1 . In France, there once lived a man named Louis Pasteur, who was a doctor of science. The thing that concerned him most was the disease rabies (狂犬病).
“I must find the rabies germs that hide inside people and make them so sick that they die,” he thought. “Once I find them, I’ll think of a way to kill them.”
Many people thought Pasteur was wasting his time. Some laughed at him and said, “You’ll never do it.”
Pasteur didn’t care what people thought; he believed in himself. He kept right on working.
At the same time, in Germany, a boy named Joey was about to get into trouble. He was teasing a dog. But this dog was sick with rabies, which made the dog mad. Unfortunately, the dog bit him. The rabies germs were passed from the dog to Joey.
Soon the little boy was very sick. His parents could only wait. But then there was news. Joey’s mother saw it and shouted for joy. “A doctor of science has found a way to save sick people like Joey!” she said. The man, of course, was Louis Pasteur. Joey’s parents quickly prepared Joey for the long journey to Paris.
“Dr. Pasteur,” said the mother. “Our little boy is very sick. Can you help us?”
“Perhaps,” said Pasteur. “I’ve invented a vaccine (疫苗). It is strong enough to kill the rabies germs. Joey will be the first person to have my rabies vaccine.”
“The first person?” asked Joey’s worried father nervously. “Will it be dangerous? Are you sure it will work?”
“I believe it will,” said Pasteur.
Slowly the vaccine killed more and more of the rabies germs. Joey began to get well. Dr. Pasteur’s vaccine was a success!
From then on no one had to be afraid of rabies anymore, and people who had laughed at him before, respected him. He is recognized as one of the world’s greatest scientists.
1. What was people’s first reaction toward Pasteur’s thoughts on killing rabies germs?| A．Hopeful. | B．Sceptical. | C．Uncaring. | D．Cheerful. |
| A．He fought with a dog. | B．He drove a mad dog away. |
| C．He killed the rabies germs. | D．He got rabies unexpectedly. |
| A．Proud and imaginative. | B．Careful and simple-minded. |
| C．Selfless and humorous. | D．Confident and strong-minded. |
| A．The amazing story of Joey. |
| B．Pasteur’s deep interest in science. |
| C．The first known person to survive rabies. |
| D．Pasteur’s success in finding a treatment for rabies. |
2 . After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over one hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live anymore. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I will never get to do that. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Yours,
Matthew
1. The boy wanted to meet the author because _______.| A．he was interested in weight lifting | B．he wanted to get a gold medal |
| C．he admired the author very much | D．he wanted the author to know him |
| A．Why do you come to see me? | B．Why do I have to stay at home? |
| C．Why does the disease fall on me | D．Why not give a gold medal to me |
| A．Matthew is a determined boy | B．Rick used to have the same disease |
| C．Matthew became a champion finally | D．Rick regarded Matthew as normal |
| A．he was not worthy of it | B．he would not be pitied by others |
| C．he knew he would die soon | D．he thought he himself could earn one in the future |
3 . When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks (挫折) to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story”, shown in late April.
Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “next to nothing could hold me down”. She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time.”
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “as simple as making a decision”.
1. The main idea of the passage is ________.| A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University |
| B．how Liz struggled to change her life |
| C．why Liz loved her parents so much |
| D．the hard time Liz had in her childhood |
a. Her mother died of AIDS.
b. She worked at a petrol station.
c. She got admitted into Harvard.
d. The movie about her life was put on.
e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.
| A．b, e, a, d, c | B．a, b, c, e, d | C．e, d, b, a, c | D．b, a, e, c, d |
| A．Both Liz’s father and mother are AIDS-infected patients. |
| B．Liz lived a hard time in her childhood. |
| C．Liz’s story is an inspiration to many people. |
| D．Liz hated her father because he got addicted to drugs. |
| A．Envy and encouragement. | B．Willpower and determination. |
| C．Decisions and understanding. | D．Love and respect for her parents. |
4 . Once a teacher was giving her young students a lesson on how the government works. She was trying to explain the principle of income tax(所得税).
“You see,” she began speaking slowly and carefully, “each person who works must pay part of his or her salary to the government. If you make a high salary, your taxes are high. If you don’t make much money, your taxes are low.”
“Does it make sense?” she asked. “Does everyone understand the meaning of income tax?” The students nodded.
“Are there any questions?” she asked. The students shook their heads.
“Very good!” she said. “Now, I would like you to take a piece of paper and write a short composition on the subject of income tax.”
Little Joe was a slow learner. He had lots of problems with spelling and grammar, but at least this time he seemed to understand the task. He took his pen and after a few minutes, he handed the teacher the following composition: Once I had a dog. His name was Tax. I opened the door and in come Tax.
1. The teacher was trying to explain ____________ one day.| A．how the government works | B．the principle of income tax |
| C．everyone should pay income tax | D．how much tax one should pay for his income |
| A．all the students shook their heads |
| B．many of the students were still puzzled |
| C．a few students disagreed with their teacher |
| D．not all the students understood the meaning of income tax |
| A．to say something about income tax | B．to answer some questions on income tax |
| C．to write a composition on income tax | D．to explain the principle of income tax |
| A．His poor understanding of the teaching. | B．The teacher. |
| C．His classmates’ nodding heads. | D．His spelling and grammar ability. |
Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride，there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation－in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two－day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home，although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life，different countries，and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry，you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.
It sure beats driving the car，which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.
1. According to the passage，the purpose of the author’s train ride was .
| A．to do business | B．to see her children |
| C．to visit places of interest | D．to see her old friends |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Satisfied. | C．Worried. | D．Pleased. |
| A．She is too old to drive now. |
| B．She does not like to take trains. |
| C．Although she is old，she has a good memory. |
| D．Her daughters live far away from her home. |
| A．Train ride－a cultural experience | B．A painful experience on the train |
| C．The history of Amtrak | D．A wonderful lady |
