Why I Want a Wife 　　I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife. And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother. 　　Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene from the Midwest fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is obviously looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife? 　　I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and, if need be, support those dependent upon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife to keep track of（了解）the children’s doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. I want a wife who will wash the children’s clothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good nurturant（养育的）attendant to my children, arranges for their schooling, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the park, the zoo, etc. I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot miss classes at school. My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. It may mean a small cut in my wife’s income from time to time, but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while my wife is working. 　　I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal thing are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals, serve them pleasantly, and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest and change of scene. 　　I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a wife’s duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them. 　　I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. When my wife and I are invited out by my friends, I want a wife who will take care of the babysitting arrangements. When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about the things that interest me and my friends. I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive so that the children do not bother us. I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my guests so that they feel comfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray, that they are passed the hors d’oeuvres（冷盘，餐前小菜）, that they are offered a second helping of the food, that their wine glasses are replenished（重新补足）when necessary, that their coffee is served to them as they like it. And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself. 　　I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not want more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter up（弄乱）my intellectual life with jealousies. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more that strict adherence to monogamy（一夫一妻制）. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible. 　　If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life, my wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free. 　　When I am through with school and have acquired a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of wife’s duties. My God, who wouldn’t want a wife? Decide whether the following statements are true（T）or false（F）according to the information given in the text. （　）1. This article is a classic piece of feminist humor and a case of male chauvinism. The writer seems to be calling for women’s movement.

Pandora's Box A very long time ago,in the Golden Age,everyone was good and happy.It was always spring; the earth was covered with flowers,and only gentle winds blew to set the flowers dancing.People lived on mountain strawberries,wild grapes and sweet acorns(橡树上的橡果），which grew plentifully in the oak forests.River flowed with milk and nectar(甘甜的饮品）。Even the bees did not need to lay up honey,for it fell in tiny drops from the trees.There was abundance everywhere. In all the whole world, there was not a sword,nor any weapon by means of which men might fight with one another.No one had ever heard of any such thing.All the iron and the gold were buried deep underground. Besides,people were never ill; they had no troubles of any kind and never grew old. The two brothers,Prometheus and Epimetheus,lived in those wonderful days.After stealing the fire for man,Prometheus,knowing that Zeus would be angry,decided to go away for a time on a distant journey; but before he went,he warned Epimetheus not to receive any gifts from the gods. One day,after Prometheus had been gone for some time,Hermes came to the cottage of Epimetheus,leading by the hand of a beautiful young woman,whose name was Pandora, She was made by Zeus to punish Prometheus for stealing fire to man.Every god contributed something to perfect her.Aphrodite gave her beauty,Hermes persuasion,Apollo music,etc. Hermes presented her to Epimetheus,saying the gods had sent this gift that he might not be lonesome(孤独）。 Pandora had such a lovely face that Epimetheus could not help believing that the gods had sent her to him in a good faith. So he paid no heed to the warning of Prometheus,but took Pandora into his cottage,and found that the days passed much more quickly and pleasantly when she was with him. Soon,the gods sent Epimetheus another gift. This was a heavy box,which the Satyrs brought to the cottage, with directions that it was not to be opened.Epimetheus let it stand in a corner of his cottage; for by this time he had begun to think that the caution of Prometheus about receiving gifts from the gods was altogether unnecessary. Often,Epimetheus was away all day, hunting or fishing or gathering grapes from the wild vines that grew along the river banks. On such days,Pandora had nothing to do but wonder what was in the mysterious box. One day her curiosity was so great that she lifted the lid a very little way and peeped in. The result was similar to what would have happened had she lifted the cover of a beehive(蜂箱）。Out rushed a great swarm of little winged creatures,and before Pandora knew what had happened,she was stung(螯）。She dropped the lid and ran out of the cottage,screaming.Epimetheus,who was just coming in at the door,was well stung,too. The little winged creatures that Pandora had let out of the box were Troubles,the first that had ever been seen in the world. They soon flew about and spread themselves everywhere,pinching and stinging whenever they got the chance. After this,people began to have headaches,rheumatism(风湿），and other illnesses; and instead of being always kind and pleasant to one another,as they had been before the Troubles were let out of the box,they became unfriendly and quarrelsome. They began to grow old,too. Nor was it always spring any longer, The fresh young grasses that had clothed all the hillsides,and the gay-coloured flowers that had given Epimetheus and Pandora so much pleasure,were scorched by hot summer suns,and bitten by the frosts of autumn.Oh,it was a sad thing for the world,when all those wicked little Troubles were let loose! All the Troubles escaped from the box,but when Pandora let the lid fall so hastily,she shut in one little winged creature,a kind of good fairy whose name was Hope.This little Hope persuaded Pandora to let her out. As soon as she was free,she flew about in the world,undoing all the evil that the Troubles had done,that is,as fast as one good fairy could undo the evil work of such a swarm.No matter what evil thing had happened to poor mortals,she always found some way to comfort them.She fanned aching heads with her gossamer(纤薄的）wings;she brought back the colour to pale cheeks; and,best of all,she whispered to those who were growing old that they should one day be young again. So this is the way that Troubles came into the world,but we must not forget that Hope came with them. Decide the answer that best completes the following statements according to the in formation provided in the text. 5.The mysterious box was revenge of Zeus on Prometheus and all mortal men for ( ).

