Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with nothing but dim gas mantles and an old treadle sewing machine. She never complained even when the fire would be low and the food very scarce. She would sew until the early hours of morning.
Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was purchased, stating that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could picture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child‘s mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not fail her, that he never had. I couldn‘t see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine.
The day the men were to come for our only means of support, there was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those dreaded men. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms.
He asked my mother if she was Mrs. Hill. When she said she was, he said, "I‘m in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?" He continued, "I will pay you in advance." With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother.
Mother said, "Yes, yes, I will be glad to do so," and took the baby from his arms. When the man left, Mother turned to me with tears streaming down a face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, "I knew God would never let them take away my machine."The turning point in the story may refer to ______.
| A．a letter to the family |
| B．the time when mother comforted me |
| C．the man’s coming for help |
| D．the nicely dressed man’s trouble |
According to the text all the following are true to the man EXCEPT _____.
| A．his wife stayed in hospital |
| B．he was confused when in trouble |
| C．he had few men to turn to for help |
| D．he was a dentist |
What does mother mean by saying “I knew God would never let them take away my machine.?”
| A．God can do everything |
| B．The sewing machine is my only support |
| C．Everybody should believe in God |
| D．Never give up when in trouble |
It was Molly’s job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work．
One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag．This one was worn and held together with staples （订书钉） 。
“Why two bags?” her father asked．“The other is something else,” Molly answered．“What’s in it?” “Just some stuff．Take it with you．”
Not wanting to discuss the matter, he put both bags into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off．At midday he opened Molly’s bag and took out the contents: two hair ribbons（丝带）, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies… The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly’s stuff included．
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper．“Where’s my bag?” “What bag?” “The one I gave you this morning．” “I left it at the office．Why?” “I forgot to put this note in it,” she said．“And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like — I thought you might like to play with them．You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?” “Oh, no,” he said, lying．“I just forgot to bring it home．I’ll bring it tomorrow．” While Molly hugged her father’s neck, he unfolded the note that read: “I love you, Daddy．” Molly had given him her treasures — all that a 7-year-old held dear．
Love in a paper bag, and he missed it — not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket．So back he went to the office．Just ahead of the night janitor（看门人）, he picked up the wastebasket．He put the treasures inside and carried it home carefully．The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted．
After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack．It took a long time to tell．Everything had a story or a memory．
“Sometimes I think of all the great times in this sweet life,” he thought．
We should all remember that it’s not the destination that counts in life, but the journey．That journey with the people we love is all that really matters．It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten．Why did Molly give her father a second bag?
| A．She didn’t want to keep the things in the bag． |
| B．She hoped those things would bring happiness to her father． |
| C．She wanted to remind her father of the stories behind the things． |
| D．She enjoyed playing with her father． |
How did father deal with the bag after he opened it?
| A．He kept it in the drawer． |
| B．He took it back home． |
| C．He threw it into the wastebasket． |
| D．He put it on his table． |
After father heard what his daughter said, he felt_____．
| A．regretful | B．surprised |
| C．sad | D．satisfied |
Which of the following is the most suitable title of the passage?
| A．An important journey | B．Two bags |
| C．Father and daughter | D．Love in a paper bag |
Maya Angelou, the American poet and author, died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday. She was 86. Her son, Guy B Johnson, confirmed the news in a statement. He said Angelou "passed away quietly in her home" sometime before 8 am on Wednesday.
