Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite flight. He was a man of many talents and interests. His natural curiosity about things and the way they work made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries and advancements, Ben didn’t “invent” electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage.
In colonial America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben figured that there had to be a better way. His invention of an iron furnace stove allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The furnace stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Interestingly, Ben also established the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely.
As the postmaster, Ben had to figure out routes for delivering the mail. He went out riding in his carriage to measure the routes and needed a way to keep track of the distance. He invented a simple odometer and attached it to his carriage.
In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end.
Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, would follow in Ben’s footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today’s curious thinkers are keeping Ben’s traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work.
1.We can learn from the passage that Benjamin Franklin ___________________.
A. made his first invention using a kite
B. made his living by delivering the mail
C. set up some companies to help people to live better
D. made a stove which used other fuels instead of wood
2.The underlined word “odometer” in Paragraph 3 refers to something that ________.
A. contains the mail B. shows the direction
C. makes the carriage go fast D. records total miles covered
3.Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to _________.
A. replace his disabled arm
B. play games with his grandchildren
C. get books from the bookshelf more easily
D. clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf
4.The last paragraph mainly wants to tell us that _____________.
A. Ben was the most famous inventor.
B. other inventors learned a lot from Ben.
C. Ben’s spirit of inventing remain with us.
D. thinkers are more likely to become inventors
Did you know it takes 21 days to form a good habit? Research shows that when you “stick to something” for three weeks you are more likely to reach your goals. This is important for language learners or anyone who wants to make a change.
People who try something new often “fall off the wagon”. Whether it is a plan to lose weight or a decision to learn something, life often gets in the way. Those who make up their minds to learn English are more likely to succeed if they have a short-term goal at the beginning.
How to make learning English a habit:
1. Set a specific goal
Example: Break up the four main skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and plan to do one hour of practice in each area at the same time every day.
2. Find a learning partner
Choose a friend to keep you moving towards your goal. Your friend doesn’t need to be a language learner. He can be someone who wants to start exercising. He can be someone who wants to write a novel. It is best if you both have a goal.
3. Write out how your life will change when you reach your goal
If I improve my English, I will be able to get a better job.
If I take the TOEFL test, I will be able to get into university.
If I improve my pronunciation, my customers will understand me.
4. Keep track of your progress
Keep track of your effort in a notebook or online list. Share your progress list with your partner.
When you reach 21 days, reward yourself! Go out for a dinner or a movie or buy yourself a treat. It will be easier to stay on your program now that you are in the habit. If you ever fall off again, put yourself back on the 21-day challenge.
1.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Life sometimes makes people give up their plans or decisions.
B. An English learner should find a language learner as a partner.
C. A long-term goal is of importance in forming a good habit.
D. It is necessary to spend an hour on each language skill every day.
2.Why does the author advise an English learner to reward himself when he reaches 21 days?
A. Because he should share his progress with his partner.
B. Because he has had a good knowledge of English.
C. Because he would put himself on another 21-day challenge.
D. Because he has formed a good habit of learning English.
3.The best title of the passage would be “________”.
A. Taking 21 days to form a good habit
B. A research on learning English
C. Make learning English a habit
D. Setting a goal in life
Millions of young people are writing blogs. Millions of others are reading them. The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log.
Many popular Web sites now offer free, easy ways to create personal Web pages and fill them with writings and pictures. Web sites called "Facebook" and "MySpace" are some of the most popular blog sites for young people. Many young adults use their blogs to write about daily activities and events in their lives. They also provide a place for people to write their ideas and opinions and how they think of others’ ideas.
Blogs offer young people a place to show their writings and feelings. They can also be helpful to connect young people with others. But blogs can become dangerous when they are read on the Internet by millions of people all over the world.
Recent studies show that young people often provide their names, age and where they live on the Internet. That may not be safe for them. This personal information puts them at risk of being searched out by dangerous people who want to hurt them. Many students do not know about privacy and are surprised to learn that adults can read their personal daily records easily. Students can also get into trouble when they put information about others on their blogs.
As a result, many schools have banned the use of blogging web sites on school computers. Many schools have also begun teaching parents about the web sites. Parents should know what their children are doing online and should read their blogs to make sure they are not giving out private information. One way to keep away from these problems is to use programs so that blogs can be read by "friends only." people can read the website only if they know a secret word chosen by the blogger.
1."Facebook" and "MySpace" are ________.
