Pieter Bruegel was a famous artist who lived in Europe five hundred years ago. He is well known for a painting called Children’s Games. People like this painting because it is full of fun. It shows how children in Pieter’s time enjoyed themselves in different ways. In all, there are about eighty games being played in the painting.
Children’s Games shows a busy street scene in a town long ago. The street is a wide and open space. There are no cars, so there is plenty of room to play. There are about two hundred children in the painting. Some play in groups and others play alone. They seem to be enjoying their freedom in the fresh air and their games. Some of the games are still played today.
The games in the painting do not require children to spend money on extra materials(材料). Instead, they use simple everyday objects like hats and sticks. A game might need a rope, some chalk, a hoop, a spinning top, or even a barrel. Some games are played without any toys at all. For example, one scene in the painting shows children turning somersaults(翻筋斗) inside the fence.
Even though Pieter Bruegel lived a long time ago, children today can learn an important lesson from what he painted. The painting shows us how little we need in order to enjoy ourselves. All children really need is one another. It’s not the toys or games that are found in the stores that create fun. Using our imagination can do this for us. The painting shows about ______ games.
| A．500 | B．200 | C．80 | D．60 |
The children in the painting are playing ______.
| A．in the street | B．in the house | C．on the grass | D．at the school |
From the painting we learn that ______.
| A．children today need to take more lessons |
| B．children can create fun by using imagination |
| C．children need more toys to enjoy themselves |
| D．children spend much money on everyday objects |
Henry was a carpenter（木匠）of our village. Once I asked him to make a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I arrived home that evening, Henry was drinking a cup of tea and writing his bill for his work. .
My wife said to me，quietly，“That’s his ninth cup of tea today.” But she said loudly, "It's a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?"
"I won't decide about that until I see that bill.” I said.
Henry laughed and gave me his bill for the work. It said：
| BILL One dining table June 10，2013 Cost of wood $ 17.00 Paint（油漆） $ 1.50 Work，8 hours（1 an hour) $ 8.00 Total（总计） $ 36.50 |
When I was looking at the bill，Henry said，"it’s been a fine day，hasn’t it? Quite sunny.”
"Yes,” I said. "I’m glad it is only the 10th of June.”
"Me too” , said Henry. "If you wait, it'll be a bit hotter by the end of the month.”
"Yes. Hotter and more expensive. Dining tables will be 20 more expensive on June 30th, won't they，Henry?”
Henry looked hard at me for half a minute. There was a little embarrassed smile in his two blue eyes. It seemed that he had done wrong. I gave his bill back to him.
"If it isn't too much trouble, Henry, ” I said，"Please add it up again. You can forget the date.”
I paid him $26. 50 and he ran away in a hurry.When the writer got home, Henry _______.
| A．was talking with the writer’s wife | B．was waiting for him |
| C．had finished the dinning table | D．had drunk ten cups of tea |
Henry talked about weather when the writer was looking at the bill because _______.
| A．he didn’t know how to say except weather |
| B．he wanted the writer to look at the bill carefully |
| C．he wanted to tell the writer what the weather was like |
| D．he didn't want the writer to go through the bill carefully |
The writer thought Henry would ask for ______dollars if he made a dining table on the last day of June.
| A．26.50 | B．56. 50 |
| C．46.50 | D．20.00 |
When the writer gave him the money, Henry was _______．
| A．embarrassed | B．angry |
| C．surprised | D．sad |
From the story we know that Henry _______．
| A．didn’t make a mistake in the bill |
| B．got $36. 50 for his work in the end |
| C．had written out the bill before the writer got home |
| D．wanted to try to get more money for his work |
Sports, drama, and all kinds of organizations keep students busy during high school. Where do they get the money to do these things? Not everyone gets it from parents. Most have to work for at least some of the money to pay for these activities. Some adults question if high school students should have jobs. I say yes, they undoubtedly should.
Some people worry that teens with after-school jobs will have difficulty finding time for schoolwork. Actually, having a job helps teens make better use of their time. Many jobs take only a couple of hours on weeknights. According to an article, 86 percent of high school students have an after-school, weekend or summer job and students who work between 10 and 20 hours per week during the school year get higher grades than those who do not work at all. Instead of considering working after school a hindrance, it should be looked at as real-world education.
Other people think that work adds too much stress（压力）, which may be somewhat true, but whether having a job or not, there is always stress. Better to learn how to deal with busy schedules（日程表）in a controlled environment like high school than to be out on your own and alone in the future, experiencing stress for the first time. I personally would be worried about the teenager who has to become independent without having any experience of working.
