上海卷

(A)

What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?

Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).

Some people think that it would be easy to do this job, after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.

In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!

Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.

65. What is John Harrison’s job?

A. An official.

B. An ice-cream taster.

C. A chemist.

D. An ice-cream manufacturer.

原文. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. 可知,答案为B

66. According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.

A. keep a diary of work

B. have a degree in related subjects

C. have new ideas every day

D. find out new flavors each day

原文He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.可知,答案为B

67. What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?

A. He stirs the ice cream.

B. He examines the color of the ice cream.

C. He tastes the flavor of the ice cream.

D. He lets the ice cream warm up.

原文He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉.可知,答案为D.

68. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?

A. Tasting with Eyes B. Flavors of Ice Cream

C. John Harrison’s Life D. One Cool Job

本文主要是介绍了一种奇特的职业,故选D.

(B)

(You may read the questions first,)

SCREENGRABS

BBC1

PLANET EARTH

9AM

Fresh Water provides an expensive subject for the third programme in the BBC’s fascinating new natural-history series. Broadly, we investigate the world’s lakes and rivers and the creatures which inhabit them. Thus we visit the deepest lake on the planet, Lake Baikal in Siberia. We observe large colonies of Indian smooth-coated otters (above) looking around. A magical series which give us a real sense of context in relation to the planet we inhabit.

BBC2

FAMILY GUY

11.45PM

Road to Europe. Without proper identification, Brain and Stewie stow away on a plane they think is leaving for England. They’re wrong, and soon they’re in Saudi Arabia (Brain: “Oh my God, we are finished. We are lost in the desert.”) at a beginning of a long trip home.

ITV1

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT

9 PM

Cards on the Table. Tonight’s mystery concerns the death of one of the richest and most mysterious men, Mr Shaitana(Alexander Siddig ) who has a fascination with crime. Shaitana hosts dinner and a game of bridge in his apartment, but when the time comes the first guests to take their leave, they discover that their host has been stabbed through his heart.

Channel 4

THE GAMES: LIVE

9 PM

For the first time on Games, the men fight in a Kendo Tournament, using 1.2m shinai (Bamboo swords). The woman compete in the cycling, racing wheel-to wheel on competition bikes with no brakes. Plus other news the English Institute of sports in Sheffield.

69. The Fresh Water series at 9 PM ________.

A. explores the lakes, rivers and the creatures in them

B. is devoted to the freshwater creatures in the world

C. explains the relationship among inhabitants on the earth

D. focuses on the deepest river on the planet

答案A

70. The phrase “stow away” most probably means “_________”.

A. hide secretly B. talk excitedly

C. operate easily D. guide successfully

答案 A

71. A mystery story adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel will be shown on ______.

A. BBC1 B. BBC2 C. ITV1 D. Channel 4

答案C

(C)

Mail carriers will be delivering some good news and some bad news this week.

The bad news: Stamp prices are expected to rise 2 cents in May to 41 cents, the Postal Regulatory Commission announced yesterday. The good news: With the introduction of a “forever stamp,” it may be the last time Americans have to use annoying 2-or-3-cent stamps to make up postage differences.

Beginning in May, people would be able to purchase the stamps in booklets of 20 at the regular rate of a first-class stamp. As the name implies, “forever stamps” will keep their first-class mailing value forever, even when the postage rate goes up.

The new “forever stamp” is the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) answer to the complaints about frequent rate increases. The May increases will be the fifth in a decade. Postal rates have risen because of inflation (通货膨胀), competition from online bill paying, and the rising costs of employee benefits, including healthcare, says Mark Saunders, a spokesman for USPS.

The USPS expects some financial gain from sales of the “forever stamp” and the savings from not printing as many 2-or-3-cent stamps. “It’s not your grandfather’s stamp,” says Mr. Saunders. “It could be your great-grandchildren’s stamp.”

Other countries, including Canada, England, and Finland use similar stamps.

Don Schilling, who has collected stamps for 50 years, says he’s interested in the public’s reaction. “This is an entirely new class of stamps.” Mr. Schilling says. He adds that he’ll buy the stamps because he will be able to use them for a long period of time, not because they could make him rich — the volume printed will be too large for collectors. “We won’t be able to send our kids to college
on these,” he says, laughing.

The USPS board of governors has yet to accept the Postal Regulatory Commission’s decision, but tends to follow its recommendations. No plans have been announced yet for the design of the stamps.