President Bush’s dogs often play on the White House lawn(草坪), but did you know that he also has cows and a cat? His cat is named India. India, also called “Willie”, has lived with the Bush family for more than ten years! On his farm in Crawford, Texas, he keeps a cow called Ofelia named after a person who worked with him when he worked in Texas.
Past Presidents brought many interesting animals to the White House. The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President, had silkworms. Herbert Hoover, the 31st President, had an opossum(负鼠). And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, had a raccoon(浣熊)named Rebecca.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, was famous for his many pets. His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, guinea pigs, and more. Once, Roosevelt’s son Quentin borrowed some snakes from a pet store. Running to show his father, Quentin interrupted an important meeting and dropped the snakes all over his father’s desk!
During World WarⅠ, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President, kept some sheep on the White House lawn. He did this so the First Family would appear to be supporting the war effort. The sheep’s help was great. They ate the lawn and the sheep’s wool was auctioned (拍卖)to raise money for the American Red Cross.
Some of the more unusual U.S. Presidents’ pets have been gifts from other world leaders. James Buchanan received some elephants from Thailand. The Sultan of Oman gave Martin Van Buren a pair of tigers.
But even the more common pets have had an unusual time at the White House. Warren Harding, the 29th President, and his family had a birthday party for their dog Laddie Boy. They invited other dogs and served a dog biscuit cake.
What’s next? A White House zoo?
60. What do we know about President Bush’s pets?
A.A horse is his favorite pet. |
B.Willie was named after a person. |
C.India has lived with him for a long time. |
D.Ofelia was raised on the White House lawn. |
61. Who raised an interesting animal called Rebecca in the White House?
A.Herbert Hoover | B.Woodrow Wilson |
C.Calvin Coolidge | D.James Buchanan |
62. Ac
cording to the passage, what happened to President Theodore Roosevelt?
A.His pets were a great help to the American Red Cross. |
B.He was once disturbed by his son when he was working |
C.His wife once sent him an opossum in o![]() |
D.He received a pair of tigers as a gift from Oman’s leader. |
63. According to the passage, who held a party for his pet dog?
A.The 6th President | B.The 31st President |
C.The 26th President. | D.The 29th President. |
“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.
One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms,he cried out bitterly,“A boy, a big boy…called me-a f—…freak.”She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.
He grew up,handsome for his misfortune.A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that.He developed a gift for literature and music.
The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor.Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft on a pair of outer ears,if they could be donated,”the doctor decided.So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.Two years went by.Then, “You’re going to the hospital,son.Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need.But it’s a secret,” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success.His talents blossomed into genius.School and college became a series of successes.Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.“But I must know!” he urged his father.“Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father,“but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet.”The years kept the secret, but the day did come …one of the darkest days that ever passed through a son.He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材).Slowly and tenderly,the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick,reddish-brown hair to let out the secret..
When the mother unfolded the cloth and looked upon the tiny face we know that the mother________.
A.suddenly decided to make a sacrifice for the baby |
B.kept the baby’s situation unknown to other![]() |
C.felt shocked and disappointed to see her new baby |
D.complained of her bad luck and regretted having a disabled child |
.
Give the closest meaning to the underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2.
A.Slow–acting person. | B.Ugly–looking child. |
C.Badly–behaved student. | D.Strangely–shaped creature. |
.
At last, we may infer from the passage that_________.
A.The agreement was between the donator and the family |
B.Finally the boy came to know the donator was a stranger |
C.The mother may never let her hair be cut to keep her ears from being seen |
D.The mother donated her ears to her son after she died |
.
What moral lesson can we draw from this reading?
A.Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known. |
B.It is up to parents to help their children heart and soul. |
C.True![]() |
D.It is a virtue for young generations to learn to be grateful. |
Bolivia has a population of three and a half million. About one tenth of the total population are white; one-fourth are mixed Indians and white; and more than half are full-blooded Indians. The government and the industries are under the control of the white people.
The Indians today live in much the same way as their ancestors. Most of them are farmers. Many work in the mines, for mining is the most important industry on Bolivia’s. Of all the mining products, tin is the most important, which makes up three-fourths of all Bolivia’s exports. The eastern slopes of the Andes, since there are very few roads there, are fertile but not highly developed. The two primary means of transportation are river boats and porters. East of the hill region is the great plains where tropical plants are grown. A serious problem for Bolivia is the transport of food from the warm regions, where it is grown to the mountainous regions, where most of the people live.
Bolivia gained its independence from Spain about a hundred years ago. It has been slow in developing, but its rich resources promise a better future in it.
.
The majority of the Bolivian population are .
A.full-blooded Indians | B.mixed Indian and white |
C.white citizens | D.all whites and mixed-blooded people |
.
. The Indian’s way of life today is.
A.quite different from that of their ancestors | B.quite interesting |
C.almost the same as their ancestors’ | D.very exciting |
.
The main product Bolivia exports is.
A.tropical plants | B.gold and silver | C.tin | D.food |
.
Bolivia has been slow in developing, but it has hope for a better future because of its .
