Peter and his mother lived in a small village. They were very poor. To help his mother, Peter often collected wood from the forest. He also cut down small trees. One morning, a bird flew down from a branch and asked him not to cut down a certain tree. The bird explained that its home was in the tree.
Peter left the tree alone. The bird was happy and asked Peter to bring along an empty bag the next morning. Early the next day he went to the tree and waited for the bird.
The bird soon appeared and asked Peter to hold on its tail and follow him. They went to a faraway valley. Peter saw gold all over the place. He picked up some pieces of gold and put them into his bag. The bird told Peter that they must leave the valley before the sun came up. Peter quickly filled his bag and left for home.
He now had plenty of money for himself and his mother. Peter told his best friend about the tree, the bird and the gold. His friend wanted some gold too. He went to the same tree and pretended that he was going to cut it down. The bird asked him not to do so. The following morning it led Peter’s friend to the valley of gold. When the sun was about to rise, the bird told him to leave. The greedy(贪婪的) boy would not do so. The sun came up and he was changed into a bird.
1. This story tells us _______.
A.greed blinds one’s eyes
B. to be poor without debts(债) is better than to be a king
C. a man without a friend is only half a man
D. make your enemy your friend
2. Peter left the tree alone. This means he _______.
A.did not like the tree because it was the bird’s home
B.did not cut the tree down
C.was the only person in the forest
D.wanted the tree to grow bigger
3. Peter picked up some pieces of gold _______.
A. before day broke B. before sunset
C. at noon D. after the sun rose
4. Peter’s friend turned into a bird because he _______.
A. was too greedy B. cut the tree down
C. filled his bag with gold D. left when the sun was about to rise
Although the United States covers so much land and the land produces far more food than the present population needs, its people are by now almost entirely an urban society. Less than a tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and forestry(林业), and most of the rest live in or around towns, small and large. Here the traditional picture is changing: every small town may still be very like other small towns, and the typical small town may represent a widely accepted view of the country, but most Americans do not live in small towns any more. Half the population now lives in some thirty metropolitan areas(large cities with their suburbs ) of more than a million people each – a large proportion than in Germany or English, let alone France. The statistics(统计) of urban and rural population should be treated with caution because so many people who live in areas classified as rural travel by car to work in a nearby town each day. As the rush to live out of town continues, rural areas within reach of towns are gradually filled with houses, so that it is hard to say at what moment a piece of country becomes a suburb. But more and more the typical American lives in a metropolitan rather than a small town environment.If now America has 250 million people.how many of them are engaged in agriculture and forestry?
A.About 25 million. | B.More than 25 million. |
C.Less than 25 million. | D.Less than 225 million. |
Which of the following four countries has the smallest proportion of people living in metropolitan areas?
A.United States | B.Germany | C.France | D.England |
What’s the meaning of the word “metropolitan” in the middle of the passage?
A.Of a large city with its suburbs. |
B.Of small and large towns. |
C.Of urban areas. |
D.Of rural areas. |
According to the passage,what can we learn about small towns in the United States?
A.Most small towns become gradually crowded. |
B.Small towns are still similar to each other. |
C.As the traditional picture is changing,towns are different. |
D.Small towns are turning into large cities. |
Why is it hard to say when a piece of country becomes a suburb?
A.Because they are the same. |
B.Because the rush takes place too quickly. |
C.Because the process is gradual. |
D.Because more and more Americans live in metropolitan areas. |
Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life.This time, which took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened.
On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress and picked out a beautiful skirt."Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago.She never wore it.She was saving it for a special occasion." he said.I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral (葬礼) of my sister, after her unexpected death.
He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral.Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.Every day you're alive is a special occasion."
I'm thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life.I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings.Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer."Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their importance on my vocabulary.If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,I want to see and hear and do it now.
Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold hack or save anything that would add laughter and color to our lives.Every morning when I open my eyes.I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift.So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life.Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?
