Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of their programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness-- Public Speaking.
After my speech, I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speakers, faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After delivering it successfully, I became more confident. I said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plant, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step. Which of the following is the hest title for the passage?
A.Practice Makes a Man a Better Speechmaker |
B.![]() |
C.Principal Provides the Best Chances. |
D.Spoken English Develops in Malting Speeches. |
The author had bad feelings before the speech because______.
A.he disliked the idea of giving a lecture |
B.he feared he couldn't perform it properly |
C.he regretted accepting the invitation |
D.he had got a high fever before that |
What does the underlined part “ominous apprehensions” in the first paragraph mean?
A.unlucky opportunities | B.curious views |
C.negative ideas | D.happy comments |
What can we conclude from the passage?
A.Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty. |
B.Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud. |
C.A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
D.Necessity is the mother of invention. |
We don’t know how different our future will be in the future. We can only try to imagine it.
At first we think about human relationship. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will be making new friends through the Internet----even our husbands or wives will be met in this way. It will be much faster and easier for us. On the other hand, our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today----we will feel a little lonely.
Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the housework for us.
Spending holidays will also be completely different. Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly.
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true. We will pay more attention to protecting the environment. And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as our health will be in a better condition.
Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future; we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather sanguine about our future. We should be happy and believe good things will happen.Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?
A.Because the number of people will become much smaller. |
B.Because people won’t communicate with each other much often. |
C.Because people won’t like making friends with each other. |
D.Because there will be less face-to-face communication. |
According to the passage, which of the following will happen in 2050?
A.It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets. |
B.The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today. |
C.The relationship between people will be more important than today. |
D.Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars. |
The underlined word “sanguine” in the last paragraph most probably means ______.
A.disappointed | B.optimistic |
C.curious | D.surprised |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.How people will communicate in the year 2050. |
B.What high technology will appear in the year 2050. |
C.How people will travel and spend their holiday in the year 2050. |
D.What our life will be like in the year 2050. |
Gunman Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children in two classes of Grade One in Sandy Hook Elementary School. The only survivor(幸存者) is a six-year-old girl. She escaped by lying on the floor pretending to be killed.
After the accident , she ran out of the school building covered from head to feet with blood (血). The first thing she said to her mother was, “ Mommy, I was OK, but all my friends were dead,” Pasrtor(牧师) Jim Solomon told the ABC news’s Lara Spencer this weekend , “I thought it was impossible for her to escape from being killed without others’ help. She could behave so calmly in such a dangerous and frightening situation. She has wisdom beyond her age, for sure.”
The girl, whose name is not being written out for special reasons, was the first student to run out of the accident place at Sandy Hook, Solomon said. He said the young girl described the gunman to her mother in a way that only a young child could. “Well, she saw someone who she felt was angry, and someone who she felt was mad,” Solomon said. “Somehow, at that moment, thank God, she was able to act as if she were already dead and saved herself. And that is very unusual and admirable (令人钦佩的) for so young a girl.” she said.
There were 20 students killed on Friday in Sandy Hook Elementary School, eight boys and 12 girls. Six teachers were also killed. “Her parents told me that they couldn’t stand the feeling of a survivor’s guilt( 负罪), because so many of their friends no longer have their children but they have theirs.” Solomon said.
“I think you can understand their feelings as well,” he said how the girl’s mother and father were feeling about the disaster. “I don’t know whether I would have the kind of feeling that they have if the same thing happened to me.”How did the six-year-old girl escape from being killed?
A.By fighting against the killer |
B.By pretending to be killed |
C.By running away quickly |
D.By getting protection from teachers |
According to the passage, which word can best show the quality of the girl?
A.Strong | B.Friendly |
C.Wise | D.Curious |
From the passage, we can know that___________________.
A.all students in Sandy Hook were killed |
B.Solomon didn’t remember the name of the girl |
C.eight other children escaped the accident |
D.people didn’t know the six-year-old girl’s name |
Why did the girl’s parents feel guilty?
A.Because they had some relationship with the gunman. |
B.Because they didn’t tell the skills of escaping to other children. |
C.Because their daughter survived while their friends didn’t. |
D.Because they didn’t report the terrible accident ahead of time. |
As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画)of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their homework and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”
“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and quick to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only have their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion(情绪). Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的)and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
A.they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
B.they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
C.they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
D.computers have become popular in China |
Which of the following statements of the advantages of handwriting is NOT TRUE ?
A.Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
B.Handwriting can impress people well and build up one’s self-confidence. |
C.Handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. |
D.The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in”(Paragraph 4) probably means __________.
A.getting bored with | B.getting curious about |
C.becoming crazy about | D.getting dependent on |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
A.writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
B.more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
C.more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
D.the typed article better expresses one’s emotion and quality |
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holiday meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership --- a shop selling cars --- was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the show room.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
“Thank you”--- two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City ________.
A.to pay at the cash register |
B.to see his parents |
C.to visit a friend |
D.to make a plan with his friend |
The words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 means “_________”.
A.put up | B.turned off |
C.moved off | D.set up |
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
A.The couple offered to help him. |
B.The couple sent him a business card |
C.He had it pulled back to the gas station. |
D.He called his friend for help. |
How does the author explain the importance of expressing thanks in the passage?
A.By telling his own experiences |
B.By doing an experiment |
C.By explaining cause and effect |
D.By using quotations(引语) |
TENNIS
Indoor and outdoor courts. Coaching from beginners to advanced, every day not
evenings.Children only-Sat. mornings.
SKIING
Dry slopes—3 levels instructors at weekends and Fridays. Daytime parcitice. 8 years upwards.
SWIMMING
2 pools I heated Olympic length. Tuition available.
Women: Tuesday and Thursday.
Men: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Children: Saturday
Family day: Sunday
GOLF
9 hole practice course. Professional Coaching. Lessons must be booked in advance in daytime. Evening practice. Minimum age — 9 years.
GYMNASTICS
Maximum age—18 years. Children aged 5—10. Monday and Wednesdays. 4:00—6:00 p.m. 10—18 year-old. Friday evenings. Bar work on Sunday mornings.
AND MUCH MORE
Table Tennis, Snooker, Darts(标枪), Chess(everyday and evening), Café (all day),Bar(lunch time and evenings), Nursery(weekdays and weekends, not evenings). Centre open 10:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. Daily. Interested? More details inside. Quote Card Number: 99.What is this ad mainly about?
A.It mainly shows us some ways to spend weekends. |
B.It Shows the ways of saving our time. |
C.It mainly shows us a place to relax ourselves. |
D.It shows us a lot of ways to spend our holidays. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A.People can play tennis day and night. |
B.People under 20 can all take gymnastics. |
C.Children at any age can play golf in the SPORTS CENTER. |
D.Men and women swim in the SPORTS CENTER separately. |
How many sports items are mentioned in the passage?
A.5 | B.7. | C.9. | D.12. |
Where can we find this ad in your opinion?
A.In a company. | B.On a newspaper. |
C.In a park | D.In a restaurant. |