“Have you ever heard Louis say good morning and good night to us, as the others do?”
“Since you mention it, I never have,” said the husband. “Goodness! What are you getting at? Do you wish me to believe that I have a son who is dumb in any way? This would worry me. I want everything to go well in my family life. Fatherhood is hard. I do not want the added stress of having a dumb child.”
“Well,” said the wife, “I’ve been watching Louis recently. I think the little guy can’t talk. I’ve never heard him make one sound. I think he came into the world lacking (缺失) a voice. If he had a voice, he’d use it, same as the others do.”
“Why, this is terrible!” said the husband. “This is painful. This is a very serious matter.” His wife looked at him. “It’s not too serious now,” she said. “But it will be serious two or three years from now when Louis falls in love, as he will surely do. A young male swan will be greatly handicapped in finding a mate if he can’t say the usual sweet words to the young female of his choice.”
The husband stood quietly, thinking about what his wife had just told him. He was a brave bird, and already he was beginning to work out a plan for his little son Louis.
“If it’s really true that Louis has no voice,” said the husband to himself, “then I shall provide him with a device (装置) of some kind, to enable him to make a lot of noise. There must be some way out of this difficulty. After all, my son is Trumpeter Swan; he should have a voice like a trumpet (小号). But first I will test him to make certain that what his mother says is true.”
(Taken from The Trumpet of the Swan)
1. How did the husband feel after hearing his wife’s words in Paragraph 2?| A．Amazed and excited. | B．Curious and serious. |
| C．Painful and hopeful. | D．Surprised and worried. |
| A．Have much trouble. | B．Have great fun. |
| C．Be quite uninterested. | D．Be very successful. |
| A．The dream about Louis’s future. | B．The plan for Louis’s education. |
| C．The problem with Louis’s health. | D．The suggestion on Louis’s growth. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Once a king travelled around his country and one day he was very tired and he wanted to have a rest. Now he stood on the road between two houses, the one large and beautiful, the other small and poor. The large one belonged to a rich man, and the small one belonged to a poor man. He went to the large one. The rich man looked at the traveler from head to foot, and because the king was wearing old clothes, and did not look like one who had much money. He said, “No, I cannot take you in, my rooms are full of things. Go away quickly,” and with this words he closed the door and left the king standing there. So the king went across to the small house and knocked. The poor man opened the little door and let the traveler come in. The poor man's wife welcomed him, then she cooked some potatoes and carrots. The king sat down with the man and his wife, and he enjoyed their food very much. When they finished the supper and it was bed-time, the woman asked the king to have a sleep at their home. The next day the king gave a lot of money to the poor man and thanked him a lot.
1. What was the richer man like?| A．Kind. | B．Generous. | C．Homorous. | D．Unfriendly. |
| A．Some hamburgers. | B．Some meat. | C．Some vegetables. | D．Some fish. |
| A．给予 | B．属于 | C．拥有 | D．归纳于 |
| A．One night. | B．Two nights. | C．Three nights. | D．Four nights. |
| A．The poor man’s wife was very kind, too. |
| B．The king was wearing old clothes at that day. |
| C．The rich man didn’t let the king go into his house. |
| D．The king didn’t feel happy at the poor man’s home. |
To help me with that task, Mrs. Pillar volunteered to come to the hospital and later to my house once a week. We began with basic maths skills, As time passed by, I made progress.
I remembered very vividly how she came to my home on Sundays, sat with me at the kitchen table, and threw different coins on the talbe. She asked me to show her 38 cents, 17 cents, 63 cents. It was challenging, but she also made it fun.
After a year and a half, I had progressed a lot, both in body and mind, to return to school. Seven years later, I graduated from the University of Texas at the top of my class.
As year went by, I always kept in touch with Mrs. Pillar. Unluckily, one day my parents told me that Mrs. Pillar had been in hospital because she suffered a stroke(中风).
Now it was my turn to help her. Mrs. Pillar lay in bed, unable to speak and know anyboay around. I pulled some coins out of my pocket, dropped them on her bed, and asked her to show me 12 cents. The nurse thought that my action was very strange until one day Mrs. Pillar smiled happily as I began working with her—just as she had worked with my years before. She make progress every day and was moved out of ICU(重症监护室) and finally out of hospital.
One day, I called to wish her a happy New Year. She spoke into the phone excitedly, “Happy New Year to you and your family, Michael. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” I quickly said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
Mrs. Pillar was one of my Junior 2 teachers, but she taught me so much more about life than only maths.
