I’m lying on my back in my grandfather’s orchard (果园), looking up at the branches above me. It is one of the last days of summer. Already the days are shorter and the nights are cooler. Some kinds of apples are already ripe(成熟的). Others will be ready to pick soon. I think of my grandmother’s apple pie, and how I used to make it with her. She died last year, before the apple harvest, and I have not had her pie since then. I really miss her. I hear bees busily humming about, visiting the late summer flowers. The gentle hum of their wings nearly sends me to sleep.
The sky is as blue as my grandfather’s eyes. Above me, big white clouds ran across the sky like pieces of cotton blowing in the wind. School starts in another week, and time seems to have slowed down.
“Sophie!” calls my grandfather. “Is that you?” I stand up, take his hand, and tell him all about my day as we walk through the orchard. We talk about apples, and bees and Grandma. He tells me that he misses her too.
He puts his rough, brown farmer’s hand around my shoulder and pulls me close. “ You know, Sophie,” he says, “ I spent the morning in the attic (阁楼), and you’ll never guess what I found. It’s the recipe(烹饪法) for Grandma’s apple pie. I used to help her make it sometimes. I can’t do it all alone, but you used to help her too. Maybe between the two of us, we can work it out. Want to try?”
“ But it won’t be the same without Grandma,” I tell him.
“That’s true,” he says, “but nothing is the same without Grandma. Still, I don’t think that she would want us never to have another apple pie. What do you say?” I nod yes, and we walk towards home…toward an afternoon in the farmhouse kitchen, making Grandma’s famous apple pie.
1.We learn from the passage that Sophie .
A. likes to watch clouds in the attic
B. comes to the orchard after school
C. enjoys Grandma’s apple pie very much
D. picks many apples in the orchard
2.Both Sophie and her grandfather used to ______.
A. help Grandma make apple pies
B. spend summer afternoons in the orchard
C. enjoy fresh fruit in the farmhouse kitchen
D. walk alone among the apple trees
3.The underlined part in the last paragraph shows .
A. how much Sophie’s grandmother loved Sophie
B. how much Sophie’s grandfather likes apple pies
C. how much Sophie loves her grandfather’s orchard
D. how much Sophie’s grandfather misses Grandma
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. My grandfather’s orchard B. My grandmother’s apple pie
C. A morning in the attic D. The last days of summer
Every day in China, about 200 million children go to school. Many of them take school buses. What should we do to keep these students safe on the road?
On April 5, the State Council (国务院) published new rules about school bus safety. These new rules are much stricter than the old ones.
Under the new rules, local governments must make sure that students attend nearby schools or boarding (寄宿的) schools to reduce traffic risks. Also, local governments must help kids in the countryside reach their school buses.
From now on, school buses have a speed limit of 80km per hour on highways and 60km per hour on normal roads. While on the road, other cars must let school buses go first.The new rules also say that school buses must never be overloaded (超载的).
There are many other rules as well. A school bus must have more than seven seats. On each bus, there must be at least one adult to keep an eye on the kids. Each school bus must have a fire extinguisher (灭火器), a first aid kit (急救箱) and a GPS.
Last year, a series of school bus accidents happened in China. To stop such accidents, the Central Government decided to strengthen the rules for school buses.
The most serious accident happened in November in Gansu, when a nine-seat minibus crashed. There were 62 children inside, and 21 of them died.
1.Under the new rules, which of the following is NOT true?
A. School buses must not be overloaded.
B. School buses must drive 80 km/h or less on normal roads.
C. School buses can go first when there are other cars.
D. local governments must help kids in the countryside reach their school buses.
2.The phrase “keep an eye on” in Paragraph 6 has a similar meaning to “_______”.
A. look after B. play with C. look for D. chat with
3.According to the new rule, a school bus must have the following EXCEPT ______.
A. a GPS
B. more than seven seats
C. a parent of one of the students
D. a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
4.The government made new rules for school buses because _______.
