I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down，I immediately recognized that something was wrong，and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her threemonthold calf struggling in the fast-rising water，and it was a lifeanddeath struggle. Her calf was floating(漂浮) and screaming with fear.Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get，holding her whole body against the rushing water，and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body.Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother's body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk (象鼻) against the rocky bank. Then with a huge effort，she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.
Just at this moment，she fell back into the river. If she were carried down，it would be certain death. I knew，as well as she did，that there was one spot (地点) where she could get up the bank，but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf.
While I was wondering what I could do next，I heard the sound of a mother's love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could，roaring (吼叫) all the time，but to her calf it was music.The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw .
| A．the calf was about to fall into the river |
| B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock |
| C．the calf was washed away by the rising water |
| D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water |
How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast flowing water？
| A．By putting it on a safe spot. | B．By pressing it against her body. |
| C．By taking it away with her. | D．By carrying it on her back. |
How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring？
| A．It was a great comfort. | B．It was a sign of danger. |
| C．It was a call for help. | D．It was a musical note. |
What can be the best title for the text？
| A．A Mother's Love | B．A Brave Act |
| C．A Deadly River | D．A Matter of Life and Death |
Computer programmer David Jones earned ￡35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a check card, he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18.
He works for a small firm in Liverpool, where most young people of his age are finding jobs. David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Though he has high payment, he cannot drive a car, or get credit card(信用卡).
David got his job four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels（普通成绩）and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said.
“I suppose ￡35,000 sounds a lot but I hope it will come to more than that this year.” He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother ￡20 a week as he lives with his parents. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school, ” he said. “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway. I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”Why is David so different from other young people of his age?
| A．He earns an extremely high payment |
| B．He has got a job. |
| C．He lives at home with his parents. |
| D．He does not go out much. |
David’s greatest problem is that______.
| A．he can’t be treated as an adult by the bank. |
| B．he doesn’t make as many games as he wishes. |
| C．he doesn’t know what to buy with the money. |
| D．he is too young to drive a car. |
He was employed by the company because ____.
| A．he had worked in a computer shop. |
| B．he had written some computer programs. |
| C．he is clever and works hard at his lessons. |
| D．he had learnt to use computers at school. |
He left school after taking six O-levels because____.
| A．he was afraid of getting too old to start computing. |
| B．he did not enjoy school. |
| C．he wanted to work with computers. |
| D．he wanted to earn a lot of money. |
Why does David think he might retire early?
| A．He thinks computer games might not always sell so well. |
| B．He wants to stop working when he is a millionaire. |
| C．One has to be young to write computer programs. |
| D．He thinks his firm might close down. |
Instead of a normal court hearing, the trial on Wednesday appeared more like a prepared drama. Hundreds of reporters waited outside the court, in the hope of learning “shocking” information about the case, which includes well-known military singer Li Shuangjiang’s son, who gang-raped a woman with another four men on February.
The case was not a public hearing because it includes teenagers, whose privacy must be protected under law, but many details had been exposed by the lawyers before the trial.
Lawyers of all five suspects and the woman’s lawyer made a lot of debate on the Internet before the trial, making the case more confused.
Wu Ming’an, a law professor from the China University of Political Science and Law, said it was a pity to see such a “performance” by the lawyers.
“It can be understood that the two parties freely spoke their opinions, but it’s not professional or wise to see lawyers do the same,” Wu said. “Instead, the lawyers should guide and persuade their clients(当事人) to calm down, especially for such a non-public and sensitive case.”
China has no clear rule to manage lawyers’ behavior before trials, “but it should be general knowledge that the lawyers of the two sides cannot leak too many details, particularly in a case that includes teenagers”, Wu added.
Yi Shenghua, a lawyer who has been following the case, said it does more harm than good to both parties for such detailed information to be exposed before the trial.
“It’s OK for lawyers to speak, but what is said must be reasonable and legal. Although judgments should not be affected by public opinion, it’s hard for them not to be,” he said, suggesting judicial authorities should speak out if the case goes wrongly.
Trials must be conducted based on evidence, while lawyers should protect their clients’ rights instead of adding fuel to the flames, Yi said.
