Last week, my granddaughter started primary school. And I wished her every success. But part of me didn’t. I really wanted her to fail in some ways because I believe that failure can be good for us to grow up. Success is that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time. First –time success is usually a luck. First-time failure, in fact, is supposed to be the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn.
I make my living by writing articles for a daily newspaper. Each week I thought that the article that I write would be the worst. I try my best every day. A successful article usually means that I am discussing the subjects I know well, writing in the way I am used to or saying the same things as anyone else but in an excellent way.
My younger daughter is a trapeze artist荡秋千演员.she spent three years putting together a show, and she did it successfully for years. There was no reason for her to change it but she did anyway. She was afraid to be bored. She met failure when she tried some new ways in her show. But she did his only in order to feed her soul心灵。
My granddaughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to comfort her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do better next time. I hope I can tell her, though, that it’s not the end of the world. With luck, it is the beginning. why id the writher want his granddaughter to fail?
| A．success is boring though it can bring us something good |
| B．she would learn more form failure |
| C．it’s impossible to do everything successfully |
| D．he wanted her to be strong enough to face failure |
the writer talked about his own experience to show that___
| A．we cannot depend on luck to live a good life |
| B．we should try every possible way to avoid failure |
| C．past failures made him afraid of writing more |
| D．the thought of failure will make you work even harder |
the underlined word “comfort” in the last paragraph probably means___
| A．表扬 | B．磨炼 | C．安慰 | D．批评 |
the writer develop the article mainly by ___
| A．giving examples |
| B．following the time order |
| C．comparing different ideas |
| D．presenting the reasons of failure |
You may laugh when you see dog owners talk to their pets as though they were human. Although dogs cannot speak a human language, they seem to understand how you feel. Sounds strange? Now scientists have found that dog and human brains deal with sound and emotion情感in a similar way. This may help to explain the language problem.
To compare human and dog brains, a scientist called Attila Antics and his team tested 11dogs and 22 humans. Both group listened to almost 200 dogs and human sounds. From crying to laughter and playful barking吠. At the same time, the team scanned扫描both group’s brain activity.
The scientists found that a similar part in both brains was activated激活when animals ad people heard human voices and emotional sounds, such as crying and laughter. Also, emotional dog voices, such as angry barking also caused a similar action from human and dog volunteers.
We know very well that dogs are good at tuning和..协调into the feeling of their owners, and we know a good dog owner can find emotional changes in their dog. But we now begin to understand that this similarity may help to explain this can be. we can know from the first paragraph that ___
| A．god owners can speak a dog language |
| B．dogs can speak a human language |
| C．dog owners can explain the language problem |
| D．dogs seem to understand how people feel |
while the dog and human volunteers listened to different sounds. Andics and his team____
| A．watched their actions | B．scanned their brains |
| C．recorded their sounds | D．activated their brains |
according to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．the brains of dogs and humans deals with sounds and emotions in a similar way |
| B．only human voices can activate a certain part of the brain |
| C．pets are good at tuning into the feeling of their owners |
| D．dog owners can’t pay attention to the emotional changes in their dogs |
what is probably the best title for this passage?
| A．dogs, friends of human | B．dogs feel human emotions |
| C．human and dog brains | D．a new research on dogs |
There are some very good inventions which, for one reason or another, don’t become popular. These inventions should be better known, even though I think that some of them are crazy. Let’s have a look at some of these inventions and see if you agree that they should be more successful.
The Australians had a great idea to stop people from drinking and driving. The idea was that if a driver wanted to start the car, she or he would have to blow into a bag first. If there was too much alcohol(酒精) in their breath, the car wouldn’t start. It sounded like a great idea to me, but people said that they might need to drive the car in an emergency even if they had drunk too much alcohol. Another idea I liked was an invention by a scientist who thought his children watched too much TV. He linked the TV to an exercise bike so that the electricity to power the TV was generated(产出) by the bike. If the children wanted to watch a lot of TV, they had to pedal(踩踏板) very hard. I found another invention on the Internet which was intended (倾向于) to encourage good habits. Believe it or not, this invention was an ashtray(烟灰缸) which spoke to you when you lit a cigarette! The “voice” of the ashtray was activated (启动) by the heat from the cigarette and reminded you how dangerous it is to smoke.
