Martin Lynch, an American businessman, had been going on vacation to a small Mexican fishing village for a number of years. One morning while going for a walk along the beach, he saw his friend Pablo Perez, a local fisherman. Martin watched Pablo unload the fish from his boat and pack the fish in a box.
Martin noticed Pablo was smiling and looked very happy. He could also see several large fish in the boat. Martin greeted Pablo and asked how long it took to catch the fish. “Just a few hours,” replied Pablo. Martin asked, “Why didn’t you stay longer and catch more fish?” “I have enough for my family,” Pablo said. “And How do you spend the rest of your day?” asked Martin. “I take a nap, play with my children, spend time with my wife, and go into the village to see my friends and play cards, I have a full and busy life.” Martin explained that if Pablo worked longer hours and caught more fish, he could make more money. With the extra（额外的）money, Pablo could buy more boats and catch many more fish. By selling the fish, Pablo could open his own factory and sell direct to supermarkets.
“Then what?” asked Pablo. “Well you would probably have to move to Mexico City to run the business. Finally, you would be able to sell your business and make millions of dollars,” replied Martin. “How long will that take?” asked Pablo.
Martin thought for a while and said it would probably take at least 15 years.
“And then what?” asked Pablo.
“Well, that’s the best part,” Martin said. “You will be able to retire(退休), buy a house near the sea, sleep longer, play with your children, spend more time with your wife, see your friends, and play cards.”What makes the Mexican fisherman happy is ______________.
| A．many friends to visit him |
| B．a full and busy life |
| C．more boats and more fish |
| D．the house near the sea |
How can the fisherman make more money in the businessman’s view（观点）?
| A．By buying a supermarket. |
| B．To move to Mexico City. |
| C．By selling his own business. |
| D．To work longer and catch more fish. |
The underlined word “unload” in the passage means ____________.
| A．分发 | B．装进 | C．卸载 | D．出售 |
We can infer(推理) from the passage that ____________.
| A．the fisherman will stay the same with his life |
| B．the fisherman will leave the village for Mexico City |
| C．the business man will buy the fisherman’s boat |
| D．it takes all day for the fisherman to catch large fish |
What is the story mainly about?
| A．A businessman and a fisherman have become friends. |
| B．A businessman learns how to fish from a fisherman. |
| C．A businessman wants to become a businessman. |
| D．A businessman gives advice to a fisherman. |
The village of Hengly was going to have the Bean Olympics.It was a competition to see which kind of bean would grow the fastest and tallest.Everybody was excited.They couldn’t waited to show their best plants.
Cassie knew clearly which bean she would choose for the competition,for her family had planted a special “family bean.”It was a flat bean that her greatgrandparents had brought from Sicily.Her grandmother planted the beans every year and served them at many meals.Cassie was sure they would be unbeatable beans.
However,the plan did not work out that way.Although Cassie’s bean plants looked healthy with beautiful purple flowers,they did not grow as fast or climb as high as any of her neighbors’.These people chose beans from seed(种子)stores.Their beans had wonderful names like “Rocket” or “Top Crop.”One type was even named “King’s Bean.”That was the bean Ivan planted,and his plants climbed almost to the top of the fence.Cassie’s plants were just near the middle of the fence.
On the day of the competition,Cassie was disappointed that her beans were in last place.Ivan laughed at hr beans and said she could win a prize for the slowest,shortest beans.
The organizer,Mr.Williams,handed out medals for the fastest-growing and the tallest beans plants.“Now there remains only one final test,and it is just as important:the taste test.”
Mr.Williams cooked the beans from each competitor and chose five experienced villagers as judges(裁判).
Cassie was nervous.Would her family beans lose another time?
After the judges tasted the beans,Mr.Williams counted the results.“We have a winner,” Mr.Williams announced.“The judges all agree that Cassie’s beans are the winner.”
Cassie grinned at this unexpected result.Many of her neighbors,even Ivan asked for her seeds.They were all in favor of the good-tasting beans even though they didn’t grow fast or very tall.
Cassie’s beans were from _____________.
| A．the organizer | B．seed stores |
| C．her neighbors | D．her family |
Cassie won the prize for ____________.
| A．the tallest beans | B．the most delicious beans |
| C．the most beautiful beans | D．the fastest-growing beans |
What does the underlined word grinned probably mean in the passage?
| A．smiled widely | B．left silently |
| C．nodded quickly | D．sang sadly |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．The experience of growing beans. |
| B．The tallest bean in the competition. |
| C．The history of a special family bean. |
| D．The bean competition in Hengly Village. |
Is it fair for restaurants to ban(禁止)little eaters?In Monronroeville,a local restaurant,McDain’s,recently decided to ban young children.Alice Roseman,its manager,says kids have bad manners and make too much noise.Other people,however,say the rule is hard to accept.Since it has become a hot topic in public,we caught several local people talking about it.
| YES There is no law stopping restaurants from banning young children.Restaurant owners should be allowed to ban them.Kids often run around and cause problems for waiters and other customers. ----Kate Barker Kids always cause a mess,but the parents refuse to do anything about their kids’ behaviors.Although kids may be at the center of their parents’ universe,they aren’t at the center of everyone else’s. ------Mike Vuick Adults sometimes want to talk and enjoy their dinner,but they can’t if a child is crying and running all over the place.That’s why sometimes parents don’t like eating at home.They wish they could have a good meal in the restaurants without kids’ noise. ------Dale Levitsky |
| NO Banning kids from restaurants is a bad idea.If kids were banned,many restaurants would lose business.Even if restaurants gave customers the chance to buy take-away meals for their kids,many families would probably still not eat there. --------Nicholas Song Restaurants owners who ban kids think all children are wild and rude.But that’s not true. Most children’s eating behaviors are good enough.Even though some kids do have bad manners,banning is not a right way to teach them.I think how a society treats its children is important.After all,all kids are people,too. ------Elliott Hall |
The restaurant in Monronroeville refuses ___________ to eat there.
