Nick Campbell sat at the side of the road and wondered what to do next. He looked at the second-hand Harley Davidson he’d bought from a back-street garage back home in Miami at the beginning of his trip six weeks before.
For years he had dreams of crossing the United States from east to west by motorbike and he’d finally decided that it was now or never. He’d given up his job, sold his car and set off for the journey of his dreams. He’d been lucky, or so he thought, to find this old Harley Davidson and had bought it for a very reasonable price------it had cost him just $600. But five kilometers from Atlanta, he had run out of luck. The motorbike had broken down.
He pushed the bike into town and found a garage. The young mechanic told him to leave the bike overnight and come back the next day. The following morning, to his surprise, the man asked if the bike was for sale. “Certainly not,” he replied, paid his bill and hit the road.
When he got to Kansas the old machine ran out of steam again. This time Nick thought about selling it and buying something more reliable, but decided to carry on. When the bike was going well, he loved it.
However, in Denver, Colorado the bike broke down again so he decided to take it to a garage and offer it for sale. The mechanic told him to come back in the morning.
The next day, to his amazement, the man offered him $2,000. Realizing the man must be soft in the head, but clearly not short of money, Nick asked for $ 3,000. The man agreed and they signed the papers. Then the mechanic started laughing. In fact it was several minutes before he could speak and when he could he said, “That’s the worst deal you’ll ever make, boy."
He removed the seat. On the underside was the inscription (铭文):
'To Elvis, love James Dean. '
56. Harley Davidson here refers to a _________.
A. car B. truck C. garage D. motorbike
57. Which of the following did Nick value most?
A. Harley Davidson. B. His job. C. His dream to travel. D. His car.
58. Nick was unwilling to sell his Harley Davidson because he thought it was
A. lovely B. valuable C. reliable D. old
59. The underlined word ~ hi the 6th paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. clever B. crazy C. honest D. kind
60. At the end of the story, Nick must have felt very __________.
A. sorry B. delighted C. excited D. moved
Apply early to assure your place! Please sign up now!
Songs of Hope is an overnight performing arts summer camp in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA for kids aged 10 and older from around the world. More than just a performing arts camp, Songs of Hope offers participants a unique opportunity to live with kids from other cultures while learning and performing music from many countries.
Each summer, up to 75 children venture to Minnesota from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the US. They arrive as strangers but soon become friends as they learn popular songs and dances from each other's cultures. The lessons learned during these six weeks are profound (深远的). The friendships are enduring. And the stories are inspirational. Taking part in the Songs of Hope camp is a lifechanging experience.
DATES
The Songs of Hope 2013 session will run from June 17 to July 30. Because Songs of Hope is a global camp, it is impossible for us to schedule the program to fit all the school schedules of all the schools in the world. Therefore, we understand that some participants may need to arrive late or leave early. Don't let that stop you from applying! We are happy to make special arrangements as needed. Just send us an email to explain your scheduling challenges. We are happy to arrange a special study room for late arrivals to make up for the missing lessons.
PARTICIPANT FEE
For the 2013 summer, the fee for new, firsttime participants is $2,950, subject to the special discounts offered below.
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS
If you apply before February 28, you get a special fee reduction of $100. Also, there is a 20% fee discount for additional participants from your family if you have a brother or sister who is a Songs of Hope participant. The discount applies to the second, third, and any other additional siblings attending in the same year from the same family.The Songs of Hope 2013 session will last about ______.
| A．three weeks | B．five weeks |
| C．nine weeks | D．six weeks |
The summer camp will help kids in the following ways EXCEPT ________.
| A．making more international friends |
| B．improving their performing ability |
| C．traveling around the US |
| D．learning more about other cultures |
What will happen if you arrive late?
A．They will give you a special discount.
B．You will have to miss some lessons.
C．You will have to attend the next year's camp.
D．They will make up for the missed lessons.
【小题4If you and your sister apply for the first time on May 18, how much will both of you pay in total?
A．$5,310. B．$4,720.
C．$5,900. D．$6,100.
Learning to speak English well may be the best thing you can do to improve your life. That's right. If you can communicate in English, you can:
Contact people from all over the world. Talk about your ideas and opinions on Internet discussion groups. Send email to interesting people.Learn about their life and culture.
Travel more easily. Communicate with people wherever you go—English is spoken in more than 100 countries (source). Ask directions, have a conversation, or...ask for help. Who knows, maybe English will save your life someday!
Push your career forward. If you want a good job in business, technology, or science, get out of that armchair and start learning English now! (If you already have a good job, start learning before you lose it!)
Knowing English will let you:
Put “excellent knowledge of English” on your CV. Get your dream job, and earn more money.
Gain technical knowledge. English is the language of technology, especially high technology like computer science, genetics, and medicine. If you're going to read about technology, you'll probably have to do it in English.
Learn computer science. Read technical articles without difficulty. Or write your own articles!
Be a worldclass businessman (or woman). It's simple. International business is done in English. And all business today is international. So if you want to play, you have to know English—to contact other business people, go to conferences, read international business newspapers and magazines, etc.
Become a better scientist. Contact scientists from other countries, go to international conferences, visit academic centers abroad. Learn about new scientific discoveries by reading papers, books, and magazines.
