Katie always felt there had to be something more to life than just partying, buying clothes and driving a cool car. She finally discovered what she was missing out on when she traveled halfway around the world to help poor kids.
When she was 14, she discovered a club at school called Operation Smile, an organization that supports free operation for facially deformed kids in developing countries. At that time, she joined Operation Smile just to satisfy her school's community service requirement.
After working with Operation Smile for a while, she learned different countries have different deformities (畸形). The more she learned about what affects kids around the world, the more she wanted to go abroad with Operation Smile.
At 15, she was chosen to go abroad. She was so happy – even though she didn't realize what she was getting herself into. Before her trip, she attended a weekend "mission training". That's when she was told she'd be going to the Philippines. Although she was excited, one night during training, she broke down in tears. She didn't know if she was prepared to see all these unfortunate kids. She was put to work three days after her arrival in the Philippines. Her first day was at the hospital, where she met those kids waiting for operation, and they were running around and happy, it seemed normal. Her job was to play with the kids before their operation to help them feel more at ease. She also went to nearby schools to hand out toothbrushes and teach students how to brush their teeth.
When their operation was over, the kids were always overjoyed, but their parents were blown away. Sometimes they couldn't even recognize their kids because their appearances had improved so much. They'd cry and hug the doctors and nurses and give them presents--they were so grateful.Why did the author join the Operation Smile?
A.To help poor kids in developing countries, | B.To satisfy her own curiosity. |
C.To do what was required by the school. | D.To operate on those unfortunate kids. |
According to the passage, Operation Smile ____.
A.is a club popular with students |
B.is an organization founded by students |
C.helps those unfortunate kids learn how to smile |
D.offers operation for those unfortunate kids free of charge |
Why did the author play with those kids in hospital?
A.To make them happy. |
B.To learn more shout them. |
C.To teach them how to brush their teeth. |
D.To make them feel relaxed about the operation. |
After the operation, parents felt surprised for their kids' had improved so much.
A.health condition | B.looks | C.smile | D.mood |
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving and never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism(乐观), but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers(移民局官员), took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles go away at last! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy. How did the author get to know America?
A.From radio programs | B.From books and pictures |
C.From her mother | D.From her relatives |
Upon leaving for America the author felt __________.
A.excited | B.confused | C.worried | D.amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author __________.
A.often lost her way |
B.did not think about her future |
C.studied in three different schools |
D.got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A.She worked as a translator. |
B.She attended a lot of job interviews. |
C.She paid telephone bills for her family. |
D.She helped her family with her English. |
The author believes that __________.
A.her future will be free from troubles |
B.it is difficult to learn to become patient |
C.there are more good things than bad things |
D.good things will happen if one keeps trying |
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders(火蜥蜴)and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass! The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that __________.
A.wild animals have become more dangerous |
B.the driving condition has improved greatly |
C.an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
D.the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
From the story, we know an eco-passage is __________.
A.an underground path for cars |
B.a fence built for the safety of the area |
C.a bridge for animals to get over a river |
D.a path for animals to cross the road |
When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on” (Para. 6), he means __________.
A.animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
B.animals are crossing the road in groups |
C.animals are increasing in number |
D.animals begin to learn to use eco-passages |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because __________.
A.wild animals may attack cars | B.they may see wild animals on eco-passages |
C.they may see wild animals in the park | D.wild animals may jam the road |
The best title for the passage is __________.
A.Special bridges help animals cross the road |
B.Endangered animals increase because of roadkill |
C.Animals fail to cross the road |
D.Take steps to protect animals in danger |
I’m sure you know the song “Happy Birthday”. But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?
The retired professor, Archibald A. Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story. Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr. Archibald Hill’s aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called “Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”. Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then. They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book. One of them was the famous “Good Morning to You.” The song said, “Good morning to you, good morning to you, dear children, good morning to all.” This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children. But not many grown-ups knew it. A few years later little Archibald was born. As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song “Happy Birthday” to the melody(曲调)of “Good Morning to you” to her little nephew(侄子). She sang the song like this: Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Archie! Happy birthday to you!
Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did. People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune(曲调简单)and friendliness in words. Archibald A. Hill was __________.
A. English B. Russian C. American D. Australian Professor Archibald A. Hill was Miss Mildred Hill’s __________.
A. son B. student C. brother D. nephew The song “Happy Birthday” has a history of __________ years.
A.97 | B.about 90 | C.more than 90 | D.less than 90 |
Why did Miss Hiss wrote songs?
A.Because they are musicians. |
B.Because they love children. |
C.Because they were asked to write for a book. |
D.Because their nephew asked them to do so. |
The sentence “it really did” means __________.
A.The song really became popular |
B.Their wish would really come true |
C.People all over the world like to listen to the song |
D.Yes, but the song didn’t become popular |
How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. In addition, life is always presenting new things to the child — things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents. He is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong.
When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society. According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that __________.
A.if much is given to a child, he must do something in return |
B.a child is always loved whatever he does |
C.life for a child is comparatively easy |
D.only children are interested in life |
After a child grows up, he __________.
A.will have little time playing |
B.has to be successful in finding a job |
C.can still ask for help in time of trouble |
D.should be able to take care of himself |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Life is less interesting for old people. |
B.People are often satisfied with their life. |
C.Adults are free to do what they want to do. |
D.Adults should no longer rely on others. |
The underlined word "responsibilities" in the second paragraph means __________.
A.jobs | B.duties | C.suggestions | D.desires |
The main idea of the passage is __________.
A.life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains |
B.young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard |
C.childhood is the most enjoyable time in one's life |
D.one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life |
Most of the news in the newspapers is bad but sometimes there is a story with good news. This is one of those stories. Millions of people around the world suffer from AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other serious diseases. There are medicines to treat these diseases but for people in poor countries, these medicines are too expensive to buy. When a pharmaceutical(制药的)company produces a new medicine, they receive a special license called a patent. This license means that the new medicine or drug is protected for a period of 20 years. The company that produced the drug can fix the price of the drug and no other company is allowed to produce the same drug or a copy of the drug for 20 years. At the moment, these patents operate all over the world, both in rich countries and in poor countries. The drugs companies say that they need patents so that they can get the money to pay for research to find new drugs and medicines. In rich countries people usually have enough money to pay for these drugs but in poor countries people can’t afford to buy them and cannot treat diseases like AIDS and malaria.
Last month, however, a group of experts published a report which says that patents are very bad for poor countries. The report says that drug companies do not want to find new medicines for diseases of poor people in poor countries. It says that poor countries should be allowed to buy cheap drugs without patents from other countries.
The authors of the report were lawyers, scientists and a senior director from the drug company Pfizer. Of course, the pharmaceuticals industry doesn’t agree with the report, “We need patents so that we can develop new medicines to fight disease both in the developed and developing world,” said a spokesman. But the report is the first sign that there might be a change in the patent system. This change could save millions of lives in the world’s poorest countries. This really is good news. Why are medicines expensive for people in poor countries?
A.They are protected by patents. | B.They are produced in rich countries. |
C.They are imported. | D.They can cure the deadly diseases. |
What does the underlined word “patent” in Para1 mean in Chinese?
A.执照 | B.专利权 | C.专利品 | D.商标 |
Why do drugs companies need patents?
A.To sell drugs in rich countries. |
B.To sell drugs in poor countries. |
C.To get money to produce new drugs. |
D.To compete with other companies. |
What does the report say?
A.Poor countries should spend more money on drugs. |
B.Poor countries shouldn’t obey a pharmaceutical patent. |
C.Poor countries should import drugs. |
D.Poor countries should be allowed to make copies of drugs. |
What might happen if the patent system is changed?
A.Millions of lives will be saved in poor countries. |
B.Drugs companies will stop producing drugs. |
C.Drug companies will make more money. |
D.The competition will be canceled. |