Angelou’s failing health was reported as recently as Tuesday, when she canceled an appearance honoring her with a Beacon of Life Award for “health reasons”. The ceremony was part of the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon, in Houston, Texas, part of Major League Baseball’s Civil Rights Games. Last month, forced to cancel an appearance at a library in Arkansas, she wrote: "An unexpected condition put me into the hospital. I will be getting better and the time will come when I can receive another invitation from my state and you will recognize me for I shall be the tall Black lady smiling. "
Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson, in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928.She survived several personal trials: she was a child of the Depression, grew up in the segregated(种族隔离的) south, and gave birth as a teenager. She wrote seven autobiographies, including the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and was a playwright, director and novelist.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was a condemnation(谴责) of the racial discrimination she experienced during her childhood. "If growing up is painful for the southern black girl," she wrote, "being aware of her displacement is the rust(铁锈) on the razor that threatens the throat. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” has had a wide appeal and continues to appear on school and university reading lists in the US and the UK.
In 1993, she read her poem On the Pulse of the Morning at President Clinton's first inauguration(就职演说), a performance that made the poem a bestseller. The poem celebrates the diversity of ethnic groups in the US, and calls on the nation to leave behind cynicism and look forward to a new pride in itself, and a new belief for the country. Clinton on Wednesday said he would "always be grateful for all the years of friendship that followed. America has lost a national treasure, and Hillary and I a beloved friend."
Angelou was a long-time Clinton supporter. One month before his inauguration, she told the New York Times: “Since the election, I have found it easier to wake up in the morning.” And her loyalty to Hillary Clinton has been steadfast, even as Barack Obama campaigned to be America's first black president.
The mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, said the town would probably remember Angelou best for her commitment to health and theatre. She supported the founder of the National Black Theater Festival, and eventually became its first chairperson in 1989. In 2012, the Maya Angelou Women’s Health and Wellness Center opened in the city. Despite her many accomplishments, the mayor said small moments seemed to touch the poet. In April 2008, the town threw Angelou an 80th birthday party. Despite entertainers and speakers present at the party, the mayor said, “The thing that seemed to touch her the most was a group of little kids.”
Maya Angelou was ________ .
| A．originally named Marguerite Annie Johnson and a black female poet. |
| B．first confirmed to be ill last month in Arkansas and put into hospital. |
| C．honored with Civil Rights Award in Major League Baseball Games. |
| D．described as the national treasure by the mayor of her hometown. |
We can NOT infer from the passage that ________.
| A．Angelou's unhappy experience as a black girl in the south inspired her writings. |
| B．I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and On the Pulse of the Morning were among her most famous works. |
| C．Angelou supported Barack Obama when he campaigned to be President |
| D．Angelou died peacefully in her home on a Wednesday morning in 2014. |
The underlined sentence "...being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat." implies that ________
| A．Her being away from her parents is like a sharp razor that brings much pain. |
| B．Her realization that she doesn't belong here makes her feel emotionally painful. |
| C．People who think she is different from others threaten to kill her with a razor. |
| D．People's refusal to accept her makes her want to cut her throat with a razor. |
Which one is true according to the passage?
| A．In America, Angelou's accomplishments in health and theatre were best remembered. |
| B．Angelou was the founder and chairperson of the National Black Theater Festival. |
| C．A group of children moved her the most on her 80th birthday party. |
| D．Clinton's performance of the poem On the Pulse of the Morning made it a bestseller. |
Last summer I was lucky enough to participate in a volunteer adventure to Kenya, in association with Virgin Atlantic’s Be the Change programme and children’s charity, Free the Children. The moment I read the e-mail saying that I had been accepted into Free the Children’s Virgin Atlantic scholarship trip to Kenya, I had no idea how much it was going to change my life. I thought the trip would be a great way to learn about life in one of the most rural areas of Kenya, but I never thought about how deeply I might be affected by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
When we entered the Masai Mara, the first thing that struck me was how unbelievably beautiful it was. As I looked closer to it, I realized there was something even more beautiful: the people. I have never been to a place where the saying “the people are what make the place” was more true.
The way they wave at you excitedly as you drive past, shouting “Jambo, Jambo!” is something that I have never experienced. They are always smiling and welcoming and it made me realize that, if everyone were to act like this, the world would be a much happier place.
