She is only 12 years old but lives only with her younger sister. Her parents are far away from home, and she has to take care of her younger sister. She is He Can, a student at Anqing Jianzhen Middle School in Anhui, one of the “stay-at home children” in her town. To make money, these kids’ parents go to big cities to find a job. Their children have to stay at home because they have to go to school.
He Can’s parents left home when she was only four. They only come back for the Spring Festival every year. Because she had to live with different relatives at different times, He Can went to eight different primary schools.
“I used to complain,” she said. “But later I understood my parents. They have to go away to make a better life for us.” He Can said her frequently changing life also has a good side.
“When I went to a new school, I had to try to make friends,” said He Can, “I became outgoing. Now I’m not afraid of talking to people.”
He Can said her relatives were kind to her. They taught her how to cook and wash clothes.
When she would start junior high school , her parents agreed to rent a house to let her live out with her sister.
Every day, He Can gets up at 6:00 am and cooks breakfast. Then He Can does chores (琐事) and helps her sister take a shower. She usually goes to bed at 9:30 pm.
Though busy, He Can is still a top student in her class. She said the secret is never to put things off until tomorrow.
“ I think my life is OK,” she said. “But if possible, I would like my parents to settle down and live with us.” Why does He Can live only with her younger sister?
A.Because their parents don’t like them. |
B.Because their parents have to work in a big city. |
C.Because they enjoy living by themselves. |
D.Because their schools are too far away from their home. |
Where did He Can live before she started junior high school?
A.In her relatives’ houses. | B.In her own house |
C.In a house she rented. | D.In her school. |
What does He Can think of changing schools so often?
A.She hates it and complains a lot about it. |
B.She thinks it good for her growth. |
C.She enjoys it because she can make more friends. |
D.She thinks it bad for her studies. |
What is He Can’s secret of being top at studies though busy?
A.She often asks her relatives for help. | B.![]() |
C.She gives her sister some work to do. | D.She tries to finish everything before going to bed. |
Having spent two and a half years in China over several visits, I don’t remember ever going through a phase we in the United States call “cultural shock”. This period of difficulty in adjusting to a new culture would probably have set in during my semester at Peking University. Of course, this is not to say that I didn’t notice any differences between the American and Chinese cultures upon my arrival at Peking University, I did notice the differences. Looking back, I remember one of the first differences I noticed: Chinese universities are surrounded by walls.
To an American, this is one of the most striking aspects of a Chinese university which immediately sets it apart from an American campus. Having grown up in the United States, I had never seen a university surrounded by high, cement(水泥) walls. My idea of a university, based on having seen scores of them in different states of the U.S., was a place of life and learning, an inseparable part of the community in which it was located, open not only to the students of the school itself, but also fully accessible to students from other schools and to the broader public.
My idea of a university was that it was a center of cultural life, a resource for the entire community. In all my twenty-one years, it had never occurred to me that a school would have a wall around it. Walls enclose and separate; schools expand and integrate(合并). The very idea seemed fundamentally incompatible. I asked a Chinese friend if all Chinese universities have walls around them. “You know, I have never really thought about it. I guess so. I guess all Chinese schools have walls around them, not just universities.” “Why?” I asked, “What’s the point?” “I don’t know. To protect us, I suppose.” “From whom?” “I don’t know. Don’t you have walls around your schools in the United States?” I thought carefully before answering. “No, I’ve never seen or heard of a university encircled by a wall.” My Chinese friend seemed puzzled. Walls around schools came to strike me as more than just an architectural difference between the United States and China. As China continues to open up to the outside world, these walls seem increasingly out of place.The author felt strange about Chinese culture when he ___________.
A.studied in Peking University |
B.talked with his friends about the walls |
C.experienced the “cultural shock” at his arrival |
D.spent two and a half years in China over several visits |
In the author’s opinion, a university is a place ___________.
A.where only students can come to study |
B.which is similar everywhere in the world |
C.that should be surrounded by high cement walls |
D.that is an inseparable part of and a resource for the community |
What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.The two ideas are fundamental. |
B.The two ideas are basically different. |
C.The two ideas about “school” and “wall” are suitable. |
D.The two ideas about “school” and “wall” are conflicting. |
What did the author’s friend feel about the walls around universities?
