Perhaps every old generation since ancient times has complained about young people, and today is no different. Isn’t it clear that compared with our glorious selves, kids these days are self-absorbed social network addicts?
However, this summer, my impression of today’s kids has been restored by the story of Rachel Beckwith. She could teach my generation a great deal about maturity and unselfishness — even though she’s just 9 years old, or was when she died on July 23.
At age 5, Rachel had her long hair shorn off and sent to Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make artificial hair for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. After that, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again. And that’s what she did.
Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called charity: water. Rachel was astonished when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she skipped her ninth birthday party. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water website with a target of $300. Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity: water. Finally Rachel raised only $220 — which had left her just a bit disappointed.
Then, on July 20, a serious traffic accident left Rachel critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page — charitywater.org/Rachel — and donations reached her $300 goal, and kept rising.
But Rachel couldn’t hear that she had raised beyond the $47,544 that the singer Justin Bieber had raised for charity: water on his 17th birthday. “I think Rachel would have been overjoyed for she secretly had a crush on (迷恋) him,” Rachel’s mom said.
When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove the life support system. Her parents donated her hair for the final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children.
Word about Rachel’s last fund-raising spread. Contributions poured in, often in $9 each. The total donations soon topped $100,000, then $300,000.
This is a story not just of one girl, but of a young generation of outstanding problem-solvers working creatively. What does the author think of today’s kids after he knew the story of Rachel Beckwith?
| A．They are good at social network. |
| B．They are unselfish as grown-ups. |
| C．They can get problems settled effectively. |
| D．They have narrow minds and care about nothing. |
When was it that Rachel’s hair was donated for the final time to Locks of Love?
| A．At her age of 5. |
| B．After her death. |
| C．Right after the traffic accident. |
| D．Before her ninth birthday. |
Why did each of Rachel’s friends donate $9 to charity: water?
| A．Because she had asked them to do that. |
| B．Because she set up her birthday page on June 9th. |
| C．Because she began to raise money from her ninth birthday. |
| D．Because she died at the age of 9 and they wanted to honor her. |
The singer Justin Bieber was mentioned in the text, mainly because ______.
| A．Rachel collected more than him who she admired |
| B．he had donated on Rachel’s page on his 17th birthday |
| C．Rachel would have been overjoyed for his donation |
| D．Rachel’s mom said she secretly had a crush on him |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．Rachel’s hair donations. |
| B．A kind girl, Rachel. |
| C．The author’s impression of today’s kids |
| D．A lesson from Rachel. |
While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to compete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold – his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and he should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to Sydney.
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold, or when they act so proudly in front of their competitors , it is nice to watch an underdog.From the passage we can learn that the young man.
| A．made his turn to start back pitifully |
| B．was skillful in freestyle in the game |
| C．swam faster than the average swimmer |
| D．was not capable enough to win the medal |
The crowd changed their attitudes because.
| A．they felt sorry for the young man |
| B．they were moved by the young man’s courage |
| C．they wanted to show their sympathy |
| D．they meant to please the young man |
According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means.
| A．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself |
| B．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills |
| C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors |
| D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The event started with three men, two of whom were disqualified later. |
| B．The crowd started to laugh at the athlete’s arms waving in an attempt at freestyle. |
| C．The athlete, as well as the author, is an expert swimmer. |
| D．The swimming event is a show of courage rather than a fierce competition. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Compete for Gold! | B．Try again! |
| C．Break a Record! | D．Go for it! |
A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start. ”
The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail. ”
“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job. ”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail. ”
The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?
| A．Because he was lazy. | B．Because he didn’t pass the test. |
| C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail. | D．Because he didn’t have a computer. |
The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.
| A．become large | B．become 3 times |
| C．increase quickly | D．decrease quickly |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world. |
| B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview. |
| C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket. |
| D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft. |
The man can be described as _______.
| A．helpful and considerate | B．positive and generous |
| C．smart and hardworking | D．stubborn and unselfish |
Which proverb can best describe the story?
| A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Accidents will happen. |
| D．No pains , no gains. |
As is known to all, colors appear in every language to express people’s feeling and thoughts．Then, what is the situation in American English?
Red is a hot color．Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair．They are red hot when they are very angry about something．The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery taste．Fast loud music is popular with many people．They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz．
Pink is a lighter kind of red．People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health．The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century．It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health．
The color black is often used in expressions．People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day．People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now．But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations．
The color green is natural for trees and grass．But it is an unnatural color for humans．A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green．A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green．
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has．That person may say he is green with envy．Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks．Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the back side of the paper money．Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT _______．
| A．something unfair | B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry | D．popular music like Dixieland Jazz |
People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because _______．
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the color pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she _______．
| A．enjoys himself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomachache | D．likes trees and grass |
In the writer’s eyes, what is related to a black day?
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift． |
| B．Failing in an important interview． |
| C．Passing a very difficult test． |
| D．Being invited to an exciting party． |
Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers．It has been made to help you better manage your money．The Winners Club is a transaction account where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24／7---that’s 24 hours a day，7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers：
●No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees．In fact，there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow．The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits without taking them out in a month．
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy—we get that．You may never need to come to a bank at all．With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet…You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account．This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report，you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money．There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members．
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers．And it is so easy to join．Simply fill in an application form．You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy．We can’t wait to hear from you．It’s the best way to choose to be a winner !Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents． |
| B．The bank opens only on work days． |
| C．Services are convenient for its members． |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping． |
The Winners Club provides magazines which___________．
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club，you must_________．
| A．be an Internet user | B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a big sum of money | D．be in your twenties |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To set up a club． | B．To provide part-time jobs． |
| C．To organize key-cards． | D．To introduce a new banking service． |
Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of matters in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. These powerful senses help sharks find their food. Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.
Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs. The others give birth to live young. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old. Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.
Sharks are important for the world’s oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too large. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.
People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable. Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark. Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A. The skin of a shark can be used like leather.
In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth. If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels.Which of the following words best describes the situation sharks are in?
| A．Good. | B．Expensive. | C．Powerful. | D．Endangered. |
Sharks eat other fish, __________.
| A．which is a threat to all other forms of life in the oceans |
| B．which is a protection for plants and other forms of life in the oceans |
| C．which helps prevent diseases from spreading |
| D．which helps the number of other fish to grow |
According to the passage, many parts of a shark are valuable EXCEPT ________.
| A．its jaws | B．its liver | C．shark fins | D．shark teeth |
The author thinks that______.
| A．sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them |
| B．oceans will become safer with fewer sharks swimming around |
| C．measures should be taken to protect sharks |
| D．the shark population is increasing slowly |