Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children．In spite of the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and Albert, had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art．After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement．They would toss a coin．The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother who attended the academy．Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy．
Tossing a coin, Albrecht Durer won and went off to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation（轰动）．By the time he graduated, he had earned considerable fees for his outstanding works．
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant（胜利的）homecoming．Albrecht drank a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled him to complete his dream．“And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn．Now you can go to Nuremberg to look for your dream, and I will take care of you．”
Tears streaming down his pale face, Albert sobbed, “No．．．no．．．It is too late for me．Look．．．look at what four years in the mines have done to my hands！The bones in every finger have been broken at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis（关节炎）so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less draw delicate lines with a pen or a brush．”
To show thanks to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands”, but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed it “The Praying Hands”．The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, let it be your reminder—no one ever makes any success alone！Why did the two brothers work out the agreement？
| A．They were so curious as to make a joke． |
| B．Their family couldn’t afford the academy． |
| C．One of the brothers was supposed to go into mines． |
| D．They wanted to support the other sisters and brothers． |
The underlined word “whose” in Para．2 refers to _____ ．
| A．the Durer family’s | B．the miners |
| C．Albert’s | D．Albrecht’s |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Albrecht Durer？
| A．He began to earn his living after graduation |
| B．He did perfectly well at the academy |
| C．He wanted his brother to go to the academy |
| D．He created great masterpieces |
Which of the following is the correct order of the story？
a．Albrecht went to Nuremberg
b．Albert supported his brother
c．The Durer family held a festive dinner
d．Albrecht drew his brother’s injured hands
e．The brothers tossed a coin．
| A．b, a, c, d, e | B．a, e, c, d, b |
| C．e, a, c, b, d | D．e, a, b, c, d |
What can we learn from the story？
| A．One can achieve success simply on his own |
| B．Any success requires the help of others． |
| C．It’s other people who contribute to one’s success |
| D．Nobody could succeed without good guidance |
Still waiting for little green men to make contact? Don't hold your breath.
A leading astronomer has concluded there probably aren't any aliens out there – meaning we are absolutely alone in the universe.
Even though there may be tens of thousands of other distant planets similar in size to Earth, the conditions on them are likely to be too hard to support life-forms such as ET.
Dr Howard Smith, a senior astrophysicist at Harvard University, believes there is very little hope of discovering aliens and, even if we did, it would be almost impossible to make contact.
So far astronomers have discovered a total of 500 planets in distant solar systems – known as extrasolar systems – although they believe billions of others exist.
But Dr Smith points out that many of these planets are either too close to the sun or too far away, meaning their surface temperatures are so bad that they could not support life. Others have unusual orbits which cause vast temperature variations, making it impossible for water to exist – the most important thing for life.
Dr Smith said, "We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own. It means it is highly unlikely there are any planets with intelligent life close enough for us to make contact." But his suggestions contradict other leading scientists who have claimed aliens almost certainly exist.
Only last month Professor Stephen Hawking said the fact that there are billions of galaxies out there made it reasonable to think there were other life-forms in the universe.
Researchers from the University of London have recently suggested that aliens could be living on as many as 40,000 other planets. But Dr Smith said: "Any hope of contact has to be limited to a relatively tiny space around the Earth, reaching maybe 1,250 light years out from our planet, where aliens might be able to pick up our signals or send us their own. But communicating would still take decades or centuries."By saying ＂don’t hold your breath＂, the author advised the reader not to _____.
| A．keep silent | B．give up | C．expect so | D．be afraid |
Dr Smith concludes there probably aren’t any aliens because other planets _____.
| A．are too far away from the earth |
| B．are different from the Earth in size |
| C．don’t have rich natural resources |
| D．don’t have a suitable living environment |
Researchers from the University of London are mentioned to show that ______.
| A．they have better explanations about aliens |
| B．aliens certainly exist on many planets |
| C．they disagree with Dr Smith’s suggestion |
| D．aliens can pick up signals from the earth |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．There must be other life forms in the universe. |
| B．We can communicate with aliens in decades. |
| C．The chances of finding aliens are slight. |
| D．Many other planets are quite different from the Earth. |
When creating a digital advertisement or something to promote a product or service ,music is one of the most important aspects. Whether it is simply a jingle（短歌）,musical note or any other use of sound，music can play a huge role in attracting a customer’s attention or being noticed by your target audience.
Music can work hand-in-hand with what you are advertising. Many times the advertising jingle, or saying, is what the audience remembers. Companies such as McDonald’s and Subway have used this method many times with different jingles and little sayings that are easy to remember and fun to sing along with.
Usually concepts that are part of a jingle would sound conceited(自负的) and pompous(浮夸的) when said in a normal conversation. When put to music however, and sung in a rhythm，it suddenly sounds attractive. For example, if someone said,” No one does it better than me” in a normal statement, this would sound very conceited. Add music and a tune to this statement and it becomes attractive and fun for others to sing along with.
