选择知识点

Many people today do not enjoy grocery shopping, but the experience we have is stillmany times better than that of the past.

Gone are the days when consumers paid higher prices for the advantage of a painfullyslow shoppingexperience.In addition to lower prices, supermarkets also offer shoppersadded convenience and much quicker service.

   In the old days, grocery shopping was quite a bit troublesome. Consumer-sizedpackages did not exist, so a clerk had to measure out the exact amount you needed foreverything you bought. This system cost much labor and therefore was rather expensive.On top of that, the entire experience was extremely time-consuming as, much like buyingmeat at a butcher shop,the number of shoppers that a store could serve at the same timewas limited by the size of its staff. The high labor costs and poor efficiency (效率) werequite a problem for both the industry and its public.

    Thesupermarket is a large departmentalized retail store,offering "one-stop shop"convenience with housewares, magazines, beauty products, and much more in addition tothe food items sold by traditional stores. Need soap to go with your newspaper and bread?The supermarket saves you time by providing all three items under one roof. Along withadded convenience comes added efficiency.

Shoppers can now fetch what they want from shelves instead of waiting for service.This in turn reduces the need for additional staff, helping owners to cut costs greatlyandto pass the savings back to the consumer. In fact, supermarkets pass so much of thesavings back that their margins are razor-thin - only l to 3 percent - so to make a profit,they must rely on extremely high turnover rates and keeping operating expenses low, forexample, by not offering delivery for one. The result is a quick and painless shoppingexperience with very reasonable prices.

(1) Which of the following is listed as a disadvantage of traditional grocery stores?

A. Fewer staff members.

B. Less shopping time.

C. Smaller trading profits.

D. Higher operating costs.

(2) The underlined word "margins" means.

A. savings	B. prices
C. profits	D. expenses

(3) Supermarkets don't offer delivery for one because .

  

A. they want to keep costs down

B. it isn't a good way to attract consumers

C. there is no demand for such a service

D. it's the major cause of low efficiency

(4) The passage mainly aims to___________.

A. introduce the origin of the supermarket

B. discuss the disadvantages of traditional grocery stores

C. explain why the general public hate grocery shopping

D. outline the advantages of supermarkets over traditional groceries

Happiness is in your genes, it seems, according to a research that shows the morepeople ina country who have a particular gene, the happier the nation will be. The FAAHgene, the DNA in question, makes a protein that affects feelings of pleasure and pain.People with a particular version of it tend to be cheerier souls.

The researchers believe that the finding can help explain why some of the world'spoorest nations are also the happiest. The team from Bulgaria looked at whether there wasa connection between the level of the FAAH gene in a population and the number of peoplewho said they were very happy in the global study of life satisfaction. Sweden, one of thehappiest countries in Europe and in the world, has lots of happy DNA. Some 26.3 percent of Swedes have the happiness gene, compared t0 23 per cent of the British, 21 percent of the French and 20 per cent of Germans. The happiness gene is even rarer insouthern Europe, where it is found in 18 per cent of Greeks and just 12 per cent ofItalians. In contrast, the people in Iraq and Jordan are among the least likely to ratethemselves as very happy and also have the lowest levels of the gene.

But the gene and optimism don-t always go hand in hand.For instance, Russiansscore very low on happiness, despite having the right DNA, the Journal of HappinessStudies reports. Climatic differences are also found to be closely associated with nationaldifferences in happiness. Study co-author Michael Minkov said, "We can notice the highoccurrence of the gene in equatorial(赤道的) and tropical environments in South Americaand Africa, and the lower occurrence of it around the Mediterranean Sea than in NorthernEurope. "

“Genetics is not the only determining factor (因素) of happiness," A spokesman forthe journal's publishersaid, "The economic and political difficulties continuouslyexperienced by Eastern European nations contribute to the very low happiness scores ofRussians. Nations not blessed with the right DNA aren’t necessarily miserable---happiness can still rise and fall for other reasons. "

(1) The underlined word "it" in Paragraph l refers to .

A. happiness

B. life satisfaction

C. the protein in question

D. the FAAH gene

(2) Which country has the highest percentage of the happiness genes?

 

A. Greece.	B. Germany.
C. Britain.	D. Iraq.

(3) What can we infer from the text?

  

A. Climate has much to do with happiness.

B. The poorest countries are actually the happiest.

C. Genetics matters most to determine happiness.

D. Russians are not happy since they lack happy DNA。

(4) The best title for the text is___________.

