One Sunday morning, when I was driving along a road, I saw something I couldn’t believe. A little girl, who was less than two years old, was pushing her stroller (婴儿车) across the road. The traffic was not heavy that morning.
I stopped my car at once and ran toward her. This little girl knew enough to run from a stranger. I tried to catch her in order that I could get her out of the road.
Suddenly her father came running down a hill across the road from where I had parked my car. He ran right to her and caught her up, saying “bad girl” to her. I picked up the stroller and gave it to him. The father grabbed the stroller and walked toward where he came from without a word.
I went back and sat in my car for a few minutes with my son. My hands were shaking and tears were about to run out of my eyes. “Do you feel cold, Mom?” asked my son. I just shook my head.
After this happened, I thought about how thankful I am. Even though the father didn’t say “Thank you”, I feel that I did something good. Doing something for someone else is pleasing, even when it’s only a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
I didn’t really “save” her, but I feel like it was important that I happened to be there. It is sad that I was the only one who stopped. It really made me a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help. The little girl ran away from the author because _____.
| A．she wanted to look for her father |
| B．she wanted to stay on the road |
| C．she needed to catch her stroller |
| D．she didn’t know the author at all |
When the author saw the little girl, _____.
| A．there weren’t many cars on the road |
| B．the girl feared to go across the road |
| C．the girl had lost her way |
| D．she was driving to work in a hurry |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The author shared her experience with her son. |
| B．The author felt sad that no one else helped the girl. |
| C．The girl’s father didn’t like the girl at all. |
| D．The girl’s father had wanted to thank the author. |
Why were the author’s hands shaking?
| A．Because the weather was very cold at that time. |
| B．Because she failed to be understood by the girl’s father. |
| C．Because she was not feeling well. |
| D．Because she was too excited to keep calm. |
At dawn on Friday,May 19,1780,farmers in New England stopped to wonder at the pink color of the sun.By noon the sky had darkened to midnight blackness,causing Americans,still in the painful struggle of a prolonged war of independence,to light candles and tremble at thoughts of the Last Judgment.As the birds quieted and no storm accompanied the darkness,men and women crowded into churches,where one minister commented that “The people were very attentive”.John Greenleaf Whittier later wrote that “Men prayed,and women wept;all ears grew sharp...”
A recent study of researchers,led by Richard Guyette from the University of Missouri Tree-Ring Laboratory,has shown that vast forest fires in the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario and elsewhere in Canada brought this event upon New England.The scientists have discovered “fire scars” on the rings for that year,left when the heat of a wildfire has killed a part of a tree’s cambium (形成层).Evidence collected also points to a drought that year.An easterly wind and low barometric pressure(低气压) helped force smoke into the upper atmosphere.“The record fits pretty close,”says Guyette.“We had the right fuel,the drought.The conditions were all there.”
Lacking the ability to communicate quickly over long distances,Americans in 1780 remained in the dark about the event,which had disappeared by the next day.Over the next several months,the papers carried heated debates about what brought the darkness.Some were the voices of angry prediction,such as one Massachusetts farmer who wrote,“Oh! Backsliding New England,attend now to the things which belong to your peace before they are forever hid from your eyes.”Others gave different answers.One stated that “a flaming star” had passed between the earth and the sun.Ash,argued another commentator.The debate,carried on throughout New England,where there were no scientific journals or academies yet,reflected an unfolding culture of scientific enquiry already sweeping the Western world,a revolution nearly as influential as the war for independence from the English.
New Englanders would not soon forget that dark day;it lived on in folklore,poems,and sermons for generations.New Englanders crowded into churches because they were frightened by .
| A．the pink color of the sun |
| B．the darkened sky at daytime |
| C．the Last Judgment on Friday |
| D．the American War of Independence |
What can we infer about the event in New England on May 19,1780?( )
| A．Prayers remained silent and attentive. |
| B．Night birds no longer came out to sing. |
| C．People’s ears became sharper than usual. |
| D．Midday meals were served by candlelight. |
According to the researchers,the origin of the event was .
| A．an east wind |
| B．a severe drought |
| C．some burning fuel |
| D．low barometric pressure |
What can be the best title for the text?( )
| A．New England’s dark day |
| B．Voices of angry prediction |
| C．There is no smoke without fire |
| D．Tree rings and scientific discovery |
Eco-friendly Vauban,Germany,located in the southwest part of the country,is a city where less than 20 percent of the residents own automobiles.Most of the people get around the town by using bicycles and their feet,according to an article (with video) by ABCNews.com.Can an eco-friendly city like Vauban be a model for Americans to stop their over-reliance (过度依赖) on the automobile?
Anytime I watch a news report,what’s often in the back of my mind is what isn’t reported or stressed.While this eco-friendly city is inspiring in that it shows residents getting their exercise and more fresh air through the majority use of bicycles,rollerblades (轮滑鞋),as well as good old-fashioned walking,common sense would tell you that even for a place like Vauban it owes its existence to the automobile.
Do you think that bicycles were able to transport all the construction materials that were needed to build the eco-friendly homes and businesses in Vauban?Were rollerbladers able to move all the materials needed for the sidewalk and bicycle path construction?It took automobiles to help build this place.
I myself haven’t owned a car for more than 14 years.I mostly get around town via running,walking,and use of public transportation.Although I’m glad lots of walking and running has helped to keep me fit and healthier,there are times I wish I had an automobile because it would make things really easier.
