Tomorrow evening I will be interviewed on stage by a museum official. I will be an interpreter, talking from experience as a disability rights lawyer and activist.
In “special” schools and camps for children with physical and mental disabilities, I grew up knowing we were a category of person that the world did not want. Most of us had a story of some doctor advising our parents to put up away or to let us die. We owed our survival to parents who had irrationally(不理性地) bonded with us. We knew we were lucky and hoped our luck would hold. To increase the chance of surviving, we tended to be charming. We developed thick skins.
By the time I roll onto the stage the next night, I’ve thought a lot about there and here, then and now. When the first question comes, I tell them about my fascination with the wheelchair, and somehow it sounds funny, and laughter fills the room. We talk from the horror of Nazis killing (Nazis once killed the disabled patients as useless) to a funny confession that I, too, tend to stare at disabled people on the street.
What has come over me? In this room, people with disabilities in thrilling variety make me feel at home. Here people, disabled and not, are gathered by choice.
I haven’t forgotten that 2 million people remain in US disability institutions, that some disabled children still cannot attend mainstream schools, that too many of us live in poverty. But I can’t hold onto anger and sorrow for I feel a shared sense of possibility, a drive for a world that will embrace both the fit and the unfit and hold them so dear that the division dies.What’s the author according to the passage?
| A．A disabled lawyer. |
B．A reporter. |
| C．An actor |
D．An interviewer |
The underlined phrase “thick skins” in the second paragraph probably means__.
| A．with more clothes |
| B．making skin dirty |
| C．caring nothing of ignorance |
| D．growing more slowly than others |
The second paragraph is mainly focused on ________.
| A．the growth of the disabled people |
| B．the hatred of the disabled people |
| C．the love of the disabled people |
| D．the appreciation of the disabled people |
It can be sensed but not clearly stated that the author________.
| A．likes to be interviewed in a museum |
| B．can tell funny stories |
| C．has charming personality |
| D．is humorous and optimistic |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the future?
| A．Desperate |
B．Hopeful |
C．Negative |
D．Objective |
C
| Arriving in New York There are three airports in New York. When you arrive at one of them, you can take a bus or a taxi to any place in New York. |
| Eating out There are many kinds of food in New York. And you shouldn't eat at McDonald's every day. There are good restaurants in Little Italy and Chinatown, for example. |
| Hotels There are lots of good hotels in New York. The best is the Plaza on the the 5th Avenue, but you don't have to spend a lot in the city, there are lots of smaller hotels and the YMCA near the Central Park is great for young people. |
| Public Transport In New York, there's a good bus and subway service. If you are planning to use the subway a lot, you should buy a subway ticket for the journey because it's cheaper. But you don' t have to use the public transport-there are lots of places you can go to on foot, such as the Empire State Building, the 5th Avenue and the Central Park. The New Taxis are a part of the city experience, so you should take at least one taxi during your visit! |
| Places to see Finally, there are a lot of places to see in New York-the Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and so on. And you shouldn't go home without climbing the Statue of Liberty to enjoy the scenery of the city. |
| Shopping Shopping in New York is fun. There are big shops on the 5th Avenue. They are seven days a week. But be careful when you look at the prices; you have to pay a special 8% tax(税) on everything you buy in New York |
"The Plaza" here is the name of ________.
| A．a restaurant | B．a hotel | C．an airport | D．a shop |
How much do you have to pay if you buy a book of $10 in New York?
| A．$10.8 | B．$10.08 | C．$18 | D．$10 |
When you visit New York, You should
| A．eat at McDonald's every day | B．take a taxi whenever you go out |
| C．stay at the best hotel | D．climb the Statue of Liberty |
From the passage, we can learn that
| A．people can visit many places of interest in New York on foot |
| B．New York is not a good place for shopping |
| C．people must travel using the public transport in New York |
| D．people have to eat only one kind of food in New York |
B
As an effect of the high fuel prices spent on bus transportation, some American schools are changing to a four-day week. That means longer days instead of the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.
