All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer．

Sports change with the season． People play different games in winter and summer．

Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities． The Arabs use horses or camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too．

Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them． Football, for example, has spread around the world． Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers．

Some sports or games go back to thousands of years, like running or jumping． Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history． But basketball and volleyball are rather new． Neither one is a hundred years old yet． People are inventing new sports or games all the time．

People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends． Sports help to train a person’s character(性格)． One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(体面)

1.According to this passage we know that _____．

A．people began to play about one hundred years ago

B．about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played

C．basketball has a longer history than volleyball

D．not all the games have a long history

2.The writer didn’t tell us in this passage that _____．

A．basketball was invented in America

B．sports change with the season

C．games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities

D．football is played all over the world

3.People all over the world enjoy sports because _____．

A．sports are interesting

B．sports help to keep people healthy , happy and to live longer

C．sports help to train one’s character

D．all of the above

4.From this passage we can see that_____．

A．sports and games are unimportant things that people do

B．sports and games should be treated(对待)only as amusement(娱乐活动)

C．sports and games are only useful to the old

D．sports and games can help people understand each other.

 

– May I have a word with you? I won't ______ much of your time.  

– Sure.

A. take out         B. take off        C. take on                  D. take up

 

1 

February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.

         Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player.

         Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.

         In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.

         During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.

         When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.

    At first，playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement wore off and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.

    But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012，on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory. Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" (林发疯）. Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.

1.Which of the following is of little help in Lin’s success?

A. his father’s influence          B. his devotion to basketball

C. his years of hard work         D. his graduation from Harvard University

2. What does the phrases "wore off" in seventh paragraph probably mean?

A. arose      B. disappeared        C. grew        D. remained

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Lin learned to play basketball when he was eight.

B. Lin was excited for professional games and did a good job at the beginning.

C. Before Lin there was no Chinese-American NBA players.

D. Lin is the most outstanding player in NBA.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. Lin didn’t have a smooth road in NBA.

B. Lin got an easy entry into NBA.

C. Lin didn’t show his basketball talents in Harvard University.

D. NBA prefers graduates from Harvard University.

 

Dust storms are violent and mostly unpredictable. They can cause property damage, injuries, and deaths, so it’s necessary to know what to do when you come across them.

     Watch out for dust storm warnings. Dust storms are most likely to occur on hot summer days, so listen to the local TV or radio broadcasts before traveling in hot, dry conditions, and consider changing or giving up your trip if dust storms are predicted. Roadside signs may also be able to warn you of dust storm danger.

     Be prepared. If you are in a storm-prone area, carry a mask(口罩) to keep out small dust particles (颗粒), and take eye protection to protect your eyes. A supply of water is also necessary.

     Go beyond the storm. If you see a dust storm from some distance, and you are in a vehicle, you should try to escape from it. Some dust storms can travel at more than 75 miles per hour, but they frequently travel much slower. However, it is not advisable to put yourself at risk by driving at high speed.

     Stay inside. Do not move about in a storm, as you will not be able to see hidden risks in your path. So if you’re in a house, stay inside.

     Protect yourself from flying objects. Cover as much of your body as possible. A dust storm’s high wind can carry heavy objects. If you find yourself without shelter, try to stay low, close to the ground, and protect your head with your arms, a backpack or a pillow.

1.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Dust storms usually travel much slower than vehicles.               B．Don’t be so worried about dust storms in the distance.                    C．You shouldn’t drive at a risky speed to escape from dust storms.   D．Driving faster than the dust storm is the most important thing.

2.We can learn from the passage that __________

A．it is dangerous to travel on hot summer days   B．dust storms usually come from far away   C．people should stay indoors when a dust storm comes      D．small objects blown by a storm’s wind cannot harm people

3.Which of the following may NOT really be needed when you come across a storm?

A．A pair of glasses.    B．A blanket.         C．A bottle of milk.     D．A travel guide.

4.A weatherman may give you all of the following advice EXCEPT that "_____________".

A．do not enter a dust storm                 B．mind the warnings on the roadside signs   C．close all the doors and windows of your house           D．cover your body with as many things as possible

5.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

a. the violence of dust storms

b. the speed of dust storms

c. the worst dust storm ever

d. the likely time for dust storms

A．a. b. c            B．b. c. d            C．a. b. d            D．a. c. d

 

Quiet Virtue: The Conscientious

The everyday signs of conscientiousness (认真尽责)—being punctual, careful in doing work, self-disciplined, and scrupulous (一丝不苟的) in attending to responsibilities—are typical characteristics of the model organizational citizen, the people who keep things running as they should. They follow the rules, help out, and are concerned about the people they work with. It’s the conscientious worker who helps newcomers or updates people who return after an absence, who gets to work on time and never abuses sick leaves, who always gets things done on deadline.

Conscientiousness is a key to success in any field. In studies of job performance, outstanding effectiveness for almost all jobs, from semi-skilled labor to sales and management, depends on conscientiousness. It is particularly important for outstanding performance in jobs at the lower levels of an organization: the secretary whose message taking is perfect, the delivery truck driver who is always on time.

Among sales representatives for a large American car manufacturer, those who were most conscientious had the largest volume of sales. Conscientiousness also offers a buffer (缓冲) against the threat of job loss in today’s constantly changing market, because employees with this quality are among the most valued. For the sales representatives, their level of conscientiousness mattered almost as much as their sales in determining who stayed on.

There is an air around highly conscientious people that makes them seem even better than they actually are. Their reputation for dependability influences managers’ evaluations of their work, giving them higher evaluations than objective measures of their performance would predict.

But conscientiousness in the absence of social skills can lead to problems. Since conscientious people demand so much of themselves, they can hold other people to their own standards, and so be overly judgmental when others don’t show the same high levels of model behavior. Factory workers in Great Britain and the United States who were extremely conscientious, for example, tended to criticize co-workers even about failures that seemed unimportant to those they criticized, which damaged their relationships.

When conscientiousness takes the form of living up to expectations, it can discourage creativity. In creative professions like art or advertising, openness to wild ideas and spontaneity (自发性) are scarce and in demand. Success in such occupations calls for a balance, however; without enough conscientiousness to follow through, people become mere dreamers, with nothing to show for their imaginativeness.