What separates me from everyone else? The difference is not what clothes I wear or the music I listen to, but what I feel inside．
Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling．I woke up every Saturday to watch my favorite "Superstars．" As I grew older, I got a lot of flak for watching this "fake" sport．My peers would laugh at me for following what was called a "man's soap opera．" So, I put my love for wrestling on the shelf．Like everyone else, I wanted to be associated with the cool clique．I yearned to be invited to the parties of the in-crowd and hang out with the popular kids．I became pretty successful．Although my Friday evenings were busy with parties, I would still wake up early Saturdays to watch wrestling．It wasn't until freshman year that I realized I wasn't being myself．
That year, I tried many new things and activities and made new friends．In my town, football was the sport, so I decided to play football, thinking it might give me a head start in popularity．The team started with 48 athletes．At the end, there were 14 of us left．I stuck it out not because I liked it, but because I am not a quitter．That long season taught me a lesson: I wasn't a football player．More importantly, it taught me to be myself．
After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan．I watched it religiously, no matter what insults were thrown my way．I came across a quote: "Don't Dream It, Be It．" When I read this, my friend Dan had the same idea I had．
"What if we build a wrestling ring?" we asked．We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its construction．The following weekend, we met at his house．We saw our dream in a pile in his backyard．We worked from dawn to dusk to build our great establishment．By Sunday night, our mission was complete．Our hard work (combined with a little creativity) had paid off．We had a real ring．We decided to hold an "event．" We practiced for hours, trying to improve every aspect of our wrestling ability．The date was May 24th．Our show had a start time of 9: 00 p．m．To our surprise, about one hundred family, friends and fans showed up to support us．It was the most important night of my life and a complete success．Since that time, we have held five shows with as many as two hundred and fifty people turning out．We continue to live this dream．We accomplished what we set out to do．We are now well known throughout school．When I walk down the halls, I am respected by my peers．Some are the same peers who ridiculed me for watching wrestling when I was younger．When they approach me, they often say, "Good match, Chris．" I humbly say, "Thank you," knowing I did something I believed in．
As my senior year winds down, I'll remember all of my high school memories．But what will stick out most is the memory that I did something I loved, despite what everyone said or thought．I accomplished my goal ．．．I lived my dream．What makes the writer different from the others is __________．
| A．the different sports he loves |
| B．the different clothes he wears and the different music he listens to |
| C．that he is younger than the others． |
| D．the different ideas he has |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．I practiced wrestling secretly in my spare time． |
| B．I put the clothes for wrestling on the shelf． |
| C．I decided to quit following wrestling． |
| D．I began not to watch wrestling on TV． |
When the writer was a freshman, he ___________．
| A．knew he couldn’t be a good football player |
| B．realized he was being himself |
| C．was still sociable |
| D．built a wrestling ring |
The writer built the wrestling ring in order to ________．
| A．play football there |
| B．make his dream realized |
| C．be a professional player |
| D．have parties there． |
What is the writer’s attitude towards his experience in high school?
| A．Optimistic |
| B．Pessimistic |
| C．Doubtful |
| D．Surprised |
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride．Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it．But Lee Gray，PhD，of the University of North Carolina，US，has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport．He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的)，” Gray told the BBC．“The elevators are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door．If someone else comes in，we may have to move．And here，according to Gray，liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements．He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift，you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you，you go into different corners，standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters，you will unconsciously form a triangle．And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square，with someone in every corner．A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively．Once in，for most people the rule is simple – look down，or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space，” Professor Babette Renneberg，a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin，told the BBC．“Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us．And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small，enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be understood as threatening or odd．“The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact，” she said.According to Gray，when people enter an elevator，they usually _____.
| A．turn around and greet one another |
| B．look around or examine their phone |
| C．make eye contact with those in the elevator |
| D．try to keep a distance from other people |
Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
According to the article，people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
| A．someone’s odd behaviors |
| B．a lack of space |
| C．their unfamiliarity with one another |
| D．their eye contact with one another |
What’s the passage mainly about _____.
| A．Bad manners in the elevator |
| B．Some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette |
| C．An interesting but awkward elevator ride |
| D．The strange behaviors in the elevator |
Traveler
My fifteen-year-old son has just returned from abroad with rolls of exposed film and a hundred dollars in uncashed traveler’s checks, and is asleep at the moment．His blue duffel(粗呢) bag lies on the floor where he dropped it．Obviously, he postponed as much sleep as he could: when he walked in and we hugged, his electrical system suddenly switched off, and he headed directly for the bed, where I imagine he beat his old record of sixteen hours.
