Jack Benny was one of the most famous names in show business.He was born in Chic
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Jack Benny was one of the most famous names in show business.He was born in Chicago，Illinois，on February 14th,1894.His parents，Meyer and Emma Kubelsky，were religious Jews.They had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe.Benny was a quiet boy.For much of the time，his parents were busy working in his father’s store.As a child，Benny learned to play the violin.After finishing his school，he joined the Navy.He continued using his violin to perform for sailors.In one show he was chosen more for his funny jokes than for his skill with the violin.That experience made him believe that his future job was a comedian.
Benny developed a show personality that had all the qualities people dislike.He was known for being so stingy—he refused to spend any money unless forced to do so.On his shows Benny often spoke of his appearance，especially his baby blue eyes.As he grew older，he always claimed to be 39 years old.Benny rarely made jokes that hurt other people.Instead，he would let the other actors on the show tell jokes about him.
In real life，he was very giving and he was a person people liked having as their employer.Benny entered the new media of television in 1950.Five years later，he dropped his radio programme to spend more time developing his television show.At first his appearances on television were rare.By 1960 the Benny Show was a weekly television programme.It continued until 1965.Benny appeared in about twenty films during his life.A few became popular.But most were not.In 1963 Benny returned to Broadway for the first time since 1931.
Benny received many awards during his lifetime.Perhaps the one honour that pleased him most was that his hometown of Waukeegan named a school for him.This was a special honour for a man who had never finished high school.
Benny continued to perform.He died of cancer in 1974.At his funeral his friend Bob Hope said，“Jack Benny was stingy to the end.He gave us only eighty years.”
小题1:Benny was determined to be a comedian after he ______.| A．left high school | | B．joined the Navy | | C．performed in a show for the sailors | | D．left the Navy for Broadway |
小题2:The underlined word “stingy” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”．| A．clever | B．mean | | C．outgoing | D．hardworking |
小题3:According to the text，on Benny’s shows，he ________.| A．developed a good personality | | B．played the violin skillfully | | C．often referred to his appearance | | D．said funny things that hurt others |
小题4:Which of the following statements is TRUE about Benny?| A．He did a good job in show business. | | B．His first appearance on TV was very successful. | | C．Most of his films became wellknown to Americans. | | D．He treated all his awards as nothing. |
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答案
小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A |
解析
小题1: C
解析 细节理解题。根据第一段最后两句可知答案。
小题2: B
解析 词义猜测题。由下文“...he refused to spend any money unless forced to do so.”可知，stingy意为“吝啬的”。
小题3: C
解析 推理判断题。根据第二段第三句可知答案。
小题4: A
解析 细节理解题。由文章首句可知答案。 |
举一反三
Most people give little thought to the pens they write with，especially since the printers in modern homes and offices mean that very ____things are handwritten.All too often，people buy a pen based only on ____，and wonder why they are not satisfied ___ they begin to use it.However，buying a pen that you’ll enjoy is not ____ if you keep the following in mind.
First of all，a pen should fit comfortably in your hand and be __5__ to use.The thickness of the pen is the most important characteristic(特征)____ comfort.Having a small hand and thick fingers，you may be comfortable with a thin pen.If you have a ____ hand and thicker fingers you may ____a fatter pen.The length of a pen can ____ influence comfort.A pen that is too ____ can easily feel topheavy and unstable.
Then，the writing point of the pen should ____ the ink to flow evenly(均匀地) while the pen remains in touch with the paper.____ will make it possible for you to create a ____ line of writing.The point should also be sensitive enough to ____ink from running when the pen is lifted.A point that does not block the ____ may leave drops of ink，____ you pick the pen up and put it down again.
___，the pen should make a thick，dark line.Fineline pens may ____ bad handwriting，but fine，delicate lines do not command ____ next to printed text，as，____，a signature on a printed letter.A broader line，on the other hand，gives an impression of confidence and authority(权威)．
| 小题1: | | A．many | B．few | | C．pleasant | D．important |
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| 小题2: | | A．looks | B．reason | | C．value | D．advantages |
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| 小题3: | | A．once | B．if | | C．because | D．though |
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| 小题4: | | A．convenient | B．practical | | C．strange | D．difficult |
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| 小题5: | | A．heavy | B．easy | | C．hard | D．safe |
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| 小题6: | | A．taking | B．finding | | C．determining | D．seeking |
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| 小题7: | | A．stronger | B．weaker | | C．smaller | D．larger |
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| 小题8: | | A．prefer | B．recommend | | C．prepare | D．demand |
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| 小题9: | | A．hardly | B．also | | C．never | D．still |
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| 小题10: | | A．thick | B．light | | C．long | D．soft |
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小题11:．| A．change | B．allow | | C．reduce | D．press |
| 小题13: | | A．thin | B．rough | | C．black | D．smooth |
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| 小题14: | | A．prevent | B．free | | C．protect | D．remove |
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| 小题15: | | A．way | B．sight | | C．flow | D．stream |
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小题16:．| 小题17: | | A．Meanwhile | B．Generally | | C．Afterwards | D．Finally |
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| 小题18: | | A．show up | B．differ from | | C．break down | D．compensate for |
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| 小题19: | | A．attention | B．support | | C．respect | D．admission |
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| 小题20: | | A．at most | B．for example | | C．in brief | D．on purpose |
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Nowadays，much of the profit of a business—sometimes the whole of its success—depends upon the use of the odds and ends.The odds and ends are various small things，which are left over when the main things are produced.But they possess a real value of their own.
