The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single—engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.
Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.
In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.
What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty—six minutes.
In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion (时刻) she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.
1.Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?
A.She was caught in a storm. B.The altimeter went out of order.
C.Her engine went wrong. D.She lost her direction.
2.When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?
A.She did nothing but pray for herself.
B.She changed her direction and landed in Ireland.
C.She continued flying.
D.She lost hope of reaching land.
3.Which of the following statements was NOT mentioned?
A.She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone.
B.She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight.
C.She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States.
D.She made plans to fly around the world.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic.
B.Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation.
C.A New Record for Flying Time.
D.A Dangerous Flight from North America to England.
I grew up in San Pedro. My dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his mom and dad and the other kids that were still at home.
Dad was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the sea for his catch. When you got close to him, you smelled the ocean.
When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!
I remembered the day I thought I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, “No, Dad.” It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face.
I said, “Dad, I’m too old for a goodbye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.” My dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked at the windshield(挡风玻璃).“You’re right,” he said.“You are a big boy...a man. I won’t kiss you any more.”
It wasn’t long after that when my dad went to sea and never came back.
Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek...to feel his rough old face...to smell the ocean on him...to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would be a man. I would never have told my dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.
1.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?
A.The writer’s father was a tall man.
B.Making a living on the sea was hard.
C.The writer’s father liked being a fisherman.
D.The writer’s father had a big family to support.
2.From the passage, we know that the writer’s father .
A.was a successful businessman
B.had an accident and died at sea
C.was good at driving cars
D.drove the writer to school every day
3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the writer .
A.wished his father to come back home soon
B.would give up what he had to look for his father
C.regretted having refused his father’s kiss
D.hoped to see his father and asked for another kiss
4.The writer wrote the passage in order to .
A.tell readers about his father’s love for him
B.attract readers to visit his father
C.give a brief introduction to himself
D.ask readers to love their fathers before it is too late.
Let’s Go and Fly a Kite
—at Piedmont Middle School’s celebration of kites!
Come and learn how to build all sorts of kites, from the simplest diamond-shaped kites to the most complex box kites. Stay as long as you like and build as many kites as you want. Once you have finished a kite, get advice on flying techniques from kite expert Lorena Hallsberg. The celebration will be at Piedmont Middle School,151 Piedmont School Drive.
The Piedmont Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)has organized a refreshment(茶点)tent. All profits will benefit future PTO activities. Take a break from kite flying and drink some lemonade! While you are doing so, why not join the PTO? Membership is free; you just donate your time. Show your support for Piedmont Middle School by joining the PTO this Saturday!
When: Saturday,April 11,from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Piedmont Middle School
Why: For fun!
Cost: Free, thanks to a generous gift from Bizarco Kite Company!
Schedule
9:00 a.m.—Kite-building booths open. All materials are supplied for kites.
10:00 a.m.—Kite-building shows by Lorena Hallsberg in the courtyard. Come by and learn how to build box kites and kites that look and fly like butterflies.
11:00 a.m.—Kite-flying shows on the school track. Learn all the most important skills.
12:00 p.m.—Kite-flying competitions on the school track.
1:00 p.m.—Presentation by Dr.Brian Lehrman in the show tent:“The History of Kites”.
2:00 p.m.—Best Kite competitions and judging in the show tent. Come and see the most artistic kites and the most interesting theme kites.
3:00 p.m.—Presentation by Dr.Lehrman in the show tent:“Kites and Science”.
3:30 p.m.—Awards ceremony conducted by Headmaster Seward on the football field. The results of the day’s judging will be announced, with awards such as Best of Show, Most Artistic, Highest Flyer, and others. Winners will receive gifts from the Bizarco Kite Company!
4:00—5:00 p.m.—Let’s all go and fly a kite! Everyone flies kites at the same time, creating a wonderful sight for all to enjoy.
Come to the kite celebration. Enjoy yourself and learn more.
1.Which times are most important for people who want to join in kite competitions?
A.10:00 am and 11:00 a.m.. B.12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m..
C.1:00 pm and 3:00 p.m.. D.2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m..
2.From the passage, we know that the kite celebration .
A.is enjoyable and educational
B.is strict about the shapes of kites
C.gets money from PTO of Piedmont Middle School
D.gives people a chance to see kites from around the world
3.The passage is intended for .
A.school staff B.kite experts
C.students and parents D.kite companies
If you don’t know how to ______yourself at table in a foreign country, you should copy the host.
A.dress B.tell C.show D.behave
You can never imagine what difficulty I had _____ your house . It took me nearly four hours.
A.found B.finding C.to find D.for finding
I often think of my old friend Henry, most of _____ letters I still keep.
A.his B.who C.whom D.whose
