An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money for a very expensive operation.
When she heard her daddy say “Only a miracle (奇迹) can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.
“What do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my brother, Andrew” the girl answered. “He has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I’ve brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man.
“$1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$1.11, the price of a miracle for your little brother.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to your house. I want to see your brother. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
A. Her brother was seriously ill. B. They had no money.
C. Nothing could save her brother. D. Both A and B.
| A．something interesting | B．something beautiful |
| C．some wonderful medicine | D．some good food |
| A．she had still kept some money |
| B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．There was no need to worry about money |
| D．she thought money was easy to get |
| A．The girl’s love for her brother. | B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. | D．Nobody can tell. |
| A．A miracle is sure to happen if you keep on |
| B．The doctor didn’t ask for any pay |
| C．The little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought |
Recently there are about 55,000 children who don’t go to school each day in England. According to the law（法律）, all children between five and sixteen must go to school on weekdays, and their parents must make sure of this.
The number of children missing school is increasing. The government is worried, because, according to a research, children who often don't go to school are more likely（可能的）to smoke, drink under age or do some other bad things. Also, it’ s difficult for them to do well in exams. What’s more, it’s harder for them to get a job after they leave school. Since 2002,the police have kept checking town centers where truants（逃学者）often go. These happen twice a year. During each check, a student will be stopped and asked why they are not in school. This will happen even though they are with an adult. The police will stop and question（盘问）children who they think do not have a reason for being out of school. The police are not allowed to catch truants, but they can take them back to school. The police said there were nearly twice more boys playing truant（逃学）than girls.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。（共5个小题，每小题2分，满分10分）According to the law in England, children at the age of _________ must go to school.
| A．4 | B．13 | C．17 | D．19 |
Truants are more likely to _________.
| A．eat much | B．drink water |
| C．fail in exams | D．find a job |
During a check，pupils will NOT be questioned by the police if _________.
| A．they are at school |
| B．they are out of school |
| C．they are with an adult |
| D．they are at town centers |
The underlined“this”in the first paragraph refers to（指的是）all children between 5 and 16 _____.
| A．must do well in exams |
| B．mustn’t smoke or drink |
| C．must go to school on weekdays |
| D．must stay at home on weekdays |
Which of the following is TRUE about the truants in England recently?
| A．The police can not stop girl truants. |
| B．Truants are often beaten by the police. |
| C．Truants are often criticized (批评) by their teachers. |
| D．There are more boy truants than girl truants. |
Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable(一次性的) toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers. Many guests like the idea because they don’t have to bring their own. But if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring these things of your own. That’s because some hotels in Beijing have no longer provided guests with these disposables (一次性用品). Many disposable things are made of plastic. People throw them away after only using them once. It’s a waste of natural resources (资源) and is very bad for the environment.
In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1,320 tons of lunch bowls every year! Plastic can take 100 to 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw away, the better environment we will have.
So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again. Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:
Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.
After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then use it over and over again.
Do not use paper cups.
At your school canteen (餐厅), use your own bowls and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子的正误。正确请选（A），错误请选（B）。（共5个小题，每小题1分，满分5分） Many guests like to use disposable things because they are very convenient (方便的).
Some Beijing hotels have no longer provided guests with free TV programs.
Plastic breaks down easily.
After using a plastic bowl or a bag, we’d better throw it away, because it’s too dirty to use again.
We should use less plastic things and protect our environment.
One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese student of English, “You speak very good English.” But the student answered, “NO, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the Chinese student had not heard him clearly, he said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” But the Chinese student sill kept saying “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn’t know what to say.
What’s wrong with the student’s answer? He didn’t accept a compliment（赞美词）in the same way as the American people do. He should answer “thank you” instead of “no”. He really understood what the American boy had said, but he thought he should be modest（谦虚的）.In the west, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say “Thank you”. If someone says to a woman “You look so beautiful with the new clothes on.” She must be very happy and answer “Thank you”.
In our country we think being modest is a virtue（美德）and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not mean being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest.
