A couple had two little boys aged 8 and 10 who were very naughty．They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any trouble occurred in their town their sons were probably involved.
The boys' mother heard that a clergyman（牧师） in the town had been successful in educating children so she asked if he would speak with her boys．The clergyman agreed but asked to see them individually．So the mother sent her 8-year-old first in the morning with the elder boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming （嗡嗡） voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him strictly, "Where is God?"
The boy's mouth dropped open but he made no answer, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed．So the clergyman repeated the question in an even stricter tone "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer．So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and shouted" Where is God?"
The boy screamed and escaped from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him．When his elder brother found him in the closet, he asked "What happened?"
The younger brother replied out of breath, "We are in big trouble this time．God is missing--and they think we did it．"What were the two boys like?
| A．They always made trouble． | B．They were brave. |
| C．They were easygoing. | D．They were honest. |
What did their parents plan to do?
| A．They gave up their children. |
| B．They liked their children very much. |
| C．They wanted the clergyman to persuade their children． |
| D．They helped their children to make trouble. |
What do you suppose the boy felt when he was asked by the clergyman?
| A．Happy． | B．Sad. |
| C．Afraid． | D．Surprised. |
What do you think the underlined word "slamming" in Paragraph 5 means?
| A．Open． | B．Shut． | C．Knock． | D．Pull. |
It seems hard to watch someone yawn and not to yawn ourselves. Even reading about yawning can make you do it. Now, a new study has found why yawning has such a powerful force.
Yawning when others yawn, the study suggests, is a sign of pity and a form of social connection. Kids don’t develop this deeply rooted behavior until around age four, the study found. Kids with autism (自闭症) are less likely to catch yawns. In the most serious cases, they never do. Yawning might help doctors to see whether the children are developing rightly. The work could also lead to a better understanding of the ways that people communicate and connect.
"Emotional infection seems to be a born thing that connects us together," said Molly Helt, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Connecticut. "Yawning may be part of that." Inspiration for her study came when she tried to get her own autistic son to clear his ears on an airplane. She repeatedly yawned at him, hoping he would yawn back. He never did.
"The fact that autistic kids don’t do it might mean they’re really missing out on that emotional connection with people around them," she said. "The biggest thing people try to figure out after birth is how we become humans and understand that humans have minds that are different from others’," she added. "Autistic people never seem to understand that."
Like infectious laughter and crying, scientists have found that yawning is a shared experience that promotes social connection. Helt said it could fight stress after a period of being nervous and spread a feeling of calm through a group.What does the new study suggest, according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．It is easy to stop yawning when you see others yawn. |
| B．Yawning has some mysterious force which is related to God. |
| C．Children follow others in yawning just after they are born. |
| D．Yawning is a form of communication. |
According to Molly Helt, _________________.
| A．emotions are infectious, but yawning is not |
| B．yawning helps clear ears on planes |
| C．humans differ from animals because they communicate with others |
| D．yawning is a kind of emotional connection among humans |
Which of the following is NOT true about yawning?
| A．It is natural to yawn back if people around you yawn. |
| B．Some kids are too young to yawn after others. |
| C．Yawning can be used to test children’s development. |
| D．Kids with autism yawn easily when others yawn. |
The author implies in the last paragraph that ________.
| A．it is bad manners to yawn on some social occasions |
| B．yawning can make people feel relaxed |
| C．yawning is different from infectious laughter and crying in theory |
| D．the more you yawn, the happier you will be |
How difficult change is depends a lot on your attitude towards it and your resistance to it. Your attitude to change can make the whole transformation process much easier.
Imagine change as a pair of shoes and this will help you understand change and how it works. I am sure that you have ever had a comfortable pair of shoes in your life. A pair of shoes is so comfortable that you really don’t want to get rid of them.
You know you need a new pair, and may even have them, but you don’t want to wear them because you are comfortable with your current pair. Besides, the new pair may hurt your feet, give you blisters(水疱) or be awkward to wear to start with. So, you resist the new shoes. However, you know that this new pair would be much better for your feet, and after the initial discomfort they would probably be even more comfortable, yet you still resist.
Do you know I’m doing this now? I’m wearing my comfortable shoes and they feel good. They have a hole in each heel, and the sole is starting to fall off, but I’m persisting in wearing them.
This describes change exactly; change of our habits, change of our thought patterns. We stick with the old patterns because they are comfortable. Yet once we get over the initial pain of the transformation, the new pattern will be comfortable and feel good until the time comes when we need another new pair of shoes.Why do people prefer old shoes to new ones?
| A．They have much emotion in the old ones. |
| B．They are more comfortable. |
| C．New shoes always harm the feet. |
| D．They look better than the new ones. |
According to the passage, we know that people ______.
| A．don’t realize the benefit of the new shoes very well |
| B．are positive and open-minded to accept new things |
| C．actually know the change will finally be good for them |
| D．don’t accept new patterns because they are not good |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Once we form a habit, it’s difficult to change it. |
| B．Most people pay more attention to the future life. |
| C．One’s attitude towards something is usually traditional. |
| D．The more often we change, the better our life will be. |
It was the first day of second grade, and Sarah had been looking forward to this moment. The night before, she laid out her favorite clothes: a white coat and a bright yellow shirt.
When having breakfast, Sarah dropped some food on her shirt, so she had to change into her second-best clothes, blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt.
After breakfast Sarah rushed to catch the school bus and when she was just reaching the door the bus driver opened it. The door hit right in Sarah’s face and blood dripped from her nose. The driver wanted to send her home, but she refused, "It is the most important day of the year! I can’t miss it!"
