My friend had mentioned the other day that her father had a lot of children's toys he was looking to give away. She knew I have a three-year-old daughter so she thought of me first. I told her I would love it if I could get some nice things for my daughter, which I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford.
When I met her father, he began to explain he was too poor once and that he would hate to throw away things that can be very useful.
Before he showed me what he was giving away, I thought the toys would be mostly lego's(乐高积木) or things like that. When he was showing me around I saw a bed, a slide, a kitchen set and many other things that just blew my mind. He told me to write a list of everything my daughter could use and as my eyes were wide, he told me not to feel guilty. He said I was helping him by getting rid of the stuff.
As I was looking around I did feel guilty, but I tried to remain more grateful than guilty. Every time I tried to thank him for giving me and my daughter all this wonderful stuff he would thank me right back. I wanted to believe that he was just thanking me so that I wouldn't feel so guilty but in reality I believe that he was as grateful as I was that these toys would be put to good use.
In the eyes of charity, it makes sense to feel grateful, but guilt is just as normal. I know that we could have lived without a slide, which is why I do feel guilty, but I am grateful all the same because my daughter really does enjoy all these nice things!Why did the old man want to give away his toys?
| A．He wanted to help those poor children. |
| B．He was wealthy enough to buy new toys. |
| C．He wanted to make full use of those toys. |
| D．He needed some space for more useful things. |
In the writer's opinion, the old man felt grateful because
| A．he wanted to make her more guilty |
| B．he wanted her to take the toys quickly |
| C．the toys would be put to good use |
| D．he finally got rid of the stuff |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The writer took all the toys home. |
| B．The old man was a kind and thoughtful person |
| C．The writer wanted to refuse the stuff when she first saw them. |
| D．The writer's daughter enjoyed the slide most among all the stuff. |
How did the writer feel when given the stuff?
| A．Guilty and honored. | B．Grateful and respected. |
| C．Honored and respected. | D．Guilty and grateful. |
BEIJING - China will build a nation-wide network within three to five years to monitor the impact of air pollution on health, a latest step to deal with a persistent smog crisis in big cities, an official said.
A total of 43 monitoring spots will be set up in 16 provinces and municipalities frequently engulfed by smog so as to facilitate research on air pollutants in different regions, the impact on the health of vulnerable groups and the study of related diseases, said Xu Dongqun, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funds allocated by the central government, the study will provide reference for preventive efforts to reduce the PM 2.5, Xu said.
Thick and dangerous smog have hit 17 provinces and municipalities with a population of 600 million this year. One of the major cities is Beijing, which has been shrouded in smog for several days during the ongoing seven-day national holiday in 2013.
China recently issued a 1.75 trillion-yuan (284.2 billion U.S. dollars) plan to deal with the worsening air, improving air quality within five years in order to decrease the number of heavily polluted days and improve the air in major city clusters. China will build a nation-wide network in order to_________.
| A．monitor the impact of air pollution on health |
| B．improve air quality |
| C．improve air pollution |
| D．increase the PM 2.5 |
The underlined word “persistent” means“________”.
| A．短时的 | B．持久的 | C．短暂的 | D．停留的 |
China will take measures to deal with air pollution except________.
| A．China recently issued a 1.75 trillion-yuan (284.2 billion U.S. dollars) plan |
| B．set up monitoring spots in 16 provinces and municipalities |
| C．improveliving standard |
| D．improve the air in major city clusters |
We can infer from the paragraph________.
| A．Thick and dangerous smog have hit 17 provinces and municipalities |
| B．air pollution impacted a population of 600 million this year |
| C．The people in Beijing probably wore masks when they walked on the street during the national holiday in 2013. |
| D．the study will provide reference for preventive efforts to reduce the PM 2.5 |
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting with Deputy Superintendent Pedro Martinez, Principal Neddy Alvarez and her staff at Western High School, located in the Clark County School District, in Las Vegas. The school undertook a comprehensive effort to completely transform the culture of the school and added a motivated group of talented teachers. Western altered（改变） the school day to add opportunities for students to get additional credits toward graduation and created smaller learning groups. As part of these comprehensive changes, the school’s leadership also focused on four main reforms to transform their school.
