A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility(谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 —— I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that _______．
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A．the author regretted his act of prejudice |
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B．the blind woman needed the money badly |
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C．the author was as poor as the blind woman |
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D．the author was a native American |
2.According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably _______．
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A．rather hurt |
B．very excited |
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C．deeply moved |
D．greatly inspired |
3.According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should _______．
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A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
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B．try to experience different kinds of life |
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C．treat others equally with love and respect |
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D．think about one’s past as often as possible |
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
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A．Learn from your past |
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B．How my dream comes true |
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C．A Belief that will never change |
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D．A priceless lesson in the street |
Suppose you want to bring home a new cat and are looking for a way to really make it feel at home. Actually, all you need to do is buy some nice cat furniture and have it in place by the time you bring it into your home.
The first thing that you should prepare is a cat house. Two to three feet off the ground is the best height. If you don’t have enough room for a cat house, a cat bed is also a nice choice.
Once you have a nice spot where your cat can go to feel safe, then it’s time to get cat furniture that offers your pet a nice place to play. One nice choice is cat trees. Scratching posts (猫抓板) are another great idea if you are short in space, but still want to give your cat a nice place where it can claw (抓) at instead of your own furniture.
If you’re looking for a great way to shop for cat furniture, simply turn on your computer and do some online shopping. In no time will you be able to skim all the offerings from many online stores. What’s great is that you can easily compare products and their prices, so you can get what you want at the best possible price. And, probably the nicest thing about online shopping is that your purchases may be shipped right to you, so you don’t have to waste time making a trip to the store.
So, if you have brought a new cat into your home, make sure that home is an inviting one by buying some new cat furniture. Without it, your cat might feel lost and unsafe, which you definitely do not want to happen.
1.What should you do first before you bring a cat home?
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A．Find a proper place for the cat to sleep. |
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B．Buy a cat house and some cat furniture. |
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C．Learn how to take care of the cat. |
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D．Know how to buy cat furniture online. |
2. According to the author, the first concern for a cat house is __________.
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A．its height |
B．its size |
C．its price |
D．safety |
3.What is the best choice for your cat to play with if you have little room?
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A．The cat bed. |
B．Scratching posts. |
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C．Your own furniture. |
D．Cat trees. |
4.What is the author’s advice on shopping for cat furniture?
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A．Compare products and their prices and get the cheapest ones. |
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B．Try to save time and money when you buy cat furniture. |
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C．Do some online shopping and get products with reasonable prices. |
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D．Buy furniture that can be shipped to you as quickly as possible. |
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went with them. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib(肋骨) might have pierced(穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
1.The author was in bad mood that morning because _______.
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A．his father had a terrible accident |
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B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
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C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
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D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
2.Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
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A．Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
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B．Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
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C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
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D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
3. The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that _______.
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A．he had a poor memory |
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B．he didn’t want to forgive his son |
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C．he just wanted to comfort his son |
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D．he lost his memory after the accident |
4.What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
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A．Don’t treat your parents badly. |
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B．Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
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C．Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
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D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Eight-year-old Jesse Arbogast was playing in the sea late one evening in July when a 7-foot bull shark attacked him and tore off his arm. Jesse’s uncle jumped into the sea and dragged the boy to shore. The boy was not breathing. His aunt gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation(人工呼吸) while his uncle rang the emergency services. Pretty soon, a helicopter arrived and flew the boy to hospital. It was a much quicker journey than the journey by road.
Jesse’s uncle, Vance Folsenzier, ran back into the sea and found the shark that had attacked his nephew. He picked the shark up and threw it onto the beach. A coastguard shot the fish four times and although this did not kill it, the shark’s jaws relaxed so that they could open them, and reach down into its stomach, and pull out the boys’ arm.
At the Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Dr Ian Rogers spent eleven hours reattaching Jesse’s arm. “It was a complicated operation,” he said, “but we were lucky. If the arm hadn’t been recovered in time, we wouldn’t have been able to do the operation at all. What I mean is that if they hadn’t found the shark, we wouldn’t have had a chance.”
According to the local park ranger Jack Tomosvic, shark attacks are not that common. “Jesse was just unlucky,” he says, “evening is the shark’s feeding time. And Jesse was in an area without lifeguards. This would never have happened if he had been in an area where swimming is allowed.”
