I was in the fifth grade and had just moved to Westminster from London when I met Ms. May. Most of my teachers seemed to ignore me; I was one more student among hundreds. Ms. May, however, took a special interest. “You can write,” she said, explaining that she wanted to move me into the honors English class. So did I.
A decade later, when my first novel was published, I went back to Ms. May’s classroom, handing her a copy of my book. “And I wrote this for you.” Ms. May began to cry happily. She’d been considering early retirement, she said, because she felt she wasn’t having enough of an effect on her students. I didn’t know how to make Ms. May understand what she’d done for me: It was because of her that I fell in love with Shakespeare. I learned how to compose an essay. It was her belief in me that gave me the confidence to become a writer. Now I felt I owed her. I told her to forget her idea, and she did.
Fifteen years later, when I heard that she was finally ready to retire, I attended her going-away party. All Ms. May needed to do was say a few words thanking her colleagues for coming. Instead, she stood up and made an exciting speech that began like this, “Those of you are always complaining (抱怨) that kids have changed and that it’s harder to teach these days. You’re getting old and lazy. These kids haven’t changed. You have! Do not give up on these kids!”
When she finished her talk, everyone clapped hands! I went up to Ms. May and gave her a big hug. She smiled with tears rolling down her face. I came to realize that she would miss her teaching life.
1. How did most of the author’s teachers treat him when he was in the fifth grade?| A．They helped with his writing. |
| B．They paid little attention to him. |
| C．They took a special interest in him. |
| D．They encouraged him to make speeches. |
| A．Retiring earlier. | B．Influencing others. |
| C．Becoming a writer. | D．Publishing a book. |
| A．To stress the important roles of teachers. |
| B．To leave a deep impression on her colleagues. |
| C．To inform people of necessary education reform. |
| D．To call on her colleagues not to give up on their students. |
| A．Worried. | B．Regretful. |
| C．Appreciative. | D．Sympathetic. |
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【推荐1】“Depend on yourself” is what nature says to everyone. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. Others can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself.
There have been many great men in history. But many of them were poor in childhood, and had no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few and not very good. They could not depend on them for education. They saw how it was, and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way till they became well-known.
One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, “I can not make worthy men of you, but I can help you make men of yourselves.”
Some young men do not try their best to make themselves valuable to the human beings. They can never gain achievements unless they see their weakpoints and change their courses. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own honest efforts.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?| A．How to Be Famous |
| B．What Nature Says to Everyone |
| C．Depend on Yourself |
| D．Men Must Help Each Other |
| A．they were very poor in childhood |
| B．they wanted very much to become famous |
| C．they made great efforts to learn and work |
| D．they could not depend on schools for education |
| A．make his pupils worthy men |
| B．help his pupils find a way to fame |
| C．help his pupils make themselves useful men |
| D．make his pupils men of strength and courage |
| A．is a man of strong character |
| B．sings high praise for parents |
| C．thinks highly of those men struggling by their own efforts |
| D．feels it is the most important of all to accept the advice of others |
【推荐2】As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said, “Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression.
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were transfixed as we saw the first man walk on the moon and return to Earth. Words such as “fantastic” and “incredible” were inadequate to describe those eventful days. But to get there, those astronauts literally had to break out of the enormous gravity pull of the earth.
Habits, too, have enormous gravity pull-more than most people realize or would admit. Breaking deeply rooted habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives.
| A．I know they can be broken. |
| B．“Lift-off” takes an enormous effort. |
| C．Excellence is not an act, but a habit. |
| D．It is a powerful force if used effectively. |
| E．Habits are powerful factors in our lives. |
| F．Their energy was mostly spent in the first few minutes of lift-off. |
| G．Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against us. |
【推荐3】I used to believe that only words could catch the essence of the human soul. The literary works contained such distinct stories that they shaped the way we saw the world. Words were what composed the questions we sought to uncover and the answers to those questions themselves. Words were everything.
That belief changed.
In an ordinary math class, my teacher posed a simple question: What’s 0.99 rounded to the nearest whole number? Easy. When rounded to the nearest whole number, 0.99=1. Somehow, I thought even though 0.99 is only 0.01 away from 1, there’s still a 0.01 difference. That means even if two things are only a little different, they are still different, so doesn’t that make them completely different?
My teacher answered my question by presenting another equation (等式): 1= 0.9, which could also be expressed as 1=0.99999.... repeating itself without ever ending.
There was something mysterious but fascinating about the equation. The left side was unchangeable, objective: it contained a number that ended. On the right was something endless, number repeating itself limitless times. Yet, somehow, these two opposed things were connected by an equal sign.
