At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house – something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, "I just want a bed."
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the d
oorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," he replied.
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask.
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as he handed Eric the pillow.
"Oh . . . that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means.
The writer’s first volunteer project was .
| A．working on a poor trailer | B．helping a poor family |
| C．donating beds and bedding | D．dealing with a housing problem |
On hearing Josh’s answer, the writer was shocked because .
| A．the family lived in a trailer | B．he expected to get some toys |
| C．he didn’t know what a bed was | D．the boys had no bed to sleep in |
From the passage, we can learn that Eric had never seen before.
| A．a trailer | B．a truck | C．a pillow | D．a house |
By saying “Do you have a pillow?”, the writer’s father means that .
A．what they want to get may be unnecessary |
| B．they should not waste money on small things |
| C．they should do more volunteer work for the poor |
| D．what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow |
Wildlife faces threats(威胁)from habitat destruction, pollution, and other human actions. Although protecting wildlife may seem too hard at times, even small actions in your own neighborhood can help protect many different animals. Here are some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions.
1．Create wildlife friendly areas in your backyard.
When trying to make your garden more beautiful, you can choose plants that can provide food and shelter to native wildlife. This will also help cut down on pollution. And bird or bat houses to your yard or garden to attract and shelter these species.
2．Avoid harming the natural ecosystem(生态系统)in your area.
Some plants from other places can kill or harm native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.
3．Have a greener lifestyle.
By using less water and fewer fuels, you will be helping to protect the wildlife around you. Take buses or the subway when you can, turn off electric devices when you're not using them, take shorter showers, and keep your room temperature at or below 68 degrees during the winter.
4．Buy products that are wildlife friendly.
Don't buy products that are made from endangered animals. Keep in mind that some endangered animals are killed by traps, catches or hunters who are after other wildlife within the same habitat.
5．Donate money or time to organizations that protect wildlife and their habitats.
You can give money to organizations or groups that protect wildlife species in your neighborhood.We infer that the purpose of this passage is to________.
| A．tell us why protecting wildlife is extremely important now |
| B．suggest that we protect wildlife through actions |
| C．explain why protecting wildlife is not as hard as people think |
| D．give us some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions |
Which of the following threats to wildlife is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Animal diseases. |
| B．Loss of habitat. |
| C．Pollution. |
| D．Hunters. |
In which section of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage?
| A．Environment | B．Teaching |
| C．Business | D．Geography |
If you get a cellphone call, your sleeve(袖子) will soon be able to answer it. If you want to know how far you’ve run, your trousers will be able to tell you. Can’t decide what to wear? Wish your clothes were smart enough to decide for you? A new computer science technology may be able to help your clothing to do just that.
Mark Jones, a computer scientist, says, "We view electronic textiles (电子纺织品) as, sort of, where computing meets the fabric (编织品)."
This high-tech marriage is bringing up the wearable computers, like trousers that can interpret movement and let a computer know your every move.
A loom (织布机) helps make the wires and fabric together. Then special equipment in the fabric can measure the speed. Signals are then sent from the trousers to a computer to show the process.
Tom Martin also says, "E-textiles are a way for us to build wearable computers that look like normal clothing and can fit in fully with the environment."
Researchers also hope wearable computers will help save lives. "We will be able to tell what activity a person is doing. That sort of information is highly valuable when we’re trying to monitor someone with a long-term illness such as heart disease," Jones says. Monitoring your every step is something that clever clothing can do a little easier. Researchers plan on developing more smart clothes to integrate computers into shirts, hats and gloves.What does the underlined word "marriage" refer to in the passage?
| A．The special equipment in the fabric used to measure the speed of our movement. |
| B．The unity（结合）of fabric and computing materials to make smart clothes. |
| C．Wearable computers which fit in with the environment. |
| D．The influence of electronics and computer science technology. |
How will smart clothes be able to know the wearer’s every movement?
| A．There are the wires and fabric together. |
| B．There are signals in the smart clothes. |
| C．The computer built into them will control their every movement. |
| D．The clothing will have special equipment fixed into the fabric. |
The reason that people need smart clothes is that __________.
| A．people are too lazy to decide what to wear |
| B．scientists want to prove their intelligence |
| C．smart clothes can provide information about the wearer’s health |
| D．smart clothes are as cheap as normal clothes |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Connecting Clothes with High Technology |
| B．New Ways to Discover Illnesses Early |
| C．How to Use a Computer |
| D．Smart Clothes and Exercise |
Do you love holidays but hate the increase（增长的） weight that follows? You are not alone.
Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast (宴会), have a small, low-fat snack(小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods.
Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.
Choose lean meat (瘦肉). Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.
If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate.
Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess (过多的) calories. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may______.
| A．bring weight problems |
| B．bring you much trouble in your life |
| C．make you worried about your foods |
| D．make you hate delicious foods |
In order to really enjoy your holidays without putting on weight, you’d better ___.
| A．drink much water and have vegetables only |
| B．not eat much food in high fat |
| C．not accept invitations to feasts |
| D．turn away from delicious foods |
According to the passage, ___ is a necessary part to stop you from putting on weight.
| A．vegetables | B．water | C．calories of energy | D．physical exercise |
Many people can’t help putting on weight after the holidays because they ___.
| A．can’t control themselves |
| B．go to too many feasts |
| C．enjoy delicious foods |
| D．can’t help turning away from the foods |
My grandmother seems to be wrong when she says that good manners will never go out of style.
Several days ago, I tried entering a lift with one of my arms fixed in a bandage(绷带) while carrying a computer bag in the other. Not being fast enough, I was passed by two young people who managed to get into the lift before me. The lift door closed only after I entered. Having already pressed their wanted floor button, the young people waited impatiently for me to press the button for where I was going. If they had decided to help, we could have moved much faster. But they had not. So I did my best and pressed the button with my arm. The two young people looked very angry with me. I was losing heart.
The memory of this incident has stayed with me because it followed shortly after my building’s watchman refused to help me carry a heavy box full of books. His answer was that he could not carry the books a few meters because it was not his job. However, I remembered myself helping people for so many years carrying boxes, shopping bags, or pushing wheelchairs upon the request of a stranger in need or when my conscience(良心) called on me. "Oh, this young generation, they have no manners, ”my grandmother would say. The idea of good manners refers to the considering of other people’s feelings. We need more and more people to have good manners. Good manners should be-come part of our lives. The author believes that ________.
| A．good manners will never go out of style |
| B．her grandmother is right |
| C．good manners are disappearing little by little |
| D．it never rains, but it pours |
How did the two young people feel when the author pressed the button?
| A．Excited. | B．Angry. | C．Sad. | D．Confident. |
The watchman didn’t help the author because ______.
| A．the box was full of books |
| B．the box was too heavy |
| C．the author was a stranger |
| D．he thought it was not his job |
We can infer from the passage that the author ______.
| A．always offers help to people in need |
| B．always has difficulty carrying things |
| C．has a better memory than anyone else |
| D．agreed with her grandmother at first |
Among the many differences between Western and Chinese cultures, table manners are one of the most noticeable(显著的) differences. Westerners often make mistakes at the table in China or in a Chinese home. In order not to have an embarrassing（尴尬的） experience, here are some things to consider next time you are eating with some Chinese.
Step1:
Keep in mind that food is shared. It is one of the biggest differences between Chinese and Western eating habits. In China a few dishes are placed in the center of a table and shared by all. Also, you should offer thanks when a Chinese host takes food from one of the dishes on the table and places it on your plate. Refusing it would not be polite even if you are full.
Step2:
Respect the chopsticks. The chopsticks are the single most important tool at a Chinese table. Use the chopsticks to grab food and never skewer (叉) it. Also make sure to place your chopsticks over your bowl or plate. Don’t lay them on the table or even worse, stick them into the rice bowl.
Step3:
Use communal(共用的)chopsticks. To take food from the center of the table you should use the communal chopsticks or spoons that are placed there for that purpose. If there are no communal tools, use the other ends of your chopsticks to take food, remembering not to use the other end to put food into your mouth.
Step4:
Respect the elders. Table manners in China place extra respect on elders. At the table, pass food to your elders before taking it for yourself. If someone makes a toast, make sure that when you clink glasses with someone older than you, the rim of your glass is lower than the rim of the elder person.How can you use your chopsticks according to the passage?
| A．Use them to grab your own food. |
| B．Put them on the table. |
| C．Use them to skewer the food. |
| D．Stick them into the rice bowl. |
According to the passage, the following are wrong EXCEPT that ________.
| A．you don’t have to accept the food a Chinese host places on your plate |
| B．a skewer is also a commonly used tool at a Chinese table |
| C．one can offer his own chopsticks for communal use when there aren’t any |
| D．when clinking glasses, the rim of the younger person should be lower than that of the older person |
What is the purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To let the world get a full understanding of China. |
| B．To introduce table manners among different cultures. |
| C．To introduce Chinese table manners to Westerners. |
| D．To introduce how Chinese table manners came into being. |
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