It was his first trip overseas, so weeks before it, I pressed travel books on him, and a tape cassette of useful French phrases; drew up a list of people to visit; advised him on clothing and other things．At the luggage store where we went to buy him a suitcase, he headed for the duffels, saying that suitcases were more for old people．
During the trip, he called home three times: from London, Paris, and a village named Ullapool．Near Ullapool, he climbed a mountain in a rainstorm that almost blew him off．In the village, a man spoke to him in Gaelic, and, too polite to interrupt, my son listened to him for ten or fifteen minutes, trying to nod in the right places．The French he learned from the cassette didn’t hold water in Paris．The French he talked to shrugged and walked on.
When my son called, I sat down at the kitchen table and leaned forward and hung on every word． His voice came through clearly, though two of the calls were like ship-to-shore communication．When I interrupted him with a “Great!” or a “Really?”, I knocked a little hole in his communication．So I just sat and listened． I have never listened to a telephone so attentively and with so much pleasure．It was wonderful to hear news from him that was so new to me．In my book, he was the first man to land on the moon, and I knew that I had no advice to give him and that what I had already given was probably not much help.
The unused checks are certainly evidence of that．Youth travels light．No suitcase, not much luggage and a slim expense account, and yet he went to the scene, and came back safely．I sit here amazed． The night when your child returns with dust on his shoes from a country you’ve never seen is a night you would gladly turn into a week．During the trip, the author’s son ______.
| A．ran out of money |
| B．had inadequate sleep |
| C．forgot to call his mother |
| D．failed to take good pictures |
According to the passage, which of the following could best describe the author’s son?
| A．Polite and careless． |
| B．Creative and stubborn. |
| C．Considerate and independent. |
| D．Self-centered and adventurous. |
What does the underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．It is important to listen to your child’s story. |
| B．It’s easy to interrupt the chat with your child. |
| C．The author is proud of her son landing on the moon. |
| D．The son no longer needs much help from his mother. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Good parents should protect their children from potential dangers. |
| B．The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. |
| C．It’s a win-win choice to give a child space to experience and explore． |
| D．Communication between parents and children is extremely important. |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项。
Sitting at a desk in a classroom all day can be pretty boring.
The teachers at Ward Elementary in Winston –Salem, North Carolina, picked up on that and traded in their students’ desks for exercise bikes as a part of their Read and Ride program!
The Read and Ride program began five years ago． One classroom has enough bikes for every student in any given class, and throughout the day teachers bring in their students to the room to ride them and read their books．
Even regular classrooms have one bike in the back of each room for students who just can’t sit still to use to help them burn energy in a good way．
Students love being more active! Teachers enjoy seeing students eager to read． Parents appreciate stronger, smarter children． Headmasters value this effective and cost-free program．“Riding exercise bikes makes reading fun for many kids who get frustrated(挫败的) when they read． Thus, they have a way to release that frustration while they ride,” said Scott Ertl, who started the program．“As we can see, everyone wants to promote literacy and lose weight! But many students who are overweight struggle with sports and activities since they don’t want to always be the last or lose with others watching on the playground． On exercise bikes, however, students are able to exert(发挥)themselves at their own level—without anyone noticing when they slow down or take a break.”
As it turns out, not only are the bikes helping the students burn calories, they’re also helping them learn better and stay focused． At the end of the school year the school analyzed testing data and found that students that spent more time reading and riding did more than twice as well on reading tests than their fellow students who spent the least time in the program.
Why did the teachers start the Read and Ride program?
| A．To get the students out of the classrooms. |
| B．To make the students more active in sports． |
| C．To read effectively in an active way. |
| D．To help the overweight students keep fit. |
According to Scott Ertl，riding exercise bikes___________.
| A．is the least expensive way for exercise |
| B．can benefit overweight students in both ways |
| C．is the best way to build up students’ body |
| D．is a good way to avoid being watched by teachers |
The program helps the students in the following ways except________．
| A．help them learn better |
| B．reduce their reading difficulties |
| C．build up their bodies |
| D．improve their learning concentration |
“Do you like doing things for people?”I asked a friend．
“Yes，most of the time,”she replied．
“Most of the time?”
