Mr. Clinton and his 13-year-old son Tony are baseball fans. Last October 10th was Tony’s birthday, so Mr. Clinton decided to drive him to New York, for the first game of the World Series (世界职业棒球大赛). They had no ticket but hoped to buy a pair from others.
After they arrived, they walked in the street for two hours, carrying a sign, “We need two tickets.” Then they found the cheapest ticket was $200. They were about to leave when suddenly a man stopped them. He took out two tickets and handed them to Mr. Clinton.
“How much do you want?”
“Just a present.” said the man, “Enjoy the game.”
Mr. Clinton wouldn’t accept, so the man explained, “I’m Jackson. Hans is my boss. He and his wife haven’t missed a World Series in 18 years. But he is ill and can’t watch the game this time. So he told me to give the two tickets to people who would actually enjoy the game. Then I saw you and I followed you for a while. You seemed very sad. You made me think of my dad and me when I was a child. I dreamed of going to a World Series game with my father. But my dream never came true.”
How do you suppose this made Mr. Clinton and his son feel? Here is what Mr. Clinton said: “This is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to us. My boy and I must have turned to each other over 30 times and said, ‘I can’t believe this.’ We still never forget Jackson and Hans.” Mr. Clinton took his son Tony to watch the first game of the World Series because .
A.he got two tickets for the game |
B.they both liked watching games |
C.it was a birthday present for Tony |
D.he had enough time and money |
The two tickets from Jackson saved Mr. Clinton at least ________.
A.$100 | B.$ 200 | C.$ 300 | D.$ 400 |
From the passage we can know that Hans and his wife often ________.
A.watched the World Series |
B.gave a hand to the poor |
C.sold the tickets for World Series |
D.missed the wonderful game |
Which of the following sentence is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Mr. Clinton hoped to buy the tickets at the ticket office. |
B.Mr. Clinton and his son were very thankful after getting the tickets. |
C.Jackson’s dream of going to a World Series game came true in the end. |
D.Jackson was ill in hospital and couldn’t watch the World Series game. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
A.A special present. | B.A helpful boss. |
C.A wonderful game. | D.An excellent dream. |
When the earthquake hit Japan on March 11,workers in a supermarket in Japan didn’t run away when they felt the shaking. Instead, they held on to the shelves and tried to stop the goods(货物)from falling down.
Reporters from NHK, the country’s largest TV station, stayed calm in front of cameras during the earthquake, even though some were facing real danger.
The earthquake was the most powerful one to hit Japan in the country’s history. But Japan’s reaction(反应) to the accident has shown that it is the most earthquake-prepared country in the world. The calm the Japanese showed during and after the quake has impressed the world.
This is because Japan has “an earthquake culture”.Japanese people are taught how to prepare for and react to earthquakes from a young age.
Schools in Japan organize earthquake practices every month. They make students become familiar with being in an earthquake.
Japan also has a good earthquake warning system(警报系统).Warnings were broadcast on television, radio and mobile phones nine seconds after experts(专家)first knew about the quake on March 11.
The warning system is unable to predict earthquakes. But it can usually alert people about 15 seconds before they feel the effects. Even 15 or 20 seconds can be enough time to save people’s lives.How did Japanese people react when the big earthquake hit Japan on March 11?
A.They felt angry. | B.They were scared. |
C.They stayed calm. | D.They were frustrated. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Japan’s reaction to the earthquake impressed the world. |
B.Japanese schools organize earthquake practice every day. |
C.Japan has a warning system that can predict earthquakes. |
D.Japanese people learn about earthquake safety only from universities. |
.After experts first knew about the quake on March 11,warnings were not broadcast ____.
A.on radio | B.on the movie | C.on television | D.on mobile phones |
What does the underlined word “alert”mean in Chinese?
A.改善 | B.提高 | C.提醒 | D.改变 |
What does the s
tory mainly tell us about?
A.Japan’s earthquake culture. |
B.The bad results caused by the earthquake. |
C.Japanese people were scared after the earthquake. |
D.Japanese people were homeless after the earthquake. |
This Thursday, across the US, kids are skipping school(缺课)and going to work with their parents. They’ll be making copies, sending faxes(传真)and sweeping floors. This is because April 28 is Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day all over the US. This holiday shows kids what it means to be a grown-up in the working world.
I still remember when this day started, I was very happy. Not only did I have the chance to miss school, but I also got to sit in my dad’s taxi all day long and we would go to a
restaurant for lunch.
But after only 20 minutes of driving around the city. I was very bored. I couldn’t read my book in the car as I would get carsick(晕车)and my dad didn’t like to turn on the radio. I got hot and uncomfortable. people wouldn’t get into his taxi because they thought he already had a passenger: me—so nothing happened. It seemed years before we went out for lunch. I actually started to miss school.
While the point of the day is to give kids a chance to experience real-life jobs and give them an idea of the possibilities(可能性) for their futures, I got something completely different from the day. I learned to appreciate(重视) school. Where else do you get to play with your friends, do science experiments, read great books and write stories all in one day?
Just as you’ll have to learn to love your job later in life, learn to love school now. If you don’t already, try spending the day at work with your dad.When is the “Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day”all over the US?
A.On February 28. | B.On March 28. | C.On April 28 | D.On May 28. |
That day the writer was happy at first for the following reasons except _____.
A.she didn’t have to go to school | B.she would work as a grown-up |
C.she could sit in her father’s taxi all day. | D.she would go our for lunch with her father |
Why didn’t people get into the writer’s father’s taxi?
