You may have heard the term “the American Dream”. In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century “American Dream" motivated(激发) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors(采矿者) but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold there. But most, instead, worked as railroad laborers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare(噩梦).
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortune in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice（正义）.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the model of the new American Dream. After
years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a super movie star and then a governor.
Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.It can be inferred that_________.
| A．America’s golden dream could never be realized |
| B．America’s golden dream had bought great fortune to Chinese immigrants |
| C．different times have different themes of the American dream |
| D．determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream |
Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?
| A．Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers. |
| B．Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers． |
| C．Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold. |
| D．Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time. |
The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that________．
| A．the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize |
| B．most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goals |
| C．the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants |
| D．the immigrants have made great contributions to California |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Wave of Immigrants to America |
| B．Make Fortunes Abroad |
| C．Hard Work Leads to Success |
| D．Changes of America’s Golden Dream |
After mom died, I began visiting my father every morning before I went to work. He was weak and moved slowly, but he always had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on the kitchen table for me, along with an unsigned note, reading, ‘Drink your juice.” Such a gesture, I knew, was as far as my father had ever been able to do in expressing his love. In fact, I remember, as a kid I had questioned mom, “Why doesn’t father love me?” Mom frowned, “Who said he doesn’t love you?” “Well , he never tells me,” I complained. “He never tells me either.” She said, smiling. “But look how hard he works to take care of us, to buy us food and clothes, and to pay for this house. That’s how your father tells us he loves us.”
I nodded slowly. I understood in my head, but not in my heart. I still wanted my father to put his arms around me and tell me he loved me. He owned and operated a small scrap metal (废旧金属) business, and after school I often hung around while he worked. He fed scrap steel into a device that chopped it as cleanly as a butcher chops a rack of ribs. The machine looked like a giant pair of scissors, with blades thicker than my father’s body. If he didn’t feed those terrifying blades just right, he risked serious injury. “Why don’t you hire someone to do that for you?” mom asked him one night as she bent over him and rubbed his aching shoulders with a strong smelling liniment. “Why don’t you hire a cook?” my father asked, giving her one of his rare smiles.
Many years later, during my first daily visit, after drinking the juice my father had squeezed for me, I walked over, hugged him and said, “I love you, father.” From then on I did this every morning. My father never told me how he felt about my hugs, and there was never any expression on his face when I gave them.The author’s father always prepared a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for him because .
| A．that was the author’s favorite |
| B．he was sure the author would be thirsty |
| C．the author was always complaining |
| D．that was a gesture of love |
The author’s fathe didn’t hire a helper because .
| A．his job was too dangero |
| B．his job required high skills |
| C．he wanted to save money |
| D．he was not good at working with others |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．the author’s father lacked a sense of humor |
| B．the author quite understood his father as time went on |
| C．the author’s father didn’t love him very much |
| D．the author’s father was too strict with him |
What’s the passage about?
| A．The proper attitude towards life. |
| B．The importance of education. |
| C．Silent fatherly love. |
| D．Ways to live happily. |
Here’s something to think about the next time you ask your teacher for help：trying hard to do schoolwork on your own can help you learn．According to a recent study，the more you try while you are learning new information，the better you can remember it later．
This might surprise you．When teachers are presenting new information，they often give students lots of help．But a new study shows this may not be the best way to support learning．“Don’t be too quick to get help when learning something new，”education expert Manu Kapur said．“Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways．’’
Kapur came up with the idea that trying hard can lead to better learning．Then he tested it out on students in Singapore．He separated students into two groups．In the first group，students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher’s help．In the second group，students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another，instead of getting help from the teacher．
With the teacher’s help，students in the first group were able to find the correct answers．Students in the second group did not solve the problems correctly．But they did come up with a lot of good ideas．
The students were then tested on what they had 1earned．The group without any help from a teacher scored much higher than the group who had help．Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process(过程)，not just the solution．
Kapur’s advice for kids is to put a 1ot of effort(努力)into learning something new rather than going to your teacher for help．“Simply doing a little work or nothing at all won’t work.”says Kapur．“Try to solve a problem in as many ways as possible．’’What is the best title for the text?
| A．Work Your Mind |
| B．Practice Makes Perfect |
| C．The Best Way to Learn |
| D．Teachers’ Role in Schoolwork |
Manu Kapur holds that _______．
| A．it’s necessary for students to ask for teachers’ help |
| B．students should try to solve problems by themselves |
| C．students with teachers’ help have more good ideas |
| D．students in the first group are cleverer than those in the second group |
The author develops the text mainly by _________ ．
| A．presenting research findings |
| B．comparing different opinions |
| C．showing scientific information |
| D．setting down general rules |
Even though Brisbane is all about sun and surfing during the summer, spring time still brings a nice change to the place. That entire region is known as the gold coast, and it extends miles and miles of beaches with some of the best surfing condition in the world. In fact, you would be more pressed for time if you are just visiting, because there is so much for the nature buffs to see. They can see the wild animals and quiet and beautiful environment, and there are many interesting activities for them to do.
