Nathan Sawaya's childhood was a lot of fun. He drew cartoons, wrote stories, and played with plastic toy bricks (积木). His grandparents bought his first set of toy bricks when he was five years old and he's been building with toy bricks ever since. He even took his building bricks to college with him! Instead of books and a computer, he had a model of Greenwich Village made of bricks on his desk.
Nathan started as a lawyer but gave up His highly-paid (高薪的) job to become an artist that uses toys in his art. He uses toy bricks to build everything from the Statue of Liberty(自由女神像) to Superman! He has more than 1.5 million colored bricks in his working room in New York which he uses to make pieces of art. He started by building small models but then decided to do something big and created a self-portrait (自画像). It took him two days just to build the eyes.
Nathan's work has appeared in museums around the world. Children love his art because it is made out of the same toys that they play with at home and adults love his work because it is fascinating. Since it began in2007, Nathan's exhibition "The Art of the Brick" has been very popular with museum visitors everywhere.
"I'm proud that I took a dream I had as a child, to become an artist, and I have actually made a job out of it," says Nathan. "To do what you love in life is the most important thing."What did Nathan put on his desk at college?
| A．The Statue of Liberty. |
| B．Superman. |
| C．His serf-portrait. |
| D．A Greenwich Village modal. |
Why did Nathan give up his job as a lawyer?
| A．Because he made little money out of a lawyer. |
| B．Because he wanted to make toys for the children. |
| C．Because he decided to become an artist of toy bricks. |
| D．Because he was going to work in the museum instead. |
What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Nathan's work. | B．Nathan's exhibition. |
| C．Nathan's art. | D．Nathan's self-portrait |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Brick Artist | B．The Brick Exhibition |
| C．Toy Bricks for Adults | D．The Artist's Childhood |
BALTIMORE. MARYLAND—An old postcard changed the lives of an eleven-year-old boy and a very sick woman. The postcard had a picture of the steamship Titanic. The Titanic was the largest ocean ship in the world. It hit an iceberg（冰山）and sank on April 14. 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on the ship were killed.
The postcard was passed from one person to another for more than 80 years. Then it appeared at a card show for people who liked to collect postcards. An eleven-year-old boy, Joey Russell, came to the show with his grandfather. His grandfather knew everything about the Titanic and its trip from England to New York. “Let’s buy that postcard.” he told Joey. “It will be important someday.”
Two years later, Joey’s grandfather took him on a special trip. They went on a trip to the North Atlantic ocean to watch as workers pulled the Titanic up from the bottom of the ocean. Joey put his special postcard in his bag for the trip. On the ship, Joey met Edith Haisman. This woman was on the Titanic when it sank. She was one of the people who were rescued. Joey pulled the postcard out of his pocket. “Please sign this, Mrs. Haisman.” he said. She was happy to write her name on the back of the postcard.
When Joey got home, he put the postcard away and forgot about it, Then Kate Shelley, one of Joey’s friends, told him that her mother was very sick. She needed an operation, but there was a problem. The operation was very expensive, and the family needed $80, 000 to pay for it. Friends and relatives tried to help. But where could they get so much money?
Then when Joey went to see the new movie “Titanic”, he had an idea. “Millions of people are seeing this movie and reading about the Titanic.” Joey thought. He remembered the old postcard with Edith Haisman’s signature on it. “Maybe I can sell it for some money. Then I can help Kate’s mom.”
Joey told his mother and father about his idea to help Mrs. Shelley. His parents helped him try to sell the postcard to the person who would pay the most money for it. Joey’s story was on television and in newspapers. Joey and Kate even went to New York to be on a national TV show. After the show, many people called in to offer money for the Titanic card. Someone bought it for $60. 000.
