Matthew Henson-Arctic Explorer
In 1880,fourteen-year-old Matthew Henson loved to hear sailors tell tales of their exciting 1ives at sea.The travel,the adventure,the danger,and the steady pay were all attracting young Henson.One day,he found a job as a cabin boy off a beautiful ship called the Katie Hinds.For the next five years.Henson sailed around the world.With the help of the ship’s captain and other members of the crew.Henson learned mathematics,navigation,history,geography,and many other subjects.By the time he left the Katie Hinds in 1885,Henson was well educated and had become an excellent seaman.
Unable to find work anywhere else,Henson took a job in a hat shop in Washington,D.C.One day in 1887,a man came in to buy a hat.The man,Robert Peary,asked the owner if he knew anyone with experience at sea.Peary would soon travel to South America for the U.S.government.He needed experienced men to accompany him.The shop owner knew about his young employee’s skills and experience on ocean journeys,so he introduced Peary to Henson.
Using his map-reading and sailing skills,Henson proved himself to be a worthy and smart seaman.Peary soon made Henson his assistant,and they became close friends.One day Peary told Henson about his real dream:to be the first man to stand on“the top of the world"at the North Pole.He asked Henson to help him make his dream come true.Over the next five years,the two explorers made two trips together to the Arctic.However,they were not able to reach the pole either time.The cold,wind,and ice were worse than either of them had ever imagined.
In 1908,Peary and Henson were ready to make their final attempt at reaching the North Pole.Both men were over forty years old.The years of hardship in the arctic cold had made them suffer a lot.This would be their last chance.With four Inuit guides,they made a mad rush straight across the ice toward the po1e.Peary’s feet were injured and he had to be pulled on a dogsled.In April 1909.Henson’s instruments showed they were standing at the North Pole.Together Henson and Peary planted the American flag in the snow.
In later years,Robert Peary and Henson were greatly honored for their achievements.Today,the two friends and fellow explorers lie in heroes’ graves not far apart in the Arlington National Cemetery.
In paragraph 1,the author shows how Henson became________.
A.a skilled seaman |
B.a highly educated captain |
C.employed in a restaurant |
D.interested in helping others |
Paragraph 2 mainly tells us__________.
A.how Matthew Henson met Robert Peary |
B.why Matthew Henson went to the hat shop |
C.why Matthew Henson stopped working on the Katie Hinds |
D.how Robert Peary knew that Matthew Henson had sea experience |
On their trip to the North Pole,Henson and Peary could best be compared to___________.
A.hunters running after wolves |
B.generals seeking power over another country |
C.soldiers going to war to fight for their freedom |
D.fighters performing a task in an unknown land |
The information presented in this passage is mainly organized_________.
A.by cause and effect |
B.by comparing and contrasting |
C.in the order that the events happened |
D.with main ideas and supporting examples |
One day in l965, when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle, a fourth-grade teacher approached me. She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge. "Could he help in the library?" She asked. I said, "Send him along."
Soon a slight, sandy-haired boy in jeans and a T-shift appeared. "Do you have a job for me?" he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System for shelving books. He picked up the idea immediately. Then I showed him a stack of cards for long-overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were miss helved with the wrong cards in them. He said, "Is it kind of a detective job?" I answered yes, and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced, "Time for break!" He argued for finishing the finding job; She made the case for fresh air. She won.
The next morning, he arrived early. "I want to finish these books," he said. At the end of the day, when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis, it was easy to say yes. He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk, inviting me to dinner at the boy's home. At the end of a pleasant evening, his mother announced that the family would be moving to neighbouring school district. Her son's first concern, she said, was leaving the View Ridge library. "Who will find the lost books?" he asked.
When the time came, I said a reluctant good-bye. I missed him, but not for long. A few days later he came back and joyfully announced: "The librarian over there doesn't let boys work in the library. My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge. My dad will drop me off on his way to work. And if he can't, I'll walk!"
I should have had an inkling(感觉) such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go. What I could not have guessed, however, was that he would become a wizard of the Information Age: Bill Gates, tycoon of Microsoft and America's richest man.
What was the author when the story happened?
A.A teacher. | B.A librarian. | C.A detective. | D.A professor. |
What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?
