When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left completely destroyed. Afterward all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me. A young woman stood in front of an entirely shattered mobile home, a depressed expression twisting her features. A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downcast. Clutching (紧握) at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that went with the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves. I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator, explaining their difficulty to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three- year-old Meghan.
“We have so much. And these poor people now have nothing,” I said. “We’ll share what we have with them.”
I brought three large boxes down from the room upstairs and placed them on the living room floor. Meghan watched seriously, as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and foods. While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games.
“I’ll help you find something for the little girl when I’m done with this,” I said.
The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes. Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, much-loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest. She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy’s flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on the top of other toys.
“Oh, Honey,” I said “You don’t have to give Lucy. You love her so much.”
Meghan nodded seriously, eyes glistening with held-back tears. “Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she’ll make that other little girl happy, too.”
Swallowing hard, I stared at Meghan for a long moment, wondering how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me. For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you value most.
Honest benevolence (善行) is a three-year-old offering a valuable, though shabby, doll to a little girl she doesn’t know with the hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it brought her. I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught.
The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy.
A slow smile spread across Brett’s face. Then he jumped up, eyes twinkling as he ran to fetch some of his prized Matchbox cars.
Astonished, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little Meghan’s gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all three of them into my arms.
Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old jacket from the box of clothes. I replaced it with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as much as I did.
It’s easy to give that which we don’t want any more, but harder to let go of things we cherish, isn’t it? However, the true spirit of giving is to give with your heart.Why does the author give a detailed description of a particular picture in the Sunday newspaper?
| A．To create an atmosphere of fear and depression brought by the tornado. |
| B．To call on unconcerned people to donate for the poor families. |
| C．To show the helplessness and hopelessness of the family mentioned in the paper. |
| D．To make known what touched her and made her decide to help the hopeless family. |
Why did Brad and Brett also donate their favorite things finally?
| A．They were encouraged to donate some valuable things by the mother. |
| B．Meghan’s decision inspired them to donate their favorite things. |
| C．They also wanted to show generosity by giving away their valuable things. |
| D．Meghan’s gesture reminded them to replace their favorite things with new ones. |
By “swallowing hard”, the writer means that ______.
| A．she was deeply puzzled by what the little girl did |
| B．she had trouble persuading Meghan not to give away Lucy |
| C．she was greatly moved by Meghan’s unexpected decision |
| D．she was uncertain what results Meghan’s action would bring about |
It is suggested in the sentence “the true spirit of giving is to give with your heart” that ______.
| A．sincere donation means offering help to others whole-heartedly |
| B．true giving means giving others what you treasure most |
| C．true generosity means helping others at the cost of your own benefit |
| D．honest benevolence means devoting yourself to the career of donation |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．The Greatest Love | B．A Beautiful Heart |
| C．True Generosity | D．A Precious Gift |
Language experts say that spoken English was almost the same in the American colonies and Britain two hundred years ago.Americans began to change the sound of their speech after the Revolutionary War in seventeenseventysix. They wanted to make it different to separate themselves from the British in language，in the same way they separated themselves from the British government.
Some American leaders proposed major changes in the language.Benjamin Franklin wanted a whole new system of spelling.His reforms were not accepted. But his ideas did influence others.One was Noah Webster.
Webster wrote language books for schools.He believed the United States should have a system of its own language as well as government.Webster published a dictionary of the American language in eighteentwentyeight. It established rules for speaking and spelling the words used in American English.
Webster wrote that all words should be said in the order of the letters that spell them.This is why Americans use the letters“e-r”to end many words instead of the British“r-e.”He spelled the word“center，”for example，“c-e-n-t-e-r，”instead of the British“c-e-n-t-r-e.”
Webster’s rule for saying every part of a word made American English easier for foreign settlers to learn.They learned to say“waistcoat，”for example，the way it is spelled instead of the British“weskit.”
The different languages of many people who came to the United States also helped make American and British English different.Many of their foreign words and expressions became part of English as Americans speak them.
