I wished I had known earlier the fact that I was a low achiever because there was a reason beyond my control. Then I needn’t have worked so hard in my late twenties and early thirties. But I just didn’t know that. I was writing and writing. I was working for no other reason than to hear people praise me.
Most people who go through university read at least twice as fast as I do. I can never tell my left from my right. I avoid dialing a telephone if I can help it, because I sometimes have to try three times before getting the number right. I hear that recording “The number you have reached is not in service” more than any man on earth.
Despite my weaknesses I view my dyslexia(difficulty in reading) as a gift, not a curse(诅咒). Many dyslexics are good at right brain, namely abstract thought, and that is what my king of creative writing is. I’m starting with nothing and coming up with something that didn’t exist before. That’s my strong point. I owe my career to Ralph, Salisbury, my writing instructor at the University of Oregon, who looked past my misspellings and gave me encouragement and hope. I just carried on and never looked back. I’m also very “visual”. This means nothing in school, but when I write books or scripts, I’m seeing everything in my imagination. I write quickly. I go like the wind and can get up to 15 pages a day. Writing is not the problem. I have no problem downloading; it is inputting where things get messed up.
The real fear I have for dyslexics is not that they have to struggle with messy input, but that they will quit on themselves before they finish school. Parents have to create victories whenever they can, whether it is music, sports or the arts. You want your dyslexic child to be able to say, “Yeah, reading is hard. But I have these other things I can do.”According to the passage we know that________.
| A．The author had known he was a low achiever since he was a little child |
| B．The author didn’t work very hard on writing in his late twenties |
| C．The author owed his dyslexia to his laziness in the childhood |
| D．The author worked hard for people’s praise |
From Paragraph 3 we can know that ______
| A．The author was grateful to his writing instructor |
| B．The author often complained about his dyslexia |
| C．The author had trouble with both inputting and outputting. |
| D．Having problem in inputting, the author wrote slowly. |
For dyslexics, the author thinks that_________.
| A．they should work as hard as himself |
| B．they had better choose to drop out of school |
| C．they should be constantly encouraged |
| D．they should put their hearts into reading |
Which of the following proverbs can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
| A．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Reading enriches the mind. |
| D．When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window. |
What kind of man is the writer?
| A．Open-minded and optimistic |
| B．diligent and generous |
| C．clever but selfish |
| D．kind but useless |
Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with people from around the world. This means that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed and the dialect （方言）of London became the standard. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.
The numbers of words in Early Modern English and Late Modern English differ. Late Modern English has a lot more words because of two main factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.
From around 1600, the English colonization(殖民地化)of North America resulted in the creation of American English. Some English pronunciation and words froze when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that the British call “ Americanisms” are in fact original （原先的）British expressions that were preserved (保存) in the colonies but were lost in Britain. Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English. French words and West African words also influenced American English.
Today, American English is the most influential(有影响力的). But there are many other kinds of English around the world, including Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English , Indian English and Caribbean English. They have differences.What can we know from Paragraph 1?
| A．The dialect of London became the standard in the year 1604. |
| B．Vowels were pronounced longer towards the end of Middle English |
| C．The first English dictionary was published in the early 17th century. |
| D．Many new words entered English because many people moved to Britain. |
From Paragraph 2, we know that the Industrial Revolution __________.
| A．required spelling and grammar to be fixed |
| B．required a greater number of English words |
| C．caused many old English words to be useless |
| D．led to the English colonization of North America. |
The underlined word “froze” in Paragraph 3 shows that some English words in America___________.
| A．became longer | B．greatly changed |
| C．a little changed | D．stayed as they were |
What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss?
| A．The development of Modern English |
| B．How the English vocabulary became larger |
| C．Differences among the different kinds of English |
| D．Differences between Middle English and Modern English |
If you want to be a success, study at the University of Waikato is right for you. The university is internationally recognized for its excellence and achievements. It will help you develop advanced research skills. As a university student you can get first-class research facilities (设施) with trained teachers to help, support and advise you in your study. We pride ourselves on our high standards, our research success and our international recognition. For further information: inf@waikato.ac.nz.
Degree
We offer a wide choice of bachelor’s degrees (学位) for international students, which includes: Arts, Communication Studies, Social Sciences, etc. Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education are only for New Zealand citizens, for further information: deg@waikato.ac.nz.
Tuition Fees(学费)
Tuition fees are different from department to department, generally from $5,000 to $6,000 a year. For further information: tui@waikato.ac.nz.