A.He thought it a good idea to have walls encircling schools. |
B.He was shocked that American universities are not enclosed. |
C.He thought they were necessary to protect students from being hurt. |
D.He thought the difference between two countries is only architectural styles. |
We can infer from the passage that the author thinks _____________.
A.walls are really useful in the universities |
B.he can never really understand the Chinese culture |
C.Chinese universities should work as public scenic spots |
D.walls around the universities are inappropriate in an open China |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish(清漆), which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.The Secrets of Cremona Violins | B.The History of Italian Violins |
C.Special Musical Instruments | D.How to Make the Best Violins |
The main purpose of the first paragraph is to_______________.
A.list some facts | B.raise a question |
C.give an opinion | D.offer an answer |
What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?
A.The shape. | B.The size. | C.The wood. | D.The varnish. |
Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins?
A.Light. | B.Shining. | C.Valuable. | D.Modern. |
What can we learn from this passage?
A.Modern things are always better than ancient ones. |
B.Ancient things are always better than modern ones. |
C.Once a cultural relic is lost, it can never be recovered. |
D.Varnish for violins will become more and more precious. |
HOLIDAY HOMES IN MALLORCA
Holiday houses in Mallorca sailing and fishing port-quiet even in summer season. Beautifully situated houses with sights of sea and mountains, yet near to shops and restaurants. Cars and bicycles for hire. Sailing and sports clubs nearby.
ITALY IN COMFORT
Luxury coach (-carriage) trips of Italy, out of normal holiday season. 21days to visit five Italian cities starting from London 1st May, 1st September. The trips are guided by professor Martin Davis. Head of Italian Studies, London University. See the arts and culture of historic Italy.
KIBBUTZ HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL(以色列)
Working holidays on a kibbutz (co-operative farm) in Israel. All nationalities welcome for one to three months, if prepared to work morning with kibbutz members. Accommodation(住宿), food and trips to historic sights all provided free-you pay only for the special low- cost return flight.
TWO WEEKS ON A CARIBBEAN ISLAND
Two-week holidays in the Hotel Splendid, on a lovely beach with golden sands and deep-blue sea. Tennis, golf, sailing and all water sports, trips around the island arranged. Near to town of Castries with lively evening entertainment-dancing.
1st November - 31st March =£720 per person
1st April - 30th October =£850 per person
Jack and his wife Mary, who have recently retired, want to see places of cultural and historic interest abroad, but Mary hates flying.
Peter and Maria, university students, want to travel as far as possible on little money, and would like to get to know a country by working there for three months with other young people.
Michael, a young computer programmer, has been working hard and needs a holiday to relax in winter. He would like to go somewhere warmer and sunny, where he can swim in the sea, and he enjoys sports and dancing.
Herry and Kate, both teachers, and their two sons, have to take their holiday during the school summer holidays. There must be plenty for the boys to do, although Harry and Kate just want to have beautiful scenery, good food and wine and peace.Michael would most probably go to ________ for his holiday.
A.Italy | B.Israel | C.Mallorca | D.a Caribbean island |
The most suitable place where Peter and Maria can enjoy their holiday would be________.
A.an Italian city | B.a kibbutz in Israel |
C.a Caribbean island | D.the port in Mallorca |
The best holiday for Jack and Mary would be________.
A.the 21-day coach trip of Italy |
B.the 2-week stay in the Hotel Splendid |
C.the 14-day trip around a Caribbean island |
D.the working holidays for 1-3 months on a kibbutz in Israel |
Harry and Kate and their sons would like________.
A.a holiday working on a kibbutz in Israel |
B.a holiday visiting cities by coach in Italy |
C.a holiday house in the fishing port in Mallorca |
D.a holiday hotel on a lovely beach on a Carribean Island |
You can find this passage most probably in ________.
A.a school library | B.a tourist agency |
C.the post office | D.the museum |
When we see well, we do not think about our eyes very often. It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we realize how important our eyes are.
