It doesn’t matter when and how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Herpin. Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw him sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.The main idea of this passage is that_____.
| A．large numbers of people do not need sleep |
| B．a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep |
| C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive |
| D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep |
The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting_____.
| A．to cure him of his sleeplessness |
| B．to find that his sleeplessness was not really true |
| C．to find out why some old people did not need any sleep |
| D．to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping |
After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Herpin_____.
| A．needed some kind of sleep |
| B．was too old to need any sleep |
| C．needed no sleep at all |
| D．often sleep in a chair |
One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _____.
| A．his mother’s injury before he was born |
| B．that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit |
| C．his magnificent physical condition |
| D．that he hadn’t got a bed |
Herpin’s condition could be regarded as ______.
| A．a common one | B．one that could be cured | C．very healthy | D．a rare one |
To find how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of disclosing and controlling more land, of expanding trade beyond their borders and of spreading their faith across the world .In 1535, Francois I ,King of France, ordered a navigator named Jacques Cartier to explore the New World and search for a passage to India.
Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term “Canada” entered the country’s history. Apparently the word “Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanata”, which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!In the early sixteenth century, the King of France ordered Cartier to ______
| A．find the new world. |
| B．go and visit the American Indians |
| C．build an entirely new country |
| D．get more information about America and find a way to Asia |
Having reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence Cartier thought _____
| A．he had already got to India |
| B．he had sailed into the Atlantic |
| C．it was a water passage to the East |
| D． it was a water way to the New World |
In the early sixteenth century, Quebec was only ____.
| A．an Indian village |
| B．a little town in southern Canada |
| C．the place which we call Canada now |
| D．a village at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence |
China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled around the country. Everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them are black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing, I've found the opposite (对立面) is true. There are millions of cars.
However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it's the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors — silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It's fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on pavements. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can't provide.
Wanting to be part of this way of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. After my great buy, I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be
safe, I stayed with a "pack" of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn't want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air was hitting my face and going through my hair. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient (方便的) and cheap. |
| C．Because they are colorful and beautiful. |
| D．Because they are fast and environmentally friendly. |
The author decided to buy a bicycle because he meant _________.
| A．to ride it for fun |
| B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture |
| D．to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street cross-ing?
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
Which of the following best describes the author's biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was angry at the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends---you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you---loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease but the situation is somewhat different from that of a ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.When you speak to the class, you should speak ________.
| A．as slowly as possible | B．in a low voice |
| C．loudly | D．forcefully |
Usually, when you speak to the class, the class is ________.
| A．noisy | B．quiet |
| C．having a rest | D．serious |
If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is____.
| A．to show your ability |
| B．to be very gentle |
| C．to make sure that you can be heard |
| D．to put the official at ease |
When my daughter realized that she had really hurt another child with a mean word, she cried and immediately wanted to apologize. That was a good thing, but I wanted her to know an apology can't always make things better. So I told her the story of Will, a 9-year-old boy whose father left his mom two years earlier.
Will was angry, and he often hurt others with hurtful words. He once told his mom, "I see why Dad left you!" Unable to deal with Will, the mother sent him to spend the summer with his grandparents. His grandmother's strategy to help Will learn self-control was to make him go into the garage and pound a two-inch-long nail (钉子) into a four-by-four board every time he said a mean thing. For a small boy, this was a hard task, but he couldn't return until the nail was all the way in.
After about ten trips to the garage, Will began to be more cautious about his words. In the end, he even apologized for all the bad things he'd said. One day his grandmother made him bring in the board filled with nails and told him to pull them all out. This was even harder than pounding them in, but after a huge struggle, he did it. His grandmother hugged him and said, "I appreciate your apology and, of course, I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know that an apology is like pulling out one of those nails. Look at the board. The holes are still there. The board will never be the same. I know your dad put a hole in you, but please don't put holes in other people; you're better than that."
The truth is that no matter how much we apologize to people, we can't take back what we said. The best thing for us to do is to try not to hurt people in the first place.What did the writer's daughter do when she realized she had hurt another child?
A. She cried and pretended to be hurt.
B. B. She wanted to say sorry to that child.
C. She wanted her mother to tell her a story.
D. She wanted her mother to apologize to that child.Why did Will's mother send him to his grandparents'?
| A．Because Will could hurt nobody there. |
| B．Because she was afraid that other children would hurt Will. |
| C．Because Will's grandparents told her they had a good way with children. |
| D．Because she didn't know how to stop Will from hurting others. |
The underlined words "cautious about" in Paragraph 3 mean ___________.
| A．careful about | B．excited about |
| C．angry at | D．interested in |
What does the writer want to tell us by writing this passage?
| A．Parents should never hurt their children. |
| B．Children are more likely to listen to their grandparents. |
| C．We should not hurt other people in the first place. |
| D．Old people are really good at bringing up children. |
How do you address (称呼) people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.
1. When talking to strangers there is often no special form of address in English. Usually, if you want to catch the attention of a stranger, it is necessary to use such a phrase as “Excuse me”.
2. In British English “Sir” and “Madam” are considered to be too formal (正式的) for most situations. They are used mostly to customers (顾客) in shops or restaurants. While in American English “Sir” and “Madam” are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with old people whose names you don’t know.
3. When you talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use “Mr.” “Mrs.” “Ms.”, etc before their family names.
4. There are many others forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use. For example, “pal” and “mate” can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men.According to the passage, “excuse me” is mainly used to ______
| A．address a person you don’t know |
| B．apologize to others |
| C．catch the attention of a stranger |
| D．suggest good manners |
If John Smith is your best friend, according to the passage you should often call him _______
| A．John | B．Smith | C．Mr. John | D．Mr. Smith |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．“Sir” and “Madam” are used more often in America than in English |
| B．People often use “Mr.” “Mrs.” or “Ms” before the first names of those people who they don’t know very well. |
| C．Pal and mate are usually only used among men. |
| D．While addressing friends, people just use their first names. |
The passage is most likely taken from an English _________
| A．textbook | B．card |
| C．storybook | D．grammar book |