Read a whole book in English? Me?
Yes, you. Believe it or not, that may be easier than you think. Not all classics are too difficult or complicated. So you’re not limited to the simplified versions. And the easier books are not all for children.
Books in their original versions may send you to the dictionary. And you might not understand everything you read. But reading one from cover to cover will give you a real sense of accomplishment（成就）. The key is to find the right books. Let’s take a look at these.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
Stepping into an old wardrobe, four English schoolchildren find themselves in the magical world of Narnia. On this delightful land, they find friends among the many talking creatures. The children soon discover, however, that Narnia is ruled by the White Witch. Edmund, one of the children, falls under her power. Who can free Narnia? Only Aslan, the great and noble lion. He alone knows the Deeper Magic. But the children themselves must help fight the battle against the White Witch and those who serve her.
The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, hasn’t caught any fish in more than 80 days. Sailing far out from land, the old man hooks an enormous fish. That begins an agonizing three day battle. First he struggles against the great fish. Then he must fight off the sharks that circle the little boat and threaten to eat his fish. Exhausted and bleeding, the old man arrives back at shore. But his fish, his beautiful fish . . .
Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for this superb story of strength and courage, of victory and regret.
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine Lingle)
Meg’s father, a U.S. government scientist, has been missing for many months. He had been experimenting with time travel when he mysteriously disappeared.
Now Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin will try to rescue him. But first they must outwit the forces of evil they encounter（遇到） on their journey through time and space. Can they find Meg’s father before it’s too late?
This novel is more than just a science fiction adventure. It’s an exploration of the nature of our universe.
The Pearl (John Steinbeck)
One day Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver, finds a magnificent pearl. With it he dreams of buying a better life, new clothes and schooling for his son. Instead, it brings only evil. His wife pleads with him to get rid of it. "No," says Kino. "I will have my chance. I am a man." But when he kills a man who is trying to steal the pearl, Kino and his wife must run for their lives.This tale of dreams, justice and the power of greed is told simply and beautifully.
The Long Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
It’s winter, 1880—1881, on America’s northern prairies. Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls and their four girls stay near the kitchen stove to keep warm. Heavy snowstorms cut them off even from neighbors. With the trains stopped, no supplies can reach the town. Food and fuel are running out. Day after day the girls must grind wheat for bread and twist hay to burn. At times they nearly lose the battle to keep their spirits up.
This story provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of early American settlers.
63. In the passage, the author intends to _______.
A. recommend a few simplified versions of classics
B. recommend a few original versions of classics
C. tell us how to read an English book from beginning to end
D. tell us how to find proper English books to read
64. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch is probably _____.
A. an evil woman with magic power B. a friendly woman with magic power
C. a delightful talking creature D. a powerful lion
65. The underlined word "outwit" in the passage probably means ______.
A. get rid of B. take advantage of
C. beat by being cleverer D. make the most of
66. Which book deals with history?
A. The Pearl. B. The Old Man and the Sea.
C. A Wrinkle in Time. D. The Long Winter.
67. A Wrinkle in Time is different from other books mentioned in the passage in that _____.
A. it is not a science fiction B. it tells a true story
C. it provides some scientific knowledge D. it tells the battle between justice and evil
Across the world, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. More than 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation.(卫生设备)
The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and women, and poverty.
Consider these facts:
●The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers.
●Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water. and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet.
●Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases.
Here are three ways you can help:
1)Write Congress
Current U.S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar peryear per American citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad.
2)Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization
Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations abroad. Simply put a single project by a U.S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of people.
3)Support nonprofit water organizations
Numerous U.S.-based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related to drinking water and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows, some organizations are large, other small-scale, some operate worldwide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Support them generously.
1. The three facts presented in the passage are used to illustrate that________.
A. poverty can result in water-borne diseases
B. people have no access to clean drinking water
C. women’s rights are denied in some developing countries
D. safe drinking water should be a primary concern
2. The intended readers of the passage are________.
A. Americans
B. overseas sponsors
C. Congressmen
D . U.S.-based water organizations
3. The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to _________.
A. get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries
B. donate money to people short of water through religious groups
C. fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem
D. take joint action in support of some nonprofit water organizations
4. What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?
A. A variety of companies and their worldwide operation.
B. A list of nonprofit water organizations to make contact with.
C. Some ways to get financial aids from U.S. Congress.
D. A few water resources exploited by some world-famous organizations.
Disney’s cartoon, Finding Nemo, tells a touching story of a father called Martin and his son Nemo.
