When I crossed a small road on my first day in Kolkata, I was surprised because I heard a bell-not a horn (喇叭), It was a tiny man pulling a rickshaw(黄包车), He stopped and picked up two children from the front door of their house and pulled them to school. For many people, the rickshaw in Kolkata has many advantages. When the traffic is bad, rickshaws find a way through the traffic. If you miss your bus and there aren't any taxis, you can always find a rickshaw in Kolkata. Rickshaws are from your house to the market and waits for you. Then he loads (装载)all your things, drops you off outside your home and helps you unload, No other type of public transport offers this kind of service.
From June to September, Kolkata gets heavy rain. Sometimes it rains for 48 hours without a break. In some parts of the city, the roads flood (水淹), and anything with an engine(发动机) is useless, But the rickshaw drivers never stop working, even with water all around them.
But not everyone thinks rickshaws are a good thing. The local government wants to ban rickshaws. They believe it is wrong for one man to pull another person when there is modern transport in the city. However, there is a problem with this plan. Many of the rickshaw drivers come from the countryside. The only job they can find in Kolkata is pulling a rickshaw, If the city bans rickshaws, these men won't have a job. So for the moment, the people of Kolkata still go by rickshaw.
1.What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?
A. The rickshaw drivers carry things for local people in Kolkata.
B. Parents need rickshaws for taking children to school in Kolkata.
C. Rickshaws can find a way through the bad traffic in Kolkata.
D. Rickshaws are very useful for the people's daily life in Kolkata.
2.Which type of transport may you take when the roads flood in Kolkata?
A. A bus. B. A taxi. C. A car. D. A rickshaw.
3.What does the underlined word "ban" mean?
A. make B. encourage C. forbid D. collect
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. The rickshaws in Kolkata have loud horns.
B. The rickshaw is still a part of public transport in Kolkata.
C. The local government offer many other jobs to the rickshaw driven.
D. The people in Kolkata are supposed to take rickshaws instead of cars.
Long, long ago a man went to India and he had never been there before. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit, but much of it was expensive because they couldn’t grow much because there was little water. Finally he saw a big basket of some very red and long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop.
So he went up and asked, “How much each kilo?” and the shop keeper said, “Two rupees(卢比).”Two rupees in India was nothing. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it: oh, my god! His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burnt, and his face became red. He jumped up and down, saying, “Ah! Ah! Ah!”
But he still continued to eat the fruit! Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, “You’re crazy, man. Those are chilies(辣椒)!You can’t eat so many! People use them as a condiment, but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can’t just eat them like that.” But the silly man said, “No, I can’t stop! I paid money for them, and now I’ll eat them up. It’s my money!”
And you think that man was silly, right? We sometimes do a lot of things like that. We spend money, time or effort doing something. And even though it’s been a long time, hard experience tells us it won’t work, and we know there’s no more hope, we still continue just because we’ve put money, time, effort and love in to it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and felt so bad but couldn’t stop because he didn’t want to waste the money he’d paid.
So even if you’ve lost something, let it go and move on. That’s better than continuing to lose.
1.The man chose to buy the red and long fruit only because .
A. he hadn’t eaten it before B. he was hungry
C. it was cheap D. he hadn’t seen it before
2.The underlined word “condiment” in Paragraph3 probably means_______.
A.零食 B.水果 C.调料 D.蔬菜
3.Which of the following sentence is TRUE?
A. The man went to India to buy fruit.
B. The man didn’t want to waste money.
C. The man bought the fruit because it was expensive.
D. India can grow a lot of fruit.
4.From the passage, we can learn that_________.
A. we shouldn’t waste money
B. we shouldn’t eat chilies
C. we shouldn’t buy something cheap
D. letting something go is better than keeping on losing
Expressions cover all parts of our life. They may be around your ears every day. You may know a lot of Chinese expressions that describe how you feel. Here are some English ones for your enjoyment.
Have Your Heart in Your Mouth
This expression means that you’re really afraid or anxious about something. When your heart starts beating so much that you can feel a thumping(怦怦跳) in your throat, it may feel like you “have your heart in your mouth”.
Have Butterflies in the Stomach
How did butterflies get in your stomach? Well, those really aren’t butterflies in there. It is a way of describing those nervous feelings you might get before a test or a very important decision.
These stomach flutters(跳动) are normal and happen to many people. Some people believe having a few butterflies might even help you perform better.
Sick as a Dog
If you’ve ever been very sick, you may have used this expression. Because dogs eat just about anything they find, they often get sick. So it’s all right to describe someone who’s not feeling well as being “sick as a dog” .
Under the Weather
When it’s rainy all day outside, how would you feel? This expression comes from the idea that bad weather might hurt a person’s health and mood .
1.Someone believes ________ if you ‘have butterflies in the stomach” before a test.
A. You’re sure to fail B. You will forget everything
C. You might do better D. You are sure to do better
2.When somebody says “ under the weather” , he must feel __________ .
A. upset B. happy C. calm D. afraid
3.All expressions discussed in the passage are about _________
A. health B. habits C. feelings D. Weather
Recently, a reader asked me about the dangers that pets can face around the house. So, I visited my local animal last weekend and got some advice to share about how we can make our homes for our pets.
When I arrived, several pets and their were in the waiting room. Mr. Smith, with a cat, chatted with me. "My cat will be for an uncomfortable stomach in a minute," he said. "My children gave a bowl of milk. However, if she is given milk, she will get a stomachache.”
Just then, the vet (兽医) walked over to us. “Yes, Mr. Smith is . Only a few people know this, but milk mustn't be fed to cats some cats can't take it in easily," the vet said. "Other human foods are bad for pets . For example, if a dog eats chocolate, it will become ."
I asked the vet what other there are for pets around the house. "Well,” she replied, “we should not small things, such as batteries, lying around as they can be eaten by pets. Last month, a small cat was brought because it had eaten a button which was on the floor without being noticed. "
Before I left, the vet me some more important advice to share with you:
You should keep all medicines and cleaning products away from pets. Also, pets, such as cats and dogs, sometimes will their hair if they are unwell, If your pet looks unwell or is acting unusual, you should your vet immediately. Follow the advice and you can keep your pets safe.
1.A. school B. hospital C. market D. museum
2.A. warm B. safe C. clean D. beautiful
3.A. owners B. visitors C. teachers D. actors
4.A. paid B. chosen C. treated D. returned
5.A. it. B. me C. him D. her
6.A. friendly B. healthy C. good D. right
7.A. until B. though C. while D. because
8.A. as well B. so far C. as usual D. just now
9.A. brown B. sick C. smart D. comfortable
10.A. secrets B. changes C. dangersD. mistakes
11.A. buyB. use C. leave D. collect
12.A. in B. off C. on D. down
13.A. offeredB. postedC. wastedD. accepted
14.A. colour B. keep C. loseD. sell
15.A. point to B. ring up C. hear fromD. look after
--Could you tell me_______?
--At nine o’clock, in ten minutes.
A. how will he leave B. when he has left
C. why he is leaving D. when he will leave
--TV says there will be a storm tomorrow.
--_______. I planned to go climbing with my classmates.
A. I hope so B. I’m afraid so C. Sounds good D. Bad luck
