After sunset on our last day at the farm I walked out into the desert. In this, the first pleasant moment for a walk after long hot hours, I thought I was the only thing out of doors. Suddenly I stopped. Before me a rattlesnake lay fixed, its head not yet drawn back to strike but only turned a little to watch what I would do. Many snakes will run away at the sight of a man but this rattlesnake felt no necessity to get out of any-body's way. He held his ground in calm watch-fullness waiting for me to show my intentions. My first aim was to take no notice of him; I had never killed an animal if I was not forced to kill. But I remembered that there were children, dogs and horses at the farm as well as men and women with thin clothes on; my duty was to kill the snake. I went back to the farm and returned with a stick. The rattlesnake had not moved; he lay like a wire but more quickly than I could stride he shot into a bush and set up his rattling, warning me by this that I had made an unreasonable attack and attempted to take his life and that if I insisted he would have no choice but to take mine if he could. For a moment I listened to this terrifying sound and then I struck into the bush with my stick and, chop-ping about, dragged him out of the bush with his back broken.
He struck once more at the stick but a moment later his neck was broken and he was soon dead although when I picked him up by the tail his mouth opened, proving that a dead snake may still bite. There was blood in his mouth and poison was dropping; it was not only a dis-gusting(令人作呕的) sight but a pitiful one too. I dropped the body into a green bush and, as I did so, I saw him in my imagination, crawling over the sands as he might have done if I had let him go.At the sight of the author, the rattlesnake .
| A．shot into a bush |
| B．lay motionless but got ready to meet danger |
| C．drew itself up to strike |
| D．took no notice of his presence |
The author had to kill the rattlesnake because .
| A．it stood in his way |
| B．it attempted to take his life |
| C．it presented a disgusting sight |
| D．its presence was a danger to the people and animals at the farm |
Which of the following best describes the rattlesnake?
| A．It attacked man without any reason. |
| B．It would not attack unless it was attacked. |
| C．It ran away at the sight of man. |
| D．It exposed itself to danger. |
It is implied at the end of the passage that the author____.
| A．regretted having killed the snake |
| B．was glad that he had killed the snake |
| C．felt a little sorry for the snake |
| D．could not help thinking about the dead snake |
I feel it enormous responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self-image.
In a lot of women’s eyes I’ve probably already failed in that respect due to the amount of pink princess Barbie (芭比娃娃) mess cluttering up (堆满) Vera’s room. But I will say something about Barbie: I played with that stuff for a solid decade when I was growing up and here I am now at a healthy weight with a healthy outlook on my body and image. I have a successful career. If Barbie was really so damaging to my femininity (女性气质) and self-image I highly doubt I could list all of the accomplishments.
But I get it too. It’s hard for women to maintain a healthy self-image. I have girlfriends around whom I have to brace myself to see, because just being around them makes me self-conscious. I look at old pictures of my mother and wonder why I’ve never been able to be as skinny as she was. And then I have friends who are thinner than their mothers ever were. We women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes. Men like to think we dress and style ourselves for them, but why would we when they hardly notice? I’ve never tried so hard to look good when I know I’m about to meet up with a stylish girlfriend. It’s she who will notice my slimmed-down waist or the thinnest, little bracelet on my arm.
And I have no doubt that the two of you, Veronica and Juliette, will endlessly compare yourselves to each other. You will wonder why one of you got longer legs or shinier hair. The thing I’ll tell you is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. The girl you think looks the most perfect in the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.
Don’t take these on. You are not worthless. You are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through your every second. If someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller. And know that the reason they push you down in the first place is just because they’re scared.From the second paragraph, we can infer that the author _____.
| A．regrets buying so much Barbie stuff for her daughters |
| B．thinks loving Barbie makes her not confident about her self-image |
| C．owes her beauty and success to playing with Barbie |
| D．thinks playing with Barbie caused no damage to her beauty and success |
In the third paragraph, the author intends to show that _____.
| A．women tend to be proud of their beautiful friends |
| B．she cares much about her appearance |
| C．she feels proud of her mother’s beauty |
| D．women tend to admire others and compare with each other |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The author is disappointed that few men take notice of her slim figure. |
| B．The author cares more about looking good before her girlfriends. |
| C．Girls should constantly compare themselves with others to improve their beauty. |
| D．Only the prettiest girl can feel confident about her beauty. |
The author advises her daughters that _____.
| A．they should be cautious not to be pushed down by others |
| B．they should care much about their strong points instead of appearances |
| C．they should try to grow taller than others |
| D．they should care more about others’ opinions |
A month went by in this manner , but a month was all I could bear .
The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went . I had loved that woman --- still loved her --- too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me . Whatever feelings I might have for her now , I had to see her again . At once .
…
I knew Marguerite . Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion . Probably , she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting . But , seeing me back and coming face to face with me , pale as I was , she had sensed that my return had a purpose , and must have wondered what was going to happen .
If , when I saw her again , Marguerite had been unhappy ; if , in taking my revenge （复仇）, there had also been some way of helping her , then I might well have forgiven her , and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm . But when I saw her again , she was happy , at least on the surface . Another man had ensured her the luxury （奢侈）in which I had been unable to keep her . She brought shame both to my pride and my love ; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered .
I could not remain indifferent （冷漠）to what she did now . It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show indifference . Indifference , therefore , was the feeling which I now needed to pretend , not only in her presence but in the eyes of others .
I tried to put a smile on my face , and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was staying .
