Once there was a piano player in a bar. People came just to hear him play. But one night, a lady asked him to sing a song.
"I don't sing," said the man.
But the lady told the waiter, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want the player to sing!"
The waiter shouted across the room, "Hey, friend! If you want to get paid, sing a song!" So he did. He had never sung in public before. Now he was singing for the very first time! Nobody had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung so beautifully!
He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar. But once he found, by accident, that he could sing well, he went on working hard and became one of the best-known singers in the US. His name was Nat King Cole.
You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel that your talent is great, but it may be better than you think. With hard work, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may have no success at all if you just sit on your talent.
1. Why did the lady want Nat King Cole to sing?| A．Because she took the waiter's advice. |
| B．Because she knew Nat King Cole sang very well. |
| C．Because she was tired of listening to the piano. |
| D．Because she thought Nat King Cole played the piano badly. |
| A．he got help from the lady | B．he caught the chance |
| C．he sang the song Mona Lisa well | D．he played the piano well |
| A．Sing in the Bar | B．Achieve Success in Life |
| C．Never Lose Heart | D．Find Your Hidden Talent |
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【推荐1】Little stream(小溪) ran down from a high mountain through many villages and forests. Then it reached a desert. “I went through so many difficulties. I should have no problem crossing
the desert,” she thought. As she started, she found herself slowly vanishing(消失)into the sand. After many tries, she still failed. “Maybe I can’t reach the ocean,” she said sadly to herself.
At this time, a deep voice said, “If wind can cross the desert, so can a river.” It was the voice of the desert. But the little stream answered, “That’s because the wind can fly, but I can not.”
“That’s because you can’t give up what you are. Let yourself evaporate(蒸发)into the wind and it can take you across me,” said the desert. “Give up what I am now? No! No!” The little stream could not accept this idea. “The wind can carry the vapor(蒸汽)across the desert and let it leave as rain. The rain will form a river again,” said the desert. “And whether you’re a river or vapor, your nature never changes.” After hearing this, the little stream went into the open arms of the wind. It carried her to the next stage of her life.
The course of our lives is like the experience of the little stream. If you want to go through difficulties in your life to head for success, you should also change the way you are.
1. The little stream planned to reach the desert.2. The little stream was confident about herself before she crossed the desert.
3. At first, the little stream didn’t accept the desert’s advice because she wasn’t able to change her nature.
4. The little stream finally crossed the desert by evaporating into the breeze.
5. The story mainly tells us if we want to succeed, we should follow others’ advice.
When Chinese people talk about the mouse, they are likely it as greedy and dishonest. It mainly comes from a Chinese folk story about the cat and the mouse.
One day, the mouse and the cat made an appointment to attend a competition held by the Jade Emperor. It would decide the zodiac animals. However, the mouse did not wake the cat up and at last won by riding on the ox’s back. So the mouse ranked first on the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, and because of that, people think the mouse betrayed his friend.
Probably not! Human culture is funny. There are always different ways to look at the same thing.
In another folk story, people treated the mouse as a great hero. It's said that the mouse created the world by taking a bite of heaven, bringing light to humans. It helped people survive by stealing firewood and grain seeds（种子）. As a result, many people respect the mouse by offering food and praying for success.
Since mice live together in societies and have many babies with a high survival rate, the also represent cooperation（合作）and reproduction. With all these qualities, it's believed that people born in the Year of the Mouse are smart and good at making money.
Perhaps we need to find a new understanding for other things—animals, ideas or even.
