There once was a little boy who wanted to meet the king. He set off, walking towards the king’s castle. After many years of walking, the king’s castle came into his view. However, as the boy drew closer to the outside of the castle, the guards noticed him.
“Get out of here!” ordered the guards.
Well, the little boy didn’t have to be told twice. He turned…and ran. All he wanted to do was to tell the king wonderful things, and see all the beautiful things in the king’s house. But he couldn’t even get near the castle! The boy finally stopped running, sat down and cried.
A young man happened to be coming down the path at the very moment. He saw the little boy and stopped. “What’s wrong, young man?” he asked.
“Sir, I walked and walked just to see the king. But these guards made me scared. I wanted to tell the king how lovely everything is and just tell the king that I just wanted to see him!”
The man looked at the little boy thoughtfully. “Look, why don’t you try again? I’ll come with you this time.”
The little boy got up and took the man’s hand. The king’s guards spotted them.
“Look, mister, we don’t have to do this…I don’t want you to get hurt. We can just turn around now.”
The man held the little boy’s hand and went on. The boy really thought the man might be crazy until he looked back up at the guards. They were all smiling now. The little boy was amazed.
“Who are you?” asked the little boy in astonishment.
“Why, I’m the king’s son. You can enter the castle and be with the king.” Said the man.
The little boy broke into a huge smile.
Why did the boy want to see the king?
A.To get some help from the king. |
B.To invite the king to visit his beautiful village. |
C.To share wonderful things with the king. |
D.To ask the king to play with him. |
What does the underlined sentence in the paragraph mean?
A.The little boy didn’t understand the guards’ words at first. |
B.The guards repeated the words to the boy. |
C.The little boy had been to the castle twice. |
D.The little boy understood the guards’ words immediately. |
According to the passage, the man is .
A.kind | B.stupid | C.ambitious | D.mean |
Which of the following best suits the story’s lesson for us?
A.Never judge a book by its cover. |
B.Anything is possible if one tried hard enough. |
C.Life can sometimes be unfair. |
D.Make new friends and keep the old. |
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where:Tahua,Bolivia
How much:About $95 a night
Why it’s cool:You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood,but salt?That’s something few can claim.Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses(床垫) and blankets).The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni,a prehistoric driedup lake which is the world’s biggest salt flat.Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks,and glue them together with a paste (糊) of wet salt that hardens when it dries.When rain starts to dissolve the hotel,the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where:Vythiri,India
How much:About $240 a night
Why it’s cool:Taking a pulley(滑轮)operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure.As you look out of your open window—there is no glass!—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy(罩篷).Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel,or just sit on your bamboo bed and read.You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn “elevator”.
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where:Cottonwood,Idaho
How much:$92 a night
Why it’s cool:This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet.Sweet_Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly.Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side.You can relax in the main bedroom,go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼) in Willy’s head,or hang out inside his nose.Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters,there is also a toilet in the 12foottall fire hydrant(消防栓) outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where:Ayvali,Turkey
How much:Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool:This is caveman cool!Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago,when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash.But your stay will be much more modern.Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel,and the white volcanic ash,called tufa,keeps the rooms cool,about 65in summer.(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
A.It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
B.It should be protected against the rain. |
C.Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
D.You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
A.Being expensive. |
B.Being comfortable. |
C.Being natural. |
D.Being unique. |
What does the underlined words “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A.The name of the hotel.
B.The name of the hotel owner.
C.The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D.The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
A.Tayka Hotel de Sal.
B.Green Magic Nature Resort.
C.Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D.Gamirasu Cave Hotel.
Elizabeth and I are 18 now, and about to graduate. I think about our elementary school friendship, but some memories have blurred(模糊). What happened that day in the fifth grade when Beth suddenly stopped speaking to me? Does she know that I’ve been thinking about her for seven years? If only we could go back, and discover what ended our relationship.
I have to speak with Beth. I see her sometimes, and find out school is “fine”. It’s not the same. It nvever will be. Someone says that she’s Liz now. what happened to Beth?
I can’t call her. Should I write? What if she doesn’t answer me? How will I know what she’s thinking?
Yes, I’ll write her a letter. These things are easier to express in writing. “Dear Be-,” no, “Dear Li-” no, “Dear Elizabeth,” I begin. The words flow freely, as seven-year-old memories are reborn. I ask her all the questions that have been left unanswered in my mind, and pray she will answer. I seal my thoughts in the perfect white envelope, and imagine Beth looking into the mailbox. Will she know why I’m writing? Maybe she once thought of writing the same letter.
As the mailman takes my envelope from me forever, I wonder if I’ve made the right decision. Do I have the right to force myself into Beth’s life again? Am I simply part of the past? I have taken the first stop. Beth has control of the situation now.
One day has passed. Are my words lying on the bottom of the post office floor.
Two days are gone. I’m lost in thought and don’t even hear the phone ring.
“Hello? It’s Elizabeth”What can we learn about Beth?
A.She had a quarrel with the author in the fifth grade |
B.She moved to another school in the fifth grade |
C.She is now called Liz instead of Beth |
D.She hasn’t seen the author for seven years |
Why does the author decide to write a letter instead of calling?
