More than 50 music students of New Milford High School in New Jersey, US, got a letter from their headmaster. The letter said that the music department of the school was in big trouble. The students had to pass a test, or the department(系) would be shut down.
On a Saturday, two officials greeted the nervous students. They asked the students to play a piece by Richard Strauss. But they had to sing the words to the music – German words!
Other tasks were also difficult. One student had to sing Mary had a Little Lamb, a children’s song, in an operatic (歌剧的) voice.
After three hours of testing, students waited for the results. They met some students from the New Jersey Youth Orchestra (管弦乐团). The judges(裁判员) gave them only a passing grade.
The worried New Milford students started to realize they had no chance. “I thought it was over,” said Bryan Olsen-Santana, a junior. “The person next to me was crying. I felt bad for her. I felt bad for myself, too, because music is everything to me.”
But then the headmaster came and told them something very dramatic (戏剧性的): “Someone’s played a joke on you!”
What was going on?
The test was part of a reality TV show (电视真人秀) called “Schooled”. The students’ parents, the school and a TV network had made it together.
Everything was fake. The two “officials” were really comedians (喜剧演员). The “students from New Jersey Youth Orchestra” were from another school. There were hidden cameras. The students’ parents were hiding as they watched.
As a reward for putting up with the joke, the students got gifts: MP3 players, digital cameras and school supplies. They were all from the show’s sponsor (赞助商).
| A．The headmaster would come back next term. |
| B．The school didn’t have money to run. |
| C．The music department was in big trouble. |
| D．The students had to give up music. |
| A．they were not good at music |
| B．the judges were very strict |
| C．they thought they couldn’t pass |
| D．it would decide the future of the music department |
| A．their school failed the test |
| B．he likes music very much |
| C．the test was just a joke |
| D．the girl next to him was sorry for herself |
| A．顺利的 | B．假扮的 |
| C．受欢迎的 | D．便捷的 |
| A．money | B．MP3 players |
| C．digital cameras | D．school supplies |
The Little Prince was written by a French pilot and writer Antoine de Saint—Exupery. It is one of the most famous books around the world. It was published in 1943. This story has been translated into 42 languages and was adapted(改编) into a movie.
The little prince lives on a small planet alone. He leads a happy life. One day the winds brings him a seed. The seed then turns into the loveliest flower he has ever seen. He takes good care of the flower, but finally he decides to leave it and his planet in search for a secret—the most important thing in his life.
During his journey in space, the little prince meets a king, a businessman, a lamplighter and a geographer. They all live alone on different planets. At last he finds out the secret from a fox of the Earth. Before he returns to his planet, he tells his secret to the writer of the book, whom he meets in the desert. The secret is: the power of love.
When you read this touching and sincere story of the little prince, you can’t help smiling and feeling the beauty of life and love in your heart.After reading the passage, we can’t know______.
| A．who wrote the book |
| B．when the book was published |
| C．what is the book about |
| D．who adapted the book into a movie |
Who told the little prince the secret?
| A．A fox. | B．A king. |
| C．A geographer. | D．A businessman. |
The underlined word “ touching” means “_______”in Chinese.
| A．无聊的 | B．感人的 |
| C．惊讶的 | D．失望的 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The story has been translated into 24 languages. |
| B．The secret is the power of knowledge. |
| C．The little prince met the writer of the book in the desert. |
| D．The king, the businessman, the lamplighter and the geographer live on the same planet. |
Can you imagine living in the desert for a whole year, watching the activities of a group of busy ants? Deborah Gordon did exactly that. She finally found out that there were four main groups of workers in the ant team: cleaners, haulers(搬运工), gatherers and security (安全) ants. Each group did their own job to finish the task of the whole team.
Cleaner ants carried waste food from inside the nest to outside. Hauler ants walked on the top of the nest and cleared rubbish. Gatherer ants went out to find food for the whole team and security ants fought against anyone who wanted to hurt the members of the team.
While she was watching the ants in the desert, Deborah found that the most interesting part was watching the ants dealing with difficulties, such as fighting against other insects that wanted to destroy their nest, or a big fire. At those moments, they would all stop what they were doing and go to help security ants to protect their home.
