1 . Children seem to care so much about their names. A study shows that most of young people wish their parents had given them a different name.
Some people choose to change their names when they grow up. Many people in show business don’t use the names their parents gave them. Have you ever listened to Joanne? No? The answer could be “yes” if we call her stage name instead! You may never heard of Margaret. But if we tell you her stage name, you might know her as a famous dancer.
In many cultures, there are special ideas about how to choose a name. For example, many people choose a name that has been in their family for many years. It tells the child where he or she comes from.
Choosing a good name isn’t easy. Many parents search books that tell them the meanings of names. They could choose a name that carries a message. For example, Edith means “valuable gift”. Amanda means “love”. And Fara means “joy”.
Names like these tell family and friends how happy they are with their new baby. Other names can say something about the events during the birth of the child. In Africa, a first born son may have the name Mosi and the name Ama means “born on Saturday”.
Is every boy called Curitis polite? And is every girl called Mahira quick and full of energy? No parents can tell what kind of person their child will grow up to be. Just because parents name a boy Fahim, it doesn’t mean he will be clever. All they can do is hope.
1. What can we know about the study?A.Young kids don’t care about their future. |
B.Most of young people care about their names. |
C.Most girls want to change their names. |
D.Most parents want to rename by themselves. |
A.To prove some people hope to be renamed. |
B.To introduce a famous dancer to readers. |
C.To introduce her true name. |
D.To tell the benefit of name. |
A.Kids always want to rename. |
B.It is hard to change kids’ names. |
C.Parents aren’t sure if their kids will like the name. |
D.Parents want to choose a meaningful name. |
A.Names can never influence our lives | B.Your parents’ wish is behind names |
C.Love your parents, love your name | D.Methods to choose a suitable name |
2 . A professor entered the classroom and told the students about a surprise test. All students were
Students were
Now, professor began to explain, “Here everyone
Our life is a
We should try to take eyes
A.disappointed | B.curious | C.concerned | D.surprised |
A.handing out | B.working out | C.dealing with | D.mixing up |
A.open | B.read | C.defend | D.turn |
A.annoyed | B.addicted | C.confused | D.amazed |
A.bring | B.speak | C.write | D.talk |
A.still | B.hardly | C.never | D.mostly |
A.communicated | B.described | C.accepted | D.used |
A.concentrated on | B.depended on | C.insisted on | D.counted on |
A.for | B.so | C.and | D.but |
A.likes | B.means | C.prefers | D.deserves |
A.picture | B.lesson | C.gift | D.text |
A.events | B.adventures | C.solutions | D.problems |
A.connected | B.compared | C.addicted | D.attracted |
A.on | B.in | C.off | D.under |
A.formally | B.differently | C.obviously | D.positively |
3 . Nasugraq Rainey Hopson is an author and illustrator (插图画家). She has written short stories and made art inspired by her Iñupiaq culture. The Iñupiaq people are native to Alaska, the US. Hopson’s first and only novel to date, Eagle Drums, is set in Iñupiaq tales about a great festival. The great festival is still celebrated locally today.
In the book, the hero Pina struggles with the suffering from losing his brothers, who have traveled to a nearby mountain and never returned. Pina decides to go to the same mountain, trying to uncover the facts, where he happens to meet Savik, who gives Pina a choice: To follow him or to meet the same fortune as his brothers. Pina’s decision takes himself on a journey that exposes himself to the dances and songs that are part of Iñupiaq culture. Eagle Drums describes aspects of Iñupiaq life as a world that doesn’t exist much in the current world, such as walking in the tundra (苔原) and imagining mythological beings and talking animals everywhere. It will definitely inspire the teen magical thinking in its beauty.
Hopson wants to write more Iñupiaq stories. “We have a lot of oral history and stories in our culture,” she says. Hopson explains that Iñupiaq people use their voices, facial expressions and movements to express emotions as they tell a story. “But you can’t do that when you’re writing,” she says. “It’s very uncomfortable, in a way, to have to write down something that is a performance.” But she’s up for the challenge.
Eagle Drums is for anyone who is looking for a vivid adventure. Hopson says that when Iñupiaq kids read her work, they get excited about seeing something from their own area and their own culture. Other kids who read her work tell Hopson they’re excited about experiencing a story they’ve never experienced before in a new place. “You know, that’s the best part, hearing feedbacks,” she says.
