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Gesture is the use ol such movements to express thought, emotion, etc. A gesture can be many things. Slamming a book shut shows anger and frustration. Opening a door lor someone shows kindness. Gestures go much beyond small actions.
My friend once told me a story in high school. One day he met a girl who was on the girls’ basketball team. He said hello, gave her a hard handshake and wished her good luck as she had a game later. He came to find out he saved that girl’s life. She had planned on committing suicide and by shaking her hand and saying good luck, he made her realize someone really cared about her. I’m not saying all actions are going to change someone else’s life that much, but it may make their day better.
Gestures can be negative too. In my senior year of high school， a guy on my football team was late and was walking down the field to practice. Everyone on the team knows our coach hates it when people are late and walk on the field. He was walking in as if he owned the place and had no care of what his teammates were thinking. His body language had never been good. The other players on the team had never liked him because of his body language.
Gestures can often say more than a person wants. One day I was mad at my parents for some pointless reason. All day I stayed downstairs. When one of them walked by, I would just stare at the TV or my phone and hope they wouldn’t try to start a conversation. When they tried to talk to me，I would give one-word answers. Sitting on the couch and watching TV by myself all day was not my intent but that was what my gestures told my parents.
One simple gesture can change a person’s thoughts, day or maybe even save their lives. If everyone made a nice gesture to someone else every day， our school， town， and world would become a better place. One single act of random kindness at a time or a kind gesture can change the world.
1.The story in Paragraph 2 shows .
A. gestures are more important than words
B. the girl made the writer’s friend feel warm
C. the writer’s friend had affection for the girl
D. gestures may help people be positive about life
2.How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By making comparisons. B. By following the order of time.
C. By giving examples. D. By analyzing cause and effect.
3.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP ： Central Point P ： Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点） C: Conclusion
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
4.Which is the best title for this passage?
A. Words Count B. Actions Speak
C. Kindness Shines D. Behavior Changes
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We use both words and body language to express our thoughts and opinions and to communicate with other people. We can learn about what a person is thinking by watching his or her body language. Words are important, but the way a person stands, folds his or her arms, or moves his or her hands can also give us information about his or her feelings.
Just like spoken language, body language varies from culture to culture. Making eye contact —looking directly into someone’s eyes — is in some countries a way to show interest. In other countries, however, eye contact is rude or disrespectful. The gesture for Ok, making a circle with one’s thumb and index finger, has different meanings in different cultures. In Japan, someone who sees another person making the gesture will think it means money. In France, a person seeing the same gesture will think it means zero. In Brazil and Germany, however, the gesture is rude. The thumbs-up gesture, meaning “great” or “good job” in the US is rude in Nigeria, but in Germany and Japan it means the number one. The “crazy” gesture, moving the index finger in a circle in front of the ear, means “you have a phone call” in Brazil.
Even the gesture we use for “yes” and “no” are different around the world. In many countries, shaking one’s head means “no”, and nodding means “yes”. In Bulgaria, parts of Greece, and Iran, however, the gestures have the opposite meaning. There are also differences as to how often we touch each other, how close we stand to someone we are talking to, and how we act when we meet or part. In some countries, for example, France and Russia, a visiting friend is greeted with a kiss on the check, in other countries people greet each other with a firm handshake, a loving hug, a bow or a simply a nod of the head.
While there are many different interpretations of our body language, some gestures seem to be universal. Pressing one’s palms together and resting one’s head on the back of one’s hand while closing the eyes as if sleeping means “I am tired.” A good way of saying “I am full” is moving the hand in circles over the stomach after a meal. If a person pats his or her stomach before a meal, it usually means “ I’m hungry.”
Perhaps the best example of universally understood body language is the smile. A smile can help us get through difficult situation and find friends in a world of strangers. A smile can open doors and tear down walls. It can be used to express almost any emotion. We can use a smile to apologise, to greet someone, to ask for help or to start a conversation. We can smile at ourselves in the mirror to make ourselves feel happier and stronger. And if we are feeling down or lonely, there is nothing better than to see the smiling face of a good friend.