The most amazing thing about the trip was that we weren’t treated like tourists for one second. We were able to experience every little detail. We built foundations, carried ten litres of water…
The one thing I will never forget is visiting Emorijoi Primary School. Let me describe it like this: As soon as you entered into the gate, you would hear someone shouting your name. Then you looked around and realized that it was the same little girl that you were playing football with the last time you visited.
There are literally no words to explain how much I miss Kenya. It feels like there is a piece of string attaching me to everyone that I met there. They will stay with me forever and always be in my heart. When the author was informed she was in the volunteer adventure, .
| A．she didn’t think much of it |
| B．she pretended to be excited |
| C．she became proud of herself |
| D．she hoped to learn more about Kenya |
What made the Masai Mara much more beautiful? _____.
| A．The local people | B．The scenery |
| C．The lovely children | D．The primary school |
According to the passage, “Jambo” is actually a way for the local people to_____.
| A．say thanks to the visitors |
| B．praise the beautiful visitors |
| C．greet the visitors |
| D．express their happiness |
Which word can best describe the author’s feeling of the adventure?
| A．Calm | B．Unexpected |
| C．Upset | D．Threatened |
My father’s playing the violin lights up any room. To him, it is an instrument of faith, hope and charity. My mother used to joke, “Your papa would play his violin if the world was about to blow up.”
Once_Dad_came_about_as_close_to_that_as_could_ever_be_possible.
In the early years of the 20th century, the boll weevil (棉铃象鼻虫) began destroying the cotton farms in the southern USA.
In May 1910, folks all over the nation were talking about Halley’s Comet (哈雷彗星). There were all sorts of frightening stories about it, the main one being that the world would pass through its tail, said to be millions of miles long.
Between the threats of the comet and weevils, the farmers were running low on optimism. One night, they gathered at our farm to discuss what to do. Will Bowen, a local man, suggested, “Charley, how about giving us a little music?”
“I don’t think anybody’d want to hear me tonight,” Dad replied.
“Come on, Mr. Nordyke,” one of the younger women urged. “Play for us!”
Dad got the hang of getting people in the mood for his music. He played church songs, and then switched to war songs. By the time he had finished performing, people were stamping their feet, clapping their hands and yelling.
All of our neighbors went home whistling. Very few remembered to look to see whether the comet was still around.
Another evening, Will Bowen called Dad on the telephone and said, “Charley, I'm downhearted and blue. Could you play a tune or two for me through the phone?”
Dad handed the receiver to me and then set about playing the songs he had performed that night. I could hear Mr. Bowen whistling and yelling.
By the time the tune was finished there were half a dozen neighbors on the line. They talked about how wonderful the music sounded over the telephone. They made numerous requests; I relayed them to Dad and he played.
Our broadcasts became regular features of community life. When the weather was bad in winter and farmers were forced to remain in the house, someone would ring us and ask Dad to play. Usually it developed into a network affair. Our phone kept ringing with requests for music until radio came into fashion. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that the author’s mother ________.
| A．believed that her husband had the ability to save the world by playing the violin. |
| B．complained that her husband loved the violin more than her. |
| C．thought that her husband could always get strength from his violin. |
| D．showed that she loved music as much as her husband |
The underlined sentence “Once Dad came about as close to that as could ever be possible.” functions as ________.
| A．a conclusion of the first paragraph |
| B．an introduction of a story |
| C．an example of my father's love of music |
| D．the topic sentence of this passage |
From the last three paragraphs, we could see that Mr. Nordyke was ______.
| A．generous and optimistic | B．popular and creative |
| C．sensitive and determined | D．energetic and humorous |
All the following statements are FALSE except ________.
| A．The neighbors often dropped in to hear Mr. Nordyke’s performance. |
| B．Mr. Nordyke’s music entertained and comforted people in the community. |
| C．The farmers knew listening to music would help them avoid being destroyed by Halley’s Comet. |
| D．At that time people loved all sorts of music deeply. |
Long ago in a small town, there was a place known as the House of 1,000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit.
