During all this time I never stopped thinking about escape. When I traveled across to the other side of the island (岛屿), I could see the other islands, and I said to myself, “Perhaps I can get there with a boat. Perhaps I can get back to England one day.”
So I decided to make myself a boat. I cut down a big tree, and then began to make a long hole (洞) in it. It was hard work, but about six months later, I had a very fine canoe (独木舟). Next, I had to get it down to the sea. How silly I was! Why didn’t I think before I began work? Of course, the canoe was too heavy. I couldn’t move it! I pulled and pushed and tried everything, but it didn’t move. I was very unhappy for a long time after that.
That happened in my fourth year on the island. In my sixth year I did make myself a smaller canoe, but I did not try to escape in it. The boat was too small for a long journey, and I did not want to die at sea. The island was my home now, not my prison, and I was just happy to be alive. A year or two later, I made myself a second canoe on the other side of the island. I also built myself a second house there, and so I had two homes.
My life was still busy from morning to night. There were always things to do or to make. I learnt to make new clothes for myself from the skins of dead animals. They looked very strange, it is true, but they kept me dry in the rain.
I kept food and tools (工具) at both my houses, and also wild goats (山羊). There were many goats on the island, and I made fields with high fences to keep them in. They learnt to take food from me, and soon I had goats’ milk to drink every day. I also worked hard in my corn (玉米) fields. And so many years went by. The purpose of making a canoe on the island was to _____________.
| A．escape in it | B．get to the other side of the island |
| C．use it for food | D．go around the island |
To survive, the writer did the following EXCEPT _____________.
| A．keeping goats for milk | B．making clothes from animal skins |
| C．working in the cornfields | D．going fishing in the sea |
Why didn’t the writer use his first canoe?
| A．Because it was too small for a long journey. |
| B．Because it was too heavy to get down to the sea. |
| C．Because there was something wrong with it. |
| D．Because the writer was busy building a second house. |
From the story, we can learn that _____________.
| A．the writer tried to make his stay comfortable on the island |
| B．the writer had nothing to do on the wild island |
| C．the writer tried to escape in the second canoe, but failed |
| D．the writer was in prison on the island, losing his freedom |
“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard NASA’s Space Elevator. We’re going to leave soon. The entire ride will take about five hours, so sit back and enjoy the trip. As we rise, be sure to look out the window. You’ll see the sky change from deep blue to black. It is one of the most wonderful views（景色）you will ever see! ”
Does this sound like the Sci-Fi Channel? Well, it’s not. Scientists are thinking that a “space elevator” will be possible toward the end of the 21st century. A space elevator will consist of a long cable (电缆) from the Earth’s surface into space to an altitude(高度) of about 35,786 km. “Elevators” will travel along the cable and move people and loads between Earth and space. One of the greatest advantages is that the cost will be much less. Researchers estimate (估计) that a passenger with baggage at 150 kg might cost only $222! Compare that to today’s cost of around $3.3 million for the same weight. It would make “cheap” space travel possible. Scientists believe carbon nanotubes (纳米管) may be used to make high-strength materials for the cables, although they are still being studied.
It was Arthur C. Clarke who brought this idea to the general public. In his science fiction novel Fountains of Paradise, engineers build a space elevator on top of a mountain peak on an island. One day, Clarke was asked a question by a student during his speech. The student asked when the space elevator would become a reality. Clarke answered, “Probably about 50 years after everybody stops laughing.” He’s got a point. When we stop thinking of something as impossible, then we start working on its development.Why should passengers in a space elevator look out the window while they are moving into space?
| A．Because the blue sky is very beautiful. |
| B．Because the view outside is wonderful. |
| C．Because the sky changes from black to blue. |
| D．Because the trip will take about seven hours. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Scientists haven’t used carbon nanotubes to make the cables. |
| B．Traveling in space elevators will cost much less in the future. |
| C．Passengers will be able to travel in space elevators with baggage. |
| D．Space elevators will travel for 35,786 km around the Earth’s surface. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Possible Now: Space Travel | B．Cheap Space Travel |
| C．Going into Space in an Elevator | D．Space Travel — Impossible |
The Vieira family moved to the United States in 1981. At that time, they decided to stop speaking Spanish at home and only communicate in English. This was because they were now living in an English-speaking country.
Now the Vieira children are adults, and they sometimes travel to Spain to visit their family and friends. But they cannot communicate with them. Unfortunately this is common. When people move to new countries, they often leave their own customs and mother language behind. This is a mistake because there are many benefits（益处）of knowing more than one language.
