Emily and Alex were happy when their family moved to a house with a very big garden. They could climb up trees, grow flowers and even play badminton. They liked to watch the birds flying among the trees in the garden. They even started to put food out to attract more birds.
Everything was fine for a few days until one afternoon there was a strange bumping noise on a window. Emily went outside and found a small bird dead on the grass. Its neck seemed to be broken.
“It must have flown into the window,” Alex said when his sister Emily called him to have a look. “Ah, yes, look here.You can see the mark where it hit the window. There are a couple of tiny feathers stuck (粘贴)on the window.”
“Poor thing!” Emily said.
During the next month, five more birds died in the same way. “Why would they fly to the windows?” they wondered.Finally they found out the truth. When the birds were flying, they couldn’t see into the rooms. All they saw was the reflection (反射)of the garden. They thought that they were flying into trees because they saw trees reflected by the window.
“Something has to be done to save the birds,” the parents decided.
At first, the family tried keeping curtains(窗帘)across the windows, but this made the room dark. Then they bought some strong black paper and cut out the shape of a hawk(鹰). They made six hawks—one for each window. They stuck the hawks to the windows. They looked pretty and did not keep out much light.When the birds saw the hawks, they would fly away.
After that, there were no more dead birds. The family were much happier.
1. They put food out to attract birds because they _________.| A．had a special garden for birds |
| B．wanted to see more birds flying in the garden |
| C．had too much bird food to feed the birds |
| D．wanted to catch some birds in the garden |
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
| A．found the windows very clean |
| B．fought for more food |
| C．thought there were more trees ahead |
| D．wanted to go into the room |
| A．why the birds died in the garden |
| B．the family were good at paper-cutting |
| C．the family had a very big new house |
| D．how the family saved the birds in the garden |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The 1900 House
The Bowler family was one of more than 400 families who applied to 1900 House, a reality TV show which took a typical family back a hundred years to see how people lived in the days before the internet, computer games and even electricity.
The Bowler family spent three months in a London home without a telephone, computers, TV, or fast food. The Bowlers wore clothes from 1900, ate only food available in English at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove. Paul Bowler still went to work every day in a then uniform. The children changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn’t know about their unusual home life. Joyce stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time, though everything took three times as long.
So does Joyce think that people’s lives were better in the old days?
“I think people in the old days had just as many troubles and worries,” Joyce said. And I don’t think their life was better or worse, there were lots of things back then that I’m happy I don’t have to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler.” “We had a lot more time with our family, and it was hard being nice to each other all the time,” eleven-year-old Hilary said.
So what did the Bowler family miss most about modern life while living in the 1900 house?
Paul, 39: “telephone and a hot shower”
Joyce, 44: “a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just turn on”
Hilary, 11: “rock CD”
Joseph, 9: “hamburger and computer games”
1. What does the show want to present to its viewers?| A．The good old days. | B．How people lived in the past. |
| C．Women doing most of the housework. | D．Kids learning better without computers |
| A．Send the children to school. | B．Stay home from work. |
| C．Get dressed differently. | D．Cooked on a single stove. |
| A．More time with their parents. | B．Time-saving equipment in the kitchen. |
| C．Easy way to communicate with others. | D．Fast food and entertainment. |
| A．The children’s school had no idea what was going on in the family. |
| B．The older way of life is more attractive to adults than to children. |
| C．The modern convenience save more time for family get-together. |
| D．Not many families are interested in joining in this reality show. |
【推荐2】An old man went to live with his son, his daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was very poor, and he couldn’t walk steadily (平稳地). The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice often dropped on the floor.
The son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man, so they put a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with a piece of wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” The boy answered, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so hard that they were in silence. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks (脸颊). Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
1. Why was the old man’s food served in a wooden bowl?| A．Because the wooden bowl was light enough. |
| B．Because the old man had broken a few bowls. |
| C．Because there was only a wooden bowl left. |
| D．Because the son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man. |
| A．annoyed | B．worried | C．scared | D．shocked |
| A．Led the old man back to the family table. | B．Ignored. |
| C．Kicked the old man out of their house. | D．Blamed the boy. |
| A．An Old Man and His Son | B．A Couple and Their Son |
| C．A Wooden Bowl | D．A Dinner Table |
【推荐3】The kitchen and bedroom are the most unsafe places. Common accidents in these rooms include falls, fires, poisoning, cuts, hot water burns and electric shocks. How to make sure your kitchen and bedroom are safe. The following are some tips.
