In 1868 six-year-old Laura Jernegan, her parents, and her baby brother, Prescott, set sail from New Bedford, Massachusetts. This was no vacation cruise. Laura’s father, captain of the whaleship Roman, was hunting the mightiest animal on earth.
Unwilling to be separated from his family for three to four years while he made ocean voyages thousands of miles from home, Captain Jernegan took them with him to share in the adventure—and the danger-of life at sea. In the mid-1800s, as many as one in six American whaling, captains took their families on voyages.
What was it like to live on a whaleship? The diary Laura kept while she was at sea offers a look into her unusual childhood. She was fascinated by her father’s job. When the ship’s lookout spotted a whale, Laura recorded it in her diary. “I hope we shall get him,” she wrote.
She watched as the men rushed to their whaleboats and chased the whales. As soon as a whale was caught, the crew began to process it. First the crew “cut in” the whale by removing its thick blanket of blubber (鲸脂).
After throwing pieces of blubber into large pots, two men would “get in the pots and squish (挤) out the blubber,” Laura wrote. It must have been a strange sight because the sailors were “way up to their knees” in the greasy fat, she reported.
Now came the hot, smoky, and smelly par. A brick furnace (火炉) was fired up, and the blubber was tried out, or boiled into oil. One huge whale produced enough oil to fill seventy-five barrels, she noted in disbelief. When the Jernegans returned home, the oil would be sold for the best price possible. Whale oil was important during most of the nineteenth century. It was used to light lamps and to make candles.
Whaling was both exciting and exhausting. Yet it also had its slow moments, Weeks could go by without so much as a glimpse of a whale. Then Laura filled her days with school lessons and sewing.
When Laura was grown, she never went whaling again. By then, petrol had already replaced whale oil. This era, called the golden age of whaling, was over. So was the era of entire families going to sea. Yet Laura’s diary has helped to ensure that this chapter in America’s seafaring history won’t be forgotten.
1. Why did Laura set sail with her father?| A．She was a keen observer and writer. | B．She was fascinated by his father’s job. |
| C．His father would hunt the mightiest animal. | D．Her father wanted the family to stay together. |
| A．Laura offered help to the work. | B．It was very hard and dirty work. |
| C．It started from boiling the blubber. | D．The workers couldn’t stand the heat and bad smell. |
| A．Laura was tired of school lessons. | B．Laura lost interest in whaling sometimes. |
| C．No whales could be spotted. | D．The process of whaling was slow. |
| A．Significant. | B．Dreadful. | C．Conventional. | D．Practical. |
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【推荐1】The history of microbiology begins with a Dutch cloth maker named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a man of no formal scientific education. In the late 1600s, Leeuwenhoek, inspired by the magnifying lenses he used to examine cloth, built some of the first microscopes. He developed a technique to improve the quality of tiny, rounded lenses, some of which could magnify an object up to 270 times. After removing some plaque from between his teeth and examining it under a lens, Leeuwenhoek found tiny twisting creatures, which he called “animalcules”.
His observations, which he reported to the Royal Society of London, are among the first descriptions of microbes, Leeuwenhoek discovered an entire universe invisible to the human eye. He found different microbes in samples of pond water, rain water, and human blood. He gave the first description of red blood cells, observed plant tissue, examined muscle, and investigated the life cycle of insects.
Nearly two hundred years later, Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microbes helped French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur to develop his “theory of disease”. This concept suggested that disease originates from tiny organisms attacking and weakening the body. Pasteur’s theory later helped doctors to fight infectious diseases including anthrax, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and typhoid. All these breakthroughs were the result of Leeuwenhoek's original work. Leeuwenhoek did not foresee this legacy.
In a 1716 letter, he described his contribution to science this way: “My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a strong desire for knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therefore, whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that the scientific community might be informed thereof.”