The Joys of Writing The fortunate in the world-the only really fortunate people in the world, in my mind,-are those whose work is also their pleasure. The class is not a large one, not nearly so large as it is often represented to be; and authors are perhaps one of the most important elements in its composition. They enjoy in this respect at least a real harmony of life. To my mind, to be able to make your work your pleasure is the one class distinction in the world worth striving for; and I do not wonder that others are inclined to envy those happy human beings who find their livelihood in the gay effusions of their fancy, to whom every hour of labour is an hour of enjoyment to whom repose – however necessary – is a tiresome interlude. And even a holiday is almost deprivation. Whether a man writing well or ill, has mach to say or little, if he cares about writing at all, he will appreciate the pleasures of composition. To sit at one’s table on a sunny morning, with four clear hours of uninterruptible security, plenty of nice white paper, and a squeezer pen – that is true happiness. The complete absorption of the mind upon an agreeable occupation – what more is there than to desire? What dose it matter what happens outside? The house of commons may do what it like, and so may the house of lords. The heathen may rage furiously in every part of the globe. The bottom may be knocked clean out of the American market. Consols may fall and suffragettes may rise. Never mind, for four hours, at any rate, we will withdraw ourselves from a common, ill – governed, and disorderly world, and with the key of fancy unlock that cupboard where all the good things of the infinite are put away. And speaking of freedom is not the author free, as few men are free? Is he not secure, as few men are secure? The tools of his industry are so common and so cheap that they have almost ceased to have commercial value. He needs no bulky pile of raw material, no elaborate apparatus, no service of men or animals. He is dependent for his occupation upon no one but himself, and nothing outside him that matters. He is the sovereign of an empire, self-supporting, self-contained. No one can sequestrate his estates. No one can deprive him of his stock in trade; no one can force him to exercise his faculty against his will; no one can prevent him exercising it as he chooses. The pen is the great liberator of men and nations. No chains can bind, no poverty can choke, no tariff can restrict the free play of his mind, and even the Times Book Club can only exert a moderately depressing influence upon his rewards. Whether his work is good or bad, so long as he does his best he is happy. I often fortify myself amid the uncertainties and vexations of political life by believing that I possess a line of retreat into a peaceful and fertile country where no rascal can pursue and where one need never be dull or idle or ever wholly without power. It is then, indeed, that I feel devoutly thankful to have been born fond of writing. It is then, indeed, that I feel grateful to all the brave and generous spirits who, in every age and in every land, have fought to establish the now unquestioned freedom of the pen. And what a noble medium the English language is. It is not possible to write a page without experiencing positive pleasure at the richness and variety, the flexibility and the profoundness of our mother-tongue. If an English writer cannot say what he has to say in English, and in simple English, depend upon it, it is probably not worth saying. What a pity it is that English is not more generally studied. I am not going to attack classical education. No one who has the slightest pretension to literary tastes can be insensible to the attraction of Greece and Rome. But I confess our present educational system excites in my mind grave misgivings. I cannot believe that a system is good, or even reasonable, which thrusts upon reluctant and uncomprehending multitudes of treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and gifted few. To the vast majority of boys who attend our public schools a classical education is from beginning to end one long useless, meaningless rigmarole. If I am told that classics are the best preparation for the study of English, I reply that by far the greater number of students finish their education while this preparatory stage is still incomplete and without deriving any of the benefits which are promised as its result. And even of those who, without being great scholars, attain a certain general acquaintance with the ancient writers, can it really be said that they have also obtained the mastery of English? How many young gentlemen there are from the universities and public schools who can turn a Latin verse with a facility which would make the old Romans squirm in their tombs. How few there are who can construct a few good sentences, or still less a few good paragraphs of plain, correct, and straightforward English. Now, I am a great admirer of the Greeks, although, of course, I have to depend upon what others tell me about them –and I would like to see our educationists imitate in one respect, at least, the Greek example. How is it that the Greeks made their language the most graceful and compendious mode of expression ever known among men? Did they spend all their time studying the languages which had preceded theirs? Did they explore with tireless persistency the ancient root dialects of the vanished world? Not at all. They studied Greek. They studied their own language. They loved it, they cherished it, they adorned it, they expanded it, and that is why it survives a model and delight to all posterity, Surely we, whose mother-tongue has already won for itself such an unequalled empire over the modern world, can learn this lesson at least from the ancient Greeks and bestow a little care and some proportion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant part in the future progress of mankind. Let us remember the author can always do his best. There is no excuse for him. The great cricketer may be out of form. The general may on the day of decisive battle have a bad toothache or a bad army. The admiral may be seasick –as a sufferer I reflect with satisfaction upon that contingency. Caruso may be afflicted with catarrh, or Hackenschmidt with influenza. As for an orator, it is not enough for him to be able to think well and truly. He must think quickly. Speed is vital to him. Spontaneity is more than ever the hallmark of good speaking. All these varied forces of activity require from the performer the command of the best that is in him at a particular moment which may be fixed by circumstances utterly beyond his control. It is not so with the author. He need never appear in public until he is ready. He can always realize the best that is in him. He is not dependent upon his best moment in any one day. He may group together the best moments of twenty days. There is no excuse for him if he does not do his best. Great is his opportunity; great also is his responsibility. Someone –I forget who –has said, “Words are the only things last for ever.” That is, to my mind, always a wonderful thought. The most durable structures raised in stone by the strength of man, the mightiest monuments of his power, crumble into dust, while the words spoken with fleeting breath, the passing expression of the unstable fancies of his mind, endure not as echoes of the past, not as mere archaeological curiosities or venerable relics, but with a force and life as new and strong, and sometimes far stronger than when they were first spoken, and leaping across the gulf of three thousand years, they light the world for us today. Read carefully the text and decide the answer that best completes the following statements according to the information provided in the text. 1.Authors are supposed to make up the main body of the class leading a happy life because they can ( ).