1. What do we know about Eagle Drums?A.It is based on the author’s culture. | B.It is about a world-famous festival. |
C.It is one of the author’s best novels. | D.It is rich in illustrations on each page. |
A.Its intention. | B.Its background. |
C.Its content. | D.Its comment. |
A.The Iñupiaq people are poor performers |
B.The Iñupiaq culture is too rich for words. |
C.The Iñupiaq language is difficult to catch on. |
D.The Iñupiaq stories are little known by people. |
A.A news report. | B.A childhood story. |
C.A diary entry. | D.A book review. |
4 . Kate Chandulal-Dee’s unique and infectious smile can brighten anyone’s day. It’s a(n)
Kate was born with the rare genetic disorder (遗传性疾病), which has resulted in her having 138
Kate’s many operations have
Kate’s story was known to the public in 2010, when she was just seven years old and
As a child, the thought of attending school
Last year, she challenged herself and
She said, “I’m going to miss the teachers and the school community. They have taught me that I can
A.breakthrough | B.investment | C.gift | D.danger |
A.findings | B.surgeries | C.deals | D.sprains |
A.anticipated | B.involved | C.highlighted | D.affected |
A.support | B.arrival | C.growth | D.removal |
A.finally | B.secretly | C.unwillingly | D.accidentally |
A.skipping | B.refusing | C.attending | D.designing |
A.exams | B.consultations | C.sculptures | D.comedies |
A.compete | B.delay | C.arrange | D.graduate |
A.learned | B.inspired | C.spread | D.employed |
A.flexible | B.original | C.creative | D.vital |
A.distant | B.doubtful | C.dependent | D.passionate |
A.held up | B.took away | C.took up | D.turned away |
A.shot | B.consumed | C.awarded | D.described |
A.transformed | B.applied | C.faced | D.facilitated |
A.expect | B.achieve | C.consider | D.require |
5 . In 1990, Hal Donaldson was 23 years old, fresh out of college and found himself in Calcutta, India, where he was asked to interview Mother Teresa.
Donaldson says about the great woman famed for feeding the hungry, “She wasn’t wearing shoes and her ankles were swollen. She sat down with me and was very polite.” After the interview, Mother Teresa asked him, “What are you doing to help the poor?” Donaldson admitted that he was young and wasn’t focused on helping others. With a smile on her face, Mother Teresa said, “Everyone can do something.”
Those words deeply struck Donaldson and forced him to face hard truths about himself.
Hal Donaldson grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. When he was 12 years old, his parents were hit by a drunk driver; his father died, and his mother was seriously injured. To make ends meet, they went on welfare. Donaldson says, “I had holes in my shoes and clothes. When you’re teased at school for that, you just want to escape.”
He managed to do just that. Donaldson got into college and turned his focus to making money for himself. He says, “I was just trying to find my way out of insignificance.” However, it’s easy to overlook others along the way. I was the guy that would see a homeless person and cross the street, so I didn’t have to confront (面对) him. My focus was on climbing to the top instead of helping those trying to climb with me.
Donaldson returned home from India with a different thought. He traveled to eight cities in America and stayed on the streets and listened to stories of the homeless. “My heart broke,” he says. “I knew I could no longer just live for myself.”
Inspired by Mother Teresa’s words and the stories he’d heard across America, Donaldson loaded a pick up truck with $300 worth of groceries and handed them out to anyone who needed help. In 1994, Donaldson created the nonprofit organization, Convoy for Hope, which works with communities across America and around the world. Their work focuses on feeding children, women’s empowerment, helping farmers and disaster services.
1. What did 23-year-old Hal Donaldson do in India?A.He interviewed Mother Teresa. |
B.He fed the hungry with Mother Teresa. |
C.He attended an job-interview for a college. |
D.He did something to help the poor. |
A.He was born with disability. | B.He led a hard life as a child. |
C.He was well treated at school. | D.He survived as an orphan. |
A.Self-centered | B.Sympathetic | C.Popular | D.Generous |
A.He preferred traveling to volunteering. |
B.He suddenly fell in love with journalism. |
C.He turned his focus to living for himself. |
D.He gradually devoted himself to helping others. |
6 . After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first subway that came along.
After a few minutes I asked in English a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage (车厢) subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.
In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.
All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.
This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into misadventures.
1. Why does the author decided to take the subway?A.Because he believed in his ability to deal with the trip |
B.Because the network covered most of the stops |
C.Because he lived near the city center |
D.Because he had a good impression of its cleanliness |
A.still remained puzzled | B.understood the author well |
C.answered the author directly | D.pointed at the subway map |
A.helpful. | B.impolite. | C.warm-hearted. | D.responsible. |
A.To prove the importance of being careful |
B.To introduce a young man who didn’t know English |
C.To complain some cultural misunderstanding |
D.To describe one of his adventurous experiences |
7 . Astronaut Neill Armstrong, the first man on the moon, passed away at 82. He commanded the Apollo 11spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, and has been best remembered by saying “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Armstrong was born Aug 5, 1930, on a farm in western Ohio. He took his first airplane ride at the age of 6 and developed an interest in aviation (航空) that pushed him to build model airplanes and conduct experiments in a homemade wind tunnel. As a boy, he took flying lessons and was licensed to fly at 16, before he got his driver’s license.
Armstrong enrolled in Purdue University to study aircraft engineering but was called to work with the US Navy in 1949 and flew 78 fight tasks. Armstrong was accepted into NASA’s astronaut class in 1962. He was a support commander for the Apollo 8 task in 1968. In that flight, Commander Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and BiIIAnders circled the moon 10 times, and got ready for the moon landing seven months later.
