I was on my way home by train. The train’s gentle rocking made me feel sleepy, despite the fact that I was standing with what felt like a building in the bag on my back. I turned slightly to reduce some of the pain in my shoulder and saw the door at the end of the ear.
An obviously homeless man walked through the door. He was dressed in a dirty heavy coat. He dragged a bag that looked thirty times as heavy as mine. He asked people for spare change in the polite, experienced voice of a person who had done this before. I glanced down as I did a quick cheek of my pockets, hoping for spare change to give him that wouldn’t leave me short for the rest of the week. I came up empty and lifted my head just as his path crossed mine. Shrugging apologetically, I told him I had no change, expecting him to move through the door next to me and continue going to the next cars.
However, he stood and stared at me, saying something quietly. Then I realized he was asking me to take him home. Suddenly money didn’t matter that much to this man who lived in poverty without even think of the proper words to say besides “I can’t , I’m sorry.” He asked me , “What’s wrong with my request?” The answer was on my lips before I knew it. I told him that I was not good enough for him.
It was after the man had left that I thought about the answer I had given him and wondered why it felt so right to say so. I realized that I should have requested love over money or food. The fact that he could appreciate something so simple and invisible in more than I could ever have expected of myself.When the author was sleepy and tired, he saw a homeless man on the train__________.
| A．looking for his long-lost friend |
| B．asking people for spare clothes |
| C．begging passengers for some money |
| D．talking about his painful experience |
Which of the following can best describe the author according to Paragraph 2?
| A．Self-centered | B．Kind-hearted |
| C．Hard-working | D．Easy-going |
To his surprise, the author found that the homeless man wanted________.
| A．neither food nor money | B．not money but love |
| C．neither money nor love | D．both shelter and protection |
What did the author learn from the man?
| A．No place is more comfortable than home. |
| B．Friendship can bring two strangers closer. |
| C．People should bravely follow their dreams. |
| D．Love is more precious than money or food.. |
Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said, “Let’s do something to pass the time.”
“What do you want to do?” the businessman asked. “We can ask each other riddles.” The farmer said, “You start.” “Let’s make the rules first,” the businessman said. “That’s not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer.”
“That’s true.” The businessman said. “What do you want we should do?” “If you don’t know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50.” The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, “OK. That’s fair. Who will go first?”
“I will,” The farmer said. “Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” The business man repeated the riddle, “What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that’s a good one. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” He gave the farmer $100, then said, “Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” “I don’t know.” The farmer said and gave him $50.The story happened ____________.
| A．on a farm | B．in a shop |
| C．before a long plane journey | D．between two passengers |
What does the word “riddle” mean in this story?
| A．A difficult question to find the answer to. |
| B．Something to help to make rules. |
| C．Something to win money. |
| D．a kind of game in doing business. |
Why did the businessman agree to give more money if he lost?
| A．He made much more money than the farmer. |
| B．He thought he knew more than the farmer. |
| C．He was interested in making riddles. |
| D．He was better at playing riddle games. |
The farmer _________.
| A．enjoyed himself on his long journey. |
| B．didn’t want to pay even one dollar |
| C．spent all his money on the plane ticket. |
| D．won fifty dollars by playing the riddle game |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The two men made rules for their riddle. |
| B．The farmer was much cleverer than the businessman. |
| C．The two men made their riddle game more interesting by paying it for money. |
| D．The businessman knew the answer to his riddle. |
It was the first snow of winter – an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through first snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them!”
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl, She pushed and pushed, less gently this time. With a greater sigh, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens（连指手套）?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.” The little girl was more satisfied with her__________.
| A．trousers | B．jacket | C．boots | D．hat |
Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the girl’s second boot mainly because_____.
| A．the girl got them from her brother |
| B．the girl put something in them |
| C．they were on the wrong feet |
| D．they did not fit the girl well |
Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes. |
| B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter. |
| C．Because the little girl played a trick on her. |
| D．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf. |
Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.
One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved (摇动) his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.
That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.
| A．to see one of his friends |
| B．because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there |
| C．because he wanted to do something there for his writing |
| D．to see one of his relatives |
The waiters felt sorry because _____.
| A．they did something wrong to Mark Twain |
| B．their hotel was too small |
| C．the room was not very clean |
| D．there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room |
All the people present laughed heartily because _____.
| A．the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room |
| B．the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number |
| C．Mark Twain made a joke |
| D．Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents |
From the story we know _____.
| A．no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night |
| B．the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night |
| C．Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night |
| D．there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer |
Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in London. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost it at the station.
