About this time every year, I get very nostalgic(怀旧的). Walking through my neighborhood on a fall afternoon reminds me of a time not too long ago when sounds of children filled the air, children playing games on a hill, and throwing leaves around in the street below. I was one of those children, carefree and happy. I live on a street that is only one block long. I have lived on the same street for sixteen years. I love my street. One side has six houses on it, and the other has only two houses, with a small hill in the middle and a huge cottonwood tree on one end. When I think of home, I think of my street. Only I see it as it was before. Unfortunately things change. One day, not long ago, I looked around and saw how different everything has become. Life on my street will never be the same because neighbors are quickly grown old, friends are growing up and leaving, and the city is planning to destroy my precious hill and sell the property to contractors.
It is hard for me to accept that many of my wonderful neighbors are growing old and won’t be around much longer. I have fond memories of the couple across the street, who sat together on their porch swing almost every evening, the widow next door who yelled at my brother and me for being too loud, and the crazy old man in a black suit who drove an old car. In contrast to those people, the people I see today are very old neighbors who have seen better days. The man in the black suit says he wants to die, and another neighbor just sold his house and moved into a nursing home. The lady who used to yell at us is too tired to bother any more, and the couple across the street rarely go out to their front porch these days. It is difficult to watch these precious people as they near the end of their lives because at once I thought they would live forever.
The “comings and goings” of the younger generation of my street are now mostly “goings” as friends and peers move on. Once upon a time, my life and the lives of my peers revolved around home. The boundary of our world was the gutter at the end of the street. We got pleasure from playing night games or from a breathtaking ride on a tricycle. Things are different now, as my friends become adults and move on. Children who rode tricycles now drive cars. The kids who once played with me now have new interests and values as they go their separate ways. Some have gone away to college like me, a few got married, two went into the army, and one went to prison. Watching all these people grow up and go away makes me long for the good old days.
Perhaps the biggest change on my street is the fact that the city is going to turn my precious hill into several lots for new homes. For sixteen years, the view out of my kitchen window has been a view of that hill. The hill was a fundamental part of my childhood life; it was the hub of social activity for the children of my street. We spent hours there building forts, sledding, and playing tag. The view out of my kitchen window now is very different; it is one of tractors and dump trucks tearing up the hill. When the hill goes, the neighborhood will not be the same. It is a piece of my childhood. It is a visual reminder of being a kid. Without the hill, my street will be just another pea in the pod.
There was a time when my street was my world, and I thought my world would never change. But something happened. People grow up, and people grow old. Places changes, and with the change comes the heartache of knowing I can never go back to the times I loved. In a year or so, I will be gone just like many of my neighbors. I will always look back to my years as a child, but the place I remember will not be the silent street whose peace is interrupted by the sounds of construction. It will be the happy, noisy, somewhat strange, but wonderful street I knew as a child.The writer calls up the memory of the street _____________.
A.every year when autumn comes |
B.in the afternoon every day |
C.every time he walks along his street |
D.now that he is an old man |
The writer finds it hard to accept the fact that _____________.
A.many of his good neighbors are growing old |
B.the lady next door who used to yell at him and his brother is now a widow |
C.the life of his neighbors has become very boring |
D.the man in his black suit even wanted to end his own life |
The writer thinks of the past all the more when he sees those who had grown up with him _____________.
A.continue to consider home to be the center of their lives |
B.leave the neighborhood they grew up in |
C.still enjoy playing card games in the evenings |
D.develop new interests and have new dreams |
The biggest change on the writer's street is _____________.
A.removing the hill to make way for residential development |
B.the building of new homes behind his kitchen window |
C.the fact that there are much fewer people around than in the past |
D.the change in his childhood friends' attitude towards their neighborhood |
What does the writer mean by saying “my street will be another pea in the pod”?
A.his street will be very noisy and dirty |
B.his street will soon be crowded with people |
C.his street will have some new attractions |
D.his street will be no different from any other street |
Which could be a good title for the passage?
A.The Past of My Street will Live Forever |
B.Unforgettable People and Things of My Street |
C.Memory Street Isn’t What It Used to Be |
D.The Big Changes of My Street |
When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of heart- breaks for his imperfect appearance.
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor,but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.
One day ,he urged his father, “Who gave so much for me?I must know! I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could, ” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come--- one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (棺材). Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut, ” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance,but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen,but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known.The mother was shocked at the first sight of her baby because.
A.her baby was born without hair |
B.her baby had a tiny face |
C.her baby was born imperfect |
D.the doctor turned to look out of the window |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.The son attempted to repay the donator’s kindness. |
B.The son didn't know the truth until his mother died. |
C.With donated ears, the son’s life developed smoothly. |
D.The boy couldn't hear clearly without ears at first. |
Why did the boy's mother never have her hair cut?
A.Because her hair helped to keep a secret. |
B.Because her hair added to her beauty. |
C.Because her long hair was her pride. |
D.Because she liked her thick and brown hair. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A Misfortunate Boy |
B.Mother’s Hair |
C.Mother’s Secret Love |
D.A Successful Ear Operation |
Children in the United States are exposed to many influences other than that of their families.Television is the most significant of these influences,because the habit of watching television usually begins before children start attending school.
Parents are concerned about the lack of quality in television programs for children.The degree of violence in many of these shows also worries them.Studies indicate that,when children are exposed to violence,they many become aggressive or insecure.
Parents are also concerned at,out the commercials that their children see on television. Many parents would like to see fewer commercials during programs for children.And some parents feel that these shows should not have any commercials at all because young minds are not mature enough to deal with the claims made by advertisers.