Having been approved for three years and beginning in the fall, students in the Maccray school district in Minnesota will be in school from Tuesday to Friday. Each school day will be 65 minutes longer. Officials say the district expects to save about sixty-five thousand dollars a year in transportation costs.
In new Mexico, the first school district changed to a four-day week in 1974 because of the Arab oil boycott(抵制). Now, 17 out of 89 districts use it.
In Custer, South Dakota, students have been going to school four days a week since 1995. Superintendent Tim Creal says the change has saved about one million dollars over just the past eight years. He sees other benefits, too. Students get more instructional time, and activities that used to take up class time are now held on non-school days. He says that in the future, the growth of online classes could make it possible to require even fewer days in school. High fuel prices are driving college students to take more online classes.
A four-day school week sounds like a great idea for students and teachers, but working parents may have to pay for child care for that fifth day.According to Tim Creal, what makes it possible to have even fewer days in school?
| A．The increasing number of private tutors.(私人教师) |
| B．The development of teaching methods. |
| C．The increase in the number of online classes. |
| D．The growth in the income of Americans. |
It can be learned from the passage that______
| A．students will be in school from Monday to Tuesday. |
| B．four-day week was first carried out in South Dakota. |
| C．Maccray will save one million dollars every year. |
| D．Minnesota state has approved the four-day week plan |
The passage is mainly about______
| A．some school’s four-day week plan | B．districts using a four-day week. |
| C．how to save on transportation fees. | D．expense of school transportation. |
A
On the first day of the 11th grade, our new math teacher Mr Washington asked me to go to the blackboard to do a math problem. I told him that I couldn’t do it. He asked, “Why not?” I paused, and then I said, “Because I’m educable mentally retarded (可教育智能迟滞).”
He came from behind his desk and looked at me. “Don’t ever say that again. Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality,” he said.
It was a very special moment for me. Doctors said that I was educable mentally retarded in the fifth grade, and I was put back into the fourth grade. When I was in the eighth grade, I failed again.
But Mr Washington changed my life. This person always gave students the feeling that he had high expectations of them, and then all of the students did their best to live up to what those expectations were. He often said, “You have greatness within you.”
One day, I caught up with him in the parking place and said, “Mr Washington, is there greatness within me, sir?”
He said, “Yes, Mr Brown.”
“But what about the fact that I failed English, math, and history? What about that, sir? I’m slower than most kids.”
“It doesn’t matter. It just means that you have to work harder. Your grades don’t determine who you are or what you can produce in your life.”
“I want to buy my mother a house.”
“It is possible, Mr Brown. You can do that.” And he turned to walk away.
“Mr Washington?”
“What do you want now?”
“Uh, I’m the one, sir. One day you’re going to hear my name. I’m the one, sir.”
School was a real struggle for me. Mr Washington put many demands on me. He made me believe that I could do it. At the end of that year, I was on the honor roll for the first time in my life.
Years later, I produced five programs on public television. When one of my programs was shown on the educational television channel, I had some friends call him. I was sitting by the phone waiting when he called me. He said, “May I speak to Mr Brown, please?”
“Oh, Mr Washington, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. You were the one, weren’t you?”
“Yes, sir, I was.”What does Mr Washington mean by saying “Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality”?
| A．You needn’t have the same opinion as others. |
| B．You should believe what other people say. |
| C．What other people say about you may not be correct. |
| D．The doctor made a mistake. |
What happened to the author at last?
| A．He entered a good university. | B．He earned much honor. |
| C．He got a good job. | D．He made television programs. |
In the passage, the author implies that _________.
| A．people shouldn’t believe what doctors say |
| B．no one can be successful with hard work and confidence |
| C．no one is really educable mentally retarded |
| D．a good teacher can change a student’s life |
The best title for the passage would be “__________”.
| A．Don’t believe others | B．I am the one |
| C．My best teacher | D．I succeeded at last |
D
Weall know about “Brother Sharp” , “King of Calm” and “Brother Buckteeth”----names that netizens(网民) have given those with special characteristics, or who have done something special.
