Henry found work in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn’t do anything but wanted to get rich. Mr King thought he was too lazy and was going to send him away. Henry was afraid and had to work hard.
It was a cold morning. It was snowing and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing to do. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he saw a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street.
“It must be full of expensive things, ”Henry said to himself. “I have to get it, or others will take it away. ”
He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle (鸣笛), but he didn’t hear it and went on running. The man drove aside, hit a big tree and was hurt in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court (法庭). A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing.
“But you’ve heard me this time.”said the judge.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.”
“Cover the ear with your hand and listen to me with your deaf (聋的)one. Well, can you hear me? ”
“No, I can’t. sir.”What was Mr. King? ( )
A.a driver | B.a doctor | C.a policeman | D.a shopkeeper |
Why did Mr. King want to send Henry away? ( )
A.Because Henry was too lazy. | B.Because Henry hoped to be rich. |
C.Because Henry finished middle school. | D.Because Henry sold few books. |
Why did Henry say that he was deaf? ( )
A.He wanted to have a joke with the judge. | B.He wanted to get the judge’s help |
C.He wanted to find another piece of work | D.He didn’t want to pay for the accident. |
Most young architects—particularly those in big cities—can only dream about working in a building of their own. And making that dream come true often means finding a building no one else seems to want, which is exactly what happened to David Yocum and his partner, Brain Bell. Their building is a former automobile electrical—parts firm in Atlanta. From the outside, it looks too old, even something horrible, but open the door and you are in a wide, open courtyard, lined on three sides with rusting (生锈的) walls.
In 2000, Yocum and Bell found this building in the city’s West End. Built in 1947, the structure had been abandoned (放弃) years earlier and the roof of the main building had fallen down. But the price was right, so Yocum bought it. He spent eight months of his off-hours on demolition (拆除), pulling rubbish out through the roof, because it was too dangerous to go inside the building, The demolition was hard work, but it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do, and “to treasure what was there—the walls, the rust, the light,” Yocum said. “Every season, more paint falls off the walls and more rust develops. It’s like an art installation (装置) in there—a slow-motion show.”
Since the back building had been constructed without windows, an all-glass front was added to the building to give it a view of the courtyard, and skylights were installed in the roof. The back of the building is a working area and a living room for Yocum and his wife. A sort of buffer (缓冲) zone between the front and the back contains a bathroom, a kitchen and a mechanical (机械的) room, and the walls that separate these zones have openings that allow views through to the front of the studio and the courtyard beyond.
Yocum and Bell, who have just completed an art gallery for the city, feel that the experience from the decoration of their building, focusing on the inside rather than the outside, has influenced their work. It has also given these architects a chance to show how they can make more out of less.According to the passage, it is for most young architects in big cities to work in a building of their own.
A.easy | B.unnecessary |
C.unrealistic | D.common |
Working on the old building, Yocum and Bell.
A.pulled rubbish out through the roof |
B.removed the skylights from the bathroom |
C.presented a slow–motion show in an art gallery |
D.built a kitchen at the back part of the old building |
It can be inferred from the passage that Yocum and Bell .
A.benefited a lot from pulling down the roof |
B.turned more old buildings into art galleries |
C.got inspiration from decorating their old building |
D.paid more attention to the outside of the gallery |
The main idea of the passage is that .
A.people can learn a lot from their failures |
B.it is worthwhile to spend money on an old building |
C.people should not judge things by their appearance |
D.creative people can make the best of what they have |
Do you want to get home from work knowing you have made a real difference in someone’s life?
If yes, don’t care about sex or age! Come and join us, then you’ll make it!
Position: Volunteer Social Care Assistant
(No Pay with Free Meals)
Place: Manchester
Hours: Part Time
We are now looking for volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to live active lives! Only 4 days left. Don’t miss the chance of lending your warm hands to help others!
Role:
You will provide people with learning disabilities with all aspects of their daily lives. You will help them to develop new skills. You will help them to protect their rights and their safety. But your primary concern is to let them know they are valued.
Skills and Experience Required:
You will have the right values and great listening skills. You will be honest and patient. You will have the ability to drive a car and to communicate in fluent written and spoken English since you’ll have to help those people with different learning disabilities. Previous care-related experience will be a great advantage for you.The text is meant to ________
A.leave a note | B.send an invitation |
C.present a document | D.carry an advertisement |
What does the underlined part mean?
A.You’ll make others’ lives more meaningful with this job. |
B.You’ll arrive home just in time from this job. |
C.You’ll earn a good salary from this job. |
D.You’ll succeed in getting this job. |
The volunteers’ primary responsibility is to help people with learning disabilities ________.
