At the end of eight grade, our class went to Washington, D.C. For a group of 14-year-olds, this was a big deal!
The first day was so tiring; we could hardly remember where we were and what we were seeing. The next morning, we were off to see monuments (纪念碑)，starting with Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson. We walked along the paths through trees. Then the Wall came into view—the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
As I moved slowly closer to the Wall, I heard a bagpipe（风笛）in the distance, which seemed to show respect to the lives lost in the jungles of Vietnam .
We continued walking and felt surprised at the number of names carved in the black stone. I was determined to find a soldier with my last name, but my hunt was stopped when a man caught my eyes. He was kneeling(跪着) at the Wall, a single rose at his feet. His head was bowed and he was rubbing his fingers over one name. I thought how sad he was, and then moved on .
After a few minutes I found one with my last name, but my eyes returned to the kneeling man. He was still rubbing his fingers over the same name. He never knew I was watching him, lost in deep sorrow. It was time for me to leave the kneeling man and the Wall. On the way home, I couldn’t help thinking of the kneeling man and his sad face. I wasn’t sure of the effects of war before, but at that moment I realized how much that man suffered from losing his loved one. Maybe he was the only one of so many families who experienced the same .
I never knew the full effects of war until I saw that man. I only know about war from history classes. The kneeling man taught me more about war and the effects it has on people than any history book .Which of the following makes the author feel the suffering that war brings to human beings?
| A．The kneeling man. | B．The sound of a bagpipe. |
| C．The number of names carved in the stone. | D．The jungles of Vietnam. |
The man continued to rub his fingers over the name probably because_____.
| A．he found it covered with dust | B．he missed the loved one who died in a war |
| C．he intended to remove it completely | D．he recalled the fierce war he fought in |
What did the author learn from the trip?
| A．How fierce war is in history. | B．How people remember those who died in wars. |
| C．What bad effects war had on many families. | D．What we should do to prevent war. |
According to the last paragraph, the author probably thinks that _____.
| A．he should have studied history hard in class |
| B．history books don’t tell readers the truth |
| C．there is more in history than books tell us |
| D．the kneeling man should be a history teacher |
I am a manager who is in charge of taking care of the elderly and many of my clients live out of state.
This year, a very sweet old lady that I care for, Alice, had gone through a particularly rough time. She had been in hospital twice. In November I was finally able to get her back to her “home” into an “assisted living facility”（养老院）.
Alice has dementia(痴呆症) and thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that the happy moment was not going to happen， she was so tearful. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to cheer her up, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she would like to go to a candlelight service at church that night. Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got each of us a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. The plan worked out very perfectly. All of her friends seemed to be there and rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was a beautiful, tearful affair and Alice got a lot of hugs and love from her old and new friends there.
The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift:the smile on Alice’s face and the feeling that I made a difference.What does the underlined word “tearful”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．surprised | B．Hateful |
| C．Moved | D．Sad |
From the text we know that Alice_____________.
| A．had been operated in the hospital twice |
| B．didn’t remember her daughter at that time |
| C．preferred to live alone especially at Christmas |
| D．expected to spend Christmas with her daughter |
Where did Alice spend her Christmas Eve？
| A．Alice’s old house |
| B．Alice’s old neighborhood church |
| C．A church in the author’s neighborhood |
| D．A church in Alice’s daughter’s neighborhood |
What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve?
| A．Holding the party |
| B．the praise given by Alice’s friends |
| C．Alice’s happiness |
| D．His concern for Alice |
What is the best title for this text?
| A．An Extra Special Candlelight Christmas Eve |
| B．My Experience With an Old Lonely Lady |
| C．Alice’s Special Time on Christmas Eve |
| D．A happy moment on Christmas Eve |
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.Open education allows the students to _________.
| A．grow as the educated |
| B．be responsible for their future |
| C．develop their own interests |
| D．discover subjects outside class |
Open education may be a good idea for the students who __________.
| A．enjoy learning |
| B．worry about grades |
| C．do well in a traditional classroom |
| D．are responsible for what they do in life. |
Some students will do little in an open classroom because __________.