“Well，I love to do things that are unexpected． I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing,”she said．
“But why did you say most of the time?”
“Well,sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you．I mean，they expect you to do it again．They ask you to do it．That's when I don't like it．”
It was odd that I had this conversation．This just happened to me．I love to do little things．I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there．Not a big thing．It's a little thing．$5.30 will pay for almost five lunches．Hey，big spender!
I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work．She was having a tough day and not very happy at all．I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under $2.00．Her smile was worth it．
But one week she said,“Bob，we ran out of crackers．We love them so much．” I didn't want to do it．I smiled and she persisted． I finally admitted,“It's different when I do it because I want to，but now you are trying to make me go to get them．It's not the same．”But I bought it for her．
Unfortunately，a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had． I didn't know what to do and how to do it．What happened to me then surprised me most．I once had my bike repaired，but the repairman said “no charge”on hearing my sufferings．A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I'd written about our sufferings for Slate，the online magazine，and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans．I refused but I felt moved． Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday．My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home．When you do something kind for others，do you always get rewarded? Yes，but not in the way you might expect．What's the main purpose of the first paragraph?
| A．To tell the background of the story． |
| B．To attract the attention of the readers． |
| C．To get the readers to know main idea directly． |
| D．To explain the reasons why he wrote the passage． |
What do we know about James Kennedy?
| A．He was a writer of an online magazine． |
| B．He was also a poet at the University of Florida． |
| C．He offered the author a new house free of charge． |
| D．He learned about the author's sufferings online． |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Misfortune of blessing on happiness． |
| B．Never too late to learn． |
| C．Helping others means helping yourself． |
| D．Many hands make the work lighter． |
Directions：Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
LT123 Workshops
‘I’m pleased to say that 2015 is our third year sponsoring the IATEFL information desk．This year, we are running three workshops covering some of the key areas of our wide-ranging special skills: testing, editing and vocabulary．We how to see you.’
—— Russell Whitehead Director
Vocabulary testing: why, what and how? By Felicity O’ Dell & Russell Whitehead
Saturday 11th April 3:50-4:35 pm Charter 4
Should vocabulary be one of the language features that we test and, if so, why? What vocabulary - and what aspects of vocabulary - should we focus on in our tests? What methods can we use to test vocabulary?
We will discuss answers to these questions, considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of vocabulary test for different teaching contexts.
There’s something missing from your project - the editor! By David Baker & Fiona MacKenzie
Sunday 12 April 10:25-11:10 am Charter 8
Big publishing companies no longer offer the single route to publication．Whether you are self-publishing, a teaching institution developing its own materials, or a digital start-up, in a highly competitive environment it isn’t enough to write something and just put it out there.
Quality still matters - you can’t afford to forget one of the key roles in successful publishing.
Vocabulary levels: which words are at which level? By Stephen Bullon
Monday 13th April 1:35-2:20 pm Charter 8
While students develop their competence in the four skills and in their ability to master grammatical structures, they are together building their vocabulary.
We will try to establish the standards involved in selecting appropriate vocabulary at the various levels students pass through: frequency, teaching requirements, and register are all factors that need to be weighed in the balance.
LT123 is the new name for Language Testing 123, and we are proud sponsors of the 49th Annual
International IATEFL Conference and Exhibition.
Manchester, April 2015.
To help improve vocabulary teaching and testing, the workshops will focus on ________．
| A．how to employ more scientific methods in vocabulary testing |
| B．how to test vocabulary as the most important language feature |
| C．what advanced standards to set for the students of different levels |
| D．what to be concentrated on rather than four basic language skills |
From this handout we can know that ________．
| A．the audience are editors in the field of language teaching |
| B．the director of LT123 will be talking in one of the workshops |
| C．some publishing companies will sponsor similar workshops soon |
| D．each workshop lasts 45 minutes in the same meeting room |
What is the purpose of this handout?
| A．To sell newly published books on language testing． |
| B．To get the audience informed of the events |
| C．To show the breakthrough in vocabulary teaching． |
| D．To attract the attention of the host of 2015 IATEFL. |
There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?
| A．American dramas are longer. |
| B．British soap operas are longer. |
| C．American dramas deal with dangerous things. |
| D．British soap operas deal with real people. |
Why do British people like to watch such operas?
