Saturday was going to be a special day for Sara. It was her birthday. No one had mentioned her birthday so far, and it was already Wednesday. “ ”, Sara thought to herself.
Sara went to school and told her friend, Jenny, that Saturday was her birthday.
“I know,” said Jenny. “Lynn told all the girls about your birthday.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize everyone knew,” said Sara. Saturday finally came and Sara got up early.
“Good morning, Sara,” said Mum.
“Hi,” said Sara. She looked around, but didn’t see anyone making a fuss over her birthday.
“What are you doing today?” asked Mum.
“Just stay at home,” said Sara, feeling a bit sad. She didn’t want to tell Mum it was her birthday.
“Why don’t you come with me to the Recreation Centre?” asked Mum.
“What will I do there?” asked Sara.
Mum said they needed help with a community project.
That afternoon Sara and her mum went to the Recreation Centre. When they opened the door, people shouted, “SURPRISE!” Sara couldn’t believe it. There were friends from school and her family. She saw Uncle Rick, Aunt Claire, and many cousins along with Grandma Joan. The walls were decorated with colourful balloons. There was a big cake sitting on the table along with many presents. A small band played the songs Sara and her friends liked to dance to.
Sara was called to cut the first piece of her birthday cake. She felt so special. “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had!” said Sara. “Thank you to everyone.”Which of the following can be put in the blank(空白处)?
| A．I won’t want others to know about it |
| B．I don’t want to have a birthday party |
| C．This is the best birthday I’ve ever had |
| D．I guess no one remembers it’s my birthday |
The underlined part “making a fuss over” in Paragraph 7 probably means “ ”.
| A．caring about | B．giving ups |
| C．joining in | D．paying for |
Sara had her birthday party at .
| A．home | B．school |
| C．the Recreation Centre | D．a music club |
Many people went to Sara’s birthday party EXCEPT .
| A．her friends | B．her mother |
| C．her grandfather | D．her uncle and aunt |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A wonderful childhood memory |
| B．A wonderful birthday present |
| C．A special community project |
| D．A special birthday party |
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the disadvantages of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker. I said in a voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he doesn’t send me the cheek. It’s already two weeks late.”
And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather anxious .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” Then she talked more loudly. “What does he want? I’ll come to New York and say it in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuses. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is clear and direct. It was the language that helped me form the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.Why was the author’s mother poorly treated?
| A．She couldn’t speak English well. |
| B．Her English was very good. |
| C．She was not clearly heard. |
| D．She was not very polite. |
From Paragraph 2, what can we know about the author?
| A．She was good at pretending. |
| B．She was rude to the stockbroker. |
| C．She was ready to help her mother. |
| D．She was unwilling to phone for her mother |
What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
| A．It confuses her. |
| B．It embarrasses her. |
| C．It helps her understand the world. |
| D．It helps her forgive rude people. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Chinese English is clear and natural to native speakers. |
| B．Chinese English may bring inconvenience in America. |
| C．Chinese English has a very bad name in America. |
| D．Chinese English is impolite to native speakers. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Great Mother | B．A Chance |
| C．Mother’s Chinese English | D．Perfect English |
Every year landslides cause 25 to 50 deaths and $2 billion in damage in the United States. And in December, a single event killed more than 2000 people in the Philippines. Sending workers to stabilize mountainsides using steel bars can help a lot, but it introduces new difficulties because of dust and loosen heavy, dangerous debris from the work. “It’s a quite dangerous job,” says Giorgio Pezzuto of D’ Appolonia, working with eight other companies. Now there may be an answer: a three-ton robot called Roboclimber.
“The idea is to operate a machine far away that can do the stabilizing job without a human being near,”says Pezzuto, manager for the project, which is supported by a European organization. Engineers say that the machine will be faster and cheaper than manual labor. The robot, a large radio-controlled four-legged spider, has cost at least $2 million so far. It should be able to climb mountainsides, drill holes and insert steel bars there. Testing should begin in May.The underlined word “event” refers to_____
| A．earthquake | B．debris | C．dust | D．landslide |
The purpose in writing this text is _____
| A．to tell people how serious the damage caused by landslides is |
| B．to tell people that sending workers to stabilize mountainsides is a dangerous job |
| C．to show people how to use a new robot |
| D．to introduce a new robot that can be used to stabilize mountainsides |
What does the robot look like?
| A．human being | B．spider | C．steel bar | D．a drill |
A landslides cause _____________in damage in the United States Every year .
| A．25 to 50 deaths | B．more than 2000 people died |
| C．$2 billion | D．both A and C |
The biggest advantage of this product is that____
| A．it will be faster and cheaper than manual labor |
| B．it can climb mountainsides, drill holes and insert steel bars there. |
| C．it can do the stabilizing job without human beings near |
| D．it is like a spider |
Andy was still traveling in Spain when he realized he had to confirm his flight home with the airline company. He was visiting Spain in order to improve his Spanish. When he was speaking to people face to face, he had no difficulty understanding what they said. However, when he was speaking on the phone, he still had a problem. Andy called the airline. And the clerk confirmed that his plane was leaving at nine o'clock three days from that day. She also told Andy to be at the airport two hours earlier in order to check in his luggage and get a seat.
