In the eastern United States, one of the existing types was that commonly known under the Algonkian name of wigwam in which the Iroquois Indians lived. The wigwams were of wagon-top shape with straight sides and ends, made by bending young trees to form the round shape. Over this shape pieces of tree bark were laid to protect the Indians from bad weather. Over the bark dried grass was added. A small hole allowed smoke to escape from the top. Doorways at each end served also as windows. The Iroquois Indians built trunk walls all around their villages. The wall had only one opening. They could quickly close this opening if their enemies came near.
Interestingly, the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi also lived in a wigwam of a most primitive(原始的) construction, but different from those of the Iroquois Indians. The Choctaw Indians’ wigwams, made from mud, cane and straw, were in the form of a bee-hive. The covering was made of a long, tough grass. A post in the centre supported the roof. A hole in the top admitted the light, and allowed the smoke to pass out.
The tipi tent-housing of the upper lake and plains area was put up with poles set lightly in the ground, tied together near the top, and covered with bark and grass in the lake country. It was easily portable, and two women could set it up or take it down within an hour.
The Pawnee, Mandan and other Indian tribes (部落) along the Missouri built solid ring-shaped structures of trunk, covered with earth and dried grass, housing a dozen families.
The Wichita and other tribes of the Texas border built large ring-shaped houses covered with dried grass.
Apart from the regular housing, almost every tribe had some style of housing.
1. Which of the following pictures shows the house for the Iroquois Indians?
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
A.with openings in the trunk walls | B.large enough for several families |
C.in a ring shape with bark and mud | D.by bending young trees to form the shape |
A.of the same shape | B.covered with grass |
C.built with a post in the centre | D.built with doorways at each end |
A.all the native Indians built trunk walls all around their houses |
B.all the native Indian houses were built with poles tied together |
C.the Iroquois Indians took safety into account while building their wigwams |
D.the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi built their wigwams with straight sides and ends |
I am delighted to be your guest.
I would like to tell you about myself. I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years. I chose this job so I could travel the world, but the job has taught me many unforgettable lessons. The work is sometimes difficult. I have seen famines, wars, earthquakes, poverty and death. But I have also seen courage, hope and happiness.
In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children. Some were as young as four years old. They lived in the streets and survived by begging or stealing. But then a wonderful lady called Rosa opened a home for them. Within one year, she was looking after two hundred children. She clothed them, fed them, and taught them. She gave them hope.
Another time, I was in Turkey after a terrible earthquake. In one place, I found an old lady whose house was in ruins, her son was missing and rescuer workers said there was no chance that he was still alive. But the old lady did not give up hope. For four days, she moved heavy stones one at a time by herself. She did not stop until she found her son. He was alive.
Here in China, I met a young boy with a serious condition. He had undergone twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital. I thought he would be sad, but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.
In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from. When my life is difficult, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these three people.
1. The underlined word “famines” in Paragraph 2 means __________.
A.pleasure. | B.joy. | C.luck. | D.extreme lack of food. |
A.She’s a rich lady and she likes to help the homeless children. |
B.She’s a kind-hearted woman and she provides houses for the homeless children. |
C.She’s a great mother and she looks after the homeless children. |
D.She’s a good teacher and she teaches the homeless children. |
A.China. | B.Canada. | C.Turkey. | D.India. |
A.Their bravery. | B.Their strong mind. |
C.Their age. | D.Their luck. |
3 . I love exploring new places. Whether I travel across America or around the world,a new adventure is always waiting. What I don’t always enjoy is the time spent 9,000 meters(30,000 feet)in the air. Tight spaces, long hours, and unexpected-problems can make air travel stressful. Follow these six tips to make your next flight a braze.
1. Make a checklist. Before you pack, make a checklist of everything you need and mark item off as you put them in your bag. Be sure you include important documents, such as your passport.
2. Pack light. You don’t need to pack your whole closet. Choose clothes that mix and match for more variety. Wear your largest shoes on the place to save room in your bag. And pack a few old items that you can leave behind to make more room for souvenirs(纪念品) on the way home.
3. Carry on essential(基本的) items. Unfortunately, dependable baggage service is hard to come by. When you fly, be sure to pack your medicine, important documents, and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag.
4. Pack water and snacks. No one wants to get stuck on a runway for hours without food, water. But bad weather or mechanical problems could leave you stranded(进退两难的). Pack water and crackers in your carry-on. But leave fresh foods at home. Most countries won’t allow you to bring them across their borders.
