E
Once upon a time in a land far away, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything：animals, spiders, insects...
One day while walking through the woods the nice old man found a cocoon（茧）of a butterfly. He took it home. A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged（露出）easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract（收缩） in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.
And we could never fly.
1.In the story, what happened to the cocoon of the butterfly after the man’s help?
A. The cocoon was broken and the butterfly died.
B. The man helped the butterfly out of the cocoon more easily
C. The butterfly couldn’t fly for ever normally.
D. The butterfly should spend more time practicing flying.
2.What would have happened to the butterfly without the old man’s help?
A. It would have died in the cocoon.
B. It would have become a true butterfly.
C. It would have been strong enough to go farther.
D. It would have stopped struggling through the cocoon.
3.The underlined word “cripple” in Paragraph 7 probably means ______.
A. disable B. climb C. enable D. beat
4.What can we learn from this story?
A. Man can never go against nature.
B. It’s necessary to live with some difficulties.
C. One cannot help others without thinking twice.
D. Mankind should take good care of insects.
D
This brief book is aimed at high school students , but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life.
Its formal ,serious style closely matches its content ,a school-masterly book on schooling .The author , W .H . Armstrong ,starts with the basics : reading and writing . In his opinion , reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page ; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as one digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself .The goal is to bring the information back to life , not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees . Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other ; in fact ,the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text .I’ve seen it again and again ：someone who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all.
Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history. He generally handles these topics thoroughly and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion regarding history. Well, he was a history teacher---if conveyed only a tenth of his passion to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across .To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts. As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind. Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired ,actually ,learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics.
My other comment is that the text aged. The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s—none of the references(参考文献)seem newer than the late 1950s. As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age.
These are small points, though, and don’t affect the main discussion. I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student.
1.According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to________.
A. gain knowledge and expand one’s view
B. understand the meaning between the lines
C. express ideas based on what one has read
D. get information and keep it alive in memory
2.The author of the passage insists that learning the arts_________.
A. requires great efforts
B. demands real passion
C. is less natural than learning math
D. is as natural as learning a language
3. What is a shortcoming of Armstrong’s work according to the author?
A. Some ideas are slightly contradictory.
B. There is too much discussion on studying science.
C. The style is too serious.
D. It lacks new information.
4.This passage can be classified as________.
A. an advertisement
B. a book review
C. a feature story
D. A news report
C
By far the most common difficulty in studying is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle (胡乱对付) along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students are more willing to accept a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic, they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation (动机)to work.. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to routine, and the majority of real productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “tough-minded” school doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. In fact, freedom from control and discipline（纪律）leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality (准时), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.
1.The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is ______.
A．changing from one subject to another
B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work
C．the unwillingness to follow a systematic plan
D．working on a subject only when one feels like it
2.Which of the following is true?
A．Many students are not interested in using self-controlled timetable.
B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable.
C．Most people of over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable.
D．Tough-minded people agree that good job is done naturally
3.The underlined part “as the fit takes them” in paragraph 4 probably means ______.
A．when they have the energy
B．when they are in the mood
C．when they feel fit
D．when they find conditions are suitable
4.A suitable title for the passage might be ______.
A．Attitudes to Study B．A study Plan
C．The Difficulties in Studying D．Study and Self-discipline
B
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1.Which hotel gives a promise?
A. Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale． B. Beach Plaza Hotel．
C. Baymont Inn Hotel． D. Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
2.In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A. Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale． B. Beach Plaza Hotel．
C. Baymont Inn Hotel． D. Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
3.If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel．
A. enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room
B. are fond of swimming in heated water
C. want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel
D. are a cigarette smoker
4.Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
A. All of the three hotels provide television with cable．
B. You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel．
C. In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available．
D. While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet．
A
BEUING (Associated Press 美联社)—China has a growing middle class, a tradition of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.
While China may be the world’s biggest toy maker, many of the best are exported. Department stores here do not have enough toys of high quality. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.
A US company, Baby Care, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.
Baby Care works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company’s "mother club" can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child-care books.
"We want to build a seven year relationship with those people," said Matthew J. Estes, Baby Care’s president. "It starts during pregnancy (孕期), when the anxiety and needs are highest." Baby Care works on a one-to-one basis. Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by Baby Care advise parents and explain toys that are designed for children at each stage of development to age six.
Baby Care opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in.
1.What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?
A. Educational toys and foreign toy markets.
B. Problems with China’s toy market and education.
C. Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China.
D. Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China.
2. Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?
A. Club members buy Baby Care products for free child care advice.
B. Doctors in Beijing help in making Baby Care products.
C. Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club activities.
D. Baby Care trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost.
3. Baby Care is developing its business in China by ___________.
A. opening stores in Beijing hospitals
B. offering 18 month courses on child care
C. setting up children’s education centers
D. forming close relationships with parents
4.Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?
A. Mother’s Club in China. B. Baby Care and Doctors.
C. American Company Model. D. Educational Toys in China.
Born in America, I spoke English, not Chinese, the language of my ancestors. When I was three, my parents flashed cards with Chinese 21 at my face, but I pushed them 22 . My mom believed I would learn 23 I was ready. But the 24 never came.
On a Chinese New Year’s Eve, my uncle spoke to me in Chinese, but all I could do was 25 at him, confused, scratching my head. “Still can’t speak Chinese?” He 26 me , “You can’t even buy a fish in Chinatown .”
“Hey, this is America, not China. I’ll get some 27 with or without Chinese.” I replied and turned to my mom for 28 .
“Remember to ask for fresh fish, Xin Xian Yu,” she said, handing over a $20 bill. I 29 the words, running downstairs into the streets of Chinatown.
I found the fish 30 surrounded in a sea of customers. “I’d like to buy some fresh fish,” I shouted to the fisherman. But he 31 my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased 32 their impatience. With every 33 ,the breath of the dragons on my back grew stronger—my blood boiling— 34 me to cry out. “ Xian Sheng Yu, please.” “Very Xian Shen ,” I repeated. The crowd erupted into laughter. My face turned 35 and I ran back home 36 , except for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.
Should I laugh or cry? They’re Chinese. I should feel right at 37 . Instead, I was the joke , a disgrace (丢脸)to the language.
Sometimes, I laugh at my fish 38 , but, in the end, the joke is on 39 . Every laugh is a culture 40 ; every laugh is my heritage (传统) fading away.
1.A. custom B. games C .characters D. language
2.A. ahead B. around C. along D. aside
3.A. when B. before C. unless D. until
4.A. success B. study C. time D. attempt
5.A. aim B. joke C. nod D. stare
6.A. cared about B. laughed at C. argued with D. asked after
7.A. right now B. from now C. at times D. in time
8.A. decision B. permission C. information D. preparation
9.A. repeated B. reviewed C. spelled D. kept
10.A. farm B. stand C. pond D. market
11.A. guessed B. forget C. doubted D. ignored[来
12.A. by B. as C. with D. from
13.A. second B. effort C. desire D. movement
14.A. forcing B. allowing C. persuading D. leading
15.A. bright B. blank C. pale D. red
16.A. open-mouthed B. tongue-tied C. empty-handed D. broken-hearted
17.A. service B. home C. risk D. root
18.A. trade B. deed C. challenge D. incident
19.A. it B. us C. me D. them
20.A. thrown B. lost C. divided D. reflected