A.To rearrange the books according to the new system. |
B.To put those overdue books back to the shelves. |
C.To find out the books with wrong cards in them. |
D.To put the cards back in the long-overdue books. |
The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because _______.
A.he did not like his life in the new school |
B.the transportation there was not convenient |
C.he missed his old schoolmates and teachers |
D.he was not allowed to work in the school library |
What impressed the author most was that the boy _______.
A.had a thirst for learning |
B.had a strong will |
C.was extremely quick at learning |
D.had a kind heart |
They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon;on foot,on mules(骡子)or by air.We chose the first.Waking up early,my husband and I and our three children couldn’t wait to get started.We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out,I was shocked at how narrow the path was.And I couldn’t help noticing that the other tourists weren’t like us.They had heavy backpacks,water bottles,and hats.But as usual we were dressed.As the sun rose higher.Arizona’s famous heat seemed to roast us.There was no shade and our legs were aching.We decided to go back,with the girl on my back and the boys far behind.By the time we finally got back,our legs were like jelly.
The next day,after we’d had a long rest and a good breakfast,we were ready for another view of the Canyon—by air.After our last walk,this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon.But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed(翻转)the plane around,pretending he was going to hit the ground.I shouted,“STOP,TAKE US BACK!”When we finally arrived back on land,once again our legs were like jelly.We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said,there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon.We never tried the mules,but personally I'd suggest a fourth buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic.That way,you can see the Canyon,without fear or tiredness.
Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?
A.They made a careful preparation before the trip. |
B.They children were more joyful than their parents. |
C.Bright Angel Trail was not as lovely as they expected. |
D.The narrow road prevented them from enjoying the view. |
The underlined expression“Our legs were like jelly”probably means_________.
A.we were weak | B.we were unhappy |
C.we were dissatisfied | D.we were disappointed |
Which of the following best describes their Canyon trip by air?
A.It proved to be frightening. | B.It was more comfortable. |
C.It turned out to be exciting. | D.It made each of them tired. |
We can infer from the passage that_________.
A.experiencing the Canyon on mules would be the best way |
B.one needs to dress less when visiting the Grand Canyon |
C.the writer was not serious when she made the suggestion |
D.the whole family narrowly escaped from the air accident |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Once Dr.Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students.The case at hand was a Guatemalan man,aged 34,who had a fever and many other medical problems.His condition was not improving,and there was not much hope he would live.
Dr.Mellinkoff asked to see the patient.He introduced himself in Spanish and,in a very gentle voice,asked how he felt.The patient smiled and said everything was all right.Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat.The patient said that he had no desire to eat.
“Are you getting food you like?”
The patient said nothing.
“Do you get the kind of food you have at home?”
The answer was no.
The doctor put his hand on the man’s shoulder and his voice was very soft.
“If,you had food that you liked,would you eat it?”
“Yes,yes.” the patient said.
The change in the patient’s appearance couldn’t have been more obvious.Nothing was said,but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received.
Later,the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn’t getting food he could eat.One of the students said,“We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals.”
“Suppose,” the doctor replied,“you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn’t carry it,would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request?”
“I would probably insist,” the student said.
“Very well,” the doctor said.“You might want to try the same method in the kitchen.It won’t be easy,but I can help you.Meanwhile,let’s get some food inside this man as fast as possible,and stay with it.Or he’ll be killed by hunger.By the way,there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish.If we want to make real progress,we need to be able to talk with him.”
Three weeks later,Dr.Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power.It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable.
The patient had no desire to eat because __________.
A.he was not hungry |
B.he was seriously ill |
C.he was given special meals |
D.he was not satisfied with the food |
According to the passage,we can conclude that __________.
A.the patient was from another country. |
B.the patient’s illness was caused by hunger |
C.Dr.Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient |
D.the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr.Mellinkoff ?
A.Cold. |
B.Considerate. |
C.Curious. |
D.Confident. |
What do you think Dr.Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?
A.Doctors should know their patients’ real problems. |
B.Doctors should be able to speak foreign languages. |
C.Doctors should try to improve their medical skills. |
D.Doctors should give more medicine to patients. |
Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there.
~Thomas Fuller
My father was always an enthusiastic gardener. I think his Irish blood called to the earth in much the same way his own grandfather had. One of my earliest memories is standing barefoot in the freshly tilled soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground, still a bit cold from the turning. As a small child, the garden was an amazing fairyland, full of possibility. As a teenager, though, it was often a source of conflict between the old man and me.
