Over the summer, my family took a trip to Iceland to see the natural beauty of it. Little did I ___21___ I would wake up one morning to have my eyes swelled up(肿胀) like balloons! I was frightened. So many questions were ___22___ through my head. Am I allergic(过敏的) to something? Was there some Icelandic disease that I ___23___ ? The only help I received was some allergy medicine ___24___ a clinic nearby. Nothing was working.
When the trip was over, I went to see my doctor. She gave me eye drops, but clearly they weren’t worth the time or ___25___ and the swelling got worse and worse.
I finally decided that it would be best for me to ___26___ being so sad and take it easy and have fun. It was summer after all. I had a fun night with my friends as if nothing was ___27___. The next morning I woke up and went to ___28___ how swollen my eyes were, only to find myself ___29___ at my normal face. It was a miracle(奇迹). I ___30___ asking myself why I hadn’t done that earlier. Was being with my friends and having fun really the ___31___ to my problem?
To this day I still do not know what I had, and ___32___ do any of the many doctors that I ___33___ during the summer. I would really like to go back to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, ___34___ I am very much frightened that I am just allergic to the country. I hope I never ___35___ having such terrible swelling in my eyes ever again.
When you go on your job interview(面试), be sure to dress well, be on time, do your research and NEVER ask any of the following questions:
1. “How quickly could I be promoted(晋升)?”
An employer first of all wants an employee to be happy with the position they have. Ambition (抱负)is good, but there is a time and place to discuss promotion, and it’s not during an interview.
2. “Will I be able to work from home?”
This is basically telling your future boss --- before you’ve even started --- that you’re too lazy. to come into the office.
3. “How much vacation time does this position offer?”
Although this could be asked, this is the type of information you should get AFIER you’ve been offered a position and not before.
4. “Will I have to work with a team?”
Almost all jobs need some kind of teamwork, so any sign that you are not a team player will leave you with unfavorable points in an employer’s eyes.
5. “Does this position come with a handsome pay?”
The pay is usually discussed after a position has been offered. If an employer offers this subject, feel free to discuss it. Otherwise, try not to look like you are interested only in things for your own good. An employer will more readily hire someone interested in bettering themselves and the company as a whole.
36. An employer usually expects an employee to be ______.
A. hungry for promotion B. satisfied with the vacation
C. pleased with the position D. curious about the workplace
Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), the first woman astronomer(天文学家)in the United States, was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her parents valued education and insisted on giving her the same quality of education that boys received.
Her father, William Mitchell, was an astronomer and teacher himself. When he built his own school, Maria became a student and also a teaching assistant to him. At home, Maria’s father taught her to watch the stars and other natural objects in space using his personal telescope(望远镜).
Later she went to work at the library of the Nantucket Atheneum. Over the next twenty years, she further developed her interest in reading as many books as she could. She spent her nights watching the sky closely with her father.
On October 1, 1847, Mafia discovered a comet(彗星) by merely using a two-inch telescope. Some years before, King Frederick VI of Denmark had set up prizes to each discoverer of a “telescopic comet”. The prize was to be given to the “first discoverer” of each such comet because comets were often discovered by more than one person.
There was once a question of who should be the winner. As the story goes, Francesco de Vicohad discovered the same comet two days later, but had reported it to the European official first. However, after some discussion this was settled in Mitchell’s favor. She won the prize in 1848 and became a big name the world over. The comet was named “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”.
40. What can be learnt about Mafia’s parents according to the text?
Many schools have their art programs removed in an effort to improve test scores and save money. However, some researchers believe that this is not correct. Students can master some basic skills in art class that they cannot find in a normal classroom. Allow me to share why you have to take art class.
First and most important, it stimulates creativity (激发创造力). Art schools encourage you to think outside the box and be creative enough to create something artistic. It can be used not only in art but in life, too. Besides, it helps you make the right choice. In art class, you are usually free to do what you want. In every art class, you are required to make decisions that can determine what your painting will turn out to be.
In addition, students can learn the art of critical (批判性的) thinking as a skill of observation(观察). For example, art students find ways to imagine. That is a skill they need to become better readers and problem settlers.
What is more, it is noted that the company’s bosses are actively looking for employees who can think creatively. Creative thinking is one of the most important skills that students can learn in art courses.
Finally, students who are trained in art class have interesting mental habits. They learn how to work on a task for a long time and how to continue to work even if they are discouraged. They are better for creating a link between the classroom and the outside world. In addition, children who do art work are able to look back on their work and make judgments about themselves.
44. Why are art programs removed from many schools?
A. To make students have their own hobbies.
B. To improve students' test scores and save money.
You know what a hotel is, of course. And perhaps, you also know what a condo is --- a residential (居住的) building divided into separate units that are owned by different people. What you may not know is that in some U. S. cities, the two have come together into something called a “condo hotel”.
Some condo hotels can now be found in beach and mountain towns and a few small cities. However, none is more famous than the great 105-year-old Plaza Hotel in New York, on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park. The Plaza closed for repair in 2005. When it reopened two years later, more than half of it had been changed into one of these modern condo hotels.
Here’s how it works: You buy what equals to an apartment(公寓). If it’s at The Plaza, it will cost you between $1.5 million and $9 million. So you own a part of the building. But there’s some in convenience. You may stay there no more than 120 days a year. The rest of the time, the hotel’s workers can book guests into your place, just as they would in the regular hotel’s rooms. So if you’re lucky and rich, you can now live in really special quarters up to almost one third of the year, while others pay off your mortgage(房贷)the rest of the year.
So far, a great many of the nation’s condo hotel units have been purchased not by rich people but by richer companies, including foreign ones. They want a nice place for their bosses to stay when they’re in town or working late at the office.