Erik Weihenmayer was born with an eye disorder. As a child his eyesight became worse and then, at the age of 13, he lost his sight completely. However, he did not lose his determination to lead a full and active life Erik became an adventurer. He took up parachuting, wrestling and scuba diving. He competed in long-distance biking, marathons and skiing. His favorite sport, thought, is mountaineering. As a young man, Erik started to climb mountains. He reached the summit of Mount McKinley in 1995 and then climbed the dangerous 1000-metre rock wall of EI Capitan. Two years later, while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya with his girlfriend, they stopped for a time at 13,000 feet above sea level－in order to get married. In 1999, he climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. And then , on May 25, 2001, at the age of 33, Erik successfully completed the greatest mountaineering challenge of all. He climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Erik invented his own method for climbing mountains. He carries two long poles: one to lean on and the other to test the way ahead of him. The climber in front of him wears a bell to guide him. Erik is a good team member. He does his share of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls. Although he could not enjoy the view, Erik felt the excitement of being on the summit of Everest. He hopes that his success will change how people think about the blind. “When people think about a blind person or blindness, now they will think about a person standing on the top of the world.
1.When was Erik born?
A. In 1967. B. In 1995. C. In 1968.. D. In 1969.
2.What was unusual about his wedding?
A. He got married on the summit of Mount McKinley.
B. He got married when climbing Mount Everest.
C. His wedding was held at 13,000 feet above sea level
D. His wedding was held after he prepared a lot.
3.What is Erik’s special method for climbing a mountain?
A. He takes his girlfriend with him. B. He uses two long poles to help himself
C. He does his share of the jobs. D. He keeps a good team around him.
4. Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?
a. He topped Mount McKinley.
b. He became blind.
c. He challenged Mount Everest.
d. He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.
e. He climbed the rock wall of EI Capitan.
A. b a e d c B. b e d c a C. a b e d c D. b a c d e
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. The told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other place.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a batter future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job---eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
1.From paragraph I we learn that the villagers __________.
A. were poor but somewhat content B. dreamed of having a better life
C. worked very hard for centuries D. lived a different life from their forefathers
2.Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
A. They needs money to buy medicine B. The frogs were easy money .
C. They wanted to please the visitors D. The frogs made too much noise
3.What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
A. there were too many insects B. the crops didn’t do well
C. the visits brought in disease D. the pesticides were overused
4.What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
A. Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country
B. Health is more important than money
C. Good old day will never be forgotten
D. The harmony between man and nature is important.
The most important use of drifting (漂流) bottles is to find ocean currents. When the position and direction of currents are known, ships can use the forward movement of a current or stay away from currents that would carry them off their course. Benjamin Franklin was one of the first to use bottles in the study of currents. He wondered why British mall ships needed a week or two longer than U.S. ships needed in order to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Franklin thought the Gulf Stream (墨西哥湾流) might explain this difference.
Franklin talked with captains of U.S. ships. He found that they knew each turn of the Gulf Stream. They used the current in every possible way. From his talks with the captains. Franklin made his first map of the Gulf Stream. Then he checked his map by using sealed (密封的) bottles. The map that he finally made is still used, with only a few changes, today.
1. Why are drifting bottles used?
A. To determine the position of a ship
B. To carry message across the ocean
C. To predict the direction of a ship.
D. To find the direction of a current
2.What led Franklin to talk with U.S. captains?
A. U.S. ships were longer than British ones.
B. British ships could sail the Atlantic faster than U.S. ones.
C. U.S captains knew more about maps.
D. U.S. ships could sail the Atlantic faster than U.S. ones.
3.What did Franklin make after his talks with U.S. captains?
A. A map of the Atlantic Ocean. B. A map of the Gulf Stream..
C. A map of ocean currents. D. A map of his first voyage.
4.What did Franklin do in order to make an exact map?
A. He compared his own map with other maps
B. He talked with many U.S. captains.
C. Both B and C.
D. He used drifting bottles to check his map.
Anna Douglas was 72 years old when she started writing her newspaper column. She had been a school teacher before she retired（退休），but she needed to keep 36 . She was even willing to work without pay. She then offered her 37 with a business that helped other businesses find jobs for old people. Every day she 38 other old folks like her. By talking with them，she 39 two things. Old people had abilities that were not 40 . But old people also had some 41 . She found a new purpose for herself then.
Through the years，she 42 to write stories about people for national magazines. There was now a new 43 ： Old people like herself. She began to write a newspaper column called “Sixty Plus”， which was about 44 old . She writes about the problems of old people，especially their problems with being 45 .
Anna Douglas uses her 46 ability to see the truth behind a problem. She understands 47 problems begin. For example，one of her 48 said that his grandchildren 49 the houses as soon as he came to visit. Mrs Douglas 50 some ways for him to understand his grandchildren.
“It's important to know 51 about your grandchildren's world，”says Mrs Douglas. “That means questioning and listening，and 52 is not what old people do best. Say good things to them and about them，”she continues. “Never try to 53 your grandchildren or other young people. Never 54 your opinion. Don't tell them what they should do. 55 ，they have been taught they should have respect for old people. The old should respect them as well. ”
1.A. free B. busy C. powerful D. rich
2.A. students B. money C. service D. books
3.A. met B. observed C. comforted D. answered
4.A. enjoyed B. followed C. recognized D. demanded
5.A. studied B. agreed C. used D. gave
6.A. problems B. mistakes C. questions D. characters
7.A. had B. used C. was D. ought
8.A. way B. life C. subject D. plan
9.A. employing B. respecting C. getting D. supporting
10.A. unknown B. misunderstood C. refused D. discouraged
11.A. leading B. working C. writing D. thinking
12.A. that B. when C. whether D. why
13.A. readers B. visitors C. listeners D. friends
14.A. got B. left C . entered D. passed
15.A. invented B. chose C. suggested D. imagined
16.A. everything B. anything C. something D. nothing
17.A. speaking B. listening C. pleasing D. advising
18.A. scold B. praise C. trouble D. encourage
19.A. speak out B. give up C. get back D. stick to
20.A. Commonly B. Surprisingly C. Happily D. Naturally
The old man asked Lucy to move to another chair _______ he wanted to sit next to his wife.
A．although B． because C．unless D．if
The new movie _____to be one of the biggest money-makers of all time .
A. pretends B agrees c. promises D. declines
