My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t get any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.
Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static(静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it, I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles(肌肉) shaking my set.
When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.
1. Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?| A．He got an older model than he had expected. |
| B．He couldn’t return it when it was broken. |
| C．He could have bought it at a lower price. |
| D．He failed to find any movie shows on it. |
| A．By shaking and hitting it. | B．By turning it on and off. |
| C．By switching channels. | D．By having it repaired. |
| A．Curious. | B．Anxious. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Humorous. |
相似题推荐
Han Jing’s World
So this is it—senior high school at last! I’m not outgoing so I’m a little anxious right now. I want to make a good first impression. Will I make any friends? What if no one talks to me?
7:00 a.m.
I just had my first maths class at senior high school! The class was difficult, but the teacher was kind and friendly. He even told us a funny story, and everyone laughed so much! I found most of my classmates and teachers friendly and helpful.
12:30 p.m.
This afternoon, we had our chemistry class in the science lab. The lab is new and the lesson was great, but the guy next to me tried to talk to me the whole time. I couldn’t concentrate on the experiment. I really wanted to tell him to please be quiet and leave me alone!
5:32 p.m.
What a day! This morning, I was worried that no one would talk to me. But I was wrong. I didn’t feel awkward or frightened at all. I miss my friends from junior high school, but I believe I will make new friends here, and there’s a lot to explore at senior high. I feel much more confident than I felt this morning. I think that tomorrow will be a great day!
10:29 p.m.
Read the text on Page 4 carefully and then choose the best answer.
1. How was the maths teacher?
| A．Kind and friendly. |
| B．Strict and cold. |
| C．Learned and handsome. |
| D．Outgoing and kind. |
| A．She is much more frightened. |
| B．She is afraid to go to school. |
| C．She is much more confident. |
| D．She is unwilling to make friends. |
| A．Because she didn’t like chemistry. |
| B．Because she didn’t feel well. |
| C．Because the teacher was not friendly. |
| D．Because a guy tried to talk to her all the time. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In WeChat Moments. |
| C．In a diary. | D．In a report. |
【推荐2】Like many other five-year-olds, Jeanie Low of Houston, Texas, would use a stool (凳子) to help her reach the bathroom sink. However, the plastic step-stool she had at home was unstable and messed up the small bathroom shared by her whole family. After learning of an invention contest held by her school that year, Jeanie resolved to enter the contest by creating a stool that would be a permanent fixture in the bathroom, and yet could be kept out of the way when not in use.
Jeanie decided to make a stool attached to the bathroom cabinet door under the sink. She cut a board of wood into two pieces, each about two feet wide and one foot long. Using metal hinges (铰链), Jeanie attached one piece of the wood to the front of the cabinet door, and the second piece to the first. The first piece was set just high enough so that when it swung out horizontally from the cabinet door, the second piece would swing down from the first, just touching the ground, and so serving as a support for the first piece of the wood. This created a convenient, strong platform for any person too short to reach the sink. When not in use, the hinges allowed the two pieces of wood to fold back up tightly against the cabinet, where they were held in place by magnets (磁铁). Jeanie called her invention “the Kiddie Stool”.
Jeanie’s Kiddie Stool won first place in her school’s contest. Two years later, it was awarded first prize again at Houston’s first annual Invention Fair. As a result, Jeanie was invited to make a number of public appearances with her Kiddie Stool, and was featured on local TV as well as in newspapers. Many people found the story of the Kiddie Stool inspiring because it showed that with a pair of observant eyes, anyone can be an inventor.
1. What are the characteristics of Jeanie’s Kiddie Stool?| A．Permanent and foldable. | B．Fragile and disposable. |
| C．Conventional and portable. | D．Convenient and recyclable. |
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．Necessity is the mother of invention. |
| C．Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. |
| D．Invention requires both disciplines and wild imagination. |
【推荐3】Almost no young people today know who the cartoon character Oswald the Rabbit is, but they certainly recognize his successor, Bugs Bunny.Oswald，Bugs, and hundreds of other characters were created by Walt Disney, perhaps the most famous cartoonist in history.
Born in Chicago in 1901, Walt Disney always wanted to be an artist.After returning from World War Ⅰ, in which he drove an ambulance, Disney worked as a commercial artist.He enjoyed drawing cartoons more than anything else, and decided to try his hand at a technology that was new at the time, moving pictures.
