She Says/He Says(U1B1) reading she says: Boys are so different from girls! They never show their emotions
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| She Says/He Says(U1B1)
READING She says: Boys are so different from girls! They never show their emotions. They might be happy, or they might be upset. But who knows? They never talk about their feelings. They only get excited about sports. They always jump and shout. We girls aren't like that. We share the ups and downs in our lives with our friends. We talk about our problems with each other and try to figure them out together. We also like to reveal our secrets to each other. I think boys are shy. One boy at my school likes my friend, Jill. He looks at her all day. However, when she smiles at him, he looks away. Sometimes, he teases her, but I think he does this because he wants to talk to her. Boys are really strange. Aren't they? He says:
Girls are emotional. They enjoy love stories. They cry when they watch sad movies, but they still love watching them! They get upset so easily when someone is mean to them, even if it is just a tiny little thing. They can't control their emotions. I think they just want to get everyone to pay attention to them. Well, I guess girls can do what they like to do—it's their business. They have every right to be talkative and emotional, but they don't have the right to drive everyone crazy. Anyway, I'm glad I'm not a girl. I say:
It's clear that boys feel that girls are strange, and girls feel the same way about boys. So what can everybody do? Well, I say that boys and girls can go on hating each other and keep their distance. Or, they can try to understand and be friendly with each other. What do you say? I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
When Fifteen Meets Fifty(U2B1) READING Everything began with the classic movie You've Got Mail. After I saw this movie, I thought I might also be able to find my true love on the Internet. It would be so romantic to find my Mr. Right online! My dream seemed to come true when I "met" Jack, a seventeen-year-old boy, in a chat room. We had the same interests: going to the movies, taking care of pets, listening to music, and surfing the Net. Jack was also very thoughtful. Gradually, I fell in love with him over the Internet. I dreamed that someday we would meet in person and be together like Kathleen and Joe in the movie. One day, Jack told me that we should meet in person. I said yes immediately, though we lived in different cities. I was really excited that I was finally going to meet my Mr. Right! It was a Saturday morning. I got up very early, then tried on a lot of different clothes, did my hair, and wore my favorite necklace. My mom came into my room, looked at me, and said I looked pretty. I was glad to hear that because I wanted to look just right for Jack. I wanted our first date to be perfect. "Where are you going?" My mom asked. I trusted my mom, but I didn't want her to worry. So, I just told her that I was going to see a movie with my classmates. She then wished me a good day. I say:
Jack and I were going to meet at a café. Oh, I couldn't wait! To recognize him easily, I asked him to bring a rose. I had one, too. Before I slipped into the café, I hoped to see a handsome young man with a rose. However, I didn't see anyone like that. Instead, I saw a bald, beer-bellied man with a rose! There was no one else in the café with a rose! I let out a scream and ran out of the café. My goodness, he was probably in his fifties! I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Great Food at Night(U3B1) READING Every day after the sun goes down, night markets in Taiwan come to life. If you live in Kaohsiung, you may already know about the Liuhe Night Market. If you live in Taichung, you may go to eat at the Fengjia Night Market once in a while. However, do you know how many night markets there are in Taiwan? Actually, there are probably too many to be counted! It's possible that Taipei has the most night markets of all the cities in Taiwan. Roughly speaking, there are twenty, and these are just the known ones. Among them, the Shilin Night Market is the largest and most popular. You probably know this place, but you may not know about its history. Like many other night markets in Taiwan, the Shilin Night Market has a long history. It began more than one hundred years ago. At that time, some people went to the Shilin area to sell fish and produce. Later, they began to sell snacks and food there, and the area then became known as the Shilin Night Market. It has changed a lot in recent decades, and it has become famous for having some of the most delicious food in Taiwan. Food is usually the main reason that so many people continue to go to night markets in Taiwan. For example, coffin toast and shrimp rolls are popular snacks at Tainan's Xiaobei Night Market. Large-pancake-enfolding-small-pancakes have long been the hallmark of the Shilin Night Market. Other snacks like stinky tofu, oyster omelets, and pearl milk tea are available at most night markets in Taiwan. So, you can try a variety of food while strolling through Taiwan's night markets. However, if you prefer to sit down when eating, you must prepare yourself for a wait. This is because seats are not always easy to find at Taiwan's night markets. If you are lucky enough to find a seat, you may notice that another person will be standing behind you and waiting to take your place. At night, delicious food can be found at Taiwan's night markets. They usually become even more colorful when the market stalls put on their lights. So, if you are in Taiwan, be sure to enjoy the great food at night! I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
New Technology in an Old World(U4B1) READING The men wear dark suits at all times, and the women never cut their hair. Their children leave school after finishing the eighth grade. Who are these unique people? They are called the Amish. Life for Amish people hasn't changed much over the last 300 years. They live together mostly in Pennsylvania in the United States, have their own churches, and travel by horse and carriage. Many people think that the Amish belong to an "old world." However, in the 1920s, some of the Amish began to use modern technology—
