The associates I hired in my bicycle and lawn mower shop like myself were never perfect; however, they were excellent. Working with them as they improved taught me new ways to show forgiveness, understanding, and patience.
One day the placement officer asked me to interview a young man who was having trouble finding a job. He told me that David was a little shy, did not talk much and was afraid to go on with interviews. He requested that I give David an interview just for practice. He plainly told David that I had no positions open at the time and the interview was just for practice.
When David came in for the interview, he hardly said a word. I told him what we did at the bicycle shop and showed him around. I told David to keep showing up because the number one thing an employer wanted in an associate was dependability.
David was very quiet (he was evaluated as a slow learner in school). Every ten days or so, for weeks after the interview, David walked into the bicycle shop and stood by the front door. He never said a word, just stood by the door.
One day, shortly before Christmas, a large truck came to the shop, packed with 250 new bicycles. It had to be unloaded right away or the driver would leave.
It was raining. Some of my workers (without physical limitations) chose not to brave the weather to get into work, so I was short-handed. It seemed everything was going wrong and on top of it, David came in the front door and just stood there. I looked at him and shouted, “Well, all right! Fill out a time card and help me unload this truck!”
David worked for my bicycle shop for eighteen years. He came to work every day thirty minutes early. He could talk; however, he rarely chose to. He drove my truck and made deliveries. The customers would praise David, saying, “He doesn’t talk, but he really shows you how to operate a lawn mower!”The author finally hired David because________.
| A．there were no other workers in the shop then |
| B．he needed someone who was willing to work then |
| C．David kept showing up |
| D．he realized David was dependable |
We can infer from the last paragraph that_______.
| A．the author feels lucky to hire David |
| B．David has had his character changed through work |
| C．the author prefers David to be more outgoing |
| D．some customers just play jokes on David |
The author gave David an interview to _______.
| A．find a person who is reliable |
| B．find a part-time worker in need |
| C．give him some practice |
| D．show sympathy for him |
The author’s tone in describing David is full of ______.
| A．pity | B．wonder |
| C．disappointment | D．appreciation |
The word dream is probably heard most frequently from people in show business, where everyone dreams of standing under the spotlight and being somebody. But the truth is that most end up being nobodies. Hong Kong director Derek Yee’s latest film“ I Am Somebody” shows respect for these unknown extras(群众演员)in the film industry.
In the film, Wan Guopeng, son of a woodcutter, comes a long way from the Northeast with only 1,000 yuan to the dream factory of the East to become an actor. In real life, when the young man was chosen by the director to play the leading role, he had only 20 yuan left but still hadn’t considered giving up.
Famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung remembered that 30 years ago, he was a salesman but knew that it was not the kind of life he wanted to live. “Wan is exactly like me back then…Only when I was in an acting training course did I realize that what I wanted to be was an actor, not a star winning the best actor awards.”
Yee chose real nobodies to play themselves in the movie. Their strength was their deep understanding of the feelings of the characters they played. But the disadvantage was also obvious: They lacked acting skills. When emotional performances were needed, their expressions and moves seemed unnatural.
The entertainment industry might be the field with the most broken hearts and most efforts gone in vain. Here luck, opportunity and physical appearance are probably much more important than hard work.
In the film, Qin Peijun, a survivor from a coal mine collapse(煤矿坍塌), goes all out to take hold of every possibility to appear in the lens of the camera, even if only as an extra. However, it is obviously much harder for him to realize the dream of becoming a professional actor than for Wang Zhao, who is a lazy bone with a pretty face.
Some critical comments are directed at the sudden inversion(反转) in the last part of the film. The two leading actors’ happy endings seem to disagree with the film’s realistic style. But anyway, this movie is not a documentary but a way to reinforce(硬化) that every brave heart deserves to have their dreams realized. Which of the following can best describe Wan Guopeng?
| A．Determined. | B．Careful. |
| C．Intelligent. | D．Easy-going. |
Derek Yee chose real nobodies to play in the film because____.
| A．he respected these people |
| B．they knew well about the characters |
| C．he needed emotional performances |
| D．they asked for less money |
What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Wrongly. | B．Secretly. |
| C．Without success. | D．Without consideration. |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．It’s OK to be nobody. |
| B．It’s really hard to become a successful actor. |
| C．Live the dreams. |
| D．Be a person of dreams. |
SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest Time
The 2016 SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest will run from April 1st through October 1st , 2016. Best of luck!
