A
As an exchange student,I must admit (承认) that at first America was a big culture shock for me.
I stayed with a host family in a small town.My host parents organized a lot of activities in my spare time so that I wouldn't miss home or feel lonely.
However,life was hard to get used to.My main problem was with the language.I failed to understand much in the first few weeks because everyone spoke so fast.Though I managed to get used to it.I
still have problems because they used a lot of idioms (习语).
Another difference was with the food.My host family always had bread,potatoes and salad for meals.I really miss the dumplings,rice and delicious dishes from home.
School was a big shock too.They do not require students to wear uniforms,so students can wear
almost whatever they like.Some students have strange hairstyles (发型) as well.Some students even
have pink or purple hair!
﹣﹣﹣By Brad Li
My dream was to see some real snow,so during the Christmas holiday,we took our passport (护照) and flew over the Pacific to Calgary,Canada.We took a bus to a ski resort in the Canadian Rockies.As the bus climbed through the mountains,we saw the thick snow on the trees.I was dying to get
out and play with it.At last,we reached the resort and quickly jumped out of the bus.This was our
first experience with snow.We were like little children﹣﹣﹣we made snow balls,and threw them at one another.Then we check in at the hotel.
The next day,we put on our ski suits and gloves,took our skis and went outside onto the snow.Our
instructor took us to a gentle slope (斜坡),and showed us some basic skills.To be honest,the first lesson was not a great success.I kept on falling over,and I had to hold on to a rope to keep my balance (平衡).
However,the next day,I only fell over a few times,and I managed to do a few rapid runs.I felt pleased with myself,and my instructor told me I was doing much better.Although it was very cold,I spent most of my holiday skiing.I had a wonderful time.
﹣﹣﹣By Vanessa
26.Brad Li seemed to tell us that his host parents .
A. |
were very active |
B. |
were very kind |
C. |
felt lonely |
D. |
felt unhappy |
27.Which of the following shows America was a big culture shock for Brad Li?
a.People used a lot of idioms.
b.He stayed with a host family in a small town.
c.His host family always had dumplings for meals.
d.Students are not required to wear uniforms at school.
A. |
a,c |
B. |
b,d |
C. |
a,d |
D. |
b,c |
28.After landing on Calgary airport,Vanessa went to a ski resort .
A.by bus B.by train C.by ship D.by plane
29.How did Vanessa react (反应) when she saw the snow for the first time?
A. |
She was dying when she got out and played with it. |
B. |
She was afraid of death to get out and play with it. |
C. |
She wanted very much to get out and play with it. |
D. |
She was too nervous to get out and play with it. |
30.Which picture shows that Vanessa's first lesson was not a great success?
31.The best word to describe the two writers'experiences in another country is" ".
A. |
unsuccessful |
B. |
comfortable |
C. |
unforgettable |
D. |
tiring. |
"Mom!I found one!I found a rock!"
I heard those words again and again last summer as I sat by the window,which faces a park in the small town where I live.
The Kindness Rocks Project,which was started a few years ago by a mom in Massachusetts,has spread around the world.Kids,families,and people of all ages are taking part in painting rocks,hiding rocks,and finding painted rocks all over the place.Some post photos of the rocks on social media (传媒),and others simply move the rocks for someone else to find.Some take the rocks home and then replace them with new ones that they created and hid.
Nine﹣year﹣old twins Harry and Hannah DeVrieze have painted hundreds of rocks with their parents.Most evenings,the family and their small dog walk around with a wagon (运货车) full of rocks that they hide as they walk.
"It's a fun family activity," Hannah says.
"We will do it in the winter too," Hannah says.
Ben Burinsky,age nine,and his brother,Luke,age seven,were visiting relatives (亲戚) when they found their first painted rock in a park.They were so excited that they went home and painted their own rocks,then hid them for others to find.
"My boys loved finding the rock in the park,especially since it was a superhero," their mother,Judy Burinsky,says. "I love how something so small can bring a smile to my children's faces.In return,they learn the value of giving back to others."