One of the strangest inventions I have come across is a bicycle which can cross rivers! The idea was that when you came to a river, you could inflate a huge plastic ball all around the bike. You would then get into the ball which would float on the river while you pedaled the bike inside the ball! Why not use a bridge instead? A friend of mine at school once bought a strange pair of football shoes. On the bottom of the shoes there was a rotating pad of studs (转动钉垫). The idea was that you would change direction more quickly if the studs rotated with you. The problem was that every time you stopped you changed direction whether you wanted to or not! I think he wore those shoes twice! One thing I would like is a baseball cap with a built-in radio so you can listen to sport all day with your hands free. While we are on the subject of sport, the Americans invented a kind of robot for sports fans. If you were watching your team on TV on your own, you could press a button and the robot would do “high fives” with you! Fantastic! I wonder if you have any good ideas for inventions like these.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the inventions mentioned in Paragraph 2?
| A．The writer regrets he knew nothing about the inventions. |
| B．The writer doubts if the inventions will be popular soon. |
| C．The writer thinks people will benefit from the inventions. |
| D．The writer finds these inventions are the strangest of all. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The father used his invention to stop children watching too much TV. |
| B．It was very bad for the drivers to blow into a bag before their driving. |
| C．The bike crossing rivers was considered one of the best inventions. |
| D．The invention of new shoes would make players run much faster. |
The underlined word “inflate” in the third paragraph means __________.
| A．check out | B．blow up |
| C．look into | D．turn over |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Popular Inventions Today. |
| B．Technology and Invention. |
| C．The History of Invention. |
| D．Inventions with a Difference. |
Are you aged between 14 and 19 years old? Do you care about the environment around you? Would you please help make the area you live in cleaner and safer?
If your answers are “yes”, “yes” and “yes”, then read on! You may be surprised to hear that you can actually (事实上) get money for improving your community (社区).
The “Big Lottery” is giving money to groups of teenagers who want to become active citizens(公民). We have ￡80,000 to give away. We’re looking for young people to take part in schemes (规划) and projects near to the places they live in.
Here are some easy things you could do to get started:
Meeting the neighbors
Everybody needs good neighbors. Knock on people’s doors and find out what they need to improve in your areas. Set a date for a meeting and then make some plans together. If you don’t want to go around to their houses, you could always put a note through their doors.
Neighborhood watch
Neighborhood watch schemes are very popular in the UK. If you go away on holiday and leave your house, it’s very nice to know that a neighbor is keeping an eye on it. You could set one up easily and quickly.
Lending a hand
There are elderly people living in the neighborhood who may not be able to do the things that you can. Offer to do their shopping once a week, look after their gardens or walk their dogs!
No littering
Nobody likes picking up rubbish, but a clean street can make all the difference. Take it in turns to go out once or twice a week and see what you can find. You never know, one day you might find something valuable!
Recycling
Nearly two-thirds of your rubbish can be recycled. Some areas already provide places for people to recycle bottles, tins, plastic and paper. Find out if this is done in your neighborhood. If it is not, do something about it.
So go on…help make your neighborhood “street ahead”. Just tell us what kind of project you want to get involved in. Then we’ll send you more details. Take positive (积极的) action and help make your neighborhood a better place to live in! What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Why we should care about the elderly people in our community. |
| B．What we can do to improve the environment of our community. |
| C．How we can recycle daily rubbish properly in our community. |
| D．When we should get the neighbors together to meet their needs. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer doesn’t agree to work for the “street ahead”. |
| B．Teenagers aged from 14 to 19 are not allowed to join in. |
| C．It is hard to find a neighbor to watch your house in the UK. |
| D．We will get money if we give any help in our community. |
What can you infer from the passage?
| A．The center for elderly people will be larger. |
| B．The writer is a member of the “Big Lottery”. |
| C．Communities will take the place of schools. |
| D．The writer is the manager of the community. |
Christopher’s mother now is sitting proudly and watching TV as Christopher is given the “Child of Courage” prize by his favorite TV star. This makes her remember the accident happened to them.
