"Mom, can I bake some bread?" We were 15, my best friend, Hanna, and I, determined to try our hands at creating some beautiful bread. "It's not worth the trouble," my mother said. "It takes lots of time and makes a big mess. Our bakery bread is delicious without all that effort." Begging was useless. Mom's "no" meant "No!" But several weeks later, opportunity knocked: My parents were going out for the evening. I immediately invited Hanna to be my partner in bread-baking crime. We studied the recipe. That was easy. "Mix oil into flour then beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt." We were not good at breaking eggs. I tried to learn from my mother. "Gradually add eight cups of flour. When dough holds together, squeeze it." We took turns working like that. "Is the dough 'holding together'?" we asked each other. I remembered my neighbor's instructions: "If it's too sticky, add some flour; if too dry, add water." We added water. Then more flour. Then more water. By then, the mass of our dough had grown very much. "Place dough on floured surface and squeeze till smooth," the recipe instructed. We took turns burying our hands in the damp dough, pinching, squeezing, and feeling it leak between fingers. "Clean and oil bowl, then return dough to bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm place for 1 hour." This was good news --- we'd have a break. On dirtied kitchen chairs, we dreamed about our beautiful bread. "See?" we would tell my mom. "Isn't it worth the work?" Hanna and I couldn't help glancing at the rising process every few minutes. But nothing was happening. "Maybe something will happen in the hot oven," I said. Unfortunately, when we removed the loaves from the oven, they were like hard stones. Mom was right; it takes time and effort. It sometimes makes a mess. But still it feels good, somehow, to be part of that long, ongoing chain of bread bakers. Since that night, both Hanna and I have learned to do it right. To the writer, what her mother said was _ . A) law B) rubbish C) advice D) warning
A
(Question)
I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one--it's so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald's, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites. Nike In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike's logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $ 35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995. McDonald's The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped signs on the side of the company's then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald's name was added to the logo in 1968. Apple There are different stories behind Apple's logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steven Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn't stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff's " rainbow apple", a rainbow- colored silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow- colored apple was replaced by the one- colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far. Mercedes Benz The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three- pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Marcedes is the name of Maybach's elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie.and DMG in 1926. Adidas The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains,... What does Nike's logo stand for? A) The goddess of victory B) The source of inspiration for soldiers C) The statue of the Greek goddess D) The wing of the Greek goddess.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Don't be surprised when strangers talk to you in Canada! You will find that many Canadians will smile at you as they pass in the street, or say something to you like "Hi!" or "How's it going?" Just reply with something similar. In the UK the reply would be "I'm fine", but in Canada they say "I'm good". In company, when someone is offering you a second helping of food or more wine, if you don't want any more, use the same expression-- "I'm good". In this case, it means "No, thank you. I've had enough". Most Canadians don't press you to eat more than you want. In restaurant, your plate will be cleared away almost immediately you have finished eating. When you go into a shop or store, the shop assistant asks you how you are or if they can help you, it is their way of being friendly and making conversation with the customers. Canadians eat early and go home early. When you are invited to a Canadian's home, you may be asked to arrive at 5:30 pm or 6 pm. But guests in Europe don't expect to arrive until 7:30 pm or 8 pm. Remember to take off your shoes and leave them inside the door without being asked. It's not a religious custom, but it's practical. In winter, there can be a lot of snow and dirt on your shoes, once you are in the warm house it melts and falls off, making a mess. Canadians tend to have light colored carpets or hardwood floors. If you're invited for dinner, it will be a full sit- down meal. Meat is usually barbecued in the freezing cold of winter. Do take something with you, like a bottle of wine. Arrive on time and don't stay over 10 pm. What would be the best title for this passage? A) Some customs in Canada B) Dinner party rules in Canada C) Studying in Canada D) Doing business in Canada
Ans:
A