Can you remember the day when you spoke your first words? If you can, you are unusual. Try to think what the first months of your life were like, I’m sure you just spent most of your time eating, sleeping and crying. As you grew older, you were awake more of the time. It took your parents more to play with you and talk to you. You watched and listened. You began to know that people make some sounds to go with some things.
Then you began to cry to make sounds you heard. And step by step you were able to make the right sound for one thing.
On that day you came to understand the secret of the language. The secret is that a certain sound means a certain thing. One sound might be as good as another. But it is not as good as a word unless everyone agrees on its meaning. Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things, they can understand each other, so these people have a language.
After you found the secret of language, you learned words. Some of the words meant things, such as books, chairs and shops. Some of the words meant actions such as go and swim. And other words describe things such as good or dirty. Soon you learn to put words together to express one’s idea, such as “I want to go out and play with my friends.” This is language. By the way of language people can communicate. So we say languages mean communication.
1. __________ can remember the day when we spoke our first words.
A. Few of us B. No one C. Most people D. Someone
2. When you were a little baby, you ___________.
A. made sounds to let people know that you wanted to eat
B. could not hear any sounds around you
C. spent most of your time eating, playing and sleeping
D. spent most of your time playing with your parents
3. The secret of language is that ___________.
A. one sound might be as good as another
B. a certain sound is for a certain thing
C. people can understand each other
D. there is a special sound for each other
4. The use of language is ___________.
A. to get everything one wants from another
B. to say what one wants to know
C. to make oneself understood by others
D. to share ideas, opinions, news, etc. with one another
One day my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been living alone for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it impossible to visit her often.
That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary(周年).
We went to a restaurant that, although not classical, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I answered.
During the dinner, we had a pleasant conversation nothing special but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
A few days later, my mother died of a heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt（收据） from the same place Mother and I had dined. A note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but I paid for two plates—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: ‘I LOVE YOU’ and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some “other” time.
1. From the passage we can learn that_________.
A. the writer didn’t use to love her mother
B. the writer was sorry for not having shown much love to his mother
C. the writer often treated his mother at the restaurant
D. after dinner the writer went to a movie with his mother
2. What can we know about the writer’s mother according to the passage?
A. She lives with her son’s family.
B. She wanted to invite her son to have dinner again.
C. She died of a heart attack all of sudden.
D. She wrote a letter to tell her son about her illness.
3.The writer read the menu because _________.
A. his mother couldn’t see clearly
B. his mother couldn’t read at all
C. he wanted to order something her mother liked
D. he wanted her mother to relax
4.What do you think is the best title of this passage?
A .My Mother’s Life
B. An Unforgettable Meal
C. My Mother And I
D. Love is Something You should never Put off
A 15-year-old student who invented a flashlight getting power from the holder's body heat is going home today from California with a big prize and a chance to do further research.
Ann Makosinski was the only Canadian among the four winners at Google's international science competition. Thousands of young scientists from around the world took part in the competition.
Winning the science and technology competition was "a surprise". Ann said, "I think it will have a great influence on my future."
Ann thanked her family for encouraging her interest in science and said that her first toy was a box of transistors(晶体管).
The ideas for the invention came from seeing unwanted batteries and her friend's experience. When Ann visited a friend in the Philippines, she saw the friend couldn't study when it became dark because there was no electricity or light. She saw the need for a flashlight that has no batteries - Hollow Flashlight.
In her project, Ann wrote "I made two flashlights that do not use any batteries or harmful materials. They do not create any noise and will always work. The flashlight needs at least a 5℃ temperature difference between the holder's body and the environment around to produce light."
A video of Ann explaining how she created the flashlight has been watched more than 1.4 million times on the Internet.
Though Ann was successful, she has not made a decision about her career path. Ann hope that she can find a way to join her love of film and science together.
The four winners were chosen from 15 final competitors from eight countries. The competition attracted thousands of students in 120 countries.
1.In which part of a newspaper can we probably read this passage?
A. Travel. B. Culture.
C. Technology. D. Advertisement.
2. The first paragraph is written to be a(n) ________.
A. introduction B. warning
C. conclusion D. discussion
3. Paragraph 5 mainly tells us ________.
A. what Ann saw in the Philippines
B. why Ann invented Hollow Flashlight
C. how Ann's family encouraged her interest
D. what prize Ann got for Hollow Flashlight
4.According to the passage, we learn ________.
A. easy to win the international science competition
B. Hollow Flashlight is safe, noiseless and can save energy
C. Ann has made a decision to be a scientist in the future
D. few people are interested in how Ann created the flashlight
Wanting: I want nothing but music
Wanting Qu,born and raised in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, has become one of the most popular singers in China this year. During the past few months, her name and songs have spread quickly on the Internet, over the radio, and in almost every corner of China. You would be considered totally “out” if you have never heard of her song “Stay in My Song”.