1. Who did the mouse betray in the passage?| A．The ox. | B．The cat. | C．Jade Emperor. | D．The cat and the ox. |
| A．The mouse created the world by stealing something. |
| B．The mouse took people's grain seeds secretly. |
| C．The mouse did many things to save humans. |
| D．The mouse can never be a hero. |
| A．增长率 | B．出生率 | C．死亡率 | D．存活率 |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．Each coin has two sides. |
| C．God help those who help themselves. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
【推荐3】I can’t remember if I was 9 or 10 years old, but I do remember that it was the last day of 4-H camp. I was looking in the mirror and checking my face for bruises (瘀伤). The day before, for some silly reason, I had got into a fight with another boy. It didn’t take long for the bigger boys to pull us apart and call it a draw, but in truth, I had lost. My head still hurt from a couple of the blows the other boy had landed. We hadn’t talked since the fight either but only stared coldly at each other from across the room.
Still, I was in a good mood this morning because I knew my Mom was bringing some of her homemade pizzas as a treat for my brother, me and our friends. Soon I saw her walking up the sidewalk toward the steps of our cabin (小屋). She had been bringing these pizzas to us every 4-H camp for years now. I saw her smile as my brother and his friends all took the big cut pieces. She made sure, though, to save the last two pieces for me. I thanked her with a smile and started to eat when I saw my fight opponent（对手）standing off to the side by himself. At that moment, something moved me. I walked over to him and gave him one of the pieces. We talked, laughed and ate. And for some reason unknown to me at the time, the pizza tasted better than ever before.
I can see now what moved my heart. A little miracle (奇迹) was working inside of me—moving me to forgive, to give and to love. And I am so happy that I followed my heart.
Scottish writer Henry Drummond wrote: “You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.”
May you really live then. ________________. And may your pizza always taste delicious.
1. In the 4-H camp, what happened to the writer?| A．He got hurt in a fighting. | B．He developed survival skills. |
| C．He went on a family camping trip. | D．He wasn’t welcomed at the camp. |
| A．He didn’t like to eat pizza. |
| B．The opponent asked him for it. |
| C．He wanted to show his care for him. |
| D．The opponent said sorry to him for the fight. |
| A．May you live long. | B．May you forgive, give and love. |
| C．May your friendship last long. | D．May you share food with your friend. |
【推荐1】Kathy is a famous doctor. She works in a hospital near her house. She knows a lot and she likes doing research (研究). She also likes writing books about medicine in her free time. You could see her books in many bookstores. She often gives a talk to doctors and nurses, and they all like her talks. Her talks are popular and many of them like to make friends with her. She is very friendly and gets along well with them.
Kathy is kind, too. She often takes a first-aid box with her when she goes out. One evening, she met a man who hurt his arms badly. Kathy was going to help him, but the man refused (拒绝 ) her help because he had drunk too much. Without saying a word, Kathy gave much aid to him right away. She pressed (按压) the man’s cut hard and tied it up. Then she asked a taxi and sent him home.What would happen if the man didn’t meet Kathy?
1. What does Kathy do?| A．A teacher. | B．A driver. | C．A doctor. | D．A nurse. |
| A．Doctors and nurses. | B．Some persons who are ill. |
| C．Middle school students. | D．Some poor children. |
| A．In the morning. | B．At noon. | C．In the afternoon. | D．In the evening. |
| A．裁掉它 | B．绑好它 | C．解开它 | D．冲洗它 |
| A．Kathy is interested in drawing. | B．The man let Kathy help him at first. |
| C．Kathy is kind and friendly. | D．The man went home by bus. |
【推荐2】I am Cindy Miller. I like playing sports very much. I think it is a good way(方式) to be healthy. I have some good friends. I play basketball with them after school. I don’t have a basketball, but my friend Ben has one. So we play his basketball.
Today is September 10th, and it is Teachers’ Day. My father buys my brother Mike a new basketball. He is 6. He can play it on the floor(地板) at home. I want to play his new basketball. So I say to him, “Hi, Mike. Can I play your basketball this afternoon?” “No, you can’t.” he says to me. I am very sad. My father comes to him and says, “Dear boy, you can share your things with your sister. Then you can be a good boy.” And he gives the basketball to me.
