I’d just got in a taxi at the railway station when suddenly I found one of my suitcases missing. Just then, I saw a young fellow about 30 walking away with it, opening it and drawing out the valuables. “Stop thief! Stop thief!” I shouted and threw open the car door and rushed out to him, followed by the driver and half a dozen passers-by. Very soon the thief was cornered at the turn of the road. My driver caught the thief by the neck and put his hand into his trouser pocket, drawing out money, credit card, telephone book and so on and put them back into my suitcase.
Half an hour later, the car was running at full speed on the express highway. I sat back and breathed a long sigh of relief (松口气). But as I pulled out those stolen things from the suitcase and started to check them, I became dumbfounded (惊呆了). Before my eyes were 200 yuan instead of 100. And a blood test report of a 58-year-old woman appeared. I suddenly realized that the taxi driver must have mistaken the thief’s belongs and put his into my suitcase. The pitiful and begging look of the poor young man flashed across my mind again. My heart began to sink.
Two years has passed since then. But this event keeps coming back to me. Was the young man a habitual robber or a dutiful son who had been driven to desperation (铤而走险) to find money to save his mother’s life? My heart aches for him. How I wish I had gone back that summer afternoon to return the 200 yuan and say sorry to him. For the first time in my life, I realized that hate and love are very close.Why was the writer dumbfounded when he opened his suitcase?
A.Because he was now searching a different suitcase. |
B.His own blood test report has changed into an old woman’s. |
C.An old woman had put her savings into his suitcase. |
D.He was facing things that did not belong to himself. |
Who helped the writer catch the thief?
A.No one. He caught the thief all by himself. |
B.The driver with several other people. |
C.Some policemen. |
D.The thief came back and gave back the suitcase to him. |
What was one of the reasons for the young man to steal in the writer’s opinion?
A.The young man was a born thief. |
B.The young man couldn’t afford to pay for his old mother’s medical treatment. |
C.The young man’s mother asked him to do so. |
D.Young people are likely to steal when they are poor. |
The major purpose for the writer to write this passage is ______.
A.to describe what hate and love are like |
B.to entertain the readers with an interesting story |
C.to impress the readers with an interesting story |
D.to encourage the readers to help him find the thief |
Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”.Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence(证据) is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart.Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow.These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症).
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help.Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼).In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks.
Better for your skin.German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day.After three months, the women’s skin was moister(滑润的)and smoother.The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving by increasing blood flow to the brain.Which of the following is wrong?
A.Coca’s chemicals can prevent both cell damage and inflammation. |
B.Chocolate may help you lower your blood pressure. |
C.People early know chocolate is good for their health. |
D.chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
A.Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk. |
B.Sports drinks can make people easy to be tired. |
C.Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work. |
D.We should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Chocolate, a Healthy Food | B.More Chocolate, Less Health |
C.Chocolate and Blood Pressure | D.Advice on Eating Chocolate |
The conclusion that chocolate may help lower blood pressure was brought out by.
A.scientists at Harvard University |
B.Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University |
C.scientists at Indiana University |
D.German researchers |
What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues” in the first paragraph?
A.Think of it.. | B.Speak up. | C. Stop talking | D.Listen to it |
He wishes the holiday season would end already. His back aches, his red suit feels like a spacesuit , his cheeks have gone tight from smiling for 12 hours —and still the kids keep coming and coming , like ants at a picnic . As Christmas becomes more commercialized (商业化) across the U. S. and Canada, so must Santas. As the holiday begins earlier each year, so must its spokesmen .
The questions from children these days are harder than ever. Now, with thousands of children expecting a father or mother serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the questions are as heart-breaking as they are unanswerable. For example, “Can you please bring Daddy home from the war in time for Christmas morning?”
Santas also have a pretty good chance of getting sued (指控). A professional Santa Claus in Canada told a story: A Santa had a girl on his knee, and he commented, “You have nice eyes and nice hair.” The girl later said it was sexual harassment (骚扰) . When a Santa feels anxious, he often shows it in the same ways ordinary people do: The Santas were always seen to hang around at the dinner table when the show ended. Many of them just sleep in bed for several days and don’t see other children again.In the first paragraph, “spokesmen” refers to.
A.businessmen | B.political leaders |
C.organizers of the activities | D.Santa Clauses |
The passage implies that the job of Santa Claus is.
A.well-paid | B.very hard | C.worth doing | D.dangerous |
According to the third paragraph, Santas may sometimes be blamed(责备) for.
A.doing something against the law |
B.hanging around the dinner table |
C.being lazy and sleeping in bed for days |
D.not playing their roles as expected |
What would be the best title for the passage ?
A.Christmas: Not a Good Festival for Santas | B.Is Santa Claus Really Alive? |
C.A Christmas Story | D.What Does Santa Claus Do for Children? |
Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower-shop were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s name and just delighted in the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper.
But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother encouraged these imaginings. She’d ask me if there was someone for whom I had done special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man across the street whose mail I’d delivered during the winter. As a girl, though, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy I had run into.