1. Which of the following best describes Leeuwenhoek?| A．A trained researcher with an interest in microbiology. |
| B．A curious amateur who made pioneer studies of microbes. |
| C．A talented scientist interested in finding a cure for disease. |
| D．A bored cloth maker who accidentally made a major discovery. |
a. Magnifying lenses were built.
b. The “theory of disease” was put forward.
c. Microbes were discovered in samples of waters.
d. Leeuwenhoek's first microscopes were successfully developed.
e. Leeuwenhoek explained his thoughts upon his own contribution.
| A．a-d-c-e-b. | B．d-a-c-e-b. | C．a-d-c-b-e. | D．d-a-e-b-c. |
【推荐2】When I was in Tanzania, Modesta was my Swahili teacher, who was friendly and outgoing. Three years later, I was living in India, teaching at an English-medium international school. Modesta was still in her village, about 15. She had exhausted her country’s free education options. Instead of high school, early marriage is waiting for her. After much thought, I decide to invite Modesta to join me. I stressed the challenges: She’d have to adapt to living in an English-speaking environment, dealing with racism, and being separated from her family. Modesta decided she was up for the adventure.
At the airport gate, the agent asked for our yellow fever vaccination (疫苗接种) certificates. Tim and I pulled out ours but Modesta didn’t have one. “Then she won’t be allowed on the plane,” the agent said. “India won’t let her into the country without it. But...” My heart was racing. How had I failed to think of this? “There’s a clinic at the other end of the airport,” the agent said. “Takeoff is in 30 minutes, and the certificate is only valid 10 days after the injection.”
When the nurse finished the injection, I glanced at my watch again — 14 minutes — and said: “So, in order for us to travel today, the paperwork has to be dated 10 days earlier.” The nurse replied with a lazy eyebrow raise. “Modesta is from the village,” I almost cried. “For her this means everything: continuing her studies, learning English...” The nurse didn’t say anything, but with nine minutes left, when she handed us the certificate, it was backdated by 15 days.
We dashed through the gate just as it was closing. When we finally took off, my hand shook as I held Modesta’s. Tim finally broke our silence. “I was ready to pay an enormous bribe back there, to get them to change the date.” “I was ready to tell lies,” I said. “Big lies, whatever it took.” “I was praying and praying to Jesus,” Modesta said. Fifteen years later, Modesta has friends on four continents and the first college degree in her family.
1. If Modesta had refused the author’s invitation, she ___________.| A．would have been married |
| B．would have taught foreigners Swahili |
| C．would have studied in an international school |
| D．would have continued her education in Tanzania |
| A．She had a fever at that time. |
| B．She didn’t have a passport. |
| C．She didn’t get a birth certificate. |
| D．She was not vaccinated against yellow fever. |
| A．Modesta prayed to Jesus. |
| B．The author told a white lie. |
| C．Tim gave her a large amount of money. |
| D．She knew deeply what it meant for Modesta. |
| A．Modesta would face racial discrimination in India |
| B．Modesta failed to adapt to the new environment |
| C．Tim was unwilling to accept Modesta |
| D．Modesta’s parents treated her badly |
【推荐3】Before arriving in China, I had read various books relating to China, famous Chinese novels as well as non-fiction and the seeds of my fascination were sown. Therefore, when I arrived I couldn’t have been more excited to be living in this huge historically and culturally rich country. The food, the landmarks, the fantastic cities and everyday life—I was burning to explore.
Yet despite my enthusiasm, learning Chinese hadn’t even entered my mind. This wasn’t ignorance or laziness, but rather fright at the thought of attempting to learn what is regarded as the most difficult language in the world. In my mind, the Chinese language was the privilege of the highly intelligent.
However, after a year in China I began to feel uncomfortable with how many Chinese people could speak English and yet I couldn’t even speak the most basic Chinese. With these factors in mind and a thirst for a new challenge I determined to begin my language journey.
In the two years since starting to learn I have made measurable progress. I found it less difficult than thought. When speaking to native Chinese speakers in Chinese they almost always understand me, I have also not found it too difficult to remember characters and I am now even able to write over +00 characters. I find studying the language relaxing and rewarding.
In spite of my progress, it has still been the challenge that has taken a lot of hard work and commitment. The thing I find most discouraging is listening since native speakers talk at such a speed, I can’t always understand what’s been said, but my weekly online language exchanges help with this. Furthermore, there is a long way to go before I reach my goal of fluency. The key to progress is to be patient and persistent.
My biggest harvest from learning Chinese is that it’s not only reachable but can also be enjoyable. Learning Chinese not only helped me in day-to-day life, but deepened my cultural understanding of such a diverse and interesting country. Now my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.
