There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose business was to provide goods to the local people. He would open his shop at 8:00 a.m. after having his breakfast and at 1:00 p.m. he would go for lunch. In the evening at 8:30 p.m. he closed his shop to complete his daily routine.
However, to get time for lunch was really difficult because he didn’t have anybody to help him at that time. Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1:00 p.m. would be asked to oversee (看管) the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch.
One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch. One of the thieves went at 1:00 p.m. to be the customer that would be asked to oversee the shop.
The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1:00 p.m. and started buying several items. As planned, the shop-keeper asked the thief to sit on his chair for thirty minutes until he returned from lunch.
Then, the other three thieves quickly came and told the pretended customer to help, but something had changed within him and he knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time. His friends did not agree. As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted (抵抗) and a fight started. And at the same time the shopkeeper returned and asked why there was a fighting. The now honest man explained the entire plan.
The shopkeeper had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership of the shop and run it. The shop-keeper felt that he had found the right man.What is the problem for the shopkeeper?
| A．Nobody could prepare lunch for him every day. |
| B．He had nobody to keep the shop when he went for lunch. |
| C．He was too busy to have lunch every day. |
| D．He couldn’t find a person to work at the shop. |
Why did the thief go to the shop at 1:00 p.m.?
| A．Because he thought he would be asked to keep the shop. |
| B．Because the shopkeeper invited him to lunch then. |
| C．Because the shop was closed at that time. |
| D．Because he thought he could buy cheap things then. |
When the shopkeeper returned from lunch, he found _______.
| A．everything in his shop was stolen |
| B．the thief became the new owner of the shop |
| C．there was a fighting in his shop |
| D．the thief helped his fellows steal things from his shop |
From the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．once a thief, he will always be a thief |
| B．an honest man will be responsible for his action |
| C．you can’t believe in a dishonest man forever |
| D．trust can change a thief into an honest man |
Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. So far as the children were concerned, they had a mystery about him that stirred their imagination. He stirred Maggie’s anger, however, so that she often said to her husband, “It’s mercy that brother of yours doesn’t come oftener.”
In fact James came once a year, unexpectedly, around eight o’clock in the evening, and he stayed for six hours of close discussion with his brother. His arrival was a signal to the children that their bedtime would be delayed. Not that he ever spoke to them or played with them. He took no notice of them, as if he was unable to see children, at least until the time came for him to go. Instead, after his first greeting and a careless kiss, James took no notice of Maggie either, except to add, “You’ll be getting on with the supper, Maggie.” Such was his regard for her.
Maggie paid him back in her own way. She kept the children up, the four of them, to keep her company, she said, but of course they sang and made a noise and broke the endless sound of James’s voice. Very late, they dropped off to sleep in their chairs. Then, when James was about to go, Maggie woke them up and so more or less forced him to part with four shillings before he left. That gave her some satisfaction, for James, though rich, was mean. He always went home by the last train, just after two o’clock.
Maggie’s children secretly stared at their uncle. They could not forget that he had, in their mother’s words, “lost two wives and taken a third, ” They wondered about those two unfortunate lost ladies. They asked each other what their fate had been, and if neither could ever be found again. James never brought his third wife with him nor ever mentioned her. The children decided that he must be so frightened of losing her that he never allowed her outside the door.
11. The underlined word “mercy” in the text most probably means _______.
A. lossB. wonder C. lucky thingD. terrible thing
12. Maggie never prepared anything special for James because _______.
A. he was a man difficult to please
B. she never knew when he was coming
C. she was too busy looking after her children
D. he never stayed long enough for a meal
13. What do we know about James’ behavior?
A. He was a kind man, with love for the family.
B. He was generous, especially towards his brother.
C. He was anxious to please the family, especially the kids.
D. He was rude to his sister-in-law.
14. Maggie felt pleased when _______.
A. she paid James the money that she owed him
B. James gave some money to the children
C. she had to wake James up to catch his train
D. James thanked her for the nice supper
15. The children did not realize that two of James’ wives _______.
A. had been dead B. suffered from loss of memory
C. had run away from himD. might appear again one day
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint and cracking. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears.
6. Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child to peel potatoes?
A. Cruel. B. Serious. C. Strict. D. Cold.
7. From the passage, we know monkey bars can help a child train ______.
A. the skill to throw and catch things
B. the speed of one’s hand movement
C. the strength and skill to hang and sway
D. the bodily skill to rotate round a bar
8. What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply?
A. Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it.
B. The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up.
C. Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher.
D. What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity.
9. When the child looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because ______.
A. they felt sorry for what they had done before
B. they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt
C. they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars
D. they were astonished to find the author’s progress
10. The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.
A. the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep
B. the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own
C. Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph
D. in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth
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1. This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.
A. attend full-time universities B. work part time to further their education
C. improve their education at home to get better jobs D. earn their degrees in different ways that suit them
2. Which of the following is NOT clearly mentioned in this advertisement?
A. The way how you will get your degree.B. Tuition price.
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4. It seems to the writer that the greatest attraction for people to take their training is______.
A. its convenience B. the degree’s nation-wide recognition
C. the economic benefit(利益) it will bring about D. the hot fields the training will help people to enter
5. How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four.
Probably you have seen photos of the Grand Canyon（峡谷）, the great valley in the desert country of Arizona. But you must go there yourself to feel its true size and beauty. The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world
The Colorado River formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years. Slowly, the river cut down through hard rock. At the same time, the land was rising. Today the canyon is 1.5 kilometers and 445 kilometers long. The oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon are more than 1 billion years old. The width varies from about 200 meters to 29 kilometers across. The rim or top of the canyon is about 2,300 meters above sea level on the South Rim, and about 3,000 meters on the other side. As a result, there are different kinds of plants and animals on opposite sides of the canyon. The South Rim is dry desert country. The North Rim has tall forests.
The canyon looks different at different times of day, and in different seasons and weather. At sunrise and sunset the red, gold, brown and orange colors of the rocks are especially clear and bright. In winter, the canyon is partly covered with snow.
The view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the best. Most visitors come here and stay in campgrounds or hotels. Every point along the canyon’s edge offers a different view.
The North rim of the Canyon is quieter. It takes all day to drive there from the South Rim because there is only one bridge across the Colorado River. On the way, you go through Navado Indian lands, and a colorful pink desert called “The Painted Desert”.
11. The best way to feel the true beauty of the Grand Canyon is to________.
A. see its photographs B. listen to the report about it
C. watch its introduction on TV D. go there yourself and visit it
12. According to the second paragraph, ________.
the Grand Canyon has a short history
B. its size never changed in the history
C. the Grand Canyon was formed by the earthquake
D. You can enjoy different scenery on different sides of the canyon
13. The scene the canyon is ________.
various depending on different time and places
the same
various depending on different time
various depending on different places
14. If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, you________.
can go there in many directions
won’t spend much time on the way
can visit The painted Desert on the way
needn’t go across any bridges
15. If you want to have a visit to the Grand Canyon, you’d better go to _______.
A. the North Rim B. the South Rim
C. the bottom D. Navado Indian Lands
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
6. More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
A. they buy their houses there B. they settle there now
C. they get married there D. they were born there
7. “Side-by-side” living style means _______.
A. making friends with native people B. keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas
C. the groups of people who live nearby D. that they get closer to American society
8. According to the passage, people in the USA ________.
A. share American customs and culture B. live in a kind of “side-by-side” society
C. keep their own customs and habits firmly D. make no choice to accept American customs
9. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They always stick to their own customs and habits. B. “Side-by-side” living style is not suitable.
C. They face the society they are not familiar with.
D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.
10. Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?
A. Advantages and Disadvantages. B. Different Customs and Habits.
C. Home for the People.D. “Side-by-side” Living Style in America.