About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and — WHUMP! — it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new car. That brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please....I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" begged the boy. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled of the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. "Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman," Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow (咽下) the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining Jaguar XKE — a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ____________.
| A．the businessman drove at a high speed | B．he envied the new car very much |
| C．he wanted to ask for some money | D．he wanted to get help from the driver |
Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car. b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair. e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
| A．b, a, e, c, d | B．a, c, d, b, e | C．b, a, c, e, d | D．a, c, b, e, d |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Josh would accept the money from the kids. | B．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors. |
| C．Josh was a kind-hearted man. | D．Josh’s new car broke down easily. |
According to the passage, the underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ____________.
| A．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life |
| B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous |
| C．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble |
| D．protecting oneself from being hurt |
My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right—they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias（栀子花）?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage (胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed. According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
| A．interested in observing things around |
| B．good at judging one’s character |
| C．strict with her boyfriend |
| D．fond of challenges |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. |
| B．Jack was different from any other boy. |
| C．Jack was getting on well with Mother. |
| D．Jack knew a lot about piano. |
The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．piece of advice | B．wedding ceremony |
| C．celebration of birthday | D．offer of marriage |
On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt __________.
| A．pleased | B．worried |
| C．surprised | D．disappointed |
Why did the writer’s mother cry?
| A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. |
| B．She had never received such a beautiful gift. |
| C．Her daughter found her life partner at last. |
| D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive. |
Fahad Azad, an engineer in India, invented a robot named DuctBot．The toy-car sized DuctBot measured 23 centimeters in length, 19 centimeters in width and 9 centimeters in height and weighs just two kilograms．
The robot is designed to snake through dark, narrow air conditioning ducts （管道） and clean them．A pair of LEDs fitted on the robot light up the dirty scenery, so it can be captured （抓拍） by a camera．
In order to control it more easily, Mr. Azad chooses to fix DuctBot on wheels．The robot can clean off lots of dirt, as well as dead pigeons and insects．Keeping indoor air in good quality and monitoring carbon-dioxide levels in buildings with central air conditioning is a challenge．It is important in some places where clean air can mean a difference between life and death, such as hospitals．Dirty air has a bad influence on people's health．
EPSCO, a Dubai-based company which specializes in improving indoor air quality, read about Mr. Azad's invention in a national newspaper after he had won an international robotics competition．EPSCO had cleaning equipment, but it needed someone to get into those ducts to do the dirty, dangerous work．Across India, for example, the task still falls to children．They are small enough to go through those ducts．
In 2005, Mr. Azad who was still at university decided to do something about it．Six years later his own company, Robosoft Systems, has Bluestar, EPSCO and the Indian Navy, some leading air condition makers, as partners．
Mr. Azad and his ten employees are currently exploring robot designs to examine oil tanks or sewage （污水）pipes．Their biggest challenge is to make the robots user-friendly enough．Mr. Azad hopes that the robot could eventually be operated not by engineers but by workers．There will be lots of difficulties they need to overcome in the future．What can we learn about Ductbot?
| A．It is a toy car and popular with children． |
| B．It is designed to move like a snake in the ducts． |
| C．many LEDs are fitted on it to tell its location． |
| D．It is actually a camera to capture dirty scenery． |
The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refers to "____"．
| A．the camera | B．the conditioning duct |
| C．the LED light | D．the dirty scenery |
What can the Ductbot do for us?
| A．Clean off the dirt in the ducts． |
| B．Control the central conditioning． |
| C．Reduce carbon-dioxide in buildings． |
| D．Protect more animals in city． |
According to the text, EPSCO____．
| A．has won an international robotics competition |
| B．hired children to clean the dirty ducts in the past |
| C．is the only partner of Robosoft Systems |
| D．specializes in improving people's health |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Only engineers can operate the Ductbot now． |
| B．New ways have been found to examine oil tanks． |
| C．Azad's difficulties are impossible to overcome． |
| D．Azad's team are working to improve their robot designs． |
An eighteen-year-old high school student from Utah won the top prize in the Intel Science Talent Search in the United States. The winner received a computer and a scholarship for a college education.
More than 1,500students from across the country entered projects in the competition this year. Their research included chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science-almost every area of science.
Forty students were invited to Washington, D.C. for the final judging. A group of scientists judged them on their research abilities, critical thinking skills and creativity. The judges also questioned the students about scientific problems before deciding on the winners.
The top winner received 100,000 dollars for college. Shannon Babb of American Fork High School studied the water quality of tile Spanish Fork River in Utah for six years. She found that people have a harmful effect on the river through human activity, including agriculture. And she suggested ways to improve the water quality in the future. These include educating the public not to put household chemicals down the drains（下水道）, which lead to the river eventually.
