“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him，and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator，Booker Washington. He was saying that，“If you want people to grow up，you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America，families are close but children are encouraged to be independent，to make their own decisions，even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance(津贴)every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose，for example，buying clothes，school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards! That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards.
From an early age，American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision making. At the dinner table，teenagers will be listened to on any topic，from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way, teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals：they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress, the music they listen to and the friends they choose. “Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice，young Chinese girl”. With her short，spiky hair and boy-like clothes, she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two feet...and she won!
There is an old saying，“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this, step by step, over a period of time, you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.
| A．save money for useful things | B．become independent |
| C．express their great ambitions | D．make important decisions |
A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.
| A．be accepted as a popular guy | B．learn to decide how to use money |
| C．overspend money without care | D．have school supplies of his own |
The author implies that many Chinese children________.
| A．are more independent than Americans | B．should become interested in America |
| C．are happy with their present situation | D．are not satisfied to be nice, quiet ones |
The main idea of the last paragraph is________.
| A．that we should do things step by step | B．why we should understand our desires |
| C．what we should plan for our own life | D．how we can manage to realize our dreams |
The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850—1928). After immigrating from England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed “the Garden City ”, almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.
The nineteenth－century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression(萧条) and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside, far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit—Howard suggested 32, 000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide range of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city. How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities?
| A．Through his observation of the country life. |
| B．Through the combination of different ideas. |
| C．By taking other people's advice. |
| D．By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago. |
The underlined phrase “drawing on” in Paragraph 1 probably means.
| A．making use of |
| B．making comments on |
| C．giving an explanation of |
| D．giving a description of |
According to Howard, garden cities should be built.
| A．as far as possible from existing cities |
| B．in the countryside where the land was cheap |
| C．in the countryside where agriculture was developed |
| D．near cities where employment opportunities already existed |
What can we learn about garden cities from the last paragraph?
| A．Their number would continue to rise. |
| B．Each one would continue to become larger. |
| C．People would live and work in the same place. |
| D．Each one would contain a certain type of business. |
What could be the best title for the passage?
| A．City and Countryside |
| B．The Invention of the Garden City |
| C．A New City in Chicago |
| D．A Famous Garden City in England |
When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many
Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place
Costa Rica, which means "rich coast" in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee
is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported (出口) to other countries
like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country's second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa
Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education
is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate
(单独的) schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the
year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans. What's the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．How Columbus found Costa Rica. |
| B．How Costa Rica got its name. |
| C．What the Costa Ricans wore. |
| D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke. |
The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.
| A．pink and red |
| B．grey and black |
| C．blue and green |
| D．yellow and orange |
In Costa Rica, boys and girls between seven and fourteen ______.
| A．must go to school |
| B．study in the same school |
| C．do not have to go to school at all |
| D．can choose to stop schooling at any time |
From December to February, school children in Costa Rica______.
| A．have lessons every day |
| B．have their examinations |
| C．help their parents pick coffee beans |
| D．help their parents decorate their houses |
，
There is an English saying that goes, “ He who laughs last laughs the hardest.” High School Musical star and teen heartthrob Zac Efron is laughing a lot these days.
As a young boy, Efron was picked on in school because he was always the smallest in his class and teased（取笑） because he had a big space between his teeth. In sixth grade, Efron’s basketball team made it to the league championships. In double overtime (加时赛) , with three seconds Left, he rebounded the ball and passed it to the wrong team! They scored and his team lost the game.
But history ,as they say, is a thing of the past. Now at 21, Efron is one of People magazine’s l00 Most Beautiful People, graces（使增加光彩）the cover of Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood’s most influential magazine, and is travelling the world promoting the third High School Musical film Director Adam Shankman described Efron as “arguably biggest teen star in America right now”． Simply google “Zac Efron” and you get more than 14 million responses. Yes, it seems Efron has a lot to smile about these days.
Efron was born and raised in California. He took school seriously. He would flip out(发疯) if he got a B and not an A in school, and that he was a class clown It was his father who encouraged him to act. He took part in school performances and with a local theatre group, He also took singing lessons. He graduated high school in 2006 and was accepted by the University of Southem California to study film But he deferred（延缓） because he anted to know why to study movies and when could star in them.
Now he has signed on to Sin the romantic comedy Seventeen Again and to play in the remake of the hugely popular movie, Footloose. Efron is also earning more than $ 3 million for his role in High School Musical 3 , not bad for a 21-year-old youth. But Efron still remembers those bullies(侮辱，威胁).