1.In our daily life, which of the following do we use to communicate with each other?
A. gestures B. words C. smiles D. all above
2. As a Chinese , if you are lost in Germany, without knowing German, you’d better---- to ask for help?
A. use eye-contact B. thumb-up
C. smile D. say “excuse me”
3.What does this passage mainly about?
A. all the gestures in the world
B. the same body language in the world
C. gestures in the western countries
D. using proper gesture to express yourself
4.The underlined word “universal” in the last second paragraph probably means ______.
A. wide B. common C. not similar D. in space
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“The calm before the storm” is a very familiar expression. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. 1. They noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become calm and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm? 2. According to US website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and damp air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “ fuel for the storm ,like petrol in a car. “
Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. 3. So once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm.
4. First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. A good judgement is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system ,calm doesn't always go first. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. 5.
A. Science has given us the answer.
B. There is no definite answer to the question.
C. Weather reports sometimes cannot be trusted.
D. British sailors coined the phrase in the late l600s.
E. As the air declines, it becomes warm and dry, which is stable.
F. The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is.
G. That's the most reliable way to predict the next display of nature's temper.
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Almost everyone has heard the expression, “the calm before the storm”. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become static and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm?
Science has given us the answer. According to US infotainment (资讯娱乐) website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, draw in all the warm and humid air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air descends, it becomes warm and dry. Warm, dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First, count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about 3 kilometers away. A good gauge (评估) is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms are preceded(先于) by calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and chilling winds.
So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That’s the most reliable and sensible way to predict the next display of nature’s temper.
1.The underlined word “static” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.violent B.quiet
C.fast-changing D.warm
2.If there are 15 seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, how far away is the storm?
A.Three kilometers. B.Four kilometers.
C.Five kilometers. D.Six kilometers.
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.It is not always quiet before a storm.
B.Storms have a big influence on life.
C.Heavy storms don’t usually last for a long time.
D.Weather reports may fail to predict a storm.
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Almost everyone has heard the expression, “the calm before the storm”. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument.
British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become static and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm?
Science has given us the answer. According to US infotainment (资讯娱乐) website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, draw in all the warm and humid air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”.
Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air descends (下降), it becomes warm and dry. Warm, dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm.
This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First, count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about 3 kilometers away. A good gauge (评估) is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms are preceded by calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and chilling (寒冷的) winds. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That’s the most reliable and sensible way to predict the next display of nature’s temper (脾气).
1.What is the main idea of Paragraphs 4 and 5?
A.To explain how a storm comes into being.
B.To support previous research on storm clouds.
C.To explain why a peaceful period occurs before a storm.
D.To show how dangerous a storm can be in certain situations.
2.If there are 15 seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, how far away is the storm?
A.Three kilometers. B.Four kilometers.
C.Five kilometers. D.Six kilometers.
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.It is not always quiet before a storm.
B.Storms have a big influence on life.
C.Heavy storms don’t usually last for a long time.
D.Weather reports may fail to predict a storm.
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—It's so convenient to use cell phones to pay the subway fare.
—Yes. _________ thought of the idea is really brilliant.
A. Wherever B. Whenever
C. Whatever D. Whoever
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At no time in history has there been such a mass movement of people from the countryside to the city as is happening now. By the year 2030, it’s estimated that more than two thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities, twice as many as today. This means that the problems faced by cities today—overcrowding, poor housing, unemployment, poverty and lack of food and water—will be twice as bad unless we find solutions soon.
Another serious issue is how to provide good transportation for their citizens. Many of the world’s major cities are already struggling with out-of-date transport infrastructures(基本设施).How can they deal with the additional demands?
London is a good example. Its enlargement was made possible by the invention of the steam engine, which powered the world’s first underground railway. But its transport system are now hopelessly out-of-date and need urgent modernization. London’s future success depends very much on developing better public transport.
Over a million people travel into central London every day from outside the city. They together with the people who live in London, want a public transport system that is efficient, safe and environmentally friendly. What they often get, however, falls far short of that ideal. Passengers complain about cost and pollution, while businesses worry about the problems their staff have in getting to work on time. Yes, the proportion of London households that own a car grew from just over ten percent in the early 1950s to over sixty percent today.