Lying in bed, I thought about how much the equation paralleled our existence. The left side of the equation represents that sometimes life itself is so unchangeable and so clear. The concrete, whole number of the day when you were born and the day when you would die. But then there is that gap in between life and death. The right side means a time and space full of limitless possibilities, and endless opportunities into the open future.
So that’s what life is. Objective but imaginative. Unchangeable but limitless. Life is an equation with two sides that balances itsef out. Still, we can’t ever truly seem to put the perfect words to it. So possibly numbers can express ideas as eually well as words can. For now, let’s leave it at that: 1= 0.99999... and live a life like it.
1. What does the author emphasize about words in paragraph 1?| A．Their wide variety. | B．Their literary origins. |
| C．Their distinct sounds. | D．Their expressive power. |
| A．The repetition of a number. | B．The way two different numbers are equal. |
| C．The question the teacher raised. | D．The difference between the two numbers. |
| A．Measured. | B．Composed. | C．Mirrored. | D．Influenced. |
| A．The Perfect Equation | B．Numbers Build Equations |
| C．An Attractive Question | D．Words Outperform Numbers |
【推荐1】As intros to backpacking go, this might be pushing it. At noon on a brilliant Tuesday in March, my 12-year-old son Kai and I are a mile and a half into a four-day, 27-mile walk through the Grand Canyon—his first backpacking trip—when he asks, “Are we almost to camp?, Um, no. Camp, at Hermit Creek, is seven miles and nearly 2,500 feet below, that will take us several more hours.
We are here largely because of a birthday note Kai wrote to me two years ago in which he declared, “You used to be a wild 10-year-old like me and now you’re a wild 53-year-old. We can do so many things together! I am excited for when I’m old enough for the Grand Canyon.”
There are, I suppose, dads who could resist that, just as there are fathers who would plan an experience-appropriate trip for their sons. I am neither, so here we are. Never mind that; aside from simply being 12, Kai has done almost nothing to physically prepare for this. Or that I haven’t backpacked for 13 years.
We go down a poorly maintained path off the canyon with twisty trees and twining bushes. Gradually the view broadens, the landscape in Vishnu fascinates Kai greatly. “This place is amazing,” he says. Nightfall in the canyon can be magical. Darkness surrounds us, pressed by cool air. Hearing the sound of a waterfall, we lie down to take in the stars. Twice I suggest we turn in. “Not yet,” Kai says. “This is too unbelievable.”
Wednesday, we travel three miles to Monument Creek, and hike a mile and 1,000 feet down to the Colorado River. The next morning a t 7:30 when we march out, I’m optimistic, and Kai sets a quick pace. Friday, we rise before dawn and are the first ones out of camp; for an hour we have the Bright Angel Trail and its soaring (高耸的) scenery to ourselves.
In that birthday card, Kai had also written, “Even when you’re 100, you will always be wild.” Nice. If I’m lucky enough to make it there, it looks like I’ll have company.
1. According to the author, he goes backpacking in the Grand Canyon with Kai ________.| A．to promote the father-and-son relationship |
| B．to satisfy Kai’s desire for the Grand Canyon |
| C．to fulfill Kai’s birthday wish |
| D．to develop Kai’s strong will |
| A．He has been engaged in backpacking for years. |
| B．He tends to make sufficient preparations for backpacking in advance. |
| C．He favors an experience-appropriate trip for his son. |
| D．He is enthusiastic about meeting challenges. |
| A．Exhausted. | B．Relieved. | C．Thrilled. | D．Desperate. |
| A．Kai hopes his dad will live a long life. |
| B．Kai believes his dad will be wilder in the future. |
| C．The author doubts whether he can live as old as 100. |
| D．The author enjoys Kai’s company during the trip. |
【推荐2】Emest Owusu was 13 in 1980 when he was given the opportunity to appear in the audience of a BBC show, and ask Thatcher how she felt about being called the Iron Lady. This encounter re-emerged in a BBC’s programme recently.
At the time of their meeting, Owusu was on free school meals, living on a public estate in Brixton, south London, where he and his sister were being raised by their mother Rose, a struggling hairdresser.
Now 57, Owusu looks remarkably similar even with a greying beard. But his life has been transformed. The father of three is a human resources director, and the first black captain of the Addington golf club in its 110-year history. As a black guy, it is about breaking the glass ceiling.
Speaking in its clubhouse, Owusu describes his rise in social status (地位) as a “Thatcherite Journey”. And he says it began by asking the woman herself. “To this day it still has an impact. My confidence changed from that sliding-door moment. Something about her connected with me.”
