Anthony was sad. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Anthony was sent away to a boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded with（恳求）his parents year after year not to send
him. “The thought was ,it would be good for me,” he recalled.
It was not. Anthony did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel. The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was the desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at 55, Anthony is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies，and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, has come out.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Anthony says he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way.“ I have a feeling that it has something to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Anthony a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Anthony couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success:“…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”Which of the following is true of Anthony?
| A．He was the beloved child of his family. |
| B．Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy. |
| C．He places more emphasis on the characters’ behavior in his stories. |
| D．Studying in a boarding school proved a good choice for him. |
At boarding school , Anthony’s teachers_____________.
| A．often criticized him. | B．showed great concern for him. |
| C．encouraged him to be a writer. | D．thought little of his ability. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Anthony’s popular books—Alex Rider series |
| B．Alex Rider, a popular character |
| C．Anthony, a successful children’s book author |
| D．Special writing style |
What advice does Anthony give to readers?
| A．Confidence is the key to success. | B．Hardship teaches valuable lessons. |
| C．Internet is the best teacher. | D．Failure is the mother of success. |
Jean is a bright young lady who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything is good. But the problem is that Jean’s family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous(匿名), talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.
Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: He was a tall, good looking young man with big, happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.
When Jean’s father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is _________.
| A．rich | B．young | C．lonely | D．talkative |
The reason why they even forgot their time is that they _________.
| A．talked in delight on QQ |
| B．hated study |
| C．fell in love with each other |
| D．had similar hobbies |
Why did Jean leave her home for San Francisco?
| A．To amaze David. |
| B．To be on a business trip. |
| C．To be invited to Jim's birthday party. |
| D．To send some gifts to Jim. |
The following states are true about Jean EXCEPT that _________ according to the passage.
| A．she is a university student |
| B．she was born in a wealthy family |
| C．she made a friend named Jim younger than her |
| D．she uses her family name on her QQ |
We could believe that Jean was _________ when seeing Jim himself instead of David at his door.
| A．delighted | B．disappointed | C．regretful | D．confused |
Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,cricket — anything with a round ball, I was useless." he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England's rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders set his mind building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance. At age 18, he ran his first marathon.
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's school of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man's cold-water exploits (成就). Intrigued, Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren't the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy. "John Ridgway was one of the few who didn't say, 'You are completely crazy,'" Saunders says.
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered frostbite, had a closer encounter (遭遇) with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he's skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis.The turning point in Saunders'life came when ________.
| A．he started to play ball games |
| B．he got a mountain bike at age 15 |
| C．he ran his first marathon at age 18 |
| D．he started to receive Ridgway's training |
We can learn from the text that Ridgway ________.
| A．dismissed Saunders' dream as fantasy |
| B．built up his body together with Saunders |
| C．hired Saunders for his cold-water experience |
| D．won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic |
What do we know about Saunders?
| A．He once worked at a school in Scotland. |
| B．He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole. |
| C．He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid. |
| D．He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole. |
The underlined word "Intrigued" in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．Excited | B．Convinced | C．Delighted | D．Fascinated |
It can be inferred that Saunders' journey to the North Pole ________.
| A．was accompanied by his old playmates |
| B．set a record in the North Pole expedition |
| C．was supported by other Arctic explorers |
| D．made him well-known in the 1960s |
A hug is a wonderful thing and it is a great gift to share with people. For some people, a hug is considered to be a great way to say “I care.” A hug communicates support, affection(喜爱), unity and belonging. A hug shows a strong feeling of sympathy. A hug brings happiness. A hug also touches the soul.
Hugs are healthy. Hugs can ease pain, reduce stress, cure depression and refresh the heart, yet they have no side effects…No wonder, it is a true miracle medicine.
A hug can say “I love you”…A hug can say “I hate to see you go”. A hug can say “ It’s good to have you back”. A hug can say “It’s great to see you’. A hug can say “I feel your pain”. A hug can also say “Let me share your burden”.
No matter whether you’re the giver or the receiver, hugs touch the inner being. From friends, to families, to loved ones, to those in need, a hug warms the heart.
A hug is truly amazing. It brings generosity(慷慨) to the giver and happiness to the receiver. It brings blessings to those who give and joy to those who receive.
Hugs are one of the reasons why God gave us arms. So, stretch out your arms to someone today. Reach out to those you love. It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the receiver.