Martin loses his wife and an entire family of unhatched eggs to a huge shark. Only one fish egg remains, Nemo. Martin promises his dead wife that he will protect his young son at any cost. So, Martin becomes fearful of almost everything in the ocean. That makes him over protective-he hopes to keep his kid safe from the challenges that life presents. Martin’s nagging（唠叨）makes Nemo feel that he doesn’t need his dad telling him what to do.
So on his first day of school, Nemo and some friends swim to the edge of their coral reef, a place Martin always thinks is very dangerous. When Martin shouts at Nemo come back, Nemo refuses to listen to him and swim out to a boat in the distance. Suddenly, he gets caught by some divers. So begins Martin’s journey to find Nemo, who ends up in an aquarium in an office in Australia. Soon the worried father runs into Dory, a forgetful blue fish, who helps Martin find his son. Meanwhile, Nemo misses his father terribly. He soon hears that he will be given to an eight-year-old girl who likes to kill fish.
Can Martin find his son before it is too late?
Finding Nemo is a physical and mental journey. Martin overcomes his shyness and anxieties and Nemo discovers his own and his father’s hidden strengths. It celebrates the relationship between fathers and their sons.
The cartoon paints a sea world that is alive with color. All the characters are very human-like and have their own personalities.
Finding Nemo was released in the US on may 30, earning about US $70.6 million in just three days, it has set a new opening records for a cartoon.
11. What is the passage mainly about?
How a father finds his son.
How to get home when getting lost.
A brief introduction to a cartoon film.
The love between a father and his son.
12. Which of the following statements is True according to the second paragraph?
Martin’s wife and most of his children died because of disease.
Martin is a coward（胆小鬼）that he is afraid of everything.
Nemo has grown up and doesn’t need his father’s protection any longer.
Martin loves his son so much that he becomes so protective.
13. It can be concluded according to the cartoon that ________.
Nemo has a wonderful journey after leaving his father.
Martin has met a lot of difficulties finding his son.
Nemo is really independent after leaving his father.
Nemo never needs any protection from his father.
14. What is the theme of the cartoon?
We should always listen to our parents.
Parents should let their children have an independent life.
Parent should take care of their children in case they get lost.
Parental love is the greatest love in the world.
15. In which section of a newspaper can you probably find this article?
| A．Entertainment | B．News | C．Society | D．Advertisement |
Ocean Park Hong Kong is a theme park in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The park was built with donations from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (now Hong Kong Jockey Club) and opened on 10 January 1977. The park is operated by Ocean Park Corporation, which is a statutory（法定的）department. It offers affordable marine animal education and entertainment and is a private organization for commercial purposes.
In the early operation of the park, the main sources of income for the park were the ticket prices and the funding from the Jockey Club. Since the ticket price was low, most of the time Ocean Park was operating under deficit（财政赤字）. In 1 July 1987, the government established a 200 million trust from the funding of Jockey Club, under the Ocean Park Corporation Ordinance. This separated Ocean Park from Jockey Club and became a non-profit organization; it needs to be responsible for its own income and was allowed to use commercial means to operate the park.
Since it was permitted to use commercial means to operate, it gradually raised its ticket price and the deficit turned into profit. In 1992, 3 million visitors visited the park. Since 1998, the East Asian financial crisis（经济危机）, aging attractions, and the passing away of the killer whale; the park recorded a deficit for a couple years. Although it was allowed to host 2 pandas in 1999, the number of visitors did not go up and Ocean Park was forced to close its water attractions and the "Old Village" attraction and turned to bring in more rides in an attempt to capture the youth demand. Together with the opening up of mainland visitors under the Individual Visit Scheme, Ocean Park recorded an astonishing 4 million visitors in the year 2004-2005, the highest since the park opened.