Accommodation(住宿)
You can have a room in a 4-bedroom flat, which will cost about $100 a month with other regular living costs of about $150 a month for one person. For further information: acc@waikato. ac.nz
Health
The Student Health Service provides excellent medical services for students. The Medical Centre is open five days a week, including student holidays with four doctors and nurses to meet your medical needs. For further information: heal@waikato.ac.nz.
Sports
The Centre is a great place to have sports activities. Trained exercise teachers can help you work out a training plan and keep you active. The sports hall has volleyball, basketball and indoor football courts and a swimming pool as well. There are also a large number of sports clubs at Waikato. For further information: sport@ waikato.ac.nzIf you want to get more information about arts, you can write to ______.
| A．sport@waikato.ac.nz | B．heal@waikato.ac.nz |
| C．deg@waikato.ac.nz | D．inf@waikato.ac.nz |
Which of the following statement is true?
| A．You don’t have to pay more than $5000 a year. |
| B．Everyone can’t choose the Bachelor of Music. |
| C．If you want to know more about Health, you can visit acc@waikato. ac.nz. |
| D．You can live in a flat with two bedrooms. |
According to the text, what will you do if you are ill during Christmas holidays?
| A．Go to a hospital nearby. |
| B．Buy some medicine in a drug store. |
| C．See a doctor at the school medical centre. |
| D．Try to get help from your classmates. |
Ben and his wife Susan were on their way to have dinner with their friends. It was a dark，windy night, and they did not know the way very well. They drove through a town until they found what they thought was the road to Dorling，where their friends lived. But it soon became clear that they were not on the road to Dorling at all. The road that they were on was getting narrower，and there were no other cars on it. The wind was blowing harder with every minute that passed.
They came to a small village .They drove past a church and then two houses without lights on. There was nobody about to tell them where they were，or where the road went. Just then，Ben saw a telephone box，twenty meters or so further on. While he walked back along the road to see if there was a name outside the church，Susan telephoned their friends and told them that they were still on their way.
Their friends were just saying that the dinner was already getting rather cold，when Ben came back to the telephone box，his head down against the wind. He said that there was a tree lying across the road，and that the telephone lines were down. Susan heard nothing more from their friends about the dinner.Some time later Ben and Susan found they took a wrong road because ________.
| A．their friends lived nearer than they drove |
| B．the road was getting narrower and their car alone was on it |
| C．the hard wind made them get lost |
| D．the road was not the same as before |
Ben went to the church to see if there was a name outside because ________.
| A．he was sure to find some people who knew Dorling |
| B．he hoped to get help from there |
| C．he wanted to telephone his friends where they were |
| D．he wanted to stay there for the night |
Susan could hear nothing more from their friends because ________.
| A．the telephone lines were broken by a tree |
| B．the strong wind made too much noise |
| C．they got angry |
| D．they had all left |
From the passage we know ________.
| A．Ben and his wife often went out for dinners |
| B．Ben and his wife lived in the country |
| C．both Ben and his wife were shortsighted(近视的) |
| D．Ben and his wife seldom(很少) went to Dorling |
Everyone has got two personalities(性格)—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior(行为), but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back , you’re a very open person . You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas . You don’t like to upset people , so you never express your real feelings . You are quite shy and you aren’t very confident .
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive (不坦率的) person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You're very stubborn(顽固), but you aren't very ambitious(抱负的). You usually live for today not for tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up (卷曲), you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive (防御性的). You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach?
| A．He or she is careful not to make others angry. |
| B．He or she doesn't want to stick to his or her opinion. |
| C．He or she can't be successful in any business. |
| D．He or she likes to bring others happiness. |
Maybe you don't want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up. Why?
| A．He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you. |
| B．He or she is rarely ready to help you. |
| C．He or she prefers going out to staying at home. |
| D．He or she wouldn't like to get help from you. |
It appears that the writer is possible to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because _______.
| A．he or she always shows sympathy (同情) for people |
| B．he or she is confident, but not stubborn |
| C．he or she has more strengths than weaknesses |
| D．he or she often considers annoying (使烦恼) people |
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is that?”
The son replied, “That is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”
After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”
This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.”
After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?”
This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘ITIS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son.
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden（负担）, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave.”The old man brought out the diary, which he had kept since his son was born, because ______.
| A．he forgot what had happened |
| B．he would like his son to read it |
| C．it could remind himself of the past |
| D．he wanted to find what a crow was |
The underlined word “affection” (last but one Para.) probably means______.
| A．puzzle | B．hatred(恨) | C．worry | D．love |
The writer mainly intends to ______ .
| A．tell us the function (作用) of a diary | B．call on us to love our parents |
| C．teach us what a crow is | D．introduce a pair of son and father |