In a small village in England about 150 years ago, a mail coach (邮车) was standing on the street. Around the coach many people were talking to one another about it. Mail coach did not come to that village so often in those days. People had to pay a lot of money to get a letter. The person who sent the letter did not have to pay. The person who got the letter had to pay the postage (邮资). “Here?s a letter for Miss Alice Brown,” said the mailman. Everyone turned to a girl of about eighteen who was standing by the coach. “I?m Alice Brown,” she said in a low voice. The mailman gave her the letter. Alice looked at the envelope for a minute, and then handed it back to the mailman. “I’m sorry I can?t take it,” she said. “I don?t have enough money to pay the postage. ” The people standing around were very sorry for the girl. They were silent for a while. Then a gentleman came up to the mailman and paid the postage for Alice’s letter. When the gentleman gave her the letter, she said with a smile, “Oh, thank you very much, sir. This letter is from the young man I’m going to marry. His name is Tom. He went to London to look for work. He has to get enough money for our marriage (结婚). I’ve waited a long time for this letter, but now don’t need it. I don’t have to open the envelope because there is nothing inside. ” “Really?” the gentleman said in surprise. “How do you know that?” “He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope. Look, sir, this cross in the corner means that he is well, and this circle means he has found work. That’s very good news. ” The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill. He did not forget Alice and her letter. “The postage to be paid by the receiver has to be changed,” he said to himself. He thought and thought for many years. At last he had a good plan. “The postage has to be much lower,” he said. “What about a penny (便士) for a letter? And the person who sends the letter pays the postage. He has to buy a stamp and put it on the envelope. ” “A good idea!” people said when they heard of his plan. The Government decided to adopt (采纳) the plan. The first postage stamp was put out in 1840. It was called the “Penny Black”. It had a picture of the Queen on it. The first postage stamp was made ________.
| A．in England | B．in America | C．by Alice | D．in 1910 |
The girl handed the letter back to the mailman because ______.
| A．she did not know whose letter it was |
| B．the letter had already told her what she wanted to know |
| C．she could not pay the postage |
| D．the gentleman promised to pay the postage for her |
When the girl returned the letter to the mailman _____.
| A．the people around her felt sorry for her |
| B．the people thought that the girl was too poor |
| C．none of them wanted to pay the postage for her |
| D．the people was angry with the girl |
Alice knew how Tom was getting from the signs on the envelope because ______.
| A．Tom had told her what the signs meant before leaving for London |
| B．Alice was clever and could guess the meaning of the signs |
| C．Alice had put the signs on the envelope herself |
| D．Tom had put the signs as Alice had told him to |
The idea of using stamps was found by ______.
| A．the government | B．Sir Rowland Hill | C．Alice Brown | D．Tom |
When the man’s wife died, their youngest baby was 2 years old. They had six other children — three boys and three girls, aged from 4 to 16. The man’s parents and his wife’s parents came to visit.
“We’ve been talking about how to make this work,” they said. “There’s no way you can take care of all these children and work to make a living. So, we’ve decided to place each child with a different uncle and aunt.” The man refused.
Over the next few weeks, he moved the family to a tiny town and opened a small business. His business developed quickly. He was happy to see people and serve them. He became popular with people for his pleasant personality and excellent customer service. People came from far away to do business with him. And the children helped both at home and at work.
The children grew up and got married. Five of the seven went off to college. The children’s success was a source (来源) of pride to the father.
Then came grandchildren. No one enjoyed grandchildren more than this man. As they became toddlers (学走路的孩子), he invited them to his workplace and his small home. They brought each other great joy.
Finally, the youngest daughter, who was 2 years old when the mother died, got married. With his life’s work done, the father died.
This man’s work had been the lonely but joyful task of raising his family. This man was my father. I was the 16-year-old, the oldest of seven.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。（共5个小题，每小题2分，满分10分） There were ______ children in the man’s family.
| A．eight | B．seven | C．six | D．five |
The man’s parents and his wife’s parents came to his house to ______.
| A．suggest placing each child with a different aunt and uncle |
| B．talk about finding a new wife for him |
| C．give him money to support the family |
| D．help take good care of his children |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Nearly half of the man’s children went to college. |
| B．The man wanted to give his children to their uncle. |
| C．The man moved his family and opened a business. |
| D．The man thought life was hopeless after his wife died. |
The father died _________________.
| A．before his youngest daughter got married. |
| B．after his youngest daughter got married. |
| C．before his children went off to college |
| D．after his children went off to college |
The story mainly talks about ______.
| A．why the father didn’t give up his family |
| B．how the children succeeded after their mother died |
| C．why the father was lonely |
| D．how the father raised（抚养）his large family |
Recently there are about 55,000 children who don’t go to school each day in England. According to the law（法律）, all children between five and sixteen must go to school on weekdays, and their parents must make sure of this.
