When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note-“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”-and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to out house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer ________.
A.to show his magical power | B.to pay for the delivery |
C.to satisfy his curiosity | D.to please his mother |
What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?
A.He wanted to have tea there. |
B.He was a respectable person. |
C.He was treated as a family member. |
D.He was fully trusted by the family. |
Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A.Nobody wants to be a milkman now. |
B.It has been driven out of the market. |
C.Its service is getting poor. |
D.It is forbidden by law. |
Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A.He missed the good old days. |
B.He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
C.He missed it for his milk bottles. |
D.He planted flowers in it. |
When I was fifteen months old.I fell on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it.And as I grew,this sightless eye , in so many ways controlled me that I walked with my face looking at the floor so people would not see the ugly me.
Yet Mama would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say,“If you hold your head up high,it will be OK.And people will see your beautiful soul.”She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide.
As a little child,I thought Mama meant,“Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking.”As a teenager, I found that my mama’s words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face,I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind my eyes.
In high school I was successful both academically and socially.I was even elected class president,but inside me I still felt like a freak(畸形人).When things got really bad,I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, “Hold your head up high and face the world.Let them see the beauty that is inside.”
When I met the man who became my partner for life,we looked each other straight in the eye,and he told me I was beautiful inside and out.Mama’s love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt.
“Hold your head up high” has been heard many times in my home.Each of my children has felt its invitation.The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation.What is TRUE of the writer’s eyes?
A.She was blind in one eye when she was born. |
B.Her blindness was caused by a traffic accident. |
C.She became blind in one eye because of a fall. |
D.She lives unhappily because of her blindness. |
When the writer was a high school student,she ________ .
A.was proud of her beauty that was inside |
B.was active in taking part in social activities |
C.was filled with doubts and worries about her sightless eye |
D.was good at her study but sometimes lacked confidence |
What does the underlined word “invitation” mean?
A.encouragement | B.advantage | C.warmth | D.weight |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To show the power of confidence. |
B.To express her attitude to her mom. |
C.To explain how to build confidence. |
D.To inspire people to face difficulties |
阅读下面短文,根据短文内容用完整的句子回答问题。(答案写在答题卷相应番号后的横线上)
Walking is a popular form of exercise. It is an easy activity and offers a good way to improve physical fitness.
Regular, brisk walks help a person’s body work better. Walking builds a stronger heart and lungs. Walking also seems to help protect the heart from heart disease. The lungs work better because they take in and use oxygen more effectively. Walking can help in weight control, too. A quick fifteen- minute walk burns as many calories as jogging the same distance in half the time. Walking causes very few injuries. So there is also a lower “dropout” rate among walkers than among runners. People are more likely to continue a walking program.
Walking offers some mental benefits, too. It seems to make people feel better. Many walkers say they sleep better at night when they take regular walks. Others say they have a better attitude about life.
Walking offers many of the same physical and mental benefits as other forms of exercise, but walking offers some special advantages, too.
Almost everyone can walk. There are no special lessons or coaching. To become a serious walker, a person only needs to walk faster, farther, and more often.
People can walk almost anywhere. There are no special playing fields or courts for walking. Sidewalks, streets, parks, fields, and malls are excellent places for walking.
People can walk almost anytime. A person doesn’t need a team or a partner for walking. There is no “season” for walking. Most walkers walk in all kinds of weather.
Walking doesn’t cost anything. There are no special fees for walking. Good walking shoes and comfortable clothes are the only equipment that a walker needs.
Walking offers a form of exercise within the reach of nearly everyone. With a little time and effort, people can rediscover a valuable form of exercise and improve their fitness.What may be the best tile of the passage? Please think of one within 10 words.
____________________________________________________________________________Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by this one: “Compared to running, more people can continue walking as a form of exercise.”?
____________________________________________________________________________ Which word in the passage means the same as the underlined word “benefits”? (Please answer in a complete sentence.)
____________________________________________________________________________ Among the special advantages of walking, which one do you think is the most important? (Please answer in a complete sentence.)
____________________________________________________________________________Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
____________________________________________________________________________
阅读下面短文,从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项,并在机读卡上相应番号处将该项涂黑。
People who show confidence really seem to have it made. They seize more rewarding careers, keep good relationships, and just seem to do everything with more styles than the rest of us.
So what is the secret? There isn’t one. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that anyone can learn to develop. And although people who are raised in an encouraging environment with confident role models have a hard start in self-confidence development, we all can learn to become more confident at any age.
Try these simple tips for practicing and increasing your self-confidence levels:
Dare to fail. Anybody who’s out there bravely performing is going to fail repeatedly. If you are not failing, you are not trying. So don’t take failure too hard or too personally. Just learn to deal with it and use its lessons to keep improving.
When in doubt, pretend you know what you are doing. Because, if you are confident of your abilities, by the time you have done it, you will be experienced.
Dress for success. You don’t have to be beautiful to be confident. Make the most of your own unique physical characters and weaken your disadvantages.
