I used to work in a lab for almost 10 years. It was a well-paid job, and a “not exactly exciting but safe job”. Then everything changed until my best friend introduced me to a man who wanted to open up a computer training school. What did he want me to do? Teach! Me? Teach? Is he mad? They knew I had a speech problem. I stuttered (口吃) . For me a simple sentence was going to take longer than it should. “Hello, how are you doing?” can take you 3 seconds, while it would take me 10 seconds. And someone asked me if I wanted to stand in front of strangers and speak about computer technology. Then the most amazing thing happened. I said yes!
To this day I’m still not sure why I said yes. Maybe I didn’t want to live a “safe” life where I did the same thing every day, year after year. I have always felt I know a better way to describe difficult concepts (概念) to listeners than a lot of other people. I’m good at explaining things when I write about it. So I took the class syllabus (教学大纲) and rewrote it MY WAY! I did all I could to make it easier to understand. In my first class I got the familiar funny looks from people when I started speaking. But after 15 minutes, people were asking intelligent questions that showed they understood. At the end of the class when people were leaving, they shook my hand and thanked me. You won’t get that from a “not exactly exciting but safe job”!
1. The writer thought his job in the lab was ________.| A．well-paid and safe | B．safe and exciting | C．well-paid but challenging |
| A．what his speech problem was |
| B．his speech problem was gone |
| C．his speech problem got better |
| A．couldn’t fully understand it first |
| B．wrote it again in his own way |
| C．explained it to his friend first |
| A．smiles | B．questions | C．funny looks |
| A．My best friend | B．My fantastic class | C．My challenging choice |
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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.
【推荐2】Two men left home to look for some treasure(财宝). One man was tall and the other was short. On their way, they found some wool. They carried the wool as much as they could because wool was useful to them. They could use it to make clothes.
They went on and saw some silver plates in the street. The tall man threw away the wool and picked up as many plates as he could. The short man said，“Why do you throw away the wool? It is nice, I have enough wool. I can’t carry any plates. ” As a result，the short man didn’t take any of the plates.
On their way home，it began to rain. The short man had to throw all the wool away because it was wet. The tall man kept his silver plates. Later the tall man became rich.
Sometimes we like keeping the old things and refusing the new ones. It’s not wise. We need to know which are more valuable.
1. The two men left home to .| A．find jobs | B．sell the wool | C．look for treasure | D．go shopping |
| A．Some wool. | B．Some plates. | C．Some clothes. | D．Nothing. |
| A．沉重的 | B．珍贵的 | C．无用的 | D．无价值的 |
| A．we should keep valuable things |
| B．we should refuse the new things |
| C．neither of the two men is wise |
| D．we should keep the old things forever |
【推荐3】Amy was looking for a gift for her little daughter. She stopped in front of a store full of dolls.
“Girls like dolls,” she thought as she stepped into the store.
Looking around, she saw a grandma doll that has gray hair and wears a pair of glasses. In her mind appeared Joyce, her own mother.
When Amy was a little girl, she got her first doll from Joyce for her birthday. Then the second, the third ... the dolls never arrived late, year after year.
“Why always a doll?” This question had been in Amy’s mind until one day her father gave the answer.
Joyce dreamed of having a doll when she was a child herself. Her parents promised one for her fifth birthday. Sadly, they both died in a traffic accident before it arrived. The never-received gift was the most precious (珍贵的) one in her eyes.
Recalling her mother’s story, Amy got an idea.
It was Joyce’s 60th birthday. She got a package with a card that read:
Dear Joyce,
I forgot to send you a package that you should have received on your fifth birthday, in 1956.
The gift inside has aged, but I felt that you might still want to have it.
Love,
Angel of Joy
Joyce opened the package and saw a lovely grandma doll. She clasped (紧抱) the doll that she had waited so many years for, with tears running down her face. The doll, given by her “Angel of Joy”, made her the happiest “child” in the world.
1. Amy was looking for a gift for ________.| A．her daughter | B．her mother | C．her father |
| A．A birthday card | B．A grandma doll | C．A gift package |
| A．she liked dolls when she was young |
| B．her mother wanted to make her happy |
| C．it was her mother’s dream to get a doll |
| A．in 1956 | B．in 1961 | C．in 1951 |
| A．sad | B．moved | C．cold |
James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. $24. 17 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How was he going to get the end of the money?
He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. It was no use asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to save.
There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. But who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had opinions on most things.
“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr. Clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing. ”
That was the beginning of James’ part-time job. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the different kinds of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the number of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the money increased and he knew that he would soon have enough for the bicycle he was eager to have.
The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94. 32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode proudly home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more since he had bought it with his own money.
