A few famous left-handed persons
Bill Gates
Claiming the nation’s richest man among their number is a source of considerable pride for America’s
society of southpaws (左撇子).In fact,the Microsoft titan (巨人) and philanthropist (慈善家) is one of a surprising number of U.S.business areas to be left-handed,including Henry Ford,John D.
Rockefeller and former IBM head Lou Gerstner.But the club seems to be a guys-only fraternity(联谊会).Research suggests that while left-handed men tend to earn more than their right-handed
colleagues, there is no similar advantage for women.A study by the National Bureau of Economic
Research floated the idea that left-handed men favor “divergent” (发散性) thinking,a form of
creativity in which the brain moves “from conventional knowledge into unexplored association”.Maybe
that’s what it takes to develop a net worth estimated at least $570 billion.
Oprah Winfrey
The talk-show queen doesn’t need much more to set her apart from the rest.She has herestimated $2.7 billion fortune and a magic ability to sell books just by glancing at them,but she also has the
distinction of being a member of the left-handed club.Men are more likely to be left-handed than
women which makes Oprah more impressive.She’s “in good company”:other showbiz ladies of the southpaw persuasion include Whoopi Goldberg,Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie(her husband Brad Pitt is also a lefty).
Napoleon Bonaparte
Legend has it that Napoleon objected to the time-honored military practice of marching on the left
side of the road with weapons at the ready in the right hand: it put lefties (左撇子) like him at a strategic
disadvantage.Once in power,the story goes,the French emperor,whose queen,Josephine,was
also a southpaw,ordered his armies to change sides.Civilians in countries he conquered had to do the
same.Hence,it’s said that the rules of the road were born,which also explains why the British (who,
along with the Prussians,defeated Napoleon at Waterloo) still drive on the left.
Marie Curie
Not only was atomic scientist Marie Curie left-handed,but she was the matriarch (女家长) of a
whole family of accomplished,southpaw scientists.Curie,who discovered the principles of radioactivity
and won two Nobel Prizes,was married to fellow lefty Pierre Curie,who was playing an important
part in helping Marie’s atomic research and shared one of her Nobel awards.Historians believed their
daughter,Irene,was also left-handed.Irene went on to win a Nobel Prize of her own with her
husband,who,you guessed it,was also left-handed.Lefty scientists are hardly unusual.In addition to
the Curie clan,Einstein,Newton and Alan Turing-founder of modern computer science were all left-
handed as well.
A.Club of southpaw
B.Woman advantage
C.Divergent thinking
D.Conventional knowledge.?
科目:高中英语 来源:英语教研室 题型:050
As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets (资产) of approximately US $ 6. 3 billion.
Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia (百科全书) by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and math and his favorite pastime was “thinking”.
Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13, when one was installed at his school. At that time, computers were large, awkward (笨重的) machines. Operators were required to learn complex (复杂的) computer languages before the machines could be used. Even then a great deal of time and effort was needed to perform the simplest functions. Before long Gates was an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autumn, majoring math. But he was still obsessed (占据心思) with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls.
By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it.
BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft.
His next project was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased (购买) by 113M in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world.
As chief executive office of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize (批评) his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to most people now, Gates is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble (谦恭) and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fast food restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say. “All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it. “
1.When he was a teenager, Bill Gates wanted to be a ________.
A. teacher
B. doctor
C. businessman
D. professor
2.When Gates went to Harvard, he ________.
A. was interested only in math
B. spent most of his time in computer laboratories
C. developed the first computer software program
D. divided his time between his math studies and the computer laboratories
3.Before the development of BASIC, ________.
A. no one was interested in computer software
B. software programs were not considered commercial projects
C. software programs were very expensive
D. no one wanted to pay for computer software
4.When the writer says, “Bill was regarded as an unfashionable boring computer nut”, he means ________.
A. Bill was so strong-minded that no one could change his mind
B. the only thing that could interests Bill on his life was computer
C. Bill was such a boring young man that nobody would like to talk to him
D. Bill couldn't work out the boring computer problems
5.Most people think Gates is ________.
A. a crazy person
B. a person obsessed with making money
C. someone who spends money freely
D. a quite common, normal person
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科目:高中英语 来源:训练必修二英语北师版 北师版 题型:050
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科目:高中英语 来源:湖南省长郡中学09-10学年度高一下学期4月月考 题型:阅读理解
B.阅读理解:(30分)
A
Now we can see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They are not speaking to each other.
