Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie’s feet, when Father cleared his throat and began, “You’ll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We’ve found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England.”
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. “But the lion.” he cried, “What about the lion?”
“I’m afraid there’s something else I have to tell you,” his father said. Looking across at Bertie’s mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
“No! You can’t send him to a circus!” said Bertie. “People will come to see him. He’ll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He’d rather die. Any animal would!” But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father’s deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he crept (蹑手蹑脚地移动) downstairs, took down his father’s rifle (步枪) and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion’s neck. The time had come.
“Be wild now”, he whispered. “You’ve got to be wild. Don’t ever come home. All my life I’ll think of you. I promise I will.” He buried his head in the lion’s neck. Then, Bertie climbed down the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion’s head.
1. Bertie’s mother was sad probably because she ________.| A．had been seriously ill recently |
| B．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie |
| C．knew Bertie would hate to go to England |
| D．had decided to send Bertie to school |
| A．other animals | B．circus owners |
| C．Bertie’s parents | D．some audience |
| A．protect himself from the lion | B．kill the lion out of fear |
| C．threaten the lion back to the wild | D．show his anger towards his father |
| A．people and animals can be faithful to each other |
| B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children |
| C．animal-hunting is popular in Africa |
| D．animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】China is betting on its successful hybrid rice varieties to fight food shortage in Africa.
“We’re no longer suffering from hunger,” 55-year-old Georges Ranaivomanana, a Madagascan farmer who took the lead in planting Chinese hybrid rice in his town of Mahitsy. Georges told Xinhua that he hoped that all Madagascan farmers would use the seeds to raise their living standards.
China has been helping African countries develop productive rice farming for years with its hybrid rice. For farmers on the continent like Ranaivomanana, they are “very grateful” to the Chinese as the hybrid rice is the key to better food security and higher incomes.
In May, the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Centre opened a research centre in Madagascar to select hybrid rice varieties based on the island nation’s diverse ecological environment, in an effort to find more productive crops for a continent long troubled by insufficient grain output.
In the northwestern Nigerian state of Kebbi, Chinese expert Wang Xuemin stood in a rice field, surrounded by green rice plants. “This year, we are using a new technology,” he said, adding that “it can significantly reduce labor and other costs. “The land, climate and rice farming methods in Nigeria are very different from those in China. We had a lot of problems at the beginning,” said the 51-year-old who has been in Nigeria for 16 years.
In 2006, after Wang and his colleagues had sown the seeds, their field management techniques and large-scale farming equipment could not adapt to the operating environment, and hundreds of hectares of rice fields were almost completely taken over by weeds. “We came to realize that blindly copying the Chinese model is not feasible (可行的). It is necessary to constantly innovate our techniques to fit the local situation in Africa,” he said.
After more than ten years of research and innovation, the Nigerian farm now becomes a major training and mechanized production centre in the country, training more than 1,000 farmers and agricultural machinery management staff.
1. What’s the attitude of African farmers about Chinese hybrid rice?| A．A little skeptical. | B．Full of gratitude. |
| C．Much disappointed. | D．Extremely curious. |
| A．51 years old. | B．55 years old. |
| C．67 years old. | D．35 years old. |
| A．Different technologies should be applied to different areas. |
| B．Chinese technology of hybrid rice can’t be applied in Africa. |
| C．Chinese technology of hybrid rice wastes more labor and costs. |
| D．Chinese experts contributes to raising African living standards. |
| A．China’s Hybrid Rice Sows Hope for Africa |
| B．Africans Fight Food Shortage with Chinese |
| C．The Sowing of Hybrid Rice Should Vary from Country |
| D．Chinese Hybrid Rice Research Has Not Been Open in Africa |
【推荐2】Jane Goodall was born in England in 1934. As a child, she liked to learn about animals and watch how they behaved, and dreamed of working with wild animals.
At 11, she decided that she wanted to go to Africa to live with and write about animals. But this was not the kind of thing young women growing up in the 1940s usually did. In 1957, Jane Goodall traveled to Africa. She soon met the well-known scientist Louis Leakey and began working for him as an assistant. Doctor Leakey saw that Jane had a lot of energy and loved animals. He asked her if she wanted to study the chimpanzees living by a lake in Tanzania. Certainly she agreed to take the job.
Observing chimps was not easy work. She learned to watch them from far away using binoculars. Over time, she slowly gained their trust. She gave the chimps human names such as David, Flo and Fifi. This unusual method upset many scientists. Most researchers would have identified the animals using numbers instead of names. But Jane defended naming them. She said that the chimpanzees had emotions, minds and different personalities, with complex family and social relationships. She observed they were meat eaters and skilled hunters. Later, she made an even more surprising discovery. She saw chimps making and using tools to help them trap insects. Her reports also upset many old beliefs. When she wrote to Louis Leakey to tell him about her discovery, he responded by saying: “Now we must redefine ‘tool’, redefine ‘man’, or accept chimpanzees as human.”
