Passage 41 Three men got to the Dover Railway Station a few minutes after nine o’clock one evening. They asked a guard, "What time is the next train for London" The guard said, "You’ve just missed one. A train goes every hour. The next one is at ten o’clock." "That’s all right," they said. "We’ll go and have a drink." So off they went to a bar. A minute or two after ten o’clock they came running and asked the guard. "Has the train gone" "Yes," the guard said. "It went at ten, and I told you. The next one is at eleven o’clock." "That’s all right," they said again. "We’ll go and have another drink." So they went back to the bar. They missed the eleven o’clock train in the same way. Then the guard said, "No, the next train is the last one. If you miss that train, you won’t get to London tonight." (41) Twelve o’clock came, and the last train was just starting out when the three of them came out of the bar running as fast as they could. Two of them got on the train just as it was leaving but the third one didn’t run fast enough, and the train went out leaving him behind. He stood there looking at the train and laughing, as if to miss a train was the best joke in the world. The guard went up to him and said, "I told you that this was the last train. Why didn’t you come earlier" The man kept laughing until tears came into his eyes. Then he caught hold of the guard and said, "Did you see the two men get into the train and leave me here" "Yes, I did." "Well, I was the only one to leave for London. They were here only to see me off!" The three men missed the train______.
A. only once
B. only twice
C. three times
D. four times
Passage 39 Many people have difficulty in studying mathematics. Sometimes their difficulty stems from the psychological idea that they are "not good at math". (39) It has been demonstrated that many times that it is often this idea that is causing their problems rather than any lack of skill in mathematics. The best way to deal with this problem is to tell yourself that math involves using the same numbers you have been using all your life and that you know them as well as anyone else. Then set your mind to learning how they are used in the particular part of mathematics you are studying. Many schools offer "math anxiety" courses which are designed to help people overcome their fear of math. Another problem many people encounter is that in mathematics, unlike some other subjects you may have studied, the material has a very important sequence or order. If you do not understand a section of mathematics text, it is no use going on to the next section. Many sections of math books are based on information presented earlier, so it is essential that you understand a section before going on to the next. Sometimes students in mathematics courses do not read the written material in the text but assume that the instructor will tell them what they need to know. This can cause them serious problems, since many instructors assume that students have read the text before coming to class. The written sections of mathematics textbooks contain much valuable information. "Math anxiety" courses are designed to help you______.
A. to study math well
B. to realize the importance of math
C. to overcome your fear of math
D. learn more about math
Passage 48 Do you find that getting up in the morning is so difficult that it’s painful This might be called laziness, but Dr. Newman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle. During the hours when you labor through your work, you may say that you are "hot". That’s true. The time of day when you feel the most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语) as: "Get up, John! You will be late for work again!" The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. (48) Much family quarreling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and what cycle each member of the family has. You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Newman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel that you must stay up late anyway. Counteract (对抗) your cycle bit by bit by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up energetically and work better at your low point. Try to save your energy. Get up with an easily yawn and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do usual work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy for your sharper hours. If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably______.
A. he is a lazy person
B. he refuses to admit that his own energy is low
C. he is not sure when his energy is low
D. he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening
Passage 42 Some countries have large numbers of earthquakes. Japan is one of them. Others do not have many; for example, there are few earthquakes in Britain. There is often a great noise during an earthquake. The earth shakes. Houses fall down. Railway lines are broken. Sometimes many people are killed in an earthquake. Earthquakes often happen near volcanoes, but this is not always true. The centers of some are under the sea. The bottom of the sea suddenly moves. The powerful forces inside the earth break the rocks. The coast is shaken and great waves appear. These waves travel long distances and rush over the land when they reach it. (42) They are strong enough to break down houses and other buildings; sometimes they break more buildings than the earthquake itself. What kind of buildings stands up best in an earthquake A building with concrete walls is perhaps the best. A steel frame will make it even stronger. The frame holds the different parts together, and the walls do not easily fall. There is less chance of fire because concrete and steel do not burn. This kind of building is the safest. Which of the following shows that an earthquake happens
A. The earth and the buildings shake badly.
B. There is a great noise in the sky.
C. The sky is covered with thick clouds.
D. The tigers and lions in the zoo run about nervously.