Last Friday, I was ing home late after spending time with friends and thought I’d go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I’d seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him unfortable. He’d rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It’s funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when “he was younger and didn’t know any better” and how he tried to make amends (补偿) but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60’s before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, “I met an amazing homeless person”.The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.
| A．share his experience |
| B．show his generosity |
| C．express his thoughts |
| D．exchange his opinions |
The homeless man refused pizza because he ____.
| A．did not feel very hungry at that moment |
| B．had something wrong with his stomach |
| C．preferred some chicken and rice to pizza |
| D．might feel ashamed to be given something |
What’s the homeless man’s last wish?
| A．To bee a lot younger again. |
| B．To make amends for his early life. |
| C．To have enough chicken and rice to eat. |
| D．To teach the young not to follow his example. |
It can be inferred from the text that ____.
| A．The homeless man is different from others |
| B．The writer showed his pity to the homeless man |
| C．What the homeless man thought shocked the writer |
| D．What the homeless man did was not very meaningful |
How do you like the homeless man after reading the passage?
| A．Learned. | B．Honorable. |
| C．Determined. | D．Promising. |
A beer bottle thrown from the stands landed near Usain Bolt in the moments before the 100-meter final Sunday night in London.
As Bolt and seven other competitors ducked into their starting crouches, a bottle sailed from the first row of the stands at Olympic Stadium.
It harmlessly bounced in the lane belonging to Yohan Blake and didn’t appear to cause a distraction(分心) to the runners, who started a moment later. The thrower’s lack of distance was a blessing. Had he gathered tips from the competitors of the hammer throw(链球) competition, which was taking place in the infield at the same time as the 100 final, the bottle could have hit one of the competitors. It ended up landing a few feet from Blake (lane5).
Edith Bosch, a female Dutch judoka who won a bronze medal earlier during the Olympics, claimed that the man who threw the bottle was sitting near her and that she “beat” him. Whether that’s true or the hyperbole (夸张的语句) of an aggravated athlete was unclear in the minutes after the incident. Pictures show a group of Dutch athletes sitting behind the starting area.
Police took the man into custody(监护). He will appear in court on Monday morning.
Neither Bolt nor Blake said they knew of the incident until they were informed by reporters. “I don’t know who would have done that,” Bolt said.
Gatlin was aware of it but implied it was only a slight distraction. “I didn’t know what it was,” he said, according to the BBC, “but when you’re in those blocks, the whole stadium is so quiet that you can hear a pin drop.”How many exact athletes are mentioned in the text?
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Seven | D．Eleven |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Usain Bolt along with seven other competitors |
| B．A female Dutch judoka sitting behind the starting area. |
| C．The lane belonging to Yohan Blake before 100 final. |
| D．A beer bottle thrown at Usain Bolt before 100 final. |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the athletes for the 100-meter final?
| A．Critical | B．Doubtful |
| C．Disapproving | D．Positive |
Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92．
To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure．Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon．It is an honor she has earned．Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best ---- challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth．She said, "We reporters' priority（首要事情） is the people's right to know ---- without fear or favor．We are the people's servants．"
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920．All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard．She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper．After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D．C．in search of a newspaper job．Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News．Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors．The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice．
Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F．Kennedy and his family．Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies．She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences．Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy．Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring．And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed．What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?
| A．Her career took off after covering the Kennedys. |
| B．Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency. |
| C．She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942. |
| D．She decided to be a reporter while in college. |
Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas
| A．is a good decision maker for her career |
| B．appreciates education and hard work |
| C．wants to be famous by writing reports |
| D．has great support from her family |
What does Helen Thomas think other work?
| A．Unbearable. | B．Exciting. |
| C．Challenging. | D．Unforgettable. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．A reporter sticking to the facts. |
| B．A reporter challenging President Kennedy. |
| C．A reporter from an ordinary family. |
| D．A reporter for Washington Daily News. |
If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised．They are a flash mob （快闪族）, which is a group of people who come together suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly break up．They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communication network．At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some distractions（消遣） such as waving their hands and exchanging books, Then, they quickly break up before the police can arrive．Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its location if the first one has been replaced for any reason．
Bill Lasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3, 2003 - after the first attempt was foiled at Macy's department store．Lasik claimed that the activity was designed to make fun of hipsters （起时髦的人）, and call attention to the cultural atmosphere．
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people．Such an activity might seem amusing and untrue, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place．Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction．They also have great economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product．
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular．People use it to do many things．For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson's fans took part in a flash mob to remember him．Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael's famous song "Beat It" together．Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory．The undefined word "foiled" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by .
| A．forgotten | B．prevented |
| C．announced | D．confirmed |
What can you learn about the flash mob from the passage?
| A．The flash mob usually breaks up quickly for lacking enough time. |
| B．Once the place for the activity is determined, it can't be changed. |
| C．The flash mob can be made use of in many fields just for fun. |
| D．It gives people the chance to come together to do something unusual. |
The main purpose of the passage is ______
| A．to entertain | B．to encourage |
| C．to inform | D．to persuade |
The writer's attitude towards the flash mob is
| A．negative | B．favorable |
| C．objective | D．doubtful |
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
| A．the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered |
| B．the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise |
| C．the good enough data has been collected from only one country |
| D．the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree |
According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
| A．have little time to exercise |
| B．hate to get regular exercise |
| C．take more exercise to lose weight |
| D．exercise more than men in their country |
The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
| A．powerful | B．rich | C．lazy | D．unpopular |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise |
| B．New Health Discovery |
| C．Evolvement of Human Beings |
| D．Benefits of Taking Exercise |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Welcome to Arundel Castle which is situated in West Sussex, England. The castle has a history of nearly 1000 years and has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world. Arundel Castle also plays a starring role in many films.
The Gardens
The White Garden is planted with soft white Iceberg Roses, and Snow White Lilies.
The Rose Garden is newly planted with lovely old-fashioned English roses that are at their very best in June and July.
The Organic Kitchen Garden produces a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, pears, cherries and apples.
The Castle Shop
In the Castle Shop, you will discover a wide and interesting range of gift ideas for everyone. It offers gifts and souvenirs designed to appeal to all tastes and pockets. Foods, china, books, and stationery (文具)are all available. Many are sold in this Castle Shop only.
At Arundel Castle we pride ourselves on supporting local suppliers and actively encourage environmentally friendly products.
The Arundel Festival 2014
Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August
The annual Arundel Festival gets bigger and better every year. It is one of the most amazing, diverse and easily accessible arts festivals in the UK, offering a mix of visual arts, music, theatre and street entertainment.
Parking
Coaches and mini-buses can drop off at the main Castle entrance in Mill Road and park in the main town car park that is opposite the Castle entrance. Please inform us when making your booking of how many parking permits are required.When visiting the castle, you can____________.
| A．get old-fashioned English roses as gifts |
| B．buy eco-friendly products in the Castle Shop |
| C．get seasonal fruit and vegetables for free |
| D．see how the local gifts are being made |
How long does the Arundel Festival last this year?
| A．10 days | B．One week | C．16 days | D．One month |
Where can you park the coach?
| A．In Mill Road |
| B．Inside the Castle |
| C．In the main town car park |
| D．At the main Castle entrance |