If you are going there to relax then it’s probably safe to say that you want your hotel with a quiet and relaxing environment. You may even want to stay at a place like Urban Hotels located in Brisbane. You have everything you need right there in the hotel. A trip to Brisbane should not be spent indoors, especially during spring time when you have all of that natural beauty that surrounds you. The Botanical(植物) Gardens is a must to see during spring because plants have come to life from the cold weather and you get to see more flowers after a boring and cold winter. There are plenty of sports sites for you to visit, where you can do some climbing, boating and cycling. You can enjoy the fresh spring air and get some exercise at the same time. If you are in the mood for a bit of culture, then you can visit some of the galleries and museums located throughout the city. You can even go on a cruise(乘船游览) up the river.
It’s not quite the right time for surfing in spring, but surfing is still good in some places if you are brave enough to hit the water.The region of Brisbane is famous for .
| A．miles and miles of beautiful beaches |
| B．its gold coast and the surfing condition |
| C．wild animals and the botanical gardens |
| D．the quiet and beautiful environment |
What does the underlined word “buffs” in paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Fans of something. |
| B．Plants that are special. |
| C．Animals that are special. |
| D．People who live there. |
The writer advises you to visit the galleries and museums .
| A．when you have plenty of time |
| B．when you want to have a rest |
| C．if you are interested in art and culture |
| D．if you want to learn more about Brisbane |
The text is written mainly to tell readers that .
| A．it is wonderful to surf in Brisbane |
| B．Brisbane has many attractions to see |
| C．it is good to visit Brisbane in spring |
| D．there are many sports sites in Brisbane |
Dear Alice,
I heard from you three days ago. I’m all right.
Good news! We moved to a new flat yesterday! There are more rooms here than in our old one. You know, I shared a room with my sister in the old flat. But now I have my own bedroom! It is small but it’s my favorite room! I can be alone in it. I can read books, draw pictures, listen to my radio and play CDs. I can also play games on my computer and send e-mails to my friends.
I also love the new bigger kitchen. I love helping my mother with our meals. Mom cooks well. She always teaches me how to make different kinds of dishes. She lived in China when she was young, so she can cook Chinese food. It’s delicious.
Write to me soon and tell me about your home. Please get on the Internet so that we can chat with each other.
All good wishes!Lily and her family moved to a new flat __________.
| A．yesterday | B．last week |
| C．last month | D．three days ago |
Lily is very happy mainly because ________.
| A．she has just heard from Alice |
| B．she has got her own bedroom |
| C．she has a bigger bedroom now |
| D．she shares a room with her sister |
Lily ________ on her computer.
| A．reads books and draws pictures |
| B．learns to make different dishes |
| C．plays CDs and listens to the radio |
| D．plays games and sends e-mails |
From the letter we know all the following EXCEPT that ________.
| A．there is a computer in Lily’s room |
| B．Lily often helps her mother cook |
| C．Lily’s mother is good at cooking |
| D．Lily’s mother is Chinese |
It is a very common thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone, so nobody wants to be her friend.
One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a biscuit. I accepted it. We talked and joked, and from then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than with Diana. I felt a little uneasy.
After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks when Vinien came and sat with me. She offered me a sandwich. She also offered one to Diana, but Diana refused it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude(无礼的).
“Never mind.” Vivien said, “I’m used to it.”
After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. While walking home, I tried to correct her attitude(态度), but she didn’t listen to me. She said, “Go and join your dear Vivien. I know you make a new friend and forget the old one.”
For the next few weeks, we didn’t talk to each other. Then one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, “I’m really sorry about what I did. Would you please forgive me?” Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I have been best friends.The writer was angry with Diana ___________.
| A．because she was too good for anyone |
| B．when Diana refused Vivien’s sandwich |
| C．though she asked the writer to forgive me |
| D．when she was waiting for Vivien |
Vivien’s words “I’m used to it.”show that __________.
| A．someone refused to give her things |
| B．Vivien used to be rude to others |
| C．she cared a lot about it |
| D．Diana had been rude to her before |
Diana asked Vivien and the writer to forgive her because ___________.
| A．they didn’t spend much time with her |
| B．she realized she was wrong |
| C．Vivien and the writer didn’t talk to her |
| D．she was rich and proud girl |
According to the passage, it is clear that ____________.
| A．Diana, Vivien and the writer became good friends at last |
| B．Diana didn’t like the sandwich |
| C．Vivien didn’t want to make new friends at all |
| D．the writer forgot her old friend after she had a new one |