“What is success?”Mr Gruber asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term.
“Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms.” One student answered, earning laughs from all the students.
Mr Gruber smiled, but shook his head. “Tom, that is excess(过量). That is not success.”
“How about being able to provide for your family?” A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer.
“Now we’re getting closer,” Mr Gruber smiled, “but try thinking about what you need and what you want.”
“Getting everything you want.” Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs. Mr Gruber sighed. “I believe we’ve already talked about excess versus(与…比较) success.”
“Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?”James, sitting in the back wondered aloud.
“Quite right!”Mr Gruber clapped. “Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though.”
“What does this have to do with business?”Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn’t funny, he wasn’t happy.
“Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to (确保) their needs, you can then see to getting the extras that you want.”
“What if I don’t have a family?” he continued to be difficult.
“Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one.”
“He has goldfish to think about!” Peter, Tom’s friend, shouted out.
“Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl.” Mr. Gruber corrected himself.
Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer.
“So in the next nine weeks, we’re going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards.”
Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. “When do we get to start spending?”
“You already are, Tom. You’re spending time with us!” Mr. Gruber laughed. ―Now, let’s see what you guys know about credit cards…” What class did Mr Gruber teach?
| A．History | B．Science |
| C．Maths | D．Business |
Which student didn’t seem to be taking the class seriously?
| A．Tom | B．James |
| C．Peter | D．Sandy |
How did Mr Gruber make his class lively and interesting?
| A．He himself kept talking’ |
| B．He just read from a textbook. |
| C．He showed a movie to his students. |
| D．He got his students to take part in a discussion. |
. What do you think of Mr Gruber according to the passage?
| A．Strange | B．Patient |
| C．Shy | D．Proud |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Get What You Want | B．Needs and Wants |
| C．Try to Get More Money | D．How to Live Well |
Cats’ sense of smell is very important to their health. Many cat owners have seen a cat smell the food and refuses it. Careful sniffing( 嗅) tells the cat if something is safe to eat.
Cats have a pair of vomeronasal organs(犁鼻器) on the roof of the mouth. When the cat wants to sniff， she will breathe the air in through her mouth. At this moment， she will often squint(斜视) her eyes and maybe even flatten(使…平坦) her ears. This makes her look like she is making faces. The vomeronasal organs will then analyze(分析)the smell---almost as if the cat is tasting the smell.
When you come home from outside the house， your cat can smell what you had for lunch and for a mid-afternoon snack. She can smell the people you shook hands with and your neighbour you stopped to talk to and hug. She can smell the grass brought under your shoes as you took a shortcut across the lawn. Your cat’s sense of smell is so good that she can smell difference between a gallon of water with a teaspoon of salt in it and plain water. In comparison， we think of salt as completely tasteless.
Cats have scent glands(臭腺) on each side of the forehead， on the chin， the lips and next to the tail. When your cat rubs up against your hand， your leg， the sofa， and your bed， she is leaving her scent in those things. She will then use her sense of smell to recognize “her” things， people and even other pets in the home.
If you want to have fun with your cat’s sense of smell， take some small bits of different things， such as a bit of chicken， some flowers and some fish. Place each different scent under a piece of paper towel(so your cat cannot see any of them) and encourage your cat to investigate and find what kind of food she likes to eat best.
Cats know whether the food is fit to eat or not with their____________.
| A．sense of touch | B．scent glands |
| C．organs of smell | D．sense of taste |
The third paragraph was written mainly to prove that _____________.
| A．cats are very smart |
| B．cats have a good sense as dogs |
| C．salty water has a special smell |
| D．cats’ sense of smell is excellent |
What does your cat do when it rubs against your foot?
| A．She puts her scent on it. |
| B．She shows respect to you. |
| C．She asks you to play with her. |
| D．She smells where you were just now. |
What does the word “investigate” mean in the last paragraph?
| A．Smell. | B．See. | C．Look. | D．Send. |
The passage mainly tells us _________________.
| A．cats are one of our best friends |
| B．cats have sharp sense of smell |
| C．sense of smell is very important |
| D．cats know if something is safe to eat |
I remembered Julie coming to the front of the classroom after class one autumn day in September 1976. While most of the other students hurriedly left to enjoy the pleasant weather or to relax at the student union， Julie remained to ask me questions about the next week’s exam. She had clearly already done some serious studying.