THE KITCHEN
*Turn off all appliances after use.
*Make sure the floor is not slippery.
*Keep matches out of the reach of children,
*Turn pan handles away from the front of the stove.
*Always cut away from your body when you use a knife.
*Follow instructions for all electrical appliances carefully.
*Always use a ladder to reach high cupboards; never stand on a chair.
*Store all cleaning materials and poisonous materials in a locked cupboard.
THE BEDROOM
*Never smoke in bed.
*Keep a lamp near the bed.
*Turn off electric blankets when not in use.
*Have a telephone near the bed, especially if ill.
1. What accidents may NOT happen in the kitchen and bedroom?| A．Falls. | B．Fires. | C．Burns. | D．Drown. |
| A．Use a ladder. | B．Jump up. |
| C．Stan d on others’ shoulders. | D．Stan d on a chair. |
| A．Smoke in the bed. | B．Tum on electric blankets when not in use. |
| C．Keep a lamp near the bed. | D．Don’t have a telephone near the bed. |
| A．The safety tips in the park. | B．The safety tips in the bathroom, |
| C．The safety tips in the classroom. | D．The safety tips in the kitchen and bedroom. |
【推荐1】You are about to hear a strange but true story. Legend has it that, Harry Houdini, the master magician, once claimed that he could break out of any jail cell in the world. All he had to do was walk into that jail cell with his street clothes on. 'I will be out of there in one hour. No problem!' He said. A very old jail down South heard about Houdini's claims and they accepted the challenge. On the day of the event, many people gathered outside. Very confidently, Houdini walked into the jail and into the cell and they shut the metal door behind him.
The first thing Houdini did was to take off his coat. Then, very strangely, he took off his belt. Secretly hidden in Houdini's belt, was a ten-inch piece of steel; very tough and very flexible and Houdini started working.
In about 30 minutes, that confident expression Houdini had when he walked in disappeared. In one hour, he was bathed in sweat. And at the end of two hours, Houdini in defeat, collapsed against the door, which then opened. It opened because you see, that door had never been locked. But that's not entirely true is it? That door was locked. It was firmly and thoroughly locked in Houdini's mind, which meant it was locked as if the best locksmith in the world had put his lock on it.
The mind is powerful. How many doors in your life do you think are locked but aren't? how many times have you been stuck in the mental prison of over thinking something that really had a simple solution. There is an ancient African proverb that says when there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.
Your mind is the most powerful force you will ever face. It will tell you lies. It will tell you can't do that. You're not meant for that. You're not good enough for that. You can't go on anymore. You don't have the energy. You must thank it for its opinion and carry on. Because as Houdini showed us the only locked doors that exist are in your own mind. The doors in reality are open and all you have to do is walk through.
1. Why couldn't Harry Houdini open the door within two hours?| A．Because he didn't open the door with his mind. |
| B．Because the door was locked by the best locksmith. |
| C．Because he had thought the door was locked. |
| D．Because he overestimated his own ability to open the door. |
| A．Bring the painted dragon to life by putting in the pupils of its eyes. |
| B．One tends to stand still and refuse to make progress. |
| C．The donkey has exhausted its skills against the tiger. |
| D．Lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen. |
| A．The biggest enemy in your life is in fact the enemy in your mind. |
| B．If you walk through the door in mind, your potential will be unlimited. |
| C．Unless you defeat the enemy outside, you will not defeat your enemy inside. |
| D．Life is really simple, but we insist on making it rigid and complicated. |
【推荐2】As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience). Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?| A．The author traveled with one of his parents. |
| B．Both their going and return are by air. |
| C．They traveled in spring that year. |
| D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
| A．a city in India | B．a city in Europe | C．an airline company | D．a travel agency |
| A．Happy. | B．Sad. | C．Angry. | D．Enjoyable. |
【推荐3】Ken Wood is saving lives in Africa, one clean water source (水源) at a time. Wood’s organization, Lifetime Wells For Ghana, started its first few years just drilling (钻) wells in that part of Africa. Since about 2011, they’ve also begun drilling in Tanzania. They’ve dug more than 1,500 wells in their ten years.
