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
It was a Saturday morning，a day I believed would end in victory．For weeks，I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds，sponsored(赞助)by our local riding club．My horse，Tonka, and I could run faster than any kid in the county, and I hoped to bring home a blue ribbon．
My mother usually drove me to the riding events, but on this day, my father planned to drop us off at the fairgrounds with the horse trailer(马车) ．
Although we never discussed it, my father’s struggle with alcoholism had become the silent center of our family life．My mother was paralyzed with fear and indecision．Her salary as a part-time nurse couldn’t possibly support four children．No one talked about alcoholism in those days，and it was my family secret．
We climbed on the trailer and my father pulled out of our driveway and headed toward the fairgrounds，picking up speed once we hit the main road．It wasn’t until we felt a big bump that I realized the trailer was out of control．The dream of my riding winner disappeared．Tonka lay on the floor, completely still．No words were possible．I knew he was dead．
Suddenly a man appeared．“Are you all right?”he asked．“Yes．”I answered，although I knew that nothing was all right．“Sit here on the grass，”he said．He bent down to look into the trailer．Tonka remained still．He touched Tonka and then turned to face me．“He is going to be OK．He has just been knocked unconscious．” He rubbed Tonka’s cheeks and gently pulling his ears．Tonka rose to his feet．
Our father was talking to a police officer．He was upset and in pain and took little notice of me．I looked back；the man was gone．
I never forgot him．He gave me strength and a sense of hope in a dark and frightening moment．The writer went to the fairgrounds because he wanted to ___________．
| A．take part in a horse racing | B．buy Mum a blue ribbon |
| C．join the local riding club | D．train his horse there |
We can learn from the third paragraph that ___________．
| A．the family kept silent at home | B．the family lived a secret life |
| C．Father was addicted to alcohol | D．Mum was physically disabled |
What does “he’’ in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．Father | B．The stranger |
| C．The horse | D．The winner |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Once formed，bad habits are difficult to break |
| B．Unexpected kindness is a light that shines in the darkness |
| C．However mean your life is，meet it and live it |
| D．Family is a place of encouragement, a safe harbor in the storms |
[1]While the Internet is a great tool it also makes it easier for bullies to pick on their prey（猎物）. According to the iSafe Foundation,over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. Here is one story on how researchers are developing software to fight cyber bullies.
[2]Jeffery Michalenka learned his black belt in karate, but despite the fact he was a trained fighter he was often picked on by bullies. "Name called, teasing, when he was younger they would call him heifer(小母牛)," said Deborah Mich~denka,Jeffery's mother.
[3]As in Jeffery's case social media enables bullies to act anonymously while spreading their hatred rapidly. That's why artificial intelligence scientists at MIT are creating a software program to detect cyber bullying.
[4]"Bullies only talk about a few topics. It's usually racial or ethnic slurs(诽谤). It's things about personal appearance,social acceptance or rejection and threats' of violence,'' said Henry Lieberman, MIT artificial intelligence scientist.
[5]The researchers say subtle bullying is often hard to detect but their software can analyze sentences and determine if they are detrimental(有害的)to each gender. On the surface the sentence "you look pretty in pink" appears friendly if it is posted on a girl's wall. But on a boy's wall a cyber bully may be trying to anger the boy.
[6]"It may save a child's life and that's really what matters," Deborah concluded.
[7]Just one more way to fight cyber bullies before another child is hurt online.
[8]The team hopes social network sites will someday use this software to help detect bullying. The researchers are already working with Formspring,a social network site like Facebook. They also want the software to provide advice to the victims on what to do if they receive mean messages.What could be the best title for the text? (no more than 5 words)
What do we know about Jeffery Michalenka from the text? (no more than 10 words)
What things do bullies usually talk about? (no more than 12 words)
What can the software mentioned in the text do? (no more than 15 words)
Why the sentence “you look pretty in pink” appears unfriendly if it’s posted on a boy’s wall? (no more than 14 words)
Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile ( 敏捷的) and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals (抗氧化化学物质) that may help stop the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea' s effect on everything from cholesterol (胆固醇) to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability", or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.
Specifically ,almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. Green tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education,lower smoking rates ,fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness. They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on. But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a tower disability risk, the re-
searchers said.
People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.
Although it' s not clear how green tea might offer a buffer (缓冲) against disabilities, lead researcher Yasutake Tomata did note that one recent study found green tea extracts (提取物) seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women.
