Topping the class academically was certainly an advantage. Studying was a breeze for
Nigel. The reward was certainly incomparable to the little effort that he had to put it. It begin when he was selected to help the teachers in the computer laboratories.
The peak of his school career came not when he topped the school but when he was selected for the nationwide competition. Unlike everyone else, Nigel wanted to join the contest because he liked playing with the Lego sets and making something out of them. Nigel spent the next two months rebuilding the robot. It was during the time that Nigel found out about the prizes for the competition. Its well us auspices competitor. Alicia, from a neighboring school. His early intentions were forgotten. Getting the thousand-dollar prize was more important than anything else. Nigel decided to befriend Alicia. Unaware of his intentions, she told him all about the robot that she had been building for the competition. He even helped her to put the finishing branches to her robot. He was glad with the way things had progressed. His robot looked even better than Alicia’s and it was able to become a ball with its arms, something Alicia had failed to do.
On the day of the competition, he says Alicia. Everything dawned on her the minute she saw him among the competition. She stared at him, puzzled at first, then angry and finally a look of helplessness came over her.
The flashbulbs of the camera exploded in Nigel’s try. The robot bird performed actions so unique and different that the specialist judgments were the same. Nigel was so personal with himself that he did not even notice the girl standing a few feet away from him. Without her, he would never win the competition.What reward did Nigel receive for doing well in his school work?
| A．He was offered a part-time job | B．He was honored with a scholarship |
| C．He helped his teacher construct a robot | D．He helped in the computer laboratories |
Nigel’s original intention of joining the contest was to ___.
| A．be the top student of the school | B．being great honor to his school |
| C．constructs a robot with the Lego sets | D．wins the thousand-dollar prize |
Why did Nigel help Alicia finish her robot?
| A．He tried to make friends with her | B．He was fond of building robots |
| C．He intended to help her | D．He didn’t want her to suspect him |
What is the author’s attitude towards Nigel’s actions?
| A．He is mildly critical | B．He is strongly critical |
| C．He is in favor of them | D．His attitude is not clear |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
The human nose has given to the language of the world many interesting expressions. Of course this is not surprising. Without the nose we could not breathe or smell. It is the part of the face that gives a person special character. Cyrano De Bergerac said that a large nose showed a great man—brave, polite, manly, and bright. A famous woman poet wished that she had two noses to smell a rose. Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher(哲学家)made an interesting comment about Cleopatra's nose. “If it had been shorter，”he said，“it would have changed the whole face of the world.”Historically, man's nose has had an important role in his imagination. Man has referred to the nose in many ways to express his feelings. Expressions about the nose refer to human weakness, anger, pride, jealousy(嫉妒)and revenge(报复). In English there are a number of phrases about the nose. For example, “To_hold_up_one's_nose” expresses a basic human feeling—pride. People can hold up their noses at people, things and places. The phrases, to be led around by the nose, shows man's weakness. A person who is led around by the nose lets other people control him. On the other hand, a person who follows his nose, lets his instinct guide him.
For the human emotion of rejection, the phrase to_have_one's_nose_put_out_of_joint is very descriptive. The expression applies to persons who have been turned aside because of a competitor. Their pride is hurt and they feel rejected. This expression is not new. It was used by Erasmus in 1542.
This is only a sampling of expressions in English dealing with the nose. There are a number of others. However, it should be as plain as the nose on your face that the nose is more than an organ for breathing and smelling!This passage is about________.
| A．the human nose, an organ for breathing and smelling |
| B．the nose giving various expressions |
| C．a woman poet's wish was to have two noses |
| D．interesting comments made on Cleopatra's nose |
According to Blaise Pascal, “Cleopatra's nose”________．
| A．did change the whole face of the world |
| B．should be shorter |
| C．represents her powerful character |
| D．had been cut shorter |
“To hold up one's nose” is an expression of________.
| A．contempt |
| B．revenge |
| C．anger |
| D．jealousy |
A man who is described as “to have one's nose put out of joint”________．
| A．is happy |
| B．wants to sell a flower |
| C．is ill |
| D．feels hurt and rejected |
Camp memories last forever! We make sure they are unforgettable!