Sometimes Americans and British people do not understand each other because of different word meanings. For example，the word“jumper”in Britain means a sweater.In the United States，it is a dress.The British word“brolly” is an“umbrella”in America.And the British call potato chips“crisps”．All of these differences led British writer George Bernard Shaw to joke that Britain and America are two countries separated by the same language!What does the underlined word“it”in the first paragraph refer to?
| A．Separating themselves from the British in language. |
| B．Written English in America. |
| C．Spoken English in America. |
| D．Spoken English in Britain. |
Why did American want their language to differ from British English?
| A．Because they found British English hard to speak. |
| B．Because they found British English hard to spell. |
| C．Because they wanted to have their own language and government. |
| D．Because foreign settlers wanted them to change their language. |
Why do Americans use the word“meter”instead of the word“metre”？
| A．Because Benjamin Franklin didn’t like the word“metre”． |
| B．Because the word“meter”was absorbed from other languages. |
| C．Because Webster thought the word should be said in order of the letters that are spelt. |
| D．Because Webster thought American English should be made easier for foreign settlers to learn. |
Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons why English began to change in America?
| A．The government leaders. |
| B．Noah Webster. |
| C．Immigration to America. |
| D．The difficulty Americans had in understanding the British. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Noah Webster’s simplifying the spelling of English words. |
| B．Differences and similarities between British and American English. |
| C．The reasons why American English was formed and its development. |
| D．Varieties of English throughout the world. |
阅读理解
When I was sixteen years old，I made my first visit to the United States.It wasn’t the first time I had been abroad.Like most English children I learned French at school.And I had often been to France，so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn’t understand French.But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems.
How wrong I was！The misunderstandings began at the airport.I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Danny a call and tell her that I had arrived.A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked if he could help me.
“Yes，”I said，“I want to give my friend a ring.”
“Well，that’s nice，”he said.“Are you getting married？But aren’t you a bit young？”
“Who’s talking about marriage？”I replied.“I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I’ve arrived.Can you tell me where there’s a phone box？”
“Oh！”he said.“There’s a phone downstairs.”
When at last we met，Danny explained the misunderstandings to me.
“Don’t worry，”she said to me.“I had so many difficulties at first.There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from the British.You’ll soon get used to all the funny things they say.Most of the time，British and American people understand each other！”The writer thought ________ in America.
| A．he wouldn’t have any language difficulties |
| B．he would not understand the Americans |
| C．the Americans might not understand him |
| D．he would have difficulty at the airport |
The writer wanted to ________.
| A．buy a ring for his friend |
| B．make a call to his friend |
| C．go to the telephone company |
| D．see his friend off |
From the passage we can see that “give sb.a ring”________．
| A．means “call sb.” to the old man |
| B．means the same in America as in England |
| C．has two different meanings |
| D．means “be going to get married” in England |
In the last paragraph the word “they” refers to ________.
| A．the old man and the boy |
| B．the Americans |
| C．the British |
| D．the French |
Which is RIGHT according to the passage?
| A．American and British English are so different that they can’t understand each other. |
| B．Although American and British English are different，they mostly can understand each other. |
| C．Danny isn’t used to the funny things Americans say. |
| D．The old man couldn’t understand what “I” meant. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year，they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion，they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it，only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way waste hours of their time altering (改变) the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened；necklines are lowered or raised，and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth，comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort，as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day，or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion，the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes，one wonder，reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability？Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability？That is for you to decide.Designers and big stores always make money________.
| A．by constantly changing the fashions in women's clothing |
| B．by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry |
| C．because they are able to predict new fashions for the coming season |
| D．because they attach great importance to the quality of women's clothing |
To the writer，that women alter their old fashioned dresses is seen as________.
| A．a waste of money |
| B．an expression of taste |
| C．a waste of time |
| D．an expression of creativity |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is true?
| A．The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society. |
| B．The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of characters. |
| C．Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women. |
| D．New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women. |
By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”，the writer means that________.
| A．women are better able to put up with discomfort |
| B．men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
| C．men are also exploited greatly by fashion de signers |
| D．women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
Celebrities(名人) have become a powerful influence on some people because of their social position and their economic situation.
First，some people admire and imitate stars because they allow themselves to be influenced by the media. Television，radio，and magazines invade(侵扰) the lives of audience with a variety of shows，information，and publications about stars and their lives. For instance，Britney Spears has become the target of paparazzi(狗仔队)．In May，Britney appeared at the front page of the most popular magazines revealing that she married her best friend in Vegas，Nevada. Media also invade stars' lives because reporters know they get high profits from readers who buy and follow their favorite artists' news.
