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A month after Hurricane Katrina,I returned home in New Orleans.There lay my house,reduced to waist-high rains,smelly and dirty.Before the trip,I’d had my car fixed.When the office employee of the garage was writing up the bill.she noticed my Louisiana license plate.“You from New Orleans?”she asked.I said l was,
“No charge.”She said,and firmly shook her head when I reached for my wallet.The next day I went for a haircut,and the same thing happened.
As my wife was studying in Florid,we decided to move there and tried to find a rental house that we could afford while also paying off a mortgage(抵押贷款)on our ruined house.We looked at many places,but none was satisfactory.We’d begun to accept that we’d have to live in extremely reduced circumstances for a while,when I got a very curious e-mail from a James Kennedy in California.He’d read some pieces I’d written about our sufferings forState,an online
magazine and wanted to give us(“noconditions attached”)a new house across the lake from New Orleans.It sounded too good to be true,but I replied,thanking him for his exceptional generosity,that we had no plans to go back.Then a poet of the University of Florida offered to let his house to me while he went to England on his one-year-paid leave.The rent was rather reasonable.Imentioned the poet’s offer to James Kennedy,and the next day he sent a check covering our entire rent for eight months.
Throughout this painful experience,the kindness of strangers backs my faith in humanity.It’s almostworthlosing you worldly possessions to be reminded that people really want to be kind when given a channel.
Which one shows the right time order?
①James Kennedy sent us a check.
②A poet offered his house to us.
③Our home was reduced to ruins.
④The garage employee charged us nothing.
⑤We came back to New Orleans.
| A.④③⑤①② | B.③④⑤②① |
| C.④③⑤②① | D.③④⑤①② |
What do you know about James Kennedy?
| A.He was a friend of the writer. |
| B.He offered the writer a house in California. |
| C.He worked for an online magazine. |
| D.He was concerned about the writer’s sufferings. |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A.The mortgage on the ruined house didn’t needto be paid off |
| B.The house rents in New Orleans were reasonable after the hurricane |
| C.The writer rebuilt his faith in humanity by losing his worldly possessions |
| D.The writer made it through the painful period with people's kindness |
How is the passage developed?
| A.By showing contrasting facts. |
| B.By making classification |
| C.By giving examples. |
| D.By analyzing causes and effects. |
The Five Rules for Keeping Fit
Hi, there! I'm Grystal Collins, and I'm very happy to share some time with you. So, you want to keep fit, huh? Well, you surely came to the right place. Together we can keep fit and healthy, and succeed in doing that. It's easy. Everybody can do it, you hear? Just remember the five golden rules.
Number one: Always wear comfortable clothes when you are exercising. You need to feel comfortable and relaxed(放松).
Number two: You should always do some warming-up exercise first to get your body ready for the real thing.
Number three: Never try to do too much exercise too soon. Take it nice and easy now, you hear? There's no rush about this.
Number four: Don't forget to relax for about five minutes when you've finished your exercise. You need to rest a little bit after you've been exercising.
And here is the golden rule Number five. Stop at once if you feel any pain in your neck, head or any part of your body.The students may most probably be the people ___________.
| A.who are ill |
| B.who want to be healthier |
| C.who are Crystal Collins' good friends |
| D.who are not interested in taking exercise |
Crystal Collins may most probably say this.
| A.before the exercise starts |
| B.when the exercise is over |
| C.during the exercise |
| D.as soon as the exercise has started |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A.You should do some warming-up exercise before the real thing. |
| B.You should wear comfortable clothes. |
| C.You should rest for a while when you are doing warming-up exercise. |
| D.You should stop if you feel any pain in your body. |
In order to learn a foreign language well,four things are necessary. First,we must understand the language when we hear it spoken.Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, with confidence and without hesitation(犹豫). Thirdly,we must do much reading. Finally, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
There are no shortcuts to success in language learning. A good memory is a great help,but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book.It is not much learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings,studying the dictionary and so on.We must learn by using the language.
