As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she crashed with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction．
“Watch it, Squirt,”the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little third grader． Then, with an unfriendly smile on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped（跛行）when she walked．
Amy closed her eyes for a moment． ―Ignore him,‖ she told herself as she headed for her classroom．
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy‘s mean teasing． It wasn‘t as if he were the only one． Amy was tired of it． Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing about her speech or her limping made her feel all alone．
Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet． That‘s why Patti Hagdorn was happy to have
some exciting news to share with her daughter．
“There‘s a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station,” she announced． “Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize． I think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter．”
Amy giggled． The contest sounded like fun． She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas．
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her． Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter． ―Dear Santa Claus,‖ she began．
While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa． Amy‘s sister, Jamie, and Amy‘s mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy‘s wish list． Amy‘s dad guessed a picture book． But Amy wasn‘t ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then． Here is Amy‘s letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night:
Dear Santa Clause,
My name is Amy． I am 9 years old． I have a problem at school． Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk． I have cerebral palsy（大脑性瘫痪）． I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me．
Love,
Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest． The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas．
When Amy‘s letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully． He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn‘t understand her disability． He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish． Mr． Tobin called up the local newspaper．
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the ．News Sentinel‖． The story spread quickly． All across the country, newspapers and radio and television station reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift – just one day without teasing．
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house． Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation． They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement．
During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support． Amy and her family read every single one． Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children． Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up． Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high． Each writer had a special message for Amy． Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other． She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again．
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School． Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus． Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel．
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city． The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson．
“Everyone,” said the mayor, “wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth．” The underlined word ―mimicked‖（Paragraph 2）can probably be replaced with ___________．
| A．struck | B．copied |
| C．blocked | D．declined |
According to Paragraph 4, the message is conveyed that ___________．
| A．Amy was often made fun of at school and she disliked the fact |
| B．loneliness always accompanied Amy because of the tall boy |
| C．some other students teased Amy made her think of the mean boy． |
| D．Amy hated being laughed at in the classroom full of other students． |
Amy‘s mother shared the news of a Christmas Wish Contest that day because she knew ___________．
| A．her daughter was teased by a fifth grader． |
| B．Amy‘s disease went much worse than before． |
| C．the contest would change Amy‘s life． |
| D．things weren‘t going well with Amy at school． |
The postman suddenly became a regular because ___________．
| A．he wanted to comfort Amy regularly． |
| B．a number of letters needed delivering there． |
| C．he used to be teased alike at school． |
| D．holidays greetings were asked to give to Amy． |
Amy learned through strangers‘ cards and letters that ___________．
| A．the world was filled with care and love． |
| B．she would take teasing as a present in life． |
| C．some people were being teased similarly． |
| D．everyone should be treated with kindness． |
The passage talks about ___________．
| A．Everyone can do something remarkable． |
| B．A small act makes a difference． |
| C．A girl who was brave to speak her wish up． |
| D．The disabled deserve respect． |
If you put a buzzard（秃鹰） in a pen(围栏) six to eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be a prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten to twelve feet. Without space to run, it will not even attempt to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small prison with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is to shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully,until it reaches some slight height from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee (大黄蜂), if dropped into an open tumbler(平底玻璃杯), will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but insists on trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is right there above them.Why does a buzzard choose to stay in a pen?
| A．Because it is safe to live there. |
| B．Because it gets used to living there. |
| C．Because it cannot take off within an limited area. |
| D．Because it lost its ability to fly. |
The underlined word in the second paragraph probably means “ .”
| A．to run slowly | B．to move slowly |
| C．to pace slowly | D．to fly slowly |
A bumblebee will completely destroy itself for .
| A．it does not look for a way out above |
| B．it is dropped into an open cage |
| C．it does not try to find a way to escape |
| D．it hurts itself while flying |
In which way are many people similar to a buzzard, an ordinary bat and a bumblebee?
| A．They are overcoming all their problems and frustrations. |
| B．They are all content with the things as they are. |
| C．They choose to give in to problems and frustrations. |
| D．They do not seek new ways to deal with difficulties. |
Camilla Broomstick, a missing Camden –area woman, was reported found inside her damaged Chevrolet Malibu Sunday afternoon in a County near Camden New Jersey, at the bottom of an embankment(路堤) off a highway, according to authorities. Her car, turned upside down, was spotted by a passer-by who had stopped to view scenery and noticed something shining and what looked like a body, authorities said. When emergency responders arrived, they found Broomstick alive inside her severely damaged car. The vehicle rested upside down after flying 120 feet off the highway and rolling an additional 200 feet into an aspen woods.