Introduction
The SAVE THE GROGS! Art Contest invites you to create your coolest frog artwork. The contest will call on people to pay more attention to the amphibian extinction(两栖动物灭绝)problem by getting people interested and to take part in it, and the artworks will be used on T-shirts, coffee cups, hats, cards and books to both publicize(宣传)our cause and raise money for SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian protection efforts. Between 2009 and 2015 we received more than 12 thousand pieces of frog artworks from 70 countries. We look forward to receiving your creation!
Who can enter?
Anybody! It is free to enter the contest, though we suggest all artworks include a few dollars to assist our frog-saving efforts!
Prizes The 1st Prize Winner will:
(1) Receive $100. (2)Receive a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! membership.
The 2nd and 3rd Place Artists will: Each receives a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! Membership.
Contest Rules
(1)The submitted(提交的)artwork must be your original creation!
(2)Your artwork should not be larger than 8.5”x11”（22cmX28cm）in size.
(3)You may submit up to three artworks
(4)All artworks must refer to SAVE THE FROGS! by including either the phrase “SAVE THE FROGS!” or “savethefrogs.com”, or both.
Please note that both “SAVE THE FROGS!” and “savethefrogs.com” are PLURAL, meaning the letter. “S” must appear at the end of the word “FROGS”.
Submissions
If your artwork was digitally(数码地) created, you should email your artwork to art @ savethefrogs.com
If your artwork is on paper or any other non-digital type, then mail your artwork to :
SAVE THE FORGS! Art Contest
P. O. Box 78758 Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA
What do you know about the contest?
| A．It runs for seven months in 2016. |
| B．It aims to help protect amphibians. |
| C．It will publicize the artworks on TV. |
| D．It has been held as a national event. |
What should be noticed to take part in the contest?
| A．The smaller your artwork is the better. |
| B．The more artworks you submit, the better. |
| C．Do not miss the message “SAVE THE FORGS!”. |
| D．Do not copy others’ ideas or creations. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Submissions of artworks are based on types of creation. |
| B．Artworks are either digital pictures or drawings on paper. |
| C．Artworks will be given back after the contest. |
| D．The organization is in New York. |
June came and the hay was almost ready for cutting．On Midsummer's Eve, which was aSaturday, Mr．Jones went to Willington and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not comeback till midday on Sunday．The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then hadgone out rabbiting, without bothering to feed the animals．When Mr．Jones got back, heimmediately went to sleep on the living-room sofa with the "News of the world" over his face,so that when evening came, the animals were still not fed．At last, they could stand no longer．
One of the cows broke into the door of the store-house with her horns（角） and all the animalsbegan to help themselves to the grains．It was just then that Mr．Jones woke up．The nextmoment he and his four men were in the store-house with whips （鞭子） in their hands,whipping in all directions．This was more than the hungry animals would bear．Together,though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they jumped upon their masters．
Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being struck with horns and kicked from allsides．The situation was quite out of their control．They had never seen animals act like thisbefore, and this sudden uprising （起义） of creatures whom they were used to beating andwhipping just as they chose frightened them．After only a moment or two, they gave up tryingto defend themselves．A minute later all five of them were in full fright down the road, with theanimals running after them joyfully．
Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
| A．Willington was the name of a relative． |
| B．Red Lion was the name of a bar． |
| C．News of the World was a TV program． |
| D．Store-house is a place to feed the cows． |
The cows broke into the store-house to feed themselves because .
| A．They were so angry at their masters |
| B．They wanted to fight with the men |
| C．They wanted to go on strike |
| D．They-were too hungry |
The cows jumped upon their masters because _________．
| A．they were not fed |
| B．they were so hungry |
| C．they were whipped so hard |
| D．they were so happy |
What would be the best tile for the story?
| A．Midsummer's Eve | B．A Bad Sunday |
| C．Cows and Their Masters | D．Rebellion of Cows |
It appears that the police now have a device that can read license plates and check if a car is unregistered, uninsured or stolen. We already know that National Security Agency can dip into your Facebook page and Google searches. And it seems that almost every store we go into these days wants your home phone number and ZIP code as part of any deal.
