My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!
When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the family. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
My real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was angry that the second-class hotel charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I decided to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. We experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was ______.
| A．caring | B．moving |
| C．encouraging | D．interesting |
According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. | C．Friends. | D．Mom. |
What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. |
| B．His previous business success of various levels. |
| C．His mom’s support. |
| D．His wife’s suggestion. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?
| A．Modest, helpful, and hard-working. |
| B．Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| C．Careful, helpful and beautiful. |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive. |
Before a new type of airplane goes into service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more important than all the others.
The first is called the " tank(贮水池) test". A modem airplane must fly very high in the sky. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure (结构)of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane inside. The pressure (压力) on a small window is like a huge foot that is trying to get out. If a small part of the plane were to fail, the plane would explode (爆炸)in the sky. To test the structure of the plane, the plane is lowered into a huge tank or container of water. Then it is filled with air. The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is high up in the air. Finally, there is an explosion. This does not cause so much damage inside the water tank as it would anywhere else. Engineers can discover which part of the plane has broken. Then that part is made stronger.
The most dangerous test happens when the new plane is going through test flights in the air. The pilot must find out exactly what happens when the engines (发动机) are all shut off at once. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again. These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe before they ever carry passengers.By doing the "tank test", the engineers can find out _______.
| A．the amount of air in the plane | B．the strength of the plane structure |
| C．the pressure inside and outside the plane | D．the power of the airplane engines |
What will happen to the plane under the "tank test"?
| A．It will be broken. | B．It will be made stronger. |
| C．It will be filled with water. | D．It will be tested by pilots, |
According to the text, why are test flights most dangerous?
| A．The plane may explode in the air. | B．The pilot may lose control of the plane. |
| C．The engines may be damaged. | D．Too much air may get into the plane. |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Two Important Tests on Airplanes | B．The Importance of Flying Safely |
| C．The Danger of Testing Airplanes | D．How Airplanes Are Made and Tested |
There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has the same effects as physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress(压力) and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics（诊所）, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.According to the passage, the following statements are true except.
| A．Laughter is good for health | B．Laughter can make you become old quickly |
| C．Laughter helps to reduce pain. | |
| D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body. |
The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “”.
| A．enjoys | B．permits | C．increases | D．reduces |
According to the author, we should .
| A．laugh as much as possible | B．watch more funny films |
| C．avoid smiling all the time | D．spend more time in laughter clinics |
The best title for this passage may be .
| A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health |
| B．Laughter clinics help patients improve their condition |
| C．Laughter can reduce the effects of pain |
| D．Laughter is the best medicine. |
The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker(面包师)in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery(面包房)into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.The fire began in .
| A．a hotel | B．the palace | C．Pudding Lane | D．Thames Street |
The underlined word "family" in the second paragraph means .
| A．home | B．children | C．wife and husband | D．wife and children |
How was the fire put out according to the text?
| A．The king and his soldiers came to help. |
| B．All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed. |
| C．People managed to get enough water from the river. |
| D．Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread of the big fire?
(a)There was a strong wind. (b)The streets were very narrow.
(c)Many houses were made of wood. (d)There was not enough water in the city.
(e)People did not discover the fire earlier.
| A．(a)and(b) | B．(a),(b)and(c) | C．(a),(b),(c)and(d) | D．(a),(b),(c)(d)and(e) |
There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else .Some people try to get it by making money .They think that when they have enough money to buy such things as houses ,arms ,and cars ,they will have the one thing that everyone wants .
Other people believe that if they know enough, they will find this thing .They study all their lives in search of it .Still others think that if they have power, they will find this thing .They keep telling themselves: When I am a boss, I will no longer have to search for this thing.
What is it that everyone wants more than anything else? What is it that all of us keep working and searching for each day? It is happiness.
Happiness is a strange thing .It does not mean the same to all men .What will make one man happy may not make another man happy .Some men say that happiness comes from helping others ,other men say that happiness comes from making life more pleasant for everyone .What do you mean when you say“That makes me happy.”
Read what different people have said about happiness .Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind ,comfort ,money or may bring you what you search for happiness.The main idea of this passage is that
| A．happiness means the same to everyone |
| B．happiness is the thing that everyone wants to get |
| C．money makes one happy, so does helping others |
| D．not all people are searching for happiness |
The first sentence in the second paragraph means
| A．other people think if they know a lot they will be able to get enough money and that will make them happy |
| B．other people think it true that knowledge will bring them enough money |
| C．other people hold the opinion that the less they know, the happier they are |
| D．other people hold the opinion that if they become knowledgeable enough they will feel happy |
“What will make one man happy may not make another man happy ”this sentence means
| A．when one man feels happy, another man will feel sad |
| B．when one man feels happy, another man will feel happy, too |
| C．different people hold different opinions about happiness |
| D．different people have the same opinion about happiness |
Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?
| A．Anyone who owns lots of money will feel happy |
| B．Not all the people in the world would help others |
| C．What makes one happy may make another sad |
| D．All the people in the world work and search for happiness. |
People bury treasure to stop other people from taking it. They choose a quiet place, dig a deep hole and bury the treasure in it. Then they make a map of where the treasure is or write down other clues（线索）that will help them or someone else to find it again.
In Britain a few years ago, a writer wrote about some treasure that he had buried. He put clues in the story to help readers find it. Thousands of people hunted for the treasure. They dug holes all over Britain, hoping to find it.
One of the most popular adventure stories ever written is Robert Louis Stephenson's “Treasured Island”, an exciting story about a young boy, Jim Hawkins, who is captured by pirates (海盗) and later finds some buried treasure.
Then there is the true story about a man who had to travel overseas for a year. He did not trust banks, so he buried his life savings in a park. Then he went away. On his return, he went straight to the park. But the park was no longer there. In its place there was a huge building.
And then there was the man who buried his savings, all in bank notes, in a waterproof（防水的）bag. When he dug it up years later, there was nothing left. Worms and insects had eaten the bag and everything in it.
And of course, these are stories about people who bury things and either forget where they have buried them or lose the map.
Although it is true that people sometimes lose their money because a bank fails, banks are still the safest place to keep our savings and treasures. People who bury treasure usually.
| A．do not trust banks |
| B．have a little money . |
| C．want to live in a quiet place. |
| D．expect to lose it |
The writer in Britain.
| A．really had buried something. |
| B．started a nationwide treasure hunt. |
| C．had lost his treasure and wanted people to help him find it. |
| D．caused trouble because people dug holes everywhere. |
“Treasure Island”.
| A．is a story about pirates. |
| B．is about the adventures of Jim Hawkins. |
| C．is the most popular story ever written. |
| D．is a well-known fairy tale. |
The man who buried his money in a park.
| A．thought his money was safer there than in a bank. |
| B．travelled on the sea for a year. |
| C．got his life savings back again. |
| D．stayed away longer than he expected. |
From these stories we understand that.
| A．we cannot trust banks. |
| B．we should not trust anyone. |
| C．a waterproof bag is not proof against worms and insects. |
| D．insects eat anything. |