“The crash alone would have killed her,” New Jersey State Trooper Dean Enoch said. “It's surprising that she survived the crash at all, and then to be down there for that amount of days without food or water.”
Earlier Monday, the family released a statement at the hospital thanking emergency responders who rushed Broomstick to the hospital and to the man who found her and notified authorities.
“We sincerely appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and kind gestures from the community during such a hard time for our family,” the statement read. “While we're hopeful of her prognosis(愈后), Camilla was seriously injured and with multiple internal and external injuries. Later this afternoon Camilla will be undergoing surgery here to amputate(截肢) both of her feet. Doctors were not able to save her feet due to the serious injuries. Camilla is in critical but stable condition at this time and has a very long road ahead.”
In the statement, family members mentioned reports that Broomstick wrote a request for help on an umbrella she pushed out the car window. “We cannot comment on that right now because we have not seen the umbrella,” the statement said. Family members also asked that the public respect their privacy.Who found the severely damaged car?
| A．The authorities. | B．A passer-by. |
| C．Emergency responders. | D．Her families. |
Where was the damaged car when it was found?
| A．200 feet from the high way. | B．120 feet from the high way. |
| C．220 feet from the high way. | D．320 feet from the high way. |
What can we know from the passage ?
| A．Camilla Broomstick was lucky to survive. |
| B．Camilla Broomstick had a strong will. |
| C．Camilla Broomstick had a good body. |
| D．Camilla Broomstick was bad in driving. |
What is implied in the last two paragraphs?
| A．Broomstick’s family are grateful for the doctors. |
| B．Broomstick’s family are not sure about the umbrella. |
| C．Broomstick’s family are worried about her legs. |
| D．Broomstick’s family are not willing to be disturbed. |
Discover Artistic Talents across the Country
Redtory, Guangzhou
Redtory, established in 2009, is a spacious art district often referred to as Guangzhou’s 798. Made up of more than 30 old halls, mostly buildings of red brick, the place was originally built in 1956 as Chinese largest can factory. Some of the rusty machines from the old factory have been kept as art equipment, giving the zone an old charm.
Where: No. 128 Yuancun Siheng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:30 am-9 pm
Tank Loft, Chongqing
This 12,000-square-meter art center was established on the site of a used military tank warehouse(仓库). It is the largest contemporary art base in western China, featuring modern exhibition, galleries, design studios and art bookstores. The art zone is located on the campus of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and was created by the school in the early 2000s.
Where: No. 108 Huangjueping Center Street, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing
Opening hours: 9 am-5 pm(closed Mondays)
M50, Shanghai
M50, also known as 50 Moganshan Road, is the center of Shanghai’s contemporary art scene, with more than 100 artists whose studios are open to the public. This district, on the bank of Suzhou Creek, was previously a textile factory until it seized production in 1999. Xue Song, a Shanghai artist, was the first to establish a studio there in 2002.
Where: No. 50 Moganshan Road, Pudong District, Shanghai
Opening hours: 10 am-5 pm(closed Mondays)
798 Art Zone, Beijing
Attracted by ordered designing, convenient traffic and unique style of Bauhaus architecture, art organizations and artists have crowded in the vacant plants and transformed them since 2001, gradually forming a district gathered galleries, art studios, cultural companies, fashion shops etc. As the earliest area where the organizations and artists moved in located in the original area of 798 factory, this place was named as Beijing 798 Art Zone.
Where: No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am-6 pmIf you are going to visit an art zone at 7pm, which one can you go to?
| A．Redtory, Guangzhou. | B．Tank Loft, Chongqing. |
| C．M50, Shanghai. | D．798 Art Zone, Beijing. |
Tank Loft, Chongqing is quite different from the others in .
| A．size | B．site | C．feature | D．weather |
Which of the following was built first?
| A．Redtory, Guangzhou. | B．Tank Loft, Chongqing. |
| C．M50, Shanghai. | D．798 Art Zone, Beijing. |
It was a physical class. But it was nothing like previous ones — the class was “attended”
by over 60 million students across China, and the teacher was not even on the planet: she was 340 kilometers above the earth.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Wang Yaping. I’ll host your lecture today.” Smiling to the camera, Wang, China’s second female astronaut, started her video class on June 20 on board the Tiangong-1 space station.
