An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” “Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?” “We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man. “$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for little brothers.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
What was the trouble in the little girl’s family?
A．Her brother was seriously ill. B．They had no money.
C．Nothing could save her brother. D．Both A and B.
In the eye of the little girl, a miracle might be .
| A．something interesting | B．something beautiful |
| C．some wonderful medicine | D．some good food |
The little girl said again and again “...I can try and get some more.” That shows .
| A．she had still kept some money |
| B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．There was no need to worry about money |
| D．she thought money was easy to get |
What made the miracle happen?
| A．The girl’s love for her brother． | B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. | D．Nobody can tell. |
From the passage we can infer(推断) that .
| A．the doctor didn’t ask for any pay |
| B．a miracle is sure to happen if you keep on |
| C．the little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．the doctor had great sympathy for the girl’s little brother |
Traffic jams seem a sure companion of national holidays. On May 1, there were constant traffic jams on highways leading out of the several metropolises, the longest, according to reports, was 55 kilometers. Some blame the jams on the two-year-old policy that allows cars with no more than seven seats to use the highways for free on public holidays, but a Beijing News editorial said this is not the real cause of the jams.
The growing automobile culture is doubtlessly among the causes. Data shows that China’s production and sales of automobiles both went up by 20 million in 2013. But over the same period there has been no breakthrough in highway construction, and when there are too many birds the nest will naturally become crowded.
Growing tourism also leads to the jams. At the 2014 global summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, which ended last week, it was reported that Chinese people spent almost 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013, which took up more than 90 percent of hotel income and more than 80 percent of air and railway use.
Worse, Chinese have to travel during the same periods. As employees’ rights to paid leave often fail to be protected, many have no choice but to travel on the limited public holidays. From Oct 1 to 7, the so-called Golden Week, almost every tourist site will be full of visitors. Therefore it is wrong to blame the free-pass policy.
That does not mean the government should stand idle doing nothing. As traffic jams during the holidays are predictable, they could develop more public transport and strengthen legal supervision to ensure that every employee enjoys their entitlement to a paid vacation or offer free passes on other days to encourage people to travel on days other than public holidays. The measures might not prevent traffic jams, but they may at least ease the jams.How many factors are mentioned in the passage accounting for the traffic jam on the highway?
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Traffic jams often happen on highways on national holidays. |
| B．People prefer to stay at home because of traffic jams. |
| C．Chinese people spent over 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013. |
| D．There is nothing the government can do to prevent traffic jams. |
What does the underlined sentence (Para.2) mean?
| A．highway construction cannot meet the demand of increasing cars. |
| B．the more highways are built, the less crowded it will become. |
| C．the rapid increase of cars is the direct cause of traffic jam on highways. |
| D．limits should be set on the use of private cars. |
Which of the following ways can ease the jams according to the passage?
| A．People drive private cars to spend holiday. |
| B．People take trains to spend their holiday. |
| C．Employees can have an expense-paid vacation. |
| D．People make use of public holidays to enjoy themselves. |
A student is learning to speak British English.He wonders：Can I communicate with Americans？Can they understand me？Learners of English often ask：What are the differences between British and American English？How important are these differences?
Certainly，there are some differences between British and American English.There are a few differences in grammar.For example，speakers of British English say“in hospital”and“Have you a pen？”；Americans say “in the hospital”and“Do you have a pen？”．Pronunciation is sometimes different.Americans usually sound “r”s in words like“bird”and“hurt”．Speakers of British English do not sound “r” in these words.There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary.For example，“colour”and“honour”are British；“color”and“honor”are American.
These differences in grammar，pronunciation，spelling and vocabulary are not important，however.For the most part，British and American English are the same language.According to this passage，a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that ______.
| A．British people cannot understand him |
| B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him |
| D．the spelling is too hard for him |
American English and British English are different in ________.
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation |
| C．grammar | D．all of the above |
What is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English. |
| B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two. |
| C．How the differences between British English and American English came about. |
| D．How important the differences are. |
A qualified doctor who rarely practiced but instead devoted his life to writing. He once said: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my lover.” Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was a great playwright and one of the masters of the modern short story.
When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family. After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less. Chekhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference (冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events. In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories.
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia. Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair.
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays. He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters. Chekhov’s work combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist.
Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s. One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students.Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a. became a doctor
b. became a full time writer
c. started to publish comic short stories
d. wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
e. entered the Moscow University Medical School
| A．e→c→b→a→d | B．e→c→a→d→b |
| C．d→a→b→c→e | D．a→e→d→c→b |
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ________.
| A．was a competent doctor | B．had a lawful lover |
| C．used to be a lawyer | D．as an illegal writer |
In 1880, Chekhov ________.
| A．became a full-time writer |
| B．published his most memorable stories |
| C．studied medicine in Moscow University |
| D．practiced medicine in his hometown |
Which of the following adjectives can’t be used to describe Chekhov?
| A．Sensitive. | B．Cool. |
| C．Quick-minded. | D．Warm-hearted. |
The young boy was sitting on the ground in the refugee(难民)camp playing with an empty tin．Other children were standing around watching him with envious eyes．
Envy? Of an empty tin?
This tin was indeed no worthless piece of trash—it was a splendid truck，complete with wheels and grille(铁栅) and floor．The vehicle even had remote control，a frayed piece of string from the“engine”to the hand of the owner．
The tin had lost all its original markings．But its first load had probably been sardines(沙丁鱼)．Later the tin had been left with other rubbish behind the refugee camp clinic，and the boy had found it on one of his daily expeditions into the“big world”．
For thousands of refugee children，a tin 1ike this rates high on their list of wants．It can be used for many purposes，as jewellery，as a toy，for drinking or as a medicine box．
Many refugee children would consider it the happiest day of their lives if they received a handful of marbles(弹珠) as a present．
They dream of gifts which children in developed countries take for granted．Maybe a book to read．or a pencil and an exercise book of their very own．
Their imagination can create toys，but it cannot create books．Someone else must provide them．A more costly and valuable gift they cannot imagine．How do you think the youn eel when he gets something to read?
| A．depressed | B．frustrated |
| C．excited | D．frightened |
Other children envied the young boy because the boy．
| A．had something to play with | B．got some sardines to eat |
| C．received a handful of marbles | D．had a real truck toy |
What is implied in the last paragraph of the text?
| A．The society should donate(捐)some toys for the refugee children |
| B．The refugee children are more imaginative rather than creative |
| C．The refugee children are more creative rather than imaginative |
| D．The society should offer the refugee children things for study |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Enviable Toy Present | B． Sardine Tin—A Precious Toy |
| C．A Splendid Truck Toy | D．A Poor Refugee Cam |
Dolphins (海豚) are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time --- at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903 Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.By telling the story of Jack the writer wanted to show that _____.
| A．people are cruel to animals |
| B．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they _____.
| A．live in groups | B．have their own language |
| C．are warm-blooded | D．have large brains |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A．Its mouth. | B．Its ears. |
| C．Its nose. | D．Its eyes. |
Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
| A．They wanted his help. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．He was lonely and liked to be with people |