ATheNationalAirandSpaceMuseumi-优题课

Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint and cracking. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears.
6. Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child to peel potatoes?
A. Cruel. B. Serious. C. Strict. D. Cold.
7. From the passage, we know monkey bars can help a child train ______.
A. the skill to throw and catch things
B. the speed of one’s hand movement
C. the strength and skill to hang and sway
D. the bodily skill to rotate round a bar
8. What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply?
A. Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it.
B. The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up.
C. Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher.
D. What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity.
9. When the child looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because ______.
A. they felt sorry for what they had done before
B. they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt
C. they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars
D. they were astonished to find the author’s progress
10. The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.
A. the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep
B. the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own
C. Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph
D. in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth

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1. This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.
A. attend full-time universities B. work part time to further their education
C. improve their education at home to get better jobs D. earn their degrees in different ways that suit them
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A. The way how you will get your degree.B. Tuition price.
C. The hot fields you will be preparing yourself for. D. The length of time it will take you to get a degree.
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C. To prove the value of their training in every area.　
D. To show the importance of getting recognized by the most famous companies.
4. It seems to the writer that the greatest attraction for people to take their training is______.
A. its convenience B. the degree’s nation-wide recognition
C. the economic benefit(利益) it will bring about D. the hot fields the training will help people to enter
5. How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct?
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Probably you have seen photos of the Grand Canyon（峡谷）, the great valley in the desert country of Arizona. But you must go there yourself to feel its true size and beauty. The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world
The Colorado River formed the Grand Canyon over millions of years. Slowly, the river cut down through hard rock. At the same time, the land was rising. Today the canyon is 1.5 kilometers and 445 kilometers long. The oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon are more than 1 billion years old. The width varies from about 200 meters to 29 kilometers across. The rim or top of the canyon is about 2,300 meters above sea level on the South Rim, and about 3,000 meters on the other side. As a result, there are different kinds of plants and animals on opposite sides of the canyon. The South Rim is dry desert country. The North Rim has tall forests.
The canyon looks different at different times of day, and in different seasons and weather. At sunrise and sunset the red, gold, brown and orange colors of the rocks are especially clear and bright. In winter, the canyon is partly covered with snow.
The view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the best. Most visitors come here and stay in campgrounds or hotels. Every point along the canyon’s edge offers a different view.
The North rim of the Canyon is quieter. It takes all day to drive there from the South Rim because there is only one bridge across the Colorado River. On the way, you go through Navado Indian lands, and a colorful pink desert called “The Painted Desert”.
11. The best way to feel the true beauty of the Grand Canyon is to________.
A. see its photographs B. listen to the report about it
C. watch its introduction on TV D. go there yourself and visit it
12. According to the second paragraph, ________.
the Grand Canyon has a short history
B. its size never changed in the history
C. the Grand Canyon was formed by the earthquake
D. You can enjoy different scenery on different sides of the canyon
13. The scene the canyon is ________.
various depending on different time and places
the same
various depending on different time
various depending on different places
14. If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, you________.
can go there in many directions
won’t spend much time on the way
can visit The painted Desert on the way
needn’t go across any bridges
15. If you want to have a visit to the Grand Canyon, you’d better go to _______.
A. the North Rim B. the South Rim
C. the bottom D. Navado Indian Lands

Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
6. More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
A. they buy their houses there B. they settle there now
C. they get married there D. they were born there
7. “Side-by-side” living style means _______.
A. making friends with native people B. keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas
C. the groups of people who live nearby D. that they get closer to American society
8. According to the passage, people in the USA ________.
A. share American customs and culture B. live in a kind of “side-by-side” society
C. keep their own customs and habits firmly D. make no choice to accept American customs
9. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They always stick to their own customs and habits. B. “Side-by-side” living style is not suitable.
C. They face the society they are not familiar with.
D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.
10. Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?
A. Advantages and Disadvantages. B. Different Customs and Habits.
C. Home for the People.D. “Side-by-side” Living Style in America.

Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California’s Santa Ana Freeway. It was an hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn’t reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I’d just head east.
A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night.
She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for. After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield(挡风玻璃). It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver.
“I just can’t leave you here,” she said. “This isn’t the nicest place. I’ll give you a ride home.”
“You’ll drive me home in the bus?” I asked, perplexed(困惑).
“No, I’ll take you in my car,” she said.
“It’s a long way,” I protested.
“Come on, ” she said. “I have nothing else to do.”
As we drove from the station in her car, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car. “I’m just passing the favor along, ” she said.
When I offered her money as a thank-you, she wouldn’t hear of it. “That wouldn’t make it a favor, ” she said. “Just do something nice for somebody. Pass it along.”
1. Why did the writer say that he would have a long night?
A. He wondered how long he had to wait for the next bus. B. No driver would give him a ride.
C. He didn’t know the routes. D. He perhaps would have to take a taxi.
2. Judging from its context, the place where the writer waited for the second bus was _______.
A. very quiet and peaceful B. dark without street lights
C. neither clean nor beautifulD. a little unsafe
3. Why did the writer change his mind after waiting for 30 minutes at the end of the route?
A. No bus would come at the time. B. A taxi ride would be more comfortable.
C. He became impatient and a bit worried. D. He knew the driver would never return.
4. The bus driver drove the writer home later because ________.
A. she happened to go in the same direction B. she wanted to do something good for other people
C. her brother told her to do soD. she wanted to earn more money
5. The bus driver hoped that the writer ________
A. would do as she didB. would keep her in memory
C. would give the money to othersD. would do her a favor