A Lesson from the Elder
Grandfather was an elder Cherokee Native American who had a wrinkled, nut brown face and kind dark eyes. His grandson often came in the evening to sit on his knee and asked the many questions that children would ask.
One day the grandson came to his grandfather with a look of anger on his face and the following story. “Father and I went to the store today and because I helped him, he bought me a present---a jack-knife. I went outside to wait for father and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me. They surrounded me and started saying bad things. They called me dirty and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of these boys pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped my knife and one of them picked it up and they all ran away laughing. I hate them. I hate them all."
The elder Cherokee, with eyes that had seen too much, lifted his grandson's face so his eyes looked into the boy's face. Grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if two wolves are inside me.... It is a terrible fight.
One wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. It will only fight when it is right to do so and in the right way. This wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, modesty, kindness, friendship, sympathy, generosity, truth, and faith.
The other wolf is full of anger. The least thing will set off his fiercest temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so much. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. This wolf represents fear, envy, greed, self-pity, guilt, lies, false pride and superiority.
Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me for both of them try to control my spirit. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person too.”
The boy looked into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied.... "The one you feed."The boy was angry because __________.
A. he was not satisfied with his present
his back was badly injured in a fight
he had waited for his father for too long
his jack-knife had been taken away by some boysHow does the good wolf do things in the story?
| A．He never fights against others. |
| B．He tries to get on well with others. |
| C．It is hard for him to live with other wolves. |
| D．Sometimes he had a terrible fight because some one hit him. |
We can learn from the third paragraph that _________.
| A． “hate” is healthy |
| B．“hate” hurts oneself |
| C． “hate” is complicated |
| D． “hate” harms one’s enemies |
What did Grandfather mean by saying "The one you feed" in the last paragraph?
| A．We should feed the two wolves equally. |
| B．Living in harmony with others is important. |
| C．Our feelings should be expressed at the right time. |
| D．The choices we make determine who we will become. |
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is "What's your name?" Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people's names? Where do they come from? What do they
mean?
People's first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means "bright"; Beatrice means "one who gives happiness"; Donald means "world ruler"; Leonard means "as brave as a lion".
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook (СϪ); someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people's occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter - a person who owned or drove a cart（手推车）； Potter -a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors (祖先) of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John
Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast
runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name. English-speaking people added -s or -son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O'Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.Which of the following aspects（方面）do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
| A．Places where people lived. |
| B．People's characters. |
| C．Talents that people had. |
| D．People's occupations. |
According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.
| A．owned or drove a cart |
| B．made things with metals |
| C．made kitchen tools or contains |
| D．built houses and furniture |
If an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.
| A．Beatrice Smith |
| B．Leonard Carter |
| C．George Longstreet |
| D．Donald Greenwood |
The underlined word "descendants" in the last paragraph means a person's _______.
| A．后代 | B．朋友 | C．同事 | D．同伴 |
If you are one of those who want to know how to increase your vocabulary, there are some ways you may find useful. In fact, it is not that difficult to learn new words, but to remember them for a lifetime seems not to be so easy.
To make it easier, you can try word associations（联想）. Try to find a connection between a new word and things or people you know. For example, if your neighbour is an unselfish person who cares about the needs of other people, think about this person every time you see the word, and very soon you'll start actively using it.
Try to use the words you learn as often as possible. Perhaps you are not sure which situations they should be used in, or whether you pronounce（发音） them correctly, but practice is the best way to understand that. It is not enough to find out the meaning of a word. You should hammer (敲打) it into your mind by using it in actual conversations in everyday life.
Also, it may be helpful to know the meaning of the word roots, prefixes (前缀) and suffixes（后缀）， especially if they have a Greek or Latin origin（起源）． Even if you meet a long unfamiliar word, it will be easy to know its meaning if you know the general meaning of its parts. For example, if you see the word "philanthropy", it won't be difficult to surmise what it means if you know that "anthropo" means "human" and "philo" means "loving". Not only can ancient Greek and Latin be helpful, but a number of modern languages as well. So, if you speak French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese, guess the meaning of an unfamiliar English word if it sounds like a word from another language you know. Which of the following old sayings can show the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Every dog has his day. |
| B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Every coin has two sides. |
| D．Where there is a will there is a way. |
According to the last paragraph, what does the writer think is important?
| A．Learning to use several different modern languages. |
| B．Learning some very difficult words in the English language. |
| C．Knowing the meaning of the word roots, prefixes and suffixes. |
| D．paying more attention to words that have a Greek or Latin origin. |
The underlined word "surmise" in the last paragraph means_______.
| A．guess | B．suggest |
| C．prove | D．remember |
what's the writer's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To tell us how he or she learnt English well. |
| B．To explain why it is not hard to learn new words. |
| C．To prove that learning new words can be really fun. |
| D．To tell us some good ways of remembering new words. |
I'm pretty sure everyone wants to visit Europe at least once in their lifetime. Here's a list of the most amazing places to visit in Europe.