  

A. Researches on Genetic Science

B. Factors to Affect Happiness

C. Reasons for National Differences

D. The Happi est Countries

Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin（企鹅）at the California Academy of Sciences．Due to his old age，he was losing his feathers，which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool．Therefore，biologists at the academy had a wet suit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool．
Unlike marine（海生的）mammals，which have a layer of blubber（鲸脂）to keep them warm，penguins depend on their waterproof feathers．Without them，Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19peers played in the water．
"He was cold；he would shake，"said Pam Schaller，a senior biologist．Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm．Then she got another idea：if wet suits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific，why not make one for Pierre？
Schaller designed the suit，which covered Pierre's body and had small openings for his flippers （鳍）．
"I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps，and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable．"she said．
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit，but in fact，they accepted his new look．He swam freely and got along with others well，although he was the only penguin with a black stomach．
Schaller couldn't say for sure whether the wet suit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers，but"certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable"．
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back．

(1) Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of ______ ．

A. having few feathers due to old age

B. not having a layer of blubber

C. having no wet suit

D. others penguins rejecting him

(2) The idea of making a wet suit for Pierre came from ______ ．

A. total invention	B. the use of wet suit on humans
C. the use of heat lamp	D. waterproof feathers

(3) Schaller followed Pierre in order to see ______ ．

A. whether other penguins would reject him

B. whether the wet suit would keep the feathers from recovering

C. if the wet suit kept warm

D. if anywhere of the wet suit needed to be cut and refit

(4) The best title of the passage is ______ ．

A. Unwilling to Swim

B. Old Penguin Getting Bald（秃的）

C. Wet suit for An old Penguin

D. Strange Look of Pierre．

Are you a gourmand（美食主义者）？Do you want to eat every delicious food in the world？Then do you watch the popular program？"A Bite of China"is a documentary on Chinese delicious food which has been broadcasted by CCTV．Is there any holiday that isn't celebrated with a special festival food？Here are several traditional Chinese foods：
Eggs hold a special meaning in many cultures，and China is no exception．The Chinese believe eggs mean producing something new．After a baby is born，parents may hold a"red egg and ginger party，"where they pass out eggs to announce the birth．In some areas of China the number of eggs represents the sex of the child，for example，an odd number for a girl，and an even number when a boy has been born．
Noodles are a symbol of long life in Chinese culture．They are as much a part of a Chinese birthday celebration as a birthday cake with lit candles is in many countries．Since noodles represent long life，it is considered very unlucky to cut it off．
Although westerners sometimes may be very sorry to see fish lying on a plate，in China a whole fish is a symbol of richness．In fact，at a party it is traditional to serve the whole fish last，pointed toward the valued guest．Fish also has a special meaning because the Chinese word for fish，yu，sounds like the word for richness or plenty，and it is believed that eating fish will help your wishes come true in the year to come．
A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat Festival is Zongzi．This tasty dish is made of rice dumplings with meat，peanut or other delicious food in bamboo leaves．The tradition of Zongzi is meant to remind us of a great patriot，Qu Yuan．
The 50-minute program tries to bring something new by presenting more cultural elements，such as eating habits and the quality of eating．

(1) A bite of China is ______ ．

A. a documentary

B. a book

C. a magazine

D. a newspaper

(2) A girl has been born in Mr．Li's home．How many red eggs may he pass out to his friends according to Chinese tradition？ ______

A. two eggs

B. none

C. three eggs

D. six eggs

(3) Which of the following is right according to the passage？ ______

A. We can cut birthday noodles off in China if we think they are too long．

B. It is impolite to serve a whole fish last at a party in China．

C. The program lasts for one hour only．

D. There are many kinds of Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival．

(4) What does the writer mean in the last paragraph？ ______

A. The writer thinks the program is too long．

B. The writer thinks the program has more meanings inside than the story itself．

C. The writer thinks everyone can have a good eating habit after watching the program．

D. The writer thinks the program has brought many kinds of delicious food to us．

                                                                                                            A

New York Transit Museum: Ghost Station Tour

City Hall Station, an abandoned station of the New York Rapid Transit (运输) subway, was originally the last stop at the southern end of the subway line. Opened in 1904, the station was designed to be the most impressive station of the city’s new subway system.

City Hall Station remained in use until 1945, when the station had to be closed due to certain changes in the city’s subway system. As more and more passengers started to travel by subway, it became necessary to add more cars to subway trains. This meant that subway platforms needed to be extended to fit the longer trains. However, City Hall Station was originally built with a short, bent platform, making improvements to the station difficult. Rather than trying to rebuild it, officials chose to abandon City Hall Station in favor of another nearby station, the Brooklyn Bridge Station. Thus, City Hall became a “ghost” (鬼，幽灵) station on the New York subway line, a modern underground ruin.

