Robby was 11 when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer students begin at an earlier age. Robby insisted that it had always been his mother’s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him in as a student.
Robby tried and tried while I listened and encouraged him and gave him more instructions (指导). But he just did not have any inborn ability.
I only saw his mother from a distance. She always waved and smiled but never came in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but I guessed he had decided to try something else.
I was also glad that he stopped coming for the sake of my career. However, several weeks before the recital (演奏会) of my students, Robby came，telling me that he never stopped practicing and begged me to allow him to take part. I agreed but I made him perform last in the program, so I could always save his poor performance through my “curtain closer”.
I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen one piece of Mozart’s. Never had I heard a piece of Mozart’s played so well by someone at his age. When he finished, everyone was cheering.
I ran up and put my arms around Robby in joy. “I’ve never heard you play like that, Robby! How’d you do it?”
“Well, Miss Hondorf. Do you remember I told you my mom was sick? Actually she died this morning. She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she could hear me play. I wanted to make it special. I knew I could.” That night, Robby was the teacher and I was the student. He taught me so many important things about life.Why did Robby stop coming to the piano lessons suddenly?
| A．He lost heart and believed that he would never make it. |
| B．His mother was too sick to send him to the piano lessons. |
| C．He thought his teacher disliked him. |
| D．His mother died and he didn’t need to play any longer. |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The writer thought playing the piano shouldn’t start too late. |
| B．The writer thought that Robby had given up the piano lesson. |
| C．The writer taught Robby carefully although he hadn’t a gift for music. |
| D．No one else could play the piece of Mozart’s well. |
From the underline sentenced we can infer that __________.
| A．the writer looked down upon Robby and disliked him |
| B．the writer thought Robby a bad advertisement for his teaching |
| C．with Robby present, the other children couldn’t play well |
| D．the writer couldn’t teach so many students at a time |
What did the writer learn from Robby?
| A．The meaning of true love. |
| B．The meaning of giving up necessarily. |
| C．The meaning of being kind to teachers. |
| D．The meaning of believing in teachers. |
A little homeless girl stood crying near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “ I can’t go to Sunday school.” She cried to the priest (牧师) as he walked by. The priest took her inside. The child was very happy because they found a room for her. She went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to sleep or pray in.
Two years later, the girl died there. As her little body was being moved, a worn and red purse was found, which she had found in the rubbish. Inside the purse was 57cents and a note, written in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help make the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.”
After the priest tearfully read that note, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion(热爱) to others. Soon, a newspaper reported on it. It was read by a wealthy man who offered the church a piece of land worth many thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not pay much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents. Soon, the church collected a large amount of money. Within five years, the girl’s gift had increased to $250,000. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, visit Temple Baptist Church, Temple University, and the Sunday school building. No child here is left outside on Sunday school days again. One of the rooms of the Sunday school building is hanged with the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents made such a remarkable and real history.How did the girl feel when she thought of other homeless kids?
| A．Joyful. | B．Lucky. |
| C．Sympathetic. | D．Shameful. |
The author’s purpose of writing this passage is probably to ____.
| A．tell people to give money to the church mentioned in the article |
| B．try to make people remember that little girl and that priest forever |
| C．look forward to having more people to go to the church to pray for the best |
| D．express admiration to the little girl showing her unselfish love to others |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Poor and Rich. |
| B．What Fifty-seven Cents Can Do? |
| C．A New Sunday School. |
| D．A Red Purse. |
Blogs have become an important part of life. Millions of people have blogs. Perhaps you would like to have one; you would like to improve your blog; perhaps you would like to make your blog as a means of earning money or attracting more people. Whatever your aim is, this course shows you how to become better bloggers. You will learn how to find the right tone for your blog, set it up and keep it, write something that are effective and worth reading, and attract people from all over the world to your blog. While it’s simple to start a blog, it takes energy and skill to do it really well, as is true of any kind of writing.
Among the topics covered: introduction to the blog, the benefits of blogging, focusing on your blog concept, how to set up and keep a page, tips for effective blog writing and drawing visitors to your blog.
Course offered
How to blog
In this four-week course, a blogging expert will guide you through the process of designing, setting up, writing, and improving a blog. Each student will talk with the expert on blog, then set up a “live” blog and introduce it to the rest of the class for suggestions. Students will also have chances to ask the expert questions.
