There's a great article in the New York Times this week about the tradition of buying a coffee for a stranger at the same time that you buy your own. They call it caffè sospeso, the name for "suspended (暂留的) coffee" in its birthplace. In some cafes, folks in need may claim a suspended coffee and drink it without cost.
No doubt the free coffee will be welcomed by people who love coffee but for one reason or another don't have the money to buy one. But I also like the opportunity it offers customers to become philanthropists (慈善家). Every time they order a coffee, they can give one to somebody in need.
This is a tradition that began some 100 years ago in Naples, Italy. In Naples, as reported by the Times, people love this kind of giving:
"To me, the philosophy of the suspended coffee is that you are happy today, and you give a coffee to the world, as a present." — Luigi Solito
"It's a simple act of generosity: an act in which donors and recipients (接受者) never meet each other. The donor doesn't show off and the recipient doesn't have to show gratitude." —Laura Cozzolino
"Coffee consumptions started earlier than the unification (统一) of Italy by more than 200 years, so the traditions around it are very ancient. In Naples, coffee is a world in itself, both culturally and socially." — Andrea Illy
The practice of buying suspended coffees has grown in popularity — with websites popping up and hundreds of cafes from Canada to Brazil to Hungary to the US offering the service.
1.Who are suspended coffees intended for?
A. Cafe goers.
B. People who can't afford a coffee.
B. Philanthropists.
D. Coffee lovers who live in Naples.
2.How can someone get a suspended coffee?
A. He can ask for one in any cafe.
B. He can apply for one on websites.
C. He can buy one in a cafe offering the service.
D. He can drink one in a cafe that has prepaid coffees.
3.What does Laura Cozzolino think of buying suspended coffees?
A. She thinks it is a great way of charity.
B. She thinks it is a cheap gift to strangers.
C. She thinks it is an ancient Italian custom.
D. She thinks it is spreading widely in the world.
4.The underlined words in Paragraph 1 are words of ______.
A. French B. Old English
C. Italian D. American English
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If the hackings (黑客行为) taught us anything in 2014, it's actually nothing.
Password management firm SplashData released its list of the worst passwords of the year and it's just as terrible as you'd think. The most common leaked password in 2014 was "123456," followed by "password" — both topped the list the year before, too.
While numbers were as popular as ever as passwords, sports terms like “baseball" and "football" were used more often. Birthday years were common too (especially 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992) and names like "Michael", "Jennifer" and "Hunter" are also among the top 100 worst passwords of 2014.
Here's a look at the top 10 worst passwords of the year:
1. 123456 (Unchanged from 2013) 6. 234567890 (Unchanged)
2. password (Unchanged) 7. baseball (New)
3. 12345 (Up 17) 8. dragon (New)
4. 12345678 (Down 1) 9. football (New)
5. qwerty (Down 1) 10. monkey (New)
This year's worst passwords are painfully weak, but what were once considered clever password strategies — using symbols, capitalizations, the number 3 in place of the letter "e" — are old tricks.
It's now recommended to pick a different password for each account you use — you wouldn't use the same key in all of your locks, and the same goes for passwords.
Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Apple are now trying to make hacking more difficult on their services by offering two-factor authentication (认证), which is basically like double locking your door at night. Each time you want to log into (登录) that account, the company will send a code to your phone — it changes after each login attempt, so hackers would have to be in physical possession of your smartphone to know the code.
1.What can we learn from the text?
A. Hackers leaked many more passwords in 2014.
B. Symbols were among the top 10 worst passwords.
C. 123456 was the most common leaked password in both 2013 and 2014.
D. People are getting more experienced in picking their passwords.
2.How many passwords were ranked lower on 2014's top 10 worst password list?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four.
3.What is recommended in the text to have safer passwords?
A. Using long and strange passwords.
B. Changing passwords regularly.
C. Replacing "e" by "3" when setting passwords.
D. Choosing different passwords for different accounts.
4.To fight against hacking, some companies ______.
A. don't accept weak passwords
B. double lock their doors at night
C. combine the password with a code to prove one's identity
D. prevent hackers from stealing customers' smartphones
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Welcome to our homepage!
We've teamed up with two travel agencies to give members of our club the chance to win a holiday to the South of France or one to the Maldives.
