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What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster? Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job, after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup .”While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.
1. What is John Harrison’s job?
A. An official. B. An ice-cream taster.
C. A chemist. D. An ice-cream manufacturer.
2. According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______. A. keep a diary of work B. have a degree in related subjects
C. have new ideas every day D. find out new flavors each day
3. What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
A. He stirs the ice cream. B. He examines the color of the ice cream.
C. He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. D. He lets the ice cream warm up.
4.Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
A. Tasting with Eyes B. Flavors of Ice Cream
C. John Harrison’s Life D. One Cool Job
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Some people don't believe that driving more slowly can save lives．But the truth is that driving more slowly can help a person to avoid serious accidents．
The above chart（表格） shows the distance that it takes to stop a car at a given speed．The distance is measured in feet．The shaded area（阴影部分） shows the driver's thinking distance．That's the distance it takes for the driver to react to a danger that he sees．The white area shows the car's braking distance．That's the distance it takes for the car to stop once the brakes（闸、刹车） are used．The number at the top of each bar shows the total number of feet that it takes to stop the car
1.According to the chart, what is the total number of feet needed to stop a car that is traveling at 50 miles per hour?
A．55． B．73． C．128． D．183．
2.What is the braking distance for a car that is travelling at 60 miles per hour?
A．66 feet． B．119 feet． C．185 feet． D．251 feet．
3.Which of the following statements about braking and speed is true?
A．The braking distance is what it takes for the driver to react to a danger that he sees．
B．The speed of a car has a direct effect on the distance needed to stop the car．
C．The braking distance increases only when a driver drives faster than 50 miles per hour.
D．Driving slowly can help a person to avoid all accidents
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Our plan was to drive into Cambridge, catch the 7:34 train to Liverpool Street Station, then to separate and meet again for lunch. We should have arrived at Liverpool at 9:19, but due to a typical London fog, the train had to move along so slowly that it was not until 10:30 that it got there. In spite of our late arrival, Joan, my wife’s sister, decided that she would go to see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London while we went shopping. It was only after her sister had disappeared into the fog that my wife realized that we hadn’t decided where we should meet for lunch. Since I had our three tickets for the concert in my pocket, this was indeed a problem. There seemed to be nothing we could do except taking a taxi to the Tower of London, and try to find her there. Needless to say, we didn’t find her.
It was now one o’clock, and the concert began at 2:30. “Perhaps she will think of waiting outside the concert hall,” suggested my wife hopefully. By this time the fog was so thick that road traffic had to stop, and the only way to get there was by underground railway. Hand in hand we felt our way along the road to where we thought the nearest station should be. An hour later we were still trying to find it. Just as I was about to lose my temper completely when we met a blind man tapping his way confidently through the fog. With his help we found Tower Hill tube station just fifty yards down the road.
By now it was far too late even to try to get to the concert hall before the performance began at 2:30, so we decided to return to Cambridge. It took seven long hours instead of the usual two to make that journey. Nor were we able to get any food and drink on the train. Tired and hungry we finally reached home at ten, opening the door to the sound of the telephone bell. It was Joan; she had seen the Crown Jewels, had managed to get another ticket for concert, and had had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant near the hotel where she decided to stay for the night. Now she was ringing to discover whether we had had an equally successful day.
1. Why was Joan separated from her sister and her brother-in-law?
A. they could not see each other because of the fog.
B. Joan had not seen Crown Jewels.
C. They planned to do different things until lunch time.
D. The writer didn’t want to go to the concert.
2. What did the writer plan to do in the afternoon?
A. Go to the concert. B. See the Crown Jewels.
C. Return to Cambridge. D. Go shopping.
3. The reason why they didn’t all meet for lunch was that _______.
A. They lost their way in the fog
B. they forgot to make necessary arrangement
C. they waited at different places and didn’t meet each other
D. the couple couldn’t find the underground station
4. It’s quite clear that for Joan the trip to London had been ________.
A. spilt by the fog B. quite tiring
C. rather disappointing D. very enjoyable
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator (美洲鳄) was swimming toward the shore.
His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U – turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug – of – war (拔河) between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his fresh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy asked if he would show his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my dad wouldn’t let go.”
You and I can identify with that boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because someone has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, someone has been there holding on to you.
If you have the scars of someone’s love on your arms, be very, very grateful. Someone in your life did not and will not ever let you go.
Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they got them.
1. Which of the following is the most closely related to the underlined word “passionate”?
A. determined B. anxious C. frightened D. courageous
2.When the boy told the newspaper reporter about the scars on his arms, he felt ________.
A. painful and fearful B. regretful and panic
C. proud and grateful D. excited and thankful
3.In the story the writer intends to tell us that ________.
A. scars always remind people of their past experiences
B. wounds in the mind are more painful than those in the body
C. a painful past always leaves scars on a person’s mind
D. scars do not necessarily mean pain at all times
4.Which of the following viewpoints will the writer most probably agree with?
A. Be grateful to a painful past, for you can always learn something from it.
B. Other people’s criticism or blame may hurt you, but if it is for your own good, you should take it thankfully.
C. The swimming hole of life is filled with danger, but you don’t need to be too serious about it as someone will never let you go.
D. If someone hurts you, be grateful to them, for they mean no harm
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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I began working in journalism(新闻工作)when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“ None.”
“ Where did you go?”
“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“ What did you do?”
“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“ You just stood there?”
“ Didn’t sell a single one.”
“ My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币). It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
1.Why did the boy start his job young?
A. He wanted to be famous in the future.
B. The job was quite easy for him.
C. His mother had high hopes for him.
D. The competiton for the job was fierce.
2.From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
A. excited B. interested C. ashamed D. disappointed
3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
A. She forced him to continue. B. She punished him.
C. She gave him some money. D. She changed her plan.
4. What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?
A. The war between the boy’s parents.
B. The arguing between the boy and his mother.
C. The quarrel between the boy and his customers.
D. The fight between the boy and his father.
5. What is the text mainly about?
A. The early life of a journalist.
B. The early success of a journalist.
C. The happy childhood of the writer.
D. The important role of the writer in his family.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析