As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Daddy pushing the tiller ahead in perfectly straight lines. His gardening gloves, banana yellow, would grip the handles of the old tiller; the roar of the machine was pleasantly deafening. After a while, he would stop and pull the gloves off to wipe his brow. Daddy loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows and rows of yellow corn, and our favorite -- ruby red tomatoes.
As I grew into a teenager, I didn't get so excited about gardening with Daddy. Instead of the magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of medieval(中世纪的) prison. It was one more thing on a list of demands that I imagined no one else in the world had to deal with.
Dad would say, "Tina, come help me plant the garden today. It's a beautiful morning to be outdoors."
"Aww, Dad, I was going to the movies with my friends," I would replied.
"Tina, I could sure use a hand weeding the garden today," he would remark.
"Today? Sorry, Dad, I already made plans," I would stubbornly say, digging in my heels. "Why do we have to have a garden, anyway? It's stupid. You can buy carrots for a quarter at the grocery store," I would point out. He would just smile knowingly. I usually got my way, and didn't have to help out if I really didn't want to. After all, I had better things to do with my time.
As Dad grew older, his passion for gardening never declined. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. His garden took up most of his backyard, which was quite a stretch. Even when he was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer, he still put out his garden. Still, he planted the zucchini and yellow squash, the juicy cucumbers, the spicy jalapenos, and of course, the tender tomato plants. Sometimes, I would come over to visit. He would share the rewards of his garden with me, as we would walk together through the carefully weeded rows.
But then, something changed. The cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body and stole his livelihood, his independence, his humor. Unfortunately, the doctor had run out of treatments. Hospice(临终关怀) is a whole other ballgame. Somebody has to be with the family member twenty-four hours a day. I found myself in all kinds of uncomfortable situations with Dad, and more than once I felt his anger at his helplessness. Little by little, I had to do the things he used to do. Soon I was cutting his grass, paying his bills, putting his pills in a cup, and adjusting his oxygen. These things he resisted, but I knew things were definitely changing when I began caring for the garden.
Though I had heard the words of the doctor as well, what really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. That year, he only planted tomatoes. Too tired to weed them, he simply tied them with twine to the fence and let them be. So I would come over and water them occasionally, and pluck out the weeds.
Five years ago, Dad planted his last little patch of tomatoes. For the first few years after he died, I couldn't even bear to look at anyone's garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, though, something changed, and I decided to plant my own garden. I decided I would start out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, I got out the old tiller and it roared to life, almost as if it had been waiting. After breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the corner of my eye and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, standing barefoot in the freshly tilled soil, his hands blackened from digging in the earth.
Which word best describes the author’s feeling about gardening as a teenager?
A.uninterested | B.satisfied |
C.doubtful | D.indifferent |
The author’s father______.
A.devoted a lot in gardening in order to cut down the daily expenses |
B.was quite angry at his daughter’s absence of gardening |
C.was not as enthusiastic as before about gardening after his children’s growth |
D.was probably an Irishman or had Irish blood lineage |
What makes the author realize the approach of her father’s death is______.
A.what the doctor told her |
B.when some one had to be with her father always |
C.the state of his garden that year |
D.his anger when he felt helpless |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
A.It was unbearable to see other peoples’ gardens were poorly managed. |
B.It was unbearable to see other peoples’ gardens were well managed. |
C.Memories of Dad rushed to me the moment I saw other peoples’ gardens. |
D.The idea of gardening made me feel like being in a bucket with cold water. |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.dad preferred tomatoes a lot because of its wonderful taste |
B.dad refused all things I did because I didn’t love gardening |
C.the desertion of Dad’s garden resulted from his laziness |
D.the author restarted gardening with a new understanding of it |
The best title of the passage is ______.
A.Gardening benefits health |
B.Dad’s tomatoes |
C.Bridge the father-and-daughter gap |
D.My love of gardening |
It’s hard to find Alice Munro in the media. Even after she won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Canadian writer just appeared for a quick interview and then dropped out of sight. On Dec 29, she still didn't seek the spotlight(聚光灯)when she was named one of the five Women of the Year by the Financial Times.