1. Which of the following is the correct order of what happened in the story?
a. Mrs. Pillar suffered a stroke and was in hospital.
b. I fell off the stairs and had to leave school.
c. I returned to school with Mrs. Pillar’s help.
d. Mrs. Pillar got better with my help.
| A．b-c-d-a | B．c-a-b-d | C．b-c-a-d | D．b-d-c-a |
| A．模糊的 | B．清晰地 | C．彻底地 | D．感激地 |
| A．He was clever than his classmates. |
| B．He worked very hard on maths. |
| C．His classmates failed to graduate. |
| D．Mrs. Pillar’s help greatly influenced him. |
| A．help Mrs. Pillar just as Mrs. Pillar helped him |
| B．play an interesting game with Mrs. Pillar |
| C．see whether Mrs. Pillar was getting better |
| D．make the nurse in the hospital feel strange |
| A．A Great Teacher | B．Always Have A Dream |
| C．Never Give up | D．Kindness Makes Wonders |
The door of the spaceship opened and two strange beings（怪物）climbed out. They seemed to be half man and half bird. Joe was afraid of them. He tried to run away. But the spacemen walked towards him，picked him up and carried him into the spaceship.They put wires（导线）from a machine onto his head and they they began to speak to him in English.
They asked him questions about earth.“We’ re from Venus（金星），”they said，“But it is getting very hot there. A lot of our people are dying and we have not much time left. We are trying to find a new home.”
After some time they freed Joe and at last the spaceship took off and disappeared. Joe told his friends about the spacemen，but no one believed his story.
“You wi ll believe me one day，”Joe told them.“The spacemen will come back again.”
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. What’s the bright light in the sky?
| A．A bird | B．A plane | C．A rocket | D．A spaceship |
| A．Men | B．Birds |
| C．Neither men nor birds | D．Half man and half bird |
| A．Put wires from a machine onto his head |
| B．Speak to them in English |
| C．Answer some questions about the earth |
| D．Find a new home |
| A．To find a new home | B．To speak to Joe |
| C．To destroy the earth | D．To take Joe away |
| A．The aliens took away Joe |
| B．It is getting very cold on Venus |
| C．A lot of people on Venus are dying |
| D．Not all the people believed Joe |
Billy, the youngest, was clearing out his old toys. He put several old robots and games in his yard sale box. He also found some clothes that didn’t fit.
Suzy, the middle child, decided to part with some stuffed animals (毛绒玩具) from her collection. She also found some old books.
Regina, the eldest, had music CDs and some clothes to sell. She had the most clothes of the children to sell.
Dad had many things he could part with: some tools, some records he didn’t listen to, some computer parts and a few old jackets and suits.
Mum had a few things to sell. She chose some handbags, some shoes and some clothes. She also found some old dishes.
Together, the five of them set up their tables and the sale began at 7:30 a.m. People came early and the buying and selling was fierce. They hardly had time to take a rest. Many people brought young children, so Billy did well. He sold out his toys quickly. Girls liked Suzy’s stuffed animals, and a few teenagers bought most of Regina’s music CDs. Mum and Dad had the most things, so they took longer to sell them, but they also made more money.
In the end, Billy made $22, Suzy made $18 and Regina made $43. Mum and Dad made a bit more. Dad made $143 and Mum made $97. It was quite a good day.
1. Who didn’t bring clothes to the yard sale?
| A．Billy. | B．Suzy. | C．Regina. | D．Dad. |
| A．shoes | B．dishes | C．handbags | D．music CDs |
| A．仓促的 | B．悠闲的 | C．激烈的 | D．惨淡的 |
| A．were bad at selling |
| B．had the most things |
| C．had to prepare food and drinks |
| D．had to take care of their children |
| A．$83. | B．$180. | C．$240. | D．$323. |
【推荐2】Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Today was Holi, the festival of colors! The day kicked off with Mom’s mouth-watering gujiyas, those sweet, deep-fried Indian dumplings. The smell itself was a joyful wake-up call.
At 8 a. m., I put on my old clothes because I knew they would get all colorful. I said “Happy Holi” to everyone, and they applied (涂抹) bright colors on my cheeks. I looked like a rainbow!
By 10 a. m., there had already been so many kids in the neighborhood park. We had water guns and balloons filled with water and colored powders (粉末). We ran around and sprayed or threw the colored water at each other. I got totally wet and colorful, and so did everyone else.
At noon, we were all super hungry after playing so much. We returned home. Mom had prepared a special Holi lunch. We had puris (small, round, flat pieces of bread), thandai (a milk-based sweet drink) and sweets. I ate so much. It was like a food festival!
As the clock struck 2 p. m., it was time for our next adventure — visiting friends’ homes. There, we exchanged sweets and colors. I even met some new friends in the neighborhood.
At 4 p. m., our local temple held a big Holi celebration. People played the drums and we danced to the music. Everyone was dancing and laughing together. It felt like a Bollywood (宝莱坞) movie come to life.
