Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. “I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!” said Jason.
“You will have to follow some rules,” said his grandmother. “You can only ride in the park — never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?”
“You bet!” Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.
On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.
Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.
Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee.
It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine!
Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. “Excellent!” said a girl as she passed him. “Extreme!” laughed Jason to himself. “Not quite.”Jason’s grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _____.
| A．he finished his homework |
| B．he liked the sport |
| C．he observed some rules |
| D．he won a bet |
Jason jumped off the sofa because _____.
| A．he was allowed to go skateboarding |
| B．he was angry at his grandmother |
| C．he was going to play outside |
| D．he was given a board and a helmet |
After watching the kids skateboarding in the park, Jason felt skateboarding was _____.
| A．easy | B．difficult |
| C．boring | D．exciting |
The girl praised Jason for his _____.
| A．skill | B．honesty |
| C．courage | D．kindness |
Birds have long been known to be the disease carries for years, but now they are receiving so much pressure due to Avian Bird Flu. Bird cause health danger to humans and animals in or around their droppings.
Bird Buffer Q2, is designed to protect your facility from unwanted troublesome birds naturally, and is especially effective for sparrow control. When birds keep coming back and you’ve tried everything imaginable, it’s time for Bird Buffer Q2.
Bird control is now safe, easy, and economical with Bird Buffer. The Bird Buffer is also simple to operate. Just hang it with Bird Buffer cables or set it on the roof. Fill it with the specially‑prepared liquid, and turn it on. It is that simple. Bird Buffer Q2 is a permanent, automatic and cost‑effective commercial process for indoor and outdoor bird control. Contact Bird Buffer LLC ＠www. Birdbuffer.com or call 866－557－4274.
Bird Buffer Q2 Frequently Asked Questions:
a) How does Bird Buffer Q2 work?
It is operated by an electrically‑controlled sprayer(喷雾器）to spread the vapor at 90 mph over larger areas. A time releases the vapor every 2 minutes into the air to keep fresh vapor in the area for birds. When birds fly through the area, the tiny particles（颗粒） of vapor enter the birds breathing system, making the birds fly away. When the birds come back, they once again breathe the particles and fly away. After a few weeks, birds remember their responses and stay away.
b) How much water is needed per month?
About one gallon a mouth
c) How long does it take to get bird control?
Usually two weeks is enough to control flocks of birds from the treated area. It takes time for the birds to find a new home and new feeding grounds.It can be inferred that the text is used_________. .
| A．to promote the product |
| B．to warn people not to go near birds |
| C．to remind people of the present situation of bird control is |
| D．to inform people what the present situation of bird control is |
Where can Bird Buffer Q2 be most likely used?
| A．In basements. | B．In wild forests. |
| C．In wildlife zoos. | D．In outdoor restaurants. |
Which of the following words can best describe Bird Buffer Q2?
| A．Attractive | B．Inexpensive | C．Time‑saving | D．Dangerous |
All of the following aspects of bird control using Bird Buffer Q2 are mentioned except_______.
| A．the time taken | B．the amount of water needed |
| C．the way it works | D．the side effects brought about |
The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.
A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?” the Cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded “yes”.
“Pick up that piece of string from the floor. There, my ‘toy’. The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head.
“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it,” the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string.”
Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man stroked(轻抚) the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely white cat. It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.Why did the Cat give the man a slightly annoyed look?
| A．Because the man’s tears made the Cat really anxious. |
| B．Because the Cat didn’t know what made the man burst into tears. |
| C．Because the Cat couldn’t go to sleep when the man was in low spirits. |
| D．Because the man didn’t have to be so sad and concerned. |
According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws?
| A．Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind. |
| B．Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic. |
| C．Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets. |
| D．Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy. |
What does the underlined word “string” in paragraph 3 stand for?
| A．Life. | B．Birth. | C．Hope. | D．Power. |
What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Pets play an important part in our life. |
| B．Life has no end and death is just a new beginning. |
| C．We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest. |
| D．It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away. |
Poverty today is a major global issue. Although there are all kinds of definitions used to explain it, in simple words, it means the inability of a person to even get his basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, safe drinking water, health and education. Poverty can be found in each and every corner of the world, although the causes may differ from country to country. Given below are the main causes of poverty in the world today.
Overpopulation is one of the main causes behind the threatening of poverty on an individual level as well as a social level. This is simple math. If there are more mouths to feed and less income, definitely much will remain poor.
Another theory which is used as an explanation for poverty is lack of education. If you look at any of the underdeveloped countries, you will find that the level of education there is very low. Lack of education means lack of employment opportunities, thus leading to unemployment coupled with poverty in the future.
Moving away from one’s own homeland to another city or country in search of employment leads to poverty too. It may take these people a lot of time to find jobs. Meanwhile they live in bad conditions. The cost of living in the city or country is most of the time too high for them.
There may be other causes of poverty like the change in business. For example, in America, a couple of decades ago, heavy industry flourished, which employed a lot of African-American people. But now, the focus is more on information technology and health care, both of which employ only skilled and trained people. This has led to unemployment among African-Americans.
Poverty has many ill effects on society. That’s why steps should be taken to get rid of it!What’s the meaning of the underlined word “flourished” in Paragraph 5?
(No more than 5 words)Why is overpopulation a cause of poverty today? (No more than12 words)
What’s the situation of education in underdeveloped countries? (No more than 8 words)
What does the passage mainly talk about? (No more than 10 words)
In your opinion, what’s the most significant cause of poverty today? Please give your reason. (No more than 25 words)
Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to obey a stereotype（陈规旧俗），a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to obey the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes, "James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to obey a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported. The author believes that a single-sex school would ______.
| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be "real men" |
| B．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| C．help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| D．naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man |
It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys ______.
| A．perform relatively better | B．grow up more healthily |
| C．behave more responsibly | D．receive a better education |
What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls academically. |
| B．It focuses more on mixed school education. |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need. |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls. |
According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______.
| A．teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
| B．boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted |
| C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit |
Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report?
| A．They enjoy being in charge. | B．They obey stereotypes. |
| C．They are violent and sexist. | D．They have sharper vision. |
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try. “What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition .What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition. |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
| A．It builds up a sense of duty. | B．It pushes society forward. |
| C．It improves personal abilities. | D．It encourages individual efforts. |
The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?
| A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others’. |
| B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts. |
| C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills. |
| D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried. |
Which point of view may the author agree to?
| A．Every effort should be paid back. |
| B．Competition should be encouraged. |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter. |
| D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |