Autumntime
① I saw my first tree today. Dad finally broke down and took us to East Boston Urban Center after Mom had been harping on it for the past two weeks. I think he was glad we went after all because he was smiling quietly all during the trip back.
② Dad used to tell me stories about the trees that still existed when he was a boy. There weren’t very many even then, with the urbanization program in full swing, but most people had seen at least one tree by the time they started school. It wasn’t like nowadays, at any rate. Oh, I’ve seen the plastic trees; practically every street has a few of them. But you can tell the plastic ones are artificial just from looking at pictures in the microdot library.
③ This morning when we got up, the house was all excited. Mom dialed a light breakfast of toast and synthetic milk so that we wouldn’t waste time eating. And when finished, the three of us took an elevator bus up to the fourth level, where we caught the air track to Brooklyn. From there we took another elevator bus down to the main level, rode the monorail to Intercity Subway Station 27, and caught the second sublevel AA train to Boston. Our expectations were so high that Dad and I didn’t mind it when Mom told us again how the tree was discovered.
④ The O’Brien home was one of the few examples of old—style wooden structures that hadn’t been pulled down in Boston’s urban—renewal campaign at the turn of the century. The family had been able to avoid this because of its wealth and political influence, and the house was passed on through several generations to the present. Old man O’Brien had no heirs, so when he died, the family home went up for auction (拍卖), and the Urban Center bought it. When local officials arrived for an appraisal, they discovered that the house had a backyard, which is forbidden by zoning restrictions.
⑤ In the yard was a live tree—an oke was what Mom called it. When the news of the tree’s discovery leaked out, quite a few sightseers stopped by to have a look at it, and the local government, realizing the money—making potential, began charging admission fees and advertising the place. By now it had become a favorite spot for school field trips and family excursions such as ours.
⑥ When we arrived in main Boston we rode the elevator bus up to ground level and caught a monorail out to East Boston Urban Center. An air—cush taxi took us the rest of the way to the place.
⑦ The home itself was unimpressive. It had none of the marble gloss or steely sheen of modern buildings, but was rather a dull white color, with the paint peeling in places. Dad paid the admission fee, and we spent the next 15 minutes on a dull guided tour of the house. ‘The rooms were roped off to keep people from touching anything, but there were no windows facing the illegal backyard anyway, so it really didn’t matter that I couldn’t enter the rooms on that side.
⑧ My mind was on the tree, and I thought the inside tour would never end, but soon we were walking through a doorway hidden in one of the bookshelves and into the backyard. The yard was big—at least 10 by 20 feet, and I was surprised to find real grass growing on the sides of the concrete walkway built for tourists. The grass didn’t distract me for long, however, because I just couldn’t help noticing the tree!
⑨ It was located at one end of the yard, and there was a mesh fence around it for protection. It was similar in form to the plastic trees I’d seen, but there was much more to it than that. You could see details more intricate than in any artificial plant. And it was alive. Long ago someone had carved their initials in the bark, and you could see where the wound had healed. But best of all was the smell. It was a fresh, living odor, alien to the antiseptic world outside with all its metal, plastic, and glass. I wanted to touch the bark, but the fence prevented me from doing so. Mom and Dad just breathed deeply and stared up with smiles on their faces. The three of us stood there for a moment, and then the tour guide told us to make room for the next group. I didn’t want to go—in fact, I felt almost like crying.
⑩ On the way back home, Mom and Dad were silent, and I read through one of the brochures the guide had passed out. When I came to the part that said the O’Brien home would be open only for the rest of this year, I was sad. They intend to tear down the place to make room for some kind of insurance building, and the tree will have to go, too. For the rest of the trip, I just sat still, fingering the object in my pocket that I had picked off the grass in the O’Brien’s backyard. I think it’s called an acorn (橡子).
