The king was to pass by a beggar’s small poor house and the man was excited, not because he was about to see the king but because the king was known to part with expensive jewels and huge sums of money when moved by sympathy.
He saw the king’s carriage just when a kind man was filling his begging bowl with uncooked rice. Pushing the man aside, he ran into the street, shouting praises of the king and the royal family.
The carriage stopped and the king beckoned to the beggar.
“Who are you?” he asked. “One of the most unfortunate of your people,” said the beggar. “Poverty sits on my doorstep and follows me about like a dog. I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon!” “Have you nothing for your king except great sorrow?” said the ruler, putting out his hand. “Give me something.” The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up 5 grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the king’s outstretched palm. The king drove away. The beggar’s disappointment was great. He complained and cursed the king again and again for his miserliness.
When he returned home in the evening he found a bag of rice on the floor. “Some generous soul has been here,” he thought and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his astonishment, there was a small piece of gold in it. He realized then that the bag had been sent by the king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was right. He found 5, one for each grain of rice he had given the king.
“It is not the king who has been miserly,” thought the man, sadly. “If I had been generous and given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been a rich man today.”From the passage, we know that the king___________.
| A．was a kind man | B．was arrogant |
| C．was a miserly man | D．was very young |
Why did the king ask the beggar for something according to the text?
| A．Because he was poor than the beggar. |
| B．Because he wanted to make the beggar even poorer. |
| C．Because he had nothing to eat. |
| D．Because he wanted to give something to the beggar in return. |
The real reason why the beggar got only five gold pieces is that________.
| A．he complained and cursed the king again and again |
| B．the king was only generous to rich people |
| C．the king wanted to punish him severely |
| D．he himself was miserly |
Holidaymakers who are bored with baking beaches and overheated hotel rooms head for a big igloo. Swedish businessman Nile Bergqvist is delighted with his new hotel, the world’s first igloo hotel. Built in a small town in Lapland, it has been attracting lots of visitors, but soon the fun will be over.
In two weeks’ time Bergqvist’s ice creation(作品) will be nothing more than a pool of water. “We don’t see it as a big problem,” he says. “We just look forward to replacing it.”
Bergqvist built his first igloo in 1991 for an art exhibition. It was so successful that he designed the present one, which measures roughly 200 square meters. Six workmen spent more than eight weeks piling 1,000 tons of snow onto a wooden base; when the snow froze, the base was removed. “The only wooden thing we have left in the igloo is the front door,” he says.
After their stay, all visitors receive a survival certificate recording their success. With no windows, nowhere to hang clothes and temperatures below 0℃, it may seem more like a survival test than a relaxing(轻松的) hotel break. “It’s great fun,” Bergqvist explains, “As well as a good start in survival training.”
The popularity of the igloo is beyond doubt: it is now attracting tourists from all over the world. At least 800 people have stayed at the igloo this season even though there are only 10 rooms. “You can get a lot of people in,” explains Bergqvist. “The beds are three meters wide by two meters long, and can fit at least four at one time.” Bergqvist designed and built the world’s first igloo hotel because ________.
| A．an art exhibition was about to open |
| B．he wanted to make a name for the small town |
| C．he believed people would enjoy trying something new |
| D．more hotel rooms were needed |
When the writer says “the fun will be over,” he refers to the fact that ________.
| A．hotel guests will be frightened at the thought of the hard test |
| B．a bigger igloo will replace the present one |
| C．holidaymakers will soon get tired of the big igloo |
| D．Bergqvist’s hotel will soon become a pool of water |
According to the text, the first thing to do in building an igloo is ________.
| A．to gather a pool of water |
| B．to prepare a wooden base |
| C．to cover the ground with ice |
| D．to pile a large amount of snow |
When guests leave the igloo hotel they will receive a paper stating that ________.
| A．they have had a taste of adventure |
| B．they have had an ice-snow holiday |
| C．they have had great fun sleeping on ice |
| D．they have visited Lapland |
Which of the following pictures below is closest to the igloo hotel as described in the text?
An allowance(零花钱) is an important tool for teaching kids how to make plans for the use of money, save and make their own decisions. Children remember and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.
How large an allowance is suitable? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from region to region, and from family to family.
To set an suitable allowance for your child, work up a weekly plan. Allow for entertainment costs such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. "If you make the child responsible for these bills’," says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, " he or she will learn to plan for necessary costs."
Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose buying power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.
It can be tough, but don’t excuse your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Stephens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch." If you lose your money," Brooke’s mother told her, "you walk home."
