"I am a selfish child.
I hope the sunshine lies only upon me, so I can feel its warmth.
I am a selfish child.
I hope there is a corner of the world that can comfortable for me when I am sad,
I am a selfish child.
I hope my mom belongs only to me, so I can enjoy the sweetness of love. "
This poem was written by a middle school student in a lonely mountains town in Yunnan Province during her first poetry class. The girl missed her mother, who died when she was 5.
Kang Yu, the teacher who taught the girl how to write the poem, graduated from Renmin University of China in Beijing in 2015.Soon after her gradation,Kang moved to a town in Yunnan,and worked as a teacher at a middle school there.
Kang said, "Compared with students in the city, perhaps students in the countryside need a way to express their feelings and be heard more." Supported by the headmaster and other teachers,the school held eight poetry classes for students every year.
As the classes grew in popularity, Kang became the school's favourite teacher. After she finished her
teaching at the school in June 2017, she returned m Beijing and planned to study abroad.
However, on Teachers' Day in 2017, Kang received a big box full of poems and Letters written by students at her old school. She felt she was needed and decided to abandon her plan of studying abroad. Instead, she set up Enlighten our Future. a charity that reaches students in the countryside how to write poems.
"Now, I go to several places every week I sleep less than six hours a night and the job provides no vacations and little money, but the happiness and satisfaction I feel is rewarding enough." Kang said.
(1)What's the poem about at the beginning of the passage?
A. A world which is full or love.
B. A mother who misses her child.
C.A child who is in need of mother's love.
D. A child who can feel the sun's warmth
(2)What's the meaning of the underlined word " abandon " ?
A. work out
B. carry out
C. give up
D. make up\
(3)Which of the Following information is TRUE according m the passage?
A. Kang ever worked at a school named Enlighten our Future.
B. The school held eight poetry classes for students every term.
C. Kang said she was doing a well﹣paid job and had some vacations.
D. Before Kang set up the charity, she taught in Yunnan for about two years.
阅读理解
My father was a cemetery(公墓)keeper.When I was a child,he often took me there.Before we left each time,he would lay some stones on some graves(坟墓).I never asked why.I just thought that was his work.
Yesterday, I visited my sick father. He asked me to go to the cemetery and lay some stones. For some reason, it had to be done that day. I agreed. I hadn't been there for a long time.
When I got there, I found a woman in front of one of the graves I would lay a stone on.As I went to lay it, I heard her whisper" Thank you". It was then that I noticed the date of death on the grave was that same day. The grave was that of a child, only five when he died fifteen years ago.
" He's my son, "she said. " But, where's your father? He was always the one to leave the stone."
I told her that my father was ill but he asked me to do this. It seemed important to him."Your father's kindness means more to me than anything else. When my child died, I came often to see him. It is our custom to leave a stone. It tells the one who is here that he is thought of. But, then we moved away from here.. so many painful memories.. I was so afraid that he would be alone. But your father marked the grave every time he came. Each time I returned here, I saw that stone and it always comforted me. Your father is the kind of man who would ease the pain of a mother's heart though we are strangers. Just tell him you saw me today, won't you?" She said.
It took me a minute to find my voice. That small stone marked the grave of a child and the heart of his mother.
(1)The underlined phrase" some reason" in Paragraph 2 refers to(指代) .
A. the writer had been away from the cemetery for a long time
B. the woman's child died on that day fifteen years ago
C. the writer's father was always the one to leave the stone
D. the writer's father would meet the woman that day
(2).What does the underlined word "ease"in Paragraph 5 mean?
A. Increase
B. Cause
C. Reduce
D. Express.
(3)According to the passage, we can infer(推断) .
A. the writer understood his father in the end
B. laying stones was part of a cemetery keepers work
C. the woman knew the writers father well fifteen years ago
D. the stone marked the grave of a child and the heart of his mother
(4)What's the best title of the passage?
A. A Strange Custom
B. One Small Stone, Unforgotten
C. A Cemetery Keeper
D. Painful Memories, Unforgotten
Mr Scott talked about colours all the time. "What a honey﹣yellow morning it is!" he said to his wife. His wife planted fruit and vegetables in their garden, but Mr Scott was more interested in the leafy plants, the bushes, and even the grass that grew in the garden. "So many kinds of green," he said to her after watering all the plants. "I counted at least twenty shades of green!"
"Well done, dear," Mrs Scott said. " Now would you please count twenty dollars and go to the supermarket for some ingredients(配料)?I want to make lunch! "
With a smile on his face, Mr Scott left at once. He enjoyed trips to the supermarket because of all the colourful cans and boxes in it. Fruit and vegetables, too, shone in their bright skins. There was never just one colour: carrots were orange, but also had bits of yellow and brown in them. Bananas were yellow and black; apples hid oranges and purples inside their reds. Mr Scott would walk through the supermarket and enjoy all the colours around him.
