Alfred Carlton Gilbert(1884-1961) was a man of many ideas and talents. As a small boy, he kept trying new things. At age 12, he started a sports club for his friends and got their school to have a field day with active games and prizes. As he grew and practiced, Gilbert became skilled at pole vaulting（撑杆跳高）, pull-ups, the long jump and football.
Gilbert broke the world record for pull-ups in 1900 and the distance record for running long dive in 1902. And he won a gold medal in the pole vault at the Olympic Games in 1908. By that time, he had nearly finished medical studies. Choosing not to make medicine his career, Gilbert co-founded Mysto Manufacturing, a manufacturer of magic sets, in 1907. Gilbert had amused his friends and earned college money by doing magic tricks, so he knew what was needed. One day, Gilbert saw workers using steel girders（钢梁） to build towers for power lines. That gave him the idea for the Erector Set, a popular construction toy.
In 1917, the Council of National Defense thought no toys should be produced for Christmas because the country was fighting in World War I. Gilbert and other men from the Toy Manufacturers of America went to Washington, with about 40 different toys. They had 15 minutes to speak. This meeting was at the end of a long, hard day. Gilbert told the government men at the meeting how toys helped children learn. His helpers brought out the toys. Soon, the tired government men were on the floor, playing with building sets, models of navy ships, and other toys. The time limit was forgotten; so was the Christmas toy ban（禁令）.
Gilbert spent the rest of his life improving erector sets. His company made and sold the sets, plus chemistry and other science sets and toy trains. He made items for homes, businesses, and the army. When he died in 1961, he had 150 patents （专利）for his many inventions. But his main joy was in helping children learn and have fun at the same time.What’s the right order of the events about Gilbert?
a. He argued against a ban on toy production.
b. He broke the world record for pull-ups.
c. He set up a manufacturer of magic sets.
d. He started a sports club for his friends.
e. He won a gold medal in the pole vault.
| A．b, d, e, a, c | B．b, a, e, d, c |
| C．d, b, c, e, a | D．d, c, e, b, a |
The story mentioned in paragraph 3 shows that _____.
| A．Gilbert’s toys interested not only children but adults |
| B．toys could help children learn about World War I |
| C．toys were a danger to the Council of National Defense |
| D．Christmas toys were not popular during wartime |
According to the text, Gilbert was known as _____.
| A．a teacher, boy-maker and businessman |
| B．an athlete, inventor and businessman |
| C．an athlete, writer and businessman |
| D．a magician, writer and toy-maker |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．An easy way into the sporting circle. |
| B．The man who saved Christmas. |
| C．Influenced of toys on children |
| D．The amazing Mr. Gilbert. |
Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00—18:00 (October—March); 09:00—20:00 (April—September)
Admission: $ 11, or $ 10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes.
The temple have been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project’s vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: November—February: 09:00—18:30; March—October: 09:00—20:00
Admission: $ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓦). It was built between 1906 and 1912 by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852—1926) and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona. Visitors to La Pedrera can see the amazing 800 square meters attic with 270 brick arches that give you a feeling that you are walking inside the skeleton (骨架) of a whale. The roof is equally impressive and is preserved exactly the way that it was built in 1912 with six staircases and seven chimneys each made in a unique style.
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6th April—4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00—20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00—18:30
Admission: $ 8.50 for entry to the museum and $ 17 for a guided tour.
Disabled Access: Yes.
When you buy your ticket you have two options. You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual (双的) ticket for $ 15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.
Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check the web site for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $ 8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miro’s work dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures (雕塑).
L’Aquarium de Barcelona (1,375,271 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00—19:00 (October—March); 09:00—20:00 (April—September)
Admission: $ 7. Save 10 % on the entrance fee to the aquarium with the Barcelona Card.
Barcelona Aquarium is a popular Barcelona attraction to take the kids and young ones. I have to admit I love the aquarium.
Picasso Museum (887,958 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $ 9 for main exhibition—extra for special showings. Save 50% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes. The museum has arranged Picasso’s paintings in chronological order from his early days to his final works. Arranging the paintings in this way gives you a fascinating insight into the development of Picasso thinking over time and shows how he developed the distinctive designs that he is famous for today. Very popular art gallery. Which of the following attractions is the most popular with people?
| A．Sagrada Familia | B．La Pedrera |
| C．Barcelona FC Museum | D．Picasso Museum |
What do we know about the tourist attractions mentioned in the above passage?
| A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona. |
| B．La Pedrera is well-known for its colorful material. |
| C．Barcelona FC Museum may attract football fans. |
| D．Miro Museum was built in 1914. |
If you visit the stadium and the club with a tour guide in Barcelona FC Museum, you should pay ________.
| A．$ 25.5 | B．$ 32 | C．$ 42.5 | D．$ 34 |
What do the attractions have in common?
| A．They are all famous for their architectural style. |
| B．They are available for the disabled people. |
| C．Their opening hours are changeable in different seasons. |
| D．Tourists can have a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card. |
On a number of drives throughout my childhood, my mother would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.
Though Mother’s Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift (节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.
Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders(给食器) out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons (浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.
I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions (蒲公英) to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct for protection.
I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.
Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with a sweetness I immediately wanted to share with my mom.. Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?
| A．Because Mother’s Day falls shortly after Earth Day. |
| B．To stress that all the older women in her family are environmentalists. |
| C．To stress how much her mother cares about the environment. |
| D．Because her mother shows her how to be friendly to nature on Mother’s Day. |
. Which of the following is NOT related to Mom’s “green life”?
| A．Rescuing a beetle from a certain tragedy. |
| B．Saving glass jars, empty cheese containers. |
| C．Setting a caught spider free in the garden |
| D．Picking dandelions on busy streets. |
. We can infer from the article that ______.
| A．the author realizes that she should teach her children by example as well |
| B．the author’s mother knows how to get rid of the wildlife in her yard |
| C．the author believes that only by learning to slow down can we enjoy life |
| D．the author’s mother used to lecture her to protect the environment. |
. What can be learned from the last paragraph?
| A．Tomatoes make the author think of her mother. |
| B．The author likes eating tomatoes planted by herself. |
| C．Planting tomatoes is a way of protecting environment. |
| D．The author really appreciates her mother’s teaching. |
. The writer’s attitude towards her mom’s behavior changed in the order of ______.
| A．understanding — critical — approving |
| B．approving — doubtful — negative |
| C．negative — understanding — approving |
| D．doubtful— critical— positive |
Many people look fondly at their school days. a lot of these memories are often attached to events that have little to do learning, many people are surprised by how much they miss being in the and actually learning something new.
Although most people feel that their lives would be by going back to school for further study, some people find that their busy schedules would make this . However, with the rise of technology like the , it is now easier than ever to continue feeding your mind without obligations like family and work. This is due to the rise of online education options.
Online education is a subset of what is known as electronic learning or e-learning. All that you need to successfully use online education is to a computer that has an internet . There are so many online education options, it is quite common for colleges to online education courses to assist people who are in distance education.
The main of online education is that it allows you to at your own pace and on your own time. Depending on the nature of the courses, online education will provide you with a certain time for you to compete it .
One of the biggest of online education is that it does not provide you with the face-to-face interaction with a teacher. But you can with other students through the use of discussion boards, messaging programs, and web-conferencing programs.
As people become busier, online education has in popularity. It has greatly improved the number of services it provides and is considered a great education option. So if you are busy but your mind is still more of a challenge, you may find that online education is the perfect food for your mind!
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Americans consider baseball as an American sport. They often refer to something being “as American as baseball and apple pie”. But is baseball really an American sport? And what are origins of baseball anyway?
The American game of baseball more than likely came from several European ball games. Russia had an early form of baseball and so did Germany and Romania. People in England played a game called “stool ball”. In this game, the pitcher(投手)tried to hit a stool(凳子)or chair with a ball and the batter(击球手)used a stick to keep the ball away. But American baseball was most likely based on another English game, which is called “rounders”. Players use a soft ball rater than a hard ball while playing rounders.
So when was the first real game of “baseball” played? It seems that it took place in the 1840s. The father of baseball was Alexander Cartwright, who organized a baseball club in New York. Cartwright developed 20 rules that distinguished baseball from previous ball games.
In 1858, the first organized baseball league—the National Association of Baseball players—was formed. This league began charging fans to watch the games. However, the players were all amateurs and did not get paid . In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings began to pay their players. Since they could hire the best players, Cincinnati won 57 games and lost none in their first season. As a result, other teams decided to hire players too. By 1871, the National Association was the first professional baseball league.
Today baseball is liked very much in America. Top professional baseball players earn millions of dollars each year. There are two professional leagues—the National League and the American League. The best teams from these two leagues compete for the baseball championship every year.81.What do Americans think of baseball? (No more than 3 words)2’
82. Why was Alexander Cartwright called “the father of baseball ”?(No more than 16 words).3’
83. Where did the American baseball most probably come from?(No more than 5 words).2’
84.What does the passage mainly talk about?(No more than 5 words).3’
With the popularity of 3D movies over the past several years , there was no doubt that the technology would make its way into our homes, The question is: Is it really a technology that is going to stay with us , thus deserving an upgrade(升级) at this time?
Many families have recently bought a new TV set, and the idea of changing it just to take advantage of a technology in its infancy(初期)will put many people off the idea. Then there are the additional costs that come along with a 3Dset from needing to get a Blu-ray player that can process the signal to purchasing enough glasses for the entire family to be able to watch a program at the same time.
Another issue is that the glasses are expensive as well as complicated, and have also been known to cause headaches, none of which makes for a pleasant experience.
While manufacturers are working towards glasses-free technology, it just isn’t here yet, and it could be several years before it is commercially successful. That is one of main things that will keep 3D completely in the “fashion” zone for the time being . If the television manufacturers are willing to hold onto the idea until glasses-free choices are available—and they can reach a higher installed(安装)user base—this might very well catch on. Everyone needs to remember, however, that these are businesses, and they are in it to make money. If 3D isn’t selling at the rate they are comfortable with, then they will dump it and move on to the next thing.
Many homes are filled with products that didn’t catch on rapidly and companies ended up leaving them with no support. Do you have an HD DVD player? Remember how the MiniDisc was supposed to replace the CD? For now, it’s easy to see how 3D televisions could join this list of technologies.
There is one upside to the 3D television problem: They have beautiful 2D images. Even if 3D goes away, you still have a great –looking screen and beautiful images. If you are in the market for a new TV and you can afford to drop the couple extra hundred dollars to buy one, you can view it as guaranteeing your purchase in case the technology proves to be effective.We know from the text that 3D TV .
| A．is easy to operate |
| B．has been fully developed |
| C．has many products attached to it |
| D．has already replaced normal TV sets |
What’s the main idea of paragraph 4?
| A．3D is fashionable and expensive. |
| B．It’s hard for 3D to be commercially successful. |
| C．Television manufacturers’ only purpose is to make money. |
| D．It’s impossible to create glasses-free technology at the moment. |
The examples of the HD DVD player and CD are to show .
| A．they are not necessary |
| B．they are bound to be replaced |
| C．3D TV might not be here to stay |
| D．3D technology needs improving |
The underlined word “upside” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．solution | B．exception | C．character | D．benefit |
What’s the author’s opinion on 3D TV?
A.He is critical of it.
B. He thinks highly of it.
C.It is more effective than expected.
D. It has more beautiful images than 2D.
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