On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman’s umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off.
“Wait a minute, sir,” shouted the old woman. “That’s my umbrella!”
Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry,“Oh, I’m very sorry, Madam! I didn’t mean it!”
Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. “It seems that I had a better choice than the other four women.” She thought.We can learn from the passage that Mr. Brown was ______.
| A．a conductor | B．a thief |
| C． a worker | D．an umbrella maker |
The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.
| A．his ticket | B．his drawing | C．his bag | D．his umbrella |
Why did Mr. Brown take the woman’s umbrella?
| A．Because the woman misplaced it beside Mr. Brown. |
| B．Because it was much like his own umbrella. |
| C．Because he thought the woman would not notice it. |
| D．Because he was lost in thought. |
How did Mr. Brown get the four umbrellas?
| A．He picked them on the train. |
| B．He bought them in London. |
| C．He brought them from his small town. |
| D．He stole them from four women. |
The king was to pass by a beggar’s small poor house and the man was excited, not because he was about to see the king but because the king was known to part with expensive jewels and huge sums of money when moved by sympathy.
He saw the king’s carriage just when a kind man was filling his begging bowl with uncooked rice. Pushing the man aside, he ran into the street, shouting praises of the king and the royal family.
The carriage stopped and the king beckoned to the beggar.
“Who are you?” he asked. “One of the most unfortunate of your people,” said the beggar. “Poverty sits on my doorstep and follows me about like a dog. I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon!” “Have you nothing for your king except great sorrow?” said the ruler, putting out his hand. “Give me something.” The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up 5 grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the king’s outstretched palm. The king drove away. The beggar’s disappointment was great. He complained and cursed the king again and again for his miserliness.
When he returned home in the evening he found a bag of rice on the floor. “Some generous soul has been here,” he thought and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his astonishment, there was a small piece of gold in it. He realized then that the bag had been sent by the king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was right. He found 5, one for each grain of rice he had given the king.
“It is not the king who has been miserly,” thought the man, sadly. “If I had been generous and given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been a rich man today.”From the passage, we know that the king___________.
| A．was a kind man | B．was arrogant |
| C．was a miserly man | D．was very young |
Why did the king ask the beggar for something according to the text?
| A．Because he was poor than the beggar. |
| B．Because he wanted to make the beggar even poorer. |
| C．Because he had nothing to eat. |
| D．Because he wanted to give something to the beggar in return. |
The real reason why the beggar got only five gold pieces is that________.
| A．he complained and cursed the king again and again |
| B．the king was only generous to rich people |
| C．the king wanted to punish him severely |
| D．he himself was miserly |
In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopted and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic – and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 8! Our home was a complete zoo – a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up
on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be _______.
| A．a writer | B．a teacher |
| C．a judge | D．a doctor |
Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?
| A．She wanted to study by herself. |
| B．She fell in love and got married. |
| C．She suffered from a serious illness. |
| D．She decided to look after her grandma. |
What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．Little by little, one goes far. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. |
| D．Well begun, half done. |
Which of the following can best describe the author?
| A．Caring and determined. |
| B．Honest and responsible. |
| C．Ambitious and Sensitive |
| D．Innocent and single-minded |
Delvin Washington was having a difficult speech therapy (治疗). Over half a year ago, Washington was preparing for the biggest day of his young life ---graduating from high school. But on a cloudy day in May, he had a serious car accident. He survived, but his life changed forever. He recently began all-day physical rehabilitation (康复治疗). He is relearning almost everything, from the names of his best friends to simple physical tasks.
His friends and family have given him a lot of support. While Washington lay in a coma in hospital, friends and family filled his room during visits. They celebrated his 18th birthday in July while he was still unconscious.Two days after Thanksgiving, eight friends from high school visited Washington at his home. The friends looked through photos on Facebook, showing them all to Washington. As he sat in his wheelchair, friends asked him to recognize the people in the photos, helping him recover his brain.
Washington’s popularity doesn’t come from nowhere. He was determined to become a police officer after college and behaved like a respectable police officer at school.His high school principal (校长), Eric Markinson, said Washington was always a gentleman. “He was incredibly gracious (和善的) and incredibly helpful,”he said.
His accident has damaged Washington’s brain. It has caused his left side, from his face to his feet, to all but shut down. His personality has also changed. The serious police-officer behavior is gone. He laughs a lot and smiles when he sees children, his mom said.
