Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
6. More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
A. they buy their houses there B. they settle there now
C. they get married there D. they were born there
7. “Side-by-side” living style means _______.
A. making friends with native people B. keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas
C. the groups of people who live nearby D. that they get closer to American society
8. According to the passage, people in the USA ________.
A. share American customs and culture B. live in a kind of “side-by-side” society
C. keep their own customs and habits firmly D. make no choice to accept American customs
9. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They always stick to their own customs and habits. B. “Side-by-side” living style is not suitable.
C. They face the society they are not familiar with.
D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.
10. Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?
A. Advantages and Disadvantages. B. Different Customs and Habits.
C. Home for the People. D. “Side-by-side” Living Style in America.
I was eleven years old, waiting for my exam at Saraswati Vidyalaya, my school in Nagpur. “No. 12, please come forward.” Kirti, a very fat girl from my class, stepped ahead. I heard my classmates laughing and so I tried to stop them with my eyes. But my good intentions were mistaken. The next morning, my teacher, Mrs. Kamble, told me, “Ashwini, I’ve received a complaint about you.” I was shocked. The girl I was protecting thought I’d been laughing at her.
I tried to explain but the teacher refused to hear me out. She punished me by making me stand by the door. I knew I was right. Such punishment to a class topper was simply unheard of. But, slowly, my pride disappeared. Instead of being angry, I understood the other students who have been punished at times. For the first time, I felt humbled (谦逊的).
Three years later, I was in the math class. Mr. Prabhuraman, wrote an equation (方程式) — one he’d taught us the day before — on the blackboard. “Anyone who doesn’t know how to solve this,” he said, “please leave the class at once.” I knew I could solve only the first two steps. But my pride made me stay there. Unfortunately, the one who was asked to solve it was me. I just stood there, chalk in hand, trying not to look foolish. I prepared myself for a good talking-to (斥责), but Mr. Prabhuraman told me kindly, “Go back to your seat.”
Today, two decades later, those incidents have made me think. One teacher punished me for something I didn’t do; the other forgave me for something I did wrong. Both experiences had an effect on me. They remind me that no matter what you accomplish (完成), you must always be humble.When the very fat girl appeared, Ashwini _____.
| A．took no notice of her | B．laughed at her |
| C．said hello to her | D．tried to stop others making fun of her |
After receiving a complaint, Mrs. Kamble _____.
| A．said nothing about it | B．was disappointed |
| C．felt very angry | D．tried to find out the truth |
Why did Ashwini refuse to leave the class?
| A．He felt it would make him lose face. |
| B．He could work out the equation. |
| C．His teacher believed in his ability. |
| D．His teacher never asked him any questions. |
The text is a story about _____.
| A．how to communicate with others |
| B．how to get along with teachers |
| C．the ways to protect others |
| D．the danger of pride |
Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. “I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!” said Jason.
“You will have to follow some rules,” said his grandmother. “You can only ride in the park — never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?”
“You bet!” Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.
On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.
Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.
Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee.
It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine!
Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. “Excellent!” said a girl as she passed him. “Extreme!” laughed Jason to himself. “Not quite.”Jason’s grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _____.
| A．he finished his homework | B．he liked the sport |
| C．he observed some rules | D．he won a bet |
Jason jumped off the sofa because _____.
| A．he was allowed to go skateboarding |
| B．he was angry at his grandmother |
| C．he was going to play outside |
| D．he was given a board and a helmet |
The girl praised Jason for his _____.
| A．skill | B．honesty | C．courage | D．kindness |
The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them. It claims to provide visitors with an “education” through games and other entertainment.
A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo. "Call me Haiz", he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it. Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising.
Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities. Kids of that age are also a big market for advertisers.
The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things: To identify the advertiser. To know what the advertiser is really saying. And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do.
Children learn these things through a video game. They create their own game character. They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes. Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards. The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level.
The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found. It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing.
One such area is food marketing. The Federal Trade Comission (FTC) says it is a big business. The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2010.
The FTC says children are important for three reasons. They buy products. They influence parents and caregivers to buy. And they are the future adult buyers of the products.
A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value. First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children.The best title of the text may be ________.
| A．The guide of Admongo | B．An education website for children |
| C．A popular online video game | D．An advertising website |
The government started the website to _________.
| A．attract the biggest market of buyers. |
| B．sell the products of its company. |
| C．help children know about advertising. |
| D．advertise the video game for children. |
Players in the website game can_________.
| A．choose hair styles for their character. | B．travel to a supermarket. |
| C．eat in a fast-food restaurant. | D．play video games during the trip. |
According to Michelle Obama, lots of food advertised for children are _____.
| A．healthy | B．of high nutrition | C．yummy | D．of low quality |
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship （奖学金） and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted （吸毒） parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society, ” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” . In which order did the following things happen to Liz?
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
| A．b, a, e, c, d | B．a, b, c, e, d | C．e, d, b, a, c | D．b, e, a, d, c |
The main idea of the passage is ________.
| A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University |
| B．what a hard time Liz had in her childhood |
| C．why Liz loved her parents so much |
| D．how Liz struggled to change her life |
What actually made her go towards her goal?
| A．Envy and encouragement. | B．Willpower and determination. |
| C．Decisions and understanding. | D．Love and respect for her parents. |
When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.
| A．she had little experience of social life |
| B．she could hardly understand the society |
| C．she would do something for her own life |
| D．she needed to travel more around the world |
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere –-- on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble-maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker(鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”The whole passage is in a tone (语气) of _________.
| A．respect and harmony | B．humor and love |
| C．hope and expectation | D．confidence and imagination |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A．He has altogether five fingers. | B．He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C．He becomes clever and smart. | D．He cuts his hand with a knife. |
According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except _________.
| A．ice cream | B．comic books |
| C．Saturday mornings | D．Sunday schools |
What does the writer feel about boys?
| A．He feels curious about their noise. | B．He is tired of these creatures. |
| C．He is amazed by their naughtiness. | D．He feels unsafe staying with them. |