I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s this lady near my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I de
cided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have – a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, posi
tion, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
Why did the mother apologize to the author?
| A．Because the boy ran into the author. |
| B．Because the boy laughed at the author. |
| C．Because they boy said the author was fatter than him. |
| D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author. |
When
did the author realize that she was too short?
| A．When she grew up. |
| B．When she was 47 years old. |
| C．When she began to go to school. |
| D．When she met the boy in the supermarket. |
Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?
| A．doubted | B．increased | C．decreased | D．improved |
.How does the author feel about people’s stares now?
| A．Angry | B．Calm | C．Painful | D．Discouraged |
Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west of coast. Even since she was a young girl,she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn‘t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school， she went on to college.
Four years later， she received her bachelor’s degree （B A） in English and her teaching certificate（证书）. Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers， Mrs. Blake takes more classes；she hopes to get a master’s degree （M A）. With an MA， she will receive a higher salary and if possible， she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well.
The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school，like that in many high schools in the United States is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period，which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M.，Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make out examinations，check homework at all，Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from middle school？
| A．four years | B．eight years | C．twelve years | D．twenty years |
According to the article，which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university？
| A．a doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree |
| B．a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
| C．a master’s degree—a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
| D．a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree—a master’s degree |
How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far？
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．none |
Which of the following sentences is not true？
| A．Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United Sates |
| B．Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality. |
| C．Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degrees. |
| D．The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of many other high schools in the states. |
According to that third paragraph，Mrs. Blake is ______ during the school day.
| A．lonely | B．free | C．funny | D．busy |
阅读表达：
[1]An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
[2]They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
[3]The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight(困境). They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance(差额) $400. They promised to pay the cheque at the soonest possible.
[4]“No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct（扣除）whatever expenses you have spent on. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him a lot.
[5]It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.
[6]Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.
[7]Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was regarded as a great leader in Poland’s history.Why did the student decide to hold the musical concert? (Within 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________________What do you know about Ignacy J. Paderewski? (Within 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________Please find a word in the text to replace the word “recital” in Paragraph 2.
____________________________________________________________________________How did the boys feel on hearing what Paderewski said? (No more than 5 words)
___________________________________________________________________________What should we learn from Paderewski’s words in Paragraph 6? (Within 20 words)
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
If you like bicycling as much as you like playing ball and can’t seem to decide between the two sports, you may want to consider cycle ball—a fun sport that adopts the key attributes from both activities and transforms it into a totally new game..
Also known as red ball, the game was invented in 1893 by German laborers who wished to play polo(马球), but could not afford horses. While the sport has not caught on in North America, it is very fashionable in Europe and even Japan.
Played in an indoor court, cycle ball is similar to soccer in many ways—the aim is to score as many goals as possible, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball.
The one big difference? Use of legs is forbidden. Instead, players have to guide the ball across the court, using the front wheels of their bicycles or with their heads. In fact, if a player even touches the floor with his feet during the 14-minute game, it is considered a foul(犯规) and the opposing team gets a free kick.
While the game was initially(最初) played with normal bikes, things are a little different now. The seats of these specialized bikes are positioned over the back tire and they sport a single fixed gear, making it easier for the rider to control the constant back and forth movement required for the game. The handlebars(车把) also point straight up so that the competitors can sit upright while playing and they are about twice the weight of normal bikes, which helps with the stability.
While cycle ball may sound a little strange, it is a fast-paced sport that requires much training, skill, and, is also really fun to watch.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．The origin and development of soccer |
| B．The differences between cycle ball and soccer. |
| C．The most popular sports game in the world. |
| D．A new and fun sports game—cycle ball |
What does the underlined phrase “caught on” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．turned up | B．hung up | C．come about | D．become popular |
What can we know about cycle ball?
| A．It is a fast-paced game played in an indoor court |
| B．It was invented in 1893 by poor British people. |
| C．It is another name of soccer played by many people. |
| D．It is a strange game played with normal bikes. |
It can be known from the passage that __________.
| A．every player who is playing cycle ball is allowed to touch the ball. |
| B．the aim of playing cycle ball is to score as many goals as possible. |
| C．if a player touches the floor with his feet, the opposing team will win |
| D．heads are not allowed to be used to guide the ball across the court. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Cycle ball is popular both in Japan and other Asian countries. |
| B．The cycle ball game is popular all over the world. |
| C．A cycle ball game takes 14 minutes. |
| D．Cycle ball has to be played with heads, legs or the front wheels. |
As an English saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Laughter can make people breathe deeper |
| B．Laughter can make you become old quickly. |
| C．Laughter helps to reduce pain. |
| D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body. |
The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “_________”.
| A．delays | B．prevents | C．increases | D．reduces |
Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
| A．Because they want to earn more money. |
| B．Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses. |
| C．Because they want to improve their patients’ health. |
| D．Because they want their patients to laugh more. |
According to the author, we should __________ in our life.
| A．laugh as much as possible | B．watch more funny films |
| C．smile all the time | D．spend time in the laughter clinics |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health. |
| B．Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition. |
| C．Laughter can reduce the effect of pain. |
| D．Laughter is the best medicine. |
I came across quite a few language problems while on holiday with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her “pants were dirty”. They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, “pants” means underpants, not trousers as it does back home.
Katie — From America
When I asked for the “restroom” in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and “rest”. It took me years to get through to someone that I only wanted the toilet!
Tom — From America
Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot(汽车行李箱) was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for “boot” was “trunk”. In the end we went to a garage and just solved the problem.
Mary — From Britain
Last summer, I went to stay with a friend on the west coast. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn’t find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.
David — From BritainHearing Katie’s mother’s words, Katie’s friends were in amazement because ____________.
| A．they mistook “pants” in American for underpants |
| B．Katie’s mother’s underpants were dirty |
| C．Katie’s mother got mud on her jeans |
| D．they didn’t know any English |
David went out to find a phone box to ____________.
| A．phone the police for help | B．apologize for his being late |
| C．tell his friends he couldn’t go to visit her | D．phone his friend for help |
When Tom asked for the “restroom”, the people around him thought _____________.
| A．he wanted a chair | B．he wanted to have a rest |
| C．he wanted the toilet | D．He wanted to go to a department store |
The underlined word “garage” is probably _____________.
| A．a parking place | B．a car | C．a place to repair cars | D．a gas station |
Which of the following words is from British English？
| A．Pants | B． Restroom | C．Ground floor | D．Trunk |