So when Edward Snowden — now cooling his heels in Russia — revealed the extent to which the NSA is spying on Americans, collecting data on phone calls we make, it's not as if we should have been surprised. We live in a world that George Orwell predicted in 1984. And that realization has caused sales of the 1949, dystopian (反乌托邦）novel to spike dramatically upward recently — a 9,000% increase at one point on Amazon. com.
Comparisons between Orwell’s novel about a tightly controlled totalitarian (极权主义的）future ruled by the everywhere-present Big Brother and today are, in fact, quite similar. Here are a few of the most obvious ones.
Telescreens — in the novel, nearly all public and private places have large TV screens that broadcast government propaganda (宣传), news and approved entertainment. But they are also two-way monitors that spy on citizens, private lives. Today websites like Facebook track our likes and dislikes, and governments and private individuals hack into our computers and find out what they want to know. Then there are the ever-present monitoring cameras that spy on the ordinary people as they go about their daily routine.
The endless war — In Orwell’s book, there's global war that has been going on seemingly forever, and as the book's hero, Winston Smith, realizes the enemy keeps changing. One week we’re at war with Eastasia and friends with Eurasia. The next week, it's just the opposite. There seems little to distinguish the two opponents, and they are used primarily to keep the people of Oceania, where Smith lives, in a constant state of fear, thereby making disagreement unthinkable — or punishable. Today we have the so-called war on terror, with no end in sight, a generalized societal fear, suspensionof certain civil liberties, and an ill-defined enemy who could be anywhere, and anything.
Newspeak — the fictional, stripped-down English language, used to limit free thought. OMG (Oh my God), RU (Are you) serious? That's so FUBAR (Fucked Beyond Ail Recognition). LMAO (Laugh My Ass Off).
Memory hole — this is the machine used in the book to change or disappear embarrassing documents. Paper shredders (碎纸机） had been invented, but were hardly used when Orwell wrote his book, and the concept of wiping out a hard drive was years in the future. But the memory hole foretold both technologies.
So what’s it all meant? In 1984, Winston Smith, after an intense round of “behavioral modification” — read: torture— learns to love Big Brother, and the difficult world he was born into. Jump forward to today, it seems we’ve willingly given up all sorts of freedoms, and much of our right to privacy. Fears of terrorism have a lot to do with this, but dizzying advances in technology, and the ubiquity of social media, play a big part.
There are those who say that if you don't have anything to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of. But the fact is, when a government agency can monitor everyone’s phone calls, we have all become suspects. This is one of the most frightening aspects of our modem society. And even more frightening is the fact that we have gone so far down the street, there is probably no turning back. Unless you spend your life in a wilderness cabin, totally off the grid, there is simply no way the government won’t have information about you stored away somewhere.
What this means, unfortunately, is that we are all Winston Smith. And Big Brother is the modem surveillance state.What caused 1984 to sell well on Amazon.com?
| A．The similarities between the world we live in and that of 1984. |
| B．The surprise at how Americans are spied on by the government. |
| C．The fact that authorities have access to our personal information. |
| D．The worry that our government agencies can monitor our phones. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．When Orwell wrote 1984, paper shredders didn't exist. |
| B．The war with Eastasia makes people in Oceania fearful. |
| C．Telescreens are used to broadcast and spy on citizens’ privacy. |
| D．Winston Smith loves Big Brother due to the fears of terrorism. |
What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 8 refer to?
| A．Addiction to social media. |
| B．The phone calls being monitored. |
| C．A round of “behavioral modification”. |
| D．Willingness to abandon freedom and privacy. |
The underlined part in the passage replies that _______.
| A．it is impossible for us to return to our initial path |
| B．it’s very difficult for us to change the current situation |
| C．we are walking along the street too far to go back home |
| D．the government can find out which street we are going down |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．We are all Winston Smith. |
| B．Big Brother is watching you. |
| C．We’re living “1984” today. |
| D．The NSA is spying on Americans. |
What is the writer's attitude towards the phenomenon?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Concerned. | C．Angry. | D．Indifferent. |
阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN (个人身份号码) to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest to you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console(控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, "How will I live without them?"What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. |
| B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．A home for the future. |
| D．Easy life in the future. |
What can’t be done in the writer’s new house according to the passage?
