Wild weather, unexpected coral reefs and dangerous sea creatures… these are the nightmares (噩梦) you can imagine a teenager on a solo voyage (独自旅行) around the world might suffer from. But for Laura Dekker, sailing around the globe seems less a price to be paid than a prize to be treasured.
As the 19-year-old Dutch sailor said in Maidentrip, a documentary released last year about her experience of becoming the youngest person to sail around the world alone in 2012, “I was born on a boat. I lived my first five years at sea. And ever since, all I have wanted is to return to that life.”
With her yacht Guppy, Dekker began her journey at 14 and sailed 50,004 kilometers in 519 days.
The flying fish keeping her company, the dolphins following in her wake and the warm days spent on deck playing the flute as she watched another unforgettable sunset were enough to make others jealous.
But these didn’t always go well. There were terrible moments in which Dekker feared death. On one occasion, a whale almost turned Guppy over. Another time, she battled extreme winds and Guppy surfed down 8-meter-high waves.
Out on the open sea alone, she also got used to living without a fridge, a flushing toilet, and a hot shower.
“As a human being you don’t need much,” she told Stuff.co.nz. “ They might make life more comfortable, but you really don’t need them to be happy.”
In fact, her outlook on life was shaped by the trip. “I wanted the storms. I wanted the calms. I wanted to feel loneliness,” she told The New York Times. “And now I know all these things. It’s the end of the dream I had as a child, and it’s the beginning of my life as a sailor.”According to the text, in which year did Dekker begin her journey of 50,004 kilometers at sea?
| A．In 2012 | B．In 2010 |
| C．In 2009 | D．In 2011 |
The method the author uses to develop Paragraph 5 is ________.
| A．offering analyses | B．providing explanations |
| C．giving examples | D．making comparisons |
Which of the following can best describe the girl Laura Dekker? _________.
| A．Modest and optimistic | B．Patient and strong |
| C．Brave and generous | D．Brave and determined |
How did Laura Dekker think of her life on the sea?
| A．It was so dangerous and almost ruined her. |
| B．It made her experience happiness and better understand life. |
| C．It is the sailing on the sea that made her well known. |
| D．It brought her great happiness and much comfort. |
Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof. For the final year student on the university women’s tennis team, the road to Berkeley, University of California was met with poor advice and misinformation from her home country and two unsuccessful stops along the way that fell short of expectations.
Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛).. Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. While most who grow up in the U.S. are naturally accustomed to the American tradition of collegiate sports, such a custom is not as familiar in a country like Poland. “There’s no collegiate sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.
Her desire to have a quality education led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to misinformation provided in her home country of Poland.
When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer, Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”
After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”
What does “two unsuccessful stops” (Paragraph 1) refer to?
| A．Poland and the U.S. |
| B．Baylor and Berkeley. |
| C．The ITF Junior division and the Berkeley tennis team. |
| D．The community college and Baylor. |
Why did Siwosz want to leave her homeland for America?
| A．Poland had no culture of sports. |
| B．Berkeley had always been her dream university. |
| C．She wanted to play tennis and have a good education. |
| D．She wanted to improve her tennis skills and get a higher ranking. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How Siwosz realized her dream. |
| B．How Siwosz left Poland. |
| C．How Siwosz became a top tennis player. |
| D．How Siwosz transferred from Baylor to Berkeley. |
My 17-year-old daughter went off to college and having her away from home brought back memories of watching Peter Pan when she was little. In the classic TV production, one scene in particular impressed me: when Mrs. Darling puts her children into bed. As she turns off the last of the night light, she takes one last look at the bedroom and says, “Dear night lights, protect my sleeping children.” As a mother, I know how much she loves her children.
It has been several weeks since we took our daughter to college and she seems to be adjusting well after a short period of homesickness. For us, though, it’s another story. Like most parents, I love checking in on my children at night. But now she’s gone, and I find nighttimes the hardest. I miss her most at night.
In my neighborhood, most of the parents whose kids are off to college are dealing with similar melancholy. My husband is filled with anxiety. One friend talked about getting this sick feeling in her stomach as she prepared for the college drop-off. We complained that many of us were too busy to truly enjoy being with our children while we had them.
For us moms, seeing Toy Story 3 only made the sadness worse as we watched the character Andy, who is the same age as our kids, say goodbye to his childhood as he prepares to leave for college. And it’s not just “first-time” parents like me. Two moms who have kids already well into college said the separation didn’t get any easier. “You feel like something has been taken away from inside you，” said one of them.
