When his book Little Princes began, Conor Grennan was planning a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month volunteer service at the Little Princess Children’s Home, an orphanage (孤儿院）in Nepal.
Arriving there, Conor was immediately welcomed by all the children even though he had no previous experience in working with children. He quickly grew to love the job. But it wasn’t long before Conor came to learn that the children were not orphans at all—they were actually children who had been separated from their parents by a child trafficker (贩子).
This realization turned Conor’s global journey into a strong desire to try to find a way to reunite these children with their families. As a part of his efforts, Conor did a great amount of work when he was back in America. He started up a nonprofit organization called Next Generation Nepal (NGN), raising funds in order to buy a house in Nepal for another children’s home. Then, back in Nepal, he began a life-changing trip into remote villages.
It is really amazing to read about Conor communicating with the children and to read his descriptions of each of them. He made me truly care about the kids. I wanted them to be able to reunite with their families, too! Unfortunately, this was simply not possible for some of the children. But there were some lucky ones. Jagrit, for example, had thought for years that both his parents were dead. So, Conor was surprised when he visited Jagrifs village and was introduced to the boy’s father!
Conor successfully found many of the families of the children and also found his future wife while in Nepal.What do we know about Little Princess Children’s Home?
| A．Many children ended there due to illegal trade. |
| B．The children in it are all orphans. |
| C．It is a worldwide profitable organization. |
| D．It has many branches all over Nepal. |
In order to help the children, Conor ______.
a. decided to remain single
b. set up the organization NGN
c. visited some remote villages
d. fought against child traffickers
e. gave up his plan to travel worldwide
| A．a, b, d | B．b, c, d | C．b，c，e | D．c，d，e |
It can be learned from the text that Conor Grennan______.
| A．is a friend of the author | B．likes teaching very much |
| C．has already settled in Nepal | D．is the author of Little Princes |
Lying in the sun on a rock , the cougar（美洲豹）saw Jeb and his son Tom before they saw it . Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands , making himself look big to the cougar . It worked . The cougar hesitated , ready to attack Jeb , but ready to forget the whole thing , too .
Jeb let go of his jacket , grasped Tom and held him across his body , making a cross . Now the cougar’s enemy looked even bigger , and it rose up , ready to move away , but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb .
“ Tom , no ! ” shouted his father .
But Tom broke and ran and that’s the last thing you do with a cougar . The second Tom broke free , Jeb threw himself on the cougar , just as it jumped from the rock . They hit each other in mid-air and both fell . The cougar was on Jeb in a flash , leaving Tom alone , which was what Jeb wanted .
Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance , even with just his fists . As the cougar’s claws（爪子）got into his left shoulder , Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard . The animal howled（吼叫）and put its head back . Jeb followed up with his other fist . Then out of the corner of his eye , Jeb saw Tom . The boy was running back to help his father .
“ knife , Tom , ” shouted Jeb .
The boy ran to his father’s bag , while Jeb started shouting as well as hitting , to keep the cougar’s attention away from Tom . Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb . The cougar was moving its head in and out , trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms . Tom swung with the knife , into the cougar’s back . It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains .
The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds .Why did Jeb pull his jacket open when he saw the cougar ?
| A．To get ready to fight . | B．To protect his son . |
| C．To calm himself down . | D．To frighten it away . |
What can we learn from the passage about cougars ?
| A．They always forget things . |
| B．They dislike loud noises . |
| C．They like to attack running people . |
| D．They hesitate before attack . |
Jeb tried to hold the cougar’s attention by __________ .
| A．making a wall with his arms |
| B．keeping shouting and hitting |
| C．throwing himself on the cougar |
| D．swinging his fists at the cougar’s eyes |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Jeb ?
| A．Smart but bad-tempered . | B．Loving and determined . |
| C．Tough and warm-hearted . | D．Determined but hesitant . |
LONDON---The International Table Tennies Federation(ITTF) plans to work with Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corporation, to promote(促进) table tennis in the United States, ITTF President
Adham Sharara said.
The plan was put forward after Gates came to London to watch the game between US teen player Ariel Hsing and Chinese Li Xiaoxia on Sunday, Sharara told Xinhua in an interview.
Sharara didn’t disclose the details, but said that Gates offered to help after watching Hsing’s match, in which the 16-year-old girl nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic table tennis history, pushing No. 2 seed Li to the limit before losing 4-2 in six tight sets.
