The success of Pickwick Papers made Dickens very popular. He suddenly found himself at twenty-four the most famous novelist of his day. Busy as his social life was, he worked on two novels at the same time－Oliver Twist and Pickwick Papers. He was particularly proud of Pickwick, which was a huge success and was regarded as a comedy (喜剧)masterpiece(杰作). “If I were to live a hundred years and write novels in each, I should never be so proud of any of them as I am proud of Pickwick Papers,” he said.
It has been said of Dickens that he grasped（抓住）the imagination of his readers because his imagination grasped himself. The people in his works were so real that they could make him laugh or cry. When writing Oliver Twist he said that he could not rest until Fagin, the wrongdoer(做坏事的人), had been hanged.
Dickens’ marriage to Catherine Hagarth, with whom he had nine children, ended unhappily in 1858. He started to travel about giving readings of his works. His interest in theater gave his novels the qualities that made them suitable for reading aloud on the stage. A tiring travel to the United States affected his health. On June 9, 1870, when he was working on a new novel, he died, as he had wished. He said he wanted to die working. Dickens became a famous novelist .
| A．because his social work |
| B．with the success of Pickwick Papers |
| C．because he was writing two novels at the same time |
| D．when he began to give readings of his works |
According to this passage, we know that Dickens .
| A．was only interested in writing novels |
| B．didn’t like Oliver Twist |
| C．wished to live one hundred years and write three novels in each |
| D．didn’t think he could write a better novel than Pick wick Papers in his life |
Fagin must be .
| A．a person in real life |
| B．a character in Oliver Twist |
| C．a character in Pickwick Papers |
| D．one of Dickens’ works |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Dickens had a happy marriage to Catherine Hagarth |
| B．Dickens was a successful actor |
| C．Dickens’ death had little to do with his hard work |
| D．Dickens had wished to die in the course of his work |
You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy(嫉妒)? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don’t let jealousy spoil your relationships. Deal withitconfidently and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you’ll have to do just that. Don’t approach them and ask why they are jealous of you unless of course you want to appear totally conceited (逞能), just take some time alone with them and let them know that you’ve been feeling like there’s been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn’t get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don’t limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be ruined by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can’t, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won’t.According to the author, the jealousy emotion is________.
| A．normal | B．productive |
| C．destructive | D．extreme |
What does the author intend to tell us in paragraph 2?
| A．How to solve the problem of jealousy. |
| B．Why we need to solve the problem of jealousy. |
| C．How to explain your jealousy to your friends. |
| D．Why it is hard to deal with the problem of jealousy. |
What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?
| A．There’s always a solution to solve the problem of jealousy. |
| B．Jealousy can turn best friends into worst enemies. |
| C．You may lose a friend to keep your own gifts, chances or self development. |
| D．You should go a long way with your friend to work out a solution |
This passage is mainly intended for________.
| A．female readers |
| B．students |
| C．teenagers |
| D．best friends |
A drunken burglar in the Orrell Park area of Liverpool, ended up leaping out of a window after a 10-year-old girl asked him to prove he was a superhero.
The drunken thief who pretended he was Superman to stop a child raising the alarm has been caught after he leapt from the apartment building in his pants to make the girl convinced.
Theif Ethan Adamson, 25, told police that he had broken into a fifth-floor flat after a drinking session, believing it was empty.
But he was horrified when the owner’s 10-year-old daughter woke up while he was there.
From his hospital bed, the thief told reporters, “To keep her quiet, I told her I was really Superman and I’d soon be flying off back to my secret headquarters.”
“She called my bluff (向…摊牌) and told me, ‘If you’re Superman, show me you can fly or I’ll scream’.
“I had no choice so I stripped to my pants to look more like a superhero and went to the window. I saw another roof below and I thought I could make it but it turned out to be a lot further down than thought. I know it doesn’t make sense but it did to me when I was drunk.”
Police later found him on the roof in just his yellow pants, covered in cuts and bruises after a baffled neighbor heard his cries of pain.
He now faces seven years behind bars for burglary.
Police spokesman Frank Armado said, “ He was in quite a serious state and couldn’t move until we got up there using ladders. He was treated for his injuries and we got him some fresh clothes, before taking him to hospital where he is being kept under guard until he is well enough to be arrested.”What does the underlined part in the passage mean?
| A．I could land safely on the roof. |
| B．I could make the girl trust me. |
| C．I could prove I was a superhero. |
| D．I could make a successful escape. |
What’s the right order of the event?
a. Ethan Adamson told reporters of the burglary.
b. The 10-year-old girl called Ethan Adamson’s bluff.
c. Ethan Adamson attended a drinking session.
d. Ethan Adamson leapt out of a window.
| A．cabd | B．dbca | C．cbda | D．dcab |
What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To report on a joking burglary |
| B．To call our attention to the burglary. |
| C．To explain how the burglar was caught. |
| D．To look back on an adventure story. |
July 21st. 2007 was a typical English summer’s day--it rained for 24 hours! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I left work at 5p.m., however, the road into our village was flooded. Our house had never been flooded but, as I opened the front door, a wave of waters greeted me. Thank God! The kids weren’t with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the wall’s ceilings pulled down.