Nancy Reagan:He was the Eternal Optimist I think they broke the mold(创新）when they made Ronnie. He was a man of strong principles and integrity(正直）。 He had absolutely no ego, and he was very comfortable in his own skin(处在自己的位置或角度）；therefore, he didn't feel he ever had to prove anything to anyone.He said what he thought and believed. He could move from being a sportscaster to moving pictures and TV,to being Governor of the largest state in the country for eight years and then to being President for eight years,and somehow remain the same wonderful man. Perhaps this was helped by his strong, unshakable religious beliefs. Ronnie always believed that God has a plan for each of us and that we might not know what it is now, but eventually we will. He never took off or landed in a plane without looking out the window and saying a silent prayer. I don't think many people knew this. He was the eternal optimist(永恒的乐观主义者）－the glass was always half full, not half empty. I think his faith and his comfort with himself accounts for that optimism.Since he felt that everything happens for a reason, he never saw things darkly.After he was shot and we almost lost him, he lay on his hospital bed staring at the ceiling and preying.He told me that he realized he could not pray just for himself,that it wouldn't be right,and that he also had to pray for John Hinckley(试图刺杀里根的刺客）。Hinckley's parents sent him a note and he wrote a nice one back to them. Later,Cardinal(大主教）Cooke visited Ronnie in the White House and said,"God was certainly siting on your shoulder that day."Ronnie replied,“Yes,l know,and I made up my mind that all the days I have left belong to Him." Ronnie was a very private man but also gregarious(随和的），and he loved seeing and meeting people. After being married to him for 52 years,l have so many memories. He was very sentimental and romantic and tender.On my birthday, he always sent my mother flowers to thank her for having me,and he wrote me beautiful,touching letters when we had to be apart. Some time ago,he went for a walk and passed a house with roses in front. He bent over to pick one,and the Secret Service agent(便衣保镖）reminded him it wasn't his house. He looked stricken and said,“But I want to give it to my lady."He picked it and brought it home to me. You cannot talk about Ronnie without mentioning his wonderful sense of humor. I think he could tell stories all day without repeating himself-a joy for people with him,but he also made use of it politically. If things got a little heated and tense,he would break the tension with a story(打破僵局）。By the time he ended,the mood would have changed,and they got on with the business with no rancor(敌意）。 Ronnie always told his children,“If you go into a store and feel that the clerk is being rude,stop and think that she may have had a tough day,and put yourself in her shoes."I remember that he told his son,“A gentleman always does the kind thing."Yes,Ronnie could be stubborn-but always with a smile. He was deeply guided by the principle that the Soviet system was wrong. It made a tremendous impression when we went to Berlin and stood on a balcony to see the other side,There was not a soul on the street,and we thought how eerie(令人迷惑不解的）and disturbing that was.When we went to Checkpoint Charlie,and Ronnie was shown the line that people couldn't cross,he took his foot and put it over the line. He felt it was important to assert what was right. He got very stubborn and even mad when his advisers would take out a line he really believed from a speech. It was on that trip that he stood in front of the Berlin Wall and said,"Mr. Gorbachev,tear down this wall!” Ronnie felt this was his greatest accomplishment-finding a safe ending to the cold war.And his other great legacy,he felt,was giving our country back its optimism. At our last Kennedy Center Honors show,Walter Cronkite went back onstage at the end and brought out all the cast,performers and crew to salute us. By this time,the aisles(过道）were filled with ushers,and he gave a very touching tribute(颂词）。The audience then turned,faced us and sang Auld Lang Syne(友谊地久天长）。I had dissolved into tears by that time.But Ronnie called down,“Beats getting an Oscar."Only Ronnie could do that. When we were leaving the White House for the last time and walking toward the helicopter,he turned to me with his heartwarming grin. “Well, it's been a wonderful eight years,” he said. “All in all,not bad. Not bad at all. ” Decide the answer that best completes the following statements according to the information provided in the text. 3.The underlying message in the statement "the glass was always half full,not half empty” is that one should( ).

