The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Bananas 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill. He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry. He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us. I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What’s up?” I asked him. “I … I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills. “Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. “Thank you, sir,” he said．“Thank you very much!”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks. What if he’s a swindler? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive. When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.
“Oh, gosh! Long time.”
“Are you in school now?” I asked. He nodded. “That’s good,” I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. “Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill. “Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s a gift.” He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shone with sweat. He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”It can be inferred from the first paragraph that _________.
| A．the boy was greedy |
| B．the boy had suffered a lot |
| C．the boy was in bad need of money |
| D．the boy was good at bargaining |
The second time the author met the boy, the boy _________.
| A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts |
| B．wanted to express his thanks |
| C．asked him for money for his schoolbooks |
| D．tried to take advantage of him |
The author gave his money to the boy because _________.
| A．he wanted to make himself feel better |
| B．he had learnt to help others since childhood |
| C．he held a higher position in the society |
| D．his parents asked him to do so |
What does the underlined word “swindler” mean?
| A．troublemaker | B．beggar | C．thief | D．cheat |
Which of the following best describes the boy?
| A．Brave and polite． | B．Kind and smart. |
| C．Honest and thankful． | D．Shy and nervous. |
She once said: "When people ask me if writing has been a hard or easy road I always answer with the famous saying, "the end is nothing; the road is all.'” That is what I mean when I say writing has been a pleasure. I have never faced the type-writer (打字机) with the thought that one more task had to be done."
Like most writers, Willa Cather did not write books for the money that they brought her, but rather for the pleasure that came in their writing. Her works were, like her, simple and full of the vigor (活力) of her days in Nebraska, where she grew from childhood to young womanhood and where she developed a deep love for the treeless land of the Great Plains with its wild flowers, wheat fields and rivers.
"It's a rather strange thing about the flat country," she wrote later. "It takes hold of you, or it leaves you perfectly cold. A great many people find it very dull; they like a church tower, an old factory, a waterfall country all made to look like a German, Christmas card... But when I come to the open plains, something happens. I'm home. I breathe differently."What did Cather mean by "the end is nothing; the road is all"?
| A．Writing is the only path to success. |
| B．I feel happy when I finish writing a book. |
| C．I enjoy writing whether it is hard or easy. |
| D．Writing itself, not its result, is important. |
What was the place like where Cather grew up?
| A．It was cold, plain and without a church. |
| B．It was a colorful world of wild flowers. |
| C．It was like a German Christmas card |
| D．It was vast, open, flat and wild. |
When she said "It takes hold of you, or it leaves you perfectly cold", Willa Gather meant ______.
| A．you either love the place or hate it |
| B．you decide either to stay or to leave |
| C．some find the place warm; others find it cold |
| D．some find the place peaceful; others find it wild |
What happens when Cather comes to the open plains?
| A．She breathes differently from others: |
| B．She wants to make the place her home. |
| C．She finds the place similar to her home. |
| D．She feels completely comfortable |
Last year, over 206,000 students from the United States studied abroad. Does that number surprise you? These students already know the benefits of studying abroad. You may be wondering why you should study abroad. Here are some answers for you.
◆Timing
The absolutely best time in your life to study abroad is when you are in college. If you miss this opportunity, it’s almost impossible for you to do it later in life.
◆To gain cross-cultural experience
Life overseas makes you see your everyday world in a whole new light. You don’t even realize it, but our culture shapes the way we view the world and affects us every minute of the day. Differences in culture are more than just differences in language, food, clothing and art.
◆To improve your communication skills and your self-confidence
People who study abroad tend to be willing to take risks, willing to put themselves in unusual situations, and able to solve problems.
◆To become more fluent in a language or to learn a new language
The world market is becoming smaller, and many companies require a second language. Foreign languages are not only valuable in the job market but also valuable in the real world.
◆For the adventure
Travel to other cities within your host country and around neighboring countries. As you get to know your new classmates, roommates, and host family, you will gain a unique view on the host culture. Discover the differences and, more importantly, the many similarities between your worlds. The friendships you make will last long after the program.
