Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.
When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.
One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn't name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree ！ The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.
From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.
During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so .
Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don't cherish it. We don't feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don't want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy ！ The author of the passage employed a writing way __________.
.
| A．of holding and releasing |
| B．that released first, then held |
| C．that held first, then released |
| D．that was not holding or releasing |
What the author wanted to tell us is that __________.
| A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost |
| B．think twice before you leap |
| C．treat everything calmly |
| D．cherish what you've owned |
The author came to the office early is __________.
| A．to enjoy the dew |
| B．to finish her work early |
| C．to do some cleaning |
| D．to avoid the burning sun |
The underlined word "so" in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to __________.
| A．that I couldn't see the tree any longer |
| B．that I should have taken some photos |
| C．that I had to leave |
| D．that the tree died |
I Don’t Think I Wrote Wrong
Lao Yang was born in a small town. He liked reading when he studied at school. He thought the writers were respected(尊敬) and could get a lot of money. He wrote a lot of stories and posted them to the editorial departments (编辑部) but didn’t receive any answers.
Now he works in a factory. He’s busy at work. When he’s free, he always reads something. He always remembers he hoped to be a writer when he was young. One day, Xiao Ping, his ten-year-old daughter, came back. She looked worried and didn’t eat anything. She said Miss GAO, her Chinese teacher, told them to write a solicit article(征文) “My Father” that evening. But she did not know what to write.
“That’s easy,” said Lao Yang. “Let me help you.”
Then he sat down to write the solicit article at once. He easily finished it on time. He was sure Miss GAO would like it. But one afternoon he asked his daughter if the article had been chosen to post to the editorial department.
“My teacher said your article digressed from the subject(离题),” said the girl.
“I don’t think so,” Lao Yang shouted angrily. “I described(描写) just my father!”.. Lao Yang wrote a lot of stories because _______.
| A．he likes reading |
| B．he learned much at school |
| C．he wanted to be a writer |
| D．he wanted to help others |
.. Lao Yang posted the stories to the editorial departments, _______.
| A．and he got a lot of money | B．and he became a famous man |
| C．and he was respected | D．but he failed |
.. As _______, Lao Yang decided to help his daughter.
| A．he was a writer |
| B．he was free |
| C．he wanted to realize his ideal(理想) |
| D．he wanted to make his daughter happy |
. Lao Yang hoped _______.
| A．his article could surprise the teacher |
| B．his article could be chosen |
| C．the children could like his article |
| D．everyone could soon know him |
.. Lao Yang’s solicit article digressed from the subject _______.
| A．because he couldn’t write it at all |
| B．because he didn’t know his father well |
| C．because it was too bad to be chosen |
| D．just because he described his father |
I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the who
le family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自闭的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But 
his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自动唱机) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV? From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on .
| A．interviewing celebrities |
| B．interviewing the disabled |
| C．the latest news round the world |
| D．stating the positive influence of TV |
How does Derek help the elderly?
| A．By buying them a jukebox machine. |
| B．By building senior centers for them. |
| C．By singing the old songs they ask for. |
| D．By playing the piano to raise money for them. |
In the opinion of the author, Derek can .
| A．attract the whole family to watch TV together |
| B．cause family members to help the disabled |
| C．help kids understand the ability of their brains |
| D．encourage kids to accept challenges in life |
The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to .
| A．prove that there is something good on TV |
| B．introduce a disabled but gifted musician |
| C．call on people to show more love to the disabled |
| D．express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini |
Sure, human dads can play games with their kids and help with homework, but can they give birth? Daddy sea horses can! This Father’s Day, while you’re praising your daddy, you may also remember that some of the best dads in the world can be found in the animal kingdom:
Sea horses: The “Mr. Moms” in the sea, male sea horses, carry up to 2,000 fertilized
eggs in small bags in their stomachs until they hatch. Even after the babies are born, they stay inside the bag until they are ready to live by themselves.
Darwin’s rheas: Thought your dad was overprotective? Darwin’s rheas, also known as South American ostriche
s (鸵鸟), are so protective of their children that they have even been known to attack small airplanes on the grou
nd if they get too close to their home!
Marmosets: These little monkeys do everything but give lectures on how to give birth! Devoted dads assist during their babies’ birth. They also let Mom get some rest by taking care of the kids when she’s not nursing them.
Sand grouse: These pigeon-like birds live in areas where water is rare, so fathers fly as many as 50 miles to get water for their kids. After they dip their breast feathers in the water, they fly home and let their chicks suck the water from their bodies.
