Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes (糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin (胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones — a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people —225 to date— who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000 — in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
"Beating is a sign of affection, cursing (骂）is a sign of love."
Many may not expect to hear the words of the old Chinese saying in these modern times—with parents wealthier and better educated than they have ever been—but experts say they still ring true.
Today, it seems, Chinese parents are more likely to send their children to pre-college military academies in the United States in the hope that some tough love will pave the way tosuccess.
"Good education doesn't mean letting your child enjoy privileges, especially our boys," said Song Wenming, an entrepreneur(企业家）in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province." They should be raised in tough conditions to know what to fight for in the future."
In August, Song sent his 17-year-old son to Valley Forge Military Academy (VFMA) in Pennsylvania. And he is far from alone, even though it takes a lot of money - around $48,000 per year —to send a child to a strict military school.
Statistics shows that an increasing number of Chinese students have been registering with such academies.
A few years ago, there were no Chinese students at Valley Forge. Today, there are 28."All of the Chinese students at Valley Forge came from wealthy families, some of them were spoiled," said Jennifer Myers, director of marketing and communications at the school.
Song's only son, Song Siyu, had a rocky start during his first six weeks at the school. The teenager said he went to the school voluntarily but did not expect it to be as difficult.
Now, three months later, he has perfected the art of taking a bath in 35 seconds, finishing a meal without looking at his food, and making his bed with precision. He can even take criticism, no matter how unreasonable.
"The training is hard but I know it is good for self-development of individuals," said Song Siyu.'The endless training and scolding are just ways to build up our character, they are not personal."
But his enthusiasm is not universal. Ten of the 13 Chinese students who joined the academy this year have transferred to other schools.
But for those who stick with it, there is a reward for all the hard work.From the second paragraph, we can know the old Chinese saying _____.
| A．is out of date in modern times. |
| B．is disagreed by rich parents. |
| C．is still worth trusting. |
| D．is deeply believed by better educated parent. |
The underlined sentence means that _____
| A．Song sent his only son to military school, so he feels lonely. |
| B．Song is the only one who sends his child t to military school. |
| C．There are other people sending their children to military school besides Song. |
| D．The fee of the military school is so high that only Song can afford it. |
Song Siyu got some achievements in the military school except _____.
| A．taking a bath in a short time | B．having his meal with his eyes closed |
| C．taking unreasonable criticism | D．improving his character |
How many Chinese students are there at Valley Forge before this year?
| A．10 | B．13 | C．15 | D．25 |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. It's likely that more and more Chinese students will attend VFMA.
B. Most Chinese parents approve of educating their children by beating and cursing nowadays.
C. Song Siyu had no difficulty in adjusting to the life at VFMA.
D. Most Chinese students support the way of education at VFMA.
Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with his facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.
One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic eggs.
After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another was a butterfly…. When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.The underlined word “condition” in the first paragraph probably means ________.
| A．grade | B．status | C．health | D．disease |
It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.
| A．The 8-year-olds were sometimes cruel |
| B．The 8-year-olds were friendly to Philip |
| C．Philip was really different in school |
| D．Philip was older and more sensitive |
The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ________.
| A．play around on that beautiful spring day |
| B．put some symbol of “new life” into it |
| C．try to pull it apart in the middle |
| D．go out and discover themselves |
After Philip explained his new life, ________.
| A．The class thought he was clever. | B．The class fell silent. |
| C．He began to study in the class. | D．He felt dying. |
We learn from the passage that ________.
| A．The teacher used to have classes outdoors |
| B．The Philip’s new life wish was empty |
| C．Philip was healthy as a whole |
| D．Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end |
Roman Pantheon （万神殿） is one of the greatest achievements of the ancient Romans. The ancient Romans were good architects and they built many wonderful buildings. Another good example of a Roman architectural style is the Roman Coliseum, which is a large building used for public sports events or entertainment. The Roman architectural style has been borrowed by many of the western countries.
The architecture of Pantheon is unique to Rome. In Latin and Greek, pantheon means "Temple of all the Gods". Marcus Agrippa built the original Pantheon in 27 BC. But the Pantheon built by Agrippa was completely destroyed in 80 AD when a fire broke out. The Roman Pantheon that is visited by many tourists today was rebuilt in 125 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's architects followed the exact design of Marcus Agrippa. Historians believe that the Pantheon was a place of worship(崇拜) because it housed all the gods and goddesses of the ancient Romans.
The Pantheon of Rome is an amazing example of ancient Roman architecture. This building has been in use for over 2000 years. The Roman Pantheon is famous for its design, size. The most unbelievable feature of this building is its huge concrete dome(圆顶). The Pantheon’s dome was thought to be the largest, until recent times.
