Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task．If you're studying history，asking yourself the question "why is history important" is a very good first step．History is an essential part of human civilization．You will find something here that will arouse your interest，or get you thinking about the significance of history．
History grounds us in our roots．History is an important and interesting field of study，and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper，more meaningful glimpse（一瞥） into our ancestral pasts，and how we got to where we are today．Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging，which is something that studying your roots and being open﹣minded to the evolution of your culture can provide．
History enriches our experience．Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago．According to the experts， problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same．With the information about the ancestors，one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life．
History makes us more empathetic （具有共情能力的）．Studying history can give us insight（洞察力） into why our culture does certain things，and how the past has shaped it into what we know now．It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures．Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance（无知）．We're scared of the things that we don't understand．History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us．
History can inspire us to learn more．What's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons．It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts．Study the 19th century England，and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist．Look up Charles Dickens，and you might learn a thing or two about realism．Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels，and discover the history of romantic poets in England．It can go anywhere，and there is something in there for absolutely anybody．
The value of history cannot be underestimated．We don't have to live in the past，but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives．
（1）The underlined part "where we are today" in Para.2 probably means ．
A．the turning point in our history
B．the present state of our nation
C．the location of our homeland
D．the total area of our country
（2）According to the experts，why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life？
A．The problems at present are similar to those in the past．
B．Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today．
C．The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors．
D．People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems．
（3）What can be concluded from Para.4？
A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers．
B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures．
C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore．
D．History helps us improve our cross﹣cultural awareness．
（4）With the example in Para.5，the writer intends to show that ．
A．Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature
B．Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets
C．reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period
D．studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields
（5）What could be the best title for the passage？
A．How to Build Cultural Identity
B．Why Studying History Matters
C．Know the Past，Know the Present
D．History：a Way to Broaden Horizons
A recent experiment held in Japan shows that it is almost impossible for people to walk exactly straight for 60 metres. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found 20 healthy men and asked them to walk as straight as possible to a target 60 metres away at normal speed. Each man had to walk on white paper fixed flat to the floor wearing wet colored socks. The footprints revealed that all walked in a winding rather than a straight line. Researchers found that people readjust the direction of walking every few seconds. The amount of the winding differed from subject to subject. This suggests that none of us can walk in a strictly straight line. We walk in a winding way mainly because of a slight structural or functional imbalance of our limbs (四肢). Although we may start walking in a straight line, several steps afterwards we have changed direction.
Eyesight helps us to correct the direction of walking and leads us to the target. Your ears also help you walk. After turning around a lot with your eyes closed, you can hardly stand still, let alone walk straight.
It’s all because your ears help you balance. Inside your inner ear there is a structure which contains liquids. On the sides of the organ are many tiny hair-like structures that move around as the liquid flows. When you spin (旋转) the liquid inside also spins. The difference is that when you stop, the liquid continues to spin for a while. Dizziness is the result of these nerves in your ear. When you open your eyes, although your eyesight tells you to walk in a straight line, your brain will trust your ears more, thus you walk in a curved line.The experiment held in Japan proved that _______.
| A．the participants kept readjusting their direction of walking |
| B．all the participants had a good sense of direction |
| C．the experiment was done in different ways |
| D．none of the participants finished the 60 metres |
The underlined word “subject” in Para. 1 refers to ________.
| A．a person with a functional imbalance |
| B．a person chosen to be studied in an experiment |
| C．the subject one studies at school |
| D．the direction of walking |
The purpose of writing the article is to ________.
| A．prove that ears and eyes help us to walk straight |
| B．explain why we can hardly walk in a strictly straight line |
| C．point out the importance of noticing everyday science |
| D．give background information about a latest study |
Steve Nash enjoys team success far more than personal success, and always wants to share the glory and the joy with teammates.
He is a self-effacing (不爱出风头的) Canadian, who grew up in hockey country. Today Steve Nash has to stand alone even if he doesn’t enjoy it. The Phoenix Sun’s point guard has to take ownership of a set of skills that sets him apart from every bigger, faster basketball player. He is considered the best basketball player in the game.
31-year old Nash was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA on May 8, 2005. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been a long road for me and I really enjoy playing as a team, just trying to be a good teammate. That is the only way for me to highlight what I do as a basketball player.”
It is the first time a Canadian has won any individual NBA honor. Of the 50 winners of the MVP award, only six have been guards: Steve Nash, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Bob Cousy. “I’m happy for him getting the MVP, which makes us feel like we all got the MVP,” said Phoenix forward Shawn Marion.
He may be the only one who truly believes he can reach this level. “I always try to set goals for myself and have my own time frame to accomplish them and I never give up on anything,” he said. It is not as if Nash arrived at this point without countless hours of hard work.
His interests go far beyond sports and the NBA. His social conscience is such that he wore a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan at the NBA all-star weekend festivities in Philadelphia in 2002.
“A lot of great moments are when you win games with your teammates. There’s nothing like sharing something with someone else,” he said. “There is a pinnacle (顶点) of a player’s career individually. In many ways, the pinnacle of a player’s career really is defined by team wins.”What does Steve Nash mean by saying the last two sentences?
| A．A player’s success is decided by his / her individual efforts. |
| B．A player won’t succeed without a team’s support. |
| C．A player will succeed sooner or later. |
| D．A team always decides a player’s success. |
Steve Nash feels happiest _______.
| A．when he is named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA |
| B．when he is 30 years old |
| C．when he plays at the NBA all-star weekend festivities |
| D．when his team wins a game |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Nash is an American basketball player. |
| B．Nash is better at basketball than Magic Johnson. |
| C．Nash is the first Canadian winner of the MVP award. |
| D．Michael Jordan is the best of the six guards. |
Which of the following is the main message that the passage wants to express?
