In 1945, a 12-year-old boy saw something in a shop window that set his heart racing. But the price-five dollars-was far beyond Reuben Earle's means. Five dollars would buy almost a week's groceries for his family.
Reuben couldn't ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to her mother, Dora, who struggled to feed and clothe their five children.
Nevertheless, he opened the shop's weathered door and went inside. Standing proud and straight in his flour-sack shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding ,“But I don't have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I'll try,”the shopkeeper smiled.“Folks around here don't usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Reuben respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody. On hearing the sound of hammering from a side street, Reuben suddenly had an idea. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails purchased in sacks from a local factory. Sometimes the used sacks were disposed of at the construction site, and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
That day he found two sacks, which he sold to the man in charge of packing nails.
The boy's hand tightly clutched the five-cent pieces as he ran the two kilometers home.
Near his house stood an ancient barn. Reuben found a rusty soda tin and dropped his coins inside. Then he climbed into it and hid the tin beneath a pile of hay.
It was dinnertime when Reuben got home. His father was ready to serve dinner as Reuben took his place at the table. He looked at his mother and smiled. Slim and beautiful, she was the center of the home, the glue that held it together. Her chores were never-ending, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were her highest priority.
Every day after chores and school, Reuben scouted the town, collecting the nail sacks. Summer vacation came, and no student was more delighted than Reuben. Now he would have more time for his mission. All summer long, despite chores at home weeding and watering the garden, cutting wood and fetching water — Reuben kept to his secret task.
Then all too soon fall arrived, and the winds blew cold and gusty from the bay. Reuben wandered the streets, diligently searching for his treasures. Often he was cold, tired and hungry, but the thought of the object in the shop window sustained him. Sometimes his mother would ask:"Reuben, where were you? We were waiting for you to have dinner."
“Playing, Mum. Sorry.”
Dora would look at his face and shake her head. Boys.
Finally the time had come! He ran into the barn, climbed to the hayloft and uncovered the tin can. He poured the coins out and began to count.
Then he counted again. He needed 20 cents more. Could there be any sacks left anywhere in town? He had to find out and sell them before the day ended. Reuben ran down Water Street. The shadows were lengthening when Reuben arrived at the factory. The sack buyer was about to lock up.
“Mister! Please don't close up yet.”
The man turned and saw Reuben, dirty and sweat stained.
“Come back tomorrow, boy.”
“Please, Mister. I have to sell the sacks now — please.”The man heard a tremor in Reuben's voice and could tell he was close to tears.
“Why do you need this money so badly?”
“It's a secret.”
The man took the sacks, reached into his pocket and put four coins in Reuben's hand. Reuben murmured a thank you and ran home.
Then, clutching the tin can, he headed for the shop.
“I have the money,”he solemnly told the owner.
The man went to the window and retrieved Reuben's treasure.
He wiped the dust off and gently wrapped it in brown paper. Then he placed the parcel in Reuben's hands.
Racing home, Reuben burst through the front door. His mother was busy in the kitchen.
“Here, Mum! Here!”Reuben exclaimed as he ran to her side. He placed a small box in her work-roughened hand.
She unwrapped it carefully, to save the paper. A blue-velvet jewel box appeared. Dora lifted the lid, tears beginning to blur her vision. In gold lettering on a small, almond-shaped brooch was the word "Mother". It was Mother's Day, 1946.
Dora had never received such a gift; she had no finery except her wedding ring. Speechless, she smiled radiantly and gathered her son into her arms.
Why did Reuben enter the shop?
| A．Because he wanted to bargain with the shop keeper. |
| B．Because he wanted to ask the shop keeper for a favor. |
| C．Because he wondered if he could get what he wanted for free. |
| D．Because he wanted to have a better look at the thing that appealed to him. |
Reuben must have felt ______ after talking with the shop keeper.
| A．relieved and nervous | B．disappointed and sad |
| C．stressed but hopeful | D．happy but determined |
What is the possible meaning of the underlined word in the tenth paragraph?
| A．visited | B．searched |
| C．wandered | D．escaped |
How did Reuben manage to raise the 20 cents short for his purchase?
| A．By begging some passers-by for a favor. |
| B．By demanding a discount from the shop keeper . |
| C．By asking for some extra pocket money from his mother. |
| D．By sweating himself in collecting and selling more sacks. |
What message is conveyed through the story?
| A．Happiness comes from giving. |
| B．Money can't buy everything. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| D．A mother understands what a child does not say. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Boy with a Mission |
| B．A Valuable Gift |
| C．A Special Mother's Day |
| D．An Unforgettable Experience |
I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”
“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”
“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the
teacher thought .
