It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride. Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
A.Rain was in great need. |
B.There were few trees in the woods. |
C.Billy carried water with his small hands. |
D.Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
What Billy did mainly showed that he was _____.
A.caring | B.beautiful | C.childlike | D.brave |
Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
①The author was moved to tears.
②Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③Billy walked towards the large deer.
④It began to rain.
⑤The author followed Billy into the woods.
A.③②⑤①④ | B.④①③⑤ | C.⑤③②①④ | D.⑤②①③④ |
At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that _____
A.Billy was a pride. |
B.God was touched by Billy's activity. |
C.it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy. |
D.the rain should have dropped earlier. |
Modern man has cleared the forests for farmland and for wood, and has also carelessly burned them. More than that, though, he has also interfered (干涉) with the invisible bonds between the living things in the forests. There are many examples of this kind of destruction. The harmfulness of man’s interference can be seen in what happened many years ago in the forest of the Kaibab plateau (凯亚巴布高原) of northern Arizona. Man tried to improve on the natural web of forest life and destroyed it instead.
The Kaibab had a storybook forest of large sized pine, Douglas fir, white fir, blue and Engelmann spruce. In 1882 a visitor noted, "We, who ... have wandered through its forests and parks, have come to regard it as the most enchanting region it has ever been our privilege (特权) to visit.” This was also the living place of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Indians hunted there every autumn to gather meat and skins. The forest also had mountain lions, timber wolves and bobcats that kept the deer from multiplying too rapidly.
Then, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made the Kaibab a national game preserve. Deer hunting was forbidden. Government hunters started killing off the deer’s enemies. In 25 years’ time, 6,250 mountain lions, wolves and bobcats were killed. Before the program, there were about 4,000 deer in the Kaibab, by 1924, there were about 100,000.
The deer ate every leaf and twig they could reach. But there was not nearly enough food. Hunting of deer was permitted again. This caused a slight decrease in the deer herd (鹿群),but a far greater loss resulted from starvation (饥饿) and disease. Some 60 percent of the deer herd died in two winters. By 1930 the herd had dropped to 20,000 animals. By 1942 it was down to 8,000.The destruction of the environment of the Kaibab resulted from
A.interfering with natural cycle of forest life |
B.turning the forest into cultivated land |
C.forest fires caused by man’s carelessness |
D.cutting the trees for building materials |
"Engelmann spruce"(Para. 2) is most likely the name of .
A.an animal | B.a tree | C.a mountain | D.a game |
The number of the deer in the Kaibab had increased enormously in years’ time.
A.25 | B.6 | C.12 | D.18 |
Years later, large numbers of deer in the Kaibab died mainly because of .
A.the cold | B.the organized kill |
C.the poor management | D.the shortage of food |
The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
The clock struck 12."Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched(可怜的) creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learnt. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were_____ .
A.working in bed | B.asleep |
C.outside | D.quietly laughing at him |
Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because ________.
A.it was too late at night |
B.he was very tired |
C.he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
D.his eyes lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
What do you suppose happened to the author?
A.He failed in the exam |
B.He passed the exam by luck |
C.He went to a church to pray again |
D.He was punished by his teacher |
The best title for the passage would be __________ .
A.The Night Before the Examination |
B.Working Far into the Night |
C.A Slow Student |
D.Going Over My Lessons |
Want to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face.
Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from colds, according to a new study. It’s possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses, say the researchers from New York University.
“It seems that positive(积极的) feelings may reduce (减少)the danger of illness,” said the study’s chief researcher Sheldon Cohen.
In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often. People who showed feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill.
In this study, Cohen’s interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers about were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days.
The results showed that everyone in the study was equally(相等地) likely to get ill. Buy for people who said they felt happy during the research period, their illness are less serious and lasted for a shorter time.
Cohen believes that when people experience positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried abut your health, look on the bright side more often.What did the study find?
A.People who felt happy never got ill. |
B.People’s feelings didn’t influence their health. |
C.People with good feelings became ill more easily. |
D.People with positive feelings had less serious illnesses.. |
According to Cohen, which of the following may help fight illness?
