When Armida Armato’s daughter, Alexia, came home from school one day last year keen to go on a school trip to Ecuador, she wasn’t too sure how to feel. She was happy that her daughter could experience something she never did as a teen but was fearful of letting her travel to such a remote part of the world.
Alexia was 16 at the time, a student at Westwood High School. The school sponsored a humanitarian trip for 26 students and two teachers to spend 18 days living in a mountain village to build a one-room school. Even though Armato trusted her daughter, the other students and the teachers, she was worried about the side effects from the travel vaccines, possible accidents, and medical care.
Now that Alexia was home, Armato said she saw her daughter’s new maturity, greater confidence and independence. “This is the best thing I ever did,” Alexia said. “The experience was so eye-opening and life-changing. You’re with people who are not as lucky as you are. They live in very poor conditions but they’re so happy and outgoing. You say, ‘My God. I’m taking everything for granted back home.’”
She said they built a one-room school from scratch with no mechanical cement mixers. They used their hands, shovels and basic tools. She and another student lived with a local family in a small village about eight hours outside the capital, Quito. Despite the initial strangeness and knowing only basic Spanish, she said they grew very close and felt like a family.
Every year, groups of students at Montreal High School like Alexia pack their bags and fly off with classmates and teachers to developing countries where they volunteer for a variety of projects.
“Armato’s worries are very common among parents,” says Bill Nevin, a teacher at St. George’s High School. He organizes a humanitarian rip to India to the Sheela Bal Bhavan orphanage and says the three biggest fears families have are health, security and contact.When hearing the news that her daughter would go on a school trip to Ecuador, Armato was _______.
| A．proud and happy | B．supportive but concerned |
| C．fearful and nervous | D．excited but puzzled |
The underlined phrase “from scratch” in Paragraph 4 probably means “______”.
| A．having great help | B．using high technology |
| C．ending up in failure | D．starting from the beginning |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Volunteering helps students grow and develop. |
| B．School trips make parents worried about their children. |
| C．Ecuador is the most attractive travel destination in the world. |
| D．Brave Alexia dreams to work in Ecuador one day. |
Plants can’t communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants Produce volatile compounds, chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower’s sweet smell, for example, comes from volatile compounds that the plant produces to attract insects such as Bugs and bees.
Plants can also detect volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by Hungry insets, for instance, may give off volatile compounds that let other trees know about the Attack. In response, the other trees may send off chemicals to keep the bugs away ——or even Chemicals that attract the bugs’ natural enemies.
Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical Sensor（传感器）called an electronic nose. The “e-nose” can tell compounds that crop plants make When they’re attacked Scientists say the e-nose could help quickly detect whether plants are being Eaten by insects. But today the only way to detect such insects is to visually inspect individual Plants. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, enclosed gardens than can house Thousands of plants.
The research team worked with an e-nose than recognizes volatile compounds. Inside the device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds Based on these interactions, the e-nose gives off electronic signals that the scientists analyze using computer software.
To test the nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato plants, all common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of air around damaged leaves from each type of crop, These plants had been damaged by insects, or by scientists who made holes in the leaves with a hole punch（打孔器）. The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on The volatile compounds they produce, It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage ---- by insects or with a hole Punch ---- had been done to the tomato leaves.
With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by____.
| A．making some sounds | B．waving their leaves |
| C．producing some chemicals | D．sending out electronic signals |
What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?
| A．They presented it with all common crops. |
| B．They fixed 13 sensors inside the device. |
| C．They collected different damaged leaves. |
| D．They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves. |
According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can___.
| A．pick out ripe fruits |
| B．spot the insects quickly |
| C．distinguish different damages to the leaves |
| D．recognize unhealthy tomato leaves |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the e-nose_____.
| A．is unable to tell the smell of flowers |
| B．is not yet used in greenhouses |
| C．is designed by scientists at Purdue |
| D．is helpful in killing harmful insects |
Below are same classified ads from an English newspaper.