The Story of the Bible Five thousand years ago a story, which told of the creation of this world in seven days was common among all the people of western Asia. And this was the Jewish version of it. They vaguely attributed the making of the land and of the sea and of the trees and the flowers and the birds and of man and woman to their different gods. But it happened that the Jews were the first among all people to recognize the existence of One Single God. Afterwards, when we come to talk of the days of Moses, we shall tell you how this came about. In the beginning, however, the particular Semitic tribe, which later was to develop into the Jewish nation, worshipped several divinities, just as all their neighbours had done before them for countless ages. The stories of the creation, however, which we find in the Old Testament, were written more than a thousand years after the death of Moses, when the idea of One god had been accepted by the Jews as an absolutely established fact, and when doubt of His Existence meant exile or death. You will now understand how the poet who gave unto the Hebrew people their final version of the beginning of all things, came to describe the gigantic labour of creation as the sudden expression of one single and all-mighty will, and as the work of their own tribal God, whom they called Jehovah, or the Ruler of the High Heavens. And this is how the story was told to worshippers in the temple. In the beginning, this earth floated through space in somber silence and darkness. There was no land, but the endless waters of the deep ocean covered our vast empires. Then the Spirit of Jehovah came brooding over the sea, contemplating mighty things. And Jehovah said: “here be light,” and the first rays of dawn appeared amidst the darkness. “This,” Jehovah said. “I shall call the Day.” But soon the flickering light came to an end and all was as it had been before. “And this,” Jehovah said, “shall be called the Night.” Then he rested from his labours, and so ended the first of all days. Then Jehovah said: “Let there be a heaven, which shall spread its vast dome across the waters below, that there may be a place for the clouds and for the winds which blow across the sea.” This was done. Once more there was an evening and a morning, and there was and end to the second day. Then Jehovah said: “Let there be land amidst the waters.” At once the rugged mountains showed their dripping heads above the surface of the ocean, and soon they arose mightily towards the high Heavens and at their feet the plains and the valleys spread far and wide. Then Jehovah said: “Let the land be fertile with plants which bear seeds, and with trees that bear flowers and fruit.” And the earth was green with a soft carpet of grass, and the trees and the shrubs enjoyed the soft caress of the early dawn. And once more the morning was followed by eventide , and so the labour of the third day came to an end. Then Jehovah said: “Let the Heavens be filled with stars that the seasons and the days and the years may be marked. And let the day be ruled by the sun, but the night shall be a time of rest, when only the silent moon shall show the belated wanderer across the desert the true road to shelter.” This too was done, and so ended the fourth day. Then Jehovah said: “ Let the water be full of fishes and the sky be full of birds.” And he made the mighty whale and the tiny minnows and the ostrich and the sparrow, and he gave them the earth and the ocean as their dwelling place and told them to increase, that they and little minnows and little whales and ostriches and sparrows might enjoy the blessings of life. And that night, when the birds tucked their tired heads underneath their wings and when the fishes steered into the darkness of the deep sea, there was an end to the fifth day. Then Jehovah said: “It is not enough, Let the would also be full of creatures that creep and such as walk on legs.” And he made the cows and the tigers and all the beasts we know unto this earth. And when this was done, Jehovah took some of the dust of the soil, and he moulded it into and image, resembling Himself, and he gave it life, and he called it man, and he placed it at the head of all creations. So ended the labour of the sixth day, and Jehovah was contented with what he had wrought and on the seventh day he rested from his work. Then came the eighth day, and Man found himself amidst his now kingdom. His name was Adam, and he lived in a garden filled with lovely flowers, and with peaceful animals who came and brought their kittens and their puppies, so that he might play with them and forget his loneliness. But even so, Man was not happy. For all other creatures had been given the companionship of their own kind, but Man was alone. Therefore, Jehovah took a rib from Adam’s body and out of it created Eve. Then Adam and Eve wandered forth to explore their home, which was called Paradise. At last they came to a mighty tree and there Jehovah spoke to them and said: “Listen, for this is very important. Of the fruit of all the trees in this garden you may eat to your hearts’ content. But this is the tee that gives forth the knowledge of Good and Evil. When Man eats the fruit from this tree, he begins to understand the righteousness or the wickedness of his own acts. That means an end to all peace of his soul. Therefore, you must leave the fruit of this tree alone, or accept the consequences, which are very terrible.” Adam and Eve listened and promised that they would obey. Soon afterwards, Adam fell asleep, but Eve remained awake and began to wonder. Suddenly there was a rustling in the grass, and behold! There was a crafty old serpent. In those days the animals spoke a language which could be understood by man, and so the serpent had no difficulty in telling Eve how he had overheard the words of Jehovah, and how foolish she would be if she were to take them seriously. Eve thought so too. When the serpent handed her the fruit of the tree, she ate some, and when Adam woke up, she gave him what was left. Then Jehovah was very angry. At once he drove both Adam and Eve from Paradise, and they went forth into the world to make a living as best they could. In due course of time they had two children. They were both boys. The name of the elder was Cain, but the younger was called Abel. They made themselves useful about the house. Cain worked in the fields and Abel tended his father’s sheep. Of course they quarreled as brothers are apt to quarrel. One day, they both brought offerings to Jehovah. Abel had killed a lamb, and Cain had placed some grain upon the rude stone altar which they had built as a place for worship. Children are apt to be jealous of each other, and they like to brag about their own virtues. The wood on Able’ s altar was burning merrily, but Cain had trouble with his flint. Cain thought that Abel was laughing at him. Abel said no, he was just standing by and looking on. Cain asked him to go away. Abel said no, why should he? Then Cain hit Abel, and killed him. Cain was terribly frightened and ran away. But Jehovah, who knew what had happened, found him hiding in some bushes. He asked him where his brother was. Cain, in a surly mood, would not answer. How should he know? He was not supposed to be looking after his brother, was he? But of course, this lie did not do him any good. Just as Jehovah had driven Adam and Eve from Paradise because they had disobeyed his will, so he now forced Cain to run away from home, and although he lived for many years, his father and mother never saw him again. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the information given in the text. 4. The face of nature was a formless mass in darkness in the beginning.