“You always have to remember that bullies want to bring you down because you have something that they admire,” Efron said. ‘Also, when you get made fun of, when people point out your weaknesses, it’s an opportunity for you to rise above.”
Efron has risen all the way to the top of the movie business. And he can now laugh all the way to the bank.How do you understand the underlined sentence “But history, as they say, is a thing of the past. “ in Paragraph 3?
| A．History is a collection of the past. |
| B．Zac Efron’s history is wonderful, |
| C．Different from history, Efron is quite popular now, |
| D．History plays an important role in Zac Efron’s life. |
What did Zac Efron do when he was laughed at?
| A．He couldn’t accept the fact in the beginning, so he escaped. |
| B．He was so angry that shouted at the person who teased him． |
| C．He cried and told the whole matter to his father to get comfort. |
| D．He cheered himself up and used it as a motivation to move on |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．It mainly talks about Zac Efron’s history. |
| B．It mainly focuses on how Zac Efron grew up. |
| C．It talks about how Zac Efron dealt with his business. |
| D．It rnainly talks about Zac Efron’s success in career, |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Zac Efron was laughed at because he was the most foolish guy in the class. |
| B．Zac Efron is promoting his fourth High School Musical film in the world. |
| C．He once helped the other team win a match when he was playing basketball. |
| D．In his growing process to be a famous actor, his mother played a key part. |
Whenever we hear about “the homeless,”, most of us think of the Developing world. But the is that homelessness is everywhere. For example, how many of us would expect to see people living on the streets of a
country like Germany?
Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making for the homeless of Berlin, Germany’s capital. They first
one long hot summer when most Germans were
on holiday. Kurt and his wife stayed at home, made sandwiches,
a table in the street and gave food to the homeless.
The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren’t . “What these people also need is warmth and
,” says Rita. The Mullers didn’t
to give their phone number to the street people and told them to phone anytime. Rita
there was somebody at home to answer the phone and their home was always
to anyone who couldn’t face another night on the street.
The couple were soon all their time and money, so Kurt visited food and clothing companies to
donations. Today, over thirty companies
donate food and other goods to the cause and volunteers help to
them to the homeless. The public also give clothes and money and a shoe producer
new shoes.
Kurt and Rita receive no for their hard work. “ We feel like parents,” says Rita, “and parents shouldn’t
money for helping their children. The love we get on the streets is our salary.” Though Rita admits she often gets
. She says she will continue with her work because she likes the feeling of having made a
in the world.
A. result B. truth
C. reason D. idea
A. traditional B. developing
C. typical D. wealthy
A. preparations B. houses
C. meals D. suggestions
A. began B. met
C. called D. left
A. asleep B. alone
C. across D. away
A. brought up B. set up
C. put aside D. gave away
A. enough B. necessary
C. helpful D. expensive
A. fame B. freedom
C. courage D. caring
A. hesitate B. agree
C. pretend D. intend
A. make sense B. found out
C. make sure D. worked out
A. open B. crowded
C. noisy D. near
A. costing B. wasting
C. taking D. spending
A. pay for B. ask for
C. look into D. carry out
A. completely B. calmly
C. regularly D. roughly
A. advertise B. sell
C. deliver D. lend
A. donates B. produces
C. designs D. collects
A. permission B. payment
C. direction D. support
A. borrow B. raise
C. save D. expect
A. surprised B. excited
C. tired D. amused
A. profit B. difference
C. decision D. rule
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they'll let me play?”Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We're losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局).I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again and again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked..
Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.
All were screaming，“Shay，Shay，Shay，all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home！”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team.
That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day! Not expecting much, Shay's father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.
| A．noticed some of the boys on the field were heisting |
| B．guessed his presence would affect the boy's decision |
| C．learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well |
| D．understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted |
In the bottom of the final inning Shay was given the bat because the boys _________.
| A．believed they were sure to win the game |
| B．would like to help Shay enjoy the game |
| C．found Shay was so eager to be a winner |
| D．fell forced to give Shay another chance |
The smallest boy threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head, probably because that boy ________.
| A．was obviously aware of the pitcher's purpose |
| B．looked forward to winning the game for his team |
| C．failed to throw the ball to the second baseman |
| D．saw that Shay already reached second base |
Which of the following has nothing to do with Shay's becoming the hero for his team?
| A．The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman. |
| B．The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him. |
| C．The opposing players failed to stop his running to home. |
| D．One of the opposing players ran to help him. |
What do you think is the theme of the story?
| A．True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other. | B．Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled. | C．Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents. | D．The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players. |