Use your computer more effectively. Most computer applications are in English, so you will understand them better—and become a better employee.According to the passage, knowing English will let you ______.
| A．travel in your country more easily |
| B．gain technical knowledge |
| C．contact people all over your country |
| D．watch television networks |
Sending email to interesting people is a way to ______.
| A．learn knowledge |
| B．contact people |
| C．become a better scientist |
| D．work better |
A worldclass businessperson may ______.
| A．write his/her own articles |
| B．read international business newspapers |
| C．talk about his/her ideas and opinions |
| D．read about technology |
If you don't learn English, you may lose ______.
| A．your good job | B．your family |
| C．your friends | D．your game |
Whenever the sun dropped and the blue sky came up, my father and I used to climb the mountain near my house. Walking together, my father and I used to have a lot of conversations through which I learned lessons from his experiences. He always told me,“You should have goals like climbing the mountain.” Without the mountainclimbing that we both enjoyed, we couldn't have enough time to spend together because my father was very busy. I really got a lot from mountainclimbing. It gave me time to talk with my father and to be in deep thought as well as develop my patience.
Once we climbed a very high mountain. It was so challenging for me because I was only ten years old. During the first few hours of climbing, I enjoyed the flowers and trees, and the birds' singing, but as time passed, I got a pain in both of my legs. I wanted to quit climbing. In fact, I hated it at that mountain, but my father said to me,“You can always see a beautiful sky at the top of the mountain, but you can't see it before you reach the top. Only there at the top can you see all of the nice things, just like in life.”
At that time, I was too young to understand his words. But later after that, I got new hope and confidence. I found myself standing at the top of the sky, which was as clear as crystal.The passage tells us that mountainclimbing was ________ for Father and Son.
| A．hard | B．painful |
| C．enjoyable | D．comfortable |
Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentences in the second paragraph?
| A．You will get all you need at the top of the mountain. |
| B．The sky is always as clear as crystal. |
| C．You can find life is full of nice things. |
| D．Never give up halfway. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．the writer reached the top of the mountain |
| B．the writer was very successful in his life |
| C．though the writer was young, he could understand his father |
| D．the writer used to stop halfway when he climbed the mountain |
The best title for the passage is “________”.
| A．Reaching the Top of the Mountain |
| B．Standing at the Top of the Mountain |
| C．Conversations between Father and Son |
| D．How to Get to the Top of the Mountain |
President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket．
“I just miss -- I miss being anonymous,” he said. “I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk.”
His dream, he said, was to “go through Central Park and watch folks passing by…spend the day watching people -- I miss that”.
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. “It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours.” he told Hearst magazines．
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge (誓言) to change, such as the "kabuki dance" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin． His comments may be seen as vindication (证实) by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached (漠然), and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week．
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up 60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years．In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century．What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Obama likes living a busy life． |
| B．Obama used to spend most of his time with his family． |
| C．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures． |
| D．He used to wash his car himself． |
According to Obama, he plays golf to.
| A．release his pressure |
| B．keep fit |
| C．balance his work |
| D．show his ability |
We can infer from the passage that Obama is kabuki dance．
| A．curious about | B．interested in |
| C．content with | D．tired of |
Which of the following statements is from the critics?
| A．The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House. |
| B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties． |
| C．The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues． |
| D．The president is really a great golf player． |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Obama's favorite pastime． |
| B．Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president． |
| C．The public's criticism of Obama． |
| D．Obama's regrets for being the US president． |
Over the centuries the French have lost a number of famous battles with the British. However, they’ve always felt superior in the kitchen. France has for centuries had a reputation for cooking excellence, and Britain for some of the worst cooking in the world. But according to a recent survey, that reputation may no longer reflect reality.
In the survey, 71% of the Britons said they cook at home every day, while only 59% of the French said they cook daily. British home cooks spend more time cooking each week and also produce a greater variety of dishes than French home cooks.
The reaction in London was predictably enthusiastic. British food has greatly improved since the 1990s. Once upon a time, the menu for many family meals would have been roast beef, potatoes and over-cooked vegetables, but not now. Home cooks are experimenting with the huge range of ingredients now available in British supermarkets and are preparing all kinds of new dishes, using the cookbooks that sell millions of copies every year. As a result, there’s much more diversity in British food now, compared to French food, which tends to be very traditional.
Some French people say that the survey did not show the whole picture. They agree that during the week French women don’t cook as much as they used to because most of them work and don’t have much time. They tend to buy ready-made or frozen dishes, but many of them make up for it on the weekend. There’s also a difference between Paris and the country-side. It’s true that people in Paris don’t cook much, but elsewhere, cooking is still at the heart of daily life.
For many French people, opinions about British food have not changed. When Bernard Blier, the food editor at a magazine, was asked about British food, he replied: “I don’t go out of my way to try it. It is not very refined. You can say that I’m not a fan at all.”What does the underlined part in the first paragraph imply?
| A．French cooking is better than British cooking. |
| B．The British defeated the French in many battles. |
| C．British cooking is thought to be the worst. |
| D．British cooking is now better than it was. |
According to the passage, nowadays British people_______ .
| A．cook less at home than the French every day |
| B．no longer eat roast beef and over-cooked vegetables |
| C．are more willing to try cooking all kinds of new foods |
| D．buy more cookbooks than French people do |
What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?
| A．French women cook less often now. |
| B．The French prefer ready-made dishes. |
| C．French women seldom cook on the weekend. |
| D．Cooking is at the heart of people’s life in Paris. |
What is Bernard’s attitude towards British food?
| A．He would love to try it. |
| B．He shows no interest in it. |
| C．He considers it worse than before. |
| D．He considers it better than before. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．The history of British food. |
| B．The history of French food. |
| C．The change in British food. |
| D．The change in French food. |