In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States.
Originally the White House was gray and was called the presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation’s new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan.
A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone.
President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs.Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm.
In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.
After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president’s home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House.
The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public.The White House was built in Washington_____.
| A．because a French engineer was invited to design it |
| B．because President George Washington liked to live in it |
| C．because the British invaders lived in it in1812-1814 |
| D．because it was to be the nation’s capital city |
The president’s home and the city of Washington were______.
| A．built by the American army | B．built by the British troops |
| C．planed by George Washington | D．planned by the French |
The original home of the president needed to be rebuilt______.
| A．because John Adams’ wife did not like it |
| B．because it was cold in winter even with 50 fireplace |
| C．because it had been burned down during the war |
| D．because George Washington was not willing to live in it |
The new presidential home was painted white to ______.
A. cover the marks of fire B. attract tourist from France
D. to please Mrs. John Adams D. keep it warm in winter
In the animal kingdom，weakness can bring about aggression in other animal．This sometimes happens with humans also．But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people．I see it every day when people hold doors for me，pour cream into my coffee，or help me to put on my coat．And I have discovered that it makes them happy．
From my wheelchair experience，I see the best in people，but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily．They don’t get to see this soft side of others often；we try every way possible to avoid，showing our weakness，which includes a lot of pretending．But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them．
Last month，when I was driving home on a busy highway，I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual．People behind me began to get impatient and angry，with some speeding up alongside me，homing(按喇叭)or even shouting at me．At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty four years of driving．I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed．
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights，I was saying to other drivers，“I have a problem here．I am weak and doing the best I can．”And everyone understood．Several times，I saw drivers who wanted to pass．They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic．But instead of getting impatient and angry，they waited，knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak．
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way．But those are and far between．More often，it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared．The author has discovered that people will feel happy when_______．
| A．the offer their help |
| B．they receive others’ help |
| C．they feel others’ kindness |
| D．they show their weakness |
The author feels sad sometimes because_________．
| A．he has a soft heart |
| B．he relies much on others |
| C．some people pretend to be kind |
| D．some people fail to see the kindness in others |
In this passage，the author advises us to_______．
| A．handle problems by ourselves |
| B．accept help from others |
| C．admit our weakness |
| D．show our bravery |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Wheelchair Experience． | B．Weakness and Kindness． |
| C．Weakness and Strength | D．A Driving Experience |
The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi，capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region，and Lanzhou，capital of Gansu province，has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours．
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival．
“For the first time，I feel home is not that far away after all，”said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family．
The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago，and he has now settled in Urumqi．
The 1,776-km line，which passes through Qinghai province and is the country’s first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region，came into service on Dec 26．
“We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season，”Liang said．“Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes，so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip．”
More than 600，000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month，and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season．
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang’s development．All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link，leaving the old one to be used for goods．As a result，Xinjiang’s annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million．
The line passes through areas that experience high winds，and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert．
The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad，said Ma Xi zhang，director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project’s_management department in Xinjiang.How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
| A．about 12 hours． | B．About 6 hours． |
| C．About 18 hours． | D．About 24 hours． |
What’s the main advantage of the new high-speed railway?
| A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou． |
| B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang． |
| C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals． |
| D．It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development． |
From the passage we can learn________.
| A．Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times |
| B．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad |
| C．the high-speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone-dry sands |
| D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The new high-speed railway line is good for all people to go home． |
| B．The new high-speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods． |
| C．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou． |
| D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before． |
What are American high schools like? Well，I'm happy to tell you what I know．
When I started school here，it had already been a week since the schoo1 opened．At this school，freshmen usually go on a trip for about three days at the beginning of school. Unfortunately I missed that wonderful trip．which would have been the best time to get to know my classmates．I was really sad．I wished I’d known about it earlier.