1. According to the passage, the O’Brien home was not destroyed at the turn of the century because ________.| A．a secret passageway was found in the library |
| B．the family had wealth and political influence |
| C．a tree was found in the backyard of the home |
| D．the home had historical and architectural value |
| A．It is the oldest known tree in the city. |
| B．It belonged to a family with privileges. |
| C．“Oke” trees are an especially rare species. |
| D．There are very few real trees remaining. |
| A．The narrator is excited by nature, but not deeply affected by it. |
| B．The narrator is impressed with the beauty of nature. |
| C．The narrator prefers the world of steel to the world of nature. |
| D．The narrator is unaccustomed to nature and tries to keep a distance. |
| A．Technological progress and urbanization come at a cost. |
| B．Economic profits overweigh environmental protection. |
| C．There is no point in preserving nature in the urbanization process. |
| D．Nature is resilient and there’s no need to worry about it. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Learning doesn’t have to stop at the schoolhouse door. In fact, it shouldn’t.
Years ago, we started collecting everyday items from the past. We love things people like us were interacting with on a daily basis back in the Victorian (维多利亚时期的)era. Most textbook history focuses on extreme cases: politics, war, and Great Names. We’ve never been privileged to keep company with kings and presidents in the modern world, so we’ve always been drawn far more strongly to people we ourselves can relate to. We love simple stories of approachable people.
| A．The best way to learn about something is to live it. |
| B．This technique can be applied to a variety of subjects. |
| C．By doing so we’ve created a life which is uniquely beautiful. |
| D．Currently I’m working on a novel set in the 1880s and 1890s. |
| E．Using the things they used helps us connect with their culture. |
| F．The antiques which make up our home are a working collection. |
| G．When people visit our home they say it’s like walking into a museum. |
【推荐2】When I was a senior student, I couldn’t understand my science teacher’s instructions, which upset me a lot. So when it comes to home-schooling our daughters, my husband volunteered to teach them science. But at that time he was too busy. I had to teach them instead.
One morning, I noticed the sky was a beautiful blue, and the air was filled with the sweet smell of flowers, I decided the lessons would be taught outside.
I got the girls ready. We headed up into the forest, setting ourselves by a pond. My elder daughter Saoirse began catching frogs, while my younger daughter Ula looked at me, waiting to be instructed. I handed her a drawing board and the colored pencils. “We wait and see if something comes along. In the meantime, just draw what’s around you.” I told her.
Just then a bird flew across the water, and settled in front of a fallen tree. I quickly told Ula, worried that she’d not seen the creature. But she had, and she began drawing it.
An hour later, she finished her picture and I found she drew the bird on her paper with amazing accuracy (准确性). But there was one other interesting fact about this drawing: she also drew me, sitting beside her.
Staring at this child’s drawing of us watching a bird, I realized how I’d lived for 40 years, gathered 10 years of higher education, and never understood the basis of science before this moment. It is a sense of wonder: it isn’t about accurately reciting words from textbooks. It is first about stepping outside and admiring the world around us.
From that day on, it was I not my husband that acted as the science teacher.
1. What was the author’s attitude toward science when she was in school?
| A．She didn’t care about it. | B．She longed to learn it. |
| C．She worked bard at it. | D．She found it difficult. |
| A．The tree. | B．The pond. |
| C．The frog. | D．The bird. |
| A．Wise and stubborn. | B．Patient and careful. |
| C．Friendly and outgoing. | D．Selfless and hard-working. |
| A．Teacher’s instruction. | B．Higher education. |
| C．Appreciating the world around. | D．Getting knowledge from textbooks. |
| A．An amazing painting | B．A trip to the forest |
| C．A lesson on science | D．A sense of accuracy |
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds，large rosy cheeks，and thin lips that held a steady smile．
With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window．A young waitress watched him and ran over to him，saying，"Here，Sir．Let me give you a hand with that chair．"
Without a word，he smiled and nodded a thank you．She pulled the chair away from the table．Supporting him with one arm，she helped him move in front of the chair，and get comfortably seated．Then she pushed the table up close to him，and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it．
In a soft，clear voice he said，"Thank you，Miss．"
"You're welcome，Sir．"She replied．"My name is Mary．I'll be back in a moment．If you need anything，just wave at me．"
After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes，bacon，and hot lemon tea，Mary brought him the change，helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table．She handed him his cane，and walked with him to the front door．Holding the door open for him，she said，"Come back and see us，Sir!"
