Inside the Rain Room

The Rain Room has arrived and local art lovers are taking notice. Is it worth the wait? Yes, I assure you it is. Once inside, visitors find a long, dark room with a high ceiling. A single bright light shines through heavy rain falling around visitors. The mist. The damp air. The noise. It feels like a mighty storm is pouring down. But the storm is inside. And visitors aren’t getting wet. Instead, visitors wander in awe, admiring the rain and the artists who created it.

The Rain Room was created to highlight the connection between humans, nature and technology. With a tracking system that senses movement and stops the rain wherever visitors move, it does just that. Light and sound produce an experience that feels both natural and foreign. The exhibit is moving on to Atlanta next month. I urge you to visit before then. It’s time to experience the Rain Room for yourself!

1. What’s the purpose of the text?

A. To attract visitors to a new art exhibit.

B. To explain how an exhibit has been created.

C. To describe the technology used in the exhibit.

D. To promise the artists taking part in an exhibit.

2. What’s the function of the exhibit’s tracking system?

A. To keep visitors from getting wet.

B. To protect the exhibit from water damage.

C. To time how long visitors are in the room.

D. To count the number of visitors in the room.

3. What must you do when visiting the Rain Room?

A. Wear a raincoat

B. Wear dark clothing

C. Leave your camera outside.

D. Pass through within 10 minutes.

I know that there are times when friends are apart for a while – or even forever – and that your lives take different paths. Yet, I always hope for a happy ending. I know that friends reconnect again when it makes sense.

My friend Julie and I had a long period in our friendship. We used to see each other daily. I would eat brown rice in her kitchen while we shared our secrets.

Later, we celebrated each other’s weddings. My husband and I welcomed Julie’s first son (born on my birthday). By the time he was learning to walk, Julie and her family had moved to another city. We spoke on the phone sometimes and exchanged Christmas cards.

After they welcomed their third son, they moved to Edmonton, which is a farther city. We haven’t seen each other since then. They changed their phone numbers. I received a letter from her, but I couldn’t find that envelope later. I e-mailed her a few times, but didn’t get a reply.

It was painful not to be in touch with an old friend. I let it go. I knew that Julie and I would reconnect again, when it made sense.

Last year, Julie’s husband got in touch with me on Facebook. I felt something bad, and soon my feeling proved true: Julie had passed away the month before. She died of cancer.

I regretted that I had not been part of Julie’s support system, or the last years of her joyous, painful time on Earth. I cried. I’m so sorry, Julie, for counting on more chances.

Last week, I donated my hair in memory of Julie to make wigs (假发) for cancer patients. It was a small way of showing that I loved her and will never forget her. And that I look forward to us reconnecting again – when it makes sense.

4. When apart from her friends, the writer hopes ______.

A. they will be on the same path    B. they can still be together some day

C. their friendship will end soon    D. they’ll make other better friends

5. ______ puts the following events in the correct time order.

a. Julie’s family moved to Edmonton.

b. Julie’s husband found the writer on Facebook.

c. Julie had her first son.

d. Julie died of cancer.

e. Julie wrote the author a letter.

A. c-e-a-b-d    B. c-a-e-d-b

C. a-c-e-b-d    D. a-e-c-d-b

6. The author donated her hair in order to ______.

A. make wigs for her friend    B. forget the painful past

C. reconnect with her friend    D. keep her friend deep in mind

7. The author wrote the article to ______.

A. encourage those who suffer cancer to live bravely

B. recall the good time shared with a good friend

C. express her regret of losing a good friend

D. call for more care about those who suffer cancer

You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater．You listen to their conversation：

“I can't believe it－Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find．Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome．”

They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater．It's nice and the price is right．You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish．They must know．So, you buy it．You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency．They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes．

Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating．If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too．This is the secret of undercover marketing．Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it．

Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising．This is particularly true of the MTV generation－consumers between the age of 18 and 34．It's a golden group．They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads．

So advertising agencies hire young actors to “perform” in bars and other places where young adults go．Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative．“Look at traditional advertising．Its effectiveness is decreasing．”It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something．However, you don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance．

