Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours(绕行路)in life than by the narrow road toward goals. I like this image. But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.
For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents’ home in Boise in nine hours. We traveled the way most people do: the fastest, shortest, easiest road, especially when I was alone with four noisy, restless kids who hate confinement(限制)and have strong opinions about everything.
Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when I had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.
But then Banner, our lamb was born. He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise. I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.
That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They’d get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.
We explored side roads, catching grasshoppers in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons.
We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.
I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique. On an empty section of road, everyone started quarreling. I stopped the car, ordered all kids out and told them to meet me up ahead. I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.
Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey----and the best part of yourself.Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents’ home?
| A．She needn’t stop on the way. |
| B．It would be faster and easier. |
| C．Her kids would feel less confined. |
| D．She felt better with other drivers nearby. |
What does the author discover from the trip according to Paragraph 6 ?
| A．Freeways are where beauty hides. |
| B．Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life |
| C．Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one’s health |
| D．One should follow side roads to watch wild animals |
Why did the author ask the kids to get out of the car on their way back home
| A．To give herself some time to read |
| B．To order some food for them |
| C．To play a game with them. |
| D．To let them cool down |
What could be the best title for the passage
| A．Charm of the Detour |
| B．The Road to Bravery |
| C．Creativity out of Necessity |
| D．Road trip and Country Life |
In the United States, engineering is a profession(职业) that has been historically under the control of men. Even today, it’s still true that few women become civil or chemical or mechanical engineers, but that’s something on www.EngineerGirl.org encouraging girls to change the present situation. Young women who visit the web site can find out about a great job choice they might not have considered.
"Women are not well represented in engineering and in engineering education programs and then of course, down the road, in the engineering workforce. So only about 20 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees(本科文凭) go to women, and then only about nine percent of working engineers are women."
Mary Mattis, the National Academy of Engineering, says "we know from the research that middle-school girls are at a critical point in their lives, and that it’s a time when we need to reach them, so this website aims to increase their awareness of interesting fields in engineering. On the other hand, it wants to make them understand what a wonderful productive and exciting job you can have as an engineer.”
Engineering is a demanding course of study—there is a lot of science and math, for many girls and even boys that can be challenging. But Ms. Mattis says that the EngineerGirl website stresses that engineering can also be fun and exciting.
"It’s about designing things. It’s about changing the world for people. It’s about making a difference. And, in addition, you can make a good living; you can be independent economically by becoming an engineer. All of those things are messages that girls need to get."
While most engineers go into traditional fields such as mechanical and electrical engineering, the EngineerGirl site also emphasizes engineering jobs which are related to other fields such as bio-engineering, sports engineering and --- believe it or not—chocolate engineering.
Even if you are not a girl in the target(目标) age group, there’s a lot of interesting information on the site, including biographies(自传)of some well-known women engineers.
| Title |
Website(56)______ Girls to Learn Engineering |
| Present(57)_____ for the engineering profession in the USA |
The majority of men take up the profession throughout(58) ______, while only a small number of women work as engineers. |
| (59)_____ of the website |
▲To increase young women’s(60)_____of interesting fields in engineering. ▲To make them understand what productivity and (61)_____ the job of being engineers can bring them. |
| (62)___________ of being engineers |
▲ It can be fun and exciting. ▲ It can(63)_____ the world for people. ▲ You can make a good living. ▲ You can get economic independence by (64) _____ an engineer. |
| Other fields concerning engineering |
Various chances are talked about like bio-engineering and engineering (65) _____ to sports, and even chocolate. |
The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don’t care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it’s great, but it also causes problems. Since they don’t care about their appearance, they don’t really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don’t really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some respects, the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can’t kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don’t really care how the others will judge them. In France, it’s not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans’ behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.The underlined word “respects” in the third paragraph probably means____.
| A．approaches | B．aspects | C．honors | D．means |
When American youth fall in love with each other, they _________.
| A．will not hold each other |
| B．will rarely display their love in public |
| C．will always think about their future |
| D．will kiss wherever they like |
It can be inferred from the passage that French youth may think more about ______.
| A．their relationship’s future | B．their public images |
| C．their physical displays | D．their lover’s ideas |
The passage is mainly about the______ between American youth and French youth.
| A．differences | B．friendship | C．similarities | D．relationships |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin —a town near the Mississippi River, where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado (龙卷风)that struck on May 22, 2011.
