Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes(芒果). One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man. Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted - that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense(紧张), as to what would happen next! Some wanted to punish the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge(报仇).
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really helped him because he induced him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.” What happened after he had picked a few sweet reddish mangoes?
| A.He remained hanging helplessly on the tree. |
| B.He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly. |
| C.He was climbing down quickly but carefully. |
| D.He shouted loudly for help but no one helped. |
How did the man feel when the sage hit him with a stone?
| A.He was nervous. | B.He kept silent. | C.He was angry. | D.He felt surprised. |
What do you think motivated the man to climb down?
| A.Courage. | B.Assistance. | C.Carefulness. | D.Revenge. |
From the story we know that the sweetest mango must be the one .
| A.on the tree for the longest time | B.hidden in the middle of a tree |
| C.on the very top of the a tree | D.exposed to sunlight less often |
The best title of this passage will be _____.
| A.Anger saves one’s life. | B.Wisdom does count. |
| C.Skill and strength count. | D.Anger is the biggest enemy. |
Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning.
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water:
At the Lake or Pond
·Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision— lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore.
·Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish.
·Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes.
·Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm.
·Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol(饮酒). Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water.
At the Beach
·Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides(暗流). Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions.
·Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over.
·Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel(顺行地) to the shore or should tread (踩)water and call for a lifeguard's help.
Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning.Which is the right behavior when swimming at the beach?
| A.Go off the water without a lifeguard on duty |
| B.Go on swimming in a heavy rain |
| C.Go off the water before checking the water conditions |
| D.Call for help if caught in a dangerous wave |
A child should_________ at a lake.
| A.swim on his/her own |
| B.be careful about weeds and grass |
| C.swim without shoes on |
| D.drink only a little wine |
Swimming at a beach is more dangerous than in a pool because .
| A.there are no lifeguards at a beach |
| B.there are currents and tides at a beach |
| C.the waters of a beach are more calm. |
| D.the waters of a pool are warmer |
The passage is probably written for .
| A.students at school | B.kids who want to learn swimming |
| C.parents with little children | D.coaches who teach kids to swim |
In which column(栏目) of a magazine can you find this passage?
| A.Education | B.Science | C.Entertainment | D.Sports |
Do you want to visit Disney World? However, will you worry about your pet if you go to Disney World? To meet the needs of these people, a pet hotel has been built near the Disney World Resort in Florida.
The new pet hotel is named Best Friends Pet Care Resort and it is mainly open to dogs and cats. It has an area of 4,645㎡. About 270 dogs and 30 cats can be kept there at the same time. Besides dogs and cats, it can also provide services for birds, pigs and rabbits. However, it can’t take care of snakes and turtles(乌龟) now.
Best Friend Pet Care Resort is a very expensive hotel. There are several types of dog rooms, such as rooms with air-conditioners(空调) and VIP rooms. There is even a “private dog park”. Owners can have a high-quality vacation with their dogs there. The cats are kept in the “Kitty City”. The “Kitty City” is very comfortable and clean. Workers there will clean it once a day.
Apart from having good equipment, Best Friends Pet Care Resort also have other plans to meet the psychological (心理上的) needs of pets. Workers play music to the pets, walk with them, play with them and even read stories to them before they go to bed.
“We aim to make sure that pets will have a fun vacation here, just like their owners at Disney World,” said the manager of the resort. How many kinds of animals can be kept in Best Friends Pet Care Resort?
| A.Three. | B.Five. | C.Six. | D.Seven. |
About Best Friends Pet Care Resort, which of the following is NOT true?
| A.It covers about 4,645 ㎡. |
| B.It can keep more than 300 pets. |
| C.Owners don’t need to pay much for keeping pets there. |
| D.There is a “private dog park” in the resort as well. |
How often do the workers clean the “Kitty City”?
| A.Once a day. | B.Twice a day. | C.Once a week. | D.Twice a week. |
Workers from the pet care resort read stories to pets in order to .
| A.provide pets with good equipment |
| B.meet the psychological needs of pets |
| C.teach pets to learn more knowledge |
| D.make pets’ owners satisfied with their service |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A.Relationship between Owners and Pets |
| B.Popular Pets All Over the World |
| C.How to Take Care of your Pets |
| D.Pet Care Resort in Florida |
When I was at University I studied very hard. But a lot of my friends did very little work. Some did just enough to pass exams. Others didn’t do quite enough. Fred Baines was one of them. He spent more time playing than working in the library.
Once at the end of the term, we had to take an important test in chemistry. The test had a hundred questions. Beside each question we had to write “True” or “False”. While I was studying in my room the night before the test, Fred was watching TV. Fred usually worried a lot the night before a test. But on that night he looked perfectly calm. Thenhe told me of his plan. “It’s very simple. There are a hundred questions and I have to get fifty correct to pass the test. I’ll just toss(掷)the coin to decide the answers. That way, I’m sure I’ll get half the questions right.”
The next day, Fred came happily into the exam room. As he sat tossing a coin for half an hour he marked down his answers. Then he left, half an hour before the rest of us.
The next day, he saw the chemistry professor in the corridor. “Oh, good,” he said to the teacher, “Have you got the result of the test?” The teacher reached into his pocket and took out a coin. He threw it into the air, caught it in his hand and looked at it.