| A．there are too few rules |
| B．they hate activities |
| C．open education is similar to the traditional education |
| D．they worry about the rules |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Some traditional teachers do not like it. |
| B．Many teachers do not believe in open education. |
| C．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms. |
| D．The teacher’s feelings and attitudes are important to the students. |
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
| A．Open education is a really complex idea. |
| B．Open education is better than traditional education. |
| C．Teachers dislike open education. |
| D．The writer thinks that open education is a good idea in practice. |
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle．
That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”. When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble---serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother if he walks in the house with dirty shoes．
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job．
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again．
Another common expression, “to hold water”, is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is weak and not worth debating.
“Throwing cold water” also is an expression that deals with ideas or proposals. It means that one doesn’t like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold water on the idea because she says a new car costs too much.
This is our Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. It was written by Marilyn Christiano. I’m Rich Kleinfeldt. See you next time.According to the passage, expressions about water __________.
| A．are very common | B．have unpleasant meanings |
| C．are very interesting | D．are easy to understand |
The expression “hot water” _________.
| A．is not used nowadays |
| B．has a long history |
| C．means arguing with others |
| D．only means serious trouble |
Which of the following expressions have the similar meaning?
| A．“Throwing cold water” and “deep water” |
| B．“Hot water” and “water over the dam” |
| C．“Deep water” and “water over the dam” |
| D．“Hot water” and “deep water” |
If you signed an agreement with Tom yesterday and want to change it now, Tom may say “_______”.
| A．You should keep your head above water |
| B．You can’t throw cold water |
| C．It is water over the dam |
| D．Don’t be in deep water |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Water |
| B．Expressions about water |
| C．Several common expressions |
| D．Water and everyday English |
Welcome here! The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be held at The Park Expo and Conference Center. This show will last from Wednesday (March 2) to Sunday (March 6,2012).
Admission : Adults $10.00. Teenagers under 15 free with a paying adult.
Join Lincolnton’s own Tammie Davis as she performs her original country songs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday,March 5th.
Special Days: The Spring for Kids First Night Gala benefiting the Council for Children’s Rights will take place from 7 p.m. to 10p.m. on Wednesday, March 2,2012. Tickets are $50 and include an access to Freedom Hall, where you can enjoy delicious food, beverage(饮料)and entertainment free of charge.
Seniors Day(55+):Wednesday is for them. Cost is $7.00 but without coupons(减价优惠).
Hours :Wednesday,Thursday &Sunday :10 a.m.---5p.m.;Friday &Saturday :10 a.m.----9 a.m.
Wheelchairs are available on a first come first served basis for you. The cost is $1.00 and you are required to leave a valid driver’s license or ID.
Parking :All Day Parking: $6.00;Half Day Parking:$3.00; Every Hour Parking:$1.00
For more Information: Come to visit Mardee Woodward in person.
E-mail: mwoodward@southernshows.com
Telephone:704-376-4085We can learn from the text that the show will ___________.
| A．last only five days |
| B．offer a free parking |
| C．have the only one singer |
| D．take place in a private house |
How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and a child aged 16?
| A．$ 10 | B．$ 30 | C．$ 20 | D．$40 |
When can we visit Southern Spring Home& Garden Show?
| A．At 9 p.m. Thursday | B．At 8 a.m. Wednesday |
| C．At 8 p.m. Friday | D．At 6 p.m. Sunday |
How many ways can visitors get more information for this show?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
We can infer from the text that______________.
| A．old people can visit the show only on Wednesday |
| B．the disabled can use the wheelchairs free of charge |
| C．there are not enough wheelchairs for the disabled |
| D．kids’ tickets on Wednesday don’t include beverage |
There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway，wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car，so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive；I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 p. m.. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile，I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weatherbeaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
he author expected the train trip to be ________.
| A．exciting | B．pleasant |
| C．dull | D．adventurous |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
| A．The friendly country people. |
| B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word“relish” in the second paragraph?
| A．choose | B．enjoy |
| C．prepare for | D．carry on |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Comfort in traveling by train. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Smiles brighten people up. |
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