During all this time I never stopped thinking about escape. When I traveled across to the other side of the island, I could see the other islands, and I said to myself, “Perhaps I can get there with a boat. Perhaps I can get back to England one day.”
So I decided to make myself a boat. I cut down a big tree, and then began to make a long hole in it. It was hard work, but about six months later, I had a very fine canoe (独木舟). Next, I had to get it down to the sea. How silly I was! Why didn’t I think before I began work? Of course, the canoe was too heavy. I couldn’t move it! I pulled and pushed and tried everything, but it didn’t move. I was very unhappy for a long time after that.
That happened in my fourth year on the island. In my sixth year I did make myself a smaller canoe, but I did not try to escape in it. The boat was too small for a long journey, and I did not want to die at sea. The island was my home now, not my prison, and I was just happy to be alive. A year or two later, I made myself a second canoe on the other side of the island. I also built myself a second house there, and so I had two homes.
My life was still busy from morning to night. There were always things to do or to make. I learnt to make new clothes for myself from the skins of dead animals. They looked very strange, it is true, but they kept me dry in the rain.
I kept food and tools at both my houses, and also wild goats. There were many goats on the island, and I made fields with high fences to keep them in. They learnt to take food from me, and soon I had goats’ milk to drink every day. I also worked hard in my corn fields. And so many years went by.The purpose of making a canoe on the island was to _____________.
| A．escape in it |
| B．get to the other side of the island[来源 |
| C．use it for food |
| D．go around the island |
To survive, the writer _____________.
| A．kept goats for milk |
| B．made clothes from animal skins |
| C．worked in the cornfields |
| D．did all the above |
Why didn’t the writer use his first canoe?
| A．Because it was too small for a long journey. |
| B．Because it was too heavy to get down to the sea. |
| C．Because there was something wrong with it. |
| D．Because the writer was busy building a second house. |
From the story, we can learn that _____________.
| A．the writer tried to make his stay comfortable on the island |
| B．the writer had nothing to do on the wild island |
| C．the writer tried to escape in the second canoe, but failed |
| D．the writer was in prison on the island, losing his freedom |
Look at the cat on the left. Find anything strange?
In 1961, a man found a strange cat on his farm in Scotland. The cat’s ears were folded（折着的）, bent（弯曲）forward, on its head. In fact, this was a new kind of cat. People named it the “Scottish Fold”.
The Scottish Fold has a round head and big eyes. Its neck and legs are short. They make it look very lovely. Interestingly, all the Scottish Folds are born with straight and unfolded ears. And when they are growing up day by day, some cats’ ears will begin to fold. So, the Scottish Fold comes in two types: folded ears and straight ears.
There is a nickname（昵称）for the Scottish Fold. It is the “Messenger（信使）of Peace”. Why? Because the Folds can get along well with other cats. They are sweet and friendly animals. And unlike some other cats, they can even get along well with dogs! In many different places, for example, at a noisy house or in a cat show, you can see them playing with other animals happily.
Well, when you come to a new school, do you think it’s difficult to feel comfortable in the new place? Perhaps you can learn from the Scottish Fold, which is always sweet and friendly to others.
The Scottish Fold .
| A．is born with folded ears | B．always has folded ears |
| C．is born with straight ears | D．always has straight ears |
What does the Scottish Fold look like?
| A．It has small eyes. |
| B．Its neck and legs are long. |
| C．It has a round head and big eyes. |
| D．It doesn’t look very lovely. |
Why do people name the Folds “Messenger of Peace”?
| A．Because their ears are folded. |
| B．Because they look very cute. |
| C．Because they can stay at a noisy house or in a cat show. |
| D．Because they are sweet and friendly animals. |
According（根据）to the passage, what is the writer’s advice to us when we are in a new environment?
| A．We should have a nickname. |
| B．We should learn from the cats. |
| C．We should always be sweet and friendly to others. |
| D．We should get along well with dogs. |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．that language can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means _______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
We may know from the scientific findings that ________.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is. |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that _________.
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
The other day I came across a few local musicians and happened to hear them talking:
"I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can't even understand a bit of music."
"I'm never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us."
But one younger musician said, "There are a few clubs that book my band (乐队) a few nights a month, and I'm trying to find other places to play. I'm also looking forward to booking a few summer festivals this year."
It's said that you are the average (平均) of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes（态度） are important. Whether they're positive(积极的)or negative (消极的), they're rubbing off on you. If you're always around people who complain about short of work and about other musicians or say bad words about others, and you play the role of a victim, it's possible that you will start to as well. So it's time to take a look at the people you call "friends", as what kind of friends you have decides what kind of life you are going to live.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you often go out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it and learn from them. Ask if they will help you get the work you're looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path. The musicians' words at the beginning are written mainly to show_______.
| A．the musicians live a poor life |
| B．people have poor taste in music |
| C．people have different attitudes towards the same thing |
| D．young people have greater chances of succeeding |
The underlined sentence "they'll rubbing off on you" in Paragraph 6. means_______.
| A．they'll push you ahead |
| B．they'll have an influence on you |
| C．they'll cover your feelings |
| D．they'll help you succeed |
By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can_______.
| A．improve a lot in making more friends |
| B．plan the time with your friends properly |
| C．develop a better relationship with your friends |
| D．come to the right way of making friends |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．You are who your friends are. |
| B．How to make friendship long. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．Friends are the most important in one's success. |
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you.” he said, “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
| A．Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me. |
| B．She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer. |
| C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
Why did her father listen to her quietly?
| A．Because he believed that what her daughter’s “enemy” said was mostly true. |
| B．Because he had been so angry with his daughter’s shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while. |
| C．Because he knew that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment. |
| D．Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth. |
Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |
| B．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| C．My Father |
| D．My Childhood |
| Winter is cold, with piles of snow, When rain falls and no trees grow. For kids it’s the snow they desire, And cups of cocoa before the fire. When winter is gone, the grass grows, Roses and trees, light wind blows The bees are buzzing, the birds are singing, Sheep are grazing and cow bells are ringing. And then the sun starts to shine too brightly, It is so hot that fans are put on nightly. And then it’s off to the beach or pool, Where people swim about just to keep cool. All the leaves on the trees turn golden-brown, And when on the ground make a big sound. In autumn a lot of money he spends, For clearing leaves on the backyards. Each season has its own goods and its bads, But since they are different I am glad. |
According to the poem, light wind starts to blow ________.
| A．before winter | B．during winter |
| C．after winter | D．all year round |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer doesn’t like the cold winter. |
| B．The writer enjoys the differences of the four seasons. |
| C．The writer feels worried about the bad weather. |
| D．The writer likes summer best because it’s a season for swimming. |
The title of the poem is most likely to be ________.
| A．Weather | B．Tree leaves |
| C．Goods and bads | D．Seasons |