In October 1961 at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired(退休) from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903. However he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.

Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh(Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888 he started as an outfielder(外場手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators' leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right－h(huán)anded and batted left－h(huán)anded. On June 19,1889 he threw out three batters(擊球手) at the plate from his outfield position.

The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.

For many years people talked about Hoy's last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game. It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning(棒球的一局) with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.

After he retired Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and travelled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4－10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961 William Hoy died at the age of 99.

6. In which order did the following things happen in Hoy's life?

a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.

b. Hoy began to run a diary farm.

c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.

d. Hoy threw the first ball of the World Series.

e. Hoy became deaf.

A. d, e, a, c, b      B. e, a, c, b, d

C. d, a, e, c, b       D. e, a, b, c, d

7. We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy ________ in his late years.

A. became famous                      

B. led a relaxed life

C. travelled around the world       

D. was in good physical condition

8. This passage is mainly about ________.

A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball

B. baseball game rules and important players

C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people

D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

9. What can be inferred from this passage?

A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.

B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.

C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.

D. Hoy's family encouraged him to become a baseball player.

Did you ever wonder how some of your favorite foods, products or toys came about? Believe it or not, they may have been an accident, or a failure of some other intention. Below, we found three mistakes we’re thankful for turned out to be what they are.
1. Most historians hold that the Chinese invented fireworks in the 9th century when they
discovered how to make gunpowder. Story has it that a Chinese cook accidentally mixed together what were then considered common kitchen items and noticed they burnt. When put tightly in a bamboo tube and lit, it blew up.
2. In May of 1886, a law led John Pemberton, a pharmacist（藥劑師）, to rewrite the formula(配方) for "Pemberton’s French Wine Coca,” his popular headache treatment. Containing sugar instead of wine as a sweetener, the outcome became something for Coke, which was later mixed with carbonated water. His bookkeeper suggested the name Coca-Cola because he thought the two C’s would look good together, which is how what we call Coca-Cola, a world –wide drink came into being.
3. During World War II, scientists at the University of Birmingham invented the magnetron—an important heat-producing part of the microwave oven(微波爐). While working for Raytheon Corporation after the war, the American engineer Percy Spencer was testing the magnetron when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He went on to test other foods including popcorn kernels, and found it to be a much more efficient way to cook. In 1947 Raytheon came out with the first restaurant microwave oven, which was six feet tall and weighed 750 lbs.   
【小題1】The right time order of the three inventions, according to the passage, should be_________.

A．fireworks, the microwave and Coca-Cola

B．fireworks ,Coca-Cola and the microwave

C．Coca-Cola , fireworks and the microwave

D．the microwave, Coca-Cola and fireworks

【小題2】Percy Spencer found the microwave efficient in cooking when he was _______.

A．looking for a way to melt his chocolate

B．trying to know how a magnetron could cook

C．working to know how the magnetron works

D．a(chǎn)sked to invent a restaurant microwave oven

【小題3】What can we learn from the above invention stories? 

A．Experiments make great inventors of our time.

B．Nothing is impossible if one tries each day.

C．Inventors come out of hard work at any time.

D．A small incident may lead to a great invention.

【小題4】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．What great inventions they are!	B．Inventions from Three Countries.
C．Stories of Accidental Inventions.	D．The Human Inventions of time.

This selection of books and guides offers insight to hidden charm in many favorite cities and destinations and gives you the knowledge to uncover unusual sights to see and places to visit. We hope you enjoy our choices and welcome your comments. Email your feedback to books@ gounusual. com.

The following are taken from these books. You will find much more information about these hotels in the books.
Kakslauttanen Hotel

It is the home of the famous Igloo（冰屋）Village with the unique glass and snow igloos and the world’s largest snow restaurant. In addition , their guests can enjoy the winter activities including watching the Northern Lights visible generally from late August to late April. Guests can sample the peace of sleeping in snow. Their glass igloos are fantastic for lying on your bed at night, watching the Northern Lights in the warm. You can enjoy cold or warm night sleep as required.
Art Hotel in Ronda

Beautifully situated in the oldest paved street of Ronda and surrounded by historic buildings, Art Hotel is decorated with original and historical artwork and atmospheric lighting. There is lots of fun and funky touches, e. g. lights and birds nesting in old basketballs, wall murals（壁畫）of Michael Jackson , car tyres converted to occasional tables.
During your stay, all drinks, breakfast and the use of all facilities are included in the price of the room.
Otter Creek Tents
The tents are separated from the rest of the world by a quiet salt-water creek. A coconut plantation dating back to 1886, the secret location preserves the privacy and peace of guests, with the salt water of the creek keeping even the mosquitoes away.
Each tent sleeps 2 in a four-poster double bed and has a western style toilet and bathroom with running water and hot shower. The tents use the dining facilities of the charming “Elsewhere” beach houses and enjoy over a mile of the pristine（處于原始狀態(tài)的）beach where one can still see the footprints of fishermen , and during the season , possibly the prints of sea turtles.
The Original Icehotel

“Imagine a hotel built from thousands of tons of snow and ice, and rebuilt every winter”--that is ICEHOTEL in northern Lapland, Sweden.
This is the original ICEHOTEL, first created in the early 1990s. It has become the global ambassador for this genre and now licenses ICEBARs around the world too. With 80 ＋ rooms, the property is a huge undertaking to be rebuilt every year, and their expertise inspired other similar properties in North America and elsewhere.
【小題1】People staying in Kakslauttanen Hotel can watch the Northern Lights EXCEPT in ________.

