Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. From the passage, we can learn that Hans ______.
| A．was extremely wise and noble | B．admired the Miller very much |
| C．was highly valued by the Miller | D．had a strong desire for fortune |
Hans worked a lot for the Miller because he ______.
| A．was treated as a best friend by the Miller |
| B．owed the Miller many valuable things |
| C．was convinced of the Miller’s noble talk |
| D．intended to show off his unselfishness |
What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?
| A．True friendship between them. | B．Blind devotion to a friend. |
| C．A sudden change of weather. | D．A lack of formal education. |
The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ______.
| A．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend |
| B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller |
| C．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale |
| D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller |
He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised, so as not to appear rude, she went along.
As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."
They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee?" He explained, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea.I could feel it salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there."
She was deeply moved. A man who can admit that he's homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible. She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.
They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee! So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.
After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:
My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar. It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything.
Sweetheart, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I've learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.Why the man asked for some salt?
| A．Because he missed his hometown and his family. |
| B．Because he want to catch the attention of the lady. |
| C．Because he was nervous. |
| D．Because he liked the taste of salty coffee. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The man liked to drink a cup of salty coffee. |
| B．The man was good at making a lie. |
| C．The man missed his family very much. |
| D．The man loved the lady very much. |
The best title for the passage might be _____.
| A．a life-long lie | B．salty coffee |
| C．a mistake for love | D．a homesick man |
Cut off from society
You're on your way to school as usual when suddenly an invisible barrier appears out of nowhere, trapping you underneath it and isolating you from the outside world. What do you do?
This is the scary experience the residents of a fictional town called Chester’s Mill are going through in the US TV series Under the Dome. Based on famous US author Stephen King’s 2009 best-selling novel, the show has become “the highest-rated summer show in 21 years” since debuting (首播) on June 24, reported the New York Post.
The series begins with the dome (穹顶) making its alarming appearance. As the earth trembles and birds take off, an enormous, invisible barrier slices down, cutting the town off from the rest of the world.
The residents quickly realize they are trapped, probably for quite some time. Families are separated, emergency services are unreachable and water, food and fuel are strictly limited.
There is no way out or in. But who or what is responsible? Nobody knows. Thus, the residents are at the mercy of unknown forces and their internal conflicts.
While it provides an enjoyable TV thrill ride, the movie’s science fiction is closely linked with reality.
“Not only is it worrying, suspenseful (悬疑的) and full of splendid special effects, but it has big thoughts about environmentalism and the future of the commented The Denver Post planet,”
As King himself explained to The Telegraph: “The dome is a microcosm (微观世界) of life. We all live under the dome. We live on this little blue planet and so far as we know that’s all we’ve got,” he said. “The resources that we’ve got are the resources that we’ve got; they’re limited.”
But the show explores many themes in addition to environmental destruction. It also shows “how quickly the social order we take for granted can disappear when people are isolated and afraid”, said the Los Angeles Times.
It is “a science-fiction social study”, said The Washington Post. “Once the people of Chester’s Mill realize they are indefinitely trapped without means of food supply, outside communication and power, their polite sense of small-town, American civilization begins to fall apart.” The underlined word “isolating” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
| A．separating | B．protecting |
| C．discouraging | D．distinguishing |
In the TV series Under the Dome, _______.
A．the dome, which appears out of nowhere, doesn’t have huge effects on the residents’ lives
B．it takes a long time for residents to realize they are trapped by the invisible dome
C．because of the dome, the residents in the small town become more united and helpful D．not knowing what has D．happened, the residents feel helpless against unknown forcesWhy is the TV series closely linked with reality according to the article?
| A．Because it is suspenseful and uses splendid special effects to reflect modern life. |
| B．Because it gets us to think about the future of the earth and the importance of environmental protection. |
| C．Because it attaches great importance to following the social order even in frightening situations. |
| D．Because the residents in the TV series live almost the same life as ordinary Americans do. |
British Broadcasting Corporation(the BBC) was founded in 1922, including radio and television services. It is based at Broadcasting House in London.
The BBC is controlled by some governors chosen by the government, but these people have complete freedom and government can’t interfere. That is, the BBC is not the mouthpiece (喉舌) of the government. It has to be as fair as possible in giving radio and television time to, for example, political parties and religious groups.
There is a kind of interesting services in Britain- rental (租借) services. Many people prefer to rent their television sets instead of buying them. The rent for a black and white set is about 80 pence a week. The rent of a color set is more than twice that of a black and white set. If the sets go wrong, people can have them repaired free of charge or replace immediately.
Everyone who owns or rents a television set has to pay a yearly licence, there is no advertising on BBC radio or television. It is from the sale of licence that the BBC gets most of its money. A licence for a black and white set costs 8 pounds, and for a color set 18 pounds a year.
There are four specialized radio channels, which broadcast different kinds of programmes. Radio I is mainly pop music. Radio 2 deals with light music, sports and other programmes. Radio 3 broadcasts serious music, talks on serious subjects etc. News broadcasts are mainly given by Radio 4.