"I wish there was a store full of colours that I could spend all my time in, " he sighed.
He bought everything on his wife's list and came home. When he walked into the house, Mrs Scott noticed the sad look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him. "It looks life you had fun at the store. I can see that you picked out the best things."
"I did have fun in the store. So much that I wish I could have spent more time there. It's so full of colours! " Mr Scott said.
"I see, " Mrs Scott said. "Well, cheer up, because I'm going to cook a nice lunch for us!"
The next day Mr Scott was on his usual morning walk through the neighbourhood, saying hello to everyone, enjoying the colours of the trees and flowers. It was another day of colours!
"Good morning, Mr Brown," he called out to one of his neighbours. He liked Mr Brown very much, because, well, you guessed it: his name was a colour!
"Mr Scott! Just the person I wanted to see!" Mr Brown replied. "My wife and I are moving out of this town, and I need someone to take over my shop. You are the perfect person for the job because it's a paint shop! I need someone who knows its colours. Would you be interested?"
Mr Scott was mad with excitement. "I will take it over right away!"
Mr Brown was relieved when he left town, because he knew his paint shop was in good hands. Sure enough, Mr Scott kept the paint shop open for twenty more years and got to talk about colours all day, every day.
(1)Why did Mr Scott come home from the supermarket sadly?
A. He hated shopping in the supermarket.
B. He didn't enjoy the colours in the supermarket.
C. He didn't have enough money to buy everything on his wife's list.
D. He liked the colours in the supermarket so much that he didn't want to leave.
(2)Why did Mr Scott like Mr Brown very much?
A. They were neighbours.
B. Mr Brown had a paint shop.
C. They shared the same hobby.
D. Mr Brown's name was a colour.
(3)What does the underlined word "relieved" mean?
A. 宽慰
B. 不舍
C. 犹豫
D. 烦恼
(4)What's the best title for this passage?
A. A colourful paint shop
B. A colour lover
C. A friendly neighbour
D. A happy couple
Hi, guys! Last week I read a book called Rabbits in Australia. Rabbits look cute, but when they enter in large numbers, it's a problem. In Australia, rabbits have crowded into the land. They eat the plants that farmers grow. They eat the plants other animals need to eat, so other animals find it hard to live. |
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These days I'm reading Moby Dick. It's considered to be the "Great American Novel", or one of the greatest novels of all time. "The story takes place on a whaling ship that sails the seas to find Moby Lick, a very large whale. |
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Well, 1 love detective stories. Last month I read The Stolen Letter. The writer brings me into the story of his characters' lives. He also introduces a sense of mystery in the story. It keeps me interested until the very end of the story. |
(1)What are Amy, Daniel and Simon talking about?
A. Listening.
B. Speaking.
C. Reading.
D. Writing.
(2)The rabbits in the book Rabbits in Australia .
A. are very cute
B. are in small numbers
C. cause a problem
D. find it hard to live in Australia
(3)What type of book is Moby Dick?
A. Science.
B. Novel.
C. Detective story.
D. Travel.
(4)What do we know about the book The Stolen Letter?
A. It's set in Australia.
B. It's about the writer's life.
C. Its story happens on a ship.
D. There's a sense of mystery in it.
Garrison had been treasuring his last piece. All he had left now was a sheet of the beautiful brown paper Pa had brought back from his last sailing trip.
"You've been quiet, " Pa said, "Could I see your picture? "
Garrison handed over his sketch. Pa studied it, then looked at his son. "You're ten now, eh? " Garrison nodded, hoping Pa wouldn't say that he was too old to be fooling around with pencils and paper.
"When I was ten, I wanted to work on my father's ship, " Pa said, "When Thomas was ten, he asked me to let him plant the corn. "
Garrison's throat (嗓子) tightened. "I know I'm not like either of you. " Pa looked at the drawing again.
"No, you are like both of us. You work hard, like Thomas. And you're like me, too. I have wandering feet, but you have a wandering mind. We need to see things differently.
Garrison frowned. "I'd rather love the land, like Thomas, or the sea…"
Pa patted his hand. "Thomas cares about our family very much﹣that's why he's worked so hard to bring us food. And my love for the sea makes good money. But there's more in life than food and money. There's happiness, for one. Does it make you happy to draw? "
Garrison nodded.