In my eyes, the most important aspect of the case, lies in how to make lawyers do their work more professionally and reasonably. Why was the case not a public hearing?
| A．Because it included the well-known military singer Li Shuangjiang’s son. |
| B．Because the victim was a woman. |
| C．Because teenagers’ privacy must be protected under law. |
| D．Because many details had already been exposed before the trial. |
What is Wu ming’an’s attitude towards the lawyers’ behavior of making a lot of debate on the internet before the trial?
| A．approval | B．critical | C．neutral | D．indifferent |
The underlined part “leak” in para. 6 refers to_________.
| A．give away | B．squeeze out | C．break down | D．sweep up |
From Yi Shenghua, we know that _______________.
| A．The lawyers’ behavior before trials hasn’t been ruled. |
| B．It doesn’t matter whether the detailed information is exposed before the trial. |
| C．What lawyers say must be reasonable and legal. |
| D．It is hard for judgments to be affected by public opinion. |
I spend a lot of time backpacking and hiking the outdoors and there are two pieces of equipment that are with me on each trip: an Adventure Medical Kits Weekender and an Adventure Medical Kits Suture Syringe Kit. Both proved very helpful on my most recent adventures to the Wrangell in Alaska.
On that day, we were “blessed” with rain, making our water crossing on the Dixie Pass very difficult. Our party of 12 had almost reached our destination when I slipped, severely gashing(划伤) my knee open in the process. While I could not see the wound at first because of the rain pants I was wearing, I knew it was severe.
Blood was running freely and I made those standing nearby aware of the damage. They quickly came over to assist, pulled my pack off and removed the Weekender First Aid Kit and Suture Kit from it. Fortunately, one of my partners is a doctor called William, who has often performed this type of work in the operating room, not out in the wild.
I seriously think he was more nervous about all this than me! I, of course, was more than happy that I did not have to stitch(缝合) myself up. As a marine, I’ve had to do it before. Fortunately, the sky had cleared up about two hours before, so we had great sunlight to work with. The doctor worked quickly with the assistance of another fellow camper acting as a nurse and placed seven stitches into my knee once the wound had been cleaned up.
Later that evening we used a syringe(注射器) we set aside loaded with Iodine(抗炎药) to clean the wound and then bandaged it again. The doctor was very impressed with the kits contents!
I’ve already ordered another Suture Syringe Kit. I have to say the kits are worth their weight in gold! Thanks for the contents in the kits!What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?
| A．the wound | B．the rain | C．the kit | D．the knee |
Why did the author think that William was more nervous while performing the first aid than himself?
| A．Because William didn’t know how to use the kits. |
| B．Because the author didn’t trust William. |
| C．Because the author hurt himself severely. |
| D．Because William had no experience of doing it in the wild. |
From the passage, we can infer that the kits are__________.
| A．useless | B．extremely useful | C．troublesome | D．not essential |
What is mainly discussed in the passage?
| A．How first aid kits saved a backpacker in Alaska. |
| B．How a doctor did the operation in the wild. |
| C．How the author with 12 fellow campers hike the outdoors. |
| D．How the author hurt himself. |
Nearly a quarter-century after a German boy threw a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he’s received an answer.
A 13-year-old Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something lying in the sand.
“I saw that bottle and it looked interesting,” Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “it looked like a German beer bottle and there was a message inside. ”
It said, “My name is Frank, and I’m five years old. My dad and I are traveling on a ship to Denmark. If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you.” The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.
The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29. His parents still live at the letter’s address.
The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month through an internet video link. The Russian boy said he did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea. He believed it had been hidden under the sand where he found it for a long time.
