Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone’s life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn’t a very good answer and my student didn’t let it slide.
"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I’m one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach:
It’s in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled (逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can’t have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that’s what I try to do.
I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they’ll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.
Teaching isn’t for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?
| A．Because he thought her answer was unbelievable. |
| B．Because the writer was insincere. |
| C．Because the student was naughty. |
| D．Because the answer was difficult to understand. |
What do you think of the writer?
| A．Stupid. | B．Honest. | C．Conservative （保守的）. | D．Polite. |
According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her. |
| B．The writer’s answer made the student confused. |
| C．In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach. |
| D．The writer annoyed the student who asked the question. |
We can infer from the text that _________.
| A．the writer was also a good teacher in school |
| B．the writer often plays with her students beside a pond |
| C．the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students |
| D．the writer often accompanies the students on their way home |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．A student’s silly question. | B．A good teacher who likes students. |
| C．A confused student. | D．The reason why I teach. |
Henry Loomis served as director of the Voice of America for seven years starting in 1958.Mr Loomis played an important role in creating the Special English service .
Henry Loomis was born in 1919 Tuxedo Park , New York. His father was Alfred Lee Loomis , a rich New York City businessman .In 1940, Henry Loomis dropped out of Harvard University to join the United States Navy .He was able to put to good use his knowledge of radar technology that he had learned about because of his father’s work .After graduating at the top in his naval(海军的) training class, Henry Loomis became a teacher at the Navy's radar training school in Hawaii. By the end of World War Two, Henry Loomis had received many honors for his service, including a Bronze Star and an Air Medal. He left the Navy in 1946 to begin graduate（研究生）studies.
Henry Loomis later moved to Washington, D.C. to begin another part of his career in public service. He held positions in the Department of Defense and other agencies: In 1958, he became director of the Voice of America.
During his travels around the world, Mr. Loomis saw that English was becoming an
important international language. He believed that it was important to make English easier to
understand by listeners of VOA broadcasts whose native language was not English. So Mr. Loomis asked VOA program manager Barry Zorthian to develop a way to broadcast to listeners
with a limited knowledge of English:
The result of this effort was Special English: The first Voice of America broadcast in Special English took place on October 19th, 1959. Those against his ideas at the time said the Special English method of broadcasting at a slower rate with a limited vocabulary would never work, it was not practical. American embassies（大使馆） demanded that the program be called off. But Mr. Loomis supported the program.
Soon, VOA began to receive hundreds of letters from listeners praising the program. Special English programs became some of the most popular on VOA. We are pleased to say that our programs still are.We can know from the passage that Henry Loomis______．
| A．was born in a poor family |
| B．did well in his naval training class |
| C．stayed in the Navy for nearly 8 years |
| D．joined the army immediately after graduating from university |
What is the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．Henry Loomis's childhood. |
| B．Henry Loomis's whole business. |
| C．Henry Loomis's background. |
| D．Henry Loomis's army life. |
What led to Henry Loomis's idea of Special English programs?
A. His experience in the Navy.
B. His experience in the Department of Defense.(国防部)
C. His early dream of promoting the influence of VOA.
D. His finding VOA programs are too difficult for non-native listeners.Those who were against his ideas of Special English programs said______
| A．Special English programs were not practical |
| B．it would cost too much to make Special English programs |
| C．it was unnecessary to broadcast Special English programs |
| D．Special English programs wouldn't help listeners in improving their English |
To help the environment, many Americans have made the change from paper and plastic bags to reusable grocery bags. But a report by a Florida newspaper says that reusable grocery bags sold by some supermarkets contain high levels of lead(铅). Lead is a metal that can be harmful to humans, especially young children. Now, Senator Charles Schumer is asking the US government to investigate(调查) the use of lead in reusable shopping bags.
“When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about is poisonous bags.” Schumer said, “A quick investigation will allow everyone to make informed, timely decisions.” Schumer added.
Lead in the bags is not likely to rub off on food. But over time, paint on the bags can chip and the bags can wear out. When this happens, lead can be released(释放).
The Tampa Tribune newspaper said certain bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets had lead levels that were a concern(担忧) to health officials. The affected bags were found in Florida. But Publix has more than 1,000 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Sough Carolina and Tennessee. Publix says that all of its bags are under current laws about lead content, but that they have asked the makers of the bags to reduce the lead levels in the product.
The bags with the highest levels of lead had fancy designs and many pictures. Plain reusable bags without decoration were found to contain little lead. Consumers worried about lead levels in reusable bags can change to cloth or string bags. Paper bags are also a good choice, since paper can be recycled(回收).