One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a ride. " Mom made me walk home," recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brooklyn. " At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson. "
Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied directly to a child’s daily housework at home. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her early habits.Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?
| A．How to develop a child’s early habits. |
| B．How to work up an amount of pocket money. |
| C．How to teach a child about money. |
| D．How to teach a child to save money. |
It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may ________.
| A．spend all the money very soon |
| B．fall into the bad habit of wasting money |
| C．feel responsible and careful about money |
| D．lose the money and can not return home |
In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to ________.
| A．his parents | B．his friends |
| C．his financial experts | D．his teachers |
Why does the writer mention Brooke Stephens?
| A．To question the opinion about pocket money. |
| B．To compare Stephens with other financial experts. |
| C．To explain that parents should be strict when children are developing good habits about money. |
| D．To suggest pocket money is useless in developing a child’s sense of responsibility. |
The writer implies in the passage that ________.
| A．children may feel lonely if they have no pocket money |
| B．a child’s early good habits can be developed if he or she is paid for all the housework |
| C．paying children for their housework is no good |
| D．children may learn to put aside some money if they are given a great amount of pocket money |
I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love. Why did the boy start his job young?
| A．He wanted to be famous in the future. |
| B．The job was quite easy for him. |
| C．His mother had high hopes for him. |
| D．The competition for the job was fierce. |
From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
| A．excited | B．interested |
| C．ashamed | D．disappointed |
What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
| A．She forced him to continue. |
| B．She punished him. |
| C．She gave him some money. |
| D．She changed her plan. |
What does the underlined phrase “this battle” refer to?
| A．The war between the boy’s parents. |
| B．The arguing between the boy and his mother. |
| C．The quarrel between the boy and his customers. |
| D．The fight between the boy and his father. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The early life of a journalist. |
| B．The early success of a journalist. |
| C．The happy childhood of the writer. |
| D．The important role of the writer in his family. |
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles(平方英里)
Population: 148,677. The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year around (expect the mercury (水银柱) to drop at higher heights).
Beaches: 47 Golf Courses: 20 Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk (主体) of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; Nightly rates range from$ 35—$ 5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts(度假胜地). In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call (800) 648—2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau. See www.bigisland.org for Updated information.
Shopping: The large shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kohala Coast.The passage is intended to be read by _______.
| A．tourists | B．businessmen |
| C．students | D．immigrants(移民) |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
| A．28 | B．32 | C．44 | D．37 |
What does the underlined part “expect the mercury to drop at higher heights” mean?
| A．Things are easy to lose weight at higher places. |
| B．Dropping things from higher places is expected. |
| C．Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places. |
| D．Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means(交通工具) to get around the Big Island?
| A．By rental car. | B．By air. |
| C．By train. | D．By taxi. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island. |
| B．You can call (800) 648 – 2441 to order some food. |
| C．You can find some courses to play tennis on the island. |
| D．You can see www.bigisland.org for updated information. |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy’s leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23. It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia’s largest city in a month.
The 15yearold boy and his father were in the water off Avalon, on Sydney’s northern beaches, around dawn when he was attacked. The city’s beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months.
“The father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing (激烈扭动) about in the water,” police said. “Fortunately, the shark swam away and the boy was helped to the shore by his father.”
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller said, “It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water.” He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to the shore. “There was a lot of pain, as you can imagine.” The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries.
Police said the bites “cut through to the bone”, but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures (骨折). He was in a stable condition now.
Several beaches were closed after the attack. Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks. But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy. “I don’t even know if he saw it,” Miller said.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney’s beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare. However, there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor，not far from the famous Opera House, and the other on a surfer at the city’s worldfamous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise. There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor, which has increased fish stocks. Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment, attracting sharks closer to the shore as they chase fish. Many shark species, including the Great White—the maneaters made famous in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws—are protected in Australian waters.The report mainly tells us________.
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney’s beaches |
The underlined word “savaged” in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.
| A．attracted | B．dragged | C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
| A．It is one of the largest cities in Australia. |
| B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House. |
| C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all the year round. |
| D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney’s beaches. |
About the injury of the boy we know that________.
| A．he was losing much blood when he was dragged out |
| B．he was very nervous when he was sent to hospital |
| C．he may be in danger of losing his leg |
| D．he was injured in the right leg |
All the following are the causes of Australia’s sharks’ increasing except that___.
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australian waters |
| D．the film Jaws has made the Great White famous |