“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(叹息), knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人).”
He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people,” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
A.Because her son had a tiny face. | B.Because she saw her son crying. |
C.Because her son was born imperfect. | D.Because her son was in her arms. |
Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
A.Nervous. | B.Sympathetic. | C.Proud. | D.Angry. |
We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____.
A.A doctor. | B.His father. | C.His mother. | D.A stranger. |
From the passage we know the followings are True except________
A, the mother felt sorry for the son without ears B. the doctor didn’t like the baby
C. the boy meant everything to the mother D. the father kept the secret until mother diedThe best title for the passage would be ________.
A.Mother’s hair | B.An unforgettable memory |
C.Who gave me the ears? | D.Who is my best respectable person? |
What's On
Stage
An acrobatic(杂技) soul: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe will present "The Soul of China", where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills(寒战) will run down your spine (脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge
Time: 7:30p. m,Septemberl3—19
Place: Capital Theatre,22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing.
About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9 a.m. —5 p.m.until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng Distirct
Oil paintings: The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil paintings by 10 young and middle — aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture(捕捉) he wonderous variety of life in unique(独特的) styles.
Time: 9 a.m. —4 p.m.until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature (文学) museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in —depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9 a.m. — 4 p.m, daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District(Shaoyaoju area)
Conarts
Beijing rocks: "The Fashionow Night of Chinese Rock" is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience(听众) will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium Orchestra (管弦乐队): La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orchestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world to commemorate(纪念) the 250th anniversary of Bach' s death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September l1—14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of NationalitiesWhat do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned here?
A.When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold. |
B.Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists. |
C.Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised. |
D.Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching. |
The most characteristic thing about the Fashionow Night of Chinese Rock is that_________.
A.it will let the audience choose the performers and the music |
B.it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes |
C.it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China |
D.it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians |
Suppose it is September 14 today, how marry activities can people choose to attend?
A.2 | B.3 | C.4 | D.5 |
On the whole, we can conclude__________.
A.people in Beijing prefer modem culture to something traditional |
B.there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month |
C.most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only |
D.we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing |
Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined (限于) to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic (器官的) disease, that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking.then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms(症状) often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus (病毒). It may be caused by a poisonous substance(物质) in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer's disease _________ .
A.is a terrible part of the aging process |
B.is an organic disease that affects young and old |
C.can be cured by physical treatment |
D.causes forgetfulness |
All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer's disease EXCEPT__________.
A.forgetfulness |
B.difficulty in speaking |
C.loss of sight. |
D.loss of the ability to walk |
According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease?
A.Poisons produced by the brain. |
B.Getting old. |
C.A virus. |
D.Lack of exercise. |
The press of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed by
A.operation |
B.a change in environment |
C.medicines |
D.physical treatment and exercise |
In general, people talk about two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people: people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors.
The warm colors are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, those who like to be with others, like red. The cool colors are green, blue and violet. These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing. Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors. He suggests that a warm color, such as red or orange is a good color for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly.
Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool. How ever, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.Which of the following colors belong to cool colors?
A.Yellow, green. | B.Blue, violet. |
C.Black, blue. | D.Brown, white. |
Which of the following statements is not true?
A.Sociable people like warm colors. |
B.Warm colors can make people excited. |
C.People who like to be with others don't like red. |
D.Where there are warm colors, people want to be active. |
Which is the right color for different rooms?
A.Red or orange for offices. | B.Orange for dining-rooms. |
C.Blue for bedrooms. | D.Red for studies. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.It shows the reason why people think some colors are warm and others are cool. |
B.Warm colors remind people of warm days. |
C.Cool colors remind people of cool days. |
D.People have an agreeable opinion of warm colors and cool colors. |
Without the atmosphere there would be no weather, no wind, rain, snow, or clouds. Air is all around us; we live at the bottom of a great ocean of air. It is invisible, but we can feel it when it moves. There are miles of air above us, pressing down with great weight on the earth and everything on it. Because air presses down on us from all directions at the same time, and because we are able to bear (忍受) this weight, we do not seem to feel it. But scientists have proved that air has this weight, and that anything that has weight creates(产生) a force called pressure. As changes in air pressure take place, they, make air move.
Air is a gas that expands(膨胀) when heated, gets lighter, and moves upward. When air is cooled, it gets heavier, sinks close to the earth's surface, and flows like water in a great river. As warn air rises, cold air rushes in to take its place. 'Thus winds originate (起源). The winds that blow high above us are caused by the warmer air running away from colder air. The wind we feel near the earth's surface is the heavy colder air trying hard to catch the warmer air. Changes in temperature cause the air to move. And of course there are many changes, so air movements are taking place practically all the time.The first paragraph mainly tells us the causes of
A.why we don't feel air | B.why atmosphere is important to us |
C.why there is air surrounding us | D.why there is air pressure |
Air moves under such conditions that
A.there is air pressure | B.the air is heavy |
C.air pressure doesn't remain the same all the time | D.air comes up and down |
Which of the following pictures best tells the movements of warm air and cold air?
According to the passage, in same areas if farmers who grow grapes (葡萄) light fires in the early morning, that is because the farmers want to________________.
A.drive away warm air | B.prevent cold air from coming to harm their plants |
C.cause more wind | D.stop warm air running away |
I stood up to speak and my mind went blank .Has this ever happened to you? You may be nervous in front of an audience(观众).You may be worried that you didn’t prepare enough, You may have forgotten some of your facts. What can you do? Sometimes people prepare too much and become terrified if they can’t remember the words they have practised. It is a good idea to bring some notes to help you organize, but don’t memorize your speech. If you “go blank”,begin by explaining the purpose of your speech, and the test will probably follow. “Go blank” here means
A.to be absent-minded | B.to think too much suddenly |
C.to be afraid of the audience | D.not knowing what to say at the moment |
Before the listeners, the speakers who have pre-pared enough
A.never go bland | B.never feel afraid |
C.may forget the prepared words | D.may forget the opening speech |
A good way to make to made a good speech is
A.to memorize the speech | B.to organize the audience well |
C.to have some brief motes at hand | D.to have the audience take notes |
The man who goes blank in front of the listeners should .
A.begin with the purpose of his speech | B.cut off the rest of his speech |
C.see his notes right away | D.find some way to draw the audience’s attention |