Few buildings on earth can compete with the legendary beauty of the Taj Mahal. Towering over the ancient Indian city of Agra, the Taj Mahal is the grandest monument (纪念碑) to love ever created.
The lovers in this story are the 17th century Indian emperor Shah Jehan and h
is wife Mumtaz Mahal. She took a leading role in advising him, which is something unusual for a woman to do for a husband who’s an emperor. Over the course of their nineteen-year marriage she gave birth to 14 children. But in 1631 while trying to deliver their fifteenth — she tragically died. He was heartbroken when she died. And after her death, he decided to build the world’s greatest monument ever built, for love.
He ordered the royal architects to design the most beautiful building the world had known and decided to name it after his beloved, Mumtaz Mahal. He called on twenty thousand workers and sent many more people to all corners of his country in search of valuable metals and jewels. And after seventeen years of hard work, Shah Jehan’s monument was completed a
nd his beloved empress was moved to her final resting place.
Everything had gone according to plan, but Shah Jehan’s luck was about to change ... In 1658, just four years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, he was thrown out of power. Unfortunately, his son, Aran Azibe imprisoned him, his own father. And he spent the last seven years of his life in prison. And he was allowed to look at the Taj Mahal through a window. His life was in ruins, but
when he died his last wish was promised. He was buried beside his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal.
6
8 . The Taj Mahal was built for ______.
A. Mumtaz B. Shah C. Mumtaz or Shah D. Mumtaz and Shah
69. The Taj Mahal was completed in ______.
A. 1658 B. 1662 C. 1654 D. 1665
70 . What was unusual for Mumtaz Mahal according to the passage?
A. She gave birth to 14 children for her husband.
B. She gave important advice to her husband.
C. She asked her son to imprison his father
D. She planned to build the world’s greatest monument.
71. Which of the following is TRUE about Shah Jehan?
A. He was killed by his own son.
B. He lost his power as a result of the Taj Mahal.
C. He put his own son into prison.
D. He hoped to be buried together with his wife.
（四）
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and — WHUMP! — it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. " That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please....I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled of the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. "Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman," Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE — a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
1. The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ________.
A. the businessman drove at a high speed
B. he envied the brand-new car very much
C. he wanted to ask for some money
D. he wanted to get help from the driver
2. Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
A. b, a, e, c, d
B. a, c, d, b, e
C. b, a, c, e, d
D. a, c, b, e, d
3. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Josh would accept the money from the kids.
B. The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.
C. Josh was a kind-hearted man.
D. Josh’s new car broke down easily.
4. According to the passage, the last sentence means ________.
A. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life
B. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous
C. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
D. protecting oneself from being hurt
（三）
A traveler was passing through a desert on a hot day. He was tired, feeling thirsty and hungry. At least, he needed a shady spot to rest for a while. A big leafy tree came into view at some distance away. He felt glad and said to himself, “Had I water to drink, now.” Yes, he found a glass full of cold water on the ground right in front of him. Then, he wished, “Had I something to eat right here.” Immediately, a variety of dishes appeared before him. He was under the shade of Kalpa-Vriksha — a magical tree. Whoever was under it would have whatever he wished for!
The traveler enjoyed the delicious food. He felt drowsy. He wished for a nice bed. It was granted. He stretched himself comfortably on the soft mattress. He hoped that someone would massage (按摩) his feet. Yes, a young lady appeared. She started massaging his feet and legs.
He now started thinking differently. “How can things happen like this? Is it some kind of a trick played by a magical demon (魔鬼)?” he doubted. Oh, a true demon appeared in place of the nice lady! Within no time the demon started leaping at him, with his mouth wide open. The frightened traveler took to his heels and ran away.
7. What will happen if you sit under the magical tree?
A. You will get what you want.
B. You will marry a young girl.
C. You will meet a demon.
D. You will get rid of all your trouble.
8. The underlined word “drowsy” in the second paragraph means “_______”.
A. hungry
B. sleepy
C. thirsty
D. cold
9. How many wishes did the traveler make?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
（二）
One event that helps educate young people about things they can do for others is National Youth Service Day (NYSD). Every year on this day, organizations all over the country celebrate young volunteers, educate young people about how they can help their country, and invite them to participate in service projects. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said, “National Youth Service Day honors young volunteers and is an invitation to others to join hands and do our part as Americans.”