When he arrived, he bounced(跳) happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1,000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1,000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “ This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit often.”
In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1,000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1,000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “This is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.”
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see on the faces of the people you meet?Why did the first dog like the house?
| A．Because there were 1,000 mirrors in the house. |
| B．Because he thought he could keep himself warm in the house. |
| C．Because he liked everything presented to him. |
| D．Because he felt he was welcome here. |
The underlined word “ growl” probably means ______.
| A．make an unfriendly noise | B．smile |
| C．say hello | D．stare |
The passage tells us ________.
| A．we must look at ourselves in a mirror as often as possible |
| B．we must look at ourselves in a mirror like the first little dog |
| C．We can see ourselves in the faces of the people we meet |
| D．we are treated in the same way as other people |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．A Small happy Little Dog |
| B．The House of 1,000 Mirrors |
| C．The Wonderful Place and the Horrible Place. |
| D．Two Little Dogs |
“If it rings one more time, I’ll hang up,” Amy thought hopefully, as she waited for someone to answer. Apologizing wasn’t an easy thing to do.
“Hello,” a woman’s voice said. There was no backing out now.
“May I speak to Missy, please?”
“Just a minute.”
In much less than a minute, Missy was on the phone. “Hi, who’s calling?” asked the cheerful voice.
“It’s Amy. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about what I said to you. I didn’t really mean it.” Amy paused, trying to think of what to say next.
“Thank you, Amy. No hard feelings.”
“Missy, you’re a very nice person. You’re a lot nicer than I am!”
Missy laughed. “You’re not so bad, Amy. By the way, I’ve got some great news. Mr.Grumbell said that you were the only candidate for class president. He talked me into being a candidate, too. Isn’t that cool?”
Amy didn’t think the news was cool. Missy was very popular; she’d get a lot of votes. Fortunately, Amy was in a gracious(亲切的) mood. “You’ll be a tough opponent（对手）, Missy,” she said. “May the best woman win.”
“Thanks, Amy,” Missy replied. “But you might even win.”
Amy had to laugh. “Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to make comments like that!” Amy called Missy on the phone to .
| A．tell her that she was happy |
| B．tell her she needed a help |
| C．apologize to her |
| D．ask her to run for president |
Amy was hoping that no one would answer the phone because .
| A．she was too tired to talk |
| B．she felt uncomfortable when making apologies |
| C．she was afraid she had dialed the wrong number |
| D．she was wearing pajamas |
Missy let Amy know that she wanted something that Amy wanted. What was it?
| A．She wanted to have the most friends. |
| B．She wanted her own telephone. |
| C．She wanted mushrooms on her pizza. |
| D．She wanted to be class president. |
Ogilvie the detective arrived. Both the Duke and Duchess were extremely nervous.
The Duchess went to the door herself. The detective’s piggy eyes surveyed her. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-decorated room, and the Duke.
“Pretty neat set-up you’ve got.”Ogilvie said slowly.
The Duchess said sharply, “Imagine you didn’t come here to discuss the decoration.”
“No, Madame. I like nice things, though. Like that expensive car of yours. The one you keep here in the hotel.”
“In what way does our car concern you?”The Duchess had sat in a straight-backed chair.
“Now,” he said.“You two were in the hit-and-run.”
She met his eyes directly. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play games, lady. You saw the newspapers. There’s been plenty on radio, too.” Ogilvie’s words spat forth with sudden strength. “You listen to me. This city’s mad — everybody. When they find who killed that kid and her mother, and run away, what will they do? Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, there’ll be police here. But I come to you first, so you could tell your side of it to me.” The piggy eyes blinked, then hardened. “If you want it the other way, just say so.”
The Duchess—three centuries and a half of in-born pride behind her—did not give in easily. Springing to her feet with great anger, gray-green eyes burning, she faced the detective straightly. Her tone would have frightened anyone who knew her well. “You unspeakable blackguard! How dare you!”
