Just a Little Smile
Mark was walking home from school one day when he saw the boy in front of turn fall over and drop all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a basketball and a walkman (随身听). Mark stopped and helped the boy pick up these things. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of his things. As they walked, Mark knew that the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved computer games, basketball and history, and that he was having lots of troubles with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited(邀请) in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed happily with a few laughs and some small talk, then Mark went home. They often saw . each other at school, had lunch together once or twice, and then they both finished middle school. They ended up in the same high school where they sometimes saw and talked with each other over the years. At last just three weeks before they finished high school, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill asked Mark if he still remembered the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever think why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker(锁柜) because I didn’t want to leave anything for anyone else. I had put away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, ! began to understand that if I killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life. " When Mark met him the first time, Bill was going
A.to have a basketball game | B.to his classroom | C.to see Mark | D.back home |
From what Bill was carrying, we can know that he .
A.was a good student |
B.liked sports and music |
C.liked all the subjects in school |
D.was a g |
Mark and Bill .
A.were in the same middle school and high school |
B.were in the same middle school but not in the same high school |
C.of ten had lunch together at school |
D.had known each other before they began to study in middle school |
In this passage, the phrase "break up" means" ".
A.相处很好 | B.和好如初 | C.关系破裂 | D.保持联系 |
When Mark helped Bill to pick up some of his things, he. .
A.knew he could save Bill’s life |
B.knew who Bill was and wanted to help him |
C.didn’t know why he was going to help him |
D.didn’t know what he was doing was very important to Bill |
Many students ask for advice about improving their English. There are three basic questions.
The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, “I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?” This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!
The second question is about speaking. Sam, from Suzhou wrote, “Our school has a foreign teacher. But I’m shy and can’t speak to her. What should I do?” When I visit China, lots of people in the street say, “Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?” These are good questions to start a conversation. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, take a deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.
The third question is about vocabulary. Oliver, from Anhui wrote, “I want to remember all the new words. I wrote them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do?” Try to remember eight or nine words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you’re shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?How many basic questions do the students often ask?
A.Two. | B.Three. |
C.Four. | D.Five. |
What is Oliver’s problem?
A.He’s too shy to talk with others. |
B.He’s not able to count English words. |
C.He can’t remember new words. |
D.He doesn’t know what real English is. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
A.How to learn English |
B.Talking about English films |
C.Advice about English writing |
D.The way of beginning an English conversation |
A The people inneedn’t go to work on Fridays.
A.Canada | B.Scotland |
C.Japan | D.Egypt |
If it is 8:00 a.m. in western Canada, the time is _______ in eastern Canada.
A.11:00a.m | B.2:00 p.m. |
C.12:30 p.m. | D.4:00 a.m. |
While Canadian children are waking up, children in Scotland are ________.
A.having lessons | B.sleeping |
C.watching TV | D.playing games |
Music can be a great power (力量) to change people’s lives. Regina del Carmen Sanchez, 14, always believes this. The girl from Kansas City, US, leads a hard life. She lives in a small house with her mom and grandparents. Her mom gets a very low pay.
But it doesn’t stop Sanchez’s love of music. She wrote her first song Keep Your Head Up when she was 12. It described the bad situation(情况) at her home, but it also sent the message of hope: “My house is old and poor, but it beats (胜过) being homeless… Love yourself and never give up. You’ll see a better life if you keep your head up…”
It took Sanchez several months to finish the song. Sometimes during a break in class, when lyrics (歌词) came into her head, “I would have to write them down right then,” she told the local newspaper The Kansas City Star.
Jeremy Lillig was a spokesman for Bright Futures, a charity fund. When he saw the video of the song, he was moved. He shared it through social media (社交媒体). The fund has provided money for poor students in Kansas City.
Now Sanchez often plays the song in public. “I want to help people understand what is happening in the world in an easy way,” she said.There are people in Sanchez’s family.
A.three | B.four |
C.five | D.six |
What’s true about Keep Your Head Up? ______________________
A.It was written two years ago. |
B.It showed a feeling of hopeless. |
C.It described the good situation of a house. |
D.It took Sanchez several weeks to write the song. |
The word “moved” can be replaced (代替) by .
A.surprised | B.interested |
C.touched | D.excited |
The best title of the passage can be .
A.A girl and her song |
B.Poor home is better than being homeless |
C.Charity changes the girl’s life |
D.Let’s support poor students. |
My name is Ben. I live with my brother, mother and father in a flat. There are 27 floors in the tall building. My apartment is on the top floor. My father has a car .He parks it in the basement(地下室)of the building.
Our apartment is not in the centre of the city. It is 4 kilometers from the centre. My father works in the city, so he goes to work by train every day. He doesn’t often drive his car. He uses his car only at weekends. He takes us into the country or to the beach on Saturdays or Sundays.
Our apartment has three bedrooms. There is a bedroom for my mother and father, one for me and one for my brother. There is also a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom in the apartment. We do not have a garden, but there is a small balcony. There are some plants on the balcony. Where is Ben’s apartment? _______________
A.Twenty-seven kilometers from the centre of the city. |
B.In the centre of the city. |
C.In the country. |
D.Four kilometers from the centre of the city. |
Where does Ben’s father work? ________________
A.In the park. | B.In the city. |
C.In the country. | D.At home. |
Which floor do Ben’s family live on? _________________
A.The 27th floor. | B.The 4th floor. |
C.The 9th floor. | D.The ground floor. |
Where does Ben’s family grow flowers? ________________
A.In the garden. | B.In the kitchen. |
C.On the balcony. | D.In the living room. |
Jyoti Amge , an Indian girl, is the world’s smallest woman. She is only 0.628 metres tall. She is small, but her dream is great. On her 18th birthday in 2012, she shared the good news with others. She would act in two movies.
Jyoti is the youngest of the five children in her family. She stopped growing after her first birthday. Because of her size, Jyoti has special clothes and jewellery(珠宝首饰). She even has her own desk and chair in a regular(普通的)school. Jyoti also loves movies and fashionable dresses like others. Before 18, she acted in a music video along with a famous Indian singer.
Jyoti said, “ I’m just the same as other people. I eat like you, and dream like you. I don’t feel I am different.” How old is Jyoti Amge in 2013? ____________________
A.16 years old | B.17 years old |
C.18 years old | D.19 years old |
How many sisters and brothers does she have? ___________________
A.3 | B.4 |
C.6 | D.we don’t know |
Jyoti’s _________is (are) not different from others’.
A.clothes | B.jewellery | C.chair | D.school |
What did Jyoti do before 18? __________________
A.She acted in a music video |
B.She played in two movies |
C.She sang a song in a movie |
D.She made special clothes for herself |