While reading a book in English, every few lines, you run across a word or two that you don't know. You look up every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does is slow you down. Even electric or CD-ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you if you get lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the "map" each time you take a step, you'll get nowhere fast.
On your English learning "journey", a dictionary can be a helpful "travel companion"—if it's not overused. To help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise, you'll always depend on your native language and end up translating in your head.
A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. It can help you verify (test and check) spelling, check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentences and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources.
Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols. Understand what the abbreviations(缩写
字) mean. Become familiar with the grammar codes that explain the usage for each word. Look for charts, diagrams and lists that might be useful in the future. You'll discover how rewarding it can be to make friends with your dictionary. And as they say, "A friend in need is a friend indeed". The underlined word "that" used in the last paragraph refers to ________.
| A．chart, diagrams and lists |
| B．abbreviations and the usage for each word |
| C．the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage |
| D．pronunciation symbols and grammar codes |
Why do you want to buy a good English-to-English dictionary?
| A．Because it is a good friend if we use it often. | |
| B．Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost. | |
C．Because it can help us to start thinking both in English and in Chinese. |
D．Without it we'll depend on our native language and end up translating in our head. |
Which of the following statements does the writer lead you to believe?
| A．The more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article you read. |
| B．The more you use the resources in the dictionary, the more you can benefit from it. |
| C．The more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read. |
| D．The better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is. |
The best title of the passage may be _______.
| A．Dictionary is Like a Road Map While We Are Traveling |
| B．Use a Dictionary When Necessary |
| C．How Important a Good English-to-English Dictionary is |
| D．A Dictionary is a Friend Indeed |
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a commonplace（普通的） environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because____________.
| A．people were in a hurry |
| B．they were not interested in music |
| C．it was too cold in the subway |
D．the p erformance was not good enough |
When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ____________.
| A．would give him some money |
| B．would stop to enjoy the music |
| C．would applaud for the performance |
| D．would urge them to continue walking |
Which of the following is true about Joshua Bells performance?
| A．Nobody gave him money |
| B．Nobody recognized him. |
| C．Nobody appreciated it |
| D．Nobody organized it |
Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ____________.
| A．make more money |
| B．practice his skills in playing music |
| C．made an advertisement for his concert |
| D．find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．set us to think about our life |
| B．show us how to play music |
| C．tell us the importance of music |
| D．report a subway performance |
For 40 years, people in London have been happy to see parakeets (马尾鹦鹉) in their parks. The shocking green body and long tail have brought a bright color to the parks, which have attracted a lot of people.
However, the parakeets are no longer welcome. They will push out local birds from trees to build their own nests, and will also take most of the food in the parks, such as seeds, fruit and nuts.
Sometimes by accident, plants and animals are carried to new places. They are transported by trains, ships or even planes. Often, animals like fishes get transported in the water containers of ships. When these ships reach new places and pump out the water from their tanks, these animals will start a new life in a new place.
Sometimes people take plants and animals from one part of the world to the other to solve a problem. But it will create a bigger problem. Years ago, the sugarcane (甘蔗) farmers of northern Australia brought the toads (蟾蜍) from South America to their farms. They thought they would kill the beetles (甲虫) that harm the sugarcane crops. But the toad has done much more. It is now killing Australia’s native animals, such as snakes, water birds and so on. People get interested in parakeets mainly because of ____.
| A．their appearance | B．their singing |
| C．their behavior | D．their living environment |
How do the parakeets affect the local birds?
| A．They sometimes kill the local birds. |
| B．They destroy trees which the local birds live in. |
| C．They take the local birds nests and food. |
| D．They have attracted much of peoples attention. |
What is the third paragraph mainly talking about?
| A．How animals and plants come to new lands. |
| B．How a new animal affects the local animals. |
| C．Why some plants are introduced to a new place. |
| D．The role of ships in transporting animals and plants. |
What can we learn about the toads?
| A．They didnt kill the beetles at all. |
| B．They were brought to Australia by accident. |
| C．They have ruined the sugarcane crops. |
| D．They have created a larger problem in Australia. |
Many years ago, Norman Cousins was seriously ill. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.