At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home. So we camped upstairs. We put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we move to a wooden house in a park. The house was small, but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community. We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbors, and I’d never thought how much I’d miss that.
Although our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought. “We didn’t have a straw hut(茅草房) that was swept away, and our house is still standing. We’re lucky.” We moved back home in August. With December coming, there’s reconstruction work to be done, so it’s difficult to prepare for Christmas. But I can’t wait--I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year, I won’t need any gifts--living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions. Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush--we have our home back. And that’s the main thing.What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Found. | B．Missing. | C．Right. | D．Wrong. |
It can be inferred from the text that the author _________.
| A．cared much about her children |
| B．was sick of staying upstairs alone |
| C．could not stand living in a wooden house |
| D．did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood |
Why does the author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph?
| A．Because her situation was not serious. |
| B．Because some others suffered even more. |
| C．Because she had ever been to Northern India. |
| D．Because very few other places were also flooded. |
What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story?
| A．She realized she needed no more possession. |
| B．She valued human feelings more than before. |
| C．She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed. |
| D．She thought her own home was the most important of all. |
Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, “Sorry for your loss.”
Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it’s best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings.
Choose silence instead of blurting out ‘in-the-moment’ feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words.
Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say.
Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment.
Practice being silent at work when you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can elevate the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it’s best to just observe and learn.
Finally, silence is golden when you don’t want to engage in a fool’s argument. As some squabbles(口角) will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree.
However, there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice, the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and appreciated.The passage mainly tells us about ________.
| A．when to stay silent |
| B．why to stay silent |
| C．how to stay silent |
| D．whether or not to stay silent |
What is the best to do during negotiation?
| A．Grasp every chance to say more than the other |
| B．Close your mouth and just listen to the other |
| C．Keep silent after expressing yourself |
| D．Speak out your own points and discuss with others |
What does the underlined word “elevate” most probably mean?
| A．start | B．conclude | C．interrupt | D．cancel |
To follow this passage, the writer is likely to continue telling about________.
| A．the power of your voice |
| B．the occasions when you should speak up |
| C．the advantages of speaking up |
| D．the disadvantages of staying silent |
China may be the world’s largest market for e-bikes, but Europe is fast catching up. The EU’s official statistics agency says the figure reached the one million e-bike mark two years ago, and sales have sharply increased since then.
When working errands (差事) around Berlin, Lutz, who usually works with horses, uses the company’s new e-bike that charges easily and has a range of 140 kilometers. “We found there was no parking spot problem or other worries. And on top of all this, we don’t pollute the environment. Petrol is also saved,” said Lutz Baddack, owner of Reitsport Baddack.
Unlike many other parts of the world, the EU does not require registration (登记) for e-bikes. Nearly half a million are expected to be sold in Germany this year, in all shapes and sizes.
It’s not just bike fans buying them. People who usually drive cars also use them occasionally,” said Stefan Gelbhaar.
Dealers say the elderly are also big customers. Sales of ordinary bicycles fell in Germany last year, but sales of e-bikes rose by eight percent. Sales figures are expected to keep rising. “In five years we will have the market share of 20 percent, maybe more,” said Marcus Kendler, owner of E-Motion. In the hillier parts, that figure has already been beyond it.
The sales of e-bikes in Germany have been much larger than those in any other country in Europe. But other countries are fast catching up. In Europe, with the various brands at the market and falling prices, e-bikes are here to stay and not just a repeated trend.In Germany the sales of e-bikes _________.
| A．have been the biggest in Europe |
| B．have been larger than in China |
| C．reached one million two years ago |
| D．have taken up 20% of the market |
Which of the following is NOT the benefit of using e-bikes?
| A．The users needn’t worry about parking spots. |
| B．It’s environmentally friendly and saves petrol. |
| C．The users are not required to register worldwide. |
| D．It charges easily and runs far without charging. |
From the passage we know that e-bikes are preferred by those _________.
| A．who work with horses |
| B．who usually drive cars |
| C．who are out on business |
| D．who live in the hillier parts |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．the popularity of e-bikes in Europe will be lasting |
| B．in Europe there are various brands of e-bikes on sale |
| C．e-bikes will replace ordinary bicycles in only five years |
| D．Europe will become the world’s largest market of e-bikes |