1. Which can best describe the author’s original impression about learning Chinese?| A．Boring. | B．Demanding. |
| C．Pleasant. | D．Discouraging. |
| A．Speaking Chinese is the most difficult. | B．Many Chinese speak fluent English. |
| C．It isn’t as tough as he once assumed. | D．It is beyond his power to learn characters. |
| A．Importance of learning Chinese. |
| B．Barriers of learning a new language. |
| C．Significant progress the author has made. |
| D．Certain difficulties the author met in learning Chinese. |
| A．A new opinion in learning. | B．The author’s journey of learning Chinese. |
| C．Exploring the joy of learning Chinese. | D．The value of learning a new language. |
【推荐1】An excerpt from Shoes Were for Sunday by Molly Weir
One of the phrases which greatly puzzled me was “entertaining angels unaware”. How could anybody be unaware of entertaining an angel, I thought? It never occurred to me that angelic qualities could hide under very ordinary voices and in everyday bodies.
My angel, as it turned out, hid inside the little figure of my school-teacher, Miss McKenzie. To me she was always a little old lady, with her grey hair framing a round rosy face and caught up in an old-fashioned bun (发髻) on top of her head.
Although I enjoyed Miss McKenzie’s approval, I never really felt very close to her. It never dawned on me to ask her advice as to what I should do when I left school. Surely there was only one thing to do:get a job and earn money as quickly as possible. But Miss McKenzie had other ideas. We in our house knew nothing of scholarships for fatherless children. The idea of a child from a working-class household going to college was the very stuff of story-books.
Unknown to us, she forced the headmaster to put my name forward for a special scholarship open to children who showed some promise, and who would benefit from further education. He agreed, although he was a bit worried about the expense of keeping me at college for a whole year. No earnings from me, and fares and clothes to be covered, for, of course, only the fees would be paid if I won.
Miss McKenzie brushed all argument aside. To this day I can remember my complete astonishment when, on being asked if she felt I had any particular qualities, this elderly teacher banged the desk with her fist, and declared in an American idiom I never suspected she knew, ‘I’d stake my bottom dollar on this girl!’
I trembled at the passion in her voice, and at her faith in me. “What if I fail her?” I gasped to myself. “What if she has to pay all the money back if I let her down?” I knew we hadn’t a spare dollar to repay anybody, and I was sick with a sense of responsibility in case I messed up.
The time at college went by quickly. At the end of my year at college I was able to lay before her the college gold medal as the year’s top student and a whole pile of certificates.
And suddenly as I gazed at her, and saw her eyes shining with pride behind the gold-rimmed glasses, I realized how widely she had thrown open the door of opportunity for me. And I knew for the first time what the phrase “entertaining angels unaware” meant. For there, standing before me in class, was my very own angel, Miss McKenzie.
1. The author’s description of Miss McKenzie in paragraphs 2 and 5 aims to ______.| A．explain why she always kept a safe distance from Miss McKenzie |
| B．contrast the inner qualities of McKenzie with her humble appearance |
| C．emphasize that she and Miss McKenzie both came from an ordinary family |
| D．illustrate the influence of the strong faith Miss McKenzie had in her |
| A．it is unlikely for children from an ordinary family to further their study in college |
| B．going to university can help those from working-class climb up the social ladder |
| C．those who can only read stories do not meet the minimum requirement of college |
| D．the author had the idea of going to college because she was inspired by some stories |
| A．shocked and encouraged | B．embarrassed and reluctant |
| C．uncertain and stressed | D．worried and purposeful |
| A．recall her schooldays and her past achievements |
| B．express her gratitude to one of her school teachers |
| C．stress the importance of equal access to education |
| D．encourage readers to find the angels around them |
My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!
When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied (不满意) with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business, we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.
1. According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. | C．Friends. | D．Mom. |
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. |
| B．His previous business success of various levels. |
| C．His mom’s support. |
| D．His wife’s suggestion. |
| A．Modest, helpful, and hard-working. |
| B．Careful, helpful and beautiful. |
| C．Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive. |
| A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family. |
| B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work. |
| C．Clear goals, mom’s encouragement, a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities. |
【推荐3】Lauren Ribordy has several theories as to why women are not regarded as representatives in the field of computer science. And the 18-year-old senior at Glenbrook South High School in Illinois is trying her best to change that.