Jane Goodall spent many years studying chimps and reported chimp behavior that no one else had ever seen before. She has written many books for adults and children about wild chimpanzees. However, the destruction of the chimp’s natural environment led Jane Goodall to give her full attention to protection efforts. She spends about 300 days out of the year traveling around the world to discuss her many projects and goals. And Jane Goodall’s most recent book is called Hope for Animals and Their World.
1. It can be inferred from the text that __________.| A．Jane Goodall’s love for animals began with the journey to Africa |
| B．Jane Goodall’s work in Tanzania went along smoothly |
| C．Jane Goodall is the pioneer in researching chimpanzees |
| D．Jane Goodall has traveled around the world to do research |
| A．Her method was not agreed with by many scientists. |
| B．Her method seemed impossible to many scientists. |
| C．Her method cheered the achievements of many scientists. |
| D．Her method inspired many scientists to make further discoveries. |
| A．Chimps eat meat. |
| B．Chimps have feelings. |
| C．Chimps use tools to get food. |
| D．Chimps have close family relationships. |
| A．Challenging others is a must in gaining fame. |
| B．Bravery is the key to making important discoveries. |
| C．High energy plays an important role in achieving great success. |
| D．Passion and hard work can make a difference in scientific research. |
【推荐3】In the past, animal shelters in Singapore were horrible places. Most of them were very old buildings that were dirty, noisy and crowded.
In 2017, the government also made a new law that no longer allowed shelters to kill animals that didn’t get adopted.
If you buy a pet from a pet store, it’s likely that puppy and kitten mills (制造厂)will benefit.
| A．Do the right thing and adopt your next pet. |
| B．The pet mills will share the benefit with animal shelters. |
| C．It means there are even more animals living in shelters. |
| D．When getting a new pet, don’t buy one from a pet store. |
| E．These are places that produce baby animals just like products. |
| F．They know the personalities of the pets, so they can help you choose the perfect one. |
| G．For animals, living on the street might have been a better option than going to one of these shelters. |
【推荐1】The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence---other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived on the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. Then whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from l, 400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐) on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which is a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine(露天矿). When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip-mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem---their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was almost financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
1. What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?| A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems. | B．To give a warning to other countries. |
| C．To show the importance of money. | D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. |
| A．Rich and powerful. | B．Modern and open. |
| C．Peaceful and attractive. | D．Greedy and aggressive. |
| A．Its leaders misused the money. |
| B．It spent too much repairing the island. |
| C．Its phosphate mining cost much money. |
| D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
| A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
| B．The leaders will take the experts’words seriously. |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans. |
| D．The phosphate mines were destroyed. |
【推荐2】The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady with a smile. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed, “Of course you may!” “Why are you in college at such an age?” I asked. She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids.….”
“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus star and she easily made friends wherever she went.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the stage. “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.”
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degrees he had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
1. Where did the author meet Rose?| A．In the first day class of college. | B．In the student union building. |
| C．In the professor’s office. | D．At the football banquet. |
| A．To find her love. | B．To meet more friends. |
| C．To realize her college dream. | D．To find humor that makes her laugh. |
| A．Growing older means growing up. | B．Growing up means becoming an adult. |
| C．Growing up doesn’t take any talent or ability. | D．Growing up needs to take action to find chances. |
| A．Old and talkative. | B．Considerate and caring. |
| C．Positive and determined. | D．Humorous and smart. |
Born in 1984, she began making up stories when she was about three years old. “I never stopped and said, ‘I want to write’,” Amelia remembers. “I loved stories and created stories before I was old enough to know how to write them down.”
In her family, reading was basic and fun. “My parents encouraged me to read — and to read anything I wanted, so long as I was reading,” she said. “They never restricted what I read. Later, when I started writing, they never criticized what I did or said I was ‘too young’. They never said it was impossible for me to achieve what I have.”
In her short but successful career, Amelia has tried different styles. But vampires were the first characters to really come alive in her work. From them she has developed a whole world, one which she always enjoys learning more about.
As a published teen writer, Amelia’s advice to other teens who dream of being authors is: just do it! “I believe anything is possible. Don’t give up your dreams just because you fear failure. Getting a book published is difficult, but if I can do it, others can too. ”
1. What can we learn about Amelia Atwater - Rhodes?
| A．Reading widely helped her a lot in her career. |
| B．She found getting a book published was easy. |
| C．Vampires have been the only characters in her books. |
| D．Her parents began to teach her to make up stories when she was 3. |
| A．They helped her with writing stories. |
| B．They fully supported her. |
| C．They thought she was too young to read. |
| D．They chose what she read. |
| A．Vampires | B．different styles |
| C．Teenagers | D．characters in her novel |
| A．Good News for Teen Writers |
| B．Is It Possible for a Teen Writer to Be Published? |
| C．Advice on Being Teen Writers |
| D．A Top-selling Teen Writer Pens Vampire Tales |
【推荐1】An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and enjoy his late life.