Educational television has no commercials and has programs for children that many parents approve of The most famous of these is Sesame Street,which tries to give preschool children a head start in learning the alphabet(字母)and numbers.It also flies to teach children useful things about the world in which they live.
Even though most parents and educators give Sesame Street and shows like it high marks for quality,some critics argue that all television,whether educational or not,is harmful to children.These critics feel that the habit of watching hours of television every day turns children into bored and passive(被动的)consumers of their world rather than encouraging them to become active explorers of it.Which of the following statements is NOT based on the passage?
A. Parents are worried about the influence from television on their children |
B. Television has much influence on children |
C. Both parents and their children like watching educational television. |
D. Some critics think that television is no good for children. |
In what ways do children suffer from television?
A. They become the victims of social violence |
B. They spend hours watching television instead of doing school work |
C. The programs make the children lose interest in the world. |
D. The programs make the children spend too much of their parents’ money |
Parents would not like their children to see commercials because ____
A. they think that their children ore not old enough to handle advertising |
B. commercials teach children alphabet and numbers |
C. commercials help to sell products |
D. they don’t like commercials |
Although the United States covers so much land and the land produces far more food than the present population needs,its people are by now almost entirely an urban society Less than a tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and forestry(林业),and most of the rest live in or around towns,small and large.Here the traditional picture is changing:every small town may still be very like other small towns,and the typical small town may represent a widely accepted view of the country,but most Americans do not live in small towns any more.Half the population now lives in some thirty metropolitan areas(1arge cities with their suburbs、of more than a million people each—a larger proportion than in Germany or England,let alone France.The statistics(统计)of urban and rural population should be treated with caution because so many people who live in areas classified as rural travel by car to work in a nearby town each day.As the rush to live out of town continues.rural areas within reach of towns are gradually filled with houses,so that it is hard to say at what moment a piece of country becomes a suburb But more and more the typical American lives in a metropolitan rather than a small town environment.If now America has 250 million people.how many of them are engaged in agriculture and forestry?
A.About 25 million. | B.More than 25 million. |
C.Less than 25 million. | D.Less than 225 million |
Which of the following four countries has the smallest proportion of people living in metropolitan areas?
A.United States. | B.Germany. |
C.France. | D.England. |
What’s the meaning of the word“metropolitan”in the middle of the passage?
A.Of a large city with its suburbs. |
B.Of small and large towns. |
C.Of urban areas. |
D.Of rural areas. |
According to the passage,what can we learn about small towns in the United States?
A Most small towns become gradually crowded
B.Small towns are still similar to each other.
C.As the traditional picture is changing,towns are different.
D .Small towns are turning into large cities
There are stories about two U.S . presidents,Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren,which attempt to explain the American English term OK.We don’t know if either story is true,but they are both interesting.
The first explanation is based on the fact that President Jackson had very little education.In fact,he had difficulty reading and writing.When important papers came to Jackson,he tried to read them and then had his assistants explain what they said.If he approved of a paper.he would write“all correct”on it.The problem was that he didn’t know how to spell.So what he really wrote was“ol korekt”.After a while,he shortened that term to“OK”.
The second explanation is based on the place where President Van Buren was born,Kinderhook,New York.Van Bnren’s friends organized a club to help him become President They caned the club the Old Kinderhook Club,and anyone who supported Van Buren was called“OK”.The author
A.believes both of the stories |
B.doesn’t believe a word of the stories |
C.is not sure whether the stories are true |
D.is telling the stories just for fun |
According to the passage,President Jackson
A.couldn’t draw up any documents at all |
B.didn’t like to read important papers by himself |
C.often had his assistants sign documents for him |
D.wasn’t good at reading,writing or spelling |
According to the first story, the term “OK”
A.was approved of by President Jackson |
B.was the title of some Official documents |
C.was first used by President Jackson |
D.was an old way to spell“all correct’’ |
According to the second story,the term‘‘OK”
A.was the short way to say‘‘old Kinderhook Club” |
B.meant the place where President Van Buren was born |
C.was the name of Van Buren’s club |
D.was used to call Van Buren’s supporters in the election |
Now I’d like to talk to you about your final exam. The exam will be held next Thursday, the last day of the exam week. Remember to bring two of three pens in case you run out of ink. And unlike the midterm exam, this test will not include multiple --- choice questions; it will consist entirely of essays(文章). You’ll have to answer three of the five essay questions. The exam will be comprehensive (全面的), which means you’ll be responsible for all of the subject matters we covered in class this term, I would suggest you review your midterm exam as well as textbooks and your class notes. The final exam will count as 50 percent of your grade of the course. The research project (项目) will count as 20 percent and the midterm exam 30 percent. I’ll be in my office almost all day next Tuesday. If you run into any problems, please drop in. Good luck to you and I’ll see you on Tuesday.When will the final exam take place?
A.On Tuesday | B.On a Wednesday |
C.On a Thursday | D.On a Friday |
What will be included in the exam?
A.There will be only multiple-choice questions. |
B.The exam will contain both multiple-choice and essay questions. |
C.The exam will have an oral and a written section. |
D.There will be only essay questions. |
Why does the teacher call the exam comprehensive?
A.It will be easy to understand. |
B.Students will be tested on all the material discussed in class. |
C.It will cover topics from a wide variety of subjects. |
D.Students must complete all parts of it. |
The underlined phrase run into probably means .
A.go into |
B.meet somebody unexpectedly |
C.come up against something with force |
D.come across |