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K,which means it could affect drugs that prevent blood clotting (凝固).What does the underlined word "peers" mean in the first paragraph ?
| A．People of the same age. |
| B．Brothers. |
| C．Fathers. |
| D．People living in the same neighborhood. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．"Functional disability" is related to problems with daily activities or basic needs. |
| B．Those who often drink green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| C．Antioxidant chemicals can lead to disease. |
| D．People who drink at least five cups a day are not likely to become functionally disabled. |
What .does the fifth paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Why green tea lovers can keep agile |
| B．How the study was proved. |
| C．What healthier diets include. |
| D．How to lower the disability risk. |
What has the researcher Yasutake Tomata discovered?
| A．Those who drank green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| B．Green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. |
| C．Green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women. |
| D．How green tea might offer a buffer against disabilities. |
From the passage we can infer that
| A．vitamin K is contained in caffeine |
| B．vitamin K has influence on some drugs |
| C．vitamin K is bad for our health |
| D．vitamin K is good for our blood |
A euphemism (from the Greek words eu--well and pheme--speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions. Most people, for example, would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed. They would soften the pain by saying:We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep. Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly, or cuddly rather than fat.
Euphemisms are an important part of every language, but it seems that English has an ever-growing number of them. The non-native speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears, he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation. He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom, or comfort station) is, but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog. He might have learned, for example, that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant. If, however, he says to his boss," Congratulations! I hear your wife is in the family way," he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances.
Schools are full of euphemisms. At Frankfurt International School, for example, the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Aca-demic Workshop (in the high school). Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward,and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message.According to the passage, people use euphemisms in order to.
| A．make themselves understood | B．attract attention |
| C．to sound straightforward | D．avoid embarrassment |
. A person who is described as plain and cuddly is in fact.
| A．tall and handsome | B．ugly and fat |
| C．ugly but tall | D．pretty and slim |
When an English lady says she has to see a man about a dog, she might want to.
| A．go to the toilet | B．see an ugly friend |
| C．have her old dog killed | D．see a pregnant woman |
The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to.
| A．stress that euphemisms are an important part of every language |
| B．inform readers that English has an ever-growing number of euphemisms |
| C．warn English learners to be careful about the meaning and use of euphemisms |
| D．suggest non-native speakers use euphemisms as often as possible |
At Frankfurt International School, the students who receive lessons in Study Center.
| A．work hard at their lessons |
| B．do well in school |
| C．have poor grades in the subjects |
| D．prefer to learn more |
University of Maryland student Ben Simon and his friends couldn' t stand to see good food thrown out on their campus. "We basically noticed that some of the extra food from the dining hall was going to waste at the end of the day. And we met with the dining services and asked them whether it would be okay if instead of throwing out the food we would donate it. And they were on board," he said.
So 18 months ago, the students began what they call the Food Recovery Network. Each night, volunteers would show up at a campus dining hall to pick up leftovers and deliver them to area shelters and food banks. So far, they have donated more than 23 000 kilos of food that would otherwise have been thrown out.
Nationwide, $ 165 billion worth of food is wasted each year, according to the National Resources Defense Council.Spokesman Bob Keefe says that is about 40% of the country' s entire food production. "If we can reduce our waste in this country by 15% ,we can feed 25 million hungry Americans. That is a huge benefit. That is what programs like this Food Recovery Network are doing," he said.
Christian Life Center is one of the beneficiaries ( 受益) of the students' efforts. Ben Slye, the senior pastor (牧师) ,said," It has been just amazing to see these students take their own time, their own vehicles and own gas money and be able to make an effort like this. Each week we are able with this food probably to feed over hundred people."
The University of Maryland' s Food Recovery Network now has 200 volunteers and the program has expanded to 18 schools across the country. "I want to grow 18 chapters to a thousand chapters within five years. And once we get to the Food Recovery Nation being at every college campus in America, we want to expand to restaurants and farms." said Simon.
The volunteers are committed to making that happen.The dining services in University of Maryland.
| A．threw out good food on the campus |
| B．enjoyed the talk with the students |
| C．supported the volunteers'job |
| D．donated their leftovers to the poor |
Volunteers from the Food Recovery Network.
| A．started the Food Recovery Network two years ago |
| B．delivered leftovers as well as money to shelters |
| C．donated leftovers to avoid food waste |
| D．helped to solve the hunger issues in America |
Ben Slye' s attitude toward the volunteers' effort was that of.
| A．unconcern | B．appreciation |
| C．doubt | D．opposition |
We can learn from the text that.
| A．over 40% of the country' s entire food is wasted each year |
| B．altogether 25 million Americans suffer from hunger nowadays |
| C．every college has started the Food Recovery Network |
| D．Simon aims to expand the program to restaurants and farms |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Battles Against the Problem of Hunger |
| B．College Students Rescue Leftover Food |
| C．How to Pick up Leftovers on College Campuses |
| D．Waste Problems in University of Maryland |