I stopped at a grocery store the other day because I was about to go on a long drive and I wanted to buy my favorite beverage for the trip. It wasn’t the store I normally go to, just one I passed along the way.
As I walked up to the entrance, I noticed a man and a boy who was about 10 or 12 years old standing at the front of the store. Customers walked past, as the man handed them half-sheets of white paper. I walked up to them with curiosity, wondering what cause they were representing. As I got closer, I saw that they had two carts starting to fill with groceries.
I said hello and the man greeted me and handed me one of the pieces of paper, explaining that they were collecting donations for the local food pantry. On the paper was a simple list of food items: peanut butter, noodles, pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables. It also included a short story about the boy and his efforts to collect food donations since the age of 8. I was really touched that someone so young would be so interested in helping others. I told him it was an awesome idea and that he should be proud of himself. He smiled.
Then, I went inside to get my drink. Unfortunately, the store didn’t have it in stock. But, I wasn’t upset, because by then I felt I had another mission. I went through the store, picking things from the list, then brought them back out to the boy and put them in the cart. I also gave the man the white sheet of paper back to reuse for another customer. They thanked me and offered me a treat (candy, I think) but I said to pass it on to someone else.
As I walked back to my car, the boy’s well-intentioned spirit stuck with me. How inspiring to encounter a young boy with a resolve to do good deeds, and the courage to act on it. It made my day!What do we know from the passage?
| A．The author wasn’t a regular customer to the store. |
| B．The store was owned by the man and the boy. |
| C．The store didn’t deal in drinks. |
| D．The author refused their treat because he didn’t need it. |
What does the author mainly want to tell readers in paragraph 4?
| A．He didn’t get his drink |
| B．He carried out another mission. |
| C．He got thanks and was offered a treat |
| D．He wasn’t upset though not getting his drink. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．A Day for a Boy. | B．A Young Boy’s Determination. |
| C．An Inspiring Boy. | D．A Young Boy’s Groceries. |
We can infer from the description of the author that the boy is _______.
| A．noble-minded | B．hard-working |
| C．well-educated | D．open-minded |
Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series，began writing at the age of 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness when her good friend Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”
Despite many setbacks, Rowling persevered in her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls，it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into her head.“To my immense frustration (沮丧), I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, blackhaired, bespectacled(戴眼镜的) boy who didn’t know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year, her mother passed away after a tenyear battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by 12 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend !Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.
| A．at the age of 6 |
| B．on a train journey |
| C．after her mother’s death |
| D．in her secondary school |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is________.
| A．openminded | B．warmhearted |
| C．goodnatured | D．strongwilled |
The text mainly tells us________.
| A．hardship makes a good novelist |
| B．the courage to try is a special ability |
| C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere |
| D．encouragement contributes to one’s success |
WHAT’S the most important thing of life?
People’s answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards，the answer is having a child.“Nothing is more special than a child，”he told the BBC.
Edwards，the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization(IVF)technology—more commonly known as“testtube(试管)baby”technology—passed away on April 10 ,2013 at the age of 87.
Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice(充满喜悦)in the gift of their own child，”said Peter Braude，professor at King’s College London.“He leaves the world a much better place.”
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s，when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time，much of the public viewed test-tube babies as“scary”，according to Mark Sauer，professor at Columbia University，US.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches，governments and media，not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists.“People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature，”Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt “quite alone” at the time.
“But Edwards was a fighter，and he believed in what he was doing，”said Sauer. Without support from the government，the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25，1978.Her name was Louise Brown. Despite people’s safety concerns，Brown was just as healthy as other children.
“IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun，”BBC commented.
Ever since then，public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging(蜂拥)to Edwards’ clinic. Nowadays，Reuters reports，some 4.3 million other“test-tube” children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted(封为爵士)by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ the following year.
Before his death，Edwards was still in touch with Louise.“He is like a granddad to me，”she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.What is the article mainly about?
| A．The first test-tube baby. |
| B．A new era in medicine. |
| C．The inventor of IVF technology. |
| D．The changes IVF technology has brought. |
The writer quoted Peter Braude to ________．
| A．show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work |
| B．describe what kind of person Edwards was |
| C．explain why he is loved by all children |
| D．comment on his achievement |
The underlined word“opposition”in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ________．
| A．attack | B．support |
| C．test | D．influence |
What is the CORRECT order of events in Edwards’ life?
a．He received a Nobel Prize.
b．He struggled to raise funds.
c．The first test-tube baby was born.
d．He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ.
e．He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside the body.
f．He started his experiments on IVF technology.
| A．f—e—b—c—a—d | B．f—b—e—c—d—a |
| C．f—b—e—c—a—d | D．f—e—d—a—c—b |
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes , roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors arc served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy ,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!