In November, Ribordy competed alongside five undergraduate students (大学本科学生) — all men — from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) as part of a team in the SC14 Student Cluster Competition in New Orleans. It is a computing event that brings students together from all over the world.
Ribordy was the only high school student in that competition, said loan Raicu, an assistant professor at IIT and the coach of Ribordy’s team. In fact, according to the organizers of the event, she was the only female high school student to ever compete in the two-day event.
Ribordy and the five IIT students competed on eight computers. They put together advanced hardware to run a set of applications using a limited amount of power.
Ribordy was tasked with building a device (装置) that would show how much power the team was using at any given time. She made the device with LED strips she programmed herself and it took weeks of her time.
“She was bright and smart...and she did very well,” Raicu said.
Ribordy was also the state winner and national runner-up (亚军) for the National Center for Women & Information Technology in computing in her junior year.
Apart from devoting herself to computing, Rihordy was also trying her best to get more women interested in computer science.
“I developed a club specifically for those women interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math),” she said, “Up to now, we have 40 members.”
Ultimately, Ribordy said she and her fellow club members hoped to get students involved with computer science when the students are in middle school.
Both Raicu and Ribordy said a lack of experience with computer science at a young age may be one of the reasons why few women work in the field.
But Ribordy is becoming more and more hopeful. Her sister, Anne Ribordy, who is in the 6th grade, has received computing training in school-something Lauren Ribordy never had in middle school.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the SCl4 Student Cluster Competition?| A．It is a two-day national computing event. |
| B．It used to reject all female players. |
| C．It was open only to college students until 2015. |
| D．Lauren Ribordy is the first female high school student ever to compete in the competition. |
| A．competed on six computers |
| B．designed a new kind of LED strips |
| C．put together hardware to complete the task |
| D．built a device to make the computers’ power stable |
| A．People’s prejudice against females working in this area. |
| B．Females’ lack of confidence in the field of computer science. |
| C．Young girls have little access to computer science. |
| D．The shortage of experienced female computing teachers. |
| A．Devoted and modest. | B．Creative and humorous. |
| C．Brilliant and ambitious. | D．Patient and flexible. |
【推荐1】I am Henry Jekyll. I was born in the 1800s. I inherited(继承) a large fortune, a healthy body and an excellent mind. I was naturally hard-working and soon I was very successful in my job. So the outside world saw a serious, hard-working, successful doctor. Behind this quiet character, however, was a wild, fun-loving, irresponsible young man. Both of them were me. They lived together in the same body.
“Was it possible,” I wondered, “to find a drug that could give each side of my character its own separate face and body?”
After much thought and careful study I believed I had found the answer. I had read many scientific books and spent many hours in my laboratory, searching for the right mixture of chemicals to make my drug. At last I got everything ready.
Late one night, I mixed everything together and prepared my drug. I watched the smoke rising from the liquid as its color changed from red to purple and at last to green. Then, bravely, I drank every bitter drop.I felt a violent sickness in my stomach and a terrible pain in all my bones. The room seemed to turn round and round and I trembled with fear. Then the fear and pain disappeared and a strange, sweet feeling took its place. Wild thoughts danced through my mind—the wild passions of an evil and cruel stranger. But inside myself I felt younger, lighter, more carefree than ever before. “If this is pure evil,” I thought, “I like it.”
I stood there, enjoying these strange new thoughts and passions and suddenly realized that I was shorter. So I decided to go to my bedroom in my new body and take a look at myself in the mirror there. As I came into my room, I saw Edward Hyde for the first time.
At that time, the good side of my character was stronger than the evil side. Henry Jekyll had his faults, but he was mostly a good, kind man. I believe that is the reason why Edward Hyde was so much smaller than Henry Jekyll. But that was not the only difference between the two men. Henry Jekyll had a kind, open, honest face. But pure evil stared out of Edward Hyde’s eyes. I felt no dislike, however. Indeed, I welcomed him. Edward Hyde was me, young and strong and full of life.
