I arrived at my mother’s home for our Monday family dinner. The smells of food flew over from the kitchen. Mother was pulling out quilt(被子)after quilt from the boxes, proudly showing me their beauties. She was preparing for a quilt show at the Elmhurst Church. When we began to fold and put them back into the boxes, I noticed something at the bottom of one box. I pulled it out. “What is this?” I asked.
“Oh?” Mom said, “That’s Mama’s quilt.”
I spread the quilt. It looked as if a group of school children had pieced it together; irregular designs, childish pictures, a crooked line on the right.
“Grandmother made this?” I said, surprised. My grandmother was a master at making quilts. This certainly didn’t look like any of the quilts she had made.
“Yes, right before she died. I brought it home with me last year and made some changes,” she said. “I’m still working on it. See, this is what I’ve done so far.”
I looked at it more closely. She had made straight a crooked line. At the center of the quilt, she had stitched(缝) a piece of cloth with these words: “My mother made many quilts. She didn’t get all lines straight. But I think this is beautiful. I want to see it finished. Her last quilt.”
“Ooh, this is so nice, Mom,” I said.
It occurred to me that by completing my grandmother’s quilt, my mother was honoring her own mother. I realized, too, that I held in my hands a family treasure. It started with the loving hands of one woman, and continued with the loving hands of another.
68. Why did the author go to mother’s home?
A. To see her mother’s quilts. B. To help prepare for a show.
C. To get together for the family dinner. D. To discuss her grandmother’s life.
69. The author was surprised because __________________.
A. the quilt looked very strange. B. her grandmother liked the quilt.
C. the quilt was the best she had seen. D. her mother had made some changes
70. The underlined word “crooked” in the passage most probably means __________ .
A. unfinished B. broken C. bent D. unusual
71. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Quilt Show B. Mother’s Home C. A Monday Dinner D. Grandmother’s Quilt
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders(火蜥蜴)and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that __________.
A.wild animals have become more dangerous |
B.the driving condition has improved greatly |
C.an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
D.the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
From the story, we know an eco-passage is __________.
A.an underground path for cars |
B.a fence built for the safety of the area |
C.a bridge for animals to get over a river |
D.a path for animals to cross the road |
When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on” (Para. 6), he means __________.
A.animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
B.animals are crossing the road in groups |
C.animals are increasing in number |
D.animals begin to learn to use eco-passages |
The best title for the passage is __________.
A.Special bridges help animals cross the road |
B.Endangered animals increase because of roadkill |
C.Animals fail to cross the road |
D.Take steps to protect animals in danger |
I’m sure you know the song “Happy Birthday”. But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?
The retired professor, Archibald A. Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story. Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr. Archibald Hill’s aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called “Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”. Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then. They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book. One of them was the famous “Good Morning to You.” The song said, “Good morning to you, good morning to you, dear children, good morning to all.” This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children. But not many grown-ups knew it. A few years later little Archibald was born. As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song “Happy Birthday” to the melody(曲调)of “Good Morning to you” to her little nephew(侄子). She sang the song like this: Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Archie! Happy birthday to you!
Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did. People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune(曲调简单)and friendliness in words.Archibald A. Hill was __________.
A. English B. Russian C. American D. AustralianProfessor Archibald A. Hill was Miss Mildred Hill’s __________.
A. son B. student C. brother D. nephewWhy did Miss Hiss wrote songs?
A.Because they are musicians. |
B.Because they love children. |
C.Because they were asked to write for a book. |
D.Because their nephew asked them to do so. |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic (惊慌) increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it. ”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he lived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.
Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
A.He was riding to school. |
B.He was listening to a strange sound. |
C.He was going fishing with his father. |
D.He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
A.They crowded like a black cloud. |
B.They shocked and terrified Andy. |
C.They tried to attack Andy in a mass. |
D.They made Andy stay in hospital for two days. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
A.He asked Mr. Nelson for help. |
B.He did himself under the water. |
C.He rushed into the Nelson house. |
D.He rode off in the opposite direction. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
A.No pains, no gains. |
B.Once bitten, twice shy. |
C.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
D.In time of danger, one’s mind works fast. |
Following the nuclear at the Fukushima (福岛) nuclear power station in Japan, Germany has decided to abandon the use of nuclear energy sooner than it had planned.
Germany was planning to cut its use of nuclear power slowly over 25 years. But now, the government has speeded up its program. Germany’s government has said that seven of its 17 nuclear reactors (反应堆) will stop working for three months for safety checks.
Nuclear power has been very unpopular in Germany since the Chernobyl (切尔诺贝利) nuclear reactor disaster in Ukraine (乌克兰) in 1986. Since then, the country has been working on developing new resources of energy.
The plan to give up nuclear power will cost the country at least 150 billion euros (1.4 trillion yuan)) in investment. Experts say this will likely lead to a rise in electricity prices.
Some experts think Germany is setting a good example for countries such as the US to follow. Germany now gets 23 percent of its energy from nuclear power –about as much as the US.
However, France, which relies on nuclear energy for more than 70 percent of its power, shows no sign of changing its policy.
We can most probably read the article _______.
A.in a newspaper | B.in a pamphlet(小册子) |
C.in an advertisement | D.in a textbook |
The most appropriate heading for this article is _______.
A.Germany to develop its new resources of energy |
B.Nuclear power no longer popular in Germany |
C.Germany to have safety checks for some nuclear reactors |
D.Germany to end its nuclear energy program |
According to the article, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT______.
A.In both the US and Germany, approximately a quarter of their energy are from nuclear power now. |
B.The explosion of some Fukushima nuclear reactors has quickened Germany’s pace to abandon nuclear energy. |
C.France, which relies on nuclear energy for more than 70 percent of its power, will follow Germany and cut its use of it at any cost. |
D.The Chernobyl nuclear disaster seemingly cast a huge shadow over the Germans, making them increasingly suspicious of the safety of nuclear energy. |
Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account(交易账户)where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:
No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits(储蓄)without taking them out in a month.
Convenient
Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet——You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ________.
A.parents | B.teenagers | C.winners | D.adults |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
A.Special gifts are ready for parents. |
B.The bank opens only on work days. |
C.Services are convenient for its members. |
D.Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
. The Winners Club provides magazines which ________.
A.encourage spending |
B.are free to all teenagers |
C.are full of adventure stories |
D.help to make more of your money |
What is the purpose of this text?
A.To set up a club. | B.To provide part-time jobs. |
C.To organize key-cards. | D.To introduce a new banking service. |