Kadyn Kinney,age nine,and his seven﹣year﹣old brother,Jayce,have also painted many rocks.They love to hide rocks and look for rocks with their mom and dad.When their grandmother visited,they gave her painted rocks to take home and hide in the Florida town where she lives.When asked how many rocks he has painted so far,Jayce says, "Trust me!I've painted more than 30."
(1)The activity was started in .
A.New York
B.Florida
C.Massachusetts
(2)How old is Harry?
A.7.
B.9.
C.10.
(3)What does the underlined word "value" in Paragraph 8 mean?
A.价值.
B.价格.
C.代价.
(4)Jayce has painted more than rocks.
A.14
B.18
C.30
(5)What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The kind people.
B.The Kindness Rocks Project.
C.The painted rocks.
Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic(大西洋)coast.He put up a notice to want a farmhand.A short man came to see the farmer."Are you a good farmhand?"The farmer asked him. "Well,I can sleep when the wind blows."Answered the little man. Although puzzled(迷惑)by this answer,the farmer agreed that he could work on the farm.The little man worked hard around the farm,busy from morning to evening,and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind blew strongly from the sea.Jumping out of bed,the farmer rushed to the farmhand's sleeping room.He shook the little man and shouted,"Get up!A storm is coming!Tie things down before they are blown away!"
The little man turned over in bed and said firmly(坚定地),"No sir.I told you,I can sleep when the wind blows." The farmer got so mad that he wanted to kick the farmhand off at once.Instead,he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.To his surprise,he discovered that everything had been tied down.Nothing could be blown away. The farmer then understood what his farmhand meant,so he returned to his bed to also sleep when the wind blew.
When you've prepared everything well for yourself,you have nothing to fear.Can you sleep when the wind blows during your life?
76.Why did the short man come to see the farmer?
77.Was the farmer satisfied with the farmhand at first?
78.What was the farmhand doing when the wind blew one night?
79.Who tied everything down before the storm?
80.What can you learn from the farmhand?
When people discover that I work as a film and TV extra (临时演员),they always ask me the same questions: Emily, is it easy to get work? Isn't it boring? Do you get to meet famous actors? Does it pay well? My answers are pretty standard as well: Yes, sometimes, once in a while, and …kind of.The life of an extra is both more interesting and more boring than you might imagine.
Extras, who play the people in crowds,on streets,or in the background of indoors scenes,can come from all walks of life. Unlike many extras,I'm a trained actor.I do get real speaking roles,but work can be hard to come by if you're not a popular star. I' m registered(注册) with an agency that deals only with extras,so I get calls all the time.The agency explains who I'll be﹣someone in a crowd,a member of a jury, a clerk ﹣ and tells me where to go. Call time is usually bright and early, so I try to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
Sometimes being an extra is a "hurry up and wait" job. In my first extra role, I was one of a group office workers who come out of a building just as a car explodes(爆炸) in the street.We waited for hours for the scene to be shot, and then went in and out of the building about fifty times, trying to act terrified by an explosion which was not real. Then we had lunch, changed clothes, and spent the afternoons as customers in a department store.
It may sound like I don't enjoy the work, but I do. Being part of the background in a convincing(令人信服的)way is challenging,and being on a film or TV set is always fascinating.A lot of famous actors don't even notice the extras,but the ones who do make the job a lot of fun for everyone.As for the money,it's nothing compared to what the big actors make,but it pretty much pays the bills.And,as a bonus,I've beaten my high scores on all my phone games,thanks to all the time I spend sitting around,waiting for something to happen.
(1)Emily gives standard answers because .
A. she is proud of her job
B. she wants to hide her feelings
C. she thinks it's unnecessary to explain
D. they are the exact answers to the questions
(2)What does Emily think of her job?
A. Busy.
B. Enjoyable.
C. Fashionable.
D. Easy.
(3)Another way to say as a bonus would be .
