What’s the meaning of “dark horse”? It’s someone who wins when no one expects it.
Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” last Thursday by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle aerial skiing(自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone(更不用说) in the Olympics!
“I never thought this would happen,” said the 23-year-old. “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympics. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, US.
Just because Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.
Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat(杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent(才能). The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility(灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old to northern China, the boy couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform(跳台) and kept on training.
Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood firmly(坚强地) behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.
Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him and we hope he will have another big success in the next winter Olympics.What does ‘dark horse’ mean? It means _____________.
| A．a horse which is dark |
| B．someone who is expected to win |
| C．a horse which likes living in the dark |
| D．someone whose win is unexpected |
Where did Han Xiaopeng take China’s first gold on snow?
| A．In China . | B．In Italy. | C．In America. | D．In Australia. |
What made the coach, Yang Er’qi, choose Han Xiaopeng to be a ski jumper?
| A．He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform. |
| B．He was good at skiing though he was only 12 years old. |
| C．He was born in the north of China and liked sports on snow. |
| D．He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before. |
Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．He was 23 when he won the gold medal at the winter Olympics. |
| B．He made two almost perfect jumps and got the highest score. |
| C．No one had won the gold before Han Xiaopeng at the winter Olympics. |
| D．He never gave up even though he had faced many difficulties. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympics |
| B．A Wonderful Match |
| C．A Hopeless Snow Game |
| D．An Exciting Horse Race |
Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true.
Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).
Don’t argue (争辩) with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to a compromise. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.
Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect (尊敬) to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!According to the passage who have a communication problem?
| A．parents and other people | B．only school kids and their parents |
| C．teachers and their students | D．parents and children of all ages |
How many pieces of advice does the writer give us to bridge the generation gap?
| A．5. | B．4. | C．3. | D．2. |
The underlined word “bridge” in the passage means “______”.
| A．建立 | B．消除 | C．通过 | D．到达 |
If the values of your parents are different from those of yours, you’d better ______.
| A．argue with them | B．keep away from them |
| C．agree with them all the time | D．tell your parents what you care about |
The best title for the passage is______.
| A．How to bridge the generation gap | B．How to deal with family problems |
| C．How to be good parents | D．How to be a good child |
Welcome to this short tour of London. In this square we are standing in the middle of London. Opposite 对面) is the National Gallery, a museum with lots of famous paintings. Go along the red street to Buckingham Palace. The queen (后) lives here.
Turn left and go to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Opposite you can see the London Eye. It takes you 135 meters above the River Thames. You can see most of London on a clear day.
When you are tired, the best way to see London is by boat. You can get the boat near Big Ben. As you go along the river, the London Eye is on your right, near the Railway Bridge.
Get off the boat at Tower Bridge. Then you can see the Tower of London next to the bridge. The Tower of London is the city’s oldest palace. It is nine hundred years old.
Take the boat back along the river. Get off the boat and go past the station and walk along the street. Opposite is the old fruit and vegetable market. They don’t sell fruit and vegetables now. There are stores and restaurants, and lots of street musicians. Turn left into King’s Street, and go past the church. You’re now back where you started, at the square. Now you finish your tour.If you go to visit the National Gallery, what will you find?
| A．lots of lovely animals | B．lots of valuable plants |
| C．lots of famous paintings | D．lots of interesting books |
Where can you get the boat?
| A．Near Buckingham Palace. | B．Near Big Ben. |
| C．Near Tower Bridge. | D．Near King’s Street. |
______ is London’s oldest palace.
| A．The Tower of London | B．The National Gallery |
| C．Buckingham Palace | D．The Houses of Parliament |
You will not go past ______ on your way back.
