A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office，a street urchin(顽童) was walking around the shining car．“Is this your car，Paul？” he asked．
Paul answered，“Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised．“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you anything？Boy，I wish…” He hesitated Of course， Paul knew what he was going to wish for．He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on，“that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car？”
“Oh yes，I’d love that.”
After a short ride，the boy turned and with his eyes shining，said，“Paul，would you mind driving in front of my house？”
Paul smiled a little．He thought he knew what the boy wanted．He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are？ the boy asked．
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled（残疾） brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There it is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.The street urchin was very surprised when ________．
| A．Paul received an expensive car | B．Paul told him about the car |
| C．he saw the shining car | D．he was walking around the car |
From the story we can see the urchin ________．
| A．wished to give his brother a car |
| B．wanted Paul’s brother to give him a car |
| C．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s |
| D．wished Paul could be a brother like that |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ________．
| A．to show his neighbors the big car | B．to show he had a rich friend |
| C．to let his brother ride in the car | D．to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer（推断）from the story that ________．
| A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin |
| B．the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
| C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
| D．the urchin’s wish came true in the end |
The best name of the story is _________．
| A．A Christmas Present | B．A Street Urchin |
| C．A Brother Like That | D．An Unforgettable Holiday Ride |
It was a Saturday morning，a day I believed would end in victory．For weeks，I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds，sponsored(赞助)by our local riding club．My horse，Tonka, and I could run faster than any kid in the county, and I hoped to bring home a blue ribbon．
My mother usually drove me to the riding events, but on this day, my father planned to drop us off at the fairgrounds with the horse trailer(马车) ．
Although we never discussed it, my father’s struggle with alcoholism had become the silent center of our family life．My mother was paralyzed with fear and indecision．Her salary as a part-time nurse couldn’t possibly support four children．No one talked about alcoholism in those days，and it was my family secret．
We climbed on the trailer and my father pulled out of our driveway and headed toward the fairgrounds，picking up speed once we hit the main road．It wasn’t until we felt a big bump that I realized the trailer was out of control．The dream of my riding winner disappeared．Tonka lay on the floor, completely still．No words were possible．I knew he was dead．
Suddenly a man appeared．“Are you all right?”he asked．“Yes．”I answered，although I knew that nothing was all right．“Sit here on the grass，”he said．He bent down to look into the trailer．Tonka remained still．He touched Tonka and then turned to face me．“He is going to be OK．He has just been knocked unconscious．” He rubbed Tonka’s cheeks and gently pulling his ears．Tonka rose to his feet．
Our father was talking to a police officer．He was upset and in pain and took little notice of me．I looked back；the man was gone．
I never forgot him．He gave me strength and a sense of hope in a dark and frightening moment．The writer went to the fairgrounds because he wanted to ___________．
| A．take part in a horse racing | B．buy Mum a blue ribbon |
| C．join the local riding club | D．train his horse there |
We can learn from the third paragraph that ___________．
| A．the family kept silent at home | B．the family lived a secret life |
| C．Father was addicted to alcohol | D．Mum was physically disabled |
What does “he’’ in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．Father | B．The stranger |
| C．The horse | D．The winner |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Once formed，bad habits are difficult to break |
| B．Unexpected kindness is a light that shines in the darkness |
| C．However mean your life is，meet it and live it |
| D．Family is a place of encouragement, a safe harbor in the storms |
[1]While the Internet is a great tool it also makes it easier for bullies to pick on their prey（猎物）. According to the iSafe Foundation,over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. Here is one story on how researchers are developing software to fight cyber bullies.
[2]Jeffery Michalenka learned his black belt in karate, but despite the fact he was a trained fighter he was often picked on by bullies. "Name called, teasing, when he was younger they would call him heifer(小母牛)," said Deborah Mich~denka,Jeffery's mother.
[3]As in Jeffery's case social media enables bullies to act anonymously while spreading their hatred rapidly. That's why artificial intelligence scientists at MIT are creating a software program to detect cyber bullying.
[4]"Bullies only talk about a few topics. It's usually racial or ethnic slurs(诽谤). It's things about personal appearance,social acceptance or rejection and threats' of violence,'' said Henry Lieberman, MIT artificial intelligence scientist.
[5]The researchers say subtle bullying is often hard to detect but their software can analyze sentences and determine if they are detrimental(有害的)to each gender. On the surface the sentence "you look pretty in pink" appears friendly if it is posted on a girl's wall. But on a boy's wall a cyber bully may be trying to anger the boy.
[6]"It may save a child's life and that's really what matters," Deborah concluded.
[7]Just one more way to fight cyber bullies before another child is hurt online.
[8]The team hopes social network sites will someday use this software to help detect bullying. The researchers are already working with Formspring,a social network site like Facebook. They also want the software to provide advice to the victims on what to do if they receive mean messages.What could be the best title for the text? (no more than 5 words)
What do we know about Jeffery Michalenka from the text? (no more than 10 words)
What things do bullies usually talk about? (no more than 12 words)
What can the software mentioned in the text do? (no more than 15 words)
Why the sentence “you look pretty in pink” appears unfriendly if it’s posted on a boy’s wall? (no more than 14 words)
Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile ( 敏捷的) and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals (抗氧化化学物质) that may help stop the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea' s effect on everything from cholesterol (胆固醇) to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability", or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.