Since 2007, Publix supermarkets have sold more than 13 million reusable bags. The store says because shoppers have made the change to reusable bags, it has saved more than 1 billion paper and plastics bags.The shopping bags containing high levels of lead ________.
| A．have been reported by a newspaper |
| B．have been stopped by the government |
| C．have stopped people from using reusable bags |
| D．have caused serious health damage to customers |
From Schumer’s words we can learn that ________.
| A．reusable bags do little harm to kids’ health |
| B．people have shown much concern for the reusable bags |
| C．people will be informed of the facts about the reusable bags |
| D．people should refuse to buy things from supermarkets |
It can be inferred from the text that Publix might believe that the bags they sold are _____.
| A．dependable | B．convenient | C．harmful | D．popular |
Customers are advised to choose bags ________.
| A．with colorful designs | B．with fancy pictures |
| C．made of plastic | D．made of paper |
Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money on your clothes, of course. Instead, you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally, you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later, every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend, you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.Some friendships don’t last very long because ________.
| A．they don’t know friendship is something serious. |
| B．there are too many people who want to make friends. |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others. |
| D．those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others. |
According to the passage honesty is ________.
| A．something good | B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money | D．more important than anything else |
Which of the following will a friend not approve of according to the passage?
| A．Always tell your friend the truth. |
| B．Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value. |
| C．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. |
| D．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem. |
Below is adapted from an English dictionary. Use the dictionary to answer the following questions.
| figure / fīgə / noun, verb ●noun 1 [C, often pl.] a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade /sales figures 2 [C] a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary 3 [pl.] (informal)the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc. numbers 4 [C] a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history. 5 [C] the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly 6 [C] a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it 7 [C] the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure 8 [C] a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating [IDM] be/become a figure of fun: be/become sb. that others laugh at cut a…figure: (of a person) to have a particular appearance He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket. put a figure on sth.: to say the exact price or number of sth. |
a fine figure of man / woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority) ●verb 1 to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning. 2 to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all. 3 to calculate an amount or the cost of sth.: We figured that attendance at 150,000. [PHRV] 1 figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel? 2 figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home too late. 3 figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost? [IDM] It/That figures! (informal): That seems reasonable, logical and what I expect. |
— She was coming late again for the work.
— ________! It is just like her to be late. You just can’t do anything to stop her doing that.
| A．It figures her out | B．It figures |
| C．It cuts a poor figure | D．She is a figure of fun |
The phrase “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt(引诱) me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” means “________”.
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports |
| C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
Which underlined word in the following sentences is used as figure of speech(修辞格)?
| A．John is fond of animals and raises a rabbit as a pet. |
| B．In some countries, bamboo can be used to build houses. |
| C．We all regard Mr. Smith as an important figure in our company. |
| D．I didn’t really mean my partner was a snake. |
One warm September night, Mira had come down to the beach to enjoy the night air. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves. Suddenly, she could hear another sound, so she opened her eyes and looked down at the sand. It was moving! All of a sudden she could see a tiny head coming out. Then a turtle(龟) appeared! One by one they struggled out of their underground nests. Mira looked in surprise at the baby turtles.
Mira knew the turtles should head towards the waves and swim away, so she was puzzled when they began to pull themselves towards the dunes(沙丘). Suddenly, she remembered something her grandmother had told her.
“Sea turtles bury their eggs on the beach every year in April and in September. Those baby turtles hatch(孵出) and head back down to the sea. But some of them never make it. Sometimes they die going across the dunes, trying to find those bright lights on the houses. Every day there are more houses being built on the dunes. That means more and more lights to confuse the sea turtles.”
Mira looked out across the dunes at her house. Mira saw her mother and father, sitting on the porch(门廊). She could see them because her house had two bright lights that lit up the porch.
Mira began to run to her house and shouted, “The turtles are hatching! We have to help the turtles!” With these words, Mira ran into the house and turned off the bright porch lights.
In a rush she was off running down the dunes with her whole family following her. They reached the beach just in time to see the tiny turtles slipping silently into the waves. Mira watched as the last turtle entered the water. As the turtle swam away, it looked back at Mira. In the moonlight, Mira thought she saw it smile.Where did the story happen?
| A．On a beach at night | B．In a house near the dunes. |
| C．On a front porch in the evening. | D．In the shallow water of the ocean. |
How did Mira feel when she saw the baby turtles appear?
| A．Proud. | B．Sad. | C．Confused. | D．Surprised. |
How did Mira know the lights confused the turtles?
| A．She read it in a book. | B．Her grandmother told her. |
| C．She learned about the turtles at school. | D．Her parents taught her about the turtles. |
Why did Mira run to her house?
| A．To get a flashlight | B．To turn off the porch light. |
| C．To communicate with her parents. | D．To ask her grandmother about the lights. |
This story is mainly about a girl ________.
| A．enjoying the ocean | B．turning lights off at night |
| C．saving the baby turtles | D．learning from her grandparents |
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