Little Robby, our neighbour’s nephew, carefully drew some water into a bowl and started for the door. How I hated this water rationing (定量供应). We were forced to bathe in the deep little pond we shared with Jessie, our cow. Wells were dry, and crops transformed to dust.
I watched Robby sitting down onto the steps to my house. Bees buzzed circling his hair, and he buzzed with them. I remembered his aunt’s words: I don’t know what I was thinking when I took him in. The crash killed my sister, and he wasn’t hurt, but he can’t talk. He’s in a world of all his own.
Why couldn’t she see the wonderful gifts this boy possessed? He was blessed with a loving nature and a deep admiration for all living things, and I knew he could talk to animals. My heart ached for Robby, who was to stay with us for the summer, and had already been the dearest part of our world, eagerly tending the garden with me and my husband, Tom.
On a string around Robby’s neck hung a whistle, in case he was ever lost or in danger. After all, he could not call out for help. But he knew perfectly well that the whistle was not a toy. Blowing on it would bring us both running. I had told him the story of the boy who cried wolf, and I knew he understood me.
I sighed as I cleared up the last supper dish. Every ounce of recycled water was saved for a tiny vegetable garden Robby had planted. Tom turned to me. “You know, honey, I’ve been thinking about...”
Before he could continue, a scream from the yard made us jump. My God! It’s Robby’s whistle! When we reached him, he was pointing excitedly to the sky. Looking up, we saw the most magnificent sight: Rain Clouds! “Robby! Quick! We need all the pots and pans!”
Robby raced with me to the house. A drop of water fell on my pot and then another. Soon the yard was enveloped in soaking, glorious rain. We all stood with faces held upward to feel the comfort of it. Tom picked up Robby and danced about the pots, shouting and whooping, “Rain for Robby!” Tom swung about to show me Robby’s face: he was laughing right out loud, “W-W-Wobby’s!” “Wobby’s … wain … Mom,” giggling（咯咯地笑）, and stretching out one tiny hand in the shape of a cup to catch the rain.
I hugged them both, tears of joy mixing with the rain.The underlined phrase “the wonderful gifts” in the 3rd paragraph refers to Robby’s ______.
| A．love for nature and all living things |
| B．kindness to help others around |
| C．independence since his childhood |
| D．readiness to accept what happened to him |
It was because ______ that the author and her husband would run on hearing the whistle.
| A．it was going to rain |
| B．Robby often surprised us with his whistle |
| C．something bad might happen to Robby. |
| D．Robby might find something special |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Robby was old enough, but still couldn’t speak. |
| B．Robby’s aunt regretted bringing Robby home. |
| C．Robby didn’t accept the author and Tom as his parents. |
| D．Robby happened to find the rain cloud and was terrified. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
| A．we should show mercy for the disabled children |
| B．every child has his own talent however young he is |
| C．children from poor families take responsibilities earlier |
| D．children’s sensitive hearts are worthy to be taken care of |
There are many wetlands in China and some of them have become the world’s important wetlands. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are among them. They are in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. They are home for many different kinds of birds and animals. The world’s largest Milu Deer Nature Reserve(麋鹿自然保护区) is in them. More than 700 Milu deer live freely there. There are not many red-crowned cranes（丹顶鹤）in the world, but every winter you can see some in the Red-crown Cranes Nature Reserve in the Yellow Sea Wetlands.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine, too. They are really good places for wildlife. Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands. Wetlands are important because they also prevent flood. But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for the wildlife.
Luckily, more and more people are beginning to realize the importance of wetlands and wildlife. Every year, on February 2nd, many activities are held to tell people more about wetlands.The Yellow Sea Wetlands are in the ________ part of China.
| A．Northeast | B．northwest |
| C．southeast | D．southwest |
What is the weather usually like in the wetlands?
| A．Hot | B．Dry | C．Cold | D．Mild |
When is the World Wetlands Day?
| A．On June 25th. | B．On April 22nd. |
| C．On March 23rd | D．On February 2nd. |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．Wetlands ---- Valuable Land on the Earth |
| B．China’s Wetlands Are in the World’s List |
| C．Wetlands ---- Home for Wildlife and Human Beings |
| D．Special Animals in the Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands |
There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.
When my friend Lily from London used the word “larder”, I didn’t know what it meant. Realizing I didn’t follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food. The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.
Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like that. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a pissed woman. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.
Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store recently. She asked the young man to help her if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn’t follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.
In order to communicate well with British people, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English. When Lily used the word “larder”, she was probably looking for a ______.
| A．cup | B．ladder |
| C．cupboard | D．cooker |
According to the passage, in British English ______.
| A．the word “pissed” means angry |
| B．the word “jacket” is often used |
| C．the word “engaged” means tired |
| D．the word “rubber” means eraser |
What does the underlined phrase “jotted down” in Pragraph2 mean?
| A．Wrote down | B．Cared about |
| C．Looked for | D．Settled down |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The British way of using words. |
| B．Some new words the writer’s British friends taught her. |
| C．The reasons why Americans can’t followed the British at times. |
| D．Some words used differently in British English and American English. |
Lisa: My best teacher is my geography teacher in 10th grade. Why? Because we did school projects! Back then I wrote about India and never forgot what I had learned. He brought the culture to life by letting me become part of it. He also listened to us and was always ready with a kind word.