In Munro's eyes, ordinary lives always hide larger dramas. So she records what we casually think of as the everyday actions of normal people. She often focuses on life in her hometown, a small village in Ontario which she is most familiar with. She writes about the ordinary things in the village-fox forming, trees filled in the Ontario wilderness, poor country alcohol and long last illnesses. Above all, she talks about girls and women who have seemingly ordinary lives but struggle against daily misfortune.
She has a special talent for uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. These are ordinary people, ordinary stories, but she has the magic. Her precise language, depth of detail and the logic of her storytelling have made her stories inviting.
Runaway, one of Munro’s representative works, is a good example of her writing style. One of the stories centers on the life of an ordinary woman Carla, who lives in a small Canadian town with her husband Clark. The story slowly forms a picture of Carla, trapped in a bad marriage, her unhappiness building into desperation until she decided to flee. The story of Carla is a story of the power and betrayals of love. It is about lost children and lots of chances that we can all find in life, There is pain beneath the surface, like a needle in the heart.
Since she published her first collection of short stories in 1968, Munro has won many awards, with the Nobel Prize being her biggest honor. On Oct 10, 2013, the Nobel Prize committee named Munro the “master of the contemporary short story”.
We learn from Paragraph 1 that Alice Munro_____
A.didn't get on well with the media |
B.remained modest though very successful |
C.didn’t value the title of Women of the Year |
D.was surprised at winning the Nobel Prize |
What makes Alice Munro’s stories fascinating according to the text?
A.Her writing techniques |
B.The complicated plots |
C.The humorous language |
D.Her rich imagination |
In her representative work Runaway, Carla_____
A.leads a happy life with Clark |
B.is a faithful wife to her husband |
C.loses all hopes for a better life |
D.tries to run away from her husband |
What is the text mainly about?
A.Alice Munro and her hometown |
B.The awards Alice Munro won |
C.Alice Munro and her writing style |
D.Alice Munro’s literary life |
I was stopped at a red light only a mile or so from my goal of my brother’s house. We were planning to drive down together to North Carolina to be with my father who was badly ill.
As I waited at the stop light experiencing this forced slowdown, I noticed Sharper’s Florist over to the left. It was the same place where I had experienced many things— floods of memories went through my mind as the light seemed a blessing. I noticed the wine store straight ahead where my father and I had been many times before, picking out the beer of the week. We both liked German beer.
The light finally became green and I made my left turn and drove through the poor section of our hometown. I remembered how each thanksgiving my family would be together. I also remembered how my father would take some time out of each thanksgiving to make sure there was no one hungry in the neighborhoods surrounding where we lived. I can remember as a young boy going with him to deliver some food. I was scared. I had never been into this part of town this deeply before.
My father seemed unfazed (不受困扰的) by this and went about his business. The people we went to seemed to know him and gratefully accepted what he came to offer. My father seemed able to give away the food in a way that honored those he was giving to. This was not an arrogant act. He would stop at each place and talk a little, which I can remember totally pissing me off (使…厌烦). I wanted to get the hell out of there. My father wanted to be sure everyone had food. If there were people he found who didn’t have food, he would take the time to go back and get more. That’s the kind of man he was.
When the father was ill, he _______.
A.lived in North Carolina |
B.gave away food to the poor |
C.came to help the poor in his hometown |
D.stayed at the home of the author’s brother |
The author mentions the wine store to tell us _______.
A.the same taste as his father |
B.the life in his childhood |
C.the experience with his father |
D.the birthplace of his father |
The author was afraid of giving away food to the poor probably because _______.
A.his father didn’t stay with him then |
B.his father didn’t take good care of him |
C.he was unfamiliar with the surroundings |
D.he had never met with so many poor people |
The underlined word “arrogant” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
A.angry | B.proud | C.careless | D.wild |
Directions:Read the following three passages.Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D.Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
Death is a serious theme worthy of great poets.For example, John Keats’s ‘When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be’ and John Donne’s ‘Death, Be Not Proud’ both discuss death in reflective ways.However, the imagery(意象) in these poems shows that while Keats believes that death can only destroy, Donne believes that death can be overcome.