| A．the station | B．the square | C．the park | D．the church |
Joe Read studied in this school for fourteen years. When he finished school, he was already eighteen years old. And then his father said to him, “You finished school, and you are a good student. Now you may go to town and get a good job. They need some clever people to work in the office. The people there can get a lot of money now. If you stay at home, you can’t get money from our family.” A few weeks later, Joe went to the office and asked for a job there. A man took him into a small room and gave him some questions on a piece of paper. Joe answered the questions quickly, and he gave the paper to the man. The man looked at the paper for a few minutes and then asked, “You were born on Sep. 23. But which year were you born in?” Joe answered, “Oh, every year.” How old was Joe when he went to school?
| A．8. | B．18. | C．4. | D．14. |
What place did his father want him to work in?
| A．A school. | B．An office | C．A house. | D．A shop. |
What did his father think of Joe?
| A．He was a good student. | B．He wasn’t a good student. |
| C．He wasn’t clever. | D．He could get money from his family. |
Why did the man give Joe a piece of paper?
| A．Because he wanted to give Joe a job. |
| B．Because he wanted Joe to answer some questions. |
| C．Because he wanted to know if Joe was clever. |
| D．Because he wanted to know how old Joe was. |
From Joe’s answered, “Oh, every year.”, we can infer(推测) that________.
| A．he didn’t want to work in the office |
| B．he was hardworking but dishonest |
| C．he was outgoing and clever |
| D．in fact, he didn’t really answer the man’s question |
What do people do with their old, out-of-date but still useful computers? Most people don’t know what to do with them. Many old computers are put away in homes. Many more are simply thrown out with the rubbish.
Some companies are thinking of ways to bring down the number of old computers. Sony has agreed to help recycle old Sony products. Dell, Hewlett-Packard and other companies now also take back some old computers.
In some countries, laws are being passed, too. Computer companies will have to collect and recycle their used products. And 70% of computer waste must be recycled. The idea behind the laws is that computer companies themselves should pay the cost. That will encourage them to make computers that are easier and cheaper to repair and upgrade（升级）.
Yet while many people are throwing away good computers, others cannot afford them at all. Hundreds of organizations are working to solve this problem. They collect and repair old computers. Some also teach others how to repair computers.
The computers then go to schools, charities and people who need them. Giving a used computer to one of these organizations can turn one person’s rubbish into someone else’s useful things—and cut down on waste, too. How do people usually deal with their old computers?
A. They stop using them. B. They give them to others. C. They fix them up. What do some computer companies do to bring down the number of old computers?
A. They don’t do anything about them.
B. They take back some old ones.
C. They donate them to some charities. According to some countries’ laws, what must computer companies do?
A. Collect and recycle most of computer waste.
B. Repair and upgrade old computers.
C. Make much cheaper computers. What may people who can’t afford computers think of the used computers?
A. Expensive. B. Useful. C. Out-of -date. What is the passage about?
A. Repairing old computers.
B. Selling old computers.
C. Recycling old computers.
What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary(日记). It’s cool, it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often. Sound like a fashion? In fact, It’s another trend (流行趋势). And the word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online. Are you a blogger?
Many bloggers are teenagers who log (进入) onto websites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teenagers complain about their parents and homework. They share diaries, post(发布) songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are worried about these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using the language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get messages from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words.” said Cara Cabral, a mother of two children.
Many teenagers and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place where it can be seen by anyone. But teenagers are unwilling to give up these new communication tools that have become a way of life for many of them. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph means ________.
A. the fashion B. the Internet C. the blog Which of the following is NOT TRUE？
A. Teenagers don’t tell about their personal life in their blogs.
B. Teenagers mostly write down what they do every day in their blogs.
C. Teenagers complain about their parents and homework in their blogs. What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Many parents don’t understand kids’ language in their blogs.
B. Many parents are worried about these young bloggers.
C. Many parents can understand why their kids don’t like studying. Many parents think it’s for their children to get messages from strangers.
A. dangerous B. interesting C. surprising We can learn from the last paragraph that .
A. It’s easy for many teenagers to give up blogging on the Internet
B. It’s safe for many teenagers to put their personal information on the Internet
C. It’s popular for many teenagers to use blogs on the Internet