Joey’s kind heart and the old Titanic postcard worked together to save a woman’s life.Which of the following is NOT true about the old postcard?
| A．The Titanic was the largest steamship in the world in 1912. |
| B．The steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank about a hundred years ago |
| C．Over two thousand passengers were killed in the ocean accident. |
| D．More than eighty years had passed before the postcard belonged to Joey. |
Joey Russell _________.
| A．decided to buy the postcard at a shop |
| B．showed great interest in collecting postcards |
| C．took the postcard with him to see Mrs. Shelley |
| D．asked Mrs. Haisman to sign her name on his postcard |
What does the underlined word “rescued” mean in the sentence?
| A．Be made safe from danger. |
| B．Be on an ocean trip. |
| C．Be working on board. |
| D．Be asked to sell the postcard. |
When did Joey Russell have the idea of selling his old postcard for money?
| A．When Kate Shelley told him of her mother’s sickness. |
| B．When he went to see the new movie “Titanic”. |
| C．When he was reading the new book of Titanic. |
| D．When he remembered Mrs. Haisman’s signature on his card. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Titanic arrived in New York at the end of April, 1912. |
| B．At the age of 13, Joey Russell got Mrs. Haisman’s signature. |
| C．Joey Russell sold out his postcards on a national TV show. |
| D．The Titanic card was sold to many people for $60, 000. |
China's long-awaited rules on school bus safety finally came into force on Tuesday, including a list of ways aimed at reducing the risk of accident.
Among the biggest changes is that buses carrying students will be given priority(优先权) in traffic, while companies and drivers will need licenses to offer school transport services.
Officials have spent more than four months making the rules, during which time the country has been shocked by several big crashes because of overcrowded school buses.
The latest accident happened on Monday in Yangchun, Guangdong province, in which three kindergarten pupils were killed and 14 others injured.
Rules and funding
In the new rules, a school bus is considered as a vehicle with more than seven seats that is transporting children receiving the State's nine-year compulsory education (ages 6 to 15) to or from school. This can also be for preschoolers(学龄前儿童) if a parent is unable to take them to or from kindergarten（幼儿园）.
School buses must also operate in routes marked in the map by governments to ensure safety.
Punishment
Companies and bus drivers who fail to meet the rules face the punishment.
Drivers against the rules will be fined 200 yuan ($32) and vehicles will be taken away from its owner if they have been used as an unlicensed school bus.New safety rules for school buses can ________.
| A．make the students have a school bus |
| B．make fewer accident |
| C．make the school bus bigger |
| D．punish the parents |
The accident happened usually because ________.
| A．there were more students than there should be in the bus |
| B．the road is not wide enough |
| C．there were not any rule at first |
| D．companies and drivers faced no punishment |
Which of the following is Not true?
| A．When a truck and a school bus meet, the school bus can go first. |
| B．The students (ages 3—5) mustn’t take school bus according to the rules. |
| C．Those who break the rules will be fined two hundred yuan. |
| D．The school bus has at least 7 seats. |
The passage mainly talks about ________.
| A．the accident in Guangdong |
| B．the school bus safety rules |
| C．how to punish the drivers |
| D．what a school bus is like |
A school bus must go _______.
| A．different ways every day |
| B．after other buses |
| C．with all the students |
| D．the same way all the days |
For many years, Yang Shanzhou was the local party secretary in a remote, mountainous village in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Though he could live a better life in the city, he still decided to move even further into the mountains, and devoted himself to greening the land. He passed away in 2010, but his story lives on.
A blanket of green - And it all started with a surprising decision made by Yang Shanzhou back in 1988.
The 62 year old decided to return to his hometown in Daliang Mountain, to bring green back to the barren hills. Along with fifteen other people, Yang settled down deep in the mountains and began to work on his plan.
It was a life that was harder than most people could ever imagine.
Su Jiaxiang, Yang Shanzhou’s secretary, said, “I went to visit him several times. He didn’t even have decent shoes and it was very cold at night. But you know he was almost seventy!”
In 2010, Yang Shanzhou passed away. He was buried in Daliang Mountain, according to his will. More than twenty years has passed since he first began his planting in the mountains.The hills are now covered with kinds of trees. By planting trees, Yang Shanzhou also planted hope. This hidden hero left his local government with a priceless legacy.Yang Shanzhou lived in __________.
| A．Jiangsu | B．Guizhou | C．Yunnan | D．Guangxi |
Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
| A．Mr Yang has been dead for three years. |
| B．Yang Shanzhou didn’t want to be buried in the mountain. |
| C．Yang Shanzhou gave up the better life in the city. |
| D．Yang Shanzhou will be remembered for ever. |
The 62 year old decided to return to his hometown in Daliang Mountain, to bring green back to the barren hills. “barren” means ________.
| A．荒芜的 | B．葱郁的 | C．长满树木的 | D．美丽的 |
From the passage we can know Mr Yang Shanzhou passed away at the age of _______.
| A．74 | B．62 | C．84 | D．94 |
Mr. Yang brought many things except_________.
| A．green hills | B．hope | C．priceless legacy | D．hard life |
Fengcheng River is a 6650-meter-long moat(护城河)that protected Taizhou from enemy. Currently, the Fengcheng River Scenic Area has become a natural area of the modern city.
