“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled .
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now. Where did the story most probably take place?
| A．In a classroom. | B．In a supermarket. | C．At a bookstore. | D．At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
| A．took the book by mistake | B．wanted to keep the book |
| C．didn’t want to go home | D．didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
| A．didn’t think her son stole the book |
| B．had been out of work for a long time |
| C．forgot to take money with her that day |
| D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A．His idea was successful. | B．Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C．He liked Ted very much. | D．Ted was a naughty boy. |
The British royal family is about to be slimmed down. The queen plans to reduce the number of real royals, as was recently announced. However, there seems little sign of the monarchy (君主) disappearing completely．
Up till the 17th century, the British king or queen was believed to rule by “divine (神的) right”, which was the idea that God chose the king or queen to rule and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea ended with the English Revolution, in which King Charles I was imprisoned and then killed in 1649．
So what role does the British royal family have today?
Well, the Queen has important formal duties: as Head of State, the Queen represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK. As Head of the Armed Forces, only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when war is over. The Queen also has constitutional duties: She has to sign many government and Commonwealth documents every day.
In addition, the royal family spends a great deal of its time traveling up and down the country in support of different charity projects. But the public in Britain do not believe there should be a royal family. Sometimes, the press and media criticize the royal family as well. One criticism is that British people should not have to pay for the royal family through their taxes．
Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant in the modern world. The queen’s speech on TV is less formal every Christmas, and is now available as a podcast (播客). In 2005, after graduation from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many young British people do at some time in their lives．What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?
| A．The British king or queen is no longer believed to rule by divine right． |
| B．The British king or queen is about to become common people． |
| C．The English Revolution put an end to the British royal family in 1649． |
| D．The royal family’s role was most important in Britain in the 17th century． |
Which of the following is NOT among formal duties of the Queen?
| A．Declaring when the UK is at war． |
| B．Travelling around the world for charity projects. |
| C．Inviting other world leaders to visit the UK． |
| D．Signing Commonwealth documents every day． |
Prince William is mentioned in the passage to show that ________．
| A．he is popular in the UK |
| B．many young British people do voluntary work |
| C．he has tried to win young people’s admiration |
| D．the royal family is trying to change their image |
We can infer from the passage that ________．
| A．British people are all in favor of the royal family |
| B．the British royal family are facing surviving challenges |
| C．the public are encouraged to oppose the royal family |
| D．British youths are required to teach English in Uruguay in their lives |
Between the innocence of babyhood and seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males pack them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere –--- on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to this and that! Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble-maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature bent on destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy with mixture---he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superwoman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker, but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday morning, and fire engines. He is not much for girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-foot rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature----he is your headache but when you come home at night with only shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”The whole passage is in a tone of________.
| A．humor and love |
| B．respect and harmony |
| C．ambition and expectation |
| D．confidence and imagination |
What does the underlined sentence in Para.4 probably mean?
| A．He has altogether five fingers. |
| B．He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C．He has become clever and smart. |
| D．He cuts his hand with a knife. |
What does the writer feel about boyhood?
| A．Curious. | B．Tiring. | C．Delightful. | D．Unsafe. |
The writer is probably ___________.
| A．A envious sister |
| B．A sharply observant father |
| C．A appreciative fond mother |
| D．A spoiled naughty kid |
It was a bitter cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man’s beard was glazed by winter’s frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.
It was long before he heard the faint, steady rhythm of hooves (马蹄) along the frozen path. Anxiously watching several horsemen coming up, he let the first one pass by without any effort to get his attention, then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider drew near where the old man sat like a snow statue when old man caught his eyes and said, “Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side?”
Stopping his horse, the rider replied, “Sure! Jump aboard.” Seeing the old man unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman got down to help him. The horseman took him not just across the river, but to his destination just a few miles away.
As they approached the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire, “Sir, I noticed you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I am curious why, on such a bitter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you here?”
The old man looked the rider straight in the eyes and replied, “I reckon I know people pretty good. I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately found no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need.”
Those heart-warming comments touched the horseman deeply. “I’m so grateful for what you have said,” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”
With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.Why didn’t the old man ask the previous riders for a ride?
| A．Because he was waiting for the last rider. |
| B．Because his efforts failed to get their attention. |
| C．Because he assumed they had no concern for him. |
| D．Because he was too numb to lift his half-frozen body. |
What caused the last rider to stop and help the old man?
| A．the old man’s poor situation |
| B．kindness and sympathy |
| C．his own affairs |
| D．The old man’s warm comments |
What do you know about the old man?
| A．He gave the last rider an opportunity to help. |
| B．He lived in a cozy cottage a few miles away. |
| C．He judged people by looking into their eyes. |
| D．He recognized the president at first sight. |
Which can be the best title of this text?
| A．look into your eyes | B．compassion of a great man |
| C．the last rider to help | D．return to the White House |
The intelligence times provide us much convenience，but at the same time，some of our abilities are being weakened gradually.
