Why do I volunteer with Big brothers / Big sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that people once volunteered to help me.
Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and I felt lost. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about it now, but whatever the right direction in life was, I was going the opposite way. More than once, I found myself on the wrong path. If someone hadn’t stepped in when he did, I probably wouldn’t even be here now. I’d rather be in a prison or somewhere a lot smaller and deeper.
I’ve seen the work that big brothers / sisters have been doing all over the country and I’m pleased to be part of it. I’ve never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteer work. Big brothers and sisters helped me get over sadness and depression as soon as possible. Then, if I can help anyone like they helped me, I am willing to serve for as long as they will have me serve them. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around. Every time I think that that’s me now, I’m proud and happy.
Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially to somebody who isn’t sure where they are going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours. Be a volunteer, and you will find your purpose in life.What’s the main reason why the writer volunteers?
| A．He has a lot of free time. |
| B．He is lonely and wants to be with others. |
| C．He wants others to know he is a good man. |
| D．He is grateful for what volunteers once did for him. |
It is implied in Paragraph3 that the writer __________.
| A．is eager to help others |
| B．often feels sad and depressed |
| C．hopes he will be helped at any time |
| D．travels around the country to help others |
We can infer from the passage that the writer probably __________.
| A．spent some days in prison |
| B．didn’t know his purpose in life |
| C．is dissatisfied with his life |
| D．doesn’t live a meaningful life |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To share his past with us. |
| B．to ask for some volunteer work. |
| C．To encourage us to enjoy our life. |
| D．To call on us to do volunteer work. |
Sarah came running in saying, "Look what l found. " Over the top of the paper I was reading I saw a long object that made me jump. It was a piece of snakeskin that had been shed （脱皮) by one of our garden snakes.
'Isn't it beautiful?" said my wide-eyed 7~year-old daughter. I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really was not that beautiful, but I did not want to disappoint Sarah. Everything children see for the first time is elementary to their sense of beauty and creativity. They see only merit (忧点) and excellence in the world.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked. I like to teach my children that there is something else going on besides what they see in front of them. "Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves," I explained.
"Why do they need to renew themselves?" Sarah asked. "We often need to shed our skins, those coatings that we cover ourselves with," I said to my now absorbed daughter. "We outgrow some things and find other stuff unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too old, and the snake probably doesn't think it looks as smart in the skin as it once did. Like buying a new suit. "
Of course, I'm sure this explanation won't suit naturalists. But Sarah got the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to understand that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, and rooms and schoolwork and creativity, and she began to see what we need to keep and what need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this is a natural process, not one to be forced.
"Snakes don't peel off their skin when they feel like it," I explained. "lt happens as part of their growth. "
"I see, Dad. " said Sarah. She then jumped off my lap, grabbed the snakeskin, and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. Often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of community and culture we are cloaked (掩饰) in year after year, we need to start examining these layers. We need to gently peel some away, as we recognize them to be worthless, unnecessary, or flawed (有缺陷的); or at best, remember the things we discard（丢掉）to teach us how we can improve.When Sarah asked the author whether the snakeskin was beautiful,___________
| A．he was shocked and jumped |
| B．he tried to understand her point of view |
| C．he thought that telling the truth was a merit |
| D．he decided to teach her something about the garden |
How did Sarah feel about the author's explanation?
| A．Confused. | B．Boreci | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
Which of the following would the author agree with?
| A．By reflecting on ourselves, we can better ourselves. |
| B．It is necessary to force others to remove some things. |
| C．The community and culture force us to change. |
| D．It is natural to keep some old clothes. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author___________.
| A．does not like nature much |
| B．takes the chilcl's feelings lightly |
| C．is both a logical and thoughtful person |
| D．loves to see his daughter excited about animals |
Which of the following could be the best title for the article?
| A．The things we should cast off | B．A shed snakeskin in Sarah's eyes |
| C．A natural part of our growth | D．Renewal for snakes and us |
As a senior high school student, my future is always on my mind. To be exact,thoughts of the future have kept me up countless nights and made me worry enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a source of comfort.Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford's graduating class in 2005 and his words resound repeatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future.
It started when l became a junior, when college came into view. It's the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well.
This doesn't mean that students shouldn't attend college, but rather that they shouldn't worry so much. You'll get where you need to go, even if your path is a bit morewinding(蜿蜒的)than you'd like.
Jobs talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got where he was meant to be, which restates the point: don't panic.One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted(引用)thc saying"Stay hungry, stay foolisll" and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing thatyou are still a fool, no matter how much you've learned or experienced. There is always more to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are still uneducated.