He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile，"You are very kind!"
When Mary went to clean his table，she was shocked．Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin，under which was a $ 100bill．
The note on the napkin read，"Dear Mary，I respect you very much，and you respect yourself，too．It shows by the way you treat others．You have found the secret of happiness．Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you．"
The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant．This was the first time that she，or any of his employees，had seen him in person．
1. When did the story happen? ( no more than 10 words)2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the old man think of the waitress’ service? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why did the old man leave a 100 bill? (no more than 12 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”? (no more than 25 words)
From a distance, the grey cement bridge looks unremarkable. Two tunnels on either side of the Trans-Canada Highway are in semi-circles that end bluntly on the pavement below. But on top, away from passing motorists’ eyes, lies a grassy oasis. Against the odds, pine trees and wildflowers have taken root here, giving the overpass a fringe of greenery. On the edges, wire fencing provides safe passage for wandering animals.
Tony Clevenger has dedicated much of his life to studying the performance of Banff’s wildlife crossing structures. When the first wildlife bridges went up, Clevenger, a researcher with the Western Transportation Institute, was living in Canmore, and recalls the distinctly negative atmosphere that surrounded what many saw as a hair-brained scheme by Parks Canada. Save for a few small crossings in the eastern United States, no one had ever attempted something like this before — and no one believed it would work. Editorials in the local paper scoffed at the “waste of taxpayers’ money” and confidently stated animals would never use the $2 million to $3 million man-made bridges. Others believed wolves would herd their prey into the fence, violently killing them before shocked tourists.
“This project started in a bad spot. There was a lot of opposition and criticism,” Clevenger says. “It took several years of good data, publishing in scientific peer-reviewed journals, to change people’s minds.”
Clevenger now has 17 years-worth of data proving the efficacy of the crossings. Among large carnivores, mortality (死亡) rates are 50 to 100 per cent lower along sections of the highway where overpasses and underpasses exist. In those same sections, mortality rates for elk are almost zero, compared to 100 elk-vehicle collisions per year in the mid-1990s. Clevenger’s research has shown that 11 species of large mammals in Banff have used the structures more than 200,000 times, including unexpected species such as red fox, hoary marmot, boreal toads, wolverines, lynx, garter snakes and beavers.
In 2014, a Montana State University study found that not only are grizzly bears using the crossing structures, but the structures are also helping to maintain genetically healthy populations among the bears that use them. Grizzlies were crossing with enough frequency to ensure populations on either side of the highway weren’t genetically isolated from each other.
“This is Canada’s biggest conservation success story — it’s the largest highway mitigation complex in the world,” says Clevenger. “You won’t find anything anywhere else in the world close to what we have. We have the most overpasses in one localized area and almost half of all the overpasses in North America.”
1. Why did Tony Clevenger face opposition and criticism at the beginning of the wildlife crossing project?| A．Because of disbelief regarding the project’s feasibility and effectiveness. |
| B．Due to the design flaws of the crossing structures. |
| C．Because of concerns about the environmental impact of the structures. |
| D．Due to insufficient funding for the project. |
| A．Grizzly bears and elk. | B．Wolves and red foxes. |
| C．Garter snakes and beavers. | D．Hoary marmots and wolverines. |
| A．It confirmed the disbelief surrounding the effectiveness of the crossings. |
| B．It identified design flaws in the crossing structures. |
| C．It criticized the Canadian government’s conservation efforts. |
| D．It provided evidence of grizzly bears using the crossings and maintaining genetically healthy populations. |
【推荐2】In southeastern Brazil, local fishers walk into dark waters in search of mullet (鲻鱼). On their own, it would be tricky to find the silvery fish. But the humans get help from an unusual partner—wild bottle-nose dolphins.
