What do you think of black cats? Are they unluckier than cats of other colors? Many people in Western countries think so. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), did a study on cat colours and people’s understandings of cat personalities.
The study found that people do judge(判断) cat personalities by color. Scientists did a survey on the Internet. There were 49 statements (描述) matching five cat colorings with 10 personalities. People think orange and bi-coloured (双色的) cats are friendly, tri-coloured (三色的) cats are not generous, and white cats are calm, lazy and shy. As for black cats, people think they don’t have special personalities.
But why do so many people dislike keeping black cats as pets? People think black cats have less special personalities, which might be because of their bad reputation (口碑). They think black cats may bring bad luck, especially at Halloween. Movies and television shows also make people believe that.
Although people have these ideas, UC Berkeley scientists give another reason: people don’t think black cats are pretty enough. After all, nothing can show black cats are unluckier than other cats. “You can’t judge a cat by its colour, because it’s the personality of the cat, not the colour, that will let you know if the cat is right for you,” Cathy Marden, a scientist said.Many people in Western countries may think black cats are .
| A．lovely animals | B．a sign of bad luck |
| C．a sign of good luck | D．unfriendly animals |
The main idea of paragraph 2 is that .
| A．people often complain about black cats on the Internet |
| B．people think cats of different colours have different personalities |
| C．black cats are less popular than other cats |
| D．the study is a great success |
According to the study, people think that .
| A．black cats have special personalities |
| B．orange and bi-coloured cats are generous |
| C．cats with three colours are friendly |
| D．white cats are calm, lazy and shy |
People don’t like black cats for the following reasons EXCEPT .
| A．black cats often appear in TV shows |
| B．black cats bring bad luck to people |
| C．black cats have bad reputations |
| D．they don’t think black cats are beautiful |
The passage mainly talks about .
| A．why black cats are popular in movies |
| B．why people are not willing to keep black cats as pets |
| C．different colour cats have different personalities |
| D．different people have different ideas on black cats |
Are Sports Important?
Sports are all around us. We watch and read sports news. There are also sports clubs,
and even sports-only channels(频道) on TV. In many countries, players make millions of dollars every year. But why are sports so important? They’re only games, right?
Our readers answer:
Vlad (Ukraine乌克兰)
Sports bring people together. In 2006, our team was able to play in the 2006 World Cup for the first time. Everyone was happy. Rich and poor, old and young, men and women—everyone was in the streets together!
Mike (U.S.A.)
Sports bring people together, but they divide them too. Fans of different teams fight all the Time
-they shout and hit each other. And here’s another example: My brother plays high school baseball.Last week, his team played an important game. At the game, two parents fought about a call .
Come on … baseball is only a game! Sports are so competitive (有竞争力的) these days. It’s all about winning. Then the game isn’t fun.
Oba (South Africa)
Right now, some of the world’s best soccer players are from African countries, and the 2010
World Cup games will be held in South Africa. Yes, some players make a lot of money—maybe too much, but sporting events (like the World Cup) bring tourists and money to countries
and people. And that is good for Africa.What’s the idea of Vlad to the sports?
| A．They make people rich. |
| B．They bring people happiness all the time. |
| C．They make people younger. |
| D．They bring people together. |
Maybe Mike is from_____.
A.the USA.B.South Africa.
C. Ukraine.D. England.Why are sports important for Oba?
| A．Because sports are competitive these days. |
| B．Because sports can make money for a country. |
| C．Because sports can make players rich every year. |
| D．Because sports can make people happy. |
What does the underlined word “call” mean?
| A．Decision. | B．Telephone. |
| C．Suggestion. | D．Seat |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Sports are popular all over the world. |
| B．Sports divide people from different countries. |
| C．People have different opinions about sports. |
| D．Sports bring tourists and money to Africa. |
Helen Keller lived in the U.S.A. She was a great woman.
When Helen was a baby, she got very sick. After many weeks, the doctor said, “She is better, but now she can’t see or can’t hear.” Her mother and father were very sad.
After a few years, things got worse. There was no way for Helen to speak with other people. She heard nothing. She saw nothing. She didn’t understand anything.
Then one day a teacher came to live with Helen and her family. The teacher helped Helen learn about words. Helen was a very bright child and soon she learned to spell her first word. When she was older, she went to college(大学).
Helen was very famous. She helped many blind(盲) and deaf(聋) people. She traveled around the world and helped many people.