Shadow Ridge Summer Camps offer so many exciting things for campers to do. Unlike other camp programs that include horses as a small part of their program, at Shadow Ridge horses ARE the program! We are 100% horse from stable(马厩)management, nature walks, and track rides to bedroom furnishings.
Horses help us achieve many of our aims. Girls can learn to develop responsibility, self-confidence and personal connections in their lives while having fun. Using horses as a wonderful tool for education, our camps offer an interesting place for growth and learning.
Imagine each girl having her very own horse to spend time with and a best friend to love and take care of. Each camper is responsible for a horse for the week. Our riding program provides a lot of riding and lesson time. Campers will learn how to take care of the horse and the tack(马具), as well as how to ride. Days are filled with horse-related activities to strengthen the connection between each girl and horse, as the girls learn to work safely around the horses.
At Shadow Ridge we try to create a loving, caring family atmosphere for our campers. We have “The Bunkhouse”(4 girls), the “Wranglers Roost”(4 girls), and “The Hideout”(2 girls)in our comfortable 177yearold farm house. All meals are home cooked, offering delicious and healthy food for the hungry rider.
Our excellent activities create personalized memories of your child's vacation. Each child will receive a camp T-shirt and a photo album(usually 300～500 pictures)of their stay at camp.
Our camps are offered during June, July and August 2007, for small groups of girls aged 13～16 years, not only from Canada but also other parts of the world.
We will send you full program descriptions at your request.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract people to the camps. |
| B．To talk about camping experiences. |
| C．To describe the programs of the camps. |
| D．To explain the aim of the camps. |
What do we know about the camp programs at Shadow Ridge?
| A．Campers are required to wear camp T-shirts. |
| B．Horses play a central role in the activities. |
| C．Campers learn to cook food for themselves. |
| D．Horse lessons are offered all the year round. |
The programs at Shadow Ridge mainly aim to help people________.
| A．understand horses better |
| B．enjoy a family atmosphere |
| C．have fun above other things |
| D．achieve an educational purpose |
The passage is written mainly for________.
| A．horse riders |
| B．teenage girls |
| C．Canadian parents |
| D．international travelers |
阅读理解
One afternoon last fall in Edmonton, best friends Katelynn and Erikka were watching their favourite television show and snacking on candies. Suddenly, Erikka began choking.
Having just completed the CPR course in her physical education class, Katelynn sprung(跳起来)into action, performing the Heimlich Manoeuvre. It didn't work at first, Katelynn says, so she tried a different position and all of a sudden a green tube shot straight out of Erikka's mouth and landed on the floor in front of them.
“Since this happened, I just give her(Katelynn)lots and lots of hugs and thank her constantly for saving my life and I tell her I would save her life, too, if she were to ever need me! I tell everyone that taking a first aid course is very important because it teaches us how to save lives. It really does work！”Erikka says.
Katelynn adds, “It makes me feel much more confident and smarter knowing I can save a life. I know that I can actually put my training to use in emergency(紧急情况), whether it's to save the life of a family member, a friend or someone in the community.”
Filled with enthusiasm(热情), Erikka says，“There are so many areas in my life where I can use my first aid training. For example, I'm an athlete and I play lots of different sports. Things can happen on the field or at an athletic event, where my training could make a big difference and all of us babysit, which means you never know when you will be called upon in the case of an emergency. I am really glad I've had this training because I can use it again and again！”What happened to Erikka when she was snacking with Katelynn one afternoon last fall?
| A．She suddenly became very ill. |
| B．She suddenly lost her consciousness. |
| C．Something got stuck in her throat. |
| D．She ate too much. |
The Heimlich Manoeuvre is probably a way of________.
| A．doing physical exercise |
| B．giving first aid |
| C．enjoying oneself |
| D．playing games |
What Erikka says in the last paragraph shows that________.
| A．there are possible dangers in many areas of life |
| B．students should get trained in every way |
| C．she is going for dangerous sports |
| D．people should get trained to save other people's life |
From the passage, we can know that Erikka is a(n)________．
| A．student |
| B．nurse |
| C．athlete |
| D．patient |
We use both words and body language to express our thoughts and opinions and to communicate with other people. We can learn a lot about what a person is thinking by watching his or her body language. Words are important, but the way a person stands, folds his or her arms, or moves his or her hands can also give us information about his or her feelings.