A.mining products | B.rich resources |
C.independence from Spain | D.two primary means of transportation |
Pat O’Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family, and one morning, waking up very early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage. The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentleman, Pat had no right to go there, but in it there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat determined to take the risk. Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face as he caught sight of the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly(大胆) up to the company and said to Lord Northwood, “Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?” Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his Mends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite(食欲) for their breakfast. Then, looking at Pat with suspicion(怀疑), he said, “but why are you out so early in the morning?” “Well, sir” said Pat, “I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite.” The whole crowd burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit(机智,风趣), and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on, leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits.. This is a story about ________.
A.a rich man who owned a big wood | B.a poor Irishman who lived all by himself |
C.a clever man who tried to get something to eat | D.an Irish hunter with a large family |
. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face. Why?
A.He was not expecting Pat at this early hour. | B.He knew Pat was coming for shooting. |
C.He didn’t like the poor Irishman at all. | D.Pat had not told him he would come. |
. Why was Lord Northwood surprised?
A.He had not expected such a bold question from Pat. | B.He wondered why Pat didn’t run away. |
C.Pat wasn’t afraid of him. | D.Pat had a gun in his hands. |
. What made the whole crowd burst into laughter?
A.Pat's funny looks. |
B.Pat's interesting ![]() |
C.Pat's quick and humorous response. |
D.Pat's promise to leave fight away. |
阅读下列材料,从所给的六个选项中,选出符合各小题要求的最佳选项,选项中有一项是多余选项。阅读以下购买者的信息,然后匹配购买者和他/她拟购买的汽车:
______ Arthur has been working in China for about two years. Now he needs a car. He wants to buy a car which is popular with people throughout the world and is made in China.
___Cindy has just passed her driving test. She wants to buy a car of less than 60,000 yuan. She likes that kind of car especially suitable for women.
_______ Dennis is successful in his business in China, but he doesn’t like to show off. He likes a popular car of less than 200,000 yuan and it should be made in China.
______ Betty wants to buy a very famous car. She likes that kind of car which is comfortable in driving and suitable for women.
______Gary is a very successful businessman who is now working in China. He wants to buy a rather expensive car made in China. The car should be safe in quality and luxurious in appearance.
A.QQ is such a good car. It is becoming more and more popular. It has a lot of advantages such as a very low price, especially suitable for females, smart in its appearance, small outside but spacious inside. It is worth no more than 51,000 yuan. |
B.When it comes to Ford car, almost everyone will think of Ford brothers. These two brothers had an era in making the car popular. The company still produces lots of cars for people all over the world. Now it has many branches in the world, for example, Ford Mondeo, which is made in China, enjoys a very good market throughout China. The car is also liked by Americans working in China. |
C.Santana 3000 enjoys a very reasonable price. It dates from Santana 2000. The factory is located in Shanghai. The top speed can reach 178 km/h. The present price is falling to 152,000 yuan. |
D.Many people rank Benz first and BMW second. In actual fact, every coin has two sides, so do cars. Benz is very comfortable to sit in while BMW is comfortable in driving. Benz is suitable for males while BMW is suitable for females. |
E.Honda Accord is made in Japan. It stands for a statue of society. One accident in Xiaoshan last year brings about amounts of doubts on its quality. Then the car was going at a slow speed when it hit the edge of the road. It was torn into two halves. Two young men died.
F.Bora 1.8T, luxury in its appearance, which is made in Germany, can also be made in China. The car is especially liked by some businessmen. It is much more expensive than Santana 3000. It is very safe because of its fine steel.
Most people trade money for entertainment. Movies, concerts, and shows are enjoyable but expensive. If you think that you can’t have a good time without spending a lot of money, read on. A little resourcefulness and a few minutes of newspaper-scanning(浏览) should give you some pleasant surprises.
People may be the most interesting show in a large city. Walk through busy streets and see what everybody else is doing. You will probably see people from all over the world. you will certainly see people of every age, size and shape, and you will get a free fashion show, too. window-shopping is also a safe sport—if the stores are closed.
Check the listing in your neighborhood paper. Local colleges or schools often welcome the public to hear an interesting speaker or a good debate. The film or concert series at the local public library probably won’t cost you a penny. Be sure to check commercial(商业的) advertisements, too. A flea(跳蚤) market can provide hours of pleasant browsing. Perhaps you can find a free cooking crafts demonstration in a department store.
Plan ahead for some activities. It is always more pleasant not to have people in front of you in a museum or at a zoo. You may save some money, too, since these places often set aside one or two free admission days at slow times during the week. Pretend that you are a tourist from time to time, and get to know our city all over again including the indispensable sights that people travel miles to see. If you feel like taking an interesting walk, find a free walking tour, or plan one yourself. You will see your city in a new perspective once you know more about its history or its architectural(建筑的) treasures. With imagination and spirit of adventure you can quite easily find good entertainment at no cost at all. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.There are many kinds of amusements you can enjoy without spending much money. |
B.You should be a tourist if you want to know more about the city you live in. |
C.The film shown at the local public library is often free of charge. |
D.Local colleges often hold meetings to debate the issues people are interested in. |
“You will certainly see people of every age, size and shape.” “Shape” here refers to people
being ____.
A.old and young | B.beautiful and ugly | C.tall and short | D.fat or thin |
If you are wandering through the busy street, which attract you most?
A.Various buildings. | B.Car driving. | C.Free walking. | D.Window-shopping. |
The best title for the passage is ____.
A.Amusement at No Cost | B.Movies, Concerts and Shows |
C.The Cheapest Window-shopping | D.The Most Enjoyable Street Musicians |