It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I’m so glad I did.
On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape. After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背)in the distance.
On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn’t believe it—there aren’t any whale along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.
The little baby whale actually as big as our boat was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools(漩涡)and waves. “She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,” my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, sometimes rising from the water right beside us to breathe and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea. The author says “I’m so glad I did.”(in Para.2)because_______.
| A．he witnessed the whole process of fishing |
| B．he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea |
| C．he experienced the rescue of the whales |
| D．he spent the weekend with his family |
The harbour survived the storm owing to ______.
| A．the shape of the harbor | B．the arms of one bay |
| C．the still water in the channel | D．the long coast line |
The mother whale failed to help her baby because _______.
| A．she had stayed in the polluted water for too long |
| B．the whirlpools she had made were not big enough |
| C．she had no other whales around to turn for help |
| D．the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction |
What is the theme of the story?
| A．Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness. |
| B．Fishing provides excitement for children. |
| C．It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals. |
| D．It’s vital to protect the environment. |
These days, it seems that almost all of us are too serious．My older daughter often says to me, “Daddy, you’ve got that serious look again．” Even those of us who are committed to non-seriousness are probably too serious．People are frustrated and anxious about almost everything -- being five minutes late, witnessing someone look at us wrong or say the wrong thing, paying bills, waiting in line, overcooking a meal, making an honest mistake -- you name it, and we all lose perspective（理性判断） over it．
The root of being anxious is our unwillingness to accept life as being different, in any way, from our expectation．Very simply, we want things to be a certain way but they’re not a certain way．Life is simply as it is．Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said it best: “Our limited perspective, our hopes and fears become our measure of life, and when circumstances don’t fit our ideas, they become our difficulties．” We spend our lives wanting things, people, and events to be just as we want them to be -- and when they’re not, we fight and we suffer．
The first step in recovering from over-seriousness is to admit that you have a problem．You have to want to change, to become more easygoing．You have to see that your own anxiety is largely of your own creation -- it’s made up of the way you have set up your life and the way you react to it．
The next step is to understand the link between your expectations and your frustration level．Whenever you expect something to be a certain way and it isn’t, you’re upset and you suffer．On the other hand, when you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you’re free．
A good exercise is to try to approach a single day without expectation．Don’t expect people to be friendly．When they’re not, you won’t be surprised or bothered; if they are, you’ll be delighted．Don’t expect your day to be problem-free．Instead, as problems come up, say to yourself, “Ah, another barrier to overcome．” As you approach your day in this manner you’ll notice how elegant life can be．Rather than fighting against life, you’ll be dancing with it．Pretty soon, with practice, you’ll lighten up your entire life．And when you lighten up, life is a lot more fun．Why are people easily frustrated and anxious these days?
| A．Because their children are disappointing． |
| B．Because they have to look serious in public． |
| C．Because life is becoming a greater burden． |
| D．Because people have lost sensible judgment． |
According to Benjamin Franklin, what was the cause of over-seriousness?
| A．The fact that people’s perspective, hopes and fears are limited． |
| B．The fact that people can’t change life itself． |
| C．The fact that things fail to meet people’s expectations． |
| D．The fact that circumstances turn out to be difficult． |
In what pattern is this article developed?
| A．Phenomenon, causes and solutions． |
| B．Problems, explanation and conclusion． |
| C．Examples, causes and arguments． |
| D．Phenomenon, analysis and conclusion． |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．People seem to be too serious |
| B．Life is simply as it is |
| C．Hopes can turn into difficulties |
| D．A good exercise removes over-seriousness |
Three Japanese tourists taking a holiday in Australia got stuck when their GPS told them they could drive from the mainland to an island, failing to mention the 15 kilometres of water and mud in between.
As they drove their hired car from Moreton Bay in Queensland to nearby North Stradbroke Island, they started to notice the firm gravel（沙石）surface they were driving on giving way to the renowned bay mud．However, being confident that their GPS would direct them to a road soon, they decided to plough on, managing to travel around 500 metres before their Hyundai Getz（现代汽车）was up to its axles tires in mud．To make matters worse, the tide started to come in and soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle．Just four hours later the car was trapped in two metres of water —— to the great amusement of onlookers on the shore and passengers on passing boats and ferries.