With nets in hand, the fishers patiently wait as their cetacean (鲸类的) partners drive the fish toward the shore. A signal from the dolphins—usually a deep dive—indicates when they should cast their nets. This fishing partnership has passed down through the generations, lasting for more than a century.
While researchers knew humans profited from this pairing, they couldn’t confirm whether it benefited the dolphins. Now, in a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers suggest cetaceans that hunt with humans have more chances to live than those that don’t.
“Human-wildlife cooperation in general is an uncommon phenomenon (现象) at a global scale,” says Mauricio Cantor, a biologist at Oregon State University and leader of the study. “Usually humans gain the benefit, and nature pays the cost. But this interaction (互动) has been happening for over 150 years.”
Fishers were more successful when they worked with the dolphins. When dolphins were present, the fishers were 17 times more likely to catch prey (猎物) and netted nearly four times more mullet when they timed their casting with the cetaceans signals. Eighty-six percent of all 4,955 mullet caught during the study period came from their interactions at the same time—when the allies organized their actions perfectly with one another.
The study also revealed dolphins hunting with humans had a 13 percent increase in survival rate over other dolphins. These cooperative (合作的) dolphins are more likely to stay near the shore reducing their chance of being caught in illegal fishing equipment. Besides, the dolphins can take some fish directly from the fishers harvest.
1. What do the first two paragraphs talk about concerning Brazilian fishers?| A．They trick dolphins into fishing for them. |
| B．They have been training dolphins over a century. |
| C．They harvest more fish with dolphins’ help. |
| D．They throw the fishing nets when dolphins are on the top of water. |
| A．Nature supports human beings at no cost. |
| B．Fishers benefiting from cooperation with cetaceans is common. |
| C．Human-wildlife interaction is a new global trend. |
| D．Dolphins working with man have higher survival rate. |
| A．partners | B．preys | C．dolphins | D．researchers |
| A．To call on the protection of sea creatures. |
| B．To support development in fishing research. |
| C．To show a unique human-dolphin relationship. |
| D．To encourage fishers to better draw on dolphins. |
【推荐3】Nature is like a great magician, performing wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed "the lungs of our planet", it generates about one-fifth of Earth's oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is currently in danger.
Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These blazes have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the "most intense" in almost a decade, according to BBC News.
The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.
Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events, such as lightning strikes. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture to clean land, reported CNN.
The disaster has raised concern around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest's capacity （能力）to absorb carbon is reduced.
Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he's worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a "tipping point （临界点）where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah （大草原）.
Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.
The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the crisis.
The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest preservation （保护）."Every little bit helps in a tragic situation like this," commented Gizmodo.
1. The underlined word "intense" in Para.2 probably means _______.| A．natural | B．fierce | C．common | D．unexpected |
| A．Lightning strikes. | B．Hot weather. |
| C．Agricultural activities. | D．Garbage left by tourists. |
| A．Global temperatures will rise. |
| B．The Amazon rainforest is close to disappearing. |
| C．Animals in the Amazon rainforest are under threat. |
| D．It will take decades for the Amazon rainforest to recover. |
| A．What the Brazilian government has done to fight fires. |
| B．Celebrities who care about rainforest preservation. |
| C．The possible future of the Amazon rainforest. |
| D．Efforts made to save the Amazon rainforest. |
【推荐1】Steve Jobs knew from an early age that he was adopted (收养). “My parents were very open with me about that,” he recalled. He had a clear memory of sitting in the yard of his house, when he was six or seven years old, telling the girl who lived across the street. “Does that mean your real parents didn’t want you?” the girl asked. “My whole world was falling apart,” according to Jobs. “I remember running into the house, crying. And my parents said, ‘No, you have to understand.’ They were very serious and looked me straight in the eyes. They said, ‘We specially picked you out.’ Both of my parents said that and repeated it slowly for me. And they stressed every word in that sentence.”