The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
“The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts.”
“Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters,” added Angelina. “So often, these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 branch community foundations. The Foundation’s task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public leadership.
“We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them,” said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but we learned that they made a donation.Where did the disaster most probably happen?
| A．in Britain | B．in the USA | C．in Australia | D．in China |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $500,000 after the disaster_______.
| A．by post | B．in the flesh |
| C．through a foundation | D．through the local Red Cross |
The best title for the passage is______.
| A．A disaster by a huge tornado in Joplin |
| B．Rebuilding efforts after the disaster |
| C．The Community Foundation of the Ozarks |
| D．A donation from the Pitts |
Nickname:Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677．The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year around .
Beaches: 47 ; Golf Courses: 20 ; Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk (主体) of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Hotels: 9,655 rooms total; Nightly rates range from $ 35—$ 5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts．In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxi.
Resources: Call (800) 648—2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau．See www.bigisland.org for updated information.
Shopping:The large shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kohala Coast.The passage is intended to be read by _______.
| A．students | B．businessmen | C．tourists | D．immigrants |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
| A．28 | B．32 | C．37 | D．44 |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
| A．By train． | B．By air． | C．By rental car． | D．By taxi. |
When I was six years old, my mom told me that I could find anyone's number in the phone book. I used to look through the phone book for hours trying to find Michael Jordan's phone number. When I couldn't find it, I just dialed seven numbers. When someone answered, I'd ask, "Is that Michael Jordan?" Obviously, I always had the wrong number.
A year later I started playing basketball at my local recreation center. It was very big. I never thought in my wildest dreams that a basketball court could be inside a building. The recreation center had a special smell in it, sort of like hot rubber. I guessed it was from the shoes hitting the floor so fast and hard. The atmosphere on the court was carefree. Our biggest excitement of the day was when we actually made a shot. We celebrated wins over ice cream at a fast food restaurant.
I got good at it, and my confidence grew. I played it all the time until the sixth grade. As soon as junior high school came, I stopped playing basketball and focused on school. When senior high school started, I tried out for the school team and made it. We worked hard. Every week we did 300 push-ups and 300 sit-ups on our own. Our coach encouraged the sit-ups to keep stomach power, because it gave us so much control when we were playing basketball. If we didn't want to do the sit-ups and push-ups, we could practice dribbling (运球) and shooting more. It's just us, the ball, the court and the net. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself. After all, I'm just one kid playing the game.From Paragraph 1 we know that ____.
| A．the author's mother gave him some wrong phone numbers |
| B．the phone book contained everyone's phone number except Michael Jordan's |
| C．the author wanted to contact Michael Jordan very much |
| D．the author didn't know how to use a phone at that time |
What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
| A．The days of the author playing basketball at a recreation center. |
| B．The author's excitement of making shots when playing basketball. |
| C．The days before the author went to senior high school. |
| D．The author's happy childhood with his teammates. |
What surprised the author most at the recreation center?
| A．That it was very near to his home. |
| B．That there was a basketball court inside the building. |
| C．That there was a special smell in it. |
| D．That there was a fast food restaurant in it. |
The author's coach encouraged them to do sit-ups because ____.
| A．it is the basic preparation to play basketball |
| B．it is more useful than dribbling and shooting |
| C．it is the only way to make people stronger |
| D．it helps keep stomach power |
What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To introduce some skills in playing basketball. |
| B．To tell us about his dream of becoming a basketball star. |
| C．To introduce his own experience of playing basketball. |
| D．To tell us how to balance playing basketball and studying. |