1 . Two farmers were on their way home one evening after a hard day's work. Both were tired. They happened to look up at the sky and saw a black cloud overhead.
“Ah!” said one farmer, “tomorrow we shall have rain and the rice will grow well.” The second answered, “Nonsense (胡说), the rain will only kill the crops (庄稼).”
So they began to quarrel (争吵). Just then a third farmer came along and asked them why they were quarreling. Both farmers explained about the black cloud.
“What cloud?” asked the third farmer. They all looked at the sky. The cloud was no longer there.
1. The two farmers were ________.| A．going home | B．going to the field |
| C．going to work | D．going to see their friend |
| A．had a holiday | B．didn't work |
| C．worked hard | D．wanted to quarrel with each other |
| A．it will rain soon | B．it will be fine |
| C．it will get hot | D．the sun is shining brightly |
| A．wanted to make friends with them |
| B．joined them in the quarrel |
| C．wanted to know why they were quarreling |
| D．had nothings to do |
2 . When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence “How do you do?” as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It’s important to master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can’t understand the speaker’s sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes. But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. Let’s see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
“She only likes apples.”
“Only she likes apples.”
“I have seen the film already.”
“I have already seen the film.”
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit(实质) of the language and use it as the English speaker does.
1. From the passage we know that _______when we are learning English.| A．we shouldn’t put every word into our own language |
| B．we should look up every word in the dictionary |
| C．we need to put every word into our own language |
| D．we must read word by word |
| A．difficult to understand different sounds |
| B．possible to remember the word order |
| C．important to master the rules in different ways |
| D．easy to master the rules for word order |
| A．is the same as “Only she likes apples.” |
| B．is different from “Only she likes apples.” |
| C．means “She likes fruit except apples.” |
| D．means “She doesn’t like apples.” |
| A．the meaning of an English sentence always changes with the order of the words |
| B．The order of words can never change the meaning of an English sentence |
| C．sometimes different order of words has a different meaning |
| D．if the order of words is different, the meaning of the sentence must be different |
3 . Having a best friend is one of the most important experiences of childhood. Adults, however, generally take friendship for granted (认为理当如此). They often feel the joy of having a best friend while growing up. But kids are curious (好奇的) and sometimes they cannot understand the meaning of friendship. This book describes the joy and importance of youthful friendships as eleven pairs and groups of best friends tell what they like and dislike about each other, what special things they do together, and why they are so close.
Their stories prove that best friends can live far away or right next door, can have different backgrounds, can argue and can stay best friends forever—if they know how to keep a friendship alive. The book provides suggested activities for best friends, such as creating a special language, making a best friend’s website, organizing a best friend’s party, or starting a best friend’s club. What is most important is to support each other when one of them is in trouble. The book also points out different kinds of problems between friends, such as how to deal with different opinions, how to keep their friendships for a longer time, and how to communicate with each other.
No matter whether you have a best friend or not, after reading this book, you will learn ways to get along well with others. Finally, you will find out someone may be right there, just waiting for you to find out how to become a best friend.
1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.| A．people know little about the importance of friendship |
| B．adults hardly understand what friendship means |
| C．people often make best friends in their childhood |
| D．people can get lots of pleasure from their friends |
| A．Learn languages together. | B．Join a friend’s club. |
| C．Try to help each other. | D．Talk with friends often. |
| A．People can learn how to become a best friend. |
| B．Friends should spend more time being together. |
| C．It is easy to make friends with other people. |
| D．It is interesting to take part in these activities. |
| A．You keep your friends waiting for you for a long time. |
| B．Those who like waiting for you are your life-long friends. |
| C．It takes you quite a long time to know who your real friends are. |
| D．You make friends easily when you know the meaning of friendship. |
4 . I just had one of the most interesting experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my dearest friends.
One cold evening, I drove home and was stuck in a traffic jam, when my car started to die. I managed to coast into a gas station in order not to get in others’ way. Before I made the call to ask for help, I found a crying woman. I walked towards her and asked if she needed help. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now.
I helped her fill up her car completely, walked to the next McDonald’s and bought 2 big bags of food, some gifts and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car. They ate them quickly. And we stood eating fries and talking a little.
She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her husband left 2 months ago and she had not been able to support her family. So she went to California to find her parents. She packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.
I gave her my gloves, a hug and said a quick prayer（祈祷） with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, “So, are you like an angel or something?”
It was so incredible（不可思议的） to be a part of someone else’s miracle（奇迹）. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem.