I imagine things will get easier with time, especially as I see my daughter adjust to college life. Meanwhile, as I keep my cell phone close to me in bed and text my daughter goodnight and sweet dreams every night, I like to think at messages serve as a night light that keeps her safe.
The writer was deeply impressed by the scene in Peter Pan because ________.
| A．she watched the scene with her daughter |
| B．the scene was very exciting and interesting |
| C．the scene taught her and her daughter a good lesson |
| D．the scene showed a mother’s deep love for her children |
After her daughter went to college, the writer ________.
| A．didn’t get used to the change for a long time |
| B．often cried as she missed her daughter so much |
| C．realized she hadn’t done enough for her daughter |
| D．failed to have a good sleep every night |
What is the underlined word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 similar in meaning to?
| A．Happiness. | B．Anger. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Excitement. |
According to the last paragraph, why did the writer keep her cell phone close to her in bed?
| A．To call her daughter any time. |
| B．To wait for her daughter’s calls. |
| C．To say good night to her daughter. |
| D．To wait for her daughter’s messages. |
A classical guitarist was excited to hear from New York City police that his valuable guitar had been found. It disappeared almost a year ago when he got out of a cab and forgot to take the guitar with him. Laurence Lennon, 44, said he was running late that day. He was talking to his manager on his cell phone when he dashed out of the taxi. He said that he gave the driver $ 60 and told him to keep the change. He walked through the front doors of the concert hall still talking on the phone to his manager.
Upon discovering his loss, Lennon used his cell phone to call the police. The policewoman asked him for the name of the cab company, the number of the cab, and the name of the driver. He said that she had to be kidding.
She told Lennon that he could file a missing items report at the police station or online. Lennon asked for the online address. She told him that finding the guitar might take a couple of years—finding guitars was not as important as finding murderers and marijuana smokers. Then she told him to have a nice day.
“This year has been depressing，” said Lennon. “I had to put off the recording of two new CDs. I've been using borrowed guitars. And I was losing hope of ever recovering my guitar.”
Lennon was reunited with his $ 100,000 musical instrument yesterday. The case and the guitar had been discovered in the corner of a coffee house only two blocks from where Lennon had lost it in the first place. Lennon had offered a $ 10,000 reward for its return. He said he would give the reward to the coffee house owner, who had informed the police.It can be inferred from this reading passage that________.
| A．Lennon couldn't give any useful information about the driver and his cab |
| B．Lennon gave the driver much more money than what was actually needed |
| C．Lennon was too busy talking to his friend to remember to pay the cab driver |
| D．Lennon used to work at the concert hall in New York City |
The policewoman told Lennon________.
| A．not to worry about the guitar |
| B．to have a nice day in New York City |
| C．to wait with patience |
| D．to find the cab driver and talk to him |
Which of the following is the most important according to the policewoman?
| A．Finding a lost guitar. | B．Finding the cab driver. |
| C．Enjoying one's own life | D．Finding murderers. |
The underlined word“depressing”can be best explained by“________”．
| A．making people unfortunate |
| B．making people feel sad |
| C．making people losing money |
| D．making people losing good luck |
I was in a shopping mall recently, and I decided to go and get a cup of tea. As I was making my way to the coffee shop, I noticed an old gentleman rather poorly dressed sitting on a bench nearby. I knew from the first sight that he was in need of some kind of help. He had a little lunch in front of him and was wholeheartedly enjoying it.
There was a young man in front of me in the line also waiting to be served. The young man handed the servant a twenty-dollar bill and asked for an orange juice as well as a favor. The servant looked at the young man with a little surprise, not fully understanding him. The young man asked her to give the juice to the old gentleman eating his lunch outside on the bench. The young man also told her that he would be watching every second so that she would be completely safe at all times. Later, there was a wonderful exchange between the waitress and the old man. I only wished I had taken a photo of the smiles on both of their faces.