Steve Jobs' level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it's my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, I will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I'll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom a person could wish for. The author felt worried when_____.
| A．he had to take tests at school |
| B．he had lots of sleepless nights |
| C．he thought about his future |
| D．he searched for words of wisdom |
It is suggested in Paragraphs l and 2 that_____
| A．the author is a college student |
| B．the author cares much about his future |
| C．Steve Jobs failed because of his decision |
| D．Steve Jobs' words had no effect on the author |
What did the author gain from Jobs' speech?
| A．Courage to drop out of school. | B．Confidence in defeating Jobs. |
| C．Interest in computer industry. | D．Bravery to face uncertainties. |
What did NOT Steve Jobs encourage students to do in his speech?
| A．Be content with what they know. |
| B．Have the desire to learn more. |
| C．Stay calm in the face of hardships |
| D．Be modest so as to learn more. |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．an experience of a speech |
| B．a memorable meeting with Jobs |
| C．the most impressive quotation in life |
| D．the wisdom drawn from a speech |
How could I turn down an opportunity for a weeklong cruise on a luxury motorsailer in the Andaman Sea? Without a second thought, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to Singapore, and the following day I found myself looking out the airplane window at the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Langkawi off the coast of Malaysia.
The last time I was in Langkawi was in 2001, when it was relatively quiet. Langkawi has come a long way since then; there are 4, 5, and even 6-star hotels, as well as spas, golfing, horseback riding and even a cable car taking visitors to the highest point on the island.
At the Langkawi International Airport I met my shipmates and we were driven to Pantai Tengah with a quick pit stop for sunblock and duty-free goodies. Many other shopping opportunities abound since Langkawi was designated as a duty-free zone in 1987 to entice tourists to the island.
A luxurious yacht tender picked us up. Phillipe, the first mate, maneuvered the tender between sailboats and as we went around a small island there she was, S/V Blue Gold. This majestic 10-passenger sailboat—all 165 feet of her—had been built in Italy and recently underwent a full retrofit. Once aboard, the crew welcomed us with refreshments and big smiles. Before we got too comfortable and settled into the plush comforts of the boat, Alain, the captain, took us on a tour of Blue Gold’s impressive accommodations. The master suite had a king-size bed, with a lounge area and “his & hers” wardrobes. The VIP cabin had a queen-size bed, also with a lounge area. Both had ensuite bathrooms.
The first evening aboard was the perfect start to our voyage—a small cocktail party followed by a light meal of seared tuna salad. It was exactly what our jet-lagged bodies craved, and we all slept very well aboard what would become our new home for the next 7 days.
In the morning after breakfast, we sailed to Pulau Ta Ngah (also spelled “Pulau Tengah”; pulau means island in Malay). In the 1970s the site had been a Vietnamese refugee transit camp. Not long after the end of the war, the camp was shut down and the island was gazetted as a marine park by the Malaysian government. Officially “uninhabited,” it does boast a golf course, but we were unable to determine if it was still in operation. The most intriguing event on the island occurs in July when the giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs on a beach on Ta Ngah. Where is Langkawi?
| A．In Pulau Ta Ngah | B．In Malaysia | C．In the Atlantic Ocean | D．In The Arctic |
We know from the passage Langkawi________.
| A．has become prosperous in the past decade |
| B．was a noisy industrial city twenty years ago |
| C．has no three-star hotels nowadays |
| D．is best known for its horse riding races |
S/V Blue Gold is __________.
| A．a small island with most beautiful sceneries we have ever seen |
| B．a luxurious 6-star hotel with best food and service |
| C．a VIP cabin with 9 queen-size beds and ensuite bathrooms |
| D．a splendid boat with comfortable accommodations |
It is implied that _________.
| A．many people go golfing on Pulau Ta Ngah every year |
| B．the Vietnamese War broke out in 1970 |
| C．the author liked the party and meal provided in the voyage |
| D．people living on Pulau Ta Ngah must have earned a lot of money |
The article is probably part of __________.
| A．a news report | B．a travel story | C．an advertisement | D．an operating manual |
Anyone who ever wondered why a dying plant, say, a freshly-cut red rose may appeal to a lady friend, might take some comfort in science, which once again offers us a reasonable answer to one of the world’ s great mysteries.
Beyond a common preference in people for blue, “the long history of color preference studies has been described as ‘confusing and contradictory(矛盾的)’,” write scientists Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling of England’ s Newcastle University, authors of a new study in the journal Current Biology. “This fact is perhaps surprising,” they said, “though the popularity of the concept that little girls differ from boys in preferring pink.”
But the scientists believe they have an answer to this scientific mystery, discovering women’s preference for red, hidden above the average liking for blue.
In their study, the pair quickly flashed color cards, displaying many different aspects, at 208 volunteers, mostly Britishers but with a number of Han Chinese, who moved to the United Kingdom recently. Tested in three different experiments, the researchers found out a small but significant preference for reddish colors in the female volunteers.
Puzzled, the authors realized that most of the difference between men and women came in the form of a preference for green VS red in the color cards, regardless of the other slight differences such as the slightly blue ones that everyone liked. Why might this be?