A.to get some financial support |
B.to properly protect themselves |
C.to learn some new living skills |
D.to realize their own importance |
Which of the following can first be chosen as a volunteer?
A.The one who can drive a car. |
B.The one who has done similar work before. |
C.The one who has patience to listen to others. |
D.The one who can use English to communicate. |
My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat at the same time in a second-hand clothing store. It stood out among big and old coats. It had beautiful tailoring and an unbelievable price: $28. I looked at my son and we both said nothing, but John’s eyes shone. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular with teenage boys, but they could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better. John tried it on and turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror. The fit was perfect.
John wore the coat to school the next day and came home with a big grin. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it.” he said.
Over the next few weeks, John changed. He was polite, less argumentative, more thoughtful, and on the whole much happier. “Good dinner, mom.” he would say every evening. Without a word of objection he would carry in wood for the stove. One day when I suggested that he might start on his homework before dinner, John, who always put things off, said: “You’re right. I guess I will.” When I mentioned this incident to one of his teachers, she joked that the coat must have changed him.
John and I both know we should never mistake a person’s clothes for the real person within them. But there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see, for practicing standards of excellence in thought, speech, and behavior, and for matching what is on the inside to what is on the outside.What does the author try to express in the first paragraph?
A.The coat looked like a magical coat. |
B.They were good at shopping. |
C.The coat was a real bargain. |
D.They had the same taste in clothes. |
What does the underlined word “grin” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.A wide smile. | B.A worried look. |
C.A low spirit. | D.A joking voice. |
After John wore the new coat, the author found he _______.
a. was happier and better-behaved
b. received more praise from his teachers
c. was willing to follow suggestions
d. made rapid progress in study
e. would say sweet words to please her
A.a, b, c | B.a, c, e |
C.b, d, e | D.c, d, e |
What message does the author intend to deliver in the article?
A.We should not judge people by their appearance. |
B.Life is full of possibilities when we are young. |
C.It’s beneficial to try different things in our lives. |
D.What we wear could help shape who we are inside. |
When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo. The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shanghai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.
A.a terrible animal that is not popular |
B.a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck |
C.a reflection of China’s national characteristics |
D.an animal that can create harmony and bring rain |
Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?
A.China. | B.Wales. | C.Bhutan. | D.India. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies. |
B.The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo. |
C.The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports. |
D.The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries. |
What are you reading? (A3)
How do your reading habits compare to those of students of a similar age? We ran a poll(抽样检查) to discover what, when, where and why teens read.
Literary(文学) greats(A4-7)
People have been telling stories for centuries. We profile(扼要描写) eight authors, whose work has made a great contribution both to literature and the world as a whole. Have you read any of their books?
Teen reading(A8-10)
Not all books are written by adults for adults. The market for books aimed at young adults is very strong and many new titles are published each year. Some of them are even written by teenagers.
Science fiction (A11)
Have you ever thought what it would be like to travel in space or meet aliens? Jules Verne and Douglas Adams did. It’s time to explore the world of science fiction, where anything and everything can happen.
Horror(A12)
You’ll want to sleep with the light on after reading a story by Edgar Allan Poe or Stephen King. They are two of the finest fiction writers. Get ready for unpleasant deaths and frightening ghosts(鬼).
_____(A13)
Don’t have time to read a whole book? Then why not spend a few minutes with a book of poetry? We have selected some poems that celebrate the winter season—white snow, cold weather and Christmas.
Past and present(A14)
Over the centuries, stories have been written on all kinds of things. Find out about the development of paper and printing——and what books will look like in the future.
Join in the fun(A15—16)
Reading is enjoyed by almost everyone. Here are some activities you can do to make it even more fun. You can also try our special literature quiz.The text is most probably taken from _____.
A.a book | B.a literature works |
C.a newspaper | D.a fiction |
What does the underlined word “aliens” mean?
A.Persons from another place. |
B.Astronauts from another country. |
C.Visitors into space. |
D.Science fiction writers. |
Which of the following can be put into the blank before(A13)?
A.Winter poems |
B.Christmas is coming |
C.A book of poetry |
D.The winter season |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Articles about Shakespeare or Charles Dickens can be found in A12. |
B.An introduction of the book Journey to the Center of the Earth may possibly appear in A11. |
C.A section named “BESTSELLERS” can be found in A16. |
D.An article about Harry Potter may possibly appear in A14. |