It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On his arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货),saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced(影响)us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting(持久的,永久的).
52. Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. The man’s job was bike racing. B. It was their only possession(财产).
C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed. D. They used it for work and daily life.
53. We can infer from the text that ____________.
A. the couple worked 60 hours a week. B. people were busy before Christmas
C. a wonderful stranger bought a bike. D. life was hard for the young family.
54. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
A. From radio broadcasts. B. From a newspaper.
C. From TV news. D. From a stranger.
55. What do the couple learn from their experience?
A. Strangers are usually of little help. B. One should take care of their bike.
C. News reports make people famous. D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.
As the father of a student, I have experienced first hand what a great teacher is. My son was in the 4th grade last year, and he had a teacher called Miss Green. I believe that when he is an adult he will surely look back on her as the best teacher he has ever had.
My son has attention deficit disorder(注意力缺损症) that makes it a little more difficult for him to learn. She was able to change her teaching methods for him so that he could keep up with the rest of the class. As a result, he got straight As on many subjects. She regarded her class as a family and they even had their own class song. She would often have them sing it to encourage them and develop a team spirit for them. When she saw that they were no longer listening carefully to what she was teaching, she would have them close their textbooks, stand up all around the room and throw around a small football. This helped them clear their minds and then focus on the lesson again. Besides, she was quick to reply to any phone calls or emails from us and got rid of our worries about children quickly.
When my son went to the 5th grade this year, we happened to pass her classroom. When she saw my son, her face lit up(露出喜色) and she came out and hugged him. She generally loves all of the children in her classroom and that love really shows. I can only pray(祈祷) that my son will continue to get teachers just like her for the rest of his school years.With the teacher’s help, the writer’s son ______.
A.became the best student in his class |
B.was interested in singing songs |
C.quickly finished his 4th grade lessons |
D.improved his grades greatly |
Which of the following is NOT true about Miss Green?
A.She regarded the students as members of a family. |
B.She had special ways to help students study. |
C.She was good at teaching football and music. |
D.She usually made a quick reply to parents’ emails. |
The underlined phrases “focus on” in Paragraph 2 means ______.
A.look forward to | B.pay attention to |
C.get away from | D.take care of |
We can learn from the text that ______.
A.Miss Green was the best teacher at the school |
B.all the students in the school liked Miss Green |
C.Miss Green didn’t teach the writer’s son in the 5th grade |
D.the writer’s son had many teachers like Miss Green |
In the text, the writer mainly tells us ______.
A.what his son studied at school |
B.his son once had a good teacher |
C.how to be a good and popular teacher |
D.a teacher who liked playing with students |
阅读下面短文并回答问题,然后将答案写到相应的位置上(请注意问题后的字数要求)
[1]For thousands of young people everywhere, college means taking their first big step into adult life. What you do in your first year of college can have a big effect on the rest of your college years. Here are some tips of mine for you.
[2]Plan ahead. By the end of your first week, you’ll know when you should finish each of your study tasks. Put those on your list. More importantly, you need to finish them on time. Start making good use of your time at the beginning of the term.
[3]Eat right. College students often gain weight in their first year. Without Mom and Dad planning your meals, it’s easy to lose track of just how many calories you’re taking in. Try to limit the fast food and keep a varied diet.
[4]Talk to your professors. College students tend to be afraid of their professors. Don’t be. They’re there to help you. Visit a professor during his or her office hours just to chat now and again. Tell them about a book you have read, or ask for advice. And, of course, ask for help, whether with a tricky point in your readings or with big life issues(问题). If nothing of these, a professor can point you in the right direction to find the resources(资源)you need.
[5] Speak up in class. Ask questions, answer the professor’s questions, and share your opinion as much as possible. There are no points for sitting quietly anymore.
[6] ________. There are so many resources available(可得到的) in the library – magazines, videos, and of course, the books you need for your papers. Learn as much as you can about your library. Talk with the librarians about the resources available in your field. Complete the following sentence according to Paragraph5. (no more than 5 words)
It’s useless and meaningless for you to ___________ in class.What does the underlined word “those” in Paragraph 2 refer to?(no more than 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________What’s the author’s advice on eating right? (no more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 6 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
____________________________________________________________________What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children.On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon(说教) in 1909.Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her.
It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices(牺牲) and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man.Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card.Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(伤感的, 忧伤的).Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them.Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad.The United States is special in Father's Day because ______.
A.many people celebrate the day | B. only America celebrates the day |
C.America makes it an official day | D. all men are honored in America |
At first, Father's Day was fixed on June 19th because ______.