Online classes
Tuition(学费): $ 125. Registration(注册): $ 25.
Each class is strictly limited to 25 students aged 18 and up.
| Start |
New Lecture |
Location |
Time |
| Jan.12 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Feb. 9 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Mar. 16 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
In the course, you will learn something Except _________.
| A．focusing on your blog concept |
| B．how to follow others’ blog |
| C．the benefits of blogging |
| D．how to set up a blog |
What do we know about the course?
| A．There are more than 25 students in each class. |
| B．The course is intended for teenagers under 18. |
| C．New lectures are given each day. |
| D．It will cost you $ 150 to learn the course. |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．an online course about how to blog |
| B．an online plan on writing |
| C．an online program about blog history |
| D．an online competition in writing blogs |
Which word can be used to describe the course for bloggers?
| A．Difficult. | B．Simple. |
| C．Helpful. | D．Boring. |
| Personal Robot Make your parents and teachers happy! Are you having problems finishing your homework on time? Do you avoid tidying your room until your mom shouts at you? You don’t need to worry if you buy a Mr. Helping Hand personal robot. Mr. H can be programmed to organize your homework. Your own personal robot will follow you around, putting away books and objects that you have left on the floor or bed. Mr. H also has these features(特点): ● weighs only 500 grams ● includes long-lasting batteries ● comes with a 5-year guarantee ● remembers simple instructions Originally(最初)sold for $499 NOW ONLY $299 BUY NOW! |
| WATCH CONTROL This is a watch that James Bond would be proud to wear! This is NOT a watch for ordinary people! Your electronic PENGO WATCH CONTROL ▶acts as a remote control for TVs and videos. ▶gives you a daily weather forecast. ▶reminds you when to hand in your homework. ▶sets off a silent warning alarm when parents or teachers are near. Besides, your PENGO WATCH CONTROL will always tell you the time accurately(精确地)! Originally（原来） sold for $199 NOW ONLY $99 For further information, click here. |
With help from a Mr. H, you can .
| A．stop using batteries |
| B．finish your homework on time |
| C．remember your teachers’ instructions |
| D．get your room tidied on your way home |
A PENGO WATCH CONTROL can help you to .
| A．repair your TV | B．organize your homework |
| C．be a James Bond | D．know what the weather is like |
Where would you be most likely to find the two texts?
| A．On a notice board. | B．In a company brochure. |
| C．On a teenage website. | D．In a college newspaper. |
Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Sure, there are times when we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend.
Not two people are the same. Sometimes friends don’t get along well. That doesn’t mean they no longer like each other. Most of the time, they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away. Then we feel very sad. We miss them very much. But we can call them and write to them. Maybe we would never see them again. And we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in the town. Some libraries are named in this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.
There is some good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people who don’t have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well, or it could be just knowing that someone cares. If someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself.
Which of the following places people name their friendly people is NOT mentioned in the
passage?
| A．A room. | B．A school. |
| C．A library. | D．A town. |
Why do people who have friends live longer?
| A．They know more about the friendship. |
| B．They take less care of themselves. |
| C．They care more about their friends. |
| D．They feel happier and healthier. |
This passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．that people need friends |
| B．that people are all friends |
| C．how to get to know friends |
| D．how to name a place |
Students who date (约会) in middle school have significantly worse study skills, are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use than their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
“Romantic relationships are a symbol of adolescence（青春期）, but very few studies have examined how adolescents are different in the development of these relationships.” said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade. Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires (调查表) about the students' academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
“At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit, being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
“Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker,” Orpinas said, “When the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert (转移) attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school.”Orpinas concluded.According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____.
| A．have poorer academic performances |
| B．be more likely to hurt others |
| C．enjoy better school lives |
| D．are less likely to use alcohol and tobacco |
When doing his study, Orpinas _____.
| A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade |
| B．found that the students' study skills have connection with their frequency of dating |
| C．completed questionnaires about the students' academic efforts |
| D．completed a survey and a report each year |
What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
| A．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes. |
| B．They don't want to see each other any longer. |
| C．Their attention to studying will be affected. |
| D．They will think it's reasonable to get depressed. |
Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is _____.
| A．supportive | B．negative |
| C．indifferent | D．positive |