Thatcher told Owusu she enjoyed being called the Iron Lady. “I think it’s rather a praise, don’t you?” she said, “Because so often people have said to me if you’re in your job you’ve got to be soft and warm and human, but you’ve got to have a touch of steel.” Owusu recalls the moment, “I just remember her eye contact. She was answering me, not the camera. She welcomed the question saying you’ve got to be firm in this world. And that stuck with me.”
After the show was broadcast, Owusu said he became “a little hero in Brixton for a good three months”. Owusu added, “It all gave me extra confidence. Doors might not have opened so quickly. It was one of those key moments to make you do things maybe you wouldn’t otherwise have done.”
1. What do we know about Owusu when he was 13?| A．He met with Thatcher twice. |
| B．He joined a famous golf club. |
| C．He hosted a BBC’s programme. |
| D．He lived at the bottom of society. |
| A．Turning point. | B．Important decision. |
| C．Social status. | D．Remarkable achievement. |
| A．Others’ treating him equally at work. |
| B．Others’ voting him a hero in Brixton. |
| C．Thatcher’s efforts to preserve his dignity. |
| D．Thatcher’s faith in the necessity of toughness. |
| A．The Art of Dialogue | B．The Power of Confidence |
| C．A Life-changing Meeting | D．A Status-improving Tale |
【推荐3】Two years ago I was very lonely and didn't talk with anyone about my feelings. At the time I didn't have many friends. I wanted someone to share my experiences and secrets with. I wanted someone to understand me. I started to imagine this friend. Often I imagine our conversations and what we would do, but I didn't give my imagination a face.
Some weeks later I started a new project in school and I was working with one of my schoolmates. We had never worked together before but we got along well. After the project we started to spend some time together in school. One day we decided to take a walk. Ever since that walk we've been friends. We listened and really understood each other.
I had wished for a best friend, but the universe gave me so much more. I have met one of my soul mates(挚友). We can sense each other, and it just takes one look and we know what the other is thinking. I didn't think our friendship could grow much stronger. But now we have known each other for two years and our friendship is growing all the time.
It hasn't only been easy. We have gone through both easy and hard times. But I'm grateful for the hard times, because they have forced me to grow and taught me a lot. My best friend has changed me. She has made me believe in myself. And I am now focusing on achieving one of my biggest dreams. Without her, I wouldn't even have realized what my biggest dream is.
I know there are soul mates out in the world for you. I am so thankful to have met one of mine. Believe in them, and your paths will cross.
1. What did the author do before meeting her soul mate?| A．She chose to stay alone. | B．She spent time with other friends. |
| C．She told others about her feelings. | D．She pictured a friend in her mind. |
| A．By taking a walk. |
| B．By attending a party. |
| C．Through a school project. |
| D．Through a friend's introduction. |
| A．Their friendship is still developing. |
| B．She is the author's only soul mate. |
| C．They are trying hard to realize their dreams. |
| D．She has little confidence in their friendship. |
| A．She went through them easily. |
| B．She has learned a lot from them. |
| C．They have made her suffer. |
| D．They have made her dream come true. |
【推荐1】Two years ago, I completed a degree in Education at one of London’s finer universities. One night while having dinner with my friends, we began a discussion about what we wanted to do with our futures. My former flatmate had already found a position at a well-respected bank in London and advised us to be out there looking for jobs. Everybody around our table agreed except me and another girl, Nellie. Nellie and I were both at a loss as to what we wanted to do, but we were of one mind in that we did not want to immediately plunge (使陷入) ourselves into a nine-to-five job.
Nellie said she had a friend, named Susan, who had spent her gap year, the year between finishing university and beginning work, in Ghana. She had come back full of tales about her adventures and the wonderful people of the country. It sounded unusual and eye-opening to me, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Six months later, I was. I was offered a teaching position in an orphanage (孤儿院) in Ghana by a company called Filling the Gap. To be honest, on arriving in Ghana I had a few moments when I thought perhaps I was making the mistake of a lifetime. The orphanage was run-down and poorly managed. It seemed that there was nobody at the orphanage telling me what I was supposed to teach, who I was supposed to teach or with what materials I was supposed to teach.
After several days, the manager of the orphanage showed up and handed me a list with twelve names on it; these names belonged to the children to whom I was expected to offer all my wisdom. The children were eager to learn and seeing the look of pure joy on their faces came to mean the world to me. My whole gap year experience was nothing but positive. I can’t wait to get back to Ghana, and back to the amazing children I left behind in the orphanage.
