I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate ―Yes!
As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart. But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain. Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my two-year-old daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter. Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favourite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need. We can learn from the passage that the author________.
A.had to stay in bed for several weeks |
B.knew the family in need very well |
C.was glad to be able to lend a hand |
D.was tired of preparing food |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
A.Her mother died when she was in hospital. |
B.She didn’t get enough food during her pregnancy. |
C.She received food as well as comfort in her hard times. |
D.She thinks offering food is the best way to show love. |
What do we know about the author’s family?
A.Her family is too poor to buy enough food. |
B.Her family lives not far from a church. |
C.Her husband is not good at cooking. |
D.She has a babysitter taking care of her twins. |
According to the passage, which of the following conclusion can we get?
A.A good beginning makes a good ending. |
B.One good turn deserves another. |
C.Actions speak louder than words. |
D.Every man has his faults. |
ple — their clothes, ideas, or languages—has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree(可可树)by South American. Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Eu??rope, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish peo??ple starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine (饥荒)" of 1845—1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
according to an. Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee, bush. He tried one and experienced the " wide-awake" feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.according to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
A.Food. | B.Clothing. | C.Ideology. | D.Language. |
The word "some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to________.
A.some cocoa trees | B.some chocolate drinks. |
C.some shops | D.some South American Indians |
Thousands of Irish people starved during the " Potato Famine" because________
A.they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else |
B.they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America |
C.the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes |
D.the potato harvest was bad |
according to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.One third of the world’s population drinks coffee. |
B.Coffee is native to Colombia. |
C.Coffee can keep one awake. |
D.Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs. |
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the school principal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me away from here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking a cigarette in bed. This is against the rules, of course. We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper basket, which caught fire. There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole room was burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The school is a long way from the town and by the time the fire department arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are in the hospital.
The principal says the fire was my fault and you must pay for the damage. She will send you a bill for about a million dollars.
I am very sorry about this.
Much love, Sarah
P.S.
None of the above is true, but I have failed my exams. I just want you to know how bad things could have been! Sarah wrote to her parent______
A. to inform them about an accident |
B. to ask them for money |
C. to them wonderful news |
D. to tell then she had failed her exams |
Sarah told her parents the story about the fire because______
A.she wanted to make them worried |
B.she wanted them to have some fun |
C.she wanted to make them less angry at the real news |
D.she wanted to make them even more angry |
The main body of the letter was_____
A.mostly true | B.partly true |
C.all true | D.completely untrue |
Sarah said the principal was angry because____
A.she had failed her exams |
B.it was her fault that the fire had broken out |
C.she not make the phone call in time |
D.she had caught her smoking in bed |
The United States will introduce a new and comprehensive(综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Chang Wei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US College Board, America’s leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered for the first time throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE(Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu’s classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students of using the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student’s ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy(精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity and fluency(流畅), Jen said.The United States will introduce a new exam because _______.
A.more and more students want to get further education in the USA |
B.the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China’s entry into the WTO |
C.the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect |
D.it will bring the US government quite a lot of money |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the selection?
A.It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL. |
B.The TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS. |
C.A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English—speaking countries from 2002. |
D.Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future. |
The underlined word current in the second paragraph means _______.
A.modern | B.present | C.standard | D.formal |
Please decide which of the following would be the best title for this news report.
A.The Key to English-speaking Countries |
B.The Four Skills in Learning English |
C.TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date |
D.New Exam Designed for Students |
June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code(密码) have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?
A.Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses. |
B.Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases. |
C.Because they wanted to be better known than others. |
D.Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work. |
Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world?
A.Japan. | B.Germany. | C.The United States. | D.China. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. |
B.The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers. |
C.Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. |
D.The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century. |
The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.
A.the policy makers to feel very worried and careful |
B.the scientists to work harder |
C.many people to find work easily |
D.a lot of companies to produce many new drugs |
The main idea of this article is about _______.
A.unlocking genetic code |
B.the genes' discovery |
C.the great human genome |
D.the genes and the scientists |
Visiting U.S. President George W. Bush said in Beijing Friday that both China and the United States should encourage bilateral(双边的) contacts and exchanges to promote mutual(相互) understanding.
“It’s important for our political leaders to come to China,” said Bush, who gave a speech Friday morning at Qinghua University, one of the most prestigious universities in China.
His working visit to China and discussions with Oinghua students “help promote” Sino-U.S.(中美) relations, Bush said in response to a student’s question about what he would do to promote Sino-U.S. relations.
“Many people in my country are very interested in China,” he said, adding that these Americans have learned more about China’s culture and the Chinese people.
He said that he would keep encouraging such contacts and exchanges between the two countries.
Bush said that he would describe back home what he has seen here and that China as a great nation not only has a “great history” but also an “unbelievably exciting future.”
The president said that the 2008 Olympic Games would make a significant opportunity for the rest of the world to understand China, which enables more people to come to China and feel the modernization taking place, and many more people will see it on the television.
Bush arrived in Beijing Thursday for a two-day working visit to China. What the word “prestigious” in the second paragraph probably means?
A.great | B.famous | C.honorable | D.modest |
Which of the sentence is NOT true?
A.Bush think bilateral contacts and mutual understanding will promote Sino-U.S. relations. |
B.Many Americans are interested in China. |
C.Bush and the students of Qinghua discussed something about how to make China richer and stronger. |
D.The 2008’s Olympic Games is a great change for China been known by the world. |
Many Americans are interested in China because _______.
A.they want to come here to take part in the 2008 Olympic Games |
B.they have learned something of China and they want to learn more |
C.China has been taking place great change |
D.China has a “great history” and “unbelievably exciting future” |
The narrator(叙述者) of the passage was most probably _____.
A.a reporter | B.a psychologist | C.a politician | D.a sociologist |