In the 1920’s, he produced several films where he made cartoon characters move as if by magic.The technique Disney used was painstaking. He made hundreds or even thousands of repeated drawings of the same character. In each drawing, the character was changed just a bit.A film was taken of the series of drawings, and when it was shown, the characters appeared to move. The process, called animation, is still used today, although computers have made the process much easier.
In 1928, Disney created his most famous character, Mortimer Mouse, who we know today as Mickey.The mouse starred in a cartoon called Steamboat Willie, which was unusual because it involved the use of a sound track. Within the next few years, Disney invented many of his other characters.
The list of Disney’s animation successes is long and memorable. It includes Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, and Peter Pan.Perhaps his most remarkable animated film is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.Created in 1937, it was an immediate success. Today, more than fifty years later, it is still one of the most popular films for children.
1. What is one of the chief differences between animation today and in Walt Disney’s early years?| A．More people like animated movies. |
| B．Fewer people like animated movies. |
| C．Computers have made the job easier. |
| D．Computers have made the job harder. |
| A．Creative. | B．Athletic. |
| C．Exciting. | D．Quiet. |
| A．It was a little success when created. |
| B．It took more than a year to make it. |
| C．It was made at a time when there were no computers. |
| D．It has remained popular for more than fifty years. |
【推荐1】When I was eleven, my parents gave me the first book I ever owned-The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. It was written by the famous novelist Edgar Allan Poe. I clearly remember opening it, reading the first lines of the book, and saying to myself, “So this is what reading is!” I was delighted. Little did I know at the time that I was at the beginning of a lifelong journey.
So, if I read my first real book at the age of eleven, what was I reading before then? In a word, these books are relatively plotless(没有情节的)and repetitive, and they attempt to teach children to recognize letters and their sounds and to build their vocabulary. But I still had no idea what writing was. In Poe’s stories, the sentences were more complex and stylish than anything I had ever read before.
Poe, in short, was a start. My parents gave me that first book, but then I searched for other books. I liked science, which led me to discover Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Other writers followed in quick one after another, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clarke. But I didn’t limit myself to science fiction. Other books that deeply impressed me, and which I have carried on my life’s journey, include: The Yearling, Shane, Ivanhoe, Of Mice and Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
It went on from there. I became that kid who, long after his parents turned the lights off, hid under the covers with a flashlight, a book, and his greatest fear of being discovered and having his flashlight taken away. I realized that my parents must have known I was defying them. But in their wisdom they pretended to ignore it. And so I owe my start as a reader to my parents.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．The author was absorbed in reading at age 11. |
| B．The author didn’t read any books before 11. |
| C．The author explained the meaning of reading. |
| D．The author enjoyed journeys with reading. |
| A．Expanding his vocabulary. | B．Teaching him how to write. |
| C．Arousing his interest in novels. | D．Developing his ability to read. |
| A．He tried doing scientific research. | B．He started to write science fiction. |
| C．He advised his parents to buy more books. | D．He expanded the range of reading material. |
| A．Respecting. | B．Disobeying. |
| C．Appreciating. | D．Satisfying. |
【推荐2】Getting to the Top
Why do Olympic athletes push themselves to the limits? As one of the Olympic athletes, I miss birthday parties, ruin family holidays and skip nights out, but there is a very good reason for giving up so much. “We’re worried about you,” said my friend from across the table. He was worried that I had no longer become fun to train with and that I was in danger of being left with only a world championship medal and no one to share it with.
I could have become angry or defensive. Don’t they know how hard it is to be at the top in sport? Don’t they know what it takes to get there? However, deep down I knew elements of what he was saying were right. I was always tired and every workout had a mental intensity that seemed too much for most to handle. I was pushing the limits and extremes beyond what most thought were healthy.
These are the fears I face as a professional athlete on a day-to-day basis. Who am I doing this for? How much is too much? Why am I doing this? How can I be so selfish? What are the sacrifices for?
I think of countless birthday parties and nights out I have missed, ruining a family holiday in France because of the endless search for a swimming pool to train in, almost missing my brother’s wedding because I was too busy hiring a car in downtown Johannesburg and driving through the “no-go” areas in order to do a group ride with the local triathletes. The list is endless.
