Nodira, 18, lives in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan. She was born with a rare disease and is now paralyzed(瘫痪) from the waist down. Her life is confined to a wheelchair but her dreams know no such boundaries. Her hopes for the future include attending university, riding in her father’s car and being able to walk like other children.
Nodira, which means ‘unique’ in Uzbek, is one of five children in a poor family. Every morning, after reciting her prayers, Nodira feeds the hens and goats from her wheelchair. The rest of her day is spent knitting for other people and helping her mother with the household chores.
Nodira has never been to school because it is too far from her home and inaccessible for her wheelchair. A local teacher used to come and tutor her at home and, as a result, she was able to finish third grade. After that, her parents moved to another town and the tutor could not visit as much.
Despite the many difficulties in Nodira’s life she is lucky to be living with her family. The stigma(羞辱) attached to the children living with disabilities, combined with the lack of wheelchair access in schools and the economic difficulties faced by many Uzbek families, have led many parents to place children with disabilities in special institutions.
These days, Nodira does homework exercises at home and reads as much as she can. Still, it is unlikely that she will be able to finish her primary education, much less attend university. While missing out on an education is a great disappointment to Nodira, her greatest wish, for a true friend, can still come true. “What I want more than anything is a friend who also has a disability,” she says. “Somebody will not feel sorry for me or make fun of me, and will understand what my life is like.”The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.
| A．her dreams will help her desert her wheel chair |
| B．her dreams are never limited by her disability |
| C．she often dreams of moving freely without a wheel chair |
| D．she never dreams of recovering from her disability |
Nodira does all the following every day EXCEPT _____.
| A．give food to some animals |
| B．to make clothes from woolen or cotton thread |
| C．drive cars designed for the disabled |
| D．help with the housework |
The underlined word “tutor” in the 3rd paragraph can be replaced by “_____”.
| A．educate | B．visit | C．treat | D．comfort |
What Nodira wants most is ______.
| A．to go to university | B．to walk on her own feet |
| C．to finish her primary education | D．to find a true friend |
English is fast becoming the only language of a new generation of educated Arabs.
This isn't a good thing for the region or the rest of the world. The journalism school at the AUD(迪拜美国大学)is the only modern program in the Middle East that allows students to study in Arabic. Still, many students arrive with poorly written Arabic and the formal spoken language and require refresher Arabic language courses.
Literacy(识字能力) in the Gulf States is 98%, according to UNESCO. But that literacy is increasingly in English, not Arabic.
This English bias(偏爱) starts early, with children in private "model" schools in the United Arab Emirates studying all their subjects, including math and science, in English. But the trend appears to be taking hold regionwide. In Saudi Arabia, many upper-middle-class families speak English at home -- not just at work .
One Arabic official told me his own children do not speak Arabic fluently. He said he put them in English schools to help ensure they'd have great career prospects. But now he says he regrets that his children don't feel comfortable speaking the language of their forefathers.
Why is there the anxiety among these elites? I am continually told that what I've experienced anecdotally is true: The wealthier the family, the less likely its members speak Arabic at home. If people in the same country don't speak the same language, how can they work across class lines to solve the problems of high unemployment that affect even oil-rich Saudi Arabia?
For executives(行政主管) trying to build local businesses, the English bias is a challenge. The dean of the AUD's school of journalism, Ali Al Jaber, told me, "If you can't address your own people, then you can't be successful."
Sure, English is the world's business language. More Chinese are learning English right now than there are Americans in the U.S. But China has struck a bilingual balance. Its research universities teach some of the world's brightest minds in Chinese. Professor Wardeh finds much for Arab nations to admire in this model.The passage mainly tells us_____________.
| A．English is the world’s business language |
| B．the English bias in Saudi Arabia |
| C．the school education in Saudi Arabia |
| D．the bilingual balance in China |
Many Arabic parents prefer their children to speak English because__________.
| A．they think it’s a symbol of class |
| B．English is the world’s business language |
| C．they consider Arabic hard to learn |
| D．they believe it’s an advantage in their future careers |
The underlined phrase “this model” refers to__________
| A．the education system in China |
| B．the popularity of English in Saudi Arabia |
| C．to popularize English in upper-class families |
| D．to improve literacy in Arabic countries |
We can know from the passage that__________.
| A．the popularity of English in Saudi Arabia is a good thing |
| B．there is no problem of unemployment in Saudi Arabia |
| C．the poor in Saudi Arabia are more likely to speak Arabic |
| D．the English bias doesn’t affect the local business |
If I had known the following things when I was in high school, my life would have been 100% easier back then and probably would have helped me greatly. I realized some of these things I was told but being young and ignorant I refused to listen.
1.Your high school sweetheart will probably not be your spouse.
When I was in school, I thought my boyfriend and I were the “one and only true love”. Honestly as most young people do, statistically only like 2% of people end up marrying their high school sweethearts and even if they do they probably won’t be as happy as they were in high school. Being an adult is very stressful and your relationships become different.
2. __________________________________________________
How many kids play sports per year? How many kids are good enough to get a scholarship by playing sports? How many of them even make it to the Olympics after college or university? The kids who actually stay at home and focus on getting good at computers or math are the ones who make the most in the adult world financially.
3. It doesn’t matter what university you go to.
I was convinced I was going to go to a great art school when I graduated and I was so stressed out about it that I ended up dropping out of school. In reality my life wasn’t over; I only got my GED a year ago but I am in a decent school now. In the real world when you go to apply somewhere all they care about is “do you have a degree or a certification”?
