Visiting Balboa Island, in sunny southern California, proved an exciting experience that I will never forget. I had never been to Balboa Island, even though it is only about an hour from my home in northern San Diego.
Our first stop was for a specialty called a "Balboa Bar". It is a famous chocolate covered ice cream on a stick, created many years ago. As we drove along the streets toward the boat, I also saw some interesting buildings that stood for many years. Many of the building designs seemed like dollhouses and someone in our group said that the style was called, Victorian.
After we parked our car on one of the streets, we got on the boat sailing to Balboa Peninsula. As I looked around the boat, I saw a bird flying very close to the water and our boat. A little girl near the boat' s edge jumped out to touch it and shockingly fell into the water! Her dad, who stood nearby, jumped in after her at once and everyone on the boat ran to help. The boat's engine stopped and both father and daughter got saved with the help of people on the boat.
On Balboa Peninsula my family and I went to various shops, especially for food! We saw a restaurant at the very end. We enjoyed our lunch there, at the first Ruby's Diner ever opened in southern California. Although I have been to other restaurants of this popular chain (连锁店), being at the very first is a great memory.
On our way back to Balboa island we stopped at the huge Ferris Wheel, bought some sugars and played games. It was an exciting afternoon walking around on Balboa Island. I look forward to returning soon to spend some time on the beach again or maybe even to try fishing!"Balboa Bar" is the name of
| A．a street | B．a restaurant |
| C．a food | D．a building |
What happened on the boat to Balboa Peninsula?
| A．A little girl fell into the river |
| B．The boat broke down halfway. |
| C．People helped a girl catch a bird. |
| D．A father quarreled with his daughter. |
The author' s dining experience at the first Ruby' s Diner was
| A．boring | B．interesting |
| C．unpleasant | D．unforgettable |
What did the author do on Balboa Island?
| A．He went fishing by the river. |
| B．He walked along the beach. |
| C．He rode the Ferris wheel. |
| D．He bought some dolls. |
What' s the best title for the text?
| A．My trip to Balboa | B．The first Ruby' s Diner |
| C．My first boat ride | D．Victorian buildings |
Twenty-six years after a terrible bicycle accident left her comatose（昏迷） for two months and with permanent brain injuries, Barbara Buchan, performs many actions more slowly than others. But on September 10 in Beijing, Buchan, at 52, the oldest member of the United States Paralympic team, broke the record and won the gold medal for her disability class in the individual 3,000-meter cycling pursuit.
“You can be very upset at the world and have everyone take care of you,” Buchan said by telephone from Beijing, “or get back on your feet again.”
Buchan first dreamed of Olympic gold at age 15 while watching the 1972 Munich Games. She became a top American cyclist by July 1982, when a terrible road-race crash injured her brain and left doctors doubtful about whether she would survive. She was wearing only a soft leather helmet at the time; her accident made the rule put into practice that cyclists wear the hard-shell helmets that are now common.
Buchan recovered enough of her athletic ability to run track in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, where she won a silver medal in the 800 meters. Women’s cycling was not included in the Paralympics yet, so Buchan trained to the point where she raced against men in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia — she finished 9th and 10th in two races — and then successfully fought for a separate women’s cycling program beginning in 2004 in Athens, where she did not get a medal.
Even though she was approaching her 50s, Buchan kept racing and again made the United States Paralympic team for Beijing — where she is twice the age of most of her teammates and competitors.
“Barbara’s almost the leader of our team — she’s been through it all,” said Craig Griffin, the United States cycling coach. “She’s never retired. She’s never let her body go and then come back. I don’t think age is as big of a deal as people make it out to be.”According to the passage, after the accident, ____________.
| A．Buchan asked her friends to take care of her |
| B．cyclists started to wear helmets in competition |
| C．Buchan could not answer questions correctly |
| D．doctors doubted whether Buchan could come back to life |
What’s the right order of the events related to Buchan?
a. She won a gold medal in Beijing.
b. She became a top American cyclist.
c. She won a silver medal in the 800 meters.
d. She suffered a terrible bicycle accident.
e. She took part in a cycling program in Athens.
| A．c-d-b-a-e | B．b-c-d-a-e | C．b-d-c-e-a | D．c-b-d-e-a |
What does the underlined phrase “get back on your feet” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．rise to your feet | B．walk on your way |
| C．go beyond yourself | D．depend on yourself |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Making of a Hero | B．From a Loser to a Winner |
| C．All Roads Lead to Rome | D．Health is Better than Wealth |
The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk, and Benugo Café.
The museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It has undergone refurbishment (翻新) and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible.
This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun here. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the “Code of Behavior” notices, which include: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries, and no running.
Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available.
Pros: Many free activities for kids
Cons: Can be too warm inside
Visit Duration:1.5 hours
Opening Hours:10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Last admission is 5:30 p.m.
The Museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year.