Wood runs a company, Lifetime Well Drilling. Ten years ago a mission from York, Pennsylvania, came and asked to buy one of his company’s old water rigs (设备). His life got turned upside down when the mission asked not only to buy a rig, but also for Wood to go along on the trip and advise. At first, Wood wasn’t so sure about it. Then he went to a meeting two weeks later. The keynote speaker was a man from Ghana, who came and spoke about the water crisis (危机). And that’s when Wood knew — it was a sign, and he had to go.
Wood came home after that trip and knew he had to keep helping. The group he went with couldn’t afford to keep it up, Wood said. So he sold a car and used the money to continue the vision. Now Wood goes down to Africa four times a year, three weeks at a time.
As incredible a process as this entire experience has been it hasn’t always been easy, Wood said. For most of the years, 90% of the project has been financially (金融地) supported by Wood himself. His wife is a great person for allowing him to spend their money on this project. While she can’t make the trips herself, Wood knows she supports him even when he leaves for up to three months each year. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of money. But even as he ages, and even as money is not enough, Wood makes his trips to Africa.
“Just knowing that people are going to live that weren’t going to live,” Wood said, “that’s worth it.” People who would be sick because of poor water quality — they’re healthy. To him, that is what matters.
1. What did Wood do in Africa?| A．He helped some people obtain safe drinking water. |
| B．He gave away a lot of water rigs for free. |
| C．He started a company. |
| D．He made a 10-year trip. |
| A．His wish to enlarge his company. |
| B．A speech from an African man. |
| C．His failure to save his business. |
| D．A meeting with a mission from York. |
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Doubtful. |
| C．Uncaring. |
| D．Reserved. |
| A．Smart and brave. |
| B．Creative and strict. |
| C．Helpful and determined. |
| D．Honest and easygoing. |
【推荐1】My challenge for you is this： to read a book for 15minutes every single day for a month.
Let me explain a bit, by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humor, but sadly reading isn't one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can't read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and papers for work, but not books. He's busy, so I think sitting down to read for just 15minutes a day is a good way to relax and to introduce him to reading.
My dad is not the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits to reading, which screen﹣based activities don't have.
Firstly, it's better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for your eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night's sleep．
One thing I personally love reading, is being transported to another world﹣I often forget the time or things around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do it better．
I also enjoy hearing what people are doing and finding out what they think. Reading gives me the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people's point of view, and understand other people's decisions or opinions. With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling﹣you really can be inside someone else's head!
So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you are waking up, going to bed, eating lunch, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading!
1. The author mentions his father in the text to show ．| A．his father is busy |
| B．reading is important |
| C．his father likes reading |
| D．many people have no habit of reading |
| A．his personal experience |
| B．some scientific experiments |
| C．his father's personal advice |
| D．knowledge from books |
| A．helping readers sleep well |
| B．making readers feel relaxed |
| C．transporting readers to a different world |
| D．reminding readers of the real world |
| A．Negative． |
| B．Uncertain． |
| C．Supportive． |
| D．Doubtful． |
【推荐2】Like many inventions, language translators were imagined by writers long before they became real. In Hugo Gernsback’s 1911 novel A Romance of the Year 2660, characters use a video telephone that can translate from one language to another. A language translator also appears in Murray Leinster’s 1945 First Contact. In that story, humans and creatures from another planet made a translation device together after asking for contact with one another. The idea of the language translator didn’t become truly popular, however, until the “universal translator” appeared in the 1970 Star Trek series, which delighted television viewers at that time. That device was universal in the sense that it could translate any language that it came across.
The first real language translator was demonstrated（展示）by engineers from IBM company and Georgetown University in 1954. Their machine could only translate Russian sentences into English.
Language translators have come a long way since then. Today, online translations can be accessed easily at no cost to users. With translation apps, users sometimes don’t even have to look things up. All they need to do is point their cellphone’s camera at some writing, and a translation immediately appears. If users want to translate something being said aloud, they just turn on their phone’s microphone. All of these features save time and effort.
Translation apps on phones make foreign travel much easier than before. They are invaluable and convenient when it comes to communicating with taxi drivers or hotel waiters who don’t speak a traveler’s native language. But these apps are far from perfect. Sometimes a translation makes no sense, forcing the user to guess what the translation means. At other times, the user might not know that the translation has failed until he or she shows it to a native speaker.