Phocas, the Byzantine Emperor presented the Roman Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV to save it from the destruction. In 609 AD, it was turned into a church. During Papal rule, it was used as a burial ground (坟场) for kings and other famous people. There are tombs of Raphael (a painter), King Victor Emmanuel II, King Umberto I and many more in the Pantheon.
Some of the buildings that were constructed on the model of the Roman Pantheon are The Rotunda - University of Virginia, Low Memorial Library - Columbia University, Grand Auditorium - Tsinghua University, Jefferson Memorial - Washington D.C. and Duomo - Florence.From the first paragraph, we can learn that _______.
| A．the Coliseum was often used for big parties |
| B．there were different architectural styles in Rome |
| C．the Roman architectural style was borrowed from many western countries |
| D．the Pantheon and the Coliseum are examples of Roman architecture |
According to historians, the Pantheon was built to _______.
| A．exhibit the terrific design of Marcus Agrippa |
| B．suggest the power of Emperor Hadrian |
| C．provide a place for Roman gods and goddess |
| D．show ancient Rome’s unique architectural style |
The Pantheon which tourists visit at present was built in _______.
| A．27BC | B．80AD | C．about 125AD | D．609 AD |
The Pantheon was thought highly of especially because of its _______.
| A．strange shape | B．huge dome | C．perfect quality | D．beautiful |
The text mainly tells us _______.
| A．some facts about the Roman Pantheon |
| B．the influence of ancient Roman architecture |
| C．Roman’s lifestyle in ancient times |
| D．ancient Romans and their architecture |
A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net — by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on You Tube —lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person—he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchersnow tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?
| A．His success in helping his cousin learn math. |
| B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult. |
| C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school. |
| D．His interest in Internet teaching. |
Why does Khan never go on camera?
| A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera. |
| B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos. |
| C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers. |
| D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere. |
From the passage, we know that ________.
| A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons |
| B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future |
| C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free |
| D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife |
Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?
| A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher. |
| B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood. |
| C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching. |
| D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class. |
What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6th paragraph?
| A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration. |
| B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site. |
| C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website. |
| D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more. |
These days, young children can enjoy directly what it is like to be a marine biologist (海洋生物学家) at a marine association. What they discover can lead them to appreciate and protect the ocean and also the animals living in it.
At the present time, learning isn’t only limited to the classroom. It’s quite common for kids to learn from outdoor experiences. Teachers commonly take their pupils on field trips to museums as well as other interesting areas. If you wish to help pupils to take care of the ocean, one of the best areas to take them to is a marine association, the place where the ocean biome (生物圈) is shown.
Taking your pupils to a marine association is a prefect way to help them learn. Education professionals agree that there are topics that children can learn more successfully whenever they experience them directly.
Several organizations that focused on protecting the ocean now operate on the coast of different areas in America and all around the world. It’s quite common for marine associations nowadays to open their doors several times a week to kids, parents, and ocean lovers to learn more about the ocean biome.
A marine association has different programs for children of different ages. You’ll find programs that are developed specially for pupils. Pupils are involved in interactive (互动的) learning. This learning experience allows young children to recognize the value of the role each species performs in their environment. They not only get to research creatures from the ocean, but they also get to see, touch, and smell most of these animals and plants. This type of exposure offers students an idea about the life of a marine scientist. It could help them choose a career afterwards.
These programs are generally held on Saturdays and Sundays in order that kids and parents can have more hours in which to have fun. Teachers who want to arrange these activities for their students can call a local marine association near them.According to the text, pupils can have a better understanding of the ocean biome by _______.
| A．learning about it from books |
| B．going to a marine association |
| C．attending marine biologists’ meetings |
| D．taking part-time jobs at marine associations |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly wants to tell us _______.
| A．the advantage of learning at a marine association |
| B．different activities offered by a marine association |
| C．a marine association’s working conditions |
| D．the way to develop children’s interest in ocean |
The underlined word “exposure” in Paragraph 5 probably means _______.
| A．the way of explaining something |
| B．the way of choosing a career |
| C．a marine association’s working condition |
| D．the way to develop children’s interest in the ocean |
Which of the following is TURE?
| A．Young children can enjoy indirectly what it is like to be a marine biologist at a marine association. |
| B．To help your pupils to take care of the ocean, the best area to take them to is a marine association. |
| C．Children can learn the topics more successfully when they experience them directly. |
| D．A marine association has the same program for children of different ages. |
The text is most probably taken from _______.
| A．a teacher’s presentation |
| B．a marine biologist’s report |
| C．a student’s field trip journal |
| D．an introduction to a marine association |