People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents. Big Ben is not a person. It’s a clock. Big Ben is the great clock hanging up in a tower of the parliament building. The people of London like to see Big Ben’s four friendly faces. They like to hear the bell striking (敲)on the hour. Bong! Bong! Bong!
Big Ben’s story started in 1834. In that year the old parliament building was burned down. Its clock tower fell to the ground. There had to be a new building and a new clock. Plans were made. They called for a “King of Clock, the biggest and the best in the world”. So the clock had to be big. And it had to keep very good time. In two years the big clock was made. Five more years went by before the clock tower was last finished. Then the four bells for the chimes (鸣响) were brought into the tower. And at last the big hour bell was put in place. It rang out for the first time on July 11, 1859. This great bell had to have a name. A meeting of parliament was called to pick one. “This clock is the king of clocks,” one man said. “Let’s call the bell the Queen of Bells.” “Then why not Victoria?” said another (Victoria was the British queen (英国女王) at that time). The talk about names went on and on. Then Benjamin Hall got up to speak. He was a big man. By this time they were all tired. Someone shouted, “Why not call it Big Ben and be done with it?” Everybody laughed, and the meeting was over. But it was called Big Ben from then on. Not just the bell but the whole clock.In 1834, what happened to the clock tower?
| A．People finished the clock tower. |
| B．People sold the clock tower. |
| C．People polluted the clock tower. |
| D．The clock tower broke down. |
Big Ben is the name of a _______.
| A．building | B．clock |
| C．beautiful girl | D．city |
In which year might Victoria be the British queen?
| A．1583 | B．1768 | C．1620 | D．1863 |
Which is the best title (标题)for this passage?
| A．Why Big Ben Is So Big |
| B．British Parliament Building |
| C．How Big Ben Got Its Name |
| D．British Queen Victoria |
In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what "keeping up withthe Joneses" is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant(仆人) and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it "Keeping up with the Joneses" because "Jones" is a very common name in the United States. "Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’ s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they _______.
| A．want to be as rich as their neighbors |
| B．want others to know or to think that they are rich |
| C．don't want others to know they are rich |
| D．want to make themselves happy |
It can be inferred（推断）from the story that rich people like to_______.
| A．live outside New York City | B．live in New York city |
| C．live in apartments | D．have many neighbors |
According to the writer, it is_______ to keep up with the Joneses.
| A．correct | B．interesting |
| C．impossible | D．good |
Birthdays are celebrated all over the world. Some ways to celebrate birthdays are rather similar from county to country---candles, cakes and birthday wishes. But there are also different ways to celebrate birthdays. Here are a few:
Denmark A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in the house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child’s bed while he is sleeping so he will see them at once when he wakes up. |
 IndiaUsually Indian children wear white to school. However, on their birthdays, children wear colored clothes to school and give out chocolate to everyone in the class. Their best friends help them to do this. |
Japan The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the special time. Certain birthdays are more important than others. These are the third and seventh for girls and fifth for boys. |
Holland The birthday child receives an especially large present. The family also puts flowers on the birthday child’s chair to make it beautiful. |
When someone is having a birthday in Denmark, what can you see outside the window?
| A．flowers | B．presents | C．a flag | D．a chair |
Flowers are put on the chair of the birthday child in .
| A．Japan | B．Denmark | C．India | D．Holland |
In India, birthday children .
| A．give out chocolate to their classmates |
| B．share chocolate with their best friends |
| C．go to school in white clothes |
| D．wear new clothes to mark the special time |
The father’s role in the family is important. One researcher says babies who are cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive(认知的) development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another researcher reports that by spending time with their-pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children’s language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one bridge with the outside world.
Father who value(重视) education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don’t value education. What’s more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime.
While each father is a unique person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common.
Good fathers attend their children’s school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc.
Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals(个体) that their children are becoming.
Good fathers prefer explanations and reasoning to force.
Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment(投资) in them.
Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the chance for growth and development. Today’s lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are keeping a balance between their personal life, work, and family time. The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．how to be a qualified(称职的) father |
| B．the growth and development of both fathers and children |
| C．the father’s role in the growth and development of children |
| D．the changing of the father’s role in modern society |
A unique person in the third paragraph means “a person who ________”.
| A．has the same ideas as others |
| B．is the only one of his type |
| C．does everything without considering others’ ideas |
| D．tries to do everything well |
Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?
| A．Good fathers attend their children’s school activities but never take them to their workplace. |
| B．Good fathers expect a great deal from their children and force them to work hard. |
| C．Good fathers try to make it clear to their children that staying with their fathers is an investment. |
| D．Good fathers improve themselves when they spend time with their children. |
According to the passage, fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives may NOT lead to ________.
| A．the good fate(命运) of their children |
| B．better reading levels of their children |
| C．happy memories which may last a lifetime |
| D．greater cognitive development of their children |
One night about nine o’clock, Dr. Eyck, a surgeon(外科医生), had a phone call from Dr. Haydon at the hospital in Clens Falls. The surgeon was asked to go there at once to operate on a very sick boy who shot himself
The doctor was soon on his way to Clens Falls.It was 60 miles away.And it was snowing heavily in the sky.The surgeon thought he could get there before 12 o’clock.A few minutes later, the doctor was stopped by a man in an old black coat.Gun in hand,the man ordered the doctor to get out.Then the man drove the car down the road,leaving the doctor in the falling snow.
while playing with a gun.
It was after two o’clock in the morning when the doctor arrived at the hospital in Clens Falls. Dr. Haydon told him that the boy had died an hour before. The two doctors walked by the door of the hospital waiting room. There sat the man in the old black coat with his head in his hands.
“Mr. Cunningham,” said Dr. Haydon to the man, “this is Dr. Eyck. He is the surgeon who came all the way from Albany to save your boy.”Choose the right order of the events given in the story.
a. Dr. Eyck was asked to come to the hospital in Clens Falls.
b. Dr. Eyck arrived at the hospital.
c. The boy shot himself.
d. The boy died.
e. The man in an old coat reached the hospital.
f. Dr. Eyck was robbed of his car.
| A．a,c,f,d,b,e | B．c,e,f,a,b,d |
| C．a,c,f,e,d,b | D．c,a,f,e,d,b |
The boy died because ________.
| A．Dr. Haydon didn’t to anything to save him |
| B．he was too far away from hospital |
| C．something was wrong with Dr. Eyck’s car |
| D．Dr. Eyck was not able to arrive at the hospital in time |
Who should be responsible for (对……负责) the boy’s death?
| A．The hospital. | B．The boy’s father. |
| C．Dr. Haydon. | D．Dr. Eyck. |
We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? “The best time to make a friend is before you need one.” Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.
People equal friends
Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can’t be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.
Friends understand friends
Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others’ feelings and points of view.
Friends touch friends
Touching is a warm from of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.
Friends praise friends
Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect (影响) your friends’ lives. So try to praise your friends, including your general ones.
Friends can loyal (忠诚的) and trustworthy
Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence (信心) and are loyal forever.From Joy Steven’s words, we can conclude that ________.
| A．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B．it is never too late to make a friend |
| C．it is late to make a friend when you need one |
| D．everyone needs a friend in his life |
To make and keep many friends, you need to do the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．get in touch with people | B．understand your friends |
| C．praise your friends | D．quarrel with your friends |
The passage mainly tells us ______________.
| A．how to communicate with a friend | B．how to develop friendship |
| C．when to make a friend | D．how to praise a friend |
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