The first true piece of sports equipment that man invented was the ball. In ancient(古代) Egypt, as everywhere, pitching (投掷)stones was a favorite children’s game. But a badly thrown rock could hurt(伤害) a child. Looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made what were probably the first balls.
At first, balls were made of grass or leaves(树叶) held together by vines(藤). Later they were made of pieces of animal skin sewed together and stuffed(塞满)with feathers or hay.
Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games. Before long they had developed a number of ball games, each with its own set of rules. Perhaps they played ball more for instruction than for fun. Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and skill they would need for war. The ball was probably invented because_______
| A．throwing stones often caused injuries | B．throwing stones was not fun |
| C．games with stones did not have rules | D．rocks were too heavy to throw |
The first balls were probably made of_______
| A．animal skins stuffed with rocks | B．twists of hay |
| C．hides stuffed with hay or feathers | D．grass and leaves tied with vines |
This selection says that the Egyptians played_____
| A．many different games with balls | B．many different kinds of games |
| C．only one ball game | D．different games with similar rules |
The Egyptians thought that ball playing was _______
| A．childish | B．difficult | C．not enjoyable | D．worthwhile |
The best title for this selection is ______
| A．The First Ball Games | B．How Egyptian Children Played Games |
| C．Egyptian Sports | D．The Beginning of Sports |
12-year-old John Thomas Robertson is a born train fan. "I’ve liked trains probably from the day I was born," he told Good Morning America. "When I was very little," he said, "my grandpa got me a train model. I would just watch it go round for hours and hours."
When Robertson finally had the opportunity to ride on a train, he felt great. His journey was so mind-blowing that he couldn’t keep it to himself: he decided to take all his classmates to go on a ride with him. When he found that some of his classmates couldn’t pay the fare, he collected cans (罐子) and bottles and raised more than $1,000 for them.
That trip was such a happy one that he made it a yearly action. "It never gets boring for some reason; it’s just fun," he said. "It really lets people get away from their busy life and have fun.
Every October, Robertson takes a new group of children to ride on the train —but now, he has a problem. Several disabled children were refused because the train was not accessible (可用的) to disabled people. "He was angry to think that children of his own age couldn’t ride a train," his mother said.
But he wouldn’t say no: he recently sent a letter to the train office for help. To his surprise, the leader, Ty Pennington, accepted the letter in person. He said that he and his workers would work on making a train accessible to disabled people. The first time John Thomas Robertson took a train, ________.
| A．he was frightened by it |
| B．he acted as a driver |
| C．he watched it for hours |
| D．he fell in love with it |
The author says John Thomas Robertson is a born train fan, because he ________.
| A．was greatly attracted to trains since early childhood |
| B．said so in Good Morning America |
| C．took a group of disabled children to travel by train |
| D．was taken to a train the day he was born |
The underlined words "mind-blowing" can be replaced by ________.
| A．important | B．terrible | C．amazing | D．disappointing |
The disabled children were refused to get on the train because _________.
| A．the trains then weren’t accessible to the disabled |
| B．Robertson had not saved enough money for the tickets |
| C．they couldn’t afford the train tickets |
| D．the driver would not allow them to do so |
According to the last paragraph, we can see that Robertson is a ________ child.
| A．helpful and crazy | B．kind and clever |
| C．kind but boring | D．lazy but kind |
There are many international organizations which work to save and protect endangered species and natural environment. If you would like more information about any of the organizations listed blow, you can write to the addresses given.
| Friends of the Earth (FOE) campaigns on a range of problems including rainforests, the countryside, water and air pollution and energy. Friends of the Earth International Secretariat P. O. Box 19199 1000 G. D. Amsterdam The Netherlands |
Greenpeace uses peaceful but direct action to defend the environment. It campaigns to protect rainforests and sea animals, stop global warming and end pollution of air, land and seas. It also opposes nuclear (核) power. Greenpeace International 1016 DW Amsterdam The Netherlands |
| BirdLife international is an organization which works to save endangered birds all over the world BirdLife International Wellbrook Court Girton Road Cambridge CB3 ONA England |
WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature is the world’s largest private international organization for the protection of nature and endangered species. Information Officer WWF International Avenue du Mont-Blanc 1196 Gland Switzerland |
If you want to learn more about the organizations, you can .
| A．call them | B．write them a letter |
| C．visit them | D．send them an e-mail |
Which problem will be paid close attention to by FOE?