Listen to yourself. You are the only person who knows what’s right for you. Don’t put others’ opinions above your own inner voice.
Build a confident vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down and give up continually blaming your tiny weaknesses. Learn to show up your strong points and the world will learn to see and celebrate them with you.
Pass on the praise. Praise others for their virtues and strengths. This practice will not decrease your confidence, but help increase it. The passage is written mainly __________.
A.to explain the definition of self-confidence |
B.to explain the secret of self-confidence |
C.to tell people how important self-confidence is |
D.to tell people how to build self-confidence |
The underlined word “one” in the second paragraph refers to __________.
A.the secret of self-confidence |
B.the skill of self-confidence |
C.the style of doing things |
D.a rewarding career |
The main idea of the sixth paragraph is __________.
A.to be confident means to have no disadvantages |
B.taking full advantage of your physical characters will help you be confident |
C.your unique characters will help you be confident and be successful |
D.to be confident means to be beautiful |
All the following are tips to increase your self-confidence level EXCEPT_________.
A.not to be afraid of failure |
B.dress yourself properly |
C.pretend to know everything |
D.make your advantages more obvious |
__________ will weaken your self-confidence.
A.Praising others for their strong points |
B.Always following others’ advice to do things |
C.Giving up blaming your weaknesses |
D.Believing in yourself |
阅读下面短文,从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项,并在机读卡上相应番号处将该项涂黑。
June 5 is World Environment Day. This makes us pay more attention to our environment and the need to protect it.
When Wang Boxuan, a Beijing high schoolboy, uses up his exercise books, he does not throw them away. Each one is stored at his school with hundreds of exercise books given by other students. Then they are sold to a Beijing paper making factory.
The paper is recycled and used again by students and teachers in the school. At the same time, the money made from the sales goes towards schools in Inner Mongolia for planting trees and grass. This place is one of the sources of the sandstorms that often attack Beijing during springtime.
Wang’s school is one of the schools in the capital that take part in the “Green Promise” —environmental protection activity. So far, nearly 210,000 students have taken part in the activity, collecting more than 87 tons of waste paper.
Students are eager to help make the capital a more pleasant place. What do Wang Boxuan and his schoolmates do with the waste exercise books?
A.Throw them away. | B.Store and sell them. |
C.Cut them into pieces. | D.Give them to the students in Inner Mongolia. |
What is the money used for?
A.Buying new exercise books. | B.Helping poor students. |
C.Planting trees and grass. | D.Being stored. |
What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A.Students will have no exercise books to use in many years. |
B.There will be no waste paper in many years. |
C.The sandstorms will be weaker in Beijing in many years. |
D.Beijing will be much dirtier in many years. |
Choose the right order according to this passage?
1 Trees and grass were planted.
2 Schools in Inner Mongolia received the money.
3 Students collected waste paper.
4 Students sold the paper to a paper making factory.
A.③②④① | B.②①④③ | C.③④②① | D.③②①④ |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Planting Trees. | B.Green Promise. |
C.Collecting Waste Paper. | D.Making Money. |
信息匹配(共5小题;每小题2分,满分10分)
A. Agra Fort
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.
B. Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. It was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.
C. Keoladeo National Park
This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.
D. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The gardens also contain the red-and-white sandstone and black-and-yellow marble tomb of Humayun’s wife and the tomb of Humayun’s barber.
E. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon is perhaps the most awesome sight in the United States--and one of the wonders of the world. Much of the park’s beauty is related to its geology and ecology. Schmidt explores the shape of the land, its plants and animals, and its human history. A fascinating book that everyone visiting the Grand Canyon should read. The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is really exciting.
F. Sundarbans National Park
The Sundarbans covers 10,000 sq. km of land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world’s largest area of mangrove forests. A number of rare or endangered species live in the park, including tigers, aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.
请阅读以下旅游者的信息,然后匹配旅游者和他/她拟旅游的景点。Carina is fond of art and likes travelling very much. In order to take part in the following exhibition, she wants to take some photos of birds from all over the world, especially the rare Siberian crane. In the meanwhile, she doesn’t want to spend too much money.
Daisy’s major is biology. She is interested in studies of tigers in India. Before graduation, she needs to write an essay on the tiger. She hears that it is one of the largest tiger populations of any of India’s parks. And so she wants to go there to do some research.
Alexander is a college student of Physics. He learns that this canyon is a gift from past generations that goes beyond what we experience. He is looking forward to going there and experiencing the Skywalk in the park.
Sammy majors in history. He will visit it again this summer. He says it’s built entirely of white Marble and is one of the eight wonders of the world. Its beauty is beyond description, particularly at dawn and sunset. It seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience it as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
Nancy comes from the history department. Last summer she visited the ancient markets of Agra and this year she wants to visit it again. Not long ago she said: “Arriving at the Delhi airport, we representatives were warmly received. Our tirdness flew in seconds by the traditional welcome that we got at the hotel’s reception.” The next day they visited the famous tomb.