As I was thinking about this event later on, I wondered why the young man didn’t just perform this act of kindness himself. I thought he was hoping that this act of kindness might inspire others to do something for the old man as well. Thinking of the happy smiles on the old man’s face, I felt how worthwhile it is to help others.The underlined word “favor” in Para. 2 refers to________.
| A．passing the young man a cup of orange juice |
| B．buying lunch for the old man |
| C．exchanging meals with the old man |
| D．giving the juice to the old man |
Which of the following can be used to describe the young man?
| A．Kind and considerate | B．Generous and proud. |
| C．Rich and friendly. | D．Humorous and helpful. |
In the author’s opinion, the young man asked the servant to take the juice to the old man so that____________.
| A．the old man could probably accept it |
| B．he would become famous for his good deed |
| C．more people would be inspired to do good deeds |
| D．he would become a friend of the servant |
Tu Youyou together with William Campbell and Satoshi Omura won the 2015 Nobel Prize for their work against parasitic diseases. Irish-born Campbell and Japanese Omura won half of the prize for discovering a new drug, avermectin, that has helped the battle against river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, as well as showing effectiveness against other parasitic diseases. The Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, an 85-year-old female scientist, was awarded the other half of the prize for the discovery of artemisinin(青篙素), a drug cure for malaria(疟疾) that has saved millions of lives all over the world, especially in the developing world.
When the news broke that Tu won the Nobel Prize, there were cheers as well as doubts. It also has highlighted differences in prize-awarding practices between China and the West. Some said the achievement was the result of collective efforts by lots of Chinese scientists, so it was unfair to award the prize only to Tu. Indeed, Chinese science awards are mainly presented to projects, instead of individual scientists. But Western awards tend to honor individual scientists who are the first to come up with a new idea or method. Li Zhenzhen, a researcher of the China Academy of Sciences said that the West believes that the advancement of science comes from individuals’ creative minds.
In 1969, Tu started to hold a government project aimed at eliminating malaria. Tu and her teammates experimented with 380 extracts in 2,000 candidate recipes before they finally succeeded in getting the pure substance qinghaosu, later known as artemisinin. In 2011, Tu was awarded the Lasker Debakey Clinical Medical Research Award, commonly referred to as “America’s Nobel Prize”. (278 words)Why Tu Youyou could be awarded the Nobel Prize for ?
| A．Because she discovered the avermectin, a drug cure for malaria |
| B．Because she contributed to the traditional Chinese medicine |
| C．Because she discovered the artemisinin which shows effectiveness against other parasitic diseases |
| D．Because she has saved millions of lives for the discovery of artemisinin. |
What is the difference in prize-awarding practices between China and the West?
| A．Chinese science awards are mainly presented to individual scientists, instead of projects |
| B．Chinese believes that the advancement of science comes from individuals’ creative minds |
| C．Western awards tend to honor individual scientists who are the first to come up with a new idea or method |
| D．Western awards are presented to both individual scientists and projects |
How old was Tu Youyou when she was awarded the “America’s Nobel Prize”.
| A．85 | B．81 | C．46 | D．39 |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Why Tu Youyou could be awarded the 2015 Nobel prize |
| B．Why Tu received the “America’s Nobel Prize”. |
| C．Tu Youyou won the 2015 Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin |
| D．The difference in prize-awarding practices between China and the West |
Sometimes, kindness is a simple answer in a difficult and challenging world.
When my granddaughter, Skylar, was young, one day we went out and had a contest called “Who can make the most people smile. “ And we continue it today. When shopping, we were walking in the supermarket and noticed someone walking down the aisle with her head down. Skylar walked up to her and gave her a big smile. I watched her walk down the aisle, turned around and smiled at Skylar again or perhaps smiled at someone else.
Kindness is a chain that pulls us all together. Every single act of kindness has a ripple effect(连锁反应). In 2002, my dad had a series of strokes and other illness. My dad had been doing nice things for all sorts of people for years, from the street crossing guard, to the waitress in a restaurant, to a friend’s mother. That same day, I made cookies for the janitor（门卫） at the post office. When I gave him the cookies he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Why, Linda?” he asked. “Because I appreciate you!” I answered. “When I get here at 6 am and it is still dark out and it is a little scary, I know you are inside and I feel safe. And when I first moved here and my post office box was always empty, you always cheered me on. And you always keep this place clean.”
