Lightning flashed through the darkness over Donald Lubeck’s bedroom skylight.The 80-year-old retired worker was shaken by a blast of thunder.It was 11 p.m.The storm had moved directly over his two-story wood home in the rural town of Belchertown, Massachusetts.Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping.Lubeck padded down the stairs barefoot and opened the door to the basement, and flames exploded out.
Lubeck fled back upstairs to call 119 from his bedroom ,but the phone didn’t work.Lubeck realized he was trapped.“I started panicking,” he says.
His daughter and young granddaughters ,who lived with him ,were away for the night.No one will even know I’m home, he thought.His house was three miles off the main road and so well hidden by pines that Lubeck knew calling for help would be fruitless.
Up a hill about a third of a mile away lived Lubeck’s closest neighbors, Jeremie Wentworth and his wife.Wentworth had been lying down, listening to the radio when it occurred to him that the sound was more like a smoke detector.He jumped out of bed ,grabbed a cordless phone and a flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the noise.
He dialed 119“Is anyone there?” he called out as he approached the house.Wentworth knew that Lubeck lived in the house.
Then he heard ,“Help me! I’m trapped!” coming from the balcony off Lubeck’s bedroom.
“I ran in and yelled, ‘Don, where are you ?’Then I had to run outside to catch my breath.”
After one more attempt inside the house, he gave up and circled around back.But there was no way to get to him.“I shined the flashlight into the woods next to an old shed and noticed a adder,” says Wentworth.He dragged it over to the balcony and pulled Lubeck down just as the second floor of the house collapsed.
Wentworth and Lubeck don’t run into each other regularly, but Lubeck now knows that if he ever needs help ,Wentworth will be there.
Lubeck still chokes up when he tells the story.“I was alone,”he says.“Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life.It was Jeremie.”According to the text ,Lubeck .
A.stayed calm in the fire | B.couldn’t find a safe way out |
C.lived on the first floor | D.called for help in the fire |
How did Wentworth help Lubeck escape?
A.He called 911. |
B.He went upstairs and took Lubeck out. |
C.He put out the fire |
D.He used a ladder and pulled lubeck down. |
Which of the following factors was not mentioned in the text that almost caused Lubeck’s life?
A.He was living in his wood home alone that night. |
B.The storm was too heavy and the fire was too fierce. |
C.He lived far from the main road and was surrounded by pines. |
D.He was too frightened to escape from the danger. |
What does the text mainly talk about?
A.A near neighbour is better than a distant cousin. |
B.A good way to get a narrow escape. |
C.God helps those who help themselves. |
D.Blood is thicker than water. |
Discouraged by reading bad news daily and with his marriage failing, Canadian Neil Pasricha decided to try to focus on the positive and come up with 1,000 simple, free, awesome things, posting one each day on a blog.
Pasricha said his blog aimed to highlight life's simple pleasures, which were often taken for granted, such as finding forgotten money in a pocket, or fixing a TV set with a heavy blow.
Little did he realize his blog would strike a nerve and attract 40,000 people a day to join his discussions on how to enjoy the last triangle of a potato crisp, or the pleasure of laughing so hard that you cry.
Pasricha, aged 30, was amazed to win two Webby awards, known as "the Oscars of the Internet," something positive at a time when his marriage broke up and one of his closest friends committed suicide.
"I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive. " Pasricha told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Every day I try to find something that is happy, free and universal to share, like the smell of a bakery or when a cashier opens up a new line at a store. "
Pasricha said when he began his blog in June 2008 he thought he might have trouble coming up with 1,000 simple, happy moments in life but now he is more than halfway through and ideas keep flooding in, from himself and from followers of his blog.
"These moments can start a huge conversation. Most of our life is really about hitting green lights on the way home from, or waking up before your alarm goes off and realizing you have more time in bed. But it is those small moments we forget about."
Despite the success of his blog, Pasricha does not want to change his daily life. “I travel regularly for an hour a day to work in the suburb. I like work because I like the people in my office. I’m not a writer and I don’t know how to use punctuations correctly. I just like observing the world and putting it down,” he said.Neil Pasricha determined to post positive feelings or things on his blog because.
A.daily bad news and broken marriage saddened him |
B.1,000 simple, free, happy things excited him |
C.he wanted to forget his marriage life |
D.he wanted to make his blog successful |
Which of the following will Pasricha probably NOT post onto his blog?
A.Coming across an old schoolmate. |
B.Finding his lost dog come back home. |
C.Falling off his bike and getting injured. |
D.Buying his favourite book at a special price. |
According to the passage, Pasricha.
A.gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things with trouble |
B.gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things on his own |
C.is on his way to collecting 1,000 simple![]() |
D.has finished coll![]() |
Which of the following might be the best title for the poassage?