First, improvements started with the change in the relationship between the school and students to create a caring atmosphere at the school. Using the “Capturing Kids’ Hearts” strategies, school leadership and teachers began building a trusting environment and students and families described seeing changes aimed at improving student outcomes and ensuring the success of every student. The school day was altered to add more options for students to obtain additional credits toward graduation. Students and teachers were grouped into “houses,” so that smaller groups of teachers and counselors(辅导员)could create one-on-one relationships with students. Teachers and counselors said that the altered school day provides time to address student’s individual concerns and develop individualized learning plans to put every student on a path to graduation.
The school also made changes to encourage parents to support school and encourage real dialogues between parents and the teachers and leaders at Western. Funded in part through the United Way, the school created a family engagement center to get parents more involved in their children’s education, particularly parents of English language learners. Parents like Ally Gaona and Martha Mendez told me that they had a voice and the tools to engage in their children’s learning and that they recognize that the main responsibility for their children’s learning must rest with the parents. Parents were passionate about these positive changes and said that these changes signaled to the entire the community that the school was serious about family engagement.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract people to the school. |
| B．To talk about the school reforms. |
| C．To introduce the school |
| D．To introduce the relationship between the school and students. |
How many main reforms are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two | B．Three | C． Four | D．Five |
Students and teachers were grouped into “houses in order to ___.
| A．provide time to address student’s individual concerns. |
| B．add more options for students to obtain additional credits toward graduation.. |
| C．create one-on-one relationships with students. |
| D．develop individualized learning plans to put every student on a path to graduation. |
Which statement is the right according to the passage?
| A．Parents didn’t support the reforms. |
| B．The reforms intended to improve student outcomes and ensure the success of every student. |
| C．The school asked parents to donate their money. |
| D．the school was not serious about family engagement. |
While we are on the subject of crime, our listener question this week comes from Mohamad Firouzi in Iran. He wants to know about the history of Alcatraz Island and the prison that once operated there.
Alcatraz Island is in the harbor of San Francisco, California. It is best known for being a federal prison, which was also called “The Rock.” It was once the most famous prison in America.
Alcatraz was a military prison from the late eighteen fifties until the nineteen thirties. Then it became a federal prison for the country’s worst criminals. These included murderers, bank robbers and kidnappers. One of the main reasons federal officials chose Alcatraz Island to detain these prisoners was because they thought it would be impossible for prisoners to escape.
Cold, deep and dangerous waters surround the island. Also, the distance between the island and San Francisco is too far for most humans to swim. No prisoner was ever officially reported to have successfully escaped.
However, in nineteen sixty-two, three men broke out of the prison. Each man worked very hard at night for many months to cut through the stone wall of his cell. They made false heads out of paper, paint and hair. On the night of June eleventh, the men placed the heads in their beds to make it look as if they were sleeping. Then, the prisoners escaped through the holes in their cells to get to the water. The men were never seen or heard from again. It is believed that they drowned while trying to swim to San Francisco.
The prison closed in nineteen sixty-three because of the high cost of keeping prisoners there and the need for major repairs. The last prisoners were moved to other jails.
In nineteen seventy-two, the United States Congress passed a bill creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Alcatraz Island and the old prison are part of this area.
Each year, more than one million people visit Alcatraz to see the prisoners’ cells and listen to stories about the jail’s history. But unlike the prisoners who once lived there, visitors can escape from the prison whenever they want and return back across the harbor to San Francisco.The text mainly tells us________.
| A．about the history of Alcatraz Island and the prison there. |
| B．about the history of Alcatraz Island. |
| C．about a military prison. |
| D．about the subject of crime. |
Why did federal officials make Alcatraz the most famous prison in America?
| A．Because no prisoner successfully escaped from the prison. |
| B．Because Alcatraz was Alcatraz Island. |
| C．Because Alcatraz was a military prison. |
| D．Because cold, deep and dangerous waters surround the island. |
Paragraph 5 is written to ________.
| A．tell us the three prisoners escaped the prison. |
| B．prove prisoners couldn’t successfully escape from the prison . |
| C．tell us how prisoners escaped the prison. |
| D．tell us the three prisoners could make false heads out of paper, paint and hair. |
Now Alcatraz ________.
| A．is a place of interest . |
| B．detains some prisoners. |
| C．is where the United States Congress is. |
| D．is still the most famous prison. |
Human beings have a natural desire to explore the unknown. People with a strong interest in space like to say it is the last place left to explore. But scientists are warning that space exploration for long periods is not going to be easy. They say the human body is not designed to stay in space over an extended period.
The New York Times recently published a report about scientists who are preparing astronauts for a trip to the Moon. The newspaper said the scientists want to make sure that their crews return home in good health. But there are many problems to be solved before people are ready for long trips to the Moon, an asteroid or even the planet Mars.
Humans developed on a planet with a surface that is more than 70 percent water. Our bodies are also about 70 percent water. When there is no gravity that water moves up toward the head, raising pressure in the skull. Arms and legs grow weaker at what is called zero gravity because they no longer need to push against the force of gravity.
Five years ago, astronauts who spent weeks in space reported a change in their eyesight. These astronauts were members of the crew on the International Space Station. Research showed a change in the shape of their eyes. Normally-round eyeballs had become flat during time in space. The research also showed that the right eye was affected more than the left, and that men were more affected than women. Scientists could not find an explanation for the differences.
Bone loss was one of the problems first reported by astronauts returning to Earth after longer stays in space. So scientists designed exercise machines to use on the space station. Tests showed that the exercise equipment helped space travelers keep their bones almost as strong as when they left Earth.
There are other health issues for astronauts who spend a long time in space. They may have problems eating and sleeping. But the biggest health issue is exposure to radiation. On Earth, human beings are protected by the atmosphere and the planet's magnetic field. In outer space, there is no such protection.What is the main idea of the passage？
| A．Long periods in space will affect the health of astronauts. |
| B．Scientists are trying to find out how to protect astronauts. |
| C．Space is dangerous to human beings. |
| D．People shouldn’t explore space. |
What will happen to human bodies in space？
| A．Arms and legs grow stronger at what is called zero gravity |
| B．Blood moves up toward the head. |
| C．Pressure in the skull will be raised. |
| D．All of the above. |
The following are problems mentioned in the passage Except________.
| A．bone loss | B．loss of water | C．eyesight | D．exposure to radiation |
Why did scientists design exercise machines to use on the space station?
| A．To make sure that their crews return home in good health. |
| B．To help astronauts keep their bones almost as strong as when they left Earth. |
| C．To help astronauts get ready for long trips to the Moon, an asteroid or even the planet Mars. |
| D．To let astronauts adapt to the environment of space. |
What is true according to the passage?
| A．The biggest health issue is exposure to Sunshine. |
| B．Research showed a change in the size of their eyes. |
| C．The right eye was affected less than the left. |
| D．Men were more affected than women. |
My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas，little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here, her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.
One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was to complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was
the one who had caused it
I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn't feel like one then.
That memory just like my Nanny's love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow, and to love.When did Nanny come to this country?
| A．DuringWorldWar II，Nanny come to America. |
| B．When she was 5，Nanny come to America. |
| C．When she was 8，Nanny come to America. |
| D．When she was 6，Nanny come to America. |
What did Nanny survived during the trip?
| A．stormy seas and an attack. |
| B．stormy seas and little food. |
| C．little food and an attack. |
| D．stormy seas, little food and an attack. |
According to the passage, what kind of person is Nanny?
| A．She is narrow-minded and lovely. |
| B．She is strong and pround. |
| C．She is kind-hearted and fragil. |
| D．She is rich and proud. |
My grandma cried one day because___________.
| A．my parents didn’t have her travel with them. |
| B．I didn’t have the special breakfast that my grandma made. |
| C．I complained about her breakfast not as good as my mother’s. |
| D．she wasn’t happy to take care of me all by herself. |
What did I learn from the experience?
| A．My Nanny's love will stay in my heart forever. |
| B．We should learn to apologize to the old. |
| C．Life is not easy for grandma. |
| D．Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow and to love. |
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