I may not be the wisest person on this planet. but I will tell you a little secret to happiness: Help other,, and live life. It is that simple. Just help a friend study for a test, or volunteer at a nursing home . I learned this after a long, hard search.
I was feeling really down because my long4ime friend had died. Then I started a six-week volunteering at a nursing home all day every Saturday. My routine was to serve the meal and clean up. After that, I would wait for the head nurse to tell me what to do.
One day I was told to go to Room 117 to make sure the patient was all righL. In the room I found a boy of eight sitting in his bed watching a movie. I was shocked to see a child in this seemingly forgotten nursing home for the old. He was so small and weak that you had to look closely to find him. He motioned for me to sit down. I grabbed his medical chart from which later I found out he had a terminal illness.
We started to talk, and I found out that his family rarely visited, and all he did ever7 day was watch TV. I wanted to cry for him, and for my lost friend. As we talked, he had a smile on his face, and I asked him why.
"The entire two hours I've been here you've never lost that smile. With this horrible disease, how do you still manage to stay happy?"
He thought for a moment, and then said that too many people are dead even before they die.
They walk around feeling that God has cursed (诅咒) them and that they have nothing to live for.
The boy said that he would not be like that. He wakes every morning thankful to see another sunrise. He keeps his window open so that he can smell the flowers and feel the heat of the sun. He also said that he has hope.
"Too many people haven't seen much of that around here," he said," Life is full of hope and we need to live life before it is gone. "
I don’t know what happened to him. I assume he passed away, but his lesson lives on. I now wake up and live each day to the fullest. The key to life is not money or fame, but the lessons we learn from it.The nursing home in the passage is mainly for _
| A．the elderly | B．the homeless |
| C．the disabled | D．the abandoned |
The boy stayed happy mainly due to .
| A．wonderful TV programs |
| B．his positive attitude |
| C．good medical condition |
| D．others' encouragement |
The writer participated in the volunteering job in order to .
| A．find out the secret |
| B．search for help |
| C．enrich experiences |
| D．get out of sadness |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Lesson in Hope |
| B．The Life of a Sick Boy |
| C．A Voluntary Job |
| D．The Meaning of Life |
What is red but green, open but closed and old but new?
The answer is: London’s new double-decker（双层）buses.
Red double-deckers are a symbol of the city. Their status was sealed (确定) in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a special passenger: the Olympic Flame.
On November 11, a life-size model of the new bus was shown to the media. The Guardian reported that the new design shares some of the features of the much-missed double-decker Routemaster bus. The original Routemaster was introduced in 1956 but December 2005 saw the end of the old bus’s general service. It was because the bus was difficult for some passengers to use and not environmentally fr
iendly. But it can still be seen on two heritage routes in the city.
Its replacements —boxy, modern double—deckers—have failed to win Londoners’ affection.
London mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC that the new buses were “a combination of nostalgia（怀旧）and the latest technology”. “Standing on the back platform of this bus brings a sense of nostalgia but also shows the best part of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century,” he said.
The new bus also returns to the driver—and—conductor model—a key feature of the original version. It will be quieter than the old type and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop—on hop—off service.
The first five new buses will be seen on the roads by early 2012.Which of the following shows that red double—deckers are a symbol of London?
| A．They have a long history and are seen everywhere in London. |
| B．They have nothing in common with the traditional Routemaster bus. |
| C．One such bus went from London to Beijing to collect the Olympic Flame. |
| D．They carried British athletes from London to attend the Beijing Olympics. |
Which of the following is true of the original Routemaster?
| A．The bus came into use in the 1960s. |
| B．The bus was banned because it was harmful to the environment. |
| C．Passengers didn’t like the bus because it was slow. |
| D．Visitors to London cannot see such buses on the roads any more. |
According to London mayor Boris Johnson, the new Routemaster .
| A．has not been as well received as was expected |
| B．will be widely used in London in 2012 |
C．is the mo st environmentally friendly bus in the UK |
| D．combines the latest technology with key traditional features |
What is the characteristic of the new red double – deckers?
