The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.according to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.
| A．clay | B．rock |
| C．sand | D．stones |
The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.
| A．brave | B．cruel |
| C．strange | D．kind |
In the desert _______.
| A．it rains in spring only |
| B．it rains for a short time every month |
| C．there is some rain, but far from enough |
| D．the rainfall is just enough for the plants |
People live _______.
| A．only inside the oases | B．only outside the oases |
| C．both inside and outside the oases | D．in places with regular rainfalls |
From the passage we know that life _______.
| A．is hard in deserts | B．is happy in deserts |
| C．is impossible in deserts | D．in deserts in much better now |
These days a green building means more than just the color of the paint. Green building can also refer to environmentally friendly houses, factories, and offices.
Green building means “reducing the impact (影响) of the building on the land”Taryn Holowka of the U.S Green Building Council in Washington, D. C. said.
According to Holowka, buildings account for(占了) 65 percent of total U.S. electricity use.
But green buildings can reduce energy and water use. Also, the buildings are often located near public transportation such as buses and subways, so that people can drive their cars less. That could be good for the environment, because cars use lots of gas and give off pollution. Green buildings are often built on developed land, so that the buildings don't destroy forests.
Marty Dettling is the project manager for a building that put these ideas into action. The Solaire has been called the country's first green high-rise building. According to Dettling, “We've reduced our energy use by one-third and our water by 50 percent.”
The Solaire cuts energy in part by using solar power. “On the lace(边) of the building we have solar panels which change the sun's energy into electricity,” Dettling explained.
The Solaire also has lights that automatically turn off when people leave the room. In addition, the building has lots of windows, allowing people to use the sun for light during the day. The Solaire cuts water by reusing it.
Not everyone is eager to move into a green building, however. Some people think that things like solar panels cost more money than more traditional energy sources. Anyhow, Holowka said, “It's going to be big.”
A green building is often built on an area of land________.
| A．which has thick forests around |
| B．which has already been developed for building |
| C．where people of high income live |
| D．where traveling around by car is most convenient |
When Holowka says in the last paragraph, "It's going to be big", she means that green buildings________.
| A．will be more comfortable |
| B．will take the place of traditional buildings |
| C．will become popular in the future |
| D．will be more environmentally friendly |
What is the main subject discussed in the text?
| A．Dettling designed the first green building in the U. S. |
| B．Energy shortage calls for buildings of new design. |
| C．Green buildings help save environment. |
| D．The Solaire serves as a model of high buildings. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．The Solaire can reduce the impact of the building on the land. |
| B．Everyone is not eager to move into a green building. |
| C．Marty Dettling has come up with the idea of green buildings. |
| D．In the U.S, buildings consume(消耗) more than half of the total electricity. |
Who is there among us that hasn't dreamed of having his or her own small ( maybe, several years later, even big) business, and having wonderful freedom, both from a boss and from the time clock: the freedom to make up our own rules for our work, and our own plans--arranging our own hours of work? That way work would be both painless and fun. Or, so we imagine.
Well, in fact it isn't quite as simple as that. Yes, it is true that being the boss has its satisfactions and that you can arrange your working hours freely if you own your own small business. But in those early years of starting your own business, you shouldn't think of a free day, not to mention flying off for a month's vacation. It is not unusual for new business owners to work seventy or eighty hours a week, and if there is a day off, that day might need to be devoted to accounting(算账).
But this negative picture doesn't destroy the beautiful hopes. The possibility of getting something wonderful in return--both material and mental--continues to drive that large number of people who start up small businesses each year in the United States.From the first paragraph, we know that everybody hopes_______.
| A．to rule others | B．to be his or her own boss |
| C．to get a time clock | D．to be free from work |
Most new business owners have to_______.
| A．work more than 10 hours a day |
| B．devote himself to accounting |
| C．fly to some places in the world |
| D．have a day off in a week |
The beautiful hopes will never be destroyed because_______.
| A．people love beautiful things by nature |
| B．people have a strong desire to seek personal gains |
| C．small businesses make big money each year in the US |
| D．small businesses have advantages over big companies. |
Which is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Many people have dreamed of having his or her own small business. |
| B．Being your own boss is painless and fun. |
| C．Business owners often work seventy or eighty hours a week. |
| D．Although being your own boss is not easy, many people are starting their own businesses to get something wonderful in return. |
Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn't think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth...So I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,”I said, “OK,”he said. “I'll give you twenty pounds.” “It's got a slightly broken leg,”I said. “Yes, I saw that, it's nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I'11 buy it.” I said. “What do you mean?” “You've just sold it to me.” he said. “Yes, I know but I've changed my mind. I am sorry. I'll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.”“You must be crazy. ”he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You're right.”I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you mend this chair for me?’” “I wouldn't have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don't do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I'll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver?" He was a very nice man and was greatly amused(感到有趣) by the whole thing.We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer ________.
| A．was rather impolite |
| B．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair |
| C．was warmly received |
| D．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair |
Why didn’t the shops want to repair the chair?
| A．It’s too difficult to repair. |
| B．The writer didn’t want to offer enough money. |
| C．No one in the shops could mend it. |
| D．There was too much trouble and too few profits in mending a chair. |
From the text, we can learn that the writer was ________.
| A．honest | B．careful | C．smart | D．funny |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．A chair with a broken leg |
| B．It was hard to mend a chair |
| C．My experience of mending a chair |
| D．A kind shopkeeper |
Parents do need to teach their kids financial responsibility and that money is earned. Still, many child-development experts agree that tying a child’s allowance to chores can be a slippery slope. Here’s why.