That evening his wife called me and said that he was overwhelmed(受宠若惊的). “No one even knows his name, let alone bakes him cookies!” she said. （278 words）
What was the author’s attitude to the contest in the supermarket?
| A．positive | B．negative |
| C．neutral | D．curious |
From the text, what can we know about the janitor?
| A．He led a very poor life at that time. |
| B．He always went to work after six o’clock. |
| C．He was fond of baking cookies. |
| D．He was kind and grateful. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Kindness can always be passed on. |
| B．An experience in a supermarket. |
| C．The importance of having a kind dad. |
| D．Smile makes your life meaningful. |
Since around the later part of the 1950s, society started to realize that tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. As research progressed along with increasing numbers of people that developed lung cancer, emphysema, and other smoking related illnesses, cigarette smoking has become less accepted and popular. Unfortunately, the nicotine contained in cigarettes is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and makes quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette as a safer, and cleaner way to breathe in nicotine after his father, a heavy smoker, passed away from lung cancer attributed to smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette in 2003 and afterwards introduced e-cigs to the Chinese market in the following year through his employer, Golden Dragon Holdings. Golden Dragon Holdings later changed the company’s name to “Ruyan” in order to better match the company’s name(Ruyan means “almost like smoke”)to the new product. Since the renaming, the Ruyan company has continued e-cigarette development and grown to be one of the largest global e-cig manufactures.
Dr.Sam Han, CEO of Cixi E-CIG Technology, Inc, Ltd. also has a number of e-cig related inventions, including four patents in the United States and two in China that are electronic cigarette and e-liquid technology related. Similar to Hon Lik’s father. Dr. Han was a heavy smoker for more than 40 years before beginning to work on electronic cigarette technologies in order to help himself and others make the shift to vapor smoking. Dr.Han continues to market and conduct R&D in e-cig related techonologies to this date.
After the successful deployment of Ruyan and Cixi E-CIG electronic cigarettes in China and Asia, the products started to be sold in significant quantities on the Internet.How many years is it since the electronic cigarette was first invented according to the passage?
| A．About 5 years. | B．About 11 years. |
| C．About15 years. | D．About 20 years. |
What’s the direct reason why Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette according to the passage ?
| A．Tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. |
| B．Tobacco cigarettes were too expensive for customers to buy. |
| C．Quitting smoking became one of the hardest things to do. |
| D．His father died from lung cancer due to smoking tobacco cigarettes. |
Since when have Chinese smokers have been able to buy Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes according to the passage?
| A．2000. | B．2003. | C．2004. | D．2005. |
What’s the correct order of the following events according to the passage?
① Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette.
② Hon Lik’s father died from lung cancer because of smoking tobacco cigarettes.
③ Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes were introduced to the Chinese market.
④ The name of the company Golden Dragon Holdings was changed to “Ruyan”.
| A．①③②④ | B．①④②③ |
| C．②④①③ | D．②①③④ |
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 |
The murmur of the audience had just faded into expectant silence. This was one of the most important days in little five-year-old Patricia McKee’s life: the Kernot School Concert. She stood behind the curtain with her schoolmates. Yet she was not afraid because everyone had been practicing for weeks and knew their parts by heart.
Being in a remote country town, Patricia knew that everyone would turn out for the big occasion－everyone! Yet, it was this awareness that added a sense of sadness to her excitement. There were two people who couldn’t be in that audience that night－her mum and dad.
Patricia’s mother and father ran the local general store, which was open for business 24 hours. So it was simply accepted that Mum and Dad could never attend community activities. It had been this way with her sister, so why should it be any different for her?
Still, Patricia couldn’t help wishing that her mum and dad could be there to see her on such a special day, so she decided to bring up the subject with her mother. Sadly, she had to face the facts. At such a young age, Patricia couldn’t really understand the deep pain in her mother’s response: “I’ll try to be there, sweetheart, but you know how hard it is for us to get away from the store.”
Yet as the curtain slowly opened on the stage of the Kernot Hall, little Patricia McKee got the surprise of her life. There, sitting four rows the front was her mother with a big smile on her face!
This powerful image remains one of Patricia’s most treasured memories. “Words cannot express the pure joy we both experienced at that moment. I was really walking on air,” said Patricia, now a parent herself. Her parents have passed away, but what a wonderful legacy（遗产）they’ve left us: when someone really needs you, be there for them.Why did Patricia have a feeling of sadness？
| A．She had no chance to watch the concert. |
| B．She performed unsuccessfully at the concert. |
| C．Her parents had gone to a remote country town. |
| D．Her parents were unlikely to attend the concert. |
What do we know about Patricia’s parents？
| A．They loved Patricia more than her sister. |
| B．They had little interest in social activities. |
| C．They had to mind the store day and night. |
| D．They paid no attention to Patricia’s school life. |
According to Paragraph 4, while giving the response, Patricia’s mother probably felt_________.
| A．calm | B．sorry | C．angry | D．nervous |
What does the underlined phrase “walking on air” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Surprised. | B．Troubled. |
| C．Very happy. | D．Very comfortable. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．A smiling face in the crowd. |
| B．An extremely busy mother. |
| C．A big occasion in school. |
| D．A secret wish. |
EDGEWOOD — Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.
