One day, Mr. Arnold was teaching a lesson, and things were going as normally as ever. He was explaining the story of mankind to his pupils. He told them that, in the beginning, men were nomads; they never stayed in the same place for very long. Instead, they would travel about, here and there, in search of food, wherever it was to be found. And when the food ran out, they would move off somewhere else.
He taught them about the invention of farming and keeping animals. This was an important discovery, because by learning to cultivate(耕作)the land, and care for animals, mankind would always have food steadily available. It also meant that people could remain living in one place, and this made it easier to set about tasks that would take a long while to complete, like building towns, cities, and all that were in them. All the children were listening attracted by this story, until Lucy jumped up:
“And if that was so important and improved everything so much, why are we nomads all over again, Mr. Arnold?”
Mr. Arnold didn’t know what to say. Lucy was a very intelligent girl. He knew that she lived with her parents in a house, so she must know that her family were not nomads; so what did she mean?
“We have all become nomads again,” continued Lucy, “The other day, outside the city, they were cutting the forest down. A while ago a fisherman told me how they fish. It’s the same with everyone: when there’s no more forest left the foresters go elsewhere, and when the fish run out the fishermen move on. That’s what the nomads did, isn’t it ?
The teacher nodded, thoughtfully. Really, Lucy was right Mankind had turned into nomads. Instead of looking after the land in a way that we could be sure it would keep supplying our needs, we kept developing it until the land was bare. And then off we would go to the next place! The class spent the rest of the afternoon talking about what they could do to show how to be more civilized.
The next day everyone attended class wearing a green T-shirt, with a message that said “I am not a nomad!”
And , from then on, they set about showing that indeed they were not. Every time they knew they needed something, they made sure that they would get it using care and control. If they needed wood or paper, they would make sure that they got the recycled kind. They ordered their fish from fish farms, making sure that the fish they received were not too young and too small. They only used animals that were well cared for, and brought up on farms.
And so, from their little town, those children managed to give up being nomads again, just as prehistoric men had done, so many thousands of years ago.From Paragraph 2, we can know that______ .
| A．people got tired of living in the same place |
| B．people gradually got used to living in cities |
| C．people tended to settle down after learning farming |
| D．people spent a long time in learning to keep animals |
In the teacher’s opinion, Lucy’s argument was______
| A．shocking | B．ridiculous | C．puzzling | D．reasonable |
Which of the following agrees with the message “I am not a nomad” (Paragraph 7)?
| A．People eat young fish for its delicious taste. |
| B．Foresters leave the place where wood is not available. |
| C．Fishermen move elsewhere when there is no fish left. |
| D．People use recycled materials as much as possible. |
The writer tries to make us believe that ______.
| A．mankind has been progressing mainly through traveling about |
| B．it’s unwise for mankind to use the land in an uncontrolled way |
| C．it’s quite good for students to learn more about the history of mankind |
| D．in the beginning men were nomads. |
Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. I f you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars. The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely. What is the piggy bank strategy?
| A．Paying 1% income tax at a time. |
| B．Setting a goal before making a travel plan. |
| C．Aiming high even when doing small things. |
| D．Putting aside a little money regularly for future use. |
Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?
| A．To delight him with the latest fashion. |
| B．To encourage him to climb mountains. |
| C．To help him form the habit of saving. |
| D．To teach him English pronunciation. |
What does the underlined word “something”(Paragraph 3) most probably refer to?
| A．Money | B．Gifts |
| C．Financial success | D．Good luck |
The piggy bank originally was _________.
| A．a potter’s instrument |
| B．a cheap clay container |
| C．an animal-shaped dish |
| D．a pig-like toy for children |
The last paragraph talks about ________.
| A．the seriousness of educating children |
| B．the enjoyment of taking a great trip |
| C．the importance of managing money |
| D．the difficulty of starting a business |
“Show them the money!” That’s what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries.
Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. “Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don’t have time to work,” he explains. “Shouldn’t athletes be able to earn extra money too?”
The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons.
College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they’re also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there’s money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They’re the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school.
The money matter has others crying foul, though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular(课外的)activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships(奖学金). Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. “Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are,” Massett explains.
In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. “Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs,” Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.What is Rico Cannon’s opinion on paying student athletes?
| A．They make money for their schools and should receive salaries. |
| B．Training leaves them no time to work and they should be paid. |
| C．Playing a sport at school is not a job and they shouldn’t be paid. |
| D．They can apply for scholarships and should not be paid. |
Who supports the idea of paying student athletes?
| A．Kaitlyn Rentala | B．Robbie Pokora |
| C．Michael Massett | D．Kate Macrae |
What does the underlined part “crying foul” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Making no progress. | B．Giving up beliefs. |
| C．having different opinions | D．Taking no interest. |
What’s the best title for the text?
| A．Pay to play? —— Will it be popular with college athletes? |
| B．College athletes make a lot of money for their schools. |
| C．College athletes can apply for scholarships as their salaries. |
| D．Pay to play?—— Should college athletes be paid? |
You and your friends are settling into your seats. The new Spider-Man movie is about to start and you’ve got the snacks: soda and popcorn. Food is part of what makes the movies fun.
Just as the lights go out, you catch a slight smell of … tuna fish?! You turn your head, searching for the source. Then you spot him: A couple rows back, some guy is enjoying a tuna fish sandwich. How’d he get that in here? You wonder. Then you remember how much you paid for your snacks.
