A horse fair is an interesting place. There were young horses from the country, little Welsh ponies and many beautiful horses too. But there were also a lot of poor, thin horses, tired from hard work. I was very sad to see them.
At the horse fair there was a man with a gentle voice and kind grey eyes. He offered 23 pounds for me, but they refused. Then a man with a very loud voice came. I was afraid he was going to buy me, but he walked off. Then the grey﹣eyed man came back again and said:
"I'll give 24 for him."
"Done,"said the salesman."He's a quality horse and if you want him for cab(出租马车)work,he's a bargain."
Half an hour later we set off for London,along country roads,until we came to that great city.There were streets to the right, and streets to the left. We went into one of the small streets, and then into a very narrow street, with small, old houses.
My owner stopped at a house. The door opened, and a woman, a little girl and boy, came out.
"Is he gentle, father?"
"Yes, Dolly, as gentle as a kitten; you can pat him."
Dolly, the little girl, patted my shoulder without fear. It felt so good! They led me into a comfortable, clean stable, and after a delicious meal I lay down to sleep, thinking "I'm going to be very happy here".
My new owner's name was Jerry. His wife was called Polly and they had two children, Harry and Dolly. The next morning they came to see me. I loved it when they patted me and spoke in gentle voices.
"Le's call him 'Jack', after the old horse, shall we, Harry?" said Dolly.
"Yes, let's,"said Harry.
The first week of my life as Jack,the London cab horse was very hard. The noise and the people and the traffic on the streets scared me. But Jerry was a very good driver, and that helped a lot. Jerry soon found that I was ready to work hard and do my best, and he didn't whip(鞭打) me.
He kept us very clean, and gave us as much food as we wanted. But the best thing was that we had Sundays of.
(1)A horse fair is a place for .
A. people to sell and buy horses
B. horses to learn new skills
C. people to learn to ride horses
D. horses to meet new friends
(2)What did the salesman mean by saying "he is a bargain"?
A. The buyer is a good driver.
B. The horse is well worth the price.
C. 'The buyer is gentle and kind.
D. The horse is as gentle as a kitten.
(3)Living and working in London with Jerry's family,"I" felt .
A. sad and helpless
B. challenged but satisfied
C. tired and afraid
D. curious but impatient
(4)What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A. The experiences of visiting a horse fair.
B. The chance of having a new owner.
C. The disadvantages of working in London.
D. The start of a London﹣cab﹣horse life.
An Australian dog called Maggie has passed away his week,and her owner thinks she may jus be the world's oldest dog.
Maggie lived on Brian McLaren's dairy farm(奶牛场) in Woolsthorpe,in southern Victoria,Australia."We got her when she was only a little pup,just 8 week old.We believe she was 29 year old,"Mr.McLaren said.The McLaren said.The McLaren family brought Maggie home before their son started attending school.He is now 34.
"When the kids were growing up,they'd get of he school bus at 4:10 pm and if they were late,she'd be there barking(叫)at4:15,"Mr.McLaren said.
Maggie worked on the farm bringing Cow together un6il about 12 years ago."She wasn't pampered( 娇惯) but she was well looked after.She always had milk﹣but not too much of it.She loved her milk,"Mr.McLaren said.
"She loved running after the farm motorbike.When she was younger she would want to run along beside it,so the faster you went,the more quickly she would run.She had the greatest life.
Mr.McLaren said Maggie passed away peacefully.She died in her sleep on Sunday night.
"The last couple of weeks I was sad. I was going to have to put her down,and that was going to break my heart,"he said."I'm so pleased she went the way she did."
According to the Guinness World Records,the oldest age recorded for a dog is 29 years and five months﹣for another Australian working dog named Bluey.
71.How old was Mr McLaren's son when he brought Maggie home?(within 6 words)
72.What time did the school bus usually get the children home?(within 3 words)
73.What was Maggie's job?(within 4 words)
74.What two things did Maggie love?(within 9 words)
75.How did Maggie die?(within 5 words)
Last summer my family went camping by a lake in the countryside. There we put up our tents and made a fire to keep us warm and cook food on. On the first night, we sat under the moon and told each other stories.
