“Fish stories” are stories of the greatest fish that a fisherman has almost caught, but for some reason, the fish always get away. Usually, these stories do not have much truth to them. One of the biggest fish stories in history was about a whale.
In 1891, a ship hunting for whales in the South Atlantic Ocean found a very large whale. While the hunters were trying to kill the whale, it sank two small boats. One man drowned, and another man, James Bartley, was lost in the ocean. However, after the hunters finally killed the whale, they cut open the whale’s stomach and found Mr Bartley inside. He was not dead!
Several weeks later, Mr Bartley seemed to have gotten over his terrible experience. The only thing he could remember was that while he was inside the whale, it was very hot. The liquid (液体) from the whale’s stomach had turned all of his skin snow white. Mr Bartley had to live with the effect from the whale for the rest of his life.
Today, many people have heard about the strange experience of Mr Bartley and do not buy it. Not one real fact has been found to prove that the events ever took place described by the sailors. No scientist or newspaper reporter was ever able to talk to Mr Bartley, and all of the stories told in magazines about Mr Bartley’s experience were explained by other sailors on the boat. Mr Bartley was probably not even a real person at all.
In 1928, after the captain (船长) of the whaling ship had died, one man asked the captain’s wife about Mr Bartley’s story. The wife said that no man who had sailed on her husband’s ship was ever swallowed by a whale.
However, this has not stopped James Bartley’s story from being repeated, and many people today still believe that it is true.What made Mr Bartley’s skin white?
| A．The ocean water. | B．The whale’s teeth. |
| C．The heat inside the whale. | D．The liquid in the whale’s stomach. |
Who may have talked to Mr Bartley?
| A．A scientist. | B．The captain’s wife. |
| C．The sailors on the ship. | D．A newspaper reporter. |
The captain’s wife said that .
| A．the story was not true | B．her husband told her the story |
| C．the whale was never found | D．Mr Bartley didn’t work for her husband |
Today, many people have heard about the strange experience of Mr Bartley and do not buy it. Here “buy” means .
| A．明白 | B．相信 | C．购买 | D．证明 |
In paragraph 4 and paragraph 5 we may know that Mr Bartley .
| A．became a writer later | B．died when he was young |
| C．told his story to a magazine reporter | D．was not even a real person at all |
I was quite close to my grandmother, Julia. We lived with her and then she lived with us. She was a very nice person, both kind and patient. She taught me to read and write when I was young and helped me to be interested in stories and poems.
In my mind, my grandmother was a great cook. She cooked more delicious food than anything you can eat in a restaurant today. She always cooked for family and friends.
My grandmother was also a hard worker both at home and at work. I can still remember the difficult time when we were very poor. At that time, my grandmother was already sixty years old but she worked in a hospital for a long time every day –not in the office but doing the cleaning outside and taking care of me at the same time while my mom was at work!
My brother and sisters also love her. We will never forget our grandmother. She is really important in our lives and is always there for all of us in one way or another. I am proud to be her grandson.
| A．read and write | B．sing and dance |
| C．draw and sing | D．play and learn |
| A．cooked meals | B．worked in the office |
| C．did the cleaning | D．stayed with his mother. |
| A．His grandmother is hard-working. |
| B．Her grandchildren all love her. |
| C．His grandmother could read. |
| D．His grandmother worked in a hospital for taking care of him. |
| Do you want to watch “Daddy, where are we going?” “Daddy ,where are we going?” a popular game show from Hunan TV, plans to give the best TV show on Friday night, November 22,2013, Enjoy the game show with us in the TV station hall. Tickets for free.  Hunan TV Station, Changsha ,China Reply, only before November19! Tel: 629-8796 |
Teacher Wanted! Children’s Center needs weekend teacher. For students who are about six to twelve years old. You must: －be good at music －be better at math －do well in sports －have more than two years’ teaching experience (经验). Call Smith at 569-0965 for more information. |
| A．Saturday | B．Friday | C．Monday | D．Sunday |
| A．In Children’s Center. |
| B．In Smith’s house. |
| C．In the TV station hall . |
| D．We don’t know. |
| A．music | B．drawing |
| C．math | D．sports |
My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr3:-@ kids FTF. ILNY, it’s gr8.
Can you understand this sentence? If you can’t, don’t feel too bad; neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on Internet or cell phones. To new comers, it can look like a completely foreign language. So, what is the translation of the sentence above? My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It’s great.
School teachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes can be seen in students’ writing. They fear the language could become corrupted (面目全非的).
“Everyone should just relax”, say linguists (语言学家). They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing, has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nurberg, from Stanford University, agrees. “People get better at writing by writing,” he says. “kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mails, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than their parents.”
Linguist James says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And you can bet your bottom dollar that when today’s teenagers become tomorrow’s parents. They too will think this way. James argues that languages do not and cannot become corrupted. They simply change to meet the new needs.
