Editor Henry Slocum，
I read your May 10th article in the local newspaper Honesdale Times about electronic books，or e-books，with great interest．You made several good points about the disadvantages of e-books．You may have overlooked，however，some of the ways in which they are superior to traditional books．Yes，e-books are expensive，but they are also convenient．In addition，due to their environment-friendly nature, e-books have the potential to change our planet for the better．
E-books, for anyone who is unfamiliar with the term，are about the same size and shape as regular books．They have a large screen in the middle，however．This screen shows the reader a page of text that has been downloaded from a computer．Once the reader has finished reading the page on the e-book screen．he or she scrolls down to see a new page．The process continues until the entire book has been read．
As you pointed out．Mr．Slocum，it's great to lie on a warm，sandy beach with a book．You can do that just as easily with an e-book as you can with a traditional paper book．In fact，because e-books are so light, you can carry them anywhere．Say，for example，that you like to read on the bus．Which would you rather carry with you-a heavy 800-page novel，or an e-book that weighs only a few ounces?
Another important advantage is offered by e-books as well．They are more environmentfriendly than traditional books．At present，thousands of trees are cut down each year to meet the publishing industry’s demand for paper．Books that don’t sell are eventually returned to the Dublisher and destroyed．This terrible waste could be avoided if everyone used e-books，which require no paper．
Sincerely，
David Eng
What does Editor Henry Slocum think about e-books?
| A．Interesting |
| B．Environment-friendly |
| C．Convenient |
| D．Expensive． |
In David’s letter, he thinks that______
| A．E-books will come down in price |
| B．E-books do little harm to the environment |
| C．E-books come in various sizes and shapes |
| D．E-books are no better than traditional books |
The main purpose of the letter is to______
| A．provide evidence that e-books are a good idea |
| B．honor the person who invented e-books |
| C．scold publishers for wasting so much paper |
| D．explain how to read e-books |
At the age of 16, Clara Barton was advised to become a teacher since she was quite shy. She taught in Massachusetts for ten years, and was invited to Bordentown, New Jersey to teach in a school. She saw that these communities needed complimentary education for their citizens, and she took action by creating a free school, one of the first in her state. But later, ignoring her, officials named a male instead as the head teacher. Disappointed, she left her job and moved to Washington D.C., becoming the first woman employed by the US Patent Office.
Clara Barton was forever changed by her experience with the army in the Civil War. She saw doctors use leaves when dealing with injuries since they had nothing else. The medical supplies were well behind the army, who were moving faster than their medical supply lines. She brought in a truck of medical supplies that she collected personally some years ago. Miss Barton continued to work on the battlefields throughout the war.
She helped in the identification of 13,000 dead Union soldiers. This non-stop work made her fully exhausted, and upon recommendation by her physicians, she traveled to Europe where she recovered energy and enriched herself.
While in Europe, and still in poor health, Miss Barton was moved by the hardship on people brought about by the France-Prussia war. She helped in their relief effort, which encouraged her to create the Red Cross, which served the whole army and common people under a neutral flag.
Clara Barton returned to America and then began the establishment of the American Red Cross. The US government did not think there would ever be another war after the Civil War. But she convinced them that the Red Cross would be valuable to serve in times of natural disasters as well. This was her lasting legacy (遗产), an agency that still provides aid to all people today.What does the underlined word mean in the first paragraph?
| A．Public. | B．Personal. | C．Free. | D．Advanced. |
. Why did Clara Barton bring her personal medical supplies
A There were no medical supplies for the army at all.
B. The army’s supplies couldn’t catch up with them.
C. The army’s supplies weren’t good enough to treat soldiers.
D. The enemies cut off the connection between the army and medical supplies.Clara Barton set up the Red Cross because of _______.
| A．her experiences in Europe |
| B．her poor health |
| C．the lack of supplies for the army |
| D．her work in the US Patent Office |
The US government agreed to establish the Red Cross because Clara Barton _______.
| A．gave a lot of her legacy |
| B．said there might be wars in the future |
| C．explained it would help people in peacetime as well. |
| D．claimed it could save people from the France-Prussia war. |
What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．The history of American Civil War. |
| B．A general introduction to Clara Barton. |
| C．Clara Barton’s contributions to the US. |
| D．The Establishment of the American Red Cross. |
One evening last summer, when I asked my 14-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me. "What’s a colander(漏勺)? " he asked.
I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for.
As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers. I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven.
I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg off sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. "I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless.
Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That’s what I call a man. I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter-in-law.Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?
| A．Because he was not well behaved. |
| B．Because he refused to help with dinner. |
| C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen utensils (器皿). |
| D．Because he was very curious about kitchen utensils. |
In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______.
| A．building up children’s confidence |
| B．telling kids what is right and wrong |
| C．preparing children for their future life |
| D．making children live a hard life |
After learning to do housework, Ray _______.
| A．fell in love with sewing |
| B．did other work in the house |
| C．began to be more hardworking |
| D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts |
We can infer from the text that Ray _______.
| A．made great progress in cooking. |
| B．always thought housework interesting. |
| C．preferred sewing to cooking. |
| D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Useful education for boys |
| B．The importance of housework |
| C．Boys should be involved in housework. |
| D．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine. |
Dear Gregory,
Merry Christmas! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. Hot Damn! You are a good & responsible 13 year old boy and you deserve this gift. But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations. Please read through the following contract. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership.
1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
2. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
3. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
4. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
5. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
7. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO – fear of missing out. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you.
8. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.
9. If you will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together. It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas!
xoxoxo MomThe author’s main purpose in writing the article is to ________
| A．explain to George the function of the new mobile phones. |
| B．show George how much thought has been put into this gift |
| C．inform George of good manners he has to follow in public |
| D．make a deal with George on the use of his Christmas gift-iphone |
If Gregory lose hus iphone,he ________
| A．has to pay for a new one himself |
| B．will get a new one from his parents |
| C．will never receive gifts from his parents |
| D．must learn to live without a phone |
We can learn from the article that George’s parents________
| A．set rules and regulations in every aspect of his life |
| B．expect him to do something in return for this gift |
| C．are worried about his manners and carelessness |
| D．don’t want him to be addicted to electronic products |
George has to follow the rules below EXCEPT that ________
| A．be sure to answer his parents’ call |
| B．keep the phone in silence when is at the cinema |
| C．record his life as much as possible using the phone |
| D．bring the phone with him on field trip when necessary |
Winter begins in the north on December 22nd. People and animals have been doing what they always do to prepare for the colder months. Squirrels (松鼠), for example, have been busy gathering nuts from trees. Well, scientists have been busy gathering information about what the squirrels do with the food they collect.
They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American state of Indiana. The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the growth of black walnut (黑胡桃) trees. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels. The black walnut tree is also a central part of some hardwood forests.
Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen, a former Purdue student now at the University of New Mexico. The two researchers estimate that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared to red squirrels. Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same way. Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut. So some nuts remain in the ground. Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following spring. Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground. Professor Swihart calls “death traps for seeds”.
Gray squirrels are native to Indiana. But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests were cut for agriculture. Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past century.
The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year, unlike walnut trees. They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red squirrels invade Indiana. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.The study done by Rob Swihart and Jake Goheen is to ________.
| A．find out the living conditions for squirrels |
| B．learn squirrels’influence on black walnut trees |
| C．do something to get rid of squirrels |
| D．save the forests in the American state of Indiana |
The difference between gray squirrels and red squirrels mainly lies in ________.
| A．the way they gather the walnut |
| B．the time they have winter sleep |
| C．the place they have winter sleep |
| D．the place they store the walnuts |
Professor Swihart’s study shows that________.
| A．red squirrels eat more nuts than gray squirrels |
| B．gray squirrels and red squirrels will have severe fights |
| C．red squirrel’s way to store nuts stops nuts growing. |
| D．black walnuts are harmful to other animals |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The black walnut is equally attractive to both gray and red squirrels. |
| B．Gray squirrels do more harm to the forest than red squirrels. |
| C．Red squirrels and gray squirrels have helped the spread of walnut trees. |
| D．The cleaning of forest land benefits red squirrels directly. |
You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. You listen to their conversation: I can't believe it-a Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome."
They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes.
Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it. Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation-consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It is a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads. So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go. Some people might call this practice deceptive (骗人的), but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing."
However, one might ask what exactly is "real" about of young women pretending to be enthusiastic about a sweater? Advertising executives would say it's no less real than an ad. The difference is that you know an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. You don’t know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.The two attractive young women were talking so that they could _____.
| A．get the sweater at a lower price |
| B．be heard by people around |
| C．be admired by other shoppers |
| D．decide on buying the sweater |
Lorenzo Bertolla is _____.
| A．a very popular male singer |
| B．an advertising agency |
| C．a clothing company in Rome |
| D．the brand name of a sweater |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The two girls are in fact employed by the Lorenzo Bertolla Company. |
| B．The MTV generation tend to be more easily influenced by ads. |
| C．Traditional advertising is becoming less effective because it's too direct. |
| D．Undercover marketing will surely be banned soon by the government. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Two Attractive Shoppers |
| B．Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters |
| C．Ways of Advertising |
| D．Undercover Marketing |
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