On the first day of class, Mr Whiteson gave us a lecture about a creature(生物) called cattytiger, a kind of cat-like animal that completely disappeared during the Ice Age. He passed round a skull (头骨) as he talked, and we all felt interested and took notes while listening. Later, we had a test about that.
When he returned my paper, I was very, very surprised. There was a very large cross through each of my answers. And so it was with everyone else’s in our class. What had happened? Everyone was wondering and couldn’t wait to get the answer.
Very simple, Mr Whiteson explained. He had made up all that story about the cattytiger. There had never been such an animal. So why none of us noticed that and how could we expect good marks for the incorrect answers?
Needless to say, we got very angry. What kind of teacher was this?
We should have guessed it out, Mr Whiteson said. After all, at the very moment he was passing around the cattytiger skull (in fact, a cat’s), hadn’t he been telling us that it completely disappeared during the Ice Age? Clearly he was telling a lie. But we just kept busy making notes and none used his head. We should learn something from this. Teachers and textbooks are not always correct.
1. We failed in the test because we didn’t________.
A. take notes while listening
B. show interest in what Mr Whiteson said
C. listen to the teacher carefully
D. think carefully
2. We got angry because________.
A. Mr Whiteson didn’t tell us the truth about cattytiger
B. we failed in the test
C. we didn’t know why he played the joke on us
D. there was no cattytiger
3. Mr Whiteson gave us a special lesson________.
A. to show his special way of teaching
B. to play a joke on us
C. to help us learn our lessons better
D. so that we would no longer believe him
4. Mr Whiteson meant that________.
A. teachers couldn’t make any mistakes
B. textbooks might be wrong sometimes
C. we should speak up if we thought our teacher or the textbook was wrong
D. we shouldn’t believe our teachers because sometimes they might tell lies
The journey to the moon had been the first step toward future exploration(探险) in space. The distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed when compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away. Traveling to the planets will be man’s next aim. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more adventurous.
Recently, two American spaceships, Vikings 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither confirmed(确认) nor ruled out. Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus(金星) is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense(稠) and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth , but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it.
According to the passage, traveling to the planets will be ________.
| A．much easier and even more interesting | B．far more exciting and dangerous |
| C．man’s final aim | D．man’s first step |
Which of the following is Not true?
| A．Mars is nearer to the earth than the moon. |
| B．The moon is much nearer to the earth than Mars. |
| C．Of all the planets, Mars is the nearest to the earth. |
| D．All the planets are much farther to the earth. |
From the passage, we can guess______________.
| A．there is life on Mars |
| B．there is no life on Mars |
| C．the atmosphere of Mars is not so dense as that of Venus |
| D．scientists will have little hope to find the answers |
Man can live on under the conditions of ______________.
| A．much too hot surface | B．the same pressure as we get on earth |
| C．normal atmosphere as we have on earth | D．both B and C |
On the first day of class, a graduate student from Xi’an Jiaotong University reminded me that, especially in China, “There are always two sides of a coin.” Experiencing China’s May 12 earthquake while living in Xi’an, Shanxi Province just north of the earthquake’s epicenter (地震的震中) in Sichuan with our two daughters, we have indeed seen both sides of what is beginning to be called China’s 5·12 disaster coin.
On television, in newspapers and through the Internet, we learned about the extent (巨大，重要性) of the destruction, and the statistics were hor
rific – over 69,000 confirmed (确认) dead, some 18,000 missing and more than 374,000 injured.
When we turn off the television and discuss what we as a family have learned from the events of the last several weeks, we find ourselves marveling (觉得惊奇) at how the Chinese are confidently but quietly dealing with this unprecedented tragedy – a disaster that continues with every aftershocks, mudslide and potential flood.
It seems like every school, organization and business is raising money for Sichuan, and young people all over the country a
re out in the streets looking for donations or giving blood at the many mobile blood vans that are out in full force.
Those who cannot give, like the 75-year-old woman from Sichuan, are volunteering or giving in other ways. An impressive example is the Sichuan policewoman with a newborn child who was nursing many infants whose mothers were killed in the quake.
The national concern over the fate of affected children has been moving. On May 22, there were 1697 orphans, but on June 24, the number dropped to 558; and rest assured, there are more people willing to adopt than there are orphans from Sichuan.