1. James in the passage was probably ________.
| A．a cleaner | B．a worker | C．a student | D．a teacher |
| A．find a part-time job | B．borrow some from his parents |
| C．ask Mr. Clay for help | D．study very hard |
| A．He mended books. | B．He cleared out cupboards. |
| C．He washed dogs. | D．He cleaned windows. |
| A．it was very expensive | B．it was bought with his own money |
| C．he was too poor to have one | D．his friends all had bicycles. |
【推荐2】“Henry! Knock it off! If you do that one more time, I’m going to throw you out of this boat,” warned Cameron angrily.
“Yeah, right,” said Henry and half-heartedly rowed the boat up the river. Henry and Cameron were chosen to be partners, but they certainly weren’t friends. Cameron looked down on Henry and spent his time at summer camp keeping away from him. Henry never followed the rules, and that drove Cameron crazy.
Cameron hated the fact that the boat ride was at least 5 miles long. Just then Cameron felt some small drops of water again on his neck.
“Henry!” shouted Cameron loudly. “I said to leave me alone.”
“I’m not doing anything!” replied Henry coolly. “If you look up, you will see that Mother Nature is touching you with water.”
Sure enough, when Cameron looked up, he could see light rain coming down. Things got quiet in the boat after that. Before long, the small drops turned into large ones, and thunder and lightning began racing across the sky. Cameron didn’t know what to do. All he remembered was hearing stories about never to be on the water during a lightning storm.
There was nothing in sight. Where could they get shelter? At that moment, Henry took over. He guided Cameron to control the boat towards some small wooden houses up ahead. By the time they reached the houses, they were all wet. Lightning continued to flash and they took shelter in the house.
1. According to the story, Cameron and Henry ________.| A．both enjoyed the boat ride | B．worked together to solve a problem |
| C．were friends with each other | D．knew each other for a long time |
| A．Because Henry rowed the boat half-heartedly. |
| B．Because Henry threw water at Cameron. |
| C．Because Henry always broke the rules. |
| D．Because Henry wasn’t a good helper. |
| A．get help | B．get protection |
| C．get freedom | D．get everything ready |
a. Cameron and Henry were safe in a house.
b. Cameron and Henry rowed the boat carelessly.
c. A light rain became lightning storm. d. Cameron and Henry became partners.
| A．c-b-d-a | B．b-d-c-a | C．b-d-a-c | D．d-b-c-a |
【推荐3】For all his life, my grandfather has lived in the Valley of Koi. A rushing river and the Eagle Mountain divide the valley into two. They keep the villagers safe from wolves. The soil is so rich that our crops seem to grow well by themselves, and even the precious(珍贵的) fire flowers can be found here.
Although life in the valley was good, my grandfather still worried about his people. The mountain and river kept danger out, but they also kept us far away from the world. “We must find a way to reach out to other villages,” Grandfather said, “to trade, exchange stories and make friends. If we do not, Koi will one day disappear.”
One day, grandfather saw a spider(蜘蛛) in his garden. He bent down to look more closely and saw it building a web between two grasses. Suddenly, Grandfather knew what the people of Koi must do.
Many villagers were skeptical. “It comes easily to the spider, but it is so difficult for humans,” they didn’t believe it possible. “We cannot fly through the air like a spider. And what would happen if strangers learned where the fire flowers grew?”
“If I were a fire flower, I would rather be picked from the earth and loved than left alone and unseen,” Grandfather said. Some of the villagers agreed. After that, the strongest men and women of Koi began to work. Finally, the bridge was finished! My grandfather was the first Koi villager ever to stand on the far bank of the river. When he reached the other side, a stranger came to greet him friendly with a precious ice flower as a gift to share with us.
Our village is still small and quiet, but we are no longer shut away from the world. Next spring, I’m going to walk through the mountain to enjoy the ice flowers, I would also like to meet more strangers from other places and share them fire flowers of Koi.
1. Why was Grandfather worried about his people?| A．Some wolves would attack the village. |
| B．The village would disappear without changing. |
| C．The mountain and river put the villagers in danger. |
| D．The villagers were so poor that they couldn’t have a good life. |
| A．The spider. | B．The villager. | C．The stranger. | D．The writer. |
| A．happy | B．excited | C．unbelievable | D．unaware |
| A．No one in the village was able to fly through the air. |
| B．There weren’t enough strong people to build the bridge. |
| C．The stranger would pick the ice flowers from the village. |
| D．The stranger would discover the secret of the fire flowers. |
| A．live in another village | B．help build the bridge |
| C．learn more about the world | D．make others like the fire flower |
【推荐1】Life is full of surprise as long as you try your best in the face of challenges. I still remember my music teacher Ms Smith, and her words “Be a true winner in your own heart” encourage me to improve myself in many ways.