Just like spoken language, body language varies from culture to culture. Making eye contact—looking directly into someone's eyes—is in some countries a way to show interest. In other countries, however, eye contact is rude or disrespectful. The gesture for OK, making a circle with one's thumb and index finger, has different meanings in different cultures. In Japan, someone who sees another person making the gesture will think it means money. In France, a person seeing the same gesture will think it means zero. In Brazil and Germany, however, the gesture is rude. The thumbs-up gesture, meaning “great” or “good job” in the US, is rude in Nigeria, but in Germany and Japan it means the number one. The “crazy” gesture, moving the index finger in a circle in front of the ear, means “you have a phone call” in Brazil.
Even the gestures we use for “yes” and “no” are different around the world. In many countries, shaking one's head means “no”， and Iran, however, the gesture have the opposite meaning. There are also differences as to how often we touch each other, how close we stand to someone we are talking to, and how we act when we meet or part. In some countries, for example France and Russia, a visiting friend is greeted each other with a firm handshake, a loving hug, a bow or simply a nod of the head.
While there are many different interpretations of our body languages, some gestures seem to be universal. Pressing one's palms together and resting one's head on the back of one's hand while closing the eyes as if sleeping means “I am tired.” A good way of saying “I am full.” is moving the hand in circles over the stomach after a meal. If a person pats his or her stomach before a meal, it usually means “I am hungry.”
Perhaps the best example of universally understood body language is the smile. A smile can open doors and tear down walls. In can be used to express almost any emotion. We can use a smile to apologize, to greet someone, to ask for help or to start a conversation. We can smile at ourselves in the mirror to make ourselves feel happier and stronger. And if we are feeling down or lonely, there is nothing better than to see the smiling face of a good friend.In which two countries does the thumbs-up gesture mean the same thing?
| A．In the US and Nigeria. |
| B．In Japan and Germany. |
| C．In Nigeria and Germany. |
| D．In Japan and Brazil. |
Which of the following can serve as the topic sentence of the passage?
| A．Body language differs from cultures to culture. |
| B．People send messages not only by words. |
| C．Body language is important in our daily life. |
| D．Smile plays an important part in our life. |
It can be learned that body language________.
| A．always takes place when we're talking |
| B．can help us to read a person's mind |
| C．is always necessary in communicating |
| D．can't mean the same in different cultures |
The first tape recorder didn't use tape. It used long thin wire. It was invented in 1900 by Valdermar Poulsen. In 1930, German scientists invented the tape we use today. Back then the tape was on big rolls. In 1964 the Philips company in Holland invented the cassette. It's pretty much a holder for the tape. People use cassettes all over the world. If you don't have a cassette recorder, borrow one.
Think of a book your parents read out loud to you. That might be a great book to read out loud to your mom or dad in their car. Put a cassette in the recorder, open the book, hit the record button and start reading out loud.
Remember there is not such a thing as a wrong way to do this. You might think you've made a mistake, but this gift is part of you，and nothing about that can be a mistake. It's impossible.
You get to be all artistic and creative here. You might want to play music in the background. Do whatever you want. The gift is you, so you decide. Remember to say “I love you” at the end of your reading. That's like the prize at the end of the book.Choose the right order that shows the development of the tape recorder.
a．Using big rolls.
b．Using cassettes.
c．Using thin wire.
| A．a，b，c |
| B．b，c，a |
| C．c，a，b |
| D．c，b，a |
Why does the author mention the history of tape recorders in Paragraph 1?
| A．To inform readers of new inventions. |
| B．To lead into his following suggestion. |
| C．To give an example of his suggestion. |
| D．To show the importance of tape recorders. |
What does the author advise us to do?
| A．To read a book to our parents in their car. |
| B．To ask our parents to record a book. |
| C．To make a gift for our parents. |
| D．To practice reading out loud. |