| A．They can find their own life from the operas. |
| B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time. |
| C．They can watch the operas for many years. |
| D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas. |
The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．plays |
| B．pages |
| C．issues |
| D．parts |
One characteristic of British operas is that ______.
| A．the characters play the same role for a long time. |
| B．the characters in the play often change |
| C．people don’t know what will happen next |
| D．there is only one or two characters in them |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing． His mother took him to see the famous showman, P．T．Barnum． Mr．Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show．He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together．
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb．He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes． When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads．To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England．
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people．He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall．Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money．By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich．He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five．
Fortunately for Tom, Mr．Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well．One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher．Tom was able to win her love, and they married．
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town．They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests．Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage．The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut．
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war．Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb" weddings．In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun．The underlined words "talk of the town" means________．
| A．it was in the newspaper |
| B．it was the most popular topic |
| C．people spread bad rumors about it |
| D．it was discussed in a city meeting |
What does the author think about Tom's wedding?
| A．Tom and Lavinia were stupid． |
| B．People gave it too much of their attention． |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous． |
| D．It helped people cheer up in a dark time． |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine． |
| B．People are always disappointed during war time． |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose． |
| D．People should be married when they are small children． |
Eight Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You
Should you spend your money on a home security system? A look inside a burglar’s mind might help you decide.
1．Of course I look familiar．I was here just last week cleaning your carpets，painting your shutters，or delivering your new refrigerator．
2．Hey，thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week．While I was in your home，I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3．To you，leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air．To me，it’s an invitation which I am more than happy to accept.
4．If it snows while you’re out of town，get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house，or it will be a dead giveaway．By the way，loud dogs and nosy neighbors are the two things I hate most．
5．It’s raining．You’re fumbling with your umbrella，and you forget to lock your door---understandable．But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather．
6．Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers，the bedside table，and the medicine cabinet．Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms．
7．You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables．But if it’s not fastened，I’ll take it with me．
8．Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook.com page．It’s easier than you think to look up your address.Money and valuables might be the safest if kept in your______.
| A．kids’ room |
| B．sock drawer |
| C．medicine cabinet |
| D．safe |
The underlined words “a dead giveaway” here may probably be something that______.
| A．throws away useless things at home |
| B．warns a burglar that someone is dead |
| C．tells a burglar the truth |
| D．frightens a burglar away |
We can draw a conclusion from the text that______.
| A．burglars seldom steal in bad weather |
| B．if you do housework yourself，you’ll stay away from burglars |
| C．you yourself are sometimes to blame for a theft |
| D．you can always count on your neighbors when you are out |
The main purpose of the article is to _____.
| A．summarize when burglars steal most frequently |
| B．encourage people to spend money on home security systems |
| C．explain why burglars take up stealing |
| D．teach people how to protect their homes |
More People Are Leaving the Rat Race for the Simple Life
Time is more precious than money for an increasing number of people who are choosing to live more with less—and liking it
Kay and Charles Giddens, two lawyers, sold their home to start a B&B hotel．Four years later, the couple dishes out banana pancake breakfast, cleans toilets and serves homemade chocolate chip cookies to guests in a B&B hotel surrounded by trees on a hill known for colorful sunsets.
“Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the stress? No,” says Ms．Giddens, “This is a phenomenon that’s fairly widespread． A lot of people are reevaluating their lives and figuring out what they want to do．If their base is being damaged, what’s the payoff?”
Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.
Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make．“You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is,” Ms．Robin says, “You tend not to use things up．You cook at home rather than eat out…”
Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks．“It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids,” she says, “Simplicity is not just about saving money; it’s about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music.”
Mrs．Luhrs now edits a magazine, Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.
“It’s not about poverty,” Mrs．Luhrs explains, “It’s about conscious living and creating the life you want．The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn.”
Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to ______.
| A．pay off the debt |
| B．start a private hotel |
| C．cut down expenses |
| D．buy living necessities |
Simple living includes ______.
| A．building a home library |
| B．living in the countryside |
| C．enjoying a colorful night life |
| D．sharing housing with others |
It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs ______.
| A．spends more time with her kids |
| B．has an interest in classical music |
| C．works as a reporter of a magazine |
| D．helps people buy recycled clothes |
How does the author develop the passage?
| A．By using figures. |
| B．By asking questions. |
| C．By giving examples． |
| D．By making comparisons． |
I have two sons．They are as different as night and day．My youngest is sweet, loveable, easy-going, and finds joy in everything．My oldest we’ve nicknamed the “Evil Genius” is ambitious, self-confident, and suffers no fools．
Whenever we mentioned Santa my husband and I were rewarded with major eye rolling and deep sighs from my oldest．At first we both tried to ignore it．
We both knew that our eldest had figured out the big secret．But I’d be damned(指责) if he was going to ruin it for his six-year-old brother who had plenty of Santa-loving years ahead of him．I looked at my husband in the eye and said, “I’ll handle this．” to which he responded “Okay just be careful because I’m not sure he knows - he might just be acting like it．” But I knew．And I had it in my mind that he was about to break his younger brothers spirit and break the news to him．I was afraid he was going to take the Christmas spirit away from my sweet innocent youngest and stamp all over it．I had to protect him．I needed to control this now before it got out of control．I rushed into the play room where my oldest was playing alone．I looked him dead in the eyes and said: “Well you know Santa isn’t real, right?” And as I stared at my eight-year-old son for what seemed like a long time of silence, his eyes started to fill with tears． And a tear dropped down his cheek when he screamed out, “He’s not?”
“Um well it’s not that he’s not real (shut up you idiot- stop saying he’s not real), but he doesn’t really make and deliver all the toys．Dad and I get some of them for you．So he’s real．He’s just got a little help from us．”
The Evil Genius wasn’t buying it．He just sat there looking at me with an expression of doubt．
You know when you make a terrible mistake but you can’t stop yourself from making it worse? That was me because I just had to know．I had to know why he had seemed to be over Santa． So I asked him why he rolled his eyes and sighed every time his father and I mentioned Santa, to which he replied that kids at school had been saying Santa wasn't real but that he still thought he was．What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Two different sons |
| B．Santa secret given away |
| C．Protecting one, ruining the other |
| D．Making a mistake worse |
What did the writer conclude when “Evil Genius” rolled his eyes and sighed?
| A．“Evil Genius” had discovered Santa was not real． |
| B．“Evil Genius” had broken the secret to his younger brother． |
| C．“Evil Genius” had passed his Santa-loving years． |
| D．“Evil Genius” had been influenced by his classmates． |
What does the underlined sentence mean in the passage?
| A．“Evil Genius” refused to buy toys． |
| B．“Evil Genius” didn’t believe his mother’s words． |
| C．“Evil Genius” wanted to keep silent． |
| D．“Evil Genius” would not give away the secret． |
What lesson can we learn from the story?
| A．Lies can never change facts． |
| B．Honesty is the best policy． |
| C．No one is perfect． |
| D．We should think twice before we act． |
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． |
The child of today owes much of its pleasant school life to the work of Maria Montessori and others who felt as she did．
Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in northern Italy． Both her parents were well educated．
While Maria was a student, she took great interest in the study of the particular nature of the child's mind． It came to her that small children should have freedom to learn．
Maria became a doctor and a professor at Rome University．In 1907, after working with backward students, she was given a chance to try out her ideas on children．There were sixty children, aged three to six, in the Children's House．The rooms were bright and colorful．Maria let the children make their own choice of what they wanted to do and work with their own speed． They became busy, peaceful and happy．
Maria Montessori was one of the world's great teachers．She traveled in Europe, America and Far East．She thought that true education, providing(提供) for the real needs of the child, would produce wise and happy grown-ups and therefore a peaceful world． Her original way of education has changed our whole idea of what childhood is．
Maria Montessori died in Holland at the age of eighty-two．
The short passage is mainly about_________．
| A．the education of backward students |
| B．a new idea of education |
| C．the importance of proper education |
| D．the life of Maria Montessori |
Maria traveled a lot in the world to ________．．
| A．teach the backward students |
| B．enjoy her life in real nature |
| C．spread her ideas of teaching |
| D．study the situation of education |
In what way did Maria teach the children in the Children's House?
| A．She taught them the best way of learning well． |
| B．She let them learn in a very pleasant way． |
| C．She taught them by showing them how to do things． |
| D．She just let them choose the most interesting subjects． |
We learn from the passage that ________．
| A．Maria left her homeland in order to study abroad |
| B．Maria didn't get married |
| C．Maria's own parents were her teachers |
| D．Maria fully understood the child's mind |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Camp All-Star
One of a Kind Summer Camps for Kids
Welcome to Camp All-Star, your No．1 summer sports camp for kids! Located on the famous Kents Hill School campus by the beautiful lake, Camp All-Star hosts kids from around the world． When thinking about your next overnight summer camp, consider the best—Camp All-Star!