Ogilvie said nothing. But the Duke cut in, “It's no go, old girl, I’m afraid. It was a good try.” Facing Ogilvie, he said, “What you accuse us of is true. I was driving the car and killed the little girl.”
“That’s more like it,” Ogilvie said, “now we’re getting somewhere.”
The Duchess sank back into her chair. She asked, “What is it you know?”
“I’ll tell you, I got a curious nature. You and your wife drove home, you were driving, after a drink. Last night I saw you come in—through the basement, looking shaken, the pair of you. I got wondering why. Like I said, I got a curious nature.”
The Duchess breathed, “Go on.”
“Late last night the word was out about the hit-and-run. I went over the garage and took a quiet look at your car. On your car you got a damaged headlight. There’s plenty of blood.”
“Oh, my God!”A hand to her face, the Duchess turned away.
Her husband asked, “What do you suggest?”
The fat man rubbed his hands together, “Like I said, I come to hear your side of it.”
The Duke said desperately, “What can I possibly say? You know what happened. You’d better call the police.”
“There’s no way bringing back the kid nor her mother. Besides, what they’d do to you, Duke, you wouldn’t like it at all. I was hoping,” Ogilvie said, “that you could suggest something.”
The Duke said uncertainly, “I don’t understand.”
“I understand,” the Duchess said. “You want money. You came here to blackmail(讹诈) us.”
The house detective shrugged(耸肩). “Whatever names you call things, they don’t matter to me. All I come for is to help you people out of trouble. But I’ve got to live too.”
“You’d accept money to keep silent about what you know?”
“I think so.”
“How much do you want?”
The piggy eyes blinked.“Ten thousand dollars.”
“What would we receive in return?”
The fat man seemed puzzled. “Like I said, I keep quiet about what I know.”
“No.” The statement was clear. “We will not pay you.”
Ogilvie’s round face reddened, “Now listen, lady....”
She cut him off. “I won’t listen. Instead, you will listen to me. We won’t pay you $10,000. But we will pay you $25,000. In return, you will drive our car north.”
“$25,000,” she repeated. “$10,000 now. $15,000 more when you meet us in Chicago.”
The fat man’s piggy eyes were focused upon hers. The silence hung. Then, he gave the slightest of nods.The Duke and Duchess were extremely nervous because they ________.
| A．knew the detective would harm them |
| B．were afraid to meet a stranger at night |
| C．thought the detective would search them |
| D．had just got involved in a traffic accident |
By saying “This city’s mad—everybody” Ogilvie wanted to ________.
| A．frighten the Duke and his wife |
| B．ask for money for the victims |
| C．show concern for the couple |
| D．punish the law-breakers himself |
In the eyes of the Duke and Duchess, Ogilvie was _____________.
| A．professional, brave but dirty |
| B．smart, sensitive and helpful |
| C．greedy, tough but flexible |
| D．honest, clever and reliable |
Which of the sentences from Ogilvie defeated the Duchess completely?
| A．“Now, you two were in the hit-and-run.” |
| B．“On your car you got a damaged headlight. There’s plenty of blood.” |
| C．“Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, there’ll be police here.” |
| D．“Last night I saw you come in—through the basement, looking shaken, the pair of you.” |
The Duchess finally succeeded in ________.