Take the example of telephones. The Amish like to meet and gather together, and they believe telephones stop people from meeting in person. The Amish who use telephones put their telephones outside their homes with answering machines. Today, the use of cell phones is a new problem for the Amish to worry about. Some of the Amish think that cell phones will make them less close. It's because with cell phones, they can talk to anyone anywhere without meeting face to face. Others, however, think cell phones are useful and convenient. Although modern technology usually brings new things that make our lives easier, it also brings new problems to the Amish. Whether they like to use modern technology or not, it seems that most of the Amish just want to live in peace in their "old world." I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer to the question.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Free Hugs for All(U5B1) READING On June 30th, 2004, Juan Mann, a young Australian man, arrived at Sydney Airport. Because of some personal problems, he had left London and returned to his hometown. On his arrival at the airport, he noticed the excited faces of the people who were waiting for their friends or family to appear. All this made Mann feel very sad and lonely. To him, arriving at an airport was one of the loneliest things in the world, if no one was waiting there to meet you. Suddenly, Mann knew what might make these terrible feelings go away: a simple, comforting hug. He took a piece of cardboard and a black marker, and made a sign. "Free Hugs," the sign read. Then, he decided to choose a busy city street and use his sign to seek some physical contact. He hoped he would get a warm hug, even from a stranger. At first, Mann waited with his sign, and he was not too surprised that most people just ignored him. Then, a miracle seemed to happen. A lady stopped and told him her story. She told Mann that her dog had died earlier that morning, and her only daughter was killed in a car crash on the same day last year. The lady looked lonely and sad, and she was in need of a hug. Immediately, Mann hugged her on the busy street. Few minutes later, he and the lady both parted with a smile. After this, Mann felt much better. He began to understand that hugging a stranger makes a difference in this person's life. He wanted to look for comfort for himself, but he ended up comforting others by simply opening his heart. Juan Mann then suggested that people around the world join his "Free Hugs" campaign and offer comfort to strangers. One hug, he now knows, goes a long, long way.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Imagining a Better World(U6B1) READING Have you ever wondered what leads creative people to invent something new? As the following stories show, sometimes they want something useful, while other times they just want to have fun. In 1929, the famous Wall Street Crash occurred. The world economy entered tough times. In the following years, many people lost their jobs. Charles Darrow, an American, was one of them. "This is one of the greatest economic difficulties that we have ever faced," he once said. One day, Darrow remembered the good times when he and his wife had money and wanted to pay a visit to their favorite town, Atlantic City. Then, he wrote down some of the city's street names on a board. Later, he added more locations, like train stations and power plants. He also put price tags on each of them. "I've invented a new game," Darrow told his wife proudly. He called the game "Monopoly." In the game, a player could start out with very little and end up owning large parts of the city. It was a comforting idea during times in which people had nothing. In this game, they could become rich. Since then, "Monopoly" has become one of the most popular games in the world. Another creative inventor is Gino Tsai, president of the JD Corporation in Taiwan. Once he had a problem. His bicycle factory was too big, and it took ages for him to get around. Therefore, he hoped something with wheels could help. Though a scooter—a smaller motorcycle—might have helped him get around in the factory, Tsai wanted something even smaller and lighter. He then created a new type of scooter with two small wheels, a narrow board, and handlebars. It was made from aluminum, a kind of metal which is strong but light. Tsai's new scooter was also much smaller, so it could be carried around easily. When Tsai's vision became a reality, he realized others might be interested in his invention, too. He was right. When this new type of scooter came onto the market, it quickly became popular, especially among young people. Some ride it to school or to work, while others simply ride it for fun! Both Darrow's and Tsai's inventions came from challenges in their lives. As their stories show, sometimes we need to meet a challenge before our creativity becomes apparent.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
The Rebel God(U7B1) READING The Greek god Prometheus was known as the creator of humans. He made humans from mud and river water, and he gave them many gifts, including fire. Prometheus also taught humans many things. For example, he taught them how to build houses and how to raise animals and crops. In addition, he also taught them how to care for the sick. He was a great teacher. He showed humans everything they needed to live well. Finally, Prometheus took a branch and raised it high up to the sun. The branch caught fire, and Prometheus brought this fire to humans. Humans could thus cook food and stay warm in cold weather. With fire, humans could protect themselves from wild animals and make useful tools. Human civilization thus began with this fire. However, Zeus, the god who ruled all the gods and goddesses, got very angry with Prometheus. Zeus was the most powerful god, and he did not like to see humans becoming more powerful. Therefore, Zeus decided to punish Prometheus for giving humans fire. He chained Prometheus to a rock and sent a vulture to eat Prometheus' liver. Every night, however, Prometheus' liver would grow back, and then every day, the vulture would come to eat it again. In this way, Prometheus suffered a lot. Prometheus had suffered the punishment for thirty thousand years. One day, Hercules, a famous hero, passed by the rock. He killed the vulture and ended Prometheus' suffering. Prometheus was then set free. He was widely respected for sacrificing so much for humans. I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer to the question.