"And it makes me happy to look at your drawings. Not many folks can catch happiness on a piece of paper. Some might say drawing's a waste of time, but they don't understand how things are. Why, asking you to stop drawing like asking Thomas to stop farming, or me to stop going to sea. It would be like asking us to stop breathing, wouldn't it? "
Garrison considered this, then replied, "No, sir. Not quite like breathing. If I couldn't draw any more, it would be…like someone took away my voice. " He hung his head. In his mind he could hear Thomas laughing, "It's not like you ever speak up, anyway. "
But Pa patted his shoulder and said, "That would be a pure shame. Your voice is important, Garrison, whether it's out loud or on paper. And speaking of paper…" Pa smiled. "Take a look in my bag. "
Garrison reached into the bag and found a sketchbook. For a moment he was speechless happiness seemed to fill his body and stick in his throat. Then he managed to find his voice. "Oh, Pa﹣thank you. "
(1)Why did Garrison's throat tighten?
A. Because he felt thirsty.
B. Because he felt very scared.
C. Because he knew he was not like Pa or Thomas.
D. Because he thought Pa would stop him drawing.
(2)When Garrison frowned, he most probably felt .
A. unhappy
B. worried
C. afraid
D. ashamed
(3)What can we infer from the passage about Garrison?
A. He lived in a big wealthy family.
B. He was his father's favourite son.
C. He would go on with his drawing.
D. He would learn to work on the farm.
(1)The pictures above are .
A. a news report
B. a comic strip
C. a poster
D. a notice
(2)What are the kids mainly talking about?
A. The direction.
B. The seasons.
C. The map.
D. The leaves.
(3)In the pictures, it is now most probably .
A. spring
B. summer
C. autumn
D. winter
"Why do I live? Why do I wish for anything, or do anything? Is there anything in my life that will not be destroyed by my death?" Like Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian writer, many people ask these difficult questions. Tolstoy spent his whole life trying to answer these difficult questions.
As a young man, he thought people could achieve perfection if they tried hard enough. So he worked very hard to be the best in everything. He thought that he would find meaning and truth in success.
In 1850s. Tolstoy wrote his first stories. He wrote about his life in the army. He also told stories about his childhood. These works were published and Tolstoy became a well﹣known writer.
He earned the respect he always wanted. Many rich and smart men met and talked with Tolstoy. Some of them were writers like him. They talked a lot about faith ( 信仰) and the meaning of life. But soon Tolstoy recognized that these men were not perfect. Now he knew they could not answer his questions about faith.
So in the 1860s, Tolstoy tried a different way to find the meaning of life. He opened a school for the children of his serfs﹣the people who worked on his land. These workers were very poor. He wanted to help them because he thought they were more honest than the rich people he knew.
Tolstoy learned a lot from his workers. He understood how they worked hard to support their
families. He began to believe that marriage and family would give his life meaning. So in 1862, Leo Tolstoy married a young woman named Sonya Behrs.
The next 15 years were the best years of Tolstoy's life. It was during this time that he wrote his most famous books﹣War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Many experts say that War and Peace is one of the greatest books ever written. In these books, Tolstoy believed humans should live a simple life and take care of their families. Tolstoy thought this would satisfy him and bring him happiness.
Leo Tolstoy is still a very respected writer today. His faith and writings have influenced many
people all over the world.
(1)Which is the correct order of the following events?
①Tolstoy served in the army.②Tolstoy got married.
③Tolstoy wrote War and Peace.④Tolstoy opened a school.
⑤Tolstoy became a well﹣known writer.
A.①⑤③②④
B.⑤①③②④
C.①⑤④②③
D.⑤④①③②
(2)Why did Tolstoy want to be the best in everything when he was young?
A. To prepare for his books.
B. To achieve perfection.
C. To make a lot of money.
D. To show his wisdom.
(3)Tolstoy thought he would learn a lot from his workers because they were .
A. poor
B. honest
C. friendly
D. patient
(4)According to the passage, which of the following is the most important to Tolstoy?
A. Family.
B. Success.
C. Wealth.
D. Fame ( 名声).
(5)What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Leo Tolstoy: Living for writing.
B. Leo Tolstoy: Influencing the world.
C. Leo Tolstoy: Being the best in everything.
D. Leo Tolstoy: Searching for the meaning of life.
After learning about these famous women, you will know you can do a lot for society, and make a difference to the world in your lifetime.