However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write standard English. Cynthia McVey says, “I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it’s important that they get across to their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but learning to write proper English is a must for their future.”
Perhaps we should give teenagers a little more trust anyway. Erin, aged 12, says, “I wouldn’t use text language in my homework. Texting is just for fun. “Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．David Crystal thinks Netspeak helps develop the habit of writing. |
| B．Geoffrey Nurberg believes Netspeakers can write Standard English. |
| C．James says that language is changing and improving. |
| D．Cynthia McVey points out teenagers can deal with Netspeak properly. |
In Paragraph 5 “bet your bottom dollar” probably means __________.
| A．惊讶 | B．打赌 | C．怀疑 | D．确信 |
What does Erin mean in the last paragraph?
| A．He is angry with text language. |
| B．Text language is just for fun. |
| C．We must use informal language. |
| D．Teachers should pay more attention to students. |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Netspeak: a widely-used language on Internet |
| B．Is Netspeak harming the English language? |
| C．Is Netspeak helpful in language learning? |
| D．Netspeak: advantages and disadvantages |
This is Yoga! (瑜伽) Experience this for yourself.
How do you feel when you leave a yoga class? Do you feel relaxed, full of energy, prepared and ready to face anything and everything? Do you feel better than when you walked in? If you have answered “No”’ to these questions then you are NOT doing yoga.
After walking out of the class, do you feel that you have been pushed through, that the class was hard，that you have less energy at the end of the class, that you have not got any energy, or that you are still tight and full of stress? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you are NOT doing yoga.
Are you forced into positions (姿势) beyond what you can? Do you know why you are doing the actions in the “yoga” class you attend?
Satyananda Yoga Center teaches YOGA. We know and understand yoga and YOU. We teach yoga with this knowledge and understanding.
You are not forced into positions not suitable for you, or too early for you. You will leave Satyananda Yoga Center yoga classes feeing relaxed, free from stress, energized, and ready for whatever life brings to you.
With regular attendance and practice, the quality of your life improves with better health, and stress-free mind. Your family and friends will notice the difference. You will feel the difference for better. This is because you are doing yoga.
Yoga for Everyone!
Yoga is a science. You are the scientist, and you are the one in the science of yoga.
New Saturday morning class from September — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Asian American Cultural Center, 11713 Jollyville Road, Austin, Texas.
To sign up, call:2669862, or email: keepfitwithyoga@yahoo.comAt which time can people learn yoga according to this passage?
| A．At 10:00 on Sunday in September. |
| B．At 22:00 on the first Saturday in October. |
| C．At 9:00 on Saturday in September. |
| D．On everey Saturday afternoon in September. |
The passage suggests but doesn’t tell directly (直接地) that ______________.
| A．only Satyananda Yoga Center teaches yoga |
| B．there’s no better place to learn yoga than Satyananda Yoga Center |
| C．some yoga centers are not teaching yoga in the right way |
| D．you have to be a scientist before you take up yoga |
Which is NOT true if people follow the right ways to do yoga?
| A．In the class you will practise some positions. |
| B．You will feel very different after practising once. |
| C．You will feel new and fresh after practising yoga. |
| D．You will feel great if you keep on practising it for a few months. |
“Three apples have changed the world. One is for Eve, one is for Newton. The third is in the hands of Steve Jobs.” said someone.
Steve Jobs was the former CEO of the Apple computer company in his parents’ garage (车库) on April Fool's Day, 1976. Through many years' hard work, Jobs and his Apple products were a great success. People believe he has made the world a better place. Many young people also think of Apple products as a fashion icon.
Because of his great achievements in this area, he was honoured (给予荣誉) with a number of awards, including the National Medal of Technology in 1985, the Times cover character (封面人物) and the Most Successful Manager in 1997.
Jobs’ road to success wasn’t an easy one. He experienced several ups and downs, but he was still standing. Just as Hemingway in The Old Man and the Sea said, “A man can be destroyed, but not be defeated (打败). So he was considered as an American hero.
What did Jobs’ workers and family members think of him?
On one hand, some workers described him as a strange, bad-tempered (坏脾气的) boss. They said he was impatient with those who disagreed with him or didn’t understand his ideas. On the other hand, his family members thought of him as a home-loving dad with each of his four children. He worried about all the things of them, such as their boyfriends, travel, safety and even skirt length. Though he was quite busy, he still attended his daughter’s graduation (毕业) party.Where did Steve Jobs set up the Apple computer company?
| A．In his own house. |
| B．In his friend’s house. |
| C．In his friend’s garage. |
| D．In his parents’ garage. |
What do you think of Steve Jobs according to the passage?
| A．Home-loving. | B．Honest. |
| C．Jealous. | D．Humorous. |
From the passage, we know that __________.
| A．Steve Jobs was very famous only in the USA |
| B．Steve Jobs was too busy to care about his children |
| C．Steve Jobs changed the world a lot with his Apple products |
| D．Steve Jobs never got into any trouble on his way to success |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号