If a business，big or small，looked down upon these odds and ends，it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business.Take a meat factory for instance，there are countless odds and ends—bones and hair，which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly.
Then，if we are college students，what about our odds and ends—the odd moments？Take time for example.Every one of us has the exact same amount of it.Everyone’s success or failure depends on the use of their time.But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way.However，why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world？Because they have made best use of their odd moments.Thomas A．Edison，never allowed his odd moments to slip by.He thought，planned，and tried his inventions.He always worked twenty hours out of each twentyfour.His inventions made him famous all over the world，and provided valuable wealth for the human beings.
So，remember this axiom：busy people always find time for everything.However，people with great spare time find time for nothing.Is it very strange？Not at all！The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them.As many big businesses have found，the real profit is in using the odds and ends.We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something we do.
小题1:What are odds and ends?| A．They are nothing useful. | | B．They are very small，but valuable things. | | C．They are the main things factories produce. | | D．They are odd moments students refuse to gather up. |
小题2:Why should the odds and ends be made full use of?| A．Because they often determine success or failure. | | B．Because they can only be found by successful people. | | C．Because they are various small things people don’t want. | | D．Because they are useless things left over. |
小题3:The underlined word axiom in the last paragraph means________.| A．a statement given by famous people | | B．a statement accepted as true | | C．a statement that can be argued | | D．a statement accepted in scientific field |
小题4:Which of the following statements is TRUE?| A．The profit of all companies depends on the odds and ends. | | B．In some way，big meat companies can ignore some small things，such as bones. | | C．College students only make full use of their spare time before exams. | | D．Many successful men are good at using the odds and ends. |
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Plants may not have eyes and ears，but they can recognize their siblings (兄弟姐妹)，and researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered how.The ID system lies in the roots and the chemical signals they secrete (分泌)．
Canadian researchers published that sea rocket，a common seashore plant，can recognize its siblings.Susan Dudley observed that when siblings are grown next to each other in the soil，they “play nice” and don’t send out more roots to compete.However，the moment one of the plants is thrown in with strangers，it begins competing with them by rapidly growing more roots to take up the water and mineral nutrients in the soil.
After reading Dudley’s study，Bais decided to find the method behind the sibling recognition.Working in his laboratory，Bais and his doctoral student Meredith Biedrzycki set up a study with wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.In a series of experiments，young seedlings were exposed to liquid media containing the root secretions from siblings，from strangers，or only their own secretions.The length of the longest lateral (侧面的) root was measured.The exposure of plants to the root secretions of strangers induced (引诱) greater lateral root formation than exposure of plants to sibling secretions.Strangers planted next to each other are often shorter，because so much of their energy is directed at root growth.Because siblings aren’t competing against each other，their roots are often much shallower (浅的)．
Biedrzycki did the painstaking laboratory research，observing more than 3,000 plants involved in the study every day for seven continuous days and documenting the root patterns.“Arabidopsis roots are nearly translucent (半透明的) when they are young and were also twisted when I removed them from plates，”Biedrzycki notes.“This manuscript (手稿) is very important for my research since the focus of my thesis project is understanding the biochemical ways behind root secretions.”
The research also may have implications for the home gardener.“Often we’ll put plants in the ground next to each other and when they don’t do well，we blame the local garden center where we bought them or we attribute their failure to a germ，”Bais says.“But maybe there’s more to it than that.”
小题1:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?| A．A Great Biology Researcher | | B．Plants Recognize Their Siblings | | C．Plants’ Roots and Secretions | | D．A Research on Plants |
小题2:What encouraged Bais to study the sibling recognition?| A．Sea rocket. | | B．Plants’ sensing system. | | C．Biedrzycki’s thesis project. | | D．Dudley’s study. |
小题3:What does the underlined word “painstaking” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?| A．Important. | B．Adventurous. | | C．Careful. | D．Hardworking. |
小题4:What can we infer from the last paragraph?| A．The local garden center should be blamed when plants can’t grow well. | | B．The local garden center often sells low quality seeds to customers. | | C．Plants in the home garden can’t grow well because of the germ and seeds. | | D．Competing against strangers，plants in the home garden can’t grow well. |
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Mom was right！If you say thank you，for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness，you’ll feel happy.