A. above expectation
B. as a result
C. in general
D. after all
(4)According to the passage, .
A. the famous actors look down upon the extras
B. being an extra is always a "hurry up and wait" job
C. Emily tells the truth about being a film and TV extra
D. those who want to be film or TV extras must be trained
(5)We can infer that Emily, .
A. often pays the bills for others
B. sometimes has to get up very early
C. has beaten all the phone game players
D. was in face of danger in her first extra role
On a cold winter day in the city of Oslo,an 11﹣year﹣old boy,Johannes,was shivering(哆嗦)with his arms around himself on a bus stop bench(长凳).He wasn't wearing a coat and the temperature fell to﹣10C It was heartbreaking to see him in such a difficult situation.But the actions of the common people around him were joyous and encouraging.
A young woman who sat next to the boy noticed him and asked,"Don't you have a coat?""No,someone stole it,"he replied.She questioned him and discovered he was on a school trip and was told to meet his teacher at the bus stop.She asked him the name of his school and where he was from as she put her own coat around his shoulders.
Later,another woman gave him her scarf,and then wrapped(裹)him in her large jacket.
More and more people offered Johannes their gloves and even the coats of their backs as they waited for the bus. Johannes's difficulty was a hidden camera test by Norwegian(挪成的)charity Children's Village.It wanted to send much﹣needed Coats to help the Syrian(叙利亚的)children get through the winter.May of herefuges(难民)had left their homes without winter clothes."People should care as much about children in Syria as they care about the boy,"Synne Running,the information head of SOS Children's Village Norway,told The Local.She also said that the child was a volunteer who was never in any danger during the test.
46.The boy was sitting
A. |
at the bus stop |
B. |
on the school bus |
C. |
near the bench |
D. |
in the village |
47.The boy told the young woman his coat was .
A. |
given away |
B. |
left on the bus |
C. |
sold out |
D. |
stolen by others |
48.Many people helped the boy .
A. |
as soon as they got off the bus |
B. |
after they watched the news on TV |
C. |
while they were waiting for the bus |
D. |
when they heard the report on the radio |
49.SOS Children's Village wanted to help the .
A. |
common locals |
B. |
Syrian children |
C. |
boys without coats |
D. |
Norwegian refugees |
50.The 11﹣year﹣old boy,Johannes, .
A. |
acted in the movie for a Norwegian TV station |
B. |
wanted to take the bus home after the school trip |
C. |
volunteered to take part in the test by the charity |
D. |
took all the clothes home and sold them for money |
When Zheng He was born, he was named Ma Wenhe. He was born in Yunnan in 1371. (1) However, when the Ming Dynasty was established (建立), the army caught Ma Wenhe and took him to one of the emperor's sons, Prince Zhu Di.
Ma Wenhe served the prince well and soon he became one of the prince's closest advisors. (2) . Later the prince became the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty as the Yongle Emperor. The Yongle Emperor wanted to show other countries the greatness and power of the Ming Dynasty. (3) . He made Zheng He the leader of a fleet (舰队) and ordered him to explore (探索) the world.
On Zheng He's first trip, he traveled all the way to Calicut, India. With over 200ships and nearly 28,000men, he visited many countries along the way. His first trip lasted from 1405to1407. Zheng He and his fleet traded and made close relations at the places they visited.
Zheng He continued to sail for the Ming Dynasty over the rest of his life. He traveled to many faraway places, going all the way to the African coast and establishing trade relations with over 25countries. (4) . He also brought back diplomats (外交官) from many countries to meet with the Chinese Emperor.
A. Some of the ships were longer than a football field. B. The prince trusted him and changed his name to Zheng He. C. His father and grandfather were Muslim leaders of the Yuan Dynasty. D. He brought back all kinds of animals such as giraffes and camels. E. He also wanted to establish trade relations with other peoples of the world. |
One of my best friends went abroad to enjoy her holidays,so the job of looking after her dog Missy has been given to me.A few months ago,Missy came to my friend's house.She looked terrible.She has been abused for a long time.