| A．Turning on the lights. | B．Going swimming. |
| C．Getting a telephone call. | D．Playing music. |
The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _______.
| A．it has your favorite music following you |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
| D．it has been controlled by computers |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert | B．A famous doctor |
| C．An idealist | D．An experienced teacher |
阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“I never did hate the Yankees（北方佬）. All that I hated was the war...” That’s how my great-aunt Bettie began her story. I heard it many times as a child, whenever my family visited Aunt Bettie in the old house in Berryville, Virginia.
Bettie Van Metre had good reason to hate the Civil War. Her brother was killed at Gettysburg, and her husband, James, a Confederate（南方联盟军）officer, was taken prisoner and sent to an unknown prison camp somewhere.
One day in late September, Dick came to Bettie reporting that he had found a wounded Union soldier in a farmhouse half a mile away from the Van Metre home. When talking about her first sight of the man in the blood-spotted blue uniform, she always used the same words.“It was like walking into a nightmare: those awful bandages, that terrible smell.”She went out into the cool air, trying not to be sick at the thought of that smashed right hand, that missing left leg.
The man’s papers Bettie found in the farmhouse showed his identity: Henry Bedell, 30 years old. She knew that she should report the presence of this Union officer to the Confederate army, but she wouldn’t. This is how she explained it: “I kept wondering if he had a wife somewhere, hoping, and not knowing—just as I was. It seemed to me that the only thing that mattered was to get her husband back to her.”
Slowly, patiently, skillfully, Aunt Bettie fanned the spark of life in Henry Bedell. Of drugs or medicines she had almost none. And she was not willing to take any from the few supplies at the Confederate hospital. But she did the best she could with what she had.
The October nights in the valley grew cold. With the help of Dick and his wife, she moved the Union officer at night, to a hidden room above the warm kitchen of her own home. But the next day, Bedell had a high fever. Knowing that she must get help, she went to her family doctor, Graham Osborne. Dr. Osborne examined Bedell and said, “there was little hope unless proper medicines could be found.”
“I’ll get them from the Yankees at Harpers Ferry.” Bettie said. The doctor told her that Harpers Ferry was almost 20 miles away. Even if she reached them, the Yankees would never believe her. “I’ll take proof,” Bettie said. She found a blood-spotted paper bearing the official War Department seal （印章）. “When I show it, they’ll believe me.”
Early the next morning she set off with a list of medical items. For five hours she drove, stopping only to rest her horse. The sun was almost down when she finally stood before the general at Harpers Ferry. The general listened, but did not believe her. “Madam,” he said, “Bedell’s death was reported to us.” “He’s alive,” Bettie insisted. “But he won’t be much longer unless he has the medicines on that list.” “Well,” the general turned to a junior officer, “see that Mrs. Van Metre gets the supplies.”
With the medicines, Bedell gradually recovered. Ten days later he was walking with sticks. “I’d better go back as soon as possible.” Bedell told Bettie. So it was arranged that Dick should help Bettie deliver Bedell to Harpers Ferry in his wagon. Bedell lay down in a box filled with hay, his rifle and sticks beside him.
At Harpers Ferry, the soldiers were amazed when the Union officer with the missing leg rose from his hay-filled box. Bedell told the story to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who wrote a letter of thanks to Bettie and signed an order to free James Van Metre. It was arranged for Bedell to go with Bettie as she searched for her husband. Records showed that a James Van Metre had been sent to a prison camp in Ohio. Then at Fort Delaware, near the end of the line of prisoner, a tall man stepped out and walked clumsily into Bettie’s arms. Bettie held him, tears streaming down her face. And Henry Bedell, standing by on his sticks, wept, too.What might be Bettie’s tone when she used the underlined sentence to describe the first sight of Henry Bedell？
| A．Pessimistic | B．Desperate | C．Shocked | D．Sympathetic. |
Why wouldn’t Bettie report the presence of Bedell to the Confederate army.