Uesbeck was especially happy that he was able to have a positive effect on a life of a young person far away from Germany. “It‘s really a wonderful story,” he said. “And who knows? Perhaps one day we will actually be able to arrange a meeting in person. ”What is this passage mainly about?
| A．Traveling on a ship. | B．A beautiful beer bottle. |
| C．Message in a bottle. | D．Meeting an old friend. |
When the German boy threw the bottle into the sea, ________________.
| A．he was going back home. |
| B．he was traveling to Denmark by ship with his dad. |
| C．he was walking with his parents on a beach. |
| D．he was already 29 years old. |
According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Korotkikh’s parents still live in the town of Coesfeld. |
| B．The German boy did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea. |
| C．Frank Uesbeck and Daniil Korotkikh have met each other in person. |
| D．Daniil Korotkikh and Frank Uesbeck have got in touch with each other. |
Why was Uesbeck very happy when he got the information of the 24 years’ beer bottle?
| A．Because he could have a new friend. |
| B．Because the two boys could surf the internet together. |
| C．Because he could have a positive influence on a life of a young person. |
| D．Because he finally got what he had lost. |
I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree.
He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. “What are you doing?” I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat, and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.
He then answered me with a simple statement“TEACH THE CHILDREN！”
I was puzzled; what did he mean?
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR(杉木) TREE .“Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round，describing the everlasting hope of mankind，all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.”
He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. “Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a savior(救世主) for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of his promise.”
He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. “Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of he who displaces(取代) the darkness.”
Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. “Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.”
Santa looked back and was pleased. I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, “Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but an humble servant of the one that is, and I bow down to worship HIM, our LORD, our GOD.”Author opened the door when he was going to sleep because________.
| A．he heard something unusual |
| B．he was not sleeping at the moment |
| C．he saw the Santa at the moment |
| D．he wanted to step out of the room |
According to Santa, the star was ________.
| A．a symbol of man's thoughts turning towards heaven |
| B．the sigh of fulfillment of the Santa's promise |
| C．the symbol of the light of the world |
| D．the sound of the bell which ring mankind to the fold |
What does the underlined word “twinkle” refer to?
| A．Tears. | B．Smiles. | C．Glasses. | D．Eyes. |
I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate “Yes！”. As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart.
But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain.
Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my twoyearold daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter.
Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favourite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need.The author has given lots of food to others because________．
| A．she is poor at cooking |
| B．she is a church member |
| C．she is friendly to others |
| D．she has received others' food |
We can learn from the first paragraph that the author________．
| A．had to stay in bed for several weeks |
| B．knew the family in need very well |
| C．was glad to be able to lend a hand |
| D．was tired of preparing food |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
| A．Her mother died when she was in hospital. |
| B．She didn't get enough food during her pregnancy. |
| C．She received food as well as comfort in her hard times. |
| D．She thinks offering food is the best way to show love. |
What do we know about the author's family?
| A．Her family is too poor to buy enough food. |
| B．Her family lives not far from a church. |
| C．Her husband is not good at cooking. |
| D．She has a babysitter taking care of her twins. |
According to the passage, which of the following conclusions can we get?
| A．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| B．One good turn deserves another. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．Every man has his faults. |
It has taken 90 years since she was born in a poor house in County Limerick for a woman considered America’s oldest illegal immigrant to get her Irish passport.It will be a few more months before Josephine Stout will finally be declared a US citizen, entitling(赋于…权力) her to a pension and other benefits.
Despite having lived in America for most of her life since she arrived in 1923, the great-grandmother was declared an undocumented alien(华侨)in 1999, when she tried to claim state aid to help raise her seven grandchildren, who were left orphaned when her daughter was killed by a robber over$20.
Even though she has never considered herself Irish, noting “I don’t even have an accent,” she didn’t officially exist as an American when officials in Chicago insisted that she prove her citizenship in order to qualify for benefits. But she had no birth certificate or passport when she arrived on an immigrant ship from Ireland from Ireland with her parents, who had 12 other children.
She never gave the matter much thought until 1999, when she was in her late 70s and needed assistance to raise her grandchildren. For 12 years, Mrs. Stout managed to support the family by doing various jobs. But her life was hard and marked by tragedy. Her husband died in 1996, and her son Thomas died in a car accident with his girlfriend in 1985. Her only surviving child, Rosemary, died of cancer in 2009.