The next morning, my sister and I got a terrible surprise.When we looked out of our tent, we saw a big snake sleeping near the fire. I was was so scared that I couldn't move. We shouted to our parents to let them know about the danger. My dad started to jump up and down in their tent. This woke the snake up and it moved into the forest near the lake. My dad told me later that snakes don't have ears but can feel things moving He also told me it was important not to go near a snake. This was a very useful lesson for me.
(1)By the lake, we made a fire to keep us warm and cook food on.
(2)When my dad knew the danger, he started to shout to the snake.
(3)The snake woke up and moved into the lake.
(4)It was important not to go near a snake.
(5)This was a very useful lesson that the snakes have ears and can hear things.
Characters:a judge (法官) Mike (a painter) Peer (a cook)
Setting: a courtroom (法庭)
A judge is siting behind a desk. Mike and Peter are standing in front of her.
Peter: Your honor. This man lives in a room above my restaurant. I heard him telling a friend that he was stealing from me.
Mike: Smell, your honor! I just take the smells of the food coming up from the restaurant.
Judge:(Looking at Mike) What do you do with the smells?
Mike: The smells help me imagine that I am eating a fine dinner.
Judge:(To Peter) And how much do you want for these smells, sir?
Peter: The 5 coins he always carries.
Mike: But my mother gave me the coins to save me when in need.
Judge:(To Mike) Drop the coins onto the table, one at a time. (Mike drops the coins,) Case dismissed (结案).
Peter: What do you mean? I didn't get paid!
Judge:You want the SMELLS paid.Mike has now paid you in SOUNDS ﹣the sounds of the coins.
(1) lives in a room above the restaurant.
A. |
The judge |
B. |
Mike |
C. |
Peter |
D. |
No one |
(2)Peter wanted to get from Mike.
A. |
the smells |
B. |
the food |
C. |
the sounds |
D. |
the coins |
(3)From the material, we can see that the judge is .
A. |
poor |
B. |
rich |
C. |
stupid |
D. |
wise |
(4)The material above is probably .
A. |
a play |
B. |
a poem |
C. |
a notice |
D. |
a diary |
The local people of La Gomera can carry on conversations by whistling(吹口哨) from far away. For face﹣to﹣face conversations,they Spanish.But when they need to speak over a distance(距离),they whistle.
La Gomera is a small island.This island is almost shaped like a circle.It is very mountainous.Walking from one place to another may be a slow and difficult job. That is why whistling is so useful to the local people. A message can easily be whistled over a couple of miles, while to travel that same distance on foot might take an hour.
A good whistler can be heard and understood five miles away.His whistling can be farther away when it is windless. It is said that the record is about nine miles.Anyone who a top whistler will agree that this record is quite possible.
A whistle travels farther than a shout, and is easier to understand. When a person shouts, he cannot pronounce his words well. But if a whistle is heard, it will be heard clearly
Whistling is popular at La Gomera, and many methods of whistling are used…
(1)How do people of La Gomera speak over a distance?
A. By shouting.
B. By whistling.
C. By travelling.
D. By recording.
(2)What can we know about La Gomera from Paragraph 2?
A. It is very mountainous.
B. It lies between two circles.
C. It is easy to travel there.
D. It is hard to find a job there.
(3)What helps a whistle travel farther?
A. A windless day.
B. A long distance.
C. A useful message.
D. A clear pronunciation.
(4)What will the writer talk about in the last paragraph?
A. Disadvantages of whistling.
B. Stories of a top whistler.
C. Different methods of whistling.
D. Examples of good whistlers.
Mr. Brown was writer. He wrote many books, and the thought they were quite good. He lived in the city. One morning, he went to a small town near the city to visit a friend. He went there by bus. When he got to the town,he saw a bookshop not far from the bus stop. As it was early, he decided to go in and have a look. There were many books in he shop. He was very happy that all the books in the shop were written by him. "Where are other writer's books?" he asked the man in the shop. The man looked up at him and answered, "Oh, they are all sold out."
(1)Mr.Brown was a .
A. |
teacher |
B. |
doctor |
C. |
writer |
D. |
farmer |
(2)Mr. Brown went to the town to .
A. |
visit his friend |
B. |
sell his books |
C. |
have a holiday |
D. |
buy a present |
(3)All the books in the shop were written by Mr. Brown because .
