"Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the "one-eyed monster" into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, entertain our friends and be entertained by them, go outside for our amusements. We even used to read books and listen to music occasionally. Now all our free time is regulated by the "goggle box". We rush home for our meals to be in time for this or that programme. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do—anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.
Whole generations are growing up addicted to the television. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The television is a universal t
hing that makes people calm. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter what the children will watch—so long as they are quiet.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains. In quiet, natural surrounding, we quickly discover how little we miss the King television..
. Through the passage, the writer aims to tell us ________.
A．how television is  damaging our health |
| B．how to keep away from watching television |
| C．that television is doing harm to our life |
| D．all of us find it difficult to live without television |
.
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Second-hand experiences provided by television are harmful. |
| B．We can enjoy our life without television. |
| C．Television is a necessary way of communication. |
| D．Television is becoming irreplaceable in our daily life. |
.
. What's the main reason for parents to put the children before a television set?
| A．To save more time for housework. |
| B．To help them sleep earlier. |
| C．To keep them quiet. |
| D．To help them learn more knowledge from television. |
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By saying "we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time," the writer means ________.
| A．television occupies too much of our spare time |
| B．it's easy for us to find some spare time to enjoy the television |
| C．we have less spare time after we have television |
| D．it's difficult to spend our spare time without a television |
Musa teaches English at Chunmiao Primary School in Wuhan. He had never heard of China’s idol (偶像) of selflessness before he arrived in the country, but this unusual young man from Nigeria is carrying on the good work of China’s hero soldier.
Musa’s week begins with a crowded two-hour bus ride for a flag-raising ceremony (仪式) at Chunmiao Primary School with old classrooms for the children of migrant (移民) workers on the outside parts of Wuhan.An hour later, he steps in front of a room full of expectant (期盼) students, some of whom recently organized a dance exhibition for their foreign teacher.
The dance showed the spirit of Lei Feng (1940-1962), a soldier who was idolized (作偶像) across China for his selflessness. It was especially meaningful to Musa because the students call him “foreign Lei Feng”.
“I know Lei Feng, he is a good man. Everyone should learn from Lei Feng,” he says.
Born to a family of diplomats (外交官) in 1985, he is the second of nine children and the eldest son. Musa was expected to become a diplomat like his father, who worked in Canada from 2007.In 2008, Musa was picked by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study in China for a master’s degree in sociology (社会学硕士学位). With the hope of joining the foreign service, he then went on to study for a doctor’s degree in international relations at Central China Normal University.The students Musa teaches at Chunmiao Primary School are __________.
| A．native children in Wuhan |
| B．children of workers from outside Wuhan |
| C．children from different foreign countries |
| D．children from poor families |
Musa is called “Foreign Lei Feng” because __________.
| A．he is doing good deeds as Lei Feng did |
| B．he is teaching English at a primary school |
| C．he is loved and respected by the students |
| D．he helps the students dropping out of school |
Some students organized a dance exhibition to __________.
| A．say good bye to their foreign teacher |
| B．show their wish to learn English |
| C．remember China’s hero soldier |
| D．honor their foreign teacher |
Before he came to China, Musa ___________.
| A．taught English in his country |
| B．did what Lei Feng did in the countryside |
| C．knew nothing about Lei Feng |
| D．was interested in Chinese dance |
What can we learn about Musa from the last paragraph?
| A．He studies Chinese in a China’s University. |
| B．He has an elder sister in his big family. |
| C．He was a foreign official in Canada. |
| D．He got a doctor’s degree in a China’s University. |
On Christmas Eve a few years ago an English couple received a very special telephone call. It was only a 20-second call but it was very important. The Haydens’ 15-year-old daughter had disappeared six months before. On Christmas Eve she rang them. “I’m phoning to wish a happy Christmas,” she said, “I love you.”
Ronals and Edwine Hayden were so happy that they started a special telephone service called “Alive and Well”. The service helps parents to get in touch with children who have run away from home.
Young people can phone “Alive and Well” and leave a message for their parents. The telephones are answered by answering machines. So no one can speak to the child of making him return home.
Parents of runaway children who are under eighteen can ask the police to bring their children home, so children do not want to tell their parents where they are. Through “Alive and Well” they can telephone their parents without worrying about this or giving out their addresses.
The Haydens and their helpers write down the tape recorded telephone messages and connect the address given. Many of the 30,000 British teenagers who have left home are probably in London. For only two pence they can go into a telephone coin box and call their parents. They can dial (拨) 5675339 and stop a parent’s worry: Is he dead or alive?The Haydens’ daughter rang her parents .
| A．because she knew she had done something wrong |
| B．in order to give them her address |
| C．to say she was coming home soon |
| D．in order to comfort her worried parents |
If you ring “Alive and Well”, .
| A．you will get the information you want |
| B．your message will be passed over to your parents |
| C．the police will bring you home |
| D．your parents will know where you are |
From the passage, we can know that ________.
| A．the Haydens received an “Alive and Well” call before Christmas |
| B．an “Alive and Well” call usually costs a lot |
| C．30,000 British teenagers enjoyed the “Alive and Well” service |
| D．an “Alive and Well” call is very important for worrying parents |
Through “Alive and Well”, parents of runaway children .
| A．often fail to persuade their children to return home |
| B．know nothing from their children |
| C．can say nothing to their children |
| D．can ask the police to help them to find lost children |
What can we know about the Haydens’ daughter from the passage?
| A．She died six months ago. |
| B．She had a quarrel with her parents. |
| C．She worked in “Alive and Well”. |
| D．She ran away from home half a year ago. |
Alice’s mother died when she was five. Although her brothers and sisters were loving and caring, their love couldn’t take the place of a mother’s. In 1925 Alice became my mother and told me that her family couldn’t even afford her a doll.