A Catholic charity referred her case to Chicago Irish Immigrant Support(CIIS), which alerted the Irish Consulate(领事馆). Through them, they tracked down her birth certificate, the website irishcentral.com reported. The document, in turn, allowed her to receive her Irish passport, and eventually her American green card in September 2011, which was dated back to November 1, 1923.What will happen to a person if he has no green card in the US?
| A．he cannot get any chance to get education |
| B．he can’t have a pension and other benefits |
| C．his citizenship will be taken away |
| D．he has to take illegal part-time job |
Josephine couldn’t be a legal immigrant because ______.
| A．she was named an undocumented alien |
| B．she arrived in American in a secret way |
| C．She couldn’t find her proper certificates |
| D．She has too many brothers and sisters |
We can imply from the 4th paragraph that ______.
| A．Josephine lived a lonely life for many years |
| B．Thomas was always driving carelessly |
| C．Josephine was a strong-willed woman |
| D．Mrs. Stout, Josephine’s friend, helped her a lot. |
Please arrange the following events in the correct order according to the text.
a. Josephine’s birth certificate was found.
b. Josephine received her green card.
c. The Catholic charity contacted CIIS.
d. The birth certificate was shown on a website.
e. Josephine was offered her Irish passport.
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．c-d-e-a-b | C．a-d-c-b-e | D．c-a-d-e-b |
A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef
Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward.
"Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified(威严的) face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir."
"I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?"
"It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!"
"Pleasure?"
"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..."
Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(奚落，讥笑) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
"It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!"
"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
"Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came…sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
"Ho Ho! Poor relations?"
"Yes."
"Rossetti?"
"No. Thackeray."
"Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray."
"Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living."
"It’s very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn’t hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" …While meeting with Alec, Rebecca feels _______during the whole course.
| A．nervous and uneasy |
| B．excited and hopeful |
| C．amazed and comfortable |
| D．pleased but embarrassed. |
Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca’s impression of Alec?
| A．unfriendly and ta lkative |
| B．forceful and daring |
| C．gentle and reliable |
| D．older than expected |
What is Rebecca’s real purpose of making this visit?
| A．To see Alec himself. |
| B．To see Alec's mother. |
| C．To confirm that they are of the same family. |
| D．To make known their relationship and seek help. |
From the passage, we can conclude that Alec appears quite friendly to Rebecca largely because __________.
| A．Rebecca is his distant relation |
| B．Rebecca looks polite to him |
| C．Rebecca is a pretty girl |
| D．Rebecca looks ridiculous |
That year, in the local school, there was a new math teacher, as well as some new pupils. One of the new kids was the stupidest child that anyone had ever seen. It made no difference how quickly or how slowly they tried explaining numbers to him; he would always end up saying something enormously stupid. Like two plus two was five, seven times three was twenty-seven, or a triangle had thirty corners...
Before this boy arrived, math lessons had been the most boring of all. Now they were great fun. Encouraged by the new teacher, the children would listen to the pieces of nonsense spouted by the new kid, and they would have to correct his mistakes.
Whenever the new teacher asked questions, the stupid kid would stand up but made the wrong answers, the other students all wanted to be the first to find his mistakes, and then think up the most original ways to explain them. To do this they used all kinds of stuff: sweets, playing cards, oranges, paper planes, etc. It didn't seem like any of this bothered the new kid.
However，little Lewis was sure that it was bound to make him feel sad inside. Lewis was sure he would see him crying. So，one day, he decided to follow the new kid home after school. On leaving school, the new kid walked a few minutes to a local park, and there he waited for a while, until someone came along to meet him...
It was the new teacher!
The teacher gave the new kid a hug, and off they went, hand in hand. Following from a distance, Lewis could hear they were talking about math.The math lessons became interesting because of the new teacher's ______.
| A．creativity | B．imagination | C．responsibility | D．curiosity |
The passage implies that the stupidest child ______.
| A．was in great need of the math teacher's help after class |
| B．was by no means slow in math |
| C．had no gift for math and was slow to learn it |
| D．disliked both the new math teacher and his lessons |
According to the passage, Lewis followed the stupid kid in order to ______.
