The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington. His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.
Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which he founded in Philadelphia. The world’s first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike. The museum’s most popular display was the skeleton (骷髅) of a huge, extinct（灭绝的）elephant, which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.
Three of Peale’s seventeen children were also famous artists. Paphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers, fruit, and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people, including one of George Washington. Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes and portraits.
James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures (小画像). His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.
1. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The life of Charles Willson Peale. B. Portraits in the 18th century.
C. The Peale Museum. D. A family of artists.
2. The author mentions in Paragraph 1 that Washington tipped his hat to the figures in the painting to show that ________.
A. Charles Willson Peale’s painting was very lifelike
B. Washington respected Charles Willson Peale’s work
C. Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale
D. the painting of the two brothers was very large
3. The underlined word “unearthed” is closest in meaning to“ ______”.
A. showed B. dug up C. invented D. looked over
4. Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?
A. Titian Peale. B. Rubens Peale. C. Raphaelle Peale. D. Sarah Miriam Peale.
5. The author’s attitude toward the Peales is in general _______.
A. puzzled B. excited C. admiring D. disappointed
Animals Can Sense Natural Disasters
Among the dead in South Asia’ s tsunami（海啸）were many tourists at Sri Lanka’ s national wildlife park at Yala. But very few of the park’s animals — elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and wild cats — appear to have died. There are theories that animals can sense natural disasters and run away to safety.
First, it’s possible that the animals may have heard the quake before the tsunami hit. The underwater burst produced sound waves known as infrasound（次声）. Humans can’t hear infrasound, but many animals including dogs, elephants, tigers and pigeons can.
A second early warning sign the animals might have sensed is ground vibration（震动）. The great quake would have produced vibrational waves known as Rayleigh waves. These vibrations move through the ground like waves moving on the surface of the ocean but faster. They travel at ten times the speed of sound. The Rayleigh waves would have reached Sri Lanka hours before the water hit. Mammals, birds, insects and spiders can sense Rayleigh waves. So the animals at Yala might have felt the Rayleigh waves and then run to higher ground.
But what about humans? While we can’t hear infrasound, we can feel it, although we don’t necessarily know we’re feeling it. We also experience Rayleigh waves by special sensors in our joints（关节）, which exist just for that purpose. Sadly, it seems we don’t pay attention to the information when we get it. Maybe we screen it out because there’s so much going on before our eyes and in our ears.Why did few animals at Yala die when the tsunamis that caused a huge number of human deaths hit?
| A．Because human beings cannot hear the infrasonic sound. |
| B．Because the animals were staying at a higher place in the park. |
| C．Because the animals were able to run much faster than human beings. |
| D．Because the animals might have picked up the danger signals and ran away. |
Which of the statements about “Rayleigh waves” is true?
| A．Rayleigh waves can be felt both by animals and human beings. |
| B．Rayleigh waves, just like infrasonic sound, can only be felt by animals. |
| C．Rayleigh waves are vibrational waves that usually cause quakes or tsunamis. |
| D．Rayleigh waves move on the ocean surface at a speed ten times that of sound waves. |
According to the passage, which of the statement is true?
| A．We can’t feel the infrasound so we can’t be informed of the danger. |
| B．We ignore the information of tsunami’s coming even though we can also get it. |
| C．We were so busy on our minds that we feel neither infrasound nor Rayleigh waves. |
| D．We can feel Rayleigh waves and infrasound so we can escape the danger like animals. |
Knott’s Berry Farm is the nation’s oldest, and first, theme park and draws around five million visitors each year. Knott’s Berry Farm hardly had a very good start. Arriving in Southern California in the 1920s, the Knott Family farmed about 20 acres of land and finally started a restaurant called Mrs. Knott’ s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Mrs. Knott’s food became well known and her husband Walter built a Ghost Town as a way of entertaining waiting customers. Today Knott’s Berry Farm has 165 rides, shows, attractions and restaurants. For more than 80 years, Knott’s Berry Farm has been entertaining families and visitors from around the world.
There are six different themed areas with rides and attractions in Knott’s Berry Farm. Fiesta Village throws attention to California’s Spanish heritage（遗产）. Indian Trails is similar to Fiesta Village but with an accent on Native American legends, crafts, music and dancing. The heart and soul of Knott’s, Ghost Town is an 1880s California Boom Town with cowboys, gunfights, and a real steam train. The Boardwalk makes people think of Southern California beach. Wild Water Wilderness is an 1800s-style park with water rapids and a magical journey into Native North America. For Peanuts fans, Camp Snoopy is a six-acre children’s wonderland with 30 rides and attractions. Knott’s Berry Farm is in Buena Vista, Orange County, California. It is about half an hour from downtown Los Angeles and 10 minutes from Disneyland. Knott’s Berry Farm is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week. The park is open on Saturdays from 10 a. m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 a. m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. During the summer months, the park is open later. The theme park is closed on Christmas Day.The first paragraph is mainly about Knott’s Berry Farm’s __________.
| A．attractions | B．history |
| C．services | D．prices |
Besides Indian Trails, you can also experience Native American culture in __________.
| A．Fiesta Village | B．the Boardwalk |
| C．Wild Water Wilderness | D．Camp Snoopy |
What do we know about Knott’s Berry Farm from the passage?
| A．It is in Northern California. | B．It is open all the year round. |
| C．It has eight themed areas. | D．It is not far from Disneyland. |
In high school, George Lucas didn’t do much work because he spent all his time dreaming about racing cars.