5. Stretch your legs. More and more travelers suffer from blood clots caused by sitting too long in tight spaces. You can help prevent this problem by doing stretches in your seat taking short walks every hour.
6. Entertain yourself. A long trip can either mean hours of boredom or an exciting adventure. Plan ahead to keep yourself busy with books, magazines and portable CD player. Just don’t forget to bring extra batteries.
7. Research airlines before you book your reservations. For just a few dollars more, some airlines offer personal entertainment systems. Singapore Air gives you nearly 70 choices of movies,music channels, and other entertainment!
With a little planning ahead,you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.
1. It is advised by the writer in this passage to _____ for your flight.A.pack all the things you will need | B.leave your important documents behind |
C.carry some fresh foods with you | D.take some books, magazines and CD players |
A.Researching airlines before reservations. |
B.Staying still during the whole flight. |
C.Carrying some water and essential items. |
D.Making a list of the things you need. |
A.receive by chance | B.obtain by effort |
C.pass by | D.offer in satisfaction |
A.you will get sick during the long flight hours |
B.old items are not allowed to bring back on the way home |
C.you are not allowed to carry things as freely as you want |
D.you can also board the plane without your passport |
4 . All of us eat every day, but most of us don’t understand nutrition. We often make mistakes in talking about good diet.
For example, many people think that foods such as rice, bread and potatoes will make one grow fat. In fact, these foods are very good to one’s health. They are good sources of many vitamins. And in comparison with steak and beef, they contain less amount of calories.
Some people don’t like canned(罐装的) or frozen vegetables, because they think fresh vegetables cooked at home are always better. This is again wrong. In fact, whether the vegetables are good or not depends more on how they are prepared. Overcooking, for example, destroys good qualities of vegetables. Vegetables cooked in too much water can lose a large amount of vitamins.
It is widely believed extra vitamins provide more energy. But taking more than the body needs doesn’t make it function better.
It is also wrong to say that vegetables grown in poor, worn-out soil are lower in vitamins than vegetables grown in rich soil. The vitamins in our foods are in the plants themselves. They don’t come from the soil. However, the minerals(矿物质) in a plant depend on the minerals in the soil.
In short, there are many false ideas about nutrition. We need to correct them.
1. This passage is mainly about_______.A.nutrition | B.vitamins | C.vegetables | D.health |
A.they make people fat |
B.there are lot of vitamins in them |
C.they contain less amount of calories compared with steak and beef. |
D.both B and C. |
A.they think fresh vegetables contain less vitamins |
B.they think fresh vegetables contain more vitamins than the canned or frozen ones |
C.they don’t think the canned or frozen vegetables are fresh |
D.they don’t think the canned or frozen vegetables taste as good as the fresh ones |
A.Many people know almost everything about nutrition. |
B.Food such as rice, bread and potatoes make people fat. |
C.vegetables grown in poor worn-out soil may have the same amount of vitamins as vegetables grown in rich soil. |
D.extra vitamins provide less energy. |
A.the minerals in a plant depend on the minerals in the soil |
B.people make mistakes when talking about good diet |
C.taking more vitamins than the body needs doesn’t make it function better |
D.vegetables cooked in too much water can lose a large amount of vitamins |
Certainly, most of the world’s great religions (宗教) order us to be open-hearted and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves. But has the world changed? Maybe what was morally (道德方面) right in the old days, when one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help, is no longer the best idea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars. Let us look at their arguments.
First, some believe that many city beggars dress up on purpose to look pitiable and actually make a good living from begging. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil (恶行). Secondly, there is the worry that the money you give will be spent on beer, wine or drugs. Thirdly, there is the opinion that there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor, but that is no reason for losing one’s sense of pride and self-dependence.
Related to this is the opinion that the problem should be dealt with by the government rather than ordinary people. Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and receive help.
It is hard to come to any final conclusion; there are various cases and we must deal with them differently. A few coins can save a life in some situations, and even if the money is wasted, that does not take away the moral goodness of the giver.
1. What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A.Moral deeds of people. | B.Religious activities of the church. |
C.Moral goodness of the giver. | D.Arguments on giving to beggars. |
paragraph?
