In the car, I secretly had a look at him through the rearview mirror (后视镜). He looked sad. “What’s the matter, honey?”“I’m nervous. I don’t know if I’ll be able to learn everything in the first grade. What if I can’t pay attention in clas
s?”
My heart melted. I remembered being nervous on the first day of school and I thought I was the only student who felt that way. I was a nervous kid full of self-doubt. Seth behaved much better than I did.
We walked into his school together. He remembered where his new classroom was and recognized his teacher from the ice cream social party they had the day before. He sat down at his desk and chatted with a few of his classmates. He took a few photos of them (with a camera phone because I didn’t allow him to bring the real camera) and then he said in a very serious manner, “Mom, you can go home now. I’ll be OK.” And so he was.Seth asked his mother to take him to school probably because _______.
| A．he was afraid to be late for class |
| B．he wanted to share his joy with his mother |
| C．he felt worried about his school life |
| D．he was frightened of his new teacher |
What did the writer mean by saying “My heart melted” in Paragraph 4?
| A．She was very angry with her son. |
| B．She felt sad because of her son’s words. |
| C．She was too weak in the mind to face it. |
| D．She became more understanding of her son. |
From the last paragraph we learn that ________.
| A．Seth had never seen his new classroom |
| B．the ice cream social party was to be held soon |
| C．Seth got along well with his classmates |
| D．Seth took some photos using a real camera |
It can be inferred that in the end Seth felt ______.
| A．relaxed | B．frightened | C．serious | D．worried |
The Sewol ferry (渡船) was carrying 476 people, most of whom were students from a high school near Seoul, when it sank off South Korea's southern coast on April 16. Only 174 survived, including 22 of the 29 crew members. The sinking left more than 260 people dead with about 40 others still missing.
On Tuesday, one ordinary diver(潜水员）died at a hospital, government spokesman Ko Myung-seok said. He is the first death among divers organized following the ferry's sinking, according to the coast guard.
The 53-year-old diver was pulled to the surface by his teammates after losing communication about five minutes after he began underwater searches, Ko said. It was his first search attempt, Ko added. Despite his death, divers are continuing their searches for the remaining missing people. Ko said that divers had searched all those 64 areas at least once and plan to visit them again to look for more victims. Darkness, floating rubbish, bodies, and cabins on board have made the search difficult, and divers entered the last three unopened areas on Monday night, Ko said.
Investigators have made their first arrests of people who were not on board the Sewol when it sank. The three people arrested on Friday and Sunday are accused of failure to handle of cargo on the ferry well. In all, 19 people have been arrested in the investigation(调查), 15 of whom were crew members accused of abandoning passengers. A leader was arrested on suspicion of malpractice(玩忽职守) related to company finances.
Improper stowage(载货) and overloading of cargo is suspected as a possible reason why the ferry sank. The ferry was carrying about 3,608 tons of cargo, more than three times what it could safely carry. A ferry loaded too heavily could lose its balance making even a small turn.
The sinking has caused a national sadness. On Sunday 1.1 million people paid respects at 131 memorial sites around the nation, according to a governmental funeral support committee set up for the ferry victims. Monday was a holiday for Children's Day, but various events were canceled or put off because of the ferry's sinking. Tuesday was also a national holiday in South Korea for Buddha's Birthday, and more people are expected to visit those mourning stations.We learn from the passage that the number of survivors except the crew members is ______.
| A．145 | B．152 | C．174 | D．260 |
According to the investigation, the main causes of the ferry's sinking are ______.
| A．malpractice and wrong operations. |
| B．wrong direction and sharp turning around |
| C．too many students and crew members |
| D．improper stowage and overloading of cargo |
Because of the national sadness, various events were canceled except ________.
| A．activities on Children's Day |
| B．celebrating Buddha's Birthday |
| C．enjoying a national holiday |
| D．paying respects at the memorial sites |
You can find this passage on the __________ section of a newspaper.
| A．sports | B．business | C．news | D．entertainment |
School Activities
Our school activities are suitable for all ages and levels including primary, secondary and A-Level. We offer workshops, hands-on activities and a teacher support service to help you get the most out of your visit. All school services are free, but must be booked in advance.
Darwin Centre
Find out who you really are and where you come from in our interactive films about evolution, described by Sir David Attenborough.
Hands-on Activities
Get up close and personal with Museum in these hands-on activities, where you can handle real specimens from our collections. Hundreds of real, natural history specimens for students to touch and explore are in our hands-on science centre.
Self-led Activities
Pupils can engage with specimens through role-play in a self-guided explorer challenge through the Museum.
The Great Debate School Program
Students are introduced to the history of the debate during a lively tour. They are then divided into groups and use exhibits to prepare presentations representing the views of the debated key characters.
