hiking to different towns.

B．Caring for the farmer’s horses.

C．Wandering around the farm alone.

D．Preparing meals on the farm.

4.Why was Armand so astonished when he read about Stanley in the magazine?

A．He didn’t know Stanley had been a British soldier.

B．He had no idea Stanley had always been a wealthy man.

C．He didn’t know his father paid Stanley so little money.

D．He didn’t expect Stanley to become such a success.

 

We’ve all seen them: perfectly toned famous people on late-night television telling us that we too can develop rock-hard abdominal muscles（腹肌）. It’s easy! Just pay $149.99 for the Torso Track or $149.75 for the Ad-Doer and watch those unwanted inches leave your waist. Americans spend tens of million of dollars on various products to firm up their fat around the waist.

And did they work? Not necessarily. Independent studies have concluded that most of these products-no matter who approved them or how expensive they are-shape your midsection no better than old-fashioned stomach crunches（仰卧起坐）. Some can even cause injury-like the $518.99 Body Shaper-Q8SP, which left electrical burns on some researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Others, like the popular Ab-Doer, trpically burn less energy than a gentle walk, according to a study to be published in September by the American Council on Exercise.

The fact is that many Americans don’t have the biological makeup to develop an obvious abdominal muscles. They are either unable to get the necessary muscle mass or they can’t lose enough fat to make a difference. Even if the underlying muscles are well developed, and it takes to hide it is one-sixteenth of tan inch of fat. That’s enough to dismiss most healthy women as well as plenty of guys who do crunches every day.

So what works best? In its new study, the exercise experts researched on the results of the popular Ab-Doer. A lengthy TV advertisement promises that just 10 minutes a day performing such movements as “Body Boogies” and “Good Mornings” will “help form those muscles the fun and easy way without diets.” Steven Loy, professor at California State University, Northridge, tested the promise by measuring the electrical activity produced by the abdominal muscles during three Ab-Doer movements. He and his colleagues then compared the results with those produced during traditional exercises. They determined that the muscles were no more active, and in some cases less so, when exercisers were using the Ab-Doer.

Taking a broader approach, researchers at San Diego State University compared 13 abdominal exercises for their ability to develop the central abdominal muscles. They concluded, in a report published in May, that the most effective exercises kept turning the body and worked the muscles the entire time. Among the winners: the bicycle movements-so called because it looks as if you are riding a bike while lying flat on the floor-and exercises performed on the “Captain’s Chair”, a product typically found in gyms that helps hold the body in the air while you raise your legs up toward your chest. Researchers suggested that a varied routine of the different exercises could deliver the best results.

1.Which of the following is the most effective in building abdominal muscles?

    A．Torso Track.                         B．Ab-Doer.

    C．Captain’s Chair.                                        D．Body Shaper-Q8SP.

 

2.According to the author, it’s difficult for many Americans to get visible firm abdominal muscles mainly because         .

    A．they do not put in enough efforts

    B．injuries interrupt their exercise frequently

    C．they change their exercise routine regularly

    D．how big their muscles will be is determined by birth

3.The author convinces the readers by        .

    A．describing successful eases          B．offering professional connects

    C．presenting findings of researches    D．comparing advertisements of products

4.What’s the main purpose of this passage?

    A．To research and develop in order to create the perfect stomach and exercise machine.

    B．To promote proven exercise techniques and to advise against false advertisements.

    C．To indicate that diet and exercises are necessary factors for a fit midsection.

    D．To sponsor rich healthy lifestyle based on advanced product research.

 

 

At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer. The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France. After four horrible years as an army private fighting in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February 1946. Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada. Two months later he was on his way.

When the old car rumbled toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five foot, four inch frame. The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You’re a skinny thing.” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids. “Money’s tight. You’ll get room and board. You’ll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again. Ten dollars a week. Sundays off.” Stanley nodded. He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job.

From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family. They made fun of the way he dressed and talked. He could do nothing right. The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake. The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played nasty tricks on him. But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded.

Stanley never became part of the Lapine family. After work, they ignored him. He spent his nights alone in a tiny bedroom. However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer’s horses, eagerly awaiting them at the field gate. He called them his gentle giants. On Saturday nights he hitch-hiked into the nearest town and wandered the streets or enjoyed a restaurant meal before returning to the farm.

Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months as his farmhand. The railway station master, when questioned later that week, said he had not seen him. In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again. That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand, opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey(赛马骑师), Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada.”

56. Stanley Vine decided to go to Canada because ________.

A. he couldn’t find a job in England              B. he wanted to serve in the Canadian army

C. he loved working as a farmhand              D. he wanted to escape from war-torn France

57. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A. Stanley joined the Canadian army when he was 18 years old.

B. On the farm Stanley had to milk the cows 14 times a week.

C. The Lapine family were rich but cruel to Stanley.

D. Stanley read about the job offer in a newspaper.

58. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Stanley’s weekly salary was not enough for him to live on.

B. When Stanley first met his employer, he tried to impress him but failed

C. Stanley had never worked on a farm, so he made a lot of mistakes.

D. Stanley left the farm by train, without telling anyone why he did so.

59. What did Stanley like doing after work each day?

A. Hitch-hiking to different towns.                B. Wandering around the farm alone.

C. Preparing meals on the farm.                   D. Caring for the farmer’s horses.

60. Why was Armand so astonished when he read about Stanley in the magazine?

A. He had no idea Stanley had always been a wealthy man.

B. He didn’t expect Stanley to become such a success.

C. He didn’t know his father paid Stanley so little money.

D. He didn’t know Stanley had been a British soldier.