A.She waited for a special occasion to wear it on. |
B.She wanted to keep it for someone else. |
C.She saved it till she grew up. |
D.She would give it to herself as a gift some day. |
What does the underlined word "cherish" mean?
A.Treasure. | B.Waste. | C.Own. | D.Save. |
From his experience, the author learns that _______.
A.everybody can have a happy life through efforts |
B.every day in our lives is worth cherishing |
C.enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives |
D.everybody will have some things left to do after his death |
What does the author write this passage for?
A.To show how to make good use of every day in life. |
B.To explain the true meaning of his brother-in-law's words. |
C.To tell people to cherish every day and find the meaning of life. |
D.To encourage people to waste time and enjoy themselves in life. |
What's the best title for this passage?
A.Every Day Is a Gift |
B.My Sister Jan |
C.What Is the Meaningful Life Like |
D.The Most Important Time in Your Life |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人)may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the California study, the low-scoring group might_____
A.have watched a lot of TV |
B.not be interested in math |
C.be unable to go to college |
D.have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
A.Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
B.Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest |
C.TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
D.The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.More time should be spent on computers. |
B.Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
C.'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms, |
D.Further studies on high-achieving students should be done |
What would be the best title for this text?
A. Computers or Television
B Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children's Learning Habits
Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying— it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.
At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.
Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.
Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______
A.appearance | B.size |
C.behavior | D.change |
By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.
A.the insects smell terrible |
B.the experiment will last long |
C.The researchers will probably suffer |
D.the researchers have to study lots of documents. |
Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?
A.They are not bloodsuckers. |
B.They are afraid of stockings. |
C.They have a poor sense of smell. |
D.They are protective of their hosts. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.
A.looks very promising |
B.has saved millions of lives |
C.is facing great difficulties |
D.is quite simple to carry out. |
ith its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace makes regular houses look tiny. Now home to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been the British Monarchy’s official London digs since 1837. National Geographic Kids slipped behind the guarded gates to find the palace’s coolest features.
1. FANCY FEAST
For special dinners, a team of 21 chefs whips up dishes that are served on solid gold plates. Even Her Majesty’s pet dogs receive meals of lamb and cabbage in silver bowls. Good thing the kitchen is well stocked--- the Queen welcomes about 50,000 dining guests every year.
2. CLASSY COACH
The Queen’s most attractive ride may be the Gold State Coach, parked in the palace’s Royal Mews building and used in the crowning of a king or queen, since 1821. Covered with heavy gold, it’s pulled by eight horses.
3. MOVIE NIGHT
The royal family hosts private screenings of movie in their very own cinema, sometimes seeing new films before they hit theaters.
4. WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Forget a medicine cabinet (药品柜). Buckingham Palace houses a doctor’s office run by the Queen’s physician. And surgeons have performed operations in other parts of the palace. In 1902, for instance, doctors operated on King Edward VII in a room facing the garden.
5. BEDROOMS
The palace has 52 bedrooms. Rooms such as those inside the Belgian Suite contain chandeliers(枝行吊灯),gold-gilded mirrors, fireplaces, canopy beds, and more.
6. TOP- SECRET TUNNELS
Rumor has it that secret underground tunnels connect the royal residence to other buildings in London. The paths were reportedly built during World War II when enemy bombs regularly pounded the city. Weaving deep under London’s busy streets, the tunnels would have provided the royals safe passage during an attack. But even now officials won’t reveal much about these under- the- radar routes.The underlined part “whips up” probably means_______.
A.enjoys | B.selects | C.cleans | D.cooks |
According to the text, in Buckingham Palace________.
A.there are eight horses altogether |
B.stocks of food in the kitchen hardly run low |
C.the Queen’s pet dogs are fed with simple meals |
D.there’s no suitable place to perform operations |
What do we know about the tunnels in Buckingham Palace?
A.They are not well- protected. |
B.They were heavily bombed. |
C.They are not open to the public. |
D.They are linked with other cities in Britain. |