Patti discovered the meaning of running when she was 23．At that time she was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and had　 36 over 50 pounds．"I decided to 37 ," she says．She took a clock and started　 38　 what she did every day, and then she 39 an hour a day as a "be nice to Patti "hour．"I started having bubble（泡沫） baths with　 40　 lit, because Cosmopolitan Magazine　 41　 that this would be good for me．But I got　 42　 of that soon, "Patti remembers．She wanted to do something really pleasant．She found that the 43　 times in her life were times when she was physically active．So she took up 44 ．

She decided to start 　45 the next day．She ran for an hour, 　46 a total of 7 miles on her first run．"I couldn't walk for two weeks 　47 I felt painful all over!" Patti recalls （回忆）．"But I felt so wonderful!" Patti wasn't crazy about running yet, but she was in　 48　 with the after effects of running．

Within seven months, Patti had run her first marathon, qualified for the Boston Marathon, and placed 25th in the world for　 49　 distance runners．Over the next years, she 　50　 records and set standards for women in the sport．She was the first American woman to run a 2：30 marathon, and then broke 　51　 two records　 52　 an 8—month period．

Patti 　53　 that, if we can set standards for ourselves, we can pull ourselves out of the most difficult 　54　 and come out on top．"Everybody has to be a champion（冠军） and 　55　 has that in them．"

36．A．lost　　　　　 B．earned　　　　　 　 C．gained　　　　　 D．reduced

37．A．cry　　　　　 B．move　　　　　 　 C．walk　　　　　 D．change

38．A．striking　　　 　 B．recording　　　　 　 C．sharing　　　　 　 D．collecting

39．A．set aside　　 　 B．set up C．set out D．set about

40．A．lamps　　　　 B．fires　　　　　　 C．candles　　　　 　 D．cigarettes

41．A．spoke　　　 　 B．said　　　　　　 　 C．wrote　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．went

42．A．afraid　　　　 B．fond　　　　　　 　 C．tired　　　　　　 D．ashamed

43．A．saddest　　　 　 B．happiest　　　　 　 C．loneliest　　　　 D．luckiest

44．A．smoking　　 　 B．bathing　　　 　　　 C．dieting　　　　　 D．running

45．A．right　　　　 B．only　　　　　　 　 C．even　　　　 　　　 D．again

46．A．covering　　 　 B．spreading　　　　 　 C．passing　　　　 D．overcoming

47．A．but　 　　　　　　　 B．although　　　　 　　 C．while　　　　　 D．because

48．A．peace　　　　 B．line　　　　　　 　 C．love　　　　　 　 D．touch

49．A．men　　　　 B．women　　　　 　　 C．adults　　　　　 D．children

50．A．kept　　　　 B．held　　　　　　 　 C．broke　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．cleared

51．A．another　　　 　 B．other　　　　　 　　 C．else　　　　　 　 D．more

52．A．for　　　　　 B．on　　　　　　　 　 C．at　　　　　　 　 D．over

53．A．believes　　　 　 B．imagines　　　　 　　 C．requires　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．hopes

54．A．pleasures　　 B．challenges　　　 　　 C．pities　　　　 　　 D．purposes

55．A．anybody　　 　 B．nobody　　　　 　　 C．somebody　　 　 D．everybody

Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you.” Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special.

People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don’t have a “furniture street” or a “computer road” which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often “let their fingers do the walking” through the store hot lines. From the first “hello”, customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop.

When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don’t usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don’t have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they’re at a flea market or a yard sale, they don’t bother trying to bargain.

When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy’s Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm “thank you” from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don’t have to carry heavy bags out to the car.

1. By quoting (引用) the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you”, the author intends to_______.

A. suggest that customers believe what commercials say deeply

B. show readers the American idea on good customer service

C. express all the stores pay much attention to the customers

D. persuade readers to choose the stores with ads correctly

2.In the USA, what may you do at first if you want to do some shopping?