8. The two attractive young women were talking so as to ________．

A. get the sweater at a lower price

B. be heard by people around

C. be admired by other shoppers

D. decide on buying the sweater

9. Lorenzo Bertolla is ________．

A. a very popular male singer

B. an advertising agency

C. a clothing company in Rome

D. the brand name of clothes

10. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Traditional advertising will soon disappear in the market．

B. The MTV generation tends to be more easily influenced by all kinds of ads．

C. That traditional advertising is too direct may lead to its decreasing effectiveness．

D. Undercover marketing will surely be banned soon by the government．

11. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Two Attractive Shoppers

B. Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters

C. Undercover Marketing

D. Ways of Advertising

Adults are happy to tell their children that crusts (面包皮) will give them curly hair, carrots will help them see in the dark, and spinach will make them strong. Even though adults know it's not totally true, they think it's good for their children's health, a study had found.

In a study about 31 per cent of adults said they once told their children the curly hair tale, and 36 per cent said they'd been told the same thing by their mother or father. Among the over-50s, almost half said they'd been promised curly hair if they ate their crusts. A quarter of the 2,000 adults questioned in the study told their children carrots would help them see in the dark. This could be true to some extent because of the high levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene in root vegetables.

Another favorite among parents is that milk will make one strong. A third surveyed said their parents told them this, and about 29 per cent said they told their children the same thing. But while there is plenty of evidence to suggest milk is good for people's health, there are also a lot of scientific papers saying it isn't.

Thanks to Popeye, spinach is also fed to children, along with the idea that it will make them strong. While there is also some truth in this one, scientists now believe it is not the iron, but the inorganic nitrates (无机硝酸盐) that improve physical power.

One in seven of the surveyed admitted telling their little ones that runner beans will make them run faster, which is nothing more than wordplay and has no basis in science. Almost one in five adults were subjected to the same tale in childhood.

Just over one in 10 parents told their children green food would turn them into a superhero, and a quarter admitted hiding vegetables in meals.

Lyndsay Jones, spokesman for Persil Washing Up Liquid, said, "It's clear that the most persuasive stories about food are passed on from generation to generation. Our research shows that the ideas continue, and we tell our kids the same things our parents told us, even if they're not always entirely true."

Crusts may not make your hair curly, but there's plenty of research that says crusts contain more of the goodness than the rest of a loaf. Hopefully, as a result of our Cook with Kids promise, more parents will be encouraged to spend time with their children in the kitchen and teach them the truth about food.

12. We can know from Paragraph 3 that ________.

A. a third people are forced to drink milk by their parents

B. milk is beneficial to children's physical strength

C. there is doubt whether milk is helpful to people's health

D. about 29 percent people wish their children good health

13. Which of the following does Lyndsay Jones agree?

A. Adults are willing to teach their children as their parents did.

B. Most persuasive stories about food are false.

C. Stories about food shouldn't be passed on from generation to generation.

D. Parents can't make sure if some stories about food are totally true.

14. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A. scientists think the iron in spinach helps children grow strong

B. parents are expected to tell children the truth about food

C. runner beans can really make children run fast

D. crusts are said to contain less nutrition than a loaf

15. How is the passage mainly developed?

A. By following time order    B. By making comparisons.

C. By giving examples    D. By analyzing causes.

It is reported that although our genes and environment play an important role, how happy we are largely depends on our choices and activities. The following are just several areas that tend to make a big difference to people’s happiness.

Take a positive attitude

Positive emotions―like joy, gratitude, satisfaction, inspiration and pride― don’t just feel good when we experience them. ______16______ So although we need to be realistic about life’s ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good aspects of any situation―the glass half full rather than the glass half empty.

Accept who you are and what you are

_______17_______ Learning to accept ourselves and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong will increase our enjoyment of life. It also helps us accept others as they are. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to tell you what they think your real strengths are. _______18_______

_______19_______

Caring about others is fundamental to our happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them; it’s good for us too. It makes us happier and can help to improve our health. Giving also creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society.

Take part in something bigger

People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are happier. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression. ______20______ It might come from doing a job that makes a difference, or spiritual beliefs, or our family. The answers may be different for each of us but they all involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.

A. Our broader social networks bring a sense of belonging.

B. Nobody is perfect.

C. Give them a call or offer your support.

D. Try to make more use of these.

E. They also help us perform better, and improve our physical health.

F. But where do we find meaning and purpose?

G. Do things for others.