Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of ___1___ is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the ___2___ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his ___3___. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he ___4___ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without ___5___. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter ___6___ what happened to Persephone, she became so ___7___ that she caused all plants to ___8___ People were in ___9___ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow ___10___ her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her. ___11___, still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone’s ___12___. She could go back to her mother if she had not ___13___ anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter ___14___ it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate(石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus ___15___ this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her ___16___, but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. and so it ___17___ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore ___18___ not let the crops grow. That is ___19___ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is ___20___, it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.
1. A. periods B. seasons C. time D. age
2. A. winner B. ruler C. advisor D. fighter
3. A. wife B. lover C. partner D. daughter
4. A. forbid B. forgive C. admit D. accept
5. A. arrangement B. warning C. reason D. permission
6. A. let out B. worked out C. thought out D. found out
7. A. excited B. tired C. angry D. serious
8. A. grow fast B. start growing C. stop growing D. grow slowly
9. A. danger B. hope C. turn D. case
10. A. since B. until C. after D. when
11. A. Persephone B. Zeus C. Demeter D. Hades
12. A. return B. change C. marriage D. journey
13. A. stolen B. found C. eaten D. heard
14. A. understood B. refused C. doubted D. accepted
15. A. discovered B. studied C. forgot D. prepared
16. A. daughter B. mother C. god D. ruler
17. A. works B. remains C. happens D. starts
18. A. should B. can C. dare D. will
19. A. where B. because C. why D. how
20. A. nice B. friendly C. fresh D. happy
Every Chinese-language textbook starts out with the standardphrases for greeting people, but as an American, I always found myself to speak freely when it came to seeing guests off at thedoor. Just a goodbye would not do, yet that was all I had ever learned from the books. So I would smile and nod, bowing like aJapanese and searching madly for words that would over thevisitor's leaving and make them feel they would be to comeagain. In my unease, I often hid behind the shirts of my Chinesehusband's kindness.
Then finally, listening to others, I began to pick up the phrasesthat relationships and sent people off not only successfullybut also skillfully.
for the Chinese includes a lot of necessary habitualpractice. Although as a ，I'm not expected to observe or evenknow all the rules, I've had to learn the expressions of politenessand at a leaving-taking.
The Chinese feel they see a guest off to the farthestpossible point— down the flight of stairs to the street below or per-haps all the way to the bus stop. I've sometimes waited halfan hour or more for my husband to return from seeing a guest off, he's gone to the bus stop and wailed for the bus to arrive.
That's very well, but when I'm the guest being seen off, my pro-tests are always . My hostess or host, or both, insists on me down the stairs and well on my way, with my repeating " Don't to see me off at the every landing " . If I try to go fast to them from following, they are simply out to the discomfort of having to run after me. Better to accept the inevitable.
Besides, that's going against Chinese ，because haste(doing things quickly) is to be avoided. What do you say when you someone? Not " Farewell or Godspeed(祝福)" ， " Goslowly " . To the Chinese it means " Take care " or " Watch your " ，or some such caution(谨慎），but translated literally(字面意思）it means " Go slowly. "
A．easy B．difficult C．unable D．effective
A．useful B．terrible C．priceless D．proper
A．smooth B．talk C．calm D．take
A．speeded B．broke C．destroyed D．eased
A．Parting B．Leaving C．Separating D．Interviewing
A．wife B．guest C．hostess D．foreigner
A．protest B．refuse C．explain D．state
A．can B．will C．may D．must
A．farthest B．nearest C．easiest D．shortest
A．although B．unless C．if D．since
A．fastest B．first C．next D．last
A．effective B．unnecessary C．useless D．troublesome
A．leading B．seeing C．inviting D．pushing
A．trouble B．have C．decide D．walk
A．protect B．keep C．discourage D．dismiss
A．rule B．custom C．design D．opinion
A．meet with B．talk with C．part from D．call on
A．and B．or C．but D．even
A．foot B．health C．shoe D．step
I work as a volunteer(志愿者）for an organization that helpsthe poor in Haiti. Recently I took my son Barrett there for a week, hoping to him.
Before setting out, I told Barrett this trip would be tiring and . For the first two days, he said almost nothing. I worried thetrip was too for a 17-year-old boy. Then, on day three, as wewere over high rocky mountains, he turned to me andgrinned(咧嘴笑），" Pretty hard. "
After that there was no turning back. A five-year-old girl, wearinga dress several sizes large and broken shoes, followed Barrettaroimd, mesmerized(着迷). He couldn't stop . Later he said ，" I wish I could speak French. " I was —this from aboy who hated and French classes throughout school.
Usually silent, he Gaby, our host, and kept askingquestions about the country and its people. He blossomed (活拨起来).
，the moment that really took breath away occurred in a village deep in the mountains. I was a womanvillager for an article. 135 centimeters tall, she was small in figurebut strong in . Through determination, she had learned toread and write, and to become part of the leadership of the .
Learning her story, Barrett was as as I by this tinywoman's achievements. His eyes were wet and there was a oflove and respect on his face. He had finally understood the importance of my work.
When leaving for home, Barrett even offered to stay as avolunteer. My insides suddenly felt struck. This achieved all I'dexpected. Soon he will celebrate his 18th birthday. He'll be a man.
