Strange stones of Costa Rica
One of the strangest mysteries in archaeology was discovered in the Diquis River Delta, in southern Costa Rica. Since the 1930s, hundreds of stone balls have been found. They range in size from a few centimeters to over two meters in diameter.
Who made these perfect spheres(球体) and how they made them remains a mystery. Some researchers believe the stones were made by extreme heating followed by cooling. People could have polished the spheres with sand or leather. The ancient Costa Ricans had no written language so there is no written record of just how they made the spheres.
Almost all are made of granite (花岗岩), a hard stone created by volcanoes. The granite quarries(采石场) were 25 to 30 miles away from the largest stones, which weigh more than 10 tons each. Nobody knows how people moved them.
Many of the stones have been found near the remains of houses or graves. Some believed that the stones contained hidden treasures and a few have been smashed but nothing has been found inside. Despite these losses, the National Museum of Costa Rica has recorded 130 spheres. However, many stones are not included because they have been removed from their original sites and used as ornaments(装饰) in homes, gardens and churches. Clearly, there are also many stones that lie undiscovered.The stones were discovered ___ .
| A．near the volcanoes |
| B．in southern Costa Rica |
| C．in a grave |
| D．in churches |
The writer ___ in the passage.
| A．admires the spheres very much |
| B．doesn’t believe the spheres were once made by humans |
| C．tells us a discovery |
| D．thinks highly of the spheres |
The underlined word “polished” refers to “___”.
| A．buried |
| B．wrapped |
| C．made shining |
| D．made big |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The stone balls found in the Diquis River Delta are all very huge. |
| B．The stone balls were unearthed from the graves. |
| C．The local people show great interest in the stone balls. |
| D．There are a lot of treasures in the stone balls. |
The passage mainly tells us ___ .
| A．the stones are of great value. |
| B．the stones proved to be made by non-humans. |
| C．the stones are mystery. |
| D．the stone are ornaments. |
Dear John,
My name is Amber and I want to share my story with you because what you've shared about life and positive energy has changed my life. This past year has been one of the hardest for me. I felt I was stuck in a position that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life. In January, after two years of being together, my boyfriend left me.
I read your blog every morning as I drink my coffee at work, but it wasn't until this March that I told myself "no more negativity" as you taught readers in your blog.
Since then I've got into new habits at work to keep my energy positive. When people walk in the front door, I'm the first face they see, so I smile big when I say "good morning" to them, especially on Mondays. Instead of waiting for someone to ask me for help, I offer it with an open mind. The CEO noticed my change and offered me the executive assistant position that I wanted.
One of the biggest things I've taken to heart from your blog is changing my opinions on my job. Yes, it was not an important position, but when I was passionate （热情的） about it, I could make my life fulfilling.
All in all, I have to thank you somehow for having the passion to help others because it truly is inspiring to me. So thank you so much, John. My life has changed because your words pointed me in the right direction, Take care!
Sincerely ,
AmberAmber wrote the letter mainly to______
| A．introduce herself to John | B．talk about her bad year |
| C．ask for some advice | D．express her thanks |
We can infer from the passage that Amber______
| A．didn't like her boyfriend |
| B．spent a lot of time online |
| C．wasn't satisfied with her job |
| D．received very good education |
What is implied about John in the letter?
| A．He is a very famous writer. |
| B．He used to live a very negative life. |
| C．He doesn't like sharing his life stories. |
| D．He likes helping others through writing positive blogs. |
What does Amber's change tell us?
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Bad luck doesn't exist long. |
| C．A positive attitude is rewarding. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
Founded in 1764 by French traders, St. Louis today is the fifteenth largest urban area in the United States. There are many attractive destinations for tourists.
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
Dog lovers who visit St. Louis won’t want to miss this 14,000-square-foot museum. Inside are over 500 paintings, prints, watercolors, and a variety of other dog art objects.
The Museum is open year round, Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission is ＄1 for children up to 13, ＄2.50 for senior citizens, and ＄5 for others.
Anheuser Busch Brewery
The Anheuser Buxch Brewery tour is not just for beer lovers. The tour includes the historic Brew House. Then the tour continues to the modern Bevo Packaging Plant. The best will be the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. The tours are always free.
Gateway Arch
Designed by Eero Sarinen and Hannskari Bandel, it took over two years and 900 tons of stainless steel to build. It is the tallest of the country’s National Monuments. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. About one milion people per year come to the top of the Arch, where there is an observation platform providing a great view of the city.
St. Louis Zoo
First version of the St. Louis Zoo opened in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, but in the century since it has grown into one of the foremost zoos in the world. The Zooline Raiload passenger train takes visitors around the Zoo, which contains over 9,000 animals of over 800 species.