Recently, a new name has been added to that list----“Brother Banner(横幅)”. What did he do to get the name?
“Brother Banner” is Chen Yihua, a Senior 1 student at Guangzhou No.16 High School. On the afternoon of May 4, he made a banner, dressed in school uniform, and stood outside a Line 1 subway station in Guangzhou.
Chen was protesting(抗议)Guangzhou Metro(地铁) Company’s renovation(整修) project for the line.
The company was planning to renew 16 stations on the line over three years. It said that the station would be renovated in similar styles, and the cost of the project would be 92.27 million yuan.
The banner that Chen held said: “The special features of Line 1 stations will disappear. The program is also a waste of resources. I hope you will help my protest be signing my subway petition(请愿) against the renovation .”
His action attracted the attention of passers-by. In three days, Chen collected more than 300 signatures(签名) from the public.
The metro company also noticed Chen, and responded to him, three times, over the following week.
On May 6, the company announced that the project was to replace aging equipment that has been running for a long time, because it had “safety risks”. The public was unsatisfied with the response.
The next day, the company met with Chen and gave further details of the project. Chen remained unconvinced.
The company made a 180-degree turn in its third response to Chen’s protest on May 10.
Zhong Xuejun, spokesman for the company, said the renovation would be based on the principle of saving energy and being economical. It would focus on the old equipment and the look of the stations wouldn’t be changed much.
Finally, Chen’s voice had been heard.What do “Brother sharp”, “King of Calm” and “Brother Buckteeth” have in common?
| A．They’re handsome. |
| B．They only exist in the net. |
| C．They’re characters(角色,特征) of a novel. |
| D．They have done something special or have special character. |
How many times has the metro company responded？
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．“Brother Banner” is a Senior 1 student. |
| B．“Brother Banner” collected more than 300 signatures in three days. |
| C．“Brother Banner” has made a difference through his action. |
| D．“Brother Banner” is not a normal student. |
C
We all love festivals. But since culture develops differently in many places, some festivals are, to us, very strange. Let’s take a look at some unique(独特的)festivals around the world.
Cheese Rolling Festival (England)
The festival started in the 15th century in May. When a round cheese is rolled, competitors run down the hill and try to catch it before it reaches the bottom. As the cheese can reach speeds of up to 112 km/h, it’s rare that someone catches the cheese. First to the bottom wins the cheese. But running down a very steep(陡峭的) hill behind a cheese can be dangerous. Eight people were injured in 1992.
Roswell UFO festival (New Mexico, US)
The Roswell UFO festival celebrates the anniversary(纪念日) of the “Roswell Incident”, when a UFO was said to have crashed(坠毁) nearby. Every year in July, experts, authors, researches and lecturers come to discuss the incident. The celebration also includes an alien parade, an alien costume contest, and an alien hot air balloon ride.
Hemingway Days (Florida, US)
This festival has normal stuff (材料，东西) like short-story readings and exhibits about the author. But the highlight (亮点) of the festival is definitely (一定地) the Hemingway look alike contest.
Imagine walking into a bar and being greeted by 20 middle-aged men who all look alike: stocky with thick white beards. The festival takes place in mid-July every year.Which festival takes place in mid-July every year?
| A．Cheese Rolling Festival. | B．Roswell UFO festival. |
| C．Hemingway Days. | D．All of the above. |
Which festival may cause injuries according to the passage?
| A．Cheese Rolling Festival. | B．Roswell UFO festival. |
| C．Hemingway Days. | D．None of the above. |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A．All the three festivals are celebrated in America. |
| B．It’s common that someone catches the cheese in Cheese Rolling Festival. |
| C．It’s said that a UFO once crashed in New Mexico, US. |
| D．In Hemingway Days, you’ll see 20 old or young Hemingways |