Every year in the first week of English class, some students inform me that writing is too hard. They never write, unless homework requires it. They find the writing process painful and difficult.
How awful it is to be able to speak in a language but not to write in it, especially with its rich vocabulary. Being able to speak but not write is like living in an enormous mansion and never leaving one small room. When I meet students who think they can’t write, I know, as a teacher my duty is to show them the rest of the rooms. My task is to build fluency and accuracy while providing the opportunity in any writing activity to enhance（增强）the moral and emotional development of my students.
One great way to do this is by having students write in a journal in class every day.
Writing ability is like strength training. Writing needs to be done just like exercise; just as muscles grow stronger with exercise, writing skills improve quickly with writing practice daily. I often see a rise in student confidence and performance after only a few weeks of journal writing.
Expressing oneself in writing is one of the most important skills I teach to strengthen the whole students. When my students practice journal writing, they are practicing for their future academic, political, and emotional lives. They build skills so that some say they might write a great novel, a piece of sorely needed legislation（法规）, or the perfect love letter. That they write in their journals every day puts them a step closer to fluency, eloquence（雄辩）and command of the language.What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To encourage students to keep a journal every day. |
| B．To analyze students’ problems in learning languages. |
| C．To stress the importance of writing in language learning. |
| D．To introduce an effective way of improving students’ writing. |
The underlined phrase “an enormous mansion” in Paragraph 2 refers to students’ .
| A．writing opportunity | B．large house |
| C．large vocabulary | D．emotional life |
In the author’s view, what can students benefit from the journal writing?
| A．It is beneficial to students’ future career. |
| B．It can make students more emotional. |
| C．It is helpful to students’ homework. |
| D．It can enlarge students’ vocabulary. |
Your peers are people your age or close to it who have experiences and interests similar to yours. You and your friends make dozens of decisions every day, and you influence each other’s choices and behavior. This is often ________ --- it’s human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.
Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you’re uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, or taking dangerous risks when driving a car.
The pressure to conform（随潮流） can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless--- or something that has more serious consequences.
People may feel pressure to conform, so they fit in or are accepted, or so they don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. When people are unsure of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for cues（暗示）about what is and isn’t acceptable.
The people who are most easily influenced will follow someone else’s lead first. Then others may go along, too --- so it can be easy to think, “It must be OK. Everyone else is doing it. They must know what they’re doing.” Before you know it, many people are going along with the crowd --- perhaps on something they might not otherwise do.
Responding to peer pressure is part of human nature --- but some people are more likely to give in, and others are better able to resist and stand their ground.
It’s not always easy to resist negative peer pressure. But when you do, it is easy to feel good about it afterwards. And you may even be a positive influence on your peers who feel the same way --- often it just takes one person to speak out or take a different action to change a situation.Which of the following is a kind of peer pressure?
| A．Your teachers give you a lot of homework. |
| B．Your parents expect high scores from you. |
| C．Your classmates persuade you to cut class. |
| D．Your relatives invite you to attend a party. |
Which is most likely to be filled in the blank in Paragraph 1?
| A．negative |
| B．impossible |
| C．positive |
| D．uncertain |
Most people tend to do what others are doing in order to _________.
| A．feel a sense of achievement |
| B．get a feeling of being accepted |
| C．set a good example for others |
| D．stand out in a crowd |
What can we know according to the author?
| A．Giving in to peer pressure is unavoidable. |
| B．Peer pressure usually leads to serious results. |
| C．Going along with the crowd usually means making a right choice. |
| D．Everyone can make a difference by resisting negative peer pressure. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．thoughts on peer pressure |
| B．different types of peer pressure |
| C．ways to deal with peer pressure |
| D．the influence of peer pressure on people |
I’d always dreamed of exploring Africa, ever since I read my first Tarzan（《人猿泰山》）comic as a child. Finally, in 2004, to celebrate my 60th birthday, I went to Tanzania to experience a safari（东非游猎）and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Seated next to me on the flight was Tanzania’s minister of water and wildlife development. We talked for thousands of miles, and he arranged me to visit a school. When I toured the school, I was shocked. The leaky（漏的）roofs turned the dirt floors into mud during the rainy season, and the walls couldn’t keep out the heat, cold or bugs(小昆虫). The school was in need of all material goods, but the kids possessed great human spirit.
It broke my heart that these children had to struggle to survive, so I asked the headmaster what it would cost to feed them. As little as 20 cents per child per day, he told me. Immediately I got home, I founded Kids of Kilimanjaro. Since then we’ve grown to provide hot lunches for nearly 13,000 schoolchildren every day. The free lunch program has eased a major problem the youngsters face.
I know a good education could really make a difference in these children’s lives. My parents always stressed the importance of education. I paid my own way through college in Tokyo by teaching English to students and businesspeople. After attending university I moved to San Francisco, when I was 25 years old. In 1978 I realized my American dream when I founded my own company. My success all started with a good education.
