1 . The day was like any other day in his life, Tom walked past(走过) the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row(前排) of shoes, and he felt happy to see that the pair of shoes he wanted very much were still there. Looking down(向下看), he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have them for his birthday.
He sadly walked away(走开) and thought how to tell his mother about it. He knew she would give him anything he liked if she could. But he also knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home at once(立刻), as he looked worried and his mother would notice(注意) it. So he went to the park and sat on the grass. Then he saw a boy in a wheel chair(轮椅). He noticed that the boy moved the wheel with his hands. Tom looked at him carefully and was surprised to see the boy have no feet. He looked at his own feet. “It’s much better to be without shoes than without feet,” he thought. There was no reason(理由) for him to feel so sorry and sad. He sent away sadness(遣散悲伤) and smiled, he thought he was happier.
1. Tom passed the shop ________.| A．on foot | B．by bus | C．by bike | D．in a car |
| A．to buy the shoes | B．to look at the shoes he liked |
| C．to look at the coats in the shop window | D．to look at the dress on the front row |
| A．too expensive | B．quite cheap | C．not there | D．not sold yet(还没有被卖) |
| A．was thinking how to tell his mother about it | B．wanted to see the boy |
| C．didn’t want to make his mother worried | D．he felt happy |
| A．liked new coats very much | B．loved his mother best |
| C．didn’t want to go to school | D．didn’t want to stay at home |
The two drivers were arguing.
“You came around the corner too fast,” one man said.
“No!” said the driver of the white car, “That’s not true! Your car was parked in a wrong place.”
Stanley listened to their argument and then said the white car driver was wrong to drive too fast. The driver of red car asked Stanley to prove he was right in court(法庭). Stanley gave the driver his name and telephone number.
Next Thursday morning, Stanley was asked to go to the court. The lawyer(律师) for the driver of the white car asked him a lot of questions about what he had seen. Then he asked Stanley how old he was.
“I’m eighty-two,” answered Stanley.
“Do you usually wear glasses ?” asked the lawyer.
“Yes, I do,” answered Stanley.
“Were you wearing them on the night of the accident?” the lawyer asked.
“No,” replied Stanley.
Then the lawyer said, “Why should the court believe you? You are eighty-two years old, you were not wearing your glasses, and it was dark. How far can you see in the dark?”
Stanley thought about it for a minute. “Well,” he said, “when it’s dark, I can see the moon. How far is that?”
1. The car accident happened ___________.
| A．one Sunday morning | B．next Thursday morning |
| C．one Sunday evening | D．next Thursday evening |
| A．the red car was going too slowly |
| B．the white car was going too fast |
| C．the drivers were sleepy |
| D．Stanley was in their way |
| A．he wanted to make money |
| B．he promised to be a witness |
| C．he was a lawyer |
| D．he was badly hurt in the accident |
| A．writing a letter to him |
| B．sending an email to him |
| C．paying a visit to him |
| D．making a phone call to him |
| A．Stanley was a clever and humorous man |
| B．Stanley wore glasses when the accident happened |
| C．the lawyer thought that Stanley could see clearly |
| D．Stanley was not able to see the moon |
3 . More than anything else in the world, Lion liked being the king of the jungle. He walked around, showing off his power and pride.
Every day Lion got some shut eye under the shade of his favourite tree. He always dreamed of weaker animals bowing in front of him.
One day Mouse ran through the jungle and tipped(绊倒) over Lion's paw(爪子). Lion woke up with a start. "How dare you wake me up!" he shouted angrily. Lion grabbed Mouse with one paw. "On second thought, I'm in the mood for the snack, and you'll become a delicious meal." he said.
Mouse cried out, "King Lion. please spare(饶恕) me! If you let me live, I'll always remember your kindness. And some day might be able to help you." "How could such a powerless little mouse help me?" That thought made Lion laugh so much that he decided to let Mouse go. A week later. Lion was walking through the jungle on the way to his favourite tree when he stepped onto a hunter's net. The net scooped him up. No matter how he twisted and turned. he couldn't escape.
When Mouse heard Lion's frightened shouts, he raced to help. Mouse quickly chewed(咬) on the ropes to make a big hole in the net. Soon, Lion moved out and was free. Lion looked down at the little mouse. "Thank you for saving my life," said Lion, smiling his widest smile. "I was mistaken. You are not a powerless little mouse. You are a great friend!"