“Gates was surprised to see the young American girl played so well. He asked me what he can do to help promote table tennis in the United States. I think we’ll work with him. If the United States becomes very strong in table tennis, it’s also good for China,” Sharara said.
Sharara said the case is a “good example” which shows that ITTF’s efforts in promoting the popularity. The ITTF has changed its rules for the London Games, allowing only two players from one nation to enter the singles events. Three players from each National Olympic Committee(NOC) were allowed to enter the singles in previous Games.
“The reason we do this is to help more NOCs to join in our game. If we give more chances to the top countries, someone like Hsing will not come to the Olympic Games. They have no chance. But if we give them the chance, we can see what they can do,” Sharara said.
Sharara said the change increased the pressure on strong teams, like China, Japan, South Korea and Germany. “But they understand now because they saw other NOCs attending. Some countries before had no chance to play in table tennis, but now they are joining in table tennis.”
Other changes made to the Olympic Games include the color of floor (from red to blue) and new table design. “As far as presentation is concerned, we try to change all the time, especially in the Olympic Games. We hope to give audiences something new, exciting and cool.”
Table tennis has long been the strengths of Asia, especially China. Since the sport was introduced into the Olympics in 1988, China has taken 20 of 24 gold medals available. Four years ago in Beijing, it claimed six medals in the men’s and women’s singles.
Talking about the development of table tennis, Sharara said, “China has the responsibility to promote the sport. Of course, China has done a lot.”It is mainly reported in this news that in order to promote table tennis in the United States, _______.
| A．ITTF will cooperate with Gates |
| B．Gates watched Hsing’s match |
| C．some rules have been changed |
| D．Hsing pushed Li Xiaoxia to the limit |
What gave Gates more confidence to promote table tennis in the United States?
| A．The Olympic spirits. |
| B．The popularity of table tennis. |
| C．Sharara’s patient persuasion. |
| D．Ariel Hsing’s wonderful performance. |
Which of the following is ITTF’s purpose of making changes to the London Games?
| A．To attract more local audience to the matches. |
| B．To prevent strong table tennis teams developing. |
| C．To promote the popularity of table tennis. |
| D．To give Asian teams chances to join in the match. |
The following paragraph will most probably talk about_____________.
| A．the table tennis rules | B．Gate’s detailed plan |
| C．what China has done | D．sports in the United States |
With around 40,000 students, the Politecnico di Milano is the largest and most technical university in Italy, offering undergraduate, graduate and other courses in engineering, architecture and design. Founded in 1863, just two years after Italy was united, Milan Polytechnic is international famous. Many of its graduates now work in big companies abroad like M.I.T., Caltech and Oxbridge.
Yet the Politechnic has a problem. As you know, here in Italy people speak Italian. Beautiful though the language may be, it is not a good choice for engineers when they’re building a way in Norway or designing a bridge in Vietnam. For better or worse, the global tongue of engineers is English. Hoping to attract more international students, the Politechnic decided to run its doctor’s courses in English only. Over 100 teachers went to court to block the plan, referring to a 1933 law that makes Italian the official language. For some teachers, all that matters is that they don’t feel comfortable teaching in English. In 2013, the court said they were right. Teaching English was out.
But there was more to come. They then went on a nationwide campaign against their university’s decision. Unwisely, the defenders of the Italian language backed them, saying, “we note with regret and concern the ignorance and abandonment(放弃) of Italian in the university education.”
The leaders at the Politechnic refused to be frightened, and asked for the ruling. Last month the Council of State said, “Art and science are free, and teaching them is free.” The question is whether teaching in English prevents students acquiring knowledge. But one could put it differently, and ask whether universities should be free to teach in whatever way they think best serves their students.
