Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise. But nobody forgot Merlin’s wonderful entrance after that.The story tells us that people began to enjoy roller-skating _______.
| A．before the year 1750 | B．before the invitation |
| C．because of Joseph Merlin | D．because it was dangerous |
People called Merlin a dreamer because ___________.
| A．he slept and dreamed a lot |
| B．he was full of different ideas |
| C．he was a talented violinist |
| D．he always made people’s dreams come true |
___________ made Merlin think of skating on wheels.
| A．Merlin’s work | B．Merlin’s violin | C．A huge mirror | D．An important party |
What was Merlin’s problem after he rolled into the room?
| A．He couldn’t stop his roller-skating. |
| B．He couldn’t attract a lot of attention. |
| C．Everyone was surprised at him. |
| D．He couldn’t play the violin while rolling. |
The text is mainly about_________.
| A．a strange man |
| B．an unusual party |
| C．how roller skating began |
| D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
June came and the hay was almost ready for cutting．On Midsummer's Eve, which was aSaturday, Mr．Jones went to Willington and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not comeback till midday on Sunday．The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then hadgone out rabbiting, without bothering to feed the animals．When Mr．Jones got back, heimmediately went to sleep on the living-room sofa with the "News of the world" over his face,so that when evening came, the animals were still not fed．At last, they could stand no longer．
One of the cows broke into the door of the store-house with her horns（角） and all the animalsbegan to help themselves to the grains．It was just then that Mr．Jones woke up．The nextmoment he and his four men were in the store-house with whips （鞭子） in their hands,whipping in all directions．This was more than the hungry animals would bear．Together,though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they jumped upon their masters．
Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being struck with horns and kicked from allsides．The situation was quite out of their control．They had never seen animals act like thisbefore, and this sudden uprising （起义） of creatures whom they were used to beating andwhipping just as they chose frightened them．After only a moment or two, they gave up tryingto defend themselves．A minute later all five of them were in full fright down the road, with theanimals running after them joyfully．Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
| A．Willington was the name of a relative． |
| B．Red Lion was the name of a bar． |
| C．News of the World was a TV program． |
| D．Store-house is a place to feed the cows． |
The cows broke into the store-house to feed themselves because .
| A．They were so angry at their masters |
| B．They wanted to fight with the men |
| C．They wanted to go on strike |
| D．They-were too hungry |
The cows jumped upon their masters because _________．
| A．they were not fed |
| B．they were so hungry |
| C．they were whipped so hard |
| D．they were so happy |
What would be the best tile for the story?
| A．Midsummer's Eve | B．A Bad Sunday |
| C．Cows and Their Masters | D．Rebellion of Cows |
Location: Worlds of Fun is located off Highway 435 in Kansas City, Missouri.
History: Worlds of Fun was opened on May 26, 1973, at a cost of 25 million dollars. Loosely themed around the Jules Verne book, Around the World in Eighty Days, the park was founded by Hunt Midwest Company. In 1982, Hunt Midwest bought a nearby waterpark, Oceans of Fun. In 2013, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun were combined to a one-ticket admission, providing all guests with access to(进入) 235 acres of amusement and water rides.
Hours: Worlds of Fun is open from April through Halloween.
Tickets: Buy and print online. Always try to buy your tickets in advance, to save time when you get to the park.
Reservations: World of Fun sells “ Fast Lane” cards that save rides’ time by allowing them to avoid the majority of wait for most of rides and attractions including Mamba, Plowler, and Patriot. Ride as many times as you want all day long.
Strategy(策略): Most visitors tend to(趋向于) begin in the day with Prowler, the hottest attraction in the park. Use that tendency to your advantage and head to the Patriot first. After that, try the Dragons. Then work your way back to the Prowler. After riding the Prowler, there is only one roller coaster, Mamba. Hit it next. If the park is not very crowded, you can ride Boomerang on the way to Mamba. After riding Mamba, head back for a ride on the Wolf. By then you will have tried most of the popular rides and attractions in the shortest possible time.
News: In 2014, Worlds of Fun is adding Steel Hawk, a ride that will take guests up 301 feet in the air and spin them at a 45-degree angle for a 60-second flight. Wait to have a try.When did Hunt Midwest’s two parks start to share one ticket?
| A．In 1973 | B．In 1982 |
| C．In 2014 | D．In 2013 |
With a “Fast Lane” card, visitors can ________.
| A．save some money |
| B．avoid lining up for long |
| C．buy tickets online |
| D．enjoy all the rides for free. |
What is talked about in the part of Strategy?
| A．The most popular tour season. |
| B．The highest ride in the park. |
| C．The best visiting route. |
| D．The hottest attractions in the park. |
Growing mushrooms(蘑菇) is probably the easiest thing you can do if you are new to mushroom growing. Mushroom growing is becoming more and more common as restaurants are creating more dishes that include mushrooms.