In order for America to get even close to being like eco-friendly Vauban,we need to change the way we live,starting with huge investment (投资) in public transportation,etc.Yet ending Americans’ dependence on the automobile will be virtually impossible during my lifetime.At best,one will see more Vauban-like areas in the USA.
It can be hoped that Americans will consider using their feet more to get around when possible,which would cut down on some pollution and provide some health benefits via exercise.The first paragraph serves as a(n) .
| A．explanation |
| B．introduction |
| C．comment |
| D．background |
According to Para.2,the author believes that .
| A．Vauban is not so eco-friendly as the media says |
| B．automobiles will disappear in Vauban soon |
| C．residents in Vauban still need automobiles |
| D．life in Vauban is not comfortable and convenient |
From Para.4 we learn the author seems to stress .
| A．the great value of walking and running |
| B．the disadvantages of owning a private car |
| C．the benefits of using public transportation |
| D．the need of allowing automobiles to exist |
Which of the following opinions would the author accept?( )
| A．American cities can become as eco-friendly as Vauban soon. |
| B．It is unnecessary for Americans to depend on bicycles. |
| C．Americans are still heavily dependent on automobiles. |
| D．The model of Vauban suits American cities very well. |
The 1900 house
The bowler family was one of more than 400 families who applied to 1900 house, a reality TV shout which took a typical family back a hundred years to se how people lived in the days before the internet, computer games and even electricity.
The bowler family spent three months in a London home without a telephone, computers, TV, or fast food. The bowlers wore clothes from 1900, are only food available in English at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove. Paul bowler still went to work every day in a then uniform. The children changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn’t know about then unusual home life. Joyce stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time, though everything took three times as long.
So does Joyce think that people’s lives were better in the old days?
“I think people in the old days had just ad many troubles and worries,” Joyce said.
And I don’t think their life was better or worse, there were lots of things back then that
I’m happy I don’t have to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler.” “We had a lot more time with our family, and it was hard being nice to each other all the time,” eleven-year-old Hilary said.
So what did the Bowler family miss most about modern life while living in the 1900 house?
Paul, 39:” telephone and a hot shower”
Joyce, 44:” a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just turn on”
Hilary, 11:” rock CD”
Joseph, 9:” hamburger and computer games”While the Bowler family was living in 1900 house, _____.
A the mother spent more time on housework
B the two children wore the then clothes for school
C they prepared their meals together on a stove
D they ate simple foods they had never seen According to Paragraph 4, what’s Joyce’s opinion about life in 1900?
A There were fewer problems for the family
B Life was simpler but worse than it is now
C There were things she liked and disliked
D The family had more time to stay together What would Hilary expect most from modern life in the three months?
A To play computer games
B. To make phone calls
C To listen to music
D. To chat on the Internet
Brave Frenchman Found Half-way Around the World
(NEW YORK) A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn’t think twice before diving into the freezing East River.
Tuesday’s Daily News said 29-year who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Scaport museum. He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dive in after him.
“I didn’t think at all,” Duret told the Daily News. “It happened very fast. I reacted very fast.”
Duret, an engineer on vacation ,was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头)when he saw something falling into the water .He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. In an instant ,he took off his coat and jumped into the water.
When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said . Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.
Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from cookers. Duret caught a train with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn’t realize his tale of heroism he was leaving the next morning .
“I don’t really think I’m a hero,” said Duret. “Anyone would do the same ting.”Why was Duret in New York?
| A．To meet his girlfriend |
| B．To work as an engineer |
| C．To spend his holiday |
| D．To visit the Andersons. |
What did Duret do shortly after the ambulance came?
| A．He was interviewed by a newspaper |
| B．He asked his girlfriend for his dry clothes |
| C．He went to the hospital in the ambulance |
| D．He disappeared from the spot quickly |
Who divide after Duret into the river to save the little girl?
| A．David Anderson |
| B．A passer-by |
| C．His girlfriend |
| D．a taxi driver. |
When was duet most probably found to be the very hero?
| A．The day when he was leaving for home. |
| B．A couple of days after the girl was rescued |
| C．The first day when he was in New York |
| D．The same day when he was interviewed. |
Too many people want others to be their friends，but they don’t give friendship back.That is why some friendships don’t last long.To have a friend，you must learn to be one.You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you.Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules：be honest；be generous；be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts.Friends must be able to trust one another.If you do not tell the truth，people usually will find out.If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest，you may lose the friend’s trust.Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow.You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes.Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings.These can be very valuable to a friend.They tell your friend what is important to you.By sharing them，you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and helping with a problem.Something may go wrong at school.Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve.Turning to a friend can be the first step in solving the problem.So to be a friend you must listen and understand.You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends，you must practice honesty，generosity and understanding. Some friendships don’t last very long because ________.
| A．there are too many people who want to make friends |
| B．some people receive friendship but don’t give friendship back |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others |
| D．they don’t know friendship is something serious |
According to the passage，honesty is ________.
| A．something countable |
| B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money |
| D．more important than anything else |
Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．Always tell your friends the truth. |
| B．Sharing your mind with your friends is of great value. |
| C．Discussing your problems with your friends often helps to solve the problem. |
| D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. |
The best title of this passage is_________.
| A．Honesty Is the Best Policy |
| B．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed |
| C．How to Be Friends |
| D．Three Important Points in Life |