It boils down to this: I was born with an enormous amount of drive and determination. From a small girl, I would stay in at lunch time just to get ahead on class work rather than go out and play; I would get the bus on my own at ten years old and go to swim 100 lengths of the pool while other kids played pool games; I was the only girl in a rugby club of 250 boys. I have always lived my life to extremes. Call it unhealthy if you want, but that is the way I roll, no matter what it is I’m applying myself to.
Being a professional athlete is no different. If you want to be an Olympic champion, it’s all about that little extra thing you have done in your preparation that will set you apart from your competitors.
Can this be overdone? Absolutely. But if your dream is to be the best and reach the winner’s platform, you had better be totally committed to your sport. In the words of the British triathlete Alistair Brownlee, even if it means getting injured, “I’d prefer to have three or four outstanding years of winning stuff than having ten years of being average.”
Doing what we do as athletes sets us apart because we are willing to do that extra little bit that might take us to the top. It is certainly not a balanced way to live and it is certainly not normal but those words are generally not used for anyone who is striving for greatness.
1. What was the writer’s friend worried about?2. Please paraphrase the underlined sentence. (两句备选)
3. According to the passage, please decide which part of the following statement is false, then underline it and explain why.(两句备选)
(1)The writer missed many birthday parties, ruined family holidays and skipped nights out, because she had too many competitions to take part in.
(2)What makes an Olympic champion stand out from other competitors is the special talent she or he has.
4. (3题备选)
(1)Which athlete do you admire most? Why?
(2)What is your opinion about the writer’s attitude and commitment to the profession she has chosen?
(3)Choose one most important thing you need to get to the top. Give reasons for your choices
| intelligence determination patience mental toughness concentration self-discipline |
【推荐3】Since I was born and brought up in a rural (乡村的) town, I have a great interest in nature. Using the chance of studying abroad in my second year at college, I decided to go to Canada just because I wanted to see the beautiful phenomena there. So after I finished the study abroad program, I went to Yellowknife in the North West Territories.
I clearly remember the sixth night in the Yellowknife. Suddenly my host mother came to my room around 8 p. m. and told me to change clothes and go outside quickly carrying her camera.
The “northern lights” were flickering in the sky! I was astonished and just stood there with my mouth open. I forgot to take pictures of the mysterious lights.
I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep at all that night. Since that night, whenever it was sunny, I went outside at night and looked at the sky. It was so cold that I lost all feelings in my hands and feet. Actually, the time of my being able to be out was limited. I had to bring her camera back to house in one hour at the most, for the camera was going to be broken because of the cold temperature.
As I took the pictures of the northern lights, I came to find a characteristic movement of the lights. They first appear in the north part of the sky and then they gradually come down to the south part of the sky. After that, suddenly, they come in the middle of the north and south only for a while, which is the time when the best northern lights can be seen. Since it is only a few seconds for the northern lights to come down to the middle of the sky, it is very hard to get good pictures.
The stronger the sun acts, the better and stronger the northern lights flicker in the sky. That’s because they occur from the collisions between atmospheric gases and solar wind. Much more solar wind comes to the earth when the sun is active, which leads to the best northern lights. And the colours of the northern lights depend on the height of the collisions and kinds of gases.
1. Why did the author forget to take pictures?| A．It was very cold outside. |
| B．He was shocked by the wonderful sights. |
| C．The lights were flickering in the sky. |
| D．He lost all feelings in his hands and feet. |
| A．the author could stay as long as he liked outside |
| B．the “northern lights” came out every night |
| C．the author took a lot of pictures with his camera |
| D．cameras will be damaged if exposed too long in very cold weather |
| A．They appear in the north part of the sky. |
| B．They come down to the south part of the sky. |
| C．They are in the middle of the north and south. |
| D．They rise in the east part of the sky. |
| A．the lights stayed in the middle for a very short time |
| B．the lights of the sun affected the “northern lights” |
| C．the lights were caused by the collisions of gases |
| D．the colours of the lights are determined by the height |
"How did you write your advertisement?" asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
"Here it is," said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip（纸条） cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, "Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings（先令） on leaving it at No.10 Broad Street."
"Now," said the merchant, "I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one."
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: "If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known."
This appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colours that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened（系牢） to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.
