Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hold the bar with my other elbow (肘). Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung (横档)I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears. Which can be used to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child peel potatoes?
A.Cruel. | B.Favourable. | C.Strict. | D.Sympathetic. |
From the passage, we know monkey bars can help a child train ______.
A.the strength and skill to hang and sway |
B.the speed of one’s hand movement |
C.the skill to throw and catch things |
D.the bodily skill to rotate round a bar |
What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply?
A.Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it. |
B.The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up. |
C.Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher. |
D.What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity. |
When the author looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because
_______.
A.they felt sorry for what they had done before |
B.they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt |
C.they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars |
D.they were astonished to find the author’s progress |
The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.
A.the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep |
B.the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own |
C.Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph |
D.in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth |
A young man was going to join the army and had to take a medical examination. The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man. “Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on the chair.” The young man did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, “All right. Put on your clothes again.” “But you haven’t examined me at all!” the young man said in surprise. “There is no need to do so,” the doctor said with a smile. “When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw the chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. And you understand what I told you to do and did it without a mistake, so you must be clever enough for the army.”The young man went to the doctor because __________.
A.he wanted to consult about his illness. |
B.he had to have a medical check-up. |
C.he did not want to join the army. |
D.he did not feel well. |
The doctor told the young man to take his coat and shirt off in order to______.
A.test his listening ability. |
B.see whether his eyes were wrong with him. |
C.see what was wrong with him. |
D.examine him with no clothes. |
The doctor thought that __________.
A.the young man would not be a good soldier. |
B.the young man must not join the army. |
C.The young man would not do something wrong in the army. |
D.the young man could join the army. |
At first the young man __________.
A.did not understand what the doctor mean |
B.did not do as he was told to do |
C.realized why the doctor told him to do something |
D.understood what the doctor meant |
There is a boy in my gym class (I’ll call him Bill) who has unbearably yellow teeth that almost make everyone feel unpleasant. Recently another boy told Bill that he should “go Ajax” his teeth. Bill was crushed. Had the other boy been thinking, he would have realized that there is a better way to handle such a situation. He could have dealt with it with tact. He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way—that’s “tact”.
If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful. Yesterday, my 5-year-old brother proudly announced that he had cleaned the screen on our television set. Unfortunately, he used furniture polish(亮光油), which produced an oily film on the television screen. My mother smiled and thanked him for his efforts—and then showed how to clean the screen properly. Her sensitivity enables my brother to keep his self-respect. Yet, sensitivity alone does not make tact.
“Tactfulness” also requires “truthfulness”. Doctors, for example must be truthful. If a patient has just been disabled in an accident, a tactful doctor will tell the truth—but express it with sensitivity. The doctor may try to give the patient hope by telling them curing techniques under study or about advanced equipment now available. Doctors must use tact with patients relatives as well. Instead of bluntly saying, “Your husband is disabled,” a doctor might say, “I’m sorry, but your husband has lost feeling in his legs and…”
Tact should not be confused with trickery. Trickery occurs when a nurse is about to give a patient an injection and says, “This won’t hurt a bit.” Instead of trickery, the nurse might guarantee the patient that the discomfort of the injection is a small thing compared to the benefits of it. It would also be thoughtful for the nurse to tell the patients about some of these benefits.
Tact is a wonderful skill to have, and tactful people are usually admired and respected. Without tact our society would become an intolerable place to live in. When told he should “go Ajax” his teeth, Bill probably felt ________________.
A.surprised | B.cheated |
C.regretful | D.painful |
According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is _______________.
A.both sensitive and tactful | B.sensitive but not tactful enough |
C.truthful but not tactful | D.sensitive but trickish |
The fourth paragraph mainly talks about __________________.
A.how to comfort the patients |
B.how to use trickery carefully |
C.differences between trickery and promises |
D.another feature of tact |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage? (The numbers stand for the paragraphs)
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.gaokao/beijing/
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier(除湿器),the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air.gaokao/beijing/
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water ingaokao/beijing/
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage.gaokao/beijing/
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter(过滤器)and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets.It can produce up to 12 liters a day.The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said, “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost £800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20 pence to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A.Drinking water. | B.Invention. | C.Microwave. | D.Water Mill. |
What do we learn about the machine?
A.It works in the same way as microwaves. |
B.It is very expensive for families to afford. |
C.It absorbs wet air and turns it into water. |
D.It helps to make the water clean to drink.gaokao/beijing/ |
What does the passage lead us to believe?gaokao/beijing/
A.The cost of water will go up. | B.Bottled water will disappear soon. |
C.The machine is energy saving. | D.The machine will be popular worldwide. |
What’s the best title for the passage?gaokao/beijing/
A.A New Way to Solve Water Problem. | B.A Machine to Make Water out of Air. |
C.A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. | D.An Absolutely New Invention |
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word—“heart”. We will try to “get to the heart of the matter” to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.” Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.” Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,” or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart” discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart, ” or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell you a secret. I would speak with “all my heart”.
When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve”. Her emotions are not protected.
If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.” For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.” However, you might have a “change of heart” based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.” And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still”.If you are not so happy, you may feel that ________.
A.you “have a heart of stone” | B.you have to “take heart” |
C.you “break you heart” | D.you “speak from the bottom of the heart” |
From the above passage we may see ________.
A.English words can all be used differently |
B.some phrases do not have a fixed meaning |
C.languages change with the time |
D.the same word may have various meanings |
What is the passage trying to impress the readers?
A.To explain how “heart” is used in phrases. |
B.To show the author’s perfect English. |
C.To tell English learners to learn English in phrases. |
D.To advertise an English course. |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A.A change of heart | B.Open up the heart of “heart” |
C.Never let your heart stand still | D.Wear your heart on your sleeve |
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer.Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands— on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday,and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun:Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities,or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club,Saxon Community Centre,Norman Road.Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm.PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01 353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August.Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play.Gates open 5:30pm,performance 6:30pm—8:30pm.Tea room will be open until end of the interval.Adult £10.Child£7.Family £20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games:From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches,come and join the Farmland Team.Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner!No need to book,just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above,each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost£7 per child.
For further information,call 01223 810080.If you are interested in cooking, you can go to __________.
A.Peterborough Museum | B.Houghton Mill |
C.Saxon Youth Club | D.Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents,so it will cost you __________.
A.£7 | B.£17 | C.£27 | D.£20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A.Playing farmland games | B.Watching a new play. |
C.Competing in sports activities. | D.Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19,he will have __________ to choose from for himself.
A.one activity | B.two activities |
C.three activities | D.four activities |