By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.
“Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good,” Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.
They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.
Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.
Not that it was easy. Chevalier’s first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (营养) guidelines.
The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.
What is the text mainly about?
| A．A special educational program. |
| B．A best-selling coffee. |
| C．Government support for schools. |
| D．A new type of teacher-student relationship. |
The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to_________．
| A．raise money for school affairs |
| B．develop students’ practical skills |
| C．do some research on nutrition |
| D．supply teachers with drinks |
How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman’s opinion of the chi tea?
| A．She met her in the shop. |
| B．She heard her telling others. |
| C．She went to her office to deliver the tea. |
| D．She talked to her on the phone. |
We know from the text that Ginger Gray ___________ ．
| A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County |
| B．teaches at Dixie Heights High School |
| C．sees that the drinks meet health standards |
| D．owns the school’s coffee shop |
Einstein was born in 1879 in Germany. As a child, he was slow to learn to talk. As a pupil, he was backward. But when he was fourteen years old, he became clever. He taught himself maths from textbooks. He studied hard because he wanted to be a physicist.
In 1901, Einstein began teaching. In 1902 he continued his studies at the University of Zurich. Several years later, he formulated(系统地阐述)his famous Theory of Relativity(相对论).To most people the law of relativity is difficult to explain. But once Einstein explained it very well to a group of young students. He said, "When you sit with a good girl for two hours, you think it is only a minute. But when you sit on a hot stove for a minute, you think it's two hours. That is relativity."
After Hitler came into power in Germany, Einstein went to America. In 1940 Einstein became an American citizen. In 1955, Einstein's life ended at the age of seventy-six.When Einstein was a pupil of twelve, he _______ .
| A．was not quick in learning to talk |
| B．studied very hard |
| C．was poor in his studies |
| D．hardly lagged behind |
The law of relativity is_______ .
| A．very hard for most people to understand |
| B．too hard for Einstein himself to explain |
| C．too hard to explain to anybody except Einstein |
| D．easy to understand only for the young students |
When did Einstein become an American citizen?
| A．He was an American citizen until 1940. |
| B．He became an American citizen in the year when Hitler came into power. |
| C．He did not become an American citizen until 1955. |
| D．Not until he had reached the age of 61 did he become an American citizen. |
Which of the following do you think is true?
| A．The Germans owed their scientific progress to Einstein. |
| B．Einstein made a very great contribution to modern science. |
| C．Einstein owed a great deal to the modern world. |
| D．The Americans owed all their economic development to Einstein. |
Visiting Balboa Island, in sunny southern California, proved an exciting experience that I will never forget. I had never been to Balboa Island, even though it is only about an hour from my home in northern San Diego.
Our first stop was for a specialty called a "Balboa Bar". It is a famous chocolate covered ice cream on a stick, created many years ago. As we drove along the streets toward the boat, I also saw some interesting buildings that stood for many years. Many of the building designs seemed like dollhouses and someone in our group said that the style was called, Victorian.
After we parked our car on one of the streets, we got on the boat sailing to Balboa Peninsula. As I looked around the boat, I saw a bird flying very close to the water and our boat. A little girl near the boat' s edge jumped out to touch it and shockingly fell into the water! Her dad, who stood nearby, jumped in after her at once and everyone on the boat ran to help. The boat's engine stopped and both father and daughter got saved with the help of people on the boat.
On Balboa Peninsula my family and I went to various shops, especially for food! We saw a restaurant at the very end. We enjoyed our lunch there, at the first Ruby's Diner ever opened in southern California. Although I have been to other restaurants of this popular chain (连锁店), being at the very first is a great memory.