| A．he didn’t do a good job in his studies |
| B．he described an unrealistic goal in his paper |
| C．he came from an itinerant horse trainer’s family |
| D．he wrote his paper without the help of his father |
Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?
| A．Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream. |
| B．Because his father stopped him from rewriting it. |
| C．Because he was angry about his teacher’s words. |
| D．Because he had put too much of his heart into it. |
From the story we can infer that the boy was actually .
| A．Monty himself | B．the author himself |
| C．Monty’s friend | D．an unknown person |
According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT
that .
| A．the boy was very interested in having a horse ranch of his own |
| B．the boy might have got a higher grade if he’d rewritten his paper |
| C．the boy succeeded in turning his dream into reality in the end |
| D．the boy wouldn’t have reached his goal without his father’s support |
The author wrote this passage mainly to
| A．tell people how to describe their goals |
| B．warn people against dream stealers |
| C．encourage people to stick to their dreams |
| D．teach people how to write their papers |
Mars Was Not Always Bitterly Cold
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today. The Caltech scientists say they have directly established the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented.
The Caltech scientists say carbonate（碳酸盐） minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite（陨石） that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.
Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius.
The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have confirmed the information.
Caltech Geology Professor John Eiler was another writer of the report. He says knowing the temperature of Mars from long ago provides valuable information. It shows that early in the planet's history, at least part of Mars could support a climate like that of Earth.
The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home." The underlined word “establish” in Paragraph 1 probably means “___________”.
| A．to set up |
| B．to make people accept a belief |
| C．to discover or prove |
| D．to start having a relationship with others |
How did the scientists reach the finding?
| A．By studying Allan Hills meteorite. |
| B．By using spacecraft orbiting Mars. |
| C．By studying minerals gathered on Mars |
| D．By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface. |
According to the fourth paragraph, what have spacecraft orbiting Mars done?
| A．Measuring the temperature of Mars. |
| B．Taking photos of the surface of Mars. |
| C．Confirming that there is water flowing on Mars. |
| D．Finding where human beings will probably land on Mars. |
How did Allan Hills meteorite get its name?
| A．From its original place on Mars. |
| B．From where it was found on the earth. |
| C．From the name of the scientist who found it. |
| D．From the name of the aircraft that discovered it |
Where can we most probably read this passage?
| A．In a biography of scientists. |
| B．In a geography magazine. |
| C．In an environment report. |
| D．In a science report. |
Arthur Miller (1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream.” |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed |
The play Death of a Salesman________.
| A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
| B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
| C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
| D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman________.
| A．achieved huge success |
| B．won the first Tony Award |
| C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
| D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Arthur Miller and his family. |
| B．The awards Arthur Miller won. |
| C．The hardship Arthur Miller experienced. |
| D．Arthur Miller and his best known play. |
As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions—like whether to cut class or try cigarettes. Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers(同龄人). When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other.
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball.
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely.” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two.What is the topic of the passage?
| A．Friendship. | B．Self-confidence | C．Peer pressure | D．Making decisions |
In the last three paragraphs, the author mainly_____.
| A．explains why friendship is so important |
| B．discusses how peers influence us |
| C．shows how to make more good friends |
| D．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure |
Which of following may help handle peer pressure?
| A．Spending more time with classmates. | B．Choosing friends with no bad habits. |
| C．Taking up more relaxing hobbies. | D．Helping others who are in trouble. |
Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud. As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked!
Yet I did nothing for the attack. It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected. I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing. And I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He charged towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but in vain. For a second time, I took a step backwards while my attacker paused. I wasn't sure what to do. After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. I stepped back to look the situation over. My attacker moved back to land on the ground. That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier. He had a mate and she was dying.
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake , even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable. I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.
Since then, I've used that butterfly’s courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for.The writer changed his direction while walking down a path because he want__________.
| A．To get close to a butterfly. | B．To escape a sudden attack. |
| C．To look over the bad situation. | D．To avoid getting his shoes dirty. |
What made the man feel funny?
| A．Making the attacker pause. | B．Being stepped on by his mate. |
| C．Discovering the angry butterfly. | D．Being attacked by a butterfly. |
Which of the following words can best describe the butterfly?
A. careless B. amusing D. aggressive D. courageousFrom this experience the man learned_____.
| A．how he should deal with attacks |
| B．how to deal with challenges in his life |
| C．people should protect butterflies |
| D．people should show sympathy to the weak |