To get to the tennis court, Conner Stroud has to push his wheelchair there.
The 15-yea-old from North Carolina, US was born without legs. But when he picks up his racquet(球拍) and begins to hit a ball, you quickly see that the young man just want to win.
Stroud began playing tennis at age 5 at the small tennis club his parents own. For years, he played against able-bodied players by putting rubber on the stumps (残余部分) of his legs. Though he was a foot (30.48cm) or two shorter than many of the players he played against, he won a number of matches. He became well-known enough that he got to meet Rafael Nadal, his favorite player at the US Open in 2013.
“The most important thing is that he’s happy,” Nadal told reports about Stroud after that 15-minute meeting. “He’s playing tennis... That’s a great example of being happy even if life doesn’t give you everything.”
Stroud started playing wheelchair tennis at 13 and now he is No 1 in the US.
Earlier this summer, he played for the US in the world’s biggest junior wheelchair team tennis event --- the World Team Cup. He played six matches and won five of them as the US won the cup for the first time since 2000.
“He is a polite boy , but he will rip（撕扯）your heart out trying to beat you,” Jason Harnett, a United States Tennis Association coach, said of Stroud. “You see that attitude in a lot of the best players, whether they are able-bodied or disabled.
Teenage players can often get disappointed and angry. Racquets sometimes get thrown. Players shout at themselves after missed shots. Stroud never does that.
“ I just try to stay positive,” Stroud said. “After every point, I try to say I’m going to win the next point, or the next game, or the next game, or the whole match.
“ There’s always room to be positive . You can always win another time.”
How is Conner Stroud different from other tennis players?
| A．He was disabled in a car accident. |
| B．He has been coached by his father since the age of 5. |
| C．He is too short to be a tennis player |
| D．He was born disabled , yet he plays tennis well. |
What impressed Rafael Nadal the most about Conner Stroud?
| A．His desire to win the match. |
| B．His happiness about playing tennis. |
| C．His faith in life, even though he is disabled. |
| D．The training he went through to play tennis. |
Which of the following words best described Conner Stroud?
| A．Positive | B．Independent |
| C．Humorous | D．Considerate |
I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence(吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.
At the first home, the son of the deceased（亡故的）woman said to me, “If only I sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died. ”At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”
You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.
A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to his tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.The author had to conduct the two women’s funerals probably because____.
| A．he was minister of the local church | B．he wanted to comfort the two families |
| C．he was an official from the community | D．he had great pity for the deceased |
People feel guilty for the death of their loved ones because ____.
| A．they couldn’t find a better way to express their sorrow. |
| B．they had neglected the natural course of events |
| C．they believed that they were responsible |
| D．they didn’t know things often turn in the opposite direction |
According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that _____
| A．everything in the world is predetermined |
| B．there’s an explanation for everything in the world |
| C．the world can be interpreted in different ways |
| D．we have to be sensible in order to understand the world |
What’s the idea of the message?
| A．Life and death is an unsolved mystery |
| B．Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault |
| C．Every story should have a happy ending |
| D．In general, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away |
The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame (责怪) others, and you play the role of victim (受害者), chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard (标准) for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Friends are the most important in one’s success |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| C．How to make friendship last for ever |
| D．You are who your friends are |
The underlined sentence “they’re rubbing off on you” in Paragraph 6 means ______.
| A．they’ll help you achieve your goal |
| B．they’ll push you ahead |
| C．they’ll influence you |
| D．they’ll cover your shortcomings |
The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ______.
| A．young people have greater chances of succeeding |
| B．the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor |
| C．people have poor taste in music |
| D．people have different attitudes towards the same thing |
By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can ______.
| A．arrange the time with your friends properly |
| B．improve a lot in making more friends |
| C．come to the right way of making friends |
| D．develop a better relationship with your friends |
The passage is mainly written for ______.
| A．people wanting to succeed | B．musicians |
| C．managers | D．negative people |
A Train Floating On Air
A train that floats on air? It's not magic — it's magnets (磁).And it's close to reality.
In Virginia USA the fall of 2002, a train with no wheels traveled on air and carried college students across their campus.In Japan, a whisper-quiet railway engine hovered and raced at 350 miles per hour using magnets and electricity as the power.And in China, a magnet train line linked Shanghai with nearby Pudong Airport.
These trains use magnetic levitation (悬浮) technology, “maglev” for short. They use the same rules as the magnets you pick up at home or school: opposite poles of magnets attract each other, and like poles repel each other.
How does it work?
Powerful magnets on the bottom of the train repel magnets on the track, which is actually just a magnet-filled guiding way. With a magnetic field of sufficient force, the train will go hovering on air, which seemed impossible to us in the past.
When an electrical current is sent through the track, the train moves. Turn the current backwards and the train slows down.
Maglev doesn't rely on the friction (摩擦力) of wheels on track, so it can climb a much steeper hill than a traditional train. And it can travel easily in snow and ice, something that could bring normal trains to a screaming stop. Which of the following is a repelling action?
| A． | B． | C． | D． |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Electric currents decide the movements of a maglev train. |
| B．A magnet-filled guiding way is formed inside a maglev train. |
| C．Instead of electricity, magnets are used as the power of a maglev. |
| D．Maglev trains can climb hills with the help of magnetwheels. |
What is the difference between a maglev train and an ordinary train?
| A．Floating on a track, a maglev train is faster, quieter than an ordinary railway train. |
| B．A maglev train can climb mountains without power while an ordinary one can’t. |
| C．A maglev train can travel in college campus while an ordinary train is not allowed. |
| D．Travelling without a track, a maglev train is safer and smoother than an ordinary one. |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.
| A．words have a lasting effect on us | B．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us |
| C．inspiring words give us confidence | D．negative words may let us down |
There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
| A．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone |
| B．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves |
| C．we can benefit from talking to ourselves |
| D．talking to ourselves always gives us courage |
The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______
| A．give ourselves amusement | B．praise ourselves |
| C．remind ourselves | D．make ourselves relaxed |
The author would probably hold the view that ___________
| A．it is better to think twice before talking to others |
| B．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers |
| C．negative words may stimulate us to make more progress |
| D．people tend to remember friendly words |
In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing U.S. minority (少数民族). As their children began moving up through the nation's schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship. While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian- American students ______.
| A．generally feel it is a shame to have to depend on their parents |
| B．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| C．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| D．still worry about unfair treatment in society |
What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．Asian culture and the American educational system. |
| B．A solid foundation in basic mathematics and being Asian Americans. |
| C．Hard work and intelligence. |
| D．Parental help and a limited knowledge of English. |
Why do the two “explanations” (Line 1, Para. 3 ) worry Asian Americans ?
| A．American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character. |
| B．They are afraid that they would again be isolated from American society in general. |
| C．People would think that Asian students rely on their parents for success. |
| D．Asian Americans would be a threat to other minorities |
The author’s tone in this passage is .
| A．objective | B．sympathetic | C．doubtful | D．critical |