How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America.We were on the bus then.I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to loo
k at me.I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again.In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives.When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures.The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once.For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves.I did not quite know what I was or what I should be.Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me.Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other.I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home.I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
A.From her relatives. | B.From her mother. |
C.From books and pictures. | D.From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.
A.confused B.excited C.worried zedFor the first two years in New York, the author _________.
A.often lost her way |
B.did not think about her future |
C.studied in three different schools![]() |
D.got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A.She worked as a translator. |
B.She attended a lot of job interviews. |
C.She paid telephone bills for her family. |
D.She helped her family with her English. |
The author believes that______.
A.her future will be free from troubles |
B.it is difficult to learn to become patient |
C.there are more good things than bad things |
D.good things will happen if one keeps trying |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”. Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in _____.
A.a travel guide | B.a newspaper |
C.a textbook | D.a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
A. standing on the river bank | B.swimming in the river |
C.watching the crocodile | D.fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
A.Her eyes were badly poked. |
B.She had eight wounds altogether. |
C.One of her fingers also got hurt. |
D.One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
A.brave | B.diligent |
C.quick | D.humorous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.The husband should save the wife |
B.A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
C.A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
D.Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
There was once a forest made up of tiny trees that were all growing up together. They had been planted by a very old gardener who took care that they would all grow up to be straight and healthy. However, the area was hit by strong winds, and the little trees preferred to avoid the annoying winds, so they bent(弯) their trunks (树干) and branches to protect themselves.
The old man, knowing they could never grow well like this, decided to straighten them out, and spent many hours tying their tiny trunks to supporting poles(杆), hoping his beloved trees would understand he was doing this for their own good. But those naughty trees disliked all the wind. They always avoided the gardener’s help by bending themselves, hiding from the wind. One of those trees, one standing right in the middle of the forest, forced itself to grow up straight, patiently bearing the annoying wind.
Three years passed, and the old man died. And from then on the trees could grow however they liked, bending from the wind just as they pleased, with no one bothering them about it. All, that was, except the single straight tree in the center of the forest, who decided to grow up just as a tree should.
But as the forest grew, and the trees got thicker and stronger, they began to hear cracks(破裂声) from inside. Their branches and trunks needed to keep growing, but the trees were so twisted that the growth they were experiencing only brought them pain and suffering.
And it was a place with a special beauty since, right in its center, surrounded by thousands of short twisted trees, rose one impressive tree that was long and straight like no others. And that tree, the only one that never cracked, continued growing, without a worry for the changeable wind.Why did the trees bend their trunks and branches?
A.Because the gardener often touched them. |
B.Because the wind were not strong. |
C.Because they protected themselves from being destroyed. |
D.Because they were very shy and afraid to meet the wind. |
What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
A.The gardener was kind and treated the trees well. |
B.The trees disliked the gardener. |
C.The gardener was cruel to the trees. |
D.The trees were all naughty. |
How long did the old gardener look after the trees?
A.Two years. | B.Three years. |
C.Four years. | D.Five years. |
We can learn from the fourth paragraph that .
A.the trees lived happily |
B.the trees liked to stay with each other |
C.the trees missed the old gardener |
D.the trees suffered from their actions |
Dear Mr. Smith,
I currently rent (租) APT#832 in the Canyon Crossing apartments. Overall, I am happy with the location. At the beginning I had planned to live here for at least two years. I like here.
However, I am very disappointed in that there seems to be a terrible roach (蟑螂) problem. I can’t invite any guest over because of this problem and I cannot recommend (推荐) Canyon Crossing to any of my classmates either.
I have left two voice mails for you which are concerned with this problem. You have not returned either one. Therefore, this letter is my next step in hoping to solve the problem. I am kindly asking you to ask an exterminator (灭蟑人) by July 15th. If you fail to do so, I will have no choice but to make a complaint to the BBB (Better Business Bureau).
You are welcome to text me anytime at (435) 234-3452. I hope this problem will be solved soon.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely, Unhappy Ursula
Dear Sir,
I am a new resident (居民) at Sunning Court. I have seen the condition of the building becoming worse and worse since I moved here last year.