| A．protecting their inborn pride |
| B．turning the disadvantage into a chance |
| C．make friends with the detective |
| D．rejecting the detective’s blackmail |
There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her．One day, feeling very sad and lonely, she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn （荆棘）bush．The young girl carefully released the butterfly．Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy．The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief．
"For your wonderful kindness," the good fairy said to the girl, "I will give you any wish you would like．" The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, "I w ant to be happy．"
The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear．Then the fairy disappeared．
As the little girl grew up, there was no one in the land as happy as she．Everyone asked her secret of happiness．She would only smile and answer, "The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl．"
When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all gathered around her, that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her．"Tell us, please," they begged, "Tell us what the good fairy said．" The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, "She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me．"_____ the girl felt sad and lonely．
| A．There were many friends but |
| B．There was nobody to love her so |
| C．There was nothing to do |
| D．Seeing the butterfly was caught |
Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn, the girl _____．
| A．helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn |
| B．felt sorrow, but she didn't go up to help it |
| C．fell down on it too |
| D．failed to help it release from the thorn |
The butterfly _____ after was saved by the little girl．
| A．filed away |
| B．still died |
| C．changed into a fairy |
| D．was more beautiful than before |
The only thing that the little girl wanted was _____．
| A．to be rich | B．to have her own parents |
| C．to have a lot of friends | D．happiness |
The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying, because _____．
| A．they loved this woman deeply and they didn't wanted her to die |
| B．the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died |
| C．they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness |
| D．they wanted to pray for her after her death |
Last Sunday afternoon, 1 was having dinner in a restaurant when my friend Poor came in. Poor and I were born in the same village. We have been friends since primary school.
Now we are working in the same bank. Poor has earned a lot of money, but he has a habit of not taking money with him. Whenever he needs to use money, he would borrow money from his friends and never pays it back. Because of this, his friends don’t like going out with him. They think Poor is too mean(吝啬的）. Poor saw me and came to sit at my table. He had never borrowed any money from me. When he was eating, I asked him to lend me two dollars. To my surprise, he gave me the money without hesitation. "I have never borrowed any money from you, "Poor said. " So you can pay for my dinner. "The story happened .
| A．at home | B．in a restaurant |
| C．in a bank | D．in an office |
Poor is the name of a man and the writer .
| A．Knows him well |
| B．Doesn't know him |
| C．often lends him some money |
| D．often borrows money from him |
Poor is a man.
| A．busy | B．clever | C．rich | D．poor |
Why was Poor glad to lend the writer two dollars?
| A．Because they are brothers. |
| B．Because Poor is rich. |
| C．Because the writer is rich. |
| D．Because Poor wanted the writer to pay for the dinner. |
At thirteen, I was diagnosed（诊所） with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs.Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said,"Mrs.Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it."
She glanced down at me through her glasses, "you are no different from your classmates, young man."
I tried, but I didn't finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn't get much education. But Louis didn't give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots（点）, which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn't I the "blind" in my class, being made to learn like the "sighted" students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; Ijust needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?
I didn't expect anything when I handled in my paper to Mrs.Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day- with an"A" on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words:" See what you can do when you keep trying?"
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The author didn't finish the reading in class because.
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| 2． |
What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?
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| 3． |
What was Mrs.Smith 's attitude to the author at the end of the story?
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| 4． |
What is the main idea of the passage?
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Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作)with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Productive |
| C．Generous. | D．Traditional. |
What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?
| A．One of his masterworks. |
| B．A successful screen adaptation. |
| C．An artistic creation for the stage. |
| D．One of the beat TV programmes. |
How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?
| A．By popularity. |
| B．By importance. |
| C．By size and shape. |
| D．By time and subject. |
What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Artworks. | B．Projects. |
| C．Donations. | D．Documents. |
When I was nine years old, I loved to go fishing with my dad. But the only thing that wasn’t very fun about it was that he could catch many fish while I couldn’t catch anything. I usually got pretty upset and kept asking him why. He always answered, “Son, if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish”, I remember being even more upset then because, “I’m not a fish!” I didn’t know how to think like a fish. Besides, I reasoned, how could what I think influence what a fish does?
As I got a little older I began to understand what my dad really meant. So, I read some books on fish. And I even joined the local fishing club and started attending the monthly meetings. I learned that a fish is a cold-blooded animal and therefore is very sensitive to water temperature. That is why fish prefer shallow water to deep water because the former is warmer. Besides, water is usually warmer in direct sunlight than in the shade. Yet, fish don’t have any eyelids(眼皮) and the sun huts their eyes… The more I understood fish, the more I became effective at finding and catching them..
