1 .

Charles Darwin
Personal information: Date of birth: 12 February 1809 Date of death: 19 April 1882 Nationality: English Education: Edinburgh University, Cambridge University
Achievements: He put forward the theory of evolution by natural selection and published On the Origin of Species in 1859.
Influence: His theory of evolution by natural selection has greatly influenced the development of biology.
Interesting fact: Darwin was such a scientific man that before he made up his mind to get married, he made a careful list of the advantages and disadvantages of marriage.

1. Where was Charles Darwin from?

A．Germany.

B．Britain.

C．America.

D．France.

2. When was Charles Darwin born?

A．In Feb. 1809.

B．In April 1809.

C．In April 1882.

D．In Feb. 1882.

3. What did Charles Darwin come up with?

A．The Origin of Species.

B．The advantages of marriage.

C．The development of biology.

D．The theory of evolution by natural selection.

5 . World Book Day falls on April 23rd every year, but do you know that it is also Shakespeare Day? Everybody may have heard of Shakespeare, but do you know how many plays he wrote?

Shakespeare’s plays have three kinds: tragedies, comedies and histories. His most famous play is the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, which deals with two young lovers who are not allowed to marry by their parents. Other tragedies include Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth.

Shakespeare’s comedies include Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a play about unclear identities. Two twins are shipwrecked (遭海难) and the sister, Viola, dresses up as her brother, Sebastian, who she thinks is dead. It’s funny, because the brother reappears and there’s a big love problem going on: Viola is in love with the Duke, who is in love with Olivia, who falls in love with Sebastian except that she doesn’t realize that Sebastian is actually Viola dressed up!

Everybody falls in love with the wrong person, but it is all made right in the end.

Some of his history plays, such as Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and Henry V, are based on the lives of real historical people. In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra becomes Antony’s girlfriend and Antony becomes so crazy about her that he loses control of the army. Cleopatra kills herself in the end and Antony kills himself too.

Shakespeare’s plays can be very difficult sometimes. Some of the themes they deal with are heavy, so they almost always include a lighter subplot with characters that are not so important. They are often used in tragedies to lighten the mood of the play and to keep the audience interested in the main plot.

1. Which is a tragedy character?

A．Viola.

B．Antony.

C．Sebastian.

D．Hamlet.

2. What can be inferred from paragraph3?

A．Viola likes dressing up as her brother for fun.	B．The Duke marries Olivia at last.
C．Twelfth Night has a sad ending.	D．Olivia finally falls in love with Sebastian.

3. What can we know about Shakespeare’s history plays?

A．There are only two famous history plays.

B．Some of them are inspired by real people living in the past.

C．Real historical events can be found in every history play.

D．They are more difficult than tragedies and comedies.

4. Why is the subplot added to Shakespeare’s plays?

A．To help relax the audience and attract their interest in the main theme.

B．To make it easy for audience to understand the plays.

C．To make the difficult plots simple.

D．To help develop the main plot.

6 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren`t of Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O`Connor (1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed herself in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only thing I was tired of was giving in,” said Parks.

1. Who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner?

A．Jane Addams.	B．Rachel Carson.
C．Sandra Day O’Connor.	D．Rosa Parks.

2. What was Rosa Parks’ achievement?

A．Her social work.	B．Her teaching skills.
C．Her efforts to win a prize.	D．Her commitment to civil-rights.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To educate.

B．To introduce.

C．To advertise.

D．To advise.

7 . Lang Ping

As a player, Lang Ping brought honor and glory to her country. As a coach, she led the China women’s volleyball team to medals at world championships and the Olympics.As a person, Lang Ping is loved by fans at home and abroad. When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her determination was tested.The team that Lang Ping had built was falling apart. One of the best players had been injured, and the team captain had to leave because of heart problems. Losing two important players was a big challenge, but Lang Ping did not lose heart. She had faced difficulties before, and she knew that her young players could win if they worked together as a team. Two weeks later, they were world champions! Then in 2016, Lang Ping led her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil.

Michael Jordan

When Michael Jordan’s feet left the ground, time seemed to stand still. The player who became known as “Air Jordan” changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were impressive, but the mental strength that he showed made him unique. In the final seconds of a game, Jordan always seemed to find a way to win. Jordan says that the secret to his success is learning from his failures. “I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Losing games taught him to practice harder and never give up. In life, Jordan has learnt to share his success with others. The Boys and Girls Club which he started in Chicago has been helping young people since 1996.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that Lang Ping is a(n)   ___ person.

A．Stubborn

B．determined

C．easy-going

D．careful

2. The following about Jordan is right EXCEPT___.

A．he accepts failures

B．he can not accept not trying

C．he believes that the secret to success is learning from failures

D．he doesn’t like to share his success with others

3. Which of the following about Michael Jordan is NOT true according to the second part?

A．His secret to success is failure.

B．His moves were graceful and his skills were impressive.

C．He started the Boys and Girls Club in Chicago.

D．He showed great mental strength in the games.

4. What do Lang Ping and Michael Jordan have in common?

A．They are both leaders of their teams.

B．They are both famous coaches.

C．They are both masters of their fields.

D．They both learn from failures.

8 . What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．A movie.

B．An athlete.

C．An interview.

9 . 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Lang Ping is loved by fens at home and abroad. When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her determination was tested. But Lang Ping did not lose heart. She     1     (face) difficulties before, and she knew that her young players could win if they worked together as a team.

Michael Jordan,     2     (know) as “Air Jordan”, changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were impressive, but his mental strength made him unique. The Boys and Girls Club     3     he started has been helping young people since 1996.