There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: “ No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people’s needs. For example, some volunteers provide help after a disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists(考古学家) search for ancient objects to help deepen our knowledge of the past.
Volunteers work in many areas around the world, including Haiti. More than two years have passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquakes still live in temporary(临时的) shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example, Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She could almost not believe how much rubbish was ruining some of the area’s most beautiful sights. Jodie Underhill learned about how to deal with the rubbish while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Jodie Underhill says the work is very hard. But she praises the group’s efforts as a wonderful experience. The young Englishwoman says the Indian media started calling her “Garbage Girl”. And she says she was pleased with the name.
American teenagers also volunteer in many ways .The first paragraph serves as a(n) ___________.
| A.explanation | B.introduction |
| C.comment | D.background |
What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer?
| A.He planted trees and flowers in Haiti. |
| B.He gave some money to the poor in Haiti. |
| C.He helped archeologists search for ancient objects. |
| D.He helped to build houses after the earthquake in Haiti |
What can we learn from the text?
| A.It is difficult for small organizations to get volunteers. |
| B.The number of people died in Haiti’s earthquake is unclear. |
| C.Most of the volunteers are good at collecting money. |
| D.History lovers mainly learn about history from ancient objects. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A.How to join in a volunteer group |
| B.Why people offer their services to others |
| C.The benefits that volunteers can gain |
| D.The volunteer work that American teenagers do. |
I had a lot of teachers that I loved. However, the teacher that I remember most was Mrs. Green from Marianna, Florida. She was my 5th grade teacher. Since I was a new student, not only in her class, but at the school, she made my time there much more pleasant. I immediately began to like her. She was really funny and I knew that she liked me. She made learning fun. I remember one day for Christmas holidays, she taught us how to make ornaments(装饰物) from eggs. My parents still have some of the ornaments I made.
She made me leader for many group projects and that made me feel special. I think that would make any child feel special, especially when a child is in a new place with no friends. She made me want to be like that. Not to pick a “favorite” student, but to make every student feel that they are special. That year, I received the Presidential Academic Award(美国总统学术奖) . I was really proud and so were my parents.
Looking back at it, I think the reason why I did so well was that I felt important. Students do better when they feel like they are important or loved. Mrs. Green always gets to know her students and forms personal relationships with them, which I will try to do some day. I just hope that there will be a student who finds me to be their favorite teacher as I found her to be mine. The author’s life in the new school was very _______.
| A.hard | B.happy | C.common | D.boring |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A.The author was Mrs. Green’s favorite student. |
| B.The author was the pride of her parents. |
| C.The author was once received by the President. |
| D.The author always felt lonely in Mrs. Green’s class. |
What will the author probably do in the future?
| A.become a teacher | B.become an artist |
| C.become a leader | D.become the President |
How does the author feel about Mrs. Green’s help?
| A.Sorry | B.Afraid |
| C.Hopeful | D.Thankful |
Have you still remember what happened when you went to school on the first day? I still remember my interesting first day of school . On that day, I hurried to my science class in the morning and found a seat in the back. I waited there for 15 minutes before the bell rang. The science teacher told us about some class rules. No one talked to me nor did I talk to anyone else. I was one of those very shy girls. After the science class, I had an English class. I thought it would be boring but it turned out to be very funny. When the classes of the morning ended I went to lunch. I sat outside the dining room with no one to talk to and no food because I was too nervous to join the lunch line. I kept looking around hoping to see someone I knew but I never saw anyone.
Lunch ended and I went to have my art class. I was the first one there and not even my teacher was there yet. So I sat at my desk and started drawing some pictures. I didn’t notice the rest of the class walking in or the girl that was standing behind me till I surprised by the voice, “So what are you drawing?” It was a girl who had really long hair. She ended up being my best friend and one of the kindest and liveliest girls I know.
In the next class meeting, the teacher asked us to talk about the past holiday. I was glad to make some new friends in the class. The first day of high school was hard for me but I got through it.What do we know about the writer’s science class?
| A.She was 15 minutes late for it. |
| B.She made some new friends. |
| C.She learned some class rules. |
| D.She sat in the front row. |
According to the writer, the English class was _______?
| A.boring | B.useful |
| C.hard | D.interesting |
The writer had no lunch because she _________.
| A.was afraid to stand in line |
| B.forgot the lunchtime |
| C.wasn’t hungry |
| D.didn’t like the dining room |
In the art class, the writer _______.
| A.met someone she knew before |
| B.talked about her past holiday |
| C.got to know a lively girl |
| D.drew some pictures about her class |
(Reuters) — A group of Chinese scientists and explorers are looking for international help to organize a new search for the country’s answer to Bigfoot, known locally as the “Yeren”, or “wild man”.
Over the years, more than 400 people have said they saw the half-man, half-ape (半猿) Yeren in a remote, mountainous area of the central province of Hubei, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday.
Expeditions (探险) in the 1970s and 1980s found hair, a footprint, and a sleeping nest suspected(怀疑) of belonging to the Yeren, but there has been no conclusive proof (确凿的证据), the report added.
Witnesses(目击者) describe a creature that walks upright and is more than 2 meters tall with grey, red or black hair all over its body, Xinhua said.
Now the Hubei Wild Man Research Association is looking for volunteers from around the world to join them on another expedition to look for the Yeren.