Interestingly, the people one might expect to be most against English-only teaching, the students themselves, have taken it easy. The president, Giovanni Azzone, told me: “Students write to me about everything from the lack of parking spaces to washrooms that don’t work. Not one has ever complained about the courses in English.”The main idea of the passage is that the Politechnic decision to run its doctor’s courses in English only ________.
| A．attracts more international students |
| B．sends more students to work abroad |
| C．makes some teachers out of work |
| D．meets with different responses |
Which statement is NOT the reason why the Politechnic decided to use only English in class?
| A．Many graduates work abroad. |
| B．Italian is widely used. |
| C．English is the global language. |
| D．The Politechnic is an international university. |
Those who agree with the new change in the Politechnic are ________.
| A．the Politechnic leaders | B．over 100 teachers |
| C．the Council of State | D．the defenders of Italian |
The students’ attitude towards English-only teaching in doctor’s courses is _________.
| A．indifferent（漠然的） | B．disapproving |
| C．skeptical | D．approving |
Researchers Jose Cordova and Erich Astudillo have discovered a new molecule(分子) that kills the bacteria Streptococcus Mutans, long known to be responsible for breaking down sugars in food in the mouth, which damages tooth leading to decay(腐烂). The new molecule they call “Keep 32” has been found to kill the bacteria.
The two have applied for a patent(专利) on their discovery and have also begun a marketing strategy aimed at both oral care products and food products. They say either product, if left in the mouth for just 60 seconds ,will kill all the harmful bacteria in the mouth and keep them at bay for several hours. If the new molecule passes health and safety tests, the two believe products using their new molecule should be on the market in as little as a year and a half. They expect the market for such a product to reach $300 million in just the first year.
The two have been working together since 2005 using money from the Founder Institute and say the aim is to approve the process for creating the molecule they’ve discovered for big companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate even candy companies such as Hershey’s. In interviews, Astudillo has suggested that the two researchers are already heavily into discussion with several companies, some of which are interested in buying the patent once it is approved.
Over the years many products have come on the scene with announcement of reducing tooth decay and even the loss of teeth, but other than the introduction of fluoride(氟化物) into drinking water, not much progress has been made. If the announcement made by this new team proves true however, it could foresee a mark in saving the world of tooth decay as well as helping to improve the health for millions of people as tooth decay has been linked to many other health problems throughout the body including heart attacks.The underlined word “them” in Para. 2 refers to _________.
| A．oral care products | B．food products |
| C．new molecules | D．the harmful bacteria |
The phrase “come on the scene” in Para. 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．performed | B．occurred |
| C．existed | D．arrived |
What has been a way to reduce tooth decay and even the loss of teeth over the years?
| A．Using the molecule“Keep 32”. |
| B．Killing the bacteria Mutans. |
| C．Introducing fluorideinto drinking water. |
| D．Cooperating with some big companies. |
This passage mainly tells us that ___________.
| A．many health problems are closely connected to tooth decay |
| B．the discovery of a new molecule will greatly benefit health care |
| C．two researchers are discussing their patent with companies |
| D．researchers discover a molecule that can kill tooth decay-causing bacteria |
Set in a future in which human has been in conflict with an alien race, the novel follows the progress of 6 year old Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a gifted child who was the result of a government program to develop new commanders to help in the fight against the alien. In the School Ender quickly shows himself to be at the top of his class through his clever use of intelligence during a zero-gravity war game. While Ender’s success makes him a target for older, envious(嫉妒的) commanders, he keeps moving up and is finally promoted(提拨) to Command School where he gets further training from the famous commander Mazer Rackham. In Command School, Ender’s tests and games become increasingly exhausting until he is finally forced to make a frightening decision that has destroying results.
Ender’s Game centers around a group of children who seem to grow into full adults whose emotions and actions seem inconsistent with their actual ages. The youth of these characters added weight to the sadness I felt for these kids who had been raised to be cold and trained since birth to view life as a conflict to be won or lost.The fact that these “Innocents” are competing against each other to kill a faceless enemy for the better of mankind is seen as an unavoidable result of the fear that was stuck in humanity. And while obvious similarities to our own present state of war can be made, the book doesn’t focus as much on the alien threat as it does on Ender’s struggles and the results of his actions.
My main regret with this book was that I didn’t read it when I was younger. I think that I probably would have had an even greater reaction to the story and the struggles of Ender if I’d been closer to his age when I experienced it. Oh well, better late than never I guess.Ender studies in Command school because of__________.
| A．the conflict with other countries |
| B．a government program |
| C．his further training |
| D．exhausting tests and games |
How did the writer feel about the children in Ender’s Game?
| A．Fearful. | B．Sad. | C．Proud. | D．Envious. |
This passage is probably one part of _________.
| A．a science novel | B．a news story |
| C．a school introduction | D．a book review |