I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility (责任) of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (懂事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.Why was the writer once known as the singing cook?
A.Because he was a cook at a country-music club. |
B.Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook. |
C.Because he often sang while cooking. |
D.Because he liked singing better than cooking. |
Who first recognized his talents and helped make his career successful?
A.Wamer Brothers. | B.His manager. |
C.His father. | D.A businesswoman. |
What made the writer proud of himself?
A.His ability to live independently. |
B.His sense of responsibility in whatever he did. |
C.His courage in the face of rejections. |
D.His hard work in his early days. |
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t see. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your fingers. How do you feel, then?
With medical knowledge and skills today, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind people should not have to suffer. Unluckily, rich countries have this knowledge, but developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international charitable (慈善的) organization. Its goal is to help fight blindness all over the world. Inside a DC-8 airplane, there is a teaching hospital with television room and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest technology of helping the blind get sight again here. ORBIS is always trying to keep a closer relation among countries.
ORBIS helps those developing countries by providing sight-saving training. It has taught over 35,000 doctors and nurses. They continue to treat thousands of blind people every year. They have traveled around the earth 3 times, visited 76 countries and treated over 20,000 blind people. They need your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just $ 38, you can help one person see; for $ 380 10 people can see; $ 1,300 helps train a doctor new skills; and for $ 13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your love can help them open their eyes to the world.How many blind people should not have to suffer with medical knowledge and skills today?
A.14 million. | B.42 million. |
C.28 million. | D.200 million. |
A lot of blind people in the world have to suffer because _____.
A.ORBIS didn’t do its best to offer help |
B.there is no good medical knowledge and skills |
C.some countries can’t afford medical knowledge and skills |
D.developing countries don’t pay much attention to the blind |
According to this passage, ORBIS helps fight blindness by doing the following EXCEPT _____.
A.writing this kind of articles to ask for help |
B.providing sight-saving training |
C.treating thousands of blind people every year |
D.trying to keep a close relation among countries |
The last paragraph is mainly about _____.
A.how much a training program for a group of doctors costs |
B.why ORBIS needs your help to continue their work |
C.who can make thousands of blind people see again |
D.what you can do to help blind people open their eyes |
The writer writes this passage in order to ______.
A.introduce an international charitable organization |
B.ask people to give the blind a hand |
C.tell how you feel if you lose your eyes for a minute |
D.explain why ORBIS helps fight blindness |
SPRING RESTAURANT Telephone: 3324545 Address: East Road Open: Mon. to Fri. 7:30 am—2:30 pm and 5:00 pm—9:00 pm Sat. 7:30am—2:00pm and 5:00 pm---9:30 pm Sun. 11:00 am---2:00pm and 5:00 pm –9:30 pm |
SCIENCE MUSEUM Telephone: 3351352 Address: Green Road Open: Mon. to Fri. 9:00 am—5:00 pm(Tuesday free) Sat. 9:00 am---6:00 pm |
SUNSHINE SHOPPING CENTER Telephone: 3374398 Address: Peace Road Open: Mon. Wed. and Fri. 9:30 am—5:30 pm Tues. Thurs. and Sat. 9:30 am ---9:00 pm |
HUATAI HOTEL Telephone: 3368432 Address: West Road Coffee shop: Mon. to Fri. 6:00 am Sat. and Sun. 7:00 am Mon. to Wed. to 10:00 pm Thurs. to Sat. to 11:00 pm Sun. to 9:00 pm. |
You do not have to pay money on Tuesday if you go to _________.
A.Spring Restaurant | B.Science Museum |
C.Sunshine Shopping Center | D.Huatai Hotel |
What can’t you do at 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon?
A.Go to Spring Restaurant. |
B.Have coffee in Huatai Hotel. |
C.Visit Science Museum. |
D.Shop in Sunshine Shopping Center. |
If you want to drink coffee early on weekdays, you can go to _________.
A.Peace Road | B.East Road |
C.West Road | D.Green Road |
Which place is still open after 10:00 pm on Thursday?
A.Spring Restaurant. | B.Science Museum |
C.Sunshine Shopping Center. | D.Huatai Hotel |
The text is probably taken from_________.
A.a novel | B.a guide book |
C.a dictionary | D.a science report |
This is a tale of two friends --- one is blind, the other has no arms. On their own, the two are “disabled”. But together, they are a powerful team that has changed part of their village in North China’s Hebei Province into a rich, green forest. Meet 53-year-old Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi!
Their story began in 2000, when Haixia, who was already blind in his right eye, lost his left one after an illness. Wenqi lost his arms in an accident when he was just three. Neither could find a job, so the two decided to team up. They rented some poor land and began to plant trees. In return, the local officials paid them a small fee. Haixia and Wenqi never imagined that they would end up creating an environmental paradise. Their forest now has over 10,000 trees, hundreds of birds and many other wild animals. In addition, it saves the village from river flooding during the rainy season. When the friends work together, they focus on their strengths not their disabilities. Their day begins at 7 a.m. when the sightless Haixia carries Wenqi across the river to get to their worksite. Since they cannot afford to buy young trees to plant, the two use branches from existing trees. Haixia climbs to the tree-top and with Wenqi’s direction, selects the perfect branch. He then digs a hole and carefully plants it. Finally Wenqi waters the area.