What do we do when people around us meet difficulties? What have we done to turn our world into a better place? It’s time to think. If there was a fire near their home, the groups of ants would________.
| A．just do their own job |
| B．run away at once |
| C．help to fight against the fire |
| D．go back into their nest |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Cleaner ants carried waste food from outside the nest to the inside. |
| B．Gatherer ants went out to find food for themselves. |
| C．Each group did their own job when meeting difficulties. |
| D．There were some other insects that wanted to destroy their nest. |
The writer mainly wants to tell us____________.
| A．everyone should help others when they meet difficulties |
| B．there were four groups of workers in the ant team |
| C．how Deborah Gordon lived in the desert |
| D．Deborah Gordon is a brave woman |
A city in California has got some new buses. They cost $490,000 each. The new buses are different from the old ones. These new buses are better for the environment. They are called hybrid (混合动力的) buses. They run on diesel (柴油的) and electric power. This will help keep the air cleaner.
The man drove the new bus on Wednesday and noticed a difference right away. “I get to have clean air for a change”, said driver Melvin Day. “I’m smelling diesel all day long when I drive the old ones.”
The company that builds the buses had many good things to say about them. For example, they said they use a lot less fuel (燃料). They also said that they are 90% cleaner for the environment. The buses are very quiet, too.
The buses have a diesel engine in the back and batteries (电池) on top. When the engine starts up, it is powered by electricity. Then the diesel power takes over.
Over time the city would like to use the new hybrid buses instead of all 50 of their buses. They hope to do this over the next three years. The city will give money to help buy the new kind of buses.
One other bit of good news: the price of the bus ticket will not rise because of the new buses.
| A．Because they’re cheaper than the old ones. |
| B．Because they are very quiet. |
| C．Because they run on diesel and electric power. |
| D．Because they are new. |
| A．They use a lot less fuel. |
| B．They can drive faster than the old ones. |
| C．They will help keep the air cleaner. |
| D．The buses are very quiet. |
| A．490. | B．90. |
| C．45. | D．50. |
| A．The driver liked the new buses very much. |
| B．The new buses don’t use fuel at all. |
| C．The city will replace the old buses in a year. |
| D．The price of bus ticket will be high. |
| A．The New Cars. | B．Electric Buses. |
| C．The Advantages of Electric Buses. | D．Buying New Buses. |
Eating habits are different in many countries. The Chinese have a saying, “Eat good things for breakfast, eat a big meal for lunch, but eat less at dinner.” Many Americans agree that one should start the day with a good breakfast, but their ideas about lunch and dinner are different.
Most Americans only give themselves a short time for lunch. So they eat a small meal. After work they will have more time to eat a big dinner. Also a quiet dinner at home with all the family members talking about their day is a way to rest after a long, hard day of work.
Eating at restaurant is also different. In China, people like to talk and laugh while eating. Very often you can hear people talking and laughing loudly, and they are just having a good time. In America it is not like this. People want a quiet place where they can eat a good meal far away from the noise of the outside world. If some people are talking too loudly, the manager (经理) may come out and ask them to leave.
| A．Eating nothing for breakfast. |
| B．Eating less to lose weight. |
| C．Eating less at dinner. |
| D．Eating what you want. |
| A．The whole noon. | B．A long time. |
| C．A short time. | D．More time. |
| A．Yes, it is. | B．No, it isn’t. |
| C．No, they don’t talk. | D．Having dinner in a restaurant. |
| A．Having a rest. | B．Eating quickly. |
| C．Only eating quietly. | D．Talking and laughing. |
| A．Talk with them happily. | B．Ask them to be quiet. |
| C．Let them go away. | D．Do nothing. |
There are many things you can do to improve your memory. Among them are many kinds of useful ways as well as taking special care of your health.
It is important that you make yourself excited to make your memory more active. You can do this by doing some new activities and by changing your daily habits. Learning a new skill helps your brain(大脑)to develop. When trying to remember something, you should pay special attention to the most important things about it. Do not allow other thoughts to enter your mind because this will reduce your chances of making right memories.
An excellent way to help memory is to connect(联系) information with pictures. Try to see the pictures in your mind. Taking notes and keeping a diary will also be helpful.
Healthy food and plenty of vitamins(维生素) are necessary for your memory to work well. Drinking a lot of water also helps keep your memory. You must allow your brain to have enough sleep and rest. When you are asleep, your brain stores memory. Not enough sleep can cause problems with storing information. And being tired will also stop you from being able to think clearly and well.
In order to keep your mind on your work, you must be free from worry. Generally, keeping fit and normal health checks are both important as well---not just for improving your memory.
| Title |
How to__ |
Main__ |
* Take special care of your health |
* You can make yourself excited to make your memory more active by __ |
|
*Learning a new skill helps__ |
|
*Pay attention to the most important things in order to add to your chances to _ |
|
* __ |
|
* You’d better take notes and keep a__ |
|
| Other ways |
*It’s necessary to eat __ |
* You should drink __ |
|
*Having enough sleep and rest will _ |