Evolution might offer an answer, they reason. Human color perception(感知), the assessment of three separate color types — red — green — blue— in our vision (视觉) is a relatively recent addition to our line of mammals(脯乳动物)
Adding weight to their argument, they found the women who are most typically feminine(女性的) on a psychological survey also had the biggest preference for reddish colors. “My love is like a red, red rose,” wrote the Scottish poet Rober Burns in 1794.What does the first paragraph probably tell us ?
| A．Scientific research can help people solve the mystery. |
| B．When we are tired, we can turn to science for help. |
| C．Science can make our study interesting and contradictory. |
| D．We should turn to scientific invention for comfortable life. |
The word “pair” in Para.4 refers to _____.
| A．boy and girl | B．the two authors |
| C．research and result | D．pink and blue |
According to the passage, ______________.
| A．boys like blue better than girls |
| B．girls like pink better than boys |
| C．men like red better than women |
| D．men and women both like green |
How did the scientist do the research?
| A．By asking questions | B．By telephoning the interviewees |
| C．By adding numbers | D．By doing experiments |
What is the purpose of writing this article?
| A．To sell products packed in red | B．To introduce the history of color |
| C．To inform us of a research finding | D．To analyze men’s taste for color |
The Friends of the Amazon is a nonprofit association helping to preserve the forest, its wildlife and its native cultures in the Peruvian Amazon. We are located 3 degrees south of the equator in the Region of Loreto, which is roughly the size of Montana and is one of the richest areas in the world in terms of flora(植物群) and fauna（动物群）. Our team consists of lawyers, ecologists, sociologists, medical professionals and native Amazonians working together to protect the forest and its people from destruction. We use litigation（诉讼）, filing lawsuits against those who seek to destroy the forest and its native cultures. In addition to legal processes, we promote health, education, and the conservation of native plants and animals.
The Amazon Rainforest is commonly referred to as the "lungs of the planet" whose trees are essential for absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2, a greenhouse gas that causes global warming) and converting it into oxygen, thereby mitigating the rise of global temperatures and climate change. An estimated 120 billion tons of carbon dioxide is absorbed in the Amazon Rainforest and global emissions of carbon dioxide increase with every tree of the rainforest that is cut down. That is why the survival of the Amazon Rainforest is vital for the survival of our planet, without which rising global temperatures could melt the polar icecaps and cause flooding of our coastal cities.
Currently, the Amazon is under siege（围攻）, with an estimated 1000 hectares being destroyed everyday. After harvesting old growth forests, corporations are often replacing the native forest with palm oil plantations instead of reforesting with native tree species. Palm oil trees are native to Africa, not the Amazon, and due to high profits, their promotion by international aid agencies and recent legislation in Peru, palm oil plantations represent perhaps the single greatest threat to the native Amazon Rainforest.
In addition to conventional logging and deforesting to make room for crops such as palm oil and soybeans, the Amazon forest faces a new threat in the form of REDD projects and “Carbon Cowboys”. REDD refers to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation by using carbon offsets (“carbon credits”). Under the guise of REDD projects, scammers are tricking native communities into signing unjust contracts in English without legal representation which essentially give these so called Carbon Cowboys the forest for free. These cheaters are making false promises of "billions of dollars in profits" from REDD and voluntary carbon offset （碳补偿）projects by lying that they are representatives of the United Nations and World Bank in order to trick vulnerable indigenous Amazonians into ceding their land by signing unjust contracts with hidden clauses that give the Carbon Cowboys a power of attorney to do whatever they want with the forest for a period of 100 years. Friends of the Amazon is actively filing lawsuits against these Carbon Cowboys and those who support them.
For further information on our programs and to find out how you can help preserve the Amazon Rainforest, please contact:
Friends of the Amazon
153 Túpac Amaru Street
Iquitos, Peru
Phone: (+51) 985665374
For more specific information on supporting the goals of our nonprofit organization, please contact us using the email address listed below.
If you would like to learn how you can help preserve the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous people, please contact us for more information at:
info(at)friendsoftheamazon.org The Friends of the Amazon is the name of _________.
| A．your best friend | B．a non-profit organization |
| C．a historic hero | D．a famous carbon cowboy |
What does the underlined word “converting ” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．changing | B．increasing | C．reducing | D．burning |
Why is the survival of the Amazon Rainforest vital for the survival of our planet?
| A．Because this forest absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide emitted by the world |
| B．Because people rely on this forest to get enough wood to build houses and furniture |
| C．Because people living here can get a large sum of compensation to offset carbon dioxide |
| D．Because the United Nations and the World Bank are helping preserving the land here |
We can learn from the passage that palm oil trees _____________.
| A．have produced much profit for the local people. |
| B．are native to Amazon and fit in well with their surroundings |
| C．are native to Africa and may do great harm to the native Amazon trees |
| D．are used to replace the native forest because the local people can profit from them |
The purpose of this article is _______.
| A．introduce the largest rain forest in the world |
| B．to appeal to the government to take some measures to get rid of Carbon Cowboys |
| C．to advertise the rain forest as a favourite tourist destination |
| D．to arouse the awareness of the public to help conserve the “lungs of our planet” |