Not many years ago, a wealthy and rather strange old man named Johnson lived alone in a village in the south of England. He had made a lot of money in trading with foreign countries. When he was seventy – five, he gave $ 60,000 to the village school to buy land and equipment for a children’s ground.
As a result of his kindness, he became famous. Many people came to visit him. Among them was a newspaperman. During their talk, Johnson remarked that he was seventy-five and expected to live to be hundred. The newspaperman asked him how he managed to be healthy at seventy-five. Johnson had a sense of humor. He liked whisky and drank some each day. “I have an injection (注射) in my neck each evening,” he told the newspaperman, thinking of his evening glass of whisky.
The newspaperman did not understand what Johnson meant. In his newspaper he reported that Johnson was seventy-five and had daily injection in his neck. Within a week Johnson received thousands of letters from all over Britain, asking him for the secret of his daily injection.Johnson became a rich man through _______.
A.doing business | B.making whisky | C.cheating | D.buying and selling land |
The gift of money to the school suggests that Johnson _______.
A.had many children in the school | B.was a strange old man |
C.was very fond of children | D.was very kind |
Many people wrote to Johnson to find out _______.
A.what kind of whisky he had |
B.how to live longer |
C.how to become wealthy |
D.in which part of the neck to have an injection |
When Johnson said he had an injection in his neck each evening, he really meant that _______.
A.he liked drinking a glass of whisky in the evening |
B.he needn’t an injection in the neck |
C.a daily injection in the evening would make him sleep well |
D.there was something wrong with his neck |
You might say that Barack Obama was elected President of the US because he knows how to give a speech. In 2004, the little-known Obama gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention (民主党全国会议). It was a great speech — poetic, and inspiring. The people who heard it would remember it for a long time.
Since 2004, Obama has written and delivered thousands of speeches. There are usually praised for two reasons: he treats the audiences like intelligent adults, and he is able to express complicated ideas in a straightforward, natural way.
Before becoming President, Obama was a lawyer, a college professor, and a successful writer – his two memoirs (回忆录) have become best sellers. The skills he needed to succeed in his previous jobs have also contributed to his success as a speechmaker.
As a lawyer, Obama learned how to make strong, convincing arguments. As a professor, he learned how to explain complex subjects in ways that helped students understand without boring them. As a writer, he learned how to use languages to have a powerful influence on his audience. A famous American musician even turned one of Obama’s early speeches into a song during the election campaign.
Secret weapons of Obama
Writing team: Obama has a team of people who write his speeches. The writers chat with Obama for hours about what he wants to say. Then listen to recordings of past presidential addresses and seek advice from advisers. Obama usually edits and rewrites the drafts several times.
Make fun of the guests: Obama starts his speech by gently making fun of his guests. His opening lines attract the audience’s attention while giving them an opportunity to relax and laugh at themselves and each other.
Make fun of himself: Obama laughs at his past mistakes and is never afraid of showing them to the public.
Obama delivers speeches to audiences large and small. He can make his audiences laugh or cry. His speeches are always thoughtful, well written and just right for each occasion.The third and fourth paragraph mainly talk about _______.
A.why Obama’s speeches are praised |
B.how Obama acquired his speaking ability |
C.what subjects Obama’s speeches are about |
D.Obama’s success as a writer and a lawyer |
What do we know about Obama’s writing team according to the passage?
A.They always seek advice from the ordinary people. |
B.They analyze the speeches given by former US Presidents. |
C.They usually have to finish writing a speech in a short time. |
D.They try not to mention Obama’s past mistakes in the speeches. |
When delivering a speech, Obama __________.
A.usually starts with some famous saying |
B.sometimes turns his speech into a song |
C.sometimes shares a joke with the audience |
D.is very strict most of the time |
What’s the author’s attitude towards Obama’s speeches?
A.negative | B.indifferent(漠不关心的) | C.positive | D.doubtful |
Molly was a peasant girl. Her parents did not have much money and Molly did not have many nice clothes.