A. |
the man in the shop only liked his books |
B. |
the man in the shop was Mr. Brown's friend |
C. |
his books were better than the other writer's |
D. |
the other's books were all sold out |
Once there was a small hotel whose keeper was always caring about money.
One day, a businessman arrived. The keeper looked at the man's thick wallet and thought, "Oh, I wish that all the money could be mine!" The businessman didn't notice that, so he ordered the most expensive room and went to his room to dress for dinner.
Around the hotel, there were some beautiful ginger(姜) plants. Many people said that eating the buds(芽) of ginger would make a person forgetful.
The keeper thought, "If I serve some buds of ginger to the businessman, he may be forgetful to take his wallet!" Then she went to the kitchen.
Soon, businessman came downstairs and asked for dinner. The keeper was very excited as she served the dish to him. "Delicious!" said the rich man. When dinner was finished, he went to bed happily.
In the next morning, the keeper saw the businessman leaving from the front door.As soon as he was out of sight, she ran up to his room. She looked all over the room for the wallet,but she couldn't find it. Suddenly, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor. It was the businessman's bill(账单). He had forgotten to pay it! She ran down the stairs, out of the front door, and across the road until she was out of breath, but the businessman was already far, far away. "I'm so silly!" cried the keeper.
(1)The keeper came up with an idea to own the businessman's money when .
A. she dressed herself
B.she cooked the meal in the kitchen
C. the businessman went upstairs happily
D. she thought of the buds of ginger around her hotel
(2)The keeper ran into the businessman's room as soon as he left because .
A. she wanted to find the man's bill
B. she wanted to find the key to the man's room
C. she wanted to check if the man had left his money there
D. she wanted to see if the man had broken anything in the room
(3)Which if the following is NOT true according to this passage?
A. The keeper realized the buds of ginger didn't work in the end.
B. The keeper ran after the businessman because of the bill.
C.The businessman didn't know the rumor (谣言) about the buds of ginger.
D. The businessman didn't pay the keeper's bill because he lost his money.
On fire
Son:Can I have another glass of water?
Father:Another?This will be your tenth!
Son:I know,but my room is on fire.
Mom's grey hairs
One day,a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes in the kitchen.She suddenly saw that her mother had a few grey hairs.
She looked at her mother and curiously asked,"Why are some of your hairs grey,Mom?"
Her mother said."Well.Every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy.one of my hairs turns grey."
The girl thought for a while and then said,"Mom,why are all of Grandma's hairs grey?"
The big head son
"Mom,many kids make fun of me,"the boy cried to his mother."they say I have a big head."
"Don't listen to them."his mother said."You have a beautiful head.Now stop crying and go to the supermarket for 10 pounds of potatoes."
"Where's the shopping bag?"
"I haven't got one﹣﹣er,use your hat."
51.The three short passages are among the favorite of American children.
A. |
jokes |
B. |
reports |
C. |
news |
D. |
diaries |
52.The boy in passage needs water to .
A. |
drink because he is thirsty |
B. |
put out the fire |
C. |
set the room on fire |
D. |
clean the room |
53.In passage 2,what did the girl mean by asking the last question?
A. |
Her mother made her grandmother cry a lot. |
B. |
Her mother made her grandmother laugh a lot. |
C. |
Her grandmother made her mother cry a lot. |
D. |
Her grandmother made her mother laugh a lot. |
54.According to the mother in passage 3,
A. |
the son's head is small |
B. |
the son's hat is small |
C. |
the son's head is big |
D. |
the son's hat is beautiful. |
Can you imagine walking in, sitting next to a stranger and asking for the latest news or putting a recent novel down next to someone's coffee and asking for their opinion before giving yours?
But more than 300 years ago, this kind of behaviour was encouraged in thousands of coffeehouses all over London. In 1712, the Starbucks site(位置) today was occupied(占据) by Button's coffeehouse Inside, poets, writers and members of the public gathered around long wooden tables drinking, thinking, writing and discussing literature into the night. On the wall, near where the Starbucks community notice board now stands, was the white marble(大理石) head of a lion with wide﹣open mouth. The public was invited to feed it with letters and stories. The best of the lion's digest(文摘) were published in a weekly edition of Joseph Addison's Guardian newspaper, named "the roaring of the lion".
