As kids, my friends and I spent a lot of time out in the woods. “The woods” was our part-time address, destination, purpose, and excuse. If I went to a friend’s house and found him not at home, his mother might say, “Oh, he’s out in the woods, ” with a tone(语气) of airy acceptance. It’s similar to the tone people sometimes use nowadays to tell me that someone I’m looking for is on the golf course or at the gym, or even “away from his desk.” For us ten-year-olds, “being out in the woods” was just an excuse to do whatever we feel like for a while.
We sometimes told ourselves that what we were doing in the woods was exploring(探索). Exploring was a more popular idea back then than it is today. History seemed to be mostly about explorers. Our explorations, though, seemed to have less system than the historic kind: something usually came up along the way. Say we stayed in the woods, throwing rocks, shooting frogs, picking blackberries, digging in what we were briefly persuaded was an Italian burial mound.
Often we got “lost” and had to climb a tree to find out where we were. If you read a story in which someone does that successfully, be skeptical: the topmost branches are usually too skinny to hold weight, and we could never climb high enough to see anything except other trees. There were four or five trees that we visited regularly----tall beeches, easy to climb and comfortable to sit in.
It was in a tree, too, that our days of fooling around in the woods came to an end. By then some of us has reached seventh grade and had begun the rough ride of adolescence（青春期）. In March, the month when we usually took to the woods again after winter, two friends and I set out to go exploring. We climbed a tree, and all of a sudden it occurred to all three of us at the same time that were really were rather big to be up in a tree. Soon there would be the spring dances on Friday evenings in the high school cafeteria.The author and his fiends were often out in the woods to _______.
| A．spend their free time | B．play gold and other sports |
| C．avoid doing their schoolwork | D．keep away from their parents |
What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
| A．The activities in the woods were well planned. |
| B．Human history is not the result of exploration. |
| C．Exploration should be a systematic activity. |
| D．The author explored in the woods aimlessly. |
The underlined word “skeptical” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．calm | B．doubtful | C．serious | D．optimistic |
How does the author feel about his childhood?
| A．Happy but short. | B．Lonely but memorable. |
| C．Boring and meaningless. | D．Long and unforgettable. |
In my long years of teaching, I often ask my students to read the texts until they can recite them, and I tell them that recitation is an important part of their homework. However, some of my students are tired of doing so, thinking that it is both hard and useless. They argue that it takes a long time to recite a text from memory and text itself never appears in a test paper.
In my opinion, it naturally takes time to recite a text, but it is worth doing so. When you are able to recite a text, you are sure to be familiar with the words and expressions. When you need them in reading or writing or doing exercises, they will come to your mind quickly, and so you will give quick response to all kinds of language situation. How can we say that it is useless?
Besides, many students complain that they soon forget what they were once able to recite. This is true, but you don’t need to worry. While you are reading and forgetting the texts, your language level is being raised. Sure you don’t remember your Chinese texts that you once read in the primary school, but now you are able to read novels and newspaper. So, recitation of the texts will help you improve your language ability.The writer often asks his students to recite the texts, __________.
| A．But they don’t like to do so |
| B．And they are eager to do so. |
| C．But they wrote a letter to the Department of the Education reporting the thing. |
| D．But they do more exercises instead of reciting the texts. |
What do the students think about the teacher’s advice?_______
| A．The English teacher tries his best to help them with English |
| B．The English teacher is very kind to them. |
| C．The English teacher asks them to do something useless. |
| D．The English teacher should let them study on their own. |
According to the text, which of the following is correct_________.
| A．The teacher thinks the students are too naughty to learn english well. |
| B．The students think they spend a lot of time in reciting the texts and get nothing. |
| C．The students say that they often forget the words. |
| D．The students take no interest in English. |
When the students are against his suggestion, the writer_______.
| A．often criticizes them |
| B．patiently explains to them why they should recite the texts |
| C．wants to give up his idea |
| D．is afraid that he is criticized by the headmaster. |
Why does the writer suggest that the students recite the text?_____.
| A．Reciting the texts can improve the ability of applying English. |
| B．Reciting the texts is the bestway of learning English. |
| C．The students should remember all the texts that the teacher has taught them. |
| D．Reciting the texts can greatly improve the classroom teaching |
I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering（饮食）service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?
