Once upon a time, there was a beautiful bird, which was very curious about hell. When she was little, her mother always told her that if she didn’t master the flying skills, she would go to hell. She was so curious about hell that she always asked others what hell looked like, but no one was sure, because none of them had ever been there. Some said hell was a place full of water, and others told her that hell was full of burning fire. However, the bird knew they were lying. She wanted to find out what hell was.
When other birds were learning flying skills, she always hid herself and watched them. She thought in this way she could go to hell and see what hell looked like. However, she spent so little time learning flying skills that one day she was caught by a little boy. The little boy gave her to his grandpa in the countryside as a gift. The old man liked her very much. He made a delicate cage and put her in it. The bird was very worried because she thought she couldn’t find out what hell was like staying in this small cage. However, she couldn’t escape. Day after day, she just stayed in the cage, watching other birds flying. She lost her freedom and she became sadder and sadder. At last, she became ill. The old man finally opened the cage, but she was too weak to fly. Lying no the ground, she thought of the question that she ever asked all the time.
“What does hell look like?”
“Hell is a small well-decorated cage.” Before she closed her eyes forever, she finally answered that question herself.What does the underlined word “master” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Miss. | B．Finish. | C．Follow. | D．Learn well. |
Why did the bird hide herself when other birds were learning flying skills?
| A．Because she was lazy. |
| B．Because she didn’t like learning flying skills. |
| C．Because she thought she could go to hell by doing this. |
| D．Because she thought she didn’t have to learn flying skills. |
According to the passage, the bird at last found that .
| A．hell was a place full of water. | B．hell was a place full of burning fire |
| C．there was no hell | D．hell was a small well-decorated cage |
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts. Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．Their flight had been delayed. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．They took a later flight. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She is very strict with her children. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a media person. | B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a teacher. | D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. |
| B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. |
| D．How to make a business deal. |
The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci,Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?
| A．The 13th. | B．The 17th. |
| C．The 18th. | D．The 20th. |
Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?
| A．In the East Wing. | B．In the main West Wing. |
| C．In the Sainsbury Wing. | D．In the North Wing. |
Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?
| A．Embankment. | B．Leicester Square. |
| C．Piccadilly Circus. | D．Charing Cross. |
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958. He was born in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh child out of nine children in his family. Michael was often physically abused (虐待) by his father, beaten up and also verbally （口头地） abused. But Michael also owed his success to his father’s being strict.
Michael was always an entertainer（艺人）. Even when he just joined school, he would perform in front of friends and classmates. Michael started his professional music career at the age of 11, as a member of the Jackson Five.
He’s well-known for increasing the popularity of MTV through his music videos. Before this, music videos were made just to promote the albums （专辑）. But Michael’s videos managed to change that in videos being made as an art, and for big business. Some of the music videos that are good examples of this fact are Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller. Through these works of his, the world got caught onto the idea of music videos and dedicated music video channels.
Michael enthralled his fans and audiences with his style of singing, dressing, and his complex dance moves, especially the “Moonwalk”. The moonwalk is something that people from every part of the globe loved and try to copy People have also done mass moonwalks all around to show their love towards him.
Michael Jackson supported 39 charities （慈善机构）. Through his work and various foundations, he raised and gave millions toward charity, much more than any other showman. He had great love for children, especially the poor ones, and he felt children were the next best thing after God.
Michael planed to start a 50-concert tour in July 2009. Sadly, on 25th June, 2009, Michael passed away at home. Michael Jackson was a great performer, showman, and entertainer, besides the good human and charitable person that he was. It’s very unlikely that there will ever be another entertainer like Michael Jackson ever again.Which of the following topics is Not described about Michael Jackson in the passage?
| A．Childhood | B．Personal life |
| C．Music career | D．Charity |
According to the passage, Michael Jackson ________.
A. lived a happy life as a child
B. fell in love with music at 11
C. loved performing at school
C. was grateful to his father since his childhoodThe underlined word “enthralled” in Paragraph 4 most probably means _________.
| A．encouraged | B．developed |
| C．attracted | D．puzzled |
The purpose of the passage is to ________.
| A．call on readers to learn from Michael Jackson |
| B．show love and respect for Michael Jackson |
| C．prove Michael Jackson is a great person |
| D．offer readers some facts about Michael Jackson |
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized(强调)the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be surprised . Gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought , perhaps this is not an proper topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic. “ So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was wonderful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was stopped again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it ?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, ‘You don’t say.’actually means ‘really’! It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know how foolish I had been. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.At first, on hearing “You don’t say”, I thought the foreigner meant____.
| A．He was not interested in the topic |
| B．He was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means____.
| A．interesting | B．important |
| C．terrible | D．unlucky |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth (值得) visiting. |
After the Englishman explained the idiom, _____.
| A．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool. |
| B．The Englishman became a real fool. |
| C．I felt very foolish |
| D．I became more careful in everything. |
Every morning, kids from a local high school are working hard. They are making and selling special coffee at a coffee cafe. They are also making a lot of money. These students can make up to twelve hundred dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the rest of the money goes to helping a local youth project.
These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is usually very crowded. Many people who fly on the planes like to drink the special coffee. One customer thinks that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant but some are unhappy. They do not like it if the coffee cafe is not open for business.
The students earn ﹩6.10 an hour plus tips. They also get school credit(学分) while they learn how to run a business. Many of the students enjoy the work although it took some time to learn how to do it. They have to learn how to steam milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes mistakes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee. But many students enjoy the job, because they learn a lot experience by serving people. This will benefit them a lot when they enter into society after they finish their school education.The students in the coffee cafe_____________.
| A．are volunteers without being paid |
| B．work in the morning five days a week. |
| C．send coffee on the planes for the passengers. |
| D．contribute some of the earnings to a youth program. |
Some passengers are unhappy because______________.
| A．the special coffee costs too much. |
| B．the kids often forget to add the coffee. |
| C．they can’t be served at some time. |
| D．the coffee cafe was often crowded. |
By working at the cafe, the students can do all of the following EXCEPT__________.
| A．earning pocket money. |
| B．enjoying free flights. |
| C．receiving school credit. |
| D．learning to make coffee. |
How do students think of their job?
| A．Boring | B．Hard | C．Interesting | D．Useful |