听力原文:By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American languag
听力原文: By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns, and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861- 1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half of the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox -- a precursor of the modem refrigerator, had been invented.
Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary. The common sense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping up the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.
But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool.
Which of the following led to the growth of ice trade according to the passage?
A.The growth of the American population.
B.The expansion of cities.
C.The change of the diet of ordinary citizens.
D.The increasing need for food.
时间:2023-03-18 17:22:25
-
听力原文: The United States has proposed withdrawing about 1/3 of American troops from South Korea by the end of next year as part of a realignment of forces under discussion with authorities in Seoul. More from VOA correspondent Alex Belida..
The Pentagon confirms that a senior U. S. defense official has presented South Korean authorities with what is termed a "concept proposal" for the withdrawal of 12,500 troops from the Peninsula by the end of next year. There are about 37,000 U. S. troops in South Korea now. The senior official, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless, unveiled the proposal in talks Sunday in Seoul. Mr. Lawless made clear the 1/3 cut in the U. S. force in South Korea will include a brigade being transferred to Iraq later this year. That move involving 3,600 troops was announced last month. At the time, it was unclear whether the soldiers would return to South Korea at the conclusion of their Iraqi tour. Alex Belida, VOA news, the Pentagon.
According to the proposal, by the end of next year the U. S. will reduce its troops in South Korea by ______.
A.3,600
B.12,500
C.8,900
D.16,100
-
听力原文:W:Are you going to accept the job offered by that famous motor company? I think it's a good opportunity.
M:Not yet. I'm still waiting for the letters from other companies.
Q:What does the man mean?
(18)
A.He will write a letter to another company.
B.He has received many job offers.
C.He hasn't accepted the job offer.
D.He will let the woman have the job.
-
听力原文:I don't intend to stop by the post office, but I will go to the drug store and to the laundry after I see the doctor.
(24)
A.Though I don't plan to go to the post office, after I see the doctor, I change my mind.
B.I will go to the drug store first after finishing laundry.
C.The first thing I will do is to see the doctor.
D.I won't go to the post office unless it's on the way of seeing a doctor.
-
听力原文:Seafood prices had come down. The shrimp had been 3 dollars a pound last week; by this Monday, it was only two dollars. So I bought 4 pounds.
(24)
A.I paid 4 dollars for the shrimp.
B.I paid 6 dollars for the shrimp.
C.I paid 8 dollars for the shrimp.
D.I paid 12 dollars for the shrimp.
-
听力原文:M: I have to fill out these forms. They are due at the financial aid office by tomorrow afternoon.
W: You were just complaining about how broke you are. If I were you, I'd make that my first priority.
What does the woman mean?
(16)
A.The man is looking for a new job.
B.The man is suffering from his broken leg.
C.The man is in short of money.
D.The man has an interview tomorrow afternoon.
-
听力原文:M: I am sorry to inform. you that you have been replaced by a computer at the office.
W: I see. So a machine can be more capable than a man.
What do we learn from the conversation?
A.The woman will work together with a machine.
B.The machine has been replaced by a man.
C.The woman lost her job.
D.The woman was happy to work with a capable computer.
-
听力原文:W: I sold the idea to the bosses by refusing to take no for an answer. It was tough at first, but they finally agreed that it was a good idea.
M: Yes, I believe the key to salespeople is not accepting your first refusal.
Q: What does the man say about salespeople?
(19)
A.Salespeople must be persistent.
B.Salespeople don't sell enough.
C.Salespeople sell too much.
D.Salespeople are inconsiderate.
-
听力原文:W: Could we talk a little about the problem of the old? I wonder if you could begin by telling us the importance of this problem.
M: Well, of course it is an increasingly serious problem, I mean a fairly large part of the old population becomes confined to the house. They cannot go out, because they don't want to trouble others, thus little by little they become a burden to the younger generation.
Q: What are the speakers talking about?
(17)
A.Population explosion.
B.Generation Gap.
C.Problem of the aged.
D.Climate changes.
-
听力原文:His new book turned out to be the one of the greatest hits by the publishing house.
What is true of his new book?
A.Mediocre.
B.Bad.
C.Not as good as was expected by the publishing house.
D.A success.
-
听力原文:W: Well, Jack, I would offer you another drink but I have guests coming and I haven't even begun to prepare the dinner. Thanks for stopping by.
M: Thanks for the drink. It has been nice seeing you too.
Q: Why did the woman mention her dinner guests?
(18)
A.To invite the man to join them.
B.To suggest politely that he leave.
C.To offer to let him help cook.
D.To encourage him to have another drink.
-
听力原文:Less than 10 years after the birth of worldwide web, some 260 million people are on line around the world and the internet population is expected to be over 500 million by the time of its 10 year anniversary.
(30)
A.People using the Internet will soon be almost doubled.
B.Population is exploding because of the Internet.
C.Ten years ago, only rich people can afford to use the Internet.
D.The Internet population will increase two fold in ten years.
-
听力原文: Under growing international pressure, U.S. authorities Tuesday seized a Cuban exile accused by Fidel Castro's government of masterminding a 1976 airliner bombing that killed 73 people. He had been seeking asylum in the United States.
Luis Posada Carriles, a 77-year-old former CIA operative and Venezuelan security official, was taken into custody by U.S. immigration authorities, the Homeland Security Department said in a statement.
The department did not say what it planned to do with Posada. Venezuela has asked for his extradition, and Cuba has asked that he be sent to Venezuela for retrial in the bombing or go before an international tribunal.
Generally, the U.S. government does not return people to countries acting on Cuba's behalf, the department said. It has 48 hours to determine his immigration status.