The number of children missing school is increasing. The government is worried, because, according to a research, children who often don't go to school are more likely（可能的）to smoke, drink under age or do some other bad things. Also, it’ s difficult for them to do well in exams. What’s more, it’s harder for them to get a job after they leave school. Since 2002,the police have kept checking town centers where truants（逃学者）often go. These happen twice a year. During each check, a student will be stopped and asked why they are not in school. This will happen even though they are with an adult. The police will stop and question（盘问）children who they think do not have a reason for being out of school. The police are not allowed to catch truants, but they can take them back to school. The police said there were nearly twice more boys playing truant（逃学）than girls.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。（共5个小题，每小题2分，满分10分）According to the law in England, children at the age of _________ must go to school.
| A．4 | B．13 | C．17 | D．19 |
Truants are more likely to _________.
| A．eat much | B．drink water |
| C．fail in exams | D．find a job |
During a check，pupils will NOT be questioned by the police if _________.
| A．they are at school |
| B．they are out of school |
| C．they are with an adult |
| D．they are at town centers |
The underlined“this”in the first paragraph refers to（指的是）all children between 5 and 16 _____.
| A．must do well in exams |
| B．mustn’t smoke or drink |
| C．must go to school on weekdays |
| D．must stay at home on weekdays |
Which of the following is TRUE about the truants in England recently?
| A．The police can not stop girl truants. |
| B．Truants are often beaten by the police. |
| C．Truants are often criticized (批评) by their teachers. |
| D．There are more boy truants than girl truants. |
Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable(一次性的) toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers. Many guests like the idea because they don’t have to bring their own. But if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring these things of your own. That’s because some hotels in Beijing have no longer provided guests with these disposables (一次性用品). Many disposable things are made of plastic. People throw them away after only using them once. It’s a waste of natural resources (资源) and is very bad for the environment.
In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1,320 tons of lunch bowls every year! Plastic can take 100 to 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw away, the better environment we will have.
So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again. Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:
Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.
After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then use it over and over again.
Do not use paper cups.
At your school canteen (餐厅), use your own bowls and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子的正误。正确请选（A），错误请选（B）。（共5个小题，每小题1分，满分5分） Many guests like to use disposable things because they are very convenient (方便的).
Some Beijing hotels have no longer provided guests with free TV programs.
Plastic breaks down easily.
After using a plastic bowl or a bag, we’d better throw it away, because it’s too dirty to use again.
We should use less plastic things and protect our environment.
One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese student of English, “You speak very good English.” But the student answered, “NO, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the Chinese student had not heard him clearly, he said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” But the Chinese student sill kept saying “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn’t know what to say.
What’s wrong with the student’s answer? He didn’t accept a compliment（赞美词）in the same way as the American people do. He should answer “thank you” instead of “no”. He really understood what the American boy had said, but he thought he should be modest（谦虚的）.In the west, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say “Thank you”. If someone says to a woman “You look so beautiful with the new clothes on.” She must be very happy and answer “Thank you”.
In our country we think being modest is a virtue（美德）and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not mean being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest.
If you are modest and say, “No, I’m afraid I can’t do it well” while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”, you will certainly be looked down upon by others. If asking for a job, one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence! Why was the American boy surprised at the Chinese student’s answer?
| A．Because he was expecting the Chinese student to say “Thank you”. |
| B．Because he wouldn’t like others to say “No”. |
| C．Because he could hardly hear what the student had said. |
| D．Because he wondered whether the student could really speak good English. |
As the student kept saying “No”, the American boy ________.
| A．became disappointed | B．didn’t know what to say |
| C．lost his interest | D．got angry |
In the west, if you meet a friend who wears a really beautiful dress, you may say “________”.
| A．Where do you buy it? |
| B．Could you give me your dress? |
| C．How beautiful you are today! |
| D．I want a dress like yours very much. |
Why does a man in the west who asks for a job say something like “Yes, I can certainly do it”?
| A．Because he is not modest. |
| B．Because he is confident and he wants to get the job. |
| C．Because he just wants to try. |
| D．Because he can do nothing but speak in that way. |
We can learn that the writer wants us to ________ through his passage.
| A．be modest | B．be confident |
| C．be clever | D．be beautiful |
My grandfather is 70 years old this year. He is in good condition but he lost his hearing at the age of 65. Then it became difficult for me to communicate with him. My mother bought a hearing aid (助听器) for him, but he often forgot where he had put it. So my mother advised me to communicate with him by gesture. Good idea! And then I began to use gesture.
When I wanted to have an apple, firstly, I pointed to my mouth; later I made my hands form a round shape. Then he gave me an apple. When I was hungry, I pointed to my stomach. He would go into the kitchen and cook for me. When I wanted to use, the computer, I pointed to it. If he nodded(点头), I could play computer games from 8 pm to 10 pm; if he disagreed, he always touched my head and pointed to the desk -- that meant that I should do my homework first. It was an easy way for us to communicate with each other!How long has Grandfather been deaf?
| A．For 70 years. | B．For 65 years. |
| C．For 10 years. | D．For 5 years. |
Who bought Grandfather a hearing aid?
| A．The writer. | B．Father. |
| C．Mother. | D．Grandfather himself. |
How did the writer communicate with his grandfather?
| A．By talking | B．By letter |
| C．By gesture | D．on the phone |
What did the write mean when he pointed to his stomach?
| A．He had a stomachache. | B．He was cold. |
| C．He was full. | D．He was hungry. |
How long could the writer use the computer if his grandfather nodded?
| A．2 hours. | B．3 hours. |
| C．8 hours. | D．10 hours |
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