| A．Because she felt it her responsibility to save soldiers of the Union. |
| B．Because she wanted to save Bedell so that her husband could be freed. |
| C．Because Bedell was more a suffering human being than an enemy to Bettie. |
| D．Because Bedell begged Bettie not to give him away to the Confederate army. |
Dr. Osborn thought it was ______ of Bettie Van Metre to drive to Harpers Ferry for the medicines.
| A．crazy | B．kind . | C．brave | D．smart |
Still recovering, Henry Bedell decided to leave as soon as possible mainly because ______.
| A．he was eager to return to the Union to fight |
| B．he didn’t want to go on putting Bettie in danger |
| C．hewas concerned about his safety at the Van Metre home |
| D．he could be treated with better medicines back at Harpers Ferry |
Rearrange the following statements in terms of time order.
a. Bettie’s husband wasfound and freed.
b. Bettie helped deliver Bedell back to Harpers Ferry.
c. Bettie moved Bedell to a safe room in her own house.
d. Bettie drove all the way to Harpers Ferry to get the medicines for Bedell.
e. In spite of being short of medicines, Bettie attended to Bettie with what she had.
f. Bettie saw Bedell in a farmhouse half a mile away from her house for the first time.
| A．f, e, c, b, d, a | B．f, c, e, d, b, a |
| C．f, e, c, d, b, a. | D．f, c, e, b, d, a |
What message is conveyed through the end of the story.
| A．Giving is a reward in itself. |
| B．Happiness comes from giving. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Help yourself by helping others |
The lce Bucket Challenge, in which people dump a bucket of ice water on their heads and challenge others to do the same, has brought in millions of dollars in donations for the ALS Association, and is among the biggest viral(病毒的) phenomena 2.4 million vides related to the ice bucket challenge have been shared on the social network, and more than 28 million people have posted, commented or liked a post relating to the challenge.
“Marrying the Internet’s love of challenges with donation and charity is a stroke of genius.” Said Neetzan Zimmerman, a former editor at Gawaker who’s widely considered as an expert in viral phenomena. “There is no other way to say this—it’s absolutely pure brilliance(才智).”
The nature of the Ice Bucket Challenge is, in itself, quick in spread. “People want to look good to others, so it’s hard to turn down a prosocial cause,” said Jonah Berger, an author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On. “ALS is a great cause, so when someone asks you directly to do this, it’s hard to turn them down without seeming like a bad person.”
The Ice Bucket Challenge campaign has been great for the ALS Association, a non-profit organization that does research and provides help for patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease. It has received $ 22.9 million since July 29 and the donations are coming not only from existing donors, but from nearly half a million new donors.
Celebrities(名人) have been interested in the cause, which has undoubtedly accelerated the spread. At this point, it’s almost difficult to find a celebrity who hasn’t had ice water dumped on his or her head. Kobe and Lcbron have done it and Bieber has done it twice. “If you are doing, it’s as if you could stand in for them,” said Jennifer Cool, an anthropologist at USC who studies Internet culture and history. “You can be in the shoes of Lady Gaga or Bill Gates, too.”
And, of course, there’s showing off factor, Internet is a place to show off and promote yourself, filled with incredible vacation photos, reminders to all that you’re in love with challenges. You may have some friends who’ve seemed eager to show off their bikini or swim trunk bodies in their Ice Bucket Challenge videos. At this point, some celebrities seem to be trying to one-up each other. Bill Gates released a highly produced video of himself designing a method of dumping water on himself. Hockey player Paul Bissonnette, for some reason, had a helicopter drop glacier water on him.Why does the author call the Ice Bucket Challenge a viral phenomenon?
| A．Because it does harm to charity. |
| B．Because it is popular with celebrities. |
| C．Because it challenges a person’s courage. |
| D．Because it spreads quickly. |
What does “a stroke of genius” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．A kind of charity. | B．A smart way. |
| C．A nature of charity. | D．A public forum. |
According to the text, the Ice Bucket Challenge gives celebrities______.
| A．a sense of belonging. | B．a joy of success. |
| C．a feeling of bravery | D．a sense of curiosity |
阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Though problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn’t mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you’ll have to stand up and say — problem, I don’t want you in my life.
Of course, we’ve been fighting troubles ever since we were born. Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children — the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in different shapes and colors and feelings.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help. But the truth is that when you talk about, you’re setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you. Talking helps you move on and let go.
