One evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful-looking man. He’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old son. “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus till morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face…I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”
I told him we would find him a bed. When I had finished the dishes, I talked with him. He told me he fished for a living to support his five children, and his wife, who was hopelessly crippled (残疾的) from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. Next morning, just before he left, as if asking a great favor, he said, “Could I come back and stay the next time?” He added, “Your children made me feel at home.”
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and the largest oysters (牡蛎) I had ever seen. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us and there was never a time that he did not bring us vegetables from his garden. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned how to accept the bad without complaint when facing the misfortune.
1. Why did the author agree to let the man spend the night in his house at last?
A.Because the man said others refused to accommodate him. |
B.Because the man said he would not cause much inconvenience. |
C.Because the man said he had come from the eastern shore. |
D.Because the man said he had been hunting for a room since noon. |
A.About 1 hour. | B.About 2 hours. |
C.About 3 hours. | D.About 4 hours. |
A.the author’s children were kind and friendly to the man |
B.the man was fed up with his hard-work and his family |
C.John Hopkins Hospital provided rooms for the patients to live in |
D.the author and his family were thought highly of by his neighbors |
A.he often brought them fish and vegetables from his garden |
B.he paid them money for his staying |
C.he taught them how to accept the bad without complaint |
D.he stayed only overnight with the writer’s family |
“Last week, ” he said, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As
it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn’t get it back. ”
“How did you write your advertisement? ” asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
“Here it is, ” said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. ”
“Now, ” said the merchant, “I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I’ll buy you a new one. ”
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn’t wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. ”
This appeared in the newspaper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.
1. The result of the first advertisement was that____ .
A.the man got his umbrella back |
B.the man wasted some money advertising |
C.nobody found the missing umbrella |
D.the umbrella was found somewhere near the church |
A.buy a new umbrella |
B.go on looking for his umbrella |
C.write another and better advertisement |
D.report the police |
A.was quite sure of success |
B.wanted to buy him a new umbrella |
C.didn’t know what to do |
D.was rich enough to buy one |
A.a useless advertisement |
B.how to make an effective advertisement |
C.how the man lost and found his umbrella |
D.what the merchant did for the umbrella owner |
I grew up with a stutter, really afraid of trying to get through simple sentences—knowing that I would then, or later, be laughed at. I still remember the reading when I was in 7th grade at St. Helena’s: “Sir Walter Raleigh was a gentlemen…” I remember reciting, “Sir Walter Raleigh was a gentlemen.” The school teacher said, “Master B-B-B-Biden! What’s that word?” She wanted me to say gentlemen. But by then, I had learned to put my sentences into bite-size pieces and I was reading it: “gentle”|breath|“man”.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, the teachers were great. I never had professional treatment but a couple of teachers taught me to put a regular rise and fall in my tone of speaking, and that’s why I spent so much time reading poetry. But even in my small, boys’ prep school, I got nailed in my class with the nickname Joe Stutterer. You get so desperate, you’re so embarrassed. I actually went and stood by the side of my house once, with a small round stone in my mouth, and tried to talk. Jill always thought I was kidding until she saw the movie and saw King George did the same thing.
King George relied on the support his wife and the help of Lionel Longue, who, in describing working with other stutterers, said, “My job was to give them confidence in their voices and let them know that a friend was listening.” I was lucky enough to have more than a couple of Lionels in my life. Nobody in my family ever—ever—made fun of me or tried to finish my sentences. My mother would say, “
Through hard work and determination, I beat my stutter in high school. I even spoke briefly at my graduation ceremony in 1961—the most difficult speech of my life. My fight against shyness and embarrassment at my early age has developed my ability to understand others’ feelings as Vice President of the country in public life. I still mark up all of my speeches the say way Firth’s character does in the movie, pencil-marking every line to remind myself to stop, to breathe, to pause—to beat back my stuttering as best as I can. I don’t stutter anymore, and most people who know me only late in my life are shocked that I ever did.
By capturing exactly how a stutter feels, The King’s Speech has shown millions of people how much courage it takes for a stutterer to stand up and speak. Equally important, it has shown millions who suffer from the pain that it can be overcome, we are not alone, and with the support of those around us, our deepest fears can be conquered.
