As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to tidy living rooms that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!"
I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and falling. Still, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.
"I, uh-I want to climb the stone walls," I said. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stone walls? "Immediately voices of disagreement went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the response was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather's loud voice. "Now hold on just a minute," I heard him say. "Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself."
"Go," he said to me, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls -and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, smiling, "You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are."
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. "There's only one person in this whole world like you," the kids can count on hearing me say, "and people can like you exactly as you are.”When the writer was small, he lived .
| A．in the city | B．on the farm |
| C．with his grandparents | D．away from his parents |
The writer enjoyed his visits to the farm because .
| A．there were old stone walls. | B．it was an exciting place for him. |
| C．he liked his grandfather. | D．the living room there was clean |
The underlined word “approve” in paragraph 2 means .
| A．prove | B．suppose | C．allow | D．mind |
We can learn from the passage that the writer was .
| A．adventurous | B．funny | C．smart | D．talkative |
From a plane we can see the fields, cities, mountains or seas below. If we go into space, we see more and more of the earth. People and man-made satellites have been sent out into space to look at the earth carefully and people have learnt more about the earth in the last few years.
The sea looks very beautiful when the sun is shining on it. But it can be very terrible when there is a strong wind.
The sea is very big. It nearly covers three quarters of the earth. The sea is also very deep in some places. There is one place and at that place the sea is about 11 kilometers deep. The highest mountain in the world is about 9 kilometers high. If that mountain was put into the sea at that place, there would be still 2 kilometers of water above it!
In most parts of the sea, there are many kinds of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. There are also a lot of small living things, and lots of fishes live by eating them.
The sea can be very cold. When people go down, the sea becomes colder and colder. Only some men can go down into the deep sea. But, in 1970, five women scientists (科学家) lived in the deep sea for fourteen days.This passage is_________.
| A．a short story | B．for science reading |
| C．a piece of news | D．a report |
The sea covers about _______of the earth.
A One third B. One fourth
C. Two quarters D. Three fourths Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The sea is usually beautiful when the sun is shining. |
| B．The sea is always very terrible when the wind blows hard. |
| C．The highest mountain is in the deepest place of the sea. |
| D．The deeper the people go into the sea, the colder they will feel. |
The last sentence “But, in 1970, five women scientists lived in the deep sea for fourteen days.” means that________.
| A．women wanted to live in the deep sea for a long time |
| B．women could go deeper into the sea than men |
| C．women liked living in the deep sea better than men |
| D．women could do the same work as men |
What happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers.
Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting (骗过) his high school's monitoring system. This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life.
While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military (军队的) vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret prison. There he is treated as a possible terrorist(恐怖分子). He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears.
When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists. While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen.
He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously (匿名地).
The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society. What kind of article does this passage belong to?
| A．A fascinating story. | B．A book review. |
| C．News report | D．A TV programme |
Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because ________.
| A．he killed his friend |
| B．he bombed a military vehicle |
| C．he did something that a possible terrorist could do |
| D．his injured friend disappeared |
From the second paragraph we can infer that _________.
| A．Marcus Yallow is much more comfortable obeying the rules of society |
| B．Marcus Yallow is smart, fast and wise in real life |
| C．Marcus Yallow always plays online games in real life |
| D．Marcus Yallow is expert at the network world |
Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact(联系) with people from around the world. This means that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed and the dialect （方言）of London became the standard. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.
The numbers of words in Early Modern English and Late Modern English differ. Late Modern English has a lot more words because of two main factors(因素): firstly, the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.
From around 1600, the English colonization(殖民地化)of North America resulted in the creation of American English. Some English pronunciation and words froze when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that the British call “ Americanisms” are in fact original （原先的）British expressions that were preserved (保存) in the colonies but were lost in Britain. Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English. French words and West African words also influenced American English.
Today, American English is the most influential(有影响力的). But there are many other kinds of English around the world, including Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English , Indian English and Caribbean English. They have differences.What can we know from Paragraph 1?
| A．The dialect of London became the standard in the year 1604. |
| B．Vowels were pronounced longer towards the end of Middle English |
| C．The first English dictionary was published in the early 17th century. |
| D．Many new words entered English because many people moved to Britain. |
From Paragraph 2, we know that the Industrial Revolution __________.
| A．required spelling and grammar to be fixed |
| B．required a greater number of English words |
| C．caused many old English words to be useless |
| D．led to the English colonization of North America. |
The underlined word “froze” in Paragraph 3 shows that some English words in America___________.
| A．became longer |
| B．greatly changed |
| C．a little changed |
| D．stayed as they were |
What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss?
| A．The development of Modern English |
| B．How the English vocabulary became larger |
| C．Differences among the different kinds of English |
| D．Differences between Middle English and Modern English |
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel(剥……的皮) potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow(肘). Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked(窥视) out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf（利益）. She had never let me see her tears. Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child to peel potatoes?
| A．Cruel. | B．Serious. |
| C．Cold. | D．Strict |
What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply(暗示)?
| A．Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it. |
| B．The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up. |
| C．Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher. |
| D．What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity. |
When the child looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because _________.
| A．they felt sorry for what they had done before |
| B．they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt |
| C．they were astonished to find the author’s progress |
| D．they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars |
The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.
| A．the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep |
| B．the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own |
| C．Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph |
| D．in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth |
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English. Here are some advertisements(广告) about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
Global English Centre
l General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
l 3-month (700 yuan), 6-month (1,200 yuan) and one-year (2,000) courses.
l Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day. Mon.~Fri.
l Experienced college English teachers.
l Close to city centre and bus stops.
Tel: 67605272
Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082
Modern Language School
l Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills.
l Small classes (12~16 students) on Sat. & Sun. from 2:00~5:00 p.m.
l Native English teachers from Canada and USA.
l Language lab and computers supplied.
l 3-month course: 1,050 yuan; 6-month course: 1,850 yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056
Tel: 67353019
The 21st Century English Training Centre
l We specialize in effective teaching at all levels.
l We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan.
l We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.
l Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec. 1.
l Only 15-minute walk from city centre.
l Call 67801642 for more information.
The International House of English
l Three/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at a very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week, convenient (方便的) class hours:
9:00~12:00 a.m. and 2:00~5:00 p.m.
l A four-month evening programme for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes).
l Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers with experience in teaching English as a second foreign language.
l Free sightseeing and social activities.
l Very close to the Central Park.
For further information call 674322308. You work from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. Which school will you choose?
| A．Global English Centre and Modern Language School. |
| B．Global English Centre and The International House of English. |
| C．Modern English Centre School and The 21st Century English Training Centre. |
| D．The 21st Century English Training Centre and The International House of English. |
The 21st Century English Training Centre is different from the other three schools in that___.
| A．its teaching quality is better |
| B．it is near to the city centre |
| C．its courses are more advanced |
| D．it requires an entrance examination |
You will probably prefer to go The International House of English because it________.
| A．offers free sightseeing and social activities |
| B．has a special course in spoken English |
| C．costs less than the other schools |
| D．has native English teachers |
If you take the evening programme at The International House of English, you will pay____.
| A．60 yuan | B．240 yuan | C．720 yuan | D．960 yuan |
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