A.Hard life for a Canadian blogger | B.Busy life for a Canadian blogger |
C.Great awards for a Canadian blogger | D.Great success for a Canadian blogger |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced a new plan to renew and expand the nation's roads, railways and runways, in a bid (努力) to restart the sluggish economy and to help create jobs.
Obama announced the billion-dollar infrastructure(基础设施) spending program at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, marking the Labor Day holiday in the United States.
The proposal calls for investments over six years, including rebuilding and modernizing 150,000 miles (241,350 kilometers) of roads, 4,000 miles (6,430 kilometers) of railways and 150 miles ( 241 kilometers) of runways.
"It sets up an Infrastructure Bank to leverage(杠杆;利用) federal dollars and focus on the smartest investment. All of this will not only create jobs now, but will make our economy run better over the long haul," Obama said.
"This is a plan that will be fully paid for and will not add to the deficit over time," said Obama.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August, reflecting business reluctance to hire among uncertain economic prospects, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday.
The president admitted that new jobs "have not been coming fast enough" in the United States.
"These years would be some of the most difficult in our history. The problems facing working families are nothing new, but they are more serious than ever. And that makes our cause more urgent than ever," he added.What does the underlined word “sluggish” probably mean?
A.繁荣的 | B.崩溃的 | C.疲软的 | D.行动迅速的 |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
A.The US president launched a new program aiming at improving the nation’s infrastructure. |
B.The US unemployment rate rose according to the Labor Department. |
C.These years will be the most difficult in the American history. |
D.More roads, railways and runways will be rebuilt and modernized. |
Which of the following will be changed most in length?
A.Roads. | B.Railways. | C.Runways. | D.Highways. |
Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered
We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) summer camps!
Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting.
The information of the Nanjing camp:
● Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week.
● Salary: about 7,000 RMB per month.
● Accommodation : free (single room).
The information of the Hangzhou camp:
● Working hours: 5 hours per day (=" 50" min. / class × 6 classes), one day rest per week.
● Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day =" 70" RMB / class × 6 classes).
● Accommodation: free (shared room).
The requirements of the summer camps:
● Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
● A university degree.
● Teaching experience.
Please send us your resume (简历), copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps.
E-mail: teacher1324@sina.com.cn
For more information you can visit our website at http://www.Englishsummercamps.com.cn
Look forward to hearing from you soon!What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?
A.Chinese English teachers. | B.Foreign English teachers. |
C.Chinese-speaking students. | D.English-learning students. |
How long will a teacher work for the summer camps?
A.Less than one month. | B.About five weeks. | C.About eight weeks. | D.More than two months. |
Which of the following people might be accepted as a teacher at the summer camps?
A. Wang Li, an excellent teacher from China.
B. Robert, a high school student from the USA.
C. Linda, an experienced university teacher from Canada.
D. Jerry, a university student from Australia. Compared with the Nanjing camp, th
e Hangzhou camp ______.
A.has longer working hours | B.has fewer students to teach |
C.provides better accommodation | D.pays a higher salary |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled.
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now.Where did the story most probably take place?
A.In a classroom. | B.In a supermarket. | C.At a bookstore. | D.At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
A.took the book by mistake | B.wanted to keep the book |
C.didn’t want to go home | D.didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
A.didn’t think her son stole the book | B.had been out of work for a long time |
C.forgot to take money with her that day | D.couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
A.His idea was successful. | B.Ted didn’t like the job. |
C.He liked Ted very much. | D.Ted was a naughty boy. |
“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him,and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator,Booker Washington. He was saying that,“If you want people to grow up,you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America,families are close but children are encouraged to be independent,to make their own decisions,even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance(津贴)every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose,for example,buying clothes,school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards! That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards.
From an early age,American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision making. At the dinner table,teenagers will be listened to on any topic,from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way, teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals:they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress, the music they listen to and the friends they choose. “Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice,young Chinese girl”. With her short,spiky hair and boy-like clothes, she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two
feet...and she won!
There is an old saying,“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this, step by step, over a period of time, you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.
A.save money for useful things | B.become independent |
C.express their great ambitions | D.make important decisions |
A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.
A.be accepted as a popular guy | B.learn to decide how to use money |
C.overspend money without care | D.have school supplies of his own |
The author implies that many Chinese children________.
A.are more independent than Americans | B.should become interested in America |
C.are happy with their present situation | D.are not satisfied to be nice, quiet ones |
The main idea of the last paragraph is________.
A.that we should do things step by step | B.why we should understand our desires |
C.what we should plan for our own life | D.how we can manage to realize our dreams |