1. The writer whispered to his wife, “A stutterer wrote this screenplay”, because __________.
A.he desired to release his secret to his wife |
B.he was reminded how it was as a stutterer on such occasions |
C.he thought Colin Firth had a wonderful performance in the film |
D.he wanted to make his wife realize why the film was so popular |
A.The writer would have a good fortune to get help from many people. |
B.The writer should realize he had to stand up from his pain and defeat it |
C.The writer could get enough confidence under his mother’s help |
D.The writer must be happy that everyone in his family did not laugh at him. |
A.Whatever pain and fear we have, we can defeat them if we try hard. |
B.The similar stories of the writer and King George VI gains great admiration. |
C.The suffer we had at our early age will have a heavy influence on our future life. |
D.Stuttering is such a pain for children that we should give help and encourage them. |
Last Friday, after doing all the family shopping in town, I
When I came back with the coffee, there was someone in the
The boy gave me a
A.serious | B.wonderful | C.funny | D.exciting |
A.enjoyed | B.took | C.had | D.wanted |
A.cake | B.newspaper | C.magazine | D.bag |
A.chairs | B.tables | C.benches | D.beds |
A.order | B.find | C.keep | D.visit |
A.very | B.same | C.free | D.next |
A.wild-looked | B.wild-looking | C.good-looking | D.good-looked |
A.red | B.black | C.brown | D.white |
A.interest | B.surprise | C.frighten | D.hurt |
A.looked | B.lay | C.sat | D.put |
A.eagerly | B.friendly | C.closely | D.shyly |
A.believe | B.hear | C.notice | D.stop |
A.last | B.big | C.single | D.third |
A.angry | B.lucky | C.happy | D.curious |
A.covered | B.threw | C.got | D.wrapped |
A.strange | B.exhausting | C.nervous | D.pleasant |
A.agreed | B.promised | C.stared | D.followed |
A.better | B.worse | C.later | D.easier |
A.wondered | B.realized | C.decided | D.recognized |
A.bags | B.clothes | C.book | D.newspaper |
5 . “How did you do it, Dad? How have you
“I had this little
About a month after this talk with my father, I
I
God, give me the serenity (平静)to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to
A.failed | B.succeeded | C.managed | D.tried |
A.courage | B.ability | C.wisdom | D.confidence |
A.interesting | B.personal | C.hard | D.unanswered |
A.started | B.enjoyed | C.minded | D.stopped |
A.every time | B.all time | C.next time | D.last time |
A.anxious | B.glad | C.afraid | D.eager |
A.book | B.passage | C.poem | D.list |
A.at least | B.at most | C.at first | D.at last |
A.comment | B.praise | C.contribution | D.reply |
A.words | B.phrases | C.letters | D.sentences |
A.strange | B.different | C.simple | D.tough |
A.shared | B.talked | C.read | D.impressed |
A.surprisingly | B.immediately | C.increasingly | D.regularly |
A.brought | B.bought | C.received | D.accepted |
A.hour | B.week | C.month | D.day |
A.easily | B.hurriedly | C.sadly | D.peacefully |
A.Tears | B.Smiles | C.Sweat | D.Satisfaction |
A.correct | B.impossible | C.original | D.exact |
A.mother | B.father | C.friend | D.classmate |
A.believe | B.benefit | C.change | D.do |
His father was a doctor, so Darwin was sent to Edinburgh to study medicine, and was planned to follow a medical career. But Charles found the lectures boring. Then his father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest. While at Cambridge, Darwin’s interest in zoology and geography grew. Later he got a letter from Robert Fitzroy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship, the Beagle. He wanted a naturalist to join the ship, and Darwin was recommended(推荐). That voyage was the start of Darwin’s great life.
As the Beagle sailed around the world, Darwin began to wonder how life had developed on earth. He began to observe everything. After he was home, he set to work, getting his collection in order. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received, but he was slow to make public his ideas on the origin of life.
Later Darwin and Wallace, another naturalist who had the same opinions as Darwin, produced a paper together. Darwin’s great book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (《物种起源》) appeared. It attracted a storm. People thought that Darwin was saying they were descended from monkeys. What a shameful idea! Although most scientists agreed that Darwin was right, the Church was still so strong that Darwin never received any honors for his work.