Just a few days before graduation, George was driving home from the library in his Fiat; he prepared for a left turn by looking in the minor. But as he started the turn, he heard the sound of another car, a blowing horn（喇叭）, and the speeding Chevy hit the driver side of his car. The little Fiat turned over four or five times before it was stopped by a big tree. Luckily, George did not die in the accident, but his recovery was slow and he needed months of physical treatment. He would never be able to race ears now.
The accident really changed George’s life. He decided there must be some reason he survived, and made up his mind to get his act together and make something out of his life. He decided to go to university and developed an interest in reading and writing. He got on quite well in his studies. He didn’t quite forget about racing cars. At that time instead of driving race cars, he began filming them.
You may have seen one or all of George Lucas’s most famous films from the Star Wars series or the Indiana Jones trilogy. Not only has George produced movies, but also he has helped invent and develop new technologies to modernize the movie industry.
Today, Lucas, who earns as much as ＄3.0 billion, is one of the American film industry’s most successful directors and producers.What was George Lueas’s life like in high school?
| A．He was the best race ear driver. |
| B．He did very well in his school subjects. |
| C．He didn’t spend much time on his studies. |
| D．He was one of the worst students in school. |
We can learn from this passage that __________.
| A．George’s Fiat was not seriously damaged |
| B．the Chevy driver didn’t break the traffic law |
| C．George was seriously injured in the accident |
| D．the Chevy driver wasn’t injured in the accident |
The greatness of George Lucas mainly lies in his __________.
| A．earning a great deal of money |
| B．directing several famous movies |
| C．making movies about racing cars |
| D．making the film industry more modern |
根据短文内容，从下面A—F 选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。
A．Different ways of making friends over the Internet
B．Forming a regular “chat”community
C．The changes the Internet has brought to our life
D．Meeting Internet friends face to face
E. Extension（延伸） of friends over the Internet
F. Maintenance（维持） of friendship by keeping contact 1 .We live in the information age,which is changing many of the ways in our daily life. One of the most interesting developments of the information age is the Internet, which is a vast network of computers that link people ,businesses and communities around the world.
2. How do we make friends using the Internet? One way is to search for websites that have topics that interest us. For example , you might be interested in football. Then you search for a site run by a popular football club.there are hundreds of football sites, and most of them have a special website for their fans . The same is true of popular culture ,and many popular music bands have websites . Once you have located the right football club or pop group , then you will see where to click in order to “chat” with other fans. The word “chat”has got popular because of the Internet, which means a light conversation among friends . Another way to make friends is to access sites that are devoted to this purpose . When you search the Internet for these sites you will find that there are plenty of opportunities to meet people of all ages and from many different backgrounds.
3. Making a new friend is only the first step. The key to a successful relationship over the Internet is to keep in touch with your friend . When the relationship works in this way .it is very rewarding for both parters .You can set the style and pace of the exchange to suit each other .If you use “instant messenger” systems,your chat becomes a dialogue,which is a lot of fun and can help strengthen the growing friendship.
4. You will soon find that the topics go far beyond a discussion of football or music,even though these topics brought you both together . Another way to strengthen the friendship is to include your school friends in your conversations too , and then you can form your own “chat”group that meets regularly and becomes a small community of friends.
5. It’s like belonging to a club.Your club can extend to many new and old friends. And their conversations will enrich your life in ways that you could have never imagined .If your Internet club grows then perhaps you will find ways to meet your friends face to face, which will be another story.
French lessons in France
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time.
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom.
Learners
● Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer.
● Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class.
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week.
● Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level.
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each.
● You will have a short break between classes.
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more.
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference.
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you.
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever.What is special about the French courses?
| A．They are taught in small groups. |
| B．The teachers are young French speakers. |
| C．People learn French in and out of class. |
| D．They will offer a wine tasting license. |
On the first day, the students should ______.
| A．take a language test | B．pay for their study |
| C．do a survey | D．introduce themselves to the class |
How many lessons are there in a week?
| A．21. | B．30. | C．15. | D．12. |
We can learn from the text that the course ______.
| A．is not suitable for teenagers | B．offers cooking classes as well |
| C．provides dictionaries for students | D．has a short game between classes |