A. school subjects B. computer programs
C. school online BBS D. blog sites for young people
2.Blogs may be dangerous because________.
A. they get in the way of studies B. they are not allowed for school students
C. surfing the Internet is bad for eyes D. personal information can be found in blogs easily
3.This passage is mainly about _________.
A. the safety of children’s blogs B. how to search the internet
C. students’ behavior at school D. communicating with parents at home
4.According to the passage, many schools help children avoid blog problems by doing
everything EXCEPT________.
A. teaching parents about the web sites
B. asking students to use programs to refuse strangers
C. telling school students not to make any net friends
D. stopping students from blogging on school computers
5.You can enjoy your blog safely if________.
A. you write your blog at school
B. use a secret number for friends to enter your blog
C. your parents have little knowledge about websites
D. you show all your writings and feelings in your blog
Our eating habits(习惯) are very important for good health and a strong body. There are times when most of us would rather eat sweets and ice-cream than meat and rice. Sweets and ice-cream are not bad if we eat them at the end of a meal. If we eat them before a meal, they may take away our appetite(食欲). It is important for us to eat our meals at the same time each day. When we feel hungry, it is a sign that our body needs food. When we feel angry or excited, we may not want to eat. A long time ago, in England, some judges(法官) used to decide whether a man was telling the truth by giving him some dry bread. If the man could not eat the bread, it showed that he was telling lies. Although this seems very strange and rather foolish, it is indeed a very good way of finding out the fact. A man who is worrying about something has difficulty in eating anything dry. Because he is worrying, he loses his appetite and does not want to eat.
1.We must have good eating habits because ____.
A. we want to eat more B. we want to enjoy our meals
C. we want to be healthy and strong D．we want to have a good appetite.
2.It is good to eat sweets and ice-cream ____.
A. when we are hungry . B. when we want to C. after the meal D. before the meal
3.We'd better have our meals ____.
A. at the same time each day B. when our work is over
C. when the meal is still hot D. when every one of the family is home
4.According to the judges in England, if a man tells a lie, he____.
A. eats dry bread easily B. eats dry bread with difficulty
C. eats a lot of dry bread D. drinks milk with difficulty
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C 和D ）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
I put a package of small gold colored foil (金箔) angels in my purse after my illness. The package was ___1___ and the angels fell out into my purse.
On the way home, I was at the store __2____ for something and change was __3____. I dug in, got the change and gave it to the __4____. I didn’t realize there were also angels sticking (粘) to the ___5___! Well, she said, “Oh, angels for __6____! Thank you! Come back and see me anytime!”
This __7____ several times that day, with almost the same reaction at __8____ places, with different people. So now I keep the angels in there and __9____ dispense (分发) them with the change.
This little __10____ has led to some interesting conversations --- for example, when I did go back to the same __11____ where the lady received the __12____ angles, she told me how much she __13____ them and kept them by her bed.
She then told me, “I was __14____ as a child, I couldn’t walk or talk. My grandparents told me that if I didn’t __15____ I would be healed because the angel was __16____ me. I started praying, and within a year I was totally healed! I’m so __17____ for this healing!”
She also told me that the first time she __18____me, she thought I was an angel! I then gave her some more angels, and ___19___ she acted like I had given her a million dollars!
What a lovely __20____!
I plan on always keeping the little gold angels in my purse and dispensing them everywhere. When I do, I don’t say anything --- I just give them with the change.
1.A. lost B. mended C. opened D. stolen
2.A. calling B. paying C. looking D. examining
3.A. saved B. checked C. returned D. required
4.A. salesperson B. waiter C. beggar D. conductor
5.A. clothes B. purse C. money D. package
6.A. them B. her C. you D. me
7.A. changed B. happened C. existed D. gained
8.A. different B. similar C. familiar D. successful
9.A. never B. almost C. always D. finally
10.A. reaction B. fault C. help D. practice
11.A. company B. store C. station D. city
12.A. first B. only C. last D. some
13.A. treasured B. missed C. expected D. needed
14.A. deaf B. blind C. wounded D. disabled
15.A. get up B. give up C. turn up D. come up
16.A. inside B. outside C. like D. behind
17.A. tense B. sorry C. grateful D. proud
18.A. dreamed B. tested C. saw D. found
19.A. however B. also C. later D. again
20.A. trade B. experience C. plan D. method
The number of people invited _____ fifty, but a number of them ______ absent for different
reasons.
A. were; was B. was; was C. was; were D. were; were
