Dear Guys,
I’d like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That’s when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me.
One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly (勉强地) agreed.
Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn’t have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I’m bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I’d be nervous at what I’m sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request.
However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, threw it as hard as I could.
It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me.
Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, then picked up the ball again. If you’ll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, Oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next.
The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me.
This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn’t it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless.
Seeing that you weren’t going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel.
Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me.
“Throw it granny-style!” one of you said.
“Just back up a little and give it all you’ve got!” another offered.
And, most embarrassing of all, “You can do it!”
I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame.
Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly.
It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me.
I surprised myself-and I’m sure you as well-by letting out a cry, “DAMN IT!!!” I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I’d be put out of my misery.
Alas, the heart attack didn’t happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: “Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?”
Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period was just enough blow for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, “Please just come get the damn ball.”
And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports.
Sincerely, Jen CorderyThe writer agreed to throw the ball because ______.
| A．she needed to have a relax carrying the heavy groceries |
| B．she wanted to refresh her childhood memories |
| C．she could not refuse the polite request from the young man |
| D．she had fallen in love with the young man at first sight |
Why did the writer mention her middle school memory?
| A．To explain why she failed the attempts to throw the ball back. |
| B．To complain that she had not mastered the ball throwing skills. |
| C．To show how cruel those 13-year-old boys were. |
| D．To express her dislike towards softball. |
What the boys said before the writer’s third attempt actually made the writer _______.
| A．inspired | B．encouraged | C．embarrassed | D．depressed |
What happened to the ball at last?
| A．The writer managed to throw the ball back. |
| B．The boy got the ball back by himself. |
| C．The writer threw the ball away out of anger. |
| D．The boys got angry and left without the ball. |
Apparently，we are safe neither at home nor in the business office．We use water in both places，but the research shows that chemicals added to our local water supply to kill harmful bacteria can have unwanted side effects．These chemicals can cause po
tential harm through drinking and in seemingly harmless activities as cleaning one’s house．They are released（set free）from water by daily actions like water running out of tap，spraying from garden pipes，or splashing in dishwashers and washing machines．As the water is moving, these chemicals are released into the air and then breathed in. Once inside our bodies, they start to affect our health.
Does this mean we should stop bathing? No, say the scientists, but we should put all pollution into perspective. Activities at home such as the burning of coal, cooking oil, or even candles release carbon monoxide and particulates such as cigarette ashes which have been proven as harmful to health as working or living near heavy traffic. New tugs, bedding, and even clothing give off that “new smell, ”which is a sure sign of chemicals. In the office, newly applied paint, newly purchased telephones and other telecommunications equipment, and computers release polluting chemicals, too. As offices and homes often have inadequate ventilation （通风）, these chemicals can build up to become health problems. Their poisonous effects are only now being slowly recogn
ized.
These facts suggest that, at a minimum, proper airing of newly purchased goods with an obvious chemical smell is a wise warning. Home and office windows should be opened during good weather. Even one’s car needs to be ventilated as well while in the garage.
We need further research to understand better other potential health dangers, too. For example, the effects of overcrowding of schools （carbon dioxide build-up ）, the factory work environment （ an endless list of potentially dangerous substances ）, and even home heating and cooling （the air conditioner may be our enemies, not our friends） have only recently started to come to light. Until we understand the effects of our new technological environment better, we can only hope that “there is no place like home.”What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．The air we breathe in is harmful. |
| B．The water in everyday use is unsafe. |
| C．Chemicals are added to the drinking water. |
| D．Chemicals are released in the running water. |
In Paragraph 2, the underlined sentence means that.