Gratitude(感谢)，says Robert A．Emmons，a professor of psychology at the University of California，is an important element of happiness.In his recent book，Thanks！，Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom’s point.In acknowledging and developing this muchignored expression of thankfulness，he explains how people have benefited—even improved their health.
As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement，he admits gratitude may be difficult to express.He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder.Second，recognize that the source of life’s goodness is more than just you.That source may be your mom，a friend，partner，child，colleague at work or play，or any combination of these.
Gratitude is always otherdirected，notes Emmons.You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong，but you can never be grateful to or for yourself.
Expressing gratitude shouldn’t be a reaction；it should be a state of mind.To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy.To feel grateful in time of crisis—anger，hatred and bitterness—is easier.Also，too many people are aware of life’s blessings only after these are lost.The voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals are many.
It’s crisis and chaos—danger，disease，disability and death—that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others.Yet it’s the way each of us begins life and ends it.It’s too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion(幻觉) they are selfsufficient，says Emmons.
To enable and embrace gratitude，Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary.He even provides easytofollow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude.
I’m not a reader or advocate of selfhelp books，but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients(接受者)．The chance discovery led me to this book.
Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving，receiving and repaying.So I’ll pay attention to her professional advice and say：Thank you，professor Emmons.
小题1:What is the text mainly discussed?| A．There are many ways of being thankful. | | B．Gratitude is important to happiness. | | C．Mom is great for her being thankful. | | D．Being thankful will keep you fit. |
小题2:The author mentions Robert A．Emmons’book Thanks! in order to prove that ________.
A．Professor Emmons supports mom’s study on psychology
B．mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons
C．Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist
D．mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude
小题3:It will be easier for you to feel grateful when ______.| A．you live a comfortable life | | B．you receive gifts on your birthday | | C．you get help during your hard times | | D．you are congratulated on your success |
小题4:What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?| A．It is enough to thank others orally. | | B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you. | | C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere. | | D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others. |
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One day，while I was walking to work，I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning.On the way，I ____ a stranger and presented the bunch to him with a smile card.____ by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person，and may be ____ his day，I wanted to do it again.
When I got to my office，I had the ____ of anonymously(匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace.The impersonal(无人情味的) ___ of the building where I work makes me ____.It just feels a little boring sometimes，____ it’s a nice building with great light.I __8__ lots of people might feel the same way，so why not put a little ___ there，and throw in an inspirational quote while I’m at it？____，who doesn’t like flowers?
So，for the past month，I’ve been ____ flowers in a little cup on the sink in the bathroom.Each week，I ____ the flowers and the quote.It always feels ____ for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams，he will meet with a ____ unexpected in common hours.” and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always ____ on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything，I figured，it at least makes me ____ each time I visit the bathroom.
Then today，when I walked in，I noticed ____ flowers in the cup，and a quote that someone else had written！It ____，“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi.
This little act ____ me that，at the end of the day，we’re all just people with hearts ____ the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.
I did a little dance and I am smiling wide for the rest of the day!
| 小题1: | | A．picked out | B．came across | | C．called up | D．pointed at |
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| 小题2: | | A．Struck | B．Informed | | C．Surprised | D．Honoured |
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| 小题3: | | A．calming | B．determining | | C．reflecting | D．brightening |
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| 小题5: | | A．design | B．atmosphere | | C．decoration | D．regulation |
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| 小题6: | | A．uncomfortable | B．impolite | | C．impatient | D．unconscious |
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| 小题7: | | A．when | B．unless | | C．because | D．though |
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| 小题8: | | A．concluded | B．considered | | C．doubted | D．expected |
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| 小题9: | | A．mystery | B．adventure | | C．beauty | D．courage |
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| 小题10: | | A．More or less | B．After all | | C．At most | D．In no case |
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| 小题11: | | A．growing | B．watering | | C．putting | D．arranging |
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| 小题12: | | A．count | B．check | C．clean | D．change |
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| 小题13: | | A．refreshing | B．interesting | | C．satisfying | D．puzzling |
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| 小题14: | | A．prize | B．truth | | C．success | D．miracle |
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| 小题15: | | A．holds | B．attaches | | C．remains | D．focuses |
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| 小题16: | | A．strong | B．happy | | C．excited | D．shocked |
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| 小题17: | | A．good | B．new | C．small | D．special |
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| 小题18: | | A．printed | B．asked | | C．replied | D．said |
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| 小题19: | | A．introduces | B．warns | | C．suggests | D．reminds |
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| 小题20: | | A．regardless of | B．in terms of | | C．in addition to | D．instead of |
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