Despite the disappointment，however，I gradually adapted to my new life and schoo1．
There is a space in the basement of the teaching building where students chat and meet each other．As we do not always have the same classrooms and classmates，the school wants us to get to know each other there．Students usually come to school early，sit in that space and have fun．Around the space，there are many lockers for students to leave their books in，so that students do not have to carry a heavy schoolbag everywhere．
It really surprises me that we have almost no textbooks．We only have textbooks for World History and Algebra and they are big and heavy，like bricks．For other classes，we only need binders(活页夹)with paper in them．Without textbooks，students learn things freely and actively．For example，my humanities teacher just teaches us what is in her mind at the time．We never know what we will learn．
Another difference between American schools and Chinese schools is that American schools care about students’ morality more than their academic studies．For example，if you do not finish your homework，you will just be asked to do it later，but if you cheat or lie，you will get a warning or even be kicked out．
I think that most students here are good at schoolwork as well，but compared to Chinese students，they can make learning a more joyful experience．I think we should take the good points from our two different kinds of education to perfect our approach to studying．What was the writer sad for?
| A．He was late for schoo1． |
| B．He missed the trip at the beginning of schoo1． |
| C．He didn’t know anyone． |
| D．American students looked down upon him． |
Why do students go to the basement of the teaching building?
| A．To attend class． | B．To share a classroom． |
| C．To have fun． | D．To meet teachers． |
According to the passage，in American high schools，_________．
| A．you are likely to be kicked out if you cheat |
| B．you’11 be punished if you do not finish your homework |
| C．students are better at school work than Chinese students |
| D．students care much about the grades they get |
I believe that my country，Poland，is a perfect example for a place where food is particularly important. When we were little children, we began to understand how much a loaf of bread meant to our parents—to some it might sound silly but for me the custom of kissing bread before you started cutting it was simply amazing. It’s not so common nowadays to treat food that way，since you hardly ever bake your own bread. Besides, everyone would call you crazy if you tried to kiss every bread roll before you ate them! But though we no longer make our food from scratch (起点), some customs have been kept—that’s why I feel so sorry every time I have to throw any food away—even though I no longer live with my parents and nobody would blame me for this anymore!
Many people of our nation are still working as farmers, eating what they grow and harvest and therefore enjoying everything more. It’s widely known that you value more anything that needs your effort in the first place. In most homes in Poland, especially those of farmers, the whole family would try and have their meals together—extremely difficult now, but so rewarding! You can share other members’ troubles and successes, give your children some attention, or just sit down for a moment, instead of rushing through life aimlessly. Furthermore, your body，and stomach in particular will be very grateful for such a time!
In Poland, a wedding，Christmas or even a birthday is celebrated with a great meal. Women in the house get together and cook ,sometimes for a few days before the event，and the extremely good or unusual food will be remembered and widely talked about.
You cannot over-value the importance of food in the country. What’s more, almost everyone in Poland will be as interested in the topic as I am.When the writer was a child, he/she _______.
| A．found people were crazy about bread |
| B．began to realize the importance of food |
| C．thought that cutting bread was amazing |
| D．learned people hardly baked their own bread |
The writer feels very sorry when he/she has to throw away any food because___________.
| A．he/she makes food from scratch |
| B．his/her parents would blame him/her |
| C．some customs still have effect on him/her |
| D．many people are still working hard as farmers |
From the text, we can learn that, in Poland, ________.
| A．most meals can be interesting topics for a long time |
| B．the whole family often have meals together nowadays |
| C．it’s common for women to get together to cook for a few days |
| D．family members can know more about each other by having meals together |
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real talk I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quite! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet! What did the author’s classmates think about his report?
| A．interesting | B．ridiculous. |
| C．boring. | D．puzzling. |
Why was the author confused about the task?
| A．He was unfamiliar with American history. |
| B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin. |
| C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction. |
| D．He was new at the school. |
The underlined word “burning” in Para. 3 probably means _______.
| A．annoyed | B．ashamed | C．ready | D．eager |
In the end, the author turned things around _______.
| A．by redoing his task |
| B．through his own efforts |
| C．with the help of his grandfather |
| D．under the guidance of his headmaster |