1. What does Cindy do after school?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．倾诉 | B．分享 | C．谈论 | D．赠送 |
| A．Ben has a basketball. | B．Mike often plays basketball with Cindy. |
| C．Cindy can play Mike’s basketball today. | D．Cindy’s last name is Miller. |
【推荐3】While doctors and nurses were fighting with the Covid-19, thousands of volunteers in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province were showing their value as well. Zheng Nengliang, a young man from Hunan province, was just one of them. Zheng drove medical workers to the hopital since Spring Festival.
After a long, busy day, Zheng finally got a chance to have a break at 7:30 p. m on Feb. 10, taking a chance to answer the questions from reporters on his mobile phone. “I am safe and fine. Thank you. Everything is OK. We volunteers have good teamwork(团队合作). ” he says.
On Jan. 25, he decided to go to Wuhan to help. There he became a volunteer driver. It was Spring Festival two days after the city was locked down. Every day, he sent the medical workers to treat the patients, offering to help for free.
In the beginning, Gao Qiulan, Zheng's girlfriend, didn't agree with his decision, but she changed her mind after Zheng told her the reason why he needed to go to Wuhan to help.
When asked if he was scared, Zheng replied , “Instead, I feel warm and taken care of, not fearful, because I see many medical workers fighting on the front line day and night, and medical material sent here from all over the world.”
Zheng was born in a poor family. He had a dream to make the world a better place, Gag explains. “I could not have finished my college education without the help from our government , Now it is the time to pay them back, ”says Zheng.
1. Where did Zheng come from?| A．Wuhan | B．Hunan province | C．Hebei province | D．Henan province |
| A．He shared his videos online. | B．He treated the patients. |
| C．He worked as a volunteer driver. | D．He helped collect donations. |
| A．He felt safe and fine about his work. | B．He was advised by his girlfriend to help in Wuhan. |
| C．He was born in a poor family. | D．He went to college with the help of the government. |
| A．All over China | B．Hubei province | C．The provinces nearby | D．All over the world |
| A．To introduce Zheng and his poor family. | B．To offer some advice on volunteer work. |
| C．To give advice on how to deal with Covid-19. | D．To tell us a story about a volunteer in Wuhan |
【推荐1】My father woke me up early one summer morning when I was fourteen and said: “Get up, you’re going with me to cut the grass in the garden.”
The idea that my father thought I was old enough to help him in his business (生意) made me feel proud (骄傲) and excited. From sunrise to sunset, my father, my younger brother and I worked in the large garden, in a rich part of Atlanta, Georgia. By the end of the day I was too tired to say a word but I felt good. This was my first time to help my father in his business. I got $ 6 for my work that day.
One day my father found some leaves I had missed and pulled me aside. “Take away these leaves!” he said seriously, “and don’t make me have to tell you to do it again.” The message was clear. Today I still value（珍视） it , which my father gave to me that day. It will always be helpful to impress (给……留下印象) the person you are working for.
After two years, I left home and went to another town to start my new life. Luckily for me, I quickly found a job to wash dishes in a restaurant. Every morning, I set off early, always with the same strong wish I got long long ago. I felt like I was old enough to be independent and make a living by myself.
In fact, washing dishes was not exciting, but that didn’t matter. It taught me that any job was a good job and whatever I got from the job was more than I had before. I could learn something meaningful from every job and do it better and better. One day, a newspaper reporter once asked me how someone could possibly live with hard work and low pay. “If you only think about hard work and money, answered.
In every job, from cutting the grass to washing dishes, I’ve learned much. I’ve learned something that helps me in my next job.