Write your problems. Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don’t want a real person to talk with. When you write down your problems, you’re setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life.
Don’t lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don’t lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family ..., you should still have faith. With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.
Your problems aren’t the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there’re another one million people whose problems are huger than yours. Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can’t I? Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.What is the text mainly about?
| A．How to find problems. |
| B．How to change problems. |
| C．How to live without problems. |
| D．How to deal with problems. |
According to the text, the first paragraph is trying to ________.
| A．upset the readers |
| B．encourage the readers |
| C．laugh at the readers |
| D．please the readers |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．There are different kinds of problems in our life. |
| B．Problems are too difficult to deal with. |
| C．We have to fight problems in our whole life. |
| D．We have more and more problems. |
According to the text, when you talk about your problems to others, ________.
| A．you will be completely understood by others |
| B．you can find a way out from others |
| C．you will create another problem |
| D．you can live on more easily |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(涟漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮机). The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.
“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.
Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to .
| A．test the readers’ knowledge about waves |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic |
| C．show Jamie Taylor’s importance |
| D．invite the readers to answer them |
The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to .
| A．starting again | B．speeding up |
| C．improving | D．gathering |
We can make better use of wave energy if we .
| A．shorten its journey to thousands of homes |
| B．build more small power stations on the oceans |
| C．reduce the cost of turning it into electric power |
| D．quicken the steps of producing electricity |
It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about .
| A．our power supply |
| B．our boat traffic |
| C．air pollution |
| D．our supply of sea fish |
One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me．"What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked．
I could only blame myself．In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own．But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for．
As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers．I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course．I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no．For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine．One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting．Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven．
I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping．"I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day．Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless．
Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family．That’s what I call a man．I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law．Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?
| A．Because he was not well behaved． |
| B．Because he refused to help with dinner． |
| C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools． |
| D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools． |
In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______．
| A．building up children’s confidence |
| B．telling kids what is right and wrong |
| C．preparing children for their future life |
| D．making children live a hard life |
After learning to do housework, Ray _______．
| A．fell in love with sewing |
| B．did other work in the house |
| C．began to be more hardworking |
| D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts |
We can infer from the text that Ray _______．
| A．made great progress in cooking． |
| B．always thought housework interesting． |
| C．preferred sewing to cooking． |
| D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first． |
What would the author like to convey in the text?
| A．Useful education for boys |
| B．The importance of housework |
| C．Boys should be involved in housework． |
| D．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine． |
Grant Wood’s American Gothic caused a stir（轰动）in 1930 when it was exhibited for the first time at the Art Institute of Chicago and awarded a prize of 300 dollars. Newspapers across the country carried the story, and the painting of a farmer and a younger woman posed before a white house brought the artist instant fame.
In 1930, Grant Wood, an American painter with European training, noticed a small white house built in the small southern Iowa town of Eldon. Wood was so fascinated by it that he decided to paint the house along with the kind of people he thought should live in that house. In the painting, the farmer is modeled on his dentist. Dr. Byron McKeeby. His younger sister Nan served as a model for the woman （imagined to be the farmer’s wife or daughter）. Wood wanted to give a description of the traditional roles of men and women as the man is holding a pitchfork symbolizing hard labor. Each element was painted separately; the models sat separately and never stood in front of the house. The Gothic style of the house inspired the painting’s title.
American Gothic remains one of the most famous paintings in the history of American art. The painting has become part of American popular culture. Some believe that Wood used it to satirize（讽刺） the narrow-mindedness that has been said to characterize Midwestern culture. The painting may also be read as a praise of the moral virtue or rural America or even as a mixture of praise and satire. American Gothic is one of the few images to reach the status of cultural symbol, along with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.Which of the following is true about American Gothic?
| A．It won a prize of 300 pounds. |
| B．The two characters in it posed before the White House. |
| C．It was the first painting by Grant Wood. |
| D．It was on show at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1930. |
From the passage we can infer Iowa is in __________.
| A．the southern town of Eldon |
| B．the Midwest of the United States |
| C．a European country |
| D．the city of Chicago |
Grant Wood chose the two models __________.
| A．to describe traditional roles of men and women |
| B．to praise the moral virtue of rural America |
| C．to make his dentist and his sister famous |
| D．to carry the story across the country |
The title of the painting is based on __________.
| A．the name of a small town |
| B．the man and the woman |
| C．the style of the house |
| D．the pitchfork symbolizing hard labor |
Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a second thought． Actually, the ancient Greeks wrote this way． The lack of punctuation marks probably didn’t bother good readers, though． As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best． Also at this time, sentences switched directions． A sentence read from left to right． The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc． The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They put something that can separate words in a sentence． The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a dot.