A. To visit a professional street with lots of similar stores.

B. To compare prices in many shops in the same street.

C. To make phone calls and get better shopping choices.

D. To receive other customers’ answers to the questions.

3.The underlined words “a breeze” in Para.3 most probably means _________.

A. an easy job　　 B. a trouble　　           C. a funny thing　　     D. a boring task

4.Which of the followings shows American stores offer convenience to customers in this passage?

A. The store clerks don’t usually sit around watching TV or playing cards.

B. Some stores offer price bargain to the customers like a yard sale.

C. The clerks give customers a smile and a warm “thank you” after paying.

D. Some stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes are crowded.

5.Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A. Customer Service in America                     B. Excellent Stores in America

C. Shopping Rules in America                           D. Being King or Queen in America

 

When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．

　 “Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．

　  Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．

　  Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you

Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

　  However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”

1.For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to　　　 ．

A．head straight for the center of the storm

B．get into the car for safety

C．wait patiently for the storm to develop

D．collect information about a coming storm

2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised　　　　

　 

A．not to drive in a heavy rain

B．to do it in an organized way

C．not to get too close to a storm

D．to spend more time on it in summer

3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph，the author means that　　　

A．storm chasing costs a lot of money

B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting

C．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting

D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth

4.What can we learn from the text?

A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment．

B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms．

C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world．

D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people

 

Chinese Ancient Science & Inventions

Chinese Inventions—Can You Name Them?

The Invention of Paper and find out everything about paper-making at The Rober C.Williams American Museum of Papermaking.

The Art of Printing(Matteo Ricci)

The Origin of Chinese Books and Printing

Chinese bookmaking an ancient craft

Paper,a contribution to human progress

The History of Chinese Ｍathematics

Chinese Ancient Science & Technology

Chinese Ancient Agriculture

The Coins of Ancient China

Chinese Agriculture

The Coins of Ancient China

Chinese Agriculture

Invented in China?

The History of Calculating(abacus)

Return of the Dragon:Hazards of Man-Made Magnetism(a discussion)

　 Chinese Ancient & Modern Think-tanks

Kong Fu Zi—Confucius(James A.A.Tucker)

The Philosopher Confucius (551～479 B.C.)

The Analects—Confucius (English text)

The Great Learning—Confucius (English text)

The Doctrine of the Mean—Confucius (English text)

Mencius—Meng Zi and some text (GB)

Mao Zedong—A Great Man in China History

Man of the Year—Teng Hsiao-ping (Times)

The Tao Te Ching—Lao Tzu (Translated by S.Mitchell)

XUN KUANG (Xunzi—25 B C)

Han Fei

Welcome to Taoist Resource Center A Complete Guide to Taoism and its many applications.

ASIAWEEK—MAO NOW—The Great Helmsman led China into some of the most monumental disasters of the modern era.Now,20 years after his death,Mao Zedong’s star is shining asbrightly as ever.How can it be so?

Chairman Mao’s Poems—In Chinese (GIF).

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen—The founding father of Republic of China.

Mao Zedong—An unofficial site which collects quotations of Mao and some articles on Mao.(CHINESE GB) (CHINESE PS)

Mao Zedong—A Great Man in China History—Internet resources on Mao & his era.

Sun Yat-Sen:Fundamentals of National Reconstruction—“This book is Sun Yat-sen’s most important political statement.It enunciates his famous three principles whereby he set China on the road to modernity.”

DENG Xiaoping—Deng Xiaoping leads a far-reaching,audacious but Risky Second Revolution.(Man of the Year 1985,Time Magazine)(in English)

...For more information Click the Underlined.

1.This passage is probably take from _________.

A.magazine　　　 B.a webpage　　　　 C.text book　　　　 D.TV programme

2.How many webpages offer the information about Confucius?

A.Three.　　　　　　 B.Four.　　　　　　 C.Five.　　　　　　 D.Two.

3.The passage is designed mainly to _________.

A.make us learn the great people and inventions of China

B.give some information about China

C.stress the importance of confuciusm

D.describe the printing in China