A．comfort B．please C．attract D．educate
A．rough B．dangerous C．troublesome D．violent
A．little B．much C．fast D．slow
A．moving B．running C．climbing D．looking
A．too B．very C．even D．so
A．joking B．crying C．shouting D．smiling
A．patiently B．regretfully C．lightly D．cheerfully
A．ashamed B．disappointed C．determined D．surprised
A．took up B．went in for C．fought against D．called off
A．befriended B．disregarded C．avoided D．recognized
A．Thus B．Even C．Meanwhile D．However
A．my B．his C．our D．her
A．asking B．interviewing C．arranging D．describing
A．brain B．wish C．will D．health
A．appeared B．struggled C．hesitated D．failed
A．village B．city C．organization D．state
A．pleased B．bored C．puzzled D．touched
A．combination B．Composition C．connection D．satisfaction
A．in B．behind C．out D．away
A．interview B．flight C．article D．trip
On Sunday I had my own Father's Day celebration. Suddenly I about my dad a lot. My dad is absolutely the man in the world. He would refuse to help anyone in trouble.
Every Thursday night, my dad would Shreveport, LA to a church there. I always drove the car for him.
this happened many times, I recall(回想起）one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport. That time on the ，my dad saw a hitchhiker(搭便车的人）. He asked me to pull the car over and offer him a . Dad asked him his name and ad-dress, told him ours, and talked to him about all sorts of things.
At first the hitchhiker was hesitant (迟疑的），but he changed his as he could tell we were really listening to him. I did know that it was quite outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.
We another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was many difficulties in life. Dad told him to keep his head up and said that would become better for him soon. He reached into his pocket and the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill, leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself. The hitchhiker then became very
I was always told never to a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one. Dad always gave them money he did not have very much of his own.
From that I've learned a lot about my dad and . I've learned that if you come from a place with ，you will show a lot of kindness to people who are . Just one single kind act may someone's life.
A．learnt B．talked C．thought D．worried
A．kindest B．cleverest C．funniest D．bravest
A．sometimes B．never C．often D．ever
A．head for B．drive to C．come from D．stay in
A．Because B．So C．Unless D．Although
A．field B．way C．job D．side
A．dinner B．sign C．ride D．chance
A．attitude B．trip C．route D．plan
A．dark B．cold C．sunny D．windy
A．walked B．escaped C．drove D．flew
A．facing B．forgetting C．understanding D．causing
A．habits B．choices C．ideas D．things
A．returned B．handed C．paid D．charged
A．sad B．angry C．nervous D．grateful
A．look at B．laugh at C．listen to D．pick up
A．as soon as B．except that C．even if D．as if
A．business B．Life C．entertainment D．adventure
A．laughter B．success C．complaint D．love
A．destroy B．change C．risk D．share
Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scot-land. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist ( 打击乐器独奏演员）in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷爱）for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never me.
“My was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can the pitch of a note (音调高低）by the vibrations (振动）I feel through my body and through my . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every that I have.
" I was to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in Lon-don. No other deaf student had this before and some teachers my admission. Based on my performance, I was (14) admitted and went on to with the academy's highest honors. "
“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I (16) and arranged a lot of musical compositions since had been written specially for solo percussionists.
“I have been a soloist for over ten years. the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn't that my passion couldn't be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be by others. Follow your passion ； follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go. "
A．conditions B．Opinions C．actions D．recommendations
A．enjoying B．choosing C．taking D．giving
A．sight B．hearing C．touch D．taste
A．evidence B．result C．excuse D．cause
A．left B．Excited C．accompanied D．disappointed
A．purpose B．decision C．promise D．goal
A．turned B．learned C．used D．ought
A．tell B．see C．hear D．smell
A．Carefulness B．movement C．imagination D．experience
A．sense B．effort C．feeling D．idea
A．dissatisfied B．astonished C．determined D．discouraged
A．done B．accepted C．advised D．admitted
A．supported B．followed C．required D．opposed
A．usually B．finally C．possibly D．hopefully
A．study B．research C．graduate D．progress
A．wrote B．translated C．copied D．read
A．enough B．some C．many D．few
A．However B．Although C．When D．Since
A．mean B．seem C．conclude D．say
A．directed B．guided C．taught D．Limited
The True Story of Treasure Island
It was always thought that Treasure Island was the product of Robert Louis Stevenson's imagination. ，recent research has found the true story of this exciting work.
Stevenson, a Scotsman, had lived for many years. In1881 he returned to Scotland for a . With him were his American wife Fanny and his son .
Each morning Stevenson would take them out for a long —over the hills. They had been this for several days before the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Kept indoors by the heavy rain, Lloyd felt the days . To keep the boy happy, Robert asked the boy to do some .
One morning, the boy came to Robert with a beautiful map of an island. Robert that the boy had drawn a large cross in the middle of . “What’s that?" he asked. “That’s the treasure, " said the boy. Robert suddenly something of an adventure story in the boy's . While the rain was pouring, Robert sat down by the fire to write a story. He would make the a twelve-year-old boy, just like Lloyd. But who would be the pirate (海盗）？
Robert had a good friend named Henley, who walked around with the of a wooden leg. Robert had always wanted to —such a man in a story. Long John Silver, the pirate with a wooden leg, was .
So, thanks to a September in Scotland, a friend with a wooden leg, and the imagination of a twelve-year-old boy, we have one of the greatest stories in the English language.
A．However B．Therefore C．Besides D．Finally
A．alone B．next door C．at home D．abroad
A．meeting B．story C．holiday D．job
A．Lloyd B．Robert C．Henley D．John
A．talk B．rest C．walk D．game
A．attempting B．missing C．planning D．enjoying
A．quiet B．dull C．busy D．cold
A．cleaning B．writing C．drawing D．exercising
A．doubted B．. noticed C．decided D．recognized
A．the sea B．the house C．Scotland D．the island
A．forgotten B．buried C．discovered D．unexpected
A．saw B．drew C．made D．learned
A．book B．reply C．picture D．mind
A．star B．hero C．writer D．child
A．help B．problem C．use D．bottom
A．praise B．produce C．include D．accept
A．Yet B．Also C．But D．Thus
A．read B．born C．hired D．written
A．rainy B．sunny C．cool D．windy
A．news B．love C．real-life D．adventure