1. who would receive ten shillings according to the first advertisement ?
| A．Anyone who found the thief |
| B．Anyone who gave a message to the loser of the umbrella |
| C．Anyone who left the umbrella in the City Church |
| D．Anyone who left the umbrella at No. 10 Broad Street |
| A．the man got his umbrella back | B．the man wasted some money advertising |
| C．nobody found the missing umbrella | D．the umbrella was found somewhere near the church |
| A．buy a new umbrella | B．go on looking for his umbrella |
| C．report to the police | D．write another advertisement |
| A．he was quite sure of his success | B．he was not sure if he could get the umbrella back |
| C．he did not know what to do | D．he was rich enough to afford a new umbrella |
| A．a useless advertisement | B．how the man lost and found his umbrella |
| C．how to make a helpful advertisement. | D．what the businessman did for the umbrella owner |
【推荐2】I had just arrived in this Asian country for a one-year teaching position. One day, I took a subway to visit some ancient palaces and temples in the downtown. What happened to me next on the subway has taught me much about culture difference.
Since all the seats were taken, I stood. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling on my bag. Assuming I probably was in someone’s way, I moved over slightly. But in one quick motion, I felt my bag removed from my back, and in a flash, it was gone. I turned around to see who the thief was. I looked at the people standing behind me, but didn’t see my bag or anyone suspicious. My heart began to beat wildly and I began to panic.
I looked around, only to find directly across from me was an elderly lady, and sitting on her lap was my bag. I tried to get it back from her lap. But as I began to pull it up, she quickly took it back and held onto it. I looked around at the people standing beside me, and those sitting beside her, but no one took any notice of the situation. Trying not to cause a scene, I tried to negotiate through gestures. I used my hands as much as I could, but she ignored my requests for my bag and pointed to my back. She picked up my bag, showing how heavy it was. I finally began to understand. She was holding my bag to help me.
At the next stop, a middle-aged woman got on the crowded subway. Another elderly woman sitting down took her bag, setting it on her lap. They didn’t talk; yet this older woman was more than pleased to sit with this stranger’s bag on her lap throughout her journey.
As the subway pulled into the main downtown station and I was getting ready to get off, the woman gently handed me back my bag. But before I had a chance to thank her, she had disappeared into the crowd.
1. What happened after the writer got on the subway?| A．The writer’s bag was stolen by an elderly lady. | B．The writer stood in someone’s way. |
| C．An old lady asked the writer to sit beside her. | D．A stranger offered help to the writer. |
| A．Feel frightened. | B．Feel grateful. | C．Feel relaxed. | D．Feel ashamed. |
| A．The middle-aged woman and the elderly woman were good friends. |
| B．The passengers on the subway were very unfriendly. |
| C．Helping standing passengers with heavy bags was common on local subways. |
| D．There were many thieves on the subway. |
| A．To warn us of the potential risks in travelling abroad. | B．To tell us a culture difference. |
| C．To recommend a travel destination. | D．To give us some tips on taking a subway. |
【推荐3】When Joe’s children grew up and moved to different cities, he lived in a small village. He had 4 grandchildren and they often visited him during their holidays.
It was the vacation time and Joe was waiting for them to arrive. He was preparing their favorite food and cleaning the house. However, he lost his watch when he was busy. His dead wife gave it to him when their first child was born. Joe treasured the watch very much, especially after his wife’s death.
The next day, he was very sad, “Dear children, I lost the most important watch I have ever had. Your grandma gave it to me. I feel like my heart is broken.”
The children looked for it everywhere in the house for more than 2 hours, but they didn’t find it. So Joe asked the children to stop looking for it.
One of his grandsons sat there quietly. The other children reached him and asked him what was going on. He asked them not to make any noise. He sat there for about 15 minutes and then found the watch. He ran to his grandfather with the watch. Joe was surprised and asked how he was able to find it. The little boy replied, “I sat there without making a noise. After a few minutes, I heard the sound of the watch.” Joe hugged and thanked the little boy.
1. Joe’s grandchildren often came to see him ________.| A．after work | B．on vacation | C．before New Year | D．on his birthday |
| A．Joe’s children | B．The children’s grandma |
| C．The children’s father | D．Joe’s mother |
| A．over two hours | B．15 minutes |
| C．less than two hours | D．two days |
| A．By looking for it everywhere. | B．By making quite a lot of loud noise. |
| C．By asking the others for help. | D．By listening to the sound of the watch. |
| A．The Friendly Children | B．The Quiet Boy |
| C．The Importance of Silence | D．The Great Family |