The winner and their three guests will enjoy a seven-night getaway (逃离) at the Villa Le Priotlet — a centuries old stone villa (别墅) set on the banks of the Dordogne River. This property has been lovingly restored and furnished, and is ideal for small families to relax surrounded by peaceful views and gentle countryside. The beautiful gardens surrounding the property are full of seasonal treats for you to pick and enjoy, including figs, pears and grapes. The property is also situated just 15 minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Saint-Emilion, which has been producing some of the world's best wine since Roman times.
We'll also give another lucky member a seven-night stay for two people on their island tour to the Maldives. With white sand beaches, coconut trees and blue warm seas, the Maldives is a must-see destination. Accompanied by a local guide, guests have the chance to combine island life with cultural activities, as well as experiencing all those things for which the Maldives are famous: diving and snorkeling (潜水) and relaxation. The guesthouse accommodation is handpicked (精选) to provide a balance of comfort, good service and local atmosphere.
To enter this competition, click on "enter competition" in the information box below.
1.The free holiday in France includes ______.
A. accommodation at an ancient villa
B. fresh fruit, vegetables and meat
C. the best French wine
D. admission to Saint-Emilion
2.What can people do in the Madives if they win the holiday there?
A. They can enjoy countryside views.
B. They can adventure some water sports.
C. They can stay at a guesthouse on the beach.
D. They can visit local families to experience island life.
3.Where can we find the text?
A. In a guidebook. B. In a brochure.
C. On a website. D. In a magazine.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Speak confidently and think logically. Year 13 schoolboy Arunabh Prakash can't agree more. Anmabh is one of the five students that will represent New Zealand at the 26th World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) to be held in Thailand from August 5 to l5 this year.
"You've got to be persuasive, regardless of the fact that you believe in a topic or not," says the 17-year-old.
"There are a lot of speakers who are eloquent (雄辩的) but find it difficult to think logically and then there are those who have a good argument but can't deliver."
Endurance (忍耐) is another quality he says one must have in the heated arena (赛场) of expressing opinions and ideas.
"There are times when you have to debate for five hours at a go and are completely exhausted. It's quite intense. You must have the energy to debate for long hours," says Arunabh, who began debating in year 10.
The WSDC is a debating competition in the world for high school students from different countries. It involves four prepared debates and four impromptu debates — debates without specific preparations.
To gain selection for the national team for the global final, Arunabh had to compete with regional teams. Despite the mounting pressure, he says he was confident of winning.
"We didn't loose a debate in the first two days. And we had a very strong team. We were confident of our ability to win," he says.
1.What can we know about Arunabh from the text?
A. He started debating at the age of ten.
B. He is on his country's national debating team.
C. He argues only on the topics that he believes in.
D. He is unsure of winning the debating competition.
2.According to Arunabh, what are important in debating?
A. Eloquence and logic thinking. B. Confidence and dreams.
C. Endurance and experience. D. Talent and teamwork.
3.The WSDC is a debating competition ______.
A. based in Thailand
B. for young New Zealanders
C. with prepared and unprepared debates
D. lasting for five days
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. The Skills of Debating
B. Growing from the Regional Team
C. Schoolboy to Compete on the International Stage
D. The 26th World Schools Debating Championships
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If I could give everyone one piece of advice about the college application process, it would be this: 1.
Be different from the beginning. Don't wait until the summer after junior year, or worse, the fall of senior year to begin this process. 2. You might be seeing the stress in seniors who are frantically (疯狂地) visiting colleges, writing essays, and completing applications.
3. Do some research and think beyond the "usual suspects" (备选) before you find the most suitable choice. Colleges compare students from the same high school with the same measuring stick since they read all the applications together. If your coursework and test scores don't look good enough, it will be more challenging to be accepted. However, your leadership or special talents may be more impressive if you are one of only a few students applying to a certain college.
Be different in the activities you choose and follow your interests, not your friends. 4. It could be tutoring, the environment, dancing, writing, or starting a business, but take part for the right reasons. Your activities should be meaningful and tell a story about who you are.
Be different in what you write about in your essay to stand out. It is the one tool that gives you total control, so use it wisely. Write what you want them to know about you, not what you think they want to read. Brainstorming your essay topic is a self-reflection process. 5. Find something unique.