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Welcoming the New Year(U8B1) READING People all over the world celebrate the coming of the new year in different ways and on different days. Let's take a look at the New Year's Eve celebrations in Africa, Europe, and Asia. On the evening of March 17th, Igbo people in Nigeria slam their doors to keep the old year away. They also lock the doors and ask the children to hide in the house, so the old year won't have the chance to take the children away. After midnight, people then go out to welcome the new year by clapping their hands. In Russia, New Year's Eve has deep meaning. It is as important as Christmas in the United States, and the two celebrations are alike. On the evening of December 31st, people in Moscow hold a great New Year's Eve celebration in the Kremlin. A tall tree stands in the middle of the celebration room and is decorated with colorful balls and lights. A clown at the front door gives children gifts as they wait for Grandfather Frost. He always arrives with more gifts. The kids sing, and magicians and clowns perform tricks. In addition, people usually eat meat dumplings and many other snacks in that evening. In Japan, New Year's Eve falls on December 31st. The Japanese clean up their houses on this special day. For dinner, they eat buckwheat noodles as a way of sending away the old year and welcoming the new year. Then, by midnight, temples in Japan ring their bells for 108 times, and the Japanese usually stay up to hear the sound of the bells. On New Year's Day, it is important for the Japanese to wake up early to see the first sunrise of the year. Then, Japanese children receive money as gifts, and most adults spend a quiet day at home. How do you welcome and celebrate the coming of the new year in Taiwan? I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer to the question.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
The Sandals That Saved My Life(U1B2) READING My time in high school was the most difficult in my life. I had a plain face and got poor grades. I ate lunch by myself because I was not popular. No one talked to me except for one girl. She told me she would be my friend. I believed her with all my heart, and I was glad that we would be "friends forever." However, she spent most of her time with her other friends and rarely talked to me. One day, we met online. I was so happy that I invited her to see a movie with me. After a long pause, she replied, "No, I won't go to a movie with you. I don't want to be your friend anymore." Then, she signed off. This really shocked me. I couldn't figure out why she had done this to me. Then, I burst into tears. My mom came into my room to comfort me, and she told me everything would be all right. However, I lay awake the whole night worrying that I lost my only friend. The next morning, my mom said that she had a doctor's appointment and would return home later. I sat on my bed and thought about what to do. Then, an idea occurred to me: I would kill myself. That way, no one would have to pretend to be my friend, and the other things that bothered me—like my bad grades—wouldn't be important anymore. When I was thinking about how to do it, the phone rang. It was my mom. She asked me my shoe size because she had found a cute pair of sandals for me. She also said the words that I needed to hear: "I love you." I hung up and wondered why I had forgotten my family's love for me. When my mom came home, I didn't tell her anything. I never told anyone about this, and I blamed no one but myself. My mom's phone call made me realize that committing suicide was not the answer. I just needed to remember that my family would always love me and be there for me. Now, whenever I wear that pair of sandals, I think of how much my mom loves me and how lucky I am to live in this world. I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer to the question.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
A New Way to Gossip(U2B2) READING "A worker in my company told me that her friend Tim liked to eat instant noodles, and he often had a cup of instant noodles for dinner. As a result, a layer of wax was found in his stomach because he had eaten so many instant noodles in Styrofoam containers. Sadly, Tim died last month because the wax was toxic. So, please DO NOT pour boiling water into the Styrofoam container to make your instant noodles. Too much wax from these containers can be fatal." If you receive the e-mail, will you believe it? Should you do what the e-mail tells you to do? In fact, the story in the e-mail is not true. It is a rumor, and it is sometimes called an "urban legend." Many people are tricked by urban legends because the stories seem to be true. For example, some instant-noodle containers do have wax in them, but the truth is that this wax is safe for humans to eat. Of course, many rumors are harmless, and some are even funny. One e-mail, for instance, says never doze off on a bus, or the bus driver will doze off too, and the vehicle will crash. However, some rumors can cause trouble for other people. One e-mail said that a restaurant in Taichung was dirty and served unhealthy food. Though the restaurant was actually very clean, customers stopped going there because of this rumor. In the end, the restaurant closed. Who started this rumor about the restaurant and sent out this e-mail? No one really knows. However, the person who did it was wrong. Those who read the e-mail, believed what it said, and forwarded it to their friends were also wrong. Therefore, if you happen to receive an e-mail like the one below, you probably need to think twice before forwarding it.