While understanding how important music is for your advertising needs, it is also important for you to know the best way to get special music.
Having people from many different backgrounds all over the world write something specifically for you is one of the best ways to get songs written just for you. You simply choose which one you believe is best for the project. So instead of hiring a single songwriter to compose your music, you can run a contest for you advertising jingle and songwriters around the world write you a finished jingle in an attempt to win your contest.What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．How to use music in advertising. |
| B．Advertising music can help sell products. |
| C．How to get an advertising jingle. |
| D．Advertisements are important in promoting. |
What makes concepts of an advertising jingle sound attractive?
| A．Wonderful sayings. | B．Word and pictures. |
| C．Beautiful voice. | D．Music and tune. |
According to the writer, the best way to get an advertising jingle is____.
| A．to collect works from public | B．to invite a famous singer |
| C．to get advice from experts | D．to hire a top songwriter |
What’s the advantage of your running a contest for an advertising jingle?
| A．It will save much time. | B．You can get the best works. |
| C．It will cost less money. | D．You can sell more products. |
Nowhere else like Alaska can you enjoy a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day holiday to Alaska!
You can have fun here:
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along the fjords (峡湾). The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines an important center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation devoted to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes. You can spend a few hours learning carving, playing native beading (珠子) from local artists.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is a lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and origins. In Skagway, you may stop at the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor’s Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. You’ll stay at a comfortable house here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion (远足) and a full day cruise (巡游) in Glacier Bay.
DATES/ PRICES:
May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
7 days --- $3,500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
E-mail: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 1.800.766.3396
Address: Alaska Mountain Guides& Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827Where can you get to know the local history?
| A．In Skagway. | B．In Juneau. |
| C．In Haines. | D．In Gustavus. |
You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at ________.
| A．the White Pass Yukon |
| B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park |
| C．Gacier Bay National Park |
| D．the fjords |
The text is mainly written to ________.
| A．tell people how to visit Alaska |
| B．explain why Alaska is famous |
| C．introduce beautiful places in Alaska |
| D．attract people to visit Alaska |
Many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero.
That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone’s life?
Today I looked up the word “hero” in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read “a person who does something brave” and also “a person who is good and noble”.
That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. And I remembered what happened to me years ago.
After my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get up enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero.
The many stories I kept writing in the following years saved the life of a teenage boy. In turn that makes the person who sent me the card a double hero. I suppose that is why I fight so hard to help the children now living in orphanages (孤儿院). Most children come out of these institutions with a very hard and bitter attitude against the world. The gifts we send them let them know that they have not been forgotten. Hopefully, most of them will never hurt anyone because of the kindness shown to them by those of us who cared. If it works, we will also become "heroes".The main idea of the passage is _______________.
| A．why the writer should be a hero | B．that everyone is a hero |
| C．whether the writer is a hero | D．what a hero exactly is |
Why did the woman call the writer a hero at the end of the call?
| A．Because he asked her son not to kill himself. |
| B．Because he saved a family from a burning car. |
| C．Because his story saved her son’s life. |
| D．Because he was cute and kind to everybody. |
What does the underlined word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．The fact that the sender helped the writer. |
| B．The action of sending the card. |
| C．The wonderful card the writer received. |
| D．The fact that the sender was a friend of the writer. |
According to the writer, who can be considered as a hero?
| A．A person who is brave. |
| B．A person who helps someone in trouble. |
| C．A person who can hold a door for others. |
| D．A person who writes wonderful stories. |
Your teen is falling asleep in class
Teens have a busy morning schedule as they need to wake up and get moving very early in order to catch a bus and get to school by the required time. This means teens need to get their rest the night before or they will be too tired to learn anything at school.
When a teen falls asleep in class, two things happen: he/she misses what is being taught and he/she loses the respect of the teacher. He/She may also receive a consequence from the school, depending on the classroom discipline policy.
To prevent your teen from being sleepy in class, try these three tips:
* Set a time for “lights out” on school nights. This is never be any later than 10 p. m. and preferably 9 p.m. Soft music can be on and used to help calm your teen.
* Help your teen develop a nighttime routine that involves activities that slow them down for the end of the day. Turning off the computer and disconnecting from friends and the excitement of the day an hour before bedtime will also help your teen relax.
*This will reinforce（增强）what it feels like to be rested and capable of accomplishing what he/she wants.
| A．What’s worse, they may even fall asleep in class. |
| B．Taking a bath and reading are two activities that work well. |
| C．Set a good example and show him/her your love for learning. |
| D．Point out the positives after your teen has had a good night’s rest. |
E. “Lights out” means the computer, television, lights and cell phone should be off.
F. All of these things affect your teen’s academic success and can be avoided.
G. While your teen keeps his/her goals in line with your expectations, he/she may have his/her own goals.