| A．learn about where he lived | B．find out if he felt upset |
| C．say something to comfort him | D．make friends with him |
What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．To find the new kid's mistakes. |
| B．To think up the most original ways to explain. |
| C．To use all kinds of stuff. |
| D．To follow him home after school. |
When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might tease his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy- the ears presented only a minor problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule（嘲笑）, or if they should consider plastic surgery（整形手术）. The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a receiving blanket with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor(走廊）. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped(喘气说）, “Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.
| A．the baby might not grow up healthily. |
| B．the baby might be laughed at by others. |
| C．the baby might disappoint its mother. |
| D．the baby might have mental problems. |
According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.
| A．could not function well. |
| B．looked the same as others. |
| C．only caused a small problem. |
| D．needed to have plastic surgery. |
What is true about the baby’s mother?
| A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears. |
| B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears. |
| C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately. |
| D．She found something similar between the baby and its father. |
What does the underlined word they refer to?
A. The ears. B The parents. C. The doctor and nurse. D. The problemsWhat’s the function of the last paragraph?
| A．To advise readers to listen carefully. |
| B．To draw a conclusion from the story. |
| C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty. |
| D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship. |
Early one morning, more than a hundred years ago, an American inventor called Elias Howe finally fell asleep. He had been working all night on the design of a sewing machine but he had run into a very difficult problem. It seemed impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around the needle.
Despite his exhaustion, Howe slept badly. He tossed（辗转） and turned. Then he had a nightmare
He dreamt that he had been caught by terrible savages whose king wanted to kill him and eat him unless he could build a perfect sewing machine. When he tried to do so, Howe ran into the same problem as before. The thread kept getting caught around the needle. The king flew into the cage and ordered his soldiers to kill Howe. They came up towards him with their spears raised. But suddenly the inventor noticed something. There was a hole in the tip of each spear. The inventor awoke from the dream, realizing that he had just found the answer to the problem.
Instead of trying to get the thread to run around the needle, he should make a small hole in the center of the needle and have the thread run through it.
This was the simple idea that finally made Howe design and build the first really practical sewing machine. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light, said his best ideas came into him in dreams. So did the great physicist Albert Einstein.
To appreciate the value of dreams, you have to understand what happens when you are asleep. Even then, a part of your mind is still working. This unconscious(无意识的), but still active part
digests your experiences and goes to work on the problems you have had during the day.
However, the unconscious part expresses itself through its own logic and its own language.. It uses strange images which the conscious part may not understand at first. This is why dreams are sometimes called “secret messages to ourselves”.Which of the following was the main problem for Elias Howe to design a sewing machine?
| A．Deciding the kind of thread to use for the machine. |
| B．Making the thread run smoothly around the needle. |
| C．Designing a needle which would not easily break. |
| D．Finding the proper place to put the needle. |
Which of the following is Howe’s final solution to his problem?
| A．Making a small hole in the needle. |
| B．Tossing and turning the needle. |
| C．Finding out a better kind of thread. |
| D．Having the thread running around the needle. |
According to the passage, Elias Howe was________.
| A．much more hard-working than other inventors |
| B．the first person who solved problems while sleeping |
| C．the first person at the time who knew the value of dreams |
| D．the first person to design a sewing machine that really worked |
Thomas Edison is mentioned because________.
| A．he also tried to invent a sewing machine |
| B．he was one of Howe’s best friends |
| C．he also had difficulty in falling asleep |
| D．he got some of his ideas from dreams |
Richard Wagner was a German musician has been a very controversial(有争议的) person, but he has gained great fame by writing opera, a form of performance combining singing, music on instruments, and drama.
While he wrote excellent music, many people think his operas are too dark and serious, lacking the fun common in operas written before his time.
Wagner, on the other hand, thought the opera of his time was too simple．He wanted to make opera a serious form of art that combined drama and music to tell deep stories that would have a strong effect on the audience.
Some people thought Wagner’s new kind of music was too different from the operas they were used to hearing．Wagner agreed with them．In fact, he didn’t call his works “operas” at all, using instead a German word that means “Musical Festival” or “Musical play”.
While many people today still do not like Wagner’s operas, they cannot deny that Wagner has had a lot of influence on opera as a form of art．Wagner invented the tradition of turning off the lights before starting a play．He also was the first person to make the whole audience sit down for an entire play．Today, almost all operas are performed in this manner.