1. Memorizing phone numbers
It was annoying to remember numbers. Now we simply add them to our contacts list. That usually works well unless our device is lost，stolen，or damaged. No one can be expected to remember all their contact numbers. What we can do is memorize 5 of our most important contact numbers. This should include a mixture of family，friends and business. If you're really ambitious you can memorize 5 contacts for each category.
2. Map-reading skills
The convenience and effectiveness of GPS guidance systems and digital maps generated by search engines is unquestionable. They've definitely made our lives easier. What we don't get from using these devices and applications is the increased ability to understand spatial orientation（空间方向）and navigation.
To renew or acquire those skills，try using physical maps to plan your next trip. After a few trips，you'll be pleasantly surprised with how useful a physical map can be.
3. Photography
Even amateur photography requires a basic learning about lighting，depth，and composition. This is true for digital photography. Most smart cameras automatically make these adjustments. We no longer have to learn the art of photography. On most devices，this is easily changed by turning off the automatic settings. Experiment with setting by hand the scene modes，lighting，and zoom. You just may learn that you're a “true photographer”.
4. Reading comprehension
The primary cause is E-reader. They're convenient and can store thousands of books. But there's evidence that E-reader makes it more difficult for readers to keep and recall information they just read. Don't worry! What we should do is make an effort to read printed books. This will be especially helpful when seeking information we need for academic or career purposes.
5.Hand-written correspondence（通信）
Writing letters and notes include hand writing skills，organizational skills，and learning about the person or persons you correspond with. This is another easily regained skill. Send a letter to an old friend，relative or acquaintance.What's the disadvantage by adding all numbers to the contacts list?
| A．We may only have the ability to remember 5 numbers. |
| B．It's hard to find the number from the contacts list. |
| C．We might lose all our phone numbers accidentally. |
| D．Our device is more easily damaged or stolen. |
To make yourself a “true photographer”，you ______.
| A．must make it clear how the digital camera works itself |
| B．have to make your camera do the adjustments automatically |
| C．don't need to learn the art of photography |
| D．had better try to set the scene modes，lighting，and zoom by hand |
E-readers are thought to weaken our reading comprehension because ______.
| A．they are convenient and can store thousands of books |
| B．they make it more difficult for us to recall information |
| C．less people can afford to buy E-readers |
| D．people are not fond of reading printed books nowadays |
The author of the text seems to ______.
| A．be worried that we might lose some basic abilities in intelligence society |
| B．point out to us the abilities one should have for adapting to the modem society |
| C．be glad that people will regain these abilities by using them often in daily life |
| D．find out that these abilities will probably make modern people different from before |
LONDON, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A four-year-old child’s ability to draw could be an indicator of intelligence at age 14, according to a study published on Tuesday in the British journal Psychological Science.
The researchers from King’s College London (KCL) studied 7,752 pairs of identical and non-identical twins, and found that the link between drawing and later intelligence was influenced by genes.
At the age of 4, children were asked by their parents to complete a ‘Draw-a-Child’ test. Their drawings were rated from 0 to 12, based on the presence and correct number of body-parts, like arms, legs, head, eyes and nose.
The children were also given verbal and non-verbal intelligence tests at ages 4 and 14. According to researchers, the test was devised in the 1920’s to assess children’s intelligence, so it’s not surprising that the test correlated with intelligence at age 4.However, they found that higher scores on the test were also moderately associated with higher scores of intelligence at 14.
The researchers also measured the heritability of figure drawing. Identical twins share all their genes, whereas non-identical twins only share about 50 percent. Overall, at age 4, drawings from identical twin pairs were more similar to one another than drawings from non-identical twin pairs.
Therefore, the researchers concluded that differences in children’s drawings have an important genetic link. They also found that drawing at age 4 and intelligence at age 14 had a strong genetic link.
“Drawing is an ancient behaviour, dating back beyond 15,000 years ago,” Dr. Rosalind Arden, lead author of the paper from KCL, said that: “This capacity to reproduce figures is a uniquely human ability and a sign of cognitive ability, in a similar way to writing, which transformed the human species’ ability to store information, and build a civilisation.”According to the passage, which of the following statement about ‘Draw-a-Child’ test is true?
| A．The test was devised in the 1920’s. |
| B．7,752 identical and non-identical twins took part in it. |
| C．The test was set to assess children’s intelligence. |
| D．The children took the test at four. |
Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “devised” in the 4th paragraph?
| A．changed | B．formed | C．taken | D．designed |
What do we know about the twins from the passage?
| A．Those who could draw better at 4 tend to be more intelligent at 14. |
| B．Twins who look similar to each other draw better pictures. |
| C．They were chosen to take the drawing test by the researchers. |
| D．They were tested on how smart they were once. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ___________.
| A．human society develops because of the ability to draw figures |
| B．drawing helps improve humans’ ability to study |
| C．one’s intelligence is related to his ability to draw pictures |
| D．only human beings are able to draw pictures |