One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw Kyle from my class walking home from school. It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running towards him knocking all his books out of his arms so he landed in the dirt. I saw terrible sadness in his eyes.
Handing him his books, I said, "Those guys are fools. They really should get punished." He smiled at me gratefully. It was the smile that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. I invited him to play football on Saturday with me. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years: your parents, your teachers, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends. I am here to tell you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable." I heard the gasp(倒吸气) go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Each day is a gift from God! Don’t forget to say, “Thank you!”When I first met Kyle, he ______.
A.ran with a bunch of kids |
B.felt very sorrowful |
C.got hurt landing in the dirt |
D.was tired from walking |
The reason why Kyle and I become friends is all the following EXCEPT that _____.
A.I helped him pick up his book |
B.I talked with him all the way home |
C.I helped him punish the kids chasing him |
D.I asked him to play football on weekend |
In Paragraph4, the underline word “them” refers to _____.
A.your coaches | B.your teachers |
C.your parents | D.your friends |
What can we infer from Paragraph5?
A.My kindness helped Kyle through his hard time. |
B.It was Kyle’s weakest time after he met me. |
C.Kyle experienced his hardest time when speaking. |
D.Kyle’s parents managed to stop him from killing himself. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To tell us a story about friendship. |
B.To show us the impact of kindness. |
C.To advise us to be grateful for God. |
D.To help us get through the hard time. |
Laptop computers are popular all over the world.People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels.These laptops connect people to their workplace.In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want.Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop.The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college.The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet.In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families.However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs.They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology , laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable.As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers.In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources.State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students.State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers.The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons.As one Westlake teacher said, “ Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world.They can see everything and do everything.”The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.
A.u![]() |
B.access the Internet |
C.work at home | D.connect them to libraries |
Why is the word “speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks(引号)?
A.They don’t really talk. | B.They use the computer language. |
C.Laptops have speakers. | D.None of the above reasons is correct. |
Which of the following is true about Westlake College?
A.All teachers use computers. | B.1500 students have laptops. |
C.It is an old college in America. | D.Students there can do everything. |
A window on the world in the last paragraph means that students can ________.
A.attend lectures on information technology |
B.travel around the world |
C.get information from around the world |
D.have free laptops |
When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often.It is only when we can not see perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are.
People who are nearsighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes.Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted.Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly.
People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem.They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book unless they hold it at arm’s length.If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too.
Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape.This, too, can be corrected by glasses.Some people’s eyes become cloudy because of cataracts.Long ago these people often became blind.Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them.
When night falls, colors become fainter to the eyes and finally disappear.After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers.Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you, which seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction.This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly.Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them.When they turn to look straight at it, they can not see it any more, and they believe they were mistaken.However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark.We don’t know that our eyes are of great importance until ________.
A.we think about our eyes | B.we cannot see clearly |
C.we wear glasses | D.we have to do much reading |
According to the passage, a ________ is more likely to be nearsighted.
A.student | B.doctor | C.guard | D.painter |
People who are farsighted ________ .
A.can do a lot of close work without glasses |
B.can only see things that are very close to their eyes |
C.have difficulty reading a book if they hold it at arm’s length |
D.can correct their eyes by glasses |
To see a small thing at night, it is better to look ________ .
A.with wide open eyes | B.with half shut or narrowed eyes |
C.straight at it | D.in a slightly different direction |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Italy.They were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago.These violins sound better than any others.They even sound better than violins made today.Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins.But they aren’t the same.Musicians still prefer the old ones.No one really knows why these old Italian violins are so special, but many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins.They say that today’s violins will also sound wonderful someday.But there is a problem here.Not all old violins sound wonderful.Only those from Cremona are special.So age cannot be the answer.There must be something different about Cremona or those Italian violin makers.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood.The wood of the violin is very important.It must be from certain kinds of trees.It must not be too young or too old.Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important.It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way.Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully.It has to be the right size and shape.The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin.Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians.Maybe they understood more than we d
o about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer either.Scientists measured these old violins very carefully.They can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape.But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one.Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny.It also helps the sound of the instrument.No one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish.So no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona.Their secret may be lost forever.Young musicians today hope this is not true.They need fine violins.But there aren’t very many of the old violins left.Also, the old violins are very expensive.Recently, a famous old Italian violin was sold for about US $ 300,000!This passage is about _______.