Keats is afraid of death, because to him death means the loss of those things that make his life worth living: ‘On the shore/ of the wide world I stand alone, and think/ Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.’ Earlier in the poem, Keats says that he hopes this ‘Love’ will be a ‘high romance’ with a ‘fair creature.’ He also says that he hopes the ‘Fame’ he seeks will be the result of the ‘high piled books’ produced by his ‘crowded brain.’ In other words, Keats’s fear is that death is a ‘nothingness’ that will arrive before he can finish his life’s work or find his true love.
Donne has a different attitude toward death, and so the imagery in his poem is different, too.To Donne, death should ‘be not proud,’ because it is not ‘mighty and dreadful.’ Unlike Keats, Donne sees death as weak and merely a ‘slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.’ He also says that death is like ‘rest and sleep’.Donne believes that we will all wake from the sleep of death to everlasting life, just as we wake from our normal sleep to our everyday lives.In fact, Donne believes that it is death itself that will die: ‘One short sleep past, we wake forever,/ And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.’
Keats and Donne both know that death is a prat of life, and both poets use powerful imagery to talk about that difficult theme.The differences in this imagery show two very different attitudes toward the subject, one of which is much more positive than the other.Which poet to believe is up to the reader to decide.
Not surprisingly, the readers’ own experiences may play a part in the way they respond to these poets’ approaches.Like the two poets and their beliefs, contemporary readers also may be divided on the subject.This may explain why Keats’s and Donne’s poetry remains fascinating years after their won deaths.
According to the passage, ________ makes Keats’s life worth living.
A.expressing his grand passion for poetry |
B.walking on the shore with a pretty lady |
C.defeating nothingness with his true love |
D.pursuing the fame of being a romantic poet |
In Donne’s poems he believes that death is ________ .
A.generally powerful and terrible |
B.only a ceaseless sleep |
C.merely the loss of work and love |
D.hardly worth the fear |
Contemporary readers may view the two poets’ serious subject differently because ________.
A.they are attracted to the two poets’ everlasting opposite beliefs |
B.they are divided naturally by their positive or negative personalities |
C.their own life experiences affect the understandings of the poems |
D.their preferences for the poets’ strong imageries are various |
Which of the following best describes the main writing style of the passage?
A.Analysis. |
B.Argument. |
C.Comparison. |
D.Reasoning. |
Gregory Kloehn digs through dustbins every day, but not for the reason that most people would think.He isn’t homeless.In fact he is trying to help the homeless.
Gregory began his life as a sculptor.But he often felt that his sculptures, which just stood in rich people’s houses for years, lacked a meaningful purpose.So in 201l he decided to put his artistic energies into creating homes to sell—not ordinary homes but small structures built entirely from recycled materials.
The thought of creating homes for the homeless didn’t occur to him until the year 2013, when a homeless couple asked him for a tarp(防水布).Instead of a tarp, Gregory offered them something better: a small home with a water tank, a kitchen and a trap for waste.They were so grateful that Gregory decided to focus his efforts on helping house the homeless population in his city.And soon his “Homeless Homes Project” was started.
Before starting a new home, Gregory, goes hunting for materials by digging through dustbins.Everything he finds is usable—refrigerator doors become house doors; washing machine doors often serve as windows, and the tops of cars become strong roofs.He put wheels at the bottom for users to move their homes around easily.Each home takes two to three days to make.
So far Gregory has donated dozens of homes to the city’s most needy.While his small low-cost mobile homes are not the final solution to the problem of homelessness, they are really practical and do provide a warm and safe place for the homeless to stay in.They are simply a way for one man to do something nice for those in need of some help.
Gregory has written a book titled Homeless Architecture, where he explains techniques to build those homes and he is now working on weekend workshops.“A lot of people who hear about what I’m doing want to get involved,” he said. “Maybe we can meet someplace and put a couple of homes together.”
Why did Gregory turn from making sculptures to creating homes?
A.He had no home to live in. |
B.He had to make more money. |
C.He lost interest in sculpture. |
D.He wanted to help the homeless. |
The author mentions the story in Paragraph 3 to tell us____________.
A.Gregory’s small homes were popular among the homeless |
B.how Gregory got the idea of “Homeless Homes Project” |
C.the homeless couple asked Gregory to produce more homes |
D.housing the homeless in a city was not an easy task |
What can we conclude from Paragraph 4?
