Isabel Allende's novels are enjoyed all over the world. She is famous for her creativity and imagination. And her own personal story is as amazing as any she has ever told in a novel. Born in 1942, Allende's family often moved during her childhood. She went to school in South America, Europe, and Asia. As a young woman, she became a journalist in Santiago, Chile's capital city. Then, she got married and had two children. In 1970, everything began to change.
Leaving home
Isabel Allende's uncle was a political leader named Salvador Allende. In 1970, her uncle was elected president of Chile. In 1973, President Allende was killed during the fighting. When Isabel Allende began to fear for her life, she and her family decided to move to Venezuela.
From Newspaper to Novels
It was really a painful experience for Isabel Allende to leave her country. Without this experience, however, Allende said she never would have begun writing novels. Then she got a phone call from Chile. Her grandfather was dying. She knew she could not return home to be with him, but she wanted to respect him in some way. "I decided to write a letter about all the things he told us when we were young," Allende explained. Later, she wrote a long letter which became Allende's first novel, The House of the Spirits.
The Writing Life
"I spent ten to twelve hours a day in a room writing," Allende said, "I didn't talk to anybody; I didn't answer the phone." When she finished the first draft of a new novel, Allende mailed a copy to her strictest critic(评论家)."I sent it to my mother. She read it and came here with a red pen. We fought for a month at least." Allende then went back to work until she felt the book was finished. "Storytelling is the fun part," she said. "Writing can be a lot of work!"
1.What was Isabel Allende before she got married?
A. She was a journalist. B. She was a teacher.
C. She was a political leader. D. She was a president.
2.According to the last paragraph, the underlined words "strictest critic" refer to .
A. Isabel Allende's father B. Isabel Allende's mother
C. Isabel Allende's grandfather D. Isabel Allende's uncle
3.Why did Isabel Allende start writing her first novel?
A. Because she wanted to make some money.
B. Because she liked writing novels.
C. Because she wanted to respect her grandfather in some way.
D. Because she wanted to write against the government.
4.In Paragraph 4, when Allende said "We fought for a month at least", she meant that " ".
A. Isabel Allende and her mother discussed and argued a lot about the draft
B. Isabel Allende and her mother often fought because of the draft
C. Isabel Allende and her mother didn't have a good relationship
D. Isabel Allende's mother didn't like Isabel Allende's draft at all
For years, parents have been telling kids to turn down the music. Now it's more important than ever for young people to hear the message.
Phones, iPads, and other devices deliver music that is clearer and louder than ever. That may sound like a good thing, but it is not so good for the health of the ears.
A new study confirms the danger. Scientists gave hearing tests to 170 students aged 11 to 17. The results showed that nearly 30% of the students had tinnitus(耳鸣), a condition that causes ringing in the ears. Ringing can be the result of a sudden loud noise. In that case, it is likely to go away. But constant ringing is a sign of trouble.
"These weren't kids who had just come from a rock concert," Dr Larry Roberts told Times For Kids. "We made sure they hadn't heard any loud sounds for a day or two."
Since the kids' tinnitus is a continuing condition, it is not likely to go away. Ongoing ringing in the ears is a sign of hearing loss. "There's no medical cure for tinnitus," warns Roberts. "These students will need hearing assistance earlier in life than others who don't have tinnitus."
Aside from the threat of future hearing loss，students with tinnitus also face immediate effects. They are more sensitive to loud sounds. They may have difficulty concentrating(集中精力)and sleeping.
What can you do to keep your hearing sharp? Follow the 60/60 rule. Set the volume under 60%. Don't use a device for more than 60 minutes a day.
1.What does "the message" in Paragraph 1 refer to(指的是)?
A. The result of the study.
B. Turn down the music.
C. Clearer and louder music isn't good.
D. There's no medical cure for tinnitus.
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. In the author's opinion, it's good for us that devices play clearer and louder music.
B. More than 30% of the students in the tests had tinnitus.
C. Tinnitus is a problem with no medical cure.
D. Hearing loss is an immediate effect of tinnitus.
3.What's the writer's purpose in writing this passage?