Christopher was sitting in the car with his mother, father, sister Rosie, 10, and brother Mac, 7, when his father drove onto a metal barrier(障碍物). Unluckily, the car fell down from a hill into a deep river. Christopher, then 12, swam through a broken window and got out for the fresh air. Then he realized his brother and sister were still in the car.
Christopher took a deep breath and swam back into the car. He saved Mac first, then he swam back to look for Rosie, who was under the cold, dark water, in the car. Christopher had to feel for her seatbelt because he couldn’t see anything in the water. He took the seatbelt off her, and went up for air. Finally he went back to pull her out of the car.
Christopher’s mother and father were thrown out before the car rolled down the hill. When his mother came back to her life, she looked for her children hurriedly. She could see Mac on the bank, but she couldn’t find the other ones. She was so worried. Then she saw Christopher come up out of the water like a dolphin with Rosie on his shoulder. She shouted excitedly to Christopher down to the river, “I’m so proud of you.”
The family called for an ambulance (救护车). It took Christopher’s father who was badly hurt to a nearby hospital immediately.What is Christopher’s mother watching on TV?
| A．Christopher is accepting a prize. |
| B．Rosie is singing with a TV star. |
| C．Mac is taking part in a TV show. |
| D．Her husband is lying in hospital. |
What happened to Christopher’s family?
| A．They got lost on their way to a wild park. |
| B．Their car fell down from a hill into the river. |
| C．A man broke into their car and drove it away. |
| D．Their car broke down and caught a big fire. |
How do you feel about Christopher?
| A．Brave. | B．Careful. | C．Polite. | D．Humorous. |
| Melissa is a reporter from a health center. Now she is talking to Mark while he is eating his lunch in the dining hall of Sun Flower School. |
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| Name: Mark |
Age: 13 |
Grade: 8 |
Class: Four |
| Q1: Why do you eat lunch at school? My mother is a nurse. She often goes to the work very early and doesn’t have time to make me a packed lunch. But she makes sure I eat a healthy dinner. |
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| Q2: What do you eat for your lunch today? The cooks make different things today. I choose noodles, an apple, a cookie and a glass of milk. |
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| Q3: Do you always drink milk? It’s not my favorite. I like juice best, but they haven’t got any juice today. |
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| Q4: What do you often have? I often have a cookie. It isn’t healthy, but it is my favorite. |
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| Q5: Do you usually eat an apple? No, I don’t like it. Sometimes I give my apple to my friend Sam. Sam gives me some chocolate for the apple. |
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| Q6: Does Sam like chocolate? Yes, but he likes apples too. His mother gives him lots of chocolate! |
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| Reported by Melissa March 25, 2014 |
What does Mark have for his lunch today?
| A．Chocolate. | B．Oranges. | C．Noodles. | D．Juice. |
Where are they talking now?
| A．In physics lab. | B．On the playground. |
| C．At the library. | D．In school dining hall. |
What does Melissa want to know from her questions?
| A．The arts festival. | B．The parents’ meeting. |
| C．The school meals. | D．The school website |
Knowing about yourself means not only that you find out what you’re good at and what you like, it also means discovering what you’re not good at and what you don’t like. Both help you to see your aim(目标)in life.
Although most students would be unhappy if they found that they had failed a very difficult physics course, they have in fact learned a lot about themselves. They know that they should not become engineers or physical scientists. .If he or she draws something out of the failing. They may then decide on their aim and choose the kind of work they would be fit for and they would like to do.
It is impossible to decide whether or not you like something until you have tried it. If you decide that you would like to play the piano, you need to take more than one lesson before you can know whether you are really interested in it or you are able to do well.
It is not enough to want to be a great pianist. You also have to like the hard practice and long training before you become one. If you would enjoy being a great pianist but hate the work, forget it.