1. The writer felt proud to cut the grass because .| A．he was not old enough to help his family. |
| B．he thought he became important to his father’s business. |
| C．he could cut the grass without others’ help. |
| D．he could get $6 that day by cutting grass. |
| A．you will stay away from your family. | B．you will live a hard life |
| C．you probably don’t want to do any better than you are doing. | D．you won’t be happy in your life |
| A．not leaving leaves behind |
| B．giving no excuse for your mistakes |
| C．doing a good job at the very beginning |
| D．missing things which can be found out |
| A．My Father, the Best Teacher in My Life | B．Work Hard to Find a Job |
| C．Different Jobs, Different Lives | D．Keep Learning in Your Jobs |
【推荐2】Last year, I realized that I hadn't spoken to anyone but my family in days. When I left my job in my late twenties to write a book, I thought I was a lucky dog. No more getting up early in the morning; no more worrying about what to wear to work. I could stay in my bed until late afternoon; I could wake up when I felt like it and enjoyed my coffee as I worked on my book. At first, it was like being in heaven （天堂）.
But 20 books later, I began to feel lonely. It was just me, my work, and the Internet. I spent hours on the Internet instead of writing. I thought I was still close to everyone around me, but in fact, I was more lonely than ever. As a result, I became more afraid of being out in the world. For the first time, I felt like I wanted to step away from the lonely life and have a routine （日常规律）again. I was thinking about renting （租）an office, but I found that I would still be lonely. I called a few friends who worked at home as well and asked if they would like to join me. They were feeling just as lonely as I was, so they all agreed. Each of us has found that we now love the routine of "going to work" again, and we are happier than before.
1. What was the writer's new life like at the beginning?| A．She didn’t speak to anybody. |
| B．She walked her dog every morning. |
| C．She enjoyed it very much. |
| D．She missed her old job a lot. |
| A．felt scared of going out | B．made many close friends |
| C．felt happier than ever | D．finally got tired of writing |
| A．her family asked her to move out |
| B．she wanted to have a normal daily routine |
| C．her friends invited her to work with them |
| D．she needed more people to help her write |
| A．Working at home is the best way to create. |
| B．Being lonely is a common problem. |
| C．It feels good to go out and spend time with others. |
| D．With the Internet, people don't need to go out. |
Cindy’s mother is a teacher at her school. Cindy is in the second grade (年级), and her mother teaches the fourth grade. Cindy is excited (兴奋) about going to school today because her class has a test (测试). Cindy loves school and she likes to get good grades (成绩). Cindy eats her breakfast and then she and her mother go to school. Cindy goes to her classroom and her history teacher, Ms. Brown is there. It is fun to be in Ms. Brown’s class. She is a great teacher. Now Cindy’s classmates are all in the classroom, and they start the test. Cindy remembers (记得) everything, so she can do everything right. After the test, Cindy and her classmates play for a long time. Then they eat lunch. After lunch, they watch a funny movie (电影). Then they draw pictures. It is really a great day!
1. What grade is Cindy in?
| A．Grade One. | B．Grade Two. |
| C．Grade Three. | D．Grade Four. |
| A．Eggs and apples. | B．Milk and bananas. |
| C．Eggs and carrots. | D．Chicken and apples. |
| A．a trip | B．a party | C．a movie | D．a test |
| A．They swim. | B．They draw pictures. |
| C．They play. | D．They watch a movie. |
| A．Cindy likes the blue shirt. |
| B．Cindy is a good student. |
| C．Cindy’s mother is a teacher of history. |
| D．It’s really boring that day. |
【推荐1】Some people see a hobby as a waste of time. They think a hobby is only something to pass the time. In fact, a hobby is much more than that. Its advantages(优点) are as follows.
People can have time for themselves.
If one has a hobby, he or she can enjoy quiet time. People usually think more clearly when they enjoy their favorite hobbies. People often get some good ideas at that time.
People can find out their talent.
People often find new talent of themselves when they enjoy their hobbies. Some people find their talent for playing the piano only when they sit down and play. The only way to find this talent is try. The first thing you should do is to find something that you are interested in.
People can feel relaxed
Most hobbies are good ways to relax. Coming home from work and sitting down to enjoy things you like helps you relax. Hobbies also help you get a better sleep.