He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to his disease. He wondered, If illness can be caused by negativity (消极性), can health be created by positivity (积极性)?” He decided to make an experiment of himself.
Laughing was one of the most positive activities he knew. He watched all the funny movies he could find. He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something interesting.
His pain was so great that he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy and healthy years.
Laughing is necessary to our health. If were not well, laughing helps us get well; if we are well, laughing helps us stay that way. So, if you like laughing, do it as often as you can.
Use whatever makes you laughmovies, books, jokes or friends. The people around you may think youre strange, but sooner or later theyll join in even if they dont know what youre laughing about.Cousins decided to try to laugh a lot ______.
| A．in order to be happy |
| B．in order to cure his disease |
| C．because he could not live for long |
| D．because his disease couldnt be cured |
The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．how to be happy |
| B．laughing is good for our health |
| C．about Cousins miserable life |
| D．funny stories make our life different |
Which of the following is TRUE about his illness?
| A．There was little possibility to cure his disease. |
| B．He had been happy before he was ill. |
| C．His disease resulted from his hard work. |
| D．His disease made him sleepy all the time. |
From Cousins story, we can know that ______.
| A．doctors believed that his disease could be cured by laughing |
| B．he was sure that positivity could cure his disease |
| C．laughing regularly contributed to his disease |
| D．his life was changed after he was ill |
Im a real book lover. Every time my friends visit me, my nose is buried in a book. Wherever I go, I always have a book with me. Novels, history books, stories about people, journals and news—I read them all and I’ve learnt a lot, too. For example, many things in life happen for the best even if we don’t like or understand them.
Why is reading such an enjoyable pastime for me? I probably first learned about it from my parents. My mother read to me at night in my childhood and bought me picture books. The greatest gift she has given me is a love for reading. And it will be a life-long habit.
No one ever asked me why I liked to read. They just saw me and asked, “Oh? Is that for school work?” And I just shook my head, “No. It’s just for fun.” While reading a good book, I can totally forget myself and fly to another world. It’s like exploring through someone’s eyes, which is just as exciting as watching a movie.
Reading is also necessary in order to learn about writing, to improve my use of words and phrases and broaden my knowledge. What a pity to see our imagination disappear, for we don’t exercise it often. Reading can even be good for one’s health, I think. Everyone should read sad stories that make us cry and also books with humor that make us laugh out loud!Among the gifts my parents have given me, which is the most valuable one?
| A．A love for reading. | B．Picture books. |
| C．Good health. | D．A lovable pastime. |
In the fourth paragraph, the author thinks reading can ____.
| A．make his parents happy |
| B．finish his school work |
| C．improve writing and broaden knowledge |
| D．help him understand some movies |
If we dont use our imagination often, ____.
| A．it is bad for our health |
| B．we will soon learn how to write |
| C．it will help us to have a good rest |
| D．it will soon disappear |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Why do I have few friends? |
| B．What are my life habits? |
| C．Why do I love reading? |
| D．Why do things happen for the best? |
Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds
| Waiter / Waitress A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips (小费). Most people that visit a restaurant don’t just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant. |
| Work in a library If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students. |
| Internet jobs There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don’t pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers. |
A student who is busy with his research paper will probably choose to work ______.
| A．in a restaurant | B．in a library |
| C．on the Internet | D．in an IT company |
The writer wrote this text to ______.
| A．tell us the importance of doing part-time jobs |
| B．advise teenagers how to choose a part-time job |
| C．teach young people how to make lots of money |
| D．introduce his/her experience of doing part-time jobs |
Why do some companies ask the teens to do surveys?
| A．The teens have more free time. |
| B．They can pay less to the teens. |
| C．They need advice to make products for teens. |
| D．The teens usually express their true opinions. |