Little Robby, our neighbour’s nephew, carefully drew some water into a bowl and started for the door. How I hated this water rationing (定量供应). We were forced to bathe in the deep little pond we shared with Jessie, our cow. Wells were dry, and crops transformed to dust.
I watched Robby sitting down onto the steps to my house. Bees buzzed circling his hair, and he buzzed with them. I remembered his aunt’s words: I don’t know what I was thinking when I took him in. The crash killed my sister, and he wasn’t hurt, but he can’t talk. He’s in a world of all his own.
Why couldn’t she see the wonderful gifts this boy possessed? He was blessed with a loving nature and a deep admiration for all living things, and I knew he could talk to animals. My heart ached for Robby, who was to stay with us for the summer, and had already been the dearest part of our world, eagerly tending the garden with me and my husband, Tom.
On a string around Robby’s neck hung a whistle, in case he was ever lost or in danger. After all, he could not call out for help. But he knew perfectly well that the whistle was not a toy. Blowing on it would bring us both running. I had told him the story of the boy who cried wolf, and I knew he understood me.
I sighed as I cleared up the last supper dish. Every ounce of recycled water was saved for a tiny vegetable garden Robby had planted. Tom turned to me. “You know, honey, I’ve been thinking about...”
Before he could continue, a scream from the yard made us jump. My God! It’s Robby’s whistle! When we reached him, he was pointing excitedly to the sky. Looking up, we saw the most magnificent sight: Rain Clouds! “Robby! Quick! We need all the pots and pans!”
Robby raced with me to the house. A drop of water fell on my pot and then another. Soon the yard was enveloped in soaking, glorious rain. We all stood with faces held upward to feel the comfort of it. Tom picked up Robby and danced about the pots, shouting and whooping, “Rain for Robby!” Tom swung about to show me Robby’s face: he was laughing right out loud, “W-W-Wobby’s!” “Wobby’s … wain … Mom,” giggling（咯咯地笑）, and stretching out one tiny hand in the shape of a cup to catch the rain.
I hugged them both, tears of joy mixing with the rain.The underlined phrase “the wonderful gifts” in the 3rd paragraph refers to Robby’s ______.
| A．love for nature and all living things |
| B．kindness to help others around |
| C．independence since his childhood |
| D．readiness to accept what happened to him |
It was because ______ that the author and her husband would run on hearing the whistle.
| A．it was going to rain |
| B．Robby often surprised us with his whistle |
| C．something bad might happen to Robby. |
| D．Robby might find something special |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Robby was old enough, but still couldn’t speak. |
| B．Robby’s aunt regretted bringing Robby home. |
| C．Robby didn’t accept the author and Tom as his parents. |
| D．Robby happened to find the rain cloud and was terrified. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
| A．we should show mercy for the disabled children |
| B．every child has his own talent however young he is |
| C．children from poor families take responsibilities earlier |
| D．children’s sensitive hearts are worthy to be taken care of |
I grew up in a house where the TV was seldom turned on and with one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with bookshelves, most of my childhood was spent on books I could get hold of. In fact, I grew up thinking of reading as natural as breathing and books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives（观点）by creating worlds we could step into, take part in and live in.
With this unshakable belief, I, at fourteen, decided to become a writer. Here too, reading became useful. Every writer starts off knowing that he has something to say, but being unable to find the right ways to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and discovering which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with, or agrees with so strongly that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read, because only through reading other people’s writing can one discover what works, what doesn’t and, in the end, together with lots of practice, what voice he has.
Now I am in college, and have come to realize how important it is to read fiction. As a law student, my reading is in fact limited to subject matter — the volume（量）of what I have to read for classes every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it all the clearer to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called life. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life beyond my own. It allows me to travel across the high seas and along the Silk Road, all from the comfort of my own armchair, to experience, though secondhand, exciting experiences that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to have in my lifetime. What can be inferred about the author as a child?
| A．He never watched TV. |
| B．He read what he had to. |
| C．He found reading unbelievable. |
| D．He considered reading part of his life. |
The underlined word “voice” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
| A．the ability to speak |
| B．a way of writing |
| C．a sound quality |
| D．a world to write about |
What effect does reading have on the author?
| A．It opens up a wider world for him. |
| B．It helps him to realize his dream. |
| C．It makes his college life more interesting. |
| D．It increases his interest in worldwide travel. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
| A．How do I read? | B．What do I read? | C．Why do I read? | D．When do I read? |
It is well known that Einstein was the father of the famous Theory of Relativity. But do you know it owes a great deal to Marits, Einstein’s former wife?
In 1896, 17-year-old Einstein went to Zurich to study physics. There he met a girl from Hungary. They studied in the same class. The same interest brought the two together and the young man fell in love with Marits. In 1903, when Einstein was 24 years old, he married Marits, who was 4 years older than he.
After their marriage, Einstein devoted himself to the research of the great theory. To give her husband more help, Marits gave up her own work, and became a good wife and assistant. She tried her best to encourage him whenever possible and she was sure that her husband would succeed. They often discussed the theory while walking outside or sitting together in the room. They even discussed it in their letters when one of them was away from home.
In 1914, the Einstein moved to Berlin and settled there. At that time, Einstein’s theory proved to be correct and he had become famous all over the world. Marits was very proud of him and his success. But it was not long before the First World War broke out. Marits as well as her two sons, who were all on holidays in Switzerland, couldn’t come back to Berlin. The war not only stopped Einstein’s work but broke up the warm, happy family. In 1919, Einstein and Marits had to get divorced.
