“The Lion King” is one of Disney’s highest earners. But behind “The Lion King”, a true story of Sundiata Keita is still largely invisible outside his own country.
Known as the Lion of Mali, Sundiata was the founder of the Malian Empire, the largest kingdom in West Africa. His empire expanded more than 1,000 miles from the Atlantic coast all the way to the Niger River. Sundiata ruled from 1235 to 1255.
Sundiata’s father, King Naré Maghann Konaté, was told by fortune tellers that if he married an ugly woman she would give birth to a son who would become a mighty and magnificent king. He already had a wife named Sassouma Bereté and a son named Dankaran Tourman. However, Konate took Sogolon Kedjou as his second wife. She gave birth to Sundiata, who was born disabled. Though the king favored him, both Sogolon and Sundiata were unfairly teased for his disability.
Sundiata became a great leader among his people, sparking resentment from his half-brother Tourman who wanted the throne for himself. When Konaté died, many suspected that he had been murdered. Fearful of an attack on their lives. Sogolon took Sundiata and the rest of her children and fled. The Mandinka people were taken over by the cruel and unfair King Soumaoro Kante of the Sosso people.
In need of their true leader, the people sent word for Sundiata to return and take his rightful place as the king. Outside of the country, Sundiata built alliances with the king of Mema and other local rulers. He gathered an army to free the Mandinka people and defeat the Sosso king. Upon his victorious return, he adopted a new title for himself. “Mansa,” which means king or emperor in Mandinka. Sundiata’s kingdom became one of the most wealthy and powerful empires in history.
1.Why is the movie “The Lion King” mentioned in paragraph 1?
A.To show us one of Disney’s achievements.
B.To encourage a view of the movie.
C.To introduce a true story.
D.To tell us its popularity among the public.
2.Why did Konaté get married to Sogolon Kedjou?
A.Because she was a recognized beauty.
B.Because he expected her to produce a great successor.
C.Because she adored him for his immense power.
D.Because he was not content with his first wife.
3.What does the underlined word “resentment” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A.Inspiration. B.Anger.
C.Admiration. D.Guilt.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A magazine. B.A diary.
C.A guidebook. D.A novel.
A group of schools in Minnesota recently made a big change. They took some famous books off their reading list. One book was Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The other was Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The schools in Minnesota decided that some words in the books were racist and can be hurtful to students.
This is a step in the right direction. But the harmful words in the stories are just the beginning. There are other reasons why these books should no longer be in classrooms.
Many people think the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, for example, one of the best books of all time. That is not true. In the book, there is a white lawyer named Atticus Finch. He defends Tom Robinson, a black man, in court. Tom exists only to be saved by Atticus. He does not make decisions for himself. He does not have a full life. He is in the story only to teach the white community about racism. The character is not complete and the white savior (救世主) idea shows poor writing skills.
Students do not learn as much from flat characters like Tom. They should read more authors of color. They should read stories where people of color are important. There are books about people of color that show joy and success. These books give students a fuller understanding of racism. Students of color must be able to see their real lives reflected in books so that they can change to become more accepting of others.
1.What caused the change in some schools’ reading list according to paragraph 1?
A.Efforts to lessen students study burden.
B.Intention to focus students’ attention on certain books.
C.Dissatisfaction with some writers’ choice of words.
D.Disrespect for some writers like Mark Twain.
2.According to the passage, “To Kill a Mockingbird” ________.
A.is the best book of all time
B.depicts all characters in detail
C.shows preference for the white
D.advocates harmony between races
3.What do we know about books about people of color?
A.They may disappoint their readers.
B.They fail to show joy and success.
C.They get in the way of readers’ understanding of racism.
D.They encourage readers’ acceptance of others.
4.What’s the best title of this passage?
A.Classroom reading lists change.
B.Two famous books lose appeal.
C.Different races conflict.
D.Words in books hurt.
Our national park system invites visitors to choose their own adventures in the most beautiful spots in the U.S. Here’s our selection for the most exciting and unusual national park activities.
Rock-Climbing: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a climber’s paradise. Since 1969, the Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service has been training newbies and accompanying seasoned climbers on trips in the park’s many climbing areas.
Snorkeling: Virgin Islands National Park
You’ll want flippers, a mask and snorkel to explore the best trail in St. John because it’s actually underwater. The snorkeling trail at Trunk Bay is a 225-yard swim lined with signs describing the fish, coral and plants that live in the warm turquoise waters.
Orienteering: Prince William Forest Park
Set off on a modern-day treasure hunt at Prince William Forest Park. Leave the GPS system at home for an orienteering adventure using Just a map and compass to follow clues around one of the park’s 30 courses. You can choose to set your own pace, whether it’s a slowpoke family stroll while the kids master the compass or a competitive jaunt to race to the final clue.
Hiking: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hikers can set off on a great adventure on foot any time of year in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With more than 800 miles of trails, there are plenty of options including scenic strolls through fields of wildflowers and strenuous climbs to the top of the park’s glorious waterfalls.
1.Which park may a diver favor?
A.Yosemite National Park.
B.Virgin Islands National Park.
C.Prince William Forest Park.
D.Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
2.What is a necessity for an orienteering adventure in Prince William Forest Park?
A.GPS system. B.Treasure.
C.Compass. D.Pacer.
3.What can visitors do if they go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A.Enjoy beautiful scenery. B.See underwater creatures.
C.Play hunt game. D.Receive climbing training.
假如你是李华，最近你所在的城市设立了“汉字书写日”。你的美国笔友John对此很感兴趣，写信向你询问。请根据以下要点给他回一封信。内容包括：
1.设立原因：人们提笔忘字，写汉字机会减少；
2.日期：9月28日，孔子(Confucius)诞辰；
3.活动：书法(calligraphy)竞赛及展览等。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear John,
I’m writing to tell you something about it Chinese Character Writing Day in our city. __________________
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You are welcome to join US.
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
A recent survey shows most students communicate with their parents regularly, and there are still some who think it embarrassed to share their feelings with their parents. Actually, everyone should attach important to family communication, because not only does it strengthen the bond of the family but also bridge the gap between parents and children. In addition to, sharing your personal problems and emotions will great help reduce the pressure on you. As a result, our confidence will be built up. As for my family, we have special dinner together every Saturday evening, over that everyone present takes turns to sharing one problem and the others try to offer solutions. In this way the whole family can enjoy every single bit of life.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
It is expected 1. over 100,000 people will take part in a massive parade at Beijing’s Tian’an men Square on the morning of Oct 1, National Day, 2. (celebrate) the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
“3.(participate) from all walks of life and ethnic groups will attend 4.ceremony, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots(同胞), overseas Chinese and foreigners 5. (include)”, said Du Feijin, head of the publicity department of the Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China. “Tian’anmen Square will feature red decorations representing the 6. (glory) history of the Party as it led the Chinese revolution to victory”, he said, 7. (add) that 70 red lanterns would be hung parallel 8. the east and west sides of the square. Starting next month, a series of activities like raising the national flag, singing the national anthem and commemorating revolutionary martyrs(烈士) will be held nationwide to let9. (many) people take part in celebrating the birthday of the motherland. Besides, a documentary which features highlights during the 70-year journey10.(broadcast) on TV.