When we first visited my friend and Missy,my friend had to gently pull her over on a lead (牵绳) to get her to come to us.She wanted to come but afraid to do so﹣﹣﹣the poor,beautiful thing.Clearly Missy came to the right home.My friend has given birth to a baby of his own and shows the love of a mother.This is just what Missy needs.Thanks to the love of my friend,she has changed into a new dog step by step.Sadly,she is still afraid of strange humans.I hate to imagine what the dog must have gone through.
Now,Missy trusts me completely,so I can touch her berry(肚皮).While standing,she will jump up so gently to be closer to me,putting her paws(爪子)on my legs as she looks at me with those beautiful eyes.
Missy is really brave.She has the courage to try again,to open her hearts,and to know that not everyone is the same kind of people as before.Keep it in mind that tomorrow is another day.
(1)The underlined word "abused" in the first paragraph means .
A.保护
B.喂养
C.虐待
D.挨饿
(2)The writer felt when she first saw Missy.
A.proud and relaxed
B.sorry and caring
C.afraid and angry
D.sad and disappointed
(3)The writer thought it was good for Missy to stay with her friend .
A.because her friend could offer the love of a mother to Missy
B.because her friend had more free time to take care of Missy
C.because her friend stayed long at home and felt quite lonely
D.because her friend helped Missy to accept different people
(4)The fourth paragraph mainly tells us .
A.the writer has learned the skills to communicate with Missy
B.the writer has made Missy understand and follow her orders
C.the writer has succeeded in winning the trust of Missy
D.the writer has come to realize that Missy is a beautiful dog
(5)According to the passage,what is the writer's suggestion?
A.No future in the past
B.Every dog has its day.
C.All efforts will pay off.
D.Never too late to mend.
Leon was a postman.Every day Leon would wake up and feed his 37 cats.Leon didn't really want 37 cats,but one by one they had appeared on his doorstep,and Leon had taken them in.
Every day,after feeding the cats,Leon would collect the letters from the red postboxes in the village and take it home."If only I had 37 helpers instead of 37cats,my job would be so much easier,"Leon thought.Just then,the cats started meowing for their dinner.That gave Leon an idea.That night,Leon worked late making 37cat﹣sized postal backpacks.Then,he went around to each postbox,putting up signs that read:Postbox closed!Please use the postal cat service.
The next day,Leon put a backpack on each cat and dropped off the cats around the village.Leon knew that the cats would be happy walking around all day.He also knew that they would always come home for dinner.Leon spent the day relaxing,waiting for his helpers to return.Leon was right.The cats did return,but they did not bring home many letters.Some got the letters wet.Some bit off the corners of the letters.Some even lost their backpacks.""Cats are just too unreliable(不可靠的),"Leon thought.
Just then,a strange sound came from the outside of Leon's door.A dirty dog was waiting to be invited inside.That gave Leon an idea.
(1)In Paragraph 2,Leon that night.
A.made postal backpacks
B.put up a sign on each cat
C.had dinner with the cats
D.collected letters in the village
(2)According to the last paragraph,we can infer(推断) that Leon would .
A.let the dog take a shower
B.invite the dog to dinner
C.make the dog work for him
D.walk the dog around the village
(3)From the passage we know Leon was .
A.honest
B.brave
C.strict
D.funny.
Dan's class know Dan is in the hall before they see him. He raps (说唱) when he passes in the hall. He raps when he comes into class. And he raps when he sits at his desk. He raps when he can and he raps about almost everything.
Dan joined in a rap competition at school. When Dan rapped, his friends clapped (鼓掌) for him.The kids thought his rapping was great. But could Dan win?
Dan did win! Dan got the top place! All his classmates gave him a big hand."Now Dan is a star in our school!" Mal said. Ben stood up and shook Dan's hand. "That was cool, Dan. You are
a hero!"
