In the 1950s, a family that owned a farm near Beulah, Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm (榆树). The bull paced around the tree, dragging the heavy iron chain, which led to a groove (槽) in the bark . The groove deepened over the years. Though for whatever reason, it did not kill the tree.
After some years, the family took their bull away. They cut the chain, leaving the loop around the tree and one link hanging down.
Then one year, agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease. All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died. Everyone thought that the old elm would be the next.
The farm owners considered doing the safe thing: pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died. But they simply could not bring themselves to do it. It was as if the old tree had become a family friend. So they decided to let nature take its course.
Amazingly, the tree did not die. Nobody could understand why it was the only elm still standing in the county!
Plant experts from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree. They observed the scar left by the iron chain, now almost completely covered by bark. The experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm’s life. They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to the virus.
It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Or, as Earnest Hemingway put it, "Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the broken places."What did the family do with the elm when the agricultural disaster hit Michigan one year?
| A．They invited plant experts to observe it. |
| B．They pulled it out and chopped it up into firewood. |
| C．They prevented it from being infected by the disease. |
| D．They did nothing and just let it be. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．A groove formed because of natural forces. |
| B．The family decided to keep the tree because they had become attached to it. |
| C．All of the elms in Beulah, Michigan died of the disease. |
| D．The plant experts advised the family to chop it down. |
What actually saved the elm?
| A．The bull. | B．The groove. | C．The iron chain. | D．The experts. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Let nature take its course |
| B．Strengthened by our wounds |
| C．Constant dripping wears away a stone |
| D．Bend, but don’t break |
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington D.C. I saw many of our nation’s treasures, and I also saw a lot of unfortunate people like beggars and homeless folks in the streets.
Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended(伸出). In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand. I didn’t even look at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.
But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
Immediately, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice(偏见)—I judged another person simply for what I thought she was.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in America at the age of 15. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, cashier, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at age 17— I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well at school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington D.C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me to always keep my eyes and heart open.When the author came to America at first ______.
| A．he usually did some work with a little payment. |
| B．he used to beg for some money on the street. |
| C．he lived a comfortable life as a network engineer. |
| D．he was respected by others all the time. |
According to the passage, what did the author regret?
A. That he gave all his change to the blind woman.
B. The way he treated the blind woman.
C. That he came to Washington D.C. for a visit.
D. That he didn’t tell the woman the way to the post office.The father mentioned in the passage wanted ______.
| A．to encourage his son to make a living by himself |
| B．his son to become a busboy in the future |
| C．his son to work harder at school |
| D．to remind his son to depend on himself at school |
We can infer all of the following statements from the passage EXCEPT ______.
| A．He disliked being bothered by beggars. |
| B．He was delighted to give away his money to beggars. |
| C．He once suffered a lot. |
| D．The blind woman didn’t beg for money at that time. |
What does the author want to tell us through this story?
| A．Don’t dream up ways to get what you want. |
| B．Money is the root of all evils. |
| C．An easy life makes a person forgetful. |
| D．Be good to others all the time. |
Recently，I came across an interesting article on the differences between British English and American English. I had a lot of fun reading it and thinking of as many differences as I could as an American.
Their cars have “bonnets(发动机罩)”, while ourselves have “hoods”. They park their cars in a “car park” while we leave ours in a “parking lot”. Our “cookies” are their “biscuits”, while their “rubbers” are our “erasers”.
Then there are the food words. Would you want to eat something called “Toad in the Hole” or “Bangers and Mash” or “Spotted Dick”? I’m here to report they are all very tasty. There are American equivalents(相等物)，of course. We’ve got “Shoofly Pie”, “Chicken Fried Steak” and “Mississippi Mud Pie”. What they call “crisps” is what we call “potato chips” and when we ask for “chips” in England we will get what we know at home in America as “French fries”.