A.Gregory has great trouble hunting for materials for his small houses. |
B.It takes Gregory a long time to produce a home. |
C.Gregory’s work requires imagination and creativity |
D.Everything in the dustbins will be used in Gregory’s work. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Gregory’s project will help more homeless people. |
B.Gregory doesn’t need to make small homes now. |
C.Gregory’s work will completely solve the homelessness problem. |
D.A single person can make no difference to social problems. |
When Peng Liyuan stepped off the plane in Moscow,the whole world wanted to know who dressed the elegant first lady.The reporter released the secret—Ma Ke.
Peng Liyuan has been wearing Ma Ke's designs for more than a decade,a fact that was only highlighted recently when she was on her first state visitaccompanying her husband President Xi Jinping.The elegant and attractive Peng,formerly a popular singer,has been compared with the US' first lady Michelle Obama and France's Carla BruniSarkozy,since stepping off the airplane in Moscow on March 22.Suddenly,everyone was curious to know more about the first lady's wardrobe.
Even so,Ma prefers a lowkey approach.“If you eat a tasty egg why would you want to see the hen?” she says of all the media attention.
Ma's relationship with Peng began 10 years ago after a concert in Guangzhou when a reporter told Peng she knew the designer behind the label Exception de Mixmind. Peng asked for an introduction because she was a fan of Ma's designs and had been wearing them for years.
The two naturally became friends.Ma says: “The painting reflects the painter,and clothes reflect both the designer and the wearer.Someone desires fame and wealth,or love and sympathy; what you have in your heart is reflected in the design.Those who don't share my philosophy won't buy my clothes.Peng is a caring person,devoted to charity and environmental protection,which is exactly what I'm doing now.”
However,regardless of the brand,Peng's support of Chinese labels has surprised millions of Chinese who favor foreign fashion brands.
“Instead she presented a vision of Chinese fashion,desiring to bring Chinese designers to the world stage,”says a western designer.
The first lady's doublebreasted coat and her black leather handbag aren't available at any of Exception's shops,though Exception's physical stores do have seen a rising number of visitors.
The passage mainly discusses________.
A.the designer of the first lady Peng Liyuan's dress,Ma Ke |
B.the friendship between Peng Liyuan and her designer |
C.Peng Liyuan's clothes on her first state visit |
D.the reactions to Peng Liyuan's first visit to Moscow |
In the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 Ma Ke mentioned“an egg and the hen” to show________.
A.it is hard to explain “Which came first,the egg or the hen?” |
B.paying such great attention to her was unnecessary |
C.the outcome was more important than the process |
D.her dissatisfaction with the media attention on her dress |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.First ladies compete with each other whenever they are together. |
B.Peng's suits can be bought in Ma Ke's clothes stores. |
C.Ma Ke offered to design the first lady's clothes through her friends. |
D.Peng had liked Ma's designs long before she got to know her in the flesh. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Peng wears the dress designed by a Chinese designer probably to support Chinese brands. |
B.Many citizens found Peng Liyuan's choice quite unexpected. |
C.Black leather handbags like Peng's are widely sold in bag stores in big cities. |
D.After Peng Liyuan's visit to Moscow Ma Ke's clothes became more popular. |
Amanda Clement grew up in Hudson, South Dakota. Baseball was always her favorite sport. Once in a while her brother Hank and his friends would let her play first base in their games. More often, however, they asked her to umpire (裁判) for them, because they knew her calls would be fair and there would be no arguing.
One day in 1904, Amanda and her mother traveled to Hawarden, Iowa, to watch Hank play for the home team against Hawarden. When they arrived at the ball field, two local teams were waiting to play a preliminary (预备) game. The umpire hadn’t arrived, so Hank argued that the teams should let his sister serve as umpire. The players finally agreed.
Amanda, then sixteen and standing five feet, ten inches tall, made perfect calls. She was so good that players for the main game asked her to umpire for them and even offered to pay her. Thus, at sixteen, Amanda Clement became the first paid female baseball umpire of all time. She is honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Why did Hank and his friends often ask Amanda to umpire for them?
A.Because she called them brothers. |
B.Because they wanted to make her happy. |
C.Because no one else wanted to do it for them. |
D.Because she knew the rules well and was fair. |
Amanda went to Hawarden in order to ______.
A.serve as umpire |
B.watch her brother play |
C.make money |
D.help the local teams |
Amanda most probably learned how to umpire a baseball game ______.