When I grew up and entered the business world, I remember hearing my first boss say, “We all need to think like sales people.” But it didn’t completely make sense. My dad never once said, “If you want to catch a fish you need to think like a fisherman.” What he said was, “You need to think like a fish.” Years later, with great efforts to promote long-term services to people much older and richer than me, I gradually learned what we all need is to think more like customers. It is not an easy job. I will show you how in the following chapters. Why was the author upset in fishing trips when he was nine?
| A．He could not catch a fish. |
| B．His father was not patient with him. |
| C．His father did not teach him fishing. |
| D．He could not influence a fish as his father did. |
What did the author’s father really mean?
| A．To read about fish. |
| B．To learn fishing by oneself. |
| C．To understand what fish think. |
| D．To study fishing in many ways. |
According to the author, fish are most likely to be found _________.
| A．in deep water on sunny days |
| B．in deep water on cloudy days |
| C．in shallow water under sunlight |
| D．in shallow water under waterside trees. |
After entering the business world, the author found _________.
| A．it easy to think like a customer |
| B．his father’s fishing advice inspiring |
| C．his first boss’s sales ideas reasonable |
| D．it difficult to sell services to poor people |
This passage most likely comes from _________.
| A．a fishing guide |
| B．a popular sales book |
| C．a novel on childhood |
| D．a millionaire’s biography |
Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box haven’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”
Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.
“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.”the salesgirl said.
“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”
“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.
“No problem.” Peter said.
After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.
Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.
“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”
The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”
“I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.
“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game?
| A．It was made around 40 years ago. |
| B．It had game boards in different sizes. |
| C．It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal. |
| D．It had little pieces of wood in different colors. |
What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game?
| A．Old and handy. |
| B．Rare and valuable. |
| C．Classic and attractive. |
| D．Colorful and interesting |
Peter got the names of the game fans from _________.
| A．an auction |
| B．the Internet |
| C．a game shop |
| D．the second-hand shop |
What happened at the end of the story?
| A．Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward. |
| B．The salesgirl became Peter’s friend. |
| C．Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000. |
| D．The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again. |
What is the main theme of the story?
| A．It’s important to keep a promise. |
| B．It’s great to share in other people’s happiness. |
| C．We should be grateful for the help from others. |
| D．Something rare is worth a large amount of money. |
B
When her five daughters were young, Helene An always told them that there was strength in unity (团结). To show this, she held up one chopstick, representing oneperson. Then she easily broke it into two pieces. Next, she tied several chopsticks together, representing a family. She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks. This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up.
Helene An and her family own a large restaurant business in California. However, when Helene and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money. They moved their family to San Francisco. There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop. Soon afterwards, Helene and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant. The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young. However, Helene did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard.
Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business. They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful. Daughter Elisabeth explains, "Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace. Without the strength of the family, there is no business."
Their expanding business became a large corporation in 1996, with three generations of Ans working together. Now the Ans' corporation makes more than $20 million each year. Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together. Now they are a big success.Helene tied several chopsticks together to show ______.
| A．the strength of family unity |
| B．the difficulty of growing up |
| C．the advantage of chopsticks |
| D．the best way of giving a lesson |
We can I earn from Paragraph 2 that the An family ______.
| A．started a business in 1975 |
| B．left Vietnam without much money |
| C．bought a restaurant in San Francisco |
| D．opened a sandwich shop in Los Angeles |
What can we infer about the An daughters?
| A．They did not finish their college education. |
| B．They could not bear to work in the family business. |
| C．They were influenced by what Helene taught them. |
| D．They were troubled by disagreement among family members. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Run a Corporation |
| B．Strength Comes from Peace |
| C．How to Achieve a Big Dream |
| D．Family Unity Builds Success |
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