1. In others’ eyes, the writer was ______.| A．wild and successful | B．fun-loving and responsible |
| C．quiet and irresponsible | D．serious and hard-working |
| A．discover the right mixture of chemicals |
| B．create separate bodies for both sides |
| C．observe the change of the chemicals |
| D．make himself smaller but stronger |
| A．felt quite delighted right after taking the drug |
| B．preferred kind Henry to pure evil Edward |
| C．was very sick of the shorter Edward Hyde |
| D．was satisfied with both of his bodies |
I received a private message on Facebook. It began harmlessly enough “Hey, girl. Wanted to invite you to join my next challenge group—we’ll be focusing on fitting in 30 minutes of exercise and balanced nutrition.”
It was all becoming too much. Facebook was running my life, not me.
But what killed Facebook for me was when I posted a photo, and five minutes later my son asked me how many “likes” it had got. His question was a wake-up call “Likes” are signs of acceptance and approval. I had forgotten that acceptance and approval need to come from within and had unknowingly set him a bad example.
Before Facebook, surfing the Internet was an occasional distraction and I spent a lot more time reading books and magazines. I checked in with friends through texts, emails and phone calls.
To recreate the simplicity of those days and set a healthier example for my son, I deactivated my Facebook account. I’d been in the habit of checking Facebook many times a day, so I had to come up with some new habits. I carried a novel and a crossword puzzle book around with me. I rediscovered knitting (针织). I started taking yoga classes.
I started to remember a few things. My body is fine just the way it is. I have friends who will help me out when I’m in trouble, and I will help them out. I do my best to be a good mother, and our son is happy and healthy. We are very lucky to be able to afford two vacations a year. I stopped looking at the world through my cellphone. I felt pleased at the moment. The break left me feeling better about myself, my family, my home and my life.
After a few weeks, I returned to Facebook. Now I look at the photos of my friends, kids growing up and treasure how social media allows me to keep in touch with family far and wide. I look in on a daily basis, but no longer with the desire constantly to post updates.
It is not an addiction any more.
1. What caused the author deactivate her Facebook account?2. What did the author do to change her life?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underlined it and explain why.
After I found Facebook was running my life, I completely stopped using it.
4. What do you think is the best way to use social media? Please explain. (about 40 words)
【推荐3】As Melanie drove through St. Petersburg, the laughter and chatter from the four young girls inside her car quickly gave way to screams. As they came near a crossroad, another car hit into them, causing their black car sailing into the yard of a nearby house, coming to a stop only when it crashed into a tree.
As smoke got out from the other car, a witness shouted, “It’s about to explode! Get our!” But the hit had caved (凹陷) in Melanie’s driver’s side door, making it hard to open. Shockingly but luckily, she got away. Along with two of her friends freeing themselves, she ran for her life.
But halfway down the street, she realized that her best friend, Lorna, wasn’t with them. Melanie ran back and found Lorna falling down in the back seat. “She wasn’t moving,” Melanie told Inside Edition. She tried to open the back door and pulled her friend out, avoiding the broken glass as best as she could. She dragged Lorna a few e to safety and laid her on the ground. “I checked her pulse. Nothing. I put my head against her chest. There was no sign of breath,” She said. “That’s when l started CPR (心肺复苏术).”
If the accident happened a few weeks earlier, she might not have known what to do. But Melanie, who wants to work on a career in medicine, had got her CPR certificate just the day before. Looking at her dying friend, Melanie knew she had little time to practice what she’d learned. She started pressing Lora’s chest with her interlocked fingers and breathing into her friend’s mouth in the hope of filing her lungs with the kiss of life. But there was no response. And then, after the 30th compression, Lorna began breathing. The CPR had worked! Soon. the nursing staff arrived and rushed Lorna to the hospital. And then she heard how her best friend had saved her life. “I wasn’t shocked,” Lorna told CNN. “She will always help in any way she can.”
1. What happened when Melanie was driving with her friends?| A．They got lost and felt panic. |
| B．They kept screaming on the way. |
| C．Their car was hit heavily and stopped. |
| D．A black car sailed into her home yard. |
| A．She always likes experiencing adventures. |
| B．She reacted properly when saving her friend. |
| C．She had no time to notice all her friends then. |
| D．She was at a los bout her injured friend. |
| A．Melanie applied CPR to her in time. |
| B．She had learned how to save herself. |
| C．The nursing staff arrived there quickly. |
| D．The accident was not that serious. |
| A．An Accident on a Crossroad | B．A Dangerous Driving |
| C．An Organized CPR Practice | D．A Life Saved by CPR |