1. What did Lion do each day?| A．He walked around the jungle. | B．He took a nap under his favourite tree. |
| C．He showed his power to animals in the jungle. | D．He bowed before weaker animals. |
| A．Because he believed Mouse could save him. | B．Because he looked on Mouse as his good friend. |
| C．Because he was trapped in the net. | D．Because he didn't believe if Mouse could be of any help. |
| A．Pride makes you lose what you have. | B．Don't put all your eggs in one basket. |
| C．Even the small can show great strength. | D．When the cat is away, the mice will play. |
4 . A myth is something that is not correct, but many people believe. There are a lot of myths about the human brain.
One of the biggest myths is that we only use 10 percent of our brains. The next part of the myth is that if we can learn to use the rest of our brains, then we'll be much smarter. People say this all the time, but it's absolutely not true! The truth is that although we don't know everything about the human brain, we know that each part of it has an important function (功能) . Modern scientists think the "10 percent myth" ridiculous (荒谬的) .
The other most popular myth is about being "right brained" or "left brained". According to this myth, people who use the right side of their brains are more artistic and creative. People who use the left side of their brains are better at math and science. This is as popular as the 10 percent myth, and it's also wrong. In 2013, a study at an American university examined the right brain and left brain myth. According to the study, we use both sides of our brains equally (相等地). "
It's true that we use different parts of our brains for different things. We use our left side for language more, and our right side when we need to pay attention. But there is no evidence (证据) that creative people use the right side more or that scientific people use the left side more.
We've talked about myths, so let's look at a few interesting facts about the brain. First of all, the brain feels no pain. Second, about 75 percent of the brain is made of water. It's also the fattest organ in your body. Here's another interesting fact about the brain. Around the time you turn 18 years old, it stops growing.
1. The underlined word "This" 1fParagraph 3 refers to ______________.| A．the left brain myth | B．the right brain and left brain myth |
| C．the use of human brains | D．the study of an American university |
| A．Robert, who is learning English | B．Kate, who is drawing pictures |
| C．Jenny, who is designing clothes | D．Jacob, who is doing research |
| A．It is growing all life long. | B．The right side is used more by artists. |
| C．Some parts of it are not used at all. | D．Three quarters of it is made of water. |
| A．the growing of the brain | B．different functions of the brain |
| C．right brain and left brain | D．myths and facts about the brain |
Willow Shields is an American film and television actress. She was born on June 1st, 2000 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has a twin sister and an elder brother. Willow is a very beautiful girl. She has golden hair, big eyes and sweet smiles.
Willow got her first job in 2008 and she acted in a 7- minute short film with her sister. In it, she plays the role of a little girl watching a gun fight. Her most famous role is Prim in the movie The Hunger Games. She worked hard for the movie and she read the book carefully before acting. Willow did so well that the director said, “It’s so exciting to find an amazing young actress like her. We’re very lucky to have her.” Shields will continue in her role until November, 2015, when the final of four movies in The Hunger Games series come out.
Because Willow is always busy, she is home schooled. She makes use of every chance to enrich herself. She especially loves reading. Besides, she is warm-hearted. In her free time, she often volunteers to send out food to homeless families.
1. Willow Shields is _______ years old now.| A．6 | B．10 | C．12 | D．18 |
| A．her twin sister | B．her director |
| C．her brother | D．her best friend |
| A．Willow Shields is a lucky girl |
| B．the director is pleased with Willow |
| C．Willow Shields is a television actress |
| D．Willow Shields is a girl from New Mexico |
| A．goes to an amusement park | B．goes abroad with her friends |
| C．helps some homeless families | D．hangs out in a shopping mall |
| A．She has a brother and two sisters. |
| B．She gets to school every weekday. |
| C．She played a role in Harry PotterⅤ in 2008. |
| D．She acted in a film for the first time when she was 8. |
Born in 1881 to a wealthy family, Lu Xun had a happy childhood. In 1893, however, his grandfather, a senior government official, was put into prison for taking money. At the same time, his father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing.
By the time Lu Xun arrived in Nanjing to study at university in 1899, he already believed that Chinese society had to change and become modern. In 1902 he went to study in Japan. There, he began writing articles for several Chinese student magazines. He showed a gift for writing and translating and he even wrote several books, although none was popular. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money.