They haven’t spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can’t see his face. The wife looks very worried as she gets a cup of tea ready for him. Today she is using a new kind of tea for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn’t interested. He tastes his tea. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different! Can it be the tea? He takes another taste. It’s wonderful. He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in surprise, “Doris, when did you cut your hair?” Doris is pleased. She answers, “Two months ago.” Doris asks, “Herbie, when did your hair begin to become white?” He answers, “A long time ago.” Doris says, “We have been together for many years, but we never cared about each other.” Now they aren’t worried any longer. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of tea changed their lives?
36. This story happens______________________.
A. before breakfast B. after breakfast
C. at home D. in a teahouse
37. In the passage, we can see ________________________.
A. Doris is drinking tea B. Herbie likes the new kind of tea
C. Doris is reading a newspaper D. Herbie is very young and good-looking
38. Herbie and Doris lived ______________ before this day.
A. a wonderful B. an unhappy
C. an enjoyable D. a friendly
39. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They are good friends. B. They have just got married.
C. They like to talk about their hair. D. They are no longer young.
40. From the passage, we think it may be ______________.
A. a radio programme B. a short film
C. a computer game D. a beautiful painting
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科目:高中英语 来源:浙江省富阳市场口中学2009-2010学年高一5月教学质量检测试题(英语) 题型:阅读理解
三. 阅读理解(30分)
Einstein, a great scientist of the age, was almost as strange as his Theory of Relativity.
Once, while riding a street car in Berlin, he told the conductor that he had not given him the right change. The conductor counted the change again and found it to be correct, so he handed it to Einstein, saying, “The trouble with you is that you don’t know your figures.”
Einstein said that there were only twelve people living who understood his Theory of Relativity although a good many books had been written to explain it.
He had nothing but contempt(蔑视) for the things most people set their hearts on --- for fame and riches(财富) and luxury(奢华).
He didn’t want money or praise. He made his own happiness out of such simple things as his work and playing the violin and sailing his boat. Einstein’s violin brought him more joy than anything else in life. He said that he often thought in music.
1.The conductor thought Einstein _____ .
A. wasn’t good at maths B.had good memory
C. was either mad or strange D.liked to make trouble
2.Einstein meant that many people _____ .
A. knew his Theory of Relativity well because they could explain it
B.had written to have grasped his theory correctly
C.pretended to have grasped his abstract theory
D.admired him very much
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Einstein care little for fame or wealth.
B. Einstein had nothing but enough fame and riches and luxury.
C. Einstein was eager for the things most people set their hearts to.
D. In the eyes of Einstein, most people had a strong wish to publish book on the theory.
4. The underline part “set their hearts on” means _____.
A. believe B. have C. love D. hate
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科目:高中英语 来源:浙江省富阳市2009-2010学年高一5月教学质量检测试题(英语) 题型:阅读理解
三. 阅读理解(30分)
Einstein, a great scientist of the age, was almost as strange as his Theory of Relativity.
Once, while riding a street car in Berlin, he told the conductor that he had not given him the right change. The conductor counted the change again and found it to be correct, so he handed it to Einstein, saying, “The trouble with you is that you don’t know your figures.”
Einstein said that there were only twelve people living who understood his Theory of Relativity although a good many books had been written to explain it.
He had nothing but contempt(蔑视) for the things most people set their hearts on --- for fame and riches(财富) and luxury(奢华).
He didn’t want money or praise. He made his own happiness out of such simple things as his work and playing the violin and sailing his boat. Einstein’s violin brought him more joy than anything else in life. He said that he often thought in music.
1.The conductor thought Einstein _____ .
A. wasn’t good at maths B.had good memory
C. was either mad or strange D.liked to make trouble
2.Einstein meant that many people _____ .
A. knew his Theory of Relativity well because they could explain it
B.had written to have grasped his theory correctly
C.pretended to have grasped his abstract theory
D.admired him very much
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Einstein care little for fame or wealth.
B. Einstein had nothing but enough fame and riches and luxury.
C. Einstein was eager for the things most people set their hearts to.
D. In the eyes of Einstein, most people had a strong wish to publish book on the theory.
4. The underline part “set their hearts on” means _____.
A. believe B. have C. love D. hate
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