A.People no longer know who suffers misfortune in the village. |
B.Some people will not do what was morally right in the past. |
C.We don’t meet with those who need help any more. |
D.Now it is the government’s duty to help the beggars. |
A.Some people dress up to pretend to be beggars. |
B.Some beggars want money to help their children go to school. |
C.Some beggars use the money to buy drugs. |
D.Some beggars have no excuse for begging. |
A.the cases can be so different |
B.there are so many beggars |
C.there is so much money wasted |
D.there are so many different arguments |
John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin. The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner’s name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell.
He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested — 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York.
She wrote, “You’ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat.” So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose.
As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her, entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split in two.
He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him.
The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, “I’m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?”
She replied with a smile, “I don’t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, I’d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
1. John was eager to know the former owner of the book because he ______.
A.was very interested in the contents of the book |
B.was impressed by the notes written by its owner |
C.wanted to improve his handwriting |
D.wanted to discuss the book with her |
A.He served in the army abroad. |
B.He went overseas for vacation. |
C.He went on a business trip in New York. |
D.He visited Miss Maynell. |
A.She was Miss Maynell’s close friend. |
B.She was a waitress in the big restaurant. |
C.She was probably a passerby. |
D.She was paid to meet John at the Station. |
A.An Interesting Book | B.A Woman With a Rose |
C.A Brave Soldier | D.A Love Test |
7 . Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1. The first to celebrate thanksgiving were____.A.some people from England | B.the American Indians |
C.Sarah Josepha Hale | D.Governor Bradford |
A.in the U. S. A. | B.in Great Britain |
C.in Canada | D.on some island off the Atlantic |
A.Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest. |
B.Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations. |
C.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God. |
D.There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. |
A.how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A. |
B.how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated |
C.that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday |
D.how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places |
Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.
Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.
Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.
1. According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?
A.Mexicans declared their independence from Spain. |
B.The Spanish ruled Mexico. |
C.The Aztecs lived in Mexico. |
D.Americans fought a war with Mexico. |
A.the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean |
B.Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th |
C.Mexico to become one of the states of the Union |
D.Americans to adopt the Mexican language |
A.inspect | B.cover |
C.change | D.determine |
A.building styles | B.vocabulary |
C.clothes | D.food |
A.didn’t speak Spanish |
B.couldn’t read or write any language |
C.didn’t have tools |
D.didn’t understand the concept of time |
Now we can see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They are not speaking to each other.
They haven’t spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can’t see his face. The wife looks very worried as she gets a cup of tea ready for him. Today she is using a new kind of tea for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn’t interested. He tastes his tea. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different! Can it be the tea? He takes another taste. It’s wonderful. He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in surprise, “Doris, when did you cut your hair?” Doris is pleased. She answers, “Two months ago.” Doris asks, “Herbie, when did your hair begin to become white?” He answers, “A long time ago.” Doris says, “We have been together for many years, but we never cared about each other.” Now they aren’t worried any longer. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of tea changed their lives?
1. This story happens______________________.
A.before breakfast | B.after breakfast |
C.at home | D.in a teahouse |
A.Doris is drinking tea | B.Herbie likes the new kind of tea |
C.Doris is reading a newspaper | D.Herbie is very young and good-looking |
A.a wonderful | B.an unhappy |
C.an enjoyable | D.a friendly |
A.They are good friends. | B.They have just got married. |
C.They like to talk about their hair. | D.They are no longer young. |
A.a radio programme | B.a short film |
C.a computer game | D.a beautiful painting |
People have strange ideas about food. For example, the tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous (有毒的). They called tomatoes “poison apples.”
President Thomas Jefferson, however, knew that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President’s party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored (忠实的) guests about the fact.
1. After you read the passage, which of the following do you think is true?
A.Americans never ate tomatoes after they began to plant them. |
B.Americans didn’t eat tomatoes before 19th century. |
C.Even now Americans don’t eat tomatoes. |
D.In the 18th century Americans ate a lot of tomatoes. |
A.while he was in Paris | B.when he was a little boy |
C.because his parents told him so | D.from books |
A.the President himself | B.a French cook | C.the President’s cook | D.the President’s wife |
A.people from other countries | B.from France | C.people of his own country | D.men only |
A.All of the guests knew the soup that was served at the President’s party was made of tomatoes. |
B.All of the guests thought the soup which was prepared by the President’s cook was nice. |
C.All of the guests thought the taste of the beautiful pink soup was nice. |
D.None of the guests knew that their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. |