| A．Overhunting ocean animals. |
| B．Killing endangered birds. |
| C．Heavy air pollution. |
| D．Global warming. |
If you oppose nuclear power, you can join .
| A．Friends of the Earth |
| B．World Wide Fund For Nature |
| C．BirdLife International |
| D．Greenpeace |
What can we learn about WWF?
| A．It helps to protect nature and save endangered animals. |
| B．It is the world’s largest international organization. |
| C．It works for private companies and rich people. |
| D．It is a private organization in the United States. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Endangered animals |
| B．Global traffic problems |
| C．Environmental protection organizations |
| D．Natural beauty |
Are you stuck in a rut（车辙）and looking for a change? Fed up of seeing hungry, poor faces on your TV screen and want to do something to help? Perhaps you’ve considered volunteering overseas but ruled it out because you thought you were too old, couldn’t commit enough time, or have a family. If so, think again.
“Over the past five years it has become far safer --- and more professionally acceptable --- to take up a job volunteering overseas,” says David Stitt, managing director of Gap Year for Grown Ups, a company catering for volunteers in their late 20s and upwards. “While 10 years ago intrepid souls took financial and personal risks in volunteering abroad, now several organizations exist to make the experience safe and well-organized.
Nowadays, universities and business encourage overseas volunteering among students and employees. Entire families can volunteer abroad, and agencies are employing more disabled and retired people. A prosperous “humanitarian tourism” industry has sprung up; thousands of UK citizens will do some form of overseas volunteering this year.
“Some volunteering jobs are easier to find than others,” explains Kevin Cusack, from a volunteer advice agency. “If you can speak English, it’s not too hard to land a job teaching English, even without a qualification, and those who enjoy working with children should be able to find child care work.”
Whether your interest is rainforests or women’s rights, you can find a volunteer position to suit you. But be warned: unless you have relevant skills or existing overseas development experience, it’s going to cost. Just how much depends on the location and length of the position, but you should budget for somewhere between £1,500 and £6,000.
“Having to pay to volunteer may sound paradoxical (矛盾的), but it’s the best way to ensure you get a position that benefits the local community while matching your interests and skills,” explains Cusack. “You can also discuss the time you want to commit to a project --- many positions can fit into a holiday or even a weekend.”The underlined words “intrepid souls” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to ___________.
| A．companies | B．volunteers | C．fighters | D．students |
In Kevin Cusack’s opinion, paying to volunteer overseas ___________.
| A．must be incredible and unrealistic |
| B．can help volunteers learn more about another culture |
| C．may benefit both volunteers and the community they work in |
| D．needs confidence, courage and determination |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Disabled people can also take up a job volunteering overseas. |
| B．In the past no one could take up a job volunteering overseas. |
| C．“Humanitarian tourism” industry is in its beginning stage. |
| D．Taking up a job volunteering overseas needs at least £1,500. |
Where can we most probably read this article?
| A．In a job guidebook. |
| B．In a celebrity biography. |
| C．In a guidebook to work overseas. |
| D．In a report on volunteer work. |
What is the writer’s attitude towards volunteer work?
| A．Critical. | B．Unfavorable. | C．Supportive. | D．Disagreeable. |
I recently ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for a long while．Our conversation was lively and full of news from both sides．Before we parted she said，“You'll have to drop in sometime.” I immediately sensed that if I simply “dropped in’’ I would take my friend by surprise，and I would be discouraged by the image of her standing in her doorway，staring at me，and asking，“Oh，err …what brings you here?”
Whatever happened to the unannounced drop-in visit? When I was growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that people - mostly relatives, but also friends - were always popping in. My parents would put coffee on，and my mom would find something in the kitchen to serve along with it．Then the conversation would begin…The neighbor lady，a worrier，was unloading her sadness while my mom quietly listened．The Irish man next door had such an accent that I remember asking what language he spoke．My Polish relatives arrived in packs…But I never heard my parents say anything like “We weren’t expecting you’’ or “This isn’t a good time．”Drop-in visitors had a certain right of way and became No．1．
What happened to such visits? Actually I know the answer．Times have changed．Everybody gets busy with work．There is no longer a stay-at-home mom keeping a pot of hot coffee or tea ready throughout the day for a surprise guest．Exploding malls and stores are now replacing homes as a central form of entertainment．
Just the other day a former student of mine showed up．“I'm sorry for the surprise visit．”my student began．“I just wanted to see if you still lived here．I'll only stay a minute．”My response was immediate.“ No, you won’t,” I said.“Just come in, sit, have coffee, and we’ll talk.’’