It’s a good plan to try as many ideas as possible when you are still young. And then you will be able to find out what your true interests are. If you say you really know yourself,________.
| A．you know what you are good at |
| B．you have got the whole picture of yourself |
| C．you keep in mind your aim in life |
| D．you have less you don’t like than what you like |
The writer suggests________.
| A．failure is a better mirror |
| B．advanced math courses help you to know yourselves. |
| C．success is more helpful |
| D．when one is unhappy he gets to know himself better |
Failing can turn into something good________.
| A．if you have aim in life and get the job you wish to have |
| B．if you lead a happier life |
| C．if your decision is right |
| D．if you learn something from it |
The example of “playing the piano” in Paragraph 3 and 4 implies(意味)that________.
| A．if you don’t like music,don’t practice the piano |
| B．it takes more than one lesson to learn to play the piano |
| C．you can decide only after you have tried |
| D．you can become a great pianist only after hard and long training |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You have enough time before you come to a wise decision. |
| B．The more experiences you have,the better decision you will make. |
| C．Test ideas,compare and then decide. |
| D．People always make hasty(匆匆的)decisions. |
Molly Jackson was a happy little girl. She lived with her parents. Her parents loved her very much. Every morning, Mrs. Jackson would get up early to make breakfast. She also made lunch for Mr. Jackson. Then it was Molly's job to put her father's lunch box into a lunch bag. And she would give the lunch bag to her father.
One day, Molly gave two lunch bags to her father. "Why do you give me two bags, Molly?" asked Mr. Jackson.
"There is something else in the other bag," Molly answered.
"What's in it?" Mr. Jackson kept asking. "I can't tell you now. Just open it after your lunch," said Molly.
Time passed quickly, it was lunch time. Mr. Jackson opened his lunch bag and started to eat. Then he saw the other bag from Molly. So he opened this special bag.
In this bag, Mr. Jackson found some toys. There were some small model cars and pictures in the bag. And Mr. Jackson found a note(便条) at the bottom(底部) of the bag. It wrote, "Dad, here are some of my toys. You can play them in your free time and have a rest. I love you, dad." Who makes breakfast in Molly's family?
| A．Molly. | B．Molly's father. |
| C．Molly's mother. | D．We don't know. |
When did Mr. Jackson open the other bag?
| A．Before the lunch. | B．During the lunch. |
| C．After the lunch. | D．After the breakfast. |
We can't see in the other bag.
| A．a note | B．model cars | C．pictures | D．books |
Molly put her toys in the bag because she wanted her father to .
| A．sell them | B．play them |
| C．throw(扔) them away | D．mend them |
Mr. and Mrs. Green lived in a big city, and one summer they went to the country（农村）for their holiday. They enjoyed it very much, because it was a quiet, clean place.
One day they went for a walk early in the morning and met an old man. He lived on a farm, and he was sitting in the warm sun in front of his house. Mr. Green asked him, “Do you like to live in this quiet place?”
The old man said, “Yes, I do,” Mr. Green said, “What are the good things about it?”
The old man answered, “Well, the people here know each other. They often come and visit me, and I often go and visit them. And there are also lots of children here.”
Mr. Green said, “That’s interesting. And what are the bad things?”
The old man thought and thought and then said, “Well, the same things, are they?”Mr. and Mrs. Green _______ the country very much, because it was a quiet clean place.
| A．liked | B．like | C．lived | D．live |
One day they _____ for a walk early in the morning.
| A．went to | B．went out | C．went up | D．went down |
The old man ________ enjoyed the country.
| A．too | B．very | C．also | D．much |
The people in the country are very ________.
| A．friend | B．friendly | C．clever | D．careful |
The old man thought _______ and then said, “Well, the same things, are they?”
| A．quickly | B．quietly | C．hard | D．Soon |
Sam is a 9-year-old dog. He has a : painting. The hobby not only makes him famous, but also makes him .
Sam has drawn 22 paintings. of them are abstract (抽象派的). He likes to start with darker colors moving on to lighter ones.
Sam’s paintings are in the US. Some of them sell for $1,700. A woman even bought one a birthday gift for her dog.
“He loves painting and always paints for hours,” said Sam’s owner, Mary.
Sam was once a rescue (搜救) dog. One day, Mary wanted to teach him .
“I dolphins paint and elephants paint , so I thought that maybe my dog could paint, too,” said Mary.
She is right. Now Sam is one of the world’s animal artists. People call him “Da Vinci in the dog world”.
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