“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!”
That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can tell how heavy the glass it. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it.
With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pockets. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too. You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
The bottom of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a hard floor. All feel different under your feet.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them.
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have things for visitors to touch. Their signs say, “Do touch!” there you can feel everything on show.
If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see. By touching things ___________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C．you can see them well |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT feel things?
| A．Skin. |
| B．Fingers. |
| C．Feet. |
| D．Eyes. |
Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?” Because ___________
| A．the things are used by people too |
| B．people feel the things too much |
| C．people know how to use the things |
| D．these things are familiar to you |
You can see the sign "Do touch!"_____________________.
| A．in every museum |
| B．in most museums |
| C．in some museums |
| D．only in one museum |
The best way to see the world well is to ___________________.
| A．touch by feeling |
| B．see or to feel |
| C．read |
| D．see and feel |
Sir Emest Shackleton was not only a great explorer, but also an intelligent man. He once found himself and two of his men at the top of an icy mountain ridge (山脊) . They had no way to get down to its side. Their destination had been the tiny Whaling Station of strummers, near the South Pole. Shackleton knew if they didn't get down from the ridge, no one would ever hear from them again.
Shackleton knew there was only one thing to do. He explained that they would all have to slide down. He instructed the two men to wind(绕) their ropes into a coil(卷) .Then each of the men sat down on a coiled and slid down the icy slope into the darkness. When they found themselves at the bottom, unhurt, Shackleton said, "You know, we shouldn't do that kind of thing too often." The laughter broke the tension all the men were feeling. They arrived later than expected, but safely at the Whaling Station.Sir Shackleton was ______
A. both brave and bright
B. neither brave nor smart
C. either shy or foolish
D courageous and stupidIt would be _______ if they couldn't slide down the ridge.
| A．safe | B．dead | C．dangerous | D．good |
They had ______ way to get down the ridge.
| A．many | B．two | C．only one | D．no |
They did not get ______ when they got to the bottom.
| A．hurt | B．ached | C．burned | D．damaged |
They were all ______ when hearing what Sir Shackleton said.
| A．tense | B．relaxed | C．worried | D．nervous |
When you go abroad you’re going to experience new cultures, people, food, music and probably a new language. Everything and everyone you meet is new.
Specialists say it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems—the telephones, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their own community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same settled positions. They find themselves without any identity. They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock leads to a feeling of disorientation (迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience — these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.When people move to a new country, they _______.
| A．will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty |
| B．have well prepared for the new surroundings |
| C．will get used to the culture of the country quickly |
| D．will never be familiar with the culture of the country |
According to the passage, factors that cause culture shock include all of the followings except ________.
| A．language communication | B．weather conditions and customs |
| C．public service systems | D．homesickness |
According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, _______.
| A．the fewer difficulties you may have abroad |
| B．the more difficulties you may have abroad |
| C．the more money you will earn abroad |
| D．the less homesick you may feel abroad |
When people are homesick, they tend to ______.
| A．find some people to talk to |
| B．go outside to have a walk |
| C．visit their friends far away |
| D．stay indoors all the time |
The writer tells us that the best way to overcome culture shock is to ______.
| A．protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment |
| B．develop a strange sense of self-protection |
| C．get familiar with new culture |
| D．return to our own country |
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic (陶艺)class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car. I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Annoyed, I climbed into the car and slammed（砰然关上） the door closed. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. Most of the children had obvious physical scars (疤痕). Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in the place, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her small hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I struggle to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget. The author admired her mom for ________.
| A．her quality of honesty | B．her excellent teaching |
| C．her kindness to others | D．her positive attitude to life |
52. According to Paragraph 2, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ______.
| A．excited | B．angry | C．surprised | D．worried |
From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
| A．were once treated badly |
| B．weren’t allowed to go outside |
| C．were often punished by staff |
| D．all suffered from mental illness |
The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．upset | B．command | C．comfort | D．support |
What lesson did the author learn from her experience?
| A．To value what you have. |
| B．To play with children is fun. |
| C．To love others is to love yourself. |
| D．To do as what your parents do. |
Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollywood in the United States. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay, and so the film industry there is called “Bollywood.” Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year as Hollywood—more than 800 films a year.