I had nothing in the kitchen but we ordered pizza．And we had a lovely time．I have tried to keep the drop-in tradition alive though it takes some effort．The author thought of his friend’s invitation --- “You’ll have to drop in sometime”--- as _______.
| A．a nice way of refusal |
| B．an excuse of leaving |
| C．a kind of politeness |
| D．an expression of surprise |
The underlined phrase “ pop in” in the second paragraph means _________.
| A．make many friends |
| B．make a special date |
| C．have a good time |
| D．pay a sudden visit |
The woman from the neighborhood used to visit the author’s home to ________.
| A．seek comfort from my parents |
| B．make new friends |
| C．1isten to my parents’ story |
| D．taste nice dishes |
From the third paragraph of the passage，we can infer that __________．
| A．the author misses the lost good days |
| B．unexpected visitors are still welcome now |
| C．modern people prefer outdoor activities |
| D．there are more jobs for the housewives now |
The author writes the passage intending to __________.
| A．encourage people to be drop-in visitors |
| B．explain how to deal with unexpected visitors |
| C．share his feelings about the drop-in tradition |
| D．show the importance of making friends |
Lots of folks don't think about what they eat over the holiday season until January, when they stare sadly at the number on the scale and then hurry off to hit the gym, join Weight Watchers or pick up the latest diet book.
It doesn't have to be that way. Health experts say you can still enjoy the holidays.
"It's OK to indulge（沉溺）, but it doesn't mean you have to gain weight," said Karen Ansel, a New York-based registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian from Denver who's also an ADA spokeswoman, added that gaining weight during the holidays and then working hard to lose it again is not good for a person's body.
For starters, people interested in maintaining their weight during the holidays should keep eating on a regular schedule, the two dietitians said. Research has shown that people who skip meals -- particularly breakfast -- end up eating more throughout the day. "Try and stick to consistent meal times so you can avoid being overly hungry," Crandall said. "When you're overly hungry, you can make some bad decisions regarding what you eat. Don't starve yourself during the day waiting for that party at night -- because you'll eat too much or overeat."
Ansel suggests that you think now about the foods you really enjoy and plan to focus on those while eating less of more common fare.
Be careful, too, about alcohol intake, for a couple of reasons. Alcoholic drinks, particularly the fancy ones handed out at holiday time, tend to come loaded with calories. "It's usually what you're adding to a drink that contains the calories," Crandall said. Also, if you're drunk, you might forget to watch what you're eating. "It totally lowers your inhibitions（压抑）," Ansel said.
Other holiday eating tips, suggested by Crandall and Ansel, include:
•Eat lots of vegetables, and eat them first before moving on to the other items on your plate.
•Recognize that many holiday extras, like cheese or cranberry sauce, come loaded with calories. "If those aren't your favorite foods, don't put them on your plate," Crandall said.
•If your favorite food has a lot of calories, be sure to minimize your portion. "Two bites cure the craving," Crandall said. "After that, you're just really feeding your old habits.
•After a big holiday meal, don't sink into a chair or couch. Go for a walk outdoors or participate in some other activities that help burn off some of the calories you've just eaten.Both Karen Ansel and Jessica Crandall ________.
| A．think highly of the latest popular diet book |
| B．like going to the gym often |
| C．think trying to lose weight isn’t good for a person’s body |
| D．are registered dietitians and work for ADA |
Ansel asks people wishing to keep slim not to skip meals because _________.
| A．it will do harm to their stomachs. |
| B．being overly hungry will make them feel not well |
| C．it may make them eat more |
| D．it might let them make bad decisions on important occasion |
Why does Crandall advise people wanting to lose weight not to drink wine?
| A．Because if they’re drunk, they can watch what they eat. |
| B．Because it will make it hard for their body to burn calories. |
| C．Because wine itself contains many calories. |
| D．Because it will make them feel more stressed. |
Which of the following is the proper way to keep slim according to the passage?
| A．Eating more vegetables than rice and other food. |
| B．Eating more cheese or cranberry sauce. |
| C．Never eat food with a lot of calories. |
| D．Sitting less and walking more after meals. |
The passage mainly talks about __________.
| A．some advice on holiday eating | B．how to keep slim |
| C．the problems of fat people | D．what to do in holidays |