Postage stamps are labels affixed to letters or parcels to indicate that a specified amount of postage has been prepaid for delivery. Stamps are usually issued by a government or an agency representing a government, such as a national post office. The collecting and study of postage stamps and related items such as postcards is known as philately, a word derived from Greek meaning,literallyt “love of what is free of further tax. "Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world.From the earliest years of the hobby, most philatelists have preferred to collect stamps by country,specializing in the issues of one or more nations. Since about the mid-1950s,however, many philatelists have become interested in topical collecting acquiring stamps illustrating certain themes or subjects. Among the wide range of pictorials are stamps devoted to sports9art and music.aviation,birds and flowers,and telecommunications.One of the attractions of stamp collecting is the ease of starting a collection. With access to enough incoming maiUespecially from abroad,a person can build a collection without any expense. Literally tens of thousands of stamps,however, including many of the older issues, are priced very cheaply.Little special equipment is required. A collector needs only an album to house the collection and a pair of stamp tongs with which to handle them. Stamps and accessories can be purchased easily. Nearly every city has one or more professional stamp dealers. Thousands of other dealers operate exclusively by mail or on the Internet.When collectors have accumulated a number of valuable stamps,they must take precautions for safe storage,preferably in a bank safety deposit box. If the stamps are in mint（崭新的）condition, they should not be overlapped； through changes in humidity, overlapping stamps may stick together and become seriously damaged. Collectors also should keep accurate written inventories of all their philatelic material.The writer's suggestion made in the last paragraph is basically ______.

Cinderella A rich man’s wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, “Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you.” With this she closed her eyes and died. The girl went out to her mother’s grave every day and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife. This wife brought tow daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild. “why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?” they said, “if she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid! “ They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes. “just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is !” they shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen. There she had to do hard work from morning until evening, get up before daybreak, carry water, make the fires, cook, and wash. Beside this, the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt her, they made fun of her, scattered peas and lentils into the ashes for her, so that she had to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked herself weary, there was no bed for her. Instead she had to sleep by the hearth in the ashes. And because she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella. One day it happened that the father was going to the fair, and he asked his tow stepdaughters what he should bring back for them. “beautiful dresses,” said the one. “pearls and jewels ,” said the other. “and you, Cinderella ,”he said, “what do you want ?” “Father, break off for me the first twig that brushes against your hat in your way home.” So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls, and jewels for his two stepdaughters. In his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the twig and took it with him. Arriving home, he gave his stepdaughters the things that they had asked for, and gave Cinderella the twig from the hazel bush. Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother’s grave, and planter the branch on it ,and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree. Cinderella went to this tree three times every day, and beneath, it she wept and prayed. A white bird would throw down to her what she had wished for. Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits. They called Cinderella, saying, “comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king’s castle .” Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go. “you. ,Cinderella?” she said, “you ,all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival? you have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!” However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, “I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may to with us .” The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, “you tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather: The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go into your crop. Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick ,pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowl. Hardly one hour had passed before they were finished, and they all flew out again. The girl took the bowl to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them. But the stepmother said, “no, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you don’t know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you .” Cinderella began to cry, and then the stepmother said, “you may go if you are able to pick two bowls of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour,” Thinking to herself, “she will never he able to do that. “ The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, “you tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather: The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go into you crop. Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the gook grains into the bowls. Before a half hour had passed they were finished, and they all flew out again. The girl took the bowls to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them. But the stepmother said, “it’s no use. You are not coming with us, for you have no clothes, and you don’t know how to dance. We would be ashamed of you .” with this she turned her back on Cinderella ,and hurried away with her tow proud daughters. Now that no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her mother’s grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out: Shake and quiver, little tree, Throw gold and silver down to me . Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival. Her stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. They thought she must be foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought it was Cinderella, for they thought that she was sitting at home in the dirt, looking for lentils in the ashes. The prince approached her, took her by the hand, and danced with her. Furthermore, he would dance with no one else. He never let go of her hand, and whenever anyone else came and asked her to dance, he would say, “she is my dance partner.” She danced until evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the prince said, “I will go along and escort you,” for he wanted to see to whom the beautiful girl belonged. However, she eluded him and jumped into the pigeon coop. the prince waited until her father came, and then he told him that the unknown girl had jumped into the pigeon coop. The old man thought, “Could it be Cinderella?” He had them bring him an ax and a pick so that he could break the pigeon coop apart, but on one was inside. When they got home Cinderella was lying in the ashes, dressed in her dirty clothes. A dim little oil-lamp was burning in the fireplace. Cinderella had quickly jumped down from the back of the pigeon coop and had run to the hazel tree. There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again. Then, dressed in her gray smock, she had returned to the ashes in the kitchen. The next day when the festival began anew, and her parents and her stepsisters had gone again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said: Shake and quiver, little tree, Throw gold and silver down to me. Then the bird threw down an even more magnificent dress than on the preceding day. When Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, everyone was astonished at her beauty. The prince had waited until she came, then immediately took her by the hand, and danced only with her. When others came and asked her to dance with them, she said, “she is my dance partner .” When evening came she wanted to leave, and the prince followed her, wanting to see into which house she went. But she ran away from him and into the garden behind the house. A beautiful tall tree stood there, on which hung the most magnificent pears. She climbed as nimbly as a squirrel into the branches, and the prince did not know where she had gone. He waited until her father came, the said to him, “the unknown girl has eluded me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear tree.” The father thought, “could it be Cinderella?” he had an ax brought to him and cut down the tree, but no one was in it. When they came to the kitchen, Cinderella was lying there in the ashes as usual, for she had jumped down from the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress back to the bird in the hazel tree, and had put on her gray smock. On the third day, when her parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went again to her mother’s grave and said to the tree: Shake and quiver, little tree, Throw gold and silver down to me. The time the bird threw down to her a dress that was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were of pure gold. When she arrived at the festival in this dress, everyone was so astonished that they did not know what to say. The prince danced only with her, and whenever anyone else asked her to dance, he would say, “she is my dance partner .” When evening came Cinderella wanted to leave, and the prince tried to escort her, but she ran away from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The prince, however, had set a trap. He had had the entire stairway smeared with pitch. When she ran down the stairs, her left slipper stuck in the pitch. The prince picked it up. Ti was small and dainty, and of pure gold. The next morning ,he went with it to the man, and said to him, “no one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe .” The two sisters were happy to hear this ,for they had pretty feet. With her mother standing by, the older one took the shoe into her bedroom to try it on. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, “cut off your toe. When you are queen you will on longer have to go on foot .” The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However, they had to ride past the grave, and there, on the hazel tree, sat the two pigeons, crying out: Rook di goo, rook di goo ! There’s blood in the shoe. The shone it too tight, This bride is not right! Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it. He turned his horse around and took the false bride home again, saying that she was not the right one, and that the other sister should try on the shoe. She went into her bedroom, and got her toes into the shoe all right, but her hell was too large. Then her mother gave her a knife, and said, “cut a piece off you heel. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot.” The girl cut a piece off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. When they passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons were sitting in it ,and they cried out: Rook di goo, rook di goo ! There’s blood in the shoe. The shone it too tight, This bride is not right! He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking all red. Then he turned his horse around and took the false bride home again. “this is not the right one, either,” he said. “don’t you have another daughter?” “NO,” said the man. “there is only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she cannot possibly be the bride.” The prince told him to send her to him, but the mother answered, “oh, no, she is much too dirty. She cannot be seen.” But the prince insisted on it, and they had to call Cinderella. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the prince, who gave her the golden shoe. She sat down on a stool, pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put in into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly. When she stood up the prince looked into her face, and he recognized the beautiful girl who had danced with him. He cried out, “she is my true bride.” The stepmother and two sisters were horrified and turned pale with anger. The prince, however, took Cinderella onto his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the hazel tree, the two white doves cried out: Rook di goo, rook di goo! No blood’s in the shoe. The shoe’s not too tight, This bride is right! ! After they had cried this out, they both flew down and lit on Cinderella’s shoulders, one on the right, the other on the left, and remained sitting there. When the wedding with the prince was to be held, the two false sisters came, wanting to gain favor with Cinderella and to share her good fortune. When the bridal couple walked into the church, the older sister walked on their right side and the younger on their left side, and the pigeons pecked out one eye from each of them. Afterwards, as they came out of the church, the older one was on the left side, and the younger one on the right side, and then the pigeons pecked out the other eye from each of them. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were punished with blindness as ling as they lived. （　）2. Cinderella’s two sisters could not find out any other way to hurt her, and thus scattered peas and lentils into the ashes and told her to pick them out of the ashes.