| A．kids | B．pets | C．men | D．women |
Dale Levitsky thinks parents sometimes don’t like eating at home because _________________.
| A．they are too busy |
| B．they dislike doing the dishes |
| C．kids are too noisy |
| D．restaurant food is more delicious |
Who thinks it is wrong to ban kids?
| A．Alice Roseman | B．Kate Barker |
| C．Mike Vuick | D．Nicholas Song |
Which of the following opinion is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Children waste too much food. |
| B．Not all kids have bad behaviors. |
| C．Boys make more noise than girls. |
| D．Restaurants needn’t help parents. |
The most interesting festivals around the world
| Contents Introduction.....................................1 ＊Baby Crying Day......................2 ＊Cheese--rolling Festival ............................................4 ＊Color Throwing Festival .................................................6 ＊Fish Swallowing Festival ................................................8 ＊International Pillow Fight Day ............11 ＊International Twins Festival ................13 ＊Raincoat Festival ......................15 ＊Roswell UFO Festival ..................16 ＊Tomato Festival........................18 ＊Water Fighting Day...................19 ＊Wife Carrying Festival..............20 ＊World Bodypainting Festival .............22 |
International Pillow(枕头) Fight Day International Pillow Fight Day is held every April around the world---from Amsterdam,Budapest,to New York.It has been celebrated since 2008.Hundreds of people go out with their pillows hitting each other’s face,back and chest.People dress up as superheroes and animals,laughing and fighting. The festival used to be a game to release (释放)energy and stress.Nowadays besides bringing fun,International Pillow Fight Day has become a way to quickly collect pillows for the homeless.In 2014,about 2,000 pillows were collected for the poor in Bronx and Brooklyn. Rules:Bring your own pillows and don’t hit anyone without a pillow or with a camera. The Guinness World Record:The latest record of the largest pillow fight was set on October 27,2013 in Chicago,with 4,500 pillows and 3,813 people. ----11---- |
The International Pillow Fight Day was first celebrated in _________.
| A．2000 | B．2008 | C．2013 | D．2014 |
The latest Guinness World Record of the largest pillow fight was set in _______________.
| A．Chicago | B．Amsterdam | C．Budapest | D．New York |
You may read about ______________ on the Page 19.
| A．Baby Crying Day | B．Color Throwing Festival |
| C．Water Fighting Day | D．World Bodypainting Festival |
Did you have any interesting dreams last night? Do you know everyone dreams? But not everyone remembers their dreams. A person can usually have up to seven dreams a night, and each dream usually lasts from 10 to 40 minutes.
Why do we dream? Scientists believe that we dream to remember because dreams come from our memories and they tell us a lot about ourselves. They also help us learn from the past and even help us solve problems.
Different dreams mean differently to people. For example, if you dream about flying, you are probably quite happy. This is a good time in your life. You may feel that other people see you as a leader. And when you dream that you didn’t study for a test, it usually means you are worried about an important thing coming in your life.
Hi Sam! Sorry I haven’t emailed recently— I’ve been revising for my exams. I have finished them now and I have got some time to relax and some money to spend on going out. Last weekend, I went to see a great film called Yes Man. If you haven’t seen it, you must go! Jim Carrey plays the main character and it’s very funny--and also quite encouraging. It’s based on a book by Danny Wallace which is also called Yes Man. I read the book a few months ago and that’s hilarious, too – I really laughed out loud!
The book is a true story about what happens to the writer, Danny. Basically, he found that he was doing nothing all the time, just worrying about things and complaining about his life. He wasn’t seeing his friends much, so he was lonely and bored. Then one day, he was on a bus in London when he sat down next to a man. The man was a stranger, but they started talking. Danny told him about his boring life and the man just gave him three words: ‘Say “yes” more.’ And for Danny this was a turning point in his life. Those three words influenced everything he did. At that moment, he made a decision: ‘I will say “yes” to everything!’ And he wrote a book about what happened to him in the next year or so. Three years later, the book was made into a hit film.
The film is based on the book although there are some differences. First, it’s set in the US instead of England. Secondly, the main character is based on Danny, but he called Carl in the film. And what’s more, he doesn’t meet a man on a bus. His turning point comes when he goes to a self-help class and they advise him to say “yes” more.
In the film, Carl succeeds in changing his life and doing lots of crazy things: he has flying lessons, he learns to speak Korean and he rides a motorbike with no clothes on! The storyline isn’t very strong. It’s quite weak, I suppose, but all Carl’s stories are very interesting— especially because Jim Carrey is a very funny actor.
I’m really interested in the film because there’s a serious message, too. I believe in making the most of life and I’ve decided I’m going to be more positive. I’ve decided I’m not going to stay at home so much. I’m going to do more things, see my friends more and everything. Actually, that’s why I’m emailing you! It would be great if we could meet up soon. Let me know when you are free.
All the best, Adam
The underlined word hilarious in Paragraph 1 most probably means _____.
| A．simple | B．helpful | C．humorous | D．meaningful |
In Paragraph 3, there are_____ differences mentioned between the book and the film.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
Adam wrote this email mainly _____.
| A．to talk about what he was doing recently |
| B．to introduce the book Yes Man written by Danny to Sam |
| C．to advise Sam to watch the film Yes Man made in US |
| D．to talk about why and how he wants to change his life |
From the email we can infer (推断) that _____.
| A．Sam will love Yes Man as much as Adam does |
| B．Yes Man must be the most popular book in the US |
| C．Adam used to stay at home a lot before seeing Yes Man |
| D．Jim Carrey is now a very funny actor because of Yes Man |