Admission: Admission to the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities. In the Museum of Childhood, ______________.
| A．people can reach any floor by elevator |
| B．there are sofas at either end of the first floor |
| C．there are exhibits on the museum history |
| D．the Information Desk can be found on each floor |
The Museum of Childhood may be attractive to _________.
| A．parents who only have children under 12 |
| B．children who are fond of toy exhibits |
| C．parents and children who need quiet time |
| D．kids who like playing games with their parents |
What is the disadvantage of the museum?
| A．Low-level exhibits are too boring. |
| B．Children may feel slightly hot in it. |
| C．Parents have to stay with their kids. |
| D．No staff members attend to the kids. |
What information can we get about the museum?
| A．All the activities for children are free. |
| B．The museum is located in west London. |
| C．Children are allowed to enter after 5:30. |
| D．The museum is unavailable on Christmas Day. |
Dear Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare．Your company, Cosmo books Ltd , offered this set （ eight books of plays and two books of poetry） at a “remarkable” price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing． I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books looked particularly attractive, so I sent for them．
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered．So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare．Two more weeks passed．Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French．Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all．However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you right away instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice．
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German．Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have．The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside．
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment．Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid．
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker's main purpose of writing the letter is to.
| A．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd． |
| B．argue about sending him books he had not ordered |
| C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd． |
| D．urge Cosmo Books Ltd. to take away the books he had not ordered |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for.
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books |
| B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare |
| C．fifteen pounds and fifty pence |
| D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare |
It can be inferred that.
| A．Mr. Walker took some action after receiving the books he did not order |
| B．several sets of books have been sent to Mr. Walker free of charge |
| C．Cosmo Books have sent bills for books that they have not sent |
| D．Mr. Walker hasn't received the books that he ordered |
The tone（语气）of the letter is that of.
| A．bitterness | B．respect |
| C．annoyance | D．humor |
Have you ever thought about developing your kids’interests in a positive manner? Have you thought about using music to help them focus their energies on a wonderful pursuit (追求)? Do you realize that by doing so, you will better equip them in life? Your little child will love you all his or her life for the first music lessons that you may give.
Most kids have an interest in music. The only thing to do for you is to give direction to their interests so that they can focus on learning the fine art. Music teaches children to be persistent and disciplined. It also teaches them to try towards perfection and be a good team player. All this helps them not only in their studies but also in facing the challenges of life. Thus music at home and home recording are the first lessons you can present to your children.
How to maintain the interests of kids in various kinds of music and instruments? To solve this problem, it is important that at the beginning you bring home something that can hold the child’s interest for quite some time. This would include instruments such as electric guitar or drums. Encourage them to download music which is free over the Internet.
Another thing to remember is that no one becomes an expert overnight. Have patience with your child. No point in fussing over his skills too much. A few words of appreciation will mean the world to them. Ask for their opinions and stick to the choice for quite some time. Be generous in praise.
Music is the perfect gift you can present to your kids. It is never too late and the sooner you start, the better.The author uses three questions at the beginning of the passage to _____.
| A．test readers’ knowledge of music |
| B．show the effect of music on children |
| C．draw readers’ attention to the topic |
| D．ask readers to answer them |
The intended readers of the passage are _____.
| A．teachers | B．musicians | C．children | D．parents |
This passage is mainly about _____.
| A．how to direct children to pursue their interests |
| B．how to make children creative |
| C．how to draw children’s attention to music |
| D．how music affects children’s studies |
Many ESL (English as a Second Language) students in the United States enroll in (注册学习) academic preparation programs and are in their late teens or early twenties. This is often a time when students are looking back on childhood in a different way. Their childhood memories and their viewpoint on those memories can be very useful for the production of wonderfully creative writing.
For this project, the students began in class by closing their eyes and trying to return to their childhood years in order to bring early memories to their mind. After imagining for a few minutes, they began to tell each other what they remembered about those years and tried to describe a particular incident that stood out in their memories.
That evening they wrote in their journals about the incident, embellishing (润饰) the story as much as possible. The next day, they read the story to a different partner and got feedback (反馈意见). The partner’s job was to: ask more questions to bring back the writer’s memory; help the writer make sure that past tense verbs were used correctly, focusing on the difference between those things that were still true and needed present tense and those things that belonged specifically to the past. Two days later, students made necessary changes or additions and turned in a typed copy of their story. I then made my own comments about their work and asked them to revise their work. The third draft (稿子) produced some very good work.The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
| A．show readers the difficulty he had in his work |
| B．explain his idea of English learning |
| C．show readers how ESL students live and study |
| D． tell readers how he taught his ESL students to write |
What did the author ask his students to write about?
| A．What they saw around them. |
| B．Their predictions for the future. |
| C．Their childhood memories. |
| D．Their opinions of the United States. |
In what order do the students write their compositions according to the passage?
a. share their writing with their classmates
b. exchange their memories
c. write their stories
d. ask for others’ feedback
e. make some changes to their compositions and have them typed
f. corrected by the teacher
g. recall their stories
| A．g-b-c-a-d-e-f | B．g-c-a-d-b-f-e |
| C．e-f-b-c-a-g-d | D．d-e-f-g-a-c-b |
A partner may help do the following things EXCEPT _____.
| A．make the memory more complete |
| B．find spelling mistakes |
| C．check the tense of the verbs |
| D．give some feedback |