On July 20, 1969, an estimated 600 million people—a fifth of the world’s population watched and listened to the landing, the largest audience for any single event in history.
Parents crowded with their children in front of the family television. absorbed by what they were witnessing. Farmers gave up their duties at night, and drivers pulled off the highway and checked into hotels just to see the moonwalk. Television-less travelers in California ran to their cars to catch the word on the radio. Afterward, people walked out of their homes and stared at the moon, in awe of what they had just seen. Others watched through telescopes in hopes of spotting the astronauts.
“I can honestly say-and it’s a big surprise to me that I have never had a dream about being on the moon.” he once said.
Armstrong married Carol Knight in 1994, and the couple lived quietly in Indian Hill, a Cincinnati suburb. He had two adult sons from a previous marriage.
1. What’s the purpose of the text?A.To introduce the first man to land on the moon. |
B.To tell people Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. |
C.To illustrate an estimated 600 million people witnessed the event in history. |
D.To explain the saying “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. |
A.Armstrong circled the moon 10 times. |
B.Armstrong was called to work with the US Navy. |
C.Armstrong gave lectures in NASA’s astronaut class. |
D.Armstrong conducted experiments in a homemade wind tunnel. |
A.Surprised. | B.Astonished. | C.Disappointed. | D.Overjoyed. |
A.Armstrong got his driver’s license at 16. |
B.Armstrong took his first airplane ride at a very young age. |
C.Armstrong had a childhood dream about being ont he moon. |
D.Armstrong married Carol in 1994 and then had two sons. |
8 . Quietly sitting there reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements (通知). Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard (列车长) makes an announcement, whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message, few people listen to it, because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand. This one was different. I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening, too. Not only that, everyone was smiling!
Why was so much attention being paid to this message? As best I can recall the guard said something along these lines, “Good Morning Ladies, Gentlemen and Children, this is the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith to Central and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time. And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going. Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”
Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guards excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel. I started thinking about this, and then I found the young guard and said “Were you the guard on the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first, replying, “Yes, yes.” “Well, I really appreciate your announcement. Thank you for your extremely good message, which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day. Please keep doing it.” I said.
There are two messages for me in what happened that day. Firstly, when people are happy in their work, it shows in what they do and say. Secondly, the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate (积累) from thanking people for something they’ve done, particularly when it’s not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?
1. Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?A.The messages are unattractive. |
B.The guard’s voice is not clear. |
C.They usually feel sleepy. |
D.They are absorbed in books. |
A.Patient. | B.Frightened. |
C.Surprised. | D.Excited. |
A.The beautiful weather. | B.The recorded message. |
C.The train from Penrith. | D.The unexpected appreciation. |
A.An Intelligent Guard. |
B.A Boring Train Story. |
C.A Different Train Announcement. |
D.A Lovely Morning in Sydney. |
9 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?A.Boring. | B.Peaceful. | C.Painful. | D.Meaningful. |
A.It made him popular in his town. | B.It helped him find the meaning of life. |
C.It helped him understand others’ lives better. | D.It helped to shape his dream career. |
A.He was inspired by his teacher. | B.He could pass positive energy to readers. |
C.He wanted to share his school experiences. | D.He found he had a talent for writing. |
A.Say “no” to bullies bravely. | B.Make positive changes in their lives. |
C.Treat others with kindness in daily life. | D.Learn to care more about others’ feelings. |
10 . Nixon, 59 years old, was born and grew up in St. Petersburg. Each morning, he sits on a bench, watches the sunrise, and connects with
Eight years ago, he decided to begin each day from a bench (a kind of chair) with an impressive view of the St. Petersburg waterfront (圣彼得堡海滨), because it made him feel calm and
About a year later, a woman stopped to say hello, and she said something that
Instead of staring straight ahead at the waterfront, Nixon started
No matter what problem a person wants to
Nixon was always happy to listen, and he listens without
And at that moment, she truly wasn’t.
1.A.teenagers | B.relatives | C.strangers | D.neighbors |
A.peaceful | B.excited | C.proud | D.surprised |
A.formed | B.changed | C.developed | D.supported |
A.agreed | B.realized | C.imagined | D.remembered |
A.pointing | B.laughing | C.shouting | D.smiling |
A.joining | B.noticing | C.leaving | D.praising |
A.say | B.face | C.hear | D.create |
A.fame | B.success | C.marriage | D.privacy |
A.health | B.hobbies | C.kids | D.job |
A.give up | B.calm down | C.speak up | D.slow down |
A.emotion | B.consideration | C.judgment | D.interest |
A.guide | B.teacher | C.friend | D.workmate |
A.hugged | B.greeted | C.competed | D.satisfied |
A.secrets | B.worries | C.happiness | D.silence |
A.sad | B.alone | C.stressed | D.hopeless |