Since he was leaving in three days, Andy didn't lose any time. He visited as many places as he could. He thought that it would probably be a while before he had enough money again. He wished he could come back and spend a year in Spain.
Too quickly, the final day arrived. Andy left early for the airport to arrive two hours before take-off. He hated to rush. He went to the clerk to show his ticket. The clerk looked at the ticket in surprise. "Why, sir, but your flight was at nine o'clock in the morning, and now it is eight in the evening." "But I confirmed my flight," insisted Andy. "Will I have to pay for another ticket?"
"No, Sir. However, the next flight out will be three days from now."
Andy's look of shock turned to pleasure as he realized that now he could continue his vacation.Why was Andy in Spain?
| A．He was there on a business trip. |
| B．He hoped to learn Spanish better. |
| C．He liked to visit places of interest in Spain. |
| D．He was visiting friends there |
Andy missed his flight because________
| A．he forgot his flight time |
| B．the clerk gave him the wrong time of his flight |
| C．the clerk misunderstood him |
| D．he misunderstood the clerk |
Which word can best describe the feeling of Andy when he came to know that his stay in Spain would be longer?
| A．happy | B．shocked | C．upset | D．angry |
What would Andy do next?
| A．He would stay in Spain for another three days. |
| B．He would go to another country. |
| C．He would stay at the airport. |
| D．He would pay for another ticket. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Travelers always have to confirm the time of flight with airline companies by phone call |
| B．It’s more difficult for Andy to understand others in Spanish face to face than on the phone |
| C．Andy was enjoying himself when visiting places in Spain. |
| D．Andy would be worried. |
In every country, there are thousands of people who want to help out. Many join organizations run (管理) by their governments, for example, the Peace Corps in the United States and Voluntary Service Overseas in Britain. Since the powerful (猛烈的) earthquake took place in Sichuan, more than 200 thousand volunteers across China have been helping there! They do all kinds of work or come up with ways to help improve life. Some offer their professional skills for free. Others have no qualifications (资历), but they love to work hard to help.
One of the most famous volunteers in the world was Mother Teresa. She could be the best volunteer because she gave her life to helping the poorest people of Calcutta. She helped the homeless, cared for the sick, gave out food, and became the mother of those without families.
Now more and more teenagers actively look for volunteering opportunities, too. They volunteer because they think it will be fun or they will learn something. They also like the idea of being helpful to others, even if it is just handing out books for the teacher. As they get older, these reasons are still the same, but there are other important reasons for volunteering such as learning on-the-job, getting work experience, and improving their social life.
All volunteers bring joy to the people they help in so many ways. They might read books to the blind, fix up broken homes, find ways to get water for villages. Could you be a volunteer? What kind of volunteer work could you do? There is someone in the world who needs you.The Peace Corps is __ in the United States.
| A．a city | B．an organization | C．a volunteer | D．a school |
The word those in the passage means __ .
| A．the homeless | B．the sick | C．the poor | D．the kids |
What is NOT the reason for teenagers to be volunteers according to the passage?
| A．They want to make more friends. |
| B．They want to be helpful. |
| C．It helps them get work experience. |
| D．It can improve their social life. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Volunteers need qualifications. |
| B．Volunteers offer their help without any pay. |
| C．Young kids can’t be volunteers. |
| D．Some volunteers bring joy to others. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．The world needs volunteers. |
| B．Mother Teresa was a great volunteer. |
| C．Volunteers do all kinds of work. |
| D．There are different ways of volunteering. |
Fans often only see the good side of fame. They see the happy smiles and great success of famous people. But it’s difficult for them to understand everything that comes before then. They can’t see the hard work or the hours of practice.
Li Yundi, the Chinese piano prodigy(天才), recently released his first concert recording. He talked with Teens about his art and his job.
“Of course, the job is hard work,” Li, 25, said. “You need to work hard to be a professional. But you also have to play hundreds of concerts, meet fans, and listen to critics(评论) of your music.”
In 2000, when Li was 18, he won the top prize at the International Chopin(肖邦) Competition in Warsaw, Poland. This was the first time the top prize had been given in 15 years. Li was also the youngest, and the first Chinese to win the prize. Since then, Li became famous and his list of honors goes on and on.
Born in Chongqing, Li began to play piano when he was seven. His parents spent all their money and bought a piano for him--- a luxury in 1980s China.
He worked hard. Every day, Li played for eight hours or more at a piano school. He often played even after the school had closed.
Today, Li still can’ t play a beautiful tune without careful preparation.
“ You need to be ready on stage.” Li said. “People are waiting for you. Nobody knows whether you have slept enough, or whether you have another problem in your life. But you need to play great music for your audience. That’s what they want to hear.”What is Li Yundi? ______.
A. A music-critic B. A music fan C. A pianistWhat does the underlined word “luxury” mean in Chinese? ______.
A. 奢侈品 B. 流行品 C.豪华How long did it take Li to get the prize of Chopin Competition and became famous? ______.
A. 7 years B. 11 years C. 15 yearsWhat does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean? ______.
A. You need to sleep well the night before the performance
B. You should prepare carefully before the performance.
C. You need to know your audience.What does the passage mainly tell us? ______.
A. You need to be a prodigy to be successful.
B. You need to be happy to be successful.
C. You need to work hard to be successful.