Some of the greatest problems we face today are the destruction (破坏) of our environment. Brown clouds, polluted water, endangered wild animals.., these problems seem so huge.
So my family does what we can. We take cloth bags to stores instead of using plastic bags. We walk where we don't have to drive...
But does it do any good? When I am the only one in line at the market with cloth bags, am I doing any good? Does my walking to stores make any real difference to the world?
I recently learned something about flamingos (火烈鸟) which like to get together in groups of a thousand or more. Every year, when the time comes for migration (迁徙), a few of them first take off from the lake. But none of the others seem to notice, so the small group returns. However, the next day they try again. This time few more fly along with them, but most of them still pay no attention, so they return again. They try for several times. Every time a few more birds join in but, since the thousands of others still take no notice, the great migration plan is once more stopped.
Then one day something changes. The same small group of birds once again starts flying and a small number more join in just as before, then more. Finally, they all take flight and the migration really begins. What a spectacular sight it must be—thousands of flamingos taking off into the sky at once!
A few can make a difference. Even if you're the one to take the first step, and continue trying, others will someday take notice and together we will solve even our greatest problems.
Where would you most probably read this passage?
| A．A guidebook. |
| B．A movie poster. |
| C．A personal blog(博客). |
| D．A geology(地质) magazine. |
Why does the writer use cloth bags in stores?
| A．Because he wants to do some good to the environment. |
| B．Because he thinks plastic bags are more expensive. |
| C．Because there are only cloth bags in stores. |
| D．Because all the people use cloth bags in stores. |
What does the underlined word "spectacular" in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
| A．Frustrating. | B．Surprising. |
| C．Terrible. | D．Fantastic. |
What's the writer's purpose of writing this article?
| A．To show that the writer loves to see the migration of flamingos. |
| B．To tell readers to continue trying and it can make a difference. |
| C．To introduce a special kind of flamingo to readers. |
| D．To show that there're many problems in the world. |
Being shy keeps many Chinese people from getting to know westerners. You may feel nervous about making language mistakes in front of a native English speaker.
But remember, westerners living in Asia know how it feels to try to communicate in a foreign language. They have made many mistakes when speaking Chinese!
So don’t worry about speaking imperfect English. The important thing is just to communicate. Start talking, and make some foreign friends!
Many westerners value(注重) their privacy(隐私). Don’t be surprised if your new friend doesn’t want to include you in everything he does. This may seem strange to Chinese who worry about that their friends will get lonely.
Chinese people often expect their good friends to give advice and take care of them in many ways. If you expect this kind of care from westerners, you may be disappointed. Why? Because most westerners value independence. They feel insulted(侮辱的) if others think they can’t take care of themselves. They will assume(假设) you feel the same way.
Of course, these tips(小提示) are just rules of thumb(经验之谈) and may not apply(适用) to all westerners. Each person you meet will have his or her own ideas about friendship. When you get confused(不明白), don’t be shy and worry to ask questions. Your new western friends may also have many questions about Chinese culture, and they may be hesitant(犹豫) to ask. So encourage them to ask questions, too.
Be honest and open to your friends. Respect each other’s differences. The friendships you make can be lifelong treasure both for you and your new friends.Why do many Chinese people feel worried to speak to the foreigners?
| A．Being shy. |
| B．Making a lot of language mistakes. |
| C．Nothing to say. |
| D．Can’t speak a foreign language. |
What is the important thing to speak perfect English?
| A．Starting talking. | B．Meeting foreigners. |
| C．Communicating. | D．Studying English. |
What do you think the foreigners may not be insulted with?
| A．Giving advice. | B．Taking care of themselves. |
| C．Getting care from good friends. | D．Getting help. |
What does the underlined word “independence” mean?
| A．独立自主 | B．依靠 | C．失落感 | D．伤心 |
What may help you to make lifelong friends?
| A．Be honest. | B．Open to your friends. |
| C．Respect each other. | D．All of the above. |
What is the sky？ Where is it？ How bright is it？ What lies above it？ These questions are difficult to answer, aren’t they？
Is the sky blue？ The sky has no color. We know that there is air around the world. When planes fly, they need air to lift their wings. Planes can’t fly very high because the air gets thinner when they go up higher. If we go up about 1,200 kilometers from the earth, we’ll find no air there.
When we talk about the sky, we usually mean the atmosphere around the earth. It is like a very thick “cover” over the earth and keeps it warm. Without the “cover”, the earth would be a very cold place and nothing could live on it.
Looking up above us, you will see the blue sky with white clouds. It is usually light blue, but the sky would be dark blue if you go to the top of the highest mountains. And you will see fewer clouds between you and the sun.
And if you sit in a spaceship high above the earth, there is no air at all. The sky would be so dark that its color would be black.
Sometimes the sky doesn’t look blue. When the sun rises and falls, you will see red, orange, and other colors in the sky. These are the most beautiful moments of the day.
