I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”
“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”
“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the
teacher thought .
| A．he didn’t do a good job in his studies |
| B．he described an unrealistic goal in his paper |
| C．he came from an itinerant horse trainer’s family |
| D．he wrote his paper without the help of his father |
Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?
| A．Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream. |
| B．Because his father stopped him from rewriting it. |
| C．Because he was angry about his teacher’s words. |
| D．Because he had put too much of his heart into it. |
From the story we can infer that the boy was actually .
| A．Monty himself | B．the author himself |
| C．Monty’s friend | D．an unknown person |
According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT
that .
| A．the boy was very interested in having a horse ranch of his own |
| B．the boy might have got a higher grade if he’d rewritten his paper |
| C．the boy succeeded in turning his dream into reality in the end |
| D．the boy wouldn’t have reached his goal without his father’s support |
The author wrote this passage mainly to
| A．tell people how to describe their goals |
| B．warn people against dream stealers |
| C．encourage people to stick to their dreams |
| D．teach people how to write their papers |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send orders to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, showed a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the wheelchair and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells(神经细胞). These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓)to the muscles(肌肉) to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outside world and also to control the machine.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮)and sends them to a computer. The computer understands the signals and directs the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that recognize objects in its path. They help the computer react to orders from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that understands brain signals and turns them into simple orders. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be divided into two kinds: communication, and controlling the machine. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to ensure that they can use the technology over long periods of time.BCI is a technology that can ______.
| A．help to update computer systems |
| B．link the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to become well |
| D．control a person's thoughts |
How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp → computer → cap →wheelchair |
| B．compute → cap → scalp →wheelchair |
| C．scalp → cap → computer →wheelchair |
| D．cap → computer → scalp →wheelchair |
The team will test with real patients to ______.
| A．make profits from them |
| B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer |
| D．learn about their physical condition |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Computer Technology Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes(音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify(识别) with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics have to stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social loneliness. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it is not connected with defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
How did scientists learn to identify amusics?
| A．By studying different kinds of music. |
| B．By going to parties regularly. |
| C．By studying amusic people. |
| D．By comparing music to color. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ______.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches |
| B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem |
| D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that ______.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusic |
At the age of 16, Clara Barton was advised to become a teacher since she was quite shy. She taught in Massachusetts for ten years, and was invited to Bordentown, New Jersey to teach in a school. She saw that these communities needed complimentary education for their citizens, and she took action by creating a free school, one of the first in her state. But later, officials named a male as the head teacher instead of her. Disappointed, she left her job and moved to Washington D.C., becoming the first woman employed by the US Patent Office.
Clara Barton was forever changed by her experience with the army in the Civil War. She saw doctors use leaves when dealing with injuries since they had nothing else. The medical supplies were well behind the army, who were moving faster than their medical supply lines. She brought in a truck of medical supplies that she collected personally some years ago. Miss Barton continued to work on the battlefields throughout the war.
She helped in the recognition of 13,000 dead Union soldiers. This non-stop work made her fully exhausted. Following the advice of her doctor, she traveled to Europe where she recovered energy and enriched herself.
While in Europe, and still in poor health, Miss Barton was moved by the hardship on people caused by the France-Prussia war. She helped in their relief effort, which encouraged her to create the Red Cross, which served the whole army and common people under a neutral flag.
Clara Barton returned to America and then began the establishment(建立)of the American Red Cross. The US government did not think there would ever be another war after the Civil War. But she made them believe that the Red Cross would be valuable to serve in times of natural disasters as well. This was her lasting legacy(遗产), an agency that still provides aid to all people today.What does the underlined word “complimentary” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．Public. | B．Personal. | C．Free. | D．Modern |
Why did Clara Barton bring her personal medical supplies?
| A．There were no medical supplies for the army at all. |
| B．The army’s supplies couldn’t catch up with them. |
| C．The army’s supplies weren’t good enough to treat soldiers. |
| D．The enemies cut off the connection between the army and medical supplies. |
Clara Barton set up the Red Cross because of ______.
| A．her experiences in Europe |
| B．her poor health |
| C．the lack of supplies for the army |
| D．her work in the US Patent Office |
The US government agreed to establish the Red Cross because Clara Barton ______.
| A．gave a lot of her legacy |
| B．said there might be wars in the future |
| C．explained it would help people in peacetime as well. |
| D．believed it could save people from the France-Prussia war. |
What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．The history of American Civil War. |
| B．A general introduction to Clara Barton. |
| C．Clara Barton’s contributions to the US. |
| D．The Establishment of the American Red Cross. |
A woman saw three old men with long white beards(胡须) sitting in her front yard, hungry. She did not know them but invited them in. “We do not go into a house together,” they replied. And she asked why.