As the city has become increasingly crowded and polluted, there has been a growing realization that action must be taken soon.
1.It is believed that____.
A. overpopulation causes the problem in cities
B. two thirds of the world’s population are living in cities today
C. it isn’t difficult to solve the problem faced by cities today
D. with fewer people we would be free from problems
2.The underlined word “they” in the fourth paragraph refers to _______.
A. the citizens in the city of London
B.those who come to London from other places
C. passengers who make complaints about the cost
D. businesses who are anxious about their staff getting to work late
3.The underlined words “environmentally friendly” is closest in meaning to ________.
A. pleasant and nonpolluting B. cheap and punctual
C. quick and straight D. fair and convenient
4. The following paragraph of this text would most probably deal with___
A. train and air travel
B. traffic jams in London
C. possible solution to London’s transportation problems
D. car ownership that continues to grow.
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Advertising is used to make something such as a product, service, or idea known to the public. Many types of advertising are used for the purpose of building brands and increasing product sales. Advertising is present everywhere in our daily life.
Print media like magazines and newspapers allows advertisements to reach their readers. Magazines include articles and images intended to attract a specific(特定的)type of consumers. Newspaper advertising is not as effective as it was before because of the appearance of other types of advertisements.
Broadcast advertising includes TV and radio messages. Traditional forms of these types of advertisements are commercials(商业广告)shown during a television program or before a movie. Product placement advertising(植入式广告)is a less obvious way to promote a product. With product placement advertising, companies pay to have their product ‘used’ by an actor or actress in the program. When you see someone in a TV show or movie using a specific brand, this is product placement.
Internet advertising is one of the new types and can be achieved in a number of ways. Flash advertising refers to messages that jump onto your computer screen and often move around. They can be hard to close and are annoying, but a useful way of gaining your attention.
Outdoor advertising often uses advertising boards as its main way. Of course, the type of advertising also includes using cars with messages on them, or large signs placed on the sides of buses. They can also be signs in stadiums drawing the attention of large crowds.
1.What’s the purpose of advertising? (no more than 8 words) (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________
2.What is product placement advertising? (no more than 11 words) (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________
3.How does flash advertising draw your attention? ( no more than 15 words) (3 marks)
______________________________________________________________________
4.What does the passage mainly talk about? (no more than 6 words) (3 marks)
______________________________________________________________________
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As is known to all, colors appear in every language to express people’s feeling and thoughts. Then, what is the situation in American English?
Red is a hot color. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The color black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the back side of the paper money.
1.Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT _______.
| A．something unfair | B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry | D．popular music like Dixieland Jazz |
2.When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she _______.
| A．enjoys himself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomachache | D．likes trees and grass |
3.In the writer’s eyes, what is related to a black day?
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift. | B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Failing in an important interview. | D．Being invited to an exciting party. |
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As is known to all, colors appear in every language to express people’s feeling and thoughts．Then, what is the situation in American English?
Red is a hot color．Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair．They are red hot when they are very angry about something．The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery taste．Fast loud music is popular with many people．They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz．
Pink is a lighter kind of red．People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health．The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century．It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health．
The color black is often used in expressions．People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day．People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now．But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations．
The color green is natural for trees and grass．But it is an unnatural color for humans．A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green．A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green．
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has．That person may say he is green with envy．Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks．Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the back side of the paper money．
1.Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT _______．
A．something unfair B．small hot-tasting peppers
C．the person who is very angry D．popular music like Dixieland Jazz
2.People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because _______．
A．the expression has a very long history
B．the color pink makes people feel happy
C．people think the color pink is gentler than red
D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin
3.When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she _______．
A．enjoys himself in boating B．is hit by a high wave
C．has a stomachache D．likes trees and grass
4.In the writer’s eyes, what is related to a black day?
A．Being sent a beautiful gift．
B．Failing in an important interview．
C．Passing a very difficult test．
D．Being invited to an exciting party．