In March 2005, Ocean Park made its redevelopment plan. On 23 November 2006, Ocean Park held a groundbreaking ceremony for its redevelopment
6. At the beginning, Ocean Park Hong Kong _________.
was built with the money from the government
was operated by Ocean Park Corporation
was a great success once it was opened
mainly got income from the ticket prices and donations
7. According to the passage, Ocean Park Corporation _________.
belongs to Hong Kong Jockey Club
is an official organization
is a non-profit organization
can not use commercial means to operate
8. How many deficits the Ocean Park experienced so far?
A. 1 B.2 C. 3 D. 4
9. Ocean Park Corporation took all of the measures to overcome the deficits except _________.
A. raise ticket price B. close some attractions
C. try to attract young customers D. host 2 pandas
10. Which of the following statements is Wrong?
Ocean Park Hong Kong is a theme park.
Ocean Park Hong Kong has taken on a new look since 2005.
The East Asian financial crisis didn’t have any influence on Ocean Park.
At present, Ocean Park Hong Kong also attracts many mainland customers.
One day Walt Disney had a vision. It was a vision of a place where children and parents could have fun together. The more Walt dreamed of a "magical park," the more imaginative and elaborate it became.
The original plans for the park were on 8 acres next to the Burbank studios where his employees and families could go to relax. Although, World War II put those plans on hold. During the war, Disney had time to come up with new ideas, and creations for his magical park. It was soon clear that 8 acres wouldn't be enough.
Finally in 1953, he had the Stanford Research Institute conduct a survey for a 100-acre site, outside of Los Angeles. He needed space to build rivers, waterfalls, and mountains; he would have flying elephants and giant teacups; a fairy-tale castle, moon rockets, and a scenic railway; all inside a magic kingdom he called "Disneyland."
The search for the best venue for the park ended in the rural Anaheim, California with a purchase of a 160-acre orange grove near the junction of the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and Harbor Boulevard.
Construction for Disneyland began on July 21, 1954, 12 months before the park was scheduled to open.
Some 160-acres of citrus trees had been cleared and 15 houses moved to make room for the park. However, when the real designing came around, Disney met with inevitable questions. How do you make believable wild animals, that aren't real? How do you make a Mississippi paddle ship? How do you go about building a huge castle in the middle of Anaheim, California? Disney asked his movie studio staff for answers. The design of Disneyland was something never done before. There would be four uniquely different theme parts: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland Tomorrow land. Bit by bit, Disneyland got ready for Opening Day. The staff worked around the clock to get ready.
But opening day was a terrible disaster. Beside the terrible opening day conditions, the park did eventually pick up. By 1965, ten years after opening day, 50 Million visitors had come through the gates.
1. The passage is mainly about___________.
What visitors can enjoy in Disneyland.
The difficulties Disney met in building Disneyland
How Disneyland came into being
A brief introduction to Disneyland
2. Which of the following dates would probably be the opening date of Disneyland?
A. 1953 B. 1954 C. 1955 D. 1965
3. Which of the following statements is Not True?
World War II had some influence on the building plan of the Disneyland.
Disney must have met many difficulties in building Disneyland.
About 50 million visitors have visited Disneyland so far.
Disney was a great man with great imagination and creativity.
4. You could see all the following things except_________ in Disney.
A. rivers, waterfalls, and mountains B. flying elephants and giant teacups
C. a huge castle D. wild animals
5. The underlined phrase in the last paragraph probably means _________.
A. collect B. improve C. find D. open
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi, girl! My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically（热情地）responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked. She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel!”
“No seriously,” I said. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us.
“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only two secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor everyday. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die!” she said.
“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn 20 years older. If I am 87 years old, and stay in bed for a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can grow older. But every minute counts for young men,” she added.
“The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Song of Rose”. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics（歌词）and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
13. Rose made herself known to the author in a ______ manner.
A. serious B. cold C. humorous D. crazy
14. From the information provided in the passage, we know ______.
A. Rose finished the college degree within a year
B. Rose did realize her dream of meeting a rich husband and getting married through college education
C. Rose enjoyed her campus life very much
D. Rose grew so old that she stopped playing
15. Rose delivered the speech ______.
A. at the graduation B. which she prepared carefully
C. ended with “The Song of Rose” D. to challenge all the other speakers
16. According to her speech, ______.
A. whenever you have a dream, you succeed
B. all people don’t grow up while growing older
C. Rose usually regretted having done something
D. a nine-year-old is as old as a 87-year-old if he doesn’t do anything