Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box hasn’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”
Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.
“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.” the salesgirl said.
“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”
“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.
“No problem.” Peter said.
After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.
Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.
“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”
The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”
”I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.
“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game?
| A．It was made around 40 years ago. |
| B．It had game boards in different sizes. |
| C．It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal. |
| D．It had little pieces of wood in different colors. |
What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game?
| A．Old and handy. | B．Rare and valuable. |
| C．Classic and attractive. | D．Colorful and interesting |
What happened at the end of the story?
| A．Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward. |
| B．The salesgirl became Peter’s friend. |
| C．Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000. |
| D．The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again. |
What is the main theme of the story?
| A．It’s important to keep a promise. |
| B．It’s great to share in other people’s happiness. |
| C．We should be grateful for the help from others. |
| D．Something rare is worth a large amount of money. |
President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war，northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862，the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short，but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.
Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863，all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately，Union armies would accept black volunteers.
The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”．They were to be put to death immediately.
AfricanAmerican troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend，Fort Wagner，and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield，Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote，“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end，about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease，in battle，and after capture by rebel troops.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．cause of the Civil War |
| B．the Emancipation Proclamation |
| C．black soldiers in the Civil War |
| D．why Lincoln was a good president |
What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Whites. |
| B．People who keep watch. |
| C．Rebels. |
| D．Thought and feeling. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves. |
| B．Blacks fought well for the Union cause. |
| C．The Civil War changed American history. |
| D．The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away. |
| B．The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks. |
| C．All slaves were set free by September of 1862. |
| D．Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call. |
Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world？It’s an increasingly urgent question，given the recent highprofile(引人注目的) mining accidents in Sago，W.Va.and Huntington，Utah.A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the nottoodistant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.
Robotic technology，in particular，holds much promise，McAteer says，especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners—the special operations of the mining industry.
One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at CarnegieMellon University’s Robotics Institute.It was called Groundhog and it looked like a golf cart.It used lasers(激光器) to “see” in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines—some of the most dangerous work in the business.
The latest design is called Cave Crawler.It’s a bit smaller than Groundhog，and even more advanced.It can take photos and video and has sensors mounted(增加) that can detect the presence of dangerous gases.Incredibly，the robot has a real sense of logic.If it comes across an obstacle it gets confused.It has to think through the process and where to go next，and sometimes it throws_a_fit just like a real person.
The biggest obstacle，though，is cost.The original research project was federally funded，but that money has dried up，and it’s not clear where future funding will come from. Partly for that reason，and partly because of advances in safety，mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past.Since 1990，fatalities(致命性) have declined by 67 percent and injuries by 51 percent，according to the National Mining Association.
Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry.The robots do the most repetitive and dangerous jobs，but don’t eliminate(消除) the need for human workers.The underlined phrase “throws a fit” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．gets angry | B．gets sick |
| C．becomes hungry | D．becomes cheerful |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．robots in mines will serve much in the automotive industry |
| B．there will be no need for human workers in mines |
| C．the mine robots will have a very bright future |
| D．robots in mines have a long way to go |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Mining robots do most of the mining work at present. |
| B．Groundhog can discover the presence of dangerous gases. |
| C．Experts are trying to make robots save miners in danger. |
| D．Robots cannot do dangerous work in dark areas. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Mining Accidents in America |
| B．Could Robots Replace Humans in Mines? |
| C．Cave Crawler，the Latest Robot |
| D．The Development of Robots |
One day in 1965，when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle，a fourthgrade teacher approached me.She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge.“Could he help in the library？” she asked.I said, “Send him along.”
Soon a slight，sandyhaired boy in jeans and a Tshirt appeared.“Do you have a job for me？” he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System(杜威十进分类法) for shelving books.He picked up the idea immediately.Then I showed him a stack(摞) of cards for longoverdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them.He said，“Is it kind of a detective job？” I answered yes，and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced，“Time for break！”He argued for finishing the finding job；she made the case for fresh air.She won.
The next morning，he arrived early.“I want to finish these books，”he said.At the end of the day，when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis，it was easy to say yes.He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk，inviting me to dinner at the boy’s home.At the end of a pleasant evening，his mother announced that the family would be moving to a neighbouring school district.Her son’s first concern，she said，was leaving the View Ridge library.“Who will find the lost books？” he asked.