Miss Mills said, "Dan did win! His next step is to rap on National Rap Star on TV. We can all give Dan a big hand." The class clapped and cheered for Dan. Miss Mils smiled.
Miss Mills and his classmates were excited, but Dan threw himself onto his chair ,silent.Dan could not rap on TV. In class, Dan could not do his physics. He could not think. Dan was not a kid who got nervous a lot, but he did not wish to rap on TV. Could he be lucky again?Anyway,who wanted to lose?Dan thought perhaps he would not attend the national competition.Then he would not have to rap on TV.
Dan' s friends sensed something was going on his mind. They planned to give him some help.When Dan got to class the next day,he saw a sign on the wall. It said,"Dan,Just rap classroom!" Dan smiled."Perhaps it's not that hard to rap on TV," he thought.
(1)How do Dan's classmates know he is in the hall before they see him?
A. |
They hear him rap. |
B. |
They see a sign on the wall. |
C. |
They hear him clap hands. |
D. |
They see the things on his desk. |
(2)Why didn't Dan want to rap on TV?
A. |
He got nervous a lot. |
B. |
He was afraid to lose. |
C. |
He had to improve his physics. |
D. |
He planned to cheer for others. |
(3)What do you think happened later according to the story?
A. |
Dan hated his friends for their push. |
B. |
Dan forgot what he should rap on TV. |
C. |
Dan attended the national competition. |
D. |
Dan sopped rapping after the competition. |
Susie Sunbeam was not her real name; that was Susan Brown. But every one called her Susie Sunbeam because of her such a sweet, smiling face. (1) .
Her grandfather first gave her this name, and it seemed to fit the little girl so nicely that soon it took the place of her own.
Even when a baby, Susie laughed from morning till night. (2) .
When she had learned to walk, she loved to go about the house and get things for her mother, and in this way save her as many steps as she could. She would sit by her mother's side for an hour at a time, and ask her ever so many questions, or she would take her new book and read.
(3) She never used an unkind word, but tried to do whatever would please her playmates best.
One day, a poor little girl with a very ragged dress was going by and Susie heard some children teasing her and making fun of her. She at once ran out to the gate, and asked the poor little girl to come in. " What are you crying for? "Susie asked. " Because they all laughed at me, "she said
(4) She cheered her up with kind words, and gave her a nice dress and a pair of shoes.
This brought real joy and gladness to the poor child. (5) .
A. That's why we called her Susie Brown.
B. Susie was always pleasant in her play with other children.
C. No one ever heard her cry unless she was sick or hurt.
D. She always brought brightness with her when she came.
E. Susie liked to read books when her mother was busy in doing chores.
F. And she thought that Susie was rightly called Sunbeam.
G. Then Susie took the little girl into the house.
One evening as I was leaving the store,I noticed a man with a very old sleeping bag going through the garbage can nearby.He pulled out fast food trash bags and inspected all that was in the thrown away bags,but he never stopped anyone to beg for money or anything eles as they entered or left my store.After he went through the entire trash can,he carefully cleaned up the area and wrapped up the food he found in the dirty hamburger wrapper.My heart literally hurt for him.
I decided to help him.I got out of my car and asked him if I could buy him something to eat.He thanked and,followed me to the fast food place around the block.I bought him the biggest meal they had on the menu.He didn't ask for anything and the only request was a big glass of hot sweet tea to go with his meal.When I brought him the food,he was so thankful.He told me how much he appreciated the meal.
I wanted to give him some money.He shook his head.I asked him if I could buy a few meals and put it on a gift card for him.He agreed.
As I handed him the gife card,he broke down crying.He told me that he prayed for me today.I wasn't sure what he meant (I was guessing he was praying for me for what I did for him )so I thanked him.
"NO,I prayed that God would send someone to buy me a hot meal today …and be sent you!" Tears traced down his checks.