A.Sonora honored her father on her father's birthday |
B.Sonora's birthday was June 19 |
C.it was decided by the president at that time |
D.her mother died on June 19 |
How many years has passed before Father's Day became an official day since the father's day was celebrated?
A. 4 | B. 10 | C. 14 | D. 24 |
According to the passage, on Father's Day,______.
A.people will wear the same flowers to honor their fathers |
B.only daughters wear red flowers to honor their fathers |
C.children must go home to honor their fathers |
D.fathers are often honored in different ways |
According to the passage, we can infer that Henry Jackson Smart ______.
A.was very kind to anyone |
B.did a lot for his daughter |
C.was the first father honored in 1924 |
D.always help others by giving money |
Talk about a real-life hero! Ten-year-old Larry Champagne from St. Louis, Missouri, hit the brake (刹车) on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster.
It all happened in one terrible accident. On the way to school, the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly fell ill. Seeing the car was running away, the other kids started to scream, but Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus.
“At first I thought, ‘We’re going to die,’” says Larry, “but after I pressed the brake, I felt safe.”
Larry’s speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a big gift. His school hung a medal of honor around his neck.
“My grandmother always tells me to do what’s right,” says Larry. He thanked his brother, Jerrick, 9, who “helped me get the bus driver up” during the emergency. How did he know how to stop the bus? Larry is something of a mechanic(机械师). He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. “He gets his hands dirty,” says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes. What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?
A.He parked it for the sleeping bus driver. |
B.He helped all the kids climb out through the windows. |
C.He made a call to the police. |
D.He pressed the brake. |
When did Larry finally feel safe?
A.When the kids finally stopped screaming. |
B.When the police officers arrived. |
C.Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped. |
D.When the bus driver started driving again. |
Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except _______.
A.appearing on TV shows | B.a scholarship from his school |
C.a big gift from the bus company | D.a medal of honor |
Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for ________.
A.helping him get the bus driver up |
B.helping him work on his old truck |
C.teaching him how to find the brake |
D.teaching him how to stop the bus |
The underlined sentence “Larry is something of a mechanic” tells us that ____.
A.Larry’s job is a mechanic |
B.Larry knows something about machines |
C.Larry is a robot |
D.Larry knows nothing about machines |
Technology is making life easier for some dairy farmers. They use robotic systems to milk their cows. Cows are trained to follow a series of paths that lead to milking stations. Only one cow at a time can enter a station.
Once inside, the cow is rewarded with food. As the cow eats, a robotic arm cleans and connects the animal to the milking machine. A few minutes later, milking is complete. The gate is opened, the cow is released and the next cow enters.
The robotic systems are designed to operate 24 hours a day. The cows get to decide when they want to be milked. Cows are milked an average of about three times a day. Some are milked four to six times a day.
The cows wear collars around their necks that identify them to the system. A computer keeps records on their eating and milking. A cow is released from the station if the computer decides it should not be milked.
The automated system also measures the temperature and color of freshly produced milk. Milk is thrown away if it does not pass the tests.
Professor Plaut believes the systems will appeal especially to the next generation of farmers. She means young people who are more interested in technology and less interested in working all the time on the farm. Still, she says the price of robotic milking systems will continue to limit their use.
Doug and Tina Suhr have more than 100 cows on their family farm. Last year it became the fourth farm in southeast Minnesota to get a robotic milking system. A recent story in a local agricultural newspaper said the first robot cost 175 000 dollars. The second cost 150 000.
Doug told AgriNews that wages that would have been paid for one employee in five years will pay for one robot. He says the increase in milk production reaches a high of more than six kilograms per cow per day.From the first paragraph, we can infer________.
A.the robotic system is designed to reduce labor |
B.cows can be raised by robots in the future |
C.robots direct cows into milking stations |
D.cows are kept clean by robots on some farms |
Besides milking cows, the robotic system also can ________.
A.adjust the temperature of milking stations |
B.judge the quality of fresh milk |
C.improve the appetite of cows |
D.keep fresh milk for two weeks |
Why is the robotic system not popular now?
A.Because young people have no interest in it. |
B.Because it is difficult to learn how to use it. |
C.Because people can’t afford to buy it. |
D.Because it usually causes the waste of milk. |
According to Doug, what is the wage of an employee?
A.150, 000-170, 000. | B.750, 000. | C.150, 000 -30, 000. | D.30, 000- 32, 000 |
The best title for the passage may be_______.
A.Letting robot milk your cow | B.Milking cows by hand |
C.Improving the quality of milk | D.Drinking fresh milk every day |