Now Washington is working hard on all-day rehabilitation. So far, he has made tremendous (巨大的) improvement, said his therapist Lindsay Sims.“I try to live as independently as possible,”Washington said slowly but firmly.What happened to Delvin Washington last May?
| A．He started to make improvements in his speech therapy. |
| B．He was seriously injured in a car accident. |
| C．He graduated from high school with good grades. |
| D．He suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. |
What can we know about Washington’s friends?
| A．They helped Washington make up for the lesson s he had missed. |
| B．They worked together to collect money for Washington on campus. |
| C．They helped Washington realize his dream of becoming a police officer. |
| D．They regularly visited Washington and helped him with his rehabilitation. |
Which word can best describe Delvin Washington?
| A．strong—willed | B．energetic |
| C．pessimistic | D．depressed |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．Washington’s friendship with his friends. |
| B．Washington making great efforts to achieve his dream. |
| C．What makes Washington so popular at school. |
| D．How Washington is recovering his brain. |
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls, saying “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain. They decided to open a second store probably because they __________.
| A．had enough money to do it. |
| B．had succeeded in their business |
| C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers |
| D．wanted to make people believe that they were successful |
What contribute most to their success according to the author?
| A．Learning by trial and error. |
| B．Making friends with suppliers. |
| C．Finding a good partner. |
| D．Opening chain stores. |
Grandpa Nybakken loved life — especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while he pretended innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, forevermore!” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, Grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.
Grandpa worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church. His search proved fruitless.
Suddenly, he realized what had happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on vacation in the United States．He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. Grandpa and his family sat in their usual seats among the small congregation (教堂会众).
“But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”
“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses．Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your boxes arrived．When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on the top.” After a long pause, he continued, “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that!”
The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses. But the director surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.Which of the following is NOT true about Grandpa Nybakken according to the passage?
| A．He was an outgoing man and held an active attitude towards life. |
| B．He had a large family to support. |
| C．He was a carpenter working in the church. |
| D．He was a loyal Christian. |
The people in the church but Grandpa felt confused at what the director said because ________.
| A．Grandpa didn’t tell the director that he was the owner of the glasses |
| B．the director wanted to return the glasses even though he liked it |
| C．the director could not get such glasses in their own country |
| D．the glasses were not included in the donation list |
Who does “the Master Carpenter” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
| A．Grandpa’s master. | B．One of Grandpa’s friends. |
| C．God. | D．Grandpa’s co-worker. |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Grandfather’s life. | B．The Helpful Donation. |
| C．The Perfect Mistake. | D．An Impressive Speech. |
Outside our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a seemingly ancient woman waited beside the door with her hand outstretched. Every day I put my hand in hers as our eyes met. She never failed to return my smile, my grasp, and my greeting.
On the last day of our visit, I found myself alone on a busy corner across the street from our hotel. Bicycles and motorbikes rushed in front of me. As I hesitated on the sidewalk, I felt a hand on my elbow and looked down to see the smile of my small beggar friend looking up at me. She nodded her head toward the street, indicating that she would take me across. Together, we moved slowly into the chaos.
Then we moved on toward the sidewalk, where she pulled my face down to hers, kissed me on both cheeks, and then left, still smiling and waving back to me.
Traveling in poorer nations, I have witnessed a variety of ways to deal with beggars. The most common response of tourists faced with the poverty-stricken is to ignore them and focus their eyes elsewhere. I have seen people push away an outstretched hand in angry annoyance. A few may drop a few coins into the hand in a hurry, hoping that other ragged pursuers won’t immediately appear on the scene.
For many reasons, giving money is not the best response to an outstretched hand. Many world travelers have discovered that the greatest gift they can give is their time and respect. Everyone needs recognition, to be seen as worthy of being known, to feel appreciated and loved. And I believe that everyone is worthy and worth knowing.
The woman beggars helped the author go across the busy street because _________.
| A．the author gave her material assistance |
| B．the author treated her kindly and friendly |
| C．the author would help her as a reward |
| D．the author was a foreigner |
From the story, what position of the beggars in the author’s mind might be?
| A．equal | B．superior | C．lower | D．valuable |
In common cases, people will do the following things to the beggars EXCEPT for ________.
| A．pretending to see nothing | B．handing out some money |
| C．refusing them angrily | D．greeting them normally |
According to the author, the most important things beggars really need are_____
| A．mercy and pity | B．money and food |
| C．smile and greeting | D．attention and respect |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．show how poor the beggars are in Vietnam |
| B．offer some advice on dealing with begging |
| C．express what we should offer the beggars |
| D．describe an experience with a beggar |
As an American artist and writer of children’s books, Tasha Tudor’s art and nineteenth-century
lifestyle have fascinated adults and children for decades. She received many awards and honors for her contributions to children’s literature. When people talk about her creativity in artwork, she said, “I do it to support my dogs and my four children.” Her great publishing record, the number of magazine stories that have been written about her over the years, and her admirers have no effects on her at all.
