There have been many great inventions or things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was the one that is still very important today——the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distance.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel . Then in the early 1800s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn’t have to explore much any more. They began to work instead to make life better.
In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the light and the radio. These all play a big part in our daily life today.
The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909, movies with sound in 1926, the computer in 1928, jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wore.
The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and allowed them to live longer. By the 1960s most people could expect to live to be at least 60.
By this time most people in developed countries had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire(渴望) to explore again. The earth was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then United States took a step. Since then other countries , including China and Japan, have made their own steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning, though. New inventions will some day allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.
1.This passage talks mainly about _______________ .
A．why cars were very important
B．when light was invented
C．how inventions affect people’s daily life
D．which country made the first step into space
2.According to the passage man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot ___________.
A．at the beginning of 1800s
B．in the 1960s
C．since the 1900s
D．from the 1800s to 1960s
3.Nylon came out five years later than____________ .
A．radio B．camera C．jet planes D．movies
4.People can live longer lives because ________ that help cure diseases have worked very well.
A．doctors B．new ways
C．medicines D．new hospitals
When we talk about stars, especially women stars，it seems that they are always young，pretty and own charming body shapes．But recently a Britain's Got Talent（英国达人）star Susan Boyle has changed our views absolutely．
Simon Cowell，one of the judges of the talent show spoke of his shock over Ms Boyle's voice．”This lady came up，and I'm thinking, ‘This will take five seconds and I can go to have a cup of tea.’ That changed when she began to sing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. She knew we were going to have that reaction and just to see that look of satisfaction on her face midway through —it was one of my favorite moments,” Cowell said.
The performance was posted online and before long，the 47-year-old Scottish woman has been famous all over the world．
Speaking from her home in Scotland．Ms. Boyle said that she hadn't thought of changing her appearance．She said that her friend helped her with make-up．“I mean，that's hardly a makeover．”she added．
Ms. Boyle also spoke of the reason she first began to explore her vocal talents．”I was kind of slow at school, so getting something like singing was a good way of hiding behind that and thus it built my confidence．’
1.Susan Boyle is __________．
A．a judge B．a reporter
C．a beautiful lady D．a Scottish woman
2.Susan Boyle had a look of satisfaction on her face when she was singing because _________.
A．she was confident of her singing
B．she was satisfied with the judges
C．she was pretty and in good shape
D．she sang the song，I Dreamed a Dream from Lea Miserables
3.According to the passage，which is NOT true?
A．It was the vocal talents that built Susan's confidence．
B．Susan Boyle was not good at her lessons when at school．
C．Susan Boyle became famous because of her appearance．
D．Simon Cowell didn't think Susan Boyle a good singer at the time sight．
4.What can we learn from Susan Boyle's success?
A．It's never too old to learn．
B．It's easier to succeed at the age of 47．
C．If you have a dream，try to make it come true!
D．If you are not able to study well，to be a singer instead．
One midnight, a little girl woke up to pass water. She by herself got up and down her bed, walked to the bedroom door and opened it. She looked outside and walked back, for it was so dark in the hall that she feared.
Her mother said, “Don’t be afraid, honey. Take courage!”
“What’s courage?” she asked, running to her mother’s bed.
“Courage is the brave breath,” her mother answered.
“Mum, do you have courage?”
“Certainly.”
The girl held out her little hands, saying, “Mum, blow some of your breath of courage to me.”
After her mother blew out two mouthfuls of breath into her little cold hands, the little girl clenched her fists(握拳) nervously, afraid that the “breath of courage” would run away. Then with her fists clenched, she walked out of the bedroom towards the bathroom with nothing to fear.
Her mother said to herself, “It will be nice if someone can blow some kind of ‘breath’ to me. Then I can hold it in my hands too when I feel terrified or lost.”
In fact, mostly, what we are terrified of is nothing but the fear in our mind. Who we should defeat(战胜) is nobody but ourselves.
1.We learn from the reading that ___________.
A．the girl went to the bathroom by herself
B．the girl pretended to be terrified of nothing
C．the girl’s mother was able to blow brave breath
D．the girl’s mother was very proud of herself
2.To stop “mother’s breath” from running away, the girl __________.
A．held out her little hands
B．clenched her fists
C．talk to her mother
D．held her own breath
3.The writer mainly wants to tell us that ___________.
A．adults are always brave enough
B．children learn to be brave quickly
C．the fear in one’s mind is the real problem
D．the mother can deal with anything with breath
4.Which is the best title of the passage?
A．The Fearless Mother B．One Lonely Girl
C．One midnight D．The Breath of Courage
1.Shawnee Mountain is a wonderful place for___________.
A．staying B．skiing C．climbing D．visiting
2.Two parents and a child of 45cm tall will pay ___________for the lifts on weekend.
A．$100 B．$86 C．$50 D．$43
3.If a soldier goes to the mountain, ___________should be shown for a lift ticket.
A．the proof of age B．the college ID
C．the phone number D．the active duty ID
完形填空 （共15小题；每小题1分,计15分）
阅读短文,从每题所给选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
About a week ago, when I was playing basketball at our local park, I noticed a small group of boys picking on a smaller, skinnier boy. They were _1___his names and even pushed him to the ground and kicked dirt in his face. ___2___I saw that, I walked over to the group.
I stepped ___3__them and the smaller boy, and asked them politely what this boy had done worthy of __4__they were doing to him. One of the boys replied, “He’s weird.” At that, I asked one of the boys if he thought his friend was weird, and the __5__was “No.” So, I asked another boy what the word “weird” __6_, and he said, “Different.” That was my cue(暗示). I told them that everyone is __7__, and that they all looked just as different to the other boy as he did to them. They all stood __8___for a moment, and then the most amazing thing happened. One of the boys helped the small boy off the ground and then said sorry to him. He ___9___to let him play with them.
I thanked the boy for being so __10___. As I looked around, I realized that there were dozens of other people at the park ___11___no one else had stopped to help this boy. I felt happy that the boy was strong enough to stand up against his friends to ___12___someone in need, but I felt sad that ___13___else had even taken a second look.
I hope that my action helped them __14___ that they could have made a difference with a little ___15___, and maybe next time they will be the ones who choose to help.
1. A．giving B．making C．calling D．telling
2. A．When B．Before C．If D．Though
3. A．against B．between C．beside D．With
4. A．how B．why C．whom D．what
5. A．guess B．sign C．problem D．answer
6. A．read B．proved C．meant D．wrote
7. A．different B．free C．important D．Strong
8. A．angrily B．silently C．carefully D．happily
9. A．refused B．expected C．offered D．prepared
10. A．proud B．clever C．honest D．patient
11. A．or B．so C．and D．but
12. A．help B．stop C．love D．remember
13. A．someone B．anyone C．no one D．everyone
14. A．decide B．realize C．suggest D．agree
15. A．energy B．practice C．knowledge D．effort
The young man was___________ with breaking ___________ several jewelry shops.
A．charged...into B．to charge...in
C．charging...on D．charges...to