I used to be a shy boy and I was anxious about taking part in school activities. Once, to make the performance (表演) colourful, I was told to show Chinese kung fu. Though I have learned it since four years ago, I was still worried about it. After all, it was the first time for me to stand on the stage in front of so many teachers and students.
At that moment, I worried that others would laugh at me if I couldn’t do it perfectly. As soon as I stepped on the stage, I found Ms Smith in the crowd, smiling and nodding to me. I became brave and careful. Before the performance, I took a deep breath to relax myself. When the music was played, I imagined I was the best. Then I moved every step smoothly. Hearing the cheers and applause (掌声) from the teachers and students, I knew I made it.
When I finished my show, I ran towards Ms Smith and gave her a big hug. It was Ms Smith that made me realize how strong and excellent I could be. The valuable experience did give me a great lesson. It encouraged me to keep challenging myself to be a better man.
根据语篇内容，选择最佳选项。
1. What did Ms Smith teach?
| A．Art. | B．Music. | C．Chinese. |
| A．疲惫的 | B．生气的 | C．焦虑的 |
| A．Because it was his first time to stand on the stage. |
| B．Because it was his first time to be a true winner. |
| C．Because it was his first time to take part in a party. |
| A．He smiled and nodded to Ms Smith. |
| B．He took a deep breath to relax himself. |
| C．He listened to the music first. |
| A．A Great Trip | B．A Wonderful Activity | C．A Valuable Experience |
【推荐2】A few years ago, a mom started The Kindness Rock Project (项目) in Massachusetts (马萨诸塞州), and it’s popular around the world now. Kids, families and adults of all ages are taking part—painting rocks, hiding (藏) rocks, and finding painted rocks all over the place. Some move the rocks for someone else to find. Some take the rocks home and then put them to other places with new ones. Nine-year-old Harry and Hannah DeVriezc have painted hundreds of rocks with their parents. Most evenings, the family and their small dog walk around and they hide rocks when they walk.
“It’s a fun family activity.” Hannah says. “We’ll do it in the winter too.” Harry adds.
Ben Burinsky, age nine, and his brother Luke, age seven, were visiting relatives (亲戚) when they found their first painted rock in a park. They were so excited that they went home and painted their own rocks, then ▲ .
“My boys love finding the rock in the park.” their mother, Judy Burinsky says. “I love something so small can bring a smile to my children’s faces. In return, they learn the value (价值) of giving back to others.”
Kadyn Kinney, age nine, and his seven-year-old brother, Jayce, have also painted many rocks. They love to hide rocks and look for rocks with their mom and dad. When their grandmother visited, they gave her painted rocks to take home and hide in the town where she lives.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?| A．Harry and Hannah have painted two hundred rocks. |
| B．Ben and Luke found their first painted rock when visiting relatives. |
| C．Judy has two sons and one daughter and they love painted rocks. |
| D．Kadyn and Jayce’s grandmother gave them painted rocks. |
| A．sent them to their friends | B．visited their relatives again |
| C．hid them for others to find | D．showed their painted rocks to others |
| A．The writer wants to ask us to paint and hide rocks with our family. |
| B．The writer wants us to visit Massachusetts in winter vacation. |
| C．The writer wants to learn the value of giving back to others. |
| D．The writer wants to tell us the Kindness Rocks Project. |
【推荐3】He loves reading books about space. He loves to look up at the writing stories about man in space. Sam also likes drawing.
Sam loves space best, moon at night. He loves pictures of spaceships.
He knows a lot about going there by spaceship. Spacemen study the stars. They study space.
One night, Sam went to bed. He dreamed about going to space. He had a funny round hat on his head. He had gloves on his hands and big boots on his feet.
“Hello,” said Neil Armstrong. “Do you want to take a walk with me on the moon?” “Yes, but there’s no air on the moon. I can’t breathe without air,” said Sam.
“You can wear a spacesuit to help you breathe.”
“Wonderful! I’d like to go with you. I can go to the moon,” shouted Sam.
1. What is Sam most interested in?| A．Space. | B．Math. | C．Reading. | D．Painting. |
| A．Sam can draw very well. | B．Sam wants to be a spaceman. |
| C．Sam knows a lot about spacemen. | D．Sam will go to space by spaceship. |
| A．A teacher. | B．A doctor. | C．An actor. | D．A spaceman. |
| A．A round hat. | B．A spacesuit. | C．Boots. | D．Gloves. |
| A．Worried. | B．Nervous. | C．Sorry. | D．Excited. |
