Homeboy Goes to Harvard University
On January 11, 2007, as students sat and listened, a very important guest speaker named Richard, spoke to the students in the lecture hall. He not only showed the potential（潜能）within young adults, but encouraged them to work hard at their lessons.
Richard was a young child when his mother died and his father walked out. He was forced into many different foster homes（寄养家庭）where he felt unhappy. He did not know that his life was taking a turn for the worst.
His uncle, after getting out of prison, got him into drugs and alcohol. His uncle taught him that his place in life was either to be in prison or die trying to be “a man.” His uncle’s teaching almost started affecting him until a very important person came into his life: a teacher. This teacher taught him there is a place in the world for everyone and it isn’t related to drugs.
Richard is now a Harvard University graduate and has a great and loving family. Why? He was taught to have respect not only for others, but for himself.
After the meeting, it was hoped that the students realized within them there is a potential, and within everyone around them, is knowledge. As Richard reminded them, “Knowledge is power.”On January 11, 2007, students listened to a speech made by Richard, who graduated from ________.
| A．Harvard University | B．a foster school |
| C．his teacher’s school | D．his uncle’s university |
Richard encouraged the students ______.
| A．to love life | B．to be a man | C．to study hard | D．to leave drugs |
When he was young, Richard lived a（an）_______ life in foster homes.
| A．rich | B．unhappy | C．relaxing | D．interesting |
Who played an important role in Richard’s successful life?
| A．His uncle. | B．His teacher. | C．His friends. | D．His parents. |
The clothes you wear. The food you eat. The color of your bedroom walls. Where you go and how you get there. The people you hang around with. What time you go to bed. What do these things have in common? You’re asking. They’re just a few examples of many hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child.
As a kid, you didn’t have a say in everything; your parents made decisions about everything from the cereal you ate in the morning to the pajamas you wore at night. And it’s a good thing, too—kids need this kind of protection on their own.
But finally, kids grow up and become teens. And part of being a teen is developing your own identity—one that is separate from your parents’. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his own decisions, your parents have a difficult time adjusting (调整).
In most families, it is this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. And issues like the type of friends you have or your attitudes to partying can cause bigger arguments, because your parents still always want to protect you and keep you safe, no matter how old you are.
The good news about fighting with your parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teens have a right to certain opinions. It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though. In the meantime, focus on communicating with your parents.
Sometimes this can feel impossible—like they just don’t see your point of view and never will. But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents.
Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through.In the first two paragraphs, the writer .
| A．complains that parents control kids too much |
| B．proves that kids have no right to give their opinions |
| C．describes how carefully parents look after kids |
| D．explains that it is necessary for parents to control kids |
A lot of fighting breaks out between teens and parents because .
| A．parents aren’t used to losing control of kids |
| B．teens like to have everything decided |
| C．parents blame teens for not respecting them |
| D．teens are eager to develop their own identity |
In the writer’s opinion, parents control teens in order to .
| A．prevent them from having their own ideas |
| B．protect them from being hurt |
| C．make them respect parents in the family |
| D．make sure that children have a good future |
The underlined word “this” in paragraph 6 may refer to “”.
| A．arguing with friends |
| B．fighting with your parents |
| C．communicating with parents |
| D．adjusting to new roles |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．What do parents control their children for? |
| B．How parents take care of children? |
| C．How to get rid of your parents’ control? |
| D．Why do I fight with parents so much? |
Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure(结构), but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's uncommon that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence ( 自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.What's the best topic for the passage?
| A．How to Speak to Foreigners |
| B．How to Study English Well |
| C．How to Organize the Idea in English |
| D．Practise Speaking English All the Time |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking. |
| B．If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English. |
| C．If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well. |
| D．Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes. |
Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States, there are various independent organizations offering similar activities.
Students can participate ( take part ) in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies . Anyone can register ( 登记 ) with such groups , which then organize courses ,training and trips for all members .