She is a girl full of courage. At only 16, Wanting left home and entered a Canadian school to study business, starting her life in a foreign country alone. Soon，she found that her true passion was music. She went on to get her degree(学位), but also tried her hand at songwriting. She did part-time jobs to keep on her study like many Chinese students who study in foreign countries, but never gave up her dream of being a musician. When the chance came, she bravely introduced herself to the CEO of Nettwerk and became the first Chinese singer-songwriter the company signed in 26 years.
Wanting’s music career started to take off in 2009 when she worked in Nettwerk. In 2011, after hearing the songs she wrote and recorded, the famous Chinese composer Zhang Yadong called her and would like to work with her.
With all the successes she has achieved in China, Wanting is recording her first English album. She is ready to conquer the world.
1.From the passage,we know that________.
A. Wanting Qu didn’t get used to her school life in China
B. Wanting Qu dreamed of being a musician before going abroad
C. Wanting Qu was taken to Canada because her parents found her a part-time job there
D. The song “Stay in My Song” made Wanting Qu popular around China.
2.What is the meaning of “ take off” in this passage?
A. 腾飞 B.脱衣 C.下滑 D. 关掉
3.What is Wanting going to do next? She is going to_________
A. write songs by herself.
B. make people in the world know her music and love it.
C. work together with Zhang Yadong.
D. start her own business company,dreaming of becoming a CEO.
完形填空
The story was a true one and still moved me deeply. Thirty years ago. I got to know a _______lady named Rose. She had no kids and lived alone. _______ I went to visit her, I always took Rose some coffee and food. One day she said she _______ me to have lunch.
We walked from my work place to a little restaurant on David Street. _______the way, I began to worry: I knew that she had no money, but if I offered to _______ the lunch, I was afraid I would hurt her.
There were many people in the _______ and all of them were happy. Rose told me to sit and drink coffee by the window. Then she went to_______ in the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, she came out and sat with me. She just paid for one meal and we started to_______ the delicious food together. She told_______ that the restaurant let people work for a meal if they had no money, or would give them a free meal if they were not able to work. To my surprise, she also explained that the workers _______ were working there were all volunteers.
I _______ remember the beautiful afternoon I shared with Rose. _______ we had a meal together only once, it was paid by Rose’s work. The weather was _______ and bright, and everyone’s smile was warm and bright as well.
I’m still thinking that life cannot be easy to us, but we can still do _______ for our friends and neighbors. The world will be _______ if everybody would like to share happiness with others. It will never be dark if there is a light in everyone’s heart.
1.A. rich B. poor C. strange D. crazy
2.A. When B. After C. Until D. Unless
3.A. will invite B. was inviting C. is inviting D. to invite
4.A. By B. In C. On D. Out of
5.A. pay for B. ask for C. look for D. care for
6.A. park B. restaurant C. hotel D. bar
7.A. sit B. rest C. stay D. work
8.A. buy B. cook C. enjoy D. drink
9.A. her B. him C. me D. you
10.A. who B. whom C. which D. whose
11.A. never B. still C. hardly D. already
12.A. So B. But C. Though D. Because
13.A. hotter B. cold C. cool D. warm
14.A. something B. anything C. nothing D. everything
15.A. colder B. nicer C. harder D. worse
Chinese player Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam (网球大满贯赛事) champion, announced her retirement on Sept 21 because of long-term knee injuries. Although it was a hard decision, Li said she had no regrets (遗憾).
“I don’t feel sorry about retiring, because I’ve tried my best,” said the 32-year-old.
Becoming professional at the age of 17, Li has set many milestones (里程碑) for Chinese tennis. She was the first Chinese player to win a WTA title and the first to break into the top 20. Li won the 2011 French Open title and became the first Asian player to ever win a Slam. By winning this year’s Australian Open, she became the first Asian player with two Slams.
As excellent as her tennis abilities are, Li’s sense of humor is outstanding too. She often jokes about life with her husband in interviews, changing them into funny comedy shows. Her speech at the Australia Open in January is just the best example.
During her 15-year professional career, Li has helped the improvement of tennis in China. Earlier this month, Chinese another player Peng Shuai, 28, made the semifinals of the US Open. Last week, a new tennis match started in Li’s hometown of Wuhan.
“I’ve seen changes happening in front of my eyes, young girls picking up tennis rackets, setting goals … and believing in themselves,” Li said in an online post.
Li is more than a sports superstar. As WTA chief executive (行政长官) Stacey Allaster said, she is “a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia.”
Li said she planned to take care of my family and then to open a tennis school in China after her retirement. Her official retirement ceremony (仪式) will be on Sept 30.
1.Why did Li Na decide to give up her tennis career?
A. Because of the increasing age.
B. Because of the arm injuries.
C. Because of the knee injuries.
D. Because of the bad performances
2.When did Li Na become the first Asian player with two Slams?
A. In 2011.
B. In 2012.
C. In 2013.
D. In 2014.
3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “outstanding” in Paragraph (段落) 4?
A. 普通的 B. 古怪的 C. 杰出的 D. 完美的
4.Which is of the following is the writer’s opinion?
A. She was the first Chinese player to win a WTA title.
B. Li became the first Asian player to ever win a Slam.
C. Li is more than a sports superstar.
D. Her official retirement ceremony will be on Sept 30.
