When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate(照亮)me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say:“Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, He was in despair(失望)and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think:“Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist(心理学家),who will only fill up the healing(愈合的)silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
1.In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
A. become serious about her study B. go to her friend’s house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school D. share poems and stories with her friend
2.In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
3.According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
A. call each other regularly B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other D. dream of meeting each other
4.In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to ______.
A. seek professional help B. be left alone
C. stay with her best friend D. break the silence
5.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship D. Noble Companions
Elizabeth and I are 18 now, and about to graduate. I think about our elementary school friendship, but some memories have blurred(模糊). What happened that day in the fifth grade when Beth suddenly stopped speaking to me? Does she know that I’ve been thinking about her for seven years? If only we could go back, and discover what ended our relationship.
I have to speak with Beth. I see her sometimes, and find out school is “fine”. It’s not the same. It nvever will be. Someone says that she’s Liz now. what happened to Beth?
I can’t call her. Should I write? What if she doesn’t answer me? How will I know what she’s thinking?
Yes, I’ll write her a letter. These things are easier to express in writing. “Dear Be-,” no, “Dear Li-” no, “Dear Elizabeth,” I begin. The words flow freely, as seven-year-old memories are reborn. I ask her all the questions that have been left unanswered in my mind, and pray she will answer. I seal my thoughts in the perfect white envelope, and imagine Beth looking into the mailbox. Will she know why I’m writing? Maybe she once thought of writing the same letter.
As the mailman takes my envelope from me forever, I wonder if I’ve made the right decision. Do I have the right to force myself into Beth’s life again? Am I simply part of the past? I have taken the first stop. Beth has control of the situation now.
One day has passed. Are my words lying on the bottom of the post office floor.
Two days are gone. I’m lost in thought and don’t even hear the phone ring.
“Hello? It’s Elizabeth”What can we learn about Beth?
A.She had a quarrel with the author in the fifth grade |
B.She moved to another school in the fifth grade |
C.She is now called Liz instead of Beth |
D.She hasn’t seen the author for seven years |
Why does the author decide to write a letter instead of calling?
A.She is sure that Beth will not answer |
B.She’s afraid that they’ll quarrel on the phone |
C.She doesn’t know Beth’s telephone number |
D.It is easier to express her feelings in writing |
What does the underlined sentence mean in the fifth paragraph?
A.It’s up to Beth to decide what to do next |
B.Beth is to be blamed for the ending of their friendship |
C.Beth is in the same situation as the author is |
D.The author is completely in the hands of Beth now |
What might happen at the end of the story?
A.Beth answers her letter two day later |
B.The letter doesn’t reach Beth at all |
C.They make up their friendship |
D.Beth refuses to make peace with her |
Sometimes two very different individuals (个体)become the best friends. For example,, who could have thought that a spider would become friends with a pig? But in American writer E.B.White’ novel Charlotte’s Web, this is exactly what happens
Wibur the pig grows up in a barn(谷仓) and makes many friends, including a spider called Charlotte. One day a sheep tells Wibur that he will finally be served up as dinner. But Charlotte decides to save her friend. To help Wibur,Charlotte writes words like “terrific”, “radiant” and “humble” on her web to praise Wibur. This makes the farmer believe that is too important to kill.Wibur is saved, but Charlotte is so tired that she dies.
The book was first published in 1952. In over 60 years Charlotte has become one of the most famous spiders of all time. She teaches us about love and promise. “She is very, very loving under that crusty(暴躁),that ugly look,” Peter Neumeyer, writer of The Annotated Charlott’s Web
The book’s success drew the attention of Hollywood filmmakers , however, they wanted a happier ending. White was strongly against this idea and as a result the film, like the book, ends with Charlotte’s death.
Jen Doll, reporter with The Atlantic, believe that “death is a part of life”. She says this is one of the main messages of the book.
As Charlotte tells Wibur, “You have been my friend. That in itself is a wonderful thing. I wove(纺织)my webs for you because I like you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while and then we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess(杂乱), with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a little. God knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”Which of the following about the story is TRUE?