Yuzu Noda, 21, said she was listening to the GPS and “it told us we could drive down there．It kept saying it would navigate us to a road．But we got stuck…there’s lots of mud.” She and her travel companions Tomonari Saeki, 22, and Keita Osada, 21, instead had to give up their plans for a day trip to the island and headed back to the Gold Coast of a lift from the RACQ tow truck（吊车）driver who was called to the trapped car．No such luck for the hired car though – after assessing the situation, no attempt was made to recover it．The students from Tokyo, who are due to return home tomorrow, said the experience would not put them off returning to Australia for another visit．“We want to come back to Australia again．Everyone is very nice, even today.” Ms Yuzu said.
Remaining excited, Mr. Tomonari joked that the car may have got stuck because it was built in Korea．“Maybe if it was Japanese it would be okay,” he said．He added, “It has rained every day on our six day holiday．Hopefully next time we come back it will be sunny.” The car was covered by insurance, but the tourists will have to pay up to about $1500 in extra charges.The three Japanese tourists got stuck because ______.
| A．there was no way to the island |
| B．their GPS was broken during their journey |
| C．their GPS had given the wrong information |
| D．their car was made in Korea instead of Japan |
They didn’t abandon their car until ______.
| A．there came the tide |
| B．they got stuck in the mud |
| C．some onlookers went to save them |
| D．they managed to travel around 500 metres |
How did these Japanese students get back?
| A．They had to walk back to their living place. |
| B．They had to repair their GPS and drove back. |
| C．They had to take a lift from the tow truck driver. |
| D．They had to turn to passengers on passing boats and ferries. |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The car was left where it was trapped. |
| B．The passengers saved these students in the end. |
| C．Mr. Tomonari got very frustrated after the journey. |
| D．The car was covered by insurance so they didn’t have to pay any money. |
Dear Reader,
I receive many letters from children and can’t answer them all—there wouldn’t be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．I’ll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte’s Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse．That’s how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte’s Web, I like animals and my barn（谷仓）is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours．One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die．This made me sad．So I started thinking of ways to save a pig’s life．I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving．Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation（拯救）on a farm．Three years after I started writing it, it was published．（I am not a fast worker, as you can see.）
Sometimes I’m asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write．I started early—as soon as I could spell．In fact, I can’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t busy writing．I don’t know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures．I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead．As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school．Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book．And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets．Much as I’d like to, I can’t go visiting．I can’t send books, either—you can find them in a bookstore or a library．Many children assume that a writer owns （or even makes） his own books．This is not true—books are made by the publisher．If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it．That’s why I can’t send books．And I do not send signatures—I leave that to the movie stars．I live most of the year in the country, in New England．From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains．I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events．In real life, a family doesn’t have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn’t spin words in her web．In real life, a swan doesn’t blow a trumpet．But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination．And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too—truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely：E.B．WhiteThe author wrote the letter because _________.
| A．he is not a fast worker |
| B．he was invited to answer the questions |
| C．he didn’t have enough time to answer all the letters |
| D．he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers |
What probably caused the writer to get interested in writing children’s book?
| A．Writing can be a way to earn his living． |
| B．The fact that he was not good at drawing． |
| C．His mother influence on his childhood. |
| D．The instinct of children. |
From Para.5, we can learn that ＿＿＿＿.
| A．many famous people like to visit schools |
| B．movie stars will send autographs to readers |
| C．many people think authors have copies of their own books |
| D．the author lives with his married son and three grandchildren |
In the last paragraph, the author is trying to tell us ____.
| A．we only have one kind of life |
| B．there is no truth in imaginary tales |
| C．imaginary tales are based on our true life |
| D．fantastic characters and events only exist in imaginary tales |
It took place at the Biltmore Hotel, which, to my eight-year-old mind, was just about the fancies place to eat．My , my mother, and I were having lunch after a morning spent shopping．I ordered a Salisbury steak．When brought to the table, it was by a plate of peas．I do not like peas now．I did not like peas then．I have always hated peas．And I was not about to eat them now．"Eat your peas," my grandmother said．
"Mother," said my mother in her voice．"He doesn't like peas．Leave him alone."