Mushroom growing is easy. To start with you need to have a growing space where you are going to grow these mushrooms. It does not have to be too big enough for you to grow as many mushrooms as you need. When you have found the space that is perfect for you, you can start to research what kind of mushrooms you want to grow. There are hundreds of kinds to choose from but not all mushrooms are edible, which is an important fact you need to remember before you start. Don’t grow mushrooms you can’t use or sell.
When you figure out what kind of mushrooms you want to grow, you can make some preparations. Sometimes you need to hire some workers to help you if you have a large mushroom farm, or if you are trying to start a professional mushroom growing business. Trying to start a business by yourself can be stressful. If you don’t have time to take care of everything yourself, to hire a worker is the best bet.
After you have started the mushroom growing, you should regularly check and make sure that your mushrooms are growing properly and that they are not being attacked by any pesticides(杀虫剂) or any other animals that are potentially dangerous for them. That is the worst situation of mushroom growing. Protect your mushroom farm well with a fence or a gate so that only you and your workers can get in an out.
Mushroom growing is not difficult and is a really easy way to get started in the field of farming. You will possibly supply some of the great chefs(厨师) of the world with high-quality mushrooms that will be enjoyed by thousands of people around the world. Many people are beginning to plant mushrooms probably because _______.
| A．they are too common |
| B．they look very beautiful |
| C．there are more restaurants |
| D．they are in great need |
The underlined word “edible” (in paragraph 2) probably means “________”.
| A．easy to find | B．expensive to buy |
| C．suitable to eat | D．difficult to grow |
Which of the following is the right order of planting mushrooms?
a. Choose the suitable mushrooms.
b. Protect your mushrooms well.
c. Find some people to help you.
d. Start to grow mushrooms.
e. Find a place to plant mushrooms.
| A．b, d, a, e, c | B．e, a, c, d, b |
| C．e, c, a, b, d | D．d, c, b, a, e |
What is the main topic of the passage?
| A．It is easy to grow mushrooms. |
| B．You should hire other people to help you. |
| C．Growing mushrooms is not easy. |
| D．Tips for mushroom growing |
American parents generally can choose any name they want for their children. They may choose a name because it honors a family member. Or they may choose a name just because they like it.
A website called Baby Center lists some unusual names given to American babies born last year. Some were named for characters in old stories, such as Hero, Thor and Ulysses. Other people named their babies after kinds of food, like actress Gwyneth Paltrow. She named her daughter Apple. Other people named their babies Banana, Pumpkin and Cookie.
Still some babies were named for places. These included Brazil, India and Rome. Some parents used names of famous people from history such as Newton and Hannibal. Other parents named their babies after flowers or the weather. These babies were named Buttercup, Iris, Sunshine and Thunder.
Recording artists and movie actors influence some parents’ choices of names. Babies were named Beyonce, Charlize, Reda, Pierce, Shajira and Whitney. Movie actors themselves often give their babies unusual names. For example, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt named their baby daughter Shiloh. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their little girl Suri.
Some American parents do not want unusual names. They want their baby’s name to honor their religious faith. Such names include Abraham for boys or Sarah for girls. And many people give their babies the same name as a family member or good friend.
The United States Social Security Administration once published a list of the most popular names for American girls and boys born. Many of the top ten boys, names are from the Jewish and Christian Bibles.How did American parents usually name their children?
| A．In a way they please. | B．In a scientific way. |
| C．In a careless way. | D．In a common way |
From the second paragraph, we can infer that _______.
| A．Ulysses is a main person in an old story book. |
| B．the meaning of Gwyneth Paltrow is a kind of fruit |
| C．American parents expect their children to be a hero. |
| D．a girl was named Apple because she liked eating apples. |
What can we know from American children’s name?
| A．American children’s names express American history. |
| B．A foreign place may become a name of an American child. |
| C．American parents’ favorite names are those of famous actors. |
| D．American parents expect their children to be different from others. |
If a girl is named Sarah, the name reflects her parents’ _______.
| A．love | B．career | C．expectation | D．religion |
Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of a banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and of solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tried to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he may lead a poor life being a mathematician, and so Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph. D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematic provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics (Einstein was one of the others).
World War II hugely changed Neumann’s areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure (纯粹的) mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematics theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several contributions. After the war, Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died in 1957 of cancer.
Neumann really was a legend(传奇) in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of this legend. He reported one accident this way: “I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path.”According to the text, Neumann’s father believed that __________.
| A．a mathematician needed a good memory |
| B．a mathematician couldn’t earn a lot of money |
| C．Neumann has a gift for solving problems at a high speed |
| D．Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time |
How did World War II affect Neumann?
| A．He lost interest in chemistry. |
| B．He realized the importance of engineering. |
| C．He began to research how to put mathematics into practice. |
| D．He left college and served at the government department. |
Which of the following is true of Neumann?
| A．He had three children. |
| B．He died from an accident. |
| C．He received many awards in his life. |
| D．He and Einstein were classmates in Princeton University. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer Neumann was ________.
| A．humorous | B．calm | C．intelligent | D．brave |