I. Reading for the Main Idea Choose the best answer to the question.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Fast Food or Fatty Food? (U3B2) READING These days, fast food is very popular worldwide, and many people are crazy about it. However, according to a study, people who eat high-calorie and high-fat fast food more than twice a week are at least 4 kilograms heavier than those who eat it less than once a week. Another study showed that children who start eating fatty food at an early age will often develop a fatty-food-eating habit. Here is a real example of how eating fast food can damage one's health. In 2003, an American filmmaker whose name is Morgan Spurlock tried an interesting but shocking experiment. To find out how fast food would affect a person's health, Spurlock ate three meals a day at McDonald's for 30 days. After eating hamburgers, fries, and drinking milkshake for a month, he had gained around 11 kilograms and begun to suffer from liver damage and terrible mood swings. Later, Spurlock made his eating experience into a movie which is called Super Size Me. It's a film that Asians, not only Americans, should see because more and more Asians are eating fast food and getting fat fast. Though all the big names in the fast-food industry—McDonald's, KFC, Burger King—are from the United States, more Asians now eat at these restaurants than Americans. There are two main reasons why fast food is popular among Asians and making them fat. First, most Asians today rarely eat at home because of their busy work and school life, and fast food can easily replace homemade meals. Second, unlike most Asian food, food in places like McDonald's has a lot more salt and fat. Therefore, the busy lifestyle and fast-food diet cannot be good for Asians. In Taiwan, at least 30 percent of the children eat fast food once a week, and over 30 percent of Taiwanese children are overweight. Is there any way to stop this trend toward unhealthy diet? Some customers have even sued McDonald's for making them fat. They said the restaurant had never warned them about the health risks of its food. These lawsuits might force fast-food restaurants to introduce healthy food on their menus. In fact, some fast-food restaurants are now offering salads and fresh fruit in order to attract more customers. Maybe it's time to cut down on fatty food, to start a healthy diet, and just to get fat the slow way!
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
Peeping Tom(U4B2) READING Today, people enjoy hearing about others' secrets, especially those of famous people. Therefore, in order to satisfy the public, the paparazzi not only secretly follow famous people and take pictures of them, but also pry into their personal lives and past. People like the paparazzi are often called "peeping Toms." The phrase "peeping Tom" refers to someone who secretly watches others without their permission, and it comes from the story of Lady Godiva. Lady Godiva lived in eleventh-century England. She loved art very much and wanted to share her love of art with the local people. However, the people had to spend all their time working hard, and most of them had a hard time making a living. Thus, Lady Godiva asked her husband, the Earl of Mercia, to lower the taxes so that the people could have time for art. The earl finally agreed, but he asked his wife to ride naked through the market because the Greeks and Romans considered the human body to be a work of art. On that day, to show respect for Lady Godiva, the locals stayed at home as she passed by. Yet, Tom, a curious young man, could not resist peeping at her. After doing so, he suddenly went blind. This is how the phrase "peeping Tom" began. Today, with electronic devices, peeping Toms can more easily peep at others. Some people, for instance, use cameras in cell phones to take pictures of others in secret. Others even put hidden video cameras in public places, like dressing rooms or hotel rooms, to watch and listen to people secretly. As a result, some governments have passed laws against the use of camera phones and have made their use illegal in certain public places. Other governments demand that these phones meet certain requirements. In South Korea, for example, all cameras in cell phones must produce loud sounds when they are in use so that people will know if someone is taking pictures of them. In addition, many useful devices that are invented to protect people against peeping Toms have come onto the market. For example, people are now able to find hidden cameras by using a pen which is specially made. Though there are many laws and inventions against peeping Toms, we should still be careful and learn to protect ourselves from being hurt. After all, sometimes we can only count on ourselves.
II. Reading for Details Choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.
The Last Runner(U5B2) READING In my town, the annual marathon is always held in hot weather. One year, it was my job to follow the runners in an ambulance to give them medical treatment if they needed it. The driver and I waited inside the ambulance. Outside, a hundred runners listened for the loud crack of the starting pistol. "Remember to drive slowly," I told the ambulance driver as we began moving forward, "because we are supposed to stay behind the last runner." As the fastest runners started to disappear in the distance, I noticed a Directory: uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> Department of science and humanities department of mathematics part-a questions and answers uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Ownership Models There are two different types of ownership models uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> City of rising star regular meting thursday, july 14, 2016 uploads -> Township of winfield uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program What We Want Now! Download 2.48 Mb. Share with your friends:
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