After working for several years as a teacher in Beijing, Lu Xun again returned to writing. In 1918, he wrote his famous short story Diary of a Madman. It was the first Chinese novel published using the everyday language that people spoke, which helped make it a great success. This, together with his novel The True Story of Ah Q (1921), made Lu Xun a leading Chinese writer.
Although successful, Lu Xun still worried greatly about China’s future. In 1926, he moved to Shanghai and gave up writing stories in order to devote himself to what he called “pen warfare”. He now only wrote articles which called on the people to fight against the government. For this, the government stopped him from publishing any more books. He was forced to write his articles using false names.
Since his death in 1936, Lu Xun’s importance and influence have grown. Today, many of his writings are included in school textbooks and his works are read by millions around the world.
1. Which of the following greatly influenced Lu Xun’s writing according to the passage?
| A．The people he met in Japan. |
| B．The experiences in his early life. |
| C．Working as a teacher in Beijing. |
| D．His father’s being put into prison. |
| A．It was based on Lu Xun’s diary. |
| B．It was the first novel to use everyday language. |
| C．Its story took place in modern times. |
| D．It was written using a western style. |
| A．the success of Diary of a Madman |
| B．the use of everyday language |
| C．the first Chinese novel |
| D．The True Story of Ah Q |
| A．funny stories |
| B．articles about himself |
| C．articles against the government |
| D．stories about government officials |
a. The government stopped him from publishing books.
b. He wrote Diary of a Madman.
c. His father became ill.
d. He moved to Shanghai.
e. His writings were put into textbooks.
| A．c-a-b-d-e | B．c-b-d-a-e |
| C．a-c-d-b-e | D．a-d-b-c-e |
7 January, 2014
A new report says more and more international students are attending colleges and universities in the United States. It also notes a large increase in the number of international students from China.
These findings are from the latest Open Doors Report. The report documents the record number of international students in the United States during 2012, 2013 school year. It says more than seven hundred sixty-four thousand four-hundred such students were attending American colleges and universities during the last two years. That represents an increase of almost six percent than one year earlier.
On the other hand, the number of Americans studying overseas (海外) increased by one percent, which reached nineteen thousand this year.
The report says one hundred ninety-four thousand students at American colleges and universities were from
China. That is an increase of more than twenty-three percent over the year before. Peggy Blumenthal, an expert(专家) of international education, described the effect of the increase in Chinese students.
"Now they have been coming for some time. But this year was the highest level ever." She says many Chinese families are able to pay for the highest-quality education for their children. The children mainly choose to study in America.
"We know many of them have enough income to be able to afford to send them anywhere in the world that they want to go. And for the most part, looking around the world, Chinese students still prefer to come to the United States as their choice."
Chinese students are not the only ones who want to attend American colleges and universities. After China, India sends the second largest number of students to the United States for higher education. India has about one hundred thousand students in American schools. South Korea is third with about seventy two thousand students.
Why do so many foreign students study in the United States? Peggy Blumenthal provides one reason.
"The advantage America has is that we have a huge system and a very perfect system. So there are over four thousand universities and colleges in the United States. Among them are some top ones in the world, and what that tells us is there is still a lot of room to host international students."
Foreign students represent less than four percent of the total student population in American higher education. And from Learning English, that's the VOA Special English Education Report. I'm Bob Doughty. Thanks for listening.
1. Bob Doughty seems to be ________.| A．an exchange student from the USA |
| B．an expert of international education |
| C．a viewer of VOA |
| D．a reporter from VOA |
| A．South Korea | B．India | C．China | D．America |
| A．Lots of Chinese families are able to pay for the highest-quality education for their children |
| B．The USA has a huge and a very perfect education system. |
| C．There is a lot of room to host international students in the USA. |
| D．The USA has some top universities and colleges in the world. |
| A．China has 122,000 more students than South Korea at American colleges and universities. |
| B．The number of Americans studying overseas is becoming smaller and smaller. |
| C．The number of Asian students has an increase of 6% over the past two years. |
| D．Most of the international students in the United States are Chinese. |
| A．An advertisement | B．A radio programme | C．A science report | D．A tour guide |
8 . In Western society, especially in the English-speaking world, the chance for young people to see the other countries and experience life is considered important. Many young people, when they finish school at the age of 18, take a gap year before they go to university.