Great Sports Summer Camps for Kids
Camp All-Star stands out among the successful camps in the U.S．We have the best sports fields and courts to make your child’s sports camp experience a successful one．Your child can enjoy playing for hours in any of our more than 30 sports and activities each day．Our camper to staff rate is three to one, which makes it possible for children to receive more careful instruction．
We have a wide variety of activities and sports to choose from: fishing, dance, basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis．Boys and girls, aged 8-16, can customize their own schedules in our 2, 3, 4 or 6 week summer camp session for kids.
The aim of Camp All-Star is to develop athletic skills, encourage abilities in leadership, fair play and team work, and provide a fun, rewarding and memorable summer sports camp experience．Our staff have the experience and qualified training necessary to ensure that your child has a successful, memorable and enjoyable time at our summer camp.
Call Today About Our Overnight Summer Camps for Kids
Don’t let your kids waste another summer playing video games and sitting around． Let them enjoy their time and get some exercise at our exciting and friendly summer sports camp．Information for our upcoming camps can be found on our website．For additional information or questions, contact us today．We hope your kids can join us at Camp All-Star!Camp All-Star stands out among the others because it ______.
| A．is surrounded by a beautiful lake |
| B．provides various activities and sports |
| C．offers timely information on its websit |
| D．allows children to play outside all day long |
One of the goals of Camp All-star is to ______.
| A．fire kids’ imagination |
| B．build up kids’ confidence |
| C．develop kids’ leadership skills |
| D．promote kids’ self-control |
This advertisement is intended for ______.
| A．parents |
| B．coaches |
| C．staff |
| D．campers |
If you're tired of the Mediterranean and don't want to head to Disney again，perhaps it's time for a summer holiday in space．Russia has declared plans for its first floating hotel，217 miles above earth，and it is something of an offering with good service．
Hosting just seven guests in a four cabins，the accommodation will boast huge windows with views back to earth and tasty microwave meals will be served instead of the ones often used by astronauts．
Just getting there will be an adventure in itself—it will take two days aboard a Soyuz rocket—and it won't exactly be a budget holiday: A five-day stay will cost you￡100，000 to￡500，000 for your journey．The hotel is due to open by 2016 and，according to those behind it，will be far more comfortable than the International Space Station (ISS) used by astronauts and cosmonauts．
In the weightlessness of space，visitors can choose to have beds that are either vertical or horizontal．Tourists，who will be accompanied by experienced crew，will dine on food prepared on Earth and sent up on the rocket，to be reheated in microwave ovens．Many kinds of delicacies will be available．
Iced tea，mineral water and fruit juices will be available，but alcohol will be strictly prohibited．Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system．Waste water will be recycled．
Sergei Kostenko，chief executive of Orbital Technologies which will construct the hotel，said: “Our planned module inside will not remind you of the International Space Station．A hotel should be comfortable inside，and it will be possible to look at the Earth．The hotel will be aimed at wealthy individuals and people working for private companies who want to do research in space．” The hotel can also be used as an emergency bolthole (避难处) for astronauts aboard the International Space Station if there is a crisis．
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Russia declares the design for its first space hotel |
| B．The first space hotel is under construction now |
| C．The astronauts will have a second home in space |
| D．Russia has the advanced technology in exploring space |
What does the underlined word “budget” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
| A．expensive |
| B．worthwhile |
| C．economic |
| D．uncomfortable |
What kind of accommodation will the guests have in the space hotel?
| A．They will have the same food as the astronauts have． |
| B．Many kinds of drinks are available including alcohol． |
| C．Guests can have beds that are either vertical or horizontal． |
| D．Tourists are accompanied by the astronauts from the ISS． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The space hotel is built to remind you of the International Space Station． |
| B．The hotel is constructed with big windows so that tourists can see the earth． |
| C．The company，Orbital Technologies，has already begun to build the space hotel． |
| D．In the near future，a space trip for most of the people can be realized． |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号