Amelia Earhart(1897﹣1937 ) Amelia Earhart was the first woman who ever flew alone across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying from Hawaii to California. She began her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937. However, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again. |
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Helena Rubinstein (1870﹣1965 ) Helena Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1902 without the ability to speak English. Later, she set up one of the world's first cosmetic ( 化妆品) companies after mixing lanolin, which is an oil山at comes from sheep's wool, with flowers. Because of that, she became the world's richest woman at that time. |
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Katharine Hepburn (1907﹣2003 ) Katharine Hepburn was known for playing strong﹣willed women in her films. She won four Academy Awards(奥斯卡金像奖) for Best Actress, the most an actress has ever won. Her new dress style made wearing trousers acceptable to women, which wasn't allowed at that time. |
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Emmeline Pankhurst (1858﹣1928) Emmeline was a great woman activist. She helped British women get the right to vote. She fought for the rights of women all the time with the help of her husband in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After she lost her husband, she worked together with her three daughters and formed The Women Social and Political Union. |
(1)According to the passage, which word can best describe Amelia tarhart?
A. Brave.
B. Careful.
C. Lucky.
D. Energetic.
(2)What was the problem for Helena Rubinstein when she moved to Australia?
A. She didn't have any money.
B. She couldn't speak English.
C. She knew nothing about business.
D. She didn't know how to dress up.
(3)How many times did Katharine Hepburn win Academy Awards for Best Actress?
A. Once.
B. Twice.
C. Three times.
D. Four times.
(4)What did Emmeline Pankhurst fight for during her lifetime?
A. Her dream to be a pilot.
B. Women's rights in the UK.
C. Women's rights in the USA.
D. Her dream to be an actress.
(5)What do the four women above have in common?
A. A creative mind.
B. A warm heart.
C. A pioneer spirit.
D. A good education.
We never forget when Perronet came to us. It was on a spring afternoon.We never knew who drowned Perronet, but David pulled him out of the water and saved his life. People sometimes asked us what kind of dog he was, but we never knew, except that he was the nicest possible kind. Mother said we could not afford him because of the tax (税)and his keep. The tax was five shillings (先令), but it was nearly a year before the time when it must be paid.At last, we decided that all three of us would give up sugar toward saving the cost of his keep. It was the hardest for David because he was fond of sweet things, but then, he was fond of Perronet. So we all gave up sugar, and Perronet was allowed to remain.
We were very happy that summer. The boys were especially happy. The only thing that vexed me was Perronet's tax money, for months and months went on and we didn't save it. One day, I found David alone with Perronet in his arms. He was crying, and feeding Perronet with cake. I can't bear to see boys cry. I begged of David to stop, and told him I should certainly think of something.
One day. we were all in school. The schoolmaster told us that there was to be a flower show for the school children this year, and that an old gentleman would give prizes to the best arranged wild flowers. There was to be a first prize of five shillings, and a second prize of a half crown, for the best collection of wild flowers, with their names upon them. I squeezed (挤)David's arm, and whispered, "Five shillings!"
I thought I could never get my lessons that day, for all day I was thinking about Perronet's tax money. At night, I said to them, "Look here! I'll make a collection of flowers. You two can make a collection of mosses (苔藓). There are ten kinds of mosses by the river, and we have names of our own for them. "The boys agreed. Richard made me a box. We put wet sand at the bottom, then feather moss, and into that I stuck the flowers. I got all the flowers and all the grasses ready and printed the names on pieces of cardboard, to stick in with them. I did not like it when it was done,but Richard praised it and that cheered me.I thought their mosses were beautiful.
The day of the flower show was very hot. When we reached the tent, it was filled with grown﹣up people. It was very hard work getting about and trying to see the stands with flowers.We kept seeing tickets with "First Prize"and" Second Prize". It made me feel sick with heat and anxiety, to think of them. We had walked slowly all round the tent. We had seen all the cucumbers, onions, lettuce, grapes, long potatoes, round potatoes, and everything else. At last we saw my collection! It had a big label on it, marked "First Prize", and next to it came the boys' moss, marked " Second Prize". We cried " Perronet is paid for!"
(1)The meaning of the underlined word"vexed " is close to" ".
A.surprised
B.worried
C.pleased
D.attracted
(2)Which of the following is the correct order according to the story?
a. The three children decided to give up sugar.
b. The boys won the second prize in the flower show.
c. The writer made a collection of wild flowers.
d. The headmaster told the children about the show.
e. Mother allowed the children to keep Perronet.
A. a﹣d﹣c﹣b﹣e
B. a﹣e﹣d﹣c﹣b
C. e﹣a﹣d﹣c﹣b
D. e﹣a﹣d﹣b﹣c
(3)The last paragraph tells us that .
A. the writer was sure she would win the prize in the show
B. other children's collections were made of vegetables
C. many school children won prizes in the flower show
D. the children walked slowly to enjoy the collections
(4)From the passage, we know that .