Wagner as a man was even more controversial than Wagner as a writer of music．He hated Jewish people, and made many people angry, which we would today think of as evil．Some would say he was a good musician, while others would say that he was a bad musician．But it would be difficult to say he was not an important person in music and in the world. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
| A．Richard Wagner is not worth talking about |
| B．Richard Wagner has made many people angry |
| C．Richard Wagner has contributed much to opera. |
| D．Richard Wagner is a very controversial man. |
Why did Wagner write what is considered serious music?
| A．He wanted to influence people with deep stories. |
| B．He wanted to make his music simple to follow. |
| C．He wanted to make it suitable for his deep voice. |
| D．He was greatly influenced by previous musicians. |
Wagner’s works were different from normal opera of his time NOT because________.
| A．he called his works “Musical Festivals” |
| B．his drama, music and singing are combined |
| C．the lights are off before starting a play |
| D．the audience could sit down during his play |
Which of the following statements about Wagner’s works is TRUE?
| A．His works are seldom accepted |
| B．His works are known to be funny. |
| C．His works started a new tradition. |
| D．Most people are angry about his works. |
It was late in the afternoon. Several hundred villagers left their houses and gathered in the open air outside the village. They were staring __ __ at the mountain top in the distance. It was covered with __ __ —beautiful and dangerous.
The huge mountain is called Matterhorn. Mountain climbers had __ __ the top, using the southern route. But no one had __ __ dared to try a winter climbing up the northern side. But now one man was daring to try the __ __ route— the northern route, which was more difficult. He was Walter Bonatti, a great mountain climber from Italy.
For two days he had climbed. The village people had watched him __ __. Now they were waiting to see his ____. If he planned to __ __ the next day, he would light a green signal. A red light would mean that he was __ __.
A tiny green light __ __ high on the mountain side. Bonatti was not giving up! The people __ __.
The next day he continued his way upward. He was so lonely and so __ __！But he would not give up. Again that night he lit the __ __ light.
In the morning, Bonatti __ __. He could not see the top, but he knew he was __ __ there. Though the climb was painful, he moved up.
Bonatti had spent months __ __ for the climb. Was the training enough? Did he have the strength and ____ to climb to the top?
He was finally at the top! News about his __ __ was radioed to the world.
The trip __ __ the southern route was easy. He was warmly welcomed in the village. He had done the “ __ __ ”，and would be well remembered as a climber of all time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I remembered that when I was a little child, I used to look for Sunday of the week. Yes, I was so looking forward to an adventure.
Now, I still have a strong affinity for buses. I used to wonder where those gigantic (巨大的) buses finally stopped. On sunshine Sundays, that’s my adventure times. He took me to the bus stop. Time passed, while I was growing impatient, he was smiling, as he always does.
It was really not that easy to get on a bus as often as we do today. I was so worried that the bus driver would have missed us. I waved my hands so high with all my strength. I looked hopefully at him. He didn’t move at all. He was still standing. It seemed that the late and infrequent coming of the bus wasn’t any trouble to him at all.
He took my hand. We managed to find seats on the upper deck. I was so excited. Only sitting beside the windows made me happy. Looking at the rewinding buildings, streets and people through windows from a higher ground was so much fun. Then, he was sitting peacefully by me and whispered to me where the bus finally would stop. I was curious about what would be the next stop of our destination as much as what really means something to him.[]
That is me. I know now. I am all he cares. He wants me to be happy, as he always does. That’s the strong bond between father and son. Childhood, naive(天真) and precious, you showed me the world and the way I look at the world. I am so grateful for your presence in my life. Thanks, you are so wonderful!Who is “he” throughout the text?
| A．The brother of the writer. | B．The son of the writer. |
| C．The father of the writer. | D．A bus driver. |
In the second paragraph, what is the probably meaning of “affinity”?
| A．Hate. | B．Disappointment. | C．Liking. | D．Confusion. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A bus guide. | B．A student’s diary. |
| C．An adventure story. | D．A transportation report. |
试题篮
()
粤公网安备 44130202000953号