One month before my graduation, my father died. I felt so sad that I became completely uninterested in my upcoming graduation dance, and I didn’t care if I had a new dress or not. But my mother, in her own sadness, would not let me miss any of those things. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In truth, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia-lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery(神秘).My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.A childhood Dream. | B.A Mother’s Love. |
C.A Graduation Party. | D.A Special Birthday. |
The mother insisted that her daughter go to the graduation dance because _________.
A.she could take care of things herself | B.she hoped she would find a boyfriend |
C.she wanted her to be happy and strong | D.she thought education was most important |
Who was the sender of the flower?
A.A boy the writer had run into. | B.One of the writer’s neighbors. |
C.One of the writer’s classmates. | D.The writer’s mother. |
All people need to sleep. Sleep is a necessary process that promotes proper body functioning and can improve the quality of your life. Not only is the quantity of sleep important, but also the quality of sleep.
Your bedroom should be shaped to your taste and to allow you to sleep in a peaceful environment. One of the biggest mistakes people make in their sleep is to use their bedroom for activities other than sleep. If your bedroom also functions as a command station for your life and work, the likelihood of your sleeping being poor is rather high. Bedrooms should be designed, decorated and used for mainly sleep. TVs, computers and other things should not be in your bedroom if at all possible.
Establishing regular sleeping and waking times can help improve the quality of your sleep especially for those suffering from sleeplessness. Avoid hot food, caffeine, sugar and alcohol at least 4 to 6 hours before your sleep time.Develop a regular exercise program. Proper exercise and nutrition will help improve sleeping patterns. However, avoid exercising 2 hours before sleeping, since this may stimulate your body and make sleeping more difficult.
Establish a pre-bedtime rule that will help focus you on sleep. You can try meditation(沉思),reading or deep breathing and relaxation. Your bedtime rule should be yours. Do not worry about it fitting into a specific category. Do what is the best for you.
Things such as room temperature, noise and light levels and even your bed mattress can have a lot of effect on the quality of sleep that you experience. Block out distracting noises and lights. You are in your bedroom to sleep and not be distracted by environmental interferences(干扰). According to the author, ________.
A.the bedroom has many functions than expected |
B.the bedroom is better used for sleep |
C.computers can make people sleep fast |
D.amusements are forbidden in the bedroom by law |
If you have sleep problems, __________.
A.a well- designed bedroom is important to you |
B.you’d better have steady sleeping and waking time |
C.cold food and sugar are good for you |
D.you need proper exercise and nutrition |
The following sentences are true EXCEPT ______.
A.Alcohol can produce troubled sleep. |
B.Anytime taking exercises does good to sleep |
C.What nourishes the body can improve sleeping patterns |
D.taking a deep breath can calm you down |
The main idea of the last paragraph is _______.
A.a good sleep environment contributes to good sleep. |
B.blinding lights can make for a good sleep. |
C.bed mattress plays a key part in sleep. |
D.distracted people are sleepless. |
I first visited hutong as part of a tourist group several years ago. We rode on a trishaw(脚踏三轮车) with a guide explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the local inhabitants.
Having visited the "must-sees" of Beijing, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Drum Tower and the Summer Palace, going into the hutong home of some famous ancient families gave the “Beijing experience” a human element.
My curiosity has sharpened over the years from reading about them at every opportunity. During the preparation for the Olympics, I was eager to learn that some siheyuan courtyards in hutong were turned into accommodations for visitors. I wished to stay in one someday.
Preparing for a recent trip to the capital, I eagerly sought one out. On my limited teacher’s salary, I settled on an affordable option, though I looked longingly at the more upscale courtyard accommodations.
As usual, by not being able to go upmarket, I ended up having something closer to a true experience. A real family still lives in the courtyard, which is closer to the original. The rooms all opened into the central courtyard. Flowers were blooming, beans and peas were climbing up the bamboo fence, and the cat was napping in the sun. Every day after exploring the city, I'd hurry back to the hutong, take a quick shower and join the cat - snoozing in a bamboo-made chair with a book ready nearby.
As the other guests came back we’d greet one another. There was a mother and young daughter from France, a guy from Canada, a mother and teenage daughter from the Netherlands, a teacher from England and several guests from various parts of China.
Coming and going through the narrow alleys of the hutong, the residents would smile and give cheery “ni hao” (hello). Laughing children were playing under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. I felt right at home in this friendly neighborhood.The main idea of the passage is about ______________.
A.hutong days realize my desires to live a local life . |
B.Trishaw is the only way to visit the hutong |
C.living in the hutong with other visitors |
D.exploring the deeper of Beijing |
When did the author have the idea to visit Beijing hutong?
A.As early as he was a little child |
B.when he was reading the text books at school |
C.during the preparation for the Olympics |
D.the author doesn’t mention it specifically |
The underlined word “upscale” in the fourth paragraph means _________.
A.Inexpensive | B.high-class | C.appropriate | D.secondary |
What is the impression of the author about the people in hutong?
A.They came from all over the world. |
B.They all wanted to enjoy the old life of Beijing. |
C.They are living together in harmony. |
D.They are living in a heavenly peace life. |