I will never forget the very moment that caused me to leave my gift behind because I wanted the gift that my older sister Maria had.
My family was spending a week at the beach. One morning, Maria went to the beach early, but I stayed behind to finish a drawing of a seashell. After finishing the drawing, I walked to join Maria. She was a top gymnast (体操运动员). Her show was perfect as she wheeled along the beach. The beauty of that sight froze me, and I decided immediately that I too would become a gymnast like her.
I knew that I had never been very good at sports. However, when I told my parents I wanted to take a gymnastics class, they agreed with me in surprise. The next week, I went to a beginners’ class.
If only my parents had talked me out of this misguided plan! Five minutes into the first class, it was clear that I didn’t have the gift of a gymnast. But I kept at it.
During this time, drawing and painting—which had been my two favorites—all but left my mind. It must have been hurting for my family as they watched my hopeless efforts. I blindly decided to be like Maria. I just would not give up.
At the same time, on the advice of Ms. White, my art teacher, I hurriedly handed in my seashell drawing for an art contest in our town. One night as I was having a hard time practicing, the phone rang. It was Ms. White. “Alice, you won the contest!” she said loudly.
“Really?” was all I could reply.
“Yes,” Ms. White said. “They’re going to give you a prize. And that’s not all. The winner is also accepted into Wildale’s Summer Fine Arts Institute.” I couldn’t believe what I heard. Only a handful of young artists were accepted each summer.
That night I didn’t go back into the living room to continue practicing. Gymnastics was Maria’s gift, not mine. It had taken me a while, but I realized that I had a gift of my own.Alice wanted to be a gymnast because ________.
| A．she had been good at sports | B．her sister’s show was perfect |
| C．she hated drawing and painting | D．her parents wanted her to do so |
How did Alice feel about learning gymnastics at last?
| A．Satisfied. | B．Worried. | C．Hopeful | D．Regretful. |
From the story, we can infer that ________.
| A．Alice’s parents disagreed with her choice of gymnastics |
| B．Alice did not realize her gift in drawing and painting at first |
| C．Alice spent a hard time preparing for the art contest in the town |
| D．Alice couldn’t believe the news that she got the prize for painting |
What does the writer want to tell us according to the passage?
| A．We should value our own gifts. | B．It takes time to find one’s gifts. |
| C．We could develop different gifts. | D．It’s never too late to show our gifts. |
My class will put on a short play in English at the end of the year. Yesterday our English teacher gave us copies of the play.
“Choose a character in the play whom you’d like to be, ”she told us. “This afternoon learn a few lines of this part for homework. Then tomorrow you can say those lines in front of the class. Ill decide who play each part.”
I wanted to have one of the bigger parts in the play, so I choose the part of the king. He has a lot of lines to say. I learned them by heart.
This morning in our English lesson we had to say our lines. I acted the part of the king. When I said my lines, I put a lot of expression into my acting. I thought I acted really well.
Everyone in the class read a part and then the teacher who would play each part.
Many of the students in my class couldn’t act at all. They couldn’t even read without making lots of mistakes. I was sure that I would get a big part in the play.
However, the teacher gave me the part of a soldier. He has only one line. It is, “Yes, sir!”
I was very disappointed. At the end of the lesson I went up to her and asked her why I had such a small part.
“You put too much expression in your acting,” she said. “Good acting is not big acting. It is acting the audience can believe in.”
I think I know what she means. What did the boy want to do in the play?
| A．To get a morning eating part | B．To organize the play |
| C．To get a large acting part. | D．To work the lights. |
How did the boy feel when the teacher told the class they would put on a play?
| A．Bored. | B．Sad. | C．Excited. | D．Unhappy. |
Why didn’t the teacher give him the part of the kings?
| A．He did not act correctly. | B．He did not know the lines. |
| C．He was not handsome. | D．He was too short. |
What does the underlined word “expression” in the passage mean?
| A．表情 | B．建议 | C．模仿 | D．服饰 |
When you finish high school or university, is learning done? The answer is “no”. In many countries, people continue learning all their lives. Why is lifelong learning important? How can it help you? Let’s look at one example of lifelong learning in Japan.
Why is lifelong learning important?
You go to school and learn. You take tests. But learning doesn’t only happen in school. And learning doesn’t stop when you graduate from high school or college. You are learning all the time. For example, learning can happen when you go to a museum. It can also happen when you get a job. You learn when you play a sport or when you take a trip. Learning is life! We never stop learning. Every day, you can improve yourself by learning something new.
Lifelong learning in Japan
In Japan, life learning is very important. People in Japan like to try new learning activities. Music calligraphy, flower arranging, and foreign languages are some of their favorite classes. The Japanese take classes to improve their skills and learn new things.