A.Eating. | B.Crying. | C.Laughing. | D.Sleeping. |
This passage is a/an.
A.advertisement | B.newspaper report |
C.story | D.scientist’s diary |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.Smiles can fight colds |
B.Cause of colds found |
C.The danger of colds |
D.How people get sick |
My problems started after I went to a boarding(寄宿) school. I was only 14, and at first I misses my family a lot. I often called them and cried on the phone. But after two weeks, I found I enjoyed being with my classmates at school. I had many friends who were boys. I thought of them as my best friends – but only friends. I never guessed my friendships with boys would become a problem.
Then, three months later, my friends told me that some teachers and girls said I was hanging out with boys all day long in order to get attention from them. Seven months after that, the head teacher Mr. Wang asked the class to choose some students to join the Student Union. I thought I could win for I was doing well in school. I’d already won prizes for the best math and English exams. A week later, the list came out and it didn’t include me. I was sad.
Mr. Wang came to me and said, “Don’t be sad. I know you’re excellent! Maybe you are a little distant from the girls in our class. They don’t know much about you, so some of them didn’t choose you. It doesn’t matter. Do your best to get along well with everyone and I think you’ll make it next time.”What was the writer’s problem when she first entered the boarding school?
A.She didn’t like her new school. |
B.She didn’t get along well with her classmates. |
C.She missed her family very much. |
D.She didn’t like her new teacher. |
Many of the writer’s friends in her new school were _______.
A.teachers | B.boys | C.girls | D.women |
Why did the writer fail to join the Student Union?
A.Her teachers didn’t like her. | B.She was a poor student. |
C.Some girls didn’t choose her. | D.She likes showing off herself. |
The underlined word “distant” means “______” in English.
A.estranged(疏远的) | B.aggressive(好斗的) |
C.warm-hearted | D.rude |
Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
A.The writer won prizes for the best science and English exams. |
B.The writer didn’t realize that her friendships with boys would cause problems. |
C.The writer was sad because she failed to join the Student Union. |
D.The teacher thought she was an excellent student. |
Put on your sunglasses and enjoy the island, the sun and the blue sea. Malta combines (结合) learning English with the Mediterranean way of life: you will have a language course and a great holiday at the same time.
Your language course
Our school lies in Sliema, only a few meters from the sea, the beach road and cafés. The school is in an old Maltese building. Our teachers use a modern teaching method and you will learn English quickly.
Brief information
Class size: 10, at most 15 students |
Minimum (最小的) age: 13 |
Language levels: all |
Internet access: in the Internet cafe |
The leisure (休闲) programmes
Our school and team leaders organize varied leisure programmes. There will be a welcome party on your first day. You will also take part in beach volleyball, and beach parties.
Other activities include: Discos, visit to Popeye Village, Water Park, bowling, cinema, ice skating (different prices).
Accommodation(住宿)
Family: You will live in friendly host families that the school has known for years. All families are near the school (20 minutes on foot or by bus).
Supervision (监督)
Our team of friendly teachers, team leaders and host families will always be there for you. There is also an emergency phone number for parents and students.
Dear parents, please note that there are periods of time when your children are unsupervised, for example on the way to school. We are happy to discuss any questions you may have. Please contact us by phone or email.If you want to attend the English course in Malta, you should ______.
A.be at least 13 years old | B.have a higher English level |
C.learn English without the Internet | D.be watched all the time |
Where will you live if you attend the English course in Malta?
A.In an old Maltese building. | B.In a local family. |
C.In a café in Sliema. | D.In Popeye village. |
What information can you get from the passage?
A.There are at least 15 students in a class. |
B.You can take part in any activity for free. |
C.You will have a good time while learning English. |
D.It takes you 20 minutes to go to school by bus. |
The passage is mainly written for ______.
A.travelers to Malta | B.teachers planning to work abroad |
C.host families wishing for students | D.teenagers learning English |