I didn't know what to say …I always pray over my food,but I've never prayed for a meal.I've never doubted that I wouldn't be able to eat …Tears began to fill my eyes.Oh my …how blessed am I…Maybe God used me to answer this man's prayer.
Everybody has a story though I didn't know his,but I had done what God wanted me to.God put him in my path …I knew he did.I took him to my office.
33.The man that writer saw outside his store was possibly a
A.beggar
B.homeless man
C.street cleaner
D.hamburger lover
34.Why did the man brerk down crying when he got the gift card?
A.He had finally talked to God.
B.He could have a new sleeping bag
C.He finally got what be needed.
D.He wanted to have some hot meals
35.According to the passage,what kind of person was the man?
A.A polite,careful person with few words.
B.A lonely,serious person with a trash bag
C.A nice,lonely person with a sleeping bug
D.A friendly,careful person with little money
36.What did the writer most probably do in his office?
A.He gave the man some money
B.He gave the man another big hot meal
C.He asked the man to pray for him
D.He invited the man to work in his store.
Laurence Kim Peek was born in Salt Lake City,Utah,on November 11,1951.It was clear from an early age that he was not like other children.A medical scan (扫描)showed that the two halves of his brain were not connected in the usual way.As a result,Laurence developed an amazing memory.He started to read when he was two.He used to read books and put them back on the shelf upside down to show that he had finished them.He remembered everything he had read.
He memorized quite a lot of information on subjects such as history,geography,sports,music and literature.He also had an unbelievable ability with numbers and dates.
To read more quickly,he read the left page with his left eye and the right page with his right eye.By reading the two pages at the same time,it took him less than an hour to read a whole book.By the age of 30,he had memorized around 12,000books.
However,he did not develop so well in other areas.He could not walk until he was four,and he had problems putting on his clothes and shoes.His social skills were poor,and he was extremely sensitive (敏感的) about meeting new people.In 1984,Peek and his father met Hollywood movie writer Barry Morrow.Morrow was fascinated by Peek and began to write a new play about Peek's experiences.The result was Rain Man,a movie that won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1988.This changed Peek's life.He got used to being the center of attention.He became more self﹣confident (自信的).He appeared on TV and traveled around the country with his father to develop awareness (意识) of his condition.Sadly,Peek died of a heart attack in 2009.
38.The writer tells us Peek was a man with in the first three paragraphs.
A.a weak ability
B.an amazing memory
C.a great dream
D.a common brain
39.The underlined word"This"in Paragraph 4refers to" ".
A.he couldn't walk until four
B.he met the famous movie writer
C.his social skills were poor
D.Rain Man won an Oscar for Best Picture
40.It can be learnt from the passage that .
A.Both halves of Peek's brain were not connected at all
B.Peek was weak in remembering numbers and dates
C.Peek could read books in an unusual way
D.Peek never felt comfortable with his fame
41.The best title of this passage is most probably .
A.The real"Rain Man"
B.A special experience
C.Ways of becoming famous
D.An unbelievable movie actor.
Some people seem to have unusual memories. Zheng Aiqiang, a "memory athlete" on TV show Super Brain, can remember 2, 660 numbers in just one hour!
You would think people like him must have special brains. But according to a recent study by researchers from America and Holland, the brain structure (结构) of ordinary people and 23 of the world's lending memory athletes shows no difference.
Good memories can be trained. New research in the magazine Neuron suggests that a person will get a super memory with just six weeks of hard training.
Researchers found that a technique (技巧) called loci, invented by the ancient Greeks, can greatly help improve memory.
By using loci, you are using your imagination to improve the brain's memory networks. You can link (关联) something you need to remember with a place that you know very well. For example, to remember a list of numbers, imagine yourself walking through your house. Each thing is linked to a number. For example, zero could be the handle on the door and five could be the painting on the wall.
In one study, some ordinary people were given 20 minutes to remember 72 nouns. At the beginning, they could only remember 26 words, but when they were taught loci, they could remember 62 words.