The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies. For one thing, Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery and romance (but usually no kissing). Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film is sometimes called a “masala” film. (“Masala” is an Indian word for a mixture of species.)
Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way movies are made. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may begin on a Bollywood movie before the script is finished. The director and writer can make up the story while the film is being made. Sometimes they will even write the script (剧本) by hand instead of taking time to type it.
Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several movies at the same time. They may even shoot（拍摄） scenes for several films on the same day using the same costumes and scenery. Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film, with a budget（预算）of only two million US dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget of sixty million US dollars for a Hollywood film, thirty times as much!What is the main topic of the reading?
| A．Famous stars in Bollywood. |
| B．How Hollywood movies are made. |
| C．The difference between two movie industries. |
| D．The history of movie-making in India. |
What is NOT true about Mumbai?
| A．It is the movie capital of India. |
| B．The new name is Bombay. |
| C．More movies are made there than in Hollywood. |
| D．It is less expensive to make films there than in Hollywood. |
Why are Bollywood films often called “masala” films?
| A．They are very popular. |
| B．They show Indian culture. |
| C．They are much longer than Hollywood films. |
| D．They mix different styles of movies. |
Bollywood films are cheap to make because .
| A．they are shorter than Hollywood films |
| B．the scripts are written by hand |
| C．the movies do not use any special effects |
| D．one movie can reuse things from other movies |
Which of the statements would the writer probably agree with?
| A．Most Bollywood movies are very similar. |
| B．It takes a lot of money to make a good movie. |
| C．Only Indian people can understand Bollywood movies. |
| D．Hollywood movies are too short. |
When I grew up, all the schools in the village demanded that girls cut their hair. The teachers would measure our hair and make sure it was not too long. I remember crying and begging as the scissors cut my hair.
My dad told me that a girl who was in school needed to concentrate on books and that hair was a distraction (分心). I cut my hair all the way through primary school and middle school. Then I went to a high school that allowed long hair but no styles or braids (编辫子) during class hours. Even then, still adhering to (遵守) my dad’s words, I never wore my hair long.
When I graduated from high school, I started growing my hair. I spent hours looking in the mirror and shaping my hair. My sister complained, wondering why I had to have two styles in a day.
In college I heard the word perm (烫发). Girls had some strong chemicals (化学药品) put on their heads and made the hair look beautiful. I quickly sat in a salon (美发厅) and changed my hair. I returned to the salon once every month. Even during the days when I had no money for food, I had to find money for my hair.
After college, I was jobless and broke. I had to have my hair cut. At that time I saw a bald (光头的) black model. Her style shocked me and I admired her so much that I began to follow her. Therefore, there I was. I wore some large earrings and walked around like a model. And many people admired my style.
At this point the journey with my hair stopped completely. I decided to have natural hair. I soon found out natural hair is the cheapest, easiest and healthiest way to wear African hair.What did the author think of having her hair cut in primary school?
| A．She thought that was cool. |
| B．She didn’t care about hair at all. |
| C．She hated the rule. |
| D．She thought that must be helpful. |
The author didn’t wear long hair in high school because ____________.
| A．her school didn’t allow that |
| B．she wanted to follow her father’s words |
| C．she was not good at shaping long hair |
| D．her sister didn’t like long hair |
When did the author wear long hair?
| A．In middle school. |
| B．In college. |
| C．After she graduated from college. |
| D．After she found a job. |
The author thought the bald black model looked ____________.
| A．beautiful | B．terrifying | C．poor | D．ugly |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Make your hairstyle fashionable |
| B．Appearance is not the most important thing |
| C．A journey to natural hair |
| D．Black girls should be confident |