A.making violins | B.musical instruments |
C.scientific ideas | D.the old Italian violins |
The best violins _______.
A.are made with modern techniques | B.were lost many years ago |
C.were made in Italy 200 years ago | D.were made by scientists. |
Some people think that modem violins ______.
A.will sound better in the future | B.will sound worse in the future |
C.sound wonderful naturally | D.will never be as old as those from Cremona |
Violins made today _______.
A.look the same as the old ones |
B.sound the same as the old ones |
C.are better than the old ones |
D.have the same varnish as the old ones |
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours.This kind of loneliness is not serious.In fact, it is quite normal.For some people, though, loneliness can last for years.Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary(暂时的).This is the most common type.It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention.The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation--- for example, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place.Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.The third kind of loneliness is the most severe.Unlike the second type, chronic(长期的)loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause.People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others.Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease.While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.
How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage ?
A.Talk to friends.![]() |
B.Just ignore it. |
C.Go to see a doctor. | D.Ask your teachers for guidance. |
“ It” in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to ______.
A.temporary loneliness | B.situational loneliness |
C.a new place | D.sleeplessness |
Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people ?
A.Chronic loneliness can cause family problems. |
B.Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness. |
C.Chronic loneliness can not be overcome. |
D.Such people are harmful to society. |
What is the best title for the passage ?
A.Three kinds of loneliness | B.Loneliness and Diseases |
C.Loneliness and Social Contacts | D.Chronic Loneliness |
Plastic is one of the most important technological discoveries of the 20th century. However, it may soon be replaced. The new development- liquid wood- can replace plastics in all branches of modern-day industries.
Plastic as a material enjoys the biggest demand in the modern world, but it does have a number of drawbacks. First and foremost, plastic isn’t recyclable. Secondly, it contains toxins (毒物) helping develop cancerous diseases. Finally, it’s made of oil and oil reserves aren’t endless.
The liquid wood technology is likely to replace plastic and providing mankind with new materials for many years ahead. Norbert Eisenfreich, a senior researcher at the Faunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Germany (ICT), said that arboform, the new material, is made of lignin(木素质), which can be obtained from soft tissues of wood. Once mixed with several other matenals, it turns into solid and non-toxic alternative for plastics.
ICT team leader Emilia Regina Inone-Kauffmann said the wood-working industry separates wood into three basic components, including lignin. Lignin isn’t used for the production of paper. Specialists of ICT mixed lignin with several natural materials and thus invented the material which could be melted and molded (铸型).
When solid, arboform looks like plastic and possesses tho qualitie of polished wood. It can be used for the production of any items. Arboform is already used for the production of car parts which require extra strength. In addition, liquid wood can be recycled repeatedly. The material preserved all of its qualities even if it’s reprocessed ten times.
However, the new invention doesn’t enjoy an extensive use due to the high content of sulfur(硫) in it. German researchers are sure to reduce the amount of sulfur by 90% very soon to make arboform usable for home needs.According to the passage, plastic.
A.helps us to reduce the use of petrol |
B.helps to protect our environment in some way |
C.does harm to our society in some way |
D.has been replaced by the newly discovered material |
What’s the advantage of arboform over plastic?
A.It is easier made from natural oil. |
B.It is more widely used in household |
C.It is recyclable and friendly to environment. |
D.It contains no poisonous materials. |
The underlined word “altemative” in Paragraph 3 means.
A.lignin or arboform | B.soft tissues of wood |
C.plastics or wood | D.mixture of several materials |
It can be concluded that German researchers will focus their future work firstly on.
A.the material’s extensive use | B.the content of sulfur in arboform |
C.the production cost of arboform | D.the qualities of liquid wood |
The main purpose of the text is to.
A.introduce liquid wood which will replace plastic |
B.show readers how to produce arboform |
C.advertise the new material-arboform |
D.advertise new products made of arboform |