The biggest reason teens should work is that it is a healthy way of making money. There are many things teens need to pay for and they cannot do it if they don’t have a job. Not all parents can pay for these activities. My dad told me, “Having a job is a good way to save up for things you are going to need or want to do. You get a lot more out of things if you pay for them yourself.” The sooner kids make money, the sooner they can learn how to use money wisely. If they are not allowed to work in high school, they may have a hard time in the future. Teens should, without a doubt, be allowed to work on school nights.The word “hindrance” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
| A．something that encourages teens to study |
| B．something that helps teens improve study |
| C．something that prevents teens from studying |
| D．something that makes teens lose interest in study |
What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
| A．Teens are too busy with study to work at high school. |
| B．Teens experience stress for the first time at high school. |
| C．Teens are worried about being independent in the future. |
| D．Teens who work will deal with stress better in the future. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Working makes teens get lower grades. |
| B．Working teaches teens to spend money more wisely. |
| C．Working helps teens to get on better with their parents. |
| D．Working stops teens from taking part in after-school activities. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．What money means to teens. |
| B．Why teens should work after school. |
| C．Whether parents should help teens find jobs. |
| D．How teens get money for after-school activities. |
At the age of sixteen, I went on my first volunteer program in West Virginia to repair or build homes for poor families. When we arrived, we discovered that the family we were going to help was living in a trailer（拖车式活动房）that was in poor condition, no bigger than two parking spaces. A group of people had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another appeared.
We soon decided that the only way was to build a new house. It was something unusual because normally our goal was to repair old homes. The family was pleased with their new house that was 20 by 30 feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, “What do you want for your new room?” Kids in the families we had helped usually wanted toys or posters, so we were surprised when Josh, the oldest boy said, “We just want beds.” The boys had never slept in a bed. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
On Friday when we saw the truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. They were very excited.
That afternoon, while we were setting up the beds, Eric ran into the house to watch us with wide eyes. As Maggie, a member of our group, put one of the pillows on the bed, Eric asked, “What is that?”
“A pillow,” she replied.
“What do you do with it?” Eric went on asking.
“When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” Maggie answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.
“Oh . . . that’s soft,” he said, holding it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems very urgent（急迫的）, my dad always asks, “Do you have a pillow?” We know exactly what he means.Why did the writer’s group build a new house for the family?
| A．Because it was their normal work. |
| B．Because the family asked them to do it. |
| C．Because the trailer could no longer be repaired. |
| D．Because they thought it was a perfect gift for the family. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．The family needed two parking spaces. |
| B．The boys of the family wanted toys and posters. |
| C．The family were excited about the beds and bedding. |
| D．The writer’s group made some furniture for the family. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．The Pillow | B．A New House |
| C．The Family | D．An Interesting Program |
Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar, but also about understanding the culture. Here is some important advice to remember when speaking English in the United States.
◆Americans have difficulties understanding foreign accents. Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you.
◆Talk about places: Americans love to talk about places. When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they come from and then say something about that place. For example: “Oh, I have a friend who worked in Los Angeles. He says it’s a beautiful place to live in.” Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences of living in or visiting that city or place.
◆Talk about work: It is common for Americans to ask “What do you do?” It’s not considered impolite as in some countries and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers.
◆Talk about sports: Americans love sports! However, they love American sports. When speaking about football, most Americans understand “American football”, not soccer.
◆Be careful when expressing ideas about race, religion or other sensitive（敏感的）topics:The United States is a society with different cultures. Americans are very sensitive to other cultures and ideas.For Americans, the question “what do you do?” is ________.
| A．common | B．impolite | C．boring | D．surprising |
What can we learn about Americans?
| A．They like to learn foreign accents. |
| B．They are willing to talk about places. |
| C．They prefer soccer to American football. |
| D．They accept other ideas and cultures easily. |
The writer gives some advice mainly on ________.
| A．talking with Americans |
| B．working with Americans |
| C．speaking American English |
| D．understanding American society |
INTERNATIONAL RADIO — WHAT’S ON?
| 18:00 |
World News Program The latest news from around the world. |
| 18:10 |
What Do You Think? Phone in with your opinion about today’s hot topics: Why is the world getting fatter? How can we look after our world better to save the planet? Should we all get free healthcare or should we pay ourselves? |
| 19:00 |
World Business Business news of the day, with up-to-date information about the world business in Europe, Asia and America. |
| 19:20 |
Teen Dreams Listen to 10 teenagers from different places in Asia talking about their dreams for the future. What is more important for them—money, education or love? |
| 20:00 |
World News Program The latest news from around the world. |
| 21:10 |
Aunt Vera－What should you do? Phone in to ask for Aunt Vera’s advice if you have a problem with your parents, friends, or love. She will tell you what she thinks. |
How many times will the World News Program be on?
| A．Once. | B．Twice. |
| C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
When can you phone in if you have a problem with your friend?
| A．At 18:10. | B．At 19:00. |
| C．At 19:20. | D．At 21:10. |
In which program can you hear people’s opinions about hot topics?
| A．Teen Dreams | B．What Do You Think? |
| C．World Business | D．What Should You Do? |