If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized,we are not really learning the language.We must “learn through use.” Practice is important.We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can.The most important things to learn a foreign language are _____.
| A.understanding and speaking |
| B.listening,speaking,reading and writing |
| C.writing and understanding |
| D.memorizing and listening |
Someone hears and writes English very well, but he speaks it very badly. This is because _____.
| A.he doesn’t understand the language when he hears it spoken |
| B.he doesn’t have a good memory |
| C.he always remembers lists of words and their meanings |
| D.he often hesitates(犹豫)to practise speaking it |
One can never learn a foreign language well by____。
| A.doing much practice | B.studying the dictionary |
| C.learning through use | D.using the language |
Which is the most important in learning a foreign language?
| A.good memory | B.Speaking. | C.Practice. | D.Writing |
Is your family interested in buying a dog? A dog can be a pleasant companion to your family, but if you choose the wrong kind of dog , you will have a lot of troubles.
Families should sit down and discuss the possible problems before buying a dog. Even if the children in your family are the ones who want the dog, the parents are the ones who are really responsible for seeing that the animal is properly cared for. If you don’t know much about dogs, it is a good idea to go to the library for books about different kinds of dogs, and books about how to train a young dog. In reading about the different breeds(种类)you should know that a dog described(描述)as very alert(机敏灵活的)may be too active. When a book describes a dog as an excellent hunting dog, it probably means that the dog won’t be happy living in a small house. Dog breeds vary(变化)in popularity as the years go by. One of the most popular dogs these days is the German shepherd. This is because it provides protection as well as companionship. The family should be warned that these dogs grow up to be very big, and may be too powerful for children to control. If space is limited, a toy dog may be a good choice. These dogs are very small and easy to train. They don’t need to be walked daily, since they can exercise in the home.According to the passage, one can get information about different kinds of dogs.
| A.by going to the library |
| B.by asking someone who has enough experience about different kinds of dogs |
| C.by buying a dog and training it |
| D.by reading books about dogs |
The German shepherd is a popular dog.
| A.because it is easy to train |
| B.because it is big and strong |
| C.because it is powerful and friendly |
| D.because it is alert and active |
Which of the following statements is not true?
| A.Don’t buy a hunting dog if your house is not big enough. |
| B.A dog may not be so good as it is described in books. |
| C.The German shepherd never loses its popularity for it provides not only companionship but also protection. |
| D.You should have a discussion with your family before buying a dog in case it causes you a lot of troubles. |
Which is the best topic of the passage?
| A.The care and proper selection of dogs for families. |
| B.Different breeds of dogs. |
| C.Responsibility for seeing that dogs are properly cared for. |
| D.Different kinds of books about dogs. |
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Goodfellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Take me out to the Ballgame
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold outside. Don’t forget sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City CollegeYou can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food____.
| A.at the front entrance of City Hall |
| B.at the Ballgame |
| C.at 5:00 pm |
| D.at Central Park on Saturday |
You can see movies at _____.
| A.the City College | B.the Museum Theatre |
| C.the City Theatre | D.the Central Park |
If you are going on the Walking Tour, don’t forget_____.
| A.your worries | B.your beautiful walk |
| C.your learning about local history | D.your comfortable shoes |
The Redbirds ballgame_____.
| A.is in the afternoon | B.is outside |
| C.is at the gate | D.might be cold |
“The Zoo” is _____.
| A.a park with lots of animals |
| B.US concert |
| C.a music group |
| D.going to give the concert at 8:00 am |
"If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!"
That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better.
Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too. You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.
All children soon learn what "Don't touch!" means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it. The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a hard floor. All feel different under your feet.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs say, "Do touch!" There you can feel everything on show.
If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see!By touching things ______.
| A.you will have a strange feeling |
| B.you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C.you can learn more about them |
| D.you can tell what colors they really are |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A.Touching by Feeling | B.To See or to Feel |
| C.To See Better-Feel | D.Ways of Feeling |
Which of the following parts can tell you the difference between two coins in your pocket?
| A.Your fingers. | B.Your eyes. | C.Your foot. | D.Your back. |
What can't your skin feel?
| A.Sounds. | B.Darkness. | C.Water. | D.Coins. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A.Touching is helping us to see better. |
| B.Our skins may help us enjoy music. |
| C.Feeling is a good way to learn. |
| D.Visitors can't feel the things on show in any museums. |