When I was in the seventh grade, I was a candy striper (义工) at a local hospital in my town. I volunteered(自愿做) about 30 to 40 hours a week during the summer.
Most of the time I spent there was with Mr. Gillespie. He never had any visitors, and nobody seemed to care about his condition. I spent many days there holding his hand and talking to him, helping with anything that needed to be done. He became a close friend of mine, even though he responded with only an occasional squeeze (紧握) of my hand. Mr. Gillespie was in a coma (昏迷).
I left for a week for a vacation with my parents, and when I came back, Mr. Gillespie was gone. I didn’t have the courage to ask any of the nurses where he was, for fear they might tell me he had died. So with many questions unanswered, I continued to volunteer there through my eighth-grade year.
Several years later, when I was a junior in high school, I was at the gas station when I noticed a familiar face. When I realized who it was, my eyes filled with tears. He was alive! I got up the nerve to ask him if he was Mr. Gillespie, and if he had been in a coma about five years ago. With an uncertain look on his face, he replied yes. I explained how I knew him, and that I had spent many hours talking to him in the hospital. His eyes welled up with tears, and he gave me the warmest hug I had ever received.
He began to tell me how, as he lay there comatose (昏睡的), he could hear me talking to him and could feel me holding his hand the whole time. He thought it was an angel(天使), who was there with him. Mr. Gillespie firmly believed that it was my voice and touch that had kept him alive. Then he told me about his life. We exchanged a hug, said our good-byes and went our separate ways.
Although I haven’t seen him since, he fills my heart with joy every day. I know that I made a difference between his life and his death. As importantly, he has made a great difference in my life. I will never forget him and what he did for me: He made me an angel. When the author volunteered at a local hospital, she .
A.mainly helped the nurses with their paper work |
B.made up her mind to become a nurse herself one day |
C.spent most of her time taking care of a man in a coma |
D.became friends with Mr. Gillespie’s visitors |
The author didn’t ask where Mr. Gillespie had gone because .
A.she knew for sure that he had recovered |
B.she forgot all about him when she returned to the hospital |
C.she had been concerned that he might stay in coma forever |
D.she feared that he might have died |
Judging from the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The author continued her volunteer work in the hospital until seventh-grade. |
B.The author met Mr. Gillespie at a gas station several years later. |
C.Mr. Gillespie recognized the author’s voice the moment he met her. |
D.No one in the hospital believed that Mr. Gillespie would recover from his coma. |
Which of the following statements best summarizes the point of the story?
A.Those with faith in themselves will succeed. |
B.If you spread happiness you will be happy yourself. |
C.Respect people and they will try hard to improve. |
D.Kindness is loving people more than they deserve. |
The Cuban iguana(大蜥蜴) is a species of lizard(蜥蜴)of the iguana family. It is the largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. This species with red eyes and a thick tail is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.
The Cuban iguana is mainly herbivorous: 95% of its diet consists of the leaves, flowers and fruits from as many as 30 plant species, including the seaside rock bush and various grasses. However, Cuban iguanas occasionally eat animal matter, and individuals have been watched eating the dead flesh of birds, fish and crabs. The researchers wrote that quite a few people on Isla Magueyes could have caused this incident.
The Cuban iguana is living throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islands with a wild population growing rapidly on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. It is also found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, where a separate subspecies occurs. Females guard their nest sites and often nest in sites half destroyed by Cuban crocodiles. To avoid the attack from them, the Cuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti(仙人掌).
In general the species is decreasing, more quickly on the mainland than on the outlying islands. One of the reasons for their decrease is habitat destruction caused by the over consuming of farm animals, housing development, and the building of tourist resorts(度假胜地) on the beaches where the animals prefer to build their nests. Although the wild population is decreasing, the numbers of iguanas have been sharply increased as a result of captive-breeding(圈养)and other protection programs. The underlined word “herbivorous”(Paragraph 2) probably means.
A.dangerous | B.gentle |
C.flesh-eating | D.plant-eating |
How many reasons are mentioned for the habitat destruction?