What Body Language Can Tell You That Words Cannon Q. Mr. Givens, why is it important for people to understand body language – that is, communication by means of movements and gestures? A. The best salespeople, the best teachers, the best business managers have an innate ability to read body language and put it to profitable use. They adapt their presentation to the messages they pick up. For example, the most successful trial lawyers are those who can look at a jury and a judge and pick up little cues that tip off what people are thinking. An observant lawyer may notice that the judge is compressing his lips into a thin line as the lawyer is speaking. This is a common sign people use when they disagree or are becoming annoyed. A smart lawyer will quickly try a new approach. Such signals are used constantly, even though people generally don't realize they are communicating through their movements, posture and mannerisms. Q. What kinds of information is nonverbal language likely to reveal? A. Very often it signals a person's true feelings, which may be contrary to what is actually being spoken. For example, a person may hunch the shoulders, angle the head to one side and compress the lips. That's a good indication that he or she is uncertain about an idea or perhaps disagrees with it, even without saying so in words. Q. Would you give some examples of the most common indicators of approval and disapproval? A. When people show rapport with each other, they swivel their upper bodies toward each other and align their shoulders in parallel. They face each other squarely, they lean slightly toward each other, and there is more eye contact. If they disagree, they unwittingly or unconsciously turn their bodies away from each other. Such signs are unmistakable forms of body language. Q. Do people more often than not try to exhibit dominant behavior in the presence of others? A. Some people do, but many also assume a submissive stance. The head, arms, legs and feet tell the true intent. When the boss pats an employee on the back, the employee's toes will invariably pigeon-toe inward--a classic sign of submission--and the boss will toe out, a sign of dominance. By contrast, people in submissive roles will tend to crouch slightly and display self-protective stances. They may fold their arms or hug themselves, cross their legs or reach up and touch their throats. People with a more dominant attitude will use more-expansive gestures, spreading the arms and legs, creating an air of openness. Q. What are some other universal nonverbal signals? A. One is an automatic raising of the eyebrows that a person does when he or she meets someone else. It takes place very quickly at the instant when recognition takes place, and it is a natural and universal form of greeting. Another obvious cue is known as the "hand behind head," which signals uncertainty or stress. When someone is disturbed or startled by something, the first reaction is to reach up and touch the back of the head. It is a totally unconscious reflex. About 125 nonverbal signals of this type have been cataloged as recognizable. Q. Where do we get mannerisms such as these? Are they learned as a part of our culture? A. No, they are almost entirely inborn. Nonverbal behavior occurs naturally, without being taught, and even shows up in newborn infants and in lower animals. It is firmly grounded in evolutionary development. It's something that Mother Nature provides to help us get along with each other. Nonverbal communication is also what we call culture-free: it applies worldwide. People can go anywhere and understand these signals, even if they don't know the spoken language. Q. Is courtship one of the situations that is strongly influenced by nonverbal skills? A. Yes. In fact, early courtship is almost entirely made up of nonverbal actions. Men and women unconsciously shrug their shoulders when they find each other attractive. It is an "I give up" signal, almost a childlike gesture that shows they are harmless. Early courtship is filled with shy, juvenile, awkward behavior between the man and the woman. A woman attracted to a man will tilt her head down and to the side, then look in his direction in a coy or coquettish way. A man at a party or at a bar will stake out his territory by putting cigarettes or cash in front of him, to show females his status relative to other men. Q. What if a woman decides that she isn't interested in a man's overtures? A. The simplest gesture is simply to turn her body away from him. It's the "cold shoulder," one of the most recognizable gestures in the entire animal kingdom. It is really one of the kindest yet most effective ways to dampen someone's ardor. And men can use it, too. Q. Would you include touching in the vocabulary of nonverbal communication? A. Yes. And it should be used very carefully. Skin is our oldest sense organ, and when it is touched by someone it carries a strong emotional impact. It is a very sexually loaded form of communication. In a business or social setting, a casual touch can be almost electric, even in a professional relationship. When someone is touched, he or she immediately stops for an instant and wonders, "What did that mean?" In such settings, "hands off" is the best policy because even a well-intentioned touch can be badly misconstrued. Decide whether the following statements are true （T） or false （F） according to the information given in the passage. 2. People acquire body language when they are still infants.

The Lunch At the restaurant I could see my jewellery was attracting attention.The smartly-dressed gentlemen were staring until their wives nudged them and warned them to stop gawking（发呆地看着）and behave. 　　All I did to attract such attention was spread my fingers and twiddle with my showy earrings.1 wasn’t wearing rubbish.My rings were crafted with the finest gold and priceless stones from around the world.Bert，my boyfriend had said that my tiara（冕状头饰）was ostentatious（显眼的），so，not wanting to appear to have bad taste，I decided to wear my hat instead. 　　I got chummy with（与……关系亲密） my neighbour.We were rather alike，a little bit overweight，wearing similar clothes，with the only difference being that mine were real clothes with a capital C. 　　My new friend got tipsy（微醉的）over her cocktails，and told me that her name was Ruby. 　　“But you can call me Rube，”she simpered（傻笑着说）from the other side of the table. 　　The restaurant was all chandeliers（枝形大吊灯），white tablecloths and silver.And the young waiters were all dressed to the nines，looking as though they were about to perform in a stage show. 　　Neither Rube nor l were married and we soon became very friendly. 　　“You can call me Pearl，”I said.1 asked Rube how she managed to afford to dine out at this swanky place.She said she had won the lunch in a radio competition. 　　“Me too,” I replied, and both of us laughed our heads off. 　　Rube was wearing cheap，gaudy jewellery, which probably came from a market. You wouldn’t see me in that junk. 　　But by now Rube had drunk far too much sherry.She kept on asking me if she could just try on some of my jewellery，but throughout life l have learnt to never trust anybody. 　　Still，by now Rube wasn’t really a stranger and I didn’t want to be seen as mean-spirited（吝啬）in such a posh（豪华的）restaurant. 　　We had to go to the ladies room.Gold taps and all that. 　　It looked so grand that when Rube asked me again if she could try my jewels on just for a minute，l offered her the pendant（耳环，垂饰）. 　　That’s me，generous and kind.That pendant was worth a fortune.You should have seen her face. 　　She primped and preened（打扮） in the mirror admiring the pendant，but she just wasn’t satisfied. 　　“Just let me try on the rings,”she pleaded.“And the bracelets.” 　　I was worried that she might not get the rings off her chunky fingers，but I reluctantly handed them over. 　　So there she was with a stunning ring on each finger. To please her, I tried on her rubbish jewellery. 　　At this stage we were both tipsy, and it was time to say enough was enough. 　　All of a sudden，two policewomen burst into the ladies room and slapped a set of handcuffs around Rube’s beautifully-adorned wrists. 　　The policewomen then escorted（押送）poor Rube out of the ladies，despite her loud，tearful protests that she never knew nothing about no armed hold-up（武装抢劫）at the bank vaults（地下保险库）.She’d never pinched a thing in her life.Never! 　　Poor Rube.It was a shame because Bert would have to organize another heist（偷窃）before I could get hold of that sort of stuff again. 　　Just the same，some people are unfortunate，aren’t they? 　4. Gold taps and all that serves a vivid expression of and echoes to which one of the following descriptive words?