Prudence saw me to the door , and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer .This passage is most probably _______________ of a love story .
| A．the beginning | B．the introduction | C．a summary | D．a chapter |
According to the passage , the hero（男主角）wanted to _____________ .
| A．forgive Marguerite because he found her unhappy |
| B．stop the relationship with Marguerite because he couldn’t keep her in the luxury |
| C．make up the relationship with Marguerite because he still loved her |
| D．give Marguerite sufferings because his pride and his love were hurt |
What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have ?
| A．Indifference and love . |
| B．Indifference and hate . |
| C．Love and hate . |
| D．Hate and sadness . |
What would the author most probably write about next ?
| A．Why he changed his mind suddenly . |
| B．How he made up his relationship with Marguerite . |
| C．How he made Marguerite suffer. |
| D．Why he wanted Marguerite to pay for what he had suffered . |
Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, on1y men had that opportunity . In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, ‘‘Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,”President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut ,I’m sure I wou1d have said yes,” she said in a 2010 interview . “ But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle.“There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close,” she said.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in1984 . Between the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children , and started her own science education company.
Ride knew that she he1d a unique place in history . “ I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.Sally Ride was regarded as a national hero because she___________ .
| A．was the first American to travel to space |
| B．opened a door for women to find jobs suitable for them |
| C．became the first American female in space |
| D．was the first to travel on the Challenger |
By saying ‘‘There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close”, Ride really meant____________ .
| A．she preferred a ride in an amusement park on the Earth |
| B．the trip to space was like that in an amusement park |
| C．she came close to an amusement park on the Earth |
| D．the trip to space was far more interesting than any ride on the Earth |
The correct order of the following events that happened to Sally Ride is_____________
a. accepted into an astronaut training program
b. spent a total of 343 hours in orbit
c. co-authored six science books for children
d. traveled to space aboard the Challenger
e. studied physics in co11ege and graduate school
| A．e-a-b-c-d | B．a-d-b-c-e | C．e-a-d-b-c | D．e-a-b-d-c |
The passage is most probably taken out of _________________ .
| A．a novel | B．a report | C．a diary | D．an essay |
Dickens & London Exhibition
Date: 9 December, 2011---10 June, 2012
Location: Museum of London
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens in the first major UK exhibition for his Over 40 years.
By recreating the atmosphere of Victorian London through sound and projections. You’ll be taken on an unforgettable journe y to discover the city that inspired his writings.
Paintings, photograghs, costumes and objects will illustrate different themes that Dickens wrote into his works, while rarely seen manuscripts(手稿) including Bleak House and David Copperfield ---written
in the author’s own hand ---will offer clues to his creative genius.
During your visit you’ll discover how Dickens’ childhood experiences of London were introduced into the stories he wrote. The great social questions of the19th century will also be examined, all of which set the scene for Dickens’ greatest works.
Highlights of the exhibition will inc1ude an exciting audio-visual experience bringing to life the desk and chair where Dickens worked on his nove1s, and a special film shot by one of the UK’s leading documentary filmmakers.
Packages include afternoon entry (1:00 pm ---4:00 pm) to the exhibition plus overnight accommodation at a nearby hotel. If you wish to visit the exhibition the day after your hotel stay, p1ease call our reservation department. Call: 08712212717.
Book a trip online with us, with tickets to Dickens & London Exhibition ---afternoon entry and hotel accommodation included in the price. All taxes included. No credit card fees. No booking fees. No discount.
Price Information: a package costs an adult ￡180 and a child ￡90 ( 4---15 ) ; an afternoon entry costs an adult ￡28 and a child ￡14 ( 4---15 ).During the visit, visitors can ___________________
| A．read three Dickens’manuscripts, |
| B．experience a vivid picture of Victorian London |
| C．find the great social problems in London at present |
| D．sit at the desk where Dickens worked hard on his novels |
What do we know about Dickens in this passage?
| A．He used to be a filmmaker . |
| B．He lived a hard life in his childhood. |
| C．He wrote different themes into his works. |
| D．He wrote social violence into his books. |
If we book a trip online, we have the following benefits EXCEPT that ___________ .
| A．we can book it free of charge |
| B．we will pay none of the taxes |
| C．we will pay none of credit card fees |
| D．we will be given a discount |
How much should a couple with one child at 10 and another at 18 pay if they have a package ?
| A．￡360 | B．￡540 | C．￡630 | D．￡720 |
A quarter of US adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos survey. The typical person said that he / she read four books in the last year and, excluding those who had not read any books at all, the usual number of books read was seven.
Of those who did read, women and pensioners (领养老金者) were the most eager readers, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices. The number of books read was nine books for women and five for men. The number also showed that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and over read more than those who are younger.
People from the West and Midwest are more likely to have read at least one book in the past year. Southerners who do read tend to read more books — mostly religious books and romance novels — than people from other regions.
Those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many books as those who attend frequently, but the Bible and religious works were read by two thirds of the people in the survey, more than all the other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries took up about half, while one in five read romance novels. Politics, poetry and classical literature were named by fewer than 5% of readers. More women than men read every major category of books except for history and biography books. Men tend to prefer non-fiction.
Book sales in the US have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way, which, experts think, results from competition from the Internet and other media, and the unsteady economy.The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．the number of Americans who read books last year dropped |
| B．the book sales in the US have been dropping in recent years |
| C．the reasons why one in four Americans read no books last year |
| D．about region differences in the number and kind of books read last year |
Which kind of Americans read the most last year according to the survey?
| A．Older men with college degrees from the South. |
| B．Older women with college degrees from the South. |
| C．Younger educated men from the Midwest. |
| D．Younger educated women from the West. |
What kind of books was read most according to the passage?
| A．Religious works. | B．Popular fiction. |
| C．Poetry. | D．History. |
Which of the following reasons why people read fewer books is true?
①. Competition from the Internet.
②. Competition from other media.
③. The unsteady economy.
④. People attend religious services
⑤. No time for reading.
| A．①②③ | B．②③⑤ | C．①③⑤ | D．②③④ |
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