One day, my father and I were in line to buy tickets for the circus(马戏表演). And a family was standing in front of us.
The family had eight children. Their clothes were not expensive but clean．The children talked about the clowns(小 丑), elephants, monkeys and other things excitedly. It was their first time to go to the circus.
The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly answered, “I want eight children’s tickets and two adults’ tickets, so I can take my family to the circus.”
The ticket lady said the price. The man's wife lowered her head and there was no smile on th e man's face. He quietly asked, “How much did you say?”
The ticket lady said the price again. The man didn’t have enough money. How could he tell his eight kids the bad news? My dad put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground．(In fact, we were not rich!) Then my dad said, “Excuse me, sir, this dropped out of your pocket.”
The man knew what was going on. He looked into my dad’s eyes, held my dad’s hand in his, and took the $20 bill. “Thank you, sir, thank you. This really means a lot to me and my family.”
My father and I went back home. We didn’t go to see the circus that night, but we didn’t care.
What can children see in the circus?
| A．clowns | B．elephants | C．monkeys | D．all of them |
The father wanted to buy _________ tickets.
| A．four | B．six | C．eight | D．ten |
The underlined words “lower” might mean __________ in the passage.
| A．低头 | B．抬头 | C．跳上 | D．跳下 |
Who saw the circus that night?
| A．The man’s family | B．The writer’s family |
| C．None of them | D．All of them |
We can infer(推测)that the writer’s father is a ________ person.
| A．young | B．handsome | C．lucky | D．kind |
How much do you know about Albert Einstein?
Albert Einstein, born on March 14, 1879 in Germany, was a great scientist in the world. He was strange because he hated haircuts and new clothes. He believed in peace. All his life, he hated war. However, his most famous idea, E = mc², helped create the world’s most dangerous weapon (武器). Many people think he was the smartest person in the world. But Einstein said that he thought like a child with many questions and unusual ideas.
What did he like?
Einstein liked learning sailing. He sailed in small boats all his life. He once joked, “Sailing is the sport that takes the least energy!”
When Einstein was a child, his mother made him take violin lessons. At first, he didn’t like the violin. But then he learned to love music and became a good violinist. Later, he said, “Love is the best teacher.”
Why is the sky blue?
In 1910, Einstein asked a question which many children often ask, “Why is the sky blue?” After his careful research, he answered the question like this： “It’s because light is made up of many colors including blue. When light travels to Earth, gas particles(气体微粒) spread the blue light all over the sky.” His answer is true in physics.
According to the passage, Albert Einstein __________ haircuts and new clothes.
| A．forgot | B．minded | C．liked | D．disliked |
The underlined part actually shows Albert Einstein was a/an __________ person.
| A．clever | B．imaginative |
| C．practical | D．childlike |
Einstein ______________ learning sailing and playing the violin.
| A．was interested in | B．looked forward to |
| C．was known for | D．was bored with |
From Paragraph 3 we know that ______________.
| A．mother teaches the best |
| B．without mother’s push, we can’t love anything |
| C．we should love our teacher |
| D．when we love something, we’d like to learn about it |
Einstein offered a __________ explanation for the question why the sky is blue.
| A．magic | B．wise |
| C．scientific | D．Careful |
It was nearly dark, the sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home, with tears in his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Tom? How’s your trip?” his mother asked with a big smile. “I failed. The mountain is so high and full of big or small stones on the way, I still go ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back.” Tom cried. “It doesn’t matter, you are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance.” his mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there are a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road.” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” his father asked. “There were many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet.” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” his father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture.” Tom answered. “That’s enough!” his father smiled and said, “Please remember, son. For often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn’t reach the top of the mountain, you got a lot on the way.”
It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery (风景) is on the way.
Tom got back home _____________ when the sun was dropping.
| A．slowly | B．sadly |
| C．quickly | D．early |
Tom’s parents wanted Tom _______________.
| A．to be friendly | B．to be happy |
| C．to be clever | D．to be healthy |
What’s the main reason that Tom didn’t reach the top of the mountain?
| A．The mountain was so high. |
| B．The way was full of big or small stones. |
| C．He was tired and it was so late. |
| D．He was only 14 years old. |
Tom saw a lot of things on the way to the mountain except _______________ .
| A．clear water | B．blue sky |
| C．colorful flowers | D．green trees |
The writer tries to tell us that ____________.
| A．the goal is not important |
| B．everyone should climb the mountain |
| C．the mountain is very beautiful |
| D．the process (过程) is more important than the result |
| Postman wanted No experience necessary but you must be hardworking. Free to choose working hours. Have a driver’s license. Write to No. 38 Changhong Rd, Xiangyang. |
English teacher wanted Warm and patient college students. Able to speak standard English, good with children. Time： on weekends. E-mail address： Sunshine School @163.com. |
| Taxi drivers wanted Full-time taxi drivers. Over five years’ experience, good knowledge of the city. Under 45 years old. For more information, please come to Shunda Taxi Company to visit the manager. |
Tour guides wanted Two year’s working experience. Good English and good at talking to people. Age： 20-30. Go to Friendship Traveling Company to ask the Manager for more information. |
If you want to be a postman, it’s necessary for you to have _____________.
| A．working experience |
| B．good knowledge of the city |
| C．a driver’s license |
| D．a college student’s card |
Sunshine School needs _____________.
| A．excellent English teachers |
| B．a hard-working postman |
| C．full-time drivers |
| D．an outgoing tour guide |
If you want to be a taxi driver, you should _____________.
| A．be over 45 years old |
| B．know the city very well |
| C．write to No. 38 Changhong Rd. |
| D．speak English well |
The tour guides wanted should ____________.
| A．have no working experience |
| B．be patient with children |
| C．be good at driving |
| D．speak good English |
You can not get information by ___________ if you want to get a job above.
| A．making a call |
| B．going to visit the manager |
| C．sending an e-mail |
| D．writing a letter |
阅读填词(共10小题, 每题1分, 满分10 分) 每空一词
USA? Britain? Which country is better to study in? We often hear such discussions. As China opens its door, it is a dream for many Chinese students to study abroad. They want to learn about the outside world.
It’s true that studying abroad can help students develop themselves. Their foreign language skills will be improved and it may be easier to find jobs.
But there are problems that should be considered. Language is the first. Students must spend a lot of time learning another language.
Students must also learn to live without parents’ care and deal with all kinds of things they haven’t had to do before, like looking after themselves. There are reports about Chinese students abroad running into an ocean of difficulties and giving up finally. When they have to take care of themselves, it is hard for students to study well.
Finally, studying abroad brings a heavy burden（负担）to the family. For most Chinese parents, the cost of studying abroad is very high. But is it worth it?
We know that there are many famous people who have achieved success through their hard work in China. Liu Xiang is a good example. Once an American teacher invited him there, but he refused. He kept training hard with his Chinese teacher. He surprised the world when he won a gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games. So when you wonder which country is better to study in, think again.
| Title: Studying at home or study |
|
| Phenomenon（现象） |
Studying abroad has become a |
| Advantages |
It is helpful for Chinese students to |
| It is helpful for Chinese students to |
|
| It enables Chinese students to find jobs more |
|
| It |
|
| It’s hard for Chinese students to get used to the life abroad |
|
| Parents may be under pressure（压力）because the cost of studying abroad is very |
|
| Purpose: To tell us studying abroad is not the only way to be |
Reading is the key to school success, and like any skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking.
Educators (教育家) call it "automaticity (自动性)”．
A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With more and more practice, he stumbles less and less. As a result, he can read by the phrases and soon by sentences. With automaticity, he doesn't have to think about the meaning of words, so that he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount of time a child spends reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 t0 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new which is suitable for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.
| A．helps school develop faster |
| B．is a key to a successful school |
| C．helps students go to a key school |
| D．can improve students' learning results |
| A．know how to read the words |
| B．pay attention to the meaning of the text instead of the words |
| C．read by themselves without any help |
| D．do not have to think while reading |
| A．turns off TV one night 4 weeks |
| B．reads books by the word quickly |
| C．spends an hour reading every day |
| D．gets the same grades as others in exams |
| A．结结巴巴地读 | B．全神贯注地读 |
| C．心不在焉地读 | D．声情并茂地读 |
| A．IQ is the Key- to the Automaticity |
| B．TV is Bad for Children's Reading |
| C．Automaticity Needs a Lot of Practice |
| D．Automatic Readers Must Be Successful |