Much of Tasha’s artwork and her reading are done in the wintertime. “I love winter. It’s delightful,” she says. “I don’t have to go anywhere because I work at home. If I’m snowed in, I can stay this way for months.” She hopes for early, deep snow to protect her garden from the hardship of the New England winter, and when it comes she puts on snowshoes when she needs to get down the mile-long dirt path that leads to the road.
Given her enjoyment of winter and her fantasy(梦幻)way of life, it’s not surprising that Tasha’s Christmas is a storybook holiday. She hangs flowers over the front door. Her tree comes from the woods, and it goes up on Christmas Eve, lit by homemade candles and decorated with her great- grandmother’s collection that dates from 1850. In a place of honor on the tree are large cookies cut into the shapes of her animals.
The grandchildren and friends get presents from Tasha’s old dolls; so do the animals and they have their own Christmas tree. “Of course, it’s a known fact that all the animals talk on Christmas Eve,” she has written. Small, handmade gifts fill a big wooden box.
At the end of each year, Tasha can look back and know that her life is perfect, that she has again ignored the twentieth century, and that the magic continues. And for the rest of us，here’s a bit of advice, Tasha style: “Nowadays, people are so restless. If they took some tea and spent more time rocking on the porch(门廊) in the evening listening to light music, they might enjoy life more.”Tasha loved winter because it allowed her to ________.
| A．read stories to her grandchildren |
| B．show her DIY snowshoes to kids |
| C．stay indoors working during reading |
| D．enjoy bicycle tiding along the path |
From the passage, we can learn that Tasha’s life is ________.
| A．modern and fashionable |
| B．simple and fantastic |
| C．lonely and hard |
| D．adventurous and inspiring |
Which of the following is TRUE about Tasha?
| A．She cared little about fame. |
| B．She created an animal fund. |
| C．She wrote many stories for magazines. |
| D．She bought presents for her relatives. |
In which section of a paper can you probably read the article?
| A．Travel. | B．Sports. | C．Economy. | D．People. |
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is perhaps the most famous portrait in the world, but now some suspect that the woman with the mysterious smile may not be a woman after all. They are suggesting that the Mona Lisa may be a self-portrait, da Vinci in drag (女装).
Italy’s National Committee for Cultural Heritage (INCCH) is carrying out the research. They think the artist, who died in 1519, was buried at a French castle and they plan to dig up his body. Using CSI-style technology, they want to rebuild da Vinci’s face. Jason Rosenfeld, a member of INCCH, says, “ It shows the reason why we preserved Einstein’s brain or King Tut’s mummy (木乃伊), which throws light on the problem we are working on.”
“Now we want to get the body of Leonardo. We want to see what he died of, we want to see his DNA, we want to see the size of his head, and what his facial feature were like, so we can know whether this was a self-portrait.”
The Mona Lisa was painted around 500 years ago. Beyond that, we know almost nothing about the painting that is now on display at the Louvre in Paris.
But will the exhumation (发掘) discover the truth behind the Mona Lisa? Not likely, according to Rosenfeld. “If the French government really wants to help find out what this is about, what they should do is allow us to clean the Mona Lisa. We will learn much more from it and understand it better if we are allowed to clean the painting than by digging up a body.”What can be learnt from the text?
| A．The French government will be in charge of digging up da Vinci’s body. |
| B．The INCCH will learn more if allowed to clean the Mona Lisa painting. |
| C．The exhumation will help uncover the truth behind the Mona Lisa. |
| D．The French government wants to help find out the truth. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Mona Lisa?
| A．It is now preserved in France. |
| B．It is a self-portrait of da Vinci in drag. |
| C．It has the same long history as King Tut’s mummy. |
| D．It was painted in 1519. |
What’s the question that the INCCH is researching on?
| A．What da Vinci died of. |
| B．Whether da Vinci liked dressing in drag. |
| C．Whether the Mona Lisa was painted by da Vinci. |
| D．Whether the Mona Lisa is da Vinci’s self-portrait. |
What the underlined phrase, “ throws light on”, in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Pays attention to. |
| B．Makes people feel confident. |
| C．Makes it possible for people to know. |
| D．Draws people’s attention. |
12-year-old Robert Looks Twice appears to be the typical all-American boy. He is the quarterback of his school’s football team, student council president and one of the top students in his class.