Conclusion
When we graduate from school, we can continue to learn. Make lifelong learning one of your goals!Why is lifelong learning important?
| A．It helps you improve yourself. | B．It’s the best way to learn. |
| C．It’s fun and easy. | D．It’s an important goal. |
Some people in Japan take foreign language classes to .
| A．get a job | B．learn new things |
| C．get good grades | D．finish college |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Learning only happens in school. |
| B．When we graduate from school, learning is done. |
| C．You can’t learn anything when you play a sport. |
| D．Music, calligraphy, flower arranging and foreign languages are popular classes in Japan. |
What is the main idea of the reading?
| A．Learning can be fun. | B．We are always learning in school. |
| C．Finishing high school is important. | D．People can learn all their lives. |
How many parts does the book have?
| A．1 | B．4 | C．18 | D．233 |
If you’re interested in shopping you can read _____.
| A．Chapter 3 | B．Chapter 8 | C．Chapter 16 | D．Chapter 18 |
The book does NOT include _____.
| A．help with European languages |
| B．information about visas |
| C．ideas about what to take on a trip |
| D．a section about traveling with pets |
If you want to become a better reader, what should you know about speed of reading?
Some people read very rapidly(很快地), while others read very slowly. But which one is
better?
The rapid reader may be a good reader when he reads a storybook for fun. But he may not be
able to slow down enough to read directions(说明) carefully. He may read so rapidly that he does
not take time to understand fully the ideas and information which are important to remember.
The slow reader may be a good reader when he reads directions for making something. But he
may spend too much time in reading a simple story which is meant to be enjoyed but is not
important enough to be remembered.
So, you see, either a rapid reader or a slow reader is not really a good one. If you wish to
become a better reader, here are four important things to remember about speed of reading.
1. Knowing why you are reading will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or
slowly.
2. Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing
something, science and history books, and Maths problems. You must read such things slowly or
remember each important step and understand each important idea.
3. Some things should be read rapidly throughout. Examples are simple stories for enjoyment,
letters from friends and bits of news from hometown papers.
4. In some of your reading, you must change your speed from fast to slow and slow to fast, as
you go along. You will need to read certain(某些) pages rapidly and then slow down and do more
careful reading when you come to important ideas. What should be read rapidly?
| A．Directions for making something. |
| B．Maths problems. |
| C．Science and history books. |
| D．Storybooks, newspapers, personal letters, etc. |
What is the important thing you should keep in mind about speed of reading?
| A．To read as fast as you can. | B．To fit your reading speed to your needs. |
| C．To read as slowly as possible. | D．To keep your reading at a certain speed. |
Which title best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Something about Careful Reading | B．Be a Rapid Reader. |
| C．How to Read? | D．How to Be a Slow Reader? |
Close contacts between Japan and the rest of the world were created in the twentieth century. In the last forty years, business contacts between Japan and the West have become very important. Many foreign companies now have offices in Japan and Japanese businessmen do business around the world. Differences between Japanese and Western ways of doing business, however, often bewilder foreign businessmen and make doing business in Japan difficult for foreigners.
The American businessman, for example, wants to start talking business immediately. He does not want to wait. The Japanese businessman, on the other hand, likes to arrive at decisions after giving them serious thought. Another thing foreign businessmen have difficulty in understanding is when a Japanese means “Yes” or “No”. This is because of cultural differences between Japanese and Western society(社会), Which make it difficult for a Japanese to say “No” directly.
In the USA, it is easy to say “No” to something one does not want to do. But in Japan, it is very difficult to say “No”. To refuse an invitation or a request(请求) with “No” is felt to be impolite. It is thought to be selfish and unfriendly. So instead of saying “No” directly, the Japanese have developed many ways to avoid(避免) saying “No”. These can help them avoid hurting other people’s feelings. However, this often makes their ways of doing business rather difficult for foreigners to understand and follow.What often makes foreigners feel difficult to do business in Japan?
| A．Their different ways of doing business. |
| B．Their different lifestyles. |
| C．The fact that the Japanese never say “No”. |
| D．The fact that the Japanese are slow to take action. |
Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined expression “bewilder foreign businessmen” in Paragraph One?
| A．cause foreign businessmen to change their minds. |
| B．give a feeling of surprise to foreign businessmen. |
| C．attract foreign businessmen’s attention. |
| D．make foreign businessmen think wrongly. |
What fact does the passage lead you to believe?
| A．American businessmen do things more slowly than Japanese ones. |
| B．American businessmen like to say “Yes” and “No”. |
| C．Americans usually say what they are thinking. |
| D．Americans do not say what they think or feel clearly. |
From the passage we can infer(推断) that __________.
| A．Japanese businessmen are good at business |
| B．foreign businessmen should try to know Japanese ways of doing business |
| C．foreign businessmen must be more polite |
| D．you must learn from Japanese businessmen if you want to succeed |