Einstein himself, however, later said that Marits was really an outstanding woman.From the first paragraph, we can infer that the passage is mostly about __________.
| A．Einstein’s former wife |
| B．Marits’s love for Einstein |
| C．Einstein’s famous theory |
| D．the life of Einstein and his former wife |
Einstein fell in love with Marits mainly because they ________.
| A．were in the same school |
| B．wanted to do research together |
| C．had the same interest |
| D．came from different countries |
By the year of 1914, Einstein had _________________.
| A．become famous all over the world |
| B．been proud of his success |
| C．suffered from the 1st World War |
| D．lost touch with Marits |
Einstein and Marits got divorced because ________________.
| A．they no longer loved each other |
| B．the 1st World War broke out |
| C．Marits went away with the children |
| D．Einstein had become famous |
It is easy for many people to catch a cold in the springtime or fall. It makes us wonder if scientists can send a man to the moon, why can’t they find a cure for the common cold? The answer is easy. There are actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one.
When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and cause a block in it. You feel terrible because you can’t breathe well, but your body is actually eating the virus. Your temperature goes up and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is killing the virus. You also have a runny nose to stop the virus from getting into your cells. You may feel very uncomfortable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold.
Different people do different things to deal with colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to make themselves feel better. Some people take hot baths and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicine to stop various symptoms (症状) of colds.
There is one interesting thing to note —some scientists say taking medicines when you have a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer because your body doesn’t have a way to fight it and kill it. Bodies can do an amazing job on their own. There is a joke, however, on taking medicine when you have a cold. It goes like this:
It takes about one week to get over a cold if you don’t take medicine, but it takes only seven days to get over a cold if you take medicine.
| Title |
How Much You Know About the Common Cold |
| Introduction |
◆People catch a cold 61. in spring or fall. ◆A 62. of cold viruses exist everywhere. ◆It is hard to find a cure for each cold. |
| The symptoms of the common cold |
◆The body’s blood as well as its temperature 63. , causing a fever. ◆You will find that you have some difficulty 64. . ◆You have a runny nose, which makes you feel miserable. |
| Some 65. of dealing with the common cold |
◆Drinking chicken soup to help you 66. . ◆Taking hot baths and drinking warm 67. ________. ◆Taking some medicine. |
| 68. by some scientists |
◆Taking medicine when having a cold will do 69. to the body. ◆Taking medicine or not will take you one week to 70. the common cold. |
With five breakout （破纪录的） games, Jeremy Lin has become the NBA's newest star．
In the New York Knicks' 92-85 won over the Los Angles Lakers last Saturday, Lin had a career-high 38 points．A day later, he led the Knicks to their fifth victory, 100-98 to Minnesota Timberwolves．In his previous games, Lin, 23, had 23 points against the Washington, 25 points against New Jersey and 28 against Utah in his first start．
Lin is smart．Before graduating from high school in California, he had sent his application to all the Ivy League Schools （常青藤联盟）．He only got into Harvard and Brown, and he chose Harvard．In 2010, Lin graduated with a degree in economics．
Lin is the first Chinese-American player in the NBA．He was born in the US and his family is Asian．Although not born in China, Lin has attracted nearly all Yao Ming's old fans, who see him as a powerful role model．
He started off on the Golden State Warriors．Lin first signed with the Warriors in July, 2010, but seldom played in games before the start of the fourth quarter．His first time on the court for the Warriors earned him seven points, three rebounds （篮板球） and two assists in just 11 minutes．
He is really perfect for the Knicks．The New York Knicks has been in need of a reliable point guard and to Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks coach who's going through a difficult season, Lin is a most unexpected figure．"Lin just does everything easy and the rest of the guys around him are playing the way we want to," D'Antoni said．"I think it's for real, and it can only get better．"In which team did Lin start his career in NBA?
| A．the New York Knicks． |
| B．The Golden State Warriors． |
| C．Minnesota Timberwolves． |
| D．The Los Angles Lakers． |
From the passage, we learn that ___．
| A．the New York Knicks has never been defeated |
| B．Lin is an American-Chinese basketball player |
| C．most of Yao Ming's fans take Lin as a great role model |
| D．after graduation from Harvard, Lin signed with the Knicks |
From the passage, it can be inferred that ____．
| A．Lin is the team leader of the Knicks |
| B．the Knicks' success only depends on Lin |
| C．the Knicks'coach puts strong hopes on Lin |
| D．the Knicks is sure to win the season this year |
The author's purpose of writing the report is ____．
| A．to show his support for the Knicks |
| B．to express his love for Jeremy Lin |
| C．to report the progress of the Knicks |
| D．to introduce a newest rising NBA star |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy．After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy．
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy．However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory．
Do you know what a "territory" is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own ．Only he and his family are welcome there ．No other families of the same species are welcome．Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome．If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout．Probably this would be enough to frighten him away．
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him．A bird does the same thing．But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting （筑巢） season．So he's screaming （高声尖叫） all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not．This screaming is what we call a bird's song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away．
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs．You can see that birds have a language of their own．Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories．Some scientists believe that most of the time birds' singing is actually
| A．an expression of happiness |
| B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger |
| D．a language of their own |
What is a bird's "territory"?
| A．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice． |
| B．A place where other bird families are not accepted． |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other． |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away． |
| B．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears． |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around． |
| D．Because they want to invite more bird friends． |
How does the writer explain birds' singing?
| A．By comparing birds with human beings． | B．By reporting experimental results． |
| C．By describing birds'daily life． | D．By telling a bird's story． |
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