One afternoon in December 1982, when I was getting ready for Christmas, I suddenly decided to buy two dolls, one for my five-year-old daughter, Katie, and one for my old mother.
Things went smoothly when a friend told me that his dad, who played Santa Claus in my area, would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home with the gifts! Knowing that my parents would also come to my house, I began to get ready for the most memorable day of my mother’s life.
Christmas Day arrived and so did Santa Claus at the planned time. Katie was very excited and happy all the time to welcome the Santa. My mother was enjoying watching Katie welcoming this special guest. As Santa turned to leave he looked again into his bag and took out one more gift. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, without thinking of her name being called, said that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift with a message card that read:
For Alice:
I was cleaning out my sleigh (雪橇) before my trip this year and came across this package that should be sent on December 25, 1925. The gift inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it. Many apologies for the lateness of the gift.
Love,
Santa Claus
My mother was very excited and deeply moved to tears. She couldn’t speak but only held tightly in her arms the doll she had waited fifty-seven years to receive as tears of joy flew down her face. That doll made my mother the happiest “child”.Why couldn’t Alice get a doll as a child?
| A．Because her mother died quite early. |
| B．Because her family disliked her. |
| C．Because her family was very poor. |
| D．Because Alice didn’t love dolls. |
What did the friend’s father do that Christmas morning?
| A．He acted as Santa Claus to send Christmas gifts. |
| B．He went to her home to see Alice. |
| C．He bought some Christmas gifts for Katie. |
| D．He helped her to get Christmas gifts ready. |
Why didn’t Alice expect there was also a gift for her?
| A．The gifts from Santa Claus were usually for children. |
| B．The gift was forgotten many years ago. |
| C．The gift for her was bought by accident on the way. |
| D．The gifts for Katie were enough to share with her. |
The author wrote the message card in order to _________.
| A．show her deep apology to her mother |
| B．make it clear that Santa Claus didn’t forget her |
| C．show that Santa Claus was hard-working |
| D．make Alice believe the gift was exactly for her |
From the last paragraph we can infer that _________.
| A．old people still keeps something of childishness |
| B．we should always give our parents a surprise |
| C．old people usually feel lonely on festivals |
| D．we should spend more time with our parents |
Dae Jon is the city in South Korea, where I was born and grew up. There was a public park there. It was a very popular place, and I have tons of precious (珍贵的) memories from times spent there.
Our teachers often took us to that park for a spring or fall picnic. When I learned martial arts (武术)—Tae Kwon Do, my master usually took us there to train us. There was a hill there which was not high, so I could reach the peak (山顶) within forty minutes even though I was very young. From the peak, I could see a lot of places if it was a sunny day.
There was a huge rock on the top called Eagle Rock because the shape of the rock looked like the head of an eagle. We spent lots of fun days there. We played hide-and-seek within the limited area, and we sometimes caught frogs and fish in the pond. When we felt thirsty, we enjoyed drinking cold spring water.
When I was a ten-year-old boy, I usually went to the park with my father to exercise early in the morning. It was quite dark, so I sometimes felt afraid, but after I got used to going there, I enjoyed breathing the fresh air and hearing the birds sing.
Recently, I went back to the park to remember my good times there. When I arrived at the entrance, I was surprised because it didn’t seem to be the same as I remembered it. Everything has changed in the thirteen years since I last saw it, but the good memories soon came back. I could almost imagine a boy playing there with a slight smile and shaking hands with me.The writer went to the park with his teachers __________.
| A．to read books | B．to have a picnic |
| C．to do morning exercises | D．to catch dogs |
As a child, the writer did the following in the park EXCEPT __________.
| A．practicing martial arts | B．climbing the hill |
| C．swimming in the pond | D．playing hide-and-seek |
How long has the writer not been there?
| A．10 years. | B．13 years. | C．20 years. | D．23 years. |
The writer went back to the park in order to __________.
| A．meet his old friends |
| B．play with his old classmates |
| C．exercise with his father |
| D．remember his good times |
The writer was surprised when he got to the park because __________.
| A．the park had changed a lot |
| B．his good memories didn’t come back |
| C．he didn’t see the boy with a slight smile |
| D．he couldn’t breathe the fresh air as usual |
My grandson, Daniel, and I have always been very close. When Daniel’s father remarried after a divorce, Daniel, who was eleven, and his little sister, Kristie, came to live with us. My husband and I were more than happy to have kids in the house again.
