Many people want to buy the newest gadget （小玩意），the fastest car and the most expensive watch ﹣but are these things really worth？
For some people，these things give them status（地位）．They're cool because they have a cool car，or they're better at the newest Xbox game．Lots of people say that buying new things makes them happy．They like having new，pretty， impressive things． The problem is that people don't stay happy，and the feeling you get when you buy something new disappears． For example，there's a new iPhone．You stop liking your old car． Your friend has Beats in a different color and they're so much nicer! Things get old and outdated，and someone else always has something better．
So，what can you buy and stay happy with？ A research suggests that the best thing to spend your extra（额外的）money on is doing things like traveling， learning to cook， speaking a language，skiing or surfing． What about going to the theater， eating at a Michelin star restaurant or climbing a mountain？
In the long term （从长远来看），people are happier with money they spend on activities than on things． You don't remember what shoes you wore，but you remember running the marathon! When you do new things or things you enjoy， you get life experience and memories． You can share them with people． Even if you don't enjoy the experience， you can learn something and often a little while later you see the good sides of it． At least， it's a story to tell﹣maybe even a funny one．
So forget about designer clothes and fancy gadgets ﹣a new skill or experience lasts longer!
（1）The first paragraph is mainly written to ．
A． introduce the background
B． come up with the question
C． explain the reason
D． give the result
（2）What does the underlined word "outdated" probably mean？
A． 新潮的
B． 消逝的
C． 显露的
D． 过时的
（3）Which is NOT the reason why people try to get designer clothes and fancy gadgets？
A． Getting status．
B． Having happiness．
C． Keeping away from pressure．
D． Having impressive things．
（4）According to the research， you should when you have extra money．
A． learn to cook and speak a language
B． climb a mountain and buy the fastest car
C． go to a theater and have the designer clothes
D． buy the most expensive watch and go traveling
（5）What is the best title of the passage？
A． What Makes People Happy
B． How to Spend Your Money
C． Follow Fashionable Ways of Life
D． Spend Money on Valuable Things
Hawaii is a truly beautiful place. Most people know Hawaii for its lovely beaches. However, Hawaii is also a land full of legends(传奇). One of the oldest legends tells of a special dance called the hula, which started here around 300 years ago.
One hula teacher tells the story of how the dance started. “The hula started, as far as the legend tells it, when Hi’iaki and her good friend Hopoe went down to the beach. And then, when they were there, they noticed the waves(波浪)…and they imitated the waves. And then started to use their hands…like showing the waves.That is how the hula started.”
However,not everyone has always liked the hula.In 1820,some religious(宗教的) people from Western countries came to Hawaii.The visitors were shocked by the hula because the dancers were not wearing many clothes.So they asked the local government to ban(制止) the dance.
After that,most Hawaiians were not allowed to perform the hula in public for almost 60 years.But that did not mean the dancing stopping.Many dances still performed the hula in secret.The dance was always there.
Things have changed.At the moment,people of all ages want to study the old culture.They want to learn how to dance the hula.As a result,more and more people are attending halaus. Halaus are special schools that hula in the traditional way.
Kumano is a hula teacher. For him, the dance is a way to bring the best of old Hawaii culture to people today. Kumano says that the dance is not really about the body.He feels that it is more about the mind.He explains this feelings,”…the hula is more… not so much a physical thing,but more of a mental thing.For new dances,the dancing means very little,because for Hawaiians today,many of them don’t speak the Hawaiian language. So,what I try to do is to mind the real thing they see today.”Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word”imitated”in this passage?”
| A．Absorbed | B．Chased. | C．Recorded. | D．Copied. |
Why was the hula banned for almost 60 years?
| A．Because the local government found the movements of the dance were rude. |
| B．Because the religious visitors thought that the dances did not dress properly. |
| C．Because the dances realized it was not suitable to perform the dance in public. |
| D．Because the Hawaiian people believed the dance was not in fashion any more. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Hi iaki and her good friend Hopoe got the idea of the dance from nature. |
| B．The hula had already had a history had a history of over 200 years when it was banned. |
| C．Many people attend hulaus because they teach the hula in a modern way. |
| D．Kumano thinks that the hula dance is good exercise for people of all ages. |
How do we understand that Kumano tries to bring to mind the real thing they today?
| A．He tries to help young Hawaiian understand the old culture better. |
| B．He tries to let new dances feel the beauty of the Hawaiian language. |
| C．He tries to advise his students to pay more attention to the mind. |
| D．He tries to show local people that the hula can be different today. |
.Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．The history of Hawaii. | B．The history of hula. |
| C．The history of dance. | D．Hawaii is a legend place. |
| The Folk Art Show The best chance to learn about local art and culture. Open: October 20-25 Organizer: City Museum Address: 110 Century Road Telephone: 72314431 Scan the QR code (扫描二维码) to get more information and book tickets. |
| The City Flower Show Open: October 8-17 Price: ￥50 for each adult; ￥25 for each child; free under the age of 10; 20% off for groups over 10. Address:112 New Town Road, Moonlight City Telephone: 53418899 Visit www. flowersforlife. com for more information. |
| Camp of Folk Art Would you like to learn paper cutting, Huangmei opera or to make paper flowers? Come to Camp of Folk Art 2014 at the Youth Center! Age: 13 to 18 Time: December 13-20 For more information, call the Youth Center at (010) 1106-2107. |
| Pop Music Week Bands from home and abroad will give performances in Sunshine Park. Local bands and DJs from local radio station are waiting to share music with fans. Good chance for you to make friends with similar hobbies. Price: ￥30—￥50 Time: 9:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m., December 21-27 |
By scanning the QR code, you can get .