So, while no country or person ever welcomes tragedy, especially something of this magnitude (程度), the earthquake has taught us a great deal about China’s true character and its people’s resilience (韧性). It has also reminded us that the other side of even a dark coin may hold the promise of a brighter future,
(The author is an American Professor of International Relations at Xi’an Jiaotong University.)
When the 5·12 earthquake happened, the author and his family were ________.
| A．in Sichuan province | B．near the earthquake epicenter |
| C．in Xi’an Jiaotong University | D．in their own country |
How many orphans had been adopted from Sichuan by June 24, 2008?
| A．1139 | B．1697 | C．558 | D．We don’t know. |
The author quoted “ There are always two sides of a coin.” In the passage. Here “ two sides” refers to ________.
| A．a dark side and a bright one of a coin |
| B．the unprecedented tragedy and China’s true character |
| C．the dead and the victims in the earthquake |
| D．the destruction and the donations |
Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．The whole world has seen all about China’s 5·12 disaster in the news media. |
| B．A policewoman fed her breast milk to many babies who lost their mothers. |
| C．Even a 75-year-old woman gave blood at the mobile blood vans. |
| D．The earthquake brought other natural disasters at the same time. |
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Goodfellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Take Me out to the Ballgame
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold… Don’t forget sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”, a popu
lar group from Australia, will give their first U.S. concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College.
You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food _______.
| A．at the front entrance of City Hall | B．at the Ballgame |
| C．at Rose Hall, City College | D．at Central Park on Saturday |
“ The Zoo” is __________.
| A．going to give the concert at 8 am tomorrow | B．U.S. concert |
| C．a music group | D．a park with lots of animals there |
You may see this passage in ________.
| A．a British newspaper | B．an American newspaper |
| C．a British magazine | D．an American magazine |
The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk and Benugo Cafe.
The Museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It had undergone refurbishment(翻新)and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible.(可达到的)
This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun there. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the “Code of Behavior” notice, which include: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries and no running.
Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available.
Pros: Many free activities for kids
Cons: Can be too warm inside
Visit Duration: 1.5 hours
Opening hours: 10: 00 am- 5: 45 pm
Last admission is 5:30 pm
The museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year.
Admission: Admission to the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities.
In the Museum of Childhood, ________.
| A．people can reach any floor by elevator |
| B．there are sofas at either end of the first floor |
| C．there are exhibits on the museum history |
| D．the Information Desk can be found on each floor |
The Museum of Childhood may be attractive to ________.
A．parents who only have c hildren under 12 |
| B．children who are fond of toy exhibits |
| C．parents and children who need quiet time |
| D．kids who like playing games with their parents |
What is the disadvantage of the museum?
| A．low-level exhibits are too boring. |
| B．Children may feel slightly hot in it. |
| C．Parents have to stay with their kids. |
| D．No staff members attend to the kids. |
What information can we get about the museum?
| A．All the activities for children are free. |
| B．The museum is located in west London. |
| C．Children are allowed to enter after 5:30. |
| D．The museum is unavailable on Christmas Day. |
For those of you who were born in the year of the pig, good luck and much success! This is your year.
When talking to a Westerner, how
ever, you’ve got to be a little careful when you talk about pigs. Chinese people view the pig as a smart and prospe
rous (rich, lucky) animal. Western ideas tend to be a little more negative（否定的）.
A pig in the West is seen as a dirty, lazy, and fat animal. If anyone ever called you a pig, you wouldn’t be smiling. When a person doesn’t like someone, sometimes he will call that person a pig.
If you ever meet a Westerner who was born in the year of the pig, don’t say, “ Oh, you’
re a pig!” Most Westerners will be understanding. They will be sure that you made some kind of mistake. However, don’t take any chances. You might just offend (触怒)someone who does not share your positive ideas about pigs.
According to the passage we can see that Chinese people think of the pig as a ________ animal.
| A．clever | B．rich | C．good | D．all the above |
A Westerner will call someone a pig if he ______ that man.
| A．dislikes | B．is afraid of | C．looks up to | D．makes fun of |
When you call a Westerner a pig, who was born in the year of the pig, most of them _______.
| A．will be angry | B．will be very surprised |
| C．can forgive | D．may quarrel with you |
From the passage we can conclude that ________.
| A．it’s impolite to talk about pigs |
| B．Westerners do not like pigs as much as the Chinese |
| C．in general, Westerners and the Chinese don’t like pigs |
| D．all of the Chinese like pigs better than Westerners |