David: My best teacher is my high school social studies and history teacher, Thomas Ladenburg. He respected us, though we were just teenagers. His class was never boring because he often asked us to discuss in class. He used his own materials which made the class very interesting.
Henry: My best ever teacher is my biology teacher in high school. I really liked her class. She explained everything very clearly. She also checked our notebooks to make sure we had written down what she said. Now, many years later, I can still remember a large part of the things she taught!
Susan: The best teacher I have ever had is my 10th grade social studies teacher. She was always in a good mood and kept us laughing. She was really young, so she acted like us teenagers, which made learning fun. If we needed to talk to an adult about a problem, we would always come to her because we knew she could help us.
Tom: My favourite teacher is Mr. Yelle. He taught us math, science and music. He spoke to us “at eye level”, and was very patient and kind. We did great projects for the science fairs. Forty years later, I still remember his lessons very well. By the way, though he was called Mr Yelle, he didn’t yell(喊叫).We learn that when she was in 10th grade, Lisa ________.
| A．was always ready with a kind word |
| B．often forgot what she had learned very easily |
| C．liked doing school projects in the geography class |
| D．was interested in India the most in the geography class |
How did David most probably find Thomas Ladenburg’s class?
| A．Difficult. | B．Lively. | C．Useless. | D．Long. |
We can learn that Susan’s 10th grade social studies teacher _______.
| A．was good at listening to her students’ problems |
| B．liked laughing at her students’ problems |
| C．was not happy when she had a problem |
| D．didn’t like taking her students as friends |
A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town, but it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village.
On his way home he saw a person lying on the ground. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking his baskets.
The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked, “Are these yours? ” “Yes, sir. ” The farmer answered timidly（胆怯地）. “Have you killed the man?” “No, no, sir.” The farmer said in a hurry. “When did you see the dead man?” “About seven last evening. ” “Did you see who killed the man?” “No, sir. ” The officer brought out a knife and asked, “Have you seen it yet?” “No, sir. ” The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up and sent him into prison(监狱)。
That evening the officer went on trying. Pointing to the knife, he asked again, “Have you seen it yet?” “ yes, sir.” The officer was happy and asked, “When and where?” “I saw it here this afternoon, sir.”Why did the farmer decide to sell the vegetables?
| A．To go to the market. |
| B．To go to see the doctor. |
| C．To buy some food for his family. |
| D．To buy some medicine for his wife. |
The farmer didn’t sell out his vegetables until the evening because ________.
| A．they were too bad |
| B．they were very expensive |
| C．it rained hard that morning |
| D．people wouldn’t go out on such a bad day |
Why did the farmer run quickly?
| A．He was afraid to see a dead man. |
| B．His wife was waiting for him at home. |
| C．The policemen were coming towards him. |
| D．It was so late and he had to buy some medicine. |
The officer tried（审讯）the farmer to _______.
| A．ask if he had seen the knife |
| B．know who had killed the man |
| C．ask when he saw the dead man |
| D．know if he had seen the dead man |
Still seeking a destination for your weekend break? There are some places which are probably a mere wall away from your college.
King’s Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to ‘learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint – free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species; it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multi-branched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue-green leaves, and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dionaea muscipula, a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife-enthusiasts. Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called ‘Hissing Sid’ is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron’s Pool
Many stories surround Lord Byron’s time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805, he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”. However, it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I’m not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on occasion Byron swam naked by moonlight in the lake, which is now known as Byron’s Pool. A couple of miles past Grant Chester in the south Cambridge shire countryside, the pool is surrounded by beautiful circular paths around the fields. The cries of invisible birds make the trip a lovely experience and on the way home you can drop into the village for afternoon tea. If you don’t trust me, then perhaps you’ll take it from Virginia Woolf – over a century after Byron, she reportedly took a trip to swim in the same pool.As mentioned in the passage, there is a small charge for ____.
| A．attending the masters’ class |
| B．working with local artists |
| C．learning life drawing |
| D．seeing an exhibition |
“Torch Aloe” and “Venus Flytrap” are ____.
| A．common insects |
| B．impressive plants |
| C．rarely-seen snakes |
| D．wildlife-enthusiasts |
We can infer from the passage that Byron seemed ____.
| A．to fear pet bears |
| B．to like walking |
| C．to be a heavy drinker |
| D．to finish university in 1805 |
In the passage Byron’s Pool is described as a lake ____.
| A．surrounded by fields |
| B．owned by Lord Byron |
| C．located in Grant Chester |
| D．discovered by Virginia Woolf |