The Zoo is open every day but Christmas and New Year, with summer hours of 8 AM to 7 PM, and hours the rest of the year of 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the Zoo is free.If a senior high school student plans to visit American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog with his parents and his five-year-old brother, he has to pay ______.
| A．＄8.5 | B．＄12 | C．＄13.5 | D．＄16 |
Which of the following statements about Gateway Arch is TRUE?
| A．It was built in three years. |
| B．You can see the city clearly on the top of the Arch. |
| C．It is the largest of the country’s National Monuments. |
| D．President Jefferson was buried there. |
If you plan to visit St. Louis Zoo, you can go there ______.
| A．at 8:30 am in summer | B．at 5:30 pm in autumn |
| C．on Christmas | D．on New Year |
“Is there anything else you need, honey?” my dad asked me as he put three twenty dollar bills in my hand. I was traveling back home from a family visit, and after treating me to breakfast and filling my car with gas, it was obvious that my dad wanted to make sure that I would be okay on the road.
“No, Dad. You've done so much already. Thank you！” I was overwhelmed once again by his kind acts of providing everything I needed, although I turned 40. Yet I realize that in my father's eyes, I will always be his little girl. He takes deep pleasure in knowing his children are all right. Now that he has enough money, he loves to give whenever he sees a need.
But this was not always the case. Divorced from my mother when I was 11, my dad couldn't be around his kids as often as he would have liked. Money was also tight; even weekend visits were rare. However, my dad stayed in constant communication with us and made sure he was involved in our lives. Though he couldn't always be there in person, I knew he was only a phone call away. I could always make sure of that.
Even now, almost 30 years later, I treasure knowing that I can pick up the phone and call Dad, and he'll be there for me. I have a wonderful husband, but that hasn't changed how Dad sees me. I'm still his child and he loves to see that my needs are met.
I remember a time when I was shopping in a hardware store (五金店) with Dad. I mentioned my plans to paint one wall in my house. Well, that's all it took for Dad to take action. By the time I got to the checkout(结账) line, all the supplies I picked out were put out of my hands and placed with things he bought.
Then there was the time when I took him with me to do some grocery shopping for just a few “ items”. By the time we were finished, my shopping cart was full of groceries from every shelf in the store! My sister and I joke that if you don't want Dad to buy it for you, avoid even mentioning you want something.What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Father's generosity | B．Father's considerate love |
| C．The love for children | D．Love's power |
The author demonstrates her father's love for her mainly by______.
| A．suggestion | B．reasoning |
| C．examples | D．argument |
Which of the following is not TRUE?
| A．After the author got married, her father no longer get himself involved in her life. |
| B．Now the father's economic condition is satisfying. |
| C．The author's father was divorced when she was 11. |
| D．The father has a great sense of responsibility. |
The authors' two shopping experiences with father show______.
| A．father paid little attention to money |
| B．father was quick in action |
| C．father loved going shopping very much |
| D．father paid great attention to his children's needs |
Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brains are nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time—at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sounds to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people. There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area—except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they __________.
| A．live in groups | B．have large brains |
| C．are warm-blooded | D．have their own language |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. |
| C．Its mouth. | D．Its eyes. |
By telling the story of Jack the writer wanted to show that __________.
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
Actually we have known a lot of examples and meaningful words to support the fact that we should try our best to ease the bad impression of others. Just like the old saying goes, we should give a better assumption to the one than we think he was. But many of us always fail to do this.
Take the situation of my class for example. Right at the beginning of the first semester when we were freshmen we all showed great favor to each other. And when there was an activity that needed some people to join, we would be willing to attend whether it was interesting or not. And we were really like brothers and sisters, and our class was just like a family, a warm family. But now, I feel tired of those meaningless activities not only because of the boring activities themselves but also the cool response of our classmates.
I think the reasons why the passion of most classmates is so low may be as follows:
To start with, many of us take part in more than one organization, which will certainly make us tired. Also, in the study fields, many of us may find that our courses are sometimes difficult to understand or comprehend, especially the specialized subjects. Moreover, "history" teaches us that if one does not study hard, it is possible to fail in the exams. So it is a big and good excuse to say that "I do really want to attend, but I have a lot of horse work to do, so'"."
Last but not least, some people believe that some of our leaders should not be regarded as a leader, maybe I should say we, as leaders, lost the reputation, support and trust of yours. At least I am the warm-hearted one, although I cannot promise you that your advice will be adopted surely, at least I will spare no effort to "give" you the right to be heard, and to serve you.
Be active to show your talents and abilities and to create a better image of our class. Most important of all, work painstakingly for a better condition that we should have reached.At the beginning of the first semester the students were_____ each other.
| A．quite curious about | B．active and kind to |
| C．full of sympathy to | D．specially tired of |
Now the students are unwilling to get involved in the activities because they are______.
| A．not easy to organize | B．costing too much time |
| C．difficult to comprehend | D．meaningless and boring |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Students' passion for activities was high at first but disappeared gradually. |
| B．Students' passion for activities grew gradually because they were interesting. |
| C．Students were too busy to take part in activities after their classes. |
| D．Students were unwilling to participate in activities because of their leaders. |
We can infer from the passage that the writer must be .
| A．a supporter of activities |
| B．a responsible teacher |
| C．a top student in class |
| D．a devoted class leader |