Second，some mad audience imitate their celebrities for their lack of confidence. Some people who are shy and lack personality may find that imitating others will cause a good impression. For instance，my cousin Jenny，who lacks a social life because of her introverted(内向的) personality，believes that acting and dressing like Jennifer Lopez will make her popular in high school.
Finally，several fans of stars imitate them because of peer(同龄人) pressure. Since my niece's girlfriends formed an Antonio Banderas' fan club，she had also joined the group. Although she wasn't a huge fan of his，now she collects most of Banderas' possessions. In fact，when I asked Arianna，my niece，why she was part of Banderas' fan club，she replied with a doubtful tone that she did not wish to be rejected by the other teens.
In conclusion，it is true that celebrities play spectacular roles in their performances in Hollywood，which entertains many people all over the world；however，modern celebrities influence the audience to the point where their fans admire and try to imitate their lives.What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．Why people are influenced by celebrities. |
| B．The harmful influence of celebrities. |
| C．What kind of people are influenced by celebrities. |
| D．How to avoid the influence of celebrities. |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ________.
| A．media are on the side of stars |
| B．stars know how to take advantage of media |
| C．media can give wrong information about stars |
| D．media invade stars' lives for their own good |
Jenny acts and dresses like Jennifer Lopez because ______________.
| A．she admires Jennifer Lopez's personality |
| B．she wants to become famous too |
| C．she wants to change her own personality |
| D．she lacks selfconfidence |
Arianna joined the Antonio Banderas' fan club to ________.
| A．seek encouragement from the star |
| B．be accepted by other teens |
| C．become a real fan of the star |
| D．learn more about the star |
The author of the passage probably believes that ________.
| A．it's easy for people to resist the influence of celebrities |
| B．all young people are easily influenced by celebrities |
| C．it's no good for people to imitate celebrities blindly |
| D．people can improve their personality by imitating their favorite stars |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
A public high school in the rural town of Boonsboro，Maryland，offers a special program recently. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single－sex classes for math，science，English and social studies.
The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. Rebecca Brown chooses the students for what Boonsboro High School calls the Academy. “What we really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve here，so that they’re prepared for college，” she said. They need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities.
Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High School for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth－grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. “The novels they’re reading now，are very manly novels. They’re novels that deal with the arrogance(傲慢)of man and the pride of man.” One of those books，for example，is “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada’s Klondike Gold Rush.
On this day，the students are working in small groups. Vincent and Logan explain why they're drawing pictures that relate to the story. Vincent said，“The main character，Buck，gets abducted(绑架) and they send him off to the Yukon in a train.So I’m drawing part of the story where he’s in the train. It gets you to visualize the setting of the story and gets you to think more about what’s going on in the story，the important events of the story.”“ Instead of just doing work sheets about it，this is a lot more fun，” Logan added happily.
Morgan Van Fleet likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. “To me，it almost seems like it’s hindering(妨碍)? your chances at developing yourself because you’re more focused on ‘Oh，I wish they’d shut up. Oh，what do they think of me？’ instead of focusing on what’s the homework or what’s going on in this class，what’s the lesson.”
【选项】 What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To introduce. |
| B．To persuade. |
| C．To instruct. |
| D．To educate. |
In Rebecca Brown's opinion，________.
| A．any student in Boonsboro High School can take part in the program |
| B．students in the program are expected to get well prepared for college |
| C．students can all achieve their highest levels in the program |
| D．students don't have to join in the activities |
The underlined word “visualize” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．pay a visit to |
| B．form a picture of |
| C．take a look at |
| D．have a gift for |
What can we conclude from the text?
| A．Michael Bair considers it unsuitable for boys to read the book “The Call of the Wild”． |
| B．Jack London is a main character in the book “The Call of the Wild”． |
| C．Vincent thinks that his drawings can help understand the novel better. |
| D．Morgan Van Fleet thinks the program does no good to her. |
The text is probably taken from ________.
| A．a school's introduction | B．a teacher's diary |
| C．a headmaster's speech | D．a news report |