There are special programmes for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and certain parts of England. It also broadcasts programmes about Britain - in many different languages as well as in English to all parts of the world.The BBC Broadcasting House lies in ______.
| A．Scotland | B．England | C．Wales | D．Northern Ireland |
How much should you pay if you rent a color TV set and use it for a year?
| A．More than 100 pounds | B．About 37 pounds |
| C．About 83 pounds | D．18 pounds |
The BBC gets most of its money ______.
| A．from the government | B．from rental services |
| C．by selling licences | D．by advertising |
Which of the following is true?
| A．You can listen to classical music from Radio 1. |
| B．If you rent a TV set and there is something wrong with it, you should fix it with your own money. |
| C．The BBC special programmes are not only for different areas in its own country but also for foreign countries. |
| D．The BBC broadcasts to foreign countries only in English |
Teenagers at one German school are learning how to achieve happiness alongside other traditional subjects such as math and languages.
The class sit in a circle with their eyes shut and they count from one to ten: someone starts, the next voice comes from the far right, a third from the other side.
The aim of the game is to listen for an opportunity to shout out the number without clashing (冲突) with another voice or leaving a pause. On the first try, most of the young Germans try to be first, while a few are too shy to join in, but by the fifth time round, they develop a rhythm. The message: give other people space but also confidently claim your own. This is a requirement for social well-being.
The Willy Hellpach School in Heidelberg is the first in the nation to develop a happiness course. It is intended for students preparing for university entrance exams.
"The course isn't there to make you happy," Ernst Fritz -Schubert, the school principal, warned pupils, "but rather to help you discover the ways to become happy."
Cooking a meal together is one of the class exercises. Improving body language under the guidance of two professional actresses is another.
The course is taught for three periods a week. Despite the happy subject, the pupils themselves insist it is no laughing matter.
"In the first period, we had to each say something positive about another member of the class and about ourselves. No laughing at people." said Fanny, 17.
Research by the school shows it is not the first to start happiness classes: they also exist at some U. S. universities, mainly based on positive thinking, using findings from studies of depression.What's the writing purpose of this passage?
| A．To help students struggle against being sad. |
| B．To describe all the traditional courses. |
| C．To arouse the readers' interest in happiness. |
| D．To introduce the happiness course. |
The game intended for the students in the 2nd paragraph is mainly to _________.
| A．try their best to get opportunities for themselves |
| B．practice how to speak in front of people |
| C．equip them with required social skills |
| D．confidently speak out one's opinions |
According to the passage, the happiness course is _________.
| A．to help students discover the ways to happiness |
| B．to make all the students happy all the time |
| C．required to be taken by the first year students |
| D．created by the Willy Hellpach School |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．the students can certainly become happy after the course |
| B．the students just took the course as a laughing matter |
| C．the students' self'-respect can also improve happiness |
| D．the students waste time learning something without value |
Mary Brown from East county in Scotland, she had the accident that had scarred（留下创伤） her for life when she was only one and a half years old. The curious child reached up to grab the wire of a hot kettle in the family kitchen and poured boiling water over her tiny infant frame.
Her mother Ruby turned round and, seeing Mary horribly burnt, called an ambulance which rushed her daughter to a nearby hospital. Twenty percent of Mary’s body had been burned and all of her burns were third-degree. There, using tissue taken from unburned areas of Mary’s body, doctors performed complex skin transplants to close her wounds and control her injuries, an operation that took about six hours. Over the next 16 years, Mary underwent 12 more operations to repair her body.
When she started school at Maxwelton Primary at age 4, other pupils made cruel comments or simply wouldn’t play with her. “I was the only burned child in the street, the class and the school,” she recalled, “some children refused to become friends because of that.”
Today, aged 17, Mary can only ever remember being a burned person with scars; pain is a permanent part of her body. She still has to have two further skin transplants. Yet she is a confident, outgoing teenager who offers inspiration and hope to other young burns victims.
She is a member of the Scottish Burned Children’s Club, a charity set up last year. This month, Mary will be joining the younger children at the Graffham Water Center in Cambridgeshire for the charity’s first summer camp. “I’ll show them how to get rid of unkind stares from others,” she says. Mary loves wearing fashionable sleeveless tops, and she plans to show the youngsters at the summer camp that they can too. “I do not go to great lengths to hide my burns scars,” she says, “I gave up wondering how other people would react years ago.”What did other children do when Mary first went to school?
| A．They were friendly to her. |
| B．They showed sympathy to her. |
| C．They looked down upon her. |
| D．They were afraid of her. |
Which of the following words can’t properly describe Mary?
| A．Courageous | B．sensitive | C．Confident | D．Outgoing |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A seriously burned angel of Hope |
| B．Ways to Get Rid of Unkind Stares |
| C．Permanent Scars And Pain For a Girl |
| D．A Seriously Burned Girl Survives |