Things were going along just fine until the diabetes (糖尿病) I’ve lived with most of my adult life started affecting my eyes, and then more seriously, my kidneys (肾). Then everything seemed to fall apart.
Three times a week, I had to go to the hospital to be hooked up to a dialysis machine (透析机). I was living, but I couldn’t really call it a life — it was an existence. I had no energy. I dragged myself through daily chores and slept as much as I could. My sense of humor seemed to disappear.
Daniel, seventeen by then, was really affected by the change in me. He tried as hard as he could to make me laugh, to bring back the grandma who loved to clown around (开玩笑) with him. Even in my sorry state, Daniel could still bring a smile to my face.
But things were not improving. After a year on dialysis, my condition was deteriorating (恶化) and the doctors felt that if I didn’t receive a kidney transplant within six months, I would surely die. No one told Daniel this, but he knew — he said all he had to do was look after me. To top it off, as my condition worsened, there was a chance that I would become too weak to have the transplant surgery at all, and then there would be nothing they could do for me. So we started the tense and desperate wait for a kidney.
I was adamant (坚决的) that I didn’t want a kidney from anyone I knew. I would wait until an appropriate kidney became available, or I would literally die waiting. But Daniel had other plans. The time that he took me to my dialysis appointments, he did a little secret research on his own. Then he announced his intention to me.
“Grandma, I’m giving you one of my kidneys. I’m young and I’m healthy …” He paused. He could see I wasn’t at all happy with his offer. He continued, almost in whisper, “And most of all, I couldn’t stand it if you weren’t around.” His face wore an expression of appeal mixed with determination. He can be as stubborn as a mule (驴) once he decides on something — but I’ve been told many times that I can out-stubborn any mule!
We argued. I couldn’t let him do it. We both knew that if he gave up his kidney, he would also give up his life’s dream; to play football. It was all he ever talked about. And he was good, too. Daniel was co-captain and star defensive tackle (防守阻截队员) of his high school team; he expected to apply for a football scholarship and was looking forward to playing college football. He just loved the sport.
“How can I let you throw away the thing that means the most to you?” I pleaded with him.
“Grandma,” he said softly, “compared to your life, football means nothing to me.”
After that, I couldn’t argue anymore. So we agreed to see if he was a good donor (捐赠者) match, and then we’d discuss it further. When the tests came back, they showed Daniel was a perfect match. That was it. I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument, so we scheduled the transplant.
Both surgeries went smoothly. As soon as I came out of the anesthesia (麻醉) , I could tell things were different. I felt great! The nurses in the intensive care unit had to keep telling me to lie back and be quiet — I wasn’t supposed to be that lively! I was afraid to go to sleep, for fear I would break the spell (魔法) and wake up the way I had been before. But the good feeling didn’t go away, and I spent the evening joking and laughing with anyone who would listen. It was so wonderful to feel alive again.
The next day they moved me out of ICU and onto the floor where Daniel was recuperating (复原) three doors away. His grandfather helped him walk down to see me as soon as I was moved into my room. When we saw each other, we did not know what to say. Holding hands, we just sat there and looked at each other for a long time, overwhelmed by the deep feeling of love that connected us.
Finally, he spoke, “Was it worthwhile, grandma?”
I laughed a little ruefully (懊悔). “It was for me! But was it for you?” I asked him.
He nodded and smiled at me. “I’ve got my grandma back.”
And I have my life back. It still amazes me. Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God —and Daniel — for this miracle. A miracle born of the purest love.Grandma’s diabetes brought about all the following EXCEPT that _______.
| A．her eyes and her kidneys were affected |
| B．grandma became quite a different person |
| C．Daniel had to be sent back to his father |
| D．everything was thrown into confusion |
When grandma was at her lowest, what did Daniel do to bring her back to her usual life?
| A．He tried his best to make her laugh. |
| B．He helped her with the daily chores. |
| C．He gave up his dream of going to college. |
| D．He searched desperately for a good donor match. |
How did grandma feel when Daniel announced his intention to give her one of his kidneys?
| A．She was moved by his selfless decision. |
| B．She wasn’t at all happy with his offer. |
| C．She felt relieved that an appropriate kidney was available. |
| D．She was enthusiastic about having a kidney of someone she loved. |
What would giving up a kidney mean to Daniel, according to the passage?
| A．He wouldn’t be young and healthy thereafter. |
| B．He didn’t have to search for a good match any more. |
| C．He could apply for a full scholarship to a college he desired. |
| D．He would also give up his life’s dream: to play football. |
How was grandma when she came out of the anesthesia after the surgery?
| A．She was feeling low. | B．She was full of life. |
| C．She was exhausted. | D．She was the way she had been before. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Grandma got her life back thanks to Daniel’s selfless donation. |
| B．Grandma thought her returning to life was a miracle of pure love. |
| C．Daniel agreed with grandma that the transplant was worthwhile for her, not for him. |
| D．Much as he loved football, grandma’s life meant the most to Daniel. |