A．August

B．April

C．December

D．June

【小題2】What is special about Otter Creek Tents?

A．You can sleep in a house made of ice there.

B．It is surrounded by a forest.

C．You can enjoy the scenes of a beach.

D．You can enjoy turtles cooked in a special way there.

【小題3】If you want to experience sleeping with snow or ice around, you can choose ________.

A．Kakslauttanen Hotel and Art Hotel in Ronda

B．Otter Creek Tents and Icehotel

C．Art Hotel in Ronda and Otter Creek Tents

D．Kakslauttanen Hotel and Icehotel

【小題4】What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To show us the advantages of staying in hotels.

B．To introduce and promote some books.

C．To encourage people to travel around the world.

D．To explain to us how people manage the hotels.

Did you ever wonder how some of your favorite foods, products or toys came about? Believe it or not, they may have been an accident, or a failure of some other intention. Below, we found three mistakes we’re thankful for turned out to be what they are.

1. Most historians hold that the Chinese invented fireworks in the 9th century when they

discovered how to make gunpowder. Story has it that a Chinese cook accidentally mixed together what were then considered common kitchen items and noticed they burnt. When put tightly in a bamboo tube and lit, it blew up.

2. In May of 1886, a law led John Pemberton, a pharmacist（藥劑師）, to rewrite the formula(配方) for "Pemberton’s French Wine Coca,” his popular headache treatment. Containing sugar instead of wine as a sweetener, the outcome became something for Coke, which was later mixed with carbonated water. His bookkeeper suggested the name Coca-Cola because he thought the two C’s would look good together, which is how what we call Coca-Cola, a world –wide drink came into being.

3. During World War II, scientists at the University of Birmingham invented the magnetron—an important heat-producing part of the microwave oven(微波爐). While working for Raytheon Corporation after the war, the American engineer Percy Spencer was testing the magnetron when a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He went on to test other foods including popcorn kernels, and found it to be a much more efficient way to cook. In 1947 Raytheon came out with the first restaurant microwave oven, which was six feet tall and weighed 750 lbs.   

1.The right time order of the three inventions, according to the passage, should be_________.

A. fireworks, the microwave and Coca-Cola

B. fireworks ,Coca-Cola and the microwave

C. Coca-Cola , fireworks and the microwave

D. the microwave, Coca-Cola and fireworks

2.Percy Spencer found the microwave efficient in cooking when he was _______.

A. looking for a way to melt his chocolate

B. trying to know how a magnetron could cook

C. working to know how the magnetron works

D. asked to invent a restaurant microwave oven

3.What can we learn from the above invention stories? 

A. Experiments make great inventors of our time.     

B. Nothing is impossible if one tries each day.

C. Inventors come out of hard work at any time.

D. A small incident may lead to a great invention.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. What great inventions they are!               B. Inventions from Three Countries.

C. Stories of Accidental Inventions.          D. The Human Inventions of time.

 

In October, 1961. at Crowley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, an old, deaf gentleman named William E Hey stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired (退休) from professional baseball 58 years earlier, in 1903. However, he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was horn in Houckstown, Ohio, on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation, he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.

Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh (Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888, he started as an outfielder (外場手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season, he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators' leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever; he threw right-handed and batted left-handed. On June 19, 1889, he threw out three batters (擊球手) at the plate from his outfield position.

The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike, and his left arm to signal that it was a ball. For many years, people talked about Hoy's last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy made a wonderful play which won the game. It was a very foggy night and, therefore, very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning (棒球的一局), with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Ms Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.

After he retired, Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death, he took 4 and 10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961, William Hoy died at the age of 99

1.In which order did the following things happen in Hoy's life?

a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.

b. Hoy began to run a diary farm.

c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.

d. Hoy threw the first ball of the World Series.

e. Hoy became deaf.

A. d, e, a, c, b     B. e, a, C. b, d    C. d, a, e, c, b     D. e. a, b, c, d

2.We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy ________in his late years.

A. became famous                   B. led a relaxed life

C. traveled around the world           D. was in good physical condition

3. This passage is mainly about ________.

A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball

B. baseball game rules and important players

C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people

D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.

B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.

C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.

D. Hoy's family encouraged him to become a baseball player.