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Hank Viscardi was 26 years old when he put on his first pair of long trousers and his first pair of shoes. For the first time he saw himself as he had always wanted to be –a full five feet eight inches tall.
Hank had been born without legs. Until he was seven, his world was a world of repeated operations. At last, he had no legs but stumps (残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots.
Out of the hospital, Hank often found people slating at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him “Ape man” because his arms dragged on the ground. He went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years instead of the usual twelve.
After graduation, Hank worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, Hank had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. Hank would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself go cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial (人工的)legs.
Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror and saw himself for the first time five feet eight inches tall.
But this was not the end yet. He had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room, and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed the stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War Ⅱcame, he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, the man without legs.
63. It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches is _______.
A. an average height for an adult
B. too tall for an average person
C. too short for an average person
D. Hank's real height
64. The writer implies in the story that the Red Cross _______.
A. was only too glad to give him a job
B. gave him a job because be was a good soldier
C. gave him a job after he talked to somebody he knew in the organization
D. was not willing to give him a job at first
65. When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers _______.
A. he did everything the other soldiers did
B. he did most of the things the other soldiers did
C. he took some regular exams
D. he took some special training
66. The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _______.
A. had no friends
B. never saw himself as different from others
C. was very shy
D. was too proud to accept help from others
B
London’s newest skyscraper (摩天大楼)is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better.
The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶)• He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin,sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆)of the ships that were once on the river Thames.
The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.
Before building work began, a lot of people didn’t want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.
Other critics don’t like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.
The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city.London’s newest skyscraper is called the Shard because of ._____
A.its cost |
B.its size |
C.its shape |
D.its height |
When he designed the Shard, Piano wanted it to ._____
A.change London’s skyline |
B.inherit London’s tradition |
C.imitate the Egyptian style |
D.attract potential visitors |
The critics who refer to social division think the Shard_______ .
A.is only preferred by the rich |
B.is intended for wealthy people |
C.is far away from the poor area |
D.is popular only with Londoners |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.The Shard: Cheers and Claps |
B.The Shard: Work of a Great Architect |
C.The Shard: New Symbol of London? |
D.The Shard: A Change for the Better? |
A
In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach threw me into embarrassment
In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class,I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk,she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered,and my face felt warm.
“Correct,” she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero.
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third,I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?
A.It is wise to value one’s time. |
B.It is important to make an effort |
C.It is right to stick to one’s belief. |
D.It is enough to do the necessary. |
Usually, Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.
A. recite their homework together |
B.grade their homework themselves |
C.answer their homework questions orally |
D.check the answers to their homework questions |
The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.
A.asked questions in a regular way |
B.walked up and down when asking questions |
C.chose two or three questions for the students |
D.requested her students to finish their usual questions |
The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.
A.the class didn’t begin as usual |
B.several students didn’t come to school |
C.he didn’t try hard to make his estimate |
D.Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.An Unforgettable Teacher |
B.A Future Mathematician |
C.An Effective Approach |
D.A Valuable Lesson |
D
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this,they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget (预算). Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget demands a choice between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice. You have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot, but over time it adds up.Parents give their children allowances in order to _____.
A.show off their wealth of family |
B.let them make more money |
C.learn the value of money |
D.help children manage family finance |
What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The time to give allowances. |
B.The way to spend alloweances. |
C.the amount of allowances given to children. |
D.Considerations taken to give allowances. |
Why are parents adivsed to offer young children allowances strictly as planned?
A.To help children learn to make a budget. |
B.To have children save money for larger costs. |
C.To let children make fewer mistakes. |
D.To give them more allowances next time. |
What does the author intend to tel lthe readers?
A.The methods of limiting allowances. |
B.The advice on a better family budget. |
C.Teaching children to use allowances wisely. |
D.Offering allowances to children properly. |
C
A Southampton University team found that people who were vegetarians by 30 had recorded five IQ points higher on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with a higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 people was reported in the British Medical Journal.
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarians — although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
Men who were vegetarians had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in the IQ scores, between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarians but reported eating fish or chicken.
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said, “The findings that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarians as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why a higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said,“It is like the chicken and egg. Do people become vegetarians because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they are clever enough to be more aware of health issues?”What’ s the result of the research mentioned in the text?
A.Children with a higher IQ are less likely to have heart disease later in life. |
B.Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life. |
C.Intelligent children tend to belong to higher social class later in life. |
D.Children with a healthier heart tend to have a higher IQ later in life. |
It was found in the research that________.
A.most of the participants became vegetarians 20 years after the IQ tests were carried out |
B.female vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians |
C.vegetarians who ate fish or chicken were of similar intelligence with strict vegetarians |
D.vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians |
Catharine Gale talked about “being vegetarians” in a(n)________way.
A.doubtful | B.favorable |
C.negative | D.objective |
What’ s the best title for the text?
A.Get more IQ points! |
B.Be a vegetarian, please! |
C.A high IQ is linked to being a vegetarian |
D.Vegetarian diet cuts heart risk |
B
Woman Uses Daughter's Key to "Steal" Car
Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it-using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry(丰田凯美瑞)and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom(赎金),” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition(点火装置) as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said.What does the underlined word "towed" mean in paragraph 3?
A.removed. | B.damaged. |
C.stolen. | D.sold. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers. |
B.Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter. |
C.Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back. |
D.Mrs. Anderson used her daughter's key to unlock Charlie's car and drive home. |
What does Charlie mean by "high-five for Toyota"?
A.He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys. |
B.He should thank Toyota for returning his car. |
C.He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back. |
D.He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars. |
What is likely to happen next according to the passage?
A.Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car. |
B.Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car. |
C.Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation. |
D.The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation. |