My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter’s first words, “You need to come up here to the Stillwater River,” made me catch my breath.
When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders.
I hurried over to him. “You OK?” I asked.
“Yeah,” was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn’t get it from my son.
The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning(溺水的) woman, and brought her safely to shore.
In an age in which the world “hero” is broadcast with abandon(随意）and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend—the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn’t lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good.
Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, “What’s for supper?”
I thought twice about the tragedy(悲剧) that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who’d listen?
The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day.The writer caught her breath when she heard the fire fighters’ first words because_______.
| A．her son saved a woman |
| B．she was scolded by fire fighters |
| C．she was anxious about her son’s safety |
| D．her son was to blame for a fire |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．firefighters always turn up in case of emergency |
| B．parents are always worried about their children |
| C．it’s dangerous to swim in an unfamiliar river |
| D．teens are more responsible than expected |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Mother, My Love | B．My Son, My Hero |
| C．A Narrow Escape | D．A Silent Boy |
Molly was a peasant girl. Her parents did not have much money and Molly did not have many nice clothes.
One day Molly’s father said to her, “Molly, take this pot of milk to market and sell it. You may keep the money.”
Molly was very happy. She put the pot of milk on her head and started her journey to market. While she was walking alone she began to think. “I will get quite a lot of money for this milk,” she thought. “What will I do with the money? I will buy a lot of eggs. I will take the eggs home with me. One of our hens will sit on them. Then there will be lots of little chickens. I will not sell the chickens. They will grow into hens. Then there will be more eggs. And these eggs will give me still more chickens. Soon I will have hundreds of hens. Then I will sell them all. They will bring me a lot of money. I will be rich. I will buy lots of new clothes. I will always wear nice clothes. Then a rich man will marry me. We will have a beautiful house, a big car and nice children...”
Molly was very happy. She jumped into the air. The pot of milk fell from her head onto the road. And that was the end of all her dreams.
In English there is a proverb. It says: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched(孵化).Molly was happy to go to market because ________.
| A．she liked to go there | B．she wanted to buy nice clothes |
| C．she could have the money of her own | D．she wanted to buy some eggs |
On her way to market, Molly began to________.
| A．count her eggs | B．have a happy dream |
| C．think of her happy family life | D．think how to sell the milk |
What was the end of all Molly’s dreams?
| A．She jumped up and fell onto the ground. | B．She was happy about her house. |
| C．She woke and found the milk on the road. | D．She married a rich man. |
The proverb: “Do not count your chicken before they are hatched.” means ____.
| A．one must count his chicken after they are hatched |
| B．it is foolish to make plans |
| C．one must depend more on what is in real life |
| D．one must make plans before they begin to work |
Lots people stress out（紧张） about talking in front of the class or getting laughed at if they make a mistake in front of an audience._71_ The “stress hormones” that your body produces at times like these can actually help you focus.
But when worry and stress about performing get to be too much, these hormones give people that “red alert(紧急状态)”---the one that causes you to feel cold or sweaty, or get butterflies in your stomach._72__
Be prepared. __73_ Rehearse(排练) as much as you can and practice in front of others at every opportunity. Most of all, think positively. Tell yourself “I’ll be OK” or “I can do this” even if you are not 100% sure of it.
Look after yourself. Before big performances, it’s easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice. __74__ Exercise can also can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.
Find out what the experts do. You can find books, DVD, and online information about how to give your best when you perform, depending on what type of performance you’re preparing for._75_ Or ask the cast of your school play or your drama or music teacher how they beat stage fright. And if your parents or grandparents ever performed, they may have their own secrets to share.
A Confidence helps beat stress hormones.
B The following tips can help you avoid that feeling.
C You’re less likely to freeze up if you’re well prepared.
D You can do this whether you’re performing alone or as part of a group.
E Check out stories about Olympic gymnasts or your favorite star to get their tips.
F Feeling nervous before a performance is part of body’s way of helping you do your best.
G You’ll look and feel your best if you get enough sleep and eat healthy meals before your performance.
D
Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your time properly, you can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn. It doesn’t mean that you must always like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things. Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier. Sometimes subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them.
Here’s some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions(中断); have everything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing, first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing; check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview.The main purpose of the article is______
| A．to prove that learning is not difficult |
| B．to make the readers be interested in study |
| C．to tell the importance of self teaching |
| D．to tell the students how to study well |
We learn things because______
| A．our parents want us to learn |
| B．every student learns at school |
| C．we may use these things in the future |
| D．we like the subjects |
Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the article?
| A．To put a pen, paper and books beside you before study. |
| B．To study at any possible time and place. |
| C．To review and preview. |
| D．To pay attention to the most important things. |
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some new studies about animals. |
| B．People’s wrong ideas about animals. |
| C．Why the number of animals has dropped. |
| D．The importance of protecting animals. |
According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
| A．are less clever than rodents | B．can find their home |
| C．can read maps | D．are good planners |
Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
| A．The species of grass in grasslands. |
| B．The species of trees in grasslands. |
| C．The number of flowers in grasslands. |
| D．The number of animals in grasslands. |
In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?
| A．Geography. | B．Culture. | C．Travel. | D．Nature. |
B
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s have a look．
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies．We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants．Sometimes，people may get caught with their pants down．They are found doing something they should not be doing．And，in every family，one person takes contro1．Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do．Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things．Money that is likely to be spent quickly can bum a hole in your pocket．Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants．If you have less money than usual，you may have to tighten your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. l really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I immediately spend it.
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him will think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．What pants mean in English. |
| B．Some special English expressions. |
| C．Some funny English expressions. |
| D．Some expressions related to clothes. |
Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?
| A．Get caught with one's pants down. | B．Have ants in one's pants. |
| C．Wear the pants in the family. | D．Bum a hole in one's pocket. |
If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he
| A．has done something wrong | B．used to live a rich life |
| C．has put on the wrong pants | D．doesn’t have enough money |
Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably_
| A．doesn’t save money | B．earns much money |
| C．never wastes his money | D．spends more than he earns |