1. What did the author and Nellie have in common?| A．They both got a degree in Education. |
| B．They both worked for a well-respected bank. |
| C．Neither of them liked to attend social gatherings. |
| D．Neither of them wanted to work immediately after graduation. |
| A．After becoming friends with Susan. |
| B．After hearing Susan’s story. |
| C．After seeing pictures of Ghana on the internet. |
| D．After receiving an invitation from an orphanage. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Hopeful. | C．Nervous. | D．Curious. |
| A．My opinions on teaching |
| B．A promising career in education |
| C．My teaching experience in Ghana |
| D．A poorly managed orphanage in Ghana |
Eric was working in a selling business. He had been on the road visiting people for more than a month without going home. He couldn’t wait to get back to see his wife and children. It was coming up on Mother’s Day, and he usually tried to make it “back home”, but this year he was just too busy and too tired. The day when he was driving in a small town, he saw a flower shop. He said to himself, “I know what I will do. I’ll send my mother some roses.”
He stopped and went into the flower shop and saw a young man talking to the girl in it. “How many roses can I get for five dollars, Miss？” the young man asked. The girl was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with something else.
“No. I have to have roses,” he said. “My mom was badly sick last year and I didn’t get to spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that is her favorite.” He was stubborn.
The girl in the shop looked up at Eric and was just shaking her head. Something inside of Eric was touched by the boy’s voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. Eric had been lucky in his business, and he looked at the girl and silently said that he would pay for the young man’s roses.
The girl looked at the young man and said, “OK, I will give you a dozen red roses for your dollars.” The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran down the store. It was worth more than fifty dollars just to see that kind of excitement.
Eric ordered his own flowers and asked the girl to have it delivered to his mother. After that, with a relief he drove down the road. Not long after his driving,he saw the young man walking to a graveyard (墓地)．
1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词仅用一次， 有两词为多余选项| try favor bad touch excite deliver tiring he walk special drive explain | |
| Before stepping into the flower shop. | Eric was too busy and |
| In the flower shop | Eric saw a young man |
| The young man insisted on red roses which were her mother’s | |
| Eric | |
| The girl gave the young man a dozen red roses and he took the flowers and ran down the store in | |
| After stepping out of the flower shop | With a relief, Eric |
3. How did Eric feel after helping the young man?
4. What might Eric do after he saw the young man walking to a graveyard?
【推荐3】Posters were stuck everywhere in the school. Soon, it would be time for the charity funfair(游艺集市). Every year, groups of students set up stalls(摊位) during the funfair to raise funds for different charities. It was, without doubt, the most well-received event every year both among the students and the public.
As Betty walked, she found each poster more interesting than the previous one. Excitement built up within Betty. She had participated in the funfair in previous years and each time she and her friends had managed to come up with an interesting item that attracted the most attention. This year would not be an exception. Betty sat down on a seat, running through the preparations for the funfair. Had they bought all the ingredients? What about the gloves? Question after question popped into her head. She bit her nails nervously.
Almost everyone that Betty knew promised to support her. She and her classmates planned to set up a stall selling sushi. Their poster was red and white, with pictures of sushi across it, and there was even some sushi made of clay(粘土) attached to the top of the poster. Photographs of smiling children in wheelchairs were placed around the poster; some were playing sports. The hearts of all those who saw the poster went out to the children. They were determined to buy sushi, which happened to be their favorite food, at the funfair.
However, many people were attracted by another stall, which was going to challenge visitors to brain games. Everyone loved puzzles. Its poster was unlike others－a die(骰子) in the shape of a cube(立方体) was stuck to it. The cube was spinning(旋转), which made everyone take notice. “Hey! Come on, Betty! We’ll be late! You’re not staring at the spinning die, are you? We could make a spinning sushi too!” joked Betty’s best friend. Betty laughed. A spinning die made sense but a spinning sushi would be ridiculous.
After school, every student in the school would have found out about the funfair. Soon, the word would spread to the neighborhood.
1. Which of the following made Betty nervous?| A．Her group’s supporters would be late. |
| B．Her group might have left something out. |
| C．Her group’s poster would not be attractive. |
| D．Her group could not collect enough money. |
| A．They often play sports. |
| B．They would make a spinning sushi. |
| C．They raised money for disabled children. |
| D．They were taking part in the funfair for the first time |
| A．The charity group they supported. |
| B．The bright color of the poster. |
| C．The puzzles they prepared. |
| D．The spinning die. |
| A．Charities need money. |
| B．A funfair is to be held. |
| C．Everyone is welcome to set up their own stall. |
| D．Students has made a spinning die. |