| A．an e-mail from City Museum |
| B．more information about the Folk Art Show |
| C．a ticket to the museum for free |
| D．a gift from the City Museum |
Tommy is a 9-year-old boy. He wants to visit the City Flower Show with his parents. How much will they pay?
| A．￥25. | B．￥100. | C．￥125. | D．￥150. |
If Jane wants to learn to make paper flowers, she should go to .
| A．Century Road | B．New Town Road |
| C．the Youth Center | D．Sunshine Park |
Phillip, 20 years old, is NOT allowed to go to .
| A．the City Flower Show | B．Camp of Folk Art |
| C．the Folk Art Show | D．Pop Music Week |
lasts for the fewest days.
| A．The City Flower Show | B．Camp of Folk Art |
| C．The Folk Art Show | D．Pop Music Week |
Billy Dengler, a 14-year-old boy, is in the eighth grade. A month after he was born, Billy’s mother, Terri, noticed that his eyes weren’t quite as big as a normal baby’s. She took Billy to the hospital, and the doctor said Billy would never be able to see.
Although Billy can’t see, he has never let that hold him back or make him different.
Billy began teaching himself computer programming by using a screen reader when he was just seven years old. He is a certified Google developer (谷歌认证开发者) now.
Google even tried to offer him a job last year when he discovered a problem in one of
its systems, but Billy wasn’t old enough.
Billy’s dream school would be Stanford University or MIT, where he could get a very
good education in computer science. After he leaves school, whether he will go to work at a company like Google or design a software company of his own is still to be decided.However, he says he will definitely (绝对地) do something great.
“It’s a sighted world,” Billy said. “You can’t let anything get in the way of your dreams, and if you do that, you can’t move forward and make your dreams come true.”Billy’s mother found there was something wrong with Billy’s eyes when
| A．he was 14 years old | B．he left school |
| C．he was in the eighth grade | D．he was a month old |
Billy started to learn computer programming by himself with the help of
| A．a screen reader | B．his mother |
| C．a computer | D．his teacher |
The underlined word “systems” means “ ” in Chinese.
| A．电脑 | B．系统 | C．机器 | D．计划 |
What will Billy do after school?
| A．He will work for Google. |
| B．He will open a company. |
| C．He has not decided on that. |
| D．He will do nothing. |
We can learn that from the passage.
| A．blindness is not a big problem |
| B．it’s easy to be a certified Google developer |
| C．nothing should get in the way of our dreams |
| D．Billy is a student of Stanford University |
We are already familiar with computers-computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories. But it is also true that many children today are using computers at schools before they can write. What does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not?
Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with. They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not good for them. They think that children are growing not knowing about the real world.
But people who understand more about computers say that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what they want to learn and think for themselves. And for the future, don't we need people who can think clearly, who know how to get information quickly and use it well? What do you think?"to be familiar with" means to _______.
| A．know nothing | B．know about |
| C．dislike | D．like |
Does everyone think computers are good for children?
| A．Yes, they do. | B． No, not everyone thinks do |
| C．They don't know. | D．They are not sure. |
What can computers help children to do?
| A．To think clearly, to do homework and to write. |
| B．To play games, to do math and to copy. |
| C．To think clearly, to get information and to use it well. |
| D．To count, to clean the house and to get information. |
Does the writer think computer is a good thing?
| A．It isn't mentioned. |
| B．No, he doesn't think so. |
| C．He doesn't know. |
| D．Yes, he does. |
One night about nine o’clock, Dr. Eyck, a surgeon(外科医生), had a phone call from Dr. Haydon at the hospital in Clens Falls. The surgeon was asked to go there at once to operate on a very sick boy who shot himself while playing with a gun.
The doctor was soon on his way to Clens Falls.It was 60 miles away.And it was snowing heavily in the sky.The surgeon thought he could get there before 12 o’clock.A few minutes later, the doctor was stopped by a man in an old black coat.Gun in hand,the man ordered the doctor to get out.Then the man drove the car down the road,leaving the doctor in the falling snow.
It was after two o’clock in the morning when the doctor arrived at the hospital in Clens Falls. Dr. Haydon told him that the boy had died an hour before. The two doctors walked by the door of the hospital waiting room. There sat the man in the old black coat with his head in his hands.
“Mr. Cunningham,” said Dr. Haydon to the man, “this is Dr. Eyck. He is the surgeon who came all the way from Albany to save your boy.”Choose the right order(顺序) of the events given in the story.
A. Dr. Eyck was asked to come to the hospital in Clens Falls.
B. Dr. Eyck arrived at the hospital.
C. The boy shot himself.
D.The boy died.
E. The man in an old coat reached the hospital.
F. Dr. Eyck was robbed(抢劫) of his car.
A．a-c-f-d-b-e B. c-e-f-a-b-d
C. a-c-f-e-d-b D. c-a-f-e-d-bThe boy died because ________.
| A．Dr. Haydon didn’t to anything to save him |
| B．he was too far away from hospital |
| C．something was wrong with Dr. Eyck’s car |
| D．Dr. Eyck was not able to arrive at the hospital in time |
Who should be responsible for (对……负责) the boy’s death?
| A．The hospital. | B．The boy’s father. |
| C．Dr. Haydon. | D．Dr. Eyck. |