“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
You probably heard those lines in grammar school, but do you really agree that harsh(严厉的) or negative words do not harm us? Words have power. Surely we all have had our feelings hurt by something someone said.
We may not say words to hurt others, but the way we interpret (解释) them and how we say them may cause great harm. Here’s an example:
An ancient king dreamed all his teeth had fallen out. He sent for a wise man to explain his dream to him: the dream means that all your relatives will die and you will be left alone! The king was very angry and threw the interpreter into prison. He then sent for another interpreter who said, “Congratulations! King! You will live many more years. In fact, you will survive all your relatives. Long Live the King!”
Both interpreters gave the same interpretation, but there was a huge difference in the way they said it.
Our speech must be understood by those who hear our words, but the way we say things and the intention behind them have as much power as the words themselves. Words can cause anger or appreciation. Which would you rather receive?
People who say harsh and negative things may not mean to harm, but have you ever known anyone who is a naysayer? They often look at the dark sides of things. They always see the glass as half empty rather than half full. How do you feel when you are around this type of person? Remember: words have power. Use them wisely.The author mentions the story of the ancient king to show that _____.
| A．one dream sometimes has different explanations |
| B．good words can bring good luck to people |
| C．people should be careful when talking to a king |
| D．different ways of saying things have different effects |
The underlined word naysayer in the last paragraph refers to a person who always _____.
| A．has a negative attitude |
| B．likes to be praised |
| C．talks big |
| D．likes to repeat what others say |
According to the text, how can people understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different life experiences |
| B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By properly using words |
| D．By recognizing different values. |
The passage mainly talks about ______.
| A．the power of words |
| B．the cruelty of the king |
| C．how to understand others |
| D．how to build good relationships |
Vitamin D helps bones and muscles grow strong and healthy. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to diseases such as rickets (佝偻病), mainly found in children. The thinning of bone is a common problem as people, especially women, get older.
But more and more research is suggesting that vitamin D might also help prevent many diseases. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet (紫外线的) rays react with skin cells to produce vitamin D. But many people worry about getting skin cancer and skin damage from the sun. As a result they stay out of the sun. Also, darker-skinned people produce less vitamin D than lighter-skinned people. The amount also decreases in older people and those living in northern areas that get less sunlight.
Not many foods naturally contain vitamin D. Foods high in this vitamin include oily fish and fish liveroils (鱼肝油). Farmed fish have only about one-fourth as much vitamin D as wild fish. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. But most of the vitamin D in the American diet comes from foods such as milk.
Research in the last several years has shown that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attacks in men and deaths from some cancers. More doctors are now having their patients tested for their vitamin D levels. But as research continues, some experts worry that if people take too much vitamin D, it might act as a poison. Also, skin doctors warn people to be careful with sun exposure because of the risk of skin cancer.The first paragraph is mainly about .
| A．the muscle diseases | B．the sources of vitamins |
| C．the importance of health | D．the functions of vitamin D |
Which of the following people produce the least amount of vitamin D?______
| A．Elderly darker-skinned people. | B．Young lighter-skinned people. |
| C．Elderly lighter-skinned people. | D．Young darker-skinned people. |
People can get the most vitamin D from .
| A．beef liver | B．cheese | C．wild fish | D．farmed fish |
What can we infer from the text?_________
A. Being exposed to sunlight is the safest way to get vitamin D.
B. Lack of vitamin D can make people age quickly.
C. Proper vitamin D levels people need are still not determined now.
D. The vitamin D level is higher in men than in women.
Poetry is an interesting form of writing. It is very free, has few restrictions and can be a great way to express feelings. Writing a poem is all about observing the world within you or around you.
To write a poem, first you should begin with an idea or inspiration. Inspiration may come at any time unexpectedly. It may be a specific person, place or thing that causes some sort of strong emotion. It may be more of an abstract idea or release of emotion.
After getting the idea, you can write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t think much and let all feelings pour out. Remember everything can be thrown out later.
Then, you can think about its form and begin to organize thoughts. Poetry comes in many forms, from epic poetry that has a story to dramatic poetry intended to be performed. Try them all out. One will come naturally. Maybe different poems fit different forms. When you write a poem, think about both meter (韵律) and rhythm carefully, which are equally important in poetry. Meter is the fixed pattern of the poem, while rhythm refers to the sound when it is spoken. It is also important to use a lot of descriptive words. Create imagery (意象) with words, trying to make them attractive to all the senses. For auditory (听觉的) interest, try repeating of similar sounds in a sentence or phrase. All of this adds life and interest to a poem.
