There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Maiaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive. I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug （拥抱）. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.The author expected the train trip to be ________.
| A．adventurous | B．pleasant | C．exciting | D．dull |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip________?
| A．The friendly country people. |
| B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph_____?
| A．choose | B．enjoy | C．prepare for | D．carry on |
Where was the writer going________?
| A．Johore Baru. | B．The Causeway. | C．Butterworth. | D．Singapore. |
What can we learn from the story________?
| A．Comfort in traveling by t rain. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Smiles brighten people up. |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut into the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new ones still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish (清漆), which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins |
| B．The History of Italian Violins |
| C．Special Musical Instruments |
| D．How to Make the Best Violins |
The main purpose of the first paragraph is to _______.
| A．list some facts | B．raise a question |
| C．give an opinion | D．offer an answer |
What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?
| A．The shape. | B．The size. |
| C．The wood. | D．The varnish. |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Modern things are always better than ancient ones. |
| B．Ancient things are always better than modern ones. |
| C．Once a cultural relic is lost, it can never be recovered. |
| D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious. |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy; the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine, and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation(仿效). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrong doings. These people should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they don’t, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.People who are unhappy ______.
| A．always consider things differently from others |
| B．usually are affected by the results of certain things |
| C．usually misunderstand what others think or say |
| D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things |
The underlined phrase “sour the pleasure of society” in the second paragraph means ______.
| A．have a good taste with social life |
| B．make others unhappy |
| C．tend to scold others openly |
| D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
We can conclude from the second paragraph that_______.
| A．we should pity all such unhappy people. |
| B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life. |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness. |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons. |
If such unhappy person insists on keeping the habit, the author suggests people should______.
| A．prevent any communication with them. |
| B．show no respect and politeness to them |
| C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects |
| D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes |
Ballet as a charming dance form has fascinated audiences for many years. It is a form of dance that combines beauty and grace to tell a story in a dance form. Generally performed in theatres, ballet has always been a favored dream of many little girls. While ballet dancers need to work very hard for many years to perform in a professional ballet company, this does not discourage the girls.
Many people think that ballet originated in France, due to the ballet steps that all have French names. However, ballet can be traced back to Italy during the Renaissance period of the 1400s. While this was really just a pioneer to the classical ballet, the dances performed in Italy during this time led to the further development of ballet in France. The first ballet company arose in France and was called The Queen's Ballet Company.
In the 1800s the romantic style of ballet appeared, thanks in part to the ballet La Sylphide. La Sylphide made much use of the toe dancing technique and brought about many changes to ballet.
All romantic ballets focused on women and this encouraged women to take on increasingly to become ballerinas. While ballet prospered in other nations, it started declining in France. The decline could be because ballet was seen as being very worldly with mythical (神话的) steps.
The shift from mythical steps to more reasonable style that could be co-related to human movements came about in the twentieth century. This was because of the many different styles of dance that were becoming increasingly popular. The change that started in the twentieth century continues to transform ballet even today where it mixes different styles of dance.
Some ballets today have even gone so far as to combine another style of dance into the ballet. In 1944 a ballet was introduced called Fancy Free that use Jazz dance with the ballet steps to create a revolutionary ballet, and it was well received.
With time, ballet has developed and changed in many forms. A ballet by professionals continues to charm audiences despite the fact that most of us cannot even dream of performing most of the steps and moves of a ballet dancer.
Why do people think ballet comes from France?
| A．Because Frenchmen introduced ballet to Italy. |
| B．Because Frenchmen created many ballet steps. |
| C．Because the ballet steps are all named in French. |
| D．Because the first ballet company was founded in France. |
When did the romantic ballet appear?
| A．In the 14th century. | B．In the 19th century. |
| C．In the 15th century. | D．In the 2lth century. |
From the last paragraph, we can know ballet becomes more_______________.
| A．reasonable | B．romantic |
| C．popular | D．professional |
The passage mainly talks about _______________.
| A．the development of classical ballet |
| B．the popularity of classical ballet |
| C．the meaning of classical ballet |
| D．the techniques of ballet dancing |
Zoe, Damacela, 19, didn't have nice clothes when she was young. It wasn't easy for Zoe’s hard-working single mother to make ends meet. They moved in and out of homeless shelters.
Everything changed for Zoe in grade nine. At that time, she heard about a sewing (缝纫) class at her school. She signed up and couldn't wait to turn her designs into clothes. The color of the first dress she made was white-black strips. Soon the clothes she wore were all made by her. Other girls at school loved her designs too. They asked her if they could buy dresses from her. Zoe sold her first dress for $13. Unfortunately, it cost her $25 to make the dress. “I had the creativity in designs," says Zoe. “But I really had no idea about business.”
Zoe kept selling the clothes she designed. Her business was booming, and even the girls who had ever teased her became her customers. In the eleventh grade, Zoe took a business class. She learned how to price her clothes so that she could be sure to make a fair profit.
Her business teacher suggested she take part in a contest for teenaged entrepreneurs (企业家). The contest was for teens from all over the United States. Zoe sent in her business plan, which explained how she planned to make her pany grow. She won the second prize in the end. Zoe ’s success became a news item. Supermodel Tyra Banks heard about it and she invited Zoe to take part in her TV show. “Being recognized I felt really unreal,” says Zoe. Zoe has advice for teens who want to start their own business. “If you really work hard on it, you will be able to make it happen,” she says. “If I can do it, anyone else can.”We can learn that_____________ when she was in grade nine.
| A．Zoe had no interest in designing clothes |
| B．Zoe seldom wore her self-made clothes |
| C．Zoe didn' t know how to make money |
| D．Zoe attended a business course |
After winning the contest, Zoe _____________.
| A．considered it a reward | B．expected to be known |
| C．was proud of her own gift | D．could hardly believe it |
Zoe advised the teens_____________.
| A．to make efforts to achieve their dreams |
| B．to design and make their own clothes |
| C．to try every means to bee famous |
| D．to do whatever they would like to |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to Motive Teens to Read
With lots of studies showing the benefits of reading, how can teachers motivate their students to open a good book or power up their e-reader?
Lead by Example
Require students to spend at least 20 minutes in dependent reading every day. By taking part in this regular activity themselves ,teachers show that they consider reading very important.
Freedom to Choose
For those who forget their books ,provide them with access to novels, magazines or newspapers during required reading time.Consider allowing students to use their personal e—readers
Share Your Excitement
Teachers’ excitement for a particular book may have a huge influence on their students . Then when it comes time for them to choose a new book, suggest your favorite.
Visit the Library
Make time to visit the school library and require students to borrow at least one book of interest. By doing so, they can make sure the book fits their interests.
Stay Informed
Teachers can help motive students by finding out the latest popular young adult reading matter, such as “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and the “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld.
With varied activities competing for students’ time and attention, it can be difficult to encourage youngsters to read.
Teachers who make independent reading a daily part of the classroom experience and find creative ways to motivate their students may be on the way to writing a success story.
| A．They can read books in silence. |
| B．Give students a taste of what the book is about. |
| C．There is science fiction that they are interested in. |
| D．Encourage them to spend some time reading the book before borrowing. |
E. However ,there is little doubt that reading can help with students’ studies
F. Therefore, they always find time to read even though they are terribly busy.
G. Allow students to pick their own literature ,as long as it is suitable for school reading.
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