Today, few people know Button's. It's just one of London's forgotten coffeehouses.
London's first coffeehouse was opened by a Greek named Pasque Rosee in 1652. While a servant for a British merchant in Turkey, Rosee developed a taste for the exotic(异国情调的) Turkish drink and decided to import(进口) it to London. People from all walks of life came to his business to meet, greet, drink, think, write, and joke.
(1)Where was the white marble lion head?
A. In the backyard of the Starbucks.
B. On the Button's long wooden tables.
C. In Joseph Addison's Guardian newspaper.
D. On the wall of Button's coffeehouse.
(2)How often was "the roaring of the lion" published?
A. Every day
B. Every week.
C. Every month
D. Every year)
(3)What kind of coffee did Pasque Rosee import to London?
A. Turkish coffee.
B. Black coffee.
C. White coffee
D. Sweet coffee.
(4)What can we infer(推断) from the passage?
A. People could hardly found a coffeehouse in 1712 in London.
B. Starbucks, Button's and Rosee's were famous coffeehouses of London in 1700s.
C. Button's was usually noisy and crowded at night 300 hundred years ago.
D. Only businessmen enjoyed the exotic coffee at Pasque Rosee's.
THREE CENTURIES OF HOAXES(骗局;恶作剧)!
A THINKING MACHINE
In 1769,long before computers were invented,a man from Hungary(匈牙利) built a wonderful machine that could play chess very well.It delighted(使高兴) people all over Europe and beat nearly everyone it played,including famous figures like French leader Napoleon Bonaparte,and scientist and inventor Benjamin Franklin.For decades,many people believed that it was truly a thinking machine.
There were people who said it was a hoax,but could not prove it or explain how it worked.About 85 years later,the secret was finally revealed.There was a man hiding inside the machine all the time…who was obviously very good at playing chess!
200 ESCAPE(逃脱)
On November 9,1874,New York newspaper,The Herald,ran a shocking story on its front page.It said that all the animals in the Central Park Zoo had escaped and were running around the city.It said the police were working to save people,but 27 people had already been killed,and 200 people hut.It wanted everyone to stay at home to avoid danger.Many people in New York were terrified,and did as the paper said.If only they had read the final words of the article,which said:"Not one word of it is true Not a single act described has taken place."It was all just a hoax.The story was made up by Thomas Connery,an editor at The Herald,who wanted to draw attention to the poor condition of cages in the zoo.
ROSIE THE RUNNER
The first woman to cross the finish line of the 1980 Boston Marathon(马拉松) was 23﹣year﹣old Rosie Ruiz.However,as she climbed the stairs to receive her prize,people started to become suspicious(怀疑的).She didn't seem to be tired at all.Furthermore,none of the other runners remembered seeing her,and her picture never appeared in photos or TV broadcasts of the race.Later,several people said that they had seen her join the race only at the end.It turned out she had run only half a mile(about 805 meters)and taken the train for the rest of the race! Her prize was taken away,of course.
42.The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 1 refers to(指)
A.the hoax.
B.the news.
C.the thinking machine.
D.the computer.
43.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
A.The thinking machine used a computer to win games.
B.200 people were killed by zoo animals in l874.
C.Rosie Ruiz wasn't tired at the finish line.
D.Rosie Ruiz didn't appear in TV broadcasts of the race.
44.What is true about all the writer in the passage?
A.They made people scared.
B.They fooled a lot of people.
C.They made people suspicious.
D.They delighted people.
45.The title of the passage shows us that the writer thinks that hoaxes
A.are not new.
B.are easily avoided.
C.are always cruel.
D.are usually unbelievable.
Do you know that in some parts of the world,people build temporary(暂时的)hotels made of snow and blocks(大块)of ice?These are known as ice hotels.
Unlike usual hotels,all the rooms in the ice hotels are made of ice.In some ice hotels,even the glasses for drinks are made of ice blocks.So they only serve cold drinks.Also,hot food is not served in the ice hotels,but guests can eat hot food at places nearby.
To keep warm,guests sleep in comfortable sleeping bags on ice blocks that are covered by mattresses(床垫)and reindeer skins(驯鹿皮).