It’s amazing that something as simple as a nutritious lunch can change and enrich so many lives. Giving young people a better, healthier life can inspire them to go all the way through college and lead a movement that transforms their country.Why did the author go to Tanzania to celebrate his 60th birthday?
| A．He was curious about what Africa was like. |
| B．He was concerned about the Africans’ miserable life. |
| C．He wanted to get an idea of the area’s wildlife. |
| D．He hoped to lead a movement that would transform his country. |
After his tour to the school, the author found that the kids there were ________.
| A．in need of help |
| B．not interested in studies |
| C．not used to the rainy season |
| D．in low spirits |
What is the main purpose of Kids of Kilimanjaro?
| A．To make sure the African kids are mentally healthy. |
| B．To spread knowledge among the African kids. |
| C．To build new schools for the African kids. |
| D．To protect the African kids from hunger. |
What is the correct sequence of the following events?
a.“I” founded “my” first company.
b.“I” founded Kids of Kilimanjaro.
c.“I” read “my” first Tarzan comic.
d.“I” moved to San Francisco.
| A．a, c, d, b |
| B．a, d, c, b |
| C．c, a, d, b |
| D．c, d, a, b |
The author believes education is important because __________.
| A．his parents always stressed the importance of education |
| B．a good education contributes to his success |
| C．he paid his own way through college by teaching English |
| D．he’s trying to realize his American dream |
Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there’s no doubt Napoleon was a major influence. The French have used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition.
The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand drivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic travelled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift（改变）to the right. A driver would sit on the rear（后面的）left horse in order to wave his whip（鞭子）with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they travelled on the right.
One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908: the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially… if there is a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world’s few remaining holdouts(坚持不变者). Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well--- though many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right?
| A．They had used the right-hand traffic since the 18th century. |
| B．Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right. |
| C．Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country. |
| D．Hitler ordered them to go against their left-hand tradition. |
Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is_________.
| A．Austria |
| B．England |
| C．Japan |
| D．Australia |
Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left __________.
| A．in order to change traffic directions in the U.S. |
| B．so that passengers could get off conveniently |
| C．because rules at that time weren’t perfect |
| D．though many countries were strongly against that |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right. |
| B．People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays. |
| C．The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970. |
| D．All the Asian nations use the left at present. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Who made the great contribution to the shift of traffic directions? |
| B．How cars have become a popular means of transportation? |
| C．How Henry Ford produced his cars with controls on the left? |
| D．Why don’t people all drive on the same side of road? |
My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word “shmily” in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving “shmily” around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more. They dragged “shmily” with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing the next meal. “Shmily” was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. There was no end to the places where “shmily” would pop up. Little notes with “shmily” were found on car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were put inside shoes and left under pillows. “Shmily” was written in the dust upon the mantel（壁炉架）and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of my grandparents’ house as the furniture.
It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents’ game. Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love --- one that is pure and enduring (持久的). However, I never doubted my grandparents’ relationship. It was based on passionate（热情的）affection which not everyone is lucky enough to experience.
But there was a dark cloud in my grandparents’ life: my grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every step of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside. But my grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave the house anymore. Then one day, what we all dreaded finally happened. Grandma was gone.
“Shmily.” It was written in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother’s funeral bouquet (花束). As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, Grandpa stepped up to my grandmother’s coffin and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came: S-h-m-i-l-y: See How Much I Love You.According to the passage, where may the word “shmily” be found?
a.in the flour containers
b.on the mirror
c.on the sheet of toilet paper
d.on pillows
e.on the furniture
| A．a, b | B．b, c | C．a, d | D．b, e |
The first paragraph is mainly about ________.
| A．what the word “shmily” means |
| B．how the author’s grandparents played their special game |
| C．how the author appreciated her grandparents’ game |
| D．how the author’s grandparents cared for each other |
The underlined phrase “pop up” in Paragraph 1 means ________.
| A．appear | B．change | C．survive | D．work |
According to the passage, the author _________.
| A．thought the game was meaningless |
| B．believes everyone can experience true love |
| C．doubted the existence of true love at first |
| D．sometimes left “shmily” around the house |
Grandpa tried to make Grandma comfortable by _______.
| A．singing songs to her every day |
| B．painting the room yellow |
| C．encouraging her to go outside |
| D．helping her take a hot shower every day |
Kerry and Alice were both artists in Britain．They taught drawing and painting at Cambridge University．Although they were friends，each thought oneself to be the better painter．
One day，Kerry promised marriage to Alice．Surprised and pleased by the offer，the girl was not sure whether she would spend her future as a wife or a painter．After a moment she replied as follows,“Each of us must paint a picture．If yours is superior to mine．you can make me your wife．If not，please drop the question．”Then it was decided to give it the following day．
The next morning，Alice hung her picture on the gate．It showed a bunch of flowers and won high praise(赞扬)from everyone who passed by．In fact，a crowd collected in front of her masterpiece and fixed their eyes on it．
Several hours passed．Then Kerry was seen coming along to the gate with what appeared to be a beautiful leather suitcase in his hand．When he finally stopped before Alice, the girl artist blushed like a rose and agreed to marry him without any hesitation(犹豫)．Why?
Answer the questions：What are Kerry and Alice?
__________________________________________.What’s the meaning of the underlined part“superior to”?
____________________________________________________Did Kerry agree to Alice’s suggestion?
_____________________________________________________Why did Alice’s picture win high praise?
____________________________________________________What do you think the“leather suitcase’’ really was?
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