My grandfather is eighty years old. He always complains about how fast things have changed, and he often says that life used to be better.
Families aren't what they used to be. A lot of families have broken up. If the husband and wife have problems with their marriage, they no longer stay together. And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now parents are both busy working. No one has time to look after children at home.
And the cars! No one walks any more. More and more people drive. We used to walk five miles to school on school days, even in winter. But now we don't. And in school, children don't have to think any more. In math class, for example, we used to add, subtract(减), multiply and divide by using our heads. But now kids don't use their heads any more. Instead, they use calculators.
Most families have computers now. In the past we didn't have computers. We didn't even have lights. My mother used to spend all day cooking in the kitchen. But now we don't often eat home cooked food.
And people talk less to each other than before. They are too busy to talk, too busy to eat, too busy to think.
Life used to be simple, but it isn't any more.
My grandfather thinks that life _____ it used to be.
| A．is better than | B．is worse than |
| C．is as bad as | D．is as good as |
What does the word “calculators” mean is Chinese?
| A．显微镜 | B．计算器 | C．烧杯 | D．三角板 |
What did the grandfather used to do?
| A．He used to use calculators in math class |
| B．He used to drive to school in winter |
| C．He used to go to school by bike |
| D．He used to walk five miles to school |
What changes have happened to some families?
① There are lights at home.
② People often eat homecooked food now.
③ Lots of families have computers.
④ More and more people drive instead of walking.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①②③ | D．①③④ |
Which of the following is TURE?
| A．Life is very simple now. |
| B．People have much time to talk and to eat now. |
| C．Mothers always stay at home and look after their children now. |
| D．Some families have become singleparent families now. |
What do you want to do later in life? Here are 4 teenagers talking about their hometowns and their dreams.
Albert, age 11, Ontario
I come from Ontario.I love how different each season is. In winter, I go skiing with my family and cousins.
I’ve played soccer since I was three. I’ve made great friends and learned a lot of new skills. When I’m a professional soccer player, I want to work with kids, helping and encouraging them.
Sara, age 12, Washington
I live in Washington. It’s so pretty and green. I can go camping and hunting, and we have the best rivers to fish in.
I want to make a difference in the world. I’ve started making a change by leading my school’s Drug Abuse Prevention Club. I’ve also helped raise money for children who live with wars.
Madison, age 10, Maine
I live in Maine.I like living in a small townbecause it’s easy to get outside with friends.
I’m not sure what I am planning for my future, but I have lots of ideas! I like to think outside of the box and experience new things, so as I go through life I’m sure I’ll have even more ideas!
Brittany, age 11, New Jersey
I live in New Jersey. I love going to Six Flags Great Adventure and playing with my dad.
I have been a member of a public speaking organizationsince I was seven. I really enjoy going to my speaking classes and competing against other teams. My dream is to be a lawyer.Who is going to be a soccer player?
| A．Albert. | B．Sara. | C．Madison. | D．Brittany. |
How did Sara help the children who live with wars?
| A．By encouraging them. | B．By raising money. |
| C．By planning for their future. | D．By giving speeches. |
Madison likes living in a small townin Maine because ______.
| A．each season isdifferent there |
| B．he can go camping and hunting |
| C．it’s easy to get outside with friends |
| D．it’s fun to go to Six Flags Great Adventure |
Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist.
Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but…when you love your art, nothing is too much.
But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn’t afford the lessons any more.
Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour.
“Delia,” Joe said, “I’ll be much happier if you keep up your lessons,” Delia said it didn’t matter. “When I’ve had some money, I’ll continue.” But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them.
A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. “I met a man from Vermont,” he said, “who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!”
_________________.They didn’t have to worry any more about money.
Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia’s hand was wrapped in a bandage(绷带). He asked her what had happened. “Oh,” said Delia. “My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. ”
“Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?” Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. “Oh Joe, I couldn’t get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can’t work any more. But we’ll still have money from the man in Vermont, won’t we?”
Joe looked at her. “There’s no man in Vermont, ” he said. “I’ve been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who’s burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed.”
They both laughed.
[A story by O. Henry—adapted(改编)]The writer of the story is ____.
| A．Joe | B．Delia | C．O. Henry | D．Sally |
Which of the following can be put in the “____” in Paragraph 7?
| A．A bigger plan came to their mind |
| B．Since then Joe became very famous |
| C．So the two of them were very happy |
| D．Delia stopped her lessons and stayed home |
Both of them laughed in the end because ____.
| A．they would go on with their lessons soon |
| B．they had both told lies to make the other happy |
| C．they didn’t have to worry about money any more |
| D．they thought they had done something meaningless |
The best title for the passage can be ____.
| A．Blind love |
| B．A pleasant gift |
| C．A service of love |
| D．An unforgettable lesson |
It happens every spring. Flowers come out everywhere on the same day. But how do plants “know” when to flower?
For years, it has been a difficult question for scientists. But a US research group may have finally answered it—the secret lies in a protein(蛋白质)called FKF1. This helps plants to know when the days become long and when they get short. Then they can tell the seasons are changing.
Researchers found the FKF1 protein when they were studying a plant called Arabidopsis(拟南芥). It is sensitive(敏感的)to sunlight, and can be made active by sunlight.