My grandmother did not reply．She in my direction, looked at me in the eye, and said the words that changed my life: "I'll pay you five dollars if you eat those peas."
I had absolutely no idea of the coming ． I only knew that five dollars was an enormous, nearly amount of money, and as awful as peas were, only one plate of them stood between me and the of that five dollars．I began to force the terrible things down my ．
My mother was very angry．My grandmother had that look of someone who has thrown down an unbeatable trump card（王牌）．"I can do what I want, Ellen, and you can't stop me." My mother glared at her mother．She glared at me.
I, of course, kept shoving peas down my throat．The made me nervous, and every single pea made me want to throw up, but the magical image of that five dollars before me, and I finally swallowed down every last one of them．My grandmother handed me the five dollars in a（n） way．My mother continued to glare in silence．And the ended．Or so I thought．
My grandmother left for Aunt Lillian's a few weeks later．That night, at dinner, my mother served my favorite foods．Along with them came a big, steaming bowl of peas．She offered me some peas, and I certainly 16 ．My mother fixed me with a cold 17 as she put a huge pile of peas onto my plate．Then came the words that were to 18 me for years．
"You ate them for ," she said．"You can eat them for love."
What possible argument could I gather against that? There was none．I ate them that day and every other time they were thereafter．
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If your preschoolers turn up their noses at carrots or celery, a small reward like a sticker(贴画) for taking even a taste may help get them to eat previously disliked foods, a UK study said.
Though it might seem obvious that a reward could encourage young children to eat their vegetables, the idea is actually controversial, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That’s because some studies have shown that rewards can backfire and cause children to lose interest in foods they already liked, said Jane Wardle, a researcher at University College London who worked on the study. Verbal praise, such as “Brilliant! You’re a great vegetable taster”, did not work as well.
The study found that when parents gave their small children a sticker each time they took a “tiny taste” of a disliked vegetable, it gradually changed their attitudes. The children were also willing to eat more of the vegetables—either carrots, celery, cucumber, red pepper, cabbage or sugar snap peas—in laboratory taste tests, the study said.
Researchers randomly assigned (分派) 173 families to one of these groups. In one, parents used stickers to reward their children each time they took a tiny sample of a disliked vegetable. A second group of parents used verbal praise. The third group, where Parents used no special vegetable-promoting methods, served as a “control”.
Parents in the reward groups offered their children a taste of the “target” vegetable every day for 12 days. Soon after, children in the sticker group were giving higher ratings to the vegetables—and were willing to eat more in the research lab, going from an average of 5 grams at the start to about 10 grams after the 12-day experience. The turnaround(转机) also seemed to last, with preschoolers in the sticker group still willing to eat more of the once-disliked vegetable three months later.
Why didn’t the verbal praise work? Wardle said the parents’ words may have seemed “insincere” to their children.The purpose of writing the passage is _______ .
| A．to explain why children hate to eat vegetables |
| B．to present a proper way of verbal praise to parents |
| C．to show the procedure of an experiment on children’s diet |
| D．to introduce a practical method of making children eat vegetables |
The underlined word “backfire” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
| A．produce an unexpected result |
| B．shoot from behind the back |
| C．make a fire in the backyard |
| D．achieve what was planned |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Most children are born to dislike carrots or celery. |
| B．Oral praise works quite well in encouraging children to eat vegetables. |
| C．Children in the sticker group will never lose interest in eating vegetables. |
| D．It remains a question whether rewarding is a good way to get children to eat vegetables. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Children are difficult to inspire. |
| B．Parents should give up verbal praise. |
| C．Parents should praise their children in a sincere tone. |
| D．Children like rewards, not verbal praise. |