When the time came，I said an unwilling goodbye.I missed him，but not for long.A few days later he came back and joyfully announced，“The librarian over there doesn’t let boys work in the library.My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge.My dad will drop me off on his way to work.And if he can’t，I’ll walk！”
I should have had an idea such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go.What I could not have guessed，however，was that he would become a genius of the Information Age：Bill Gates，tycoon(企业巨头) of Microsoft and America’s richest man.What was the author when the story happened?
| A．A teacher. | B．A librarian. |
| C．A detective. | D．A student. |
Why was the boy sent to the library by the fourthgrade teacher?
| A．He failed to finish his work on time. |
| B．He challenged the teacher in the class. |
| C．He disturbed all the other students in the class. |
| D．He needed something to do to challenge himself. |
What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?
| A．To rearrange the books according to the new system. |
| B．To put those overdue books back to the shelves. |
| C．To find out the books with wrong cards in them. |
| D．To put the cards back in the longoverdue books. |
The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because ________.
| A．he didn’t get along well with the librarian in the new school |
| B．he was not allowed to work in the new school’s library |
| C．he missed his old schoolmates and teachers |
| D．he had to walk a long way to go to school |
Peanuts to This
Proudly reading my words，I glanced around the room，only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.Confused，I glanced toward my stonefaced teacher.Having no choice，I slowly raised the report I had slaved over，hoping to hide myself.“What could be causing everyone to act this way？”
Quickly，I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task.This was the first real task I received in my new school.It seemed simple：go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington.Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country，I had never heard of that name before.As I searched the name of this fellow，it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different！One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts，while the other led some sort of army across America.I stared at the screen，wondering which one my teacher meant.I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice：flip(掷) a coin.Heads—the commander，and tails—the peanut guy.Ah！Tails，my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter，George Washington Carver.
Weeks later，standing before this unfriendly mass，I was totally lost.Oh well，I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk，burning to find out what I had done wrong.As a classmate began his report，it all became clear，“My report is on George Washington，the man who started the American Revolution.”The whole world became quiet！How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously，my grade was awful.Heartbroken but fearless，I decided to turn this around.I talked to Miss Lancelot，but she insisted：No redos；no new grade.I felt that the punishment was not justified，and I believed I deserved a second chance.Consequently，I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year.Ten months later，that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather，now having an entirely different conversation.I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade.Justice is sweet！ (2012·北京，B)What did the author’s classmates think about his report?
| A．Controversial. | B．Ridiculous. |
| C．Boring. | D．Puzzling. |
Why was the author confused about the task?
| A．He was unfamiliar with American history. |
| B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin. |
| C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction. |
| D．He was new at the school. |
The underlined word “burning” in Para.3 probably means “________”．
| A．annoyed | B．ashamed |
| C．ready | D．eager |
In the end，the author turned things around ________.
| A．by redoing his task |
| B．through his own efforts |
| C．with the help of his grandfather |
| D．under the guidance of his headmaster |
Who give us life，raise us and are our constant support and wellwishers？Our mothers.That’s why millions of people across the world take Mother’s Day as an opportunity to express thanks and send best wishes to their moms.
However，the celebration of Mother’s Day is not the recent thing that many believe it to be.It was the ancient Greeks who started the tradition by celebrating their annual spring festival in honor of Rhea，the mother of many gods and goddesses.
Later，in the 1600s，Mothering Sunday came to be celebrated in England.On the fourth Sunday of Lent (大斋期)，children brought flowers and special fruitcakes to show their respect for their mothers.It may be the root of the modern Mother’s Day.
Thanks to the great efforts of Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis，Mother’s Day became an official festival in the US.It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.Later，many countries began to celebrate this day as Mother’s Day.
Today，Mother’s Day is an international festival honoring mothers.It is celebrated all over the world in different ways.In Western countries，the most common way is to treat mothers with breakfast in bed.Kids often allow their mothers to sleep till late in the morning while they prepare her favorite breakfast with their fathers.Some also make handmade gifts or buy beautiful carnations (康乃馨)．It is the day when you acknowledge your mothers contribution in your life and pay a tribute (礼品) to her，often with flowers and gifts.It complements Father’s Day，the celebration honoring fathers.
Today，Mother’s Day is a day celebrated on various days in many places around the world.Why do people across the world celebrate Mother’s Day?
| A．Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to their mothers. |
| B．Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to Rhea. |
| C．Because Mother’s Day is an official festival in the US. |
| D．Because Mother’s Day is an international festival. |
The modern Mother’s Day came from________.
| A．Greece | B．England |
| C．America | D．China |
From the passage we can learn that________.
| A．Rhea is the mother of many gods and goddesses of England |
| B．many people wrongly believe Mother’s Day has a short history |
| C．in America Mother’s day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent |
| D．on Mother’s day fathers have to get up early to prepare breakfast |
The passage mainly wants to tell us________.
| A．how to celebrate Mother’s day |
| B．what to do on Mother’s day |
| C．the historical change of Mother’s day |
| D．the meaning of Mother’s day |
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