LINDAMAYNARD11WindriftCircleMe-优题课

Adrian’s “Amazing Race” started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn’t hear a thing, not even loud noises. In a special school for the hearing-impaired(听力受损的)， he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled children. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words.
Later on, Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular schools couldn’t take care of a special needs student. His parents were determined to take the risk and pushed him hard to go through his work every day because they wanted to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything. Adrian made the grade and got accepted. It was a big challenge. The pace (节奏) was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn’t always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after school.
The efforts made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06—being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so.
But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother. “If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great results,” she often said.
How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school?

A．By speaking

B．By using sign language.

C．By reading lips.

D．By making loud noises

Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school because ___________

A．they wanted him to live a normal life

B．they wanted to prove the headmaster wrong

C．he wouldn’t mix with other disabled children.

D．he wasn’t taken good care of in the special school

How did Adrian finally succeed in his study?

A．He did a lot of outdoor activities.

B．He was pushed hard to study every day.

C．He attended private classes after school.

D．He worked very hard both in and after class.

Why is Adrian’s life described as an “Amazing Race”?

A．He did very well in his study.

B．He succeeded in entering a regular school.

C．He reached his goals in spite of his disability.

D．He took part in the World Yacht Race 05/06.

Who is the most important person behind Adrian’s achievements?

A．The headmaster.	B．His mother.
C．The other disabled children.	D．An advisor.

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会) of each new skill -- the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality（准时）for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency（前后一致） is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.
Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills, _________________.

A．should be avoided

B．is universal among parents

C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

D．will make the child lose interest in learning new things

In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents _________________.

A．should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

B．should expect a lot of the children

C．should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own

D．should create as many learning opportunities as possible

The second paragraph mainly tells us that _________________.

A．parents should be strict with their children

B．parental controls reflect only the values of the community

C．parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone

D．it’s parents’ and society’s duty to control the children

The word“precept” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_________________”.

A．opinion

B．punishment

C．behavior

D．instruction

In terms of moral matters, parents should _____________________.

A．follow the rules themselves

B．be aware of the huge difference between adults and children

C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality

D．always ensure the security of their children

A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球), Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：while the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so deeply that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said a US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.”
What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Staying professional.	B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer.
C．A match between China and the US.	D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach.

Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.

A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy

B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to

C．disliked to be with her fans

D．didn’t want to disturb public order

What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?

A．destroyed completely	B．tore into pieces
C．spread out to the wind	D．rolled up

What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？

A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team.

B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.

C．She just tried to stay professional.

D．The results of each match will be the same.

What impressed the US team players most?

A．The tolerance of Chinese people.	B．The popularity of volleyball in China.
C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills.	D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese.

Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get alongswimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．early

B．sweetly

C．quickly

D．smoothly

Some cats and dogs may fight when ______.

A．they are cold to each other	B．they look away from each other
C．they misunderstood each other’s signals	D．they are introduced at an early age

What is found surprising about cats and dogs?

A．They eat and sleep each other.

B．They observe each other’s behaviors.

C．They learn to speak each other’s language.

D．They know something from each other’s voices.

It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ______.

A．have common interests	B．are less different than was thought
C．have a common body language	D．are less intelligent than was expected

What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?

A．We should learn to live in harmony.

B．We should know more about animals.

C．We should live in peace with animals.

D．We should learn more body languages.

An old woman had two large pots, one on each end of a pole. She carried the pole with the pots across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk from the well to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.
For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the well: “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled: “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty.”
Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these cracks that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.
What does the underlined word “crack” mean?

A．Very narrow space between two things or two parts of something.

B．Line of division where something is broken, but not into separate parts.

C．Fault in an idea, system, or organization.

D．Sudden sharp noise like the sound of a stick being broken.

How did the cracked pot feel about itself at first?

A．Proud.

B．Disappointed.

C．Annoyed.

D．Embarrassed.

Where were the flowers growing?

A．On both sides of the path.	B．In the woman’s house.
C．On the perfect pot’s side of the path.	D．On the cracked pot’s side of the path

Which is the correct order of the following events?
① The woman picked the flowers and decorated the table.
② The woman told the truth to the cracked pot.
③ The cracked pot talked to the woman about its crack.
④ The woman found a crack on one pot.
⑤ The woman planted some flower seeds.

A．④⑤①③②	B．⑤④③②①
C．④③①②⑤	D．④⑤③①②

What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A．Never laugh at imperfection.	B．No pains, no gains.
C．Imperfection makes life meaningful.	D．It’s never too late to learn.