Founded in 1988, NYSD originally took place on a Tuesday. Now the event lasts from Friday until Sunday so that more people can participate in it. More than 200 organizations work together to create thousands of projects each year. Millions of young people across the United States take part in these service projects.
Long before the event, people, community groups, schools, and nonprofit organizations think of ways to meet their communities’ needs. Then, they plan projects for young volunteers. Projects include bringing food to hungry people, tutoring younger children and helping senior citizens. During the event, young people from the community do things like planting neighborhood gardens and cleaning up local parks.
The organizations that contribute to NYSD believe that volunteering and community service are important activities for people of all ages, but especially for young people. Young people who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, vote, and contribute to charities. More important, they help other people and make the world a better place for everyone.
4. The aim of National Youth Service Day is to _______.
A. educate young people on responsibility
B. invite young people to meet each other
C. encourage young people to serve others
D. celebrate the growth of young people
5. On National Youth Service Day, young volunteers will _______.
A. do some cleaning in public places
B. prepare food for hungry people
C. plant vegetables and fruit
D. help old people to learn
6. The purpose of writing this passage is to _______.
A. warn young people not to affect their schooling during volunteering
B. keep a record of how young people celebrate their festival
C. introduce an event — National Youth Service Day
D. advise young people to be cooperative when volunteering
（一）
Health experts have long worried about the increasing rate of obesity in kids. It’s an important concern: Being weight or obese during childhood can lead to serious problems normally seen in adults, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Poor diets and a lack of exercise are usually the causes. But would you ever have imagined there might be a connection between the bacteria that lived in your guts （内脏）when you were a baby and the chance that you would become overweight?
Scientists in Finland recently found just such a link. In a recent study, they showed that overweight kids had different species of bacteria living in their guts.
You probably think of bacteria only as germs that can make you sick. While it’s true that some bacteria can make people ill, your body actually depends on some types of bacteria to help you digest food and extract nutrients from it. These “good” bacteria live in your guts, where they process the food you eat.
Human babies get these bacterial helpers from their moms. When a baby is born, some of the bacteria in the mother move into the baby’s body. Growing babies get additional “good” bacteria from the milk their mothers produce. And it turns out the bacteria might play an important role in regulating weight just six years later.
So how could these bacteria affect weight? The researchers still haven’t tested that question, but future tests might lead to an answer.
1. The “link” in Paragraph 2 refers to the relationship between _______.
A. bacteria and the chance of being overweight
B. obesity and diabetes
C. diets and the chance of being overweight
D. bacteria and exercise
2. Which of the following is NOT the function of “good” bacteria?
A. Helping to digest food.
B. Helping to take nutrients from food.
C. Helping to regulate weight.
D. Making a person ill.
3. The purpose of writing this passage is to _______.
A. introduce the role of bacteria in children’s weight
B. analyze the influence of obesity on kids
C. give advice on how to lose weight quickly
D. explain the function of bacteria in foods
（十五）
Buckminster Fuller once said, “The minute you choose to do what you really want to do, it’s a different kind of life.” If you want to live abundantly, decide what you really want and figure out a way to do it. Be clear and live with intent (意向).
You may have heard of Fred Lebow. He complained to his doctor that he lacked energy. His doctor advised him to take up running. He fell in love with it! He was 39 years old when he entered his first race.
Fred joined the New York Road Runners Club and organized New York City’s first marathon race. But what Fred truly wanted to do was to bring people together. He believes that anybody should be able to run — people of all ages and of any country.
Not everyone in New York was excited about people running through their neighborhood. A youth gang warned him that nobody had better run through their turf. “That’s great,” Fred said. “I need someone to protect the runners in your area, and you look like just the fellows to do it.” He
gave them each a hat, shirt and jacket and that year, when the marathon went through their neighborhood, these young men proudly guarded the runners along their way.
Fred decided what was truly important to him and he found a way to do it. He lived with intent. That single decision made his life remarkably different.
As one sports writer said, “Fate handed him a short race. With his goal, with his love of life, Fred turned it into a marathon.”
Fred would say that it’s not about how long you live, but how you run the race of life.
6. The purpose that Fred Lebow organized New York City’s first marathon race was _____.
A. to be popular with people
B. to display his true love for sports development
C. to drive away his loneliness in the running
D. to get more people together
7. Which word in the passage is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “turf”?
A. Neighborhood. B. Way. C. Decision. D. Race.
8. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. Determination guarantees you a success.
B. The race of life with intent.
C. Nothing is impossible in one’s life race.
D. The benefits of taking up running.