1. The writer did all the following for the woman EXCEPT ________.| A．help her gas up her car |
| B．buy some drinks and food |
| C．feed the food to her children |
| D．buy some gifts |
| A．ask her parents for help |
| B．spend Christmas with her parents |
| C．look for her husband |
| D．make a living by herself |
| A．the writer was too kind and did everything he could to help her |
| B．the writer was kinder than any other person in this world |
| C．the woman didn’t get any help from others before she met the writer |
| D．the writer didn’t ask for a pay for what he had done for the woman |
| A．the writer thought helping others could get another name |
| B．the writer hoped that the woman could pay him back soon |
| C．the writer often helps other people who need help |
| D．helping others may bring you a surprise |
5 . My grandfather is an eighty-year-old man. He always complains about how things have changed, and he says that life used to be better.
Families aren't families the way (they used to be). A lot of families have broken down. If husband and wife are having problems with their marriage, they no longer stay together. And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now not any more. Everyone's working. No one has time to look after their children anymore.
And the cars! No one walks anymore; everyone drives. They used to walk five miles to school every day, even in winter. And in school, the children don't have to think anymore. In math class, for example, they used to add, subtract (减) , multiply( 乘), and divide (除) in their heads. Kids don't use their heads anymore; instead, they use calculators(计算器).
Most families have computers now. In their day, they didn't have computers. They didn't even have electricity. His mother used to spend all day cooking in the kitchen. Nobody eats home-cooked food anymore.
And people don't talk to each other anymore, they are too busy to talk, too busy to eat, too busy to think ... Life used to be simple, but it isn't anymore. It's complicated.
1. What does my grandfather think of the life now?| A．He thinks life now is the same as it used to be. |
| B．He thinks life now is worse than it used to be. |
| C．He thinks life now is better than it used to be. |
| D．He thinks life now is very good. |
| A．生活 | B．工作 | C．婚姻 | D．家庭 |
| A．The students don't have to think anymore in school |
| B．The students use calculators in math class. |
| C．The students used to walk to school,but now they don't. |
| D．All above. |
①There is electricity at home.
②People like to eat home-cooked food.
③Lots of families have computers.
④Lots of couples live apart because of unhappy problems.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①②③ | D．①③④ |
6 . A farmer was put in prison(监狱). One day, he got a letter from his wife.“I am worried about our farm,” she wrote. “It’s time to plant potatoes , but I can’t do all the digging by myself.”
The farmer thought over and then had an idea. He wrote to his wife,“Don’t dig the fields. This field is where my gold is. Don’t plant potatoes until I come home.
A few days later, the farmer got another letter from his wife. It said,“Two days ago,about ten prison guards(监狱看守) came to our fields. It looked as if they were looking for something. They have dug our field.”
The farmer wrote to his wife at once. “Now you can plant our potatoes,” he wrote.
1. The farmer was put in prison ________.| A．because he had done something wrong |
| B．because he had a lot of gold in the fields |
| C．The writer didn’t say anything about why the farmer was put in prison |
| D．For nothing |
| A．her husband | B．their farm | C．planting potatoes | D．herself |
| A．not to dig the fields | B．to dig the fields |
| C．to ask the prison guards for help | D．to find the gold in the fields |
| A．They wanted to help the farmer | B．Their leader ordered them to do so |
| C．The farmer asked them to do so | D．They wanted to find out the gold |
| A．their fields had been dug | B．the gold was found out |
| C．the prison guards asked him to do so | D．the prison guards were digging the fields |
7 . English is considered the language of International communication. So if you want to improve your English speaking skills and the level of fluency when you speak, visit any of the online English speaking courses provided below. The selling point of these courses is that they are free and can be used anytime and anywhere.
14-day Language Fluency Course
Want a quick course in English speaking? Enroll for (登记参加) the two-week English speaking course that will not only improve your speaking skills but also help you prepare for TOFEL, IBLTS and other such exams. English speaking is one of the requirements to pass the test and this course will help you understand the important details of speaking English for ESL speakers.
Available (可获得的) at: Udemy
Duration: 2hr 30min of on-demand (按需要随选) video.
Speak English Professionally: In Person, Online and On the Phone
Speaking the English language correctly, which means speaking with the right words and pronunciation, is a challenging task. However, this course will enable you to enrich your English vocabulary so that you don’t fall short of words while speaking a foreign language. After the completion of this course, you will be able to experience many changes in your
English speaking skills. In addition, you will be able to know how culture influences your speech and understand the role of body language for different cultural settings, too.
Available at: Coursera
Duration: 16 hours
Improve Your English Listening Skills with Movie Lines
People who love to watch Hollywood movies can enroll for this course to improve their English listening through movie lines. Understand fast-talking native English speakers through their words and explore more about your favorite movies.This course is a little different from regular courses as it is filled with fun while learning.
Available at: Udemy
Duration: 1hr 30min of on-demand video.
