My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult.
For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess(承认)to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred(神圣的) thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog that my father carved from a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve, I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time.” I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me. What is the main subject of the passage?
A.The relationship between Mark and Steve. |
B.The important lesson Mark learned in school |
C.Steve’s important role in mark’s growing process. |
D.Mark and Steve’s respect for living things. |
It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, __________.
A.he felt surprised | B.he was light-hearted |
C.he felt frightened | D.he knelt before her |
In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
A.Respect for personal property. |
B.Respect for life. |
C.Sympathy for people with problems. |
D.The value of honesty. |
According to the writer, which was the most important lesson Steve taught his young brother?
A.Respect for living things. |
B.Responsibility for one’s actions. |
C.The value of the honesty. |
D.Care for the property of others. |
Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
A.Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage. |
B.Mark lost the small dog his father carved somewhere. |
C.When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it. |
D.Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation. |
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet.Basically,Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile which can include your hobbies,hopes for the future,and so on.A photograph is optional,but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You call even narrow the search down to your area by zip code.Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person.Thousands of people have met,fallen in love,and married through Internet dating.It is an excellent way for shy people to meet.It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others,and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love,there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating.The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details,such as marital status,income,and so on,for their own reasons.It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time.Nevertheless,taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.The purpose of writing the passage is to _____.
A.persuade readers to go dating on the Internet |
B.inform us how to date on the Internet |
C.warn readers against web love |
D.introduce Internet dating to us |
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
A.A photo . | B.A profile. | C.Registration fee. | D.Business experience. |
One advantage of Internet dating is that _____. .
A.you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning |
B.you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests |
C.you'll find absolutely reliable information of others |
D.you'll gain fame and money overnight |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
A.Traditional dating. | B.Hidden advantages. |
C.Safety measures. | D.Romantic love. |
B
HIGHFIELD COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SCHOOL REPORT Form Teacher:G. Baker Pupil’s Name: Simon Watkins Term:Summer 2010 Form:Ⅳ B
FORM TEACHER’S REMARKSHEADMASTER |
According to the comments of the Physical Education teacher, Simon _____.
A.is too talkative in the class |
B.likes to work with his classmates |
C.doesn’t exercise his body at the right time |
D.becomes weak because he doesn’t exercise at all |
Which of Simon’s subjects will attract the headmaster’s attention in future?
A.Biology and Maths. | B.History and French. |
C.English and Chemistry. | D.Physics and Physical Education. |
Which of the following statements best describes Simon?
A.He has made great progress in language classes. |
B.His potential has been fully reflected in science classes. |
C.His grade in maths makes him a born scientist. |
D.He needs to improve his attitude on certain subjects. |
Based on the school report, which of the following statements is true?
A.Simon didn’t bother his teacher to revise French. |
B.Basically, Simon did a good job in science. |
C.Simon is a determined learner in English. |
D.Simon is able to pay attention to history for long. |
Millions of British people have ditched the traditional “thank you” and replaced it with the less formal “cheers”, according to a survey.
Although the average person will say “thank you” nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a “cheers” or “ta” where it’s needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.
One in 20 now say “nice one” instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a “cool” than a “thank you”. “Merci”, “fab” and even “gracias” were also listed as common phrases to use, as was “much appreciated”.
One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal “thank you” was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly wouldn’t say “thank you” if they were in a bad mood.
Most people declared that saying “thank you” was something drilled into them by their parents. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say “thank you” to a person’s face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should — on at least two occasions every day.
It seems our friends and family get the brunt (压力) of our bad manners with half admitting they’re not good at thanking those closest to them — many justifying (为……辩解) the lack of thanks because their family “already know I’m grateful”.
When spoken words won’t do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. A thank you email is also popular, while a quarter turn to social networks to express gratitude. A quarter of British people say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake. A third will still send a handwritten thank-you note — but 45 percent admit it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.
It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude they feel they should receive.Most of the people who took part in the survey say that they say “thank you” _____.
A.when they are in good mood | B.completely out of habit |
C.when they feel truly grateful | D.purely out of politeness |
The underlined word “ditched” in Paragraph 1 means “_____”.
A.abandoned | B.used | C.shared | D.grasped |
It can be learned from the passage that _____.
