BBlindsidedInmanyways,NatalieO-优题课

The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on the earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.
It is the elephant’s great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas(热带草原). In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.
What is the passage mainly about?

A．Disappearance of African elephants.

B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.

C．The effect of African elephants’ search for food.

D．The eating habit of African elephants.

What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?

A．Fixing the time.	B．Worsening the state.
C．Improving the quality.	D．Deciding the conditions.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The African elephant is the largest animal on the earth.

B．African elephants have 300 pounds of plants every day, including small trees and underbushes.

C．The African elephant is in a way the builder of the environment like other land animals.

D．If the African elephant disappears, the whole ecosystem won’t be affected.

The passage is developed mainly by .

A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes

B．pointing out similarities and differences

C．describing the changes in space order

D．giving examples

Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences，especially during Spring Break—a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip？Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
Save：This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead：Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework：No matter where you go，research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly：Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups：Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go：Need more money to support your trip？Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path：Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesserknown area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
Pack necessary things：The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
Use the Internet：The net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.bargainslowestfare.com_and_www.Economictravel.com.
By planning sensibly，even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.
This passage is about________.

A．how to plan your travel

B．how to travel with enough money

C．how to make your travel interesting

D．how to get life experiences

Before your trip，the first thing you should do is________.

A．to make a plan of the route

B．to get information from the Internet

C．to save money by spending less

D．to buy tickets in advance

The writer advises you________.

A．to share costs with any other people

B．not to go to wellknown places

C．not to visit dangerous places

D．to buy anything you want to buy

During your trip，________.

A．you need more shoes than clothes

B．you shouldn't look for work all the way

C．you can gain valuable life experiences

D．you should forget to do your homework

Wherever she goes, Molly leaves her mark. Without saying a word, she speaks to people with her kind eyes. Even when she walks away, she leaves an impression．Molly’s mark is a smile, stamped into the ground by the horseshoe at the bottom of her false leg．
A few years ago, Molly was badly attacked by a dog．The dog bit all four of Molly’s legs and left large cuts in her face. Molly’s owner, Kate Harris, took her to an animal hospital．Doctors there were able to save Molly’s life, but soon one of her legs became very infected(感染).
At first, doctors thought Molly would have to be put to sleep．But Molly changed their minds. This pony, doctors noticed, shifted her weight, and rested her good leg from time to time. Doctors knew that Molly had amazing intelligence, and that she wanted to live.
Several doctors operated on Molly, and removed her infected leg. A false leg was made for her. The leg was a hollow cast with a pole at the bottom for balance. Doctors gave Molly a special horseshoe at the bottom of the leg. This horseshoe she had had a stamp of a smile face in it!
After the operation, Molly walked around on all four legs, as if nothing had ever happened to her! Now, with every step she takes, she stamps a smile in the dirt．But she leaves her m ark in other ways, too.
Kaye Harris took Molly to the false leg center. There were children there who, like Molly, had artificial arms or legs. They were amazed to see a pony with a false leg. Molly made them smile and gave them hope. Soon, Molly began to visit schools, nursing homes, army bases and hospitals. A book was even written about Molly!
Molly is the name of a . .

A．dog

B．horse

C．parent

D．child

Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．Molly can speak to people in kind words.

B．Kay Harris took Molly to a children’s hospital after the attack.

C．In the beginning, doctors had planned to end Molly’s life.

D．Molly sometimes leaves smiling marks on people’s faces.

What is unique about Molly?

A．Molly has a false leg with a horseshoe shaped like a smiling face.

B．Molly ran a race and won the first prize.

C．Molly often visits places such as schools and parks.

D．Molly has become a symbol of hope for people of all ages.

Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A Book on Molly	B．A False Leg
C．A successful Operation	D．Leaving her Mark

Children like to imagine they are someone else in a game. As a parent you might never guess how it can benefit your child. It helps your child：
Develop Social Skills
As children play pretend games，they explore relationships between family members，friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact.Playing doctors，they imagine how physicians care for their patients.Imaginative play helps develop empathy(移情) with others.If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet，they are better able to help those in need.They become more willing to play fair，to share，and to cooperate.
Build Selfconfidence
Young children have very little control over their lives.Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers or a super hero defending the planet is inspiring to children.It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Promote Intellectual Growth
Using imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically.This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numbers symbolize groups of objects，letters symbolize sounds，and so on.
Practice Language Skills
Kids who pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps increase their vocabulary，improve sentence structure and develop communication skills.
Get Rid of Fears
Pretending can help children get rid of their fears and worries.When children roleplay the big，bad monster under the bed，they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad.
Which of the following can help children develop social skills in a game?

A．Pretending to be a super hero.

B．Preparing a delicious dinner with mud.

C．Helping a doctor to attend patients.

D．Pretending to be a doctor.

Why can imagination build children's selfconfidence?

A．It makes them feel as if they were much more powerful than they really are.

B．It helps them protect people and make much greater progress.

C．It helps them gain control over themselves.

D．It makes them more willing to play fair.

Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?

A．While playing pretend games，children learn to get along with others.

B．Playing pretend games helps children to do well while they are in school.

C．Playing pretend games only helps children psychologically.

D．Playing pretend games is good for children's development.

The best title for this passage probably is________.

A．Benefits of Playing Pretend Games

B．Tips on How to Improve Your Children's Imagination

C．Advantages of Playing Outdoors

D．Skills in Playing Pretend Games

There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Laughter is good for health.

B．Laughter can make you become old quickly.

C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.

D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.

The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “”.

A．delays

B．prevents

C．increases

D．reduces

Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?

A．Because they want to earn more money.

B．Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.

C．Because they want to improve their patients’ health.

D．Because they want their patients to laugh more.

According to the author, we should __________ in our life.

A．laugh as much as possible

B．watch more funny films

C．smile all the time

D．spend time in the laughter clinics

What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.

B．Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.

C．Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.

D．Laughter is the best medicine.

Blindsided	In many ways, Natalie O’Reilly is a typical 14-year-old girl. But Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months. Natalie is sent to school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille(盲文). Outwardly, she does as she’s told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle(奇迹) that will free her from a fearful life of blindness. But the miracle does not come. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she master the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight?
Crossing the Tracks	At 15, Iris seems to have no home, no family, no direction. After her mother’s early death, Iris’s father focuses on big plans for his new shoes stores and his latest girlfriend, and has no time for his daughter. Unknown to her, he hires Iris out as housekeeper and companion for a country doctor’s elderly mother. Iris is buoyed by the warmth and understanding the doctor and his mother show her, but just as she starts to break out of her trouble, a disaster strikes. Iris must find the courage to discover if she is really as helpless — or as hopeless — as she once believed.
The Education of Bet	Will and Bet were brother and sister. Being a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home. Will is allowed — forced — to go to school. So Bet comes up with a plan: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can then live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.
X-Isle	Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is believed to be easier. Only young boys stand a chance of getting in, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise(天堂). It’s a violent, unpredictable place, where terrible things can happen at any moment.

A．easier for life	B．no paradise
C．chosen for lucky men	D．a romantic place