Susie Walton, master instructor at Peace in Your Home advises to keep chores and allowances totally separate. “Allowance is one thing. When it comes to chores, life skills, responsibilities－that’s a whole different thing.” says Walton.
Walton says, “When kids aren’t doing a chore, you don't say, ‘well, there goes your allowance.’ You’re going to sit them down and ask what’s going on. ‘We are a team. We are a family. We’ve got to have them done.’”
Besides, by paying children for chores with an allowance, you’ll also be sending the message that work isn't worth doing unless they’re getting paid for it.
There are times when it would make sense to pay kids for chores. Most financial and child-development experts agree that it’s a fine idea to pay children money for extra jobs that are outside their normal set of chores, such as washing windows, washing the car or helping to clean out the garage－especially if the child is saving for a big item. This may even develop an entrepreneurial (企业家的) spirit to think outside of the box to earn money.
For parents who are concerned that their children won’t learn the value of a dollar if the allowance isn’t tied to household chores, note that there are still plenty of money management skills to be learned from a straight allowance. Depending on the age, kids can be made responsible for paying for their own toys or snacks. Some parents even require that kids set aside a percentage of their allowance toward savings.
“I really like having my own money,” says Kevin, 9. “It’s up to me if I want to buy the cheap toy now, or save and get the better toy.” And that’s a good lesson to learn at 9 years old.
No matter which allowance route you take in parenthood, kids will feel empowered by being able to handle their own money.
Which of the following would Susie Walton most probably agree with?
| A．A child’s allowance shouldn’t be tied to chores. |
| B．Kids shouldn’t be forced to do chores. |
| C．Doing chores teaches kids the value of work. |
| D．Kids should be paid for doing chores. |
According to Susie Walton, if kids don’t do chores, parents should ________.
| A．teach them the entrepreneurial spirit |
| B．talk to them about family responsibilities. |
| C．give them a smaller allowance than usual |
| D．punish them by not giving them their allowances |
In Paragraph 6, “a straight allowance” probably means “________”.
| A．money given by charity organizations |
| B．money earned by doing part-time jobs. |
| C．money earned by doing everyday household chores |
| D．money given by parents and not dependent on chores |
What is the author’s attitude towards Kevin’s action?
| A．Worried. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Approving. | D．Unfavorable. |
The text is mainly about _____________.
| A．the importance of kids doing chores |
| B．whether parents should pay kids for chores |
| C．the advantages of kids handling their own money |
| D．whether parents should give kids regular allowances |
The murmur of the audience had just faded into expectant silence. This was one of the most important days in little five-year-old Patricia McKee’s life: the Kernot School Concert. She stood behind the curtain with her schoolmates. Yet she was not afraid because everyone had been practicing for weeks and knew their parts by heart.
Being in a remote country town, Patricia knew that everyone would turn out for the big occasion－everyone! Yet, it was this awareness that added a sense of sadness to her excitement. There were two people who couldn’t be in that audience that night－her mum and dad.
Patricia’s mother and father ran the local general store, which was open for business 24 hours. So it was simply accepted that Mum and Dad could never attend community activities. It had been this way with her sister, so why should it be any different for her?
Still, Patricia couldn’t help wishing that her mum and dad could be there to see her on such a special day, so she decided to bring up the subject with her mother. Sadly, she had to face the facts. At such a young age, Patricia couldn’t really understand the deep pain in her mother’s response: “I’ll try to be there, sweetheart, but you know how hard it is for us to get away from the store.”
Yet as the curtain slowly opened on the stage of the Kernot Hall, little Patricia McKee got the surprise of her life. There, sitting four rows the front was her mother with a big smile on her face!
This powerful image remains one of Patricia’s most treasured memories. “Words cannot express the pure joy we both experienced at that moment. I was really walking on air,” said Patricia, now a parent herself. Her parents have passed away, but what a wonderful legacy（遗产）they’ve left us: when someone really needs you, be there for them.Why did Patricia have a feeling of sadness？
| A．She had no chance to watch the concert. |
| B．She performed unsuccessfully at the concert. |
| C．Her parents had gone to a remote country town. |
| D．Her parents were unlikely to attend the concert. |
What do we know about Patricia’s parents？
| A．They loved Patricia more than her sister. |
| B．They had little interest in social activities. |
| C．They had to mind the store day and night. |
| D．They paid no attention to Patricia’s school life. |
According to Paragraph 4, while giving the response, Patricia’s mother probably felt_________.
| A．calm | B．sorry | C．angry | D．nervous |
What does the underlined phrase “walking on air” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Surprised. | B．Troubled. |
| C．Very happy. | D．Very comfortable. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．A smiling face in the crowd. |
| B．An extremely busy mother. |
| C．A big occasion in school. |
| D．A secret wish. |
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