Julie never made it to the exam. The day after our conversation， she was hit by a large truck as she rode a bike through a crossroads. I was sad to hear that Julie lay unconscious (昏迷的) in a hospital across town from our university.
Nurses silently came and went from Julie’s room. Her parents stood nearby quietly. Then the doctor entered the room and said to Julie’s parents and two brothers， “Your Julie has only a few hours to live.” He continued to ask， “Would you think about donating some of Julie’s organs (器官)?”
At the same time in a neighboring city， a woman called Mary was trying to see better in her small living room. Her eyes followed every movement of her lively two-year-old baby. This mother was storing up memories when she could no longer see her child. Several cities away， a young father called John was reading to his two sons in the hospital. However， he was told to have only weeks to live. His only hope was a kidney transplant (肾脏移植).
The two parents looked at each other， the doctor could see tears in their eyes. “Yes. Julie had once said she wanted to donate her organs in the event of her death. Julie always gave to others while she was alive. She would like to give in death.”
Within twenty-four hours， Mary was told that she would receive one of Julie’s eyes， and John was told to start preparing for a kidney transplant. Julie’s other organs would give life to other waiting patients.
“Julie died right after her twentieth birthday. Nothing could possibly be as heartbreaking as the death of your child，” says Julie’s mother. She continues， “But Julie’s life was a gift to us. Knowing that in her death， she gave the gift of life and sight to others is comforting to us. ”Which word can best describe Julie according to Paragraph 1?
| A．Hard-working. | B．Helpful. |
| C．Clever. | D．Selfish. |
According to the passage， we know that Julie ______.
| A．was a classmate of the writer’s |
| B．was the only child of her family |
| C．didn’t take the exam because of the accident |
| D．died at once at the scene of the accident |
The underlined word “comforting ” in the last paragraph means “______”.
| A．令人欣慰的 | B．有害的 | C．有益的 | D．明智的 |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Julie’s parents didn’t allow her to donate her organs. |
| B．Mary needed a kidney transplant to save her own life. |
| C．Julie prepared for the exam carefully before the accident. |
| D．John and Mary were patients in the same hospitals with Julie. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A girl’s whole life. |
| B．A family’s sad story. |
| C．The terrible truck accident. |
| D．The last gift in life. |
| Renault Ménage： This 2-seating luxury car provides a comfortable driving experience. But its powerful engine means you had better be prepared for a big fuel bill（燃油费用） each week. Its fantastic look will make you the focus of all attention. Company： Renault， France. Price：$85，000 |
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| Fiat 500： Although expensive， it will soon pay for itself with the money you save on petrol(汽油). It has the most efficient and cleanest petrol powered engine. It has 4 seats and it is perfect for a family. Company： Fiat， Italy. Price：$35，000 |
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| Land Rover Discovery： With 7 seats， this car is suitable for all driving conditions. It has good control for driving in the city and the power for rough roads and carrying heavy things. But it consumes（消耗）lots of fuel. Company： Land Rover， Britain. Price：$51，999 |
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| Hyundai i20： 4 seats inside. Perfect for short journeys but doesn’t have the power to make long distance driving enjoyable and comfortable. Still， at this price you can't complain and you'll be smiling when you have to fill up the tank too. It really saves fuel. Company： Hyundai， Korea. Price：$8，000 |
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Which of the following is true?
| A．Each car above has 4 seats. |
| B．The four cars are made by European companies. |
| C．Land Rover Discovery is the second most expensive of above. |
| D．Both Renault Ménage and Fiat 500 consume lots of fuel. |
John needs to drive his two sons to school and he likes European cars. What may he choose?
| A．Hyundai i20 or Fiat 500. |
| B．Fiat 500 or Land Rover Discovery. |
| C．Renault Ménage or Fiat 500. |
| D．Land Rover Discovery or Hyundai i20. |
Which of the following cars are greener?
| A．Hyundai i20 and Fiat 500. |
| B．Renault Ménage and Fiat 500. |
| C．Land Rover Discovery and Hyundai i20. |
| D．Renault Ménage and Land Rover Discovery. |
If you choose a Land Rover Discovery， you will__________.
| A．spend less money on fuel |
| B．take 5 people at most each time |
| C．be able to drive on rough roads |
| D．be more friendly to the environment |
Where can we see this passage?
| A．In a novel. | B．In a news report. |
| C．In a science magazine. | D．In an advertisement. |
Mark Twain is someone Americans are taught to love. Older relatives, English teachers and the media always praise him. But when you actually take the time to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you find that his work is more wonderful than you could ever imagine.
