Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not , I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account ).I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version(版本) of yourself , instead of a second-class version of somebody else .”
Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:
In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.
At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit（储蓄）into your PBA and will build strength.The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “ ”.
Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?
| A．Be your true self rather than follow others. |
| B．Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class. |
| C．Make efforts to be the first instead of the second. |
| D．Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent. |
What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story ？
| A．honesty can be of great help. |
| B．A bad thing can be turned into a good one. |
| C．Helping others cheat can do good to nobody. |
| D．One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds. |
In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express .
| A．one must be brave to be honest |
| B．it’s difficult to be honest when others are not |
| C．one should be honest when making a deposit |
| D．honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future |
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bikes to work every day． In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City． They declare that if more people rode bikes to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines．
For several years, this group had been trying to get the city government to help bike riders． For example, they want the city to draw special lanes(车道) for bikes on some of the main streets, because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars there are accidents． Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes．
But no bike lanes have been drawn． Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic． Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business．
The city government has not yet decided what to do． It wants to keep everyone happy． On weekends, Central Park—the largest place open ground in New York— is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bikes only．In New York, a group of bike riders__________．
| A．are keeping practicing for health |
| B．have no cars of their own |
| C．are complaining there are not enough buses |
| D．are trying to settle the problem of air pollution |
The bike riders suggest that __________．
| A．bikes should be used instead of cars |
| B．bike lanes should be drawn |
| C．fewer buses or cars should be used |
| D．the number of special lanes should be decreased |
The advantage of the special lanes is that__________．
| A．they will make cars and buses run slowly |
| B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks |
| C．they will make the city more beautiful |
| D．they will prevent accidents |
Before you make friends, you have to decide who you want to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things they do.
The quickest way to make a friend is to smile. When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. It may not be easy at first to smile, but remember most people will stay away from a scared or angry looking face.
One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about him. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn’t it make you want to keep talking to that person?
Ask your new friends questions about themselves. Who’s their favorite singer, where do they live, what do they do after school are all good questions to start a conversation. Make sure you have something to add to the conversation, too. When someone asks you a question, do have an answer for them. There’s nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug (耸肩) for an answer.
Kids who show an interest in other kids and who are kind and friendly make good friends. Remember, everyone wants to be around people who like to do similar things and people who are nice to them.This passage gives us some advice on _________.
| A．how to make friends |
| B．what kind of person you can make friends with |
| C．how to start a conversation |
| D．the importance of smile |
Most people like to make friends with those______.
| A．who are sad every day. |
| B．who share the same interest |
| C．who are fond of talking |
| D．who say bad things to them |
According to the third paragraph, most people enjoy talking to one _______.
| A．who is always smiling |
| B．who seems to be friendly |
| C．who praises them |
| D．who points out their shortcomings. |
The underlined (划线的)part in this passage means “_______”.
| A．being very proud | B．making no answer |
| C．knowing nothing | D．not hoping to answer |
Medical drugs sometimes cause more damage than they cure. One solution to this problem is to put the drugs inside a capsule, protecting them from the body—and the body from them—until they can be released at just the right spot. There are lots of ways to trigger(引发) this release, including changing temperature, acidity, and so on. But triggers can come with their own risks—burns, for example. Now, researchers in California have designed what could be a harmless trigger to date: shining near-infrared light (NIR,近红外线) on the drug in the capsule.
The idea of using light to liberate the drug in the capsule isn't new. Researchers around the globe have developed polymers (聚合物) and other materials that begin to break down when they absorb either ultraviolet (UV,紫外线) or visible light. But tissues also readily absorb UV and visible light, which means the drug release can be triggered only near the skin, where the light can reach the capsule. NIR light largely passes through tissues, so researchers have tried to use it as a trigger. But few compounds(化合物) absorb NIR well and go through chemical changes.
That changed last year when Adah Almutairi, a chemist at the University of California, San Diego, reported that she and her colleagues had designed a polymer that breaks down when it absorbs NIR light. Their polymer used a commercially available NIR-absorbing group called o-nitrobenzyl (ONB). When they catch the light, ONB groups fall off the polymer, leading to its breakdown. But ONB is only a so-so NIR absorber, and it could be poisonous to cells when it separates from the polymer.
So Almutairi and her colleagues reported creating a new material for capsules that's even better. This one consists of a long chain of compounds called cresol groups linked in a polymer. Cresol contains reactive(易反应的) components that make it highly unstable in its polymeric form, a feature Almutairi and her colleagues use to their advantage. After polymerizing the cresols, they cap each reactive component with a light-absorbing compound called Bhc. When the Bhcs absorb NIR light, the reactive groups are exposed and break the long polymer into two short chains. Shining additional light continues this breakdown, potentially releasing any drugs in the capsule. What's more, Almutairi says, Bhc is 10 times better at absorbing NIR than is ONB and is not poisonous to cells.According to the passage, which of the following could be the best trigger?
| A．Temperature change. | B．NIR light. | C．Acidity change. | D．UV light. |
Why in ONB unsatisfactory?
| A． It breaks down when it absorbs NIR light. |
| B． It falls off the polymer and triggers drug release. |
| C． It has not come onto the market up till now. |
| D． It is not effective enough and could be poisonous. |
Which word can be used to complete the following process of changes?
| A．protected | B．formed | C．exposed | D．combined |
Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蜡) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or people as it leads them to the nest. When they
finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
| A．It's small in size. | B．It's hidden in trees. |
| C．It's covered with wax. | D．It's hard to recognize. |
What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．A bee. | B．A bird. | C．A honey seeker. | D．A beekeeper. |
The honey guide is special in the way________.
| A．it gets its food | B．it goes to church |
| C．it sings in the forest | D．it reaches into bees' nests |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Wild Bees | B．Wax and Honey |
| C．Beekeeping in Africa | D．Honey-Lover's Helper |
Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad Realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.When his wife left home, Brad expected to ______ .
| A．go out for a walk in the park. |
| B．watch TV talk show with his children. |
| C．enjoy his first day off work. |
| D．read the newspaper to his children. |
Which of the following did Randy do?
| A．Drawing on the wall. | B．Eating apple jam. |
| C．Feeding the fish. | D．Reading in a room. |
Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?
| A．Because he wanted to clean up his house. |
| B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office. |
| C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home. |
| D．Because he had to take his wife back. |
This text is developed______
| A．by space. | B．by comparison. | C．by process. | D．by time. |