After you finish your work, don’t be afraid to share your work with others. When others point out your weakness, accept and grow from it.What does the underlined word “restriction” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?_______
| A．Change. | B．Order. | C．Limitation. | D．Organization. |
When you begin to write a poem, you should first .
| A．begin with some specific persons | B．come up with an idea |
| C．describe a famous place | D．organize your thoughts |
We can infer from the text that .
| A．writing poems needs imagination and the ability to use language well |
| B．people can get more ideas if they often share their poems with others |
| C．people should first learn to write epic poetry, then dramatic poetry |
| D．people need to write down every feeling they want to release at a time |
What’s the purpose of the text?_________
| A．To tell readers how to write a poem. |
| B．To encourage more people to write poems. |
| C．To show what quality a good poem should have. |
| D．To teach people how to appreciate poems. |
The history of modern art begins with Impressionism, a movement started in Paris in the mid-1800’s. At that time many artists painted in a very traditional way that involved spending hours in a studio, painstakingly (辛苦地) creating paintings that were extremely detailed. These paintings were sometimes of people or landscapes or historical events. In 1863, Edouard Manet exhibited his painting “Dejeuner sur l’erbe” at the Salon des Refuses. The painting caused a commotion (骚动), thus starting the Impressionist movement. Although Edouard Manet is the declared leader and founder of the group, he was not present at the first group exhibition or any of the other eight collective Impressionist shows. The movement gained more attention in the April of 1874 when Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Jean-Frédéric Bazille formed Society of Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers and began exhibiting outside of the official salon. The same year, the term Impressionism was invented by criticizing (批评的) journalist Louis Leroy to describe their paintings, who worked for the magazine Le Charivari.
The Impressionists often paint out of doors and want to show how light and shadow fall on objects at particular times of the day. Their works are sometimes described as “captured moments” and are characterized by short quick brushstrokes (笔) of colour which, when viewed up close looks quite messy and unreal. If we step back from the Impressionist paintings, the colours are blended together by our eyes and we are able to see the painters’ subjects which often show colourful landscapes, sunlight on water as well as people busy with outdoor activities.Before Impressionism, the works of artists were .
| A．quite abstract | B．very confusing |
| C．very detailed | D．quite controversial |
Who first started Impressionism? ___________
| A．Claude Monet. | B．Edouard Manet. |
| C．Auguste Renoir. | D．Alfred Sisley. |
The works of the Impressionists are best viewed .
| A．with imagination | B．at a distance |
| C．outdoors | D．in a studio |
The second paragraph is mainly about ______.
| A．the painting style of the Impressionists |
| B．how to describe the Impressionist paintings |
| C．the influences of the Impressionist paintings |
| D．the subjects of the Impressionist paintings |
We are all busy talking about and using the Internet but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals, and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet easier.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mails is more and more popular among young people.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life.
回答下面问题，在答题卡相应题号后的横线上写下相关信息。When was the Internet set up?（不多于3个单词）
___________________________________________________________________________Why did a new network system have to be set up?（不多于6个单词）
___________________________________________________________________________What is the writer’s purpose of this passage?（不多于11个单词）
___________________________________________________________________________
The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States. It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population, and some of which fight for the passing of laws that would give every American the right to a place to call home. According to the Coalition’s studies, of over two hundred million people living in the United States, up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing. Since the late 1970s, fast-rising house prices, large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession(经济衰退) have make it impossible for many Americans to meet housing costs. Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and/or unable to find new affordable homes. According to another research, families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it. The old idea of a homeless person, that of the single man who gets drunk all the time, is no longer true. A much larger part of the population now finds itself homeless. Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job, since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job application.The word “ address” in the first line probably means “ ________”.
| A．talk about | B．write to | C．fight for | D．deal with |
How many people are homeless in the U.S according to the Coalition studies?
| A．About 3 million people | B．200 million people |
| C．39% of the population | D．About one-fifth of the population |
Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because_______.
| A．they often don’t have enough work experience |
| B．they mostly have a drinking problem |
| C．they aren’t supported by government programs |
| D．they have no home address |
What’s the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U.S.?
| A．The passing of new housing laws. |
| B．The ever-rising price of housing. |
| C．The slow construction of houses. |
| D．The fast growth of family size |