People who are near-sighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Everything else seems unclear. Many people who do a lot of work, such as writing, reading and sewing become near-sighted.
Then people who are far-sighted endure just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty in reading a book unless they hold it at arm’s length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses, too.
Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. They have what is called astigmatism(散光). This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people’s eyes become cloudy because of cataracts(白内障). Long ago these people often became blind. Now however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove then.
Having two good eyes is important for judging distances. Each eye sees things from a slightly different angle(角度). To prove this to yourself, look at an object out of one eye; then look at the same object out of your other eye. You will find the object’s relation to the background and other things around it has changed. The difference between these two different eye views helps us to judge how far away an object is. People who have only one eye cannot judge distance as people with two eyes. We should take good care of our eyes.
A.only when we can see well |
B.only when we cannot see perfectly |
C.only when we are near-sighted or far-sighted |
D.even if we can see well or perfectly |
When things far away seem unclear, one is probably.
A.near-sighted | B.far-sighted | C.astigmatic | D.suffering from cataracts |
The underlined word endure in the third paragraph probably means.
A.experience | B.imagine | C.suffer from | D.recover from |
Having two eyes instead of one is particularly useful for.
A.seeing at night | B.seeing objects far away |
C.looking over a wide area | D.judging distances |
People who suffer from astigmatism have.
A.one eye bigger than the other |
B.eyes that are not exactly the right shape |
C.a difficulty that can be corrected by an operation |
D.an eye difficult that cannot be corrected by glasses. |
John Smith was lazy. He had finished his education and was happy to sit in his room and listen to the radio all day long. In fact, he had been doing nothing for almost six months, which worried his father a lot. One day Mr Smith decided that he had to do something. “Johnny. When I was your age I was working and supporting my ten brothers and sisters. I want you to go out and get a job.” So that was what he did. In fact, in the next three months, Johnny started ten jobs and was fired from ten jobs. He explained to his father.
“They wanted me to be at work at 8:00 a. m. and told me to do all sorts of unpleasant things.”
“I don’t care how you do it,” Mr Smith said. “Either you earn some money or move out of the house. I gave you one week’s time.”
In the next few days Johnny began to change. He still stayed in his room all day, but spent his time writing letters and reading through the newspapers. More and more posts began to arrive for him. He bought a new suit for himself and invited his parents to the theatre and for dinner afterwards at the most expensive restaurant in town. When his proud parents arrived home after their evening hour, a policeman was waiting at the front door.
“John Smith,” he said as he handed him a piece of paper, “I’ll see you in the court tomorrow.”
When he got outside, Johnny told his parents everything.
“When you told me to earn some money, I decided to put an advertisement in the newspaper saying, ‘New way to earn money fast! Send me $ 5 and I’ll tell you my secret.’ When I received the money I wrote back telling people to do as I do.”
Johnny was fined $ 250 by the court and was ordered to pay all the people back. As he left the court house feeling very ashamed, a newspaper man came up to him, “Young man, would you like to tell your story to my newspaper for $ 2500?”Johnny was fired from the jobs because _______.
A.he liked listening to the radio |
B.he had a big family to support |
C.he spent a lot of time writing letters |
D.he didn’t do the jobs well |
Johnny put an advertisement in the newspaper about _______ months after he left school.
A.three | B.six | C.nine | D.eleven |
Why was Johnny fined $ 250? _______.
A.Because he was lazy |
B.Because he was out of work |
C.Because he cheated people |
D.Because he didn’t pay for his new suit |
What would probably happen at last? _______.
A.Johnny would get $ 2500 from the newspaper |
B.The court would give $ 250 back to Johnny |
C.Johnny would continue to advertise in the newspaper |
D.Johnny would become a newspaper reporter |
Which of the following questions is NOT answered by the information from the passage? _______?
A.How did the parents feel when Johnny invited them to the theatre and dinner |
B.What’s Johnny’s secret |
C.What did the policeman want Johnny to do |
D.How much did Johnny have to pay all the people back |