Abandoned (被抛弃). Chosen. Special. These words became part of who Jobs was and how he thought of himself. His closest friends think that the knowledge that he was given up at birth left some scars (伤疤). “He wants to control everything because of his personality and the fact that he was abandoned at birth,” said one longtime colleague (同事), Del Yocam.“He wants to control his environment, and he sees his product as a part of himself.” Greg Calhoun, who became close to Jobs right after college, saw another effect. “Steve talked to me a lot about being abandoned,” he said. “It caused great pains and made him independent. He was different from others because he was born into a different world.”
Later in life, Jobs became a father and abandoned one of his children. Andy Hertzfeld, who worked with Jobs at Apple in the early 1980s, is among the few who remained close to Jobs. “To understand Jobs, you have to know the reason why he can’t control himself and is sometimes cruel and harmful to others,” he said. “That goes back to being abandoned at birth. The real problem was the theme of abandonment in Steve’s life.”
1. Which of the following is true about Jobs’ childhood?| A．He left his parents at the age of six or seven. |
| B．He was shocked knowing he was abandoned. |
| C．He couldn’t remember how he was abandoned. |
| D．His parents chose him because his family was poor. |
| A．He hated to be born with scars. |
| B．He liked to get things under control. |
| C．He enjoyed good working environment. |
| D．He wanted to influence everyone. |
| A．The fact that Jobs was abandoned. |
| B．Jobs’ pain from the abandonment. |
| C．Jobs’ talk with Greg Calhoun. |
| D．The world where Jobs lived. |
| A．Jobs didn’t bring up any children. |
| B．Jobs had a lot of close friends. |
| C．Abandonment influenced Jobs. |
| D．Nobody likes Jobs’ character. |
| A．Steve Jobs | B．Jobs’ Childhood |
| C．The Abandonment | D．A Terrible Memory |
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quite! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!
1. What did the author’s classmates think about his report?
| A．Controversial. | B．Ridiculous. |
| C．Boring. | D．Puzzling. |
| A．He was unfamiliar with American history. |
| B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin. |
| C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction. |
| D．He was new at the school. |
| A．annoyed | B．ashamed |
| C．ready | D．eager |
| A．by redoing his task |
| B．through his own efforts |
| C．with the help of his grandfather |
| D．under the guidance of his headmaster |
【推荐3】Every country has its heroes. They may be soldiers or sports people, doctors or film stars. We admire（钦佩） them for their courage, their strength, their devotion（忠诚） to duty or their talent. Their example inspires us to live better, to work harder.
Terry Fox was a young student who loved life and who loved sports. When he was just 18 years old a terrible tragedy happened: his right leg had to be cut off because of cancer. Such an experience would have destroyed a weaker person — but Terry Fox was a fighter. He refused to give up. Instead, while he was recovering from the operation, an idea slowly formed in his mind. He decided he would run across Canada, in order to raise money for cancer research.
Slowly and carefully, he began to train. Every step was extremely painful, but he insisted, increasing the distance covered day by day. Sixteen months later, in the spring of 1980, he was ready for the long journey across Canada — his Marathon of Hope. It was a time of inspiration and heart breaking emotion. Through television, every home saw his particular way of running, a kind of half-hop and half-run. Thousands of people lined the route to encourage him and to wish him well. They also gave money to fight cancer. Then, on 1st September 1980, after 143 days and more than 5000 kilometers completed, everything came tragically to an end Terry had to stop. He lived on for another nine months and died on June 18th 1981. He was almost 23.
1. Having read the passage, you can learn that the author ______ Terry Fox.| A．has great pity on | B．envies（嫉妒） |
| C．cares for | D．admires |
| A．a terrible tragedy happened to him at the age of 18 |
| B．he had his courage, his strength, and his devotion to his country |
| C．he had his right leg cut off because of cancer |
| D．he wanted to help others who suffer from diseases similar to his |
| A．devotion | B．actions |
| C．appearance | D．wishes |
| A．with few people supporting him |
| B．without receiving any money from people |
| C．with few people watching him on TV |
| D．without thinking of himself at all |