Before classes, Sarah went to her favorite swing. When rising high, she saw her best friend little Jack. She let go of the swing and waved to him with one hand. Unfortunately, she flew out of the swing and landed hard on the sand, breaking a leg and an arm. As she lay in the sand, she noticed a shiny thing on the ground beside her. With her good hand she took it.
When Sarah’ mother rushed into the ward she was surprised by what she saw: her girl was lying in bed with an arm and a leg in the splint (夹板), a broken nose, and blood stains on her second-best clothes. Expecting to see her child crying, she was confused when she saw a big, bright smile on Sarah’s face.
"Sarah, look at you!" her mother cried. "You were hurt so badly and why are you smiling?"
"Look, Mommy, I found a diamond!" Sarah laughed.
Life can be like that. It can be tough, even painful sometimes. But there are always treasures that make the pain worth suffering.When Sarah went to school, she was wearing ________________.
| A．a white coat and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt |
| B．blue jeans and a yellow shirt |
| C．a white coat and a yellow shirt |
| D．blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt |
Sarah fell off the swing because _____________.
| A．she seldom played swing |
| B．she rose too high |
| C．she waved one hand to her friend |
| D．she was pulled down by her friend |
When Sarah’s mother saw her in the ward she felt _______________.
| A．upset | B．puzzled | C．relaxed | D．disappointed |
Which of the following can be used to describe Sarah’s story?
| A．Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| B．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
| C．First think, then act. |
| D．No pains, no gains. |
Parkour (跑酷) is a new sport that is developing quickly in the world. The aim of parkour is to jump, climb or run over any all stair, or fence on your path easily. Usually, it is done in a city environment. Practicers take very wall or roof as their training place. If you have seen the beginning of the James Bond movie Casino Royale, then you have seen an excellent example of parkour.
David Belle, a young Frenchman, developed parkour in the 1990s. His father's experiences as a fireman as well as an acrobat(杂技演员)influenced him a lot. His childhood friend, Sebastien Foucan, is the actor in the movie Casino Royale with his parkour performance. Foucan is thought to have developed free-running, which is a more artistic and skillful type of parkour. David belle traveled to India and said one way he trained was by watching a physical one. The aim is to become so skillful, and it is almost unnecessary for you to think about the different actions in running through a path full of barriers(障碍物).
Parkour is not exactly a sport. It is not developed fro competition. It is more about learning to control mind and body in difficult situations. There are many basic movements in parkour. One example is where practicers swing through the narrow space between two bars while keeping their body level with the ground. This is called the underbar. Other movements are the tic-tac and the kong vault jump. Skillful practicers seem to get out of control of gravity.
The popularity has spread largely because of parkour videos and organizations on the Internet. And if you search on the Web, you will find parkour groups performing their skills near you.The author wrote this text to _______
| A．introduce a new sport parkour | B．show how parkour is popular in the world |
| C．Tell the history of parkour | D．explain the basic movements in parkour |
Who performed parkour in the movie Casino Royale?
| A．David Belle. | B．James Bond. | C．Sebastien Foucan. | D．David Belle's father. |
People learn about parkour mainly for ______.
| A．the newspaper | B．the Internet | C．the radio | D．TV |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Children should not be allowed to do parkour. |
| B．Casino Royale is a movie introducing parkour |
| C．Most of the lovers of parkour are Internet users. |
| D．Parkour is a mental exercise as well as a physical one |
| Voyages By Neil Waldman Travel with young Abe Lincoln down the Mississippi River, taking his boat down to New Orleans. Along the way, Lincoln finds himself on his own voyage of discovery. It is an amazing experience with risk and excitement.(Chapter book) |
| The People Could Fly By Leo Hamilton and Diane Dillon It tells a folk tale about African people who could fly. Long ago in Africa, people could fly like shing black birds in the sky. Enslaved (被奴役) and sent from Africa, their wings were lost, but an old man uses magic, and helps them fly away to freedom.(Chapter book) |
| Through Georgia's Eyes By Rachel Rodriquez and Julie Paschkis Discover the wideness and wonder of deserts and rivers through the eyes of painter Georgia O'Keefe. Deep-colored paper paitings show the artist's imagination and the amazing sightseeing that inspired her work. (Picture book) |
| A Horn For Louis By Eric A. Kimmel and James Bernardin Louis armstrong was too poor to have a real music instrument, but he had a horn(喇叭). Jazz and blues music was everywhere in the streets of New Orleans. This is teh story of how Louis got his first real "horn", when he was just a boy with a dream of becoming a musician. (Chapter book) |
| Go, Go America By Alan Barnard 50 states of fun, with interesting facts — in what state the entertainment capital of the world is, where the first hamburgers were served, what the Cereal Festival is, who hosts the Hog Calling Contest and more.(Picture book) |
| Stitchin's and Pullin' By Patricia C. McKissack, Cozbi A. Cabrera In Gee's Bend, Alabama, generations of women have sewed, talked, sang and laughed, for as long as anyone can remember. Each piece tells a story. |
If you are interested in adventure, you may prefer ______.
| A．A Horn For Louis | B．Go, Go America | C．Through Georgia's Eyes | D．Voyages |
What do Through Georgia's Eyes and Go, Go America have in common?
| A．They are both about the US. | B．They are both written by two authors. |
| C．There are lots of pictures in both books. | D．There are funny stories in both books. |
The book, A horn for Louis, is mainly about _____.
| A．how jazz and blues music was formed in its birthplace, New Orleans |
| B．how Louis got his instrument when he dreamed of becoming a musician |
| C．how Louis got the horn to become a famous musician |
| D．how Louis worked and supported his whole family |