| Classified ads FOR DORECT CLASSIFIED SERVICE CALL 800-0557 10 A.M.-4P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY |
||
| FOR SALE ——————————— COME to our moving sale- Plants, pottery, books, clothes, etc.Sat,Dec.14th---9a.m.-5p.m. 1612 Femdale,Apt.1,800-4696 USED FUR COATS and JACKETS ,Good condition $30-$50.Call 800-0436 after 12 noon. MOVING; Must sell.TV21”, $50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, $15; cassette tape recorder, $10.Call Jon or Pat, 800-0739 after 5p.m. or Weekends. SHEEPSKIN COAT: man’s size 42, 1year old. $85 after 6 p.m., 800-5224. LOST AND FOUND ——————————— FOUND; Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings. Found near Linden and South U. Steve.800-4661. LOST; Gold wire rim glasses In brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call Gregg 800-9662, FOUND: Nov.8th-----A black and white puppy in Packard-Jewett area 800-5770. |
PERSONAL ———————————— OVERSEAS JOBS—Australia, Europe, S. America, Africa. Students all professions and occupation, $700 to $3000 monthly. Expenses paid, overtime sightseeing. Free information at STUDENTS’ UNION. THE INTERNATIONAL ———————————— CENTER plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures . If you’d like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting, call us (800-9310) and ask for Mike or Janet. UNSURE WHAT TO DO? Life-Planning Workshop. Dec. 13th-15th. Bob and Margaret Atwood, 800-0046. ROOMMATES ———————————— FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED: Own room near- campus. Available December 1# . Rent $300 per month until March 1#. $450 thereafter. Call Jill for details, 800-7839. NEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. near campus, $380/mo.starting Jan. 1# Call 800-6157 after 5 p.m. |
DOMESTIC SERVICE ———————————— EARLY HOUR WAKE-UP SERVICE: For prompt, courteous wake-up service, call 800-0760. HELP WANTED ———————————— BABYSITTER—MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evening to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore, days 800-1111, evening and weekends 800-4964. PERSONS WANTED for Delivery work Own Transportation Good pay Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9a.m. TELEPHONE RECEPTION- IST WANTED. NO experience Necessary Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. office 101, after 9a.m. WAITRESS WANTED: 10a.m.-2p.m.or 10:30 a.m.- 5p.m. Apply inperson,2075 Main. Curtis Restaurant. HELP WANTED for house Cleaning 1/2 day on weekends When—to be discussed for mutual convenience. Good wages. Sylvan Street. Call 800-2817. |
Where will you post a notice if you need someone to look after your children?
A. PERSONAL. B. HELP WANTED.
C. DOMMESTIC SERVICE. D. ROOMMATES.A second-hand jacket will probably cost you________.
| A．$60 | B．$40 | C．$20 | D．$10 |
To have your travel notes published, you may contact_________.
| A．Students’ Union | B．Gayle Moore |
| C．The International Center | D．Life-Planning Workshop |
If you want to have someone wake you up in the morning, you may call_________.
| A．800-5224 | B．800-5770 |
| C．800-7839 | D．800-0760 |
I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn't be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile -warm and reassuring-and I returned her gift by smiling back.
"Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers," she said.
"Yes, she's special," I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.
"It's only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she's 'the one'. Jokingly, I added, "The only problem is that I can't figure out why she'd want to date a guy like me."
"Well, I think she's very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her," the woman said." "My husband used to bring me flowers every week -even when times were tough and we didn't have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and - of course - I miss him since he's passed away."
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, "You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady." I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. "You have a wonderful evening," I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her -that was the night that I won her heart.
| 1． |
Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
|
| 2． |
What does the underlined phrase "her gift"(Paragraph 2) refer to?
|
| 3． |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
|
| 4． |
What is the message conveyed in the story?
|
请阅读下列文章和相关信息，并按要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
下面是几则寓言小故事：An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, aiming at the dove. The ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the birdcatcher shouted, and the noise made the dove take wing.
Two men were travelling together, when a bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and hid himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and pretended to be dead as much as he could. The bear soon left him, for he will not touch a dead body. When he disappeared, the other traveller descended from the tree, and asked his friend what it was the bear had whispered in his ear. “He gave me this advice,” his companion replied. “Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.”
A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally good at learning, they showed themselves excellent pupils, and in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. Their performance was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end in the laughter and ridicule of the audience.
A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he noticed something shining in the straw. "Ho! ho!" said he, "that’s for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. It turned out to be a pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard. “You may be a treasure,” signed the cock, “to man, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn.”
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bunch of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son tried hard, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie it,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he called out to them: “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken.
请阅读下面的故事寓意，然后匹配与之对应的小故事。
| A．Not everything you see is what it appears to be. |
| B．One man’s pleasure may be another’s pain. / One man’s meat is another’s poison, |
| C．Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. |
| D．One good turn deserves another. |
E. Union gives strength.
F. Precious things are for those that can prize them.
“The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.
A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.” “Keep cool,” says George Herbert, “for fierceness makes error a fault.”
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong your self. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “bring with folly and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.
If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.
5. What does the reader learn from the first paragraph ?
The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself.
One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself.
To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life.
If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful.
6. What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad”?
If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first.
If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished.
If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy.
If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods.
7. If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _________.
the very backbone and nerve of character
the patience and power to control himself
strong feelings
self-confidence
8. The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to ___________.
explain that self-control is the key to success
teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success
distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it
advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends
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