A.She is sure that Beth will not answer |
B.She’s afraid that they’ll quarrel on the phone |
C.She doesn’t know Beth’s telephone number |
D.It is easier to express her feelings in writing |
What does the underlined sentence mean in the fifth paragraph?
A.It’s up to Beth to decide what to do next |
B.Beth is to be blamed for the ending of their friendship |
C.Beth is in the same situation as the author is |
D.The author is completely in the hands of Beth now |
What might happen at the end of the story?
A.Beth answers her letter two day later |
B.The letter doesn’t reach Beth at all |
C.They make up their friendship |
D.Beth refuses to make peace with her |
Sometimes two very different individuals (个体)become the best friends. For example,, who could have thought that a spider would become friends with a pig? But in American writer E.B.White’ novel Charlotte’s Web, this is exactly what happens
Wibur the pig grows up in a barn(谷仓) and makes many friends, including a spider called Charlotte. One day a sheep tells Wibur that he will finally be served up as dinner. But Charlotte decides to save her friend. To help Wibur,Charlotte writes words like “terrific”, “radiant” and “humble” on her web to praise Wibur. This makes the farmer believe that is too important to kill.Wibur is saved, but Charlotte is so tired that she dies.
The book was first published in 1952. In over 60 years Charlotte has become one of the most famous spiders of all time. She teaches us about love and promise. “She is very, very loving under that crusty(暴躁),that ugly look,” Peter Neumeyer, writer of The Annotated Charlott’s Web
The book’s success drew the attention of Hollywood filmmakers , however, they wanted a happier ending. White was strongly against this idea and as a result the film, like the book, ends with Charlotte’s death.
Jen Doll, reporter with The Atlantic, believe that “death is a part of life”. She says this is one of the main messages of the book.
As Charlotte tells Wibur, “You have been my friend. That in itself is a wonderful thing. I wove(纺织)my webs for you because I like you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while and then we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess(杂乱), with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a little. God knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”Which of the following about the story is TRUE?
A.It’s a good example of how differences make us different |
B.It encourages children to love their family and friends |
C.The farmer kills Wibur as dinner |
D.Charlotte is loving and helpful although she is ugly |
What is the disagreement about Charlotte’s Web between Hollywood filmmaker and White?
A.How Charlotte makes friends with Wibur |
B.How to make Charlotte lovely |
C.Whether Charrlotte should die |
D.Whether Wibur should be killed |
In the last paragraph, Charlotte’s main message is that _________
A.life could be boring and troublesome |
B.friendship is more important than life |
C.dying for a good cause is worthwhile(值得的) |
D.life is like a web |
“Clean your plate!” and “Be a member of the clean-plate club!” Just about every kid in the US heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often, it’s accompanied by an appeal: “Just think about those starving orphans in Africa.” Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites. Instead of “cleaning the plate’, perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow.
According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies(胃口,食欲). A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. Americans traditionally associate (将……联系起来) quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little.
Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today that restaurant portion(一分,份额) sizes began (or grew) in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand(扩大).
Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently, some customers are calling for this too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can’t afford fine dining still prefer large portions. Seventy percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $25,000 want smaller.
It’s not that working-class Americans don’t want to eat healthily. It’s just that, “after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal. They live from paycheck, happy to save a little money for next year’s Christmas presents.”Parents in the United States tend to ask their children _______.
A.not to save food | B.to wash the dishes |
C.not to eat too much | D.not to waste food |
Why do American restaurants serve large portions?
A.Because Americans associate quantity with value. |
B.Because Americans have big bellies. |
C.Because Americans are good eaters. |
D.Because Americans are greedy. |
Which of the following is NOT true of working-class Americans?
A.They work long hours. |
B.They live from paycheck to paycheck. |
C.They don’t want to be healthy eaters. |
D.They want to save money for their children. |
What happened in the 1970s?
A.The US government recommended the amount of food a restaurant gave to a customer. |
B.Health experts persuaded restaurants to serve smaller portions. |
C.The United Stated produced more grain than needed. |
D.The American waistline started to expand. |
What does the survey indicate(表明,显示)?
A.Many poor Americans want large portions. |
B.Twenty percent of the Americans want smaller portions. |
C.Fifty seven percent of the Americans earn $150,000 per year. |
D.Twenty three percent of the Americans earn less than $25,000 per year. |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter((中枢神经系统的)灰白质). This is the area of the brain which processes(加工,处理) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals ” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density(密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible,” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
A.science on learning a second language |
B.language learning and the increase in one’s brain power. |
C.man’s ability of learning a second language |
D.language learning and the study of maths |
In the second paragraph, the writer mentions exercise in order to _____.
A.say language is also a kind of physical labour |
B.prove that one needs more practice when he or she is learning a language |
C.make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
D.to show the importance of using the language when you learn it. |
What change can we get during the experience of learning a second language?
A.The increase of the ability to learn. |
B.The development of muscles. |
C.The improvement of strange pronunciation. |
D.A worse understanding of different ideas. |
We may know from the scientific findings that _______.
A.there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
B.the experience of learning a second language has a bad effect on people’s brain |
C.the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
D.the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.
A.learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
B.Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
C.early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
D.you’d better start to learn a second language between 2 and 34 |