"Not everyone can become a memory winner. But everyone using the technique can improve his memory greatly," said Boris Konrad, one of the researchers in the study.
(1)From the recent study, we know that ordinary people and memory athletes have similar .
(2)To memorize a list of numbers by using loci means you are using your to link it with a you know well according to the passage.
◆(3)请根据短文内容回答问题
What does the new research in the magazine Neuron suggest?
◆(4)请用一句话概括段落大意.
Paragraph 6 tells us that
◆(5)请将文中划线句子译成汉语.
I still remember quite clearly the day when my parents got divorced (离婚).Dad kissed me goodbye and left.
For a long time Mum and I lived a peaceful life.Then one day,Jim came over for lunch wearing a blue suit with a short brown tie and a green shirt.I couldn't believe this was going to be my new stepfather.It couldn't be true that my beautiful mother would marry someone who dressed like a clown (小丑).I hated him.
Lunch was terrible.Mother kept trying to start a conversation,but neither Jim nor I would say much.Finally I offered to bring in the dessert just to get away from the clown.
Something unpleasant happened,but I didn't mean (故意)to do it.I guess the plate slipped.But one minute I was handing Jim his blackberry pie,and the next,dark purple berries were oozing (渗出)all over his shirt and tie.
I was mortified.My face turned bright red.Jim looked very much surprised at first,but then he began to laugh.I started to laugh too.Maybe this guy was all right,after all.Then I had a quick look at my mother.She looked happier than I had seen her in a long time.
34.The writer thinks Jim's clothes look .
A.nice
B.expensive
C.usual
D.funny
35.From the story we might guess that .
A.Jim didn't seem likeable at first
B.the writer liked Jim from the start
C.Jim was angry with the writer
D.Jim didn't like blackberry pie.
36.In this story the word"mortified"means .
A.happy
B.bored
C.embarrassed
D.angry
37.The best title for this story would be .
A.I Love Pie
B.My New Stepfather
C.The World's Worst Lunch
D.Mothers Shouldn't Marry.
Have you ever heard of a rattlesnake?It is a poisonous (有毒的) American snake.When it is angry or afraid,it makes a noise like a rattle with its tail.It's very scary.But Heather Ramirez and her husband,from California,in the United States,make a living in an unusual way.They are self﹣employed (自雇的) snake catchers!They catch snakes,especially rattlesnakes which have gone indoors,and return them to the wild.
Heather describes her work as"protecting people from rattlesnakes﹣and protecting rattlesnakes from people!"In the area where they live,rattlesnakes often come face to face with people.They are found in stores,offices,houses and gardens.Heather explains that it's not the snakes that are moving into places where people live,but it's the other way round.The snakes lived in these places first and then the people built houses.
Most people who see a rattlesnake are feared.If you keep your distance,however,the snake won't bite (咬) you.In twelve years as a snake catcher,Heather has never touched a snake.She doesn't take the risk.She picks up the snakes with a special tool.This doesn't hurt them,but it keeps them at a safe distance so that they can't bite her.
Heather and her husband are very busy because they are never off duty.Catching snakes is a full﹣time job and they don't often have a day off.People can get to them at any time of the day or night.Not everyone can do this job,but Heather doesn't want to do anything else."I just love my job,"she says.
(1)The Ramirezs make a living in an unusual way by .
A.catching and selling snakes
B.catching snakes as a part﹣time job
C.protecting snakes in the wild
D.being self﹣employed snake catchers
(2)In Paragraph 2,Heather explains why the rattlesnakes .
A.never bite people
B.are afraid of people
C.are found where people live
D.lived with people at first
(3)The underlined word"them"in Paragraph 3refers to .
A.rattlesnakes
B.special tools
C.people around
D.the Ramirezs
(4)Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Heather catches snakes only at night.
B.Heather is always ready to do her job.
C.Heather risks touching snakes sometimes.
D.Heather has been a snake catcher for 20years.