The four cultural treasures of Taizhou——history, local opera, customs and business—— can all be seen along the river. Taizhou Old Street lies on the east of the Fengcheng River Scenic Area, offering choices of restaurants and local specialties（特产）. The Peach Garden is also along the river, with blooming peach trees. The Sea-watching scenic area is also on the river front, among many other attractions. To have a holistic view, you may be interested in taking a night boat around the ancient moat and the ride shows Taizhou’s culture.
Fengcheng River Night Cruise（巡游）
This night cruise takes you an hour long ride on the city moat. The boats are classic ones that seem to be floating houses. While on the boat you'll be able to enjoy local snacks like sesame seed biscuits and tea. Along the river side, local dance and song groups perform, creating the perfect mood for the boat ride. Also, the scenery formed is wonderful. The Sea-Watching Pavilion with shining lights is beautiful in the evening.At first, Fengcheng River was built to ________.
| A．carry things by boat |
| B．make the city beautiful |
| C．make the city safer in the war |
| D．feed fish |
Along the river we can see _______.
| A．dragon boat race |
| B．some cultural treasures |
| C．Taishan Park |
| D．Lizhong Water Forest |
If you want to have a taste of local snacks, ________ is the best choice.
| A．The Peach Garden |
| B．Taizhou Old Street |
| C．The Sea-Watching Pavilion |
| D．Meilangfang Park |
Taking a night boat, we can NOT ________.
| A．have a holistic view |
| B．enjoy local snacks |
| C．enjoy local dance and song groups perform |
| D．see blooming peach trees |
This night cruise takes you ______ long ride on the city moat.
| A．half an hour | B．sixty minutes | C．two hours | D．the whole night |
The first chocolate was eaten by people in South America hundreds of years ago. In those days, the people did not really eat chocolate. They used the cocoa bean（可可豆）to make a chocolate drink and they enjoyed it very much. Many years later, the cocoa bean was brought to other countries and people came to love the taste of chocolate.
In 1824, John Cadbury opened a small shop in Britain. One of the things he sold was chocolate drink. In 1831, he opened a factory to make chocolate drink. He wanted to encourage people to drink chocolate instead of other drinks. A few years later, a man called Joseph Fry found a way to make chocolate instead of only drinking it. But at that time chocolate was very expensive and only the rich people could buy it. Later, more and more chocolate bars were produced and sold, it became cheaper.
However, at first only plain chocolate （a kind of chocolate without milk and with very little sugar）was produced. Milk chocolate came later and this was made by adding milk to the chocolate. The first milk chocolate bar was made in Cadbury’s factory in 1897. Their most famous chocolate, Cadbury’s Milk Bar, was made in 1905. It has been the most popular chocolate in Britain and around the world for over 100 years. The Cadbury factory is still in Britain and the chocolate produced there is eaten all over the world. Every year, thousands of visitors visit the factory in order to see how chocolate is made.Hundreds of years ago, people first began to drink chocolate in .
| A．South America | B．South Africa | C．Britain | D．Australia |
John Cadbury opened a factory to make chocolate drink in .
| A．1824 | B．1831 | C．1897 | D．1905 |
People had the chance to eat chocolate instead of drinking it for the first time .
| A．when chocolate was cheaper |
| B．when more and more chocolate was produced |
| C．when John Cadbury started to make chocolate drink |
| D．when Joseph Fry found a way to make chocolate. |
At first, not many people bought chocolate .
| A．because it was very expensive |
| B．because people didn’t like the taste |
| C．because they wanted to have other drinks |
| D．because there was no chocolate sold in the shops |
Cadbury’s Milk Bar.
| A．was first made in 1897 |
| B．is a kind of plain chocolate |
| C．is famous neither in Britain nor in America |
| D．is popular not only in Britain but also around the world |