| A．bathing should be done with caution |
| B．homes and offices should be aired often |
| C．any pollution should be taken into consideration |
| D．we should prevent any pollution from doing harm to us |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To call on us to guard our water. |
| B．To show us that no place is like home. |
| C．To make us aware of the pollution around us. |
| D．To argue that neither homes nor offices are safe. |
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5：30, and at 6：30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last，the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door，she nearly tripped over Sheba．
“Hey，Sheba，”she said，“I’ve got no time for you now，but I’ll take you out as soon as I get
back from tennis club．”Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously，she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet（兽医）
When she got there，the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba，Dr．Sterne brought her quickly into his office．
“Listen，doctor，I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting—can I leave her with you，and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up，and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure．”said the doctor
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once more
entering the hallway，the phone by the door began to ring．
“This is Dr．Sterne，”said an anxious voice．“I want you to get out of that house immediately，”said the doctor’s voice．“I’m coming round fight away，and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”
At that moment，a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?”shouted Joanne．
“She’s fine，Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her，and she’s OK now．”
Just then，the two policemen reappeared from the house，half-ca
rrying a white—faced man，who could hardly walk．There was blood all over him．
“My God，”said Joanne，“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar．”said the doctor．“I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat; it turned out to be three human fingers”What was Joanne supposed to do at 6：30？
| A．To walk her dog． | B．To see her doctor． |
| C．To attend a club meeting． | D．To play tennis with her friends． |
Joanne wanted to get back to her home again．
| A．to dress up for the meeting | B．to phone the police station |
| C．to catch the badly hurt burglar | D．to wait for her dog to be cured |
From the passage，we can infer that ．
| A．Sheba fought against the burglar |
| B．the police found the burglar had broken in |
| C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting |
| D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog |
In this passage，the writer intends to tell us that the dog is ．
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．frightening | D．devoted |
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
and 6：30p
m．
| A．Peterborough Museum | B．Houghton Mill |
| C．Saxon Youth Club | D．Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you．
| A．￡7 | B．￡17 | C．￡27 | D．￡20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents’company?
| A．Playing farmland games | B．Watching a new play． |
| C．Competing in sports activities． | D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition． |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will have activities to
choose from for himself．
| A．one activity | B．two activities |
| C．three activities | D．four activities |
C
A car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health.
69. According to the passage, which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
A. Eggs, tomatoes and chicken. B. Milk, bread, cabbages and beef.
C. Corn, fish, ice cream and pork. D. Rice, beancurd, fish and chicken.
70. In this passage the writer mainly tells us that ______.
A. every person needs food to grow well
B. taking exercise can keep your body strong
C. the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy
D. enough energy helps people think more quickly
B
Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia (南斯拉夫),on August 27,1910. She attended the government school near her home until she was eighteen. At that time, some doctors and nurses from Yugoslavia were working in India, and they often wrote to the school about their work. She decided to join them one day.
When she left school, she went first to Britain. Then a year later she went to India, where she began to train to be a teacher. After training, she was sent to Calcutta, where she taught geography at a school and soon after became headmistress (校长).
However, although she loved teaching, in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and went to work in the poor parts of Calcutta. Later she trained to become a nurse in Patna, and then began her work helping the poor and comforting the dying in the streets of the city. Slowly, others came to help her, and her work spread to other parts of India.
Mother Teresa is now a well-known person. Many photos have been taken of her, as she travels the world to open new schools and hospitals in poor countries. In 1979, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for the lifetime of love and service she has given to the poor.
65. Where did Mother Teresa receive her education?
A. In Yugoslavia and India. B. In Yugoslavia and Britain.
C. In Britain and India. D. In Yugoslavia, Britain and India.
66. What first made Mother Teresa work in India?
A. Her visit to the poor parts of Calcutta.
B. Her visit to Britain after she finished school.
C. The medical workers’ letters to her school.
D. The work of the nurse in the city of Patna.
67. In which order did Mother Teresa do the following things?
a. Trained to be a nurse b. Went to India
c. Helped the dying d. Studied to be a teacher
e. Went to Britain f. Worked as a headmistress
A. b, a, c, e, d, f B. e, b, d, f, a, c
C. b, f, a, d, e, c D. e, a, b, c, d, f
68. Mother Teresa gave up teaching because she wanted _______.
A. to look after the poor B. to travel to poor countries
C. to build hospitals for the poor D. to train nurses to care for the poor