A.in her P. E. classes at school |
B.in an umpire training school |
C.by watching and playing the games |
D.from her mother, a baseball umpire |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A.The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown |
B.Amanda Clement, First Female Umpire |
C.Baseball Games in Hawarden, Iowa |
D.A Family of Baseball Fans |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A,B,C,D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂上.
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
The underlined words "talk of the town" means________.
A.it was in the newspaper |
B.it was the most popular topic |
C.people spread bad rumors about it |
D.it was discussed in a city meeting |
Which one of the following statements is true according to the text?
A.Charles mother took him to see the famous showman because he stopped growing. |
B.Tom had to fight with others during the show. |
C.Tom’s wedding ceremony helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
D.Tom and his mother came from England. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
B.People are always disappointed during war time. |
C.Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
D.People should be married when they are small children. |
The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is: Great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “Job means just over broke (破产)' ”. And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers “live within their means”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that __________.
A.he has a sharp sense of hearing |
B.he is ready to help others |
C.he is just one of the talented people |
D.he knows little about car repairing |
The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by__________.
A.spend more than they can afford |
B.live within what they earn |
C.live in their own circle |
D.do in their own way |
Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
A.They don't work hard enough. |
B.They have no specialized skills. |
C.They don't make full use of their talents. |
D.They lack financial intelligence. |
The main purpose of the author is to tell us___________.
A.why so many talented people are poor |
B.what schools should teach students |
C.how young people can find a satisfactory job |
D.how McDonald's makes much money |
Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions(探险)but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry did not even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than Larry had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.
In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
A.His daughter had grown up. |
B.He had become a famous diver. |
C.His father would dive with him. |
D.His daughter would dive with him. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
A.Larry had some privileges. |
B.Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
C.Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
D.Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?
A.To protect himself from danger. |
B.To dive into the deep water. |
C.To admire the underwater view. |
D.To take photos more conveniently. |
What did Larry expect his daughter to do?
A.Become a successful diver. |
B.Make a good diving guide. |
C.Take a lot of photos underwater. |
D.Have longer hours of training. |
The story began with a young mother who had three sons. Unfortunately, the youngest son developed slow thinking skills, not having the intelligence of his brothers.
With double duty as the mother of the household, she was exhausted, so that the youngest was often the target of anger and annoyance. Bad words, such as “you little fool” and the like, served as a daily meal for the youngest.
The words and curses he got from the mother and ridicule from friends convinced him that he was distressing and embarrassing his family. Every morning he woke up with his own face staring from the mirror reflection, he started to say quietly and sadly, “The fool is going to school.”
As adult citizens, there was compulsory military service which should be lived. Thus, the youngest son also signed up and started to follow the various tests: a medical, physical ability test and other tests. On the day of the announcement, he was called into the board of examiners.
In his mind, he convinced himself that he was the fool and couldn’t pass the tests this time as he entered the room with his head down. It was not expected at all. The tests turned out to have the highest praise from the board of examiners.
“Congratulations, young man! Your test results are incredible! You are really a great and talented young man. ”Words from the board of examiners became the discovery of a new side of himself that was not known in advance. Voice kept echoing in his mind, such as “I, the great man, am in the shower”, “The great man washes his face”, “The talented young man again brushes his teeth” and so on. Confidence and improved self-image came beyond usual.
20 years later, the youngest established himself as a successful businessman who was admired and respected, and received many awards.
The mindset and belief are the power behind the success that is within us. Whatever we think and believe in or minds continuously, it will eventually materialize in reality. That’s the universally applicable law.
Why was the youngest often scolded by his mother?
A.He was not as clever as his brothers. |
B.He considered himself to be a fool. |
C.He didn’t behave himself at school. |
D.He didn’t cook meals for his mother. |
From the story we know that the young mother is ____.
A.selfish and lazy |
B.gentle and caring |
C.ill-tempered and impatient |
D.kind-hearted and diligent |
What happened to the youngest son later on?
A.He received aid from others. |
B.He became an admirable psychologist. |
C.He became confident and successful. |
D.He developed strange mental diseases. |
From this passage, the author tells us that____.
A.military service can change a person completely |
B.mothers’ attitude toward children is important |
C.even a fool can become a successful businessman |
D.think big and you will get big results |
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