“We want the team members to be devoted, as there will be a lot of hard work in the process,” Luo Baosheng, vice president of the group, told Xinhua.
But the team will have to come up with about 10 million yuan ($1.50 million) first, and is talking to companies and other bodies to secure the money, so there is no timetable yet for when they may start, the report added.
China is no stranger to crypto zoology. There are many tales about mysterious, monster-like creatures in remote parts of the country. For example, Tibetans have long talked about the existence of the Yeti (喜马拉雅雪人), or “Abominable Snowman”, in the high mountains of their snowy homeland.What the volunteers for this expedition need most is _____.
| A.experience | B.enthusiasm |
| C.confidence | D.devotion |
The timetable for starting the trip depends on _____.
| A.the number of explorers |
| B.government’s support |
| C.the money |
| D.local people’s guiding |
According to the text, the underlined word “crypto zoology” in the last paragraph probably refers to _____.
| A.the study of mysterious animals |
| B.the study of human beings |
| C.dangerous expeditions |
| D.tourism industry |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A.Volunteers for an expedition needed |
| B.Scientists to look for China’s Bigfoot |
| C.International cooperation in finding wild animals |
| D.Yeren appeared in Hubei again |
I grew up in a neighborhood that many city kids can only dream of: a quiet street that was our adventure park: a street filled with kids whose parents had to drag us inside for dinner, most of the time long after the sun had retired for the night.
Our street was also a zoo. There were cats, dogs, birds, fish, sheep, rabbits, horses, not to mention all the little things we caught and decided to keep as pets. But these farm animals weren't just farm animals. They were our friends.
Everything was great. I loved my life and never wanted anything to change. Then a day arrived that would ruin everything. The day they said, “We're moving.” Dad's job had been relocated, and I would soon be leaving everything I had ever known. I cried. “We are going to live near the beach,” I kept hearing, but it was no comfort. I hated my parents for doing this to me, for putting an end to the series of colorful adventures. I watched as removal trucks were filled with boxes my life had been shoved(挤) into, but I knew that there was one thing that wouldn't fit into a box. My neighborhood and all the fun and adventure it contained.
I forced myself to dislike our new life and insistently(坚持地) referred to our old house as “home”. I would give no one the satisfaction of enjoying our new beachfront lifestyle, not my family, my friends or myself. To admit taking pleasure in the new meant to let go off the old. But once I allowed myself to like the town, I grew to love it and I don't want anything to change. But this time, I know it will. And as scary as that may be, it's okay because exciting adventures can happen anywhere. All I have to do is to let them happen.The best title of the text could be________.
| A.My beautiful memory |
| B.Country life and city life |
| C.My wonderful neighborhood |
| D.Adventures could be everywhere |
In my old neighborhood, children________.
| A.often moved to other places to live |
| B.lived in a zoo with a lot of farm animals |
| C.played together until late in the evening |
| D.were pulled to do homework after school |
At last the writer came to realize that one should________.
| A.keep fun in the past in a box |
| B.accept the change with an open mind |
| C.find ways to enjoy a new life |
| D.start a new life and forget the past |
When I was 12 years old, I was at a very hard stage in life. I was short and fat, which was bad for a girl, so coordination(协调)was not one of my strongest features. On the other hand, my mother was a very talented
softball player who even acted as my coach. Night after night, I would try my best to impress “my coach”.Unfortunately, I just felt like a terrible disappointment to my mother.
One summer afternoon, my mother told us we were going to visit Uncle David. Since we lived in an apartment, going to the country was quite a treat. My uncle David always had a way of making me feel special.
When we arrived, my uncle and cousin Jeff were throwing metal rings at two holes in the ground. I was curious about what they were doing so I went over to watch. Noticing that I was standing there, my uncle asked if I had ever played washers.
Being a “city girl”, my reply was that the only “washers” I knew were the ones that cleaned clothes. To my embarrassment, Uncle David, chuckling(咯咯笑),explained that the metal rings were called washers. I was shocked to hear my uncle saying he wanted me to take his place. He then gave me the washers and gave tips on how to throw better.
Unwillingly, I joined Jeff. Gradually, I found myself not only enjoying but also wanting to win this game. The washer went into the air and began to fall. Then a cloud of dust appeared as the washer sank into the hole. My first try! I had actually thrown the washer into the hole!
Although 23 summers have gone by since that day, this small success in washer playing helped me get back self confidence lost when I struggled with the game of softball.Why did the author live a hard life at the age of twelve?
| A.Because her body has many health problems. |
| B.Because coordination was her strongest feature. |
| C.Because she was forced to learn to play softball. |
| D.Because her efforts at softball were disappointing. |
When she was told that she could visit Uncle David, the author felt ________.
| A.surprised | B.pleased |
| C.disappointed | D.nervous |
It can NOT be learned from the passage that __________.
| A.the author must be more confident now |
| B.the author’s mother was good at softball |
| C.the author had never met Uncle David before the visit |
| D.the author had never played washers before the visit |
Which is the RIGHT time order of the changes in the author’s feelings when she was at her uncle’s?
| A.Curious—Embarrassed—Shocked—Pleased |
| B.Shocked—Curious—Embarrassed—pleased |
| C.Pleased—Embarrassed—Curious—Shocked |
| D.Curious—Shocked—Pleased—Embarrassed |