1. When was the idea of the language translator widely known?| A．In 1911. | B．In 1945. | C．In 1970. | D．In 1954. |
| A．writers are usually cleverer than inventors. |
| B．the idea of a language translator came from science stories. |
| C．engineers made language translators to delight TV viewers. |
| D．it took little effort for people to develop language translators. |
| A．Translation apps. | B．Users. |
| C．Translations. | D．Phones. |
| A．By telling that online translation will change our life. |
| B．By explaining that online translation has its weakness. |
| C．By introducing how to use translation apps in travelling. |
| D．By discussing why people should give up translation apps. |
| A．How do science stories become true? |
| B．Can languages be translated into each other? |
| C．How does a language translator develop? |
| D．Why do we depend on language translators? |
【推荐3】Mrs Black lives in a small village. Her husband is dead. Her son, Jack, lived with her. He worked in a shop in the village, but then he found a job in town named Green sea. He went to live there. Mrs Black was very angry. She got on a train and went to see her son. Then she said to him, "Jack, why do you never telephone me?"
Jack laughed, "But, mother, you haven't got a telephone. " "No. "she answered, "I haven't, but you have got one. "
1. The old Black ________.| A．is dead | B．lives with his wife |
| C．went to a small village | D．worked in a shop |
| A．before | B．when | C．after | D．so |
| A．a big city | B．a small village | C．a town | D．a man’s name |
| A．he had no phone | B．he was very busy |
| C．his mother had no phone | D．he went home every day |
| A．Jack didn’t want to ring her up |
| B．Jack had a telephone but she hadn’t |
| C．she didn’t know how to make a telephone |
| D．she didn’t know she couldn’t be called |
Must Sell $275 Best washing machine Only 6 months old Owner going abroad Call Mike Green Add: 10 Park Street Tel: 3422691 E-mail:mikegreen@hotmail.com | We've Moved Please come to the party in our new house. 8:00 p. m. on November 5 Betty and Jack Add: 31 Station Street Tel: 3421525 E-mail: betty12@foxmail.com | |
Foreign Teachers Wanted Age: 30-40 From: America, England & Australia Careful and patient with a teacher's license Good at both spoken and written English At least 5 years teaching experience in high schools Come for an interview before August 15 Add: No 39 Lakeside Road Tel: 87809519 E-mail: sis2015@foxmail.com | Smith's Book Club New and old books Over 1,000 kinds Good coffee and tea Open every day 10:00 to 22:00 Add: 15 North Street Tel: 3427391 or 3427350 E-mail: smith15@hotmail.com |
1. To go to Betty and Jack's party, you can call ________.
| A．3421525 | B．3422691 |
| C．87809519 | D．3427350 |
| A．betty12@foxmail.com |
| B．mikegreen@hotmail.com |
| C．smith15@hotmail.com |
| D．sis2015@foxmail.com |
| A．For 6 hours. | B．For 8 hours. |
| C．For 10 hours. | D．For 12 hours. |
【推荐2】Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.
“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US. Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps (带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling bags. But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.
But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.
Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing. “Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.
Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.
One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!
1. From the passage we can know that______ .| A．only children in China carry too heavy school bags |
| B．both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags |
| C．children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags |
| D．only children in the US carry too heavy school bags |
| A．5 kilos | B．3 kilos |
| C．5.5 kilos | D．4.5 kilos |
| A．they should have a little homework to do after they get home |
| B．their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework |
| C．they should only take home library books they will read that night |
| D．they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones |
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington．A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909．Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her．It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices（牺牲） and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man．Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spikane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910．
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day．Roses are the Father’s Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died．
When children can’t visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card．Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental（伤感的）．Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them．Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child need Dad．
1. The United States is special in Father’s Day because ________．
| A．many people celebrate the day | B．only America celebrates the day |
| C．America makes it an official day | D．all men are honored in America |
| A．Sonora honored her father on her father’s birthday |
| B．Sonora’s birthday was June 19 |
| C．it was decided by the president at that time |
| D．her mother died on June 19 |
| A．4 | B．10 | C．14 | D．24 |
| A．people will wear the same flowers to honor their fathers |
| B．only daughters wear red flowers to honor their fathers |
| C．children must go home to honor their fathers |
| D．fathers are often honored in different ways |
| A．was very kind to anyone | B．was the first father honored in 1924 |
| C．did a lot for his daughter | D．always help others by giving money |