A.Two. | B.Five. | C.Four. | D.Three. |
What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To give us a brief introduction to the Cuban iguana. |
B.To show he is concerned about the Cuban iguana. |
C.To explain reasons for the Cuban iguana’s decrease. |
D.To draw people’s attention to an endangered animal |
I have been using the Internet since I was five years old, when my dad first sat me down in front of a computer and connected me to the World Wide Web.
I’ve always felt like a master of the Internet world. MSN, Gmail, Facebook, My space -- I’ve got it all under control. I thought there was nothing more to it besides checking my e-mail and wasting my time, until I was introduced to electronic commerce(e-commerce): business on the Internet.
Some online businesses are run from one-room home offices. Others have hundreds of employees across the world. Have you ever heard of Amazon.com, Yahoo.com?
My friends often said they got cheap textbooks on Amazon.com, or had a good deal (交易) on Steve Madden shoes that were on sale at SteveMaden.com. Unfortunately for me, I continued my “e-commerceless” Web-surfing, not knowing about all the deals I was missing out on.
That is, of course, until my sister finally sold the idea to me.
“Why are all these packages arriving in the mail for you, Katy?”I asked her one day. Strange envelopes (信封) had been put on our doorstep for weeks now, each one always addressed to my sister; and we all know little sisters should never be getting more mail than their elders!
“Oh, it’s the things I ordered online!” she answered. I watched speechlessly as she opened them. There was no way our parents were letting her spend that much money- online or off!
“How much did all of this cost?”
“Oh, only about $15 in all!”She said excitedly.“Everything on eBay is on sale! It’s a way better than going to the store.”
I felt as if there had been a store right in my backyard that I had never walked into! That week, I ordered a used Spanish textbook for my summer course online for 10 percent of the publishing price. A few days later, I bought an iPod protector and a book or two via the wonderful eBay.com.From the first two paragraphs we can conclude that the writer___________.
A.had no experience using computers |
B.had no idea of what e-commerce is |
C.only enjoyed checking e-mail on the Internet |
D.thought surfing the Internet was a waste of time |
The writer didn’t find out about e-commerce until___________.
A.he stopped web-surfing |
B.he visited a store in his backyard |
C.his sister explained the packages she got by mail |
D.his friends told him about the online deals they made |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the writer____________________.
A.never enjoyed shopping that much |
B.loves the big store in his backyard |
C.feels he is a true master of the Internet |
D.has begun to enjoy online shopping |
What’s the purpose of the article?
A.To tell the readers how he begins online shopping. |
B.To do business on the Internet. |
C.To make an online shopping advertisement. |
D.To advise people not to do online shopping. |
If you want to attend the hottest events of 2014, don’t waste your time looking through dozens of hotel options(选择) or vacation packages. Instead, look to cruise ships(乘船游览) that can ferry you to and from the most expected holiday, sporting, and cultural events of the year.
Heres a look at the some of the most popular:
Australian Open in Melbourne (January 1326, 2014)
Tennis fans worldwide are eager for the tickets to matches at any one of the four annual Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. In January 2014, luxury(豪华的) cruise line Silversea will offer fans a three-night pre-cruise package to the 109th Australian Open in Melbourne. Silversea passengers will attend third round singles matches at Rod Laver Arena on January 17 and 18 before taking the 382-passenger Silver Shadow for a special 15-night Melbourne to Bali voyage.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (February 28March 4, 2014)
Rio de Janeiros Carnival is one of the most popular celebrations of its kind in the world, drawing two million visitors each and every day of the festivities that include parades, street fairs, and costume balls. Holland Americas Maasdam will spend three days in Rio during Carnival as part of its 26-day Amazon & Carnival Explorer journey.
2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil (June 12July 13, 2014)
If youre a soccer fan that came up empty in the search for a hotel room for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro, theres still hope. Book MSC Cruises 18-night Miami to Rio voyage aboard Divina. The ship departs Miami on May 24 and arrives in Rio just in time for the World Cup.