They find it hysterical that we call the “toilet” the “bathroom” and they really double over(弯腰) with laughter when we ask for the “restroom”. American ladies in England who ask for the “little girl’s room” or the “powder room” will be met with blank stares. A “fag” is a “cigarette” in the UK, which can lead to endless confusion for British visitors looking for a cigarette in America. Americans on the other hand are endlessly confused by English signs put up over doorways saying “Way Out”. We Americans walk on the sidewalk not the pavement. “Pavement” in America is the actual cement(水泥) the sidewalk is made of.What do British people call French Fries?
| A．Chips. | B．Crisps. |
| C．Shoofly. | D．Mississippi Mud Pie. |
The examples given at the end of the passage mainly show that _______.
| A．Americans don’t like dealing with the British |
| B．English signs are very hard for people to understand |
| C．American English is very different from British English. |
| D．Americans and the British may find it hard to understand each other |
What does the understand word “hysterical” in paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．difficult | B．Funny |
| C．Perfect | D．Normal |
It would be difficult for British people to look for a cigarette in America because ______.
| A．American people don’t like giving others cigarette |
| B．it is not allowed to smoke in public in America |
| C．Americans don’t know a “fag” means a “cigarette? |
| D．American people don’t smoke often |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some similar habits between Americans and the British. |
| B．Different communicating ways between Americans and the British. |
| C．Different body languages between Americans and the British. |
| D．Some differences between American English and British English. |
Here are some tips on how to relax after a long day's work.
This will not only make sure you don't notice the cleaning you should do, but also make you more relaxed. When the light is weak, you will be more likely to relax your eyes. Use candles instead of electric lights! They can help you feel comfortable and relaxed.
When it comes to relaxing, it is important for you to enjoy a good meal. Cook some food yourself. Enjoy it when you are cooking as the process (过程) can help you relax. Make the food as delicious as you can! If you're too tired, you should think about ordering food just for this night, but don't make it a habit!
Nothing can take your mind off work as a good friend can! Make sure you don't talk about work all night but do something fun together! After work, your friend is probably tired too, so don't plan on doing everything at once and save the exciting and fun activities for future. Have a cup of tea, play a game or watch your favorite TV series. It's good for you to be social after a long day of work.
It is important to get a good night's sleep if you are planning to work better the next day and have the energy to do something nice after work. If you are working hard for a long period of time, enough sleep is necessary for keeping you going. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Make your body relax and let go.According to the author, in order to feel relaxed, we should _______.
| A．stay under brighter lighting |
| B．turn down the lights and light some candles |
| C．do the cleaning in the daytime |
| D．relax our eyes by using electric lights |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Food. | B．A meal. |
| C．Relaxing. | D．Cooking. |
We can infer from Paragraph 4 that _______.
| A．friends are usually too tired to come out for social activities |
| B．watching TV series with friends won't help us feel relaxed |
| C．being social after a long day's work can help us relax |
| D．we should plan on doing everything at once for fun with friends |
What is the order of the titles for Paragraphs 2 to 5?
a. Eat good food.b. Invite a friend over.
c. Go to bed early. d. Turn down the lights.
| A．a-b-d-c | B．a-d-b-c |
| C．d-a-c-b | D．d-a-b-c |
This passage is most probably written for _______.
| A．people who work hard |
| B．students who study hard |
| C．students who want to learn better |
| D．people who are bad at socializing |
When I first entered high school, I knew no one at my school. All my friends in middle school went to other schools. I wanted to make some new friends. However, I was shy and wasn’t good at making new friends. On my first day at school, I looked at others who were talking in groups happily. How I wish I were one of them!
I guess I was very lucky then. At lunch in the dinning hall, when I was eating at a table alone, a girl came to me. “Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she asked. I immediately shook my head. She smiled and sat down opposite(面对) to me. I felt a little awkward and didn’t know what to say at all, but I really wanted to communicate with her. It was a good opportunity to make friends with her. When I looked up, I found she was smiling at me. Her smile calmed me down. “I really like this school. It’s beautiful, but I don’t know anyone here. All my friends went to other schools,” said the girl. Hearing her words, I immediately said, “my friends are not here either. Can we be friends?” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe I would say something like that, and to my surprise, that girl immediately said “yes”. We both smiled.