Although the station is no longer used by subway travelers, the New York Transit Museum has found a new use for the station. The museum has reopened City Hall Station for tourists. Due to the historic significance and beauty of this station, the New York Transit Museum schedules special tours of the station. With some new features added, the station has been named as a landmark by the U.S. government.

Tour Information and Reservations

Please make reservations with the Transit Museum from Tuesday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. Payment in advance is required for tours and must be received at least one week before the scheduled tour. Payment can be made by credit or check.

Tours may require a lot of walking. Wear good walking shoes and comfortable clothes. For your safety, follow the instructions of the tour guide when touring abandoned stations, stay with the group at all times, and follow instructions or signs at the facilities.

Photography is not permitted inside abandoned facilities and some tours have been restricted since 2001 due to security concerns. Please check before booking.

(1) What is the main topic of the passage?

  

A. The history and features of this station.

B. A special tour for children.

C. The most popular subway station in New York.

D. A way to tour New York by subway.

(2) What made improvement of the station difficult?

  

A. People not using the station.

B. The use of more cars.

C. Passengers from the Brooklyn Bridge Station.

D. The way the platform was built.

(3) Which statement about City Hall Station tours is TRUE today?

  

A. Tour guides and visitors ride trains.

B. Tours require reservation.

C. Tours are six hours long.

D. Tours cannot be reserved more than a week in advance.

(4) Where does this text probably come from?

  

A. A science textbook.

B. A tourist map.

C. A museum guide.

D. A news report.

                                                                                                        D

“Inspector Sands to the control room, please.” If you ever hear that at a British train station, don’t panic. But you might appreciate knowing that this is a codeword meant to inform staff that there is an emergency somewhere in the building. The idea is to avoid causing alarm among commuters（通勤者）, but still get the message out to those trained to deal with the problem.

The subject of secret codewords like this was raised this week on Reddit, and the discussion has attracted thousands of examples. But what codewords and signs are really out there in the wild?

A good place to start is hospital emergency codes. These are often colour-coded, and one health centre in Canada has published its list online. “Code red” announces a fire, “code white” indicates a violent person while “code black” means a bomb threat is active. It’s been reported that hospital staff sometimes refer to the morgue as “Rose Cottage”, in order to avoid upsetting relatives of a patient who has recently died.

“I can see very good reasons for having these codes,” says Paul Baker, a linguist at the University of Lancaster. “It may be that people are unsure when they’re giving the code so there’s no point upsetting members of the public.”

Not all codes are alphanumeric(字母数字的). Some are visual, intended to be hidden in plain sight. As BBC Future discovered earlier this year, many banknotes feature a specific pattern of dots placed there to prevent people from photocopying money. Many copiers and scanners are programmed to spot it.

And finally, the spray-painted squiggles(波形曲线) you see on pavements in towns and cities all over the world are codes understood by construction workers and engineers. For example, in UK, different colours are related to different types of cable or pipe. Blue meant a water system while yellow indicated gas lines and green labelled CCTV or data wiring.

All of these codes have a purpose --- to avoid causing panic, to transmit subtle signals in social groups, or to provide technical information quickly and easily. “People don’t like secrets, do they?” says Baker. “There is a drive to have as much information as possible --- we do live in the information age,” he adds.

(1) The following are purposes of the secret codes except ________.

A. to avoid causing alarm and panic among the public.

B. to send sensitive signals in social groups.

C. to provide technical information quickly and easily.

D. to make people believe you are wiser.

(2) The underlined word “morgue” in paragraph 3 refers to the room in a hospital ______.

A. where patients are treated

B. where dead bodies are kept

C. where a patient has an operation

D. where a surgeon cuts open the patients’ bodies

(3) How many kinds of secret codes are mentioned in the passage?

A. 2.	B. 3.
C. 4.	D. 5.

(4) Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?

A. The secret codes you are not meant to know

B. Where to find the codes

C. The origin of different codes

D. Codes in the modern society

An extraordinary twominute film appeared on YouTube and immediately became an international phenomenon． It shows the moving reunion of two young men and their pet lion Christian，after they had left him in Africa with George Adamson to introduce him into his rightful home in the wild．