A. Nash prefers team honor to personal honor.
B. Hard work will lead to the honor of the MVP of the NBA.
C. A Canadian can be an MVP of the NBA.
D. Setting goals is of importance to success.
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external（外部的） result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles. In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow.
These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not face and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______..
| A．he has given up his smoking habit |
| B．he has made great efforts in his work |
| C．he is interested in making anything new |
| D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey |
In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______.
| A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements |
| B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder |
| C．face difficulties and take up challenges |
| D．aim high and reach his goal each time |
When the author says “a new way of being” (para. 3), he is referring to _____.
| A．a new way of taking risks |
| B．a new approach to experiencing the world |
| C．a new system of adapting to change |
| D．a new method of finding ourselves |
For personal growth, the author may not support __________. .
| A．curiosity and more chances |
| B．being quick in self – adaptation |
| C．open – minded to new experiences |
| D．avoidance of internal fears and doubts |
Chinese New Year Celebration is the most important celebration of the year. Chinese people may celebrate the Chinese New Year in slightly different ways but their wishes are almost the same; they want their family members and friends to be healthy and lucky during next year.
Chinese New Year Celebration usually lasts for 15 days. Celebratory activities include Chinese New Feast, firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, the New Year bell ringing and Chinese New Year Greetings. Most of Chinese people will stop the celebrating in their home on the 7th day of New Year because the national holiday usually ends around that day, however celebrations in public areas can last until the 15th day of New Year.
It is the money given to kids from their parents and grandparents as New Year gift. The money is believed to bring good luck, ward off monsters; hence the name "lucky money". Parents and grandparents first put money in small, especially-made red envelopes and give the red envelopes to their kids after the New Year's Feast or when they come to visit them on the New Year. They choose to put the money in red envelopes because Chinese people think red is a lucky color. They want to give their children both lucky money and lucky color.What can we learn from the Paragragh 1？
| A．Chinese New Year Celebration is one of the most important celebrations in China |
| B．Chinese New Year Celebration can bring luck to them during the next year |
| C．Some different celebrations still exist |
| D．Kids can get their lucky money during the Chinese New Year Celebration |
Where can we meet some celebrations in the 13th day of the New Year in China？
| A．Wal-Mart Stores | B．Your uncle’s family |
| C．Yuanmingyuan Imperial Garden | D．High school |
Which way is not mentioned in the passage below to celebrate New Year？
| A．Set off fireworks | B．Come over relatives |
| C．Receive presents | D．Get lucky money |
Where can we probably find the passage？
| A．A travel brochure | B．A newspaper |
| C．A tradition guide | D．A textbook |
The New York Aquarium (水族馆) offers a diverse collection and nice viewing experience for all our guests. Whether you’re observing penguins on their rocky coastline home or swimming underwater, looking at a coral reef (珊瑚礁) under the water, or cheering on California sea lions at the theater, you’ll find plenty to see and do during your visit. Your underwater adventure is waiting for you! This summer, head out to Coney Island to learn about the underwater world at the New York Aquarium.
Just off the Coney Island in Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium features more than 300 marine (海洋的) species, such as dolphins and seals. Meet some of our mammals and fish, and learn about their natural history, biology, and cultural roles.
| Hours |
|
| Summer hours May 28 – Sept. 5 |
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
| Fall hours Sept. 6 – Nov. 6 |
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
| Winter hours Nov. 7 – Mar. 31 |
10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. , Daily |
| Spring hours Apr. 1– May 27 |
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. , Monday–Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Weekends & Holidays |
Total Experience Ticket
Adult $18.00
Child (Ages 3-12) $14.00
Senior (65+)$15.00
Groups (at least ten visitors) $8.00
﹡Includes admission to our 4-D Theater Plus General Admission.
﹡Children under 3 years old are free!
﹡To receive the group rate, you must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance of your group’s visit. Please call 718-741-1818.
Friday Afternoon Special
Admission on Fridays beginning at 3:00 p.m. is by donation. Suggested donation is $13 for adults, $9 for children, and $10 for seniors. Every dollar you give supports our work in caring for animals at the aquarium.
Aquarium Parking
Car $13.00
Bus $13.00
Please note:
﹡Due to rising costs, the Wildlife Conservation Society reserves the right to change all fees without notice.
﹡All Aquarium buildings and exhibits are wheelchair-accessible.
﹡For further information, please call 718-265-3454.Which animal can’t visitors probably see at the New York Aquarium?
| A．Penguins. | B．Pandas. | C．Dolphins. | D．Seals. |
Six adults (including a man of 68) and two children (aged 2 and 10) are going to visit the New York Aquarium on Sunday. They will have to pay ______________ at least.
| A．$144 | B．$133 | C．$64 | D．$119 |
The donation is used to ______________.
| A．help the poor people |
| B．help to save the endangered animals in the wild |
| C．care for animals at the aquarium |
| D．help the disabled visitors |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You can visit the New York Aquarium at 5:30 p.m. on Christmas. |
| B．A visitor in a wheelchair can get around at the New York Aquarium. |
| C．Visitors can enjoy free parking service on Friday. |
| D．To enjoy the group rate, visitors must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance by sending an e-mail. |