At 6 p. m., it started getting dark. We lit a bonfire called “Holika Dahan”. It was to remember a special story about Holi. We threw colored powder into the fire and watched it burn. It was like magic.
At 8 p. m., I took a long bath to wash off all the colors, but some will stick around for a few days. It’s actually pretty cool—they will remind me of this colorful day!
It’s 9 p. m., and it’s time for bed. I’m so sleepy, but I can’t stop smiling. Holi is the happiest festival, and I can’t wait for next year!
1. Why did the writer wear old clothes on Holi?| A．Because they were his favorite clothes. | B．Because their colors match the day perfectly. |
| C．Because he knew they would get dirty anyway. | D．Because he thought the day was not important. |
| A．In the early morning. | B．In the late morning. |
| C．In the early afternoon. | D．In the late afternoon. |
| A．Puris, thandai and sweet. | B．Puris, thandai and gujiyas. |
| C．Gujiyas, sweet and puris. | D．Thandai, gujiyas and sweet. |
a. Playing music and dancing together.
b. Lighting a bonfire and watching it burn.
c. Watching a Bollywood movie in the local temple.
d. Showering each other with colored powder and water.
| A．b-c-d | B．a-b-d | C．a-b-c | D．d-a-b |
Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809. His family lived not far from the River Severn, England. Darwin’s father was a famous doctor and the son of an even greater doctor. Darwin’s father hoped that his son would also become a doctor.
As a boy, Darwin liked to go for walks in the fields and forests. At the age of 16, Darwin went to Edinburgh University (大学) in order to become a doctor. But he was interested in the history of nature (自然).
Some time later, he heard that the ship Beagle was going on a trip to South America and wanted a scientist (科学家). His teacher wanted him to go. So when the ship left England in December 1831, Darwin was on it. The trip took them five years. The Beagle studied the water in the sea near South America. It also visited many other places. Darwin saw many new plants and animals.
When Darwin went back home, his family and many friends warmly welcomed him.
In 1842, Darwin went to live in Kent, and there he went on with his studies of the changes in nature. Darwin understood that plants and animals are not always the same, and that they really change.
By 1859, Darwin had finished his famous book The Origin of Species. It made a great hit in the world of science. The church (教会) and even some scientists opposed him. But later, more and more scientists agreed with him.
Darwin worked on his studies in science to the end of his life in 1882.
1. What did Darwin work as on the ship Beagle?| A．A doctor. | B．A scientist. | C．A waiter. | D．An engineer. |
| A．Between Paragraph 2 and 3. | B．Between Paragraph 4 and 5. |
| C．Between Paragraph 5 and 6. | D．Between Paragraph 6 and 7. |
| A．反对 | B．支持 | C．拜访 | D．赞美 |
| A．Darwin was born in South America. | B．Darwin’s grandfather was a doctor. |
| C．Darwin was interested in ship and sea. | D．Darwin’s book was popular with all the people. |
| A．Where Darwin was born and studied. | B．How Darwin wrote his famous book. |
| C．Why Darwin loved to study nature. | D．What has happened in Darwin’s life. |
The two boys, Tom and Huck, hiding upstairs (楼上), were very scared because they worried about being found by Injun Joe and his friend. Through the hole in the floor, the two boys saw the men eat and talk. Then the men were tired and fell asleep. Tom and Huck lay there for a very long time. Finally, the two men woke up and lifted up a stone in the ground and took out some money they had stolen. Then Injun Joe lifted up another stone and found a box.
“What’s this?” Injun Joe asked.
The two men pulled the box out of the ground and opened it. The two boys, Tom and Huck, couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw there was much money in it. They were very excited.
“There’s thousands of dollars in the box!” said his friend. “It must have been left here by Murrel,” said Injun Joe. “What will we do with it?”
“We’ll take it to my hideout (隐匿处).” “Number one or number two?” “Number two, under the cross.”
Then Injun Joe and his friend saw some tools in the corner and decided to go upstairs. But the stairs (楼梯) broke when Injun Joe stood on them! So the two men left the house and went towards the river. Tom went home as quickly as he could.
The next day, the two boys remembered the “Number Two”, thinking this must be the number of the room in the hotel. They got all the keys they could find anywhere. But Tom discovered the door was not locked. He opened it!
1. Why were Tom and Huck very scared?| A．Because they worried about being found. |
| B．Because they stole Injun Joe and his friend’s money. |
| C．Because Injun Joe and his friend were looking for them. |
| A．scared | B．surprised | C．worried |
| A．He would throw it away. |
| B．He would hide it in the ground. |
| C．He would take it to his hideout. |
① Injun Joe lifted up another stone and found a box.
② Two boys upstairs saw the men eat and talk.
③ The two men went towards the river.
④ The two boys saw so much money in the box.
