New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses working in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to look after them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact , they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole United States.
The cost of shoing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two or three hours to do the job.
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very storng. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses---for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country from Ireland in 1948. He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and,as the puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.” According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a______ man.
| A．clever | B．rich | C．strong | D．lucky |
James Corbin became a blacksmith because he__________.
| A．was interested in horses | B．was needed by the policemen |
| C．drew a picture of the horseshoe | D．had a make a living |
In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to__________.
| A．fit it on the horse’s foot |
| B．use it for two or three hours |
| C．make the from of a horseshoe from a piece of metal |
| D．draw a picture of the shoe |
The best title for the passage is “__________”.
| A．Policemen on Horseback | B．Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing |
| C．James Corbin, a Blacksmith | D．Horseshoeing is a Good Way to Make a Living |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback. |
| B．New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback. |
| C．Policemen on horseback enjoy travelling around the United States. |
| D．Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars. |
Every year in April, students at Renmin University of China have more pleasure than other students in Beijing. Why? Because they get a week off in the middle of the term, the so-called(所谓) spring break.
“It’s been a tradition of our school for years,” said Wang Yueran, 20, a student at Renmin University. He organized a weeklong trip to Sichuan with 12 classmates last year.
Besides having fun during the spring break, field trips, voluntary work, and social projects are all on students’ to-do lists as well. The Chinese proverb says “reading 10,000 books and traveling 10,000 miles”. It means experience is as important as theory. But while Chinese universities have the tradition of spring outings, what’s the aim of making spring break?
Qin Jianguo, from the student affairs office at Shenzhen University, thinks the idea of the spring break in some universities in China comes from the intention(目的) of pushing students out of the ivory tower(象牙塔) to get experience in their life. Many countries have similar vacations in the middle of the semester for students to do things they like. Taking Japan as an example, instead of partying like the US, many Japanese students choose to work as interns(实习生) to have some ideas of their future jobs.
Besides Renmin University, only a few other universities in China, such as Yantai University, have a spring break for their students. Wei Xiang, a professor at Beijing International Studies University, said that the spring break is a good experiment for universities to give students more choices to arrange their own leisure(休闲) and study activities.Why do students at Renmin University of China have more pleasure than other students in Beijing in April?
At least how many things are included on students’ to-do lists ?
According to Qin Jianguo, what is the purpose of the spring break in some universities?
How do many Japanese students get prepared for their future during the spring break?
Do most Chinese universities have spring break now?
When we talk of plants, most of us will think of things that grow from the ground and have green leaves, but there are plants that do not look or act like other plants. Some of these belong to a special class of plants called fungi.
Fungi may appear almost anywhere. They normally grow in wet places where they can get food and water easily. Because fungi do not have green leaves to make their own food, fungi must take their food from animals, other plants or water. Some fungi live on dead or rotting（腐烂的）wood, while others grow on living trees or in dirt. Mushrooms（蘑茹）are the best-known fungi.
There are many kinds of mushrooms appearing in all shapes and sizes. For example, cauliflower（菜花）mushrooms are found in forests from July to October．They can grow to be as heavy as fifty pounds! They grow at the foot of trees. Squirrel’s（松鼠）bread is another kind of wild mushroom Its appearance and use can explain its name. These fungi look like small golden cakes. Squirrels can easily eat them or carry them off to their holes to eat later.
The mushrooms found in food stores are carefully grown by people who know they are safe to eat. People are warned never to touch or taste wild mushrooms because some of them are deadly. Even less dangerous ones can still make a person very sick..Where does Fungi not grow? .
A. On dry wood
B. In places full of water
C. On living treesWhere can Fungi take food? .
A. From their green leaves
B. From rotting plants
C. From squirrels Squirrel's bread is a kind of .
A. tree B. animal C. foodPeople are advised not to eat wild fungi because .
A. they are not fit for main food
B. they may be dangerous to people
C. they taste so terribleThe word "fungi" in this passage means
A. 草本植物 B. 菌类植物 C. 食用蘑菇
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All believed that they were the most important.
“Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. Without me, all animals would die. “Green said.
“You only think about the earth,” Blue interrupted, “but consider the sky and the sea. The sky gives space, peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing.”
Yellow shouted, “You are all so serious. I bring laughter and warmth into the world. Without me there would be no fun. “
Orange started next, “ I am the color of health and strength. My beauty is so attractive that no one gives another thought to any of you. “
Red could stand it no longer, so he shouted out, “I am the ruler of all of you. I am the color of danger and of bravery. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. “
Purple rose up to his full height. He was very tall and spoke with great pride, “ I am the color of power. I am the sign of authority(权利) and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey.”
Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, “ I represent thought and reflection（反思）. You need me for balance and contrast(对比). “
Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning. Rain started to pour down and speak “You should appear in the sky in a great bow of colors. Remember to appreciate one another. Only the rainbow is the most beautiful.”Green thinks he is according to the passage.
A．the sign of life
B．the laughter of the world
C．the ruler of the worldPurple thinks people should listen and obey him because he is the symbol of .
A．life B．peace C．powerFrom the story we know that is very calm.
A．Red B．Yellow C．IndigoWhich of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A．None of the colors would agree with others.
B．Yellow believes the world is filled with fun because of him.
C．Rain is the most beautiful because of all the colors.The meaning of the story is that .
A．colors can quarrel like humans
B．everyone should learn to appreciate one another
C．the rainbow is made up of many colors
Compassion(同情) is a wish within us to help others. Only with effort can we turn compassion into real actions. An experience last weekend showed me this is true.
I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机) with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash(现金), had just moved into his room, and had nothing to eat. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.
I couldn’t help looking at him seriously. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this old gentleman, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. If anything, he looked even poorer. “Charge it to me,” was all he said.
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed, either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ______.
A. promised to obey the store rules
B. forgot to take any money with him
C. hoped to have the food first and pay laterWhich of the following best describes the old gentleman?
A. kind and lucky
B. poor and lonely
C. friendly and helpfulThe underlined sentence “I valued my job” means “____________”.
A. I didn’t have enough money for the old gentleman for I was only a part-timer
B. I expected the old gentleman to take something valuable to pay for the food
C. I did want to keep my present part-time job by following the rulesThe writer’s action suggested that______.
A. he felt no pity for the old gentleman
B. he was touched and became caring
C. he considered the first old man was not honestWhat does the writer learn from his experience?
A. Wealth is more important than anything else.
B. Helping others is easier said than done.
C. Obeying the rules means more than compassion.
Notice
No better season than spring, so let’s enjoy ourselves in the best time of the year!
Grade Date Destination
Junior 1 May 5th Fantawild, Zhuzhou
Junior 2 May 6th Fantawild, Zhuzhou
Junior 3 May 5th Baile Land, Wangcheng（in the northwest of Changsha）
Price: RMB￥205(Baile Land) / RMB￥ 245 (Fantawild)
Parking Place: Coaches for Wangcheng Southern Gate
Coaches for Zhuzhou Northern GateWhere should the students in Grade 8 gather?
A. Southern Gate
B. Northern Gate
C. Zhuzhou It's true that ________.
A. the whole school will take a trip on different days.
B. Fantawild must be much more interesting than Baile Land.
C. the students in Grade 9 won’t go out of Changsha.
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