A Lion Called Christian tells the remarkable story of how Anthony Ace Bourke and John Rendall，visitors to London from Australia in 1969，bought the baby lion in the pet department of Harrods． For several months，the three of them shared a flat above a furniture shop on London’s King’s Road，where the intelligent Christian quickly became famous locally，walking in the streets，appearing for lunch at a local restaurant，even posing for a fashion advertisement． But the baby lion was growing up—fast—and soon even the walled church garden where he went for exercise wasn’t large enough for him． How could Ace and John avoid having to send Christian to a zoo for the rest of his life？A meeting by accident with English actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers，stars of the hit film Born Free，led to Christian being flown to Kenya and placed under the expert care of “the father of lions”George Adamson． Implausibly， when Ace and John returned to Kenya to see Christian a year later，they received a loving welcome from their lion，who was by then fully integrated （融入）into Africa and a life with other lions．

Originally published in 1971，and now fully rewritten with more than 50 photographs of Christian from cute baby in London to fantastic lion in Africa，A Lion Called Christian is a touching and inspiring true story． It is certain to become one of the great classics of animal literature．

(1) What’s the purpose of the first paragraph？

A. To prove lions are worth trusting．

B. To attract readers’curiosity about the pet lion．

C. To introduce to readers what George Adamson is．

D. To show the friendship between humans and animals．

(2) From the passage we can infer that George Adamson ________．

A. was the director of the hit film Born Free

B. knew the languages and lives of lions well

C. saved Christian from the hands of hunters

D. invited McKenna and Travers to take Christian to Kenya

(3) Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “Implausibly”？

A. Fortunately．	B. Possibly．
C. Independently．	D. Unbelievably．

(4) What can we learn about A Lion Called Christian？

A. It has been republished．

B. It was published in London．

C. It has been made into the movie Born Free．

D. It was written by Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers．

Whether you are at a public restaurant, a coffee shop, waiting in line at the airport or bank, or around the family dinner table, you will see people focused on their phones, messages, chatting, and posting pictures of delicious food on Instagram. “ I can rarely remember the last time I saw my teenager without a phone in her hand,” one mom called Sarah said. “She texts so much; her phone is practically a part of her body.” So many people—parents and kids alike—are feeling mentally and physically exhausted and “phone-overwhelmed”. What’s the solution to this problem?

Make a plan. Choose specific times(say, 8 a. m. , 12 a. m. , and 4 p. m.)when you intend to “check in” to read texts, social media updates, and so on, and then do your best to stick to the plan. Try not to just “wing it”. Create phone-routines that help you to create the kind of day(and life)that you want.

Savor the sound of silence. If your phone is continually bleeping and pinging every time” something happens”, it’s going to be tough for you to stay focused on whatever you’re trying to do—you’ll be tempted to check in and see what’s up! Turn the volume on your phone down to zero or power down your phone completely. If you’re concerned that you might miss something important—like an emergency phone from your parents or your boss—you can create a “call filter(过滤器)” so that certain people’s calls come through even if your phone is on “silent”. That way you can rest easy, knowing that you will never miss something that is truly urgent. 

Enjoy phone-free adventures. A few times a week, try leaving your phone safely at home. Go for a phone-free walk with your dog, a phone-free date with your sweetheart, or a phone-free trip to the grocery store. When was the last time you did that?

See how it feels to move freely through the world without the digital “companion” for a while. It must be a valuable experience that can help you enjoy the real world.

(1) The underlined word “Savor” in the third paragraph can be best replaced by ___________.

 

A. Stand	B. Escape
C. Enjoy	D. Break

(2) From the passage ,we can learn __________.

 

A. many people feel it difficult to tear themselves away from their phones

B. no calls can get through if your phone is on silent

C. you can never try going without your phone in your leisure time

D. only by completely turning off your phone can you focus on your work

(3) The article is intended to _________.

 

A. warn people of the possible damage caused by using phones constantly

B. suggest some tips to create a balanced relationship with your phone

C. convince people of the benefits of leaving phones at home

D. argue that using phones constantly will make people extremely tired

In our old neighborhood, neighbors chatted over fences. Newcomers were welcomed with chocolate and bread. It had been easy to find friends there. Our new community was different. It seemed that family roots grew deep, deep as the Mississippi River that flowed past the tiny river town.

   We'd moved to decrease my husband's distance to work. Only thirty miles.

   After living there for six months, I was ready to move back home. I was lonely without a friend. My three boys were lonely. My husband, Lonny, seemed okay, but he spent his days at work.

   Lonny noticed my sinking disposition.

   "Shawnelle, you look unapproachable," he said. He and I were sitting in lawn chairs. Samuel, our three-year-old son, sat in his own little chair.

   "What do you mean?"

   "Body language. You placed our chairs fifteen yards away from everyone else. "

   "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to have friends here." Just then Samuel looked up. "Mom's right, Dad. And we just want to go home."

   That's when I knew that I needed an adjustment. I didn't want my boys to learn that the way to work through a tough time was to use a wounded and bitter attitude.

