It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War III. She’ll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her co-worker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I’m the type of person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of fame (名声) or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 630 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6 pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?
| A．The writer’s studies. | B．The writer’s future job |
| C．Dinner plans | D．Wars around the world |
We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother ______.
| A．doesn’t want the writer to major in English |
| B．doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor |
| C．gets along very well with the writer |
| D．doesn’t think working in the science field is a good idea |
The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.
| A．agrees | B．shouts |
| C．Complains | D．smiles |
Which of following statements is probable TRUE about the writer?
| A．He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son. |
| B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future. |
| C．He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect. |
| D．He wants to do something he really likes in the future. |
Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He wanted to learn more about American culture and hoped that he and Steve would become good friends. At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed distant. The two former classmates didn’t see each other very often at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve’s change of attitude. “Steve said we were friends,” Yaser complained, “and I thought friends were friends forever.” Yaser was a little confused.
As a foreigner, he doesn’t understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances(相识的人；熟人) and close companions(伙伴) “friends”. These friendships are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade(逐渐消失). Now as Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates, their “friendship” has changed. In some cultures friendship means a strong lifelong bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and they may change just quickly as well. People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yaser’s , people who’ve been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be fickle(易变的). Learning how Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way.According to the passage, ________made Yaser a little confused.
| A．Steve’s inviting him to dinner |
| B．Steve’s cold attitude |
| C．Steve’s studying with him |
| D．Steve’s misunderstanding him |
We can learn from the passage that_____.
| A．Americans use the word “friend” in a very special way and like to develop a close friendship |
| B．American friendliness is always an offer of true friendship and is of great value |
| C．Americans think the friendship will last for ever, even though the shared activity ends |
| D．Americans always base their friendships with others on common interests |
In Paragraph 2, the underlined word “they” refers to “_______”.
| A．American friendships |
| B．American families |
| C．People from the United States |
| D．misunderstandings |
This passage mainly tells us_____.
| A．that people should not make friends with Americans. |
| B．that everyone needs friends. |
| C．the importance of keeping friendships |
| D．how Americans view friendship |
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 .Over one hundred 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 which were 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.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．Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down |
| D．People managed to get enough water from the river. |
It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
| A．some people lost their lives |
| B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
| C．the King’s bakery was burned down |
| D．many famous buildings were destroyed |
Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?
| A．Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
| B．Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
| C．To show that poor people suffered most. |
| D．To give readers a clearer picture of the fire. |
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) |
You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is such a thing as a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese. Also, they are not interested in Chinese politics.
But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair. But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C. N. Yang (杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. And he is an American citizen.“ABC” in this text stands for “_______”.
| A．three English letters |
| B．a kind of banana |
| C．Americans born in China |
| D．Chinese born in America |
Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because __________.
| A．their bodies are white inside but yellow outside |
| B．they think like Westerners but look like Chinese |
| C．they were born in China but go to study in America |
| D．they are Chinese who look like bananas |
C. N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ________.
A. American Chinese are great
B. we love American Chinese
C. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens
D. Chinese people can win Nobel PrizesThis text is mainly about _________.
A. overseas Chinese
B. different kinds of bananas
C. the Nobel Prize
D. the life story of C. N. Yang
An old gentleman who lives a few doors away from me can always be seen with a bag. He goes out by himself and picks up plastic bottles, plastic bags and pieces of paper everywhere. He does it all carefully and never complains.
The children in the nearby school are probably responsible for some of that litter（废弃物）. “There will come a time when they know better ,” he said . “ It’s just not yet . So, I’ll do it for them.”
Well, this morning I was out walking my neighbor’s dog when I saw another neighbor, a much younger man , out doing the same thing ! He had his two little sons with him and they were having good fun trying to pick up the litter.
When I commented（评论）on what a good job he was doing, he said , “ Well , an older fellow in our street does this . And my friend and I thought it wasn’t fair that he had to do it all the time , so now we take turns .”
Not only was he taking a turn , not only did he have a friend join in as well , but he was passing on the lesson to the next generation（代）！
By the time I had returned the dog to my neighbor I looked again and his children’ s friends had joined in !
This man was teaching a whole group of young children to keep their own street sanitary. An older man had set an example for him and now he was passing it on — the next generation is doing what he did and the generation to come after that !The old gentleman picks up the litter _______.
| A．to make money. |
| B．to keep the environment clean. |
| C．to set an example to children. |
| D．to help the cleaners. |
The underlined word “ sanitary ” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “_______”
| A．polluted | B．crowded |
| C．straight | D．clean |
What can we learn from the text ?
| A．Two heads are better than one. |
| B．Like father , like son . |
| C．The power of example is endless. |
| D．No pains , no gains . |
Visiting animals in their natural homes may sound like a great idea that helps to save them, but is it ?
Researchers writing in Trends in Ecology ＆ Evolution on Oct9 said that the interactions between wild animals and friendly eco-tourists who want to take their pictures may put animals at greater risk of being eaten.
It is clear that many people visit protected areas every year. “Recent data showed that protected areas around the globe have 8 billion visitors per year; that’s like each human on Earth visited a protected area once a year, and then some!”said Dainel Blumstein of the University of California, Los Anglels. “This amount of nature tourism and eco-tourism can be added to the long list of ways in which humans cause fast environmental change.
The basic idea of the report the report is that humans change the ways animals act and those changes might affect other parts of their lives, according to Science Daily. Those changes in behavior and activity may put animals at risk.
“When animals spend time in ‘harmless’ ways with humans, they may let down their guard,” Blumstein said. As animals get used to feeling comfortable with humans, they may become braver in other situations, he says . “If this bravery continues when they meet real predators（捕食者）， then they will die more often when they meet them.”
Eco-tourism is in some ways similar to making animals live in human homes or in cities. In all three cases, regular interactions between people and animals tame. Evidence has shown that silver foxes that live with people become more laid-back and less fearful; this results from evolutionary changes but also from spending time with humans. Simply put , as Blumstein asked in the Scientific American magazine:“Does eco-tourism make animals dumb?”
And that’s not all - humans can also scare away natural predators , creating the so-called “human shield effect” and a safe environment for smaller animals that might make them braver, too. When humans are around, for example, vervet monkeys don’t see as many leopards (猎豹) trying to eat them.
Blumstein says they hope to do more research into humans’ interactions with wildlife. Scientists will “now have to understand better how different species and species in different situations react to humans and when humans might put them at risk.The main focus of report in Trends in Ecology ＆ Evolution was the idea that ______.
| A．eco-tourism cause damage to the natural homes of wildlife. |
| B．it is easy for eco-tourists to build up trust with wide animals. |
| C．the changes brought by eco-tourism may be harmful. |
| D．protected areas around the world are overloaded with tourists. |
The underlined word “dumb” in paragraph 6 probably means ________.
| A．anxious | B．active | C．curious | D．stupid |
The author uses vervet monkeys as an example to show that ________.
| A．different species react to humans in different ways. |
| B．the presence of humans reduces the threat from predators |
| C．smaller animals tend to be braver in front of predators. |
| D．interactions with humans make animals more relaxed and less fearful. |
We can infer that the writer wrote this passage mainly to .
| A．explain what eco-tourism is |
| B．tell us something interesting about Nature |
| C．suggest that we stop eating meat to save animals |
| D．Wildlife tourism may seem helpful, but it can be deadly for some animals |