During ancient times, children didn’t have smartphones, iPad or computers to entertain themselves. Instead, they came up with interesting games to play.
★ Stone balls
During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in the winter to protect kids from the cold. Stones were carved into small balls and kicked along with feet. In 1999, the sport was included in the 6th National Ethnic Group Traditional Sports Meeting held in Beijing.
★ Flying kites
Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the four most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite , Weifang kite and Nantong kite, of which each has distinctive features. The kite which resembles a swallow is a well-known Beijing style.
★ Hide-and-seek
Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. There are two ways to play: covering a child’s eyes while other kids run around to tease(戏弄) him or, more commonly, participants hide and one child must try to find them.
★ Playing diabolos
A diabolo is always made of wood or bamboo and has empty space in the center. By juggling(边抛边接) the diabolo on the rope, the high-speed spinning diabolos will make a sound like a whistle. Playing diabolos is an interesting folk game, especially popular in North China. Playing diabolos was also included in the first group of national intangible cultural heritage(非物质文化遗产).
1.Why did ancient children often play stone balls in the winter?
A. To practice their feet. B. To warm themselves.
C. To train their skills. D. To relax themselves.
2.Which kites are swallow-shaped?
A. Weifang kites. B. Tianjin kites.
C. Beijing kites. D. Nantong kites.
3.Why does playing diabolos make a sound?
A. Because the diabolo’s center is empty.
B. Because the high-speed spinning diabolo is light.
C. Because the diabolo is equipped with a whistle.
D. Because ropes’ surface moves against the diabolo’s.
When Albert Einstein was young, he was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty in learning to read.
When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. Albert was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction ---- the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers were difficult for Albert to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something must be hidden behind things.
Albert didn’t like school. The German schools of that time were not pleasant. Students couldn’t ask questions. Albert said he felt as if he were in prison..
One day Albert told his uncle Jacob how much he hated school, especially mathematics. His uncle told him to solve mathematical problems by pretending to be a policeman. “You are looking for someone,” he said, “but you don’t know who he is. Call him X. Find him by using your mathematical tools.”
Albert learned to love mathematics. He was studying thecomplexmathematics of calculus while all his friends were still studying simple mathematics. Instead of playing with his friends he thought about things such as “What would happen if people could travel at the speed of his light?”
Albert wanted to teach mathematics and physics. He graduated with honors, but it was a pity that he could not get a teaching job.
1.According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that Albert Einstein ________.
A.was interested in the compass
B.wanted to be a great scientist
C.was not clever enough
D.didn’t like thinking by himself
2.Why did Albert Einstein hate school?
A.He couldn’t play with his friends there
B.Students were not allowed to ask questions.
C.The schools were like prisons at that time
D.He had to learn mathematics that he didn’t like.
3.What does the underlined word ‘complex’ probably mean?
A.Useful B.Difficult C.Boring D.Interesting
4.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.Einstein became a mathematics teacher after graduation
B.Einstein gradually loved mathematics with his uncle’s help.
C.Einstein’s uncle was a policeman.
D.Einstein liked playing with other children.
Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line, others were walking around. There was a group of school girls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.
He walked into the station café. He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom’s workmates came in and sat with Tom.
“What time is your bus?” asked Mike.
“There’s plenty of time yet,” answered Tom.
“Well, I’ll get you some more tea then,” said Mike.
They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. “Oh! It’s going backward (倒行)!” he cried. “A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it’s half past eleven.”
“You’re looking at the clock in the mirror.” said Mike. Tom was so sad. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.
1.Tom went into the station café because__________.
A.Mike asked him to have a cup of tea
B.he didn’t like to stay with the school girls
C.it was quite early and he could find a seat there
D.he wanted to have a drink with his workmate there
2.Which of the following is true?
A.Tom arrived in Paris on time.
B.The next bus would leave in half an hour.
C.After that Tom didn’t like clocks any longer.
D.Tom looked at the clock in the mirror only once.
3.From the story we know that when we look at a clock in a mirror, we will find________.
A.the time is right B.it’s going slower
C.it’s going faster D.it’s going backward
4.Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
A.The Mirror of the Station B.Not A Careful Man
C.The Clock In The Mirror D.Missing A Bus
________ is the most hard-working student in our class?
A.Do you think whom B.Who do you think
C.Whom do you think D.You think who
I didn’t hear the phone. I ___ asleep.
A.must be B.must have been
C.should be D.should have been
All the police went out ________ the missing boy.
A.searching B.in search for
C.search for D.to search for