New Years Eve in Hong Kong (December 31, 2014)
Hong Kong is a magical destination and New Years Eve festivities and fireworks pull out all the stops to make a holiday trip to that city even more attractive. Crystal Cruises all-inclusive luxury ship, Symphony, will spend two nights in Hong Kong-- and celebrate New Years Eve Chinese-styleduring its 15-night holiday voyage that leaves Bangkok on December 21. This roundtrip voyage also calls on Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam.According to the passage, which of the following ships will take the longest time of voyage?
A.Silver Shadow. | B.Maasadam. | C.Divina. | D.Symphony. |
The events that will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 are ___________.
A.Carnival and FIFA World Cup |
B.New Years Eve fireworks and Carnival |
C.the Australian Open and Grand Slam events |
D.New Year's Eve fireworks and FIFA |
Where does this passage probably come from?
A.In a sports magazine. | B.In a textbook. |
C.In a science report. | D.In a travel brochure. |
The main purpose of the passage is to ___________.
A.give information about the hottest events of 2014 |
B.introduce cruise ships to some big events of 2014 |
C.describe the most popular tourist destinations in 2014 |
D.persuade readers to take cruise ships for 2014 holiday |
“I’d be better off dead.” he said, without any hesitation(犹豫). Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met him about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression(压抑). Sadness was not the only feeling that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learned that he was hurt physically and mentally as a young child, causing him to have the thought of killing himself.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. However, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to speak. Therefore, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, for he always comes first.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice scars on his arms from cutting. As he sees it, other kids have every right to make fun of him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the safety he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he had not had me, he would not be alive. He said that my encouraging words helped him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single kind word can influence someones life. Life is not easy for every one, which makes me strongly believe in the necessity of encouragement.According to the first paragraph, hearing his friends words, the author felt______.
A.puzzled | B.painful |
C.frightened | D.hopeless |
By saying convenience is not in my vocabulary, the author means ______.
A.he is always ready to help his friend |
B.he hardly spares time to help his friend |
C.he has no good excuse for refusing his friend |
D.he is not good at communicating with his friend |
The authors friend got into depression mainly because __________.
A.he lived without his parents |
B.he had poor health |
C.he received little care at school |
D.he had a terrible childhood |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.I enjoy friendship |
B.My friend and I |
C.I believe in encouragement |
D.The story of my friend |
Finland lies in the north of Europe, and has Russia to the east. It is two different places in winter and summer. Summers there are fairly dry and hot, although by August things can already begin to get cold and unpleasant. Of course, winters are cold, but the cold is dry. In most parts snow comes in October and clears by the end of March, but in the northern parts snow can fall as early as September and stay until late May.
The tourist season in southern Finland is from early June to late August. This is when all the tourist attractions and summer programs are open, with steamboats and ferries (渡船) traveling on the lakes and rivers, and festivals become very lively. Finnish holidays are from the summer high season in late June to the end of July. This is the time period of nights with sunlight, when Finland doesnt seem to sleep.
The tourist season in northern Finland is different. Mosquitoes can be annoying in July, but September is lovely with its autumn colors. October, February and March are good times to visit the north of Finland to view the aurora borealis (北极光), and enjoy winter activities such as skiing and dog sledding. The Christmas holiday period is also one of the best times in Finland —after all, this is the "official" home of Santa Claus. Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is popular all year round. What do we learn about Finland from the first paragraph?
A.It is to the east of Russia. |
B.The weather in winter is wet. |
C.It is the coldest country in Europe. |
D.The weather in September can be unpleasant. |
Whats the longest time the snow can last in Finland?
A.9 months. | B.10 months. |
C.7 months. | D.6 months. |
In the summer high season, Finland doesnt seem to sleep because ________.
A.the sun is out at night |
B.people in Finland work at night |
C.people would rather go traveling |
D.lots of lights are on because of the tourist season |
What do we learn about the tourist season in northern Finland?
A.There are few autumn colors in September. |
B.Summer is a good time to visit northern Finland. |
C.Tourists can enjoy the aurora borealis in October. |
D.Santa Claus comes from Helsinki, the capital of Finland |