Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mum, you must come and see the daffodils （水仙花）before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. “I will go next Tuesday,” I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call.
The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible （看不见的）in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!”
My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this weather all the time, Mum. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read “Daffodil Garden”.
We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most beautiful sight! There were five acres of flowers! “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “That’s her home,” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio （庭院）, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs （鳞茎）,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun -- one bulb at a time -- to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top.The author didn’t go to see the daffodils at first because _________.
| A．she was not interested in them |
| B．they were growing on the mountain top |
| C．the weather was not good enough |
| D．it was not easy for her to drive there |
What do we know about the woman living in the A-frame house?
| A．She must be out of mind. |
| B．She acted as a gardener there. |
| C．It took her great determination to grow the daffodils. |
| D．She was poor and made her living by selling daffodils. |
What could the author probably learn from this experience?
| A．Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it. |
| B．We must put the interests of others above our own. |
| C．We can change the world by growing flowers. |
| D．It’s never too late to learn. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Unforgettable Experience. | B．Beautiful Daffodils. |
| C．One Bulb at a Time. | D．I Love Daffodils. |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandis one of the most loved children's books of all time, and many adultsenjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or commonsense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name. His realname was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic withthree little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much.
Charles later wrote the story down under the nameAlice's Adventures under Groundand gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his childrenand they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote moreparts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by JohnTenniel, under the nameAlice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success.
One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll's works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in hisbooks and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrixby the character Morpheus.The passage is mainly about _____.
| A．Charles' family life |
| B．a girl's adventurous experience |
| C．a magical world called wonderland |
| D．the birth of a book and its lasting influences |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer published his works under his real name. |
| B．The character Alice was based on from George's child. |
| C．John contributed partly to the popularity of the book. |
| D．Charles offered a copy to George as a present. |
We can learn from the passage that _____.
| A．Queen Victoria asked for a few of Charles' writings |
| B．Charles was good at reasoning and writing |
| C．Charles had his works translated into fifty languages |
| D．The Matrix was based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
Which of the following is the right order of the passage?
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present.
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames.
c. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in l866.
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles.
e. The book won a large number of fans.
| A．c-b-a-d-e | B．c-a-b-e-d | C．b-a-d-c-e | D．b-a-c-e-d |
We know the westerners like to plan for their time carefully in order to do all the things that are important to them. So if your American or English friend asks you to dinner, he usually invites you a week ahead. But ifyou really have no time and can't go to the dinner, you can ring him to say sorry. The dinner is usually served at home, sometimes at a restaurant. You should get there on time, and don't forget to put on your fine clothes.It is also a good idea to take some little presents to your friend, such as flowers, chocolates and so on. Whenyou are at dinner, you should also observe (遵守) some other customs. Here I'll give you some dos and don'ts about them in the following:
1) Don't leave bones on the table or the floor. (You should put them on your plate with fingers.)
2) Don't use your bowl to drink soup, but use your spoon to help you instead.
3) Don't talk with much food in your mouth.
4) Don't ask others to have more wine. (This is quite different from that in China.)
5) After dinner, use your napkin (餐巾) to clean your mouth and hands.
6) Make sure small pieces of food are not left on your face.
Then after dinner, you can stay there a little time. And your friend will be pleased if you leave in half anhour or so. Next day, you had better ring him up to thank him for the good dinner.If your American or English friend wants to invite you to dinner, he will invite you _________
| A．on the night before the dinner |
| B．on the day before the dinner |
| C．at the last moment |
| D．a week before the dinner |
It would be impolite to _____.
| A．put bones on your plates with fingers |
| B．persuade others to drink more |
| C．drink soup with your spoon |
| D．make sure that there is nothing left on your face after dinner |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．After dinner, you'd better stay and talk with your friends for a long time to show your thanks. |
| B．You'd better ring your friend the next day to show your thanks. |
| C．After dinner, you'd better leave in half an hour. |
| D．After dinner, use napkin to clean your mouth. |
It’s Pigs’ Hometown
The story happened during the Second World War. An old man lived in a small town of Germany. He had three sons and they all worked in the same factory where he had worked. After the war had begun, his sons were all made to join the army one after another and they all died in the fights. The old man was very sad. He didn’t have enough food and was often hungry. And nobody helped him and he didn’t know how to go on living.
It was a very cold winter night. The old man couldn’t go to sleep. He had been hungry for two days and it was so cold in his room that ice could be seen. He had to get up and began to run in the room until he lay down on the floor. The next morning he had to beg from door to door. He had been to a lot of cities and knew a lot.
Once he came to a village, but the villagers were all poor and couldn’t give him anything. He was too hungry to go to another village. He thought hard and found a way. He came to a police station and called out, “Hitler is a foolish pig!”
Out came an old policeman at once. He took the old man into a room, gave him some bread and a cup of tea. Then he said, “Don’t say so in our village, sir!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” said the old man. “I don’t know it’s Hitler’s home town.” “No, no, sir,” the policeman said in a hurry. “It’s pigs’ hometown!”The old man’s son joined the army because ___________
| A．they were all strong |
| B．they loved their country |
| C．they wanted to be full |
| D．they had to do so |
The villagers didn’t give the old man any food because _______.
| A．they weren’t kind-hearted |
| B．his sons were in the army |
| C．they were also hungry |
| D．they hated him |
The policeman thought _______.
| A．Hitler was more foolish than pigs |
| B．the old man insulted(侮辱) their hometown |
| C．the old man had to say sorry to him |
| D．the old man had to fight with Hitler |
It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
| A．Feel shy. | B．Stay calm. | C．Keep up. | D．Feel upset. |
In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.
| A．problems cause troubles |
| B．attitude is everything |
| C．challenges can be avoided |
| D．personalities are built on failures |
According to the last paragraph, when we’re in trouble, we ______.
| A．can only depend on our parents |
| B．are not alone |
| C．should only believe ourselves |
| D．are not confident |
What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?
| A．To encourage. | B．To compare. | C．To prove. | D．To explain. |
Nobody Benefits
NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．
But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．
Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．
During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．
"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．
Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．
However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．
With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．
A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．
One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．
The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．
But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．
Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．
Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．
"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．What kind of life does George Brown lead?
| A．Homeless and dangerous． |
| B．Homeless and childish． |
| C．Homeless and miserable （痛苦的）． |
| D．Homeless and sleepless． |
From George Brown's life we can find that ______.
| A．old Americans lead a hard life |
| B．old Americans want to live alone |
| C．American cities are crowded with poor people |
| D．bad habits play a role in some poor people's Life |
It can be inferred from this passage that ______.
| A．America is short of housing companies |
| B．the poor can't benefit from the increasing economy |
| C．poor people in America will become rich |
| D．housing companies will build more houses for the poor |
If this passage comes from a paper, on which page would it be?
| A．Society． | B．Science． | C．Economy． | D．Business． |