When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess(公主)in the school play. For weeks my mother had helped me practice my lines. But once onstage, every word disappeared from my head. Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's(解说者的)part for the play, and asked me to change roles. Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she sensed my unhappiness and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard.
It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions(蒲公英)popping through the grass in bunches, as if a painter had touched our landscape with bits of gold. I watched my mother carelessly bend down by one of the bunches. "I think I am going to dig up all these weeds," she said. "From now on, we'll have only roses in this garden."
"But I like dandelions," I protested. "All flowers are beautiful—even dandelions!"
My mother looked at me seriously. "Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it?" she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. "And that is true of people, too," she added.
When I realized that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the truth.
“But you will be a beautiful narrator, ”she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her.
Over the next few weeks, with her continuous encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role. The big day finally came. A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me. “Your mother asked me to give this to you,” she said, handing me a dandelion. After the play, I took home the flower, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed.
56.The girl did not play the role of the princess mainly because_______.
A.she felt nervous on the stage. B.she lost her interest in that role.
C.she preferred the role of the narrator D.she had difficulty memorizing her words
57.Why did the mother suggest a walk in the garden?
A.To remove the dandelions B.To enjoy the garden scene
C.to have a talk with her daughter. D.to help her daughter with the play.
58.What is the main idea of the story?
A.Everybody can find his or her own way to success. B.Everybody has his or her own value in the world.
C.Everybody should learn to play different roles D.Everybody has some unforgettable memory.
Modeled after US hot website Groupon.com, group buying websites are now popular in China.These websites use the power of group buying to get competitive discounts (打折)for a daily deal on some best stuff to do, see, eat and buy in the cities across China.Discounts(打折)are available within just one click.Zhao lei, a software engineer in Beijing, loves the one-hour lunch break at noon as it is the best time for him to check “today’s special” at his favorite group buying websites .Sometimes he searches for great deals at directory sites devoted to the new shopping space.Zhao spends around 800 yuan($117.65)on group buying every month, mostly to buy food coupons (优惠劵)for eating at some nice restaurants and occasionally (偶尔的)to find something fun to do.“ I love group buying.In addition to the competitive discounts it offers, it helps me get something fun, exciting and new, and such surprises give me a reason to try something new,” he said.When he finds a really good bargain, he will send the link to friends or colleagues through MSN,QQ, or e-mail, or share the information at some social networking websites.In doing so, he often gets a certain cut off the price.At some sites, buyers are invited to leave notes about what they want to buy and the website will consider it if similar applications(申请)reach a certain number.That is how Zhao got her digital camera after waiting for two months.“It is cool.I want to buy a new digital camera for my trip to Switzerland this winter, but I never expected such cheap prices!” Zhao said.We can learn from the passage that________.
A.China is the first country to start group buying |
B.the price of group buying depends on the market |
C.you can’t get the best you need through group buying |
D.group buying is becoming popular in China |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Zhao Lei has to spend about 800 yuan on group buying per month. |
B.Zhao Lei never surfs at other directory sites for group buying. |
C.Zhao Lei finds it easy to do group buying. |
D.Zhao Lei can’t buy food coupons to eat at a nice restaurant. |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Zhao Lei`s online purchasing life. |
B.Group buying |
C.The US hot websites |
D.A new digital camera |
Zhao Lei succeeded in getting a certain cut off the price by__________.
A.bargaining face to face |
B.discussing with the sellers |
C.providing the link to others |
D.inviting others to talk about the price |
Arthur Miller (1915-2005)is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller’s father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, attracted like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early l930s.
Miller’s most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as symbol of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sympathy: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller’s father move to the USA?
A.He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
B.He was attracted by the “Great American Dream”. |
C.He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
D.His family business failed. |
The play Death of a Salesman _______________.
A.exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
B.discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
C.talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
D.focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
A.He treats his employer badly. |
B.He runs the Wagner Company. |
C.He is a victim of the American system. |
D.He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman __________.
A.achieved huge success |
B.won the first Tony Award |
C.was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
D.was severely attacked by dramatists |
Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using “sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year.Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day.The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie.It usually came after they hit the “ignore" button when their mobile rang.
Three quarters of people think women are better liars.The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.
The second most common fib is “I haven't got any cash on me” when asked for money by beggars and Big Issue sellers.“Nothing's wrong – I'm fine” came third followed by “You look lovely” and “Nice to see you”.
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with “I didn't get your text” in 18th, “Our server was down” in 20th and “My battery died” in 26th place.Other lies to make the top ten included “I'll give you a ring”, “We're just good friends” and “We'll have to meet up soon”.“I'm on my way” and “No, your bum doesn't look big in that” completed the top ten.
In many cases perhaps it is better to delight someone with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for One Poll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults.He added: ‘As a nation we just like trying to be nice and not upsetting people.Often little white lies can cover what we actually want to say.Most of these were considered completely harmless.’“You look lovely” and “Sorry, I had no signal” ranked __________ on the popular-lie list.
A.fourth and tenth | B.fourth and first |
C.third and tenth | D.third and first |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.sentence | B.expression |
C.excuse | D.lie |
How many lies does an average Briton tell on average every month?