Plants produce this protein every day in the late afternoon all year. If there is no light at this time, for example in winter when the sun goes down early, the protein won’t be active. But when spring comes and the days get longer, the FKF1 protein can be made active by day light and the plants “know” it is time to flower. “If there is light in the late afternoon, plants will know that the days are getting longer and that it is the best time for flowers to come out,” explained Takato Imaizumi, leader of study. But when conditions are poor for growing, such as during autumn or winter when the weather is cold and days are short, plants won’t flower.
Although researchers have only studied how the FKF1 protein works in the Arabidopsis, they believe that it is the same with many other plants, including crops such as rice and wheat. This could be useful to the agricultural industry.
“If we can control when flowers come out, we might be able to increase crop production,” Imaizumi said.The passage is mainly about ____.
| A．how plants “know” when to flower |
| B．what people can do with plants |
| C．how seasons are changing |
| D．what kind of plant Arabidopsis is |
Scientists found the FKF1 protein when they were____.
| A．answering a question |
| B．controlling the clours of flowers |
| C．planting flowers in the garden |
| D．studying a plant called Arabidopsis |
The best time for flowers to come out is when____.
| A．it rains in spring |
| B．there is light in the late afternoon |
| C．it is getting dark |
| D．the sun goes down early |
Scientists believe that____.
| A．other plants also know when to flowers |
| B．flowers are more valuable than fruits and vegetables |
| C．people have known how to control when flowers come out |
| D．if the weather is cold and days are short, plants will flower |
Mickey Mouse’s ears are well known all over the world, and this year will be an especially fun one for Disney. The company is celebrating 60 years since its first theme park, Disneyland, opened in California, US in 1955.
Disney has opened many more parks all over the world since it made history in California, Shanghai Disneyland is expected to open in 2016, bringing Disney’s popular parks here to the Chinese mainland for the first time.
So why has Disneyland been so popular for 60 years? Well, it’s described as “the Happiest Place on Earth” and “a place for the young and young at heart”. Many Americans have grown up with the parks, as ex—Disneyland president Paul Pressler said in 1995: “ There is an emotional relationship that people have with this park.”
Disneyland was one of the first theme parks anywhere in the world that had “lands” and rides with themes. Disney’s storytelling in rides like roller coasters is a big reason for their parks’ success. “We tell a story in everything we do,” Pressler said. Disney rides such as The seven Dwarves Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight come from its movies. One ride from its 2013 hit movie Frozen will surely be coming soon, perhaps at the new Shanghai Disneyland.
Disney’s parks haven’t always been popular everywhere, however. When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, some French people felt that American culture was invading(入侵)France. But still, the park stayed open and today it is a popular place for European visitors.
Whatever you may think of them, you can’t say that on their 60 th birthday, Disney’s parks aren’t still going strong. How many Disney theme parks will you have visited by the time their 70 th birthday comes around?
The firs Disneyland opened in California in ____.
| A．1955 | B．1992 | C．1995 | D．2013 |
This year will be especially fun for Disney because____.
| A．it is going to celebrate its 60 th birthday |
| B．it’s described as “the Happiest Place on Earth” |
| C．Americans have a special relationship with Disneyland |
| D．Mickey Mouse’s ears are well known all over the world |
The underlined expression “Young at heart” in Paragraph 3 refers to ____.
| A．young people | B．people with young hearts |
| C．American people only | D．Disneyland president |
Which of the following is TRUE about Disneyland?
| A．Disneyland has been built in US only. |
| B．Shanghai Disneyland has been opened. |
| C．People still don’t like Disneyland Paris. |
| D．Disney’s storytelling in rides helps it succeed. |
What part-time job do you do now?What do you do want to do in the future?Leave your comment(评论)here!
I’ve been working at Burger Bam for two months.I thought I’d hate it,but it’s been really good.I’ve learned a lot how to work with people I would never normally meet.And I’m not as shy as I was.I don’t think I want to work there forever,but it’s given me some ideas about how to run a business.Maybe I’ll learn business when I go to college.
Abby,15,from Toronto
I’ve had my own web design business for a year. I’ve designed about 20 websites for my friends.I’ve been doing most of the work on the weekends after I do my homework! I’ve bought a new computer with the money I earned. A little restaurants in my neighborhood has asked me to design a website for them, so my business is growing. I’m not sure what I want to do in the future, but I really like art and design. Maybe I should go into advertising.
Kwan,14,from Seattle
I’ve been volunteering at a senior citizen center on Saturday mornings. Some of my friends think I’m crazy, doing a job for no money, but I really like it. I think that in a few months, I’ll try to get a paid part-time job in a law office because I want to study law in the future. There’s a lot of competition for part-time jobs, but I think my volunteering will look good on my resume.
Tamanna,16,from DallasHow many people have left their comments according to the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
Why do Tamanna’s friends think she is crazy?
| A．Because she plans to learn business at college. |
| B．Because she wants to work at the center forever. |
| C．Because she is doing her part—time job for no money. |
| D．Because she has designed 20 websites for her friends. |
Where can we most probably read the passage?
| A．In a poster. | B．In a travel guide. |
| C．In a textbook. | D．On a website. |