Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局).I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The pitcher could have easily thrown he ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first! ” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked..
Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.
All were screaming,“Shay,Shay,Shay,all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying,“Shay, run home!”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team.
That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!Not expecting much, Shay’s father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.
A.noticed some of the boys on the field were heisting |
B.guessed his presence would affect the boy’s decision |
C.learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well |
D.understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted |
In the bottom of the final inning Shay was given the bat because the boys _________.
A.believed they were sure to win the game |
B.would like to help Shay enjoy the game |
C.found Shay was so eager to be a winner |
D.fell forced to give Shay another chance |
The smallest boy threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head, probably because that boy ________.
A.was obviously aware of the pitcher’s purpose |
B.looked forward to winning the game for his team |
C.failed to throw the ball to the second baseman |
D.saw that Shay already reached second base |
Which of the following has nothing to do with Shay’s becoming the hero for his team?
A.The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman. |
B.The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him. |
C.The opposing players failed to stop his running to home. |
D.One of the opposing players ran to help him. |
What to you think is the theme of the story?
A.True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other. |
B.Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled. |
C.Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents. |
D.The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players. |
Anthony Horowitz was miserable as child. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded(恳求) with his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, It’ll be good for him,” he recalled.
It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺负) for five years. “My teachers couldn't have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn't even smart enough to rebel . The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at age of 55, Horowitz is one of the world's most successful children's book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Horowitz said he doesn't try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it's to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it's all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Horowitz couldn't be happier with his life. He sums up his success: “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.” In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers .
A.often criticized him | B.showed great concern for him |
C.taught him how to write stories | D.thought little about his ability |
Which of the following is true of Anthony Horowitz?
A.He was the beloved child of his family. |
B.He benefited a lot from boarding school. |
C.He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories. |
D.Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy. |
What advice does Horowitz have for readers?
A.Confidence is the key to success. | B.Hardship teaches valuable lessons. |
C.Interest is the best teacher. | D.Industry is the parent of success. |
In w
hich section can you most probably read the passage?
A.Campus Trends | B.Culture & Leisure |
C.Our![]() |
D.Science Life |
“If you run for more than five minutes at any time, you might need a pair of running shoes,” advises Stephen Pribut, a US sports medicine expert. Running shoes are highly technical footwear. They provide stability(牢固)while bearing up to three times the wearer’s body weight. But it’s not easy to find the right pair. Finding the right running shoes is something of an art, or a science and a feel.
The science part begins with the shape of the arch(弓)of your foot, which anyone can find out at home with this quick experiment: Put your foot in water and place it on a piece of brown paper. If you see a “C” shape on the paper when you remove your foot, you have a rare high arch. If the shape looks more like a rectangle, that means you have flat feet. See something in between? That’s a normal arch.
Conveniently for shoppers, shoe companies nowadays divide their shoes in three categories: neutral(for high arches), stability(for normal or low arches) and motion control(for flat arches). So you will know which type suits you.
At this point, most people would just grab an appealing shoe and try it on. But professionals would do a few quality-control tests. First, you bend the shoe toe to heel to see where it bends. If it’s not at the forefoot---where the foot actually bends, be afraid. Then you grip both ends and twist in opposite directions. If you can twist it like a towel, it means there’s zero support. Finally, you squeeze(挤)the heel in both directions. A stable heel won’t cave in.
Now you need to check the mold(模子)that shapes the inside of the shoe: whether it’s wide or narrow in the mid-foot, how it sits on the heel and how roomy the toe box is.
It’s wise to hold off until the afternoon to make the shoe purchase, to allow for any swelling(肿胀) that your feet do throughout the day. Toes also decide sizing choice. The rule is you need a finger’s width from your longest toe (whether that’s your big one or not) to the end of the shoe.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Advantages of wearing running shoes fitting you. |
B.Ways to get to know about the shape of the arch of your foot. |
C.Advice on how to choose the right pair of running shoes. |
D.Best time to buy a pair of running shoes. |
If the arch of your foot looks like a “C” shape, you have _________.
A.a normal arch | B.a high arch | C.a flat arch | D.a low arch |
.The underlined phrase “cave in” most probably means ______.
A.bend | B.stretch | C.shake | D.crash |
.Why is the late afternoon the ideal time to go shopping for shoes?
A.We are likely to be more patient in the afternoon. |
B.Feet usually become large late in the day. |
C.The toes become longer late in the day. |
D.The arch of our feet will be in best shape in the afternoon. |
Americans this year will swallow 15,000 tons of aspirin, one of the safest and most effective drugs invented by man. The most popular medicine in the world today, it is an effective pain reliever. Its bad effects are relatively mild and it is cheap.