“I’m terribly sorry, Fred,” he said, “You failed!”This story mainly wants to tell us.
| A.chemistry is really hard to learn |
| B.there are many questions for students to prepare. |
| C.good exam results really need studying hard |
| D.tossing a coin can not always decide the result |
Fred Baines was one of those who .
| A.did just enough to pass an exam |
| B.didn’t work hard enough for their studies |
| C.had more important work to do than study |
| D.were quite good at passing exams |
Fred came happily into the exam room because.
| A.he had got ready for the exam |
| B.he knew the answers already |
| C.one excellent student would help him |
| D.he had his special way to finish the exam |
Which of the following about the chemistry exam is TRUE?
| A.The chemisty exam was not very difficult at all. |
| B.It in fact took an hour to finish the chemisty exam |
| C.The chemisty exam had more than one hundred questions. |
| D.The chemisty exam needed to be done by tossing a coin. |
The professor tossed a coin to tell Baines that .
| A.he was satisfied with Baines’ way for the exam |
| B.he wanted to make friends with Baines |
| C.Baines’ way for the exam would never work |
| D.the exam result depended on the coin |
The quest for success always begins with a target. As Berra once said, “You got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.”
Too many people wander through life like sleepwalkers.Each day they follow familiar routines, never asking, “What am I doing with my life?” and they don’t know what they’re doing because they lack goals.
Goal-setting is a focusing of the will to move in a certain direction.Begin with a clear conception of what you want.Write down your goals and date them—putting them into words clarifies them.Rather than concentrating on objects to acquire and possess, focus on fulfilling your desires to do, to produce, to contribute—goal-setting that yields the true sense of satisfaction we all need.
It’s important to visualize(想象)yourself accomplishing your goal.While losers visualize the penalties(不利)of failure, winners visualize the rewards of success.I’ve seen it among athletes, statistics contrasting air and highway safety, but it made no difference.I had read too many articles describing crash scenes and imagined these scenes vividly.I had programmed myself, without realizing it, to stay off planes.
Then one summer I had the opportunity to fly on a private plane with friends to a resort;I didn’t want to miss out on a great vacation.So I spent two weeks imagining a smooth flight on a beautiful sunny day and an easy landing.
When the day arrived, I was eager to go.To everyone’s surprise, I got on the plane and I loved every minute of it, and I still use the techniques I employed that day.According to the passage, if you want to be successful, the first thing for you to do is ________.
| A.find the right methods | B.be careful about everything |
| C.know your ability | D.have a clear goal |
If you have a target, you will ________.
| A.wander like a sleepwalker |
| B.know well what you are doing |
| C.do the same work every day |
| D.put it into words |
The problem with the author before he overcame his fear of air travel is that________.
| A.he didn’t know air travel is safer than highway travel |
| B.he couldn’t imagine himself accomplishing his goal |
| C.he read too much about plane crashes and tried to avoid flying |
| D.he wanted to take a private plane instead of a public one |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A.Define Your Coal |
| B.Visualize Rewards of Success |
| C.Overcome the Fear of Air Travel |
| D.Sleepwalking Through Life |
The home of the future won’t be completely different and we will be living in houses and flats just as we do today.But people will want to shape their homes to match their dreams.No two homes will be the same.People will be able to buy “house kits” containing a basic house structure, with movable walls, doors and windows.They will put together the different parts to create the home they want.
Many jobs that we do today will disappear, others will still exist but will change and new jobs will be created. Skilled workers such as builders, gardeners and electricians won’t disappear because machines can’t replace them. Teachers will still exist because students need human contact. But they will be using modern technology in class more and students will be working more from home. The medical technology revolution and space travel will create new jobs which we can only imagine today.
Space holidays will develop in the future, but these holidays won’t be for everyone because they won’t be cheap. Short space trips will develop first, then space hotels will orbit the earth where it will be possible to have a longer vacation. By the end of the next century, there will be holiday centres on the moon with leisure facilities for families.
Paper won’t exist in the future. Instead, there will be e-paper which people will be able to use over and over again. This will develop in order to save natural resources. E-newspapers and e-magazines will replace traditional newspapers and magazines and we will download information and news articles from the Internet every day onto our reuseable paper.
The laws of physics tell us that the earth is going to disappear some time in the future.This isn’t going to happen tomorrow but scientists predict that it will happen in five billion years when our sun explodes (爆炸).We will have to explore the universe and find another home. At some point in the distant future, either we stay on the earth and die with it, or we leave and move to another planet. There won’t be any other choice.Homes of the future will ________.
| A.be completely different from those of today |
| B.be very similar to our homes |
| C.all be different from one another |
| D.be movable as you want |
Space trips and staying in space hotels will ________.
| A.become a very common way to spend a holiday |
| B.be the best holiday option for families |
| C.attract a lot of people |
| D.still only be for very rich people |
E-paper will replace traditional paper because ________.
| A.we will use it again |
| B.it won’t waste natural resource |
| C.it will be cheaper to produce |
| D.it will be convenient to carry |
We will have move to another planet ________.
| A.if we want to save the human race |
| B.when the sun explodes |
| C.when the earth disappears |
| D.when the earth is too crowded to fill people on |