Luis Posada Carriles was detained______
A.because he had killed 73 Cuban 'civilians in 1976
B.because he had planned an airliner bombing in 1976
C.because he had worked as a spy on Cuba' s behalf
D.because of his illegal immigration status
-
听力原文:M: I'll make you flight reservation by phone now, and then write out the ticket for you.
W: That's fine. Can you please tell me the departure time again?
Q: What is the man doing?
(3)
A.Saying good-bye to a friend.
B.Buying tickets for a sports event.
C.Paying a bill at a friend.
D.Arranging a plane trip.
-
听力原文:W Hi, Sarah, it's Meg. I'm working on the presentation and I don't think I'll be able to finish my part by Monday morning. Do you think I could get an extension?
W How much more work do you have left?
W I've finished only 3 sections and I still have 2 more left to do.
W Well, Jack hasn't been able to finish his part, either. It looks like we'll have to postpone presenting it to Ms. Lawrence until the end of the week. I'll let her know.
What is Meg working on?
A.A report
B.A presentation
C.A business letter
D.A press release
-
听力原文:We’ll all see them on TV commercials with that special gait looking out at us,from the covers of glossy magazines or showing off the latest creations by tailors from Paris and it must have seemed to us that they have lives which are all glamorous.
(16)
-
听力原文:M: I often go to school by bike. How about you W: I often walk there.Q: How does听力原文:M: I often go to school by bike. How about you W: I often walk there. Q: How does the woman go to school
A.On foot.
B.By bus.
C.By bike
D.By taxi.
-
听力原文: How do you rise to the top in business? What personal qualities, skills, and background arc needed? Such questions are frequently asked by students preparing to enter the work force end by men and women already in the business world.
Some companies want executives who combine administrative ability with a specialty in some branch of knowledge, such as mathematics or engineering. Other companies look for people skilled in human relations. For them, good management is the art of solving "people problems".
These are interesting insights, but what are the specific traits that will help people to climb the ladder of success?
First, drive. Business takes an unusual amount of energy. A successful executive—almost by definition--is a striver. According to one industrial psychologist, 86.5% of top managers have a higher activity level than the average middle managers. Top men get tense when they are not striving.
Second, people sense. Some say being able to judge people is more important than a high IQ. The skill can be instinctual, but in most cases it's learned through hard work.
Third, communication ability. An executive gets things done through other people. That means his communications must come through loud and clear. Different executives make themselves understood in different ways. Some transmit ideas best face to face; others are masters of the telephone call; still others are persuasive writers. One way or another, they all communicate clearly.
Fourth, calm under pressure, or as Hemingway put it, "grace under pressure". No businessman will get very far if he chokes up.
(30)
A.Two.
B.Three.
C.Four.
D.Five.
-
听力原文:Actually, in China by now, the dominant users of smart cards are not banks, but governments and commercial organizations.
(6)
A.The majority of smart cards users are governments and commercial organizations.
B.Many users of smart cards are powerful in governments and commercial organizations.
C.The dominant users of smart cards are banks in China by now.
D.The dominant users of smart cards used to he banks in China.
-
听力原文:In central Italy, several small towns and villages are still cut off by avalanches following the earthquake during the night which killed five people. So far hundreds of people have been made homeless.
(85)
-
听力原文:A bill may be accepted after it has been dishonored by a previous refusal to accept, or by nonpayment.
(8)
A.A bill can not be accepted after it has been dishonored by a previous refusal to accept.
B.If a bill has been dishonored by non-payment, it may not be accepted by another person.
C.If a bill has been dishonored by a previous refusal to accept, it may be accepted by another person.
D.A bill can not be accepted after it has been dishonored by non-payment.
-
听力原文:They installed a solar panel to provide the power, and instead of an old-fashioned telephone line, the Internet connection was provided by a wireless transmission system.
(86)
-
听力原文:Recently a five-year study was conducted by the Center for Childhood Development
听力原文: Recently a five-year study was conducted by the Center for Childhood Development in Los Angeles, California regarding the way babies react to different types of people. The findings of the study suggest that infant children seem to be more comfortable around other babies than they are with strange adults.
The result confirm the ideas of Dr. Richard Perelman, a well-know pediatrician, who has written many books about raising children. Dr. Richard Perelman supports the findings of the study and adds that it is a sounder idea to keep children with other children, as in a day care center, than it is to have children cared for by a baby-sitter.
According to the results of the study, infants benefit from being in the company of other babies on a daily basis. Whereas some babies seem to show fear of strange adults. They are likely to reach out to try to touch an unfamiliar baby. The study even suggests that children as young as one year old can form. friendships
According to the study, what is the way the babies react to different people?
A.They seem to be more comfortable around other babies than with strange adults.
B.They seem to be more nervous around other babies than with strange adults.
C.They seem to be as comfortable around other babies as with strange adults.
D.They have no special interest.
-
听力原文: An inmate condemned to die by injection next week asked the Indiana Parole Board to grant him clemency or at least enough time to donate his liver to his 'ailing sister.
"My sister is sick, she needs a liver," Gregory Scott Johnson said during a hearing Monday. "At this point, everything else--including my own life--is secondary to trying to help hex ff I can."
Johnson, 40, was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of 82-year-old Ruby Hutslar. Authorities said he broke into her house, beat and stomped on hex, then set a fire. His execution is scheduled for May 25.
Earl Coleman, assistant for the parole board, said Johnson's attorney must still prove such a donation is necessary.
Which of the following did Gregory Scott Johnson NOT do in a 1985 criminal case?
A.Murdering an old woman.
B.Robbing an old woman.
C.Beating and stomping on an old woman.
D.Breaking into the house of an old woman.
-
听力原文:By the year 2000, the population of the developing world living in urban areas had risen to about 46% and it is estimated to reach more than 57% by the year 2025.
(55)