When the 5th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points． The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading． Then in the 13th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation． He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence． He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause． Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma (逗号).
Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family． The exclamation mark (感叹号) comes from the Latin word io． It means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question． Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question.
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays． New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways． Take for example the “interrobang”． This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both． For example, “She did what?” or “How much did you pay for that dress?” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.
From the first paragraph, we can know that _______.
| A．good readers had trouble reading without punctuation marks |
| B．a sentence always read from left to right in ancient Greece |
| C．ancient Greeks switched the direction of punctuation marks |
| D．the use of punctuation marks can date back to ancient times |
The passage is developed _______.
| A．by time | B．by space |
| C．by comparison | D．by importance |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．ancient Romans didn’t use any punctuation marks |
| B．exclamation and question marks came from Latin |
| C．spaces and slashes were already used before the 5thcentury |
| D．Aldus Manutius first started to use commas |
What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
| A．The combination of two marks will not work. |
| B．It takes time for people to accept new punctuation marks. |
| C．Old punctuation marks need to be standardized. |
| D．Punctuation marks are still changing today. |
Parents do need to teach their kids financial responsibility and that money is earned. Still, many child-development experts agree that tying a child’s allowance to chores can be a slippery slope. Here’s why.
Susie Walton, master instructor at Peace in Your Home advises to keep chores and allowances totally separate. “Allowance is one thing. When it comes to chores, life skills, responsibilities－that’s a whole different thing.” says Walton.
Walton says, “When kids aren’t doing a chore, you don't say, ‘well, there goes your allowance.’ You’re going to sit them down and ask what’s going on. ‘We are a team. We are a family. We’ve got to have them done.’”
Besides, by paying children for chores with an allowance, you’ll also be sending the message that work isn't worth doing unless they’re getting paid for it.
There are times when it would make sense to pay kids for chores. Most financial and child-development experts agree that it’s a fine idea to pay children money for extra jobs that are outside their normal set of chores, such as washing windows, washing the car or helping to clean out the garage－especially if the child is saving for a big item. This may even develop an entrepreneurial (企业家的) spirit to think outside of the box to earn money.
For parents who are concerned that their children won’t learn the value of a dollar if the allowance isn’t tied to household chores, note that there are still plenty of money management skills to be learned from a straight allowance. Depending on the age, kids can be made responsible for paying for their own toys or snacks. Some parents even require that kids set aside a percentage of their allowance toward savings.
“I really like having my own money,” says Kevin, 9. “It’s up to me if I want to buy the cheap toy now, or save and get the better toy.” And that’s a good lesson to learn at 9 years old.
No matter which allowance route you take in parenthood, kids will feel empowered by being able to handle their own money.
Which of the following would Susie Walton most probably agree with?
| A．A child’s allowance shouldn’t be tied to chores. |
| B．Kids shouldn’t be forced to do chores. |
| C．Doing chores teaches kids the value of work. |
| D．Kids should be paid for doing chores. |
According to Susie Walton, if kids don’t do chores, parents should ________.
| A．teach them the entrepreneurial spirit |
| B．talk to them about family responsibilities. |
| C．give them a smaller allowance than usual |
| D．punish them by not giving them their allowances |
In Paragraph 6, “a straight allowance” probably means “________”.
| A．money given by charity organizations |
| B．money earned by doing part-time jobs. |
| C．money earned by doing everyday household chores |
| D．money given by parents and not dependent on chores |
What is the author’s attitude towards Kevin’s action?
| A．Worried. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Approving. | D．Unfavorable. |
The text is mainly about _____________.
| A．the importance of kids doing chores |
| B．whether parents should pay kids for chores |
| C．the advantages of kids handling their own money |
| D．whether parents should give kids regular allowances |
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. |
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