The house was quiet at 5 a.m. and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.
Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.
He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches—but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:
Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight. Tim.
The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.
The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves. The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.
Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.
He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way...
1.. What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?
A. He left the house quietly. B. He had breakfast at home
C. He left a note on the freezer. D. He put a sweater in his schoolbag.
2.. “He settled for some biscuits” in paragraph 3 means that Tim ___.
A. had to leave the biscuits on the table B. liked biscuits better than sandwiches
C. had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches D. could only find some biscuits in the kitchen
3.. What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?
A. The height of the first rocks B. The ups and downs of the waves
C. The change in the position of the sun. D. The vast stretch of the sunlit beach
4.. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?
A. The sea looked like a piece of gold. B. Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived.
C. Tim was the only person on the beach. D. The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave.
5... In the story, Tim’s mood changed from ___.
A. loneliness to craziness B. anxiousness to excitement
C. helplessness to happiness D. eagerness to nervousness
What do you know about the sea? You may have seen it. Some of us have swum or bathed in it. It looks beautiful on a fine sunny day and it can be very rough when there is a strong wind. What other things do we know about it? Of course, the sea is very large. In the world there is more sea than land. The sea covers three quarters of the earth. The sea is also very deep in some places. It is not deep everywhere, some parts of it are very great. At one spot, near Japan the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep! Just think of it, the highest mountain in the world is only about 9 kilometers high! If you have swum in the sea, you know that the water is salty. Rivers carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are more salty than other parts. Do you know the Dead Sea in Arabia? It is very salty. Swimmers cannot sink in it! Fish cannot live in the Dead Sea. It is a strange sea. In most parts of the sea, there are a lot of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. No sunlight can reach the depth of the sea. So it is completely dark. Strange fishes live there. Some are blind. Some have their own lights. Some have great jaws. With their great jaws, they swallow fish larger than themselves. The sea can be very cold. Deep sea divers know this well. At the top of the water may be warm. Then as the divers go down, the sea becomes colder and colder.
Many scientists are now making a study of animal and plant life in the sea. They hope to find new resources for mankind.
1.. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Land covers one fourth of the area of the earth.
B. The depths of the sea are different in different places.
C. The depth of a sea at one spot near Japan is nearly the height of the highest mountain.
D. The salt in the sea mainly comes from the land.
2... The Dead Sea is lifeless because ___.
A. the water in it is too cold B. the water in it is too salty for anything to grow
C. the water in it never flows D. no sunlight can reach the bottom of the lake
3.. We can see the underlined word “rough” in this passage means ___.
A. ugly B. noisy C. cold D. not calm
4... Which of the following statements is true?
A. Some of the fish living in the depth of the sea can not see by themselves.
B. Some fish give out light for themselves.
C. Some fish live on other fish. D. All of the above
5... What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. The necessity of the study of the sea. B. The purpose of man’s further study of the sea.
C. Man’s limited knowledge of the sea. D. The importance of new resources for man.
As a mother, I have been blessed. I have a nice, smart, good-looking son named Alan. About a month ago, there was an assembly (集会) about seat belt safety 36 at Alan’s high school. One of the presenters in this program, Kathy Hezlep, had 37 her son in a horrible car crash the year before.
When Kathy was 38 asked to speak at this assembly, she was reluctant (不情愿的). Her son’s 39 had been extremely hard on her. She often felt helpless and discouraged, and she wasn’t sure how she could 40 a difference by speaking to this group.
But at last she 41 to talk to the students in the school. Kathy spoke about how 42 it had been since the loss of her son. She spoke 43 from her heart and 44 son took her words straight into his heart.
One day, the worst nightmare came. The 45 told me my son had been driving down a curving road and lost 46 of the car. When I was taken to the scene of the 47 and saw the broken car, I felt physically 48 . I couldn’t 49 three kids had walked away from that car 50 .
When I got to the hospital, I talked to Alan about the accident. He told me that 51 of the kids had been 52 their seat belts when he started the car. But Kathy’s words about her terrible loss had 53 him so deeply that he 54 that everyone put on their shoulder and lap belts before he would leave. That is 55 had saved their lives.
1.. A. spoken B. introduced C. presented D. talked
2.. A. lost B. hurt C. saved D. seen
3.. A. again B. first C. then D. even
4.. A. wound B. smile C. life D. death
5.. A. give B. take C. feel D. make
6.. A. allowed B. agreed C. refused D. asked
7.. A. hard B. easy C. pleasant D. poor
8.. A. wildly B. highly C. directly D. safely
9.. A. the B. his C. her D. my
10.. A. parents B. police C. presenter D. kid
11.. A. control B. power C. direction D. sense
12.. A. station B. hospital C. road D. accident
13.. A. sick B. depressed C. angry D. ashamed
14.. A. express B. predict C. believe D. describe
15.. A. alive B. dead C. wakened D. relaxed
16.. A. neither B. one C. none D. either
17.. A. dressing B. wearing C. putting D. having
18.. A. remembered B. moved C. punished D. impressed
19.. A. hoped B. promised C. insisted D. informed
20.. A. it B. what C. that D. who
___ anybody call when I am away, please write down his name and address.
A. If B. Unless C. Could D. Should
–What took you so long? –I got lost. I have no ___ of direction.
A. sense B. ability C. knowledge D. feeling
Please arrange ___ first, and then let him have a good rest.
A. him a room B. a room for him C. him of a room D. a room with him
