As the sun rose, a dewdrop (露珠)woke up. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very happy. Around it were other dewdrops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves. The dewdrop was sure that it was the best, the most special dewdrop of them all.
Ah, it was good to be a dewdrop.
The wind blew and the plant began to shake, tipping (使倾斜) the leaf. The dewdrop became frightened as it started to move towards the edge (边缘)of the leaf. Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?
The dewdrop reached the edge of the leaf. It was sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried hard to do whatever it could to stay on the leaf, but it was no use.
Finally, it fell. Below there was a mirror. A reflection of the dewdrop seemed to be coming up to meet it. Closer and closer they came together until finally.., the small dewdrop became a part of the great pond (池塘). Now the dewdrop was no more, but it was not destroyed.
It had become one with the whole.According to Paragraph 1, we know that the dewdrop _____.
| A．didn’t get on well with other dewdrops |
| B．thought its beauty was too simple |
| C．couldn’t get any sunlight |
| D．thought itself as the best dewdrop |
The dewdrop became _____ as it started to move towards the edge of the leaf.
| A．scared | B．happy | C．proud | D．comfortable |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
| A．There was only one dewdrop on the leaf. |
| B．The dewdrop did nothing before falling. |
| C．The mirror in the story refers to the pond. |
| D．The dewdrop was actually destroyed. |
What does the underlined word “reflection” mean?
| A．反映 | B．考虑 | C．沉思 | D．倒影 |
The story mainly tells us that _____.
| A．we should work together against difficulties |
| B．people should not be too proud of themselves |
| C．one should work hard for his/her goals |
| D．it’s good to become one with the whole |
What is the hottest English word of 2013? It’s “selfie”, according to Oxford dictionaries. Selfie is a photo that one takes of oneself, according to the Oxford online dictionary. People usually take selfies with a smart phone(智能手机) and send them to a social media website.
The word was first used in 2002. In the past 12 months, its frequency (出现频率) in the English language has increased by 17,000 percent, said Oxford dictionaries. Now, almost everybody knows it.
“Almost every day, I take a photo of myself at school, and save it in my Qzone (QQ空间),” said Huang Xu, 13, from Hunan. These photos record her happy and sad moments.
Pop stars also take a lot of selfies. Li Chunping, 14, from Harbin, is a big fan of Yang Mi. “She has used many selfies to tell us what’s going on in her personal life,” said Li.
What makes people love selfies? Some people say it’s narcissism (自恋). “The rise of the selfie is a perfect symbol for our narcissistic culture. We’re crying out: Look at me!” said US psychiatrist(精神科医生) Carole Lieberman.
Young people are using selfies to make friends online, Jonathan Freedland wrote in The Guardian. “The usual purpose of taking a selfie is to share online. They express a human need to connect with others,” wrote Freedland.
Huang Xu agrees with that. “During summer vacation, my classmates and I shared many selfies online. Hair or clothes were not our interests. Through these photos, we got to know each other’s holidays and feelings,” said Huang Xu.
According to the story, a “selfie” is _______.
| A．a person with a smart phone |
| B．a smart phone which can take photos |
| C．a photo taken by oneself |
| D．an English dictionary |
When was the word “selfie” first used?
| A．More than ten years ago. | B．In 2013. |
| C．When smart phones appeared. | D．12 months ago. |
We can tell from the story that _________.
| A．only famous people enjoy taking selfies |
| B．all the people love selfies because of narcissism |
| C．people love to share selfies online |
| D．US psychiatrist Carole Lieberman hates selfies |
We put the sentence “But some people don’t see it that way.” at the beginning of _______.
| A．Paragraph 4 | B．Paragraph 5 |
| C．Paragraph 6 | D．Paragraph 7 |
What is the best title of this passage ?
| A．Selfies and narcissism. |
| B．Selfies and sharing. |
| C．Selfies and smart phones. |
| D．Selfies, the hottest word in 2013. |
Sometimes the easiest way to get somewhere is on the back of a bike.
More and more people are using cars in many places in Africa today. However, things are different in Malawi(马拉维). Bikes are the most popular in this African country.
Bike riding is a way of life in Malawi. People use them to carry heavy things. They also use bikes to carry people, especially tourists. These years, taking a “ bicycle taxi” to travel around Malawi has become quite popular among tourists from all over the world.
If you go to Malawi, you will find a lot of bike taxis waiting on the sides of the roads. The riders make the bikes comfortable for passengers to sit on. You can jump on a bike taxi and get around at a very low cost.
Alice is a 21-year-old student from Canada. She enjoys the special bike riding a lot. “I really like the bike taxi,” she says. “It’s easy and cheap.” Alice usually pays just $1 for going shopping in town.
28-year-old Panjira Khombe began to ride a bike taxi two years ago. The young man enjoys this job. “I used to make boats for a living, but that’s a hard job. Being a bike taxi rider is easy for me and I don’t mind carrying heavy people,” he says. In Malawi ________ are the most popular way for people to get somewhere.
| A．cars | B．bikes |
| C．trains | D．buses |
From the passage we can learn Panjira Khombe thinks that________.
| A．going shopping is easy |
| B．making boats for a living is difficult |
| C．riding a bike taxi is cheap |
| D．carrying heavy people is interesting |
Which of the following is True?
| A．The easiest way to get somewhere is on the back of a bike in the world. |
| B．More and more people are using bike taxis in many places in Africa today. |
| C．People in Malawi only use bike to carry tourists. |
| D．A tourist can get around Malawi at a very low cost on a bike. |
The best title of the passage may be “________”.
| A．Bike Riders | B．A Special Country |
| C．Bike Taxis | D．A Cheap Journey |
Every year, we celebrate many special days─Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and New Year’s Day. In some countries, there is a special day for playing tricks on others. In North America and parts of Europe, this day is known as April Fool’s Day, and is celebrated on April 1.