Though hard-working, the men don’t make much money. But as Wenqi puts it, “We stand on our own feet, so the fruits of our work taste sweeter.”
Neither Haixia nor Wenqi cares about money. Together, they already have everything they need --- a perfect pair of eyes, two strong hands, and the best friendship in the world!Why did Haixia and Wenqi start working together?
A.Haixia needed someone to help him. |
B.They both needed a way to make money. |
C.They wanted to improve the environment. |
D.They were required to do so by local offcials. |
Haixia and Wenqi’s forest has helped the village by______ .
A.stopping floods in the rainy season |
B.increasing the number of tourists |
C.making the villagers richer |
D.providing more farmland |
Why do Haixia and Wenqi plant tree branches?
A.They are easy to get. |
B.They do not cost money. |
C.They can grow very quickly. |
D.They are preferred by animals. |
In paragraph 5, when Wenqi says “We stand on our own feet, so the fruits of our work taste sweeter”, he means that “______”.
A.they hope to make the forest even better |
B.the fruits from their trees are very sweet |
C.they are proud not to depend on others |
D.they are able to do any difficult work |
What can we learn from this story?
A.Never give up and you will succeed. |
B.We should help the disabled to work. |
C.Try your best when facing difficulties. |
D.We can achieve more with teamwork. |
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word “green” means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenborn is someone who has no experience. In the 15 th century, a greenborn was a young cow or an ox whose borns(角)had not yet developed. A century later, a greenborn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18 th century, a greenborn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20 th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. The Green Revolution(绿色革命)is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling. Jealousy(嫉妒). The green eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants.
In most places in the world, a green light is a signal(信号)to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means approval(赞成)to continue with a project.A new solider was called a greenborn in the ____ century.
A.15 th | B.16 th | C.18 th | D.20 th |
A person with a green thumb____.
A.is good at growing plants |
B.really has a green thumb |
C.has no experience in war |
D.is new in a job |
A man may meet the green eyed monster if ____.
A.he sees a dangerous animal |
B.he can’t get something |
C.he reads a sad play |
D.his friend gets a prize that he wants |
This passage doesn’t mention the history of the expression “____”.
A.a green thumb | B.a greenborn |
C.the green eyed monster | D.a green light |
Which would be the best title of the passage?
A.Green, the color of grass and trees |
B.The stories about the color “green” |
C.Green, a sign of approval |
D.Different meanings of “green” |
Most of us probably live without vegetables, but a world without chocolate? Now that would be hard! According to chocolate makers it could happen if we don’t act soon.
There are two main causes of the chocolate shortage --- chocolate’s growing popularity and less production of cocoa, the plant from which chocolate is made. With more and more people in India and China loving chocolate, not much can be done about the first cause.
Therefore, the only thing we can do is to increase cocoa production. However, new plant diseases and little rain in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s largest producers, have reduced cocoa production by 40 percent in the past 10 years. What’s worse, many cocoa farmers in Africa and other cocoa-producing countries like Indonesia and Venezuela are changing to easier-to-grow crops such as corn or rubber. This way, the farmers can make more money.
To prevent more farmers from changing, researchers at the newly opened International Cocoa Control Centre, in the UK, are trying to create new cocoa plants that are stronger and faster growing. But first they must make sure the new plants are safe to grow. This takes a long time.
First, each new plant is stored at the Control Centre for six months to make sure it is healthy. It is then planted in the Centre’s fields, studied and tested for another two years. Only after scientists are certain that they’re disease-free, will the plants be sent to farmers in West Africa or wherever else they are needed.
To create new stronger types of cocoa, scientists at the Centre are combining the best parts from different cocoa plants. Though the world is facing a serious chocolate shortage, there is now hope!The first paragraph tells us that______.
A.chocolate is healthier than vegetables |
B.the world could soon be without chocolate |
C.people love vegetables more than chocolate |
D.it’s not necessary to eat so much chocolate |
In which countries has chocolate become more popular in recent years?
A.Venezuela and Indonesia. |
B.Ivory Coast and Ghana. |
C.Indonesia and China. |
D.China and India. |
Cocoa farmers are choosing to grow rubber and corn because these crops______.
A.can make them more money |
B.need less rain to grow |
C.can be planted more times each year |
D.are not damaged by plant diseases |
How long does it take scientists at the Centre to make sure a cocoa plant is safe to grow?
A.6 months. | B.12 months. | C.24 months. | D.30 months. |
What is one of the purposes of the Cocoa Control Centre?
A.To introduce cocoa production to more countries. |
B.To provide more chocolate for British people. |
C.To produce stronger types of cocoa plants. |
D.To make sure that cocoa is healthy to eat. |