Many people say pennies are not worth saving. After all, a penny is only worth a cent. But one unusual penny turned out to be worth a lot more when a coin collector paid $1.7 million for it earlier this month.
The coin is one of a kind. It is the only penny that the Denver mint(铸币厂) made out of copper, instead of steel, in 1943. Because it is unique, it is also very valuable. No penny has ever sold for so much money.
The Changing Penny
The Lincoln penny first appeared in 1909. For 34 years, the one-cent coin was made out of copper. Then, in 1943, the penny changed. World War II was going on, and copper was needed for equipment. So for one year, pennies were made out of steel instead. At least most of them were.
Only a few coins were made out of unused copper. There are three main mints, or places where coins are made, in the United States. Of the known copper pennies from 1943, twelve were made in the Philadephia mint, and five were made in the San Francisco mint. Only one was made in the Denver mint.
Nobody knows for sure why a copper penny was made at the Denver mint in 1943, coin dealers Andy Skrabalak told Time for Kids. “There is a rumor that a mint employee made the coin in the middle of the night.”
A Special Set
The coin collector who bought the $1.7 million penny wants to remain unknown. But the reason for the trade is known. He already had two copper pennies from 1943 – one from the San Francisco mint and one from the Philadephia mint. To complete the set, he needed the Denver penny. The three coins will go on display at a coin exhibition in Tampa, Florida.
The collector who sold the penny is also keeping his name a secret. It took four years to convince him to give up the rare coin. Now that he has finally donating all of the money to charity.Why is the Lincoln penny worth over one million dollars?
| A．Because it has a history of thirty-four years. |
| B．Because it was made out of a rare material. |
| C．Because it was made on one night of 1943 by the Denver mint. |
| D．Because it was the only coin Denver mint made out of copper in 1943. |
Before the Lincoln penny was sold, people thought one-cent coins __________.
| A．were worth collecting for selling later |
| B．were surely valuable if not made out of steel |
| C．wouldn’t be sold for large amounts of money |
| D．were only useful for some coin museums |
At least how many copper coins were made in 1943?
| A．Five | B．Twelve | C．Seventeen | D．Eighteen |
What can we learn about the collector who sold the penny?
| A．He already had two copper pennies from 1943. |
| B．He wanted to complete the set of copper pennies. |
| C．He didn’t want to sell his penny in the beginning. |
| D．He was a well-known coin dealer in Tampa, Horida. |
“A good book for children should simply be a good book in its own right” says Mollie Hunter. Born and brought up near Edinburgh，Mollie has devoted her talents to writing primarily for young people. She firmly believes that there is and should always be a wider audience for any good book whatever its main market is. In Mollie’s opinion it is necessary to make full use of language and she enjoys telling a story，which is what every writer should be doing. “If you aren’t telling a story, you’re a very dead writer indeed.” She says. With the chief function of a writer being to entertain，Mollie is indeed an entertainer. “I have this great love of not only the meaning of language but of the music of language,” she says. “This love goes back to early childhood. I had a school teacher who used to ask us what we would like to be when we grew up and，because my family always had dogs，and I was very good at handling them，I said I wanted to work with dogs，and the teacher always said ‘Nonsense，Mollie；dear，you’ll be a writer.’ So finally I thought that this woman must have something，since she was a good teacher and I decided when I was nine that I would be a writer.”
This childhood intention is described in her novel，A Sound of Chariots，which although written in the third person is clearly autobiographical (自传体的) and gives a picture both of Mollie’s ambition and her struggle towards its achievement. Thoughts of her childhood inevitably (不可避免地) brought thoughts of the time when her home was still a village with buttercup meadows and strawberry fields—sadly now covered with modern houses. “I was once taken back to see it and I felt that somebody had lain dirty hands all over my childhood. I’ll never go back，”she said “Never. When I set one of my books in Scotland” she said “I can recall my romantic feelings as a child playing in those fields，or watching the village blacksmith at work. And that’s important because children now know so much so early that romance can’t exist for them, as it did for us.”
What does Mollie Hunter feel about the nature of a good book?
| A．It should not aim at a narrow audience. |
| B．It should be attractive to young readers. |
| C．It should be based on original ideas. |
| D．It should not include too much conversation. |
In Mollie Hunter’s opinion，which of the following is one sign of a poor writer?
| A．Being poor in life experience. |
| B．Being short of writing skills. |
| C．The weakness of description. |
| D．The absence of a story. |
What do we learn about Mollie Hunter as a young child?
| A．She didn’t expect to become a writer. |
| B．She didn’t enjoy writing stories. |
| C．She didn’t have any particular ambitions. |
| D．She didn’t respect her teacher’s views. |
What’s the writer’s purpose in this text?
| A．To share her enjoyment of Mollie Hunter’s books. |
| B．To introduce Mollie Hunter’s work to a wider audience. |
| C．To provide information for Mollie Hunter’s existing readers. |
| D．To describe Mollie Hunter’s most successful books. |
A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment?
As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower. A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle.
Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic and can be hard or soft, and able to change shape. Overtime it can also break down into the soil without giving out any toxic (有毒的) chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this new type of cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow.
Engineers have designed a small transparent (透明的) window to hold the seed. They have made sure it only grows when the phone is thrown away.
"We've only put sunflower seeds into the covers so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time," said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly (经常地) throwing their mobiles away. This means manufacturers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them.
Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists.
"The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don't have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it," said Kerry Kirwan. She leads the research team, which is based at the University of Warwick in Britain.After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, ________.
| A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower wherever you throw it |
| B．the phone cover will break down easily in the soil which you bury it in |
| C．it will be recycled by the manufactures |
| D．it can recharge itself in an environmental friendly way |
Which of the following is wrong about the cover of the new type of phone?
| A．It can provide useful fertilizer for the sunflower seed after the mobile phone breaks down. |
| B．It looks like normal plastics but it can break down. |
| C．It can serve as the storage for the sunflower seed. |
| D．It makes sure the seed only grows after the phone is thrown away. |
This type of research is done because ________.
| A．the technology that produces mobile phones is changing rapidly |
| B．consumers tend to throw away their mobile phones within two years |
| C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones |
| D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy, so this has become a very big problem for the environment |
We can infer from the story ________.
| A．the new type of mobile phone is already on the market |
| B．the new type of mobile phone will sell extremely well |
| C．recycling mobile phones is increasingly important to the environment |
| D．other flowers may be used in the new type of cell phone |
While Bill was getting ready for work one Monday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Bill felt nervous as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr. Smith refused his request? Bill had worked so hard in the last 12 months and managed to win a contract that was hard to get for Procter& Gamble. Of course, he should get a salary raise.
The thought of walking into Mr. Smith’s office left Bill weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally brave enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the mean boss agreed to give Bill a raise!
Bill arrived home that evening---despite breaking all city and state speed limits---to a beautiful table. His wife, Alice, had prepared a fabulous meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had told her the news.
Next to his plate Bill found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Alice was.
After dinner, Bill was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he noticed that a second card had slipped out of Alice’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you how much I love you though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears welled in Bill’s eyes. Total acceptance! Alice’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can face almost any difficulty when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.
What was Bill’s plan that Monday?
| A．To request a wage increase from his boss． |
| B．To get a promotion． |
| C．To celebrate his success． |
| D．To ask his boss to come for dinner. |
On his way home, Bill was .
| A．excited | B．relaxed | C．nervous | D．puzzled |
We can conclude from the passage that .
| A．unconditional love brings courage and strength |
| B．work hard and you will be rewarded. |
| C．many fears turn out to be unfounded |
| D．we should never be afraid to demand what is due to |
Which of the following statements about the passage is FALSE?
| A．Bill was afraid that his request would be refused. |
| B．Bill had worked hard and done his part for the company. |
| C．Bill’s boss agreed to his request. |
| D．One of Bill’s colleagues had told his wife the good news. |
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream and listen to the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their original position after the wind had died down.
When I think about the bamboo trees’ ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word “resilience” comes to my mind. When used in reference to a person, this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other negative situation that stretches the limits of a person’s emotions.
Have you ever felt like you are about to lose control of your emotions? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.
During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally tired, mentally exhausted and you most likely bored unpleasant physical symptoms.
Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.
A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant moments. Will hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant moment may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.
If the situation gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo trees, bend, but don’t break!What does the underlined word “resilience” mean in Paragraph 2?
| A．The ability to overcome any difficulty. |
| B．The quality of hoping for a better tomorrow. |
| C．The quality of being brave at the breaking point. |
| D．The ability to recover easily and quickly from unpleasant or damaging events. |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Life is like a bamboo tree that never breaks. |
| B．Whatever difficulties we may meet with in our life, we can bend, but can never break. |
| C．Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. |
| D．If you get over your breaking point, you can survive to live longer and more happily than others. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author was an idle child when he was living near the river. |
| B．We should try our best not to let our bad times get the best of us. |
| C．Our being likely to lose control of our emotions is common in our life. |
| D．We should always believe things may not be as bad as they seem to be. |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Bend, but don’t break. |
| B．My wonderful childhood. |
| C．The bamboo trees. |
| D．Love the bamboo trees and your life. |
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines(台词). I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers (抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “ Alisa Camacho ?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eye. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
| A．Cold and sick. |
| B．Fortunate and helpful. |
| C．Satisfied and cheerful. |
| D．Disappointed and helpless. |
On her way home the writer _______.
| A．lost her wallet unknowingly |
| B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver |
| C．was robbed of her wallet by an armed man |
| D．found some homeless people following her |
In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
| A．Someone offered to take her back home. |
| B．A red-haired man came to see her. |
| C．She heard someone call her name. |
| D．Her wallet was found in a garbage truck. |
From the text, we can infer that the writer _________.
| A．would stop working at night |
| B．would stay on in San Francisco |
| C．would make friends with cleaners |
| D．would give up her job at the bank. |
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