Imagine climbing the three highest mountains in Britain. Now, imagine climbing all three in 24 hours. That’s what Rebecca Shedden, a British schoolgirl did and she’s only eight years old. She is one of the youngest people who have arrived on top of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the three highest mountains in Britain.
Rebecca and her dad finished the climb, a total of about 11,000 feet (3,353 metres), in 23 hours and 15 minutes. That includes the time spent driving to each mountain: a distance of 500 miles!
Climbing isn’t new to this schoolgirl. She took her first trip up a mountain in her dad’s backpack when she was just six months old!
“One of the best parts about this climb was Scafell Pike,” said Rebecca. “I’ve never walked in the dark before, and it was fun seeing all the sheep eyes as they ran around in the dark.”
Rebecca brought along food, water, a medical kit (药箱), a hat, a map, a lamp, a camera to take photos and even a mobile phone in case (万一) something went wrong. Along the way, she and her dad had fun by making up mountain songs.
“All my friends like to stay inside playing computer games, but I like being outdoors best,” says Rebecca. Rebecca also enjoys swimming and skiing.
The young climber doesn’t plan to stay on flat land for long. She wants to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. “And I would like to climb Mount Qomolangma one day, too,” she said.What is the distance up and down all these three highest mountains in Britain?
| A．500 miles | B．24 hours’ walk |
| C．11,000 feet | D．23 hours and 15 minutes’ drive |
Why did Rebecca like climbing Scafell Pike best of the three trips?
| A．Because the Scafell Pike was the darkest part. |
| B．Because it is the highest mountain in Britain. |
| C．Because she likes being outdoors best. |
| D．Because she saw all the sheep eyes in the dark. |
Rebecca likes climbing probably because ______.
| A．she doesn’t get along well with her friends |
| B．her dad has a great influence on her |
| C．she likes making up mountain songs |
| D．she wants to climb Mount Kilimanjaro |
It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth. “I’m paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me,” she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random (随意的) kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed (使某人印象深刻) her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman saw the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, “like a message from above.” Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, saying that though she liked it, she didn’t know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
“Here’s the idea,” Anne says. “Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly.” Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, “Kindness can build on itself as much as violence (暴力) can build on itself.”
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been encouraged to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours!
Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?
| A．She had seven tickets. |
| B．She hoped to please others. |
| C．She wanted to show kindness. |
| D．She knew the car drivers well. |
Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she ___ .
| A．thought it was beautifully written |
| B．wanted to know what it really meant |
| C．decided to write it on a warehouse wall |
| D．wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom |
Who came up with the phrase according to the passage?
| A．Judy Foreman. | B．Natalie Smith. |
| C．Alice Johnson. | D．Anne Herbert. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．People should practice random kindness to those in need. |
| B．People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others. |
| C．People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet. |
| D．People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver. |
Inventions All Around Us
Every invention has a story. These stories often have a lesson to teach, too. Here are the stories of some everyday household inventions.
Canned Food and the Can Opener—Get It Right!
Peter Durand invented canned food in 1810, but there was a problem. Durand didn't have a good way to open the cans. In 1858, Ezra Warner invented a can opener. It used a piece of metal to cut and remove the top from the can, but it was difficult to use. Finally, in 1870, William Lyman added a wheel to the can opener. The metal went around the top of the can and removed it easily. Finally, people were able to open cans without a lot of work. Canned food was soon popular.
Frozen Food—A Little Good Luck Can Help!
Clarence Birdseye had the chance to go on a trip toe Arctic. When people there caught fish, they put the fish in a container (容器) of ice to freeze it quickly. When people cooked the fish later, it was still good! This gave Birdseye an idea. He thought people could also have this kind of food at home. In 1926, Birdseye invented frozen food. People were able to store food in freezers for a long time.
Air Conditioning—One Answer to Two Problems!
Printing companies make books, so they use a lot of paper. Sometimes, changes in the weather can hurt the paper. In 1902, Willis Carrier invented air conditioning to control the temperature inside his printing company. This saved the paper. People soon realized other benefits of air conditioning. They started to air condition their homes in the summer. Carrier's invention changed the world!When was canned food invented?
| A．In 1810. | B．In 1870. |
| C．In 1902. | D．In 1926. |
After the trip to the Arctic, Clarence Birdseye invented ____________.
| A．canned food | B．can openers |
| C．frozen food | D．air conditioning |
Changes in weather _____________ in Willis Carrier's company.
| A．helped to keep food |
| B．hurt printing paper |
| C．caused health problems |
| D．made rooms comfortable |
47. According to the passage, which of the following may lead to inventions?
| A．People's needs. | B．Public support. |
| C．Modern technology. | D．Practical suggestions. |
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With help from a Mr. H, you can___________.
| A．stop wearing your watch |
| B．finish your homework on time |
| C．get new books and objects |
| D．know when parents or teachers are near |
A PENGO WATCH CONTROL can help you to ______________.
| A．repair your TV |
| B．put away your books and objects |
| C．become a James Bond |
| D．get a daily weather report |
You can get your Mr. H for___________.
| A．$499 | B．$299 | C．$199 | D．$99 |
Roast (烧烤) is very famous in Brazil. Customs (顾客) just sit , waiting for waiters to send them all kinds of meat. If you like , you take one ; if you don’t , the waiters pass you . If you don’t give any messages of stopping , they will go on.
One day when I was in Brazil , I went to a restaurant to try the roast . After I took my seat, the waiter gave me a sign with the color “red” on the side and “green” on the other . I said “thank you”, then the waiters began to serve me .My plate was already full, but the waiters still kept on serving me more. I thought I had to eat more quickly . But to my surprise, the waiters still kept on serving more. Then a waiter found out the reason. He helped me turn the sign over, with red outside . When I finished , I found the waiter didn’t take a look at me . Do you know Why? It’s just like the traffic lights in the street . How wonderful !When did the waiters give me a sign?
| A．After I went into the restaurant |
| B．When I sat down |
| C．When I tried the food |
| D．When my plate was full |
When I began the meal , the color red was .
| A．inside | B．outside |
| C．not seen | D．not on the sign |
How did the waiter know you wanted food?
| A．Put the “green” side outside. |
| B．Take the sign away. |
| C．Put the “red” side outside. |
| D．Keep the waiters away. |
Why didn’t the waiters serve me later ? Because .
| A．I didn’t call them | B．I didn’t want more |
| C．the red was outside | D．they didn’t like me |
Miss Green came into the classroom with a piece of white paper. There was a big black dot ( 圆点 ) in the middle of the paper. Miss Green put up this piece of paper and asked , “What can you see, children?” All the children watched at the black dot. “A black dot.” They answered quickly. “But can’t you see this piece of white paper? The black dot is like the unlucky things in our life. If we only see the black dot, how can we be happy?”
The classroom was very quiet at that moment. Miss Green took out another piece of paper from her bag. This was a piece of black paper with a white dot in the middle.
“What can you see, kids?” she asked the children with a smile on her face.
“A white dot.” The children answered loudly.
Miss Green smiled. “My children, although we may be unhappy or worried in our life, it is just like the clouds in the sky. The clouds can lift quickly and the sun will come out soon. You can be a happy child with the sun in your eyes all the time.”Where did the story happen?
| A．At home. | B．At school. |
| C．In the office. | D．In the park. |
How many pieces of paper did Miss Green show the kids?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What does this passage tell us?
| A．We should see the white dot in the black paper. |
| B．We should see the black dot in the white paper. |
| C．We should like the sun. |
| D．Life is always beautiful although sometimes it is terrible. |
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