A friend is better than fortune. A friend is worse than poison in some cases.
The two sentences above have opposite meanings and seem to be unreasonable, but they can be explained as follows: the first refers to all good friends who drive us towards good while the second all bad ones who lead us into bad ways.
My ideal friend is of course a good friend whose goodness is shown below — he has no bad habits, such as smoking and drinking. He lives in frugality (节俭). He studies hard so as not to waste his golden time. At home he honors his parents and loves his brothers; at school he respects his teachers and shares the feelings of his classmates. He treats those truly who are true to him. In a word, he has all the good characteristics that I don’t have. I can follow him as a model. With his help I can be free from all difficulties.
Indeed, if I have such a person as my friend, I shall never fear difficulty and I shall never know the existence of the word “failure”. This passage tells us ____.
| A．how to make friends with others |
| B．how to help friends |
| C．what kind of person the writer’s friend is |
| D．what kind of person we should make friends with |
According to the writer, an ideal friend refers to _______.
| A．a friend without bad habits |
| B．a famous man |
| C．a perfect man |
| D．a respectable man |
From the passage we can learn that ________.
| A．the writer and his ideal friend have a lot to learn from each other |
| B．the writer has a lot to learn from his ideal friend |
| C．the writer’s ideal friend has a lot to learn from him |
| D．the writer has only a little to learn from his ideal friend |
From the second paragraph, we can infer the writer is sure that _______.
| A．friendship means a great deal to him |
| B．nothing can be done without friends |
| C．he who does not smoke or drink must be a good friend |
| D．good friends should always help each other |
Amazing Rafting Adventures
White water rafting is one of the classic, wild activities in the outdoors. It is also an opportunity for an unbelievable family adventure. Around the country, there are several rivers—and rafting outfitters—that are perfectly suited to the entire family.
Here are three of the best:
New River Gorge, West Virginia
Rafting in West Virginia is renowned for its established infrastructure, reliability and easy access. These things make it an obvious choice for a family vacation. Famous areas, including the New River Gorge, offer everything from lazy floats to intense Class IV runs.
READ MORE: Water Rafting: Top 5 U.S. Locations
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole provides a full range of opportunities in the outdoors—and white water rafting is certainly one of them. Popular trips include the rough rapids of the Snake River and gentle floats in nearby Yellowstone National Park.
READ MORE: What You Need to Know Before Visiting Yellowstone National Park
Grand Canyon, Arizona
For really bold families, a multi-day trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is the penultimate adventure. Guided trips typically pack in boats-worth of supplies so the overnight adventures are far from “roughing it.” Instead, evenings are catered in a rugged luxury style, allowing everyone to rest up for the next day’s activities.
Whether looking for a casual float or a challenging adventure, white water rafting is a great option for any active family vacation.What is the common feature of the three rafting adventures?
| A．All three rafting rivers are suitable for the whole family. |
| B．All three rafting rivers are boring to access and reliable |
| C．All three rafting rivers are suitable for active families |
| D．All three rafting rivers offer overnight adventures |
Which of the following about Grand Canyon, Arizona is NOT true?
| A．A multi-day trip down the Colorado River is really challenging. |
| B．Really brave families will like to have a multi-day trip down the river |
| C．Everyone can rest for the next day’s activities. |
| D．People can only enjoy the rough rapids down the river |
What is the author’s attitude to white water rafting?
| A．Passive | B．Encouraging | C．Discouraging | D．Negative |
As a boy, Mark Twain caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play practical jokes on all his friends and neighbors. The nature of his jokes often led to violence (暴力). He hated to go to school and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He liked to sit on the bank of the river for hours at a time and just gaze at the mysterious island and the passing boats. He learned many things about the river during those days. He learned all about its history and unusual people. He later made them part of the history of America in the book Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Mark Twain received his genius (天才) from his mother. Obviously he didn’t get it from his father. He once stated that he had never seen a smile on his father’s face. On the other hand, his mother had the ability to say humorous things. The same ability made Mark Twain an extremely humorous public speaker.According to the passage, Mark Twain was a _______ boy.
| A．shy | B．brave | C．naughty | D．poor |
Because of the nature of his jokes when he was a child, Mark Twain would _______.
| A．ran away from school |
| B．cause his parents to quarrel with others |
| C．get into trouble with his friends and neighbors |
| D．like to sit on the bank of the Mississippi River |
It can be learned form the passage that ______.
| A．Mark Twain’s father was a cruel man |
| B．Mark Twain never attended school on time |
| C．Mark Twain often went boating in the nearby river |
| D．Mark Twain’s mother was something of a humorist |
In his book Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain wrote much about _______.
| A．the Mississippi and the people living on it |
| B．his friends and neighbors |
| C．his school life |
| D．his parents |
It is inferred that what affected Mark Twain’s character mostly was _______ .
| A．his practical jokes |
| B．his father’s seriousness |
| C．the history of the Mississippi |
| D．his mother’s genius for humor |
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day. “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?” Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is, ” returned she, “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”
This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”
How so? How can it affect them?