To show how Newton’s Laws work in space, Wang and her fellow astronauts used simple items like balls and spinning tops. The highlight of the lecture was when Wang made a film of water using a metal ring, something that only happens in zero gravity, where the surface tension(张力) of water is much higher than it is on the earth. She then took it a step further by pouring more water onto the film and turning it into a water ball, leaving the audience amazed by what they saw.
The 40-minute lesson seemed to have passed too quickly for students to see enough of those magical experiments. But sending stuff into space is really expensive. According to The Beijing Times, every kilogram launched into space cost 20,000 dollars. The experimental items taken this time were all strictly selected and weighed about 2.9 kilograms in total. This adds up to quite a large price tag.
The organizers of the event also had to consider the time of day: the communication signal between the earth and Tiangong-1 was best during that specific 40 minutes, when the spacecraft was flying within the coverage of all of the ground-based testing stations.Why is the class different from a common one?
| A．Because it took 40 minutes. |
| B．Because over 60 million students across the world attended it. |
| C．Because the teacher was on the planet. |
| D．Because the lecturer was in space. |
One of the experiments shows .
| A．object motion under weight conditions |
| B．laws of physics under weightless conditions |
| C．laws of physics under weight conditions |
| D．how Newton’s Laws work on the earth |
Which phrase can best replace the underlined words in the passage?
| A．took a photo of water. |
| B．recorded moving pictures of water. |
| C．made a thin layer of water. |
| D．all the above. |
Which of the following statements can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Teaching from the Sky. | B．Teaching on Physics. |
| C．Teaching Experiments. | D．Teaching by an Astronaut. |
In China，cultural differences arose from growing rice or wheat．Different thinking styles between northern and southern Chinese people can trace(追溯)their roots to rice fields and wheat fields．
Rice farming promotes a holistic(整体的)focus on distinguishing relationships among people and objects，and valuing others as much as or more than oneself, say psychologist Thomas Talhelm of the University of Virginia and his colleagues．Holistic thinking among many modem Chinese people partly reflects regional histories of building communal irrigation systems(共有灌溉系统)and cooperatively planting and harvesting rice fields over thousands of years．
They draw that conclusion based on studies of college students from regions with different agricultural practices．Students from southern and central China’s rice．growing provinces think holistically, even though they have probably never farmed rice，Talhelm’s group reports．In contrast，students from northern and central Chinese provinces that have specialized in wheat growing exhibit a preference for abstract analysis and self over others，the scientists find．Wheat is less labor-intensive(劳动密集型)to grow than rice，SO farmers can plant and harvest crops without much help from neighbors．Analytical，individualistic thinking is not more common among students from richer
Provinces, contrary to the argument that this attitude springs from modernization. ”Rice theory might explain why East Asia is so much less individualistic than expected based on its wealth, ” Talhelm says.
Talhelm，s team tested 1,162 Chinese students，who Viewed lists of three items，such as a rabbit，a dog and a carrot. For each list，students chose two items that belonged together. Earlier research found that analytical thinkers often group items according to categories，so rabbits and dogs go together．Holistic thinkers tend to 1ook for relationships，such as rabbits eating carrots. Students from rice-growing areas made an average of around seven to nine holistic matches of 10 possible matches，compared with roughly f1ve to seven holistic matches for those from Wheat-growing areas.
Talhelm’s team also analyzed national statistics in China from 1 996，2000 and 2010 and found a higher divorce rate and a greater number of successful patents for new inventions in wheat-growing provinces than in rice-growing provinces. That trend is in line with the ides that analytical thinking develops both individualism and creativity.People who think holistically probably_____________.
| A．come from wheat—growing areas |
| B．1ive in northern and central China |
| C．rely more on themselves |
| D．think of others before themselves |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．East Asia is poorer than the other areas of Asia. |
| B．Modernization contributes to analytic al thinking. |
| C．Analytical thinkers tend to pick out items by type. |
| D．Richer people show more individualistic thinking. |
The author develops the passage mainly by____________.
| A．making comparisons |
| B．listing examples |
| C．telling his personal experience |
| D．presenting problem and solution |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cultural differences in China |
| B．1isting examples |
| C．Chinese people tracing their roots |
| D．Farming influences thinking styles |
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