At the age of 16, Clara Barton was advised to become a teacher, since she was quite shy. She taught in Massachusetts for ten years, and was invited to Bordentown, New Jersey, to teach in a private school. She saw personally that these communities needed free education for their citizens, and she responded by creating a free school, one of the first in her state. Later, officials ignored her and appointed a male as principal instead. She resigned and moved to Washington DC, becoming the first woman employed by the U. S. Patent Office.
Clara Barton was forever changed by her experience with the troops in the Civil War. She saw surgeons dressing wounds with cornhusks（玉米叶）, since they had nothing else. The medical supplies for the Army were well behind the troops, who were moving faster than their medical supply lines. She brought in a wagon of bandages and medical supplies that she had collected personally beforehand. Barton continued to work on the battlefields throughout the war.
She helped in the identification process of 13,000 dead Union soldiers. Afterward, she was an important figure in a campaign to identify missing soldiers from the Civil War. This non-stop work debilitated her, and upon recommendation by her physicians, she traveled to Europe to recover herself.
While in Europe, and still in poor health Miss Barton was moved by the hardship on civilians brought about by the France-Prussia war. She helped in their relief effort, and in that work she was inspired to create the Red Cross, which served all troops and civilians.
Clara Barton returned to America and then began the establishment of the American Red Cross. The US government did not think there would ever be another war, after the horror of the Civil War. But she convinced them that the Red Cross would be valuable to serve in times of natural disasters, as well. This was her lasting legacy（遗产）, an agency that still provides aid to victims today.What does this text mainly tell us about?
| A．The establishment of the American Red Cross. |
| B．A general introduction of Clara Barton’s life. |
| C．Clara Barton’s contribution to the Red Cross. |
| D．Clara Barton’s service in the army. |
Why did Clara give up her job in the free school?
| A．Because officials didn’t make her principal. |
| B．Because she wanted to work in a Patent Office. |
| C．Because she wanted to serve in the army. |
| D．Because she was not satisfied with the pay. |
The underlined word “debilitated” in the third paragraph means .
| A．rewarded | B．satisfied | C．disturbed | D．weakened |
What is the greatest contribution made by Clara Barton?
| A．She set up a free school. |
| B．She collected supplies for the army. |
| C．She identified missing soldiers. |
| D．She set up the American Red Cross. |
Charlton Heston was born in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois. Charlton Heston discovered his interest in acting while performing in plays at his high school. He later spent two years studying theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. But he left college to join the Army Air Forces during World War Two.
After the war, he found small roles in the theater as well as in television shows. His performance in a television version of the book Jane Eyre caught the attention of the Hollywood producer Cecil B. DeMille who later asked Heston to play the role of Moses in his movie The Ten Commandments which came out in 1956. This role made Heston famous and defined (明确) his career as a hero and leader. His face and body represented strength and heroism in many different roles. He played cowboys, soldiers and athletes.
The 1959 movie Ben Hur made Charlton Heston an even bigger star. Ben Hur won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Charlton Heston. Heston starred in many adventure movies during the 1960s. In the 1970s, Heston appeared in popular disaster movies like Earthquake,. Skyjacked and Airport 1975.
Charlton Heston was also very active in the movie industry. He worked to help set up the American Film Institute. In 1977 he was honored for his service in the industry. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1997 he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. And, in 2003, President Bush gave Charlton Heston a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
In 2000, Charlton Heston issued a statement announcing that he had an Alzheimer's disease. He died in 2008 at his home in Beverly Hills, California.What kind of role did Charlton Heston often play in films?
| A．Heroes. | B．Cowboys. | C．Soldiers. | D．Athletes. |
Which film won Best Actor for Charlton Heston?
| A．Jane Eyre. |
| B．Earthquake. |
| C．Ben Hur. |
| D．The Ten Commandments. |
What can we learn about Charlton Heston according to the passage?
| A．He began to show his talent in Ben Hut. | B．He used to be a soldier. |
| C．He was once awarded by Kennedy. | D．He won eleven Academy Awards. |
What's the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．How Charlton Heston became famous. |
| B．How Charlton Heston began his career. |
| C．Who made Charlton Heston a popular star. |
| D．Who made Charlton Heston win so many awards. |
Can feeling of nostalgia(怀旧) be good for you? Or is it unhealthy to have a strong love for the past?
For years, medical experts have studied nostalgia and the reasons for it. Many experts warn that too much nostalgia is harmful. They say living in the past shows that a person is unhappy with his present life. These feelings keep the person from living his life to its fullest.
However, experts say it is normal to love the past sometimes. In fact, a little nostalgia can enrich a person’s life.
Dr. Louise Kaplan has written several books about nostalgia. She says these feelings often begin when a young person is between 13 and 19 years old.