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”
“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as beautiful as any of them. Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party. ”The sentence “… a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” means that ______.
| A．a single man without money needn’t a wife |
| B．women want to get married to financial stable men |
| C．a single man who is financially stable needs a wife |
| D．once man becomes rich, he must want to get a wife |
From the conversation between the Bennets, we can conclude that Mrs. Bennet _______.
| A．wanted to persuade her husband to visit the young man |
| B．wanted to get an invitation from their new neighbor to a party |
| C．asked for her husband’s permission to visit the new neighbor |
| D．wanted to tell her husband something about their new neighbor |
At the end of the passage, Mr. Bennet sounded _________ toward his wife’s proposal.
| A．grateful | B．indifferent | C．delighted | D．interested |
Where on Earth are you? Navigators (导航员) use lines of latitude and lines of longitude to locate places. Lines of latitude run east and west around Earth. On a map or globe, these lines appear as running sideways or horizontally. Lines of longitude run north and south around Earth. These lines go up and down or vertically on a map or globe. These lines create an imaginary graph paper on the Earth. They make it possible to find an absolute, or exact, location on Earth. They even allow us to give an absolute location to a place out in the middle of the ocean.
Lines of latitude tell us how far north or south of the Equator we are. Sailors have used primitive navigation tools, like astrolabes, since ancient times. The astrolabe uses the sun and stars to find an approximate location. Using such tools, they have been able to approximate their distance from the equator. Although their instruments may not have been the high quality we have now, they were incredibly accurate (精确) for their time.
Lines of longitude tell us how far east or west of the prime meridian (本初子午线) we are. Sailors constantly looked for new ways to increase their navigation skills. Still, it wasn’t until the 18th century that they were able to measure degrees of longitude. They would have been very envious of the technology available to us today.
When we use lines of latitude and longitude together, we can get a very precise location. If we want to identify the absolute location of a point, we look where the latitude and longitude lines cross nearest to that point. We use the coordinates (坐标) for that point as its address. Many maps today include degrees of latitude and longitude.______ make it possible for people to find an exact place on Earth.
| A．Latitudes | B．Longitudes | C．Navigators | D．Sailors |
The second paragraph mainly talks about _______.
| A．the function of latitude | B．the use of the equator |
| C．the invention of astrolabe | D．the high quality instruments |
Why do maps include degrees of latitude and longitude?
| A．To help trade expeditions. | B．To locate a precise place. |
| C．To cross the lines of the nearest point. | D．To identify how far a place is. |
The best title for this passage is ____________.
| A．The map and the globe | B．Latitude and longitude |
| C．The equator and the prime meridian | D．Absolute coordinates |
Cambodians are continuing to mourn the death of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died in Beijing this week. In an exclusive interview with CCTV, China’s ambassador to Cambodia, Pan Guangxue, says Sihanouk made indelible(不可磨灭的) contributions to Sino-Cambodian relations and his death will not affect the friendship between the two countries.
Since its founding, the People’s Republic of China has maintained close contact with Cambodia. Bilateral(双边的) trade volume has increased rapidly in recent years, from 200 million US dollars in 2002 to nearly 2.5 billion US dollars in 2011.
China is now not only Cambodia’s third largest trading partner, but for many years has been Cambodia’s number one investor. Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia’s “King-Father” pioneered the relationship.
Pan Guangxue said, “If we look back at previous decades, I think Sihanouk made the right choice, a choice good to Cambodian national development. It was because of his commitment to the development of Sino-Cambodia friendship that we’ve achieved what we have today.”
In 2010, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, during its Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to China.
And 2013 is set to be China-Cambodia Friendship Year.
Pan Guangxue said, “Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on many occasions that China does not tell Cambodia what to do or what not to do. China does not point fingers at Cambodia. I think this is a true evaluation of Sino-Cambodian relations. China pursues an independent peaceful foreign policy of non-alignment(不结盟) and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.”
The ambassador says Sihanouk’s death is a huge loss to both China and Cambodia, but that bilateral relations will not be affected.
Pan Guangxue said, “I believe the bilateral relationship will be sustained and grow even stronger.”
With both countries enjoying the benefits of the fruitful relationship, the governments of China and Cambodia have promised that Sihanouk’s legacy(遗产) will continue to be the foundation of even stronger ties.We can learn from the passage that Sihanouk ________.
| A．is the present Cambodian Prime Minister |
| B．went for an interview with CCTV the other day |
| C．made the right choice to encourage investment in China |
| D．had great influence on Sino-Cambodian relations |
The following facts can prove the good Sino-Cambodian relations EXCEPT that _______.
| A．Sihanouk was committed to Cambodian national development |
| B．the two countries has set 2013 to be China-Cambodia Friendship Year |
| C．the two countries has established a comprehensive strategic partnership |
| D．trade volume between the two countries has increased sharply in recent years |
What is Pan Guangxue’s opinion on Sihanouk’s death?
| A．It will more or less damage the bilateral relationship. |
| B．It will continue to be the foundation of even stronger ties. |
| C．It means a huge loss for both countries in economy. |
| D．It has very little negative effect on the bilateral relationship. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．China-Cambodia Friendship Year |
| B．China-Cambodia friendship to continue |
| C．Sihanouk’s death—a great loss to Cambodia |
| D．China’s peaceful foreign policy to continue |