Many people believe that the French started April Fool’s Day. Centuries ago, New Year’s Day in Europe was April 1. In 1582, the calendar changed and King Charles IX of France moved it to January 1.
Some people did not like this, and chose to keep April 1 as New Year’s Day. Many called these people ‘April fools’ and played jokes and tricks on them. Over time, April 1 became a day to have fun in France. It then spread to England and Scotland, and later, to North America.
On April Fool’s Day, jokes are common. In the United States, for example, a person may move a friend’s clock ahead one hour, or change the sugar and salt. In Scotland, April Fool’s Day lasts for two days. The second day is called ‘Taily Day’─for one’s ‘tail’. On this day, people might secretly put a sign saying ‘kick me’ on a person’s back or behind. Other countries have their own ‘Fool’s Day’. In Spain and Mexico, people play tricks on each other on December 28. In India, it happens on March 31.
In many countries around the world, April 1 is a day of fun. Jokes bring about a lot of laughter, and many shouts of ‘April Fool’! It is said that people first celebrated ‘Fool’s Day’ in .
| A．the United States | B．France |
| C．Scotland | D．Spain |
In North America, ‘Fool’s Day’ is celebrated on .
| A．April 1 | B．April 2 |
| C．December 28 | D．March 31 |
People are allowed to while celebrating ‘Fool’s Day’.
| A．kick your friends in the behind |
| B．move a friend’s clock ahead one hour |
| C．play jokes and tricks on your friends |
| D．take a holiday from work for two days |
Which country is NOT mentioned (提到) in the passage as celebrating ‘Fool’s Day’?
| A．England. | B．India. |
| C．Mexico. | D．Japan. |
Over time, April 1 became a day to have fun in France. It then spread to England …. Here “spread” means .
| A．盛行 | B．流传 | C．接受 | D．发展 |
London, May 5, 2003 Emma Richards of Britain has become the first woman and the youngest person to finish the Around Alone, which is a round-the-world sailing race. The journey started in New York last September and went east around South Africa to New Zealand. It crossed the Pacific Ocean and went around South America, ending up yesterday in Rhode Island, the smallest state in America. In the end, the trip covered over 46,000 kilometres. The same sea route was taken in the past by many famous travelers who wanted to learn about the world.
Emma, a 1996 graduate (毕业生) of the University of Glasgow, finished the race at the age of twenty-eight. The race requires competitors to sail alone. Emma said that actually it was very difficult to be all by herself for such a long time even though she’s really into sailing. Her worst moment was when she had to climb the high mast (船桅) in a bad storm to fix some broken parts. She sailed hundreds of kilometres away from land and the wind was blowing very hard. Only her strong willpower kept her going to make it all the way. These days, Emma is happy to be home with her parents and sleep in a bed that stays still.The first paragraph is mostly about .
| A．the Around Alone race |
| B．a terrible wind storm |
| C．the start of the journey |
| D．the smallest state in America |
Which one is NOT true?
| A．Emma sailed alone around the world. |
| B．Emma made a new route for the sea travel. |
| C．Emma is the youngest person to finish the race. |
| D．Emma is the first woman to finish Around Alone. |
The second paragraph mainly tells us about .
| A．Emma’s parents |
| B．how to repair a broken boat |
| C．the University of Glasgow |
| D．Emma’s sailing experience |
How long did the trip take?
| A．About four months. | B．About six months. |
| C．About eight months. | D．About twelve months. |
What is the best way to explain Emma’s success?
| A．The other racers had many problems. |
| B．Her parents encouraged her to keep on. |
| C．She had strong willpower to make it to the end. |
| D．She had received a good education in a university. |
| School Library To Joy Lee, Just to remind you that you have four overdue books. Title Writer ①The age of Innocence Edith Wharton due (到期) 22/Jan ②Mr Standfast John Buchan due 24/Jan ③Imagine Alison Lester due 26/Jan ④Selected Tales Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm due 26/Jan Please return these books tomorrow. Other people may be waiting to borrow them. Jane Johnes Librarian Date: 3/Feb/2013 Note: You may not borrow any new books until these books have been returned. |
This is .
| A．a report | B．an introduction |
| C．a reminder | D．an advertisement |
This note was written by .
| A．Jane Johnes | B．Joy Lee |
| C．Alison Lester | D．John Buchan |
John Buchan is .
| A．due on 24th January |
| B．a friend of Joy Lee’s |
| C．the writer of the note |
| D．the writer of Mr Standfast |
Joy Lee should return the book Imagine before .
| A．22ndJan | B．24thJan |
| C．26thJan | D．3rdFeb |
From this note we DON’T know that .
| A．Jane Johnes works in the library |
| B．Joy Lee may not borrow any new books now |
| C．Joy Lee has lent these four books to other students |
| D．Jane Johnes asks the note receiver to return the four books on Feb. 4th |