When reporters asked Jesse’s uncle how he had had the courage to fight against a shark, he replied, “I was mad and you do some strange things when you’re mad.”
1.What was the boy doing when the accident happened?
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A．Feeding a hungry shark. |
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B．Jumping into the rough sea. |
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C．Dragging a boy to the shore. |
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D．Swimming in a dangerous area. |
2. In which way did the boy’s uncle help with the operation?
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A．By finding his lost arm. |
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B．By making a phone call. |
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C．By flying him to hospital. |
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D．By blowing into his mouth. |
3.How was his uncle in time of danger?
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A．Careful. |
B．Brave. |
C．Optimistic. |
D．Patient. |
4.According to Jack Tomosvic, _______.
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A．people are often attacked by sharks |
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B．sharks never attack people |
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C．Jesse was unlucky to have been attacked by a shark |
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D．Jesse was swimming in a safe area at the moment |
根据下列句子及所给汉语注释，在相应的横线上写出各单词的正确形式。
1.He was deeply ________ (留下印象) by his speech.
2.As we know, there are seven ________ (大洲) in the world.
3.We were ________ (使…相信) that the film was worth seeing.
4.Please ________ (观察) the two pants carefully and tell me the differences.
5.The heroes in his novel were ________ (以……为基础)on the workers here.
6.He suggested the classrooms should be ________ (配以设备) with computers.
7.Look at the kite. It’s ________ (漂浮) on the surface of the water.
8.The boy ________ (道歉) to his teacher for being late for class yesterday.
9.All these rules will ________（使…受益）everyone here.
10.Football is played ________ （遍及）the world.
11.You can ________ (咨询) your teacher if you have problems with your study.
12. New Zealand is ________ (包围)by the Pacific Ocean to the north and east.
13.Kids should be ________（保护）from all that violence.
14.“I don’t like the film,” he ________ (低语) to me.
15. It is good manners to show ________（尊重）to the old.
My son. The phrase felt difficult and strange the first time I said it, and I had to practice it a thousand times． I started saying the words to myself the day when the ultrasound told me we were having a baby．
Finally, my son was born.
The nurse came out of the delivery room, holding a tiny, howling human being wrapped in a white sheet, his small hands and delicate fingers shaking nervously. “Baby Sanchez?” she asked, looking at the room full of expectant fathers.
I stood up, holding my breath． She showed me my baby． “My son,” I whispered. The little guy screamed, “waaaaaaaaaah.”
But in my heart I heard him cry out, “Daaaaaaad!” I don’t care if everyone in the room will swear they didn’t hear my baby say that. I called him, “My son,” and he called me “Dad,” and that’s that.
People ask me, “What did you feel at that moment?” I can’t even begin to answer. I’m a writer yet I try hard to find the right words. Joyful isn’t powerful enough. Bliss(狂喜) is not sweet enough. Peaceful isn’t calm enough. Happy isn’t tense enough.
After my son was taken away to the nursery, I sat down and shut my eyes. But tears escaped them away. Then out of the blue, my 80-year-old father entered, and we embraced.
“Dad,” I whispered.
“My son,” my heart heard him saying.
Suddenly the past 33 years folded into the present and I was now the baby bundled in white, with my father standing over me.
“My son,” I imagined him saying.
“Daaaaaaaaaad!” I cried my little lungs out.
At that point, I knew I was going to be a great father. The old man in front of me seemed to agree. He smiled and we walked out of the room in search of the tiny human being that would change our lives for ever.
1.Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?
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A．His son called him “Dad” when the writer called him “My son”． |
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B．All the people didn’t hear the baby say except the writer． |
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C．Sanchez is the writer’s family name． |
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D．The baby was taken away because the nurse found there was a mistake． |
2.The author couldn’t tell how he felt at the moment because ________．
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A．he was a writer |
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B．he was too excited |
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C．he was too nervous |
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D．it’s a feeling too complex to express |
3.We can learn the following from the passage EXCEPT that ________．
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A．the author got his first baby |
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B．he probably had a lung disease |
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C．the author didn’t really hear “Daaaaad” from his baby |
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D．the baby would change the author’s life |
4.Why was the writer sure he was going to be a great father?
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A．Because his son is so gifted． |
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B．Because he had much experience in bringing up children． |
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C．Because his father promised to help him． |
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D．Because his father had already set him a good example． |
