It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.Why did the author follow her son?
| A．Because there might be danger. |
| B．Because her son was doing a good deed. |
| C．Because she intended to help. |
| D．Because she was curious. |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
| A．Rain was in great need. |
| B．Billy carried water with his small hands. |
| C．There were few trees in the woods. |
| D．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
①The author was moved to tears.
②Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③Billy walked towards the large deer.
④It began to rain.
⑤The author followed Billy into the woods.
| A．③②⑤①④ | B．⑤③②①④ |
| C．④①③②⑤ | D．⑤②①③④ |
At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that _____
| A．Billy was a pride. |
| B．God was touched by Billy's activity. |
| C．the rain should have dropped earlier. |
| D．it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy. |
Japanese students work very hard but many are very unhappy. They feel great pressure from their parents to do well in school and in college. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have successful future. Although this may be good advice for those who are very bright, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students actually kill themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some students, however, do bad things with groups of bad people and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but, in spite of all their tries, have failed in certain examinations and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important than everyone else they meet and leave school before they finish their study.
It is surprising that although most Japanese parents are anxious for their children to do well at school, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are unable to help their children with their lessons and that it is the teachers’ job to help their children.
To make matter worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evenings and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams; they do not try to educate students in any real sense of the world. Thus comes a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior high school students attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the length of students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They believe that no sense of moral(道德) values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.Many Japanese students are unhappy at school because .
| A．the school work is too much |
| B．their teachers are too strict with them |
| C．their parents put much pressure on them |
| D．they can’t get on well with their friends |
How many unexpected things will some of Japanese students do when they are not doing well in their studies?
| A．Two | B．Four | C．Six | D．Eight |
What’s some experts’ opinion about Japanese school rules?
| A．They are a set of effective rules. |
| B．They can help the students to be useful persons. |
| C．They are bad for the development of each student. |
| D．They stress the importance of sense of moral values. |
According to the third paragraph, who have not tried their best?
| A．The schools. | B．The students. |
| C．The teachers. | D．The parents. |
choose the best title for this passage:
A. Poor students in Japan
B. poor students in campus in Japan
C. wrong educational system in Japan
D How to develop a student
Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.
The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married; and age 26.2 having a child.
“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.
| A．has found a full-time job |
| B．has finished his study in university |
| C．can make money and support himself after completing his education |
| D．can support a family and be financially independent after graduation |
A young man of 24 may be busy ________.
| A．finding a job |
| B．finding a girl friend |
| C．making money |
| D．preparing for his wedding |
The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．position | B．rank | C．level | D．situation |
From the passage, we learn that _________.
| A．being grown-up is just a matter of age |
| B．being grown-up is a process which takes some time |
| C．all people think completing education means being grown-up |
| D．the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up |
The best title for the passage should be “________”
| A．It takes a long time to grown up. |
| B．Are we grown-up yet? |
| C．Getting married means being grown-up. |
| D．Completing education means being grown-up. |
Travel is exciting and summer is a busy period for holiday travel. Many people will travel great distances in airplanes, cars or other vehicles. Experts say people should know about other health problems that can strike when traveling by air.
One of these is a condition called hypoxia (缺氧症). It results from a lack of oxygen to the brain. Experts say the body begins losing oxygen minutes after an airplane leaves the ground. The air pressure in a plane during flight is lower than at sea level. This makes it more difficult for the body to effectively use the same amount of oxygen as it would on the ground. Fewer oxygen molecules （分子） cross the tissues (组织) in the lungs and reach the bloodstream.
The result is a five to twenty percent drop in the amount of oxygen in the blood. This reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the organs of the body.
One effect of this lack of oxygen to the brain is a headache. When this happens, the heart attempts to fix the situation by beating harder and faster. This can make the traveler feel tired.
These signs of hypoxia are not dangerous in a healthy person. But a drop in oxygen level can cause a health emergency in people with heart or lung problems. They might lose consciousness or even suffer a heart attack.
Experts say that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic liquids also reduce the body’s ability to use oxygen. So they suggest that people not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes either before or during a flight. They also say persons with heart or lung problems should seek advice from their doctors before flying.The author writes the passage mainly to ___.
| A．warn people in airplanes of possible dangers |
| B．offer some advice on avoiding health problems |
| C．explain the causes and effects of hypoxia |
| D．advise people not to smoke or drink alcohol |
According to the passage, what leads to hypoxia?
| A．The brain lacks enough oxygen. |
| B．The air pressure in a plane is too high |
| C．Our body needs less oxygen during takeoff. |
| D．The bloodstream contains no oxygen molecules. |
The underlined part “fix the situation” means “___”.
| A．use more oxygen it needs |
| B．increase the air pressure |
| C．reduce the amount of blood |
| D．bump more blood to the brain |
Why should passengers not smoke or drink before flying?
| A．They weaken the body’s ability to use oxygen. |
| B．Smoking may pollute the air inside the airplane. |
| C．Drinking alcohol may raise one’s blood pressure. |
| D．Drinking is forbidden at the airport. |
Do you think which the following title is the best title for this passage?
| A．Tralling |
| B．how to travel |
| C．some suggestions about on the plane while travelling |
| D．the causes and effects of hypoxia |
阅读下面短文并回答问题, 然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的字数要求）。
[1]Everyone has dreams. Usually they obey the rule that if you can dream it, you can achieve it！If you want to obtain a perfect life in the future, there are always some goals.
[2]The first goal common to all of us is health and energy. We all want to be healthy and fit, to have high levels of energy and to live free of pain and illness. Today, with the incredible advance in medical science, the quality of our health and fitness, and our lifespan is largely determined by design, not by chance. People with excellent health habits are far healthier, have more energy, and live longer and better than people who have poor health habits. Remember that health is not everything, but without health everything is nothing!
[3]The second goal that we all have in common is to enjoy excellent relationships—personal or social—with the people we like and respect, and who in turn. Fully 85% of your happiness will be determined by the quality of your relationships at each stage, and in each area of your life. How well you get along with people, and how much they like and respect you, have more impact on the quality of your life than perhaps any other factor.
[4]The third common goal is to do work that we enjoy, to do it well, and to be well paid for it. You want to be able to get and keep the job you want, to get paid more and promoted faster. You want to earn the very most that is possible for you at each stage of your career, no matter what you are engaged in.
[5]The fourth goal we all have in common is to achieve financial independence. You want to reach the point in life where you have enough money so that you never have any financial worries. You want to be completely free of them. You want to be able to order dinner in a restaurant without referring to the price listings to determine what you want to eat.What does this passage mainly about? (no more than 12 words)
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 6 words)
Why does the author put health ahead of other goals?(no more than 20 words)
What does the underlined word“them”in the last paragraph probably refer
to? (no more than 3 words)Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 into Chinese.
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable.On that day, retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
This day should be a shopper’s dream. “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully. By saying “This day should be a shopper’s dream”, the writer means ________ .
| A．shoppers have longed for this day for a long time |
| B．the shops will be very crowded on that day |
| C．the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day |
| D．shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day |
Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
| A．Because there are too many people saving more and spending less. |
| B．Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year. |
| C．Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident. |
| D．Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m. |
From the passage we know that_________.
| A．Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception. |
| B．Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted. |
| C．The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day. |
| D．Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future. |
We can find this passage in_________.
| A．a science fiction |
| B．a travel brochure |
| C．an economic research report |
| D．a book on psychology |
Why American people call it a black day?
| A．Because they organize activities in honor of some great person. |
| B．Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas. |
| C．Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving. |
| D．The sky is black that day. |