◆To learn more about yourself
Find out who you really are. What are your limits? How do you overcome the difficulties you’ve never encounteredbefore? How independent are you? These questions are hard to answer until you are removed from your usual surroundings. After solving difficult problems on your own overseas, you’ll find that almost nothing will confuse you at home. Students who study abroad commonly report that their study abroad experience actually changed their lives.The passage mainly talks about _______.
| A．the benefits of studying abroad |
| B．the time for studying abroad |
| C．the difficulty you come across when you're abroad |
| D．some tips on how to get used to a new environment |
What is the best time in your life to study abroad according to the passage?
| A．When you're at work. | B．When you are free. |
| C．At any time you like. | D．When you are in college. |
What does the underlined word“encountered” here mean?
| A．Opposed. | B．Experienced. | C．Solved. | D．Explained. |
All of the following are mentioned in the passage as reasons for studying abroad EXCEPT _______.
| A．getting cross-cultural experience |
| B．improving communication skills and self-confidence |
| C．improving your foreign language |
| D．learning how to get along with people |
Like many lovers of books, Mary and her husband, Richard Goldman, seldom walked past a bookstore without stopping to look inside. They often talked of opening their own store one day.
When Mary was hospitalized with heart trouble in 1989, they decided it was time to get serious. Richard, who worked for a business company, was eager to work for himself, and Mary needed to slow down from her demanding job.
They started by talking to bookstore owners and researching the industry. “We knew it had to be a specialty store because we couldn’t match the big chains dollar for dollar,” says Mary. One figure caught her attention: She’d read somewhere that roughly 20 percent of books sold were mysteries (推理小说), and many buyers spent more $300 a year on books. She and Richard were themselves mystery readers.
On Halloween 1992, they opened the Mystery Lovers Bookshop and Café near their home. With three children in college, the couple could not spend all the family’s money to start a shop. To cover the $100,000 cost, they drew some of their savings, borrowed from relatives and from an bank.
The store merely broke even in its first year, with only $120,000 in sales. But Mary was always coming up with new ways to attract customers. The shop had a coffee bar and it offered gifts to mystery lovers and served dinners for book clubs that met in the store. She also invited dozens of writers to discuss their stories.
Today Mystery Lovers makes sales of about $420,000 a year. After paying taxes, business costs and the six part-time sales clerks, Richard and Mary together earn about $34,000.
“The job you love may not go hand in hand with a million-dollar income,” says Richard. “This has always been about an enjoyable life for ourselves, not about making a lot of money.”When Mary was in hospital, the couple realized that ____.
| A．they had to put their plan into practice |
| B．health was more important than wealth |
| C．heart trouble was a serious illness |
| D．they both needed to stop working |
After Mary got well from her illness they began _____.
| A．to study industrial management |
| B．to buy and read more mystery books |
| C．to do market research on book business |
| D．to work harder to save money for the bookstore |
How did their bookstore do in the first year?
| A．They had to borrow money to keep it going. |
| B．They made just enough to cover all the costs. |
| C．They succeeded in earning a lot of money. |
| D．They failed though they worked hard. |
According to Richard, the main purpose of running the bookstore is _____.
| A．to pay for their children’s education |
| B．to get to know more writers |
| C．to set up more bookstores |
| D．to do what they like to do |
Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens（过敏原）, prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children？
A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennic Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, says that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first year of life to those who were not.
By using skin-prick tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps "exercise" their immune systems early in life so that they're better able to resist allergic diseases later.
There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune(免疫) system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them. Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?
| A．Because the results are contrary to their expectation． |
| B．Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs． |
| C．Because parents are so much worried about their children． |
| D．Because children with animals may develop allergies easily． |
Compared with children who have pets，those who haven’t ______.
| A．will lose the chance to develop immune system |
| B．will reduce the harm from bacteria |
| C．may suffer allergic diseases more often |
| D．can keep doctors away |
The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
| A．the early life | B．an allergic disease |
| C．something important | D．immune system |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to protect your kids from allergies |
| B．Bacteria do good to your kids |
| C．Your pets may be helping your kids |
| D．Advantages of owning pets |
Tail Spin
Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin Grace, shown off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she’s even swimming at all. She doesn’t have a tail.
Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap.
When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it — but her tail didn’t. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.
Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way—like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncles from side to side.
The movement put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.
The first time Grace wore the artificial tail. She soon shook it off and let it sink in the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The tail isn’t necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”
Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focus on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage.When Grace first arrived at the Ocean Park, her trainer worried about her .
| A．physical build | B．potential ability |
| C．chance of survival | D．adaptation to the surroundings. |
A man-made tail is created for Grace to .
| A．let her recover faster | B．make her comfortable |
| C．adjust her way of swimming | D．help her perform better tricks |
The story of Grace inspires people to.
| A．stick to their dreams | B．treat animals friendly |
| C．treasure what they have | D．face difficulties bravely |