Specifically ,almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. Green tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education,lower smoking rates ,fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness. They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on. But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a tower disability risk, the re-
searchers said.
People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.
Although it' s not clear how green tea might offer a buffer (缓冲) against disabilities, lead researcher Yasutake Tomata did note that one recent study found green tea extracts (提取物) seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women.
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K,which means it could affect drugs that prevent blood clotting (凝固).What does the underlined word "peers" mean in the first paragraph ?
| A．People of the same age. |
| B．Brothers. |
| C．Fathers. |
| D．People living in the same neighborhood. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．"Functional disability" is related to problems with daily activities or basic needs. |
| B．Those who often drink green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| C．Antioxidant chemicals can lead to disease. |
| D．People who drink at least five cups a day are not likely to become functionally disabled. |
What .does the fifth paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Why green tea lovers can keep agile |
| B．How the study was proved. |
| C．What healthier diets include. |
| D．How to lower the disability risk. |
What has the researcher Yasutake Tomata discovered?
| A．Those who drank green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| B．Green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. |
| C．Green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women. |
| D．How green tea might offer a buffer against disabilities. |
From the passage we can infer that
| A．vitamin K is contained in caffeine |
| B．vitamin K has influence on some drugs |
| C．vitamin K is bad for our health |
| D．vitamin K is good for our blood |
A euphemism (from the Greek words eu--well and pheme--speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions. Most people, for example, would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed. They would soften the pain by saying:We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep. Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly, or cuddly rather than fat.
Euphemisms are an important part of every language, but it seems that English has an ever-growing number of them. The non-native speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears, he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation. He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom, or comfort station) is, but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog. He might have learned, for example, that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant. If, however, he says to his boss," Congratulations! I hear your wife is in the family way," he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances.
Schools are full of euphemisms. At Frankfurt International School, for example, the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Aca-demic Workshop (in the high school). Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward,and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message.According to the passage, people use euphemisms in order to.
| A．make themselves understood | B．attract attention |
| C．to sound straightforward | D．avoid embarrassment |
. A person who is described as plain and cuddly is in fact.
| A．tall and handsome | B．ugly and fat |
| C．ugly but tall | D．pretty and slim |
When an English lady says she has to see a man about a dog, she might want to.
| A．go to the toilet | B．see an ugly friend |
| C．have her old dog killed | D．see a pregnant woman |
The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to.
| A．stress that euphemisms are an important part of every language |
| B．inform readers that English has an ever-growing number of euphemisms |
| C．warn English learners to be careful about the meaning and use of euphemisms |
| D．suggest non-native speakers use euphemisms as often as possible |
At Frankfurt International School, the students who receive lessons in Study Center.
| A．work hard at their lessons |
| B．do well in school |
| C．have poor grades in the subjects |
| D．prefer to learn more |
University of Maryland student Ben Simon and his friends couldn' t stand to see good food thrown out on their campus. "We basically noticed that some of the extra food from the dining hall was going to waste at the end of the day. And we met with the dining services and asked them whether it would be okay if instead of throwing out the food we would donate it. And they were on board," he said.
So 18 months ago, the students began what they call the Food Recovery Network. Each night, volunteers would show up at a campus dining hall to pick up leftovers and deliver them to area shelters and food banks. So far, they have donated more than 23 000 kilos of food that would otherwise have been thrown out.
Nationwide, $ 165 billion worth of food is wasted each year, according to the National Resources Defense Council.Spokesman Bob Keefe says that is about 40% of the country' s entire food production. "If we can reduce our waste in this country by 15% ,we can feed 25 million hungry Americans. That is a huge benefit. That is what programs like this Food Recovery Network are doing," he said.
Christian Life Center is one of the beneficiaries ( 受益) of the students' efforts. Ben Slye, the senior pastor (牧师) ,said," It has been just amazing to see these students take their own time, their own vehicles and own gas money and be able to make an effort like this. Each week we are able with this food probably to feed over hundred people."
The University of Maryland' s Food Recovery Network now has 200 volunteers and the program has expanded to 18 schools across the country. "I want to grow 18 chapters to a thousand chapters within five years. And once we get to the Food Recovery Nation being at every college campus in America, we want to expand to restaurants and farms." said Simon.
The volunteers are committed to making that happen.The dining services in University of Maryland.
| A．threw out good food on the campus |
| B．enjoyed the talk with the students |
| C．supported the volunteers'job |
| D．donated their leftovers to the poor |
Volunteers from the Food Recovery Network.
| A．started the Food Recovery Network two years ago |
| B．delivered leftovers as well as money to shelters |
| C．donated leftovers to avoid food waste |
| D．helped to solve the hunger issues in America |
Ben Slye' s attitude toward the volunteers' effort was that of.
| A．unconcern | B．appreciation |
| C．doubt | D．opposition |
We can learn from the text that.
| A．over 40% of the country' s entire food is wasted each year |
| B．altogether 25 million Americans suffer from hunger nowadays |
| C．every college has started the Food Recovery Network |
| D．Simon aims to expand the program to restaurants and farms |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Battles Against the Problem of Hunger |
| B．College Students Rescue Leftover Food |
| C．How to Pick up Leftovers on College Campuses |
| D．Waste Problems in University of Maryland |