One day Molly’s father said to her, “Molly, take this pot of milk to market and sell it. You may keep the money.”
Molly was very happy. She put the pot of milk on her head and started her journey to market. While she was walking alone she began to think. “I will get quite a lot of money for this milk,” she thought. “What will I do with the money? I will buy a lot of eggs. I will take the eggs home with me. One of our hens will sit on them. Then there will be lots of little chickens. I will not sell the chickens. They will grow into hens. Then there will be more eggs. And these eggs will give me still more chickens. Soon I will have hundreds of hens. Then I will sell them all. They will bring me a lot of money. I will be rich. I will buy lots of new clothes. I will always wear nice clothes. Then a rich man will marry me. We will have a beautiful house, a big car and nice children...”
Molly was very happy. She jumped into the air. The pot of milk fell from her head onto the road. And that was the end of all her dreams.
In English there is a proverb. It says: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched(孵化).Molly was happy to go to market because ________.
A.she liked to go there | B.she wanted to buy nice clothes |
C.she could have the money of her own | D.she wanted to buy some eggs |
On her way to market, Molly began to________.
A.count her eggs | B.have a happy dream |
C.think of her happy family life | D.think how to sell the milk |
What was the end of all Molly’s dreams?
A.She jumped up and fell onto the ground. | B.She was happy about her house. |
C.She woke and found the milk on the road. | D.She married a rich man. |
The proverb: “Do not count your chicken before they are hatched.” means ____.
A.one must count his chicken after they are hatched |
B.it is foolish to make plans |
C.one must depend more on what is in real life |
D.one must make plans before they begin to work |
Lots people stress out(紧张) about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience._71_ The “stress hormones” that your body produces at times like these can actually help you focus.
But when worry and stress about performing get to be too much, these hormones give people that “red alert(紧急状态)”---the one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, or get butterflies in your stomach._72__
Be prepared. __73_ Rehearse(排练) as much as you can and practice in front of others at every opportunity. Most of all, think positively. Tell yourself “I’ll be OK” or “I can do this” even if you are not 100% sure of it.
Look after yourself. Before big performances, it’s easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice. __74__ Exercise can also can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.
Find out what the experts do. You can find books, DVD, and online information about how to give your best when you perform, depending on what type of performance you’re preparing for._75_ Or ask the cast of your school play or your drama or music teacher how they beat stage fright. And if your parents or grandparents ever performed, they may have their own secrets to share.
A Confidence helps beat stress hormones.
B The following tips can help you avoid that feeling.
C You’re less likely to freeze up if you’re well prepared.
D You can do this whether you’re performing alone or as part of a group.
E Check out stories about Olympic gymnasts or your favorite star to get their tips.
F Feeling nervous before a performance is part of body’s way of helping you do your best.
G You’ll look and feel your best if you get enough sleep and eat healthy meals before your performance.
D
Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your time properly, you can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn. It doesn’t mean that you must always like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things. Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier. Sometimes subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them.
Here’s some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions(中断); have everything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing, first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing; check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview.The main purpose of the article is______
A.to prove that learning is not difficult |
B.to make the readers be interested in study |
C.to tell the importance of self teaching |
D.to tell the students how to study well |
We learn things because______
A.our parents want us to learn |
B.every student learns at school |
C.we may use these things in the future |
D.we like the subjects |
Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the article?
A.To put a pen, paper and books beside you before study. |
B.To study at any possible time and place. |
C.To review and preview. |
D.To pay attention to the most important things. |
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about?
A.Some new studies about animals. |
B.People’s wrong ideas about animals. |
C.Why the number of animals has dropped. |
D.The importance of protecting animals. |
According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
A.are less clever than rodents | B.can find their home |
C.can read maps | D.are good planners |
Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
A.The species of grass in grasslands. |
B.The species of trees in grasslands. |
C.The number of flowers in grasslands. |
D.The number of animals in grasslands. |
In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?
A.Geography. | B.Culture. | C.Travel. | D.Nature. |