Welcome to Our Bank 　　“I wish Central Bank would be robbed,” George Pickens said to himself. He had been making this wish daily from the time he had started work as a teller （出纳员） at the bank. 　　All over the country banks were being robbed, George thought. Why not this bank? Were robbers scornful of its four-million-dollar capital? Were they afraid of Mr. Ackerman, the old bank guard, who hadn't pulled out his gun in twenty-two years? 　　Of course George had a reason for wanting the bank to be robbed. After all, he couldn’t simply take the thick bundles of bills that were under his hands all day long. So he had thought of another way to get them. His plan was simple. It went like this: 　　If Bank Robber A holds up Bank Teller B... 　　And if Bank Teller B gives Bank Robber A a certain amount of money... 　　What is to prevent Bank Teller B from keeping all the money left and claiming that it was stolen by Bank Robber A? 　　There was only one problem. Where was Bank Robber A? 　　One morning George entered the bank feeling something was about to happen. “Good morning, Mr. Burrdws,” he said cheerfully. The bank president said something in a low voice and went into his office. 　　At two o’clock Bank Robber A walked in. George knew he was a bank robber. For one thing, he slipped in. For another thing, he wore a mask. 　　“This is a holdup （抢劫）,” the man said roughly. He took a pistol from his pocket. The guard made a small sound. “You,” the bank robber said, “lie down on the floor.” Mr. Ackerman lay down. The robber stepped over to George's cage. 　　“All fight,” he said. “Hand it over.” 　　“Yes, sir,” said George. “ Would you like it in ten- or twenty dollar bills?” 　　“Just hand it over!” 　　George reached into his cashbox and took all the bills from the top section-close to six thousand dollars. He passed them through the window. The robber snatched them, put them into his pockets, and turned to leave. 　　Then, while everyone watched Bank Robber A, Bank Teller B calmly lifted off the top section of the cash and slipped bills from the bottom section into his pockets. 　　The door swung and the bank robber was gone. George fainted. When he woke he smiled up at the worried faces looking down at him. “I’m all right, he said bravely.” 　　“Perhaps you should go home, George,” Mr. Bell, the chief auditor （审计员） said. 　　As soon as he was safely behind his bedroom door, George took the money from his pockets and counted it. He had seven thousand dollars. He was very happy. 　　The next morning when George arrived at the bank, it was not open for business. But everyone was there, helping to examine the bank's records for the special audit Mr. Bell was taking. 　　George was called into Mr. Burrows' office. The bank president seemed strangely cheerful. “George,” he said, “I want you to meet Mr. Carruthers, who used to be president of our bank.” 　　“Good morning, George,”said Mr. Carruthers. “I was sorry to hear you fain yesterday. Are you all right now?” 　　“Yes, sir, just fine, thanks.” 　　“I' m glad to hear it. That was quite an adventure. It just goes to show how easy it is to rob our bank.” 　　“Sir?” said George, confused. 　　“George, I was sorry to give you a hard time yesterday, but with all the banks being robbed these days, I thought it would be a good idea to prove that our little bank can be robbed too. I have retired, but I haven’t stopped thinking. That’s, why I played my little game yesterday, just to keep everybody on his toes.” 　　“I don't understand,” said George. “What game?” 　　The old man laughed and took out a mask. He placed it over his face, and said, “All fight. Hand it over!” Mr. Burrows laughed but George did not. 　　“And the money?” George said in a small voice. 　　“Don't worry,” Mr. Carruthers said. “I put it all back in your cashbox all six thousand. We’re just finishing up the audit now.” George turned cold with fear. 　　Behind them, the door opened and Mr. Bell, the chief auditor, put his head into the room. “Mr. Burrows,” he said gravely, “may I see you a moment?” 4. George did not laugh when Mr. Carruthers showed how he had acted as a robber because George knew that his stealing would be discovered.