If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities.
1.What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?
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A．Something for cutting apples. |
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B．A person who likes to please others. |
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C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
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D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
2.Which of the following is TRUE with apples?
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A．Apples are medicine. |
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B．Apples are the most important food. |
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C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
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D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
3.The passage is mainly about .
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A．stories about the apple |
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B．apples in American culture |
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C．some famous sayings of the apple |
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D．big cities that is famous for apples |
A passenger（旅客）told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes.
The air hostess was kept so busy that she forgot to give him the water. As a result, the passenger was held up(延误) to take his medicine. Thirty minutes later, when the passenger’s ring for service sounded, she hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused.
In the following hours on the plane, each time the air hostess passed by the passenger, she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never answered a word.
When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess to hand him the passengers’ booklet（小册子）. She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, but with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and smiled, for the passenger put it. “On the flight, you asked me whether I needed help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your twelve sincere smiles?”
That’s right! Who can refuse twelve sincere smiles from a person?
1.Ten minutes later, the passenger didn’t get the water because _________.
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A．the plane didn’t take off |
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B．the air hostess was kept busy and forgot it |
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C．it wasn’t allowed to take medicine during the flight |
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D．there wasn’t enough water on the plane |
2.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to（指的是）the _________.
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A．medicine |
B．water |
C．cup |
D．booklet |
3.At last the passenger was _______.
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A．satisfied with the air hostess |
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B．unhappy with the air hostess |
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C．angry at what the air hostess had said |
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D．too tired to blame the air hostess |
Most people graduate from school and then get a job. Everyone wants a job that pays well. How much money can you make? Ask yourself these questions: What can I do? What skills do I have? Also ask yourself: How much education do I have? For most jobs, the higher your education, the higher your earning power.
In the United States, high school graduates make about $18,600 a year. If you do not finish high school, you make only $10,800 a year. You can make $7,800 more each year by staying in high school!
If you stay in school, then you can make more money. A person with a high school degree makes about $18,600 a year. If that person goes to college and gets a bachelor’s degree (学士学位), he can make $42,000. With a master’s degree (硕士学位), he can make about $53,000. If the person gets a PhD (博士学位), he can make almost $79,000 or more a year.
We can learn a very important thing from this information. If you want to work and make more money, get a good education.
1.The passage mainly talks about ___________.
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A．how education and pay are connected |
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B．high paying jobs |
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C．jobs for high school students |
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D．good schools |
2.According to the passage, “earning power” means the ability to ___________ money.
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A．save |
B．spend |
C．pay |
D．make |
3.Each year a person with a PhD can make ___________ more than a person who does not finish high school.
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A．$37,000 |
B．$68,200 |
C．$60,400 |
D．$26,000 |
Electronic books have changed the way many people read for 15 . Now online textbooks are changing the way some students learn and some teachers teach.
More than 16 students go to the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, outside Washington. Last year, the school system used digital books in fifteen schools. This school year, middle schools and high schools changed 17 printed to electronic textbooks in their social studies classes.
“I mean, it’s just 18 a regular textbook, except it’s got it all online.” says Luke Rosa, a history teacher at Falls Church High School.
Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent(主管) of schools says, “The world’s changing 19 . And the online textbooks can change right along with the events that 20 .”
“Digital books also cost 21 than printed textbooks,” he says, “Usually it’s between fifty and seventy dollars 22 a textbook for each student, which adds up to about eight million dollars for all of our students in Fairfax County. In fact, we have bought all of the online textbooks for our students for just under six million dollars.”
Social studies teacher Michael Bambara says the e-book he uses in his government class is better than a(an) 23 textbook. It has materials for students 24 different levels of reading skills…
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---I’ll take part in the Writing Competition next week. I’m afraid I can’t do very well.
---________!
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A．Cheer up |
B．You’re welcome |
C．It doesn’t matter |
D．Congratulations |
--- Bad luck! It’s too late.
--- It doesn’t matter. The concert for only a few minutes. You can’t miss it.
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A．has begun |
B．has been on |
C．began |
D．lasted |