   Over the next few months I smiled when I didn't feel like it. We signed up for reading programs at the library and often visited parks and the bike path along the river.

   One afternoon Samuel and I climbed up the stairs to the library activity room. A woman who I hadn't seen before sat at a long table with a tiny boy.

   "Hi," she said. "I'm Tammy. Do you need a seat? There's one right here."

   I sat down next to Tammy. Soon class was over, and we still had a lot to say. "Why don't you come over later?" Tammy asked. "I live on a farm. There's plenty of room for the kids to run. "We went. And since that day, we've been back a million times.

   When I look back, I'm grateful for that tough time. I learned to persevere. I'm glad I didn't give up.

   And as for my boys, they learned a lesson too. "Keep moving forward" is what I tell them and "Your heart will follow."

(1) Why did the writer move to a new neighborhood?

A. To find a part-time job in the library.

B. To make new friends with the local people.

C. To enjoy the beauty of the Mississippi River.

D. To make her husband go to work conveniently.

(2) Shawnelle decided to keep going when ________.

A. Tammy encouraged her to join conversations

B. Samuel expressed his wish to go back home

C. Lonny pointed out the mistakes of her body language

D. Tammy invited her to go to her farm

(3) Shawnelle mentioned her friendship with Tammy to prove ________.

A. women seemed to have endless words to say

B. Tammy was rich to have room for kids

C. her family had finally fitted in the new place

D. Tammy's farm was suitable for kids to play on

(4) What lesson did Shawnelle teach her kids?

A. Have a dream in difficult times.

B. Never break up with old friends.

C. Be careful in making friends.

D. Keep up in a tough time.

(5) What does the underlined word "disposition" in the fourth paragraph probably mean?

A. mood

B. sorrow

C. depression

D. liveliness

Coffee at a friend's! We sat trying to make conversation while her three children grappled (扭打) with one another on the floor. Suddenly I remembered that I had brought some glass marbles (玩具子弹) with me—a whole bag full. I spilled them out on the floor, in the hope that the little angels would play with them in peace. Far from it: a heated argument broke out. I didn't understand what was happening until I looked more closely. Among the countless marbles there was just one blue one, and the children fought for it. All the marbles were exactly the same size and shiny and bright. But the blue one had an advantage over the others—it was one of a kind. I had to laugh at how childish children are!

   Rata sunt cara, said the Romans. Rare is valuable. In fact, the scarcity error is as old as mankind. My friend with the three children is a part-time real-estate (房地产) agent. Whenever she has an interested buyer who cannot decide, she calls and says "A doctor from London saw the plot of land yesterday. He liked it a lot. What about you? Are you still interested?"The doctor from London—sometimes it's a professor or a banker—is, of course, not true. The effect is very real, though: it causes prospects to see the opportunity disappearing before their eyes, so they act and close the deal. Why? This is the potential shortage of supply. Objectively, this situation is incomprehensible: either the prospect wants the land for the set price or he does not—regardless of any doctors from London.

   In one study, students were asked to arrange ten posters in order of attractiveness—with the agreement that afterward they could keep one poster as a reward for their participation. Five minutes later, they were told that the poster with the third highest rating was no longer available. Then they were asked to judge all ten once again. The poster that was no longer available was suddenly classified as the most beautiful. In psychology, this phenomenon is called reactance: when we are deprived (剥夺) of an option, we suddenly consider it more attractive. It is also known as the Romeo and Juliet effect: because the love between the tragic Shakespearean teenagers is forbidden, it knows no bounds (难以自己).

   In conclusion: the typical response to scarcity is failure in clear thinking. Assess products and services solely on the basis of their price and benefits. It should be of no importance if an item is disappearing fast, nor if any doctors from London take an interest.

(1) The writer gave the three children some glass marbles because ________.

A. they preferred glass marbles to toy guns

B. they wanted some gifts from the writer

C. he expected the children to calm down

D. he tried to experiment on them

(2) The three children fought for the blue marble because ________.

A. it was the largest one

B. they preferred blue color

C. other marbles were less shiny

D. it was the only one of that color

(3) What does the underlined part "the prospect" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. An interested buyer.	B. A professor.
C. A doctor from London.	D. A real-estate agent.

(4) By lying about a doctor from London, the writer's friend meant to ________.

A. comfort the interested customer

B. attract more potential customers

C. provide medical service for potential buyers

D. drive the interested buyer to make the purchase

(5) The main purpose of the passage is to tell us that ________.

A. part-time agents are not reliable

B. scarcity can lead to wrong decisions

C. the story of Romeo and Juliet is not true

D. people should buy things based on their price