There are some places in the ice hotels that are heated,such as the bathrooms.This is because,even though it is not as cold in the ice hotels as it is outdoors(在户外),indoor temperatures are still very low.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the ice hotels is that they are rebuilt every year.They can be used only during the winter months.The ice hotels melt(融化)away when spring arrives.The ice blocks used to build these hotels are from nearby rivers.So,when the ice hotels melt away,they melt back into the rivers.
56.According to the passage,ice hotels .
A. |
are found everywhere |
B. |
do business in summer |
C. |
are made of glass |
D. |
are made of snow and ice |
57.Which of the following about the ice hotels is true?
A. |
They are just like usual hotels. |
B. |
The glasses are made of wood. |
C. |
They serve cold drinks. |
D. |
The rooms are made of bamboo. |
58.You can't see in the ice hotels.
A. |
hot food |
B. |
reindeer skins |
C. |
sleeping bag |
D. |
mattresses |
59.Why are bathrooms heated in the ice hotels?
A. |
Guests want to eat in them. |
B. |
Indoor temperature are very low. |
C. |
Guests ask the hotels to do that. |
D. |
It is as cold indoors as it is outdoors. |
60.What happens to the ice hotels in spring?
A. |
They melt away. |
B. |
They are rebuilt. |
C. |
They are repaired. |
D. |
They need more ice. |
Li Bai was born in 701.He was also given the name"Taibai".The name meant"Venus" in ancient Chinese.Legend says that before Li Bai was born,his mother dreamt that Venus fell into her arms.Some people believed that Li Bai was a god.When Li Bai was five years old,his family settled in a town in today's Sichuan province.
●Making Iron into a Needle
There is a legend about Li Bai.He was not a very hard﹣working student when he was young.He often skipped school.
One day when he was walking by the river,he saw an old woman.She was working on a large piece of iron.
He asked,"What are you doing?"
She said, "I'm making a needle."
"But how can you make a large piece of iron into a needle?"
She replied,"I must work hard every day."
Li Bai suddenly understood the importance of hard work,and he started to work hard at school.
●Friendship with Meng Haoran
When Li Bai travelled to Xiangyang in Hubei,he went to visit a famous poet called Meng Haoran.He was twelve years older than Li Bai,but they became friends.They both loved travelling to beautiful mountains and rivers.
When Meng Haoran left for today's Yangzhou,Li Bai wrote a poem about it,Seeing Meng Haoran off at Yellow Crane Tower.
Information about Li Bai |
●He was born in 701. ●He was also called(1) ,which meant"Venus" in ancient Chinese. ●His family settled in a town in today's Sichuan province when he was five. |
(2) about Li Bai |
Making Iron into a Needle One day when he was walking by the river,he saw an old woman working on a large piece of iron.After the communication,he understood it was important(3) . |
Friendship with Meng Haoran They became friends because they have(4) . The poem named Seeing Meng Haoran of 'at Yellow Crane Tower shows(5) . |
Animals are our friends. Sometimes they make trouble, but sometimes they can help us.And they hope to live a happy life, too. Here are two real stories from our readers.
The first story is from Ray."My cat, Tiger, hates it when I use my iPad because it takes my attention away from him. One year, I had a fall at home and was on the floor for 16 hours, During this time, I was unable to move and couldn't get to the phone to call for help. Tiger stayed by my side until he disappeared under my bed. 'What's he up to?' I wondered. To my surprise, he started to push something towards me. It was my iPad,which I didn't realize had fallen off the bed and onto the floor.He probably didn't know what it was, but he knew that it made me happy. Thanks to Tiger, I was able to communicate with my friend, Becky, who then told my doctor."
The second story is from Colin. "Years ago, my friend Julius saved a bird﹣a wild 'Mom' cockatoo(鹦鹉) from the side of the road and kept it as a pet in a big cage(笼子).It lost one of her wings, so she was unable to return to the wild. Soon, two wild cockatoos came visiting and one 'Dad' bird wanted to find his way into the cage. The 'Mom' cockatoo in the cage was soon expecting. But as she couldn't fly,'Dad' cockatoo built a home in the tree, keeping off everyone who got close to 'Mom' cockatoo. 'Baby' cockatoo would spend his days flying off with his dad, leaving his mom behind.She would sit and wait until they returned home each afternoon.The family stayed together happily."