A. the children had to save some money if they wanted to keep Perronet
B. the old gentleman wanted to help the children save money for Perronet
C. the children saved money by giving up sugar to pay the tax money
D. David was once seen crying because he couldn't eat cake any longer
A young lady was driving a family car home with her father when they were caught in a heavy storm. The young lady was a little afraid and asked her father. "What should I do, stop or keep driving? "
Her father said, "Keep driving. "
After driving a few kilometers, the storm was becoming heavier and heavier. The young lady noticed that some cars and big transport trucks were pulling over(靠边停)to the side of the road. The young lady asked her father again if they should stop. But her father said nothing. So, she had to keep on driving.
Ten minutes later, the storm started to become small and she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of kilometers, she drove out of the storm. Moreover. the sun came out and the road ahead was dry.
Her father told her to stop and get out of the car.
"But why now, Father? " she asked in surprise.
Her father said, "When you get out, you can look back at all the people in cars and big trucks that gave up and they are still in the storm. Now, your storm is over because you didn't give up.
Don't give up, even if the stronger do. If you keep going, soon your "personal storms" will be over. The sun will shine on you again and the road ahead will be dry and clear.
根据上面短文的内容回答问题(每个小题答案不超过6个单词)
(1)Who did the young lady drive home with?
(2)Where did some cars and big transport trucks pull over?
(3)What did her father say when the daughter wanted to stop the car again?
(4)Did the young lady drive out of the storm at last?
(5)What can you learn from the passage?
Maria Keller is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. When she was 8years old, she already loved reading. (1)She also noticed that some of her classmates didn't read as much as she did. When she asked her mother why that could be, her mother said that they might not be able to afford books. Maria had never thought of this. She could not believe that some children might not have bedtime stories read to them. She decided to change this.
With her mother's help, Maria created Read Indeed.Read Indeed is an organization which collects and gives out books to children in need for free. Maria set the goal to collect and give out one million books by the time she was 18. She tried every means to achieve it. (2)As a result,it didn't take long to reach that goal!
Today, at the age of 14 , she has collected over one million books and has sent them to many states and countries around the world. She says, "I cannot live without books. As I continue my work, I have learned that millions of kids are in need of books. So I just can't give up, even after reaching my original (最初的) goal."
She has recently set a new goal: To give books to kids in need in every state in the United States,and every country in the world.
(一)根据短文内容简要回答问题.
(1)Why did Maria create Read Indeed?
(2)When did Maria reach her original goal?
(二)将文中画线的句子译成汉语.
(1)
(2)
(三)请给短文拟一个适当的题目.
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. |
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.
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.
Marco Polo was born in Italy in 1254. When he was 17, he travelled along the Silk Road with his father. who wanted to trade with the Chinese. Finally, they arrived in Beijing. They were guests at the Emperor's Palace. Marco was very clever and could speak four languages. The Emperor was impressed by him and they became friends. He asked Marco to serve in his court (宫殿) and sent him to do many important jobs all over the country.
Marco was amazed by how beautiful China was. He was impressed by Beijing and the Emperor's Palace, especially the Summer Palace which was described as "The greatest palace that I've ever seen". The walls were covered with gold and silver and the hall was so big that it could easily hold 6,000 people for dinner."
Marco was also attracted (吸引) by the inventions and developments in China which couldn't be found in Europe at that time. Marco was surprised to see Chinese people using paper money in the markets. In Europe, people paid for goods(货物) with gold and silver. He could not understand how people paid for food and valuable things with paper! He was also puzzled by the black stones people used to burn to produce heat. The black stones were coal, but Marco had never seen coal before!
After he served the Emperor for 17 years, in 1291, Marco returned to Italy. He was a very wealthy man then. A writer wrote down all the stories that Marco told him in a book called The Description of the World, which became one of the best﹣selling books in Europe.
People enjoyed the book, but many of them thought that Marco's stories about China were too fantastic to be true. However, Marco always stood by his tales. Just before he died, aged 70, Marco was asked the question, "Was it all true?" And this was his answer, "I have only told a half what I saw!"
Marco Polo and China |
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Before arriving in China |
◆ In 1254, he was born in Italy. ◆ At the age of 17, he travelled along the (1) with his father to trade with the Chinese. |
During his living in China |
◆ He made friends with the Emperor and served in the court. ◆ He did many (2) _____around China. |
◆ The beauty of China impressed him. |
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◆ The (3) _____in China attracted Marco. ①Paper money was used to buy goods in the markets. ②Chinese people used (4) to produce heat. |
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After returning to Italy |
◆ He became wealthy. ◆ A book written about his traveling experiences around the world sold well in Europe. |
◆ The underlined sentence tells us that (5) . |