A.different ways of expressing gratitude are all fashionable |
B.people should avoid saying “thank you” nowadays |
C.a thank-you note is still appreciated by most people |
D.people in a bad mood never say “thank you” |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Most people express their gratitude to others by buying food for them. |
B.About fifty percent of people try not to say thank you when they should. |
C.Most people may feel natural when they fail to receive others’ gratitude. |
D.Many people think it unnecessary to say thanks to their family members. |
Very far away from the city lived a poor farmer and his wife. In front of their house was a small dirt road. Very few cars drove on this road because it was so far from the city. On the dirt road, there was a big hole filled with water. The hole was very deep, but drivers on the road didn't know just how deep. Drivers always drove into the hole, but they never drove out.
One day, a man in a new car was driving down the road. He saw the hole with the water, but he didn't think it was very deep. He drove into the hole, but he couldn't drive out. The man saw the farmer on his tractor working in the field, and he signaled to the farmer. The farmer drove over to the man in the new car.
“Is there a problem?”asked the farmer.
“Yes,”said the man.“My car is stuck in this hole. Can you help me?”
“Maybe,”said the farmer.“But I'm very busy.”
“lf you help me, I'll pay you,” said the man.
“OK,”said the farmer. The farmer pulled the car out of the hole with his tractor, and the man paid him a lot of money. The man looked at the farmer and said,“You must. make a lot of money pulling cars out of this hole day and night.”
“Actually, no,”said the farmer.
“Why not?”asked the man.
“The hole is very deep, and a lot of people get stuck and ask for help. But I don't make money day and night because I don't pull cars out at night.”
“At night I'm busy filling the hole with water,” answered the farmer.The reason why few cars drove on the small dirt road was that __________ .
A.there was a big and deep hole | B.the couple was not polite enough |
C.it had a long distance from the city | D.drivers were afraid of being in the hole |
According to paragraph 2, we can know about the man in a new car __________ .
A.he just learned to drive a car | B.it was the first time that he passed there |
C.he knew how deep the hole was | D.he knew the farmer in the field |
What did the farmer usually do at night?
A.He helped pull out cars. | B.He made money. |
C.He filled water to the hole | D.He slept at home. |
If you are having trouble falling asleep, you are in good company. About 65% of Americans said they have sleeping problems a few nights each week, according to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation. Sleeping too little can lead to a higher risk of becoming fat and getting depressed(沮丧的). But before you go to a doctor for advice, it is worth examining your sleeping habits one more time. Some of your favorite evening habits may have something to do with the sleeping problems.
Setting a Bright Alarm Clock
The light of your bright alarm clock can prevent you from falling asleep. You can make your room as dark as possible. Cover the bright numbers with a book or consider buying a small travel clock. Your cellphone alarm may also do the trick.
Counting Sheep
When you just can’t fall asleep, it’s useless to stay in bed to count sheep. If you’ve been trying to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes, the National Sleep Foundation suggests you get up to do some reading or watch TV for a while. Such activities will make you sleepy. Before you know it, you’ll be going back to bed really tired.
Exercising Late at Night?
Daytime workouts(锻炼) will keep you full of energy for hours. That’s why you don’t want to exercise within three hours of hitting the sack. Fierce(剧烈的) physical activity raise your body temperature and pumps your energy level—both are bad for a good night’s sleep.What can we learn from the first sentence of the passage?
A.It’s not good to fail to fall asleep at night. |
B.People in a good company often have sleeping problems. |
C.There are many people who have sleeping problems. |
D.You should find someone to talk to if you can’t fall asleep. |
The underlined part “hitting the sack” in the last paragraph means “______”.
A.going back home | B.going to bed |
C.going to the gym | D.falling asleep |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.The bad results o f getting too little sleep. |
B.Why the bright alarm clock keeps you awake. |
C.What to do if you can’t fall asleep after 30 minutes. |
D.Why watching TV and reading books make people sleepy. |
By writing the passage, the writer mainly wants to tell us _______.
A.why so many people can’t sleep well at night |
B.how to enjoy a good night’s sleep |
C.that sleeping problems are troubling more and more people |
D.that people may solve their sleeping problems by some habits |