A. 21 students died in school bus accidents last year
B. the government encourages all students to take school buses
C. 200 million children in China go to school by bus every day
D. school buses in China were not safe enough before
Every object has weight. But the center of its weight is not always in the middle of the object. If the top of an object is heavier than its bottom, it will fall over easily. We say that its center of gravity is high. But if the bottom is heavier, it won’t fall easily. Then we say that its center of gravity is low.
Look at the first picture. This empty box must fall over, because its center of gravity (C) is not above the line of its bottom (AB).
Now look at the second picture. There is some heavy iron in the bottom of this box. It will not fall, because its center of gravity is above its bottom.
1.If the bottom of an object is ______ its top, it will fall over easily.
A. lighter than B. heavier than C. no heavier than D. as heavy as
2.Please point out which box will not fall.
3.The main idea of the passage is _________.
A. why things fall over B. a low center of gravity
C. a high center of gravity D. that everything has weight
There was a time when I thought my dad didn’t know how to be a good father. I couldn’t 16 him ever saying the words “I love you.” It seems to me his only purpose in life was to say “ 17 ” to anywhere I wanted to go and anything I wanted to do, including getting a 18 . Some parents bought their kids cars when they got their driver’s licenses. Not my dad — he said that I’d have to get a job and buy my own.
So that is what I did. I got a job at a very nice restaurant and 19 every penny I could and when I had enough to buy my car, I did! The day I brought that car home, my dad was the first one I wanted to 20 it off to. “Look, dad, a car of my own. If you ever want a ride, you only need to pay me five dollars.” I offered with a smile.
“I see,” was all he said.
One day, there was something wrong with my father’s truck. So he needed a 21 to work. The sun wasn’t even up when we left the house, 22 it was already getting warm out. It was going to be a hot day. As my dad got out of my car, I 23 him, dressed in his work clothes, getting his 24 from the truck (车尾箱) of my car. Watching his sun-weathered face, and even from a distance I could tell there were 25 lines than I ever remembered being there before. I realized how hard my dad works for the family. My father is a cement finisher(水泥修整工).
Suddenly, it came up with me that he actually got down on his hands and knees to sweat over hot concrete(混凝土) to make a living for his family. And he did this day in and day out, 26 hot it got. Never, not once, had I heard him 27 about it. To him we were “worth” it. And never once did he ask us to pay for it.
When he closed the trunk, his tools set off to the side, he walked over to my window to 28 me five dollars. I rolled down the window and said “Good-bye, dad. Keep your five dollars. It’s my __29__. Don’t work too hard. I love you.”
His eyes met mine, then glanced away in the direction of his waiting tools, he 30 his throat(喉咙) and said, “Oh, and… me, too.”
1.A. like B. remember C. forget D. care
2.A. Sorry B. Yes C. No D. Well
3.A. car B. friend C. job D. present
4.A. spent B. earned C. kept D. saved
5.A. take B. put C. turn D. show
6.A. ride B. leave C. trip D. hurry
7.A. as B. although C. but D. since
8.A. helped B. followed C. left D. watched
9.A. tools B. clothes C. luggage D. bag
10.A. fewer B. more C. longer D. less
11.A. whatever B. whenever C. wherever D. however
12.A. talk B. complain C. ask D. speak
13.A. hand B. borrow C. lend D. take
14.A. help B. advice C. treat D. idea
15.A. cleaned B. wiped C. cleared D. felt
—Would you please tell me _____? — Sorry, you can turn to Mr Lee for help.
A. how long can man live without water
B. whether Yao Ming still played for Rockets
C. how I can keep myself safe from the flu
D. why did a serious accident happen
—Well, my sons take great interest in most of the food on the menu. —Thanks. _____?
—Yes, fried fish, beef, chips and cola, please.
A. Can I do for you B. At your service
C. What to follow D. Shall I take your order