The novel describes a young boy named Tom Sawyer growing up in a small town along the Mississippi River. He explores the countryside on a riverboat with his friends, falls in love with girls, starts secret clubs and searches for treasure. Twain’s idea of childhood is magical – a time of imagination, wonder and, of course, adventure.
More importantly, through the eyes of Tom Sawyer, Twain cleverly makes fun of US culture. For example, Tom hates going to church, and Twain uses scenes of Tom there to mock religion(宗教) and its old traditions.
Twain’s writing is full of these kinds of critical (批判的) points about culture and politics(政治). That’s why he is so loved in the US – he wasn’t afraid to state his opinions, and he did so clearly.
He also believed strongly in women’s right to vote in elections and gave a famous speech on the subject, called “Votes for Women”, in 1901.
“Tom was a great hero once more——the pet of the old, the envy of the young,” Twain writes in Tom Sawyer. But he could just as well be describing himself.According to the writer, after reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you are likely to think ___.
| A．it’s not worth all the praise |
| B．it’s as wonderful as you imagined |
| C．it’s better to read it with teachers |
| D．it’s even better than you imagined |
What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
| A．A brief(简要的) description of the novel. |
| B．Where Twain’s idea of childhood comes from. |
| C．How naughty and adventurous Tom Sawyer is. |
| D．What makes Tom Sawyer’s adventures so wonderful. |
What does the underlined word “mock” mean?
| A．make changes to | B．make fun of |
| C．give reasons for | D．give examples of |
Why is Twain so loved in the US according to the article?
| A．He supported women’s right to vote. |
| B．He wrote bad things about US wars abroad. |
| C．He criticized American culture and society(社会) clearly and cleverly. |
| D．He showed readers a magical childhood that everyone would love. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Mark Twain never stops laughing at US society |
| B．Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer |
| C．Mark Twain’s life |
| D．The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
In some science fiction movies, evil robots refuse to die, no matter how hard people fight back.
Now science fiction has become science fact. For the first time, scientists have made a robot that can take a beating (挨打) and keep on going. Scientists from Cornell University made the robot, which looks like a spider with four legs.
Until now, even the most advanced (先进的) robot was almost certain to break down when it was damaged. That is because its computer inside simply doesn’t know how to make the machine work after its shape has changed.
To deal with this problem, the scientists put eight motors (发动机) and two sensors (传感器) that read how the machine is working. They all give signals to the machine’s software. Using this information, the computer can then figure out the machine’s shape at any moment.
The new technology is a big advance in robot-making, scientists say, and it’s far from scary. It may someday help scientists create better artificial (假的) arms and legs and give new freedom to people who lose them. It might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space.
“It has been difficult to design robots that can work well when the environment changes or when it’s damaged,” says Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in US. “With this work, we are nearer to solving this problem.”Why do robots easily break down when they are damaged?
| A．They cannot repair themselves. |
| B．The computer has changed a lot. |
| C．They have no computers inside. |
| D．The computer cannot work if the robot changes. |
The new technology allows the robot to _________.
| A．do housework for humans |
| B．keep work ing after being damaged |
| C．remember a lot of information |
| D．tell people where it is |
The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 5 refers to ________.
| A．sensors | B．robots |
| C．arms and legs | D．scientists |
How do the sensors in the robot work?
| A．They can replace the computer when it’s broken. |
| B．They can find out where the damage comes from. |
| C．They help the computer learn the robot’s condition. |
| D．They can send signals to the person who uses the robot. |
The passage is probably from_____________.
| A．an advertisement | B．a tour guide |
| C．an application | D．a newspaper |