Reach out to your neighbor. It will show that you care. Reach out to one in need. It will show that you are responsible. Reach out to the world. It will show God that you care for his creation.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The advantages of hugs. | B．How should we hug |
| C．The tips on giving others hugs | D．The facts of hugs |
Hugs can benefit people in the following ways EXCEPT________.
| A．improving the health | B．cheering people up |
| C．making receivers happy | D．creating great wealth |
According to the third paragraph, we can learn hugs can__________.
| A．send some messages | B．make people come back |
| C．stop people going somewhere | D．break people’s hearts |
To show you care, you should reach out to_________.
| A．those who need joy | B．your neighbor | C．those you miss | D．God |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Sometimes hugs have side effects. |
| B．If people are sad, we'd better not hug them. |
| C．We must hug each of our neighbors every day. |
| D．People often feel joyful when they receive hugs. |
An old farmer lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early to read his Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out (漏出) before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. He told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water with a basket.
The old man said, " You're just not trying hard enough," So the boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one inside and outside.
"You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."We can learn from Paragraph 1 that the grandson_________.
| A．was fond of reading |
| B．liked his grandpa very much |
| C．got up early to carry water every day |
| D．helped his grandpa on the farm |
According to the grandson,___________.
| A．he enjoyed reading the Bhagavat Geeta |
| B．learning the Bhagavat Geeta was easy |
| C．he was not good at remembering anything |
| D．reading the Bhagavat Geeta was meaningless |
We can learn that by getting water with a basket, the grandson__________.
| A．washed the dirt off the basket |
| B．kept some water for the future |
| C．was punished for what he had said |
| D．became stronger and cleverer |
The grandfather gave his grandson a lesson by_________.
| A．telling him an interesting story |
| B．having a heated discussion with him |
| C．asking him to carry water with a basket |
| D．performing an experiment for him |
What would the grandson like to do in the future?
| A．To help his grandpa carry water |
| B．To hold water with a bucket |
| C．To read the Bhagavat Geeta. |
| D．To remember everything in his life. |
Enjoy a museum visit with your class!
Available（可获得的） Programs:
Art Tells a Story: By looking at the subject matter and by drawing from personal experiences, students can find the story in some works of art. ( All grades)
Learning to Look: An interactive （互动的）tour that explores a variety of （各种各样的）art using storytelling, movements, music, games, and other techniques helps introduce children to a museum. (Preschool~ Grade 3)
Native American Collection: This program explores relationships that exist between art, culture, the geographic location and natural resources. Students will see a bowl made by Maria Martinez, a Towa storyteller, a Northwest coast mask, and Inuit clothing. ( For Grades 2~5)
The Language of Art: Classes are welcomed into the museum to take part in an interactive tour of American Art. It gives participants a new set of vocabulary while helping them feel comfortable. Art-on-the-Move: Teachers may borrow suitcases filled with art objects. Free organizations with Education Membership.
Planning Your Visit:
Booking: Booking is necessary for all tours and programs. Please book at least a week in advance. Teachers are encouraged to organize self-guided visits for their classes during public hours.
Tour Hours: Tours can be organized between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Program Fees: Tours are free for those with Education Membership. There is a charge of $6 per student of non-member organizations. Tour with art activities cost $12 per student (non-members) or $10 per student (members).
Chaperones（保护人）:We require one adult chaperone for every 10 children. Chaperones help to make your museum visit a success. A chaperone must pay $5 admission.
Lunch: We regret that no lunch facilities are available at the museum.
Museum Rules: Don’t touch works of art. Don’t take photographs.
Ask questions. Look, and then LOOK again!
Enjoy!If teachers want their students to learn about what a museum is, they will choose________.
| A．Art Tells a Story. | B．Learning to Look |
| C．The Language of Art. | D．Native American Collection. |
Why does the museum feel sorry?
| A．Taking photos is not allowed at the museum. |
| B．Visitors can’t touch works of art at the museum. |
| C．Visitors are not able to have lunch at the museum. |
| D．Visitors can’t take part in all the activities at a time. |
How much should the museum charge a class of 60 students with Education Membership for a tour with art activities?
| A．$600. | B．$630. | C．$720. | D．$750. |
What do teachers need to do before leading their classes to the museum?
| A．To make bookings ahead of time. |
| B．To try to get Education Membership. |
| C．To learn about the history of the museum. |
| D．To ask for the permission of self-guided visits. |
In which section of the newspaper does the passage most probably appear?
| A．Health. | B．News. | C．Culture. | D．Advertisement. |