Afterwards, he published another great work, The Descent of Man. His health grew worse, but he still worked. “When I have to give up observation, I shall die,” he said. He was still working on 17, April, 1882. He was dead two days later.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Charles Darwin’s ideas |
B.Charles Darwin’s works |
C.Father of modern biology: Charles Darwin |
D.The greatest scientist: Charles Darwin |
A.make him like natural history |
B.make him become a doctor |
C.let him change his hobbies |
D.have him give up his collection |
A.his study at Cambridge University |
B.his collection of coins |
C.the naturalists at Cambridge |
D.the voyage of the Beagle |
A.they gave monkeys life |
B.they were different from monkeys |
C.they were developed from monkeys |
D.they had to live with monkeys |
Soon after we were given the project, my
As I looked down at the short gentleman with
The young
He said, “Coffee is all, Miss.” Because that was all they could
I smiled and asked the young lady to give me two more breakfast meals on a
When I joined my husband, he smiled at me, saying, “That is
I returned to
I slowly
In my own way I had
A.question | B.project | C.class | D.expression |
A.smile | B.laugh | C.look | D.stare |
A.difficult | B.funny | C.important | D.easy |
A.teacher | B.classmates | C.family | D.children |
A.ordered | B.served | C.paid | D.called |
A.run away | B.crowd in | C.shout out | D.move away |
A.in surprise | B.in silence | C.in rags | D.in fear |
A.tearful | B.blue | C.closed | D.black |
A.realized | B.accepted | C.permitted | D.admitted |
A.helper | B.gentleman | C.lady | D.friend |
A.drink | B.want | C.take | D.afford |
A.big | B.separate | C.flat | D.round |
A.working | B.going | C.getting | D.carrying |
A.how | B.when | C.where | D.why |
A.college | B.home | C.church | D.McDonald’s |
A.put up | B.handed out | C.handed in | D.put away |
A.publish | B.share | C.copy | D.keep |
A.turned | B.left | C.shook | D.nodded |
A.forgiven | B.thanked | C.helped | D.remembered |
A.touched | B.knew | C.forgot | D.recognized |
8 . Have you seen Jurassic Park? In this film, scientists use DNA kept for tens of millions of years to clone dinosaurs. They find trouble, however, when they realize that the cloned creatures are smarter and more dangerous than expected. That’s nothing more than a fiction.
But could we really clone endangered animals?
To date, the most successful attempt to do so was the cloning of a gaur, a rare ox-like animal from southeast Asia. Scientists used a cow to bring the cloned baby gaur, named Noah. Two days after birth, however, Noah died from a common bacterial infection. Other endangered species that may be cloned include the African bongo antelope (邦戈羚羊), the Sumatran tiger, the cheetah (猎豹), and the giant panda. Next, could we really clone extinct animals?
In theory? Yes. To do this, you need a well-kept source of DNA from the extinct animals such as wool mammoth (毛象), Tasmanian tiger, or even dinosaur, and a closely related species, still living, which could serve as a surrogate mother.
In reality? Probably not. On the one hand, it’s not likely that extinct animals’ DNA could survive undamaged for such a long time. Cloning extinct animals as wool mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, or dinosaur is much more difficult due to the lack of properly well-preserved DNA. On the other hand, for example, a gaur can have a cow as a surrogate mother, definitely not a monkey. But what about an extinct animals as unique as the panda? What species could possibly serve as a surrogate mother?
Cloning presents many exciting possibilities. However, even if extinct animals are brought back, they could not survive in today’s world. Not only do most extinct animals have no habitat to love in, but the other plants and animals they depended on for food may also be gone as well.
1. It can be learned from the text that ________.A.scientists have cloned the African bongo antelope |
B.both the cheetah and the giant panda live in Asia |
C.the gaur lives in Asia and is endangered |
D.the gaur is an extinct species |
A.contributes its eggs to another female | B.gives birth to a baby for another female |
C.gives birth to a baby of its own | D.cannot give birth to a baby |
A.both the well-preserved DNA and plants to live on |
B.both the habitat to live in and the well-preserved DNA |
C.both habitat to live in and plants to live on |
D.both the well-preserved DNA and a surrogate mother |
A.some extinct species may be cloned, but not survive |
B.extinct species may be cloned and easily survive |
C.a gaur can have a monkey as a surrogate mother |
D.all the extinct species may be cloned |
A.Yes | B.No | C.A lot | D.Only one. |
The first grade was a struggle.I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it.The second grade was not much better.I still struggled with the inability to read.It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home.I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one.However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years.
It was in the fifth grade.Mrs.Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her.She did not make me feel defeated.On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be.And that is just what I did.
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher.Because of Mrs.Wakefield's influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone.I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year.I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be.
1. The writer ______ when he was in the third grade.
A.did better in reading | B.began speech lessons |
C.went to a new school | D.received a high award |
A.is a very successful teacher now |
B.thinks teaching is a challenging job |
C.has solved problems with his own effort |
D.works in the same school with Mrs.Wakefield |
A.To express his devotion to his work. |
B.To show his respect to a special teacher. |
C.To share his teaching experience with us. |
D.To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties. |
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing (作曲) in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies(旋律),and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18th century in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, “I don’t teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch.”
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. “I’m a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don’t have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record.”
1. When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?
A.At age three. | B.At age ten. | C.At age seven. | D.At age four. |
A.He feels nervous while playing the piano |
B.He can compose in his head while doing his work. |
C.He wants to be a piano tutor when he grows up. |
D.He doesn’t like to listen to the teacher at school. |
A.He also plays the piano well. |
B.He’s a single father with two children. |
C.He believes in Shane’s talent for music and will support him. |
D.Not having enough money, he will ask the teachers for help |