First of all, the management of the building is really terrible. Sometimes, there is a bad smell when I walk on the road. I see much rubbish there. No cleaners clean the rubbish. Many roaches and rats run around the building.
My second problem is about the security (安全). I always see the guards reading newspapers or smoking when they are on duty. The security room is very dusty too. When I want to use the phone, they say, “We can’t help.”
I am therefore writing to demand your company’s action to improve the situation. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Chris WongWhat’s the major problem that Ursula is facing now?
A.She is being troubled by roaches in her apartment. |
B.The exterminator fails to kill the roaches on time. |
C.She has become more afraid of roaches than before. |
D.She can’t find a cheap and comfortable apartment. |
The first letter is most probably written by .
A.a student | B.an exterminator |
C.a housekeeper | D.a BBB official |
How does Chris Wong feel about his living conditions at Sunning Court now? .
A.A bit confused | B.Quite frightened |
C.Really excited | D.Very disappointed |
The Pickup
Nadine Gordimer
The book talks about the love between an Arab man and a white South African woman. They come from very different cultures with very different ways of looking at the world.List price: $16.00
Price: $11.30
You save: $4.70(29%)
Publisher: Picador
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Atul Gawande
The modern world has given us huge know-how. Yet failures continue to influence us in health care, government, the law, the financial industry and so on. And the reason is simple: there is so much knowledge that it is hard for people to fully command it. Atul Gawande makes an argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist.List price: $15.00
Price: $ 11.76
You save: $3.24(21%)
Publisher: Picador
Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer
Micheal White
Micheal White tells the colorful life of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Micheal White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a great scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic ended and science began.List price: $19.95
Price: $15.01
You save: $4.94(25%)
Publisher: Basic BooksWho has written a book that talks about cultural differences?
A.Micheal White. | B.Adrian Vickers. |
C.Atul Gawande. | D.Nadine Gordimer. |
What do The Pickup and The Checklist Manifesto have in common?
A.They have the same price cut. |
B.Their list prices are the same. |
C.Their authors are introduced in detail. |
D.They share the same publisher. |
In the book Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer Newton _____.
A.is a great but not perfect man |
B.lives a meaningful and colorful life |
C.is the same as what we commonly know |
D.is an old-time gifted scientist and magician |
Which of the following books offers the biggest price cut?
A.The pickup. |
B.Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer. |
C.A History of Modern Indonesia. |
D.The Checklist Manifesto : How to Get Things Right |
English, as we all know, is considered as the universal language. It is spoken all over the world. However, you will also notice that people all over the world are using different types of English. Let’s take a closer look at these two popular types: UK and US English. Even if both types of English are wildly used, there are some differences that will be worth knowing to find out the type of English that you are using.
US English is what we know as the American English which is wildly used in the United States. UK English, on the other hand, is known as the British English. Some also call it the BBC English since it is the English used by British reporters, and another name for it is the Queen’s English.
In terms of vocabulary, some words in US English may mean something different in the UK English. For example, the word biscuit for the British means baked sweet or salty cake that is hard when baked and softened over time; while in the US it is a quick bread served with salty foods.
With regards to pronunciation, American English is more nasal (鼻音的). Stress (重音) is also another difference to consider. Just like in the word princess, British stress the second syllable (音节) while Americans stress the first.
Spelling is another area of difference. American English spelling is more simple. Example of which includes, color for the US and colour for the UK, same goes with honor and honour. The doubling of letters in words is another good example. It will be traveler in the US and traveller in the UK. The use of “-og” instead of “-ogue” in word such as dialog and dialogue or catalog and catalogue.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Similarity between US English and UK English |
B.Difference between US English and UK English |
C.The future of US English and UK English |
D.The history of US and UK English |
What does the underlined word “it” refer to according to Paragraph 2?
A The British English.
B The American English.
C The BBC.
D The Queen of UK.he word biscuit in UK English refers to the cake which may be finally.
A.sweet and hard |
B.salty and sweet |
C.hard and salty |
D.salty and soft |
Which of the following may belong to UK English?
A.Color. | B.Traveler. |
C.Dialog. | D.Catalogue. |