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He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised, so as not to appear rude, she went along.
As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."
They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee?" He explained, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea.I could feel it salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there."
She was deeply moved. A man who can admit that he's homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible
. She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.
They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee! So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.
After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:
My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar. It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything.
Sweetheart, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I've learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.
1.Why the man asked for some salt?
A. Because he missed his hometown and his family.
B. Because he want to catch the attention of the lady.
C. Because he was nervous.
D. Because he liked the taste of salty coffee.
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The man liked to drink a cup of salty coffee.
B. The man was good at making a lie.
C. The man missed his family very much.
D. The man loved the lady very much.
3.The best title for the passage might be _____.
A. a life-long lie B. salty coffee
C. a mistake for love D. a homesick man
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This March is a busy month in Shanghai. There’s a lot to do. Here are the highlights.
Live Music - Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He’s coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie’s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don’t expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15-23 March PRICE: ￥80,120 TIME: 10:00p.m. till late! TEL: 6466-8736
Scottish dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn. Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent
PLACE: Jack Stein’s DATES: every Monday PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 - ~0:00 p.m. TEL: 6402-1877
Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum
There are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof. It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you’ve ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!
PLACE: Shanghai Museum PRICE: ￥30 (￥ 15 for students) TEL: 6888-6888 DATES: daily TIME: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. Weekends 9:00a.m. - 9:00p.m.
Dining - Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it’s become an art form. The most famous Sushi ‘artist’ is Yuki Kamura. She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel DATES: all month PRICE: ￥200 TIME: lunchtime TEL: 6690-3211
For a full listing of events, see our website.
1.Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8: 00p. m. on Saturday, which one can you choose?
A. Live Music - Late Night Jazz B. Scottish dancing
C. Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum D. Dining - Sushi chef in town
2.Which of the following is true according to the advertisements?
A. Scottish dancing is so interesting and easy that it never tires you out.
B. The performance given by the American jazz band won’t last long.
C. Sushi is not popular in Shanghai as it is a kind of Japanese traditional food.
D. It is more interesting to visit Shanghai Museum for the exhibits from Egypt.
3.From the text we may learn that Kamura is _______.
A. a cook B. a waitress C. an instructor D. an artist
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Can dogs and cats get along well in the same home? People who are thinking about getting a dog as a friend for their cat are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found that if the cat is taken back home before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. In two-thirds of the homes cats and dogs have a good relationship.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggress
ion(侵略，好斗) and fighting were found in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body languages are just different. For example, when a cat turns its head away it means aggression, while a dog doing the same means submission(顺从).
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers found a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk “Dog”, and dogs can learn how to talk “Cat”.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to become smarter. They can learn to read each other’s body languages, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was expected. Once familiar with each other’s body language, cats and dogs can play together, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa.
The importance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don’t get along well, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even countries. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
A. they are cold to each other
B. they look away from each other
C. they misunderstand each other’s body languages
D. they are introduced at an early age
2.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A. They eat and sleep together.
B. They watch each other’s behaviors.
C. They learn to speak each other’s language.
D. They know something from each other’s voices.
3.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
A. have common interests
B. are less different than was thought
C. have a common body language
D. are not so smart as was expected
4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should learn to get along well with others.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should live in peace with animals.
D. We should learn more body languages.
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In ancient Japan, if you saved someone’s life, they would make it their duty to spend the rest of their life serving you. Nowadays, if you rescue someone’s story, he or she will feel the same kind of gratitude (感激).
It happens all the time. Someone in a group is telling a story and, just before their big point, BOOM! There’s an interruption. Someone new joins the group, a waiter with a plate of biscuits comes over, or a baby starts crying. Suddenly everyone’s attention turns to the new arrival, the food on the plate, or the “charming” little child. Nobody is aware of the interruption — except the speaker. They forget all about the fact that the speaker hasn’t made his or her point.
Or you’re all sitting around the living room and someone is telling a joke. Suddenly, just before their big punch line (妙语), little Johnny drops a dish or the phone rings. After the crash, everyone talks about little Johnny’s carelessness. After the call, the subject turns to the upcoming marriage or medical operation of the caller. Nobody remembers the great punch line got unfinished — except the joke teller. When it’s you entertaining everyone at a restaurant, have you ever noticed how you can almost set your clock by the waiter coming to take everyone’s order just before your funny punch line?
Most joke and story tellers are too shy to say, after the interruption, “Now, as I was saying …” Instead, they’ll spend the rest of the evening feeling bad they didn’t get to finish. Here’s where you come in. Rescue them with the technique I call “Lend a Helping Tongue.”
Watch the gratitude in the storyteller’s eyes as he stabilizes where his story sunk and he sails off again toward the center of attention. His expression and the appreciation of your consideration by the rest of the group are often reward enough. You are even more fortunate if you can rescue the story of someone who can hire you, promote you, buy from you, or otherwise lift your life. Big winners have excellent memories. When you do them subtle favors like Lend a Helping Tongue, they find a way to pay you back.
1.Very often, a storyteller cannot make his point because _________.
A. people are more interested in food than his story
B. many guests bring their babies to the party
C. he is interrupted by something unexpected
D. his story is easily forgotten by the listeners
2.From Paragraph 3, we know that when someone is telling a joke, _________.
A. something bad will surely happen just before their punch line
B. listeners’ attention is often drawn to something else
C. the only person really interested in the joke is the joke teller
D. the waiter knows when to take everyone’s order
3.How can we help the joke and story tellers when they are interrupted?
A. By giving them a chance to finish.
B. By comforting them to make them happy.
C. By going on telling the story for them.
D. By teaching them some useful techniques.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. People should learn how to take turns in a conversation.
B. We can win someone’s heart by getting him back to his story.
C. Telling jokes will make you the center of attention.
D. It is impolite to cut in on someone’s talk.
ich D. with whom
by heavy snowstorms, __________more than 120 people were killed.