A. Try to develop your talents.
B. Be different in preparing your college list.
C. Stay away from topics that everyone writes about.
D. Dare to be different.
E. Imagine what people are usually interested in.
F. Starting early will relieve much stress.
G. Find something that matters to you or something you care about.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I have two friends who love backpacking. They spent a lot of time in a part of New York State's Adirondack Mountains. It 46 mountains with a height of over 4,000 feet. The Adirondack Mountain Club gives recognition, and an award, to anyone who all 46 mountains. My two friends decided to go for this award.
Now what you have to understand is that many of the 46 mountains have well-marked to their summits (山顶), others are not marked at all. You have to "bushwhack (在丛林中开路)" using a compass and a map.
My friends had climbed 45 of the mountains. They had just one — it was the most requiring bushwhacking. A hiking path led past the base of the mountain, but from that point they were on their own.
Early one morning they left their and walked five miles on the hiking path to the base of a chain of mountains. When they arrived, they that they had left their compass and map back in camp. Rather than the camp, they decided to bushwhack without the compass and map.
For hours they uphill enduring heat, thick bush, and black flies. , late in the afternoon they found themselves at the of a mountain successfully. They were exhausted but .
The feeling was short-lived, however. When they looked across the valley, they another higher mountain. They had climbed the one! It was too that weekend to put their error right. They had to another four months to climb the right mountain.
This story us a good lesson. Often in life we put in a great effort to reach a goal. But without the right "map" and "compass", it is to get "lost".
1.A. goes through B. consists of C. relies on D. connects to
2.A. special B. similar C. normal D. general
3.A. describes B. draws C. observes D. climbs
4.A. while B. since C. because D. unless
5.A. paths B. rivers C. views D. avenues
6.A. occupied B. left C. deserted D. missed
7.A. interesting B. changeable C. reachable D. remote
8.A. house B. room C. camp D. yard
9.A. ignored B. discovered C. sensed D. explained
10.A. departing from B. traveling to C. returning to D. going for
11.A. jumped B. wandered C. ran D. walked
12.A. Immediately B. Surely C. Finally D. Hopefully
13.A. bottom B. top C. slope D. base
14.A. embarrassed B. moved C. disturbed D. excited
15.A. admired B. checked C. saw D. appreciated
16.A. strange B. wrong C. distant D. steep
17.A. late B. dangerous C. puzzling D. helpless
18.A. save B. wait C. gain D. put
19.A. sends B. tells C. recommends D. teaches
20.A. easy B. hard C. annoying D. discouraging
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
World Read Aloud Day is celebrated each year on the first Wednesday of March. It 1. (start) by the LitWorld.org website in 2010 and has now reached 65 countries. 2. aim is to encourage people worldwide who cannot read to enjoy the benefits of a book. The website asks everyone 3._ (celebrate) the day by taking a book, finding an audience, and reading out aloud. It is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write 4. (belong) to all people.
The website asks visitors to join in the movement to reduce5. number of illiterate (不识字的) people in the world. It is 6. (absolute) necessary to help those who cannot read. The website says, "It's time to start by reading aloud to7. might like it. Share a book with a child who might need it, share a story with someone who would treasure it, listen patiently 8. someone else's story as they share with you." The United Nations says, "Literacy involves a variety of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge, 9. to participate fully in society." In that way, World Read Aloud Day does help make a 10. (different).
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A foreign student graduated with honors from a finely university in Germany. He expected to find a good job and have a bright future. But in his disappointment, he wasn't even giving the chance for an interview! The third time he was refused, he phoned the company to ask how. "We don't employ dishonest people in Germany" is the answer. What was wrong? Shortly before he arrived in Germany, he found easy to steal subway rides. But he often rode without a ticket and was caught up three times. Now he had to pay a high price for his own behavior. We should all keep in minds: honesty is the best policy.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
一家英语报社举行征文活动，主题是“我的高中生活”。请根据以下要点完成短文。
1. 校园生活； 2. 收获； 3. 感想。
注意 1. 词数100左右； 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 3. 开头语已为你写好。
High school is a golden time in one’s life with great fun and fond memories.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析