A.Because her father didn’t like to turn on the radio. |
B.Because they thought the writer was a passenger. |
C.Because her father’s car was hot and uncomfortable. |
D.Because her father didn’t stop to take any passengers. |
Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the “Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day”?
A.To teach kids to appreciate school. |
B.To give kids a chance to experience real-life jobs. |
C.To give kids an idea of the possibilities for their futures. |
D.To show kids what it means to be adults in the working world. |
What did the writer learn that day?
A.It’s boring to drive a taxi. | B.Working with dad is fun. |
C.It’s hard to make money. | D.School life is much better. |
Like most teenagers in the world, Joso Montanaro a teen artist in Brazil, likes reading and drawing cartoons. But he is special—his drawings get published(出版).
Montanaro is now drawing cartoons for Folha. Folha is Brazil’s largest newspaper and is known for its cartoons. Montanaro has already been working at Folha for two years. Each week he draws two, there or four cartoons and sends them to the paper. From those editors choose one for the next day’s page.
Montanaro draws about the news of the day. Recently he worked on The Wave—a drawing of the tsunami(海啸) that hit Japan. Montanaro also likes to draw cartoons about the funny things that happen in Brazilian politics(政治).
“I like doing political drawings because you can joke about somebody bigger than you.” Montanaro says.
Folha’s art director ,Mario Kanno, says editors saw something new and different in Montanaro’s work.“We brought him in with this idea to show that, yes, young people also read newspapers and can show their ideas on politics,”Kanno says.
Montanaro’s love for cartoons began when be was only 7 or 8 year old. His dad bought him comics. Montanaro says these books gave him the ideas that got him drawing.“I think those great works have really helped me,”he says.“They remind me that I should draw something in my book every day.”What is Montanaro doing for Folha now?
A.He is publishing story books. | B.He is drawing cartoons. |
C.He is sending newspapers. | D.He is writing articles. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Folha is famous for its cartoons. |
B.Folha is the largest newspaper in Brazil. |
C.Montanaro draws one cartoon for Folha every week. |
D.Montanaro began to work for Folha two years ago. |
Why does Montanaro like drawing political cartoons?
A.Because he can show his ideas on politics. |
B.Because he is very interested in political jobs. |
C.Because he thinks it’s easier to draw political cartoons. |
D.Because he can make fun of some important people. |
What made Montanaro draw and helped him a lot in his drawings?
A.The comics his dad bought him. | B.His interest in cartoon films. |
C.The fun of drawing cartoons. | D.His dad’s ideas about cartoons. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
A.Folha’s art director. | B.Brazil’s largest newspaper. |
C.Teen artist in Brazil. | D.Montanaro’s great father. |
Reading is very important. World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It encourages people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor (尊敬) great writers.
Many countries celebrate (庆祝) World Book Day. On that day, millions of school children can buy books at a much lower price than usual in any bookstore in England. It has been done every year since 1998. World Book Day is also celebrated in China. Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, is an avid reader. He does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Book Day 2009, he called on (号召) people to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. “Books can not change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading,” he said.
Reading helps us become more knowledgeable and smarter. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology (技术). Reading gives us information about other cultures and places in the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English. We all know that it is difficult to learn everything in the classroom, for example, the ways English people are living and working today can be learnt by reading.
Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the outside world. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time reading every day.When is World Book Day?
A.August 8 every year. | B.March 12 every year. |
C.April 23 every year. | D.June 6 every year. |
An avid reader is a person who __________.
A.loves reading | B.never reads | C.does some reading | D.hates reading |
World Book Day was set up in order to encourage people to __________.
A.learn foreign languages | B.do more reading |
C.buy more books | D.know more about science |
According to the passage, reading can help people in many ways EXCEPT _____.
A.learning English better | B.knowing more about cultures |
C.improving your health | D.knowing more about the outside world |
What’s the best title for the article?
A.World Book Day in England. |
B.Suggestions on Reading. |
C.World Book Day in China. |
D.World Book Day and the Advantages of Reading. |
How to Become Fit?
Healthy eating habit along with regular exercise is the only way to become fit. If you have the correct number of calories and exercise regularly, you will lose weight, keep fit, and feel great, too.
During your teenage years, it is important to give your body the energy it needs. If you skip (跳过) meals, you won’t get enough calories, and then you will feel tired. By the way, calorie is just another word for energy. About 50% of your calories should come from rice, bread, vegetables and fruit. You also need to drink a lot of water, 6 to 8 glasses a day. Water helps keep your system clean. Drinking enough water will make your skin better and make you healthy.
Exercise is something that can help to make you look good, feel good and be healthy. Experts suggest that teenagers spend at least 30 minutes exercising, five times a week. That is easy to do! You can walk or ride your bike to school, and do sports at school. However, teenagers often give up sports, saying they have no time left after their studies. In fact, doing exercise can help them sleep better at night and increase their ability to focus on their study.
If you follow the suggestions above, you will look and feel much better and become fit. What’s the main idea of this passage?
A.How to eat food. | B.How to exercise. |
C.How to lose weight. | D.How to keep fit. |
The underlined word “calories” means ________ in this passage.
A.营养 | B.能量 | C.强壮 | D.锻炼 |
Teenagers spend at least _______ minutes exercising a week according to this passage.
A.150 | B.50 | C.30 | D.5 |
If you ________, you will become fit.
A.exercise regularly |
B.drink lots of water |
C.eat rice, bread, vegetables and fruit |
D.have a healthy eating habit along with regular exercise |
Why do teenagers give up sports in school according to this passage?
Because they _________.
A.are lazy | B.feel great |
C.are busy with their studies | D.don’t like sports |