A.About 120 | B.About 360 |
C.About 1,500 | D.About 4 |
Just like children, baby animals spend countless hours at play. After studying animal play for many years, scientists recognize that young animal play is practice for adult behavior. Today this play is roughly divided into the following groups.
Locomotor play refers to the movements animals carry out in their play. Running, leaping, turning, and kicking are some of the most common examples of locomotor play. An adult deer may run, leap, and twist(曲折前进) to escape its attackers. Play movements like these surely make young animals nimble. Someday these skills might help save their lives.
Moving forward slowly, attacking suddenly .and biting are examples of predatory play that help young predators(食肉动物) prepare for a life of running after and taking hold of other animals. Wild cats, wolves, and bears are predators. It is very common to see these young animals play this kind of games which sharpen their skills and teach them about their strengths and limitations.
For children, playing with toys is both fun and educational. It helps improve their hand and eye movements as well as develop hand skills to accomplish tasks. It is the same with animals. Young chimpanzees improve their hand skills while playing with sticks. Birds also play with things in ways that teach. Swallows drop and recover feathers in mid air. Diving suddenly to catch the feathers is good practice for catching flying insects.
Social play helps animals learn how to behave when they run into other animals. And it teaches animals about communication. An animal gives signals to let another animal know it wants to play. Many animals give signals by showing a " play face" . In some ways this face is like a human smile; the animal holds its mouth in a relaxed and open manner. During play-fights, some animals may step backwards to signal that they are playing and not acting seriously.
Until now, scientists have understood playful acts help prepare animals for their serious adult situations. But the numbers of playful species and examples of animal play are vast. The purpose of animal play may have meanings scientists have not discovered yet.The main purpose of the text is to ______.
A.ask us to take good care of wild animals |
B.encourage us to learn more about animals |
C.entertain us with interesting animal stories |
D.show us something about animal behavior |
The underlined word "nimble" in Paragraph 2 can best be replaced by______.
A.cruel | B.swift |
C.curious | D.strong |
Which of the following belongs to predatory play?
A.A deer runs, leaps, and turns. |
B.A chimpanzee plays' with a stick. |
C.A lion moves slowly and makes an attack suddenly. |
D.A dog holds its mouth in a relaxed and open manner. |
Based on Paragraph 5, a " play face " is______.
A. a type of signal between animals
B. a name for a kind of animal play
C. an activity that involves adult animals
D an action that is taught to another animal Which of the following shows the structure of the text?
The uninvolved dad, turning up his nose at diapering(换尿布) and too busy to bathe, dress and play with his kids, is mostly a myth(神话) , a big government survey suggests. Most American fathers say they are heavily involved in hands-on parenting, the researchers found.
The results are encouraging and important " because others have found the more involved dads are, the better the outcomes for their children. " said researcher Jo Jones of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. She co-authored the report released Friday.
"Times have changed," said Robert Loftus, 34, of Yonkers, NY. He quit a six-figure sales job a year ago to care for his two young children while his wife works full time. "We are trying to rethink our priorities (优先考虑的事) and family seem to be N0 1 priority while in the past maybe people were more focused on career. "
The study involved nearly 4.000 fathers who were interviewed in person between 2009 and 2013.
◇Key findings among fathers living with children younger than 5 :
*9 in 10 bathed, diapered, helped them use the toilet or get dressed at least several times weekly .
* Even higher numbers played with them and ate meals with them that often
* Almost 2 0ut of 3 read to them at least several times weekly.
◇Among dads living with kids aged 5-18.
* More than 9 0ut of 10 ate meals with them at least several times weekly and talked with them about what happened during the kids' day that often.
* Almost 2 0ut of 3 helped with homework several times weekly.
* About half took their kids to or from activities that often.
Dr. David Hill, a Wilmington, N. C. pediatrician (儿科医生) said the survey reflects what he's seen among his patients' fathers. Increasingly, fathers rather than mothers take their kids to the doctor. Some "are anxious about changing a diaper, " he said.
Census(调查) numbers show that there were almost 190,000 stay-at-home dads nationwide last year versus 93,000 in 2010. Loftus, the New York stay-at-home dad, said, "I feel fortunate to be able to be such a hands-on father. I'm doing the most significant occupation in the world. "What can we learn about the research?
A.It aimed to study fathers' influence on kids. |
B.It showed most fathers often helped kids learn. |
C.It found most fathers played with kids every day. |
D. It mainly surveyed fathers' living with young kids. |
According to the text, Robert Loftus would agree that______.
A.time is important for success |
B.it is harder to find a job than before |
C.family is more important than work |
D. today's people are under much pressure |
Dr David Hill seems to consider the findings of the report ______ .
A.surprising | B.misleading |
C.convincing | D.unimportant |
What can we learn from Loftus' s words in the last paragraph?
A.He is proud of his efforts. |
B.He prefers to work full time. |
C. He needs his wife' s support very much. |
D.He finds it hard to be a stay-at-home dad. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.More stay-at-home dads in America |
B.Parents spend more time with children . |
C.The importance of family for Americans |
D.American dads more involved in parenting |