Now you may understand that we see colors because the air scatters (散射) the sunlight. Light travels through the air. Without air, there would be no light and no colors.Planes can’t fly very high because ____________.
| A．there is air around the world |
| B．the air gets thinner when they go up higher |
| C．it’s warmer in the sky |
| D．the air gets thicker when they go up higher |
We can see colors of the sky because ____________.
| A．the sun rises and falls every day |
| B．the sky has lots of colors |
| C．the air scatters the sunlight |
| D．the sunlight has many colors |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．There is little air without light and colors in the sky. |
| B．The sky will look red, orange and other colors at noon. |
| C．The sky has only one color when the sun rises and falls. |
| D．The sky is dark blue if you go to the top of the highest mountains. |
A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo (柔道), although he had lost his left arm in a car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo teacher, Mr. Tanaka. The boy was doing well, but his teacher had taught him only one move in three months of training.
“Mr. Tanaka,” the boy finally asked, “shouldn’t I be learning more moves？”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” his teacher replied.
Several months later, Mr. Tanaka took the boy to his first tournament (锦标赛). The boy won his first three matches, using his one move to win. The boy was now in the finals, and was amazed by his own success.
This time, his opponent (对手) was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. The referee (裁判) wanted to stop the match.
“No,” the teacher insisted, “let him continue.” Soon, his opponent lowered his guard. At that moment the boy used his move to pin (钉住) him. The boy won the match and became the champion.
On the way home, the boy and his teacher reviewed every match. Then the boy asked what was really in his mind.
“Mr. Tanaka, how did I win the tournament with only one move？”
“You won for two reasons,” his teacher answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only defense (防守) for that move is for your opponent to catch your left arm.”
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength (优点). The boy decided to study judo though ____________.
| A．he was only ten years old |
| B．he would have an old teacher |
| C．he had lost his left arm in a car accident |
| D．he knew he was not clever |
How did the boy feel when he was in the finals？
| A．Proud. | B．Surprised. | C．Worried. | D．Happy. |
What can you infer (推断) from the passage？
| A．The boy wasn’t doing well at first. |
| B．Mr. Tanaka is a good teacher because he knows his student’s strength and weakness. |
| C．The referee believed the boy would win. |
| D．The boy had predicted that he would win. |
Bruce and Bruno looked worried those days. Their father went to a town far away. Before leaving, he said he would write to them as soon as he found a job there. But two months passed, they did not hear from him. Now they had nothing except the old house and they had no money to buy any food. They thought for a long time. Then they decided to sell the house and look for their father. So one day the two brothers said goodbye to their friends and started to go. They got to the station and bought two tickets.
They were afraid that they would be hungry in the train, so they went to the market to buy something to eat. They saw bananas for the first time. The seller told them the bananas were very delicious, so they bought five kilos and got on the train with them. After a while Bruce brought out a banana and bit(咬) a little. Just at that moment the train went into a tunnel(隧道) and it was dark in the train. He was afraid and called out,“Have you taken a bite of your bananas, Bruno?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s good.”Bruce said, crying,“I did and went blind!”Bruce and Bruno were worried because.
| A．their father couldn’t find a job in the town.. |
| B．they didn’t hear from their father. |
| C．Their father left them away. |
| D．They had no money to buy any food. |
They went to the market to.
| A．look for their father. |
| B．buy the tickets. |
| C．buy something to eat. |
| D．sell the old house. |
Bruce cried because.
| A．He couldn’t see anything. |
| B．The train went into a tunnel. |
| C．He thought he was blind. |
| D．He bite the banana. |
Ben
When I left school five years ago, I said to myself, “That’s that! No more learning for me．Now I can enjoy myself in the evening．” But about a year ago the boss said, “We’re going to get a computer in the near future．” What does he mean? I simply don’t know．Anyway, I decided to go to evening classes．I’m quite an expert(专家) on computers now and you know, I actually enjoy studying．
Eve
I haven’t much interest in studying．To be honest, I don’t like reading very much, except for magazines and that sort of thing．Just reading, that is, to kill the time．But I do enjoy watching TV．Not that I watch everything．In fact, I choose my programmes very carefully．I’m particularly interested in current affairs(时事)．In some ways I think I learn more in this way than I did at school．
Ted
I’m a very different sort of person－I simply love doing things．That’s why I enjoy sports so much．I mean, actually playing．I hardly ever watch it on TV, but I do read quite a bit about it．I’m even interested in the history of sports．I don’t have much time for anything else, except that I quite like dancing．Some people say I’m not very good at it, though．
Joan
I should say I have great interest in studying．I’d rather do this than anything else．Since I left school．I’ve taken courses in all sorts of things．I go to the city library once a week, but I much prefer evening classes because it’s more fun that way．My latest “craze（狂热）”－if you can call it that －is foreign languages．I’m learning two, not one!According to what they say, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．Ben was pleased to leave school． |
| B．Eve does not spend much time in reading． |
| C．Ted spends a lot of time watching his favorite sport on TV． |
| D．Joan is learning languages in the evening school． |
Among the four people, _____ are considered to have made good use of time in studying．
| A．Ben and Eve | B．Eve and Ted |
| C．Ted and Joan | D．Ben and Joan |
In the future, we can infer(推断) that ________．
| A．Joan may speak one of foreign languages well． |
| B．Eve will study computers |
| C．Ben is interested in current affairs． |
| D．Joan prefers going to the city libraries． |
The sentence “That’s that!” means ________．
| A．Ben thinks he never need to learn |
| B．Ben wants to learn that |
| C．Ben would like to go on studying |
| D．Ben will learn from others |