For millions of people suffering from arthritis(关节炎), it is the only thing that works. Aspirin, in short, is truly the 20th-century wonder drug. It is also the second largest suicide drug and is the leading cause of poisoning among children. It has side effects that, although relatively mild, are largely unrecognized among users.
Although aspirin was first sold by a German company in 1899, it has been around much longer than that. Hippocrates, in ancient Greece, understood the medical value of the leaves and tree bark which today are known to contain salicylates(水杨酸碱), the chemical in aspirin. During the 19th century, there was a great deal of experimentation in Europe with this chemical, and it led to the introduction of aspirin. By 1915, aspirin tablets were available in the United States.
A small quantity of aspirin (two five-grain tablets) relieves pain and inflammation(炎症). It also reduces fever by interfering with some of the body’s reactions.
The passage is written to .
A.suggests us using more aspirin | B.reminds us of the side effects of aspirin |
C.gives us a whole view of aspirin | D.discusses the good effects of aspirin |
According to the author, aspirin .
A.is very safe | B.first appeared in 1899 |
C.can be harmful to children | D.can hardly be dangerous |
Generally speaking, the author seems to be .
A.in favor of aspirin | B.against the use of sapirin |
C.not interested in aspirin | D.careful in using aspirin |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.How to Use Aspirin | B.Why I Take Aspirin |
C.The Most Popular Medicine | D.The Side Effects of Aspirin |
Whenever human populations have lived in forest areas, they have always cut down trees which they used for a number of purposes, for housing and ships and served as a source of heating fuel and timber. Growth of cities often meant expansion into forest areas, while even more trees were removed to provide space for agriculture. With the growing demand for paper, vast quantities of trees have also been cut down for paper production. These factors, along with many others, have been contributing to a dangerous phenomenon known as deforestation.
In the last 5,000 years, humans have reduced forest from roughly 50 percent of the earth’s land surface to less than 20 percent. Most of this original, or old growth, forest cover is concentrated in three large areas: the Canadian and Alaskan boreal forest, the boreal forest of Russia, and the tropical forest of the northwestern Amazon Basin and the Guyana Shield. These areas comprise almost 70 percent of the world’s remaining original forest cover. In most places, the rate of deforestation is increasing, with the alarming result of 16 million hectares disappearing worldwide every year.
Loss of forest does not just mean the decline of natural resources. There are several other factors that make deforestation seriously harmful to both the human and natural worlds. One of them is changes in the global climate. For example, forest clearance is releasing substantial volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as vegetation is burnt or decays. It has been suggested that this is a significant factor in global warming. Moreover, about 10 percent of the world’s tree species are in danger of extinction as a result of deforestation. Deforestation also threatens biological diversity through the destruction of wildlife habitats, which endangers a number of animal species and leads to their potential disappearance. Species are particularly easy to extinction in tropical rainforests because many species have few individuals per unit area, which makes reproduction more difficult. Finally, since forests play an important role in storing water and stabilizing soil, deforestation and the resulting change in land use cause soil erosion (腐蚀) and other forms of land degradation.
The passage discusses all of the following EXCEPT the ________.
A.causes of deforestation | B.consequences of deforestation |
C.management of deforestation | D.rate of deforestation |
The word “diversity” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
A.variety | B.expansion |
C.development | D.advantage |
Why does the author mention fuel and timber in Paragraph 1?
A.To explain the rate of deforestation. |
B.To compare them with housing and ships. |
C.To show the dangers of deforestation. |
D.To illustrate the causes of deforestation. |
Which of the following sentences summarizes Paragraph 3 best?
A.Deforestation threatens biological diversity. |
B.Deforestation has many harmful consequences. |
C.Deforestation causes changes in global climate. |
D.Deforestation![]() |
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real proof of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will treasure forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. Pick a few friends and become really close to them – pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don’t worry about their grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early. I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.
Whether it is coursework planning or picking a major, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great.
So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny fate, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (& Mom)According to the letter the author’s daughter is ______.
A.scared to be leaving home ![]() |
B.a well-rounded student |
C.the pride of her university | D.learning to drive a car |
Which advice below is given to his daughter by the author?
A.Party with friends in her free time. |
B.Ignore what others think or say. |
C.choose friends with similar personalities. |
D.Treasure and make the best of her college years. |
From the passage, we can conclude the father is ______.
A.worried about his daughter | B.strict with his daughter |
C.positive about his daughter’s future | D.sad about his daughter’s leaving home |
From the letter we can draw a conclusion that_________.
A.the daughter will no longer need her father’s help |
B.the father will also gives the daughter advice on everything |
C.the father will help the daughter when she meets with trouble |
D.the daughter will not accept her father’s help in college. |