If you are planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors. Everyone has different opinions about where is the best place to live in. Also, the best places to live are not always home to the best schools. Finally, many schools specialize in different areas of study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science and technology-related fields of study. However, if you want to study oceanography（海洋学）, your interests may be better served by attending school in a place that is on a coastline or near the ocean.
Now I am sure that you know which schools are considered the best in the country. So I will tell you about which states I believe are the best to live in.
California is a nice state. Northern California specifically has very good weather. Los Angeles in Southern California is another story though. Life in Los Angeles is full of excitement and fast, and sometimes dangerous. As for me, I enjoy the time I spent in Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland and these states have a lot of history and culture. The weather is not as perfect as California, but it is still quite nice. My favorite area of America is the Mid-west. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. In addition, there are many good universities there.
Also, you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the various states. You like sunshine and hate snow? Then you probably won’t like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature and peace and quiet? Then you probably should stay away from America’s large cities. Are you interested in government? Then Washington D.C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decide, put some thought into it. The place you live could be the difference between a great study-abroad experience and a state of great suffering on earth.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we can conclude （得出结论）that in the USA _______.

A．all colleges and universities lie in big cities

B．all colleges and universities lie in beautiful places

C．famous colleges and universities lie in nice places

D．famous colleges and universities may not lie in nice places

【小题2】What should be considered first if you want to study in the USA?

A．The climate.

B．The scenery.

C．The study condition.

D．The living condition.

【小题3】From the third paragraph we can find that _______.

A．California is the best place to live in

B．California is the worst place to live in

C．California is a state with different climates

D．California is a small state in the USA

【小题4】If you study in Middle America, you can probably _______.

A．find the best universities	B．feel the real character of the nation
C．meet the most famous professors there	D．face more difficulties

【小题5】 From the last paragraph of this passage we can get to know that _______.

A．Washington is the largest city in the USA

B．Washington is the political centre of the USA

C．you can’t find sunshine in the Midwest

D．you can’t find any universities out of big cities in the USA

I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.

1.Where did the story happen?

A．In front of the local restaurant.

B．In front of a building.

C．In the car parking lot.

D．Near the author’s house.

2.What do we know about the dog?

A．The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to.

B．The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger.

C．The dog was not cute enough to be loved.

D．The author didn’t like dogs.

3.Which of the following moved the author?

A．The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself.

B．The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days.

C．The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money.

D．Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her.

4.What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?

A．The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat.

B．The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did.

C．The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly.

D．Things are not always what they seem.

5.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．My Memory                           B．A Poor Dog

C．The Homeless Person                    D．A Mother Dog

 

If you are planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors. Everyone has different opinions about where is the best place to live in. Also, the best places to live are not always home to the best schools. Finally, many schools specialize in different areas of study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science and technology-related fields of study. However, if you want to study oceanography（海洋学）, your interests may be better served by attending school in a place that is on a coastline or near the ocean.

Now I am sure that you know which schools are considered the best in the country. So I will tell you about which states I believe are the best to live in.

California is a nice state. Northern California specifically has very good weather. Los Angeles in Southern California is another story though. Life in Los Angeles is full of excitement and fast, and sometimes dangerous. As for me, I enjoy the time I spent in Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland and these states have a lot of history and culture. The weather is not as perfect as California, but it is still quite nice. My favorite area of America is the Mid-west. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. In addition, there are many good universities there.

Also, you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the various states. You like sunshine and hate snow? Then you probably won't like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature and peace and quiet? Then you probably should stay away from America's large cities. Are you interested in government? Then Washington D.C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decide, put some thought into it. The place you live could be the difference between a great study-abroad experience and a state of great suffering on earth.

1.From the first paragraph we can conclude （得出结论）that in the USA _______.

A．all colleges and universities lie in big cities

B．all colleges and universities lie in beautiful places

C．famous colleges and universities lie in nice places

D．famous colleges and universities may not lie in nice places

2.What should be considered first if you want to study in the USA?

A．The climate.

B．The scenery.

C．The study condition.

D．The living condition.

3.From the third paragraph we can find that _______.

A．California is the best place to live in

B．California is the worst place to live in

C．California is a state with different climates

D．California is a small state in the USA

4.If you study in Middle America, you can probably _______.

A．find the best universities	B．feel the real character of the nation
C．meet the most famous professors there	D．face more difficulties

5. From the last paragraph of this passage we can get to know that _______.

A．Washington is the largest city in the USA

B．Washington is the political centre of the USA

C．you can't find sunshine in the Midwest

D．you can't find any universities out of big cities in the USA

 

People often use gestures to express our feelings, but the problem is that the gestures can be understood in different ways.
It is true that a smile means the same thing in any language.  So does laughter or crying.  Fear is another emotion(情感) that is shown in much the same way all over the world.  In Chinese and in English literature, a phrase like “he went pale and began to tremble” suggests that the man is either very afraid or he has just got a very big shock. 
However, “he opened his eyes wide” is used to suggest anger in Chinese whereas in English it means surprise. In Chinese, surprise can be described in a phrase like “they stretched out their tongues!” “Stretching out your tongue” in English is an insulting(侮辱的, 无礼的)gesture or expresses strong dislike.
Even in the same culture, people differ in their ability to understand and express feelings.  Experiments in America have shown that women are usually better than men at recognizing fear,  anger,  love and happiness on people’s faces. Other studies show that older people usually find it easier to understand body language than younger people do.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? 

A．We can easily understand what people’s gestures mean.

B．It is difficult to tell what people’s gestures really mean sometimes.

C．Gestures can be understood by most people but words are not.

D．Words can be better understood by older people.

【小题2】People’s facial expressions may be misunderstood in different cultures because ______ .

A．people from different cultures have different meanings about some facial expressions

B．people speaking different languages have different facial expressions

C．people of different ages may have different interpretations (解释)

D．people of different sexes may understand a gesture differently

【小题3】From the passage,  we can conclude(得出结论) that ______ .

A．words are often more difficult to understand than gestures

B．gestures can be more effectively used than words to express feelings

C．gestures can be used to express feelings

D．gestures are used as frequently as words to express feelings

【小题4】The best title for this passage can be ______ .

A．Gestures	B．Feelings
C．Culture and Understanding	D．Gestures and Feelings

I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.
【小题1】Where did the story happen?

A．In front of the local restaurant.

B．In front of a building.

C．In the car parking lot.

D．Near the author’s house.

【小题2】What do we know about the dog?

A．The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to.

B．The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger.

C．The dog was not cute enough to be loved.

D．The author didn’t like dogs.

【小题3】Which of the following moved the author?

A．The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself.

B．The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days.

C．The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money.

D．Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her.

【小题4】What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?

A．The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat.

B．The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did.

C．The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly.

D．Things are not always what they seem.

【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．My Memory	B．A Poor Dog
C．The Homeless Person	D．A Mother Dog