Tim BernersLee is not the most famous inventor in the world.However, his invention has changed our lives.
He was born in London, England in 1955.When he was a small boy, Tim was interested in playing with electrical things.He studied science at Oxford University.He made his first computer from an old television at the age of 21.
Tim started working on early computers.At that time, they were much bigger than now.He worked in England then Switzerland.Tim was really interested in two things, computers and how the brain works.How could the brain connect so many facts so quickly? He had to work with people all over the world.They shared information about computers.It was hard to manage all the information.He answered the same questions again and again.It took a lot of time.It was even difficult for computers in the same office in Switzerland to share information.Tim also forgot things easily.Could a computer work like a brain? Could it “talk” to other computers?
There was an Internet already but it was difficult to use.In 1989, Tim BernersLee invented the World Wide Web (WWW) all by himself.This had a special language that helped computers talk to each other on the Internet.When people wanted to share information with others, they used the World Wide Web.The Internet grew quickly after that.
Tim BernersLee doesn't think he did anything special.He says that all of the ideas about the Internet were already there.All he did was to put them together.He says that many other people worked together to make the Internet what it is today.
Most inventors want to become rich.But Tim gave away the World Wide Web for nothing.He now works in America.He helps people share technology and wants the Internet to be free for everyone to use.Maybe he is the most important but least famous inventor in the world today!
1.What was Tim BernersLee interested in?
A. Looking for jobs in different cities.
B. Talking to people around the world.
C. Studying how to connect computers.
D. Exploring how to improve memory.
2.The underlined word “It” in Paragraph 3 refers to “________”．
A. Working on early computers
B. Connecting different facts together
C. Travelling to the office in Switzerland
D. Repeating the answers to the same questions
3.In what order did the following events take place?
a．Tim worked in England.
b．Tim worked in Switzerland.
c．Tim made his first computer.
d．Tim invented the World Wide Web.
e．Tim studied science at Oxford University.
A. c—e—d—a—b B. e—b—a—c—d
C. c—d—a—e—b D. e—c—a—b—d
4.What does the writer think of Tim BernersLee?
A. He is not famous because he is not rich.
B. He has changed our lives and he is great.
C. He did nothing special but make people a good life.
D. He has made great achievements in memory research.
Once, Einstein gave a lecture in a university.After his speech, the audience started asking questions.
A girl asked, “Do you think you're a giant of science？”
Einstein said with a smile, “A giant is a person who is tall in height.You see I'm so small, how can I be a giant? Maybe I see a bit farther, only because I stand higher！”
Then a boy asked, “You mentioned you stand higher than the others.It reminds me that you had a talk with a lady on the top of the Alps (阿尔卑斯山)．I don't want to ask what you talked, but I want to know whether you realised you have been a top in the history of science when you stood on the top.”
Looking at the boy carefully, Einstein replied, “Well, my height cannot become a top.And there is no top that no one can get to, so we don't want to be a top, but we want to be a person to climb the top！”
Then he took up a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard, “Standing on the top, you are not tall, but even smaller！”
Then he said, “Though I stand tall, in the eyes of the world I'm still small! Finally, I can tell you a sentence, which was the last one I told the lady on the top of the Alps, ‘Any top can be reached, for there is no giant in the world but the one who stands higher！’”
A storm of applause(掌声) sounded.The lady who listened to Einstein's instruction on the Alps that year was no other than Madam Curie!
1.After Einstein's speech in a university, Einstein ________.
A. happened to meet a girl
B. was happy to answer a girl's questions
C. discussed some questions with his students
D. refused to visit his students
2.Einstein didn't think he was a giant of science because ________.
A. he only stood higher and he could see a bit farther
B. he was both small and short
C. he didn't have a clever brain
D. he was short of more intelligence
3.Einstein told the boy ________.
A. he had become one of the tallest persons in science
B. he wanted to be a person to climb to the top of the Alps
C. his height could not become a top because there was no top that nobody could get to
D. his height was not tall enough for a giant
4.According to Einstein's words, we can know his view is that ________.
A. he had already been a giant of science
B. he hadn't got to the highest mountain of science
C. though he was short then, he'd become a person who was tall
D. though he stood tall, in the eyes of the world he was still small
Who is the greatest teacher in Chinese history? Many people will think of Confucius, whose birthday was September 28.Although he lived over 2，000 years ago, people still remember and respect him for his contribution (贡献) to the education today.
Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, which lies in Shandong Province.He lived during the Spring and Autumn Period.He had a hard childhood.His father died when he was only 3.His mother brought him up.As a child, he had to work to help his mother, but young Confucius didn't give up studying.He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.
Later, he became a teacher and started the first public school in Chinese history.At that time only children from noble families could go to school, but Confucius believed everyone should go to school if they wanted to learn.He had about 3，000 students in his lifetime.