If you are modest and say, “No, I’m afraid I can’t do it well” while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”, you will certainly be looked down upon by others. If asking for a job, one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence! Why was the American boy surprised at the Chinese student’s answer?
| A．Because he was expecting the Chinese student to say “Thank you”. |
| B．Because he wouldn’t like others to say “No”. |
| C．Because he could hardly hear what the student had said. |
| D．Because he wondered whether the student could really speak good English. |
As the student kept saying “No”, the American boy ________.
| A．became disappointed | B．didn’t know what to say |
| C．lost his interest | D．got angry |
In the west, if you meet a friend who wears a really beautiful dress, you may say “________”.
| A．Where do you buy it? |
| B．Could you give me your dress? |
| C．How beautiful you are today! |
| D．I want a dress like yours very much. |
Why does a man in the west who asks for a job say something like “Yes, I can certainly do it”?
| A．Because he is not modest. |
| B．Because he is confident and he wants to get the job. |
| C．Because he just wants to try. |
| D．Because he can do nothing but speak in that way. |
We can learn that the writer wants us to ________ through his passage.
| A．be modest | B．be confident |
| C．be clever | D．be beautiful |
My grandfather is 70 years old this year. He is in good condition but he lost his hearing at the age of 65. Then it became difficult for me to communicate with him. My mother bought a hearing aid (助听器) for him, but he often forgot where he had put it. So my mother advised me to communicate with him by gesture. Good idea! And then I began to use gesture.
When I wanted to have an apple, firstly, I pointed to my mouth; later I made my hands form a round shape. Then he gave me an apple. When I was hungry, I pointed to my stomach. He would go into the kitchen and cook for me. When I wanted to use, the computer, I pointed to it. If he nodded(点头), I could play computer games from 8 pm to 10 pm; if he disagreed, he always touched my head and pointed to the desk -- that meant that I should do my homework first. It was an easy way for us to communicate with each other!How long has Grandfather been deaf?
| A．For 70 years. | B．For 65 years. |
| C．For 10 years. | D．For 5 years. |
Who bought Grandfather a hearing aid?
| A．The writer. | B．Father. |
| C．Mother. | D．Grandfather himself. |
How did the writer communicate with his grandfather?
| A．By talking | B．By letter |
| C．By gesture | D．on the phone |
What did the write mean when he pointed to his stomach?
| A．He had a stomachache. | B．He was cold. |
| C．He was full. | D．He was hungry. |
How long could the writer use the computer if his grandfather nodded?
| A．2 hours. | B．3 hours. |
| C．8 hours. | D．10 hours |
Some time ago, a friend working in a part of the city I did not know very well, invited me to visit him. It took me hours to get there and I drove round and round looking for a place to park my car. At last I found a place in a back street. As I was already half an hour late, I parked my car quickly and hurried off on foot. Making my way rapidly along the street, I could not help thinking that it was much easier to walk than to drive.
At noon, I left my friend's office. It suddenly stuck me that I had no idea where I had parked my car. Walking down street after street, I examined each car closely and was greatly relaxed to see a small green car just behind an old truck. But how disappointed I was to discover that though the car was very much like my own, it belonged to someone else. Quite tired now, I was ready to give up the search when I turned the corner. I nearly jumped with joy: my car was just in front of me !Why did the author park the car quickly?
| A．Because he saw a wallet on the ground. |
| B．Because he was already late. |
| C．Because he wanted to have lunch with his friend. |
| D．Because he was very tired. |
When he left his friend's office, what happened to him?
| A．He wanted to go back. |
| B．He didn't know where he had parked his car. |
| C．He had a telephone call. |
| D．He found his car. |
What does the underlined word "disappointed" mean in the second paragraph?
| A．Happy. | B．Successful. |
| C．Upset. | D．Pleasant. |
We can infer (推断) his car is _________.
| A．green | B．grey | C．blue | D．yellow |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．The friend was his neighbour. |
| B．He found his car at last. |
| C．It took him a short time to find a place to park his car. |
| D．The small green car behind an old truck was his car. |