Parents often want their children to grow up a little and see what the real world is like when they finish school. Although they are worried about their safety, many think that the advantages of independence and experience are worth the worries. Children are encouraged to be brave, independent and to explore the world on their own or with friends.
Young people also want to experience freedom and see what life is like on the other side. This other side could be the other side of the world or just the other side of life. For example, if they have a rich life, they may want to see how people in poor areas live.
A gap year after school is also an important chance for young people to spend time thinking about what they want to do with their lives. A little bit of growing up and experience will help them make their important career decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to study.
Another reason for going straight after school is to get a break from studying before they start the next few years of university. So anywhere you travel in the world, you will meet young European people exploring the world.
So much of the world has been travelled and explored. The young people are now looking for more worthy experiences. Some of them work as volunteers to do something for the country they are visiting. Many gap year volunteers are now spending a few months teaching English in Thailand, helping feed giant pandas in China or building a well(井) in a village in Africa.
These young people’s wish to explore the world is an expression of the values of the societies that they are part of. Both discovering the world and making a positive difference in it are important parts of the Western mind.
1. Which is NOT a reason for young people to take a gap year?| A．Young people want to take a break from studying. |
| B．Young people want to be sure about what to study. |
| C．Parents encourage them to be brave and independent. |
| D．Parents encourage them to live a free and wealthy life. |
| A．experiencing different cultures |
| B．helping protect rainforests in Brazil |
| C．making friends with more people |
| D．enjoying traditional local food |
| A．stay with their parents all the time |
| B．make money for their further study |
| C．help change the world for the better |
| D．change the Western mind completely |
| A．show different opinions about gap year |
| B．offer readers information about gap year |
| C．discover new ways to take a gap year |
| D．tell young people when to take a gap year |
9 . Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York.
As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City. Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict) , and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible.
Famous comedians went to see Rock’s performances. One comedian (Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think.
Today,Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called "Everybody Hates Chris. " It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.
1. Chris Rock was ____| A．born in America | B．from London |
| C．from a rich family. | D．from Canada |
| A．How to tell a good joke, |
| B．Where the best comedy clubs are. |
| C．One comedian's life, |
| D．The funniest people in the United States, |
| A．South Carolina | B．Brooklyn |
| C．Los Angeles | D．Texas |
| A．As a teenager, he was not funny. |
| B．He started working in clubs after he graduated from college. |
| C．He loved going to high school. |
| D．A famous comedian helped him get work on TV and in the movies. |
| A．Being a serious actor. | B．Making people laugh. |
| C．Helping teenagers. | D．Having his own club. |
Some people think that singing can lift our spirits ( 情 绪 ), while some other people don’t think so．They don’t like singing and they think singing can never make them happy．I do think singing can make us feel good, and it can lift our spirits．Let me tell you more about that．
Some researchers (研究者) once did some surveys and proved it．The surveys show that singing can bring a lot of health benefits (益处)．If you sing with your friends, the effects may be even better．
John Lennon was once a teacher of Vocal Performance (声乐表演) at Emporia State University．He says, “Singing is an inborn (天生的) need．Babies sing to themselves and they seem so happy．Like babies, when we sing, we feel so good and singing makes us feel even better．I like singing and I am happy every day．”
Music is a part of human nature．And singing is a form of expression that can be understood by everyone．Some people say that music is like a kind of language．The language can show people’s opinions and attitudes(态度) to their life．Some songs can cheer people up when they are in trouble．Some songs can make people happy and excited．That’s why the TV show The Voice of China is so popular with people．
1. According to some surveys, singing can bring __________．
| A．health benefits |
| B．health problems |
| C．happiness and success |
| D．some trouble |
| A．运动 |
| B．表情 |
| C．表达 |
| D．放松 |
| A．all the singers are good at singing and dancing |
| B．songs make people happy and excited |
| C．all the singers look nice in cool clothes |
| D．songs are written by the singers themselves |
| A．All people think singing can lift our spirits． |
| B．Some people don’t like singing and don’t think music can make them happy． |
| C．If you sing in a group, there will be no benefits． |
| D．No babies ever sing to themselves． |
