It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War 3. She’ll talk about my lack of bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her coworker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I am the type of the person who loved to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of a fame or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.
1.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?
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A．the writer’s studies |
B．wars around the world |
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C．dinner plans |
D．the writer’s future job |
2.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother _____.
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A．doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor |
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B．doesn’t want the writer to major in English |
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C．gets along very well with the writer |
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D．doesn’t think working in the scientific field is a good idea |
3.The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “________”.
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A．disagrees |
B．shouts |
C．smiles |
D．complains |
4.Which of the following statements is probably TRUE about the writer?
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A．He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son. |
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B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future. |
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C．He wants to do something he really likes in the future. |
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D．He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect. |
5.We can know from the last paragraph that ____.
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A．the writer’s mother works very hard for the family |
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B．the writer doesn’t know what his future will be like |
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C．the writer doesn’t think being a doctor is a good job |
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D．the writer sometimes thinks his mother’s advice is very good |
Some people live in the world for body while others for dignity(尊严).
I once took a walk along the street on a Saturday dusk, with a Pepsi can in my hand. An old woman in ragged clothes, 16 was living on collecting used cans, jars and tins, moved slowly towards me, with a bag on the back! _17 (walk) nearer, she looked up at me and then fixed her eyes 18 my can. At that time, I hadn’t finished my cola, so I gave 19 several coins instead.
20 , staring at me for a few seconds, she handed back the money. Quite confused, I asked: “Why not? Isn’t that 21 you want?”
“I am not a beggar,” she said 22 (serious), word by word.
Instantly, I felt so sorry. I ___23___ (plan) to help her, completely misunderstanding her. Thus I hurt her. What I could do at that moment was only to drink up the cola and handed her _24__ emptied can. This time, she gave me a smile with satisfaction and gratitude in her eyes. The woman is poor in material life but is so __25 (respect) as a great person. I am not only moved but also have learned a good lesson.
There are robots all around us. Some do very complicated jobs like flying airplanes and driving subway trains. and some do one simple job. When an automatic washing machine is switched on, water pours in. The machine waits until the water is warm enough for washing clothes. It does this by “feedback”(反馈). Information about what is happening is feedback into the robot to tell what to do next. Our eyes, ears and other senses are our feedback. They tell us what is going on around us. So robots are like human beings in two ways. They work and they have feedback.
In some ways robots are better than human beings. They work quickly and do not make mistakes. They do not get bored doing the same job over and over again. And they never get tired. So robots are very useful in factories. They can be taught to do many different jobs. First their electronic brain must be shown how the job is done. A person moves the robot’s “arms” and “hands” through each part of the job.
The most intelligent robots can move and see. Their eyes are cameras. Their fingers can feel shapes and sizes of the objects. These robots have computer brains linked to their eyes and fingers, which control their actions. The expensive robots are used in scientific research. They do such job as handling radioactive materials.
1.In this passage the author tells us that ________.
A. robots are very popular
B. there are various kinds of robots
C. we see robots only at certain times
D. robots can be easily controlled
2.What does the author seem to inform you about robots?
A. They should be greatly improved.
B. They will probably take over in the future.
C. They are very helpful and useful to humans.
D. They are machines that break down a lot.
3.The author says that in industry ________.
A. robots break down a lot
B. robots can do many jobs
C. robots only get in the way
D. robots sometimes cause troubles
4.The fact that a robot never gets bored doing the same job means that _______.
A. it is very much like human beings
B. it can do boring jobs for people
C. it will never bore people
D. it will work much better than human beings
5.The robots used for scientific research _______.
A. are not very clever B. are very cheap
C. are very big D. are very costly
For the first time in Hong Kong’s history, an entertainer has been written into middle school textbooks. He is considered one of the best actors in Hong Kong. Yes, he is Chow Yun-fat.
The example of his long hard struggle for success has been used in a chapter in a Hong Kong middle school textbook. Using his experience, students can learn to make the most of their time and to grab every opportunity to succeed．
On hearing about this, Chow said happily, “I really hope that my experiences can make young people understand that one should not be afraid of difficulties and setbacks (挫折), for they are the only way to success.”
Indeed, Chow has travelled a long and difficult path to reach his success. In 1955, he was born into a poor family in Hong Kong. When he was 17, he had to leave school. He worked in a number of jobs—as a postman, camera salesman and taxi driver. These experiences paved (铺路) the way for him to play all kinds of roles later in life.
Chow broke into the film industry in the late 1970s. He was one of the hardest working actors and starred in a number of popular TV dramas and films including “Shanghai Bund”(《上海滩》) and “A Better Tomorrow”. Since 1985, he has won many awards including Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.
In 1995, he went to Hollywood. Although he was already over 40, he had to learn English. He even put chopsticks in his mouth to practise pronouncing certain sounds. His film, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, began to gain him more fame and recognition around the world. In 1998, the mayor of Chicago set aside January 12 as “Chow Yun-fat Day”.
1.Chow Yun-fat has been written into middle school textbooks mainly because ________.
A. he plays best in Hong Kong
B. he keeps on struggling for success
C. his experiences are very special
D. he is well thought of
2.Chow felt ________ when he learned that he had been written into middle school textbooks.
A. surprised B. shy C. sad D. happy
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Chow Yun-fat is proud of his success.
B. Chow Yun-fat prefers to make a living by selling cameras rather than by performing.
C. Chow Yun-fat has won more awards than other actors.
D. Chow Yun-fat is popular both at home and abroad.
4.The underlined sentence (in paragraph 6) suggests ________.
A. chopsticks is of great help to practise English pronunciation
B. Chow Yun-fat is willing to struggle with difficulties
C. Chow Yun-fat has suffered a lot before he went to Hollywood
D. it is hard for a person who is over 40 years old to learn spoken English
5.The author wrote this passage to ________.
A. introduce Chow’s films
B. praise Chow for his excellent performance
C. call on people to learn from Chow
D. show why Chow is popular
We must do what we can to protect the plants because plants are very important for living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores（胚芽）. Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.
1.Plants can make food from______.
A. flower, water and air B. water, sunlight and air
C. air, water and soil D. air, sun and light
2.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
A. plants are important for life
B. plants cannot grow without air
C. there are many plants in the world
D. we can not live without water
3.What can we infer（推断） from the passage？
A. Of all living things animals are most important
B. Spores are seeds
C. All fruits of flowering plants have seeds
D. Without plants, man will die out
4.This passage may be taken from______.
A. a medicine book B. a novel
C. a science magazine D. an experiment report
5.The underlined word “protected” in the passage can be replaced by ______.
A. damaged B. polluted C. prevented D. guarded
For 72 years, Lisa Gumpel kept a secret . “For a long time, I was determined not to tell anyone about it,” said Gumpel, 85 years old, 31 finally settled in Minnesota after the war and now lives in the Twin Cities.
She told people that she and her two sisters were among 669 Jewish children 32 (save) by a kind man to escape from the Nazi concentration camp in 1939. Their rescuer was 33 British businessman named Nicholas Winton, who also kept the story to 34 until his wife found a list of the children’s names.
Gumpel was shocked in 1988 when the 35 (true) about Winton’s one-man rescue operation finally came out. “Nobody knew that he actually did all 36 himself,” she said. “He worked so hard to save lives.”
Winton still doesn’t think that he’s a hero, arguing that his life was never 37 danger and that he was doing 38 he feels every person should do.
A party was held for him and the people he’d saved. Gumpel was 39 (excite) when she finally met him. “He still 40 (treat) us all like we’re his kids,” she said with a warm smile on the face.