1. The writer thinks a hobby is very ________.| A．boring | B．useful | C．interesting | D．difficult |
| A．thinking clearly | B．getting asleep | C．having a try | D．sitting down |
| A．Helping people enjoy quiet time | B．Making people discover new talent |
| C．Helping people feel relaxed | D．Making people play sports well |
| A．the advantages of the hobbies | B．how to get relaxed |
| C．how to get a better sleep | D．how to get good ideas |
【推荐2】The Disney theme park, its first on the Chinesemainland, will open in Shanghai on June 16, a Thursday. Tickets sales willbegin on March 28, 2016. A standard single day ticket for the ShanghaiDisneyland costs 370 yuan and a peak-day ticket for festival and holidayperiods is sold for 499yuan. Children between 1 and 1.4 meters tall and seniorsaged over 65 years old can enjoy a 25% discount on the ticket price. A two-day ticket will be available at 5percent discount-
The happiest place on earth is a top destination onmany families' bucket lists. If you plan ahead this magical unforgettableexperience doesn’t have to put a large dent in your budget. Here aresome tried-and-true tips for saving money while enjoying your Disneyland experience.
Plan ahead so that you don't have to buy a necessary thing at Disneylandthat you could bring from home. For example, check the weather so that youdon’t need to buy a rain coat or umbrella. Breakfast is almost as pricey aslunch or dinner if you eat inside the Disneyland parks. You can save quite abit of money by eating breakfast before you go to the park. While Disney`sofficial policy in the overseas countries says it does not allow outside foodor drinks, Disneyland does allow most food items. Take snacks for throughoutthe day or pack a lunch to enjoy in the picnic area just outside the mainentrance of the park. If you want to eat out, eat at a local restaurant that isinexpensive or a kids1 menu such McDonald’s which is dose to the park.Disney offers special Visa credit cards that come with extra benefits. You earnrewards on everything you buy. These rewards can be used on everything,including DVDs, movie tickets, toys, costurnes and Disneyland travel.
1. The Disneyland is____________.| A．a dream place for many people | B．a Disney theme hotel and restaurant |
| C．an ordinary small park | D．an inexpensive picnicarea |
| A．124.75 yuan | B．374.25 yuan | C．277.5 yuan | D．474 yuan |
| A．spend you a lot | B．cost you a lot |
| C．waste you a lot | D．ask you a lot |
| A．Take snacks along with you for thewhole day. |
| B．Have the meal brought from home in thepicnic area. |
| C．Eat at a cheap restaurant close tothe park. |
| D．Buy food in the cafeteria of the theme park. |
| A．The discounts on the ticket price arenot the same. |
| B．You are not able to have breakfast inthe theme park. |
| C．Disneyland doesn`t allow anythingbrought into the park. |
| D．Youmay get rewards by using any Visa credit cards. |
“Hi! What can I do for you?” A young man greeted me with a sweet smile. He looked like not a salesman but a student like me. I sensed a strange feeling—as if I had met him before. He began patiently showing me each model. With his help, I decided to buy one computer with enough functions at a very low price. I enjoyed this shopping experience because of his smile. A few months later, something was wrong with my computer. I went back to the store to have it fixed. When I arrived there, what I saw first was still his smile. As soon as I told him my problem, he comforted me immediately and tried his best to solve the problem for me. I was quite grateful to him for his sweet smile and good service.
When I went back to school, his smile often appeared in my mind. I don’t know whether we’ll meet each other again, but his sweet smile will stay there in my memory and deep in my heart. Smiling is the most peaceful language in the daily life.
1. After reading the story, we can know that the writer is a _________.
| A．student | B．salesman | C．doctor | D．reporter |
| A．Because the salesman recommended the cheapest computer. |
| B．Because the salesman gave the writer his sweet smile and good service. |
| C．Because the salesman recommended the computer with enough functions. |
| D．Because the salesman showed the writer how to use the computer correctly. |
| A．The way to choose a right computer. |
| B．The way to use a computer correctly. |
| C．The importance of smiling in the daily life. |
| D．The importance of computers in the daily life. |