One advantage of speaking more than one language is that you can communicate directly with more people around the world. You do not have to depend on others to talk for you, so you’re more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate.
Furthermore, speaking a second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively（有效地）. Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person’s understanding of another culture. So, knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures.
Finally, having more multi-language speakers improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other’s problems.
The benefits of knowing more than one language are clear. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don’t try to learn another language. It is even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silenced.The passage begins with the experience of the Vieira family in order to______.
| A．discuss the need for teaching a new language |
| B．show the problems of speaking only one language |
| C．describe the advantages of moving to another country |
| D．introduce the passage’s main characters to the readers |
According to the passage, if you can speak more than one language, you can______.
| A．find a better job |
| B．make more friends |
| C．better understand history |
| D．communicate more independently |
The underlined phrase “multi-language speakers” (In Paragraph 5) means “people who know ______.”
| A．more than one language | B．a new language |
| C．their mother language | D．body language |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to learn another language. |
| B．The importance of learning English. |
| C．The benefits of learning other languages. |
| D．The reasons why people come to America. |
Kindergartens may teach you very important things you need to know. Dancy, a 5-year-old boy, saved his father’s life with the skills he learned.
The boy’s father became seriously ill on the way home from a father-son shopping. He couldn’t speak and could hardly move, but he tried hard to stop the car safely. At that point, Dancy used his father’s phone to call his mother for help. The 5-year-old boy tried his best to give her useful information and he was able to tell where they were. Just as he had learned in the kindergarten, Dancy read the letters he saw on a nearby store sign: “F,U,R,N,I,T,U,R,E.” But that wasn’t enough for his mother to find them. Then he added that they were near a bridge. Finally, his mother understood he was talking about a store called Furniture 22 on New Jersey’s Route 22. The mother called 911 and the father was saved in time.
“He just thought his dad needed help,” Dancy’s mother told the reporter. She also pointed out that her husband was a hero, too. “It is surprising for him to get offthe highway and get himself and his child to safety even when he was so sick,” she said.
Shine, head of the kindergarten, felt proud of his pupil. “Dancy’s spelling skills helped him seize（抓住）the moment,” he said. “And that’s the real value of education.”When the father became seriously ill, he and his son were ______.
| A．on the wayhome | B．in the kindergarten |
| C．in a shopping center | D．at a bus station |
Dancy called ______for help when his father couldn’t speak.
| A．911 | B．his mother | C．Shine | D．the reporter |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Dancy drove his father home. |
| B．The reporter was really a hero. |
| C．Shine sent Dancy’s father to hospital. |
| D．Dancy saved his father with his spelling skills. |
News Review
Head-on Train Crash
On May 18, two trains had a head-on crash（相撞）near New York City. Over 250 people were on the trains then. About 60 people were hurt, but no deaths were reported.
Travel Time
Tourists came together to the Taishan Mountain, on May1. Over 180,000 tourists visited the place of great interest from April 29 to May 1, during the three-day holiday.
Brave Volunteer
Liao Zhi, a dance teacher from Chengdu who lost her 1-year-old daughter and her legs in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, arrived in Ya’an 13 hours after the earthquake. The dancer said she had had a terrible time herself and knew what people needed most, so she decided to come and offer help.
Tomato Competition
A tomato competition was held in Huainan, Anhui Province, on April 16. The best tomatoes were chosen according to their shape, color and taste. The competition hoped to encourage the farmers to grow better tomatoes.About ______ people were hurt in the Head-on Train Crash.
| A．18 | B．29 | C．60 | D．250 |
Liao Zhi, the dance teacher from______, came to Ya’an to offer help.
| A．Chengdu | B．Huainan | C．Taishan | D．New York |
The Tomato Competition in Anhui Province was held to______.
| A．help the people in Ya’an |
| B．save the people on the trains |
| C．help grow better tomatoes |
| D．forget the terrible time |
When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be very difficult to let your anger go off. But forgiveness（原谅）is possible – and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive can have more energy, better appetite and better sleep. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness,” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the damage to our system and allow people to feel more energetic.”
So when someone has hurt you, cool down first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology（道歉）. “Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing,” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to say sorry, you could be waiting a very long time.”
Next keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who worries you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.
Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective（看法）. You may realize that he or she was acting out of knowledge, fear – even love. To get perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.What’s the name of Dr. Frederic Luskin’s book?
According to the writer, what should you do first after being hurt?
Why does Dr. Luskin advise us not to wait for an apology after being hurt?
What’s the writer’s idea to get perspective?
What does the writer mainly want to tell us in the passage?