What invites the unwelcome outside food is probably the price. Why pay $ 5 for a bag of M&Ms when you can get them for a dollar at the corner store?
Earlier this year, a Michigan man decided to fight for his right to snack. Joshua Thompson is using his local theater after it banned outside food. He argues the ban breaks a Michigan law that prevents businesses from charging extremely high prices. However, most legal experts believe Thompson has little chance of winning his case, though he does have a point: 85 cents out of a dollar of treats a movie theater sells is pure profit(纯利).
The truth is that movie theaters are more in the snack business than the movie business. A huge part of the ticket income goes to the Hollywood studio. This makes sense, since the studios have to pay the costs of movie production and advertising. But that often doesn’t leave much cash for the theater, which also has its own running costs. If customers stopped buying food, owners would have to raise ticket prices even higher.
Of course, there’s another reason to think twice before bringing food into the movies: It’s against the rules. Breaking those rules can have unpleasant consequences too. Some theaters will kick you out if they catch you. Even without the threat of punishment, we should follow rules all the time------out of respect.
Here’s a good idea: Eat before the movie.What is the topic of the text?
| A．The pleasure of enjoying snacks. |
| B．A Michigan man’s fight for his right. |
| C．Movie theaters’ ban on outside food. |
| D．Bad manners in movie theaters. |
What do we know about Joshua Thompson?
| A．He broke a Michigan law. |
| B．He is likely to lose the case. |
| C．He thinks cinema tickets are too expensive. |
| D．He was forbidden to have snacks at the theaters. |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly explains _________.
| A．how movie studios work with movie theaters |
| B．how movie theaters reduce their operating costs |
| C．why Hollywood studios must pay high costs |
| D．why snack sales are important to movie theaters |
How does the author feel about bringing outside food into the cinema?
| A．It is unacceptable. | B．It is convenient. |
| C．It is great fun. | D．It is lawful.. |
Two words rhyme with each other when they have the same ending word, like “think,” ”pink”. The last word in each of the lines of a poem does not have to have a rhyming sound, many of them do. Two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other at the end are call rhyming couplet.
Writing rhyming poetry can be difficult because you need to choose words that not only rhyme but have meaning, too. Even though some poems are short, you have to think extra long at which words to choose. Here is an example of a short poem:
He was only a bug, but he was the king.
She smiled at him when he gave her a ring.
He forgot to be careful of one little thing.
His queen was a bee, and she could sting.What does it mean when two words rhyme?
| A．They have the same ending sound. |
| B．They have different ending sounds. |
| C．They must have the same meaning. |
| D．They must have different meanings. |
Which of the following rhyme with each other in the short poem?
| A．Ring and thing | B．Bug and king |
| C．Queen and king | D．Bee and sting |
Rhyming poetry is sometimes hard to write because you need to choose___________.
| A．rhyming words without meaning |
| B．rhyming words with meaning |
| C．short lines with extra long words |
| D．meaningful words without rhyming |
As a teenager, Simon Weston wasn’t particularly good at his studies, but he was a good football player. He could also be naughty sometimes so his mother decided Simon should join the army when he was sixteen to teach him some discipline(纪律).
She was right; Simon really enjoyed army life and became a well-respected member. However, Simon’s life was changed forever in 1982. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, which belong to Britain, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war(宣战). Simon was on board a ship taking troops to the Falklands when it was attacked and set on fire. In an act of great heroism, Simon tried to save one of his friends from being burnt alive. Sadly, he failed and was seriously burnt himself. At the age of 21, Simon’s life seemed over.
Simon had 70 operations to rebuild his face and body. He was so badly burnt that his mother walked past him in the hospital without recognizing her son. Simon struggled to call out, “Mum, it’s me, Simon.” Hearing his voice, his mother broke down in tears. Many thought Simon would die, but to everyone’s astonishment, he survived. Although he experienced terrible pain, Simon never gave up hope. After months of treatment, Simon slowly started to recover and, although he would be terribly scarred for the rest of his life, he was able to leave hospital.
This was when the real battle started. The physical pain slowly disappeared; however, the emotional pain became worse. Simon started to gout but was wounded by the stares of people who looked at him like he was some kind of freak(畸形的人). He felt like saying, “I wasn’t born like this you know. I was injured defending my country.” It took great courage for Simon to continue to go out.
Eventually, Simon became involved in charity work and met his wife Lucy with whom he has three children. Life has never been the same for Simon but his Bravery is an example to us all.Simon’s mother wanted him to join the army because ________.
| A．he liked the life in the army |
| B．she wanted him to be fit |
| C．he was very good at playing sports |
| D．she felt it would change his behavior. |
What can we infer from the text about Simon?
| A．He succeeded in saving his friend in danger. |
| B．he became an excellent professional soldier. |
| C．he didn’t get along with other soldiers. |
| D．he found life in the army very terrible |
What does the underlined part “the real battle started ” in Paragraph 4 refer to ?
| A．Fighting against the physical pain. |
| B．The struggle to come out of hospital. |
| C．The misunderstanding by Simon’s mother. |
| D．Dealing with people’s unfriendly attitudes. |
Which of the following can best describe Simon?
| A．Aggressive and strong. | B．Calm and kind |
| C．Brave and generous | D．Strange and selfish. |