A.It’s a good example of how differences make us different |
B.It encourages children to love their family and friends |
C.The farmer kills Wibur as dinner |
D.Charlotte is loving and helpful although she is ugly |
What is the disagreement about Charlotte’s Web between Hollywood filmmaker and White?
A.How Charlotte makes friends with Wibur |
B.How to make Charlotte lovely |
C.Whether Charrlotte should die |
D.Whether Wibur should be killed |
In the last paragraph, Charlotte’s main message is that _________
A.life could be boring and troublesome |
B.friendship is more important than life |
C.dying for a good cause is worthwhile(值得的) |
D.life is like a web |
“Clean your plate!” and “Be a member of the clean-plate club!” Just about every kid in the US heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often, it’s accompanied by an appeal: “Just think about those starving orphans in Africa.” Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites. Instead of “cleaning the plate’, perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow.
According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies(胃口,食欲). A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. Americans traditionally associate (将……联系起来) quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little.
Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today that restaurant portion(一分,份额) sizes began (or grew) in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand(扩大).
Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently, some customers are calling for this too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can’t afford fine dining still prefer large portions. Seventy percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $25,000 want smaller.
It’s not that working-class Americans don’t want to eat healthily. It’s just that, “after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal. They live from paycheck, happy to save a little money for next year’s Christmas presents.”Parents in the United States tend to ask their children _______.
A.not to save food | B.to wash the dishes |
C.not to eat too much | D.not to waste food |
Why do American restaurants serve large portions?
A.Because Americans associate quantity with value. |
B.Because Americans have big bellies. |
C.Because Americans are good eaters. |
D.Because Americans are greedy. |
Which of the following is NOT true of working-class Americans?
A.They work long hours. |
B.They live from paycheck to paycheck. |
C.They don’t want to be healthy eaters. |
D.They want to save money for their children. |
What happened in the 1970s?
A.The US government recommended the amount of food a restaurant gave to a customer. |
B.Health experts persuaded restaurants to serve smaller portions. |
C.The United Stated produced more grain than needed. |
D.The American waistline started to expand. |
What does the survey indicate(表明,显示)?
A.Many poor Americans want large portions. |
B.Twenty percent of the Americans want smaller portions. |
C.Fifty seven percent of the Americans earn $150,000 per year. |
D.Twenty three percent of the Americans earn less than $25,000 per year. |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter((中枢神经系统的)灰白质). This is the area of the brain which processes(加工,处理) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals ” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density(密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
A.science on learning a second language |
B.language learning and the increase in one’s brain power. |
C.man’s ability of learning a second language |
D.language learning and the study of maths |
In the second paragraph, the writer mentions exercise in order to _____.
A.say language is also a kind of physical labour |
B.prove that one needs more practice when he or she is learning a language |
C.make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
D.to show the importance of using the language when you learn it. |
What change can we get during the experience of learning a second language?
A.The increase of the ability to learn. |
B.The development of muscles. |
C.The improvement of strange pronunciation. |
D.A worse understanding of different ideas. |
We may know from the scientific findings that _______.
A.there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
B.the experience of learning a second language has a bad effect on people’s brain |
C.the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
D.the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.
A.learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
B.Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
C.early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
D.you’d better start to learn a second language between 2 and 34 |
Sports
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer.
Sports change with the season. People play different games in winter and summer. Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities. The Arabs use horses or camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back to thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Both of them are just about a hundred years old. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person’s character. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.From the passage we know that ______.
A.people began to play sports about one hundred years ago |
B.about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played |
C.basketball has a longer history than volleyball |
D.not all the games have a long history. |
According to this passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A.Sports help to train a person’s character. |
B.People from different countries may not be able to understand each other before a game. |
C.People swim only because there are a lot of rivers in their country. |
D.Sports and games can develop the friendship between people all over the world. |
The writer did NOT tell us in this passage that ______.
A.basketball was invented in America |
B.sports change with the season |
C.games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities |
D.football is played all over the world |
The writer writes about the Arab’s using camels in their sports to show that _____.
A.it is a unique sport |
B.it has a long history |
C.sports help to train one’s character |
D.some sports are closely related to people’s work and daily activities |
The underlined word “grace” in the last paragraph probably means “________” in Chinese.
A.成功 | B.风度 | C.公平 | D.梦想 |