The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He did his job carelessly and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to examine the house and handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived well. The plaque (匾牌) on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
1. What’s the possible meaning of the underlined word “inferior” in Paragraph 2?| A．not enough | B．not so good |
| C．not special | D．not expensive |
| A．surprised and grateful | B．ashamed and thankful |
| C．shocked and regretful | D．pitiful and annoyed |
| A．Every man is his own worst enemy. | B．Experience is the mother of wisdom. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Every man is the builder of his own future. |
【推荐2】A few weeks ago, I was sitting at a picnic table with my wife, Joanne, outside Scotty’s Bierwerks in Cape Coral. We were having a drink when a car pulled up near the entrance of the brewery (啤酒厂).
The doors opened and out came whom I believed to be a family of three — a mother, father and daughter. They appeared to be the entertainment for the evening. Quickly, the man and the woman began constructing a singing set in the parking lot. They positioned a guitar and a microphone (麦克风). It was a hot evening, but the man and the woman meticulously (一丝不苟地) set up the equipment.
Meanwhile, the daughter stood behind the SUV. She wasn’t helping. She was on her phone and looked to be texting. I thought to myself, “Why doesn’t she help her parents carry the equipment?” I immediately did what I should never do: formed an opinion of this girl. She proved me so wrong when I had her in my office a few days later to talk about her story: a 9-year-old playing a small guitar who later performed with popular singers Scotty McCreery and Scotty Williams, and has written over 60 songs.
That night at the brewery, 16-year-old Ayla Lynn Mayo was not helping her parents set up her equipment because her parents didn’t want her to. They have a specific way of doing things and she is not needed. She was on the phone texting people to come to hear her perform. That’s how entertainers build an audience. It’s not so much her singing gift that impressed me. It’s who she is as a person. She is grounded and patient. “I am holding myself back,” she said. “I want to finish school first.”
Life in the music business is not easy. It won’t be easy for Ayla. But she has plenty of family support, a great voice, and the ability to write music. She has a chance and she has already proven me wrong. Don’t be too influenced by first impressions. It’s the second impression: that may delightfully surprise you.
1. What did the author find out about the couple after they got out of the car?| A．They were good at entertaining. | B．They came to be entertained. |
| C．They were very poorly organized. | D．They carefully prepared for a performance. |
| A．She was a good helper. | B．She was quite lazy and selfish. |
| C．She was an unpopular performer. | D．She was skillful at advertising. |
| A．She didn’t really understand her parents. |
| B．She didn’t have a happy childhood. |
| C．She was a clear-headed singer. |
| D．She was a good money maker. |
| A．We should leave a good first impression on others. |
| B．We should never judge people by their appearance. |
| C．Our second impression of others can even be wrong. |
| D．Our first impression of someone may not be reliable. |
【推荐3】Our neighbors have always had a beautiful statue by the gate of their house. I’ve always loved to look at it whenever I look out of the kitchen window.
The other day I found it wasn’t there! I hoped it was just moved and not lost! There were thieves reported recently. I told Mike about my worry and he said he would ask the neighbors the next time he saw them.
That afternoon he met Mrs “Neighbor” at the door and mentioned the missing statue to her. He told her how much we loved it and hoped it was safe. She said that she had just moved it to the yard and would bring it back right away. “Oh no,” said Mike. “We’re just glad it’s safe!”
That evening we went out to sit in our garden and saw that the statue was back by the gate! Oh, sweet neighbor! You were so kind!
The next day we were out in the garden again, planting flowers, and found that we had too many. We didn’t know where to put them all! I had to leave before we decided what to do with them. On my way out, I met Mrs “Neighbor” and thanked her for moving the statue back! She said she moved it to her yard because the area on the side of her house was too barren (荒芜的). There were no flowers. Suddenly an idea came into my mind! The flowers! She could have them!
Now the statue sits in beautiful flowers. I look out of my kitchen window again and smile. The kindness shared between neighbors is such a beautiful thing!
1. What made the writer feel worried?| A．The statue was moved inside. | B．Mike didn’t like the statue at all. |
| C．The statue might be taken away by thieves. | D．Her neighbors didn’t like the statue any more. |
| A．asked her to put the statue outside | B．asked about the safety of the statue |
| C．gave her some flowers as a present | D．told her that there were thieves recently |
| A．After she learned the statue was safe. | B．After she saw the barren area by the gate. |
| C．After she had a talk with Mrs “Neighbor”. | D．After she saw the statue was back by the gate. |
| A．In the writer’s yard. | B．Beside the writer’s kitchen. |
| C．In the writer’s neighbors’ yard. | D．By the gate of the writer’s neighbors’ house. |