We became very good friends. Now it’s the beginning of a new term again. Many students may have no friends at their new schools. If you are also as shy as I used to be, please don’t be afraid to talk to others. You may get a surprise and make a new friend. After all, others want to make new friends, too.We know on her first day at school, the author _________.
| A．hoped she could make some new friends |
| B．only knew a few people at her school |
| C．met some old friends at her new school |
| D．hoped she could go to her old friends’ schools |
The underlined word “awkward” in paragraph 2 is closed in meaning to “”
| A．bored | B．excited |
| C．interested | D．embarrassed |
After the girl sat down opposite to the author, the author _________.
| A．immediately shook her hand |
| B．immediately say something to keep calm |
| C．wanted to talk with her |
| D．wanted her to go away at once |
What did the girl do after the author asked if they could become friends?
| A．She agreed at once |
| B．She thought for a long time |
| C．She felt a little down |
| D．She sat down in no time |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To show that high school is really exciting. |
| B．To encourage shy people to talk to others. |
| C．To tell us how lucky she was in high school. |
| D．To advise us to have a good first day in high school. |
Throughout the world, clothing has many uses. It is used to provide protection from cold. It is also worn to prevent others from seeing specific parts of one’s body. However, the parts of the body that must be covered vary widely throughout the world. Some clothing is worn to provide supernatural protection. Wearing a lucky shirt to take an exam is calling for supernatural assistance.
People in all cultures use clothing and other forms of bodily decoration to communicate status(身份), intentions and other messages. In North America, we dress differently for business and various leisure activities. North American women usually are much more knowledgeable of little difference in messages communicated by clothes than men. At times, this leads to silly mistakes of understanding of female intentions on the part of men. Of course, clothing styles also are intended to communicate messages to members of the same gender（性别）.
Long before we are near enough to talk to someone, their appearance tells their gender, age, economic class, and often even intentions. We begin to recognize the important cultural clues at an early age. The vocabulary of dress that we learn includes not only items of clothing but also hairstyles, jewelry, and other body decoration. In most cultures, however, the same style of dress communicates different messages depending on the age, gender, and physical appearance of the individual wearing it.
Putting on certain types of clothing can change your behavior and the behavior of others towards you. This can be the case with a doctor’s white lab coat, or an army uniform. Most uniforms are clearly symbolic so that they can rapidly and unmistakably communicate status. For instance, the strange hairstyle and clothing of the English “punks” are essential aspects of their uniforms.
There are many forms of body decoration other than clothes that are used around the world to send messages. These include body and hair paint, and even body deformation. When doctors put braces on teeth, they are actually doing the same thing – deforming or reforming a part of the body to make it more attractive.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A． Clothing and Culture |
| B． Ways of Sending Message |
| C． Clothing and Social Behavior |
| D． Communication through Clothing |
Some people wear lucky shirts to take an exam because they believe .
| A． clothes can hide their fear for the exam |
| B． clothes have extraordinary power |
| C． shirts can make them more comfortable |
| D． shirts provide protection against bad weather |
In North America, men sometimes misunderstand women’s intention because .
| A． men are more careless than women |
| B． women spend more time on their clothes |
| C． men and women have different views on clothing styles |
| D． men care less about the different messages communicated by clothes |
According to the passage, the behavior of others towards you can be changed by your .
| A． age | B． dress |
| C． status | D． gender |
From the passage, it can be inferred that .
| A． clothing plays an important role in social activities |
| B． words of dress are unable to communicate different messages |
| C． dress is better than language in communicating messages |
| D． messages communicated by clothes are the same in different cultures |