1. Why should some people choose the 14-day English Language Fluency Course?| A．To learn about cultural differences. |
| B．To improve their listening ability. |
| C．To have fun while learning. |
| D．To prepare for IELTS and other such exams. |
| A．Pass the test. |
| B．Enrich their vocabulary. |
| C．Watch Hollywood movies. |
| D．Master the skill of writing. |
| A．1.5 hours. | B．2.5 hours. | C．8 hours. | D．16 hours. |
8 . Around the world,people have different traditional foods to celebrate different festivals．Traditional foods also show a new year of good luck and good health:An English Christmas dinner has a meal of turkey,and it also includes pies and plum puddings(李子布丁)．In Germany,Christmas is celebrated with bread cookies and cakes,which are made like Christmas trees.In France,Christmas dessert is a cake filled with butter cream.
In southern parts of India,there is a three-day festival in mid-January called Pongal.It includes rice and a dish of rice cooked with sugar that is shared with families and friends.
Japan celebrates New Year with a seven-day festival.It begins from January 1st.Food is prepared before the festival so people don't need to cook during the festival.On New Year's Day，various dishes called Osechi ryori(御节料理) are served — each dish is a wish for the New Year.
In most Asian countries,the New Year begins with the first full moon of the first Chinese Lunar(阴历的) month．Each place has its special food to welcome the coming year:People in China prepare their food ahead of time to avoid the possibility that using a knife during New Year's time might "cut luck",Foods with lucky names are popular，such as fish,which sounds like "surplus(剩余)".
1. What do you learn from the passage?| A．people have different traditional foods to celebrate different festivals． |
| B．New Year begins from January 10th in Japan． |
| C．In France，Christmas dessert is a cake filled with butter． |
| D．Traditional foods only show a new of good luck． |
| A．Christmas． | B．Pongal． | C．New Year． | D．Lantern Festival． |
| A．different | B．same | C．expensive | D．few |
9 . If knowledge is power, then books are fuel and libraries are power stations! Here are four amazing libraries that can get you positively charged.
New York Public Library—New York
Opened in 1911, New York Public Library was the largest marble building in the world. Over the years the library has a collection of 53 million items, including rare first edition books, 300 million pages of historical newspapers and around 40 ,000 restaurant menus dating back to 1850!
Chetham's Library— Manchester
Founded in 1653, Chetham's Library is a free public library with the longest history in the UK. The building itself is even older —built in 1421, it's one of the most well—protected medieval buildings in England!
With 100 ,000 + books lining the shelves, the special atmosphere of the library attracts students and scholars alike to attend guided tours offered throughout the year.
The Library of Congress Washington, D. C.
Located on Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress is considered the national library of the US and the second largest library in the world. The library has around 168 million items, adding 10 ,000 to this number every day.
Need to catch up on the news? The Library of Congress, which was founded in 1800, holds the world’s largest newspaper collection, with some dating back as far as 1659!
The British Library—London
The British Library was founded in 1973. With around 170 million items spread across 750 km of shelving, it's the largest library in the world. And this number is continually growing and 8 km of shelving has to be added every year! This is partly because the British Library must receive a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland, by law.
1. Where can you visit the oldest library?| A．In New York. | B．In London. |
| C．In Manchester. | D．In Washington, D. C. |
| A．Its large area. |
| B．Its various functions. |
| C．Its building materials. |
| D．Its newspaper collection. |
| A．The legal rule. | B．The public's help. |
| C．The printing skills. | D．The librarians' efforts. |
10 . Kids should learn when they should call 911 because sometimes accidents happen.I will never forget the day when I first called 911.
One day I was sitting on a rock watching my mom train a horse.Suddenly, the horse kicked (踢) and she fell off the horse.She landed on the ground, rolled over, got up on her knees, and held her face in her hands.The horse ran off.
I was in a bit of shock. I shouted to my mom and asked if she was all right. She didn’t answer. Instead, she ran into the house. I was scared, but I knew my mom would want me to make sure the horse was safe. I found the horse and led him back to the barn (畜棚).
After I put him in the barn, I ran into the house.My mom did not look OK.I called 911 and told the operator what had happened.Soon an ambulance came.It drove us a short distance to where a plane was waiting to take my mom to the hospital.In the ambulance, I called my mom’s friend, who came and took me to the hospital, too.
On the way to the hospital, I was scared and started to cry.Would my mom be OK? Luckily, after five days in the hospital, she got well and came home.She said I was a brave girl.I was so happy to have her back.She was riding and training horses again after about six weeks.
1. The second paragraph mainly tells us_______.| A．how the accident happened |
| B．how the writer's mother trained horses |
| C．how the writer felt when the accident happened |
| D．what the writer was doing when the accident happened |
| A．She called 911. | B．She stood there quietly. |
| C．She went to find the horse. | D．She followed her into the house. |
| A．never trained horses again | B．stayed in hospital for five days |
| C．sold the horse that made her fall | D．didn’t allow the writer to ride horses |