On our way back to Balboa island we stopped at the huge Ferris Wheel, bought some sugars and played games. It was an exciting afternoon walking around on Balboa Island. I look forward to returning soon to spend some time on the beach again or maybe even to try fishing!"Balboa Bar" is the name of
| A．a street | B．a restaurant |
| C．a food | D．a building |
What happened on the boat to Balboa Peninsula?
| A．A little girl fell into the river |
| B．The boat broke down halfway. |
| C．People helped a girl catch a bird. |
| D．A father quarreled with his daughter. |
The author' s dining experience at the first Ruby' s Diner was
| A．boring | B．interesting |
| C．unpleasant | D．unforgettable |
What did the author do on Balboa Island?
| A．He went fishing by the river. |
| B．He walked along the beach. |
| C．He rode the Ferris wheel. |
| D．He bought some dolls. |
What' s the best title for the text?
| A．My trip to Balboa | B．The first Ruby' s Diner |
| C．My first boat ride | D．Victorian buildings |
Richie Kraus thinks all kids should receive birthday presents. And he's willing to give up his own presents to make that happen.
When Richie was six, he helped collect holiday gifts for children whose families couldn't afford presents. He started thinking about how much he liked getting presents on his birthday. He asked his mom, "If we get kids presents during the holidays, who gets them presents on their birthdays?"
Richie wanted to raise money for those birthday presents. So his mom helped him create the 2U Fund. The name 2U came from the well-known song "Happy Birthday to You."
Richie explains how the fund works: "On our birthdays, we ask our friends to make a donation instead of giving us presents." Richie attaches a special sticker to his party invitations. The sticker tells about the 2U Fund and invites guests to participate, Richie and his mom then give the money to a local charity that has agreed to partner with them. The people at the charity make sure the donations go toward birthday presents for kids in need.
Richie has had three 2U parties. "It just feels really, really good to help other kids," he says.
Richie has encouraged others to try giving up some of their birthday presents to help others. His younger brother, Max, had a 2U party. Some of Richie's friends did, too. He also spoke about the idea at a summer camp and at a school assembly (集会). "There were close to 200 students and teachers in the assembly," Richie' s teacher, Janel McCormick, says. "They all wanted to help support 2U."
Since Richie and his family started the 2U Fund, dozens of kids have helped raise more than $7,000. That money has bought dolls, books, and many other birthday toys for kids in need.
Before Richie created the 2U Fund, he .
| A．had very few friends |
| B．had done some charity work |
| C．had seldom received birthday presents |
| D．had already donated some birthday presents |
To help kids in need, Richie' s 2U parties mainly .
| A．hold birthday parties for them |
| B．invite them to attend the parties |
| C．prepare birthday presents for them |
| D．raise money for their birthday presents |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．All of Richie' s schoolmates plan to hold 2U parties. |
| B．Richie is praised for his kindness. |
| C．Richie' s acts of kindness have spread. |
| D．Richie has made more friends. |
The day before yesterday, when Peter’s family were having dinner, Father raised an interesting question, “Was there anything in our past that we feel ashamed of, guilty about, or regretted? Maybe we can find ways to say sorry, or take some action to right any wrong doing.” This seemed like a very private matter, but Peter thought about it carefully the whole night.
Peter remembered an incident from middle school. In his school, there was a worker, Neil Stone, who none of the kids liked. One night, Peter and two of his classmates decided to play a trick on him. They found a can of red paint, and wrote on the school main road in bright red: Neil Stone is a fool! The next day, the whole school saw these words. Within two hours, Neil had Peter and his two classmates in his office. His classmates said that they had done it but Peter lied, denying the truth. No one ever talked about it.
This morning, Peter went back to his middle school. Neil Stone is still working there. “Sorry, Neil. Do you still remember what happened ten years ago? I want you to know that I did it.” “I knew it!’ Neil laughed. They had a good laugh and a lively discussion. Neil’s closing words were: “Peter, I always felt bad for you because your classmates got it off their mind, and I knew you were carrying it around all these years. I want to thank you for visiting me… for your sake.”
Peter knows that no matter how difficult the situation is, it is never too late to clear up the past and make a fresh start.What did Peter remember doing in middle school?
| A．Something fantastic. | B．Something unpleasant. |
| C．Something valuable. | D．Something useful. |
What color were the words “Neil Stone is a fool!”?
| A．Dark blue | B．Light green. |
| C．Pure white. | D．Bright red. |
What does the underlined word “denying” mean?
| A．夸大 | B．赞同 | C．否认 | D．承认 |
When did Neil know who wrote the words on the school main road?
| A．Ten years ago. | B．The day before yesterday. |
| C．This morning. | D．Not until Peter told him. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Peter’s story. | B．An unforgettable lesson. |
| C．It’s never too late. | D．Every dog has its day. |
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