After reading the stories, don't you think we should get along well with animals? No matter they are our pets or live in the wild, they have their feelings. We should respect every life in the world.
(1) is the owner of the cat.
A. Becky
B. Julius
C. Colin
D. Ray
(2)The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refers to the .
A.phone
B. cat
C.iPad
D.bed
(3)"Mom" cockatoo didn't return to the wild because .
A.Julius caught it as a pet
B. She was badly hurt and couldn't fly
C. she preferred the life in the cage
D."Dad" cockatoo built a home in the tree
(4)The main idea of the passage is that .
A. Ray, Becky and Colin are animal lovers
B. we shouldn't use iPad too much
C. friends should help each other
D. we should respect every life in the world
(5)In which part of a newspaper would you probably read the passage?
A. Sports news.
B. People and animals.
C. Health.
D. Travel.
Some Fun and Interesting Facts
◆Do you think what color oranges are?The answer to this question is "Orange". However,the first oranges from Southeast Asia were actually green,Up to now,oranges in warmer areas like Vietnam and Thailand still stay green when they are fully grown.
◆There was a man named John Chapman who planted thousands of apple trees.But the apples on those trees were much more bitter(苦的)than the ones you'd find in the supermarket today.John didn't expect his apples to be eaten whole,but rather made into hard apple cider(苹果酒).
◆Like most four﹣legged animals,cats have five toes on the front paws(脚爪),but their back paws only have four toes.Scientists think the four﹣toe back paws might help them run faster.Do you know any other fun facts about cats?
◆Walt Disney might have been the firs it gloves on his characters,as the star Mickey Mouse in 1929's The Opry House(《奥普里之屋》).Besides being easier to interest,there's another reason why Disney did so:"We didn't want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human." Disney once said.
(1)What does the underlined word "they" refer to?
A.Warmer areas.
B.Oranges in warmer areas.
C.The first oranges.
D.People from Vietnam and Thailand.
(2)John expected his apples to be .
A.known by more people
B.sold in the supermarket
C.eaten only by himself
D.made into hard apple cider
(3)How many toes does a normal cat have in total?
A.Fourteen.
B.Sixteen.
C.Eighteen.
D.Twenty.
(4)Disney put gloves on Mickey Mouse in order to .
A.make him look more human
B.protect his hands
C.help him to run faster
D.make him feel more comfortable
(5)Which is NOT a fact according to the information above?
A.The first oranges weren't orange.
B.John's apples weren't sweet enough.
C.Walt Disney put gloves on his characters to interest people.
D.Cats have fewer toes on their front paws than the ones on their back paws.
Can a tree laugh? When it comes to laughing,this tree is really funny.This is because the fruit of this tree has a hole in it.If the wind blows,this amazing tree "laughs".When people first hear it laughing,they are usually quite surprised and begin to laugh along with the tree,It grow in the middle of Africa. |
Can a fossil be alive? Look at these plants.It grows in the southwest of Africa.Like most plans,it has roots.But it has only two leaves,and a stem.Its two leaves continue to grow for its whole life.Does it look old?Not really.Actually this plant can live as long as 1500 years,so people call it living fossil. |
Can a fish fly? When asked about this question,most people will say no.But look at this fish.It looks like a bird with its large wings.When it is in danger,it can jump and fly out of the water,and flap its wings up to 70 times a second to avoid,enemies.You can see a flying fish all over the world. |
Can't birds fly? Of course,birds can fly except Kiwis.Kiwis are named birds,but they can't fly.Kiwis can be as big as chickens.Like all birds,they lay eggs﹣﹣﹣﹣big eggs.People call them Kiwis because they made the sound:kee﹣weee.Kiwis live in New Zealand and are a national animals of the country,Do you like them? |
44.If you go to the middle of Africa,you can see
A.a fish that can't swim
B.a bird that can't fly
C.a tree that can laugh
D.a plant that can live 1500 years
45.The flying fish can jump and fly out of the water when it .
A.sees other fish
B.wants food
C.need fresh air
D.meets enemies.
46.From the passage,we know that .
A.people call the birds Kiwis because of their sound
B.people laugh along with the tree when they touch it.
C.people call the plant a living fossil because it looks old
D.people can see a flying fish only in the southwest of Africa.