One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” pointing to one of his friends, “and he is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”
The woman went in and told her husband what had happened. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!” he said. “Since that is the case, let Wealth come in and fill our home with wealth!” His wife disagreed, “My dear, why not invite Success?” Their daughter-in-law gave her own suggestion: “Wouldn’t it be better to invite Love? Our home will be filled with love then.” “Let’s heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the woman asked Wealth and Success, “I only invited Love, why are you coming in?”
The old men replied together. “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out. But since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”The underlined word “heed”means “______”.
| A．give | B．refuse | C．follow | D．offer |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．What a clever daughter-in-law! |
| B．An old couple and love. |
| C．Which one is the best choice? |
| D．Wealth, success and love. |
From the story, we can know that the daughter-in-law is a woman with .
| A．care | B．imagination | C．love | D．cleverness |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The three old men usually went into a house together. |
| B．The family didn't like the other two old men to enter their house. |
| C．One can have wealth and success if he has love. |
| D．The husband likes success better than other things. |
The story seems to be ______. .
| A．a love story | B．a fable |
| C．a true story | D．a novel |
"Itis a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas," said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
AuntEmmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
"Thegifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give," said Aunt Emmy gently, "nor the best, either."
"Oh,I know it's nicer to give something of your own work," agreed Clorinda, "but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other."
"Thatwas not what I meant," said Aunt Emmy.
"Whatdid you mean, then?" asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
AuntEmmy smiled.
"Supposeyou think out my meaning for yourself," she said. "That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: "The gift without the giver is bare."
"I'dput it the other way and say, "The giver without the gift is bare,'" said Clorinda, with a grimace（鬼脸）. "That is my predicament（困境） exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know."
"Won'tyour aunt miss you terribly?" said Aunt Emmy gravely.
Clorindaflushed. There was a note in Aunt Emmy's voice that disturbed her.
"Ithink she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "But of course you must decide for yourself, dear. "
"Well,I must say bye-bye and run home. " Clorindalived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorindapuzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for four days and part of three nights. Then all at once it came to her. Or if it wasn't Aunt Emmy's meaning it was a very good meaning in itself, and it grew clearer and expanded in meaning during the days that followed, although at first Clorinda shrank a little from some of the conclusions to which it led her.
OnChristmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's. It was a faded brown Christmas after all, for the snow had not come. But Clorinda did not mind; there was such joy in her heart that she thought it the most delightful Christmas Day that ever dawned.
Sheput the queer cornery armful she carried down on the kitchen floor before she went into the sitting room. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
"I'vecome to tell you all about it," she said.
AuntEmmy patted the hand that was in her own.
"Fromyour face, dear girl, it will be pleasant hearing and telling," she said.
Clorindanodded.
"AuntEmmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... thought until I was dizzy. And then one evening it just came to me, without any thinking at all, and I knew that I could give some gifts after all. I thought of something new every day for a week. At first I didn't think I couldgive some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give. "
"First,there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby, and she's very fond of me. But, well, you know, Aunt Emmy, I'm ashamed to confess(承认，忏悔) it, but really I've never found Aunt Kitty very entertaining, to put it mildly. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. I told her all the Greenvale news and gossip and everything else I thought she'd like to hear. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. "
Thenthere was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate(亲密的) friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness. I went down last night and just put my arms around her and told her that I loved her as much as ever and wanted to be real close friends again. "
"Igave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so."
"Yourgifts have been real gifts, Clorinda," said Aunt Emmy. "Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them."
Clorindawent out and brought her cornery armful in.
"Ididn't forget you, Aunt Emmy," she said, as she unpinned the paper.
Therewas a rosebush--Clorinda's own pet rosebush--all snowed over with fragrant blossoms.
AuntEmmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
"It'sas sweet as yourself, dear child," she said tenderly. "And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?"
"Yes,thanks to you, Aunt Emmy," said Clorinda softly.Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because_____________________.
| A．She had to leave Aunt Mary |
| B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy |
| C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts |
| D．She had no time to make a proper decision |
Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”？
| A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver. |
| B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver. |
| C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts. |
| D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody |
What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?
| A．Passion | B．Sympathy | C．Kindness | D．Company |
What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?
| A．respectfully | B．confidently |
| C．secretly | D．willingly |
Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?
| A．cute and joyful | B．kind-hearted and emotional |
| C．optimistic and wise | D．gentle and timid |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Special Christmas | B．Clorinda’s Gifts |
| C．Aunt Emmy | D．Clorinda’s choice |
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