4. Your friends probably won’t be your friends after you graduate.
I really thought I was going to get an apartment with my friends and our kids were going to grow up together. The truth is, when people grow up they move, have kids, get married, and therefore change. You will change; you will not be the same person you were. High school is just a transitional period of your life. So don’t worry about who is saying what about you or who is making fun of whom. What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To recall the experiences in high school. |
| B．To warn high school students about love in high school. |
| C．To give advice to high school students. |
| D．To encourage high school students to focus on study. |
The writer once dropped out of a college because __________.
| A．she decided to marry her sweetheart |
| B．she was bearing too much pressure |
| C．her family was going through financial problems |
| D．she was offered a good job before graduation |
Why do many sweethearts in high school get separated later?
| A．They aren’t able to go to the same university. |
| B．Their parents won’t approve of their relationships. |
| C．They will meet much better persons after growing up. |
| D．There will be more pressure and their feelings may change. |
Which of the following subtitles can fill in the underlined blank?
| A．Your teachers are not always right. |
| B．You can’t make lifelong friends in high school. |
| C．The unpopular kids are the ones who make the most money. |
| D．Education in life actually starts after graduation. |
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．The writer had never heard about the advice above in high school. |
| B．In real world employers don’t care so much about which school you graduated from. |
| C．Relationships in high school won't have great effect on your later life. |
| D．It’s not easy to earn scholarships by playing sports for high school students. |
The story of the day I lost my best friend to a car accident. The day a precious life was taken from us way too soon.
It was a bright and Sunny day in November. Thanksgiving had been celebrated only two days before. Since it was a holiday weekend I had been on the phone with Greg the night before many times. His dad didn't want him to come over because of the holiday. I guess he finally wore him down and he called and said, “I can stay”. So, my mom, brother, and I went to pick him up. He was always smiling. The complete opposite of my shy self, Greg was always the life of the party.
We got two large pizzas that Friday night. I’ve never known anyone in my entire life who loved to eat more than Greg. That’s the way he was though. He was just enjoying life. And if it meant gaining weight or whatever, so be it. He would sit back and put his hands on his belly and just laugh. We (Greg, David, and I) did so many funny things together and had such great times. Things we should have done and things we shouldn’t have done, I’ll “Never” forget.
On Saturday morning Dad took us out for breakfast. We all finished eating and followed my Dad up to the cashier. Greg asked Dad if he could have a candy bar. I looked at Greg shaking my head. He just laughed. After breakfast, Father took us to my Mom’s house.
When we got out at Mom’s house there was no one home. So, one of us grabbed a big wheel and rode it down the steep driveway into the street. Just boys being boys. Greg and I did it several times until the last time. The car hit him on the head, knocking him around 75-- 100 yards. My brother and I both ran screaming just yelling for help and crying. One of the neighbors called 911. I was in shock. That day was forever etched(铭刻) into our memories.
It still hurts to think about it. Wishing we could have grown old together. Wondering how it would have been. I’m sure It WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT.We can describe Greg as__________.
| A．impolite and greedy | B．easy-going and optimistic |
| C．shy and unconfident | D．friendly and brave |
Which shows the right order of the following events?
①Greg died of an accident while playing in the street.
②Greg went out for breakfast with the author.
③The author together with his bother and mom went to meet Greg.
④The three boys went out for Pizzas and had great fun.
⑤The author invited Greg to spend the weekend at his house.
| A．②①④③⑤ | B．⑤②③①④ |
| C．①②⑤④③ | D．⑤③④②① |
Why did the author shake his head hearing Greg’s request?
| A．He thought Greg was too impolite to his father. |
| B．He wondered why Greg liked eating so much. |
| C．He was afraid his father couldn’t afford it. |
| D．He was sure Greg would put on weight. |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (声称)as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.What is a bird’s “territory”?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears. |
How does the writer explain birds’ singing?
| A．By describing birds’ daily life. |
| B．By reporting experiment results. |
| C．By comparing birds with human beings. |
| D．By telling |
If you wish to dance with a certain lady, go to her, bow, and say, “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” If it is a formal dance with programs, she will tell you which dance she will have with you; if there are no programs, she will either rise and dance with you, or she may say, “I have this dance taken.” Or she may say, “I am sorry, I am not dancing this dance.” This may be a polite way of saying that she does not want to dance with you, or it may be that she is tired and wants to rest; you will have to judge which is her attitude.
Do not expect a lady whom you have invited to dance in advance for a dance to make any attempt to find you. It is her part to remain seated until you find her. Bow and say, “I believe this is my dance.”
At the end of a dance, thank your partner, but do not leave her until you have led her to a seat. Then, if you wish, you may excuse yourself, and go in search of your next partner.
If you cannot dance very well, it is always permissible to ask a lady if she is willing to sit out a dance with you. Sometimes during the evening, your hostess, the daughter of the hostess, and any guest of honor should all be asked by you to dance.When a lady says, “I am sorry I am not dancing this dance.”, she actually means.
| A．she is not willing to dance with you |
| B．she is too tired to dance with you |
| C．she is not good at dancing at all |
| D．either A or B |
If you have already made an appointment with a lady at the ball, .
| A．it is her duty to find you |
| B．it is still your duty to find her |
| C．it is both of your duty to find each other |
| D．you wait and wait until it is your turn to dance with her |
At the end of the dance, .
| A．you leave your partner and go to find your next partner |
| B．you thank your partner and leave her |
| C．you should introduce your partner to another gentleman |
| D．none of the above is right |
The underlined phrase “sit out” means .
| A．to dance slowly |
| B．to sit there and dance |
| C．to dance without moving |
| D．to remain seated during a dance |