⑤ The stairs broke when Injun Joe stood on them.
| A．②①④⑤③ | B．②⑤④③① | C．④②①③⑤ |
| A．Tom followed the men when Injun Joe and his friend left the house |
| B．Tom thought “Number two” was the number of the room in the hotel |
| C．Tom opened the door of the room in the hotel with the key that he found |
【推荐2】“Listen!” said Holmes sharply, “Look out! It’s coming!” I heard him make his revolver ready to fire, and I did the same.
There was a sound of quick, light footsteps from inside the curtain of fog. The thick cloud had crept to within fifty metres of where we were hidden. We tried to see into it, and wondered what horrible thing would appear. I looked at Holmes. His eyes were fixed on the place where the path disappeared into the fog. He was pale, but his eyes were bright. He looked like a man who was going to win the most important game of his life. Then suddenly his eyes nearly jumped out of his head, and his mouth opened in frightened surprise. I looked away from him to see what his eyes were fixed on. When I saw the awful shape that was coming towards us out of the fog, my blood _________. The revolver nearly fell from my hands, and my whole body froze with fear.
I saw a hound, an enormous black hound. It was bigger than any dog I had ever seen. But it was something else that filled us with terror. No human eye had ever seen a hound like this one. Fire came from its open mouth. Its eyes were burning. Flames covered its head and body. It was a more horrible sight than anyone could imagine—a hell-hound sent by the devil. It was not a creature of the natural world.
The huge, black, burning hound ran quickly and silently after Sir Henry. Far away along the path we saw him turn and look back at the hound. His face was white in the moonlight and his hands were lifted in horror. He watched helplessly as the terrible creature got closer to him. We were so frozen by the ghostly and unnatural sight that we let the hound go past us, and we could not move. Our friend was near to death, and we were helpless with fear.
1. Which is the most suitable to fill in the blank in Paragraph 2?| A．turn green | B．turn yellow | C．turn hot | D．turn cold |
| A．an enormous black hound |
| B．flames covered its feet and body |
| C．be not smaller than any dog I had ever seen |
| D．a more horrible sight |
| A．He looked back at him and hid himself. |
| B．He turned back and found the hound. |
| C．He shouted for help and ran away. |
| D．He couldn’t move and lifted his hands in fear. |
| A．Why they hid there to watch the hound |
| B．How they tried their best to save their friend |
| C．Why the hound ran quickly and silently after Sir Henry |
| D．How Sir Henry fight with the hound |
【推荐3】In the late 19th century in Europe, many people had more money to spend than before. They had better education, so they could read about the world outside of their own countries. They mostly couldn’t afford to actually travel, but they could dream about travel.
Surely the fact that he wanted to travel and see the world is one of the reasons why French writer Jules Verne’s great science fiction Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) was such a success. He made travel seem so exciting. He made sure to fill his adventures with real and imagined wonders.
The story begins when a sea monster(怪物) that looks like a whale(鲸) attacks and sinks( 击沉) an American boat. The great powers meet in New York and decide to send a boat to deal with the monster. The crew(船员) will include Ned Land, a famous whale hunter, a sea biologist called Professor Aronnax and his assistant, Conseil.
After a terrible battle (交火), the crew’s ship sinks, and Aronnax, Land and Conseil find themselves hanging on to the “monster”. Of course, it’s not an animal at all but a submarine(潜艇) called the Nautilus. Its pilot and builder is Captain Nemo, who saves but also kidnaps the men.
Nemo hates men. We don’t learn why, at least in this book. All we know is that he’s built the Nautilus so that he can be out of reach of the world’s governments. This is the reason he can’t let his new captives(俘虏) go. Once saved, they would lead them to the Nautilus and to Nemo. Much of the book is given over to the travels of the Nautilus. There are great stories of journeys to see fact, but also legend(传说).
In a big accident, Aronnax, Land and Conseil escape the Nautilus, but no one knows what became of it, nor of Nemo.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the novel?| A．The novel is about four friends’ series of adventures under the sea. |
| B．The Nautilus was specially prepared by the US government for the travel. |
| C．The thing that attacks an American boat turns out to be a submarine. |
| D．In a fight with a whale during their journey, it is Captain Nemo who saves his crew. |
| A．he included many science facts in the book |
| B．he shared a lot of his travel experiences in the book |
| C．his was the first science fiction in the history of English literature |
| D．the journeys he describes are exciting and full of real and imagined wonders |
| A．he doesn’t want to stay on the ship alone |
| B．he needs their help to go on further adventures |
| C．he is afraid that their return would cause trouble for him |
| D．he thinks they would do something against the law |
| A．the Nautilus sinks and nobody survives |
| B．Captain Nemo loses his life in a big accident |
| C．Captain Nemo comes back to land with his crew |
| D．what happens to Captain Nemo remains a mystery |