Booking
All school activities must be booked in advance by calling the schools booking line: 4420 7942 6666.If you want to join in the school activities, you ________.
| A．have to pay for the services |
| B．should be an A-Level student |
| C．need to visit the school web |
| D．must book in advance |
If you’re interested in human evolution, you’d better choose________.
| A．The Great Debate Schools Program |
| B．Darwin Centre |
| C．Hands-on Activities |
| D．Self-led Activities |
Which of the following programs is the most suitable one for team work?
| A．Darwin Centre. | B．The Great Debate School Program. |
| C．Self-led Activities. | D．Hands-on Activities. |
As I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field，but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado bank to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father's requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart.
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I' m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.The author and his father became further apart because .
| A．they lived very far from each other |
| B．they seldom went to see each other |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they had different views on things |
Why did the author came back to Tennessee?
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
| B．Because he decided to live in a different city. |
| C．Because his father was ill and needed caring. |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
For the author, fishing with his old father
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．makes him realize the importance of relaxation |
| C．is a good way to get close to nature |
| D．provides a chance for them to communicate |
Which of the following can be the title for the text?
| A．Fishing Brings Us Together | B．Forgiving Is Difficult |
| C．Memories of Old Days | D．My Beloved Father |
Sweet peas, cucumbers, grapes ---- what do you think they have in common?
None of these vegetables grow on trees. They all don’t have strong roots, big trunks or long branches, which makes it harder for them to get sunlight. But don’t worry. They have developed their own unique way of growing taller climbing!
Take sweet peas as an example. The plant grows as a straight stem until it finds something to hold onto, either a nearby tree or a stick. That is when the stem makes small coil(卷曲) that helps the plant hold the stick tightly.
How these plants are able to do this has been a mystery to scientists for years. Even Charles Darwin was interested in this question. But it is not until now that a Harvard research team has finally found the answer. The study was published in the Journal Science earlier this month.
The key, as it turns out, is inside a kind of thread-like cell called “g-fiber cell”, which has the ability to shrink or stretch. Each stem of the pea plant is made of several layers of g-fibers. Once the plant finds something to hold onto, cells on side of the stem start to shrink, forcing the whole thing to bend and coil, which is a bit like how our muscles get our bodies to move.
What’s more, a pea’s coil is not exactly like that of a spring. If you look closely, you may find that a spring coils all in the same direction, but a plant’s coil is in two opposite directions, like a telephone line. This means that the stem can stay soft when pulled gently but become strong enough when pulled harder.
“You want the plant to have a little bit of flexibility(柔韧性) so that if the wind blows or an animal disturb it, it doesn’t break,” explained Sharon Gerbode, author of the study. “This structure allows the plant to easily accommodate small movement, but then if something really serious happens it can become strong and protect itself.” According to the article, coiling happens in sweet peas plant to allow the plant to.
| A．form a straight stem |
| B．grow strong roots |
| C．develop g-fiber cells on the stems |
| D．climb itself up toward the sunlight |
According to the article, which one is true about “a sweet pea’s coil”?
| A．to be like that of a spring |
| B．to bend all in the same direction |
| C．to make the stem hard break |
| D．to make the stem get soft when pulled hard |
When the sweet pea plant finds something to hold onto, .
| A．g-fiber cells on both sides of stem, forcing the stem to bend and coil |
| B．g-fiber cells on side of stem shrink, forcing the stem to bend and coil |
| C．g-fiber cells on the stem start to stretch, forcing the stem to bend and coil |
| D．there are more g-fiber cells on the stems |
What’s the purpose of the writer in the passage?
| A．To tell us why the sweet peas can climb the tree or stick. |
| B．To display new research allows scientists to understand more about climbing plants. |
| C．To show us new scientific research about the role of “g-fiber cell”. |
| D．To tell us the mysterious natural phenomena of some plants. |
The cars were honking (鸣叫) on the road one morning as I was walking to the park. I walked on and soon found the cause — a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road. There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again — nothing happened. "No petrol,"
I said to myself and then found myself getting angry. "Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted.
He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out. He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side. "Stupid guy!" I said. "Can't he lend a helping hand? "
I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side. Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing (咒骂 ) the poor man. The young man took another taxi and went off.
The taxi driver began mending his taxi. "Stupid passenger!" I said to him. "He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up. "Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?"
What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I’d done my bit, with my mouth. But never had I moved to solve the problem. I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?" Why did a traffic jam happen on the road when the author was walking to the park?
| A．There was too much traffic in the street. |
| B．Truck drivers attempted to go ahead of others. |
| C．A taxi driver couldn't start his engine. |
| D．A young man wasn't good at driving. |
The author's attitude toward the passenger is that of __________.
| A．anger | B．respect | C．sympathy | D．guilt |
Why did the author feel guilty?
| A．Because he blamed the driver wrongly. |
| B．Because he didn't help the driver, either. |
| C．Because he tried to help but failed in the end. |
| D．Because he didn't persuade the passenger to help. |
From the incident, the author learnt a lesson that we should _________.
| A．criticize those who don't help |
| B．hurt the self-respect of others no more |
| C．think more of those who are in need |
| D．stop talking and start to help |