| A．The buses will make no noises. |
| B．The buses will have no conductors. |
C．They will be equipped with air – conditioning. |
| D．The bus platform will offer passengers a traditional service. |
A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle. Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic, but overtime it can break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the cover so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means producers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists. “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan, the leader of the research team.After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, _______.
| A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower in the pot |
| B．the phone cover will break down very soon in the soil |
| C．it will be recycled by the producers |
| D．it can charge itself with electricity in a green way |
This type of research is done because ________.
| A．the technology of making phones is changing rapidly |
| B．too many waste mobile phones may lead to environmental problems |
| C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones |
| D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy |
We can infer from the story ________.
| A．the new type of mobile phones are already on the market |
| B．the new type of mobile phones will sell extremely well |
| C．the material of the new type of phones is harmful |
| D．other flowers may be used in the new type of mobile phones |
The best title of this passage is .
| A．Recycling our phones |
| B．The phones that flower |
| C．A new material for making phones |
| D．The harm of thrown-away phones |
Parking has long been a major headache for drivers in Shanghai. The Transportation Department is mapping out a new plan for the city’s parking system. There are one million cars on the road in Shanghai but only enough public parking space to provide room for 15 percent of these vehicles. It is no wonder that local drivers get so worried trying to find a place to park.
The city is seeing a rise in private car owners. In March, the city sent out 2,000 private car licenses, the highest number of licenses ever sent out in a month. And prices rose to 14,600 yuan, 500 more than in February. Industry experts say this suggests that local people have a strong, active interest in buying cars.
By the year 2020, the number of automobiles in Shanghai will probably reach two million. If one parking lot is for each car, then a lot of parking space should be built for these vehicles.
Downtown Shanghai is most short of parking space. However, experts point out that simply building more parking lots in downtown areas is not practical and doesn’t provide an ideal solution. The idea of “ Park & Ride” system has been suggested. This means that drivers can leave their vehicles in car parks nearby subway or bus stations and ride public transport to go downtown. Based on this idea, the city will limit the number of parking lots in downtown areas and demand higher parking fees but build more parking areas near main subway and bus stops.The underlined phrase “mapping out” in the first paragraph means __________.
| A．making | B．arguing | C．commanding | D．requesting |
About __________ drivers can find places to park their cars in Shanghai now.
| A．850,000 | B．1,000,000 | C．150,000 | D．2,000,000 |
What can we infer from the second paragraph?
| A．The city sent out more private licenses in February. |
| B．Less and less people bought cars in March. |
| C．The city sent out less private licenses in March. |
| D．More and more people are going to buy cars. |
According to the idea of a “ Park & Ride ” system, the city will __________.
| A．send out more private car licenses |
| B．build more parking lots near bus stops |
| C．encourage people to buy more cars |
| D．build more parking areas downtown |
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionary.The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English. |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
According to the passage, which of the following is wrong?
| A．Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English. |
| B．Whatever new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries. |
| C．Small two-language dictionaries have serious disadvantages. |
| D．Reading something for the first time, you’d better not use dictionaries. |
This passage mainly tells us ． .
| A．that students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
| B．When to use a dictionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practise reading fast. |
Looking back on my childhood, I believe that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and my sisters soon gave up their flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do maths well.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I remember clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of the dogs, farm animals, local birds, and above all, insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love for the natural world and my passion has led me into varied explorations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something brings these observations together in my mind. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books.
But curiosity, a keen （敏锐的）eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.The first paragraph tells us the writer .
| A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| B．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| D．was born into a naturalist’s family |
The writer can’t clearly remember his relatives probably because .
| A．he didn’t live very long with them |
| B．the family was very large |
| C．he was too young when he lived with them |
| D．he devoted himself to observing nature |
It can be inferred from the passage that the writer was .
| A．a scientist as well as a naturalist |
| B．not a naturalist but a scientist |
| C．only a born naturalist |
| D．first of all a scientist |
According to the writer, a born naturalist should first of all be .
| A．good at maths | B．full of passion |
| C．knowledgeable | D．self-controlled |