La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must .
| A．wear various formal clothes |
| B．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane |
| C．kick or throw their cheese |
| D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos |
Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?
| A．In New Mexico. | B．In the Caribbean. |
| C．In Australia. | D．In China. |
The celebration of La Tomatina lasts .
| A．three days | B．seven days |
| C．less than three days | D．more than seven days |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. |
| B．More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| C．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| D．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina. |
One might expect that theever-growing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive theholiday-makers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the long-term future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere,and every month another rock-bound Pacific island is advertised as the “last paradise(天堂) onearth”.
However, the scale andspeed of this growth seem setto destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where therewas a rush tomake quick money out of sea-side holidays, over-crowded beaches and theconcrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism cansuffer most. In recentyears, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health andeducation. Its forests, full ofwildlife and rare flowers, wereoffered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. Infact, the nature all toosoon felt the effects of thousands of holiday-makers traveling through the forest land.Ancient tracks became major routes for thewalkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only the environment of a country can suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The one-time farmer is now the servant of some multi-national organization; he isno longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain ; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier inhis village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support form tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning world-wide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years’ time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?
| A．The Pacific island is a paradise. |
| B．The Pacific island is worth visiting. |
| C．The advertisement is not convincing. |
| D．The advertisement is not impressive |
The example of Nepal is used to suggest _________ .
| A．its natural resources are untouched. |
| B．its forests are exploited for farmland |
| C．it develops well in health and education. |
| D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists. |
What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4 ?
| A．They are happy to work their own lands. |
| B．They have to please the tourists for a living. |
| C．They have to struggle for their independence. |
| D．They are proud of working in multi-national organizations. |
Which of the following determines the future of tourism ?
| A．The number of tourists |
| B．The improvement of services. |
| C．The promotion of new products. |
| D．The management of tourism |
When 19-year-old Sophia Giorgi said she was thinking of volunteering to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation(基金会)，nobody understood what she was talking about .But Sophia knew just how important Make – A –Wish could be because this special organization had helped to make a dream come true for one of her best friends .We were interested in finding out more, so we went to meet Sophia and listened to what she had to say .
Sophia told us that Make – A –Wish is a worldwide organization that started in the United States in 1980.It’s a charity(慈善机构)that helps children who have got very serious illnesses. Make – A –Wish help children feel happy even though they are sick, by making their wishes and dreams come true,” Sophia explained .
We asked Sophia how Make – A –Wish had first started. She said it had all begun with a very sick young boy called Chris ,who had been dreaming for a long time of becoming a policeman .Sophia said lots of people had wanted to find a way to make Chris’s dream come true ----so, with everybody’s help , Chris, only seven years old at the time ,had been a “policeman” for a day .“ when people saw how delighted Chris was when his dream came true, they decided to try and help other sick children too ,and that was the beginning of Make–A –Wish,” explained Sophia.
Sophia also told us the Foundation tries to give children and their families a special, happy time. A Make-A-Wish volunteer visits the families and asks the children what they would wish for if they could have anything
in the world. Sophia said the volunteers were important because they were the ones who helped to make the
wishes come true. They do this either by providing things that are necessary, or by raising money or helping out in whatever way they can.Sophia found out about Make-A-Wish because her best friend had .
| A．benefited from it | B．volunteered to help it |
| C．dreamed about it | D．told the author about it |
According to Sophia, Make-A-Wish .
| A．is an international charity |
| B．was understood by nobody at first |
| C．raises money for very poor families |
| D．started by drawing the interest of the public |
What is said about Chris in Paragraph3?
| A．He has been a policeman since he was seven. |
| B．He gave people the idea of starting Make-A-Wish |
| C．He wanted people to help make his dream come true. |
| D．He was the first child Make-A-Wish helped after it had been set up. |
Which of the following is true about Make-A-Wish volunteers?
| A．They are important for making wishes come true. |
| B．They try to help children get over their illnesses. |
| C．They visit sick children to make them feel special. |
| D．They provide what is necessary to make Make-A-Wish popular. |