Riviera
Wow, this is such a beautiful place in Italy. The Cinque Terre is a very beautiful national park, which connects five beautiful villages. Walking paths connect the villages, follow the coastline and offer hikes through hills. The villages remain unaffected by tourism.
Tuscany
Another Italian region, Tuscany is simply attractive. The buildings there are amazing, and the culture is special. From the historical center of Florence to the Cathedral of Pisa, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Make sure you check out the nature reserves, and enjoy a few bottles of the very famous wine.
Lauterbrunnen
Since a school trip here, I've always wanted to revisit this city in Switzerland. The city always seems as if it's trapped in time. There are untouched fountains and springs everywhere, and a huge number of waterfalls and valleys. The area is very popular for skiing.
The Greek Islands
There are plenty of places to visit in Greece. But I love the Greek Islands best. White houses and beautiful churches, beaches and Aegean Sea make this a very popular place to visit. However, there is more to do here than just sunbathe. I cannot wait to go back and check out the caves and culture that make the Greek Islands one of the best places in Europe.
Venice
I am a big Italy lover, and Venice is another city that is not to be missed. It has its own share of history, art and attractive buildings. However, the attraction comes from the pedestrian （行人） — only streets and rivers filled with boats. According to the passage, people who are interested in waterfalls and valleys would most probably go to _______.
| A．Riviera | B．Tuscany |
| C．Lauterbrunnen | D．the Greek Islands |
From Paragraph 5 we learn that the Greek Islands_______.
| A．hasn't been visited by the writer yet |
| B．is a good place for sunbathing |
| C．isn't worth exploring |
| D．has many waterfalls and valleys |
What will you probably see when you are visiting Venice?
| A．Royal Palace. |
| B．The Aegean Sea. |
| C．Streets without cars. |
| D．Busy traffic. |
It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see morethan a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of theroad. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no onecould take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into astranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Housesof Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and theystarted to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficultyin finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at lastafter about half an hour's walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn'tunderstand how the stranger found his way. "It is wonderful," he said. "How do you find theway in the fog?"
"It is no trouble at all to me," said the stranger, "I am blind." According to the passage, we can infer that " bumped into" means_______.
| A．撞飞 | B．偶然碰见 | C．敲打 | D．踩踏 |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The stranger has a better sight than Mr. Smith. |
| B．Heavy fog can cause traffic accidents. |
| C．It's easy to get lost on a foggy day. |
| D．The fog was getting thicker and thicker. |
Why is it no trouble at all to the stranger to find the way in the fog?
| A．Because he is a local inhabitant（当地居民） of London. |
| B．Because he lives next to the Houses of Parliament. |
| C．Because he is familiar with the route. |
| D．Because he finds the way not by sight but by heart. |
This article mainly tells us that_______.
| A．London is a foggy city |
| B．Mr. Smith works for the government |
| C．a blind stranger led the way for Mr. Smith on a foggy day |
| D．Mr. Smith had a very important meeting and lost his way in the fog |
Teachers say the digital age has had a good and a not-so-good influence on the American teenagers. More than 2,000 high school teachers took an online survey.
75 percent of the teachers said the Internet and digital search tools have had a “mostly good” use for their students' research habits and skills, But 87 percent agreed that these technologies "make the students not have enough attention.” And 64 percent said the technologies “do little to help them in courses.”
Judy Buchanan is a director of the National Writing Project. Ms. Buchanan says digital research tools are helping students learn more, and learn faster. Teachers really like these tools, because they are ways to make some of learning exciting. Young people enjoy using these tools. And the goal is to help them become creative students of meaningful work, and not just that kind of copyist.
But one problem the survey found is that many students don't have a good understanding of how to use the digital knowledge well. In other words, they trust(信任) too much of the information. Judy Buchanan says these students have not developed the skills they need to tell whether the online information is good or bad.
Another problem the survey found is something that might not seem like a problem, at all, being-able to quickly find information online. Teachers say the ability of their students to work hard to find answers is becoming weaker. They say students depend too much on search engines (引擎) and do not make enough use, of printed books or research, librarians.
Besides, many teachers are also worried about the problem that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others, instead of using their own abilities.of the teachers agreed technologies may stop students from having enough attention.
| A．50% | B．64% | C．75% | D．87% |
How many problems are mentioned (提及) in the passage'?
| A．One | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Teachers like the digital search tools because they can .
| A．make some of learning exciting |
| B．help students find answers easily |
| C．tell whether the information is good or not |
| D．help students copy the work done by others |
What does the writer want to tell us by writing this passage?
| A．Digital search tools have quite a lot of advantages. |
| B．Students don't know how to use the digital search tools. |
| C．Many teachers are worried about the students' abilities. |
| D．Students should learn how to use the digital tools in a right way. |