One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain , is Outward Bound ( 户外训练 ) . It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year .
The courses are to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence , self-esteem ( 自尊 ) and character . As well as specialist courses such as canoeing , leadership skills and sailing , participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills .
Michael Williams , an American student , took part in an Outward Bound course last year . He said : “We learned lots of first aid skills , lots of natural history , lots of environmental facts , and participated in a wildlife preservation ( protecting ) programme . Beyond that , my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing .”
Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14 . Students must be in general good health , but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports . There is no selection process ; everyone is welcome , although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical power .
Most of the British courses take place in the Beacons in Wales . Another similar organization is the UK Survival School , which includes courses on learning to live with the environment , sailing and winter survival . On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food , how to make fire and cook with it , to find and build a shelter , control survival life support , how to cross rivers , send off an SOS signal , and to use compasses by day and night .
According to the leaders , such adventures are “an awakening , an exploration into unknown.” Outward Bound believes that participants will “use mind and body traveling some of the earth’s roughest wildness areas .”The advantage of the training courses is that _________________ .
| A．participants can make friends with others |
| B．participants can visit some places of interest |
| C．participants can experience different adventures |
| D．participants can learn how wonderful nature is |
In the Outward Bound course last year , the most exciting experience Michael Williams had was _____________________.
| A．learning first aid skills | B．collecting facts of environment |
| C．preserving wildlife | D．rock climbing and sailing |
What’s the writer’s purpose to write this passage ?
| A．To introduce the training course to readers |
| B．To persuade readers to take part in the training courses. |
| C．To tell readers the danger of this training course |
| D．To introduce the wonders of the world to readers |
How to Become Cleverer
Once a boy came to ask a fisherman how to become cleverer, because his mother always called him “foolish boy”.
“That’s easy,” answered the fisherman. “I know one way to make you become cleverer.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It is said a fish head is good for brain. If you eat one, you’ll become cleverer indeed. Pay only three pounds for one fish head.” The boy paid him three pounds and the fisherman cut off a fish head and handed it to him.
A raw fish head is not good—not even for a hungry boy to eat but the boy ate it up in two gulps.
“Do you feel anything?” asked the fisherman.
“Not in my head,” said the boy.
The boy lay on the ground and thought. “One whole fish costs only two pounds. I had paid him three pounds for the fish head. Why couldn’t I have the whole fish for soup, a head for brain and one pound left over?” He jumped up and shouted at the fisherman. “You thief! You are fooling me!” The fisherman laughed, saying, “The fish head works now, you see.”The boy ate up the raw fish head only in two gulps, because he __________.
| A．enjoy it |
| B．wanted to taste it |
| C．took it as a good medicine |
| D．was a foolish boy |
The boy came to the fisherman in order to __________.
| A．buy a fish head |
| B．ask the fisherman a question |
| C．become cleverer |
| D．A and C |
“Not in my head” means “__________”.
| A．The fish head was not in the boy’s head |
| B．The boy felt nothing came into his head |
| C．It’s difficult to give an answer right away |
| D．The boy didn’t feel that he was cleverer |
The boy paid three pounds. He should have had __________.
| A．a whole fish |
| B．a fish head and one pound back |
| C．a whole fish and one pound back |
| D．a whole fish, a fish head and one pound back |
__________ helped the boy become cleverer.
| A．A good meal | B．The raw fish head |
| C．Nothing | D．What had happened |
High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better-tasting meals.
Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For examples, most people use the phone or e-mail to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word-process a homework assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer likes high-tech cooking. |
| B．Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals. |
| C．High-tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you. |
| D．Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework. |
How does the writer feel about high-tech tool?
| A．Better late than never. | B．Easy come, easy go. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. | D．Learn to walk before you run. |
What is the main subject discussed in the text?
| A．High-tech vs. low-tech |
| B．Advantages vs. disadvantages. |
| C．Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet. |
| D．Word-processing vs. handwriting. |