Fathers in the animal kingdom are not that different from our own beloved dads. This Father’s Day, when you are honoring your dad, honor animal dads, to
o, by practicing kindness toward all animals. The underlined “they” in paragraph 2 refers to .
| A．fertilized eggs | B．their stomachs | C．male sea horses | D．baby sea horses |
According to the passage, which animal is the most protective?
| A．A sea horse | B．A Darwin’s rhea | C．A marmoset | D．A san grouse |
The passage mainly tells readers .
A．how clever an d brave animals are |
| B．how to honor animal dads on Father’s Day |
| C．animal dads are different from human dads |
| D．some interesting facts about male animals |
Americans have taken over from the Indians many things besides their continent! Where did corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate and maple sugar come from? The Indians. Who invented moccasins, snowshoes and hammocks? The Indians!
A list of the tools, plants, materials and designs we owe to the Indians would include hundreds of items. But there is something far more familiar, something that is always at hand. It is used daily by every American: a large vocabulary of Indian words.
Potato, tomato, chocolate, moccasin and hammock came into English from Indian languages. So did cocoa, tobacco, maize (an Indian word for corn) and succotash. Some words have changed on the way. Potato, for example, comes from a word that sounds like “batata”. Cocoa began as “cacahuatl”.
Some meanings have also changed. The long Indian word from which succotash comes means “something broken off in bits”. Indian women often varied their dishes by mixing bits of one food with another. White men who ate an Indian di
sh of mixed lima beans (青豆) and corn began using the Indian word to mean this particular mixt
ure.
Put on your moccasins and take a walk in the country. If it is a cold day and you wear a mackinaw, your jacket will be as Indian as your shoes. But mackinaw came from “michilimackinac”, the Indian name of a place where a fort (集市) served as a trading post. Bright-colored blankets or jackets bought at the post soon became known as “mackinaws”.
Early white visitors to the continent found Indian words useful for the things new to them. But some Indian sounds, such as the “tl” at the end of many words, were hard to say. That is why “coyotl” became coyote and “tomatle” became tomato.
Some words simply seemed too long. So, “musickwautash” became succotash and “rockahominy” became hominy.The first two paragraphs may serve as a(n) .
| A．explanation | B．introduction | C．comment | D．background |
Which of the following has been changed for easier pronunciation?
| A．Batata | B．Chocolate | C．Tomatle | D．Rockahominy |
Some words have changed because .
| A．they are too long |
| B．nobody can use them |
| C．the things they refer to have disappeared |
| D．they are too difficult for people to write |
What is the pass
age mainly about?
| A．How Indian traditions affect us. |
| B．Why Indian words were changed. |
| C．Things we owe to the Indians. |
| D．Indian words all around us. |
If you want to fully enjoy your vacation, then you’d better check the Durban City Tours! This is actually one of the best choices in South Africa today.
There is nothing more relaxing than to think about it that there is a place to go and relax, right? City life is stressful, but you can escape this situation and be in the place where there is noting but fun. Here in Durban you will get to see all the amazing tourist attractions. If you love animals and want to see some elephants wandering around the streets, then Durban is the place to go. You can even get to ride one if you want!
Here you will also get to taste all the delicious South African food. You can choose from Italian cooking to its native dishes. Durban is a great place to tour with your friends and family. You will learn a lot about its history through th
e landmarks you will see down the streets. Tourists and even the local villagers just can’t get enough of these treats!
However, it is important that you make the necessary arrangements. There are actually lots of tour guides that will help you as you make your journey along the streets of Durban. But if you prefer the best tour guides here in Durban, then you’d better settle for the Street Scene Tours. Their staff are all well-trained and professional. Th
ey will certainly make your stay here an unforgettable one. No wonder tourists prefer the Street Scene Tours when it comes to Durban City Tours.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Durban is a relaxing city. |
| B．City life means high pressure. |
| C．It is good to have a place to relax. |
| D．One can have fun riding elephants. |
If you walk in the stre
et of Durban, what will impress you most?
| A．Tourists from all over the world. |
| B．The buildings and many kinds of animals. |
| C．The streets and some wandering elephants. |
| D．The friendly local people and the scenery. |
. What does the last sentence in Paragraph 3 show?
| A．The food can’t satisfy them. |
| B．They are bored with the streets. |
| C．They are treated very well here. |
| D．They never get tired of the sights. |
The author wrote the last paragraph mainly to .
| A．attract tourists to Durban |
| B．help readers make arrangement |
| C．introduce the tour guides in Durban |
| D．persuade tourists to choose the Street Scene Tours |