Today, people still follow Confucius' lessons.He told us that we all have something worthy to be learned.“When I am with three people, one of them must be better than me in some areas.I choose their good qualities and follow them.”
He also taught us that thinking is very important in study.“All study but no thinking makes people puzzled (困惑的)．All thinking but no study makes people lazy.”
Confucius is not only a great teacher, but also a famous thinker with wise thoughts about the world and society.His most important teachings are about kindness and good manners.“A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others.” he said.
People use his ideas to help themselves and society.At present, more than 100 Internet websites are telling people about him, and his ideas have gone far into East and South Asia.
1.People still remember Confucius today because of ________.
A. his hard work in the childhood
B. his wise thoughts about education
C. his travelling from state to state
D. his birth in Spring and Autumn Period
2.Which is the correct order of the following statements?
①Confucius' father died and he had to help raise the family.
②Confucius educated about 3，000 students in his lifetime.
③Confucius visited many famous teachers in his childhood.
④Confucius' ideas are learned from all over the world.
⑤Confucius started the first public school in Chinese history.
A. ③①④②⑤ B. ①③⑤②④
C. ①③②⑤④ D. ③①④⑤②
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. No one has something worthy to be learned.
B. All study but no thinking makes people puzzled.
C. All thinking but no study makes people lazy.
D. A person should be strict with himself, but be kind to others.
4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
A. people in East and South Asia know little about Confucius' ideas in the future
B. people only use Confucius' ideas to help them study
C. more and more people will learn about Confucius' ideas in the future
D. we can hardly find any information about Confucius on the Internet
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.was an important American.Every year，people in the United States celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.Day.The holiday is on the third Monday in January.It honours King's life and work.Read the timeline to learn more about King.
1.Martin Luther King Jr. Day is in ________.
A. January B. April C. August D. December
2.King was killed when he was ________.
A. 27 B. 34 C. 35 D. 39
3.On August 28, 1963, King ________.
A. was born in Atlanta
B. led a bus boycott
C. gave the speech “I Have a Dream”
D. received the Nobel Peace Prize
Everybody has his own hero in mind and is always trying to copy his behaviors in life. As for me, my ________ is just that man. My grandfather had a small farm. He also worked in a ________.
One autumn, most of the farmers in the village were ________, so he promised to help his neighbor harvest（收割）the corn as he often did. ________, after harvesting his own corn, Grandpa’s little corn machine broke. What was ________, the factory where Grandpa worked made the workers have extra work. He had to ________ the farm early and didn’t get back until very late. It now seemed ________ to help out his neighbor because he really had no free time.
One night, Grandpa ________ that he wouldn’t let his neighbor’s harvest rot（腐烂）in the field. Without a ________, he’d harvest it by hand.
＂I don’t think you’d have time to do it,＂ said my grandma. ＂ ________, it would be too dark to do anything at night.＂
＂I know of one night that I could do it!＂ he ________. ＂There’s still one more full moon in October. If the ________ is clear, I think I can do it.＂
A few days later, after a long shift（轮班）at the factory, my grandpa went to the ________. The weather was cold but clear. He cut all the corn through the night to ________ his word.
Sometimes, when I want to put off responsibilities, I’d see my grandfather ________ corn in the light of the harvest moon. Behind him, row after row of corn stocks（玉米秸秆）stand at attention in respect for a man who keeps his word.
1.A. father B. mother C. grandfather D. grandmother
2.A. school B. factory C. shop D. cinema
3.A. happy B. free C. busy D. nervous
4.A. Anyway B. However C. Luckily D. Usually
5.A. worse B. better C. earlier D. later
6.A. sell B. leave C. clean D. return
7.A. relaxing B. impossible C. interesting D. dangerous
8.A. thought B. learned C. wondered D. guessed
9.A. friend B. hand C. machine D. farmer
10.A. Whenever B. Besides C. Although D. Because
11.A. lived B. refused C. explained D. nodded
12.A. weather B. air C. water D. day
13.A. factory B. field C. river D. house
14.A. keep B. talk C. eat D. say
15.A. eating B. growing C. pulling D. cutting
完成句子
1.请不要再嘲笑你的同学了，你应该与他们和睦相处．
Please don't__________ your classmates__________．You should get along well with them．
2.在公共场合大声说话是不礼貌的．
It's impolite to speak too loudly__________．
3.令我们吃惊的是， 他考试没有通过．
__________， he failed the exam．
4.我们中国人见到来宾的时候经常握手、微笑．
We Chinese often__________ and smile when we meet visitors．
5.他们那时不在打排球．
They__________ volleyball at that time．
6.当我爸爸回家的时候，我正在写作业．
I____________ my homework__________ my father came back home
