Benjamin Franklin only studied in school for two years. But he liked to read and write very much. Once he discussed a question with his friend in letters. His father found the letters and read them. He felt Ben did not express himself well. Nor did Ben make his meaning clear. He agreed that his father was right, From then on, he paid more attention to the style of his writing so that he could write better
.
About that time he bought a copy of the British periodical(周刊) called The Spectator (《观察家》). He read it over and over. He thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to write in the same style.
With this in mind, he studied some of the stories and made a note of the thought in each sentence. Then, a few days later, without looking at the magazine, he tried to write the stories. He tried to express each thought as fully as it had been expressed before. Then he compared his writing with the magazine. He found some of his faults in the compositions.
In this way he discovered he needed to know many more words. He felt that writing poetry would help him since that needed to use many different words which had the same meaning. So he turned some of the stories into poems; and after a time, he wrote them as stories again. He insisted on doing this for a long time.
He learned much from his efforts and went on to practise his writing. Then he became the first famous writer in American history.Benjamin liked ______ very much when he was ______ .
| A．languages; young | B．writing; young | C．writing; old enough | D．languages; old enough |
What did his father do to him?
| A．He found his son’s letters written very well |
| B．He felt his son expressed himself very well |
| C．He told his son what he wrote wasn’t so good |
| D．He bought a copy of The Spectator for him |
How did Benjamin practise writing?
(1) He studied
the stories in the magazine and made notes.
(2) He rewrote some of the stories and tried to express their thought fully.
(3) He turned some stories into poems, and then turned them back again.
(4) He tried hard to publish his poems in the periodical The Spectator.
| A．(1)(2)(3) | B．(2)(3)(4) | C．(1)(3)(4) | D．(1)(2)(4) |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to make a purchase. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red. | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．The Meaning and Function of Color |
| D．Colors and Personal Experiences |
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 |
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