Helen was a very old woman when she died. The world remembers her today as a brave and wonderful person. She was blind and deaf, but she found a way to see and hear.Helen Keller got very sick when ____________
| A．she was a baby |
| B．she went to college |
| C．her teacher came to her home |
| D．she was very old |
__________taught Helen Keller her first word.
| A．Her mother | B．Her teacher |
| C．Her father | D．The doctor |
Helen Keller was famous because ___________.
| A．she was an American. |
| B．she traveled around the world |
| C．her teacher taught her many things |
| D．she learned to read and write and helped many people in the word |
The world remembers Helen Keller today because ____
| A．she was very bright. |
| B．she was blind and deaf. |
| C．she was a brave and wonderful person. |
| D．she went to college. |
Helen Keller was blind and deaf, but _______
| A．she found a way to understand the world. |
| B．her mother and father didn’t feel sad. |
| C．she found a way to travel around the world. |
| D．she found out how people became blind and deaf. |
阅读短文, 根据短文内容回答问题。
“Be proud of what you do,” my father often tells me. “whether（无论是） you are a manager or a cleaner.” At the age of 15, I got my first job----a summer job in a hospital. My work is to wash dishes and sweep the floors. I smiled and remembered Dad’s words.
My job was the lowest, but it made me feel excited. I saw it as a challenge(挑战) because it was my first job. I learned to be on time and tried to do everything well. People in hospital all liked me. Every morning I always thought that the dirty dishes would make people ill without my job to wash them. After breakfast was done, I started sweeping the floors of all patients’ (people who are ill) rooms and cleaning restrooms. I was very tired, but I wanted to do the job well. People often say, “That young boy really does a good job.” That gave me a pride.
Working in the hospital taught me that being proud of one’s job is important. It doesn’t matter whether the job is sweeping floors or doing a large business. I have swept floors, and I have been a manager. My father’s words have always stayed with me. I think Dad would be proud of me.When did the writer start his first job?
Did the writer feel excited or nervous about his first job?
Did people in hospital like the writer?
What did the writer do when he was in the hospital?
What made the writer do everything well?
We often ask for information or help, especially(尤其) when we visit a foreign country. So knowing how to ask for information politely is important. In English, “Where are the restrooms?” and “Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?” are correct English, but the first could sound rude（粗鲁）. It’s important to use correct language, but sometimes we need to learn how to be polite（礼貌）.
In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. If you say to your teacher, “Where is my book?” This will sound rude. But if you say, “Excuse me, Mr West. Do you know where my book is?” Your question will sound much more polite. Of course it might be all right to say “Where is my book?” in some situations, perhaps with people you know well.
“Peter, lend me your pen.” can sound rude in English. Usually in English, polite questions are longer such as “Could you please…?” or “Can I ask…?” It sounds more polite to say, “Peter, could you please lend me your pen?” Sometimes we might even need to spend some time when you stop a stranger in the street. We might first say, “Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me” or “I’m sorry to trouble you but,” before asking them for help.
It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct(直接). However, in order not to offend(冒犯) people, learning about language etiquette(规矩) is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary. And doing this will also help you become better at English, or any other language you wish to speak.What is the polite way when you ask for help?
| A．Pass me the watch, Li Tao. |
| B．Where is the supermarket? |
| C．Tell me where I can find a bank. |
| D．Excuse me, how could I get to the book shop? |
Why do we need to learn polite language? Because _____.
| A．they can improve our grammar and vocabulary |
| B．they can help us become better at English |
| C．everyone wants to be polite |
| D．the teachers tell us to do so |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．When and how to use correct language is important. |
| B．How to start a polite talking with strange people. |
| C．Correct language is as important as polite one. |
| D．People should learn to speak politely. |
Bags of Love
Last year, I worked in a middle school near my mother’s house, and I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped her do some housework and buy some food.
After the first week, I noticed that the food was eaten up very quickly. Then I began keeping an eye on my mum. To my surprise, I found that she would put some of the food into a paper bag and go out with it at about nine every morning. And finally, I decided to follow her. I saw her taking the food to the street children. She would also spend a lot of time talking and playing with them.
One day, I talked to a neighbour and found out that my mum was well-known in the area. The children were very friendly with her and even thought of her as their own mother. Then it hit me—why wouldn’t she want to tell me about it? Was she worried that I would stop buying food if I found out?
When my mum got home, I gave her a big hug(拥抱). I told her she didn’t need to keep it a secret from me. And she told me something about the children. Some of them lived with an old lady in a small house. Others slept on the street. For years, she was helping the poor street children by giving them food. After she told me everything, I was so moved by how selfless(无私的) she was. She helped others in need. As her son, I was so proud of my mum.
I continued to buy food for my mum after that. But I always added one more bag for her other children.After the first week, the writer noticed that .
| A．the food was put into a big box |
| B．his mum followed the children |
| C．the food was eaten up quickly |
| D．his mum stopped buying food |
The street children thought of the writer’s mum as their .
| A．old grandma | B．own mother |
| C．new neighbour | D．dear teacher |
How did the writer feel about his mum after she told him everything?
| A．He was proud of her. |
| B．He was confident in her. |
| C．He was angry with her. |
| D．He was worried about her. |
The writer added one more bag of food to .
| A．make friends with the children |
| B．get a hug from his mother |
| C．become well-known in the area |
| D．help the poor street children |