| A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service. |
| B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains. |
| C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic. |
| D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness. |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．China can make and sell any product all over the world |
| B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
| C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
| D．the new government program is aimed at encouraging imagination |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Look for a New Way of Learning. |
| B．Reward Creative Thinking. |
| C．How to Become a Creator. |
| D．Establish a technical Environment. |
American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts（转移）to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents（居民）became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs（郊区）。
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s , many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying . Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive. | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar. | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .
| A．are faced with housing problems. | B．are forced to move to the suburbs. |
| C．want to sell their buildings. | D．need more money for daily expenses. |
We can conclude from the text that .
| A．American cities are changing for the worse. |
| B．people have different views on American cities. |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities. |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities. |
Since the beginning of time, man has been interested in the moon. The Romans designed a special day to show admiration and respect to the moon. They called it “Moonday”, or “Monday”, as we know it today. Later, the great mind of Leonardo da Vinci studied the moon and designed a machine to carry a human to the moon. Leonardo said that one day a great machine bird would take a person to the moon and bring great honor to the home where it was born. Four and a half centuries later, Leonardo’s idea was realized. Apollo II took three Americans, Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong to the moon. The mission (任务) did fill the whole world with great surprise, as Leonardo had said it would. Numerous essays, articles, and books were written about man’s first moon mission. But perhaps the most interesting story was one written before the event over 100 years before. In 1865, French author Jules Verne wrote a story about the first journey to the moon. His story was very similar to the 1969 Apollo II mission. Verne’s spacecraft also contained three men—two Americans and a Frenchman. The spacecraft was described as being almost the same size as Apollo II. The launch (发射) site in Verne’s story was also in Florida. The spacecraft in Verne’s story was named the “Columbiad”. The Apollo II command ship was called “Columbia”. His account of sending the spacecraft into the space could easily have been written about how Apollo II was sent into the space. Leonardo da Vinci said that a great machine bird would ________.
| A．bring great honor to the moon |
| B．fly toward the sun |
| C．explore the heavens |
| D．take people to the moon |
Jules Verne wrote his story of a man’s visit to the moon about ________.
| A．100 years before the Apollo II mission |
| B．10 years before the Apollo II mission |
| C．four and one a half centuries ago |
| D．100 years ago |
Verne’s story is very similar to _____.
| A．the first U.S. space mission |
| B．the Apollo II mission |
| C．Leonardo da Vinci’s story |
| D．numerous other books on the same subject |
The underlined word “spacecraft” probably means ________.
| A．a kind of rocket | B．a kind of plane |
| C．a kind of train | D．a kind of bus |
There are one billion homeless people living in our world today . The Homeless World Cup exists to end this , so we all have a home , a basic human need .
The Homeless World Cup is an annual , international football tournament(锦标赛) , uniting teams of people who are homeless to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever . It has inspired and supported over 50 grass roots(基层的) football projects around the world working with homeless people throughout the year .
The first tournament took place in Graz 2003 uniting 17 national teams . At the 5th Homeless World Cup in Copenhagen in 2004 , 48 nations , 500 players were united for a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country . 25,000 players were involved in pre-tournament training and trials around the world .
The Homeless World Cup is full of players with courage , spirit and determination . Research shows that 73% of players change their lives for the better after the international tournament by coming off drugs and alcohol , moving into jobs , education , homes , training , reuniting with families and even going on to become players and coaches for professional or semi-professional football teams . David Duke (Scotland) played in 2004 , came off alcohol , passed his coaching qualifications(资格) . He became assistant coach for Scotland 2005 , coach in 2006 and now owns his own home . The best goal scorer in 2004 Yevgen Adamenko(Ukraine) went on to play in a professional club in Ukraine .
The Homeless World Cup supporters include Nike , UN , Manchester United , Real Madrid and international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand .The purpose of the Homeless World Cup is to.
| A．find a home for homeless people |
| B．collect money for homeless people |
| C．help the homeless kick bad habits |
| D．help the homeless start a new life |
Which of the following statements is true about the Copenhagen Homeless World Cup ?
| A．It took place in early December . |
| B．25,000 players entered the tournament . |
| C．Nearly 50 teams competed in the tournament . |
| D．David Duke won the best goal scorer in 2004 . |
Why does the writer give the examples of Yevgen Adamenko and David Duke in Paragraph 4 ?
| A．To attract people to join the Homeless World Cup . |
| B．To show the influence of the Homeless World Cup . |
| C．To show the popularity of the Homeless World Cup . |
| D．To inspire people to support the Homeless World Cup . |
The underlined words “ coming off ” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “” .
| A．giving up | B．falling in | C．cutting off | D．looking down |