Seventeen-year-old Yi Sun of the Hanker School in San Jose, California, earned the second place. He won a 75,000-dollar scholarship for new discoveries about a mathematical theory known as random walks. His work could help computer scientists and chemists. Yi Sun was born in China.
The third-place winner was also seventeen and born in China. Yuan “Chelsea” Zhang of Montgomery Blair High School in Rockville, Maryland, won a 50,000-dollar scholarship. She researched the molecular genetics（分子遗传学）of heart disease. Her findings could aid the development of new medicines.
The Intel Science Talent Search is the oldest science competition for high school students in the United States. It is 65 years old this year. Past winners have gone on to receive six Nobel prizes and other top honors in science and math.What do we know about the talent search project?
| A．Most of its winners have received Nobel prizes. |
| B．The project includes researches in every area of science. |
| C．Only a small part of the students can attend the final judging. |
| D．Most of the winners come from Asian countries. |
According to the text, .
| A．water quality in Utah will be better than that in the other states |
| B．the river was polluted only by those living near it |
| C．Shannon Babb suggested more than one way to improve the water quality |
| D．household chemicals should be kept in the drains forever |
Which of the following about the girl from Maryland is NOT true?
| A．The scholarship she received was half as many as Shannon Babb. |
| B．Her discovery is of great help to Chinese medicine. |
| C．Her research will contribute to the cure of heart disease. |
| D．She and the second-place winner Yi Sun have something in common. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Three winners' contributions to science and math. |
| B．Three Chinese students won the Science Talent Search. |
| C．Great rewards were given to winners in the competition. |
| D．Winners of the Intel Science Talent Search in the US. |
Where are you most likely to find this text?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a handbook. | C．In a textbook. | D．In a medical magazine. |
You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It’s the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart’s music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it ,we’ll become more intelligent.
The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart’s music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them to produce better milk.
I’ll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn’t make us more intelligent.What can we learn from paragraph 1?
| A．Mozart composed many musical pieces for children. |
| B．Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent. |
| C．There are few products on the Internet about Mozart’s music. |
| D．There is little scientific evidence to support Mozart effect. |
Why did many people believe in the idea of Mozart Effect?
| A．Because a study described it in the journal Nature. |
| B．Because Mozart himself was a genius. |
| C．Because Mozart’s music is enjoyable. |
| D．Because Mozart’s music makes people relaxed. |
The underlined sentence in paragraph3 suggests that .
| A．people were strongly against the idea |
| B．the idea was accepted by many people |
| C．Mozart played an important part in people’s life |
| D．the US government helped promote the idea |
What is the author’s attitude towards the Mozart effect?
| A．Favorable | B．Objective | C．Doubtful | D．Positive |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Listening to Mozart , necessary? | B．What music is beneficial? |
| C．What is the Mozart effect? | D．To be or not to be? |
During the last fifteen years of my mother's life she suffered with Alzheimer's disease (老年痴呆). Until then she had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. I would go home to visit her in Virginia and she would look at me in a puzzled way and ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I'm your son.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In California”, I would tell her. “Isn't that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in California.”
She seemed simply forgetful and confused at the beginning of the disease, but later on she would go through periods of intense anxiety. She would pace through the house she had lived in most of her life crying uneasily that she wanted to go home. Or she would leave home and wander away if she were unattended for a short time.
Hoping to please her and put her mind at ease I would take her for a drive, visiting sites where she had lived as a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn. I pictured my mother there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I suspect it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still vigorous and attentive.
Watching my mother's suffering set me wondering where I would have gone in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of Alzheimer's is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance. What's the main idea of the first two paragraphs?
| A．The author’s mother suffered with serious Alzheimer's disease. |
| B．The author’s mother forgot who’s his son. |
| C．The author didn’t know how to cure his mother. |
| D．The author’s mother couldn’t find her home. |
What is not the symptom of the author’s mother ?
| A．cheerful | B．confused | C．forgetful | D．uneasy |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “pictured”?
| A．photographed | B．appeared | C．described | D．painted |
What can you infer from the third paragraph?
| A．The author care much about his mother. |
| B．The author’s mother was fond of pet lambs. |
| C．The author saw a little girl playing with a pet lamb. |
| D．The author’s mother didn’t like her usual home. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Take Mother Home. |
| B．Everyone will suffer with Alzheimer's disease. |
| C．A story about a son and a mother. |
| D．Where Is Home? |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号