But he hasn’t forgotten his Lakota Sioux root. Unlike most children on the reservation (居留地), he keeps his hair long, a symbol of strength, and he performs at powwows (祈祷仪式), traditionally known as wacipis, where he is a champion of the traditional Lakota dance. Robert was inspired to start dancing by his grandfather, John Tail, who had a small role in the famous film about Indian Amercans, Dances with Wolves. Six years ago, John passed away, and Robert wears little wolves on his clothes in his memory.
We are told that his last name, “ Looks Twice”, came about because his ancestors were cautious and always took a second look.
Robert lives in a trailer (拖车) with his grandmother, uncle and eight other cousins. When he gives us a tour, the trailer is falling apart. “ It is getting ready to cave in (坍塌),” says Robert about the kitchen floor. The family also put trash bags on the ceiling, because it’s leaking. “ When it rains it gets all my shirts wet,” he says of another leak in his bedroom. Often the electricity goes off and the family have to use the burners on the stove to heat the house.
This kind of poverty is typical of the reservation. The reservation is the third poorest county in America, and Robert’s community, Manderson, is known for its high crime rate. But despite all the temptations (诱惑) of drugs and alcohol around him, Robert remain focused on being the first person in his family to go to college and then a very big dream.
“ I want to be the first Native American President,” Robert said. “ I want to build better houses and clean up the reservation, because it’s bad. Get people off the drugs and alcohol and spend that money on their children. Build a better school and playground. Try to get a mall down here to help people get work.”What can we learn from Robert’s experience?
| A．Everyone should persist in chasing their dreams. |
| B．The poor can get more help from others. |
| C．It is never too late to study. |
| D．It is necessary for everyone to go to college. |
Unlike Robert, what do most children on the reservation do?
| A．They dance like their ancestors. |
| B．They don’t worship their grandfather. |
| C．They keep their hair short. |
| D．They have Lakota Sioux roots. |
What does Robert do, even though he is living in terrible conditions?
| A．He helps people get off drugs and alcohol. |
| B．He helps people get work by getting a mall. |
| C．He keeps working toward his dream. |
| D．He is beginning to build a better house. |
Why is Robert said to be a typical American boy?
| A．He like traveling. |
| B．He has a higher position in his family. |
| C．He wants to be the first Native American President. |
| D．He is excellent in all respects. |
They crossed in front of me as I was driving out of the store parking lot (停车场)．I would be delayed for a whole ten seconds. However，I realized that it was an elderly couple who were briefly delaying my departure (出发)．No more anger.
The man leaned on his wife who walked in front of him. He not only used her for support but it was obvious that he was blind. She was his eyes as well. The two of them worked as one—each needing the other to function in this fastchanging world.
That little example of true strength that day changed my whole personal perception of life. Suddenly I wasn't so mad about having to work a few extra hours on Saturday. I had my strength，and I was still relatively young.
That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity and strength stayed with me the entire week. My life wasn't so bad after all. I had my health and a good job. My wife always gave me good advice whenever I needed it. I started to think—not only was I lucky to have it all，but so was that wonderful old couple，who，despite the trials and hardships of a long life，still had the love and support of each other to carry them through this world.
There are so many people out there just like that couple. My wife and I sometimes picture ourselves in our old age，walking arminarm into the sunset. That image always gives us a warm feeling of comfort. Just remember，none of us would be here if it weren't for our elders. We should spend an extra minute to listen and learn when it comes to helping our elder friends. They need it.
What was the author's first reaction when he was stopped by the old couple?
| A．He showed great pity for the couple. |
| B．He didn't mind at all. |
| C．He got angry at being delayed. |
| D．He waited patiently. |
Before meeting the old couple，the author had a(n)________attitude towards life.
| A．energetic | B．enthusiastic |
| C．desperate | D．negative |
The main message that the author wants to get across in the last paragraph is that________．
| A．everyone should live with dignity and strength |
| B．we should be patient when dealing with old people |
| C．old people can teach us many important lessons |
| D．happiness lies in a positive attitude towards life |
What do we know about the author?
| A．He and his wife are in their old age. |
| B．He has a good but busy job. |
| C．His life is very bad actually. |
| D．He and his wife often walk arminarm. |
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