“This is the time when you must face the loss of your childhood, “Kaplan says. “You see your new life is easily destroyed. But you think romantically about a golden past. You remember your childhood as a time when life is perfect.”
These feelings continue as the person gets older, Kaplan adds. She says many grown persons have a hard time keeping up with changes in the modem world, so they think back to their younger years. At that time the world seemed simple and more harmless.
Kaplan says these feelings do not always actually exist. The good old days did not always exist. The good old days weren’t always good. However, she says nostalgia can be helpful, if used properly.
“Feelings of nostalgia can cause you to remember a time when you had high hopes and dreams, “Kaplan says. “It might give you the strong wish to catch those dreams today in your past life.” She adds that nostalgia can prevent you from “cutting yourself off from your aim”.Feeling of nostalgia ______.
| A．can cause you to think of your past which was full of hopes and dreams |
| B．might cause you to try to realize the golden dream in the present life |
| C．fill one with hopes for the future no matter what happens |
| D．bring about a love for the past and a hope for the future |
The reason for grown persons to think back to their past is that ______.
| A．time is hard, so they cannot keep up |
| B．they can hardly keep up with changes in today’s world with changes |
| C．many grown persons have little time keeping up with changes |
| D．they lived in the past, of which they are always proud |
Which of the following is NOT talked about in the passage?
| A．Too much nostalgia is harmful to our health. |
| B．Nostalgia shows that a person is not satisfied with his present life. |
| C．Only women have feelings of nostalgia. |
| D．A little nostalgia can make a person’s life more colorful. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Thoughts on Nostalgia |
| B．The Reasons for Nostalgia |
| C．Why Not Think Back to the Past |
| D．Nostalgia, Good or Bad |
At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than a million lions worldwide. Today there are less than 30,000 in the wild. The remaining lions are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting and activities to protect farms and cattle.
For generations, Masai tribesmen on the large African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions — to protect their farms and cattle. Today they celebrate the lions’ life.
Noah is an elder in the Masai community. “We have decided as a community of the Masai to lay down our spears, and there will be no more killing of lions in our community.” He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting (推广) the Predator Compensation Program.
Conservation International’s Frank Hawkins explains, “The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting ( 有冲突的) relationship in many ways. They compete with the animals for food as lions eat their cattle. We’re trying to find ways in which the wildlife will become something useful to them.” They had the Predator Compensation Fund founded in 2003. After much discussion, a group of Masai farmers agreed to protect lions. In turn, if lions or other predators kill their cattle, the Masai owner will be paid market value for the dead animals from the fund.
One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it immediately. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing. Since 2003, only four lions have been killed here.What is the aim of the Predator Compensation Program?
| A．To protect people in the wild. | B．To protect Masai’s farms. |
| C．To protect lions only. | D．To protect the wildlife. |
According to the passage, why haven’t Masai tribesmen killed many lions since 2003?
| A．Because lions don’t eat their cattle any more. |
| B．Because they will be fined if they kill lions there. |
| C．Because the fund will pay for dead animals killed by lions |
| D．Because there are less than 30,000 lions in the wild now. |
What do you think of the Masai ?
| A．Wise. | B．Mean. | C．Generous. | D．Stupid. |
There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.
But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.
His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, “Do you know son, why I am here today?”
The boy answered back, “to check my grades?”
“No, no” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
These words caused the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.
Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!
Thanks a lot, dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.The boy changed after he went to the boarding school because________.
| A．his grades were not as good as before | B．his classmates didn’t like him |
| C．his father seldom went to see him | D．he felt no one cared about him |
The father went to the boarding school to_________.
| A．know if he was still the best student |
| B．find out what was wrong with his son |
| C．ask some questions about his classmates |
| D．talk with the boy’s teacher about his grades |
The underlined word “ casual” in Paragraph 4 means _______.
| A．unimportant | B．strange | C．special | D．difficult |
The passage mainly tells us never to _________.
| A．send a small boy to a boarding school |
| B．care too much about a student’s grades |
| C．pay no attention to the power of caring |
| D．miss the chance to say thanks to our fathers |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones，but words will never hurt me. ”However，that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves--the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact，we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self—talk” helps us motivate ourselves，remember things, solve problems，and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77％of self—talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back . The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self—esteem and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ．
| A．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us |
| B．inspiring words give us confidence |
| C．negative words may let us down |
| D．words have a lasting effect on us |
There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because．
| A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves |
| B．we can benefit from talking to ourselves |
| C．talking to ourselves always gives us courage |
| D．it does no harm to have“self—talk”when we are alone |
The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely．
| A．praise ourselves | B．remind ourselves |
| C．make ourselves relaxed | D．give ourselves amusement |
The author would probably hold the view that．
| A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers |
| B．negative words may stimulate us to make more progress |
| C．people tend to remember friendly words |
| D．it is better to think twice before talking to others |