A. To show the bad effects of tinnitus.
B. To show the result of a study.
C. To warn young people to turn down the music.
D. To suggest the ways to keep one's hearing sharp.
Mary was waiting for the airplane to take off. She was happy to get a seat by herself. Just then, an air hostess came up to her and asked，"Would you mind changing your seat? A man would like to sit with his wife." The only available seat was next to a girl with her arms broken, a black-and-blue face and a sad expression. "I don't want to sit there," Mary thought immediately. But a soft voice spoke, "She needs help." Finally, Mary moved to that seat.
The girl was named Emily. She had been in a car accident and now was on her way for treatment.
When the snack and juice arrived, Mary realized that Emily could not feed herself. Mary considered offering to feed her but hesitated(犹像), as it seemed too impolite to offer service to a stranger. But then Mary realized that Emily's need was more important. Mary offered to help her eat. Although Emily was uncomfortable to accept, she agreed. They became closer and closer in a short time. By the end of the five-hour trip, Mary's heart had warmed, and the time was really better spent than if she had just sat by herself.
Mary was very glad that she had sat next to Emily and fed her. Love sometimes goes beyond human borders (边界)and removes the fears that keep people away. When we reach out to other people, we grow to live in alarger and more rewarding world.
1.How did Mary feel at first when an air hostess asked her to change her seat?
A. She felt glad to do so.
B. She went mad with anger.
C. She was not willing to do so.
D. She was afraid of the man and his wife.
2.What do the underlined words "she agreed" mean?
A. Emily agreed that Mary would help her eat.
B. Emily agreed that she would sit next to Mary.
C. Emily agreed that Mary would change her seat.
D. Emily agreed that she would not accept her help.
3.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Flying with Strangers B. Changing Seats
C. Learning to Forgive D. Passing Your Love on
When you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak. When you start using them again，they will slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory(记忆)works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps practicing his memory by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault(过错).But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents may be blamed(责备)，and few of us know that it is just his own fault. Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write but they have to remember things;they cannot write them down in a small notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories, so their memories are being exercised the whole time.
So if you want to have a good memory, learn from those people:practice remembering things in a way as other people do.
1.If you do not use your arms or legs for some time, .
A. they will become weak and won't become strong until you use them again
B. they will become stronger
C. they will become weak but they will slowly become strong again
D. you can't use them any more
2.The writer wants to tell us .
A. how to have a good memory B. how to read and write
C. how to use our arms or legs D. how to learn from other people
A little girl had been shopping with her mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old. There was a_______ outside, so we all stood and waited inside the door of the Wal-Mart. I got lost in the sound and sight of the rain washing away the dirt and dust of the world. _______ the little girl asked, "Mom, let's run through the rain.""_______?" her mom asked. "Let's run through the rain!" she _______. "No, honey. We'll wait until it _______ a bit," her mom explained.
This young child waited about _______ minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain." "We'll get _______if we do," her mom said. "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning. When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through _______!" Her mom paused and thought for a _______about what she would say.
It was a time when innocent(纯真的) trust could be developed so that it will bloom into faith. "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let us get wet，well maybe we just need to wash ourselves," her mom said. Then off they ran. And we all stood watching as they ran past the cars and, yes, through the puddles. They got wet. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children ________ to their cars.
And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed to wash myself.
1.A. windstorm B. rainstorm C. snowstorm D. sandstorm
2.A. Quickly B. Actually C. Simply D. Suddenly
3.A. Why B. What C. When D. How
4.A. answered B. declared C. repeated D. announced
5.A. dies down B. lies down C. calms down D. gets down
6.A. a more B. other C. an another D. another
7.A. excited B. sick C. lost D. wet
8.A. nothing B. anything C. something D. none
9.A. while B. break C. rest D. chance
10.A. all the time B. all the way C. all the same D. all the best
―It's easy to clean up all the trash if we all offer to help.
―Yes. .
A. Many hands make light work
B. There is no smoke without fire
C. Where there is a will，there is a way
D. A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart
